Senate debates

Wednesday, 26 August 2020

  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Meeting (1 speech)
      I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
  • Parliamentary Office Holders (0 speeches)
    • Temporary Chairs of Committees (1 speech)
      Pursuant to standing order 12, I lay on the table a warrant nominating senators as additional Temporary Chairs of Committees when the Deputy President and Chair of Committees is absent.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
    • Poate, Private Robert, Coalition Government (1 speech)
      It's always an honour to rise in this place and pay tribute to outstanding members of the Canberra community. Just last week I attended the tribute to Canberra's Private Robert Poate as we...
    • COVID-19: Queensland (17 speeches)
      I rise today to speak about the issue that is affecting not just my home state of Queensland or the country but, really, the whole world. That is the COVID-19 outbreak. We have all watched in...
    • JobSeeker Payment (1 speech)
      I rise this afternoon to talk about the JobSeeker payment. It breaks my heart that the Morrison government has not ruled out dropping the JobSeeker payment back to $40 per day, way below the...
    • COVID-19: Economy (1 speech)
      Having faced their toughest year in living memory, Australians will need to make some important decisions to ensure that we do not leave unsustainable debt levels for our children. Tax reform...
    • COVID-19: Employment (1 speech)
      Right now we're facing a global pandemic that not only is impacting our health but also has caused Australia's first recession in almost 30 years. So many people are doing it tough right now. Too...
    • National Security, Higher Education (1 speech)
      The Chinese Communist Party is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to Australian academics to steal our country's intellectual property. This is just more on the list when it comes to the...
    • Covid-19 (1 speech)
      These are interesting and troubling times. Many Australians are fearful of COVID-19 and what it might do to their health or the health of someone they love who is either older or...
    • Far North Queensland (1 speech)
      I want to begin by updating the Senate on a matter I raised yesterday. The Qantas job cuts mean that 30 Jetstar jobs will be lost in Cairns and a further 105 jobs will be affected. That's because...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. In July, the Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, said that the sudden withdrawal of aged-care workers during a...
    • Defence Industry (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds. Can the minister outline to the Senate the economic recovery measures announced by Defence today and how they are contributing to the...
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (8 speeches)
      My question without notice is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. The Morrison government was warned of the risks to the aged-care workforce in the event of a...
    • COVID-19: Exports (8 speeches)
      My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister advise the Senate of what the Morrison government is doing to diversify and expand...
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (23 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Since 20 March the federal government has paid an additional $1 billion to the sector to manage the COVID-19...
    • Vocational Education and Training (8 speeches)
      My question is for the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Minister, how is the Morrison government supporting our skills system through the COVID-19...
    • COVID-19: Arts (8 speeches)
      My question is to Senator Cormann, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Do actions speak louder than words?
    • National Security (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General and relates to interlocutory matters and matters incidental to the proceedings of the Commonwealth v Collaery. During the...
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (12 speeches)
      My question without notice is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said that the government ignored his pleas about the...
    • COVID-19: Vaccine (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister For Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on what steps the government is taking in relation to COVID-19 vaccine access in the Pacific...
    • Aged Care (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Minister, Senator Fierravanti-Wells said: … the failure of the Abbott government and those advising it,...
    • Services Australia (20 speeches)
      My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Government Services, Senator Ruston. How are enhancements to Services Australia's digital services assisting Australians through the...
  • Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
    • Victoria (1 speech)
      I inform the Senate I have received a letter from Senator Di Natale resigning his place as a senator for the state of Victoria. Pursuant to the provisions of section 21 of the Constitution, I...
  • Statement by the President (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Parliament House (1 speech)
      Senators, I want to bring to your attention another matter. The Speaker is making a statement in the House about this. I normally don't replicate everything done in the other place, but on this...
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (20 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians (Senator Colbeck) to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today...
    • COVID-19: Arts (1 speech)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to a question without notice asked by Senator Hanson-Young today relating to support for the...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Pensions and Benefits; Presentation (2 speeches)
      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 the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (JobKeeper...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted for Senator Carr for Tuesday, 25 August for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
  • Notices (0 speeches)
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Murray-Darling Basin (1 speech)
      I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that:   (i) on 16 November 2017, the Senate ordered the production of all documents relating to water purchases across the Murray Darling Basin...
    • Defence Amendment (Sovereign Naval Shipbuilding) Bill 2018 (1 speech)
      I move: (1) That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent this resolution having effect. (2) That the Defence Amendment (Sovereign Naval Shipbuilding) Bill 2018 be restored to...
    • Aboriginal Flag (4 speeches)
      I, and also on behalf of Senator Dodson, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Aboriginal Flag is an official flag of Australia and a symbol of strength and unity,...
    • COVID-19: Pensions and Benefits (7 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) recognises that Health Services Union (HSU) members in the aged care, health and disability support sectors are some of the most at-risk people during this...
    • Murray-Darling Basin (4 speeches)
      I, and also on behalf of Senator McKenzie, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that over 2.6 million Australians call the Murray-Darling Basin home, with $24 billion worth of food produced...
    • Violence Against Women (4 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) 36 women have been killed by violence in 2020, as reported by Counting Dead Women Australia from Destroy the Joint, 28 since the...
    • Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians (19 speeches)
      I move: That— (a) the Senate requires the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians to attend the Senate on 27 August 2020, before government business is called on, to provide an...
    • Superannuation (5 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate notes that— (a) COVID-19 and the associated recession should not be used to justify changes to the scheduled superannuation payment increase from 9.5% to 12% by July...
    • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (5 speeches)
      I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 732 standing in my name in the terms circulated. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: (1) That the Senate notes that: (a) the...
    • Immigration Detention (5 speeches)
      I, and also on behalf of Senator Griff, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) 19 July 2020 was the seventh anniversary of the introduction of Australia's current policy of...
    • Pensions and Benefits (5 speeches)
      At the request of Senator Marielle Smith, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and many other social security...
    • Victoria: Forestry (5 speeches)
      At the request of Senator Rice, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Federal Court of Australia has made formal declarations of unlawful logging by VicForests in 66...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That Senator Canavan be granted leave of absence for 26 August 2020, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Aged Care (13 speeches)
      I inform the Senate that at 8.30 am today 15 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot....
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
      Pursuant to order, I present the report of the Education and Employment Legislation Committee on examination of annual reports tabled by 30 April 2020.
    • Human Rights Committee; Report (6 speeches)
      I present the annual report of 2019 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, and I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I'm pleased to present the Parliamentary Joint...
    • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Scrutiny Digest (1 speech)
      On behalf of the chair, Senator Polley, I present Scrutiny Digest No. 10 of 2020 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, dated 26 August 2020.
  • Documents (0 speeches)
  • Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Hawke-Keating Government (1 speech)
      In these unprecedented times Australians are reminded that our sovereignty and self-reliance are not abstract concepts unimportant to their daily lives. Australia's economic sovereignty should...
    • COVID-19: South Australia (1 speech)
      As COVID-19 continues to send shockwaves throughout our nation, I want to stand tonight to bring to light some of the particular challenges being faced in my home state of South Australia,...
    • COVID-19: International Students (1 speech)
      I have spoken numerous times in this chamber about the government's failure to support international students during COVID-19. Sadly, since I spoke on this matter in June the situation has...
    • Energy (1 speech)
      Yesterday, energy minister Angus Taylor announced that he has asked the Clean Energy Regulator, with the support of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, to lead an...
    • COVID-19: Tasmania (1 speech)
      I know I have spoken on a number of occasions in this place in relation to COVID-19 and the impact that it's had on the country and on my home state of Tasmania. But I think we also have to...
    • Women's Sport (1 speech)
      It's a strange world we live in when we need scientific reports to advise a major international sporting body that it's not safe or fair for males to play full-contact rugby against women. World...