Wednesday, 24 September 2008

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No. 61/2008

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The Senate met from 9.30am until 7.26pm

Legislation

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

Bills considered

The following bills were introduced

• AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill 2008 [passed by the House of Representatives on 24 September 2008]
  
  
• Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008 [new Senate bill]
  
  
• Migration Legislation Amendment (Worker Protection) Bill 2008 [new Senate bill]
  
  
• Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Greenhouse Gas Storage) Bill 2008 [passed by the House of Representatives on 18 September 2008]
  
  
• Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws—General Law Reform) Bill 2008 [passed by the House of Representatives on 24 September 2008]
  
  
• Stolen Generations Reparations Tribunal Bill 2008 [private senator’s bill]

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

• AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill 2008
  
  
• Australian Research Council Amendment Bill 2008
  
  
• Safe Work Australia Bill 2008 and a related bill

The following bills were debated

• Excise Legislation Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2008 and a related bill–second reading commenced [first speaker]
  
  
• Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Greenhouse Gas Storage) Bill 2008 and 3 related bills–second reading commenced [first speaker]

The following bill was defeated by a majority vote

• Tax Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy Surcharge Thresholds) Bill 2008–defeated at the second reading

The following bills were passed

• First Home Saver Accounts (Further Provisions) Amendment Bill 2008 and a related bill [These bills will now be assented to]

Notices of motion

To introduce a private senator’s bill

• Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management (Repeal and Consequential Amendment) Bill 2008–notice given by Senator Ludlam

To vary the days and hours of meeting

A notice was given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig) to vary the days and hours of meeting for the remainder of the week to enable the Government’s legislative program to be considered.

Committees

For scheduled public committee hearings
For committee reports

Reports tabled

• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee–Fourth progress report on reforms to Australia’s military justice system [a motion was moved to take note of the report]
  
  
• Privileges Committee–135th report–Persons referred to in the Senate: Certain persons on behalf of the Exclusive Brethren Christian Fellowship [A motion to adopt the report was debated]
  
  
• Scrutiny of Bills Committee–
  • PDF 138KB of 2008 and PDF 70KB of 2008 [contain assessments of bills on civil liberties and related grounds]
    
    
  • Work of the Committee during the 41st Parliament

Private meeting

The Senate authorised the Fuel and Energy Select Committee to hold a private meeting while the Senate is sitting on 24 September 2008 from 4.00pm.

Notices of motion given

To extend reporting deadlines:

• Management of the Murray-Darling Basin system and the Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee–to report by 3 October 2008
  
  
• Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Feed-in-Tariff) Bill 2008–Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee–to report by 10 November 2008

To refer a matter to a committee:

• Residential and community aged care in Australia–Economics Committee–to report by the first sitting day of April 2009

Membership

The Senate discharged Senator Nash from and appointed Senator Williams to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee.

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]

Notices of motion to disallow given

• Environmental and Natural Resource Management Guidelines–notice given by Senator Milne
  
  
• Private Health Insurance (Benefit Requirements) Amendment Rules 2008 No. 2–notice given by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances

Documents tabled

• Auditor-General–Audit report no. 4 of 2008-09
  
  
• Government documents [and considered]

Other business

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

Motion agreed to

• Proposed amendments to the Environmental and Natural Resource Management Guidelines–moved by the Leader of The Nationals in the Senate (Senator Joyce)

Motions negatived

• Abolition of the death penalty–moved by Senator Hanson-Young
  
  
• Executive pay levels–moved by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown)

Motion debated

• Single age pensioners–moved by Senator Bernardi [debated as a matter of public importance–first speaker]

Temporary chairs of committees

A warrant was tabled revoking the nomination of Senator Fierravanti-Wells as a temporary chair of committees.

Notices of motion

Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate Journals [see Journals entries nos 5 and 14].

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