The Government's recycling and waste bill is set for the Senate today where the Greens will raise amendments to ban single-use plastics and make packaging targets mandatory.

Senator Whish-Wilson and newly elected ACT Greens MLA Jo Clay joined volunteers for a clean-up beside Lake Burley Griffin on the way to Parliament House.

Quotes attributable to Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:

The Morrison Government’s new environment-wrecking laws do not have enough support to pass the parliament the Senate Inquiry report into the legislation released this afternoon shows.

The Greens, Labor and crossbench senators Patrick, Lambie and Griff all declared their opposition to the Bill leaving just the Morrison Government and One Nation in support.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government’s environment-wrecking laws are dead in the water. 

Greens Media and Communications Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“We have seen two positive steps forward on media reform from the Government today; the announcement that there will be further investment in public interest journalism through the establishment of the PING Trust and
the announcement that the Government is intending to introduce Australian content obligations for online video streaming services.

The Greens are warning water ministers not to put up the white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting. 

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Water Ministers must not go to tomorrow’s meeting waving a white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future.

A koala census won’t save our national treasure and a moratorium on the clearing of critical habitat is still urgently needed, the Greens say.

Responding to the Environment Minister’s announcement today of a koala census to identify key habitat, Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“A koala census won’t save our national treasure from the Morrison Government.

The Greens say that the HILDA survey showing a steep increase in single parent families living in poverty is a shocking outcome and a clear indication that the Parenting Payment Single must be reinstated until the youngest child turns 16.
 
“There is a direct correlation between the increase in the poverty rate of single parents and the Howard and Gillard Governments chucking single parents off the Parenting Payment onto Newstart when their youngest child turned eight,” Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services said. 
 

October unemployment figures clearly show that it is untenable to return Jobseeker back to $40 a day in March and that the further cut to the coronavirus supplement in December will drop more people below the poverty line. 
 
It’s just excuse after excuse with this Government when it comes to the Jobseeker payment, Greens spokesperson on Family and Community and Services, Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 
Jobseeker was too low before this pandemic, so the “wait to see the economic conditions” excuse doesn't stand up. 
 

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says the Government is right to reconsider its 2030 climate ambitions, but needs to do far more than just drop the Kyoto-credits loophole if Australia is to join the rest of the world on climate action.
 
“The government’s terrible 2030 targets leave Australia exposed. We’re in the critical decade and domestic political games will provide no cover for Australia’s climate-pariah status on the world stage,” Bandt said.