The Senate met from 9.30 am until 7.58 pm
Senators
Senator Bob Carr gave his first speech.
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following private senator’s bill was introduced
- Health Insurance (Dental Services) Bill 2012 [No. 2]
The following bills were debated
- Social Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 and 2 related bills–second reading debate commenced [first speaker]
The following bills were passed
- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2011-2012 and a related bill [The bills will now be assented to]
- Australian Research Council Amendment Bill 2011 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Broadcasting Services Amendment (Regional Commercial Radio) Bill 2011 [2012]–3 Government amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider this bill]
- Excise Amendment (Reducing Business Compliance Burden) Bill 2011 and a related bill [The bills will now be assented to]
- Fair Work Amendment (Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry) Bill 2011 [2012]–12 Government amendments agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider this bill]
- Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Indirect Tax Laws Amendment (Assessment) Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Insurance Contracts Amendment Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to]
- Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011–a message was reported advising that the House had made the amendments requested by the Senate and the third reading of the bill was agreed to [The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
Notices of motion
To introduce bills
- Broadcasting Services Amendment (Anti-siphoning) Bill 2012–notice given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy)
- Live Animal Export (Slaughter) Prohibition Bill 2012–notice given by Senator Rhiannon
- National Water Commission Amendment Bill 2012–notice given by the Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water (Senator Farrell)
- Poker Machine Harm Reduction ($1 Bets and Other Measures) Bill 2012–notice given by Senators Di Natale, Madigan and Xenophon
To exempt bills from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings – 7 February to 22 March 2012]
- Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (R 18+ Computer Games) Bill 2012
- Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012
- Family Law Amendment (Validation of Certain Orders and Other Measures) Bill 2012
- Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Disability Support Pension Participation Reforms) Bill 2012
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Meeting during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on 21 March 2012 from 4.30 pm.
Reporting date extended
The Senate extended the reporting date for the inquiry of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee into biosecurity and quarantine arrangements to 4 April 2012.
Notices of motion
To hold a meeting when the Senate is sitting
- Gambling Reform Joint Select Committee–22 March 2012 from 5.00 pm–private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1)
To extend reporting deadlines
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Access to Justice (Federal Jurisdiction) Amendment Bill 2011–to report by 29 March 2012
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–Operational issues in export grain networks–to report by 12 April 2012
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee–Future direction and role of the committee–to report by 9 May 2012
Documents
Delegated legislation
See Disallowance Alert for a complete list of notices of motion to disallow (and outcomes)
Orders for the production of documents
Motion defeated
The Senate did not agree to a motion requiring the Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans) to table documents relating to allegations made regarding Central Coast Group Training. [a motion moved by Senator Fierravanti-Wells to suspend standing orders in order to provide for debate on a motion relating to the Government’s failure to provide these documents was interrupted before the question could be determined]
Notice of motion
Senator Birmingham and the Leader of The Nationals in the Senate (Senator Joyce) gave a notice of motion to require the tabling of information relating to Murray-Darling basin inflows–no later than 16 April 2012.
Documents tabled
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
Proposed suspension of standing orders
The Senate did not agree to a motion moved by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown) to suspend standing orders to enable debate on amotion relating to comments concerning the Australian Greens.
Advances under the annual Appropriations Acts
The statement of Issues from the advances under the annual Appropriations Acts as a final charge for the year ended 30 June 2011 was approved.
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.
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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