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Senate Daily Summary

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No. 19/2006

Wednesday 29 March 2006

The Senate met from 9.30am until 9.44pm

Legislation

For full text of bills and other associated documents

The following bills were introduced in the Senate

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment Bill 2006
Bankruptcy Legislation Amendment (Fees and Charges) Bill 2006
Family Assistance, Social Security and Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (2005 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2006
Health Legislation Amendment (Pharmacy Location Arrangements) Bill 2006
Migration Amendment (Employer Sanctions) Bill 2006
National Health and Medical Research Council Amendment Bill 2006
Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Trustee Board and Other Measures) Bill 2006

The following bills were considered

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2005-2006 –second reading debate continued
Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2005-2006 –second reading debate continued
Family Assistance, Social Security and Veterans Affairs Legislation Amendment (2005 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2006 –second reading debate continued
Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2006– committee of the whole continued–7 Government amendments agreed to, 2 Government amendments postponed, and 3 Government amendments to be determined [see Journals entries 5 and 38]

The following bills were passed without amendments

[These bills will now be assented to]

Bankruptcy Legislation Amendment (Anti-avoidance) Bill 2006
Bankruptcy Legislation Amendment (Fees and Charges) Bill 2006
Health Legislation Amendment (Pharmacy Location Arrangements) Bill 2006
Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2005
Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 2005

The following message from the House of Representatives was reported

Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005 –The message reported that the House of Representatives agreed to the amendments made by the Senate [The bill will now be assented to]

The following message from the House of Representatives was considered

Postal Industry Ombudsman Bill 2005 [2006] –The message reported that the House of Representatives agreed to the bill with an amendment. The Senate agreed to the amendment made by the House [The bill will now be assented to]

Notice of motion given to introduce a bill

Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising Bill 2006 –Notice of motion given by Senator Allison [Private senator’s bill]

Bills assented to

Assent to three laws was reported in the Senate

See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation

Delegated legislation

For a complete list of notices of motion to disallow (and outcomes)

Motions to disallow regulations defeated

The Senate agreed notto disallow the following legislative instruments:

Declaration of percentage of Commonwealth supported places to be provided by Table A providers for a course of study in medicine, made under paragraph 36-35(1)(b) of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Guide to the Assessment of the Degree of Permanent Impairment [second edition], made under sub section 28(1) of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988

Notice of motion given

A notice of motion was given by Senator Wong to disallow the Workplace Relations Regulations 2006, as contained in Selective Legislative Instrument 2006 No. 52 and made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 and the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005 [The regulations will be deemed to be disallowed if the notice is not agreed to or withdrawn within 15 sitting days after 29 March 2006–ie by 14 August 2006]

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

Committees

For scheduled public committee hearings

For committee reports

Estimates

Additional information tabled

Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee–Budget estimates 2005-06 (Supplementary)
Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee–Budget estimates 2005-06 (Supplementary)

Reports tabled

Public Works Joint Committee– Reports
Reports on annual reports tabled by 31 October 2005 –No. 1 of 2006–Six legislation committees
Scrutiny of Bills Committee– Alert Digest No. 3 of 2006 and 2 nd report of 2006 [contain assessments of bills on civil liberties and related grounds]

New inquiry

Women in sport and recreation in Australia and related matters–Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee–to report by the first sitting day in September 2006

Private meetings

The Senate agreed that the following private meetings may be held while the Senate is sitting:

Migration Joint Committee–to hold private meetings other than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during sittings of the Senate

Motion defeated

The Senate did not agree to a motion moved by Senator Conroy to refer the matter of the i mpact of proposed changes to cross media laws and related matters to the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee

Notice of motion given

To refer a matter to a committee

Housing needs of low and middle income households and related matters–Community Affairs References Committee –to report by 29 November 2006

Motions agreed to

The Senate agreed to motions about:

Pro Hart–Death of–moved by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and the Minister for the Arts and Sport
Snowy Hydro Company–Commonwealth shares–moved by the Minister for Finance and Administration

Motions defeated

The Senate did not agree to motions about:

Palestinian Land Day–moved by Senator Nettle
West Papua–moved by Senator Stott Despoja

Questions on notice–failure to provide answers

Senator Bishop asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence ( Senator Ian Campbell) for an explanation of answers not being provided to a number of questions on notice. Senator Campbell indicated that an explanation or answers would be provided as soon as possible.

Notices of motion

For other notices of motion not mentioned elsewhere

Orders for the production of documents

Orders with continuing effect

Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on the internet

Statements of compliance for various agencies were tabled [Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and agencies required to be tabled twice yearly; Senate order agreed to]

Departmental and agency contracts published on the internet

Statements of compliance for two agencies were 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]

Documents

The following documents were tabled:

Clerk’s documents [legislative instruments and other documents required by statute to be tabled]
Government documents
Response to a Senate resolution about aged care–from the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory [resolution agreed to 1 March 2006]
3 petitions were received

Also in the Senate yesterday

Matters of public interest debate [ first speaker ]
Questions without notice and debate on issues arising in Question Time [ first question]
Adjournment debate [ first speaker ]

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The Senate Daily Summary is available on the Internet at www.ap h.gov.au/senate

Enquiries, comments and suggestions: phone 6277 3209

e-mail: sds@aph.gov.au

This publication is 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.