Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has said the JobMaker Wage Subsidy must not pass parliament as corporate welfare, as the party’s major amendments to the package gain growing support. 

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak on the Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill 2020. Everyone has a right to a liveable income and a right to a safe, secure and meaningful job that pays them decent wages to live a good life. Even before the pandemic, we should have been really concerned about unemployment in Australia. In March 2020, the national unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent and was even higher for young people, at 11.6 per cent. The underemployment crisis has been one which has been hidden for far too long.

The Greens have backed calls from animal welfare groups and an equine veterinarian for an independent investigation and necropsy report into the death of the racehorse Anthony Van Dyck following Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup race.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare, said:

“Tuesday’s race was horrific. There are serious questions to answer about this racehorse death. There must be no industry cover-up.

Australian Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to the death of the Melbourne Cup racehorse Anthony Van Dyck.

Senator Faruqi said:

“This is the brutal reality of horse racing. Anthony Van Dyck’s death is a tragic but hardly unforeseeable outcome. Seven horses have now died as a result of the last eight Melbourne Cup races.

“Horse racing is deadly and completely inhumane. We need to shut this industry down.

“Killing horses for entertainment is barbaric. There is no place for commercial horse racing in our society.

Australian Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that commercial horse racing is a cruel industry that cannot be trusted or fixed, following reports that retired racehorses continue to be slaughtered for pet food at knackeries in NSW.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare, said:

“The gambling-fuelled racing industry cannot be trusted or fixed. It’s time is up. We have to shut it down.

Australian Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the federal government has done an extraordinary and devastating backflip on reducing stocking densities for cattle within the new Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL). The new Standards are due to come into effect on 1 November.

Senator Faruqi said:

The Australian Greens stand with the Kashmiri community on 27 October as they commemorate Black Day. Kashmir is a disputed territory and it is now over a year since the Indian Government revoked its special status and further eroded Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that AHURI’s Renting in the time of COVID-19: understanding the impacts report, released today, has shone a light on the struggles of renters during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Renters are doing it very tough. The findings of this report confirm many of the fears we’ve had for renters throughout this crisis. Many are earning less, living precariously, and being refused rent reductions.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that Labor’s Budget in Reply commitment to increase child care subsidies and move towards a 90 per cent universal subsidy would be an improvement on the current system, but the party should go all the way and make early childhood education fee-free.

Senator Faruqi said:

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (14:37): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs.

Government senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Order on my right! I'm going to ask Senator Faruqi to start that again. I've asked for silence during questions.