Category: Australian News

Health Minister Mark Butler has been caught lying to Australians as the Government quietly released new data, which proves bulk billing is collapsing under Labor’s watch.

Published by the Health Department on 12 August 2024, this data shows the GP bulk billing rate decreased over the 2023-24 financial year by a further 3% to 77.3%. When the Coalition left government, the bulk billing rate was 88.5%.

The number of bulk billed GP services provided to Australians also decreased by 2.4 million in comparison to the previous year.

At the same time, the out-of-pocket costs incurred by non-bulk billed patients rose by 5.5%. This backs up research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which shows Australians are paying the largest percentage of GP fees on record.

This concerning new data was published on the same day that the Health Minister falsely reassured South Australians listening to 5AA radio that “bulk billing is turning around.”

Shadow Minister for Health, Senator Anne Ruston said that despite the Minister’s misleading rhetoric, the data clearly shows that it has only become harder and more expensive to see a doctor.

“If the Minister seriously thinks his government has made it easier to see a doctor, he is completely out of touch with reality.

“This past financial year, Australians’ access to bulk billed GP services has been severely reduced. At the same time, it has literally never been more expensive to pay for a non-bulk billed appointment.

“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, Australian families are feeling the pain of increased out of pocket costs and we know many have been forced to choose between seeing their doctor or paying the bills,” Shadow Minister Ruston said.

Labor’s primary care crisis is having serious flow-on consequences for our entire health system, as further demand is being pushed down the line to overrun hospitals across the country.

The Albanese Labor Government is plainly failing to ensure Australians have affordable and ready access to essential healthcare.

Today’s delay of the 3G shutdown is a direct consequence of the mishandling of the issue by the Albanese Government.

As we have been highlighting for months, the Government was too slow to act on the warning signs, and significant responsibility for the delay sits clearly at the doorstop of the Communications Minister.

In July, we said that due to the Albanese Government’s gross incompetence it now appears highly likely that the 3G shutdown will have to be delayed. That decision has been confirmed today.

The Government was clearly disinterested in the issue and were seen to be washing their hands of the issue until what has been an untidy, last-minute scramble as the shutdown deadline loomed.

It took too long to respond to the warnings that started coming in over a year ago.

An IT expert told the recent Senate inquiry into the 3G shutdown that he wrote to the Communications Minister in June last year to warn her about risks of 4G phones being unable to call triple zero. Optus was also highlighting problems to the Government, back in July.

The Senate inquiry also heard powerful evidence about the risks of the shutdown to people with various devices, including medical and fire alarms.

Telstra and Optus have today confirmed they will delay the shutdown of their 3G networks until 28 October. Telstra had been due to shut down its 3G network in about two weeks, while Optus was due to follow in September.

We welcome the plans which Telstra and Optus have announced, including a public safety campaign for those still relying on the 3G network.

The freeing up of 3G spectrum for use in other productive telecommunications uses is an important reform, which was first announced five years ago.

The Communications Minister must ensure that the Albanese Government works hand-in-glove with the telecommunications sector and public to ensure the 3G transition is smooth and successful.

The Albanese Labor Government has continued its record of hypocrisy in appointing Labor mates to Government Boards.

Today’s announcement that failed former Labor Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk would be appointed to the board of Australia Post is treating Australians like mugs.

Ms Palaszczuk might be famous for willing to attend the opening of an envelope, but she has now been appointed to oversee a service millions of Australians rely on to deliver their packages and letters.

Having her own colleagues disown her in Queensland, the Albanese Labor Government has rewarded Ms Palaszczuk’s terrible performance with a board role at the taxpayers’ expense.

Given Ms Palaszczuk led a government that was more focused on itself than it was focused on dealing with the cost of the living crisis, the housing crisis, and the crime crisis that are facing Queenslanders, can Australians expect the same level of service at Australia Post?

In Opposition, Michelle Rowland said ‘Australia Post is a respected national service that should not be dragged into the mud by political appointments.’ Her actions speak louder than her words.

“This is just rank hypocrisy, writ-large, made worse by the fact that the Albanese Government has appointed a failed and unpopular former Queensland Premier,” Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman said.

“Australia Post is going through a significant reform process in an era of change and the last thing the board needs is for the Government to appoint one of its Labor mates whose poor record in public administration speaks for itself.”

The Government has waited until Friday to slip this announcement out to avoid the scrutiny of a parliamentary sitting week.

Shadow Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Jane Hume said that this is yet another example of Labor’s jobs for mates hypocrisy.

“When Minister Gallagher announced her review into public sector board appointments back in February 2023, she said it was “all about putting an end to the jobs for mates culture”.

“Yet this review was provided to the Government over a year ago, and it still has not been published.

“If the Albanese Government was really committed to transparency, Minister Gallagher would release the review and explain why she has sat on it for over a year.”

The Australia-China High Level Dialogue, which brings together representatives from industry, government, academia, media and the arts, will be held in Adelaide this week.

The Dialogue, which was established in 2014, is another opportunity to progress discussions across the breadth of Australia and China’s relationship, including on trade and investment, cultural ties, and regional and international security.

Former Trade Minister, the Hon Dr Craig Emerson, will co-chair the Dialogue as head of the Australian delegation.

Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms Jan Adams AO PSM, and Australia’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mr Scott Dewar will also participate as delegates.

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop, will join the Dialogue again this year and participate as a session lead, reflecting continued bipartisan support for the Dialogue.

The Dialogue is co-hosted by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations and the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs.

China’s delegation will be led by Mr Wang Chao, President of the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

This is the fourth time Australia has hosted and the first time the event has been held in Adelaide.

Deputy Greens Leader and spokesperson for Higher Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to Labor’s bill that was introduced today claiming to wipe $3 billion of student debt. 

The bill is nothing more than a mirage to give the impression that the Labor government is wiping student debt, when in fact it will have little impact. Around 3 million Australians have over $74 billion in student debt, so shaving off $3 billion in indexation just scratches the surface.

Equally, the inclusion in the bill of a Commonwealth payment for students undertaking placements in nursing, teaching and social work is wholly inadequate and excludes hundreds of thousands of other students required to do unpaid placement work.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi: 

“Labor’s student debt relief bill is nothing more than a PR stunt, not genuine cost-of-living relief. 

“Labor steals our lines about wiping student debt, because they know it’s what people want, but they are really just tinkering with indexation. The Greens are the only party with a genuine commitment to wipe student debt.

“Student debt is another cost for millions of people trying to make ends meet on top of so many other cost-of-living pressures. A cost that can and should be erased if Labor just wiped student debt entirely. It just goes to show that Labor doesn’t really care about helping people cope in a cost-of-living crisis.

“What Labor is proposing is trimming around the edges, throwing around fancy numbers and pretending to help ordinary people when they’re not. We can all see through the Labor mirage.”

“All students required to do a placement must get paid. Not a lesser supplementary amount, but at the very least, minimum wage.

“Once again, Labor’s half-baked measures fall short of doing what’s needed.”

Australian Medical Students’ Association:

“We are deeply disappointed that medical students remain excluded from the Commonwealth Prac payment. The medical degree’s structure and high demand results in over 2,000 hours of unpaid labour and study, which cannot be completed part time.

“Without support measures like paid placements, we are cutting out most of society from joining the medical workforce, leaving it only for privileged people who can pay their way through the degree.

“Nobody should be forced to make the choice between paying the bills and contributing to our healthcare system.”

Students Against Placement Poverty:

“The legislation passing through the parliament is labelled as financial support for placement students, but we know that most students will still be missing out entirely. The lucky few will get a few dollars an hour for their work, and will have to wait another year before receiving anything. Placement poverty continues despite what the Labor Party promises to students.

“Students Against Placement Poverty rejects any suggestion that this legislation fixes the issue. We will not stop organising until all placement students are covered by a real payment of at least minimum wage, including international students and students in all the degrees currently ignored by the government.”

Ngaire Bogemann, President of the National Union of Students: 

Referring to the new HECS indexation system: “The reality is that even under this change, tertiary students will continue to get a raw deal.

“The reality is placement poverty won’t end until all students undertaking mandatory placements are paid at least minimum wage and the Fair Work Act is amended to make unpaid placements illegal.

“The NUS has advocated over many years for an end to placement poverty and is very pleased to see steps taken towards this… However, the promise of a measly $8 an hour is a slap in the face to the many nursing, teaching, midwifery and social work students across the country who are currently providing crucial labour in key skills shortage areas for free.”

The ACT Government has released the Sullivan’s Creek Re-naturalisation Opportunities Report, which identifies ways the natural environment in the area could be transformed to promote environment in the suburbs and provide a biodiversity corridor through the heart of the city.

Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management Rebecca Vassarotti said the report includes a variety of suggestions to turn the creek into a community hub where people can relax, play, learn and connect with nature.

“Right now, Sullivan’s Creek is a concrete labyrinth that runs right through the heart of our city, often collecting sediments and algae that are really detrimental to water quality,” Minister Vassarotti said. 

“Already in Canberra we’ve seen the massive positive impact renaturalisation projects can have on building positive community spaces, urban biodiversity and environment in our suburbs.

“That’s why we want to open a dialogue with Canberrans about bringing Sullivan’s Creek up to its full potential, turning it into an ecological corridor that protects water and fosters even greater biodiversity down the spine of the inner north.

“Today we’re releasing the Sullivan’s Creek Re-naturalisation Opportunities Report to share the outcome of extensive consultation with the community in 2023, showcasing community needs and desires at the forefront of the report’s recommendations.

“Based on the feedback we’ve received from Canberrans, the report includes suggestions tailored to managing flood risks, creating vibrant and inviting green spaces, and contributing to the positive health and wellbeing of people living in our beautiful city.

“There are numerous benefits to re-naturalising Sullivan’s Creek, including restoring the native habitat and supporting the movement of native species, improving water quality, building resilience to climate change and enhancing our connection with nature.

“The report released today is aspirational but will set the vision for an area that brings our community together and revitalises the landscape. This report will be used as the foundation for any future plans for the site, subject to the considerations of the next government, and further consultation and investigation, ” said Minister Vassarotti.

Sullivan’s Creek and the surrounding waterways and landscape are significant to the Ngunnawal community. The report also includes opportunities to strengthen Connection to Country and invigorate the cultural aspects.

For more information on the Sullivan’s Creek Re-naturalisation project, or to read the Sullivan’s Creek Re-naturalisation Opportunities Report, visit the ACT Government’s YourSay Conversations project webpage.

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows the national gender pay gap is the lowest on record – today falling to 11.5 per cent from 12 per cent in November 2023, and 14.1 per cent in May 2022. Under the Albanese Government, women’s average weekly earnings have increased $173.80 a week since May 2022.

Labor came to government in 2022 with a commitment to drive action to close the gender pay gap. Since then, we have seen the gender pay gap drop to all-time lows over four consecutive reporting cycles.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:

“We came to Government with a commitment to help close the gender pay gap and that’s exactly what we’re seeing.

“That’s not a coincidence, it’s because the Government has taken action like banning pay secrecy clauses, modernising the bargaining system, enforcing transparent gender pay gap reporting and delivering pay rises for aged care and child care workers.”

Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher:

“Closing the gender pay gap means that women are taking home more money at the end of each week.

“Whether it be by boosting the pay of early childhood educators and aged care workers by 15 per cent, backing a pay rise for minimum wage workers or banning pay secrecy clauses – Labor is doing work right across the economy to lift women’s pay.

“This progress isn’t just good for women – it’s also good for men, good for children, good for the economy and good for the community.

“Closing the gender pay gap is a key ambition of Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality, because we know that it is both a driver and a result of inequality. We know there is still work to do and we will keep going.

“As well as lowest gender pay gap on record, we now also have reached a record high for women’s workforce participation at 63.2 per cent”

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt:

“We’ve secured record pay rises for hundreds of thousands of women on award wages, fixed the bargaining system to get wages moving in feminised industries, and changed workplace laws to put gender equity at the heart of the Fair Work Commission’s decision-making.

“We said we’d get wages moving again and that’s exactly what’s happening.

“This is despite the Opposition opposing almost every single one of these measures and promising to repeal a range of Labor’s laws that are delivering better pay for Australian workers.

“At the same time the gap has narrowed, an extra 510,000 women are now in jobs since the Albanese Government came to office, with 60 per cent of these jobs full-time.”

The ABS average weekly earnings data can be found online: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia

Information on the gender pay gap can be on the WGEA website: The ABS data gender pay gap

On Friday, the Prime Minister announced at a press conference that he was going to abandon religious discrimination reform after the Opposition vetoed their legislation. 

This broken promise from Labor has received universal scorn from across the political aisle. Religious leaders, LGBTIQA+ community and Labor’s own voters expected Labor to deliver their election promise — not capitulate to Peter Dutton’s whims. 

The Australian Law Reform Commission’s report last year was a roadmap to reform everyone could agree to and Labor has had a clear pathway through the Senate, with the support of the Greens and crossbench, to deliver those recommendations in full. 

But to Labor, the only opinion that matters is Peter Dutton’s. 

Stephen Bates, Australian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson

Yet another broken election promise from a Prime Minister too cowardly to do his job. Labor won the last election with a promise to protect LGBTIQA+ workers and people of faith from discrimination and he’s failed at both. 

Enough broken promises. If this government cares at all about LGBTIQA+ workers, they would move right now to remove section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act like the Law Reform Commission said to. 

This Labor government has had the numbers to get this done for months and The Greens have offered time and again to work collaboratively to make this change. 

The LGBTIQA+ community wants protections. Communities of faith want protections. The vast majority of the country wants this positive and progressive change. 

When it comes to keeping progressive promises, it seems this Labor government is incapable of doing so without the sign off of the LNP. 

Sex discrimination reform on Friday. Makarrata Commission on Monday. How many election promises does Albanese plan on breaking this week?

Labor needs to realise that they are the government and have been for over two years. They have the power to implement progressive change with The Greens but it’s painfully clear that Labor has no intention of doing that. 

When the LNP are in government, they waste no time in implementing a radical conservative agenda. Now that Labor is in power, we are told their hands are tied and that they’d love to do nice things but can’t because Dutton won’t let them. No-one’s buying it. 
 

The Victorian Greens are calling for a moratorium on evictions for public housing residents following revelations that the Victorian Labor Government has secretly signed the demolition contracts to steamroll ahead with tearing down public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington. 

The Victorians Greens are bringing a motion before the Parliament today that stands up for residents who face being forced from their homes in North Melbourne and Flemington now that Labor has signed the demolition contracts. 

It comes as leaked documents recently revealed that Labor is pulling funding from multiple public and community housing, offering up land set aside from public and community housing to private developers and have signed this $100 million demolition contract with John Holland.

During question time on Tuesday, the Greens grilled Labor on whether the signing of the demolition contracts would be used to pursue legal action against residents, to which the government refused to give a straight answer. 

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam said that Labor have clearly signed these contracts to have legal grounds to force evictions, which will displace hundreds of residents and tear their communities apart. 

She added that while Labor continues to pull funding from social and community housing and is handing over swathes of public land to developers, it’s impossible not to think that they will do the same with the towers. 

the Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam: 

“We’re in a housing crisis and instead of building public housing, Victorian Labor is conducting a fire sale of public housing land and demolishing the public homes we have. 

“Labor has clearly signed these contracts in order to pursue legal action against residents and force evictions displacing hundreds of people who are currently living in the North Melbourne and Flemington towers. 

“We’re having thousands of conversations directly with residents who have no certainty about their future. 

“Labor has sold off hectares of public housing and land to private developers – now they’ve signed these contracts, how can Victorians have any confidence they won’t do the same to all 44 public housing towers?

“We won’t stop holding Labor’s feet to the fire on this. We’re in the middle of a housing crisis where we should be building more public housing on public land, not tearing down our existing housing and selling off public land to private developers for massive profits.” 

The Greens say Labor’s excuse for caving-in to the gambling lobby is shifty and they will test the Government with a Senate vote to ban gambling advertising in line with the Peta Murphy Inquiry recommendations. 

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is spokesperson for Communications and Manager of Greens Business in the Senate:

“Don’t buy Bill Shorten’s lie. Labor have caved in to the gambling lobby and they are scraping around for an excuse. The gambling lobby have had their claws in both the Labor and Liberal Party for far too long. 

“We can support public interest journalism in this country without sucking the life and happiness out of Australian families, forcing gambling addicts to pay the price. The Prime Minister of this country Anthony Albanese needs to stand up to the gambling lobby.

“Experts have told us we need to ban gambling advertising, like tobacco ads, and Labor will be tested on this question in the Senate when Greens amendments for a full gambling ad ban in line with the Peta Murphy recommendations are voted on.

“We should be banning gambling advertising, taxing the big tech corporations and funding public interest journalism. Gambling addiction is not the solution for public interest journalism. 

“It is incredible that only two months ago the Albanese government threw free to air broadcasters under the bus by locking sport behind the paywalls of the global streamers with their anti-siphoning laws. Now, suddenly are using Free TV as an excuse to cave-in to the gambling lobby. Labor caved to the pressure of the big tech companies like Kayo and Amazon, now they are caving to the gambling lobby.

“This is not about championing Free TV or quality journalism, this is about Labor caving to vested interests instead of standing up for the public interest.”