John,

Welcome to Labor’s Senate Select(ions) - a wrap of this week’s developments from the Senate, and the Senate Select Committee investigating the Morrison Government’s coronavirus response.

Parliament resumed this week, and so too did the COVID Committee’s work. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann was in the chair to explain the Government’s $60 billion JobKeeper bungle.

A call to action from Senator Dodson

Following nationwide demonstrations, this week we heard a powerful contribution from the father of Reconciliation, Senator Pat Dodson.  Pat was part of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody 30 years ago and we have much to learn from him.

He told the Senate that Australia has still not addressed the underlying issues that give rise to First Nations people dying in custody and called on the Morrison Government to make it a top priority. His speech is a must watch:

Bureaucrats forced to take the blame

With Treasurer Josh Frydenberg refusing to face the COVID Committee, it was left to Senator Cormann to front up – but the buck passing didn’t stop there. The hearing began with Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy forced to take the fall for the biggest ever budget blunder.

When a “guarantee” isn’t guaranteed

On Monday, the Government confirmed that 120,000 early childhood educators will be booted off JobKeeper months before everyone else. The announcement came just 72 hours after Scott Morrison ‘guaranteed’ Australian workers could count on JobKeeper until the end of September.

And Senator Cormann seemed to suggest to the Committee there could be even more workers who lose support under JobKeeper, saying “I won’t rule out adjustments at the end of the review”.  It’s clear Australians cannot take Scott Morrison at his word.

We’re not in Kansas anymore, Senator Rennick

And while we’re on childcare – this week Queensland LNP Senator Gerard Rennick shared his views on the topic following a question from Senator Catryna Bilyk – and we got an insight into why the LNP doesn’t care about the affordability of childcare. 

A reboot of Robodebt?

This week Scott Morrison finally apologised for the harm caused by the illegal Robodebt scheme he implemented as Minister, Treasurer and now Prime Minister.

The same couldn’t be said for Mathias Cormann, who refused to apologise, despite being asked 9 questions in the last 2 days.

After the devastating human toll wrought by this scheme, the Finance Minister couldn’t even bring himself to rule out rebooting Robodebt, when asked by Senator Malarndirri McCarthy.

And finally this week, a motion signed by all Labor Senators finally killed off the Morrison Government’s union busting "ensuring integrity" legislation.

The Labor Senate team defeated it the first time around in December and the Government has finally surrendered, not even putting up a fight when we moved to dump it from the Notice Paper.

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s Labor Senators Select(ions).

Until next time,

Senator Penny Wong
Labor Leader in the Senate