Senate debates

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Days and Hours of Meeting (22 speeches)
      I move:That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2010 be as follows: Autumn sittings: Tuesday, 2 February to Thursday, 4 February Monday, 22 February to Thursday, 25 February Tuesday, 9...
  • Budget (0 speeches)
    • Consideration by Estimates Committees; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request of Senator Stephens, I move:(1)That estimates hearings by legislation committees for 2010 be scheduled as follows: 2009-10 additional estimates: Monday, 8 February and Tuesday, 9...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      I move: That government business notice of motion no. 3 be postponed to the next day of sitting. Question agreed to.
  • Access to Justice (Civil Litigation Reforms) Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (5 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 10 September, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • In Committee (5 speeches)
      Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (1 speech)
      Bill received from the House of Representatives.
    • Second Reading (6 speeches)
      I table a correction to the explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Asylum Seekers (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. What will be the cost of the Prime Minister’s ‘Indonesian solution’? Is it $50 million, or is this...
    • Climate Change (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Is the minister aware of a report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water,...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the chamber of a parliamentary delegation from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On behalf of all senators, I wish...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • National Security (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Has the government received advice from Defence, Foreign Affairs and Australian intelligence agency sources that...
    • Afghanistan (9 speeches)
      My question is directed to Senator Faulkner, the Minister for Defence. Can the minister advise the Senate on the outcomes of the NATO defence ministers meeting held in Bratislava? Also, what...
    • Asylum Seekers (39 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. How many of the illegal entrants currently in the Christmas Island detention centre have no supportive documentation...
    • Timor Sea Oil Spill (6 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Faulkner, the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Could the minister tell us: when was the Commonwealth first aware that oil from the Montara oil...
    • Illegal Fishing (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Carr. Can the government confirm that one of Australia’s key fisheries protection...
    • Automotive Industry (6 speeches)
      My question is also to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Can the minister inform the Senate what the government is doing in response to the announcement...
    • Telstra (14 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer to the minister’s extraordinary incompetence in mistakenly tabling yesterday...
    • Employment (27 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment Participation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Can the minister update the Senate on the...
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
    • National Security (1 speech)
      I wish to provide some additional information in response to a question I received from Senator Back. I can confirm that the LTTE, otherwise known as the Tamil Tigers, has been listed under...
    • Aged Care (1 speech)
      I wish to provide additional information to an answer to a question from Senator Williams asked me, as Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, during question time on 17...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Asylum Seekers (14 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Evans) to questions without notice asked by Senators Fierravanti-Wells, Back and...
    • Timor Sea Oil Spill (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Defence (Senator Faulkner) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to the Montara oil spill...
  • Petitions (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Clerk: A petition has been lodged for presentation as follows:
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (0 speeches)
      Senator Cormann and Senator Xenophon to move on the next day of sitting:That items 42698, 42701, 42702 and 42718 in Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table)...
    • Postponement (0 speeches)
      The following items of business were postponed: Business of the Senate notice of motion no. 2 standing in the name of the Leader of the Family First Party (Senator Fielding) for today, proposing...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Parallel Import Restrictions on Books (0 speeches)
    • (7 speeches)
      I ask that general business notice of motion No. 594 standing in my name and the name of Senator Ludlam for today, relating to territorial copyright protection for books, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Asylum Seekers (0 speeches)
    • (7 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate—(a)recognises each senator’s role as community leaders and the collective responsibility to conduct debates on matters of public importance in a respectful and...
  • Protecting Problem Gamblers Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to protect problem gamblers by reducing bet limits to $1 per spin and load up limits to $20, and for related purposes. Question...
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The Productivity...
  • Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (0 speeches)
    • Order (8 speeches)
      I move:That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Climate Change and Water, no later than noon on 29 October 2009, a copy of a letter to the Victorian Minister for Water (Mr Holding)...
  • Emissions Trading Scheme (0 speeches)
    • Order (2 speeches)
      I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, no later than 4 November 2009, any modelling or analysis commissioned by the Department of the Treasury and/or...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Climate Change (11 speeches)
      The President has received a letter from Senator Milne proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The glaring disparity between the...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Tabling (1 speech)
      Pursuant to the resolution of the Senate of 6 September 1984 relating to the disclosure of joint committee documents, I present a report on access to documents of the Joint Committee on Social...
    • Responses to Senate Resolutions (1 speech)
      I present a response from the Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, to a resolution of the Senate of 8 September 2009 concerning Equal Pay Day. The response read as follows— Thank you for your...
    • Parliamentary Service Commissioner Annual Report (1 speech)
      I present the annual report of the Parliamentary Service Commissioner for 2008-09.
  • Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (1 speech)
      Bill received from the House of Representatives.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The incorporated speech read as follows— 1. Over the...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Economics References Committee; Reference (6 speeches)
      I move:That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 4 February 2010: The Reserve Bank of Australia’s subsidiaries, Note Printing...
    • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee on the provisions of the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Income Support for Students)...
    • Economics References Committee; Report (17 speeches)
      I present the final report of the Economics References Committee on the government’s economic stimulus initiatives, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (1 speech)
      by leave—I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:That the Senate—(a)notes that 28 October 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Goulburn...
  • Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Consideration (0 speeches)
      The following government documents tabled earlier today were considered: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs—Report for 2008-09, including Aboriginals...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! There being no further consideration of government documents, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
    • National Seniors Week (1 speech)
      I rise tonight to speak on National Seniors Week and specifically on the importance of our senior citizens in the community. National Seniors Week is a chance for our seniors to enjoy themselves,...
    • Family Business Sector (1 speech)
      Tonight I would like to speak to the Senate on the issue of family business in Australia. It is a sector to which we do not give sufficient consideration. Family businesses account for 67 per...
    • South Australia (3 speeches)
      I had the good fortune on the weekend to hear the South Australian Treasurer, Kevin Foley, speak at the state ALP convention. He made the very salient point that not only is Australia the...
    • Canberra (1 speech)
      I rise tonight to speak about an issue which is vexing many people who live in the national capital at the present time—that is, the toll which the Rudd Labor government has taken on the...
    • Economy (1 speech)
      This evening I want to talk about Australia’s debt levels. This is a subject which those opposite usually do most of the talking about in the Senate, but I want to make it clear that this...
    • Iraq: Camp Ashraf (1 speech)
      Tonight I rise to condemn the appalling attacks recently launched by Iraqi forces on the unarmed, defenceless residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq. There continue to be grave concerns in the...
    • Battle of Fromelles (1 speech)
      I have spoken many times on adjournment about the missing Australian diggers at Fromelles in northern France. It has been a story with many chapters. I am pleased to have been able to assist in...
    • Australian Republican Movement (1 speech)
      It has been more than 14 years since Prime Minister Paul Keating made his republic speech—a speech that epitomised what many Australians were already thinking: it was time for the nation to...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Tabling (0 speeches)
      The following documents were tabled by the Clerk: [Legislative instruments are identified by a Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI) number] Civil Aviation Act—Civil Aviation...
    • Return to Order (0 speeches)
      Documents were tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 October 2009 for the production of documents relating to answers to questions on notice Nos 2043 and 2044.