Category: Australian News

United Kingdom, Taiwan and South Korea – ‘Yes’
China – ‘re-establish relations before consideration’
US – ‘time to renew interest’

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) has tabled its report on Expanding the membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Mr Ted O’Brien MP, Chair of the Trade Sub-Committee, said, “Australia should support the expansion of the CPTPP to include new members, but not unconditionally.”

‘Only aspiring economies that support an open, transparent and stable trading environment and those that demonstrate an ability and willingness to meet the agreement’s high standards should be considered,’ Mr O’Brien said.

‘The CPTPP is one of the world’s most comprehensive trade agreements and its quality must be maintained,’ said Mr O’Brien on tabling the report in the House of Representatives.

Among the Committee’s recommendations was that the Australian Government work with other CPTPP members to encourage and facilitate the accession of the United Kingdom, Taiwan and South Korea.

‘The UK was the first to apply to join the CPTPP and the process it’s going through can be a template for other future aspirants,’ said Mr O’Brien.

The Committee’s recommendation on Taiwan went one step further, suggesting the government also consider negotiating a bilateral Taiwan-Australia FTA.

‘A lesson from our experience with the UK is that benefits accrue from negotiating a bilateral FTA and the CPTPP at the same time, and we see merit in replicating this approach with Taiwan,’ stated Mr O’Brien.

On China, the Committee recommended the Australian Government work with other CPTPP members to, ‘encourage China to re-establish full trading relations including ending its coercive trade measures and reengaging in ministerial dialogue, and to demonstrate an ability and willingness to commit to the CPTPP’s high standards, prior to supporting the commencement of an accession process’.

‘The ball is in their court,’ said Mr O’Brien. ‘It’s up to China if it wishes to re-engage with Australia and I hope it does because that would enable the discussions that are necessary to determine whether an accession process should commence,’ Mr O’Brien said.

The United States has not sought to join the CPTPP since it withdrew from negotiations under President Trump. Nevertheless, the Committee recommended that the Australian Government work with other CPTPP members to encourage the US to renew its interest.

The Committee also recommended ongoing informal discussions with other economies that have expressed an interest in joining the CPTPP including Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

A new project, led by Monash University researchers, will develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted application to help with real-time interpretations for diplomatic talks, international business and tourism.

The US$5 million project, funded by the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), will develop a smart phone-based assistive dialogue system using smart glasses that will apply machine learning, speech recognition and vision technology to provide cross-cultural communication assistance in real-time.

Project researchers from Monash University’s Vision and Language Group (VLG) at the Faculty of Information Technology (IT) said the goal of the program is to develop language processing technology that will recognise and adapt to the emotional, social, and cultural norms that differ across societies, languages, and communities.

“In addition to interpreting the content of the speech, the system will be ‘translating’ body language and facial expressions, providing cultural cues to prevent a breakdown in communications and ensuring smoother cross-cultural dialogue. During this project, we will be focussing mainly on negotiation-based dialogues,” the researchers explained.

During a conversation, the dialogue assistance system may notice an imminent communication breakdown by analysing audiovisual cues in real-time. The system can then send ‘notifications’ to the user’s smart glass providing appropriate culturally attuned prompts to secure the negotiation.

For instance, the system may prompt the user to rectify the negotiation by making the other party feel more comfortable. It may then notify different ways the user can increase the level of comfort such as addressing the other person more respectfully as per their specific cultural norms.

Faculty of IT Deputy Dean (Research) Professor Maria Garcia de la Banda welcomed the support for research that will lead to innovation in the use of AI and data science for dialogue assistance technologies.

“Current AI-enabled systems are not capable of accurately analysing the many nuances of human communication or of providing useful assistance beyond basic machine translation,” Professor Garcia de la Banda said.

“In this project our researchers will combine sophisticated speech technology with advanced multimedia analysis and cultural knowledge to build systems that provide a holistic solution.”

The study will be conducted over the next three years in two phases. The first prototype will be released by March 2023.

This research will be led by the VLG from the Faculty of IT at Monash University in collaboration with researchers from the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge and the Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics, the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.

The Mining and Energy Union has called on AGL to urgently meet with workers and union representatives to discuss the impact of fast-tracked closures of Bayswater and Loy Yang A power stations announced today.

MEU General President Tony Maher said that the workers and communities who have supported and relied on the coal-fired power industry for decades should not be thrown on the scrapheap.

“Our energy generation industry is undergoing a major transformation. But it shouldn’t follow that the workers and communities who have supported and relied on the coal-fired power generation industry for decades should pay the price of decarbonisation,” said Mr Maher.

“Central to closure plans must be measures to prevent forced redundancies, create job transfer opportunities for skilled workers and invest in diversification in the Hunter and Latrobe Valley regions.

“We have worked constructively with AGL on measures to support workers at Liddell power station, which is the next slated for closure.

“With the timelines outlined today by AGL for Bayswater and Loy Yang A, there is time to put comprehensive plans in place to support and reassure workers.

“Unfortunately, Australians have seen too many examples of workers and communities being thrown on the scrapheap when their industries face structural change. We can and must take this opportunity to demonstrate that workers’ livelihoods and futures matter and deserve planning and investment.”

The Australian Parliament’s Agriculture and Water Resources Committee has tabled the report of its inquiry into the Australian aquaculture sector: Supporting a strong future for Australian aquaculture.

The report found that Australian aquaculture is a growing industry with a strong positive outlook. Australia’s aquaculture already has a reputation for producing premium product and further improvements will strengthen our market position. The report noted that unlocking the full potential of the industry will require the removal of some barriers to growth.

Committee Chair Mr Rick Wilson MP said, ‘There are many exciting opportunities for the growth of Australian aquaculture. The growth of the industry will help meet domestic demand for seafood, boost exports and provide thousands of additional jobs, especially in regional areas.’

‘Aquaculture, like all industries, has its share of challenges and potential barriers to growth. The Committee has made a number of recommendations with the aim of overcoming these barriers,’ Mr Wilson added.

Mr Wilson notes the confusion caused by current rules around the country of origin labelling of seafood. ‘Consumers are unable to know whether they are buying imported or Australian fish at their local fish and chip shop.’

‘Consumers have the right to know where the seafood they buy originates from. It is nonsensical that there are no country of origin labelling rules for the food service industry, and this must be addressed’.

For further information, please visit the inquiry website.

The Greens have welcomed the parliament’s acknowledgement of the abuse and harassment experienced by staff in parliamentary workplaces, but have warned that words alone will not satisfy Australian women.

The Greens continue to urge the government to implement all 28 recommendations of the Set the Standard report, in addition to the remaining Respect@Work recommendations, particularly fully funding working women’s centres and the centrepiece reform of legislating a positive duty on employers.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The patience of Australian women has been sorely tested by this government.

“It’s been nearly 12 months since Brittany Higgins bravely came forward – and much longer still since we first learned of the terrible experiences of Rachelle Miller, Chelsey Potter and many others.

“Today’s acknowledgement to survivors of abuse, harassment and bullying is a worthy first step, but it does nothing to make parliamentary workplaces safer now and into the future. I also note that today’s statement did not acknowledge that for First Nations people, people of colour and people with disability, harassment and disrespect can be even worse.

“The government must now implement all 28 Set the Standard recommendations, and the Greens will be pushing them to get on with the job.

“The government must also finish implementing Respect@Work. It’s been more than two years since Kate Jenkins submitted her landmark report to the government and they still haven’t committed to its central reform, a positive duty on employers to ensure a safe workplace, or provided guaranteed funding to working women’s centres.

“The PM has a terrible track record on women’s safety and respect. He kept an alleged rapist in his Cabinet and refused to even initiate an inquiry, and gave little more than a slap on the wrist to a backbencher accused of harassing and stalking women in his electorate.

“And we have learned overnight that many survivors of abuse and harassment in parliament, including Brittany Higgins, weren’t even invited to attend today’s acknowledgement.

“Everyone deserves to be free from harassment, bullying and sexual assault, no matter who they are or where work. The government needs to stop running from its responsibilities and make it happen.”

West Australian children with life-limiting health conditions are set to get new help and hope with the construction of the state’s first and only dedicated respite and hospice care facility for children.

The WA Children’s Hospice will be jointly funded by the Federal Government, the WA State Government and the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, with the Morrison Government committing $7.5 million towards the project.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said hospitals could often be a stressful environment for children.

“Children’s hospices help to reduce the stress of a very difficult time by offering a more home-like atmosphere and allow families to stay together,” Minister Hunt said.

“Children’s hospices can also offer therapies and activities not easily accessible in hospitals and mainstream hospices, such as respite care, outdoor play, child appropriate nutrition and meals, multi-sensory play and onsite hydrotherapy.”

The WA Government, in partnership with the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) and the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, will build WA’s first children’s hospice.

The WA Government has transferred the land at Swanbourne to the Child and Adolescent Health Service, and has provided $3.2 million for project planning and design.

The Foundation will provide funding for the construction, fitout and ongoing non-operational costs of the hospice, while CAHS will be responsible for governance, management and ongoing operational clinical and support services funding.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua, CAHS Board Chair, said the service welcomed the investment from the Morrison Government towards the building of the first children’s hospice in the state.

“This facility is such an important and much-needed service for children living with a life-limiting illness, and their families,” Dr Capolingua said.

“The CAHS Board would also like to acknowledge the work the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation has done in connecting with generous donors in our community enabling this hospice to be built on land provided by the WA Government.

“Having a dedicated facility in close proximity to WA’s tertiary children’s hospital, with top-class medical equipment and expert staff, in a beautiful setting overlooking the Indian Ocean, will provide some of our most vulnerable children and their families with much-needed respite and support.”

The Hon. Ian Campbell, Chairman, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, said: “On behalf of the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, I want to thank the Australian Government for this incredibly generous donation that recognises the need for a hospice for young palliative care patients and their families.

“This funding, on this one exciting day, moves the WA Children’s Hospice from dream to reality, providing the biggest single financial contribution alongside our other donors, large and small. We can now look forward with confidence to start building in Swanbourne in a few short months’ time,” Mr Campbell said.

The WA Children’s Hospice will provide palliative out-of-home respite care and support for children and families.

Aged care providers in regional and remote parts of Australia will be able to improve services and create safer environments under the latest investment from the Morrison Government.

The $35.3 million multi-purpose services (MPS) program will see 110 aged care sites benefit from minor capital grant projects averaging $321,000 each.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said the work would range from simple improvements such as gardens and pathways to major building renovations.

“The aim is to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of residents, including for those living with dementia,” Minister Colbeck said. 

 “These services allow people to stay in their own communities as they get older, close to their family and community ties.

Providers of MPS sites will also soon have the opportunity to expand their services, with 100 new residential care places on offer through a competitive allocation round.

“The grant funding and the MPS places round join the Government’s $18.3 billion aged care reform package as part of the Government’s comprehensive response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety,” Minister Colbeck said.

“The Royal Commission recommended the MPS program should be maintained and extended, and $35.3 million in grant funding and a further 100 places in 2022 will do just that.”

The maximum funding available for each individual MPS site is $600,000, with providers also required to contribute at least 20 per cent of the total project costs. Grant funding will be allocated across the 2021–22 and 2022–23 financial years.

The MPS grants build on the single largest investment in residential aged care infrastructure in Australia’s history, which in July 2021 saw $150 million in capital grants allocated to residential care services, predominantly in regional and remote Australia.

Outcomes of the MPS grants, including details of the successful providers, can be found here.

To mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the Morrison Government will provide an additional $2 million to Ovarian Cancer Australia for its work supporting women with ovarian cancer and their families.

Last year, it is estimated that approximately 1,700 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Tragically, 1,000 died from the disease. While ovarian cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women over the age of 50, it can occur at any age.

This additional funding will ensure Ovarian Cancer Australia can continue providing vital psychosocial telehealth support services through its Teal Support Program until 2023–24.

The Teal Support Program employs specialist nurses who use telehealth to provide psychosocial care and support to people with ovarian cancer, from diagnosis through to post-treatment.

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer face daunting challenges. It has a low 5-year survival rate (47%) with a recurrence rate of up to 70%. As a result, around 40% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer experience clinical levels of anxiety or depression.

While caring for patients and their families is important, research remains our best hope of defeating ovarian cancer and developing more effective treatments.

Since 2012, the Government has provided $62.5 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council for ovarian cancer research. The Medical Research Future Fund has committed almost $21 million to ovarian cancer research projects since 2015.

The Government also supports women with ovarian cancer and their families by listing life‑saving and life-changing medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In
2020–21, our expenditure on PBS medicines to treat ovarian cancer was over $30 million.

In November 2020 Lynparza (olaparib) was extended to include more patients with ovarian cancer, making it accessible to around 300 patients per year who might otherwise pay more than $140,500 per course of treatment.

Today, at the annual Teal Ribbon Breakfast, the Government reaffirms its commitment to supporting Australian women with ovarian cancer to get the treatment, information and support they need.

The Morrison Government has awarded a job-creating $2.13 million contract to a Hawkesbury-based engineering consultancy to continue its development of a unique lightweight armour for the C-130J Hercules airlifter aircraft.

The contract with Aerospace & Mechanical Consulting Engineers, in partnership with fellow NSW company Armor Composite Engineering, will use a cutting-edge amour solution to provide the in-service aircraft with stronger protection.

The innovation could reduce aircraft fatigue and the risk of injury to Australian Defence Force personnel.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the Government’s investment had created jobs at both companies and was further evidence of the Government’s determination to back defence industry to supply the ADF with the very best capability.

“This contract will strengthen ADF capabilities and provide an opportunity to maximise Australian industry participation,” Minister Price said.

“By investing in the innovative ideas of Australian small and medium businesses, we are delivering more opportunities for those businesses to participate in Defence projects and directly contribute to ADF capability.

“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting innovative small businesses within the Australian defence industry to develop technologies that present opportunities for Defence and for international export markets.”

Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, said the important contract was a vote of confidence in local capabilities.

“The awarding of this contract shows that Hawkesbury businesses are more than capable of competing in this highly specialised field,” Senator Payne said.

The Director of Aerospace & Mechanical Consulting Engineers, John Eldridge, said the contract was an opportunity for the small business to export the armour solution to Australia’s allies and grow its workforce.

“To support this contract, Aerospace & Mechanical Consulting Engineers has employed an additional four engineering staff and Armor Composite Engineering has increased its manufacturing staff by two, with a further two staff to be employed in the next 12 months,” Mr Eldridge said.

Industry and research organisations can submit innovation proposals through the Defence Innovation Portal at: www.innovationhub.defence.gov.au .

A researcher at Charles Darwin University (CDU), Gavin Trewella, has been working to improve the conservation outlook for an iconic Australian native animal, the northern quoll.

Once a common mammal in Northern Australia and a relative of the Tasmanian Devil, quolls have been facing rapidly declining populations due to cane toad invasion, extensive fires, grazing, and predation by feral cats.

Northern quolls are now classified as critically endangered in the Northern Territory and facing many immediate threats.

Northern quolls, the smallest among all quolls, are currently dotted around Australia’s northern coastlines, including in the Northern Territory, Far North Queensland and northern Western Australia.

Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) PhD candidate Mr Trewella has been collecting field data about a northern quoll population in the Cape York Peninsula through many long, hot field trips to Far North Queensland supported by Rio Tinto.

Mr Trewella deploys camera traps and uses GPS transmitters to track these elusive, agile nocturnal mammals in the savannas of Weipa, Cape York.

Mr Trewella’s research has found the northern quoll population there is restricted to a small number of specific bauxite plateaus that act as natural fire breaks and create ideal vegetation and hollows that provide a haven for quolls.

Separate research from CDU in the Territory has found feral cattle, horses may degrade habitat, with such habitat degradation then further increasing risks of predation by feral cats pose.

“My work is focused on identifying how the northern quoll’s population is influenced by the quality of their habitat,” Mr Trewella said.

“I hope to apply lessons learned to other quoll populations in Australia by working on creating habitats ideal for quolls.”

As quolls are also carnivorous, their feeding on poisonous cane toads has been a main factor in the dwindling quoll population.

“In the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region, quolls face the immediate effect of the cane toad invasion. I want to work out what the quolls need to persist with the current situation of cane toads,” he said.

“The Northern Quoll population is at its lowest across Australia. Using the data and finding from my research, I hope to help the northern quolls bounce back and repopulate.”

CDU ecologist and Northern Territory mammal expert, Professor John Woinarski, said the northern quoll had suffered a “catastrophic decline” over the years.

“There are not many spots in the Northern Territory where quolls can still be seen. Twenty years ago, you would often see quolls while out camping, but such happy sights are no longer the case,” Professor Woinarski said.

“It’s really important to try to understand how the quoll population can persist with cane toads, and we also need more information on fire regimes to protect quolls.”