Senate debates Business

Consideration Of Legislation


Jonathon Duniam

Jonathon Duniam Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries

12:02 pm

I move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Appropriation (Coronavirus Response) Bill (No. 1) 2021-2022

Appropriation (Coronavirus Response) Bill (No. 2) 2021-2022

Corporate Collective Investment Vehicle Framework and Other Measures Bill 2021

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Foreign Influences and Offences) Bill 2022

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Authorisations) Bill 2022

Electoral Legislation Amendment (COVID Enfranchisement) Bill 2022

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021

Parliamentary Workplace Reform (Set the Standard Measures No. 1) Bill 2022

Religious Discrimination Bill 2021

Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021

Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021.

Nick McKim

Nick McKim Tasmania, Australian Greens

I ask that the question be put separately on some of the legislation in this motion, and, apologies, I'll need to go through the list. We intend to vote differently on the following pieces of legislation: the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Foreign Influences and Offences) Bill, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Authorisations) Bill and the Electoral Legislation Amendment (COVID Franchisement) Bill, the NDIS amendment, the Religious Discrimination Bill, the Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill and the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021. I ask that the question on those bills be put separately to the question on the remainder of the bills in this motion.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

With the agreement of the chamber, I'll put the question on those bills as set out by Senator McKim first. We start with the question on those bills as listed by Senator McKim—three electoral matters bills, NDIS amendment, two religious discrimination bills and the human rights bill.

Janet Rice

Janet Rice Victoria, Australian Greens

12:03 pm

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

Leave is granted for one minute.

Janet Rice

Janet Rice Victoria, Australian Greens

The Religious Discrimination Bill should be dumped rather than be rushed through the Senate. The bill, as was passed through the House last night, would increase discrimination against people with disability, against women, against people of minority faiths and against LGBTIQA+ people. The bill, as was passed through the House last night, would allow an aged-care home to refuse to employ a worker because she is a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. The bill, as was passed through the House last night, would allow a school to sack staff or students because they refuse to sign up to a school policy that says homosexuality is evil. The bill that was passed through the House last night would make legal hurtful, harmful statements, like disability being a punishment from God. This bill should be dumped. It should be put into the dustbin of history, rather than being rushed through the Senate.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

The question is that the motion be agreed to with respect to the bills as listed by Senator McKim. Senator Urquhart.

Anne Urquhart

Anne Urquhart Tasmania, Australian Labor Party

Could we put the electoral bills separately, and the religious ones together?

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

You're happy with putting the electoral bills and the NDIS bill together, and then the religious discrimination and the human rights bills; is that correct?

Anne Urquhart

Anne Urquhart Tasmania, Australian Labor Party

Yes.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

We will start with the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Foreign Influences and Offences) Bill 2022, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Authorisations) Bill 2022, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (COVID Enfranchisement) Bill 2022 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021. The question is the motion be agreed to.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

12:14 pm

I will now put the question on the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021, the Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021 and the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021.

Question negatived.

Katy Gallagher

Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance

on indulgence—I'm trying to understand what occurred just then with the religious discrimination bills and the human rights bill. What was the result of that vote?

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

That item was negatived.

Katy Gallagher

Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance

So they weren't exempted?

The:

They weren't exempted. They weren't part of the motion. Senator Abetz, are you seeking the call?

Eric Abetz

Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party

12:15 pm

I am in a state of confusion, and I think the vast majority of my colleagues are as well. Can we have explained to us what has actually been put to us?

An honourable senator: Read the motion.

Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

Order! The motion as printed at item 3 of government business has been put in three parts. So far, we have dealt with the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Foreign Influences and Offences) Bill 2022, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Authorisations) Bill 2022, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (COVID Enfranchisement) Bill 2022 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021. That was agreed by the chamber. We then put the motion with the two religious discrimination bills and the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021. That was negatived. I'm now putting the remainder of the motion. Senator Canavan?

Matthew Canavan

Matthew Canavan Queensland, Liberal National Party

12:16 pm

I'm a little confused. I don't have the motion in front of me. In regard to the religious discrimination bills and the human rights bill, you said you'd put the motion. What was that motion? What was the content of it? I don't have it in front of me.

Slade Brockman

Slade Brockman President

That was the motion to exempt the bills from the cut-off order, and that has been negatived. Let's move on. I will now put the remaining parts of that motion.

Question agreed to.