Greens leader Adam Bandt is ordered to DELETE post about Tanya Plibersek that ‘shocked’ politicians – after private jet shame was exposed

Greens leader Adam Bandt has been ordered to delete a social media post he made targeting Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek due to concerns it contained misinformation.

Mr Bandt accused Ms Plibersek of ‘fast-tracking’ environmental crises and making ‘dodgy deals’ in a Facebook post on Sunday. 

The video suggested that Ms Plibersek was boasting in Parliament about fast-tracking approvals for gas projects.

It then cut to harrowing videos from the various bushfire and flood tragedies which have hit Australia in recent years, showing footage of people and animals in distress as a result of the environmental disasters.

Daily Mail Australia understands an MP sought advice from the Serjeant-at-Arms, expressing concerns about the contents of the video.

That MP said in their complaint: ‘I’m shocked that a Member of the House has misrepresented parliamentary proceedings.

‘The Member has posted a video that I believe is in contravention of the Rules for Media Related Activity in Parliament House and its Precincts.’

According to the media code, photographs and footage of parliamentary proceedings must fairly and accurately represent those proceedings and must not be digitally manipulated.  

On March 25, just a day after the video was shared online, the Serjeant-at-Arms wrote to Mr Bandt’s office, instructing he remove the video.

The offending video was still available online on Wednesday morning. It has since been pulled. 

Ms Plibersek’s speech referenced in the video was actually in response to a question about how the government’s approvals process is ‘helping to turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower’.

Ms Plibersek said in her answer: ‘Since coming to government, we have ticked off more than 45 renewable energy projects, and I have another 128 before me for assessment.’

She made specific reference to approving two wind farms which will generate enough electricity to power a total of 800,000 homes. 

‘It’s not just the renewable energy projects that we’re assessing faster; it’s all of those projects – it’s the housing projects, it’s the transport projects, and it’s the resources projects.

‘We know … that renewable energy is both cleaner and cheaper.’ 

But a spokesperson for Mr Bandt told Daily Mail Australia the Minister’s reference to ‘resources projects’ are what drew his ire and prompted the post.

‘It is shameful that in a climate crisis, the Environment Minister boasted about approving new fossil fuel projects, and we will continue to hold her to account for her role in fast-tracking new coal and gas,’ they said.

‘The true environmental disinformation is pretending to care about climate action while approving new coal and gas mines that make the climate crisis worse. Labor are climate con artists, voting with Peter Dutton’s climate-denying Liberals to fast-track offshore gas projects, silence First Nations voices and bypass environmental protections, all while pretending to care about climate.

‘At the next election, the Greens will be letting the people of Sydney know about every single coal and gas mine Tanya Plibersek has approved as Environment Minister.’

The Greens have railed against misinformation and disinformation in Australian politics and media. 

They introduced a bill in June 2023 attempting to establish a Royal Commission into Murdoch-owned News Corp outlets after expressing concerns about misinformation.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said misinformation is a ”growing threat to our democracy, whether it’s spread via large social media platforms or by large multinational media corporations, like the Murdoch media’. 

The Greens also called for a ‘truth commission’ following the defeat of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, accusing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of creating ‘a corrosive misinformation campaign’.

‘Peter Dutton is the master of misinformation, and there’s an urgent need now for truth-telling and healing,’ Mr Bandt said at the time. 

‘Peter Dutton sowed fear and division with a Trumpian misinformation campaign.’

Mr Bandt has also been under pressure and accused of double standards over his use of private jets while simultaneously pushing tougher action on climate change.

It was revealed last month that Mr Bandt had racked up a near $1million bill in a year, including hundreds of thousands on printing and two private jet flights.

The anti-fossil fuel campaigner also claimed $12,000 on a taxpayer-provided vehicle and petrol allowance plus $29,000 on government COMCAR trips and taxis, according to figures from the Department of Finance.

Despite his party’s core policy of cutting C02 emissions Mr Bandt used two private jets during the 2022 election campaign, landing tax payers with the $23,000 bill.

One flight was between Queensland regional centres Townsville and Rockhampton on March 7.

However, he also took a a $15,000 private plane along the well-travelled Brisbane to Canberra route to attend his party’s election campaign launch. 

During the year Mr Bandt also spent $57,000 for domestic flights on himself and an eye-watering $372,000 in travel expenses for his 21 staff. 

The $963,166 in expenses racked up by Mr Bandt are on top of his $314,000 salary and do not include the wages of his personal staff.