David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Madigan, Day, Xenophon and Back, move:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Wind Turbines be established to inquire into and report on the application of regulatory governance and economic impact of wind turbines by 24 June 2015, with particular reference to:

(a) the effect on household power prices, particularly households which receive no benefit from rooftop solar panels, and the merits of consumer subsidies for operators;

(b) how effective the Clean Energy Regulator is in performing its legislative responsibilities and whether there is a need to broaden those responsibilities;

(c) the role and capacity of the National Health and Medical Research Council in providing guidance to state and territory authorities;

(d) the implementation of planning processes in relation to wind farms, including the level of information available to prospective wind farm hosts;

(e) the adequacy of monitoring and compliance governance of wind farms;

(f) the application and integrity of national wind farm guidelines;

(g) the effect that wind towers have on fauna and aerial operations around turbines, including firefighting and crop management;

(h) the energy and emission input and output equations from whole of life operation of wind turbines; and

(i) any related matter.

(2) That the committee consist of 7 senators, 2 to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 1 to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, 1 to be nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate, and 3 to be nominated by other parties and independent senators.

(3) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minority party or independent senator;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(4) That 4 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee.

(5) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(6) That the committee elect as chair and deputy chair a member nominated by the minority parties and independent senators.

(7) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(8) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(9) That, in the event of an equality of voting, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, has a casting vote.

(10) That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members, and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to examine.

(11) That the committee and any subcommittee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(12) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.

(13) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such documents and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that Senate resources are limited in relation to select committees. We acknowledge that. And I understand that at least one other select committee will need to be wound up in order for this to have the full amount of resources. We accept that that is the case. The worst case is that this will operate on limited resources until March, when the inquiry into the activities of the Queensland government is concluded. Furthermore, if Senator Day is appointed chairman of the committee, he has suggested he may consider relinquishing his fees as chairman to contribute to the committee's costs.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government supports the proposition that the commencement of the substantive work of the committee be delayed. We think that is a good approach, given the resources of the Department of the Senate. But I think it is also appropriate to acknowledge that, at the tail end of the last Senate, the opposition sought to establish a number of select committees—in effect, to bind the incoming Senate. We are still living with the consequences of those decisions by the opposition before the new Senate came into being. I think it is important that this chamber be mindful of the resources of the Department of the Senate to adequately serve the committees of this place.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

I am very concerned about what is going on here. When this was reported last week, it was put in the paper that the government would support this committee, on condition that the crossbench voted to delete one of the other Senate committees. We cannot have longstanding procedures of the Senate and understandings of the Senate compromised in this way. We simply cannot do that.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on my left and right! Senator Milne, you have the call.

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

Thank you, Mr President.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald!

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

The point is: when the Senate establishes a committee and votes for a committee to be set up, then that is the will of the Senate. People may not like those committees. There are several that have been set up that I do not like.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But none with one government member.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right!

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

Nevertheless, the Senate sets them up, and, once one is set up, the Senate should carry on the business of that Senate committee. To now have deals being done on the side with the crossbench to diminish others— (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We acknowledge the deep interest that the senators have in this particular issue, and we note the intense notes of reference that we have on the Notice Paper. We do consider, though, that this issue could be effectively handled by the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee, and, in terms of the process, we understand—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right!

Senator Wong interjecting—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you talking about me interjecting? You never shut up, Senator Wong!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Macdonald! Order! Senator Moore, you have the call.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We put on record that we believe that the issues could be effectively handled by the Environment and Communications References Committee and could be handled by that committee looking at their own workload and looking at the process into the future.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that notice of motion No. 503 moved by Senator Leyonhjelm be agreed to.