The Greens have said that the construction of public and community housing should drive construction stimulus, not ill-conceived and unnecessary new home and renovation grants.

Warning Scott Morrison against establishing a ‘Mansion Extension Fund’ in lieu of a public housing fund, the Greens say the proposal represents the height of hypocrisy for a government that criticised the construction of school halls as post-GFC stimulus.

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said:

The Greens have criticised the Morrison Government's plans for a stacked inquiry into domestic and family violence, saying more funding is needed for frontline services, not another inquiry which is designed to endorse the government's inadequate response to the national crisis. 

Greens Senate Leader and Spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters, said: 

Australian Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government must not grant an exemption to allow a live export vessel to ship sheep to the Middle East during the northern summer.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Allowing this voyage to proceed will have deadly consequences for the sheep on board.

“We know sheep suffer immense heat stress in the northern summer conditions. We have seen this cruelty happen so many times before on these ships of misery and it has to stop.

Today's ABS Household data survey provides further confirmation that the impacts of COVID crisis are falling disproportionately to women. The Greens are calling on the National Cabinet to ensure that addressing these disparities is at the forefront of any recovery plans.

The ABS results reveal that women are almost three times as likely as men to have looked after their children full-time on their own during the crisis.

Australian Greens International Development spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has criticised the Government’s international aid cuts announced today.

Senator Faruqi has said the repurposing of Australia’s already shrinking aid budget is a signal the Coalition government is moving further away from the global community and retreating from its responsibilities. While Australian government spending on the COVID-19 response in the Pacific is very welcome, this should involve new funding, not a repurposing of the existing budget.

Senator Faruqi said:

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has called on the Education Minister to extend the current free childcare arrangements.

The Minister is expected to announce the future of free childcare in the coming days, with the program currently due to expire on 28 June.

Greens Spokesperson on First Nations issues Senator Rachel Siewert said:

“I am appalled and deeply upset for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people who have been treated with such blatant disregard and disrespect by the State Government and Rio Tinto.

“The State Government must account for the processes that allowed this to happen.

“I cannot imagine a European artefact of such cultural significance being destroyed like this."

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The AFP should rule out charging ABC journalists Sam Clark and Dan Oakes following today’s welcome announcement that charges won’t be laid against journalist Annika Smethurst, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for Media and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said both the ABC and Smethurst cases highlighted why Australia needs a Media Freedom Act.

“AFP’s decision to rule out charging Annika Smethurst is welcome news,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

Tuesday, 26 May, 2020

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has expressed deep concern that the United States Marine Rotational Force will be going ahead in Darwin in early June.

“All military cooperation with the United States in Australia must cease while the threat of COVID-19 remains high to protect people in the the Northern Territory, including First Nations Communities and Australian Forces who would ordinarily be undertaking shared activities with US Troops based in the Top End,” Steele-John said.