New gun trafficking laws to be announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott today will do little to improve community safety, says Australian Greens legal affairs spokesperson Senator Penny Wright.

“The Prime Minister’s got the wrong end of the stick. Most illegal guns are not trafficked into Australia, they are stolen from registered owners,” Senator Wright said. “That’s really where the focus needs to be.”

“Mandatory sentencing does not reduce crime – it only locks people up once the damage has been done.”

The Greens have congratulated Alinta Energy for their decision to proceed with a feasibility study into a solar thermal power station with storage, in Port Augusta. 

“This is a great step forward for South Australia and a win for the dedicated Port Augusta community who have been campaigning for a base-load solar thermal power station for years,” South Australian Greens Senator Penny Wright said. 

“Solar thermal will keep jobs in Port Augusta, improve the health of the community and uniquely position the town for the future.

The Abbott Government's huge cuts to education and indigenous programs and will hold back students in remote schools despite Education Minister Christopher Pyne's Direct Instruction plan, say the Australian Greens.

Australian Greens spokesperson for schools Senator Penny Wright said the Coalition's abandonment of the Gonski funding model would see remote schools miss out on millions of dollars that would have helped attract and retain specialist literacy teachers.

I move that the Senate

1.       notes

a.       the findings of the Youth Mental Health Report by Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute, which states 60 per cent of young people with a mental illness are not comfortable seeking information, advice or support from community agencies, online counselling or telephone hotlines

b.      the judgement of the High Court in Williams and The Commonwealth (no. 2), which found the Commonwealth's National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program to be unconstitutional

We move that the Senate :

1.       notes that:

a.       at any point in time, about 1.8% of the general population experiences Borderline Personality Disorder;

b.      the disorder can be characterised by overwhelming emotions, problems with relationships, impulsive and risk-taking behaviour and a fragile sense of self; and

c.       a history of trauma, abuse or deprivation is common among those with the disorder; and

A push by the Australian Greens to scrap the Abbott Government's $120 bankruptcy filing fee has succeeded, with the Senate disallowance vote passing late yesterday.

Australian Greens spokesperson for legal affairs Senator Penny Wright said it was a win for common-sense, with those in dire financial situations no longer to be charged extra fees to file for bankruptcy.

"Charging people in the worst kind of financial trouble a fee to go bankrupt was illogical, and we are very proud to have put a stop to it," Senator Wright said.