Senator DI NATALE (Victoria—Leader of the Australian Greens) (17:32): by leave—I advise the Senate that I continue as Leader of the Australian Greens parliamentary party. I advise that Senator Larissa Waters and Adam Bandt continue as co-deputy leaders, and that Senator Rachel Siewert continues as party whip.

Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Minister for Agriculture) (17:32): by leave—I wish to advise the Senate that I've been appointed Leader of The Nationals in the Senate, and Senator Matthew Canavan has been appointed our deputy leader. I also wish to advise that Senator Perin Davey is now The Nationals Whip in the Senate. We look forward to serving regional Australia in this parliament with our brand new Senate team and look forward to serving with you all in the national interest.

Senator HANSON (Queensland) (17:32): by leave—I advise the Senate that I am the leader and whip of Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

Senator BERNARDI (South Australia) (17:33): by leave—I advise the Senate that, due to recent circumstances, I'm taking my place in this chamber as an Independent senator. I also advise the Senate that I shall be designated as a whip for the purpose of standing order 24A, relating to the Selection of Bills Committee.

Senator GRIFF (South Australia) (17:33): by leave—I advise the Senate that I am the whip for Centre Alliance.

The PRESIDENT (17:35): It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 16 May 2019, of the former Prime Minister the Hon. Robert James Lee Hawke. I advise senators that a condolence motion and the traditional courtesies for former Prime Minister Hawke will be considered tomorrow, Wednesday, 3 July.

Senator ABETZ (Tasmania) (17:40): Freedom of speech, belief and association are freedoms for which our forebears sacrificed. They understood the importance of nurturing these freedoms. These freedoms have allowed us to explore, develop and nuance ideas philosophical, political, scientific and religious, amongst others.

Today, our society is in grave danger of losing this rich heritage, together with its attendant benefits. That is why I have taken this, the first opportunity the 46th Parliament has afforded me, to make a plea to defend our freedoms. To fail to do so is to squander the legacy bequeathed to us. Of late we have been witnessing elements—some arrogantly; most others, I am sure, naively motivated, but to the same effect—silencing, punishing and intimidating people with whom they disagree.

Our universities, which should be the nursery of free speech, are often not only failing their own rich heritage in this regard but actively destroying it. From students to senior lecturers, there is a growing list of shameful incidents. The contest of ideas and research methodologies should be encouraged, not punished. As Justice Vasta said in the Ridd case:

Incredibly, the university has not understood the whole concept of intellectual freedom. In the search for truth, it is an unfortunate consequence that some people may feel denigrated, offended, hurt or upset. It may not always be possible to act collegiately when diametrically opposed views clash in the search for truth

…   …   …

… intellectual freedom … allows academics to express their opinions without fear of reprisals … And that, at its core, is what higher learning is about.

We see the same corrosion of standards in sport. Rugby Australia's unprecedented and unprincipled dismissal of Israel Folau has become the latest ugly example. Mr Folau, our best rugby player, was sacked for taking to social media with a paraphrased quote from the Holy Bible. Rugby Australia now claims it was the threat of the withdrawal of sponsorship which motivated them, which turns the spotlight onto the corporate bullying, while not excusing Rugby Australia's cowardice. The abuse of corporate sponsorship to manipulate team selection, especially on religious views, is reprehensible. Trying the same corporate ugliness on Izzy's wife, a sportswoman in her right, for supporting him, is reprehensible writ large. In an exercise of Orwellian proportions, these sports stars were targeted for exclusion in the name of inclusion and discriminated against in the name of tolerance. You don't have to agree with Izzy to agree with his right to express his religious views or his wife's right to back him.

Today it's Izzy's religious views and his wife's loyal support. Yesterday it was Professor Ridd's scientific views. Tomorrow it might be someone's political view, the next day someone's environmental view. This is a fight for freedom of speech which impacts us all. The government must, and I am confident will, respond to the expressions of the quiet Australians on 18 May and ensure our freedoms, which were bought with the highest of prices, are not sacrificed and squandered on the altar of political correctness. As Sir Robert Menzies so articulately encapsulated in 'We believe': 'We believe in the great human freedoms: to worship, to think, to speak.'

Freedom is worth defending. Freedom is worth nurturing. Freedom is worth championing. As our national anthem extols:

Australians all let us rejoice

For we are young and free.

Let's keep it that way.

Senator LINES (Western Australia—Deputy President and Chair of Committees) (17:44): Tonight I pay thanks to our volunteers in the election campaign. I was the director of the campaign in the seat of Pearce. Despite us losing—and I congratulate Mr Porter on his election—it is important for me to recognise the many volunteers who gave up their time to help us on that campaign. I'd like to show my thanks and deep appreciation for their tireless dedication—our Labor volunteers. These are people right across the country who, in our case, spent the last 18 months on the ground driven by their passion and their commitment to Labor values. These are people who saw our vision for the future of Australia and took it upon themselves to get out and fight for it. They were part of the volunteers across the country, but they went above and beyond for the sake of fairness and equality. I cannot thank them enough for standing alongside us, day after day, right up until well beyond closing time at 6 pm on 18 May.

Our volunteers are ordinary Australians but they do extraordinary things. Volunteer Sonny Jones works FIFO but still made calls, even when working on-site, undeterred by his co-workers. Volunteer Fred Williams was out every day of the week, rain, hail or shine, impatiently demanding for more doors to knock on and always asking when he could come back. For volunteers Lyn Zaccaro and Steve Afflin, distance didn't matter. They would drive for countless kilometres, sometimes for over an hour, to lend a hand to our cause. Many doors that you knock on say: 'Fierce dog on premises. Do not enter.' But that didn't deter Lyn, who is a volunteer for homeless dogs. She valiantly opened every gate—and never got a bite at all! And volunteers Harry Brookings, Daniel Pingelly and Dylan Varis are time-poor university students but still managed to spend hours and hours talking to volunteers.

I'd like to recognise these people and the hundreds of others who I got to know personally, who donated as much time as they could to volunteer for the Labor Party in the hope of a better future. Now that I have my weekends back, on Saturdays and Sundays I do miss them. I miss Fred, Kim, Daniel and Lyn. But I don't miss the 'fierce dog' signs because, unlike Lyn, I never knocked on those doors. I do thank them. I also thank the team who work in my office, who always go above and beyond—Fiona, Emma, Jemma, Andy, Sophia, Clare and Millie. They have stood by me in my role and will continue to stand by me as Deputy President. I thank them once again, and I thank our volunteers in the Pearce campaign.

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales) (17:48): I rise today to show my solidarity with the people of Sudan, who are demanding an end to human rights abuses and violence, and a genuine transition to democratic, civilian rule. In December last year peaceful protests broke out across Sudan calling for economic reforms and an end to the 30-year rule of the dictator Omar al-Bashir. This incredible social movement saw thousands of people put their lives at risk. Hundreds, perhaps more, were killed protesting against the government. This culminated in the removal of al-Bashir by the military and a promise by the Transitional Military Council to establish a civilian-led government. But the revolution has been betrayed. On 3 June soldiers and paramilitary forces attacked a pro-democracy sit-in. There were many deaths and injuries, and shockingly widespread sexual violence and mass rape.

The militias' actions resulted in at least 118 deaths and 47 cases of rape. But many believe that many more of these crimes were committed and remain unreported. Many of the bodies were found in the Nile River, with stones tied to their legs in an attempt to hide the evidence. Shockingly, this was happening during the holy month of Ramadan.

Imam, a Sudanese Australian who was in Sudan at the time, describes these scenes. He said:

On the last day of Ramadan, the militia came into the city at around 3 am. They killed and raped women and targeted medics, especially female medics. Men who tried to defend them were also raped. The people who were able to run away ran away to the hospitals … It is a nightmare. It is a massacre.

The situation is still dreadful, protesters continue to be killed and injured by the military, the internet remains inaccessible and the Sudanese community around the world, including here in Australia, remain anxious and concerned about the welfare of their families and their friends.

Sudanese Australians have been at the forefront of the Sudanese diaspora in demanding accountability and an end to military rule. Around Australia many protests have been organised, in many cases led by the youth. Wearing blue to honour the memory of Mohamed Mattar, a protester that was killed on 3 June attempting to protect two women protesters from attack, they have openly called for an end to the repression and independent investigation into crimes—and, of course, civilian rule.

One protest in Canberra, while focused on the Sudanese embassy, was also directed at the Saudi, Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassies over those countries' roles in supporting the Transitional Military Council, including with weapons and other support to the Sudanese military. Just on Sunday, communities across Australia and the world joined together in a global protest. The Declaration of Freedom and Change calls for a democratic and peaceful Sudan, for the empowerment of women, protection of the environment and an end to Sudan's civil wars. This is a platform put together by Sudanese civil society, including trade unions, student associations, feminist groups and political parties. There can be no delays to democracy. We cannot let the revolution be betrayed any further. There must be an independent United Nations investigation into the crimes that have happened.

Australia has a role to play in this. We can use our seat at the UN Human Rights Council to call for an investigation. To date, all Sudanese Australians have heard is silence from us, from this government, and that is just not right. The Greens will always support and speak out for grassroots democracy, peace and nonviolence.

I want to finish by paying tribute to the women of the revolution. Many of you would have seen the photo of Alaa Salah, a young woman who became a symbol of the movement when a photo of her leading the protesters, atop a car, went viral. As in many revolutions, women have been at the forefront of the movement in Sudan, even when they have had the most to lose, when the military uses rape as a weapon. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for my sisters in Sudan putting their lives and bodies on the line for justice, but they shouldn't have to do so. So today I urge the government to take diplomatic action to support a democratic Sudan and to push for an international investigation into human rights abuses.

Senator STOKER (Queensland) (17:53): I rise to reflect on the contributions of a very special woman, Jenny Russell, to the Queensland Liberal National Party. She passed away from a malignant brain tumour on 25 May this year, leaving a huge void in the lives of her family and friends and the community of the LNP. Jenny really did educate me all about regional Queensland, its strengths and challenges, from the very first time we met. That was the nature of her generous soul. I was honoured to have her support and wise counsel to guide me as I have grown, and I am saddened to have lost a mentor and a friend. She was only 66 years of age. The blessing is that I have had the opportunity to know her kindness, her blunt humour and her passion for rural life.

Before I celebrate Jenny, I'd like to say something about the cruel disease that is brain cancer. In my lifetime, breast cancer has gone from being a fatal diagnosis to one that has one of the highest success rates for treatment if detected early. Bowel cancer and skin cancer are going the same way. We even know the causes of these cancers, and we can adjust our lifestyle, to an extent, accordingly to reduce our risk.

In 2017 Health Minister Hunt pledged $50 million from the Australian government in matched funding for the Australian Brain Cancer Mission. Setting a goal like the Australian Brain Cancer Mission is the first step in a journey of successes and failures on the road to finding the cause and hopefully improving treatments and cure rates.

Jenny Russell was, first and foremost, a bushie. Born in 1953, she grew up in Swan Hill, Blackall, in the central west. She was educated at home by correspondence before going to boarding school and then later to university, before she went into teaching. She left teaching and entered politics when she was employed as a research officer in 1983 for the Queensland National Party, beginning what became a long affiliation with the non-Labor side of politics and a strong contribution to regional Queensland.

Her life changed dramatically when her mother Jackie died in a car crash in 1985. Jenny gave up work in Brisbane and took on the partnership of the family's stud and commercial cattle business, restoring it to being one of the state's leading Santa Gerturidis producers. She went on to serve on the Beef Australia board for 14 years until 2018, and she was rewarded with life membership for her work. She was the first female senior vice-president of the Queensland National Party in 1995, a role she thrived in until she stepped aside in 2005. She was honoured with life membership of the Nationals in recognition of her absolutely enormous contribution. Former Nationals President David Russell QC said of Jenny:

From time to time one knows individuals with a razor-sharp intellect and superb judgement. Jenny's generous spirit and commitment to family and community for whom she made so many sacrifices went well beyond the call of duty. It is not common to know individuals with both characteristics in abundance, Jenny was one of these.

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson said of her:

Jenny had a commanding presence and was a wonderfully warm and intelligent person … a gifted conversationalist … I found her one of those people that you genuinely looked forward to seeing.

Regional and agriculture policy development was her passion. She was a member of the Liberal National Party Policy Standing Committee, and a lasting legacy was her contribution to the LNP's 2012 land tenure submission.

Poet George Essex Evans, who was a favourite of Jenny's, put best, I think, the spirit of the women of the west—women like Jenny—in the poem Women of the West:

The wide Bush holds the secrets of their longings and desires,

When the white stars in reverence light their holy altar-fires,

And silence, like the touch of God, sinks deep into the breast—

Perchance He hears and understands the Women of the West.

Vale Jenny Russell. Godspeed.

Senator ROBERTS (Queensland) (17:57): This is not my first speech, Madam Deputy President, but, before I go any further, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment—and best wishes in service to the Senate.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Senator ROBERTS: As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I would like to discuss some of the lessons I learnt in my break from the Senate, because it's different the way I see the state and the country after having been in here. I'm much more attuned to listening to what people are saying and much more observant, and I can pick up more of the cues now. The people are not happy with this parliament—not at all happy. It is not just the matter of the rabble that is in question time, not only in the House but especially in the Senate—they expect better from the Senate—but also the putting down of people instead of debate, the use of ad hominem attacks, the smears, the innuendos and anything but data and facts. People are very, very disappointed with the way this Senate and the House of Representatives operate.

Perhaps that's why in the House of Representatives One Nation's vote in the last election, despite many setbacks, increased 150 per cent. That's one of the highest votes of any party. Centre Alliance and the Labor Party fell considerably. The Liberals' vote, despite a success—and we congratulate them on that success—dropped one per cent. As I can summarise what the people were thinking, they said the Liberals do not deserve to govern, but Australia does not deserve Bill Shorten. The Liberals didn't win; the Labor Party lost because of their leader. That's what people were scared of—a Bill Shorten government—make no mistake about that—particularly in my home state of Queensland. In the state where I come from, our Senate vote increased by 12 per cent. Across Australia, our Senate vote increased, with the same number of candidates as previously, by 33 per cent. In all states bar one, we were seventh. So that's a remarkable rise, despite the deliberate and concerted attempts to kill One Nation.

Let me give you an example of why people are fed up with the Liberal-Labor duopoly that has existed for the last 30 years. Kilcoy farmers came to me—particularly a man called Russell Long—on behalf of other farmers who dealt with me. They're opposing the installation of a solar power generation complex near Kilcoy. A wonderfully rich, productive valley and lower hillside would be taken up by a 10-kilometre long solar industrial complex. It's not a farm—that's a lovely word. This is a solar industrial complex that will kill this area. Listen to the consequences of that decision. It's a flood-prone valley, a rich valley that can be cropped close to the creek. Not only are they taking away prime agricultural land; they are putting in its place cadmium and lead contaminants that go into the water supply of Neurum Creek, then into the Brisbane River, which flows into Lake Wivenhoe, which gives us our water supply for Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Beenleigh and, I'm told, possibly Toowoomba—a significant chunk of Queensland's population liable to toxic contamination.

There are further consequences. The Chinese are using our coal—our metallurgical coal, the best in the world, and our thermal coal, one of the best in the world—to generate steel for wind turbines which they export to us, and we can't compete because our coal prices end up being so high due to the subsidies for solar and wind generators. Then, further, we subsidise the Chinese to install those monstrosities in Australia, and that drives us further out the back door industrially, and we lose our industries to China. I'm not complaining about the Chinese—they're not doing anything dishonest; I'm complaining about the Liberal and Labor governments in the state and in this country that enable that to happen.

In 1942, when the Japanese bombed Darwin Harbour, Prime Minister John Curtin did not send them a cheque to help them to pay for their bombs, but that is what this government and this country is doing to subsidise the Chinese bombing this country. One Nation will bring forward positive policies to prevent this kind of nonsense. (Time expired)

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts, thank you for your congratulations, and I remind you to refer to those in the other place by their correct titles.

Senator WHISH-WILSON (Tasmania) (18:02): I'd like to do a couple of important shout-outs tonight—firstly, to a remarkable young Indonesian-Australian woman who I was lucky enough to meet in Launceston two months ago: Melati Wijsen. As a schoolgirl she set up an NGO in Indonesia called Bye Bye Plastic Bags. She went to the governor of Bali and said, 'We've got to get rid of plastic bags.' Anyone who's been to Bali and Indonesia knows just what a scourge plastic bags are, especially in the ocean. The governor of Bali said to Melati, 'Get me a million signatures, and I'll ban plastic bags.' She went ahead and got a million signatures. The ban was put in place. Of course, it was challenged by big business and big plastic companies. But last week that challenge was unsuccessful, and the plastic bag ban has passed into law.

Melati hasn't stopped with a plastic bag ban in Bali. She's now unfolding this business model in 41 other countries around the world. She finished school about two months ago, and she's currently on the international circuit trying to do great things. So, all those Australians like me who are doing Plastic Free July—you know how hard it is, even after just one day, to go without some kind of single-use plastic in your life—should spare a thought for the work that Melati's done. I just wanted to note something I felt very strongly after meeting her. Two of my real heroes—Greta Thunberg being another one—are both young women less than half my age. It's quite exceptional that we've got such young role models doing great things and bringing about change around the world.

I'd also like to do a quick shout-out to the tens of thousands of Australians who protested during the election campaign to get some action on climate and action on extinction in this country—the School Strike 4 Climate, the Extinction Rebellion and all those who turned up who actually care about future generations in this country and want to see action on climate.

I want to do a special shout-out tonight to my tribe: the surfing community in Australia. We have seen unprecedented protests all around the country, with paddle-outs in most towns, of surfers, a long way from the Great Australian Bight, standing up for clean and healthy oceans, standing up for action on climate and saying that a future of fossil fuels is a future that needs to be phased out.

Senator Canavan interjecting—

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

Senator WHISH-WILSON: I don't need to be rescued, Deputy President; I'm quite happy, thank you very much, to take these interjections from the minister for coal in this chamber, who does everything he can to take the donations from the coal industry and come in here and do their bidding—

Senator Canavan interjecting—

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Well, you listen to that lone protester who had the guts to speak out in front of hundreds of the most powerful people in this country today, to find a voice for the millions of Australians who want to see action on climate and tell you: 'Business as usual is not an option.'

To these surfers around this country, I want to say: 'Thank you. Thank you for standing up.' To the Fight for the Bight alliance, to the people at Wilderness Society South Australia, to Sea Shepherd Australia, to the Bob Brown Foundation, to Greenpeace, to the Surfrider Foundation, and to companies like Patagonia—responsible, ethical companies that are doing the right thing by future generations and the environment—I say: 'Thank you for standing up.' And thank you to the surfing community: to writers like Sean Doherty, for the leadership they're showing on this issue, and to pro surfers like Ace Buchan from Queensland, who has the best backhand I think in the world and on the WSL. In fact, thank you to the World Surf League for also putting up posts on Instagram about Fight for the Bight and how many Australians surfers are standing up and saying, 'This is not the future. We don't want to see this kind of pollution or the risk to our coastlines. We want to see a future free of fossil fuels. Enough is enough.' Thank you to Thomas Victor Carroll, a childhood hero of mine—one of the best surfers this country has ever produced—for his advocacy. Thank you to Heath Joske—healthjozza—who travelled to Norway, and to the many other surfers who joined him, to protest at Equinor's AGM. Thank you to the thousands of surfers from all demographics and all walks of life on the coastlines of this country—my tribe. Thank you for standing up. You will make a difference on this issue. Equinor just got a slap in the face last week. They've been told to go back to the drawing board. Senator Canavan, no matter what he does to try to help the fossil fuel industry, will not be able to stand in the way of this wave.

Senator Canavan interjecting—

Senator WHISH-WILSON: There are surfers riding this wave of change, Senator Canavan. Whether you like it or not, you are going to get wiped out and swamped by the change that is coming. 'Be ready for it,' is my advice. Be ready for it. Ordinary Australians are finding their voice and are taking action. (Time expired)

Senator FIERRAVANTI-WELLS (New South Wales) (18:08): I rise this evening to speak on the important issue of religious freedom and to formally announce that I am launching a petition calling for a religious freedom act which should not only contain a protection against religious discrimination for religious believers but also ensure: firstly, that everyone shall have the right to freedom of speech, thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of one's choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others, and in public or private, to manifest one's religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching; secondly, that no-one shall be subjected to coercion which would impair his or her freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his or her choice; thirdly, that freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; fourthly, that parents or legal guardians may ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions; and, fifthly, that all arms of government must act consistently with the religious freedom act and all laws must be applied consistently with the principles contained therein. Such a religious freedom act would ensure that Australia conforms to the international obligations which it signed up to and which implement article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Israel Folau matter has hardened my resolve on this issue. Whilst this situation relates to employment issues, the greatest story—with far-reaching ramifications—is about freedom of speech and freedom to express one's beliefs. Indeed, I'm heartened to see the extensive financial support given to Israel Folau. It not only demonstrates the overwhelming support in the community for him but also shows that there are Australians who may not agree with his views but are prepared to support his fundamental right to express those views.

The coalition won the election, and Scott Morrison is entitled to his victory lap. He ran an excellent campaign, but he was able to do so because he capitalised on Labor's dud policies—namely negative gearing, franking credits, the assault on the coal industry, and concerns about religious freedom, which were manifested with the Israel Folau sacking during the election. Scott Morrison refers to the 'quiet Australians' who supported the coalition. This is the silent majority, which rejected Labor's dud policies, returned the coalition to power and voted to keep Labor and their fiscal vandalism away from the treasury bench.

Let's look at some of these swings against Labor, especially in Western Sydney: Chifley, almost seven per cent; McMahon, about 5½ per cent; Blaxland, almost five per cent; Parramatta and Watson, over four per cent; and Greenway and Fowler, about 3½ per cent. These quiet Australians now expect the coalition to legislate to protect their religious freedom. It is important that Australians of all faiths be free to practise their religion without discrimination. Even those who have no beliefs should be free to express those views.

The results of the election had their antecedents in the same-sex marriage debate. During that debate I warned that religious freedom issues needed to be considered before we enacted same-sex marriage. My warning was prescient. Many Australians voted yes on the understanding that religious freedoms would be protected. Today we are seeing the ramifications of not having sorted out these issues at that time. I would remind the Senate that 17 federal electorates voted no. Twelve of those were in New South Wales, with the majority falling in Western Sydney, and eight of the top 10 no-voting seats were Labor seats.

As one of the leading advocates of the 'no' vote, I have continued my strong and active involvement with religious leaders and faith based communities. This was followed last year and earlier this year by a Senate inquiry into the removal of exemptions under the Sex Discrimination Act. The inquiry received more than 9,000 submissions against amendments referred to as 'the Wong bill'. During this time, I was able to meet with many religious leaders, who additionally activated thousands of people in the wider community. The Senate released its report on 4 February 2019, recommending no changes to the Sex Discrimination Act—that the exemptions for religious bodies and educational institutions be maintained and that the matters be referred to the Australian Law Reform Commission for consideration. Just prior to caretaker, the Attorney-General referred certain recommendations of the Ruddock review to the ALRC, including state jurisdiction exemptions, domestic legal frameworks, employment in religious schools, and exemptions and interaction with religious belief or activity regarding discrimination, including amending the Racial Discrimination Act or enacting a religious discrimination act.

The Israel Folau issue has heightened already existing concerns about incursions on religious freedom. Ordinary people of faith are now, understandably, asking the question: if I quote the Bible, will it get me into trouble? This is now the discussion at the kitchen table for Australians who hold religious beliefs. We need to make sure that religious persecution of Israel Folau does not happen again. To quote someone who recently wrote to me: 'If people do not believe hell exists and don't believe there is a god, why feel upset about going to hell? Hell means nothing to them other than some weird concept. And if people believe in God they have their choice to make.'

Although religious freedom is a right enshrined under international law, there has been a continued push—especially by Labor, the Greens, and their acolytes—for laws to take away rights of Australia's faith based communities. I continue to work with religious leaders and faith based communities and advocate strongly for standalone religious freedom protection legislation.

Whilst the ALRC is not due to report until 2020, I believe that the recent election has reinforced not only the need for more immediate legislative action but also the need for a more amplified and comprehensive referral. Indeed, it remains open to the Attorney-General to augment the ALRC referral and request that it report this year and before a religious freedom act is tabled. It makes greater sense for the issue to be dealt with comprehensively, rather than in the current piecemeal approach. This is vitally important to afford long-term protection against these constant incursions. It is a new dawn on this issue.

A religious discrimination act is not sufficient. It would be defensive in nature and limited to protecting against acts and practices by others which are discriminatory on the grounds of religion. A religious discrimination act would fall well short of the expectations of the 'quiet Australians' who voted for us. We cannot let them down.

I conclude by thanking those many Australians who continue to support my push for a religious freedom act and who are supporting the petition. I quote one who recently wrote to me:

Understanding and tolerance are fostered in an environment where ideas can be shared. As one of the quiet Australians who voted for the Liberal government, this issue is much broader than who will go to hell or not.

This is about the ability for all sectors of the community to think independently; speak and share ideas—popular and unpopular; for the ability to listen to alternate views and be listened to; for an environment where all Australians can think, speak and listen to diverse views.

Does that mean we will always agree? No. But it does mean that we should always be able to have a mature conversation and public debate without silencing or punishing the other side. This, is what we're at risk of losing as a nation. This, is what we need to fight for.

Today it is me as a Christian, tomorrow it could be you or those close to you. And this is why so many Australians are weighing in to support Israel Folau. This is not just about freedom of religion for a select group, but freedom of thought, conscience and belief for all Australians.

In conclusion, I urge you to go forth and ensure we collect as many signatures as possible, to keep the pressure on this Senate and this parliament to take decisive and long-term action to protect religious freedom once and for all.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Bilyk.

Senator BILYK (Tasmania) (18:17): Madam Deputy President, I congratulate you on your election today.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Senator BILYK: In tonight's adjournment, I want to pay tribute to a very dear friend of mine and acknowledge her incredible service to our community. Her name is Edna Pennicott. Edna was recently invited to a ceremony at Government House at which she was presented with a lifetime achievement award in the 2019 Tasmanian Volunteering Awards. The lifetime achievement award recognises exemplary long-term commitment to the volunteering sector, and it's an award given to someone with a history of distinguished service, who has made a lasting impact, who has exhibited community spirit and provided inspiration to others, and who has positively influenced the community or communities they have volunteered in—and, to receive this award, you must have had a minimum of 25 years service. In addition to this award, Edna has previously been acknowledged with the Pride of Australia Medal and the Kingborough Council senior citizen of the year medal. She has absolutely earned these accolades.

Edna has notched up over 40 years of volunteer service. She started when her children were in school, helping with various activities such as the canteen, book sales and excursions. As a sole parent she always had the kids with her when volunteering outside school hours, and she turned to helping local sports clubs when her children took up sports, like cricket and football. Edna still volunteers in the canteen of the Kingborough Tigers Football Club and the Kingborough Knights Cricket Club on home game days, even though her sons are in their 40s. Her support for people in need started with car trips in Glenorchy, with a group of friends, to deliver food to homeless people. This was some years ago.

In 2013, to provide a formal structure to the charity work she'd been doing for many decades beforehand, Edna established the charity Kingborough Helping Hands. Since then she's served as the charity's president. Kingborough Helping Hands, or KHH for short, is named for the municipality of Kingborough, just south of Hobart, and this is where their work is primarily focused. I must add here that I consider it an absolute privilege and honour to be not only patron of that organisation, which I have been for many years, but also a very active committee member. This charity has achieved so much for the local community, despite having no paid staff and receiving very little in government financial support.

One of the main activities of KHH is delivering care packages to people who have fallen on hard times. The average package value is about $100, and that typically includes food and essential household items—things that people rely on for their day-to-day living. The packages are put together with items donated by local businesses and community members or, more importantly, purchased with funds raised by Kingborough Helping Hands. Three or four packages are given out in a typical week, most of them delivered by Edna, who's in her 70s—I'm sorry, Ed, but I'm going to put that out there! Edna also collects most of the goods that go into the packages—does the shopping, stores the goods.

On top of that, another 200 to 250 packages are put together during the Christmas holiday season and given out to people in need. A big focus of these packages is providing Christmas gifts to people who either have difficulty affording a gift or would not usually receive one because they are socially isolated. Last year we gave out over 360 Christmas hampers. On top of the hampers, we also gave out over 300 presents for children.

As KHH doesn't have any of its own storage facilities, the rooms and hallways of Edna's house are packed with donated gifts in the lead-up to Christmas. Eddie's just got a little guvvie three-bedroom house; there's nothing suave or up-market about it. But, I tell you, it's non-stop activity at that house from about seven in the morning until often nine or 10 at night. My office also acts as a collection point for donations to KHH, and every year the boardroom in my office fills up with donated gifts.

As well as giving packages to individuals, KHH gives household essentials to local women's shelters, including Jireh House, which is in Kingborough, and the Annie Kenney Young Women's Refuge. These shelters have residents who have fled domestic violence, often without a lot of the essential items they rely on for their day-to-day personal care or the care of their children. Recently, Edna went shopping and bought 30 pairs of pyjamas and 30 dressing gowns because there's a big turnover at Annie Kenney, with people coming and going, so they always need fresh pyjamas and fresh dressing gowns. We've also supplied furniture for Annie Kenney.

One of the other things that Edna is the boss of—'the queen of', as we like to say to her—is the Kingborough Helping Hands service Loui's Van, an after-hours mobile van service that provides food, information and support to those in need, including people who are sleeping rough. In the municipality of Kingborough, Edna has the lease on the van, and Kingborough Helping Hands runs the service completely. Every week, Edna and various other people cook for the van. We take out hot meals; we take out hot soup; we take out meals for people to take home. A number of the schools donate biscuits and cakes and things that they get the kids to make in school time. They're all delivered to Edna, and we package them so that they're ready for people to take out. It's a truly amazing service. I often help out on the van. In fact they set the roster around when parliament sits so that I can take my turn on the roster.

It's amazing to see what a difference a bit of food and companionship can make to someone who's fallen on hard times. And we don't ask questions; we don't even ask to see people's pension cards or anything like that. If you're in need, you come along; there are no questions asked. Kingborough Helping Hands also supports the breakfast club at Kingston Primary School. We all know how important breakfast clubs are to ensuring that schoolchildren—particularly those from disadvantaged families—get a nutritious meal at the start of the day, which helps them to focus on their study.

Kingborough Helping Hands, of course, couldn't undertake its amazing charity work without funding, and the overwhelming majority of its funds are raised in the community. It's a sign of the regard in which Kingborough Helping Hands is held—and, in particular, Edna, who is the driving force behind all this—that its fundraisers are such successes. Last year we held a Christmas lunch where we raised $17,000, and we had 205 people at it. These were just people from the community who knew that it was going to happen and came along. The other thing we do—we are doing this in July—is the Soup and Sandwich fundraiser. Both of these events are typically attended by a couple of hundred people, and we just have a great time. But, more importantly, we raise an enormous amount of money to help Kingborough Helping Hands do what it does. Edna's first Christmas lunch, around 25 years ago, raised $240, and, as I said, the most recent one raised over $17,000.

KHH has a number of other minor fundraisers throughout the year which help supplement the income it receives from individual donations. We have recently, in the last couple of years, set up the Sharing Tree. Most people would be aware of the ABC Giving Tree. This is a Sharing Tree that we put up in the southern suburbs of Hobart. We have volunteers sit there and accept the gifts and vouchers and things that come our way.

I know I'm going to run out of time without being able to say everything I want to say, but what I really want to say is that, at just over five foot and in her 70s, Edna is a woman who certainly packs a punch. She has no problems in asking for people for donations. She's done this work for over 40 years. And not only was she a sole parent but she was a foster parent. She fostered five children full time and many children part time, all as a sole parent, all while doing this charity work. She has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. She has a way of bringing people together so that people want to help. People are often dropping donations at her door. As I said, she will work from 7 am till, often, 9 or 10 pm. She does it all for nothing, all for no pay. She's just got the biggest heart of anyone I think I've ever met. Around Kingborough, everybody knows her. In the municipality, everybody knows who she is. She has the title—that she's not very happy with!—of being the 'Queen of Kingborough', but that is what she is. She can say whatever she likes to the mayor, and things get done. The council has been very generous to us. That's my friend. (Time expired)

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia—Australian Greens Whip) (18:27): Madam Deputy President, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on being reappointed as Deputy President.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Senator SIEWERT: I rise tonight to speak on the very urgent matter of youth justice and the need to raise the age of criminal responsibility in this country. Like many others, I watched with horror as the Four Corners program yet again uncovered shocking human rights abuses against children. This time it was in Queensland sites of detention. The program reported that hundreds of children are being held in adult maximum-security watch houses across Queensland, and most of them have not been convicted. It appears we have learned nothing from the lessons of Don Dale, Parkville and the Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in the Northern Territory, which made 227 recommendations.

Many of these children in detention are very young. Children across Australia continue to experience appalling conditions in youth detention facilities. They are subjected to verbal abuse, restraints, force and isolation. Children are being denied access to basic human needs such as water, food and toilets. They are further isolated by being transferred to facilities located, in some instances, hundreds of kilometres away from their family and community. The supposedly 'tough on crime' approach is appalling and it is failing Australia's children. Youth detention can have a devastating and lifelong impact on a child's psychological and physical health and risks retraumatising young people. This is compounded with detention centres that are not fit for purpose, understaffed and under-resourced. The majority of children currently in detention around Australia are on remand. Their matters are still in court and they have not been found guilty of any criminal activity. Children who are held in detention while awaiting sentencing are particularly vulnerable. These children are separated from their family without access to therapeutic programs. They are also more likely to receive a sentence of imprisonment than a young person released on bail. All young people have the right to fair bail conditions that take their age and circumstances into consideration.

Each year Australia locks up around 600 children under the age of 14 years. These children are locked up in youth detention centres, by and large. Nearly 70 per cent of these children are First Nations children, with First Nations youth 25 times more likely to be in youth detention than non-Indigenous young people. The practices embedded in our juvenile justice system are contributing to the criminalisation of First Nations young people. In 2017 the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples found that routine detention of First Nations children was the most distressing part of her visit. Her report noted:

It is wholly inappropriate to detain children in punitive, rather than rehabilitative, conditions.

Her report also noted that First Nations children 'are essentially being punished for being poor and, in most cases, prison will only perpetuate the cycle of violence, intergenerational trauma, poverty and crime'. This, in our opinion, is a shameful indictment on our justice system. We must work with First Nations people to do better for First Nations young people in this country.

It is now three years since the Northern Territory royal commission started and 18 months since the commission tabled its report. Since then the Territory government has repeatedly backtracked on its commitment to implement the recommendations and findings of the royal commission. What's even worse is that the Territory government has chosen to go against key recommendations by passing retrospective amendments to the Youth Justice Act. It's now backtracked on and undone amendments that it had made to address some of the recommendations.

The Northern Territory royal commission gave us a road map of 227 recommendations, many of which can be used and just implemented in other states. In other words, we have some of the solutions here; we need to implement them. We need to implement these recommendations in the Territory and in other states. And, in particular, we need to focus in the Territory on decommissioning the Don Dale centre and the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre, both of which came under intense criticism in the royal commission. The recommendations also include increasing the age of criminal responsibility to 12 and only allowing children under 14 years to be detained for serious crimes.

The commission made many other important recommendations, including increasing diversion and therapeutic approaches to youth justice, developing a new model of bail, providing place based services to families, and ensuring that detention is only ever used as a last resort for people up to the age of 17 years. Not only did the commission make a large number of recommendations but a lot of the evidence given to the commission is very worthwhile reading—taking into account and taking on board what those submitters said.

One of the key changes to ensure that children are not in detention is, in fact, stopping them from being in there in the first place. A critical part of doing that is raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years across this country. That should be a minimum. It is unthinkable that children as young as 10 are being charged, brought before courts, sentenced and imprisoned—and also ending up in adult prisons. These are formative years during which a child's brain is undergoing growth and development. Furthermore, we are breaching our obligations under international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Criminalising young and vulnerable children creates a vicious cycle of disadvantage and entrenches children in the criminal justice system. Early contact with the criminal justice system increases the likelihood of young people further offending and having lifelong involvement with the justice system.

We are also seeing children being put in this situation who have FASD. We know that many children in detention have FASD. Locking up these children further traumatises them, does not address their disabilities, and ensures they are entrenched in the justice system. We know that locking up children is not the answer. We know that children who end up in the justice system have further contact with the justice system. Children don't belong in prisons. They belong in their communities.

Today we call on state, territory and federal governments across Australia to urgently work together to raise the age of criminal responsibility. This is a key change that needs to happen if we are to address this issue. But, of course, it's not the only thing we need to be doing. This must be coupled with a shift towards investment in strategies that reduce contact with the criminal justice system. This includes youth diversionary programs, youth diversion in the justice system and justice reinvestment—in some states they're now calling it social reinvestment. We urgently need to spend at the front end some of the money we spend at the other end of the justice system, to stop young people from having contact with the justice system in the first place. We need a willingness to address the underlying causes of young people's interaction with the justice system. Again, we don't need to reinvent the wheel. We know what those causes are and we need to be addressing those causes—and I've spoken on some of those in this chamber a number of times.

While calling for urgent action on youth justice issues, we must ensure that First Nations peoples have control over the development, design and implementation of youth justice programs and policies. Please, don't waste all those resources—not just the commissioners themselves and the royal commission but all the effort that so many witnesses put into that royal commission. Don't waste the 227 recommendations of the Northern Territory royal commission. Some of those are specific to the Northern Territory but many of them apply equally across this country. We can stop young people from being locked up and stop them from being considered as criminals if we put in place programs that stop young people from interacting with the justice system in the first place. (Time expired)

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Siewert. Senator Rice.

Senator RICE (Victoria) (18:37): Thanks, Madam Deputy President. I congratulate you on your appointment. 'People are relying on you. You've got to stay strong.' That's what my wife, Penny, said to me soon after this year's federal election when I was swept up in despair and worry for our country's future. It was great to be re-elected but the victory was bittersweet. Penny was right. But I know that many of us on the progressive side of politics felt scared after election night—scared for those still languishing on Manus Island and Nauru; scared for what another three years of coalition government will mean for people struggling on Newstart; scared for what will become of our environment and the more than 400 threatened animals and birds that are heading for extinction in Australia; scared for those of us in the LGBTIQ+ community as our rights seem to be yet again under attack by this government; scared because of the perpetual stalling on First Nations justice, truth telling and recognition of sovereignty; and deeply scared to sit with the knowledge that the world is in a climate emergency while we have a government that is addicted to coal and gas.

But we must be resilient to setbacks. We must take stock and stay optimistic and hopeful, even when things look tough. We must, in short, persist. I spend a lot of time imagining the future. I have hope and belief that by working together we can create a better world—and I know it's possible. One of my favourite quotes is from Arundhati Roy:

Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

Imagine a world where nature is protected and valued for its own sake rather than being abused and destroyed for the sake of profits for big corporations. Imagine a future where we stand with First Nations peoples, a future where LGBTIQ+ people, people of colour and disabled people are equal and celebrated. Imagine a peaceful future where the climate emergency is over, where coal and gas and oil are fossils of the past, where people are positive and optimistic about a thriving, healthy and safe planet. This could be our future. It's the future we need to keep fighting for.

And first of all we must refuse to accept the corruption of our democracy. It's a system that works for big corporations rather than for the rest of us, and it holds us back from real progress on almost every issue. Corporate influence has a chokehold grip on both the Liberal and the Labor party. This is a system that allows big corporations to make huge donations to politicians, and they are absolutely getting something in return. Property developers, big banks, gambling corporations and mining giants have received billions of dollars in favourable policy decisions from Liberal and Labor governments. Just last week we saw yet another example of the revolving door of MPs-turned-lobbyists, with former defence minister Christopher Pyne's new job with consulting giant EY: to advise the firm on, yes, expanding its defence business. Instead of delivering policies that are in the interests of ordinary, hardworking people, the Liberal and Labor parties are deadset on making life easier for big business and for themselves.

The Greens will fight to ban political donations and to ban MPs and senior staff from accepting lobbying jobs. But, while we work for the structural change needed to overhaul our democracy, we cannot afford to miss a beat when it comes to the current agenda of the Morrison government. This government has made its priorities for the next few weeks of parliament clear: it will try and pass a massive $158 billion tax cut, most of which will benefit the wealthiest Australians, leaving far less for government services for the people who need them most. Yet just yesterday Prime Minister Morrison got an $11,000 pay rise—on the same day that penalty rates were cut for retail and hospitality workers. And just yesterday the government further attacked low-income workers by dropping the threshold for repaying student loans, forcing young people to be paying back loans when they're just starting out on low wages and dealing with the rising cost of living.

The Greens will fight against this handout for the richest amongst us, because everyone in the country deserves a fair go, not just those who already have so much. This government also says it will introduce a religious discrimination bill, which in all likelihood will do the exact opposite of what an antidiscrimination bill should do. Instead of acting to protect a group of people, it could give religious groups a licence to discriminate, making it easier to discriminate against someone on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity. Discrimination harms everyone, and all Australians should have protection under the law. Yes, people of faith should be free to practise their religion without fear of harm or prejudice. But in this case the government's proposed religious discrimination bill looks like it's going to be a Trojan Horse to enshrine more discrimination into law. The Greens will fight this attack on Australia's values of equality and fairness.

But the biggest fight ahead of us, not just in Australia but worldwide, is dealing with our climate emergency. Think about this for a moment. We are living in a climate emergency, and neither Labor nor the Liberal party is acting that way. What do you do in an emergency? You act immediately and you act boldly. You do everything you can to fix it, because it's serious.

For decades, climate scientists have been telling the world that human-made climate change is happening and we need to act. But we no longer need to just trust the data and the experts; we can see the climate crisis unfolding around us. Just look around Australia over the last six months: the hottest January on record in Australia; the hottest March on record; the hottest start to the year on record; south-eastern Australia suffering one of the worst droughts on record; two massive fish kills in the Murray-Darling Basin; and 23,000 flying foxes falling dead out of the sky one hot summer afternoon in Queensland. And, around the world this week, we have seen an intense heatwave engulfing Europe, with France recording an all-time high temperature of 45.9 degrees Celsius. This is scary, and it can be hard to see a way through when we have a government that is unwilling to take the action that's needed. But I and my colleagues will keep fighting every day for the values and policies that people elected us to uphold.

The Greens in the parliament are just one small part of a growing powerful movement for a healthy and safe future for all of us. All around Australia we see the amazing work of activists and change-makers: the student climate strikers standing up for their future and providing the leadership that parliamentarians should aspire to; the Extinction Rebellion group working to halt both our climate and our nature emergencies; the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance tirelessly working to decolonise our society; all of our wonderful Greens volunteers who knocked on doors, made calls, stood at stalls and polling day booths, and spoke to thousands and thousands of people about the future they want for our country; and people young and old across the country, from the activists with their climate emergency banner, who I stopped and talked to this morning outside Parliament House, to the brave man who interjected after the Governor-General's speech this afternoon. These people are refusing to wait for politicians to catch up. It can be hard to not feel despair but, when I see our progressive movement in action, I know it is strong and growing, and our voices will be heard.

Sadly, we're unlikely to see much progressive legislation pass parliament in the coming months, but we Greens MPs will engage with the community and help empower people to take action. When people push from outside parliament, it forces change inside the parliament. Movements make change. In the next six years here, I look forward to continuing to work hand in hand with the community and my colleagues to tackle our climate crisis, to protect our natural world and to create a fairer, more equal society.

Senator WATERS (Queensland) (18:47): Madam Deputy President, congratulations on your retention of that role.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Senator WATERS: I rise to give my condolences and to name the women who have been killed by violence so far this year, overwhelmingly by their partners or former partners. Tomorrow, of course, we have a full day to celebrate and commemorate the life and the sad passing of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. But what do these women get? Their names won't be recorded in the annals of this place, and they had six months under the then new Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, of not a single acknowledgment of the epidemic of violence against women. What we have now heard is some belated and, in my view, vastly inadequate funding for frontline services. So I rise tonight to put their names on the record, and to commemorate and to mourn their loss.

Since the start of 2019 there have been 26 women killed by violence in Australia. We know that because of the work of the Counting Dead Women Australia project, which is undertaken by a not-for-profit organisation called Destroy the Joint. There is no official national government reporting of the number of women killed by violence. We have a national road toll but we don't have any official commemoration or notation of this epidemic of death of women. Yet we know that, on average, one woman a week is murdered by her partner or her former partner. We know that one in three Australian women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15. We know that one in five Australian women has experienced sexual violence. We know that one in six Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner, and we know that one in four Australian women has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner. Australian women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner. There's growing evidence that women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women report experiencing violence in the past 12 months at 3.1 times the rate of non-Indigenous women. We know that in 2014-15 Indigenous women were 32 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be hospitalised due to family violence.

I will name these women in just a moment, but it is clear what we need to do to tackle this epidemic. We need to recognise that domestic violence is the real national security crisis and treat it as such in this place. We need to adequately fund frontline domestic violence and crisis housing services to make sure that every single woman and child, and the odd man, seeking safety can access those services when they need them and to make sure that no-one is turned away in their hour of need. It's perfectly clear we need to legislate for 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave so that women don't have to choose between paying the bills and staying alive. We need to implement all 25 of the recommendations of the 2015 Senate inquiry into domestic violence in Australia, which I was proud to initiate. And, just like the road toll, we need to maintain and publish an official real-time national toll of women killed by violence in Australia. These figures aren't changing and this epidemic is not easing. These women are being killed. I want to now name them for posterity and to recognise and celebrate their lives cut so short and so unfairly.

In Queensland, just yesterday, the 26th woman this year was killed by violence. She's an unnamed 52-year-old woman who was found dead at a home in Ipswich, near Brisbane, after suffering fatal wounds to her neck. Her 58-year-old partner has been charged with her murder.

Also in Queensland, on 27 June, a 27-year-old unnamed woman was taken to Kowanyama health clinic with stab wounds to her neck and upper torso after emergency services were called about a disturbance. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. A 29-year-old man known to the woman is now in custody. He has not been charged and is assisting police with their inquiries.

In Victoria on 25 June, the body of Cate O'Brien, who was 31, was found by police at a home in Gardenvale in Melbourne. Shea Sturt, 33, believed to have been known to Ms O'Brien, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with her murder.

On 18 June, emergency services were called to the rear of a unit complex in the Sydney suburb of Zetland after the discovery of a woman believed to have fallen from a fifth-floor balcony. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, Shuyu Zhou, who was 23, died at the scene of severe injuries. Zixi Wang, 29, also known as Jessie, who is believed to have been in a relationship with Ms Zhou, was arrested and is helping police with inquiries. No further details are known at present.

The 22nd woman killed this year, in WA on 29 May, was Jelagat Cheruiyot, who was 34. She was found dead at her home in Osborne Park after she was reported missing by family and friends. No cause of death has been given, but, due to the nature of her injuries, police have declared a homicide. They believe that she may have been killed up to a week earlier and are seeking information from the public.

In Victoria, on 25 May, the 21st woman this year was killed. The body of Courtney Herron, who was 25, was discovered by dog walkers among a group of logs at Royal Park. Police have revealed that Ms Herron was bashed to death in a horrendous crime. Henry Hammond, who was 27 and known to Ms Herron, has been charged with her murder.

The 20th woman this year was killed on 18 May, after emergency services responded to a report that Gihan Kerollos, who was 47, had been injured in Barker Street, Randwick, in Sydney, in a domestic violence incident. She died of stab wounds at the scene. Her husband, who was 60, was arrested and has been charged with her murder.

On 1 May in Victoria, police and emergency services found the body of an unnamed woman, who was 87, after being called to her independent living unit at an aged-care facility at The Basin. An unnamed man, 88, believed to have been known to the woman, was arrested at the scene and charged with her murder.

On 24 April, at 6.30 in the morning, emergency services were called to Little Bourke Street in Melbourne, where Natalina Angok, who was 32, was found slumped against a wall. She died at the scene, and her partner, Christopher Bell, also 32, has been arrested and charged with her murder.

In New South Wales on 21 April, emergency services found the body of Syeda Hossain, who was 33, at the garage of her house in Minto. Her husband was arrested at the scene and has been charged with her murder.

In Victoria, the 16th woman killed was Vicki Ramadan, who was 77. Her body was found in her home at Sydenham on 6 April. She was last seen on 1 April, and it is believed that she was brutally assaulted in her home at some time over those last five days. Police are seeking public assistance to piece together any relevant information, including her movements during that time frame, and no further details are available at present.

In Western Australia, on 17 March, police found Caris Dann, who was 30, critically injured at her home in Moora. After emergency treatment at Moora Hospital, she was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, where she died of her injuries later that day. Amos Gunn, who was 21, was that day charged with her murder. It's not clear, at this point, if he was known to Ms Dann.

In New South Wales, the 14th woman was killed on 13 March. Gabriella Thompson, who was 27, died after suffering stab wounds to her neck at her Glendale home. She received treatment at the scene and was taken to John Hunter Hospital but died shortly afterwards. Police conducted a major manhunt and on 14 March confronted her ex-partner, Tafari Walton, who was 21. He was shot dead by police after he allegedly threatened them with a knife.

The 13th woman was killed on 5 March. The body of Preethi Reddy, 32, was found crammed into a suitcase and hidden in her parked car in Kingsford, Sydney. She'd been missing for two days. Her ex-partner Harsh Narde is suspected of killing her but died, after being questioned, by crashing his car into a truck. Police investigations are ongoing.

In Victoria on 2 March, paramedics were called to a home at Neerim South, where they found the body of an unnamed woman, 74. Her husband, 83, was found nearby with non-life-threatening injuries and was charged with murder on 25 June.

The 11th woman was killed in Victoria on 27 February. The body of Qin Wang, 57, was found at her sister's home in Burwood East. Police arrested her brother at the scene and charged him with her murder.

In New South Wales on 19 February, police and emergency services were called to a home in Woonona, where they found an unnamed 76-year-old woman who was unable to be revived. Her son has been charged with her murder.

The ninth woman killed this year died in New South Wales on 19 February. Marjorie Welsh was battered and left with life-threatening injuries at her home. She died in hospital on 19 February. Her house-cleaner was originally charged with attempted murder, and those charges were then upgraded to murder. There were several other women—and I notice that time is running out: Tamara Farrell, 31; Megan Kirley, who was aged 40; an unnamed woman aged 63; a woman aged in her forties; a woman aged 49; an unnamed 31-year-old woman; a 21-year-old woman; and a 30-year-old woman.

This is a national emergency, and this is the real national security crisis. Let's fund the services that help respond to these women in need and that do the work to prevent the culture that sees these figures. The women of Australia have had enough.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Waters. Senator Steele-John.

Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (18:58): Let me first congratulate you, Madam President, on your re-election to the position of Deputy President.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Senator STEELE-JOHN: I return to this chamber filled with hope and with energy. Out west, in my state of Western Australia, despite the beige clashing of the major parties, funded as they were by their corporate donors, something incredible occurred. Thousands of people, motivated by a desire to see urgent action, to get corporations and their influence out of our democracy and to get proper action on climate change, came together and joined our Green movement in one of the biggest campaigns that has been run in the over-30-year history of the Greens in Western Australia. Together, we knocked on over 60,000 doors. We made 25,000 phone calls, talking to people in communities about the issues that mattered to them. And we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, from individuals, from small donations—proving that you don't need to take big corporate donations to run big community campaigns that win.

Through this process, we empowered people. People entered the democratic debate in ways that they had never done before—disabled people and young people in particular. I want to give a shout-out to the Accessible Australia group, the over 1,200 members of that incredible online community, who so passionately engaged in the campaign for the royal commission into disability abuse and who marshalled so wonderfully during the federal election campaign all across the country.

As part of that, I was so proud to be one of 16 candidates across WA for lower house seats and five extraordinary candidates for the Senate who represented our Greens movement at the ballot box and did so much to take our message into communities from the Kimberley to Esperance, and everywhere in between. And I want to make sure that the Hansard record reflects their names in glorious black ink. They were Caroline Perks, our candidate for Perth; Jesse Hutchinson, our candidate for Fremantle; Liberty Cramer, our candidate for Swan; Jody Freeman, our candidate for Brand; Simone Collins, our candidate for Burt; Nelson Blake Gilmour, our wonderful candidate for O'Connor; Nerilee Boshammer, for Forrest; Yawuru man Johani Mamid, for the seat of Durack; Jodie Moffat, for the seat of Canning; Lee-Anne Miles, for the seat of Hasluck; Daniel Vujcich, for the seat of Moore; Eugene Marshall, for the seat of Pearce; Judith Cullity, for the seat of Stirling; Mark Cooper, for Cowan; Martin Spencer, for Tangney; and Cameron Pidgeon, for Curtin. For the Senate, they were Bhuwan Khadka, alongside Heather Lonsdale, Jordan Cahill, Jacqueline van Grootel and, of course, Giz Watson.

I also want to thank my incredible team, without whom I would have been able to achieve nothing whatsoever in this place. I say thank you to Trish Cowcher, my incredible chief of staff, who always makes sure that I am where I am meant to be when I am meant to be there; to Elliot Sawers for his incredible puppy energy during the campaign and everywhere in between; to Aimee Smith for her sound and resolute policy advice; to Gabi Nind for her enthusiasm and fresh insight; to Connor Slight for some of the most incredible digital material that has been seen in this space; to Andrea Pizzie for always being in the legislative foxhole alongside me; and to Tim Oliver, who is quite simply one of the best media guys in this place. It would also be incredibly remiss of me if I did not thank my Senate colleague in WA, Rachel Siewert, and her incredible team. There is not a day that goes by, nor was there a day during the campaign, that I did not thank whatever exists up there for their existence and their support.

While I'm at it, I must give my heartfelt thanks to WA state director Sophie Greer; and lead organiser Lily Newbury-Freeman, Georgia Blackburn and Eva Bates, who led the team at GWA. I have never worked, in all my life—nor will I ever again—with such an incredible team of women, who brought it and absolutely smashed it.

I say to those folks out in the community right now, who may well have watched the proceedings of today and may well be feeling frustrated with the state of politics in Australia: take heart and take hope. Together, we are strong. Together, there is hope. Our Greens movement will be a powerful source of opposition to this government. We will take the fight to get corporate influence out of our democracy and get real action on climate change right up to the Morrison government. And, together, we will win.

Senate adjourned at 19:05