In June, the Berejiklian Government announced that it would be giving Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) an extra $10.4m ‘to improve animal welfare’. The very same week, Greyhound Racing NSW announced it could afford to pay $3.2m in extra prize money. Now we hear today that GRNSW is boasting that it will give out $2m in prize money for its Million Dollar Chase series this year.

Today’s threats from the Coalition Government against protesters are now the third time the Liberal National Government have sought to target protesters, in an increasingly desperate attempt to avoid scrutiny and to protect big corporations from scrutiny.

Documents released following a Greens motion in the NSW Upper House have revealed the 2015 sale of Vales Point power station leaves NSW exposed to potentially billions of dollars in liabilities. Gladys Berejiklian, Treasurer at the time, charged Trevor St Baker and Brian Flannery just $1 million for the right to operate Vales Point. Yet St Baker and Flannery valued Vales Point at $730 million in 2017. At the same time the community has suffered increased electricity costs of around 60% and the State retains the cost of cleaning up the site.

Liberals privatisation of energy assets leaves NSW responsible for billions in rehabilitation costs.

Abigail has again used a Private Members’ Statement to call out the ongoing cruelty in the greyhound racing industry, this time focused on the use of government funds to prop up the industry.

Disappointed in the 2019 Budget, Abigail spoke in Parliament about how this Government's obsession with privatisation, austerity and putting corporations before public good is impacting the most vulnerable in our community.

In recognition of World Refugee Day, Abigail used her Adjournment Speech to speak passionately in support of refugee rights and to demand the cruelty of the current Australian immigration regime is put to an end.

Very disappointingly, the Government has failed to adopt the funding recommendations in the Safe State plan to end sexual and gendered violence. Today in Question Time, Abigail asked the Minister for Women the obvious question: why not? Unsatisfied with the response, she asked a supplementary question and followed it up in the Take Note Debate.

Commenting on the 2019-20 NSW Budget, Greens spokesperson for Treasury and Finance Abigail Boyd said that it’s like the unveiling of a new Apple product – essentially the same product as last year’s, with new features we didn’t want, none of the old problems fixed; wrapped up with spin and pretty packaging. “What do we expect from a government that calls the people of New South Wales its ‘customers’?

Today the NSW Legislative Council has supported the Greens’ call for the government to release the sales contracts for Vales Point and Eraring power stations. The government has 21 days to table the documents.The sale of Vales Point power station for $1 million in 2015 has been controversial since it was revalued to $730 million in 2017. As part of the $50 million sale of Eraring in 2013, the NSW government agreed to pay Origin $300 million compensation for the right to break a contract guaranteeing the power station coal supplied from the Cobbora mine.

Concerned about the sale of two coal-fired power stations and the ramifications this would have for current and future generations, Abigail successfully demanded that the sales contracts be made publicly available.

Today, Abigail used question time to ask the government to provide an update on reviewing the concept of sexual consent and their plans to amend the relevant laws.

In today’s Question Time, Abigail highlighted community concerns about the issue of accessibility at Tempe Station. (Update: The ramp at Tempe station has been retained!)

With a Bill before Parliament to appoint an Ageing & Disability Commissioner, Abigail successfully moved a number of amendments to strengthen their powers and resources in addition to fighting for long-term disability advocacy funding.

Today in Parliament, Abigail used her first Adjournment Speech to acknowledge the strength, dignity and resilience of those working in one of the world’s oldest professions - sex work - and to call for an end to the stigma faced by sex workers across the country.