A senate committee inquiry has revealed that jobseekers who smoke a single joint on the weekend could be put onto the cashless welfare card for two years if they are randomly tested when accessing income support. 

“A one-off decision by a jobseeker trying to access income support could now push them into further disadvantage as a result of being pushed onto paternalistic income management for two years, there is no merit to this approach.  

Hearings into the Government’s proposed plan to drug test income support recipients have once again demonstrated an overwhelming opposition to the measure, with concerns including stigmatisation and increased crime rates. 

“Witnesses, including service deliverers, drug and alcohol experts and local Mayors and local Government officials have been very clear in their evidence outlining their concerns about drug testing income support recipients”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

Logan has double the population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to metropolitan Brisbane, and almost half of the people there were born overseas.

It is among the most economically disadvantaged places in the country, with high rates of homelessness, housing stress and unemployment.

MEDIA RELEASE - 23 April 2018

Greens back Public Health Association warning on dangerous gun lobby plan

Greens gun control spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has backed a letter sent by the Public Health Association of Australia urging Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to stand up to the gun lobby’s attempts to weaken Australian firearms policy.

“The gun lobby’s proposal to establish an industry-based government advisory committee to advise on Australian gun policy is dangerous and should be immediately rejected by the PM,” Senator Rhiannon said.

Greens' plan to transition live sheep export industry to local processing backed by meat workers union

The Australian Greens will today launch their '5-Point Plan to End Cruelty and Expand Jobs' that would quickly transition the live sheep export trade to a boxed, chilled meat trade processed locally. The plan has the backing of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU).

While glad government has finally recognised that the call wait time is outrageous and is putting more staff on, it is very disappointing that these will be contract staff, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

"Using a private company to reduce Centrelink call wait times holds serious privacy concerns, and staff should be hired within the public sector.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Government to waive the debts unknowingly incurred by young Australians hoodwinked by private VET providers.

“The rampant rorting of the VET system is one of the most extraordinary and damning examples of failed privatisation that Australia has ever seen,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“Young people and students should not be punished with existing debts for education and training they never received from dodgy institutions. 



The Australian Greens will today launch their '5-Point Plan to End Cruelty and Expand Jobs' that would quickly transition the live sheep export trade to a boxed, chilled meat trade processed locally.

The plan has the backing of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU).

Charging interest on people that owe a Centrelink debt will disproportionately affect Australians on low incomes and who weren’t intentionally committing fraud, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

“The Government has pointed to very rare circumstances of extreme fraud to justify the measure.