Senate debates

Thursday, 10 September 2026

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    If there is no objection, the meetings are authorised.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters Bill 2026; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    I am pleased to introduce the Protecting Australians from Foreign Terrorist Fighters Bill 2026. The first responsibility of any government is to keep Australians safe. Australians rightfully...
  • Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026; In Committee (16 speeches)
    The committee is considering the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026. I will need first to deal with the deferred vote on the government...
  • Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026; In Committee (3 speeches)
    We'll put the deferred vote straightaway. The question is that the bill be reported.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to notice given yesterday on behalf of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw notices of motion proposing the disallowance of three...
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    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 various bills, allowing them to be considered during...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (5 speeches)
    I present report no. 11 of 2026 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 today— (a) the following bills be considered at 12.15 pm; (i) Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, and (ii) Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency)...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    If there is no objection, the business is postponed.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Sharma, I move: That the Senate notes that, in response to order for production of documents no. 601, the Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that no documents exist...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (3 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators: (a) Senator Tyrrell from 7 to 17 September 2026, for personal reasons; (b) Senator Cox from 7 to 10 September...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Harrison.ai, Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    by leave—I move general business notices of motion Nos 684, 685, 686 and 687 together: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 684 That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Industry...
  • Housing; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    by leave—At the request of Senator Bragg, I move general business notices of motion Nos 688, 689 and 690 together: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 688 That there be laid on the table...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (4 speeches)
    by leave—I amend general business notice of motion No. 691 and move the motion as amended: That— (a) the Statute Update Bill 2026 be called on at 3 pm, have precedence over all other...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 692 That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, by no later...
  • Defence Properties; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Shoebridge, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) order for the production of documents no. 368, agreed to by the Senate on 4 March 2026 and requiring...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
  • Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    The question is that the second reading as moved by Senator Dean Smith be agreed to.
  • Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. The coalition will be supporting this bill. This bill has already passed the House of Representatives without amendment, and...
  • Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments have been circulated, does any senator require a committee stage? If not, I call the minister to move the third reading.
  • Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026. The coalition will be supporting this bill. Australia has one of the strongest biosecurity systems in...
  • Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Bill 2026; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026; Second Reading (1 speech)
    The question before the chamber at this time is: That the bill be read a second time. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.
  • Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026; In Committee (58 speeches)
    The question is that the bill stand as printed. Senator Hume.
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Prime Minister (7 speeches)
    In news that should be filed under the same category as the defecation habits of bears in forests or the religion of the Bishop of Rome, Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of this country, has...
  • Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program (1 speech)
    This week, my team and I have had the great privilege of welcoming RAAF Commander Martin to my office as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. The ADF Parliamentary Program...
  • Gas Industry (3 speeches)
    In a move that has surprised precisely no-one, Labor is watering down its piss-weak gas reservation policy to appease its corporate gas donors.
  • Private Health Insurance (1 speech)
    This is not my first speech. I rise today to speak against the Albanese Labor government's proposed changes to private health insurance rebates for older Australians. The proposal will hit the...
  • Superannuation (1 speech)
    One Nation unveiled a new superannuation policy this week, and they are so confident in it that they refuse to have it costed. Well, I've done the maths and worked it out. This one is a super...
  • Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (1 speech)
    Yesterday the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission tabled its yearly report, and I thank them for their work. The findings were distressing but, unfortunately, unsurprising. The rate...
  • Australian Defence Force (1 speech)
    This week has seen the ADF parliamentary exchange program host 52 ADF personnel of all services, ranks and backgrounds in the halls of this building. It has been an opportunity for us to work...
  • South Australia: Community Services (1 speech)
    Recently, I had the privilege of joining over 100 members of the Fleurieu community in Port Elliot for a forum on homelessness hosted by the Fleurieu Community Foundation. It was an incredibly...
  • South Australia: Environmental Conservation (1 speech)
    In South Australia, over the past four years, we have seen unprecedented attacks on our precious Adelaide Park Lands, a South Australian icon that makes our city so unique and so special....
  • Artificial Intelligence (1 speech)
    In March, I addressed the chamber on a variety of topics, including the Public Service wide AI policy. Under this policy, 13 agencies missed the deadline to publish an AI transparency statement,...
  • Border Express (1 speech)
    When standing up for better pay and conditions gets you sacked and tossed aside like yesterday's rubbish, the company starts looking less like a business and more like thugs. That's what is...
  • Superannuation (1 speech)
    What's good for the goose is good for the gander. The goose in this case is Treasurer Jim Chalmers, and the gander is the Australian people struggling with the cost of rents and mortgages under...
  • Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (1 speech)
    'Rare, brief and non-recurring'—those are the words used by the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner to describe her vision for rates of gender based violence in this country....
  • Economy (1 speech)
    Every day, Australians are paying the price for Labor's failure to get inflation under control, and alarm bells continue. Economists are warning that Australians could be facing back-to-back...
  • Cybersafety (1 speech)
    ():  The Albanese Labor government is turning the screws on the social media platforms. It's a shame that those opposite are not backing in this bill. They call it censorship, but it is...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Fiscal Policy (37 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Yesterday, in relation to the Prime Minister's honorary membership of the Marrickville golf club, which was given $6...
  • Fuel Security (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator Ayres. When Labor was elected in 2022, the first thing we had to deal with was an energy crisis. A decade of chaotic coalition...
  • Fiscal Policy (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. At Senate estimates on 26 May this year, infrastructure department officials disclosed that they obtained the list of...
  • International Relations: Australia and Israel (8 speeches)
    My question is to Minister Wong. Twelve countries, including Canada, the UK and France, have announced the introduction of bans on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Despite...
  • Women's Health (7 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. This week is Women's Health Week. Happy Women's Health Week! For too long, women's pain was dismissed, their symptoms went undiagnosed...
  • Economy (24 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. On Tuesday night, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank said that everywhere he travels in Australia he hears...
  • Indigenous Health (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator McCarthy. Access to clean clothes and bedding is fundamental to good health and dignity. But, for many people living in remote...
  • Superannuation (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Special Minister of State, Senator Farrell. Can you confirm that, under clause 29 of the enterprise agreement, staff of members of parliament are able to choose whether they...
  • Disaster and Emergency Management (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator McAllister. Emergency services across the country are undertaking significant planning, training and...
  • Housing (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. For most Australians, their home is their biggest financial decision. Property analysts at Cotality say that recent...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statute Update Bill 2026; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    I rise to support the Statute Update Bill 2026 and in particular the amendment that will be moved by the coalition to 'scrap Labor's cruel veterans tax'. That's right: today is a test. In about...
  • Statute Update Bill 2026; Limitation of Debate (4 speeches)
    Pursuant to order agreed this morning, the time allotted for the remaining stages of this bill has expired. I will now put the question before the chair, then put the questions on the remaining...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Carbon Farming Initiative — Improved Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests) Methodology Determination 2026; Disallowance (9 speeches)
    I move: That the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative—Improved Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests) Methodology Determination 2026, made under the Carbon Credits...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (39 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by Senator Wong to coalition questions 1 and 2. I have to ask, based on those answers today: how many untruths can our prime minister tell?...
  • International Relations: Australia and Israel (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 Australia and Israel. Once again...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    I present additional information received by the Community Affairs Legislation Committee relating to estimates.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Human Rights Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the Human Rights Scrutiny Report No. 10 of 2026.
  • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Scrutiny Digest (1 speech)
    As Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, I rise to speak to yesterday's tabling of the committee's Scrutiny digest 11of 2026. The digest contains the committee's...
  • Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (1 speech)
    I rise to speak to the tabling of the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee's Delegated legislation monitor: monitor9 of 2026, which reports on the committee's consideration of 159...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Australian Information Environment; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table documents relating to an order for the production of documents concerning the integrity of the Australian information environment. (Quorum formed)
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Illicit Tobacco (3 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that Australia is facing an extremely serious illicit tobacco crisis, in which: (i) organised crime has taken near-full control of the tobacco market,...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (1 speech)
    Today the coalition supported Labor's Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. Its intent is to support Australia's grape growers and wine producers. It is both appropriate and...
  • Liberal Party of Australia (1 speech)
    What an interesting week we've had in the Senate this week. I intended to speak about superannuation tonight, which I will get to, but I cannot resist the urge I feel, as a fellow Tasmanian...