Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the proposition from Senator Faruqi. The COVID-19 pandemic has been perhaps the most challenging health issue that Australia and the world have ever faced. Thankfully, through the good sense of the Australian people, we've been able to limit the number of lives that have been lost. Of course, any life lost is tragic. To the relatives and families of the hundred people who've lost their lives, I wish to express my support and say that the thoughts of all Australians are with you at this difficult time and that you are not alone.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive damage to the Australian economy. The Treasurer has admitted that we're in a recession. Unemployment is expected to reach more than 10 per cent. The scenes of workers queuing outside Centrelink offices are a stark and sad reminder of the impact this crisis is having on the livelihoods of millions of Australians. The response from this government has been reactive when it comes to managing the economy and the impacts. We know that they never wanted to introduce JobKeeper. They were hoping to push workers onto jobseeker, and it was not going to be at the increased level of support but at the old Newstart rates. It was a campaign from the Labor opposition, the crossbench and the Australian Council of Trade Unions, along with business, that forced the government to announce both the enhancement of jobseeker and the JobKeeper program. The government were forced into JobKeeper and has been trying to reduce its effectiveness ever since. Then we had the largest costing blunder in Australia's history: the $60 billion error, the Frydenberg fail, which will define the economic credentials of this Treasurer and this government.

The holes in JobKeeper are resulting in thousands of Australians falling through the cracks. Casuals, entertainment workers, those on temporary visas, workers in businesses like dnata and those working at universities have been let down by this government and this Treasurer. It is a clear demonstration of the government's lack of compassion for Australian workers. The regulations made to JobKeeper to exclude universities will leave over 21,000 people vulnerable to losing their jobs in the next few months. The higher education sector is expected to lose between $3 billion to $5 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19, affecting their income. Universities Australia has announced that each of its 39 members are projected to have an average shortfall of between $77 million and $118 million, mostly due to the plunge in international tuition fee revenue. This is a devastating blow to universities, and already the job losses have begun. Deakin University announced up to 400 jobs are to go. The university of Central Queensland, based in Rockhampton, is reported to be reducing staff by up to 300 positions and is closing its Biloela, Noosa and Yeppoon sites. At Charles Sturt University jobs are already under threat. At Wollongong university nearly 400 jobs could be lost. The list of universities that will be forced by this government to sack staff will only get bigger. These job losses will be felt by those workers who lose their jobs, their families and their colleagues.

The impact on regional communities will be enormous. University campuses are critical employers in regional towns. They provide reliable, well-paid, good jobs in communities that need the income these jobs provide. The impact will then be felt by the small businesses and service providers in these towns. Incomes will be reduced, and spending in the shops and businesses across these communities will be hit hard. But where are the National Party on these issues? Why aren't they standing up for regional jobs?

As per usual, they're asleep at the wheel again. They should be working to protect regional jobs, not standing by and watching the disaster unfold.

I want to commend the National Tertiary Education Union for their steadfast advocacy of these workers, doing everything they can to keep them in secure jobs. As Dr Alison Barnes, National President of the NTEU, said:

The tertiary education sector is vital for protecting our health, our economy and our society. It is the engine room to cure COVID-19 - delivering the health and medical research that saves lives.

Without a real, secure package with new money, we are looking at losing tens of thousands of jobs. Sally McManus tweeted:

Universities have become totally dependant on casual workers, most of whom are highly educated, dedicating their lives to their field of knowledge. Highly skilled ppl have lost their jobs and are excluded from JobKeeper. How's this fair and what's the plan Dan?

Well, this is no-plan Dan, just as this is the no-plan government—to deal with the important impacts that COVID-19 has had on the economy.

Australian universities have had huge success over the last few decades. Since the Dawkins reforms of the Hawke era, they have redefined their role in Australian society. They've become places where people from all backgrounds can gain an education and get the opportunity to become doctors or lawyers or go into many other professional careers. They've become a powerhouse for our economy. The higher education sector is Australia's third largest export industry, employing more than 220,000 workers.

Whereas in 1989 universities derived more than 80 per cent of operating costs from the public purse, now it's estimated to be less than 40 per cent. They are not only providing a much-needed economic stimulus to our country but also building a more diverse and inclusive country. They are building lifelong links between Australia and the countries that people who attend our universities come from. These are links that will benefit Australia both socially and economically for many decades to come. This all happens because of the ongoing sustainability of Australian universities. This all happens because we have a wonderful workforce supporting and teaching these students and providing them with a positive experience in Australia. This is what the government is putting at risk through their short-sighted and mean-spirited approach to this issue.

Universities are an integral part of Australia's research and development effort. Their research partnerships with business are driving innovation and helping Australians to compete for the jobs of the future. The research being conducted in Australian universities—in information technology, engineering, the arts and, critically, health—is setting up the new business of the next decade and beyond. By harming our universities with their approach, the government is putting this vital role at risk. How many new inventions, medical advances and other research breakthroughs will be lost because the government doesn't value these institutions?

Universities Australia chair and Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry reminded us of the impact on the wider economy when she commented on the impact of COVID-19 on university research. She said:

We need to look at R&D investment that is much closer, at least, to the OECD average.

She went on to say:

We are all going to be paying a lot of attention to GDP over the next little while. Here's a known driver of GDP and it's absolutely imperative that we understand that.

Professor Terry is right. The path to higher growth, better jobs and growing income starts with innovation and research. This is core business for our universities. The government must change course on this damaging decision. They've backed down on the rate of the jobseeker payment. They've backed down on the need for JobKeeper. It's time to back down and support this proposal. I commend the motion to the Senate.