Category: Australian News

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth the Second, an historic reign and a long life devoted to duty, family, faith and service has come to an end.

The Government and the people of Australia offer our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are grieving for a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother—the person whom for so long was their greatest inner strength.

Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today, knowing they will feel they have lost part of what makes their nation whole.

There is comfort to be found in Her Majesty’s own words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II. In her seven remarkable decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change. Through the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm.  

From the moment the young princess became Queen, shouldering the mighty weight of the institution into which she was born, Her Majesty made dedication to duty and service above self the hallmark of her reign.

She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious but steadfast too. In particular, we recall the sympathy and personal kindness she extended to Australians afflicted by tragedy and disaster.

Throughout it all, she was a monarch who let her humanity show, performing her duty with fidelity, integrity and humour. In this, she was supported so long and so lovingly by the late Prince Philip, her “strength and stay” for 73 years.

From her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia.

Fifteen more tours before cheering crowds in every part of our country confirmed the special place she held in ours.

As monarch for more than half the life of our Federation, the relationship between Australia and Britain matured and evolved throughout Her Majesty’s reign.

The Queen greeted each and every change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian people’s good judgment.

This was the deft and diplomatic way she bound the diversity of the modern Commonwealth, nations around the world who will mourn her passing.

Today marks the end of an era, the close of the second Elizabethan age. This time of mourning will pass but the deep respect and warm regard in which Australians always held Her Majesty will never fade.

May she rest in eternal peace.

The cost of living for Australian families is being driven up by climate damage as the Australian Insurance Council reveals households across Australia paid a higher cost of living because of flooding in NSW and Queensland earlier this year.

Farmers for Climate Action CEO Dr Fiona Davis said neither working families nor Australian farmers could afford increases in cost of living due to climate damage.

“The McKell Institute confirms what we knew: Climate change is driving up the cost of living,” Dr Davis said.

“The McKell Institute report finds each Australian family has paid $525 in the increased cost of food and other farm products because of the huge floods in NSW and Queensland earlier this year – floods made far worse by climate change. 

Those floods came just two years after the deadly Black Summer Fires and extreme weather events driven by climate change are becoming more and more frequent.

“The report says the hit to Australian households from floods, fires, drought and other climate-driven events this financial year was almost double the decade average of $888 at $1532.

“Australian families can’t afford the huge hit to their hip pocket climate damage is causing.

“Insurance Council of Australia figures reveal losses from the floods were $5.28 billion, while losses in the Black Summer fires were $2.32 billion. This does not take into account the massive health impacts from these climate events.”

Dr Davis said farmers were worried about the cost of insurance premiums, which are rising steeply because of climate damage.

“Huge hikes in insurance premiums following climate damage are coming as farmers continue to count the cost of floods six months ago. Some of our farmer members have reported losses of more than $100 000.

“We need deep emissions reductions in this, the decisive decade, to protect our farming families and our food supply.”

A recent report by GHD saw GHD Australian Water Market Leader Lindsay Brown noted climate damage to the agriculture sector was not limited to on-farm damage, but also to “ability to transport and equipment losses, and all the things that actually make that part of our economy viable”.

Dr Davis said Farmers for Climate Action’s Fork in the Road report had identified exactly the same thing and showed consumers were already paying more for food because of climate damage.

Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of 7000 farmers calling for strong economy-wide climate policies.Key facts:

Cost of living takes massive hit from climate-driven floods earlier this year

Report by the McKell Institute reveals a hit to each Australian household of $525 due to higher prices paid for food and farm products, plus extra government spending

We need deep emissions reductions this decade to protect our farmers and our food supply

Geoff Parkes, a Vietnam-era national servicemen who was conscripted into the Australian armed forces is taking his #NashoFairGo petition representing other service personnel like him to Australian Parliament House tomorrow. So far, the petition has been signed by 25,000 Australians.

The campaign is seeking recognition and additional health support from the Labor government on behalf of 48,000 Nashos (of which only 35,000 are expected to be alive).  

The Nashos are a cohort of Veterans who had been given an impossible choice by the government. To choose between being conscripted into the armed forces, or going to jail. They put their lives on hold, underwent intensive training but didn’t serve in a war zone. The main aim of the petition is to obtain DVA Gold Health Cards for their service.

Greens Spokesperson for Health and Mental Health Jordon Steele-John, and Veterans’ Spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge will accept Geoff’s petition, and table it in the Senate today. 

“I want to obtain justice for the men Australia forgot,” says Geoff. “We have received no thanks, recognition, benefits or reparation for the two years of their youth that were taken from us.”

Senator Jordon Steele-John is “proud to receive the petition from the Nashos. The Australian Greens are committed to ensuring all Veterans, especially those who were conscripted into the armed forces receive access to the health and mental health supports to maintain their wellbeing. Being provided with the DVA Veteran Gold Card will enable many of these gentlemen to access health services without worrying about the financial cost of doing so.

Senator David Shoebridge said: “The Department of Veterans Affairs is failing in its duty of care to veterans and is in urgent need of reform. Too often it is a barrier to veterans getting the support they need, entitlements are inconsistent and arbitrary, and veterans are forced to struggle against a departmental culture that fails to respect their service.

“We have a new government and a new Parliament and veterans need to hear a loud message from them that they are now on their side.” 

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for education, has backed the early childhood educators action to Shut Down the Sector on Early Childhood Educator’s Day today and urged the Albanese government to act on wages and workforce shortages.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Greens are right with early childhood educators as they shut down the sector today.

“The low pay and difficult conditions early childhood educators are subjected to are a national shame. Educators deserve professional pay that reflects the skill and responsibility of the work they do every day.

“Parliament needs to hear these workers’ calls for an immediate pay rise. Early childhood educators, who we know are predominantly women, have been taken for granted for far too long. They’ve had enough.

“The Greens call on the government to bring legislation to lift wages, fix conditions and deal with the critical workforce shortage in early learning and care. These steps, hand in hand with the Greens’ plan for free early learning and care for all, are vital to building a better future.”

Today, Liberal Senator Alex Antic used his two minute statement to complain about the “threat” of critical race theory and “victimhood.” Senator Lidia Thorpe called these comments racist. Senator James McGrath called for Senator Thorpe to withdraw her comments. 

Senator Thorpe refused, saying that she was simply stating a fact. Senator Mehreen Faruqi asked why those calling out racism were asked to withdraw, yet there are no consequences for being racist.

TSenator Lidia Thorpe said:

“This parliament punishes Blak women for calling out racism, yet there are no consequences for being racist in the Senate Chamber. I am not safe in this workplace.”

“The Jenkins report talks about the ‘intersection of multiple forms of discrimination and harassment (…) on the basis of gender, age, race, disability and sexual orientation’ as well as the importance of everyone feeling ‘safe and welcome to contribute.’

“If I didn’t withdraw, I could have been kicked out of the Chamber for a day and The Greens would be down a vote. They cut off my microphone and told me to withdraw my comment. How is that creating a workplace where everyone is ‘safe and welcome to contribute’?!

“It’s ‘unparliamentary’ to call out racism, but not unparliamentary to be racist. Racism is a disease in this Country. It’s violent and literally makes people sick. We need an anti-racist code of conduct for MP’s to be accelerated and implemented to stop this from happening in the first place.”

Almost 50 years to the day (29 August, 1972) after the historic Henderson Commission of Inquiry into poverty, and after years of inaction by successive governments, the Greens have today established a Senate Committee inquiry into the nature and extent of poverty and cost of living pressures in Australia.

Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens spokesperson on Social Services and Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee, said: 

“When 5.1 million Australians are barely scraping by on Centrelink payment rates below the poverty line, and millions more are facing cost of living pressures and the crushing stress that goes with it – something is deeply wrong and needs to be fixed. 

“I’ve heard directly from countless people about how poverty has an acute impact on nearly every aspect of their lives: not being able to afford nutritious food, an education, housing, the resources to get a job, and on their physical health and mental wellbeing. 

“This inquiry will hold wide-ranging hearings across the country, enabling people who have been forced to rely on woefully inadequate payments to have their voices heard, and take that evidence into Parliament. 

“With skyrocketing rents, interest rate rises, and months of inflation, it’s urgent that Parliament provide cost-of-living relief to those that need it most, and get out of this decades-long reflex of punishing people on starvation-wages.

“One in six children are living in poverty. No parent should have to wonder how they’re going to feed their kids this week or afford the new school uniform next term. 

“When millions of people in this wealthy country are one car-breakdown or dental emergency away from total financial ruin, surely as elected representatives of the people, it is our moral obligation to do something about it.”

For the first time in its 75-year history, the maximum cost of general scripts under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will fall.

Under a Bill tabled by the Australian Government today, from 1 January 2023 millions of Australians will pay almost 30 per cent less for PBS scripts, with the maximum general co-payment dropping from $42.50 to $30.

This means that someone taking one medication a month could save as much as $150 every year, or for two or three medications as much as $300-$450 a year.

The maximum cost to general patients for PBS medications has doubled since 2000. This change fulfils the Government’s election promise to cut the cost of medicines and ease cost of living pressures for Australians.

National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Professor Trent Twomey said “patients continue to tell community pharmacies of the increasing pressures of having to choose between food on the table and medicine for their family.”

“Community pharmacies around the country thank and welcome the action taken by the Government to cut the out of pocket cost patients pay for medicines on the PBS,” Professor Twomey said.

The Prime Minister said:

“I’m really pleased that we’re introducing this legislation to make many medicines cheaper for Australians.

“My Government is serious about delivering on our election commitments and easing the cost of living pressures left by the former government.”

Minister Butler said:

“The ABS advises that the high costs of medications meant close to 1 million Australians delayed or didn’t fill their medications in 2019-20. We must do better than this and we will.”

“Cutting their price by nearly one third will mean more people can afford to get the medications they need to stay healthy – without worrying so much about the price.”

“This change will put close to $200 million back in the pockets of Australians each year.”

Australia and Timor-Leste today signed a reciprocal Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA).

The DCA is a status of forces agreement that sets out the reciprocal protections, responsibilities and privileges each country will grant the military personnel of the other in its territory.

The DCA was signed by Defence Ministers following a meeting between Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste.

President Ramos-Horta is visiting Australia this week as a Guest of Government, hosted by His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Governor-General of Australia.

The DCA will allow Australia and Timor-Leste to increase defence and security cooperation, especially in the maritime domain, given our shared border and adjacent maritime zones.

It will enhance our ability to operate together as required, conduct exercises and training, and cooperate on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The Agreement means Timorese military members operating, exercising or training in Australia will receive the same protections, responsibilities and privileges as Australian personnel will receive in Timor-Leste.

During their meeting, Prime Minister Albanese and President Ramos-Horta also discussed common security, economic cooperation, labour mobility and skills, the green economy and Australia’s support for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership bid.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Australia and Timor-Leste share a special relationship as neighbours with a shared history and deep ties.

“We have been working towards a DCA for over a decade and today’s signing is a significant step forward in our partnership.

“I was pleased to meet with President Ramos-Horta to discuss how we can strengthen cooperation, including Australia’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s development.

“I look forward to meeting my counterpart, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, at an early opportunity.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said:

“The signing of the DCA heralds a new chapter in Australia’s close relationship with Timor-Leste.

“We are neighbours with a shared maritime domain, namely the Timor Sea.

“I look forward to seeing how the DCA will help enable joint maritime patrols between Australia and Timor-Leste.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong said:

“As a close friend and neighbour, Australia is committed to supporting Timor-Leste’s security and sovereignty, including through our enduring defence cooperation.

“Australia welcomes this DCA and the opportunity it provides to deepen our close defence and security partnership with Timor-Leste.

“This is a key milestone as we continue working together to maintain a stable, prosperous region.”

The Parliament of Australia has appointed members to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) in the 47th Parliament.

The PJCIS has elected Peter Khalil as its Chair.

The members of the Committee are:

• Peter Khalil MP [Chair]
• Andrew Wallace MP [Deputy Chair]
• Karen Andrews MP
• Senator Simon Birmingham
• Senator Raff Ciccone
• Andrew Hastie MP
• Julian Hill MP
• Senator James Paterson
• Senator Marielle Smith
• Senator Jess Walsh
• Josh Wilson MP

Mr Khalil has dedicated his career to advancing Australia’s interests and national security, including in roles at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Defence and as a foreign policy and national security adviser to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The PJCIS performs a critical role in providing oversight of Australia’s intelligence agencies, ensuring their effective operation as they work to keep Australians safe.

The PJCIS also reviews national security bills introduced to Parliament, and ensures national security legislation remains necessary, proportionate and effective.

At a time when regional and global security challenges are becoming increasingly complex, the work of the Committee is as important as ever.

Philip Lowe should resign as Governor of the Reserve Bank for misleading Australians about interest rate rises, the Greens say.

“Dr Lowe induced hundreds of thousands of Australians into taking out massive mortgages by effectively saying that interest rates would not rise until 2024,” Greens Treasury and Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“Having failed to keep that commitment, he should now resign.” 

“The preconditions that Philip Lowe set for increasing rates have not been met.”

“Australians are in a cost of living crisis that is being driven by global supply problems and corporate profiteering, not wages.”

“Today’s rate increases will not clear supply chains or bring down energy prices, but it will smash small business, mortgage holders and renters who are not responsible for the problem.”

“And instead of highlighting record high corporate profits, Philip Lowe has called for workers to shoulder the load and brace for further cuts to real wages.”

“The RBA Governor should not be jawboning down wages.”

“Philip Lowe has been captured by corporate interests.”

“The RBA themselves have said that inflationary pressures may be transitory.”

“Consumer sentiment is very low.”

“People are already walking on eggshells.”

“They don’t need to be hit with a sledgehammer.”

“There is no need for the RBA to blindly follow the US Federal Reserve.”