The release of a report planning for the end of coal by the right-leaning Blueprint Institute shows that all sides of politics were now calling for a managed transition out of coal, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said.

“The time of coal is over and the time for clean energy has begun,” Mr Bandt said. “When even conservative think tanks are putting forward proposals to leave coal, you can tell this transition is unstoppable.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has today called on the government to defer the looming cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker in light of the growing COVID outbreak in NSW.

The Coronavirus Supplement is due to drop $200 a month in just 10 days, before being entirely cancelled come March 31.

“With lockdowns and travel bans throwing the country’s Christmas plans into chaos, Scott Morrison must immediately ditch the looming cuts to JobSeeker and JobKeeper,” Mr Bandt said.

MYEFO shows yet again that the Liberals are locking in inequality and damage from climate change, the Greens say.

“The economy continues to be underpinned by Government spending, with state governments’ investment in social housing and public transport responsible for a lot of the improved outlook," Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"But wages growth has been revised down following the Government’s announcement that they will reduce public sector wage increases.”

 
The Greens recognise the potential role of e-cigarettes in tobacco harm reduction but support a precautionary approach in the regulation of e-cigarettes.

The Greens support the recommendations of the majority Select Committee on Tobacco Harm Reduction report and have made some additional comments.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that Alan Tudge’s appointment as Education Minister is a disturbing development.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Anyone who a federal court judge has found to have acted criminally is not fit to be a minister of the government.

“It’s no surprise that this is the sort of ‘talent’ the Prime Minister wants to elevate in the government’s efforts to defund and privatise education.

“This disturbing appointment shows how little the government values the education system.

MYEFO shows yet again that the Liberals are locking in inequality and damage from climate change, the Greens say.

“The economy continues to be underpinned by Government spending, with state governments’ investment in social housing and public transport responsible for a lot of the improved outlook," Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"But wages growth has been revised down following the Government’s announcement that they will reduce public sector wage increases.”

The Future Fund must divest the $3 million it has put into a railway for the climate-destroying Adani coal mine, the Greens say.

Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"This is public money and should be invested for the public good."

"Having already ruled out investing in tobacco products, the Future Fund must urgently get out of fossil fuels."

"This is a bad investment financially, morally and environmentally. To use public funds to cook the planet is an extraordinary error of judgement."

 
The Greens welcome the announcement by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to down-schedule cannabidiol (CBD) and enable the availability of low-dose CBD over-the-counter (OTC) in pharmacies.
 
"The TGA has scheduled low doses of medicinal cannabis but there are currently no products on the Australian market to meet that purpose", Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson and Senator for NSW, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to a report by Equity Economics projecting a national 24 per cent rise in housing stress and 9 per cent rise in homelessness next year. NSW will be particularly hard hit with housing stress to rise by 42 per cent and homelessness by 19 per cent.

Senator Faruqi said:

Last night’s global Climate Ambition Summit confirmed Australia’s status as the world’s climate reject. While Scott Morrison was barred from the Summit, world leaders lined up to announce ambitious new 2030 targets and action.

The Europe Union upped their 2030 target to 55% and the UK to 68%. Japan announced they would raise their targets next year and Canada released modelling showing they would beat their 2030 target.