16 News

We are pleased to welcome the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Hon Feleti Penitala Teo OBE, to Australia to officially open the Tuvalu High Commission in Australia.

During his visit, Prime Minister Feleti Teo will meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, and Minster for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy, as well as other senior members of the government, to discuss the substantial progress made to implement our joint commitments under the historic Falepili Union Treaty, signed in 2023.

This includes the Falepili Mobility Pathway, which enables Tuvaluans to live, work and study in Australia.

The agreement is delivering on Tuvalu’s request to help safeguard its future from the worsening impacts of climate change, including through $47 million in 2025-2026 for development assistance to support Tuvaluans to stay and thrive in their homeland.

Australia and Tuvalu will also sign a memorandum of understanding to establish the Tuvalu-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership as part of the $50 million Australia-Pacific Partnership for Energy Transition (APPET), which will provide practical support to integrate high levels of renewables in line with Tuvalu’s Nationally Determined Contribution, while contributing to reliability, security and affordability.

The Tuvalu High Commission, located in Canberra, will enhance cooperation between our countries, and support a growing Tuvaluan diaspora in Australia, bringing the communities of Australia and the Pacific ever closer.

This is the first time Tuvalu has had diplomatic representation in Australia and is Tuvalu’s sixth diplomatic mission overall.

The Hon Feleti Penitala Teo OBE will be visiting Australia from 25-31 July 2025.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong:

“We warmly welcome the new Tuvaluan diplomatic mission in Canberra for what is a historic moment in the deepening partnership between our two countries.

“The new high commission will provide valuable support to the Tuvaluan diaspora, as we deliver on our commitments under the Falepili Union. It is another reminder that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tuvalu as the impacts of climate change worsen.”

Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy:

“The opening of the High Commission is an important step in strengthening the friendship between Australia and Tuvalu.

“The Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world and the most significant Pacific policy this country has undertaken in the last fifty years.

“It brings the people of both our countries closer together and it’s another example of the Albanese Government turning up and acting on the priorities of the people of the Pacific.”

From today, Pacific island and Timor-Leste nationals will be able to register for Australia’s second annual Pacific Engagement Visa stream (PEV) ballot.

The PEV provides opportunities for up to 3,000 Pacific island and Timorese nationals to live, work and study in Australia each year.

Samoa and Kiribati will join the program in 2025-26, showing their strong interest in closer links between our countries and peoples.

Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu will continue to participate in 2025-26.

The inaugural PEV ballot in 2024-25 demonstrated the keen interest from the region for deeper connections and enhanced integration with Australia, with over 56,000 ballot registrations.

Australia has granted over 1,000 PEVs since October 2024, with many visa holders now settled with their families in Australian communities.

The PEV program will grow the Pacific island and Timor-Leste diasporas in Australia, strengthening links between our people and encouraging business and education ties.

PEV holders can move freely between Australia and their home countries over their lifetime, delivering education, skills and economic dividends for the region and linking us more closely together.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“The Pacific Engagement Visa highlights Australia’s commitment to the Pacific family and Timor-Leste.

“Strengthening our ties between the Pacific and Timor-Leste through people and education is central to our shared ambition for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

“The opening of the second ballot is a milestone in an initiative that will offer life-changing opportunities for families and communities in our region.”

Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Tony Burke:

“I am pleased to open the PEV ballot for a second year. The PEV demonstrates Australia’s commitment to deepening relationships with Pacific island nations and Timor-Leste.

“I look forward to more people from the Pacific and Timor-Leste settling in Australia and enhancing our nation’s rich cultural diversity.”

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy:

“The Pacific Engagement Visa program responds to requests from the Pacific for greater regional mobility and access to education and training opportunities.

“The program is part of our commitment to listening and delivering on the priorities of our Pacific partners.

“I am so pleased that Samoa and Kiribati are joining the ballot this year.

“It is a great way of bringing the peoples of the Pacific together, growing the diaspora in Australia and creating opportunities for our Pacific neighbours.”

The Greens are renewing calls to end the use of drug detection dogs and routine strip searches in NSW following the release of a report today revealing more than 80,000 people were strip searched over a decade from 2014-2023, with drugs being found in just 13.5% of those searched.

The review, The Use of Strip Searches and Drug Dogs in NSW, was produced by Harm Reduction Australia and Redfern Legal Centre using data obtained by Greens MP Cate Faehrmann through the NSW Parliament. 

“This data confirms what we’ve known for years. NSW Police are routinely subjecting people to traumatising, invasive strip searches based on the unreliable noses of drug dogs, and in the vast majority of cases, they find nothing,” said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and drug law reform spokesperson. 

“Most strip searches are being conducted out of suspicion of minor drug possession. You have to ask why such a huge amount of police and court resources is still being spent despite the government putting in place a drug diversion scheme. 

“Of the more than 80,000 people who were forced to remove their clothes, including children as young as ten, 71,800 had no drugs on them. That’s nearly nine out of ten. If that doesn’t scream abuse of power, I don’t know what does.” 

“In cases where people were strip searched following a detection by a drug dog, the dog got it wrong 60 percent of the time.  

“The Minns Government continues to defend the use of these tactics, including on the false premise that it’s about stopping supply. Yet just 1.4 percent of the 82,471 strip searches led to a conviction for drug supply.”  

The report also found that First Nations people were significantly overrepresented in strip search data, with regional towns like Dubbo and city stations like Redfern disproportionately targeted. 

“This is a regime that punishes young people, First Nations people, and festival-goers, all under the guise of drug enforcement. But it’s got nothing to do with safety and everything to do with intimidation and control,” said Ms Faehrmann. 

“I urge the Premier and Police Minister to prioritise reducing drug harm and saving lives. Our global reputation has taken a battering with reports of international visitors wanting to enjoy a night out or attend a music festival also subjected to strip searches. No other country does this to this extent.  

“It’s beyond ridiculous. Strip searches on the suspicion of minor drug possession and on those under 18 must end and drug dogs should be banned from festivals, venues and public spaces,” said Cate Faehrmann.  

Labor Premier Chris Minns has been challenged to explain his Government’s failure to stop land clearing after shocking SLATs data released today revealed a staggering 40% jump in land clearing rates.  

Greens MP and Environment Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:

“Land clearing in New South Wales is like a runaway train under this Minns Labor Government and it’s wiping out 66,000 hectares of bushland a year and showing no signs of slowing down”, 

“I think most people in NSW would be horrified to learn that land clearing is 40% worse under the Minns Labor Government than it was under the Liberal National Coalition Government, but that is the reality these figures show”,  

“The Liberal National Berejiklian Barilaro Government made catastrophic changes to land clearing laws to allow more rural land clearing, and since then the problem has only been getting worse. The Liberals and Nationals have made a huge mess and it’s now Labor’s responsibility to clean it up – but instead of taking action, they’re sitting on their hands while the problem gets worse”, 

“We are well on the way toward mass extinctions and ecosystem collapse unless we reign in land clearing, and that means reform to make our environmental laws stronger, an end to native forest logging and more support for farmers to invest in sustainable agriculture practices”, 

“Labor Premier Chris Minns rode into power on the promise to do better for nature, to date we’ve seen more environmental destruction under his Government than we had under the Coalition. I’m calling on the Premier to open his eyes to the environment of NSW, because to date he’s lost all sight”.  

Pressure is mounting on Police Minister Yasmin Catley to ensure an independent investigation into the death of Ballina local Lindy Lucena, following revelations that the NSW Police force took 55 minutes to respond to a call for help from a man who witnessed her violent death at the hands of a partner.  

Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:

“Lindy’s family and friends have the absolute support of the myself and the Greens for an independent investigation into police conduct on the night of the dreadful incident”, 

“Police took nearly an hour to even respond to reports of a woman being beaten to death by her partner. Police are well aware of the outrage in the community with regard to domestic violence, but it’s clear NSW Police are still not treating domestic violence victims with the respect and urgency that we need them to in order to save lives”,  

“It’s just despairing and infuriating to think that Lindy’s life could have been saved if not for the negligence of a police officer, who drove to the site of Lindy’s death and didn’t even get out of his car to investigate”,  

“NSW Police didn’t even declare a critical incident when Lindy died, and now they’re dodging questions from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission into her death”, 

“There is a startling culture within NSW Police of disrespect and neglect towards women who are domestic violence victims. We know that dozens of currently serving police officers in NSW have been charged with domestic violence offences themselves, and several have even been convicted,” 

“The police’s internal investigation has completely failed Lindy, and it’s proof that cops investigating cops just isn’t good enough when it comes to police misconduct”, 

“I’m backing the calls from Lindy’s family and friends, and I have written to the Police Minister urging her to ensure an entirely independent investigation into Lindy’s death from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission,”  

“My thoughts are with Lindy’s family, friends and community as they seek justice for a loving mother, sister and local woman.”  

The Greens are calling on the Albanese Government to implement a sanctions regime against Israel based on Russian sanctions to force Israel to let aid into Gaza, stop the occupation of the West Bank and end the genocide.

The Greens today have updated its call on the Albanese Government to end the two-way arms trade and sanction Israel. The new call seeks to implement comparable sanctions to those applied to exports and imports from Russia and expand individual sanctions to those imposed by the US, UK, Canada and European Union.

Exporting goods like aluminium, aircraft parts, and luxury goods to a country that is actively engaging in war crimes was prohibited in the case of Russia and should be prohibited now for Israel. The Greens, by comparing the Russian sanctions regime to UN trade data, estimate this would impact some $50 million annually in direct exports to Israel, including the prohibition on trading ‘arms or related matériel’.

Australia has also imposed some 1,400 sanctions on individuals and entities in Russia, while there are only a dozen concerning Israel. Australia has also failed to match sanctions in 17 instances where the US, Canada and the European Union have implemented sanctions on Israeli individuals and entities.

The Albanese Government has also failed to sanction the Israeli Security Cabinet, which is responsible for carrying out the genocide in Gaza and the illegal occupation of the West Bank.

The Albanese Government set the yardstick for how to respond to an illegal occupation and invasion of another country through its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Albanese Government must now apply this standard to Israel.

International legal experts have made clear that even with these sanctions, more will likely need to be done to meet Australia’s obligations under international law.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, said: “For too long, the Albanese Government has refused to act, and placed no pressure on the Israeli Government to end the genocide.

“We know what action looks like, we have seen it done before. We need to see it again. There is mass starvation in Gaza, and thousands of children are hours away from death. Inaction was never an option; it is not now.”

“It is good that after two years of denial, the Albanese government is now acknowledging the horror occurring in front of our eyes. The Prime Minister must now impose sanctions, follow the words with action and end the two-way arms trade.

“The Albanese Government’s position that there is nothing it can do to put pressure on the Israeli Government is a weak attempt to distract the public from its complicity.

“The Albanese Government will claim they are waiting for other countries to act so they can follow, but the Albanese Government has failed to impose sanctions on Israel to the level of other countries.

“Despite the spin from the Albanese Government, it is not in dispute that the Government has allowed weapons and weapon parts from Australia to be sent to Israel. Parts of the F-35 fighter jet were exported this month, and the Canberra-made R400 remote weapon system was used in Israel early this year.

“We stopped the arms trade with Russia. We can do the same with Israel,” Senator Shoebridge said.