Category: Australian News

ABS figures released today show that further interest rate rises are unnecessary.

“The RBA should not continue to raise interest rates when inflation is slowing,” Greens economic justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“The last nine rate hikes have already smashed renters and mortgage holders. Any further rises will just send even more people to the wall.”

“We also learned today that 2022 was the best year on record for corporate profits.”

“Corporate profiteering has driven inflation up and piled on the cost of living pain.”

“Meanwhile, the share going to workers was the lowest ever in 2022. Yet those who are struggling the most are expected to fix the problem by copping higher rents and mortgage payments.”

“The figures show a shameful reality: the rich are getting richer while workers are getting the smallest slice of the pie since records began more than six decades ago.”

“We don’t need more rate rises. Jim Chalmers needs to stop sitting on his hands while the RBA punishes households.

“He should freeze rents, introduce a corporate super profits tax, and start providing genuine cost of living relief like putting dental into Medicare, wiping student debt and raising the jobseeker rate.”

Greens’ Treasury spokesperson Senator Nick McKim has responded to the release of the Tax Expenditure and Insights Statement and the government’s proposed changes to superannuation tax concessions.

“The big question the government is yet to answer is, what will these reforms be used to fund? Labor’s Stage 3 tax cuts are the elephant in the room.”

“Modest changes to superannuation tax concessions to help pay for a $9,000 tax cut is just a money-go-round scheme for the rich.”

“Jim Chalmers is proposing to rob Peter to pay Peter.”

“Any budget that includes the Stage 3 tax cuts makes us a less equal society.”

“The Tax Expenditure and Insights Statement shows just how much tax breaks already favour the rich.”

“The Stage 3 tax cuts are only going to make this worse.”

“Labor cannot claim to be a party of the working class while they’re implementing a quarter of a trillion dollars in tax cuts, three-quarters of which go to the top 20% of income earners.”

The elites are well and truly in charge of the Voice agenda, with a recent declaration they plan to use the Voice to seize power. Many Aboriginals you chat with on the street would tell you their dreams are about a better future for their family and kids, not the elitist Voices of parliament.

Dividing Australia along racial lines has long been a goal of extremist elites who try to tell Australians how to run their lives.

Now the extremist elites have let slip how their vision of how the Voice will work.

They declared from their lofty positions on high, “The Indigenous voice “will have a lot of power” and will not passively wait to be consulted,”

“There is a misconception that it will have no power and it will have no influence. I mean we can debate that for ages but of course, it will have a lot of power. It will have a lot of power because it’s a constitutional voice that is mandated by the Australian people and that gives it a lot of power,

“It will make the representations. So it’s not a consultative body in that it is sitting there waiting passively for the Commonwealth to consult it or bureaucrats to consult it.”

These revelations should send a shudder down the spine of every decent Australian. The Voice will have power, will interfere in government and will be an activist body (code: home for extremists like Lidia Thorpe).

The words used by the elitists who are pursuing the Voice are the worst-case scenario for Australia.

These people have now placed on record their desire to usurp Australian democracy and that spells disaster for the way we live and everything we stand for.

Source: Professor Davis and Ms Anderson, co-chairs of the ‘Uluru Dialogue’ quoted in – The Australian 28/02/2023

Today the Prime Minister led a Cyber Security Roundtable, focused on the whole-of-nation effort required to protect Australians and our economy, with the aim of making Australia the most cyber secure nation by 2030.

We invited leaders from the public service and our intelligence agencies, and independent experts from business, industry and civil society, to share their expertise and experience.

We discussed ideas including incentivising best practice cyber behaviours, growing Australia’s cyber security sector and raising national cyber awareness, to shape a new strategy.  One that will give Australian businesses and families confidence, stability and security, in the face of rapidly evolving threats.

The Albanese Government also announced it will establish a Coordinator for Cyber Security, supported by a National Office for Cyber Security within the Department of Home Affairs, to ensure a centrally coordinated approach to deliver Government’s cyber security responsibilities.

Input from today’s roundtable will inform the development of Government’s 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.  That Strategy will be led by the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Clare O’Neil, the first Cabinet Minister to hold the portfolio of Cyber Security.

The Cyber Security Strategy Expert Advisory Board, appointed by Minister O’Neil, has released a public discussion paper seeking feedback on the development of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.

The Prime Minister and Minister O’Neil thank today’s leaders for their roundtable input, and encourage all Australians to share their views in the discussion for a safer cyber world.

The discussion paper can be found here.

Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP said:

“Strengthening Australia’s cyber security is a fundamental priority for our government because we recognise it is essential to the way every Australian lives and works and trades and learns and communicates.”

“This is a fast-moving, rapidly-evolving threat and for too many years, Australia has been off the pace. Our government is determined to change that. “

“I want to thank those who participated in the Roundtable for their innovative ideas, considered feedback and constructive approach to addressing the cyber security challenges facing our nation.”

“For businesses these days, cyber security is as important and essential as the shop having a lock on the door.  We need all Australian businesses to be able to protect themselves and – just as importantly – protect their customers.”

the Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O’Neil MP said:

“Getting our cyber security settings right will take time, and Australians should be prepared for more cyber incidents in the coming years. However, it is clear that Australians expect more from businesses holding their sensitive data, and Government has a central role to play to ensure everyone is pulling their weight.”

“As a nation, we cannot sleepwalk into our cyber future. I want Australia to be the world’s most cyber secure country by 2030. I believe that is possible, but it will take a concerted effort from industry and Government alike.”

“Industry needs to put cyber security at the heart of its business decisions and practices, and Government needs to walk the talk and work with industry as genuine partners to build a nationally consistent approach.”

“Today’s roundtable demonstrated the potential for a truly national approach. I want to thank those who attended the roundtable for their willingness to contribute to Australia’s cyber security, and for their constructive feedback on the direction of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt says a new report showing coal and gas emissions will overwhelm the government’s Safeguard Mechanism underlines the need for the government to stop opening new coal and gas mines.

The report released by Climate Analytics today found the government has substantially underestimated projected emissions from Australia’s existing and committed coal and LNG production, and that in 2030 these projects alone would exceed the total permitted emission limits of the government’s proposed Safeguard Mechanism. The report shows emissions from gas could in fact increase by 36% and from coal by up to 116% by 2030. 

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:

“This report shows new coal and gas will break the Safeguard Mechanism. 

“The numbers are here in black and white.

“Labor needs to get real. You can’t tackle the climate crisis while opening up new coal and gas mines.”

Climate Analytics Report available HERE

This week I will travel to Malaysia and India to advance Australia’s bilateral relationships and promote Australia’s interests in a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

My visit to Malaysia will reaffirm our shared priorities under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

I look forward to holding introductory meetings with members of the new Malaysian Government, including the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Economy.

These meetings will focus on advancing our significant trade and economic links, cooperation on defence and regional security, and the close ties between our peoples.

Australia is committed to working with Malaysia to support ASEAN’s vital contribution to regional peace and security.

This will be my first visit to India as Foreign Minister, and I look forward to meeting my counterparts at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.

Australia strongly supports India’s G20 Presidency and welcomes India’s ambitious, action oriented G20 agenda, under the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

I look forward to working with my counterparts on how we can address contemporary international challenges, including strengthening the multilateral system, food and energy security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

While in New Delhi, I will also attend the 2023 Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier forum for addressing the most challenging issues facing our regional and global community.

This year is an important milestone in Australia’s bilateral relationship with India, with many high-level Ministerial visits between our two countries.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell and Minister for Resources Madeleine King will travel to India over the next month, and later this year Australia looks forward to hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attends the Quad Leaders’ meeting.

Today the Prime Minister led a Cyber Security Roundtable, focused on the whole-of-nation effort required to protect Australians and our economy, with the aim of making Australia the most cyber secure nation by 2030.

We invited leaders from the public service and our intelligence agencies, and independent experts from business, industry and civil society, to share their expertise and experience.

We discussed ideas including incentivising best practice cyber behaviours, growing Australia’s cyber security sector and raising national cyber awareness, to shape a new strategy.  One that will give Australian businesses and families confidence, stability and security, in the face of rapidly evolving threats.

The Albanese Government also announced it will establish a Coordinator for Cyber Security, supported by a National Office for Cyber Security within the Department of Home Affairs, to ensure a centrally coordinated approach to deliver Government’s cyber security responsibilities.

Input from today’s roundtable will inform the development of Government’s 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.  That Strategy will be led by the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Clare O’Neil, the first Cabinet Minister to hold the portfolio of Cyber Security.

The Cyber Security Strategy Expert Advisory Board, appointed by Minister O’Neil, has released a public discussion paper seeking feedback on the development of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.

The Prime Minister and Minister O’Neil thank today’s leaders for their roundtable input, and encourage all Australians to share their views in the discussion for a safer cyber world.

The discussion paper can be found here.

Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP said:

“Strengthening Australia’s cyber security is a fundamental priority for our government because we recognise it is essential to the way every Australian lives and works and trades and learns and communicates.”

“This is a fast-moving, rapidly-evolving threat and for too many years, Australia has been off the pace. Our government is determined to change that. “

“I want to thank those who participated in the Roundtable for their innovative ideas, considered feedback and constructive approach to addressing the cyber security challenges facing our nation.”

“For businesses these days, cyber security is as important and essential as the shop having a lock on the door.  We need all Australian businesses to be able to protect themselves and – just as importantly – protect their customers.”

the Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O’Neil MP said:

“Getting our cyber security settings right will take time, and Australians should be prepared for more cyber incidents in the coming years. However, it is clear that Australians expect more from businesses holding their sensitive data, and Government has a central role to play to ensure everyone is pulling their weight.”

“As a nation, we cannot sleepwalk into our cyber future. I want Australia to be the world’s most cyber secure country by 2030. I believe that is possible, but it will take a concerted effort from industry and Government alike.”

“Industry needs to put cyber security at the heart of its business decisions and practices, and Government needs to walk the talk and work with industry as genuine partners to build a nationally consistent approach.”

“Today’s roundtable demonstrated the potential for a truly national approach. I want to thank those who attended the roundtable for their willingness to contribute to Australia’s cyber security, and for their constructive feedback on the direction of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.”

As we welcome home Australia’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) from Türkiye, we acknowledge their extraordinary efforts in responding to the devastating earthquakes.

The DART demonstrated the commitment and professionalism that our international partners have come to expect from Australia.

Leading search and rescue efforts in difficult and dangerous conditions, the team used high-tech equipment to search through the rubble of unstable and collapsed apartment blocks.

The team of 72 personnel comprised representatives from Fire and Rescue NSW, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, ACT Fire and Rescue, New South Wales Departments of Health and Public Works, NSW Ambulance, NSW Police, representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Australian Defence Force also made a valuable contribution by transporting personnel and equipment to and from Türkiye.

Deployment of the DART was part of Australia’s $18 million humanitarian assistance package.

Australia’s ongoing assistance will continue to help our partners in Türkiye and Syria provide lifesaving assistance, including deliver food, tents, blankets, clean water and sanitation and other services.

In Türkiye, Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, as well as NGOs through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, are delivering this support with a focus on protecting those made most vulnerable by the earthquakes, in particular the protection of women and girls.

In Syria, assistance is being provided to the United Nations Population Fund to deliver maternal and child health services and protect women and girls without safe housing, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Ongoing recovery and reconstruction in Türkiye and Syria will be significant. The Australian Government will continue to assess where it can best assist in addressing additional needs.

Local communities have experienced widespread loss, tragedy and hardship. We extend our condolences to all those who continue to be affected in Türkiye and Syria.

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

“From New Zealand to Türkiye, Australians have again stepped up to help our international partners in times of need.

“I am proud of the tireless efforts of DART team members who have supported responses to these natural disasters. As a result of their work in Türkiye, many families can now lay their loved ones to rest.”

Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt said:

“Through practical assistance and significant technical capability, their deployment provided comfort and support to affected communities and local authorities in Türkiye.

“Our team has experienced relentless devastation and tragedy in the disaster zone. Their work is incredibly important.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP said:

“I welcome Australia’s Disaster Assistance Response Team home – their dedication, expertise and professionalism were on full display.

“Under the most difficult of circumstances they have worked tirelessly with local Turkish authorities on search and rescue efforts, delivering supplies and supporting an international effort to save lives.”

The Greens will introduce a Bill to remove the arbitrary 20% cap on Commonwealth funding for public schools’ Schooling Resource Standard.

Speaking at the Australian Education Union’s National Conference, Australian Greens spokesperson for Schools Senator Penny Allman-Payne said today that she would introduce the legislation to end the buck passing between state and federal governments. 

The announcement comes after the Government extended the current National School Reform Agreement locking in underfunding for public school students for another twelve months.  

Greens Schools spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Australia now has one of the most privatised school systems in the developed world.

“This is a critical juncture where the governments of Australia will, in effect, decide whether they are committed to public education or not. It is no exaggeration to say that public education faces an existential threat if we do not turn this around. 

“Whether the federal government wants to admit it or not – and judging from Jason Clare’s recent comments, it’s the latter – this will cost money. You cannot rebuild public education in this country without investing serious sums in public schools.

“The money is there waiting to be used. There’s a quarter of a trillion dollars being wasted on the Stage 3 Tax Cuts for the rich that could be spent on public schools.

“Inequity in our education system will not be fixed by tinkering at the edges of the next National School Reform Agreement. We need to see a wholesale shift away from funding private schools, and reinvestment in our public education system.”

Background: 

The Australian Education Act 2013 was amended under the Coalition Government to state that the Commonwealth would contribute 20% towards meeting public schools’ Schooling Resource Standard, with states and territories making up the rest. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth meets 80% of private school SRS funding, and states 20%. 

The NSRA sets out the school funding arrangements between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. The current NSRA, which was due to expire at the end of 2023, locks in underfunding for government schools. Under the current agreement public schools will have to wait until at least 2027 just to receive 95% of their Schooling Resource Standard (although the capital depreciation loophole will actually see that number closer to 91%), which is the bare minimum level of funding students require to achieve minimum achievement benchmarks.

The Australian Government welcomes the nomination of Her Excellency Judge Hilary Charlesworth for re-election as a Judge of the International Court of Justice.

Judge Charlesworth has been nominated by the independent Australian National Group, a body of eminent Australian jurists who serve as members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Judge Charlesworth is an eminent scholar and jurist who has served on the court since 2021 and made an exceptional contribution to international law. She is an outstanding candidate for re-election.

Judge Charlesworth is the first Australian woman elected to the Court and only the fifth female permanent judge in the Court’s 78-year history.

She is currently a Member of the Curatorium of the Hague Academy of International Law.

Previously, she has been the Harrison Moore Chair in Law and Laureate Professor at Melbourne Law School and a Distinguished Professor at the Australian National University.

She has been President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law, as well as a member of the Executive Council of the Asian Society of International Law and the American Society of International Law.

She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and has a Doctor of Juridical Science from Harvard Law School.

The International Court of Justice election will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York in late 2023.