Parliament

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Federal Government has announced a review of Australia's foreign aid program;

(b) notes with concern that:

   (i) Australia's foreign aid budget has been cut by 27% since its peak in 2012-13, and is well below the average for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),

I rise to speak this evening about the ongoing impact of student debt on the community. I call on the government to forgive outstanding debt from the grossly unjust Student Financial Supplement Scheme. This scheme was a rort that targeted low-income and disadvantaged students from the start. For the government to continue to collect debts 15 years after its abolition is simply unconscionable. From 1993 to 2003, the Student Financial Supplement Scheme encouraged students, including minors acting without their guardian's authority, to trade in their youth allowance for a loan.

I rise to speak to the Machiavellian named Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019. We should actually call it the 'Denying people medical treatment bill', the 'Die somewhere else bill' or the 'Australia has lost the last shreds of its humanity bill'. I have said previously when we have discussed this that it boggles my mind that there are people sitting in this parliament who want to repeal a law that allows sick and injured people to receive the medical attention that they need.

You lot are nothing but grinches working overtime to steal the joy right out of people's lives. Prime Minister Morrison has nothing but 'Bah! Humbug!' to say to people who are doing it tough this Christmas. We know that there are people who are struggling to put food on the table and who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. And what is this government giving them for Christmas? Nothing, zilch, zero.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Federal Government has announced $10 million in Special Circumstances Funding to drought affected schools, but has specifically excluded public schools from receiving this funding, and

(ii) more than 80% of students in rural and remote areas are enrolled in public schools and they are also deeply impacted by the drought; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to establish a fund for government schools facing hardship as a result of ongoing drought conditions.

Question negatived.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) Asset Energy and their project partners are planning to conduct further seismic testing for gas off the coast of Newcastle and the Central Coast in New South Wales,

   (ii) the Environmental Plan for the seismic testing is currently being developed and, once submitted, the community will have only 28 days to respond to the regulator, and

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) fires have ravaged Australia before the start of summer with more than 1,650,000 hectares of land, including koala habitat, burned in New South Wales,

   (ii) between 350 and 1000 koalas have been found dead so far on the North and Mid-North coast of New South Wales, and

   (iii) koalas are listed as a vulnerable species under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999; and

I, and also on behalf of Senators Di Natale and O'Neill, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes with deep concern the findings of the:

   (i) Charles Sturt University's report Islamophobia in Australia 2019, which shows:

      (A) between 2016 and 2017, 349 incidents of anti-Muslim racism reported to the lslamophobia register,

      (B) severe attacks requiring hospitalisation more than doubled from 2% to 5%,

The Greens have made it very clear that we oppose this bill. We don't like this bill at all. That's because this bill is a clear attack on workers and on unions and their members. This bill is a political and ideological attack on unions and their members and also the ability for unions and their members to work for the good of working people and for a fair and just society for everyone. This bill is anti-democratic, and that's why the Greens strongly oppose this bill.

I rise to take note of the report on the feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register for all horses, and I want to start by saying how excited I am that we are at the point of unanimous recommendations from Liberal, Labor and Nationals—and, of course, the Greens—that we need a National Horse Traceability Register in Australia. As the report shows, there are so many benefits that will come from having this register. To think that we don't even know how many horses there are in Australia at the moment really is an eye-opener.