Australian News – Page 439

Domestic Violence Commissioner and 500 more sector workers under Labor

Right now, women fleeing violence are being turned away from accommodation and services because of insufficient funding towards sector workers, and the failure to recognise this tragedy as a national priority.

A Labor Government will appoint a Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commissioner and fund 500 new community sector workers to support women in crisis.
Across the country domestic violence organisation tell us how much more they could do with an extra pair of hands.
Labor’s commitment to fund 500 new community sector workers will allow:

Services to employ an extra case worker to help women go through the complex task of setting up a new, safer life.
Community organisations to hire a financial counsellor to help women escape the debt their abuser has run up in their name,
Specialist women’s services to gain a support worker to sit with children and help them work through their experiences.

Half of these 500 new community sector workers will be located in rural and regional communities.
This is part of Labor’s ongoing commitment to tackling the scourge of domestic violence. It builds on our promise to invest $100 million in crisis accommodation and build 4,000 homes for women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness.
Over the past 8 years, Coalition governments have failed to take this task seriously.
Not enough workers are funded.
It’s past time to stop just talking about it – and elevate women’s safety to a national priority.
This is why, an Albanese government will establish a new Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commissioner. The Commissioner will:

Act as an advocate for victim-survivors.
Work with States and territory organisation to ensure we have the data we need to invest resources where they will make the most difference.
Help co-ordinate key national frameworks so safety and access to services doesn’t depend on where you live.
Provide accountability and transparency by measuring progress against the National Plan and delivering a yearly report.

We know this is just the beginning. Labor is committed to action and bringing down the rates of violence in our communities.

New laws at odds with Independent National Security Legislation Monitor

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

Coalition continues to push through legislation no one wants

The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2021 was passed into law yesterday despite some key stakeholders opposing it. Senator Lidia Thorpe moved an amendment to the Bill to alert the Senate of these concerns, including the lack of proper consultation and the overregulation of industry.
The Senate ignored these concerns and passed the bill into law anyway.
“This Bill is a greedy little power grab. It is not supported by key stakeholders in the logistics, technology, and education sectors, among others.” Said The Greens spokesperson for Justice, Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“With the new powers in these new laws, The Minister can authorise the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to gather information, undertake an action (or direct that an action not be undertaken), or authorise the Australian Signals Directorate to intervene, when a cyber security incident has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur.”
“Even the Government controlled Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security reported that there had been insufficient consultation by the Government but the Bill was passed by the Senate anyway. ”
“The Government and its spy agencies can now take over the operations of an industry based on the decision of the Minister.”
“This new law will give the Minister considerable powers under the guise of protecting the security of critical infrastructure.”

The Greens announce First Nations Health Initiative to combat Coalition incompetence

Decisions made by successive governments have resulted in health inequality. Whether you’ve been here for 5 years, 5 generations or 5 000 generations, everyone should enjoy the same access to healthcare in this country.
COVID-19 put a spotlight on the fact that many First Nations communities need better access to health services, and the health centres they rely on need more resources to empower First Nations people to get what they need to be and stay well.
The Greens have a plan to balance the scales, so everyone can enjoy the same quality of care in this country. The Greens will:

Provide $371m to self-determined, community-led First Nations health services to increase their capacity to care for their own communities
Ensure people have early access to preventative programs and provide funding of $1.07b to build First Nations-owned healing places
Expand Gold Card access to First Nations Elders aged 60 and above
Grow the First Nations health and wellbeing workforce to provide culturally appropriate care to their communities

Making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax, and winding back handouts to big polluters will pay for this policy.
The Greens spokesperson for First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe said:
“For First Nations people, ‘health’ refers to the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the environment, not just the physical person. By axing billions of dollars in handouts to the coal, oil and gas giants, we can heal Country and our communities.”
Australian Greens spokesperson for Health, Senator Jordon Steele-John said:
“For too long, First Nations communities have been blocked from accessing the services and resources they need to be healthy. The Australian Greens are committed to taking urgent, holistic action to improve the wellbeing of First Nations People across the country. Our funding announcement today will support the First Nations Health Workforce, boost the resourcing of community-led services including health promotion programs, access to vaccines and culturally safe mental health care.
“The next election will be closer than people think. Scott Morrison is only 828 votes away from losing majority government and on current polling, a power-sharing Parliament is the most likely outcome.
“In balance of power, the Greens will kick the Liberals out and push the next government to make billionaire corporations pay their fair share of tax so everyone can enjoy the same quality of healthcare in this country.”

Extension of measures as NT COVID-19 outbreak continues

The Australian Government is extending the COVID-19 measures it has introduced to protect remote communities in the Northern Territory facing current outbreaks.
The determination under section 477 of the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act 2015 will extend until 6pm, 1 December 2021, it prevents people from entering and/or exiting the Robinson River and surrounding homelands.
The restrictions limit the movement of people in and out of these communities for only essential reasons, while the virus is present in these communities.
The initial Determination, and this extension, have been requested by the Northern Territory Government and supported by critical stakeholders, including the Northern Land Council, the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (AMSANT) and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).
This will help stop any further spread of COVID-19 in the region, but our Government is committed to only requiring these measures for as long as necessary to keep these communities safe.
We have seen the case numbers grow in this current outbreak, and the restriction of movement the Robinson River community is necessary to prevent COVID-19 reaching other isolated communities.
The Australian Government continues to receive advice from the acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sonya Bennett, informed by the experience of health care workers on the ground, representatives of the communities, and Northern Territory authorities.
These measures will help to contain the current COVID-19 outbreak in the Robinson River, and hopefully spare other remote communities from the risk of the disease spreading.
All residents of Robinson River are encouraged to continue to follow their local Health Department directions, to be tested for COVID-19 and to get vaccinated by the available means, if not already.

Keeping Australia safe from high risk terrorist offenders

The Morrison Government has secured passage in the Parliament of legislation to continue to protect the Australian community from the evolving threat posed by convicted terrorist offenders.
The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2021 establishes an extended supervision order scheme to ensure that terrorist offenders who are released into the community at the end of their custodial sentences are subject to tailored close supervision, based on the level of risk they pose to community safety.
“The legislation is a critical step towards ensuring the safety of the Australian community from the risk posed by convicted terrorist offenders,” said the Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash.
“As we have seen from the recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand, and the UK, as well as similar attacks in the UK in 2019 and 2020, convicted terrorist offenders can pose a very real threat to the community at the conclusion of their sentence.” the Attorney-General said.
“Such individuals are typically highly radicalised and do not change their extremist views while in prison, despite deradicalisation efforts.”
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the new extended supervision order scheme would keep Australians safe from terrorist offenders who remained a high-risk at the conclusion of their sentence.
“There are a significant number of convicted terrorist offenders reaching the conclusion of their prison sentences in the years ahead. We’re not waiting though, the Morrison Government is taking strong action now to ensure our police have the powers they need to keep the community safe and manage any individuals who remain a high-risk,” Minister Andrews said.
“Australians can trust that a Morrison Government will back our intelligence, law enforcement and other operational agencies, by providing the resources, powers, and legislative support they need to tackle this complex and ever-evolving threat.”
Under an extended supervision order, a State or Territory Supreme Court may impose conditions on a terrorist offender at the end of their sentence that are proportionate to the risk they pose to the community. Conditions may include restrictions to movement and access to devices, requirements to not associate with particular individuals, and to participate in specified rehabilitation and treatment programs. Breaches of those conditions will be an offence punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Since the National Terrorism Threat Level was raised to ‘Probable’ in September 2014, there have been nine terrorist attacks and 21 major counter-terrorism disruption operations in response to potential or imminent attack planning in Australia.
Following successful disruptions to terrorist plots and subsequent prosecutions, there is a sizeable cohort of terrorist offenders currently serving custodial sentences, due for release in the coming years.
Since 2001, 95 people have been convicted of terrorism related offences. 54 of these people are currently serving custodial sentences.
There are 18 terrorist offenders due to be released over the next five years, including two offenders currently subject to continuing detention orders.

Australia-Germany to support hydrogen supply-chain projects

The future of hydrogen exports in Australia will get a boost from international collaboration between Australia and Germany as the Morrison Government continues to accelerate the development of Australia’s future hydrogen industry.
Australia and Germany are working together on a new initiative to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the development of hydrogen technology.
The Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will take a lead role in the new joint Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Incubator known as HyGATE, supporting real-world pilot, trial, demonstration and research projects along the hydrogen supply chain.
ARENA and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) aim to open the funding initiative in the first quarter of 2022.
Australia has committed $50 million to the HyGATE initiative and Germany has committed €50 million. The funds will be invested into new hydrogen projects.
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the HyGATE project follows the signing of the Australia-Germany Hydrogen Accord in June to collaborate on hydrogen technology.
“The Morrison Government’s ambition is to produce affordable clean hydrogen for use both in Australia and to export to our trading partners, including Germany which has high demand for energy,” Minister Taylor said.
“The recent release of the first report from HySupply, our joint Australian-German hydrogen supply chain study, found there is great potential for Australian hydrogen to supply growing demand in Germany.
“Our partnership with Germany through the HyGATE project will accelerate the development of Australia’s hydrogen industry and will create new jobs and economic opportunities on the path to net zero.”
Assistant Minister to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Tim Wilson said getting the cost of hydrogen down was a priority under the government’s Technology Investment Roadmap.
“Collaboration with our international partners is vital to achieving the technology breakthroughs required to lower the price of hydrogen and drive its widespread adoption,” Assistant Minister Wilson said.
“Being able to draw on Germany’s expertise in hydrogen technology will help our domestic industry add value and reduce costs in all stages of the hydrogen supply chain.”
Australia’s Special Adviser on Low Emissions Technology Dr Alan Finkel helped broker the hydrogen partnership with Germany.
Australia’s funding is provided under the $565.8 million committed in the 2021-2022 Budget initiative to establish low emissions technology partnerships.
The Australian Government released a National Hydrogen Strategy in 2019, which sets out a vision for Australia to become a major global hydrogen supplier by 2030.
The government is investing more than $1.2 billion to accelerate the development of an Australian hydrogen industry, including $464 million to develop up to seven clean hydrogen industrial hubs in regional Australia.
Clean hydrogen could directly support 16,000 jobs by 2050, plus an additional 13,000 jobs from the construction of related renewable energy infrastructure. Australian hydrogen production for export and domestic use could also generate more than $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050.
Hydrogen is a flexible, safe, transportable and storable fuel that when used produces no carbon emissions.

Temporary Visa Holders

Resumption of travel for temporary visa holders is welcome news and a win for thousands of people whose lives have been disrupted for more than 20 months, the Greens say.
“While this announcement is long overdue, and nothing can erase the immense pain and trauma that the border closure has caused, this news will be celebrated by many thousands of people who hold visas for Australia,” Greens Immigration and Citizenship spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“The Greens join with them to celebrate all the children that will be reunited with their parents, all of the couples that will be reunited, all of the people that will be able to return to their jobs, homes, communities and lives in Australia.”
“We also welcome the new temporary visa holders who will now be able to come to Australia and start a new chapter in their lives.”
“The Greens will examine the changes to determine which visa classes have been left out, and continue to advocate for people who hold those visas.”
“There are obviously also many people whose visas have expired, and those who have lost significant amounts of time that they could have spent in Australia.”
“The Greens last month introduced legislation to restore and extend these visas, and we will continue to fight for them to be reinstated.”

Labor’s Bill to End Labour Hire Rorts

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has introduced a private member’s bill to end the labour hire rorts that are ripping off workers in the mining sector and across the Australian economy.
Workers doing the same job at the same mine, factory, construction site, abattoir, shop or office should get the same pay. It’s that simple.
But right now companies are deliberately using labour hire firms that exploit casual workers to undermine job security and undercut wages.

Workers doing the same job at the same mine, factory, construction site, abattoir, shop or office should get the same pay. It’s that simple.

These dodgy arrangements are rife in the mining industry but are increasingly being used in other industries as well such as meat work, construction, hospitality and even aged care.
We know that casual workers in Queensland’s coal-mining industry are consistently earning less than their permanent colleagues – proving it’s a myth that casuals are getting paid their rightful loading.
It’s a rort that has to end.
That’s why Labor committed earlier this year to implementing a “same job, same pay” policy as part of our Secure Australian Jobs Plan. Under a Labor Government workers employed through labour hire companies will receive no less than workers employed directly.
But this doesn’t have to wait to the election.
The Morrison-Joyce Government could join with Labor right now to end these rorts and ensure workers get better pay and conditions.
Scott Morrison and his Nationals colleagues talk a big game about being on the side of miners. But just a few months ago the Liberal and National parties joined with the labour hire firms in a high court case to maintain these rorts. He wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money to ensure casuals can be ripped off.
Scott Morrison also teamed up with One Nation to pass IR changes that extinguish the rights of casual workers in all industries.
Under the government scheme passed earlier this year employers can benefit from the certainty of a permanent worker – but they don’t need to give them the benefits of permanent work like sick leave or annual leave.
If workers want to be casuals they can be. But in our meetings with miners, meat workers and labourers it’s clear many labour hire casuals crave the security, pay and conditions of the permanent workers doing the same job beside them.
Only Labor has a plan to deliver more secure jobs, better pay and a fairer industrial relations system for Australian working families.

Delivering state-of-the-art equipment to assist cancer treatment

The Morrison Joyce Government is strengthening the safety and quality of Australia’s cancer treatment programs by securing $2.5 million for the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to acquire a new medical linear accelerator (LINAC) for its Melbourne-based laboratory.
Complementing ARPANSA’s current LINAC machine, this new secondary device will ensure a continuous supply of life-saving radiation therapy for cancers.
ARPANSA plays a vital role calibrating the radiation measurement devices for Australian hospitals to ensure that correct doses are administered to patients.
ARPANSA also operates the national dosimetry audit program, verifying that contemporary treatment techniques used by radiotherapy facilities are safe and accurate.
In addition, the LINAC machines are used to conduct cutting edge research into the spatial sensitivity of radiation detectors, the dosimetry of small clinical radiation fields and advanced auditing.
The LINAC will enable ARPANSA to ensure safe radiation treatment for every radiation oncology patient in Australia.
The Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said about 70,000 Australian cancer patients would be treated with radiation this year.
“The number of patients, the sophistication of their treatments and the quality and duration of their survivorship continues to increase,” Minister Hunt said.
“As the number of radiotherapy centres in Australia continues to increase, as does the technological sophistication within those facilities.
“We are ensuring that all Australians have access to safe and accurate radiotherapy treatment.
“Australia is at the forefront of radiotherapy research and treatment, and the Morrison Joyce Government is ensuring that this leading-edge medical equipment is safe to use now and into the future.
Minister for Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie said the Federal Government continues to ensure that the steadily increasing number of Australians being treated for cancer received cutting edge therapies, delivered safely.
“This investment in medical infrastructure will ensure these aims are met and ensure that people who live in regional areas can continue to receive modern and safe cancer treatment,” Dr Gillespie said.
“I visited the new Western Cancer Centre in Dubbo this week and met with the first patient who was treated there with a LINAC and heard how much of a difference being able to receive that treatment locally had made to him. I know this investment will help regional patients.”
Dr Gillespie said ARPANSA will have a state-of-the-art linear accelerator to maintain the high standards of calibration work and ensure that all Australians are protected from radiation while undergoing necessary radiotherapy treatments for cancer.