Labour market economist Professor Jeff Borland has told the senate inquiry looking into the JobSeeker COVID supplement rate that the higher rate of JobSeeker doesn’t impact on the rates of people seeking employment. 
 
Rather than relying on anecdotal claims that unemployed people aren’t looking for work because of the rates of the coronavirus supplement, Professor Borland has looked at the market figures which show there has been no decrease in the number of people moving from unemployment to employment once the economy started reopening again, Senator Rachel Siewert said. 

I rise to speak to the Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020. The Greens will be opposing this ill-thought-out overreach by the government, which comes before us after a rushed and insufficient consultation process. Senator Rice's contribution and dissenting report to the limited inquiry into this legislation reflect the broader terminal issues with this legislation. I want to highlight the impact it will have on the work of our universities.

Monday 30 November 2020

Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said he was appalled at findings by the Disability Royal Commission, released today, that cited "serious failures" by the Morrison government to make "any significant effort" to consult with disabled people during the early stages of response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The recommenations made by the Chair are a vindication of the outrage and distress felt by disabled people, and our families, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic" Steele-John said.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says the latest reported emissions drop, driven by the Covid-19 shutdowns, should provide no cover for the Morrison Government.
 
Australia’s reduction targets are some of the weakest in the developed world and are under renewed pressure after the election of Joe Biden who has called on nations to lift 2030 targets.
 
Indeed, when volatile land clearing figures are excluded, Australia’s emissions are actually above 2005 levels.
 
“Covid is not a climate policy,” Bandt said.
 

Data shows more Australians are concerned about political corruption and doubt the Government’s ability to clean up our democracy, Greens Leader in the Senate, Senator Larissa Waters said.
 
Today’s report from Griffith University and Transparency International Australia found the number of Australians who view corruption as a “very big” or “quite big” problem, rising from 61% in 2018 to 66% in 2020. The number of those who think the federal government is handling corruption issues “very badly” has also risen from 15% to 19.4% over the same period.
 

Monday 30 November 2020

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, and Australian Greens Peace Spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele-John, will in the next sitting week of Parliament move a bill to require Parliamentary approval before Australian troops are sent to war. 

The release of the Brereton Inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by Australian SAS soldiers shows the importance of accountability over the decision to both deploy troops and their actions while overseas, the Greens say.

The Morrison Government’s new environment-wrecking laws do not have enough support to pass the parliament the Senate Inquiry report into the legislation released this afternoon shows.

The Greens, Labor and crossbench senators Patrick, Lambie and Griff all declared their opposition to the Bill leaving just the Morrison Government and One Nation in support.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government’s environment-wrecking laws are dead in the water. 

Greens Media and Communications Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“We have seen two positive steps forward on media reform from the Government today; the announcement that there will be further investment in public interest journalism through the establishment of the PING Trust and
the announcement that the Government is intending to introduce Australian content obligations for online video streaming services.

The Greens are warning water ministers not to put up the white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting. 

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Water Ministers must not go to tomorrow’s meeting waving a white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future.