<< Return to previous
page | Senate Daily Summary
No. 41/2009
Download this document (PDF 86KB)
The Senate met from 12.30pm until 10.30pm
Legislation
Bills and related documents available on BillsNet <www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm>
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Car Dealership Financing Guarantee Appropriation Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 28 May 2009]
- Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and 10 related
bills [passed by the House of Representatives on 4 June 2009]
- Evidence Amendment (Journalists’ Privilege) Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 14 May 2009]
- Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other
Amendments) Bill 2009
Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments)
Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 2 June 2009]
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 and 2
related bills [passed by the House of Representatives on 2 June
2009]
- Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget
and Other Measures) Bill 2009 [passed by the House of
Representatives on 14 May 2009]
- Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care) Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 28 May 2009]
- Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Supervision
and Enforcement) Bill 2009 [passed by the House of Representatives
on 27 May 2009]
- Fuel Quality Standards Amendment Bill 2009 [passed by the House
of Representatives on 14 May 2009]
- Health Workforce Australia Bill 2009 [passed by the House of
Representatives on 27 May 2009]
- Infrastructure Australia Amendment (National Broadband Network
and Other Projects) Bill 2009 [private senator’s bill]
- Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 26 May 2009]
- Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Amendment
Bill 2009 [passed by the House of Representatives on 1 June
2009]
- Native Title Amendment Bill 2009 [passed by the House of
Representatives on 14 May 2009]
- Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television
Switch-over) Bill 2009 [passed by the House of Representatives on
26 May 2009]
- Social Security Legislation Amendment (Improved Support for
Carers) Bill 2009 [passed by the House of Representatives on 14 May
2009]
- Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 1 June 2009]
- Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Measures No. 2) Bill 2009 [passed by
the House of Representatives on 27 May 2009]
- Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Measures No. 3) Bill 2009 [passed by
the House of Representatives on 27 May 2009
- Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2009 Measures No. 1) Bill 2009
[passed by the House of Representatives on 14 May 2009]
The following bills were debated
- Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other
Amendments) Bill 2009
Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments)
Bill 2009
–second reading agreed to [first
speaker] [details of the bill will be considered on a future
sitting day]
The following bills were introduced, debated and passed
- Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP and Providers)
Bill 2009 [This bill will now be assented to]
- Tax Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy and Medicare Levy Surcharge)
Bill 2009 [This bill will now be assented to]
The following bills were passed
- Nation-building Funds Amendment Bill 2009 [This bill will now
be assented to]
- National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other
Benefits—Cost Recovery) Bill 2008 [No. 2]–2 Australian
Greens amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now
consider the
amendments made by the Senate]
- Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures)
Bill 2008–20 Government amendments agreed to [The House
of Representatives will now consider the
amendments made by the Senate]
Messages from the House of Representatives
- Employment and Workplace Relations Amendment Bill
2008–agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate
- Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medical Devices and Other
Measures) Bill 2008 [2009]–returning the bill without
amendment
[These bills 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
[The Senate agreed to a motion to allow the above reports to be
debated together–first
speaker]
-
Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Amendment
Bill 2009–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
Legislation Committee
-
Plebiscite for an Australian Republic Bill 2008–Finance
and Public Administration Legislation Committee [a motion was moved
to take note of the report and a
statement was made by leave]
Other reports
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee–Compliance audits
on Medicare benefits–Interim report [reporting date for the
final report extended to 17 June 2009]
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References
Committee–Economic and security challenges facing Papua New
Guinea and the island states of the southwest
Pacific–Interim
report [reporting date for the final report extended to 21
August 2009]
- Intelligence and Security Joint Committee–Review
of the re-listing of Ansar al-Islam, AAA, IAA, IMU, JeM and LeJ as
terrorist organisations [a
motion to take note of the report was moved and agreed to]
- Men’s Health Select Committee–Report
[a
motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
- Migration Joint Committee–Immigration
detention in Australia: Community-based alternatives to
detention [a motion to take note of the report was debated and
agreed to–first
speaker]
- National Capital and External Territories Joint
Committee–Inquiry
into the Immigration Bridge proposal [a motion to take note of the
report was debated and agreed to–first
speaker]
- Public Works Joint Committee–2nd
report of 2009–Referral made February 2009: Redevelopment
of RAAF Base Edinburgh, Adelaide, South Australia
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References
Committee–Import risk analysis for the importation of
Cavendish bananas from the Philippines–Interim
report [reporting date for the final report extended to 25 June
2009]
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References
Committee–Matters specified in part (2) of the inquiry into
the management of the Murray-Darling Basin system–Interim
report [reporting date for the final report extended to 25 June
2009]
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee–Alert
Digest No. 6 of 2009 and
5th report of 2009 [contain assessments of bills on civil
liberties and related grounds] [a motion to take note of the report
was moved and agreed to]
Document tabled
- Native Title Amendment Bill 2009–Legal and Constitutional
Affairs Committee–Corrigendum
Government responses tabled
- Intelligence and Security Joint Committee–
- Review of the re-listing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK)
- Review of the re-listing of Al-Qa’ida, Jemaah Islamiyah
and Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb
- Review of the re-listing of Abu Sayyaf Group, Jamiat ul-Ansar
and Al-Qa’ida in Iraq as terrorist organisations
- Public Accounts and Audit Joint Committee–412th report:
Audit reports reviewed during the 41st Parliament
New inquiries
Selection of Bills Committee reports
The Senate adopted
reports nos 6 and 7 of the Selection of Bills Committee
[presented out of sitting], and made the following references [see
also the resolution of the Senate of
14 May 2009 relating to the reference of budget-related
bills to Senate committees]:
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 and 2
related bills–Community Affairs Legislation
Committee–to report by 5 August 2009
- Family Assistance Amendment (Further 2008 Budget Measures) Bill
2009–Community Affairs Legislation Committee–to report
by 16 June 2009
- Guarantee of State and Territory Borrowing Appropriation Bill
2009–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 16
June 2009
- Higher Education Support Amendment (2009 Budget Measures) Bill
2009–Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Legislation Committee–to report by 22 July 2009
- Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill
2009–Community Affairs Legislation Committee–to report
by 16 June 2009
- Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register
Levy) Bill 2009–Community Affairs Legislation
Committee–to report by 16 June 2009
- Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill
2009–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 22
June 2009
Reporting dates extended
The Senate extended reporting dates for the following
inquiries:
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee–Health Workforce
Australia Bill 2009–to report by 16 June 2009
- Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities Select
Committee–Second report–to report by 25 June 2009
Notices of motion given
To extend a reporting deadline
- Environment, Communications and the Arts References
Committee–Forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi
Islands–to report by 17 September 2009
To vary the appointment of a committee
To refer matters to committees
-
Access to secondary and post-secondary education opportunities
for rural and regional students–Rural and Regional Affairs
and Transport References Committee–to report by 30 August
2009–notice given by Senators Nash and Hanson-Young
- Car Dealership Financing Guarantee Appropriation Bill
2009–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 23
June 2009–notice given by Senator Abetz
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 motion to disallow given
The Chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and
Ordinances gave a notice of motion to disallow the Ozone Protection
and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Regulations 2009
(No. 1) [homepage].
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
5 instruments.
Orders for the production of documents
Notice of motion given
Senator Siewert gave a
notice of motion to require the Minister representing the
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Senator Wong)
to table all documents used in the preparation of the Australian
Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2008–no later than 22
June 2009.
Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency appointments and vacancies
Statements of compliance for
various portfolios were 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 Immigration and Citizenship
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
Statements of compliance for
various portfolios portfolio were 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
Statements of compliance for the Department of Climate Change
and the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator were tabled
[Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and
agencies are required
to be tabled twice a year]
[A motion was moved to take note of the above statements of
compliance and letters of advice]
Documents tabled
- Auditor-General–Audit reports nos 32 to 40 of 2008-09
[see Journals entries nos
34 and
41]
- Correction to the 2009-10 portfolio budget statements for the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts portfolio
-
Government documents
- Response to a Senate resolution about the death penalty in
Iran–from the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Smith)
[resolution agreed to
17 March 2009]
-
3 petitions
Ministerial statements tabled
The Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion (Senator
Stephens) tabled ministerial statements about:
- Australia and India [a
motion to take note of the statement was agreed to]
- Australia’s response to combat piracy and armed robbery
at sea
- International education – its contribution to
Australia
- North Korea
- Promoting Australia as a financial services hub–Progress
of the Australian Financial Centre Forum
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question
time–first
question
Adjournment debate–first
speaker
Ministerial arrangements
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans)
informed the Senate of changes to the
ministry and ministerial arrangements.
Temporary chairs of committees
Warrants were tabled revoking the nomination of Senator Parry as
a temporary chair of committees, and nominating Senator Ryan.
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