Category: Australian News

Marking one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global commitment to eliminate cervical cancer, the Australian Government is investing $5.8 million to back our pledge to be the first nation in the world to achieve this goal.
The National Cervical Screening Program encourages a simple five-yearly test (changed from every two years in 2017) that checks for HPV – a common infection that causes almost all cervical cancers – before any cancerous cells develop.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said this program had been a game-changer in Australia’s efforts to eliminate cervical cancer.
“In the program’s 30 years it has halved the incidence of cervical cancer and mortality in Australia,” Minister Hunt said.
“We however do not rest on our laurels, there is more work to be done. Our Government continues to work to ensure as many people as possible engage with the support available, particularly by ensuring access and equity in under-screened groups.”
“The funding announced today will support the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer to collaboratively develop a National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy by the end of 2022 to help us ensure our goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health concern is met by 2035.”
The Strategy will require coordinated efforts throughout the health system to overcome cultural and structural barriers to cervical cancer prevention programs and treatment, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other under-screened populations.
The funding will also support Australia’s largest clinical trial, the Compass Trial, which will produce world-first evidence on the interactions between HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening. The trial will inform improvements to the National Cervical Screening Program to ensure participants continue to receive the right care.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Marise Payne, said Australia was committed to the WHO’s elimination strategy by championing and leading the resolution on the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.
“We are committed to continued support for this and other global initiatives on cervical cancer elimination,” Minister Payne said.
“Australia’s HPV vaccination program and National Cervical Screening Program are world-leading and have put us on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035.”
Developed at the University of Queensland, the introduction of the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) onto Australia’s National Immunisation Program was a world first, and will help to protect young people from getting a range of HPV-related cancers and diseases, such as cervical cancer. Since 2012-13, we have spent close to $386 million on HPV vaccines and distributed around 6.4 million doses.
The introduction in July 2022 of self-collection for cervical screening tests, announced on 8 November 2021 is expected to encourage many more women to take the test by making the process easier, more comfortable and less invasive.
Australia will be one of the first countries in the world to offer the ‘game-changing’ self-collect option through our National Cervical Screening Program.
Ensuring access and equity in the prevention, early detection and treatment of cervical cancer will be central to reach the WHO elimination targets in Australia.

Updated guidelines to assist Australian universities strengthen their resilience to foreign interference risks, while protecting students, staff and research that contribute to Australia’s prosperity, have been released today.
The updated guidelines will better address how foreign interference threats have evolved since the initial guidelines were released in 2019, and will assist universities to better identify and respond to the risk of foreign interference.
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said espionage and foreign interference posed a challenge to Australia’s democracy, but that the Morrison Government would continue to protect Australia’s institutions, including our universities.
“These updated guidelines are more important than ever – with international students set to return to many Australian jurisdictions soon, we need to ensure our University campuses embody the free, open, transparent debate that is so vital to an Australian education, and to our way of life,” Minister Andrews said.
“The guidelines will protect universities, students and researchers from hostile foreign actors and intelligence services; who have been known to target sensitive research, muzzle debate, and intimidate foreign students.”
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the updated guidelines are more specific, measurable and will support greater consistency of actions to counter foreign interference across the university sector.
“Australia is home to some of the world’s leading academics who are producing world-class research. These guidelines will ensure our researchers are protected,” Minister Tudge said.
“We have seen that Australian universities are a target for foreign interference with foreign actors using sophisticated and deceptive means to steal Australian research and intellectual property.
“The Morrison Government takes research integrity very seriously and will continue to prevent efforts to steal information and interfere in our universities.”
More information is available at https://www.dese.gov.au/guidelines-counter-foreign-interference-australian-university-sector.

The Greens have said the next election will be a climate fight with the heat now on Liberal and Labor, after the Glasgow Climate Pact put coal & gas on death row and committed countries to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, which will mean Australia taking to next year’s summit 2030 targets of 75% emissions cuts.
However, within hours of signing up to the Glasgow Climate Pact, Angus Taylor has ruled out setting new 2030 targets prior to COP27 in November 2022, which the Pact explicitly requests and urges Australia to do.
Keith Pitt has also used the opportunity post-Glasgow to state that “we won’t be closing mines and closing coal-fired power stations”, in direct contradiction to the Pact’s agreement to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal power.
All parties to the pact also recognized that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of 1.5 °C compared with 2 °C and resolved to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C.
The independent Climate Targets Panel has determined that a 74% emissions reduction on 2005 levels is required by 2030 for Australia to do it’s fair share to limit global heating to 1.5°C.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“Forget whether it’s ‘phase out’ or ‘phase down’, the Glasgow pact has put coal and gas on death row.
“I’m not sure the government has fully realised what they’ve signed up to or the implications for Liberal and Labor next year.
“The Glasgow pact means getting out of coal, but Liberal and Labor want 116 new coal and gas projects.
“With such a strong focus on limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees, the Glasgow pact has upped the ante for Liberal and Labor, as neither have 2030 targets consistent with 1.5 degrees but both must pledge higher ambition before next year’s climate summit in Egypt.
“From now on, anything less than a 75% by 2030 target and a pledge for no more coal and gas means giving up on the Glasgow pact.
“The next election will be a climate fight and the heat is now on Liberal and Labor to stop their push for more coal and gas and lift 2030 targets to 75% to keep 1.5 alive.
“Only the Greens’ policies are in line with Glasgow.
“With Greens in balance of power after the next election, we’ll kick the Liberals out and push the next government to go further and faster for no more coal and gas and a 75% cut by 2030.”

The Australian Greens condemn the move by the Meeting of Attorneys General (MAG) towards raising the age of legal responsibility from 10 to 12 years of age.
“The MAG announcement shows a deliberate disregard of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, medical evidence and First Nations advocates. The experts all agree: we need to raise the age of legal responsibility to 14.” Said the Greens spokesperson for Justice and First Nations, Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“499 children aged between 10 and 13 were imprisoned last year: 91% were 12 or over. MAG’s proposal would keep most of our kids in jail.” Said Thorpe.
“We’re talking about the safety and wellbeing of our children in this country. This is far too important to be wasting time with pointless announcements.”
“Aggressive policing, coupled with racist laws and policies like the refusal to raise the age to at least 14, is deliberately targeting First Nations children who account for a staggering 65% of children who are jailed in this country. Often for low level, non-violent offending.”
“Having such a low age of legal responsibility is impacting First Nations children the most. Separating children from their families, communities, education and culture is causing lasting damage.”
“Children who are at risk of getting trapped in the criminal legal system need supportive bail and community corrections programs to divert them away from prisons and back into the community.”
“Children do their best when they are in loving and caring environments with access to great healthcare, education and community support. This amounts to nothing more than smoke and mirrors from the Morrison Government. It’s a complete and total sham by the MAG.”
“In solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, First Nations health services, human rights, legal, and medical services and their peak bodies, The Greens are demanding that the MAG increase the age of legal responsibility from 10 to at least 14.”
“Instead of jailing children for minor crimes, the Morrison government needs to fund and resource First Nations organisations in particular to support children to get back on the right path through culturally safe and supportive diversionary programs.”
“I commend Greens across the country who are pushing for this change, like Attorney-General of the ACT Shane Rattenbury, Dr Tim Read in Victoria, and Michael Berkman in Queensland. If the MAG won’t do what’s right they must step out of the way because The Greens will.” Said Thorpe.

As Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan call for more coal before the ink on the Glasgow Climate Pact is even dry, the Greens have begun hitting the streets in target inner-city Liberal seats like Ryan, Brisbane, Kooyong and Higgins to unseat incumbents by reminding them that if you vote Liberal, you get Barnaby.
Appearing on Afternoon Briefing yesterday, Joyce claimed that despite being Deputy Prime Minister, he had apparently not agreed to the Cop26 Pact which Australia is signatory, and derided Alok Sharma and other Cop26 attendees as just wanting “to get on television”. Matt Canavan said that Glasgow is a “green light for coal” despite Australia being urged by the Pact to return to Cop27 with stronger emissions targets.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“A vote for the Liberals is a vote for Barnaby Joyce setting climate policy.
“A vote for even ‘moderate’ Liberals still gives Barnaby the power to push us beyond the point of climate no-return.
“There’s no way around the equation: vote Liberal, get Barnaby.
“The Greens are hitting the streets and the billboards are going up, reminding voters that if you vote Liberal, you get Barnaby.
“The price of the Nationals’ climate deal is becoming clearer by the day: more coal and no lifting of Australia’s woeful 2030 targets.
“Liberal moderates will never have the kingmaker power of the Nationals.
“Australia’s climate policy under the Liberals will be set by Barnaby “won’t be bullied by science” Joyce and Matt “a cold snap means climate change isn’t real” Canavan.
“This time, voters in inner-city seats can send the Liberals a powerful message about climate by voting Greens.”

The Australian Greens have today announced their plan to make Telehealth a permanent part of our healthcare system, investing $772 million over the forward estimates into our healthcare system.
Telehealth has been widely available since March 2020 and has enabled many people to access healthcare on the phone or by video conference. The changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule that enabled these appointments are set to end on 31st December 2021.
Greens spokesperson on Health and Mental Health Senator Jordon Steele-John said:
“Telehealth has been invaluable to our community. It has enabled people to access health services during lockdowns, it has closed the access gap for people living in regional and remote areas, and has allowed disabled people and older people to access support from home.
“So many people have told me that accessing telehealth has meant they haven’t missed a whole day of work, or study, to have a 15-minute appointment with their GP.
“We must ensure that we are building a health system that meets the needs of our community into the future.
“The Australian Greens are committed to making telehealth a permanent feature of our Medicare system. I am calling on the government to give certainty to health care providers, and the community. They must commit to ongoing support for telehealth services.
“The Australian Greens want everyone who needs health care to access it. Today’s announcement to make telehealth permanent builds on our commitment to clear public hospital surgery waiting lists, and get dental health care and mental health care included in Medicare.”

The Australian Government is providing $10 million to establish a multidisciplinary national research network that will contribute to Australia’s preparedness and responsiveness to health threats from changing environmental conditions and extreme weather events.
The Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) Network will provide national and international leadership in environmental change and health research.
The national initiative will be comprised of researchers, practitioners, communities and policymakers who will work together to address themes such as urban health, bushfires, food security, heatwaves and other extreme events, and biosecurity.
HEAL network partners have committed more than $6 million in cash and $8 million in kind, in addition to the $10 million provided through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change.
The HEAL network is led by Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, Professor of Global Health at the Australian National University, and includes 28 participating institutions. The network has strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and wide geographic reach for a uniquely Australian response.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt MP, said the network would develop the interdisciplinary, cross-sector, solutions-driven research needed to address local, regional, national and global challenges.
“Australians know from experience how we depend on working together to respond to global health challenges,” Minister Hunt said.
“The complex interplay of environmental change, extreme weather events, economics and public health requires a multidisciplinary, collaborative response that can inform future policy and practice.”
“The HEAL network will develop the evidence, capability and tools needed to protect and improve community health, strengthen health system resilience and reduce inequities and inequalities across communities and generations.”
NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso said resilience to environmental change, emerging health threats and emergencies is one of NHMRC’s strategic priorities.
“This network will help to protect the health of the Australian community and build a resilient and responsive health system, based on strong engagement and co-design with federal and state governments, the public health and healthcare sectors, charities, communities, business and industry,” Professor Kelso said.
With strong leadership, the network will also seek respectfully to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and culture with Western knowledge.
The multidisciplinary research network will include leaders in environmental/public health, health systems, economics, and climate, data and social science who will work together to assess and communicate environmental health risks, and develop practical integrated solutions to reduce their impacts and protect human health.

A group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations across Australia are receiving a total of $1.27 million in grants to improve the delivery of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support services.
The $22,000 Indigenous Business Support Funding grants have been awarded to 57 organisations.
Awarded for the first time this year, the scheme was administered by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), which represents 143 community health organisations.
The grants are being provided as part of the Federal Government’s NDIS Ready project.
Minister for the NDIS Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the funding would strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s participation in the NDIS – as well as increase the number of culturally-appropriate service providers.
“We can improve the lifetime wellbeing and quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability by ensuring earlier and better access to the NDIS,” Minister Reynolds said.
The funding will help Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO) to build their national capacity to deliver NDIS services.
“The grants will improve access to reasonable and necessary supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability and improve their choice and control of those supports,” Minister Reynolds said.
Organisations will be helped to address challenges in registering and delivering NDIS services and/or engaging business or technical advice, to develop better systems of service delivery.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Chief Executive Officer Pat Turner welcomed the funding.
“These grants will enable the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation sector to expand into the NDIS, to provide additional essential supports for people with disability,” Ms Turner said.
Northern Territory grant recipient Danila Dilba Health Service will use the money to further its work in supporting people to access disability services.
South Australian West Coast Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Network Chairperson Cindy Zbierski said access to culturally respectful and Aboriginal-led disability services was vital to improving life outcomes and achieving equity.
“The funding gives us the opportunity to scope future Aboriginal-led disability solutions within our communities,” Ms Zbierski said.
Chief Executive Officer of Victorian Aboriginal Health Service Michael Graham said that the grant would also enable the service to operate its NDIS program within governance frameworks, and to expand it.
A list of successful applicants will be made available on the NACCHO website.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are supplying a record share of goods and services to the Australian Government, with the latest procurement statistics showing a $5.4 billion increase in the value of Commonwealth contracts going to SMEs.
In the 2020-21 financial year, SMEs were awarded 45,773 or 54 per cent of contracts with a total value of $18.7 billion, which is the highest level on record and the highest annual increase for SMEs, up from $13.6 billion in 2019-20.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the Morrison Government continued to back SME participation in Commonwealth procurements and continued to exceed its targets in regard to the proportion of contracts going to SMEs.
“Small and medium businesses continue to punch well above their weight in the highly competitive government procurement market,” Minister Birmingham said.
“SMEs are the engine room of our economy, and this strong performance is further demonstration of the huge economic and jobs contribution they make.
“We fully recognise that many small and medium businesses have done it tough during the pandemic. This strong SME performance is a shining light and is a testament to the quality of the goods and services that Australian SMEs continue to produce and deliver.
“Enhancing opportunities for small businesses to bid for and win work will be critical to our ongoing economic recovery and as our nation continues to open up.
“This outcome also reflects our ongoing commitment to boosting industry capability and ensuring a level playing field for Australian SMEs in Commonwealth procurements.”
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said that a series of changes to the Commonwealth procurement framework had helped to put more small businesses in the mix for government procurement work.
“We continue to cut red tape and reduce costs for small businesses within the government procurement market,” Minister Robert said.
“We’ve done this by changing the rules to allow for the direct engagement of SMEs for procurements valued up to $200,000, where the engagement provides a value for money outcome.
“This measure, as well as others like the greater use of whole-of-government panels to reduce the costs of tendering, 5 day payment times for e-invoices, and assessing the domestic economic benefits offered by suppliers for large contracts, are all about making it easier for SMEs to bid and secure Commonwealth contracts.”
For further information, please visit https://www.finance.gov.au/government/procurement/statistics-australian-government-procurement-contracts-

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt MP, on the government’s ‘net zero modelling’ said:
“This is a plan for ‘not zero’.
“The Prime Minister’s promise not to lie lasted less than 24 hours.
“This is a piece of fiction trying to cover up inaction.
“Scott Morrison’s climate ambition is so low that he doesn’t even hit net zero in his net zero ‘plan’.
“This is a recipe for climate collapse in Australia, with more extreme droughts, floods and fires.
“It doesn’t even model what the world is furiously trying to reach in Glasgow, the Paris Agreement goal of staying below 1.5C of warming.
“Under this ‘not zero’ plan, in 2050 emissions from coal, gas and other sources are nearly half what they are today, 253 million tonnes per year.
“The plan is built on more coal and gas and a vague hope that the private sector will voluntarily offset 159 million tonnes of someone else’s pollution. The Prime Minister fundamentally misunderstands ‘can-do capitalism’ if he thinks big corporations will voluntarily hand over a big bag of cash for permits they’re not obliged to buy.
“Under the Liberals’ plan, in 2050 Australia won’t have a safe climate and it won’t even have net zero emissions. Under the Liberals, in 2050 Australia will emit 94 million tonnes per year in 2050, a larger amount of climate pollution than countries like New Zealand or Greece emit right now in 2021.
“Any genuine plan would model the Paris Agreement pathways to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, which for Australia means 75% emissions reduction by 2030.