Senator Ronaldson to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the importance of the Australian National Academy of Music as a unique institution for the cultivation of Australia’s finest classical musicians;

(b)

deplores statements by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Mr Garrett) casting aspersions on the efficiency and effectiveness of the academy; and

(c)

calls on the Government immediately to reinstate Commonwealth funding to the Australian National Academy of Music for the 2008-09 financial year in the amount of $2 545 000, as originally promised by the Rudd Government.

Senator Ludwig to move on the next day of sitting:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2009 be as follows:

Autumn sittings:

Tuesday, 3 February to Thursday, 5 February

Monday, 23 February to Thursday, 26 February

Tuesday, 10 March to Thursday, 12 March

Monday, 16 March to Thursday, 19 March

Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 12 May to Thursday, 14 May

Winter sittings:

Monday, 15 June to Thursday, 18 June

Monday, 22 June to Thursday, 25 June

Spring sittings:

Tuesday, 11 August to Thursday, 13 August

Monday, 17 August to Thursday, 20 August

Monday, 7 September to Thursday, 10 September

Monday, 14 September to Thursday, 17 September

Spring sittings (2):

Monday, 26 October to Thursday, 29 October

Monday, 16 November to Thursday, 19 November

Monday, 23 November to Thursday, 26 November.

Senator Ludwig to move on the next day of sitting:

(1)

That estimates hearings by standing committees for 2009 be scheduled as follows:

2008-09 additional estimates:

Monday, 9 February and Tuesday, 10 February 2009, and, if required, Friday, 13 February 2009 (Group A)

Wednesday, 11 February and Thursday, 12 February 2009, and, if required, Friday, 13 February 2009 (Group B).

2009-10 Budget estimates:

Monday, 25 May to Thursday, 28 May 2009, and, if required, Friday, 29 May 2009 (Group A)

Monday, 1 June to Thursday, 4 June 2009, and, if required, Friday, 5 June 2009 (Group B)

Monday, 19 October and Tuesday, 20 October 2009 (supplementary hearings—Group A)

Wednesday, 21 October and Thursday, 22 October 2009 (supplementary hearings—Group B).

(2)

That the committees consider the proposed expenditure in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies to committees agreed to by the Senate.

(3)

That committees meet in the following groups:

Group A:

Environment, Communications and the Arts

Finance and Public Administration

Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport

Group B:

Community Affairs

Economics

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

(4)

That the committees report to the Senate on the following dates:

(a)

Tuesday, 17 March 2009 in respect of the 2008-09 additional estimates; and

(b)

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 in respect of the 2009-10 Budget estimates.

Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

the week beginning 16 November 2008 is National Skin Cancer Action Week,

(ii)

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world,

(iii)

within Australia, Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer, followed by Western Australia,

(iv)

skin cancers currently account for 80 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers,

(v)

more than 1 600 Australians die from skin cancer each year,

(vi)

an estimated 950 000 visits to general practitioners each year are for the treatment of preventable non-melanoma skin cancers, and

(vii)

annually, 281 new melanoma cases, 43 melanoma-related deaths and 2 572 new cases of squamous cell carcinoma are attributable to the use of solaria; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

support the recommendations of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and Cancer Council Australia by working with the states towards effecting tighter regulation of solaria, and

(ii)

implement and fund an ongoing national level skin cancer prevention campaign.

Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

that the recent report by the Select Committee into Housing Affordability in Australia, A good house is hard to find: Housing affordability in Australia, indicated that the community housing sector could play a crucial role in the provision and management of affordable housing,

(ii)

that the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) could be part of a range of measures to increase housing affordability and address homelessness, including increasing government funding for social, community and public housing, improving protection for tenants and reviewing Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and

(iii)

a recent ruling and comments by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), suggesting that charitable organisations seeking to take part in the NRAS could jeopardise their charitable status; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

direct the ATO to provide a letter of assurance to NRAS applicants that guarantees their participation in NRAS will not cause the ATO to review or revoke their charitable status,

(ii)

introduce legislative measures to ensure that not-for-profit organisations involved in NRAS do not lose their charitable tax status, and

(iii)

provide a statement of intent from the Treasurer (Mr Swan) to deem the not-for-profit provision of affordable housing as a charitable purpose under tax law.

Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the uranium study conducted by NewsPoll for the Australian Conservation Foundation over the weekend of 1 November and 2 November 2008, which shows that:

(i)

Australians are 2:1 against uranium exports to countries with nuclear weapons,

(ii)

40 per cent of Australians are against the export of Australian uranium to any country for use in nuclear power plants for electricity generation,

(iii)

a majority of Australians in every state are opposed to uranium exports to countries with nuclear weapons or against any uranium exports at all, and

(iv)

results show 48 per cent of women are against uranium exports to any country, and a total of 73 per cent of women are against uranium exports to countries with nuclear weapons that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and

(b)

calls on the Government to take this strong indication of public opinion into account as it makes a decision on the clear recommendations provided by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties on the Australia-Russia uranium agreement signed by former Prime Minister Howard and the then President Putin in 2007.