Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is the last day of parliamentary sittings for this year. We had so many opportunities this week to get meaningful reforms through this place. We could have banned gambling advertising, which is destroying families and driving up suicide rates. It is the scourge on our society, but there's no legislation to be seen on it. We had an opportunity to act for renters and to cap rental increases, but, no, there's absolutely nothing from the government on this. We had a chance to fight for our environment. We have a progressive crossbench and a Labor government, who said they would act on climate and the environmental crisis, but there are no nature laws—nothing to see here. Instead, they are teaming up with the Liberal Party to ram through the most Trumpian, cruel, disgusting migration laws that this country has seen in decades. They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Instead of offering to work with the Greens to strengthen our forestry laws and to get strong climate legislation in place, Mr Albanese is completely beholden to the fossil fuel industry, who call the shots in this place.

People right across our communities are completely outraged by this betrayal from the Labor government. The Labor government was elected on lie after lie after lie. I sat next to the member for Macnamara when he promised that things would be better under Labor—for our environment, for refugees, for asylum seekers, for people seeking our protection. And here we are today, with draconian migration laws and no progress on climate and or the environment. It's a disgrace.

To the voters in my state of Victoria: please know that the Greens are with you. We know that you're struggling. We know that this cost-of-living crisis is causing significant angst, as is the climate crisis. Know that we stand with you, ready to fight for your rights in this place next term. (Time expired)