Category: Australian News

An Albanese Labor Government will expose the truth of the Morrison Government’s illegal Robodebt scheme, return integrity to the public service, and ensure a disaster like this never happens again. 
 
If elected, Labor will establish a Royal Commission into Robodebt by the end of this year. Our consultation will begin after the election.
 
An Albanese Labor Government would ask a Royal Commission to examine and report on the Robodebt scheme, consistent with these key objectives which will be reflected in the Terms of Reference:

1. To establish who was responsible for establishing Robodebt scheme.
2. To establish what advice, and what process or processes, informed the design and implementation of the Robodebt scheme.
3. To investigate the handling of complaints about the Robodebt scheme – including in relation to the scheme’s legality –by Services Australia, the Department of Human Services, other relevant Commonwealth agencies and Ministers. 
4. To determine how much the implementation, suspension and wind-back of the Robodebt scheme cost taxpayers.
5. To investigate the harm caused to law-abiding Australians by the Robodebt scheme
6. To investigate the use of third-party debt collectors under the Robodebt scheme.

 
Our consultation after the election will inform the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission.
 
The Morrison Government has consistently denied, obstructed and covered-up the origins of the Robodebt scandal and refused to take responsibility. 
 
It is only when Labor organised a class action that a $1.8 billion settlement was made to repay victims and keep ministers out of the witness box. 
 
It is vital that Robodebt victims and the broader Australian public know the truth of the Robodebt disaster. 
 
We need to learn the truth of Robodebt’s origins so that such an atrocity can never again be perpetrated by an Australian Government against its citizens. 
 
The illegal and immoral Robodebt scheme caused untold carnage in the Australian community – stress, anxiety, financial destitution and even suicide. 
 

Anthony Albanese said: 
“Robodebt was a human tragedy, wrought by this government. Against all evidence, and all the outcry, the government insisted on using algorithms instead of people to pursue debt recovery against Australians who in many cases had no debt to pay. It caused untold misery. Only an Albanese Labor Government will find out the truth.” 
 

Bill Shorten said:
“We still do not know how this reckless scheme was unleashed. We do not know whether poor legal advice was given or whether legal advice was simply never sought. We do not know if public servants were inappropriately heavied and politicised. And without knowing the true origins we do not know what safeguards could be put in place to prevent a repeat.” 

An Albanese Labor Government will launch a user audit of the myGov government services digital portal.

The user audit will take a fresh look at how well myGov is performing for its most important stakeholders – the Australian public – when it comes to reliability and functionality for a user-friendly experience. 

While MyGov has improved over the years there have been blindspots and disappointments. 
There have, for instance, been too many crashes and outages. Notoriously when myGov crashed in March 2020 then-Minister Stuart Robert initially blamed hackers before conceding that was untrue and his Government had simply failed to foresee the lockdown-related surge in welfare needs.

The user audit will help identify what changes and improvements are needed and assist an Albanese Government in strengthening the portal.

Labor will also guarantee myGov user data is retained within Australia.

These moves signal a return to professional, competent and humane delivery of customer services under an Albanese Labor Government.

Anthony Albanese said:

 “Millions of Australians interact with myGov everyday and rely on it to provide essential services. It’s not up to scratch, and Australians deserve better. That’s why we will review myGov, and make improvements where necessary.”

Bill Shorten said: 

“Our MyGov pledge will help revitalise government service delivery alongside Labor’s existing commitments to stop closing Centrelink shopfronts around the nation and hire an additional 200 new Services Australia workers. This Government has a terrible record on service delivery – Labor will change that.”

An Albanese Labor Government will create more jobs for West Australians and build a better future for Perth’s public transport by partnering with the McGowan Labor Government to deliver a local electric bus manufacturing facility and more than 130 new, locally manufactured electric buses. 

Our $250 million combined investment will also ensure that depots are future ready, providing essential upgrades and delivering charging infrastructure at key depots. 
The first round of locally manufactured buses will be used in the Perth CBD, with the remainder of the buses to service the Perth metropolitan region.  

Today’s announcement means that the next generation of Perth’s public transport will be built by local workers. Over 100 new jobs will be created by this initiative, with over 300 existing workers transitioning to jobs in cleaner technology. 

Labor’s commitment recognises WA’s strong local manufacturing industry and position as a global leader in battery material and is part of our future made in Australia plan. 

Electric buses will also make a significant contribution as Western Australia progresses to net zero emissions. 

Australia must be a country that makes things.

An Albanese Labor Government will rebuild our proud manufacturing industry. We’ll create jobs, boost vital skills by investing in education and training, bring industry expertise back onshore and supercharge national productivity. 

Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party said:

“Skilled Australian workers are missing out on job opportunities because Scott Morrison has sent manufacturing offshore.  

“Offshoring manufacturing leads to fewer local jobs and less reliable supply chains for Australians. 

“That’s why Labor will build buses right here in Perth, creating a new generation of secure local jobs.”
 

Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia said:

“This investment is a big win for WA jobs, building on my Government’s work to bring train manufacturing back to Western Australia. 

“Our State has the skills, capability and local businesses here to deliver quality, state-of-the-art buses – built by Western Australians, for Western Australians.

“My Government will work together with an Albanese Labor Government to deliver this landmark project, creating more secure manufacturing jobs for Western Australians.”
 

Catherine King, Shadow Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Regional Development said:

“Australian trains and Australian buses should be made by Australian workers.

“Only an Albanese Labor Government will work with the States to ensure that the full benefit of our infrastructure investments are felt by Australian workers.”
 

Rita Saffioti, WA Minister for Transport said:

“Western Australian workers are already building the new METRONET trains and now they will be building our new electric buses.

“This will create secure local jobs for workers and will ensure that Western Australia maintains essential manufacturing skills”.

Millions of Australians taking common medications for blood pressure, high cholesterol, pain relief, depression, diabetes and more will save $10 on scripts with an Australian first reduction in the price of Government subsidised medications.

A re-elected Morrison Government will cut the price of medications listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from January 1 next year, as part of an annual $150 million hip-pocket saving for Australians.

The $10 cut per script means the maximum price Australians will pay for PBS medicines drops from $42.50 down to $32.50, a 24 per cent saving.

The Prime Minister said this was the first time the PBS General Co-payment had been reduced by any Government and it could benefit the more than 19 million Australians without a concession card each year.

“Our economic plan is delivering cost of living relief to millions of Australians who will save hundreds of dollars every year on the cost of essential and life saving medications,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is the single most significant change to the cost of and access to medications since the PBS was introduced more than 70 years ago.

“Millions of Australians will soon save $10 per script for common medications, which means those taking one medication a month could save $120 a year, or those taking two medications a month could save $240 a year.

“Because of our strong economic management, the Coalition is winding the clock back on the cost of medications, reducing the cost per script to 2008 prices. This will put more than $150 million back into the pockets of Australians every year.

“There is a clear choice at this election. Australians can vote for a stronger economy under the Coalition, who always delivers affordable medication and cost of living relief, or a weak economy under Labor, who stopped listing medicines on the PBS in 2011 because they could not manage the economy.”

Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said only the Coalition had a strong record of delivering affordable, life saving medications for all Australians.

“Since 2013, the Coalition Government has approved more than 2,900 new or amended listings on the PBS at an overall investment of around $16.5 billion,” Minister Hunt said.

“By listing these medications on the PBS we are ensuring Australians can have access to affordable, life saving medications that would otherwise cost thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars, without subsidy.

“In contrast, Labor stopped listing medicines on the PBS in 2011, including medicines for severe asthma, chronic pain, schizophrenia, blood clots, IVF, endometriosis and prostate conditions.”

All scripts currently counting towards a patient’s safety net will continue to do so.

In the 2022-23 Budget, the Coalition invested a further $2.4 billion for new and amended PBS listings including treatments for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, severe eczema, asthma, spinal muscular atrophy, HIV infection and heart failure.

Recent medicines funded through the PBS:

• From 1 May 2022, Zolgensma® for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. This would cost patients over $2.5 million per treatment without subsidy by the Government.
• From 1 May 2022, Trodelvy® for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. This would cost patients over $80,000 per course without subsidy by the Government.
• From 1 April 2022, Trikafta® for cystic fibrosis. This would cost patients over $250,000 per year without subsidy by the Government.

A re-elected Morrison Government will continue our policy to list all medicines on the PBS that are recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

In the recent budget the Coalition invested over $525 million to make medicines more affordable for 2.4 million Australians by lowering the PBS Safety Net threshold from 1 July 2022, benefiting concession card holders and general patients.

Under the changes, concessional patients will reach the PBS Safety Net with 12 fewer filled scripts. For general patients, it’s two fewer scripts – saving over $80 a year before they are eligible to receive free or further subsidised PBS medicines.

Based on fully subsidised prescription volumes in 2021-22, patients across Australia are set to save approximately $150 million per year going forward.

The key election battleground states of Western Australia and Queensland are the states experiencing the sharpest decline in real wages, according to new analysis released today by the McKell Institute.

The new report, ‘Stuck in Neutral: The Policy Architecture Driving Slow Wage Growth in Australia,’ finds that in 2021 Australia experienced a fall in real wages of 1.2 per cent.

However there is a high degree of variability between the states, with wages falling by 1.9 per cent in Queensland and a massive 3.7 per cent in WA.

The analysis also finds the average worker would be earning an additional $307 per week if the rate of wage growth in the period 2007-2013 had been sustained through 2014-2021.

The McKell Institute’s executive director Michael Buckland said the situation was likely to get worse if current policy settings persisted.

“Slow wage growth is an economic problem created in part by deliberate government policy. As the Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, said in 2091 low wage growth is a deliberate design feature of the Coalition’s economic architecture,” Mr Buckland said.

“Our report finds there have been a range of policies that have contributed to low wage growth including a reduction in penalty rates, a surge in temporary work visas, and inaction on wage theft. Opposition to increases in minimum wages, public sector wage freezes, and allowing the exemption of the unregulated gig economy have also been identified as contributors.

“Remedying sustained low wage growth requires substantial change in Federal Government policy.

“The situation is now particularly acute in WA and Queensland, which have been, interestingly, identified as key battleground states in this current federal election.”

An Albanese Labor Government will create the Advanced Strategic Research Agency (ASRA).

ASRA will bring Australia into line with our AUKUS partners by creating a new research and development agency established within Defence to fund pivotal research in breakthrough technologies for national security.

ASRA will boost Australia’s involvement in technology sharing and research and development, through the new AUKUS partnership. 

It will work closely with its counterparts, the ground-breaking US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the newly created UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

It will be a premier avenue for linking Australian industry (including SMEs) and universities with our AUKUS partners.

After almost a decade of neglect under the current Liberal Government, there has been a lack of strategic defence and national security-focused sovereign research, funding and projects. This is leaving Australia vulnerable to strategic technological surprises.

R&D spending continues to fall under Scott Morrison’s watch, with Australia’s overall spending as a percentage of GDP falling  ramatically from 2.11 per cent in 2011-12 to 1.79 per cent in 2019-20.

Further, the current Government tried to cut over $2 billion from the Research and Development Tax Incentive.

Australia needs to rapidly establish a strategic research agency modelled on the highly successful DARPA in the United States. 

ASRA would ensure cutting-edge research from public sources, such as universities and industry, and classified research from industry and other government agencies (such as CSIRO), are supported and co-ordinated. 

ASRA will also aim to leverage private investment into its research priorities. It will ensure the development of sovereign research capabilities for Australia, especially in getting prototypes to delivered technology.

DARPA’s recent work includes unmanned anti-submarine vessels, sixth generation jet fighter technologies, atmospheric water extraction, reusable robotic spacecraft, hypersonics and media forensics (identifying deepfakes).

Famous commercialised projects from DARPA include the internet, the computer mouse, GPS, and Siri.

The UK has just created its version, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

The Morrison Government is backing the future clean hydrogen industry in the Hunter in New South Wales, which will utilise the region’s strong resources and export capabilities to produce clean hydrogen for use both here at home and across the world, and create highly skilled jobs.

Due to the region’s significant clean hydrogen potential, the Government is backing two hub projects in the Hunter with $82 million in support for projects valued at over $363 million.

Through the Morrison Government’s Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hubs program, the Government is supporting the following hubs:

• Up to $41 million for the Port of Newcastle’s Hydrogen Hub, with a total project value of $163 million.
• Up to $41 million for Origin Energy Future Fuels Pty Ltd’s Hunter Valley H2 Hub Implementation Project, with a total project value of over $200 million.

This funding is complemented by the $100 million committed in the 2022-23 Budget to support pre-Final Investment Decision activities and early works to make the Port of Newcastle’s infrastructure ‘hydrogen ready’.

The Hunter hydrogen projects are estimated to create over 2,300 jobs when operational, with even more local construction jobs possible through the port upgrades.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Coalition’s economic plan was delivering for the Hunter, with this investment unlocking jobs for generations to come.

“Australia will be a world-leader in hydrogen development and exports, and the Hunter region is critical to realising our nation’s potential,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Hunter has been an essential part of Australia’s energy security for decades, and our investment today locks in the Hunter’s clean energy future.

“The Coalition’s economic plan is securing new opportunities for the local, highly skilled workforce in the Hunter, creating a strong economy and stronger future.

“Ensuring affordable and reliable energy, while meeting our emissions reductions targets, is key to the Coalition’s national economic plan.”

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Hunter region provides great potential for both hydrogen production and export opportunities, with Newcastle being the biggest port on the east coast.

“Both of these hub projects are backed by significant private sector funding and have strong industry partners here and overseas. These multi-million-dollar commitments show the faith both industry and government have in the Hunter,” Minister Taylor said.

“With existing supply chains to key consuming countries, such as Japan, and high future local hydrogen demand for uses such as electricity generation, gas blending and transport, the Hunter is a highly competitive location for a clean hydrogen hub.”

Clean hydrogen exports could directly support 16,000 jobs by 2050, plus an additional 13,000 jobs in renewable energy infrastructure construction. Clean hydrogen production for both export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050.

The Cairns Marine Precinct will secure its place as Northern Australia’s premier maritime precinct with a $24 million commitment from the Morrison Government.

A re-elected Morrison Government will invest a further $24 million into Stage Two of the upgrade of the Cairns Marine Maintenance Precinct, taking our total investment in the upgrades to $48 million following completion of Stage One works.

This brings our total investment in Cairns’ maritime precinct and industry to over $300 million, including $155 million investment in facilities at HMAS Cairns to support the new Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels that will be based in Cairns, $70 million for NORSTA Maritime to deliver the Royal Australian Navy’s Regional Maintenance Centre and $36 million for TAFE Queensland in Cairns to deliver maritime training as part of the Pacific Maritime Security Program.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new investment in the Cairns Marine Precinct would boost jobs, support the tourism industry and strengthen Australia’s border security.

“The Cairns Marine Precinct is the place to go for maritime services and this investment will ensure it can meet the growing tourism, marine industry, and naval demand,” the Prime Minister said.

“This will create hundreds of jobs during construction, and hundreds more highly-skilled jobs once it is fully operational, creating enormous and continued economic benefits for the region.

“This builds on the region’s proud history of supporting the Australian Navy and Border Force, and will ensure we can continue supporting naval and other shipping in northern Australia and the entire Pacific region.

“With the Great Barrier Reef a boat ride away, this will also make Cairns an even more attractive launch pad for private and charter boats, yachts and superyachts keen to explore the region.

“Our economic plan is delivering this key strategic investment, securing a strong economy and a stronger future for Queensland.”

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch said the Morrison Government had worked with local operators to design the wharf, and ensure it is fit for purpose for demands today, and into the future.

“The approach we have taken, in partnership with the three slipway operators, towards the Cairns Marine Precinct has always been staged and planned,” Mr Entsch said.

“I worked extremely closely with the three slipway operators – Tropical Reef Shipyard, Norship and Austal – to fund and deliver Stage One. Now we are funding and delivering Stage Two.

“This investment will create local jobs and further enhance our reputation as a leading marine maintenance and sustainability hub.”

The Stage Two works will include critical upgrades and enabling infrastructure on the current port leasehold in the precinct, including: additional naval certified hardstand areas, all-weather vessel servicing capabilities, additional docking facilities, longer wharfage to meet in-water maintenance support requirements, improved workshop facilities, plus offices, parking and other amenities.

The Australian Workers’ Union is today warmly welcoming the new Horticulture Award which introduces an hourly minimum rate for fruit pickers, who will now enjoy the same baseline conditions as all other Australian workers. 

In November 2021, the AWU secured an historic industrial win for fruit pickers by successfully arguing the Horticulture Award should be altered to ensure every worker is entitled to take home the minimum casual rate of pay, currently $25.41. The new Award will allow piece rates to continue, but also provide a baseline safety net. 

Despite aggressive opposition from the National Farmers Federation and the Agriculture Minister the AWU was able to persuade the Fair Work Commission that it was unfair to allow fruit pickers to be bamboozled and underpaid by the piece work system without a safety net. 

“Fruit picking is tough, important work and at the very least those workers deserve to earn the Australian minimum wage. It’s truly amazing that the NFF and David Littleproud can look themselves in mirror after arguing the opposite,” said AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton. 

“It’s unfortunate the NFF have decided they want to operate as a mouthpiece for bad farmers instead of representing the good farmers who have been undercut by dodgy exploitation and underpayment practices. 

“Of course we’re going to see more scaremongering about consumers prices, despite the fact fruit prices have actually been relatively stable over the past two years when Covid put unprecedented pressure on the labour force. 

“But even if we accept the dubious point that prices will go up slightly on average, what’s the argument? That we should encourage an underclass of workers in Australia on third world wages so our supermarket berries cost one per cent less? 

“For too long the farmers’ lobby has seen fruit pickers as somehow beneath the usual standards offered to Australian workers. But the hard work of pickers deserves the same minimum wage dignity afforded to everyone else.

“Now at the end of each day every picker should be assured that their work netted at least $25.41 an hour. If not, their employer is stealing from them and breaking the law.

“This ruling is a huge advance for this industry and for all the farmers who are already doing the right thing.”

Can you tell your cats from your dingoes? Your wallabies from your wallaroos? Then Dingo? Bingo! is your chance to identify dingoes (and other wildlife) in photos and help scientists better understand and manage dingo populations in particular.

An online citizen science project Dingo? Bingo! requests the public’s help in detecting dingoes and other animals among images retrieved from a network of camera-traps. Cameras were installed in the Myall Lakes region of NSW, which is home to an important coastal population of dingoes and a long-term study into dingo ecology and management. The Myall Lakes dingo project, supported by the Hermon Slade Foundation and Taronga Conservation Society Australia, aims to develop and test non-lethal management techniques and add to our understanding of dingo behaviour and ecology along the way.

Dingoes are an iconic and valuable part of the Australian ecosystem, but where dingoes co-occur with humans – be it campgrounds, towns, or livestock areas – they can also cause issues, and these conflicts are conventionally managed by lethal means. The question is are there non-lethal alternatives for deterring dingoes from these places?

Researchers from UNSW Science and Taronga Conservation Society Australia are testing whether the dingoes’ own signals can be used to deter them and invasive predators from particular areas. Dingoes use howls and scent marks to communicate ownership of space, and so by simulating their presence in an area the team hope to be able to deter them from specific areas. 

As Dr Neil Jordan, lead researcher and Senior Lecturer at UNSW, explains, “In some circumstances, living alongside dingoes can be challenging. This project hopes to develop tools and strategies to limit the negative impacts that dingoes have in specific areas, while still allowing them to perform their ecological role as apex predator across the wider landscape”.  

Part of that ecological role may be suppressing invasive foxes, and as Taronga’s Behavioural Biologist and co-lead researcher Dr Ben Pitcher explains, this is also an important part of the team’s work. “There’s good evidence from a number of studies that animals retreat from the sound of their predators. As dingoes sometimes kill foxes and cats, we’re also testing the idea that these smaller carnivores may avoid areas where they believe dingoes are present – where they hear a dingo howl for example”. 

To test their idea, the team have set up 12 automated speaker systems, playing back dingo howls intermittently through the night. Over 60 remote camera-traps were also positioned around these sites along the dingoes’ main thoroughfares: trails and roads. And that’s where Dingo? Bingo! comes in.

Sifting through 50,000 images is a tall order for any researcher, and so the team decided to share the load and the joy of participating in this work. Nevertheless, as UNSW PhD student Brendan Alting explains, the team remain active participants themselves, “It’s always awesome seeing an unexpected quoll or koala pop up on an image, and so I wouldn’t say we’ve been 100% successful in passing this on entirely to citizen science– it’s quite addictive!”. 

Getting started on Dingo? Bingo!, users are notified of the various animal groups they might observe in the photos (bandicoot, horse, reptiles etc.), instructed how to submit their identification, and, finally, which details they might add. Is it a dingo? Bingo! 

To ensure they’re accurately classified, each photo is displayed to 20 users, and only if there is a high degree of agreement are they classified, with the research team reviewing any debated classifications.

As Dr Jordan explains, “You’ll probably see a number of fox, cat and dingo images on the platform, and this doesn’t necessarily mean that the experiment hasn’t worked. To properly test for any effect of the howls we are also playing back control sounds, including ambient noise, and we’ll compare these treatments using the data contributed through ‘Dingo? Bingo!’”. 

The entire collection of Dingo? Bingo! photos are now available and ready for public classification, so feel free to dive in immediately and help the research team discover just how effective their deterrents were.

Pending the success of this trial, the team behind Dingo? Bingo! and the Myall Lakes Dingo Project plans on furthering their work on non-lethal management and into dingo behaviour and ecology more broadly.