Month: November 2023

Greens Leader Adam Bandt, speaking ahead of the Melbourne Institute’s 2023 Social & Economic Outlook Conference, which he is addressing along with the Prime Minister, today calls on the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Labor government to stop Defence exports to Israel.

Mr Bandt warns that the Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, also had obligations under Australian law to consider whether Australian exports could be used in the committing of war crimes, abusing human rights or aggravating threats to peace and security, and Mr Bandt is seeking advice on the legality of existing exports given the growing international condemnation of the Israeli military’s collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza.

Department of Defence evidence to Senate estimates following questions by Greens Senator David Shoebridge last week revealed the Australian government had approved 350 defence export permits to Israel in the last five years, including 50 this year.

The Minister and the Department have refused to reveal how the exports are being used by the Israeli military.

The Greens have condemned the attacks by Hamas on October 7, called for the release of the hostages and prisoners and called on the Australian government to push for a ceasefire and an end to the invasion of Gaza.

In issuing permits, the Defence Trade Controls Regulation 2013 requires the Minister to consider a range of risks, including the risk that goods may be used to commit or facilitate serious abuses of human rights, in criminal activity or used to aggravate threats to peace and security.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said:

“War crimes are being committed in the invasion of Gaza, so Labor must stop military exports to Israel.

“The Minister for Defence has legal obligations to consider whether Australian exports will be used in war crimes or threaten a region’s stability, but regardless of the legal situation, it is immoral for military exports to Israel to continue while Palestine is being illegally occupied and invaded.

“If the Defence Minister won’t act, the Prime Minister must show leadership and halt military exports to Israel and push for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation.

“Deaths in Gaza are approaching ten thousand, most of them children and women. Labor cannot wash its hands of responsibility for what is happening.”

Senator David Shoebridge Greens spokesperson for Defence said:

“Australia’s weapons export system is one of the most secretive and unaccountable in the world, with the public being kept in the dark about what weapons are sold, how much they cost or who is using them.

“Once the weapons leave our shores Defence simply washes its hands and does no follow-up on how the weapons are being used.

“This is not limited to Israel, Australia is also sending weapons and other military equipment to regimes like Sudan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia and other countries currently engaged in brutal conflicts.”

The Greens have pushed the Minister to agree to direct Airservices Australia to operate both runways at Brisbane Airport over the water at once when safe to do so, subject to approval from the Airspace Advisory Board.

The Minister’s direction will mean changing the way Brisbane Airport operates, so that the airport must utilise its ‘SODPROPs’ mode whenever it is safe to do so. SODPROPs stands for ‘Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations’ and means that wherever possible, one runway is used for departures over water and the other runway for arrivals over water, rather than over the homes of Brisbane residents.

The change is expected to see a significant increase in flights taking off and landing over the water. The New Parallel Runway was approved and sold to Brisbane residents with the commitment that SODPROPs would be the preferred operating mode at all hours, but this commitment was quietly dropped in 2018 for daytime operations without explanation or community consultation.

The concession follows a growing community campaign, supported by the Greens, which has included a thousand-strong protest outside Brisbane Airport Corporation Headquarters earlier this year, and the recent introduction of the Greens flight noise bill to parliament calling on a cap on flights, night-time curfew, and more flights over the water.

SODPROPs mode is not always possible, particularly where weather conditions make it unsafe. But the commitment secured under Greens pressure will mean the Government must report clearly to the community on the share of flights going over the water. On occasions where SODPROPS can’t be used, the Government must report on the reasons why, allowing the Brisbane community to hold the airport to account for these decisions.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown, MP for Ryan and Greens spokesperson for Infrastructure, Transport and Sustainable Cities said:

“The Greens have secured a significant concession from the Federal Government that could see hundreds fewer flights take off and land over Brisbane residents and instead fly over the water.

“Given SODPROPs was the original preferred operating mode from Brisbane Airport’s new runway, we see no reason why the AAB won’t sign off on this proposal that will deliver immediate relief for thousands of people across Brisbane.

“This concession is a result of not just Greens pressure, but campaigning from thousands of Brisbane residents who have stood up and fought against the greed of Brisbane Airport Corporation.

“The community and the Greens will keep up the pressure to make sure more flights depart over the water and ultimately to secure a flight cap and curfew that would deliver long-term relief for Brisbane residents.”

Max Chandler-Mather, MP for Griffith said:

“Once implemented this concession won by the Greens could see the biggest reduction in flight noise since the opening of the second runway.

“While we’re pleased to have secured a potentially major improvement in flight noise, the Greens won’t rest until we’ve won a curfew and cap on flights, because Brisbane deserves the same protections as Sydney.”

Stephen Bates, MP for Brisbane said:

“The cracks in the Government’s position against action on flight noise are starting to show. This is only because the Greens and the community have been working together to demand better.

“Sydney residents secured a cap and a curfew with support from local, state, and federal representatives. This is a significant concession from the Federal government, and it shows that our pressure is working.

“Impacted residents will hold every level of government accountable until our city is delivered the same protections.”

The Greens have secured support to establish a Senate inquiry into menopause and perimenopause on Monday, to understand its health impacts and its economic impacts on women and people who menstruate, and the impacts on the broader economy.

Menopause happens between the ages of 45-60, and perimenopause which precedes it can last for up to ten years and begin as early as your 30s. Both can be physically and mentally debilitating, with significant financial consequences.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“People experiencing physically and mentally debilitating menopause and perimenopause symptoms have for too long been forced to suffer in silence.

“Women are sick of being invisible and their health needs neglected. We need good policy to address the economic, social and health impacts of peri and menopause.

“The inquiry would look at the economic, physical, mental and financial impacts of menopause and perimenopause, as well as cultural perceptions and attitudes about a health issue affecting half our population.

“80 per cent of Australian women experience menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms that can range from mild to extremely severe. 

“The financial impact of this can be profound, for women, as well as their employers and the economy, as many women at the peak of their career are leaving the workforce. 

“The gendered cost of treatment is yet another financial burden that only women face, on top of the costs of a lifetime of menstruation. 

“We need evidence-based policies to reduce the impact of menopause and perimenopause on women’s participation in the workforce, and the adequacy of existing leave entitlements. 

“Unions have already started campaigning on this issue, proposing a policy to give employees who have painful periods or menopause symptoms paid leave — similar to the family and domestic violence leave policy. 

“We also need more awareness both by GPs and by patients of the symptoms of peri and menopause, so that people know what treatments are available to them, and make them affordable.

“Once the inquiry is on foot, we’ll be inviting submissions from women, health professionals, employers and experts about what federal funding and policies need to be developed to support women in this phase of life.”

The Greens call for the Albanese Government to urgently consider and implement recommendations handed down today in a Senate inquiry report into marine invasive species.

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said:

“The spread of marine invasive pests is arguably one of the most significant environmental challenges we face in our oceans, but is rarely talked about or acted upon. The Greens hope the release of this critical report today will change this.

“This historic Senate report has been years in the making and its important recommendations were directly informed by over 150 stakeholders from around the nation –  including recreational and commercial fishers, scientists, First Nations and other communities, the Tasmanian, Victorian and NSW governments, and federal agencies such as the FRDC and CSIRO.

“The Greens would like to thank everyone who participated in the Senate inquiry and who have been working for years to raise awareness and educate people regarding this issue, including the need for Federal Government leadership and funding.

“I moved for this inquiry because invasive long-spined sea urchins have range-shifted down our east coast with climate change and decimated precious marine ecosystems and fisheries in their wake. It’s been obvious very little has been done by any level of government to coordinate or manage a response to this worsening menace.

“Kelp forests that underpin the Great Southern Reef are Australia’s forgotten forests. Entire swathes of these ecosystems are becoming totally barren due to the spread of long-spined sea urchins, and it’s predicted that Tasmania has already lost a third of its productive east coast reefs due to this invasive species. 

“The Senate heard that the loss of marine biodiversity and habitat resulting from the unchecked spread of invasive urchins has had severe impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism businesses and local communities along the Great Southern Reef – spanning southern NSW, down through Victoria and Tasmania, and as far as New Zealand.

“Stopping new fossil fuel projects and reducing emissions is the number one priority to prevent rapidly increasing ocean warming which is the root cause of the spread of climate-related marine invasive species. However efforts must also be focused on better managing the spread of destructive pests and on adapting to our changing environment.

“The Great Barrier Reef rightly receives hundreds of millions of dollars to help tackle the invasive crown-of-thorns starfish, while the Great Southern Reef gets next to no funding or support to tackle risks presented by the long-spined sea urchin and other climate change pressures. This is despite 70% of the Great Southern Reef’s species not being found anywhere else on earth, far more than the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. 

“The critical Senate inquiry report serves as a blueprint for federal government leadership and action to protect the Great Southern Reef. All sides of politics agree that action is needed to protect the Great Southern Reef and I implore the Albanese Government to urgently consider and implement recommendations handed down today in the Senate inquiry report.”

WhatsApp’s AI depiction of gun-wielding children when promoted with ‘Palestine,’ demonstrates the need for immediate investigation into racist portrayals of Palestinians across Meta from Australia’s eSafety commissioner. 

This comes after Deputy Leader of The Australian Greens and spokesperson for anti-racism, Mehreen Faruqi, questioned the eSafety commissioner in Senate Estimates on Meta’s shadowbanning and censorship of content voicing support for Palestinians and reports that Meta translated ‘Palestinian’ and the Arabic phrase “Praise be to Allah” to “Palestinian terrorists.”

Senator Faruqi said: 

“Layer by layer the racism and biases in these mega social media platforms are unraveling for all to see. 

“The AI imagery of Palestinian children being depicted with guns on WhatsApp is a terrifying insight into the racist and Islamophobic criteria being fed into the algorithm. 

“This is right on the heels of Meta translating bios of Palestinian activists to label them as terrorists and shadowbanning Palestinian content. Meta has so far failed to address the issues or give a compelling explanation. 

“How many more racist ‘bugs’ need to be exposed before serious action is taken? The damage is already being done. Meta must be held accountable. 

“The eSafety commissioner must urgently investigate the racist and Islamophobic imagery being produced by Meta.”

Australia deplores the Russian Federation’s decision to revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It is an affront to all who want a world without nuclear weapons. 

President Putin is once again showing his contempt for international rules and norms in pursuit of his own political objectives. His actions undermine global peace and stability.

Australia joins partners to call on the Russian Federation to reverse this course of action immediately.

With 178 ratifications, the Treaty is an essential part of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, with the goal of ending nuclear weapons tests permanently.

Achieving universal membership of the Treaty is fundamental to this goal.

Australia urges all countries which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay.

Australia welcomes the efforts of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation to pursue universalisation and entry into force of the Treaty