The Greens have a very strong position that the Senate should insist on its amendments to this Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill 2020. We've been here for the last two days debating the JobMaker hiring credit scheme which, in the legislation, is no scheme at all. There have been members who have stood up—many members over the last two days—and spoken about the bill. And many on this side have expressed their deep concerns about the bill and the implications of the bill.

The Parliament is potentially at an impasse over the government's JobMaker bill after an Australian Greens initiated amendment to the bill, co-sponsored by the ALP, passed the Senate. 
 
The amendment provides a safeguard against businesses firing workers or reducing their hours in order to make new hires which would receive a government subsidy.
 

Senator Patrick's amendments

As I said in my speech in the second reading debate, the Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill 2020 grants very broad powers to the minister to basically hand out $4 billion of public money to businesses, and it doesn't do much else. This bill doesn't actually establish the JobMaker hiring credit scheme. It doesn't provide a single detail about the scheme. There's nothing about eligibility criteria or anything else for that matter.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has said the JobMaker Wage Subsidy must not pass parliament as corporate welfare, as the party’s major amendments to the package gain growing support. 

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak on the Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill 2020. Everyone has a right to a liveable income and a right to a safe, secure and meaningful job that pays them decent wages to live a good life. Even before the pandemic, we should have been really concerned about unemployment in Australia. In March 2020, the national unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent and was even higher for young people, at 11.6 per cent. The underemployment crisis has been one which has been hidden for far too long.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has today outlined his party’s amendments to the JobMaker wage subsidy package, calling upon Labor and the crossbench to support them. The Greens will move amendments that deny the scheme to corporations that have underpaid workers or that have recently paid dividends. The Greens will also move amendments to stop employers sacking people currently employed to take advantage of the scheme. The Greens have not resolved a final position on the Bill and are demanding to see the full details of the scheme first.

I move:

Omit subparagraph (b)(ii) and add, at the end of the amendment:

(c) Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill 2020, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 6 November 2020.

Question agreed to.

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