Annual Report 2025

2025-10-21

By Mehreen Faruqi
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens & Senator for New South Wales

Over the past year, there have been many moments of immense joy, community, and success, as well as moments of deep sadness and anger. Israel’s genocide in Gaza has continued now for almost two years, and our government continues to be complicit. Labor has issued statement after statement, but has failed to take real action, to impose sanctions, or to end the two-way arms trade between Australia and Israel. The cruelty, starvation, and torture that has been inflicted on Palestinians by Israel is beyond belief. We will continue to work every day for justice, for truth, and for a free Palestine. 

While the grief at the genocide and our government’s complicity has been immense, so too has been the incredible community that has rallied day after day, week after week, calling for justice for Palestine. Last month, crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with around 300,000 others marching for Palestine was an incredible experience that will stay with me for life. Never has the support for Palestine been so strong. We know we are on the right side of history, and we will not stop until Palestine is free.

The federal election in May was also a time of joy, success, and community, as well as a time of loss. In NSW, more people voted Greens than ever before, and it was a privilege to spend months out on the streets and in the community campaigning alongside our incredible Greens candidates, colleagues, and volunteers. At the same time, it was devastating to lose three incredible colleagues from Party Room, with Max Chandler-Mather, Stephen Bates and of course, Adam Bandt, losing their seats. Adam led the Greens with such integrity, courage, principle, passion, and compassion. He worked so hard for a safe climate, human rights, economic justice and a better world, and he is sorely missed. 

It was an honour to have the trust of my colleagues to return as Deputy Leader alongside our new Greens leader, Larissa Waters.  I’m really excited that for the first time there are two women at the helm of our Greens ship and we are so excited to be back in Parliament to do the work our members, voters and the community have given us to do.The planet is burning, inequality is deepening, and young people cannot afford a government that tinkers around the edges as their future disappears. We will deliver the hope, courage and transformation this moment demands.

The year has involved many highs and lows across all policy areas. In higher education, we argued strongly against the scapegoating of international students for a housing crisis they did not cause, and Labor eventually dropped its legislation for disastrous international students caps. After years of Greens advocacy, we saw Labor finally move on student debt, making changes to the calculation of indexation and wiping 20% of student debt. As student debt continues to spiral and the government refuses to undo the job-ready graduates fee hikes, this is only the beginning, and we will continue to advocate for all student debt to be wiped and a return to free uni and TAFE for all. 

A highlight of the year was chairing the Select Committee on the Impact of Climate Risk on Insurance Premiums and Availability. We heard from community members and experts about how the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters are making insurance unavailable or unaffordable for so many people, and this fed into the new policy we launched prior to the election for cheaper insurance in a climate crisis. 

In anti-racism, we welcomed the Race Discrimination Commissioner’s long-awaited National Anti-Racism Framework and have called on the government to urgently fund and implement the Framework. Now nine months on from its launch, we are yet to see any official response from the government. 

The Greens continue to be the only party genuinely committed to fighting for people and the planet. We know too that there can be no environmental justice without racial, social, and economic justice. It is an immense honour and privilege to be returned to the Senate to represent the Greens as a NSW Senator for the next six years. There is so much work ahead of us, and we could not do it without the members, volunteers, supporters, colleagues, and activists who work so tirelessly alongside us. I am deeply grateful for everyone who continues to support the work I do, and I look forward to another six years in the Senate fighting for people and the planet, and fighting for a better future for us all. 

2025 FEDERAL ELECTION

The 2025 Federal Election was a huge success in NSW. We made history, with more people in NSW voting Greens than ever before, surpassing our 2022 Senate vote and achieving a 1% swing across the state in the Lower House. 

Tens of thousands of people in NSW voted Greens for the first time, and we saw huge increases in our vote, in particular in migrant and multicultural communities. We increased our vote in every seat in Western Sydney, and saw huge swings at individual booths, with some in excess of 30%. 

The energy on the ground and in communities was incredibly positive and like nothing I have experienced before. The Greens’ strong stance on Palestine and anti-racism has allowed us to reach new communities and build our movement in new areas. Our work on these issues and in these communities over many years paid off clearly in our vote this election, and I look forward to continuing this work. 

TERTIARY EDUCATION

It has been a huge year in the higher education portfolio. After years of pressure and campaigning from the Greens, the Labor government finally legislated a 20% reduction in existing student debt. We know this reduction won’t scratch the surface of the financial burden of student debt, and we know that it is young people bearing the brunt of the housing, cost-of-living, and student-debt crises. This is why we will continue fighting to wipe all student debt, and to make TAFE and uni free for all, like it was for so many MPs, including our Prime Minister.

Last year, the Greens ensured the passage of the Fee-Free TAFE Bill, and supported legislation that introduced payments to students completing practical placements as part of their degrees, committed SSAF funding to student-run organisations, and altered the way in which indexation is calculated. These changes are a step in the right direction, but do not go far enough. We introduced amendments to wipe indexation, wipe all student debt, and ensure that all students completing mandatory placements are paid at least the minimum wage. In the new parliament, the Senate passed a bill for the introduction of a National Code to Prevent and Tackle Gender-Based Violence on university campuses, something that the Greens - alongside incredible student activists - have been campaigning for for many years.

The silencing and targeting of students and staff at university campuses across the country who have spoken out against Israel’s genocide in Palestine has been horrifying, as universities have introduced draconian policies to crackdown on academic freedom, freedom of speech, and protest on campuses. Universities have been at the forefront of so many movements against oppression and are such important sites for activism. Alongside the National Union of Students, APAN, and the Jewish Council of Australia, I supported the establishment of and am patron of the People’s Inquiry into Campus Free Speech on Palestine. The people’s inquiry has held three public hearings and published a preliminary report titled ‘Don’t talk or write about Palestine: it’s a career killer’. You can read the preliminary report here, and the final report will be published in late 2025. I am so grateful for the courageous witnesses, panellists, organisers, and attendees who have been involved in this inquiry. 

The independence of universities has been under renewed threats from multiple fronts. I called on the government to take action to safeguard the integrity of our higher education system from the Trump administration’s interference and questioned the Education Department during Senate Estimates about why the Education Minister requested intervention of the Australian Research Council in relation to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s fellowship. 

I introduced the Higher Education Support Amendment (End Dirty Uni Partnerships) Bill 2024, a Bill which requires universities to disclose and divest from any partnerships with dirty industries, including weapons manufacturers, gambling, fossil fuel and tobacco companies. 

Findings from the Parliamentary Library revealed that several universities across the country receive millions of dollars from major arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Thales, who are profiteering from the killing of Palestinians, and fossil fuel giants like Woodside, who are destroying our climate. The transparency rules are so lax that universities aren’t even required to disclose these partnerships. Universities should be places that advance the public good, not help dirty industries profit from human misery, and these links to dirty industries betray this core purpose and the mission of academia.

The Albanese-Labor government still refuses to reverse the Coalition’s punitive job-ready graduates fee hikes, despite its own Universities Accord finding that the scheme required “urgent remediation”. People starting university today are facing $50,000 arts degrees and high levels of uncertainty, as universities are cutting courses and jobs left, right, and centre. Over 3,000 job cuts have been announced at universities across the country over the past year. 

The Greens and I continue to speak up for students and staff and for an end to the corporate university. I have joined university staff, students and unions at rallies and other on-campus events to speak out against devastating job losses, course cuts, and the crisis facing our higher education system. 

In addition to abandoning university staff and domestic students, the Labor government continues to scapegoat international students. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Albanese-Labor government continues to blame international students for the housing crisis in a race to the bottom with the Coalition on anti-immigration dog-whistling. Labor’s international student caps received near unanimous criticism from the sector, and the Greens have been the only voice speaking out against this racist and harmful policy.

ANTI-RACISM 

Racism in this country is not new. It started with colonial violence against First Nations people and continues to this day. The continued mainstreaming and legitimising of white-supremacist and right-wing extremist views by politicians and in the media is deeply concerning and has real world impacts. Far-right extremism, white supremacy, and neo-Nazism has been growing for years; we have been sounding the alarm, and the government has failed to take action. Last year, I sat on a Senate Inquiry into Far Right Extremist Movements in Australia. The evidence to the Committee was alarming but resulted in some strong recommendations on how the government can best combat right-wing extremism. You can read my Additional Comments to the Inquiry Report here. The Greens remain the only party with a dedicated Anti-Racism portfolio, and I will continue to use my position to give a voice to racially marginalised communities in this new parliament.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), I announced the Greens’ plan to establish a Workplace Racial Equality Agency (WREA), modelled on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and with similar reporting requirements. Many Australians agree that no one should be discriminated against at their place of work for their racial, cultural or religious identity, however such occurrences remain far too common. This new agency would combat, document and understand racism in the workplace to ensure that work environments become thriving places of respect and safety for everyone, free from racism.

I and other Australians who have been discriminated against in their workplace won landmark victories in the courts. I recently congratulated Antoinette Lattouf for her successful unlawful termination suit against the ABC, calling out the national broadcaster for their shameful sacking of Antoinette and imploring them to start telling the truth about Gaza. 

Late last year, the Federal Court determined that One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson had racially vilified me and contravened section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act when she told me to “p*ss off back to Pakistan”. Some commentators described the judgment as a historic, groundbreaking precedent for how racism will be viewed in this country going forward.  Since the Federal Court made this judgment, I cannot count the number of times people have approached me and thanked me for taking this matter to court. Migrants like me are constantly told to go back to where they came from, and it is hurtful and deeply harmful every time. The judgement was a win for every person who has been told to go back to where they came from. The court made clear that there is no place for the relentless and vile racism so many of us have been copping throughout our lives here, sending a strong message to racists that they will be held to account.  I hope this helps us build an anti-racist Australia. The decision to take Pauline Hanson to court was not taken lightly, and it took a very personal toll on me and my family, but I did it for so many people who bear the brunt of racism and who are impacted by destructive racist language every single day. Pauline Hanson is appealing the decision, and we will be back in court later this year.

The long-awaited National Anti-Racism Framework was published by the Race Discrimination Commissioner late last year and is currently collecting dust on the shelves of Parliament as we wait for a response from the government to its recommendations. I have and will continue to call on the government to urgently fund and implement the National Anti-Racism Framework, which sets out a blueprint for an anti-racist Australia. 

ANIMAL WELFARE

It is an uphill battle to be a voice for animal welfare, but not one that I will ever shy away from. My office is set to have an even bigger year ahead in animal welfare advocacy. Prior to the election, the Greens launched  our Animal Welfare Election Plan to put animal welfare back on the national agenda, with key priorities including:

  • National animal welfare laws
  • Banning political donations from racing and gambling industries
  • Shutting down commercial horse and greyhound racing
  • Strengthening live export bans

Thanks to the dedicated team at Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds and overwhelming community support, in an unprecedented move, Greyhound Racing Australasia announced on 11 September 2024 that surgical artificial insemination will be banned from 01 January 2026. From next year, racing greyhounds will no longer have to suffer this barbaric and invasive procedure. This is a small step in the right direction and demonstrates that the practices of greyhound racing cannot be reformed- the only option is bans.

In support of Animal Liberation’s Day of Action for Greyhounds, I spoke in the Senate about the ongoing exploitation and horrific treatment of greyhounds by an industry that values gambling profits over the welfare of these beautiful animals. Australia is one of the last nations on earth that allows greyhound racing to continue - I called on the government to follow other countries like New Zealand to ban greyhound racing once and for all.

We have seen Tasmania recently follow suit in a decision to put an end to greyhound racing. Momentum for a national ban on greyhound racing is growing, and we will continue to fight in Parliament until all greyhounds are safe from this cruel and inhumane industry.

In November, the Greens released exclusive data from the parliamentary library revealing a 632% increase in political donations from gambling companies tied to horse racing over the past decade. These blood donations amounting to $2.7 million in ‘winnings’ for Labor and the Liberals rightfully outraged Australians, and the moral bankruptcy of the major parties was further commented on by The Guardian. 

The next day, I said Nup to the Cup and issued a media release calling for horse racing to be shut down and for gambling ads and dirty gambling donations to be banned. I will never be silent on the abuse and killings that are imbued into the very structure of the horse racing industry.

In 2021, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority was tasked with undertaking a review into the regulation of SGARs and the risks they pose to people, animals and the environment. SGARs (second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides) are rat poisons that kill by causing internal or external bleeding 5-10 days after consumption. SGARs are highly potent, meaning they take longer to break down, resulting in secondary poisoning of non-target animals over these 5-10 days, such as native birds and mammals, companion animals, and reptiles.The US, Canada and EU have banned the public sale of SGARs. It is appalling that Australia still allows these deadly poisons on our retail shelves.

The review was due in mid-2024 yet the deadline was missed. It was then rescheduled to be due in July 2025. Again, the authority missed its deadline without explanation and without a new date being scheduled. I have now raised this with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to find out when we will receive this long-awaited decision.

With the ban on live sheep exports not set to come into force until May 2028, we will keep up the pressure to shine a light on the continued cruelty of this trade and ensure that Independent Observers are properly empowered to do their work and minimise harm wherever possible. 

As the sole voice for animals in the Senate, the Greens will continue to ensure that the Government cannot turn a blind eye to animal cruelty in this country. Animal welfare cannot be just a secondary consideration, it must be a priority for legislative reform.

INTERNATIONAL AID AND GLOBAL JUSTICE

Last year, I wrote to you about how 2024 was on track to be the most deadly year on record for aid workers. In 2024, 181 aid workers were killed in Gaza and a further 60 were killed in Sudan. Devastatingly, 2025 is on track to be just as deadly. 

Hundreds of aid workers have been killed by Israel since it began its genocide in Gaza. In April, we marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Franko and her colleagues from World Central Kitchen. I have and will continue to push both inside and outside of Parliament for an independent investigation of her murder.

Frankly, I don’t have the words to describe the distortion of reality by Israel, its allies and the mainstream media when it comes to Israel’s starvation of Gaza and intentional blockade of aid. Israel’s legislation banning the UNRWA came into effect in January, drastically reducing the amount of critical aid that could be distributed to Gaza’s starving population. In March, Israel blocked any aid from entering Gaza. In May, the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) took over this role, setting up ‘aid’ delivery deathtraps, with the IDF opening fire on unarmed, starving civilians at the distribution sites. Israel and the GHF have intentionally structured these distribution sites as a tool for genocide. I wrote to the Minister for International Aid, Anne Aly MP, calling on the government to take action to end this cruelty. 

I have routinely called out Labor’s inaction on Gaza, noting that their calls for Israel to allow aid into Gaza are meaningless without taking any meaningful action. I also spoke regularly at protests, calling for an end to the illegal blockade of aid into Gaza by Israel and calling out Prime Minister Albanese for his shameful response to the genocide.

This year, I unveiled the Greens’ plan to decolonise international aid and ensure Australia pays its fair share. After Trump’s foreign aid freeze, I questioned the Foreign Minister during Senate Estimates about what measures Australia will implement to step up after President Trump’s foreign aid freeze. I then appeared as a guest on ACFID’s “DevPolicy” podcast where I spoke about our plan, calling for an increase in funding and an independent oversight agency to improve aid accountability and transparency. I also hosted a crossbench briefing from ACFID about the impact of Trump’s aid freeze and global gag order on the protection of sexual and reproductive rights around the world, and particularly in the Pacific.

The Greens have continued to offer a just alternative to the Labor and Liberal policy of ignoring the concerns of neighbours in the Pacific about our country’s outsized contribution to climate change and our exploitation of their workforces. Late last year, I was invited to open the Oxfam Climate Roundtable: Australian Climate Solidarity with First Peoples and Asia-Pacific communities at Parliament House. I also appeared on ABC Pacific in the lead up to the election to talk about international aid.

CLIMATE ADAPTATION, RESILIENCE & EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The impacts of the climate crisis are increasing every year, and the government continues to pour fuel on the fire by approving coal and gas projects. I was pleased to add Emergency Management to the existing Climate Adaptation & Resilience portfolio.

Last year, I chaired the Senate Select Committee Inquiry into the Impact of Select Committee on the Impact of Climate Risk on Insurance Premiums and Availability and called on the government to adopt all recommendations of the report. I headed to Richmond alongside Greens candidate, Mandy Nolan, to launch the first part of our comprehensive plan to deliver cheaper insurance during a climate crisis. Our plan calls for an end to stamp duty on house and car insurance, an expanded reinsurance pool, a polluter pays model, increased consumer protections, and a public national disaster risk map and database. You can read more here. 

The Greens introduced a bill to Parliament to make polluters pay for the costs of the climate crisis, and we look forward to working with our colleagues at the ‘Make Big Polluters Pay Alliance’ to further this work in the new parliament. 

NSW

As always, it is an immense privilege to represent the people of New South Wales and work alongside my NSW Greens counterparts at both state and local government levels. It was such a joy to celebrate the passing of Dr Amanda Cohn MLC’s bill earlier this year to widen abortion access in NSW. This is an issue that the Greens have proudly led on for years. 

The federal election campaign was a wonderful opportunity to meet with candidates, volunteers, and Greens supporters from all over the state, including trips to the Northern Rivers, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, the Southern Highlands, the Blue Mountains, Albury, Newcastle, and many more! 

Throughout the past year, we hosted some incredible events, including our annual International Women’s Day breakfast, where we heard from guest speakers, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and Jazz Money, and our annual women’s Iftar, which was attended by over 200 guests. We wrapped up 2024 with a Western Sydney community BBQ, launched our animal welfare policy with a dog walk in Sydney Park, hosted ‘Politics in the Pub’ with Senator Nick McKim and Sue Higginson MLC on the South Coast, attended candidate launches across the state, threw the Greens’ biggest ever event in Western Sydney with Adam Bandt at Parramatta Town Hall, and hosted Sophie McNeill for a mega doorknock for Palestine in Sydney’s Inner West. These were just some of the highlights of a year that was packed full of incredible events alongside so many different communities, supporting so many important causes, and growing our Greens movement.

CONSTITUENT SUPPORT

My office is always open to the community and over the past year, we have continued to provide support to our constituents on a range of issues from the NDIS to visa support and advocacy. We have also opened an in-office community pantry to support locals struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. 

A highlight of my constituent support was using my position to make a representation to NDIA to have a NDIS plan urgently reviewed, which helped a NSW resident to secure desperately needed supported housing and additional high-quality care. 

TRIP TO THE UK

In early June, I was invited to the Oxford Union at the University of Oxford to debate the topic “No one is illegal on stolen land”. I spoke in favour of the proposition alongside Professor Avi Chomsky. New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour, spoke alongside two guests from the US for the opposition. I was delighted to win the debate on a topic that is close to my heart, with a speech delivered in the heart of the Empire. 

Also while in Oxford, I spoke to Australian students about the election results and the state of progressive politics and had the chance to catch up with the former Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane. In London, I met with UK Greens co-Leader, Carla Denyer MP, and spoke at an event for local Greens members. It was a privilege to meet with Jeremy Corbyn MP and Zarah Sultana MP to discuss global solidarity and the movement for a free Palestine.

MEDIA

The past year involved many more media appearances across a range of issues. I appeared regularly on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing and ABC Drive Sydney’s Political Forum. I spoke on RN Breakfast on a number of occasions, as well as on other metro and regional radio shows. My win against Pauline Hanson in the Federal Court and my protest for Gaza during the opening of the 48th Parliament generated significant media interest and platformed our fight against racism and for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We have collaborated with Guardian, ABC, and AFR journalists on a range of stories throughout the year.

Despite the attacks I continue to receive from right-wing media outlets, I will continue to speak up and will always use my platform to fight for a future that is just, equitable, and sustainable for all. 

COMMITTEES (IN THE 47th PARLIAMENT)

- Mehreen

2025 Annual Reports