Category: Australian News

Last night’s horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach is a reminder that the heinous scourge of antisemitism and extremism is a growing threat around the world, and that our peace-loving community in Australia is not immune.

As we reach out today to our Jewish friends and neighbours to check on their wellbeing and to provide our support at this terrible time, our hearts are completely broken.

We recognise and thank our courageous emergency services for the work they did last night, and the incredible bravery of bystanders whose actions saved many lives. We join to wholeheartedly endorse the statement of the Australian Greens below.

The Greens NSW Convenors and all Green NSW State MP’s

Joint Statement from the Australian Greens

The first night of Chanukah was meant to be a joyous celebration – instead last night has become one of the darkest days in our nation’s history and a national heartbreak. 

This morning we grieve for the fifteen innocent people who have been robbed of their lives, and send our deepest condolences to their community and loved ones who have woken in mourning.

We send love to the dozens of people who remain in care, and hope for their swift recovery. Australia is with each of you.

Our heart is with the Jewish community who are grappling with this mass shooting, grieving loved ones, and are again fearing for their safety. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and we join all Australians in rejecting this appalling act of hatred.

This terror attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all of us. This reprehensible act of antisemitic violence is not who we are. We are a nation of many peoples who open the door to those in need, and pull together in crisis. 

Our nation is the first responders who risked their lives to keep people safe, the heroic man who intervened to stop a gunman, and the many people from all faiths who came together to shelter others and open their arms to those grieving.

We will hold each other tightly in the coming days and weeks, and show care and compassion. The antisemitic hatred of these men will not divide us.

– Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator David Shoebridge, on behalf of all Australian Greens MPs

As the nation reels from the horror of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, parliaments state and federal must act to stop high powered firearms proliferating in our suburbs and towns.

Decisive national action delivered world leading gun control after the Port Arthur Tragedy, but in the decades since gun numbers have crept back up, with NSW passing more than 1 million registered guns last year.

The horrific antisemitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach was in part made possible by firearms laws that gave these violent men access to multiple high-powered firearms.

Loop holes need to be closed, character checks need to be mandatory and repeated, and hundreds of thousands of high powered firearms need to be removed from homes, suburbs and communities across the country.

The broad direction of gun law changes proposed by the PM and NSW Premier is positive, but the details matter, and the reforms must include tough new laws that take guns out of our communities including:

• Rapid implementation of the National Firearms Register
• Strict limits on the number of firearms people can own with a maximum of three, except in exceptional circumstances
• Prohibitions on accessing high-powered hunting rifles unless clear pressing need is established
• A fresh national buy-back scheme to remove high powered and excess firearms from the community
• Strict prohibitions on rapid-fire firearms including the Adler A 110 lever action shotgun and similar weapons
• Time limited gun licences with ongoing character checks for all gun owners
• Removal of recreational hunting as a “genuine reason” for a firearm licence

Sue Higginson NSW Greens MP and Spokesperson for Justice said:

“New South Wales has a gun problem that we must now confront. We have over 1.1 million guns in this State, more than there were prior to the Port Arthur Massacre. For every 7 people in Australia, there is 1 gun, and there is a frightening concentration of guns in the outer suburbs of Sydney,”

“It’s unfathomable that a young man had been examined by ASIO for his association with terrorism, and yet his father was able to obtain a gun licence and register six firearms. That is a system that is not working and it needs fixing,”

“We must limit the number of guns a person can have, we need stricter controls on who can have them and we need to draw a line in the sand and remove recreational hunting as a genuine reason to own a firearm,”

“The Greens in the NSW Parliament stand ready to work with the Minns Labor Government to progress this urgent gun reform. But it must be real reform based on safety. It is time for us as politicians to unite and stand up to the strong arm and influence of the gun lobby. The tragic and brutal killings in Bondi must not be in vain, this tragedy must save future lives,”

Senator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens Justice Spokesperson said:

“We have been waiting decades for a national firearms register and are told it will still take three more years and not be operational until 2028. That is far too long.

“A single national firearms database is an important missing tool for national crime agencies to track and investigate gun movements and dangerous gun owners.

“There is no excuse for this being delayed to 2028 the Federal government must show leadership and if necessary compel the states to get on board so it can be operational next year.

“The Greens have fought for over a decade to limit the number of guns in our suburbs with strict limits on gun numbers and clearer restrictions on the most dangerous weapons.

“It is wrong that there are thousands of high powered hunting rifles as well as dangerous fast action rifles and shotguns all across Sydney and other cities and towns.

“Limits on gun numbers, restrictions on high powered weapons and bans on rapid fire actions must be implemented urgently.”

Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens said:

“In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, governments collectively took action. So too should we in this moment, and I welcome indications from the Prime Minister and NSW Premier they are considering gun law reform.

“This moment is beyond politics – our resolve to act is a test for our common humanity, and I hope that all of parliament will join together to ensure that no one can walk the streets of Sydney or any Australian city with a high powered gun.

“The Greens will work with the government to pass reforms through federal and state parliaments to tighten the rules around gun ownership. This is not America and we must work both to eradicate anti-semitism and racism and to reduce unnecessary guns in our community”

Following questions from ACT Greens Deputy Leader Jo Clay in Annual Reports, it was revealed that the ACT Labor Government has developed a draft report to consider lethally managing Canberra’s wombat population with little evidence or ecological base.

Ms Clay said it’s extremely unlikely that the community will support farmers killing wombats, especially without a solid ecological and animal welfare evidence base showing that it’s necessary.

“This report in its current state paves a pathway for the ACT Labor Government to reclassify wombats as a controlled native species which would legally allow for wombats to be shot and killed,” Ms Clay said.

“Some famers have concerns about wombat management in the ACT amongst and we need to carefully consider those and work with farmers to find solutions that are humane and effective,” Ms Clay said.

“Farmers haven’t been supported by government to try non-lethal methods properly – that must be the first step.

“What is concerning in this draft is that everything is anecdotal. The Government itself noted there’s no formal assessment into the impact or nuisance wombats cause to landholders – it’s all word of mouth and only 3 of our 381 farmers have been consulted.

“If the government is going to allow farmers to kill wombats, they need good and valid evidence that it’s necessary. At the moment, we don’t even have a clear idea of the wombat population levels, nor the extent of issues posed by wombats.

“There is also no analysis of what education or training in non-lethal management methods have been provided to rural landholders.

“We are still early in this process. The ACT Greens expect the government to properly engage, value and reflect the input of wildlife carers and First Nations people too – we need to recognise their dedication and expertise in this area.”

Ms Clay has requested a formal briefing with the ACT Government regarding this report.

Last night’s horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach is a reminder that the heinous scourge of antisemitism and extremism is a growing threat around the world, and that our peace-loving community in Australia is not immune.

As we reach out today to our Jewish friends and neighbours to check on their wellbeing and to provide our support at this terrible time, our hearts are completely broken.

We recognise and thank our courageous emergency services for the work they did last night, and the incredible bravery of bystanders whose actions saved many lives. We join to wholeheartedly endorse the statement of the Australian Greens below.

The Greens NSW Convenors and all Green NSW State MP’s

Joint Statement from the Australian Greens

The first night of Chanukah was meant to be a joyous celebration – instead last night has become one of the darkest days in our nation’s history and a national heartbreak. 

This morning we grieve for the fifteen innocent people who have been robbed of their lives, and send our deepest condolences to their community and loved ones who have woken in mourning.

We send love to the dozens of people who remain in care, and hope for their swift recovery. Australia is with each of you.

Our heart is with the Jewish community who are grappling with this mass shooting, grieving loved ones, and are again fearing for their safety. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and we join all Australians in rejecting this appalling act of hatred.

This terror attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all of us. This reprehensible act of antisemitic violence is not who we are. We are a nation of many peoples who open the door to those in need, and pull together in crisis. 

Our nation is the first responders who risked their lives to keep people safe, the heroic man who intervened to stop a gunman, and the many people from all faiths who came together to shelter others and open their arms to those grieving.

We will hold each other tightly in the coming days and weeks, and show care and compassion. The antisemitic hatred of these men will not divide us.

– Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator David Shoebridge, on behalf of all Australian Greens MPs

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I think we all regret the circumstances of this meeting of the National Cabinet. The antisemitic terrorism incident in Bondi, I think, has shaken the whole nation, not just people in Sydney and New South Wales, in particular, members of the Jewish community have been devastated by what is an unprecedented scale of attack on the Australian way of life. I thank the police and emergency services, the people, particularly in New South Wales, but our national security agencies, including the AFP as well, for the work that has been conducted over the last 20 hours or so. Today, I met with the Premier of New South Wales, and we made a declaration after being briefed by the New South Wales Police Commissioner who has joined us here today. And we also had a visit down to Bondi. There is quite horrific scenes there, and people are really hurting. What they’re looking for is confidence going forward. And today’s meeting is about making sure that we have states and territories aligned here, making sure we send a message as well to Jewish Australians that we stand together against antisemitism, giving a message to all Australians that we stand against terrorism and that we will do whatever it is that we can, if laws need to be adjusted, to make changes. One of the suggestions that will be on the agenda today is to have an examination of our gun laws to make sure that if there is any tightening or changes which are required, that we put in place mechanisms. Through this National Cabinet we, of course, have established the National Firearms Register. That is a significant step forward, and I know that work is progressing on that, but we need to, I think, accelerate the work in that area. But I thank all of you for joining us, and we will have, no doubt, a constructive discussion. And I thank as well the AFP Commissioner, the New South Wales Police Commissioner, and other authorities who’ve joined us, in particular at this difficult time.

We are horrified and shaken in the wake of the mass shooting at a Chanukah event in Bondi this evening, which has left at least ten people dead and injured many more.  This is the first night of Chanukah when we gather with loved ones and friends to light the Chanukiah. Many within our community have just received the worst news of their lives. Others are caring for injured loved ones, and some are still waiting to hear that their families are safe.

­

Bart Shteinman, Executive Member We should all be able to gather with our communities, practice our culture, and worship in safety. Our hearts are with our friends, family, fellow community members and everyone impacted by this terrifying event.  Sarah Schwartz, Executive Officer To be confronted with this horrific act of antisemitic violence during the Jewish festival of light and hope is shattering. In moments like this, we hold each other close.

Today, the Final Report of the Inquiry into the Quality of Governance at Australian Higher Education Providers has been released. Following five public hearings, hundreds of submissions, and countless hours of work from brave staff, students, unionists, and activists, this Report and the work of the Committee shines a light on the governance rot that is hollowing out our public universities.

The Report makes clear the crisis we are facing, but disappointingly, the recommendations fall short of the overhaul that is required. The Australian Greens have provided Additional Comments and recommendations that address these gaps.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Greens and spokesperson for Higher Education:

“The final report exposes the depth and breadth of failed leadership, corporate rot and consultant capture decaying our public universities. Arrogant executives indulge in obscene pay packets and big consultancies feast on public money, while the people who teach, research, support students and hold the university together are overworked, underpaid and exploited.

“While the report is a scathing indictment on the corporatisation of universities and the severity of the crisis at hand, it falls short of providing remedies that match the systemic overhaul needed to end the era of managerial bloat and unaccountable opaque governance.

“The corporate university has utterly failed its communities. It is high time we return to higher education as a public good, not a market for profit-seeking firms and austerity-obsessed executives. Our universities must be institutions grounded in equity, democracy, accountability, and transparency, empowered to pursue research and education in the public interest.

“The failures of governance in universities go hand in hand with decades of underfunding by governments, most viciously exemplified by the fee hikes and funding cuts of the JRG scheme, which have been widely condemned and yet still not been reversed by the Labor government.

“The government must commit to substantially increasing funding to universities to catch up with the OECD average, starting by dumping the disastrous JRG scheme’s fee hikes and funding cuts.

“I want to thank the staff, students and their unions who have spoken up and called time on a rotten system, despite the risk of retribution from university management. It is because of their courage that we can hope to finally see some change.

“It is imperative that the Government listen to the damning evidence provided to this inquiry, take seriously the recommendations being made by staff and students, and act with urgency to turn things around.”

Australian Greens Recommendations

Recommendation 1: That the Australian Tertiary Education Commission’s foundational legislation should clearly articulate the public mission and the educational, social, and civic functions of a public university sector.

Recommendation 2: That the establishing acts of universities be amended to clarify that their central purpose is public research and education, not commercial or corporate performance.

Recommendation 3: That the Australian Government immediately reverse the Job-ready Graduates Package fee hikes and funding cuts.

Recommendation 4: That the meetings of all university councils and governing bodies be held in public and be livestreamed online.

Recommendation 5: That all higher education provider governing bodies reflect the community’s diversity including First Nations peoples, Culturally and Racially Marginalised people, LGBTIQA+ people and people with disabilities.

Recommendation 6: That the majority of members on university governing bodies have public administration and higher education expertise.

Recommendation 7: That a minimum membership requirement of at least 50 per cent democratically elected staff and student representatives (including undergraduate and postgraduate students) be set for governing bodies.

Recommendation 8: That, in addition to council minutes, reports produced for council and annual self-performance reviews be published on university websites.

Recommendation 9: That complaints processes be examined and enhanced by working with students, staff and student bodies.

Recommendation 10: That the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s Higher Education Standards Framework be amended to include a consultation framework for how universities meaningfully involve, consult and work with students and staff as partners in major change proposals and governance, prior to decisions being made.

Recommendation 11: That to limit the use of consultants and outsourcing at universities, an appropriate Federal government agency develops principles for this purpose that prioritise in-house expertise.

Recommendation 12: That Federal government funding to public universities be increased in order to fully fund universities and make them free, starting by increasing funding to at least the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average.

Recommendation 13: That universities implement protections for whistleblowers and student activists, including the establishment of a Whistleblower Protection Authority, and protect the right of students and staff to protest on university campuses.

Recommendation 14: Require all public universities to adopt transparent ethical investment and procurement policies, with binding commitments to divest from weapons manufacturers, fossil fuel corporations, and gambling industries.

Recommendation 15: Establish a publicly accessible register of all university partnerships, sponsorships, and funding arrangements with corporations and external entities, including the nature and value of the partnership.

Recommendation 16: Increase PhD stipends to above the minimum wage.

The Greens have slammed the Albanese government for handing out new ocean acreage to their donor mates in the fossil fuel industry to exploit in a time of climate emergency. 

Labor’s disgraceful decision has nothing to do with everyday Australians and everything to do with the state capture of our government by fossil fuel corporations.

Australia is the second biggest exporter of fossil fuels in the world, after Russia. Yet Labor has no plan to deal with our exports, and is content with 56% of all Australia’s gas being exported without paying any royalties or resource rent tax. That’s $170 billion dollars worth of free gas over the next five years for big gas companies. 

There’s no plausible excuse for Labor to risk destroying marine ecosystems with seismic blasting only to lock Australia into more fossil fuel pollution and accelerate climate-driven disasters for the sake of a few profit-driven interests – but that’s exactly what this shameful government continues to do, over and over again. 

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson: 

“Labor’s two-faced climate act is wearing thin. How on earth is ripping open new gas fields for fossil fuel companies to plunder, pollute and profit from in a time of climate emergency consistent with transitioning to a clean energy future?

“Australia has decades of gas left in our proven reserves system. There is no need to put marine wildlife and livelihoods that depend on healthy oceans at risk by using destructive methods to search for new gas fields. 

“Australia is the second biggest exporter of fossil fuels in the world. Clearly, we don’t have a gas supply problem, we have a political problem. 

“Oil and gas corporations come to our shores and take billions in government handouts, pay less tax than a nurse or a teacher, and then leave us to foot the bill of cleaning up their polluting rigs when they’re done. It’s a complete rort. 

“Labor is taking Australians for fools, but coastal communities aren’t so easily conned. Last year one of the largest seismic blasting proposals in Australian history was withdrawn by its proponent following immense community pressure. It was a siren call to all the fossil fuel companies eyeing off our oceans that their time is up. But clearly Labor is either too arrogant or too greedy to care.”

Greens Resources Spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“Labor’s new ocean acreage handout is an environmental betrayal and an early Christmas gift to the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis.

“We have an export crisis, not a supply crisis. Labor is pre-empting the Gas Market Review by opening up new supply instead of fixing the existing broken system that allows big gas companies to export $170 billion dollars of free gas over the next five years.

“By incentivising decades worth of new gas, this government is ignoring science, setting us up to miss critical climate targets, and accelerating environmental disasters here and across the globe.

“The way to fix this crisis is to implement a 25% Gas Export Tax, which will deliver real cost-of-living relief instead of more of the same climate-wrecking gas projects.”

The Greens have urged Labor to commit to winding back tax handouts for rich property investors at the upcoming minibudget, saying fixing the CGT handout would help bring soaring housing prices under control, and be a massive Christmas gift for renters and first homebuyers. 

Experts say the capital gains tax discount pushes up house prices, as it encourages speculation by wealthy property investors, enabling them to bid further against would-be first homebuyers.

The government has previously modelled changes to the CGT discount, and momentum for change is growing. 

The Greens have established two Senate Inquiries which will put the unfair tax handout in the firing line – one on intergenerational housing inequality in Australia; and one focused solely on the CGT discount itself, which reports in March.  

With the Treasurer flagging that this MYEFO may be one forcing hard choices, the Greens say there is no excuse for winding back supports for everyday people while leaving wealthy investors untouched. 

Sen. Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Leader & Climate spokesperson said:

“The best gift for any renter this Christmas is a fix to the utterly cooked housing market. Millions of people have given up on the prospect of ever owning their own home.

“Wealthy property investors get a leg-up from the government at auction, which supercharges house prices and locks first renters and homebuyers out.

“Labor must use next week’s mini budget to announce that the free ride for wealthy property investors is over.”

Sen. Nick McKim, Greens Treasury spokesperson said:

“The CGT discount is turbo-charging wealth inequality and intergenerational inequity. 50% of the benefit goes to the top 1% of income earners, and 71% of the benefit goes to people over 50.”

“It means that people who work to earn a living are paying twice the tax than someone making the same money flipping investment properties.”

“Labor can’t continue to hand over billions in tax breaks for wealthy property investors that are locking first home buyers out of the market, then claim at MYEFO that there’s no money to help renters.

“There’s no better time to commit to change. Ending the era of property hoarding would help renters, first homebuyers and the national budget, and be the talk of every Christmas lunch.

“It shouldn’t take the Ghost of Christmas Future for Labor to see that this unfair measure has got to end.”

Sen. Barbara Pocock, Greens housing spokesperson said:

“Every year, wealthy property investors wake up to billions of dollars worth of gifts under the Christmas tree, while renters and first homebuyers get lumps of coal. That needs to end next week.

“Labor’s unfair tax breaks for wealthy property investors are fuelling the housing crisis by turbocharging speculative investment while locking renters and young people out of home ownership.

“With house prices forecast to increase by 9 percent next year after soaring 6 percent% this year, there’s no time to waste.”

The Greens have condemned Beetaloo Energy Australia’s Final Investment Decision (FID), arguing the decision is a direct consequence of the Northern Territory and Federal government’s financial and regulatory greenlight for another climate bomb.

Empire Energy’s (now Beetaloo Energy) own ASX statement from May this year reports the company received $43 million in government funding across tax incentives and drilling grants. This is on top of millions of dollars provided by the Commonwealth and NT governments to support gas companies’ operations in the Beetaloo basin. 

The project expects to start selling gas as soon as next year.

Senator Steph Hodgins-May, Greens Spokesperson for Resources:

“The Labor government hasn’t just approved Beetaloo, it’s spent millions of taxpayer dollars to push it over the line. This project is an environmental disaster that should never have been allowed to go ahead.

“We have a gas export problem, not a supply problem. The Labor government must respond to the gas market review by taxing exporters and prioritising existing LNG for the domestic market to bring down bills.

“Labor needs to stop letting gas corporations write the rules and claim millions in tax offsets that belong in our schools and hospitals, and actually deliver for families. 

Kat McNamara, NT Greens MLA for Nightcliff:

“This is an environmental crime against the Territory. The Beetaloo FID ignores the overwhelming opposition from Traditional Owners and poisons the water source that our communities depend on.

“The Federal Government has betrayed Territorians. Our land is being sacrificed for profits, not for our energy security or our future.

“The CLP Government continually makes decisions for the benefit of their mates in the gas industry rather than for the Territorians they are supposed to serve. The Federal Labor Government’s continued support and investment in the Beetaloo demonstrates that they are no better.”