Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Whish-Wilson, has called on Village Roadshow to stop tying red helium balloons to stormwater drains to promote the Stephen King movie IT because the balloons will undoubtedly enter the ocean and cause the deaths of our marine life.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “When I saw photos of the red helium balloons tied to stormwater drains in Sydney I was furious. When balloons end up in the ocean they float and get swallowed by sea-birds, dolphins, whales and turtles.

Australian Greens Defence spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, commented today on the worrying implications for Australia of Donald Trump’s backflip on Afghanistan.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “We can expect that in coming days Australia will, yet again, be asked to commit more troops and more resources to the longest running conflict in our nation’s history.  Already we can see our Government preparing to capitulate - Defence Minister Marise Payne has refused to rule out sending ADF personnel back into a combat role.

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has reiterated calls for investment property to be treated as a financial product in the wake of the 4 Corners report on the state of the housing market in Australia.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Australia’s housing market is a debt-fuelled bubble driven primarily by tax breaks to investors. This is distorting the entire economy, creating enormous financial risk, and pushing the price of housing out of the reach of young people.

Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on the successful move by the Greens to establish a Senate Inquiry into the future of the recycling industry following the exposé on Four Corners.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I have been pursuing these issues in the recycling industry for years but the recent Four Corners episode has really brought the crisis out into the open.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to commit Australian troops to a possible war against North Korea puts Australia at risk and shows why Parliament needs to urgently pass a war powers act and renegotiate the alliance with the United States, said leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale and Greens Defence Spokesperson Sen. Peter Whish-Wilson.

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, responded today to the Commonwealth Bank’s record profit announcement.

“The announcement of a $10 billion profit by Commonwealth Bank is emblematic of what is wrong with the Australian economy.

“Despite having a record of bad behaviour as long as your arm, CBA is making record profits and paying their executives millions and millions while ordinary Australians watch their wages freeze and the cost of housing spiral out of control.

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has labelled the decision by the Commbank board to cut just the short-term cash bonus of Ian Narev and his colleagues, while leaving the remainder of their bonuses in-tact as simply 'stunning'.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The big bucks should stop with the Commonwealth Bank CEO and senior executives. Not one of them should get a single cent in bonuses, whether those bonuses are in shares or in cash, or whether they relate to this year’s performance or the last four years.