Category: Australian News

The Greens welcome Labor’s decision to finally get on board with the Greens’ policy to pay parents superannuation on paid parental leave (PPL). 

The Greens have lobbied Labor consistently on this subject, and have seen our own amendments rejected to pay super on PPL, even after significant evidence was presented at the Work and Care Inquiry leading to super on PPL being a key recommendation of the Inquiry’s report. 

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

“Once again, pressure works. The Greens have been calling for the government to put their money where their mouth is on gender equality and pay super on parental leave throughout this term of government and for many years before.

“We welcome this announcement, but why make women wait until 2025, when Labor has a paid parental leave bill before the Senate right now. 

“Parental leave is the only leave entitlement paid without superannuation. Making people wait until after the next election to receive it is an outrage.

“Labor is still making people  wait for super on PPL, for a replacement wage and for 12 months of paid parental leave – as recommended by their own Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce.

“Labor have been dragging their feet on all things PPL throughout their first term of government, and now they want women to wait until after the next federal election to get super paid on it.” 

Under questioning from Greens Senator Janet Rice, Airservices Australia have admitted their full runway trial to reduce noise over Brisbane residents was a sham.

Officials admitted that height markers used by pilots to calculate their climb trajectory were not increased during the trial, meaning that they had no reason to climb higher than they normally would, and this explains the lack of a noticeable difference in noise.

The trial involved the use of the full runway for all flights over the city, as opposed to standard practice where many flights begin takeoff already partway down the runway (known as an “intersection departure”). This allows more thrust to be used at takeoff and therefore a steeper climb, meaning aircraft are at a higher altitude when flying over residential areas.

The Greens have written to ASA requesting an explanation and new trial.

The Estimates transcript can be found here.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Greens spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Sustainable Cities said:

“This confirms what we already suspected – the full runway trial at Brisbane Airport was set up to fail by Airservices Australia.

“Once again we’re seeing the absolute failure of Airservices Australia to put any meaningful effort into reducing noise over Brisbane residents’ homes.

“Given the whole point of the trial was to increase the height of the aircraft over the city, it is pure negligence to not increase the height markers.

“Airservices Australia should immediately order a new trial with increased height markers.

“Flight noise has disrupted Brisbane residents’ lives, and their physical and mental health, especially since the introduction of the new parallel runway in 2020. The least that government agencies like Airservices Australia can do is run these noise improvement trials properly.”

Today’s Gender Equality Strategy: Working for Women has finally been released, but as we have come to expect from this government, it’s big on flourish, short on detail and comes with unnecessarily long wait times.

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

“Women have been waiting for the Gender Equality Strategy since the election, and now women have to keep waiting for much of what’s in the strategy.

“We welcome Labor’s support for Greens’ policy to pay super on parental leave, but why make women wait until 2025, when there is a paid parental leave bill before the Senate right now. 

“Labor has been dragging their feet on all things PPL throughout their first term of government, and now they want women to wait until after the next federal election to get super paid on PPL. 

“The Greens would fast-track putting super on PPL through the parliament if the government want to give women this long overdue workplace right by 1 July this year.

“The strategy today was silent on the other much needed PPL reforms, also recommended by the WEET, for replacement wage and 12 months of PPL by 2030.

“We are pleased to see the Government heed the Greens’ call to stop subsidising discrimination, by making companies with over 500 employees ineligible for government contracts if they are not taking steps to close their gender pay gap, but this rule should apply to companies with 100+ employees, and to government grants not just contracts.

“Health is one of the strategy’s priority areas, but the Government response to the Senate inquiry into reproductive healthcare which I initiated is 7 months overdue, with no explanation for inaction. Meanwhile people are forced to travel hundreds of kilometres and spend hundreds of dollars to access surgical abortion.

“Labor’s 2019 election pledge for taxpayer-funded abortions to be offered in public hospitals was good policy; it’s disappointing they continue to back away from it. Abortion care is basic healthcare and it should be available at any public hospital, with no out-of-pocket costs.

“The strategy also focuses on ending violence against women, but in estimates last May the Government confirmed that funding to end violence against women and children is less than half the $1 billion each year the women’s safety sector says is needed.

“Violence against women and children has not reduced since the first National Plan to end it  12 years ago. Labor must provide the funds required for the National Plan to succeed, or they risk squandering another 10 years, and more women’s lives.”

Greens spokesperson on employment Senator Barbara Pocock said:

“It’s great to see the Minister for Women adopting the Greens policy of super on Paid Parental leave. But as usual Labor’s gender equality plan is too little too late.

“One-third of the gender pay gap is attributed to time spent caring for family and interruptions to full-time employment. The Government knows this is a key factor in women’s inequality, yet their response fails to adequately address this.

“We need to demolish barriers to women participating equally in the workforce by introducing free childcare, a minimum of 12 months paid parental leave now, not after the next election, and we need workplace policies that encourage men to take on more of the unpaid work that women do, like caring for children, elderly and disabled family members, and household duties.

“We heard plenty of evidence at the Work and Care Inquiry, which I chaired, that predicts huge economic benefits through raising women’s participation in the workforce. In fact, if women’s participation matched that of men, GDP would increase by almost 9%. That’s an extra $30 billion added to our economy by 2050.”

Prime Minister Albanese and HE Mr Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, signed an agreement elevating ties between Australia and Laos to a Comprehensive Partnership.  

Australia is proud to be one of Laos’ longest-standing partners, a relationship built on mutual respect, understanding and close cooperation.

The Australia-Laos Comprehensive Partnership will drive bilateral cooperation across four pillars, reflecting our shared priorities for the future:

• People, education and human resource development;
• Economics, trade and investment;
• Climate, environment and energy; and
• Defence and law enforcement.

Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 identified agriculture and food, resources and green energy as key areas of opportunity for Australian business in Laos. The Comprehensive Partnership will also support Laos to maximise sustainable development in these sectors.

Prime Minister Albanese also announced that Australia has committed $3 million to Monash University’s World Mosquito Program to assist in the elimination of dengue fever in Laos. The program will fund research and allow Australia to share world-class knowledge and resources to manage the spread of dengue fever in Laos.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“I am honoured to Co-Chair this week’s ASEAN Special Summit with Prime Minister Sonexay.

“This milestone Comprehensive Partnership reflects our commitment to bring Australia and Laos even closer together.”

Today Prime Minister Albanese and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency Mr Pham Minh Chính, announced a major upgrade of the Australia – Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Our relationship is underpinned by strategic trust, mutual respect and shared ambition. Last year, Australia and Vietnam celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations.

The landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will support expanded cooperation on climate, environment and energy, and digital transformation and innovation, building on established collaboration across defence and security, economic engagement and education.

Leaders acknowledged a range of new initiatives as part of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

A new Peacekeeping Partnership Arrangement announced by leaders will solidify Australia’s support to Vietnam’s peacekeeping efforts, including the UN Mission in South Sudan. This agreement is an example of how Indo-Pacific partners can work together to support global peace and security. Leaders also agreed to elevate the Australia-Vietnam Security Dialogue to the Ministerial level to advance cooperation on law enforcement issues.

To grow trade and investment links between Australia and Vietnam, the Prime Ministers welcomed new cooperation in agriculture that will encourage trade in new commodities. They welcomed arrangements that will enable 1,000 Vietnamese workers to work in the agricultural sector to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and a new agreement between agencies responsible for trade and investment promotion.

Education has long been a pillar of the Australia-Vietnam relationship, and a source of warm ties between our people. A renewed framework for cooperation between Australian and Vietnamese education institutions will strengthen our ability to work together on early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education, to deliver the workforce that we require to seize the opportunities of the future.

Leaders also welcomed new agreements between our maritime and science agencies to support Vietnam’s management of its maritime resources, including through adaption to climate change.

To formalise our growing partnership, leaders also agreed to new ministerial dialogues on priority areas. An annual ministerial dialogue on energy and minerals will drive cooperation in our energy and resources sectors, including critical minerals supply chains. The first Annual Trade Ministers’ Dialogue, held on 5 March between Minister Farrell and Minister Dien, provided a platform to build trade and investment between our countries.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“It is a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Chính to Australia following my visit to Vietnam last year.

“Australia and Vietnam share an ambitious agenda across climate change and sustainability, digital transformation and innovation, defence and security, economics and trade, and education.

“This new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects our cooperation, our strategic trust and shared ambition for our region.

“There is enormous potential to be realised through closer ties between Australia and Vietnam.”

Our thoughts are with our friend Joel Fitzgibbon and his family following the tragic death of his son, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, in a Special Forces training accident.

The extraordinary men and women who volunteer to serve in the Australian Defence Force do our nation proud every day.

Every death in the service of Australia carries the heavy weight of loss and sadness. The tragedy of a life cut cruelly short.

This tragic accident is a harsh reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our nation.

We are so grateful to every Australian who serves and puts themselves on the line for all of us.

Today the burden of grief falls on a dear friend to so many in the Labor family.

Our hearts are filled with sorrow for Jack, and his loving family – Joel, Dianne and his sisters – who are now holding on to his precious memory.

We think also of all who served with Jack and are now coming to terms with the loss of their friend and mate.

May Jack rest in peace.

Today, we announce the Australian Government will be supporting 38 community, university and business projects to strengthen collaboration between Australia and ASEAN members.

These innovative projects have been awarded funding through the Australia-ASEAN Council and the Australia-Indonesia Institute.

Australia and the countries of Southeast Asia share a region and we share a future.

This year we celebrate 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first formal Dialogue Partner, and welcome ASEAN leaders and delegations to Melbourne for the ASEAN‑Australia Special Summit.
We are laying the groundwork for the next 50 years of our cooperation, as we develop a partnership for the future, across governments, the private sector and the community, including through Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Strategy to 2040.
The successful Australia-ASEAN Council grants include:

• Australia-ASEAN Youth Summits for high school students from across Australia and Southeast Asia to walk in the shoes of country leaders and have a voice on regional issues;
• support for the University of Sydney to develop workshops and online exhibitions, support museums in ASEAN and Australia to interpret and communicate our shared maritime histories; and
• support for Deakin University to deliver a series of workshops to accelerate the energy transition in Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia.

The successful Australia-Indonesia Institute grants include:

• workshops and training by the New South Wales Rural Doctors Network in Maluku, Indonesia, to enhance community health capacity in remote areas; and
• programs to empower women entrepreneurs through mentorship, capacity-building, and networking, including the ‘Shehacks’ program to support women-led startups in Indonesia, fostering global connections and knowledge transfer.

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Alfira O’Sullivan to the board of the Australia-Indonesia Institute.

Ms O’Sullivan brings diverse experience to support the objectives of the Institute. An accomplished artist and educator, Ms O’Sullivan has led contemporary dance workshops in Indonesia and across the globe and has long been an advocate for forging cultural connections.

I am also pleased to announce the reappointment of Emeritus Professor Greg Fealy as Board Chair, and the reappointment of board member Professor Nicholas Anstey for another term. I thank outgoing member Ms Noni Purnomo for her contribution over many years.

Established in 1989, the Australia-Indonesia Institute has a long history of fostering people-to-people links and underpins our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Indonesia.

For more information and a list of the successful grants, visit the Australia-Indonesia Institute and Australia-ASEAN Council websites.

The Albanese Government has prioritised politics over people, as it is confirmed they were waiting until after the Dunkley by-election to announce increases to private health insurance premiums.

The announcement today marks the longest time in 15 years that Australians have had to wait to find out how much more they will need to fork out for private health cover.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, it is completely unacceptable that the Prime Minister would purposely provide Australians with less time to prepare for a price hike.

The Prime Minister tried to hide from accountability last week by saying they were negotiating for ‘the best deal possible,’ but clearly this was not the case.

In comparison to the 3.03% increase announced today, PHI premiums were at the lowest level since 2001 at 2.7% when the Coalition left government, a change which we were able to announce during the prior December.

The Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston questioned whether Minister Butler really expects us to believe he was at the negotiating table over the weekend in the middle of a by-election.

“The Prime Minister had an opportunity to be honest with the Australian public last week, but instead we saw more lies from Anthony Albanese.

“He has blatantly delayed this announcement, with no apology to the more than 14 million Australians who need to prepare for this additional cost as they already struggle to pay the bills under Labor.

“We also know that the increase announced today is only based on the average industry price, so some consumers will be paying substantially more – with less time to budget or shop around.

“Australian families just cannot afford this Government’s wrong priorities. They will always be paying more under Labor, and this hidden price hike is just another example.” Senator Ruston said.

The Opposition remains strongly committed to supporting the role of private health insurance in our healthcare system. During our time in Government, we supported the more than 14 million Australians to take out private health cover at the lowest rate in more than twenty years.

The Albanese Government is establishing a $2 billion investment financing facility to boost investment in Southeast Asia as part of a suite of economic initiatives announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne.

Australia’s two-way investment with ASEAN was worth $307 billion in 2022. Two-way trade with ASEAN accounted for $178 billion in 2022, accounting for 15 per cent of Australia’s trade, which is greater than our trade with Japan or the United States.

The intiatives fulfil recommendations from Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which was launched last year by Prime Minister Albanese to deepen Australia’s economic engagement with the region and ensure our shared prosperity.

Addressing 100 Australian and Southeast Asian CEOs at the Special Summit today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled a package of focussed initiatives that represent the next phase of the Government’s response to recommendations in the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, including:

• A $2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility (SEAIFF). Managed by Export Finance Australia, the SEAIFF will provide loans, guarantees, equity and insurance for projects that would boost Australian trade and investment in Southeast Asia, particularly in support of the region’s clean energy transition and infrastructure development.
• $140 million over four years to extend the Partnerships for Infrastructure Program. The Program will support efforts to improve regional infrastructure development and attract more diverse, quality infrastructure finance – including from the Facility. The program has been running since 2021 and has assisted partners to accelerate transport connectivity, the clean energy transition and telecommunications reforms.
• Appointing 10 Business Champions to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia and the economies of ASEAN. The Champions are senior Australian business leaders who will ensure Government and the private sector work in tandem to boost our two-way trade and investment.
• The launch of regional technology ‘Landing Pads’ in Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City. The new Landing Pads will provide on-the-ground support for Australian businesses to boost technology services exports to Southeast Asian markets, following the establishment of the initial ‘Landing Pad’ in Singapore in 2017.
• Improving visa access for Southeast Asia. Business Visitor visas will be extended from three to five years. The ten-year Frequent Traveller stream will be extended to eligible ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Australia’s economic future lies in our region.

“I am proud to lead a Government that is strengthening our trade and investment ties with Southeast Asia, directly contributing to our shared economic prosperity.

“These initiatives represent further investments in our future and ensure we are working with Southeast Asia as it continues to grow in economic size and reach.

“When our region prospers, Australia prospers.

“Our work internationally is delivering for Australians – for jobs, for our economy and for our people.”

The Albanese Government is strengthening its co-operation with Southeast Asia through a new $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window, designed to bolster our joint efforts on climate change and clean energy.

The Window, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne today, will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy programs including technical capacity building, and will ensure Australia and ASEAN countries are sharing expertise and learning from each other.

Building on existing cooperation, the Window will enable Australian Commonwealth and State and Territory Government agencies to expand and sustain lasting relationships with Southeast Asian counterparts on climate change and the clean energy transformation.

It will also include a flexible funding stream to respond to partner country requests.

The Window will be the first initiative to be designed under the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships program, announced by the Albanese Government in 2023.

It will also support implementation of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which recognises the critical enabling role of government-to-government partnerships and the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transformation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong said:

“Climate change is an existential threat to our region and we are working with our ASEAN partners to mitigate its impacts and accelerate the clean energy transition.

“The new Climate and Clean Energy Window is one example of how we are creating opportunity and addressing shared challenges together.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen said:

“Australia is strengthening cooperation with our ASEAN partners, working together to rewire our region and build new clean energy manufacturing and trade opportunities.”

“The $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window will assist to build capability across the region to respond to climate change and accelerate the clean energy transformation.”