Category: Australian News

In the face of a national revolt over outsourcing of key government functions to consultants, Defence has handed another big four consultant, Ernst & Young, an $8.4 million contract to design Australia’s nuclear submarine regulator. This is despite its deep involvement with the nuclear power industry (including with the company responsible for the Fukushima nuclear disaster) and recent reporting uncovering conflict of interests in the energy sector. 

EY has long and deep ties to the nuclear industry, repeatedly advocating for an expanded nuclear industry and working with major nuclear power companies, including NuScale Power Corporation, China General Nuclear Power Co as well as TEPCO, acting as its long-term auditor, during and since the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

EY is already under investigation for undisclosed conflicts of interest with the NSW government already investigating its contract with EY to develop a Future of Gas Statement while EY was also working with gas giant Santos. 

The Greens are calling for the Albanese government to cancel the contract and bring this core work of government back into the public service. 

Greens Senator and Defence Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

“It’s genuinely unbelievable that in the middle of a national scandal about outsourcing core government functions to the big four consultants, Defence has gifted an $8.5 million contract to one of them to design a new national nuclear regulator.

“It was always wrong to have Defence in control of its own regulator for the AUKUS nuclear submarines and now we can see how they have hand picked a pro-nuclear consultant to design the whole thing. 

“This wasn’t an open tender at all, Defence chose Ernst and Young from a large panel without going to market or, it seems, even considering serious conflicts of interest.

“No one can have any comfort in a nuclear regulatory body designed by a hand picked consultant with so many obvious conflicts of interest.

“Ernst and Young has deep conflicts of interest here, as it repeatedly pushes for an expanded global nuclear energy industry and through its role as the ongoing auditor of TEPCO, the Japanese energy giant responsible for the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

“In its Australian operations Ernst and Young is already under investigation by the NSW government over conflicts of interest related to the gas industry, but none of this seems to trouble Defence. 

“International nuclear energy standards make it clear that nuclear regulators must be structurally and functionally independent which means the nuclear submarine regulator should never have sat with Defence in the first place.

“This contract needs to be torn up and then this core duty of government, designing a nuclear oversight agency, needs to be done by an independent government agency not by a hired gun from the big four,” Senator Shoebridge said.

The public has paid millions to fly senior politicians around on “special purpose” VIP flights according to documents forced from the Albanese government by the Greens.

After hiding the truth for more than 12 months the documents were finally released this week and they show more than $3.75 million spent on VIP flights for the new Prime Minister since just May last year.

If flights taken to support his role as Leader of the Opposition are included the cost rises to over $5.3 million.
Meanwhile the new Defence Minister has taken $2.9 million in special purpose VIP flights and the Governor General has cost taxpayers more than $1.9 m to be flown around for his largely ceremonial duties in the same period.

While the numbers are enormous, the full details of the flights are still being hidden by Defence who allege that telling the public where politicians flew last year would cause security concerns.

Greens Senator and Defence Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

“For a government that promised transparency they sure have needed their arms twisted to spill the beans on these VIP flights.

“This is an eye-watering bill to fly senior politicians around in VIP flights.“Of course there’s a need to fly the PM around for offical duties, but this PM is billing taxpayers harder and faster for VIP flights than any before him.

“The refusal, apparently for security reasons, to tell us where the flights went is a very convenient way to avoid serious scrutiny.

“It’s hard to see what credible security risk there is from telling us where politicians were flown to 12 months ago,” Senator Shoebridge said.

Documents available for download belowFile

Attachment	Size
Defence FOI 702_22_23 – Documents.pdf	3.33 MB
Defence FOI 702_22_23 – Schedule of Documents.pdf	117.43 KB
Defence FOI 702_22_23 – Statement of Reasons.pdf	432.24 KB

This Vietnam Veterans’ Day will hold a special place in the hearts of our veterans of Vietnam as well as their families. This year we mark 50 years since Australia formally declared its cessation of hostilities in Vietnam bringing an end to our longest war of the 20^th century.

Today we stop to remember the 60,000 Australians who served in Vietnam, the more than 3,000 who were wounded, and the 523 Australians who fell in that foreign land.

In a controversial and polarising conflict which engendered public protest on the home front, the service and sacrifice of soldiers was often forgotten. At the time, public opinion often failed to draw a distinction between the politics of war and the people who fought in it.

Having returned home, veterans found that their communities, colleagues, friends and even families neither understood, nor wanted to understand what they had experienced. Some were subjected to outright hostility and accused of war crimes. Others were met with ingratitude or indifference. Many did not receive adequate medical support to deal with their wounds, seen and unseen. Our veterans of Vietnam deserved so much better.

In the decades since the Vietnam War, we have come to acknowledge our nation’s historical mistreatment of many who returned. And we have come to tell stories of the endeavours, valour and sacrifice of Australians who served in Vietnam – to see beyond the politics and rightfully honour the people, their character and their deeds.

Today we remember the Nashos – the 15,000 Australians who served in Vietnam having been conscripted under the National Service Scheme. Their birth dates were pulled from that ‘lottery of death’. But they went to war without complaint. As the Official History notes, contrary to perceptions at the time, the levels of compliance were high, with less than 1.5 per cent failing to register.

Today we also remember the soldiers’ experiences. The gruelling 12-month tours of duty of which a demanding 80 per cent of time was spent in the operational field. The brutal nature of a predominantly ground war with no front lines. The constant patrols. The search and destroy missions. The perils of mines, booby traps, protracted guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run attacks at night. The unrelenting risk of ambush from an enemy who had infiltrated South Vietnam and could be present in any village, jungle, mountain, swamp, rice paddy or rubber plantation. The intense engagements which began without warning and were typically fought at close quarters of less than 30 metres.

And today we remember those major battles like Long Tan, Coral-Balmoral, Binh Ba and others where, testimony to the Anzac spirit, Australians again proved their mettle.

Our dutiful act of remembrance on Vietnam Veterans’ Day is a threefold promise. A promise to the past to honour the fallen. A promise to the present to thank those Vietnam veterans still with us. And a promise to the future to afford all veterans with the proper treatment and dignity they deserve.

As we look around the world at periods characterised by resurgent authoritarianism, we can better understand the strategic reasons behind Australia’s participation in the Vietnam War. Indeed, we can better appreciate the values for which Australians shouldered arms, shed blood and sacrificed so much. Australians stood with our friends against those hell-bent on conquest.

Vietnam is a reminder that the values we hold dear endure beyond any conflict – provided we never become indifferent to defending them. Our region would look very different today had Australians not fought to defend those values in Vietnam.

To all our Vietnam veterans:

In this important commemorative year, Australians express our profound national gratitude to you. You did your duty. You showed courage, camaraderie and commitment in extremis. You are revered equally among all the Anzacs who have served and sacrificed for our country and helped to defend liberty. You have a secure place within Australia’s pantheon of war heroes. On your day, Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we honour you. We thank you. We commit you to our national memory and to always remember you faithfully.

Today our nation will pause to mark Vietnam Veterans’ Day, the key commemoration in this 50th anniversary year of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

Thousands of Australians will gather at the Vietnam Forces Memorial in Canberra, and across the country, to honour the service and sacrifice of our Vietnam veterans.

On 18 August 1966, Australians and New Zealanders were outnumbered 10 to one in the battle of Long Tan.

It was the single greatest loss of life Australia suffered during the Vietnam War – 18 Australians were killed and 24 were wounded.

In the years that followed, Vietnam veterans gathered to commemorate those lost at Long Tan.

Now we gather on 18 August each year to mark Vietnam Veterans’ Day, paying tribute to all those who served in Australia’s longest conflict of the 20th century.

60,000 Australian personnel served in Vietnam over more than a decade, which sadly resulted in 523 lives lost, and some 3,000 wounded. For their service, and the sacrifices of their families, we say thank you.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP said:

“This year, as we mark the 50th anniversary since the role of Australian troops in the hostilities in Vietnam came to a close, we acknowledge the service and sacrifice made by our veterans.

“Their experiences during and after the war are a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served our country and the debt of gratitude we owe each and every one of our veterans.

“Many of our troops returned to face new battles at home and not every one of those battles was won – it is important as Australians we know the stories of service in Vietnam and what our veterans faced when returned home.

“We honour you, we thank you and we are so sorry it took us so long as a nation to do so.”

Minister for Veterans Affairs’ and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh MP said:

“When we speak of the Anzac spirit, we speak of having your mates’ backs, no matter how dire the circumstances.

“But when our veterans returned home from Vietnam many felt unsupported, unrecognised.

“In marking 50 years since the end of Australia’s involvement in Vietnam, we honour and thank all those who served, and the sacrifices of their families.

“You have made your nation proud.”

The Greens welcome the belated release of the First Action Plan and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

We have long supported calls for a clear set of actions and targets, but funding remains a key issue, and more women will die without adequate funding for frontline services and prevention work.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters said:

“For the National plan to end violence against women and children to succeed it needs to be properly funded, and it needs targeted, meaningful goals. We welcome the detail provided in the release of the First Action Plan and the Outcomes Framework but we’re still a long way from being able to celebrate actual outcomes.

“Already this year 35 women have been killed, according to volunteer organisation Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy the Joint. The Greens have been pushing for years for the government to keep a national FDV death toll, to aid in awareness raising and prevention, but still this work is done by volunteers.

“The women’s safety sector has said for a decade that they need $1bil each year to be able to help everyone who reaches out for help, rather than having to turn people away back to violence. The Government has allocated less than half of that amount with their Action Plan – just $2.23 billion over five years, less than half the $5 billion the sector needs to ensure no one is turned away.

“Women on low wages or income support are especially vulnerable without the resources to escape violent situations. Yet this government persists with the cruelty of keeping income support payments like JobSeeker below the poverty line, and has the audacity to cry poor while dishing out hundreds of billions in tax cuts and investment property perks for the rich. 

“The housing crisis is felt even more acutely by women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. Women are forced to choose between abuse or homelessness, because there is nowhere to go. 

“Violence against women and children has not reduced since the first National Plan to end it 12 years ago. Labor must provide the funds required for the National Plan to succeed, or they risk squandering another decade, and more women’s lives.

“While the Labor Government continues to underfund frontline family and domestic violence services, victim-survivors are turned away from crisis accommodation and one woman is murdered every 10 days in this country.”

Greens spokesperson on First Nations Justice, Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“While I welcome the First Action Plan, the Government must be more ambitious and courageous in its efforts to tackle the issue of violence against First Nations women.

“Better funding of services is crucial and we have been calling for an investment of $10 billion dollars over 10 years to ensure frontline services are equipped and resourced to deal with the increase in family violence.

“What is required is a strategic and trauma informed approach and investment, that is tailored to the communities where people live, because a one size fits all, cookie cutter approach won’t work.

“We must think outside a police, justice and corrections response, and instead look at primary prevention, cultural change and bringing women and communities on board the development of our response and actions and we need to have indigenous women at the table during the planning of these services.

“As part of the work that I have been doing with the federal inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children, we have heard harrowing stories from families and we need their grief and loss to translate into real change.

“It is simply unacceptable that our women are subjected to violence, are injured and killed leaving children without mothers. 

“It was devastating and heartbreaking to hear at a candlelight vigil, the raw grief and pain of the family of Tiffany Woodley. No family should endure that pain.”

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Greens Leader and Education spokesperson, has slammed Sydney University for accepting funding from the gambling industry to establish a new research centre and called on them to hand the money back.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“Sydney University accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from some of the world’s biggest gambling companies and casinos to bankroll a new gambling research centre- this stinks to high heavens!

“This is a shocking example of a morally bankrupt, ruthless industry getting its dirty tentacles into university and research institutions.

“These sorts of partnerships are just one toxic feature of the broken corporate university model.

“Sydney University needs to hand back the money and rule out any future partnerships with the gambling industry, which only serve to launder the industry’s reputation at the expense of research integrity.

“Ultimately, the corporate university model needs to go and the government must provide a big boost to public funding – including to research funding – to set unis up for the long term. Universities are a public good and should be treated as such.”

While the Prime Minister basks in the glory of the Labor conference, work force data released today shows Australian workers and businesses are doing it tougher than ever.

Against market expectations, the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% and the number of full-time jobs dropped by 24,200 in the month of July. Concerningly the participation rate also decreased.

Part-time employment rose by 9,600 jobs, which was not surprising considering the number of full-time jobs that were lost.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said: “Under Labor we’re seeing our economy shuddering to a halt with Australians now losing jobs, productivity falling off a cliff, flatlining GDP growth and a year of real wage declines.”

“Labor’s cost of living crisis is at risk of morphing into a full-blown economic crisis,” Mr Taylor said.

“Instead of treating inflation and cost of living pressures as it’s first, second and third priority, Labor is distracted and refusing to deal with the core issues impacting Australians’ daily lives.”

Shadow Minister for Employment Senator Michaelia Cash said: “Today’s increase in unemployment is concerning, especially on the back of confirmation earlier in the week that real wages are continuing to go backwards under Labor.

“Mr Albanese has taken the strong labour market left by the previous Coalition Government for granted and is not interested in strengthening our economy,’’ Senator Cash said.

“Mr Albanese has no plan whatsoever to boost productivity, reduce cost of living pressures or create more job opportunities for Australians,’’ she said.

“Labor is instead focused on rewarding its union mates for their political and financial support,’’ Senator Cash said.

“Today’s figures show Labor needs to abandon its next wave of job destroying industrial relations changes, which will attack casual workers and those who choose to work as contractors or in the gig economy,’’ Senator Cash said.

Recently, there’s been a significant development concerning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his acknowledgment that he hadn’t read the complete Uluru Statement. Australians are lining up to accuse him of planning a referendum without understanding the subject matter, but also questioning the legitimacy of his stance.

It’s a major problem that the prime minister isn’t familiar with this crucial document. This revelation has caused disbelief among those opposing the referendum (“No” campaign).

For months, Albanese has been assuring that there’s sufficient information about the contentious Voice and urging Australians to read it.

While Albanese’s viewpoint has upset many, his admission highlights the complexity of the referendum and its related materials. The challenge is not only about the potential consequences of the referendum itself but also about fully understanding all the connected documents. This incident emphasises the importance of making informed decisions and carefully studying supporting materials regarding significant constitutional changes.

As discussions unfold around this referendum, it’s of utmost importance to carefully consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders, particularly those who have valid concerns about the deeply flawed and potentially divisive Voice proposal. The controversy sparked by Prime Minister Albanese’s admission presents a crucial opportunity to engage in a substantive dialogue about the problematic aspects of the Voice plan and its potential to perpetuate divisive policies and undermine genuine progress towards improving Aboriginal conditions. 

The Albanese Government is working with states and territories to deliver the Help to Buy Scheme, supporting up to 40,000 low and middle income families to purchase a home of their own.

This will bring home ownership back into reach for thousands of Australians who have been locked out of the housing market.

The Government will provide an equity contribution to eligible participants of up to 40 per cent for new homes and 30 per cent for existing homes.

The Government is committed to providing the opportunity to purchase a home under Help to Buy in all states and territories.

For states to participate, legislation will need to be passed for the scheme to operate in their jurisdiction.

All states have agreed at National Cabinet to progress legislation so the scheme will run nationally.

The Albanese Government has already helped more than 50,000 Australians into home ownership through the Home Guarantee Scheme, including more than 6,000 through the new Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee.

Today’s announcement builds on the significant commitments made by National Cabinet yesterday including:

• A new national target to build 1.2 million well-located new homes over five years, from 1 July 2024;
• The New Homes Bonus, $3 billion of performance-based funding for states and territories who achieve more than their Accord targets and undertake reforms to boost housing supply and improve housing affordability; 
• The Housing Support Program, a $500 million competitive funding program for local and state governments to kick-start housing supply; and 
• A Better Deal for Renters which includes developing a nationally consistent policy to require genuine reasonable grounds for eviction, moving towards limiting rental increases to once a year and phasing in minimum rental standards. 

These commitments are on top of the Albanese Government’s ambitious housing agenda which includes:

• The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which will help fund 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in its first five years;
• The new $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator to deliver thousands of new social homes across Australia;
• $350 million to deliver 10,000 affordable homes through the National Housing Accord over five years from 2024;
• Up to $575 million in funding unlocked from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility with homes already under construction across the country;
• Increasing the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 15 per cent, the largest increase in more than 30 years;
• Additional $2 billion in financing for community housing providers for more social and affordable rental housing through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation;
• New incentives to boost the supply of rental housing by changing arrangements for investments in built-to-rent accommodation;
• $1.7 billion one-year extension of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with States and Territories, including a $67.5 million boost to homelessness funding over the next year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Our Government will help 40,000 low and middle income families buy a home.

So often these Australians have done all the right things – worked hard, saved up, made sacrifices, but a deposit for a home is still out of reach.

Our Government will step up and assist, opening the door of home ownership to tens of thousands of Australians.”

Housing Minister Julie Collins said:

“I’m proud that Help to Buy will bring home ownership back into reach for 40,000 Australians.

This is a critical element of our Government’s broad and ambitious housing agenda to help address Australia’s housing challenges.

We’ll keep delivering to ensure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home.”

Australia and Japan are strengthening our defence ties with the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) coming into effect.

This military agreement provides the legal framework for greater defence cooperation between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF).

It is the first visiting forces agreement Japan has struck with any country outside the United States.

When it comes to practical outcomes, this agreement will see more training and exercises between the two countries, including;

• Japanese F-35s will deploy to Australia, to RAAF Base Tindal for the first time at the end of August
• Exercise Bushido Guardian, where Australian F-35s will be deployed to Japan for the first time in early September
• Australia will participate in Exercise Yama Sakura as a full participant for the first time with more than 150 personnel travelling to Japan in December.

The RAA will streamline more effective force cooperation, and enable each country to increase the sophistication and regularity of training, exercises and other cooperative activities.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP said:

“The Reciprocal Access Agreement will deepen the relationship between our respective defence forces, supporting closer cooperation and strengthening the capabilities of both the ADF and the JSDF.

“Both Australia and Japan recognise the increasing complexity of our security environment and the need to grow our partnership to support a stable and prosperous region.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong said:

“Australia and Japan share an aspiration for a stable, peaceful and prosperous region, and this bilateral Reciprocal Access Agreement will help us deepen our defence cooperation.

“The security and defence relationship between Australia and Japan is critical to both nations, and is underpinned by our Special Strategic Partnership.”