2026-10-29
By Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland
We’re almost halfway through the Albanese Labor government’s second term, and it’s starting to feel like the more things change, the more they stay the same.
We have One Nation streaming ahead in the polls, and instead appealing to people’s demand for better, Labor decided to run a Woodside lobbyist as its candidate at the Secret Harbour byelection. Surprise, Labor lost.
I want to acknowledge first that this is scary stuff.
The rise of the far right in this country will have real consequences for people and for our environment. But it’s important to talk about why it’s happening, so we can fight back.
People are angry, and they are right to be
Labor is making political choices that put corporate profit ahead of people. They are choosing to work for their donors and not you.
They chose to kick 241,000 people off the NDIS instead of introducing a 25% gas export tax that would generate $17 billion a year from greedy gas corporations.
They chose to protect existing tax perks for wealthy property investors, instead of scrapping them entirely and adding $181 billion back into the budget.
They chose to offer unequivocal support for Trump’s latest forever war with Iran. Exacerbating the cost of living for us, and boosting the profits of price gouging oil and gas corporations.
They chose to pass weak gambling reforms that will do nothing to stop the harm caused by this predatory industry, or support the Australians losing $666 million a week to betting.
And they are choosing to protect the status quo - the vested interests who donate and lobby and keep them in power, rather than taking on the billionaires and big corporations hoarding wealth and power.
Labor’s commitment to their donors is as bad for the planet as it is for people
We know that fracking the Beetaloo Basin would set off a climate bomb that will speed up dangerous climate change, putting us all at risk.
Apparently the Prime Minister hasn’t quite got the memo, because while he is in the Pacific talking up Australia’s climate leadership, back home Madeleine King is cutting the ribbon on Tamboran’s new gas project in the Beetaloo.
And what’s worse is that Labor is subsidising this climate bomb with public money, giving millions that should be going to building homes, schools and hospitals to a gas giant while refusing to introduce an export tax.
The NT and federal governments have spent $535 million subsidising the gas industry since the fracking moratorium was lifted in 2018.
Labor is committed to making the climate crisis worse, and committed to propping up the corporate profits of big polluting donors, no matter the cost.
First Nations justice continues to be ignored
As First Nations communities faced an attempted bombing at the Boorloo / Perth Invasion Day rally and booing of Welcome to Country ceremonies, the government held an inquiry into racism against First Nations peoples. That inquiry heard evidence of persistent, structural racism, but received nowhere near the media attention of other issues.
Meanwhile, the Albanese government removed funding for a Makarratta truth-telling commission, stalled any national treaty work, and has made little progress on long-promised cultural heritage reforms. Greens across the country joined the Walk for Truth in May to re-affirm our commitment to truth, treaty, voice, self-determination and anti-racism.
Lack of free, prior and informed consent continues to play out in the exploitation of country from Beetaloo to Scott Reef and beyond. Last year, I visited the internationally significant Murujuga petroglyphs with Mardudhunera woman, Raelene Cooper. This truly special place is under threat from the government’s addiction to fossil fuels. The extension of the North West Shelf project to 2070, to be fed by destructive Browse Basin gas fields, and a fresh proposal for an oil refinery all ignore the damage to irreplaceable cultural heritage. We can and must do better.
In the 35 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, more than 630 First Nations people have died in custody and too few of the recommendations have been acted on. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called out Australia’s over-policing and high youth incarceration rates as a breach of human rights. What will it take to shame this government into action? The Greens will keep calling to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility, invest in community-led diversion programs, and tackle systemic inequality.
The murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby in Mparntwe / Alice Springs put a spotlight on violence against First Nations women and children. At a time when sensitive and evidence-based responses were needed, the NT government instead introduced changes that exacerbate disconnection and disadvantage. Aboriginal self-determination and leadership are critical to women and children’s safety.
Around the country, community led responses are offering hope. After years of First Nations advocacy, a dedicated community-led plan to end violence, Our Ways, Strong Ways, Our Voices, was finally launched in March. Common Threads continues to lead Together for Treaty initiatives, the Alternative First Responders movement is gathering steam, and Aboriginal organisations are leading the way in overcoming barriers to health justice.
In the face of an epidemic of violence against women, safety remains underfunded
The relentless news cycle of violence against women and children is, sadly, not new. The government does not need more ideas or evidence about what’s needed to address this crisis – it needs to start funding services enough to actually do what’s needed. Stretched services are being forced to turn women away from crisis accommodation, let calls go unanswered, or put women on months-long waitlists for support. Every barrier and delay makes women less safe.
While Our Ways, Strong Ways is an important first step, the plan needs adequate funding to ensure First Nations-controlled organisations have the capacity and autonomy to do what’s needed and the assurance that government will follow their lead (including finally implementing recommendations from the inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women).
Fully funding frontline services is critical. But ending violence also demands urgent investment in prevention, including evidence-based consent education and behaviour change programs, and tackling online misogyny, alcohol and gambling. It also requires treating housing, health, education, and economic security as women’s safety issues. Women cannot leave if they have nowhere to go and no money to live on.
And speaking of things that are not new, Queensland, NSW and South Australia have all faced more culture wars on reproductive rights this year. The good news is that the culture warriors are not winning. Support for universal abortion care remains strong across Australia, and the Greens will always stand with the community against bad faith actors trying to turn back the clock on women’s rights.
No urgency on the climate crisis
2030 renewables targets are off track while in the full year since announcing their 62% climate target for 2035, the government has cut two policies (batteries and EVs), they have announced two policies (solar for businesses and electrifying AusPost) and announced seven ‘reviews or strategy papers’.
With slow, incremental progress like this, we are absolutely on track to miss targets that don’t even align to 2 degrees of warming, by a country mile.
There is a complete absence of a pathway of how we are going to reduce pollution, while offsets, which should play a supporting role on the side of climate policy, have taken centre stage.
The Greens are going to take the fight up to offsets and force the PM to come out of hiding on their poor performance to reduce emissions and at the same time reduce living costs for Australian homes and businesses.
This is the face of modern Labor party
At the hint of lobbyist pressure they fold, and choose their donors over people every time.
The reality is the Greens are the only party standing in the way of governments making horrific decisions that hurt people.
If people want a fairer, more inclusive, Australia, people need to vote for the only party that puts people and the planet ahead of profits: The Greens.
It’s a big challenge, but we are up for the fight.
- Larissa