Parliament

My question is for the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Reports today indicate that your government has walked away from major tax reform, and yet today you have announced a major increase in defence spending. Given the so-called budget emergency and your refusal to end huge tax concessions like negative gearing and like the concessions in the superannuation system, Minister, how do you intend to pay for it?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General)  

Firstly, let me acknowledge the traditional owners, the Ngunnawal people. I want to pay my respect to their elders, past and present. The official Closing the Gap report and the civil society reports are very clear-we have a long way to go when it comes to achieving equal health, social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Of course, the statistics tell the story-they are damning-but there is no substitute for seeing and experiencing.

I rise to speak to today's matter of public importance.

There was a national sigh of relief when Tony Abbott was replaced by Malcolm Turnbull. Most Australians gave the new Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt. We were pleased to see the end of Tony Abbott's divisive politics. We hoped that it would mark a turning point on so many critical issues-issues like climate change, getting children out of detention and marriage equality-that we would finally be able to transition our economy and set ourselves up for those industries of the future-

The Australian Greens have moved a Senate motion marking the 54th Anniverary of the raising of the Morning Star flag - a day celebrated as the unofficial day of Papuan Independence. 

Motion Text:

960:  Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Di Natale): To move-That the Senate-

(a) notes that 1 December 2015 marks the 54th anniversary of the raising of the Morning Star flag by the people of West Papua, a day celebrated as the unofficial day of Papuan independence;