Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present documents listed on today's Order of Business at item 13 presented since the Senate last met.

The list read as follows—

Documents Presented Out of Sitting

COMMITTEE REPORTS (pursuant to Senate standing order 38 (7)).

1. Environment and Communications Legislation Committee—Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Submarine Cable Protection) Bill 2013 [Provisions]—Report, additional information and submissions. [Received 28 March 2014]

2. Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee—Effect on Australian pineapple growers of importing fresh pineapples from Malaysia—Effect on Australian ginger growers of importing fresh ginger from Fiji—Proposed importation of potatoes from New Zealand—Final report, Hansard record of proceedings, documents presented to the committee, additional information and submissions. [Received 31 March 2014]

3. Abbott Government’s Commission of Audit—Senate Select Committee—Second interim report, dated April 2014. [Received 24 April 2014]

4. Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee—Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2014 [Provisions]—Report and submissions. [Received 8 May 2014]

5. Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters—Conduct of the 2013 Federal Election: Senate voting practices—Interim report. [Received 9 May 2014]

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORTS (pursuant to Senate standing order 166)

1. Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee—Report—Report of the DLA Piper Review and the government’s response. [Received 5 May 2014]

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS (pursuant to Senate standing order 166)

1. Foreign Investment Review Board—Report for 2012-13. [Received 10 April 2014]

2. Australia and the International Financial Institutions—Reports for 2012-13. [Received 23 April 2014]

3. Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse—Royal Commission—Report of Case Study No. 1—The response of institutions to the conduct of Steven Larkins, dated March 2014. [Received 24 April 2014]

4. National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) Act 2010—Collection of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme under co-payment prescription data—Report for 2012-13. [Received 29 April 2014]

5. Gene Technology Regulator—Quarterly report for the period 1 October to 31 December 2014. [Received 30 April 2014]

6. Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000—Report for 2013 on the operation of the Act. [Received 30 April 2014]

7. Clean Energy Act 2011—Final report—Reducing Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Targets and Progress Review, dated February 2014. [Received 9 May 2014]

REPORTS OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL (pursuant to Senate standing order 166)

1. Report no. 24 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Emergency Defence Assistance to the Civil Community: Department of Defence. [Received 16 April 2014]

2. Report no. 25 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Management of the Building Better Regional Cities program: Department of Social Services; Department of the Environment. [Received 17 April 2014]

3. Report no. 26 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Medicare compliance audits: Department of Human Services. [Received 23 April 2014]

4. Report no. 27 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Integrity of Medicare customer data: Department of Human Services. [Received 24 April 2014]

5. Report no. 28 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Review of child support objections: Department of Human Services; Department of Social Services. [Received 30 April 2014]

6. Report no. 29 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Regulation of Commonwealth radiation and nuclear activities: Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. [Received 7 May 2014]

7. Report no. 30 of 2013-14—Performance audit—Administering the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Prescription Medicines: Department of Health. [Received 7 May 2014]

8. Report no. 31 of 2013-14—Performance audit—The Australian Electoral Commission’s storage and transport of completed ballot papers at the September 2013 Federal General Election: Australian Electoral Commission. [Received 8 May 2014]

RETURN TO ORDER (pursuant to Senate standing order 166)

1. Environment—Maules Creek Coal Project—Order for Production of Documents—Letter to the President of the Senate from the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) responding to the order of the Senate of 18 March 2014, dated 15 April 2014 and attachments. [Received 15 April 2014]

2. Environment—Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority—Dredging at Abbot Point—Order for Production of Documents—Letter to the President of the Senate from the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) responding to the order of the Senate of 18 March 2014, dated 2 May 2014 and attachments. [Received 5 May 2014]

STATEMENTS OF COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE ORDERS (pursuant to Senate standing order 166)

Indexed lists of departmental and agency files (continuing order of the Senate of 30 May 1996, as amended on 3 December 1998):

Australian Taxation Office. [Received 8 April 2014]

Treasury portfolio. [Received 16 April 2014]

In accordance with the usual practice and with the concurrence of the Senate government responses will be incorporated in Hansard.

The response read as follows—

SENATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE REFERENCES COMMITTEE REPORT OF THE DLA PIPER REVIEW AND THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Introduction

The Australian Government is committed to supporting reforms to the management of allegations of abuse in Defence and implementation of Defence's cultural change program. The Australian Government acknowledges the contribution of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee's report on the `DLA Piper Review and the government's response' to providing parliamentary oversight of this work.

On 26 November 2012, the response to the report of the DLA Piper Review into allegations of sexual and other abuse in Defence was announced. The response included a general apology to members of the Australian Defence Force and Defence employees who have suffered abuse in the course of their employment, the establishment of an independent Defence Abuse Response Taskforce to assess individual complaints and identify any wider systemic issues, and access to reparation.

Apologies delivered by the Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley AC, DSC and in the Parliament on 26 November 2012 offered a significant step in the healing process for those affected by past abuse in Defence.

A Defence Abuse Response Reparation Scheme, with payments up to $50,000 for those who plausibly suffered abuse in Defence, was established to provide financial recognition that abuse is unacceptable and wrong and should never have occurred. Professional counselling and referral to other health services will further support victims of abuse on the road to recovery.

The work of the independent Defence Abuse Response Taskforce will include referral of appropriate matters to law enforcement authorities for criminal investigation while others, with the consent of the complainant, may be provided to Defence for investigation into possible administrative or disciplinary action. Complainants may also have the opportunity to participate in a restorative engagement conference, allowing their personal account of abuse to be heard, responded to and acknowledged by Defence.

March 2014 marks the second anniversary since the release of Pathway to Change: Evolving Defence Culture. This important document outlined Defence's strategy for achieving enduring cultural change. It sets out the requirement that Defence personnel demonstrate exemplary behaviour commensurate with the nation's expectations, in and out of uniform, on and off duty, and how the Defence leadership will require these standards are met.

Implementation of Pathway to Change by Defence and the work of the Taskforce are essential to ensuring Defence continues to serve Australia's national interests in a way that is consistent with modern community standards.

The Australian Government recognises concrete measures recently taken by Defence to improve support to victims of sexual abuse and move towards cultural change. This includes the launch of the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office on 22 July 2013, marking an important shift toward a victim-focused approach for responding to incidences of sexual misconduct and providing education about the prevention of sexual misconduct and assault in Defence.

The Australian Government and the Defence leadership remain absolutely committed to fully implementing the range of cultural reforms essential to managing and preventing occurrences of inappropriate conduct. Together, we will build a culture that gives confidence to the Australian people and creates a workforce genuinely reflective of the community it serves—just, inclusive and fair-minded.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

SENATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE REFERENCE COMMITTEE `REPORT OF THE DLA PIPER REVIEW AND THE GOVERNMENT ' S RESPONSE '

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That committee documents be printed in accordance with the usual practice.

Question agreed to.

I seek leave to move a motion to provide for consideration of the committee reports and the government response just tabled.

Leave granted.

I move:

That consideration of those documents be listed on the Notice Paper as separate orders of the day.

Question agreed to.