The Greens will move to amend the Government’s bill introduced into the Lower House today for five days unpaid family and domestic violence leave, to give workers 10 days paid leave.

“We acknowledge the government’s small step forward on this but it fails to recognise the needs of victims and won’t actually help keep women safe,” Greens spokesperson for women Senator Larissa Waters said.

“Australia is experiencing a domestic violence crisis and the government should be helping women, not adding insult to injury by denying them paid leave to get safe.

Australian Greens Senator Larissa Waters is returning to federal Parliament following the confirmation of her appointment as a Senator for Queensland by the Queensland State Parliament. 

Today’s reappointment filled the vacancy created by Andrew Bartlett, who stepped down from the Senate role he filled after Sen. Waters resigned over section 44, to contest the lower house seat of Brisbane at the next federal election. 

Senator Waters will be the first section 44'd Senator to return to the seat to which she was originally elected.

Good evening. Assalamoalikum. We are gathered here today on stolen land. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We must recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. All Australians, whether they were born here or have come from somewhere else, have an obligation to remember: this land always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

“I was pleased to hear 3AW apologise on air on Sunday. This apology further evidences how reprehensible and defamatory Senator Leyonhjelm’s statements have been concerning my personal and public life.”

“I am also pleased that 3AW have seen fit to apologise and distance themselves from Senator Leyonhjelm’s defamatory and derogatory statements.”

On Sunday, June 29, 3AW host Darren James delivered the following statement on-air:

The Australian Greens are encouraging universities to adopt the guidelines for sexual assault and harassment put forward by Universities Australia today.

“Sexual assault and harassment is all too common on university campuses and in colleges. The Australian Greens hope Universities Australia’s report will help set a new standard for the way universities help victims of sexual assault and harassment,” Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is dedicating defamation action against David Leyonhjelm to all women who have experienced bullying, harassment and sexist abuse in the workplace.

“I’ve received a flood of messages from women around the country who have experienced sexual harassment, bullying and sexist abuse in their workplaces since speaking out against David Leyonhjelm’s sexist and harmful comments," Senator Hanson-Young said.

Sen. David Leyonhjelm's vile, sexist slurs about Australian Greens Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young have no place in a decent society and I call on both Prime Minister Turnbull and Bill Shorten to immediately condemn him for them, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.

I am seeking legal advice in relation to the commentary between Senator David Leyonhjelm and the hosts of both the Sky News Outsiders program and 3AW Weekend Breakfast broadcast on Sunday, July 1.

Comments made by Senator Leyonhjelm about me and broadcast on these two shows are reprehensible, hurtful, and no woman, whether in public or in the privacy of her own home deserves them.

The Greens welcome legislation to restrict the circumstances in which family violence survivors can be cross-examined in family law proceedings.

Greens Spokesperson for Women Janet Rice said: “This legislation is a step in the right direction to lessen the trauma of survivors as they go through the court process.”

“Court processes are traumatic and stressful enough as it is, without forcing survivors to face the perpetrator of their abuse in court.”

Greens Justice Spokesperson Nick McKim said: “We welcome the tabling of this legislation.”