The Morrison government delaying the electric vehicles strategy to mid-2020 leaves Australia stalled on the sidelines of the electric vehicle revolution, say the Australian Greens.

“The Morrison government’s delay to the electric vehicle strategy means Australia isn’t even in the slow lane when it comes to electric vehicles, we’re stalled on the sidelines,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson.

“The Labor party isn’t much better, watering down the recommendations in the Senate inquiry report.”

The report of the Senate inquiry into mine rehabilitation was unable to come to majority recommendations, with the major parties clearly working in the interests of mining companies over the Australian people, say the Australian Greens.

The Australian Greens will fund High Speed Rail in full, with the first step to create the Australian High Speed Rail Authority and make an initial equity investment of $1.6 billion for the first stages of planning and land reservation.

“For decades, Australians have dreamt about High Speed Rail along our east coast. It would be nation building at its best: big, bold and transformative,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The revelations that the Morrison government will again delay an inquiry into road pricing shows they are willing to jeopardise sound transport policy and planning in favour of clinging to power, say the Australian Greens.

“The road pricing inquiry was announced three years ago and we’ve had zero movement since then,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The first mammal to go extinct in the world from climate change, the Bramble Cay Melomys, is just the tip of the iceberg, say the Australian Greens.

“This is a national tragedy, but the extinction of the Bramble Cay Melomys is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Australian Greens Senator Janet Rice, Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s animal extinction crisis.

“Climate change is pushing other threatened animals to the brink of extinction, yet the Morrison government’s lack of action means nothing is being done to protect them.”

The Morrison government is leaving Australia in the slow lane when it comes to preparing for the electric vehicle revolution, say the Australian Greens, following Infrastructure Australia’s listing of a rapid rollout of a national electric vehicle fast-charging network as one of its top priorities.

“The Morrison government is sitting by while other countries zip past us when it comes to encouraging EV uptake,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The Senate today passed a Greens motion calling on parliamentarians to acknowledge the personal and professional harm caused by discriminatory treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Australian Defence Force members.

“Until 1992, gay, lesbian and bisexual people were explicitly banned from serving in our defence forces,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.