Category: Australian News

The Framework Agreement between the European Union and Australia, which provides a platform for closer collaboration across our full strategic relationship, enters into force today.

The Agreement has now been ratified by Australia, the European Union and all EU member states, after being signed in 2017.

Today is a significant milestone, as the Agreement will help advance negotiations of an Australia-EU Trade Agreement and pave the way for closer collaboration on key bilateral and multilateral issues.

These issues include climate change and the environment, sustainable development, human rights and democracy, education, culture, research and innovation, trade and investment, tourism, and security.

Our partnership with the EU has never been more important.

Australia and the EU are united in our response to Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. We continue to work together to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold Russia accountable for its actions.

We cooperate closely in the Indo-Pacific to promote a region that is peaceful and stable, governed by accepted rules and norms, and where all countries and peoples can cooperate, trade and thrive.

The EU is Australia’s third largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign investment. Enhanced links will contribute to energy security and facilitate investment in renewable energy and the development of secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chains.

Australia particularly welcomes the opportunity to work even more closely with the EU on addressing the climate crisis. We share an unwavering commitment to ambitious domestic and international action to implement the Paris Agreement, support energy transitions and climate resilience globally.

The Greens welcome the announcement this week that the government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill will include new rules to end pay secrecy clauses to stop employees from discussing how much they get paid, something the Greens have previously sought to legislate for.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Women, Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Pay secrecy has been an ongoing contributor to the gender pay gap.

“Abolishing mandatory pay secrecy is what my 2015 Fair Work Amendment (Gender Pay Gap) Bill proposed, and we are glad that the new Government has now adopted that approach. 

“Employment contracts that insist on pay secrecy have been used to hide the gender pay gap. Removing employee pay gag clauses will create a more level playing field for women in the workplace.

“However, this move is not the panacea to close the persistent gender pay gap. The latest gender pay gap stats released yesterday show we need to ensure women-dominated occupations are remunerated in a way that better reflects their value to society. 

“The easiest way to close the gender pay gap is to pay women more. The government could legislate for above average wage increases over 10 years in women-dominated industries, which would provide a much-needed boost to women’s economic security and ensure we can attract and retain staff in these critical sectors.  

“The Workplace Gender Equality Agency should also be given more powers to tackle gender inequality in the workplace, including preventing companies who are not working to reduce their pay gap from getting government contracts, and requiring organisations to report on the volume of sexual harassment complaints (including actions taken) and use non-disclosure agreements.

“We welcome this first step, but women still have to work an extra 60 days to earn the same average salary as men, and the gender pay gap won’t close just because workers are allowed to talk about it,” concluded Senator Waters.

The Greens say coal workers and communities deserve a National Energy Transition Authority in Tuesday’s budget in the wake of Queensland and Victoria announcing plans to bring forward the closure of coal-fired power plants.

Greens spokesperson on Industry, Transition and Regional Development Senator Penny Allman-Payne says the workers and community members she recently met with in the Latrobe Valley, Hunter region and her own hometown of Gladstone were unanimous in their support for the urgent establishment of a National Energy Transition Authority.

Senator Allman-Payne introduced the Greens’ National Energy Transition Authority Bill to parliament in September. It has been referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics which will report on 14 March next year.

Greens spokesperson on Industry, Transition and Regional Development Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Recent announcements by Queensland and Victoria show that Australian governments are finally calling time on coal-fired power. But we can’t afford to let the transition to a renewable energy economy happen in a disjointed and haphazard way.

“We need a national body to help coordinate and fund this potentially national-building transformation. The Greens’ National Energy Transition Authority would work with communities, workers, unions, energy companies and governments at all levels to plan the pipeline of clean energy projects, and ensure a bright future for former coal workers and regional communities.

“I’ve met with many of these workers and communities and they all say the same thing. The ground is shifting rapidly under their feet, they can see the writing on the wall and they want the government to help them plan their futures.

“We know from similar energy transition bodies in Europe that if you plan the transition, workers can move into new well-paid jobs, be redeployed through industry-wide pooling or benefit from early retirement.

“The Greens are ready to negotiate with Labor to deliver a National Energy Transition Authority. We know that there is support in the Parliament for it, and we know that coal communities are keen to see it happen.

“The clock is ticking. The government needs to show that it’s listening to workers and regional communities by establishing a National Energy Transition Authority in next week’s budget.”

The Australian Government is fully committed to delivering the Western Australia Comprehensive Cancer Centre, to provide world class care and better health outcomes for people with cancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in Australia, and in Western Australia three in every ten deaths occurs as a result of cancer.

The new centre will improve patient survival rates, enhance quality of life, and help reduce the necessity to travel long distance for treatment.

Establishing the centre will create around 500 new jobs during the construction phase.

The facility will also be key to developing a world leading Centre of Excellence for research, clinical teaching and training in Western Australia in the future, which will contribute to better care across the country.

It’s estimated that 65 percent of the people utilising the Western Australian Comprehensive Cancer Centre will be public patients.

While funding for the centre will not appear as a specific new measure in the 2022- 23 October Budget, the funding is included in Department of Health and Aged Care administered expenditure and will be delivered to this project.

The Prime Minister said:

“My Government is committed to the Western Australia Comprehensive Cancer Centre and we’ll work with the State Government to deliver on this project.

“No one should have to choose between accessing world class cancer care and staying close to home, family and friends.

“This facility will provide excellent care for patients, while also develop a world leading Centre of Excellence for research and training in Western Australia.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said:

“For too long people living with cancer in Western Australia have had to settle for fewer services because of the distance to major centres in the east, it is an unfair situation they have endured for too long.

“The Western Australia Comprehensive Cancer Centre will be a research driven care hub, and patients can expect the very best care from highly qualified staff, and outreach services to rural and remote communities, as well as vulnerable groups.”

The Albanese Government is accelerating the growth of the critical minerals sector and supporting clean-energy technologies through new initiatives as part of efforts to reach net zero.

A new National Critical Minerals Strategy is being developed in consultation with industry and community stakeholders, including traditional owners.

Australia has some of the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals and a new National Critical Minerals Strategy will set out a clear vision for the sector.

The Strategy will complement other Government initiatives including the National Battery Strategy and the Electric Vehicle Strategy.

The National Reconstruction Fund will include the $1 billion Value Adding in Resources Fund which will work alongside the $2 billion Critical Minerals Facility.

These initiatives will expand Australia’s mining science technology capability, diversify supply chains, create local jobs and help drive growth in the critical minerals sector including rare earths – a key component of low-emissions technologies, such as batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels.

Additionally, next week’s Budget will include $50.5 million over four years to establish the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub to help unlock our nation’s critical minerals potential.

The Hub will combine expertise from Geoscience Australia, the CSIRO and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to work with Australian industry to
address technical challenges and support international research and development collaborations.

The Government will also allocate $50 million over three years to the Critical Minerals Development Program for competitive grants to support early and mid-stage critical minerals projects, building on the $50 million recently committed to six key projects across Australia.

The International Energy Agency projects mineral demand for use in electric vehicles and battery storage could grow at least thirty times to 2040.

Australia is the world’s largest lithium producer, and latest figures forecast the value of lithium exports are due to increase more than 10 fold over two years, from $1.1 billion in 2020-21 to almost $14 billion in 2022-23, with continued growth over future years.

The development of a battery industry could contribute $7.4 billion annually to our economy and support 34,700 jobs by 2030.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Australia’s natural resources have powered our nation and we are committed to supporting the critical minerals sector and new clean technologies to reach our target of net zero, and make our nation an economic powerhouse with a clean energy future.

“Today’s new initiatives will ensure we can create and support local jobs, diversify global supply chains and meet the growing demand for batteries, electric vehicles and clean energy technology.

“These minerals will be critical to Australia achieving net zero emissions, and to helping the rest of the world make that transition as well.”

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said:

“This package of measures demonstrates our commitment to net zero and the important role the resources sector can play in our energy transition.

“We are investing in the science and R&D collaborations. We are backing projects that are early to mid-stage, as well as helping to fast-track financing for projects which are further along in their development.

“The new Critical Minerals Strategy will be developed in consultation with the industry and experts, and will help the government identify how it can best support the growth of a sector that will be crucial to help the world reach its low-emissions goals.

“The new measures will help bring online new sources of supply, support robust supply chains, and create high-paying regional jobs for Australians while improving Australia’s export resilience.

“Building on the sector by generating new downstream industries and diversifying global supply chains will help Australia and its partners to meet net zero commitments.

“Without Australia’s resources, the world will not reach net zero.”

Australia has imposed additional costs on Russia for its unprovoked, illegal, and immoral war on Ukraine.

The Australian Government is extending the application of a punitive tariff on goods imported from Russia and Belarus for a further 12 months until October 2023.

The additional 35 per cent tariff on Russian imports, together with the prohibition on energy imports, has had a significant impact on trade.

The Australian Government has also directed Export Finance Australia to reject any requests for loans or other finance that support trade with, or investment in, Russia or Belarus. This legal direction will ensure Russia and Belarus do not benefit from any financing provided by Export Finance Australia.

These measures are intended to undermine Russia’s ability to fund its invasion of Ukraine.

We call on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory.

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

“Russia’s war on Ukraine is an attack on the UN charter. It impacts all nations and all peoples. Australia is working together with the international community to diminish Russia’s ability to fund its illegal, immoral war.”

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

“The Australian Government condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine. We are maintaining the economic costs on Russia and Belarus by extending the application of an additional tariff on imports from these countries for a further 12 months. We reiterate our strongest support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for the people of Ukraine.”

Today’s announcement on Marinus Link raises far more questions than answers on what was already a dubious project, the Greens say.

Tasmanian Greens Energy spokesperson Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP said:

 “Tasmanians have a right to know what impact Marinus would have on people’s energy bills, as well as what thesubsequent debt would mean for the state.”

“The Treasurer refused to answer our question in Parliament today about what the debt would mean for Tasmanians, or to table the cost allocation methodology that will be used. We are already in a cost of living crisis – to burden households with even higher power bills would be devastating.”

“There are also serious questions about the environmental impacts of this proposal, particularly on sensitive ecosystems in the North West.”

“Tasmanians were promised the world and delivered an atlas with Basslink – this can’t happen again with Marinus.”

Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said:

“Basslink proved to be a boon for coal-fired generators in the Latrobe Valley, and the very real danger is that Marinus will be the same.

“Marinus cannot be allowed to prolong the life of the dinosaur coal fired power stations in Victoria by providing another outlet to get their dirty electricity into Tasmanian homes and businesses.

“The federal government has serious questions to answer about the costs and benefits of this project including ecological harm and its impact on domestic and small business power bills.

“They need to explain why it would be more efficient than funding local renewable energy generation and storage, like rooftop solar and batteries, close to demand centres across the southern states.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ revelations that the cost of the Stage 3 tax cuts for CEOs, politicians and billionaires has surged over a quarter of a trillion dollars is further confirmation they should be scrapped, the Greens say.

“$254 billion is a staggering amount of money that would be far better spent putting mental and dental health into Medicare, wiping student debt and making childcare free,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“Giving massive tax breaks to CEOs and billionaires while inequality and the cost of living are surging is a choice this government is making.”

“Next week’s budget will be a statement of this Government’s priorities – it is still not too late to scrap the Stage 3 tax cuts and invest in genuine, immediate cost of living relief.”

“Keeping them in place will be a slap in the face to all the Australians who are struggling to make ends meet.”

This has been a shambolic process, contemptuous of many stakeholders, all to make a completely unnecessary decision with shocking timing.

Last night the Foreign Minister’s office were officially telling journalists no change had been made to the policy of Australia recognising West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Just hours later the Foreign Minister has announced a complete reversal of Australia’s position on what is a significant matter of international foreign policy.

Astonishingly, the government was clumsy enough to announce this on a Jewish Holy Day and foolish enough to do so in the heated environment of an Israeli election campaign.

From what we can see today, the Labor Government ignored speaking with Australians who care about a two-state solution that provides peace and security for Israel and a future Palestinian state, and instead informed them of the Government’s decision only after it was made.

The Labor Government needs to explain not only why they have made this unnecessary decision, but also the chaotic process behind it.

Up to 500 ADF personnel will assist with the flood recovery in Victoria and New South Wales, as local communities continue to deal with the ongoing crisis.

The Australian Government has approved a request from Emergency Management Victoria to provide up to 400 personnel to assist emergency authorities or tasks including;

• Filling and distribution of sandbags
• Transport support to isolated families and emergency services stakeholders with high clearance vehicles
• Diversion of water from a small dam and construction of three levees
• Door knocking to support flood-affected residents

ADF personnel have been assisting communities in flood affected areas across regional Victoria. Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters are also supporting evacuation and resupply efforts.

Up to 100 ADF members are also assisting in New South Wales and a helicopter for night search and rescue on standby, primarily in Western New South Wales.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said:

“The Australian Government is working closely with our Victorian and New South Wales counterparts to provide assistance as quickly as possible.”

“We’ve already seen our ADF members hard at work filling sandbags in Shepparton, building levee banks in Echuca and helping out in Wagga Wagga.

“Now they will also be supporting more people as we move to the clean-up phase of this disaster.”

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles said:

“Once again, the Australian Defence Force have stepped up and are helping people across the eastern states, often in the very communities where they live

“Whether it’s checking on vulnerable people in flooded towns or getting supplies to isolated areas, our ADF personnel are supporting Australians in during their toughest times.”

Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt said:

“Having the ADF step up and help is be greatly appreciated in flood-affected areas.”

“This is a short and sharp operation to complement the great work of the state emergency agencies and will assist our hardest hit communities.”