Wednesday, 3 December 2008

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No. 87/2008

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The Senate met from 9.30am until 7.52pm

Legislation

Bills and related documents available on BillsNet <www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm>

Bills considered

The following bills were introduced

• Auditor-General Amendment Bill 2008 [new Senate bill]
• Corporations Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2008 [new Senate bill]
• Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008 [new Senate bill]
• Nation-building Funds Bill 2008 and 2 related bills [passed by the House of Representatives on 1 December 2008]
• Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medical Devices and Other Measures) Bill 2008 [new Senate bill]
• Water Amendment (Saving the Goulburn and Murray Rivers) Bill 2008 [private senator’s bill]

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

• Nation-building Funds Bill 2008 and 2 related bills

The following bills were debated

• Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008
  Road Charges Legislation Repeal and Amendment Bill 2008
  –second reading agreed to [first speaker] and committee of the whole commenced

The following bill was passed

• Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008–3 Opposition amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider this bill]

Notice of motion to vary the hours of meeting

A notice was given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig) to vary the hours of meeting for the remainder of the week to enable the Government’s legislative program to be considered. [Notice amended pursuant to standing order 77. For original notice see Senate Journals. For amended version, see Senate Notice Paper]

Messages from the House of Representatives

• Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008–informing the Senate that the House has agreed to the amendments made by the Senate [This bill will now be assented to]
• Schools Assistance Bill 2008–informing the Senate that the House has agreed to 8 amendments made by the Senate and disagreed to 1 amendment [The Senate will reconsider the amendment disagreed to by the House on a future sitting day]

Bills assented to

Assent to a number of laws was reported in the Senate

Committees

For scheduled public committee hearings
For committee reports

Reports tabled

• Economics Committee–
  • Matters relating to the gas explosion at Varanus Island, Western Australia [a motion to take note of the report was debated]
  • The need, scope and content of a definition of unconscionable conduct for the purposes of Part IVA of the Trade Practices Act 1974 [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]

Documents tabled

• Scrutiny of Bills Committee–Alert Digest No. 14 of 2008
• Senators’ Interests Committee–
  • Register of gifts to the Senate and the Parliament incorporating declarations of gifts lodged between 24 September and 1 December 2008
  • Register of senators’ interests incorporating notifications of alterations of interests of senators lodged between 24 September and 1 December 2008

Notices of motion given

To establish a committee:

• Bank Deposit Guarantee Select Committee–to report by 30 June 2009–notice given by Senator Bushby

To hold a meeting when the Senate is sitting:

• Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee–4 December 2008 from 1.30 pm–Effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality

To refer matters to committees:

• Australia’s judicial system and the role of judges–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee–to report by 25 June 2009–notice given by Senator Barnett
• Proposed amendments to standing order 25–Procedure Committee–to report by 25 February 2009–notice given by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown) [Notice amended pursuant to standing order 77. For original notice see Senate Journals. For amended version, see Senate Notice Paper]
• Public passenger transport infrastructure and services–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee–to report by 18 June 2009–notice given by Senator Ludlam
• Temporary orders of the Senate–Procedure Committee–to report by 25 February 2009–notice given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig)

Documents

Delegated legislation

See Disallowance Alert for a complete list of notices of motion to disallow (and outcomes)

• Clerk’s documents were tabled [legislative instruments and other documents required by statute to be tabled, including Governor-General’s Proclamations]

Notice of intention to withdraw notices

The Chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances gave a notice of intention to withdraw notices to disallow various instruments made under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 [F2008L02712  F2008L02713  F2008L02734  F2008L03001]

Order for the production of a document

The Senate ordered the Minister for Climate Change and Water (Senator Wong) to table a document relating to section 86A of the Water Act 2007 by 10 March 2009.

Documents tabled

• Department of the Senate–Register of Senate Senior Executive Officers’ Interests incorporating notifications of alterations of interests of Senate senior executive officers lodged between 24 September and 1 December 2008
• Government documents
• Independent Auditor [KPMG]–Performance audit–Australian National Audit Office: Human resource management performance audit

Ministerial statement tabled

The Special Minister of State (Senator Faulkner) tabled a ministerial statement about amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2008 and tabled the proposed Government amendments to the bill [a motion to take note of the documents was debated and agreed to].

Senator Macdonald made a statement relating to a ministerial statement about efforts to promote free trade in the Asia Pacific, tabled on 26 November 2008.

Other business

Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Matters of public interest debate–first speaker
Adjournment debate–first speaker

Motions agreed to

• Child labour on cocoa farms in West Africa–moved by Senator Hanson-Young
• Contingency plan for the provision of childcare–moved by Senator Hanson-Young

Motions negatived

• International Day of People with Disability–moved by Senator Siewert
• Government’s economic strategy–moved by Senator McGauran
• Conservation of Australia’s native forests and woodlands–moved by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown)

Statement by Minister

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Evans) made a statement relating to an incident outside Parliament House on 3 December 2008.

Senator Chris Ellison

Valedictory statements were made relating to the retirement of Senator Ellison.

Death of former member

The President informed the Senate of the death on 2 December 2008 of the Honourable Francis Daniel Crean, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Melbourne Ports from 1951 to 1977. The Senate agreed to a condolence motion moved by the Special Minister of State (Senator Faulkner).

Notices of motion

Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate Journals.

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