Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (15:56): I move:

That the Senate-

(a) notes the termination by Hutchison Ports Australia of 97 of its employees by notice given in text messages and emails sent late at night on Thursday, 6 August 2015;

(b) affirms that the method of giving notice of termination of its employees by Hutchison Ports Australia was callous and disrespectful to its employees, and has no place in any workplace; and

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (16:04): I ask that general business notice of motion No. 777 standing in my name for today, requiring military logistical support not to be accounted as foreign aid, be taken as a formal motion.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal?

Senator Fifield: Yes.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Formality is not granted, Senator Rhiannon.Senator

Senator O'SULLIVAN (Queensland-Nationals Whip in the Senate) (15:52):

I, and also on behalf of Senators Canavan and Williams, move:

That the Senate notes that:

(a) the Australian beef industry contributed $8.5 billion to the national economy in 2013 14;

(b) in 2014, the United States became our largest beef export market, worth $2.44 billion, or around 32 per cent of the total value of our beef exports; and

Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has said immediate steps should be taken to increase transparency of how MPs' use their parliamentary allowances by making all information available on a searchable website.

"Putting the public spotlight on how MPs spend their allowances will put pressure on MPs to do the right thing," Senator Rhiannon said.

"The public should not have to wait for another inquiry to be completed before being given access to this information.

• King Cross activist Juanita Nielsen's 1975 disappearance is Australia’s biggest murder mystery July 1, The Daily Telegraph

The Greens have launched their campaign for ‘Free Higher Education' to set out the alternative to Abbott government's deregulation plan for public universities.

Campaign website: www.freehighereducation.com.au 

"We launched our campaign in a Sydney pub room packed with university students, young Greens members, unionists, TAFE campaigners and high school students," said Greens spokesperson for tertiary, technical and further education Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Commenting on a newly released report by the International Truth & Justice Project (ITJP), Still Unfinished War: Sri Lanka’s Survivors of Torture and Sexual Violence 2009-2015 which details more than 40 torture sites in Sri Lanka while naming over 60 rapists and torturers, Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

Australia needs a visionary approach to creating a universally accessible higher education system with no financial barriers and open to people from all backgrounds. Many countries have achieved this and the Greens believe that we can too. Join us as we build a campaign to bring education opportunity to all Australians.