Category: Australian News

Minister Plibersek has ignored her own department’s conservation advice and is failing to show the strong political leadership necessary to help prevent the Maugean skate from going extinct.

New conservation advice states that for the Maugean skate to be afforded the best possible chance of survival impacts of salmonid aquaculture on dissolved oxygen concentrations in Macquarie Harbour must be “eliminated or significantly reduced”. The advice explicitly states that the fastest and simplest way to achieve this is by “significantly reducing fish biomass”.

Yet, on the eve of Threatened Species Day, Minister Plibsek made the underwhelming decision to ignore this advice, and instead opted for a $2.1 million funding announcement focused on creating a Maugean skate insurance population if it can’t be saved in its wild home.

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

“Minister Plibersek’s decision to ignore her own department’s conservation advice tells you everything you need to know about how captured the Labor party is by the big salmon corporations that are trashing Tasmania’s magnificent waterways. 

“What’s the point of having a Threatened Species Scientific Committee and establishing a Maugean Skate National Recovery Team to help save the species, if you then disregard its key findings? 

“Minister Plibersek has the power to act and to save the Maugean skate from extinction and she needs to pull every lever available to her to make this a reality, yet her decisions so far have been completely underwhelming. 

“Clearly Minister Plibersek is failing to show the strong political leadership necessary to protect the skate, making the survival of this ancient species a political decision. 

“The Minister’s failure to heed her own department’s advice also raises significant questions as to whether Labor is serious about its Zero Extinction pledge.”

This morning Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for government services and social services, will debate the Greens’ Antipoverty Commission Bill. 

This Bill would set up the Antipoverty Commission, an independent body to provide independent and transparent advice to the government about alleviating poverty in Australia. 
The Bill goes further than the current interim Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee which is due ahead of next year’s budget, and provides a clear framework for a robust body to tackle poverty.

The Greens’ Antipoverty Commission is a benchmark to assess future legislation and to ensure we have the best chance of eradicating poverty in Australia.

Greens spokesperson for government services and social services Senator Janet Rice said:

“Successive governments have used the lack of a national definition of poverty as an excuse to keep people living on inadequate income support payments. We need a national definition of poverty – one that takes into account different needs and contexts, and one that the government can be held accountable to.

“This week in Parliament has shown that the Labor Government has some major issues when it comes to dealing with transparency in politics. Establishing more truly independent bodies to advise government is an important starting point.

“While the Greens support the concept of and work done by the interim Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, it is abundantly clear that the original committee does not go far enough to tackle poverty in Australia. There’s no way to ensure that the people appointed to the Committee are truly independent from vested corporate interests.

“Poverty is a political choice. Labor is choosing to keep millions of Australians on income support well below the poverty line. All Centrelink payments must be raised above the poverty line to $88 a day.

“If this last year of a Labor government has shown us anything, it’s that they do not take tackling poverty seriously. We need an explicit focus on addressing poverty in the shape of a commission to develop a national poverty line. We need an independent commission that listens to people with direct experiences of poverty and experts who make independent recommendations to the government.

“At this stage, the combined cost of living and housing crisis aren’t going anywhere and people’s lives are getting harder. A truly independent Antipoverty Commission will help us navigate this difficult time and be the self-standing body we need to guide us on how to fix it.”

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT DEFENCE RELATIONS WITH SUDAN IN A TIME OF HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Since April, Sudan has faced a humanitarian and political crisis. Clashes between armed groups and a military coup are now bordering on a civil war. 

The Australian Government has failed to meet the calls of the Sudanese community for increased aid to the country. Today, the Labor Government and Coalition have failed the community yet again, working together to refuse the Greens Order for the Production of Documents request for transparency over the 9 defence export permits that Australia has issued to Sudan.

Senator Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs said: 

“I am proud to be working with the Sudanese diaspora community here in Australia. They are desperate to understand the relationship between Australia and the militants currently ripping apart their homeland. Instead of supporting the community, today the Government and the Coalition voted against a Greens Order for Production of Documents that would have provided clarity on Australia’s role in defence exports to Sudan. 

“Australia has a bad track record when it comes to exporting weapons. If the government has nothing to hide about their weapons trade with Sudan, they should make public all information relating to their defence exports. 

“The granting of defence permits to Sudan over the last 6 years is highly concerning to the diaspora community. It is impossible for the Australian Government to know where these weapons are now, and concerning to know that they may be playing a role in this conflict. 

“The Greens are calling for the Australian Government to condemn the ongoing violence, and to work with the international community to work toward a peaceful, sustainable resolution. Additionally, we must end the fear and ensure those who are in Australia from Sudan are granted permanent protection in Australia.” 

LSenator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens spokesperson for Defence said:

“It is a deep insult to the Sudanese diaspora that the Albanese Government refused to provide information on weapons exports. 

“Labor is continuing the Coalition’s plan to make Australia a global arms dealer. Putting dollars and profits ahead of basic human rights and a better world. 

“The Australian Government should condemn the violence in Sudan, not fuel it through sending weapons. 

“With increasing weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and the UAE the Albanese Government is fueling an arms race in the region. 

“We should be proud of the things we make and sell. Instead, the Albanese Government wants to hide what we are selling, to whom and why.”

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Aid said: 

“Sudan is in a complete crisis. People are fleeing conflict and they desperately need basic necessities and humanitarian aid. The UN has called for $1bn in immediate assistance. 

“There is a complete humanitarian disaster unfolding with people in urgent need of food, water, shelter and healthcare. Instead of exporting weapons of war, the Labor Government must step up and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to people in Sudan. 

A pathology provider in New South Wales was ordered to pay the Commonwealth a pecuniary penalty of $1.65 million, along with legal costs of $200,000, for entering into four leasing arrangements that contravened the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act).

The Chief Executive Medicare on behalf of the Commonwealth instituted civil proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia (the Court) against Healius Pathology Pty Ltd (Healius), trading at the time as Specialist Diagnostic Services Pty Ltd.

The department welcomes the judgment handed down on 18 August 2023, which related to lease arrangements entered into by Healius over a six-year period for pathology collection centres co‑located at two dermatology practices in Castle Hill and Kingswood in NSW. The Court noted expert valuation reports relied on by the Commonwealth that the agreed lease amounts were “between 100% and 470% greater than the market values”.

The Court held the lease arrangements were substantially different from market value. They were “serious contraventions that are deserving of significant penalties” particularly in respect of general deterrence to the pathology industry. The Court was satisfied that a significant penalty was warranted due to Healius’ substantial position in the pathology market, its large size and financial position.

The Court took into account that Healius’ conduct in the litigation was cooperative, including by accepting the contraventions and penalties.

The department will continue to enforce compliance with the prohibited practices provisions in the Act and engage with lessors and lessees where concerns are identified, with the expectation that steps will be taken by the parties to address the concerns.

The department suggests that rent paid per square metre for a medical centre premises may be used as a guide to determine a proportionate rent for space occupied by a pathology collection centre within the medical centre. The department also encourages regular review of lease arrangements and recommends seeking independent valuations of premises to ensure compliance with the Act.

More information and guidance about compliance with the prohibited practices provisions can be found on the department’s website at https://www.health.gov.au/topics/pathology/compliance.

Melissa McIntosh MP, Federal Member for Lindsay, is concerned the Albanese Labor Government has failed to take serious action on tackling Australia’s mental health crisis, as suicide rates rose by an alarming 7% in 2022 in the nation’s most populous states of New South Wales and Victoria.

Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, peak body Suicide Prevention Australia published its annual State of the Nation report and quarterly Community Tracker.

According to the organisation, the relief measures provided by the Albanese Labor Government in the last Federal Budget have done little for Australian families struggling with the rise in cost of living.

The data from Suicide Prevention Australia paints a concerning picture of the risks of increasing suicide rates, due to distress caused by cost of living and personal debt, housing access and affordability, and social isolation.

The report raises the alarm that for the first time more than half of Australian families (56%) are reporting unprecedented levels of cost of living distress, with nearly half of those surveyed (46%) stating that ‘cost of living and personal debt’ was their highest causes of distress, for the fifth quarter in a row.

Further, the report which surveys organisations working towards suicide prevention notes they are experiencing a 77% increase in demand for services over the last 12 months and 81% require more funding to meet this need. Alarmingly, more than 8 in 10 respondents anticipate a rise in suicide rates over the next year.

Mrs McIntosh said, “In a cost of living crisis, we need more affordable mental health support to assist Australians in need. This is why a Coalition government will restore the full 20 Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions which were slashed to 10 under the Albanese Labor Government.”

“The Albanese Labor Government has been ineffectual in addressing the economic challenges impacting families’ hip-pockets and their mental health.

“Today’s report has called for an urgent whole-of-government response and accelerated implementation of targeted economic policy to give Australians the relief they urgently need.

“We are seeing Australians increasingly becoming at risk of suicide as the bills mount up, with mortgage and rents rising exponentially and daily grocery essentials priced out of people’s budgets.

“I have heard some shocking stories from people across Australia, and they are telling me they do not believe the Government is doing enough to help them or see relief on the horizon.

The Australian Government has today launched Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 to deepen Australia’s economic engagement with our region and ensure our shared future prosperity.

The strategy, developed by Mr Nicholas Moore AO, Special Envoy for Southeast Asia, was announced by the Prime Minister at the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum in Jakarta today.

It sets out a practical pathway to increase Australia’s two-way trade and investment with the region.

Southeast Asia is a centre of global activity and business, and one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. The strategy outlines how Australia can seize the vast opportunities our diverse and vibrant region presents. It also describes what Australia can offer our region, as a trusted and reliable partner.

The Special Envoy identified 10 priority sectors offering the most potential for growth: agriculture and food; resources; green energy transition; infrastructure; education and skills; visitor economy; healthcare; digital economy, professional and financial services; and creative industries.
The Prime Minister has committed to immediately support three initiatives that go to the heart of the strategy and are an investment in Australia’s economic future:

• Investment Deal Teams ($70.2 million over four years) who will be based in the ASEAN region and will work with Australian investors, Southeast Asian businesses and governments to identify and facilitate investment opportunities.
• Southeast Asia Business Exchange ($19.2 million over four years) to boost two-way trade and support Australian exporters to enter, compete and grow in the fast-growing markets of Southeast Asia. This will include a trade and investment campaign to promote opportunities in Southeast Asian markets to Australian business and consumers.
• Placements and Internships Pilot Program for Young Professionals ($6 million over four years) which will help to build enduring links between Australia and Southeast Asian businesses.

This strategy reaffirms the Australian Government’s commitment to deepening our engagement with Southeast Asia.

The strategy is available at: Southeast Asia Economic Strategy | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au).

Implementation of the strategy will be led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Treasurer and the Minister for Trade and Tourism, supported by a joint taskforce between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Treasury.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Southeast Asia’s fast-growing economies present a major opportunity for Australian business, but we haven’t kept pace with their exponential growth.

“Our economic future lies with Southeast Asia. This strategy outlines how we can harness this growth, and seize the vast trade and investment opportunities our region presents.

“I thank Special Envoy to Southeast Asia, Nicholas Moore, for developing a comprehensive strategy based on extensive consultation across the region.”

the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong said:

“The Albanese Government is deploying all elements of our national power to make Australia stronger and more influential in the world, including by deepening our engagement in the region.

“Investing in priority sectors such as the green energy transition, infrastructure and food security is an investment in Australia’s future and the future of the region.

“The strategy reinforces that trade and investment diversification is key to our shared future prosperity and economic security. We seek genuine partnership with Southeast Asian economies to capture untapped opportunities for our mutual benefit.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said:

“Australians can be the beneficiaries of the some of the big shifts that are underway in the region by deepening our engagement in Southeast Asia.

“Whether it be the energy transformation, high-skilled manufacturing or world-class produce, we have the goods and services that the region needs to power its growth in the decades ahead.

“Greater integration with the dynamic markets of Southeast Asia will ultimately help deliver better jobs and better opportunities here at home.”

the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell said:

“This strategy reinforces our intent and priorities to expand and diversify trade and investment between Australia and Southeast Asia.

“It charts a pathway to help Australian exporters, investors, tourism businesses, higher education providers, and creative sectors make the most of the booming opportunities in our region.”

The Greens cannot support the Government’s proposed changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan in their current form.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson on the Environment, Manager of Business in Senate, Senator for South Australia:

“After more than a decade the Murray Darling Basin Plan has failed to deliver the water our environment needs. In order to get Greens support for delaying the Plan, we need a guarantee that water, real water, is delivered for South Australia, the environment and the health of the river.

“We will refer the legislation to a Senate inquiry for interrogation. We are willing to work with the Government to improve this Bill, but in its current state it does not deliver the assurances that South Australia or our River needs. 

“Without a guarantee that the 450GL of water that was promised will be delivered, this bill will just kick the can down the road. 

“After over a decade of inaction we must see water flowing for the environment before the next election. The river dies from the mouth up which is why the guaranteed delivery of 450GL to the Southern Basin will help ensure health of the entire river system, ecosystems and economies that rely on it.

“The Greens will continue conversations with the Government in good faith as the Bill goes to inquiry.” 

The Greens today successfully passed a motion in the Senate requiring the Albanese Government to produce documents on multi-million dollar VIP flights. 

The order for the production of documents on the cost, dates and locations of special purpose flights as well as previous and current guidelines was passed in the Senate today with only Labor opposing. These documents must be provided no later than 13 September. 

The Albanese Government, in a last-ditch attempt to hide information from the public, tried to prevent key information from being disclosed and hide behind questionable security concerns. Despite this, the motion passed with the support of every Senator in the chamber except Labor. 

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Defence spokesperson, said:

“There is a growing cult of secrecy in Canberra and especially in the Defence Department and this was a moment to push back against it. 

“Senior Ministers are taking these VIP flights at an eye-watering cost at a time when everyone else is cutting back, Defence Minister Marles has cost $3.6 million alone.

“Transparency is a vital check on excess and essential for good government.

“The official line is that Defence won’t reveal where MPs flew on VIP flights in 2021 and 2022 because it’s a security risk that might reveal “pattern of life” information. 

“These are not meant to be multi-million dollar taxis, they are meant to be special purpose flights, flights only taken for a special purpose. If there is a repeated pattern being shown then that’s a warning bell about potential misuse.

“You have to wonder if the real threat to security is in fact a threat to the job security of anyone who took advantage of the lack of transparency.

“We look forward to the public seeing the amended guidelines and details on their multi-million dollar flights next week.”

Under pressure from the Greens, Labor has today backflipped again to support an important inquiry into the mammoth Middle Arm gas and petrochemical expansion, subsidised by taxpayers at a cost of $1.5b. The gas field is so large it will increase Australia’s emissions by 25% and blow the shrinking chance of the Albanese government meeting its climate targets.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Spokesperson for the Environment & Manager of Greens Business in the Senate: 

“In the middle of the climate crisis, Anthony Albanese is continuing Scott Morrison’s gas fired recovery with $1.5 billion of taxpayer money to subsidise gas export and petrochemicals 3km away from the suburbs of Darwin. 

“As doctors have warned, the top end does not need another “Cancer Alley” like has happened with gas feedstock and petrochemical production in Louisiana.

“Gas fuels the climate crisis and taxpayers should not be subsidising its dangerous expansion.

“Greenwashing gas and ‘petrochemicals’ as renewables means this entire project requires closer scrutiny.”

The Middle Arm gas and petrochemical project is a $1.5b  the ‘gas fired recovery’ brainchild of former Dow Chemicals and Saudi Aramco chief and Donald Trump’s confidant, Andrew Liveris. 

U.S gas frackers Tamboran have rights over a site at the Middle Arm project to build a gas export hub to export gas overseas from the Beetaloo region.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown, MP for Ryan and Greens spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Sustainable Cities said:

“Alan Joyce has made Qantas’s name synonymous with price gouging, mismanagement, attacking workers’ pay and conditions, and scandal. I’m sure many Australians are happy to see him go.

“As CEO, Joyce has received bonuses of over $20 million, while workers and customers have lost out. Now that he’s being pushed out, the board should step in to ensure he receives no final bonus payout.

“But a change of CEO alone won’t fix Qantas’s problems. As long as Qantas remains a private, for-profit monopoly, we’re going to see more price gouging, more undermining of workers rights, more scandals.

“It’s time for a rethink. Instead of propping up Qantas’s profits, the government should take this moment to seriously look into bringing Qantas back into public ownership. 

“Bringing Qantas back into public hands would ensure no gouging or breaching of consumer rights, decent pay and conditions for workers, and fair prices for everyday travellers.”

“With 60% share of Australia’s aviation market, it makes no sense for Qantas to remain in private hands. Rather than protect Qantas’s monopoly status as ‘too big to fail’, the government should investigate bringing it back into public ownership.”