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The Albanese Government is investing up to $2.12 billion in additional stocks of advanced medium-range missiles to strengthen the Australian Defence Force’s air defence and aerial strike capability. 

These AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 missiles can precisely strike targets at extended range, providing a significant deterrence to potential adversaries. Enhancing the ADF’s strike capability is a key priority of the 2024 National Defence Strategy. 

The AIM-120D-3 variant is a supersonic air-launched tactical missile, used on the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft as well as the F-35A Lightning II aircraft. It is designed to counter threats at extended ranges.

The AIM-120C-8 variant is launched using the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), and is being brought into service by the Army’s new 10^th Brigade and will significantly boost ground-to-air capability against aerial targets. 

The Albanese Government is acquiring these missiles through the United States Government’s Foreign Military Sales Program. 

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy:

“This is a major investment in the security of our nation and underscores the Albanese Government’s commitment to providing the ADF with the capabilities it needs to keep Australians safe.

“The ADF’s credible strike and long-range capabilities support our strategy of denial, which aims to deter any conflict before it begins.

“These additional missiles will help to ensure the ADF’s ability to protect Australians against aerial threats.”

Recognising that Türkiye’s bid for COP 31 remains active under the UNFCCC’s consensus rules, the Greens call on Labor to engage constructively with the Turkish government in a cooperative dialogue to secure a successful COP 31 in Adelaide.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment:

“Australia needs to talk turkey with Türkiye. It’s time for both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to flex some diplomatic muscle if we are to secure the world’s premier climate conference right here in South Australia. 

“A successful COP 31 in Adelaide will be a defining moment for climate justice in Australia and the world, but only if it is underpinned by genuine cooperation, ambition, and real-world outcomes.

“A stand-off over COP hosting rights won’t secure the conference and certainly won’t stop the climate crisis.

“To avoid further delays that threaten Adelaide’s logistical preparations, the Prime Minister must engage constructively with President Erdoğan to get past the deadlock.

“The opportunity to host COP 31 in Adelaide is more than a state-defining moment, it must be an act of genuine leadership as a hard deadline for stopping new polluting coal and gas projects and end the $12 billion per year in taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.

“It is also an opportunity for Australia to listen to our Pacific neighbours’ calls for no new coal and gas projects, and support island nations to manage the devastating impacts of climate change.

“South Australia leads the charge in the transition to renewable energy, however, the transition is made harder and harder while the federal government continues to sign off on new mines and extend gas fields to 2070. This hypocrisy will undermine any bid for a genuine ‘Pacific COP’.

“Australia cannot lecture the world on climate action if it won’t stop fuelling the fire. If the Prime Minister secures COP 31, he must also secure real, measurable commitments both at home and in partnership with Pacific to meet the urgency the climate emergency demands.”

The Greens say new early childhood education and care safety measures, announced by both state and federal governments this week, fall far short of what’s needed — a national, independent watchdog with real power to keep children safe.

This week’s horrifying abuse allegations in Victorian childcare centres have once again exposed a system in crisis. The time for piecemeal, reactive measures is over. What’s needed is a regulator with the authority to enforce safety standards, and drive sector-wide reform. The Greens have already put forward a fully costed plan to establish this national body earlier this year. 

Senator Steph Hodgins-May is urging the government to work with the Greens to deliver this real reform to early childhood education when parliament resumes in 2.5 weeks.

Earlier this week, the Greens called for a Royal Commission into the safety and quality of early childhood education and care. The Government, to date, has dismissed these calls.

Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“Following this week’s horrifying reports which laid bare serious failings by the early learning system, we’re reiterating our call for a national watchdog with teeth to keep our kids safe.

“This independent watchdog would enforce quality standards, act swiftly on safety breaches, and drive a shift toward universal, high-quality care — not just retrospective patch-ups.

“Families are feeling anxious and are counting on us to act now. Reactive band-aid solutions won’t keep children safe or move us towards the child-centred system we need for the future. 

“The Greens have a costed plan to establish this national regulator, and we’re ready to get to work with the Government to deliver this urgent reform before the end of the year.”

Treasury must consider all the recommendations of two recent parliamentary inquiries before it takes action to regulate the Big 4 consulting firms according to Greens Finance and Public Service spokesperson Barbara Pocock.

The two inquiries made 52 recommendations between them which were agreed by Labor, the Liberals and the Greens giving the government a green light for root and branch reform across the accounting and consulting sector.

Senator Barbara Pocock:

“The question this government has to answer is ‘Can the Big 4 be trusted to govern themselves?’ and let me tell you, after sitting on two parliamentary inquiries brought on by massive governance and ethical failures at PwC, the answer is emphatically no.

“We’ve yet to see the detail of Treasury’s proposals but we have put a raft of recommendations on the table aimed at regulating the big accounting and consulting firms. These firms look and act like multinational corporations but they hide behind unaccountable partnership structures avoiding the scrutiny of our corporate watchdog.

“One key recommendation I made urged the government to reduce the cap on partner numbers from 1000 down to 100 partners. This number recognises the workable size of a genuine partnership and would force firms with more than 100 partners to incorporate under ASIC. It was also recommended that corporate reporting requirements be extended to cover partnerships as well as corporations.

“For those not paying attention, we have an audit crisis in this country with up to 60% of audits reviewed by ASIC in 2022, called into question. Deloitte and KPMG suffered a drastic decline in audit quality that year with the regulator calling for concerted action from both firms to lift their game.

“This is a sector that is not performing well and our business community is not being well served by the current regulatory regime. I look forward to seeing the detail of Treasury’s proposals and I urge the government to consider all the recommendations of both recent parliamentary inquiries into this sector.”

A new report has laid bare the Cook Labor Government’s failure to address WA’s rental crisis, revealing that mortgage repayments are now cheaper than renting in many parts of Perth.

The Rent vs Buy Report, published today by real estate website Domain, compares the average cost of rent to mortgage repayments for houses and units around the country. 

It found that in almost 83 percent of suburbs in Perth, it is cheaper to service a mortgage on a unit than it is to simply rent one. By contrast, the equivalent national figure sits at 22 percent. 

When it comes to houses, it is more affordable to take out a mortgage than it is to pay for a rental in almost five percent of Perth suburbs – a stark contrast to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, where renting a house is cheaper than buying in every suburb.

Of the top 10 localities in WA where a mortgage is more affordable than rent, more than half are in regional areas.

Tim Clifford MLC, Greens WA spokesperson for housing and homelessness:

“Whether you’re a first home buyer or a renter, the takeaway from this report is clear: housing in WA is a zero-sum game.

“It is absolutely shocking that, in some parts of Perth, taking out a mortgage is now cheaper than renting.

“While the Domain report heralds the data as good news for first home buyers, the reality is that house prices are still at record highs. In fact, the national average passed $1 million for the first time just last month.

“This is not a case of houses getting cheaper – it’s a case of rentals becoming even more expensive and inaccessible. 

“Renters in WA are doing it tougher than anywhere else in the country. 

“The blame for that lies squarely with the Cook Labor Government, who should be looking at introducing measures like a flexible rent cap as per the ACT; banning no-cause evictions; and moving quickly to address the adverse impacts of short-stays on the rental market. 

“These urgent interventions would free up more homes, easing the squeeze on renters and the housing market itself. 

“I look forward to working constructively with the government to make that happen.”