Category: Australian News

The Morrison Government will invest $5.9 million on cancer prevention among women in vulnerable communities across the world through the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD).
Funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), three of the four projects will support research to implement cervical cancer screening in India, Papua New Guinea and Eswatini.
Funding is also committed to allow SISTAQUIT (Supporting Indigenous Smokers to Assist Quitting) to expand its free, online training in quit smoking methods to all Australian health services catering to Indigenous women during pregnancy.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the projects would help women across the globe and here at home.
“Cervical cancer is highly preventable but, according to the World Health Organisation, poor access to prevention, screening and treatment contributes to 90 per cent of cervical cancer related deaths,” Minister Hunt said.
“These projects will support improved health outcomes here and across our region, helping to both save lives and protect lives.”
Australia, through the NHMRC, is a founding member of the GACD, the first international collaboration of major research funding agencies that specifically addresses chronic non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in vulnerable communities in high-income countries (HICs).
NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso, who is a member of the GACD Strategy Board and past chair, said NHMRC’s participation in the GACD provided an important opportunity for Australian researchers to help reduce the burden of chronic diseases in vulnerable communities around the world.
“By working with other international funding agencies through the GACD, we can amplify our impact on non-communicable diseases in the communities that are most affected and have least access to the advances of modern medicine,” Professor Kelso said.
“This is more important than ever today as chronic diseases can increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”
In 2015, 2017 and 2018, NHMRC provided a total of $14.7 million in funding through GACD for research on prevention or management of hypertension and diabetes, mental disorders and chronic lung disorders.

The Greens welcome the Federal Court judgement on the robodebt class action that found the Commonwealth “unlawfully”  raised $1.7 billion in debts against 443,000 people, but say that the Government has still fundamentally failed to be accountable for the illegal robodebt program.
“Citizens shouldn’t have to fight tooth and nail for justice and take their own Government to court to get any measure of accountability”, Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said.
As Justice Murphy said, this is a shameful chapter.
Many, including the Greens consider that this chapter is still open because the Government continues to obfuscate and deny the harm their program caused.
Robodebt cost lives, it has ruined many many more and has been the cause of immeasurable pain and anguish.
We still don’t know what the Government knew and when and they are still desperate to cover it up.
The Government thinks they can get away with only refunding victims served notices after 2015.
They have clearly demonstrated they are not willing to hand over the legal advice they have relating to robodebt and have hidden behind ‘public interest immunity claims’.
I can see no other way forward than through a Royal Commission ensuring a full, independent review of this program and a forensic audit of this mess.
A Royal Commission is the only way to get to the bottom of how this happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

While Scott Morrison attends G7 and the world plans to transition away from fossil fuels the Australian Government has made a mockery of itself by inviting oil and gas companies to exploit 80,000km2 of new offshore acreage, to help with a “gas led recovery”.
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Peter Whish-Wilson, said Australia has no environmental credibility left under the Morrison Government.
“Today’s news that 80,000km2 of our ocean has been handed over for oil gas exploration exposes the Prime Minister’s attendance at the G7 a complete travesty.
“So long as Scott Morrison’s Government is beholden to The Nationals, Australia will have no credibility on matters relating to reducing emissions.
“In this time of climate emergency there is no excuse for Governments to be handing over new areas of our oceans for exploration to find the very product that is killing our oceans.
“We know the Liberals and Labor are beholden to fossil fuel donations, but it’s got to stop – this level of hypocrisy is out of control.
“Coastal communities right around the nation are opposing offshore fossil fuel exploration in this time of climate emergency.
“Only last week a Senate Inquiry into seismic testing tabled its final report – the Committee heard the current regulatory framework does not provide sufficient environmental or economic protection from the impacts of seismic testing, and Report recommendations make it clear that more research is urgently needed.
“The ability for this Government to dismiss not only community concerns, but report after report calling for climate action is frankly quite frightening.
“Scott Morrison is not only an embarrassment to this nation but is threatening its future by failing to take seriously the impacts of climate change.”

The Australian Government is investing $11.7 million in medical research for pharmacists to support patients with the safe use of medicines.
All Australians will take some form of medication throughout their lives for a number of reasons, but using medicines are not without risk.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia estimates 400,000 people present to emergency departments with medication problems each year, and 250,000 are hospitalised. They believe half of these events could be prevented.
The 2020 Quality, Safety and Effectiveness of Medicine Use and Medicine Intervention by Pharmacists grant recipients tackle some of the common prescription drug issues for at-risk groups.
This includes the growing number of Australians – more than 1.7 million people – who aren’t aware they have symptoms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). For this group, some medications are dangerous and can cause toxicity in the kidneys.
As part of this program, University of Sydney researchers will receive almost $1.9 million to pilot a CKD screening program by community pharmacies, to identify and manage patients with the disease.
The University of Sydney will also receive $2.3 million to develop an integrated referral pathway for Australians with osteoporosis, to help decrease the risk of falls by reducing the use of medicines that lead to falls and improve the use of anti-osteoporosis medicines for bone strength.
The outcomes of the research undertaken through the grants will help inform ongoing work to ensure pharmacist fulfil their full scope of practice and could also inform the future Community Pharmacy Agreements.
The grant program is funded through the Australian Government’s Preventive and Public Health Research Initiative, which forms part of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
The initiative is about supporting innovative approaches to public health challenges, particularly treating and managing chronic and complex diseases and improve the use of medicines.
The Government’s $20 billion MRFF is a long-term, sustainable investment in Australian health and medical research helping to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to the sustainability of the health system.
Further information about the MRFF is available on the Department of Health website.

A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment.
Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The FTA is the right deal for Australia and the United Kingdom, with greater access to a range of high-quality products made in both countries as well as greater access for businesses and workers, all of which will drive economic growth and job creation in both countries.
Australian producers and farmers will receive a significant boost by getting greater access to the UK market.
Australian consumers will benefit from cheaper products, with all tariffs eliminated within five years, and tariffs on cars, whisky, and the UK’s other main exports eliminated immediately.
The UK will liberalise Australian imports with 99 per cent of Australian goods, including Australian wine and short and medium grain milled rice, entering the UK duty free when the agreement enters into force.
Beef tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 35,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 110,000 tonnes in year 10.
In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on beef imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 175,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 25,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 75,000 tonnes in year 10. In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on sheep meat imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 125,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sugar tariffs will be eliminated over eight years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 80,000 tonnes, rising by 20,000 tonnes each year.
Dairy tariffs will be eliminated over five years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota for cheese of 24,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 48,000 tonnes in year five. Australia will also have immediate access to a duty-free quota for non-cheese dairy of 20,000 tonnes.
Working Holiday Visa makers in the UK will get expanded rights and will now be able to stay for three years with an increased cut off age of 35.
Professionals will benefit from provisions to support mutual recognition of qualifications and greater certainty for skilled professionals entering the UK labour market.
This ambitious bilateral free trade agreement will help pave the way for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The two countries will now finalise the text, and carry out the domestic processes required to enable signature and the subsequent entry into force of the FTA.

The Morrison Government is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of older Australians and keeping them safe from elder abuse.
The abuse of older Australians is a complex health and social problem that can have devastating physical, emotional and social consequences for older people, their families and their communities.
Coinciding with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a national elder abuse awareness campaign has been launched to highlight this significant social issue and assist those who are at risk of experiencing elder abuse to take action and seek support, by calling 1800ELDERHelp and accessing the elder abuse knowledge hub Compass.info.
“We know elder abuse occurs, yet many people are afraid to report it, are not aware of it, or cannot identify it,” the Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash said.
“We want older Australians to know there is help available, you have the right to live free from elder abuse.”
The Government funds a range of front-line service providers across all states and territories to combat elder abuse. These include:

• specialist elder abuse units, where lawyers, social workers and other specialist support staff work side-by-side with clients to develop a case plan to respond to the individual’s needs
• case management and mediation services, that work with the older person and their family to find solutions to the underlying problems driving abuse and
• health-justice partnership services, where older people identified by health care workers such as yourselves as being at risk can access specialist legal support services.

Information on how to seek assistance from these and other service providers can be found on the Compass.info website or by calling 1800ELDERHelp.
The Government also funds the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) to provide free, confidential and independent advocacy support to older people and their representatives receiving, or seeking to receive, Government-funded aged care services.
OPAN launched a new online training package for health and allied health professionals, on 9 June, as part of a new approach to preventing the abuse of older Australians.
“Australia’s health and allied health professionals provide essential services to older Australians. They are on the front line, and as trusted advisors to older Australians it is vital they are trained to spot the signs of elder abuse and have the appropriate tools and information and they need to act,” Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said.
“Training health professionals is another safeguard the government has introduced to protect older Australians.”
As part of the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of older Australians, public consultation is currently underway on possible arrangements for a National Register of Enduring Powers of Attorney.
Consultation on a National Register will be open until 30 June, and the outcomes will be used to develop and inform a final proposal for the consideration of Attorneys-General from each jurisdiction. More information about the consultation process can be found here.
The short video about elder abuse and further information via the Attorney General’s Department can be found here.
More information about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day can be found World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The Senate Inquiry into seismic testing has tabled its final report today.
For the first time ever, the Federal Parliament heard evidence that united fishing, environmental, scientific and community stakeholders in their concerns surrounding the ongoing risks of oil and gas exploration in our oceans.
Greens Spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said he initiated the inquiry because of the diversity of concerns raised with him by those who felt the Government had sat by for too long while fossil fuel companies ran rampant in our oceans.
“Testimony to the Committee demonstrated a David and Goliath stand-off, with a handful of multinational oil and gas industry giants on one side, and multigeneration local fishing communities and ocean lovers on the other.
“Big oil and gas corporations – many who buy influence with hefty political donations – have been seismic testing for the last 50 years while there has been virtually no scrutiny on the impacts this has had to the marine environment.
“It took three attempts to get this inquiry established, with evidence revealing Government Ministers were keen to avoid the scrutiny of a Senate inquiry – and when you look at the findings it’s easy to see why.
“The Committee heard that the current regulatory framework does not provide sufficient environmental or economic protection from the impacts of seismic testing and gives too much latitude to a regulator who is perceived to be too close to the petroleum industry.
“Evidence revealed that the fossil fuel industry has largely been operating within a science and research vacuum – with big companies cherry picking data that suits their interests, to the detriment of our local industries, communities and marine life.
“The Report’s recommendations make it clear that more research is urgently needed. Frankly, I believe this research should be funded by the oil and gas industry and this was recommended by the Committee too.
“While the Report makes significant recommendations that will reform seismic testing, the Greens believe it didn’t – and couldn’t – go far enough.
“Coastal communities right around the nation are opposing offshore fossil fuel exploration in this time of climate emergency. The NZ Greens negotiated to have all new seismic testing and offshore exploration banned – there is no reason Australia shouldn’t do the same.
“In our Additional Comments to the Report, the Greens have included our strong view that all new seismic testing should be banned.
“There is absolutely no excuse for the Government to continue handing out permits for seismic testing until more is known.
“We will also introduce a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament to ban seismic testing, so the debate and public discussion does not end here.”

The Australian Government today welcomes a further step toward South East Queensland securing the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It follows the recommendation overnight from the International Olympic Committee’s executive board that the Queensland bid go to a final vote before its members at the IOC session in Japan next month.
Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck and Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien who is also the Prime Minister’s representative for Queensland’s candidature, said it was another significant milestone.
“It reinforces the work that has been achieved so far by all bid partners and highlights what can be achieved when all levels of government work toward on an outcome that will have enormous benefits for the entire nation,” Minister Colbeck said.
He said Australia already has an enviable reputation when it comes to hosting global sport.
“We have demonstrated our strong credentials in successfully hosting major sporting events including the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast,” Minister Colbeck said.
“And we now have a runway of major international events booked for Australia.”
Next year, Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and the UCI Road World Championships.
Australia has also secured co-hosting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the 2027 World Netball Cup and is actively working with Rugby Australia to submit a bid for the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027.
“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic bid is another important step as we continue to help inspire our athletes of the future,” Minister Colbeck said.
Mr O’Brien said the Sunshine State had all the credentials to host an event that would once again showcase Australia to the world.
“Hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games will not only be historic – it will bring Australians and Queenslanders together like never before,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Securing this event won’t just give us something to aim for – but just as we saw at the Sydney Olympics – it will have a long-lasting impact.
“Importantly, the Games are projected to generate billions of dollars of economic output for Queensland and Australia as well as tens of thousands of jobs.
“While we’re delighted to have cleared the penultimate hurdle, we take absolutely nothing for granted as we seek endorsement of members of the IOC session in Tokyo,” said Mr O’Brien.
The final process will include a presentation to the IOC in Japan ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
“We know Australia has already proved itself as a major host of international sport,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The case to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympics is compelling and we are confident the IOC members will consider it carefully.”

The Australian Government is helping strengthen the delivery of entry-level aged care services with a $112.1 million investment via the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the latest allocation will provide better access to a range of high demand care services, including meals, transport, social support, respite, gardening and cleaning for older Australians, their families and carers.
“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting senior Australians to remain living safely and independently in their own homes and communities for as long as they can and wish to do so,” Minister Colbeck said.
“This targeted investment will support communities identified as being most in need, including where there are aged care service gaps and high demand,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Support for aged care providers to deliver additional CHSP services to senior Australians will help address key demand pressures.”
Funding will be made available over two years to 141 successful applicants who applied through the CHSP Targeted Growth Funding Round 2020-21 and 2021-22.
“This investment is on top of the $17.7 billion announced in the recent Budget to support a once-in-a-generation reform of aged care to deliver respect, care and dignity to senior Australians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“It includes more than $630 million to improve access to quality aged care services for senior Australians in regional, rural and remote areas including special needs groups.”
Service providers are required to be as responsive as possible to requests from senior Australians and their carers for short-term or ongoing CHSP services.
To access services, senior Australians, their family or carer can contact My Aged Care on
1800 200 422 and arrange a formal assessment of their care needs.