The Greens say Labor’s decision today to wave through changes to the Electoral Act that will increase membership minimums and give existing parties veto power over new rivals’ names, limits democratic participation and entrenches the two-party system.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
 
“The Libs and Labor are running scared. They know they’re on the nose with the electorate and they know their share of the primary vote is collapsing. This is a blatant and utterly shameless attempt to shore up their power.

The Greens have renewed their calls for action on closing the gender pay gap after the Workplace Gender Equality Agency today revealed that the earnings gulf between men and women had widened over the last six months from 13.4% to 14.2%.

This means Equal Pay Day will this year fall on 31 August, marking the 61 extra days from the end of the financial year that women must work to earn the same annual pay as men.

Greens senators Larissa Waters, Mehreen Faruqi and Janet Rice have written to the Minister for Women and Foreign Affairs Marise Payne to urge the Government to provide immediate and increased aid to help women and girls now subject to Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

To ensure that aid is targeted to those most in need the aid should be delivered through partnerships with civil society and aid organisations working on the ground.

The Greens are calling on Labor and the crossbench to oppose government amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act that would limit democratic participation, stifle dissent and entrench a two-party system.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The Greens have long fought back against conservative government attempts to lock out smaller entrants to the political system, attempts which seek to entrench a two-party system and stymie a diversity of voices.

The government must release documents relating to the awarding of a $21 million grant to Liberal Party-aligned fracking company Empire Energy, after the Senate this afternoon supported a Greens’ motion.

The order compels the government to produce by 9.30 am on Thursday, 12 August, all correspondence, lists of applicants and grant guidelines related to its Beetaloo Basin grant scheme, in addition to details of any meetings between Ministers Angus Taylor or Keith Pitt and Empire Energy.

The Greens today will move for an independent inquiry into Christian Porter’s fitness to be a Minister after the PM this week promoted the former Attorney-General to Leader of the House, despite the unresolved allegations of sexual assault against him.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“For two months now I have been fighting to progress my bill that would set up an independent inquiry into Christian Porter’s fitness to be a Minister and uphold the parliamentary standards that the PM is meant to apply.

The Greens say Australia can have a robust and effective federal anti-corruption framework in place within weeks if the government brings the Greens’ bill on for debate in the House.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:

“How can we be sure there’s an election coming? Both the Libs and Labor are talking about a federal anti-corruption body again!

The Greens say today’s awarding of $21 million of public money to a private corporation to frack the Northern Territory will turbocharge climate collapse, threatens groundwater and goes against the wishes of Traditional Owners.

The money, taken from the $50 million Beetaloo Basin slush fund created by the Coalition and supported by Labor, will be given to Imperial Oil and Gas to drill three new gas wells.

On the one-year anniversary of the suicide of Christian Porter’s accuser the Greens have called on the government, One Nation and Senator Jacqui Lambie to do the right thing and support the first reading of a bill to create a Commission of Inquiry into Minister Porter’s ministerial fitness.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters:

“Today is a sad reminder of why we must have an independent inquiry into the allegations against former Attorney-General Christian Porter.

The move by the Coalition and Labor to permanently axe Senate motions is an attack on transparency and democracy that entrenches the big parties’ cosy duopoly, say the Greens.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and leader in the Senate Larissa Waters:

“This is yet more Senate bastardry from the big parties. Today they gave the Senate late verbal notice that tomorrow they’ll gang up to permanently remove the rights of Senators to move and get a vote on motions.