Senate debates

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs References Committee, Select Committee on Health, Select Committee on the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru, Joint Standing Committee on Treaties; Meeting (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have the question put on any of those motions? There being none, we will now proceed.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Amendment Bill 2015; Second Reading (8 speeches)
    The health and safety of Australians is the top priority when Labor considers changes to nuclear and radiation safety. Labor takes radiation and nuclear safety very seriously. The bill that we...
  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Amendment Bill 2015; In Committee (22 speeches, 2 comments)
    As a formality, I foreshadowed a couple of issues on the way through, principally about definitions of a prescribed legacy site—whether any of the facilities, former weapons test sites or...
  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Amendment Bill 2015; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the report on the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015 and a related...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I rise to speak on the cognate bills—the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015 and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. I refer to the Attorney-General's confirmation yesterday that his office had been 'aware some months earlier' of Commissioner Heydon's...
  • Vietnam Veterans Day (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson. As we mark Vietnam Veterans Day, acknowledging the 49th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, can the minister inform the...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    Thank you, Minister. Quite appropriately, after your questions and answers, I acknowledge in the President's gallery a delegation from Vietnam led by Mr Nguyen Kim Khoa. I welcome them, in...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General confirm that Commissioner Heydon first accepted the invitation to speak at the Liberal Party event the Sir...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Today we saw reports in the media that there may be opposition within the government's Expenditure Review Committee...
  • Employment (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government is fostering a strong environment...
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (18 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General confirm that Commissioner Heydon was invited to address a Liberal Party function which enabled people unable to...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Can the minister advise the Senate what improvements the government has made to the operating approach of the...
  • Firearms (6 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Minister for Justice. The Martin Place Siege Joint Commonwealth-New South Wales review recommended that all levels of government...
  • Liberal Party (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Can the minister confirm that last night's cabinet meeting did not have a single formal cabinet submission to...
  • Green Army Program (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham, representing the Minister for the Environment. Can the minister update the Senate on the progress of the...
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (42 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. When was the Prime Minister's office first aware that Commissioner Heydon was giving the Sir Garfield Barwick...
  • Trade with China (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne, representing the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government's free trade agreement...
• Questions to the President (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Behaviour (22 speeches)
    by leave—Mr President, I wish to draw to your attention a matter which occurred in question time.
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Attorney-General (Senator Brandis) and the Minister for Employment (Senator Abetz) to questions without notice asked by Opposition...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Assistant Minister for Social Services (Senator Fifield) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Reporting Date (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have the question put on any of those motions? No-one does. We shall proceed.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Vietnam Veterans Day (1 speech)
    ) ( ): I, and also on behalf of Senator Xenophon, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) 18 August is Vietnam Veterans Day, and (ii) some of those who have served or trained in the...
  • Tasmanian Shipbuilding Industry (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) recognises that Prince of Wales Bay in Hobart was declared a Defence precinct by the previous Labor Government; (b) notes that: (i) the Tasmania Maritime...
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) a newly formed Western Australian initiative 'Alongside' is responding to the urgent educational, counselling and coping skill needs of families...
  • Steel Industry (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 813, standing in my name for today, relating to Australian made steel. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the...
  • Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senator O'Sullivan, I move: That the Senate notes that: (a) it is the right of every Australian worker to be employed in an environment that is free of the threat of coercion or...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (38 speeches)
    I have received the following letter 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...
• Petitions (0 speeches)
  • Shark Culling (1 speech)
    by leave—I table a non-conforming petition, which I have circulated, about shark culling in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Petition received.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs References Committee; Corrigenda to Report (1 speech)
    I present a corrigendum corrigenda to the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on the adequacy of existing residential care arrangements available for young people with severe...
  • Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
    by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present report No. 6 of 2015, referrals made May and June 2015 and move: That the Senate take note of the...
  • Economics References Committee; Report (4 speeches)
    I present an interim report of the Economics References Committee on corporate tax avoidance. Ordered that the report be printed. I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I rise to speak...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    I present two government responses to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee on its inquiry into the implementation of the Defence Trade Controls Act 2012 (progress...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill 2015; 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.
  • Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill 2015; 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 Treasury...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Joint Select Committee on Trade and Investment Growth; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate concurs with the resolution of the House of Representatives. Question agreed to.
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Community Affairs legislation Committee, I present the report on the provisions of the Gene Technology Amendment Bill 2015. Ordered that the report be printed.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015; Second Reading (8 speeches)
    I have been looking forward to this speech this afternoon. I hope to be able to entertain you for at least a few minutes because I hold in my hands here today another bill called the Small...
  • Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to these bills have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bills be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers, Offences and Other Measures) Bill 2015; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    When we were last dealing with this bill, I was in continuation in relation to the opposition's second reading contribution. I was in the process of outlining the various measures incorporated...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • WorldSkills Competition (1 speech)
    This evening I rise to speak regarding a major international event recently concluded where 26 young Australians represented their country—our country—proudly. I refer to WorldSkills...
  • Aminya Aged-Care Facility (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to speak of the imminent closure of the Aminya aged-care home in Scottsdale, north-east Tasmania. With the closure of this facility and the loss of jobs, we will see $1...
  • China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (1 speech)
    'Free trade agreement'—few words evoke such disinterest amongst everyday Australians as these. In the next five minutes or so, I would like to address aspects of the China-Australia Free...
  • Petition: Marriage (1 speech)
    Last Thursday, 13 August, representatives from 46 different Aboriginal groups and clans visited Parliament House to present a petition to members and senators. It was an honour to receive the...
  • University of Tasmania (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about an important milestone in the life of the University of Tasmania, the only university in my home state. The university is this year celebrating its 125th anniversary, and...
  • Genetically Modified Crops (1 speech)
    Many people will have heard of the Luddites, 19th century workers in the wool and cotton mills of West Yorkshire and Lancashire who were so fearful of industrialisation that they wrecked...
  • Netball World Cup 2015 (2 speeches)
    Senator McKenzie, before you start, I have to remind you that The President did request the other day that senators were not to wear sporting attire.
  • National Competition Policy (1 speech)
    This week marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the National Competition Policy agreements between the states, territories and the Commonwealth government, a landmark agreement for our...
  • National Broadband Network (1 speech, 1 comment)
    'Fast. Affordable. Sooner.' That was the catchcry of Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull prior to the last federal election, when they made all sorts of pie-in-the-sky promises on the National Broadband...
  • Indigenous Affairs (1 speech)
    Tonight I rise to speak on the appalling increase in the rate of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the continuing deaths in custody in this country. Late last...
  • China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (1 speech)
    Following the successful conclusion of free trade agreements with Korea and Japan by Minister Robb, his advisers and the department, I rise proudly this evening to refer to the third leg of the...
  • Industrial Relations (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about the government's disgraceful industrial relations policies and to make a comment that I am proud to be a senator for Queensland and I am proud to be a Labor senator. I am...
  • Sharks (1 speech)
    Nothing attracts headlines and our attention like news of shark attacks. We can blame the movie Jaws for this macabre attraction. These headlines help sell papers but they do not help us...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
    Few organisations generate debate and polarise the national conversation as much as the ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Sadly this conversation has increasingly become about the ABC...
  • Vietnam Veterans Day, Shipbuilding Industry, Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
    Today is the 49th Vietnam Veterans Day, and next year will mark the 50th anniversary. I take this opportunity to remember and honour the 521 Australians who died fighting in that war. Because of...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to highlight the importance of the COP21—the conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris later this...
  • Environmental Policies (1 speech)
    The Abbott government announced this afternoon that it will limit the ability of communities and environmentalists to challenge decisions under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity...
  • Youth with a Mission: Medical Ships Australia (1 speech)
    This evening I want to talk about a wonderful group of people who offer services to communities across the world. Youth with a Mission, which people call YWAM—which I have some trouble...
  • Pilon, Banjo, Dean, Mr Michael, Central Coast Arts Community, Prostate Cancer (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak to a number of matters but firstly to pay particular tribute to two Central Coast people who we have lost in recent weeks. I note formally the passing of two wonderful...
  • Gun Control, Baha'i People of Iran (1 speech)
    'Stay down. I love you.' These are the last words Carol Loughton said to her daughter as she pushed her towards the ground more than 19 years ago. Lying beneath her mother, Sarah Loughton died of...
  • Doutney, Ms Irene, International Development Assistance (1 speech)
    Irene Doutney, a Greens councillor on Sydney city council, has made a major contribution to progressive policies of that city, that council and the rich activist life of inner Sydney. At the...