Category: Australian News

Following reporting by the Sydney Morning Herald, the NSW Parliament has today passed a motion recognising the State harm caused to two very young children and their families more than 15 years ago, and acknowledged the significant public good served by their mothers. The Attorney general has received an application for an ex gratia payment to recognise these issues, and the Parliament called for that application to be considered urgently.

A non-publication order means pseudonyms should be used in any publication. Jacqui* and her daughter Julia*, and Rachel* and her daughter Rose*.

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice and solicitor Sue Higginson said:

“Jacqui and Rachel, and their strong independent, now adult daughters, have achieved something extraordinary in the face of a justice system that failed to hear them when it mattered most,”

“These mothers did everything that the system asks victim survivors and families to do. They reported, they cooperated with police, they prepared their very young children for court, they pursued complaints, they gave evidence to the Royal Commission, and they helped drive reforms that now protect other children,”

“Their daughters were three years old when they were abused in a government-regulated childcare centre. The criminal case was discontinued because these very young children were considered unable to provide sufficient detail, but it has now been revealed that NSW Police did not seize or investigate electronic devices, and did not obtain video from the childcare centre,”

“That information was not given to these families at the time. It only came to light this year because of parliamentary questions and correspondence, and is the final piece of information that demands a proper response from the State,”

“The Attorney General has the application for an ex gratia payment. The Parliament has now recognised the public good served by these mothers and the harm caused by State systems. That application should be treated with urgency, and the 15 years of work by these women finally recognised,”

“The Government cannot undo what happened to Jacqui, Rachel, Julia and Rose. It can and should acknowledge the failures, and make an ex gratia payment that recognises the harm caused and the contribution these families have made to justice reform,” Ms Higginson said.

Today’s news that long-fought for reform to drug driving laws for medicinal cannabis patients will finally be introduced to the NSW Parliament, will be welcome relief for tens of thousands of people in New South Wales, says Greens MP and drug harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

“It’s been a decade since cannabis was legalised as a medicine in this country and finally our road laws are going to catch up. Many people will be very relieved at this news today,” said Cate Faehrmann.

Cate Faehrmann introduced a bill to provide a medical defence for cannabis on 12 Nov 2021. The bill was the subject of an Upper House inquiry but was voted down in the House 29 votes to 6 on 12 Oct 2022.

“It’s heartening to see that finally the voices of medicinal cannabis patients have been heard, with news that this long-fought for reform will happen.

”I’m yet to see the details of the legislation, and will work with all sides of politics to improve it if need be, but the Greens support this reform.

”The inability of people who are prescribed medicinal cannabis containing THC to drive without the risk of losing their licence, even if they aren’t impaired, is not only grossly unfair but has clogged up our courts system.

“My bill to introduce a medical defence for cannabis was defeated in 2022. I’m looking forward to voting for this important reform and ending the discrimination that medicinal cannabis patients have faced for too long,” says Cate Faehrmann.

The latest KPMG scandals show the Big 4 consultancy firms are making a mockery of the parliament, yet again.

Following multiple scandals, KPMG’s CEO has resigned and the COO has stepped down but the rot won’t go away.

KPMG has reluctantly admitted to a string of allegations, including misusing confidential client information to get more audit work, auditors using AI to cheat on internal exams, breaching audit independence, and “falling short” on the whistleblower’s concerns raised. 

Despite these revelations, however, the Government continues to employ KPMG’s services.The Department of Finance, alone, currently holds eight consultancy contracts worth $27 million with KPMG.

The Greens say the Government needs to stop feigning outrage and expressing “deep concern” at corrupt practices of the Big 4 while dishing out millions of dollars to them in contracts. Labor needs to put an end to their special treatment and regulate them like other Australians businesses.

Greens Senator Barbara Pocock, spokesperson for finance and public sector:

“Australia’s Big 4 consulting firms are marauding pirates making a mockery of the parliament. They play by their own rules and get away with it, again and again.  

“After years of multiple internal inquiries and subsequent cover-ups, KPMG’s recent misdemeanours are being dragged into public view, thanks to a courageous whistleblower.

“Even while the PwC scandal was unfolding, KPMG who were engaged in their own corrupt behaviours and cover-ups, failed to notify the parliament despite giving evidence to multiple parliamentary inquiries. Such dishonesty beggars belief.  

“How many scandals does it take for this government to take action? 

“The Big 4 have lost their social licence. Australians have had enough of the repeated scandals. It’s time for the Big 4 to be regulated under Australia’s corporate regulatory regime.

“It’s time to rip the bandaid off. It’s time the government made these opaque, largely unregulated mega-partnerships accountable under the same corporate law, regulatory, whistleblower and tax regime as other large businesses in Australia. 

“Meanwhile, the big consulting firms are donating hundreds of thousands to politicians. How does this pass any conflict of interest test? 

“Labor needs to put an end to the Big 4 donations to political parties and governments with whom they hold multi-million dollar contracts. 

“It is time to end the special treatment and poor regulation of the Big 4 which has allowed them to get away with corruption and remain at the profitable trough of government consulting.”

“Today’s National Accounts show the Albanese government’s economic policy is crashing the Australian economy, and Australians standards of living are declining”, said Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson.

Mr Wilson’s comments come in the wake of the ABS’ National Accounts figures released today showing:

• Growth of 0.3% in the March quarter is the weakest growth in the past year and below market expectations
• GDP per capita declined 0.1% over the quarter, the tenth quarter of decline seen under Labor. We have already experienced Australia’s longest household recession under Labor.
• Productivity is down 0.6% over the quarter the sharpest fall in two years. This takes the fall under Labor to more than 5%.
• Australian’s living standards fell 0.6% in the quarter. Under this Labor Government, Australia has experienced the largest collapse in living standards in the developed world.
• Australians are working harder and getting less, with hours worked up 14% under Labor.
• Taxes continue to rise under Labor, Australians total income tax bill is almost 40% higher since Labor came to Government.
• With 15 interest rate rises under the Labor Government, interest paid on mortgages has tripled under Labor.
• Household savings are down to 6.2 percentage points, down more than 5 percentage points under Labor.

“The Albanese government’s policy is acting like a wrecking ball through the economy before Iran and the Budget, and since then the only solution to the small business and household confidence crisis is higher taxes”, Mr Wilson said.

“The Treasurer is in complete denial about the impact of the wrecking ball of his policy, and he keeps using public spending through private sector as a smokescreen”, Mr Wilson said.

“The Albanese government can only boast about private sector investment by importing machinery and equipment, not from home grown activity”.

“The Treasurer’s boasts don’t match the lived experience of Australian households and small businesses whose confidence has collapsed and are drowning under his policy”.

“Australians want a government that looks to the future with hope and aspiration, not one that only wants to manage their self-inflicted decline of the Australian economy”.

“The GDP figures are only being kept afloat because there are 2 million more people in the country since Labor came to office”.

“Australians are working longer, working harder, saving less, paying more, and being taxed more. They are worse off because of the policies of this Labor government”.

Australian Defence Force personnel will train Ukrainian soldiers in Poland as part of Australia’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion.

From mid-2026, the ADF will partner with the Norwegian-led multinational Operation Legio to train Ukrainian personnel in Poland, continuing the support provided under Australia’s Operation Kudu. 

Since January 2023, Operation Kudu has worked with the United Kingdom-led multinational training mission, Operation Interflex. This effort will now evolve under Operation Legio to deliver training closer to Ukraine’s borders and better meet Ukraine’s operational requirements. 

Through Operation Kudu, the ADF has trained more than 3,650 Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel in basic infantry tactics, leadership and military skills. 

Australia continues to support Ukraine as an operational partner to NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine initiative. This support has included deployments of an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to Germany and Poland, as well as participation in the Coalition of the Willing and the Drone Capability Coalition for Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Australia has provided more than $1.7 billion in support for Ukraine, including $1.5 billion in military assistance.

Australia remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP:

“Australia is continuing to adapt our contributions to Ukraine to ensure our support remains practical, relevant, and aligned with their most urgent needs. 

“I am proud of the high quality training delivered by ADF personnel under Operation Kudu, and I thank the United Kingdom for their leadership under Operation Interflex.”

Australia has today imposed further Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions against three additional Israeli individuals and four additional entities in response to escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Today’s measures designate individuals and entities for targeted financial sanctions, and declare the individuals for travel bans.

Australia has coordinated with partners including New Zealand in imposing these measures.

They build on sanctions Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom previously imposed, which included Israeli Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. For the first time, designated entities now include farming outposts that serve as hubs for settler violence.

Australia is steadfast in its commitment to the two-state solution as the only pathway to enduring peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, threaten the viability of a two-state solution, and are a major obstacle to peace.

Following the horrors of Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023 and subsequent devastating conflict in Gaza, maintaining momentum towards a two-state solution remains more important than ever.

The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law. The Australian Government and international partners continue to call on Israel to take urgent action to end settler violence, ensure accountability for perpetrators and stop extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.

Settler violence is used to displace Palestinians and perpetuate the settlement enterprise, through destruction of property, displacement of families, beatings, sexual assault, and torture, resulting in serious injuries and deaths.

The individuals and entities sanctioned today have undermined Israel’s own security and its standing in the world and harmed the interests of the Israeli people. Australia’s imposition of sanctions against them reflects our commitment to Israel and Palestine’s security and future.

For further information on Australia’s sanctions settings, please visit the Australia and sanctions page on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

Student debt will increase by over $1 billion today, as students and graduates already struggling with skyrocketing uni fees and the cost of living crisis are hit with 2.8% indexation.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Tertiary Education:

“While the Albanese Labor government sits on its hands refusing to immediately get rid of job-ready graduates fee hikes, arts students will get smashed with another hit as the cost of their $50,000 degree grows yet again with indexation.

“Young people are already being locked out of the housing market, denied loans and rethinking dreams of further study, and things are only getting worse because Labor has not scrapped job-ready graduates.

“The Prime Minister cannot claim to be addressing intergenerational inequity while keeping in place the grossly unjust job-ready graduates fee hikes, which are disproportionately impacting young people and already disadvantaged students.

“The time to get rid of JRG is now, not in 18 months or another two years. There is nothing stopping the Albanese government from doing so except themselves.”

Labor Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley must bolster the powers and capacity of the independent police watchdog after a brutal Four Corners investigation exposed gratuitous police violence, excessive use of force and maladministration in New South Wales.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission have been calling for reform to require the police to use body-worn video during the exercise of all police powers, as well as changes to their own powers to compel the police to provide them with the information and evidence they require to investigate police conduct. Now there are calls to bolster the LECC so that they can investigate more of the increasing complaints of police misconduct.

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice and solicitor Sue Higginson said:

“The degree of heinous violence we saw on Four Corners should be the trigger for urgent reform. I am escalating my calls to bolster the powers and capacity of the Police watchdog. The Police Commissioner must implement the watchdog’s recommendation and mandate the activation of body-worn video during the use of police powers,

“The revelations on Four Corners are unsurprising to me and I know they barely scratch the surface of a toxic and brutal culture that exists in the police force,

“Chemical weapons being used on a naked unwell woman, including her genitals, and being violently kicked and punched in the middle of a public road in broad daylight, intoxicated people being bashed, broken and hospitalised and then being charged with assault and resist arrest; women at home alone playing music in the evening, broken into and brutally assaulted; and victims of domestic violence being left for dead in the gutter,

“This is a culture of excessive force, unbridled power and cover up, enabling police to be violent with impunity. It is not lost on anyone right now that we still haven’t seen the Independent Culture Review of the NSW Police Force, led by Kristen Hilton, that I have been told is sitting on someone’s desk,

“People are rightly losing trust in the police. The NSW Police are the most complained about police agency with complaints growing each year. The default system is for the Police to investigate themselves and it’s not working. The LECC needs more investigators to investigate complaints, rather than simply referring them to the police to investigate themselves,

“Even in the few cases the LECC does investigate, Police are able to avoid scrutiny and accountability because the LECC does not have the powers they need. The LECC called for changes to their powers and it’s shocking that Premier Chris Minns and the Police Minister have not responded,

If the Premier does not commit immediately, I will bring a private members bill to the Parliament to introduce the three changes needed to ensure the LECC can investigate police misconduct and maladministration and oversee Police investigations of critical incidents,

“These changes are needed to stop the current practice of police not complying with the LECC and put an end to the “difficult” and “defensive” culture as described by the Chief Commissioner

“Just yesterday the Premier invoked the LECC when asked to defend police conduct, but their requests for urgent reform are sitting on his desk gathering dust,” Ms Higginson said.

The Fair Work Commission’s decision today to increase the modern award wage rate by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, still won’t pay the rent.

Since Labor came into power, real wages have decreased by 1%, and remain at the same real value as they were 15 years ago. Meanwhile, the RBA forecasts the rate of inflation for the year to June 2026 will reach 4.8%.

The Greens say this decision will further erode real wages for some of our lowest paid workers, leaving working Australians behind while billionaires increase in number and wealth.

Greens spokesperson for finance, employment and workplace relations Senator Barbara Pocock:

“The Fair Work Commission’s decision today amounts to a real wage cut for millions of Australians. Even with this 4.75% increase in the minimum wage, low-paid workers still face an uphill battle as wages have failed to keep up with inflation. 

“With inflation expected to rise to 4.8%, the Fair Work Commission has decided to erode the wages of some of the lowest paid workers.

“Under Labor, we’re seeing interest rates rise, real wages fall and a tax system that hits workers harder than billionaires.

“Nearly 3 million low-paid workers in Australia are playing catch up, facing rising grocery prices in a cost of living crisis, and rents increasing at well above inflation. 

“Since Labor came into power, real wages have decreased by 1% while rents have increased by more than 22%. How on earth can renters keep a roof over their head?

“When national rents have risen 2.5 times faster than wages over the past five years, working households fall further behind through no fault of their own.

“Working Australians have had enough. They’re fed up with seeing the big banks and the billionaires profit from an out of control housing crisis, while wages aren’t keeping up and workers are going backwards.”

The Greens spokesperson for resources, Steph Hodgins-May, and Member for Ryan, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, condemn the major parties teaming up to shut down a tax on gas exports and One Nation for not even wanting to record a vote.

The issue was put to a vote in the House of Representatives, for the first time, today by Watson-Brown. It called on the government to implement a 25 per cent gas export tax.

Despite the evidence collected by the senate inquiry held into the topic in April and the overwhelming public support for such a move, Labor and the Liberals were united in voting down the measure.

Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“This was Labor’s chance to listen to the Australian people and back a tax on gas exports that would make multinational corporations pay what they owe.

“Instead, the major parties have once again joined forces to protect the interests of the gas lobby ahead of ordinary Australians struggling with the cost of living.

“It was particularly galling to see One Nation’s newly elected MP campaign as an alternative to politics-as-usual, only to fail to use his first substantive vote to stand up for his constituents when it mattered most.

“At a time when Labor, the Liberals and One Nation continue to protect corporate interests, the Greens remain the only party willing to take on the gas giants and fight for ordinary Australians who are sick of billion-dollar corporations avoiding their fair share of tax.

“The Greens will continue to push for gas corporations to pay what they owe and an end to the  loophole-ridden tax system that allows multinational corporations to make enormous profits while Australians pay more for energy and essentials.”

Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP: 

“What kind of democracy are we living in where the voices of the gas industry are louder than the voices of the Australian people?

“More than three in five Australians support a 25% tax on gas exports. They know we’re being ripped off and they want gas corporations to pay their fair share.

“Today Labor MPs have voted to protect the gas corporations from paying their fair share of tax. One Nation and the LNP didn’t even bother to show up.

“The major parties have voted against a tax that is incredibly popular, and would raise $17 billion a year that could fund real cost-of-living relief.

“Massive gas corporations have donated millions to the major parties, while we also see senior Ministers and even the PM parroting gas lobby talking points. It’s clearly paid off in the vote today.”