The Senate met from 10.00 am until 10.26 pm
New senator
Senator Anne Ruston was sworn in as a senator to fill a vacancy in the representation of South Australia.
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bills were introduced
- Aviation Legislation Amendment (Liability and Insurance) Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 10 September 2012]
- Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Procedure) Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 23 August 2012]
- Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Bill 2012 and a related bill [passed by the House of Representatives on 22 August 2012]
- Marriage Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2012 [private senators’ bill]
- Superannuation Legislation Amendment (MySuper Core Provisions) Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 22 August 2012]
The following bill was passed
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development) Bill 2012 [first speaker in second reading debate]–2 Government amendments and 11 amendments moved by Senators Xenophon, Heffernan, Madigan, Nash and Waters agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
Notices of motion
To introduce a private senators’ bill
- Migration Amendment (Health Care for Asylum Seekers) Bill 2012–notice given by Senators Hanson-Young and Di Natale
To exempt bills from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings – 14 August to 29 November 2012]
- International Monetary Agreements Amendment (Loans) Bill 2012
- Statute Law Revision Bill 2012
To vary the hours of meeting and routine of business
A notice was given by the Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations (Senator Collins) to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business on 18 September 2012 to enable the consideration of the Marriage Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2012.
See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Reports tabled
Report on legislation
- Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Bill 2012 and 2 related bills–Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee [report]
Other report
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee–Procurement procedures for Defence capital projects [report] [a motion to take note of the report was debated – first speaker]
Document tabled
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2012–Correction
Meetings during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–10 September 2012 from 5.00 pm–public meeting–Maritime Powers Bill 2012 and a related bill
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–10 September 2012 from 3.15 pm–public meeting–Management of the Murray-Darling Basin
Notices of motion
To refer matters to committees
- Teaching and learning in Australian schools–Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee–to report by 21 March 2013–notice given by Senators Back and McKenzie
To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting
- Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity Joint Committee–11 October, 1 November and 29 November 2012 from 11.00 am–private meetings
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee–18 September 2012 from 12.35 pm–private meeting
- Community Affairs References Committee–18 September 2012 from 12.35 pm–private meeting
- Cyber Safety Joint Select Committee–19 September, 10 October, 31 October and 28 November 2012 from 4.15 pm to 6.00 pm–public meetings–Cyber-safety for senior Australians
- Environment and Communications Legislation and References Committees–13 September 2012 from 1.00 pm–private meeting
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee–9 October 2012 from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm–Slavery, slavery-like conditions and people trafficking
- Gambling Reform Joint Select Committee–18 September, 9 October, 30 October and 27 November 2012 from 4.00 pm–private meetings
- Law Enforcement Joint Committee–19 September, 10 October, 31 October and 28 November 2012 from 5.30 pm–private meetings
- Public Accounts and Audit Joint Committee–
- 10 October and 31 October 2012 from 11.00 am–private meetings, followed by private briefings
- 10 October 2012 from noon–public meeting–Review of Auditor-General’s reports
- Treaties Joint Committee–29 October and 26 November 2012 from 1.00 pm–public meetings–Review of tabled treaty actions
To extend reporting deadlines
- Community Affairs References Committee–Palliative care in Australia–to report by 10 October 2012
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012–to report by 20 September 2012
Membership
The Senate agreed to the various changes to the membership of committees.
Documents
Delegated legislation
See Disallowance Alert for a complete list of notices of motion to disallow (and outcomes)
Instruments tabled
- A legislative instrument, pursuant to section 198AB of the Migration Act 1958, designating a country as a regional processing country was tabled [homepage] together with information relating to the designation [a notice of motion was given to approve of the designation of the Republic of Nauru as a regional processing country]
- Clerk’s documents were tabled [legislative instruments and other documents required by statute to be tabled]
Motion to disallow defeated
The Senate did not agree to a motion to disallow the Small Pelagic Fishery Total Allowable Catch (Quota Species) Determination 2012 [homepage].
Orders for the production of documents
Document tabled
Information regarding the issue of free carbon permits was tabled [The document was tabled in response to the order of the Senate agreed to on 23 August 2012].
Notice of motion
Senator Cormann gave a notice of motion to require the Minister representing the Treasurer to table monthly updates on revenue from the Minerals Resource Rent Tax–no later than noon on the 30th day of each month.
Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency contracts published on the Internet
Letters of advice for various portfolios 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 portfolios were tabled [see Journals entries 24 and 32] [Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and agencies are required to be tabled twice a year]
Documents tabled
- A petitioning document
- Auditor-General–Audit report no. 2 of 2012-13
- Government documents [to be considered on 11 September 2012]
- Responses to Senate resolutions about–
- Vietnam War–from the National President of the Returned and Services League of Australia (Rear Admiral Ken Doolan, AO, RAN (Retd)) [resolution agreed to on 16 August 2012] [a motion to take note of the response was agreed to]
- Women’s suffrage in Australia–from the Acting Director, Museum of Australian Democracy (Mr Fox) [resolution agreed to on 25 June 2012] [a motion to take note of the response was agreed to]
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker
Motion agreed to
Motion negatived
Death of Australian Defence Force Personnel
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans) moved that the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death of Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Thomas Martin, Private Robert Hugh Frederick Poate, Lance Corporal Mervyn John McDonald and Private Nathanael John Aubrey Galagher while on combat operations in Afghanistan. The motions were carried.
Matter of public importance discussed
Ministerial arrangements
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans) informed the Senate of changes to the Gillard Ministry.
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 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.
Follow the Australian Senate on Twitter: @AuSenate
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