MYEFO shows yet again that the Liberals are locking in inequality and damage from climate change, the Greens say.

“The economy continues to be underpinned by Government spending, with state governments’ investment in social housing and public transport responsible for a lot of the improved outlook," Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

"But wages growth has been revised down following the Government’s announcement that they will reduce public sector wage increases.”

 
The Greens welcome the announcement by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to down-schedule cannabidiol (CBD) and enable the availability of low-dose CBD over-the-counter (OTC) in pharmacies.
 
"The TGA has scheduled low doses of medicinal cannabis but there are currently no products on the Australian market to meet that purpose", Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Greens say that the Medicare Benefits Schedule task force final report is a clear indication that lack of agility and innovation has meant that parts of our Medicare system are no longer fit for purpose. 
 
This report is a wakeup call that our medical system needs to adapt to meet the needs of our population and ensure that it is accessible to everyone and that it is not being exploited by private companies. 
 
Australia prides itself on having a world leading healthcare system, but that won’t be the case if we don't invest in the future. 
 

The Greens are calling on the Government to clearly articulate plans for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Government has used the last sitting day of the year to condemn millions of Australians to live even further below the poverty line by cutting the Coronavirus supplement by a further $100 a fortnight.
 
Mr Morrison is the Grinch who is stealing Christmas from so many Australians and the opportunity to live with dignity while we go through a global pandemic and recession.
 

The Greens have vowed to continue the community campaign to stop income management and the Cashless Debit Card for good.
 
“The campaign to stop the card is not over", Senator Rachel Siewert, Spokesperson on Family and Community Services said. 
 
This campaign has been strengthened with the ALP coming on board after initially supporting income management measures and Senators Lambie and Patrick taking the time to review the evidence and vote against the card last night in the Senate.
 

 The Joint Standing Committee on the Northern Australia Inquiry into Juukan Gorge have today released a multiparty majority interim report with a range of recommendations including that Rio Tinto negotiate a restitution package for the destruction of the Juukan rock shelters with the traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples (PKKP) and ensure full reconstruction of the Junkanoo rock shelters.

Centre Alliance have hoodwinked and mislead the people of South Australia and those on the Cashless Debit Card. They’ve assured voters for weeks now they would not support this racist, punitive Bill and tonight they flipped on that promise, devastating thousands. 

The Cashless Debit Card could have ended tonight. Instead people in the trial sites will be subjected to income management for another 2 years.

This is a heartbreaking outcome for people in the Cashless Debit Card trial sites.

The Australian Greens support the recommendations and the interim findings of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 majority report and have tabled additional comments and findings.
 

The Government is using the final Parliamentary sitting week of this year to push through legislation to make the current Cashless Debit Card trial sites permanent and extend the card to the Northern Territory and Cape York to replace the BasicsCard, despite no evidence it works. 
 
“We’ve had 13 years of this discriminatory punitive policy. 13 years of targeting First Nations peoples and those on low incomes with income management, Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens Spokesperson on Family and Community Services said.