“Funding national Truth and Treaty processes is an investment in real power for First Nations people.” Said the Greens spokesperson for First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe.

“Labor announcing funding for Truth and Treaty is a massive win for our grassroots, community campaign on Treaty. This budget proves what we’ve always said: that we can make progress on Truth, Treaty and Voice at the same time. 

Labor’s budget has failed the public schools test, committing even more to private schools than the Morrison Government pledged in its March budget, the Greens say.

The Albanese Government has promised private schools $70.2 billion over the forward estimates, $1.7 billion more than Scott Morrison guaranteed in his pre-election budget. The private school sector will now receive an even greater share of Commonwealth funding under Labor than it would have under the Coalition.

Greens spokesperson for Finance Senator Barbara Pocock is disappointed by Labor’s delayed attempts to improve support and lower cost of living for parents and carers. Senator Pocock is calling on the Government to go further and faster on care sector wages, paid parental leave and free childcare.

Lines attributable to Max Chandler-Mather MP, Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness:

Over the last five years the private sector built just under 1 million homes, so Labor announcing that under their plans the private sector will build 1 million homes over five years from 2024 is a complete joke. These homes would have been built anyway.

In response to statements from the Treasurer tat the Budget will see wages go backwards for another two years and paid parental leave measures will also be delayed, the Greens say the government was delaying cost of living relief while making room in the Budget for Stage 3 tax cuts for the wealthy.

“Labor is spending over a quarter of a trillion dollars on Stage 3 tax cuts for politicians and billionaires while delaying cost of living relief for everyday people,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

The Greens say coal workers and communities deserve a National Energy Transition Authority in Tuesday’s budget in the wake of Queensland and Victoria announcing plans to bring forward the closure of coal-fired power plants.

Greens spokesperson on Industry, Transition and Regional Development Senator Penny Allman-Payne says the workers and community members she recently met with in the Latrobe Valley, Hunter region and her own hometown of Gladstone were unanimous in their support for the urgent establishment of a National Energy Transition Authority.

The Greens welcome the announcement this week that the government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill will include new rules to end pay secrecy clauses to stop employees from discussing how much they get paid, something the Greens have previously sought to legislate for.

Lines attributable to Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Women, Senator Larissa Waters

“Pay secrecy has been an ongoing contributor to the gender pay gap.