Parliament

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019. The Greens strongly oppose this bill. This bill is nothing but a politically motivated attack on unions. It's laughable that the words 'ensuring integrity' form part of the name of the bill when we know that there is not an ounce of integrity in this government and their intentions with this bill. There is not a skerrick of integrity in you lot, and you have proven that again today by disrupting the business of the Senate, and for what?

'We are mothers, wives and daughters, and we deserve to feel safe wherever we go.' Those are Rana Elasmar's words. Last week she was with friends in a cafe in Sydney when a man approached their table. He shouted racist vitriol at her, punched her and then stomped on her head. She was the target of racist violence, as so many other Muslim women have been. The footage of the attack is absolutely sickening. Even those who do not know what it is to live life in constant, lingering fear of racist violence and abuse could not be unmoved by the brutal inhumanity of the attacker's hate.

Thank you, Mr President. Early childhood education and care play an important role in children's development and do support families with young children. It doesn't matter what you earn, where you live and how much you work or study, your child should get the education and care that they need. Universal access to early childhood education should be extended to all three-year-olds and four-year-olds on an ongoing basis.

Senator Faruqi: To move—That the Senate—

(a) notes that on 17 October 2019, 7.30 revealed that:

(i) horses bred for racing, and subject to interstate trade, are being sent to knackeries and abattoirs to be slaughtered,

(ii) the horse racing industry produced more than 14,000 foals in the last financial year,

I ask that general business notice of motion No. 238 standing in my name for today, relating to Kashmir, be taken as a formal motion.

The PRESIDENT: Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal? There is, Senator Faruqi.

Senator FARUQI: In lieu of suspending standing orders, I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute.

I, and also on behalf of Senator Waters, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) states of emergency have been declared in New South Wales and Queensland due to catastrophic bushfire risk,

   (ii) lives have been lost, more than 150 homes have been destroyed, and almost 1,000,000 hectares of land in New South Wales have been razed since the start of this year's unprecedented bushfire season,

   (iii) in New South Wales, the Greater Sydney and Hunter areas are set to experience catastrophic fire conditions for the first time on record,

I rise to take note of the government's continuing failure to front up to the PFAS affected communities that they have abandoned. Nearly a month ago, I told the Senate that every day the government delays responding to this report shows its contempt not only for the Senate but for the thousands of people who have lived with contamination of their land and their water, caused by the government. Here we are again, nearly a year since the Senate report into PFAS contamination was tabled in this place, and there has been no response whatsoever from the government.

I rise to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Streamlined Governance) Bill 2019, and let me be clear from the very outset: the Greens are strongly opposed to this bill. Before I say any more, could I also say how proud I am of Senator Steele-John for his absolute passion, his work, his activism and his advocacy in this area.

It has been less than a month since Australia saw the brutal vision of racehorses being beaten, abused and cruelly slaughtered. Like most people who saw the footage, I was absolutely sickened and very angry at the evidence of hundreds of racehorses ending up at abattoirs and knackeries, where they were subjected to beatings, torture and electrocution, including of the genitals and anus. Horses were slaughtered in front of each other and bolt guns were used four or five times before horses were finally stunned. What kind of society have we become where such brutality is allowed to go on?

New South Wales is burning. In my home state, almost one million hectares have been razed by bushfires since the start of this year's unprecedented bushfire season. Lives have been lost. Over 150 homes, as at the last count, have been burnt to the ground. First and foremost, my thoughts and heart are with those families and communities and with our courageous firefighters, volunteers and emergency services. They must have the resources they need to do their jobs—not budget cuts, as the New South Wales Liberal-National government has done over years.