Category: Australian News

The Greens are calling on Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to stick to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting in Canberra, and pull NSW and Vic into line and announce voluntary buybacks are back on the table. 

Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Water and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has been calling for a MinCo to be held as a priority under the new Labor Government. 

Senator Hanson-Young said Labor had committed to implementing the Plan in full and on time at the election and including delivering the 450GL to South Australia. She said doing deals with upstream states and corporate irrigators tomorrow would be a broken promise. 

“New South Wales and Victoria are demanding less water for the environment because they have failed to live up to their end of the bargain. It’s hard to believe they ever intended to deliver the environmental water required under the Plan,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Minister Plibersek must hold the line. The water required to be returned under the Plan is necessary for the health of the entire river system. States cannot just opt in and out as they please, it puts South Australia and our drinking water in jeopardy and the long-term future of all river communities, small family farms and the environment at risk. 

“It’s clear the only way to return enough water to the system quickly and cost-effectively is to start buying water back and Minister Plibersek should announce tomorrow that she is taking this action. 

“After nearly a decade of mismanagement and billions of dollars spent by Barnaby Joyce and the National Party, there is is no time to waste.

“Upstream states have wriggled out of every commitment they possibly could, with the environment and South Australia left begging.” 

St Ives gold mine has suspended activity following the tragic death of an underground mining contractor yesterday. A second contractor has since been released with minor injuries.

Gold Fields, who own the mine, have said they won’t resume operations until an independent investigation by WA mining regulators is complete.

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

“Our deepest condolences are with the victim’s family, friends and colleagues. 

“Every worker has the right to go to work and return home safely at the end of the day.

“Gold Fields must work together with the investigators to determine the cause of this tragedy and implement changes to ensure worker safety.

“Gold Fields must ensure any recommendations from the investigation are also implemented at their other sites: Agnew, Granny Smith and Gruyere.

“The mining industry has the third highest fatality rate of any industry in Australia. It is critical findings from previous investigations are implemented and enforced so that these tragedies can be avoided.

“The Greens ‘National Energy Transition Authority Bill 2022’ currently before the Senate will establish an independent public authority to guide Australia’s shift to renewable energy. The body will have law reform and advice functions to improve harm minimisation in the sector.”

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has welcomed hints that the Labor Party is considering the long-standing Greens call to sign Joe Biden’s ‘Methane Pledge’ to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, but said it could only be met by halting massive new gas projects like Betaloo and Scarborough. Further, existing projects simply ‘offsetting’ their emissions would not be enough to meet the pledge, said Mr Bandt.

Mr Bandt said that the real issue is not cows and agriculture, but the coal and gas industry. The gas industry is the country’s biggest user of gas, and with methane being 86 times more potent as a climate gas than CO2, meeting the pledge’s goals would require an end to the coal and gas industry’s expansion, whether under the Safeguard Mechanism or via other means.

With the East Coast of Australia being battered by heavy rain triggering flooding today, Mr Bandt also said the alternating pattern of summer floods and bushfires was clearly becoming more severe, underscoring the need to stop opening coal and gas mines.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said:

“I’m glad the government is listening to the Greens’ long-standing calls for Australia to join US President Biden’s global methane pledge, but putting it into practice means stopping new coal and gas mines.”

“Labor can’t sign the methane pledge today and then open up new coal and gas mines tomorrow.

“The issue isn’t cow burps, it’s coal and gas. The pledge is aimed at the tax-dodging coal and gas corporations, not cows and agriculture.

“Signing Joe Biden’s methane pledge means stopping new coal and gas projects, whether through the Safeguard mechanism, a climate trigger or some other means. 

“The heavy rain and predicted flooding across much of the east coast is devastating communities, and the coal- and gas-fuelled climate crisis is making it worse.” 

“My office has been inundated with messages from people worried about the heavy rain, including from people in central Melbourne who are now wondering if they need to invest in sandbags.

“This is not normal. Unprecedented rainfall in Sydney, warnings of a month’s worth of flooding in Victoria, entire towns decimated in the Northern Rivers: this will all get worse if Labor keeps opening coal and gas mines.”

Australia today marks 20 years since the 2002 Bali bombings and tragic loss of 202 lives, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians.

Together, on what will be a difficult day for many in Australia, Indonesia and around the world, we honour the lives of the victims and the courage and resilience shown by survivors and their families.

We also pay tribute to the first responders and volunteers who assisted efforts in the wake of the attack.

To commemorate the anniversary, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP will attend a service at Coogee in Sydney.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, will host a memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra.

There, victims’ families, survivors and first responders will be joined by the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Hon David Hurley AC DSC, and former Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard OM AC.

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, will attend a commemorative ceremony at the Australian Consulate-General in Bali.

Australia’s thoughts are with those whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

We recommit to the ongoing work shared by Australia and Indonesia to counter the scourge of violent extremism, and reaffirm the respect and cooperation between our peoples.

I was pleased to welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Dr Bisera Turković to Canberra today.

Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s friendship is strengthened by our people-to-people ties and longstanding support.

Australia recognised Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 1992, shortly after its independence.

We remain a strong supporter of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Australia has worked beside Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and in the Global Coalition against Daesh.

Dr Bisera Turković and I discussed Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and immoral war on Ukraine, and Mr Putin’s dangerous escalations.

We also renewed our commitment to greater cooperation between our countries and through the Bosnian diaspora community in Australia.

This includes our support for direct aid projects for local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina that focus on supporting development in education, gender, disability, and human rights.

Today, I welcomed India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Australia for the annual Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.

This is Minister Jaishankar’s second visit to Australia this year, demonstrating the importance both Australia and India place on our partnership.

Australia and India are Comprehensive Strategic Partners, we are Quad partners and most fundamentally, we share the Indo-Pacific region.

We have a shared interest and a shared ambition in a stable and prosperous region where sovereignty is respected.

For Australia, our partnership with India is a critical part of shaping the region we want.

At the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue, we discussed accelerating and deepening economic ties, including through our Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.

We also discussed strengthening our people to people ties and education links, reinforcing our defence and security cooperation and enhancing our climate change and new clean energy engagement, including through the Quad.

We agreed to expand our diplomatic footprints, with Australia recommitting to open a Consulate-General in Bengaluru, and India planning an additional consulate in Australia.

I look forward to our continued engagement as we build and sustain our partnership and region.

Today, I was honoured to meet with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Saleumxay Kommasith.

Australia and Laos share a long history of bilateral cooperation, and this year celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations.

Our relationship is supported by a long-standing focus on education, human capacity building and infrastructure, as well as more recent cooperation in areas such as energy, economic resilience and connectivity.

Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay and I had warm and productive discussions about how we can deepen the partnership between our two countries.

I reiterated Australia’s support as Laos prepares for its ASEAN Chair Year in 2024. I also discussed our shared commitment to ASEAN centrality, and our strategic interest in maintaining a region which is peaceful, stable, prosperous, and where sovereignty is respected.

Australia remains determined to work closely with our partners in Southeast Asia to respond to regional challenges including climate change and economic recovery from COVID-19.

Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay and I planted a tree together in the Australian Botanic Gardens as an enduring symbol of the growth in our countries’ friendship.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has said that mooted ‘tweaks’ to Labor’s Stage 3 tax cuts are not the answer, and that the government should simply scrap the cuts before they come into effect and start again with a plan to tackle the cost of living crisis by spending $244b on measures like dental into Medicare and free childcare.

“Labor shouldn’t be arguing about whether to give Clive Palmer an $8,000 a year tax cut or a $9,000 a year tax cut. He doesn’t deserve either,” Mr Bandt said.

“A tweak to these tax cuts isn’t the answer. We should preserve our progressive tax system and spend $244 billion cutting the cost of living for everyday people, by getting dental into Medicare, making childcare free and building affordable homes.

“In 2019, the Greens were the only ones who voted against these terrible tax cuts. Now, everyone from the unions to former RBA governors agree that they must be scrapped. 

“The Greens have been building the case against the tax cuts, and recent polling shows that the majority of Australians support dropping the tax cuts to pay for services. 

“If Labor wants to make the case that we should still be giving politicians and billionaires a tax break, that’s a matter for them. The public have already made up their minds: no more tax cuts for the wealthy.”

The Greens are calling on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to immediately rule out approving BHP’s proposed Peak Downs coal mine expansion in Queensland.

The expansion is slated cover 4,000 hectares and will involve clearing habitat for the endangered koala, greater glider and other threatened species.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“On Tuesday the Environment Minister launched an action plan for zero extinction. Today she has an application on her desk for a project that will accelerate extinction. The action she must take is to rule it out.

“Our native animals will continue to go extinct under any government that continues to approve new coal and gas mines.

“Land clearing and climate change are the main drivers of extinction and the Peak Downs coal mine expansion fuels both.

“Australia’s iconic koala is an endangered species and on the brink of extinction, it would be crazy to even consider further destruction of its home.

“I urge the Labor Party to back the Greens bills for a moratorium on habitat clearing and a climate trigger to assess projects for the pollution they create, so we can give our threatened species a fighting chance.”

Senator Barbara Pocock, Greens Spokesperson for employment and labour market expert will be speaking on a panel today as part of the Revenue Summit hosted by the Australia Institute. Barbara will be discussing the revenue benefits from having more women in work and the policy pathways to it such as increased paid parental leave and free childcare.

The Australia Institute’s Revenue Summit 2022 will bring economists, policy, and taxation experts together to discuss revenue raising options to meet Australia’s public spending needs.

Senator Barbara Pocock will join cross bench MPs for a panel discussion chaired by Laura Tingle at 1.25pm AEST.

Economic modelling from KPMG shows that halving the gap between male and female workforce participation rates would increase Australia’s annual GDP by $60 billion over the next 20 years. 

The Productivity Commission has previously estimated that 165,000 parents, mostly women, would like to work, or work more hours but are unable to do so because of lack of affordable and suitable childcare.

Senator Barbara Pocock said:

“Australians are facing cost of living and climate crises that without significant government investment, will threaten everyday life. We must urgently discuss and action revenue options.

“I’ll be heading to this revenue summit with three key items on my agenda; redirecting tax cuts, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and improving childcare for families and workers.

“By investing in free childcare and increasing paid parental leave, more women will be able to join the workforce or increase their hours of work. Not only does this provide wages and benefits for families but also provides a boost to tax revenue.

“If we want to raise tax revenue we have to invest in better infrastructure for work and care.

“Greater participation of women in the workforce will increase revenue. It’s been done in Norway. It can be done here.

“Our paid parental leave and childcare systems are limping along behind the rest of the world. It’s time we caught up.

“The cost of investing in policies that improve access to childcare and paid parental leave would be offset by female labour and tax revenues