Senate debates
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
At the request of the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senaterms of reference Abetz, I move:That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the...
- Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bill received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (67 speeches)
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 Bill gives effect to...
- Matters of Public Interest (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 12.45 pm, I call on matters of public interest.
- Sport (1 speech)
Australians have a particular fascination with sport, which escalates during major sporting events. Outside of immediate matters political, the nation is once again focused on major sporting...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
Last week, Senator Bernardi and I were invited to speak to the year 12 economics students of Trinity College. I followed Senator Bernardi and was asked a question about the industrial relations...
- Health Services (1 speech)
By international standards, Australia has a good healthcare system, but it is not good enough. We are there with the high health spenders internationally, but it is not smart spending. The Howard...
- Hearing Impairment and Deafness; September 11 (1 speech)
I rise briefly to raise an issue of inequitable access in our very own building, Parliament House, specifically for those people who are deaf and hearing impaired. There have been ongoing...
- Australian Labor Party (5 speeches)
This afternoon, I want to talk about a very grave matter of public importance, which is that, if the opinion polls are to be believed, by the end of this year we will have Labor governments in...
- Wheat Exports (1 speech)
Unlike the previous speaker in this debate, I propose to address a matter of public importance rather than play politics and talk about the blame game. The issue I want to discuss is a serious...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Broadband (8 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Will the minister confirm that the contract with OPEL for $958 million of taxpayers’...
- Veterans’ Affairs (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ellison, representing the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. I am aware that since forming government in 1996, the Howard government has shown a very strong...
- Telstra (26 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Can the minister confirm that she has appointed Clayton Utz and Mr Alan Sullivan QC to...
- Broadband (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. Will the minister please outline to the Senate any plans to extend broadband access for...
- Parliamentarians’ Entitlements (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Johnston, the Minister for Justice and Customs. Is the minister aware of claims last night by the member for Moreton, Mr Hardgrave, that the Australian Federal Police...
- Budget 2006-07 (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Administration, Senator Minchin. Will the minister inform the Senate of the budget outcome for 2006-07 and is he aware of any reactions to this...
- Human Rights (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Can the minister confirm that the government has been endeavouring to immediately deport a Chinese man...
- Crime (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Johnston. Crime is a serious concern in the Australian community, and the Australian government has an impressive record of...
- Belvedere Park Nursing Home (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ellison, the Minister representing the Minister for Ageing. Is the minister aware that a report on the Belvedere Park Nursing Home in Melbourne in August this year found...
- Heritage: Preservation (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Senator Abetz. My question relates to the application by the Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo Native Title Group...
- Belvedere Park Nursing Home (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ellison, the Minister representing the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that Mr Graeme Menere, who runs Belvedere Park Nursing Home, previously operated...
- Investing in Our Schools Program (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Department of Education, Science and Training, Senator Brandis. Will the minister update the Senate on the success of the...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Heritage: Preservation (1 speech)
I have an answer for Senator Siewert in relation to the matter that she raised during question time. Woodside’s proposed Pluto project, including onshore and offshore construction, was...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (7 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today. What we are seeing here is a government flailing around desperately trying to cover up...
- Human Rights (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ellison) to a question without notice asked by Senator Bartlett today relating to immigration and...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Bartlett to move on the next day of sitting: That the Senate— (a)notes that the week beginning 2 September 2007 was National Child Protection Week;(b)urges all levels of government...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the 15th report of 2007 of the Selection of Bills Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read...
- 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 Milne for today, proposing the reference of a matter to the...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Dame Anita Roddick (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I 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...
- Indigenous Communities (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a) notes the Australian Public Service Commission’s Management Advisory Committee report Connecting Government: Whole of government responses to...
- Climate Change (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of the Leader of the Australian Democrats, Senator Allison, I move:That the Senate—(a) notes the figures released by the Climate Institute, which show...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Belvedere Park Nursing Home (21 speeches)
I have received a letter from Senator McLucas proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The fact that the Government has failed,...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee: Joint; Reports (1 speech)
On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I present two reports of the committee, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and submissions received...
- Migration Committee; Report (2 speeches)
On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, I present the committee’s report Temporary visas … permanent benefits: ensuring the effectiveness, fairness and integrity of...
- Community Affairs Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Community Affairs Committee, Senator Humphries, I present additional information received by the committee in its inquiry into the provisions of the Health Insurance...
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee; Additional Information (2 speeches)
On behalf of the Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Senator Barnett, I present additional information received by the committee in its inquiries into the provisions of the...
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (2 speeches)
At the request of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Senator Robert Ray, I present the committee’s ninth report of 2007. I also lay on the table Scrutiny...
- Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present report No. 9 of 2007, Proposed Fit-out of new leased premises for the Australian Customs Service at the Circuit,...
- International Tax Agreements Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2007; Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Ohs) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bills received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— INTERNATIONAL TAX...
- Higher Education Endowment Fund Bill 2007; Higher Education Endowment Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bills received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— HIGHER EDUCATION...
- Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Standing Committees; Reports (1 speech)
Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on the examination of annual reports tabled by 30 April 2007. Ordered that the reports be printed.
- Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6.50 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
- Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This annual report in respect of section 14 of the Housing Assistance Act 1996 is actually an incredibly important document. It is a pity that...
- Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This is an amendment to annex 1 on the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels—petrels being another kind of bird. I want...
- Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. In standing to take note of this document I note that it relates specifically to an amendment to the tariff schedule of the Australia-United...
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following orders of the day relating to government documents were considered: Northern Territory Fisheries Joint Authority—Report for 2005-06. Motion to take note of document moved by...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 7.15 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Middle East (1 speech)
I wish to bring to the attention of the Senate tonight the gross violation of human rights, as I understand it, in the Middle East. I would like to inform the Senate that over a year has passed...
- Social Enterprise (1 speech)
The next time you pass someone in that street who is selling the Big Issue, look seriously at how this person represents a new model of small business. At first glance he or she might look like...
- Veterans' Entitlements (3 speeches)
I would like to start tonight by congratulating both the government and the Labor Party on their recent announcements—
- Year of the Surf Lifesaver (1 speech)
I rise to address the chamber and inform the Senate of the 100 years of surf-lifesaving in Australia and the celebration this year, 2007 being the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. This is the first...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Indexed Lists of Files (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 30 May 1996, as amended: Indexed lists of departmental and agency files for the period 1 January to 30 June...
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following government documents were tabled: Housing Assistance Act 1996Report for 2005-06 on the operation of the 2003 Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement. Reserve Bank of...
