State and Territory leaders should tell the Prime Minister today they won’t stand for a further weakening of environmental laws to green light major developments and mines, and instead want strong environmental standards and a cop on the beat to enforce them, the Greens say.

Prime Minister Morrison will reportedly raise the Federal Government’s plan to devolve environmental approval powers to states and territory regulators, before a 10-year statutory review is complete.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Hanson-Young said:

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Hanson-Young responded to the PM's comments today on changes environmental laws:

“The Prime Minster has today belled the cat on the Government’s plans to weaken environmental protections, making it easier for big miners and developers to get the green-light on projects that damage the environment. 

“At a press conference today speaking on plans to amend federal Environment Laws (the EPBC Act) the Prime Minister said: 

The Greens have described today’s Economic and Fiscal Update as a plan based on austerity and fantasy projections that will lead to ongoing high unemployment.

The figures released by the Treasurer today exposed the urgent need for debt-financed public infrastructure and public services such as ongoing free childcare that will help get us into full employment, not more tax cuts for the wealthiest fifteen per cent of income earners.

The Greens have slammed the Morrison Government‘s decision today to give another $10million of public money to Fox Sports, taking the total amount of corporate welfare under this program to the Murdoch company to $40million.

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

“Another day, another public hand-out to the Morrison Government’s Murdoch mates.

“Giving tens of millions to Fox Sports while cutting funding to the ABC really is the height of arrogance.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt and spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert have responded to today's announcement that the government has agreed to Labor’s proposal to cut JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments, even as unemployment soars and the Covid outbreak continues in Victoria and NSW. 

This is being billed as an extension, but the reality for millions of Australians, many of whom are still under lockdown, is that this is a cut in vital income support.

The Prime Minister must drop his plans to green light major developments and new mines at the expense of the environment, after the devastating assessment of Australia’s environmental trajectory in the just-released interim report into Australia’s federal environment laws, the Greens say.

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

“Our environment is in crisis and our native wildlife is facing extinction. Unless we change business-as-usual our environment is destined for more destruction. Our wildlife, our beaches, our forests will be gone.

Democracy should not be a victim of the pandemic.

We need a health-first approach if we are to have any chance of effectively eliminating community transmission of this virus. The advice of health experts must be heeded.

Democracy should not be a victim of the pandemic.

We need a health-first approach if we are to have any chance of effectively eliminating community transmission of this virus. The advice of health experts must be heeded.

Dr Richard Di Natale, Australian Greens health spokesperson, is today calling on the Prime Minister to adopt an elimination strategy for COVID-19 to keep restrictions in place until the rate of community transmission reaches zero. 

"It's now time to commit to eliminating COVID-19 from the community, and give Australians some level of certainty in the face of this pandemic."

"We have already eliminated the virus in some states, which has allowed people to resume doing many of the things they love and provided some certainty for the business community," said Dr Di Natale.

Today’s $400m tax incentive for bringing international productions to be filmed in Australia must be backed up with government commitment to support locally, Australian-made stories, the Greens say.
“Having Johnny Depp and his Pirates entourage in Australia is great, but we need to back Australian owned and made stories too,” Greens Arts & Communications spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.