South Australian Labor members have dumped on their home state today, backing the legislation to build a nuclear waste dump at Kimba on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, the Greens say.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Labor has today dumped on South Australia and backed a site selection process for a nuclear waste dump that has been dodgy from the start.

“South Australians have already said no to nuclear. Today, every South Aussie should be asking why their elected representatives from the major parties have refused to listen to them.   

The Australian Greens have called on the chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Chris Salisbury, to resign or be sacked over the growing scandal regarding his company’s destruction of the sacred Pilbara site.

The Greens will also move for Rio Tinto and the Federal Environment Minister to be called before the Senate Environment References Committee. 

Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, has vowed to look at the treatment of the press covering the protests in America after a shocking attack by police in Washington DC on a 7 News Australia crew.

“Police and riot squads punching and assaulting journalists who are doing their jobs is simply unacceptable. We have seen footage not just of Australian press being treated this way but local media who have been arrested, shot with rubber bullets, tear gassed and bashed by police across America,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The foreshadowing of a package for the arts and entertainment industry by the PM is welcome, but the devil will be in the detail, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the arts and entertainment industry has been pleading for Government intervention for months.

“The Prime Minister likes his sport, I hope today's reports are a sign he’s starting to recognise the arts and entertainment sector is important too. But the devil will be in the detail," Senator Hanson-Young said.

Greens Spokesperson on First Nations issues Senator Rachel Siewert said:

“I am appalled and deeply upset for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people who have been treated with such blatant disregard and disrespect by the State Government and Rio Tinto.

“The State Government must account for the processes that allowed this to happen.

“I cannot imagine a European artefact of such cultural significance being destroyed like this."

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

The AFP should rule out charging ABC journalists Sam Clark and Dan Oakes following today’s welcome announcement that charges won’t be laid against journalist Annika Smethurst, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for Media and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said both the ABC and Smethurst cases highlighted why Australia needs a Media Freedom Act.

“AFP’s decision to rule out charging Annika Smethurst is welcome news,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Greens are calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to stop being Team ‘Some’ Australians, and immediately expand the JobKeeper program to businesses and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been left out.

“For months now the Government has refused to include the hundred of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the arts and entertainment industry in their JobKeeper package. They said they didn’t have the money,” Greens Arts and Media Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to immediately extend JobKeeper to workers who have so far been left out.

“The massive revision on JobKeeper numbers today leaves the Government with no excuse not to extend the program to casuals, migrant workers and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been excluded from the program,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“There is now $60billion already budgeted for JobKeeper that can go to saving more jobs.

The Covid Commission being riddled with self-interested fossil fuel industry executives touting their own sector as the economic saviour from the coronavirus pandemic is just the latest attempt by the Morrison Government to further destroy our environment, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Whether it is cutting environmental protections even before the 10-year review into the EPBC Act is completed or stacking the Covid Commission with the gas and mining lobby, the fix is in.  

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has re-iterated the Greens call for the Australian Government to push for a global ban on the trade of wildlife, after the Agriculture Minister’s comments today on wildlife wet markets.

Senator Hanson-Young said:

“The Agriculture Minister and the PM can wax lyrical about an investigation into wildlife wet markets all they like, but if wildlife continue to be traded for consumption and other purposes, a health risk will remain.