The Greens have welcomed the last minute extension to the free-to-air broadcast licences for Community TV stations Channel 44 in Adelaide and Channel 31 in Melbourne.

Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Waiting until the night before Community TV switches off forever to grant an extension to their broadcast licences was a cruel move by the Morrison Government, however this last minute reprieve is welcome.

The Morrison Government’s long-awaited package for the arts and entertainment industry, announced today, is too little, very late, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has been calling for a specific industry package for four months after COVID-19 restrictions shutdown arts and entertainment in Australia basically overnight, said:

“After watching the demise of the arts and entertainment industry for four months, the Morrison Government has finally managed to find some funding to help it.

Heads should roll over the ineptitude and failure of duty identified by the Auditor-General in a scathing report into Australia’s environment laws released this afternoon, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The Auditor-General’s assessment of the government’s management of the environment and our wildlife is scathing.
“The report shows the Environment Minister and the Federal Department have failed to protect the environment and are, simply put, incompetent.

Responsibility for the 250 job cuts at the ABC announced today, lie firmly at the feet of the Morrison Government, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is today urging the Prime Minister to reverse the funding cuts his government has made to the public broadcaster to save jobs and public interest journalism.
“The ABC has suffered from repeated budget cuts under the Coalition Government, some $783million since 2014, and is now forced to cut jobs and news services to stay afloat," Senator Hanson-Young said. 

Labor’s support of the Morrison Government’s plans to fast-track approvals for major projects risks permanent destruction of our environment and the future of our native wildlife, the Greens say.

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

“Labor is teaming up with the Morrison Government to green light environmental destruction.

“It is very naïve of Labor to think the process for environmental approvals won’t be shoddier as a result of this deregulation plan.

The Morrison Government’s “deregulation plan” is code for letting big business cut corners at the expense of our environment, the Greens say, pledging to fight the plan in the Parliament.

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

“The Morrison Government wants to sacrifice environmental protections so miners and developers can bank bigger profits.

The Senate has today called on the Morrison Government to require tech giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Stan to back and fund Australian-made stories.

Greens Spokesperson for Arts and Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who moved the motion that was supported by the Senate, said:

”If the streaming giants want to continue to participate in the Australian market and stream into Australian lounge rooms they should support, promote and fund Australian-made stories, films and shows.

Two thirds of Australians support laws requiring streaming services like Netflix and Amazon to show and fund locally made shows and films, new research shows.

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

“The polling shows the public wants Australian made content – TV, films and documentaries.

“The Government should get on with regulating the bigwigs of streaming like Netflix, Amazon and Apple.

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.