The Greens today said the proposal from local traders in Richmond to support a supervised injecting facility for the area and not simply CCTV cameras was worthy of consideration to help deal with drug issues present in Richmond.

Greens Yarra Councillor Misha Coleman said: “We welcome this constructive proposal from local traders and believe it is worthy of very serious consideration.”

Following the second week of the campaign beginning by focussing on the parties' differences on penalty rates, Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has released a campaign video to ensure voters know that only the Greens will protect people's weekend rates of pay.

In light of 7-Eleven management sacking the independent Fels Wage Fairness Panel, Greens Employment spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today called on the government and Labor to get behind the Greens’ bill to make head offices legally responsible for the pay and conditions of the workers in its franchises.

“The latest action by 7-Eleven head office shows the need to change the law to hold large corporations to account and prevent future 7-Eleven style rampant worker exploitation,” Mr Bandt said.

Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has said that reports that 7-Eleven has closed down the Fels Wage Fairness Panel are deeply concerning and called on 7-Eleven to immediately reveal how they will ensure exploited workers are paid what they deserve.

The Australian Greens have today released a comprehensive Innovation Policy to back startup enterprises, support STEM education and boost innovation funding.

The policy was launched in Melbourne today with Innovation spokesperson Nick McKim, Industry and Science spokesperson Adam Bandt and Greens candidate for Higgins Jason Ball.

“The Australian Greens will reinvigorate the minds of Australian entrepreneurs by reinvesting the funding to the Entrepreneur’s Infrastructure Program,” Senator McKim said.

Greens Industry spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said the Australian auto industry has crashed because Labor and the Liberals have been asleep at the wheel. In February last year the Greens proposed a plan to allow new carmakers and component manufacturers to access the existing hundreds of millions of dollars allocated in the Automative Transformation Scheme if they were manufacturing vehicles or parts for electric or alternative fuel vehicles, or parts for renewables.  Neither Labor nor the Liberals supported the move.

Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today joined Greens candidate for Grayndler Jim Casey to announce that the Greens will legislate to protect penalty rates. The Fair Work Commission is expected to make a decision about whether to cut Sunday penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers in the coming months.

Landmark report shows need to modernise logging industry

In light of a landmark report by the NSW National Parks Association on the failure of the Regional Forests Agreements, the Australian Greens say the time has come to transition the logging industry out of native forests, to 100% plantation-based wood products.

Greens Arts spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said the Greens will reverse the Liberals’ devastating cuts to the Australia Council following reports that up to 50 previously funded organisations have lost funding, including in the electorate of Melbourne.

“This is a tough week in a grim year for artists and people working in the arts right across the country,” Mr Bandt said.

Greens Federal Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt MP today said the only party preferencing the Liberals is Labor.

“There is no deal. Let's be clear about what is going on here. Labor is desperately pleading for Liberal preferences to hang on to their inner-city seats,” Mr Bandt said.

“The most likely deal is one between Labor and Liberal, just like at the last election, where they joined up to try and stop the Greens from winning Melbourne.”