MYEFO shows yet again that the Liberals are locking in inequality and damage from climate change, the Greens say.

“The economy continues to be underpinned by Government spending, with state governments’ investment in social housing and public transport responsible for a lot of the improved outlook," Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"But wages growth has been revised down following the Government’s announcement that they will reduce public sector wage increases.”

The Future Fund must divest the $3 million it has put into a railway for the climate-destroying Adani coal mine, the Greens say.

Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"This is public money and should be invested for the public good."

"Having already ruled out investing in tobacco products, the Future Fund must urgently get out of fossil fuels."

"This is a bad investment financially, morally and environmentally. To use public funds to cook the planet is an extraordinary error of judgement."

Reforms to journalist and whistle-blower protections announced by the Federal Government today do not go far enough to protect journalists from raids on their homes or workplaces, the Greens say. 

Chair of the Senate’s Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

 
The Greens welcome the announcement by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to down-schedule cannabidiol (CBD) and enable the availability of low-dose CBD over-the-counter (OTC) in pharmacies.
 
"The TGA has scheduled low doses of medicinal cannabis but there are currently no products on the Australian market to meet that purpose", Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson and Senator for NSW, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to a report by Equity Economics projecting a national 24 per cent rise in housing stress and 9 per cent rise in homelessness next year. NSW will be particularly hard hit with housing stress to rise by 42 per cent and homelessness by 19 per cent.

Senator Faruqi said:

Greens Spokesperson for Water and the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today’s evaluation report by the Murray-Daring Basin Authority shows climate change and corporate greed are the biggest threats to Australia’s biggest river system.

“Today’s report highlights what the Greens have been saying all along, the climate crisis is plunging the Basin into hotter and drier conditions year after year, meaning water for the environment is crucial to survival of the Murray-Darling,” Senator Hanson-Young said. 

Last night’s global Climate Ambition Summit confirmed Australia’s status as the world’s climate reject. While Scott Morrison was barred from the Summit, world leaders lined up to announce ambitious new 2030 targets and action.

The Europe Union upped their 2030 target to 55% and the UK to 68%. Japan announced they would raise their targets next year and Canada released modelling showing they would beat their 2030 target.

Australia has been confirmed as a climate pariah as the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit speaking list released today confirms the Prime Minister has been barred from speaking at the key international meeting.

The list also confirms the Prime Minister misled Parliament when he claimed he would be attending in the Summit.

The government this morning is also defying a Senate Order to release the rejection letter from the Summit organisers which would show the reasons why Australia has been barred.

The Greens are calling on the Government to clearly articulate plans for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Greens support this motion. We have long called for federal laws on industrial manslaughter. Our workplace health and safety laws are broken. Employers who do not ensure their workplaces are safe must be held to account and there must be strong deterrents for cutting corners on safety. Action on the recommendations of the reports on industrial deaths should have already been implemented. The government has clearly deprioritised this. The families and loved ones of hundreds of people who have died at work since 2018 deserve to see justice.