Parliament

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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) the government has decided to scrap free childcare and begin forcing parents to pay expensive childcare fees again from next month,

   (ii) this move will force many parents to reduce their work days or remove their children from care,

   (iii) childcare is an essential service which should be universally available for everyone, and

   (iv) the move away from free childcare will disproportionately impact women;

I can honestly say that I would not have been able to complete my masters and PhD, nor embark on a career in engineering or academia, and then eventually state and federal politics, without access to affordable child care. When I migrated to Australia from Pakistan in 1992 and commenced my studies at the University of New South Wales, I pretty quickly realised that the available child care in my area was just unaffordable. It was too expensive. And that's how I got involved in a campaign to establish affordable student-centred child care at the university.

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (16:03): I ask that general business notice of motion No. 604, standing in my name and the names of Senator Siewert and Senator Di Natale, related to Black Lives Matter and First Nation people be taken as a formal motion.

The PRESIDENT: An objection has been noted, so that has been denied.

I rise to make a statement on Black Lives Matter and our work for justice. Over the last couple of weeks, a global antiracist movement has re-emerged to fight for racial justice and against police brutality and institutional racism. The Black Lives Matter movement has been led by black and Indigenous people and has been supported by people of colour and allies from all backgrounds. I was proud to join the huge rally at Sydney Town Hall.

I move:

That items 5 to 7 of Schedule 1 of the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2020, made under the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Act 2020, be disallowed.