Senate debates

Tuesday, 7 November 2006

  • Pairing Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! Last night Acting Deputy President Senator Murray undertook to refer to me the voting intentions of senators who have informal pairing arrangements. This followed a speech by Senator Ian...
  • Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (16 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 6 November, on motion by Senator Patterson: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • In Committee (20 speeches)
      Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Housing Affordability (6 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Treasurer. Is the minister aware that the latest HIA-Commonwealth Bank Affordability Report shows that housing affordability is...
    • Australian Water Summit (6 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Will the minister update the Senate on how the government is assisting rural communities to cope with the...
    • Forestry (15 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz. Will the minister outline to the Senate how the Howard government’s support for Australia’s...
    • Household and Personal Debt (8 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Treasurer. Is the minister aware of Reserve Bank figures that show credit card debt passed $37 billion in August? Doesn’t...
    • Skilled Migration (4 speeches)
      I direct my question to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister advise the Senate on the success of temporary skilled migrants in the...
    • Water (7 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Minchin, Minister representing the Prime Minister. Will the minister confirm a statement from a senior government source that, because it is important to look after...
    • Indigenous Communities (2 speeches)
      My question is directed to Senator Kemp, the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister inform the Senate of steps being taken...
    • Economy: Household and Personal Debt (4 speeches)
      My question is directed to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Treasurer. Is the minister aware of the Prime Minister’s comments that the household savings ratio is a good...
    • Mr David Hicks (4 speeches)
      My question is addressed to Senator Ellison, Minister representing the Attorney-General. Is the government aware of recent criticisms that have been made by the president of the Law Council of...
    • Customs (4 speeches)
      I direct my question to Senator Ellison in his capacity as the Minister for Justice and Customs. Can the minister explain to the Senate why Customs allowed the importation from Iraq of goods that...
    • Aged Care (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Will the minister update the Senate on the progress of the Howard government’s policy of conducting spot checks on aged-care homes?
    • Nuclear Power (9 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Given the minister’s refusal to answer the question yesterday, will he now clearly state the...
    • Customs (3 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Justice and Customs. Will the minister inform senators of recent successes in the Australian government’s fight against illicit drugs?
  • Press Gallery Dress Rules (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I will not hold you long. You can thank Senator Brown for this: he did ask me a question about dress rules in the press gallery. I am pleased to tell Senator Brown that, by continuing resolution...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Customs (12 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Justice and Customs (Senator Ellison) to a question without notice asked by Senator Ray today relating to customs and the...
    • Water (5 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance and Administration (Senator Minchin) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Hon. Sir Allen Fairhall, KBE (3 speeches)
      It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 3 November 2006, of the Honourable Sir Allen Fairhall, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the...
  • Petitions (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Clerk: A petition has been lodged for presentation as follows:
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Withdrawal (1 speech)
      Pursuant to notice given on the last day of sitting, I now withdraw business of the Senate notices of motion numbers Nos 1 and 2 standing in my name for two sitting days after today and business...
    • Presentation (0 speeches)
      Senator Joyce to move on the next day of sitting:That the Senate notes:(a)that on 28 September 2006 the United States Congress passed the Military Commission Act 2006;(b)that on 17 October 2006...
  • Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators:(a)Senator Brandis from 6 November to 10 November 2006, on account of parliamentary business overseas;(b)Senator...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Postponement (0 speeches)
      The following items of business were postponed: Business of the Senate notice of motion no. 1 standing in the name of Senator Siewert for today, proposing the reference of matters to the...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment Funding (0 speeches)
    • (11 speeches)
      I ask that general business of motion No. 618, relating to government funding for the Australian environment, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move:That the Senate calls on the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (Senator Abetz) to report, before the Senate rises in 2006, on:(a)the relevance in Australia of the Stern...
  • Climate Change (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      by leave—I move the motion as amended: That the Senate—(a)agrees that:(i)scientific evidence supports a link between human activity and climate change, and(ii)urgent action is...
  • MR Wally Foreman (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I, and also on behalf of Senators Webber, Evans, Ian Campbell, Bishop, Ellison, Siewert, Murray, Eggleston, Sterle, Adams, Johnston and Lightfoot, move:That the Senate—(a)notes:(i)with...
  • Palestine and Israel (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)the wall Israel is constructing in the West Bank is 10 times the length of the Berlin Wall and three times as high,(ii)the length of the ‘Green...
  • Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • In Committee (74 speeches)
      Consideration resumed.
    • Third Reading (17 speeches)
      I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate do now adjourn.
    • Obesity (1 speech)
      I rise to speak about the millennium disease, the obesity epidemic, and what is being done to address the epidemic. I rise to inform the Senate of my seventh healthy lifestyle forum, which was...
    • Australian Defence Industries Limited (1 speech)
      Approval has recently been given for the private company Thales to buy out Australian Defence Industries Limited. The Australian owned 50 per cent of ADI Limited will be purchased by Thales from...
    • Stolen or Unpaid Wages (1 speech)
      As part of my long campaign to achieve some measure of public consciousness and justice for those who experienced institutional care as children, my adjournment speech tonight addresses the...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Tabling (0 speeches)
      The following government documents were tabled: Aboriginal Hostels Limited—Report for the period 26 June 2005 to 24 June 2006. Aboriginal Land Commissioner—Report for 2005-06. Aged...