Parliament

Senator Bob Brown (Tasmania) asked the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, upon notice, on 17 November 2009:

For 2009 in Tasmania, how much Australian Broadcasting Corporation television and radio news time and other coverage was given to the annual state conferences of the:

(a)Australian Labor Party;
(b)the Liberal Party of Australia; and
(c)the Australian Greens.

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania) (Leader of the Australian Greens) (2:30 PM) -My question without notice is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In view of the revelations from Dr Alison Bleaney and Sydney scientist Marcus Scammell that eucalyptus nitens might be turning catchments of water in Tasmania into pesticide factories, when did the minister for forests, Mr Burke, first become aware of that toxicity and what action did he or will he take?

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania) (Leader of the Australian Greens) (3:38 PM) -by leave-I move:

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania) (Leader of the Australian Greens) (3:53 PM) -I move:
That the Senate-
(a)expresses its disappointment at the Chinese Government's decision to uphold Liu Xiaobo's sentence of 11 years in prison on the charge of ‘inciting subversion of state power';
(b)notes that Mr Liu has peacefully worked for the establishment of political openness and accountability in China; and

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania) (Leader of the Australian Greens) (9:48 AM) —I, and also on behalf of Senator Milne, move:  That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 17 June 2010:
The toxicity of the George River in north-east Tasmania, with particular reference to:

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania) (Leader of the Australian Greens) (9:37 AM) —I move: That, with regard to the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Abbott) on industrial manslaughter, the Senate accepts the need for strong national industrial manslaughter laws.

Question put.

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At a time when the community is facing unprecedented environmental and economic challenges, this Budget should be transforming Australia to a low-carbon economy.

This Budget should be, but is not, a Green New Deal for Australia.

The nation faces the consequences of an extraordinary meltdown of the global economic wellbeing that has emanated from a mismanagement of the trust of people by the corporate sector based in New York and the inevitable catch-up from the spending of assets that simply could not be backed. This is not unforecast. JK Galbraith, for one-I read his book in 1995-forecast an inevitable bust because of the boom that could not be sustained, could not be justified, that even then had appeared in Western economies and was being led by the biggest finance houses on Wall Street.