Category: Australian News

Tomorrow we mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, and commemorate the sacrifice of the Australians who served.

Beginning on 25 June 1950, the Korean War saw North Korea (People’s Democratic Republic of Korea) launch an invasion of South Korea (Republic of Korea) in an attempt to unify the country under its communist government.

The Australian Government was one of 21 member countries to send personnel in support of the South in an attempt to unify the country between 1950 and 1953.

The Australian military served with distinction during the War and, while tomorrow will mark the end of the fighting, Australian forces remained in Korea in a peacekeeping role until 1957.

Approximately 18,000 Australian military personnel served during the Korean War and the post-armistice phase, including the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army.

The demilitarised zone that was established as part of the Armistice agreement still exists today as North and South Korea remain in a state of war.

More than 350 Australians lost their lives, more than 1,200 were wounded and 30 taken prisoner. More than 40 Australians are still listed as missing in action in Korea.

For veterans and their families, this anniversary may be a challenging time. I encourage veterans and families who may need support to reach out and access the services available.

For more information about Korean Veterans’ Day and the Korean War, visit the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Anzac Portal.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Seventy years after the armistice that marked the end of the Korean War, we reflect on those who served in our name with valour and with honour.

They showed a spirit and strength of character that was often tested, but never found wanting.

We hold on to their names, we remember their courage, and we give our thanks to them all.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh said:

“True to the ode ‘lest we forget’, rather than being ‘the forgotten war’, today we honour the Australians who served with distinction in the Korean War for their freedom, especially those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

“I am honoured to be representing Australia in South Korea to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, to those whose scars remain some 70 years later and to acknowledge all those still missing in action. They will not be forgotten.

As the Senate inquiry into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment and Support Services in Australia enters a critical phase, a groundbreaking public hearing is scheduled to take place in Perth on Monday, 24th July. 

The hearing will provide a platform for West Australians with lived experiences of ADHD, ADHD advocacy bodies, First Nations organisations, healthcare professionals, and education advocates to present crucial evidence to the committee.

Approximately one million people in Australia are directly impacted by ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disability that is often misunderstood that can cause significant impairment and dysfunction in the lives of those affected. 

Senator for WA Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disability Services, Health and Mental Health said:

“People with ADHD have been left behind in this country for far too long. Over the past year of engaging closely with ADHDers, I’ve heard countless stories of people experiencing barriers around cost, wait time and stigmas associated with seeking ADHD assessment and support services.

“I am proud to be bringing the committee to WA. It’s clear that too many people in our community can not afford a diagnosis, and if they can, they’re being met with closed-books and long waitlists. The wait times are deplorable, and are leading to significant impacts on the quality of life for so many West Australians. 

“Particularly concerning is the impact on children and their families, with some children waiting up to two years to see a paediatrician to begin their journey of an ADHD diagnosis and support. 

“We are hearing from the community that more supports are needed following a diagnosis; including the need to have healthcare funded through Medicare and support hours available through the NDIS. 

“The goal of this inquiry is to create community-led recommendations that address the common barriers people encounter while seeing ADHD assessment and care. As this crucial inquiry advances, I remain optimistic that the committee’s findings will pave the way for a more accessible and compassionate system that benefits all ADHDers.”

Responding to the announcement that the Murray Darling Basin Plan will not be delivered on time, Greens spokesperson for Water and the Environment, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“We need a plan for action, not a plan for delay to save the Murray Darling.

“The failure to deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan on time is a broken promise to every South Australian and risks breaking our river Murray.

“Years of rorts, water theft and delays under the Liberal-Nationals had left our precious river in a precarious position. The Albanese Government had promised to deliver the Murray Darling Basin plan on time and in full.

“For years upstream states and big cotton have dragged the chain on ensuring South Australia gets the water it needs and has been promised.

“Our Murray needs an urgent recommitment to action not a go-slow on saving the River.

“Delaying further action on the plan for three more years is simply not an option if we want to preserve our river and the ecosystems that depend on it.

“We are in a climate crisis and facing what experts predict will be another summer of extreme heat. We cannot afford to delay the actions we know are urgently needed to protect our river.

“The Albanese Government needs to stand up to the big irrigators and the upstream states and deliver on the water that was promised for South Australia and for the environment.

“With Labor Governments in every Basin state, it’s time for real action to protect our river and to finally deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full, including the 450gL for South Australia.

“The Greens are willing to work with the Government on reforms that are needed to ensure that more water is delivered but we cannot support continuing to kick the can down the road. We need a plan to deliver the water before the next election.”

Greens leader in the Senate Larissa Waters will introduce a private members Bill when parliament resumes to stop political donors from being awarded Commonwealth contracts, including the likes of Big 4 consulting firms.

The Fairer Grants and Government Contracts Bill would ban political donations for 12 months before and after any contract tender or application was made.

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

“Money shouldn’t be able to buy government contracts, development approvals, political access or political influence. Yet it’s clear that’s what years of donations has been getting for organisations like PwC and the rest of the Big 4 and it’s legalised bribery.

“The Big 4 donated more than $4.3 million to both sides of politics over 10 years, and secured $8 billion in government contracts over that same time period – work that could and should largely be done by a strong, independent public service.

“When parliament resumes, the Greens will introduce a bill to ensure that organisations seeking government contracts or approvals are not able to donate to political parties for a year on either side of that application. The Greens would still like to cap all political donations at $1,000 per year, but we are proposing this Bill as an urgent measure that should receive multipartisan support.

“Trust in politicians and our democracy remains at an all time low. We need to do everything we can to ensure Parliament is more transparent, and ending dodgy donations is a good place to start.

“Stopping donations effectively buying lucrative government contracts, or environmental approvals, will encourage decisions to be made based on merit, and help reinstate public trust in our political system.

“Rather than relying on public relations exercises by corporate entities like PwC, Labor needs to show some leadership and put an end to these unfair and undemocratic donations, once and for all.”

Senator Barbara Pocock, Greens spokesperson on Public Sector said:

“Australians deserve a well-resourced public service that is not hollowed out by voracious private contractors, and that is making decisions in the interests of the community, not vested interests and big donors.

“It is only when we stop large political donors from using their donations promises to secure favours, like contracts, or approvals, or access to decision makers, that we will see our system work in the public interest.

“The Big 4 should not be able to further entrench their power and influence over government, and their profit margins, by making political donations, and certainly not when they are tendering for a government contract.”

Report from The Saturday Paper: Universities Australia have shelved a student-facing respectful relationships campaign because a minority of vice-chancellors among the 39 universities the body represents objected to its explicit nature.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters will pursue the matter directly when Universities Australia appear at a Senate Inquiry into sexual consent laws and education next week.

Greens spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Universities have a clear responsibility to provide a safe environment for students, with 275 sexual assaults in a university setting each week, it’s clear they are failing.

“Reporting today suggests universities are also failing to provide the educational resources young adults need, because of the archaic mindset of a few old dinosaurs in charge of our tertiary institutions.

“Allowing the prudish nonsense of a minority of vice-chancellors to shelve a government-funded campaign is embarrassing enough, but Universities Australia attempting to hide the decision is outrageous.

“If Universities Australia don’t want to provide sexual consent education to the adults on its campuses, it should hand back the $1.5 million it was provided to do so.

“I will be pursuing this matter directly with Universities Australia when they appear before a Senate Inquiry into sexual consent laws and education next week.”

Today Australia has imposed targeted sanctions on 35 entities in Russia’s defence, technology and energy sectors, and 10 individuals, including Russian Ministers and senior officials, and senior military personnel in Belarus.

This action has been taken in careful coordination with our international partners to have maximum impact on those individuals and entities who play a role in directly or indirectly supporting Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions imposed today are directed at entities and individuals of economic and strategic significance to Russia, including:

• Russian companies supplying advanced technology, electronics and equipment to the Russian Armed Forces
• Russian entities involved in nuclear energy and Arctic resource extraction
• Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Belousov and Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshenko
• Major Russian defence entities, including Russia’s largest producer of military helicopters and its CEO
• Senior Belarusian military officials who have threatened Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

Australia has already taken action to impose costs on Russia and has sanctioned more than 1,100 individuals and entities supporting the invasion of Ukraine.

We again call on Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukraine and for Belarus to stop supporting Russia’s senseless war.

The Australian Government steadfastly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We stand with the people of Ukraine who continue to show extraordinary courage in the face of Russia’s brutal invasion and unrelenting attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said:

“Today’s sanctions underline Australia’s commitment to working with partners to maintain pressure on Russia and those supporting its illegal and immoral war.”

“Australia’s sanctions regime against Russia reflects our support for the people of Ukraine and for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said:

“Australia stands with the people of Ukraine who continue to show extraordinary courage.”

“Australia again calls on Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukrainian territory and for Belarus to stop supporting Russia’s senseless war.”

The sacking of RBA Governor Dr Phillip Lowe is a victory for accountability, but nothing will change for renters and mortgage holders until Labor changes its approach.

“Replacing one RBA insider with another is business-as-usual, and a clear signal that renters and mortgage holders will keep getting smashed to solve a problem they didn’t cause.

“Corporate profiteering and spending by the wealthy are the domestic drivers of inflation. 

“Labor needs to tax corporate super profits and wealth. That would be anti-inflationary and reduce the pressure on the RBA to use the only tool it has. 

“The decision to sack Dr Lowe is vindication for the Greens who have been calling for him to go for some time. 

“Dr Lowe made a series of mistakes and poor calls that resulted in renters and mortgage holders getting smashed for inflation they didn’t cause.

“But corporate Australia will be heaving a giant sigh of relief today.

“It’s clear that interest rate rises will continue to be used as a tool to increase unemployment and suppress wages, and that monetary policy will not be used to address inequality or climate breakdown.”

New analysis by the Parliamentary Library reveals that in the decade since the Gonski Review Australian governments have increased funding to private schools at twice the rate of public schools.

The analysis of My School data shows that on a real-dollar, per student basis, combined recurrent funding from Commonwealth, state and territory governments to Independent schools increased 34.04% from 2012 to 2021, while spending on Catholic schools grew 31.17%. Spending on public schools only increased 16.92%.

The data also highlights the vast disparities between funding in different states and territories. While the Victorian government has increased recurrent funding to public schools by 22.16% per student since Gonski, public school spending has actually fallen in WA and the NT, while the Queensland government has increased recurrent funding to independent schools at nine times the rate of public schools (see table below).

Per student, public schools received $16,174 on average in recurrent government funding in 2021, while Independent schools, which are able to charge unlimited tuition fees, received $11,840.

Public schools in remote and very remote areas, which typically attract a higher funding loading to account for disadvantage, have also fallen further behind public schools in metro areas. Government funding to major city schools increased by 16.74% since Gonski, but only 14.47% and 10.58% to remote and very remote public schools respectively.

The analysis exposes the complete failure by Australian governments to enact the Gonski Review’s central recommendation: to ramp up funding to under-resourced public schools and wind back funding to over-resourced private institutions.

To clear the way for the federal government to finally close the public school funding gap the Greens will introduce a bill during the next parliamentary sitting to remove the Coalition cap that limits the Commonwealth contribution to the public sector to 20%.

Greens spokesperson on schools, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Since the Gonski Review panel handed down its recommendations more than a decade ago, governments have increased spending to private schools at double the rate of funding increases to public schools.

“This is absolutely scandalous.

“Gonski recommended that to close the widening inequality gap between public and private schools, extra funding should be directed to under-resourced public schools, while funding to over-resourced private institutions should be wound back. All governments agreed to this plan.

“Yet the exact opposite has happened.

“We can’t continue to pretend that fairness is central to our national identity when our public school system is on the brink of collapse and elite private schools are swimming in cash.

“Average performance is falling, student engagement is dropping and teachers are fleeing the profession. For many students public school is no longer a doorway to a better future, but a system which amplifies and locks in generational inequality.

“Labor says public schools are ‘on a pathway’ to full funding. But for teachers, students, parents and carers it’s starting to look like a road to nowhere.

“The government will try to blame this appalling state of affairs on the Coalition, but this crisis falls just as heavily on Labor’s shoulders.

“Labor is in government federally and in every state and territory government on the mainland, they have the Greens in balance of power in the Senate, and they’re bragging about having a $19 billion surplus. There is no excuse at all for public schools to remain shortchanged.

“Our kids can’t wait any longer.”

Download the full data set

Real-dollar, per-student increase/decrease in recurrent state or territory funding to schools by sector, 2012-2021

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, has written to Lexus, Penfolds, Kennedy and Furphy urging them to follow Myer’s lead and end their sponsorship of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. 

Her letter cites an independent poll of 1,005 Australians conducted between May 31 and June 5 2023 by Lonergan Research which found that almost two thirds of Australians believe racing animals like horses and greyhounds for gambling and entertainment is cruel (64%). This figure has been steadily increasing – 59% in 2022 and 55% in 2021. A methodology statement is available below.

Senator Faruqi said:

“There’s a clear choice for Cup sponsors: move with the times or leave yourself stranded as one of the last few championing a barbaric industry with a business model of gambling fuelled animal cruelty.

“Businesses who sponsor horse racing have blood on their hands. 

“Corporate money fuels the deaths and injuries of countless horses and contributes to other horrible sides of racing carnivals, like problem gambling and spikes in domestic violence.  

“Horse racing is plain vile. It’s high time that luxury brands realise there’s nothing luxurious about sponsoring animal cruelty. 

“The Melbourne Cup is a grotesque festival of animal cruelty, consumerism, alcoholism and gambling. It belongs in the dustbin of history.

“The evidence shows that the tide of public opinion is fast turning, with a clear and steadily increasing majority of people believing that racing animals for gambling and entertainment is cruel.”

Lonergan Research Methodology Statement:

The research was commissioned by The Office of Senator Mehreen Faruqi (Australian Greens) and conducted by Lonergan Research in accordance with the ISO 20252 standard, and in compliance with the Australian Polling Council Quality Mark standards (www.australianpollingcouncil.com). Lonergan Research surveyed 1,005 Australians 18+ between May 31 and June 5 2023. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to the Government’s decision to progress five immediate action items following the release of the Universities Accord interim report, saying it represents a missed opportunity.

The Greens previously outlined their priorities for action:

1. Wipe student debt, or at the very least make the student debt system fairer by abolishing indexation on all student debt and raising the minimum repayment income to the median wage.
2. Raise the stipends for PhD students to at least the minimum wage. 
3. Extend paid parental leave to PhD students.
4. Lower the age of independence from 22 to 18, and raise student social security payments above the poverty line to at least $88 per day.
5. Pay students when undertaking mandatory unpaid placements. 
6. Reverse the fee hikes and funding cuts introduced as part of the Job-Ready Graduates Scheme.
7. Wipe Student Financial Supplement Scheme debts. 
8. Ensure that international students have access to safe and affordable housing. 
9. Boost government funding to universities and link it to ensuring increases in secure, permanent  and ongoing employment for staff
10. Cap vice-chancellor salaries.
11. Require universities to report casual employment data, including the number of casual employees and the cost of executive salaries.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Minister’s  decision to guarantee First Nations students a Commonwealth-supported university place is an important and positive step. The other announcements are well and good  but nowhere near what is needed.

“Soaring student debt has made university increasingly out of reach for young people, who don’t deserve to be saddled with a debt sentence simply for pursuing education. 

“If the Government really wants to improve access to university, they should make university free and wipe all student debt.

“The Government is burying its head in the sand when it comes to so many obvious, urgent things that need addressing, like student debt, unpaid placements, PhD students living under the poverty line and the corporatisation of unis leading to rampant casualisation and wage theft. 

“Labor is woefully out of touch when it comes to young people. We see it in their failure to act on the housing crisis and we are seeing it in their failure to address student poverty.

“It’s great that Labor will dump the cruel and punitive 50 per cent fail rule, which was introduced as part of the disastrous Job-Ready graduates scheme. However, they should also scrap the scheme’s fee hikes and funding cuts, which have been an unmitigated disaster.

“I’ve been calling for changes to university governance and greater democracy on campus for some time, so it’s good to see that the panel has considered this a priority. The corporate university model has been so damaging and corrosive.

“Greens analysis has found that over the last two decades, there has been a 43 per cent reduction in the number of elected positions on university councils. We have to give power back to staff and students.

“Moving deck chairs on the Titanic is not going to cut it. Big and bold ideas must be urgently implemented.

“It’s time to reimagine universities as essential, democratic places which exist to serve the public good. Free and well-funded university is necessary for equity and the functioning of a vibrant  democracy.”