Welcome to the latest edition of Clark Matters, Andrew’s monthly email newsletter to help keep you abreast of federal politics and what he’s been up to.
Student debt
The Federal Government’s one-off cut to student debts is welcome. But of course, you wouldn’t need to forgive student debts if you hadn’t loaded them up with mountains of it in the first place. If the Government doesn’t act to address the fee structure the problem will only re-emerge again for students in a few years’ time. In other words, the one-off cut is really just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.
A great place to start would be the Government delivering on its 2022 election promise and scrapping the Morrison-era Jobs Ready Graduates Scheme, which significantly increased fees for some courses including the humanities. This reform did not achieve its aim of delivering morejob-ready graduates in the disciplines and regions where they are needed most. It only increased fees for many students.
Andrew recently moved a motion for the Parliament to debate scrapping the Jobs Ready Graduates Scheme and re-introducing fee-free first degrees for Australian citizens. After all, there is an inherent value to the community of a broad education and the fact is that a smarter, better and more diversely educated community is not only more employable, it’s also healthier, happier and more adaptable.
Russian oil & fuel security
Revelations in recent weeks that Australia is importing liquid fuels refined in part from Russian oil would alarm many people. Andrew asked the Deputy Prime Minister about these apparent loopholes during Question Time and was disappointed in his non-response. Not only is this a breach of the sanctions the Government has imposed along with other countries, it’s also a betrayal of Ukraine and in effect a boost to the coffers of Putin’s war machine.
Andrew has been briefed in detail by Foreign Affairs officials, and understands the complexity of the global oil market. But clearly Australia, and indeed the international community, needs to try harder and do more to ensure the sanctions on Russia are effective. That refineries in India, Malaysia and Singapore, for example, are knowingly using as much as 60 per cent Russian oil in their feedstock is simply unacceptable.
This matter is of course not unrelated to the broader issue of Australian fuel security. That Australia possesses only weeks of petrol, diesel and jet fuel at any one time, and that holding figures can include fuel en route to Australia, is clearly unacceptable. Equally unacceptable is that Australia’s strategic oil reserve is actually located in the United States. Be assured that this is something Andrew will continue to monitor and press governments to do better on.
Poker machine losses
The Tasmanian Liberal and Labor parties should feel ashamed of their role in the shocking human toll of poker machine losses in the State. Once again the City of Glenorchy had the biggest losses, losing nearly $5m just in January to March this year, almost half of which is lost by people with gambling addiction.
Tragically more than 400 people suicide annually in Australia from gambling related issues. If a Tasmanian Government actually cared, they’d commit to implementing the cashless poker machine card promised years ago by the Rockliff Liberal Government, rather than abandoning the community interest in favour of the interests and profits of the gambling industry and big sporting codes.
Yours sincerely
