Senate debates

Thursday, 27 November 2025

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    If there is no objection, the meetings are authorised.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (10 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to the consideration of legislation. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice of motion, I move: That so much of standing orders be suspended as...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Second Reading (9 speeches)
    What a great opportunity this is to have a little bit of scrutiny of the legislation that's before the chamber, which will now be rammed through in record time. This is a pattern of behaviour of...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (6 speeches)
    Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in the name of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent further...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Limitation of Debate (23 speeches)
    The first question is that the Australian Greens amendment on sheet 3561 be agreed to. Australian G reens ' circulated amendment— At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate: (a)...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to notice given yesterday, on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1 for four sitting days...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (4 speeches)
    I present the ninth report for 2025 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...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (2 speeches)
    I seek leave to postpone business of the Senate notice of motion No. 3, standing in my name for today, until the next sitting day. Leave granted.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Babet for 27 November for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Defence Amendment (Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission) Bill 2025; First Reading (1 speech)
    by leave—At the request of Senator Lambie, I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Defence Act 1903 to establish the Sexual Assault Prevention,...
  • Defence Amendment (Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission) Bill 2025; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I present the explanatory memorandum and 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...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Lambie, I move: That the Defence Amendment (Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission) Bill 2025 be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Days and Hours of Meeting (2 speeches)
    I ask that government business notices of motion No. 1 and No. 2 be taken together and be taken as formal.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Canavan, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2026: The...
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Duniam, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2026: The illegal...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Days and Hours of Meeting (1 speech)
    I move: That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2026 be as follows: Autumn sittings: Tuesday, 3 February to Thursday, 5 February Monday, 2 March to Thursday, 5 March Tuesday, 10 March to...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Palestine (2 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to the consideration of general business notice of motion No. 300, on Israel's genocide in Gaza, as circulated. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Government Response to Report; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that: (i) in accordance with Senate resolution 44, government responses to parliamentary committee reports are required to be tabled within 3 months of a...
  • Housing; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Bragg, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Housing, by no later than 7 pm on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, the letter the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; In Committee (29 speeches)
    I appreciate the chamber being able to deal with these issues quickly and efficiently today. I know there are a number of people who have not been able to speak in the second reading debate. I...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Defence (1 speech)
    This Labor government is unserious about defence. Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz famously said: The conqueror is always a lover of peace; he would prefer to take over our country unopposed....
  • Workplace Relations: Food Delivery Industry (1 speech)
    Today I want to pay tribute to the advocacy work of the mighty Transport Workers Union. The TWU have stood up to major multinationals like Uber Eats and Door Dash. They stared down their...
  • Forestry Industry (1 speech)
    Ten years ago, almost to the day, I had the privilege of taking a group of young Greens on a journey into New South Wales native forests for three days of walking amongst giants, learning from...
  • Energy (1 speech)
    At this last sitting of the year, I wish you, Acting Deputy President Ciccione, and all my colleagues a merry Christmas. To the topic at hand, the coalition firmly believes that Australia needs...
  • Workplace Relations: Amazon (1 speech)
    Amazon is making bank built off the back of hardworking Aussies. Behind unbeatable low prices and next-day delivery are questionable work practices that keep people in economic precarity....
  • Environment (1 speech)
    Almost 100 years ago, one of the fathers of conservation, Aldo Leopold, said: We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we...
  • Albanese Government: South Australia (1 speech)
    Well, we have 12 federal Labor parliamentarians who represent South Australia in this place, and they have let our great state down. There's the BOM failure, the algal bloom, your ever-rising...
  • Environment (1 speech)
    Former Prime Minister Paul Keating once said of the environment: We depend on it for our resources. And for the national wealth in which all of us share. For our recreational pleasure and...
  • Environment, Rising Tide: Protests (1 speech)
    Today the Greens negotiated significant wins to protect our forests and to stop Labor's fast-tracking of coal and gas. We stood up to end decades of exemptions for forest destruction and to...
  • Albanese Government: Science (1 speech)
    This government does not understand the value of science and is trashing Australia's international reputation as a result. The CSIRO is cutting another 350 jobs, following the more than 800 jobs...
  • Migration (1 speech)
    Migrant communities like mine understand the promise of Australia because we have lived it. My family, who arrived here from India, Burma and England with little more than determination, built...
  • Industry (1 speech)
    Today we have seen the betrayal of Australian workers. Labor and the Greens, in their coalition, have stitched up a dirty backroom deal and sacrificed our forestry industry because they want to...
  • Education (1 speech)
    Have you ever wondered why primary schools need to host Bunnings sausage sizzles? It is because of government failure. 'But it's okay; our kids are used to being tossed aside and monetised by the...
  • Hospitals, Aged Care (1 speech)
    In September, the Prime Minister wrote to state health ministers, telling them that they needed to cut spending on public hospitals. Is he serious? States and territories are trying to get the...
  • 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (1 speech)
    Today is the third day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year, the UN Women's campaign focuses on digital safety, with a powerful message—#NoExcuse for online...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Economy (23 speeches)
    My question's to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Monthly inflation figures that came out yesterday show that inflation is again out of control and firmly above the...
  • Albanese Government (11 speeches)
    My question is to the most magnificent minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong.
  • United Nations Climate Change Conference (20 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Minister, yesterday Minister Ayres couldn't tell the Senate how much your government's role in the pre-COP next year...
  • International Relations: Australia and Nauru (19 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister Wong. The federal government and specifically your department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was made aware of serious...
  • Gender Equality (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Women and Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Today's release of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency's gender equality scorecard is a timely reminder of...
  • Gambling Advertising (19 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Senator Farrell. Minister, the parliament passed 355 bills in the last parliament, the 47th Parliament. There are a...
  • Housing Australia (27 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Reports today say the housing minister 'read the riot act to Housing Australia bureaucrats'. The HAFF scoreboard is...
  • Housing (25 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Minister Gallagher. Minister, at the last sitting week, I put it to you that Labor was putting young people at risk of mortgage stress...
  • Early Childhood Education (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Senator Walsh. Highly skilled educators are the backbone of our early learning system, and we know that their hard work delivers...
  • Climate Change (36 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Minister, new data released today shows that Australia is barely reducing its carbon...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (7 speeches)
    I move: That further time be allotted for the remaining stages of the bills listed in the motion agreed to earlier today, as follows: Commencing from 3.30 pm until 5.00 pm. I also move: That the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; In Committee (46 speeches)
    The committee is considering the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six related bills, and the amendments to the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 moved by Senator Ruston on sheet...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (2 speeches)
    Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the name of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I move: That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent further consideration of...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; In Committee (57 speeches)
    I want to go back to one of the points that I was making about the reason why the exemption came in in the first place, which goes to the issue of the continuous flow of legal action and appeal...