Month: August 2025

The Greens say the Government’s roundtable has delivered nothing for workers, renters and first home buyers, according to Greens Senator Barbara Pocock.

With the Treasurer just today identifying the need to move on intergenerational inequality, the Greens say the government must move beyond talk, into action on tax reform and improved conditions for workers.

Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens:

“What a flop that the roundtable didn’t result in anything more than Labor’s minimal pre-election plans. No action on big corporations paying their fair share, no changing housing tax settings that have cooked affordability, and no understanding that climate action is key to future economic prosperity. What a visionless approach,” Senator Waters said.

“The roundtable didn’t consider taxes on rich coal and gas corporations or take action on handouts for wealthy property investors. It didn’t move us towards a four day work week or raise income support. Instead, the major outcomes seem likely to push up emissions and slow down rooftop solar.

“The Treasurer’s calls for action on intergenerational inequality moments after the economic roundtable finished show how little the three day event achieved.

“Labor can’t keep putting off important reforms year after year, talking about problems like the housing crisis or intergenerational inequality while doing little to fix them. It’s time to put the talk aside and take action.”

Australian Greens spokesperson for finance, employment and workplace relations, Senator Barbara Pocock:

“This is a missed opportunity for bold action from the Government. Labor could deliver genuine tax reform today that would tackle intergenerational inequality, improve conditions for workers and boost productivity. Long delays on tax reform aren’t going to fix anything.

“Labor is supposed to be the party of the worker and yet its economic roundtable has delivered nothing for workers. Despite weeks of proposals from unions, we’ve seen zero commitments from the Government to improving working conditions that would ultimately boost productivity. What’s the point of inviting workers’ representatives to a roundtable if you’re not going to listen to them.

“The evidence is clear – flexible working arrangements – such as the right to work from home and a shorter working week with the same pay – reduce the time spent on commuting, improve work-life balance, increase mental and physical wellbeing, and boosts workforce participation and productivity. They are good for women.

“This is about justice for working people. The profit share of GDP has risen while workers’ share has shrunk. It’s time for workers to get their fair share. The Government has the support of unions for real reform for workers and their families. The Greens stand ready to pass them in parliament. 

“Ending the housing crisis is possible but cutting red tape won’t cut it. We have to bite the bullet on tax. That means winding back unfair tax handouts to wealthy property investors which are cooking our housing system, fuelling intergenerational inequality and helping to shut an entire generation out of home ownership.

“Unless the Government makes the necessary reforms to the tax concessions for property investors, we’ll continue to see house prices rise and rents spiral. Labor must listen to the experts and deliver tax reforms that will actually help Australians put a roof over their head.

“Labor must deliver on essential tax reform to deal with the housing crisis, ensure workers get their fair share and strengthen flexible working arrangements which we know boosts productivity.” 

Labor’s Housing Minister Clare O’Neil’s announcement today to bring forward guarantees for a 5% deposit for first-home buyers to avoid mortgage insurance will only drive up house prices for Australians trying to get into the market.

We have seen today Labor move its first housing bill (Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025) which, incredibly, builds public homes for US troops and defence contractors. In the midst of a national housing crisis, where are Labor’s priorities for Australians?

Australia’s housing crisis can’t be fixed until the Government tackles the key driver, and that is, winding back tax discounts for wealthy property investors that lock out first-home buyers and force rents to skyrocket.

Greens spokesperson for housing Senator Barbara Pocock:

“This is a furphy designed to sound good but actually will continue to drive up house prices – turbocharging higher prices and bigger debts for first-home buyers. Experts agree these demand-side schemes just drive prices up, the only ones who benefit from this scheme are the banks and property investors.

“People will still be borrowing 95 percent of their mortgage and with median property values at eight times the typical annual household income, that leaves households highly vulnerable to huge repayments. 

“We need real action on housing, not tinkering, and that means winding back tax breaks for wealthy property investors and building affordable houses in the places where Australians need them.

“This scheme won’t help first-home buyers. Economists and even Treasury’s own modelling say this scheme will force house prices to go up, which will leave more people in higher levels of debt. 

“The Greens won’t stand in the way of things that aim to help first-home buyers. However, the Government has to look at the bigger picture because house prices are skyrocketing and more demand-side measures are only going to make that problem worse. 

“Our tax system rewards wealthy property investors and pushes up prices. Every day that negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount stay in place is another day that first-home buyers are outbid by property investors at auctions around the country. 

“The Government has a real opportunity in this progressive parliament to fix the housing crisis and they must take it, otherwise generations will be locked out of affordable housing forever.”

Senator Hanson-Young has called on the AFL to dump slur-merchant Snoop Dogg as the AFL Grand Final entertainment, and instead let an Aussie artist take the stage.

Find footage of her speech in parliament here.

Greens spokesperson for the arts, Sarah Hanson-Young:

“The irony is not lost on many AFL fans that just last week they suspended Izak Rankine for using a homophobic slur, yet Snoop Dogg is set to get $2 million to play his misogynistic, homophobic music on our turf.

“The AFL is a cultural institution in Australia, and cultural institutions should be backing homegrown talent.

“At a time when Aussie artists are copping the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis, we need proper investment in our music industry.

“If it’s an Aussie game, it should be an Aussie artist playing.

“With over 6 million people tuning into the AFL Grand Final year on year, this is a prime time slot to platform homegrown talent. It’s time to let Aussie artists rock the ‘G’.

“I urge the AFL to have the guts to dump slur-merchant Snoop Dogg and let an Aussie artist rock the stage instead.”

On the first day of the resumed Parliament, the Australian Greens have successfully established a Senate Inquiry into the quality and safety of early childhood education and care (ECEC).

The inquiry follows last week’s meeting of education ministers, which delivered a series of piecemeal measures such as CCTV and a national register. While welcome, the Greens warn these steps alone won’t address the deep, systemic issues in childcare that have seen families lose trust in the system.

The inquiry will examine the effectiveness of the regulatory framework, the pressures facing the workforce, and whether the current funding model supports quality and safety. It will also provide a platform for families, educators and advocates to share their experiences, and deliver recommendations for both immediate improvements and long-term reforms towards universal early learning.

The inquiry will report back in early 2026.

Greens spokesperson for early education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“Families have lost confidence in the childcare system, and tinkering around the edges with CCTV and registers won’t bring that trust back.

“This Senate Inquiry will shine a light on a broken system by exposing the conditions that allow abuse, and laying down a clear path to reform through fixing the funding model, lifting the workforce, and strengthening regulation.

“There’s nothing more important than a safe, high-quality future for our kids. That means lifting standards now – not slapping a band-aid on after harm has already occurred.

“Importantly, this Inquiry will give families, educators and advocates a national platform to share their stories and demand change.

“This inquiry can help pave the way towards the universal early learning legacy the Prime Minister has promised, but so far delayed.

“We welcome cross-parliament backing to put the safety of our kids above party politics.”

Greens Spokesperson for Social Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, and Independent Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie MP, will today co-introduce a bill into the House of Representatives and the Senate to implement the recommendations of the Robodebt Royal Commission and put pressure on Labor to cease harmful debt recovery practices that are putting income support recipients at risk. In the House, the bill will be seconded by Helen Haines, Member for Indi.

Senator Allman-Payne and Mr Wilkie will announce the move together from Parliament House alongside key community advocates including Economic Justice Australia, who helped to draft the bill, and other sector advocates including Anti-Poverty Centre who have been calling for the changes to be implemented urgently. 

Recommendations outstanding from the Royal Commission, and fulfilled by the Greens and crossbench bill include:

• Reinstating the 6 year limit on recovery of debts
• Establishing  a duty of care for the Department of Social Services that prioritises the needs of social security recipients while administering the law,
• Restricting the kinds of decisions which can be made or automated without human oversight
• Better protections for people experiencing hardship from receiving compliance notices. 

The move comes while more than 100,000 income support recipients await a decision from Labor on whether the Government will cancel more than $1 billion in unfair historical welfare debts that are currently being assessed for collection by the Department of Social Services. 

Those debts, which pre-date 7 December 2020, were levied using the Department’s ruthless and dubious methods of ‘income apportionment’, similar to Robodebt. A recent court ruled that the Government was able to reassess these debts using alternate methods, putting them back on the table. 

The average age of the ‘income apportionment’ debts affected by this decision is 19 years old. To pursue these debts would effectively contravene the 6 year limit on debt recovery recommended by the Royal Commission, and previously agreed to by Labor. The Greens have previously written to Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek urging Labor to immediately waive those debts and put the Robodebt era behind them. The Department currently holds income support debts dating back to 1979. 

In echoes of the Robodebt scandal, a recent Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report found that around 1,000 people have had their support payments unlawfully cancelled by the Government’s automated IT system between April 2022 and July 2024, despite warnings from external legal advisors.

Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Social Services:

“I’m pleased to be joined by advocates and members of the crossbench in urging Labor to finally honour the victims of Robodebt and bring about these protections for people who rely on income support.”

“More than two years on from the Royal Commission, and still Labor is treating vulnerable welfare recipients like criminals.”

“It’s just ridiculous that while 1 in 3 big corporations get away with paying no tax, Labor’s time and effort goes into chasing ancient welfare debts dating back to the 1970s.”

“If you’re struggling to pay the rent or put food on the table, getting hit with a dodgy debt notice can be catastrophic.”

“This legislation is ready to go, the Greens are urging Labor to walk the walk on Robodebt and end the cruelty in the welfare system for good.”

Consumers are being reminded to take a moment to stop, check, and protect themselves when transacting or interacting online as Scams Awareness Week returns from 25-29 August 2025.

Australians have already lost more than $147 million to scams in 2025, with NSW residents alone reporting more than $48 million in losses, and more than 25,000 scams to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Scam Centre – Scamwatch.  

Phishing scams where people are tricked into clicking links or entering details on fake websites which impersonate trusted organisations like banks, governments, or other services, are still the most common scams in NSW with nearly 9,000 reports, followed by identity theft, online shopping scams, and false billing. 

Those aged 65 and over continue to be disproportionately affected, with older Aussies lodging more than 6,100 reports in the last year alone.  

In the past year, more than 40 per cent of scam reports received by NSW Fair Trading were related to phishing attempts involving impersonation scams on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and WhatsApp.  

Around 27 per cent involved tele fraud, false billing, or itinerant trader scams, while others concerned fake fundraising, trade promotions, and community gaming – reflecting the diverse ways scammers target consumers. 

But it is not just online and digital scams which can cause harm, consumers are also being warned to be vigilant when shopping online. 

Often based overseas, fake, or temporary online shops can seemingly pop-up overnight and employ ‘bait’ advertising like urgent calls to action which aim to rush shoppers into securing a purchase before authenticity is verified. 

While Australian Consumer Law applies to online purchases made in Australia, purchases from overseas-based scammers are difficult to resolve. 

Shoppers are urged to stay vigilant, research the seller, use secure payment methods like credit cards or PayPal for buyer protection, and always beware of deals which may look too good to be true. 

People who have been scammed from bogus shops should keep receipts and screenshots of correspondence to assist with lodging a complaint with NSW Fair Trading. 

Everyone can also join ID Support NSW’s free 30-minute webinar on 27 August for Scams Awareness Week 2025 to learn how to spot, avoid, and report scams – register for the webinar here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/events-hub/events/scams-awareness-week-2025-webinar.  

To help people shop safely online, ID Support NSW also offers a free online shopping module which explains how to spot fake websites, avoid scams, and know what to do if something goes wrong: https://www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/learn/learning-modules/online-shopping. 

Clear advice on spotting scam messages, managing privacy settings, securing devices, and monitoring financial information, including how to request a temporary credit ban if needed, is available at www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/be-prepared. 

NSW Fair Trading encourages consumers dissatisfied with a business’s services to lodge a complaint online here: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/online-tools/make-a-complaint or on 13 32 20.  

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said: 

“It’s worth taking the time to be sure you are not being scammed and we want everyone to take a moment to stop, check, and protect themselves and their loved ones against scams. 

“Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, targeting people through social media, messaging apps and impersonating trusted organisations.  

“Phishing scams are still the most reported in NSW, and they’re becoming harder to spot, so if something feels off, trust your instincts and don’t engage.”  

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said: 

“Consumer protection is one of the Minns Labor Government’s top priorities.  

“When a business is based in Australia and a consumer has been misled or scammed, NSW Fair Trading can step in to help resolve the issue where appropriate. 

“Buying from private sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace can carry real risks, so if a deal seems too good to be true, it often is, and consumers should take extra care and trust their instincts. 

“NSW Fair Trading encourages people to buy from reputable retailers and to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar online sellers.  

“If someone believes they’ve been scammed, they should report it to the ACCC via the Scamwatch website, which helps protect others and contributes to national efforts to disrupt scam activity.”