Category: Australian News

Australia will invest in high-quality health programs across the Pacific and Southeast Asia as part of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, a new five-year program to improve health outcomes and promote regional prosperity and stability.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on health services in our region has been severe. Vaccination coverage for diseases such as measles and diphtheria has declined and the burden on health systems posed by non-communicable diseases like heart disease is increasing. More progress is needed on preventing, diagnosing and treating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

In response to this shared challenge, the Australian Government is inviting proposals that support the needs of our region – in particular, to tackle infectious disease outbreaks, address non-communicable diseases and improve mental health.

In addition, the Government will fund the research and development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for diseases that affect the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

We will also expand regional health assistance provided by key Australian Government agencies and extend partnerships with international and regional agencies supporting health systems in our region.

Existing investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights will also be continued.

This initiative seeks to support gender equality and women’s empowerment, disability inclusion, and address the health impacts of climate change.

More information is available at Indo-Pacific Health Security.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong said:

“Improving the health and wellbeing of communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia is critical to ensuring our region’s security, prosperity and stability.

“COVID-19 has reversed health and development gains in our region, and Australia is working with partners to restore their health systems and build on investments made during the acute phase of the pandemic.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP said:

“This new initiative demonstrates the Australian Government is serious about investing in health in our region, the Indo-Pacific, to support more resilient communities, improve health outcomes and save lives.

“This initiative will complement Australia’s ongoing health assistance in the region, through support to partner governments, multilateral organisations, and non-government organisations.”

One Nation stands as an opponent to the race-based ‘Voice’ referendum that will divide Australia. Anthony Albanese and his elitist mate’s ‘Voice’ is the opposite of what Australia needs right now.

We are opposed to dividing Australia along racial lines. We are one, but we are many. We are not an elitist country.

One Nation proposes all Australians unite, and respect our nation as equal citizens, under one flag.

No one race is above another race, nor should one race get preferential treatment over another.

It is clear that the voice will be used to usher in new taxes, like the abhorrent race-based ‘Rent Tax’, aimed at non-Aboriginal landholders.

The fifth hearing of the year-long Senate inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia was held today in Lismore.

Almost a year since the devastating floods in Lismore, the committee heard from locals about the ongoing impact on their communities, and how they feel they’ve been left in the lurch by governments at both the state and federal level.

Greens spokesperson for social services and Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee, Senator Janet Rice said: 

“Hundreds of people are still living in pod villages and there’s still a huge number of people in temporary accommodation, couch surfing, and living in cars. 

“We heard evidence that rents in some areas have tripled since the floods, and it now costs the same to rent a room in a sharehouse in Lismore as it does in Sydney. 

“We are seeing the housing crisis get worse across the country, and it’s being exacerbated in places like Lismore that are being hit by climate disasters and completely inadequate government support to help communities rebuild.

“We heard the same thing in Lismore as we’ve been hearing at every poverty inquiry hearing to date: people are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and they need help to make it through this cost of living crisis. 

“Between low wages, no affordable housing, and starvation-payments of about $47 a day for people on JobSeeker, communities across the country are facing dire financial circumstances.

“Labor has a housing bill before the Senate that will make the housing crisis worse. The Treasurer is planning to give $254 billion in Stage 3 tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, while refusing to raise welfare above the poverty line for the people who need it most. Labor say they’re on the side of struggling Australians – it’s time they show it.

“That’s why the Greens are pushing Labor to invest $5 billion a year in public and affordable housing, and raise income support to $88 a day in May’s Budget.”

Greens candidate for Lismore, Adam Guise said:

“Over three thousand homes in the Lismore LGA alone were impacted by the 2022 floods, with thousands of people still displaced and homeless. People are living in tents, caravans or in the gutted shells of their houses. 

“Rents have skyrocketed and people who have lost jobs since the flood are struggling to pay the bills.

“The government needs to urgently address this humanitarian crisis by acquiring land to build social, affordable and public housing.

“Leaving it to the free market to fix the housing crisis will not solve the problem. It will entrench further inequality and see people forced out of our community.

“The government needs to make affordable land available to flood impacted residents and businesses in order to enable landswaps, house relocations and affordable homes.

“Providing safe homes for people is about keeping our community together.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new NTEU report on $83 million of stolen wages at universities was a wake-up call for the federal government.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“These numbers are shocking but not surprising. Wage theft has been widespread and systemic in higher education, and I’ve pushed the investigation of this in a number of Senate inquiries.

“The link between wage theft and casualisation is undeniable. Not everyone who is underpaid at our universities is a casual, but if you’re a casual you are at much higher risk of having your wages stolen. 

“The brutal reality is that the corporate university of today can only function on the back of the unpaid labour of thousands of casual staff. That must change.

“It’s time to get serious about tackling both wage theft and casualisation at our universities. I’m glad last week the Government confirmed that these issues are being looked at as part of the Universities Accord, but this shouldn’t prevent action right now. Staff have suffered the scourge of job insecurity, overwork and underpay for too long.

“The government should require universities to set publicly-available targets for increasing permanent employment, and link this to funding. There should be clearer reporting requirements with respect to employment statistics and improved rights of entry for trade unions.

“Moreover, our universities are in desperate need of a massive investment of public funding after years of neglect, and we need an overhaul of university governance to shift the balance of power from university management back to staff and students.”

Today I announce the launch of the inaugural Maitri Cultural Partnerships grants round to support greater exchange and collaboration between Australian and Indian creative industries.

Maitri – friendship – will underpin the series of partnerships and grants to promote Australia-India relations.

The Maitri Cultural Partnerships program will foster on-going relationships between Australian and Indian artists, performers and cultural organisations to deepen understanding and connections between our two countries.

The Maitri Cultural Partnerships grant round is divided into three programs supporting:

• major Australian cultural organisations to engage Indian and partner institutions;
• cultural collaboration that supports First Nations’ participation; and
• small to medium sized Australian cultural organisations and community groups engagement.

Both Australian and Indian cultural and creative industries are major economic drivers with internationally renowned film, music and performing arts sectors. This funding will help the Australian creative sector collaborate with India’s thriving cultural industries.

The Cultural Partnerships are one of a suite of Maitri initiatives. This flagship program also includes Maitri fellowships, scholarships and grants.

The Maitri program will be administered by the Centre for Australia-India Relations which will open later this year.

The Centre will serve as a national platform to strengthen business, policy, institutional, cultural and community engagement with India.

Applications for the Maitri Cultural Partnerships grant round will open on 20 February and close on 3 April 2023. Grant guidelines are available on GrantConnect.

One Nation is thrilled to see the South Australian Liberal Party taking a position that aligns with ours regarding the First Nations Voice Bill 2023 proposed by the Malinauskas Government. One Nation takes full credit for forcing this back down by the state branch of the Liberals.

If it were not for the hard work of Sarah Game, our first MP elected from South Australia, the Liberals would have been lock-in-step with the Labor party in forcing the diabolical proposal on South Australians.

We say the South Australian proposed model is rushed and would create a third chamber of parliament. We are glad that the Liberal Party has finally decided to oppose the Bill in its current form. 

As much as we appreciate the Liberal’s support, it is still concerning that the proposed Bill lacks details and has no clear practical outcomes to improve the lives of Aboriginal South Australians. We have many concerns about the proposed Bill, particularly section 40, which essentially creates a third chamber speaking into the parliamentary process. It is indeed unnecessary to have a First Nations Voice that presents to parliament when we already have the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council.

It is disappointing that the Labor government rushed the Bill, and it was fairly poorly consulted. At One Nation, we believe that Aboriginal South Australians should have been brought along on this journey. We agree that the government should have conducted a more rigorous consultation with hundreds of Aboriginal people, organisations, and communities about practical ways we can help change their lives.

It is not too late to do so, and we hope that the Liberal Party’s decision to oppose the Bill will send a strong message to the Labor government to do better and scrap the bill.

One Nation will always oppose racial discrimination laws, where one group is favoured over the other. A Bill that asks people to identify themselves as a particular racial group is repugnant.

Questions in Senate Estimates asked by Australian Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne revealed that the Government could use the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund as a slush fund for coal and gas.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources confirmed that under the proposed legislation currently before Parliament, the Government of the day could invest in coal and gas by simply changing the priority investment areas. 

With the Coalition opposed to the legislation, the Australian Greens are in balance of power, and are currently in the process of negotiating in good faith with the Government to insert guardrails into the Bill to prevent it being used as a slush fund for coal and gas.

Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Without proper guardrails which establish what the fund can be used for, the National Reconstruction Fund could become a Ministerial slush fund for fossil fuel finance.

“The Greens have been very clear that we won’t support any new coal and gas, and the legislation in its current form is wide open to abuse.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government to get this legislation right.”

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new NTEU report on $83 million of stolen wages at universities was a wake-up call for the federal government.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“These numbers are shocking but not surprising. Wage theft has been widespread and systemic in higher education, and I’ve pushed the investigation of this in a number of Senate inquiries.

“The link between wage theft and casualisation is undeniable. Not everyone who is underpaid at our universities is a casual, but if you’re a casual you are at much higher risk of having your wages stolen. 

“The brutal reality is that the corporate university of today can only function on the back of the unpaid labour of thousands of casual staff. That must change.

“It’s time to get serious about tackling both wage theft and casualisation at our universities. I’m glad last week the Government confirmed that these issues are being looked at as part of the Universities Accord, but this shouldn’t prevent action right now. Staff have suffered the scourge of job insecurity, overwork and underpay for too long.

“The government should require universities to set publicly-available targets for increasing permanent employment, and link this to funding. There should be clearer reporting requirements with respect to employment statistics and improved rights of entry for trade unions.

“Moreover, our universities are in desperate need of a massive investment of public funding after years of neglect, and we need an overhaul of university governance to shift the balance of power from university management back to staff and students.”

A team of Australian disaster experts will be sent to New Zealand to assist with the response and recovery in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.

A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand, after heavy rain caused devastating flooding on the north island.

An impact assessment team, made up of 25 expert officers from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and contributions from other jurisdictions, will be deployed to regional areas of New Zealand within the next 24 hours to assist Fire and Emergency New Zealand with the response.

Should New Zealand require any further assistance in the coming weeks, Australia remains ready to assist.

More than 70 emergency responders were also recently despatched to Turkiye, where they are currently assisting with the response and recovery in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said:

Our close relationship with New Zealand has meant we have been able to mobilise assistance quickly in response to this disaster.

Whether it be as far away as Turkiye or as close as New Zealand, we stand ready to do our part to help our international counterparts in times of distress.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said:

We are sending some of our best response and recovery experts to help our friends in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, over the past few years we have become experts in flood response and recovery, and these teams will be of great help to the New Zealand authorities.

In the wake of our Black Summer bushfires, the New Zealand government moved quickly to provide assistance here on the ground. Their crews also supported our State Emergency Services during the recent floods.

Our neighbours have been there for us, and we are more than willing to return the favour in their hour of need.

This week, the South Australian Labor government has given South Australia Police the power to immediately strip motorists of their licence upon detection of prescribed drugs, which will affect patients using medicinal cannabis.

Thousands of patients who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis by their General Practitioner are in the firing line, with no consideration given to these South Australians who have been able to access medicinal cannabis as a treatment option since 2016.

To address this, I am introducing the Statutes Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis Defence) Bill 2023 to the Legislative Council next week.

My Bill allows for a complete defence for medicinal cannabis users when THC is detected in the person’s fluid or blood when:
• The person has a valid doctor’s prescription for the medicine containing THC;
• The person is not involved in dangerous or reckless driving; and
• An officer cannot establish impairment in the person.

My Bill is based on existing rules in Tasmania, which allow for the detection of THC at the roadside for medicinal cannabis patients so long as the motorist is not impaired while driving.

South Australia does not currently have a restricted list of medical conditions for which medicinal cannabis is prescribed. It is rightfully left to doctors and patients to establish the best treatment options. Medicinal cannabis can be accessed for conditions including paediatric and adult epilepsies, multiple sclerosis, and various types of pain, and to treat side effects from chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS therapy.

Before Monday, a positive roadside drug test would result in a driver retaining their licence until its suspension by a Magistrate.

Law-abiding medicinal cannabis patients now face heightened anxiety when getting behind the wheel as the South Australian government threatens them with immediate loss of licence with no regard to their capacity to drive. Not to mention the isolation that will add to our mental health crises for those too scared to drive while undergoing treatment.

The government needs to support my common-sense Bill to ensure patients are not stripped of their licence through no wrongdoing of their own.