Category: Australian News

The Victorian Greens say that the public housing residents’ class action is just the beginning and that residents across the 44 public housing towers will continue to resist and fight back as Labor steamrolls ahead with their disastrous plan that will displace thousands of people in a housing crisis. 

The lawsuit that included 479 households from the three towers in North Melbourne and Flemington argued that the Victorian Labor Government failed to properly consider the residents’ human rights when they decided to demolish the towers, and that other alternatives – such as retrofitting the towers – weren’t even considered. 

Since Labor’s plan was first announced, they’ve refused to provide documents to justify the demolition of the towers, failing to produce documents to the parliament and the courts as part of this case. 

The Victorian Greens attempted to compel the documents through the parliament and Labor blocked 148 out of 156 claiming ‘executive privilege’ to keep the documents secret. From what the Greens did receive it implies that the plan to demolish and privatise the towers was based on nothing more than a few dot points on the back of an envelope. 

The Victorian Greens say that the case has made it clear that residents do not want to be kicked out so Labor can privatise the public housing estates, and that this is only the beginning of residents fighting back against Labor’s plans to demolish their homes.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“This case has made one thing clear, residents do not want Labor to demolish their homes so the public housing estates can be privatised. This is just the beginning of residents fighting back against Labor’s bad plan. This plan that wants to tear down homes and displace thousands of public housing residents in a housing crisis has never stacked up. It’s only a matter of time until the wheels fall completely off.” 

Leader of the Victorian Greens and member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell: 

“The outcome today is disappointing for the brave North Melbourne and Flemington residents who took the state Labor government to court, but the fight is not over. Residents are speaking out, they deserve to have their voices heard and the Greens are going to keep standing alongside them to oppose Labor’s demolition and privatisation of public housing.”  

Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Spokesperson for Higher Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has strongly condemned Peter Dutton’s latest remarks about cracking down on so-called ‘woke’ ideology at universities. She warned that this is yet another dangerous attempt by the Coalition to police academic freedom, silence progressive voices, and impose ideological control over higher education institutions.

Senator Faruqi: 

“The Coalition’s pathetic Trump-style attempt to control what’s taught in our universities will be nothing short of authoritarian censorship. It is dangerous, unwanted and has no place in our universities. 

“This is the latest desperate effort by Peter Dutton and the Liberals to manufacture a culture war to distract from their lack of genuine policies or solutions to the issues people are facing. When it comes to education, the Coalition has no vision beyond control, fear and division. 

“Ministerial interventions in university curricula are an attack on academic independence. What’s next—Dutton personally vetting lecture notes? 

“Universities must be places of inquiry and rigorous debate, not vehicles to serve conservative politicians looking for cheap headlines.

“Let’s be clear: The Coalition cannot stand the idea of young people engaging with progressive ideas or questioning the status quo.

“This election the Greens will keep Dutton and his Trump-like politics out and get Labor to act on wiping all student debt and making uni and TAFE free. You can’t keep voting for the two major parties expecting a different result—if you want change, you have to vote for it.”

The Minns Government must act within this term of Government on all the recommendations from the Drug Summit Report, given that they don’t go as far as many summit attendees were calling for, says Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction spokesperson.

“The report from the drug summit doesn’t go as far as what experts have told successive Governments is needed to reduce drug harm and save lives. It’s clear that recommendations sought from a majority of stakeholders at the drug summit have been softened to make them politically palatable for a risk-averse Premier,” says Cate Faehrmann.

“The number one priority for the majority of attendees to reduce drug harm was to remove criminal penalties for drug use and possession. It’s extremely disappointing that this was not a recommendation.

“However, a recommendation around the need to reform drug diversion laws is welcome. The vast majority of people caught with a personal quantity of illegal drugs are still charged and sent to court since the law came into place last year. This reform is urgent.

“There is an urgent need to reform our drug driving laws so that medicinal cannabis patients can drive when not impaired without the fear of being charged with driving with the mere presence of THC in their system. It’s extremely welcome to see this recommendation in the report. I have given notice of a bill that would provide a medical defence for people who are prescribed medicinal cannabis. I urge the Government to work with me so we can get it done this year. 

“The report has recommended the use of drug detection dogs and strip searching cease during the current trial of drug-checking services at music festivals, with consideration to extending this to all music festivals. There doesn’t seem to be any logic as to why this can’t extend to all music festivals immediately rather than appeasing the police. The Coronial Inquest into Deaths at Music Festivals found that the presence of drug dogs can lead people to engage in riskier drug-taking behaviour which can have fatal consequences.

“I thank Carmel Tebbutt and John Brogden for their work on the drug summit and in producing this report, despite its shortcomings. None of these recommendations are surprising or radical and they can all be easily implemented in this term of Government. I look forward to working with the Government and across party lines to see these recommendations implemented,” said Cate Faehrmann.

The Victorian Greens say that the public housing residents’ class action is just the beginning and that residents across the 44 public housing towers will continue to resist and fight back as Labor steamrolls ahead with their disastrous plan that will displace thousands of people in a housing crisis. 

The lawsuit that included 479 households from the three towers in North Melbourne and Flemington argued that the Victorian Labor Government failed to properly consider the residents’ human rights when they decided to demolish the towers, and that other alternatives – such as retrofitting the towers – weren’t even considered. 

Since Labor’s plan was first announced, they’ve refused to provide documents to justify the demolition of the towers, failing to produce documents to the parliament and the courts as part of this case. 

The Victorian Greens attempted to compel the documents through the parliament and Labor blocked 148 out of 156 claiming ‘executive privilege’ to keep the documents secret. From what the Greens did receive it implies that the plan to demolish and privatise the towers was based on nothing more than a few dot points on the back of an envelope. 

The Victorian Greens say that the case has made it clear that residents do not want to be kicked out so Labor can privatise the public housing estates, and that this is only the beginning of residents fighting back against Labor’s plans to demolish their homes.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“This case has made one thing clear, residents do not want Labor to demolish their homes so the public housing estates can be privatised. This is just the beginning of residents fighting back against Labor’s bad plan. This plan that wants to tear down homes and displace thousands of public housing residents in a housing crisis has never stacked up. It’s only a matter of time until the wheels fall completely off.” 

Leader of the Victorian Greens and member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell: 

“The outcome today is disappointing for the brave North Melbourne and Flemington residents who took the state Labor government to court, but the fight is not over. Residents are speaking out, they deserve to have their voices heard and the Greens are going to keep standing alongside them to oppose Labor’s demolition and privatisation of public housing.”  

The Victorian Greens have secured a number of critical changes that help to get the balance right to protect LGBTQIA+ and disabled people against hate speech and provide essential safeguards for marginalised and overpoliced communities. 

The Victorian Greens offered the Labor Government a progressive pathway to pass hate speech laws and following constructive negotiations, the Greens have secured critical changes that improve the Bill in line with advice from human rights, legal, faith, multicultural and community stakeholders. 

These changes are aimed at providing protections against hate speech while ensuring we have appropriate safeguards to prevent criminalising marginalised and overpoliced communities. 

The changes include a requirement for decision makers – like police and the courts – to consider the social, historical and cultural context intended to capture power imbalances between parties in criminal cases. In addition, third-party oversight in criminal prosecutions will be retained, limiting police overreach by requiring police to obtain the DPP’s consent to prosecute.

To ensure that cases are handled fairly and in the public interest, the Bill will also now explicitly specify its purpose to “address systemic injustice and structural oppression,” and to provide protections for people with a protected attribute while promoting “full and equal participation in an open and inclusive democratic society without impeding robust discussion.” 

The Greens have secured a narrowing of the scope to the expanded religious exception so that there are clear limitations to prevent the LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised groups from being vilified under the guise of religion. 

Victorian Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri says that the changes secured by the Greens significantly improve the Bill so that we get the balance right and to protect the LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities from hate speech while providing safeguards to prevent police overreach and the criminalisation of already marginalised and overpolicied communities.

Greens MP, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“No one should experience hate based on who they love, their race, religion, or if they have a disability and that’s why it’s been so important that we get these laws right.” 

“The Greens have long called for protections for LGBTIQA+ and disabled people and have secured critical changes to make sure that these laws do what they’re supposed to. We’ve ensured this bill protects people against hate speech with safeguards in place to prevent these laws from being misused, especially against marginalised and overpoliced communities.” 

“We’re pleased that Labor has worked with the Greens to pass a progressive bill instead of caving even further to the Liberals and right wing campaigns on such important laws for our LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities.” 

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Equality, Aiv Puglielli: 

“This is an historic moment for LGBTQIA+ people who have been advocating for the protections to be expanded to protect our community from hate speech for years.” 

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, and Disability Rights, Anasina Gray-Barberio: 

“People with disabilities are disproportionately discriminated against and that’s why it’s crucial that we’ve got laws that protect people with disabilities from hate speech. 

“No one should be discriminated against or targeted because of their race. We know that multicultural and First Nations communities are the most impacted by overpolicing and that’s why it’s so important we have these safeguards in place that will prevent these communities from being unfairly targeted.” 

Greens respond to Peter Dutton refusing to rule out cuts to the ABC.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for media and communications

“Australians love our ABC and won’t stand for it to be victim to Peter Dutton’s cut, cut, cut mentality.

“We cannot trust Peter Dutton’s Liberal party to control the funding to the ABC. It has long been an ideological crusade of Dutton and the Liberals to attack the ABC’s independence, cut its funding and launch culture war attacks on our national broadcaster.

“Dutton is playing political games and refusing to give the public the real details of his policies because he knows they would be incredibly unpopular. When the Liberals last cut the ABC budget under Abbott, there was a huge outcry from the Australian community.

“In a world where media is becoming increasingly fragmented and misinformation runs rife, it’s more important than ever that we protect our national broadcaster. The Greens have a plan to fully fund our ABC, including returning money that was cut during Abbott and Morrison era. We must legislate ABC funding so it is not subject to the whims of the government of the day.”

The Greens today are launching an election commitment to end the offshore detention of people seeking asylum by sea and establish a Royal Commission into Australia’s immigration detention regime. 

The major parties have made Australia an international outlier, exiling people who come here seeking safety to detention centres in other countries. 

There has been no justice for those abused under this system, and there are still people denied their basic rights, that needs to change. 

More than a decade after the failed Manus Island prison experiment 40 people remain trapped in Papua New Guinea after having sought safety in Australia. They need urgent evacuation and a clear pathway to permanent resettlement. 

Since 2013 both Labor and the Coalition have spent billions of dollars, not on making the immigration system fairer, not on strengthening the community, but on creating offshore hellholes to torture refugees. 

To make Australia’s immigration system faster and fairer, the Greens will also increase our humanitarian intake, provide a pathway for permanency for all refugees on shore, introduce a new emergency humanitarian visa, cap family visa wait times at 12 months, restore legal funding for humanitarian cases and end the Department of Home Affairs and return functions and responsibilities to the departments that previously held them. 

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson on Immigration, said: “The Albanese Government have decided to join with the Coalition and punch down on refugees, we take a different path, of pushing back against deliberate cruelty. 

“Labor started this latest round of offshore detention and deportations and communities around the country are right to be demanding accountability for their actions. 

“When politicians choose to do the wrong thing, harm people for political gain, and compete over who can be meaner, it infects the rest of society. Over the past 10 years, cruelty has become one of Australia’s main exports, courtesy of Labor and the Coalition. 

“The rise of the far right worldwide, with their aggressively anti-migrant policies, has been given fuel by policies delivered by Liberal and Labor Governments here. 

“What the major parties have done to our immigration system is reprehensible. 

“People who have fled the most appalling violence are left waiting in Australia for a decade or more just to get their application processed. 

“Adult children trying to get a visa for their sick mum are being made to pay $40,000 and then wait 30 years on average, with family members literally dying on hold. 

“Australia is a proud multicultural country where people from all around the world come to build a better community and successful lives. We need to be celebrating this, not sabotaging it.

“The major parties have ignored the need for a fairer and faster immigration system, and instead are pulling apart Australia’s multicultural threads by denying people dignity and respect.

“If we want a fairer and more equal world, Australia can do its part by repairing the damage we have done.”

Any moves on price gouging by Labor must include serious penalties and enforcement powers if it’s going to make any difference to people’s grocery bills, the Greens say.

“Our policy would hit Coles and Woolies with $50 million fines if they’re caught price gouging, and Labor should commit to this at the very least,” said Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim.

“And we’d give courts the power to force the big supermarkets to actually lower their prices.”

“Without serious penalties and strong enforcement powers, the supermarket duopoly will continue to act with impunity.”

“If the fines are not large enough the supermarket corporations will simply absorb them into their massive profits and continue to price gouge their shoppers.”

“That’s why the Greens will put steel in Labor’s spine in a minority government.”

Key parts of the Greens’ plan to end supermarket price gouging include:

• Fines of $50 million or more for corporations caught price gouging
• A Prices Commission to monitor price setting across the economy, staffed at Productivity Commission levels
• New price gouging laws and court-enforceable divestiture powers, enforced by the ACCC
• 20 new full-time staff at the ACCC to investigate gouging and act on referrals from the Prices Commission

“Big supermarkets have been price gouging for too long and it needs to end,” McKim said.

“The Greens will use the next Parliament to act faster and with real bite to tackle price gouging.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt today said renters and people in housing stress are a powerful voting bloc who will determine who wins the competitive seat of Wills. 

The Greens are targeting Wills in Melbourne’s inner north this election and Mr Bandt will be campaigning there today with the party’s star candidate Samantha Ratnam, Victorian Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May and Macnamara candidate Sonya Semmens.

The recent federal AEC redistribution in Victoria approximately halved the margin in Wills, with Poll Bludger estimating the new margin to be 4.2 per cent between the Greens and Labor and ABC’s Antony Green estimating 4.6 per cent. Previous successful Greens campaigns in Melbourne in 2010 and Griffith in 2022 overcame a margin of over 10% to turn the seats Green.

Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam first contested the seat in 2016, securing a 10.32 percent swing to the Greens, before entering the Victorian Parliament and serving as Victorian Greens Leader. Ms Ratnam resigned from that role last year to stand for Wills this election.

Data compiled for ABC’s Four Corners earlier this year showed 78.5 per cent of renters in Wills are experiencing rental stress. 38 per cent of people in Wills are renters and over 9,000 households are experiencing housing stress, according to the 2021 Census. The total number of people currently in housing stress is expected to be higher following years of high rent increases and interest rates. 

The Greens are running one of their biggest Victorian campaigns ever in Wills this election, with volunteers having knocked on over 50,000 doors before the election was even called. 

In addition to Wills, the Greens are targeting Macnamara (VIC), Richmond (NSW), Sturt (SA) and Perth (WA). The party is also seeking to return its four Lower House MPs and all its Senators who are up for re-election. 

“In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford a roof over their head, but in 2025 people are still being smashed by sky high rents and mortgages.

“Nothing changes if nothing changes – we can’t keep voting for the same old two parties and expecting a different result.

“A vote for the Greens is a vote to make big corporations pay to fund the things we all need, like capping rent increases and lower mortgages, putting dental into Medicare and making sure you can see the GP for free. 

“We’ll act on climate by stopping new coal and gas and ramping up renewables and battery storage.

“With a minority Parliament expected, this election the people of Wills can send Samantha Ratnam to be a strong and independent representative for them in Canberra who will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act.” 

Greens candidate for Wills, Samantha Ratnam:

“Voters in Wills are some of the most powerful in the country. They know the Greens will stop Dutton forming government and will get Labor to act on what matters: housing, cost of living and climate.

“Over the past year, we’ve knocked on over 50,000 doors and had thousands and thousands of conversations in Wills. Our community understands that if we want change, we have to vote for it, and more people here than ever before are planning to vote Green this election.” 

The Greens have slammed Peter Dutton’s plan to withhold public school funding and cut ‘thousands’ of jobs in the Commonwealth Department of Education. The Greens say a Dutton Government would result in cuts to public schools, a wound back Department of Education, and a Minister fixated on moulding the curriculum after her own image rather than supporting disadvantaged kids.Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson on Primary and Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:“Peter Dutton has said he will hold public school kids to ransom, withholding funds unless he gets to decide the curriculum. “He can’t help himself – cutting public school funding is in his DNA. “Kids in Australia deserve a world class, free public education, not threats and bluster from a wannabe Trump. “He’s seen what Trump is doing to public education in America and would love nothing more than to import that ideology into Australia. This is seriously dangerous and weird stuff. “The Liberals are fundamentally opposed to public schools – they’d prefer all schools to be fee-charging private schools. They don’t get that education is a right.“The last thing you want to see is Peter Dutton standing at the whiteboard telling your kid what they can and can’t learn.“Dutton and Sarah Henderson need to be up front here: are they talking about banning science or First Nations history as a condition of funding? Or forbidding queer teachers from discussing their lives?“In seats like Brisbane and Ryan, the only thing standing in the way of a Dutton majority are local Greens MPs. This election, a vote for the Greens is a vote to keep Dutton out and make Labor act.”