Greens will pursue minimum wage legislation: Bandt

Greens employment spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the Greens will press ahead with their bill to lift the minimum wage after today’s Fair Work Commission decision meant many full-time workers would still be living in poverty.

Wage rises not tax cuts -- Greens back push for a lift to minimum wage.

The Greens will introduce legislation to set the national minimum wage (NMW) at 60% of the median full-time wage, to be phased in at the earliest possible time in a manner determined by the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

The UK Government has set a target for its minimum wage to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020, rising according to increments recommended by its Low Pay Commission.

Dutton’s refusal to answer questions about Manus death beneath contempt: Bandt

Greens Deputy Leader and MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, said Peter Dutton was beneath contempt for refusing to explain his government’s failure to notify a refugee’s wife that her husband had died on Manus Island earlier this week.

“Someone died on Tuesday morning under Peter Dutton’s watch. Although the government had time to leak information to the press that afternoon and arrange a negative story, they failed to notify his wife,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens urge Labor to change tack and block Turnbull tax cuts in Senate

After Labor last night voted in the House to support Turnbull’s tax plan in full, Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt today said that the Greens wanted to stop the government’s assault on egalitarianism and that Labor should help.

“The Greens want to stop the Liberals’ assault on egalitarianism but right now, Labor’s complicit in these attacks,” said Mr Bandt.

“Every time Labor joins in the tax cuts arms race another piece of Whitlam’s welfare state dies.

Greens welcome Liddell sale refusal: Bandt

Greens spokesperson for climate change and energy Adam Bandt MP today welcomed AGL’s decision to reject an offer to purchase Liddell and to instead focus on closing it.

“This is a decision our kids will thank us for,” said Mr Bandt.

“Keeping coal-fired power stations open is a recipe for more intense bushfires, worse heatwaves and more deaths.

“Coal kills. The coal-huggers in the Coalition should stop trying to prop up Liddell with public money.

Budget ignores climate change despite rising pollution: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said that despite the impending climate catastrophe, the budget ignores climate change and rising pollution. Instead of increasing funding for climate change, it cut funding.

“This is another budget from the Treasurer that basically encourages climate change,” said Mr Bandt.

“Scott Morrison didn’t mention climate change in his speech and only brought up renewable energy to attack it.

Greens welcome plan to 'Repower Australia'

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today welcomed the release of a plan to ‘Repower Australia’ and called on all sides of Parliament to embrace the need for a rapid transition to a renewable energy future.

“The release of this comprehensive plan underscores the ambition gap of the old parties,” said Mr Bandt.

“Rapidly shifting to a 100% renewable energy system is essential if we want to avoid the impacts of catastrophic global warming.

Renewables jobs boom in spite of Turnbull's war on renewables: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today welcomed ABS data showing a 33% surge in employment from renewable energy in Australia, noting these gains were achieved despite the government’s war on renewable energy.

“Renewable energy is a jobs-rich industry and these latest figures prove it,” said Mr Bandt.

Abbott-friendly NEG is a dog: Greens

Greens energy and climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that as Tony Abbott starts tweeting in support of the NEG, Labor should toughen up and demand better of the Federal government than this dog of a policy.

“The NEG is a dog,” said Mr Bandt. 

“The NEG was designed to appease the coal-huggers on the backbench and Tony Abbott’s latest endorsement suggests that plan is working.”

Greens ready to block NEG.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the more detail that emerges about the NEG, the worse the framework becomes. With each new revelation, it becomes increasingly difficult to see how the NEG is anything but a policy designed to placate Tony Abbott and the fossils on the backbench, meaning the Greens may have no choice but to block legislation when it comes to Federal Parliament.