I rise to support the disallowance motion and associate myself with the comments made by my Greens colleague Senator Waters from Queensland. I will say that loud and clear: she is a Greens senator from Queensland who cares about Queenslanders, who cares about the workers in Queensland, who cares that the environment they work in is safe and healthy, and who cares about a healthy planet for everyone.

The Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has said Labor’s latest offer to embrace carbon capture and storage won’t help tackle the climate emergency, saying you don’t end the climate wars by surrendering.

“You don’t end the climate wars by surrendering,” Greens Leader Adam Bandt said.

“We need a plan to get coal out of the system, not to lock it in.
“The Liberals don’t care about climate change, so holding out for bipartisanship is just a recipe for inaction.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has pledged to fight the government’s gas push laid out in the Technology Road Map Discussion Paper released by the government today.

Mr Bandt also said the leaked COVID Commission push for a gas-rush shows the corruption of process the government is using to develop a plan for manufacturing.

“We need to be ending Australia’s addiction to toxic methane gas not feeding it,” Mr Bandt said.

“Coal, oil and gas are the primary cause of the climate crisis. We can't solve the climate emergency and economic crisis by pouring gas on the fire.”

Tuesday,19 May 2020

Young people will be guaranteed a job, secure income, and free education under a new Greens recovery plan to build ‘a better normal’ and restart the economy after the coronavirus economic shock.

The vision for a debt-financed recovery reaffirms the government’s role in responding to the crisis, and rejects the austerity approaches offered by the Liberal and Labor parties, charting a course for a government-led recovery that extends Australia’s social services, instead of slashing funding for education, healthcare, and the environment.

The Australian Greens have joined RBA Governor Dr Lowe’s calls for tax reform, with Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, saying that means removing unjustifiable tax breaks for polluters, shifting tax concessions towards research, development and innovation and boosting public sector investment.

In responding to Dr Lowe’s speech, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP warned the Liberal Party against using it as an opportunity to further give tax breaks to their corporate backers, saying everyday Australians should be the chief beneficiaries of any reforms.

The Government needs to implement a Green New Deal to keep the economy moving and stave off the growing risk of recession, said Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP.

Mr Bandt has written to the PM calling for the Government to adopt a Green New Deal, outlining three immediate measures that would boost the economy: lifting public sector wages, a $6 billion investment in the national electricity grid  and raising Newstart and Youth Allowance by at least $95 dollars a week.

Comment by Adam Bandt MP:

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has called for a growth in ‘renewables mining’ jobs and a phase out of thermal coal as part of the Green New Deal to unlock Australia’s potential as a clean energy superpower.

Comment from Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP:

“A growth in ‘renewables mining’ jobs as we phase out coal is an important part of the Green New Deal.

“Government needs to take the reins and oversee the transition so we grow jobs and industries, including in areas where coal mines and power stations exist at the moment.

Greens’ Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, responded today to the release of the Mid-Year Economic Forecast and Outlook (MYEFO).

“Today’s MYEFO has confirmed that Scott Morrison is not interested in governing.

“In the face of unheralded economic conditions and a climate emergency, the government is running idle.

“Interest rates are at record lows. Wages, productivity and spending are all in a slump. The enormity of the climate crisis is dawning on the nation.