Category: Australian News

The Greens welcome the news that AstraZeneca has been provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia.
“However we cannot put all our eggs in one basket. It’s clear with differing rates of efficacy and with new Covid-19 strains developing that we must continue to expand and diversify Australia’s vaccine portfolio”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“Australia needs to build a diverse portfolio to rapidly pivot to deal with new strains and to develop herd immunity, including securing deals with Moderna and more Pfizer doses.
“We should also be investing in the development of Australia’s capacity to locally manufacture vaccines and medicines that use mRNA technology. This would allow us to produce mRNA vaccines like Pfizer onshore in a publicly owned facility.
“We need to ramp up CSL’s capacity to start locally producing Novavax at the same time as AstraZeneca given the promising Phase 3 Trial data.
“It is essential that Australia supports our neighbours in the pacific region to receive timely and adequate access to Covid-19 vaccines. No one is safe until all of us are safe.”
 

The Greens say a so-called employment insurance scheme is an appalling idea and that Mr Morrison is being cruel to people on the Jobseeker payment, drip feeding potential plans for the JobSeeker payment through media leaks.
“This so-called insurance scheme would make an already appalling system worse, further entrenching poverty and homelessness”, Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“This concept is based on the assumption that has been disproven time and again, that poverty is an incentive to finding work.
“Saying that tapering down someone’s payment will incentivise people to find work is ridiculous and contrary to evidence.
“For a start you can’t find work is there isn’t enough jobs.
“We know that young people have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and we know that we have a cohort of people who are long term unemployed, older people who are discriminated against in the workplace and disabled people stuck on the Jobseeker payment all of whom would be severely adversely affected by this type of approach.
“Young people who have not had the opportunity to enter the workforce will be stuck in poverty.
“Before the pandemic hit the Government liked to spread mistruths that Newstart was a “transitional payment”.
“It’s simply false. In December 2019 the average time someone spent on Newstart was 298 weeks.
“December 2019 figures also show that 97,243 people were on Newstart for 1-2 years,  172,181 for 2-5 years, 153,619 for 5-10 years and 134,352 for 10 years.
“This is about the lives of 1.3 million and whether they are going back to living on $40 a day.
“Mr Morrison needs to stop playing games.”
 
https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/dss-payment-demographic-data/resource/1ab39d1b-328a-4311-8b35-ee13c3f0dfc7

The Greens say quarantine facilities need to be established out of cities and that facilities must be publicly funded and run.
“Our hotel quarantine system needs to be watertight. The UK, South Africa, Brazil variants are becoming the dominant variants in other parts of the world and we must keep these from getting out into our community”, Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said
“Governments need to publicly fund and run our hotel quarantine system and establish facilities outside of the city centres in regional areas such as Avalon, Melbourne Airport or Toowoomba which have already been floated.
“Some medi-hotels would continue to operate to support Australians arriving from high risk countries or those needing medical care.
“It is critical that the issue of aerosol spread of Covid-19 is addressed in all quarantine facilities. We must ensure all facilities are well-ventilated, with adequate airflow changes assessed by engineers as recommended by the experts, and that all quarantine workers have full PPE.
“We need a common sense approach to give people fresh air and reduce aerosol transmission of Covid-19.
“The Federal Government needs to step up. Quarantine is a Federal responsibility and needs to be funded as such.
“The bickering that has been occurring between the State and Feds on quarantine arrangements is not serving the community well.
“We need a public health response.
“People have a right to come home and we need to keep our community COVID free, the quarantine system as it stands can’t assure that.”
 

The Government’s long overdue Evaluation of the CDC in Ceduna, East Kimberley and the Goldfields Region: Consolidated Report has been publicly released over a year and a half after it was due.
“I can see why the Government has been holding on to this report and wouldn’t release it before the Senate debated the extension of the Card late last year. It has nothing definitive to back up the grand claims the Government has been making about this scheme for many years now.
“As I recall, the Cashless Debit Card was going to get people to find work, stop gambling, stop drinking and stop taking illicit drugs.  Their evaluation supports none of these grand claims.
“The evaluation is quite clear that it is not possible to attribute changes in trial sites to the Cashless Debit Card alone.
“This evaluation is full of qualifiers like “complex findings” and that “the findings from this evaluation are mostly nuanced and specific, that is, they are findings that may apply up to a point and for some people, but not for others.”
“What the evaluation has found is that “the quantitative evidence suggested that under the current circumstances the majority of CDC participants would prefer to opt out of the CDC trial” and that “feelings of discrimination, embarrassment, shame and unfairness as a result of being on the Card were reported across all trial sites by a majority of CDC participants.”
“If the Government is going to make such significant interventions in people’s lives, then they need robust evidence.
“The evaluation itself notes the difficulty in evaluating the so-called trials because they were never set up to be properly evaluated. A point that was repeatedly made when the Card was first introduced.
“These trials were always about targeting First Nations peoples, stigmatising people on income support and those with addiction issues rather than addressing the underlying causes of disadvantage.
“The card is racist and discriminatory and should be abandoned.”
 
https://www.dss.gov.au/families-and-children-programs-services-welfare-reform-cashless-debit-card/cashless-debit-card-evaluation

Electricity bills are expected to fall in the second half of 2021 and beyond, thanks to continued action by the Morrison Government to reduce energy prices for families and businesses.
Introduced by the Morrison Government in July 2019, the Default Market Offer protects customers from excessively high standing offer contracts and also acts as a reference price, making it easier for customers to shop around and compare offers from different retailers.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has today released its draft determination for the Default Market Offer for 2021-22, signalling further substantial price reductions for households and businesses across New South Wales, south-east Queensland and South Australia.
Under the AER’s draft determination, residential customers on standing offers in New South Wales could save as much as $136 a year on their electricity bills compared to 2020-21. Those in south-east Queensland could be better off by $69 a year, while households in South Australia stand to save as much as $117 a year.
Small businesses in New South Wales could end up slashing their energy costs by $577 a year compared to 2020-21, while those in south-east Queensland and South Australia will save more than $300.
Low wholesale prices are driving the savings for both residential and small business customers, with prices across the National Electricity Market at their lowest levels in years.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said these price falls are a result of action taken by the Morrison Government to deliver affordable, reliable energy for Australian households and small businesses.
“Thanks to the Morrison Government’s energy policy, hundreds of thousands of Australian families and small businesses are paying less on their electricity bills,” Minister Taylor said.
“These are significant reductions to the cost-of-living pressures faced by hard-working Australians, with Government policy ensuring that consumers pay less for their electricity and have more money in their hip pockets.”
“This year’s price drops are on top of the previous cuts to standing offer prices that were achieved when the Default Market Offer first came into force in 2019.
“Residential customers could be paying up to $802 less in New South, $794 less in south-east Queensland and $707 less in South Australia compared to before the introduction of the DMO.
“For Small businesses the savings are substantial. Small business owners could be saving up to $3,354 a year in NSW, $2,955 in south-east Queensland and $2,878 in South Australia, compared to what they were paying in 2019.
“There are even greater savings available for households and businesses who shop around, so I would encourage everyone to check the competitiveness of their deal using the Government’s free price comparator website energymadeeasy.gov.au.”
ABS statistics show household electricity bills doubled under Labor, whereas under this Government, Australian households have now experienced eight consecutive quarters of year-on-year electricity price falls.
Public submissions for the Default Market Offer draft determination close 18 March 2021. The AER is expected to release the final determination in late April 2021.
More information is available on the AER website: https://www.aer.gov.au/news-release/draft-dmo-2021-22-open-for-consultation

The Australian Greens have slammed the Prime Minister’s continued failures to address a toxic parliamentary culture today, calling for an independent inquiry into the failures in responding to Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt also said that it was an issue with men’s behaviour that men needed to solve, and that the PM’s own words underscored his lack of understanding of the problem at hand.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“You shouldn’t need to consult your wife or have daughters to know that women who have been raped should be listened to, believed & supported.”
“Women aren’t “finding themselves in vulnerable situations”, Prime Minister. Men are putting them there.
“Rape and sexual assault is a problem that men need to solve, but the Prime Minister hardly spoke about men at all.
“The ‘boy’s club’ culture means many men feel able to sexually assault women without fear of consequence, allegedly even here in one of the country’s most secure buildings.
“It’s time the PM started getting men to change the way they act and respect women.”
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
“The Prime Minister has been missing in action for years on acknowledging that cultural change is necessary to keep women safe in parliament, and that his party has a problem with women.
“There’ve been three young Liberal staffers sexually assaulted who have come forward so far, and no doubt many others who are yet to speak out.
“Brittany Higgins’ case is deja vu of the worst kind.
“The Prime Minister’s decision to charge his own Department with reviewing Brittany’s case, and the broader complaints process, puts the fox in charge of the henhouse.
“With two senior staff from the Prime Minister’s office up to their necks in the cover-up of Brittany Higgins alleged rape, including the PMs ‘fixer’, the PMO is part of the problem.
“Ordering two internal reviews does not give anyone confidence that real change will flow, it’s a continuation of the culture of cover-up that has seen this issue fester and more women assaulted.
“We need an independent review of how the existing complaints process let Brittany down. And a broader review of the toxic culture at APH with recommendations for reform to ensure the women that work here are safe.
“The Greens called for an independent investigation into the culture in Parliament many months ago, and yesterday called for the Sex Discrimination Commissioner to do that review.
“The Prime Minister should pick up the phone to both Ms Higgins and to our Sex Discrimination Commissioner to have an independent, qualified body do the job.”

Australians are being urged to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation by strapping on their joggers and striding out as part of the 15^th annual Gift of Life DonateLife Walk.
Launching the Walk in Canberra with parliamentary colleagues, Federal Minister responsible for the Organ and Tissue Authority, Mark Coulton, said the long-running event will this year be held virtually to ensure COVID-safety and nation-wide participation.
“Community events like Gift of Life’s DonateLife Walk offer unique opportunities for Australians from all walks of life to spruik the benefits of organ and tissue donation and have fun while doing it,” Mr Coulton said.
“Engaging with community groups helps amplify the voice of donor families and those waiting for life-changing transplants — giving local communities a great opportunity to be part of the national push to increase donation.”
The coronavirus pandemic had a serious impact on Australia’s national program to increase organ donation, including the cancelation of many community events throughout the year.
“The challenges of 2020 saw a reduction in the number of people receiving a life-giving transplant and it is clear more donors are needed,” Mr Coulton said.
“After such a difficult year, it is critical we each take the important moment to discuss organ and tissue donation with our friends and family and register to say “yes” to becoming a donor.
“I encourage Australians to sign up for Gift of Life’s DonateLife Walk and walk five kilometres in teams, small groups, or as individuals at their favourite walking circuit anywhere across the country, any time between 22 and 28 February 2021.
“By signing up for the walk, sharing your walk online, and registering to become a donor at donatelife.gov.au, you will be doing your bit to help ensure more Australians can receive a
life-changing organ or tissue transplant.
For more information and to sign up for 2021 Gift of Life’s DonateLife Walk visit: giftoflife.asn.au.
Gift of Life’s DonateLife Walk is supported through a Community Awareness Grant from the Organ and Tissue Authority.
Applications for the next round of grants close at 5:00pm AEDT on Sunday, 7 March 2021.

Brittany Higgins has shown true courage. Ms Higgins’ account of her rape in the Defence Minister’s office is sickening. We admire Ms Higgins’ bravery in coming forward, and hope she is now getting the genuine support and justice she is entitled to and the police investigation proceeds swiftly.
There is a clear need for a review into the workplace culture at Parliament House and electorate offices.
To ensure that the review has the confidence of the public and of parliamentary staff, it must be truly independent with bipartisan oversight. To ensure that, the review should be led by an expert from outside of government.
Similar reviews, including of the Australian Defence Force, and the parliaments of Victoria, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, were all led by experts from outside government.
The terms of reference for the review, the conduct of the review and the implementation of its recommendations, should be overseen by a bipartisan group of federal parliamentarians.
Staff should be given the opportunity to participate fully and for their voices to be heard in a confidential and respectful way.
The Presiding Officers have responsibility for the control and management of Parliament House. As such, they must also play a role in the review.
The aim of an independent, bipartisan review should be to ensure the safety of anyone who works at Parliament – parliamentarians, their staff, all staff of the parliament and others who come in contact with them.
We would expect the review to examine issues including:

• An assessment of existing policies, processes, and workplace culture including the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984;
• The establishment of a truly independent complaints process which provides unbiased advice for complainants centred on their well-being;
• Properly resourced support services including high quality trauma-informed counselling;
• A clear focus on cultural change

The Australian Labor Party is in the final stages of adopting an updated version of its existing harassment processes and policies.
We renew the offer made on 12 November, 2020 to work with anyone in this building who wants to make this a safer and more respectful workplace.
All workplaces around Australia need to be safe.
A good place to start would be implementing the recommendations of the Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces which was presented to the Federal Government in March 2020.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has today approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia following a full and thorough assessment process.
The vaccine has met the required standards for safety, quality and efficacy and will be provided free to Australians.
This means Australia now has two safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available.
Initial supply into Australia will be imported from overseas. In the coming months, the AstraZeneca vaccine will be manufactured in Australia. Australia is one of a small number of countries in the world that can manufacture its own COVID-19 vaccine.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is provisionally approved in Australia for active immunisation to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, in individuals 18 years of age and older.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed the announcement.
“The TGA has found the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective and I welcome their thorough assessment process,” the Prime Minister said.
“Safety is our number one priority and our own medical experts have carefully made their assessments before giving approval of the vaccine.”
The TGA has reviewed all of the available evidence and determined that two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine can be safely administered to an individual 4-12 weeks apart.
Drawing from the advice of the TGA and also from the implementation of the program internationally, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has determined that to create the very best immune response, ensure the most effective clinical protection and maximise broader community coverage, the two doses of the vaccine should be administered 12 weeks apart.
However, if this preferred interval is not possible, for example because of imminent travel, cancer chemotherapy, or major elective surgery, a minimum interval of 4 weeks between doses can be used.
The AstraZeneca vaccine can be handled and stored like most other vaccines. For a large country like Australia, this provides some distinct benefits in relation to distribution and storage, particularly in rural and remote areas, including Indigenous communities.
Today’s announcement follows a rigorous and independent assessment of the vaccine’s safety, quality and efficacy by the TGA. The approval is subject to certain strict conditions, such as the requirement for AstraZeneca to continue providing information to the TGA on the safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said the AstraZeneca vaccine will help save lives and protect lives.
“Data from clinical trials tells us that the AstraZeneca vaccine will stop people becoming seriously unwell with COVID-19. This is – and must – be our first priority. It would be irresponsible of us to put anything ahead of this,” Minister Hunt said.
“The global evidence is of overwhelming protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and loss of life.”
Overnight the World Health Organization said, “This regimen was shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 14 days after the second dose.”
On the 3 February 2021 the Lancet Journal said, “COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca confirms 100% protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death in the primary analysis of Phase III trials.”
Minister Hunt said, “Importantly the TGA has conducted a full and thorough, and world class assessment process.”
“As the rollout begins, the people in priority groups who need the most protection will receive a vaccine first. This includes aged care and disability care residents and workers, frontline healthcare workers, and quarantine and border workers.”
The Australian Government has secured 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with 50 million doses being manufactured here in Australia.
Every safety and regulatory box has been ticked for provisional approval – and further ones will now be ticked in the lead up to March.
The Pfizer vaccine remains on track to be rolled out from 22 February 2021.
Further details are available at aus.gov.au

Tens of thousands of aged care residents in Australia will soon receive their first vaccine dose against COVID-19 next week.
The Australian Government is ensuring those who are particularly vulnerable to the worst effects of the coronavirus receive the earliest protection, so priority is being given to residential aged care facility staff and residents.
The vaccination program will begin in every state and territory and will include regional and rural aged care facilities. It is anticipated that the roll out to aged care facilities will take approximately six weeks.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the vaccine implementation plan for residential aged care aimed to administer vaccines to more than 240 aged care facilities in the first week.
“Vaccination for residents and staff will be made available through residential aged care facilities where they live or work, and it will be administered through an in-reach workforce provider,” Minister Hunt said.
“Healthcare Australia will be providing the vaccination workforce in New South Wales and Queensland, and Aspen Medical will be responsible for the other states and territories.
“The Primary Health Network in each region will be supporting the Commonwealth delivery to each of the aged care facilities in their area and the process is expected to draw from the extensive experience in delivering influenza vaccines to aged care residents.”
Residential aged care facilities will be grouped, up to a maximum of eight facilities within a 30 kilometre radius to ensure efficient delivery of the vaccine.
Vaccination for home and community aged care recipients and staff will occur in the community, and these people will receive information relevant to their situation shortly.
It’s anticipated that people aged over 70 years who do not reside in residential aged care facilities, along with in-home and community aged care staff, will be able to go to specified central locations or medical facilities to receive their COVID 19 vaccination, as the time comes for their vaccination.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the Australian Government would be responsible for leading the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program in the aged care sector.
“We are consulting with relevant peak bodies and state and territory governments, but the responsibilities are clearly delineated so all parties understand their role in this critical and complex program,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian governments will maintain responsibility for vaccinating residents and staff of the public sector residential aged care and disability care facilities in their state.
“It is vital residents and families understand what information is available to them as the vaccine strategy is rolled out. I would encourage residents and family members to ask if they need help understanding the vaccine program and how it will affect them.
“Importantly, the vaccine providers will be providing information about the vaccine and seeking consent from aged care residents or their substitute decision maker, to ensure they understand the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccine.”
Everyone responsible for providing the vaccine in aged care settings will be required to have completed the relevant training, including on the use of multi-dose vials, cold storage and infection control.
In the coming weeks, the vaccination program will reach more than 2,600 residential aged care facilities, more than 183,000 residents and 339,000 staff.
Families seeking additional information and support can visit: https://www.australia.gov.au/