The Greens say that the Government is failing the growing number of people out of work by cutting the Jobseeker payment at the end of September and failing to provide certainty to people looking for work.

Questions to Prime Minster and Cabinet today at the COVID hearing have shown that despite the aged care crisis the Government is not doing enough to ensure that all aged care providers around Australia are completely prepared. 
 
"It’s pretty obvious that prevention is better than cure and after speaking to the Department today I have very little confidence that they are taking an appropriate leadership role. 
 
"We cannot just wait around, rely on self-assessment by providers on their readiness for an outbreak, there needs to be action around the country. 
 

The Greens have written to the Prime Minister requesting that he urgently update the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to examine the impact of profit-making corporations on the provision and quality of aged care services.

Friday 7th August 2020

Australian Greens Disability Rights and Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said a failure to learn from the mistakes made during the first wave of COVID-19 and take action to protect disabled people is putting lives at risk in Victoria.

Senator Steele-John said both the Morrison and Andrews governments had failed to listen to disabled people, our families, advocates and organisations since the very beginning of the pandemic and that inaction had led to a surge in cases linked to residential disability services.

The Australian Greens have released analysis of ABS data which shows 83,100 workers on JobKeeper in Victoria are casuals in industries now subject to some form of shut down.

“Up to 83,100 workers in Victoria’s hardest hit industries will be forced into unemployment because the government continues to deny them access to JobKeeper,” Greens Leader and Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt said.

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.

Monday, 13 July 2020

The Australian Greens have reiterated their calls for people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment to receive extra economic support to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has responded to reports the government is considering Labor’s proposal to cut JobKeeper payments for people previously earning less than $1,500 a fortnight, slamming the two parties for working together to slash the pay of low-paid workers bringing home less than the weekly minimum wage.

“Labor is sticking the knife into low-paid workers and the Liberals are twisting it,” said Mr Bandt.

“This is the sell-out of the century.

With JobKeeper set for a $60b underspend, the Greens will introduce legislation to the Senate when Parliament resumes in June to extend JobSeeker and JobKeeper eligibility, as well as pushing for investment in jobs-rich recovery in arts and manufacturing.

"Wow."

"Now Scott Morrison has no excuse not to extend JobKeeper to all who need it, retain the new JobSeeker rate, give a Jobs and Income Guarantee to young people and invest in nation-building planet-saving projects to help the recovery."

For background: