Greens Spokesperson for Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to reports of Sydney University soliciting Ramsay Centre funding for a major in Western Civilisation.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Ramsay Centre's rivers of gold come with ideological strings attached, aimed solely at inculcating an uncritical view of 'western civilisation' in Australian students.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Meat Free Week, organised by Bowel Cancer Australia, runs from 23 to 29 September 2019, and challenges participants to give up meat for seven days,

(ii) intensive animal agriculture is not only cruel to animals, but is a key contributor to the climate crisis, and

(iii) reducing the amount of meat we consume is better for our health, better for animal welfare and better for the environment; and

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to Education Minister Dan Tehan’s criticism of University of Melbourne medical students and staff participating in the September 20 Climate Strike.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Minister Tehan is completely out of touch with the community and experts who are demanding action on the climate crisis.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the New South Wales (NSW) Youth Council held their 'Unleash the Future' Conference from 13 to 15 September 2019 in Rooty Hill, and

(ii) young people from across NSW came together to workshop issues, including the need for emergency action on the climate crisis, the role of advocacy, gender and cultural diversity, mental health, youth and family violence, and the importance of having young voices at all levels of Australian government;

I rise on behalf of the Greens to make a short statement on the disallowance of the Fair Work Amendment (Casual Loading Offset) Regulations 2018. We all know that casualisation is up. We know that rising job insecurity is stretching people to breaking point. Working people are under attack like never before. They now have less certainty and fewer rights at work than at any time in recent history. Let me be blunt: insecure work is wrecking people's lives, yet this government is only about protecting big business.

I just want to say: let's not make any mistake about what's happening here today. The government is making good its promise of big cash for the private school sector without doing a single thing for public schools. Nothing any of you have said—and you really haven't said much—can paper over the fact that you are voting for widening the divide between the haves and the have-nots of the Australian education system.

I move:

That the Australian Education Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2019, made under the Australian Education Act 2013, be disallowed [F2019L00558].

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) welcomes the Australian Government's commitment to work with states and territories to end the domestic trade of ivory and rhino horn; and

(b) calls on both levels of government to implement the ban as quickly as practicable.

HANSARD LINK

Senator FARUQI: My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie. Minister, the Moss review was highly critical of the Department of Agriculture as the regulator of live exports, and there is immense public concern about the cruelty of live animal exports. Despite this, your department has recently refused a freedom-of-information request from RSPCA Australia for footage taken aboard the 2018 voyage of MW Al Shuwaikh on which 609 sheep died, including many from smothering. Does the minister consider it appropriate for this footage to be hidden from the public?

Australian Greens Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has welcomed the Senate passing her motion calling on the NSW government to give Traditional Owners more time to respond to the Warragamba Dam proposal and to engage in genuine consultation with the community.

Senator Faruqi said: 

“Overwhelming community opposition to the Warragamba dam proposal at the very least warrants longer, genuine consultation from the NSW Government, but they have only been interested in appeasing developers while completely ignoring community concerns.