Category: Australian News

A bill to establish a Royal Commission into the Murdoch media empire was introduced into the parliament today by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. 

The bill establishes a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry and has the full powers of a Royal Commission, including resources and ability to compel witnesses. It would report to the Parliament, rather than the Government.

The Greens will move to refer the bill to a senate inquiry following its introduction.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Today I introduced a Greens bill to establish a Royal Commission into the Murdoch media empire and the state of media diversity in Australia. 

“The influence of the Murdoch media on Australian democracy is unaccountable and dangerous. It is time politicians stop being afraid to question the Murdoch press.

“Only an inquiry with the powers of a Royal Commission can uncover the extent of the Murdoch media’s influence and control over our democracy and fully examine media concentration in Australia.

“Even today we’ve seen the Murdoch press use leaked text messages from an alleged rape victim to prosecute an attempted political attack with little regard to the welfare of Brittany Higgins or for the public interest.

“The revelations in the Dominion case against Fox News was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the influence of the Murdoch media.

“Rupert Murdoch seemed to do everything he could to get out of giving evidence, leaving us wondering what might have been uncovered. It’s now even more imperative that Rupert Murdoch is called to give evidence before a Royal Commission in Australia.

“Pressure is continuing to build to hold the Murdoch media mafia to account for the role they have played in the polarisation of politics and their rampant spreading of misinformation.

“Australia’s media regulatory framework is not fit for purpose and needs an overhaul. Media regulators in this country are toothless and powerless to act in the public interest under the huge political and market influence of the Murdoch machine.

“The first recommendation of the Senate Inquiry into Media Diversity in Australia was to conduct a judicial inquiry with the powers of a royal commission to investigate media regulation in Australia.

“I invite all members of parliament to support the bill and stand up for public interest journalism and truth in our democracy.”

Today, the Parliamentary Friends of ME/CFS, co-chaired by Senator Jordon Steele-John and Maria Vamvakinou, will be launched today at an event in Parliament House 11 am – 12 noon AEST. 

The friendship group aims to connect Members of Parliament with patient advocates and stakeholders from across the country, to improve outcomes for the community and ensure that people with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are not left behind by the federal government during the 47th Parliament. 

At the launch event, people will hear from the Co-Chairs, Penelope McMillan from ME/CFS Australia, Anne Wilson from Emerge and a community advocate, Andrew Bretherton, to speak about their lived experience.

Members of the community from across the country will attend the event online.

WA Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens spokesperson for Health and Disability said:

“It’s an honour to co-chair the Parliamentary Friends of ME/CFS. I hope this friends group will help bridge the gap between us all: people with ME/CFS, healthcare providers, and policy makers. 

“ME/CFS affects a huge number of people in this country and for decades has failed to receive the recognition and understanding within the healthcare system that it needs. Too many people have been misdiagnosed, not received access to specialised clinics and in some cases – treatment that has actively caused harm to the people it was supposed to support. 

“We know there are many actions the Federal Government could take to improve the lives of people with ME/CFS, including investing in research, better resourcing advocacy groups, and supporting healthcare providers to have a better understanding of the condition, its severity, and its impact. 

“The government must urgently ensure that current disability support systems, including getting access to the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are available to people with ME/CFS. It can be extremely challenging for people with ME/CFS to navigate processes due to the fluctuating nature of their symptoms and the lack of consistent diagnostic criteria.” 

The Albanese Government has today announced the Chair and Advisory Board of the Net Zero Economy Agency.

The Hon Greg Combet AM has been appointed as Chair of the Net Zero Economy Agency. As Chair, Mr Combet will guide the Agency to ensure that the workers, industries and communities that have powered Australia for generations, can seize the opportunities of the net zero transformation. The Chair will be supported by an Advisory Board to design and establish the legislated Net Zero Authority.

Members appointed to the Advisory Board:

• Professor Ross Garnaut AC – Professor Emeritus in Economics at the University of Melbourne and Professor Emeritus, College of Asia & the Pacific at ANU;
• Professor Paul Simshauser AM – CEO of Powerlink Queensland and Professor of Economics at Griffith University;
• Anthea Harris – CEO of the Australian Energy Regulator;
• Nicole Lockwood – Chair of Infrastructure WA, board member of NBN and former Shire President of Roebourne;
• Kellie Parker – CEO of Rio Tinto Australia;
• Michele O’Neil – President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions;
• Professor Robynne Quiggin – Pro-Vice Chancellor of UTS and part of Steering committee for the First Nations Clean Energy Network;
• Anna Skarbek – CEO of ClimateWorks, Director of the Green Building Council of Australia, the Centre for New Energy Technologies, the Sustainable Australia Fund, Impact Investment Group, and Sentient Impact Group;
• Tony Maher – General President of the Mining and Energy Union;  
• Laura Tyler – Chief Technical Officer, BHP.

Mr Combet is uniquely qualified to lead the Agency, with expertise in government, investment, climate policy and industrial relations, as well as holding qualifications in coal mining engineering. He will begin the role on 10 July 2023.

Mr Combet is currently the Chair of IFM Investors and Industry Super Australia and formerly served as Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Defence Personnel, Science and Materiel, and was a leader of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Advisory Board members were appointed for their significant expertise across a range of areas including workplace relations, energy markets, regional development, First Nations engagement and economic development.

In addition to the Chair and Advisory Board, stakeholder reference groups will be established to guide the Agency’s work with representatives to include regional experts, to engage with workers, industry and communities about the transition to net zero.

Last month the Government committed to legislate a national Net Zero Authority, which will work with state, territory and local governments, existing regional bodies, unions, industry, investors and First Nations groups to help key regions, industries, employers and others proactively manage the transformation to a clean energy economy.

To kickstart the Authority’s responsibilities immediately, the Net Zero Economy Agency will start work from July this year. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will tomorrow meet Mr Henry Puna, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, in Canberra.

As the pre-eminent institution of the Pacific family, the Forum plays a critical role in bringing Pacific nations together to address shared challenges and opportunities.

The Prime Minister and Secretary General will discuss Pacific regionalism and Pacific Leaders’ priorities as set out in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including climate change.

This meeting follows the Prime Minister’s warm and productive discussions with Forum Chair, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, last month at the G7 in Hiroshima.

Secretary General Puna will also meet with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“Australia deeply values our membership of the Pacific Islands Forum. We are proud to be a founding member of the Forum and contribute to practical outcomes to support the Pacific’s priorities.

“I look forward to meeting with Secretary General Puna and discussing our shared approach to regional peace, prosperity and resilience.”

I am pleased to announce that I will be recommending the Governor-General appoint Mr Blair Comley PSM as Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Mr Comley has had a distinguished career across the Commonwealth and NSW public sector.

Between 2011 and 2013, Mr Comley was Secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. He then led the New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet as Secretary between 2014 and 2017.

Mr Comley is currently a director and partner at EY Port Jackson Partners.

With his strong economic qualifications and proven leadership navigating complex issues, Mr Comley will bring innovation and policy rigour to addressing the challenges and opportunities within our health system. 

The five year appointment begins on 17 July 2023.

On behalf of my government, I thank Professor Brendan Murphy AC for his service to Australia’s health sector, as Chief Medical Officer since 2016 and as Secretary of the Department of Health since 2020.

Professor Murphy’s service during the COVID-19 global pandemic kept Australians safe. I wish him well as he embarks on his well-deserved retirement.

The Governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America endorsed a Joint Declaration Against Trade-Related Economic Coercion and Non-Market Policies and Practices at a Ministerial meeting in Paris on 8 June 2023.

The Joint Declaration builds on the momentum of the G7 Leaders’ Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security on 20 May 2023.

The Governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America released the following Joint Declaration on 9 June 2023.

Joint Declaration Against Trade-Related Economic Coercion and Non-Market Policies and Practices

The use of trade-related economic coercion and non-market-oriented policies and practices (“non-market policies and practices”) threatens and undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and harms relations between countries. The purpose of this Declaration is to express our shared concern and affirm our commitment to enhance international cooperation in order to effectively deter and address trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices.

1. We express serious concern over trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices that undermine the functioning of and confidence in the rules-based multilateral trading system by distorting trade, investment, and competition and harming relations between countries. Trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices threaten the livelihoods of our citizens, harm our workers and businesses, and could undermine global security and stability.

2. Non-market policies and practices of concern include: industrial policies and practices that promote excess capacity; pervasive subsidization; discriminatory and anti-competitive activities of state owned or controlled enterprises; the arbitrary or unjustifiable application of regulations; forced technology transfer; state-sponsored theft of trade secrets; government interference with or direction of commercial decision-making; and insufficient regulatory and market transparency. Non-market policies and practices have also been used as tools for economic coercion.

3. We are particularly concerned with, and oppose, trade-related economic coercion that uses, or uses the threat of, measures affecting trade and investment in an abusive, arbitrary, or pretextual manner to pressure, induce or influence a foreign government into taking, or not taking, a decision or action in order to achieve a strategic political or policy objective, or prevent or interfere with the foreign government’s exercise of its legitimate sovereign rights or choices. This trade-related economic coercion is frequently disguised as a legitimate government regulatory or public policy measure unrelated to the strategic objective that it is intended to advance. It may also occur indirectly through government entrustment or direction given to state-owned, state-controlled, or private enterprises.

4. We are also seriously concerned about the use of forced labour, including state-sponsored forced labour, in global supply chains. All forms of forced labour are gross abuses of human rights, as well as economic issues, and it is a moral imperative to end these practices. We are aware of countries using these practices to confer an unfair competitive advantage, and affirm that there must be no place for such practices in the global trading system.

5. We affirm, in light of relevant international rules and norms, that this declaration does not apply to measures that are adopted and maintained in a transparent manner, in good faith, and for the purpose of a legitimate public policy objective. These legitimate public policy measures include: health and safety regulations, environmental regulations, trade remedies, national security measures and sanctions, and measures to protect the integrity and stability of financial systems and financial institutions from abuse. 

6. We urge all governments to refrain from the use of trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices and to support free and fair trade based on open, market-oriented policies and principles that promote a level playing field and non-discriminatory treatment in international trade relations, benefit all economies, and help secure shared prosperity for all.

7. We commit to work together, with all interested partners, to identify, prevent, deter, and address trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices, including through multilateral institutions, such as the WTO. These efforts will include, where appropriate, cooperation in WTO committees and in disputes to challenge these practices. We also commit to the sharing of information, data and analysis concerning these policies and practices as well as exploring the development of new diplomatic and economic tools that support and reinforce the rules-based multilateral trading system in responding to these challenges.

Recently Pauline Hanson has penned her thoughts on a Greens Senator’s article in Gladstone Today (7/6/2023). Senator Hanson’s article comes off the back of that same Green Senator claiming, via Twitter, that Queensland’s crime problem was a ‘right-wing fantasy’.

The escalation of brazen youth crime in regional Queensland is a complex problem that requires complex solutions, but any solution must put community safety and security first.

The safety and security of its citizens is the primary responsibility of any government.

Parliaments must develop laws with penalties that effectively deter or punish crime.

Police must have the personnel and resources needed to enforce the law effectively.

Courts must impose penalties that ensure justice for victims and consequences for perpetrators and which meet community expectations.

However, in many regional Queensland communities, people are living in fear. 

It’s not panic whipped up by political activism. 

It’s genuine and justified fear for the safety of families, children and property caused by the ever-present threat of escalating crime and the seeming powerlessness of the government and police to stop it. 

Little wonder people in impacted communities like Rockhampton are rallying for a stricter approach that puts the congregation before the criminals terrorising them. 

They’ve had enough of seeing brazen and violent crimes committed by out-of-control youths who, after being caught, are back on the streets the next night. 

They’ve had enough victims dying in home invasions or accidents caused by reckless hoons. 

Far-left Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne claims the ‘far right’ is stoking fear about marginalised communities in this debate. 

Ironically, the soft-and-cuddly approach to youth recidivism marginalises Rockhampton and other communities in regional Queensland she advocates. 

These kids indeed have many problems, but this approach has been tried to death and hasn’t worked. 

They need some stricter love. Greens whipping up panic by conflating a desperate community living in fear with extremists will solve nothing – this isn’t the place for cheap political point-scoring. 

There are some excellent programs for young people at risk of falling into the cycle of crime. 

People have developed them from similar backgrounds: community-led solutions by formerly troubled youths who turned things around for themselves. 

These programs teach responsibility and self-worth based on genuine achievement.

I am a strong supporter of these sorts of programs because they make a difference, and I’d rather see troubled kids put in these programs than in a youth detention centre – provided, of course, there is no risk to community safety.

Community safety must always come first. No amount of condescending lecturing by far left about poverty and homelessness will make the community safer, mainly when it’s Labor-Greens climate change and immigration policies causing increased poverty and homelessness in Australia. 

One Nation doesn’t lecture and doesn’t condescend: we listen. 

That’s why we hosted an open community forum in Rockhampton to discuss escalating youth crime in regional Queensland and hear from the community – including Indigenous members who attended – about their experiences, ideas and concerns for their families. 

The community must be engaged in the fight against escalating youth crime because, ultimately, it is the community to which government and law enforcement are accountable.

The RBA’s string of 12 interest rate rises in 13 months will mean an additional $11 billion lost revenue for the Commonwealth budget, PBO figures show.

Max Chandler-Mather, Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness said:

“This week’s interest rate rise is set to cost the government an extra $550 million in tax handouts for property investors next year alone – on top of the $12.4 billion that negative gearing and capital gains will  cost the budget next year.” 

“This is another half a billion dollars the government should be spending on building public and genuinely affordable housing, not handing out massive concessions to property moguls.”

“Rather than spending tens of billions every year on hand outs for property investors that turbocharge house prices and go overwhelmingly to the top 10%, the government should be spending billions every year on building public and affordable housing and incentivising states to freeze rent increases.”

“When 1% of taxpayers own a quarter of all investment properties, it’s clear that our broken housing system only works for the wealthy. The government needs to explain how they can justify spending an extra half a billion a year on tax breaks for investors when they can’t find a single dollar of guaranteed funding for public housing or to freeze rents.” 

Nick McKim, Greens spokesperson for Treasury and Economic Justice said:

“These figures show that renters just can’t win.”

“In addition to getting smashed by massive rent rises, their taxes are being used to subsidise their landlords’ profits.”

“Current policy settings are ripping apart our country’s social fabric. It’s time we reformed the tax system to transform housing from an investment class into a human right.”

The PBO costings are available here.

Today’s decision by the Reserve Bank will be extremely difficult news for many Australian families.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Australians will rightly be concerned about what this means for their budgets and the difficult decisions they may have to make over the coming months.

Australians with a mortgage of $750,000 will now be paying $1,856 more each month. That’s over $22,000 more a year they will need to find.

“Today’s rate hike makes it very clear that Labor’s Budget did nothing to fight inflation,” Mr Taylor said.

“In the three weeks since the budget, we have seen markets, economists, and now the RBA itself react to the Budget by increasing their forecasts for inflation and interest rates.

“Labor has been in government for more than a year now. It’s delivered two budgets.

“This is Labor’s rate rise. This rate rise belongs to the government.

“This is the consequence of a government that has let inflation get out of control and has failed to take leadership on addressing the biggest economic challenge facing Australians.

“Australians cannot afford Labor’s complacency on inflation. The RBA has made it very clear that there is more pain in the pipeline. This is far from over.

“It is clear high inflation and rising interest rates are not coming from the War in Ukraine. They’re not coming from Vladimir Putin. Inflation is coming from Canberra.

“Interest rates will be higher for longer as a result of the decisions of this Labor Government.”

Introduction:

The financial landscape in Australia is undergoing a significant upheaval as interest rates continue to rise. Interest rates will always be higher under a Labor government, and people expect that. People didn’t expect the sudden and vicious rise of interest rates. 

The consequences of this alarming trend are dire, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of Aussies teetering on the edge of a looming ‘mortgage cliff.’ Let’s look at the 5 top aspects of the interest rate rises this year.

1. The Burden of Expired Fixed Mortgages:

News.com.au reports a growing number of Australians are bracing themselves for a sudden plunge into debt as their fixed-rate mortgages expire. In the next six months alone, a staggering 880,000 homeowners will have to switch from fixed to variable property loans, with a further 450,000 loans set to expire next year. Shockingly, data from CoreLogic reveals that 35% of all outstanding fixed mortgages will pass this year, repricing 23% of all home loans.

2. Soaring Costs and Financial Strain:

The consequences of the mortgage cliff are staggering. Homeowners, especially those on the fringes of major cities like Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, are particularly vulnerable due to their larger mortgages. For instance, a household with a $1 million loan may need to find an extra $2,000 per month or a staggering $24,000 per year to meet their mortgage obligations. These high costs paint a grim picture of many families’ financial strain.

3. Disproportionate Impact on Affordability:

The already unaffordable housing market further exacerbates the impact of rising interest rates. Average Sydneysiders, for example, must spend 52% of their income compared to 44% before the interest rate hikes. This alarming increase highlights the absurd nature of mortgages and the mounting pressure on homeowners. 

4. Struggling but Holding On:

While some Australians are cutting back and preparing for the worst that a Labor government will dish up on the mortgage front, data shows that 0.7% of homeowners are more than 90 days behind on their mortgage payments. This staggering figure will only lead to more homelessness, as 0.7% of Australians are thrown on the streets by an incompetent and chaotic Labor government, which will only exacerbate our housing crisis. 

5. House prices keep rising:

Because of reckless increases in Australia’s immigration intake, the property market has experienced a 2.3% increase since hitting a low in February. This growth means that some homeowners have seen a rise in the value of their properties. The Reserve Bank of Australia reports that only 2% of homeowners have experienced a decline in property value. This means it will be harder for Australians to buy a new home, instead of leaving our children with nowhere to live while foreigners buy all our houses.

Conclusion:

The rising interest rates in Australia have triggered a looming crisis known as the ‘mortgage cliff,’ with devastating consequences for homeowners nationwide. The burden of expired fixed mortgages, the soaring costs, and the disproportionate impact on affordability create significant financial strain.

(source: News.com.au)