Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has labelled today’s news of cuts to approximately 500 full-time equivalent jobs at UNSW, and the amalgamation of nine faculties into six, as devastating and infuriating.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Hundreds of hard-working UNSW staff will bear the disastrous consequences of the Liberals’ callous abandonment of higher education.

“The Morrison government has no shame or sense. Australian universities are in crisis and frankly it’s the Liberals who are squarely to blame.

The release of the 2020-2021 workplan for the Reef Trust Partnership once again shows the Reef requires comprehensive, science-based protection by its proper management authority, and government-wide action on the climate crisis, says Greens Leader in the Senate and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters

“The Liberals would privatise their mothers if they could, and the Great Barrier Reef is the latest casualty of this ideology,” Senator Waters said.

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.

The Greens welcome any improvements to deal with Crown of Thorns starfish, but it is a bandaid solution while the big threats to the Reef - climate change and water quality – continue to be ignored.
 
“Funding COTs while ignoring climate and water quality is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Queensland Senator and Greens Leader in the Senate, Larissa Waters.
 
“The Great Barrier Reef has faced three of the worst coral bleaching episodes in its long history in the last five years, because of coal-driven climate change.
 

The Labor party backroom boys are pressuring Queensland’s Labor Premier to approve stage 3 of the New Acland coal mine, showing fossil fuel donors still call the shots, say the Australian Greens.
 
“Proving how powerful the coal mining lobby and their donations are on federal Labor, there’s now three federal Labor party MPs pushing the Premier to approve the Acland coal mine despite the mine’s approval currently being before the High Court,” said Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Senate Leader and Mining and Resources spokesperson.
 

The Greens have said that returning to expensive fee-paying childcare today will harm families, disproportionately impact women and threaten the viability of early learning as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

The federal government should extend free childcare and ensure all early childhood education and care workers are eligible for JobKeeper payments.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Education, said:

“It’s downright cruel and shortsighted to scrap free childcare before practically every other Covid-19 support measure.

The announcement by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley today of funding for tourism and infrastructure at five natural attractions shows there are jobs in a green recovery and much more must be done to look after our environment, the Australian Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

"Any funding from the Federal Government that goes to improving and protecting our natural world is welcome. This announcement shows there are jobs and economic stimulus in a Green Recovery.

Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has described the Morrison Government’s ideological determination to cut taxes for high income earners as ill-timed and irresponsible, and criticised Labor for backing the move.

The tax cuts would increase inequality in Australia:

The Morrison Government must significantly increase the arts and entertainment industry recovery package following a return to lockdown measures in Melbourne, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

As Melbourne goes back into stage 3 lockdowns, the Federal government is pulling the major childcare supports which played a positive role in the initial outbreak response. 

Dan Tehan’s announcement of a new semi-subsidy will risk the viability of many centres who will neither be able to return to normal operations, nor collect full income if parents keep their kids at home.

“The Government is tying itself up in knots. It would be far simpler and fairer to extend free childcare after 12 July,” Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said.