Category: Australian News

The Coalition Government will bolster its commitment to protect Australian agriculture and regional communities.
A new $371 million biosecurity package strengthens Australia’s ability to keep out exotic pests and diseases, and improve our ability to fight an outbreak.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government is stepping up efforts to stop threats such as African swine fever, khapra beetle and foot and mouth disease entering Australia.
“Protecting our borders is as much about protecting our livestock, crops and environment from diseases that have the potential to devastate them and the livelihoods they support, as it does the health of Australians during COVID-19 or protecting Australia’s national security,” the Prime Minister said.
“Australia’s biosecurity system protects $42 billion in inbound tourism, $53 billion in agricultural exports and 1.6 million Australian jobs across the supply chain.
“This investment is about building a protective ring around Australia to safeguard our industry as well as the rural and regional communities that depend on it. There will never be zero risk but we are committed to reducing the risk where possible.
“We need to make sure agriculture continues to play a leading role in our national economic recovery.”
The package comes after a record $888 million investment in biosecurity and export services in 2020-21 and includes:

• $34.6 million for research and improved field tools to better understand how pests and diseases could enter the country, particularly in northern Australia.
• $19.5 million to trial pre-border biosecurity screening technology on inbound and outbound passengers.
• $1.5 million to review current systems and bust congestion for importers.
• $96.8 million for the offshore treatment provider assurance program, and data and technology advancements to rapidly identify containers for intervention.
• $25.5 million for modern technologies to improve the speed and accuracy of pest and disease identification at the border.
• $28.7 million to expand the Maritime Arrivals and Reporting System to include reporting on international aircraft and non-commercial maritime vessels.
• $31.2 million to improve management of biosecurity risks associated with incoming international mail, by automating workflow, modernising risk assessment capability and using 3D X-ray technology.
• $58.6 million to continue and expand the 2019-20 investment in preventing African swine fever (ASF) from entering Australia through: increasing frontline screening activities for ASF; supporting assets and tools to detect porcine products; and capability building exercises in Australia and neighbouring countries to improve detection of and response to ASF outbreaks.
• $67.4 million to support Australia’s biosecurity preparedness and response capabilities, including delivery of a national scale preparedness exercise to stress-test the biosecurity system; building and maintaining a national surveillance information system on the national animal sector; operational diagnostic equipment for testing and molecular diagnostics; and epidemiological and economic modelling to support surveillance prioritisation.
• $3.9 million to increase community and business biosecurity awareness through targeted awareness campaigns focusing on significant biosecurity threats such as hitchhiker pests, developing education and communication materials, and conducting social and market research; and
• $3.2 million, already announced, to trial new industry arrangements that aim to reduce red tape and biosecurity regulatory costs for importers and agricultural businesses.

Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said the package is comprehensive.
“It complements the reforms we are implementing across our biosecurity system, to make it modern, efficient and keep Australians safe,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Those reforms include investment and business improvements to address recommendations made by the independent Inspector-General of Biosecurity, including efforts to manage the unique public health risk posed by passengers and crew on arriving international vessels.
“We are investing in technical solutions to keep biosecurity threats out of Australia, including through new screening technologies for people and goods at the border.
“We will fund a series of ground-breaking trials to screen for biosecurity risks offshore and continue the development of modern, innovative detection systems.
“We are investing in better management of hitchhiker pest risk before they reach Australia, through expanding offshore management of risks and strengthened border interventions of shipping containers, while ensuring the safe, efficient clearance of low-risk commodities.
“Building community and industry awareness of our biosecurity system is also essential to ensuring the effectiveness of the system.
“This is why we are investing to increase importers’ and individuals’ understanding of their role in the system, including through a new biosecurity brand and targeted biosecurity campaigns.
“This package demonstrates our commitment to our agricultural sector and unique environment.”
Fast facts:

• Recent University of Melbourne Centre for Excellence in Biosecurity Risk Analysis modelling puts the net present value of the biosecurity system at $314 billion over 50 years.
• This means a $30 return on investment for every dollar we spend on biosecurity over the next 50 years.
• The national biosecurity system is a key contributor to our farming systems, the wider economy, our environment and biodiversity, our human health and the social fabric of our country.
• Last year there were over 2.5 million container arrivals into Australia, 19,000 commercial vessel arrivals and 60 million mail items.

Full details of all measures are available at www.awe.gov.au/budget.

The Western Australia economy will be boosted by a $1.3b infrastructure package, with record funding for major new projects to be announced in next week’s Federal Budget.
Key projects to be funded include:

• $347.5 million for METRONET: Hamilton Street-Wharf Street Grade Separations and Elevation of Associated Stations, including Queens Park Station and Cannington Station and an enhanced METRONET Byford Rail Extension project, with new grade separated rail crossing at Armadale Road and an elevated station at Armadale
• $200 million for the Great Eastern Highway Upgrades – Coates Gully, Walgoolan to Southern Cross and Ghooli to Benari
• $160 million for the WA Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements – Package 1
• $112.5 million for the Reid Highway – Altone Road and Daviot Road-Drumpellier Drive – Grade-separated intersections
• $85 million for the Perth Airport Precinct – Northern Access
• $64 million for the Toodyay Road Upgrade – Dryandra to Toodyay
• $55 million for the Mandurah Estuary Bridge Duplication, and
• $31.5 million towards the METRONET High Capacity Signalling project

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said these projects will make WA roads safer and improve public transport, reducing travel times and supporting thousands of jobs across the state.
“From upgrading the Great Eastern Highway and building METRONET, to improving roads and rail lines that are crucial to our grain growers and farmers in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt – these projects will support more than 4,000 direct and indirect jobs across WA,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
“Our record funding commitment is boosting businesses and communities as part of the Government’s National Economic Recovery Plan.
“And of course the landmark GST deal for WA delivered by our Government enables the WA State Government to also deliver on their infrastructure commitments.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the substantial new funding delivered in this year’s Budget was a key plank of the Government’s plan to help Australia bounce back stronger than ever from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this Budget, the Federal Government will continue our strong record of infrastructure delivery as we lay the economic foundations for recovery from the pandemic,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“Since April last year, we have delivered NorthLink WA – Northern and Central Sections, which received $556 million in federal funding. We also partnered with the Western Australian Government to deliver the Great Northern Highway – Muchea to Wubin Upgrade, with a $276 million federal investment.”
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the additional $1.26 billion would ensure WA’s pipeline of infrastructure work will continue, providing an ongoing economic boost.
“We are already embarking on the biggest road and rail investment program our State has ever seen,” he said.
“This program has something for the city and regions, targeting major congestion pinch points in the eastern, northern and southern suburbs which are currently experiencing major population growth.
“With nine METRONET projects under construction, as well as more than 50 major road projects, we’re building the major infrastructure for tomorrow as well as creating the local jobs for today.”
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the Government is driving the delivery of major infrastructure projects across the state, building the economy, creating jobs and providing certainty for business over the long term.
“Importantly, this budget includes significant funding for digital technology investments to support more efficient use of rail and road infrastructure, including METRONET signalling. This builds on the Morrison Government’s existing investment in Intelligent Transport Systems across Perth,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Digital technology is transforming every aspect of modern life including transport, and with these investments Western Australia will be at the forefront.”
Senator for Western Australia Michaelia Cash said in this Budget, the Government was providing funding to better connect regional Western Australia.
“This includes the WA Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements project to better connect our world-class farmers to domestic and international markets,” Senator Cash said.
“Regional WA is the backbone of our State, the powerhouse of our economy, and by backing supply chain improvements, we are supporting them to continue to lead our State’s recovery.”
Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti welcomed today’s major investment by the Commonwealth Government.
“Today’s funding announcement will ensure there is a pipeline of work for industry over the next five to six years,” she said.
“Not only does this mean we have a plan for future works, it also provides industry with certainty, which will encourage and create more local jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities.
“Our Government has been working collaboratively with the Commonwealth to negotiate this funding and we will announce our allocations later this year in the State Budget.”
For more information on investments in Western Australia visit http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au.

Greens leader Adam Bandt will announce the next steps in the Greens campaign to make the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share today, with a Budget push for the Morrison government to force the billionaires and big corporations who profited from JobKeeper to pay it back.
Launching the campaign in his electorate outside a Harvey Norman store in Richmond, Mr Bandt said the Greens would seek to amend the Budget to effectively force the repayment of JobKeeper by billionaires and big corporations, like billionaire Gerry Harvey’s corporation, who received JobKeeper yet paid dividends, executive bonuses or were otherwise profitable.
Mr Bandt will also outline the details of a campaign by Greens supporters to name and shame the billionaires and big corporations who have profited during the pandemic. Flanked by supporters and holding a giant debt collection notice outside the Harvey Norman store, Mr Bandt will say Greens supporters would be serving debt notices online and outside stores and offices of the billionaires and big corporations.
Mr Bandt will write next week to Crossbench Senators and MPs and Labor to ask for their support for the amendments to the Budget.
A Parliamentary Budget Office costing, commissioned by the Greens, shows that 65 of the big corporations that have made excessive profits or paid out executive bonuses during pandemic would return $1.1 billion to the public if effectively forced to return JobKeeper. This is a low estimate of what could be returned, as the government has not disclosed any comprehensive list of excessively profitable companies who received JobKeeper for inclusion in the PBO costing.
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said:
“The Greens will make the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”
“While everyone else was suffering during the pandemic, billionaires and big corporations took government handouts and got even richer.
“If you’re making enough money to buy a private jet or pay executive bonuses, then you can pay back JobKeeper.
“Billionaire Gerry Harvey doesn’t need public handouts. Australians have shoveled money through the front door of Harvey Norman and the government has shoveled public money through the back door. Big corporations like Harvey Norman should be made to pay JobKeeper back.”
“The PBO estimates over $1 billion dollars has gone to just 65 big corporations who then made big profits, paid dividends or gave out executive bonuses, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“It’s not enough to just ask them to pay back JobKeeper, Parliament has to make them do it. Simply appealing to these billionaires’ better nature won’t work, because they don’t have one.”
“The Greens call on every member of Parliament to back our push to force these billionaires and big corporations to pay back JobKeeper.”
“We will be naming and shaming these corporations with debt collection notices in the coming weeks.”
“JobKeeper was a lifeline for many, but for some billionaires it was another ivory back scratcher.
“Liberals and Labor take donations from billionaires and big corporations, but this is their chance to make them pay back the JobKeeper payments they didn’t need.”

Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have been reluctantly dragged to announce a child care policy, after leaving Australian women behind since they were elected.
Disappointingly, the Treasurer has yet again missed an opportunity to fundamentally and permanently reform child care, provide a significant boost to women’s workforce participation and a boost to the economy.
Under Scott Morrison’s proposal, hundreds of thousands of families will miss out on relief compared to Labor’s Cheaper Child Care Plan.
The Government’s child care proposal will only lift the child care subsidy rate for families who have a second or subsequent child under five years old in the system.
By only providing increased subsidies for a second or subsequent child in the system, the announcement will make an already complicated system more complicated, and will cause confusion for families as to whether this reform will leave them any better off.
In comparison, Labor’s Cheaper Child Care Plan lifts the subsidy and smooths the taper rate across the board, regardless of how many children the family has or how old they are – leaving  97 per cent of families – or more than one million families – better off. By assisting 1 million families instead of 250,000, Labor’s child care plan would provide a bigger boost to the economy.
Three quarters of the families benefiting from Labor’s Cheaper Child Care Plan will miss out on any increase in their child care subsidy under the Liberals’ plan.
In addition, the many Australian families struggling under the cost of out of school hours and vacation care will not benefit at all  from the Morrison Government’s lift in subsidy.
Families desperately need immediate relief from soaring child care costs, yet these changes are not even set to come in for over a year.
This is a Government that has been dragged kicking and screaming to any child care reform, after years of calls from Labor, Australian women and families, business leaders, economists and the early learning sector.
Less than a year ago Scott Morrison denied that child care costs were a barrier to workforce participation and boosting the economy.
The Government has failed to recognise families are struggling with the cost of child care now under the system that Scott Morrison designed has completely failed families in less than three years.
ABS data released last week showed out of pocket child care costs are at record highs and are now higher than they were under the previous system
In addition, the Treasurer’s announcement today does nothing to guarantee costs will remain low for families into the future.
The proposal misses an integral part of Labor’s plan, which is for the ACCC to investigate price regulation to ensure all benefit goes into the pockets of families.
Today’s announcement also neglects Labor’s clear ambition to move to a universal 90 percent subsidy, which would deliver long-term, meaningful reform.
Labor’s Cheaper Child Care Plan is a carefully considered, researched and widely endorsed policy that will benefit almost 100 per cent of Australian families in the system.
Even the Business Council of Australia proposed a policy almost identical to Labor’s last week due to the anticipated benefit for our economy.
The Morrison Government should have set their pride aside and adopted Labor’s policy, rather than this rushed and half-hearted attempt at child care reform.

Australian parents continue to show their confidence in vaccinations, with record rates of childhood immunisations in the first quarter of 2021.
For the fourth consecutive quarter, the coverage rate for five year olds has increased to a historic 95.22 per cent.
This surpasses our national aspiration of 95 per cent, and gives Australia the herd immunity needed to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
It is also well above the estimated World Health Organization international average immunisation coverage rate of 86 per cent for five year olds, making Australia a world leading vaccination nation.
Each year, the Australian Government invests more than $400 million in the National Immunisation Program.
The Childhood Immunisation Education Campaign contributed to the growth in immunisation rates across the country, including in areas where there has been some vaccination hesitancy.
Across Australia, the coverage rate for one year olds has increased to 94.91 per cent for the 12 months to March 2021. Two year old children have a coverage rate of 92.53 per cent.
The highest coverage rate continues to be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children at five years of age – an impressive 97.26 per cent.
The vaccination rate for two year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children increased to 91.73 per cent, while for one year olds it was 93.70 per cent.
These high childhood coverage rates also reflect the trend of the 2020 influenza season, where more than 17.6 million flu vaccines were made available on the Australian market, including through the National Immunisation Program.
It’s particularly pleasing to see immunisation rates climbing as Australia and the world continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parents continue to show their confidence in the expert medical advice and in Australia’s independent medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, to protect their children.

To cut the cost of living for around a quarter of a million families and to help boost workforce participation, the Morrison Government will make an additional $1.7 billion investment in child care as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
The investment will add up to 300,000 hours of work per week which would allow the equivalent of around 40,000 individuals to work an extra day per week and boost the level of GDP by up to $1.5 billion per year.
The changes deliberately target low and middle income earners with around half the families set to benefit having a household income under $130,000.
Importantly it lowers the structural disincentive to take on an additional day or two of work for many families.
For example, under the Government’s changes, a single parent on $65, 500 with two children in four days of long day care who chooses to work a fifth day will be $71 a week better off compared to the current system.
Under the current arrangements the maximum child care subsidy payable is 85 per cent of child care fees. The level of child care subsidy is also tapered so that those families that earn the least receive the most.
These subsidies apply at the same rate per child, no matter how many children a family may have in child care. As a result, for families with more than one child in care this means that their child care costs double when they have a second child.
Additionally, families with combined incomes above $189,390 face a child care subsidy cap of $10,560 per child per year. As a result, these families start paying full fees towards the end of the year which reduces their incentive to participate in the workforce.
As part of the 2021-22 Budget, and starting on 1 July 2022 the Government will:

• Increase the child care subsidies available to families with more than one child aged five and under in child care, benefitting around 250,000 families
• Remove the $10,560 cap on the Child Care Subsidy, benefitting around 18,000 families

For those families with more than one child in child care, the level of subsidy received will increase by 30 percent to a maximum subsidy of 95 per cent of fees paid for their second and subsequent children.
These changes will ensure half of Australian families will receive a 95 per cent subsidy for their second and subsequent children.
Under these changes, a family earning $110,000 a year will have the subsidy for their second child increase from 72 to 95 per cent, and would be $95 per week better off for four days of care.
A family with three children on $80,000 would have the subsidy increase from 82 to 95 per cent for their second and third child and be $108 per week better off for four days of care.
The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the investment builds on the $10.3 billion the government is already investing in child care this year.
“These changes strengthen our economy and at the same time provide greater choice to parents who want to work an extra day or two a week.”
“This is a targeted and proportionate investment that simultaneously makes child care more affordable, increases workforce participation and boosts the Australian economy by up to $1.5 billion per year.”
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the measures would further ease the cost of child care and encourage workforce participation, particularly for larger families.
“Our child care system provides the most support to those who need it most,” Minister Tudge said.
“These measures will help remove the barriers for parents, particularly mothers, to return to the workforce or to increase their hours, as their family grows.”
The measures build on the Morrison Government’s 2018 Child Care Package which has kept out-of-pocket child care costs low for Australian families.
There are now 280,000 more children using child care than when we came to office
Minister Payne said this significant investment in the Child Care Subsidy would mean there is greater choice for Australian women and men as they balance their family and work responsibilities.
“For women in particular, it opens the door for those choosing to work or to work more, which is critical to their own economic security and a prosperous Australian economy,”
“Increasing the Child Care Subsidy is an important measure that will help reduce the disincentives for women to participate in the workforce to the full extent they choose.”
Minister for Women’s Economic Security Jane Hume said these measures will see more women back in the workforce sooner, helping to further close the pay and participation gaps.
“The measures announced today are specific and targeted; designed to help women who have had a second child return to the workforce so they can continue to progress their own careers and contribute to Australia’s economy.”
BENEFIT FOR FAMILIES WITH TWO CHILDREN IN CHILD CARE FOUR DAYS

Family income	Current out of pocket child care cost per week	Current subsidy	New 2nd child subsidy	Future out of pocket child care cost per week	Total better off per week
$40,000	$124.60	85%	95%	$83.20	$41.60
$80,000	$149.18	82%	95%	$95.39	$53.79
$110,000	$232.38	72%	95%	$136.99	$95.39
$140,000	$315.58	62%	92%	$190.78	$124.80
$180,000	$416.00	50%	80%	$291.20	$124.80

*Based on: average hourly centre-based day care rate of $10.40 per hour for a 10-hour session

Small brewers and distillers will benefit from $255 million in tax relief to support more jobs and investment as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
Under our plan to support jobs in this growing sector, small brewers and distillers will benefit from a tripling of the excise refund cap for small brewers and distillers from $100,000 to $350,000 per year.
From 1 July 2021 eligible brewers and distillers will be able to receive a full remission of any excise they pay, up to an annual cap of $350,000. Currently, eligible brewers and distillers are entitled to a refund of 60 per cent of the excise they pay, up to an annual cap of $100,000.
This will align the benefit available under the Excise Refund Scheme for brewers and distillers with the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) Producer Rebate.
There are around 600 brewers and 400 distillers across Australia, with around two thirds operating in rural and regional areas. The announced changes will allow these brewers and distillers to keep more of what they earn, helping them to invest, grow and support around 15,000 Australians that are currently employed in the sector.
Additional support to brewers and distillers across the country will also serve as much-needed relief for those businesses severely impacted by COVID-19.
Today’s announcement builds on the Morrison Government’s track record of supporting small brewers and distillers including by enabling them to automatically receive excise duty remissions when they lodge excise returns; providing them with record investment incentives; and fast tracking the reduction in the small company tax rate to 25 per cent by 1 July 2021.
The Morrison Government is committed to assisting local manufacturing businesses to grow, create jobs and support Australia’s economic recovery.

Greens MPs today are calling on the Federal Government to step up and redouble its efforts for the people of India and provide much needed assistance as the country battles millions of current cases.
India is currently facing a tragic second wave of COVID19 with a record 349,691 new cases on Sunday and 2,767 deaths. Hospitals are running out of medical supplies including oxygen and basic medicines, there aren’t enough hospital beds or ventilators. Cremation and burial sites are over capacity for the first time in recent memory.
Australia has announced it will send oxygen, ventilators and personal protective equipment to India as part of an immediate support package.
The Australian Government must engage with the Indian diaspora in Australia to continue to assess ongoing needs and ensure relief is comprehensive, sustained and delivered with utmost transparency.
The following list of urgent needs has been provided by Mercy Mission (MM) which is a coalition of NGOs based in Bengaluru that has come together to fight COVID.
1) Liquid Oxygen Cylinders and Jumbo cylinders which can be used by hospitals to increase procurement and use as demand has increased 4 to 5 fold and there is low transport and storage capacity at hospitals. As per reports, there is adequate generation capacity of Oxygen in industries, but the supply chain and transport / storage equipment is inadequate which will help immediately ease the situation.
2) Oxygen Concentrators of capacity 5L to 10L per min, which can be used by individuals in their homes.
3) Oxygen generating plants of sizes of 1KL that can be installed at individual hospitals and related equipment to build/ install the same.
4) Ventilators (invasive and non-invasive) and HFNC (High flow nasal cannula) machines that can be distributed to small hospitals to address critical patients.
5) At this moment, there is a shortage of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab medicines, which are being prescribed by doctors for moderate/ severe patients resulting in high demand.
Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said:
“We in Australia are in the unique situation of having COVID-19 well under control, and we should use this opportunity to help others.
“I’ve worked closely with groups from the Indian diaspora in Australia and they’re so distressed about what’s happening there and are calling on Australia to step up.
 
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge said:
“Australia talks big about the relationship with India when it comes to trade, this needs to extend to providing support when it is so desperately needed.
“In recognition of the risk of the crisis there, the Government has acted to limit arrivals from India but this must be balanced with a hand outstretched to help.
“Our assistance with oxygen, ventilators and medication right now could save thousands of lives, communities here deserve to know we have done what we can,” Mr Shoebridge said.

The Government will implement a temporary pause on travellers from India entering Australian territory if the passenger has been in India within 14 days of the person’s time of departure.
The temporary pause follows today’s meeting of National Cabinet and was based on advice about the worsening COVID-19 situation in India. The pause will come into effect at 12:01 am on Monday, 3 May 2021.
The risk assessment that informed the decision was based on the proportion of overseas travellers in quarantine in Australia who have acquired a COVID-19 infection in India.
Failure to comply with an emergency determination under the Biosecurity Act 2015 may incur a civil penalty of 300 penalty units, five years’ imprisonment, or both.
The temporary pause will be reconsidered on 15 May by the Government following advice from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The CMO will consider the epidemiology in India and likely impacts on Australia’s quarantine capacity, and provide a further expert assessment of the public health risk to Australia to inform a proportionate response.
The Government does not make these decisions lightly. However, it is critical the integrity of the Australian public health and quarantine systems is protected and the number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine facilities is reduced to a manageable level.
India has been reporting more than 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day for the past week. The total number of cases in India is now close to 19 million and more than 200,000 people have died.
Our hearts go out to the people of India – and our Indian-Australian community. The friends and family of those in Australia are in extreme risk. Tragically, many are contracting COVID-19 and many, sadly, are dying every day.
Following consultation with the Indian Government, Australia has agreed to provide emergency medical supplies.
The initial package of support includes more than 1,000 non-invasive ventilators, with capacity to deploy up to a total of 3,000 ventilators.
The Government has offered to supply a significant package of personal protective equipment (PPE), including one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2/N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves and 20,000 face shields.

The Greens say that quarantine will be part of managing the pandemic for the foreseeable future and purpose built facilities should be built now.
“The Western Australian Government needs to urgently close the quarantine hotels that have been identified as high risk and improve other areas of its approach to quarantine. These hotels are not fit for purpose and we cannot go any longer using these sub-par facilities that can result in outbreaks.
“Hotels were never made to be medical facilities. While they may have been an emergency solution, we are now over a year into this pandemic and making the same mistakes over and over again.
“Mr McGowan went to the election on a promise of keeping Western Australians safe. At the moment our safety is in jeopardy if we don’t fix hotel quarantine. This is a state and national responsibility.
“There is no doubt that airborne transmission is playing a role in hotel quarantine outbreaks. The Federal Government must urgently update its own guidelines to recommend minimum ventilation and PPE standards that reflect the scientific evidence.
“It’s not good enough after the outbreak in WA last week that we still don’t have updated guidelines. Nor is it sensible to have Covid positive people near other people in quarantine, they shouldn’t be next door, on the same floor and ideally not in the same hotel.
“Under questioning at the Senate Select Committee into COVID-19 last night, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners confirmed that people over 50 years old who have underlying health conditions, including a history of blood clots, can get AstraZeneca. There is a good body of evidence that there are no underlying health conditions that predispose people to the rare side effect of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome.
“The Commonwealth Government must urgently update its messaging and play a role in addressing vaccine hesitancy, particularly amongst those who are hesitant because of discussions about the risks of blood clot.
“Australia clearly needs a no-fault vaccine compensation scheme to help increase vaccine confidence and secure other vaccine deals. Having such a scheme in place will ensure people don’t need to pursue compensation through the legal system in the rare event of adverse side effects.”