Senate debates

Thursday, 12 September 2019

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on that proposal at the request of any senator.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019; Second Reading (22 speeches)
    I speak in continuation of my comments from yesterday with regard to the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019. Farming is very important to the lifeblood of this nation....
  • Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019; In Committee (39 speeches)
    I just wanted to confirm that, despite this bill being taken as a whole, we can still vote on the amendments before the committee separately.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    I give notice that very shortly I will be handing a motion to the Clerk on youth justice.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (5 speeches)
    I present the fifth report of 2019 of the Selection of Bills Committee, and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— SELECTION OF...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That government business order of the day No. 6, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2019 be considered from 12.45 pm today; and government business be called...
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day relating to the Family Law (Self-Assessment) Bill 2019 be considered on Monday 16 September 2019 at the time for private senators' bills. Question...
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Birmingham today on account of ministerial business. Question agreed to.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I seek leave to postpone business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1, standing in my name for today, until the next sitting day. Leave granted.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Liquefied Natural Gas (15 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators O'Sullivan and Sterle, move: That the Senate— (a) recognises that Western Australia's North West Shelf celebrated 30 years of liquefied natural gas (LNG)...
  • Family Law System (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 118 standing in my name for today. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the Senate— (a) acknowledges: (i) the cost,...
  • Warragamba Dam (1 speech)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators Siewert, Keneally and Dodson, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) Traditional Owners have not been given enough time to assess the cultural heritage...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Home Affairs: Paladin Contracts; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Griff, move: (1) That the Senate notes that— (a) Paladin – the small company registered to a beach shack on Kangaroo Island, which was awarded a $523...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Family Law (Self-Assessment) Bill 2019; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act creating a system of mandatory self-assessment of family law matters, and for other purposes. Family Law (Self-Assessment) Bill...
  • Family Law (Self-Assessment) Bill 2019; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill. Leave granted. I table an explanatory memorandum, and I seek leave to have...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Queensland: Mining (11 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McDonald, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the resources industry is critical to the Queensland economy, contributing 1 in every 8 jobs in Queensland...
  • Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (8 speeches)
    This is a very short and simple motion. I move: That the Senate notes that: (a) on 10 September 2019, in relation to general business notice of motion no. 105, the Australian Labor Party...
  • Pensions and Benefits (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) community members are in Parliament this week to meet with members and senators to talk about their lived experiences of being on income...
  • Quad Bikes: Safety (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) since 2001, more than 230 Australians have died in quad bike-related accidents, (ii) multiple stakeholders have called for action on quad bike...
  • Gender Pay Gap (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) 28 August 2019 was Unequal Pay Day, marking the 59 additional days from the end of the previous financial year that women must work, on average,...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Membership (1 speech)
    I move: That Senator Whish-Wilson replace Senator Rice on the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for the committee’s inquiry into the Product Stewardship Amendment...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Water Amendment (Indigenous Authority Member) Bill 2019; 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— WATER AMENDMENT...
  • Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019; In Committee (16 speeches)
    Minister, I just want to get some clarity on the finer details of this law and its implementation. If a person arranges a lawful, peaceful protest, so they put out a Facebook post or something...
  • Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2019; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    Labor supports the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2019, but notes that the recommendations of the TEQSA review, to which this bill responds, were provided to the...
  • Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2019; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019; In Committee (54 speeches)
    After that short delay, we're back! Minister, let's go back to the things that would be covered under this act in my state of Victoria. I want to talk you through a scenario. Say there is logging...
  • Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    I move: That the bill be now read a third time.
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Overseas Welfare Recipients Integrity Program) Bill 2019; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I rise to speak in relation to the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Overseas Welfare Recipients Integrity Program) Bill 2019. Labor supports this bill. It is important that social security...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    by leave—I advise the Senate that Senator Birmingham will be absent from question time today due to ministerial business overseas. In Senator Birmingham’s absence, Senator Payne will...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Member for Chisholm (31 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. In an article in today's Herald Sun entitled, 'Liberals told Liu was bad idea', it has been reported that the...
  • Iran (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister please update the Senate on the matter of Australians who are detained in Iran?
  • Member for Chisholm (22 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I refer to reports in today's Herald Sun that the Liberal Party was warned against preselecting Ms Liu for the...
  • Pensions and Benefits (12 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Ruston, the Minister for Families and Social Services. In an article in Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald, Toby Hall, Chief Executive of St Vincent's Health Australia,...
  • Member for Chisholm (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Yesterday in question time the minister refused to assure the Senate that the member for Chisholm is a fit and proper person to...
  • Water (8 speeches)
    As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, my question is to Senator McKenzie, representing the Minister for Water Resources. Mr Littleproud has announced that the government will...
  • Mental Health (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Cash. Today is R U OK? Day. Every year, R U OK? Day starts an important conversation about suicide prevention across...
  • Live Animal Exports (12 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie. Minister, the Moss review was highly critical of the Department of Agriculture as the regulator of live exports, and there is...
  • Member for Chisholm (14 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Cormann, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. In question time yesterday, the Prime Minister refused to assure the parliament that the member for Chisholm is a...
  • Education (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator McKenzie. Can the minister please update the Senate on the importance of the Liberal-National government delivering...
  • Member for Chisholm (10 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I refer to an article published by the ABC last night entitled 'Guests on Gladys Liu list for Malcolm Turnbull...
  • Pensions and Benefits (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Can the minister please update the Senate on the government's plan to help job seekers secure stability and...
  • Member for Chisholm (17 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The member for Chisholm confirmed in a statement yesterday that she held membership of an organisation linked to...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Member for Chisholm (14 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to an explanation from the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice, I move: That so much of standing...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
    It has been brought to my attention that during question time I inadvertently left a couple of words out of a sentence. My sentence should have read: We know that people that are on...
  • Gas Industry (1 speech)
    I would like to correct a statement I made during question time yesterday in relation to gas prices. I said that the gas spot price in Brisbane fell to $5.16 a gigajoule last month. I meant to...
  • Live Animal Exports (1 speech)
    I would like to add information to an answer I gave to Senator Faruqi today. I've been advised there was a report in the media relating to an FOI request submitted by the RSPCA on 22 May 2019....
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Member for Chisholm (17 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. What sort of parallel universe is this government living in at...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Queensland: Mining (1 speech)
    During formal motions today, a division was called in relation to general business notice of motion No. 123 standing in the name of Senator McDonald concerning resource project approvals. I am...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    I present additional information received by the Community Affairs Legislation Committee relating to estimates: Additional estimates 2018-19—Community Affairs Legislation...
• Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • Asylum Seekers (1 speech)
    I table a response to a question taken on notice during question time on 11 September 2019 asked by Senator Green and relating to a migration matter, and seek leave to have the document...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, Crimes Legislation Amendment (Police Powers at Airports) Bill 2019, Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2019, Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Partner Service Pension and Other Measures) Bill 2019; First Reading (1 speech)
    These bills are being introduced together. After debate on the motion for the second reading has been adjourned, I shall move a motion to have the bills listed separately on the Notice Paper. I...
  • Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, Crimes Legislation Amendment (Police Powers at Airports) Bill 2019, Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2019, Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Partner Service Pension and Other Measures) Bill 2019; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— COMBATTING CHILD...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Economy (31 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Gallagher, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) economic growth is the slowest it has been since 2008 when Labor navigated Australia through the global...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Independent Health Advice Panel; Consideration (2 speeches)
    I want to say from the beginning that this summary report of the Independent Health Advice Panel is proof that the medevac laws are working. They are sensible, humane laws that build public...
• Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
  • Report No. 39 of 2018-19; Consideration (9 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Auditor-General report No.39 of 2018–19 performance audit: the Bureau of Meteorology's delivery of extreme weather services. According to the Department of the...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Northern Australia (1 speech)
    I'm sure everyone is pleased that we are adjourning a little bit early this evening, and I'll do my best to give the chamber, particularly Minister Ruston, something worthwhile to listen to over...