2026-10-29
By Peter Whish-Wilson
Senator for Tasmania
The past year has seen Labor continue to fail to use its increased majority in the House of Representatives to address the rapidly worsening climate, environmental and inequality crises. The Greens remain ready to work constructively with Labor to enact lasting and meaningful progressive change, but far too often Labor chooses to placate the Liberals instead.
HEALTHY OCEANS
Senator Whish-Wilson has continued to highlight the pressures our oceans are facing from marine heatwaves and extractive industries. Along with Senator Hodgins-May, he travelled to Perth to attend the Woodside AGM ahead of the Greens-led gas tax inquiry. The Australian Greens additional comments are here. The Greens will continue the fight to protect our oceans from the scourge of new fossil fuels, starting with protecting the pristine biodiversity hotspot of Scott Reef from being destroyed by Woodside’s filthy Browse gas project!
The Maugean skate remains at risk of extinction and recovery isn’t yet assured, according to a recent IMAS report. The skate’s precarious future continues to be underpinned by political bastardry. The federal government’s own scientific advice clearly states the key threat to the Maugean skate’s survival is poor water quality in Macquarie Harbour, and that the primary cause of this is Atlantic salmon farming. It recommended stopping or destocking salmon as an immediate measure. Rather than take the action needed to protect Tasmania’s waterways and threatened species, the federal government has ignored scientific advice and let the salmon industry off the hook. The Greens will continue to fight to remove industrial fish farms from Macquarie Harbour, stop the expansion of destructive offshore salmon farming.
Senator Whish-Wilson has been fighting for the Federal Government to remove existing exemptions to state controlled lethal shark net programs that risk federally protected species for over a decade. Sadly, this fight continues as
Lobbying the government for increased and renewed Antarctic science funding has continued to be a priority for Senator Whish-Wilson this year. Renewed Antarctic science funding is urgently needed to avoid an exodus of Antarctic researchers from Tasmania and a significant reduction in Australia’s Antarctic research capacity.
At the invitation of a New Zealand parliamentarian, Andrew Bayly MP, he joined the global Antarctic Parliamentarians Assembly and travelled to Wellington to attend the 2025 meeting. This is an international gathering of lawmakers from nations signed to the Antarctic Treaty who meet to discuss environmental protection, scientific collaboration, and governance of the Antarctic region. He was the sole Australian MP in attendance. This marked the first time the global assembly convened in the Southern Hemisphere, bringing together delegates from 14 countries alongside international scientists and experts.
SCIENCE
Senators Whish-Wilson and Barbara Pocock participated in the Funding and resourcing for the CSIRO inquiry, which reported in April 2026. The inquiry provided a great opportunity to highlight the devastating consequences of cutting CSIRO staff and science programs, especially within the Environmental Research Division in Hobart. It showed that the Albanese Labor government does not truly value environmental science or the scientific community in Tasmania.
It is deceitful for the government to say job cuts are necessary due to budget constraints when it can find hundreds of billions of dollars for nuclear submarines and subsidies for fossil fuel companies. The Australian Greens inquiry dissenting report can be found here.
BUILDING A ZERO-WASTE FUTURE
A Greens-led Senate inquiry into the Albanese Government’s waste reduction and recycling policies revealed Australia is losing the war on waste and that our current and historic federal policy framework has failed. This is hardly surprising given our framework hinges on industry self-regulation and voluntary systems of reducing waste.
Findings to the Senate inquiry were unanimous: to end the plastic waste crisis, we need to change the system that creates it – Australia desperately needs legislation and regulation that addresses plastic waste at the design stage instead of waiting for these harmful pollutants to be created, only to then work out how to manage and repurpose them. The Government is yet to respond to the contents of the report.
In May 2026 Senator Whish-Wilson introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill. The bill proposes to establish a uniform national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging by introducing a direct and legally binding obligation on producers, importers or distributors of packaging for the end-of-life management of the packaging they introduce into the Australian market. The proposed scheme would also make mandatory and legally binding Australia’s National Packaging Targets. Despite the obvious benefits of the bill, the other parties worked together to recommend against it. This was disappointing, but not unexpected following years of delay and resistance to change. Senator Whish-Wilson’s dissenting report is here.
The Greens will continue to work hard with environment groups, recyclers and our waste recovery sectors to move Australia forward towards mandatory regulations to build a zero-waste future.
AGRICULTURE
The Greens know that a rapidly changing climate is the most pressing threat to our agriculture sector and we have continued to advocate for real action on climate change.
Through membership on the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee (RRAT) Senator Whish-Wilson has participated in the following important inquiries:
- Opportunities for the development of a hemp industry in Australia. This inquiry included a hearing and site visit in Tasmania, which was very beneficial. The Greens provided this dissenting report as we want the Government to go further to support the industry.
- State of Australia’s aviation sector and its ability to deliver reliable and affordable services to rural, regional and remote communitie. Senator Whish-Wilson successfully amended the terms of reference for this inquiry to include an investigation into Qantas's decision to close its regional staff bases in Hobart, Canberra, and Mildura. He attended hearings in Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. This inquiry is ongoing and we look forward to the Committee’s report which is due in December 2026.
Senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy.
Senator Whish-Wilson chaired this important inquiry that was the first of its kind and took significant evidence across numerous hearings. The Committee was able to reach a majority report, tabled on 24 March 2026, backed by Labor, Liberals, and the Greens. The majority report made 21 recommendations across different policy areas on how to improve information integrity gaps in the climate and energy debate. The Greens’ additional comments made a further 25 recommendations.
Key majority report recommendations include that the Australian Government:
- Officially endorse the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change launched at COP30 and adopt the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.
- Explore ways to ensure greater transparency of campaign activities, such as the creation of third parties, that are resourced by commercial/corporate interests in the lead-up to a federal election.
- Explore funding models for independent monitoring support (for example, via an Australian Internet Observatory) to track hidden digital influence ecosystems and provide independent transparency and accountability of platforms.
- Consider legislative or regulatory reform which identifies psychosocial harms, places the onus of responsibility in addressing these harms onto digital platforms, and monitors the effectiveness of their mitigations through regulatory and civic oversight.
Deliberate and deceptive campaigns that undermine information integrity on climate change and energy – or manipulate public discourse to obstruct policy – have stalled climate action, including the rollout of renewable energy in Australia. Many Australians are familiar with the concept of political ‘climate wars’ but not the broader tactics that have been employed for decades to defeat or delay climate policy.
Evidence was provided that a ‘denial machine’ has deliberately obstructed climate and energy policy for decades in Australia. This ‘denial machine’ has included conservative think tanks, law firms, PR firms, consultancies, third-party campaign groups and some conservative media outlets. For those who care about a safe climate future, this is deeply concerning.
The Australian Greens implore the Albanese government to progress federal truth in political advertising reform before the 2028 federal election, with these reforms being extended to apply to Significant Third Parties and other related political advocacy and lobby groups. Protecting and strengthening information integrity in our politics and exposing the groups who serve to benefit from undermining it must be a priority in the battle for our democracy and for a safe climate future.
Following the inquiry Senator Whish-Wilson attended conferences to further explain the work of the Select Committee. He will also speak about it at COP30 in Türkiye in October 2026.
WELCOMING OUR NEW SENATOR
On August 14, 2026, Senator Whish-Wilson handed in his resignation as a Senator for Tasmania.
During the preceding months the Tasmanian Greens undertook a selection process for his replacement, and selected our new senator, Vanessa Bleyer.
Senator Bleyer was endorsed by the Tasmanian Parliament on 20 August and sworn into the Australian Senate on Monday 7 September.
She has taken on portfolio responsibility for Agriculture, Healthy Oceans, Science, Industry & Innovation and Tourism, and will be a fierce and formidable advocate for nature in the federal parliament.
- Pete