Category: Australian News

The Labor Party has published the Jobs + Skills Summit Issues Paper, and LGBTQIA+ people have been entirely left out despite listing many groups of workers who face discrimination. Queer and gender diverse people experience higher rates of unemployment and workplace discrimination, and must be included in discussions on these issues.

Member for Brisbane and Australian Greens LGBTQIA+ Spokesperson, Stephen Bates MP said: 

“Choosing to leave LGBTQIA+ people out of the Jobs and Skills Summit Issues Paper highlights the Government’s lack of commitment to our community and to all workers rights.”

“This is yet another example of politicians waving rainbow flags when it’s politically expedient while failing to improve our communities’ working conditions.”

“Our communities are already far more likely to face discrimination in employment and our daily lives. Trans people are three times more likely to be unemployed than the national average. 

“The Sex Discrimination Act still provides special exemptions allowing religious organisations and workplaces to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people. So long as a teacher can be fired from their workplace because of their sexuality, workers are not protected.”

“Now is the perfect time to strengthen the Fair Work Act to explicitly protect against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex characteristics, ensuring trans, intersex and gender diverse people are afforded the same protection as cisgendered people.”

“Leaving LGBTQIA+ people out of this paper is a conscious effort by the Albanese Government to erase queer and gender diverse people from this conversation.”

“This paves the way for the Albanese Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill to target LGBTQIA+ people. Without explicit protection in employment and public spaces, our community are at risk of having further discrimination against us enshrined into law.

“We have already seen the Albanese Government vote down a Greens amendment to establish an LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Commissioner.”

“We cannot hope to address a skills shortage and economic inequality while entire communities do not feel safe in the workplace.”

“The Jobs and Skills Summit is a perfect chance to strengthen protections for LGBTQIA+ workers. We cannot be left out of the conversation.”

“The Government has an opportunity to show its commitment to workers rights and ending discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people. This opportunity should not be wasted.” Said Mr. Bates. 

Labor has made a mockery of its own weak climate target by offering up 46,758 square kilometres of new ocean acreage for fossil fuel companies to exploit in a time of climate emergency. Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said: “It’s Christmas Day for fossil fuel companies who have just been handed a big dirty gift: more of our oceans for them to run roughshod in. “Labor has made a mockery of its own weak climate target by offering up new areas of ocean acreage for fossil fuel companies to plunder, pollute and profit from in a time of climate emergency. “We already have enough oil and gas in reserves to trigger catastrophic climate change to our planet. There’s no plausible excuse for Labor to put our marine ecosystems in jeopardy for the sake of a few profit-driven interests to drill for the exact same product that is killing our oceans.“The Morrison Government stopped fossil fuel exploration project Pep-11 due to significant community opposition over it risking NSW coastlines and beaches. In opposition, Anthony Albanese also agreed that this project should be stopped. “If opposing fossil fuel exploration due to community and environmental concerns was good enough for NSW, then it’s sheer hypocrisy not to do the same for coastlines right around Australia.“When parliament was last in session I introduced the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Fight for Australia’s Coastline) Bill to the Senate. If passed, this legislation would set a precedent for permanently stopping destructive offshore oil and gas exploration in our oceans. “New Zealand, Ireland, Greenland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Costa Rica, France, Belize, Wales, and Portugal have all implemented bans on new oil and gas exploration – there is no reason Australia shouldn’t do the same.”   Greens spokesperson for resources, Senator Dorinda Cox said:“Aboriginal people never ceded sovereignty to our lands, waters and sky. Like other nations, First Nations borders don’t begin and end at sea level. Sea Country does not belong to Labor, to sell to the highest bidder.“The Greens demand that the Traditional Custodians of these waters be consulted and that any corporation or Government obtain their free, prior and informed consent before they proceed with their operations.“Under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: free, prior and informed consent is a human right. If Labor wants to hear the voices of First Nations people, they can start by listening to Traditional Owners fighting for the survival of their communities, culture and country.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has failed to save the Murujuga songlines, in allowing the Perdaman fertiliser plant to continue development on the Burrup Peninsula despite Traditional Owners’ application for World Heritage listing of the site.

Gunnai Gunditjmara DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe, the Greens spokesperson for First Nations said:

“This is a clear violation of free, prior and informed consent as it is defined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).

“The UNDRIP states that, ‘States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the Indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.’

“First Nations people in this Country are a part of the oldest living culture in the world. Our representative institutions are tens of thousands of years older than Land Councils. The colonial project has been trying to control whose voice gets heard from First Nations communities since colonisation.

“When Traditional Owners are saying that there is no consent to destroy their heritage, this Government needs to listen.” Said Thorpe.

Yamatji-Noongar Senator Dorinda Cox, the Greens spokesperson for Resources said:

“The movement of that rock art will be it’s destruction. This is Juukan 2.0. We cannot continue to allow projects to go ahead that wreck the climate and destroy cultural heritage.

“The UNDRIP is an important instrument, both at a global level and within Australia. It protects free, informed, prior consent. What we’re seeing happen across this country is manufactured consent.

“Happening right now in Darwin and on the Tiwi Islands, is a landmark court hearing is will determine what constitutes consultation with Traditional Owners about the environmental, cultural, social and spiritual impacts of mining projects.

“Murujuga and the Burrup Peninsula are due for World Heritage listing next year, we need this fast-tracked to protect the ancestral rock art, stories and turtle dreaming, unique to the area.

“I’ve spoken directly with mining companies, urging them to sit with Traditional Owner groups. I’ve sat with First Nations women in Murujuga at the exact site where Perdaman propose to build their fertiliser plant, on top of one of the oldest women’s law grounds in the world.” Said Cox.

Yesterday, I received the Solicitor-General’s opinion in the matter of the validity of the appointment of Mr Morrison to administer the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (SG No.12 of 2022).

Given the highly extraordinary circumstances, I have today decided to release that Opinion, and I have instructed the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to publicly release it on the department’s website at https://www.pmc.gov.au/news-centre/government/solicitor-general-opinion-validity-appointment-mr-morrison.

In summary, the Solicitor-General has concluded that Mr Morrison was validly appointed to administer that department under the Constitution.

However, the Solicitor-General has also said that the fact that the Parliament, the public and other ministers were not informed about this appointment, was inconsistent with the conventions and practices of responsible government which are critical to our constitutional democracy.

The Solicitor-General’s conclusions are relevant to the circumstances of Mr Morrison’s appointments to administer four other portfolios during 2020 and 2021, which followed the same process.

Importantly, the Solicitor-General considers that the existing practices by which appointments such as this are notified to the Parliament and the public are deficient.

I agree.

He has proposed various mechanisms by which those practices could be improved.

I have directed the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to work with the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General to adopt a practice of publishing in the Commonwealth Gazette future appointments of ministers to administer departments.

I will also give consideration to whether any further immediate changes are required.

Cabinet has agreed there will be an inquiry into these events and will now consider what form that inquiry will take.

My government is seeking to restore the Australian public’s faith in our institutions and put an end to the culture of secrecy.

Our democracy is precious and we are committed to strengthening it.

Today, hearings begin as Munupi Senior Lawman Dennis Tipakalippa sues Santos and the Federal Government over their approvals of the Barossa gas project, despite Santos’ failure to consult Traditional Owners. 

“This case could establish what adequate consultation looks like, when it comes to offshore gas projects. Native Title does not protect sea country,” said Greens Mining and Resources spokesperson, Yamatji Noongar Senator Dorinda Cox.

Senator Cox joins Traditional Owners on Country to hear their evidence, and consider if industry regulators are abiding by international human rights standards.

Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) clearly states that free, prior and informed consent is a human right.”

“Free, means without coercion. Prior, means giving communities enough time to consider their options. Informed, means having access to all of the relevant information before making a decision. Here, Traditional Owners were not even told about the Barossa gas project!”

“We’re talking about the The Munupi communities’ access to food, their ability to perform ceremonies and cultural practices. They have no protection from environmental disaster, the regulator needs to do their job.”

“Right now, our legislation is too weak to force mining companies to seek free, prior and informed consent from Traditional Owners. The onus is on First Nations people to figure out what the sector is doing, and that needs to change.”

“Traditional Owners will present evidence, on country, through ceremony, song and dance. I’m here to hear their evidence, this will inform what legal protections around free, prior and informed consent could look like as the Greens continue to fight for the UNDRIP to be implemented in our laws, politics and practice.”

“This would be the dirtiest gas in the country, with at least double the carbon dioxide of any other offshore Australian gas field. If Labor wants to meet their own emissions target, we cannot keep opening up new coal and gas.”

BACKGROUND

In 2007, 144 countries voted in favor of the UNDRIP and Australia was one of four nations who voted against it. After endorsing the UNDRIP in 2009, successive Governments failed to implement it. In March 2022, Senator Lidia Thorpe successfully introduced a Private Senators Bill that will ensure this Country complies with the UNDRIP. Senator’s Thorpe and Cox successfully established a Senate inquiry into the application of the UNDRIP. 

The Greens will ask the Senate Environment and Communications Committee which held an inquiry into the sacking of Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate to reconvene questioning of the departments and ministers involved, after revelations former PM Scott Morrison was a shareholder minister at the time. 

In 2020, Scott Morrison called on Ms Holgate to resign after it was revealed she gave Cartier watches to Australia Post executives, saying she should stand aside “or she can go”, raising questions of political interference by the former PM. 

Following the Finance Department’s review in the matter, a Senate Inquiry was held which heard evidence from the Finance Department. At no point was the Committee informed that when Scott Morrison attacked Ms Holgate in the parliament, that he was also the responsible minister. 

Chair of the Committee, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“There are serious questions about whether the former PM Scott Morrison and the Finance Minister at the time, misled the parliament. 

“There are serious questions about whether the Department of Finance misled the Senate. 

“Scott Morrison’s treatment of Ms Holgate was appalling, and the Committee found he had showed a lack of respect for due process and procedural fairness. Now we find out he was the secret minister all along.

“I will be asking the Committee to reconvene questioning the Department and former Ministers involved – including the ‘minister in secret’ Scott Morrison. I will also be asking whether there is a case here for referring the Privileges Committee to examine whether the senate was misled. 

“The Department either lied, withheld information, or didn’t know. This is a despicable state of affairs whichever way you look at it.”

National Skills Week is an opportunity to celebrate Australia’s diverse skills set, but comes at a time when our nation is in the grip of a skills crisis.

A robust skills and training sector is critical to driving a productive workforce – this will deliver a stronger economy and more affordable goods and services.

Owing to a decade of inaction, Australia is experiencing a serious labour supply shortage and some of the most acute skills shortages of any country in the OECD.

The Albanese Government is taking immediate action to address this crisis.

Next week we are hosting our Jobs and Skills Summit, bringing together unions, businesses, government and industry to address our economic challenges.

We’re keen to see what proposals will be brought to the table to kick start the economy and get wages moving.

The Albanese Government is also delivering $850 million for 465,000 fee-free TAFE places and for TAFE infrastructure.

This will provide opportunities for school leavers, workers wanting to retrain or upskill and unpaid carers — who are predominantly women — to get into the workforce.

On top of this, we are creating an extra 45,000 TAFE places for industries suffering acute shortages, and a $50 million TAFE Technology Fund.

There is also a strong focus on providing more opportunities for apprentices and trainees – this includes 10,000 apprentice places in the new energy sector and ensuring one in 10 workers engaged on federally funded government projects is an apprentice or trainee.

Our $1.2 billion Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will focus on key areas of skills shortages, with new places at university and TAFE.

It is projected that over the next 5 years, 9 out of 10 jobs will require a post-secondary qualification and the Albanese Government is committed to ensuring people have these skills.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Better skills and better training means better jobs and a better future for more Australians in more parts of the country.

“My Government is focused on growing our vocational and training sector, delivering 465,000 fee-free TAFE places to help address skills shortages, and upgrading key TAFE infrastructure.

“We also have a strong focus on opening up more opportunities for apprentices and traineeships, giving people on the job work experience.

“Our goal is to build a strong VET sector to help more Australians get secure, well-paying jobs, while providing the skilled workers that business needs to grow our economy.

“Next week we are hosting our Jobs and Skills Summit that will brings together unions, business groups and the people who help run our world-class VET sector, to look at how we deliver immediate action on the skills shortages Australia is facing.” 

Minister for Skills and Training, Brendan O’Connor said:

“One of the biggest challenges facing businesses is they are struggling to find workers with the skills for the jobs available.

“Owing to a decade of inaction, the challenges have grown but they are not insurmountable.

“The first bill introduced to this parliament was to establish a new independent body Jobs and Skills Australia, to provide independent advice to government so we can better respond to future skills demand and better match taxpayers investment in areas of need.

“National Skills Week is a chance to recognise the value of our VET sector and promote it as an important stepping stone on the path to a good career.”

For more information about National Skills Week activities and virtual events across Australia visit: www.nationalskillsweek.com.au

A Cairns woman has been convicted and sentenced to two years and nine months imprisonment by the Cairns District Court on Wednesday, 17 August 2022, after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming more than $178,000 in Medicare payments under the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS).

Working as a medical receptionist, the woman was charged with one count of obtaining a financial advantage by deception for electronically submitting 355 false Medicare claims using the details of five medical practitioners.

The woman entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to two years and nine months imprisonment. 

However, the prison sentence was suspended, and she was placed on a good behaviour bond of two years. The woman is also subjected to two years’ probation and ordered to repay the full amount of $178,548.70.

The Department of Health and Aged Care takes allegations of fraud against Medicare very seriously.

The department has a strong health provider compliance program that protects Australia’s health payments system through the prevention, identification and treatment of incorrect claiming and fraud by health providers.

Anyone with information about suspected non-compliance or fraud of Government health payments by health providers can make a report via the “Reporting Fraud” page on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website at www.health.gov.au/fraud-tip-offs  or by calling the Provider Benefits Integrity Hotline on 1800 314 808.

Australia will provide an additional $25 million to help Sri Lanka meet urgent food and healthcare needs, as it confronts its worst economic crisis in 70 years.

During this challenging period, Australia stands with the people of Sri Lanka, especially those experiencing severe hardship.

This additional support brings Australia’s Official Development Assistance response to $75 million.

Our support will be delivered through UN agencies to provide food, health and nutrition services, access to safe water and essential support for those at risk, including women and children.

Australia’s continued assistance to Sri Lanka supports our mutual interest in a secure and resilient Indian Ocean and reinforces our 75 year-strong relationship built on cooperation and community connection.

The extra humanitarian assistance is in addition to the $23 million in ongoing development assistance to Sri Lanka in 2022-23.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that today’s announced Australian poultry standards, which will phase-out battery cages, are long overdue but provide a far too lengthy transition period out to 2036.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The industry has had more than enough time to move away from battery cages. We now need some real action.

“After years of dragging their feet, the industry does not need up to 14 years to transition away from battery cages.

“People absolutely do not want hens being kept in battery cages under such cruel and inhumane conditions for another decade or more.

“The use of battery cages is terrible animal cruelty — there’s really no other way to put it.

“Thousands of people made submissions to the poultry standards review and almost all of them supported a phase-out of battery cages.

“Australia is well behind other countries on the international stage and frankly it’s a travesty.”