2022-11-25
With the Greens in balance of power in the Senate, we will use our numbers and power to fight for our environment, stronger action on the climate crisis, a liveable planet, and a more equal future for all of us.
By Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
2022 has been a huge year. The change of government has brought a new sense of optimism and hope. With the Greens in balance of power in the Senate, we will use our numbers and power to fight for our environment, stronger action on the climate crisis, a liveable planet, and a more equal future for all of us.
It’s time to fix our broken environment laws
The State of the Environment report, which was released this year, highlighted just how desperate the situation is for our environment. Our wildlife, oceans and forests are on the brink of collapse, driven to the brink by land clearing, habitat destruction, native forest logging and the climate crisis. Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent
We need to fix our broken environment laws; we need a comprehensive plan to protect our environment and look after our native species. Green Australia is a fully-costed plan that would invest $24 billion over the next decade in a mass greening and restoration program to restore habitat and help save our wildlife from extinction.
In balance of power, we will be pushing the government to create thousands of jobs to restore habitat. We want to see habitat restored and protected with billions of trees and plant species planted, and we want our rivers and lakes cleaned up, so they are actually swimmable! Our plan protects and restores our environment while creating clean, green jobs; it’s a win-win.
I was also reappointed as Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications Committee. We have re-established the Greens initiated inquiries into public funding for fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, and into the extinction crisis in Australia. There is much work to do examining these important matters for the sake of a healthy climate and the future of our precious wildlife and natural places.
Zero extinctions means NO new coal and gas
It is a national disgrace that Australia’s iconic koalas are on the brink of extinction on the east coast of Australia. Habitat clearing and the climate crisis are the biggest threat to Australia's native species. The recent announcement of ‘no new extinctions’ objective by the Albanese Government is a welcome target and something I have been advocating for, for many years.
Achieving zero extinctions will be completely unattainable if this government continues to open new coal and gas projects. A true line in the sand moment for extinction would rule out land clearing of critical habitat andnew coal and gas, and end native forest logging. I’m urging Labor to support the Greens’ bills for a moratorium on habitat clearing and a climate trigger to assess polluting projects for the impact of their emissions on the climate.
We must stop making the climate crisis worse
Right now, a proposal for a big development or mine isn’t even assessed for climate pollution and the impact this pollution will have on the environment. Any suggestion a project ‘stacks up environmentally’ is a complete furphy if its impact on the climate isn’t even considered.
That is why the Greens have introduced the Greens’ Climate Trigger Bill. The new laws would mean a stop to climate and environment wrecking projects like Beetaloo and Scarborough and help keep billions of tonnes of CO2 in the ground. It is shocking that in 2022 the Environment Minister is not required to consider the climate impact from the approval of massively polluting projects. Our ‘climate trigger’ bill will change that and will fix this fundamental flaw in our environment laws.
With political will, we can reverse our current trajectory and save our threatened species. We can set a national target for zero extinction, bolstering efforts to track and provide support for threatened species. There is a boom in the waiting for environmental jobs to rehabilitate mining sites and affected wetlands. We will not stop fighting till there are real protections for our environment – this is the future of our iconic wildlife, our beautiful beaches and forests, and our planet at stake.
The Nationals’ reign over water is over
The Murray-Darling is Australia’s biggest river system, and the lifeblood of our country. But rivers die from the mouth up. I have a newfound hope for our Murray River now that Barnaby Joyce and the National Party's reign over the water portfolio is finally over. I look forward to working with Water Minister Plibersek to ensure the Murray Darling Plan is implemented in full and on time.
The time for draining the river and the public purse is over. The only way to end the ‘water wars’ is to return the water to the river that it needs for the whole system to stay alive – water buybacks must be reinstated immediately. The Greens will be using our position in the Senate to fight for the delivery of the 450GL promised to the river and South Australia.
Our vision for creative Australia
The Greens have been working with stakeholders over the past few years to understand the needs of the arts and entertainment industry. From this, we developed tailored policies and plans that will help the industry get back on its feet and grow into the future.
We cannot expect industries like this to continue without our support in return. The Greens understand that art matters and the power of creativity shapes the fabric of our culture and is a public good.
The Greens have welcomed the development of the National Cultural Plan and made a submission during the consultation period. We continue to push a live performance insurance guarantee to cover events cancelled by weather-related disasters. Even before Covid-19 we saw festivals cancelled due to bushfires, and more recently due to flooding. When the pandemic is over, the climate crisis will still be here.
We will also be pushing for local content quotas on the streaming giants like Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Stan. The Greens’ policy is to require streaming services to invest 20 percent of their earnings from Australian subscribers into Australian content creation.
Our plan also ensures a sub-quota of 20 percent of the streaming giants’ local content quota to be made for children. It is so important for children to see themselves and their communities reflected on their screens. Investing in the screen industry puts Australian stories front and centre in the national conversation about quality film and television. Decades of local filmmaking shows Australia is an untapped talent in the industry on a global scale.
Media diversity
I have urged the new Communications Minister Rowland to provide a comprehensive response to the Senate Inquiry into Media Diversity. It is clear we need media reform. Why is the government so scared of a Royal Commission into Australia’s media? Is it that they are worried what the Murdoch press will say and what the retribution will be? If so, this is exactly why we need a one.
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Parliament needs to get on with dealing with the stresses everyday people are under, like the soaring cost of living, the housing crisis and the climate crisis and the sooner that happens, the better. It’s time to work together and get things done.