The Greens say the government’s decision to abandon its ICAC promise, while simultaneously trying to push through a hateful bill to protect bigotry, is proof that they never intended to establish an anti-corruption body in the first place. 

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

“Anyone who is surprised that the government has abandoned its promise to establish a federal integrity commission hasn’t been paying attention. It’s yet another broken promise from a PM who lies and lies.

As Queensland kids return to classrooms tomorrow, the Greens have pledged to keep them safe and healthy by fully funding comprehensive consent education and providing free period products from sustainable suppliers.

While most parents will rightly be focused on ensuring their children are protected from Covid-19, the Greens recognise that many schoolkids face other significant challenges, including sexual harassment and assault, and period poverty.

The Greens will:

Political donations data published today by the Australian Electoral Commission shows that the Liberals, Nationals and Labor raked in a combined $14.6 million in donations in the 2020-21 financial year, including more than $1 million from the fossil fuel sector alone.

The Greens will stop big polluters corrupting democracy by banning donations from the fossil fuel sector to political parties, candidates, and associated entities.

Since 2012, the fossil fuel sector has donated over $9 million to the major parties. It’s no coincidence that successive governments have refused to take strong action on climate, while letting coal and gas corporations pollute our air and water, destroy farmland and culturally significant sites, and release billions of tons of carbon emissions. 

Lines attributable to Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

“A belated cash splash on the Great Barrier Reef is a joke from a government that has turbo charged the climate crisis imperilling the Reef by giving billions to fossil fuels and backing new coal and gas. 
 
“Climate policy is the most important factor in saving the Reef and the government’s policy is crap.

The Greens have announced a policy to support women-led businesses, generating more employment opportunities for women and boosting economic growth.

Businesses with female founders and executive leadership employ, on average, six times as many women as other businesses, and typically have strong parental leave and flexible working arrangements. But women-led businesses, particularly in regional areas, often find it difficult to secure finance, despite the calibre of staff or the quality of their product or service.

The Greens say the absence of meaningful commitments to addressing gender inequality and economic insecurity in the government’s draft Draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children was alarming, while the short consultation period and failure to publish the consultation report proved they had no commitment to genuine community engagement.

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

The Greens have announced a policy to reform the political system, clean up politics, and strengthen democracy. At the end of a bruising political year where the government remained unrepentant despite scandal after scandal, it’s clear a new approach is needed to restore public confidence in democracy.

The Greens say today’s move by the Coalition and Labor to reaffirm their dodgy deal to permanently axe Senate motions represents one more nail in the coffin for democracy and transparency.

The decision makes permanent the temporary arrangement between the Liberals and Labor in June which eliminated motions that ask the Senate to form an opinion, replacing them with two-minute statements.

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

Labor has signed on to the government’s anti-democracy agenda by voting for new legislation designed to silence critical voices from the nonprofit sector.

The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Political Campaigner) Bill was rammed through the Senate tonight without debate and without going to inquiry, passing after a dirty deal between Labor and the Liberals.