Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   welcomes the Productivity Commission's final report into disability care and support, released on 10 August 2011;

  (b)   notes the assessment of the Productivity Commission that the current system of disability care and support is unsustainable, underfunded, unfair and does not deliver appropriate levels of care and support to Australians with disability;

  (c)   supports the vision set out by the Productivity Commission for a national disability insurance scheme which delivers individualised care and support for Australians with significant disability over the course of their lives and provides universal insurance for care and support for Australians in the event of significant disability;

  (d)   commends the Government's commitment to fundamental reform of disability services and the start of work to prepare for a scheme consistent with the recommendations of the Productivity Commission;

  (e)   recognises the work of the Government to increase funding and put reform to services to Australians with disabilities on the national agenda, including improving access to early intervention services for children with disabilities, record increases to pensions for people with disabilities and their carers and doubling funding to the states and territories to deliver disability services; and

  (f)   welcomes the agreement of the Council of Australian Governments to immediate action to deliver foundation reforms necessary for a national disability insurance scheme.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that:

     (i)   23 300 nuclear weapons are in existence posing direct and constant threat to international peace and security with thousands on hair trigger alert ready to be launched within minutes of an order to fire,

     (ii)   nine countries possess nuclear weapons and under 'nuclear sharing' arrangements five others have nuclear weapons on their soil, and

     (iii)   at the height of the cold war, nuclear weapon stockpiles were approximately 70 000 warheads and more than 40 000 have been dismantled;

  (b)   welcomes efforts taken by the Government to advance nuclear disarmament diplomacy, including the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and the request for the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to undertake an inquiry into the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaties involving Australia; and

  (c)   calls on the Government to support the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That, in accordance with subsection 10B(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973, the Senate approves the Health Insurance (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Amendment Determination 2011 (No. 3) made under subsection 10B(1) of the Act on 26 September 2011.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Tuesday, 22 November 2011, from 4 pm.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit be authorised to:

  (a)   hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sittings of the Senate on Wednesday, 2 November 2011 followed by a private briefing, and Wednesday, 23 November 2011, from 11 am to noon, and 11 am to 1 pm, respectively; and

  (b)   hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 2 November 2011, from noon to 1 pm.

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Environment and Communications References Committee on recent programming decisions made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation be extended to 13 October 2011.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Joint Standing Committee on Migration be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 2 November 2011, from 10.30 am to noon.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That—

(1)   The following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 28 February 2012:

     The impact of fixed currencies on international trade and the potential consequences on Australian jobs and industries as a result of goods being imported from countries with artificially suppressed currencies.

(2)   In undertaking the inquiry, the committee must consider:

  (a)   the effect of fixed currencies on the price of imported and exported goods;

  (b)   whether it is desirable that all countries have floated currencies;

  (c)   the ability for domestic industries to fairly compete against imported goods from countries which do not have floated currencies;

  (d)   whether there are any existing trade remedies available to support Australian industries which compete against imports from countries which do not have floated currencies;

  (e)   possible tools and trade remedies to compensate for, or otherwise redress, those currency fluctuations that may impair commitments undertaken by members in successive rounds of trade negotiations;

  (f)   whether Australia's anti-dumping regime needs to take into account the impact of fixed currencies;

  (g)   the effect that fixed currencies have on Australia's terms of trade; and

  (h)   any other related matters.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Monday, 31 October 2011, from 10 am to 1.30 pm.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on regulatory standards for the approval of medical devices be extended to 8 November 2011.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes:

     (i)   the approval given by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Mr Burke) for the Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion,

     (ii)   that the proposal will lead to the dumping of 70 million tonnes of carcinogenic radioactive tailings every year on the surface, with no requirement for isolation of radioactive tailings waste from the environment for at least 10 000 years nor for disposal of tailings into the pit as is required at the Ranger uranium mine,

     (iii)   that assessment criteria for the Mine Closure Plan will be drafted by BHP Billiton and conditions for long-term surface management of the tailings are yet to be decided between BHP Billiton and the Commonwealth,

     (iv)   that the proposal will create a pit 4.5 km long, 3.5 km wide and 1 km deep with no plans for rehabilitation of this pit at the closing of mine operations,

     (v)   that by 2020, the tailings storage facility will leak up to 8 million litres of liquid radioactive waste a day into regional groundwater,

     (vi)   that the project will generate at least 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year for decades, and

     (vii)   that the sale of uranium in bulk concentrates is not sanctioned under Australia's bilateral uranium sales agreements, a treaty has yet to be negotiated with China, put to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties for inquiry and thereafter to the Australian Parliament; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to reverse this decision in the light of BHP Billiton's decision to proceed with 'world's worst practice' uranium mining.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That—

(1)   Divisions may take place before 12.30 pm on Monday, 31 October 2011 and 7 November 2011.

(2)   On Wednesday, 12 October 2011:

  (a)   the hours of meeting shall be 9.30 am to adjournment;

  (b)   the consideration of government documents shall not be proceeded with; and

  (b)   the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall be proposed after all questions relating to the introduction of the Clean Energy Bill 2011 and 17 related bills have been finally considered.

To move:

That—

(1)   Divisions may take place before 12.30 pm on Monday, 31 October 2011 and 7 November 2011.

(2)   On Thursday, 13 October 2011:

  (a)   the hours of meeting shall be 9.30 am to adjournment;

  (b)   consideration of general business and consideration of committee reports, government responses and Auditor-General's reports under standing order 62(1) and (2) shall not be proceeded with;

  (c)   the routine of business from not later than 3.45 pm shall be government business only; and

  (d)   the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall be proposed after all questions relating to the introduction of the Clean Energy Bill 2011 and 17 related bills have been finally considered.

To move:

That, on Thursday, 13 October 2011, the routine of business from 1 pm till not later than 2 pm shall be government business orders of the day relating to the following bills:

     Tax Laws Amendment (2011 Measures No. 6) Bill 2011

     Banking Amendment (Covered Bonds) Bill 2011

     Customs Amendment (Anti-dumping Measures) Bill 2011

Customs Amendment (Anti-dumping Improvements) Bill 2011

     Business Names Registration Bill 2011

Business Names Registration (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2011

Business Names Registration (Fees) Bill 2011

     National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2011

     Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2011

     Defence Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

     Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Bill 2011

     National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Amendment (Deer) Bill 2011.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity be authorised to hold an in camera hearing during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 13 October 2011, from 11 am to noon.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate expresses its deep concern for the welfare of Iranian actress Ms Marzieh Vefamehr who has been sentenced in Iran to one year in jail and 90 lashings for her role in the South Australian produced film My Tehran For Sale.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Business Names Registration Bill 2011

Business Names Registration (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2011

Business Names Registration (Fees) Bill 2011

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2011.

I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Business Names Registration Bill 2011 and two related bills, and the

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2011.

I also table statements of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statements read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2011 SPRING SITTINGS

BUSINESS NAMES REGISTRATION BILL

BUSINESS NAMES REGISTRATION (TRANSITIONAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL PROVISIONS) BILL

BUSINESS NAMES REGISTRATION (FEES) BILL

Purpose of the Bills

To establish a national business names registration system. These cognate bills will cause the existing eight state/territory business names registration systems to be replaced by a single, national, online registration system for business names and Australian Business Numbers (ABNs), thus enabling businesses to register for both a national business name and an ABN in one transaction.

Reasons for Urgency

The ABN/Business Name Project is part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), National Partnership Agreement To Deliver A Seamless National Economy, of December 2008. Establishing a national ABN/Business Names scheme requires a referral of constitutional powers from the states to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth and each of the states, need to enact legislation to meet the COAG approved timeline, which will see the new national business names registration system commence on 28 May 2012.

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2011 SPRING SITTINGS

NATIONAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING REGULATOR AMENDMENT BILL

Purpose of the Bill

On 7 December 2009, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to the creation of a National Vocational Education and Training Regulator and a Standards Council. On 24 March 2011 Parliament passed the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2010 (the NVR Act). The NVR Act formed the national VET regulator as a new statutory authority, which will be known as the Australian Skills Quality Authority, with responsibilities and powers for the registration and auditing of registered training organisations (RTOs) and accreditation of courses in the VET sector. The NVR Act also established strengthened mechanisms for the monitoring and enforcement of the regulatory framework.

The bill addresses particular concerns and recommendations identified by the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills Committee and the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee that were unable to be addressed prior to the passage of the NVR Act.

Reasons for Urgency

Introduction and passage of the bill through Parliament is a prerequisite to the further text based referral of powers by state governments.

New South Wales has made a text based referral of powers to the Commonwealth. Three other states have indicated that they will make referrals to the Commonwealth to empower the National VET Regulator and two states have indicated that they will pass mirroring legislation. Timely passage of the bill is therefore necessary to provide clarity to those states referring powers to the Commonwealth and certainty to those states that are mirroring the legislation as to what they need to legislate.