Monday, 10 November 2008

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No. 76/2008

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The Senate met from 12.30pm until 10.29pm

Legislation

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

Bills considered

The following bills were introduced

• Education Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 and a related bill [passed by the House of Representatives on 21 October 2008]
• Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008 and a related bill [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 October 2008]
• National Rental Affordability Scheme Bill 2008 and a related bill [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 October 2008]
• Temporary Residents’ Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 and a related bill [passed by the House of Representatives on 22 October 2008]
• Water Amendment Bill 2008 [passed by the House of Representatives on 16 October 2008]

The following bills were passed

• Family Law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matters and Other Measures) Bill 2008–a message was reported advising that the House had made the amendments requested by the Senate–the third reading of the bill was debated and agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate–see Journals entry no. 41 , 16 October 2008]
• Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Greenhouse Gas Storage) Bill 2008–2 Government and 11 Opposition amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
• Offshore Petroleum (Annual Fees) Amendment (Greenhouse Gas Storage) Bill 2008 and 2 related bills [These bills will now be assented to]

Notices of motion

To introduce a private senator’s bill

• Renewable Energy Amendment (Feed-in-Tariff for Electricity) Bill 2008–notice given by Senator Milne

To discharge a private senator’s bill from the Notice Paper

• Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Feed-in-Tariff) Bill 2008–notice given by Senator Milne

To give precedence to a private senator’s bill

• Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Laws Bill 2008 [No. 2]–notice given by Senator Coonan

Messages from the House of Representatives

Reported

• Archives Amendment Bill 2008–agreeing to the bill without amendment
• Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2008–agreeing to the bill without amendment
• Tax Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy Surcharge Thresholds) Bill (No. 2) 2008–agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate

[These bills will now be assented to]

Considered

• Safe Work Australia Bill 2008–disagreeing to the amendments made by the Senate [see Journals entry no. 5 , 14 October 2008]. The Senate insisted on its amendments. [The House of Representatives will now further consider the amendments made by the Senate]
• Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008–agreeing to 5 amendments and disagreeing to 2 amendments made by the Senate, and making a further 6 amendments to the bill. The Senate did not insist on its amendments and agreed to the further amendments made by the House. [The bill will now be assented to]

Bills assented to

Assent to a number of laws was reported in the Senate
See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation

Committees

For scheduled public committee hearings
For committee reports

Reports tabled

Reports on legislation

• Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2008–Electoral Matters Joint Committee–Advisory report [A motion to take note of the report was debated.]
• Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008–Community Affairs Committee
• Migration Legislation Amendment (Worker Protection) Bill 2008–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee–Interim report and final report
• Poker Machine Harm Reduction Tax (Administration) Bill 2008; Poker Machine Harm Minimisation Bill 2008 and ATMs and Cash Facilities in Licensed Venues Bill 2008–Community Affairs Committee [A motion to take note of the report was debated.]
• Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Feed-in-Tariff) Bill 2008–Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee [A motion to take note of the report was debated.]
• Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 5) Bill 2008–Economics Committee–Final report
• Tax Laws Amendment (Political Contributions and Gifts) Bill 2008–Economics Committee

Other reports

• Public Works Joint Committee–8th report of 2008–Australian super hornet facilities project, RAAF base Amberley

Government response tabled

• Electoral Matters Joint Committee–Civics and electoral education–Interim response

Public meeting

The Senate authorised the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee to hold a public meeting while the Senate is sitting on 10 November 2008 from 3.30pm for the committee’s inquiry into the Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008 and a related bill.

Reporting dates extended

The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries of the Economics Committee:

• Joint marketing arrangements on the North West Shelf project–to report by 1 December 2008
• Provisions of bills relating to economic regeneration funding–to report by 1 December 2008

Notices of motion given

To extend reporting deadlines:

• Matters relating to the gas explosion at Varanus Island, Western Australia–Economics Committee–to report by 3 December 2008
• Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008–Community Affairs Committee–to report by 2 December 2008

To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting:
Various notices were given to enable committees to meet during the sitting of the Senate.

To refer a matter to a committee:

• Impact of gene patents on the provision of healthcare in Australia–Community Affairs Committee–to report by the last sitting day of 2009

Membership

The Senate agreed to various changes to committee membership.

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 notice of her intention to withdraw notices to disallow 4 instruments.

Orders for the production of documents–Orders with continuing effect

Departmental and agency appointments
A statement of compliance for the Water Resources portfolio was tabled [Lists of appointments made and existing vacancies are required to be tabled 7 days before the commencement of budget, supplementary budget and additional estimates hearings]

Departmental and agency contracts published on the Internet
A statement of compliance for the Human Services portfolio was tabled [Letters of advice about certain contracts valued at $100 000 or more entered into by departments and agencies are required to be tabled twice a year]

Departmental and agency grants
A statement of compliance for the Water Resources portfolio was tabled [Lists of all grants approved are required to be tabled 7 days before the commencement of budget, supplementary budget and additional estimates hearings]

Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on the Internet
A statement of compliance for the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolio was tabled [Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and agencies are required to be tabled twice a year]

Documents tabled

• Australian Parliamentary Delegation–54th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia–4 to 10 August 2008 and bilateral visit to Thailand–10 to 15 August 2008
  Deputy President of the Senate–Report–Official visit to Japan–28 July to 2 August 2008
  [a motion was moved to take note of the documents]
• Government documents
• A petition

Ministerial statements tabled

The Special Minister of State (Senator Faulkner) tabled ministerial statements about:

• Australia’s resale royalty right
• Financial sanctions on Burma
• Norfolk Island governance

Other business

Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker

Motion debated

The Senate discussed issues relating to the unlimited deposit guarantee, raised by Senator Abetz as a matter of public importance. [first speaker]

Party leadership

The Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown) informed the Senate of the election of Senator Milne as Deputy Leader of the party.

Notices of motion

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

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