Category: Australian News

The Morrison Government must urgently deliver targeted and adequate funding support to the the Arts and Entertainment Industry, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Australia’s Arts and Entertainment Industry has been pummelled by this crisis from the very beginning and it is still suffering.
“The Morrison Government has failed to provide adequate support to help the Industry survive, to help workers put food on the table and pay rent, and to keep doors open in the future.
“The Greens are calling for the RISE fund to be uncapped so that those who need support can get it.
“The Morrison Government had no problems uncapping the grants for the construction industry and extending initial funding even further, why won’t they do the same for the arts and entertainment industry?
“The arts, entertainment and tourism industries in particular, have not been able to recover and have had little support. JobKeeper should never have been taken away and should be reinstated immediately.
“The government must also establish a federal insurance guarantee for the Arts Industry.
“Gigs and festivals across the country have been cancelled or postponed and not for the first time. The industry needs to know it is insured for any losses incurred due to snap lockdowns and Covid outbreaks or it will struggle to reschedule events and recover.
“I wrote to the Treasurer and Arts Minister months ago calling for an insurance guarantee. It seems much like the pleas of the entire Industry, this has fallen on deaf ears.
“The support given by the Morrison Government to workers in lockdown states is insufficient and will not help many artists and entertainers due to the nature of their work.
“The Arts Minister needs to show he truly understands the Industry he is supposed to represent and start walking the talk, by making more money available and getting it out the door faster.
“We stand to lose a generation of artists and entertainers, many have been lost during the past year already, it will be on the Morrison Government if that happens.”

Labor’s Powerful, Transparent and Independent National Anti-Corruption Commission

An Albanese Labor Government will establish a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The ever-growing list of scandals surrounding the Morrison Government shows why Australia needs a powerful and independent anti-corruption commission and why Mr Morrison and his colleagues will do everything they can to stop one from being established.
The Liberals deny there is a problem, make endless excuses, and have put forward a draft bill for a commission designed to be so weak, so secretive and so lacking in independence that instead of exposing corruption, it would cover it up.
Every state and territory in Australia has its own anti-corruption commission and Labor believes it is now long past time for a Commonwealth body to be established to tackle corruption in the federal government.
Anti-corruption commissions are powerful and independent investigatory bodies that serve the public by uncovering corruption and by ensuring that members of a government, including politicians, are held to account if they engage in corrupt conduct.
The Albanese Labor Government’s National Anti-Corruption Commission will operate as a standing Royal Commission into serious and systemic corruption in the federal government. It will have a broad jurisdiction to investigate and hold to account Commonwealth ministers, public servants, statutory office holders, government agencies, parliamentarians, personal staff of politicians and other Commonwealth public officials.
Labor’s National Anti-Corruption Commission will also be able to ‘follow the money’, meaning it can also investigate private individuals and companies involved in systemic and serious corruption by public officials.
This is in stark contrast to Mr Morrison’s weak and conflicted proposal which would be unable to instigate its own independent inquiries into Government corruption, prevented from holding public hearings into politicians or public servants, and banned from investigating any of the multiple past scandals of the Morrison Government.
After eight long years in office the Liberals have failed to take any action to tackle corruption, leaving the Commonwealth the only Australian government without a body dedicated to tackling corruption by public officials.
The Morrison Government’s refusal to honour its election promise is allowing corruption to go unchecked, enabling ministers to avoid being held to account for their actions and undermining public confidence in the Australian Government.
An Albanese Labor Government will put an end to the Morrison Government’s shameful inaction by establishing a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.

An Albanese Labor Government will deliver the same legislated tax relief to more than 9 million Australians as the Morrison Government.
The Shadow Cabinet and Caucus have today confirmed that Labor in government will uphold the legislated changes to personal income taxes and maintain the existing regimes for negative gearing and capital gains tax.
Labor is providing certainty and clarity to Australian working families after a difficult two years for our country and the world.
Our focus is on making sure Australia emerges from this crisis stronger and more resilient – with an economy that works for working families not the other way around.
When it comes to the economy, the next election will be about the Prime Minister’s dangerous and costly failures to manage the pandemic.
His failures on vaccines and quarantines have caused lockdowns 18 months into this pandemic, and those lockdowns are causing billions of dollars in damage to the economy.
Over eight long years in government, the Coalition’s record is clear in the lives of everyday Australians: stagnant wages, insecure jobs, increased costs for health care and childcare, longer waits to see a GP, and a trillion dollars in debt.
Their own Budget forecasts a decline in real wages over the next four years and independent analysis by the McKell Institute shows that their policies have made the average worker $13,000 a year worse off.
Improving the Budget is all about growing the economy, cracking down on waste and rorts, creating more opportunities for more Australians in more parts of the country, and creating a society that is stronger after COVID-19 than it was before.
It also means ensuring our broader tax system is fair and sustainable, especially when it comes to making sure that multinational corporations are paying their fair share of tax and we will have more to say about that.
After promising eight surpluses and delivering eight deficits – including the largest in Australia’s history – this Government’s only legacy will be generational debt without a generational dividend.

The Morrison Government has secured an additional 85 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, providing access to additional booster vaccinations that will protect Australians in the future.
Through continued engagement with Pfizer-BioNTech, the Government has secured 60 million doses in 2022, and 25 million doses in 2023. Delivery will begin in the first quarter of 2022 and enable booster coverage throughout the year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new supply schedule that the Government had successfully negotiated with Pfizer-BioNTech would provide every Australian with a booster vaccine if required.
“We have secured an additional 85 million doses of Pfizer, which brings Australia’s total Pfizer doses to 125 million,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is a significant shot in the arm for Australia’s vaccine supply. Every Australian will have access to a booster shot if it is needed.
“This will ensure individuals, families and communities have certainty about their continued protection against the evolving threat of COVID-19 over the next two years. We have turned the corner in Australia’s vaccine programme and this is another milestone on our pathway back to a normal life.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said this reaffirmed the nation’s vaccine supply and provided additional capability to manage booster timing requirements if recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.
“These additional doses further expands and strengthens Australia’s vaccine capacity,” Minister Hunt said.
“More than 280 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been secured to support the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.”
“We’ve taken this step on advice from the expert Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group.”

The Australian Government is launching its 10th DonateLife Week today by calling on the country to take just one minute to join The Great Registration Race for DonateLife Week and register as organ and tissue donors.
Launching DonateLife Week today, the Minister responsible for the Australian Government’s national program to increase organ and tissue donation, Dr David Gillespie, said there are around 13 million Australians aged 16+ who are eligible to register as organ and tissue donors – but haven’t. People aged 25 and under, those born overseas, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are least likely to be registered.
“Having spent the majority of my career as a doctor, organ donation is a topic close to many clinicians’ hearts, including mine,” Minister Gillespie said.
“We know most Australians actually support organ and tissue donation, in fact, a recent poll of 60,000 Australians showed 4 out of 5 say they’d be willing to donate their organs when they die.
“So the problem isn’t that Australians are against organ and tissue donation – it’s that they’re not sure if they’re eligible to register, don’t know how to or simply haven’t got around to it.”
Last year saw a 12 per cent reduction in the number of people receiving a transplant, a 16 per cent decrease in organ donors and a 16 per cent drop in registrations due to the impact of COVID-19.
“With around 1,800 Australians on the organ transplant waitlist, including almost 40 kids and teens aged 18 and under, the demand for donors has never been greater,” Minister Gillespie said.
“I encourage every Australian to take a minute of their time and get online this DonateLife Week and register, and just as important – tell their family they want to be a donor.
“Any Australian aged 16 and over can sign up online. It doesn’t matter how old you are, your medical history, your lifestyle, what country you’re from or how healthy you are – you can still register as an organ and tissue donor.
“Don’t rule yourself out even if you think you’ve lived an unhealthy life or have suffered illness; let doctors make that decision if the time comes.
“Even if you are unable to donate your organs, you could still transform the lives of others by donating tissue, such as bone, skin or corneas which could help someone suffering burns, significant sporting injuries or facing blindness.”
The Great Registration Race for DonateLife Week runs through July and August with a big push from today for DonateLife Week, encouraging up to 100,000 more Australians to get their phone and Medicare card out to register and get involved.
“Imagine the hope this can bring to these 1,800 Australians waiting for a life-saving transplant if they see 100,000 people register as donors? This really could save and transform lives.”
DonateLife Week is the Australian Government’s key public awareness initiative to encourage people to register as organ and tissue donors and to tell their family they want to be a donor.
Registering is easy and only takes one minute at donatelife.gov.au/register

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has backed calls today for greater support for the hard-hit industry:
“The Arts and Entertainment Industry was one of the first to be hit by Covid restrictions early last year and it continues to be pummelled by repeated lockdowns and social distancing requirements.
“Despite being one of the hardest hit industries, the Morrison Government took months to deliver any support and it continues to underdeliver.
“Our artists and entertainers, their crews, the venues they perform and exhibit in, are suffering. Some artists have been lost from the industry entirely.
“In the Festival State – South Australia – we are in the midst of a seven-day lockdown that has closed the doors on our winter events and live music scene, directly impacting artists and entertainers and the industries that rely on them – hospitality and tourism.
“The Arts Industry Council of South Australia has today called for more support for artists and arts workers by lowering the earnings threshold for sole traders and for safety nets for festivals, live performance music and cultural events. The Greens back their call.
“The Greens also again urge Arts Minister Paul Fletcher to implement a federal insurance guarantee for the Arts Industry. Gigs and festivals across the country have been cancelled or postponed and not for the first time. The industry needs to know it is insured for any losses incurred due to snap lockdowns and Covid outbreaks or it will struggle to reschedule events and recover.
“The arts and entertainment industry has given us so much during this crisis, the Morrison Government can and must do so much more to give back to it and ensure it survives and once again thrives when the pandemic is over.”

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has taken another step forward with the Pfizer vaccine being approved for use in children aged 12 to 15 years.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has thoroughly, and independently, assessed the domestic and international evidence before extending its approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to this age group.
Up until now, the Pfizer vaccine had only been approved for use in Australia for people aged 16 years and over.
The TGA’s approval is a very important step in the process.
As with all of our vaccination decisions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will now consider this approval and provide expert advice on which groups of adolescents should be prioritised for the roll out of the vaccine and how and when it should be administered.
ATAGI has been meeting with global experts over recent days to inform their deliberations and expert advice.
The National COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce has been undertaking detailed planning to support the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine for children, following an approval from the TGA and in line with the expert medical advice from ATAGI.
The Australian Government has been consistently following the advice of our medical experts in order to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as quickly, and safely, as possible.

Australia’s biggest thermal coal and LNG customer, Japan, has announced new 2030 targets for their electricity sector, slashing the amount of coal and gas they intend to use, with a 41% cut in thermal coal and 46% cut in gas over the next 10 years.
Given Australia’s high reliance on Japan, these new targets could see the Australian thermal coal industry slashed by almost 20% by 2030, putting the lie to Liberal and Labor’s claims that coal will continue to be mined and exported for decades to come.
The almost halving of gas for electricity by Japan underscores the economic and environmental madness of spending hundreds of millions of public dollars to open up the massive new Beetaloo gas fields, as Labor and Liberal are proposing.
Based on data from the Department of Industry’s Resources and Energy quarterly June 2021 publication:

• Last financial year (2019-20), Australia exported 74.1 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, which was 34.8 percent of Australian thermal coal exports by volume. The previous financial year (2018-19) Australia exported 79.3 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, or 37.8 percent of total thermal coal exports by volume. Over the first three quarters of the current financial year, Australia has exported 56.7 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, or 39.5 percent of thermal coal exports by volume.
• Last financial year (2019-20), Australia exported 30.1 million tonnes of LNG to Japan, which was 38 percent of Australian LNG exports by volume. The previous financial year (2018-19) Australia exported 29.9 million tonnes of LNG to Japan, or 40 percent of total LNG exports by volume.

Japan gets 67% of its thermal coal and 39% of its LNG from Australia.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“When Liberal and Labor say that coal will be mined and exported for decades, they’re lying to voters.
“This year, about 40% of Australia’s gas and thermal coal exports have gone to Japan.
This one decision from Japan alone could end close to 20% of Australia’s thermal coal exports within a decade, and with China and Korea also committing to net-zero emissions, the industry could soon collapse.
“These industries could be over by 2030 as our biggest customers accept the climate science, but Liberal and Labor are giving communities false hope about coal and gas continuing for decades.
“It’s time to face facts and tell workers in Queensland and New South Wales the truth. Coal and gas are now on borrowed time and we need to support workers and communities to transition.”
“The federal government must now massively ramp up investment in manufacturing and green energy in Queensland and NSW to guarantee secure jobs after 2030.
“Liberal and Labor must immediately halt their plans to use public money to open up the massive new Betaloo gas fields in the Northern Territory. Opening up new gas fields isn’t just a climate crime, it’s an economic disaster.
“This is further evidence that 2030 is the main game for the rest of the world. The Liberals’ 2030 target is completely out of step with the science, and Labor doesn’t have one at all. That kind of denial is putting coal and gas workers at risk.
Australian fossil fuel exports

2020 Exports	Thermal Coal (M$) (% of Aust exports)	LNG (M$) (% of Aust exports)
Japan	6,941	15,209
China	2,492	13,006
South Korea	2,145	3,863
Combined Exports	$11,578 (70%)	$32,078 (88%)

Thousands of community pharmacies and additional GPs across Australia will be invited to join the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
This additional workforce will be brought on board to support pharmacies and GPs already delivering COVID-19 vaccines in cities, regional, rural and remote areas, as well as areas with a COVID-19 outbreak.
To date, 118 community pharmacies are currently vaccinating across the country and over 470 community pharmacies will be vaccinating by the end of July 2021.
From Monday, over 3,900 community pharmacies who have expressed interest in joining the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and who have previously been found suitable, will also be invited to participate.
This includes 1,262 suitable community pharmacies from regional, rural and remote areas and 1,668 suitable community pharmacies that have also been identified in metropolitan areas.
Pharmacies who have not yet expressed interest will also be offered the opportunity to participate, as well as any GPs that are not yet participating in the rollout.
Community pharmacy is an essential part of the Australian health care system and pharmacists are highly accessible health care professionals who provide patients with access to vital medicines, health care services and support.
Community pharmacies across Australia have kept their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic to support their patients and will now play a crucial role in vaccinating Australia.
The National COVID Vaccine Taskforce is continuing to work with state and territory Governments to accelerate the vaccination program and ensure the nation has broad coverage of primary care sites across the country who are delivering the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the past week, the Taskforce has been fast tracking the on-boarding of community pharmacies in the Local Government Areas of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool, with 48 pharmacies to commence offering vaccines in these areas by the start of next week.
It is anticipated that pharmacies wishing to administer AstraZeneca vaccines will commence vaccinating from mid-August.
In addition, community pharmacy will also participate in the rollout of the Moderna vaccine from September.
Further information on this pharmacy roll-out will be made available through the Department of Health.

As the need to reestablish a large-scale JobKeeper becomes increasingly obvious, the Greens say the same coalition that dragged the Prime Minister over the line the first time can do it again.
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said:
“13 million people are under lockdown but Scott Morrison is fiddling with makeshift support packages rather than simply reintroducing a previously successful, well-understood JobKeeper scheme.
“The government resisted JobKeeper last year, and we saw Depression-era dole queues. The Greens were the first party to call for wage guarantees, Labor joined us and ultimately the government was dragged kicking and screaming to JobKeeper.
“Cruel austerity is the default for this government and they’re resisting JobKeeper yet again, but without JobKeeper and a lifted JobSeeker people will fall through the cracks and Australia’s success against Covid is at risk.
“When people don’t have adequate support, they are forced into making potentially risky decisions. This was a clear lesson from last year’s Melbourne outbreak.
“JobKeeper and a lifted JobSeeker were needed last year, and they’re needed again now.”
Greens Family and Community Services Spokesperson, Senator Rachel Siewert said: 
“The Morrison Government’s double standards have to stop. People on income support payments who are in lockdown urgently need access to the $600 per week Covid-19 Disaster Payments.”
“I am appalled that this Government is once again leaving unemployed people, students, single parents, disabled people and carers behind.”
“The Government’s decision to stop people on income support payments from accessing the Covid-19 Disaster Payments is adding to the significant amounts of stress people in lockdown are experiencing.”