Category: Australian News

As revealed in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Morrison Government’s proposed independent assessments changes to the NDIS were never originally recommended as part of the Tune Review, instead they were inserted by a public servant on behalf of the government.
Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said this shocking revelation was conclusive proof that independent assessments were about saving money, not about making the scheme work for disabled people.
“It is absolutely appaling that this government has the gall to claim that the Tune Review was independent when these documents reveal the government had a direct hand in ensuring the outcomes they wanted were written in by senior publiuc servants,” Steele-John said.
“The Tune Review, unfortunately, no longer has a place in shaping the direction of our NDIS over the coming years. It’s independence has been compromised and its authenticity has been demolished.
“Compulsory independent assessment are a concept that is being imposed on disabled people against our will and we’ve been calling for more trnsparency and consultation throughout this process, with good reason clearly.
“The Morrison government now has no choice but to scrap independent assessments and return to the drawing board, working with disabled people to co-design any changes to our NDIS.
“We should not have to fight the system that was created to support us. Our NDIS needs to be fixed and disabled people must be at the centre of the conversation because we know what the solutions are.”

Australia’s flight-path to recovery is well underway with the Australian Government welcoming the New Zealand Government’s announcement that it will join the Safe Travel Zone between Australia and New Zealand.
This announcement will enable quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand on both sides of the Tasman helping to reunite families and friends and giving tourism operators a significant boost.
It follows Australia’s opening of a one-way Safe Travel Zone from New Zealand to Australia six months ago, with more than 34,000 arrivals into Australia from New Zealand during that period.
This latest major step in the resumption of international travel has only been possible due to the internationally recognised, world-leading responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by Australia and New Zealand.
The Federal Government’s decisions to close Australia’s international border early last year, declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic before the World Health Organisation did and working with the States and Territories through the National Cabinet to suppress the virus has ensured we are the envy of the world today.
The importance of this announcement is demonstrated by the fact that the Trans-Tasman route is Australia’s busiest international aviation market with more than seven million passengers in the one year ending January 2020 before the effects of COVID-19 hit international aviation.
Throughout this pandemic, the Federal Government has supported more than 40,000 flights through various programs and initiatives. As of last month, flights on common routes in Australia were at 57 per cent of the pre-COVID average, up from a low of 3 per cent at the height of the pandemic and today’s announcement by the New Zealand Government will be a further boost to Australia’s aviation industry.
The announcement also represents a major boost to our tourism industry with around 18 per cent of all international air arrivals from New Zealand annually and with visitors to Australia now having the opportunity to travel without having to quarantine at either end of their journey. In 2019, New Zealand travellers spent $1.6 billion on travel and tourism in Australia.
Should temporary restrictions need to be applied due to a COVID-19 outbreak, both countries will provide as much notice as possible to Government agencies, passengers, airlines and airport operators affected by any such measures.
Given that Australian and New Zealand airlines had already been operating under a one-way Safe Travel Zone to Australia for the past six months operating “green” flights to Australia, we are optimistic that airlines will commence additional services to meet the demand generated by the two-way Safe Travel Zone.
Australian and New Zealand government health and border officials will also continue to work together to facilitate the safe and effective introduction of the two-way Safe Travel Zone.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says Labor at its national conference has joined the Liberals by backing gas and having no 2030 target, leaving voters who want action on climate change with only the Greens.
“Gas is as dirty as coal. If you back new gas fields, you’re not serious about stopping the climate crisis,” Bandt said.
“With Labor’s national conference falling in behind the Liberals’ gas-led recovery and refusing to adopt a 2030 target, Labor is letting Scott Morrison off the hook. No hat-tips to renewables or bare-minimum EV policies can make up for a gas-fuelled lack of 2030 climate targets.”
A clear alternative 
“After Labor dropped the ball on climate at its national conference, the only path to climate action is kicking the Liberals out and putting the Greens in balance of power. At the next election, it will be very difficult for Labor to win majority government in its own right, but with just a small shift in the vote, voters can turf Scott Morrison out and put the Greens in balance of power, where we will push Labor to go faster and further on climate change and drop Morrison’s gas-led recovery,” Bandt said.
Independent analysis shows that a small uniform swing of half a percent would produce a minority parliament, but Labor would need a swing of about 4% (which they only achieved once in the last 20 years, with Kevin07) to win government in its own right.
Gas is an emissions bomb, not a transition fuel
Recently the IPCC identified methane emissions as even worse for the climate than previously thought and adjusted its accounting for methane greenhouse impact from 25 to 28 times CO2, which the Australian government also now accepts.
“Gas isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.
“The gas cartel has ramped up its lobbying efforts and the establishment parties have fallen into line, taking their corporate donations and then voting to open up new gas fields.
“The race is now on and the next 18 months are crucial to Australia’s future. The gas industry knows that this is their last chance to lock in gas infrastructure, which in turn will lock Australia into a high-carbon future and blow any chance of meeting our international commitments,” Bandt said.

Australia has fallen six places to 50th in the World Economic Forum’s latest global rankings on gender equality, reflecting a growing divide between men and women in terms of economic participation, health outcomes, and political empowerment.
The data also shows that the COVID pandemic has reversed almost two years of progress, with women losing their jobs at a greater rate and being re-hired at a slower rate, especially in leadership roles. Globally, closing the gender gap will now take 135.6 years, up from 99.5 years, meaning another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity.
Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women Larissa Waters said:
“These global rankings represent a damning indictment of this government’s failure to treat gender equality with any seriousness.
“Things are just not getting better – they’re actually getting worse. We’ve dropped from 15th to 50th in 15 years. We should be proud that we remain global leaders in educational parity, but there is no excuse for the growing gender gap in Australia’s economic opportunities, health outcomes and political empowerment.
“We should all be ashamed of this. If the PM’s new ‘women’s taskforce’ needed any reminding of the massive task they have ahead of them to ensure women’s safety and economic security, here it is.
“We need to see action to reverse the decline. The government needs to implement the Respect@Work recommendations; legislate to end the gender pay gap and extend the remit of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency; make early childhood education free; fix paid parental leave; and make it easier for businesses to implement flexible working arrangements.
“Australia’s gender pay gap remains over 13% and, on current trajectories, won’t be eliminated for 25 years. This gap is seeing survivors of family violence stay in abusive relationships to avoid homelessness, and more and more women retire into poverty.
“We won’t see improvements in women’s political engagement and participation until we can ensure that parliament is a safe place to work, where diverse voices are represented and listened to.
“We know what needs to be done. We just need a government willing to do it.”
https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2021

Yet another devastating climate change report details that the Great Barrier Reef is all but doomed without radical climate action. It begs the question: what will it take for our leaders to act?
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said immediate transformative action to reverse climate change impacts on the reef is possible, but political will and determination is lacking.
“It’s disgraceful that reports like these are becoming normalised under the Liberal Government’s watch – the destruction of our climate isn’t a natural phenomenon, it’s a political decision.
“Governments have choices around acting on climate change, and they’re making the wrong ones.
“Our Government has all the science and the technology it needs to create radical change, but it is failing miserably at showing the leadership needed for real action.
“This latest report clearly indicates that we are set to lose 70 – 99% of corals on the Great Barrier Reef unless radical action is taken now.
“If the Government isn’t motivated by common sense and decency to protect the life on this planet that sustains us, maybe the threat of losing the $5 billion in tourism income from the reef will motivate it to act?”

New requirements starting today for aged care providers will better protect older Australians.
Launched today, The Morrison Government has invested $67.2 million to implement the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) which offers greater security and peace-of-mind for Australians in residential care settings and their families.
Under the scheme, residential aged care providers are required to manage all incidents of abuse or neglect, with a focus on the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life and reduce preventable incidents from reoccurring.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services said it was another step forward as the Morrison Government drives generational change of the sector.
“The Australian Government has never been more committed to keeping older Australians safe and supporting the dedicated staff who assist them,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Any mistreatment or assault of a care recipient is unacceptable and it is important that these incidents are managed and prevented from occurring in future.
“Today’s launch of the SIRS is a vitally important step to usher in a new era of aged care in this country – building an aged care system that puts people at its heart, and reassures families that their loved ones are safe and secure.”
From today, providers must implement and maintain an incident management system to identify, record, manage and resolve all incidents.
The scheme builds on the previous compulsory reporting and expands the range of incidents that must be reported to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
This includes unreasonable use of force, unlawful sexual contact and sexual misconduct, neglect, psychological or emotional abuse, stealing or financial coercion by a staff member, inappropriate use of restraint, unexplained absences and unexpected death.
Significantly, resident-on-resident incidents caused by someone with an assessed cognitive impairment will no longer be exempt from reporting. Lifting the exemption is in line with the recommendations in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which oversees the Serious Incident Response Scheme, will also have stronger powers to hold providers to account and insist on improvements.
A prevalence and feasibility study to inform the possible expansion of the scheme is due to report by 30 June 2021.

Cities across Australia have received a significant boost after being announced as host venues for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The major tournament is being held in Australia for the first time and will be co-hosted with New Zealand.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and Minister for Sport, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck said after a challenging year, this would be a win for communities across Australia, as we recover from a health and economic crisis.
The host cities and venues include:

• Brisbane – Brisbane Stadium
• Sydney – Stadium Australia and Sydney Football Stadium
• Melbourne – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
• Adelaide – Hindmarsh Stadium
• Perth – Perth Rectangular Stadium

Minister Payne said hosting the matches in each centre would shine a light on women’s sport.
“The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will strengthen our already solid reputations as world leaders in women’s sport,” Minister Payne said.
“It will be a platform to inspire girls across Australia,” she said. “They will learn that with courage, focus and determination, they can reach any goal in sport or in life.
“That’s an important message and Australia will be delivering it to the world.”
The competition will champion the further development of women’s football in both our countries, the Asia-Pacific region and globally, creating a profound and enduring legacy for the women’s game, Minister Payne said.
The Australian Government provided $5 million to Football Federation Australia (FFA) over three years from 2016-17 to develop the joint bid “As One” with New Zealand Football.
It will be the largest FIFA Women’s World Cup in history, with FIFA expanding it from 24 to 32 teams.
Minister Colbeck said each city and regional centre would reap the benefits as FIFA hosts.
“The benefits of tourism and the injection into local economies should not be understated,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We have already witnessed the capacity of both nations to host world-class sporting events and this will now showcase Australia’s regional centres like never before.
“Witnessing the world’s best female footballers play and train in local regions is also likely to result in a significant surge in interest in local competition and that is something to celebrate.”
Minister Colbeck said the Federal Government’s support for the event aligns with both health and sports initiatives under the national sport plan – Sport 2030 – to inspire girls and women to participate in sport and increase their physical activity.
Sport 2030 has a key focus on improving attitudes towards gender equality in sport.
“Hosting the Women’s World Cup will showcase improving attitudes towards gender equality in sport and strengthen Australia’s reputation as a world leader in promoting women’s sport and as a premier host of major international sporting events.”
The past two years have seen landmark achievements in Australia for women in sport, including football, with improved pay and conditions and record crowds turning out to support our female athletes.

The Greens have laid the blame for Brisbane’s three-day COVID lockdown at the Morrison government’s door, saying its failure to ensure all frontline healthcare workers are vaccinated has triggered a necessary public health response that will damage already struggling businesses and force more workers into unemployment.
The more than 130,000 people currently receiving JobSeeker in Brisbane will have their safety net slashed to below the poverty line on Thursday after the Coalition and Labor refused to support the Greens’ proposal for an $80 a day payment.
Queensland Senator and Greens leader in the Senate Larissa Waters said:
“The people of Brisbane and Queensland can thank the Morrison government for this lockdown.
“The PM promised us that four million Australians would be vaccinated by early April. But with two days until April less than 15% of that number – 550,000 people – have received a dose. In Queensland that number is only 65,000.
“The PM must explain why there are still unvaccinated frontline healthcare workers treating COVID patients in Queensland hospitals.
“Not only has this government failed the people of Queensland and Australia with its flawed vaccine rollout, it’s abandoned businesses and workers by pulling away the safety nets that have allowed hundreds of thousands to remain employed and kept millions above the poverty line.
“By ending JobKeeper the government consigned 150,000 to unemployment nationally, right at the time when the JobSeeker unemployment benefit is being slashed to $43.57 a day. The Brisbane lockdown will guarantee that more people will be forced out of work and into poverty.
“It’s unconscionable that this government can leave thousands of businesses and millions of workers to fend for themselves knowing full well that their failure to bring COVID under control leaves them vulnerable.”

The Morrison Government is helping deliver more sporting opportunities for Northern Territory clubs with Darwin’s first night cricket venue now ready for competition.
The installation of new light towers at Marrara’s TIO Stadium is expected to significantly boost participation in cricket and AFL competitions, allowing night matches and training across all levels.
The Federal Government contributed $500,000 to the $1.54 million project as part of its Community Sport Infrastructure grant program.
Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the upgrade will provide increased opportunities for cricketers to train and play.
“Installing lighting at the venue not only allows players to escape the heat and humidity in the north but will support female and junior participation in social and competitive cricket”, Minister Colbeck said.
Lighting the oval will support game and training fixtures and open up new timeslots to accommodate junior and women’s games during the week, increasing participation and helping to attract and retain players.
The installation of floodlights will also benefit AFL who use the facility to train and play during the football season, resulting in almost full-time use of the facility year-round. The lighting can also be adjusted to accommodate various sports, training, general event lighting and senior cricket matches.
Senator for the Northern Territory Dr Sam McMahon said in addition to increasing grassroots participation in sport, it’s also hoped the new lighting will see the Marrara cricket ground attract teams and host further domestic and international matches in Darwin.
“This is a wonderful facility for NT Cricket and the wider Darwin community, and it has taken a real team effort to deliver this project, bringing together the support of the Australian Government and Northern Territory Government,” Senator McMahon said.
Minister Colbeck said the Australian Government’s $100 million Community Sport Infrastructure grant program is a valuable investment in building community spirit and pride.
“This program is not just about building better sporting facilities, it is about building stronger, healthier communities by promoting physical activity, social connection, and economic vitality.”