The Greens have slammed the Morrison Government for its relentless destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, after it tried to remove reference to a 1.5C global warming limit in a new climate change policy for World Heritage sites.

The Morrison Government also lobbied for conversations about World Heritage sites damaged by climate change – including the Great Barrier Reef – to be put on hold when the climate change policy is debated at a UNESCO meeting in Paris scheduled in two weeks’ time.

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 LNP has gagged debate on a bill to stop the destructive fossil fuel project PEP-11, despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal MPs Lucy Wicks, Jason Falinski, Trent Zimmerman and Dave Sharma having all voiced opposition to the project.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said:

“Coastal communities right around the nation are opposing offshore fossil fuel projects in this critical time of climate emergency.

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.

The Greens have condemned the Morrison Government for proposing changes to conservation planning decisions that would see the Tasmanian devil recovery plan scrapped.

Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania Peter Whish-Wilson said:

“Tasmanian devils are endangered and their recovery from the infectious cancer that decimated their population is far from over.

The Greens have slammed the Morrison Government for upping its assault on lutruwita/Tasmania’s oceans and waterways. 
 
Quotes attributable to Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, and Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Peter Whish-Wilson:
 
“Make no mistake today’s announcement is the unofficial start of Scott Morrison’s election campaign.
 
“This is clearly sabre-rattling, preparing Australia for a khaki election and designed to be a distraction from the fact this Government is plagued with scandal and corruption.
 

With the confirmation of new Senator for Western Australia Dorinda Cox today, Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has put the Greens on election footing with a reshuffle of the Greens’ ‘shadow Ministerial’ portfolios that prioritises the party’s key campaign areas and sets the party up for ‘balance of power’ negotiations in the likely event of a minority Parliament. 

The Greens have slammed the Morrison Government for politicising science in an attempt to deny the dangerous decline of the Great Barrier Reef. 
 
Documents obtained by the ABC under Freedom of Information laws reveal the Morrison Government coerced an independent science agency to rush the release of a major scientific report.

The Greens have condemned Environment Minister Sussan Ley for lifting a ban on Venture Minerals trucking ore at night along a 112km stretch of critical Tasmanian devil habitat.  

Greens Senator for Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson said:

“Tasmanian devils are endangered and their recovery from the infectious cancer that decimated their population in other parts of the state has been fraught.

A Senate Inquiry that investigated Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approvals has used key Tasmanian case studies to blast the Federal Government and demonstrate why reform is desperately needed to restore public confidence in foreign investment.