In the lead up to tomorrow's R U OK Day Australian Greens Mental Health spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert is urging the community to ask their friends, families and colleagues ‘are you okay?’

“On R U OK? Day, we should ask our loved ones and colleagues if they are okay and be prepared and supportive if the person they ask says no, or struggles to answer. This is a very important question, it’s important we reach out and help those who aren't OK.

“Conversations about dying can be difficult, but it’s something we will all have to face. Good palliative care can ensure we receive the care we want. The Greens will work to improve the palliative care system, so that individuals, carers and their families have the right support.

“To improve the quality of life for those in palliative care, the Greens package proposes $76 million over four years, this includes $10m for a national awareness campaign, as well as $1m for research projects that will improve our understanding of palliative care challenges.

Australian Greens Leader and Health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale today slammed Minister Morrison’s suggestion that drug use cannot be dealt with as health issue.

“Scott Morrison’s suggestion that drug use must be treated as a social toxin and a law and order issue is dangerous and ignorant,” said Senator Di Natale, a former drug and alcohol physician.

“If jail has failed as a deterrent against drug use, what would make the Minister think cutting people off income support would work?

Australian Greens spokesperson on health, Dr Richard Di Natale, and Greens spokesperson on agriculture, Senator Rachel Siewert, today responded to a finding from the World Health Organisation that glyphosate, the principle compound in Roundup ‘probably’ causes cancer.

“This report from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer is extremely concerning,” said Senator Di Natale, a former GP and public health specialist.

Western Australian Greens at the State and Federal level have condemned a Royal Perth Show exhibition which encourages participants to poke sticks at mental health patients and stigmatises people with mental health issues.

"Mocking people with mental health issues and playing up horrifically outdated stereotypes is completely inappropriate, I simply can't believe that the makers of the exhibit and the Perth Royal Show would think this is acceptable," Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Australian Greens have today criticised the Abbott Government for allowing out-of-pocket healthcare costs to rise in order to save the budget $664 million.

It was reported today that the Federal Government will not stop the previous government’s freeze on Medicare rebate indexations, which could see the cost of a GP visit rise by up to $2 and a drop in the number of bulk-billing GPs.

Recognising the importance of palliative care, the Australian Greens have announced a new initiative to help ensure people's care choices can be respected and their pain and suffering minimised.

"Discussions about palliative care can be very difficult and challenging, but if we avoid it, family and friends may not know enough about our wishes to ensure we get the care we want," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on ageing said today.

Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens disability spokesperson has today joined with members of the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre to launch their new cochlear implant training module, which will boost remote hearing health services.

"This is an amazing project that promises to help many Australians living in rural, regional and remote parts of the country. I am so pleased that such an important announcement is coming during Hearing Awareness Week," Senator Siewert said today.

The Australian Greens have today announced a broad new initiative to improve support for the growing number of people with hearing loss.

"One in six Australians suffers from some degree of hearing loss, and this number is expected to increase to one in four by 2050," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on disabilities said today.

Rates of ear disease and hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are up to ten times national averages. Otitis media (middle ear disease) hurts children in these communities more than anyone else.

That's why the Greens are announcing our $47 million Caring for Aboriginal Hearing policy to close the gap in hearing health, as part of our comprehensive hearing health plan.