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The Greens will vote against the Online Safety Bill because it is poorly drafted and could lead to widespread, unintended consequences.
“This Bill would make the eSafety Commissioner the sole arbiter of internet content in Australia ,” Greens Digital Rights spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“It creates extraordinary powers for any one person to hold, let alone an unelected bureaucrat.”
“It also fails to provide for timely reviews or appeals of decisions made by the eSafety Commissioner.”
“We are concerned that people opposed to sex work, pornography and sexual health for LGBTIQ+ people could abuse the complaints process to seek to have lawful online adult content removed.”
“Public interest news that involves violent imagery, such as footage of police violence, could also be taken down.”
“However, the Greens recognise the need to stamp out online abuse, violence, racism and far right extremism, so we call on the government to withdraw this Bill and redraft it.”

The Senate has today recognised that the climate crisis is the greatest threat to our health this century.
“The fact is, the climate crisis is a health emergency”, Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“The Government acted on the science when it came to the COVID crisis and yet for decades they have refused to act on the science when it comes to the climate crisis.
“In Parliament today there are over 30 health leaders, including two former chief state health officers, calling for a National Strategy on Climate Change, Health and Wellbeing.
“We urgently need a National Strategy on Climate Change, Health and Well-being to protect our community and our future generations.”
The motion reads:
I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move that the Senate –

1. Notes that the World Health Organization has acknowledged climate change to be the greatest threat to health this century;
2. Recognises that acting on climate change is the greatest opportunity to improve health;
3. Also recognises the Australian Government, as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, has an obligation to consider health in its climate change response;
4. Applauds the growing calls from the health sector to act on climate to protect our health, including the 30 health leaders in Parliament today meeting with representatives to discuss climate change and health; and
5. Calls on the Government to urgently develop a ‘National Strategy on Climate Change, Health and Well-being’, which is supported by more than 50 health, social welfare and conservation groups.

Refugees that the Australian Government exiled to Papua New Guinea contracting COVID should prompt their immediate evacuation to Australia, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“For years, Labor and Liberal Governments have deliberately withheld adequate medical treatment from people in their care,” Senator McKim said.
“The refugees who have contracted COVID need to be medevacced to Australia, and all other refugees in PNG need to be brought to Australia to prevent them contracting the illness.”
“With COVID now out of control in Papua New Guinea, all remaining refugees must be brought to Australia.”
“Their immune systems have been damaged by eight years of brutality, and they are particularly susceptible to disease.”
“It is unconscionable for Peter Dutton to continue to try to wash his hands of responsibility for refugees who sought Australia’s protection and remain in his duty of care.”

An invite-only drinks at Parliament House with Elbit Systems – Israel’s largest privately-owned weapons company – has been facilitated by former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, highlighting the urgent need for reforms in Australian politics to stop the revolving door of politicians becoming lobbyists.
Australian Greens peace and disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said Elbit Systems – a worldwide purveyor of advanced unmanned aircraft (drones), and advanced surveillance and electronic warfare equipment, including weapons considered illegal under international laws of war such as white phosphorous and cluster bombs – have no place in the halls of Australia’s parliament.
“Elbit systems was awarded contracts worth roughly $89 million between August 2018 and May 2019 when Christopher Pyne was Defence Minister. Now, barely 18 months later, he is here inside Parliament House spruiking weapons on their behalf at an invite-only event for sympathetic MPs!” Steele-John said.
“Christopher Pyne’s lobbying firm – Pyne and Partners – now lists Elbit Systems as one of its major clients, a relationship that was clearly forged when he was Defence Minister.
“As our Defence Minister he was paid by the taxpayers to make decisions in the public interest, not to network for his own personal financial gain. This is one of the most egregious and sickening examples of the revolving door of former politicians becoming lobbyists for their big corporate mates that I have seen.
“Elbit is a company that markets their weaponry as being ‘field tested’ by the Israeli Defence Force, a reference to the extensive use of Elbit Systems equipment in Palestine where they have profited from the ongoing occupation and oppression of Palestinian people.
“In taking Pyne to task for this association, the Greens join a growing international outcry.
“Those who have divested from Elbit include the Norwegian Pension Fund, Danish financial watchdog Danwatch, the French investment firm AXA Investment Managers, and global banking giant HSBC. Norwegian Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen was clear in his views, saying ‘We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law’, violations that Christopher Pyne overlooks in his pursuit of personal profit.”

The Government is launching a $15 million competitive grant round to kick start Australian clinical trials exploring the use of potential breakthrough combination therapies for the treatment of debilitating mental illnesses.
It is estimated four million Australians experience a mental health disorder ever year, and almost half of all Australians will be affected at some point in their lifetime. The most prevalent mental illnesses are anxiety disorders – affecting more than 14 per cent of adults each year – depression and substance abuse disorders. Evidence also suggests that up to 12 per cent of Australians experience PTSD during their lifetime
Many of the standard treatments for these illnesses can have varied efficacy and recovery rates, and there have been few advances in novel pharmaceutical discoveries in recent years.
However, there is now a strong and emerging body of international evidence that shows that substances such as ketamine, psilocybin, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), when used in a controlled environment and supported by psychological/ psychiatric care, offer a promising new approach to effectively treating pernicious mental illnesses that are resistant to first-line treatments.
Several have been granted ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ status for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Government’s $15 million Innovative Therapies for Mental Illness Grant Opportunity under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) will accelerate global efforts by supporting Australian-led research into the use of these approaches to combat resistant illnesses such as PTSD, major depressive disorder, addiction disorders and eating disorders that are impacting the lives of so many Australians.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Government’s MRFF is helping ensure that Australia’s medical research sector remains at the forefront of global innovation.
“The early results of trials in Australia and internationally are extremely encouraging, but more research is desperately needed before these approaches can be used by psychiatrists outside of controlled clinical trials. It is vital that we continue to support the search for new and better treatments for mental illness.”
“This grant opportunity will boost local research into potentially life-saving therapies and offers hope all those suffering from mental illness, including our Veterans and emergency service personnel dealing with the devastating effects of PTSD,” Minister Hunt said.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said mental health and suicide prevention is one of our Government’s highest priorities.
“The prevalence and impact of mental illness is devastating for individuals, families and communities. This bold initiative is about ensuring that we explore every avenue of potential treatment for Australians diagnosed with a mental illness,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.
The MRFF is a long-term, sustainable investment in Australian health and medical research helping to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to the sustainability of the health system. It is also a capital preserved fund, which matured at $20 billion in July 2020.
Through the MRFF, the Australian Government has committed $614 million to support and encourage clinical trials.
Funding for the 2021 Innovative Therapies for Mental Illness Grant Opportunity will be over three years from 2021–22, with project activity up to five years.
Applications for grants for Australian clinical trials to assess innovative therapeutics, including ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA, supported by psychological/ psychiatric care, are now open via GrantConnect (www.grants.gov.au) and close on 21 July 2021.
Further details are available on the Department of Health website.