Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has backed Labor’s call for Aged Care Minister, Richard Colbeck, to resign, and called for an end to the dismal failure of running aged care for profit.

The Greens also reiterated their support for wage rises in the sector. In July, the Greens publicly backed the Nursing and Midwifery Federation and the Health Services Union push for an increase to aged care workers’ pay saying current wages are insulting. 

The Greens have vowed to block Scott Morrison’s religious discrimination bill, saying it was a Trojan horse for hate that went well beyond a shield to protect people with religious beliefs, calling on Labor and Senators to join them in blocking it.

Lines from Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP:

“Scott Morrison’s bill means more discrimination, not less.

“Scott Morrison has a bill for more discrimination but no bill to stop corruption.

“The bill overrides State and Territory protections and makes bigoted hate speech legal.

With the confirmation of new Senator for Western Australia Dorinda Cox today, Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has put the Greens on election footing with a reshuffle of the Greens’ ‘shadow Ministerial’ portfolios that prioritises the party’s key campaign areas and sets the party up for ‘balance of power’ negotiations in the likely event of a minority Parliament. 

The Australian Government should provide immediate assistance to Afghan people both on the ground in Afghanistan and by providing protection here in Australia.

“Australia should immediately offer permanent protection visas for up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan who are at risk of persecution from the Taliban,” Greens Immigration and Citizenship spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“The Canadian government has recently announced that it will do this, and we should follow suit.”

The Australian Greens are deeply concerned to see the ceasefire broken with risks of further deaths in Israel and Palestine, a mere three days into the Bennett-Lapid Government’s term.

Australian Greens foreign affairs spokesperson, Senator Janet Rice, said:

“The Australian Greens condemn the extremist language of the ultranationalist marchers in East Jerusalem, and the subsequent escalation in violence today.