Young people will be guaranteed a job, secure income, and free education under a new Greens recovery plan to restart the economy and build ‘a better normal’ after the coronavirus economic shock.

The vision for a debt-financed recovery reaffirms the government’s role in responding to the crisis, and rejects the austerity approaches offered by the Liberal and Labor parties, charting a course for a government-led recovery that extends Australia’s world-class social services, instead of slashing funding for education, healthcare, and the environment.

The Australian Greens have responded to today's jobs figures showing nearly 4 in 10 young people without a job or enough hours of work, warning that unless the government massively invests to recover from this crisis, already skyrocketing unemployment and underemployment for young people will reach catastrophic levels in the coming months and years. 

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has labelled Health Minister Greg Hunt's announcement of the establishment of a National Advisory Group to guide development and implementation of a response plan focusing on the unique health needs of disabled people a "huge win" for the community.

Tuesday 31st March, 2020

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said the Government's failure to extend the $550 COVID-19 supplement to people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment in Yesterday's $130 billion stimulus package was an indictment on their attitude to disabled people and carers.

"It's clear that this government is still not taking the needs of disabled people and their families seriously enough in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Steele-John said.

Thursday 26th March, 2020

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has again called for urgent action to ensure disabled people have access to clear information and the appropriate supports to get through this crisis, after the disability Royal Commission today put out a statement of concern about the impact COVID-19 will have on the disability community.

Wednesday 25th March, 2020

Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called on Minister Ruston to urgently extend the COVID-19 supplement payment, announced as part of the government’s second round of stimulus, to disabled people receiving the disability support pension and to carers who receive the carer support payment.

“Minister Ruston has been given extraordinary powers up until the end of this year which enable her to introduce measures to ensure that Australians who receive income support can get through this crisis. 

Friday 20th March, 2020

After seeking advice from medical professionals, my colleagues and my family, I have made the decision to stay in Western Australia - I won't be travelling to Canberra for Parliament next week. 

We're all in this together and all of our lives have been disrupted. For at risk people, including disabled people, we're having to re-evaluate and adapt, balancing our usual routines with minimising the risk to ourselves and those we love. 

Thursday 19 March, 2020

Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has described the COAG Disability Reform Council's (DRC) response to COVID-19 as appalling

Senator Steele-John has called on the DRC to act with more urgency, and provide more clarity about the impacts COVID-19 will have on disabled people, our families and our support networks.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called on the government to implement a comprehensive action plan to ensure that everyone in the community has access to the right information and the appropriate supports to get through the COVID-19 crisis.

"Many people across our communities, especially disabled people and others who are at risk, are feeling worried and uncertain about the impacts the COVID-19 crisis could have on them and the people they love," Steele-John said.