Senate debates

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      I move: That government business order of the day no. 2 (Australian Securities and Investments Commission Amendment (Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee Abolition) Bill 2014) be postponed...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Budget (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that there would be no cuts to health and the minister's claim...
    • Centenary of Anzac (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, Senator Ronaldson. Can the minister inform the Senate about the commemorative events which marked Anzac Day...
    • Prime Minister (8 speeches)
      My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to senior Liberal senator, Senator Bernardi, who says he hopes the foreign minister, Ms Bishop, gets the...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I acknowledge in the gallery the presence today of former Senator Santoro. Welcome to the Senate. Honourable senators: Hear, hear!
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • National Security (22 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to the Prime Minister's announcement to media outlets this morning that tonight's budget will include a...
    • Illicit Drugs (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Can the minister inform the Senate what the government is doing to tackle the devastating problem of crystal methamphetamine,...
    • Veterans (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson. Can the minister confirm that his department does not have reliable data about the extent of homelessness amongst veterans...
    • Cfmeu (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Can the minister inform the Senate of any recent court findings against the militant construction union, the CFMEU, and of any recent...
    • Renewable Energy (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, representing the Minister for Industry and Science, Senator Ronaldson. Recently, the Australian government announced that it would reinstate...
    • Defence (11 speeches)
      Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Brandis.
    • Second Sydney Airport (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash, representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Can the minister outline to...
    • Economy (22 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Abetz. Minister, will the government maintain the AAA credit rating from all three ratings agencies that it inherited from the...
    • New South Wales and Queensland Storms (16 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne. Will the minister inform the senate what arrangements are in place to help New South Wales communities affected by the recent...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Answers to Questions (6 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. Let me be very clear: this is a government that just cannot be...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Walsh, Hon. Peter Alexander, AO (5 speeches)
      It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 10 April this year, of the Honourable Peter Alexander Walsh, AO, a senator for the state of Western Australia from 1974 until 1993.
    • MacKellar, Hon. Michael John Randal, AM (4 speeches)
      It is also with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 9 May this year of the Hon. Michael John Randal MacKellar, AM, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      (): I move: That general business order of the day no. 62 (Food Standards Amendment (Fish Labelling) Bill 2015) be considered on Thursday, 14 May 2015 under the temporary order relating to the...
    • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
      by leave—I move: That leave of absence for personal reasons be granted to senators Bilyk, Dastyari and Ludwig for yesterday, 11 May 2015. Question agreed to.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • National Capital and External Territories Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request of Senator Brown, I move: That the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories be authorised to hold public meetings during the sittings of the...
    • Treaties Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
      At the request 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)
    • Mental Health (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) welcomes, after significant delay, the release of the National Mental Health Commission's Report of the National Review of Mental Health Programmes and...
    • Wool Exports (5 speeches)
      I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 707 by omitting all words in paragraph (g) and substituting: 'PETA has embarked on a campaign to mislead the Australian community to...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Excise Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2014, Customs Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2014 (10 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate declares its opposition to the fuel duty rates for excise and customs contained in the Excise Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2014 and the Customs Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2014...
    • Kangaroo Meat Export (6 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate recognises: (a) the addition of Peru as an export market for kangaroo meat, with the first commercial size shipment of about 1 000 kg of product leaving our shores in...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Abbott Government (37 speeches)
      A letter has been received from Senator Moore: Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion: The Prime...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Corrigenda to Report (1 speech)
      I present a corrigenda to the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters on the conduct of the 2013 election and matters related thereto.
    • Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present two reports of the committee as listed at item 15 on today's order of business and I move: That the Senate take note...
    • Intelligence and Security Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
      I present two government responses to committee reports of the Intelligence and Security Committee on the review of the listing of al-Murabitun, and the review of the listing of Boko Haram and...
    • Economics References Committee; Report (6 speeches, 1 comment)
      () (): I present the report of the Economics References Committee Out of reach? The Australian housing affordability challengeand move: That the Senate take note of the report. I am very pleased...
  • Budget (0 speeches)
    • Statement and Documents (1 speech)
      I table the Budget statement for 2015-16 and other documents as indicated on the list circulated in the chamber. The list read as follows— Budget speech 2015-16—Statement by the...
    • Proposed Expenditure (1 speech)
      I table the following documents: Particulars of Proposed and Certain Expenditure For 2015-16 and Particulars of Proposed Additional Expenditure For 2014-15 I seek leave to move a motion in...
    • Portfolio Budget Statements (2 speeches)
      I table portfolio budget statements for 2015-16 for the Department of the Senate, the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Department of Parliamentary Services. Copies are available from the...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Goninon, Mr Don, Clarke, Mrs Noreen (2 speeches)
      Order! I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
    • Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Services (1 speech)
      I rise to speak about a conference I attended recently in Geraldton, hosted by the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Services. But before I do that I want to put the conference in...
    • Beef Australia 2015 (1 speech)
      I would like to spend a short moment this evening to pay tribute to the organisers of Beef Australia 2015. This year it was held in Rockhampton, last week. It was clearly the best Beef Australia...
    • Tasmania: Penguin District School (1 speech)
      Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our great local schools on the north-west coast of Tasmania, the Penguin district school. I was there to meet with some very special young...
    • Mental Health (1 speech)
      Tonight I would like to share some moving and fascinating accounts I have been privileged to hear about peer work and discuss the role and value of this unique style of work in assisting people...
    • Housing Affordability (1 speech)
      For the vast majority of Australians the prospect of owning their own homes remains a central ambition. Family First affirms home ownership as a symbol of equity, providing Australians the...
    • Budget (1 speech)
      Well, here we are, the second budget from this Liberal and National Party government. One full year, and the bad taste of the last budget is still in the mouths of so many Australians. Sadly, it...
    • Centenary of Anzac (1 speech)
      I rise tonight with a great deal of pride and emotion to share my family's pilgrimage to Gallipoli for the Centenary of Anzac celebrations. On Anzac Day this year hundreds of thousands of...
    • Live Animal Exports, Western Australia: Kimberley Region (1 speech)
      I am grateful for this brief opportunity this evening to speak about a couple of issues of crucial importance to regional Western Australia. One of the best aspects of the five-week break in...
    • Condolence: Jackson, Mr Ray, Bahrain (1 speech)
      Tonight I rise to speak about Ray Jackson, who was a remarkable man. He was a Wiradjuri man who, sadly, died on 23 April 2015, and I do send my condolences to all of his family—his...