Category: Australian News

The Coalition’s introduction of a Bill for supermarket and hardware divestiture powers means that Labor is now completely isolated in its defence of supermarket price gouging, the Greens say.

“This is a step towards cheaper food and groceries, and shows that Greens pressure works,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“We have led the charge to break up the supermarket duopoly, pushing for divestiture powers that would help bring food and grocery prices down.” 

“Labor is now completely isolated in its protection of big supermarket corporations and their billion dollar plus annual profits.”

“While the Greens have pushed the Coalition to catch up, the Prime Minister seems determined to defend price gouging over the interests of Australian shoppers.”

“People are sick of corporate price gouging and the Greens have been unapologetically on their side.”

“Labor’s refusal to back divestiture powers for supermarkets is indefensible.”

“The numbers are now there to pass divestiture laws for the supermarket sector through the Senate this year, and through the House if Labor would get on board.”

The Albanese Labor Government will cut a further 20 per cent off all student loan debts, wiping around $16 billion in student debt for around three million Australians.

By 1 June next year, the Government will cut 20 per cent off all student loans to reduce the debt burden for Australians with a student loan. 

This will cut around $16 billion in debt, including all HELP, VET Student Loan, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan and other income-contingent student support loan accounts that exist on 1 June next year.

For someone with the average HELP debt of $27,600 they will see around $5,520 wiped from their outstanding HELP loans next year.

Range of outstanding HELP debt	Number of Australians with a HELP debt	Range in debt reduction
$0-$10,000	791,000	$0-$2,000
$10,000-$20,000	585,000	$2,000-$4,000
$20,000-$30,000	501,000	$4,000-$6,000
$30,000-$40,000	380,000	$6,000-$8,000
$40,000-$50,000	250,000	$8,000-$10,000
$50,000-$60,000	147,500	$10,000-$12,000
$60,000+	276,000	$12,000+

This will provide significant relief to Australian students and workers with a student loan debt and builds on our reforms to fix the indexation formula, which is cutting around $3 billion in student debt.

This means, all up, the Albanese Labor Government will cut close to $20 billion in student loan debt for more than three million Australians.

This builds on the Government’s announcement that from 1 July next year it will reduce the amount Australians with a student debt have to repay per year and raise the threshold when people need to start repaying.

Together these reforms also build on the Government’s substantial tertiary education reforms, including:

• Delivering 500,000 Fee-Free TAFE places
• Doubling the number of University Study Hubs
• Introducing legislation to establish the Commonwealth Prac Payment and expand Fee-Free Uni Ready Courses; and
• A commitment to introduce a new managed growth and needs-based funding model for universities, and establish an Australian Tertiary Education Commission.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“I will always fight for every young Australian to have access to a good education. My Government will make sure our education system is fairer and affordable for every Australian and we won’t delay unwinding the damage caused by the former Coalition Government.

“We’re already fixing indexation and today, we are going further by taking 20 per cent off student debt – for everyone with a student debt.

“This will help everyone with a student debt right now, whilst we work hard to deliver a better deal for every student in the years ahead.

“No matter where you live or how much your parents earn, my Government will work to ensure the doors of opportunity are open for you.”

Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

“This is a game-changer for the more than three million Australians with a student loan.

“By 1 June next year, we will wipe around a further $16 billion from all Australians with a student dent, including Australians who went to uni and vocational education.

“This builds on our changes to make indexation fairer and all up this means we are wiping close to $20 billion in student debt.

“This is another significant reform that will help us build a better and fairer education system.”

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth:

“This is great news for Australians with student debt – whether from studying at university or vocational education – the Albanese Government will reduce their debt alongside our changes to make indexation fairer.

“We want all Australians to have the opportunity for higher education, and our changes are making the system fairer and more affordable.”

Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles: 

“This will deliver very welcome cost-of-living relief to the more than three million Australians who have student loans and is an example of the great Labor tradition of making education more accessible. 

“This support applies to all government student loans including vocational training, so whether you’re an apprentice or a tradie, a carer or a nurse, if you’re paying off a student loan you’ll receive this cost of living relief.”

The Albanese Labor Government will introduce legislation to establish Fee-Free TAFE as an enduring feature of the national vocational education and training system, funding 100,000 Fee-Free TAFE places a year from 2027.

This builds on the Albanese Government partnership with states and territories to deliver 180,000 Fee-Free TAFE places in 2023; 300,000 places over three years from 2024; and agreements being finalised for a further 20,000 construction and housing Fee-Free places.

Fee-Free TAFE started in January 2023 to 30 June 2024 and has exceeded all expectations – with more than 508,000 enrolments in courses in priority areas, including:

• 131,000 in care – including disability and aged care
• 48,900 in digital and tech
• 35,000 in construction
• 35,500 in early childhood education and care

Fee-Free TAFE is particularly benefitting Australians from priority cohorts, with 170,000 young Australians, 124,000 job seekers and 30,000 First Nations Australians enrolling in the program.

Of all places, six in 10 have been taken up by women, and one in three in regional and remote Australia.

Legislating enduring funding for Fee-Free TAFE builds on the Government’s strong record on skills and training, including:

• A landmark $30 billion five-year National Skills Agreement with all states and territories.
• Putting TAFE at the heart of the Vocational Education and Training sector with states and territories, growing our investment in Fee-Free TAFE and continuing to build a national network of TAFE Centres of Excellence.
• Investing an additional $870 million per financial year between 2022-23 and 2025-26, compared to expenditure committed to by the previous Government in the March 2022-23 Budget.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“We promised Fee-Free TAFE for Australians – and now it is here to stay.

“My Government is putting TAFE back at the centre of vocational education and training, with our investment in Fee-Free TAFE having already seen over 500,000 Australians participating in priority areas to help fix skills shortages.

“We want to make sure Australians can go on to have well-paid, secure jobs – and Fee-Free TAFE creates those opportunities for individuals as well as investing in the future of our country.

“This is what drives and defines my Government – helping Australians now, whilst also building for the future.”

Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles:

“As I travel around the country, at every TAFE I visit, I meet students that tell me what a life changer Fee-Free TAFE has been for them. After a decade of neglect under the Liberals the Albanese Government is committed to rebuilding the vocational education and training sector.

“Fee Free TAFE continues to be an enormous success helping Australians to get ahead while easing cost of living pressures. More than half a million Australians are gaining skills and the opportunity to work in meaningful jobs that give back to their community.

“We want all Australians to have access to our world-class tertiary education sectors.”

Additional background information:

From 1 January 2023 to 30 June this year, there were over:

• 317,404 enrolments by women
• 170,470 by people aged 24 and under
• 124,312 by job seekers
• 110,969 by people who speak a language other than English at home
• 30,041 by First Nations people.

Students from regional and remote areas comprise almost 35 per cent of total enrolments.

Fee-Free TAFE means a South Australian undertaking a Certificate IV in Information Technology saves $4,704 in course fees while a Queenslander training to be a nurse saves up to $15,900 in course fees, while.

Someone in Northern Territory doing a Certificate IV in School Based Education Support saves up to $6,950.

I am pleased to announce appointments to the boards of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations and the Australia-Japan Foundation board.

The Honourable Mark McGowan AC has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

Mr McGowan brings a wealth of relevant experience having served as Premier of Western Australia. Prior to his election to the Parliament of Western Australia, Mr McGowan served as a legal officer in the Royal Australian Navy.

The Advisory Board guides the Foundation in its efforts to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and China, in support of Australia’s national interests.

The Foundation is focused on strengthening risk-informed engagement with China and reinforcing social cohesion by partnering with Chinese-Australian communities and showcasing their contributions.

I am also pleased to announce a new appointment and two reappointments to the Australian-Japan Foundation board.

Professor Shiro Armstrong, Director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre and Professor of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, will join the Australia-Japan Foundation Board in February 2025.

Professor Caroline McMillen AO FAHMS and Ms Yuki Nakamura have been reappointed for a second three-year term from October 2024. Professor McMillen is the former Chief Scientist for South Australia and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, with an extensive academic and scientific background. Ms Nakamura is the Executive Director of Nakamura Chocolates. She focuses on business in Japan and female entrepreneurship.

I would like to thank Mr Adam Liaw, for his exceptional contribution to the Australia-Japan Foundation over the past six years, including as acting Chair in 2024. Mr Liaw will finish his second term on 1 February 2025.

The Australian-Japan Foundation is Australia’s oldest cultural council and underpins our Special Strategic Partnership with Japan. It advances Australia’s foreign and trade policy interests with Japan by supporting partnerships in economic security, the arts, education, science, technology and sport.

To find out more, see Australia-Japan Foundation and National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Greens Leader and spokesperson for Higher Education, has responded to Labor’s latest student debt measure and calls on the Government to go further and act faster.

Senator Faruqi:

“The Greens welcome the Government’s decision to raise the repayment threshold, but it’s still nowhere near enough relief in a cost-of-living crisis.

“The Greens have had legislation sitting in Parliament for two years to scrap indexation and raise the repayment threshold, but Labor has been blocking it.  

“If Labor had backed our bill, reforms like this could already be in law. People would have smaller student debts, and would be keeping more of their paychecks.

“But instead, Labor wants people to wait till July next year when people need help now. We’re calling on the Prime Minister to bring this legislation to Parliament next week so we can pass it this year.

 “After years of blocking us, Labor is finally starting to listen to the Greens about the need to address soaring student debt, but it’s a small step well below what is needed.

“This proposal won’t shave a cent off your student debt or make university more affordable.

“Under Labor, student debts have risen by 16% and arts degrees now cost more than $50,000.

“Student debt can’t be fixed because student debt shouldn’t exist. Labor should wipe all student debt. If Anthony Albanese can go to uni for free, so should everyone else.”

The Albanese Labor Government will raise the minimum repayment threshold for student loans and cut repayment rates to make the repayment system fairer for all Australians with a student debt – around 3 million people.

From 1 July next year, the Government will reduce the amount Australians with a student debt have to repay per year and raise the threshold when people need to start repaying.

The reforms will apply to everyone who has a student debt, including all HELP, VET Student Loan, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan and other student support loans.

The Government will lift the minimum repayment threshold from around $54,000 in 2024-25 to $67,000 in 2025-26 and introduce a system where repayments are based on the portion of a person’s income above the new $67,000 threshold.

For someone on an income of $70,000 this will mean they will pay around $1,300 less per year in repayments.

This will deliver significant and immediate cost of living relief to Australians with student debt, allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money at a time when many are looking to save for a house deposit or start a family.

The move to a marginal repayment system is a recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord, and has been informed by the architect of the HELP system, Emeritus Professor Bruce Chapman.

This reform addresses one of the many unfair changes the Liberal Party made when they were in government to lower repayment thresholds.

Income threshold	Compulsory repayment amount under proposed change per year	Reduction in compulsory repayment amount per year
$60,000	$0	$600
$70,000	$450	$1,300
$80,000	$1,950	$850
$90,000	$3,450	$600
$100,000	$4,950	$550
$110,000	$6,450	$700
$120,000	$7,950	$450
$130,000	$9,550	$200
$140,000	$11,250	$650
$150,000	$12,950	$550
$160,000	$14,650	$550
$170,000	$16,350	$650
Above $180,000	No change	No change

The Government is reforming the student loan system to make it fairer for young Australians.

We have already announced reforms to indexation that will make sure student debts don’t grow faster than average wages.

This reform also builds on the Government’s substantial tertiary education reforms, including:

• Delivering 500,000 Fee-Free TAFE places;
• Doubling the number of University Study Hubs;
• Introducing legislation to establish the Commonwealth Prac Payment, expand Fee-Free Uni Ready Courses; and
• A commitment to introduce a new managed growth and needs-based funding model for universities, and establish an Australian Tertiary Education Commission.

This change will be subject to the passage of legislation.

“This is a good day for people of colour, Muslims and all of us working to build an anti-racist society. 

“Today’s judgement is a win for every person who has been told to go back to where they came from. And believe me, far too many of us have been subjected to this ultimate racist slur far too many times in this country.  Today the court found that to be a strong form of racism. 

“Migrants and people of colour should know that they don’t have to be grateful and keep quiet. I will be louder and more defiant than ever. 

“This ruling draws a line in the sand that hate speech is not free speech, and that people who racially target marginalised communities cannot get away with it scot free.

“Today’s landmark judgement is historic and groundbreaking and sets a new precedent for how racism will be viewed in this country from now on. It’s a warning for those like Pauline Hanson and I hope it emboldens individuals and communities to assert their rights to live free from racism.  

“The court has made clear that there is no place for the relentless and vile racism so many of us have been copping throughout our lives here. It sends a strong message to racists that they will be held to account.  I hope this helps us build an anti-racist Australia.

“The decision to take Pauline Hanson to court was not taken lightly, and it has taken a very personal toll on me and my family, but I did it for so many people who bear the brunt of racism and who are impacted by destructive racist language every single day. I have been vindicated today, and so have they.

“It is about time Senator Pauline Hanson faced consequences for the racism she’s been piling on Muslims, people of colour and First Nations people for more than 30 years. She has been found to have engaged in racist behaviour and I hope she reflects on that.

“Racism is rife in this country and Muslims are being marginalised, silenced, smeared and vilified more than ever for taking a stand against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This decision becomes even more important in the context of rising Islamophobia.

“I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, my legal team, my family, my staff and those who have supported and encouraged me to take on racism. I will continue to do so.  We are on the right side of history. Justice has prevailed.” 

The latest ATO figures on tax show that one in three large companies is paying no tax during a cost of living crisis that they are helping to drive, the Greens say.

The latest figures show 1253 large companies out of the 3985 with a turnover of more than $100 million did not pay a single dollar in tax.

“Not only have corporations grossly profited from the cost of living crisis, they are not paying their fair share of tax,” Greens Senator Nick McKim said.

“A system where nurses, teachers and cleaners are paying more tax than some of the country’s biggest corporations is totally cooked.”

“This is totally unacceptable while we have Australians who are struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table.”

“We need corporate super profits taxes now, and we need much harsher laws to stop corporate tax avoidance.”

“Money raised could directly fund cost of living relief like making GP visits free, putting mental and dental health into Medicare and wiping student debt.”

The current Minister for Local Government was not informed of an additional $19.5 million in grants awarded by the Berejiklian Government to Hornsby Shire Council (HSC) for a range of projects and some of which have not commenced 4 years after the money was provided to the Council. In answers to questions asked by Greens MP Sue Higginson in budget estimates, Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig was advised that OLG was not responsible for the administration of any grants paid to HSC other than the Stronger Communities Fund grants, that information was inaccurate.

The Government has launched a review into how this incorrect information was produced in response to Ms Higginson’s questions, and whether more recovery attempts would need to be made by the NSW Government, along with the $36 million of unspent grants to HSC as part of the discredited Stronger Communities Fund.

Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning and Environment Sue Higginson said “It is deeply concerning that the Minister for Local Government was given inaccurate information by the Office of Local Government in response to very specific questions. This one group of grants is worth $19.5 million, how many other secret pork barrel grants of the former Liberal National Coalition are still out there?”

“The grants identified in these documents seem to be a pre-election gift to Hornsby Shire Council from then treasurer and Member for Hornsby, Matt Kean. The payment of monies to the Council were being made while a Parliamentary inquiry, chaired by the Greens, was looking into the Stronger Communities Fund where documents were shredded by the Premier’s office. This takes brazen pork barrelling to a new level,”

“While understandably the Government is taking this revelation seriously, I am concerned that there is a possible conflict of interest in the review that has been started. The Planning Secretary responsible for this review, was also Coordinator General for Planning and Local Government in Office of Local Government (OLG), in 2021 – when OLG was administering these grants. In fact, one of the letters obtained under freedom of information is signed off on by the Coordinator General at the time,”

“These grants were required to be spent within two years of the money being received and we know that at least one of the projects that was supposed to receive money has not commenced – Westleigh Park, which controversially would see the development through the rarest critically endangered woodlands communities of the Sydney Basin. Other pork barrel funds for Westleigh Park are already the subject of recovery action by the NSW Government, to get back the unspent $36 million that was handed to Hornsby Shire Council. These other funds should be included in that recovery before the Council rushes ahead to spend this money that they shouldn’t have,”

“The Minister for Local Government should take this opportunity to look closely at what other State Government monies have been thrown to Liberal controlled councils as part of this so far unknown grant stream. The Greens want local communities to receive funding for important projects, but the awarding of these grants occurred in the shadow of corruption and pork barrelling. Where conditions of grants have not been met, those monies should be returned to the Government and redistributed in an open and transparent way,” Ms Higginson said.