Senate debates

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

  • Watson, Mr Samuel William (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to record the passing of Mr Sam Watson, an Aboriginal man from Brisbane of the Munnenjari and Biri Gubba Juru nations. He died in a Brisbane hospital last Wednesday after a short...
  • Small Business (1 speech, 1 comment)
    I rise to speak on small business, the backbone of the Australian economy. Unlike Labor, who govern only for the unions, we govern for all Australians. If you listened to the speeches last week...
  • Indigenous Australians (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to talk about the day known to many First Nations people as Invasion Day or Survival Day—that is, 26 January. As Greens, we acknowledge this land we call Australia was...
  • Environment Protection and Biosecurity Conversation Act (1 speech)
    I rise to speak on the review of the Environment Protection and Biosecurity Conversation Act 2009 which commenced a little over a month ago. The EPBC Act is the Commonwealth's key piece of...
  • Queensland Government (1 speech)
    Democracy in Queensland is once again under attack from state Labor as the sunshine state becomes the sunset state. Labor have run Queensland since they were first elected 30 years ago. They have...
  • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
    I'm trying to clear my throat from laughter after that contribution. I rise tonight to tell the story of Amita Gupta and her husband Santosh, who work as delivery drivers for Uber Eats. Amita and...
  • National Agriculture Day, Country Fire Authority (1 speech)
    I rise to acknowledge National Agriculture Day, which occurred a couple of weeks ago on Thursday 21 November. Ag day, as it's better known, serves as an opportunity for all Australians, country...
  • Student Financial Supplement Scheme (1 speech)
    I rise to speak this evening about the ongoing impact of student debt on the community. I call on the government to forgive outstanding debt from the grossly unjust Student Financial Supplement...
  • Morrison Government (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to talk about integrity. The government last week was so desperately trying to call into question the integrity of trade unions, and I'm glad they were unsuccessful, because...
  • Chile: Human Rights (1 speech)
    Two weeks ago I met with Yari, Marcela, Sara, Anais and Camilla of Chile Woke Up Brisbane to discuss the ongoing human rights abuses being perpetrated in Chile. In October 2019, Chileans staged...
  • Perth Inner City Youth Services (1 speech)
    We are in a time of government indifference to our young people in this nation. We have rising unemployment and a social services system that stigmatises our young people, leaving them in...
  • Watson, Mr Samuel William, Queensland: Liberal National Party (1 speech)
    I begin by endorsing the adjournment speech of Senator Dodson earlier where he paid tribute to the passing of one of Queensland's most significant Indigenous leaders of recent years, Mr Sam...
  • Xenophon, Mr Nick (1 speech)
    I know that all senators take an interest in the welfare of their former colleagues, so I thought I should update the chamber on the latest activities of former senator for South Australia Nick...
  • Murray-Darling Basin (1 speech)
    I rise in this adjournment debate to welcome the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management's announcement today that there will be a full...
  • National Relay Service (1 speech)
    The National Relay Service allows deaf and hearing impaired Australians to make and receive telephone calls through the use of text relay services. The NRS can be accessed through different...
  • Women's Economic Security (1 speech)
    I rise to talk about something that I'm extremely passionate about, and that is equality for girls and women and how it relates to superannuation and homelessness. As a Labor senator for...
  • Palliative Care Tasmania (1 speech)
    Two and a half years ago I successfully campaigned to save Palliative Care Tasmania from closure. I'm bitterly disappointed to have to rise again in this place and plead for their continuing...
  • Media (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to pay tribute to our media industry. In an environment where our democratic rights are under attack, where we are governed increasingly by spin rather than substance, and under a...
  • Eyre Peninsula: Cape Hardy Port (1 speech)
    Last week I rose to give a speech on Whyalla as a city with a population of 80,000. The speech was about a city with a population of 22,000 that would be transformed by a proposal by GFG Alliance...
  • Wiesel, Professor Elie (1 speech)
    As this adjournment debate comes to a close this evening, I'd just like to reflect on one person as a way of paying tribute to a number of very, very important and inspirational Western...