29th Nov 2021, 1:21 PM – Senate Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021 - Second Reading - First Nations people

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion "That this bill be now read a second time," which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. This means that the amendment failed. It was introduced by Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe (Greens).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate notes that:

(a) this bill replaces the Community Development Program with a new framework piloting how employment services are delivered in remote communities, particularly communities with a high number of First Nations people;

(b) these pilot programs dishonour the Federal Government's commitment to formal partnerships and shared decision-making in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap as it is not clear how communities have been chosen to participate in the pilots or if the principles of free, prior, and informed consent were followed when working with these communities;

(c) people in these pilot programs will not be paid a living wage for work they are required to perform and they will not be given the industrial protections available to all working people;

(d) this bill is opposed by human rights organisations, Aboriginal community controlled organisations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services; and

(e) this bill does not address the underlying issue causing under-employment or unemployment in regional, remote, and very remote areas of the country; namely, the lack of economic and job opportunities".