The Greens are today announcing a commitment to bring the voice of the people into politics through trials of Citizens Juries and participatory budgeting, and requiring a parliamentary debate on petitions which receive over 100,000 signatures.

 Australian Greens Leader and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale has called upon the Australian Government to swiftly intervene to ensure that Julian Assange is not extradited to the United States.
 
“This arrest is a dark day for press freedom around the world,” Di Natale said.
 
“Regardless of what you think about Assange as an individual, he is facing extradition to the US on charges relating to his work to shine light on potential war crimes – an act that won him Australia’s highest honour for journalism.
 

Australian Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale has welcomed the official start of the election campaign, declaring that the party has never been better equipped to offer a progressive alternative to the old parties. 
 
“We’re ready. On May 18, we’ll give the Australian people a genuine alternative to the old parties, one that offers a positive plan for Australia that will create a better future for all of us,” Sen. Di Natale said.
 

With at least half of the 20 retiring federal politicians set to receive a parliamentary pension, it’s time the pollies’ pension was axed entirely, say the Greens.

“While politicians elected after 2004 don’t receive a parliamentary pension, those elected before then – such as Ministers Pyne and Ciobo, rumoured today to be leaving politics – would get hundreds of thousands of dollars each year as a pension, for doing nothing,” Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said. 

Just a few weeks ago, I was out at Menindee to see firsthand the Murray-Darling Basin in ecosystem collapse. The Darling River, the Barka, is dying. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan isn't working and the government tells us: 'Everything is fine. Nothing to see here.' I saw stagnant rivers, cracked, dry earth and locals red hot with anger at the federal government and the New South Wales Liberal-National government for their role in the slow death of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The political donations data released today revealing massive corporate donations to the major parties shows our democracy is for sale and donations reform is desperately needed, Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.

“Today’s data again shows the major parties are owned by the mining, gambling, alcohol, property and banking industries,” Senator Waters said.

The Greens are today launching their policy to clean up politics and end the corrupting influence of big money on our democracy, so we can create a future for all of us.

Ahead of the Australian Electoral Commission 17/18 donations data release later this morning, Greens spokesperson for democracy Larissa Waters said:

The Liberal National Government are hiding critical information about draining the Menindee Lakes twice in three years, the Greens say.

“The Government’s refusal to release this information, by order of the Senate, stinks of a cover-up and puts them in contempt of the Senate,” Greens water and environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The NSW ICAC raid of ALP’s headquarters in Sydney shows political donations are a main source of corruption, yet the Government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) wouldn’t even be able to investigate, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.

“The Government has intentionally designed a body that will ensure political parties can’t be investigated for the millions of dollars in corporate donations they take from industries like mining, banking and gambling," Senator Waters said.

The Government has failed to budget for its Clayton’s Commonwealth Integrity Commission in MYEFO, proving the announcement was just smoke and mirrors, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.

“The Morrison Government has no intention of actually seeing a CIC through to establishment and ending this rigged system any time soon,” Senator Waters said.

“They claim to have been working on a proposal for 12 months yet have failed to budget for it.