The Greens say that it is imperative that the Commonwealth learn the hard lesson from the Victorian aged care COVID outbreak and take leadership before it is too late. 
 
"All providers must be focused on preventing the entry and spread of Covid-19 in aged care facilities", Greens spokesperson on Ageing Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 
What we learnt from the Victorian experience is that aged care providers cannot wait to act once an outbreak occurs. 
 

The Greens have welcomed the Productivity Commission report into Mental Health and say that it has provided a clear way forward for the Government in reforming Australia’s mental health system.
 
“It is a great shame that this report has not been released earlier and that the Government didn’t take the opportunity in the recent budget to start the process of reform that is so urgently needed.

The Greens welcome the settlement of $1.2billion in the Robodebt Class Action including that the Commonwealth must pay $112 million in compensation to approximately 400,000 eligible individual Group Members, including legal costs. 
 
"I am very pleased for the victims of robodebt today. This is yet another indictment on the abominable actions of the Government who went after the most vulnerable in our community to make savings", Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Greens say the Government are giving with one hand and taking with the other on Jobseeker.

The Senate will this morning debate a Greens private members bill to reinstate the original rate of the Coronavirus Supplement to $550 a fortnight for people on Youth Allowance, JobSeeker and extend it to the Disability Support Pension and Carers. 
 
This is the sixth bill to increase JobSeeker - formerly Newstart - that has been introduced by Senator Rachel Siewert to the Parliament. 
 

In less than thirty days of mutual obligations being re-instated after they were suspended due to the covid pandemic 74,434 payments have been suspended by Centrelink. 
 
Estimates has revealed that 12,137 First Nations peoples, 6,334 single parents, 13,169 disabled people 9,100 homeless people and 12,135 culturally and linguistically diverse people are among those that have had a payment suspended within the first month of mutual obligations returning. 
 

The Minister for Social Services has confirmed today during an Estimates hearing that the Government plans to extend the Jobseeker coronavirus supplement past December but would not confirm the amount and when we will see the legislation.

The Government needs to be clear about what they have planned for the Jobseeker payment and supplement. 

It’s unfair that Australians have had to wait to know whether there will be an extension and now uncertainty about the rate post December 31 will cause a huge amount of concern.

The Greens have called the Government's decision to recommence ‘debt raising’ against income support recipients a disgrace.
 
We are in a recession and a pandemic and instead of giving Australians certainty about their future and ensuring they won’t be living on $40 a day come December this Government is choosing to create more anxiety and fear in our community by chasing people for debts at a time in their life when many are at their most vulnerable. 

The Greens have condemned the Government’s reintroduction of the discriminatory remote work-for-the-dole scheme Community Development Program (CDP) that disproportionately impacts First Nations peoples. 
 
"It’s very disturbing to hear anecdotal claims from employment providers saying that the increase to income support is leading to more drinking and anti-social behaviours”, Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Australian Greens said today Anglicare Australia’s Jobs Snapshot once again demonstrates the urgent need for a permanent increase to JobSeeker and Youth Allowance to ensure that the payment is above the poverty line.