Category: Australian News

Axed science programs, distressed scientists, a toxic culture, and plagued icebreaker are just some of the issues stemming from failures in the Australian Antarctic Division’s governance and funding model, a Senate inquiry has found.

The inquiry’s report, released today, made 16 recommendations to prioritise Antarctic science and fix systemic issues at the AAD. This report has been supported by government and opposition senators. Key recommendations include:

• A 25-50% increase in funded Antarctica shipping days going forward, to enable more dedicated Antarctic and marine science voyages
• A review into the “one ship model” and how the AAD can access other shipping arrangements that allow the Nuyina more time for dedicated marine science voyages
• An immediate commitment of ongoing funding to research institutions – such as IMAS/UTAS – to continue their critical Antarctic science programs (e.g.: Special Research Initiative)
• A commitment that the delayed Decadal Plan for long-term Antarctic science funding and governance be delivered or “operationalised” no later than financial year 2025/26.
• That new transparency and accountability measures for Antarctic science funding commitments are clear in future Budgets
• A review into the AAD’s logistics and operations branch’s culture and governance, with the aim of finally delivering on a long-term integrated planning model at the AAD
• Lifting the current freeze on recruitment and advertising 20 new job positions

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:

“Antarctica and the Southern Ocean play a significant role in regulating global weather patterns and studying them is more critical than ever to understanding our planet’s rapidly changing climate. 

“Australia has a 42% claim to Antarctic territory – we’re meant to be leaders in Antarctic science. Yet this Senate inquiry shone a light on how our government agency that’s designed to facilitate critical science on the icy continent lost its way. 

“A point of great concern repeatedly raised in evidence to the Committee is that Australia has not conducted a dedicated marine science voyage to the Antarctic or Southern Ocean for five years, or a marginal sea ice expedition for ten years. 

“Evidence collected by the inquiry also revealed the number of scientists on Australian Antarctic bases has more than halved over the past decade, science capabilities have declined over time, and our global reputation as a leader in Antarctic science has suffered as a result.

“Science at the AAD was deprioritised by the previous government, causing devastating impacts on the Division’s culture. Underpinning this was a staggering degree of incompetence in Division’s governance, which ultimately led to a bewildering overspend and budget cut process that prompted the Senate inquiry in the first place. 

“The good news is there’s cross-party support for Antarctic science to be front and centre to the mission of the AAD. This should start with a priority funding commitment for an extra 50-100 Antarctic shipping days per year, as well as reviewing the business case for acquiring a second vessel to support Australia’s presence in Antarctica, as recommended by the Committee. 

“Our $500m state of the art icebreaker and floating science platform has been plagued with problems and delays to service since it was commissioned five years ago, and accessing a second ship – especially for logistics support – should be a no-brainer.

“More than ever our planet depends on us understanding the Antarctic region, and we can’t do that without scientists on the ice. Increasing shipping days for the Nuyina to operate 300 days a year will ensure there are no excuses for not having dedicated Antarctic and Southern Ocean science voyages. 

“The recommendations made by the inquiry are critical and should not be controversial, and I look forward to scrutinising their implementation in the months and years to come.”

The Greens have urged Labor to lift all income support above the poverty line in the upcoming budget, with the weight of evidence given to a Senate inquiry into Australia’s cost of living crisis calling for an immediate increase to Centrelink payments.

In dissenting comments to the Liberal-controlled Select Committee on Cost of Living’s second interim report, the Greens have quoted more than 50 organisations that are all singing from the same song sheet when it comes to raising JobSeeker and Youth Allowance.

Greens Social Services spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“We’re now 18 months into this inquiry, and the most consistent and frequent recommendation the committee has received in 190 written submissions and 17 public hearings is that income support must be raised.

“The overwhelming evidence we have heard is that by keeping Centrelink payments well below the poverty line, Labor is keeping millions in poverty and insecurity and putting lives at risk. 

“The Liberals’ minority report, which has been rejected by both the Greens and Labor, ignores the weight of testimony provided to the inquiry and reads more like an IPA wishlist than a serious attempt to parse the evidence.

“But the evidence was clear: the single most effective way to tackle the cost of living crisis is to raise the rate of income support payments. 

“How many more reports and inquiries and recommendations from hundreds of experts and organisations and people with lived experience will this government ignore? 

“Labor have got to get their priorities in order. Tax breaks for property investors, giving hundreds of billions of dollars to billionaires and corporations and the fossil fuel industry doesn’t help the average Australian get through this cost of living crisis, and does nothing for the millions struggling to survive on Centrelink poverty-payments.”

Today a Senate inquiry interim report into Australia’s national cultural policy has called for greater support to the Australian festivals sector to cope with rapidly rising overheads after a string of cancellations. The report also recommends legislative action on local content quotas for streaming giants as a matter of priority.

The Greens have called on the Albanese Government for an arts support package in Tuesday’s federal budget to provide this much-needed support.

Greens spokesperson for the arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The arts in Australia are being crunched in the cost of living crisis and they need support in Tuesday’s Federal Budget.

“The Senate has heard compelling evidence that the Government should step in to mitigate the rapidly rising cost of overheads, like insurance premiums, particularly for those small, medium and local Australian music and arts festivals.

“This is not just about the big name, corporate backed festivals, but more importantly, it’s about supporting local and independent festivals.

“Live performance events bring significant economic benefits that flow through to jobs in hospitality, tourism, trades and other sectors. This would be a minor budget measure that would make a significant difference.

“I am hopeful that the Government will respond to the needs of the sector in next week’s budget.

On local screen content quotas for streaming giants, Senator Hanson-Young said:

“The Greens have long called for streaming giants like Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Stan to reinvest 20 percent of their Australian earnings in local content. It is vital that all Australians see themselves and their communities reflected on their screens.

“The Government had promised to have these quotas implemented by 1 July this year – legislation is now well and truly overdue. I urge the Government to introduce legislation as a matter of urgency.”

The Immigration Minister Andrew Giles must have something to hide because nothing else can explain why he refuses to front up and answer questions.

Giles remains in hiding as more questions arise about the Albanese Labor government’s mishandling of the released detainee who allegedly bashed a cancer survivor during a violent home robbery.

If anyone can find Giles today these are the two serious questions he needs to answer:

One. Why did the Labor Government not oppose bail when Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan appeared in court for allegedly breaching his visa conditions?

Two. Who signed off on the visa condition that meant Doukoshkan was not required to wear an ankle bracelet?

Reports today confirm Doukoshkan was required to wear an ankle bracelet when he appeared in court in February but he was not required to wear an ankle bracelet at the time of the alleged bashing offence. What happened?

This Labor Government is being crushed under the weight of its own incompetence.

Sky News has reported today that the government is even misleading itself, with ministers issued incorrect talking points as they try to deflect blame and attention away from their incompetent mishandling.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil chose not to hear questions or provide answers about the government’s failures on Sunrise this morning.

Australians deserve better. They deserve straight answers, but this government is hiding.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles lied to the Australian people that the Labor Government was monitoring all the criminals it had released from immigration detention, including the one who went on to allegedly bash a cancer-surviving grandmother.

Gile went on ABC radio in March to defend the Albanese Government after it was revealed that detainees arrested for breaching their visa conditions would have their charges dropped because the Labor Government had issued them with invalid visas.

During the interview, Giles tried to reassure the Australian people that “there has been no change to the strict monitoring arrangements for every one of these people” released by Labor into the community, including seven murderers, 37 sex offenders, and 72 violent offenders.

“There has been no changes to the monitoring arrangements, as I’ve said consistently, and indeed, as senior officials of the federal police said in Senate estimates only weeks ago, these are people who are being constantly monitored. We know where they are. And all of these visas have been reissued.” — Andrew Giles, ABC AM interview with David Lipson, 13 March, 2024. https://minister.homeaffairs.g…

One of those detainees, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, appeared in court this week charged with the brutal bashing and robbery of 73-year-old Ninette Simons.

It has now been revealed the government allowed Doukoshkan to remove his GPS tracker following a recommendation from the Commonwealth’s community protection board.

The Minister for Immigration either lied to the Australian people about the government’s monitoring regime or he didn’t know what was happening in his portfolio on an issue of critical importance to public safety.

Either way he has to go.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a close friend of Giles, but he needs to put that friendship aside and act in the best interests of all Australians, who deserve to be safe in their homes. He needs to sack the Immigration Minister.

Fuelled by high inflation because the Albanese Government can’t get spending under control, Labor’s HECS debt chaos is a mess of its own making.

“Today’s announcement is all trickery and deceit and doesn’t fix Labor’s student debt trap that has hit 3 million Australians,” Senator Henderson said.

“Under Labor, student debts will still increase by a crippling 11.1% (3.9%, 3.2% and 4% as reported), driving up the average loan by $2,800.

“A HELP-HECS indexation rate of 4% this year would be the highest in 23 years.

“Under the Coalition’s strong economic management, low inflation meant indexation averaged just 1.7% pa.

“Whether it’s student debt, housing or paying the bills, young Australians continue to suffer acute cost-of-living pain under this incompetent Labor government,” Senator Henderson said.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said student debt is only skyrocketing because of Labor’s homegrown inflation.

“Australians are paying the price for Labor’s economic mismanagement. The best way to address growing HECS debts is to fight Labor’s homegrown inflation at its source by reining in spending and strong budget management. Instead, Labor has let spending and inflation run out of control to the point that inflation is now stubborn, sticky, and homegrown.

“Today’s announcement is a glaring admission from Labor that real wages have been going backwards under their government.

“The policy announced will provide marginal relief to Australians struggling to pay down their debts with the rising cost of living, with experts expecting that over the next year indexation will still exceed 4%.

“With the last budget forecasting WPI to exceed CPI from 2023-24, this change will only have an impact if Labor are expecting further collapses in real wages like Australians have experienced since the election.

“There remain a number of questions Labor must clarify, including what the backdated proposal will mean for students who paid down their debts following the 7.1% indexation.

“Labor’s response to inflation continues to put band aids on bullet wounds. To provide cost of living relief for all Australians, Labor must deliver a budget that puts downward pressure on its homegrown inflation.”

Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson has called on the Prime Minister to sack Labor’s hapless education minister, Jason Clare, unless he is prepared to show leadership and ban hate speech on university campuses.

This includes the use of anti-Jewish terrorist slogans and chants such as ‘intifada’ which constitute blatant antisemitism.

“Jason Clare’s trainwreck press conference when he claimed ‘intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea’ “mean different things to different people” shows an appalling failure of leadership,” Senator Henderson said.

“In defending the use of slogans and chants which call for terrorist violence against Israel and the destruction of the Israeli state, Jason Clare is implicitly green lighting anti-Jewish hate speech on university campuses.

“Following Jason Clare’s failure to directly condemn an activist academic who encouraged children to chant ‘intifada’, it is no wonder the Prime Minister has openly rebuked his education minister today.

“Jason Clare must ban hate speech on campuses to protect the safety of all university students and staff, or he must resign,” Senator Henderson said.

This morning in Sydney, Senator Henderson convened a second round table of Jewish university students, staff and community leaders who shared horror stories at university campuses.

“Everyone at an Australian university has a right to be safe,” Senator Henderson said.

“This morning, students and academics shared terrible stories of intimidation, harassment, and threats to their safety.

“The failure to protect Jewish students and staff on campus, including by shutting down encampments, is particularly bad at the University of Sydney.

“USyd’s failure to uphold codes of conduct and shut down the encampment has emboldened the activists, fuelling harassment and intimidation of Jewish and non-Jewish students.

The Coalition will seek to establish an urgent Senate inquiry into antisemitism on university campuses.

In the face of an alarming rise of antisemitic protests and encampments, Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson said Australians were witnessing a failure of leadership from the Albanese Government and vice-chancellors.

“Everyone on university campuses deserves to be safe, including Jewish students, staff and visitors,” Senator Henderson said.

“The University of Melbourne and University of Sydney, in particular, have become hotbeds of antisemitic activism, in flagrant breach of university policies and codes of conduct which are not being adequately enforced.

“It is time for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to show leadership and for his education minister to step up.”

The proposed inquiry will be conducted by the Senate Education and Employment References Committee, chaired by Liberal senator for Western Australia, Matt O’Sullivan.

A motion to establish the inquiry will be lodged in the Senate next week.

“Failure to enforce university guidelines not only creates an unsafe environment for learning but fuels hate speech, and potential violence,” Senator Henderson said.

“Allowing the establishment of encampments opens the floodgates to round-the-clock occupation by extremist protestors, including those who have no connection with a university.

“There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism.

“This is a level of harassment that would not be tolerated for any other group of students.”

A Senate inquiry is urgently required to investigate how antisemitism can be shut down on university campuses, Senator Henderson said.

“An inquiry would not only provide university students and staff with an important voice, but examine what actions or legislative changes may be needed to ensure university campuses are a safe place to learn.”

The Albanese Labor Government is working with the Victorian Government to bust Melbourne’s congestion and ensure Victoria’s roads are safer and get people where they need to be faster.

In next week’s Budget we will invest a further $3.25 billion to North East Link in the 2024-25 Budget, taking the total Australian Government funding to $5 billion.

Once completed, the North East Link will get 15,000 trucks off local roads each day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes.

These new investments are towards the non-tolled components of the project, including the M80 Ring Road Upgrades and North East Link Connections and Eastern Freeway Upgrades packages of work.

They will create new lanes, implement smart technology and provide a seamless connection to the North East Link tunnels.

This announcement builds on what we are already delivering in Victoria, including over $1.2 billion for the Western Highway and the Princes Highway corridors, and more than $2.2 billion for the Regional Rail Revival program to upgrade every regional passenger line in Victoria.

Where the previous Morrison Liberal Government had a deluge of press releases with a drought of delivery, the Albanese Labor Government is ensuring that projects can be completed and benefits flow to communities.

We are getting on with building a better future for all Australians.

We will have more to say about transport infrastructure spending in Victoria at Budget time.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Being stuck in traffic doesn’t just waste precious time you could be spending with the kids, friends or just getting on with life. It’s bad for productivity too.

“We’re investing $3.25 billion making sure Melbourne’s fast growing north east has the infrastructure they need and fixing the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network.

“It’ll save commuters more than half an hour on the roads, and get 15,000 trucks off suburban roads each day – which means safer roads, getting you where you want to be faster and easier.”

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King

“We are working for all Australians to deliver significant infrastructure that connects communities, stimulates jobs and builds the future of our nation.

“The hard work we undertook to clean up the mess in the infrastructure pipeline means there is room to deal with ongoing cost pressures and plan for future projects.

“I thank the Victorian Government for working closely with us to ensure the delivery of this project.”

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan

“Following ten years of neglect under the Liberals and Nationals, it is great to have a partner in Canberra that can help deliver the projects important to Victorians.

“This project has been talked about for 60 years – we’re getting on and building the much-needed missing link because families in our growing state need it and jobs depend on it.”

Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson

“We’re getting on and delivering this important project that will slash travel times and help to keep Victorians moving.”

Australia has imposed a targeted financial sanction and travel ban on Russian citizen Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for his senior leadership role in the LockBit ransomware group.

This is the second use of Australia’s autonomous cyber sanctions framework and part of ongoing coordinated international law enforcement action.

Australia continues to experience an increase in persistent and pervasive ransomware activity by cyber criminals across Australian critical infrastructure, government, industry and community sectors.

Under Operation Cronos, the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Federal Police worked with international partners, including the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US), to identify Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev as part of LockBit’s senior leadership.

Lockbit is a prolific criminal ransomware group and works to destabilise and disrupt key sectors for financial gain.

LockBit ransomware has been used against Australian, UK and US businesses, comprising 18% of total reported Australian ransomware incidents in 2022-23 and 119 reported victims in Australia.

The new sanction under the cyber sanctions framework makes it a criminal offence to provide assets to Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, or to use or deal with his assets.

The framework is intended to disrupt and deter the perpetrators of malicious cyber activity, such as ransomware.

The Australian Government continues to discourage businesses and individuals from paying ransoms or extortion claims to cyber criminals and can provide help and advice.

If you are asked to pay a ransom you should:

• Call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) for cyber security assistance; and
• Report the cybercrime, incident or vulnerability to the Australian Signals Directorate

Australian businesses can help protect themselves from ransomware by backing up their files and work, and ensuring staff remain vigilant to possible threats.  

More information and tips can be found at Ransomware | Cyber.gov.au

Further detail about Operation Cronos can be found on the AFP website.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles:

“We continue to see governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and households in Australia targeted by malicious cyber actors.

The Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police have worked with international counterparts to link Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev to LockBit’s senior leadership.

“Cyber sanctions are a key component of the Australian Government’s work to deter cybercrime and help protect Australians by exposing the activities and identity of cyber criminals operating across jurisdictions.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

“Australia remains committed to promoting a rules-based cyberspace, grounded in international law and norms of responsible behaviour, and holding accountable those who flout the rules.”

“Sanctions impose costs and consequences on individuals for their actions – we will continue to use them where and when appropriate.”

Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O’Neil MP:

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Australian Government’s ongoing commitment under the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to continue to deter and respond to malicious cyber activity.

“This sanction is an important step in breaking the ransomware business model, preventing cybercriminals from profiting from attacks on Australian citizens and businesses.

“The damage done by LockBit in Australia is significant. For too long, criminals like those behind LockBit have hidden in the shadows. Our government is changing that. Hunting down cyber criminals by working with our international partners to hack the hackers and punishing them where we can.”