SENATE Official Hansard
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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 1996 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—SECOND PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER Petitions— Ramsar Treaty ....................................... 5133 Notices of Motion— Human Rights: Nigeria ................................. 5133 Regulations and Ordinances Committee ..................... 5133 Drought Recovery Assistance ............................ 5135 Routine of Business ................................... 5135 Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee .... 5135 Regulations and Ordinances Committee ..................... 5135 Cooked Chicken Meat .................................. 5136 Child Care Assistance .................................. 5136 Order of Business— Questions Without Notice ............................... 5136 Superannuation Committee .............................. 5136 Uranium Mining...................................... 5136 Landmines .......................................... 5137 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ........................... 5137 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras ....................... 5137 Tamil Community in Australia ............................ 5137 Queensland Criminal Justice Commission .................... 5137 Port Hedland .......................................... 5137 Aboriginal Reconciliation— Suspension of Standing Orders ............................ 5137 Procedural Motion .................................... 5137 Motion ............................................ 5138 Member for Oxley— Suspension of Standing Orders ............................ 5145 Bills Returned from The House of Representatives ............... 5150 Gun Control Campaign ................................... 5150 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plans ................... 5153 Matters of Public Interest— State and Territory Rights ............................... 5169 Industrial Relations .................................... 5171 Financial System Inquiry ................................ 5174 Australian Democrats : Policies for Women .................. 5176 Racism ............................................ 5178 Election Commitments ................................. 5181 Ministerial Arrangements ................................. 5182 Questions Without Notice— Telstra ............................................ 5182 Interest Rates ........................................ 5183 Foreign Aid ......................................... 5184 Women into Politics ................................... 5184 Aboriginal Affairs .................................... 5186 Federal-State Responsibilities ............................. 5187 Pensioners .......................................... 5188 Perth Airport ........................................ 5188 Legal Assistance ..................................... 5189 Environment ........................................ 5190 Housing Affordability .................................. 5190 Rent Allowance ...................................... 5191 Mr Max Moore-Wilton ................................. 5192 Information Technology ................................ 5192 Australian Medical Association: Medicare Provider Numbers ...... 5194 Training Programs .................................... 5194 Telstra ............................................ 5195 Australian Medical Association: Medicare Providers Numbers ...... 5198 CONTENTS—continued Committees— Membership ......................................... 5201 Notices of Motion— Economics Legislation Committee ......................... 5201 Bounty Legislation Amendment Bill 1996— Report of Community Affairs Legislation Committee ............ 5201 Committees— Scrutiny of Bills Committee—Report ....................... 5203 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plans ................... 5203 Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1996— In Committee ........................................ 5204 Gun Control Campaign ................................... 5232 Documents— Family Law Council ................................... 5233 ADILtd ........................................... 5235 Gun Control Campaign ................................... 5238 Adjournment— Hon. David Yeldham QC ............................... 5238 Impulse Airlines ...................................... 5239 Employment: Casual and Part-time ......................... 5241 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 5242 Questions On Notice— New Work Opportunities Program—(Question No. 176) .......... 5243 Ministerial Staff: Resources and Energy—(Question No. 242) ...... 5244 Palm Beach, Rockingham—(Question No. 252) ................ 5245 Mining: Garden Island—(Question No. 253) .................. 5245 SENATE 5133 Wednesday, 6 November 1996 (v) the strong connection of Shell Oil to the military regime, the company’s appalling environmental record in Ogoni land and its role in the militarisation of Ogoni The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. land; and Margaret Reid) took the chair at 9.30 a.m., (b) calls on the Federal Government: and read prayers. (i) to bring international pressure on the PETITIONS Nigerian regime, both directly and through the Commonwealth, to restore The Clerk—A petition has been lodged for democracy and human rights and, in par- presentation as follows: ticular, to release the 19 Ogoni activists currently in prison, Ramsar Treaty (ii) to cease dealing with Shell Oil in Austral- To the Honourable President and Members of the ia until the company: Senate in Parliament assembled. (A) cleans up existing pollution in Nigeria, The petition of the undersigned citizens of based on an independent audit of its Australia in Geelong requests that the Senate operations, examine the proposal to set aside land currently protected under the Ramsar Treaty in order to (B) adopts standards for its operations in provide for a chemical storage facility at Pt Lillias. Nigeria no less than those it is required Further, we request the Senate to examine whether to meet in Australia, the proposal to set aside an area alternate to the (C) pays fair compensation to people ad- one now nominated by the Ramsar Treaty is in versely affected by its activities in accordance with the requirement of that Treaty. Nigeria, by Senator Cooney (from 1,102 citizens). (D) requests the military to cease its in- Petition received. volvement in Ogoni land, and (E) uses its influence to stop the Nigerian NOTICES OF MOTION Government’s violation of human rights, including the release of the 19 Human Rights: Nigeria Ogoni activitists currently in prison, Senator MARGETTS (Western Austral- and ia)—I give notice that, on the next day of (iii) to support the United Nations and interna- sitting, I shall move: tional efforts for regulation of corrupt That the Senate— practices by business modelled on the corrupt practices legislation in force in (a) notes: the United States of America. (i) that 10 November 1996 is the anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and Regulations and Ordinances Committee eight other Ogoni activists by the Senator COLSTON (Queensland)—At the Nigerian Government, and is an interna- tional day of action in support of human request of Senator O’Chee and the Standing rights in Nigeria and environmental activ- Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I ists around the world, give notice that, at the giving of notices on (ii) the appalling human rights record of the the next day of sitting, Senator O’Chee will military junta in Nigeria, withdraw business of the Senate notice of (iii) that at least 19 other Ogoni activists from motion No. 3 standing in his name for two the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni sittings days after today for the disallowance People remain in detention and have sent of the South Pacific Regional Environment pleas to the international community to Programme (Privileges and Immunities) intervene on their behalf, Regulations, as contained in Statutory Rules (iv) the behaviour of Shell Oil in Nigeria as 1996 No. 144 and made under the Interna- an example of the exploitation by transna- tional Organizations (Privileges and Immuni- tional corporations of a corrupt and vio- ties) Act 1963. I seek leave to make a short lent government in order to bypass social statement. and environmental standards in the pur- suit of profit, and Leave granted. 5134 SENATE Wednesday, 6 November 1996 Senator COLSTON—On 10 October 1996, Parliament House Senator O’Chee reported to the Senate on the Canberra ACT 2600 committee’s concerns with this instrument, Dear Senator O’Chee which related to delay and possible prejudicial retrospectivity. The minister has provided the I refer to your letter of 13 August 1996 regarding committee with information which meets our questions of retrospectivity of the South Pacific concern about retrospectivity and we will Regional Environment Programme (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations, Statutory Rules 1996 No. withdraw the notice. However, the committee 144 ("the Regulations"). decided to write again to the minister about delay in making the regulations. As usual, I The purpose of the Regulations was to do no more seek leave to incorporate the committee’s than restore the status quo ante to SPREP, and my correspondence in Hansard. Department’s drafting instructions to the Attorney- General’s Department were explicit in this regard. Leave granted. SPREP was a program of the South Pacific Com- The correspondence read as follows— mission (SPC) and until 31 August 1995,