The Government has failed to budget for its Clayton’s Commonwealth Integrity Commission in MYEFO, proving the announcement was just smoke and mirrors, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.

Labor conference fails on climate and coal as Liberals’ Taylor misleads on Paris

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today expressed his disappointment that Labor’s National Conference has failed to act on coal.

“It is fundamentally dishonest to move motions about the climate emergency but then have no plan to stop the burning and exporting of coal,” said Mr Bandt.

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has condemned the Liberal Government’s punitive $328.5m cuts to University Block Grants.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Liberal Government has continued their war on universities with the $328.5m cut to Research Block Grants announced in the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

“These punitive cuts demonstrate the Liberal government’s disrespect for the higher education sector and the vital research work conducted in our universities.

Pigs will fly before heroic MYEFO wage growth forecasts come true

Greens employment spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today noted MYEFO joins 8 years of heroic wage growth forecasts that haven’t come true, making this mid-year update more fantasy than reality.

“If history is anything to go by, we’ll see pigs at 35,000 feet before these wage growth forecasts come true,” said Mr Bandt.

“We’re now in our 8th year of broken wage growth promises.

“Neoliberalism does not deliver decent wage rises.

Australia inhibiting real climate action at home and abroad: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today noted that the release of this year’s ‘Mid-Year Financial and Economic Outlook’, which shows spending on climate change decreasing every year to 2021-2022, reflects the same disdain this government has shown towards real action on climate change at the recent international climate talks in Poland.

“Australia is a climate change denier at home and abroad,” said Mr Bandt.

Labor’s commitment to the cruelty of offshore detention and boat turnbacks is disappointing, but not surprising, Greens immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“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.

Labor must decide whether it will stand by environmental protections or roll over to Adani and big oil wanting to drill in the Bight, the Greens say.

Australian Greens Housing Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has described Labor’s housing announcement as tinkering around the edges.

Senator Faruqi is calling on the Labor Opposition to commit to building more public housing stock which will be affordable in the long-term.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Housing in Australia is monumentally messed up. With so many people in need of affordable housing we need radical solutions.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Australian Greens spokesperson for Education and a former academic, reacted to this morning’s news that the University of Wollongong has accepted the John Howard-led Ramsay Centre’s funding for a degree in ‘Western Civilisation’.

She said:

“Today’s news is a blow to academic freedom in Australia.

“As a former academic, I can unequivocally say that allowing any organisation to influence curriculum, let alone one as shady as this centre, is a huge mistake.