07:30

The Greens have just managed to get a Senate committee inquiry set up into the JobActive scheme , despite the Coalition and Labor opposing it.





The Greens moved a motion for the education and employment committee to consider whether JobActive provides “long term solutions to joblessness” , whether mutual obligation requirements such as Work for the Dole are fair, and penalties against jobseekers who breach rules.





Labor senator Anthony Chisholm said the opposition would not support it because - despite advocating on the issues with jobseeker services for years - the committee already had inquiries running looking at safety issues in the cleaning industry and industrial deaths.





But then, when president Scott Ryan asked for voices in favour and against, he declared the motion was carried by the “ayes” (that’s yes). Nobody asked for a division.





Senator Derryn Hinch got up to query the result - noting Ryan had called it for the ayes despite the fact they were clearly in the minority. Ryan responded it was up to senators to request a division.





So it seems despite the parties representing the majority senators opposing it, the motion was successful.