16 News

Today NSW Greens Spokesperson for Treasury, Abigail Boyd, has said that the Minns Government’s 2025/26 Budget is a missed opportunity to help millions of people struggling to pay their bills.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW MP:

“Right now, people in our communities are suffocating under the Minns Labor government’s business as usual agenda which does nothing to combat skyrocketing grocery prices, energy bills and out-of-pocket education and health costs, nor does it come close to delivering the investment we need in accessible, affordable housing,” said Ms Boyd.

“This is not a budget for people–it’s a budget for Big Business, the gambling lobby, private developers and climate-wrecking corporations. The Minns Labor government’s third Budget is a betrayal to all those in our communities doing it toughest – failing to address the rising cost of living in this state or lift people out of poverty, while leaving billions in uncollected revenue on the table from big business. Whether its failing to rein in subsidies for pokies operators, leaving high-end taxes lower than in other jurisdictions, or failing to innovate to raise revenue from the big corporations who can most afford it, the Minns Labor government would rather turn its back on workers and everyday people than take on the vested interests in our State with the bold reforms it once promised.

“This is a Labor government that refuses to pay nurses and midwives a fair wage and is trying to strip injured workers of their entitlements due to so-called budget constraints, while all the while cosying up to its mates in the clubs industry by failing to rein in pokies subsidies that are costing billions. The only ones thanking Minns and Mookhey for this budget is the Business lobby, which shows you how far the Labor party will go to turn their backs on workers.”

“Across the State, nurses, midwives and other essential workers are without hope that they will ever earn fair wages and conditions after the Labor Minns government has forced them to beg for scraps under its failed mutual bargaining regime. The impact on essential public services like hospitals has been particularly catastrophic, with workers fleeing the state for higher wages elsewhere and people going without the medical treatment they need. This is a fundamental betrayal and a slap in the face to all those who voted this government in.

“We know that the greatest issues of our time – climate change, the cost of living, housing affordability – will negatively impact marginalised communities disproportionately. And yet this Budget does nothing to provide for those doing it toughest.

“Labor has put no extra money into frontline domestic violence services. Instead, they’ve made a desperate, and frankly sad attempt to spin funding for courts as funding for victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.

“While acknowledging the catastrophic impact that more severe and frequent weather events are having on the people and finances of our State, there is nothing new in this Budget to properly tackle the climate crisis and accelerate our State’s transition to 100% renewable energy.

“For years, the Greens have consistently offered constructive options for how the government can increase revenue in order to better fund the universal services our community desperately needs. These proposals include:

•   A progressive payroll tax system that expands in scope to capture rideshare, delivery and other gig worker platforms as well as consulting firms and others currently dodging basic taxes.
•   A luxury motor vehicle duty that progressively increases taxation on cars according to their retail market price.
•   A ‘vacancy tax’ for properties left empty for more than six months in areas with high levels of housing stress.
•   A supplementary banking levy that taxes banks on the assets they hold in New South Wales, raising at least $600 million each year.

“There is no excuse for the Treasurer’s cowardly retreat on removing subsidies for pokies operators and failing to redirect billions towards the services people in this state rely on.

“The Greens are calling on the Minns Labor government to have the courage to raise revenue from those who ought to be paying a fair share–the fossil fuel industry, gambling companies, big banks and the very wealthy–in order to provide a better life for the people of New South Wales.”

The Minns Labor government has today handed down a Budget that once again utterly fails victim-survivors of domestic and family violence-with no new investment in existing frontline domestic and family violence services, and mere crumbs for initiatives and programs that have gone underfunded for years.

The Greens have consistently backed calls from countless experts, victim-survivors and dedicated specialist frontline workers who have categorically called for a significant and permanent increase in baseline funding for existing frontline services.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW Spokesperson for Gendered Violence and Abuse:

“Over a year on from the Minns Labor government’s so-called ’emergency funding package’ and its promise to listen to calls from experts and the community, today’s Budget has nothing for existing frontline domestic and family violence services.
“These services provide genuinely critical, irreplaceable and life-saving support to women and children fleeing violence-victim-survivors who are already waiting an average of two months to access support.

“The Minns Labor government has not only failed to meet repeated calls from domestic and family violence experts for a 50% increase in baseline funding for frontline services, but it has embarked on yet another attempt at spin-dressing up a cash splash for courts and the corrections system as somehow being funding for domestic and family violence victim-survivors.

“To claim this as an investment in ending domestic and family violence is not only blatantly dishonest-it’s an arrogant betrayal of the over-stretched frontline workers who are working incredibly hard every day to deliver the services and programs that we know provide victim-survivors with sorely needed protection and refuge.

“Peel back the spin and what are we left with? A few piecemeal operational reforms and crumbs for strategies and plans we’ve been waiting on for years, which is nothing compared to the level of investment needed to tackle the gendered violence crisis.

“According to Domestic Violence NSW, it would only take $163 million to sufficiently resource frontline services to meet demand in 2025-26. Imagine what we could do to turn around the domestic and family violence crisis if Labor would finally fund the evidence-based services and programs the sector has been consistently crying out for.

“This Budget is all spin and no action, painting a clear picture of just how little the NSW Labor government cares about ending violence against women and children in our state.”

Background

As reported by the Guardian today, leaked documents reveal that a consultancy firm Good Advice, run by a former NLC employee, played a central role in facilitating private meetings between Empire Energy and Traditional Owners in the Beetaloo region. 

Had the proper process for such meetings have been followed, the Northern Land Council would have facilitated this meeting to ensure no undue influence. Instead these two meetings were held in mid-2024 in Mataranka, designed to obtain signatures from Traditional Owners in support of a sacred site authority certificate needed for fracking approvals in the Beetaloo Basin. 

The Guardian reported that in these meetings there were unrealistic promises of large royalties and other benefits, with some Traditional Owners even thinking they were simply signing an attendance sheet. At least two current members of the NLC’s full council are also employed by Good Advice and were reported to have been wearing their NLC uniforms when canvassing communities to support fracking. 

First Nations communities have been speaking up against fracking for a decade now, including Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, a vocal group of Traditional Owners from the affected area. Yet the CLP Government continues to charge ahead. 

Empire Energy are attempting to hide from this scandal and the many that have come before it including that they have changed their business name to Beetaloo Energy. The CLP Government continues to subsidise the gas industry despite their exploitation of communities and Country.

This deceptive and immoral conduct from Good Advice and Empire Energy undermines the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and damages trust in our Land Councils. 

The NT Greens call on the Albanese government to urgently intervene to stop this project going ahead, and to investigate Good Advice consultancy and Beetaloo Energy.  

Kat McNamara MLA, Member for Nightcliff

“The gas industry views gaining consent from Traditional Owners as a mere box-ticking exercise that they are willing to achieve by any means necessary.”

“This exploitative industry cannot be trusted. Fracking cannot continue under these current conditions.”

“Across the NT we continue to see the revolving door from Government or Statutory bodies to the private sector. To prevent community members from being taken advantage of, we must introduce stronger regulations.”

“Empire Energy thinks they can wash their hands of this deceit simply by changing their name, but we will hold them to account.”

Today’s 2025-26 ACT Budget has missed the mark, with the ACT Government seeking to solve its Budget shortfalls by increasing costs put on every day Canberrans rather than generating revenue from those who can – and should – pay more.  

ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury said that the Budget handed down today reveals a range of surprising measures that will unfairly impact every day Canberrans and hurt the most vulnerable in our community. 

“A good budget invests in our people, community and the things we need to live well in Canberra. Critically it should raise revenue from those who can afford it, like big corporations, in the first instance before passing on the bill to everyday people,” Mr Rattenbury said. 

“The ACT Greens only weeks ago proposed to ACT Labor that they can generate hundreds of millions by taxing corporations who make billions in profits off everyday people. Today’s Budget ignores that completely and instead jumps straight to taxing everyday Canberrans. 

“Instead the Budget introduces a $250 health levy on all households and businesses in order to pay for the increasing costs of the health system; charges Canberrans trying to electrify their home in a climate crisis; and will increase the number of small, local businesses who are paying more payroll tax. 

“Increasing numbers of Canberrans are being priced out of the housing market, many are in rental stress without the safety net of the Rent Relief Fund, and our public housing wait list is sitting over 3,000 people.  

“It is baffling that the Government has only committed to building 140 new social and community homes in this Budget. 

“At the same time, we’re only getting $10 million for the community sector – or roughly $33,000 per organisation. In a cost-of-living crisis, this Budget will push more people to the brink, increasing pressure on our community sector. This simply does not go far enough.” 

Deputy Leader for the ACT Greens Jo Clay said ACT Labor is slowing down progress on climate action and measures to actively restore our environment. 

“This Labor Budget will also introduce a 3% interest rate on loans through the Sustainable Household Scheme, which entirely defeats the purpose of the scheme. It will block some Canberrans out of the option to switch off from gas,” Ms Clay said. 

“They’ve also introduced a levy on all electric vehicle sales. When we know transport makes up over 65% of our emissions, this is another significant backwards step on climate action.  

“Climate and environment funding only makes up 2% of the overall Budget. If ACT Labor want to show they value biodiversity, want to stop species going extinct and restore ecosystems to keep Canberra a great place to live for both people and animals then they need to properly fund it. 

“These are all measures that will significantly impact every day Canberrans and, in a cost-of-living crisis, when people are already under financial stress, this is hardly fair.  

“We urge the ACT Labor Government to amend the Budget to tax big corporations, before imposing new taxes on everyday people, to generate more than $100m per year.” 

The Coalition supports actions taken by the United States of America to ensure that the Iranian regime is stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons.

It was made clear by the International Atomic and Energy Agency on 12 June that Iran was in breach of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations after stockpiling more than 400 kilograms of 60 per cent enriched uranium at Fordow—the last step in enrichment towards a nuclear weapon.

The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to.

A nuclear armed Iranian regime would be a serious and direct threat to world peace and stability, especially as it continues to engage in terrorism including by supporting its proxies: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

While Australians will never seek conflict in the world we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy. It expressly seeks the destruction of our allies, enacts extrajudicial killings of political dissidents and brutally represses the rights of women and girls. It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them.

The Coalition stands with the United States of America today. We can never allow the Iranian regime the capacity to enact its objectives of the destruction of the United States and Israel.