NOTICES

The Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee (Senator Moore): To move on the next day of sitting—That the Community Affairs Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Tuesday, 21 August 2012, from 12.30 pm. (general business notice of motion no. 832)

The Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee (Senator Moore): To move on the next day of sitting—That the Community Affairs Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 16 August 2012, from 5 pm, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill 2012. (general business notice of motion no. 833)

The Chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee and Deputy Chair of the Environment and Communications References Committee (Senator Cameron): To move on the next day of sitting—That the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee and the Environment and Communications References Committee be authorised to hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 16 August 2012, from 1 pm. (general business notice of motion no. 834)

Senator Brown: To move on the next day of sitting—That the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 22 August 2012, from 9.30 am to 11 am, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Procedure) Bill 2012. (general business notice of motion no. 835)

The Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee (Senator Heffernan): To move on the next day of sitting—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, 16 August 2012, from 4.30 pm, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into the examination of the Foreign Investment Review Board national interest test. (general business notice of motion no. 836)

The Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Senator Cash): To move on the next day of sitting—That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity be authorised to hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate, from 11 am, as follows:

 (a) on Thursday, 16 August 2012; and

 (b) on Thursday, 13 September 2012. (general business notice of motion no. 837)

The Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee (Senator Siewert): To move on the next day of sitting—That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on its inquiry into health services and medical professionals in rural areas be extended to 22 August 2012. (general business notice of motion no. 838)

The Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee (Senator Siewert): To move on the next day of sitting—That the Community Affairs References Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Tuesday, 21 August 2012, from 12.30 pm. (general business notice of motion no. 839)

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

 (a) notes that:

 (i) Westpac's environmental credentials have assisted it to promote the bank's business,

 (ii) Westpac was the first Australian bank to adopt the Equator Principles, agreeing not to fund projects that endanger communities or the environment, and is a signatory to the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative,

 (iii) the Solomon Islands is listed as having the highest percentage loss of rainforest in the Pacific,

 (iv) logging in the Solomon Islands is unsustainable and has led to significant pressure on the natural environment, friction within local communities, threats to food security and breaches of human rights, including the sexual exploitation of women and children,

 (v) recent investigations show Westpac has provided loans to companies in the Solomon Islands which have been involved in illegal tree-felling, hiring of illegal workers and alleged non-payment of compensation for illegal logging,

 (vi) Westpac claims it has reduced lending to the forestry industry to 9 per cent of its loan book in the Solomon Islands and is taking on no new business in the Solomon Islands, yet it has recently gone guarantor for a new project to log pristine rainforest on Vella Lavella,

 (vii) the Australian Greens have written to the Banksia Environmental Foundation asking it to consider withdrawing past awards to Westpac because of this involvement, and

 (viii) Westpac has refused to investigate the loans it has made to those involved in illegal logging or to withdraw immediately from financing logging operations in the Solomon Islands; and

 (b) calls on the Governmentto:

  (i) approach the Banksia Environmental Foundation, which administers the Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year awards with Government funding, to ask the foundation to review and consider withdrawing Westpac's past awards,

  (ii) initiate talks with Westpac seeking a commitment to immediately end links with forestry in the Solomon Islands and contribute to forest restoration, and

  (iii) conduct an investigation into the collapse of the forestry industry due to illegal practices which will impact on the whole Solomon Islands' economy and bring hardship to local people, if Westpac does not in the short-term withdraw from financing logging operations. (general business notice of motion no. 840)

The Minister for Sport (Senator Lundy): To move on the next day of sitting—That following the 30th Olympiad the Senate congratulates our Olympians on their performances in London 2012.

Senator Cormann: To move on the next day of sitting—

 (1) That the Senate notes that:

  (a) on 18 March 2012, the Prime Minister promised former Senator Bob Brown, then Leader of the Australian Greens, that the Government would publish monthly updates on revenue collections from the Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT); and

  (b) the MRRT legislation came into effect on 1 July 2012.

 (2) That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, no later than noon on the 20th day of every month, information relating to the MRRT revenue collected by the Government in the preceding calendar month, broken down by state or territory of collection and by commodity type.

 (3) If the Senate is not sitting when a statement is ready for presentation, the statement is to be presented to the President in accordance with standing order 166.

 (4) This order is of continuing effect. (general business notice of motion no. 841)

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

 (a) notes:

  (i) reports of a surveillance system known as TrapWire operating in the United Kingdom, Canada and cities in the United States of America, including Washington DC, Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles, and

  (ii) TrapWire's features are reputed to include the ability to centralise and aggregate data from public surveillance cameras and share threat information across networks; and

 (b) calls on the Government to confirm:

  (i) whether the TrapWire system is deployed anywhere in Australia,

  (ii) if Australian law enforcement and intelligence agencies have access to, or have in the past used, information provided by foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies using the TrapWire system, and

  (iii) if the Government or its law enforcement and intelligence agencies have held discussions about acquiring the TrapWire system for use by government entities here. (general business notice of motion no. 842)

Senators Wright and Ludlam: To move on the next day of sitting—That the Senate—

 (a) notes that:

  (i) the week 6 August to 12 August 2012 was national Homeless Persons' Week, and

  (ii) on any given night in Australia, approximately 105 000 people are experiencing homelessness;

 (b) recognises that:

  (i) mental illness is both a cause and consequence of homelessness, and

  (ii) the Australian Council of Social Service's Community Sector Survey 2012 recently highlighted that the availability of secure and affordable housing, and care and treatment for mental illness, are the greatest areas of need for people experiencing poverty and disadvantage in Australia; and

 (c) calls on the Government to consider and respond to underfunding, funding uncertainty and unmet need in the homelessness and mental health sectors. (general business notice of motion no. 843)