Australian Greens spokesperson for Small Business and Greens candidate for Higgins Jason Ball have launched a comprehensive plan to give small business a fair go.

“In recent years the Greens have been the real voice for small business, as the establishment parties have looked after their big corporate donors,” Senator McKim said.

“The Greens will continue to fight for an effects test, remove some of the administrative burden and restore the loss-carry-back provisions abolished by the Liberals.”

The Senate has backed a motion from Australian Greens Senator Robert Simms calling on the government to refocus South Australia's car manufacturing industry on electric cars.

"It's great to see the senate backing this motion for more job creation in SA. Electric car production is a multi-billion industry and one of the fastest growing in the world. Investing in this industry provides an opportunity for us to harness the skills and experience of our manufacturing industry and create new jobs," Senator Simms said.

The Greens broadly welcome the Turnbull Government’s Innovation Statement, however it does not repair the huge damage done to the science and research and development sectors by the Liberals’ funding cuts in recent years.

Greens Innovation spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said: “The focus on innovation and the attached funding are welcome, but it does not come close make up for the Liberals’ massive cuts to science, higher education and research and development.”

The ACCC’s confirmation of the inadequacy of the voluntary Grocery Code of Conduct (GCC)* shows the government needs to step in and make the code mandatory, Australian Greens Small business and Competition spokesperson Senator Nick McKim says.

ACCC Chairman Rod Sims says suppliers are already reporting that the big supermarkets are not negotiating their contracts with their suppliers in good faith.

Senator McKim said the result was entirely predictable.