Senator Allison to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that the week beginning 11 May 2008 is International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Awareness Week;

(b)   recognises that:

(i)   these conditions can strike at any time and affect children as well as adults,

(ii)   sufferers of these conditions experience abnormal levels of exhaustion which often stops them from working, studying or socialising, and

(iii)   the cause of these conditions is currently unknown and there is no single diagnostic test to accurately diagnose them; and

(c)   calls on the Government to:

(i)   support research into encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and

(ii)   adequately support non-government organisations that provide support, education, and resources to consumers, the community, health professionals and policy makers about the encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Senator Allison to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   throughout Australian hospitals, patients are managed in mixed gender wards and that assault, trauma and violence are too often perpetrated on women patients in acute inpatient facilities,

(ii)   a survey on assaults on women while being treated as inpatients in public hospitals shows that 27 per cent of female patients questioned (N=117) had experienced broadly defined physical assault, 63 per cent had experienced verbal assault and 58.5 per cent felt intimidated and unsafe in the inpatient unit,

(iii)   many male patients are admitted to hospital because their behaviour (due to their illness) is often disinhibited or aggressive,

(iv)   many female patients have sexual abuse histories and hence fare very badly in this environment, and

(v)   women patients cannot lock the doors to their hospital rooms for treatment safety reasons and so feel totally vulnerable; and

(b)   calls on the Government to raise with the states, as a matter of urgency, the need to re-designate acute psychiatry inpatient units to have ‘women-only areas’ and/or separate male and female wards, as is the case in many other countries, for the safety and privacy of women in these settings.

Senator Faulkner to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, and for related purposes. Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2008.

Senator Heffernan to move on the next day of sitting:

(1)   That the time for the presentation of the report of the Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries be extended to 16 October 2008.

(2)   That the resolution of appointment of the Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries be amended to provide for participating membership, as follows:

After paragraph (2), insert:

(2A) (a)   On the nominations of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and minority groups and independent senators, participating members may be appointed to the committee;

(b)   participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c)   a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

Senator Kirk to move on the next day of sitting:

(1)   That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this resolution having effect.

(2)   That the Parliamentary (Judicial Misbehaviour or Incapacity) Commission Bill 2007 be restored to the Notice Paper and that consideration of the bill resume at the stage reached in the 41st Parliament.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes the continuing human rights crisis in Tibet and restrictions on entry to areas in Tibet by journalists, international observers, aid agencies and foreign diplomats;

(b)   welcomes the informal talks between the Chinese Government and representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama on 4 May and 5 May 2008 in Shenzen, China and the agreement to hold a seventh round of the China-Tibet dialogue;

(c)   encourages both parties to work sincerely towards a peaceful and mutually agreeable resolution of the China-Tibet issue;

(d)   welcomes the forthright statements by the Prime Minister (Mr Rudd) during his recent trip to China, both in public and in private talks with the Chinese Premier (Wen Jiabao) and President (Hu Jintao), on the need for constructive dialogue;

(e)   appreciates the Prime Minister’s commitment to being a zhengyou, or a ‘true friend’, to the Chinese leadership and his willingness to raise challenging issues including Tibet; and

(f)   requests the Government to actively support and monitor the progress of the China-Tibet dialogue and offer its good offices to help bring about a positive outcome.

Senator Minchin to move on the next day of sitting:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, no later than 4 pm on Thursday, 19 June 2008, the red folder brandished by the Minister which he claims contains details of ‘problematic’ defence procurement projects.

Senator Ludwig to move on the next day of sitting:

That, on Thursday, 15 May 2008:

(a)   the routine of business from 8 pm shall be:

(i)   Budget statement and documents––responses by party leaders,

(ii)   government business, and

(iii)   adjournment;

(b)   divisions may take place after 4.30 pm; and

(c)  the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall be proposed after the Senate has finally considered the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network) Bill 2008 and the Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Legislation Amendment (One-Off Payments and Other Budget Measures) Bill 2008.

Senator Fielding to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to require unit prices of grocery products sold by measure, weight or volume to be displayed, and for related purposes. Unit Pricing (Easy comparison of grocery prices) Bill 2008.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 to support the greater commercialisation of renewable energy technologies, and for related purposes. Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Feed-in-Tariff) Bill 2008.