Category: Australian News

The Keep Corporations Honest campaign to save Australian class actions has welcomed statements by Attorney-General Michaelia Cash that the government will not pursue its agenda of weakening access to class to actions ahead of this year’s federal election.

Ms Cash had been under pressure from class action members and legal experts to drop her government’s proposed changes, which would have seen funding sources for class actions dry up making many potential actions unviable.

However, Keep Corporations Honest is now urging the Minister to go a step further and permanently discard the proposal.

“The legislation proposed by Ms Cash was nothing more than scrappy vandalism against class actions,” said KCH spokesperson Jan Saddler.

“Small wonder that a broad spectrum of legal experts and community members vigorously opposed the proposals. Ms Cash’s attempts to vilify those taking part in class actions as either dupes or vexatious irritants was particularly offensive.

“Our campaign is extremely pleased to see that the Minister has been spooked off her destructive course of action — albeit temporarily.

“Class actions are overwhelmingly a force for good and any responsible government should support them. Not only do they help everyday Australians to obtain justice when they have been ripped off by corporations and governments, they also keep the powerful looking over their shoulders. That’s a good thing, not a hindrance.

“We now call on Ms Cash to formally and permanently remove her government’s support for these shambolic proposed class action changes.”

Hundreds of women with a passion for sport will be supported to further their careers under Sport Australia’s 2022 Women Leaders in Sport (WLIS) program.

In all, 489 women across 34 sports will benefit from the initiative, which has helped strengthen the role of women leaders in sport for more than two decades.

Minister for Women Marise Payne said increasing the number of women leaders in sport was a priority for the Morrison Government.

“We are pleased to support a program that empowers women in sport and helps organisations create more diverse and inclusive workplaces,” Minister Payne said.

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the program provides valuable leadership development opportunities for women on and off the field.

“Through the WLIS program we are supporting the next generation of women sports leaders,” Minister Colbeck said. “By assisting women leaders, coaches and match officials with their career development and creating more leadership pathways for women we are taking important steps towards achieving gender equity in sport.”

Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said the program, which began in 2002, continues to receive strong interest from the sector.

“This financial year saw a record number of individuals apply for funding which is testament to the program’s reputation and success in developing women leaders in sport.”

“So far more than 26,000 women and over 800 local, state and national sporting organisations have benefitted from this program and we look forward to supporting even more women in the future as we strive for a greater balance of men and women in senior positions in sport.”

WLIS is delivered by Sport Australia with the support of the Office for Women with individuals and organisations sharing in more than $526,000 in grants this financial year.

Seventy women will share $296,000 in funding for professional development opportunities.

They include Cheryl Kostich from Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia (RDAA) who will use her grant funding to undertake a Diploma of Human Resources Management at Swinburne University.

“I am excited by the opportunity to gain new skills and adapt them to my role,” Kostich said.

“This course will help me gain a greater understanding of HR management which I can use to provide qualified guidance and support to RDAA staff and the wider Riding for the Disabled community.”

Co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Siren Sport, Kirby Fenwick, will use her grant funding to study content design.

“It’s wonderful to get this kind of support to upskill and extend my knowledge in a really practical way. The skills and knowledge I will gain through this course will not only help me to build on my own work in sports media but will equip me with tools and tips that I can share with colleagues and interns.”

Thirteen sporting organisations will also share in $230,000 in funding to deliver leadership programs in their workplaces.

Surf Life Saving Tasmania (SLST) will establish a leadership and development program to support women who work in volunteer managerial positions.

“This program will allow us to develop the individual professional skills of participants to ensure diversity of leadership for SLST at all levels,” SLST Director Joanne Stolp said.

“Our aim is to create a legacy of participants that are ready to mentor, coach and support our future female leaders.”

Paddle Australia will use its funding to create an inclusive culture and support more women in their organisation.

“We will work with our high performance staff and selected athletes to develop their leadership skills including how to communicate, negotiate and manage conflict – whether that’s in the high performance or executive environment or as a National Coach,” Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement National Manager Matt Murphy said.

A full list of 2022 recipients is available on the Women Leaders in Sport website.

Australia will host up to 1000 international athletes and officials for the inaugural Virtus Oceania Asia Games after a Morrison Government investment of almost $2 million. 

Competitors with an intellectual impairment from more than 25 nations across Asia and the Pacific are expected to compete in the OAGames 2022.

Sport Inclusion Australia in conjunction with National and State Sporting organisations will host the event in Brisbane from 5 to 11 November.

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the OAGames reinforced the impressive line-up of major sporting events to be held in Australia in the next decade.

“Australia keeps attracting major sporting events because of our well-justified reputation as an excellent host of world class international sporting competitions,” Minister Colbeck said.

“OAGames 2022 is a great addition to huge line-up of major competitions ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The Morrison Government supported the successful INAS Global Games in 2019, also hosted by Sport Inclusion Australia, which at the time was the world’s largest sporting event for elite athletes with intellectual impairment.

“OAGames 2022 will build on that success and raise awareness of inclusive sport to a new level, with a clear focus on engagement and participation of our Pacific neighbours, as we head to the 2032 summer Paralympics in Brisbane.”

OAGames 2022 is a multi-sport event which includes international sanctioning and classification for the sports of athletics, swimming, and table tennis, leading to the Virtus Global Games 2023 in Vichy France, and the summer Paralympics in Paris 2024.

Other sports on the program include basketball, cycling, rowing, taekwondo and tennis; and for the first time, OAGames will also include badminton, judo and triathlon, providing more opportunities for athlete participation.

The Games will also host the inaugural World Para Sailing Championship as part of its program.

Sport Inclusion Australia Chief Executive Officer Robyn Smith said the Games marked an important opportunity to showcase the abilities of those who live with an intellectual impairment.

“With an estimated 2 to 3 per cent of the world’s population having an intellectual impairment, the OAGames highlights the immense ability of the athletes and the power of sport to change attitudes, challenge perceptions, and strengthen communities locally and globally” Ms Smith said.

Active engagement in sport has a positive impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing and on community connection.

Find out more about the work of Sport Inclusion Australia here and follow updates on the OAGames 2022 via Facebook.

Australia will reopen to all fully vaccinated visa holders, welcoming the return of tourists, business travellers, and other visitors from 21 February.

These changes will ensure we protect the health of Australians, while we continue to secure our economic recovery.

Australia’s health system has demonstrated its resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including though the recent Omicron wave. With improving health conditions, including a recent 23 per cent decline in hospitalisations due to COVID, the National Security Committee of Cabinet today agreed Australia is ready to further progress the staged reopening of our international border.

Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia, and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.

Today’s announcement will give certainty to our vital tourism industry, and allow them to start planning, hiring and preparing for our reopening. In 2018-19, tourism generated more than $60 billion for the Australian economy, with more than 660,000 jobs dependent on the industry.

Since the Morrison Government commenced Australia’s staged international border reopening on 1 November 2021 we have seen almost 580,000 arrivals come to Australia including to reunite with loved ones, work or study.

The Commonwealth continues to work with States and Territories on the safe resumption of the cruise industry and looks forward to further announcements on this in due course.

A new $1.6 billion economic accelerator will turn Australia’s leading research into world-beating businesses as part of the Morrison Government’s focus on building the country’s resilience.

Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) features as part of a $2.2 billion package to focus the commercialisation of the six national manufacturing priority areas – resources and critical minerals, food and beverage, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence and space – bringing the country’s brightest business and academic minds together.

Together with a new $150 million expansion of CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures, the AEA will reshape research funding to emphasise projects with high potential for commercialisation that are directed at National Manufacturing Priorities and industry engagement.

The Prime Minister said the AEA would invest in projects as they progressed through the stages of their development.

“Stronger commercialisation of research and ideas will mean a stronger economy and a stronger future for Australia,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is about funding projects to bridge the ‘valley of death’ where early-stage research is often not progressed due to higher levels of risk and uncertainty.

“The AEA will drive our universities and businesses to work hand-in-glove through the stages to prove projects’ viability and potential.

“Expanding the CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures program then takes this further, incentivising the additional venture capital investment support needed to progress innovative new products and technologies through to market to become the new businesses and employers of the future.”

Acting Minister for Education and Youth Stuart Robert said the AEA would boost investment in two critical stages of experimental development: proof of concept and proof of scale.

“The AEA will become a critical source of competitive funding support for innovating new projects with high commercial potential, and will take a lot of the risk and uncertainty for universities out of the equation,” Minister Robert said.

“We will start with a big range of contenders – a contest of ideas.

“But as we progress to stage two, the number of applicants will diminish and the value of the funding to each will increase.

“For example, stage one will involve nearly 100 grants a year of up to $500,000. Recipients will be required to engage industry through in-kind support or even co-location.

“In order to be one of the 36 recipients attracting up to $5 million in funding as part of ‘stage two’ projects, industry will need to put more skin in the game with a 50 per cent co-investment.

“At stage three, up to 50 companies will be supported through the Main Sequence Venture, where we are providing $150 million in two successive co-investment funds.

“This investment is about new jobs, increased wages, and creating products that make life easier, more efficient or even more interesting,” Minister Robert said.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the grants were an investment in Australia’s future industries and smart manufacturing within the Morrison Government’s National Manufacturing Priorities.

“By working with industry and researchers, the government is helping to ensure our economy benefits from our world-class research, both now and well into the future,” Minister Taylor said.

Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the $150 million expansion of the CSIRO Main Sequence Ventures program would back start-up companies and help create commercial opportunities from Australian research.

“The Morrison Government is prioritising investment in research and action to turn Australia’s best ideas into new industries and strengthen our future prosperity,” Minister Price said.

“The expansion of the Main Sequence Ventures will further support the development of spin-off and start-up companies with high commercial potential arising from local research.

“Over the past four years, Main Sequence Ventures has invested in 39 companies that are commercialising deep tech opportunities that have created more than 1,200 technology-related jobs.

“Our new investment in this program will ensure it can play a bigger role in our economy and help develop the next generation of great Aussie companies and products.”

Minister Robert said the Morrison Government would also invest $296 million in industry focused PhDs and fellowships to support its research commercialisation goals and drive greater university-industry collaboration.

“This new scheme will generate 1,800 industry PhDs and over 800 industry fellows over 10 years to fundamentally reshape the workforce of Australia’s universities,” Minister Robert said.

“PhD students will benefit from the experience of undertaking research within industry settings, creating employment pathways beyond academic roles.

“Industry will benefit from the opportunities to host PhD students, bolstering their ability to harness ideas and concepts for innovation, as well as to open the pathway to the recruitment of high-calibre graduates. This will be further enhanced by a new suite of ARC Fellowships that will recognise and reward our academics who collaborate with industry, helping to drive the translation of their research, creating new pathways for their work.

“These initiatives will change the culture and the focus of research across Australia’s universities – building greater engagement with industry and ensuring that innovation is at the core of our economic future as a nation.”

A unique combination of advantages has handed Australia a historic chance to become a sustainable global manufacturer of electric vehicles – provided the federal government acts swiftly and decisively, according to new research by the Australia Institute’s Carmichael Centre.

The new report, Rebuilding Vehicle Manufacturing in Australia: Industrial Opportunities in an Electrified Future, has found Australia is uniquely blessed with advantages to attract and retain EV manufacturing and rebuild the nation’s car-making capacity. This potential, however, will not be met without major government action.

“When it comes to creating an EV manufacturing sector, Australia enjoys advantages other nations would die for: rich reserves of lithium and rare earths, strong industrial infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, powerful training capacity, abundant renewable energy options, and untapped consumer potential,” said Dr Mark Dean, the report’s lead author.

“And contrary to popular belief, we wouldn’t be starting from scratch. Thanks to the resilience of our remaining automotive manufacturing supply chain, a surprising amount of auto manufacturing work – including components, specialty vehicles, and engineering – still exists here.”

But Dr Dean said his research found Australia’s advantages would count for little without significant government support. The report makes a range of recommendations including:

Establishing an EV Manufacturing Industry Commission
Using tax incentives to encourage firms involved in the extraction of key minerals – primarily lithium and rare earths – with local manufacturing capabilities, especially emerging Australian EV battery industries
Introducing a long-term strategy for vocational training, ensuring the establishment of skills to service major EV manufacturers looking to set up operations Australia
Offering major global manufacturers incentives (tax incentives, access to infrastructure, potential public capital participation, etc) to global manufacturers to set up – especially in Australian regions undergoing transition from carbon-intensive industries
Introducing local procurement laws for the rapid electrification of government vehicle fleets

“No nation builds a major industry without its government taking a proactive role. Our new research shows there’s no excuse for inaction, because there are a huge range of powerful levers our government could be pulling,” Dr Dean said.

“If we capture the moment we’ll capture abundant benefits: creating tens of thousands of regional manufacturing jobs, reducing our dependence on raw resource extraction, reinforcing our accelerating transition toward non-polluting energy sources, and spurring innovation, research, and engineering activity in Australia. We just need our government to act.”

Leading Australian university, Curtin University, and Perth-based medicinal cannabis company, Little Green Pharma Ltd (LGP), have joined forces to explore the use of medicinal cannabis treatment options for obesity and related health issues.

The research, led by Professor Marco Falasca from Curtin’s Medical School, will aim to identify one or more combinations of cannabinoids that may produce effects in the gastrointestinal tract to induce a feeling of fullness and a decrease in appetite, potentially leading to weight loss and even diabetes reversion.

Professor Falasca said the research could be a game-changer for those struggling with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“I am delighted to start this collaboration with LGP and very thankful for having the opportunity to expand my research in the field of medicinal cannabis in relation to obesity and gastrointestinal diseases,” Professor Falasca said.

“Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with at least 2.8 million people dying annually as a result of being overweight or obese and current drug treatments have significant adverse side-effects and need to be injected by patients.[1]

“Some of the more than 100 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant cannabinoids have been shown to have therapeutic potential for obesity. Our research will seek to unlock further understanding of the role these cannabinoids can play in regulating gut function , their mechanism of action and optimal dosing for therapeutic effect to help weight loss.”

It is anticipated that the research findings will allow Curtin and LGP to move to the next phase of testing these drugs in human trials.

The global obesity treatment drug market was valued at US$729.9 million in 2019 and is forecast to reach US$1.08 billion by 2027, at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.0%.2

LGP Head of Research and Innovation Dr Leon Warne said LGP will fund the study in three stages, with the final stage anticipated to be completed by February 2023.

“LGP is excited to commence this investigation into a novel proprietary treatment option for obesity and related diseases,” Dr Warne said.

“Supporting this type of research, which studies the use of medicinal cannabis in difficult to treat conditions, is a cornerstone of our business and key to our R&D strategy.”

Our Watch and Women with Disabilities Victoria are calling for urgent action to end violence against women and girls with disabilities, with 65% of Australian women with a disability having experienced violence.

Challenging ableist attitudes that women and girls with disabilities are ‘vulnerable’, ‘incapable,’ or ‘child-like’, alongside rejecting sexist attitudes are two of the key actions to ending the high rates of violence and abuse experienced by women and girls with disabilities. 

This evidence-based resource Changing the Landscape released by Our Watch and Women with Disabilities Victoria today shows that Australian women and girls with disabilities experience all forms of violence at higher rates, including being twice as likely to experience physical and sexual violence compared to women and girls without disabilities.  But the resource also shows that violence is preventable, not inevitable.  

Changing the Landscape reveals that sexism and ableism contribute to the shockingly high levels of violence experienced by women and girls with disabilities. Gender inequality and ableism play out across all aspects of Australian society, including medical and disability services, workplaces, schools, governments and communities. This resource is included as a recommendation for the Disability Royal Commission to draw on, as part of Our Watch’s submission into the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly said we all must play our part in stopping this violence before it inflicts harm on women and girls with disabilities, their families and communities.  

“This is not a problem just for the disability community, it is everyone’s problem, and we all must be part of the solution – to end this pervasive and unacceptable abuse. 

“Violence against women and girls with disabilities is not perpetrated by a ‘few bad apples,’ it looks like street harassment, controlling behaviours by paid and unpaid carers, doctors and policy-makers taking away reproductive choices, and institutional violence.  

“The evidence shows that by addressing sexist and ableist attitudes, practices and structures we can stop violence against women and girls with disabilities before it starts. 

“It means challenging ableist attitudes – such as the belief women and girls with disabilities need to be protected or excusing a carer’s abuse because they are ‘burnt-out.”  

“It means workplaces championing equality and increasing the number of women with disabilities in leadership roles, schools being accessible and inclusive, and media amplifying the voices and stories of women and girls with disabilities. 

“This is not just about ending the high rates of violence against women and girls with disabilities, but also about building a society where all women are valued, respected and have equal rights and opportunities,” Ms Kinnersly said. 

Women with Disabilities Victoria CEO, Nadia Mattiazzo said the resource was developed through intensive consultation with people from around Australia – who shared their professional and personal stories.   

“Violence and discrimination are huge experiences in our lives. That is why our organisation has dedicated attention to preventing them.    

“It is a reminder how disability and gender discrimination impact every part of this country and take many forms, especially when they combine with colonisation, racism and other forms of discrimination.   

“We are pleased to be advancing the need for a national focus alongside Our Watch, the national organisation to prevent violence against women and their children. We are hopeful to see government and community service action spring from this resource,” Ms Mattiazzo said. 

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has backed the enactment of greater oversight of the intelligence community in a new bill, with amendments.

In its review of the Intelligence Oversight and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity Measures) Bill 2020, tabled today, the Committee supports the passage of the bill following implementation of four key recommendations.

The Bill proposes to expand the oversight jurisdiction of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) to cover the intelligence functions of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC); and expand the oversight of the PJCIS to cover the intelligence functions of AUSTRAC.

The Bill forms part of the Government’s response to the 2020 ‘Richardson Review’ of intelligence legislation.

The Committee has recommended that the bill be passed by Parliament following implementation of four other recommendations:

• That the remit of IGIS and PJCIS be further expanded to also cover the intelligence functions of the Australian Federal Police.
• That in addition to IGIS, PJCIS be similarly provided with an oversight role over ACIC.
• That the Government review the scope and adequacy of legislative provisions relating to the retention and destruction of intelligence material.
• That the Government consider convening a regular meeting of the heads of intelligence integrity agencies, to discuss coordination of their work and promotion of integrity within the National Intelligence Community.

‘In an era of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and rapid technological change, the government is rightly providing record funding and new powers to our intelligence community to meet new challenges and evolving threats.

‘It is vital oversight and scrutiny keeps pace with these new capabilities to retain public confidence and ensure scarce resources are most effectively targeted to the most serious risks,’ Chair of the PJCIS, Senator James Paterson said.

Further information on the inquiry as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the inquiry website.

At the request of Emergency Management Australia, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is providing military planners as well as augmentation and ADF-only quick reaction teams to support aged care facilities in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These support teams will include a number of roles including team leaders, registered and enrolled nurses, and supporting personnel. The placement of personnel will be made in consultation with the Department of Health.