Category: Australian News

NSW Parliament has launched an inquiry into indoor air quality, looking at its impact on our health, productivity, work health and safety, and equity of access to public spaces.

The Chair of the inquiry, Dr Amanda Cohn MLC, said that indoor air is not regulated, unlike outdoor air, despite Australians spending about 90% of their time indoors.

“There are many spaces at risk of poor air quality due to lack of regulation, such as classrooms, offices, medical centres and public buildings, such as libraries and museums,” Dr Cohn said.

“We would like to hear from groups and individuals who have insights into the impact of poor indoor air quality. We’re interested in lived experience, expert evidence and organisational submissions.”

According to a report released this month by the Australian Academy of Science, exposure to indoor air pollution affects respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive and mental health.

“The quality of indoor air has a big impact on our health, including the spread of airborne illnesses like COVID-19, measles, whooping cough and influenza,” said Dr Cohn.

“Research has linked poor indoor air quality to increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Poor air also exacerbates existing conditions, such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Dr Cohn said.

“We’re keen to learn about potential solutions to improve indoor air quality in a range of buildings including schools, health services and public buildings,” Dr Cohn said.

Find out more and make a submission online by 29 January 2026.

More than 3 million Australians will have their student debt cut by 20 per cent by the end of next week, wiping almost $16 billion in total.

Today alone, more than 1.5 million Australians will see their student debts cut by 20 per cent. That’s around half of all people with a student debt.

It continues the ATO’s roll out of the Albanese Labor Government’s cut to student debt.

For someone with the average HELP debt of $27,600 this will see around $5,520 wiped from their debt.

Backdated to 1 June 2025 before the last indexation, it will reduce the burden for Australians with a student debt – including HELP, VET Student Loans, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans, Student Startup Loans, and other student loans.

Australians do not need to do anything to receive the one-off reduction, it will happen automatically. 

In addition to cutting student debt by 20 per cent, we have also raised the minimum amount people earn before they have to start making repayments from $54,435 to $67,000. We have also reduced minimum repayments.

For someone earning $70,000 it has reduced the minimum repayments they have to make by $1,300 a year.

This builds on our reforms to fix the indexation formula, which has already cut more than $3 billion in student debt.

This means all up, the Albanese Labor Government is cutting close to $20 billion in student debt for more than three million Australians.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“This is another way my Government is continuing to deliver cost of living relief to Australians.

“Our Government promised to cut student debt, it was the first thing we did after the election in Parliament, and now we’re rolling it out.

“Getting an education shouldn’t mean a lifetime of debt.

“No matter where you live or how much your parents earn, my Government will work to ensure the doors of opportunity are open for you.”

Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“We promised it, Australia voted for it, and now it’s happening.

“This is the biggest cut to student debt in Australian history.

“It means millions of young Australians will have thousands of dollars taken off their back.”

Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles:  

“We want Australians to get the skills they want, for the jobs our country needs.

“The student debt cut means students and apprentices will have more money in their pocket and less stress to pursue qualifications for their future.

“Students and apprentices have told me time and time again about how big a difference this will make in their lives.”

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino:

“The ATO is rolling out the biggest cut to student debt in Australia’s history.

“It means billions wiped from the debts of young people when they need it.

“This will make a big difference as they get started in their lives.”

The Albanese Government’s landmark environmental law reforms will pass the Parliament this week, heralding a new era for the environment and productivity in Australia.

More than five years after Professor Graeme Samuel handed down his independent review into the nation’s 25-year-old environmental laws, the Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bill will be passed with the support of the Greens in the Senate.

The Bill will amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, providing a balanced set of reforms that not only protect the environment for future generations but also deliver for business and the community by helping speed up decision-making for projects in key areas of national priority like housing, renewable energy and critical minerals.

Key environmental measures in the Government’s amended Bill:

• For the first time, Australia will have a National Environment Protection Agency (EPA) – a strong, independent regulator with a clear focus on ensuring better compliance with and stronger enforcement of Australia’s new environmental laws.
• In another first, Australia will have National Environmental Standards, to ensure clear, strong guidelines to protect the environment.
• Higher penalties for the most significant breaches of environmental law, as well as environment protection orders for use in urgent circumstances to prevent and respond to major contraventions of the law.
• Removing and sunsetting the exemption from the EPBC Act for high-risk land clearing and regional forest agreements, so that they comply with the same rules and standards as other industries.
• Requiring proponents of large emitting projects to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and their emission reduction plans.
• Maintaining federal approval of “water trigger” coal and gas projects.

Key measures to speed up decision-making for business and the community:

• A new Streamlined Assessment Pathway, to significantly reduce the timeframe for proponents who provide sufficient information upfront, providing incentive to meet the standards upfront. This will deliver faster decisions, saving businesses time and money.
• New and improved bilateral agreements with states to remove duplication for the assessment and approval of projects.
• Regional planning, to deliver ‘go’ and ‘no go’ zones, delivering greater certainty to business, and future planning at a landscape scale, rather than project-by-project assessment.
• Clarifying definitions of “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain” for the environment and restraining the operation of Environmental Protection Orders.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese

“Everyone agrees that the laws as they stand are broken and need to be reformed.

“Getting these laws passed is vital to protect our environment and to boost productivity in our economy.

“These reforms will help us meet our national priorities of building more homes, rolling out more renewables and accessing more critical minerals. They are also crucial to our Future Made in Australia agenda.”

Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt

“This is a landmark day for the environment in our country.

“These reforms will deliver tangible benefits for the environment and protect what is precious.

“But these reforms will also be a power surge of productivity for our economy, cutting approval times for key projects and injecting up to $7 billion into the economy.”

The Australian Government will invest a further $25 million over five years to strengthen frontline services in the Pacific as part our ongoing commitment to end gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence impacts two out of three Pacific women – more than double the global average, with lasting effects including injuries, disability, unwanted pregnancies, disease and lost productivity.

Pacific Strong: Amplifying Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls (PAVE) is a five-year initiative to expand and strengthen essential response services to support survivors of gender-based violence.

PAVE will partner with 11 crisis centres across 9 Pacific island countries in the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong:

“Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we reaffirm that every woman and girl in our region has the right to live free from fear and violence.

“Violence against women and girls undermines communities, economies and long-term security. By strengthening frontline services through PAVE, Australia is helping build safer families and more resilient societies across our region.

“This investment reflects our commitment to Pacific-led solutions and shows that supporting women’s safety is not only the right thing to do, but in Australia’s national interest.”

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy:

“The additional investment from Australia will provide support to survivors of violence and reflects our commitment to end gender-based violence and create safer environments for all.

“Australia stands firmly with the Pacific in efforts to prevent violence against women and girls and we will continue to join Pacific voices on the issues that matter most to our region.

International Development Minister Anne Aly:

“All women and girls, no matter where they live, should be able to live life free from gender-based violence.”

“No one should live in fear or in violence, which is why we’re investing in Pacific-led programs to strengthen response services that support survivors of gender-based violence.”

Assistant Pacific Island Affairs Minister Nita Green:

“Australia’s increased investment in survivor services and prevention underpins our commitment to safer, healthier communities at home and across the Pacific – changing lives for the better.

“Addressing the disproportionately high rates of gender-based violence requires a concerted, comprehensive and long-term effort and investment”.

The Victorian Greens are calling on the government to urgently intervene after the Cotality report shows that housing is more unaffordable than ever. 
The report found it will take 11.7 years to save for a house in Melbourne. While median households are spending over 30% on rent which puts them into housing stress. 

It comes just a day after the Rental Affordability Index reported regional Victoria has become even less affordable over the past year, while Melbourne remains at record-low levels of affordability.

The Victorian Greens warn without urgent intervention to control how much rents can go up, this will only get worse. 

Victorian Greens Renting and Housing spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“The Allan Labor Government has their head in the sand as renters and aspiring first home buyers suffer.

“Yesterday’s Rental Affordability index proves that rent controls work, ACT is the only place with rent controls in the country, and it’s the only place with rent controls. If the Allan Labor Government were serious about supporting renters, they should be taking notes.

“How can renters even start to put together a savings plan when they are being smashed by rents across the state with no reprieve in sight – it’s time the Allan Labor Government comes to the table when it comes to rent controls.” 

Today in the Senate, Senator Mehreen Faruqi will introduce the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes & End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill.

The Bill reverses the punitive fee hikes introduced by the Morrison government’s disastrous job-ready graduates (JRG) package. It undoes the fee hikes for units of study in law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, society and culture, and communications, and reverts them to what those amounts would have been on 1 January 2026, taking into account indexation, if the job-ready graduates bill had not commenced.

The effect of this Bill would be to halve the cost of an arts degree, bringing the cost from $52,197 to $24,492 in 2026.

In opposition, Labor called job-ready graduates “inequitable, perverse, and punitive.” In government, they have now had over three years to remedy skyrocketing university fees that the entire sector knows is a disaster yet they have done nothing. The government’s own Universities Accord concluded that JRG required “urgent remediation” and even Labor backbenchers have been calling for action. Earlier this year, more than 100 well-known Australians — authors, academics, historians, and public figures — signed an open letter calling on Labor to abolish the JRG scheme.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Greens and spokesperson for Higher Education:

“Everyone knows JRG fee hikes need to go, and now Labor has an opportunity to support our bill and end the Morrison government’s policy disaster, which has punished students for too long.

“The reversal of the cruel, unfair, and downright absurd job-ready graduates fee hikes is long overdue.

“The quiet tragedy of Job-Ready Graduates is not just the people crushed by debt, but the people who never enrol at all.

“University staff, students and the wider community are unanimous in their calls to reverse the punitive JRG fee hikes, but Labor has continued to sit on their hands. Well, no more kicking the can down the road, Labor can support this bill and halve the cost of Arts degrees.

“It is getting harder and harder for young people to get an education, as they face the cascading impacts of the housing and cost of living crisis, on top of growing student debt. Students shouldn’t be buried under a mountain of debt and punished just to study what they love.

“At the end of the day, education is a public good that should be free, fully-funded, and accessible to all.”

A dramatic increase in calls to 1800 RESPECT from Australians seeking help with domestic violence shows the urgent need to raise rates of income support and lift Australians out of poverty.

Leaving a violent relationship requires financial security, and we cannot end violence against women without addressing poverty.

As Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody has said: “Raising JobSeeker and related payments to liveable levels in the federal budget would help lift about half a million women out of poverty. Bolstering women’s economic security is crucial to giving them the means to leave and remain free of violence.”

The Greens welcome the increase in funding to 1800 RESPECT and have called for more, noting that current federal funding calls from the women’s safety sector for $1 billion annually in funding are not being met, leaving frontline family and domestic violence services with no choice but to turn away victims and survivors.

Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens Spokesperson for Social Services:

“It’s no coincidence that demand for domestic violence services is rising at the same time as rates of poverty in this country. It’s very difficult to leave a violent relationship, to support young children, and to recover and rebuild your life if you don’t have economic security.”

“One in seven Australians are now living in poverty, up from one in eight just four years ago.”

“We will never end violence against women while dismal rates of JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and other payments are trapping people in poverty and denying women the power to leave violent relationships.”

“Is it any wonder many women feel trapped in abusive relationships when less than 1% of all rental properties are affordable for a person on income support?”

“Victims and survivors of domestic violence are being turned away from frontline services because demand for those services keeps growing.”

“At least 43 women have lost their lives already this year to family and domestic violence, and if Labor wants to stop that number from rising the first task is to make sure no woman is ever forced to choose between poverty and family violence.”

I want to thank Brad Battin for his tireless work for the Liberal Party in Victoria. Brad has always put his community first and is an important contributor to the team.

I also want to congratulate Jess Wilson on her election as Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party. Jess represents a fresh, next generation approach at a time when Victoria needs it most. After years of a tired and out of touch Labor Government, families are facing rising debt, growing crime and a health system that is stretched to breaking point.

Jess and I will work together to build a stronger Liberal team across the country and offer Victorians the real alternative they are looking for.

Pauline Hanson has made it clear she is not worried about her one-week suspension from the Senate, standing firm on her beliefs despite backlash from all sides of politics. The transcript shows Hanson completely unfazed, refusing to bow to political pressure or attempts to silence her.

Hanson was suspended for seven sitting days after entering Parliament wearing a burqa  a move she says highlights serious concerns about women’s rights and national security. While Labor, Liberal, and Greens senators condemned her and voted for a censure motion, Hanson didn’t flinch.

Her comments reflect a broader sentiment across the country: Australians are tired of politicians who refuse to confront tough issues. Hanson’s defiance — even in the face of suspension shows exactly why One Nation continues to gain support.

The transcript also notes Hanson’s strategic engagement with Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, fuelling speculation he could defect to One Nation another sign that the major parties may be losing control of their own ranks.

For Pauline Hanson, the suspension is meaningless compared to the responsibility she feels to speak for everyday Australians. She has made it clear that no ban, censure, or criticism will silence her fight for transparency, security, and the rights of all Australians.

One Nation’s message is stronger than ever:
When Parliament tries to silence Pauline Hanson, she speaks even louder  and Australians are listening.

Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd AO, together with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has issued a joint statement reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of vaccines used in Australia.

Vaccines remain one of the most effective ways to protect individuals and communities from serious illness. The statement confirms that all vaccines approved for use in Australia meet strict safety, quality and efficacy standards set by the TGA.

We encourage all Australians to stay up to date with their vaccinations and to seek advice from their healthcare provider if they have questions about vaccine safety.

Read the full joint statement on the TGA website