Senate debates
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Meeting (1 speech)
If there is no objection, the meetings are authorised.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Miners' Promise (1 speech)
Is there a time that is more important for Australians to look after each other than at a time of tragedy and loss in your family? Between February 2022 and February 2026, Australia's mining...
- Albanese Government (1 speech)
Thank you, Senator McDonald, for that representation, which is so important to regional Queensland. Last week I went home—I'm sure everyone can agree it was great to get out of...
- Gas Industry: Taxation (1 speech)
Last week, I wrote to the Prime Minister to offer the Greens' support for a minimum 25 per cent gas export tax. With the Greens in the Senate, there are the numbers to pass a gas export tax. The...
- Defence Industry (1 speech)
I recently visited two key Defence sites in Western Australia. Australian industry is key to supporting our nation's naval capabilities, sovereign defence and mining infrastructure. Civmec's...
- Ramadan (1 speech)
The holy month of Ramadan concluded last week, but I wanted to acknowledge my thanks to the local community. I had the privilege of being invited into the home of Zak, Fisun, Mirza, Shavaal and...
- Gambling Advertising (1 speech)
Today marks 1,000 days since the landmark Murphy report was tabled in the parliament. I want to start with a personal reflection. Over the last six months to a year, I've been at a number of...
- Lunar New Year (1 speech)
One of the great things we're able to do in these roles is engage deeply across our communities. On 27 February, I was able to meet with members of the Chinese Australian community at the...
- Workplace Relations: Kentucky Fried Chicken (1 speech)
I know it's a little past lunchtime, but I want to talk about KFC, and I don't mean the old version of 'Finger lickin' good' KFC. I mean the current version of the employer—perhaps not of...
- Discrimination (1 speech)
A new survey by the Australian HR Institute shows that disability discrimination in hiring practices is alive and well in 2026. Over 600 business leaders and senior HR decision-makers were...
- Housing (5 speeches)
I want to speak to a disconnect in this country that Australians are feeling in their bones. At a time when families are cutting back on groceries, delaying rent and choosing between fuel and...
- Fuel (1 speech)
As a matter of urgency, the Albanese government needs to immediately consider the nation's biofuels industry as a practical means of mitigating fuel shocks and a buffer for Australia's fuel...
- Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes — Cash Acceptance) Regulations 2025 (2 speeches)
One Nation has submitted a motion to disallow Labor's Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes—Cash Acceptance) Regulations 2025. These regulations are dishonestly promoted as mandating...
- Ministry (0 speeches)
- Temporary Arrangements (1 speech)
by leave—I advise changes to ministerial arrangements. Senator Gallagher will be absent from question time today for personal reasons. In her absence, ministers will represent portfolios in...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Fuel (18 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Yesterday, Minister Bowen was asked how many service stations in Australia have run out of...
- Trade with European Union (30 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Farrell. I'm sure that I'm joined by everyone in congratulating you on your leadership in that very important portfolio. The European...
- Fuel Security (23 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Yesterday, you said that you would find the information if you can about exactly what date...
- Middle East (29 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister Wong. Minister, your government was one of the first in the world to support Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu's war in the Middle...
- International Relations: Australia and the European Union (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. We're seeing a global landscape defined by increasing economic and geostrategic instability. How is the Albanese Labor government...
- Workplace Relations (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. Last year, it became a criminal offence to intentionally underpay workers. A review...
- Gambling Advertising (21 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. Today is a thousand days since Peta Murphy handed your government her landmark review recommending that your...
- Fuel (18 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Experts are now warning that Labor's fuel failure is choking supply and driving up the price...
- Research and Development: Horizon Europe (8 speeches)
Science is the solution. My question is to the Minister for Science, Senator Ayres. The Albanese Labor government is backing a modern research and development system to meet Australia's big...
- Sovereign Capability (15 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator Ayres. There have been media reports that Australia's largest ammonia plant, the Yara Pilbara facility near Karratha, will be...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Transport Infrastructure (19 speeches)
I seek leave to move a motion relating to public transport and active travel, as circulated. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in my name, I move: That so much...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by coalition senators today. I do so against the background of the crippling fuel shortages...
- Middle East (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to a question without notice I asked today relating to the Middle East. I rise to take...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
I move: That private senators' bills be considered this week as follows: Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Approval of Overseas Service) Bill 2020 on Wednesday 25 March, and Housing Australia...
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That Senator Gallagher be granted leave of absence for today for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
- Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (1 speech)
I seek leave to postpone general business of motion No. 421, standing in the name of Senator Cash, until the next sitting day. Leave granted.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Housing; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that the Minister representing the Minister for Housing has failed to comply with order for the production of documents no. 315, agreed to on 3 February...
- Housing Australia Future Fund; 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 31 March 2026, any documents that relate to: (a)...
- Defence; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Defence by no later than 5 pm on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, copies of all ministerial submissions, records of...
- National Justice Reinvestment Program; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Thorpe, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Attorney-General, by no later than Thursday, 16 April 2026, documents relating to: (a)...
- Australian Education Research Organisation; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Education, by no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, the final report of the performance evaluation...
- Superannuation; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Bragg, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 the Senate agreed to order for the production of documents no. 391, relating to the...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
- Sovereign Capability (12 speeches)
Senator O'Sullivan has submitted a proposal, under standing order 75, today, as shown at item 13 on today's Order of Business: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to...
- Cost of Living (13 speeches)
The Senate will now consider the proposal, under standing order 75, from Senator Tyrrell, which is shown at item 13 of today's Order of Business: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Fiji (1 speech)
I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation of the 5th Pacific Island Parliamentary Group Conference in Fiji which took place in August of 2025. I seek leave to move motion to...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
The town of Collie in the south-west of WA has a long and proud history as a coalmining town. In fact, generations of my own family have worked on those mines—my grandfather, my...
- Western Australia: Collie, Trade with European Union (1 speech)
Just before I start speaking on what I'm planning to speak on tonight, I would just point out that, in Collie, at the last federal election, there were swings of up to 20 per cent to my good...
- One Nation, Victoria: Workplace Relations, Public Transport (1 speech)
I never quite know whether to talk about these guys or not, but tucked away beneath the stunts and sketchy rhetoric, there is genuinely new force in Australian politics here to fight for you. One...
- Dowell, Ms Jennifer Rae (Jenny), OAM (1 speech)
I rise tonight to pay tribute to my friend Jenny Dowell, who we lost this afternoon after a long battle with cancer. She was a great Australian, a great citizen of the Northern Rivers and a great...
- Mental Health (1 speech)
I rise today to speak on one of Australia's greatest and most preventable tragedies. Every year, we lose more than 2½ thousand men to suicide. That equates to one Australian man taking his...
- Multiculturalism (1 speech)
I rise to speak of an event last Saturday night in Adelaide at the Klemzig community centre, where the Uighur community of South Australia came together. It was wonderful to see this community...
- Social Cohesion (1 speech)
This week, on the anniversary on the Christchurch terrorist attack, a simple message of solidarity with Muslim Australians was met with a wave of exactly what we were advocating against:...
- National Servicemen's Association of Australia (Queensland) Inc., Doomadgee Future Planning Project (1 speech)
Before I begin with my prepared remarks, I would like to compliment Senator Tyrrell on that fine contribution. I think all fair minded people in Australia would welcome that contribution. I...
- KPMG Australia (1 speech)
I start my remarks this evening with a quote: In a large hierarchical organisation there is reticence of people to put their hand up … People need to be confident that, if they put their...
- Australian Army, South Australia: Community Events (1 speech)
On each Army birthday, the recipients of the Jonathan Church Good Soldiering Award are announced. The award is named in honour of Trooper Jonathan Church, who, in 1995, risked his life to carry a...
- COVID-19: Response (1 speech)
The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned was handed down last week. The royal commission that New Zealand's prime minister during COVID, Jacinda Ardern,...
- Heinrich, Ms Beth, Menadue, Mr John Laurence, AO, Heritage Listing, Medicinal Cannabis, Barghouti, Mr Marwan (1 speech)
Beth Heinrich's story is one of courage, persistence, and a decades-long fight for justice that has brought her, at last, to a moment of recognition, with a long-overdue apology from the Anglican...
