The Greens have today announced a plan to build 125,000 new homes and sell them to people locked out of housing for $300,000.

Young people locked out of the housing market could decide a number of key inner city elections around the country, including Griffith in Brisbane.

With a tight election looming, a win in Griffith could put the Greens in the balance of power, and push the next government to make housing more affordable.

The Greens are campaigning on the issue of housing affordability, promising to offer good quality $300K homes to first home buyers.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt, Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Greens Health spokesperson Jordon Steele-John have joined teachers and parents calling for a national COVID Safe Schools action plan as students return to schools in NSW, Victoria and the ACT and public health restrictions are eased across the country.

The Federal Government has comprehensively failed to make the case for trying to exempt the Future Fund’s investments from Freedom of Information laws.

“We need far greater scrutiny of the Future Fund’s investment decisions, not less,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator McKim said.

“It is through the Freedom of Information scheme that we learned of the Future Fund’s $3.2 million investment in Adani Ports.”

”The Government has completely failed to justify this exemption, and it is clearly trying to keep the investments away from public scrutiny.”

Forensic research by the ABC has shed new light on just how important a ban on political donations from the gambiling industry is. The ABC’s Hitting the Jackpot investigation revealed that over $81million has been given since 1999 to Liberals, Labor, Nationals and minor parties. 

With gambling industry profits completely at the mercy of government regulation, the Greens say it’s clear that the gambling industry is buying influence and favour, and the Liberal, Labor and National parties are happy to comply. 

The Green says revelations that community grants from the Building Better Regions Fund were disproportionately awarded to Coalition seats once again shows the urgent need for a federal corruption watchdog.

On Monday the Greens will lodge a concurrence motion in the Senate, which could ultimately force the House to vote on the Greens’ National Integrity Commission Bill, which passed the Senate more than two years ago.

The Greens have warned now is a dangerous time to be distracted from the real climate action needed to support farmers and have urged the National Farmers Federation to hold The Nationals to account ahead of their meeting today.

Greens spokesperson for agriculture, Peter Whish-Wilson, said trying to appease The Nationals is a fool’s game.

Labor’s decision to let big corporations keep JobKeeper profits is a complete capitulation, the Greens say.

“We know that $13 billion went to boosting the bottom line of profitable companies during the pandemic,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“The fact that Labor is happy for big corporations to keep this money just shows that they are far more focused on their big donors than helping people who need it most.”

The Greens’ model for a National Integrity Commission, which passed the Senate two years ago, has been given top marks by The Centre for Public Integrity, while the Morrison model was judged “the weakest in the country”.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
 
“This PM’s integrity body proposal has today been given an F for flaccid.

The Australian Government cannot just wash its hands of the people it exiled to Papua New Guinea, the Greens say.

“Today is a day to remember the people who died as a result of being illegally exiled to Papua New Guinea, and the countless other lives that were destroyed,” Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“People who sought asylum in Australia remain Australia’s responsibility under international law, and no amount of bureaucratic maneuvering can change that fact.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the announcement the Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has approved another new coal project, the third in a month:

“Australia’s so-called Environment Minister is at it again, approving another coal mine that will destroy the environment, endanger wildlife and pollute the climate. 

“Approving this coal mine a month out from the global climate summit in Glasgow shows a complete disregard by the Environment Minister for the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions.