Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Walsh, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) 470,000 jobs have been lost since the COVID-19 outbreak began,

(ii) 30,000 jobs were lost in the fortnight to 17 October 2020, the first full fortnight after JobKeeper payments were cut, and

(iii) 160,000 more jobs are predicted to be lost before Christmas;

(b) further notes that the Government's decisions to exclude Australians from support and cut JobKeeper could lead to higher unemployment for longer; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

(i) revitalise Australian manufacturing,

(ii) guarantee apprenticeships on Federal major projects,

(iii) address the skills crisis by reinvesting in TAFE,

(iv) recharge the workforce participation of women,

(v) power our recovery with clean energy projects, and

(vi) deliver a plan for good secure jobs.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The Greens support this motion. With hundreds of thousands of jobs lost and more than a million people unemployed and already stagnant wages, it's clear that we need massive investment in secure, sustainable and rewarding jobs if we are to rebuild after this crisis into a just society. This can't be done without generational investment in education and training to equip people in communities with the skills that they need. Whether you're just leaving school, you're between jobs in a recession or you're looking to retrain, you have the right to a world-class education. Making TAFE and university fee-free for all and investing in resources and staff of our public education institutions is the vital first step to achieving this vision.

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

The question is that motion No. 860 be agreed to.