Under questioning by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed berries being imported to Australia are not being subjected to any extra safety checks, in spite of contaminated products sparking an outbreak of Hepatitis A.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Dr Paul Grimes has told a Senate Estimates hearing this morning, "We have not made changes on surveillance rates broadly at this stage."

Senator Siewert has described that as a completely ludicrous failure.

WA Senators Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam say today's historic carbon price vote is the start of serious action on climate change.

"The passage of the Clean Energy Future package through the Senate represents a new beginning for our economy, with new industries and new jobs being created," Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Australian Greens have strongly endorsed comments made by UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay calling on the Federal Government to take a new approach to the NT Intervention.

“This is another damning criticism of the NT Intervention, which again reflects poorly on Australian’s commitment to human rights,” Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“The UN Universal Periodic Review and UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) have both raised serious concerns over Australia's failure to meet international commitments on eliminating discrimination.

The Australian Greens say it is unsatisfactory for the Government to take six months before deciding whether to accept or reject the findings made by the UN Human Rights Council’s periodic review of Australia on the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues said today that the Government’s underwhelming response came despite having plenty of notice of the review’s issues, which have been raised a number of times.

The Senate has formally recognised tomorrow, 19 November as World Toilet Day, helping to raise awareness of the fact that 2.6 billion people around the world lack access to basic sanitation.

The motion, proposed by Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Water, expressed concern that as a result of poor sanitation, diarrhoea is the leading cause of death in Africa and the second leading cause of child death globally.

“Each year, more than 1.4 million children die as a result of unclean water and poor sanitation,” Senator Siewert said today.

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia) (9.54 am)—I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 102 standing in my name for today relating to international aid assistance for clean water and sanitation.I move the motion as amended: That the Senate:
(a)    recognises that 19 November 2010, is World Toilet Day – a day to acknowledge the importance of sanitation and raise awareness of the 2.6 billion people, two-fifths of humanity, who lack access to basic sanitation,

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia) (9.08pm)—I rise to take part in a debate that should have happened 10 years ago—or nine years ago as we are in our 10th year of this conflict. It is good to see that the parliament is finally debating the merits of our military involvement in Afghanistan. While I welcome this opportunity and I am glad it has finally come, this highlights a problem in Australia in that, as I said, we are now in our 10th year of conflict and this is the first year time the parliament has discussed it in terms of debating it.

Thursday 16 September 2010

The Australian Greens are backing calls for Australia to take a front foot approach to UN’s Millennium Development Goal Summit in New York next week, to see greater international support for the provision of sanitation in the world’s poorest countries.

The WaterAid report ‘Ignored: the biggest child killer – The world is neglecting sanitation’ suggests that the 2015 target to halve the proportion of people living without sanitation will not be met globally until 2049, which the Greens say is simply unacceptable.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has delivered a damning report on Australia's failure to meet international commitments on eliminating discrimination.

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, Spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs says the report lends its voice to international calls for Australia to negotiate a treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Australian Greens have called on the Federal Government to change its stance and to support a draft UN resolution on the Human Right for Water and Sanitation.
Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Water, says Australia needs to show international leadership and defend the basic rights of disadvantaged people across the world.