NOTICES

Notices of motion:

Senator Milne: To move on the next day of sitting—That the Senate—

 (a) notes that:

  (i) while Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory all insure public assets with a comprehensive disaster cover obtained on the international re-insurance market, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Tasmania do not,

  (ii) the recent comments by the Prime Minister (Ms Gillard) that Queensland's lack of insurance cover for its public assets was a `matter for Queensland', are obviously incorrect, given that the flood levy will be borne by the majority of taxpayers, and

  (iii) the extent to which the Commonwealth reimburses the states and territories for expenditure related to natural disaster relief and recovery, as set out by the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, does not take into consideration whether a state or territory has taken out insurance cover; and

 (b) calls on the Government to:

  (i) reveal the Commonwealth Government's insurance arrangements for its infrastructure,

  (ii) transparently estimate what the cost to the Commonwealth Government would have been had the Queensland Government purchased reinsurance to cover the cost of damage to public infrastructure caused by recent natural disasters,

  (iii) table all communication between the Commonwealth and the Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmanian Governments relating to their lack of natural disaster reinsurance for public infrastructure, since the 2007 election, and

  (iv) consider how future Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements can take into consideration the extent to which the state and territory governments are insured against damage to public infrastructure caused by natural disasters. (general business notice of motion no. 172)

Senator Milne: To move on the next day of sitting—That the Senate—

 (a) notes that:

  (i) in 2006 the Australian Greens instigated an inquiry by the Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport into Australia's future oil supply and alternative transport fuels,

  (ii) neither the former Howard Government, the former Rudd Government nor the Gillard Government have implemented the nine recommendations of that inquiry's tripartite report, with only `Recommendation 6' relating to incentives for fuel efficient vehicles even having been considered,

  (iii) following a series of whistleblower leaks, the International Energy Agency in 2010 for the first time publicly acknowledged the real threat of peak oil, and

  (iv) a series of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks and published in the week beginning 6 February 2011 reveals growing confidence that Saudi Arabian oil reserves have been overstated by as much as 40 per cent and that the world's biggest oil exporter may not be able to supply enough oil to the global market to prevent prices rising dramatically; and

 (b) calls on the Government immediately to develop a national plan to respond to the challenge of peak oil and Australia's dependence on imported foreign oil. (general business notice of motion no. 173)

Senator Xenophon: To move on the next day of sitting—That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Customs Act 1901 in relation to anti-dumping duties, and for related purposes. Customs Amendment (Anti-Dumping) Bill 2011. (general business notice of motion no. 174)

Intention to withdraw: Senator McEwen, at the request of the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances (Senator Stephens) and pursuant to standing order 78, gave notice of Senator Stephens' intention, at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting, to withdraw business of the Senate notices of motion nos 1, 2, 3 and 4 standing in the name of Senator Stephens for 12 sitting days after today for the disallowance of the following instruments:

 ASIC Market Integrity Rules (ASX Market) 2010, made under subsection 798G(1) of the Corporations Act 2001.

 Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (Annual General Meeting of the Industry) Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 1), as contained in Select Legislative Instrument 2010 No. 218 and made under the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act 1980.

 Electoral and Referendum Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 3), as contained in Select Legislative Instrument 2010 No. 227 and made under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984.

 Producer Offset Amendment Rules 2010 (No. 1), made under section 376-265 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Senator McEwen, by leave, made a statement relating to the notice of intention.