Parliament

I, and also on behalf of Senator Steele-John, seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 714, relating to JobKeeper payments.

Leave granted.

Senator FARUQI: I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Government is leaving young people, students and universities behind in the jobs and economic crisis due to COVID-19 and that:

I rise to make a contribution to the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2020. The bill makes substantial changes to the Australian Skills Quality Authority's governance structure, establishes the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Advisory Council and revises arrangements for data sharing and access pertaining to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. The Greens will not oppose this bill, but we are not without concern.

I rise to speak to the Australian Greens Fair Work Amendment (COVID-19) Bill 2020 that I introduced in the Senate during the last sitting. This bill will protect all workers during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are living through unprecedented times—I don't know how many people have said that or how many times, but it is true: COVID-19 is drastically changing our way of life. This is a global health crisis with no-one left untouched by its impacts. This is a difficult time for all of us, there's no doubt. This is a strange time. This is not a normal time.

Our amendment on sheet 8975 is very similar to the government amendment which has just passed, and it was one that Dr Helen Haines introduced in the other place. I seek leave to withdraw that amendment.

Leave granted.

The PRESIDENT: The question now is that the amendment on sheet 8977 revised, circulated by the Australian Greens, be agreed to.

Australian Greens' circulated amendment—

(1) Clause 9, page 6 (after line 16), after subclause (3), insert:

Requirement for vocational education and training representative

I move:

That the Senate:

(a) notes that:

   (i) the COVID-19 crisis has further exposed existing inequalities in our broken housing system,

   (ii) renters across Australia face eviction as COVID-19 related eviction bans come to an end across states and territories, and

   (iii) as the economic crisis continues, more people are at risk of homelessness than ever before;

(b) calls on the Government to:

   (i) increase funding for emergency housing,

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) more than 100 greyhounds have been killed at racing tracks across Australia so far this year,

   (ii) more than 3,000 injuries have been suffered by greyhounds at racing tracks across Australia so far this year, and

   (iii) unlike other sports, greyhound and horse racing was allowed to continue during COVID-19 in all states and territories where it usually operates, with the exception of Tasmania;

(b) recognises that greyhound racing is an inherently dangerous and cruel 'sport'; and

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) between World War 2 and the 1970s, the average unemployment rate was 2%, and

   (ii) since the 1980s, 5% unemployment has been considered 'full employment' by most governments, even though it means hundreds of thousands more people either have no work or not enough work; and

(b) considers that:

   (i) 'full employment' should mean what most people think it means, namely that everyone who wants a job can get one, and

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by Senator Ruston to a question without notice asked by Senator Faruqi today relating to animal welfare and live exports.

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (14:41): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. In 2018, Minister Littleproud said he was shocked and gutted by footage of thousands of suffering sheep being cooked alive aboard the live export ship Awassi Express. All of Australia was shocked and appalled by this unspeakable cruelty to animals which has been going on for decades.

There has been a lot of public discussion in the last few weeks about racism in our society. This has largely resulted from the massive antiracist Black Lives Matter protests that have been held across the world. As I said in the Senate last week, these are long-overdue conversations taking place about the way that racism operates in our society, not just in its interpersonal, everyday, so-called 'casual' forms but also through systems, structures and institutions.