SENATE Official Hansard

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard WEDNESDAY, 1 MAY 1996 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FIRST PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS WEDNESDAY, 1 MAY Petitions— East Timor ......................................... 77 Chemicals .......................................... 77 Logging and Woodchipping .............................. 77 Croatia ............................................ 77 Landmines .......................................... 78 Landmines .......................................... 78 Religion and Democracy in Australia ....................... 78 French Nuclear Testing ................................. 78 French Nuclear Testing ................................. 78 Uranium ........................................... 78 Papua New Guinea .................................... 79 Child Care .......................................... 79 Notices of Motion— ABC: Funding ....................................... 79 Tariff Concessions .................................... 79 Federal Election: New South Wales ........................ 79 Racial Discrimination .................................. 80 BHP Petroleum ...................................... 80 Australian Taxation Office .............................. 80 Contingent Notices of Motion ............................ 81 Kew Cottages ....................................... 81 Immigration ......................................... 81 Vietnam: Human Rights ................................ 81 Diesel Fuel Rebate Scheme .............................. 82 Boxing ............................................ 82 Uranium Mining and Milling Committee ..................... 82 Impacts of Uranium Mining and Milling in Kakadu National Park Committee .................................... 83 Temporary Chairmen of Committees ......................... 85 Order of Business— Procedure Committee .................................. 85 Introduction of Legislation .............................. 85 Public Interest Secrecy Committee ......................... 85 Great Famine in Ireland ................................ 85 Committees— Privileges Committee .................................. 85 Order of Business— Delegated Legislation .................................. 86 Sri Lanka .......................................... 86 Deaths at Port Arthur .................................... 86 Order of Business— Consideration ........................................ 86 Restoration of Bills to Notice Paper .......................... 86 Committees— Allocation of Departments and Agencies ..................... 87 Code of Conduct ....................................... 87 Days and Hours of Meeting ............................... 87 Introduction of Legislation ................................ 87 Health Legislation (Powers of Investigation) Amendment Bill 1996 .... 88 Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 89 Second Reading ...................................... 89 Governor-General’s Speech— Address-in-Reply ..................................... 92 Temporary Chairmen of Committees ......................... 104 Proposed Sessional Orders ................................ 104 CONTENTS—continued Questions Without Notice— Election Promises ..................................... 117 Australian Labor Party: Policies ........................... 117 Information Technology ................................ 118 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs .................. 119 Election of Senator .................................... 121 Budget Deficit ....................................... 122 ATSIC: Geneva Office ................................. 123 ABC: Funding ....................................... 124 Sale of Telstra ....................................... 125 Commonwealth Ombudsman ............................. 126 Environment ........................................ 127 Australian Securities Commission ......................... 128 Small Business Summit ................................. 128 Worksafe Australia .................................... 129 Election Promises ..................................... 130 Sale of Telstra ....................................... 132 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs .................. 134 ABC: Funding ....................................... 135 Ministerial Statements— New Format for Bills and Acts ........................... 136 Documents— Australian-Lebanese Support Committee of Lebanon ............ 137 Committees— Community Affairs Legislation Committee ................... 137 Order of Business ...................................... 138 Documents— Christmas Island: Casino ................................ 138 Christmas Island: Commonwealth Grants Commission Report ...... 138 Committees— Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts References Committee—Report ................................. 139 Finance and Public Administration References Committee—Report . 144 Community Affairs References Committee—Report ............. 146 Governor-General’s Speech— Address-in-Reply ..................................... 150 Distinguished Visitors ................................... 160 Proposed Sessional Orders ................................ 161 Consideration of Legislation ............................... 161 Sessional Orders ....................................... 161 Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Amendment Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 161 Second Reading ...................................... 161 Governor-General’s Speech— Address-in-Reply ..................................... 165 Adjournment— Deaths at Port Arthur .................................. 184 Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Instanbul .............. 186 Pork Producers in Queensland ............................ 187 Condolences: Marguerite Tetuanui ......................... 188 Documents— Government Documents ................................ 188 Indexed Lists ........................................ 189 SENATE 77 Wednesday, 1 May 1996 Your petitioners therefore request the Senate to: immediately implement the moratorium clause in the 1992 National Forest Policy Statement, and cease all logging activities in high conserva- The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. tion value forests; Michael Beahan) took the chair at 10.00 a.m., and read prayers. permanently protect in reserves, all old growth, wilderness, and other high conservation value PETITIONS forest areas, under the custodianship of Austral- ian indigenous peoples, in cooperation with local The Clerk—Petitions have been lodged for communities, conservation and scientific organi- presentation as follows: sations; reap only what is sown by utilising readily East Timor available plantation timbers for industry needs; To the Honourable the President and Members of rapidly implement timber industry transition the Senate in the Parliament assembled. from native forests to plantations, with provision The Petition of the undersigned draws to the for retraining, redeployment, and compensation attention of the Senate Indonesia’s continued denial if necessary for affected workers and contractors; of human rights to the people of East Timor. restructure the paper and fibre board industries Your Petitioners ask the Senate to call on the to use annual fibre crops such as kenaf, hemp, Australian Government to: cane etc. 1. actively support all United Nations resolutions create employment incentives to collect seeds, and initiatives on East Timor; propagate, establish and manage sustainable permaculture-style mixed species timber planta- 2. actively support the right to self-determination tions, on existing cleared and degraded lands, of the people of East Timor; and encourage investment in the growing and 3. work for the immediate release of all Timorese marketing of indigenous forest products, such as political prisoners; native fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, oils, and other nutritional and medicinal resources. 4. repeal the Timor Gap Treaty; and develop educational environmental tourism as 5. stop all military cooperation and commercial a sensitively managed industry, in appropriate military activity with Indonesia. forest areas, with full respect for Aboriginal by Senator Bell (from 15 citizens). cultural heritage and sacred sites; and further support the above initiatives by the Chemicals progressive utilisation of defence personnel, To the Honourable the President and members of resources and funding, to assist rural communi- the Senate in Parliament assembled. ties to implement sustainable plantation forestry practices. We the undersigned respectfully call upon the Federal Government to introduce legislation that And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever will require the National Registration Authority to pray. provide all available information on registered chemicals. by Senator Bell (from 81 citizens). by Senator Bell (from 15 citizens). Croatia Logging and Woodchipping To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled: To the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled The Petition of certain Australian citizens draws to the attention of the Senate the need to establish an This Petition of the undersigned Australian Australian Embassy in the Republic of Croatia: citizens respectfully points out that: because of the many difficulties experienced There is an urgent demand from the majority of by Australian citizens accessing limited consular Australians

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