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The Disability Royal Commission confirmed yesterday in Senate Estimates that the Morrison government has yet to formally respond to their request for a 17 month extension, acknowledging they need more time to enable them to fulfil the Terms of Reference.
Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said it was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of privacy protection for witnesses had had a significant impact on the ability of the Royal Commission to effectively do its job.
“This is not a question of budget constraints, it is simply a question of having enough time to properly do their job,” Steele-John said.
“Our Royal Commission has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public hearings were stopped for 6 months, as was outreach and engagement into the community. When public hearings resumed they were, and still are, closed to the general public.
“Important community engagement in WA, SA, NT and Tasmania hasn’t resumed and in remote and regional parts of Australia, it never even began.
“Representatives of the Royal Commission confirmed last night that the Commission has a desire to go to all states and territories, including remote and regional areas of Northern and Central Australia ‘subject to COVID-19’.
“The Royal Commission also acknowledged that an extension ‘certainly would allow us to have more hearings, do more engagement, receive more submissions, undertake more private sessions and ultimately means that we would fulfil our terms of reference’.
“It’s now been six months since the Royal Commission requested a 17 month extension and the Morrison government still have not even provided a formal response. They must grant an extension now!”

Following the announcement by the EU, UK, US and Canada of targeted sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for gross human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, the Australian Greens have called on the Australian Government to take urgent action.
Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said:
“The Chinese Government is committing cultural genocide against the Uighur people. Xinjiang is under mass surveillance and more than one million people have been captured and put in internment camps.
“The Australian Greens echo Marise Payne in welcoming the measures announced by our allies overnight, and share the deep concern for the mass internment of Uighur people in Xinjiang province by the Chinese Government.
“It’s time that the Australian Government turned concern into action. The Australian Government should join countries around the world and impose targeted sanctions, such as travel bans, against senior Chinese Government officials and any other entities credibly alleged to be involved with or responsible for these human rights abuses.
“If the Chinese Government’s denial that genocide is occurring is to have any credibility then they must immediately allow access for international and UN observers.”

The Morrison Government is providing $2.6 million to researchers at the University of Melbourne to use the latest information technology to improve the lives of people who have survived brain cancer.
Funded by the Morrison Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Australian Brain Cancer Mission ­– 2020 Brain Cancer Survivorship Grant Opportunity, the three-year grant opportunity will allow researchers to develop and demonstrate the impact of an online survivorship platform to better connect patients – and their families and carers – with the health care teams providing treatment.
The platform will also allow patients to connect with other survivors to share experiences and support each other.
New cases of brain cancer are increasing each year. In 2020, 2,000 Australians were diagnosed with brain cancer. Less than a quarter (22 per cent) will be alive in five years.
While brain cancer accounts for just 1.4 per cent of all cancers in Australia, it has high rates of morbidity and mortality. Young people are disproportionately affected – brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for people under 25.
The researchers will look at how information technologies can help ensure survivors are not alone on their brain cancer journey, and tailor a survivorship approach that suits individual needs.
After brain cancer treatment, people often have debilitating conditions, with physical, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms. They may be financially distressed and have to cope alone.
Mostly, post-cancer treatment care is only available when patients attend hospital. We need to better connect them, their families and carers with health professionals, and with other brain cancer survivors.
There are no known prevention measures for brain cancer and for some there are no effective treatments. It is widely recognised that the key to improvements in this area is investment in research.
The Australian Brain Cancer Mission is providing $133 million over 10 years from the MRFF and significant donations from funding partners.
The Mission aims to double the survival rates and improve the quality of life of people living with brain cancer over the decade to 2027, with the longer term aim of defeating brain cancer.

The Australian Government has published the Final Progress Report for Australia’s First National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2015–2019 detailing our efforts to limit the incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Australia.
AMR is recognised as one of the most serious health problems facing the world. As bacteria, viruses and fungi continue to develop resistance to existing medications, this presents a greater risk of serious health impacts, as well as affecting food production, and the livelihoods and security of producers.
In 2020, the Australian Government released the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy – 2020 & Beyond and announced more than $22.5 million over four years in the 2020­–21 Budget to implement it.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, said that globally the use of antibiotics in livestock had been recognised as a potential source for antimicrobial resistance.
“Australia is a world leader in minimising the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals which means that there is a low risk of developing antimicrobial resistance from animals in this country,” Minister Littleproud said.
“We have introduced regulatory and industry changes to ensure that registered animal antimicrobials that are medically important for human health no longer claim to promote growth in animals.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the report identified important AMR initiatives and the collaborative efforts by government and private sector organisations across the One Health sectors of human and animal health, food and the environment.
“These combined efforts aim to minimise the emergence and spread of drug-resistant organisms in Australia and the region will ensure antimicrobial medicines continue to be effective and available to treat infections into the future,” Minister Hunt said.
“We have seen antibiotic dispensing rates for Australians steadily decrease, down approximately 13 per cent since a peak in 2015, equating to around two million fewer prescriptions dispensed, which is a really positive development.
“This and other initiatives show there is increasing understanding and awareness among doctors and the community of the importance of only using antibiotics when absolutely necessary.”
Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said Australian research is adding to our understanding of how antimicrobials enter our environment and accumulate over time.
“It’s not just limited to hospital floors, drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and fungi can evolve in any environment,” Minister Ley said.
“Our new national AMR strategy will be supported with initiatives including developing a ‘One Health’ surveillance system, a national antimicrobial resistance research and development agenda and a national monitoring and evaluation framework.”
Minister Ley is a member of the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
For more information, please refer to www.amr.gov.au

Scott Morrison needs to listen to veterans, advocates and the will of the Parliament and establish a Royal Commission into veteran suicide immediately.
The motion to establish the Royal Commission was put and passed the House of Representatives late yesterday.
As the motion notes, Australian Defence Force personnel have a suicide rate nearly twice that of the wider Australian community. More veterans have died by suicide than in war in the past 20 years.
This is a black mark against us as a nation that we have allowed so many people who have served their country to needlessly die.
These are the people who put on our uniform, in our name, to protect our nation.
We owe it to those that have gone, but it is essential for those who remain.
Labor has called for a Royal Commission into veteran suicides since December 2019, and we are pleased this is something the Parliament now wants too.
Labor co-signed the motion that passed the Senate unopposed last week along with the Greens and crossbench Senators. And now the same motion has just been passed unopposed in the House.
It is now up to the Prime Minister to follow the will of the Parliament and of the people and establish a Royal Commission into veteran suicides.
You only had to see the number of people rallying outside Parliament today in the rain to understand there is overwhelming support for a Royal Commission.
It’s what veterans and families want, it’s what the experts want, and it’s what thousands of Australians want.
Now we know it’s what the Parliament wants too.
Scott Morrison needs to do the right thing and give the grieving families of veterans the proper investigation they deserve.
The Prime Minister needs to act now.

With Australia’s economic recovery underway, the Morrison Government are providing even more opportunities for people to start their own new small business and assisting people already running a micro-business with more free training and support available.
An additional 1,000 places are being provided under the New Business Assistance with the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) program and an additional 350 places for people to access an Exploring Being My Own Boss Workshop.
The free Exploring Being My Own Boss Workshops provide valuable information on what is involved in starting a new business – helping people decide if self-employment is right for them. They include practical information about running a business and information on small business support services available.
The New Business Assistance with NEIS program provides a range of free small business assistance to people who have a great business idea and need help getting started. This assistance can include access to free accredited small business training, support to develop business plans and personalised business mentoring.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, says: “Anyone looking for work, people who have part-time or caring responsibilities, or any micro-business owners or sole traders who have been impacted by COVID-19 can participate in the New Business Assistance with NEIS program or undertake a Workshop.
“New Business Assistance with NEIS is a highly successful program and has helped over 185,000 people start a new small business since 1985”.
“Small business assistance can provide people with extremely valuable business, organisational and marketing skills and help people turn their new business ideas into a reality”.
“Running a small business can be a deeply rewarding experience for many Australians and are the backbone of communities.
“By expanding the New Business Assistance with the NEIS Program, we are able to assist more Australians to get their business idea off paper and into reality.”
For more information visit: http://www.dese.gov.au/neis

Today is a momentous day for Australia’s fight against COVID-19, with the rollout of Phase 1B of the Australian Government’s vaccination plan.
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout out is one of the largest logistical exercises ever undertaken in this country and we are particularly encouraged by the enthusiastic response from Australians in getting vaccinated.
Australia’s vaccination rollout will help reduce the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will save lives and livelihoods.
Appointment availability will increase as the number of clinics grow from 1,000 to more than 4,000 over the next four weeks, so we thank you for your patience.
Priority groups in Phase 1B include:

• elderly adults aged 80 years and over
• elderly adults aged 70 years and over
• health care workers not vaccinated in Phase 1A
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults over 55
• adults with a specified medical condition
• adults with a severe disability who have a specified underlying medical condition
• critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing.

Australia has a world class manufacturing facility right here at home, putting us in a very strong position to supply vaccines when and where they are needed. Our contract with CSL for 50 million doses means we do not need to rely on overseas supply to ensure all Australians who want a vaccine, can be vaccinated.
Australia has very successfully suppressed this highly infectious disease and it is really important that all Australians come forward and get the vaccine when it is their turn to do so.
We thank the more than 4,000 GP clinics and health services—doctors, nurses, practice managers and staff—for participating in the vaccination rollout.
Further information about the next phases of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout will be announced over the coming months.
In the meantime, please visit www.health.gov.au for information about COVID-19 and use the Eligibility Checker to find out when you can get vaccinated.