Category: Australian News

The Greens say Labor’s budget contains barely no new spending for Australia’s woefully underfunded public schools while they pour an additional $5.9 billion over the forward estimates into the overfunded private sector.

The Schools Upgrade Fund for public school infrastructure will also be discontinued, yet Labor will continue to subsidise new construction in fee-charging private schools into the future.

Greens spokesperson on Primary & Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Tipping more public money into a private system bursting at the seams with funding, while 2.6 million kids attend public schools that aren’t able to deliver them the education they deserve, isn’t only unjustifiable, it’s reprehensible.

“100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) isn’t some utopian aspiration – it’s only enough funding to get 80% of kids in a school up to the minimum standard for reading and numeracy. And Labor won’t even commit to that.

“If Labor is so concerned about inflation and the cost of living, properly funding public schools and reversing the cost-shifting that’s produced soaring out-of-pocket costs for parents and carers, would have been a pretty smart idea.

“We know that Labor is currently in negotiations with the states and territories on new funding arrangements, but the two deals they have announced so far would actually bake in underfunding in WA and the NT.

“Labor has signalled that they will be introducing legislation to lock in the new funding deals. With the Coalition ideologically opposed to public education, the Greens are likely to be in balance of power on any future bills.

“If Labor thinks the Greens will just roll over and let them lock in underfunding for another generation of public school kids they have another thing coming.

“The Greens are calling for 100% of the SRS for every public school in the country at the start of the new national agreement, in January 2025.”

Labor’s third budget has betrayed the queer community with all funding for the 10 Year National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing disappearing from the budget. 

The National Action Plan was announced in 2022 with an initial budget of $900,000 through May 2024. Despite the Advisory Group meeting for a year, there’s been very little progress made on what the Action Plan will actually contain.

And now, there’s no new money in the budget to keep this vital work going. Is this the end of the National Action Plan Labor was so proud to trumpet two years ago? 

The only tangible budget item for the LGBTIQA+ community is the overdue implementation of the HIV Taskforce Reports — and even that’s too little, too late. 

This Government has chosen a surplus instead of helping people who need it.

Just a fraction of that $9.3 billion surplus would fully fund the Action Plan as well as removing out of pocket expenses for gender affirming care, expanding eligibility for IVF and reproductive health programmes to LGBTIQA+ families, and making sure every community, from capitals to the regions, have access to comprehensive and LGBTIQA+ friendly health services. 

Australian Greens LGBTIQA+ Spokesperson, Stephen Bates

The Government knows that LGBTIQA+ people have worse health and mental health outcomes. So where’s the money? Where’s the money for gender affirming care? Where’s the money for mental health support? 

Anthony Albanese loves a Mardi Gras photo op—but when the time comes to do something concrete, he’s nowhere to be seen. 

I won’t stand by while Labor tries to push the National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing back in the closet. 

Labor shouldn’t post a profit while refusing to fund essential health services.

Increasing access to PreP medication is welcome, but the queer community needs a lot more than that.

The Greens will always push Labor to take real action to help LGBTIQA+ people. Just “not being Peter Dutton” isn’t going to cut it.

Australian Greens Health Spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele John

Labor’s budget does nothing to support LGBTIQA+ people in Australia who are struggling to afford and access essential healthcare.

Labor has failed to put their money where their mouth is, and queer people are being left in the lurch as a result.

In this cost of living crisis, it’s essential we support people to get the mental health services they need before they are having a crisis. 

Labor’s budget for mental health care pales in comparison to demand.

This budget does nothing to improve queer people’s access to gender affirming healthcare or bulk billing at their local GP, and it doesn’t support people to access a broader range of mental health professionals through Medicare.

It’s beyond time for the Government to get on board with the Greens plan to get mental health care into Medicare, so our community can access the healthcare they so urgently need

In last night’s budget, the Labor Government removed $14.4 billion from the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This is a deliberate decision that will leave disabled people and the community worse off while the government spends records amount on fossil fuels and weapons. 

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services. 

“In a cost-of-living crisis, the Labor government is choosing to remove $14.4 billion in funding from the NDIS that will lead to disabled people not getting the support they need when they need it.”

“This government have chosen to abandon disabled people, they have abandoned NDIS workers and they are passing the buck to the millions of Australians who undertake informal carer roles.” 

“The ALP have decided that it is more important to fund billions in handouts to weapons manufactures then it is to support our community and the many disabled people that rely on the NDIS to live happy and healthily lives.” 

“It’s clear there is not an essential service that Labor won’t cut to fund nuclear submarines and fossil fuel handouts. This government has betrayed the disability community and they should be ashamed of themselves.” 

Tonight’s Budget confirms that Australians are poorer under Labor.

The Prime Minister promised this would be a “true Labor budget” and tonight we know what this means: a big-spending, big-taxing con job.

Tonight we needed a Budget that:

• Restored our standard of living by finally addressing inflation and cost of living pressures;
• Restored prosperity and created opportunity by supporting small businesses and helping young Australians into a home; and
• Restored budget discipline and honesty by restraining spending, bringing back the fiscal guardrails, a tax to GDP cap and delivering a structural surplus not a windfall surplus.

Labor’s third Budget has failed all of these tests.

Australians will be disappointed by tonight’s Budget. It does nothing to help Australians get ahead and to restore their standard of living.

In this Budget, Labor has added $315 billion of new spending, at a time when we need restraint. That’s $30,000 of extra spending for every Australian household.

After two years in office and three Labor Budgets, the Government is no closer to dealing with its homegrown inflation crisis – which means more pressure on cost of living and interest rates higher for longer.

Under Labor’s Budgets to date, the typical Australian household with a mortgage is more than $35,000 worse off.

Migration is out of control and the Budget papers confirm the unprecedented increase in net overseas migration that will now see 1.67 million new migrants coming to Australia over five years. Labor has fuelled the housing and rental crisis with unprecedented immigration at a time when housing approvals are at an 11 year low.

And at a time when the Budget forecasts unemployment to rise, the Albanese Government is increasing the size of the public service by an astonishing 36,000 additional bureaucrats in Canberra.

The Government has shown it is focussed on the wrong priorities at a time when Australians are doing it tough.

Under Labor, Australians are worse off. Australians know that despite the Treasurer’s spin, prices have increased by nearly 10% with increases for many essential items well beyond that: housing is up 12%, rents are up 12%, insurance up 26%, electricity is up 18%, and gas is up 25%.

In these uncertain economic times, Australians needed a back-to-basics economic agenda.

Until we see a real economic plan from Labor to sustainably tame inflation in a credible way, and grow the economy, then Australians will continue to go backwards under Labor.

The Albanese Labor Government has failed for the third time to address the source of the inflation and cost of living pain being felt by families and businesses right across our country.

Australians deserve better.

This is a responsible and restrained Budget which eases cost of living pressures and invests in a Future Made in Australia.

It provides a tax cut for every taxpayer and new help with energy bills, rent and the cost of medicines.

It builds more homes for Australians, reforms our universities, strengthens Medicare and the care economy, and broadens opportunity in our society.

Global economic uncertainty, high but moderating inflation and higher interest rates are contributing to cost of living pressures and combining to slow the economy.

This Budget strikes the right balance between keeping pressure off inflation, delivering cost of living relief, supporting sustainable economic growth and strengthening public finances.

This Budget forecasts a second surplus in 2023-24, which would be the first time a government has delivered back-to-back surpluses in nearly two decades.

The Budget also forecasts lower debt to GDP and lower inflation, which Treasury forecasts could return to the RBA’s target band by the end of 2024 – earlier than previously expected.

Our responsible Budget responds to the pressures people are under now and lays the foundations for future prosperity by:

• Easing cost of living pressures.
• Building more homes for Australians.
• Investing in a Future Made in Australia and the skills and universities needed to make it a reality.
• Strengthening Medicare and the care economy.
• Broadening opportunity and advancing equality.

Easing cost of living pressures

Many Australians are under pressure, which is why the Government is delivering responsible cost of living relief without adding to inflation. This Budget delivers:

• Tax cuts for all taxpayers, with a bigger tax cut for 84 per cent of taxpayers.
• $300 energy rebates for all households, and $325 rebates for eligible small businesses.
• An increase in the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by a further 10 per cent.
• Cutting $3 billion in student debt for more than three million Australians.
• Cheaper medicines through a new Community Pharmacy Agreement.
• A more competitive economy and fairer prices.

More homes for Australians

The Budget builds more homes for Australians, with more social and affordable housing, more infrastructure and removal of red tape, better transport for more accessible cities and suburbs and increased housing for students:

• $1 billion to get homes built sooner, with funding for states including to provide roads, services and parks, essential for additional housing supply.
• A new five-year National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness for states and territories to deliver crisis support and social housing.
• $1 billion directed to support women and children experiencing domestic violence, as well as youth.
• Training more tradies and construction workers to build more homes by boosting construction skills with fee-free TAFE places.
• Expanding the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator program.
• Bolstering community housing providers to support the first tranche of homes to be delivered under the Housing Australia Future Fund and National Housing Accord.
• Delivering funding for new and existing infrastructure projects.

Investing in a future made in Australia

A Future Made in Australia is about maximising the economic and industrial benefits of the move to net zero and securing our place in a changing global economic and strategic landscape.

The Budget invests $22.7 billion over a decade to build a stronger and more resilient economy powered by clean energy, create more well-paid jobs and facilitate the private investment we need to make the most of this generational opportunity.

It is a core part of our broader growth plan in this Budget, which includes a focus on:

• Attracting and enabling private investment.
• Making our country a renewable energy superpower.
• Strengthening our defence capabilities and economic security.
• Supporting small businesses to grasp the opportunities of our transforming economy.
• And expanding and reforming tertiary education for a more skilled workforce.

Strengthening Medicare and the care economy

The Budget invests in Medicare and better health outcomes, aged care and disability services, delivers essential services, and supports workers:

• 29 more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
• Free access to mental health care for more Australians.
• An additional 24,100 home care packages.
• Essential funding for in person and online service delivery.
• Getting the NDIS back on track.
• Provisioning for wage increases for aged care and early childhood education and care workers.

It also delivers better outcomes for women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, including through super on Paid Parental Leave, support for victim-survivors of domestic violence, and improved education, jobs, housing and essential services for First Nations people.

Continuing our record of responsible economic management

Through responsible economic management, the Budget keeps pressure off inflation and strengthens public finances over time.

Following a surplus of $22.1 billion in 2022-23, the Budget is forecasting a surplus of $9.3 billion in 2023-24.

Fiscal pressures intensify after that, with a deficit of $28.3 billion forecast for 2024-25, but progress has been made in strengthening the Budget over time.

This Budget:

• Returns 96 per cent of revenue upgrades to the Budget in 2023-24 while inflation is above the band, with 82 per cent of revenue upgrades returned since coming to government over the forward estimates.
• Identifies $27.9 billion in savings and reprioritisations, taking the total to $77.4 billion since coming to government.
• Limits real spending growth to an average of 1.4 per cent per year over the period since we came to government to 2027-28 – less than half the average of the last 30 years and around a third of our predecessors’.
• Improves the Budget position by a forecast $214.7 billion over the six years to 2027-28 compared to the time of the election.
• Reduces debt as a share of the economy, with gross debt projected to peak at 35.2 per cent of GDP, almost 10 percentage points lower than at the time of the election.
• Improves Australia’s debt position with gross debt $152 billion lower in this financial year than was forecast at the time of the election.
• Avoids $80 billion in interest costs over the decade due to the improved budget position compared to what we inherited at the election.

The Albanese Government is delivering a responsible budget that provides cost of living help now, builds a stronger and more resilient economy and invests in a future made in Australia.

Helping Australians with the cost of living is our Government’s number one priority.

This Budget delivers a tax cut for every taxpayer, provides new energy bill relief for every household, cuts student debt and increases rent assistance for nearly 1 million households.

The Albanese Labor Government knows many Australians are doing it tough and is focused on easing those pressures.

Our Budget centrepiece is a tax cut for every one of the nation’s 13.6 million taxpayers, which will begin flowing in less than seven weeks.

These cost-of-living measures have been carefully designed to take pressure off Australians doing it tough and to directly reduce inflation.

For a family on a combined income of around $130,000 – with one partner earning $80,000 and the other $50,000 – their combined tax cut will be over $2,600 a year or about $50 a week. They will also be eligible for $300 in energy bill relief in 2024–25.

Energy bill relief and the increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance are expected to directly reduce inflation by half of a percentage point in 2024–25 and not expected to add to broader inflationary pressures.

This Budget builds on the ongoing relief provided in our first two budgets, which includes making it easier to see a bulk billing doctor, making medicines cheaper, cheaper child care and higher JobSeeker and other working age and student payments.

Cost-of-living help in the 2024-25 Budget:

• All 13.6 million Australian taxpayers will get a tax cut, with an average cut of $1,888 a year or $36 a week.
• $3.5 billion in energy bill relief for all Australian households and one million small businesses.
• $1.9 billion to increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance by a further 10 per cent, benefiting nearly 1 million households.
• Cheaper medicines as part of the up to $3 billion agreement with community pharmacies.
• Waiving $3 billion in student debt for more than 3 million Australians to make student loans fairer.
• Getting a fairer deal for consumers at the supermarket checkout.
• $1.1 billion to pay superannuation on government-funded Paid Parental Leave.
• $138 million to boost funding for emergency and food relief and financial support. services
• Provisioning for higher wages for aged care and child care workers.
• Extending the freeze on deeming rates for 876,000 income support recipients.

Our responsible policies are helping address the cost of living pressures around the kitchen table and around our economy.

This Budget is not the beginning of our action on cost of living and it won’t be the end.

The Albanese Labor Government’s third Budget is designed to see people through these difficult times, stare down the inflation challenge and set our country up for the future.

The Australian Government is imposing targeted sanctions on an additional five Iranian individuals and three entities, in response to Iran’s destabilising behaviour.

Senior officials sanctioned today include Iran’s Defence Minister, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, and the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qods Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani. The IRGC is a malignant actor that has long been a threat to international security, and to its own people. 

Those sanctioned also include Iranian senior officials, businesspeople and companies that have contributed to the development of Iran’s missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs. Iran’s proliferation and provision of these technologies to its proxies has fostered instability across the region for many years.

Targeted entities include the IRGC Navy, which seized an Israeli-linked (Portuguese-flagged) civilian vessel in international waters on 13 April 2024. Australia continues to call for the immediate release of the ship and its crew.

Today’s listings mean the Albanese Government has now sanctioned 90 Iranian-linked individuals and 100 Iranian-linked entities and are a further demonstration of this Government’s commitment to taking strong action against Iran. 

This action is in line with sanctions measures taken by our partners in recent weeks, following Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel in April.

Australia will continue to deliberately and strategically apply pressure on Iran to cease its disruptive activities and adhere to international law.

Labor and the Coalition are seeking to pass legislation that can make anywhere in Australia a nuclear waste dumping ground with no public consultation, no First Nations input and no warning.

The Senate report released today into the Australian Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023 highlights the lack of protections for communities as Labor seeks to create a new defence nuclear regulator as part of their deal on AUKUS nuclear submarines.

Today’s majority Senate report supports giving the Defence Minister the power to designate anywhere in Australia a high-level nuclear-dumping ground with no public consultation needed.

The report highlights, but does not recommend addressing, the conflict of interest at the core of this new nuclear submarine regulator, due to it answering to the Minister of Defence who is also the Minister responsible for the operation of nuclear submarines.

The Senate committee report acknowledged that this Bill was drafted by the Albanese Government to allow the dumping of UK and US high-level nuclear waste in Australia. Since this Bill was introduced the Greens have been calling for this to be removed and, while it is positive to see this recommended as a change, the Albanese Government is yet to accept this amendment.

Senator David Shoebrdige, Greens spokesperson for Defence said: “This just shows the lengths the Albanese Government will go to try and keep the failing AUKUS nuclear submarine deal sputtering along.”

“Labor is more than happy to team up with the Coalition and start opening up nuclear waste dumps around Australia without any public consultation.

“If this Bill becomes law you could wake up tomorrow and have a nuclear waste dump as a neighbour, simply because the Defence Minister singled your suburb out.

“This runs roughshod not just over local communities, but also First Nations peoples who have a long history of protecting their land from nuclear waste from Muckaty to Kimba.

“Until the Greens pointed it out last year the Government was trying to quietly push this bill through Parliament and allow the US and UK to dump high-level nuclear waste here. With this nuclear-powered cat out of the bag, the question is will Labor amend the Bill to protect Australia from this toxic future?

“The Greens issued a dissenting report opposing the Bill that highlighted the dangers of international nuclear waste dumping in Australia and the multiple failures in the structure that undermine the proposed new regulator’s independence.

“Under this Bill, the supposed ‘independent regulator’ of Defence can be run by someone who the day before was in the Defence, staffed by the Defence, and reporting to the Minister of Defence. It is absurd,” Senator Shoebridge said.

Read the Greens Dissenting report here.

Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May was sworn into Parliament today taking on the portfolios of Science, Industry and Innovation, and Early Childhood Education and Care.

Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“All my life experiences have led me here.

“Facing fire and drought growing up on our family farm in regional Victoria. Seeing the impacts of unjust policies on people like my partner, a refugee who fled a warzone. Feeling the pressures of daily life as a working mum of young children.

“I am honoured to continue the incredibly important work of our party and movement.

“As a working parent, I know the challenges of juggling a career with kids. I’m deeply grateful for the important work of early childhood educators.

“One of my biggest priorities as the newest Greens Senator is to fight for free early childhood education and care for everyone across Australia.

“In this cost of living crisis, early childhood education and care is too expensive and too hard to access. As a result, women are missing out on paid work and they’re being left behind because they can’t afford care for their children.

“Childcare is an essential public service just like school, and for children, the early years are the most important in their development. It removes barriers that limit choices for women, boosts women’s capacity to engage in paid work and relieves financial pressures in a cost of living crisis.

“I also recognise that my ability to do this work is only possible because of the wonderful work of educators, and every day I’ll be fighting to ensure that their critical role in our education system is recognised and that they get the pay that they deserve.

“There has never been a more important time for the Greens to continue to work with our communities to prioritise people over corporations.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt:

“I’m thrilled to welcome my friend Steph Hodgins-May as the newest member of our Greens Senate team.

“The climate and cost of living crises are biting hard and Labor is making the problems worse. Steph will hit the ground running this budget week, including pushing Labor to really prioritise women’s economic freedom by making child care free.”

The Cost of Living Committee found that the cost of living continues to be the number one issue facing Australians, and decisions made by the Albanese Labor Government are making the problem worse, not better.

The second Interim Report for the Cost of Living Committee has made 14 recommendations to the Labor Government on how to tackle the cost of living crisis facing Australians.

First and foremost, Labor must reduce its spending to take the pressure off aggregate demand so that the Reserve Bank is not left to do all the heavy lifting. Unless Labor reduces its appetite to spend, inflation will stay higher for longer, and interest rates will stay higher for longer.

On energy, Labor must make increasing supply a top priority to help bring down prices in the medium and long term. In the short term, Labor should remove the gas price caps and reduce red and green tape to facilitate more investment in Australia’s natural gas sector.

The Committee also recommends Labor lift Australia’s ban on nuclear energy, to allow consideration of it as a cost efficient and low-emissions energy source, to supplement renewables over the long term.

On housing, Labor should be working with state and local governments to remove barriers to delivering greater housing supply and remove housing taxes such as land taxes, windfall gains taxes, and other developer charges to reduce the cost of new houses.

Australians who want to purchase their own home should be able to access their own superannuation to do so. The Committee recommends that Labor support and legislate the Coalition’s First Home Super Buyer scheme.

To help business, the Committee recommends Labor conduct a stocktake of Commonwealth regulation relating to small-to-medium enterprises and remove both the increases to the heavy vehicle user charge and biosecurity levy in the 2023-24 Budget. The Report also recommends Labor’s disastrous industrial relations laws be repealed.

Chair of the Cost of Living Committee, Senator Jane Hume, urged the Albanese Government to adopt the recommendations of the Committee in full, to assist Australians who are suffering under Labor’s cost of living crisis.

“For two years, Labor has failed to tackle the cost of living and the Senate Committee has found that Australians are paying the price.

“Under this Government, Australians’ standard of living has gone backwards. Whether it is in supermarkets, keeping their lights on, or paying for a roof over their head, Australians are poorer under Labor.

“This upcoming Budget is an opportunity for Labor to finally show the Australian public that they are tackling Australia’s homegrown and sticky inflation at the source rather than just looking at the symptoms. Failure to act now to put downward pressure on inflation will see the cost of living only get worse for all Australians.

Senator Dean Smith said the report confirmed how badly millions of Australians are struggling under Labor.

“Households are being crippled by housing stress, food stress and other inflation-related hardship – many for the first time,” he said.

“The Albanese Government, whose economic, energy and housing policy misfires have fueled this crisis, must finally take responsibility and act on the report’s recommendations.”

Senator Matt Canavan said, “Australians are struggling under this Labor Government, they’re seeing their bills going up and having to scrape the bottom of their wallets to find enough money to put food on the table but their struggles are constantly being ignored.”

“Labor’s ideological crusade for renewables is having flow on effects to Australians and they need to go back to focusing on making sure Australians aren’t fighting to get by,” he concluded.

The Committee is continuing to accept submissions from all sectors of the economy and encourages ordinary Australians to complete the short survey available at yourcostofliving.au.

The Second Interim Report is available here.