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page | Senate Daily Summary
No. 12/2008
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The Senate met from 12.30pm until 7.20pm
Legislation
Bills and related documents available on BillsNet <www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm>
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2007-2008;
Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2007-2008
[passed by the House of Representatives on 20 February 2008]
- Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Assistance)
Bill 2008 [passed by the House of Representatives on 20 February
2008]
- Social Security and Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment
(Enhanced Allowances) Bill 2008 [passed by the House of
Representatives on 20 February 2008]
- Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008 [passed by
the House of Representatives on 21 February 2008]
The following bills were passed
- Cross-Border Insolvency Bill 2008
- Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Review of Prudential
Decisions) Bill 2008
[The House of Representatives will now consider these bills]
Notices of motion
To introduce bills
- Communications Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures)
Bill 2008 notice given by the Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy)
- Commonwealth Electoral (Above-the-Line Voting) Amendment Bill
2008 notice given by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator
Bob Brown) [private senator's bill]
- Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008 notice given by the Leader
of the Family First Party (Senator Fielding) [private senator's
bill]
- Special Broadcasting Service Amendment (Prohibition of
Disruptive Advertising) Bill 2008 notice given by the Leader of the
Australian Democrats (Senator Allison) [private senator's
bill]
To restore bills to the Notice Paper
Bills assented to
Assent to a number of laws was reported in the Senate
Committees
For scheduled public
committee hearings
For committee
reports
Estimates hearing
The Senate authorised the Economics Committee to hold a public
meeting while the Senate was sitting on 11 March 2008 from 7.30pm
to further consider the 2007-08 additional estimates for the Office
of the Chief Scientist.
The committee met from 7.32pm until 8.43pm, called the Office of
the Chief Scientist of the Innovation, Industry, Science and
Research portfolio, and concluded its 2007-08 additional estimates
hearings.
Notices of motion
To extend reporting deadlines:
- Select Committee on State Government Financial Management to
report by 18 June 2008
To refer matters to committees:
-
2007 Federal Election Electoral Matters Joint Committee
- Exposure drafts of the Wheat Export Marketing Bill 2008 and a
related bill Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee to
report by 11 April 2008
-
Sexualisation of children in the media Environment,
Communications and the Arts Committee to report by 23 June
2008
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] and a
statement relating to the Parliamentary Entitlements Amendment
Regulations 2008 was made by the Special Minister of State (Senator
Faulkner)
Orders for the production of documents
Notices of motion
The following notices of motion were given by the Leader of the
Australian Democrats (Senator Allison):
- Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
(Senator Conroy) to table a copy of the KPMG ABC Funding Adequacy
and Efficiency Review report no later than 4.30pm on 20 March
2008
- Minister representing the Minister for Education (Senator Carr)
to table a copy of the Department of Education, Science and
Training review of private school funding report no later than
4.30pm on 20 March 2008
Orders with continuing effect
Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on
the Internet
A statement of compliance for AusAID was tabled [Letters of
advice about certain files created by departments and agencies are
required
to be tabled twice a year]
Departmental and agency contracts published on the
Internet
Statements of compliance for various agencies were tabled [see
Journals entries nos
25 and
28] [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]
Documents tabled
- Auditor-General Audit reports nos. 23 to 26 of 2007-08 [see
Journals entries nos
24 and
26]
- Government documents [see Journals entries nos
2 and
23]
-
3 petitions
Ministerial statements tabled
The Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law (Senator
Sherry) tabled ministerial statements about:
- Australia US open skies' agreement
- Afghanistan [The Senate debated and agreed to a
motion to take note of the statement. The motion was agreed
to]
- Youth 2020 summit
- Review of export policies and programs
- Australia 's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol [The Senate
debated and agreed to a
motion to take note of the statement. The motion was agreed
to]
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time
first question
Adjournment debate
first speaker
Former Senator Sid
Spindler
The President informed the Senate of the death on 1 March 2008
of Sid Spindler, a senator for Victoria from 1990 to 1996. The
Senate agreed to a
condolence motion moved by the Leader of the Government in the
Senate (Senator Evans).
Statement by President
The President made a
statement in response to a
question asked by Senator Ian Macdonald on 14 February 2008
relating to ministers providing corrections to answers to questions
without notice. A
motion to take note of the statement was agreed to.
Motions agreed to
Address-in-reply
Debate continued on the Address-in-reply to the
Governor-General's speech.
Notices of motion
Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate
Journals.
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Online
The Senate Daily Summary is available on the Internet
at www.aph.gov.au/senate
It is issued by the Senate Table 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, on the
Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/index.htm
Related resources
The Order of Business (or Senate Red') and the
Dynamic Red (which updates the Order of Business
throughout the sitting day) are also available on the Internet at
www.aph.gov.au/senate
Contact details
Inquiries, comments and suggestions:
phone 6277 3021
e-mail: sds@aph.gov.au