Category: Australian News

There is a pressing need for a review of government use of private accounting firms and the Big Four consulting firms according to the Greens Finance spokesperson, Senator Barbara Pocock.

Her call comes in the wake of news that one of the ‘Big 4’ consulting firms, PwC, has breached confidentiality after the Tax Office consulted them on new rules to prevent multi-national tax avoidance.

“Sharing details of proposals to reign in tax avoidance with firms like these whose employees then behave unethically, is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.” Senator Pocock said in response to the scandal. “What confidence can tax-payers have that conflicts of interest like these are not widespread?”

“These companies, PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG, are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year doing work that should be done by the public sector, and without appropriate assurances about ethical behaviour,” she said.

The firms are among the biggest political donors to both major parties.  Last year PwC won Government contracts worth more the $300 million.

“The influence of the Big Four goes beyond donations and contracts,” Senator Pocock said. 

“They rip the heart out of the public service by poaching good people and are contracted often for hugely inflated fees to undertake policy analysis and run programs that could and should be done much more efficiently by a robust public sector – behaving ethically and without conflicts of interest” she said.

The Albanese Government has promised to cut down on consulting and last year’s budget indicates a proposed cut to ‘External Labour’ of $3 Billion over four years from 2022-23. But in response to a Question on Notice from Senator Barbara Pocock, the Department of Finance was unable to disaggregate cuts to consultants from other categories included under ‘External Labour,’ which makes it difficult to measure the Commonwealth’s actual  total spend on consultants and hold them to account.

Senator Pocock is calling for a review of the outsourcing of government work to external consultants. “We need to rebuild the capability of the public service and we need a thorough review of conflict of interest and ethical behaviour processes across the consulting sector where government work is underway,” she said. 

“These big companies are poaching some of our best and brightest public servants and, in this case, an employee has clearly misused information that they have become privy to in the process of consultation on sensitive government policies.

“This example of conflict of interest and dishonesty may be the tip of an unethical iceberg which the public deserves to know about – and it must be investigated and its wider prevalence prevented” Senator Pocock said.

The Australian Government is working in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and local communities to take action in response to the urgent challenges facing Alice Springs.

The Northern Territory Government will introduce immediate temporary restrictions on alcohol sales as a circuit-breaker measure to improve community safety in Central Australia.

The Northern Territory and Australian Governments have also agreed to appoint a Central Australian Regional Controller, Dorrelle Anderson, to lead consultation with communities regarding the reintroduction of alcohol restrictions and an opt out system for individual communities. This consultation will conclude by February 1st.

The Australian Government will invest $48.8m over two years in Alice Springs to tackle crime, keep women and children safe and provide support to young people in communities.

The plan to improve community safety in Alice Springs includes:

• $14.2 in additional funding for extra high visibility Police and law enforcement operations including targeting grog running, and increasing liquor licensing compliance inspectors and boosting security guards in public places.
• A $2m investment to improve CCTV, lighting and safety measures throughout Alice Springs.
• $5.6m for additional emergency accommodation and safe spaces to give young people a place to go to at night and boost the effectiveness of the night patrol program which starts in February and will help get young people off the streets.
• $2m for the Tangentyre Women’s Council to boost Domestic Violence services.
• Providing $25m to extend funding for safety and community services which are currently scheduled to end in June 2023 to provide certainty to providers and their employees and ensure this work continues.

The Australian Government has already targeted investment in Central Australia in the 2022-23 Budget including justice, health, community safety, infrastructure and housing.

Justice reinvestment

• $99 million for First Nations justice measures, including $81.5 million in funding for up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives across Australia, with Alice Springs identified as a priority site.

Indigenous Health

• $19 million for First Nations health infrastructure projects in Central Australia in partnership with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. This includes funding for the rebuild of the Muṯitjulu Health Service Clinic, funding for renovations of the Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) Clinic, and funding for a new health hub in Alice Springs.

Community Safety and Support

• $20 million for Gap Youth Centre and other youth services in Alice Springs, to continue to provide hands on support.
• $15 million provided to the Northern Territory Government under the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence National Partnership Agreement, to support family, domestic, and sexual violence responses and ensure women and children can access the support they need to live free of violence

Indigenous housing

• $100 million for housing and essential services in Northern Territory Homelands with an immediate boost of $25 million and a further $75 million allocated in 2023-24

By listening to and working in partnership with local communities, these circuit-breaker measures will improve community safety on the ground in Alice Springs.

We remain focused on working in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and local communities, because we know that the best solutions come from local communities themselves.

Australia and the Republic of Serbia have signed a new social security agreement that will improve access to retirement benefits for eligible people who have moved between the two countries.

The agreement was signed last night in Belgrade by His Excellency Mr Daniel Emery, Australian Ambassador to Serbia, and Mr Nikola Selakovic, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth welcomed the signing of the agreement and said it heralded a strengthening of Australia’s relationship with Serbia as well as greater benefits for retirees.

“This new agreement will improve access to social security for people who split their lives between Australia and Serbia or have moved from one country to the other,” Minister Rishworth said.

“This agreement will give people more freedom to move between Australia and Serbia, knowing their pension rights will be recognised and protected.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong said the agreement is an important milestone in Australia’s longstanding relationship with Serbia.

“Our countries are working together to deliver real outcomes for Australians and Serbians, irrespective of where they are based.

“This agreement strengthens our bilateral relationship and incentivises further trade and investment between Australia and Serbia. Under the new agreement, former Australian residents living in Serbia will be able to claim the Australian Age Pension without having to return to Australia.

Conversely, former Serbian residents living in Australia will have better access to Serbian retirement pensions.

The agreement also includes provisions that allow people to combine periods of residence in Australia with periods of insurance contributions in Serbia to satisfy the minimum requirements for an Australian or Serbian pension, meaning they can access their pension sooner.

Additionally, workers temporarily seconded to Australia or Serbia will no longer have to pay compulsory superannuation and pension contributions in both their home country and host country, removing the onus of double payments and improving their retirement income.

The new social security agreement is expected to come into effect in 2024, following the completion of treaty, legal and administrative processes in both countries.

More information on international social security agreements is available on the Department of Social Services website.

A plan to reduce the speed limit on a 25km stretch of road responsible for a quarter of Tasmanian devil deaths on state roads* was quashed last night when the Circular Head Council voted down a motion to support the measure.

The Council instead supported amendments to reduce the speed limit on a nearby 3km stretch of road.

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson has been campaigning in Canberra for increased funding for the Tasmanian devil and attended the Circular Head Council meeting last night.  

“The Circular Head Council’s decision is devastating, especially for local residents involved in the heartbreaking task of removing hundreds of dead Tasmanian devils from Woolnorth Road.

“The Federal Government has failed to provide any recent funding to the Save the Devil program, or assist in roadkill mitigation measures, and we were hopeful the local council would instead show leadership in protecting one of our state’s most iconic and endangered species. 

“Arguments that a speed limit reduction along Woolnorth Road would impact businesses are ridiculous. The 25km stretch of Woolnorth Road is used primarily by milk trucks servicing the nearby Van Dairy farm, which supports a speed limit reduction!***

“I’d like to acknowledge the councillors who voted for the speed limit reduction to reduce devil road kill on Woolnorth Road, and am deeply shocked and saddened that the other councillors ignored the evidence before them and showed such disinterest and disregard for our precious wildlife.”

*Government data shows between 350 and 450 Tasmanian devils are killed on Tasmania’s roads every year. Meanwhile wildlife rescuers removed approximately 181 Tasmanian devils in 24 months from the 25 km stretch of Woolnorth Road in the state’s North West.

** Federal funding has been critical to the Tasmanian devil’s survival, but this ended in 2017. Adding insult to injury, the Tasmanian devil has also had its recovery plan scrapped despite warnings that the species is battling a myriad of pressures, including on our roads.

***Van Dairy supports an 80km/h speed limit but said a night-time curfew on milk tankers was a matter for milk processors, such as Fonterra.

The Greens say the findings in today’s Productivity Commission report into the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA) are irrefutable evidence that the failure by Commonwealth, state and territory governments to fully fund public schools has created an inequality crisis in education.

Greens spokesperson on schools, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Australian public school teachers must be reading the news today and thinking, ‘Tell us something we don’t know.’

“Eleven years ago David Gonski said that there was growing inequality in the school system, that the root cause was funding inequality, and here’s the model to fix that.

“But instead of embracing the Gonski recommendations, cowardly governments balked at taking funding from elite private schools. So now, more than a decade later, with public schools still underfunded across the country, no one should be remotely shocked by the Productivity Commission’s findings.

“It’s great that the report identifies inequality and student wellbeing as central issues, but there’s nothing in the report’s recommendations that doesn’t cost money.

“Around 85% of students with additional needs attend public schools. If governments really wanted to actually help those kids, instead of just performatively pearl-clutching in front of the cameras, they should give them the funding teachers have been pleading for since half-a-dozen prime ministers ago.

“The new NSRA was an opportunity for the Albanese Government to end the funding crisis and restore equity to the school system. Instead they’ve kicked the can down the road, consigning public school kids to another year of disadvantage. They should be ashamed.

“We don’t need more analysis, more accountability mechanisms, more working groups, more inquiries or more reports. Our public schools need more money, and they need it yesterday.

“The Greens will continue to fight alongside unions, parents and carers to ensure that all public schools receive at least 100% of their Schooling Resource Standard in the next NSRA.”

Through the sheer power of her example, Jacinda Ardern has reminded us all that kindness and strength are not mutually exclusive. Even more importantly, she has shown that a true leader possesses both.

It has been a privilege to work closely with Jacinda during her term as Prime Minister of New Zealand, and to witness the many qualities she brought to the role: empathy and insight; intellect and decisiveness; a powerful work ethic matched by a great policy brain; a lightness of touch backed by a firm hand.

Throughout it all, Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand and a great friend to Australia. She has been an inspiration to so many and, on a personal level, a friend to me.

It was only fitting that Jacinda was the first foreign leader to visit Australia following our election, and I was pleased to host her again for the 2022 Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting.

As a fellow Commonwealth leader, I met with Jacinda and co-operated on issues, particularly security in our Pacific region and climate change.

I witnessed her diplomatic skill at forums including the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting, APEC and the East Asia Summit. To see her in action, elevating New Zealand on the world stage, was an inspiration.

Her response to the atrocity perpetrated in Christchurch is emblematic of the leader I so admired.

I will always carry in my mind that image of Jacinda in a headscarf, offering the embrace of a nation to a community stricken by grief and fear. When that community was brought so terribly low, she reached high and brought people together. Sadly, as we have seen only too clearly, that is not the instinct of every leader across the world, but it has emphatically been Jacinda’s every step of the way.

Jacinda Ardern has been the very embodiment of the common ground on which nations find their greatest cohesion and strength.

But Jacinda’s gift and her extraordinary qualities as a leader stemmed from more than knowing the right gesture at the right moment, or finding the right words in the right tone. She matched all this with action, with a determined pursuit of justice and with gun reforms to keep New Zealanders safe.

We saw it in response to the shocking loss of life – including 17 Australians – in the White Island disaster.

And we also saw it in her determination to address the ever-growing problem of climate change, not least the very real threat it poses to our Pacific neighbours.

Australia and New Zealand are family. Our relationship is one which transcends leaders and personal ties, and I look forward to the next chapter of our co-operation, with the next prime minister of New Zealand.

The story of the friendship between our two countries is a strong and a permanent one. Nevertheless, we have come to the end of a chapter.

Even the way Jacinda has brought it to a close has been a demonstration of her qualities. A model of modern leadership, after giving her all she will depart on her own terms, with deep humility, with hope for her nation’s future and with the grace she showed all through her time in office.

Not many leaders get to do that.

From prime minister to prime minister, from friend to friend, I wish Jacinda and her family well in the next stage of their lives. When she leaves office, she will go with my admiration and my gratitude.

Australia is losing a friend and the world stage is losing a class act, but her legacy will continue. May the example of her kindness and strength continue to cast its glow in a world that really needs it.

Today marks four years since Australian citizen, Dr Yang Jun, was detained in China.

Our thoughts are with Dr Yang and his family.

Dr Yang faced a closed trial in Beijing on 27 May 2021 and he still awaits a verdict.

The Australian Government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case.

Since Dr Yang was detained, the Australian Government has called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be afforded to Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.

The Australian Government will continue to advocate for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing at the highest levels and provide consular assistance to Dr Yang and his family.

An oil tower containing toxic chemicals once used by Woodside to produce oil near the Ningaloo Reef ceased operations and should have been decommissioned by the company in 2018.

Woodside originally planned to tow the tower to Perth for disposal within six months, but a flooded compartment and malfunctioning valves meant the tower could not be moved.

The regulator, NOPSEMA, said the problems demonstrated Woodside, which had skipped a planned 10-yearly inspection of the compartments, had not maintained the tower properly. NOPSEMA are investigating whether Woodside’s poor maintenance was a breach of the law.

Greens spokesperson for resources and tourism, and Yamatji-Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“Woodside appears to only be interested in profit. Their negligent attitude is clear as this issue remains unresolved since 2018.

“Woodside engaged Dutch company Heerema to decommission this offshore infrastructure in mid-2022, but instead of action we get excuses.

“When will the Australian Government strengthen the laws and regulations that govern the decommissioning of these toxic facilities? We know the industry will delay and cut costs to save their billion-dollar bottom line at the expense of the environment and the taxpayer.

“Failure to uphold their responsibility to maintain this tower demonstrates Woodside’s blatant disregard for rules and regulations. We shouldn’t be waiting any longer for them to clean up this mess, it sets a shocking precedent for other fossil fuel companies.

“The Greens call on the regulator to direct Woodside to immediately decommission this toxic tower and prevent the company from putting the precious Ningaloo Reef at risk for another 18 months. Ningaloo is a world heritage-listed marine playground, and the pride of West Australians, holidaymakers and our multi-million-dollar tourism industry.”

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

“We shouldn’t be risking our marine wildlife for the sake of sparing a multibillion dollar company a few bucks and some convenience, and regulators shouldn’t let these oil and gas giants run roughshod over our oceans.

“Putting our marine life at risk to suit the financial interests of one of the world’s biggest polluters isn’t acceptable. 

“A toxic chemical spill this close to the Ningaloo Reef World Heritage Area would be devastating for WA’s precious marine wildlife, including thousands of species of whales, sharks, fish, turtles and corals.

“Big businesses make millions of dollars in profits from this oil field, they can afford to clean up after themselves.” 

The Greens have criticised the possibility of a deal between Labor and Liberal to pass the Financial Accountability Regime (FAR) without fines for law-breaking bankers.

“The Hayne Royal Commission highlighted the systemic misconduct and greed within the banking and financial services industry, and if we are going to change that we need the threat of large fines on bank executives who break the law,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“Having already broken the agreement struck with the Greens to create million dollar fines for banking executives, Minister Jones pledged to consult in good faith on the Bill.”

“That should not mean just asking the big banks for marching orders.”

“Labor has a choice here. It can support consumers by working with the Greens to impose fines on dodgy bank executives, or it can join the Liberals and roll over to the big banks.”

“Any deal between the major parties would be yet another sign that the big banks are still calling the shots in Parliament.”

The Greens have called for the rapid introduction of an interim Mandatory Code of Conduct with teeth for gas companies, to lay bare the excuses these massive corporations are using to justify wielding their market power to the detriment of climate and consumers.

Gas companies are reportedly refusing to sign up new commercial customers, threatening blackouts and skyrocketing prices, attempting to cause chaos in retaliation to the Government’s price caps on gas.

The Greens say with no set deadline on the introduction of the code of conduct, but with repeated and growing cartel-like behaviour by the gas industry, parts of the Code should be implemented immediately. Consultation on the final code does not close until February 7.

Separately, the ACCC has on Tuesday issued its interim compliance and enforcement guidelines for the gas industry.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, acting Leader of the Australian Greens said:

“Gas companies are trying to hold the country hostage, sparking chaos in the energy sector and anxiety for ordinary people already experiencing intense cost of living pain – as a retaliation for Government efforts to rein in their never-ending profiteering,” Senator Faruqi said.

“The Labor Government must immediately intervene with an interim code of conduct to make sure that gas corporations can’t hide behind this excuse to cause chaos in the energy sector by arbitrarily withholding supply, and overcharging the country for its own gas.

“This needs to be an inflection point where we move away from dirty, expensive gas, instead of allowing them to hide behind flimsy excuses while threatening to cause chaos in energy markets.

“When a corporation is threatening people with withholding power unless they’re allowed to charge whatever they want, there is no point negotiating with them. They are drunk on market power that they’ve been allowed to wield unchallenged for years.

“Big gas corporations like Woodside and Santos are making obscene, five-fold profits. They are turbocharging natural disasters that cost Australia $5 billion in just one year according to Treasury. The Tax Office has labelled them ‘systemic non-payers of tax’ and in most cases they don’t even pay any royalties.

“For the sake of people and planet, we have to get out of coal and gas.”

Senator Dorinda Cox, Australian Greens Resources Spokesperson said:

“We urgently need a code with teeth, and regulatory authority that stops this constant public power game between the Federal Government and industry. 

“Right now, Australians across the country are under pressure from rising costs of living, and suffering natural disaster-related loss and damages. Meanwhile, gas companies are threatening power outages and price spikes just to protect their bottom line, what the government’s own Minister calls  ‘Putin profits’.

“Labor talked a big game during the election, promising to end the climate wars. Now they need to step up, be courageous, and stop the gas industry from dictating the rules.”