The Greens have called on the nation’s education ministers to tackle the root causes of the teacher shortage crisis, after today’s roundtable failed to produce a credible plan for real reform.

Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson on schools, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“It’s great that teachers had a seat at the table at today’s Education Ministers Meeting. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear that the ministers were really paying attention. 

The Australian Greens say today’s report into workplace culture in NSW Parliament shows that the toxic boys club of politics extends beyond Canberra.

Lines attributable to NSW Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Deputy Leader and member of the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards:

“The Broderick report is nothing short of traumatic and devastating. Sadly, however, it does not surprise me that this is what has been revealed about my old workplace.

Following the death of a man at Port Phillip Prison on Wednesday, the family have asked the media to respect their privacy as they process their grief.

The following lines are attributable to Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe:

“These are real people's lives which have just been torn apart, again, by this system. The grief, the pain and the loss is overwhelming. The family demand respect and privacy as they process their grief.” 

Ahead of tomorrow’s Education Ministers meeting, the Greens have called on federal, state and territory governments to address teacher shortages once and for all by properly funding public schools and giving all teachers a long overdue pay rise.

Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson on schools Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“It’s not very complicated: to attract more teachers to public schools and provide a world-class education for our kids, governments must properly fund all public schools and pay all public school teachers more.

On the Climate Change Authority Report into the international offsets market released today, attributable to Greens leader Adam Bandt MP:

“The government must reject international offset accounting tricks.

“This Morrison-era report, commissioned by Angus Taylor to justify his government's Paris accounting tricks, should be binned.

Analysis provided by the Parliamentary Library predicts that Labor’s housing plan will deliver only 3% of the social housing Australia will need by 2032. 

According to estimates provided by the Parliamentary Library, Australia currently has a shortfall of 524,200 social housing dwellings, and this is projected to grow to 670,600 dwellings by 2032. 

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Nick McKim, has responded to the ACTU’s paper to the Government Jobs Summit saying the pressure is growing on Labor to walk away from the Stage 3 tax cuts.

“The Greens welcome the ACTU’s paper and congratulate them on making the case for serious economic reform.

“Scott Morrison’s Stage 3 tax cuts will overwhelmingly flow to the wealthiest people in the country, with a $9000 tax break for people earning $200,000 but nothing for those on the minimum wage.

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Nick McKim, has responded to the release of the latest taxation statistics by the ATO.

“The fact that 60 people who earned over $1 million managed to pay not a cent in tax clearly demonstrates that Labor should abandon the upcoming Stage 3 tax cuts.”

“Labor should be making high income earners pay their fair share rather than giving them another tax cut.”

“Proceeding with Scott Morrison’s tax cuts for millionaires while so many high income earners are already paying no tax is irresponsible and unfair.”