Category: Australian News

Australians are sleeping in cars, businesses are struggling, and crime is tearing through regional and remote communities, the Cost of Living Committee has heard.

At the hearing in Alice Springs, Senator Jane Hume and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price heard harrowing stories about the impact the cost of living crisis is having on locals.

High inflation, freight and transport costs has pushed up the prices of goods in regional and remote Australia, meaning that the $50 food voucher the Salvation Army used to provide to feed a whole family is no longer enough.

Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Matt Paterson, said that the cost of freight to regional areas like Alice Springs increased the costs of goods across the board, noting that “a dollar doesn’t go as far in regional Australia as it does everywhere else”.

Witnesses from the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce told the Committee there was less tourism flowing into Alice Springs and similar communities as Australians reprioritise their spending to cope with the cost of living.

While a representative from a local women’s support organisation said if they could ask for one thing from the Government, it would be for more jobs, not welfare.

Mr Gavin Morris, Principal of the Yipirinya School, said it was harder to attract and retain teachers at the school due to high accommodation costs, with the staff turnover causing more anti-social behaviour with students and in the community.

Locals who appeared at the Community Forum reported that the deteriorating law and order situation in Alice Springs was yet another pressure for businesses who are already doing it tough.

One witness said the increase in crime and damage to property was costing small businesses, which could barely afford to pay for the repairs.

Senator Hume said the cost of living crisis goes beyond those primary issues like struggling to pay a bill, with secondary effects having a serious impact on Australians too.

“Cost of living pressures are contributing to family and relationship breakdowns, negatively impacting education outcomes, and creating anti-social behaviour.

“The cost of living crisis can’t be looked at through a single lens but the Albanese Government isn’t even willing to acknowledge there is a problem.

“With no plan to get inflation under control, Labor has waved the white flag on the cost of living. Those in regional and remote Australia are bearing the brunt of this crisis,” Senator Hume said.

Senator Nampijinpa Price said the Labor Government had shown it is not interested in listening to communities like Alice Springs.

“We have heard today about the impact crime is having on driving up business costs, and that there are community members who are desperate because their children’s basic needs are not able to be met.”

“This is best summarised by the fact the Prime Minister was forced into Alice Springs for a few hours earlier this year.

“He announced $250 million for a package to provide relief to residents yet this money has not been allocated and local initiatives such as the Yipirinya Boarding School still can not get a look in,” Senator Nampijinpa Price concluded.

Senator Hume and Senator Nampijinpa Price called on all Australians to share their stories of how the cost of living is impacting them by providing submissions to yourcostofliving.au.

The Albanese Government must take urgent action to address Australia’s declining school standards which have become a national embarrassment.

In shocking NAPLAN results released today, one in three students is failing numeracy and literacy tests, with only 15 percent of students achieving above the expected standard.

“On almost every score, Australian students are going backwards. That one in three students is not meeting expected standards in literacy and numeracy is just shocking”, Senator Henderson said.

“The NAPLAN results released today mean students are twice as likely to fail than to excel in the classroom,” Senator Henderson said.

“Fixing this is not about funding. The Albanese Government needs to focus on the foundations of a good education – reading, writing and mathematics – by mandating evidence-based teaching methods in every Australian classroom,” said Senator Henderson.

“The refusal by Labor governments – state and federal – to mandate best-practice teaching and learning methods in every Australian classroom is not only failing students but grossly negligent”, Senator Henderson said.

“The Albanese Government and the states and territories must take urgent action to reverse these results,” said Senator Henderson.

“This is not about the quality of Australian teachers who are hard-working and dedicated. Many universities are offering deficient teacher training courses which are not adequately preparing teachers for the classroom, and our tertiary education system must wear some of the blame for this shambles. Teachers can only excel if they are supported by the best evidence-based teaching and learning methods,” said Senator Henderson.

“In proposing catch up tutorials, Education Minister Jason Clare is just tinkering at the edges. Why is he not addressing the fundamental cause of this appalling decline in Australian school standards?” said Senator Henderson.

“The Australian Education Research Organisation has confirmed what it will take to reverse declining standards, but that means we need tough action and not more talk from Jason Clare,” said Senator Henderson.Young Australians and their families deserve better than this, and so does our country.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed the Government’s decision to accept the recommendations of the Review of the Australian Research Council Act (ARC Act).

Senator Faruqi said:

“This is a victory for the research community and the Greens, who have long called for the ARC to be given autonomy to make decisions over research grants.

“It’s good to see that Labor, who rejected a bill I introduced back in 2018 to stop political interference in the ARC, has finally accepted the need for the ARC to be given autonomy to make decisions over research grants.

“Board appointments will remain a matter for the Minister, so there  must be strict guidelines to ensure the Board’s membership is composed of a diverse range of academics and members of the research community and there are no corporate or political appointments. 

“Ending political interference in the ARC is key to a thriving and independent research sector, but so is sufficient funding, which the Government has so far failed to address in both the ARC Review and the Universities Accord. 

“Australian research has so much potential, but will never reach its full potential without substantial, long-term public funding. The Government must immediately commit to an increase in research funding. 

“We also desperately need better working conditions for researchers who are struggling to stay afloat in this cost of living crisis on a stipend that sits below the poverty line. 

“At a bare minimum, researchers deserve a generous, liveable research stipend and a full entitlement to paid parental leave. 

“University funding is vital if we are to solve the complex and wicked problems of the climate crisis, inequality, global justice and health emergencies amongst others.”

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 Coalition congratulates Justice Stephen Gageler AC on his appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and recognises his extensive experience both as a High Court Justice and previously as Australia’s Solicitor-General.

The Coalition congratulates Justice Robert Beech-Jones on his appointment to the High Court and acknowledges his long service as a Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW and as Chief Judge at Common Law.

The Coalition also acknowledges the outstanding service of Justice Susan Kiefel AC, who has served with distinction as Australia’s Chief Justice, including being Australia’s first female Chief Justice, and wishes her well in her retirement from the High Court.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Justice Stephen Gageler AC as the fourteenth Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. Justice Gageler will commence as Chief Justice on 6 November 2023 upon the retirement of Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC.

Justice Gageler has an outstanding reputation as a jurist. He is highly respected for his leadership abilities and deep knowledge and understanding of constitutional law. Justice Gageler is currently the most senior puisne Justice of the High Court. He has served on the High Court with distinction since 2012. Prior to this, Justice Gageler was the Commonwealth Solicitor-General.

Justice Gageler holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University and a Master of Laws from Harvard University. Justice Gageler was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1989 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2000.

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Justice Robert Beech-Jones to the High Court of Australia. Justice Beech-Jones will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Justice Gageler as Chief Justice and will also commence on 6 November 2023.

Justice Beech-Jones has served on the Supreme Court of New South Wales since 2012. In 2021 he was appointed Chief Judge of the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Judge of Appeal. Justice Beech-Jones spent his childhood in Tasmania, before moving to Canberra to study. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University. Justice Beech-Jones was admitted as a Barrister in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1992 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2006.

The Government consulted extensively in the lead-up to this decision, including with all state and territory Attorneys-General, the Shadow Attorney-General, the heads of the Federal Courts and state and territory Supreme Courts, state and territory Bar associations and law societies, National Legal Aid, Australian Women Lawyers, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and deans of law schools across the country.

The Government thanks all those who provided nominations for these significant appointments. Justice Gageler and Justice Beech-Jones were strongly supported in the consultation process.

We also acknowledge and thank Chief Justice Kiefel for her exceptional service as Chief Justice of the High Court since 2017, Justice of the High Court since 2007, and as a former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of Queensland and Supreme Court of Norfolk Island.

On behalf of the Government and the Australian people, we congratulate Justice Gageler and Justice Beech-Jones on their appointments, and wish Chief Justice Kiefel all the very best for the future.

This week I will visit Vietnam for the second time as Foreign Minister to further deepen Australia’s cooperation with a key ASEAN partner.

Earlier this year, Australia and Vietnam marked 50 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring the deep friendship and strategic trust between our countries.

Australia and Vietnam share a Strategic Partnership, a commitment to ASEAN centrality and an interest in maintaining a region which is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where sovereignty is respected.

My visit is a clear statement of the Albanese Government’s priorities and an opportunity to further build on our work to shape the region we want.

It follows recent visits to Vietnam by Prime Minister Albanese and Trade and Tourism Minister Farrell.

During my visit to Hanoi, I will meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and other senior leaders to discuss a range of shared interests, including our economic and security ties.

Foreign Minister Son and I will hold the fifth annual Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where we will discuss regional priorities and how we can expand our cooperation, including on climate change, trade and investment, education, and digital delivery of government services.

I will also attend the ‘Taste of Australia’s Big Barbecue’ event with Chef Luke Nguyen to showcase Australian cuisine and culture. Vietnam is our fourth largest agricultural export market and offers increasing opportunities for Australian premium food and wine producers.

For the first time as Foreign Minister, I will visit Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic powerhouse and the hub of Australia’s business relationship with Vietnam. I will meet with Australians of Vietnamese heritage who are driving our economic cooperation.

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.