Senate debates

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Defence Procurement (107 speeches, 1 comment)
      I seek leave to make a two-minute statement. Leave granted. I wish to make a short statement to the Senate regarding Australian Submarine Corporation and Australian shipbuilding. All Australians...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
    • Crystal Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak on an issue that is not a happy one but, nonetheless, has to be faced up to by the nation, by this parliament, by state parliaments and by communities at every level. When...
    • Australia Post (1 speech)
      Just over two months ago the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee concluded its inquiry into the performance, importance and role of Australia Post in Australian...
    • Tamil Community (1 speech)
      Today I rise to speak about the Sri Lankan born Tamil community. Tomorrow, 27 November, is a very important day for Tamils both in Sri Lanka and in the many countries they now call home. It is a...
    • Australia Post (1 speech)
      I had an opening for my presentation today and it too is on Australia Post, similar to the contribution made by Senator Urquhart, but I am diverted to urge Senator Urquhart and others not to...
    • Haemochromatosis (1 speech)
      This afternoon, I am going to speak on one of my favourite topics: inherited iron overload disorder or hereditary haemochromatosis. A great deal was known and said about iron deficiency and,...
    • Coal Industry (1 speech)
      To the many Australians who are the silent majority in the debate about the value and benefits of coal to this country, I think it is time to acknowledge the 55,000 men and women employed in the...
    • Defence Abuse Response Taskforce (1 speech)
      Today, two reports by the outgoing chair of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, or the DART, by the Hon. Len Roberts-Smith RFD QC on the work to date of the task force and on Defence abuse at...
    • Remembrance Day, Shop Small Campaign, 25 Days of Volunteering (1 speech)
      On 11 November 2014 Australia marked the 96th anniversary of the guns falling silent at the end of the First World War. It was a time of reflection for the world. I attended the national...
    • Queensland Government (1 speech)
      I rise to draw the attention of the Senate to the attacks on working men and women in my state of Queensland. Through a series of legislative changes the Newman government has stripped back and...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Defence: Naval Vessels (17 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer to the minister's personal denigration of the workers at ASC in question time yesterday when he stated 'I wouldn't trust them...
    • Defence (16 speeches)
      My question is also to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston.
    • Defence Procurement (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to his disgraceful statement yesterday that he would not trust ASC workers to build a canoe. I refer to the...
    • Leadbeater's Possum (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. Minister, this weekend my constituents in Victoria are faced with an abysmal choice when it comes to...
    • Thomson, Mr Craig (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz, and follows an extended interview last week in which former Labor member for Dobell Mr Craig Thomson insisted he was innocent of any...
    • Minister for Defence (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer to reports in The West Australian which stated the minister apologised to the ASC chairman, Mr Bruce Carter, two weeks ago...
    • Workplace Relations (15 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Can the minister update the Senate on the government's moves to bring transparency to the governance of trade unions and so-called...
    • Renewable Energy Target (6 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Cormann, the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment. The government and the opposition have abandoned talks on reform of the Renewable Energy Target....
    • Defence Procurement (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence. Will the minister now undertake to fulfil his clear election promise to build 12 new submarines at ASC in South Australia?
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Minister for Defence; Censure (64 speeches)
      I seek leave to move a motion censuring the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice, I move: That so much of standing orders be suspended as would...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (5 speeches)
      ) ( ): I have a notice of motion. Unfortunately, I came to the division without it.
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
      I move: That the Omnibus Repeal Day (Spring 2014) Bill 2014 be listed on the Notice Paper as a separate order of the day. Question agreed to.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Treaties Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      On behalf of Senator Fawcett I move: That the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties be authorised to hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1), followed by...
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Moree Boomerangs Rugby League Football Club (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate: (a) congratulates the Moree Boomerangs Rugby League Football Club for: (i) returning to rugby league in the New South Wales Group 19 competition after a 12 year break,...
    • Uncommon Cancers (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) that uncommon or rare cancers, including neuroendocrine cancers, together account for 40 per cent of all cancers, (ii) that little progress has been...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
    • Freedom to Marry Bill 2014; First Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to reduce government intervention in marriage and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I...
    • Freedom to Marry Bill 2014; 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— FREEDOM TO MARRY BILL...
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Anzac Parade (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) That the Centenary of ANZAC approaches, and (ii) two commemoration sites on ANZAC Parade in our nation's capital remain incomplete; and (b)...
    • International Aid (1 speech)
      I, and on behalf of Senator Rhiannon, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) on 19 November 2014 the world observed the second official World Toilet Day, the annual observance of which...
    • East Coast High Speed Rail (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) discussions about East Coast High Speed Rail (HSR) have been going on for many years, and (ii) under this Government there has been no...
    • Disability Care (6 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) acknowledges that an unacceptably high number of people with disability are subjected to neglect, violence and abuse in residential, institutional and home care...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of Senator Polley, I present the 16th report and the Alert Digest No.16 of 2014 of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. Ordered that the report be printed.
    • Joint Standing Committee on Treaties; Report (1 speech)
      I present the 145th report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties tabled on 26 August and 2 September 2014. Ordered that the report be printed. I move: That the Senate take note of the...
    • Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the chair of the Regulations and Ordinance Committee, Senator Williams, I present Delegated Legislation Monitor No. 16 of 2014 for the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances.
    • Corporations and Financial Services Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on the statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the...
    • Community Affairs References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
      I present the government’s response to the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on its inquiry into the supply of chemotherapy drugs, and seek leave to have the document...
    • Corporations and Financial Services Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I seek leave of the Senate to reopen the motion moved by Senator Fawcett in relation to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, which I did want to make a couple of remarks on, but which...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
      Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on legislation, as listed at item 18 on today’s Order of Business, together with the...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Sugar Industry (1 speech)
      It is a great pleasure to rise tonight to speak about a very important industry, particularly to Queensland—the sugar industry. Sugar has traditionally been and still is an extremely...
    • Territory Insurance Office (1 speech)
      I rise in this adjournment debate to oppose the sale of the Territory Insurance Office by the Country Liberal Party government in the Northern Territory. On Monday the CLP government announced...
    • Public Transport (1 speech)
      Growing up in Altona and spending my life in Melbourne's western suburbs, I have seen a lot of change in the area over my time. One of the things that has happened is a huge population increase...
    • Shipbuilding Industry (1 speech)
      I rise in the adjournment debate—just in case people have not heard enough about submarines—to talk about submarines and shipbuilding in Australia. Today originally we had an urgency...