Senate Daily Summary - 14 March 2013

No. 14/2013

Thursday, 14 March 2013

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The Senate met from 9.30 am until 7.40 pm

Legislation

Bills considered

The following bills were introduced

• Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Administration) Bill 2013 [passed by the House of Representatives on 13 March 2013] [Minister’s second reading speech]
• Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Finance) Bill 2013 [passed by the House of Representatives on 13 March 2013] [Minister’s second reading speech]

The following bills were debated

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Retaining Federal Approval Powers) Bill 2012–second reading debate commenced [first speaker]
• Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2012–second reading debate continued [first speaker]

The following bills were passed

• Completion of Kakadu National Park (Koongarra Project Area Repeal) Bill 2013 [The bill will now be assented to] [first speaker in second reading debate]
• Customs Amendment (Anti-Dumping Commission) Bill 2013 [The bill will now be assented to] [first speaker in second reading debate]
• Customs Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2012 [The bill will now be assented to] [first speaker in second reading debate]

Notice of motion to exempt a bill from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings – 5 February to 21 March 2013]

• Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2013

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Committees

Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports

Reports tabled

• Legislation committees–Reports on annual reports referred to legislation committees–No. 1 of 2013 [a motion to take note of the report of the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee was agreed to]

Government response tabled

• Economics Legislation Committee– Report on annual reports referred to committees–No. 2 of 2011

New inquiries

Selection of Bills Committee report

The Senate adopted report no. 3 of 2013 of the Selection of Bills Committee, and made the following references:

• Aged Care (Living Longer Living Better) Bill 2013 and 4 related bills–Community Affairs Legislation Committee–to report by 17 June 2013
• Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013 and 5 related bills–Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–to report by 17 June 2013
• Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013–Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee–to report by 24 June 2013
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013–Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–to report by 14 May 2013
• Tax Laws Amendment (Countering Tax Avoidance and Multinational Profit Shifting) Bill 2013–Economics Legislation Committee–to report by 14 May 2013
• Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (Registration Fees) Bill 2013 and a related bill–Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–to report by 17 June 2013

New committee

The Senate concurred with a resolution of the House of Representatives establishing a Broadcasting Legislation Joint Select Committee.

Meetings during the sitting of the Senate

The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:

• Environment and Communications Legislation Committee–14 March 2013–private meeting
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–18 March 2013 from 4.00 pm–in camera hearing
  

Reporting dates extended

The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee:

• Aviation accident investigation–to report by 30 April 2013
• Fresh pineapple imports–to report by 24 June 2013
• New Zealand potatoes import risk analysis–to report by 24 June 2013
• Fresh ginger import risk analysis–to report by 24 June 2013

Notices of motion

To refer a matter to a committee

• Tasmanian Forest Intergovernmental Agreement Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants Program–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–to report by 12 April 2013–notice given by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Milne)

To set a reporting date

A notice of motion was given to set a final reporting date for the Cyber Safety Joint Select Committee of 27 June 2013.

Membership

The Senate agreed to various changes to the membership of committees.

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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
A letter of advice for the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio was 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 [Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and agencies are required to be tabled twice a year]

Documents discussed

Government documents and committee reports were discussed.

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Other business

Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker

Motion debated

• Free speech–moved by Senator Fifield [first speaker]

Motions agreed to

• Goulburn–moved by Senator Stephens
• Human rights in Fiji–moved by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Milne)

Motions negatived

• Coal seam gas–moved by Senator Waters
• Newstart–moved by Senator Siewert
• Overseas aid budget–moved by Senator Rhiannon
• Renewable energy certificates–moved by Senator Madigan
• Teacher quality–moved by Senator Wright

Notices of motion

Notices of motion given today are available in the Senate Journals.

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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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