STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator SHARMA (New South Wales) (13:42): Australian charities are the engine room of our society and a vital part of our economy. They employ over 1½ million generous and hardworking Australians who care for the vulnerable, strengthen our communities and build our social fabric. But, on 1 November, the charity sector faces a cliff.

That's when their exemption from Labor's fixed-term-contract ban ends and, with it, the certainty that their staff rely on. Charities live on short-term funding cycles, dependent on government grants and the generosity of donors, and their employees are engaged on fixed-term contracts that reflect those realities. Since Labor introduced this ban on fixed-term contracts, the sector has warned again and again that they would cause serious unintended harm, and yet, with only four days to go until this exemption expires, the government has done nothing.

So, from 1 November, less than a week away, charities will have to choose—either make employees permanent without government guaranteed funding or let them go entirely. If they make them permanent, they risk redundancies if funding runs out, if the money dries up, if they don't get another government grant or if a donor does not come through for them. But, if they make them redundant, Australians will lose essential services—those most needy Australians—right before Christmas.

That's not job security; that's service insecurity. The government must extend the exemption immediately and work with the charities on a fair, long-term solution that recognises their unique circumstances. If Labor fails to act, charities will suffer, workers will suffer and Australians will pay the price.