Senate Daily Summary - 26 February 2013
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bill was introduced
- Criminal Code Amendment (Misrepresentation of Age to a Minor) Bill 2013 [private senator’s bill] [introducing senator’s second reading speech]
The following bill was debated
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012–second reading debate commenced [first speaker]
Notices of motion
To introduce bills
- Broadcasting Services Amendment (Material of Local Significance) Bill 2013–notice given by Senator Xenophon
- Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Funding for Certain Types of Abortion) Bill 2013–notice given by Senator Madigan
- Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Pharmaceutical Transparency) Bill 2013–notice given by Senator Di Natale
To exempt bills from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings – 5 February to 21 March 2013]
- Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Amendment Bill 2013 [statement of reasons for passage of bill during this period of sittings]
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Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
New inquiry
The Senate referred matters relating to the development and operation of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax to the Economics References Committee to report by 6 May 2013.
Meetings during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:
- Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Joint Select Committee–27 February 2013 from 12.30 pm–private meeting
- Cyber Safety Joint Select Committee–13 March 2013 from 4.15 pm to 6.00 pm–public meeting–Cyber-safety for senior Australians
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee–12 March and 19 March 2013–
- from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm–public meetings–Slavery, slavery-like conditions and people trafficking
- from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm–public meetings–The care of Australian Defence Force personnel wounded and injured on operations
- Gambling Reform Joint Select Committee–19 March 2013 from 4.00 pm–public meeting–Advertising and promotion of gambling services in sport
- Law Enforcement Joint Committee–
- 13 March 2013 from 12.15 pm–private briefing
- 14 March 2013 from 4.30 pm–public meeting–The gathering and use of criminal intelligence
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–26 February 2013 from 4.00 pm–public meeting–Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2012
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–28 February 2013 from 4.00 pm–public meeting–Aviation accident investigation
- Treaties Joint Committee–18 March 2013 from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm–public meeting
Reporting dates extended
The Senate extended reporting dates for the following inquiries:
- Community Affairs References Committee–Sterilisation of people with disabilities–to report by 19 June 2013
- Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee–Teaching and learning – maximising our investment in Australian schools–to report by 14 May 2013
- Environment and Communications References Committee–Extreme weather events–to report by 26 June 2013
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Migration and Security Legislation Amendment (Review of Security Assessments) Bill 2012–to report by 30 April 2013
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee–Justice reinvestment–to report by 20 June 2013
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee–Biosecurity Bill 2012 [2013] and a related bill–to report by 24 June 2013
Notices of motion
To refer matters to committees
- Impact of Federal Court of Australia fee increases–Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee–to report by 6 June 2013–notice given by Senator Wright
- Beef imports–Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–to report by 17 June 2013–notice given by Senators Heffernan, Xenophon, Madigan, Williams and Back
To hold a meeting when the Senate is sitting
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–12 March 2013 from 3.00 pm–public meeting–Fresh pineapple imports
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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
Documents tabled
The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence (Senator Feeney) tabled a statement concerning an order for the production of documents relating to a review of collective investment vehicles [The document was tabled in response to the order of the Senate agreed to on 6 February 2013].
Notice of motion
Senator Siewert gave a notice of motion to require the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency to table a climate adaption analysis produced by the Peron Naturaliste Partnership–no later than noon on 28 February 2013.
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 [Letters of advice about certain files created by departments and agencies are required to be tabled twice a year]
Documents tabled
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Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time–first question
Adjournment debate–first speaker
Motions agreed to
Matter of public importance discussed
Death of former member
The President informed the Senate of the death, on 23 February 2013, of the Honourable Gloria Joan Liles Child, AO, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Henty from 1974 to 1975, and from 1980 to 1990. A motion moved by the Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Conroy) was carried [first speaker].
Question on notice–Failure to provide answer
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Abetz) asked the Minister representing the Treasurer (Senator Wong) why an answer had not been provided to question on notice no. 2006, asked on 9 August 2012, relating to industrial disputation. Senator Wong provided an explanation. A motion moved by Senator Abetz to take note of the explanation was agreed to.
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 at www.aph.gov.au/senate
Contact details
Inquiries, comments and suggestions:
phone: (02) 6277 3021
e-mail: sds@aph.gov.au
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