COVID-19

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart (Labor), which means it failed.

Motion text

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.