It is all happening now
Labor just won our 2nd vote in the House, 71-70 #auspol
— Andrew Leigh (@ALeighMP) September 1, 2016
Back in the lower house now
Govt has lost a procedural vote on the floor of the House. Now seems Labor is going to try and ram thru the royal commission bill. #auspol
— Michael Koziol (@michaelkoziol) September 1, 2016
In closing his speech, Senator Dodson says the nation still has some way to go to live up to the vision of Vincent Lingiari, who led the Gurindji off the Wave Hill station, in protest against poor working and living conditions - "but at the core of the strike was a fight for land justice, for equality, for recognition of a people's right to their law, to freedom, justice and a fair go" - but he held hopes the Senate could work to get there.
"Vincent Lingiari held a vision for his people's freedom. A vision based on fair treatment. Getting country back and getting people back on country. His vision was for equal wages For a self-sufficient, independent, economically secure and culturally grounded community. Free from oppression and degradation. The history shows that this vision was never fully realised. But it remains a worthy vision for us all. In this Senate, I want to work with my fellow Senators to help to build a better country, a better place, a strong, just and inclusive Australia. I look forward to our work together," he said.
Pat Dodson delivers maiden speech
In his speech, the WA Senator has spoken of the difference of opinions within the chamber - but says any debate "need to be informed by the fundamental principles of respect for the diversity and richness of our various cultures in Australia and the recognition of our shared humanity".
"We know, as a fact, that some Australian legislation in the past was founded on outmoded patterns of thought and belief. Our laws have, at times, been based on ingrained paternalism and racial superiority, denying our shared humanity.
"Such mind-sets justified repeated acts of greed that grabbed the lands of our people without negotiation, settlement or compensation.
"And at times at great human cost, with many lives being taken or cut short. Those laws built bureaucratic systems and processes that controlled the lives of our people; stifling life choices; creating the sorrow, pain and anguish of children ripped from the arms of their mothers.
"My family, along with many Aboriginal families, carry this pain in our recent history.
"I was born before the Constitutional changes of 1967, I was hiding in the long grass in the Northern Territory town of Katherine and watched my age-mates being taken by Welfare and police.
"In Katherine I watched in fear as white people were bussed in to the Town Hall meeting where they vented their hatred and anger against Aboriginal stock-workers for walking off Wave Hill Station and for demanding justice and equal wages.
"The Australian laws of that time were unarguably founded on a social outlook that was highly ethnocentric even racist. Many of the laws were genocidal in intent, application and consequence.
"The same moral compass justified the American laws that mandated racial segregation in the United States before the Civil Rights movement. Such views and laws led to the horrors of Soweto and Robben Island, and even, the hate crimes of Nazi Germany.
"These systems of laws and regulation shared the same legal, intellectual and moral parentage.
"These laws and regulations cannot be permitted to emerge once more in our precious democracy. Our Australian democracy evolves and grows as our nation matures. In times past, people of a different race, a different colour, a different religion, a different sexuality were subject to exclusion, oppression or even discrimination under the laws made in this Place.
"Such laws cannot and must not return to this Place."
Senator Pat Dodson is now delivering his maiden speech, wearing a badge showing the 'R' icon of Recognise movement.
Back to topIn the Senate chamber, a debate over section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act has sprung up.
Greens Senator Nick McKim from Tasmania says he doesn't understand why anyone would want to remove the section that prevents people from insulting or offending someone based on race.
The day may be starting to wind down, but the Senate is still going - and will for some time, with more maiden speeches scheduled.
First speeches in the Senate today from 5pm: Senators Pat Dodson and Jonathon Duniam #auspol
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) September 1, 2016
Fergus Hunter has taken a deeper look at Minshen Zhu - the Chinese businessman who stumped up for Labor Senator Sam Dastyari's expenses bill, as revealed by Fairfax Media.
On Sky, deputy opposition leader Anthony Albanese has again argued Labor's case for a royal commission into the nation's banking sector, saying he believed that if one was ordered the banks's behaviour would improve "instantaneously".
He also touched on why he is so personally opposed to a same sex marriage plebiscite - which Fairfax's Tony Wright covered a little earlier.
Our Immigration correspondent Nicole Hasham has some news on security firm Wilson - it has announced it is exiting the offshore detention business after four years of involvement in the controversial sector.
The announcement follows a move by lead service provider Broadspectrum to depart from running offshore detention operations at Nauru and Manus Island in October next year.
In a statement on Thursday Wilson Security, whose corporate reputation has taken a battering through its detention centre involvement, said its contract with Broadspectrum would also conclude in October 2017 and "it will also not tender for any further offshore detention services".
"The provision of security services at Regional Processing Centres (RPCs) is not in line with Wilson Security's long term strategic priorities," the statement said.
"The company is primarily responsible for providing professional security personnel 24 hours a day to create an environment in which asylum seekers feel safe.
"Wilson Security has carried out its contractual obligations to the best of its ability and takes pride in its performance."
Countless allegations of abuse and poor treatment of asylum seekers and refugees at Nauru and Manus Island have plagued the offshore detention regime.
They included reports that an Australian-paid Wilson guard at Nauru falsely alleged that an asylum seeker violently assaulted him then perjured himself in court. The guard was subsequently fired.
My colleague Michael Koziol has a little more on Senator Hanson-Young's flagging she may cross the floor to support a plebiscite as a last resort.
She called on the Turnbull government to allow private member's bills on same-sex marriage to be debated. "I think we have to do all that before we say it's plebiscite or nothing [but] nothing isn't an option. It's not an option," she said.
Senator Hanson-Young is close friends with Australian Marriage Equality chairman Alex Greenwich, who attended Wednesday night's Midwinter Ball as her date. Mr Greenwich, who is also an independent MP in the NSW Parliament, was in Canberra with other marriage equality advocates to meet with MPs from all sides of politics.
AME's position is that the parties need to come together to find a way forward to achieve same-sex marriage in this term of Parliament. One option would be for Attorney-General George Brandis to negotiate with Labor on a plebiscite question and structure that is acceptable to both parties.
Labor has hardened its rhetoric against the plebiscite and senses a political opportunity to damage Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, but has left its options open and is demanding to see the draft legislation.
Over at the Greens and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has signalled she could be considering splitting from her party and supporting a plebiscite, citing her concerns that knocking it off could also take it off the parliamentary agenda for the next three years.
"Nothing isn't an option for me," she told Sky News.
Time for me to call time and hand over to my colleague Amy Remeikis for the next little while.
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After only one yesterday constituency question time is back with a vengeance. The excitement....
And after several, Mr Turnbull calls time.
Labor is a bit sick of being tickled up about Senator Dastyari. Tony Burke tries to table a list of foreign donations to the Liberal Party or a picture of Mr Turnbull with Minshen Zu from Top Education, the outfit that paid for Senator Dastyari's travel overspend.
Now photos of the same gentleman with Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard are flying around twitter.
Back to topMr Pyne now puts pressure on Senator Dastyari and says it is up to Mr Shorten to force him to explain himself.
Mr Shorten now wants to know if Tony Abbott's meeting with Pauline Hanson was on behalf of the Prime Minister or a private affair.
Leader of the house Christopher Pyne objects. Up on the backbench Mr Abbott is having a little smile.
Speaker Tony Smith allows the question to go ahead.
Mr Turnbull is happy to tell the house he did not commission the meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is answering a question from his own side about agriculture policy.
Naturally, he is berating the opposition for its lack of policy in this area.
"What they need is someone with a bit of entrepreneurial flair or with pizazz," he says with emphasis on the "pizazz".
Someone who can "find the loot", someone like Senator Dastyari, he finishes with a flourish.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten takes up the case saying the constituent referred to does want a royal commission.
Mr Turnbull accused him of using people who have been wrongly used by banks and other financial series for his own purposes.
We begin with Labor backbencher Sharon Claydon asking the Prime Minister about a constituent who was poorly treated by a financial adviser.
(Just a wild guess but I think we may hear a few of these stories as Labor prepares to put a motion calling for a royal commission into financial services to the Senate.)
Mr Turnbull says he imagines "what her constituent seeks is compensation, is recompense" but a royal commission will not offer that.
"The compassion you seek to offer cannot be fulfilled by a royal commission. You know that," Mr Turnbull says.
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