Senate debates
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Meeting (1 speech)
If there is no objection, the meetings are authorised.
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Middle East (31 speeches)
I seek leave to move a motion relating to Gaza, as circulated. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the name of Senator Shoebridge, I move: That so much of the standing...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Small Business (1 speech)
How much harder is this government going to make life for small businesses? They're being hit with taxes that they never voted for, they're paying more for electricity when they were promised it...
- Cybersecurity (1 speech)
Acting Deputy President Stewart, it's good to see you in the chair. Congratulations. October is Cyber Security Action Month, and the Australian Signals Directorate have, in recent days, reminded...
- United States of America: Human Rights (1 speech)
Australians right across the country are horrified at the suggestion that an execution by firing squad would be live streamed across the world. The US administration are suggesting that they may...
- Western Australia: Gas Industry (1 speech)
Congratulations, Madam Acting Deputy President Stewart, on the new role! Keep your hands off our gas, Canberra. Keep your hands off our gas, Labor. The Western Australian gas industry is an...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
Congratulations, Madam Acting Deputy President Stewart, on your ascension to the seat of power! Last Thursday I hosted a round table with Minister Sophie Cotsis, the New South Wales Minister for...
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (1 speech)
The speeches submitted for this year's Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign by young people in the ACT were passionate and thoughtful, and I'm privileged to be reading a speech to the Senate...
- Child Abuse, Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
There is a quote attributed to Nelson Mandela that seems most fitting: There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. In 2022, three of our...
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (2 speeches)
Today I'm proud to read a speech from Breanne, a 17-year-old from the federal electorate of Grey, who has submitted her speech through the Raise Our Voice campaign. The following are Breanne's...
- Cost of Living (1 speech)
I wake up every day grateful that I live in this lucky country, but I also fear that what makes us the lucky country is being worn down. The notion of a fair go is being whittled away bit by bit....
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (1 speech)
Today I'd like to read out to you a speech written by a young South Australian who was part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. The speech reads: I'm Orlando, 11 years old, and I go to...
- Freedom of Speech (1 speech)
Yesterday, when Senator Hanson asked about Labor supporting terrorism with taxpayer funding, Minister Watt proudly jumped up and reminded us all that One Nation was the only party that voted...
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (1 speech)
I'm reading this speech on behalf of Alexis, who is 15 years old and submitted this speech as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. This speech discusses suicide of young people....
- Private Health Insurance (1 speech)
I rise to condemn the Albanese Labor government's continued push to cut the private health insurance rebate for older Australians. After a damning Senate inquiry, the report was tabled last week,...
- Lark, Mr Bill (1 speech)
A great Tasmanian, Bill Lark, is a true Tasmanian living legend, a pioneer and one of our state's great tourism ambassadors. Mr Lark's remarkable journey began with a simple question on a fishing...
- Women's Economic Security (2 speeches)
Last year, the Fair Work Commission found workers in female orientated industries have been underpaid and undervalued. Since coming to government, the Albanese Labor government has made women's...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Small Business (13 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Wilson Asset Management has released fresh data estimating small and family businesses face up to $13.3 billion in...
- Women's Economic Security (22 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Last year, the Fair Work Commission found workers in female dominated industries have been underpaid and undervalued. Since coming to...
- Community Grants (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Albanese government reportedly awarded almost $70,000 in taxpayer funded grants to the multicultural youth centre...
- International Relations: Australia and the United States of America (20 speeches)
(): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Minister, you and your government have consistently referred to the shared values Australia has with the US, even as...
- Wages and Salaries (10 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Senator McAllister. We on this side of the...
- Manufacturing Industry (16 speeches)
My question is for the Minister for Industry and Innovation and the Minister for Science, Minister Ayres. In February last year, I started raising concerns with government, federal and state,...
- Artificial Intelligence (12 speeches)
I've got another question for the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator Ayres. Minister, OpenAI told the Joint Select Committee on AI that they would be providing Australia with red-level...
- Community Grants (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Watt, in regard to the Community Language Schools Grants program, a Liberal government program that the Albanese...
- Education (20 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Skills and Training, Senator Watt. The Albanese Labor government's signature free TAFE program is changing lives right around the...
- Fuel (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Families in Australia have little choice but to rely on their cars to get to work, take their children to school,...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Community Grants (1 speech)
To the question I received from Senator Roberts, I made the point that it was unclear which minister was responsible for answering that question. It turns out it was me, as the Minister...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (9 speeches)
With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in accordance with informal arrangements agreed by the whips.
- International Relations: Australia and the United States of America (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of Senator Wong's response to Senator Shoebridge's question. Well, here we find ourselves. A Christian nationalist end-times death cult has got control of the...
- Manufacturing Industry (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Industry and Innovation (Senator Ayres) to a question without notice I asked today relating to the manufacturing...
- Community Grants (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for the Environment and Water (Senator Watt) to a question without notice I asked today relating to community grants. This...
- Artificial Intelligence (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Industry and Innovation (Senator Ayres) to a question without notice I asked today relating to artificial intelligence....
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Baird, Hon. Bruce George, AM (1 speech)
It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 2 October 2026, of the honourable Bruce George Baird AM, a member of the House of Representatives for the division of Cook in New...
- Tate, Hon. And Reverend Professor Michael Carter, AO (11 speeches)
On 11 August 2026, I informed the Senate of the death, on 5 June 2026, of the Hon. and Reverend Professor Michael Carter Tate AO, a former minister and senator for the state of Tasmania from 1978...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Gallagher, I move: That, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, consideration of the business before the Senate be interrupted at approximately 5 pm, but not so as to interrupt...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Withdrawal (1 speech)
I ask that general business notice of motion No. 768 be withdrawn.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Budget (0 speeches)
- Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Cash, I move: That, when the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee meets to consider the 2026-27 supplementary Budget estimates in relation to the...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
- Fossil Fuel Industry (10 speeches)
Senator McDonald has submitted a proposal under standing order 75 today. It's shown at item 16 on today's order of business: That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of...
- Invasive Species Management (10 speeches)
The Senate will now consider the proposal, under standing order 75, from Senator David Pocock, which is also shown at item No. 16 on today's order of business and is shown on the Dynamic Red:...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (1 speech)
by leave—I table the following documents: Shackling during childbirth—Open letter from 5,658 signatories calling on the Attorney-General (Ms Rowland) to support the passage of the...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
I seek leave to move a motion to exempt this bill from the cut-off order. Leave granted. I table a statement of reasons justifying the need for this bill to be considered during this sittings. I...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics References Committee; Reference (2 speeches)
I move: That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 April 2027: Australia's cost of living crisis, with particular reference to: (a)...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Bell Bay Aluminium (1 speech)
I rise to welcome an enormously important announcement for George Town, Northern Tasmania and our nation. The Albanese Labor government has helped secure the long-term future of Bell Bay...
- Australian Society (1 speech)
I say, I used to have a high degree of trust in our regulatory environment in this country on a range of issues—on the regulation of pesticides in our food, on electromagnetic radiation and...
- Taxation (1 speech)
While you are standing at the supermarket wondering what you can afford and what you need to put back, there are corporations in Australia paying absolutely nothing in corporate tax—a big,...
- Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Taiwan (1 speech)
I rise tonight to thank the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office for hosting me and some of my fellow parliamentarians on a delegation to Taiwan. It was an extraordinary experience, and I am one...
- Veterans (1 speech)
In the last sitting, on the day the government scrapped the $5,000 cap on veteran allied health—good on them—the coalition and the Liberals in both houses slated the government. They...
- Environment Protection Authority (1 speech)
A year ago, the Greens successfully negotiated with this federal Labor government to introduce an environment protection agency into our national environment laws. What a great achievement for...
- Australian War Memorial (1 speech)
When Charles Bean founded the Australian War Memorial, his vision was a place for Australians to commemorate, mourn and memorialise those brave men and women who died for Australia, a place for...
- International Development and Humanitarian Assistance (1 speech)
Yesterday in this place, ACFID brought together organisations from across Australia's international development and humanitarian sector, showcasing the extraordinary work delivered with...
- YiSSA (1 speech)
Today is a deep day of shame for the Northern Territory CLP government, which has shut the doors on YiSSA and cast those in need onto the streets. The YiSSA homeless and short stay facility in...
- Economy (1 speech)
Australians have every reason to expect that each generation will enjoy a better standard of living than the one before it. That's been one of the great promises of this country. You work hard,...
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (1 speech)
Tonight I'll be reading speeches written by young people across Queensland on the issues that are important to them. I feel very privileged to help elevate the voices of these young people, and I...
- Iran, Australian Greens (1 speech)
Overnight, Australia joined 28 other nations in a joint statement condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran for lethal plotting, arson, sabotage and cyberattacks against our countries and our...
- Electoral System (5 speeches)
Since the establishment of the Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform in 1983 and its successor, JSCEM, parliamentary inquiries have reviewed federal elections and provided a bipartisan...
- Raise Our Voice in Parliament (1 speech)
I rise to share the speeches of some young West Australians who took part in the Raise Our Voice campaign, and I thank them all for their brilliant ideas and for their keen interest in our...
- Supermarkets, Queensland: Acknowledgements, Fuel (2 speeches)
At the last federal election, the Australian Greens lost three of their four federal seats in the lower house. They only hold one federal seat in Australia in the lower house, and that's in my...
- Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (4 speeches)
Right here. The Albanese Labor government has circulated the most onerous, terrifying bill presented to parliament this century. The Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026...
- Personal Information and Privacy (1 speech)
Tonight, I'd like to raise an important consideration in the growing conversation about smart glasses: accessibility. There are legitimate and significant concerns about smart glasses being used...
