The Greens say that the Government’s response to supporting people on low incomes and income support is piecemeal and will leave vulnerable people behind. 
 
"I’m deeply concerned about families on Newstart with children and parents on parenting payment single - there is no additional payment for children in the stimulus package which will seriously hurt these families. There needs to be an additional payment for each child," Senator Rachel Siewert said.

The Greens said today that people struggling to survive on Newstart need a permanent increase not just a one off payment of $750.

The stimulus package outlined by the Prime Minister this morning falls far short of what the experts say is needed to weather the economic storm caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and does little to stem the crisis facing people on Newstart & Youth Allowance as well as the 3.5 million casual workers in Australia, said Leader of The Australian Greens Adam Bandt, MP.

The Greens will move to expand the package when it reaches the Senate to lift Newstart & Youth Allowance as well as provide 14 days’ paid coronavirus sick leave to all workers, including casual workers.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said that when parliament resumes, the Greens will introduce legislation to provide 14 days’ paid sick leave to all workers affected by the coronavirus. The ACTU has called for 2 weeks paid sick leave for workers affected by the virus.

Australian Greens Senator for NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed today’s news that class action participants have reached a settlement of $212.5 million with the government over PFAS contamination, though has labelled the recent government response to the federal PFAS inquiry as extremely disappointing.

Senator Faruqi said:

From March 20, 2020 Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Wife Pension, Bereavement Allowance and Widow B Pension will cease and most recipients of these payments will transition to Jobseeker Payment, Age Pension or Carer Payment.
 
“I am very concerned that the Centrelink system will be under additional strain as casual workers are forced to self-isolate and will be applying for either an emergency payment, Newstart or the former sickness payment," Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

 Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP and Housing Spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi have today launched a bold plan to build 500,000 new homes, create 40,000 new jobs and 4,000 new apprenticeships, and push back the risk of recession nationally.

With construction having fallen 7.4% over the year, and with nearly one in three young people struggling to find work, this project will inject crucially needed stimulus into the economy while putting homes into reach for young families.

The Federal Government did not consult with the peak community advisory group before re-announcing $20 million funding for a controversial loan program for domestic violence survivors, an initiat

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Education spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new analysis of planned NSW private school building projects exposes even further the exorbitance of $4.6 billion in public funding of private schools.

Senator Faruqi said:

Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters, has written to Minister for Women Marise Payne ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of Women’s Safety Ministers asking for additional funding and national coordination to improve frontline police services available to people reporting domestic and family violence.