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

by leave—I move Greens amendments (2) and (6) on sheet 1009 together:

(2) Clause 2, page 2 (at the end of the table), add:

(6) Page 33, at the end of the Bill, after proposed Schedule 5, add:

Schedule 6 — Extension of jobkeeper scheme to temporary visa holders

Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Act 2020

1 At the end of section 7

Add:

Requirements relating to temporary visa holders

(10) In determining the entitlement of an entity to a payment for an employee of the entity, the rules must provide that the types of employee that an entity is entitled to receive a payment in respect of include an individual that on 1 July 2020 was an employee of the entity and was the holder of a temporary visa within the meaning of the Migration Act 1958 .

These amendments will expand eligibility for JobKeeper payments to workers on temporary visas. It is a real shame that this government has created this arbitrary division between temporary visa holders and permanent citizens, as if the virus discriminates based on visas. People are in the same terrible situation in the pandemic and they need all the support that this government can provide them. It is our job to support people who are in Australia. There is report after report of international students who are basically being left destitute. The minister did say that the states were providing some support packages for them, and good on them! But they not nearly enough. International students and higher education are the responsibility of the federal government, and they are abrogating their responsibility by not providing support to students who are finding it hard to put food on the table and have roofs over their heads at the time when they need it most. The government has watched as thousands of temporary visa holders have lost their jobs and stood by as hundreds have resorted to lining up at food banks because they have denied them access to the financial support that they deserve and need.

They are not even being transparent in actually telling us if they ever considered such support. The door was shut on my OPD to actually get some documents, which we know that the government has. There was a big debate happening on government transparency and accountability yesterday, and many senators on this side of the chamber spoke very eloquently about the government hiding everything in the dark. At a time when we need to be more transparent, you won't even tell us if you ever considered supporting international students, let alone providing them with any support. Migrant communities, unions and support organisations have been raising concerns since the beginning of this pandemic, but the government yet again has ignored their calls.

This humanitarian crisis is unfolding here in our own country, which is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Surely the government can find it in their hearts, in their budgets, in their coffers to provide enough support to international students for them to live above the poverty line during this pandemic. I commend the amendments to the Senate.