Category: Australian News

The Albanese Labor Government is Building Australia’s Future with a record $2 billion investment in the Australian-made aluminium industry, securing more well-paid jobs for Australian workers in our regions and suburbs.

Supercharging the local metals industry, a new Green Aluminium Production Credit will provide targeted support to Australian aluminium smelters switching to reliable, renewable electricity before 2036.

Facilities will be eligible for support for every tonne of clean, reliable Australian-made aluminium they make over a period of 10 years.

This Credit will provide local aluminium smelters with confidence to invest, paving the way for more secure Australian jobs in our world-class aluminium industry.

Labor’s plan for a Future Made in Australia is very clear: we want Australian workers to make more things here.

We’ve got all the ingredients right here for a world-leading metals industry – from the best solar and wind resources, to the critical minerals and facilities, as well as a highly skilled workforce.

From Gladstone to Portland and Bell Bay to Tomago – Australia is already the sixth largest producer of aluminium in the world and we want to see that continue to grow.

Increasingly the world is looking to import clean, reliable metals – like Australian-made aluminium – which represents a massive opportunity for growth in a decarbonising global economy.

Australia’s entire aluminium supply chain is uniquely located on shore – from bauxite mining to finished products, all produced from generations of Aussie know-how.

Not only will this deliver for economic wins for Australia, it will help significantly reduce emissions at the same time.

Securing the future of the Australian-made aluminium industry is a direct investment in jobs and skills across the country – all the way from Central Queensland to Northern Tasmania.

This is what Building Australia’s Future looks like and only a Labor Government will deliver it.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“Labor’s plan for a Future Made in Australia is very clear: we want Australia to make more things here.

“Investing in the Australian-made aluminium industry is a massive opportunity – to create well-paid jobs in our regions and suburbs, and set Australia up for the future.

“We’ve got the resources, the workers, and the know-how – the only thing we don’t have is time to waste.

“We are building Australia’s future, not taking Australia backwards.”

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic:

“Jobs up, emissions down and a secure future for our world-class aluminium industry – that’s what today’s announcement provides.

“With an entire aluminium supply chain uniquely located right here in Australia, we’re well positioned to capture the rewards of the global green energy transition.

“Communities and businesses rely on aluminium smelters, and we have an opportunity to partner with the private sector to support these secure well-paying jobs into the future

“Backing our strengths, playing to our advantages and building a future for all Australians.”

Assistant Minister for Future Made in Australia Tim Ayres:

“The aluminium sector is a critical value-add industry for Australia and a crucial part of the Albanese Government’s Future Made in Australia plan.

“This package guarantees good blue collar jobs in the Hunter, Central Queensland, Northern Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria.

“We know that Peter Dutton’s risky nuclear reactor plan requires the closure of Australian electricity-intensive manufacturing like aluminium refining.

“The biggest risk to aluminium and regional manufacturing is Peter Dutton’s Liberals.”

Today the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are taking another important step in building Australia’s future, announcing $1 billion to better connect Western Sydney to the word.

Jointly funded by both governments, the project will upgrade Fifteenth Avenue to create a critical transit corridor from Liverpool to the new Western Sydney International Airport.

Over 22,000 vehicles per day travel along the congested two-lane Fifteenth Avenue, with around 8 per cent of those being trucks. Liverpool City Council predicts a significant increase in housing in the areas immediately around Fifteenth Avenue, which could see as many as 63,000 additional people living there by 2041.

Fifteenth Avenue will connect the new Bradfield city centre, the new Metro, and the airport, enabling multi-modal travel including fast and easy public transport along the route.

It will also unlock jobs and housing in key growth areas and provide better access to education and opportunities for Sydney’s growing west.

Western Sydney is the fastest growing region of New South Wales, and this funding is part of both governments’ ongoing investment in the future of the region. This adds to existing major investments in Western Sydney, including the $10.4 billion Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport, $2 billion M12 Motorway, $1 billion Mamre Road Stage 2 Upgrade and $800 million Elizabeth Drive – Priority Sections Upgrade.  

The Australian and NSW governments are each committing $500 million to this project.

The Australian Government is investing nearly $18 billion towards transport infrastructure projects in Western Sydney. 

For more information on projects funded under the Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program, visit https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“My Government wants Western Sydney to be a gateway to the rest of the world.

“We want it to thrive as the engine room for jobs, economic growth and opportunity.

“This half a billion dollars’ worth of new funding from the Australian Government is part of our commitment to delivering more resilient infrastructure for all Australians.”

Premier of NSW Chris Minns:

“This critical investment is a game changer for Western Sydney that will connect thousands of jobs at Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis with Liverpool.

“We promised to deliver fifteenth avenue and I’m very proud that together with the Albanese Federal Government – we are delivering this project.

“The Aerotropolis has the opportunity to transform Western Sydney and this road link is critical to delivering the jobs of the future in Australia’s fastest growing region.

“Without this critical road we couldn’t deliver the growth and jobs the Aerotropolis has the potential to deliver.”

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

“We’re connecting Sydney to Western Sydney, and Western Sydney to the world, by investing in infrastructure that will boost jobs, unlock housing, and shape the way we live. 

“From Liverpool to Parramatta, Bankstown to Cabramatta, we’re not just building roads, we’re building Australia’s future.”

NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car:

“Together with the Commonwealth Government, the Minns Labor Government is committed to building better communities in Western Sydney and connecting our local community.

“We are investing in the suburbs where the former Liberal National government allowed development to occur but failed to deliver essential roads and infrastructure.

“We are ensuring the necessary investments to improve access to the new airport, which is a key part of Western Sydney’s economic future.”

NSW Minister for Roads John Graham:

“The jobs and investment being brought by Western Sydney Airport will be squandered if Fifteenth Avenue remains a two-lane road from a time gone by.

“With this substantial investment in the road infrastructure of Western Sydney we are building a highway to economic opportunity.”

Member for Werriwa, Anne Stanley:

“I have been advocating for an upgrade of 15th Avenue for more than 15 years from the time that Austral Housing developments were approved by Liverpool Council and the NSW government.

“Now with the opening of the Western Sydney Airport less than 2 years away, it has taken a Federal and State Labor Government working together to deliver the much needed upgrade.

“More than 10 years of Liberal governments did not recognise how important this upgrade was, and it has meant that residents have been putting up with long delays in traffic jams because development has far outstripped the road network upgrades.”

Today I announce the appointment of three highly qualified individuals to lead Australian posts in Brussels, Belgrade and Lae.

I am pleased to announce the following appointments:

• General (Rtd) Angus Campbell AO as Australia’s next Ambassador to Belgium
• Mr Peter Truswell as Australia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia
• Mr Brenton Kanowski as Australia’s Consul-General in Lae.

Australia’s representatives overseas prosecute our national interests and through their diplomatic engagement help uphold the norms and rules that have underpinned decades of peace and prosperity.

General Campbell will also serve as the Ambassador to the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Luxembourg. His experience as Chief of the Defence Force from 2018 until 2024 will help deepen Australia’s peace and security cooperation with NATO, both in the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

I thank the outgoing ambassadors and consul-general for their contributions.

Today I will depart for the United States to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington DC.

The invitation to attend is a demonstration of the steadfast alliance between Australia and the United States and I look forward to representing Australia.

The United States is our vital ally, closest global partner, and most important strategic relationship. The US is also Australia’s most significant economic partner and, together, we continue to boost each other’s prosperity.

While in Washington DC, I will meet with members of the Trump Administration and Congress.

I look forward to discussing how we can advance the benefits of our strong economic and security partnership and expand our cooperation.

The Foreign Ministers of India and Japan will also attend the inauguration. I look forward to engaging with my Quad counterparts. We share an unwavering commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The Australian Greens will raise PhD stipends to the national minimum wage as part of their higher education policy launching in February. 

Currently, PhD students live off stipends that are often below the poverty line, despite contributing to crucial research and innovation. 

As part of the broader higher education policy package, the Greens will:

• Increase the full-time base Research Training Program annual stipend to the national minimum wage which is currently $47,626 
• Expand paid parental leave to PhD students, regardless of employment status 

Lines attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Spokesperson for Higher Education: 

“PhD students deserve so much better than being abandoned to the poverty line. This situation is unacceptable—raising RTP stipends to at least minimum wage and access to parental leave entitlements is long overdue, yet Labor refuses to act.

“It is a real indictment on our higher education system that PhD students are forced to skip meals, take up exhausting night jobs or rely on their partners’ wages to be able to survive while doing their research. It’s no wonder less and less people are enrolling to do a PhD.

“On top of such low stipends, PhD students are cruelly locked out of the government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, punishing those who dare to start a family. This is an outrageous oversight that exposes Labor’s indifference to young researchers and future academics.

“The gendered impact of stipends cannot be ignored. Having started my PhD in my thirties with two young kids, I could not have completed it without the support of my husband. 

“Not only are PhD students being put at risk by these poor conditions, but also the research, workforce and innovation future of Australia. Investment in PhD students is an investment in all of society.

“The Greens are committed to delivering positive change for students and researchers. We will keep fighting for PhD students to receive liveable stipends, parental leave, and the dignity they deserve.”

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The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We acknowledge that these lands were stolen and sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Responding to new seat-based polling showing an overwhelming majority support ending native forest logging, the Greens have called on the PM to work to close logging loopholes in our environment laws when Parliament returns in February.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens spokesperson for the Environment, Senator for South Australia:

“Time is up for native forest logging. Australians want the chainsaws and the bulldozers to stop.

“An overwhelming majority of voters want to close the loopholes that allow our native forests to be logged and bulldozed. 

“Labor would be wise to listen to the voters rather than the logging and mining lobby, and work with the Greens to protect nature for good. 

“When Parliament returns in February the Prime Minister will have a choice: work with the Greens to protect our forests, or ram through his government’s laws that allow the logging of critical habitat to continue with Peter Dutton.

“We can end these logging loopholes before the election if the PM is constructive and willing to protect the environment. I urge the PM to respect public opinion and protect the environment instead of selling out to the logging and mining lobby. 

“From inner city Brisbane seats to regional Tasmania, a majority of voters want to end native forest logging. It’s popular and it’s the right thing to do for nature.

“An area of forest the size of the MCG is logged and bulldozed every 2 minutes in Australia with wildlife like the Koala, the Swift Parrot and the Greater Glider hurtling towards extinction due to the destruction of their native forest habitat.

“Saving forests from logging is good for the climate, good for wildlife and good for the community.”

Senator Nick McKim is Greens Spokesperson for Forests & Senator for Tasmania:

“Polling confirms what we already know: people overwhelmingly want native forest logging to end.”

“Labor and the Liberals are ignoring massive public support for protecting our forests, backing the corporations destroying them instead.”

“If Labor doesn’t get on board with ending native forest logging, it’s going to cost them votes at this election.”

“The Greens have been fighting to defend native forests for years because it’s vital for tackling the climate and extinction crises. It’s time the major parties caught up with the people they claim to represent.”

Polling found majority support for ending native forest logging across 5 federal electorates:

Brisbane – 74%

Griffith – 76%  

Eden-Morano – 60%

Richmond – 72%

Lyons – 58%

Australia welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage agreement in Gaza after 15 months of conflict and a devastating loss of civilian life.

Australia has consistently been part of the international call for a ceasefire and release of hostages.

We urge all parties to respect its terms and safeguard a lasting peace, including ensuring the immediate release of all hostages and unimpeded and sustained increases in humanitarian assistance to all parts of Gaza.

Our thoughts are with all the civilians killed, displaced and taken hostage in this conflict, and the many humanitarian workers who lost their lives in the service of others.

This agreement is a constructive step towards peace and stability in the region. It must mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Australia will continue working with the international community towards a two-state solution – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side by side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.

We hope it will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance, and pursue self-determination.

Australia remains unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas’ atrocities on 7 October, and its ongoing acts of terror. There must be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. Any future Palestinian state must not be in a position to threaten Israel’s security.

We will continue to act in partnership with the international community to support the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza.

We thank the mediators—the United States, Qatar and Egypt—for their tireless efforts to bring parties to an agreement to end this war.

The Greens have called on the State and Federal Governments to provide an urgent funding lifeline to save the Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Centre from imminent closure. 

The Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Centre is run largely by volunteers and donations and provides critical care to injured, ill and orphaned native wildlife – but will be forced to shut within months without funding. The Greens have also today launched an online crowdfunding campaign in partnership with the Centre.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens spokesperson for the environment and visited the Centre today:

“I’m extremely concerned that the Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Center will be forced to close within months. This Centre is run largely by volunteers and funded by donations. It provides critical care to thousands of vulnerable animals. It must be saved.

“The State Environment Minister Susan Close and the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek must step in and deliver a funding lifeline so that this wildlife Sanctuary can keep operating.

“South Australians love our wildlife and our koalas.  The staff here have saved more than 14,000 injured and vulnerable animals. We can not afford to let the center close down, we need to keep the doors open.

“I’ve been visiting the Centre for a number of years now, and I know that the volunteers here, the vets who work here, and the individuals involved do such important work. 

“Australia is at risk of losing our koalas altogether, as those in the eastern states face extinction due to loss of habitat and logging. Here in SA we have a responsibility to help keep the koala population strong and healthy. The important work of the Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Centre is invaluable to helping protect these beautiful animals going extinct. 

“Today, in partnership with the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary, we are launching an online crowdfunding campaign to keep the Centre open so it can keep saving the lives of vulnerable animals.”

The Greens are the only party committed to public schools with the announcement today of a plan to deliver 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to every public school by July 2025; the creation of a capital grants fund available only to government schools; and funding for airborne hazard risk reduction measures in all classrooms.

Under the Greens’ plan the Commonwealth share of spending on public schools will rise to 25% – except in the Northern Territory where it will be 40% – and the Morrison-era loophole that allows states and territories to deduct 4% of non-classroom costs from their SRS funding contribution will be abolished. 

The Greens will invest $6.8 billion over the forward estimates to save public schools. 

The Greens will also establish a new grants fund for public schools to invest in infrastructure, reversing a 2017 Coalition decision that saw the Commonwealth abandon capital investment in public schools. The fund will disperse $1.25 billion in its first year, and $350 million annually after that. Funding will be allocated to states and territories based on the share of public schools and the needs of students in each jurisdiction.

And under the party’s “Safer Classrooms” commitment the Commonwealth will provide $388 million for all schools in Australia to purchase and install an air ventilation system and HEPA filter, as well as a carbon dioxide monitor, in each classroom and indoor communal space.

Greens spokesperson on primary and secondary education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Every child deserves a high-quality, inclusive, safe and free public education. It’s what strong societies are built on.

“But under successive Labor and Liberal governments, our public school system has been left to rot, while a growing share of school spending shifts towards the private sector.

“Under Labor, private schools are banking $51 million each day from the Commonwealth, while 98% of public schools receive less than the bare minimum funding. That means overworked teachers, crumbling infrastructure and rising out-of-pocket costs for families already slammed by the cost-of-living crisis.

“Public school teachers, students, parents and carers suffered through a decade of neglect under Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison. Labor promised them that they would end this nightmare by finally delivering full funding.

“But under Albanese’s plan, every single public school that is underfunded today will still be underfunded in a decade.

“With Labor giving up on fighting inequality and the Liberals ideologically opposed to the very existence of public education, only the Greens are fighting for our public schools.

“The Greens will save our public schools by delivering full funding from July 2025, and establishing a capital works fund so our kids have the classrooms and facilities they deserve.

“We will make sure that schools are healthy and productive environments by funding air ventilation systems, HEPA filters and carbon dioxide monitors in every classroom and indoor communal space.

“This election the Greens can secure the balance of power and fight harder for the things that all Australians deserve: dental and mental into Medicare; real climate action; and genuinely affordable housing.

“Inequality continues to widen under Labor and the Liberals. The Greens will make corporations pay their fair share and invest in health and education for everyone.

“We can’t keep electing the same two parties and expect anything to change. If Australians want change, they have to vote for it.”

The reports of a ceasefire deal between the State of Israel and Hamas are welcome and overdue, but the invasion of Gaza is something that should never have occurred, and has resulted in genocide.

Over the past 15 months we’ve witnessed unimaginable tragedy as Gaza – an area half the size of Canberra with a population of more than two million – has been invaded and tens of thousands of people have lost their lives.

Families have been deprived of food, water, and medicine while schools, hospitals, and mosques have been reduced to rubble.

From day one the Greens called for the release of all hostages and for no invasion of Gaza. Sadly, Labor and Liberal backed the invasion of Gaza.

The Greens are once again calling on the Labor government to do its part in upholding international law by:

• Calling for a permanent ceasefire that sees the end of the occupation of Palestine by the State of Israel. 
• Ending the two ways arms trade between Australia and the State of Israel 
• Sanctioning members of the Israeli government directly involved in war crimes. 
• Having Australia formally intervene on behalf of South Africa at the International Court of Justice and the commitment to uphold International Criminal Court warrants.

It is a testament to the millions of people who have peacefully protested week-on-week over the past year, including here in Australia, that we’re seeing news of a ceasefire today.

Today’s six-week ceasefire deal is an encouraging first step, and will hopefully bring relief to many. But we can’t let it stop there. The ceasefire must be permanent and lasting, and the occupation of Palestine must end.

We must ensure international humanitarian law is upheld and those who have committed war crimes are held to account.

And we must recognise the right to self-determination, the statehood of Palestinians, and the right of both Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace.

The Greens will always advocate for peace, and will be urging Labor to do everything they can to bring an end to this devastating genocide and end the occupation of Palestine.