The Australian Greens say that instead of making disparaging statements about the protests over the weekend Minster Cormann should be doing some soul searching on having been part of a Government that has done next to nothing to act on the shameful rates of deaths in custody in Australia and lack of justice for First Nations peoples in this country.

“54 First Nations peoples have died in custody since 2008 in Minister Cormann’s home state of WA and I haven't seen him say anything about that”, Australian Greens spokesperson on First Nations issues Senator Rachel Siewert said.

The Australian Greens have called on the chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Chris Salisbury, to resign or be sacked over the growing scandal regarding his company’s destruction of the sacred Pilbara site.

The Greens will also move for Rio Tinto and the Federal Environment Minister to be called before the Senate Environment References Committee. 

The Greens are calling for a Royal Commission into robodebt and the income compliance program saying it has caused enormous harm and trauma to a huge number of Australians and that it would help bring justice to the victims of this illegal scheme and ensure that a program like this never sees the light of day again.

“I can see no other way forward than through a Royal Commission ensuring a full, independent review of this program and a forensic audit of this mess”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said.

The Government's approach to mutual obligations has been haphazard, without proper information given to people on income support”, Senator Rachel Siewert said.

“Mutual obligations should have been suspended for six months from the get-go in line with the Jobseeker and Jobkeeper programs which recognise this crisis will go for at least six months.

The Australian Greens said today that this is a great day for people who have been subjected to this unfair, appalling and illegal program. People's opposition to this program has been vindicated.

“This is a historic day. I am overwhelmed thinking of the untold suffering that this illegal scheme has caused” said Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Community Services.

"It will be almost impossible to account for the social and economic costs of the Government's illegal Robodebt scheme.

The ACOSS/UNSW Poverty in Australia (Part 2 – Who is affected) released today shows that it is urgent that we learn the hard lessons from the policy mistakes of the past that sought to make savings out of the social safety net and condemned millions to poverty. That includes committing to keeping all income support rates above the poverty line the Greens say. 
 

The Change the Record Critical Condition Report released today has shown how existing inequalities and injustices faced by First Nations peoples have been exacerbated and further entrenched by the COVID crisis and highlights the urgent need for a recovery that includes First Nations peoples. 
 
“This report highlights exactly why we need more transparency around the National #COVIDー19 Coordination Commission," Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

Greens Spokesperson on First Nations issues Senator Rachel Siewert said:

“I am appalled and deeply upset for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people who have been treated with such blatant disregard and disrespect by the State Government and Rio Tinto.

“The State Government must account for the processes that allowed this to happen.

“I cannot imagine a European artefact of such cultural significance being destroyed like this."

The revised Jobkeeper figures released today mean that the Government has no excuse to return the Jobseeker payment to $40 a day at the end of September. 

Further, the Government can top up the DSP and Carer Payments so that disabled people and carers can meet the additional costs they are facing because of the pandemic.

No one in a country as wealthy as Australia should be living in poverty and cutting income support payments to those who need it most is a choice, not an inevitability.
 

1000 applications to exit the Cashless Debit Card have now been received with less than 100 applications processed, the latest figures on the Cashless Debit Card show.

“This process is a debacle. The Department recently said in an answer to a question on notice that it is taking  an average of five months for an application to be processed, I note that this was estimated to the beginning of March which is now over 2 months ago so the average is now higher than that”, Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services said.