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The Greens say the Aspen Medical scandal confirms the Morrison Government as the dodgiest and most irresponsible in Australian history.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:

“At a time when the cost of living and rents are soaring, when many Australians are having to choose between buying school books for their kids or putting food on the table, we learn of yet another Morrison Government favour for its corporate mates.

“Keeping people safe during the pandemic was a critical government role. Robust and transparent procurement of PPE was essential, yet the government handed more than one billion dollars to a Liberal-linked company with zero experience in large-scale procurement with no tender process. Minister Hunt even wrote them a letter of endorsement!  

“The government has form with this kind of reckless spending and disregard for due process. Malcolm Turnbull ignored transparency rules and gifted $444 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, entrusting protection of one of Australia’s most precious assets to a fledgling organisation with only a handful of staff. 

“When Peter Dutton needed someone to run his inhumane refugee prisons, he awarded $423 million without tender to the Paladin Group, an inexperienced firm with almost no money and a head office at a beach shack on Kangaroo Island.

“This government is addicted to outsourcing critical services, which makes everything more expensive and less transparent. They have hollowed out the Australian Public Service and waste billions on private companies and consultants instead – who just happen to be generous political donors. 

“Instead of favours for donors, the Greens would invest in future pandemic preparedness with an independent National Centre for Disease Control making critical health decisions. We would build capacity to manufacture locally, and pay healthcare workers properly so we have a bigger workforce pool.

“We’d also restore the APS by lifting staffing to match 2012 levels, raising APS wages by 4% per annum over the next four years, and limiting outsourcing to labour hire firms and big consultancy firms.

“And we’ll continue our fight to restore public faith in our democracy by closing the revolving door between parliament and big business, banning dirty donations from dodgy industries, capping all other donations, implementing enforceable ministerial standards and establishing a robust and independent National Integrity Commission.”

“Scott Morrison has presided over more rorting than any Prime Minister before him. He has shown a complete disregard for transparency, due process and good investment of public funds. This is a government more interested in supporting its mates and buying elections, than in investing in a better future.

“It is the most secretive, unaccountable government in history and I cannot wait to see the back of them in three weeks’ time.”

The Greens have pledged $1.14 billion in extra federal funding for WA chronically underfunded hospitals.

This investment would be funded by repairing the broken ‘resource super profits tax’ (the PRRT), forcing big corporations to pay royalties on the gas they currently access for free.

The Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT), introduced in 1987, is meant to ensure that the public gets a fair share of the unearned revenue (rent) enjoyed by companies by virtue of having exclusive access to Commonwealth resources. 

Yet the majority of coal and gas corporations currently offshore their profits tax free.

By charging royalties on gas extracted in Commonwealth waters and wiping the obscene backlog of ‘tax credits’ used to avoid paying tax, we can raise over $92 billion over the next decade. 

The Greens will legislate to amend the PRRT, ensuring it does what it was designed to do – tax the big corporations fairly on their wealth so that we can fund the things we need to create a safer future for all of us, including but not limited to:

• Properly funding WA’s hospital system 
• Building 118,900 homes in Western Australia over the next twenty years
• Create hundreds of thousands of secure and well paid jobs in the renewable energy sector in WA 
• Getting dental and mental health care into Medicare.

Repairing the broken PRRT is a key part of the Greens’ comprehensive plan to create a better life for all of us, by making the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax. 

The Australian Tax Office has referred to the gas industry as “systemic non-payers” of tax and acknowledged that despite earning tens of billions in income each year, the ATO expects no significant tax revenue to come from gas companies until “the mid-2030s”.

Instead of raising revenue from their rich mates, governments at all levels have cut services for the rest of us – like public health, education and social services.

In March, the AMA (WA) 2022 Public Hospital Report Card showed “the WA Government’s chronic underfunding of health has created the vulnerabilities that have plagued the system in recent years,” with health operational budgets “still in serial decline.” 

Australian Greens leader, Adam Bandt said:

“In just one year, 27 big gas corporations brought in $77b in income but paid no tax. 

“When a nurse pays more tax than a multinational, something is seriously wrong.

“The Greens will make big gas corporations pay their fair share of tax to help get dental into Medicare.

“Australia’s natural resources belong to the people, but Liberal and Labor are giving away our gas for free, losing billions of dollars that should be funding hospitals and schools.

“The people of WA currently contribute more tax through car registrations than the multi-billion dollar gas industry pays for gas. 

“WA is being taken to the cleaners by big coal and gas corporations, and Australians are being ripped off.

“No other business gets their raw materials for free, but Woodside, Chevron and Exxon get free gas from this tax rort and then make obscene profits that they send offshore.

“Mining and burning coal and gas isn’t just driving the climate crisis, these big corporations are driving the cost of living crisis too.”

Senator Dorinda Cox, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia said:

“For decades, both Liberal and Labor governments have given billionaires and corporations massive tax handouts and tax breaks. 

“You know something is seriously wrong when billionaires like Gina Reinhart and Clive Palmer have more than doubled their wealth during a pandemic – and when our state gets more revenue from car registrations than we do from the multi-billion dollar gas industry. 

“While they get away with making huge profits, West Australians are missing out.

“Often, when we need healthcare, it is at a vulnerable time in our lives. By making oil and gas pay their fair share, we can properly invest in our hospital system, so that more West Australians can get the health care they need, when they need it.

“Taxing the billionaires and making them pay their fair share of tax would mean investments in a world-class hospital system in WA.

“We can deliver this, along with a home for all, thousands of well paid secure jobs in a renewables economy, and get dental into Medicare – all by making the billionaires and the big corporations pay their fair share.”

The Greens welcome the comprehensive In One Generation report from the National Women’s Safety Alliance today, and are proud to support its 20 priority actions. The Greens are calling on all other parties to match their commitment to fully fund frontline services, eliminate violence against women and deliver economic security.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The National Women’s Safety alliance has shown that ending violence against women within one generation is possible, if there is genuine commitment and funding to make it a reality. 

“There have sadly been 18 women killed by violence already this year. It’s a national crisis and we need to treat it like one.

“The Greens are proud that our election policy platform backs the policy asks laid out by the In One Generation campaign and we call upon all other parties to commit to those policies too.  

“The Greens have been fighting hard for progress on all these issues for decades alongside victim-survivors, activists and women’s organisations.

“Our policy to end gendered violence calls for a self-determined National Plan for First Nations Women and Girls, $1 billion per year to fully fund frontline and prevention services for the life of the plan, $477 million for consent education, $10,000 Survivor Grants, and stronger, consistent national laws governing domestic, family and sexual violence.

“We will reform the family law system and double legal assistance funding so women can get the advice and representation they need to protect themselves and their children.”

“We will help build a strong and trauma-informed workforce, and ensure frontline services, banks, teachers, healthcare workers, police and judges recognise and understand the dynamics of abusive relationships and how to help people affected by them”

“First Nations women, women from culturally diverse backgrounds, women in regional areas, older women, LGBTIQ+ women, and women with a disability are even more likely to experience violence and economic insecurity, and must be involved in the development and implementation of all policy responses.

“We will ensure that victim-survivors’ guide all decisions made under the National Plan, and we will invest in behaviour change and recovery programs to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives.”

“We have introduced legislation for ten days paid DV leave, pay transparency, and full implementation of the Respect@Work recommendations, including a positive duty on employers.

“We will build 1 million publicly owned houses and protect renters so every Australian can have access to a safe home.  We will increase the supply of crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing violence, and support Safe at Home programs.

“We have a comprehensive plan for free universal childcare, and fully costed proposals to expand paid parental leave to 26 weeks, facilitate more equitable sharing of care roles, lifting wages, closing the gender pay gap and increasing workforce participation.

“Ending violence against women within one generation is possible. But the Morrison Government has shown a complete unwillingness to take the action needed to make it happen.  That’s why Australian women need to vote them out and put the Greens in balance of power this election.”

Learn More:

Greens policies: End Gendered Violence & Gender Inequality

An Albanese Labor Government will freeze deeming rates at their current levels for two years, protecting around 900,000 pensioners and social security recipients from increases in interest rates.

Pensioners and older Australians are bearing the brunt of Scott Morrison’s cost of living crisis. It is the responsibility of any government to ease these pressures where they can.

But the coalition’s record shows they cannot be trusted to deliver for older Australians and pensioners.

Scott Morrison cut the pension for around 370,000 pensioners, scrapped pensioner concessions, and he tried to raise the pension age to 70.

Deeming rates are important because they are part of the income test that determines access to the pension and social security payments, the part pension and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. 

Between March 2015 to July 2019, interest rates fell four times but the government didn’t adjust the deeming rates once. 

Pensioners know that the Liberals and Nationals can’t be trusted on deeming rates. 

After almost a decade of this Liberal-National Government, the costs of essentials are out of control, real wages are falling, and now interest rates are rising by a quarter of a per cent.

The reality is that cost of living pressures have reached crisis levels on Scott Morrison’s watch. Now, he is having to do a patch-up job.

Labor has a plan for a better future beyond the election, which is designed to grow the economy without adding to inflationary pressures; ease cost of living pressures; get real wages growing again; and to get economic bang for buck from a Budget heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal-National debt.

Only Labor can be trusted to manage the economy in the best interests of all Australians, including older Australians and pensioners.

It was hard enough to make ends meet under Scott Morrison and today it got even harder for millions of Australians.

Even before today’s decision Australians were facing a full-blown costs of living crisis on his watch.

Scott Morrison’s economic credibility was already in tatters, now it’s completely shredded.

After almost a decade of this Liberal-National Government, the costs of essentials are out of control, real wages are falling, and now interest rates are rising by a quarter of a per cent.

Everything is going up except wages and now interest rate rises are part of the pain.

When things are going well in the economy Scott Morrison takes all the credit, but when things get difficult he takes none of the responsibility.

He can’t have it both ways. 

The RBA is an independent body and makes its own decisions on monetary policy free from political interference.

We’ve been responsible and reasonable about the causes of today’s decision.

But governments have a role to play in easing cost of living pressures, and in creating secure jobs which put upward pressure on wages.

All Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have is a plan to get them through the election, and one-off payments timed to land during the campaign and end after.

Labor has a plan for a better future beyond the election, which is designed to: grow the economy without adding to inflationary pressures; ease cost of living pressures; get real wages growing again; and to get economic bang for buck from a Budget heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal-National debt.

This Prime Minister and this Government have an excuse for everything and a plan for nothing, and it’s hardworking Australians who are paying the price once again.

The Morrison Government has guaranteed the level of income payments for 900,000 Australians following the increase by the RBA to the cash rate.

A re-elected Morrison Government will guarantee the rate used to determine the income earned from financial assets will be frozen at today’s record low level for the next two years to ensure payments are not reduced as earnings increase from deposit accounts held by social security recipients.

The Prime Minister said about 450,000 Age Pensioners and 440,000 other payment recipients would benefit from greater certainty around their fortnightly social security payments because of the Government’s deeming rate freeze.

“This is another shield to help protect Australians from the cost of living pressures people could feel from an increase in interest rates,” the Prime Minister said.

“In addition to our indexation of social security payments, we will guarantee the rate of income for people who could otherwise see their social security income drop because of the increase in interest rates.

“Our strong economic plan is the reason why we can afford to provide cost of living relief for Australians when they need it most.

“This guarantee will be a welcome relief to Australians who rely on both the social security system and modest income from investments by ensuring their payment rates are locked in.

“This builds on our commitments to support Australians on low incomes. Since 2019, our Government has reduced the deeming rate on three occasions which has put hundreds of dollars back in the hands of pensioners and other payment recipients.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Budget delivered the largest improvement to the bottom line in more than 70 years which was allowing the Coalition to invest in temporary, targeted and responsible cost of living measures.

“Global factors such as high oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and supply chain disruptions due to COVID are putting pressure on household budgets here at home,” the Treasurer said.

“This guarantee comes on top of our $250 cost of living payments, halving fuel excise, expanding access to the Commonwealth Senior’s Healthcare Card and cutting the price of Government subsidised medications.”

Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said deeming rates were used to determine the income of social security payment recipients who are earning money through financial investments such as savings accounts, term deposits, managed investments, listed shares and securities and some income streams.

“We are absolutely committed to backing in our older Australians to enjoy a happy and healthy retirement,” Minister Ruston said.

“The lower deeming rate will be frozen at 0.25 per cent for financial investments up to $53,600 for single pensioners and $89,000 for pensioner couples.

“The upper deeming rate will remain at 2.25 per cent on investment assets over the amount of $53,600 or $89,000 respectively.”

The Morrison Government is providing $40 million in new funding to Teach for Australia (TFA) and La Trobe University’s innovative Nexus program as a central pillar in the Coalition’s plan to lift student outcomes.

The funding will support 700 new TFA teachers and 60 new teachers through the Nexus program. This will enable Teach for Australia to double the number of exceptional teachers it trains and places, focusing on regional and remote areas and STEM subjects – where teacher shortages are greatest.

This new investment in these proven teaching programs is a key commitment in the Morrison Government’s plan for schools, which was released today. The plan outlines how the Government will return Australia to being one of the top education nations – through a strong curriculum, quality teaching and engaged classrooms.

Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Stuart Robert, said the investment in TFA builds on the consistent support from the Coalition Government.

“We have invested in Teach for Australia to place more than 400 new teachers in regional and disadvantaged schools since 2019. Currently, more than 50 per cent of TFA teachers are in regional and remote schools and more than 40 per cent are teaching maths or science subjects,” Minister Robert said.

“This new investment will enable Teach for Australia to double its reach and impact, helping to address teacher shortages and lift student outcomes right across the country.

“Our schools plan makes it clear that only the Coalition Government will give teachers and families the support they need for even stronger schools: with record funding and a commitment to boost standards.”

Today, the Morrison Government releases ‘Our Plan for Raising School Standards’, which includes a clear roadmap for excellence in Australian schools backed in by new investments:

• $40 million to support 700 new Teach for Australia teachers and 60 new teachers through La Trobe’s Nexus program
• $13.4 million to support changes to accreditation standards, including working with state and territory governments to lead a return to the one-year Graduate Diploma of Education, which will reduce the barriers stopping great mid-career professionals from taking their skills and experience to the classroom
• $10.8 million to develop new micro-credentials in classroom management, phonics and explicit teaching, and to support the expansion of the Quality Teaching Rounds program
• $7.2 million to provide professional resources and development opportunities for teachers and school leaders; develop a national data set to build a longitudinal picture measuring the impact of COVID-19; and bring together teachers, school leaders, academics, students and parents as part of a National Summit to discuss the challenges of returning to school after two years of disruption, along with proven strategies on how to improve classroom order.

Along with the funding announced in February to develop a new performance assessment framework for ITE courses, the commitments outlined today bring the Government’s investment in response to Lisa Paul’s Quality Initial Teacher Education Review to more than $70 million.

The new investments announced today build on the Morrison Government’s record schools funding, which totals $318.9 billion to all schools from 2018-2029 under the Quality Schools package.

The Government has nearly doubled schools funding over the past decade, from $13 billion in 2013 to $25.3 billion in 2022. Funding is growing fastest for government schools, at around 4.7 per cent per student each year, compared to per student growth of 3.8 per cent for the non-government sector.Only the Morrison Government has a plan to continue delivering a strong economy and a stronger future for Australians.