Category: Australian News

The Morrison Government must help fund a universal paid pandemic leave scheme to ensure every Australian worker who needs to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can do so without financial penalty.
A paid pandemic leave scheme is a critical measure to protect both workers and public health by preventing further COVID-19 outbreaks. It should have been introduced months ago.
Workers cannot be forced to choose between paying their bills and protecting their colleagues, customers and patients. Whenever we force that choice on people the community is put at risk.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said “about 80 per cent” of the state’s new infections since mid-May have been ” driven by transmission in workplaces.”
A universal paid pandemic leave scheme could have prevented some of this terrible toll.
Unless we get a universal scheme we will have more community transmission, leading to more outbreaks and economy-smashing lockdowns. We cannot afford not to do this.
Some employers have established their own schemes and Labor welcomes that. The Fair Work Commission has also granted paid pandemic leave to some aged care workers, and the Victorian Labor Government has also introduced some payments.
But it must go further. The Government must step in and help fund a scheme to reach all workers.
Labor believes the scheme should be available to any worker, regardless of industry or employment status, who needs to be away from work to: undergo a COVID test; isolate while awaiting a result; isolate if a test is positive; or isolate if directed to do so by a public health officer.
An estimated 3.7 million Australians don’t have any access to paid sick leave or the other protections of permanent employment, including casuals, contractors, freelancers, sole traders and gig economy workers. And many permanent workers have exhausted their sick leave entitlements.
Without pandemic leave, many will continue to turn up to work when they’re sick or should be isolating.
Labor first called for paid pandemic leave on March 10 – 142 days ago.
But Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter dismissed our call at the time, saying the Government would not “jump to a solution in anticipation of a problem”.
The Government says it is now considering the idea.
There is no excuse for any further delay. The Government must act immediately.

The Morrison Government is continuing to provide certainty to businesses about how they can meet their legal obligations by extending temporary regulatory relief in respect of online meetings and electronic document execution for a further six months.
The changes allow companies to convene annual general meetings, and other meetings prescribed under the Corporations Act, entirely online rather than face-to-face. The changes also give businesses certainty that when company officers sign a document electronically, the document has been validly executed.
These changes will be made under the instrument-making power that has been inserted into the Corporations Act 2001 as part of our response to the Coronavirus crisis.
The feedback that the Government has received from industry is that these temporary changes have provided certainty to business and helped them continue to operate through the coronavirus crisis. Under the social distancing measures that are currently in place, and the ongoing challenges in Victoria, it is difficult for shareholders to physically gather and for companies to execute documents in person.
Under the extension of the temporary relief measures, companies will continue to:

• provide notice of annual general meetings to shareholders using email;
• achieve a quorum with shareholders attending online; and
• hold annual general meetings online.

Meetings must continue to provide shareholders with a reasonable opportunity to participate. Shareholders will continue to be able to put questions to board members and vote online.
To execute documents, company officers will continue to be able to sign documents electronically, so for the duration of the extended relief, signatories will not be required to sign the same physical document. This will ensure that documents can continue to be properly executed at a time when ordinary business operations have been disrupted.
The current arrangements will be extended for another 6 months so that they expire on 21 March 2021.
The Morrison Government will continue to provide the necessary flexibility for businesses to deal with the challenges that have been presented by the coronavirus crisis and help facilitate the recovery on the other side.

The new National Agreement on Closing the Gap has today come into effect, upon signature by the First Ministers of all Australian Governments, the Lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, and the President of the Australian Local Government Association.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new Closing the Gap agreement is an historic achievement.
“Today finally marks a new chapter in our efforts to close the gap – one built on mutual trust, shared responsibility, dignity and respect,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
“The gaps we are now seeking to close are the gaps that have now been defined by the representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is as it should be. This creates a shared commitment and a shared responsibility.”
“This is the first time a National Agreement designed to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been negotiated directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.”
“By focusing our efforts on these more specific, practical and shared objectives we can expect to make much greater progress.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said the National Agreement demonstrates the Government’s commitment to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“The way all levels of government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives have come together to negotiate this National Agreement and collectively determine how we strive to close the gap demonstrates our commitment to working together through meaningful partnerships,” Minister Wyatt said.
“We know that the best out comes are achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are equal partners with governments, and when they have a direct say in how we are going to be successful in driving the desired outcomes.”
The Lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, Ms Pat Turner AM, said “for the first time, First Nations people will share decision-making with governments on Closing the Gap. The National Agreement makes this a reality, not just for the Coalition of Peaks, but for all First Nations people that want to have a say on how things should be working in their communities.”
“If the Priority Reforms are implemented in full by governments and through shared decision making with First Nations people, we should see changes over time to the lives and experiences of our people.”
At the centre of the National Agreement are four priority reforms that commit governments to change the way they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
These reforms will embed joint-decision making; build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled service sector; transform mainstream government services; and improve data to support informed decision-making.
The new National Agreement builds on the draft targets endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments in 2018. It establishes 16 targets in areas such as education, employment, health and wellbeing, justice, safety, housing, land and waters, and languages.
For the first time, all governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations share responsibility for achieving targets and significantly more reporting will increase accountability for all parties This acknowledges that all parties have a role to play in improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Each jurisdiction will report annually on their progress and contribution towards Closing the Gap, and the Productivity Commission will make more data publicly available and conduct an independent review of progress every three years.
Parties to the National Agreement – the Commonwealth Government, State and Territory governments, the Coalition of Peaks, and the Australian Local Government Association – will now develop plans that set out how they will implement the priority reforms and contribute towards achieving the targets.
The National Agreement is available on the National Indigenous Australians Agency website, https://closingthegap.niaa.gov.au/

The Coalition and One Nation have cemented their position as science denialists, having spent Monday badgering some of Australia’s peak scientific bodies over the validity of Great Barrier Reef health findings during a Liberal-called Senate inquiry, the Greens said.
Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens, Queensland Senator Larissa Waters, said the inquiry is nothing more than a political ploy to attempt to advance the Coalition’s position ahead of the Queensland state election, and further its culture war against science.
“The Reef is being used as a pawn for flagrant state electioneering. This inquiry is about state regulations, but these regulations are being probed at a federal level,” she said.
“It’s been a futile exercise. We listened to One Nation ask one witness ‘what is science?’ in an attempt to discredit the findings from peak scientific bodies. We listened to a Coalition Senator also rebuke these findings as ‘concocted science’ and ‘false evidence’.”
“Peer-reviewed science should not be debated by non-scientifically trained politicians trying to suit the agenda of big donors and dinosaur backbenchers.”
“We need strong laws to set the standards and give our Reef the best shot, and farmers should be financially assisted to meet these strong requirements,” she said.
“The science is clear, we must act now for our best chance to protect the Reef and the more than 64,000 jobs that rely on it.
“We need urgent climate action, a transition off coal to renewable energy, and strong action on water quality to save what’s left of our Reef,” she said.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government’s plan to hike up university fees should be scrapped, following confirmation in the Senate Covid-19 Committee this week that no government modelling had been done on the effect of changing course costs.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Not only are these fee hikes grossly unfair for students, there’s actually no evidence that they will do what the government intends them to: encourage more students to take up STEM and other ‘priority’ courses.
“The government’s package simply doesn’t stack up. We’ve heard from key stakeholders across the sector that all it will do is put students further into debt and cut more funding for essential teaching and learning on campuses.
“As our universities continue to suffer huge job losses, now is the time to invest heavily in higher education, not take the easy way out and transfer costs from the government onto students. No one wins from the Liberals’ cruel austerity package,” she said.

With a revised tally of killed or displaced wildlife from the summer’s bushfires coming in at three times initial estimates, it’s clear now is not the time to rush through legislation that will weaken environmental protections, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said with 3 billion native animals killed or displaced as a result of the catastrophic fires, and Australia already holding the dishonour of worst mammalian extinction rate in the world, our wildlife was in crisis and needed urgent protection.
“Off the back of one of the worst environmental disasters our country has seen, the Morrison Government is planning to fast-track legislation that puts our wildlife and environment at further risk.
“I urge the Prime Minister and the Environment Minister to respond to the finding of 3 billion dead or displaced animals and reconsider their environment-destroying plans.
“Our natural world cannot withstand more logging, land clearing and pollution for the sake of corporate profits. The PM needs to stand up for the environment instead of his mining and big developer mates.
“We need strong environmental laws and a cop on the beat to enforce them – anything less and we are going to lose koalas and more of our native animals for good.
“The 10-year independent review should be completed and properly considered before any legislative change that risks killing more of our wildlife and destroying even more of our environment.”
The Senate Inquiry into the Faunal Extinction Crisis, chaired by Senator Hanson-Young, is holding a hearing tomorrow from 12pm EST, to examine the interim report from the review of Australia’s environment laws (the EPBC Act). Witnesses include Independent Reviewer Professor Graeme Samuel and the ANAO. The full program can be found here.

I am pleased to announce today that the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission is moving into a new mode, shifting its focus to concentrate on creating jobs and stimulating our economy as we learn to live with this pandemic.
While the health response continues to be of the utmost importance in managing outbreaks as they arise, we have to continue our focus on recovery and reform.
The Government’s JobMaker Plan is built on enabling a business-led economic recovery. We are driving skills and training reform, bringing business and unions together to create the industrial relations conditions to get people into work, locking in affordable and reliable energy, expanding opportunities for small business in the digital economy, boosting our manufacturing capability, underpinning renewed housing construction, delivering a record infrastructure investment pipeline, deregulation and streamlining project approvals and federation reform. And there is more to do on issues such as taxation, research collaboration and ensuring regional Australia prospers in the years ahead.
I have asked the Commission to concentrate its efforts and business expertise on providing advice on what more could be done to create as many jobs as quickly as possible to accelerate Australia’s economic recovery.
When I announced the establishment of the Commission, I said its key task was to fix problems. It has certainly done that – from sourcing personal protective equipment and helping address supply chain challenges to ensuring businesses have the tools to stay open or to reopen safely.
Under the leadership of Nev Power as Chair, the Commission will continue to work closely with business leaders and key industry sectors, focusing on areas where we can make the most gains, most quickly.
Joining this effort as part of the new Commission Board will be Mike Hirst, Samantha Hogg, Su McCluskey, Bao Hoang, Laura Berry and Paul Howes. Together they bring valuable expertise in the sectors of finance, resources and infrastructure, regional Australia, small business and workforce issues. I look forward to their contribution to our economic recovery.
They join existing members Nev Power (Chair), Jane Halton, Paul Little and David Thodey. Catherine Tanna has advised me that once existing projects on utilities and energy are completed she intends to step down from the Commission. I thank her for the contribution she has made over recent months.
The group will now be called the National COVID-19 Commission (NCC) Advisory Board, to better reflect its role. I look forward to continuing to receive advice from the NCC on how Australia can best recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
New Board member biographies are attached – click here.

The Greens have welcomed the intervention from NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean who has broken ranks today with the Federal Government over plans to weaken environment laws.  The Greens Environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called on the Federal Labor Party to rule out supporting the Morrison Government’s fast-track legislation that puts the environment at further risk.
“Minister Matt Kean is to be congratulated for standing up for the environment and calling out his Federal Liberal colleagues,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today.
“Our environment is in crisis, habitat loss and wildlife extinction is growing. What we need is better and stronger protection for our environment, not less. Yet, the Morrison Government is trying to use the cover of Covid19 to rush through new rules that make it easier to green-light damaging and polluting projects, like new mines and big developments.
“Minister Kean has called a spade a spade; good on him.
“Our environment is under attack. Scott Morrison’s plans mean more logging, more pollution and less clean water – we must fight this, together.
“The Labor Party needs to rethink playing footsie with Scott Morrison on the environment. It’s time they stood with the Greens to protect our natural heritage and native animals properly.
“We need strong laws that protect and help restore our environment and wildlife, and an independent watchdog, with teeth, because it’s clear that the Government cannot be trusted to stand up for environment against their mining and big developer mates.
“Australians deserve better than political parties that want to play short-term politics with the future of our environment. We need strong laws and a cop on the beat to enforce them – anything less and even our koalas will be extinct.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, the Victoria outbreak, easing restrictions, helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment and getting the economy moving again.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been over 13,000 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 139 people have died.
The Victorian outbreak has meant that there are now around 4,000 active cases in Australia. Daily infection rates have remained low in all states and territories, other than Victoria. Testing remains high, with more than 3.7 million tests undertaken in Australia.
National Cabinet discussed the Victorian outbreak, the health response underway and recommitted to providing as much support as necessary to Victoria. All states and territories welcomed the support that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is providing, with more than 3,100 personnel assisting with planning and logistics, testing, quarantine and control points across the country. The ADF is there to work with state and territory health responses as needed.
National Cabinet agreed to a new set of data and metrics to ensure that the Commonwealth, states and territories all have access to transparent up-to-date jurisdictional data on contact tracing, tracking and other metrics to ensure health system capacity. This will better help guide the public health response and support the coordination of efforts by the Commonwealth, states and territories.
National Cabinet recommitted to the suppression strategy for COVID-19, with the goal of no community transmission, and to the Three-Step Framework to a COVID-safe Australia. National Cabinet further recommitted to the need to adequately integrate the emergency and the health response.
We need to continue to have the right controls in place to test more people, trace those who test positive and respond to local outbreaks when they occur. These are Precedent Conditions to enable Australia to relax baseline restrictions and enable Australians to live and work in a COVID-safe economy.
Treasury Secretary Dr Steven Kennedy addressed National Cabinet and provided an economic update, including the economic and fiscal update delivered by the Treasurer this week, and the extension of the JobSeeker and JobKeeper programs. Combined with the health response, the Commonwealth economic and balance sheet measures total around $300 billion and along with the response from the state and territories of $42 billion, significant economic support is flowing into the economy. The national goal of job creation was reaffirmed with a discussion on the positive reduction in the effective unemployment rate seen from April to June.
National Cabinet will meet again on 7 August 2020.
Suppression Strategy
National Cabinet recommitted to the suppression strategy to address COVID-19. The goal remains suppression of COVID-19 until a point in time a vaccine or effective treatments are available, with the goal of no local community transmission.
National Cabinet further reaffirmed the need to adequately integrate the emergency and the health response is vitally important that the coordination of efforts continues. While this is largely occurring, National Cabinet agreed to work to strengthen these efforts, noting the support the ADF is able to provide and the need to coordinate emergency management, policing and health responses.
Streamlining environmental approvals for job-creating projects
The National Cabinet agreed to move to single-touch environmental approvals underpinned by national environmental standards for Commonwealth environmental matters.
Some states are able to transition to this system faster than others. The Commonwealth will move immediately to enter into bilateral approval agreements and interim standards with the states that are able to progress now.
We will simultaneously be developing formal national standards through further public consultation.
The National Cabinet also endorsed the list of 15 major projects for which Commonwealth environmental approvals will be fast-tracked.
For major projects at the start of the approvals process, we will target a 50 per cent reduction in Commonwealth assessment and approval times for major projects, from an average of 3.5 years to 21 months.
For major projects which are already at an advanced stage of assessment, governments will seek to progress them through the process as fast as possible and within statutory timeframes.
Joint assessment teams will work on accelerating these projects, which are worth more than $72 billion in public and private investment and will support over 66,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Transport
National Cabinet considered and agreed a Domestic Border Control Freight Movement Protocol to allow freight to move safely and efficiently across borders, and to upgrade the Protocol to an Enforceable Code by state and territory jurisdictions.
The Protocol was developed between all jurisdictions with the involvement of members of the Transport and Infrastructure Council and had previously been endorsed by the AHPPC.
National Cabinet also agreed that further work be carried out by jurisdictions on the implementation and enforcement of an industry code which, in-conjunction with the Protocol, will minimise risks and exposure to workers and the community from COVID-19.

The Greens have described today’s Economic and Fiscal Update as a plan based on austerity and fantasy projections that will lead to ongoing high unemployment.
The figures released by the Treasurer today exposed the urgent need for debt-financed public infrastructure and public services such as ongoing free childcare that will help get us into full employment, not more tax cuts for the wealthiest fifteen per cent of income earners.
“The government is choosing to lock in a high unemployment future. Their unwillingness to invest in job creation is clear in the update released today, which assumes unemployment will remain officially at 9%, even if restrictions are lifted in Q2 2021,” Greens Leader Adam Bandt said.
“This is a forecast based on austerity and wishful thinking. If restrictions aren’t lifted within the givernment’s optimistic timeframe, people will be out of work even longer.
“If government debt is as affordable as the Treasurer says, there should be a plan for full employment.”
“By investing in nation-building and planet-saving projects, we could guarantee a job for everyone who wants one, but instead the government is choosing a high-unemployment future.
“A World War II sized deficit requires a World War II response to get people into meaningful, secure jobs.”
“The cost of servicing Australia’s projected debt remains less than 1% of GDP with interest repayments well below what they were for most of the Hawke/Keating government in the 1990s.
“The trickle-down orthodoxy of tax cuts and austerity in the October Budget will only make the crisis worse.”
“The Australian Greens Invest to Recover Plan released early in the crisis outlines what we need to do to dig our way out of the economic hole we are in.”
“We should be ensuring that anyone who wants a job can get a job. We can get people to work creating public assets that will last generations, like building 500,000 publicly owned homes to wipe out housing waiting lists, building green infrastructure, and investing in the businesses and technologies we need to create a green manufacturing renaissance.”
Comments from Greens’ Treasury spokesperson Peter Whish-Wilson:
“Using public debt wisely is crucial to good economic management. The Australian Greens are the only political party putting forward a plan that most economists are calling for. We need to use the cheapest debt in history to build long-lasting public infrastructure and create jobs”, Peter Whish-Wilson said.
“Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese should tear a page out of their John Curtin and Robert Menzies’ history books. Those Prime Ministers used record high debt levels of 120% of GDP during and after World War II to create a full employment economy of between 1% and 3% unemployment. It was so successful that Australians weren’t “paying this debt off for generations”, but rather after a decade, public debt was reduced to pre-war levels and the deficit was gone within six years.”
“Australia’s debt to GDP ratio is still low compared to most developed countries and there is plenty of room for the government to move.”
“Today’s Economic Statement by the Treasurer lays out the problem, but he isn’t offering up any type of solution. The Liberal government’s “Tax-Breaks-As-Usual” and lack of real investment will never create a lasting economic recovery,” Whish-Wilson said.