Month: September 2024

Canberrans who care about climate change are right to feel let down by Labor, which has just approved three coal mine expansions, undermining the ACT’s net-zero future.

“In a climate emergency, you need climate leaders. Labor has proven this week they are anything but,” said ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury.

“I’ve heard fury from people in the community. I’ve heard disbelief. I’ve heard a huge amount of frustration that Labor is undermining local climate action with these huge new fossil fuel projects.

“Canberrans care about climate change. They know it’s time to band together with real vision, ambition and courage,” Mr Rattenbury said.

Isabel Mudford, Greens candidate for the federal seat of Canberra, said:

“Canberrans expected better from Labor, but it’s clear the old parties have sold out to vested interests profiting at the expense of the community and the environment.

“Local Labor members can’t go around pretending they care about the environment, biodiversity and threatened species while continuing to support their colleagues’ decisions to destroy the planet. 

“It’s essential we make every election a climate election and use every vote we have to choose decisive climate action and leadership. 

“The upcoming ACT and federal elections are a chance to tell the other parties loud and clear that we are done with cooking the planet. We want a cleaner economy and a more sustainable way of living,” Ms Mudford said. 

Mr Rattenbury said the other parties lack genuine ambition on climate and the environment.

“A vote for the Greens is a vote for real climate leadership. We have already delivered 100% renewable electricity to the ACT, a record uptake of electric vehicles, and a nation-leading plan to shut off the fossil fuel gas network by 2045,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“Without the influence of the Greens in local politics, it’s obvious the other parties would not have taken this path.

“While federal Labor was working with the Abbott Government to cut the national renewable energy target, the Greens were in the ACT building toward 100% renewable electricity. 

“While federal Labor has committed this term to a gas-fired future, the Greens have secured a gas-free future for the ACT.

“Last election ACT Labor said it was a ‘crazy’ Greens idea to stop connecting new homes and suburbs to the gas network, but now it’s a reality across Canberra.

“The ACT Greens will keep pushing further, faster, to make a fair transition to net-zero in our community, putting a stop to the federal excuses that it can’t be done,” Mr Rattenbury said.

Next term, a Greens-led ACT Government will:

• Bring forward the ACT’s net-zero target from 2045 to 2040
• Fully fund gas-to-electric upgrades for 5,000 of the lowest income households
• Upgrade all public homes to be efficient and all-electric, including with rooftop solar
• Introduce new minimum standards for rental properties to make sure everyone can live in a home that’s healthy and comfortable
• Take on the ACT’s biggest polluter – transport – with major improvements to public transport and further support for electric vehicles
• Install banks of EV fast chargers in every town centre and in the parliamentary triangle
• Deliver an extra 300MW of battery storage in the ACT
• Cool the suburbs by planting at least 20,000 shade trees each year
• Work with the community to trial and implement city cooling interventions, like misting systems and awnings, water features, street plantings, green roofs and facades.

Detailed information about the ACT Greens’ commitments to climate action is available at https://greens.org.au/act/policies/climate

The ACCC’s interim report on the supermarket sector has underlined the need for laws to stop price gouging and to break up the supermarket duopoly, the Greens say.

“For the ACC to describe the supermarket sector as an oligopoly just shows how easy it is for shoppers to be price gouged,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.”

“The report has confirmed what Australian shoppers have known for years  – Coles and Woolworths are using their dominant market position to price gouge shoppers and squeeze producers.”

“The report shows that their market concentration is more than two thirds and growing.”

Senator McKim also raised alarm over the revelation that the ACCC is having to obtain some data from supermarkets under compulsion.

“It’s outrageous that supermarket corporations are not fully cooperating with the ACCC.”

“Their arrogance knows no bounds. As if their massive profits based on price-gouging Australian shoppers is not enough, they think they can defy Australia’s corporate regulator as well.”

“We need price gouging laws and divestiture powers to break up the duopoly. These reforms would bring more competition to the market, lower grocery prices, and hold corporate giants accountable.”

“Now that the Opposition supports divestiture powers for the supermarket sector, Labor is alone in protecting the supermarket duopoly.”

“The Prime Minister is talking up a storm but his lack of action is keeping prices high for ordinary Australians.”

“Labor is in the pocket of big corporations. It’s time for them to stop protecting their corporate donors and start working with the Parliament to pass these badly needed reforms.”

The Greens have reiterated their call on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to do her job and call in Tamboran Resources’ fracking project in the Beetaloo Basin under the Water Trigger, in response to the Environment Centre NT filing an urgent application to stop the gas company from drilling without an environmental water assessment. 

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment and Water, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“If Minister Plibersek did her job, the community wouldn’t have to take legal action to try to protect surface water and aquifers in the Beetaloo.

“It is shocking that gas fracking cowboys have started drilling with zero environmental water assessments.

“It is disgraceful that the Minister is leaving it to communities on the frontline of environmental destruction to do the government’s job and make sure all assessments are completed before any work starts. 

“The Minister’s request for scientific advice from IESC isn’t good enough. A recent presentation to IESC made it clear aquifers in the Beetaloo are ‘highly susceptible to contamination or drawdown from activities that support shale gas extraction’. 

“Drilling must be stopped right now until a full assessment under the Water Trigger is completed. The Parliament gave the Minister expanded water trigger powers last year precisely for this purpose. 

“I urge the Minister to do the right thing, right now – call this dangerous fracking project in, look at the science, and listen to the communities and Traditional Owners who have been pleading with you to protect their water – the lifeblood of the NT.”

A Senate Inquiry report into the November 8 Optus outage has recommended greater technological safeguards and public accountability from telecommunications companies. The Optus outage affected millions of Australians. 

Inquiry Chair Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson for Communications:

“Optus failed millions of Australians and small businesses during the November 8 network outage. Not only did the communications network that many of us rely on fail, but the company itself failed to communicate and keep the public informed through the outage.

“This Senate Inquiry report today requires Optus and other telcos to work towards better network safeguards and a higher standard of public accountability in the future. 

“These recommendations mean telcos need to work with the Australian Government and cooperate with one another to deliver large-scale network roaming and mutual assistance arrangements in the event of future outages. 

“In 2024 people expect to be able to call triple 0 in an emergency, to be able to access internet banking for their small business, or to contact their kids or grandparents via their mobile phone. It’s therefore appropriate that telecommunications carriers are included as critical infrastructure providers via amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018.

“This report raises the bar for all telcos in the future and I will work with my Senate colleagues to implement these recommendations in the public interest.”

Australia will provide $2 million in humanitarian assistance to support civilians in Lebanon, impacted by the escalation of conflict.

This new funding will support the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide medical assistance, and address essential nutrition, education and water sanitation needs for displaced and conflict-affected people in southern Lebanon.

It brings the Australian Government’s total package of humanitarian assistance to the Middle East to $84.5 million since 7 October 2023.

Australia has called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. We reiterate calls for all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate and comply with UN Security Council resolutions.

Securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza also remains an urgent priority, along with the release of hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid.

We again urge Australians in Lebanon to leave immediately. If you require emergency consular assistance you should contact the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 (within Australia) or +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas).

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

“Australia is deeply concerned by the escalation of conflict between Israel and Hizballah – Lebanese civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hizballah and Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza.

“This is a moment of great distress for the Lebanese people; funding from Australia will support civilians, including women and children, who are paying the highest price in this conflict.”

Minister for International Development and The Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP

“The situation in Lebanon is already very distressing as is the prospect of a further escalation of hostilities, including in the broader region.

“Australia will continue to monitor and assess the humanitarian situation and stands ready to provide further support.”