Category: Australian News

The Albanese Government has passed legislation in the Parliament which will establish the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence (PJCD).

The establishment of the PJCD implements a recommendation of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s Inquiry into international armed conflict decision-making made during the 47th Parliament, following a referral from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.

This was not the first time a committee recommended the establishment of a statutory committee dedicated to Defence, but it is the first time a government has taken it up. 

The PJCD will allow Parliament to be briefed on matters relating to the Australian Defence Force, Department of Defence, Australian Submarine Agency, Department of Veterans’ Affairs and other Defence portfolio agencies.

Importantly, it will be able to receive and consider classified information to conduct effective scrutiny of Defence and its portfolio agencies, and strengthen government decision‑making on defence and strategic policy.

The legislation passed today establishes appropriate safeguards that enhance Parliamentary accountability and transparency while ensuring sensitive information about Australia’s national security, and that of our international partners, is protected.

We live in a complex world and it is increasingly important that the Parliament and public are able to better understand Australia’s strategic circumstances and scrutinise the decisions that governments have to make to keep Australians safe. 

The Committee will also be responsible for monitoring and reviewing on an ongoing basis the Government’s response to the findings of any Royal Commission inquiries relating to Defence, including the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

The Committee’s membership will be confirmed in due course. 

The Committee’s make‑up will be similar to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, with the Prime Minister, in consultation with the leader of the Opposition, to appoint 13 members, comprised of seven government and six non-government members across both Houses of Parliament.

Today, the Liberals and Labor party joined together to create a new secret Defence committee that will hold closed-door hearings that will deliberately exclude any critical voices from the Greens and other crossbenchers.

The Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025, establishes a new committee that gives the Prime Minister an effective veto over who sits on it, and will only allocate spots for the Liberal and Labor parties.

This new committee will be based on the Parliamentary Joint Committee for Intelligence and Security (PJCIS), which only has the pro-Trump, pro-Aukus and pro-war Liberal and Labor parties represented and which never challenges Government policy.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said:

“This Bill has been in the works for years, but if you want a better example of why Australia’s defence and foreign policy should not be made behind closed doors between the war parties, look at Albanese backing in the US and Israeli illegal war on Iran. The decision to follow Donald Trump into the next US forever war will be decided in this committee full of only the war parties.”

“We know this Bill was a backroom deal between Liberals and Labor who are scared of the blow torch being turned on the dangerous AUKUS deal. This is business as usual from these pro-war parties that have united on spending hundreds of billions on US nuclear submarines and following Trump into every war he wants.

“This committee will be filled with Liberal and Labor insiders furiously agreeing on tying ourselves to the US and reinforcing their groupthink. It’s not good for public accountability, transparency or Australia’s independence.

“Whether it is AUKUS or signing Australia up to the US’s forever wars, now more than ever we need to have critical voices in the room when looking at Australia’s defence policy.

“Committees should reflect the makeup of Parliament and the community. The Liberal and Labor unity ticket is not reflective of the community, which is increasingly moving away from these two parties.

“Over the next decade, three-quarters of a trillion dollars in public funds will be poured into Defence. The major parties want that to be a black box, so you cannot see where that money is going, that’s what this secret committee is all about.

“The Greens remain committed to open public scrutiny of Australia’s Defence policy, to stem the flow of public funds to US arms dealers and their billionaire owners, all while setting up cushy jobs for tired old politicians.”

Shane Rattenbury, Leader of the ACT Greens:

“Today’s report from the ACT Ombudsman pulls back the curtain on how public housing tenants are being treated, and it’s not good enough.

“For too long, serious maintenance failures have been allowed to persist while the government looks the other way instead of stepping up to meet basic responsibilities.

“It is hard to avoid the conclusion that public housing tenants are being treated as second-class citizens by this government. Urgent repairs are dragging on for months. Basic maintenance is falling through the cracks. And nothing is being done about it.

“If a private landlord behaved this way, they would quite rightly find themselves before ACAT. The difference is that many public housing tenants, quite fairly, don’t have the time, resources or confidence to navigate this complex complaints processes.

“The government knows this, and the result is a system where unacceptable standards are tolerated because the people affected are least able to fight back.

“The report outlines a shocking example of a tenant left without a proper roof for more than a year. That is not a minor oversight, it is a profound failure. It speaks to years of underinvestment and a culture that has not treated public housing with seriousness.

“The Greens will be scrutinising the government’s response closely. What we need now isn’t spin, it’s a shift in attitude and investment in new and existing public homes.

“Public housing is not a charity or an afterthought. It is an essential public service, and it should be delivered to the highest standard, as any Canberran has a right to expect.

Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“For years, Kyle Sandilands has made millions off misogynistic, racist, and plain vile content. It’s time he was shown the door. 

“ARN have given him 14 days to explain himself, he should’ve been given 14 seconds to be out the door. History has shown he does not care about being sanctioned, or counselled and will not change. He’s had more than enough chances. 

“No wonder Jackie has decided to dump the show with Kyle. Years of abusive rubbish finally took its toll. 

“Kyle’s comments disrespect women and minority groups, and fuel a culture of hate and division. He is unfit to have a public platform, and he should be sacked.

“Why is it always the woman that has to leave? The abusive bloke should be the one that gets the boot.  

“No woman should have to put up with this nasty, demeaning crap – especially at work.

“The show has trashed our airwaves for long enough, ARN should cancel it for good, and Mr. Sandilands should be sacked immediately. How many more chances does one bloke need?

Greens Senator for South Australia, Sarah Hanson-Young:

“Reports that Adelaide University has pulled their venue from the Constellations event  featuring United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese is concerning.

“Adelaide University really needs to explain why they have cancelled the booking for an event featuring one of the world’s leading legal experts in international law and human rights in the Middle East.

“The whole Writer’s Week debacle shows that there is a culture of fear infecting our institutions. A fear of having difficult conversations and hearing views and facts that are uncomfortable and challenging.

“You cannot cancel curiosity, you cannot cancel compassion, and you cannot silence a city that believes in the exchange of ideas and freedom of expression. 

“South Australians expect better from our cultural institutions. Universities should not simply capitulate to external political pressure or media intimidation

“Seeking to silence a distinguished international human rights expert undermines academic freedom, weakens intellectual integrity, and contradicts the very principles universities are meant to uphold.

“I’m concerned that this decision continues the dangerous precedent set by Premier Malinauskas’ political interference in Writer’s Week. 

“We live in a time of division and uncertainty but we cannot overcome that if we run from these difficult conversations. It’s up to all of us to defend free speech, not retreat from it.”

“Thankfully the event will go ahead and a new venue with a sold out crowd in attendance showing that South Australian audiences aren’t as fearful as these institutions.

The Albanese Government held its fourth Product of Concern Summit in Canberra today to support the sustainment of Australia’s Collins class submarines.

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, convened the summit alongside 
Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, and senior representatives from government and industry.

Since being listed as a Product of Concern in December 2024, Defence and the contractor, ASC Pty Ltd, have developed a remediation plan for the sustainment of the Collins class.

This plan will ensure Collins class submarines remain among the most capable conventionally powered submarines in the world.

Since the revitalisation of Defence’s Projects and Products of Concern process in 2022, the Albanese Government has strengthened the oversight and remediation of defence projects.

Remediation is being achieved through targeted workforce initiatives, process improvements and productivity reform. The Product of Concern framework continues to play a crucial role in driving cooperation, accountability and sustained action across government and industry.

This is the twelfth Project of Concern Summit since May 2022.

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy:

“I was pleased to convene the fourth Product of Concern summit for the Collins class submarine fleet today. This process helps ensure Australia has a highly-capable conventional submarine fleet for many years to come, and as we transition to nuclear-powered submarines.

“By bringing Defence and industry together on a regular basis, we maintain oversight and transparency of the capabilities required by the Australian Defence Force to preserve peace and deter conflict.

“The Product of Concern framework, which was revitalised by the Albanese Government, provides a structured forum to collaborate and agree on remediation activities to support Collins class submarine sustainment outcomes.”

Today’s report paints a clear picture of the challenge that lies ahead for the ACT – we need to address our deteriorating fiscal position, but we cannot undertake Budget repair at the expense of those who can least afford it.

“Revenue is stretched, but government services are vital. It’s clear we cannot respond by cutting services the way neoliberal governments of the past did. Instead, we need a pathway that builds rather than demolishes, a pathway that puts people first.

“It’s clear the path to fixing Canberra’s budget – not for the abject sake of surpluses, but to ensure sustainable, long-term investment in the services Canberrans need and deserve – lies in a combination of increased revenue and genuine savings and efficiencies.

“These efficiencies do not mean rash austerity Budget’s or recklessly cutting public service jobs. It means reorienting priorities and making the Government’s work more impactful to everyday Canberrans.

“Saul Eslake specifically highlighted health and education, which have accounted for more than half of government spending for years, but where outcomes have fallen behind.

“These are such vital services for our community, and for the level of investment we are making, we simply need better results and improved use of our resources.

“Over the coming months, the Greens will be scrutinising the implications of this interim report and using it as a basis to insist the Committee Inquiry to ask the right questions and deliver recommendations for improving the budget and reshaping our priorities for the future.”

Greens MP for Balmain Kobi Shetty has slammed the Minns Labor Government for delivering just 10% affordable housing on publicly owned land — far short of their election commitment of 30% on surplus government-owned land.

Kobi Shetty MP for Balmain said:

“There’s no question that above a metro station is exactly where new density should go, properly supported by public transport and infrastructure.

“But delivering just 10% affordable housing on publicly owned land during the worst housing affordability crisis in generations is not good enough. It’s another broken promise from the Minns Labor Government.

“Without significantly more social, affordable, and public housing, this development risks becoming another exclusive waterfront enclave for the rich, while nurses, teachers, essential workers, and young families are pushed further out of the communities they serve.”

Shetty said the decision represented a major backflip on NSW Labor’s commitment to deliver at least 30% social, affordable and universal housing on surplus government land.

“This is public land. They’re sacrificing our last working port in Sydney Harbour for this new development. It should be used to deliver public good — not be a cash cow for developers.

“NSW Labor promised 30% affordable housing on surplus government land. Delivering just 10% falls drastically short of that commitment. It even falls short of what the former Liberal Government had planned for the Bays West Precinct– which was for 30% affordable housing.

“We have a NSW Labor Government who claims to care about working people. They claim to be addressing the housing crisis – but their vision is even less ambitious than what we were set to get under a conservative Liberal Government.  

Shetty said genuine community consultation and stronger affordable housing targets were essential to ensure the project delivers for the broader community.

“We need more homes — but they need to be homes people can actually afford. It’s a significant amount of housing, and the government will need to plan it very carefully to ensure it is integrated with the rest of Balmain and Rozelle, and people can access all of the services they need.

“We welcome the firm commitment to delivering the Glebe Island Bridge as an essential walking and cycling link for our growing city”

The Greens welcome the release of employer-level gender pay gap data by WGEA today, a move that we have long called for, but it’s alarming to see many of the employers with enormous gender pay gaps are the same big corporations that aren’t paying their fair share.

We also welcome the release of public sector data. The data shows the public sector is significantly outperforming the private sector, demonstrating the importance of government action to address gender inequality.

Greens leader in the senate and spokesperson on women, Senator Larissa Waters:

“Closing the gender pay gap is a task for both employers and government.

“While the overall gap has slightly narrowed over the past year, more than 70 per cent of workplaces still have a gender gap favouring men, and 45 per cent of workplaces have actually gone backwards and now have a worse gender pay gap than the year before. The banking sector remains one of the worst offenders.

“Many of the big employers with massive gender pay gaps are also the ones who aren’t paying their fair share of tax.

“Virgin paid $0 tax in 2023-24, and today’s data reveals they have a current gender pay gap of a whopping 44 per cent.

“Qantas has a gender pay gap of 40 per cent, and despite raking in $21 billion in revenue, paid just $8m in tax.

“And it isn’t just our national airlines that are underpaying women and their fair share of tax. Santos, Chevron, all pay $0 tax and have a current gender pay gap above 20 per cent.

“We already know these big corporations aren’t paying their fair share of tax, today’s data confirms they aren’t interested in closing the gender pay gap either.

“Private companies with massive, and even growing, gender pay gaps are still receiving millions in government contracts. Procurement is a powerful lever to lift private sector performance. The government needs to flex that power and refuse to engage companies that can’t take the gender pay gap seriously.”

Department advice to dramatically reign in salmon farming from Macquarie Harbour to protect the Maugean skate and the National Heritage values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area was defied by the Albanese government, new FOI documents reveal.

The Albanese government instead made a calculated move to betray the environment and water-down the nation’s environment laws by introducing and passing special legislation to protect the salmon industry.

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans and Senator for Lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:

“These revelations prove the Albanese government doesn’t give a fuck about the environment. 

“The shameless self-serving actions of the Albanese government and its blatant disregard of expert scientific advice from within its own environment department is galling. 

“Not only did the Albanese government ignore departmental advice on the urgent need to reign in toxic salmon farms from polluting Macquarie Harbour, it made a disgracefully calculated move to introduce laws to protect the dirty industry. 

“Who knew reverse psychology worked so well on this deluded and desperate government? 

“The Albanese government has shown over and over again it is more committed to protecting the profits of mega-polluting salmon companies than it is to preventing the avoidable extinction of an entire species.

“No further proof is needed to determine who this shameful government is really working for – but you’ve got to ask why? It reeks of pure cronyism and state capture.”