Greens to push Labor in Senate for higher minimum wage: Bandt.

Greens Co-Deputy Leader and industrial relations spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, today welcomed Labor’s move towards the Greens’ position on the minimum wage, but said his party would amend Labor’s laws in the Senate to ensure a ‘hard floor’ under the minimum wage of 60% of the adult median wage.

“It’s good that Labor is moving towards the Greens’ position on the minimum wage, but there are some problems with the ALP’s approach,” said Mr Bandt.

A shortlist with coal is a shortcut to climate change

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today reacted to the Coalition’s so-called ‘shortlist’ of underwriting projects that include coal, re-iterating his intention to stop the Commonwealth from using taxpayer dollars on coal-fired power.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today launched the Greens’ six point plan to help small businesses reduce power bills, improve their energy efficiency and switch over to clean energy. Mr Bandt delivered a presentation announcing the policies at a Council of Small Business Organisations Australia roundtable in Melbourne.

From July 1, 2019, the Greens will introduce a $2.2 billion battery storage fund providing household battery storage incentives of up to $7000 per battery (tapering down annually to July 1, 2023). Each quarter, $137.5 million will be made available for use from the fund.

Battery storage in Australia is taking off, with household battery storage uptake tripling in 2017 and expected to reach 33,000 in 2018. However, the Greens recognise the industry is still developing and this boost will improve access for households and help manufacturers reduce costs and increase production.

Lines attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Greens climate change and energy spokesperson:

“After this warning from the Reserve Bank, the Coalition and Labor can no longer avoid having a plan to transition out of coal in an orderly manner.

“Australia’s central economic institution has just confirmed we could tip past the 1.5 degree global warming threshold in as soon as 10 years.

Greens challenge Labor to ‘walk the walk’ on living wage

Greens employment and workplace relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that Labor is talking big on inequality but won’t back it up with action. Mr Bandt said the Greens will seek to amend Labor’s industrial relations legislation in the Senate to ensure the minimum wage is at least 60% of median earnings.

“We need to change the law so that if you work full-time, you’re not in poverty.

A veritable army will fight new coal; Greens tell Nats on ‘big stick’ legislation to ‘bring it on’.

Snowy 2.0 isn’t enough: Greens

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today responded to the Snowy Hydro 2.0 announcement, noting that if the government was serious about energy storage, it would put in place a national storage target and incentives for storage across the electricity network.

“Snowy Hydro is not enough,” said Mr Bandt.

Morrison's scheme an expensive climate hoax: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said Scott Morrison's latest climate 'policy' was an expensive hoax that had no plan to deal with coal.

"There's nothing in this expensive fig-leaf that deals with coal, and if you don't have a plan for coal, you're not serious about climate change," said Mr Bandt.

"This policy will not ensure a safe climate.

"A climate policy that doesn't deal with coal is like a car without wheels. It's an expensive way of going nowhere.