On 8 March, millions of people across the world will be marking International Women's Day. We will look back and reflect on how far we've come on gender equity. The sobering fact is that we will not see gender parity in our lifetime or our children's lifetime. On current tracking, it will take four to five generations to close the global gender gap. As a woman and as a feminist, that is unpalatable for me. We have fought very hard and we have won battles, many battles. But, when I think of what happens right here in my own workplace, reality hits me in the face.

 I thank Senator Walsh for bringing this matter of public importance to the Senate. Over the last 40 years, Australia has gone from being one of the most egalitarian countries in the Western capitalist world to one of the most severely unequal—one dominated by business interests. Key to the growth of inequality and precariousness in Australia has been decades of neoliberal industrial relations policy designed to smash the power of organised labour and reorientate workplace organisations in favour of maximising gain for employers and giving them more flexibility to hire and fire workers.

This government is full of the ideological children of John Howard. A fundamental project of the Liberal and National parties is shifting the balance of power from workers to capital. At every turn they will privilege profits of corporations, of billionaires and of rent-seekers over the wellbeing of people and communities. Their policy agenda is the result of laziness, malice and an irrational obsession with free markets and competition. Decades of market-led policy, labour market deregulation and union busting have diminished the quality of work for so many people.

It has become easier over the last 12 months for many of us to forget about, or at least deprioritise, the struggles of oppressed people across the world. With our borders effectively closed and the economic and health crisis having an enormous impact on Australian life, the world beyond our shores is easily forgotten. So today I'd like to reflect on global human rights injustices and fights for self-determination, equity and dignity. There are oppressed people across the world who continue their struggles.

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said reports that Labor may scrap commitments to wind back negative gearing and reduce capital gains tax (CGT) deductions would only benefit the wealthy.

Senator Faruqi said:

“For decades, Australian governments have created a housing system that actively impoverishes people and makes inequality worse.

The Australian Greens have welcomed Labor’s confirmation today that the party opposes the renewal of the Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP11) licence, which allows oil and gas drilling off the NSW coast.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Senator for NSW, said:

“This clear position from Labor will be welcomed by communities across NSW, and indeed across the country. Now all eyes are on the Coalition to see sense and outright reject PEP11.

The Nationals claim to have a plan for manufacturing, but all this is is a plan for locking in a climate catastrophe and destroying the future of regional communities, for the corporate profits of your mates. What we need is industry powered by renewable energy, not oil and gas, where we make, re-use and remake durable, ecologically sustainable goods.

If you needed any more evidence that this government has absolutely no interest in grappling with the existential threat of far-Right extremism, look no further than this amendment and look no further than the debate that it contributed to yesterday. It's more nonsensical false equivalences and more nonsensical downplaying of the deadly seriousness of far Right terror. This is really harmful stuff. This is running interference on the side of fascism and hate.

Australian Greens Anti-Racism spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion report for 2020 contains alarming findings with respect to racism felt towards and experienced by culturally diverse Australians.

I rise tonight to speak about the global shark fin trade and inhumane practise of shark finning. For some years I have spoken out about shark finning, its inherent cruelty and the need for Australia to reject this terrible practice in every way we can. Shark finning involves cutting off a shark's fins, often while it is still alive, then throwing it back into the sea, where it is left to die painfully. This is a horrendous and a barbaric practice. The shark suffers hugely, usually dying from blood loss, suffocation or targeted by another predator.