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The Liberals and Labor have combined forces to block a Climate Emergency declaration in Australia, on the day our closest neighbours have declared a climate emergency at their Labour Prime Minister’s request.
The Australian Greens put Climate Emergency Declaration motions before the House and Senate today, with the Government blocking the vote in the House, and Labor and the Government blocking in the Senate.
Meanwhile, across the Tasman, the New Zealand Parliament today joined the many nations to declare a Climate Emergency, following a long and successful campaign from the NZ Greens.
“The first step to dealing with a problem is admitting you’ve got one. Last summer’s disastrous season of bushfires has made it abundantly clear that we’re rapidly speeding towards a climate cliff,” Mr Bandt said.
“This was a chance for Australia to show it is serious about climate action ahead of next week’s international climate summit. Thanks to the Liberals and Labor, we have failed.
“We are running out of time to stop the climate emergency, and every day counts. When the Australian population is at threat, when there is a threat to the safety and the livelihoods of our people and our country, parliament should drop everything to deal with it. Instead, the government is refusing to accept the truth about our climate.
“Declaring a Climate Emergency forces Scott Morrison to tell the truth that our current targets and the world’s current targets are not enough.
“Current projections from the Bureau of Meteorology confirm that our attempts to limit global warming to just 2 degrees are failing. Australia’s on track for 4 degrees of heating unless we increase our ambition, and do it quickly.
“This government clearly has a problem with this truth and the Greens are trying to hold them to account, but the opposition doesn’t know where it stands on the defining issue of our time. “We’re running out of time to take action. I wish Labor would decide where they stand and join us in holding this government of climate criminals to account instead of siding with the Liberals to protect Scott Morrison.
“The Labor-Green government led by Jacinda Ardern knows where they stand on the climate emergency and we welcome New Zealand joining the declaration club.

Today’s national accounts figures show that government support for people who need it most must continue, Greens economic justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim says.
“These figures show it was government spending that propped up the rest of the economy,” Senator McKim said.
“And even then, we are still way behind where we were before the pandemic hit. Millions of Australians are unemployed or underemployed.”
“As the OECD has made clear, now is not the time for the government to cut spending.”
“Our economy being technically out of a recession means very little for the millions of Australians who are living below the poverty line because of decisions taken by this government.”
“Income support will not only save lives and save people from despair, it will help ensure a fairer, quicker economic recovery.”
 

We welcome the emergency approval given to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. This is particularly so given the over 1.6 million cases and tragic loss of over 59,000 lives in the UK.
I have again spoken to the Australian CEO of Pfizer, they remain on track for vaccine delivery once it is approved for use in Australia by the independent regulator.
Pfizer continues to work with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, providing data for safety and efficacy as part of the approval process.
Our advice remains that the timeline for a decision on approval is expected by the end of January 2021, and our planning is for first vaccine delivery in March 2021.
Pfizer is one of four vaccines the Australian Government has purchased for a total projected supply of 134.8 million units.
In addition we will have access to up to 25.5 million units under the international COVAX facility.
Safety is our number priority and Australia is well placed both for a thorough, but rapid safety assessment and early rollout of a free, voluntary but entirely universally available COVID-19 vaccine program.
Today is an important step for the world.

The Australian Government has today introduced legislation into the Parliament to support the establishment of the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) for residential aged care.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said the Government, through this bill, is providing safe and quality care as a priority and is putting in place stronger measures to help prevent elder abuse to protect the health and wellbeing of senior Australians.
“The Australian Government’s quality reform agenda is strengthening protections and improving delivery of safe, quality care,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Serious Incident Response Scheme will commence from 1 April 2021 and expands the responsibilities of aged care providers to identify, record, manage, resolve and report assaults and a broader range of serious incidents in residential aged care.”
“Prioritising implementation of the SIRS is part of the Government’s rapid response to the Aged Care Royal Commission’s recommendations into COVID-19 to increase protection for residents,” Minister Colbeck said.
“It will drive quality and safety improvements in residential aged care at the individual service and broader system level.
“It will require aged care providers to manage all incidents, with a focus on the safety and wellbeing of people in aged care. Importantly, providers will need to put measures in place to prevent similar incidents from reoccurring.”
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will have additional resources to administer the SIRS, including receiving reports and taking proportionate regulatory action. The new legislation strengthens the Commission’s enforcement powers with civil penalties, infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, and injunctions across a range of provider responsibilities. This aligns the Commissioner’s powers with contemporary regulatory best practice.
“Significantly, the scheme will remove the current reporting exemption of incidents of abuse and aggression between aged care recipients where the alleged perpetrator has an assessed cognitive or mental impairment,” Minister Colbeck said.
The Government has invested more than $1.7 billion to support senior Australians in aged care since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes a further investment of $132.2 million as part our response to the Aged Care Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s recommendations on COVID-19.
The Government has accepted and is acting on all six recommendations made by the Royal Commission in relation to COVID-19, including an additional $11.1 million investment in the Serious Incident Response Scheme, taking total investment to date to $67.9 million.
“The introduction of the SIRS legislation demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to improving care for senior Australians and keeping them safe,” Minister Colbeck said.