Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   acknowledges the proven success and cost-effectiveness of the national programs PrimaryConnections and Science By Doing, run by the Australian Academy of Science and funded by the Government, that support the professional development of teachers and actively engage primary and secondary school students in science education;   (b)   expresses disappointment that funding for the two programs has been discontinued, particularly given that:      (i)   the programs will only account for $3.5 million over the next 3 years, and      (ii)   the Government has already invested $13.4 million in the development of the programs with Science By Doing having great success despite only running for the past 2 years and PrimaryConnections being only 2 years away from becoming self-sustaining; and   (c)   calls on the Government to immediately restore funding for the programs.

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   notes that:      (i)   a number of submissions to and participants at the recent tax forum called for the global introduction of a financial transaction tax, and      (ii)   the European Parliament has voted to support introducing a financial transaction tax and that the European Commission has proposed it be levied at a very low rate of 0.1 per cent on transactions in shares and bonds and 0.01 per cent on derivatives trading; and   (b)   urges the Government to support further discussion of a global financial transaction tax at the next G20 meeting.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)    notes that:      (i)   the weekend of 15 October and 16 October 2011 marks both International Day of Rural Women and World Food Day,      (ii)   the coming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October 2011 and the G20 meeting in early November 2011 both have food security on their agenda,      (iii)   currently more than 50 per cent of the world's food is produced by smallholder farmers, of whom more than 70 per cent are women,      (iv)   despite doing the majority of the farming in the developing world women farmers receive only 5 per cent of the training, own just 2 per cent of the land and access only 1 per cent of the credit available for agriculture,      (v)   policies to improve agricultural output must be tailored to assist women if they are to be effective, and      (vi)   the contribution of women farmers must be recognised and properly supported if we are to achieve food security across the globe; and   (b)   calls on the Government to:      (i)   ensure that support for women smallholder farmers is part of Australia's contribution to addressing international food security challenges, and      (ii)   raise the importance of the role of women smallholder farmers at CHOGM in Perth in October 2011 and at the G20 meeting in Cannes in early November 2011.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   recognises the positive contribution to productivity, inflation, gross domestic product and days lost through industrial action of the Australian Building and Construction Commission; and   (b)   affirms the need for a tough cop on the beat with power to compel information in order to keep the building and construction industry free of thuggery, intimidation and illegality.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate notes the failure of the Gillard Labor Government to maintain the confidence of the Australian people in its ability to protect our borders.

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

To move:

That the Community Affairs References Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 13 October 2011, from 4 pm.

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

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   notes:      (i)   the tragic deaths of four monks from the Kirti Monastery in Ngawa county, eastern Sichuan province between 26 September and 11 October 2011, and      (ii)   the men set themselves on fire in order to highlight the continued human rights abuse and oppression of the Tibetan people;   (b)   recognises:      (i)   the people of Tibet continue to be subject to appalling human rights abuse, and      (ii)   the Chinese authorities have continued to take repressive measures against monks of the Kirti Monastery, since the self-immolation of a monk in March 2011; and   (c)   calls on the Government to urge the Chinese Government to cease repressive measures against the Tibetan people and respect human rights in Tibet.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and for related purposes. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Emergency Listings) Bill 2011.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 November 2011:

Mandatory vehicle CO2 emission standards, with particular reference to:   (a)   the adequacy of the short and medium term targets currently being considered by the Government;   (b)   costs and benefits of mandatory standards;   (c)   design questions such as separate targets for different vehicle classes, bonus credits for electric vehicles and methodologies for setting targets for individual manufacturers;   (d)   the legal framework;   (e)   penalties for non-compliance; and   (f)   any other related matters.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   calls on the Australian Greens and green groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Conservation Council of Western Australia and the Wilderness Society, to honour the promise they made in 2007 with the traditional land owners of the Kimberley, to allow the Indigenous community and Woodside Gas, to negotiate a deal to mine gas in the Kimberley without interference or objection from conservation groups;   (b)   recognises the right of the traditional land owners of the Kimberley to use that land to create economic prosperity and employment opportunities for the Indigenous people of that region for generations to come; and   (c)   expresses concern that Indigenous people who have exercised this self-determination and accepted a single hub at James Price Point have been victimised, unfairly pressured by some green and conservation groups and subjected to racial vilification through being referred to as 'toxic coconuts' in publicly distributed material.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—   (a)   requests that the President convey to the people of New Zealand (Aotearoa) the Senate's concerns about the oil spill and other consequences of the stranding of the container carrier ship Rena; and   (b)   sends its best wishes for a rapid and complete recovery from the oil spill and other consequences of this disaster in such a beautiful region of New Zealand.

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 Banking Amendment (Covered Bonds) Bill 2011, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings.

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

To move:

That the following matter be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 April 2012:

The factors affecting the supply and distribution of health services and medical professionals in rural areas, with particular reference to:   (a)   the factors limiting the supply of health services and medical, nursing and allied health professionals to small regional communities as compared with major regional and metropolitan centres;   (b)   the effect of the introduction of Medicare Locals on the provision of medical services in rural areas;   (c)   current incentive programs for recruitment and retention of doctors and dentists, particularly in smaller rural communities, including:      (i)   their role, structure and effectiveness,      (ii)   the appropriateness of the delivery model, and      (iii)   whether the application of the current Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas classification scheme ensures appropriate distribution of funds and delivers intended outcomes; and   (d)   any other related matters.

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

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 Banking Amendment (Covered Bonds) Bill 2011, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for this bill to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statement incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

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

BANKING AMENDMENT (COVERED BONDS) BILL 2011

Purpose of the Bill

The bill amends the Banking Act 1959 to allow Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions to issue covered bonds and to establish a regulatory framework for the Australian covered bond market.

Reasons for Urgency

As announced in the Government’s Competitive and Sustainable Banking System package, allowing Australian banks, credit unions and building societies to issue covered bonds is a critical step in securing the safety and sustainability of Australia’s financial system.

Given the current volatility in offshore bank funding markets, the Government intends to urgently provide ADIs with the ability to issue covered bonds – which they have indicated they will do during November and December – because this critical to maintaining the flow of credit to the Australian economy.

The offshore covered bond markets are currently the only term funding market which are effectively open, and were the only term funding markets which remained open during the global financial crisis. Our banks were not then able to issue covered bonds and the Government was required to introduce a wholesale funding guarantee to allow our banks to raise funds on competitive terms.

Covered bonds will allow the Australian banking system to diversify the range of funding sources it uses to meet the borrowing needs of Australian households and businesses, including at longer tenors and lower cost.

(Circulated by authority of the Treasurer)