Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has expressed deep concern that the United States Marine Rotational Force will be going ahead in Darwin in early June.
“All military cooperation with the United States in Australia must cease while the threat of COVID-19 remains high to protect people in the the Northern Territory, including First Nations Communities and Australian Forces who would ordinarily be undertaking shared activities with US Troops based in the Top End,” Steele-John said.
“The Northern Territory has worked hard to ensure that COVID-19 is contained, including strict border controls and placing restrictions on movement into remote communities. So far, these measures have been extremely successful at keeping Territorians safe.
“Conversely, the United States has more than 1.2 million active cases of COVID-19 and President Trump’s handling of the crisis has been nothing short of a disaster.
“There have also been serious COVID-19 outbreaks on the USS Kidd, USS Theodore and many others.  This risk is further amplified by a decision by the US military to clamp down on publicising the number of cases there are amongst deployed forces due to security concerns.
“Noting that Darwin has already had returning Australian troops come in with COVID-19 from overseas deployments, I urge you to reconsider the allowing  Marine Rotational Force to go ahead over the next couple of week.
“There is absolutely no reason to put communities or the health system in the Top End at risk.”

The Australian Government is providing more than $20 million additional funding for research to improve mental health care and reduce suicide rates in Australia.
Mental health and suicide prevention remains one of the Government’s highest priorities.
Almost half of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetimes and as we battle COVID-19 it’s more important than ever that we prioritise mental health.
Call for Rapid Research on the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19
The disruption to normal life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the required restrictions has had profound impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of many Australians.
The Government will therefore be providing $3 million for a new grants round under the $125 million MRFF Million Minds Mission, for rapid research to improve the national mental health system response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This funding is for new research that will help better position our mental health system to be more effective in supporting Australians to manage their mental health and wellbeing, during and following the pandemic.
Applications for grants of up to $1 million will open on 1 June, with the research projects expected to deliver results within 12 to 18 months.
These grants may support work consolidating data systems, and help design and deliver new treatments, services, and policies. The research is expected to also be relevant in future times of hardship, such as natural disasters.
These research projects and the grant opportunity complement the Government’s broader efforts around mental health and suicide prevention, including the recently announced National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan.
Since 30th January, the Government has provided an additional approximately $500 million for mental health services and support, including $64 million for suicide prevention, $74 million for preventative mental health services, $48 million to support the pandemic response plan.
It also includes a significant proportion of the $669 million telehealth package to support MBS-subsidised treatments provided by GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.
$10.3 Million for Suicide Prevention Research
The Government is also investing $10.3 million to support three research projects to help reduce the rate of suicide in Australia.
In 2018, suicide was responsible for 12.1 deaths per 100,000 people in Australia, with 3,048 suicides recorded in that year.
Every suicide is a tragedy and devastates families, friends and loved ones.
Through the Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission, the Government is investing in projects to better understand suicide and provide the right services, in the right place, at the right time.
The three successful projects to receive grants through the Mission are:

• University of Melbourne (Professor Jane Pirkis): will receive $5.6 million to research the prevention of suicide in boys and men. Men account for 75 per cent of all suicides. This research will trial five interventions designed to encourage men to seek help. It will also trial two interventions designed to ensure that if men and boys seek help from telephone crisis support workers and psychologists, these providers can offer services that meet their needs.
• University of New South Wales (Scientia Professor Helen Christensen AO): will receive $3.7 million for the Under the Radar Project. As many as 60 per cent of those who die by suicide are not in care. Many will only use the internet. This project will investigate the use of the internet as the first point of contact and develop a collaborative, consumer-led, comprehensive care model using digital, peer support and face-to-face services.
• Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Associate Professor Rebecca Giallo): will receive $951,000 to research suicide prevention among men in early fatherhood. One of the highest rates of suicide among men coincides with becoming fathers and raising young children. This project will develop effective interventions to improve men’s mental health during early fatherhood.

$6.75 Million to Improve Treatment Using Pharmacogenomics
In addition, the Government is investing $6.725 million to support research on the use of pharmacogenomics in providing more effective treatment options for Australians requiring medication for mental health challenges.
Pharmacogenomics looks at how genetics can affect a person’s response to certain drugs.
While psychological strategies are usually the first-line in treatment of mental illness, medications can be an important part of a treatment plan, with almost 10 per cent of Australians now regularly taking antidepressants.
However, a significant number of people do not respond positively to their first prescription, causing delays in improvements to their symptoms and sometimes exacerbating anxiety.
Studies suggest that antidepressant treatment response is significantly influenced by each person’s specific genetic profile, and delays in improvement of symptoms can potentially be reduced through predictive pharmacogenomics testing.
This $6.75 million in funding, under the Medical Research Future Fund’s Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research initiative, will allow four leading researchers to investigate how pharmacogenomics can be used to tailor mental health prescriptions to the needs of each individual and improve health outcomes.
The successful recipients are:

• Professor Jon Emery (University of Melbourne) who will receive $1.39 million to investigate the effects of using pharmacogenomics to prescribe antidepressants on depression outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder in primary care.
• Professor Sarah Medland (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research) who will receive $1.37 million to examine how we can improve the performance of pharmacogenomics in Australia.
• Associate Professor Janice Fullerton (Neuroscience Research Australia) who will receive $1 million to investigate the pharmacogenomic signatures of bipolar disorder for improving treatment outcomes.
• Doctor Kathy Wu (St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney) who will receive $2.95 million to conduct trial of genotype-guided versus standard psychotropic therapy in moderately-to-severely depressed patients.

These new research grants will help more effectively treat those who might need medication with options that are best suited to them, and will ensure that we continue to provide the best possible mental health care for all Australians, now and in the future.
Through record investments in mental health services and support, with expenditure estimated to be $5.2 billion this year alone, the Australian Government continues to demonstrate its firm commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians
Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health (www.headtohealth.gov.au).
20-05-25 Hunt – Media Release – Additional $20 million for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research

The Morrison Government has committed $10.8 million over three years for Reconciliation Australia to continue their valuable work in shaping Australia’s journey towards reconciliation.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said the funding will enable Reconciliation Australia to continue to help all Australians turn good intentions into meaningful action and deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“For two decades, Reconciliation Australia has worked to improve relationships between Indigenous and other Australians, by building respect, trust and opportunities among individuals, organisations, schools and communities,” Minister Wyatt said.
“Through its Australian Reconciliation Barometer and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program, Reconciliation Australia has provided significant momentum to empower people to build a better future for all of us.”
“Tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are benefiting from job creation, education opportunities and business transactions created through RAP actions.”
“Reconciliation Australia is also helping to improve Australians’ attitudes and perceptions of Indigenous peoples and cultures by supporting national campaigns that positively impact reconciliation, most notably the annual National Reconciliation Week which starts on 27 May.”
“The Morrison Government is proud to continue its support of Reconciliation Australia so that all Australians are supported in our collective journey towards a more reconciled country.”
Chief Executive Officer of Reconciliation Australia, Karen Mundine, said the funding will support the advancement of reconciliation nationally.
“Since we began Reconciliation Australia 20 years ago, we have assisted Australians to imagine a better country, a future based on mutual respect and understanding, and a shared appreciation of Australia’s history,” Ms Mundine said.
“Australians are informing themselves and, in turn, informing their own families and friends about the truth of our history and the critical importance of reconciliation.”
“These conversations will ultimately make us a better country that truly values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures as fundamental to who we are as Australians.”

The Greens are calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to stop being Team ‘Some’ Australians, and immediately expand the JobKeeper program to businesses and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been left out.
“For months now the Government has refused to include the hundred of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the arts and entertainment industry in their JobKeeper package. They said they didn’t have the money,” Greens Arts and Media Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Well this excuse no longer stands and the Morrison Government should now fund a specific arts and creative jobs package, before more people and businesses go under.
“The Treasurer has $60billion, already budgeted to be spent on JobKeeper, to put towards keeping more Australian workers in their jobs.
“The Greens pushed for a wage subsidy at the beginning of this crisis and when Parliament resumes we will fight for the $60billion to go to workers left out in the cold by the Morrison Government.
“Treasurer Frydenberg keeps claiming he is Team Australia, yet he excluded more than a million Australians from the JobKeeper program. In reality the Treasurer is just Team ‘Some’ Australians.
“The arts and entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions and will be one of the last to recover, yet the government has left many artists and creatives without support due to the nature of the work.
“The Government needs to hit reset on JobKeeper, and it needs to deliver an arts and entertainment specific package, which it clearly has the financial capacity to do it.
“The Greens have pitched a $2.3billion package to help the arts and entertainment industry recover. The Creative Australia policy includes funding to get our artists, musicians, writers, creators, and crews back producing content for our screens, theatres, live music venues, festivals and galleries.
“This isn’t just an investment in arts and entertainment but our tourism and hospitality industries too. It’s good for jobs and our social fabric.”

The Australian Greens condemn the Chinese Government’s plans to enact sweeping new national security laws in Hong Kong, with Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt today offering solidarity to protesters who have resisted months of recriminations.
“As Hong Kong activists have said, this is a dangerous prospect for Hong Kong and if implemented could be a knockout blow for Hong Kong’s one country, two systems arrangement.  It is an attempt to silence Hong Kong and its brave and vocal pro-democracy activists,” Mr Bandt said.
“The people of Hong Kong have stood firm over months and months in the face of Chinese Government and Hong Kong authorities’ crackdown.  They have withstood things like a fearsome build-up of force on the border, an overpowering and violent police presence unleashing teargas and rubber bullets, and arrests and reprisals.
“The Chinese Government should remember that the people power of Hong Kong led to the withdrawal of the damaging Extradition Bill, as well as similar national security laws back in 2003.
“This is another disappointing escalation from the Chinese Government following the recent arrest by Hong Kong police of 15 pro-democracy activists.  Their decision to try to quietly arrest them under cover of a global pandemic was a new low.  The global community will continue to watch Hong Kong closely, as will we.  The people of Hong Kong have a right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.  The Chinese Government must not interfere with these rights or meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs.“

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that up to 30,000 university jobs will be lost if the federal government does not provide a new funding package for universities and extend the JobKeeper payment to university workers.
The Greens support the National Tertiary Education Union’s National Day of Action (NDA), taking place today, which calls on Education Minister Dan Tehan to step up on university funding and save thousands of jobs.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Universities around the country are already cutting staff and courses in response to this crisis. As semester two approaches, this will only get worse.
“Job and course cuts will have generational impacts on the quality and excellence of university teaching and research in our country.
“University workers are being left high and dry by a government that has not only resisted providing them support, but put up extra barriers every step of the way during this crisis. It seems this government simply doesn’t care.
“With tens of thousands of jobs on the line, it is outrageous that the government won’t lift a finger to help save livelihoods and the future of higher education.
“It’s time Minister Tehan provided a new funding package for universities and scrapped the unfair rules which have excluded every single university from qualifying for the JobKeeper payment.
“Universities are some of the most casualised workplaces in the country. This leaves uni workers incredibly vulnerable to downturns in revenue.
“Universities with large reserves must prioritise staff jobs in spending what money they have. Keeping university staff, including casuals, on payroll should be top of every Vice-Chancellor’s agenda in managing this crisis,” she said.

Australian Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to a leaked report of the COVID Commission’s Manufacturing Taskforce, which prioritises gas expansion as the way to rebuild manufacturing and create jobs.
Senator Faruqi said:
“We must revive Australian manufacturing, and this can and must be done with renewable energy. Choosing gas over renewables is completely intentional and a consequence of the government’s cosy relationship with the fossil fuel industry.
“The government is using the COVID-19 crisis as cover to double down on their agenda of expanding fossil fuel extraction, while we’re also in the midst of a climate breakdown. This is shameful politics to appease their mates in the gas industry.
“As an engineer, I know that Australian manufacturing can have a clean, jobs-rich future. But we have to make the right choices now to ensure the investment flows towards industries that also tackle the climate crisis.
“This is the time to set on a course to become a renewables powerhouse and attract 21st century industries like data centres, battery and carbon fibre manufacturing to Australia, all running on clean, green energy.
“The Greens have this week proposed investing $12 billion to establish a Manufacturing Australia Fund. This would modernise and expand Australian manufacturing, including green steel hubs in Queensland and NSW as well as the advanced manufacturing processes of the future.
“The government is bending over backwards to please the fossil fuel lobby. It’s no coincidence these are the businesses and players who have donated enormous amounts of money to both the major parties over decades,” she said.

Greens Leader and MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, said that Minister for Government Services, Stuart Robert, had potentially lied to him in writing over the Minister’s closure of a Centrelink office in the electorate of Melbourne, and that in the absence of an explanation, Bandt would be moving a censure motion when the Parliament resumes.
Robert wrote to Bandt on 19 May 2020 advising he would be closing the Abbotsford Centrelink office on 21 May 2020, saying “the landlord advised they will not retain Services Australia as a short-term or long=term tenant and will not permit any occupancy by the Agency at the premises after the lease expires”.
However, in comments reported by the Guardian, a representative of the landlord said it was offering a “lease extension on existing terms and was awaiting a formal reply” and that “This morning it reached out again to Centrelink to confirm the premises remain available and it is welcome to stay.”
“In the absence of an explanation from the Minister, if the landlord’s comments are accurate, the Minister has lied to me in writing and has unnecessarily hurt thousands of people reliant on the Abbotsford Centrelink ,” said Mr Bandt.
“The Minister must immediately reach out to the landlord and ensure Abbotsford Centrelink remains where it is.
“Stuart Robert has been caught out before saying things that are untrue, like that Centrelink services collapsed under an attack from hackers, and he may well have done it again.”
“Unless the Minister can clarify the matter and explain what looks like a straight out lie, I’ll be moving to censure the Minister when Parliament resumes, not only for closing a much-needed Centrelink but for apparently lying about it too.”
“If there’s an explanation, I’m waiting to hear it. On 20 May 2020, I asked the Minister in writing to meet about this important matter and to date have received no answer. I can only assume he has been caught out yet again and has nothing to say in his defence.”
Greens Community Services Spokesperson Rachel Siewert said the Minister had questions to answer.
“I received advice through a Senate Estimates Question on Notice  on May 8th that as of March 19 there are no further Centrelink Service Centres approved for closure,” Senator Siewert said.
“Minister Robert needs to come clean about this process and release the time line for when this decision was made.
“We now know that Salta Properties have offered to extend the lease to Services Australia and there does not appear to be a reason why the Minister should not accept this offer.
“We are in a health and economic crisis with millions more people needing access to services. It is outrageous for the Government to close down such a vital service at a time like this”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has pledged to fight the government’s gas push laid out in the Technology Road Map Discussion Paper released by the government today.
Mr Bandt also said the leaked COVID Commission push for a gas-rush shows the corruption of process the government is using to develop a plan for manufacturing.
“We need to be ending Australia’s addiction to toxic methane gas not feeding it,” Mr Bandt said.
“Coal, oil and gas are the primary cause of the climate crisis. We can’t solve the climate emergency and economic crisis by pouring gas on the fire.”
“The energy race has been won and it is time for the Morrison government to back the winners of solar, wind, pumped hydro, battery storage and demand management.”
“We should be helping industry electrify with renewables and fuel switching from gas to green hydrogen, not feed their expensive and dangerous addiction to gas. The amount of gas genuinely needed as a feedstock by industry is tiny compared to the country’s exports. We don’t need more gas mining and drilling.”
“The leaked COVID commission gas plan shows the corrupt process at the heart of the government’s policy. This idea of a Technology Roadmap is just a cover for the government driving a gas rush that will benefit its fossil fuel corporate mates.”
“The trans-Australian gas pipeline is as ill thought out as the Bradfield Scheme and the Greens will fight it tooth and nail.
“The Greens’ ‘Invest to Recover’ plan sets out a plan for hundreds of thousands of new jobs in an economy powered by hydrogen and programs enabling industry to electrify instead of burning gas.
“Australia shouldn’t just join the hydrogen manufacturing renaissance, it should lead it. We’ve got vast resources that would mean Western Australia could power not only its manufacturing industry with green hydrogen, but ship the clean energy off to the rest of the world.
“Yet, with the Morrison government under the thumb of the methane mafia, we’re set to spend these crucial years wasting time pushing the wrong type of gas.”
The Greens policies for industry to fuel switch away from gas including a $12 Billion Manufacturing Australia fund and reviving the Clean Technology Programs scrapped by Tony Abbott that were designed to support industry innovate with clean energy and become more efficient.
Greens Democracy Spokesperson Larissa Waters said the Liberal Government’s appointments stacked the commission to only one possible outcome.
“The fossil fuel lobby has paid for and bought this government,” Senator Waters said.
“It’s no surprise that a gas-stacked Commission with minimal conflict of interest rules has recommended more water- and farm-wrecking gas.
“Fracked gas wrecks groundwater, farmland and our climate, and has trebled the price of gas which has imperilled domestic manufacturing, all  while lining the pockets of multinational companies.
“The Greens have had a bill to ban fracking and give landholders their right to say no to predator gas since 2011 but the big parties keep siding with their gas donors to block it.”

Given that the government now has $60 billion unspent in the JobKeeper program, Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has called for JobKeeper to be extended to university staff and international students, a new funding package provided for higher education, and for free childcare to made permanent.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This ‘mistake’ by the government must be used to provide a lifeline to the many sectors and workers who have been left high and dry during this pandemic.
“With $60 billion of allocated JobKeeper money unspent, the government can save higher education and provide massive relief for tens of thousands of staff and international students.
“The higher education sector is shedding jobs and crying out for support. It’s time to scrap the unfair rules excluding university staff from JobKeeper.
“Desperate international students, who have been going hungry and falling into destitution, should urgently be given access to JobKeeper and provided with income support.
“The government must also do the right thing and provide a brand new funding package for universities that would ensure their long term viability and success.
“There is a real opportunity here for the government to recognise childcare as an essential service and make free childcare permanent.
“For more ideas on how to spend the money, I recommend the Treasurer and Prime Minister read the Greens’ Invest to Recover post-pandemic recovery plan, which can be found on our website,” she said.