Senate debates

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Afghanistan (6 speeches)
      I seek leave to make a statement on civilian casualties in Oruzgan province in Afghanistan. Leave granted. I thank the Senate for its courtesy to enable me to make this statement. Yesterday...
  • Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (48 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 22 February, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That these bills be now read a second time. upon which Senator Siewert moved by way of amendment: At the end of the motion, add: and...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Home Insulation Program (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Does anyone at all in the entire Rudd government bear responsibility for the mismanagement of the Home Insulation...
    • National Security (13 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Can the minister update the Senate on the emerging terrorism threats as detailed in the government’s...
    • Home Insulation Program (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Yesterday the minister told the Senate that he had done ‘everything possible to...
    • Higher Education (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research representing the Minister for Education, Senator Carr. Can the minister inform the Senate why reform to...
    • Home Insulation Program (19 speeches)
      Mr President, my question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Given the minister yesterday stated: Every time advice was provided to...
    • Nuclear Energy (9 speeches)
      Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Energy, Senator Carr. Today Minister Martin Ferguson announced that fairness had been restored to the...
    • Home Insulation Program (14 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. I refer to the minister’s answer to a question in the Senate yesterday in which...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      Order! I draw to the attention of honourable senators the presence in the chamber of a delegation from the Parliament of Bangladesh led by the Hon. Abdul Hamid MP, Speaker of the Parliament. On...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Broadband (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister advise the Senate of the progress of the rollout of the National Broadband...
    • Telecommunications (27 speeches)
      My question is also to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to a report in the Age on 20 February stating that before Christmas...
    • Asylum Seekers (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. I refer the minister to recent figures from the UNHCR which show that asylum applications in Australia increased by...
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
    • Broadband (1 speech)
      I have some further information relating to one of the questions that Senator Minchin asked yesterday. I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard. Leave granted. The answer read as...
    • Forestry (1 speech)
      Yesterday during question time Senator Brown asked: Can the minister inform the Senate as to the amount of taxpayers’ money which has gone into the genetic modification program which has...
    • Home Insulation Program (1 speech)
      Earlier today I took on notice a question from Senator Barnett about the home insulation program. I have some information. Following discussions with stakeholders, Minister Garrett took the...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Home Insulation Program (12 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Evans) and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service...
    • Nuclear Energy (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Senator Carr) to a question without notice asked by Senator Ludlam today...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (3 speeches)
      I seek leave to make a brief personal explanation as I claim to have been misrepresented. Leave granted. I thank the chamber. If Senator Evans and, indeed, the Prime Minister in the other place...
  • Rudd Government (0 speeches)
    • Censure Motion (88 speeches)
      by leave—I move:(1)censures the Government for its gross and systematic failure in the delivery of its climate change programs including home insulation, green loans, solar rebate,...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (1 speech)
      Senator Cormann to move on the next day of sitting:That the resolution of the Senate of 25 June 2008, as amended, appointing the Select Committee on Fuel and Energy, be amended to omit...
    • Postponement (0 speeches)
      The following items of business were postponed: General business notice of motion no. 694 standing in the name of the Leader of the Family First Party (Senator Fielding) for today, proposing the...
  • Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That the following bill be introduced: A bill for an Act to protect the interests of Aboriginal traditional owners in the management, development and use of native title land situated in...
    • 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— Wild Rivers...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      I move:That the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit be authorised to hold public meetings during the sittings of the Senate, to take evidence for the committee’s inquiry into the...
    • Economics Legislation Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
      At the request of the Chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Senator Hurley, I move:That the time for the presentation of the report of the Economics Legislation Committee on the...
  • Education Services for Overseas Students Assurance Fund (0 speeches)
    • Order (2 speeches)
      I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 698 standing in my name in the terms circulated in the chamber. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Waitangi Treaty (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move:That the Senate—(a)notes the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the Crown and Maori leaders in New Zealand;(b)congratulates the first peoples of...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • National Archives of Australia (3 speeches)
      by leave—I make a ministerial statement on ensuring access to the National Archives of Australia. The Rudd Labor government is committed to assisting individuals in their search for...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being 6.50 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
    • Consideration (0 speeches)
      The following government documents tabled earlier today were considered: National Environment Protection Council (NEPC)—Report for 2008-09. Motion to take note of document moved by Senator...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Acting Deputy President: There being no further consideration of government documents, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
    • Mr Jock Ferguson (1 speech)
      It is with a heavy heart that I rise in tonight’s adjournment debate to pay tribute to my dear friend and comrade Jock Ferguson, who died suddenly a little over a week ago. He was a...
    • Extreme Rolling (3 speeches)
      Last Wednesday I had the real delight and honour to be at the launch in Melbourne of Extreme Rolling. Madam Acting Deputy President Brown, you might wonder what Extreme Rolling is. If you are...
    • Sexual and Reproductive Health Program in Crisis and Post-Crisis Situations (SPRINT) (1 speech)
      Tonight I would like to inform the Senate about the implementation of an important and innovative foreign aid program that is funded by AusAID and which is directly and practically assisting...
    • Rudd Government (1 speech)
      Listening to the recent debates on the attempt by the Rudd government to change the Medicare levy surcharge made me consider the number of promises that this government has failed to implement or...
    • Ovarian Cancer (1 speech)
      Tomorrow in this place we are going to be part of a national campaign to raise awareness in all sectors of our community, all across the country, of the issues around ovarian cancer. February is...
    • Cycling (1 speech)
      I rise to talk about a growing sport that becomes more popular every week, it seems—the sport of cycling. My home town of Inverell is a keen cycling community and this year the Grafton to...
    • Resale Royalty Scheme (1 speech)
      Late last year the Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Bill 2009 was passed by the Senate. It was a bill in which I had taken a particular interest. The act had a lengthy genesis. It was not...
    • Hon. Sue Napier (1 speech)
      I stand tonight to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution to Tasmanian politics made by the Hon. Sue Napier MP, member for Bass and, in so doing, I speak on behalf of the Tasmanian Liberal...
    • Mother Mary MacKillop; Sister Joan Farrell (1 speech)
      Last year, Australia celebrated the 100th anniversary of the passing of Mary MacKillop. This year of course we will prepare to honour her canonisation, making her Australia’s very first...
    • Environment: Tasmania (1 speech)
      Whilst I had not intended to speak this evening, some information came to my attention this evening which I think ought to be shared with this chamber and the public. There have been on two...
  • 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] Commonwealth Authorities and Companies...