Parliament

I rise to speak to this matter of urgency. What happened in Afghanistan was the murder and torture of innocent people, even children, which left families torn apart and communities in ruin. These heinous war crimes committed by Australia are another shameful chapter in our history. We demand justice for the victims.

Government senators interjecting—

Universities are cutting courses and slashing jobs. The combined blows of COVID-19 and funding cuts are devastating. We should prioritise and expand education in languages and cultures, especially those in the Asia-Pacific, and reject these harsh, nonsensical cuts to language programs.

In its submission to the job-ready graduates bill inquiry, the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities said:

I'd like to inform the chamber that Senator McKim will be co-sponsoring this motion with me. I, and also on behalf of Senator McKim, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) 2020 has been an incredibly tough year for temporary visa holders in Australia, including migrant workers and international students,

(ii) according to the Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, 70% of temporary visa holders lost their jobs or most of their hours after the pandemic hit in March,

The Greens support this motion. What Senator Abetz did was disgraceful. There is no doubt about that. Interrogating a person's loyalty to this country because of their cultural background is unacceptable. It's just as disgraceful that Senator Abetz has dug his heels in and refuses to engage in self-reflection. It's even more disgraceful that not one single minister of this government has condemned Senator Abetz for his racist targeting of Chinese Australians.

I rise to speak on the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 and associated bills, and I want to associate myself with the remarks made by my Greens colleague Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who has been a longstanding, passionate advocate for waste reduction and recycling. I have a strong commitment to moving us towards zero waste and a circular economy. I've had that commitment for a long time through my work in the New South Wales parliament and before that in my role as environmental manager in local governments.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the New South Wales (NSW) Government has released a plan to transition to renewable energy, including through the creation of renewable energy zones, support for solar and wind power projects and the development of new transmission capacity,

(ii) the NSW Government has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, and

Exclude universities from the legislation

I move:

(1) Clause 7, page 9 (lines 6 and 7), omit paragraph (7) (e).

(2) Clause 7, page 9 (after line 12), after paragraph (h), insert:

(ha) a university established by, or under, a law of a State or a Territory; or

(3) Clause 10, page 11 (line 28), omit "paragraph 7(d), (e) or (f)", substitute "paragraph 7(d) or (f)".

I would like to speak tonight about the recent tragic deaths and serious injuries of food delivery workers in Sydney and across the country. We have seen a tragedy unfolding on our streets over the last few months. At least five delivery riders have been killed on the roads since the end of September. Four of those deaths were in Sydney.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Leader of the Government in the Senate representing the Prime Minister (Senator Birmingham) to a question without notice asked by Senator Faruqi today relating to climate change.