Category: Australian News

Major social media companies will take further steps to stop the publication of violent terror content in response to the Morrison Government’s social media taskforce to keep Australians safe online.
The commitments from the Australian Taskforce to Combat Terrorist and Extreme Violent Material Online the Government set up following the Christchurch terrorist attacks will see tighter monitoring and controls on live streaming and a simulation exercise to further test social media companies’ capabilities.
The action comes following the G20 Summit and world leaders’ strong message to technology companies to take action to prevent the exploitation of the internet for terrorism and violent extremism.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his priority was to keep Australians safe.
“Social media companies need to step up and recognise their responsibilities to ensure their platforms are not being weaponised by violent terrorists and extremists,” the Prime Minister said.
“We’re doing everything we can with new laws and tighter controls at home and with our international partners to stop social media platforms being abused.
“Social media companies are on notice. If they don’t deliver on their commitments, we will move to legislate and do so quickly.
“To keep all Australians safe we must prevent the use of online platforms by extremists, like what was filmed and shared in Christchurch.”
The Taskforce was formed following a Summit on March 26 convened by the Prime Minister, with members from Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter, along with Telstra, Vodafone, TPG and Optus.
The report identifies nine areas of agreement, including prevention; detection and removal; transparency; deterrence; and capacity building.
These areas build on and extend the commitments already made by industry and Government following the attacks, including to;

• Develop and report to Government on technical measures to proactively stop terrorist and extreme violent material from being disseminated on their platforms;
• Identify, fast-track and report to Government on appropriate checks on live-streaming to reduce the risk of users spreading terrorist and extreme violent material online;
• Implement visible and intuitive user reporting mechanisms and introduce accelerated review for live-streamed content flagged as terrorist or extreme violent material;
• Improve transparency of the platforms’ ongoing efforts to combat terrorist and extreme violent material on their platforms through regular public reporting at least twice yearly;
• Ensure that account management practices and policies can be enforced against those who exploit platforms to disseminate terrorist and extreme violent content;
• In consultation with other members, work to strengthen the work of the industry-led Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), including the creation of an online toolbox for smaller online services to access support to effectively prevent, detect and respond to online terrorist and extreme violent and actively make these solutions accessible to smaller online services;
• Run a ‘testing event’ in 2019-20 managed by the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee that simulates a scenario to gauge the capability of the industry and government.

This action also advances the principles and actions stipulated in the Christchurch Call to Action, which was developed by the New Zealand Government and has the support of some 18 countries, including Australia, as well as the major digital platforms.
Australian internet service providers (ISPs) have also committed to continue to work with Government on effective content blocking arrangements on terrorist content
Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher said the members of the Taskforce worked collaboratively over the last three months to deliver this report to Government.
“We are grateful for the spirit of cooperation and goodwill displayed by industry and commend them for reaching a consensus on actions,” Minister Fletcher said.
“This work is only part of the Government’s broader online safety agenda.
“This Government has placed Australia at the forefront of international efforts to keep our citizens safe online.
“In 2015, we established the world’s first Children’s eSafety Commissioner and legislated a take-down regime for cyber-bullying material targeted at Australian children. In 2017, the Government expanded the eSafety Commissioner’s remit to include all Australians, and introduced a civil penalty regime for image-based abuse.
“Since then, the Government has provided additional funding for programs to support online safety for vulnerable Australians, teachers and carers of children under five, and for non-government operators providing online safety and training projects, bringing our investment in eSafety to over $100 million over the next four years.
“We have committed to introducing a new fit-for-purpose Online Safety Act, and will strengthen the penalties for online harassment and abuse,” Minister Fletcher said.
“We will also work with states and territories to develop a nationally consistent approach to combatting criminal cyber-bullying and online harassment.”

Australian Greens Senator and Education Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has said that today’s changes to study and training loan repayment thresholds will negatively affect low income workers.
From July 1, 2019, the new minimum HELP repayment threshold will be $45,881, down from $51,957 in 2018-19.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The Liberal-National Government’s attacks on low income workers continue with the threshold for repaying student loans dropping significantly. That means more people will start repaying loans just when they are starting out in their career and need money the most. That’s completely unacceptable.
“This is a mean-spirited Government intent on squeezing young people who are already struggling with low wages and the high cost of living.
“We need to rethink the whole system of student debt. No one should graduate with a decade of debt ahead of them. Australians have seen the benefits of free education, and we can have them again,” she concluded.

The Australian Greens express solidarity with Sudanese people, both in Sudan and in the Sudanese-Australian community, in the lead-up to their global protest on 30 June.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale said: “I am gravely concerned by the appalling human rights abuses that are occurring in Sudan right now.  Hundreds of protestors holding non-violent sit-ins have been killed, and many more injured.  These people were bravely calling for a civilian-led Government and an end to the violent crushing of dissent that they have known for so long.”
“Members of Australia’s Sudanese community have told me how worried they are about their friends and relatives back in Sudan.  The Transitional Military Council has blocked access to the internet so Sudanese people can’t get their stories out to the world.”
“The Sudanese endured almost three decades of dictatorship under the appalling human rights abuser Omar al-Bashir.  Now is the chance for Sudan to have a democratic, civilian-led Government. I urge the Australian Government condemn the recent massacre in Sudan and the ongoing human rights abuses, and request that the military regime hand over power to a civilian government.”

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is calling on all South Australian MPs to add their names to a Bill to ban drilling in the Great Australian Bight following the knock-back of foreign oil giant Equinor’s plan to turn the Bight into an oilfield.
“The fight for the Bight is on. I am standing up for the countless South Australians who don’t want our Bight turned into an oilfield. It is time for all South Australian MPs to act. We need to work together to stand up for our state and stop Big Oil,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Equinor and the offshore oil and gas regulator should heed the advice of South Australians, coastal communities, surfers and beach lovers who want our Bight protected. Equinor should use this setback to go the way of BP and Chevron and get out of the Bight.
“The Labor and Liberal parties, desperate to hold their seats in the dying days of the election campaign, need to show South Australians their promises on the Bight weren’t just a stunt. Next week, I’ll be introducing a Bill to ban drilling in the Bight. All South Australian MPs should stand up for our state and sign onto the Bill.
“South Australians voted to keep our beautiful beaches pristine. We don’t want to risk critical habitat of the internationally-recognised endangered Australian sea lion. We don’t want to see our southern right whale nursery turned into an oilfield.
“Chevron and Equinor have just walked away from drilling off the coast of New Zealand. Equinor must do the same here.
“The Greens are standing up for our tourism and fishing jobs, our unique marine life, beautiful beaches and all South Australians who voted to stop drilling in the Bight.”

The Australian Greens are gravely concerned at reports today that the Morrison Government is considering joining Donald Trump in his counter-productive and erratic so-called strategy to pressure Iran.
Australian Greens Leader Richard Di Natale said: “Donald Trump is a dangerous President and could easily start another needless war in the Middle East.  His inflammatory language and reports of aborted military strikes clearly demonstrate the danger he poses. Prime Minister Morrison needs to make clear at the G20 Summit in Japan this weekend that Australia will not have a bar of another disastrous US war.”
“Both the Coalition and the ALP are at risk of sleepwalking into another deadly and costly military entanglement in the Middle East. We need leadership now, not politicians who unquestionably follow the US into all its military follies. The stakes could not be higher.”

More than 75,000 veterans are now accessing assistance through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) online claiming platform, MyService.
The Department is currently undergoing the most significant reform in its history, to ensure veterans and their families have faster and easier access to the services they need, when they need them.
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel, Darren Chester, said the Department’s transformation and initiatives like MyService are delivering real benefits for veterans and their families by reducing the red tape and making the claiming process simpler.
“MyService is a great example of how this Government is putting veterans and their families first, and moving forward to ensure they can access the support they need, with less paperwork and faster processing,” Mr Chester said.
“Moving to an online platform has allowed veterans to submit claims by answering as few as three to seven questions, compared to the 40 questions on some paper forms. In some cases, claims for common conditions are being approved almost instantly.
“The number of people using MyService continues to grow as more services become available on the platform. MyService now has more than 75,000 users managing their business with DVA online, who have submitted nearly 50,000 claims.
“Claims for treatment for mental health conditions are among those that are available for immediate approval.
“The Department is working closely with the veteran community to ensure that veterans and their families can connect with DVA and access services and support when, where and how they want.
“Significant improvements to the Department’s telephone system and face-to-face services have also been vital to support a holistic approach in delivering services to veterans and their families.
“The Government is committed to ensuring DVA continues to improve to better serve our veterans and their families. We are focused on putting veterans and their families first and have provided funding through to 2021 for the transformation program.”
To sign up to MyService visit the MyService website.

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Spokesperson for Education, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has called today’s approval of the Ramsay Centre by the University of Wollongong ‘outrageous’ and a slap in the face for students and academics. The Univeristy has today bypassed its own academic senate and approved the centre. Senator Faruqi is a former academic.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This is an outrageous move by the university and a real slap in the face for students and academics who have real and legitimate concerns about the Ramsay Centre.
“The lengths the University of Wollongong will go to in order to bypass their academic review processes are quite extraordinary and deeply worrying. This sends a message that any organisation with a big enough cheque book can buy extraordinary influence over our universities.
“The Ramsay Centre wants nothing more than to churn out students with an uncritical view of Western Civilisation, and they’re willing to bribe our public universities with huge amounts money to make that happen,” she concluded.

The Labor leadership needs to stick firm in its opposition to the Government’s tax cut package, despite the pressure it may be feeling from a handful of backbenchers, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.
“Labor said during the election that they wouldn’t back in the Government’s disastrous tax cuts and Anthony Albanese should stand firm, do the right thing for the country and continue to oppose these cuts,” Di Natale said.
“These tax cuts would do nothing to improve the economy and everything to lock in the growing inequality in our country over the long-term.
“No matter what Labor MPs like Peter Khalil in Wills may say, backing in these tax cuts is just more of the same failed trickle-down economics that Labor has been criticising for years.
“The lessons from the last election for Labor should be clear. People want them to stand up for what they believe in, not flip flop on important issues like economic inequality and climate change.”

The Labor leadership needs to stick firm in its opposition to the Government’s tax cut package, despite the pressure it may be feeling from a handful of backbenchers, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.
“Labor said during the election that they wouldn’t back in the Government’s disastrous tax cuts and Anthony Albanese should stand firm, do the right thing for the country and continue to oppose these cuts,” Di Natale said.
“These tax cuts would do nothing to improve the economy and everything to lock in the growing inequality in our country over the long-term.
“No matter what Labor MPs like Peter Khalil in Wills may say, backing in these tax cuts is just more of the same failed trickle-down economics that Labor has been criticising for years.
“The lessons from the last election for Labor should be clear. People want them to stand up for what they believe in, not flip flop on important issues like economic inequality and climate change.”

It is very disappointing, but hardly surprising, to hear yet again that Coalition Ministers are more interested in profits for themselves and their mates than the people they are elected to represent, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.
“It is appalling to consider that Angus Taylor would use his privileged position to approach Departmental staff and Government Ministers about an issue that directly affects his business interests,” Di Natale said.
“These new reports highlight that Coalitions MPs think it’s ok to change the rules when they don’t suit them and to put their business interests ahead of the community they were elected to work for. The Greens will not let them get away with it.
“We will be ensuring that Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg explain their actions to the Parliament when it resumes next month.
“This whole episode demonstrates again how urgently we need a federal ICAC that can investigate these sorts of behaviours that undermine faith in democracy,” he said.
“This Government is selling out the environment for the sake of their mates’ profits. These latest allegations are exactly why we need a federal ICAC,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“This isn’t the first time Angus Taylor’s business affairs and political links have been called into question. This latest scandal involving Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg smells fishy and must be probed. The full, unredacted documents and correspondence must be released.”
“We are in the midst of an extinction crisis and a climate catastrophe with a government that has tried to change the rules and cover up their self-dealing. This is a government that sees the environment as something to be exploited for the profit of a few, rather than taken care of for the benefit of all Australians.”
“Scott Morrison has shown contempt for the Australian people by promoting politicians who appear more interested in helping out their mates than doing their jobs. The Greens will continue to fight this government and hold these dodgy ministers to account.”