Summary

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The majority voted in favour of a motion "[t]hat the words proposed to be omitted (Mr Abbott’s amendment) stand part of the question", which means that the words that Liberal MP Tony Abbott wanted to change will remain unchanged.

Mr Abbott's amendment would have amended the original motion "[t]hat this bill be now read a second time"(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) with the following:

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: “the House questions the approach reflected in this bill and: (1) calls on the Federal Government to impose a blanket ban on all pornographic material in prescribed areas; (2) calls on the Federal Government to prohibit the transport of pornographic material through any prescribed area; and (3) urges the Federal Government to leave in place the permit system amendments that have enabled access to public land.”

Background to the bill

In 2007, the Northern Territory National Emergency Response ('the Intervention') was introduced in response to a report called Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle Little Children are Sacred: The Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse.(Read more about the Little Children are Sacred report here. ) The intervention was controversial and has been a source of ongoing debate.

This latest bill changes and removes some of the measures introduced as part of the Intervention. In summary, it:

  • prohibits certain pay television licensees from providing television channels that contain a large amount of R18+ programming to certain prescribed areas;
  • permits transporting pornographic material through a prescribed area to a place outside the prescribed area (currently its presence for any purpose is prohibited);
  • reintroduces elements of the permit system, which requires visitors to certain Aboriginal areas to first seek permission to enter the area; and
  • enables community dependent roadhouses to be licensed as community stores.(See the bills digest for more information.)

Votes Passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Labor Party (88% turnout) 71 Yes 0 No
Anthony Albanese Grayndler Yes
James Bidgood Dawson Yes
Sharon Bird Cunningham Yes
Chris Bowen Prospect Yes
David Bradbury Lindsay Yes
Tony Burke Watson Yes
Anthony Byrne Holt Yes
Jodie Campbell Bass Yes
Nick Champion Wakefield Yes
Darren Cheeseman Corangamite Yes
Jason Clare Blaxland Yes
Julie Collins Franklin Yes
Greg Combet Charlton Yes
Simon Crean Hotham Yes
Yvette D'Ath Petrie Yes
Michael Danby Melbourne Ports Yes
Bob Debus Macquarie Yes
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs Yes
Justine Elliot Richmond Yes
Annette Ellis Canberra Yes
Craig Emerson Rankin Yes
Laurie Ferguson Reid Yes
Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter Yes
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith Yes
Steve Georganas Hindmarsh Yes
Jennie George Throsby Yes
Steve Gibbons Bendigo Yes
Gary Gray Brand Yes
Sharon Grierson Newcastle Yes
Alan Griffin Bruce Yes
Damian Hale Solomon Yes
Jill Hall Shortland Yes
Chris Hayes Werriwa Yes
Julia Irwin Fowler Yes
Sharryn Jackson Hasluck Yes
Mike Kelly Eden-Monaro Yes
Duncan Kerr Denison Yes
Kirsten Livermore Capricornia Yes
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga Yes
Richard Marles Corio Yes
Robert McClelland Barton Yes
Maxine McKew Bennelong Yes
Daryl Melham Banks Yes
John Murphy Lowe Yes
Belinda Neal Robertson Yes
Shayne Neumann Blair Yes
Brendan O'Connor Gorton Yes
Julie Owens Parramatta Yes
Melissa Parke Fremantle Yes
Graham Perrett Moreton Yes
Tanya Plibersek Sydney Yes
Roger Price Chifley Yes
Brett Raguse Forde Yes
Kerry Rea Bonner Yes
Bernie Ripoll Oxley Yes
Amanda Rishworth Kingston Yes
Nicola Roxon Gellibrand Yes
Janelle Saffin Page Yes
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong Yes
Sid Sidebottom Braddon Yes
Stephen Smith Perth Yes
Warren Snowdon Lingiari Yes
Jon Sullivan Longman Yes
Wayne Swan Lilley Yes
Mike Symon Deakin Yes
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne Yes
Craig Thomson Dobell Yes
Kelvin Thomson Wills Yes
Chris Trevor Flynn Yes
Jim Turnour Leichhardt Yes
Maria Vamvakinou Calwell Yes
Dick Adams Lyons Absent
Arch Bevis Brisbane Absent
Mark Butler Port Adelaide Absent
Kate Ellis Adelaide Absent
Martin Ferguson Batman Absent
Julia Gillard Lalor Absent
Catherine King Ballarat Absent
Bob McMullan Fraser Absent
Kevin Rudd Griffith Absent
Tony Zappia Makin Absent
Anna Burke Chisholm Deputy Speaker Yes
Bob Katter Kennedy Independent No
Tony Windsor New England Independent Absent
Liberal Party (89% turnout) 0 Yes 48 No
Tony Abbott Warringah No
Kevin Andrews Menzies No
Fran Bailey McEwen No
Bob Baldwin Paterson No
Bruce Billson Dunkley No
Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar No
Julie Bishop Curtin No
Russell Broadbent McMillan No
Steven Ciobo Moncrieff No
Peter Dutton Dickson No
Pat Farmer Macarthur No
Joanna Gash Gilmore No
Petro Georgiou Kooyong No
Barry Haase Kalgoorlie No
Alex Hawke Mitchell No
David Hawker Wannon No
Greg Hunt Flinders No
Steve Irons Swan No
Dennis Jensen Tangney No
Michael Johnson Ryan No
Michael Keenan Stirling No
Sussan Ley Farrer No
Peter Lindsay Herbert No
Ian Macfarlane Groom No
Nola Marino Forrest No
Louise Markus Greenway No
Margaret May McPherson No
Scott Morrison Cook No
Judi Moylan Pearce No
Brendan Nelson Bradfield No
Chris Pearce Aston No
Christopher Pyne Sturt No
Rowan Ramsey Grey No
Don Randall Canning No
Stuart Robert Fadden No
Philip Ruddock Berowra No
Alby Schultz Hume No
Patrick Secker Barker No
Luke Simpkins Cowan No
Peter Slipper Fisher No
Tony Smith Casey No
Alex Somlyay Fairfax No
Andrew Southcott Boothby No
Sharman Stone Murray No
Wilson Tuckey O'Connor No
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth No
Mal Washer Moore No
Jason Wood La Trobe No
Peter Costello Higgins Absent
Joe Hockey North Sydney Absent
Andrew Laming Bowman Absent
Sophie Mirabella Indi Absent
Andrew Robb Goldstein Absent
Danna Vale Hughes Absent
National Party (89% turnout) 0 Yes 8 No
Darren Chester Gippsland No
John Cobb Calare No
Mark Coulton Parkes No
John Forrest Mallee No
Luke Hartsuyker Cowper No
Kay Hull Riverina No
Paul Neville Hinkler No
Warren Truss Wide Bay No
Bruce Scott Maranoa Absent
Harry Jenkins Scullin Speaker Absent
Totals (87% turnout) 72 Yes – 57 No