Senate Daily Summary

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No. 68/2005
www.aph.gov.au/senate

Monday 10 October 2005

The Senate met from 12.30pm until 10.25pm

No bills were introduced in the Senate

The following bills were passed
Without amendments
[These bills will now be assented to]

• Asbestos-related Claims (Management of Commonwealth Liabilities) Bill 2005
• Asbestos-related Claims (Management of Commonwealth Liabilities) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2005
• Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Bill 2005
• Medical Indemnity (Competitive Advantage Payment) Bill 2005
• Medical Indemnity Legislation Amendment (Competitive Neutrality) Bill 2005

The following bill was considered

• Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2005–second reading debate continued

The following bills were exempted from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings]

• Customs Tariff Amendment (Commonwealth Games) Bill 2005
• Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment Bill 2005
• Higher Education Legislation Amendment (2005 Measures No. 4) Bill 2005
• Migration and Ombudsman Legislation Amendment Bill 2005
• Tax Laws Amendment (Loss Recoupment Rules and Other Measures) Bill 2005
• Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment (Stored Communications and Other Measures) Bill 2005
• Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2005

Bill assented to
Assent to the Defence Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2005 was reported in the Senate

See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation

See Documents for details of instruments [Clerk’s documents] tabled

Reports tabled

• Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Workplace Relations Requirements) Bill 2005–Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Legislation Committee
• The 2004 federal election: Inquiry into the conduct of the 2004 federal election and matters related thereto–Electoral Matters Joint Committee

Motion defeated
The Senate did not agree to a motion moved by Senator Wong to refer the Government’s proposed changes to welfare, as detailed in Budget paper no. 2—Budget measures 2005-06–Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee

Notices of motion given
To extend reporting deadlines

• Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Bill 2005–to report by the first sitting day in 2006
• Government advertising–Finance and Public Administration References Committee–to report by 1 December 2005

To hold public meetings when the Senate is sitting

• Australian Crime Commission Joint Committee–11 October 2005 from 4pm to 7pm and 13 October 2005 from 9.30am to 11.30am–review of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002

To refer a matter to a committee

• Logging of old-growth forests in Tasmania and relevant matters–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–to report by 1 December 2005

The Senate debated a motion moved by Senator Ludwig about the report by the Commonwealth Ombudsman relating to the Vivian Alvarez matter [debated as a matter of public importance–link to first speaker]

Notice of motion given
Senator Nettle gave a notice of motion to require the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training to table copies of the departmental documents on the three options for voluntary student unionism–no later than 13 October 2005

Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency contracts published on the internet
A statement of compliance for the Human Services portfolio agencies was tabled [Letters of advice about certain contracts valued at $100 000 or more entered into by departments and agencies required to be tabled twice yearly; Senate order agreed to]

The following documents were tabled:

• Clerk’s documents [disallowable instruments and other documents required by statute to be tabled]
• Weapons of mass destruction–Australia’s role in fighting proliferation: Practical responses to new challenges
• 2 petitions were received

No government documents were tabled

• Questions without notice and debate on issues arising in Question Time [first question]
• The President made a statement relating to remarks made by Senator Bob Brown and votes in the Senate on 6 October 2005
• Adjournment debate [first speaker]

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The Senate Daily Summary is available on the Internet at www.aph.gov.au/senate
Enquiries, comments and suggestions: phone 6277 3209
e-mail: sds@aph.gov.au

This publicationis issued by the Senate Procedure Office as a convenient summary of each day’s proceedings in the Senate. For a complete account see the official record, the Journals of the Senate,copies of which may be obtained from the Senate Table Office (phone: 6277 3010) or on the Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/index.htm.