The Greens have written to the Prime Minister requesting that he urgently update the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to examine the impact of profit-making corporations on the provision and quality of aged care services.

The Greens welcome the Government’s suspension of mutual obligations while Victoria is in a state of disaster but say that the suspension of compliance measures needs to be extended to the rest of the country. 
 
"The Government's approach to mutual obligations throughout this pandemic has been haphazard, without proper information given to people on income support", Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Greens are calling on the Government to drop their plans to reintroduce the liquid assets tests saying it is unfair, will cause significant hardship and discriminates against the newly unemployed.

The reintroduction of the liquid assets test in September will see many people who have just lost their jobs having to wear down their savings before they can access a weekly income. 

The Greens say that Australians are losing confidence in the aged care sector and that the Federal Government should stop at nothing to protect the most vulnerable Australians in aged care. This includes ensuring pandemic funding for all aged care workers if they need it.
 
“We keep hearing this narrative blaming workers for coming to work sick but the Federal Government is not taking enough action to ensure that workers are able to afford to stay home if they are sick,” Greens spokesperson on Ageing Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Greens have called the decision by the Council of Attorney Generals to defer the decision of raising the age of criminal responsibility a failure of justice and compassion.
 
“It’s deeply disappointing when we are in a moment of public consciousness about the impacts of state sanctioned criminalisation and violence against First Nations peoples that Governments have failed to act on a tangible policy change that would make such a difference to closing the gap and justice for First Nations peoples. 
 

The Greens say reintroducing the assets test and liquid asset test is mean spirited and unfair in the midst of a recession and have called on the Government to continue to waive these tests until the employment market has more jobs and we are through this crisis.
 
"The reintroduction of the assets tests will mean those that lost work at the beginning of the pandemic and are on Jobseeker could lose income support in September", Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said.  
 

21 July 2020

Greens Leader Adam Bandt and spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert have responded to today's announcement that the government has agreed to Labor’s proposal to cut JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments, even as unemployment soars and the Covid outbreak continues in Victoria and NSW. 

This is being billed as an extension, but the reality for millions of Australians, many of whom are still under lockdown, is that this is a cut in vital income support.

Monday, 13 July 2020

The Australian Greens have reiterated their calls for people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment to receive extra economic support to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis.

The Greens are deeply concerned about how Services Australia plans to refund illegal robodebts saying the process is too slow and unfair.

“People have been put through so much by this illegal program and now they have to wait longer for their refund with some people owed money being paid back by installment,” Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

“The Government has not made it clear what constitutes a debt of a 'larger amount' or why money is to be refunded in installments.”

“The Greens support the naming of the 6 organisations who have failed to sign up to the National Redress Scheme. The Greens also support the revoking of tax concessions and charity status for organisations who choose not to participate in the scheme and deny justice for survivors.” Senator Siewert, the Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services said today.