Australian News – Page 659

FIRST STOP: LOGAN – LABOR WILL BUILD URGENT CARE CLINIC AT LOGAN HOSPITAL

A Shorten Labor Government will deliver better access to emergency and specialist outpatient care for the people of Logan – and reduce pressure on the local hospital’s emergency department – by building a new Urgent and Specialist Care Centre.
This is part of Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals.
The Logan region is growing rapidly, and its population is ageing and has more complex health requirements than most, putting enormous pressure on local health services.
Labor will invest $33.4 million to establish the new Centre, which will treat people with urgent but not life-threatening illnesses and injuries – meaning they won’t end up in Logan Hospital, freeing up doctors and nurses to deal more quickly with more serious emergencies.
The Centre will be run by the hospital and include 11 urgent care beds to treat people with injuries such as minor fractures, dislocations, abrasions and lacerations, as well as respiratory tract infections.
Outpatient care will be a key focus of the Centre with the inclusion of 22 specialist consultation rooms – boosting Logan Hospital’s capacity by a third – and boast pathology, diagnostic imaging and pharmacy services.
The new walk-in Centre will operate seven days a week and is expected to see over 15,000 patients a year.
This will not only reduce pressure on Logan’s emergency department – and the hospital car park – but also reduce the need for people to travel for hospital services. More people will be able to access care in their own community.
This is another example of Labor’s commitment to delivering the best possible health care for all Australians, no matter where they live or how much money they have.
The Liberals on the other hand just cut and cut and cut: including a $6.1 million cut from Logan Hospital from 2017 to 2020, equivalent to 9,000 ED visits or 15,000 outpatient appointments. That’s part of a $160 million cut to Queensland and a $715 million cut nationwide.
Now Scott Morrison is trying to lock in those cuts for another five years – but the Queensland Labor Government has rejected their inadequate deal.
Labor will reverse the Liberal cuts with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund – including through projects such as this one.
This announcement builds on Labor’s proud record in Logan. In 2011, federal Labor invested $175 million to deliver 50 new beds and a new ED building at Logan Hospital.
And in 2017 Queensland Labor commited $281 million for the Logan Hospital redevelopment, including a bed increase from 448 to up to 640, and $12.6 million for a new maternity ward. This project will support the redevelopment.
The site for the new Centre will be determined in consultation with Logan Hospital and the local community, including the council and local education institutions.
Labor can afford to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals because we are tackling unfair tax loopholes and making multinationals pay their fair share.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix Queensland’s hospitals.

SPLASHING OUT FOR PALMERSTON POOL UPGRADE

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $5 million to renew the Palmerston swimming pool, ensuring the local community has a modern swimming pool that will effectively meet the challenges of a growing community.
Palmerston is the second largest and fastest growing city in the Northern Territory, with the population forecast to reach over 70,000 residents in the following decades. As a regional hub, the pool services Palmerston and the surrounding local government areas.
The Palmerston pool is almost 30 years old, and it is in need of serious upgrades in order to operate effectively for a growing community and to provide more opportunities for health and well-being.
Labor’s $5 million investment will go towards:

refurbishing the 50 metre pool with a ramp, wet deck and shade sails for community comfort and year-round swimming;
a leisure pool with beach entry, interactive features and a dedicated learn to swim section with in-pool ledges;
an adventure zone including water slides;
a BBQ area for families;
spectator viewing for swimming competitions; and
a dry play area (interactive/adventure playground)

Local swimming pools like Palmerston are incredibly important – especially for Northern Australia where access to safe swimming beaches and rivers is limited, and in some cases restricted.
Every child also has the right to learn to swim. Access to local swimming pools for lessons through either school programs or local swim schools is critical to ensuring kids have this opportunity.
And because the Palmerston pool is the only public pool in the Palmerston and surrounding areas which can provide the community with this access to learn to swim classes, upgrading the pool is essential.
Labor knows that investing in infrastructure isn’t just about building roads and rail – it’s about investing in better lives for the community, through increased access to sports and leisure facilities like the Palmerston pool.
This pool upgrade is long overdue – the community has been campaigning long and hard for a new pool and thanks to the advocacy of Luke Gosling, Labor is delivering.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $10 million. Labor will work in partnership with Chief Minister Michael Gunner and City of Palmerston Council to make sure this vital upgrade is delivered.
Labor has made hard budget decisions to ensure our priorities are fully paid for – we will make multinationals pay their fair share and close unsustainable tax loopholes, because we want the Palmerston community to have access to modern swimming facilities.

FISH KILLS BECOMING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY, THE PRIME MINISTER MUST ACT

Reports today from the NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair that there have been more fish kills across the State, including on the NSW-Victorian border at Lake Hume, are unacceptable.
This ecological disaster is now becoming a national emergency. The Australian Government needs to act now.
The reports of a new fish kills surfaced soon after it was revealed that the NSW Water Minister did not know about the Government’s “emergency meeting” that Ministers, including the Federal Water Minister, won’t attend.
Minister Blair is quoted in Fairfax Media saying:
“It was all news to us”
“I’m at a bit of a loss – what is it going to do?”
It is astounding that the NSW Water Minister doesn’t know why the meeting is happening. It is also being reported the reason the Federal Minister hasn’t visited affected areas is because he is travelling to Germany.
On Monday, the Shadow Minister for Environment and Water visited Menindee to inspect the disaster first hand, and to meet with locals. The Prime Minister must direct his Water Minister to do the same.
Labor has written to the Government requesting an urgent scientific taskforce to immediately get to the bottom of how this unfolding disaster has taken place. This review was to be focussed on the Darling River and Menindee. It now needs to include the latest fish kills.
Labor has offered to support the findings of the scientific review and if that means urgent changes to legislation, we will support that.
But Australia also needs the Prime Minister to show leadership:

if reports are true, recall his Water Minister from Germany and direct him to visit affected areas;
respond to Labor’s calls for a science taskforce, and establish and resource taskforce so it can report to Parliament;
identify actions that can be taken now to prevent further fish kills, including where there is water in the system; and
make available the full resources of the Commonwealth to help with river clean up as this is no longer just a matter for NSW.

Once we know all the facts the Prime Minister needs to convene an emergency meeting of Basin State leaders.
While acknowledging the drought is extreme, the nature of this is unprecedented and requires an immediate national response informed by experts.
At a time when a national emergency is developing, the Prime Minister, the Federal Water Minister and even the Government’s special envoy on drought, are nowhere to be seen.

LABOR’S RECORD BOOST FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH FOR KIDS

A Shorten Labor Government will provide a record boost for Type 1 diabetes research by investing $50 million in clinical trials and supporting our best and brightest researchers in their quest for a cure for Australian children.
Labor will extend funding for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Clinical Research Network, an effort we established in 2010, which takes research where it’s needed most – directly to the people living with this chronic disease.
More than 120,000 Australians have Type 1 diabetes and Labor has a proud record of supporting them. Today’s announcement is all about helping kids living with diabetes and finding a cure to protect them in the future.
Under the Liberals, the Network’s funding is due to expire in June 2019 – less than six months away. In its first Budget, a Shorten Labor Government will extend and increase that funding for a further five years to 2024 – meeting the request of JDRF and its thousands of advocates.
Labor’s extra funding would allow the CRN to enter phase three of its mission, which would involve:

Increasing the volume and impact of type 1 diabetes clinical trials;
Translating research findings into new technologies and treatments; and
Supporting Australia’s world-class type 1 diabetes researchers in their bid to find a cure.

Labor’s commitment will cost $50 million from 2019-20 to 2023-24. Labor is able to make investments like this in health because we’ve made the right calls on unaffordable tax giveaways to wealthy Australians.
Of course Scott Morrison could end the funding uncertainty immediately – and we urge him to do just that by matching Labor’s commitment. The JDRF CRN is a world-leading research effort that deserves strong bipartisan support.
So far the Network – a collaboration between researchers, patients and industry – has enrolled 13,000 Australians in clinical trials of new drugs and devices, as well as prevention and early detection projects.
In addition to establishing the JDRF CRN in 2010, we went to the last election with a major commitment to expand support for Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices so that pregnant women and high-risk adults could get access to this life-changing technology. We are glad that the Liberals have recently emulated this policy after consistent advocacy from Labor and diabetes groups.
Labor believes in making health care affordable and accessible to all Australians, and in the power of health and medical research to achieve breakthroughs that improve lives.

LABOR’S FAIR GO PLAN TO HELP CLOSE THE GENDER PAY GAP

Labor will deliver a fair go for Australian women by strengthening the ability of the Fair Work Commission to order pay increases for workers in female dominated industries such as early childhood, aged care, and disability services.
Labor will change the Fair Work Act to make it clear that the Commission must consider pay equity a central objective of the workplace relations system.
Labor will give the Commission greater capacity and funding to conduct Pay Equity Reviews and order pay increases in undervalued feminised industries. Low paid workers should not have to rely on fighting complex, expensive legal cases to secure a decent wage rise.
Pay Equity Reviews will be conducted by a new Presidential member of the Commission, supported by an expert Pay Equity Panel.
We don’t need to compare female dominated jobs with male dominated jobs to know that female dominated industries are often poorly paid – that’s just a fact. So we will change the Fair Work Act to make it clear that establishing undervaluation of female dominated industries does not require a male comparator.
These reforms are an important part of Labor’s plan to close the gender pay gap.
A fair go for all Australians means fair pay and conditions for Australian women.
The gender pay gap is one of the most persistent forms of inequality in the Australian economy. When you consider total remuneration, women still get paid about 23 per cent less than men.
One of the key drivers of the gap is the fact work in traditionally female dominated industries is undervalued.
The average woman working in the most feminised industries such as health care, social assistance and education is paid around $30,000 less than the average man working in the most male dominated industries such as mining and construction.
Australia’s equal pay laws are not working well enough to tackle this problem. Of the 21 applications made since 1994, only one equal remuneration order has been made by the Fair Work Commission.
The Commission’s President, Iain Ross, recently said “it is likely [the gender pay gap] will widen again absent any measures to stop it.”
That’s why Labor will:

Make gender pay equity an object of the Fair Work Act;
Establish a statutory Equal Remuneration Principle, to guide the Fair Work Commission’s consideration of whether feminised industries are paid fairly;
Establish a new Pay Equity Panel within the Commission led by a new Presidential Member with specific expertise in gender pay equity; and
Fund the Commission to establish a Pay Equity Unit that will provide expert research support during equal remuneration matters, and more generally.

This announcement builds on commitments Labor has already made to tackle the gender pay gap, including:

Reversing cuts to penalty rates, which disproportionately impact women;
Investing $400 million to boost women’s superannuation balances;
Setting staged and progressive targets to close the gender pay gap, and making an annual statement to Parliament on progress;
Legislating so companies with more than 1,000 employees have to report their gender pay gap publicly;
Changing the Fair Work Act to prohibit pay secrecy clauses and give employees the right to disclose (or not disclose) their pay;
Requiring the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to publish a list that shows whether a company has undertaken a gender pay gap audit and reported the results to its board; and
Requiring all Australian Government departments and agencies to conduct gender pay audits within the first year of a Labor Government.

LABOR’S TEN- YEAR PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MORE CONSTRUCTION JOBS

A Shorten Labor Government will help more Australian families with the cost of rent and turbocharge housing construction in Australia, with a ten- year national plan to build 250,000 houses – Australia’s biggest ever investment in affordable housing.
This is a cost of living plan, a jobs plan and a housing plan. It will give working families a fair go to put a roof over their head now – and save for their own home in the future.
Labor will support affordable housing for renters by offering 15 year subsidies – $8500 per year – to investors who build new houses – conditional on them being rented at 20 per cent below market rent.
Support for 250,000 new units and houses will be available – with 20,000 new units and houses estimated to be built in the first term of a Shorten Labor Government.
These properties would be available to rent to eligible Australians – including those on low and moderate incomes – taking pressure off budgets and helping people save.
A family paying the national rental average of $462 a week could save $92 a week under Labor’s plan.
Labor’s plan will provide investors with certainty to build – knowing that they will have long term government support and guarantees beyond the decade. The existing rental scheme – the National Rental Affordability Scheme – has attracted private investment of approximately $12.9 billion to deliver 37,000 affordable rental dwellings in the ten years since 2008.
Despite this success, the Liberals have abandoned affordable housing and axed the subsidies that encourage affordable housing. There is a severe shortage of affordable rental housing in Australia and many families are struggling to find and keep a roof over their heads. The number of Australians experiencing rental and mortgage stress is at record levels.
Access to housing stands as one of the biggest challenges in addressing intergenerational inequality – there is a persistent and increasing wealth gap which is locking Australians out of the housing market.
Increasing the supply of affordable housing is critical to addressing pressures on disposable income, and in turn, addressing inequality.
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has estimated that there is a shortfall of more than 525,000 affordable rental properties in Australia.
Labor’s plan will deliver affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that help to reduce energy consumption and cost of living pressures on Australian families. Overseas students, temporary foreign workers, other non-residents will not be eligible tenants.
Labor will work with community housing providers, the residential construction sector and institutional investors to generate economic growth and new construction jobs. The plan will support Labor’s negative gearing reforms which direct concessions to newly built premises and encourage housing construction.
Consistent with Labor’s commitment on major infrastructure projects, one in ten jobs during construction and maintenance of properties will go to an Australian apprentice.
Only Labor will give families a fair go by investing in the plans, infrastructure and services needed to build a better and more equal Australia and help working families with cost-of-living pressures.
Labor’s policy has been costed independently by the Parliamentary Budget Office and will have an impact of $102 million over the forward estimates (to 2021-22), and $6.6 billion over the decade to 2028-29.
More information is available here.

Greens call on Shorten to commit to scrapping the cashless debit card

The Greens are calling on opposition leader Bill Shorten to commit to abolishing the cashless debit card, should they win Government this year.
“With Mr Shorten in Bundaberg today and the card set to rollout out in just over a week, he has the perfect opportunity to commit to scrapping this expensive, ineffective, punitive card,” Greens Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters said.
“I was in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay late last year with my colleague and Greens spokesperson for family and community services, Senator Rachel Siewert, and the local community is devastated by what this card will mean for them and their children.
“Labor did not support the rollout in Queensland and they should commit to scrapping the card if, but most likely when, they win Government.
“Control of your personal finances is very important for your dignity and sense of self-worth, that is taken away with compulsory income management and it should therefore be completely abolished in Australia.
“The money wasted on income management needs to be spent on better employment services, raising Newstart and drug, alcohol and mental health services. I’ve spent the last week in north and central Queensland and it’s been very apparent that all our regional areas need urgent improvements to these services and that’s where the Government’s focus should be.”

Australians deserve the truth on Murray Darling Basin

Reports that the South Australian Government may prevent the SA Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission’s final report from being made public show a contempt for the Australian people, and the need for an urgent federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin, the Greens say.
“The South Australian Government should not be running a protection racket for their federal counterparts and release this report immediately when the Commissioner delivers it. It’s political interference like this that warrants a federal Royal Commission as a matter of urgency. We need to stop the cover-ups and games, which is why when Parliament resumes I will be asking my colleagues to vote to establish a national Royal Commission,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“While the SA Royal Commission is expected within weeks, the scandals and problems continue. As a Senator for South Australia and member of the Federal Parliament, I am formally requesting the Commissioner provides me a copy of the report once it has been delivered to the Governor.
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan has been corrupted, mismanaged and interfered with by all levels of Government. It would be an absolute disgrace for a report investigating these matters to be hidden for political expediency.
“We know that even though the South Australian Royal Commission already had its wings clipped by the Federal and SA Governments the report is expected to be scathing. The Royal Commissioner’s findings should be released without political interference.
“Australians – who have spent $13 billion on a Plan that isn’t working – deserve better than this. The community is expecting the SA Royal Commissioner’s findings on February 1, and deserve to know the truth.”

Senator & Water Engineer Faruqi Visited Menindee Lakes & Broken Hill

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and water engineer, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has visited the Menindee Lakes and Broken Hill to meet with locals and discuss the crisis of the Murray Darling system.
Dr Faruqi said:
“It’s clear that there is justified and widespread community anger at the situation and at the Liberal/National Governments at state and Federal levels that have caused it to happen.
“As a water engineer, I know that healthy river systems only function when they are allowed to have significant environmental flows. The system has been denied that for many years by rules that privilege big corporations and operators over the environment and community.
“For years, this river system has been used and abused for profit. The hundreds of thousands of dead fish in the river system is the tragic result of that. I am really concerned that another mass fish kill is not a matter of if, but when.
“We also cannot hope to protect our mighty Murray Darling system if we don’t address the elephant in the room, dangerous climate change that will mean more and more severe droughts and heatwaves.
“The community members I met with have a clear call for action – return flows from upstream and establish a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of this disaster.
“I thank the locals of Menindee for their hospitality, support and resilience and assure them that the Greens will continue to stand with them, shoulder to shoulder, until this mess is fixed.
“The Greens will be moving to set up a Royal Commission into this whole sorry saga as soon as Parliament resumes. This is an issue of national and international importance,” she concluded.

Government to Require Councils to hold Australia Day Citizenship Ceremonies

Australian citizenship is an immense privilege, and fundamental to our national identity. Whether you are Australian by birth or choose to settle here, Australian citizenship is at the heart of who we are and what we believe as a nation.
The Government is updating the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code, which governs how citizenship ceremonies are conducted, to ensure the importance of these events is fully reflected across our nation.
As part of this update, the Government will require that citizenship ceremonies be held on Australia Day across the nation.
More than 73,000 people have become Australian citizens on Australia Day in the past five years, making it by far the most popular day of the year for people to attend a citizenship ceremony.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the new Code will better reflect the expectations of the Australian community and provide clear guidance to Councils on hosting citizenship ceremonies.
“New citizens should be given the opportunity to become an Australian on our national day,” Mr Coleman said.
“While most Councils already hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, becoming an Australian on our national day is a great privilege and I want more people to have that opportunity.
“Australia Day is an incredibly important part of our national calendar, and each year Australians in huge numbers celebrate our success at the many events organised by Councils across the country.”
Along with a requirement to hold a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day, Councils will also be required to hold a ceremony on Australian Citizenship Day (September 17). Council s will be able to continue to hold citizenship ceremonies on other days throughout the year.
A recommended dress standard will also be introduced for those who attend a citizenship ceremony given the significance and formality of the event. Conferees may continue to wear national or cultural dress.
Mr Coleman will write to all Councils in the coming days, who will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes to the Code. The new Code will be formally introduced in the first half of 2019.
Once implemented, Councils that choose not to hold a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day will be in breach of the Code and will have their authorisation to host citizenship ceremonies revoked.