Following reports of the government’s energy roadmap, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has slammed the plan, declaring it as a cover for an expansion of major fossil fuel projects. While reports indicate the roadmap includes references to green hydrogen, it places a focus on blue hydrogen made with fossil fuels and failed carbon capture technology, it locks in coal and gas, and has no science-based binding targets to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade.

The Greens have said that a report of the Australian National Audit Office on a land purchase for Western Sydney Airport is damning and demands explanations by senior Commonwealth ministers.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Senator for NSW, said:

“This report is damning. On top of enormous incompetence, it reveals instances of completely inappropriate and unethical decision-making.

“The Prime Minister and his ministers must explain this rotten mess. The buck stops with them.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the latest Child Care Recovery Package, announced today, is yet another band-aid which does little to heal the wound. A long-term plan is needed for this essential service.

Senator Faruqi said:

Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the Government’s announcement of $5 million in funding to save newswire service AAP.
Senator Hanson-Young said:

“Earlier this week, I called on the Government to ensure the survival of AAP as they consider options for protecting public interest journalism through the ACCC News Media Code. I am glad that after months of uncertainty, the Government has finally come to the table with the support AAP needs.”

Australian Greens Disability Rights and Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has labelled reports that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has fined just one provider, despite receiving more than 8000 complaints, as deeply concerning but not surprising.

"As a disabled person, as a disability advocate, it speaks to the systemic and endemic nature of the violence and abuse we have been screaming about for decades, and the abject failure of the commission to act.

Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says today is a grim day for the climate, with the Prime Minister revealing plans to gas-fire Australia’s economic recovery, and Labor abandoning its 2030 climate targets. 

Recent analysis has confirmed that to be consistent with limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees, as set out in the Paris Agreement, Australia would need targets of a 48% cut on 2005 levels by 2030. Net-zero by 2050 alone, without strong 2030 targets, will blow Australia’s ‘2 degree’ budget.

The Greens are calling on the Labor Leader in the Senate, Penny Wong to declare where her party stands on the proposed Nuclear Waste Dump in SA, after a clear division within the Labor Party was revealed in a Senate Inquiry Report released late yesterday.

NSW Labor Senator Jenny McAllister delivered a dissenting report, independent of her Labor colleagues including SA Senator Alex Gallacher who supports the majority report that SA should be a dumping ground for nuclear waste.

The Greens strongly oppose the bill to establish a nuclear waste dump at Kimba.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia said:

“The Senate Inquiry showed that this is a highly flawed bill. There are deep concerns that this bill blatantly seeks to prevent any right to judicial review of this process and sets in stone Kimba as the dump site against strong community opposition.”

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said the first day of the Senate Inquiry into the Job-ready Graduates legislation has revealed widespread criticism and sector dissatisfaction regarding the package.

The Greens have today said the Morrison Government’s Media Code plan is incomplete, calling on the government to include the public broadcasters in the Mandatory Code, ensure the survival of the AAP newswire and protect smaller players. 

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said any Code must protect public broadcasting and public interest journalism.