Senate debates

Monday, 15 November 2010

Notices

Presentation

Senator Bob Brown to move on 17 November 2010:

That the Senate—
(a)
notes:
(i)
China’s condemnation of Liu Xiaobo as a ‘criminal’,
(ii)
Mr Liu’s major ‘crime’ was calling for ‘democracy reform’ in China, and
(iii)
Beijing’s diplomatic efforts to have the Nobel Prize ceremony in Oslo boycotted; and
(b)
calls on the Australian Government to ensure that Australia is officially represented at the Oslo presentation of the prize to Mr Liu’s representatives.

Senator Bob Brown to move on 17 November 2010:

That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 1 June 2011, with effect from the first day of sitting of 2011:
The status, health and sustainability of Australia’s koala population, with particular reference to:
(a)
the iconic status of the koala and the history of its management;
(b)
estimates of koala populations and the adequacy of current counting methods;
(c)
knowledge of koala habitat;
(d)
threats to koala habitat such as logging, land clearing, poor management, attacks from feral and domestic animals, disease, roads and urban development;
(e)
the listing of the koala under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;
(f)
the adequacy of the National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy;
(g)
appropriate future regulation for the protection of koala habitat;
(h)
interaction of state and federal laws and regulations; and
(i)
any other related matters.

Senator Cormann to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—
(a)
notes that:
(i)
the current process to select default superannuation funds under modern awards is not transparent, not objective or evidence based, not competitive and not subject to systematic review,
(ii)
the top ten most commonly listed default funds under modern awards are all union based industry super funds, with these ten funds listed as default super funds in modern awards 330 times,
(iii)
the Cooper Review into superannuation also confirmed that current default superannuation fund arrangements undermined competition as new employees typically become a member of a default fund, and
(iv)
a competitive, transparent and efficient superannuation industry is critically important to maximise value for all superannuants;
(b)
endorses the Labor Party’s commitment before the 2010 election to instruct the Productivity Commission to design a process for the selection and ongoing review of the superannuation funds to be included in modern awards or enterprise agreements as default funds; and
(c)
orders that there be laid on the table, no later than 30 April 2011, a report by the Productivity Commission on the design of a process for the selection and ongoing review of the superannuation funds to be included in modern awards or enterprise agreements as default funds, with the requirements that:
(i)
the process is to be based on objective criteria and evidence and be subject to systematic review, so that the selection and ongoing review of eligible default funds is transparent and competitive,
(ii)
the process is to help maximise employees’ retirement incomes by ensuring that only those superannuation funds that deliver – and continue to deliver – the best results to their members are able to be included as default fund options in modern awards and enterprise agreements, and
(iii)
in designing the process the Productivity Commission make reference to the existing sophisticated system of superannuation fund ratings which has evolved over the past 20 years and is already used widely by employees, employers and financial planners in making decisions on fund selection.

Senator Barnett to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2011:
The Australian film and literature classification scheme, with particular reference to:
(a)
the use of serial classifications for publications;
(b)
the desirability of national standards for the display of restricted publications and films;
(c)
the enforcement system, including call-in notices, referrals to state and territory law enforcement agencies and follow-up of such referrals;
(d)
the interaction between the National Classification Scheme and customs regulations;
(e)
the application of the National Classification Scheme to works of art and the role of artistic merit in classification decisions;
(f)
the impact of X18+ films, including their role in the sexual abuse of children;
(g)
the classification of films, including explicit sex or scenes of torture and degradation, sexual violence and nudity as R18+;
(h)
the possibility of including outdoor advertising, such as billboards, in the National Classification Scheme;
(i)
the application of the National Classification Scheme to music videos;
(j)
the effectiveness of the ‘ARIA/AMRA Labelling Code of Practice for Recorded Music Product Containing Potentially Offensive Lyrics and/or Themes’;
(k)
the effectiveness of the National Classification Scheme in preventing the sexualisation of children and the objectification of women in all media, including advertising;
(l)
the interaction between the National Classification Scheme and the role of the Australian Communications and Media Authority in supervising broadcast standards for television and Internet content;
(m)
the effectiveness of the National Classification Scheme in dealing with new technologies and new media, including mobile phone applications, which have the capacity to deliver content to children, young people and adults; and
(n)
any other matter, with the exception of the introduction of a R18+ classification for computer games which has been the subject of a current consultation by the Attorney-General’s Department.

Senator Polley to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 25 November 2010, from 5 pm, to take evidence for the committee’s inquiry into the exposure drafts of Australian privacy amendment legislation.

Senator Pratt to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 17 November 2010, from 12.30 pm to 2 pm.

Senator Xenophon and Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to provide for the accurate labelling of food with genetically modified material, and for related purposes. Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling—Genetically Modified Material) Bill 2010.

Senator Hanson-Young to move on 18 November 2010:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958 in relation to asylum seekers and immigration detention, to restore rights and procedural fairness to persons affected by decisions taken under the Act, and for related purposes. Migration Amendment (Detention Reform and Procedural Fairness) Bill 2010.

Senator Boyce to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 18 November 2010, from 11.30 am.

Senator Fisher to move on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Environment and Communications References Committee on the adequacy of protections for the privacy of Australians online be extended to the second sitting day of the second sitting week in March 2011.

Senator Mark Bishop to move on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of the following reports of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee be extended to the last day of the second sitting week in February 2011:
(a)
provisions of the Defence Legislation Amendment (Security of Defence Premises) Bill 2010; and
(b)
provisions of the Autonomous Sanctions Bill 2010.

Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to investigate and review anti-discrimination laws across Australia and the need to provide further protection to same-sex couples and LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex] Australians.