Category: Australian News

It’s untenable to leave the National Party in charge of water and a Royal Commission is needed more than ever, after today’s Auditor-General’s report into ‘Watergate’ found the government didn’t even try to achieve value for money of water entitlements and didn’t appropriately manage conflicts of interest, the Greens say.
Today’s report comes after Greens Water Spokesperson and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young, and a number of other MPs, referred analysis conducted by The Australia Insititute, and reports alleging the Department of Agriculture and Resources, which manages the purchase of water, had significantly overpaid vendors for water in the Warrego catchment, Tandou and the Condamine-Balonne Valley to the Auditor General.
Subsequent analysis released in January 2020 by TAI showed the Federal Government paid exorbitant prices for water rights to a company linked to Minister Angus Taylor, while Barnaby Joyce was the Water Minister.
Senator Hanson-Young said:
“Taxpayers footed an $80m bill to a company linked to Energy Minister Angus Taylor, for water that’s never been seen. The deal stunk.
“Today’s report raises even more questions. There must be a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of these scandals and I again urge all sides of politics to back my bill to establish one.
“The Auditor-General’s report confirms the department’s approach to managing water procurements, overseen by Barnaby Joyce, was a shambles and stinks worse than fish rotting in Menindee Lakes in summer.
“At best, this report reveals incompetence, at worst it shows another taxpayer rort overseen by the National Party.
“The Auditor-General found the department didn’t use a value for money approach for procurement of strategic water entitlements. Put simply, taxpayers were ripped off by a government that claims to be good economic managers.
“The Auditor-General also recommended the department update arrangements for managing conflicts of interest.
“The Murray-Darling Basin has been riddled with dodgy accounting, mismanagement, and out-right water theft. The National Party and their corporate irrigator mates have used it as a slush fund while river communities, family farmers and the environment suffers.
“The stench around Morrison’s Energy Minister Angus Taylor is growing. How many more scandals before the PM shows him the door?”

The Morrison Government will invest $2 billion to give hundreds of thousands of Australians access to new skills by retraining and upskilling them into sectors with job opportunities, as the economy recovers from COVID-19.
The JobTrainer skills package will also guarantee support for thousands of apprentices in jobs across the country by subsidising their wages to keep them employed and their training secured.
The new $1 billion JobTrainer program will provide up to an additional 340,700 training places to help school leavers and job seekers access short and long courses to develop new skills in growth sectors and create a pathway to more qualifications.
Courses will be free or low cost in areas of identified need, with the Federal Government providing $500 million with matched contributions from state and territory governments.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the JobTrainer package was focused on getting people into jobs.
“JobTrainer will ensure more Australians have the chance to reskill or upskill to fill the jobs on the other side of this crisis,” the Prime Minister said.
“COVID-19 is unprecedented but I want Australians to be ready for the sorts of jobs that will come as we build back and recover.
“The jobs and skills we’ll need as we come out of the crisis are not likely to be the same as those that were lost.”
The package also includes an additional $1.5 billion to expand the wage incentive to help keep apprentices in work. It builds on the initial $1.3 billion package announced in March.
In addition to small businesses already covered, the wage subsidy will now be available to medium businesses with less than 200 employees for apprentices employed as at 1 July 2020. Around 180,000 apprentices and 90,000 small and medium businesses that employ them will now be supported, with the program extended by six months to March 2021.
The initiative covers 50 per cent of the wages paid to apprentices and trainees, up to $7,000 per quarter.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business Michaelia Cash said the JobTrainer package would form a vital part of the national recovery efforts.
“Our nation has faced many challenges, and it is critical that we keep our apprentices in jobs and help those looking for work,” Minister Cash said.
“This package will be essential as the economy rebuilds so that people looking for work can reskill and upskill for in-demand jobs, provide school leavers with a pathway into their careers, and ensure businesses are able to get the skilled workers they need.”
Minister Cash said the National Skills Commission would play a critical role in identifying current and future skills needed in a challenging and changing labour market.
“We will work with States and Territories to develop a list of qualifications and skill sets that will provide job seekers with the skills that are in demand by employers and are critical to the economic recovery.”
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships Steve Irons said the expanded waged subsidy would more than double the number of supported apprentices and trainees.
“The Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy will now help almost 90,000 businesses employing around 180,000 apprentices and trainees throughout Australia,” Assistant Minister Irons said.
“This will dramatically improve the viability of tens of thousands of apprenticeships and the businesses employing them right across the country.”
States and territories need to sign up to a new Heads of Agreement to access JobTrainer funding, with the agreement setting out immediate reforms to improve the vocational education and training sector, and providing the foundation for long term improvements as outlined by the Prime Minister in his recent speech to the National Press Club.

The release of the 2020-2021 workplan for the Reef Trust Partnership once again shows the Reef requires comprehensive, science-based protection by its proper management authority, and government-wide action on the climate crisis, says Greens Leader in the Senate and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters
“The Liberals would privatise their mothers if they could, and the Great Barrier Reef is the latest casualty of this ideology,” Senator Waters said.
“The Great Barrier Reef has faced three of the worst coral bleaching episodes in its long history in the last five years because of coal-driven climate change. This workplan talks about the need to tackle climate change and transition to clean energy, but does nothing towards that goal.”
“The proposal for tackling coral bleaching is not job-creating climate action, but research into shadecloths.
“The proposal for a ‘national behavioural change challenge’ to tackle climate change focuses on community projects, not changing the behaviour of the fossil fuel industry.
“The climate crisis worsens as the Morrison government dances to its fossil fuel donors’ tune, and now they want praise for researching a glorified sun umbrella for the 50% of coral left in the Reef.
“Shadecloths and Crown of Thorns starfish research are bandaid solutions while the big threats to the Reef – climate change and water quality – continue to be ignored or underfunded.
“This workplan is more rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic by a federal government that ignores and worsens the climate crisis, and underfunds water quality improvement by orders of magnitude.
“The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Australian Institute of Marine Science, who have an actual mandate to protect and manage the Reef, have been undermined and continue to be underfunded by the Morrison Government.
“The 60,000 people who rely on a healthy Reef, and the World Heritage status of this biodiversity icon, demands so much better from the fossil fuel donation-hooked large political parties.”

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has labelled today’s news of cuts to approximately 500 full-time equivalent jobs at UNSW, and the amalgamation of nine faculties into six, as devastating and infuriating.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Hundreds of hard-working UNSW staff will bear the disastrous consequences of the Liberals’ callous abandonment of higher education.
“The Morrison government has no shame or sense. Australian universities are in crisis and frankly it’s the Liberals who are squarely to blame.
“The government could have easily extended JobKeeper to universities and provided a new funding package. Instead, their plan is to cut funding and hike up student fees.
“Higher education is a case in point for why the government’s professed obsession with ‘job-making’ and ‘job-keeping’ is all spin and no substance. If they really cared about jobs, they would have invested in universities and protected our invaluable higher education system from disaster.
“My heart goes out to the hundreds of staff who are now facing unemployment during a recession. The Greens will fight on, alongside staff and students, for a jobs-rich, well-funded higher education sector,” she said.

The Australian Greens have reiterated their calls for people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment to receive extra economic support to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis.
Spokesperson for Families, Ageing and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said that in the wake of the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis we are now seeing, especially Victoria, the Government must urgently top up the DSP and Carer Payments so that disabled people and carers can meet the additional costs they are facing because of the pandemic.
“Disabled people and carers have been doing it extremely tough for the last few months without extra support to assist them with the higher costs they’ve been facing for groceries, transport and access to essential supports and medical supplies,” Senator Siewert said.
“With further lockdowns and economic hardship now inevitable, it is incumbent on this government to acknowledge the thousands of Australians on the DSP and Carer payment who need extra support.”
Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John said people had been desperately holding out for the second $750  economic support payment, which will be paid today and should be reaching people over the course of this week.
“Frankly, this extra payment has been barely enough for people to hold on,” Steele-John said.
“Since this crisis began my office has been flooded with calls and emails from people saying they are struggling to make ends meet, and that the first payment was only able to cover things like rent arrears, bills that had been piling up or had simply enabled them to buy fresh fruit and vegetables for the first time in months.
“I know that this second payment will be the same; people will use it to cover the costs of essentials and very quickly it will disappear, putting many thousands of disabled people and carers back in a precarious financial position if they don’t receive extra, ongoing support from the government.
“We are once again calling on the Government to provide a top-up payment to Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment recipients so that these payments are equal to the new rate of Jobseeker Payment to make sure that eveyrone has the support they need to get throught his crisis.”

The release of the 2020-2021 workplan for the Reef Trust Partnership once again shows the Reef requires comprehensive, science-based protection by its proper management authority, and government-wide action on the climate crisis, says Greens Leader in the Senate and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters
“The Liberals would privatise their mothers if they could, and the Great Barrier Reef is the latest casualty of this ideology,” Senator Waters said.
“The Great Barrier Reef has faced three of the worst coral bleaching episodes in its long history in the last five years because of coal-driven climate change. This workplan talks about the need to tackle climate change and transition to clean energy, but does nothing towards that goal.”
“The proposal for tackling coral bleaching is not job-creating climate action, but research into shadecloths.
“The proposal for a ‘national behavioural change challenge’ to tackle climate change focuses on community projects, not changing the behaviour of the fossil fuel industry.
“The climate crisis worsens as the Morrison government dances to its fossil fuel donors’ tune, and now they want praise for researching a glorified sun umbrella for the 50% of coral left in the Reef.
“Shadecloths and Crown of Thorns starfish research are bandaid solutions while the big threats to the Reef – climate change and water quality – continue to be ignored or underfunded.
“This workplan is more rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic by a federal government that ignores and worsens the climate crisis, and underfunds water quality improvement by orders of magnitude.
“The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Australian Institute of Marine Science, who have an actual mandate to protect and manage the Reef, have been undermined and continue to be underfunded by the Morrison Government.
“The 60,000 people who rely on a healthy Reef, and the World Heritage status of this biodiversity icon, demands so much better from the fossil fuel donation-hooked large political parties.”

A further 1000 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to Victoria to support the coronavirus response.
Since the offer from the Commonwealth Government of additional resources was accepted on Sunday, the Victorian Government has been working with the Emergency Management Commissioner and the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police to determine their best use.
Due to the evolving situation, from today an open Request for Assistance model will be in place for ADF personnel to be deployed. The additional ADF support will be deployed across the following areas, based on need:

• State Control Centre planning, logistics and intelligence reporting
• Public health response focusing on contact tracing data management and analysis, information flow as well as the allocation and tracking of tasks and the onboarding staff to undertake interviews
• Support for supply and logistics to ensure physical care packages such as food and toys and other essential supplies are provided to public housing residents
• Support focusing on testing in metro, regional/rural and tourist locations
• Assisting relevant agencies with community engagement focusing on community awareness and outreach, particularly in high risk areas as well as critical infrastructure and regional workplaces
• Partnering with Ambulance Victoria paramedic response crews to expand Ambulance Victoria’s response capabilities by providing personnel to act as a second crew member that can support paramedics at scenes and drive back to hospital
• Compliance checking to support Victoria Police’s enforcement of the Chief Health Officer’s stay at home orders
• Surge capacity as required in relation to vehicle check points

It is expected this will see the current contingent of over 400 personnel remain in Victoria for at least the duration of the Stage 3 restrictions set to conclude on Wednesday 19 August. The extra 1,000 ADF personnel will begin to deploy in coming days and it is expected this will continue over the next four weeks.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Commonwealth Government would continue to work with Victoria to support the state’s response to the deadly virus.
“We will help Victoria with whatever it takes to save lives and to save livelihoods,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our highly trained ADF personnel will work alongside state authorities to surge support for Victoria to ensure they get the backing they need to help respond to the situation. This is a serious situation facing not just Victoria, but the whole country.”
Premier Daniel Andrews thanked the Commonwealth and other states for their continued support and collaboration to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
“This is a public health bushfire – just as we help out other states in summer, help is coming from across the nation now, including Australian Defence Force personnel in addition to the strong support provided over recent months – and we are grateful for that,” the Premier said.
“As all Victorians work together to follow the rules they should be assured we have a massive team working around the clock to keep every Victorian family safe.”
At the request of the Victorian Government, the Commonwealth through the National Cabinet last week also agreed to extend the cancellation of all scheduled international passenger airline services to Victoria until further notice.

The announcement by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley today of funding for tourism and infrastructure at five natural attractions shows there are jobs in a green recovery and much more must be done to look after our environment, the Australian Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Any funding from the Federal Government that goes to improving and protecting our natural world is welcome. This announcement shows there are jobs and economic stimulus in a Green Recovery.
“But to really do justice to a green jobs recovery, the Morrison Government is going to need to find a lot more money and scrap its plan to weaken environmental laws.
“The return on investment will be well worth it, not just in the creation of jobs across the country but in rehabilitating bushfire devastated areas, protecting native wildlife and restoring our iconic rivers to make them swimmable again as the Greens have proposed.
“Australians want stronger environmental protections, not weaker ones which only serve the fossil fuel industry and will undermine any green recovery efforts, including today’s announcement.
“The Environment Minister is still sitting on the interim report into the 10-year review of environmental laws, handed to her 12 days ago by the independent reviewer. If Sussan Ley wants to be taken seriously then she needs to release the interim report immediately and get on with legislating to save our endangered animals and special places in nature.”

The Greens have said that returning to expensive fee-paying childcare today will harm families, disproportionately impact women and threaten the viability of early learning as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
The federal government should extend free childcare and ensure all early childhood education and care workers are eligible for JobKeeper payments.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Education, said:
“It’s downright cruel and shortsighted to scrap free childcare before practically every other Covid-19 support measure.
“Reverting to expensive, fee-paying childcare now will preclude struggling families from accessing early learning and put centre viability at risk. This government is failing women who will disproportionately feel the impact of this senseless snap back.
“As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, Dan Tehan should extend free childcare and ensure JobKeeper eligibility for all ECEC workers.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that the first sector to have its support withdrawn is early learning, and the first workers to lose JobKeeper are ECEC staff – the vast majority of whom are women. They have been treated very poorly by this government.
“This is a real missed opportunity to reimagine early learning as a universal, essential service. Instead, the Liberals are more interested in deepening the crisis via austerity,” she said.
Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for Women, said:
“The Morrison government has a 1950s attitude to women and its policies will condemn more women to the kitchen.
“Numerous reports show that women are suffering the worst economic impacts from coronavirus, losing more jobs or hours of work than men, and performing a much higher care load.
“Free childcare helped ease the financial burden families face and ensured women had more ability to do paid work.
“Returning to expensive childcare, and axing JobKeeper early for childcare workers, will force many women to reduce their work hours to juggle childcare.
“You want economic stimulus, then help women return to the workplace by making childcare permanently free.”

The Labor party backroom boys are pressuring Queensland’s Labor Premier to approve stage 3 of the New Acland coal mine, showing fossil fuel donors still call the shots, say the Australian Greens.
“Proving how powerful the coal mining lobby and their donations are on federal Labor, there’s now three federal Labor party MPs pushing the Premier to approve the Acland coal mine despite the mine’s approval currently being before the High Court,” said Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Senate Leader and Mining and Resources spokesperson.
“Anthony Albanese should tell his backroom boys to leave the Premier alone and wait for the High Court to do its job.
“It’s ludicrous that any political party would back more bushfire turbo-charging coal mines after the summer we faced, and as the climate crisis intensifies.
“It’s about time Labor listened to the climate science and the community, not its corporate fossil fuel donors.”
Michael Berkman, Queensland Greens MP for Maiwar and one-time lawyer for the farmers opposing the mine said that after 15 years of court cases it’s time for the Premier to listen to farmers and residents and refuse approval for New Acland Stage 3.
“The New Acland Coal Mine is vehemently opposed by local farmers, who are terrified about the impacts on water, prime farmland and their health.
“Queenslanders are sick of decisions being made in the best interests of donors, rather than the community.
“While Labor’s fighting everyday people so their coal donors can make a profit, the Greens will keep fighting for real, well-paid, sustainable jobs in tourism, education, social housing construction and publicly owned renewable energy,” concluded Mr Berkman.