Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Steele-John, seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 714, relating to JobKeeper payments.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Government is leaving young people, students and universities behind in the jobs and economic crisis due to COVID-19 and that:

  (i) The government's planned university fee hikes in the 'Job-ready Graduates' package will saddle new students with billions of dollars in extra debt,

  (ii) Young people have already lost a decade's worth of wage growth, according to a July Productivity Commission report,

  (iii) Youth unemployment rose to 16.3% in July, more than double that of the general population,

  (iv) Young people are disproportionately employed as short term casuals, who are excluded from the Jobkeeper payment, and have experienced widespread cuts to their hours worked during the pandemic, and

  (v) The government has repeatedly excluded universities from eligibility for Jobkeeper, resulting in thousands of job losses across the sector, which will reduce student support, course offerings and quality of learning and teaching.

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

  (i) expand the JobKeeper payment to all workers, including university staff, early childhood educators and carers', casuals and temporary visa holders, and

  (ii) maintain the JobKeeper payment at $1,500 per fortnight for all workers, including for low income earners.