Category: Australian News

The Greens today launched a policy that will reallocate $4 billion from savings within the Defence budget towards domestic production capabilities of uncrewed marine and aerial vehicles as well as missiles, strictly for defensive purposes to ensure the defence of Australia without relying on the US and foreign arms companies. 

Currently, the Australian Defence Force is designed to work interoperably with the US military, not to defend Australia. This shows in Defence’s procurement. Purchasing a low quantity of large, highly technical, and overwhelmingly US equipment has become the norm, for example, Black Hawks, M1A2 tanks and, of course, the Virginia class nuclear submarines. The Greens will seek to end these projects. 

$2.4 billion will be saved from cancelling the M1A2 tanks and the Black Hawk projects. The utility of the M1A2 is in large-scale land engagement, such as the recent conflicts in the Middle East. Unless there is an acceptance that Australia’s military should be fighting in conflicts in the Middle East, Asian mainland or Europe, the need for these tanks is unclear. 

The Black Hawk is a 50-year-old design with the US phasing into a new type. This alone will cause supply issues and highlight the overreliance on US technology. Black Hawks are also very expensive when compared to other utility helicopters. There are other less expensive and better options. The remaining money for reallocation will come from the estimated spending of $375 billion on AUKUS. 

The reallocation is going towards sovereign manufacturing capabilities of uncrewed naval and aerial vehicles as well as medium-range and intermediate-range missiles, for strictly defensive purposes only.

Importantly, these will be genuinely sovereign capabilities, not merely purchases from the US or local assembly lines of imported components.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson for Defence, said: “For decades, the major parties have based Australia’s defence policy on dependence and integration with the US military. This was a mistake. 

“Our defence policy shouldn’t be based on Donald Trump coming to our rescue.

“Australia cannot continue to waste money on multi-billion dollar US weapons platforms, designed not to defend Australia but supplement Donald Trump’s military. 

“M1A2 Tanks and the Black Hawks share a lot of the same issues. They are both supplied by the US with little to no sovereign input, are expensive and outdated. Like AUKUS, this equipment is much more about signalling our loyalty to the US than defending Australia. 

“There are two obvious lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Low-cost defence equipment, such as drones that can be produced locally and at scale, are effective at territorial defence, and you cannot trust the US, especially under Trump. 

“To seriously decouple the ADF from the US and to proudly take an independent foreign policy, we need to develop sufficient sovereign capabilities. Unlike AUKUS though, these capabilities should be to defend Australia, not threaten our neighbours.

“In defence, what you buy and produce indicates your policy intent far more clearly than your media spin. What Liberal and Labor are screaming with their purchases is an unquestioning loyalty to the US and complete contracting out of our foreign policy to Washington.

“Australia’s most significant strategic asset is our relative geographical isolation. The major parties have made that into a liability by signing us up to US force projection, making distance an obstacle to overcome not an asset to work with. 

“Australia needs to have a defence force that is about that, defending ourselves, not threatening our neighbours. 

“If Australia wants an independent foreign policy and to detach ourselves from Donald Trump, we need to have a clear alternative. The major parties aren’t interested in that, the Greens are.”

Senator Sarah Hanson Young, Greens Spokesperson for the Environment and Water has responded to the Albanese Government’s environment announcement today.

“The extra money for environmental conservation is welcome. However $50m a year is a drop in the ocean of what is needed to halt the destruction of our forests and wildlife and reverse the damage big corporations are having on our natural landscape.

“Sadly, today’s announcement is a fig leaf for a government that has consistently backed the big coal and gas mines and the rotting salmon companies at the expense of Mother Nature.

“While the Environment Minister is out announcing limited funding for protected areas, the Prime Minister is doing deals with the Dutton Coalition to ram through legislation that will trash our environment laws and push ancient marine life to extinction.

“You can’t say you’re protecting the environment in one area while working to trash it everywhere else.

“$50m a year is nothing in comparison to the $12.5B of subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry last year alone. This announcement is not the dial shift nature needs.

“To truly protect the environment the government must stop approving and subsidising its destruction. We need decisive leadership to end native forest logging, protect threatened wildlife and address the climate crisis.

“The major parties have shown time and time again they will side with big corporations who want to keep polluting and destroying our environment. In a minority government, the Greens will hold Labor to account and fight for stronger action to safeguard our precious environment and stop our wildlife going extinct.”

There is no more important priority than keeping Australians safe.

The Government announced an Independent Intelligence Review in September 2023 to ensure our intelligence agencies are best positioned to continue to serve the Australian national interest.

The Independent Intelligence Review, led by Dr Heather Smith PSM and Richard Maude, has found Australia’s hard working National Intelligence Community is highly capable and performing well.

The unclassified report of the 2024 review has been released today.

The review found agencies have been successful in protecting Australia’s national interest.

The review recommends investing in further capability to ensure the intelligence community maintains its high performance across a range of fronts, including economic security, crisis warning and preparedness, and open source intelligence.

The Government will invest $44.6 million over four years from 2025-26 in the Office of National Intelligence to support initial implementation of key priorities identified in the response to the Review.

This new investment builds on a significant increase in funding for national security over the past three years.

Since coming to government in May 2022, we have increased national security funding over the forward estimates by $53 billion, or 20 per cent.

The Government’s commitment to keeping Australia secure means national security funding has increased from $265 billion over four years from 2021-22, to $318 billion over four years from 2024-25.

The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found significant progress had been made since the last Independent Intelligence Review in 2017.

This progress includes establishing the National Intelligence Community and creating the Office of National Intelligence to lead and coordinate the community.

Consistent with the approach to past independent intelligence reviews under successive Governments, details about the proposed approach to specific recommendations will remain classified.

Independent reviews of Australia’s intelligence community have been commissioned periodically since 2004 to ensure Australia can effectively meet and respond to future challenges.

The unclassified report can be found on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s website.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“I welcome this review. Our hard working intelligence agencies are crucial in safeguarding Australia’s national security, and we have full confidence in their capacity.

“We will continue to invest in capability to ensure Australia’s intelligence community can deal with emerging threats and challenges.

“I would like to thank Dr Smith and Mr Maude for their work on this review, which will ensure our intelligence community continues to protect our national interest.”

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Indonesian Foreign Minister His Excellency Sugiono, met today in Sydney to discuss cooperation on shared priorities under the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is Minister Sugiono’s first official visit to Australia since his appointment in October 2024.

The Ministers highlighted the profound strategic trust and strong friendship that characterises the relationship between Indonesia and Australia.

Australia and Indonesia are working to strengthen economic prosperity for both countries, advancing shared development priorities, enhancing the links between our people, and deepening longstanding cooperation on defence and regional security.

The Ministers agreed to update the Plan of Action for the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2025–2029) ahead of the next Annual Leaders’ meeting. This plan will set key priorities for forward cooperation.

A high-level Indonesian business delegation is also visiting Sydney this week. This builds on momentum from Australia’s largest ever investor mission to Indonesia last month, an initiative under Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

Indonesia’s strong economic growth represents an enormous opportunity for Australian businesses and investors. There is a great appetite amongst Indonesian consumers for Australian education, healthcare and consumer goods. At the same time, Indonesian investment into Australia has increased.

Minister Sugiono will attend this evening’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between the Australian and Indonesian men’s soccer teams, alongside Indonesian Minister for Youth and Sports Dito Ariotedjo.

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“This visit to Australia by Minister Sugiono, Minister Dito Ariotedjo and a high-level Indonesian business delegation demonstrates the breadth of our bilateral relationship across political and strategic cooperation; economic partnership; and the strong links between our people.

“Deepening our economic engagement with Indonesia is of enormous value to both our countries, and is a key part of Australia’s broader effort to diversify our economy, especially through growing markets in Southeast Asia.”

Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sugiono:

“This visit signifies the strong partnership between our two countries which is built on shared values, mutual respect for sovereignty, and our unwavering commitment to take an active part in fostering peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and at the global stage.

“We will continue to highlight our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, critical minerals, electric vehicle and battery products, agriculture and food security, education, research, defense and security, and people-to-people contact.”

Today Leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury will introduce legislation to the ACT Legislative Assembly which will revoke a development approval for the environmentally important  ‘Ainslie Volcanics’ off Limestone Avenue.

“As a community, Canberrans take pride in our commitment to caring for the environment. Today, the Greens are calling on Members of the Legislative Assembly to reflect that commitment, and reflect the significant community opposition to construction of a large telecommunications tower at Ainslie Volcanics,” said Leader of the ACT Greens Shane Rattenbury.

“Ainslie Volcanics is an area of critically endangered grasslands that grassroots community volunteers have invested hundreds, if not thousands of hours into restoring. Building a tower here threatens to undermine the hard work and dedication of these community volunteers–the Greens won’t stand for it.

“This site is home to some of the last remaining natural temperate grasslands in Australia, and it’s our responsibility to do everything we can to restore and protect them. While it’s true Ainslie Volcanics has faced significant decline, our focus should be on repairing and restoring it, not abandoning it. 

“In 2024, as a condition to forming a government, the Greens secured a written and public commitment from the Labor Party to specifically protect this site. The legislation we are proposing today provides a mechanism for the Labor Party to help us deliver on this commitment. 

“Our legislation follows the same approach, unanimously supported by the ACT Legislative Assembly in 2021, to stop polluting incinerators from being built in Fyshwick. At the time, there was significant community opposition to the proposal to build an incinerator, with concerns surrounding the pollution and potential impact on air quality.

“Following a considerable community campaign, everyone in the ACT Legislative Assembly agreed change was needed, and specific legislation was brought forward to completely stop incinerators from being built in Fyshwick.

“Now, in the case of Ainslie Volcanics, members of the ACT Legislative Assembly face a similar choice. While current planning laws technically allow this tower to be built, this doesn’t reflect what the Canberra community wants. 

“It’s the Assembly’s job to step in and fix things when they’re not in the best interest of the people. This is the moment for all members of this place to take action and listen to the community to secure a better outcome.

“This doesn’t have to be a complicated decision. The government’s own planning documents show that this tower could have been placed just a few hundred meters up the road, avoiding this entire issue. 

“The community, along with the Greens, aren’t against the idea of a new cell tower. There are practical alternatives available—what we need now is the political will to make them a reality.”

Quotes attributable to Marianne Albury-Colless, Friends of Ainslie Volcanics Grasslands:

“The last thing we should be doing is destroying critically endangered Natural Temperate Grasslands and disfiguring areas where people enjoy walking.

“Of course these towers are necessary but community concerns need to be heard about the positioning of them. 

“Legislation has to change so that the community has a voice in where these towers are located.”

Amy Blain, Friends of Ainslie Volcanics Grasslands:

“We’re so lucky to have these precious pocket grasslands in the heart of the Bush Capital, it’s places like this that are absolutely vital ecosystems. 

“If our governments are serious about protecting nature and ending extinctions, they have to actively do that. 

“We have to tip the balance back to the environment and not keep degrading and destroying grasslands, developing ever closer to areas we need to restore. 

“We are delighted to see The Greens legislating to protect this special place.

“If we want to protect nature we cannot keep selling it out for telecoms. The cost to the Grasslands is too high.” 

The Greens say Labor’s claim that today’s 22 cents a day indexation of JobSeeker will help with cost-of-living pressures is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of people the government has chosen to leave in poverty while costs have soared.

Greens spokesperson for Social Services Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Claims from the Social Services minister that indexation is ‘helping Australians with cost of living pressures’ are pretty revolting when she knows full well that her government administers a system of poverty payments.

“Indexation for the JobSeeker payment is a pathetic 22 cents a day. It’s a pathetically small adjustment that will do nothing to improve the lives of the hundreds of thousand of people who are barely surviving on the meagre payments Labor provides.

“Labor must raise the rate above the poverty line. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world – it’s time we made the billionaires and tax-dodging corporations cough up their fair share so Australians get a fair go.

“The Greens will keep fighting to lift all Centrelink payments about the poverty line, and we won’t stop until no one is forced to live in poverty.

Shane Rattenbury, Leader of the ACT Greens:

“Today’s legislation from Labor to regulate short-term rentals falls far short of addressing the housing crisis facing Canberrans.

“The Greens went to the election calling for stronger action, with options such as limiting short-term rentals to the home you live in. 

“The government’s step today is insufficient. This small levy will fail to increase the number of affordable homes available to long-term renters, and it will fail to raise enough revenue to make a meaningful impact on the budget bottom line.

“In this housing crisis, the ACT Government needs to do everything it can to ensure every member of our community has access to a stable and affordable home.”

The Greens will today launch their plan to end homelessness, offering every single one of the 37,800 people experiencing chronic homelessness across Australia access to a permanent home and wrap-around support services, with no strings attached. The plan has been launched a week after the Lord Mayor of Brisbane announced the council would be evicting homeless campers from parks without having provided any safe and secure housing alternatives.

The Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather MP will launch the plan today alongside the CEO of Common Ground, a supportive housing provider in South Brisbane which has been proven to work, helping hundreds of people who were previously chronically homeless stay off the streets long term, improving their health, happiness and giving them a sense of home. 

The Greens plan would see the Federal Government fund 50,000 ongoing supportive tenancies over the first four years, along with doubling housing and homelessness funding to the states. This would see every Australian suffering long term homelessness offered a good home, with supportive services. The extra places would be provided in anticipation of emerging new needs during the housing crisis. 

Once in a secure home, participants will receive the wrap-around support services they need to stay there long-term, and are supported to manage complex personal, mental health or substance abuse issues. 

The approach means homeless people are supported to stay in safe and suitable homes where they feel safe, rather than being dumped in motels with no supports or cramped boarding houses with poor ventilation where they may be exposed to drugs, violence or harassment, and eventually face eviction or choose to leave for their own safety.

The Greens will follow successful international models such as Finland’s ‘Housing First’ program which has virtually eliminated chronic homelessness, and been successful in pilot projects in Australia. Housing First programs like Common Ground in Brisbane helps keeps residents out of emergency departments, hospitals and the justice system, saving the government far more than the programs cost.

The Greens plan to end homelessness will:

• Invest $5.2 bn over the first four years for:
  • Providing 50,000 ongoing Housing First supportive tenancies nationwide, providing people experiencing chronic homelessness and at-risk youth with the support they need to build stable lives and stay housed long-term. 20,000 of the places would be set aside for at-risk youth.
  • Building 40 new supportive accommodation buildings around Australia, such as Common Grounds and Youth Foyers, providing purpose-built supportive and affordable housing to permanently house and support thousands of adults experiencing chronic homelessness and provide stable, genuinely affordable housing and support to keep thousands of young people out of long-term homelessness
• Double federal funding to states and territories for homelessness services and public and community housing ($7.5 bn over first four years)

The Greens plan would also see funding to states and territories for public and community housing and homelessness services doubled, a desperately needed intervention to reverse Australia’s decades long decline in public housing and chronic underfunding of homelessness services, which are currently regularly forced to close their doors due to underresourcing.

The total cost of the plan to solve homelessness is $12.7 billion over the next four years, and would be funded through the Greens plan to tax big corporations, including the big banks. 

The plan sits alongside the Greens previously launched plan to address Australia’s shortfall in genuinely affordable housing by establishing a public property developer to build 610,000 homes over the coming decade and sell and rent them at well below market rates, with 20% allocated to those on the lowest incomes.

Last Census there were 122,000 people homeless on Census night. For many of these people, what they need is an affordable home, which would be provided by the public developer. But for others who face complex challenges such as mental health, substance abuse issues or recent incarceration, housing alone is not enough. In Australia there are around 37,800 people experiencing persistent homelessness

According to Federal Government data, this is an increase from 29,500 in 2018–19 to 37,800 in 2023–24. “Increases were particularly evident among clients aged under 25 (around 18,100 clients) and women and children affected by family and domestic violence (15,700).”

Australian Greens housing and homelessness spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather MP:

“The Greens will tax big corporations like the big banks to fund a plan to end homelessness in Australia, because it’s not right that thousands of Australians are forced to sleep in parks while the Commonwealth Bank makes record profits.”

“It might sound radical to some politicians, but the solution to homelessness is giving people homes and then providing the support they need to get back on their feet.”

“It is a national disgrace that there are tens of thousands of children and women, often escaping domestic violence, abandoned to long term homelessness because neither major party cares enough to fund the support services they need to escape a life of deprivation and hardship.”

“The Greens plan to end homelessness adopts the Housing First model, which has virtually eliminated chronic homelessness in Finland and is working successfully in Australia in projects like Common Ground.”

“Instead of requiring people to get their lives together to prove they are worthy of a home, the Greens Plan to end homelessness says that everyone deserves a secure place to call home, and provides rough sleepers with permanent housing and the wrap-around support services they need to actually stay there long-term.” 

“The Lord Mayor of Brisbane has falsely claimed that the vast majority of people are choosing to be homeless. We know for a fact, from chatting to services on the ground, that there are hundreds of people just in this part of Brisbane alone that have been denied the housing and support they need because there is simply not enough funding. The LNP’s plan is doomed to fail because Labor and the Liberals are giving people nowhere else to go.”

“In a wealthy country like ours, nobody should be forced to sleep in a park because they don’t have a safer option. But that’s where Labor and the Liberals’ housing crisis has led us.”

“In a minority parliament the Greens will keep Dutton out and push Labor to fund real action on the homelessness and housing crisis.”

Sue Pope, CEO of Common Ground Queensland:

“Homelessness is solvable. Supportive housing like Brisbane Common Ground ends homelessness and prevents re-entry into homelessness for people with the most complex issues”

“Supportive housing results in excellent outcomes for tenants including improved life expectancy, reduced social isolation and loneliness and reduced exposure to violence,  it saves governments in avoided costs savings and it is the right thing to do for our communities.”

“Homelessness is a whole of community issue, not a political issue. Governments need to work together to address homelessness.”

 “A commitment for more supportive housing like Brisbane Common Ground will have life changing results for individuals and families and for our communities.”

Professor Kidd is a highly respected medical leader known for his significant contributions to public health and primary health care, in Australia and internationally.

He has extensive experience as a general practitioner, primary care researcher, educator and academic and has served as president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the World Organization of Family Doctors.

Most recently, Professor Kidd has been the Professor of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems at the University of Oxford, and Director of the International Centre for Future Health Systems at the University of New South Wales.

Professor Kidd served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor with the Department of Health and Aged Care during the COVID-19 pandemic making a significant contribution to the national primary care response.

Professor Kidd:

“I am looking forward to rejoining the Department of Health and Aged Care and supporting national reforms in public health and healthcare services.”

The Albanese Labor Government is making cheaper medicines even cheaper – with a script to cost Australians no more than $25 under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

This is another key cost of living measure delivered by the Albanese Government which will continue to put downward pressure on inflation.

Having already slashed the cost of medicines – with the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS in 2023 – we’re now going even further.

This is a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year.

Only Labor is committed to delivering cost of living relief for Australians, while strengthening Medicare.

Making medicines cheaper is a tangible way we’re helping with the cost of living.

Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of this $689 million investment in next week’s Budget.

The last time that PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was 2004.

Pensioners and concession cardholders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030.

This builds on action we’ve already taken to deliver cost of living relief through Cheaper Medicines, including:

• More free and cheaper medicines, sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a patient must fill before the PBS Safety Net kicks in – $480 million (July 2022)
• The largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a script falling to $30, from $42.50 – $624 million (January 2023)
• 60-day prescriptions saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition – $165 million  (Three phases from September 2023)
• Freezing the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for all Australians for the first time in 25 years – $9 million (January 2025)

If re-elected the Albanese Government will pass legislation and $25 maximum PBS scripts will start from January 1 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government will continue to deliver cost of living relief for all Australians.

“Cheaper medicines is another way we are helping with the cost of living, while putting downward pressure on inflation – our number one focus.

“With cheaper medicines, more free GP visits and a stronger Medicare, we say to Australians: we’ve got your back.”

Minister for Health Mark Butler

“The last time Australians paid no more than $25 for a PBS medicine was over 20 years ago. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket and good for your health.

“When Peter Dutton was Health Minister, he tried to make medicines cost more, not less.”

“Peter Dutton tried to jack up the cost of medicines by up to $5 a script and put free medicines for sick pensioners even further out of reach.”

“In opposition, Peter Dutton and the Liberals voted to block cheaper medicines six times

“The contrast this election is clear: cheaper medicines with a re-elected Albanese Government, or the frankly terrifying legacy of Peter Dutton, who wants medicines to cost more, not less.”