Category: Australian News

The fifth hearing of the year-long Senate inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia was held today in Lismore.

Almost a year since the devastating floods in Lismore, the committee heard from locals about the ongoing impact on their communities, and how they feel they’ve been left in the lurch by governments at both the state and federal level.

Greens spokesperson for social services and Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee, Senator Janet Rice said: 

“Hundreds of people are still living in pod villages and there’s still a huge number of people in temporary accommodation, couch surfing, and living in cars. 

“We heard evidence that rents in some areas have tripled since the floods, and it now costs the same to rent a room in a sharehouse in Lismore as it does in Sydney. 

“We are seeing the housing crisis get worse across the country, and it’s being exacerbated in places like Lismore that are being hit by climate disasters and completely inadequate government support to help communities rebuild.

“We heard the same thing in Lismore as we’ve been hearing at every poverty inquiry hearing to date: people are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and they need help to make it through this cost of living crisis. 

“Between low wages, no affordable housing, and starvation-payments of about $47 a day for people on JobSeeker, communities across the country are facing dire financial circumstances.

“Labor has a housing bill before the Senate that will make the housing crisis worse. The Treasurer is planning to give $254 billion in Stage 3 tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, while refusing to raise welfare above the poverty line for the people who need it most. Labor say they’re on the side of struggling Australians – it’s time they show it.

“That’s why the Greens are pushing Labor to invest $5 billion a year in public and affordable housing, and raise income support to $88 a day in May’s Budget.”

Greens candidate for Lismore, Adam Guise said:

“Over three thousand homes in the Lismore LGA alone were impacted by the 2022 floods, with thousands of people still displaced and homeless. People are living in tents, caravans or in the gutted shells of their houses. 

“Rents have skyrocketed and people who have lost jobs since the flood are struggling to pay the bills.

“The government needs to urgently address this humanitarian crisis by acquiring land to build social, affordable and public housing.

“Leaving it to the free market to fix the housing crisis will not solve the problem. It will entrench further inequality and see people forced out of our community.

“The government needs to make affordable land available to flood impacted residents and businesses in order to enable landswaps, house relocations and affordable homes.

“Providing safe homes for people is about keeping our community together.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new NTEU report on $83 million of stolen wages at universities was a wake-up call for the federal government.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“These numbers are shocking but not surprising. Wage theft has been widespread and systemic in higher education, and I’ve pushed the investigation of this in a number of Senate inquiries.

“The link between wage theft and casualisation is undeniable. Not everyone who is underpaid at our universities is a casual, but if you’re a casual you are at much higher risk of having your wages stolen. 

“The brutal reality is that the corporate university of today can only function on the back of the unpaid labour of thousands of casual staff. That must change.

“It’s time to get serious about tackling both wage theft and casualisation at our universities. I’m glad last week the Government confirmed that these issues are being looked at as part of the Universities Accord, but this shouldn’t prevent action right now. Staff have suffered the scourge of job insecurity, overwork and underpay for too long.

“The government should require universities to set publicly-available targets for increasing permanent employment, and link this to funding. There should be clearer reporting requirements with respect to employment statistics and improved rights of entry for trade unions.

“Moreover, our universities are in desperate need of a massive investment of public funding after years of neglect, and we need an overhaul of university governance to shift the balance of power from university management back to staff and students.”

Today I announce the launch of the inaugural Maitri Cultural Partnerships grants round to support greater exchange and collaboration between Australian and Indian creative industries.

Maitri – friendship – will underpin the series of partnerships and grants to promote Australia-India relations.

The Maitri Cultural Partnerships program will foster on-going relationships between Australian and Indian artists, performers and cultural organisations to deepen understanding and connections between our two countries.

The Maitri Cultural Partnerships grant round is divided into three programs supporting:

• major Australian cultural organisations to engage Indian and partner institutions;
• cultural collaboration that supports First Nations’ participation; and
• small to medium sized Australian cultural organisations and community groups engagement.

Both Australian and Indian cultural and creative industries are major economic drivers with internationally renowned film, music and performing arts sectors. This funding will help the Australian creative sector collaborate with India’s thriving cultural industries.

The Cultural Partnerships are one of a suite of Maitri initiatives. This flagship program also includes Maitri fellowships, scholarships and grants.

The Maitri program will be administered by the Centre for Australia-India Relations which will open later this year.

The Centre will serve as a national platform to strengthen business, policy, institutional, cultural and community engagement with India.

Applications for the Maitri Cultural Partnerships grant round will open on 20 February and close on 3 April 2023. Grant guidelines are available on GrantConnect.

One Nation is thrilled to see the South Australian Liberal Party taking a position that aligns with ours regarding the First Nations Voice Bill 2023 proposed by the Malinauskas Government. One Nation takes full credit for forcing this back down by the state branch of the Liberals.

If it were not for the hard work of Sarah Game, our first MP elected from South Australia, the Liberals would have been lock-in-step with the Labor party in forcing the diabolical proposal on South Australians.

We say the South Australian proposed model is rushed and would create a third chamber of parliament. We are glad that the Liberal Party has finally decided to oppose the Bill in its current form. 

As much as we appreciate the Liberal’s support, it is still concerning that the proposed Bill lacks details and has no clear practical outcomes to improve the lives of Aboriginal South Australians. We have many concerns about the proposed Bill, particularly section 40, which essentially creates a third chamber speaking into the parliamentary process. It is indeed unnecessary to have a First Nations Voice that presents to parliament when we already have the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council.

It is disappointing that the Labor government rushed the Bill, and it was fairly poorly consulted. At One Nation, we believe that Aboriginal South Australians should have been brought along on this journey. We agree that the government should have conducted a more rigorous consultation with hundreds of Aboriginal people, organisations, and communities about practical ways we can help change their lives.

It is not too late to do so, and we hope that the Liberal Party’s decision to oppose the Bill will send a strong message to the Labor government to do better and scrap the bill.

One Nation will always oppose racial discrimination laws, where one group is favoured over the other. A Bill that asks people to identify themselves as a particular racial group is repugnant.

Questions in Senate Estimates asked by Australian Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne revealed that the Government could use the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund as a slush fund for coal and gas.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources confirmed that under the proposed legislation currently before Parliament, the Government of the day could invest in coal and gas by simply changing the priority investment areas. 

With the Coalition opposed to the legislation, the Australian Greens are in balance of power, and are currently in the process of negotiating in good faith with the Government to insert guardrails into the Bill to prevent it being used as a slush fund for coal and gas.

Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Without proper guardrails which establish what the fund can be used for, the National Reconstruction Fund could become a Ministerial slush fund for fossil fuel finance.

“The Greens have been very clear that we won’t support any new coal and gas, and the legislation in its current form is wide open to abuse.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government to get this legislation right.”

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new NTEU report on $83 million of stolen wages at universities was a wake-up call for the federal government.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“These numbers are shocking but not surprising. Wage theft has been widespread and systemic in higher education, and I’ve pushed the investigation of this in a number of Senate inquiries.

“The link between wage theft and casualisation is undeniable. Not everyone who is underpaid at our universities is a casual, but if you’re a casual you are at much higher risk of having your wages stolen. 

“The brutal reality is that the corporate university of today can only function on the back of the unpaid labour of thousands of casual staff. That must change.

“It’s time to get serious about tackling both wage theft and casualisation at our universities. I’m glad last week the Government confirmed that these issues are being looked at as part of the Universities Accord, but this shouldn’t prevent action right now. Staff have suffered the scourge of job insecurity, overwork and underpay for too long.

“The government should require universities to set publicly-available targets for increasing permanent employment, and link this to funding. There should be clearer reporting requirements with respect to employment statistics and improved rights of entry for trade unions.

“Moreover, our universities are in desperate need of a massive investment of public funding after years of neglect, and we need an overhaul of university governance to shift the balance of power from university management back to staff and students.”

A team of Australian disaster experts will be sent to New Zealand to assist with the response and recovery in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.

A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand, after heavy rain caused devastating flooding on the north island.

An impact assessment team, made up of 25 expert officers from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and contributions from other jurisdictions, will be deployed to regional areas of New Zealand within the next 24 hours to assist Fire and Emergency New Zealand with the response.

Should New Zealand require any further assistance in the coming weeks, Australia remains ready to assist.

More than 70 emergency responders were also recently despatched to Turkiye, where they are currently assisting with the response and recovery in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said:

Our close relationship with New Zealand has meant we have been able to mobilise assistance quickly in response to this disaster.

Whether it be as far away as Turkiye or as close as New Zealand, we stand ready to do our part to help our international counterparts in times of distress.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said:

We are sending some of our best response and recovery experts to help our friends in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, over the past few years we have become experts in flood response and recovery, and these teams will be of great help to the New Zealand authorities.

In the wake of our Black Summer bushfires, the New Zealand government moved quickly to provide assistance here on the ground. Their crews also supported our State Emergency Services during the recent floods.

Our neighbours have been there for us, and we are more than willing to return the favour in their hour of need.

This week, the South Australian Labor government has given South Australia Police the power to immediately strip motorists of their licence upon detection of prescribed drugs, which will affect patients using medicinal cannabis.

Thousands of patients who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis by their General Practitioner are in the firing line, with no consideration given to these South Australians who have been able to access medicinal cannabis as a treatment option since 2016.

To address this, I am introducing the Statutes Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis Defence) Bill 2023 to the Legislative Council next week.

My Bill allows for a complete defence for medicinal cannabis users when THC is detected in the person’s fluid or blood when:
• The person has a valid doctor’s prescription for the medicine containing THC;
• The person is not involved in dangerous or reckless driving; and
• An officer cannot establish impairment in the person.

My Bill is based on existing rules in Tasmania, which allow for the detection of THC at the roadside for medicinal cannabis patients so long as the motorist is not impaired while driving.

South Australia does not currently have a restricted list of medical conditions for which medicinal cannabis is prescribed. It is rightfully left to doctors and patients to establish the best treatment options. Medicinal cannabis can be accessed for conditions including paediatric and adult epilepsies, multiple sclerosis, and various types of pain, and to treat side effects from chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS therapy.

Before Monday, a positive roadside drug test would result in a driver retaining their licence until its suspension by a Magistrate.

Law-abiding medicinal cannabis patients now face heightened anxiety when getting behind the wheel as the South Australian government threatens them with immediate loss of licence with no regard to their capacity to drive. Not to mention the isolation that will add to our mental health crises for those too scared to drive while undergoing treatment.

The government needs to support my common-sense Bill to ensure patients are not stripped of their licence through no wrongdoing of their own.

With the eyes of the world on Brisbane, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk are delivering the important infrastructure that will be at the heart of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave an enduring Games legacy.

The Queensland Government will fund the $2.7 billion redevelopment of the Gabba while the Federal Government will provide $2.5 billion for the Brisbane Arena development. Sixteen new or upgraded venues will receive close to $1.87 billion in co-funding on a 50/50 basis between the two governments.

This significant agreement will help Brisbane run a Games that will do Australia proud and leave a substantial legacy long after the closing ceremony.

Brisbane Arena is planned to be built within the Roma Street precinct with easy access for people of all mobilities to the city’s rail and bus network.

It will host Olympic and Paralympic swimming, and water polo finals, completing the list of venues that will put 16 Olympic sports within walking distance of each other.

The Gabba redevelopment, along with Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro will anchor a major urban renewal of Woolloongabba delivering more housing, more jobs, and better connectivity.

Access to the railway network provides fast, clean, green and easy connectivity to the rest of the south-east region.

Importantly, all venues provide city building capacity with economic and social benefits lasting well beyond 2032.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said all of Australia is backing Brisbane 2032.

“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the largest event that’s ever been held in Queensland.”

“The Australian Government has worked cooperatively with the Palaszczuk Government to secure infrastructure projects that will have a long-term and transformational impact on Queensland as we count down to 2032.”

“My Government is ensuring that every dollar that is invested has lasting benefits, not just for Brisbane but for all Queenslanders and all Australians.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it is important to remember no project is built solely for the few weeks of Games competition.

“For example, the Gabba has hosted sport for more than a century and is home to cricket and AFL most weeks of the year,” the Premier said.

“It must be upgraded to maintain our competitiveness for international sport and events.

“Brisbane Arena will provide a new indoor entertainment centre – something Brisbane’s CBD has not had since the demolition of Festival Hall in 2003.”

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said the projects will be fiscally responsible and are in accord with the International Olympic Committee’s ‘New Norm’.

“Brisbane 2032 will be another opportunity to show what Australia can do, but more than that, it will provide a lasting benefit for Australia.”

“Better infrastructure, and building in a lower emissions environment, will not only mean the best for the athletes of the world, but that communities will have great spaces and places to use into the future.”

“I look forward to working cooperatively with Queensland on these important projects.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the Games are forecast to deliver $8.1 billion in economic and social benefits to Queensland and more than $17.6 billion to Australia.

“Queensland’s population is booming, and the Games legacy will be infrastructure to cater for this growth and ensure our Queensland lifestyle in the coming decades.

“Infrastructure like Brisbane Arena and The Gabba have benefits that reach far beyond the next nine and a half years, delivering jobs and investment.

“The Gabba revitalisation will transform Brisbane providing an opportunity for more housing and an active travel corridor to South Bank and the CBD.”

The Australian and Queensland Governments are also investing in the SEQ City Deal which will deliver social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in the region and support the delivery and legacy of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Brisbane Arena

1. New 17,000 seat CBD indoor entertainment venue
2. Proposed Roma St location to be serviced by new Cross River Rail Brisbane Underground and existing train and bus services; and will be close to Suncorp Stadium
3. Hosts 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Swimming and Water Polo
4. Construction planned to start 2027. Completion 2030.

Gabba Stadium

1. New 50,000 seat stadium
2. Olympic and Paralympic Athletics and Ceremonies
3. New Pedestrian walkway linking to new Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro
4. Two minute Cross River Rail access to Brisbane CBD
5. Construction planned to start 2026. Completion 2030.

Additional Venues

1. Upgrade 9 existing venues: 
   1. Wyaralong Flatwater Centre and Precinct – Rowing
   2. Sunshine Coast Stadium – Football
   3. Brisbane Aquatic Centre and Precinct – Aquatics (including diving, artistic swimming and water polo preliminaries)
   4. Barlow Park (Cairns) – Football
   5. Toowoomba Sports Ground – Football
   6. Brisbane International Shooting Centre – Shooting
   7. Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre – Mountain Biking
   8. Anna Meares Velodrome and BMX Track – Track, BMX Racing
   9. Queensland Tennis Centre – Tennis
2. Construction of 5 news venues: 
   1. Breakfast Creek (Brisbane) Indoor Sports Centre – Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball
   2. Chandler Indoor Sports Centre – Gymnastics and Wheelchair Basketball
   3. Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre – Basketball
   4. Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre – Boxing
   5. Redlands Whitewater Centre – Canoe
3. Temporary International Broadcasting Centre
4. Logan Indoor Sports Centre as a potential training or competition venue
5. Minor upgrades to existing competition and training venues.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong and Papua New Guinea Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Justin Tkatchenko BEM OL MP will tomorrow co-chair the 29th Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum in Canberra.

As neighbours, friends and equals, the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea is profoundly important to both countries.

Foreign Ministers will be joined by nine Australian Ministers and sixteen Papua New Guinea Ministers, speaking to the breadth and depth of our partnership.

Ministers will discuss our economic relationship, strategic cooperation for security and stability, and social and human development.

The Ministerial Forum follows the Annual Leaders’ Dialogue between Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Marape in January, supporting their ambitious vision for the bilateral relationship.

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

“In the face of global challenges affecting our region, Australia and Papua New Guinea are working together with new energy in the interests of a safe, peaceful and prosperous Pacific.

“I look forward to working with Minister Tkatchenko and other Ministers to advance our modern partnership at the Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum.”

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell said:

“Australia and Papua New Guinea share an ambition to boost our business, trade and investment relationships.

“We will continue to work together to ensure a mutually beneficial bilateral economic partnership and bolster two-way trade and investment.”

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

“Australia and Papua New Guinea are the closest of neighbours and dearest of friends. Our relationship is built on deep economic and security cooperation, underpinned by ties through culture, churches, labour mobility and of course sport.

“We are honoured to host the Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum which is an opportunity to ensure our partnership grows to reflect contemporary opportunities and challenges.”