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No. 18/2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
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The Senate met from 9.30 am until 7.49 pm
Legislation
For bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bill was introduced
- Midwife Professional Indemnity Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 11 May 2011]
The following bill was debated
- Sex and Age Discrimination Legislation Amendment Bill 2010–second reading agreed to [first speaker ] and committee of the whole commenced–4 Opposition amendments to be determined [further amendments remain to be considered]
The following bills were passed
- Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Enrolment and Prisoner Voting) Bill 2010 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Provisional Voting) Bill 2011–2 Senator Xenophon amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
- Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment (Copyright) Bill 2011 [The bill will now be assented to]
Notice of motion to introduce a private senator’s bill
- Public Service Amendment (Payments in Special Circumstances) Bill 2011–notice given by Senator Xenophon
Message from the House of Representatives
- Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2010–agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate [The bill will now be assented to]
Committees
For scheduled public committee hearings
For committee reports
Reports tabled
- Public Accounts and Audit Joint Committee–Review of the 2009-10 Defence Materiel Organisation major projects report [report] [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee–PDF 583KB of 2011 and PDF 1437KB of 2011 [contain assessments of bills on civil liberties and related grounds] [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
- Treaties Joint Committee–116th report–Treaties tabled on 24 and 25 November 2010, 9 February and 1 March 2011 and treaties referred on 16 November (Part 3) [report] [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
Documents tabled
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill 2011–Correction
- Public Accounts and Audit Joint Committee–Draft budget estimates for the Australian National Audit Office for 2011-12–Statement
New inquiries
The Senate referred the following matters to committees:
Proposed reference
The Senate did not agree to refer matters relating to impacts of coal seam gas mines to the Environment and Communications References Committee.
Meetings during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:
- Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee–12 May 2011 from 11.30 am–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
- Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–12 May 2011–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
- Environment and Communications References Committee–12 May 2011–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
- Migration Joint Committee–15 June 2011 from 10.30 am to noon–Multiculturalism in Australia–public hearing
Reporting dates extended
The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries:
- Finance and Public Administration References Committee–Administration of health practitioner registration by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency–to report by 3 June 2011
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee–Water Act 2007 provisions relating to the development of a Basin Plan–to report by 6 June 2011
- Senators’ Interests Committee–Draft code of conduct for senators–to report by 7 July 2011
Notices of motion
To extend reporting deadlines
- Community Affairs References Committee– Commonwealth contribution to former forced adoption policies–to report by 21 November 2011
To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting
- National Broadband Network Joint Committee–12 May 2011from 5.00 pm–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
To refer matters to committees
- Any bills introduced into the House of Representatives after 12 May and before 2 June 2011 that contain provisions commencing on or before 1 July 2011–Committees–to report by 14 June 2011–notice given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig)
Membership
The Senate agreed that Senator Bob Brown replace Senator Ludlam on the Environment and Communications References Committee for the committee’s inquiry into the status, health and sustainability of the koala population, and that Senator Ludlam be appointed as a participating member of the committee.
Messages from the House of Representatives were reported advising of various changes to the membership of joint committees.
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–Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency appointments and vacancies
A letter of advice for the Defence portfolio was 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 grants
Letters of advice for the Defence portfolio and the Foreign Affairs and Trade 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]
Documents tabled
- Government documents [and considered]
- Australian parliamentary delegations–
- Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum–19th annual meeting–Ulaanbaatar–22 to 27 January 2011–Report [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
- Bhutan and Mongolia–9 to 21 July 2010–Report [a motion to take note of the report was agreed to]
- Response to a Senate resolution about credit card surcharge–from the Assistant Treasurer (Mr Shorten) [resolution agreed to on 17 November 2010]
- A petition and a petitioning document
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
Motion negatived
Matter of public importance discussed
Death of former Deputy Clerk
The President informed the Senate of the death, on 10 May 2011, of Herbert (Bert) Charles Nicholls, former Deputy Clerk of the Senate from 1983 to 1987 and officer of the Department of the Senate from 1951 to 1987.
Variation to hours of meeting
The Senate agreed to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for 14 to 16 June and 21 to 23 June 2011 to enable valedictory statements to be made for retiring senators.
Notices of motion
Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate Journals.
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Online
The Senate Daily Summary is available on the Internet at www.aph.gov.au/senate . On sitting days it provides a summary of each day’s proceedings in the Senate.
Estimates at a Glance is issued this week by the Senate Table Office as a convenient guide and index for information relating to the consideration of estimates by Senate committees.
Further information
Senate Briefs, prepared by the Senate Procedure Office, provide general information about the estimates process:
No. 4: Senate Committees
No. 5: Consideration of Estimates by the Senate Committees
No. 13: Rights and Responsibilities of Witnesses before Senate Committees
Contact details
Inquiries, comments and suggestions:
phone 6277 3021
e-mail: sds@aph.gov.au