The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. John Hog g) took the chair at 09:30, read prayers and made an acknowledgement of country.
The United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China have both taken substantial action to put in place policies to limit or reduce emissions and promote low carbon development. We welcome our existing strong relationship on low carbon cooperation that underpins our international work. Both sides agree to intensify bilateral policy dialogue and practical collaboration through the China-UK Working Group on Climate Change.
Green Growth and the Economics of Climate Change: The transition to a lower carbon, more energy efficient economy is an opportunity to drive new sources of growth and jobs in both economies.
Clean technology: The UK and China have launched a joint £20 million research programme on Low Carbon Innovation, including work on offshore renewables, low carbon manufacturing processes and technologies, and low carbon cities … electric vehicles, smart grids, cleaner fossil fuels and energy storage.
The levels of investment needed to deliver a 2 degree world cannot be met by public finance alone—significant amounts of private investment are needed to achieve a sustainable low-carbon transition. This presents a major opportunity for business. The UK and China have been working together on areas including green finance, green credit and green procurement …
Australia is reliant on foreign capital to fund major projects and new developments in international climate change policy are likely to impact international capital flow and investment decision making.
These estimates do not make any allowance for the costs of shutting down the CEFC, such as employee redundancies and contract termination costs, nor do they make any allowance for the lower public debt interest costs of ceasing further CEFC investment.
If this was commercially viable, it wouldn't need the government.
What's most tragic is that Australia was just starting to get on track. Our greenhouse gas emissions, which had been growing steadily for decades, have begun to decline. Emissions from electricity, the single most polluting sector, fell an impressive 8.7 per cent since 2012. Solar and wind energy tripled in the last five years, while solar and wind jobs nearly quadrupled.
We have laws that price and limit carbon emissions from 60 per cent of the economy; laws that require companies to take responsibility for their pollution. We have independent, non-partisan institutions investing in research and development for the next wave of clean energy technologies. All these steps are necessary to ensure low-carbon competitiveness and sustainable economic prosperity. Ironically, on the same day as the budget, all these forward steps were included in the conservative International Energy Agency's recommended toolkit for energy policies to help avoid two degrees of global warming.
Prime Minister Abbott's only real concern is protecting Australia's world topping coal industry …
Germany is what the future looks like. The leaders of Canada and Australia—highly educated, sophisticated, and wealthy nations, not to mention some of the most spectacularly beautiful places on earth—are clinging to the past, on behalf of the fossil fuel industries that dominate their governments. Eventually (and hopefully before the planet’s physics are completely out of control) voters in these countries will realise they’re being driven off a cliff.
… the CEFC is meant to lead the way, to pave for new technologies for deployment in the Australian market to show they are financially viable. In a regulatory framework that works, that makes entire sense. The domestic institutions will learn by that process and then follow. They will probably invest in deal 3, 4, 5 or 6 and then fund 100 per cent thereafter. You need the CEFC to pave the way to show that this can be done economically and viably with the right policy.
… could only be based on ideological grounds rather than consideration of the financial and investment merits of the fund.
The CEFC has proven economically successful and pays dividends to the government.
… the Clean Energy Finance Corporation must remain as an essential and commercially viable part of moving Australia to a low carbon and ultimately zero emission economy. The CEFC is already growing long term business investment and jobs in clean, low carbon technologies.
Getting rid of the CEFC makes sense to few business people who have observed its commercial success in its short existence.
The CEFC co-investment model is a prudent and cost effective way to allocate limited public funds to leverage private investment to do the heavy lifting in the investment into a low carbon transition. A testament to this model is that global trend by many countries to put in place such public finance institutions to help catalyse investment flows into low carbon assets, including the UK Green Investment Bank, Germany's KfW, China's Development Bank, the US Department of Environment's Loan Program Office, the New York Green Bank, California Clean Energy Fund, European Investment Bank and many of the multilateral development banks such as the Asian Development Bank.
I don't think you have to make a grant to get that emissions reduction. Our experience is you're better to make an investment to get the emissions reduction.
Investors do not turn up for a chat; they turn up when there is a deal to be done. If we know that the counterparty can make the investment more attractive, then we are interested. We are not just going to come along for a bit of a chat about what might occur or what investment might take place.
We need the ability to deploy cash so we are a real participant in the market, so that we can participate equally and on level terms with the private sector, so that we can actually facilitate transactions.
I think we have got evidence that there has certainly been crowding in rather than crowding out, because new financial institutions have come to participate in the market, being encouraged by a government owned entity's participation.
Compared to many other threats the Department of Defense faces, we know a lot about both the timing and the magnitude of climate change. As today’s testimonies make clear—the time for action is now.
Where a conservative government would seek to repeal an institution that is, from my research, successful in acting as a commercial entity and turning a profit means it can only be a pure anti-climate change act.
The Senate divided. [11:46]
(The President—Senator Hogg)
At the end of the motion, add:
but the Senate
(a) notes the recent reduction to Landcare funding;
(b) regrets that the Green Army Programme funding allocation will in part replace the funding that was previously available to Natural Resource Management groups to undertake high quality conservation work and that the net effect of this program will be to transfer funding from skilled Natural Resource Management workers with a long term focus, to unskilled, work-for-the-dole style volunteers and short term projects; and
(c) condemns the Government for introducing a program that will reduce the funding available for conservation in Australia.
If it's really just weeding and tree planting, similar to the sorts of things that were done under the Howard government's programs, a lot of that work, particularly in periods of savage drought, was simply undone because there was no long-term follow up …
The first that I knew about this issue was when I read it in the budget papers. That was a bit surprising to me because it has been the normal practice in my experience at the commission for there to be discussions when these things are going to occur. I had been contacting the minister's office and the department for the past three or four months, for several reasons. Firstly, obviously I was interested to know what plans I should be making or whether there was any consideration of the possibility of reappointment. Secondly, and more significantly, the previous appointment process, in my view, put the commission at significant risk of losing its A status under the Paris principles, because there was not an open appointment process and I was keen to encourage the department and the minister to appoint a disability discrimination commissioner through an applications process—which has been the practice—and through an open process because I was concerned, from the commission's point of view, about the risk to our A status. So I was not provided with the opportunity to have those discussions and, as I say, the first I knew that the position was to be downgraded was when I read it on the night of the budget in the budget papers.
I have done major work in the last 12 months on access to justice—achieving, if you like, freedom of speech and equal access to the justice system for people with disabilities, where we are overrepresented both as victims and as offenders and alleged offenders. We get half the educational outcomes: 25 per cent of people with disabilities achieve year 12 and 50 per cent of the general population achieve year 12. Also, 45 per cent of us live in poverty.
I have dealt with issues of concern in Brisbane, where audible traffic signals are turned off at night; so there is effectively a curfew for people who are blind or who have low vision. I have dealt with a range of issues arising from the budget, both positive and negative. The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme: I have been very involved in its development and rollout and the benefits that that will bring for people with disabilities; the impact of the budget in a range of other areas; the disproportionate impact of any medical co-payments on people with disability-related illnesses; the disadvantage for people on the disability support pension who are being assessed again when they have already been assessed for that; for people under 35; the problems with regard to employment for people with disabilities, where we work at a rate 30 per cent lower than the general population.
This is a significantly disadvantaged sector and I am dealing with issues that relate to that every day that I am in this role. … I do not suggest for a minute that my colleagues and staff at the commission will not continue to work very effectively in this role, but that will be a significant disadvantage to them and to the disability sector in Australia.
I think there is little doubt in my mind, having been a commissioner for some eight years, and in the mind of the disability sector, that the disability sector is significantly advantaged by having a full-time disability discrimination commissioner with lived experience of disability and with knowledge of the disability sector. My lived experience of disability goes through all of my life. My experience in the disability sector started in my 20s, so I bring to the role 30 or 40 years' experience. Whilst all of my colleagues at the commission are skilled and I have a lot of regard for them, none of them would be able to bring that experience to the role and, in my view, that would be a significant downgrading of the position.
… a pandemic as HIV/AIDS or malaria. But is generally downplayed by the public at large and by policy makers
who fail to create and fund programs to eradicate it.
The main workforce pressure facing the workforce is bodies, and creating many, many more.
… it is likely that these costs would be passed on to new residents.
The aged care sector is generally not characterised by high profits and some providers may struggle to continue without this subsidy.
The states and territories are responsible for their own tax base. Payroll is a state and territory tax base; they are responsible for determining the application of the taxes.
I was too ashamed to tell my dad all the graphic details of the sexual attacks. Shame and discussed, mingled with self-hatred ,is a very powerful deterrent to spilling guts even when it could save you.
… an age-of-entitlement allowance to certain individual Australians.
A senator who has spoken to a question may again be heard, to explain some material part of the senator’s speech which has been misquoted or misunderstood, but shall not introduce any new matter, or interrupt any senator speaking …
That the Senate take note of the explanation.
That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Employment (Senator Abetz) and the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to questions without notice asked by Senators Moore and Cameron today relating to paid parental leave.
I accept that there are people in our party room, and for that matter the Liberal party room, who are not that keen on the scheme.
What should have been one of the proudest days in my life has turned into one of the worst.
That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to a question without notice asked by Senator Whish-Wilson today relating to the regulation of financial services.
… providing a targeted exemption for general advice from the ban on conflicted remuneration in certain circumstances.
The Bill amends the Corporations Act to broaden and clarify exemptions from the ban on conflicted remuneration. Specifically, the amendments:
This Bill increases the number of avenues through which certain employees in the financial services industry can earn commissions.
Yet many have said to me that, with the paid parental scheme, the age of entitlement is finished. I will not enter into that. That is a debate for another place and another time. It is a debate, as I understand, is yet to be held. I read in the paper that there are—quoting the Deputy Prime Minister—'different issues' being looked at by the government in relation to the paid parental scheme. I look forward at some time to being taken into confidence by the government on just what is going to happen with it. But, as I say, that is another debate for another time.
So wouldn't this be an appropriate time—with the support of the Commission of Audit—to say, 'The paid parental scheme is a good goal to head towards. It is something that a wealthy, prosperous Australia could and should enter into, but perhaps now is not the right time because now, at this stage in our game, we are trying desperately to pay off Labor's debt'?
That the following matters be referred to the Committee of Privileges for inquiry and report:
In relation to the use of closed circuit television footage by officers of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) for internal investigations involving DPS staff:
(a) whether there was any improper interference, or attempted improper interference, with the free performance by Senator Faulkner or any other senator of their duties as a senator;
(b) whether disciplinary action was taken against any person in connection with the provision of information to Senator Faulkner or any other senator; and
(c) if so, whether any contempts were committed in respect of those matters.
That the following matter be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 26 November 2014:
(a) the extent of income inequality in Australia and the rate at which income inequality is increasing in our community;
(b) the impact of income inequality on access to health, housing, education and work in Australia, and on the quality of the outcomes achieved;
(c) the specific impacts of inequality on disadvantaged groups within the community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, older job seekers, people living with a disability or mental illness, refugees, single parents, those on a low income, people at risk of poverty in retirement as well as the relationship between gender and inequality;
(d) the likely impact of Government policies on current and future rates of inequality particularly the changes proposed in the 2014-15 Budget;
(e) the principles that should underpin the provision of social security payments in Australia; and
(f) the practical measures that could be implemented by Governments to address inequality, particularly appropriate and adequate income support payments.
That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by the third sitting day in 2015:
The Abbott Government's attacks on Australia's environment, and their effects on our natural heritage and future prosperity, including:
(a) attacks on carbon pricing, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the renewable energy target, the Climate Change Authority and the Climate Commission;
(b) attacks on federal environmental protection through handing approval powers over to state governments, which have poor track records and recent environment staff cuts;
(c) attacks on funding for community environment organisations and the Environmental Defenders Offices, abolition of the Biodiversity Fund, and cuts to programs including, Landcare and Caring for our Country;
(d) undermining Australia's compliance with the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Ramsar Convention, in particular by attacking the Great Barrier Reef and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Areas; and
(e) any other related matters.
That the Senate—
(a) notes the:
(i) serious concern among Victorians and representatives of Victoria's multicultural community over the Government's proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, and
(ii) the work of the Action 18C campaign, which has resulted in 47 local councils passing motions opposing the change, representing over 5 million Australians;
(b) supports the right of every Victorian to live without fear of discrimination or hostility based on race, culture or religion; and
(c) calls on the Attorney-General to abandon the proposed changes, particularly to section 18C, that would repeal protections against racial vilification and embolden the enemies of Australia's vibrant multicultural community.
That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958, and for related purposes.
That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time.
That this bill be now read a second time.
MIGRATION AMENDMENT (PROTECTING BABIES BORN IN AUSTRALIA) BILL 2014
As I stand here today and introduce this Bill, dozens of newborn babies and their parents anxiously await their imminent deportation to Australia's offshore detention centres. These babies, however, were not born in their parents' home country, they were born here in Australia. These babies did not enter Australia by sea or by air, they were born safely on Australian soil and this is where they should remain.
This is not purely a question of policy nor is it simply political; it is in fact a question of morality. We have an obligation to provide these children with the safety and protection they need and deserve. We must find common ground and ensure that these children are provided with the best start in life. This cannot be achieved if we send them offshore to be detained in immigration detention.
These children and their families are already here in Australia, therefore the argument that this policy acts as a deterrence is void. They are here, they were born in Australia, and they deserve to be cared for and protected from further harm. Offshore detention is no place for a child to grow up. The best option for these children is to be able to stay in Australia with their parents while their claims for protection are assessed.
Australia made a commitment to protect and uphold the basic rights of children when it signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in December 1990. Australia agreed that any laws or actions affecting children should put their best interests first and benefit them in the best possible way. Australia is currently falling short of this obligation by deporting and detaining newborn babies and their siblings in the Nauru offshore detention centre.
We know that the wellbeing of these children is compromised every day we leave them languishing in detention. The detention environment is not conducive to a caring and protective family life and the opportunities for these children to have access to the things that most of us believe children should have, such as a proper education, play, a sense of safety, is unachievable.
Many reports have shown that a child's development is significantly hampered by the negative impacts of detention. The psychological and psychiatric damage is long term and consistent.
It is important that we reflect on how the policies of today impact on the wellbeing and welfare of innocent children. This Bill will ensure that the rights of children who are born in Australia to asylum seeker parents are upheld and protected.
The Bill amends the Migration Act 1958 (The Act) to ensure that a child who is born in Australia is not classified to have 'entered Australia by sea' and is therefore not an 'unauthorised maritime arrival' subject to transfer to Australia's offshore detention centres.
History will judge us here in this place on how we respond to this moral, yet highly politically charged, issue. On the matter of protecting children and newborn babies we can make a small but life changing step that will protect them from further harm. I believe that one part of this vexed issue that most of us can agree on is that we must protect these children, whose only crime was being born to parents who fled their homeland in search of safety, from further damage and abuse.
I commend this Bill to the Senate.
That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 19 June 2014, from 5 pm, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into the jurisdiction of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.
That the time for the presentation of the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee on the future of beekeeping and pollination service industries in Australia be extended to 25 June 2014.
That the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 19 June 2014, from 3.45 pm.
That the Senate—
(a) recognises the commitment of the world's two largest emitters, the People's Republic of China and the United States of America, to limit and drive down their greenhouse pollution over the coming years;
(b) supports their cooperative approach to use international fora such as the G20 and the United Nations to ensure a global agreement is secured in the Paris Conference of the Parties in 2015;
(c) acknowledges these governments' preferred approach to drive down pollution is through market based, cap and trade systems; and
(d) insists the Government stop making misleading statements that its 'direct action' plan is capable of significantly driving down Australia's emissions or is anyway comparable to the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan.
That the Senate—
(a) acknowledges that Australian motorists can achieve significant hip-pocket savings at the petrol pump if mandatory fuel efficiency standards are gradually introduced for new vehicles;
(b) notes that new Australian cars consume more petrol than new vehicles sold in China, India, Europe and Japan;
(c) recognises that light passenger and commercial vehicles account for 10 per cent of Australia's total carbon pollution, but this can be easily reduced; and
(d) supports the introduction of mandatory fuel efficiency standards.
That the Senate—
(a) notes:
(i) that National TAFE day will be held on 18 June 2014,
(ii) the proposed cuts to technical and further education (TAFE) budgets across Australia will have disastrous impacts on staff and students and Australia’s economic future and social well-being,
(iii) the changes to TAFE are adversely impacting regional, rural and disadvantaged communities and people with varying abilities, and
(iv) the Senate inquiry into TAFE unearthed widespread concerns across industries and interests about the quality of education and training provided through the private vocational and education market; and
(b) calls on the federal and state governments to:
(i) reverse the harsh budget cuts to TAFE and to abandon changes proposed to vocational education and training that undermine TAFE as a public provider,
(ii) review the current competitive tendering model of government funding as it impacts on TAFE,
(iii) support and expand the capacity of the public TAFE system to allow it to continue its historic role providing high quality technical and further education to Australians of all ages and backgrounds,
(iv) properly recognise the importance of TAFE in providing vocational and technical education in areas of high and low demand, in rural and remote areas and in supporting access and participation for disadvantaged learners, and
(v) work collaboratively to develop a national workforce strategy for the TAFE sector.
That the Senate—
(a) recognises the role that carers play in our community, particularly family carers and acknowledges the over $40 billion of unpaid care that carers provide;
(b) celebrates the diversity of carers in our community, who may be caring for a spouse, a sibling, a parent or a child, and particularly recognises the contribution of our young carers; and
(c) calls on the Government to maintain its support of carers and ensure that its welfare reform process does not adversely affect carers or reduce their access to income support General business notice of motion No. 282 standing in my name and the name of Senator Moore for today relating to carers to be taken as a formal notion. Before I ask you to seek the agreement of the chamber, I would like to seek leave to amend the motion to add the name of Senator Boyce.
That the Senate—
(a) notes that on 15 December 2010, a vessel now known as SIEV 221 foundered on rocks at Rocky Point near Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island, resulting in a significant search and rescue event and tragic loss of life; and
(b) acknowledges the:
(i) bravery of the crews of the Customs and Border Protection vessel, ACV Triton, and the Royal Australian Navy vessel, HMAS Pirie, and the people of Christmas Island who rescued 41 survivors in treacherous conditions at considerable risk to their own personal safety,
(ii) work done by officers of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Australian Navy who serve as part of Border Protection Command in protecting our borders, is recognised and appreciated, and
(iii) findings of the Joint Select Committee on the Christmas Island Tragedy in relation to the efforts of Customs, Navy and Australian Federal Police (AFP) on the day and that 'The committee believes the response by Customs, Navy and AFP on the day was a tremendous rescue effort made in atrocious circumstances'.
Australia’s new view is starkly at odds with the true status of east Jerusalem under international law.
… … …
It also corrodes the international rule of law and violates Australia’s international law obligations.
… … …
The term 'occupation' is therefore not pejorative or judgmental. It is an objective legal description of Israel’s physical control of a place beyond Israel’s borders at independence in 1948.
Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion:
The Abbott government's failure to protect Australia's World Heritage listed sites.
The area managed under the TWWHA management plan provides a good representation of well-managed tall Eucalyptus forest and there is similar forest outside the property which is also well-managed, but for both conservation and development objectives. The threats to these forests from production forestry activities are well managed and there no need for the boundary of the property to be changed to deal with such threats.
The forest at Mother Cummings was pristine oldgrowth, with all the associated environmental values. Logging has removed these values. Although a so-called forest remains, these unique values are gone.
As actors, it is our responsibility to read the newspapers, and then say what we read on television like it's our own opinion.
By following the rules of the Film Actors Guild, the world can become a better place that handles dangerous people with talk and reasoning. That is the FAG way. One day you will all look at the world us actors created and say, 'Wow, good going, FAG. You really made the world a better place, didn't you, FAG.'
(1) That the Senate notes the division and dysfunction in the Coalition Government over the Prime Minister's unaffordable and unfair Paid Parental Leave Scheme.
(2) Calls on the Government to release the details of the Prime Minister's scheme, including its costs and modelling that quantifies productivity and distributional impacts.
When I sought preselection in my party, I made it clear that my interests were one, a preferential option for the poor; two, solidarity with the poor; three, seeing that the common wealth was shared; and, four, seeing that things should be done for the common good.
Those who are well-heeled, in positions of power or otherwise advantaged have little or nothing to worry about. Those people can take care of themselves. The people that I am concerned about are those who are poor, who do not have any power or are otherwise disadvantaged.
I shall work through the avenues of my party and through this Senate to focus on the right of the individual to their dignity by being given meaningful work and meaningful pay. I hope I am able to raise the status of people above that of some mere pawn in a production line or something as disposable as a tissue. I will fight for dignity in youth, in work and in retirement.
I wish you well in your political career. It is worth pursuing and the only advice I can give you is that you should enjoy every moment of it. It will be exhilarating, frustrating and exhausting but well worthwhile.
I thought I should record this story—
because, as some people have said, it might provide some inspiration to somebody who feels that, because of some physical abnormality, they are being held back. I think the answer is just to keep on going, and you will succeed in the long run.
Surely in 2013 we are past the homophobic, scared-of-difference, scared-of-diversity view that would be implied by any sort of attempt to put into the Constitution the idea that marriage is between a man and a woman only. My only hope is that the appalling record of referenda in Australia—their complete lack of success—means that that would go down. But it would not go down just because we are not very good at passing referenda; it would go down because in 2013 it is a disgusting and immoral idea to want to take that point.
I do not know what we can do, other than something like this, to try to persuade others that same-sex marriage is not going to be the end of the world for anybody, especially not for children or couples in Australia.
A marriage is a special commitment. A marriage provides more security for those in it, including the children who would be in it. There is no reason not to allow same-sex marriage in Australia.
SENATOR ALAN EGGLESTON
'Eggs' as you are affectionately known to all of us who have had the pleasure of working with you, it is difficult to know where to start in terms of the enormous contribution you have made in Parliament.
In your own words you sought election to give people in the North West of Western Australia a voice in Federal Parliament – and that you did and more – much more.
Senator Eggleston was elected for his first six-year term in 1996 and re-elected in the 2001 and 2007 elections. In all we have had the benefit of a wonderful human being in the Senate for 17 years.
I think we should reflect with gratitude that someone of Senator Eggleston's background chose to pursue public life.
Senator Eggleston studied medicine at University of Western Australia and spent four years working in the UK hospital system and 18 months as a GP in Perth and then followed a long held wish to spend time in the north of WA.
He then joined the North West Medical Service of the WA Health Department and was based at the Port Hedland Regional Hospital for 18 months.
This work involved flying clinics with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to the Pilbara mining towns and escorting patients to metropolitan hospitals as well as working the in the Port Hedland Regional Hospital.
It was always open to Senator Eggleston to continue pursuing a career in medicine exclusively after 22 years as a doctor and to further this career as a private citizen – an honourable pursuit as he engendered much admiration and respect in the communities he worked in.
And I know Senator Eggleston will not mind me saying that in the north Indigenous people affectionately referred to him as "The Little Doctor".
But Senator Eggleston sought to challenge himself in the political sphere, initially as mayor of Port Hedland, before being elected to the Senate.
He also managed to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Studies as an external student to broaden his knowledge of Australian and Asian politics.
This is a man who has continued to want to scale new horizons and not restrict himself to one field of endeavour.
My abiding affection for Senator Eggleston arises from our shared experience of having lived among Indigenous people.
Senator Eggleston came into contact with the Aboriginal community when he went to the Pilbara in 1974 when he used to see patients at the Port Hedland Hospital outpatient department while he worked there.
It is a great sign of the respect with which he was held when in 1975 he was invited to an Aboriginal bush meeting on the banks of the Coongan River near Marble Bar.
These quarterly meetings involved Indigenous people coming from all over the Pilbara – including from the Western Desert and as far west as Onslow and the area around it.
In other words, while Senator Eggleston may have been too modest to admit, he was held in such high regard that he was welcomed into the inner sanctum of the business of the Aboriginal community.
The symbolism of this gesture cannot be underestimated.
But I would like here to highlight my personal admiration for Senator Eggleston and the meaningful contribution to an issue central to this Government's focus - Constitutional Recognition of our First Australians.
In a speech in respect of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill Senator Eggleston stated:
I think it is now very appropriate that we do recognise that the Indigenous people were here first and that that fact is acknowledged in our Constitution…This Bill is not a token gesture. It is an important building block of unity and of recognition of the long history of Aboriginal people in Australia and will carry a message of all of our community, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, migrants from all over the world as well as those Australians whose history goes back 40,000 years, that we are moving forward as one people in one country.
This speech so eloquently sums up the Government's view on the importance of Constitutional Recognition of our First Australians and I thank you Senator for giving this issue prominence in public debate.
Senator Eggleston's compassion was evident in a wide range of areas. Mental health was another matter close to his heart.
He also has been a strong supporter of developing a future for Northern Australia, believing that it could become a food bowl to double Australia's food output; increase tourism; and build an energy and export industry. In this regard we also share many views.
Senator Eggleston has also poured much energy into his Committee work involving a diverse range of issues, including Defence, Foreign Affairs, migration, finance and public administration, to name a few.
I have to say that I was saddened to read that in his early career in Federal politics he thought his medical condition might have been an issue in Canberra. I was sad because to all of us you are a giant of a human being and you walk tall.
As you leave this place I hope you know that many lives have been changed because of who you are, and particularly the most vulnerable.
You have every reason to be proud.
I wish you all the very best and you will always have friends here from all sides of politics.
You will always be a part of this big and often dysfunctional, but admiring family.
SENATOR SUE BOYCE
I rise to farewell from the Senate, Senator the Hon Sue Boyce, and to pay homage to a career that has reflected integrity and sense of purpose. We would all in this place agree that Senator Boyce has come into politics to make a difference and to stand up for what she believes.
It is true that we all here because fundamentally, whatever side of politics, we all want to make society a better place for us and future generations – even if we don't always agree about how we might do so. And we can also be forgiven if at times we question whether it is all worth it. It would be all too easy to succumb to the lure of the path of least resistance and pursue a quiet life.
But Senator Boyce certainly did not come into Parliament to have a quiet life. Nor did she ever lose her passion and sense of purpose. And most admirably she has always remained true to herself. It must be tremendously rewarding to leave knowing that she followed what she always thought was the right thing to do.
Senator Boyce was elected by the Queensland Parliament on 19 April 2007 to fill a casual Senate vacancy; the first Queensland Liberal female Senator in 60 years.
She was later elected in her own right at the Federal election on 24 November 2007. And while Senator Boyce may have come into Parliament to fill a casual vacancy, her contribution to public life has been anything but casual at any time.
The Senate was fortunate to have had the benefit of her varied and rich past work experience which includes Company director, former journalist and public relations practitioner with international experience. Her work in her family's manufacturing business has assisted her relate well to the issues faced by Australian manufacturers and especially family businesses.
But like me, many will remember Sue Boyce's parliamentary career for her tireless work as an advocate for the rights of people with a disability, having been a past president of the Down Syndrome Association of Queensland.
She has also taken on other important health sector issues and has been a strong advocate for women's voices to be heard in Parliament.
Senator Boyce has been well placed to advocate on behalf of Down Syndrome as she herself, as well as being a successful professional and business woman, has raised her daughter, Joanna, who has Down Syndrome - one of three children Senator Boyce has raised.
Senator Boyce's compassion and empathy for people with all levels of ability is well-known in this place - but it is a true test of her character that she was able to achieve so much for others, when it would have been easy for her to focus on her own sphere.
And even if some disagree with her views, many have admired her strong stance on marriage equality. It would have been an agonising and lonely decision to make to break away from her colleagues and to do what she thought was the only thing she could do.
It is only a party such as the Liberal Party that would accommodate a broad range of views because Senator Boyce always sees herself as a true Liberal, first and foremost.
But I also want to acknowledge the foresight Senator Boyce reflected in a speech she gave to the Senate on 20 June 2007 on Indigenous Issues. In that speech Senator Boyce commented on the Wild-Anderson reports that looked into Indigenous disadvantage and the need to rethink unconditional welfare.
Senator Boyce expressed her dismay in terms of the findings regarding lack of meaningful work, substance abuse and life expectancy. But she was also concerned that reports would come and go and nothing would happen.
As she stated in her speech in June 2007, " As everyone present would know, none of this is new, unfortunately. In fact, there has been a long-standing tradition of state government reports – very good reports…As governments, we talk wisely about them, and then nothing; nothing really changes ".
How prophetic her words turned out to be in the past 6 years of the Rudd/Gillard governments in terms of Closing the Gap targets; on many indicators life for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those living in remote Australia, has not improved.
Senator Boyce will be very much missed. She has made a tremendous contribution in her work on Committees; always with an eye to ensuring that real results ensue.
She has taken up the difficult causes and has bravely pursued these regardless of the personal consequences she may have had to bear.
I wish you Senator Boyce, on the part of the National Party, all the very best in your future endeavours as it has been a pleasure to work with someone of your calibre and passion.
SENATOR JOHN HOGG
I rise to farewell Senator John Hogg who has served in this place with dignity and fairness.
And yes you have had the patience of a Saint to deal with us all.
As you stated in your Maiden speech to Federal Parliament in September 1996:
" Democracy is founded on the principle of mutual respect and on the expectation of reciprocal dignity. This building and this chamber are designed and built to enhance the dignity of parliament and to express respect for the institutions and processes of our democracy ".
And you have indeed have treated this place with respect.
Queensland is today losing a tremendous Senator, even if he is leaving of his own accord. The labour movement will also lose a thoughtful and decent son.
Your constituents will also miss the passion and engagement with which you have undertaken your responsibilities.
He has been proud to open over 229 Building the Education Revolution projects worth over $367million in his State and projects under the Labor Government's Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program worth over $31million over 10 Regional Councils.
The records indicate that he has spoken in numerous debates in this place – well above average amongst Senators.
The Senate will miss you and I wish you and your spouse and family all the very best.
It's not "triumphalism" or "bigoted" to assert Western values … it's just "asserting what you believe in … Freedom and a belief that until a tried way is found wanting, you should continue doing it."
We all of us wish for peace. But we cannot have peace just by wishing for it or just by talking about it; we have to work for it, and sometimes, tragically, we have to fight for it. The great lesson of this Century is that peace is bought at too high a price, if that price is the appeasement of aggression.
Kwinana Jetty once proudly serviced a community for ships and the peacefulness of residents fishing from its structure. With one swift blow, a single incident, it sustained severe storm damage on 10th June 2012. It was then locked and deemed an "unsafe, dangerous structure" with no financial assistance available for restoration. Now, it stands as tribute to that one incident in life that occurs to many of us. We stand alone suffering the indignation of waiting for the opportunity to rebuild our lives, struggling with all that is decaying around us.
If we put forward a new drug, we had to prove its safety—but not here. Despite the risks to farming, to our health and to local economies they are excused from having to prove that it is safe.
If it happens and we didn't have any say in it and they started drilling, we'd have to take the kids and leave the family farm. It's the last thing we'd want to do but we don't see how agriculture and mining can coexist in this way. We know it impacts on groundwater and we rely on a bore and a spring fed dam. If it becomes contaminated, how will it affect our meat? There are so many unknowns.
Our area is renowned for its tourist attractions. It relies on the tourism industry and eco-tourism, on its vineyards and its gourmet value-added food production. All this is threatened by fracking. Fracking is incredibly short-term and short-sighted, and considering our wealth of sunlight, wind and waves, we should be looking at these sustainable non-polluting alternatives and not destroying our ecology.
As a young kid I visited my Grandmother there for school holidays and she would share stories with me about the farm. You may know that this industry has devastated farmland in the Pilliga and the Northern Rivers, close to where my family still lives today. It has expanded unconfined into Queensland and the Northern Territory, and it continues its spread throughout Australia. The mining company, Lakes Oil, which is owned by Gina Rinehart, is trying to expand into Gippsland, the Otways and the surf coast of Victoria.
I now live in Melbourne and about three years ago, I had to choose whether to become more active and participate as best I could in stopping this ferocious industry, or turn a blind eye and switch off. I chose to fight.