Category: Australian News

The Greens have criticised Labor and Liberal for failing to back a Royal Commission into Australian Media labelling them “Murdoch cowards.” Today, a Senate Inquiry report into the Murdoch media was tabled in Parliament as Australia’s media ownership concentration slips further to now rank 2nd-worst in the world.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens spokesperson for Communications:

“Public interest journalism is critical for democracy, but Australia now ranks 2nd worst in the world for media diversity and the Government is failing to deliver the comprehensive media reforms needed.

“I’m concerned we are seeing a rising distrust in news media as the Murdoch empire continues to undermine quality journalism and democracy in Australia and abroad.

“The Murdoch media’s litany of biassed campaigns diminish Australian journalism as a profession and regularly fail to meet the basic standards enumerated in the Journalist Code of Ethics.

“In Australia the Murdoch media organisation fuels social division, targets individual women and vulnerable minorities, and delays climate action to prop up fossil fuels. Abroad, Fox News’ role in the Dominion voting scandal and the UK phone hacking scandals are a matter of public record.”

New revenue, regulations needed for public interest journalism:

“Comprehensive media reform in Australia is well overdue and a Commission of Inquiry would have been a sensible pathway to get the job done. It is disappointing that neither Labor nor Liberal are prepared to tackle these issues.

“Public interest journalism and the health of our democracy continues to be eroded each and every day the Government fails to deliver real media reform. The Government response to Meta’s threats to the News Media Bargaining Code remains unresolved, media regulations for the digital era are either non-existent or out of date, and funding for small and independent news agencies remains in limbo.

“As big tech corporations continue to cannibalise public interest journalism it’s clear we need to ensure a fair share of the revenue sucked up by social media platforms is invested back in the news and content they take for free. After a decade of Coalition cuts to the ABC and SBS, full funding has still not been restored and public broadcasters remain vulnerable to political attack and influence.”

The Albanese Government today teamed up with Peter Dutton’s Coalition to push through a controversial AUKUS Bill that will allow the dumping of high-level naval nuclear waste anywhere in Australia.

The Albanese Government, in alliance with the Coalition, rammed the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill through the Senate today without debate.

The Bill also created a new naval nuclear regulator as part of the AUKUS agreement with the UK and US on nuclear submarines. It initially allowed for all UK and US nuclear submarine waste to be dumped in Australia until the Albanese Government sheepishly amended it, due to growing public opposition, to prevent the dumping of UK or US ‘spent nuclear fuel’.

However, the amendments still allow the dumping of US and UK intermediate-level waste and other high-level nuclear waste from their nuclear submarines. The Greens moved amendments this afternoon that explicitly prevented this, and the major parties voted against these amendments and others.

The Bill immediately creates two nuclear dump ‘zones’, one off the coast of Perth and the other at Port Adelaide, without any community consultation or local support.

The Bill also allows nuclear dump zones to be declared anywhere in Australia that the Defence Minister chooses with the flick of their pen, again without any consent from local communities or First Nations traditional owners.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson for Defence, said: “Albanese and Dutton have teamed up today to push this AUKUS nuclear waste legislation through the Senate without debate.”

“Today’s actions see both Labor and the Coalition joining hands to ram through legislation that will let the UK and US dump their naval nuclear waste in Australia.”

“The Albanese Labor Government initially tried to sneak through a law that would allow the UK and US to dump all types of nuclear waste in Australia. The Greens called the Government out on this, and then people around Australia pushed back.

“Even with last-minute Labor amendments, this legislation still allows the dumping of US and UK nuclear waste in Australia. Labor’s amendments only prohibit the US and UK dumping ‘spent nuclear fuel’ from their submarines in Australia, but do not prohibit any other highly irradiated UK and US nuclear waste.

“This legislation green-lights dumping of all Australian naval nuclear waste anywhere in Australia. To be clear, exposure to even intermediate-level waste is lethal to humans, and the risk lasts for hundreds of years.

“Everyone can see AUKUS is sinking, the question is now becoming how much environmental and financial damage it will do before it hits rock bottom,” Senator Shoebridge said.

Today, at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Women’s Mental Health Senator Larissa Waters will launch the Greens election policy on perimenopause and menopause.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters

“For too long, women experiencing menopause and perimenopause have suffered in silence.

“It’s time for change. The Greens are committed to making menopause treatments more affordable and accessible, while also increasing awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public.

“We heard some horror stories during the Senate inquiry into issues related to perimenopause and menopause about the cost of medication which can be hundreds of dollars a month.

“We were told about one woman who was controlling her anxiety and depression with MHT until she could no longer afford it, she was forced to ask for Valium because it is PBS listed and $15 for a box of 50.

“The Greens will allocate $50 million annually to subsidise all TGA approved MHT and address medication shortages, ensuring women have access to and can afford essential treatments. 

“We will also eliminate the PBS co-payment for menopause treatments already on the PBS.

“No one should be priced out of the healthcare they need. We must ensure that effective treatments are accessible to all.

“Other countries have already made MHT more affordable. The UK is offering a year’s supply for $40, while Canada has allocated funding to British Columbia to make MHT free for its residents.

“We also heard during the Senate inquiry that doctors are only getting one hour of training on perimenopause and menopause in their undergraduate. This is patently inadequate because menopause impacts half of the population and it is a point where women become vulnerable to chronic diseases like osteoporosis.

“The Greens will ensure GPs can conduct comprehensive tests related to menopause, including essential bone density scans.

“One woman who asked her doctor if her symptoms could be from menopause said all he was taught in medical school was that menopausal women are either ‘mad or sad’.

“The stigma surrounding menopause has left many women feeling isolated. By increasing awareness, women can feel empowered to seek the support they deserve. That is why the Greens will implement a $5 million national education campaign for the public and for doctors.

“The major parties have yet to propose substantial changes regarding menopause care, the Greens will prioritise women’s health and ensure that women can access the support they need.

“If you want change, you have to vote for it. We are taking the lead on this critical issue, while Labor and the LNP have neglected it for far too long.

“The report from the Senate inquiry has provided a roadmap for the changes we need. It’s time for the government to respond to these recommendations without delay.

“Women across Australia deserve better—better support, better treatment options, and better recognition of their needs, and the Greens will deliver that.”

BACKGROUND

The Greens continue their commitment to improve women’s health in Australia with a comprehensive plan to address the pressing, yet too long neglected, issues surrounding menopause and perimenopause.

This initiative follows the Greens initiated Senate inquiry and resulting landmark consensus report with 25 strong recommendations aimed at transforming how menopause is perceived, addressed and treated in this country.

The Greens will:

• Ensure more affordable and accessible menopause treatments with an allocation of $50 million annually to ensure that women have access to necessary treatments by:
  • Subsidising TGA approved menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)
  • Purchasing more doses of MHT and making them more accessible across Australia.
  • Purchasing alternative forms of MHT medications.
• Creating a new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item that allows GPs to conduct comprehensive tests related to menopause, including essential bone density scans.
• Removing the PBS co-payment for menopause treatments to reduce financial barriers for women seeking care.

To complement our health initiatives, The Greens will fund a $5 million national education campaign aimed at the public and at healthcare professionals. It will focus on:

• Educating GPs through an accredited training program on menopause and perimenopause, ensuring they are well-equipped to support their patients.
• Raising public awareness about menopause symptoms and treatment options to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations.

The Greens say the Government’s shifting position on young people and social media should not let the big tech corporations off the hook for harvesting kids data and targeting young people with dangerous algorithms and advertising.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson for Communications:

“Big tech giants shouldn’t be let off the hook for the harmful impact they are having on our kids.

“Those platforms engaged in superficial “For Teens” re-brands should not be given a back-door to target children by harvesting kids data and targeting them with toxic algorithms and advertising.

“We need an evidence-based approach to protecting children which is why Labor & the Liberals should back the Greens call for a ban on big tech corporations harvesting the data of young people and targeting them with advertising and dangerous algorithms. 

“The business model of collecting, selling and exploiting young people’s data to make massive profits must stop.

“We’ve seen effective laws in the EU and the UK that not only make platforms safer for young people, but for all of us.”

A speech by Malcolm Roberts, Senator for Queensland

The need for the Australian Government to implement a national housing and population plan that manages international student growth based on consultation and without unintended consequences for the economy or Australian students.

We need a housing and population plan that works for Australians.

The government currently has a plan.

That plan is: open the floodgates to arrivals no matter how many Australians are made homeless.

We need a plan that does the opposite and puts Australians first.

Australia just hit a record level of temporary visa holders.

Excluding tourist and other short stay visitors, there are now 2.43 million temporary visa holders in the country.

This blows the previous record of roughly 1.9 million clear out of the water.

That’s up to a million extra houses needed to put those people in.

680,000 of these are international students, another record.

This is putting untold pressure on the housing crisis.

When the borders were closed, nearly all suburbs close to the universities experienced higher rental vacancy rates.

That means, when international students couldn’t come into the country there were more homes available for Australians… who would have thought?

The truth is some universities and private VET providers are completely abusing the system.

A student visa is more often seen as a backdoor way to get working rights in Australia and eventually stay here forever.

Hundreds of thousands of people on temporary student visas end up illegally working full time hours and sending the money back to their home country.

Personal remittance flows out of Australia almost perfectly follows the amount of student visa holders in the country.

This transfer out of Australia hit a record $11 billion in 2023, on the latest figures.

We can only assume it’s increased from then.

You’ll hear a particular lie also pedalled in this debate.

That lie is that “international students are one of Australia’s largest exports at $48 billion a year.”

That figure assumes an international student arrives here on day one with all of their money for course fees, rent, food, transport, bills and other spending already saved in a bank account.

In reality, most students end up working here for the money to support themselves and send the remainder back home.

The claim that international students are one of our biggest exports is simply not true because it doesn’t align with reality.

If you intend to move here permanently, there’s a proper process to go through.

There was a rule that automatically blocked people from studying in Australia if they said they wanted to move here permanently.

The Labor Party removed this rule, of course.

This explosion in international students isn’t helping our education institutions or the housing crisis.

At the moment, our universities have a pretty good reputation.

Unfortunately, they’ve been pursuing international students as a cash cow at the expense of education quality.

If we don’t save the universities from themselves, they’ll destroy that hard won reputation.

Australia’s universities have been accused of awarding degrees to students with no basic grasp of English.

Academics say universities have turned a blind eye to language shortcomings because of the revenue generated from international student fees.

Academics say they are being pressured into passing hundreds of students suspected of plagiarism and other forms of cheating in order to maintain their universities’ revenue streams that are hugely dependent on the international market.

Then we had the story of Harry, a first year economics student at Melbourne University, who began attending his mandatory tutorials. He was excited to engage with his fellow student and start his further education journey.

But Harry found himself unable to participate in his class after students and the tutor would converse in Mandarin for almost the entire session.

It may be too late to save the universities completely.

The Guardian reports today “Australian universities tumble as some record worst result ever”.

One can only wonder why.

The first focus of our Australian universities should be the education quality of Australian Students.

We have roughly triple the ratio of international students as any other country in the world.

The universities have unfortunately proven they cannot be trusted to balance the money they make from internationals with their primary job of educating Australians.

One Nation has real solutions for the tertiary education sector, we would:

cap international student numbers

Force universities to report the average salaries of graduates of every degree so students know what they’re signing up for

Cut fees for subjects that used repeated recorded content to lower HECS debt and

Enforce English standards for international students.

One Nation will make sure universities aren’t sacrificing the quality of Australian educations to increase profits from international fees.

Australia’s Constitution is certainly not a ‘perfect’ document but there’s no doubt it’s served the country quite well over the past 123 years. It’s a testament to the people who drafted it, debated it and voted on it: people with a real vision for a brand new sovereign nation.

Part of that vision was that elected representatives in this democracy would be completely loyal and solely dedicated to the service of Australia. They could only be citizens of Australia—no dual citizenships. They also shouldn’t be bankrupt or profiting off the Commonwealth, thereby creating a conflict of interest. These provisions are contained in Section 44 of the Constitution, regarding eligibility to serve in Parliament.

It’s a historic fact these requirements have not always been met. The citizenship status of Australia’s third Prime Minister (and the first ever Labor MP to hold the office), Chris Watson, has always been dubious. It’s never been satisfactorily determined where the man was born, but it’s possible it was on a ship off the coast of Chile or in Chile itself way back in 1867. He had a German-Chilean father. His mother, who wasn’t Australian but Irish, raised him in New Zealand. He wouldn’t meet the requirements of Section 44 today but in 1904, when he became Prime Minister, detailed birth and citizenship records weren’t universal or simple to check.

Fast forward to 2017, when the so-called eligibility crisis exploded. Prominent representatives, including two ministers, were discovered to have not been eligible to sit in Parliament due to their citizenship status, including our very own Malcolm Roberts—a truly loyal Australian if there ever was one. Since then, political parties across the board have tightened up their checks on candidates to ensure it didn’t happen again—or so you’d think.

Western Australian senator Fatima Payman, who made headlines when she crossed the floor against her own Labor Party in June this year and then defected from Labor the next month, is the case in point. She was born in Afghanistan in 1995 to Afghan parents, who fled the country’s Taliban regime and entered Pakistan five years later. In 1999, her father traveled to Australia illegally by boat and spent a brief period in immigration detention. He brought the rest of his family to Australia in 2003.

Payman is again in the headlines for launching a new political party, ‘Australia’s Voice’. The name hasn’t won her any friends among the indigenous establishment that campaigned for the voice to Parliament, nor has the timing – only a few days before the anniversary of the referendum. There have always been questions about whether she had done enough to renounce her Afghanistan citizenship as required by the Constitution. When she was elected in 2022 (scraping in last on the party vote), Labor declared she’d taken the ‘reasonable steps’ determined by the High Court but since her defection, they’ve questioned it again.

So has Senator Pauline Hanson. Writing to the Prime Minister, she’s asked that the matter be thoroughly examined. Does the single failed effort to renounce citizenship constitute ‘reasonable steps’? Wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect those efforts to continue as conditions in the country of origin change so the matter can be put beyond doubt? We think the question, at least, needs a definitive answer.

And that’s because Payman doesn’t seem to speak for Australian voices, but for foreign voices. Her defection from Labor was precipitated by her crossing the floor over a motion on the conflict in the Middle East. She’s been a loud voice for Palestinians who support Hamas but not for Australians.

There are further steps to take if our weak Prime Minister won’t step up. Stay tuned!

The Albanese Labor Government has agreed a timetable with China for the full resumption of Australian live rock lobster exports by the end of the year.

This will save the jobs of 3,000 Australians employed in the industry, 2,000 of which are in Western Australia.

The agreement to a timetable for the re-entry of live rock lobster was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Albanese and China’s Premier Li Qiang today on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

This outcome is another step towards stabilising the bilateral relationship between China and Australia. This is positive news for the lobster industry and for Chinese consumers, who will have access to high-quality Australian rock lobsters in time for Lunar New Year. 

Since 2020, Australian rock lobsters have been effectively prevented from entering China’s market, which was worth over $700 million in 2019.

We acknowledge the Australian rock lobster industry for their resilience during a challenging period.

The Albanese Government has seen progress on the removal of trade impediments for wine, barley, coal, cotton, timber logs, copper ores and concentrates; and some meat establishments – almost $20 billion worth of Australian exports.

With our patient, calibrated, and deliberate approach, we are restoring Australian trade with our largest export market.

The Albanese Government will continue with its calm and consistent approach to the China relationship – where we cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in the national interest.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Resolution of trade impediments is at the top of our Government’s agenda. The reinstatement in normalised trade for all commodities is front and centre of the Government’s engagement strategy with China.

“It is in the interests of both our countries to continue this path of stabilising our relationship. A resumption in trade for all Australian commodities is an important part of this process.

“Having dialogue helps us navigate our differences and build upon areas where we can cooperate – without compromising on any Australian interests.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong

“The Albanese Government’s approach to China has been patient, calibrated and deliberate – and our approach has paid dividends for Australians and for the national interest.

“We continue to urge Australian businesses to diversify to grow value for their companies and for their country.

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell

“This is a great outcome for the Australian lobster industry and for Chinese consumers.

“The Albanese Government is delivering for Australian farmers, miners, businesses and workers.

“I encourage businesses to continue to take advantage of new trade diversification opportunities created by this Government.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins

“This agreement on a timetable with China for the full resumption of trade by the end of the year is a significant step forward for Australia’s rock lobster industry and will deliver job security for fishing communities in regional areas.

“The resumption of full Australian rock lobster exports to China is expected to have a trade potential of over $700 million.”

Labor has sided with big business, voting down a Greens Bill that would have made price gouging illegal, showing they’re more interested in protecting corporate profits than looking after everyday Australians.

“Labor had the chance to stand up for Australians struggling with skyrocketing costs, but instead they chose to protect their corporate donors,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“They talk about fairness and tackling the cost-of-living crisis, but when it comes to taking real action against the supermarket giants, Labor is nowhere to be found.”

“Major corporations like Coles and Woolworths will keep raking in massive profits, while shoppers are forced to pay more for their groceries, electricity, and other essentials.”

The Greens’ bill would have made it illegal for corporations with substantial market power to engage in price gouging, with penalties of up to $50 million for those found guilty.

“Labor failed Australians today. This was a golden opportunity to hold the worst corporate offenders accountable for profiteering, but they chose to protect the billion-dollar profits of their mates in big business instead.”

“Labor tried every procedural trick in the book to stop the Bill going to a vote. They are embarrassed of their own position.”

“This Bill had the numbers to pass the Senate with Labor’s support.”

“If we’re serious about fixing the cost-of-living crisis, we need to rein in corporate power.”

“But Labor is either too compromised or too weak to take on the big end of town. Australians deserve better.”

The Greens will keep fighting for meaningful reform to crack down on price gouging and protect people from corporate greed.

The Greens will scrutinise the Albanese Government’s NBN Bill to ensure reliable internet is affordable and accessible for all Australians. In addition to seeking a Senate Inquiry, the Greens will consider moving amendments to cap executive bonuses after NBN executives received multi-million dollar packages last year.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens spokesperson for Communications:

“The Greens will consider the NBN Bill introduced by the Government this morning and we will seek a Senate Inquiry so it can be examined in detail.

“Last time there was a minority government it was the Greens who protected the NBN from being sold off by securing amendments that have kept the NBN in public hands.

“The NBN is a critical piece of infrastructure that should be affordable and accessible for everyone and it’s why the Greens have long fought to protect the NBN from privatisation.

“The Parliament has an opportunity through this bill to examine accessibility of the NBN, the quality of the service and affordability. We need to ensure the digital divide is not growing and everyone can participate in our digital economy.

“The Greens also want to see the exorbitant bonuses paid to NBN executives reigned in. It’s outrageous that in a cost of living crisis the NBN CEO was paid more than $3m in executive bonuses last year while the households the organisation services can’t afford to pay the rent let alone pay for high speed broadband.”

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Greens Leader and spokesperson for Higher Education, has condemned the Labor Government’s decision to charge ahead with its disastrous student caps, following the release of the Senate Inquiry report into the Education Services for Overseas Students (Quality and Integrity) Amendment Bill 2024.

In a dissenting report, Senator Faruqi calls on the Government to withdraw this Bill, go back to the drawing board.

 Senator Faruqi’s dissenting report can be found here. 

Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“Despite overwhelming opposition, Labor is charging ahead with their politically-motivated international student caps that will devastate the tertiary education sector.

“The government is crushing higher education in a bid to look tough on migration before a federal election. International education, international students and universities will become collateral damage as a result of their mess of a policy.

“We know these caps will lead to job losses, we know these caps will trash Australia’s international education reputation, we know these caps will lead to dire consequences, and yet Labor is still persisting with this wrecking-ball of a policy.

“Labor needs to stop demonising international students for their own housing policy failures. They’ve been long used as cash cows to make up for funding cuts to universities, and now they are disgracefully being scapegoated too.

“The decline in university rankings is another dire warning in the long list of warnings of the terrible consequences of these caps. If Labor has any sense they would heed these warnings and scrap the caps.

“The international student caps just show that Labor is willing to strangle an entire sector and throw international students under the bus to win a racist dog-whistling competition with Peter Dutton. That’s how low the standard of governance is in this country.”