That the time for the presentation of the report of the Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee on labour market skills requirements be extended to 6 November 2003.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 2003 is the seventieth anniversary of the enforced famine in the Ukraine, which was caused by the deliberate actions of Stalin's communist government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;

(b) recalls that an estimated 7 million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Stalinist policies in 1932-33 alone, and that millions more lost their lives in the purge which ensued for the remainder of the decade;

(c) notes that this constitutes one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history;

(d) honours the memory of those who lost their lives;

(e) joins the Ukrainian people throughout the world, and particularly Ukrainian Australians, in commemorating these tragic events; and

(f) resolves to seek to ensure that current and future generations are made aware of the monstrous evil that led to the famine.

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee on the provisions of the Maritime Transport Security Bill 2003 be extended to 25 November 2003.

That the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 30 October 2003, from 4 pm, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into rural water resource usage.

That the Senate and Senate committees shall not entertain any claim to withhold information from the Senate or a committee on the grounds that it is commercial-in-confidence, unless the claim is made by a minister and is accompanied by a statement setting out the basis for the claim, including a statement of any commercial harm that may result from the disclosure of the information.

That—

(1) The following matters be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report by 12 May 2004:

(a) the effectiveness of the Australian military justice system in providing impartial, rigorous and fair outcomes, and mechanisms to improve the transparency and public accountability of military justice procedures; and

(b) the handling by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) of:

(i) inquiries into the reasons for peacetime deaths in the ADF (whether occurring by suicide or accident), including the quality of investigations, the process for their instigation, and implementation of findings,

(ii) allegations that ADF personnel, cadets, trainees, civilian employees or former personnel have been mistreated,

(iii) inquiries into whether administrative action or disciplinary action should be taken against any member of the ADF, and

(iv) allegations of drug abuse by ADF members.

(2) Without limiting the scope of its inquiry, the committee shall consider the process and handling of the following investigations by the ADF into:

(a) the death of Private Jeremy Williams;

(b) the reasons for the fatal fire on the HMAS Westralia;

(c) the death of Air Cadet Eleanore Tibble;

(d) allegations about misconduct by members of the Special Air Service in East Timor; and

(e) the disappearance at sea of Acting Leading Seaman Gurr in 2002.

(3) The Committee shall also examine the impact of Government initiatives to improve the military justice system, including the Inspector General of the ADF and the proposed office of Director of Military Prosecutions.

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and for related purposes. Kyoto Protocol Ratification Bill 2003 [No. 2].