Category: Australian News

The establishment today of the Royal Commission into defence and veteran suicide is welcome news.
Veterans, their families and Labor have been calling for this since 2019.
Since the announcement of the Royal Commission on 19 April 2021, we have called for the Morrison Government to come up with broad and flexible Terms of Reference (ToR), and to ensure the voices of veterans and families are heard.
It is encouraging that the investigation will enquire into systemic issues related to defence and veteran suicides, including the possible contribution of pre-service, transition, separation and post-service issues.
It is concerning, however, that the Government wants to retain its flawed National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention alongside the Royal Commission while the National Commissioner legislation is stalled in the Senate.
Labor, along with many in the veteran community, has said we are open to a permanent body to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission, but only if this is a recommendation.
Further, Labor had called for the Government to appoint Commissioners who are of the right standing and independent from the Australian Defence Force, such as a current or former senior judge, in order to ensure trust and confidence in this process.
We broadly welcome the appointment of former NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas as lead commissioner and former Queensland Supreme Court Judge James Douglas QC and mental health expert Dr Peggy Brown AO as the other two commissioners.
It is disappointing, however, the Government has not consulted Labor on the ToR or the appointment of commissioners, and has failed to appoint any of the eminent individuals recommended by an expert advisory group convened by veteran advocate Julie-Ann Finney.
It is important that this Royal Commission now be a bipartisan issue.

Today the Government has formally established a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide following approval by the Governor-General.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Royal Commission recognised the unique nature of military service, and the ongoing effects on the physical and mental health of members and veterans as a result of their service.
“We recognise the contribution and sacrifice of the men and women who have served our country,” the Prime Minister said.
“The death of any Australian Defence Force member or veteran is a tragedy that is deeply felt by all Australians. As a Government we are committed to addressing the ongoing impact of service, including preventing future deaths by suicide and providing opportunities for healing.”
The inquiry will be led by Mr Nick Kaldas APM, former Deputy Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force, where he commanded around 14,000 staff members and a budget of more than $2 billion. Mr Kaldas also has extensive international experience in law enforcement and peacekeeping, including as Director of Internal Oversight Services for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and as Chief of Investigations for the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria.
Mr Kaldas will be supported by:

• The Hon James Douglas QC, an esteemed former Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and respected member of the legal community, and
• Dr Peggy Brown AO, a consultant psychiatrist and national leader in mental health policy with extensive experience in health and mental health service planning, governance and administration.
• Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Open Arms (current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families are able to seek this free and confidential support) – 1800 011 046
• ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line (for current serving ADF personnel and their families) – 1800 628 036.
• Safe Zone Support (for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families) – 1800 142 072. When you call Safe Zone Support, you do not need to identify yourself if you do not want to.

The Royal Commission will inquire into systemic issues and common themes related to defence and veteran death by suicide, including the possible contribution of pre-service, service, transition, separation and post-service issues, and other matters believed by the Royal Commission to be relevant to its inquiry.
The Royal Commission will be able to inquire into any previous death by suicide, including suspected suicide. It will be conducted independently of Government, including the Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs.
In making recommendations on systemic issues, the Royal Commission will be informed by the individual experiences of defence members, veterans and their families and support networks.
The Royal Commission will conduct its inquiries in a trauma-informed way and private sessions will be available to those who wish to share their story in private.
A legal financial assistance scheme will be available to people called as witnesses to the Royal Commission. An independent legal advisory service, counselling and support services will also be made available to people engaging with the Royal Commission.
The Terms of Reference have been informed by feedback received during an extensive public consultation process and views from states and territories. Over 3,000 submissions were received during the consultation on the themes.
“I thank all those who provided feedback on the themes for the Terms of Reference. Each piece of feedback received during this process was integral in informing the final Terms of Reference,” the Attorney General, Michaelia Cash, said.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee welcomed today’s announcement and said he hoped the Royal Commission became a seminal moment in Australia’s care of veterans and their families.
“The Royal Commission is a crucially important piece of national work that I hope can be a catalyst for positive change in the treatment and care of veterans and their families, both now and for future generations,” Minister Gee said.
“Our country asks so much of the men and women of the ADF and we owe it to them and our veterans to make sure that this Royal Commission and its findings lead to lasting results.”
The National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill, currently before the Parliament, will be amended to ensure that the National Commissioner will complement, and not duplicate, the Royal Commission’s important work. The National Commissioner will be the permanent body responsible for implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations. These landmark measures will together reduce deaths by suicide of defence members and veterans.
The proposed amendments will provide for the commencement of the National Commissioner’s functions and powers following the conclusion of the Royal Commission, or at an earlier point in time if recommended by the Royal Commission.
The Royal Commission is due to provide an interim report on 11 August 2022 and a final report on 15 June 2023.
Further information on the Royal Commission, including the Terms of Reference and information on how to make a submission will be available at https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au
The Australian Government is committed to supporting the health and well-being of those who have served our nation in the defence forces. $11.7 billion in federal funding supports more than 325,000 veterans and their families each year.
If you, or someone you know, need support, you can contact:

The Greens are calling on the Federal Government to commit to funding a pay increase for aged care workers saying the Government should have done this in the recent budget.
The Greens support the Nursing and Midwifery Federation and the Health Services Union push for a 25% increase to aged care workers pay saying current wages are insulting.
“Aged care workers and nurses are doing critical work and paid at frankly insulting rates”, Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“This is a skilled but feminised workforce and you don’t need to take many guesses why this work is so undervalued and underpaid.
“The Royal Commission recommended that the Government and the sector put in applications to the Fair Work Commission to improve wages, the Government need to come to the table and support the application.
“The Government can keep telling us they have ‘put money into aged care’ but $17 billion over 4 years is not enough to fix our broken aged care system.
“The sector needs $10 billion per year.
“The Grattan Institute has estimated we need another 70,000 workers to fix aged care and Deloitte estimated we need another 130,000 direct care workers by 2050 to maintain current staffing levels and we are not going to attract new workers or keep existing workers if they are not paid properly.
“If the Government is serious about fixing aged care, the workforce is at the heart of it and it starts with a desperately needed pay increase.
“Aged Care workers can no longer be seen as collateral damage in this failed system.”

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck will travel to Tokyo as a representative of the Commonwealth ahead of the IOC decision regarding the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
The trip represents an important opportunity across both his portfolios.
“This is an exciting time for Australian sport – securing the 2032 Games for Brisbane and Queensland will ensure Australia’s momentum as a host of international sporting events is maintained for years to come,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We know what this means for sport fans and our aspiring athletes but economically it represents a boost to the tune of billions of dollars and will provide a framework to help the Sunshine State – and the rest of Australia – as we navigate our way out of the pandemic.
“The economic and social benefits is estimated at around $8.1 billion for Queensland and $17.6 billion for Australia.
“The 2032 Games are projected to create some 120,000 jobs for Australia, including 90,000 jobs for Queensland.
“The successful bid will also reinforce the work that has been achieved so far by all bid partners and highlights what can be achieved when all levels of government work together and provide an aspirational target for a generation of young Australians watching the 2020 Games.”
Minister Colbeck said given the challenges faced by our elite athletes over the last two years – showing our support has never been so important.
“This will be an Olympics like we have never seen before.
“Our Olympic and Paralympic athletes are ready to make their mark on the world stage and Australians everywhere are ready to cheer them on.”
In addition to his formal role, Minister Colbeck also plans to meet with his Japanese counterparts in aged care.
This will be a significant opportunity to discuss the strategies of both nations in combating the pandemic across the aged care sector.
The Minister will quarantine as per requirements of all travellers returning to Australia.
He is due to receive his second AstraZeneca vaccination next week.

The Morrison Government is partnering with the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) for an online learning package aimed at helping aged care providers and health professionals prevent, identify, and respond to sexual abuse.
Funded via a $168,000 grant from the Australian Government, OPAN is working with leading researcher Dr Catherine Barrett to develop Abuse of the older person: eLearning program for health professionals.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said it was an important contribution to reinforce the safety of those we care for most.
“Assaults on the elderly – in any form – are deplorable,” Minister Colbeck said.
“These incidents were underlined in the findings of the Royal Commission into Age Care Quality and Safety and the Morrison Government is more determined than ever to ensure those in care are treated with respect and dignity.”
OPAN’s online program, which will consist of 33 online learning modules, will also be aimed at health and allied health workers, such as GPs and optometrists, who may be the only people some senior Australians confide in if they are assaulted.
Dr Barrett will also launch a #ReadyToListen social media campaign to encourage senior Australians and their families to report sexual assault.
Minister Colbeck said the initiative would complement the Government’s $17.7 billion response to the Royal Commission.
“One of the five pillars of our comprehensive response is a $942 million investment in driving systemic improvements to residential quality and safety, and the learning package is certainly consistent with that objective,” Minister Colbeck said.
“I welcome this initiative as a positive step towards building the skills and capacity of aged care providers to better identify, prevent and respond to sexual assault.”
He said the Government’s Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is another key part of providing greater protections to consumers.
SIRS for residential aged care, including flexible care in a residential aged care setting, started on 1 April 2021.
It will be expanded into aged care home services from 1 July, 2022.
Minister Colbeck said the SIRS expands the responsibilities of aged care providers in relation to identifying, recording, managing, resolving and reporting assaults and a broader range of serious incidents in residential aged care.
“Combined with the vital programs implemented by OPAN, we continue to reinforce the protections for older Australians, ensuring peace-of-mind for those receiving care and their families.”

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout takes a major step forward, with more than 500 GPs around Australia set to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from today.
This will enable Australians to access the Pfizer vaccine through their general practice, helping to significantly accelerate the pace of the rollout for younger populations.
This is further supported by 62 Commonwealth Vaccination Clinics (CVCs) and 15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) who will also begin administering Pfizer from this week.
By the end of July, 1,300 GPs will be administering Pfizer vaccines, along with up to 135 CVCs and 130 ACCHS sites.
As more supplies of Pfizer become available, it is expected all 5,100 GPs participating in the vaccine rollout, will have the opportunity to administer the Pfizer vaccine by later this year.
These practices will now offer both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, which will ensure Australians can access both a first and second dose.
Primary Care vaccination sites, including GPs, ACCHS and CVCs and have been the backbone of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, administering more than 4.2 million vaccinations so far. This is more than half of the 8.2 million COVID-19 vaccinations administered in the country to date.
This is an incredible achievement and a true reflection of the commitment of GPs to support their local communities.
This will maximise the impact of the rollout across Australia and ensure better access to the Pfizer vaccine. In the first instance, it will provide additional Pfizer vaccines to regional, rural, and remote areas.
We have seen record numbers of vaccinations across Australia, with more than 875,000 Australians receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in the last week.
I encourage all eligible Australians to come forward and receive their COVID-19 vaccines, which will help protect you, your loved ones and the broader community.
All GPs participating in the vaccination rollout can be found through the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder- https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-checker
Over coming weeks, the finder will have rolling updates to show where people can get the Pfizer vaccine as more GPs start administering it.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said it was outrageous that less than 1 in 5 disabled people, and our support workers, in phase 1a and 1b had been vaccinated, more than 4 months after the rollout begun.
Senator Steele-John said the Morrison government should have made a plan to vaccinate disabled people and disability support workers in April when it was revealed that less than 10 per cent had been vaccinated.
“I’m blown away by the contempt that the Morrison government has shown for disabled people, our families and the people who support us to live a good life since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“Disabled people and carers were denied the COVID supplement back in March 2020 when many people’s costs were significantly increased due to quarantine, lock down and COVID restrictions.
“Then, the disability Royal Commission heard that the Morrison government hadn’t included disabled people in their emergency response plan for COVID-19.
“Here we are, almost a year later, asking the same questions about why disabled people get treated differently to other at-risk members of the community with regards to the vaccine rollout.
“Scott Morrison and the Liberals should be ashamed; vaccinating disabled people and support workers needs to be made an urgent priority now.”

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the appointment of businessman and administrator Grant O’Brien marked a new chapter for the organisation as it continues its vital role raising private funds for the development of sport across the country.
Mr O’Brien has been a member of the ASF Board since October 2020.
He has extensive experience in business management and leadership, including as chief executive and managing director of Woolworths Ltd.
He is also deputy chairman of the Stars Foundation, which aims to empower Indigenous girls and young women, and a founding member and director of Avner Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
He will served in the role for a three year term.
Mr O’Brien said he was looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“Sport is an important part of our Australian culture, and I have experienced first-hand the powerful benefits of participation,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to extend the impact of the Australian Sports Foundation and help raise more funds to increase participation and improve the health and cohesion of our communities.”
Minister Colbeck said Mr O’Brien stepped into the role as the sports sector continues its recovery from the impact of the global pandemic.
“Mr O’Brien has the experience and expertise needed to stimulate philanthropic funding and allow Australia’s sporting sector to recover and thrive,” Minister Colbeck said.
For more than 30 years, it has helped to raise more than $520 million to support athletes, clubs and sporting organisations.
It has funded all sports at all levels and is the only sport fundraising organisation to which donations are tax deductible.
Minister Colbeck also extended his thanks to the outgoing ASF Chairperson, Mark Stockwell.
“During his seven years as chairperson, Mr Stockwell has done a tremendous amount for Australian sport,” he said.
“Under his leadership, the ASF has raised record amounts of funding, rising to an annual total of more than $50 million before the pandemic hit.”

The Morrison Government is helping aged care workers get vaccinated as part of an $11 million grant program.
Applications are now open for aged care providers to apply for the funding following recommendations mandatory vaccinations be introduced.
The program was established in recognition of the individual circumstances of aged care workers now subject to the new requirement.
National Cabinet endorsed the decision of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all residential aged care workers by mid-September 2021, when they are required to have at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant will allow casual residential aged care workers to be paid under the following two categories via their employer:

• A fee of $80 per staff member, per dose, for going off-site for vaccination; and
• Paid sick leave if unwell after vaccination and the staff member has no other leave entitlements – a day’s paid leave (at a rate of $185).

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the grants program is an important measure to help lift COVID-19 vaccination rates.
“It will help residential aged care workers who may need to travel to get vaccinated at the nearest hub, clinic or GP,” Minister Hunt said.
“The grants program will also help those workers who do not have leave entitlements to recover from any minor side effects and who may be concerned about losing wages after being vaccinated.”
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the grants program will also provide financial support for flexible vaccination facilitation costs.
Up to $500 per residential aged care facility will also be available under the grants program to contribute to costs that may be incurred in facilitating access to vaccination for workers.
“This will cover transport services, arranging groups of workers to be vaccinated and/or any other reasonable expenses that support workers to get vaccinated,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Commonwealth will continue to work closely with the aged care sector, including the unions, to ensure support and access to COVID-19 vaccination for all workers in residential aged care.”
Minister Colbeck said ensuring all aged care workers are vaccinated will further protect the residents in their care.
“This is why COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandated for residential aged care workers as a condition of working in an aged care facility through shared state, territory and Commonwealth authorities and compliance measures,” he said.
The Morrison Government contracted vaccine workforce providers to deliver vaccination in-reach clinics to 2566 Commonwealth-subsidised residential aged care facilities for residents and, where additional vaccines were available, workers.
Providers are also now able to vaccinate their own workers on-site.  The request for tender is open until 30 July and so far more than 25,000 staff will be vaccinated through this program. All on-site vaccination programs will include Pfizer
Aged care providers can also consult with their Primary Health Network and GPs to organise on-site vaccination clinics for workers.
Workers accessing a COVID-19 vaccination through off-site clinics will also be offered Pfizer once it is available – this includes through general practices, Commonwealth vaccination clinics and state clinics.
From July 2021, around 1300 GPs will be administering Pfizer vaccinations, providing additional sites for vaccination.
Applications for the Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant can be found on the Australian Government’s GrantConnect website.

The Morrison Government is establishing a COVID-19 Vaccine Claim Scheme to provide further assurance and confidence to patients and health professionals in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The creation of a fit-for-purpose COVID-19 vaccine medical indemnity scheme will support increased vaccination uptake by assuring Australians that health professionals, including GPs, nurses and pharmacists administering COVID vaccines as part of the Commonwealth vaccination program have appropriate indemnity coverage.
In the event someone suffers a significant adverse reaction, causing injury and economic loss because of vaccination, the Scheme will help guide potential claimants through a no fault claims process scheme.
Proven claims will be able to receive appropriate compensation without the need of formal court processes. Potential claimants accessing the scheme will still have the option of pursuing action through a court judgement if that is their preference.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme will be backdated to the start of the national vaccine rollout – 22 February 2021 – and will be linked to the Human Biosecurity Emergency Period under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
The scheme will support claims made against privately practising health professionals who administer a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
This scheme responds to calls from peak bodies including the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and medical indemnity insurers, for extended medical indemnity coverage for health professionals and their patients given the unique nature of the pandemic and response.
Details of the COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme will be finalised in consultation with peak bodies, indemnity insurers, patient groups and states and territories.
To further support the choice of people considering their vaccine options, from 29 June the Government is extending two Medicare items that allow GPs and other medical practitioners to provide in-depth clinical assessments of a patient’s individual health risks and benefits. Already available for patients aged 50 years and over, these Medicare items will be available for all patients, regardless of age.