Parliament

We are in a situation where we have floods in New South Wales and Queensland. We have a housing crisis. People can't make ends meet. Young people are burdened with huge study debts which are holding them back. Rather than addressing these issues that affect millions of people, here we have a government trying to sneak in deductible gift status for the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation—a move that will allow the centre to avoid taxation on their income. My amendment will stop this from happening.

Islamophobia in this country is rising. The third report on Islamophobia, Islamophobia in Australia, was released this month by Charles Sturt University and the Islamic Science and Research Academy. This report tells us in no uncertain terms what many Muslims living here already know: that Islamophobia is getting worse. There was a fourfold increase in in-person anti-Muslim hate incidents, and online incidents were 18 times higher after an Australian white supremacist killed 51 innocent people in mosques in Christchurch in 2019. These are just the reported incidents.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the minister's failure to provide an answer or an explanation.

I rise to make a contribution to the debate on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Cyclone and Flood Damage Reinsurance Pool) Bill 2022 and I want to associate myself with the comments made by my colleague Senator McKim. As I speak, communities in many parts of Lismore in New South Wales have been ordered to evacuate again as heavy rains continue to batter the North Coast in my home state. Residents in Lismore and surrounds—North Lismore, South Lismore, low-lying parts of Kyogle, Tumbulgum and other low-lying areas—were given until 10 pm last night to leave their homes.

I am going to make this as simple as I possibly can.

The Liberal-National government and Labor opposition's climate target is for net zero emissions by 2050. I think that's too late. The science says that's too late. But that's their target. The Liberal and Labor target is for net zero emissions by 2050.

[Senator Waters' speech to the Senate on the Parliamentary Workplace Reform (Set the Standard Measures No. 1) Bill 2022]

The Greens support this Bill as a tiny step in the right direction by implementing two recommendations of the Set the Standards report.  There is still so much more to do, but this is a start.

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (16:19): I move:

That the Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018 be referred to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 15 March 2022.

Question agreed to.

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