News today that the European Union and Australia are set to commence free trade agreement negotiations are notable for what is non-negotiable – specifically, any inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement provisions.

“These negotiations are an opportunity for Australia to break with the past and improve how trade deals are done. Australia should follow the EU’s example by committing to making the process more transparent and dropping our insistence on including insidious ISDS clauses,” Australian Greens trade spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Liberal Government has refused to rule out further cuts to the ABC and does not know the name of the Indigenous nation it is planning to place yet another memorial to Captain James Cook on, it was revealed in senate estimates today.

Australian Greens communications and arts spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young asked Minister Mitch Fifield and his department what Indigenous nation the monument would be erected upon during Senate estimates this morning.

The Australian Greens are thrilled to announce Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner AM, Ngarrindjeri elder, will contest the seat of Mayo in the upcoming by-election.

The Greens’ campaign will focus on putting people and the environment back at the centre of decision-making, including saving the Murray, protecting the Great Australian Bight, while fighting to address inequality and for more Aboriginal representation in the federal parliament.

The Australian Greens strongly condemn the Turnbull Government for further opening up the Great Australian Bight for oil and gas drilling.

“Despite the broad community opposition to big oil and gas companies risking the Bight, Resources Minister Matt Canavan continues to roll out the red carpet,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“The impacts of an oil spill in the Bight would be devastating. Within a matter of days, oil would be washing up on the shores of Kangaroo Island and Adelaide beaches.

Following yesterday’s disallowance vote in the Senate, where Labor and Liberal teamed up to cut 605 billion litres of water from the environment, the Government is today rushing further cuts to the River through Parliament. The 70 billion litres previously saved for the environment are now being put back on the table.

In fighting this backflip, the Australian Greens will also move to legislate the delivery of the 450 billion litres of water promised to South Australia to strengthen the health of the Murray.

Malcolm Turnbull’s 2018 Budget is the latest episode in this Government’s relentless assault on the ABC.

"The ABC’s funding has been cut by a quarter of a billion dollars since the Coalition won the 2013 election promising “no cuts to the ABC”," Greens media spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"The ABC gets a funding cut while News Corp gets a tax cut.

"Pauline Hanson has demanded a cut, and Malcolm Turnbull has delivered. Pauline Hanson and One Nation are writing the Turnbull Government’s media policy.

This is worse than a shocking deal from the Labor Party and the Turnbull Government. It’s a heartbreaking one.

They have teamed up together to put the entire health of the Murray Darling Basin at risk.

The Coorong and SA’s lower lakes are dying. Our river system needs more water, not less.

But instead of delivering more water for the Murray, Labor has teamed up with the Turnbull Government to reduce the amount of water returned to the environment.

Proposed changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan that take 605 billion litres away from the environment must be blocked in the Senate next week to prevent the death of the Coorong and Lower Lakes.

“The Coorong and SA’s lower lakes are dying our river system needs more water, not less. The Senate must block the Government’s changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan if the river system is to survive,” Greens Murray Darling Basin spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Government must drop its plans to rip 605 billion litres out of environmental water from the southern Murray Darling Basin and focus on restoring health to the river, the Australian Greens say following harrowing reports of the dying Coorong.

“$8 billion has been spent on the Murray Darling Basin Plan and the Coorong is dying. The Government needs to take the blinkers off, wake up and realise the entire Basin, and the river communities who rely on it,  are at a tipping point,” Greens Murray Darling Basin spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.