16 News

Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith MP, today visited residents of the Wollongbar temporary accommodation pods, following Ballina Shire Council’s recent decision to extend the lease of the pod village by just six months.

In 2022, NSW Reconstruction Authority leased the land off Ballina Council to situate temporary pods to house displaced families after the devastating floods of the same year.

Earlier this month, these displaced families received a letter advising they had to move out of the Wollongbar pods by November 2024 due to the lease of the Council land being up.

Following a request from the Reconstruction Authority to extend the lease for as long as possible, Ballina Council voted to extend it by only six months, which means pod residents will have to leave early 2025.

Today, Tamara Smith MP and Greens Councillor Kiri Dicker visited residents of the Wollongbar pods to discuss what this means for the vulnerable people living there.

During her visit, Tamara Smith MP spoke with several families who shared their anxieties about the approaching deadline. Many expressed frustration and fear about finding suitable, long-term accommodation during a housing crisis, within such a tight timeframe.

“It beggars’ belief that there are sitting councillors on Ballina Council who have denied a 12 month extension of these vulnerable residents for no good reason”, Ms Smith said.

“There is an acute housing crisis, the Wollongbar community including our sporting clubs have been so generous and welcoming towards our flood affected neighbours, and the residents of the pod village have been exemplar.

“Who exactly would be hurt by extending the lease on humanitarian grounds?”

“The Reconstruction Authority asked for as much of an extension as possible in discussions leading up to a formal request but were informed that only two months was on offer. Thankfully our Greens Councillors pushed hard for longer and and we got a six-month extension.

“I reassured the residents that I am here to support them and to back in the work of the Reconstruction Authority who are doing everything they can to transition residents into secure housing. I am deeply disappointed with the councillors who voted to turn them out”, Ms Smith concluded.

‘RIGHT TO A SAFE CLIMATE’ COULD BE ENSHRINED IN VICTORIAN LAW, DUE TO PUSH BY YOUNG VICTORIANS, SUPPORTED BY THE GREENS

Today young people from across Victoria will come to Parliament to attempt to enshrine the ‘right to a safe climate’ in Victoria’s human rights charter. The move is supported by the Victorian Greens who will introduce the legislation.

The move comes just weeks after a Federal Labor-led Senate Committee rejected a bill to legislate a duty of care, which – developed following 2022’s historic but unsuccessful Sharma v Minister for the Environment case – would have ensured that lawmakers consider the health and wellbeing of young people when making decisions that cause climate harm. 

Many other jurisdictions have similar measures enshrined into their Charter of Human Rights, including in the ACT here in Australia as well as places like Colombia, the Philippines, South Korea and even the state of Montana in the US. 

This Bill will add the Right to a Safe Climate to the Victorian Charter of Human Rights. The Bill legislates the fact that every Victorian deserves the right to a safe climate and provides a legal tool for future generations and frontline communities, who are most impacted by the climate crisis, to hold governments to account for any actions that make climate change worse, such as opening new coal mines or gas drilling.

Prominent youth climate activist Anjali Sharma has endorsed the Victorian Greens Bill, saying that the right to a safe climate is long overdue in Victoria. Anjali is known for her landmark legal case, Sharma v Environment Minister. Now she’s championing the campaign for a federally legislated duty of care and thrown her support behind the Right to a Safe Climate in Victoria.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell: 

“Young people across Victoria are terrified about the world they’re going to inherit. Young people know they’re the ones who have to live with the consequences of climate change, which is made worse by Labor and Liberal Governments opening up new coal mines and gas drilling.”

“The Greens MPs are proud to stand alongside these brave young people who are calling for their right to a safe climate to be put into Victorian law..”

climate activist, Anjali Sharma: 

“Young people have been campaigning for the recognition of their right to a safe climate and safe future for many years. 

“To legislate this would be a recognition of the intergenerational inequity of climate change, the fact that current and future generations will be worst affected by climate disaster and that governments have an obligation to ensure that the young people of today and tomorrow can continue to experience the world in the same way that generations before them have.

“Young people are staring down the barrel at a world that could be characterised by climate disaster increasing exponentially in frequency and severity. 

“The right to a safe climate is universal and inalienable, and to legislate this in Victoria is long overdue. 

“Immediate and decisive recognition of this right is needed to ensure we can provide current and future generations with the safety and security they deserve in the face of runaway climate change.”

Jesse, 26-year-old bushfire survivor and the Co-Founder of Victorian Parliament’s Youth Advisory Group: 

“In February 2009 when I was ten years old, I saw the Black Saturday bushfires from my own backyard. My mum told me to pack my favourite things and a change of clothes. My family had to flee in case our house burnt down.

“This event was traumatic for my local community. While my family was lucky, many people lost their lives, including three of my Year 5 classmates. And everyone at my primary school suffered from this trauma in one way or another.

 “Climate change is an existential threat that disproportionately affects young people. A safe climate is a human right, that is not an abstract idea, and the Victorian State Government has a responsibility to act on it.”

A report released today from the Electoral Matters Committee (EMC) into Victoria’s group voting system finally backs what the Greens have been calling for, for years, recommending that group voting be scrapped in Victoria. 

Victoria is the only state in the country where voting for a party above the line gives that party full control of a voter’s preferences. It means that parties can make backroom deals that undermine the will of the voter and funnel people’s votes to parties they would never support. 

Ahead of the 2018 and 2022 state elections, Glenn Druery arranged microparties into preference-swapping cartels, in exchange for money. Successful candidates paid him 50-60 thousand dollars.

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read welcomed the EMC report, saying that the Greens and experts have been calling for group voting tickets to be scrapped for years. 

He added that Labor must commit to electoral reform now so that we don’t see a repeat of the seats for cash scandal, which has put people into the upper house on as little as 0.6% of the vote. 

The undemocratic system leaves many Victorians completely unaware of who they’re voting for in the Upper House and must be reformed before people go to the polls in 2026. 

Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read: 

“Group voting tricks voters into electing parties they haven’t heard of and may not support, ahead of candidates with a larger vote, leaving Victoria with an unrepresentative upper house.

“Upper house politicians elected by group voting are more accountable to the backroom preference dealer who took their money than they are to voters.

“Our Parliament should reflect and authentically represent the people of Victoria, not be a reflection of backroom deals between parties. 

“We need group voting reform now. Labor needs to take these recommendations seriously and ensure that group voting is scrapped by the 2026 election so that the people elected to the Upper House reflect the people they serve.” 

Today, on the 10th World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the Australian Government reaffirms our commitment to tackle modern slavery and to protect and support victims, survivors and individuals at risk.

This year’s global theme, ‘leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking’, shines a light on this appalling abuse of the most vulnerable members of society.

This year, the Albanese Government established Australia’s first federal Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner will work across government, industry and civil society to support victims and survivors, raise awareness and help business address the risk of modern slavery practices in their operations and supply chains. Recruitment of the Commissioner is currently underway and will be progressed through a merit-based selection process.

We are also working closely with state and territory counterparts to enhance civil protections and remedies for individuals in, or at risk of, forced marriage – a modern slavery crime that disproportionately affects women and children. Public consultation to assist in developing this model is now open.

Australia’s efforts continue to be recognised globally, with Australia maintaining a Tier One ranking in the US Government’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report for the 21st year.

Australia takes a strong and inclusive approach to our response to human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery within our region. This includes our work with Indonesia as co-chairs of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, our support for the ASEAN-Australia Counter-Trafficking program, and our engagement with ASEAN member states to develop special measures for children involved in the justice process as victims, witnesses or suspected offenders.

Australia is also supporting Pacific Island Countries to implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols, including its protocol on trafficking in persons.

If you suspect that you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of human trafficking, call 131 237 (131 AFP) or report online at afp.gov.au. In an emergency, call 000.

After 7 years on the public hospital waiting list – 9 year old Kadee will finally receive surgery after Pauline Hanson stepped in to pay for the Yeppoon girl to go private.

Young Kadee was told she would have to repeat grade 4 if she continued having days off with tonsillitis.

We broke the news yesterday to mum, Kahlia at the event we hosted at Roslyn Bay Ampol.

The latest data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) confirms that the number of Australians taking up a government funded TAFE course remains lower under Labor than under the Coalition. This comes despite repeated claims from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor, before and after the last election, that Fee Free TAFE would increase enrolments by hundreds of thousands of students.

The Albanese Government has repeatedly stated its Fee Free TAFE policy would increase the number of students taking up training by over 300,000.

Minister Brendan O’Connor said:

“After smashing our Fee-Free TAFE targets in 2023 with almost 300,000 enrolments as at September 30, I’m delighted we’re rolling out an additional 300,000 places from 2024.” – January 2024

“New figures reveal 355,557 Australians enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE across Australia during 2023, smashing the initial first-year target of 180,000.” – March 2024

But the official data demonstrates that in 2023 the number of Australians taking up a government funded TAFE course increased to 659,185, which is 12,200 fewer than the number of government funded TAFE students under Coalition in 2020, and in line with 2021 figures. 2022, the year Labor took office, saw a sharp decline in numbers as Labor delayed action on skills funding to keep announcements for its sham Jobs and Skills Summit.

This means Labor’s marquee skills program – Fee Free TAFE – has not materially increased the number of government funded students taking up training at TAFEs across the country.

Acting Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Skills and Training, Sussan Ley, said there was a clear gap between what Labor promised on skills and what it is delivering.

“Despite promising to increase the number of students at TAFE by hundreds of thousands, there are fewer than under the Coalition.

“Federal Labor, it appears, is just subsidising State budgets instead of having a meaningful impact on skills shortages by funding new students through new places at TAFEs.

“Compounding this failure, since Anthony Albanese took office, we have lost 85,300 apprentices and trainees from the workforce.

“Despite all of Labor’s grand promises to ‘skill more Australians’ the data demonstrates their policies just aren’t working and we are going backwards.”

This latest update follows the release of data from NCVER last week that shows apprentices and trainees in-training dropped to 343,640 in December 2023, 85,360 fewer than when Labor took office, or a loss of one in five.

Over the same period new training starts, or ‘commencements’, dropped to just 170,370. Meaning there are 107,500 fewer apprentices and trainees starting a trade or a skill, or a drop of 39 per cent since Anthony Albanese took office.

Trade apprentices in-training hit record highs in the final months of the Coalition Government and as of June 2022 there were 429,000 apprentices and trainees in-training and 277,900 commencements.

The number of female apprentices and trainees in training has fallen by 25 per cent and female commencements have fallen by 40 per cent.

Despite Labor promising to skill more construction workers, there are 5,300 fewer Construction Trades Workers apprentices in training since they took office and new starts have dropped by 23 per cent.

Labor came to power promising it would solve skills shortages. But according to Jobs and Skills Australia, 36 per cent of occupations were assessed as in-shortage in 2023, up from 31 per cent in 2022. 66 occupations were added to the in-shortage list in 2023 meaning on Labor’s watch, over 330 occupations are in-shortage across Australia.

The Albanese Labor Government’s weak leadership has enabled the out-of-control CFMEU to reach a point where we now see startling revelations that the union has been deeply infiltrated by bikies, gangland and underworld criminal figures.

“The depth of criminal infiltration, revealed by the Nine newspapers, is extremely disturbing and should be of concern to every Australian,’’ she said.

“The Albanese Government’s abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission has been even worse than expected – we now have organised crime figures and bikies running rampant on our nation’s building sites,” she said.

“What this means for Australian taxpayers is that the cost of building important infrastructure they pay for and rely on will continue to increase. This in turn will lead to further cost of living pressures for all Australians, something which Mr Albanese turns a blind eye to,’’ Senator Cash said.

“With today’s revelations of the criminal infiltration of the union the Labor Party should immediately hand back all the money that has been donated to them by the CFMEU in recent years,’’ she said.

“Mr Albanese needs to stop making excuses and take action, His constant excuses for their behaviour should appal all Australians. What more does Mr Albanese need before he shows a modicum of leadership,’’ Senator Cash said.

“But past conduct by Mr Albanese and Minister Tony Burke would indicate it is unlikely they will act against the union that donated $4.3 million to the Labor Party to help them win the election,’’ Senator Cash said.

“There are a series of actions that Mr Albanese can immediately take to start cleaning up the construction industry,’’ she said.

“Mr Albanese should legislate the former Coalition Government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill of 2019, which Labor fought tooth and nail against at the time,’’ Senator Cash said.

That Bill would introduce a range of measures to ensure registered organisations work for their members and not themselves.

It would give the Court powers to disqualify officials of registered organisations that don’t act in the interest of members, have a history of breaking the law or are otherwise not fit and proper to hold office in a registered organisation.

“Mr Albanese should also immediately bring back the ABCC as the tough cop on the beat in the industry. They need all the powers they had in the past’’ Senator Cash said.

“Penalties for breaches of the Fair Work Act need to be increased and the fit and proper person test for right of entry onto construction sites need to be tightened. People with multiple criminal offences should never be granted right of entry permits,’’ Senator Cash said.

Senator Cash welcomed the resignation of John Setka from the CFMEU in the wake of the revelations but said it was a long time coming.

“Australian taxpayers have ultimately paid the price for the militant actions of the CFMEU for many years now,’’ she said.

“Mr Setka’s behaviour has been appalling over many years, we saw his recent threats against the AFL over a personal vendetta,’’ Senator Cash said.

“We also saw Prime Minister Albanese’s pathetic weakness as he failed to condemn Mr Setka for his behaviour,’’ she said

“Unfortunately, there are many in the CFMEU who emulate Mr Setka and who exhibit similar behaviour. Unless this behaviour is stomped out, our construction sector will continue to be held back,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The Albanese Government gave Mr Setka and his allies effective control of the construction sector in Australia when they abolished the ABCC,’’ she said.

“And Australians know why – the CFMEU gave $4.3 million to Labor to win the last election,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The Albanese government has shown craven cowardice and weakness – they have given Mr Setka everything he wanted and were wilfully blind to his militant actions for years. As always with Labor, money talks and principle has no place.”