David Pocock

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), by no later than 9.30 am on 28 August 2025:

(a) all documents, including but not limited to correspondence, emails, briefing notes, minutes, reports, memoranda and records of meetings or discussions, related to or that discuss the ANU budget forecasts for the period 2024-27 prepared in 2023 by the then Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Provost including assumptions underlying the forecast, and projected revenue growth and expenditure; and

(b) all documents, including but not limited to correspondence, emails, briefing notes, minutes, reports, memoranda and records of meetings or discussions, related to the ANU budget forecasts for the period 2024-27 prepared in 2023 by the then CFO and Provost related to the classification or reclassification from CAPEX to OPEX and vice versa and any documents or advice relating to the reasons for any reclassifications, including but not limited to advice from the Australian Tax Office, the Australian National Audit Office and the ANU auditors.

Slade Brockman

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 80 be agreed to.

David Pocock

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), by no later than 9.30 am on 28 August 2025, a copy of any email correspondence sent by the Chancellor to ANU Council members relating to a purported breach of Council confidentiality as referenced in an on campus bulletin on 8 July 2025.

Slade Brockman

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 79 be agreed to.

David Pocock

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), by no later than 9.30 am on 28 August 2025:

(a) the complete and unredacted results of the ANU staff survey conducted in March 2023, including all college, research school and portfolio-level breakdowns, demographic analysis and detailed response data;

(b) the complete and unredacted results of the ANU staff survey conducted in September 2024, including all college, research school and portfolio-level breakdowns, demographic analysis and detailed response data; and

(c) all supporting documentation, analysis, and reports prepared by the ANU in relation to both surveys, including any comparative analysis between the two survey periods.

Mehreen Faruqi

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mehreen Faruqi

Senators in this chamber and the world out there know quite well that the ANU is rife with scandals, with budgetary mismanagement, with staff being bullied, with secrets being kept from staff. All Senator David Pocock is asking for is budgets; it is a public institution. All Senator David Pocock is asking for is staff surveys; again, it's a public institution, and it is staff that are being intimidated by the chancellor and the vice-chancellor. Here we have Labor and the coalition—and I'm sure Senator Pocock would agree with me—running a protection racket for the executive of the ANU. It is absolutely shameful—absolutely shameful!

Katy Gallagher

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman

Leave is granted for one minute.

Honourable senators interjecting—

I will take the opportunity to remind senators that the one minute of leave is granted in order for parties and individuals to put their position on motions, not to have a political spray.

It is—Senator Shoebridge, order! It is well-known that it is designed to be able—

Senator Shoebridge! It is designed to enable people to put their positions on motions. I will now put the question. The question is that general business notice of motion No. 78 be agreed to.

David Pocock

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), by no later than 9.30 am on 28 August 2025:

(a) all documents, emails/internal correspondence, internal memoranda, meeting minutes and other records of interaction from 1 April to 31 October 2024 relating to the creation, development, approval or implementation of new budgets allocated to ANU colleges (College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP), College of Business and Economics (CBE), College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), College of Law (CoL) and College of Health and Medicine (CoHM), College of Science (CoS)) midway through 2024;

(b) all budget documents, financial statements, budget allocations, budget revisions, internal reports and associated documentation for each ANU college (CASS, CAP, CBE, CECS, CoL, CoHM and CoS), specifically relating to how each college addressed, managed or implemented decreases in recurrent budget allocations;

(c) all documents, memoranda or briefing notes, emails, meeting notes, internal correspondence and records of discussions from 1 April to 31 October 2024 regarding how the ANU colleges (CASS, CAP, CBE, CECS, CoL, CoHM and CoS) met new recurrent budget targets and any associated budget constraints or requirements;

(d) all documents, memoranda, emails, meeting notes, file notes, correspondence, financial records, transfer documentation and records of decisions from 1 April to 30 October 2024 concerning how funds may have been shifted, transferred, or reallocated from recurrent budgets to other ANU account types including Q accounts, W accounts, S accounts, E accounts or any other account types from all ANU colleges (CASS, CAP, CBE, CECS, CoL, CoHM and CoS);

(e) all documents, emails/internal correspondence, meeting notes, briefing notes, papers from Council, papers from senior management group, papers from relevant committees of Council and records of discussions from 1 April to 31 October 2024 regarding discussions about the impact on core and discretionary services of the colleges (CASS, CAP, CBE, CECS, CoL, CoHM and CoS) as a result of budget cuts or their ability to meet future core and discretionary services and obligations; and

(f) all documents, emails/internal correspondence, meeting notes, briefing notes, papers from Council, papers from senior management group, papers from relevant committees of Council and records of discussions from 1 April to 30 June 2025 regarding discussions and decisions about the impact of over-expenditure of 2024 budget on the 2025 budget of the colleges (CASS, CAP, CBE, CECS, CoL, CoHM and CoS).

Paul Scarr

I seek leave to make short statement not exceeding one minute.

Leave granted.

The opposition notes the importance of transparency for government entities, including the ANU. However, the opposition also notes that a workplace dispute was, in our respectful view, inappropriately publicised in a 12 August Senate committee hearing. The opposition is concerned that the conduct of that dispute may be impacted by the passage of these motions. The opposition would not wish to deny natural justice to the complainant or anyone else. The ANU is also currently the subject of a self-assurance compliance process scheduled to appear before Senate estimates in October and part of the aforementioned committee inquiry into university governance. These would each be, in our respectful view, more appropriate forums through which to seek more information.

Katy Gallagher

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman

Leave is granted for one minute.

Katy Gallagher

I rise to say the government will not be supporting these motions today—there are a number of them, from 76 onwards—for similar reasons that have been raised by the opposition. Also, when I look at the nature of the OPDs and the work that would be required in responding to them, I would prefer that ANU, at this point in time, was actually dealing with the issues that we have asked it to deal with in responding to Renew ANU. In addition, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency have been considering the minister's referral and will be appointing an independent expert to investigate those matters very soon. The minister will be briefed by TEQSA on matters relating to the ANU later this week, I understand. I've met with every person who's asked to meet with me about the ANU. I'm aware of the issues that need to be resolved, and I want the ANU to get on and resolve them.

David Pocock

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Leave not granted.

Slade Brockman

The question is that motion No. 76, moved by Senator David Pocock, be agreed to.

Sarah Hanson-Young

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister for the Environment and Water, by no later than Wednesday, 3 September 2025, any approval conditions including draft versions provided to Woodside relating to the provisional approval of the North West Shelf extension (EPBC 2018/8335).

Slade Brockman

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Hanson-Young be agreed to.

Wendy Askew

On behalf of Senator Bragg, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that order for the production of documents no. 28 (the order) agreed to by the Senate on 24 July 2025, requiring the tabling of any documents that detail the aggregate expenditure made from the Housing Australia Future Fund was not complied with, and

(ii) the necessity that the Senate scrutinise the disbursement and appropriation of Commonwealth funds in the interests of transparency and accountability; and

(b) requires the Minister representing the Minister for Housing to attend the Senate on 27 August 2025, at the conclusion of the consideration of private senators' bills and immediately prior to government business being called on, to provide an explanation of no more than 5 minutes of the failure to comply with the order, and that:

(i) any senator may move to take note of the explanation, and

(ii) any such motion may be debated for no longer than 30 minutes and shall have precedence over all business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.

Slade Brockman

The question before the chair is that the motion moved by Senator Askew on behalf of Senator Bragg be agreed to.

Sue Lines

The question is that the second reading be agreed to.

Jacqui Lambie

I move:

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate calls on the Government to:

(a) guarantee that members of the Australian Defence Force and their families, officers and employees of the Department of Defence and their families, and persons contracted to provide goods or services to the Australian Defence Force or the Department and their families are given priority access to Defence Housing over foreign personnel; and

(b) ensure that the full costs of providing Defence Housing and housing-related services to foreign governments, military organisations and their contractors are fully recovered from those entities, and not subsidised by Australian taxpayers; and

(c) improve transparency by requiring Defence Housing Australia to publish data on housing allocations, waiting times for Australian Defence Force members, and the net financial impact of housing foreign personnel".

Sue Lines

The question is that the second reading amendment as moved by Senator Lambie be agreed to.

David Shoebridge

I move my second reading amendment as circulated:

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate notes that the explanatory memorandum to this bill claims that the amendments in the bill have no financial impact".

Sue Lines

The question is that the second reading amendment as moved by Senator Shoebridge be agreed to.

Jess Walsh

I inform the Senate that the President has received the following letter from Senator McKim:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

In recognition of the National Day of Action for Palestine, and in recognition of the State of Israel's renewed assault on Gaza that demonstrates an ongoing and blatant disregard for international law, that the Australian Government imposes sanctions on the extremist Netanyahu government, ends the two-way arms trade and calls for an end to the genocide against the people of Gaza, system of apartheid, and illegal occupation."

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

Nick McKim

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

In recognition of the National Day of Action for Palestine, and in recognition of the State of Israel's renewed assault on Gaza that demonstrates an ongoing and blatant disregard for international law, that the Australian Government imposes sanctions on the extremist Netanyahu government, ends the two-way arms trade and calls for an end to the genocide against the people of Gaza, system of apartheid, and illegal occupation.

Mehreen Faruqi

Today is the National Day of Action for Palestine. Last year, during this time in Ramadan, I couldn't stop thinking about Palestine. Every moment—fasting, breaking my fast, sleeping, waking, working—Palestine was on my mind. I kept wondering: how could things possibly get any worse? The genocide was live streamed for the world to see. It wasn't hidden. I don't think I will ever be able to forget the horrific images of children being bombed, being snipered and being starved to death. And what was our government's response? Best case, we saw the mildest of criticism, always framed in Israel's right to defend itself. Some government MPs even travelled to Israel to meet with war criminals and watch the destruction firsthand. I hope this election marks the end of their time in parliament.

So here we are in another Ramadan. The brief respite Palestinians had was destroyed when Israel broke the ceasefire, although we know that there never really was a ceasefire. Then came the criminal act of cutting off life-saving aid, tightening the noose around the neck of some of the most vulnerable people on earth, followed by the resumed slaughter of hundreds of men, women and children. In just a few days, refugee camps and hospitals were being bombed once again. The settler colonial state continues its attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, seizing more land to expand its apartheid settlements. Just this week Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of Oscar winning film No Other Land, was abducted and assaulted by settlers.

So this Ramadan I am wiser. I know that there is no red line for Labor when it comes to Palestine. There are no limits to their inhumanity and their cowardice. There are no limits to their shamelessness, hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to protecting the apartheid State of Israel. They ruthlessly pursue anyone who dares to criticise Israel or challenge their narrative. They drove Senator Payman out of their party. They withdrew artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino from the Venice Biennale. Academic Randa Abdel-Fattah faces relentless targeting. The level of impunity they provide Israel and its partner the US was there for all to see when neither our Prime Minister nor our foreign minister could bring themselves to even denounce Trump's plan to literally ethnically cleanse Gaza and take it over. We know you have double standards. When Russia commits war crimes, you uphold international law and standards. But, when Israel does the same, there is complete and utter silence.

I do not know what else I can say to convince you to act. There are at least 50,000 dead, likely closer to 200,000, mostly women and children. If that's not enough, I don't know what will be. So I will say this. These are the final words of a 23-year-old Al Jazeera journalist, Hossam Shabat. Of course Israel and their bootlicker friends in the conservative media claim that Shabat was a fighter, something the Committee to Protect Journalists called unsubstantiated. It is a well-known tactic of Israel to cover their tracks of murdering journalists to try and cut off the coverage of the genocide. Shabat's final message was this:

If you're reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people's side.

…   …   …

I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.

The Greens and I will keep fighting. We will keep speaking out about Palestine. We will never be silenced.

Dave Sharma

Undoubtedly, the conflict in the Middle East has been a tragedy for all the people involved.

Mehreen Faruqi

It's not a conflict; it's a genocide.

Dave Sharma

Senator Faruqi, I listened to you in silence. I hope you can extend me the same courtesy. Undoubtedly, it's been a tragedy for all those involved—the Palestinian people of Gaza, the Israeli people and the people of the region. But what I find troubling about this motion and many others like it is that it only ever attributes moral agency to one party in this conflict, and that is Israel. There are multiple parties to this conflict. The conflict was started by the terrorist organisation Hamas unleashing one of the most brutal and barbaric terrorist acts of the modern era on the civilian population in Israel and taking many of the civilians hostage. Where is the motion calling on Hamas to release the hostages that would help bring this conflict to an end? Where is the motion calling on Hamas to relinquish its role as the political and military authority in Gaza that would help bring this conflict to an end? That's something that the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah leadership, did just last week. Where is a motion condemning a number of the regional actors who are involved in sustaining this conflict, whether it's the Houthis in Yemen or it's Iran and its support of the armed terrorist proxy groups that are found in abundance in the region?

We've got to where we are today because Hamas refused multiple offers and approaches to extend phase 1 of the ceasefire. Phase 1 of the ceasefire, which expired on 1 March, was meant to provide for the release of hostages and the cessation of hostilities. Hamas was offered, by the US mediator Steve Witkoff and by Qatari and Egyptian authorities and intermediaries, the option to extend that ceasefire so that the fighting would continue to cease, so that the people of Gaza could continue to return to their homes and so that Israel could get its hostages back. Hamas still holds some 60 hostages, of which we have hopes that, perhaps, 25 are alive. But Hamas refused these attempts. It didn't want to continue with the ceasefire. It wanted to resume hostilities and resume conflict.

As long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza, as long as Hamas does not accept that it can no longer play a future role in Gaza and as long as Hamas does not accept that the continued detention of hostages is an ongoing war crime, I don't see much alternative for the nation of Israel other than to seek to recover its hostages. That is undoubtedly a terrible tragedy for the Palestinian people, the Gazan population and their region. But any sovereign state would expect its government to do its utmost to recover its hostages. They've tried it through negotiations. Hostages have been released through negotiations. Hamas is refusing to release any more hostages. So, until such time as Hamas can be brought to its senses—and motions like this that make no mention of the role of Hamas, Hamas's moral agency and Hamas's instigation of the conflict, frankly, do not help—

Jess Walsh

Senator Sharma, please resume your seat. Senator Faruqi, interjections are always disorderly, but this is a really difficult topic. You were heard in silence, and I ask that you extend that courtesy, please, to other senators.

Dave Sharma

Motions like this which make no mention of the role of Hamas—which do not recognise that Hamas has moral agency and which do not recognise that Hamas can restore the ceasefire at any day, at any time by agreeing to proposals put by Egyptian and Qatari mediators or by agreeing to the US special envoy's proposals to resume the ceasefire and continue the release of hostages—do not help bring that about. They might signal to an audience that's important to you where you sit on the conflict, but they do not help resolve the conflict. Ultimately, this conflict will be resolved when Hamas releases all the hostages and recognises it cannot and should not play any future role in the governance of Gaza. The Palestinian people—the Gazan population—have been protesting about Hamas's actions in resuming this conflict and breaking this ceasefire in recent days. The other, more legitimate element that governs Palestine, the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, have called on Hamas to relinquish any future role in the governance of Gaza, because they recognise the fate of the Gazan Palestinian population is being prejudiced by Hamas's continued intransigence here.

So by all means let's discuss this conflict in this parliament, including in this chamber, but let's also recognise that there are multiple parties that have moral agency in this conflict, and Hamas has been the most intransigent actor of all of them. Hamas is the one that broke the original ceasefire on 7 October 2023. Hamas is the one that broke the continuation of this ceasefire, which had been in existence these past two months.

Varun Ghosh

Today we engage in a debate on a motion that, in the view of the government, should not be supported. It's not a considered motion. It's not a motion that advances the cause of peace or builds unity in our community here in Australia.

The conflict in the Middle East is a long and complex one, and it is characterised by divergent perspectives and disputed history. It's existed for a very long time. But the current war in Gaza was begun on 7 October 2023 by a heinous terrorist attack by Hamas on the people of Israel. That attack resulted in the worst loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust. The anguish of that day has been extended by the taking of more than 250 hostages, and we have heard and learned of the horror of their treatment as time has gone on. The war that has followed has been a humanitarian disaster. The unbearable scenes of conflict, the loss of innocent life and the devastating effect on the Palestinian people have shocked the people of Australia and people around the world.

On behalf of the people of Australia, the government has consistently sought to advance the goal of a just and lasting peace that ensures the ongoing security of the State of Israel and its people and establishes a stable and peaceful Palestinian state which realises the sovereignty of the Palestinian people. The government has consistently called for an immediate and unconditional return of the hostages taken by Hamas and for a ceasefire—a cessation of hostilities—to permit the negotiation of a peace agreement that will produce that two-state solution and a stable and peaceful region. The government has sought to play an engaged and responsible role in this debate and in promoting peace, recognising that we are not a major player in the Middle East but have a respected voice and a history of support for international institutions and multilateral action in international affairs. That is why we are supporters of the ceasefire and also seek the release of the hostages by Hamas as part of that agreement.

Inflammation and division within our community do nothing to advance the cause of peace. Ignorance of the importance of multilateralism in resolving international disputes, and particularly armed conflict, does nothing to advance the cause of peace, nor do other forms of extremism. In the end, in this parliament, we represent peoples and communities around Australia. Since 7 October 2023, in a variety of different ways, we've also seen behaviour in Australia that is unrecognisable to many Australians. We've seen a rise in antisemitism and antisemitic incidents; we have seen a rise in racist and Islamophobic incidents; we've seen a community more divided on this issue; and we've seen actions and behaviours that we would not traditionally have seen, nor would we want to see them replicated. It is important that, in ensuring our future as a community and ensuring we succeed as a country, we remain a place where people of a variety of races, backgrounds, religions and views feel comfortable and safe. We need to respect each other, and we need to push for that unity. It is in that spirit and vein that the government continues to seek to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East while also providing leadership in relation to ensuring that those conflicts are not replicated in Australia and that Australia remains a united community where people of all backgrounds can feel safe and respected.

Long debate text truncated.