Labor's cowardice and cruelty

Labor's cowardice and refusal to raise money from those who can afford it has led to cutting a billion dollars from the world's poorest to spend on cruelty.

"Labor will spend over a billion dollars on its cruel and inhumane PNG ‘solution' while hitting the aid budget and Australia's public service," Australian Greens Leader Senator Milne said.

"We shouldn't be slashing money from the aid budget or the public service in a rush back to surplus.

"Kevin Rudd's attack on the public service has been dressed up as an "efficiency dividend. But what it really means is significant job losses and the axing of vital programs and services.

"This is another example of Kevin Rudd adopting Tony Abbott's attack on the public service rather than having courage to take on the big mining companies or the fossil fuel sector who can afford to contribute more.

"After another billion dollar write down in its mining tax, when will Labor finally admit that it is time to fix this tax and make the big mining companies pay their fair share.

"Why should the world's poor and Australia's public servants pay while the mining companies are laughing all the way to the bank.

"The glaring absence in this statement is Labor's refusal to reverse the cuts to single parents and universities or increase Newstart by $50 a week to help people out of poverty.

"The Greens would immediately save the $3.8 billion cost of rushing to flexible pricing under the ETS which would simply making it cheaper for big polluters to pollute.

"Labor's economic statement fails to care for people, protect the environment or drive the transition to a clean economy.

"Only the Greens can be trusted to stand up for what matters and raise the revenue to invest in a caring society."