The Minister for Social Services has confirmed today during an Estimates hearing that the Government plans to extend the Jobseeker coronavirus supplement past December but would not confirm the amount and when we will see the legislation.

The Government needs to be clear about what they have planned for the Jobseeker payment and supplement. 

It’s unfair that Australians have had to wait to know whether there will be an extension and now uncertainty about the rate post December 31 will cause a huge amount of concern.

The Greens have called the Government's decision to recommence ‘debt raising’ against income support recipients a disgrace.
 
We are in a recession and a pandemic and instead of giving Australians certainty about their future and ensuring they won’t be living on $40 a day come December this Government is choosing to create more anxiety and fear in our community by chasing people for debts at a time in their life when many are at their most vulnerable. 

The Greens have announced they’ll move for a moratorium on koala habitat clearing to save the national treasure from extinction.

The legislative move would block decisions by Environment Minister Ley like the approval yesterday of a quarry at Pt Stephens which will destroy 52ha of critical habitat for the endangered species. 

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Koalas are a national treasure and yet we have an Environment Minister not just failing to save them but signing their death warrant.

Wednesday 28 October 2020

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Jordon Steele-John has called for Defence to make both the Crompvoets report, and the Department's response, public amid disturbing and shameful allegations of murder and torture were reported today in the nine newspapers.

The Australian Greens stand with the Kashmiri community on 27 October as they commemorate Black Day. Kashmir is a disputed territory and it is now over a year since the Indian Government revoked its special status and further eroded Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson Young responded to the Morrison Government’s terms of reference for an investigation into Australia Post:

“This investigation is supposed to establish whether this publicly-owned essential service is acting in the best interests of its shareholder – the Australian taxpayer - and yet the enormous pay packets and bonuses pocketed by executives don’t get a mention in the terms of reference.

“No one working in the public service should be taking home multi-million-dollar salaries and paid bonuses.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says the Australia Post debacle is symptomatic of corporatisation, a problem that would only be made worse by full privatisation, as the Greens call instead for executive salary caps and a winding-back of privatisation.
 
At the National Press Club this month, Bandt outlined plans for a major inquiry into the impact of privatisation. This inquiry would include the impact of corporatisation of the public service.
 

Not a single dollar of the $250m arts and entertainment package the PM announced with Guy Sebastian four months ago has been spent, the Department has revealed under questioning by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young at Senate Estimates today.

“The Morrison Government has failed the arts and entertainment industry. The fact not a single dollar of this so-called rescue package has gone to an artist or creative four months after the announcement is a kick in the guts,” Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said allegations by American Marines that Australian special forces shot and killed a prisoner because there was no room for them on a helicopter were disgraceful and appalling.

"These allegations, if proven to be true, are war crimes and the individuals responsible must face the full weight of the law for their actions," Steele-John said.

Revelations that the Finance Department inquiry into Assistant Minister Michael Sukkar was outsourced to the law firm he used to work for is further proof Australia urgently needs a federal corruption watchdog, Greens say. 

Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:

"This is just another outrageous example of why we need an independent federal corruption watchdog. Mates investigating mates won't stop corruption.