The Coalition is using the Federal Budget to silence public accountability and transparency bodies that have called out this Government’s corruption, Greens Leader in the Senate and Spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters said.

“Once again, this corrupt Government is doing all it can to avoid public scrutiny, this time using the Budget to cut funding to our accountability and transparency bodies,” Senator Waters said.

Responding to the Supreme Court’s decision to grant Adani a temporary injunction to silence anti-Adani activist Ben Pennings, Senator for Queensland and Greens spokesperson for mining and resources, Senator Larissa Waters, said: 
 
“I’m disgusted that a coal billionaire has used the courts to silence anti-Adani climate activist, Galilee Blockade leader Ben Pennings.

“We live in a broken democracy where big companies will do whatever they can to silence opposition.

The Morrison government still refuses to call the Greens bill to establish a federal corruption watchdog on for a vote, one year after it passed the Senate.
 
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said time was up on the Coalition’s excuses.
 
“The Senate passed the Greens bill for a federal corruption watchdog one year ago today; so why are we still waiting?” Senator Waters said.
 
“Maybe it’s because the Morrison government is up to its eyeballs in dodgy deals for mates and pork barrelling. 
 

The Greens condemn the major parties for voting to create a backdoor for dirty donors to bypass state donations laws.
 
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:

The Greens condemn Adani’s attempts to silence Galilee Blockade leader, Ben Pennings, by seeking to  bankrupt his family with legal action and secretly applying to the Supreme Court to raid his home. 
 
Senator for Queensland and Greens spokesperson for mining and resources, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
 
“We live in a broken democracy where big companies will do whatever they can to silence opposition.
 

The Greens are calling on the Prime Minister to stand down Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar while the Department of Finance investigates the misuse of taxpayer-funded positions, and to consider whether Sukkar’s actions are in breach of the Ministerial Standards.
 
“The Prime Minister has asked Australians for their trust over the past few months. But Morrison continues to throw integrity overboard with his failure to act on the ongoing, multiple scandals involving his ministers,” Greens co-Deputy leader, Senator Larissa Waters, said.
 

Despite the conduct of politicians having declined year on year and public confidence in democracy bottoming out, both major parties have rejected the need for binding, independently enforced parliamentary standards proposed by the Greens.
 
Responding to today’s bipartisan recommendation of the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee to oppose the Greens Parliamentary Standards Bill introduced in October 2019, Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson on democracy, Senator Larissa Waters said:
 

Senator Larissa Waters will call the Senate to vote on an inquiry into the Coalition’s rorting of government grants, which will include the Shine Energy’s controversially won federal funding to investigate a coal-fired power station at Collinsville, QLD.

Waters said the inquiry has never been so important, following reports today showing links between Shine Energy and multinational mining giant, Glencore.

In another damning report, the Australian National Audit Office has found that the government does not adequately assess conflict of interests risks or monitor compliance with the Lobbying Code of Conduct. 
 

The Greens will today introduce a bill in the Senate that will prohibit political donations from certain industries, and impose a cap on all other donations.
 
Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters said:
 
“We must put a stop to the rorts and favours for mates that are rife under the Morrison Government.
 
“Since 2012, the Liberal, National and Labor parties have received over one hundred million dollars from corporate donors. And we’ve seen those donors benefit from favourable policy outcomes and project approvals.