Greens Treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt MP and Finance spokesperson Senator Peter Whish-Wilson today released the party’s Budget Principles for the 2016 Budget and Federal Election.

“To make society more equal, we need more tax, starting at the top,” Greens Treasury spokesperson Mr Bandt said.

“We'd rather have an Australia where everyone gets great public education and healthcare, which means being upfront about growing our revenue base by getting rid of unfair tax breaks and asking the very wealthy to pay more.”

Greens Science spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said the CSIRO management’s announcement of a new climate science centre in Hobart is really just a sleight of hand manoeuvre designed to distract from its confirmation that 75 climate science jobs and 275 jobs across the board will be cut from our national science organisation.

“The Greens welcome any investment in climate science and the CSIRO, however the motivations behind CSIRO management’s decision must be questioned,” Mr Bandt said.

The Australian Greens have criticised Malcolm Turnbull's new Clean Energy Innovation Fund for trying to make a cut in clean energy funding look like an investment.

"This is a clean energy con job dressed up as innovation " said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

"Tony Abbott is not the benchmark of good climate policy and in a climate emergency, this should not be the best Malcolm Turnbull can do to transform our economy.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today refused to back his own Chief Scientist on climate change when asked by Greens MP Adam Bandt in Question Time today.

“Malcolm Turnbull’s Chief Scientist has rightly said ‘we are losing the battle against climate change’, yet the Prime Minister refuses to back him,” Mr Bandt said.

“February this year has been named the hottest month on record ever, smashing a century of global temperature records by what NASA calls a ‘stunning’ margin’.”

The Australian Greens today said the CSIRO CEO Larry Marshall’s decision to cut hundreds of jobs in climate science within the organisation puts the future of the CSIRO as a respected national institution in doubt and criticised his public comments on his decision. The Greens called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene and reverse Dr Marshall’s retrograde decision, and for Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman to stand up for the Tasmanian climate scientists affected by these cuts.

The Australian Greens today said the CSIRO’s cuts to climate science are a test for Malcolm Turnbull on innovation and called on the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene and reverse the cuts.

“Malcolm Turnbull risks being an innovation imposter if he allows the CSIRO to proceed with its cuts to climate science,” Greens Science & Research spokesperson Adam Bandt said.

The Greens broadly welcome the Turnbull Government’s Innovation Statement, however it does not repair the huge damage done to the science and research and development sectors by the Liberals’ funding cuts in recent years.

Greens Innovation spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said: “The focus on innovation and the attached funding are welcome, but it does not come close make up for the Liberals’ massive cuts to science, higher education and research and development.”

Greens Treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said the national accounts released this morning reveal that the Australian economy is still heavily reliant on mining exports, leaving us exposed to changing prices and demand.

“It’s concerning that growth is still so heavily reliant on mining exports, because it leaves us exposed to changing prices and demand,” Mr Bandt said.

“The figures confirm we must redouble our efforts to grow the new economy, including by making Australia a renewable energy superpower.”