The Greens will today introduce a Bill to stop drilling in the Great Australian Bight and move for World Heritage Listing following a groundswell of community support around the country.

“It is high time the Great Australian Bight was protected from drilling. It is the role of the Parliament to listen to the will of the people, and the people have made their view crystal clear,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The debate on establishing a Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling will begin today in the Senate, with a Greens Bill to establish a commission of inquiry.

“This Parliament has a chance to get to the bottom of the Murray-Darling’s woes and ensure those responsible for its ill-health are held to account,” Greens water spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“Like the Banking Royal Commission, the Senate’s support for a bill to establish a commission is an essential step in cleaning up the management of the Murray-Darling and stopping the rorts. 

The Greens Bill for a Commission of Inquiry into the Murray-Darling was debated this morning in the Senate.

“Today the Senate finally began the debate on a full and frank inquiry into the mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The government must rule out drilling in the Great Australian Bight rather than passing the buck to the regulator, Greens say.

“Pressure from the overwhelming majority of South Australian’s to protect the Bight must be acted on by the government,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“South Australians and increasing numbers of Australians around the country want a ban on drilling in the Bight.

The Greens have called for an immediate freeze on money for Murray-Darling water projects until the Auditor-General can review payments and water recovery.

“Last night’s Four Corners shows the rorting of taxpayer funds for the benefit of big business is not a thing of the past – it’s still happening. And it continues to harm rather than fix our most important river system,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is calling on all South Australian MPs to add their names to a Bill to ban drilling in the Great Australian Bight following the knock-back of foreign oil giant Equinor’s plan to turn the Bight into an oilfield.

“The fight for the Bight is on. I am standing up for the countless South Australians who don’t want our Bight turned into an oilfield. It is time for all South Australian MPs to act. We need to work together to stand up for our state and stop Big Oil,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Following the final count of the SA Senate vote by the AEC today, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been returned to the Senate with the largest swing to the Greens across the country.  

“I want to thank South Australian voters for their overwhelming support this election. South Australians have put their faith in me to stand up and protect our state’s jobs and environment. I will work bloody hard to make sure our state is not undermined by the anti-renewables, water-greedy agenda of the eastern states,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

Scott Morrison has been caught out spruiking his party’s non-existent legislation on solving the extinction crisis. He does not deserve another term of Government, the Greens say.

“Scott Morrison has been caught out trying to mask the Government’s inaction on the extinction crisis. The legislation he claims addressed the serious warnings outlined in the UN’s biodiversity report this week does not exist,” Greens environment and biodiversity spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has today challenged Environment Minister Melissa Price to a debate, following the release of the harrowing biodiversity report on Monday.

“Melissa Price cannot keep hiding from her responsibilities to the environment or her accountability to voters. I challenge her to a debate in Adelaide on our environment prior to the election,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Liberal Party’s piecemeal promises on the environment will not undo the damage their billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies have done to our natural world, the Greens say.

“This is way too little, way too late from the Liberal Government. Today’s offering is a drop in the ocean to try and appease voters in Victoria rather than properly investing in environmental restoration and tackling dangerous climate change,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.