Senate debates

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

  • Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to migration, and for other purposes. Question agreed to. I present the bill and move: That this bill...
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I table the explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted....
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
      At the request of Senator Ludwig, 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...
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      I move: That government business notice of motion No. 3, approving a works proposal in the parliamentary zone, be postponed to a later hour. Question agreed to
  • Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • In Committee (24 speeches)
      Consideration resumed from 24 June.
  • Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (30 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 16 June, on motion by Senator Faulkner: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • Third Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate. Question agreed to.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Budget Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (3 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 16 June, on motion by Senator Faulkner: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • Third Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • In Committee (5 speeches)
      Consideration resumed from 24 June.
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That:(a)consideration of matters of public interest not occur at 12.45 pm, and that consideration of government business may be considered till 2 pm;(b)divisions may...
  • Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
  • Valedictory (0 speeches)
    • (3 speeches)
      I would like to say thank you to the people of New South Wales for giving me what has been an incredible opportunity over the last six years to represent them here in this parliament. I have...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Emissions Trading Scheme (21 speeches)
      I direct my question to the Minister for Climate Change and Water. Can the minister confirm that the cabinet met, without officials, last week and decided not to include petrol in the...
    • Climate Change (6 speeches)
      My question is also to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Can the minister please advise the Senate on the impact of climate change in Queensland? How does the Rudd...
    • Alcopops (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy. Given the government initially indicated that the Senate would this fortnight consider legislation to validate the...
    • Climate Change (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Sherry. Can the minister please update the Senate on how the government is helping...
    • Broadband (4 speeches)
      Don’t give up your day job, Nick. My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister assure the Senate that the...
    • Climate Change (6 speeches)
      My final question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and it relates to the issue of climate refugees and the recent visit by the President of Kiribati last week. He said that the...
    • Broadband (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Minister, is the industry wrong when they say that your government’s national broadband...
    • Climate Change (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Can the minister please explain to the Senate how uncertainty about emissions trading will affect...
    • Broadband (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Is the minister aware that the Allphones company was recently found by the Federal Court to...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the chamber of a parliamentary delegation from the National Assembly Standing Committee of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Child Care (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Minister, in 2006 Labor made a commitment to building 260 new long day care centres in areas of need—25,000 places, 100...
    • Broadband (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Is it not the case that Australian families will have to pay between $897 million and $1.4...
    • Budget (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minster representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Can the minister outline to the Senate the impact of the delays of key budget measures on the surplus and the...
    • Environment (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. I ask if the minister can assure the Senate that it is a fact that the...
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
    • Zimbabwe (1 speech)
      Mr President, I seek leave to incorporate some additional information in relation to a question and a supplementary question from Senator Murray on Zimbabwe asked in question time yesterday....
    • Murray-Darling River System (1 speech)
      Mr President, I have a response to a question by Senator Siewert asked of me yesterday in relation to protection for the Coorong under the EPBC Act. I will briefly provide that information,...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (5 speeches)
      Mr President, I seek leave to make a personal explanation regarding misrepresentation.
  • Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
    • Broadband (8 speeches)
      I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) to questions without notice asked by Senators...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I seek leave to make a personal explanation as I claim to have been misrepresented. Leave granted. In question time, I asked a question and a supplementary question to the Minister for Climate...
  • Election Commitments (0 speeches)
    • Return to Order (4 speeches)
      I seek leave to take note of documents tabled by Senator Faulkner relating to the government’s election commitments that amount to the largest ever pork-barrelling in the history of this...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (0 speeches)
      Senator Marshall to move on the next day of sitting:That the following matter be referred to the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee for inquiry and report by 20 March...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the sixth report of 2008 of the Selection of Bills Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read...
    • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Rights of the Terminally Ill (Euthanasia Laws Repeal) Bill 2008 be...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • Postponement (0 speeches)
      The following items of business were postponed: General business notice of motion no. 103 standing in the name of the Leader of the Australian Democrats (Senator Allison) for today, relating to...
  • Save Our Solar (Solar Rebate Protection) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Referral to Committee (1 speech)
      I move:(1)   That the Save Our Solar (Solar Rebate Protection) Bill 2008 [No. 2] be referred to the Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee for inquiry and report by...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Defence Procurement (0 speeches)
    • Return to Order (1 speech)
      I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 134, standing in the name of Senator Minchin, to provide the government with more time to comply with the return to order. Leave...
  • Commercial Ready Program (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      At the request of Senator Abetz, I move:That the Senate—(a)   notes the critical role of the former Howard Government’s Commercial Ready program in fostering innovation,...
  • Climate Change (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move:That the Senate requests the Government to explain, by Thursday, 26 June 2008, its opposition to general business notice of motion no. 102 from the Leader of the Australian Democrats...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Returned from the House of Representatives (0 speeches)
      Message received from the House of Representatives informing the Senate that the House has made the requested amendment.
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Community Affairs Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
      I present additional information received by the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs relating to the following inquiries: cost of living pressures on older Australians; Families,...
    • Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present report No. 5 of 2008, Referrals tabled March 2008, and I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I seek...
    • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the sixth report of 2008 of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 6 of 2008, dated 25 June 2008. Ordered...
    • Senators’ Interests Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Senate Standing Committee of Senators’ Interests and in accordance with the Senate resolution of 17 March 1994 on the declaration of senators’ interests, I...
  • Budget (0 speeches)
    • Consideration by Estimates Committees; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, Senator Sterle, I present the report of the committee on the 2008-09 budget estimates,...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Intelligence and Security Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Review of the re-listing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and I move: That the Senate take note...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Documents (0 speeches)
  • Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
    • Report No. 44 of 2007-08 (1 speech)
      In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present the following report of the Auditor-General: Audit report No. 44 of 2007-08: Performance audit: interim phase of the...
  • Valedictory (0 speeches)
    • (21 speeches)
      Thank you, Mr President—fellow South Australian and, of course, friend. Thank you also for your kind words to all of us at the dinner that you hosted for retiring senators last week. It is...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Tabling (0 speeches)
      The following government documents were tabled: Gene Technology Regulator—Quarterly report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2008. National Health and Medical Research Council...