Senate debates

Monday, 18 March 2013

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Joint Select Committee on Broadcasting Legislation; Meeting (9 speeches)
    On behalf of the chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Senator Cameron, and the chair of the Joint Select Committee on Broadcasting Legislation, Senator...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013; Second Reading (19 speeches)
    In speaking to the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2012 I will be drawing upon the coalition members' and senators' comments in the recent report into...
  • Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2012; Second Reading (1 speech)
    The Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2012 is an important step in improving data collection for fisheries through the introduction of electronic monitoring—e-monitoring—on...
  • Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2012; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments to the bill have been circulated. Before I call the minister to move the third reading, does any senator wish to have a committee stage on the bill to ask further questions or...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013 and the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013,...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013; Second Reading (6 speeches)
    The bills before us—the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013 and the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013—seek a further appropriation of $1.27 billion in 2012-13 for government...
  • Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013; Second Reading (1 speech)
    As there are no divisions in the Senate prior to 12:30 pm on a Monday and a division was called on the motion that the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill...
  • Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013; In Committee (13 speeches)
    by leave—I move opposition amendments (3), (4), (9) and (10) on sheet 7360 together: (3) Schedule 1, item 6, page 4 (line 25), omit "fourth", substitute "eleventh". (4) Schedule 1, item 7,...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I inform the Senate that Senator Bob Carr, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be absent this week. He is in the United States attending meetings of the Security Council in New York and...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Media (8 speeches)
    I think the safest place for ALP caucus members this week is to be overseas. My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Given that the...
  • Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants Program (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister Ludwig. Minister, are you aware that regulation 9 of the Financial Management Act legally binds a minister or a...
  • Budget (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. Can the minister outline the approach the government has taken to getting stakeholder input into the 2013-14 budget? Is...
  • Media (15 speeches)
    It will come as a great surprise to the chamber to learn that my question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to his...
  • Pensions and Benefits (7 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Wong. In light of the fact that Newstart has now been found to be inadequate by the Senate...
  • United Kingdom (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Kim Carr. Is the minister aware of any calls to adopt the so-called Big Society approach from the United Kingdom in Australia?
  • Carbon Pricing (18 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to the story in the government's favourite newspaper this morning reporting that Labor's...
  • Health Funding (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister explain to the Senate the Gillard government's vision for strengthening the health care...
  • Budgets (33 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Wong. The present Labor administration has delivered five budgets covering the financial years 2008-09, 09-10, 10-11, 11-12 and 12-13. Can the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Media (10 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) to questions without notice asked by the Leader of...
  • Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants Program (1 speech, 1 comment)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig) to a question without notice asked by Senator Milne today relating...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    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 various bills, as set out in the list...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    y leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to: (a) Senator Bob Carr from 18 March to 21 March 2013, on account of parliamentary business; and (b) Senators Bilyk and Furner for today,...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    by leave—On behalf of the Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee (Senator Moore), I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs Legislation...
• 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 Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2013, allowing it to be considered during this...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion 1186, standing in the name of Senator Abetz. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the Senate— (a) notes that the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Cyber-Safety Committee; Appointment (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Bilyk, I move: That paragraph (17) of the resolution of appointment of the Joint Select Committee on Cyber Safety be amended to read as follows:   (17) That...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Media (12 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...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Defence Abuse Response Taskforce (1 speech)
    I present a ministerial statement on the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce first interim report, together with the task force's first interim report.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • National Capital and External Territories Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    I present the report of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories on the committee's visit to Antarctica, from 12 to 13 December 2012. Ordered that the report...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Export Market Development Grants Amendment Bill 2013; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time.
  • Export Market Development Grants Amendment Bill 2013; 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— The changes proposed in...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2013; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time. I seek leave to move a motion to exempt this bill from the bills...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2013; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I present the explanatory memoranda and 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...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Economics Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on legislation from the Legal and Constitutional Affairs and the Economics Legislation...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013; In Committee (1 speech)
    The committee is considering the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013. The question before the committee is that item 53 and schedule 1 stand as...
  • Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    I move: That the bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013; Second Reading (16 speeches)
    Another appropriations bill—more money, in excess of $1.2 billion. It is a common theme of this government. Last Friday, when looking at the website of the Australian Office of Financial...
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments or requests have been circulated to the appropriation bills, I call the minister to move the third reading.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That intervening business be postponed till after consideration of the government business order of the day relating to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2013. Question agreed to.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2013; Second Reading (11 speeches)
    Every senator knows that the system of support for Australians with disability is broken. The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, ably chaired by Senator Claire Moore, received more...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Holland, Mr Frank (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the occasion, yesterday, of the celebration of the 90th birthday of Mr Frank Holland. As you would well know, Madam Acting Deputy President, yesterday was St Patrick's Day and...
  • Volunteering (1 speech)
    Few things unite Australians more, in times of adversity, than volunteering. As a land of contrasts, every year the country is impacted by a seemingly endless array of natural disasters. Just a...
  • Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (1 speech)
    The government is currently considering including the burning of native forest wood waste to generate electricity in the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target. The forestry industry is pushing hard...
  • Peters, Dr Christopher, AM, OI, JP (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to mark the passing of and to honour the life of a prominent Canberra who, sadly, died a few weeks ago. I refer to the long-time CEO of the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and...