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No. 42/2011
Senate Daily Summary
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
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The Senate met from 9.30 am until 7.59 pm
Senators
Senator Rhiannon gave her first speech.
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 24 August 2011]
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 August 2011]
- Excise Legislation Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 August 2011]
- Landholders’ Right to Refuse (Coal Seam Gas) Bill 2011 [private senator’s bill]
- National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2011 [Senate bill]
- Schools Assistance Amendment Bill 2011 [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 August 2011]
The following bill was debated
- Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Fibre Deployment) Bill 2011–second reading agreed to [first speaker ] and committee of the whole commenced–10 Opposition amendments to be determined [further amendments remains to be considered]
The following bills were passed
- Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget Measures) Bill 2010–4 Government amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
- Income Tax Rates Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2010–a message was reported advising that the House had made the amendment requested by the Senate and the third reading of the bill was agreed to [The bill will now be assented to]
Messages from the House of Representatives
Agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate to the following bills:
- Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Bill 2011
- Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011
- Tax Laws Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2010
[The bills will now be assented to]
Notices of motion to introduce private senator’s bills
- Qantas Sale Amendment (Still Call Australia Home) Bill 2011
- Quarantine Amendment (Disallowing Permits) Bill 2011
–notices given by Senator Xenophon
See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Reports tabled
Reports on legislation
- Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling—Genetically Modified Material) Bill 2010–Community Affairs Legislation Committee [report]
Other reports
- Law Enforcement Joint Committee–
- Examination of the annual report of the Australian Crime Commission 2009‑10 [report]
- Examination of the annual report of the Australian Federal Police 2009-10 [report]
[a motion to take note of the reports was debated – first speaker]
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee–Alert Digest No. 9 of 2011 and 9th report of 2011 [contain assessments of bills on civil liberties and related grounds]
- Seven legislation committees–Examination of annual reports tabled by 30 April 2011
Reporting date extended
The Senate extended the reporting date for the inquiry of the Environment and Communications References Committee into the status, health and sustainability of the koala population to 20 September 2011.
Notices of motion
To modify orders relating to committees
- Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee–modification to order of 28 October 2009 relating to Fair Work Australia–notice given by Senator Marshall
- Privileges Committee–amendment to standing order relating to committee membership–notice given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig)
To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting
- National Broadband Network Joint Committee–25 August 2011 from noon–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
Membership
The Senate agreed that Senator Wright replace Senator Rhiannon on the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee for the committee’s inquiry into the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011 and that Senator Rhiannon be appointed as a participating member.
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 contracts published on the Internet
Letters of advice 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]
Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on the Internet
Statements of compliance for various agencies were tabled [Letters of advice about certain files created 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
Ministerial statements tabled
The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Senator Carr) tabled ministerial statements about:
- the 110th anniversary of the Australian National Audit Office
- manufacturing [a motion to take note of the statement was debated and agreed to – first speaker]
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Matters of public interest debate–first speaker
Adjournment debate–first speaker
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
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