Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to reports that RMIT will pay back up to $10 million to casual staff for work dating back to 2014.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Casual university staff are absolutely sick and tired of being underpaid, undervalued and taken for granted.
“Wage theft at our campuses is systemic and universities are finally realising they can no longer run away from this. This wage theft disproportionately affects casual staff and women.
“As universities have casualised their workforces, wage theft has been allowed to fester, and it’s now been revealed that staff at campuses in all parts of the country are affected.
“My congratulations must go to the staff and unions who continue to fight hard for the rights of university workers.
“The Senate Inquiry into Job Security, which I sit on, has made numerous excellent recommendations with respect to wage theft which should be implemented as a matter of urgency.”

The Greens have vowed to block Scott Morrison’s religious discrimination bill, saying it was a Trojan horse for hate that went well beyond a shield to protect people with religious beliefs, calling on Labor and Senators to join them in blocking it.
Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said:
“Scott Morrison’s bill means more discrimination, not less.
“Scott Morrison has a bill for more discrimination but no bill to stop corruption.
“The bill overrides State and Territory protections and makes bigoted hate speech legal.
“The bill goes beyond being a shield. It has many swords and they will do harm.
“The Greens call on Labor to block this harmful bill.
“The Greens support protections against religious discrimination, which is why Australia needs a charter of rights, but this bill isn’t that.”
Australian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson Senator Janet Rice said:
“Scott Morrison’s discrimination bill is a Trojan horse for hate.
“Any bill that enables discrimination against LGBTIQA+ people, women, people with disabilities, minority faiths, or First Nations people is unacceptable and must be voted down.
“Under the guise of faith, bigots would be free to discriminate against people at school and universities, in the workplace, hospitals, restaurants – anywhere in public life.
“Morrison’s whole schtick is to divide Australians and create problems where none existed.
“Morrison and the Liberals are using culture wars as a distraction so people won’t notice this government has done absolutely nothing to help struggling Australians.
“While the Liberals are fighting fake cancel culture, the Greens are fighting for what Australians want – action on climate change, taxing the billionaires, raising income support, getting dental into medicare and laws that protect all of us equally.”

The Greens say today’s tabling of the Final Report of Pauline Hanson’s toxic family law inquiry marks the welcome end of more than two years of political grandstanding that has traumatised survivors of family and domestic violence and provided a platform for hate and misinformation.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“What a colossal waste of time and energy.
“This inquiry was a cynical and politically motivated stunt that emboldened domestic violence offenders and re-traumatised victim-survivors and their children.
“The Greens opposed this inquiry from the outset, not because there are no problems within the family law system, but because those problems have been the subject of many previous inquiries. We needed action on recommendations but, true to form, the government gave us another inquiry.
“This inquiry told us what we already know: that gendered violence is a core problem at the heart of the family law system; that more money is needed to fix delays and gaps in the system that continue to put women and children at risk; and that funding, specialisation, and wrap-around service models are the solution.
“We have now spent more than two years re-litigating those issues and delaying implementation of previous recommendations, while giving oxygen to some of the most extreme and toxic views of the men’s rights movement.
“Thankfully, having heard all the evidence, the committee’s primary recommendations are not those championed by extremists. Because of the weight of evidence presented by survivors, experts, practitioners and frontline workers, the report instead acknowledges the need for a better understanding of gendered violence to be embedded throughout the family law system.
“The Greens opposed the merger of the Family and Federal Circuit Courts and will continue to fight for:

• Maintaining specialist family law expertise by increasing funding and training for experienced family court judges, registrars, report writers and liaison officers
• Adequate and secure funding for Legal Aid, community legal centres, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, and their peak bodies
• $12 billion to properly fund the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women, and the development of a standalone, National Plan for First Nations Women and Children.”

The Greens have today launched a plan to strengthen renters’ rights and fund tenancy advocacy services. Nearly a third of all Australian households rent their home. Yet government after government has ignored renters’ rights in favour of landlord profits.
Renting is becoming more unaffordable and inaccessible by the minute. The latest Rental Affordability Index, released today, has shown that low and moderate-income households are currently under extreme rental stress in cities and regions across the country.
The Greens will protect renters’ rights by boosting and guaranteeing funding for tenants’ advocacy services by $30 million per year to improve access to independent information, advice and advocacy. This has been fully costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.
We will also establish a National Standard of Renters’ Rights to:

• Limit the amount and frequency of rent rises in private rental
• Prohibit ‘no grounds’ evictions and give tenants the option of European Style long-term leases
• Allow tenants to make minor changes without permission from their landlord
• Prohibit blanket ‘no pets’ clauses in leases
• Ensure appropriate tenancy protections for victims of domestic violence in all states and territories
• Enforce disability access, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability standards for rental homes.

These measures will support renters alongside Greens commitments to build one million affordable homes, increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance and wind back negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Housing said:
“Renters in this country are doing it incredibly tough. More and more people are renting but with limited rights, they can’t turn their house into a home.
“We’ve all heard rental horror stories of people being evicted, huge rental rises, broken floorboards and leaky roofs. It’s beyond time to fix this.
“Not only do we see rental affordability worsen year in, year out, but people also have to contend with poor-quality rentals.
“Renters’ rights are a national issue. Landlords across the country have too much power. No-grounds evictions should be made a thing of the past, and we have to get rent rises under control.
“I rented for many years with my family in Sydney and I know all too well of the difficulties, uncertainties, insecurity and restrictions that make renting hard.
“What’s worse, there are different rules and standards across the various states and territories which makes it confusing and unclear for renters exactly what their rights are.
“Critical tenancy advocacy services should be well-funded to ensure renters have access to the legal and advisory support they need while navigating what is often a confusing and inflexible system.
“As property prices skyrocket and home ownership slips out of reach for more and more people, it’s never been more critical to protect renters’ rights.
“Whether you own a house or rent one, everyone deserves the security and stability of a place to call home.”

The Greens say the government’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission is an inadequate response to the women’s safety crisis that is more about politics than it is about serious action to protect women.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“The fact that this announcement was rushed out late last night just ahead of Labor’s own almost identical plan shows that this is more about optics and politics than it is about making a meaningful effort to protect women.
“Delegates at the Women’s Safety Summit could not have been clearer – affordable, accessible crisis, transitional and long-term housing is fundamental to the safety of women and children. There is a massive shortfall in housing that is preventing women escaping abuse.
“Women are being forced to choose between violence or homelessness. A new commission might win the government a couple of headlines, but it won’t put roofs over women’s heads.
“Additional funding to frontline workers and support services is always welcome, but if we are serious about ending violence against women and their children, a much bigger investment is needed. The government needs to listen to the sector and commit $12 billion to the next 12-year National Plan.”

The Greens say the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) must be given more powers to tackle gender inequality in the workplace, including the ability to require organisations to report on the number of sexual harassment incidents reported by employees and how they were handled.
In her submission to the review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act Senator Larissa Waters called for all public and private sector organisations with more than 50 workers to:
* provide details on the number of sexual harassment complaints made, the number of complaints resolved, disciplinary actions taken, and whether the employer uses non-disclosure agreements
* publish workplace pay data and remove employee pay gag clauses
* take meaningful action to reduce their gender pay gap or lose eligibility for government grants and contracts
* identify and address intersectional pay inequity experienced by First Nations women, culturally diverse women, LGBTIQ women, and women with disability
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Over the past decade WGEA has done important work to increase awareness, provide rigorous analysis of gender pay disparity in Australian workplaces, and to identify ways to close the gap.
“But the needle hasn’t moved very much. In fact, during the pandemic the gender pay gap has actually grown and Australia has crashed to 50th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report rankings.
“WGEA needs more power to hold employers to account and ensure that there are real consequences for non-compliance.
“It’s not enough to simply have sexual harassment policies – employers should be able to show that those policies are actually working, which is why we’ve called for employers to be required to report on the number of complaints and the actions taken.
“The lack of transparency around the gender pay gap and secrecy about salaries, bonuses and promotions disadvantage women in the workforce. Employer-level data must be made publicly available to shame poor performing employers, and there must be greater pay transparency so women can tell when they’re being short-changed compared to their male colleagues.”

Seventeen prominent Australians will provide expert advice on aged care issues and the implementation of the Morrison Government’s $17.7 billion reform agenda in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Led by inaugural chair Andrea Coote, the National Aged Care Advisory Council will ensure aged care reforms meet the needs and expectations of senior Australians, their families and carers and the Australian community.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Advisory Council formed part of the Australian Government’s comprehensive response to the Royal Commission.
“This is the most significant reform ever undertaken by an Australian Government to improve the care of senior Australians both in residential care and care at home,” Minister Hunt said.
“This Advisory Council will play a key role in guiding that implementation, alongside a new Council of Elders and an Inspector-General of Aged Care.
“I welcome the appointment of all 17 members to the Advisory Council and I look forward to working alongside them as we ensure our aged care system delivers respect, care and dignity for our senior Australians.”
Council of Elders nominations have been received and the membership of this representative body will be announced later this year.
The Council of Elders will be led by inaugural Chair Ian Yates, AM, who will also sit on the Advisory Council.
Three working groups will be established to support the Advisory Council – the Workforce Advisory Working Group, the Quality Advisory Working Group and the Financing and Markets Advisory Working Group.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Senator Richard Colbeck said establishing the Advisory Council marked an important step forward.
“We know if you want things to change in the sector then the structure which supports it must also change,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Aged care in Australia is undergoing its most significant reform in a generation.
“Strength through representation is key to ensuring these changes are made in the best interests of senior Australians and those who care for them.”
The Advisory Council members will advise on issues from navigating aged care services to building the capability of providers and the workforce to deliver the Government’s reforms.
“Our intention is to ensure we have strong representation across five consumer groups including Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse, carers and advocacy groups,” Minister Colbeck said.
It will also provide a voice for home care, community and private providers along with a representative of the peak group Australian Aged Care Collaboration.
Minister Colbeck thanked chair David Tune PSM and members of the previous principal aged care advisory group, the Aged Care Sector Committee which ceased in June.
He said the new Advisory Council is a departure from the previous representative model as it included practitioners with direct experience and activity within the sector, which will provide important insight during the implementation of the reforms.
It includes health and allied health experts across several fields as well as IT systems, finance and workforce professionals.
National Aged Care Advisory Council Members

• Andrea Coote (National Advisory Council Chair)
• Ian Yates AM (Council of Elders Chair)
• Rachel Argaman
• Michael Baird AO
• Jennene Buckley
• Elizabeth Callaghan
• Andrew Condon
• Jill Gallagher AO
• Emma Hossack
• Dr Sandra Iuliano
• Claerwen Little
• Libby Lyons
• Maree Mccabe AM
• Gail Mulcair
• Assoc. Prof. Michael Murray
• Mary Patetsos
• Graeme Prior

The Morrison Government is reducing the claim threshold of the no fault COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme to enable more people access to compensation for costs associated with a vaccine injury.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme is designed to ensure that people who have suffered a recognised adverse event as a direct result of a COVID vaccine have rapid access to compensation.
Reducing the threshold for access to the scheme from $5,000 to $1,000 will ensure more people can claim for eligible costs including lost earnings and care costs, providing greater levels of comfort to those yet to make the decision to vaccinate.
The Government has been considering this policy change for a number of weeks now and I thank all colleagues and stakeholders who have contributed to this decision.
Australians will now have ready access to compensation from $1,000 for COVID-19 claims related to the administration of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved COVID-19 vaccine delivered through a Commonwealth Government approved program.
Most importantly, this provides additional support and confidence for Australians as part of the vaccine rollout.
Further details are available at health.gov.au.

After passing over 70 counter-terrorism laws in the past two decades, the Government passed the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill into law.
This new law will amend the Criminal Code Act 1995  to introduce extended supervision orders, which may be imposed on terrorist offenders released into the community if a court is satisfied that the individual poses an unacceptable risk of committing certain serious terrorism offences.
The Criminal Code already contains a framework for the control or detention of high risk terrorist offenders through a control order. This new law would keep the control order regime and it would exist side by side with the new extended supervision order regime.
“The Greens do not oppose the introduction of an extended supervision order, in fact the Australian Human Rights Commission recommended the introduction of these orders as they are a more proportionate way of securing the community.” Said the Greens spokesperson for Justice, Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“At the very least, the extended supervision order regime should replace the continuing detention order regime. These two extensive powers should not sit side by side. There is no need for these two regimes to exist at the same time.”
“In the last twenty years, this Parliament has passed over 70 counter terrorism laws and many of them create really broad, extensive and often overlapping powers. This means that it is becoming more and more probable that peoples human rights are being impacted due to the snow balling nature of all of these laws.”
“The new extended supervision order regime would add to this country’s already extensive and often unjustified counter-terrorism powers. These powers, once given to police and spy agencies, do not come back.”
Senator Lidia Thorpe introduced an amendment to the Bill  urging the Morrison Government to act on the advice of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor but the Government did not agree to these amendments and passed the Bill into law