Wednesday, 4 February 2009

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No. 03/2009

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The Senate met from 9.30am until 7.32pm

Sittings of the Senate

A notice of motion was given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig) to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for Thursday, 5 February 2009 to enable the Tax Bonus for Working Australians Bill 2009 and a related bill and the Household Stimulus Package Bill 2009 to be considered.

Senator Ludwig gave a further notice to alter the current sitting pattern to enable the 2008-09 additional estimates to be considered during the week of 23 to 26 February 2009, and for the Senate to instead sit from 9 to 12 February 2009.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Minchin) and the Leader of the Family First Party (Senator Fielding) gave a similar notice, which also refers the bills (including the Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 and a related bill and the Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Amendment Bill 2009) to the Finance and Public Administration Committee and sets out dates for the committee to hold public hearings.

For details of the notices, see Journals of the Senate.

Legislation

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

Bills considered

The following bills were defeated by a majority vote

• Horse Disease Response Levy Bill 2008 and 2 related bills–defeated at third reading

The following bills were passed

• Corporations Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2008 [2009] [The House of Representatives will now consider this bill]
• Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008 [2009] [The House of Representatives will now consider this bill]
• Social Security Legislation Amendment (Employment Services Reform) Bill 2008–13 AG amendments and 1 Senator Xenophon amendment agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]

Notice of motion

To exempt bills from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings]

• Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009
  Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009
• Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Amendment Bill 2009
• Household Stimulus Package Bill 2009
• Tax Bonus for Working Australians Bill 2009 and a related bill

Committees

For scheduled public committee hearings
For committee reports

Report tabled

• Scrutiny of Bills Committee–Alert Digest No. 1 of 2009 and 1st report of 2009 [contain assessments of bills on civil liberties and related grounds]

Reporting dates extended

The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries:

• Economics Committee–to report by 26 February 2009
• Tax Laws Amendment (Taxation of Financial Arrangements) Bill 2008
• Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures) Bill 2008

Notices of motion given

To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting:

• Finance and Public Administration Committee–
  • 5 February 2009 from 3.45pm–Freedom of Information (Removal of Conclusive Certificates and Other Measures) Bill 2008 [2009]
  • 26 February 2009 from 3.30pm–Residential and community aged care in Australia
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee–5 February 2009 from 4.30pm to 6.00pm–Federal Court of Australia Amendment (Criminal Jurisdiction) Bill 2008

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]

Orders for the production of documents–Motions agreed to

The Senate agreed to the following orders:

• Answers to various questions relating to the increase in excise on certain alcoholic drinks–by 5 and 23 February 2009–moved by Senator Cormann
• Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to table reports relating to the National Broadband Network–no later than 10.00am on the day after the day the winning bid is announced–moved by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Minchin)
• Minister representing the Treasurer to table documents relating to the Department of the Treasury report Australia’s low pollution future: The economics of climate change mitigation–no later than 12.00pm on 5 February 2009–moved by the Chair of the Select Committee on Fuel and Energy (Senator Cormann)

Documents tabled

• Auditor-General–Audit report no. 19 of 2008-09
• Government documents
• A petition

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

• Assistance to Palestine–moved by Senator Hanson-Young
• Comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister regarding Senate amendments to the Safe Work legislation–moved by Senator Abetz
• Death of Mrs Nancy Bird-Walton–moved by Senator Nash
• Ramsar Convention and Wetlands management–moved by Senators Siewert and Hanson-Young

Death of former member

The President informed the Senate of the death, on 1 February 2009, of the Honourable Peter Howson, CMG, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the divisions of Fawkner and Casey, Victoria from 1955 to 1969, and 1969 to 1972, respectively. A condolence motion moved by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig) was passed.

Appointment of Whip

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Minchin) informed the Senate of the appointment of Senator Bushby as Opposition Deputy Whip.

Notices of motion

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

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