The Federal government has today confirmed it is spending $20 million building a new immigration jail in Papua New Guinea to open by the end of next year.

"The Australian government is spending millions of dollars on new offshore jails, all the while claiming that their policies are working," Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim says.

"This is on top of the $4 billion plus the government has confirmed has been spent on Manus Island and Nauru in the last three years."

The Department of Infrastructure has today confirmed in senate estimates that Federal Government funding for Roe 8 will be withheld until stage one and two Project Proposal Reports are completed and assessed.

“Today the Federal Government has confirmed that for funding to be provided, both Project Proposal Reports for stages one and two of the project must be completed and assessed”, Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

Widespread hearing loss amongst Aboriginal kids in Northern Territory should be urgently resolved with increased funding that closes the gap in hearing health, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.  

“Unaddressed hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is entrenching disadvantage and worsening life outcomes for those effected. This has been known for a long time yet Governments have failed to act, despite a Senate committee report in 2010 on the issue.

New figures released at the start of Anti-Poverty Week showing 730,000 Australian kids are living below the poverty line should send a clear message to Government that cuts to funding, and harsh, demonising, paternalistic approaches to social security is not working,  Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“After years of successive governments eroding different income support recipient payments and services, how can we not expect more children to be worse off and living under the poverty line?

Reports of up to 2000 people with serious mental ill health and disabilities being turned away because the National Disability Insurance Scheme is at capacity in the ACT is a crisis that must be urgently addressed, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

 “It is hugely concerning that a review of Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory claims the Act has been largely successful despite a lack of evidence and availability of data.

“To review an Act that we know largely takes away autonomy for vulnerable Aboriginal communities without proper consultation is not good enough. 

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson: The Greens initiated this inquiry into the joint strike fighters. It was a most enlightening Senate inquiry into a $60 billion procurement program by the Department of Defence into the joint strike fighter. Four words that would best encapsulate this acquisition of the joint strike fighters would be 'too big to fail'.

The Australian Greens have made additional comments to a senate inquiry that investigated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience of access to legal services.

“Despite evidence that justice targets were needed to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples, the majority committee report did not recommend their national implementation. Additional comments by the Greens call for justice targets to be implemented and included in Closing the Gap targets.