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page | Senate Daily Summary
No. 02/2009
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The Senate met from 12.30pm until 7.21pm
Senators
The President announced the resignation on 30 January 2009 of
Senator Chris Ellison.
Legislation
Bills and related documents available on BillsNet <www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm>
Bills considered
The following bill was debated
- Corporations Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2008 [2009] second reading
agreed to and committee of the whole commenced
1 AG amendment to be determined
The following bill was passed
- Tax Laws Amendment (Political Contributions and Gifts) Bill
2008 17 AG amendments agreed to, 6 items negatived [the House
of Representatives will now consider the
amendments made by the Senate]
Notice of motion to read a bill a second
time
- Social Security Legislation Amendment (Employment Services
Reform) Bill 2008 notice given by the Minister for Human Services
(Senator Ludwig)
Messages from the House of Representatives
- Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television
Switch-over) Bill 2008 informing the Senate that the House does not
insist on the amendments disagreed to by the Senate, and agreeing
to the consequential amendment made by the Senate
- Temporary Residents' Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill
2008 agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate
[These bills have been assented to]
Bills assented to
Assent to a number of laws was reported in the Senate
See Committees for details of reports
relating to legislation
Committees
For scheduled public
committee hearings
For committee
reports
Reports tabled
Report on legislation
-
Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management (Repeal and
Consequential Amendment) Bill 2008 Environment, Communications and
the Arts Committee
Other report
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in
eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality [motion
to take note of the report agreed to]
Document tabled
- 2008 supplement to the consolidated register of Senate
committee reports
Reports on access to committee documents
tabled
- Regulations and Ordinances Committee 1907 to the 1960s
- Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Legislation Joint Select
Committee 1970 to 1972
Government responses tabled
- Finance and Public Administration Committee Knock, knock who's
there? The Lobbying Code of Conduct
- Intelligence and Security Joint Committee
- Inquiry into the proscription of terrorist organisations' under
the Australian Criminal Code
- Review of security and counter terrorism legislation
- National Capital and External Territories Joint Committee The
way forward: Inquiry into the role of the National Capital
Authority
- President's report of 26 June 2008 on outstanding government
responses to parliamentary committee reports
- Public Accounts and Audit Joint Committee 411th report:
Progress on equipment acquisition and financial reporting in
Defence
Public meetings
The Senate authorised the following public meetings to be held
while the Senate is sitting:
- Agricultural and Related Industries Select Committee 4 February
2009 from 3.30pm pricing and supply arrangements in the Australian
and global fertiliser market
- Electoral Matters Joint Committee 3 February 2009 from 12.45 pm
to 1.45 pm 2007 Federal Election, including the Commonwealth
Electoral (Above-the-Line Voting) Amendment Bill 2008
Notices of motion given
To extend reporting deadlines:
- Economics Committee to report by 26 February 2009
- Tax Laws Amendment (Taxation of Financial Arrangements) Bill
2008
- Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures)
Bill 2008
To refer a matter to a committee:
Membership
The Senate agreed to
various changes to committee membership.
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
Governor-General's Proclamations]
Orders for the production of documents
Notices of motion given
The following notices of motion were given requiring Ministers
to table documents:
-
Answers to various questions relating to the increase in excise
on certain alcoholic drinks by 5 and 23 February 2009 notice
given by Senator Cormann
- Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
to
table reports relating to the National Broadband Network no
later than 10.00am on 5 February 2009 notice given by Senator
Minchin
- Minister representing the Treasurer to
table documents relating to the Department of the Treasury
report Australia's low pollution future: The economics
of climate change mitigation no later than 12.00pm on 5
February 2009 notice given by Senator Cormann
Orders with continuing effect
Departmental and agency appointments
Statements of compliance for various portfolios [see Journals
entries
32 and
45] 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 contracts published on the
Internet
A statement of compliance for the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry 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]
Departmental and agency grants
Statements of compliance for various portfolios [see Journals
entries
33 and
46] 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]
Indexed lists of departmental and agency files published on
the Internet
A statement of compliance for the Australian Trade Commission
was tabled [Letters of advice about certain files created by
departments and agencies are required
to be tabled twice a year]
Documents tabled
- Auditor-General Audit reports nos 12 to 18 of 2008-09 [See
Journals entries nos
30 and
38] [motion
to take note of report no. 12 was agreed to]
- Business
of the Senate 1 January to 31 December 2008 [a digest of all
business considered by the Senate in 2008]
- Government documents [see Journals entries nos
2 and
29] [and
considered]
- Responses to Senate resolutions about:
- Construction of a road through the Tarkine Forest, Tasmania
from the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development and Local Government (Mr Albanese) [resolution agreed
to
1 December 2008] [motion
to take note of the response agreed to]
- Harmful effects of pesticides from the Minister for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Mr Burke) [resolution agreed
to
25 November 2008]
- Moreton Bay fishing from the Premier of Queensland (Ms Bligh)
[resolution agreed to
27 November 2008]
- Trees for Life in South Australia from the Chief Executive
Officer of Trees for Life (Ms Carmel Dundon) [resolution agreed to
2 December 2008]
- Questions on notice summary 12 February to 31 December
2008
-
2 petitions
Ministerial statements tabled
The Acting Deputy President (Senator Hurley) tabled a
ministerial statement about changes to the 2008-09 skilled
migration program, which was presented since the last sitting of
the Senate.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the
Voluntary Sector (Senator Stephens) tabled a ministerial statement
responding to the global financial and economic crisis.
Other business
Questions without notice and issues arising during question time
first question
Adjournment debate
first speaker
Motion debated
The Senate discussed
issues relating to the Prime Minister's economic strategies,
raised by Senator Abetz as a matter of public importance. [first
speaker]
Statement by President
The President made a
statement relating to various staffing and administrative
matters.
Death of Private
Gregory Michael
Sher
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans)
moved that the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on
4 January 2009, of Private Gregory Michael Sher, while on combat
operations in Afghanistan.
Trooper Mark
Donaldson VC
The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Evans)
moved that the Senate records this occasion of national
significance in the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Trooper Mark
Donaldson, VC, on 16 January 2009.
Shadow Ministry
Senator Minchin informed the Senate of changes to the
Shadow 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 on the Internet
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, on the
Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/index.htm
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