Category: Australian News

Almost nine out of ten visits to the GP across Australia over the year to September were provided at no cost to the patient.
For GP services, the bulk-billing rate for the 12 months to September 2020 was 88.7 per cent. This was 2.6 percentage points higher than over the previous year.
In total, Medicare services increased to 433.3 million with total benefits reaching $25.3 billion.
Today’s figures show the Morrison Government’s rapid response to the pandemic allowed Australians to access the health care they needed, despite the challenges of COVID-19.
Temporary changes to Medicare introduced in response to the pandemic contributed to high bulk billing, while also reducing the risk of spreading the disease in the community.
The Government mandated GP telehealth services be bulk billed for vulnerable patients. The Government also temporarily doubled its bulk billing incentive payments to GPs, and expanded the types of services eligible for the incentive payments.
By the end of September, Medicare had paid benefits for 2.5 million COVID-19 video consultations and 30.4 million COVID-19 phone consultations provided by GPs, specialists and allied health professionals.
The temporary telehealth items represented 16.7 per cent of GP consultations and 7.6 per cent of all Medicare services over the year to September. In total, 26.6 million GP consultations were provided via phone and 814,068 via video over the year.
The temporary telehealth items played a critical role in the Government’s response to COVID-19. They allowed patients to access essential health care while minimising the risk of community transmission of the virus.
The Morrison Government has a rock solid commitment to Medicare as the foundation of our world-class health system. I intend for telehealth to be a positive legacy of this crisis and continue to work on a long-term plan, in consultation with the medical community.

The National Cabinet has held its 32nd meeting today, in Canberra.
At the final meeting of the year, leaders discussed Australia’s economic recovery, the COVID-19 response, the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, the Framework for National Reopening by Christmas, helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment and measures to get the economy moving again.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
National Cabinet received a detailed briefing on the labour market by the Commonwealth Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy and National Skills Commissioner Adam Boyton. Leaders also noted progress on the successful rollout of the JobTrainer program for over 300,000 free or low-cost training positions across the country.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the latest epidemiological data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been more than 28,000 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 908 people have died. There are now around 50 active cases in Australia, all in hotel quarantine. Over the past week there has been no cases of community transmission in Australia. More than 10 million tests have been undertaken across the country.
Australia has done well on both the health and economic fronts compared to most countries around the world. National Cabinet noted the significant increase in COVID-19 cases in many countries and the comparative strength of Australia’s effort in addressing COVID-19 compared to most other developed economies. Globally there have been over 68 million cases and sadly over 1.5 million deaths. Globally, average daily cases have now reached more than 600,000.
National Cabinet welcomed Australia’s achievement of a goal to reopen Australia by Christmas under a three-step framework agreed by all states, except Western Australia. All states are on track to successfully reopen state borders by Christmas, subject to health precautions.
National Cabinet again discussed the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth, states and territories in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines. It is vital that Australians have public confidence in vaccination and its roll out. The roll out plans will continue with a partnership between the Commonwealth and States and territories under the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
National Cabinet welcomed the extension of vaccine purchasing arrangements with AstraZeneca and Novavax, which bolster arrangements with both vaccine suppliers and support Australia’s diversified portfolio of vaccines which also include the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine and the COVAX facility.
While vaccines are being developed, and treatments for COVID-19 are being improved, an important means to continue to bring about a return to normal economic and community activity is rapid testing, contact tracing, isolation and outbreak management. These measures back up the ongoing need for COVID-safe behaviours such as social distancing and good hygiene.
Infrastructure Australia
National Cabinet agreed that Infrastructure Australia will now evaluate project proposals which require more than $250 million in Commonwealth funding, an increase from the existing threshold of $100 million.
The increase will better focus Infrastructure Australia‘s business case evaluation process on the key projects that will help rebuild our economy and support jobs into the future.
All states and territories have advocated for the increase and it is supported by Infrastructure Australia.
The increase will be reflected in an updated Statement of Expectations to be issued by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Development, and will take effect from 1 January 2021.
Streamlining Approvals
National Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to implement ‘single touch’ environmental approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) to speed up projects, support economic recovery and create jobs.
Leaders agreed the immediate priority was to pass legislation streamlining approval processes and to develop national environmental standards reflecting the current requirements of the EPBC Act.
Subsequent phases of reform will build on these streamlining efforts and address any further changes and improvements, including to environmental standards, taking into account the recommendations of the independent review led by Professor Graeme Samuel AC.
Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registration
All jurisdictions signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registrations, with the exception of the ACT. The Agreement, which will be subject to revision following consultation and to reflect the legislation agreed by the signatories, will ensure that licenced workers will not bear additional costs to perform the same activities in those jurisdictions and makes it easier to do business across state and territory borders. The ACT will continue to work towards finalising arrangements, with the aim of signing the Intergovernmental Agreement shortly.
Seasonal Workers
National Cabinet acknowledged the importance of Australia’s agricultural sector having sufficient workforce to harvest what is a bumper season across the country. It was agreed that bilateral arrangements will be established between the Commonwealth and jurisdictions based on each jurisdiction’s health protocols for Pacific workers. As a next step, jurisdictions will write to the Commonwealth outlining their health protocols (including for example, on-farm quarantine arrangements similar to the Queensland model, requirements for workers to remain in the jurisdiction etc). The Commonwealth will then be able to facilitate visas for workers under the Seasonal Worker Programme and the Pacific Labour Scheme based on these bilateral arrangements.
International border arrangements
Quarantine arrangements are an essential part of Australia’s response to COVID-19. Existing quarantine arrangements will continue to prioritise returning Australians. Other groups including international students and skilled migrants will be further considered by National Cabinet in February 2021 subject to the health and safety advice.
National Cabinet agreed that the Commonwealth and NSW will work to strengthen standards regarding quarantine and testing arrangements for international air crew and noted an additional compliance requirement being put in place for incoming diplomats.
Priorities for 2021
National Cabinet discussed priorities for 2021 to support Australia’s COVID-19 recovery. Priorities tasked to the Council on Federal Financial Relations and the National Cabinet Reform Committees include:
Delivering the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement;
Delivering a new National Skills Agreement to improve vocational education and training;
Expediting infrastructure projects to support job creation;
Ensuring more affordable and reliable energy, including progressing National Electricity Market and gas-market reforms;
Promoting economic growth and job creation in rural and regional Australia.
National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 5 February, 2021.

On the basis of scientific advice, the Australian Government has secured an additional 20 million doses of the promising AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, strengthening Australia’s position for whole-of-population vaccination.
This will mean a total delivery of 53.8 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses in 2021, covering the whole of population requirements.
The extra 20 million doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine will be produced within Australia by CSL.
Our advice remains that Australia remains on track for first vaccinations in March, and completion of whole of population in 2021.
In addition, a further 11 million doses of the Novavax vaccine will be purchased, bringing the total for this vaccine to 51 million. This provides an additional whole-of-population vaccine for Australia if proven safe and effective.
A purchasing agreement is also in place for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with 10 million doses scheduled for early 2021.
The Australian Government is also part of the international COVAX Facility which allows the purchases of over 25 million doses of a range of other potential vaccines.
Investment in the portfolio of vaccines is based on advice from the expert Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group (SITAG), which is continually monitoring and assessing each of the vaccines to ensure that Australia remains well prepared for the roll-out when the regulatory health and safety approvals have been granted.
As a result of further medical advice to the Australian Government, the University of Queensland’s research into a possible COVID-19 vaccine which has undergone phase one clinical trials will not be proceeding to phase three.
As part of all clinical trials, assessments are made before expanding to the next phase of research.
This decision is based on how the vaccine interacts with a testing system and has not been based on the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine candidate.
The evidence from the University of Queensland’s phase one clinical trials shows the vaccine to be safe – and that it produces a strong immune response able to neutralise the COVID-19 virus.
This is something the University of Queensland researchers should be very proud of.
Further work is required to address the discrepancies occurring in test results due to the construction of the vaccine.
Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic remains the envy of the world – and we are making decisions, based on best medical advice, about vaccines, in our national interest.
We have deliberately not put all of our eggs in the one vaccine basket.
Our Government has strong confidence a COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be available to Australians from as early as next March and that we can achieve our goal of providing a vaccine to all Australians who seek to be vaccinated before the end of 2021.
The University of Queensland utilised a “molecular clamp” vaccines design based on a highly promising technological platform, and has the potential be used to vaccinate against a number of potential viruses.
As part of the vaccine’s design, the university’s researchers included a small fragment of a protein taken from the HIV virus, known as glycoprotein 41 (gp41). This has been used to create a “molecular clamp” to hold the vaccine’s synthetic virus in place.
Although the university’s researchers have confirmed the protein fragment poses absolutely no health risk to people who have taken the vaccine, they have identified a partial antibody response to it among trial participants.
This has the potential to interfere with some HIV screening tests that look for these antibodies – leading to a false positive test result.
It is this impact on HIV screening – and in the context of other promising vaccine candidates becoming available – that has led to the Government’s decision. The decision was based on the unanimous advice of SITAG.
Importantly, pathology testing that directly looks for the HIV virus has confirmed negative results for the trial participants who have taken the vaccine.
Participants were informed the protein formed part of the vaccine before they consented to taking part in the trial – and HIV screening tests were carried out before and after vaccination.
Participants will continue to be monitored to establish if the antibody response to the protein decreases over time.
The Government will continue to support UQ is in its ongoing research due to this new platform providing such a promising breakthrough in vaccinations.

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.