Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges the significant fiscal interventions in response to COVID-19, which have been supported by the entire Parliament;

(b) notes that the National Accounts confirm Australia is in a recession;

(c) further notes that:

(i) unemployment is at 7.5%, with over a million Australians out of work for the first time in history,

(ii) the Treasurer has acknowledged that the unemployment rate is expected to increase to 10% in the December quarter,

(iii) the Government announced it would reduce the rate of JobKeeper and the Coronavirus Supplement on 21 July 2020,

(iv) the Government announced that the Coronavirus Supplement will end on 31 December 2020 and JobKeeper will end on 28 March 2021, and

(v) a further 400,000 Australians are expected to lose their jobs by the end of this year; and

(d) calls on the Morrison Government to immediately outline a comprehensive jobs plan for Australian workers, including the 400,000 Australians the Treasurer has acknowledged are expected to lose their jobs by Christmas amidst the first recession in Australia in 29 years.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation will support this motion. A century ago Australia had the world's highest per capita income. COVID exposed our slide down the rankings, in terms of manufacturing and agriculture, that gutted our economic sovereignty, economic independence and security. Labor and the Liberal-Nationals think we need to get back to where we were in February this year. One Nation, though, has always called for a plan to provide an economic environment that drives Australian investment for Australian employers and Australian jobs—lasting, sustainable, secure jobs—a plan for investment in infrastructure to restore our productive capacity, in dams for reliable water, in coal fired power stations to cut $1,300 from annual household electricity costs, and in Australian owned transport; a plan for comprehensive tax reform to stop giving unfair advantage to foreign multinationals who are avoiding company tax; a plan for exiting international agreements that are handicapping industry. Australians have the talent and deserve a plan.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 778 be agreed to.