Summary

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The Senate voted not to accept an amendment to the Environment Legislation Amendment Bill 2013, moved by Senator Larissa Waters.

According to the summary on the “bill’s homepage” on the Parliament’s website, this bill:

amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 to provide additional protection for dugong and turtle populations from the threats of poaching, illegal trade and illegal transportation.

Senator Waters explained the aim of their amendment:

This government has sought to introduce increased protection just for turtles and dugongs ... if the argument is that the penalties for turtles and dugongs are inadequate then surely that argument would logically extend to all of the penalties for the take of threatened species being indeed inadequate. And so we will move this amendment, the purpose of which is to say, 'Well, clearly, protection for threatened species is inadequate and does need to be increased.' This amendment would increase the penalties for the unlawful take of threatened species across the board, so that we are not just cherry picking and saying that turtles and dugongs deserve additional protection but no other threatened species do.

Senator Senator Simon Birmingham explained the Government’s opposition to this amendment:

Very briefly, the government will not be supporting these amendments. This policy about tripling penalties in relation to turtles and dugongs is one we took to the election ... We have made sure that we have worked hard to get broad support for this. To do so to other species would necessitate further public consultation, and that is why we do not believe that the amendments proposed by Senator Waters at this time are appropriate.

More detail is available through the debate and bill links.

Votes Not passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 10 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Penny Wright SA Yes
Australian Labor Party (48% turnout) 0 Yes 11 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Joe Bullock WA No
Sam Dastyari NSW No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Chris Ketter Queensland No
Joe Ludwig Queensland No
Kate Lundy ACT No
Jan McLucas Queensland No
Deborah O'Neill NSW No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Doug Cameron NSW Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Jacinta Collins Victoria Absent
Stephen Conroy Victoria Absent
Sue Lines WA Absent
Anne McEwen SA Absent
Claire Moore Queensland Absent
Nova Peris NT Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Ricky Muir Victoria Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party Yes
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party Absent
Gavin Marshall Victoria Deputy President Absent
Bob Day SA Family First Party Absent
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent Yes
Nick Xenophon SA Independent Yes
John Madigan Victoria Independent Absent
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party Absent
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland No
Liberal Party (32% turnout) 0 Yes 8 No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Sean Edwards SA No
Bill Heffernan NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Scott Ryan Victoria No
Dean Smith WA No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Christopher Back WA Absent
Cory Bernardi SA Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
David Bushby Tasmania Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
David Fawcett SA Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Mitch Fifield Victoria Absent
David Johnston WA Absent
Ian Macdonald Queensland Absent
Brett Mason Queensland Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Michael Ronaldson Victoria Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
John Williams NSW No
Fiona Nash NSW Absent
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland Absent
Nick Xenophon SA Nick Xenophon Team Absent
Palmer United Party (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Glenn Lazarus Queensland Yes
Dio Wang WA Yes
Stephen Parry Tasmania President Absent
Totals (51% turnout) 15 Yes – 23 No