16 News

The Greens have welcomed the intervention from NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean who has broken ranks today with the Federal Government over plans to weaken environment laws.  The Greens Environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called on the Federal Labor Party to rule out supporting the Morrison Government’s fast-track legislation that puts the environment at further risk.
“Minister Matt Kean is to be congratulated for standing up for the environment and calling out his Federal Liberal colleagues,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today.
“Our environment is in crisis, habitat loss and wildlife extinction is growing. What we need is better and stronger protection for our environment, not less. Yet, the Morrison Government is trying to use the cover of Covid19 to rush through new rules that make it easier to green-light damaging and polluting projects, like new mines and big developments.
“Minister Kean has called a spade a spade; good on him.
“Our environment is under attack. Scott Morrison’s plans mean more logging, more pollution and less clean water – we must fight this, together.
“The Labor Party needs to rethink playing footsie with Scott Morrison on the environment. It’s time they stood with the Greens to protect our natural heritage and native animals properly.
“We need strong laws that protect and help restore our environment and wildlife, and an independent watchdog, with teeth, because it’s clear that the Government cannot be trusted to stand up for environment against their mining and big developer mates.
“Australians deserve better than political parties that want to play short-term politics with the future of our environment. We need strong laws and a cop on the beat to enforce them – anything less and even our koalas will be extinct.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, the Victoria outbreak, easing restrictions, helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment and getting the economy moving again.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been over 13,000 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 139 people have died.
The Victorian outbreak has meant that there are now around 4,000 active cases in Australia. Daily infection rates have remained low in all states and territories, other than Victoria. Testing remains high, with more than 3.7 million tests undertaken in Australia.
National Cabinet discussed the Victorian outbreak, the health response underway and recommitted to providing as much support as necessary to Victoria. All states and territories welcomed the support that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is providing, with more than 3,100 personnel assisting with planning and logistics, testing, quarantine and control points across the country. The ADF is there to work with state and territory health responses as needed.
National Cabinet agreed to a new set of data and metrics to ensure that the Commonwealth, states and territories all have access to transparent up-to-date jurisdictional data on contact tracing, tracking and other metrics to ensure health system capacity. This will better help guide the public health response and support the coordination of efforts by the Commonwealth, states and territories.
National Cabinet recommitted to the suppression strategy for COVID-19, with the goal of no community transmission, and to the Three-Step Framework to a COVID-safe Australia. National Cabinet further recommitted to the need to adequately integrate the emergency and the health response.
We need to continue to have the right controls in place to test more people, trace those who test positive and respond to local outbreaks when they occur. These are Precedent Conditions to enable Australia to relax baseline restrictions and enable Australians to live and work in a COVID-safe economy.
Treasury Secretary Dr Steven Kennedy addressed National Cabinet and provided an economic update, including the economic and fiscal update delivered by the Treasurer this week, and the extension of the JobSeeker and JobKeeper programs. Combined with the health response, the Commonwealth economic and balance sheet measures total around $300 billion and along with the response from the state and territories of $42 billion, significant economic support is flowing into the economy. The national goal of job creation was reaffirmed with a discussion on the positive reduction in the effective unemployment rate seen from April to June.
National Cabinet will meet again on 7 August 2020.
Suppression Strategy
National Cabinet recommitted to the suppression strategy to address COVID-19. The goal remains suppression of COVID-19 until a point in time a vaccine or effective treatments are available, with the goal of no local community transmission.
National Cabinet further reaffirmed the need to adequately integrate the emergency and the health response is vitally important that the coordination of efforts continues. While this is largely occurring, National Cabinet agreed to work to strengthen these efforts, noting the support the ADF is able to provide and the need to coordinate emergency management, policing and health responses.
Streamlining environmental approvals for job-creating projects
The National Cabinet agreed to move to single-touch environmental approvals underpinned by national environmental standards for Commonwealth environmental matters.
Some states are able to transition to this system faster than others. The Commonwealth will move immediately to enter into bilateral approval agreements and interim standards with the states that are able to progress now.
We will simultaneously be developing formal national standards through further public consultation.
The National Cabinet also endorsed the list of 15 major projects for which Commonwealth environmental approvals will be fast-tracked.
For major projects at the start of the approvals process, we will target a 50 per cent reduction in Commonwealth assessment and approval times for major projects, from an average of 3.5 years to 21 months.
For major projects which are already at an advanced stage of assessment, governments will seek to progress them through the process as fast as possible and within statutory timeframes.
Joint assessment teams will work on accelerating these projects, which are worth more than $72 billion in public and private investment and will support over 66,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Transport
National Cabinet considered and agreed a Domestic Border Control Freight Movement Protocol to allow freight to move safely and efficiently across borders, and to upgrade the Protocol to an Enforceable Code by state and territory jurisdictions.
The Protocol was developed between all jurisdictions with the involvement of members of the Transport and Infrastructure Council and had previously been endorsed by the AHPPC.
National Cabinet also agreed that further work be carried out by jurisdictions on the implementation and enforcement of an industry code which, in-conjunction with the Protocol, will minimise risks and exposure to workers and the community from COVID-19.

The Greens have described today’s Economic and Fiscal Update as a plan based on austerity and fantasy projections that will lead to ongoing high unemployment.
The figures released by the Treasurer today exposed the urgent need for debt-financed public infrastructure and public services such as ongoing free childcare that will help get us into full employment, not more tax cuts for the wealthiest fifteen per cent of income earners.
“The government is choosing to lock in a high unemployment future. Their unwillingness to invest in job creation is clear in the update released today, which assumes unemployment will remain officially at 9%, even if restrictions are lifted in Q2 2021,” Greens Leader Adam Bandt said.
“This is a forecast based on austerity and wishful thinking. If restrictions aren’t lifted within the givernment’s optimistic timeframe, people will be out of work even longer.
“If government debt is as affordable as the Treasurer says, there should be a plan for full employment.”
“By investing in nation-building and planet-saving projects, we could guarantee a job for everyone who wants one, but instead the government is choosing a high-unemployment future.
“A World War II sized deficit requires a World War II response to get people into meaningful, secure jobs.”
“The cost of servicing Australia’s projected debt remains less than 1% of GDP with interest repayments well below what they were for most of the Hawke/Keating government in the 1990s.
“The trickle-down orthodoxy of tax cuts and austerity in the October Budget will only make the crisis worse.”
“The Australian Greens Invest to Recover Plan released early in the crisis outlines what we need to do to dig our way out of the economic hole we are in.”
“We should be ensuring that anyone who wants a job can get a job. We can get people to work creating public assets that will last generations, like building 500,000 publicly owned homes to wipe out housing waiting lists, building green infrastructure, and investing in the businesses and technologies we need to create a green manufacturing renaissance.”
Comments from Greens’ Treasury spokesperson Peter Whish-Wilson:
“Using public debt wisely is crucial to good economic management. The Australian Greens are the only political party putting forward a plan that most economists are calling for. We need to use the cheapest debt in history to build long-lasting public infrastructure and create jobs”, Peter Whish-Wilson said.
“Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese should tear a page out of their John Curtin and Robert Menzies’ history books. Those Prime Ministers used record high debt levels of 120% of GDP during and after World War II to create a full employment economy of between 1% and 3% unemployment. It was so successful that Australians weren’t “paying this debt off for generations”, but rather after a decade, public debt was reduced to pre-war levels and the deficit was gone within six years.”
“Australia’s debt to GDP ratio is still low compared to most developed countries and there is plenty of room for the government to move.”
“Today’s Economic Statement by the Treasurer lays out the problem, but he isn’t offering up any type of solution. The Liberal government’s “Tax-Breaks-As-Usual” and lack of real investment will never create a lasting economic recovery,” Whish-Wilson said.

Comments from Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim on New Zealand’s decision to grant asylum to Behrouz Boochani:
“New Zealand granting asylum to Behrouz Boochani shows what true compassion from a government looks like, and shows Australia’s polices up for the cruel and dangerous disgrace that they are.”
“This is bittersweet news. Behrouz is free at last but so many others remain in exile or in prison. We have stolen their hope and their dreams, and it’s time to give them back.”
“The strength of Behrouz’s resistance never wavered, and his humanity and integrity triumphed every time over the brutality he endured at Australia’s hands.”
“Today is his vindication.”
“While we celebrate his freedom, we recommit to fighting for those remaining in exile, and those imprisoned in Australia.”
“New Zealand has welcomed Behrouz, and stands ready to welcome hundreds more. Surely now is the time.”