The Senate met from 9.30 am until 7.57 pm
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Fair Work Amendment Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 31 October 2012] [Minister’s second reading speech]
- Fair Work Amendment (Transfer of Business) Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 1 November 2012] [Minister’s second reading speech]
- Personal Liability for Corporate Fault Reform Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 1 November 2012] [Minister’s second reading speech]
The following bills were exempted from the cut-off order [to enable consideration in this period of sittings – 14 August to 29 November 2012]
- Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013 and a related bill
The following bills were debated
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Making Marine Parks Accountable) Bill 2012–second reading debate continued [first speaker]
- Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill 2012–second reading debate continued [first speaker]
The following bills were passed
- Commonwealth Government Securities Legislation Amendment (Retail Trading) Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Higher Education Support Amendment (Maximum Payment Amounts and Other Measures) Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Migration Legislation Amendment (Student Visas) Bill 2012–1 Government amendment agreed to [The bill will now be assented to] [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendment made by the Senate]
- Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2012 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
Messages from the House of Representatives
- Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Bill 2012 and a related bill–agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate to the bills [These bill will now be assented to]
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Estimates
The Senate agreed to a motion establishing dates for estimates hearings for 2013.
Additional information received relating to estimates hearings was also tabled.
Reports tabled
- Electricity Prices Select Committee–Reducing energy bills and improving efficiency [report] [a motion to take note of the report was debated and agreed to – first speaker]
- Publications Committee–21st report [report] [a motion to adopt the report was agreed to]
Government responses tabled
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee–About time! Women in sport and recreation in Australia
- Law Enforcement Joint Committee–Examination of 2010-11 annual reports of the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police
- Migration Joint Committee–Enabling Australia: Inquiry into the migration treatment of disability
- Treaties Joint Committee–125th report–Treaties tabled on 7 and 28 February 2012
New inquiries
Selection of Bills Committee report
The Senate adopted report no. 14 of 2012 of the Selection of Bills Committee, and made the following references:
- Courts and Tribunals Legislation Amendment (Administration) Bill 2012–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by the first sitting day of 2013
- Fair Work Amendment Bill 2012–Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee–to report by 26 November 2012
- Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Bill 2012–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by the first sitting day of 2013
- Treasury Legislation Amendment (Unclaimed Money and Other Measures) Bill 2012–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 19 November 2012
- Water Amendment (Water for the Environment Special Account) Bill 2012–Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–to report by 19 November 2012
Other references
- Anti-Money Laundering Amendment (Gaming Machine Venues) Bill 2012–Gambling Reform Joint Select Committee–to report by the first sitting day of 2013
- Medicare funding for Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment–Finance and Public Administration References Committee–to report by the first sitting day of 2013
New committee
The Senate debated and concurred with a resolution of the House of Representatives establishing a Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government [first speaker].
Meetings during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:
- Community Affairs Legislation and References Committees–20 November and 27 November 2012 from 12.30 pm–private meetings
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee–
- 20 November 2012 from 12.30 pm, and 21 November 2012 from 9.30 am–public meetings–Slavery, slavery-like conditions and people trafficking
- 27 November 2012 from 5.30 pm, and 29 November 2012 from 9.45 am–public meetings–Care of Australian Defence Force personnel wounded and injured on operations
- 28 November 2012 from 11.00 am–public meeting–Australia’s trade and investment relationship with Japan and the Republic of Korea
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee–1 November 2012 from 4.30 pm–public meeting–Performance of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and portfolio agencies
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–19 November 2012 from 10.00 am–public meeting–Aviation accident investigation
Reporting dates extended
The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries:
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee–Australia and the countries of the Indian Ocean rim–to report by 16 May 2013
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–Management of the Murray-Darling Basin–to report by 6 February 2013
Notices of motion
Relating to the conduct of an inquiry
Senator Madigan gave a notice of motion relating to the treatment by the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee of evidence received by the Community Affairs References Committee in relation to its inquiry into the social and economic impact of rural wind farms.
To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting
- National Capital and External Territories Joint Committee–28 November 2012 from noon to 1.45 pm–public meeting–2010-11 annual reports of the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, and the National Capital Authority
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–
- 20 November 2012 from 4.30 pm–in camera hearing–Foreign Investment Review Board national interest test
- 21 November 2012 from 4.00 pm–public meeting–Aviation accident investigation
Membership
The Senate agreed to the following changes to committee membership:
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee–Senator McKenzie discharged and Senator Boswell appointed
- Constitutional Recognition of Local Government Joint Select Committee–Senators Rhiannon, Singh and Sterle appointed
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Senator Hanson-Young to replace Senator Wright for the committee’s inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Bill 2012
Message from the House of Representatives
A message from the House of Representatives was reported advising that Mr Slipper would replace Mr McClelland on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee.
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
Motion agreed to
The Senate ordered the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to table a report by ARTD Consultants and WestWood Spice referred to in the Northern Territory Emergency Response – Evaluation Report 2011–no later than 27 November 2012.
Motions defeated
The Senate did not agree to the following orders:
Documents tabled
- 1 petition
- Auditor-General–Audit report no. 9 of 2012-13
- Response to a Senate resolution about affordable housing–from Minister for Housing and the Minister for Homelessness (Mr O’Connor) [resolution agreed to on 23 August 2012]
Documents discussed
Government documents, committee reports, government responses and Auditor-General’s reports were discussed.
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker
Motions agreed to
Motions negatived
Days of meeting
The Senate agreed to a motion establishing the days of meeting for 2013.
Notices of motion
Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate Journals.
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.
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Online
The Senate Daily Summary is available 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.
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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