Senate debates

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

  • Grandparents (1 speech)
    I stand today to commend the work of so many Australian grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren. It is nearly 10 years since a Tasmanian joint standing committee handed down a report...
  • Breast Cancer (1 speech)
    Three simple words and one short phrase: 'I love you'. We all know they mean so much. For a woman who has lost a breast to breast cancer, hearing those three words from her partner is one of the...
  • Kovacs, Mr Akos (1 speech)
    Tonight I wish to honour the memory of Akos Kovacs, who was the gym master at Christ Church Grammar School for over 50 years from the mid-1950s. He became a living legend of the school and around...
  • Burma (1 speech)
    I rise to make some observations about a recent trip to Burma I undertook during the winter break before I travelled to Japan, which is a place I have wanted to visit for a very long period of...
  • Environment (1 speech)
    With the collapse of contract for closure negotiations last week in the Latrobe Valley, the raging controversy over the super trawler, the failure to assess properly the local environmental...
  • Defence Procurement (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to address the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee report into defence procurement, which I had the pleasure and privilege of being involved with. The...
  • Education (1 speech)
    Again, I rise to speak to the topic of education and why I believe it is crucial that we implement the needs based funding model recommended in the Gonski review to ensure that every child in...
  • Living in Between: Diversity Education through Storytelling Project (1 speech)
    Tonight I rise to speak about the Living in Between: Diversity Education through Storytelling project. This is a project of the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning in partnership with Hobart...
  • R U OK? Day (1 speech)
    I rise to talk about a particular illness that afflicts many Australians. I am aware that senators and members are frequently asked to be advocates for particular illnesses and conditions; barely...
  • London Paralympic Games (1 speech)
    The ninth of September marked the end of the 2012 London Paralympics. For the record, Australia finished fifth on the medal tally with 32 gold, 23 silver and 30 bronze. It was a memorable result....
  • Perks, Ms Carol (1 speech)
    Thank you, Senator Faulkner. I really enjoyed that, and I think it is one of those things that are the kind of expression we all feel at the moment, at the end of the games. It was great to hear...
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (1 speech)
    I seek leave to speak for 20 minutes. Leave granted. I rise to speak on World Suicide Prevention Day, which was yesterday. World Suicide Prevention Day has become a very important day in our...