Category: Australian News

The Australian Greens have accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of sending in the trojan horse of economic development, the week before the landmark High Court challenge of the Yunupingu case which is spearheaded by Attorney General Mark Dreyfus.

At the same time all but abandoning the Uluru Statement, following his speech at Garma Festival today.

The theme of Garma is ‘fire, strength, renewal’ which post-referendum should be a stark reminder to Labor that like the NAIDOC theme this year “Keep the fires burning” – Blak, loud and proud the strength and renewal is about the strength of our leaders like the late Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, who first talked about Makarrata at Garma after former Prime Minister Tony Abbott walked back his commitments raised at Garma. 

The very concept of Makarrata is about ‘coming together after a struggle’, with this struggle is viewed as the struggle for the truth and justice for Gumatj and First Nations people. 

Despite Labor previously committing to implement the Statement in full – including both Truth and Treaty – Albanese today tried to talk about everything but Truth and Treaty in a desperate attempt to pull the wool over people’s eyes and ignore and divert the focus and the need for the renewal of Garma’s previous calls of Truth and Treaty.

In the PM’s speech, he failed to say that shifting power to national entities like the Coalition of Peaks or the National Cultural Heritage Alliance will remove the rights for Traditional Owners to solely negotiate and to protect their lands and waters, ready for the next Government raid on critical minerals under the guise of a Renewable Energy revolution.

Australian Greens First Nations spokesperson, Senator Dorinda Cox, said Albanese’s grab bag of announcements today were nothing more than a ‘trojan horse’ to conceal the fact that Labor has walked away from its pre-election commitment to First Nations Justice in the way of Makarrata and is hiding the fact that they are in the High Court next week contesting the late leaders landmark case for just terms compensation believed to be worth $700 million.

The Greens currently have a bill for a Truth and Justice Commission before Parliament, and have urged the new Minister for Indigenous Affairs Malarndirri McCarthy to negotiate with them to get it passed.

Australian Greens First Nations spokesperson, Senator Dorinda Cox:

“It’s clear the Prime Minister is walking away from Truth and Treaty. Despite Labor previously committing to implement the Uluru Statement in full, today Anthony Albanese treated it like the elephant in the room saying let’s leave it to the states and territories.

“Seems he needs a lesson in his own constitutional powers, or is he doing this because of the power of Blak leaders and activists in this country like the late Dr Yunupingu who have left a legacy of fighting for country and culture.

“If Labor abandons its commitment it will be an utter failure for First Nations Justice in this country, it can not continue to sit in our sacred ceremonial places with our leaders and stare down the tip of the spear, without knowing and understanding the consequences of truth, it will come back to haunt you.

“Labor needs to abandon the appeal on the Yunupingu case and publicly support the Greens Bill for a Federal Truth and Justice Commission aka Makarrata.

“The dire reporting again on the Closing the Gap targets need us to be focused on the resilience and strength of our First People, the survival of our culture and our connection to our country must never be diminished or removed under western systems. 

“Standing on the shoulders of our cultural giants is about continuing the fight they left for us and survival requires us to navigate the service systems, and the legal battles to protect our legacies of sovereignty to be truly recognised.

“The Greens are ready to work with the new Minister to get our bill for a real Truth and Justice Commission passed and we will continue to stand with Gumatj and all clans and nations around Australia who are entitled to just terms compensation for mining and the destruction of our traditional lands and waters.”

Today’s landmark signing of a Partnership Commitment by the Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments and the Yothu Yindi Foundation is a momentous step towards the Yolngu people’s long held vision for a world class tertiary institution in northeast Arnhem Land.

The Garma Institute Partnership Commitment confirms up to $20 million from the Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA) towards construction of a Yolngu-owned and run tertiary and vocational education facility to provide on-Country learning for Yolngu people from early childhood education to university.

The Partnership was fittingly signed at the 2024 Garma Festival – a year on from the announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of $6.4 million for Stage 1 of the project, which involved consultation and development of a proposal.

This latest investment of $20 million will fund Stage 2 of the project, with the Northern Territory Government investing a further $1.05m (exc GST) and providing in-kind supports, enabling a partnership of infrastructure planning and co-investment.

The Garma Institute Partnership Commitment supports Closing the Gap Priority Reform 1: Formal partnerships and shared decision making, and commits all three parties to working collaboratively towards the successful establishment of the Garma Institute.

The Yothu Yindi Foundation already offers a Yolngu-centred curriculum for school students through the bilingual Dhupuma Barker School at Gunyangara, driving strong school attendance rates and improved education outcomes.

This latest investment will see those students given a pathway to continue their higher education at the Garma Institute.

The Institute is to be community and homelands-led using an adult education model created in consultation with Traditional Owners (Waŋu Wataŋu) and clan (bäpurru) leaders and other strong community leaders.

The Institute will draw from Yolngu culture and Rom (law), and operate as a regional accredited education, training and employment hub that combines a strength-based approach derived from both Yolŋu and Balanda learning and knowledge.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“True to its name, the Garma Institute Partnership is a great example of the impact we can make working in genuine partnership and alongside communities.

“Today, I am proud to announce that – through a new partnership agreement with the Northern Territory Government and the Yothu Yindi foundation – we will be investing $20 million from the Aboriginal Benefits Account to build The Garma Institute.

“A new tertiary and vocational education centre, owned and run by the Yolngu people.

“And a new pathway to higher education, right here on country.”

Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy:

“Connection to culture through on-country learning ensures the best outcomes possible for Yolngu students – keeping young people engaged in school creates a pathway to further education and the endless possibilities for reaching their full potential.”

“I commend the Yothu Yindi Foundation for their dedication to this ground-breaking initiative and their vision for future generations of Yolngu students who can access world-class education on-Country, learning Yolŋu and Balanda knowledge close to home.

“Communities across Arnhem Land and other areas of the Northern Territory have always understood the power of strong partnerships to deliver better outcomes.” 

Chief Minister Eva Lawler:

“My team and I are focussed on providing opportunity for every Territorian no matter where they live.

“The Governments $1 million will go towards assisting the establishments of the Garma Institute, providing more opportunities along the Gove Peninsula.”

Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO Denise Bowden:

“This Partnership Commitment recognises that the Garma Institute will be a game-changer for the region, a state-of-the-art education facility that will preserve and protect Yolngu knowledge, languages, and traditions, capturing and showcasing 60,000 years of unique cultural DNA.

“Offering a suite of tertiary, VET, and bridging courses tailored to the needs of the local community, it will advance education outcomes and create employment opportunities at a critical time for the region.

“It will allow Yolngu to complete the studies of their choice, without having to leave their community and culture behind.

“The Garma Institute has been the vision of Yolngu elders and community leaders for more than two decades, and we’re delighted that the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments are helping to make it a reality.”

Australia is pressing Israel to reform its coordination with humanitarian organisations to protect civilians and aid workers, following Special Adviser Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin’s report on the deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues.

ACM Binskin confirmed the Israeli Defence Forces’ strikes on their vehicles were the result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making.

This is consistent with the IDF’s own assessment that this “incident should not have occurred” and was a “grave mistake”.

Gaza remains the deadliest place on earth to be an aid worker.

The UN reports that more than 250 aid workers have been killed since the conflict in Gaza began. In recent weeks, at least three UN vehicles have come under attack.

This is why the Australian Government is implementing all of ACM Binskin’s recommendations, including the recommendation for further calls on Israel to improve coordination and deconfliction with humanitarian organisations working on the ground.

We are working with the UN and the international community to press Israel to reform its coordination with humanitarian organisations, to ensure the tragic deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues are not in vain and not repeated.

The Australian Government will persist until proper protections for aid workers are in place. The best protection for aid workers – and civilians – is a ceasefire.

Israel’s process to determine accountability for the World Central Kitchen strikes is not over. The Military Advocate General of Israel is still to decide on further action. Our expectation remains that there be transparency about the Military Advocate General’s process and decision. I have written to my Israeli counterpart to this end.

We will continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges.

Ms Frankcom dedicated her life to the service of others. She was an Australian we can all be proud of. I again extend my deepest sympathies to her family, loved ones and colleagues, as I do to those of the other victims.

The Australian Government thanks ACM Binskin for his work. An unclassified edition of his report is available on the DFAT website.

The Victorian Greens have secured a significant integrity reform today, legislating a non-government chair and majority for one of Parliament’s most powerful committees.

The Parliament today passed the Greens amendment to the Parliamentary Standards and Workplace Integrity Bill 2024 which legislates that the chair and majority of the powerful Integrity and Oversight Committee must be independent from government.

Last year, the Greens secured commitments from the government to have a non-government chair and majority of the Integrity and Oversight Committee during this term, but by securing this change in legislation, it means the Chair of this committee will stay in non-government hands into the future, and ensure that after the next election governments can’t go back to marking their own homework.

Unfortunately both Labor and the Liberals voted against further Greens amendments to remove government control of the important Budget estimates process, which is designed to scrutinise Government Budgets and spending, but is deeply ineffective in Victoria due to being government-controlled.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell:

“When it comes to scandals, corruption and integrity measures, Governments should not be allowed to investigate themselves. That’s why the Greens’ win today is so significant.

“We’ve seen scandal after scandal here in Victoria. Clearly Victoria’s integrity and anti-corruption measures are not up to scratch.

“The Greens’ win today is an important first step in fixing Victoria’s broken anti-corruption system, and we’ll continue to push for even more reform.”

Greens spokesperson for integrity, Tim Read:

“We need non-government chairs and majorities on these powerful parliamentary committees in order to properly hold the government to account.

“Government control of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee greatly limits the extent to which non-government MPs can question ministers about their spending, so it’s deeply disappointing to see Labor and the Liberal party joining together to vote against fixing this. ”

The ACT Greens have today announced a range of rental reforms that will go further and faster to ensure that every Canberran has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.

“Housing is a human right. Every Canberran deserves a safe, affordable and comfortable place to live – whether they are a homeowner or a renter,” said ACT Greens Leader, Shane Rattenbury.

“Right now, more people than ever are struggling to put a roof over their head. We are in a housing crisis – rents are among the highest in the country and house prices are out of reach for many Canberrans.

“In March 2023, a report from Anglicare Australia showed that none of the properties listed as available in the ACT were affordable and appropriate for essential workers. 

“For decades, Labor and the Liberals have used tax breaks to rig the housing market in a way that builds wealth rather than providing safe and secure places to live.

“That’s why the ACT Greens have a plan to reform the system to address the significant power imbalance that exists between landlords and renters and ensure that every Canberran has a safe and affordable place to live. 

“As part of our plan, the ACT Greens will establish an independent Rental Commissioner to provide a timely and targeted service to resolve rental questions and disputes, and attempt to resolve issues outside of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. 

“Importantly, the Commissioner will be empowered to enforce rental laws and issue fines. This will ensure renters’ rights are protected, without relying on renters to pursue matters themselves through a tribunal – a process that can be prohibitively costly, stressful and intimidating for renters.  

“The ACT Greens will also implement a two-year rent freeze and a subsequent fixed rent cap of 2% of the existing rent. A rent freeze will provide a much needed circuit-breaker for the many renters who are struggling with increasing rents alongside the increasing cost of living. The subsequent caps will create the long term structure change that the system needs. 

“Because we are in a housing crisis, people shouldnt have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their rent – it’s just not good enough. 

“The ACT Greens will ban all unsolicited ‘rent bidding’, to prevent potential tenants offering more than the asking price – which locks others out of the market and increases rental prices. We will also enforce rules on no cause evictions and rent increase limits via the Rental Commissioner – to ensure that renters are empowered to enforce their rights in rejecting illegal rent increases.  

“These and other measures in this policy form part of the Greens broader plan to fix the housing crisis. Renters are at the heart of this plan, because the current system is designed to deliver profit to landlords, not homes for people. The system is stacked against renters and that needs to change. 

“The ACT Greens have worked hard to improve rights for renters, we have banned ‘no cause’ evictions, banned solicited rent bidding and introduced minimum ceiling insulation for rental properties.

“While we have achieved a lot, the Labor and Liberal parties have continually blocked our attempts to deliver better protections for renters such as a rent freeze and improved rent caps. 

“If we are re-elected in October, the ACT Greens will deliver practical and concrete measures to fight for renters and fix the private rental market,” Mr Rattenbury said.

ACT Greens Member for Brindabella and renter Laura Nuttall, who is re-contesting her seat, believes the Government should do more to assist renters with the housing and cost of living crisis.

“The cost-of-living crisis is not getting any better, and we know more and more people are struggling to keep up with basic living expenses,” Miss Nuttall said. “Just over a year ago I was putting off going to medical appointments and putting off paying for medication just to stay on top of groceries. I, like many others, spent a lot of time organising my life around not having quite enough money to get by comfortably. Rent is a huge driver of the cost of living crisis and it shouldn’t be this way.”

“During COVID we saw that the rent relief fund made a huge difference for a lot of people in having a safe place to call home. In a cost-of-living crisis the ACT Greens believe the rent relief fund should exist permanently to help protect renters from the risk of eviction and homelessness and help people manage those unexpected short term financial shocks,” Miss Nuttall said.

“I know first-hand that moving house is expensive and stressful and can be quite unexpected. Renters are often forced to move for reasons outside their control, and requirements such as rental bonds increase the costs even further. We’re talking about people living in rental duress also being $2000 out of pocket for weeks.”

ACT Greens Member for Yerrabi and renter Andrew Braddock said he knows the feeling of powerlessness that renters experience in the market.

“A year ago I was notified that my landlord had decided to sell my house vacant.  I experienced the powerlessness of not being able to guarantee a roof over my head and a home for myself and my young children despite my immense privilege. I had to explain to my children why they needed to pack up their belongings and leave their home at short notice.”

“A Rental Commissioner will help inform renters who are often at a power and financial disadvantage, of their rights and provide accessible avenues to resolve disputes.

“Other practical help including a portable bond scheme and rent freeze, plus permanent rent relief fund will greatly assist renters who are struggling in an unaffordable rental market,” said Mr Braddock. 

I am pleased to announce the Governor-General has accepted my recommendation to appoint Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM as the Auditor-General for Australia.

Dr McLiesh’s 10 year term begins on 4 November 2024.

Supported by the Australian National Audit Office, the Auditor-General is an independent officer of the Australian Parliament and is responsible for auditing Commonwealth entities. The Auditor-General plays an important role in upholding accountability and transparency.

Dr McLiesh is a senior public service leader with more than 25 years’ experience across government, international, not-for-profit and commercial sectors.

In 2017 she was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to social impact investment policy and reform in New South Wales.

Dr McLiesh has served as the Secretary and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Treasury since 2019. Prior to this, Dr McLiesh was the Managing Director of TAFE NSW and a Deputy Secretary with the NSW Treasury.

This appointment follows a merit-based selection process. In accordance with the Auditor-General Act 1997, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit provided its approval to Dr McLiesh’s appointment before I made a recommendation to the Governor‑General.

I thank the former Auditor-General, Mr Grant Hehir for his significant service in the state and federal public service. I also thank Ms Rona Mellor PSM for acting as Auditor-General since February 2024 until Dr McLiesh’s term commences.

The Greens are calling on the federal government to consider purchasing Rex Airlines to ensure the continued connectivity and economic stability of regional Australia.

“The collapse of Rex Airlines would be a devastating blow to Tasmania’s regional communities and our tourism industry,” Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said.

“Rex is too important to Tasmania to be allowed to fail.” 

“We cannot afford to lose such a vital service that supports local economies, jobs, and regional connectivity.”

“The federal government must step up  and investigate the possibility of buying Rex Airlines to keep it operational.”

“This move would safeguard essential transport links and prevent further economic disruption.”

“This is about more than just keeping planes in the sky. It’s about preserving jobs, supporting tourism, and maintaining the vital connections that keep our regional areas thriving.” 

“Federal Labor MPs and Senators need to step up and make sure the Prime Minister understands how critical Rex is to Tasmania.”

The ACT Government has announced two recipients that will receive the first share of $17 million in funding as part of the Energy Innovation Fund.

Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said the ACT Government is supporting innovative projects that will help achieve the Territory’s goal of net zero emissions by 2045.

“These two  projects that have received a grant under the Energy Innovation Fund will support the ACT on our energy transition journey, as well as invest in local jobs and expertise,” Minister Rattenbury said.

“The $17 million total funding pool will be allocated over a five-year period and there are three grant streams available under the Fund. These are the Technology Demonstration Grant, the Policy Challenge Grant, and the Innovation Ecosystem Grant.

“The projects funded today include a grant for New Frontier Technologies for a project to develop an innovative storage solution for hydrogen.

“Funding will also be provided to RenewMap to support further development of their web-mapping platform, better connecting projects across the Australian and New Zealand energy landscape.”

The recipients of the Energy Innovation Fund announced today are:

• New Frontier Technologies – $750,143 under the Technology Demonstration Grant
• RenewMap – $300,000 under the Innovation Ecosystem Grant

“The $17 million in funding has been contributed by industry commitments from the ACT Government’s Renewables Reverse Auctions – a nation-leading initiative that not only maintains the ACT’s 100% renewable electricity supply, but also provides investment in our local clean energy economy.

“The ACT has a world-renowned renewable energy sector and for more than a decade has been a leader in transitioning to 100% renewable electricity. These recipients showcase the continued innovation taking place right here in the nation’s capital.

“Congratulations to today’s recipients. I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition and contribute to our shared goal of addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to a net zero emissions energy future,” said Minister Rattenbury.

The Energy Innovation Fund grants are open all year round. More information, including eligibility details and information on how to apply, can be found on the Everyday Climate Choices website.

Dr Paul Compston, Director and CEO, New Frontier Technologies:

“We are delighted that the support from the ACT Government’s Energy Innovation Fund program will enable New Frontier Technologies to demonstrate ACT-developed capability for innovative design and automated manufacturing of high-value carbon composite structures. We will develop lightweight, type V (liner-less) all-composite pressure vessels that will increase capacity for hydrogen storage and form a critical part of the infrastructure required to achieve local net-zero targets. This innovative pressure vessel design and scalable manufacturing approach will be the first-of-its-kind, making it highly marketable to the national and international hydrogen economy.”

Alex Thompson, Co-Founder and Director, RenewMap:

“RenewMap currently provides stakeholders in the energy industry with highly accessible, accurate and near real-time information on large-scale energy projects across Australia and New Zealand. Our aim for RenewMap is to create an up-to-date, national view of the energy landscape and contribute to a faster and more efficient renewable energy transition.

“The Energy Innovation Fund will accelerate the growth of our business and enable us to create new jobs in the ACT’s thriving renewable energy sector. The funded project will build on the success of RenewMap to date, empowering industry stakeholders with new analytical tools and valuable insights into the future pipeline of energy projects.”

The Greens have called for Labor to introduce a national rent freeze and measures to stop price gouging instead of sitting back and watching the RBA raise interest rates again.

Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim:

“There is no case for the Reserve Bank to raise rates again.”

“Raising rates will simply create more hardship for millions of Australians. It won’t bring rents down and it won’t bring food prices down.”

“We need Labor to get off the sidelines and start to take the urgent action needed to tackle the cost of existence crisis.”

“Labor could rein in inflation by introducing a corporate super-profits tax, breaking up the supermarket duopoly, making price gouging illegal and coordinating a national rent freeze.”

Greens Housing Spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather MP:

“Labor had the power to freeze rents through National Cabinet, but instead they chose to spit in the face of Australia’s 7 million renters and lock in unlimited rent increases.”

“Today’s CPI data is the consequences. Rents (7.3%) are increasing at close to twice the rate of inflation (3.8%).” 

“Behind these numbers sit countless devastating stories. Families evicted into homelessness cos they can’t afford the rent increase that Labor could have stopped. Single mums skipping meals. Pensioners sleeping in their cars. What will it take for Labor to freeze rents?” 

“Rent increases are driving inflation and interest rate rises have been passed on in rent increases. It is a spiral of pain for already overburdened mortgage holders and renters that the RBA cannot break. Labor could stop this by coordinating a rent freeze through National Cabinet.”

The NSW Forestry Corporation has today been convicted and sentenced in the NSW Land and Environment Court for offences relating to native forest logging in 2020, and has been fined $360,000 and ordered that they cover the legal costs of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The breaches were as a result of the Forestry Corporation failing to accurately map two known Environmentally Significant Areas in the Yambulla State Forest and actual harm caused to 53 eucalyptus trees, and potential harm to 3 threatened bird species in the area.

Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said “The crimes committed by the Forestry Corporation on this occasion are not isolated, and their ongoing logging of native forests in NSW is regularly reported by the community as having occurred unlawfully,”

“This conviction has taken more than four years to complete and dozens, if not more, of other unlawful logging operations have been undertaken while the investigation and prosecution was underway. This makes a mockery of the lawful requirements that the Forestry Corporation must comply with, and demonstrates that the current system of enforcing compliance is failing to protect native forests and the threatened species that live within them,”

“The Court found that there is a high likelihood of the Forestry Corporation reoffending and that it does not have good prospects of rehabilitation. These findings are a damning indictment of Forestry Corporation’s integrity and demonstrates why we are calling for them to be barred from logging our public native forests,”

“This $360 thousand dollar fine is a significant part of the entire dividend that was budgeted to be returned to NSW by the Forestry Corporation, with just $9 million expected in 2024-25. This essentially means that 4% or Forestry’s entire expected return to NSW has been lost as a result of a single breach of the law – of which many more have been reported,”

“The Government is ultimately responsible for the Forestry Corporation, and have a duty to protect the people and environment of NSW from this rogue state-owned corporation. Everyday that this untrustworthy Corporation is doing more damage to the forests, and all at the expense of the people of NSW,” Ms Higginson said.