Category: Australian News

The proportion of working age Australians receiving welfare benefits has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, Federal Minister for Families and Social Services Paul Fletcher said today.
New Department of Social Services analysis of recently released Australian Bureau of Statistics population data shows that 14.3 per cent of the working-age population was receiving working-age income support payments in June 2018.
This is a sharp drop on the previous year’s level of 15.1 per cent and markedly lower than the figure of 16.5 per cent when Labor left office.
“Our plan for a stronger economy is working,” Mr Fletcher said.
“We’ve created more than 1.2 million jobs and we’re getting people off welfare and into work.
“In fact, over the last year, full-time employment growth has accounted for 63.1 per cent of the total increase in employment.”
Mr Fletcher said the Government’s success stood in sharp contrast to Labor’s plan, announced today.
“Labor want to junk the principle of mutual obligation that has reduced welfare dependency to record lows and helped create 1.2 million new jobs. They want and consign many more Australians to a life of welfare dependency,” Mr Fletcher said.
“Labor’s plan means welfare payments would balloon again and they’d be paid for by higher taxes on those working.
“It’s taken sustained hard work by the Liberal National Government to steadily bring down the share of the working population which depends on welfare.
“But Labor’s announcement today confirms that if they get into government they will abandon our successful approach.
“The figures are very clear – the share of the working population on welfare always goes up under a Labor Government.”
Mr Fletcher said labour force participation increased to 65.7 per cent in November 2018, which was close to a record high.
“We’ve brought unemployment down from 5.7 per cent when Labor left office to 5.1 per cent,” Mr Fletcher said.
“The best form of welfare is a job – and today’s figures show that our plan to generate more jobs and get more Australians off of welfare is working.”

More than 800 non-citizen criminals were stripped of their visas for serious crimes in 2018.
One hundred had their visas cancelled for committing child sex offences or for involvement in child exploitation and pornography, 53 were stripped of their visas for domestic violence as were 34 rapists or other sexual offenders
About 500 criminals who committed violent offences are among those stripped of their visas, including 13 for murder, seven for manslaughter, 125 for assault and 56 for armed robbery.
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the Government is committed to protecting our communities and keeping Australians safe.
“There’s no place in our country for people who come here and harm Australians,” Mr Dutton said
“We welcome people from all round the world, but those few who think they can live in Australia and be involved in criminal actions need to know they won’t be staying long.”
Under the previous Labor Government, in the five years between 2009 and 2013, just 582 visas were cancelled under the character provisions in s 501 of Migration Act 1958.
Since 2014, the Coalition has cancelled a total of 4150 visas – more than seven times that of Labor.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the Government was sending a strong message to non-citizen law breakers.
“Over the past five years, the Government has stripped 4150 non-citizens of their visas after committing serious and abhorrent crimes such as child sex offences, domestic violence assaults and murder,” Mr Coleman said.
“Foreign nationals who think they can flout our laws and harm Australian citizens should expect to have their visa cancelled.
“It is a privilege to enter and remain in Australia and we have no tolerance for those who put Australians in danger.”
To keep Australians safe, the Government has significantly strengthened the character provisions in the Migration Act, introducing mandatory cancellation provisions in December 2014. These changes provide that a non-citizen’s visa must be cancelled if they are sentenced to 12 months or more imprisonment or have been convicted of a sexual crime against a child.
More recently, the Government introduced into Parliament the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2018 to introduce a list of designated offences into s 501, providing clear and objective grounds for the consideration of visa refusal or cancellation.
Designated offences include offences involving violence, sexual assault, domestic abuse and the use or possession of weapons , whereby the offence carries a two year or more maximum jail sentence.
The Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2018 is expected to be debated in the first sitting period of 2019.

More reports of dead native fish floating in their thousands in the Lower Darling sends a dreadful signal on the health of the River.
“This is what a river in death throes looks like. Between the Government handing water to big corporate irrigators, the Murray Darling Basin Plan not accounting for climate change, and mismanagement of environmental flows, our river – and our native fish – are dying,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The Greens have been fighting for more water for the environment to prevent massive species loss and toxic algae outbreaks. The river needs water to survive.
“At every turn the State and Federal Governments are working to take more and more water away from an already struggling environment; including holding back the 450GL promised to South Australia, and draining the Menindee lakes.
“It is not good enough for bureaucrats to say this issue is contained to the Lower Darling. Generations of fish are dying in spawning waters. These incidents will have repercussions throughout the Lower Darling and into the Murray where hundreds of thousands of fish could be affected.
“The Government is blaming drought to cover up the fact that they’ve allowed water to be ripped away from the environment, putting this precious ecosystem at serious risk.
“The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is failing to return the water promised, and needed, to keep the system alive. Every time the Federal Government cuts water to environment in favour of big corporate irrigators and the cotton industry, the River gets sicker.”

Australian Greens Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has launched a campaign for an inquiry into a National Horse Traceability Scheme. A register would ensure all horses in Australia, including racing horses, would have lifetime tracking.
The national register would benefit biosecurity, including for the prevention and management of Emergency Animal Diseases such as equine influenza and African Horse Sickness; improve safety for riders; tackle backyard breeding; and combat rural crime.
Senator Faruqi said:
“A national register is sensible public policy. By properly tracking horses we can improve safety and biosecurity, and stop racing horses being discarded at knackeries when they’re no longer profitable.
“Tens of thousands of horses are bred in Australia each year, including around 17,000 by the thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing industries alone. In addition to this, thousands of horses are also bred by ‘backyard breeders’. As it stands, we have very little information about where these horses end up.
“Animal welfare advocates, safety advocates and the racing industry itself agree about the need for a centralised national register. We are just stuck on the exact model.
“An inquiry will be an important opportunity to bring everyone together and provide national leadership on what a scheme might look like and how it could be implemented.
“Similar registers already exist in the UK, Europe, and Canada. It is well past time for Australia to establish one.
“I look forward to engaging with the Government, Opposition and the crossbench to establish the inquiry.
“If this inquiry is established, it will give all stakeholders, including the racing industry, horse breeders and animal welfare groups an opportunity to present evidence so we can decide on the best way forward.”

Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the Liberal Government to issue emergency travel documents to a young Saudi woman trapped in Bangkok, so she can travel safely and urgently to Australia where she has a visa.
“Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fears for her life and is facing deportation to Saudi Arabia, but we can help. We understand she has a visa and needs emergency travel documents to be brought safely here,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“I have called on the Liberal Government to act urgently to ensure Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun has safe travel to Australia. She has denounced Islam and is fleeing a forced marriage.
“Time is of the essence. Rahaf could be sent back to Saudi Arabia within hours without our intervention. The Liberal Government must act swiftly and bring her here to safety.”

More than 1.2 million jobs have been created since the Government came to office in September 2013, after the Australian economy created an additional 37,000 jobs in November.
The latest labour force figures, released today by the ABS, show the number of jobs created in November is almost double the 20,000 jobs the market expected. Seasonally adjusted employment is now 285,700 higher than it was a year ago. Total employment is at a record high of 12,694,300.
Encouragingly, female employment rose strongly, by 15,300 over the month and by 146,100 over the year, and is now at a record high, of 5,954,000 in November.
Over the last year, full-time employment growth has accounted for around two thirds (63.1 per cent) of the total increase in employment.
With record levels of labour force participation for working age Australians, it is clear that the strong economy is giving more and more people the confidence to enter the jobs market.
“More than 1.2 million jobs have been created since the Government came to office in September 2013,” Minister O’Dwyer said.
“The Coalition Government’s plan for a strong economy is working. By contrast, Bill Shorten and Labor would risk it all with their $200 billion worth of taxes on electricity, workers, housing, savings, investments and retirement hitting millions of Australians.
“Labor’s approach to industrial relations is also of great concern. Labor’s secret deal to allow industry-wide strikes would cripple small businesses, damage our economy and cost jobs.
“The Australian economy has gained momentum, but we must be wary of global head winds and risks posed by taking a different approach,” Minister O’Dwyer concluded.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said that the latest emissions projections report, released today, confirms the government intends to cook the books on climate to halve its measly targets.
Mr Bandt called on Labor to rule out using dodgy accounting tricks to meet their emissions reduction commitments.
“Today the government quietly tried to take out the trash that shows how they’re planning to cook the books on climate change,” said Mr Bandt.
“So far, the government’s only plan to meet Paris appears to be using dodgy accounting to cook the books and count dodgy ‘carryover’ credits from Kyoto towards Paris.
“Because they can’t reduce emissions, the government is resorting to dodgy accounting to meet our measly Paris targets.
“We expect a government of climate deniers to use dirty tricks to shirk their climate responsibilities, but not Labor.
“Other major countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany voluntarily cancelled their Kyoto carryover credits.
“Instead of shaping up to profit from climate denialism, Labor needs to show some spine and do the same.
“We’re one of the worst polluters in the world. Instead of trying to wriggle out of our climate commitments and inhibiting coordinated global action to reduce emissions, we should be leading the way and encouraging other countries to follow.

The Greens have responded to the release of a secret Ernst & Young Audit report that has shown state governments, including South Australia have been mismanaging taxpayer funded environmental water throughout the Murray-Darling Basin, creating “unique fraud risks”.
“This audit shows the environment and taxpayers continue to be ripped off by both State and Federal Governments, including here in South Australia,” Greens spokesperson for Environment & Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The SA Government must answer to taxpayers and respond to audit findings that shows water purchased for the Coorong and environmental flows has instead been taken for industry purposes, leaving the internationally significant wetlands to suffer.
“The SA Water Minister must reveal who in his department knew of this, how much it has cost taxpayers and what action has been taken.
“Once again, we have another report showing that the Basin Plan is being mismanaged and is at risk of defrauding taxpayers. The Plan is meant to be securing water for the environment to keep the river system alive, and yet again we see it is riddled with fraud and water theft.
“Tax payers deserve better, we need a healthy river – it is the lifeblood of our country.
“These audit documents, hidden from the public, until the Greens pushed for release in the Senate, have exposed that the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has mismanaged $3.2 billion tax payers money and has expose the Commonwealth to “unique fraud risks”. It is South Australia, our Lower lakes and the Coorong that will suffer as a result.
“We have an international obligation to protect the Coorong wetland and lower lakes at the end of the Murray River system, but the South Australian government is more interested in cost cutting than saving our Murray and delivering the environmental water it needs.”
“The Coorong is unique and a special place for South Australians, we need a healthy river which means more water.
“The audit by Ernst & Young has produced more proof the Basin Plan is being mismanaged and is failing. We need a proper plan, free of corruption, mismanagement and that puts the environment back at the centre.”

Last night the Australian Greens National Council resolved to work with the NSW Greens to help it undertake a formal and independent review of Greens NSW structures and processes, including complaints processes and the Greens NSW Constitution. It also reaffirmed, that in the best interests of the party, Jeremy Buckingham should stand aside from the Upper House ticket at the next election.
This significant response is an opportunity for a constructive resolution to the issues in NSW, so that we can refocus on our mission of keeping the Liberal and Labor parties honest and putting forward a genuine alternative to politics as usual at the NSW election in March.
In the past, we’ve seen parties argue over perceived differences, talking about themselves and forgetting what they’re  elected to do.
As Greens, we’ve been elected to push for better essential services, stronger protection for the environment, improved housing affordability and genuine action on climate change – and with so many of the odds stacked against us, we must work together if we’re to succeed in our mission.
As a people driven movement, it’s important that our incredible supporters know we all stand together. Last night’s unanimous approval of the Greens NSW resolution for an independent review shows that we all acknowledge there’s work to be done, and we are committed to doing it.
Through this review, we have an incredible chance for everyone to come together over the coming months  to build a stronger party and a stronger movement..
The process will empower both MPs and grassroots Greens members – bringing everyone to the table to improve our internal processes, to be better organised and to deal with complaints and disputes better. With last night’s consensus agreement, we will now come together do the hard work of implementing the review.
Thanks to people coming together in good faith over recent days, we now have a path forward, and can show the community that we are the only party who will take on vested interests and create a better future for all of us.
– Leader of the Australian Greens, Dr Richard Di Natale