2017-02-06
The Federal Senate will vote on whether to ban drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight tomorrow, following revelations oil giant Chevron has been donating tens of thousands of dollars to the Labor and Liberal parties.
“The public is rightly worried that this money has bought Chevron influence in both the Liberal and Labor parties. If Labor and the Liberals want the public to believe they can’t be bought, supporting this amendment is the first test,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“These politicians should be protecting the Great Australian Bight and the thousands of South Australian fisheries and tourism jobs that rely on it, not their foreign corporate donors.
“With fossil fuel companies in the oil and coal business pouring money into politics, it’s fair enough that people are starting to lose faith in our politicians.
“Not only would drilling in the Bight put the environment at risk, but this was a dud project for South Australian workers as well, with most of the jobs going to people from overseas.
“Dirty money leads to dirty politics. Our democracy is not for sale and it’s time South Australian politicians stood up for our state and our precious environment.”
Senator Hanson-Young will move an amendment to the government’s Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Petroleum Pools and Other Measures) Bill 2016, permanently banning drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, which is listed for debate on Tuesday.
Media contact: Amy Moran 0427 604 760