edited
4th Aug 2024
Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Vote on the question immediately
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 76% attendance
26th Jun 2024, 10:00 AM – Senate Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea
Summary
EditThe majority voted against a motion to agree with the main idea of the bill, which means it will no longer be considered in parliament. In parliamentary jargon, they voted against giving it a second reading. This bill was introduced by Tasmanian Senator Nick McKim (Greens).
Nationals Party split with the Coalition
The Nationals Party and LNP's Queensland Senator Matt Canavan voted against the Liberal Party to support this bill.
What does this bill do?
According to the bill homepage, the bill:
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to enable the Court, following an application by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to give directions for the purpose of securing a reduction in a corporation’s power in, or share of, the market.
Senator McKim explained that:
The Greens' Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill would, if passed, give the courts and competition regulators the power, where misuse of market power has occurred, to break up firms across the Australian economy. This would include firms in the banking sector, the energy sector and a range of other sectors including the supermarket sector. If passed, this bill would establish a framework whereby a company that is found to have misused its market power to inflate prices, to exploit supply chains or to keep out competition could be required to reduce their market power or share of the market by divesting assets.
Votes Not passed by a modest majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (91% turnout) | 10 Yes – 0 No | |
| Penny Allman-Payne Queensland | Yes | |
| Dorinda Cox WA | Yes | |
| Mehreen Faruqi NSW | Yes | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | Yes | |
| Steph Hodgins-May Victoria | Yes | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | Yes | |
| David Shoebridge NSW | Yes | |
| Jordon Steele-John WA | Yes | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | Yes | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | Yes | |
| Barbara Pocock SA | Absent | |
| Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) | 0 Yes – 20 No | |
| Tim Ayres NSW | No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Raff Ciccone Victoria | No | |
| Lisa Darmanin Victoria | No | |
| Varun Ghosh WA | No | |
| Nita Green Queensland | No | |
| Karen Grogan SA | No | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | No | |
| Fatima Payman WA | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Tony Sheldon NSW | No | |
| Marielle Smith SA | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Jana Stewart Victoria | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Jess Walsh Victoria | No | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Absent | |
| Don Farrell SA | Absent | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | Absent | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party | Absent | |
| Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President | Absent | |
| David Pocock ACT Independent | Yes | |
| Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| David Van Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania | Yes | |
| Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (100% turnout) | 1 Yes – 1 No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Yes | |
| James McGrath Queensland | No | |
| Liberal Party (52% turnout) | 0 Yes – 12 No | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | No | |
| Andrew Bragg NSW | No | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | No | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | No | |
| Sarah Henderson Victoria | No | |
| Maria Kovacic NSW | No | |
| Kerrynne Liddle SA | No | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | No | |
| Anne Ruston SA | No | |
| Paul Scarr Queensland | No | |
| Dave Sharma NSW | No | |
| Dean Smith WA | No | |
| Alex Antic SA | Absent | |
| Wendy Askew Tasmania | Absent | |
| Slade Brockman WA | Absent | |
| Claire Chandler Tasmania | Absent | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Absent | |
| David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
| Hollie Hughes NSW | Absent | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Absent | |
| Matt O'Sullivan WA | Absent | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Absent | |
| Gerard Rennick Queensland | Absent | |
| National Party (25% turnout) | 1 Yes – 0 No | |
| Ross Cadell NSW | Yes | |
| Perin Davey NSW | Absent | |
| Susan McDonald Queensland | Absent | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (0% turnout) | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Absent | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Absent | |
| Sue Lines WA President | Absent | |
| Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party | Absent | |
| Totals (63% turnout) | 15 Yes – 33 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.