Category: Australian News

The Greens have responded to Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls reinstating a ban on gender-affirming care for young trans folk, just hours after the Supreme Court ruled the LNP’s first ban unlawful.

Senator Nick McKim, Australian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson:
 

“This decision is hateful and cruel, and goes against everything we know about gender-affirming care and its ability to save lives.”

“The LNP’s actions here are truly disgusting, placing young trans folk in the middle of a culture war of their own creation, using them as a public punching bag, and knowingly risking young lives in the process.”

“Gender-affirming care saves lives. It helps trans and gender diverse people thrive, live with dignity, and be themselves. It should never be used as a political football.”

“The LNP must immediately reinstate gender-affirming care, and stop playing politics with people’s lives.”

Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman:

“Premier Crisafulli’s cabinet unlawfully overrode Queensland Health by directing it to ban gender affirming healthcare for young people, after just 22 minutes of so-called “consultation” – this is clearly about politics, not evidence. 

“This is a shameful doubling down on the LNP’s political interference in healthcare. 

“If the LNP has any respect for healthcare professionals and patient autonomy, it’ll drop its political fixations and get on with funding our public healthcare system properly.

“The LNP needs to learn that healthcare is a choice for an individual, their family and their healthcare team, not for politicians.”

This afternoon Leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury will move a vote on Greens legislation to broaden legal liability for institutions who have harboured perpetrators of child abuse.

“This legislation directly responds to a High Court ruling that institutions may not be liable for people who represented their organisation, enabling them to defeat legal claims from people who were abused when they were children,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“In a modern and caring society, Canberrans rightly expect organisations like churches, sports groups and scouts to take responsibility for the abuse that occurred within their institution. But instead, we have seen examples of using legal technicalities to avoid that responsibility. This legislation will close those loopholes.

“For affected communities and survivors, the passing of this legislation could not come soon enough. This is not just another piece of legislation in a place made for legislating. For those seeking justice and redress, this legislation will ensure they can get a fair hearing.

“It will mean survivors who were abused by people in volunteer positions as part of their engagement with an organisation like a church or scout group will be able make legal claims against the organisations who had responsibility for the offenders.

“Really, this bill is about ensuring victims have access to justice for the crimes committed against them as children, and it is about ensuring institutions make amends for the harms caused on their watch. It’s as simple as that.

“The passage of this change is fundamentally, first a foremost, a story of community. It is a story of people from Canberra and around Australia, making the clear case for reform, and bringing their expertise and experience to ensure this Bill does the job it needs to.

“If this bill passes, it is these people, these members of our community that are responsible for this change more than any politician in this place. It is people like these who have campaigned over the past year who should feel proud of their part in history.

“If this legislation passes, powerful and wealthy institutions will no longer be able to arm themselves to the hilt with lawyers and worm their way out of compensating the people who were abused in their organisations. That ends today.

Harry James, Your Reference Ain’t Relevant:

“This reform is a critical step towards justice for survivors. For too long, institutions have avoided accountability through technical loopholes that denied responsibility for abuse that occurred under their watch. The ACT leading the nation in closing this gap sends a powerful message — that survivors deserve truth, responsibility, and reform that truly reflects the harm done.”

Josh Byrnes, survivor of institutional child sexual abuse:

“This bill is the warm glow of some light at the end of tunnel. Too long have victim survivors had to bear witness to their stories become evidence to a prosecution case only for institutions and perpetrators find yet another legal loophole to escape responsibility and accountability.

As an institutional survivor I welcome this change and hope we can continue to bring some equity back to a process that is so unfairly weighted towards offenders. I thank Shane, Kate and the entire team for raising this bill. I thank them for their continued advocacy and camaraderie in this fight for justice.”

Clare Leaney, CEO National Survivors Foundation:

“I commend the ACT Parliament for taking the lead in debating and hopefully passing this important legislation for Survivors in the ACT. This model legislation demonstrates the importance of vicarious liability laws in ensuring justice for Survivors. This legislation is an exemplar demonstration of law makers putting the interest of Survivors front and centre and I encourage other jurisdictions to adopt a similar nonpartisan approach.”

Joe Stroud, Chair National Survivors’ Day:

“This legislation will have a profound and meaningful impact for Survivors in the ACT and will ensure that Survivors of abuse can receive like justice, for like harms inflicted. National Survivors’ Day thanks the ACT Parliament for taking the lead to close the gap Survivors throughout Australia are facing in their pursuit of justice.”

Carol Ronken, Director of Research, Bravehearts:

“Bravehearts strongly supports the Civil Law (Wrongs) (Organisational Child Abuse Liability) Amendment Bill 2025, recognising that these reforms are vital to ensuring survivors of institutional child sexual abuse have equitable access to justice, whether the abuse was committed by employees or by individuals in positions of organisational authority, including volunteers, religious leaders, scout leaders, and coaches.”

Dr Judy Courtin, Principal and Advocate of Judy Courtin Legal:

“With the passing of this Bill, the ACT can stand tall and proud as the country’s forerunner with these critical legislative reforms for victims/survivors of institutional child abuse. The ACT parliament is courageous in standing up for the rights of victims/survivors. The ACT’s legacy will be enduring and provides the requisite type of leadership and mettle expected of our elected members of parliament.”

Hassan Ehsan, Special Counsel, Turner Freeman Lawyers:

“This Bill is about ensuring institutions are held accountable and survivors aren’t left fighting legal loopholes instead of being heard. It’s about time. I welcome the reform, it’s been a long time coming.”

Alessandra Pettit, Senior Associate, Stacks Goudkamp:

“The impact of institutional child sexual abuse is lifelong and, in my experience as a practitioner in this area, the reason survivors are coming forward is multifactorial. There is a justice element, there is an accountability element and then there is a financial element. To have a decision like Bird be handed down is devastating for all elements. The Civil Law (Wrongs)(Organisational Child Abuse Liability) Amendment Bill 2025 reflects the “new world” of this area and I commend the ACT Greens for being the leader of this change. I have no doubt that if the ACT is the first to follow the High Courts suggestion that this is a legislative fix, then other jurisdictions will do the same.”

The Senate has today sent the Government’s controversial environment legislation to inquiry to report back in March next year, despite the Minister’s attempt to rush the pro-mining, pro-logging laws through the parliament.

Greens spokesperson for the environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“Labor’s laws fail to protect our forests and fail to protect our climate. Despite the Government spin, this package leaves nature for dead.

“The Albanese Government’s proposed environment bill will make things worse for nature and the climate. It will take environment protections backwards while fast tracking approvals for business.

“Big business and the mining companies have had their grubby fingers all over this package, there’s no wonder the Government wanted to rush the laws through without scrutiny.

“Instead, the Senate has today sent the Bills to an Inquiry, to ensure the laws are properly scrutinised and that the community is given a say.

“Now that we have seen the full bill, it’s clear the only thing being protected here is the profits of the mining companies and big business.

“These are meant to be environment protection laws, not big business approval laws.

“This bill is riddled with weasel words and carve-out clauses for big business. It makes approvals quicker and cheaper for the mining and big business lobby, and fails to provide proper protections for nature.

“The Greens have been clear from the start: we will not rubber stamp laws that fail to protect our native forests, wildlife and climate.

“We need laws that protect nature, not make way for big business to make big profits. The Greens cannot pass these so-called environment laws in their current state.”

The Victorian Greens say Labor’s own annual report has exposed a housing system that’s costing Victorians more and delivering less – with cost blowouts, falling delivery, and billions in long-term payments locked into private developers under secretive contracts.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing 2024-25 Annual Report reveals that the cost of delivering housing has blown out by almost 25 per cent in a single year, driven by Labor’s plan to demolish and privatise all 44 public housing towers through long-term deals with private consortiums.

Despite the huge spend, the number of new social homes delivered fell by almost 20 per cent in the last year, while people escaping family violence and others on the social housing waitlist are waiting an average of more than 17 months for housing – nearly seven months longer than Labor’s own target.

The report also shows more than $10.8 million in payments to private consultants, with the tower-demolition and privatisation program alone accounting for nearly half of all consultancy spending – including multimillion-dollar contracts with Ontoit, KPMG, EY and Anne Dalton & Associates.

A letter within the report from the Victorian Auditor-General Office (VAGO) has flagged the controversial ground lease delivery model for the demolition and privatisation of the public housing towers as a key audit matter, citing the significant financial cost and a complex payment structure, which lacks transparency.

Financial statements show that Labor has already approved billions of dollars in the form of “service payments” and “grants of right to operate” which basically sees public money siphoned to these private companies who get to profit off the use of public land.

the Victorian Greens housing spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“Labor is handing over billions in taxpayer money to deliver fewer homes for the people who need them.”

“Even the Auditor-General has sounded the alarm – Labor’s Ground Lease Model is dodgy, locking Victorians into decades of payments to private developers and paying obscene amounts to hand over public land for private housing, with zero transparency about the cost or the benefit.”

“This is privatisation by stealth – a model that gifts public land and guaranteed income streams to private investors while the most vulnerable Victorians wait years for a roof over their heads. It’s completely broken.”

“Labor is throwing billions at private developers and consultants to demolish and privatise public housing. We’re seeing no new public homes built, nearly 20 per cent fewer public and community homes delivered, and an overwhelmed waitlist. Victorians are paying more for less.”

The Victorian Greens are calling on the Victorian Labor Government to rescue three local community health centres from closure with an emergency funding package, calling the decision by governments not to properly fund community health ‘nonsensical’ and ‘incredibly short-sighted’.

Earlier this month, cohealth announced it would end its GP and counselling services in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington in December, and close its Collingwood clinic permanently in 2026 – with lack of state government infrastructure funding and inadequate Medicare funding not sufficient to cover the complex healthcare cases they deal with. 

This leaves over 12,000 people stranded without adequate healthcare and will likely push these people into our already over-run hospital system.

This is despite years of warnings and pleas for funding from the community health sector and the Greens.

cohealth provides free and affordable wrap-around health services for over 12,500 people in the community, including disadvantaged and vulnerable people who would otherwise not have access to affordable health services: elderly people, people in public housing, people from migrant and refugee backgrounds and people with complex health and social needs.

While operational funding for primary and community health funding is a shared responsibility between federal and state governments, health infrastructure is largely a state government responsibility and cohealth has been requesting support from the Victorian Labor Government since 2019 to rebuild their crumbling Collingwood health centre.

Community health care centres get only 0.3% of the state’s health infrastructure budget – even though they’re proven to keep people out of hospital and even though they deal with some of the most complex health matters. Without adequate GPs and primary healthcare, over 12,000 people could end up being pushed into our already-overrun hospitals.

Infrastructure Victoria has recommended that the state government increase community health funding from 0.3% to 3% of the state’s health infrastructure budget, acknowledging the important role it plays in early-intervention healthcare and keeping people out of hospital.

The Greens will be calling on Labor in the Parliament to commit to a funding package – which includes $4 million dollars to save cohealth’s GP and counselling services and at least $25 million dollars to upgrade and retain the Collingwood health centre – by the end of November.

Over 400 people attended community meetings about this issue in Kensington and Richmond on Friday and Saturday, showing the depth of support for saving local community health centres.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:

“For decades, our local community health centres have provided healthcare for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.Now over 12,000 people will lose access to a doctor because of chronic underfunding from State and Federal Labor Governments.

“This will push more people into our already over-run hospitals – which is more expensive for the State Government overall. It makes no sense. The State and Federal Labor Governments must step in to save these community healthcare centres.

“Since Whitlam set up community health services, state and federal governments have slowly chipped away at and given less and less funding to community health. When governments start to starve community health of funding over such a long period of time, services are cut, and people suffer.

“The Greens are asking Labor for an emergency rescue package to save cohealth, so they can sit down and negotiate a longer-term proper funding model that actually funds the free, long-term health care people need.”

Victorian Greens Member for Richmond, Gabrielle de Vietri MP:

“cohealth Collingwood has been supporting our community for years, but its closure will have a devastating impact – especially on the people who need it most. For years Labor has known the Collingwood building is leaking and falling apart, and they’ve refused to fix it.

“Let’s be absolutely clear that the responsibility for funding community health lies squarely with the state and federal Labor governments. If the Victorian Government refuses to step in, this will be a terrible turning point for Melbourne and Labor will bear the great shame of increased poverty, ill-health, homelessness and hospital overloading. 

“Infrastructure Victoria, the Greens and the community have all said the same thing: fund and repair community health before it collapses.

“Funding for health should never be put in the too-hard basket – but that’s exactly what Labor’s done. And it’s local communities like ours that pay the price.”

The Victorian Greens fully support long-awaited reforms to Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying laws this week, while pushing for further reforms to remove final barriers for people who should have the choice for a more compassionate end-of-life option. 

The Greens are seeking to fix a requirement that one of the two doctors assessing someone’s eligibility for VAD must be a specialist in the patient’s illness, which has proven to be a huge barrier – especially for people in regional areas. 

Dr Sarah Mansfield, the Greens spokesperson for Health and a former GP, introduced a Private Members’ Bill last year after extensive consultation with stakeholders, clinicians, advocates and families affected by flaws in the current legislation. 

Dr Mansfield says while many of the Government’s proposed reforms reflect that work, this vital common-sense change – already in place in other states – is still missing and that the Greens would put forward an amendment to advocate for the change. 

The Victorian Greens will be supporting the Bill and welcome any progress. Victoria was the first state to introduce VAD laws, but being first meant the scheme was drafted with restrictions which have proven to be unnecessary barriers for many terminally ill people. 

Labor and the Liberals will both be given a conscience vote on the legislation, meaning that votes could split differently and the Greens amendments could pass. 

Dr Mansfield said allowing GPs with relevant experience to act as assessing practitioners would make the system more accessible and compassionate, particularly for rural and regional Victorians. 

Victorian Greens health spokesperson, Dr Sarah Mansfield: 

“I had many patients during my time as a doctor who wanted the choice of voluntary assisted dying, but it wasn’t an option for them. 

“The Greens will support any step forward in this space and will work constructively to strengthen the reforms. A vital missing piece is fixing the requirement that one of the two assessing doctors must be a specialist in the person’s illness. It’s a serious and unnecessary barrier – especially for people in regional Victoria – and a common-sense change that’s already reflected in other states’ laws.

“GPs who have cared for a patient for years and understand their illness and prognosis should be trusted to make these assessments.

“As more people become eligible under these reforms, we’ll also need to ensure there are enough trained providers to meet demand, so no one is left without support at the end of life.”

The Australian Greens have called on Labor to save Australia’s largest aluminium smelter from closure with a public ownership stake, and underwrite a clean energy build out to give them cheap reliable power, following news that the smelter may close jeopardising jobs for 1,000 workers.

Greens spokesperson for Transition & Regional Development, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“The Albanese government should take a public stake in Tomago Aluminium, and make sure the Australian people get a return on their money.

“In addition to taking a public stake, Labor must underwrite the cost of a clean energy build out to power the smelter to support the green transition.

“This is an opportunity to both put workers first and accelerate the transition out of fossil fuels, not just deliver another Glencore-style corporate bailout that offers no public benefit. 

“We can’t keep doling out public cash to billionaires and big corporations without expecting a return. 

“Australia will be a world leader in green aluminium; the job of the government is to support workers and be a bridge from existing infrastructure.

“Australian smelter workers deserve job security, not yet more uncertainty as another facility faces closure.”

The Coalition has today introduced the Crimes Amendment (Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Child Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025, ensuring that those who abuse, exploit or prey upon children face real justice.

The Bill introduces mandatory minimum sentences of five years’ imprisonment for serious Commonwealth child sexual abuse offences, increasing to six years for repeat offenders. It also closes a loophole that has allowed some offenders to walk free on recognizance release orders after serving only a fraction of their sentence.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, said the legislation responds to growing community outrage over weak sentencing and repeated failures to protect victims.

“When an offender produces and shares 77 images of child abuse material and walks free after six months, that is not justice, it is a betrayal,” Ms Ley said.

“Australians expect strong laws that protect our children, not weak excuses that protect offenders. The Coalition will always stand on the side of victims and the community.”

The Shadow Attorney-General, Andrew Wallace, said the Coalition’s Bill strengthens the mandatory minimum sentencing laws first introduced by the former Coalition Government in 2019 and reinforces its long-standing record of protecting Australian children.

“For too long, compassion has been shown to offenders while survivors live with trauma for life. That imbalance must end,” Mr Wallace said.

“This Bill sends a clear message: child sexual abuse will not be tolerated in Australia, and those who commit these crimes will face real time behind bars.”

In the 2024–25 financial year, the Australian Federal Police received 82,764 reports of online child sexual exploitation, a 41 per cent increase in just twelve months. That’s an average of 226 reports every single day, each one representing a child whose life has been shattered by unimaginable harm.

The Coalition is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to support the Bill and back mandatory minimum five-year sentences for these heinous offences. In the last sitting period, Labor blocked the Coalition’s attempt to introduce the Bill. It has now been reintroduced and should be supported without delay.

The reintroduction of this Bill follows Ms Ley and Mr Wallace joining Bruce and Denise Morcombe at a Roundtable with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to discuss child safety, prevention, and the urgent need for tougher sentencing laws.

“Bruce and Denise Morcombe have shown extraordinary leadership and courage in their fight to protect Australian children, which will again be on display this Friday on Day for Daniel, to improve child safety education and awareness,” Ms Ley said.

“Their tireless advocacy reminds every one of us that this is not a political issue, it is a moral duty,” Mr Wallace said.

Only a Coalition Government will back our police, strengthen our laws, and restore safety and security for Australian families.

The ABC’s Four Corners investigation has once again exposed horrific abuse and regulatory failure within Australia’s childcare sector – a crisis that sits at the heart of a failing for-profit system and government inaction on real reform.

The investigations revealed most abuse occurring in for-profit centres where cost-cutting, high staff turnover and inadequate regulation has left the gap for serious safety breaches.

Despite warnings from experts and repeated calls from the Greens, Labor has failed to introduce the comprehensive reforms needed to keep children safe.

The Greens continue to call for a national, independent watchdog with the power to keep children safe.

In August, the Greens successfully established a Senate Inquiry into the quality and safety of early childhood education and care after the government failed to adequately address the deep flaws in the system and responded with cosmetic fixes. 

Greens spokesperson for Early Childhood Education and Care Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“This investigation is the latest example of a for-profit system working exactly as it’s designed – to make profit for shareholders while leaving our children as collateral damage.

“Parents and educators have been ringing the alarm bell for years, and they’re met with a patchwork of cosmetic fixes that do nothing to actually address the underlying problem.

“It’s the government’s job to make sure our childcare is safe. Instead, it passes the buck to families and abandons our educators who are plugging holes in a leaking ship.

“While the Coalition rejects bold childcare reform and Labor does as little as possible to pass the PR test, our children and educators continue to be left to fend for themselves.

“With the Senate Inquiry imminent, we’re ready to shine a light on the broken conditions that allow abuse and push for a system that will actually put children, families and educators at the heart of policy.

The Australian Greens have put forward a motion to parliament today calling on the Senate to recognise Australia’s housing crisis as a matter of public urgency, following recent data revealing the dire state of our housing problem. 

House prices have risen at the fastest rate in four years as rates of home ownership have declined, especially among young young people. One in three property markets across Australia now have a median value of $1 million plus, a new record-high, according to Cotality. While Domain data shows Sydney house prices jumped by $58,148 (3.4 per cent) in just 90 days, the fastest quarterly growth in more than two years.

The Greens say Labor is making the crisis worse as their policies, such as the $180 billion tax breaks for landlords and the 5% deposit scheme, are spiking prices and putting home ownership further out of reach for renters and first home buyers.

With 89% of voters agreeing that Australia is in a housing crisis, the Greens are calling on the government to listen to voters and address the root causes rather than turbocharge our housing and homelessness crises through minor interventions.

Greens spokesperson for housing, homelessness and finance Senator Barbara Pocock:

“This government needs to start treating housing as a human right instead of a game of monopoly. 

“Australia is in a housing crisis that is spiralling out of control. House prices are soaring and Labor’s $180 billion tax perks for rich property investors are pouring fuel on the fire, locking renters and first-home buyers out.

‘The Australian dream of home ownership is dead. Rates of home ownership are falling especially among those under 35, with 25-29-year-olds dropping from 50% in 1971 to 36% in 2021. 

“Home ownership is out of reach for so many Australians. Thirty years ago it took 4 years of average weekly earnings to buy a house, now it’s on track to be more than 8 times the average. How do first-home buyers stand a chance?

“Under the major parties, housing has become a wealth accumulation asset, not a roof over our heads. Housing finance is increasingly spent on investment properties not home ownership, with investors making up around their highest share of new lending since 2017. 

“Australia’s housing market is rigged in favour of wealthy property investors and banks and it’s failing everyone else and it’s only going to get worse – house prices are forecast to increase by 9 percent next year.

“It’s clear where Labor’s priorities lie – with the big banks, property developers and wealthy investors – while another generation of renters and potential first-home buyers are left behind. 

“Homelessness in Australia is the worst in living memory, having increased by 10 percent since Labor was elected. We’re seeing nine potentially avoidable deaths of homeless people on our streets every day which is unacceptable. We still don’t have a national plan to end homelessness. If Labor can find billions for investors, why can’t they find homes for people sleeping rough?

“Ending the housing crisis is possible. The government must wind back unfair tax handouts to wealthy property investors which are cooking our housing system, fuelling intergenerational inequality and helping to shut an entire generation out of home ownership.”