<< Return to previous page | Senate Daily Summary
No. 63/2011
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Download this document (PDF 201KB)
The Senate met from 9.30 am until 8.39 pm
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Business Names Registration (Application of Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011 [Senate bill]
- Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Online Games) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 2 November 2011]
- Corporations (Fees) Amendment Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 2 November 2011]
- Education Services for Overseas Students Legislation Amendment (Tuition Protection Service and Other Measures) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 3 November 2011]
Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Amendment (Tuition Protection Service) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 3 November 2011]
Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 3 November 2011]
- Personal Property Securities Amendment (Registration Commencement) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 2 November 2011]
The following bills were exempted from the cut-off order [to enable consideration in this period of sittings – 16 August to 30 November 2011]
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency Bill 2011 and a related bill
- Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
- Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
- Tax Laws Amendment (2011 Measures No. 7) Bill 2011
- Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Participants in British Nuclear Tests) Bill 2011
The following bills were debated
- Clean Energy Bill 2011 and 17 related bills–second reading agreed to [first speaker ] and committee of the whole commenced
The following private senator’s bill was scheduled for debate
- Quarantine Amendment (Disallowing Permits) Bill 2011–on 10 November 2011
Motion agreed to
The Senate debated and agreed to a motion to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for various days, and to consider bills under a limitation of debate [first speaker ].
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Reports tabled
- Economics References Committee–Impacts of supermarket price decisions on the dairy industry [report] [a motion to take note of the report was debated – first speaker]
- Publications Committee–11th report [a motion to adopt the report was agreed to]
New inquiries
Selection of Bills Committee report
The Senate adopted report no. 15 of the Selection of Bills Committee, and made the following references:
- Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Online Games) Bill 2011–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by 14 March 2012
- Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2011–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 14 March 2012
- Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by 21 November 2011
- Personal Property Securities Amendment (Registration Commencement) Bill 2011–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by 21 November 2011
- Tax Laws Amendment (2011 Measures No. 8) Bill 2011 and a related bill–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 8 February 2012
- Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011 and 2 related bills–Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–to report by 27 February 2012
Reporting dates extended
The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries:
- Community Affairs References Committee–Commonwealth contribution to former forced adoption policies–to report by 29 February 2012
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Native Title Amendment (Reform) Bill 2011–to report by 9 November 2011
Notice of motion
To refer a matter to a committee
- Infrastructure delivery and skills shortages–Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee–to report by 30 June 2012–notice given by the Chair of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee (Senator Back)
Membership
The Senate agreed to the following changes to the membership of the Rural Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee:
- Senator Cameron to replace Senator Urquhart on 4 November 2011
- Senator Ludlam to replace Senator Siewert for the committee’s inquiry into the Qantas Sale Amendment (Still Call Australia Home) Bill 2011
Documents
Delegated legislation
See Disallowance Alert for a complete list of notices of motion to disallow (and outcomes)
Orders for the production of documents
Motions agreed to
The Senate agreed to the following orders:
- The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig)–
- to table documents held by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry relating to the live cattle export ban–no later than 5.00 pm on 10 November 2011
- to table advice relating to the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement–no later than 5.00 pm on 10 November 2011
- The Minister representing the Attorney-General (Senator Ludwig) to table documents held by the Australian Government Solicitor relating to the live cattle export ban–no later than 5.00 pm on 10 November 2011
- The Minister representing the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Senator Conroy) to table documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade relating to the live cattle export ban–no later than 5.00 pm on 10 November 2011
Documents tabled
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker
Motions agreed to
Motions negatived
Matter of public importance discussed
Questions on notice–Failure to provide answers
Senator Johnston asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Conroy) why answers had not been provided to questions on notice nos 543, 549, 553, 554 and 557 asked on 25 March 2011 and questions on notice nos 927 to 949 asked on 17 August 2011. Senator Conroy provided an explanation. A motion moved by Senator Johnston to take note of the response was agreed to.
Personal explanation
Senator Faulkner made a personal explanation relating to an article in the Australian Financial Review of 3 November 2011 concerning the Labor leadership.
President of the United States of America
A message from the House of Representatives was reported, inviting senators to attend the House as guests on 17 November 2011 at a time to be fixed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the welcoming remarks by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, and the address by the Honourable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America.
Statistics
Statistics on the work of the Senate this week will be available in the Statistical Summary, which forms part of StatsNet–the Department of the Senate’s online statistical collection.
* * * * * * * * * * *
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