Senate debates

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Budget (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Wong. Will the Minister give the Senate a guarantee that the government will deliver a budget surplus in 2012-13 as promised?
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • Asian Century (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Evans. Can the minister advise the Senate on how the...
    • Mining (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong—and some notice was given of this question yesterday. Given the government has significantly downgraded its mining...
    • Australia in the Asian Century White Paper (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Following my colleague Senator Milne's questions...
    • Mining (16 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. How much has it cost the government to develop and administer the minerals resource rent tax so far?
    • Broadband (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister please advise the Senate of any recent developments with the National...
    • Mining (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. How much depreciation of relevant capital assets have miners claimed so far against any mining tax liability using the...
    • Health (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Ludwig. The Four Corners program last night broadcast what those of us with a health background have known for some...
    • Union of Agricultural Work Committees (20 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to the coalition questioning about AusAID funding paid via World Vision to the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, an organisation...
    • Asian Century (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister please outline to the Senate the importance of agricultural commodity exports to Asia?...
  • Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
    • Question No. 2,009 (3 speeches)
      Mr Deputy President, pursuant to standing order 74(5), I ask the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Ludwig, for an explanation as to why answers have not been provided to...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Economy (16 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation (Senator Wong) to a question without notice asked by Senator Brandis today relating to the...
    • Education (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (Senator Evans) to a question without notice asked by Senator Wright...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Bilney, Hon. Mr Gordon Neil (5 speeches)
      It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 28 October 2012, of the Honourable Gordon Neil Bilney, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Law Enforcement Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, from 12.45...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Crossin for today, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
    • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
      I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings: Social and Community...
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Eid al-Adha (1 speech)
      At the request of Senator Lundy, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) Friday, 26 October, was the celebration of Eid al-Adha, a special day the calendar for Muslim...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Economics Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request of the Chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Senator Bishop, I move: That the Economics Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in...
    • Economics References Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
      At the request of the Chair of the Economic References Committee, Senator Bushby, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Economics References Committee on the effects of...
    • Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request of the Chair of the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Senator Polley, I move: That the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee be authorised...
    • Electricity Prices Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request of the Chair of the Select Committee on Electricity Prices, Senator Thistlethwaite, I move: That the Select Committee on Electricity Prices be authorised to hold a private meeting...
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Kangaroo Island (2 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes Bight Petroleum's referral of a proposed action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act) (Reference number:...
    • Parenting Payments (2 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that, in addition to the $60 a week decrease to the base rate of their income support, some single parent families who are already juggling part-time work...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
      I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2012, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings....
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Gillard Government (24 speeches)
      A letter has been received from Senator Fifield: Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion: The systemic...
  • Statements (0 speeches)
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Australia's Pulp and Paper Industry (2 speeches)
      I present a ministerial statement relating to Australia's pulp and paper industry.
    • Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2012 (1 speech)
      I seek to table a correction to the explanatory memorandum relating to the Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2012.
    • Immigration and Citizenship (1 speech)
      I also seek to table particulars of proposed expenditure and certain proposed expenditure in relation to the implementation of the report of the expert panel on asylum seekers in respect of the...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the document. The minister tabled the EFIC annual report for 2011-12 yesterday. It is important to note from the report that the EFIC financed up to $1...
    • Australian Government Solicitor Annual Report for 2011-12 (8 speeches)
      I want to say a few words about the annual report of the Australian Government Solicitor. In particular, I wanted to refer to the appearance of the Australian Government Solicitor and officers of...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Huawei (1 speech)
      I rise to speak on the recent Investigative Report by the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the US national security issues posed by Chinese telcos, including...
    • Anti-Poverty Week (1 speech)
      I would like to talk about poverty and its impacts on our community. This year, Anti-Poverty Week helped to focus attention on the growing number of people in our community who are entrenched in...
    • Australian Labor Party (5 speeches)
      I rise tonight to speak on the contemptible behaviour of the Labor Party in relation to the demotion of Senator Penny Wong to the No. 2 position on the South Australian Senate ticket behind one...
    • Perth Light Rail (1 speech)
      I would like to put some remarks on the record about a project which has been very close to my heart since my election campaign in 2007—that is, to bring light rail back to the streets of...
    • Bilney, Hon. Gordon Neil, Millennium Development Goals (1 speech)
      Earlier today, the Senate agreed to a condolence motion in respect of the late Hon. Gordon Neil Bilney. Gordon Bilney was the member for Kingston, in South Australia, from 1983 until 1996 and he...
    • Melanoma (1 speech)
      My home state of Queensland very proudly labels itself the Sunshine State, but that sunshine is in fact a two-edged sword. We are the melanoma capital of the world. More than 430,000 Australians...
    • Union of Agricultural Work Committees (1 speech)
      I speak tonight in response to comments made in this place earlier today in relation to AusAID and work with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees in Palestine. The Union of Agricultural Work...
    • Same-Sex Marriage (1 speech)
      I want to take a moment this evening to speak on the matter of marriage equality, for which legislation has twice come before the Senate in recent weeks. Unfortunately, other duties prevented me...
    • Middle East (1 speech)
      Recently, I attended a dinner in this parliament hosted by Australians for Palestine. The guest speaker was Israeli historian Ilan Pappe. His books include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,...
    • Kangaroo Island: Offshore Exploration (1 speech)
      I rise to speak about a place that is close to my heart. It is a place that has been the scene of some special family holidays. It is a place which is known as Australia's Galapagos. It is a...
    • Wind Turbines (1 speech)
      This evening I wish to reflect on some aspects associated with industrial wind turbines around Australia and to report what I would regard as undesirable sequences that are occurring. I refer to...
    • Jordan, Mr Scott (2 speeches)
      Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to speak for 20 minutes. Leave granted. I rise tonight to speak about a gentleman called Scott Jordan, from the north-west of Tasmania. It is said that all...
    • Public Education (1 speech)
      We have been asked in recent times if we give Gonski. The AEU wants us all to give a Gonski—they want us to give Gonski $5 billion. Is the question whether we care about a productive,...
    • Member for Dobell (5 speeches)
      On 18 September, I raised the government's continued hiding of important documents pertaining to the member for Dobell. Tonight I would like to outline the depths to which this government is...
    • Malala Yousafzai (1 speech)
      I begin by acknowledging the efforts that members of this parliament have made, both in the House and the Senate, to wear red today. As you know, this is the Day for Daniel, which acknowledges...
    • William Joseph 'Bill' O'Reilly (1 speech)
      Twenty years ago Australia lost one its greatest cricketers and most endearing characters, William Joseph O'Reilly—better known to all as Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly's nickname was 'Tiger', and...
  • Questions on Notice (0 speeches)

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What are Debates?

Debates in the Senate are an opportunity for Senators from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.

And sometimes to shout at each other.