It is always a delight to follow my very good colleague Senator Mason. At the outset, I would like to commend him for the work he has done on this issue. It has been, as he said, a particularly arduous process for nearly a year now. I think it was last May that we started on this process. It has bee... ...more
I would like to very briefly reiterate my earlier comments. The amendment simply says that all regional students should be treated the same. By including the inner regional zone, all regional students should be treated the same. The government has this view that all men are equal but some are more e... ...more
It is an extraordinary situation here. I rise to take note of answers given by Minister Wong. As my very good colleague Senator Ryan referred to in his opening remarks, if it was not so very serious, it would be like a Monty Python skit. And it absolutely is. The government is like the Black K... ...more
I note with interest the contribution from Senator O’Brien on the Food Importation (Bovine Meat Standards) Bill 2010. At the outset he seemed to suggest that we were trying to bring this to a vote today. The senator knows full well that, by agreement, there are no votes in the chamber after 4.... ...more
I rise tonight to make some comments on an issue that I think is top of mind at the moment for people right across the country, and that is paid parental leave. There are varying views on this issue but, when it comes to bringing up children, it is incredibly important because Australia’s futu... ...more