Parliament

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak to the Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Student Protection) Bill 2018. This bill provides a long-awaited remedy for students who have incurred debts due to the inappropriate conduct of their VET providers. For that reason, the Greens support the bill.

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Promoting Sustainable Welfare) Bill 2018 is an outrageous attack on migrants. It is punitive and it's xenophobic. There is no other way to describe it. This bill is an inhumane piece of legislation. It completely ignores the specific circumstances and the vulnerabilities of those it will most impact—those who most need support and help. And there is a human cost to measures like this. It may be a piece of paper for most of us in this place, but for me it's much more than that.

The gun lobby's attempts to replicate NRA tactics in Australia are reprehensible and must be rejected. The NRA is a blight on American democracy. The Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia, SIFA, is bankrolled by the gun industry heavyweights, such as Beretta. The gun lobby is becoming increasingly active in election campaigns, with a clear strategy to weaken our gun laws. SIFA contributed $220,000 to a political campaign in Queensland last year and at least $165,000 to a political campaign in Victoria this year. This shouldn't just alarm us; it should terrify us all.

Violence against women is at epidemic levels in our country. Every year we count the numbers and every year they're distressingly high. Last year 53 women were killed, mostly by men known to them. So far this year, 63 women have been brutally murdered, almost six women every single month. Where is the outrage, where is the urgency and where is the change?

The Greens are proudly the party of public education. We are unapologetic in our advocacy for a well-resourced, world-class public education system. I'm proud to have announced the Greens plan to ensure that every public school is to be fully funded. We must make sure that every public school receives 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard by 2023 and has the capital funds to build the learning and teaching facilities that are needed, and that funding cuts for students with disability are reversed.

This bill amends the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Act). The intent of the Bill is to remove Ministerial discretion from approving or rejecting research grants recommended and administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The ARC is established as an independent Commonwealth body under the ARC Act. 

It seems that almost every day we are met with a new far-right conservative movement. The spectrum ranges from straight-up neo-Nazis, or fascists masquerading as libertarians, to the tinfoil hat brigade with their United Nations conspiracy theories. Some of them are in this very parliament. Collectively, I call these groups 'merchants of hate'. Perhaps 'charlatans' or 'quacks' would be better terms. They prey on the anxieties of Australians and offer solutions that are empty, hateful and divisive.

There should be no political interference in research grants, full stop. The Liberals need to back off on the so-called national interest test, which is just a smoke-screen for inserting political priorities into the independent research approval process.

I thank Senator Storer for bringing this motion to the Senate. The Greens will be supporting this because we do need an independent office of animal welfare to drive policy and to protect animals. There is a huge conflict of interest when animal welfare issues are regulated by agriculture departments. The recent Moss review into live exports shows what a mess all this is. The government is quite happy to sit by and watch animals suffer, including increasing stock densities and live export ships against the advice of the Australian Veterinary Association.

By leave—I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Research Council Act 2001, and for related purposes. Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018.

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