Parliament

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (17:10): I move:

That the following bill be introduced: a Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009, and for related purposes.

Question agreed to.

Senator FARUQI: I present the bill and move:

That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a first time.

Second Reading

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) on 2 June 2020 the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment denied live exporter Rural Export and Trading (WA) Pty Ltd RETWA an exemption to new rules which prohibit the export of sheep by sea to the Middle East during the northern summer,

   (ii) on 13 June 2020, the Department back-flipped on this decision, granting an exemption to allow approximately 50,000 sheep to be exported;

 I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 674 standing in my name.

Leave granted.

Senator FARUQI: I move the motion as amended:

That—

(1) There be laid on the table by 7.20 pm on 17 June 2020:

Let's be clear. The live export industry is based on animal cruelty, on animal misery, on blood soaked supply chains, but this government do not give a damn. They have just given an exemption for 50,000 sheep to be sent off to the extreme heat of the northern summer where they will face immense heat stress and they will be at risk of death. You make a mockery of your own rules. You should be ashamed. You don't care about animal welfare. The so-called independence of the department of agriculture is a farce. It's a joke. Ban live export. Shut it down!

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak to the National Skills Commissioner Bill 2020. The bill before us today implements one of the key recommendations of the Joyce review, which is to set up a skills commission at the core of the skills system. The Joyce review examined Australia's vocational education and training system to strengthen skills and reported in March 2019. The National Skills Commissioner Bill 2020 establishes a new statutory office to be known as the National Skills Commission, which is to be headed by the National Skills Commissioner.

I rise to speak on this matter of public importance. The devastating bushfires of last summer ripped through communities across the country. Lives were lost, livelihoods were lost, acres upon acres of bush was lost in flames, and more than a billion animals were killed. I travelled up and down my state of New South Wales and heard tragic heartbreaking stories from people who have lost loved ones, lost homes and lost businesses they have built from scratch.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that the New South Wales (NSW) government has included the former IBM site at 55 Coonara Avenue West Pennant Hills in its planning acceleration program, despite the proposal for rezoning from Business to Residential and Environmental use being opposed by the Hills Shire Council and Hornsby Shire Council,

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Australian universities are facing massive losses in revenue as a result of falling enrolments during the COVID-19 crisis, and

(ii) universities across the country have begun to announce job cuts, with up to 30,000 jobs expected to be lost;

(b) calls on vice-chancellors to prioritise retaining staff, including those on casual and fixed-term contracts, in their responses to revenue losses, and

(c) calls on the government to include all universities in the JobKeeper scheme.

The Greens oppose this motion. The live animal export trade is an industry built on cruelty and on so-called standards that guarantee the horrific cruelty and death of thousands of animals. At the moment there isn't even a semblance of oversight on these ships of misery, as independent observers have been taken off the ships because of COVID-19. There's not one bad apple; the whole barrel is rotten. Misery and cruelty are inherent in live animal exports, and the industry has shown time and again that it is incapable of reform.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) the Morrison Government's HomeBuilder scheme includes grants of $25,000 for home renovations valued between $150,000 to $750,000,

   (ii) individuals can earn up to $125,000, and couples can earn up to $200,000, a year to be eligible for the grants, and

   (iii) there is a huge backlog of urgent repairs needed in Australia's social housing stock; and