Category: Australian News

The Greens welcome the passage of the Respect at Work Bill in the Senate today, after facilitating a decision to send contentious costs provisions for a comprehensive review.

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

“The Greens welcome and support this Bill. The significance of the changes it will make for women cannot be overstated. It is a positive and overdue reform to make workplaces safe and respectful for everyone.

“We are pleased that the government has heard the concerns raised by advocates, victim-survivors, legal experts and unions, the Greens and the cross-bench, on the need for improved costs protections.

“The Greens have worked with the Government to ensure this issue of costs is properly addressed, with a comprehensive review of costs to ensure legitimate discrimination cases are not deterred and justice denied.

“The Greens will keep the pressure up to ensure that no-one is priced out of standing up for their rights at work, whether that be for sexual harassment or any other type of discrimination.

“Equal access costs protections, where workers can take action without fear of paying the other side’s costs if they lose, already exist for whistleblowers to remove barriers for people calling out misconduct. The same should apply for calling out workplace harassment.

“While the review is underway, it is essential that clear guidance be provided to courts and tribunals on awarding costs and damages in workplace harassment and discrimination claims. That guidance must address the unfair advantage employers have over individual workers, and the significant toll that ongoing harassment can take.

“The Bill will also introduce a positive duty on employers to maintain a safe workplace. The adversarial ‘victim complaint’ approach has failed so many people, so putting the onus on employers is a critical step in changing that.

“We’re pleased to see this become law after the Morrison Government and One Nation blocked crucial amendments last year from the Greens and Labor that would have implemented this positive duty – a centrepiece of the Respect@Work recommendations.

“We were also pleased to get in-principle support from the Government to look at extending positive duty obligations to prevent race, age and disability discrimination, and will continue to push for that change.

“The Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network also secured support for a full review of the operation of these provisions after 2 years. This Bill makes landmark changes and it is important that we review how these changes are working in practice and what further reforms or support might be needed to drive cultural change and put an end to workplace harassment.

“The passage of Respect at Work represents a generational opportunity to change workplace culture and the Greens are happy that Kate Jenkins’ landmark report and recommendations will finally be implemented.”

Australia’s top veteran and partner employers, employees and entrepreneurs were celebrated last night at the 2022 Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Awards in Canberra.

These Awards showcase the talent on offer in the veteran community – as employees and entrepreneurs, and also recognise the organisations that actively recruit, employ and support veterans and families.

The Awards highlight the importance this Government places upon supporting veterans to ensure a successful transition out of the military and into civilian life.

Key to this is veterans being able to find a meaningful job soon after they leave service.

The Federal Budget allocated $24 million to the Veteran Employment Program, to support defence personnel in their transition to civilian life and employment, while ensuring the skills and experience veterans and their families bring to the workforce is acknowledged by the community.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said:

“I congratulate all those recognised in our National Veterans’ Employment Awards for their commitment to the Defence and veteran community.”

“Australians owe a debt of gratitude to those veterans who have served the nation, and to their families who supported them throughout their service.”

“Initiatives such as the Veteran Employment Program and the National Veterans’ Employment Awards go a long way towards helping employers and the Australian community understand the benefits of employing veterans and their families.”

“The careers of Defence family members are often impacted in support of their serving partners, particularly when moving regularly.”

“I am pleased to see the valuable contribution of defence families recognised as part of this year’s Awards.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh said:

“Our Veteran Employment Program will build on existing initiatives to raise awareness, highlight the benefits of employing veterans and veteran families, provide support to businesses to attract, recruit and retain veterans, and provide support to translate veterans’ military skills and experience for the civilian workplace.”

“There is a need to address misconceptions around veteran employment, educate employers and provide practical support to address barriers to veteran and veteran family employment.”

“The Program will support veterans to recognise and communicate the value of their skills gained in service, skills like leadership, teamwork, agility, discipline and an ability to work under pressure – all critical skills in the modern economy, all in demand by employers.”

More information about the Awards and the 2022 winners can be found on the Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Program website. For more information on the Veteran Employment Program, visit the www.veteransemployment.gov.au.

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072.   Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or defence.gov.au/health/healthportal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608.

A full list of winners is below.

Category	Name/Representative	Company
Veteran Employee of the Year	Nick Elston	GSA Management Consulting
Veteran Entrepreneur of the Year	Garth Chester	Valenhold
Partner Employee of the Year	Katie Vidal	She Maps
Partner Entrepreneur of the Year	Kelly Willmott	Green Fox Training Studio
Employer of the Year – Large		Cubic Defence Australia
Employer of the Year – Medium		Bluerydge
Employer of the Year – Small		Viden
Excellence in Supporting Veteran and/or Partner Employment		Vertical Scope Group
Outstanding Employer of the Year		Bluerydge
Outstanding Contribution to Veteran and/or Partner Employment	Amanda McCue	Career Swag

The Albanese Government welcomes the final report from the Bell Inquiry, handed down today by the Hon Justice Virginia Bell AC.

The Inquiry examined the appointment of former Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, to administer multiple departments without disclosure to his colleagues or the public.

The unprecedented and inexcusable actions of the former Prime Minister were emblematic of the culture of secrecy in which the previous Government operated.

The Bell Inquiry confirms the Solicitor-General’s conclusion that the principles of responsible government were “fundamentally undermined” because Mr Morrison was not “responsible” to the Parliament, and through the Parliament to the electors, for the departments he was appointed to administer.

Justice Bell found the secrecy around the appointments was “apt to undermine public confidence in government” and was “corrosive of trust in government.”

The Inquiry has made six recommendations to improve transparency, accountability and restore public trust in Australian democracy, including:

• Legislation to require public notice of the appointment of Ministers to administer departments and hold offices;
• The publication of acting arrangements for Ministers; and
• The publication of details of which Ministers are appointed to administer departments and an outline of divisions of responsibilities where more than one Minister is appointed to the same department.

I will recommend to the next meeting of Cabinet that the Albanese Government accept all six of Justice Bell’s recommendations.

The quick implementation of these recommendations will ensure that the Australian public can have full confidence that this breach of trust will never happen again.

I thank Justice Bell and her team for the efforts in conducting this Inquiry.

The full report and recommendations can be viewed at: https://www.ministriesinquiry.gov.au/

“According to new data from Reconciliation Australia, national support for Treaty has jumped to 72%. That’s a 25% increase in four years!” Said Senator Lidia Thorpe, the Greens spokesperson for First Nations.

Senator Lidia Thorpe said:

“We learnt yesterday that First Nations children are 10x more likely to be living in out of home care than non-Indigenous kids, less than half of them are living with First Nations carers. Forcibly taking children away from their community is an act of genocide, according to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

“Today, Reconciliation Australia showed us that 60% of First Nations people have experienced racism in the last six months.

“We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 26x more likely than their non-Indigenous classmates to be incarcerated.

“This is all evidence of systemic racism in this country. The solution is self-determination. It’s critical that First Nations people have more than just ‘a say’ over the matters that affect us. 

“Everyone is better off when we are free to steer our own course, yet successive Governments continue to lock First Nations people out of decision making processes and force policies onto us that continue the violent legacy of colonisation.

“We need a Treaty to redefine and rebuild the relationship between the Government and First Nations people. A Treaty will restore our right to make decisions for ourselves, our families, our communities and our homelands.

“Through real justice, we can build a society where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

“Treaty was promised by Bob Hawke’s Labor government in the 80s and it’s still unfinished business today. There’s growing support for First Nations people to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about our community, our country and our culture. The Greens will keep fighting to make this a reality.” Said Thorpe.

The Greens have secured legislation that will enforce civil penalties of up to $1.1 million for bankers who do not ensure proper conduct within financial institutions.

“The Greens have secured million dollar fines for dodgy bank executives,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“We recently had a once in a century Royal Commission that uncovered a litany of misconduct. But most bankers who ripped off their customers went unpunished, or even left with massive payouts.”

“The new Financial Accountability Regime will require bankers to take reasonable steps to ensure that banks are not ripping off customers.”

“The amendments secured by the Greens will ensure that if bankers breach their accountability obligations then they will get hit hard in their hip pocket.”

“The Morrison Government used the cover of the pandemic to go soft on the banks – the Greens will not allow the rot set in again.”

“We recently forced the government to commit to implementing outstanding Royal Commission recommendations after running dead on them during the election campaign.”

“We’ve also just secured the inclusion of dividends paid by bank owned super funds in  a new super transparency report.”

The government’s response to ‘A Way Forward: Final report into the destruction of Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge’ is welcomed by The Greens, but the need for cohesive First Nations cultural heritage laws shouldn’t have taken global outrage at legal desecration to be acknowledged.

Greens spokesperson for resources Yamatji-Noongar Woman Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“It is disappointing to hear the government didn’t consult with the Traditional Owners before tabling their response to the reports. It seems the Minister is more concerned with positive media than consulting the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people and building “genuine partnerships” through listening and learning.

“I asked in estimates whether the government would adopt recommendation 1 of the ‘A Way Forward’ report. I am disheartened to hear this is not the case. I don’t know how they can claim to respect First Nations culture when the ultimate say doesn’t lie with the Indigenous Minister.

“Senator Thorpe’s bill to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) must be fast-tracked if the government wants to “do better”.

“Stopping manufactured consent is paramount, as is consulting all stakeholders – this was highlighted in the recent ruling against Santos for failing to consult with all Traditional Owners regarding their Barossa Gas project.

“If the world hadn’t shown outrage at Rio Tinto’s actions, would there still be a push from Labor to reform cultural heritage laws? 

“The Minister has the opportunity now to prevent another disaster by protecting the Murujuga artwork and seven sisters songline that are currently under threat.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome the Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland, Sanna Marin, to Australia next week. This will be the first visit by a Finnish Prime Minister to Australia.

Prime Minister Marin will be accompanied on her visit to Australia by a business delegation. She will also address the Lowy Institute.

Australia and Finland share a common vision based on equality, trust and shared values. In addition to enjoying warm bilateral ties, Australia works closely with Finland in multilateral forums and through engagement with the European Union.

Australia appreciates Finland’s strong support in seeking to finalise the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement – a key priority for the Australian Government.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has permanently altered the geopolitical landscape, culminating in Finland’s historic decision to seek NATO membership.
As an Enhanced Opportunities Partner of NATO, Australia recognises the strong capabilities Finland will bring to the alliance.

Russia’s actions only seek to reinforce the importance of likeminded partners working together to defend the international rules-based order.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marin to Australia on Friday.”

“Although a world apart geographically, Australia and Finland are united by shared values and a strong desire to uphold the international rules-based order.”

“Australians and Finns have a mutual appreciation for fostering sustainable growth, investing in clean energy and resilient supply chains and social and political stability.”

In her proposal for the bill in 2020, Pauline Hanson said that banning curriculum materials which mention gender diversity would prevent children from becoming trans or non-binary.

‘The preoccupation with gender identity by some teachers and schools is correlated with an increase in children identifying as transgender, which is why I say these educators are transgendering our children,’.

This week we welcome the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to Australia.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and first African to hold the position of Director-General of the WTO.

We were very pleased to work with Dr Okonjo-Iweala in delivering significant outcomes at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June this year in Geneva.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s visit is an opportunity to discuss how we can continue to work together to implement those outcomes, including investing in reforms to ensure the WTO can respond more effectively to the challenges facing the multilateral trading system.

In recognition of the importance of the WTO to Australia’s economic resilience, we will commit $5 million over four years for targeted capacity building to assist developing countries and least developed countries implement the outcomes of MC12 and access the benefits of WTO membership.

This includes $2 million to help developing countries implement the landmark WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This is the first global set of rules that curb subsidies for illegal and unsustainable fishing, and an important step towards promoting the sustainability and economic viability of fisheries globally, including in the Pacific.

This commitment also includes $3 million over three years to support legal advice and training on WTO Law for developing and least developed countries through the Advisory Centre on WTO Law. This will help these countries understand and comply with WTO obligations, and participate more fully and effectively in the WTO.

These investments will help our regional partners better integrate into the global and regional rules-based trading system, implement domestic reform, and improve the lives of their citizens.

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

“The World Trade Organization is central to the rules-based order.

“Australia supports Dr Okonio-Iweala’s leadership and the WTO’s work with developing countries to enhance their ability to export, their international competitiveness, and their engagement in the global economy.

“This is fundamental to the stability and prosperity of our region and the world.”

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

“We are delighted to welcome Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to Australia for important discussions on international trade, the WTO’s central role in the rules-based international trading system and how we can work together to implement the historic outcomes we achieved in June.

“The strength of Australia’s economy relies on an open and rules-based global trading system.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said:

“The Fisheries Subsidies Agreement represents a significant and meaningful contribution to the sustainability of our oceans and major milestone for the WTO, and we’re pleased to be working with Pacific partners to support its implementation.”

Assistant Minister for Trade said:

“I was pleased to work with Dr Okonjo-Iweala in delivering some truly significant outcomes at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference.

“The WTO is fundamental to Australia’s interests – providing a stable and predictable framework for trade with the world and enabling all Members to hold others to account when the rules aren’t respected”.

I rise to speak on the Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020. I feel like I’m uniquely placed to speak to this bill. I’ve been a state secondary school teacher for nearly 30 years. I started out my career as a health and physical education teacher, and I also taught sexuality, human relationships and sexual education. I’m also qualified to teach secondary school science as well as humanities. When I left the department, I was a head of humanities and languages.

This bill seeks to put restraints on what teachers of health and physical education, sexual education, and science and humanities can teach in their classes. It’s not about balance. It’s about hate and propaganda. We, as teachers, teach to the curriculum that we are provided. It is a curriculum that is grounded in truth and science. We don’t cherry-pick the bits of science that we agree with or disagree with, we don’t cherry-pick the bits of history that we like and are hard to face and we don’t discriminate against the children who are in front of us in our classes. During this debate, I’ve watched people on the other side of the chamber laughing when we’ve spoken about education around students’ gender. I invite you to come into a school and sit in front of a student who has made several attempts on their life because they have been subject to hate and transphobia. How dare you use our young people as political footballs. They are not wanting anything except to be accepted for who they are.

We teach a curriculum that is grounded in human rights and science. Young people are generous of spirit, they are accepting of others and they care about the planet and their future. They are critical thinkers, they are problem-solvers and they deserve an education that is grounded in truth, justice and human rights. They deserve an education that is grounded in science.

It is not teachers in schools who are attempting to indoctrinate our young people. They are professionals that work hard to give every young person in this country the positive future that they deserve. It is the people on the other side of this chamber who are seeking to indoctrinate people with their hateful and bigoted views in our schools. I will not subject young people in this country to your bigotry and hate. I will stand up every time I see it, and the Greens will call it out.

This bill isn’t about critical thinking; this bill is about legislating a far-right curriculum. Individual senators and parties interfering in what is taught in our schools instead of leaving it to the education experts is a very slippery slope. In the US, we see some states banning teachers from teaching about racism or sexuality, and some are even banning books. This bill is dangerous. As a teacher with over 30 years of experience in our schools, I know it is an injustice to the young people in our schools, and it is an insult to teachers.