Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (4.10 pm)-I move:

That the Senate-
(a) welcomes Xi Jinping, Vice President of the Peoples' Republic of China;
(b) acknowledges the continuing concerns of the Australian people over human rights in China and Tibet; and
(c) expresses its hopes for a productive visit, including a frank and wide-ranging dialogue on matters of concern
to both China and Australia.

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (9.51 am) - I move:

That the Senate -

(a) notes that:

(i) Enrol to Vote Week 2010 will run from 17 May to 23 May 2010 with the theme ‘You never know when an election might be called!', and

(ii) in 2007 only 17 208 Australians enrolled or updated their details by 8 pm on the day election writs were issued compared to 423 975 in the old 7 day period in 2004; and

(b) recognises the importance of empowering young people in the democratic process.

Question agreed to.

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (3.45 pm) - I move:

That the Senate -

(a) notes:

(i) the recent decision by the Rudd Government to suspend the processing of asylum claims from Sri Lankan and Afghan nationals for 3 and 6 months respectively, and

(ii) in 2009, Australia received just 1.6 per cent of all asylum claims lodged in the world's 44 industrialised nations, with less than half of this number arriving by boat;

(b) recognises that this new policy is in breach of Australia's international obligations under the:

(i) United Nations Refugee Convention,

(ii) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and

(iii) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (3.40 pm) - I move:

That the Senate -

(a) notes:
(i) the first same-sex marriages were celebrated in Mexico City in the week beginning 7 March 2010, following the recent passage of legislation removing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, under that city's Marriage Act, and

(ii) Mexico City joins Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Spain, South Africa and many states in the United States of America that already recognise same-sex marriage as a reality;

(b) recognises that all Australians deserve to be treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sexual orientation and that Australia is becoming increasingly isolated internationally, by refusing to remove discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation from the Marriage Act 1961 (the Act); and

(c) calls on the Australian Government to remove all discrimination from the Act on the basis of sexuality and gender identity and extend the legal right to marry to all.