The Senate has supported a Greens referral to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee to conduct a Senate inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension (DSP). 
 
There have been a series of changes and cost-saving measures over recent years that have reduced the number of people able to access the Disability Support Program. Since then, there has been a sharp decline in people applying for and being approved for the DSP. 
 

“This budget is a surplus of scatter gun approaches and tinkering around the edges. 
 
“This is a budget that continues the ongoing disdain this Government has for people who have been doing it tough for a long time and for whom things have only got worse due to the global pandemic and recession: people on income support, older women, young people, single parents and disabled people.
 

Tonight’s Budget is a pre-election sweetener that fails to make billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax, while growing inequality and fast-tracking climate collapse.

While on the surface the budget may appear to do away with the Liberals’ years of austerity politics, it continues the myth that largesse to the super-wealthy will trickle down to everyday people.

The Greens say fixing Australia’s mental health crisis must be a budget priority.

The Greens say that quarantine will be part of managing the pandemic for the foreseeable future and purpose built facilities should be built now. 
 
“The Western Australian Government needs to urgently close the quarantine hotels that have been identified as high risk and improve other areas of its approach to quarantine. These hotels are not fit for purpose and we cannot go any longer using these sub-par facilities that can result in outbreaks. 
 

The Greens say Employment Minister Mr Robert’s cruel comments on the ‘lifestyle’ of people on JobSeeker are not based in any realm of reality in which Australians are living.

“It’s just nonsensical to tell people to get a job when in March there were 238, 700 jobs available and there are 1.5 million people on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance payments”, Senator Rachel Siewert said. 

The Greens are calling on the Federal Government to make telehealth a permanent feature of our Medicare system. 
 
“Telehealth has been lifesaving for Australians, especially for people living in regional and remote areas and for disabled people, people with kids and older Australians. 
 
“We know that people living in regional and remote areas suffer worse health outcomes. Telehealth helps to bridge that gap. 
 
“Patients and health practitioners need certainty about the future of telehealth in Australia. 
 

The Greens say that the People’s Vaccine Alliance calculation that Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson  have paid out $26 billion in dividends and stock buybacks to their shareholders in the past 12 months is appalling. 
 
“Profit making from Covid-19 vaccines is gross and highlights exactly why we need publicly owned, Government run facilities in Australia”, Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

 The Greens say the Government should abandon the Cashless Debit Card not continue to throw money at the failed punitive program.
 
"The $30 million “Job Ready Package” intended for the Cashless Debit Card Trial sites must be invested in supportive measures, for all people in regional, rural and remote areas that need support and training.
 

The Australian Greens have called on the Morrison Government to urgently prioritise disabled people, and disability support workers, in the national vaccine roll out after it was revealed that just 6.5% of this cohort have received their first dose.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said:

"This is absolutely shameful. It's clear that the Morrison government has once again forgotten to include disabled people, and the people who support us, in their pandemic response.