Senator Marshall to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the time for the presentation of the report of the Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Committee on the current level of academic standards of school education be extended to 13 September 2007.

Senator Abetz to move on the next day of sitting:

   That, immediately after Senator Cormann’s first speech on Wednesday, 15 August 2007, valedictory statements may be made relating to Senator Calvert.

Senator Hutchins to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate notes that:

(a)   the St Vincent de Paul Society’s annual Winter Appeal ends on 31 August 2007;

(b)   more than half of the people assisted by the St Vincent de Paul Society in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are families;

(c)   in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in 2006:

(i)   more than 750 000 people were assisted by the St Vincent de Paul Society,

(ii)   St Vincent de Paul Society volunteers visited more than 500 000 people in their homes to deliver food parcels, household supplies or vouchers for bills, and

(iii)   Vinnies Centres distributed more than $3 million worth of clothing, bedding, furniture and other donated items to more than 75 000 people;

(d)   there is a growing gap between rich and poor in Australia, evidenced by data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that:

(i)   the wealthiest 20 per cent of households in 2005-06 accounted for 61 per cent of total household net worth, with average net worth of $1.7 million per household, and

(ii)   the poorest 20 per cent of households accounted for 1 per cent of total household net worth and had an average net worth of $27 000 per household; and

(e)   the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) still claims that ‘families have never been better off’ under the Coalition Government.

Senator Mason to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act 1953 in relation to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and for other purposes. National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2007.

Senator Minchin to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Offshore Petroleum Act 2006, and for other purposes. Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2007.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate—

(a)   notes on 6 December 2006 in the General Assembly of the United Nations 125 countries voted for the commencement of multilateral negotiations leading to an early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention and that Australia was one of 29 abstentions; and

(b)   calls on the Government to work for the immediate commencement of negotiations towards a nuclear weapons convention to ban the development, production, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),

(ii)   the United States of America (US) and India have agreed to the terms of a deal to exempt India from US laws and international rules that seek to prevent states that are not parties to the NPT from using commercial imports of nuclear technology and fuel to aid their nuclear weapons ambitions,

(iii)   under the India-US nuclear deal two reactors dedicated to making plutonium for nuclear weapons and nine power reactors, including a plutonium breeder reactor that is under construction, will be outside international safeguards,

(iv)   India needs to import uranium to relieve an acute fuel shortage for its existing nuclear reactors and that importing uranium will free up more of India’s domestic uranium for its military program,

(v)   Pakistan has expressed its fears about the India-US nuclear deal, and

(vi)   any sale of Australian uranium to India would contravene the NPT; and

(b)   calls on the Government to reject any sale of Australian uranium to non-NPT states, including India.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate calls on the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Mr Turnbull) and the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (Senator Abetz) to protect Australia’s remaining forests of high conservation value, including those which are the habitat of rare, vulnerable or endangered species.

Senator Stott Despoja to move on 16 August 2007:

   That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Privacy Act 1988 to require organisations and agencies to notify affected individuals of a breach of data security where their personal information is accessed by, or disclosed to, an unauthorised person, and for related purposes. Privacy (Data Security Breach Notification) Amendment Bill 2007.

Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate notes that:

(a)   a new scientific study, The Nature of Northern Australia, has found that northern Australia has the largest and least damaged tropical savannah in the world;

(b)   northern Australia is emerging as one of the last great natural areas on earth and that its ecosystems are globally significant;

(c)   good land management practices will be critical to the long-term survival of northern Australia’s pristine environments;

(d)   elsewhere in the tropics, and in the rest of Australia, the health and functioning of lands and waters have been impaired and that inappropriate development is a major threat to the northern Australian savannah; and

(e)   a new approach to development and conservation is needed to ensure that northern Australia remains one of the world’s great natural places.

Senator Nettle to move on the next day of sitting:

   That the Senate—

(a)   notes the final report of Australian University Student Finances 2006, released on 8 August 2007, highlights the urgent need to improve financial support for students; and

(b)   calls on the Government to introduce concrete measures to increase direct financial support to students including, but not limited to:

(i)   lowering the age of independence to 18, and

(ii)   providing a level of financial support that ensures all full-time students can financially support themselves during teaching periods without the need to seek further employment.