The Labor leadership needs to stick firm in its opposition to the Government's tax cut package, despite the pressure it may be feeling from a handful of backbenchers, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.

"Labor said during the election that they wouldn't back in the Government's disastrous tax cuts and Anthony Albanese should stand firm, do the right thing for the country and continue to oppose these cuts," Di Natale said.

Instead of locking in a spiral of economic inequality by green-lighting Scott Morrison's flat tax system, the Labor Party should work with the Greens on a long-term plan to drive productivity and create sustainable jobs through investment in renewables and increasing Newstart, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.

"By supporting these tax cuts the Labor Party are going to make inequality worse and do nothing to set the country up for the future," Di Natale said.

Greens to mandate carbon risk reporting for large companies

This budget is a cynical attempt to buy votes instead of planning for the nation’s looming challenges. What we needed was a plan to tackle the climate emergency through a real investment in renewables and a managed transition away from coal and other fossil fuels. What we needed was a plan to tackle growing inequality and to fund our essential services. Instead Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have stuck their heads in the sand and delivered a few election bribes.

Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, today commented on new tax statistics released by the ATO revealing tax credits to oil and gas giants have ballooned to $324 billion. 

"The PRRT is the most egregious rort in the Australian tax code.

"The failure of successive Liberal and Labor governments to address this problem has resulted in oil and gas companies accumulating a whopping $324 billion worth of tax offsets.

"This equates to around 70% of the Commonwealth Government’s total revenue.

Today’s disappointing final report into the banking and financial services industry will slow, but not end decades of money grabbing and unethical conduct, the Australian Greens have said today.

“The enthusiasm from the Liberal and Labor parties to accept these recommendations tells you all you need to know. The financial services industry is one of the biggest donors to both old parties, and they will all be laughing all the way to the bank tonight,” Leader of the Australian Greens Senator Richard Di Natale said.

“Today’s Mid-year Economic Financial Outlook shows that the Coalition is totally out of touch with everyone in our community who is feeling under pressure. The Prime Minister hopes to buy the next election with a surplus built upon cuts to essential services and heroic assumptions about wages growth," Greens Co-Deputy Leader Senator Larissa Waters said.

The Australian Greens are calling for an immediate halt to the export of native animals, and an independent inquiry into how hundreds of endangered and rare Australian birds have been exported for sale.

“Reports this week that rare and endangered birds are being sold to shady dealers, with the approval of the Federal Government, are shocking and must be independently investigated,"  Greens Environment and Trade spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Greens will move for responsibility and funding to be restored to the ABC to share content with the Asia-Pacific region in the Senate next week.

“It is high time the Morrison Government gave the ABC back its job, sharing its world-class content and journalism in our region. Next week in the Senate, I will call on the Government to do so,” Greens media spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

 “The ABC is creating high-quality Australian drama and kids TV that audiences love. If that wasn’t enough, we know it is also our most trusted news source.