The Senate met from 10.00 am until 10.25 pm
Legislation
Bills and related documents
Bills considered
The following bill was introduced
- Clean Energy Amendment (International Emissions Trading and Other Measures) Bill 2012 [passed by the House of Representatives on 11 October 2012] [Minister’s second reading speech]
The following bills were passed
- Defence Trade Controls Bill 2011–24 Government amendments, 2 Australian Greens amendments and 1 Opposition amendment agreed to
- Customs Amendment (Military End-Use) Bill 2011–2 Government amendments agreed to
[The House of Representatives will now consider the amendments made by the Senate]
The following bills were debated
- Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Bill 2012 and a related bill–second reading debate commenced [first speaker]
Notices of motion
To exempt bills from the cut-off order [to enable consideration this period of sittings]
- Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013 and a related bill [a statement of reasons supporting the exemptions of the bills from the cut-off order was tabled]
- Aviation Legislation Amendment (Liability and Insurance) Bill 2012
Federal Circuit Court of Australia Legislation Amendment Bill 2012
Higher Education Support Amendment (Maximum Payment Amounts and Other Measures) Bill 2012
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2012 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2012
[statements of reasons supporting the exemptions of the bills from the cut-off order were tabled]
- Clean Energy Amendment (International Emissions Trading and Other Measures) Bill 2012 and 6 related bills [a statement of reasons supporting the exemptions of the bills from the cut-off order was tabled]
- Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2012 [a statement of reasons supporting the exemption of the bill from the cut-off order was tabled]
- Social and Community Services Pay Equity Special Account Bill 2012 and a related bill [a statement of reasons supporting the exemptions of the bills from the cut-off order was tabled]
To vary the hours of meeting
A notice was given by the Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations (Senator Collins) to vary the hours of meeting for 30 October 2012 to enable the Government’s legislative program to be considered.
Bills assented to
Assent to a number of laws was reported in the Senate.
See Committees for details of reports relating to legislation
Committees
Scheduled public committee hearings
Committee reports
Reports tabled
Reports on legislation
- Clean Energy Amendment (International Emissions Trading and Other Measures) Bill 2012 and 6 related bills–Economics Legislation Committee [report]
- Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2012–Community Affairs Legislation Committee [report]
- Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2012–Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee [report]
- Personal Liability for Corporate Fault Reform Bill 2012–Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee [report]
Tax Laws Amendment (Clean Building Managed Investment Trust) Bill 2012–Corporations and Financial Services Joint Committee [report]
[a motion was moved to take note of the reports]
Other report
- Gambling Reform Joint Select Committee–The prevention and treatment of problem gambling [report]
Government responses tabled
- Environment and Communications References Committee–Recent ABC programming decisions
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee–Procurement procedures for Defence capital projects
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee–Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011
- Men’s Health Select Committee–Report
Meetings during the sitting of the Senate
The Senate authorised the following meetings to be held while the Senate is sitting:
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee–29 October 2012–private meeting
- Electricity Prices Select Committee–29 October 2012 from 3.15 pm–private briefing
- Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee–29 October 2012 from 5.30 pm–public meeting–consideration of the 2012-13 supplementary Budget estimates for the Future Fund
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee–29 October 2012 from 4.00 pm and from 6.15 pm–in camera hearings
Notices of motion
To hold meetings when the Senate is sitting
- Economics Legislation Committee–1 November 2012 from 3.30 pm–private meting
- Electricity Prices—Select Committee–31 October 2012 from 9.30 am–private meeting
- Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee–30 October 2012 from 6.30 pm–public meeting–Performance of the Department of Parliamentary Services
To extend a reporting deadline
- Economics References Committee–Effects of the global financial crisis on the Australian banking sector–to report by 28 November 2012
Membership
The Senate agreed to the following changes to committee membership:
- Environment and Communications References Committee–Senator Whish-Wilson to replace Senator Waters for the committee’s inquiry into container deposit schemes
- Human Rights Joint Committee–Senator Humphries discharged and Senator Ruston appointed
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, including a Governor-General’s Proclamation]
Motion to disallow defeated
The Senate debated but did not agree to motions to disallow the following legislative instruments–
- Social Security (Administration) (Declared child protection State – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria) Determination 2012, made under section 123TF of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 [homepage]
- Social Security (Administration) (Declared income management areas) Determination 2012, made under section 123TFA of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 [homepage]
- Social Security (Administration) (Specified income management Territory – Northern Territory) Specification 2012, made under subsections 123UCB(4) and 123UCC(4) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 [homepage]
- Social Security (Administration) (Vulnerable income management areas) Specification 2012 made under subsections 123UCA(3) and 123UGB(2) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 [homepage]
- Social Security (Administration) (Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient) Principles 2012, made under subsection 123UGA(2) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 [homepage]
Orders for the production of documents
Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency appointments and vacancies
Letters of advice for the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs were tabled [Lists of appointments made and existing vacancies are required to be tabled 7 days before the commencement of budget, supplementary budget and additional estimates hearings]
Departmental and agency grants
Letters of advice for various portfolios were tabled [Lists of all grants approved are required to be tabled 7 days before the commencement of budget, supplementary budget and additional estimates hearings]
Documents tabled
- Auditor-General–Audit report no. 8 of 2012-13
- Australian parliamentary delegation–Malaysia and Sri Lanka–5 December to 14 December 2011–Report
- Government documents
- Parliamentary Service Commissioner–Report for 2011-12
- Responses to Senate resolutions about–
- Domestic violence–from the Office of the Premier of New South Wales, the Premier of Queensland (Mr Newman) and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (Mr Mills) [resolution agreed to on 19 September 2012]
- Polio eradication–from the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Bob Carr) [resolution agreed to on 14 August 2012]
- Suicide–from the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing (Mr Butler) [resolution agreed to on 13 September 2012] [a motion to take note of the response was debated – first speaker]
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples–from the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Bob Carr) and the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Ms Macklin) [resolution agreed to on 13 September 2012] [a motion to take note of the responses 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
Matter of public importance discussed
Death of Corporal Scott James Smith
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans) moved that the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death, on 21 October 2012, of Corporal Scott James Smith, while on combat operations in Afghanistan. The motion was supported.
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