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Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John said he was extremely disappointed at evidence given by the Queensland Teachers’ Union President, Kevin Bates, during this morning’s Disability Royal Commission hearing.

“I was absolutely shocked to hear Mr Bates confirm that the Queensland Teachers Union support the segregation of disabled children into ‘special schools’ and would be supportive of building new segregated schools in Queensland, contrary to the inclusive education policy of the Queensland Government,” Steele-John said.

“ I was equally shocked to hear Mr Bates describe the segregation of disabled children into special education settings – separated from their non-disabled peers – as an ‘unfortunate compromise’ required by ‘economic rationalism’.

“Let’s be really clear, there is zero academic evidence to support the suggestion that segregated ‘special schools’ are appropriate learning environments for disabled kids.

“Just yesterday, the Commission heard examples of the horrendous abuse that occurs in these settings with experts making it clear that the future of education must be inclusive of all children.

“The human rights of disabled kids are violated by these institutions. Families are forced, everyday, to place their children in these settings because of discriminatory practices and a lack of resourcing.

“In Australia, and indeed around the world, the union movement has played a critical role in ending segregationist policies based on race and gender. IOt is so disappointing to see the QTU depart from this history when it comes to the rights of disabled kids.

“Disabled kids deserve their human rights, and supporting these rights is union business. The Queensland Teachers’ Union’s position is a barrier to ending the violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of children in Queensland’s education system.

I will urgently be seeking a meeting with the Queensland Teachers’ Union to discuss these concerns.

Greens animal welfare spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to the suffering of racehorses in today’s Melbourne cup. Rostropovich is reported to have suffered a cracked pelvis and was rushed to an equine clinic while Prince Of Arran was whipped to the point that jockey Michael Walker received a seven-meeting ban and $10,000 fine.
“When animals and gambling mix, animals always suffer,” Senator Faruqi said.
“This is just so tragically predictable. Year after year we see the needless suffering of horses, yet nothing changes. I really hope Rostropovich recovers fully.”
“Cruel practices like whipping happen every day in the horse racing industry, just as horses are pushed to the point of injury – all for the sake of a bet.
“Today’s suffering at the Melbourne Cup is yet more evidence we need a Royal Commission into cruelty in the horse racing industry. I’ll be calling on the Senate to support a Royal Commission when Parliament sits again next week. If the major parties care about animal welfare and preventing the kind of suffering they saw today they will support my call,” she concluded.

Scott Morrison needs to stop listening to his big donors in the fossil fuel industry and pay attention to the 11,000 scientists who have jointly declared that we are in a climate emergency and must act urgently in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.
“We are now in a climate emergency and that is a fact. The scientists know it and the community knows it, but Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party still have their heads buried firmly in the sand,” said Di Natale.
”This Government has no plan to address dangerous climate change beyond running interference for its big corporate donors in the fossil fuel industry. Scott Morrison needs to ignore his big donors and listen to the scientists and the community, who know we need to phase out coal and other fossil fuels and make the transition rapidly to a jobs-rich renewables economy.”
“This is an unprecedented move that confirms governments do not have the climate crisis under control,” said Greens Climate Change Spokesperson Adam Bandt, MP.
“When over 11,000 scientists speak so strongly, the Australian government must act as if our lives depend on it. After 30 years of warning from the scientific community, they are sounding the final alarm.
“The Greens will press on with our push to have Parliament declare a climate emergency so government will start taking the urgent action we need.”

Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale has once again called upon the Australian Government to intervene to ensure that Julian Assange is not extradited to the United States, following comments from the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture that Assange is showing acute signs of exposure to psychological torture.
“We have all seen the serious deterioration in Julian Assange’s health at his recent court appearances, and now the UN Special Rapporteur has warned that his life is at risk. This situation cannot be allowed to continue,” Di Natale said.
“Regardless of what you think about Assange as an individual, he is facing extradition to the US on charges relating to his work to shine a light on potential war crimes – an act that won him Australia’s highest honour for journalism.
“He is being held in isolation by the UK authorities at severe cost to his physical and mental health and it is well past time for the Australian Government to intervene and ensure that Assange is brought back to Australia, not extradited to the very country whose wrongdoing he exposed.”