SENATE Official Hansard
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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard THURSDAY, 17 OCTOBER 1996 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FIRST PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS THURSDAY, 17 OCTOBER Condolences— Hon. Rendle McNeilage (Mac) Holten, CMG ................. 4345 Petitions— Industrial Relations .................................... 4347 Telstra: Privatisation ................................... 4348 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ........................ 4348 Telstra: Privatisation ................................... 4349 Child Care .......................................... 4349 Housing ........................................... 4349 Telstra: Privatisation ................................... 4350 ABC: Funding ....................................... 4350 Aboriginal Deaths in Custody ............................ 4350 Radio Triple J ....................................... 4350 Notices of Motion— Carers Week ........................................ 4351 Superannuation Committee .............................. 4351 Telstra (Dilution of Public Ownership) Bill 1996 ............... 4351 Euthanasia .......................................... 4352 Abortion ........................................... 4353 Child Poverty ....................................... 4353 Compulsory Retirement ................................. 4353 Poverty ............................................ 4353 Reclaim the Night March ............................... 4354 Committees— Selection of Bills Committee—Report ...................... 4354 Order of Business— Government Business .................................. 4356 General Business ..................................... 4356 Committees— Employment, Education and Training Legislation Committee—Extension of Time ......................... 4356 Order of Business— Questions Without Notice ............................... 4357 Parliamentary Elections ................................. 4357 DIFF Scheme ........................................ 4357 Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee .... 4358 Sessional Orders ....................................... 4358 Days and Hours of Meeting ............................... 4358 Live Sheep Trade— Suspension of Standing Orders ............................ 4360 Procedural Motion .................................... 4363 Motion ............................................ 4363 Visit by US Nuclear Warship .............................. 4377 Committees— Community Standards Committee—Report ................... 4377 Publications Committee—Report .......................... 4378 Native Title Amendment Bill 1996— Message from the House of Representatives .................. 4379 Vocational Education and Training Funding Amendment Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 4379 Second Reading ...................................... 4379 Committees— Membership ......................................... 4379 Telstra (Dilution of Public Ownership) Bill 1996— Second Reading ...................................... 4380 Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 1996— Second Reading ...................................... 4389 Health Insurance Amendment Bill 1996— CONTENTS—continued Second Reading ...................................... 4389 Questions Without Notice— Minister for Finance ................................... 4390 Trade Unions: Arts Funding ............................. 4391 Minister for Finance ................................... 4392 Aboriginal Children: Separation from Parents ................. 4393 ‘Wright Family’ ...................................... 4394 Logging and Woodchipping .............................. 4395 ‘Wright Family’ ...................................... 4395 Minerals and Energy Sector .............................. 4397 ‘Wright Family’ ...................................... 4398 Chemical Storage Complex at Point Lillias ................... 4400 ‘Wright Family’ ...................................... 4400 Genetic Manipulation .................................. 4402 Budget 1996-97 ...................................... 4402 ‘Wright Family’ ........................................ 4404 Questions Without Notice— Diesel Fuel Rebate .................................... 4420 Logging and Woodchipping .............................. 4421 East Timor ......................................... 4421 ‘Wright Family’ ...................................... 4421 ATSIC: Special Auditor ................................. 4429 Ministerial Statements— Health Policy for the Veteran Community in Rural and Remote Areas 4430 Documents— Auditor-General’s Reports—Reports Nos 11 and 12 of 1996-97 .... 4436 Committees— Membership ......................................... 4436 Documents— Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ............. 4436 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Selection Committee .... 4438 Australian Industrial Relations Commission and Australian Industrial Registry .......................................... 4438 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Selection Committee .... 4444 Australian Sports Drug Agency ........................... 4445 National Gallery of Australia ............................. 4447 Australian Broadcasting Authority ......................... 4447 Consideration ........................................ 4448 D’Entrecasteaux National Park Protection Bill 1996— Second Reading ...................................... 4448 Leave of Absence ...................................... 4465 D’Entrecasteaux National Park Protection Bill 1996— Suspension of Standing Orders ............................ 4465 Committees— Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee—Membership.............................. 4466 Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee—Report . 4466 Consideration ........................................ 4467 Adjournment— Aboriginal Health ..................................... 4468 Member for Oxley .................................... 4469 Western Australian Royal Commission ...................... 4471 Dental Clinics ....................................... 4474 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 4475 Proclamations ......................................... 4475 Questions On Notice— Older Unemployed People—(Question No. 6) ................. 4476 CONTENTS—continued JobSkills Program—(Question No. 152) ..................... 4476 Unemployed: Case Management—(Question No. 154) ........... 4477 SENATE 4345 Thursday, 17 October 1996 its geographical location in Asia—issues that are as relevant today as they were then. During his 19 years in this parliament, Mac The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. contributed actively to the work of a number Margaret Reid) took the chair at 9.30 a.m., of parliamentary committees. He served on and read prayers. the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1962 to 1966, the Joint Statutory Committee CONDOLENCES on Public Works from 1967 to 1969, and the Hon. Rendle McNeilage (Mac) Holten, House Committee from 1974 to 1977. He was CMG Minister for Repatriation from 1969 to 1972, and from 1971 to 1972 was also Minister The PRESIDENT—It is with deep regret Assisting the Minister for Trade and Industry. that I inform the Senate of the death on 12 October 1996 of the Hon. Rendle McNeilage Mac’s public service did not cease after his (Mac) Holten, CMG, member of the House of departure from federal politics. In 1980 he Representatives for the division of Indi, was appointed Administrator of the Territory Victoria, from 1958 to 1977; Minister for of Christmas Island. In that same year, he was Repatriation from 1969 to 1972; and Minister appointed a Companion of the Most Distin- Assisting the Minister for Trade and Industry guished Order of St Michael and St George, from 1971 to 1972. CMG, for his parliamentary and community service. Senator ALSTON (Victoria—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) He will be sadly missed by those of us who (9.32 a.m.)—I move: knew him as a colleague and as a friend and, I should say, from my own experience of him, That the Senate expresses its deep regret at the death, on Saturday, 12 October 1996, of the Hon. as a very good footballer and as a very good Rendle McNeilage (Mac) Holten CMG, Member of representative of the north-east of Victoria. the House of Representatives for the Division of On behalf of the government, I extend to his Indi, Victoria, from 1958 to 1977; Minister for wife, Shirley, and his children, Diana, Carolyn Repatriation from 1969 to 1972; and Minister and Debbie, and their families our most Assisting the Minister for Trade and Industry from sincere sympathy in their bereavement. 1971 to 1972; places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders Senator FAULKNER (New South Wales— its profound sympathy to his family in their be- Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (9.35 reavement. a.m.)—On behalf of the opposition and Mac Holten was born on 29 March 1922 and opposition senators, I support the condolence was educated at Scotch College in Melbourne. motion that has been moved by the Deputy At the age of 19 Mac enlisted in the RAAF, Leader of the Government in the Senate serving as a flying instructor and test pilot (Senator Alston). We express our regret at the until 1946, when he left the air force with the death of Mac Holten, a former Country Party rank of Flight Lieutenant. Mac was