SENATOR BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (6:12 PM) -It is a pleasure to rise to make a few brief comments on the Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2010. Everybody believes in having a healthier society, promoting health outcomes and encouraging healthier lifestyles amongst all Australians. These are motherhood statements. These are things that I think we…
SENATOR BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (6:32 PM) -I also rise to contribute to this very important discussion on Afghanistan. This is a very sombre and serious debate because it goes to perhaps the most important of all topics that we in this parliament could ever discuss-people’s lives. First and foremost, the decisions made within this parliament…
SENATOR BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (4:38 PM) -It is a pleasure to speak on this matter of public importance, and indeed this is an incredibly important matter for Australia because there is $43 billion of money on the line here and potentially a world of debt, pain and repayments at the end of this. It is…
SENATOR BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (6:32 PM) -I also rise to contribute to this very important discussion on Afghanistan. This is a very sombre and serious debate because it goes to perhaps the most important of all topics that we in this parliament could ever discuss-people’s lives. First and foremost, the decisions made within this parliament…
SENATOR BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (5:05 PM) -I am pleased to join Senator Joyce in taking note of the ministerial statement on the Murray-Darling Basin. I welcome the ministerial statement and the release of the legal advice that was tabled by Minister Burke yesterday, but the core question that needs to be answered is: why did…
Senator Birmingham: (South Australia) (5:15 PM) -Madam Acting Deputy President Kroger, congratulations on your appointment to the office of Acting Deputy President, which I am sure you will fill well. This Labor government simply cannot manage a reform agenda. Anything of substance, anything of note, that they touch just turns into mush, turns into waste,…
Senator Birmingham: (South Australia) (12:31 PM) -It is my pleasure to rise to contribute to this debate on the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill 2010, the Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Charge) Amendment Bill 2010 and the Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Small-scale Technology Shortfall Charge) Bill 2010. At the outset, I restate the coalition’s strong commitment to the…
Senator Birmingham (South Australia) (10:22 AM) -It is a pleasure to rise to speak on the Paid Parental Leave Bill 2010 and the Paid Parental Leave (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010, and to follow some distinguished and admirable comments from many of my colleagues in this place from all sides of the chamber on this very…
Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia) (1:00 PM) -This Saturday, South Australian voters will face a real choice when they go to the polls in our state election, a choice between continuing the 15 years of shallow, spinning leadership by Mike Rann or the straight-talking real action of Isobel Redmond. Today I want to highlight three key…
Senator Birmingham: (South Australia) (12:44 PM) -It is my pleasure to speak on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2009. It is a nicely named bill whose title makes it sound fairly innocuous, but it is a bill that strikes at the very heart of shareholder risk, sovereign risk and issues to…