The Greens support the Government’s plan to take swift action to rectify the failure to arrange for a start date of a law giving federal courts jurisdiction to settle property and maintenance disputes of de facto couples.
“The Attorney-General must treat this as a matter of urgency. The Government has no choice but to introduce legislation retrospectively so thousands of settlements from March 2009 until early February this year are not in doubt,” Greens spokesperson for Legal Affairs, Senator Penny Wright, said.
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 13:37
The Australian Greens will tomorrow pay tribute to service personnel and civilians who lost their lives in the bombing of Darwin, the first and largest direct attack of mainland Australia.
Greens spokesperson for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator Penny Wright, said the 70th anniversary of the bombings tomorrow was a timely reminder of the enduring costs of war.
Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 13:53
Seventy years after one of Australia’s darkest years in recent history, Australians should pause to reflect the sacrifices made by Australian service people who have served in conflict zones while also acknowledging that for veterans the battle often continues long after they have come home, the Australian Greens said today.
Greens spokesperson for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator Penny Wright, urged Australians to take a moment to remember the courage of 22 nurses who came ashore on Bangka Island after the sinking of their ship the SS Vyner Brooke which was fleeing the fall of Singapore.
Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 09:42
The Government has confirmed that it did not consult with Ex-Service Organisations before it cut funding to the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) program last year, the Australian Greens said.
The Government confirmed last night during Senate Estimates that the cuts to the BEST program are here to stay.
Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 07:28
The Australian Greens share concerns that the Government’s draft 10-year roadmap for mental health reform does not provide a clear way forward.
The Greens plan to ask questions about the consultation and implementation process of the roadmap during Senate Estimates.
Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 11:22
The Government and the Opposition made it clear today that preserving Australia’s heritage is low on their agenda, the Greens said.
Both sides voted against a motion by Greens’ spokesperson for cultural heritage, Senator Penny Wright, which called on the Government to extend the life of the Register of the National Estate, which will expire in 10 days, leaving many heritage sites without protection.
Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2012 - 13:15
The Government urgently needs to provide answers on what will happen to thousands of natural, cultural and Indigenous heritage places when the Register of the National Estate expires next week, the Greens said.
“The Government has had five years to oversee the process of transferring these places onto other appropriate heritage registers, but our inquiries suggest the process is far from complete”, Greens spokesperson for cultural heritage, Senator Penny Wright, said.
Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2012 - 07:15
The countdown is on for the Government to ensure patients don’t miss out on crucial mental health treatment when the reinstated sessions for the Better Access program finish at the end of the year, the Greens said.
Greens spokesperson for mental health, Senator Penny Wright, officially withdrew a motion to disallow cuts to the program today after the Government announced last week they would re-instate six additional sessions in exceptional circumstances as an interim measure.
Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 15:30
The South Australian Government must ensure that its long-term priorities for the state’s mental health services do not slip off the radar when its five-year “Stepping Up” plan ends next month, South Australian Greens Senator Penny Wright said.
Senator Wright today supported the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia’s call for a further plan committed to addressing the many aspects of mental health including links to vital services like employment, housing and legal assistance.
Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - 15:50
The Government needs to listen closely to concerns raised by Australian human rights organisations when it comes to strengthening equality laws, the Australian Greens said.
“Submissions to the Federal Attorney-General’s department regarding its proposed consolidation of anti-discrimination laws closed yesterday, so today is when the work really needs to start,” Greens legal spokesperson, Senator Penny Wright, said.
Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 10:08
