The Greens are calling on the Government to make sure that the security of the workforce of the major airlines is prioritised in the bailout, and to give taxpayers an equity stake in the airlines.

Quotes attributable to Greens transport spokesperson Senator Janet Rice:

“These two major airlines have spent a fortune on share buy-backs to prop up shareholder value. They have paid out exorbitant CEO salaries and both companies have successfully minimised their tax over many years.”

The Greens have today written to the Auditor General asking for a full investigation of $150 million in sports funding channelled to Liberal-held marginal seats ahead of the election.

Greens Senator Leader Larissa Waters said, “This is yet another rorts scandal which has the Prime Minister’s fingerprints all over it.

“Memo to the Government - you can’t use public money to buy election outcomes! It’s called rorting and it’s a corruption of democracy.

The long-overdue resignation of the ministry by Bridget McKenzie leaves unanswered questions about the Sports Rorts scandal and does not address underlying integrity issues with the Morrison Government, according to the Greens.

Co-deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters and spokesperson on sport Senator Janet Rice said the Prime Minister will try and draw a line under this sports rorts scandal after Bridget McKenzie’s resignation but the announcement today does not stop the rot.

Quotes attributable to Senator Larissa Waters:

Greens Senator Janet Rice has slammed Bridget McKenzie’s handling of the sport program, giving $100 million in sport grants to favour Coalition target seats in last year’s federal election, rather than awarding grants based on merit.

Quotes attributable to Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Sport

“This looks like a government rort designed to win elections.”

Greens Senator Janet Rice has slammed the government’s failure to act as farmers suffer the effects of the climate emergency, following a damning report released today from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

The report found that the climate crisis has sunk Australian farms’ average annual profits by 22% and that crop farmers have been hit the hardest, losing $1.1bn in revenue a year since 2000.

Quotes attributable to Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Agriculture and Regional Affairs

Greens Senators Janet Rice and Nick McKim have condemned the treatment of two Saudi journalists by the Australian government.

Quotes attributable to Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson

“Since being gay is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, Sultan and Nassar* had no choice but to flee and seek asylum here.

“It’s unconscionable that Australia is treating them like criminals when the supposed ‘crime’ was loving each other. What values does our purportedly fair and diverse country stand for?

Statement from Australian Greens Whip Sen. Rachel Siewert:

Today the Australian Greens Party Room met and re-affirmed the positions of our leadership team.

Following a customary spill of the leadership positions, the roles of Leader, Co-Deputy Leader and Whip have all been returned without challenge. The rotating position of Party Room Chair has moved from Adam Bandt MP to Sen. Janet Rice.

The leadership roles for the 46th Parliament are as follows: