Category: Australian News

The Government and Labor have again wasted an opportunity to include real estate agents, accountants and lawyers subject to mandatory reporting of money laundering.
“We have been waiting 14 years for this badly needed reform,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“Dirty money is flooding Australia’s property market, helping to push house prices even higher, and making owning a home even more difficult for too many Australians.”
“The Greens’ amendment would have forced the Government to introduce legislation to include real estate agents, accountants and lawyers in the mandatory reporting scheme.”
“Such measures have been introduced in all but six countries around the world and have been promised since 2006.”
“Labor promised this reform before the last election, but they have squibbed it at the first hurdle.”
“This is a huge wasted opportunity to get serious about tackling dirty money in Australia.”
“The Greens’ amendment did not specify how real estate agents, accountants and lawyers should be regulated, just that the government should introduce legislation that would do so.”
“This was so as to give the government scope to design laws to avoid any unintended consequences including jeopardising client legal privilege.”

The Morrison Government will provide $11 million to fast track a new national plan to reduce the number of stillbirths, ensuring families affected get the respectful bereavement care they need.
Tragically, there are six stillbirths each day in Australia. That means suffering and loss for more than 2,000 families every year.
Such loss is particularly hard as mothers and fathers prepare to welcome a new life into their families. A time of joy is replaced with heartbreak.
Despite increasing evidence that many stillbirths can be prevented, there has been little change in the stillbirth rate in Australia over the past two decades.
The Morrison Government’s National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan’s primary goal is to reduce stillbirths by 20 per cent or more over the next five years. The plan has a 10-year timeframe and includes further short, medium and long-term actions.
To change these sobering statistics, over the next four years the Australian Government will provide:

• $4 million to support stillbirth education and awareness initiatives, particularly for groups at higher risk of stillbirth
• $2.1 million to adapt the Safer Baby Bundle program for those priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• $0.5 million to develop new Clinical Care Standards and update existing clinical care guidelines relating to stillbirth
• $0.5 million for data improvement and activities to enable long-term research on stillbirth
• $1.7 million to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Plan
• $1 million for state and territory governments to take immediate steps to increase the uptake of stillbirth autopsies and investigations
• $1 million through a National Health & Medical Research Council grant to Monash University to conduct a trial of a wearable, low-cost device to monitor fetal movements to prevent stillbirths.

The plan was informed by consultation with bereaved parents, new parents, and groups at increased risk of stillbirth, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, migrant, refugee and rural and remote communities.
Further, the plan has been developed in collaboration with state and territory governments, and the hardworking organisations that are helping to reduce stillbirths and provide high quality support for Australian families impacted by stillbirth.
These include the Stillbirth Centre for Research Excellence, Red Nose (including Sands), Still Aware and Stillbirth Foundation Australia.
This work builds on the Morrison Government’s commitment to supporting maternal and perinatal health, which includes an investment of $88.4 million over seven years from 2018‑19 in perinatal services and support.
The Commonwealth will continue to lead work to implement the Plan and looks forward to ongoing collaboration on activities that will ultimately save lives and prevent other families from experiencing this heartbreak.
I am also pleased to announce that the Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer will play a key role in overseeing the implementation of actions that have been agreed under this Plan.
The National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan is available on the Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au/maternity.

The Joint Standing Committee on the Northern Australia Inquiry into Juukan Gorge have today released a multiparty majority interim report with a range of recommendations including that Rio Tinto negotiate a restitution package for the destruction of the Juukan rock shelters with the traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples (PKKP) and ensure full reconstruction of the Junkanoo rock shelters.
“There is multiparty support for strong reforms within the mining industry and state and federal legislation, Senator Siewert said.
Mining companies, State Governments and the Federal Government are on notice. The world is watching. They cannot allow the wanton destruction of First Nations cultural heritage any longer.
This inquiry has laid bare the hypocrisy from mining companies who talk about investing in First Nations communities when they have required Traditional owners to sign gag clauses in agreements with them.
In fact royalties in some cases are having to be spent on lawyers, surveys and administration dealing with mining companies and in worst cases royalties are being withheld from them.
This is not a level playing field. Traditional Owners are negotiating with multinational companies who impose ‘gag’ clauses, which prevent them from taking legal action or voicing their concerns to prevent the destruction of heritage.
It is alarming that many heritage sites have been de-registered since 2011 and we don’t even know where they are or if they are destroyed or if there are plans to destroy them.
The Committee has recommended that Western Australian and Commonwealth governments establish a truth-telling project.
The McGowan Government is missing in action on this, this happened under their watch and under legislation that they well knew to be inadequate.
The Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 made the destruction of the site legal and offered no avenue to protect it even when its archaeological significance had been revealed.
The legal framework for the protection of Aboriginal heritage in Western Australia and at the Federal level is completely inadequate.
In too many cases state and territory governments have a financial interest in facilitating mining and other developments.
Evidence received by the Committee highlights the inadequacy of current Commonwealth protections under both the ATSIHP and the EPBC Act.
This cannot happen again, not in WA not anywhere.
This is an interim report. The committee still has work to do. The committee has strongly recommended an urgent moratorium on the consideration and approval of new section 18 applications until the new legislation is passed, unless it can be established and verified that there is current, verifiable, free, prior and informed consent obtained from Traditional Owners.
The report can be found here.

The Government is using the final Parliamentary sitting week of this year to push through legislation to make the current Cashless Debit Card trial sites permanent and extend the card to the Northern Territory and Cape York to replace the BasicsCard, despite no evidence it works.
“We’ve had 13 years of this discriminatory punitive policy. 13 years of targeting First Nations peoples and those on low incomes with income management, Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens Spokesperson on Family and Community Services said.
Supporting this bill essentially entrenches one of the most paternalistic measures of the Northern Territory Intervention.
This is not a bill for the crossbench to make deals over. This is about vulnerable people’s lives.
People have been subjected to this social experiment for far too long and it’s impacting on their dignity, quality of life, and mental health.
Income management does not meet its stated objectives and is making people’s lives worse.
This card has been imposed on communities without proper consultation and constantly extended on an ad-hoc basis year after year.
We can and should do better.
No card, no deals.

There is now a serious question as to whether the Prime Minister has led Parliament, said Greens Leader, Adam Bandt.
Mr Bandt was today gagged by the Government while seeking to compel the Prime Minister to confirm Australia’s attendance at the UN Climate Ambition Summit. Last week, Adam Bandt asked the PM in question time about Australia’s attendance status and Scott Morrison told the Parliament that he would attend and speak, but reports emerged today that Australia is not invited to this weekend’s UN Climate Ambition Summit.
Labor supported the Liberals’ move to gag the Greens in the Senate when Greens Senate Leader, Larissa Waters, sought to compel an answer from the government.
“First Scott Morrison lied about Kevin Rudd, and now he may have misled Parliament about climate action as well,” Mr Bandt said.
“Last week, the Prime Minister said that he was going to the Climate Ambition Summit and that he’d have a lot to say. Now it looks like his attendance was never confirmed and that he may have misled Parliament.
“You’re only invited to the Climate Ambition Summit if you’re promising to do more and lift your climate ambition. It appears Scott Morrison’s vow to not cheat by using ‘carryover credits’ isn’t enough to earn him an invitation, especially when countries like the UK are bringing plans to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030.
“Today, we moved in the House and the Senate to compel the Prime Minister to outline whether he will be attending, and table any documents he’s received from the event organisers. The government gagged us in the House and Labor voted with the Liberals in the Senate.
“This is embarrassing. Everyone else is going to the party this weekend, Scott Morrison may have failed to score an invite, and instead of admitting it, it seems he’s misleading parliament.
“We need the Prime Minister to fess up: are you speaking at the summit not?”

The Government’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 has today been passed un-amended by the Senate, despite staunch support for substantial amendments from the recycling industry, local governments and NGO’s.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “It beggars belief that we could have once-in-a-generation legislation before us that doesn’t include any measures on reducing single-use plastics or meeting plastic packaging recycling targets.
“This legislation has been called the “recycling and waste reduction bill” but, ironically, it includes no direct measures to reduce plastic packaging waste or give the recycling industry the policy certainty it needs to upgrade and invest our way out of this waste crisis.
“Greens amendments would have done exactly this but they have been rejected by the Senate.
“This will come as a shock and surprise to so many Australians who have been following this debate, hoping for change, expecting that such simple measures would be a no-brainer for our Federal Parliament.
“The PM clearly hasn’t lived up to his promise to the UN last year that he would show global leadership on tackling marine plastic pollution and the waste crisis in Australia.
“The Greens will hold the PM and this government to account and will make this an election issue.
“The community and industry stakeholders want action, not spin.
“The recycling industry has made it clear they want federal laws to make the circular economy work, to create jobs and boost investment – but they didn’t get this from today’s legislation.
“The Greens have the support of Labor who voted for mandatory packaging targets and backed in the recycling industry.
“The plastics crisis can be found in the ice cores of Antarctica, in deep sea trenches and mountain peaks, right through our food chain and in our atmosphere.”

Australians in regional, rural and remote areas now have access to advice and assistance on telecommunications issues, thanks to the Regional Tech Hub launched today by Regional Communications Minister, Mark Coulton MP.
Minister Coulton said the Regional Tech Hub will help rural Australians understand the telecommunications options available to them, decide which option best suits their needs, and resolve problems they experience with their phone and internet connections.
Also attending the launch today at Parliament House were National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President, Fiona Simson and Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO, Teresa Corbin.
The NFF was selected to develop and run the Hub following a tender process earlier this year.  The NFF is working closely with ACCAN to ensure the information provided through the Hub is practical, relevant and easily accessible.
“The Regional Tech Hub delivers on the Government’s commitment to help improve the digital literacy of Australians in regional, rural and remote areas by providing a one-stop source of independent, practical advice,” Minister Coulton said.
“The Federal Coalition is committed to improving digital connectivity and access to the internet for all Australians, and the Regional Tech Hub is an important part of our approach to ensuring people understand all the options available to them, from mobile networks to the NBN Sky Muster Plus.”
NFF President Fiona Simson said the Hub includes an easy-to-use online portal, an enquiry Hotline staffed by tech support experts located in regional Australia, and dedicated social media platforms.
“The Tech Hub builds on the outstanding work pioneered by the volunteer organisation Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia,” Ms Simson said.
The Regional Tech Hub has been funded as part of the Government’s $220 million Stronger Regional Digital Connectivity Program, which was announced in March 2019 in response to the recommendations of the 2018 Regional Telecommunications Review.
The NFF has been contracted to deliver the Tech Hub for an initial 12 months with an option for a further two year extension.
Australians rural areas needing practical advice on their telecommunications options and issues can visit the Regional Tech Hub website at regionaltechhub.org.au or contact the Hub’s hotline on 1300 081 029.

The human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015 is set to be extended by an additional three months.
The human biosecurity emergency declaration ensures the Government has the powers to take any necessary measures to prevent and control COVID-19, and protect the health of all Australians. These powers have been used on a limited basis following expert medical advice.
The emergency period, which has been in place since 18 March 2020, is now set to cease on 17 March 2021.
The recommendation from Government to the Governor General to extend the emergency period was informed by specialist medical and epidemiological advice provided by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.
The AHPPC has advised the international COVID-19 situation continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk. The extension of the emergency period for a further three months is an appropriate response to that risk.
The proposed extension will be considered and formalised by the Governor General this week.
The existing restrictions that sit under this emergency declaration would remain in place to minimise the risk of introducing and spreading COVID-19 in our community. These include:

• Limitations on the movement of cruise vessels.
• Limitations on outbound international travel.
• Restrictions on the operation of retail stores at international airports.

These restrictions are reviewed regularly and take into account the latest expert medical advice. They can be amended or removed at any time based on the expert medical advice.
The Australian Government is working closely with state and territory agencies and the cruise industry, to develop a framework for the staged resumption of cruise ships in a manner that is proportionate to the public health risk.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, said the Greens will move a series of amendments to the government’s industrial relations reforms to outlaw insecure work, by introducing a legal presumption that all employment is permanent and ongoing unless there are compelling, exceptional business reasons to the contrary.
The amendments will also give effect to the Greens’ Fair Work Amendment (Making Australia More Equal) Bill 2018, which extends to gig economy workers the protections available to employees. Given Labor has also recently adopted a similar policy stance, the Greens’ amendments have a good chance of succeeding in the Senate.
“The Greens will move to outlaw insecure work,” Bandt said.
“Insecure work in Australia has got out of control.
“Casual, contract and gig economy workers are all getting a raw deal.
“The Greens will move to change the government’s bill so that every job is permanent and ongoing unless there are exceptional business reasons to the contrary.
“If our amendments pass, then insecure work will become a thing of the past, and casual, contract and gig economy workers could go to the Fair Work Commission to get their jobs converted to ongoing employment.”
“The government’s IR reforms will entrench the insecure work crisis, rather than address it, so the Greens will bring on amendments to ensure that every worker gets the rights they deserve.
“The recent deaths of five delivery riders has highlighted the lack of protections and entitlements for gig economy workers. The Greens’ will move amendments that will also give the Fair Work Commission the power to extend minimum wages, terms and conditions from the Fair Work Act 2009, modern awards or enterprise agreements to gig economy workers.”
“We’re also deeply concerned that the Attorney General, the highest law officer in the country, is undermining the Federal Court’s decision on casual workers and is working with big business to not only reverse the hard-fought win for casual workers rights, but is introducing legislation to prevent any future court ruling from providing full compensation to casual workers,” Bandt said.

The Australian Greens have warned that the government’s climate inaction is pouring fuel on fires incinerating our country’s iconic animals, landscapes, and flora, amid news that tens of thousands of koalas died during last season’s bushfires, and as an uncontrolled bushfire tears through an untouched world heritage rainforest.
Greens Environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will this week move a ‘Save the Koala Bill’ to protect the habitat of Australia’s most iconic tree-hugger, in a bid to stave off extinction.
“Today Australia is watching one of our national treasures burn. The Fraser Island fire comes on the back of record-breaking temperatures and is a further harbinger of the climate emergency that we face,” Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said.
“Scott Morrison should be ashamed of the coal-fuelled destruction being wreaked on his watch. While the nation was burning last year he left for Hawaii, and now that it’s happening again, the best he can do is vow not to cheat on his climate commitments.
“In just five days Australia will have to front up to a UN hosted climate summit demanding greater ambition to reduce emissions. While other nations are doubling and tripling their ambition, all Scott Morrison is vowing is not to cook the books, and our nation’s precious wildlife is paying the price for his inaction.
“This constant cycle of destruction will become the norm unless Scott Morrison stops dragging his feet on climate action. If we don’t want to have billions of our animals burnt every summer, we need to rapidly transition off coal, oil and gas,” Bandt said.
Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The Greens will this week move to introduce a Save the Koala Bill to prevent further decimation of precious habitat and to help ensure our wildlife have a place to call home.
“The Bill will legislate a moratorium on clearing of critical koala habitat which is absolutely vital to saving the species.
“After the devastation of the 2019-20 climate fires which burnt through 12 million hectares of primarily forest and woodland, the Morrison Government should not be approving any further land clearing.
“The WWF report released today confirms our worst fears about the incomprehensible number of wildlife killed in the 2019-20 climate fires.
“Included in the three billion native species impacted by the fires is more than 60,000 koalas, with some of the worst losses on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
“In NSW where koalas will be extinct by 2050 without urgent action to save them, 8,000 of our iconic species were killed or injured.
“Fires are now already burning across the country, including on Fraser Island a World Heritage Site.
“We are facing another devastating summer for our environment and wildlife, yet the Environment Minister is nowhere to be seen.
“The Minister is missing in action. Where is she? What is the plan for protecting our wildlife this summer?”