The Greens have again reiterated their calls for urgent action to tackle systemic racism in Australia, at news of a third Blak death in custody this past week. 

The Greens have said that Mr Morrison’s continued attacks on people on income support is cruel and demonising of people in our community who are doing it the toughest.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said that his electorate of Melbourne was one of the hardest hit by every reduction to JobSeeker, and that Scott Morrison's actions demonstrated he didn't care about the genuine causes of unemployment.

Lines from Leader of the Australian Greens and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt MP:

The Greens have responded to the early closure of Yallourn by 2028 by slamming the Federal and State governments’ refusal to legislate a clear timetable for all coal closures by 2030 and establish proper transition authorities, saying Liberal and Labor’s unwillingness to plan a coal phase-out has left workers and communities in the lurch.

For too long, the state and federal governments have taken a backseat with the coal power station’s impending closure, despite years of advocacy from the Greens and environmental groups calling for a planned transition.

The Greens are calling on the Morrison Government to provide targeted support to the arts and entertainment industry, together with the Covid Tourism Package expected to be announced this week before JobKeeper is cut off. 

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“A support package for the tourism industry is welcome, but it is well overdue and should be accompanied by a continuation of JobKeeper for as long as it is necessary during the pandemic. 

In response to the NSW Government's new koala state environmental planning policy, Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Letting the National Party dictate koala protection policy is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. 

“The Berejiklian Government’s capitulation to the Nationals will drive koalas closer to extinction. Koalas are already on track to be extinct in NSW by 2050. 

“Land clearing, degradation and fragmentation is the greatest threat to koalas. It must be stopped.

The Greens today welcomed the announcement of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Victoria - a historical opportunity for First Nations people to tell the truth of the history of violent dispossession from their land.

In the wake of recent parliamentary sexual abuse revelations and the petition started by Chanel Contos, the Greens have used International Women’s Day to call for $190 million to be allocated in the May Budget to fund respectful relationships education including sexual consent in all schools across the country.

$190 million over four years would support rolling out Our Watch’s respectful relationships education program, which has been successfully piloted in Victoria and Queensland.

The Greens have cautiously welcomed today’s announcement into a review of workplace culture in Federal Parliament but say a culture review alone is not enough.

“This long-overdue review into workplace culture in parliament by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner is a promising step towards making our workplace safe for women, but the proof will be in the pudding of whether the Government acts on the recommendations once they are made,” said Larissa Waters, Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women.

The Greens say that halted shipments of Astra Zeneca vaccines from Europe show the risks of relying on international supply chains to inoculate Australians, extending their call for the government to establish a publicly-owned vaccine production centre.

News of a quarter of a million doses due for Australia being blocked has exposed the risks caused by the privatisation and winding down of Australia’s domestic vaccine production capabilities over decades.