The Morrison Government’s new Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Market Bill looks set to fail Australia’s environment despite promises to help ecosystem restoration, the Australian Greens have said today.

The Greens will refer the bill to a Senate inquiry for review and have called on the Labor Party to back an inquiry, before voting on the bill.

Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for the environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

Hemp has to be one of the most misunderstood plants on this planet. Despite it having multiple uses over thousands of years - including food, construction, fuels and fibre - the rise of drug culture and prohibition on cannabis has seen industry growth stymied. This is despite the cannabis plant used to grow it typically containing less than one percent THC.

Angus Taylor was today quoted in The Australian saying, “no affordable, practical and large-scale way exists to reduce [methane from agriculture] other than by culling herd sizes”.
 
This is simply negative politics and scaremongering. Exciting opportunities exist to tackle this problem, creating new industries and jobs. We just need to get on with it.
 

The Greens have warned now is a dangerous time to be distracted from the real climate action needed to support farmers and have urged the National Farmers Federation to hold The Nationals to account ahead of their meeting today.

Greens spokesperson for agriculture, Peter Whish-Wilson, said trying to appease The Nationals is a fool’s game.

Today’s comments from Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud, that he is open to adopting net zero emissions by 2050 but wants to see concrete plans before signing up to the pledge begs the question: what has he been doing for the last four years?

Greens spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Peter Whish-Wilson, said evidence of climate change impacts on farming is hardly new information and you’d be forgiven for thinking setting climate targets for 30 years’ time is a joke.

The Morrison/McCormack government isn’t just lying about New Zealand’s climate plan, it has cost farmers over $12 billion by repealing the carbon price and exposed them to new carbon tariffs, said Greens Leader, Adam Bandt. 
 

Responding to the Deputy Prime Minister’s statement about the climate crisis that "We are not worried, or I’m certainly not worried, about what might happen in 30 years’ time”, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said today that the Deputy Prime Minister’s recklessness is a threat to the lives of Australia’s children. Mr Bandt also warned that his attempts to roadblock action to reduce emissions would also hurt regional Australia.

“Michael McCormack is putting coal corporations ahead of farmers and threatening the lives of Australia’s children,” Mr Bandt said.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says a new report on the impact of global warming on the Murray-Darling makes the fork in the road crystal clear.

“If Scott Morrison doesn’t accept we’re in a climate emergency and start phasing out coal and gas, nothing will save the Murray-Darling,” Bandt said.

“The Prime Minister must choose between crops or coal, because we can’t have both.

“Scott Morrison is failing to protect Australia’s farmers.

“Scott Morrison’s coal-hugging and climate-denial is threatening Australia’s ability to feed itself.

The Greens have today called on Scott Morrison to apologise to Australia’s wine growers and other producers, saying Morrison’s mistaken decision to align himself so closely with Donald Trump has contributed to rising tensions with the Chinese government.

With the Prime Minister now on the defensive, it appears that Morrison is starting to acknowledge his approach has failed. 

Lines from Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:

Greens Senator Janet Rice has slammed the government’s failure to act as farmers suffer the effects of the climate emergency, following a damning report released today from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

The report found that the climate crisis has sunk Australian farms’ average annual profits by 22% and that crop farmers have been hit the hardest, losing $1.1bn in revenue a year since 2000.

Quotes attributable to Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Agriculture and Regional Affairs