2013 should see government looking after people and the environment: Greens
Acting Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, outlined the Greens' plans for the New Year today as he marked the eve of cuts to single parents' payments.
"The old parties' New Year's resolutions will ring hollow unless they are willing to face up to Australia's looming revenue challenge," said Mr Bandt.
"In 2013, the Greens want government to do its job of looking after people and the environment, and that means standing up to big business and the wealthy.
"The government needs to raise the revenue to fund the social services Australians rightly expect, like public schools, Denticare and the NDIS. If we don't increase taxes on big business and the wealthy to pay for these things, then governments will keep cutting spending and raising the taxes that the rest of us pay.
"In the New Year, the Greens will push to plug the holes in the mining tax and lift the marginal tax rate on the millionaires who can afford it. The Greens won't slug single parents.
"We'll put forward ways to fund a boost $50 per week boost to Newstart, so that unemployed workers can escape the poverty cycle.
"In 2013, the Greens will lay out a vision for Australia's economy after the mining boom. To create jobs and a strong economy, Australia must become a clean energy powerhouse where science, research and education play a central role.
"In 2013, the Greens will continue to be the only party people can trust to look after the environment.
"The old parties' failure to stand up to the coal, coal seam gas and mining industries threatens Australia's great environmental assets like the Great Barrier Reef."
31 December 2012