Senate debates
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Notices
Presentation
Senator Humphries to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs Committee on the cost of living pressures on older Australians be extended to the last sitting day in March 2008.
Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:
That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes the Australian Public Service Commission’s Management Advisory Committee report Connecting Government: Whole of government responses to Australia’s priority challenges and the Social Justice Report 2006; and
- (b)
- requests the Australian Public Service Commissioner to conduct a confidential survey of staff in Indigenous Coordination Centres to identify current issues in the implementation of the whole of government approach to Indigenous affairs and the challenges being faced in achieving whole of government coordination and service delivery.
Senator Allison to move on the next day of sitting:
That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes the figures released by the Climate Institute, which show that:
- (i)
- from June 2004 to February 2007, greenhouse pollution from the energy sector in Australia increased by more than 22.5 million tonnes, despite high petrol prices and the switch in some power generation from coal to gas due to water shortages,
- (ii)
- 22.5 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution is the equivalent of adding more than 5 million cars to the road or increasing the national car fleet by approximately a third,
- (iii)
- emissions from diesel and aviation fuel continued to grow and rose 0.6 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively in August 2007,
- (iv)
- consumption of petrol and liquid petroleum gas declined in 2006 but has levelled out and increased 0.3 per cent in May 2007, and
- (v)
- overall, Australia’s emissions, by May 2007, were just 4.5 million tonnes below Australia’s Kyoto target for 2010;
- (b)
- calls for decisive and urgent action to:
- (i)
- put in place an energy efficiency trading scheme to achieve reductions in electricity consumption of 2 per cent a year, and
- (ii)
- substantially increase the availability of alternative and renewable fuels through abandoning the proposal for excise on these fuels; and
- (c)
- notes that the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (2010) has effectively been reached and calls on the Government to immediately lift the target to 10 per cent by 2012 and 20 per cent by 2020.
4:05 pm
Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) 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 Quarantine Amendment (Commission of Inquiry) Bill 2007, 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 of reasons read as follows—
Purpose of the Bill
The bill amends the Quarantine Act 1908 to provide for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to appoint a person to conduct a Commission of Inquiry into the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia in 2007. The Bill also provides the Commissioner with the powers needed to effectively conduct such an inquiry, and makes other consequential amendments to the Archives Act 1983, the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988.
Reasons for Urgency
The proposal is urgent in order to facilitate the commencement of a full and effective inquiry under the Quarantine Act 1908 as soon as possible.
John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On behalf of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I give notice that, on 26 September, I shall move:
That the Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1), as contained in Select Legislative Instrument 2007 No. 142 and made under the Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Act 1983 , be disallowed.
I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard a short summary of the matters raised by the committee.
Leave granted.
The document read as follows
Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1), Select Legislative Instrument 2007 No. 142
This instrument makes retrospective amendments to the principal Regulations to correct an error which has made certain licencees ineligible for licence tax exemption. Subregulation 5(7) has been amended to include a Note advising affected licencees that they may be entitled to a refund of tax paid in respect of apparatus licences. Notwithstanding the insertion of the Note, the Committee has written to the Minister seeking advice as to how those licencees will be made aware of their right to seek a refund of licence tax paid.
4:06 pm
Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
At the request of Senator Bob Brown, I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, he shall move:
That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes the death of Dame Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, award-winning businesswoman, and campaigner against poverty and for the Earth’s environment; and
- (b)
- while celebrating her work, her generosity and her life, expresses its condolences to Dame Anita’s family and her friends and colleagues in the United Kingdom, the United Nations and around the world.