The Greens have called for action following the death of two whales which have been "dislodged" from the bottom of a Royal Australian Navy ship as it berthed in the US.
 
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Peter Whish-Wilson:
 
“The Australian Navy are understandably disheartened by this tragic event.
 
“This is a timely reminder to all of us of our direct and indirect impacts on the oceans and precious marine life.
 

Today's announcement of a Royal Commission into Veteran and Serving Defence Personnel Suicides is not only a huge win for the community, who have been calling for greater support and for government to address the mental health crisis that is facing our veterans, but also a relief to the families who have been searching for answers.

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said Australia should never have got involved in the Afghanistan War and the decision today to follow the US lead, and return our 80 remaining troops by September, had come two decades too late.

"The Afghanistan War has been an absolute disaster," Senator Steele-John said, "Knowing what we know now, Australia never should have taken part."

"The complete lack of any overarching strategic objective from the very beginning meant that troops on the ground were left to their own devices. 

Further sickening revelations about the existence of an illegal drinking establishment at Tarinkot base in Afghanistan, and the involvement of senior commanding officers at that establishment, are yet more evidence of the culture that General's Campbell and Burr are not fit to implement the recommendations of the Brereton Inquiry report.

Wednesday, 17 March 2021

An invite-only drinks at Parliament House with Elbit Systems - Israel's largest privately-owned weapons company - has been facilitated by former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, highlighting the urgent need for reforms in Australian politics to stop the revolving door of politicians becoming lobbyists.

Greens Senators Janet Rice and Jordon Steele-John have called on the Australian Government to immediately suspend all military ties with Myanmar, and impose targeted sanctions on General Min Aung Hlaing and others involved in yesterday’s coup.

The Australian Greens also urge the Myanmar military to respect democratic norms and immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and others who have been unlawfully detained.

Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson said:

I rise to speak to this matter of urgency. What happened in Afghanistan was the murder and torture of innocent people, even children, which left families torn apart and communities in ruin. These heinous war crimes committed by Australia are another shameful chapter in our history. We demand justice for the victims.

Government senators interjecting—

Australian Greens Peace spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called for General's Campbell and Burr to resign to enable the recommendations of the Afghan Inquiry to be implemented free from any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, and facilitate ongoing investigations by the Australian Federal Police.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, and Australian Greens Peace Spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele-John, will in the next sitting week of Parliament move a bill to require Parliamentary approval before Australian troops are sent to war. 

The release of the Brereton Inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by Australian SAS soldiers shows the importance of accountability over the decision to both deploy troops and their actions while overseas, the Greens say.

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said there was no question now that Australian special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan that are the result of a toxic warrior culture, facilitated by failures within the chain of command.

“The crimes outlined in the Brereton report - even in the limited detail we’ve been given so far - are horrendous and shameful,” Steele-John said.