Category: Australian News

The Economic Empowerment Bill 2021 puts forward the most comprehensive changes in 45 years to the Australian Land Rights Act 1976. After successfully negotiating for the Bill to go to a full Inquiry, Senator Lidia Thorpe notes that 92% of submissions are against this bill.
“The Senate inquiry into the Bill has revealed a lack of consultation on this Bill and most stakeholders who gave evidence reject this Bill.”
“Most submissions call for the Bill to be axed, it’s telling that only the likes of the Mineral Council want this Bill to go ahead.”
“When the Morrison Government says that this Bill has been “co-designed,” what they mean is that it has been co-designed with hand picked organisations who have not consulted with the communities that they are supposed to represent.”
“Free, prior and informed consent means exactly what it says. Under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: all Traditional Owners have the right to decide what happens on their homelands.”
“This Bill makes it easier for mining and exploration to destroy Country, land, water, and sky.”
“This Bill should not be passed. The government must engage in extensive consultation that is underpinned by free, prior, and informed consent with all affected First Nations people, not just the ones it hand picked.” Said Thorpe.

Reports that Scott Morrison will abandon his weak anti-corruption body until after the election shows that he never intended to do it in the first place.
Morrison promised that he would introduce a federal integrity commission more than 1000 days ago, but has since pulled every trick in the book to avoid meeting his commitment, and has refused to bring on the Greens bill for a strong corruption watchdog in the House despite it passing the Senate two years ago.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“It’s being reported today that Scott Morrison is abandoning his long-promised integrity commission legislation because he can’t be sure of support from his own backbench or his usually willing accomplices in One Nation.
“This suits him beautifully because it’s another excuse not to progress an integrity body.
“That the PM is prioritising a divisive bill about religious discrimination rather than a much-called-for body to clean up corruption is very telling. The PM has a lot of religion and not a lot of integrity.
“After 1000 days of delay and excuses, it’s perfectly clear the PM never really wanted to introduce a corruption watchdog, probably because more than half of his Cabinet would be facing serious questions about their integrity.
“This is the dodgiest, most secretive and most incompetent government in Australian history.
“The Greens bill for a strong, independent corruption watchdog with teeth passed the Senate two years ago. The PM has been running scared from it ever since. If the PM had any integrity at all, he would bring my bill on for debate and vote in the House, and we could have an effective federal corruption watchdog by Christmas.
“Far from being an ICAC-lite like the government’s phantom proposal, our bill would establish a strong, independent, effective body that allows for public hearings, retrospectivity and the ability to investigate anonymous tip-offs, balanced with appropriate safeguards and privacy provisions. It got top marks from the Centre for Public Integrity in a comparison of the various models. The PM should stop the charade of excuses and bring it on for debate.”

The Morrison Government is developing a new 10-year strategic plan to help Australia’s highly skilled and respected nurse practitioners, enhancing the way they work as they deliver essential health care for Australians.
As part of the strategic plan, the Government is today commencing consultations for the plan, which aims to address workforce issues and enhance the delivery of patient care.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said there are more than 2,250 nurse practitioners in Australia who work across the health system including in our hospitals, aged care facilities, mental health services, and primary healthcare services.
“This is the first opportunity for the community, health providers, clinicians, and experts to make a contribution to this new plan, which will be delivered by the middle of next year,” Minister Hunt said.
“We want to ensure that the 10-year plan improves health outcomes, addresses workforce challenges and ensures that Australians can continue to access the support they need.”
Registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Nurse Practitioners are focused on improving access to treatment, and dedicated to improving health outcomes of all Australians, particularly at risk populations, including aged care residents, Indigenous
Australians and those living in regional, rural and remote areas.
Nurse Practitioners can be involved in a wide range of health care, providing advanced assessment and complete episodes of care to patients, including minor surgical procedures, ordering diagnostic tests, and initiating or ceasing medicines.
Nurse Practitioners also work collaboratively with other health professionals around planning, delivery, and evaluation of care for their patients.
The consultations will engage a wide range of stakeholders to better understand the issues that can impact Nurse Practitioner delivery of care, as well as innovations or new approaches.
Stakeholders can inform the development of the plan through a survey available on the Department of Health’s Consultation Hub – www.consultations.health.gov.au. Alternatively, written submissions will be accepted to nursepolicy@health.gov.au.
Consultation will close on Monday 20 December 2021.

Up to 30,000 families with no internet at home will be supported with access to free broadband for a year under Labor’s plan for a better NBN.
“During COVID-19 it became clear that students needed high-speed broadband to participate in classes from home,” said Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, today.
“This experience regrettably revealed some school children did not have access to any home internet, and this compounded an already very difficult school year.”
To enable implementation, NBNCo will provide a wholesale rebate to a designated retail provider to supply the service.
Eligible families would be identified by schools, state education departments and local community organisations, and eligibility validated by NBNCo.
“This will help extend unconnected children the opportunity to benefit from the internet and not be disadvantaged,” said Mr Albanese.
At a time when broadband has become a critical link between students and society, action is needed to ensure no child is left behind.
Ensuring every school child has broadband at home is a complex challenge that cannot be solved overnight.
However, through compassion, targeted incentives and a clear sense of purpose, we can make practical progress to bridge the digital divide.
Labor’s plan for a better NBN will secure more Australian families and businesses quality, high speed internet by expanding full-fibre NBN access to 1.5 million premises.
A Labor Government will ensure, 90 per cent of Australians in the fixed line footprint – over 10 million premises – will have access to world-class gigabit speeds by 2025.
Labor will also keep the NBN in public hands, keeping internet costs for families affordable while ensuring improvements to the network.
Reliable, quality, high speed internet is not a luxury or a nice-to-have.
It is essential 21st century infrastructure.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has today launched a new discussion paper, The University of the Future: Higher Education Built on Democracy and Equity. The policy ideas and research in the paper will provide a starting point for richer, more radical conversations about the future of universities.
Contained in the report is Parliamentary Library data analysed by the Greens has revealed that over the past twenty years, the number of elected members on the governing bodies of Australian universities has decreased by 43% from 274 elected members in 2000 to 155 elected members in 2020. As a proportion, in 2000, more than one-third of positions on these bodies were elected. By 2020, it was down to fewer than one in four.
The paper presents research and proposes a number of policy ideas, discussion questions and political actions relating to:

• University democracy and reclaiming campuses for staff and students; Secure jobs and reversing casualisation;
• Encouraging student activism and campuses as political spaces;
• Equity and anti-racism;
• First Nations knowledges, research, and leadership;
• Academic freedom; and
• Free education and abolishing student debt.

Senator Faruqi said:
“For too long, short-sighted governments and private interests have dominated conversations about what higher education should look like in this country.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and reimagine the very purpose of universities. And we have to take the power back from the anti-intellectual governments and private interests that currently run the show.
“The corporatisation of universities by government and neoliberal university management has occurred while staff and student representation on governing bodies has shrunk massively.
“Universities are at a crossroads. They can continue hurtling down a path of corporatisation, austerity and job insecurity, or they can chart a new course based on principles of democracy and equity.
“Universities are a public good. It’s time to start treating them this way once more.”
The full report is available here.

Cancer patients across Western New South Wales now have access to life-saving treatment and diagnostic services closer to home, following the opening of the $35 million Western Cancer Centre.
Regional Health Minister Dr David Gillespie and Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton today toured the newly-opened facility at Dubbo Hospital.
Mr Coulton said it was wonderful to see the Western Cancer Centre complete and open to patients.
“After years of campaigning for this centre, it’s so exciting to be here today to see it in action,” Mr Coulton said.
“This facility is providing crucial care and support to cancer patients across regional NSW, allowing people in the bush to stay closer to loved ones during treatment.
“It’s so heartening to hear how it’s already benefitting people throughout the region, people like Tracey Brown from Wellington who was the very first patient to receive radiation therapy treatment in the new facility.
“Living only 30 minutes away from the new Cancer Centre, and requiring treatment for prostate cancer every day for four weeks, Tracey was able to be treated in the morning and be back home for lunch, making the whole experience much more positive.
“This is exactly why this facility is so important – it means regional people no longer have to travel to metropolitan centres to access the treatment they need and deserve.
“I’m looking forward to celebrating with everyone who helped make this happen at the official opening early next year.”
As a former regional doctor, Dr Gillespie said it was important that locals could access care and treatment in their community and be treated by local doctors and health professionals.
“Country people have a strong affinity with their community and their local hospital, so for patients to now be able to have this treatment here instead of travelling is one-less burden for people going through cancer,” Dr Gillespie said.
“Additionally, having a strong local hospital helps to attract more doctors, nurses and health professionals to the region, as it gives them with more exposure to new technologies and increases their range of clinical skills.”
In addition to the radiation therapy bunker, the Western Cancer Centre Dubbo includes 16 chemotherapy spaces – doubling capacity – as well as new consultation rooms and a wellness space to provide support and well-being services to patients and their families.
The cancer centre opened to patients on 20 September 2021, with the clinic rooms and reception opening first, followed by the new chemotherapy treatment spaces and radiation therapy on the 19 October.
On the ground floor beside the radiation therapy bunker is the PET-CT Scanner. Providing advanced diagnostic services for the Cancer Centre and other specialist services at Dubbo Hospital, the PET-CT Scanner is one of only a handful in the state. It is currently being commissioned and will open at full capacity in the coming months.
The Australian Government provided $25 million for the state-of-the-art health service, with the NSW Government contributing the remaining $10 million.
The project supported 500 jobs during construction and it creates another 70 ongoing jobs in medical, nursing, allied health, administration and support services.

More than $57 million from the Federal Government to the University of Sydney (USyd) is giving trainee doctors and health professionals the opportunity to live, work and study in Dubbo and the central west region of NSW and in turn increasing access to healthcare for local patients.
Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton and Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie today visited the Dubbo Rural Clinical School, operated by the University of Sydney (USyd), to hear firsthand about the high-quality education and training opportunities being offered at the school.
Mr Coulton said Federal Government funding provided to USyd provided employment for local staff, in addition to training the next generation of regional and rural doctors and health professionals.
“The clinical school in Dubbo employs 27 local staff, who supported 33 trainees to complete 12-month medical placements last year,” Mr Coulton said.
“Local opportunities like this are so important. Research shows that those who train in the bush are more likely to stay on in the regions or consider practising rurally at the end of their training, which is why this Government is investing heavily in rural education opportunities.”
Minister Gillespie, who practised as a regional doctor for much of his 30-year-career, said The Liberal and Nationals Government is providing more than $57.5 million to the University of Sydney to enable regional training as part of the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program.
“The Nationals thoroughly understand the benefits of regional training for medical students and the training offered here as part of the RHMT is far superior and more hands on than that offered anywhere in the cities,” Dr Gillespie said.
Mr Coulton said in addition to the Rural Clinical School, the University of Sydney operates the Western NSW Regional Training Hub in Dubbo.
This facility helps to build training capacity in the region by supporting local medical practitioners to become supervisors and assisting health services to gain accreditation for new training posts, as well as offering more support for rural medical students and trainees.
“USyd has partnered with the local hospitals and health services through this hub to improve the coordination, continuity and capacity of rural clinical training,” Mr Coulton said.
“This support helps medical students to complete most of their studies and training in rural and remote areas and generates a sustainable medical workforce which meets the health needs of people living and working in the region.”
Dr Gillespie said USyd also received $9.27 million for capital works to establish a new rural graduateentry medical program based in Dubbo through the Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network (MDMSN).
Mr Coulton said the Dubbo medical school will welcome its first students in 2022, with 24
Commonwealth Supported Places each year.
“Pleasingly, more than 500 students applied for the first intake of the program, which indicates a high demand for regional training,” Mr Coulton said.
Twenty-one universities are currently participating in the RHMT program across Australia. Seven universities in NSW and Victoria have participated in the establishment of the MDMSN.
Dr Gillespie said by investing in the MDMSN and the RHMT program, the Federal Government is highlighting the professional and personal benefits of practising in regional, rural and remote communities.

As we begin World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, the Morrison Government continues to push forward the essential work required to protect Australians from antimicrobial resistant disease.
Each year, approximately 290 Australians die as a result of infection with some form of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said that while COVID-19 has been a large part of Australia’s national health conversation in recent years, the Government continues to actively monitor the threat of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes becoming resistant to antimicrobial treatment— known as antimicrobial resistance or AMR.
“AMR is an issue of increasing concern not just in Australia, but around the world,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Australian Government has already committed $22.5 million to understand and fight AMR, preventing the outbreak of resistant superbugs, and evaluating the use of antimicrobial, antibiotic and antifungal medicines in human and animal health.
“Over the coming 3 years, we are investing more than $14.2 million in surveillance of   antimicrobial resistance in human health in Australia, which will ensure we detect any emerging threats from AMR microbes, mainly bacteria, as early as possible.
“We will also gauge the prescription and usage of antimicrobial treatments across the country to help ensure that they are being used appropriately, and not in a way which may fuel the evolution of AMR superbugs.”
Australians are high users of antibiotics, with half of Australians obtaining one or more courses of antibiotics on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme each year.
As well as human health, AMR is a major issue for animal health, agriculture, food safety and the environment. It needs to be targeted through a holistic and multisectoral approach – referred to as One Health – as it recognises the interconnectedness between all these sectors.
Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said that the interconnectedness between the health of people, animals, and the environment highlights the need to tackle the challenges of AMR across all sectors.
“Antimicrobials enter the environment every day and can accumulate over time, leading to either harmful effects or increases in AMR,” Minister Ley said.
“One priority of the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, of which I am a member, is better understanding of environmental pathways to the development and transmission of AMR.
“Australia’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2020 & Beyond reflects the commitment from the Commonwealth and state and territory governments to address the threat that AMR poses across different sectors, including Australia’s unique and diverse environment.
“Our government continues to work to bring together a One Health antimicrobial resistance surveillance system to provide a holistic view of AMR, including human health, animal health, agriculture, food and the environment.”
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud, said animal health and welfare were important issues to keep in mind when thinking about AMR.
“The world’s population is growing, and with that comes an increased demand for high-quality animal protein, such as milk and eggs,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Antimicrobial agents can support food safety and global food security, but must be used appropriately and only when necessary, to ensure they remain effective, protecting Australia’s livestock and all Australians.”
“We know all too well after the past 2 years, that animal disease can become a risk to human health, and contributing to the emergence of AMR bacteria in animals, including our livestock is a risk right around the world.”
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is marked from 18–24 November to draw attention to this growing threat posed by AMR. It is organised by the AMR Tripartite organisations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Work to align regulation across the aged care, disability and veterans’ care sectors will significantly improve quality and safety for participants and consumers.
The Morrison Government is committed to improving protections for Australians living in residential aged care or receiving aged care services at home, those receiving veterans’ in-home care and assistance, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, and those who receive other disability services.
The changes will make it easier for service providers and staff to work seamlessly across different types of care and support, providing greater choice of services for consumers.
A consultation paper, Aligning regulation across aged care, disability support and veterans’ care, has been released today to inform the development of a roadmap towards better alignment.
Consumers and participants, their families and carers, workers and providers, and sector peak bodies are invited to have their say.
Similar services are provided across these sectors – approximately 36 per cent of aged care providers also operate in disability support or veterans’ care – yet there are separate and overlapping regulatory requirements.
Better alignment of regulation will cut red tape and make it easier for service providers and workers to deliver the highest levels of care and support. This will be achieved while also ensuring appropriate protections for Australians receiving these services remain firmly in place.
Any regulatory changes will complement the Government’s broader reform of the aged care system to ensure high quality, safe care services are delivered, that provide dignity and respect to our senior Australians.
The Government has already committed to align important aspects of regulation in the short term, such as the development of a single Code of Conduct for these sectors, and introducing consistent screening of workers. A roadmap will be developed for medium to longer term regulatory alignment for consideration by Government.
The Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission are working together to deliver the care and support regulatory alignment reform program.
Workshops exploring regulatory alignment opportunities will be held from mid-November through to December 2021. Consultation includes opportunities to submit a written submission and/or participate in online surveys and focus groups.
For more information and to have your say as part of the consultation process, go to the Consultation Hub.
More information about the alignment of regulation reform program and the consultation paper is available at health.gov.au.

The Australian Government has implemented additional measures to protect remote communities during the current COVID-19 outbreak in the Northern Territory.
As Minister for Health and Aged Care, I have made a determination under section 477 of the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act 2015 to prevent a person from entering and/or exiting the Robinson River and surrounding homelands, which is aimed at stopping any further spread of COVID-19 in the community.
These measures are based on the medical advice from the acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sonya Bennett. The implementation of these measures will help to contain the current outbreak by ensuring that a person will only enter and/or leave the area if necessary, and for essential purposes.
These measures will help to prevent and contain the current COVID-19 outbreak in the Robinson River, and will assist in preventing the emergence, establishment and spread of the disease to neighbouring remote communities in the Northern Territory.
The Determination was requested by the Northern Territory Government to supplement restrictions they have also implemented and is supported by the Northern Land Council and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (AMSANT).
The implementation of these measure follows extensive engagement with the Northern Territory Government and consultation with and support from Federal MPs and representatives of the affected communities.
The approach is consistent with extensive planning undertaken by the Australian Government in partnership with the Norther Territory Government, the Aboriginal Advisory Group on COVID-19, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Northern Territory Land Councils, the National Indigenous Australians’ Agency (NIAA) and the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector.
The Australian Government’s response was also:

• informed by the predictive modelling on an outbreak in a remote community by the Kirby Institute and University of Melbourne and modelling looking at an outbreak in a remote community in the context of vaccination by the Doherty Institute
• recognised in the Management Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Populations; and
• outlined in the Communicable Disease Network Australia’s National Guidance for Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities for COVID-19.

All residents of Robinson River are encouraged to continue to follow their local Health Department directions, to be tested in the coming days and to book their vaccinations.
The measures are being implemented based on the best public health advice and will be in place only as long as necessary to keep the community safe. The measures will be in place until 6pm, 18 November 2021.