|
senate vote 2020-09-03#6
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2020-11-06 13:35:02
|
Title
Committees — Selection of Bills Committee; Report- Committees - Selection of Bills Committee - Refer Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020
Description
<p class="speaker">Anne Ruston</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">At the end of the motion, add "and, in respect of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Bill 2020, the bill be referred to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 25 September 2020".</p>- The same number of senators voted for and against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2020-09-03.49.1) introduced by SA Senator [Sarah Hanson-Young](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/sa/sarah_hanson-young) (Greens), which means it failed.
- ### Motion text
- > *At the end of the motion, add:*
- >
- > *"and, in respect of the [Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6582), the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 November 2020".*
<p class="speaker">Katy Gallagher</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">At the end of the motion, add: "and, in respect of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Bill 2020, the bill be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 November 2020".</p> <p class="speaker">Mehreen Faruqi</p><p>It's good to see that the government has seen some sense in having an inquiry. But you have been dragged kicking and screaming to the table, embarrassed with your tail between your legs.</p> <p class="speaker">Hon. Senators</p><p>Honourable senators interjecting—</p> <p class="speaker">Mehreen Faruqi</p><p>No, I'm not going to lower my volume. This is a big issue and it's a shame that Senator Pauline Hanson's One Nation has become, even more so during the pandemic, just an arm of the Liberal-National government. We on this side of the chamber want to keep you accountable and transparent and scrutinise your decisions. I thank every single member sitting on this side of the chamber for doing that. We are doing our jobs and you have been pushing against us, pushing against scrutiny.</p><p>You gave us six days to look at the exposure draft of this bill—six days, not even one week! What are you afraid of really? Are you afraid that everyone will find out how destructive your uni fee hikes and funding cuts bill is? Are you afraid that everyone will find out your juvenile Murdoch-driven hatred of humanities in universities? Are you afraid that your bill doesn't at all do what you say it does? You are cowards and we will expose you. We will expose you through this inquiry. We want the 30 November date as well, but we will expose you no matter what inquiry we get. We are here to do our jobs, to keep you accountable, to make sure that every single person in Australia finds out how destructive your horrible piece of legislation is.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>I'm going to put the amendment moved by Senator Gallagher first because that pushes out the reporting date. The question is that the Senator Gallagher's amendment for a reporting date of 30 November 2020 be agreed to.</p><p>Question negatived.</p> <p class="speaker">Katy Gallagher</p><p>Can we record our vote on that?</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>The opposition would like their vote recorded in support of that amendment. Senator Siewert.</p> <p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>Please note the Greens' support for that amendment as well.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>Thank you, Senator Siewert.</p><p>I'll now put the original amendment moved by the government for a reporting date of 25 September 2020.</p><p>Question agreed to.</p> <p class="speaker">Sarah Hanson-Young</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">At the end of the motion, add:</p><p class="italic">"and, in respect of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 November 2020".</p><p>This amendment refers the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020, which is being debated in the House of Representatives as we speak, to an inquiry. It is unthinkable that this government would push through this piece of legislation without allowing the Senate to do its job. If they don't allow this bill to go to an inquiry, not only is this an attack on the environment; it is an attack on democracy and an attack on our children's future, because this is about the health and the sustainability of our planet. If the government don't have the common sense to know that our job in this place is to inquire into pieces of legislation, to scrutinise them, to work out what form the legislation and the amendments should take in order to make sure we actually protect the environment, then I don't know what they think they're doing on the front benches. This act and this piece of legislation require a full-blown Senate inquiry. The arrogance of this government to assume that they don't have to worry because they don't want to have to hear about it! It's just absurd. It's arrogant, it's undemocratic, and it is an attack on Australia's environment and our wildlife.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Hanson-Young be agreed to.</p><p>Original question, as amended, agreed to.</p>
|