Christine Milne spoke to the press at the Senate doors, to respond to the AWU affair and point to the more important issues of cuts to single parents, reform of the Mining Tax, cruelty to asylum seekers and the climate negotiations underway in Doha.

The press asked questions on the AWU, the upcoming UN vote on the status of Palestine,  and temporary protection visas for refugees.

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The Greens' political philosophy is about empowering people to take a stand to do what is right and make a positive and lasting contribution to society. This is exactly what whistleblowers do, and the Greens unequivocally support their protection under law.

The Greens want a comprehensive whistleblower scheme that gives confidence to those who are considering disclosing maladministration and corruption that they will be legally protected if they do come forward.

Christine Milne spoke to the press at the Senate Doors this morning, to call on Minister Bowen to admit that cruel deterrence mechanisms do not work in stopping asylum seekers risking their lives on boats; the Murray Darling Basin Plan will be announced by Minister Burke today, but the Government is not delivering the water necessary to secure a sustainable river system; the Greens have a bill before the Senate today to close the loophole in the MRRT, and it appears the Government is considering working towards this end as well; the Tasmanian Forest talks may reach a conclusion soon, and fo

Christine Milne addressed the press at the Senate Doors and discussed the ongoing conflict in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the blockade; the ABC job cuts in Tasmania, the World Meteorological Organisation Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the MRRT and Greens proposal to plug the royalties loophole; Amnesty International's report on the detention centre on Nauru; and the changes to the PBS and chemotherapy treatment

Christine Milne spoke to the press on Gaza, the Royal Commission, fuel subsidies for mining companies, the Government's decision to cut solar support, weaken environmental protection and promote coal seam gas.

Christine Milne and Sarah Hanson-Young joined Mark Parnell in South Australia to comment on the World Energy Outlook, the Royal Commission into child abuse and the Murray Darling

Transcript

Subjects: World Energy Outlook report, Royal Commission into child abuse, Murray Darling

Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said "This will be welcome, if difficult, news for thousands of Australians".

"I first wrote to the Prime Minister in July asking her to consider a Royal Commission, joining calls from many others over a much longer period which have now borne fruit.

"I hope this can bring some peace and justice to shattered lives, lift the shadow off all those good people in the church striving to do good for others, and make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

It is time the Federal Government set up a Royal Commission into child abuse in the Catholic Church, and The Australian Greens will call on the Government to establish one when the Senate resumes,Senator Christine Milne said today.

"With unprecedented claims by senior police that evidence is being destroyed or suppressed within the Church and that inquiries are being hampered, a national Royal Commission is needed to address what Cardinal Pell has described as a cancer."

Christine Milne addressed the press to commented on the GST, mining tax, Greens National Conference and other issues of the day

Leader of the Australia Greens, Senator Christine Milne, delivered a keynote speech to the Greens National Conference in Sydney, and addressed the press at a press conference afterwards.

Senator Larissa Waters also delivered a speech at the National Conference outlining the Federal Greens' Too Precious to Lose' campaign, to protect our precious natural environments under threat from weakening environmental laws and damaging developments.

Please see attached audio files.