Category: Australian News

The St Vincent de Paul Society of Australia has welcomed today’s commitment by the Australian Labor Party to establish a national blueprint for the not-for-profit sector.

St Vincent de Paul Society National President Claire Victory said the announcement recognises the critical role charities play in supporting the most vulnerable in our community.

‘Vinnies has stood with Australians in need for almost 170 years, providing emergency relief, housing and other support services,’ Ms Victory said.

‘Today’s announcement recognises the essential role that charities play in supporting Australians in need and our significant contribution to the broader economy.

‘While further details are needed, we welcome Labor’s commitment to create a national blueprint for the not-for-profit sector through the establishment of an expert reference panel and consultation with stakeholders across government, business and the community.

‘The best outcomes, as always, are achieved when governments partner with the not-for-profit sector to co-design policies and programs that align with the most urgent needs of the community and make the best use of charities’ resources,’ Ms Victory said.

Ms Victory called on all parties and candidates to match today’s announcement and to put support for Australia’s most vulnerable at the heart of their election commitments.

‘The most vulnerable people in our community have largely been forgotten, or ignored, during this election,’ Ms Victory said.

‘This neglect was demonstrated by last week’s cruel and unnecessary decision by both major parties not to lift JobSeeker, which will relegate millions of Australians to live in poverty for years to come,’ Ms Victory said.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is calling on parties and candidates at the Federal Election to address widening inequality and lift Australia’s most vulnerable out of poverty.

‘We have put forward a suite of compassionate, practical and affordable policies that we hope will start a conversation about how a fairer Australia can be achieved,’ Ms Victory said.

The Greens have called on the Morrison Government and Labor to show leadership on stopping the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges.

Greens senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson said: 

“The Espionage Act wasn’t intended to be used against publishers. We must support press freedoms and those who hold the powerful to account. 

“Julian Assange’s prosecution has always been political. It needs political intervention of the highest order from our government to get justice for him.

“The PM could end this today by picking up the bloody phone to Boris Johnson this afternoon and demanding justice – it’s that easy. 

“The Government is obligated to protect its citizens and right now Julian needs its help, his life at stake.

“This needs to an election issue. By backing Julian’s right of appeal and fight for justice both the Liberal and Labor parties could show true leadership on free speech, journalism, and democracy at a time when public trust in these matters is at an all-time low.”

The Morrison Government continues to stamp out crime and improve community safety right around Australia, with an extra $50 million investment in the highly successful Safer Communities Fund.

The additional funding means Ipswich will benefit from almost $2 million for practical community projects to keep locals safer, by diverting young people at risk from a life of crime.

More than $1.15 million will support Fearless Towards Success, a youth support organisation empowering young people to take charge of their future, supporting them to reduce anti-social and criminal behaviour. $850,000 will also be invested in the Queensland African Communities Council (QACC), for the delivery of youth intervention programs.

Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the Morrison Government’s significant investment in the Safer Communities Fund was an important pillar of the Government’s approach to crime and justice.

“Safer communities are stronger communities. That’s why national security and crime prevention are part of the Morrison Government’s strong plan for the future. We’ve also increased the Australian Federal Police’s budget to $1.7 billion, and we’ve given law enforcement agencies important new powers to go after the criminal gangs and online networks targeting Australia,” Minister Andrews said.

“We know that backing community-led programs is just as important. Investing in organisations like Fearless Towards Success and QACC helps deliver real results – because they have a unique insight into how to addresses the local challenges the community faces.

“Our Government’s strong management of the economy means we can invest in practical community safety programs. In contrast, Labor ripped millions of dollars from our law enforcement and national security agencies. Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to keep Australians safe and protect our way of life.”

Locally based Senator Paul Scarr was thrilled the Queensland African Youth Centre at Redbank Plains is being supported by the Morrison Government.

“I am passionate about the work done by the volunteers at this Centre. Grassroots volunteers and mentors provide guidance to young people at risk or who have entered the juvenile justice system,” said the Senator.

“The focus is on both early intervention and rehabilitation. A study by QUT shows the success of the programs being offered. I congratulate the youth mentors and volunteers for their commitment.

“It is because of the positive difference they are making in young people’s lives that this funding is being provided.”

LNP Candidate for Blair Sam Biggins said the Liberal National Party and the Morrison Government would continue to be strong supporters of local anti-crime initiatives across Ipswich.

“It’s fantastic that we now have almost $2 million to support the people of Ipswich to build resilience, strengthen community connections and reduce crime,” Mr Biggins said.

“This funding is going to some amazing community organisations for practical programs that will help local young people as well as improve safety. As the Liberal National Party candidate for Blair, local people can trust that if I’m elected, I will continue to fight for more funding like this in Canberra.”

More information about the Safer Communities Fund is available here.

The Morrison Government’s economic plan is making life easier for Australians living on the urban fringes of major cities by providing $28.2 million for 66 successful projects to address mobile phone blackspots across the country, including three projects in the electorate of Longman.

A further $78.5 million will be provided for projects that address mobile phone and connectivity issues in outer urban and urban fringe areas, under the Connecting Regional Australia initiative.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Coalition was committed to improving the lives of people living in outer urban areas.

“Supporting Australians living in our suburbs and particularly outer urban areas is a key part of our economic plan to create a stronger economy for a stronger future,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our economic plan guarantees essential services, ensuring families have access to fast and reliable mobile services.

“Investing in digital infrastructure is all part of our plan to make Australia a top ten data and digital economy by 2030, helping to grow businesses and jobs, while also providing Australians with better access to essential services.”

Member for Longman Terry Young said: “Today I am pleased to announce we are building three new mobile sites to improve coverage for people living in Bellmere and Caboolture South.

“This, along with the two new sites already under way at the Caboolture Pool and Caboolture River Rd, will well and truly resolve the mobile coverage issues experienced by people in these areas.”

The new mobile sites in Longman are:

• A new Telstra site at the corner of Old N Road and Bellmere Road.
• A new Telstra site and a new Optus site on Torrens Road in Caboolture South.

Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher said our 66 new mobile projects will improve mobile coverage where the bush meets the edges of the suburbs.

“Improving coverage on the urban fringe will help communities access vital information during emergencies, seek help if needed and stay in touch with loved ones,” Minister Fletcher said.

Minister for Regional Communications Bridget McKenzie said: “The 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review identified outer urban areas as having many of the same coverage and connectivity issues as our regional areas – our investment will contribute to the local economy through lifting productivity, capability and investment.”

The 66 successful projects were selected through a competitive assessment, with funding awarded based on the coverage outcomes provided by each solution, under a grants program that was first announced in the 2021-22 Budget as part of the Digital Economy Strategy.

Eligibility for future funding will be expanded beyond our major capital cities to include the urban fringe of other major urban areas including Geelong, Wollongong, Gosford, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin and Canberra.

The investments complement the Coalition’s highly successful Mobile Black Spot Program, which is improving mobile coverage and competition across regional and remote Australia by building more than 1,200 mobile base stations, with over 1,000 already built.

On Wednesday, Greens Leader Adam Bandt and Greens spokesperson for Mining and Resources Senator Dorinda Cox will be in Karratha, WA to launch the final component of the Greens’ Tycoon Tax, which will end tax breaks for corporations undertaking offshore gas extraction in Commonwealth waters and oblige them to pay royalties on the natural resources that rightfully belong to the people of Australia.

The Greens will push the new tax in balance of power in the Senate after the next election.

The Greens’ plan will repair the broken superprofits tax on the profits of oil and gas corporations operating in Gorgon, Wheatstone, Pluto and Prelude gas fields and require them to finally pay royalties on the gas they currently extract and sell for free. The plan is costed by the PBO and is expected to return at least $92.3 billion to the budget over the decade, bringing the total revenue that will be raised by super profits taxes on tycoons to $430 billion.

The Australian Tax Office has referred to the gas industry as “systemic non-payers of tax”. The combined value of the tax credits held by gas corporations is bigger than the GDP of Finland or Portugal at $282 billion. Despite gas revenues reaching tens of billions of dollars each year, the ATO expects no significant tax revenue from gas companies until “the mid-2030s”. Many  of these gas companies will never pay any tax at all under the current laws.

Greens analysis of the latest year of corporate tax data shows there are 27 gas companies that earned $77,088,581,964 in revenue without a single cent in tax being paid between them.

Chevron is the worst offender: they dominate WA’s gas market through Gorgon and Wheatstone, yet not once in all the years of corporate tax data have they ever voluntarily paid any company tax or PRRT (Petroleum Resource Rent Tax). 

An aged care nurse in Karratha would have paid more tax in one month than Chevron has voluntarily paid in seven years from their $39,957,988,302 of income. 

Revenue raised through wiping tax credits and implementing royalties will fund urgent national priorities including hospitals and housing, as well as supporting national cost of living measures such as getting dental and mental health into Medicare, building affordable housing, making childcare free, fixing Centrelink including raising all rates and lowering the age pension back to 65 and wiping student debt. 

Qatar exports the same amount of LNG as Australia, they raise around $37 billion AUD a year from their gas companies, yet Australia couldn’t even manage to raise $2 billion from a broken super profits tax.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt MP said:

“In just one year, 27 big gas corporations brought in $77b in income but paid no tax. 

“When a nurse pays more tax than a multinational, something is seriously wrong.

“The Greens will make big gas corporations pay their fair share of tax to help get dental into Medicare.

“Australia’s natural resources belong to the people, but Liberal and Labor are giving away our gas for free, losing billions of dollars that should be funding hospitals and schools.

“The people of WA currently contribute more tax through car registrations than the multi-billion dollar gas industry pays for gas. 

“WA is being taken to the cleaners by big coal and gas corporations, and Australians are being ripped off.

“No other business gets their raw materials for free, but Woodside, Chevron and Exxon get free gas from this tax rort and then make obscene profits that they send offshore.

“Mining and burning coal and gas isn’t just driving the climate crisis, these big corporations are driving the cost of living crisis too.”

Senator Dorinda Cox, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia said:

“Real climate action means phasing out gas and coal by 2030, and keeping new gas and coal in the ground. Both the Liberals and Labor back more gas and coal. They take millions in donations from gas and coal billionaires & big corporations.

“Western Australia is in a climate crisis caused by the mining and burning of gas and coal. Our state currently gets more revenue from car registrations than we do from the multi-billion dollar gas industry. At a time of climate crisis, Western Australia is the only state where climate polluting emissions are going up, not down.

“By making gas corporations pay their fair share of tax, the Greens will power a clean energy revolution that will create hundreds of thousands of well-paid, long-term jobs, enabling workers in fossil fuel industries to transition away from polluting industries and into the clean, green renewable energy jobs.

“By making every billionaire and corporation pay their fair share, we can build a safer future for all of us. We will use this money to deliver real climate action, build 118,000 new homes in WA to tackle the housing crisis and include dental and mental health care into Medicare.”

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new Resolve Strategic poll has told a sorry story about the Coalition and Labor’s abandonment of young people on housing security and affordability.

67 per cent of people aged 18-34 now agree that many younger people who haven’t already bought a home will never be able to do so.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Young people can see through the Coalition and Labor’s complete policy-fail on housing and the cost of living.

“The major parties have dropped the ball on this. They are condemning young people out of house and home.

“The Coalition and Labor are committed to entrenching the unfair status quo through initiatives like the Home Guarantee Scheme, which will further fuel the housing crisis.

“What we need is a big, bold plan to match the scale of the problem and this is what the Greens will deliver.

“We will push the next government to build one million new homes over 20 years, including 125,000 new homes for purchase through a shared equity arrangement with the Commonwealth.

“We have to wind back negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, and strengthen renters’ rights, including by capping rent increases.

“Housing is a human right and solving the housing crisis should be a top priority for every party at this election.”

“We struggle to survive in this Country, and we can’t even rest in peace,” said Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe. This comes as funeral funds at Youpla Group went into liquidation last month, leaving up to 15 000 First Nations people out of pocket for funeral expenses.

“My nan, Edna Brown, founded the Aboriginal Funeral Benefits Fund to stop First Nations people being buried as paupers in unmarked graves. That was in the 1960s. In 2022, our family members are being left in morgues while community saves for sorry business, or they face being buried as paupers! It’s devastating.”

“In 2019, the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry recommended urgent regulation of the funeral insurance industry, noting that it exploited First Nations communities. What has this Government done about it?”

“The Coalition allowed Youpla Group to continue to trade and target First Nations people. This Government’s failure to regulate the industry has caused these losses, they have a duty to compensate policyholders. This is about dignity. This is about respect.”

“This could be resolved by a Government, who seem to have no trouble bailing out their mining and corporate mates. The hypocrisy of this Government, to facilitate the ongoing loss and pain in our communities is a national shame,” said Thorpe.

“They built trust with their name and then took money from vulnerable people. We’re not talking about people with big incomes, they were taking money from some policyholders that would have been equal to about 25% of their small income,”  said Ngemba woman and Greens candidate for Parkes Trish Frail.

NSW Greens senate candidate David Shoebridge said the Morrison government’s failure to protect policyholders means it now has a responsibility to compensate them.

“Vulnerable people were preyed on under the Morrison government’s watch, it’s time to ensure that First Nations policyholders are protected financially while they are grieving,” Mr Shoebridge said.

Wiradjuri woman, Beverly Roberts joined one of Youpla’s funds in 1994, soon after she’d lost 4 family members in the space of a year. She covered herself and close family members, most recently paying the funeral fund up to $87 a fortnight.

“When I joined twenty eight years ago I wasn’t a diabetic, and I didn’t have leukemia. Now that I have those diseases, what are my chances of another funeral fund covering me? None!”

“Who’s going to pay for my funeral now? All that money is gone and I’m so wild about it.”

The Greens are proposing two forms of relief: 

• For the Government to honour the policies to cover funeral expenses for any death of a First Nations policyholder of the Youpla Group.
• To repay insurance premiums paid by all other First Nations policyholders over the past decade so that they can have a reserve available to meet funeral expenses.

An Albanese Labor Government will provide more support to Australians rebuilding their lives after natural disasters by boosting funding for a Veteran-led disaster response organisation.  
 
Disaster Relief Australia (DRA), a fully-Veteran led organisation, has been working since 2016 to provide relief to communities in the wake of natural disasters, deploying hundreds of veteran volunteers across Australia and the world.  
  
Under an Albanese Labor Government, Disaster Relief Australia will receive $38.1 million over three years to expand this program. 
  
The funding will allow DRA to add another 5,200 volunteer veterans to its ranks – a total of 6,700 veteran volunteers able to provide over 13,600 volunteer days per annum. 
  
The funding covers costs relating to deployment, recruitment, equipment, and training. 
  
Over the last three years, Australia has watched Scott Morrison refuse to take responsibility and go missing in action when natural disasters have struck. 
  
Now, as communities recover from devastating floods, Scott Morrison has politicised flood recovery, caring more about who flood victims voted for than what help they need. 
  
An Albanese Labor Government will put Australians first. We will increase support for organisations like the DRA assisting on the ground and never use recovery funding as a political football.

The Morrison Government will invest $50 million to create a new business and research partnership with the University of Adelaide to help build new defence technologies and products, creating 1,000 new jobs.

The University of Adelaide will work with 52 business partners – including 35 small businesses, and the University of New South Wales – to develop and build Australia’s sovereign defence industry in increasingly uncertain times.

The project aims to develop 100 new defence products and the University of Adelaide estimates it will create 1,000 new jobs over the next four years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the University of Adelaide is the second Australian university to receive funding through the Trailblazer program which is designed to focus Australia’s considerable research power on Australia’s National Manufacturing Priorities.

“Our national economic plan is supercharging Australia’s research and development, creating more jobs and helping build a stronger economy for a stronger future,” the Prime Minister said.

“We are investing $270 billion in building our sovereign defence capability, creating jobs right around the country, and through our Trailblazer program we will now back in Australia’s brightest and best to develop new defence industry technology and products.”

Acting Minister for Education and Youth Stuart Robert said the University of Adelaide and its industry partners have promised $188 million in co-investment, matching public funding by more than 3 to 1.

“The investment of industry partners, and especially by the 35 partner small businesses, shows that our homegrown defence firms are hungry to innovate and to help secure Australia in the increasingly uncertain Indo-Pacific strategic environment,” Minister Robert said.

“This project will help harness the cutting-edge defence research being done in our top universities, and ensure that our defence forces have access to defence technology at the global cutting-edge, including applications of quantum materials, hypersonics and robotics.

“This Trailblazer funding means more jobs right here in Australia, a stronger economy and stronger national defence.”

The University of Adelaide is the second successful Trailblazer to be announced, with further announcements expected in coming weeks.

Curtin University was selected as a Trailblazer from a two-stage competitive assessment process where universities were required to submit expressions of interest and then more detailed business cases.

The Morrison Government has invested $362 million in the Trailblazer Universities program – an initial $243 million announced in November last year and an additional $119 million through our Regional Accelerator Program announced on Budget night. This is part of the Government’s $2.2 billion University Research Commercialisation Action Plan, which will focus the considerable research power of our universities on Australia’s National Manufacturing Priorities.

Australia’s leading suicide prevention and mental health organisations are among the recipients of $30 million in funding for workforce training, research and national leadership initiatives aiming to reduce the tragic toll of suicide in Australia.

Funded through the 2021-21 Budget’s expansion of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Support grant programme, leading mental health groups will receive funding for national advocacy, research translation, and evidence-based training for communities and organisations, with programs to be delivered across Australia.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the program was an important part of the Government’s commitment to suicide prevention.

“In 2020, there was a 5.4 per cent reduction in the number of suicides compared to 2019, with the national rate of 12.1 per 100,000 being the lowest recorded since 2016.

“While the reduction in the rate is encouraging, still far too many people die by suicide every year. Our Government is committed to working towards zero suicides, recognising the immense value of each and every life.”

The funding includes investment in Suicide Prevention Australia’s work to deliver national leadership by informing, influencing and building capacity in the suicide prevention sector.

The University of Melbourne will receive funding to strengthen the evidence of suicide prevention models and translate it into policy and practice.

Training is an important focus of the new investments. headspace National will receive funding to help university staff identify mental health issues, and Mental Health First Aid International and Wesley Community Services – Lifeforce Suicide Prevention Training will receive support to increase the reach of their respective training programs.

Wesley Lifeforce will also continue their work through the Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention network, building the capacity of communities to respond to and support those at risk within their region. Black Dog Institute will deliver evidence-based suicide prevention support services to Primary Health Networks, to increase reach and support for at-risk communities.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said the new funding ensures the future of existing and successful programs and invests in innovative, new and emerging projects or strategies.

“Through record investments, the Morrison Government continues to transform the mental health and suicide prevention system to ensure that it delivers innovative, effective and person-centered care when and where it is needed,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.

“The program reflects our multifaceted approach to suicide prevention which aims to ensure that every Australian can be supported in the way that works best for them,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.

Funding for these projects forms part of the Morrison Government’s latest round of the newly expanded National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program, an investment of over $114 million through the 2021-22 Budget.

Suicide prevention is a key pillar of the Government’s landmark National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

The Plan recognises Australians deserve a system that acts early to help people before mental health conditions and suicidal distress worsen, and that whole-of-government and whole-of-community changes are needed to deliver preventative, effective and compassionate care.

Since 2012–13, the Coalition Government’s investment through the Health portfolio in mental health and suicide prevention has more than doubled, growing from $3.3 billion to an estimated $6.8 billion in the 2022–23 Budget.

This is in stark contrast to Mr Albanese’s time in Cabinet, where Labor cut funding for mental health.

In the 2011-12 Budget, Labor announced a $580 million cut to Medicare subsidised mental health services, including a reduction in the number of Medicare sessions available under Better Access from 18 to 10 per year and a reduction in Medicare rebate for preparation of mental health treatment plans by GPs.

Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline

(13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.

If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.