<< Return to previous
page | Senate Daily Summary
No. 45/2008
Download this document (PDF 256KB)
The Senate met from 12.00 noon until 6.00pm
New senators
Certificates of election for
senators elected on 24 November 2007 to serve in the Senate
from 1 July 2008 were tabled. The senators made and subscribed the
oath or affirmation of allegiance.
Death of former senators
The President informed the Senate of the deaths of two former
senators:
- on 10 July 2008, Donald Michael Devitt , a senator for Tasmania
from 1965 to 1978–
motion moved by the Deputy Leader of the Government in the
Senate ( Senator Conroy ) and supported
- on 13 July 2008, the Honourable Peter Drew Durack, a senator
for Western Australia from 1971 to 1993–
motion moved by the Deputy Leader of the Government in the
Senate ( Senator Conroy ) and supported
Election of officers
Senators
Hogg (ALP, Qld) and
Milne (AG, Tas) were both proposed to take the office of
President of the Senate. Senator Hogg was declared elected after a
ballot was held (Senator Hogg 68 votes, Senator Milne 6 votes).
Senator
Ferguson (LP, SA) was elected unopposed to take the office of
Deputy President of the Senate and Chair of Committees.
Legislation
Bills and related documents available on BillsNet < www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm
>
Notices of motion
To introduce private senators’ bills
- Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Workplace Rights)
Bill 2008–notice given by Senator Siewert
- Food Safety (Trans Fats) Bill 2008–notice given by
Senator Siewert
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
-
National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other
Benefits—Cost Recovery) Bill 2008–Community Affairs
Committee
- Save Our Solar (Solar Rebate Protection) Bill 2008 [No.
2]– Environment, Communications and the Arts
Committee–Interim
report and
final report [A
motion to take note of the report was debated]
-
Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 4) Bill
2008–Economics Committee
-
Trade Practices (Creeping Acquisitions) Amendment Bill 2007
[2008]–Economics Committee
-
Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008–Economics
Committee
Other reports
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
Committee–Australia’s involvement in peacekeeping
operations–Interim
report and
final report [A
motion to take note of the report was debated]
- National Capital and External Territories Joint
Committee–The
way forward – Inquiry into the role of the National
Capital Authority [A
motion to take note of the report was debated]
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
Committee–Administration of the Civil Aviation Safety
Authority (CASA) and related matters–Interim
report
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
Committee–Implementation, operation and administration of the
legislation underpinning Carbon Sink Forests–Interim
report [reporting date for the final report extended to 28
August 2008]
Additional information tabled
- Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill 2007 [2008]–Community Affairs
Committee
- National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other
Benefits—Cost Recovery) Bill 2008–Community Affairs
Committee
Government responses tabled
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the
Arts Committee–Indigenous art: Securing the
future–Australia’s Indigenous visual arts and craft
sector
- Finance and Public Administration Committee–Departmental
and agency contracts: Second report on the operation of the Senate
order for the production of lists of departmental and agency
contracts (2003-06)
Proposed reference
The Senate debated a motion moved by the Leader of the
Australian Greens ( Senator Bob Brown ) to refer matters relating
to the
Exclusive Brethren to the Community Affairs Committee. The
debate will continue on the next day of sitting.
Recommendation endorsed
The Senate agreed to endorse the
recommendation of the Community Affairs Committee contained in
its report on the 2008-09 Budget estimates.
Notices of motion given
To extend reporting deadlines:
- Family Law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matters and Other
Measures) Bill 2008–Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Committee–to report by 28 August 2008
- Lobbying code of conduct –Finance and Public
Administration Committee–to report by 3 September 2008
- State Government Financial Management Select Committee–to
report by 17 September 2008
- Waste management in Australia and the Drink Container Recycling
Bill 2008–Environment, Communications and the Arts
Committee–to report by 3 September 2008
To refer matters to committees:
-
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Other Legislation Amendment
Bill 2008–Environment, Communications and the Arts
Committee–to report by 10 November 2008–notice
given by the Leader of the Family First Party (Senator
Fielding)
-
Provision of water from and sustainable management of the
Murray-Darling Basin system–Rural and Regional Affairs and
Transport Committee–notice given by Senator Hanson-Young, the
Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown) and Senators
Siewert and Xenophon
- Sourcing and delivery of water to the
Coorong and Lower Lakes –Rural and Regional Affairs and
Transport Committee–to report by 30 September
2008–notice given by the Minister for Climate Change and
Water (Senator Wong)
Membership
The Senate appointed the Leader of the Family First Party (
Senator Fielding ) as a participating member of the Regional and
Remote Indigenous Communities Select Committee and the National
Broadband Network Select 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, including
Governor-General’s Proclamations]
Notices of motion withdrawn
The Chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and
Ordinances ( Senator Wortley ) withdrew notices of motion to
disallow
4 instruments.
See Documents for details of instruments
[Clerk’s documents] tabled
Orders for the production of documents
Notices of motion given
The following notices of motion were given requiring Ministers
to table documents:
- Documents relating to the potential marine impact of effluent
from the Gunns pulp mill–no later than 4.00pm on 28 August
2008–notice
given by Senator Milne
- Minister for Climate Change and Water (Senator Wong) to table
documents relating to the Coorong and Lower Lakes–no later
than 12 noon on 28 August 2008–notice
given by Senators Bernardi, Birmingham, Ferguson, Fisher and
Minchin
Orders with continuing effect
Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on
the Internet
Statements of compliance for the
various agencies were 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 [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]
Unproclaimed legislation
A document was tabled showing details of unproclaimed Acts,
together with a statement of reasons for non-proclamation and a
timetable for their operation [Standing
order 139(2) requires tabling before 31 August each year]
Documents tabled
- 39th Conference of Presiding Officers and Clerks, Adelaide,
South Australia, 5 to 11 July 2008–Report
- Auditor-General–
Audit report no. 46 of 2007-08 and nos 1 and 2 of 2008-09
-
Business of the Senate–1 January to 30 June 2008 [a
digest of all business considered by the Senate in the first half
of 2008]
- Government documents [see Journals entries nos
6 and
31]
- Questions on notice summary–12 February to 30 June
2008
-
4 petitions
Ministerial statement tabled
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and
Ageing ( Senator McLucas ) tabled a ministerial statement about the
World Trade Organization.
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question
time–first
question
Death of Signaller Sean
Patrick McCarthy
The Leader of the Government in the Senate ( Senator Evans )
moved that the Senate records its deep regret at the death of
Signaller Sean Patrick McCarthy while on combat operations in
Afghanistan . The motion was supported.
Notices of motion
Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate
Journals.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
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