I'm speaking from my home in lockdown, as greater Sydney has entered its sixth week of lockdown. Millions of people are under stay-at-home orders as the virus circulates in our community Tragically, people are dying because vaccinations haven't been provided even to essential workers who have to leave home and are expected to stoically put their health and that of their families at risk. It was heartbreaking to hear today of the death of 27-year-old Aude Alaskar, who collapsed in his Warwick Farm unit.

It was welcome but not totally surprising to see that Sky News Australia this week has been temporarily banned from YouTube for sharing videos involving COVID misinformation. It is such a poor reflection on our media and political establishment that this extremist, conspiratorial, racist news channel is still considered normal and acceptable by so many. Only hours after the ban was reported, the Treasurer went on Sky for an interview as if nothing had happened.

Millions of people are in COVID lockdown this week; many of them are in my home state of New South Wales. Tens of thousands have lost their livelihoods without adequate support from the Morrison government. Marginalised communities are being overpoliced and maligned in south-west and Western Sydney while corporations, billionaires and the wealthiest keep adding to their bottom lines. These are the fault lines, inequalities and injustices that have been exposed and heightened during the last 18 months.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has expressed alarm at reports that the Commonwealth is chasing Child Care Subsidy recipients for debts going back several years.

Senator Faruqi said:

“We are in the middle of a pandemic outbreak with millions of people in lockdown and out of work. The least the government can do is show a little humanity and waive these debts.

I speak to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Bill 2021 and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment (Cost Recovery) Bill 2021. I will state at the outset that the Greens will not be supporting these bills that impose yet another charge on higher education providers. Since the coalition have been in power, they have been on a relentless mission to attack the higher education sector. The bills establish a new charge to make registered higher education providers bear the costs of TEQSA risk monitoring and regulatory oversight activities.

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to the latest data on median property prices in this week’s Domain House Price Report, with Sydney’s median house price now over $1.4 million and Melbourne over $1.0 million.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Millions of people are being robbed of housing security and housing affordability. This is nothing less than intergenerational theft.

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to Labor’s move to dump its commitment to winding back negative gearing.

Senator Faruqi said:

“This is a cowardly and pathetic backflip. House prices and rents are skyrocketing, and Labor is throwing fuel on the fire.

“In the middle of a housing affordability crisis, Labor has caved to wealthy investors and the Liberals. This is a shocking move and a betrayal of young people in particular.

Australian Greens Anti-racism spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission has found that 4 in 5 Australian Muslims have experienced discrimination, and a similar proportion feel the Christchurch mosque attacks made them afraid for their community.

Senator Faruqi is the first Muslim woman elected to the Australian Senate.

Senator Faruqi said:

The Australian Greens have slammed the government’s changes to support measures for the NSW lockdown, saying that the paltry concessions are a wasted opportunity that will leave people in poverty and risk further evictions. 

Despite acknowledging that existing support levels are too low, the additional scraps announced this afternoon are too narrow, and too miserly to protect people.

The Greens have welcomed the release today of the Nowhere To Go report by Equity Economics, which finds that a significant build of social housing would support thousands of women and children fleeing family and domestic violence.

The report underscores the urgent need for a massive expansion in public and community housing, which the Greens continue to advocate for.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Housing, said: