Category: Australian News

The Greens have tabled a dissenting report to the inquiry into the Government’s Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Continuation of Cashless Welfare) Bill 2020 saying that there isn’t evidence to justify the use of the card, that in fact the process adversely impacts people and should be abandoned.
“Through this inquiry process and over many years, the Government and supporters of this card have failed to provide any quantitative evidence that the card has met any of its objectives”, Greens Spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said.
The Government has also failed to commit to releasing the next evaluation before the legislation is voted on and the Committee has not had access during its determination. Just today a University of South Australia researcher said she was surprised by how little evidence there is to support the introduction of a Cashless Debit Card.
In the final sitting weeks of 2020, the Senate will again be forced to vote on a complex and divisive piece of legislation in a short time-frame while many questions remain unanswered.
One such question is whether the Government will choose to place new income support recipients in the four trial sites onto the Cashless Debit Card.
The Minister paused new entrants being placed on the Cashless Debit Card in March, it is unclear whether this pause will remain in place once the card becomes permanent. People have a right to know whether they will be placed onto the Cashless Debit Card before the scheme becomes permanent.
The Greens reject any proposition that genuine, two-way consultation has occurred with First Nations communities or anyone currently on the Cashless Debit Card about the proposal to make the scheme permanent.
Many submitters highlighted that the absence of any real consultation with First Nations communities goes against the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap which has been founded on the principles of shared decision-making and self-determination.
There has been little to no transparency around the cost of implementing and rolling out the Cashless Debit Card. The future outputs for the scheme are shrouded in secrecy and ‘commercial in confidence’ agreements with the cardholder, Indue. The community only ever discovers the cost of the scheme after the fact.
This Bill is no different. We have no understanding of how much it will cost to permanently entrench the Cashless Debit Card, lift the cap on the number of participants who enter the scheme, and roll it out to the Northern Territory.
This scheme goes to the broader question of a private company, in this case Indue, profiting from our social security system.
There is no evidence to support the entrenchment of this punitive scheme and the Senate crossbench must reject it.
In the middle of a global pandemic and Australia’s first recession in 30 years, the Government has chosen this moment as the right time to make the Cashless Debit Card permanent.
It is astounding that the Government refuses to make any decisions about the base rate of the Jobseeker payment due to the changing economic conditions but is happy to try and entrench compulsory income management.
The Greens dissenting report can be found here.

Australia will share its successful approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pathway ahead as the host of the virtual Global Innovation Summit 2020.
Held over the next two days, the theme of this year’s summit – Crossing the chasm: Health, Innovation and the Future Economy. Participants will explore the impact of COVID-19 from a health, social and economic perspective, and the pivotal role innovation will have as we recover.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the global sharing of ideas, successes, challenges and plans was more important than ever as the world responds to the pandemic.
“Globally, Australia is in an enviable position – both financially and in our health response to COVID-19,” Minister Hunt said.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen monumental change to the way Australians can take care of their health. This includes the introduction of telehealth, which has revolutionised the way Australian patients can receive care.”
“This summit gives us the opportunity to outline how we have approached the most challenging of times, and allows us to work with other global leaders to develop the innovative health solutions we need in the months and years ahead.”
The summit will provide an opportunity to showcase Australia’s innovation breakthroughs and technology to leaders across the health, science, industry, investment and technology sectors.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, said the virtual conference will bring together some of the brightest minds from around the world to discuss how economies can emerge from COVID-19 pandemic with increased resilience and competitiveness.
“Manufacturing will be critical to our nation’s economic future, and the Morrison Government is strategically investing in areas of manufacturing where we know we have an edge, so that Australian manufacturers can scale up and create new jobs,” Minister Andrews said.
“Through the Modern Manufacturing Strategy, we are boosting the role of science and technology in industry, which will allow us to open up new markets and take more Australian products to the world.
“To prepare for the post-COVID economy, we are also investing in additional support for Australian businesses to use digital tools to enhance their processes, as part of our goal to become a leading digital economy by 2030.”
The Global Innovation Summit is co-hosted by the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils – a network of organisations and 35 countries with shared principles, to enhance regional, national and global prosperity.
The two-day event will include international leaders’ perspectives, interactive panel discussions and presentations highlighting key innovation breakthroughs assisting the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual event is free and you can register online.

The communities of Tumut Tumbarumba, Batlow and Adelong will benefit from a new primary health care model to improve access to local health care and provide better continuity of care for rural patients.
Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said the Coalition Government is investing in first-of-a-kind primary care models as part of a broader effort to improve health outcomes for rural Australians.
The 2020-21 Budget invests $3.3 million in new models of primary care to help pioneer local solutions to team based care and provide better healthcare services across sub-regions in western and southern NSW.
“The challenge of delivering health services in small communities is well known, and it is clear the existing one-size-fits-all approach isn’t working for every rural community,” Minister Coulton said.
“The trial of a new collaborative model of health care in these four communities aims to create more efficient and co-ordinated networks of GPs, nurses, and allied health professionals to deliver local services.
“We know that rural, regional and remote Australians can face difficulty accessing health care. Creating more flexible settings as part of this approach is an important step in creating a rural health workforce to service the needs of the region.”
The new Snowy Valleys model will investigate if viable practices may be better sustained by having a team of GPs, nurses and allied health professionals deliver integrated health services to a number of smaller, connected communities.
Senator for New South Wales, Perin Davey said The Nationals in Government want people living in these communities to benefit from continued access to essential health services as well as reduce the time it takes to travel for primary care.
“Community is at the core of this approach and we want local communities maximise their local health services and co-design solutions that are tailored to meet the needs of their communities,” Senator Davey said.
“In addition, we want more health professionals to choose a career in the bush. The rollout of the new model is a good example of how we can improve the scope of practice for doctors and health professionals and provide rewarding lifestyle and career opportunities.
Minister Coulton said this new model provided a further incentive for young doctors to come to the region and built on the recent Murrumbidgee Model for Rural Generalist GPs that was providing a training pipeline and improved support for young trainee GPs.
Director Service Delivery at NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN), Mike Edwards, said Tumut was an ideal location to trial innovative approaches to health workforce solutions.
“A key enabler of success for this trial will be aligning community and health sector expectations and goals,” Mr Edwards said.
“Through consultation with community-based working groups already in place in Tumut, we can agree on approaches that may work best for the trial.
“NSW Rural Doctors Network sees this Collaborative Care project as the start of a model that could hopefully be scaled-up to support similar sub-regional approaches in remote and rural areas across Australia. We look forward to starting work early in the new year.”
The models are part of the Coalition Government’s broader primary care reforms including a 10-year plan to support patient centred care and equitable access to the best available primary health care services. Minister Coulton said rural and remote primary care is a key focus of the reforms.
“If we want to make an impact to tackle health access issues in our communities, we need to understand the local needs and look at more flexible and practical solutions to delivering healthcare in the bush,” Minister Coulton said.
The trial will last 18 months and is a practical solution developed with extensive community consultation and support.

The Australian Government will lift mutual obligation requirements for job seekers in South Australia from today 18 November 2020 until Sunday 29 November 2020.
This follows an announcement by the South Australian Government that the state will undertake a six-day shutdown to curb a COVID-19 outbreak in the state.
No South Australian job seeker will face payment suspension or financial penalties for failing to meet their mutual obligation requirements – such as not being able to attend appointments or activities.
Job seekers are still being encouraged to remain connected to employment services to ensure they are supported to access the full range of assistance including mental health services, if required.
This will apply to job seekers in jobactive, Online Employment Services and Disability Employment Services and participants in ParentsNext,
The Australian Government will continue to closely monitor the situation in South Australia.
More information is available at https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/job-seekers

Access to a life-saving and life-changing medicine will soon be expanded for Australian children and infants with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), thanks to a breakthrough medicines listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
From 1 December, subsidised access to the life-changing medicine Spinraza® (nusinersen) will be expanded to include children and infants genetically diagnosed with the most severe types of SMA before the onset of symptoms (pre-symptomatic).
SMA is a rare inherited genetic muscle wasting disease characterised by a loss of motor neurons. It causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting, and its most severe forms can cause paralysis and death.
Without the subsidy, families would pay more than $367,000 a year for treatment. From 1 December families and their children will be able to access this life changing medicine for $41 or $6.60 per script with a concession card.
Approximately 18 children and infants, and their families, are expected to benefit from this expanded PBS listing per year.
The expanded listing of Spinraza will allow infants and children, diagnosed with SMA through a genetic test, to start treatment prior to the onset of symptoms.
This means children and infants diagnosed with SMA will be able to commence treatment with this medicine from birth and up to three years earlier, which is so critical to address the impact of this debilitating condition.
The least amount of damage to a child’s motor neurons occurs when they are pre-symptomatic.
The medicine works by slowing progression of the disease. In many cases, it can halt the progression of the disease or significantly improve motor function.
Starting treatment early is critical to halting the impact of this significantly debilitating and life-threatening condition, and preventing irreversible impacts.
Left unaddressed, infants with SMA struggle to meet the simplest of development milestones such as holding their head up, sitting up by themselves, walking and standing.
One in 10,000 live births in Australia are affected by SMA and the disease is the number one genetic cause of death of babies under two in Australia. There is no known cure for SMA.
One in 35 people in Australia unknowingly carry the faulty SMA gene. Being a carrier does not mean you are affected by the condition.
Spinraza is the first and only treatment of its kind to be listed on the PBS for SMA. It was first listed on the PBS in June 2018, and so far over 160 Australians per year are being treated with this medicine.
This PBS listing was recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).
Since 2013, the Government has approved more than 2,500 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $11.8 billion.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines when they need them, remains rock solid.
The independent medical experts on the PBAC have been considering an application to expand the listing of Spinraza for the treatment of adults. An update on these deliberations will be provided on 18 December on the PBS website at: https://www.pbs.gov.au/pbs/home.
Further information on SMA can be found at: https://smaaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/SMA_2020_A4_Information_Guide-compressed.pdf

A new high-tech vaccine manufacturing facility will be developed in Melbourne to secure Australia’s long-term supply of critical health products including pandemic influenza vaccines and life-saving antivenoms.
The $1 billion agreement between the Morrison Government and Seqirus also provides the ability to rapidly manufacture vaccines when responding to health pandemics in the future.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new complex would be the largest influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Keeping Australians safe is my number one priority and while we are rightly focused on both the health and economic challenges of COVID-19, we must also guard against future threats,” the Prime Minister said.
“This agreement cements Australia’s long-term sovereign medical capabilities, giving us the ability to develop vaccines when we need them.”
“Just as major defence equipment must be ordered well in advance, this is an investment in our national health security against future pandemics.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt said under the agreement, Seqirus would invest $800 million in the development of the facility project, creating 520 construction jobs, commencing in 2021.
“This new facility will guarantee Australian health security against pandemic influenza for the next two decades.”
“Our government’s strategy to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians and the Australian economy, as well as having access to a world class health system.”
“This is a major milestone, ensuring that Australia can mass produce vaccines against future flu pandemics, as well as continuing onshore production of seasonal flu vaccines, Q fever vaccines and antivenoms.
Without this historic agreement, the nation would need to source these critical medical products from overseas.
Seqirus is currently the only company making influenza and Q fever vaccine in Australia, and the only company in the world making life saving antivenom products against 11 poisonous Australian creatures (snakes, marine creatures and spiders).
The current agreement between the Australian Government and Seqirus—a subsidiary of CSL Ltd—is due to end in 2024-25. To continue onshore manufacturing in Australia, Seqirus will now invest in a major new vaccine manufacturing facility close to Melbourne airport to replace its existing, ageing production facilities in Parkville, Melbourne.
The highly specialised production facility is expected to be operational by 2026 with the contract for supply of these critical products extending to 2036.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Australia’s manufacturing capability had been a huge asset during the COVID-19 pandemic and this agreement will keep us in a strong position.
“The Morrison Government knows just how important it is for Australia to be able to stand up for itself when it really matters,” Minister Andrews said.
“This investment will not only allow us to continue to manufacture the essentials we need well into the future but it will also create and secure high paying manufacturing jobs across a range of skills.
“This agreement is just one in a range of investments we’re making to drive Australian manufacturing forward and create jobs. We’re also investing a further $1.3 billion through our Modern Manufacturing Initiative into projects across six priority areas, including medical products.”
The Morrison Government acted quickly and decisively to address the consequences of COVID-19 and as a result, Australia has achieved some of the best health and economic outcomes in the world.
More than $18.5 billion has committed to support the emergency COVID-19 health response to the pandemic, including $3.2 billion to secure access to over 134.8 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by the University of Oxford-Astra Zeneca and the University of Queensland, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax.
The Victorian Government has also supported the procurement of suitable land for Seqirus.

Australian farmers and businesses are set to benefit from better export opportunities with the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement between Australia and 14 other Indo-Pacific countries.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the signing of this long-awaited agreement signalled our region’s shared commitment to open trade and investment, despite the challenges of COVID-19.
“Our trade policy is all about supporting Australian jobs, boosting export opportunities and ensuring an open region with even stronger supply chains. RCEP builds on our trade successes and is good news for Australian businesses,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
“With one in five Australian jobs reliant on trade, the RCEP Agreement will be crucial as Australia and the region begin to rebuild from the COVID‑19 pandemic.
“This agreement covers the fastest growing region in the world and, as RCEP economies continue to develop and their middle classes grow, it will open up new doors for Australian farmers, businesses and investors.”
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said RCEP would be the world’s largest free trade agreement and would improve export opportunities for Australian farmers and businesses, especially in the services sector.
“This deal will further integrate Australian exporters into a booming part of the globe, with RCEP countries making up nearly 30 per cent of world GDP and the world´s population,” Minister Birmingham said.
“RCEP has been driven by the ten ASEAN nations, who collectively constitute Australia’s second largest two-way trading partner and have successfully brought Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea into this regional trading block with them.
“This agreement may have taken eight years to negotiate but it could not have come at a more important time given the scale of global economic and trade uncertainty.
“Economic cooperation of this scale sends a strong signal that our region is committed to the principles of open trade for the post COVID-19 recovery, just as we advanced them during the previous years of strong economic growth.
“Greater openness within our region, as well as the greater integration of value chains and more common rules of origin which this deal delivers, will make it easier for Australian businesses and investors to operate throughout our region, helping Australia to continue to grow our exports.
“There are particular gains for Australian providers within the financial services sector, education, health, engineering and other professional services, who can become better integrated within the region and have more access within RCEP countries.
“Australia is committed to fully ratifying RCEP as soon as possible so Australian farmers, businesses and investors can start to access the benefits of this agreement. It will also be an inclusive agreement, with the door open for others, especially India, to join if and when they are ready.”
Australia will also commit $46 million to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help eligible ASEAN countries implement their RCEP commitments, ensuring RCEP delivers on its full potential.
When finalised, the main benefits for Australia will be:

• A new single set of rules and procedures for accessing preferential tariffs in any of the 15 RCEP markets

• New scope for trade in services throughout the region including across telecommunications, professional and financial services.
• Improved mechanisms for tackling non-tariff barriers including in areas such as customs procedures, quarantine and technical standards.
• Greater investment certainty for businesses.
• Rules on e-commerce to make it easier for businesses to trade online.
• A common set of rules on intellectual property.
• Agreed rules of origin that will increase the competitiveness of Australian inputs into regional production chains.

For more on the Regional Economic Partnership Agreement visit:
https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/negotiations/rcep

The recovery of Australia’s screen production sector is boosted today with the announcement of two major Netflix titles – a feature-film and a series – to be filmed locally with $21.58 million in support from the Morrison Government’s Location Incentive program.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said this latest investment will inject around $160 million into the economy and create 770 local jobs.
“These jobs will be in many different areas – from carpenters, lighting technicians and set designers to actors, crews and special effects teams,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Australia’s world-class production sector is renowned for being hardworking and these productions will support hundreds of jobs – from carpenters, lighting technicians and set designers to actors, crews and special effects teams.
“This is also an exciting opportunity for locals to work alongside home-grown stars including our very own Chris Hemsworth and Toni Collette, who have taken Australia to the world stage,” Minister Fletcher said.
Escape from Spiderhead, a Netflix film featuring Chris Hemsworth, and directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron Legacy, and Oblivion) is set in the near future, where two young convicts grapple with their pasts in a facility run by a brilliant visionary, who experiments on inmates with emotion-altering drugs. Filming will take place on the Gold Coast, commencing in November.
Pieces of Her, an eight-episode Netflix series starring Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Toni Collette, is set in a sleepy Georgia town where a random act of violence sets off an unexpected chain of events. Australian Bruna Papandrea (Wild, Big Little Lies, The Undoing) is an executive producer on the series. Production will take place at Homebush, in New South Wales, commencing in January.
Toni Collette said, “Given the challenges the film and television industry has faced this year on a global level, I am thrilled that the producers and Netflix have been able to relocate Pieces of Her to film in Australia so that production can remain on track and this story can be told. On a personal level, for me, it also brings with it the great joy of shooting at home in Australia.”
Debra Richards, APAC Director of Production Policy for Netflix, said, “We greatly appreciate the support of the Australian Government through its Location Incentive program, together with the Queensland and New South Wales governments, and the City of Gold Coast, to secure these productions which will deliver significant contributions to Australia’s screen industry and economy. We’re looking forward to working with more of Australia’s great talent and crew, as well as the award-winning production service businesses.”
Escape from Spiderhead and Pieces of Her are supported under the Australian Government’s $400 million boost to the Location Incentive to create a pipeline of international projects during the recovery from COVID-19, which will generate tens of thousands of Australian jobs in the screen industry over the next seven years
The Government recently announced the new live-action feature film Blacklight starring Liam Neeson will be produced in Victoria thanks to the Location Incentive program.
For more information on the Location Incentive program visit: www.arts.gov.au/what-we-do/screen/australian-screen-production-incentive.

Access to a life-saving and life-changing medicine will soon be expanded for Australian children and infants with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), thanks to a breakthrough medicines listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
From 1 December, subsidised access to the life-changing medicine Spinraza® (nusinersen) will be expanded to include children and infants genetically diagnosed with the most severe types of SMA before the onset of symptoms (pre-symptomatic).
SMA is a rare inherited genetic muscle wasting disease characterised by a loss of motor neurons. It causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting, and its most severe forms can cause paralysis and death.
Without the subsidy, families would pay more than $367,000 a year for treatment. From 1 December families and their children will be able to access this life changing medicine for $41 or $6.60 per script with a concession card.
Approximately 18 children and infants, and their families, are expected to benefit from this expanded PBS listing per year.
The expanded listing of Spinraza will allow infants and children, diagnosed with SMA through a genetic test, to start treatment prior to the onset of symptoms.
This means children and infants diagnosed with SMA will be able to commence treatment with this medicine from birth and up to three years earlier, which is so critical to address the impact of this debilitating condition.
The least amount of damage to a child’s motor neurons occurs when they are pre-symptomatic.
The medicine works by slowing progression of the disease. In many cases, it can halt the progression of the disease or significantly improve motor function.
Starting treatment early is critical to halting the impact of this significantly debilitating and life-threatening condition, and preventing irreversible impacts.
Left unaddressed, infants with SMA struggle to meet the simplest of development milestones such as holding their head up, sitting up by themselves, walking and standing.
One in 10,000 live births in Australia are affected by SMA and the disease is the number one genetic cause of death of babies under two in Australia. There is no known cure for SMA.
One in 35 people in Australia unknowingly carry the faulty SMA gene. Being a carrier does not mean you are affected by the condition.
Spinraza is the first and only treatment of its kind to be listed on the PBS for SMA. It was first listed on the PBS in June 2018, and so far over 160 Australians per year are being treated with this medicine.
This PBS listing was recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).
Since 2013, the Government has approved more than 2,500 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $11.8 billion.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines when they need them, remains rock solid.
The independent medical experts on the PBAC have been considering an application to expand the listing of Spinraza for the treatment of adults. An update on these deliberations will be provided on 18 December on the PBS website at: https://www.pbs.gov.au/pbs/home.
Further information on SMA can be found at: https://smaaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/SMA_2020_A4_Information_Guide-compressed.pdf

A new clinical training facility at the Bega Hospital will expand healthcare access for residents across the region, following its official opening today.
The training facility will support medical, nursing, midwifery and allied health students to learn directly from health professionals and pursue their careers in Bega.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the new training facility will ensure people in Bega and the surrounding region have better access to healthcare in their community, where and when they need it.
“On average, we know Australians living in our regions may experience poorer access to health services, leading to poorer health,” Minister Hunt said.
“The innovative clinical service hub brings providers under one roof, making it easier for people living in Bega to access health services.”
The Australian Government invested $4.57 million to construct the training facility, and an additional $2.95 million to build short-term, residential student accommodation on the hospital grounds in Bega.
Minister for Regional Health, Mark Coulton, said the new facility was another example of the Government’s commitment to providing Australians with world-class healthcare no matter where they live.
“Evidence shows that students who train rurally are more likely to live and work rurally, and this is fundamental to the Government’s approach to building the rural training pipeline for doctors and health professionals,” Minister Coulton said.
“We want to make rural Australia a career destination of choice for young health professionals, and that’s why we are committed to training more medical professionals in the regions to improve access to health services for rural, regional and remote Australians.”
Senator Jim Molan AO DSC attended the official opening of the training facility and said it would not only attract trainees to the region, but also boost the economy and create jobs.
“Local construction projects like this are a great way to grow the local economy, and create and maintain local jobs,” Senator Molan said.
“It’s great these important skills will be retained in Bega and bring about a real improvement in the quality of life of residents and visitors to the region.”
The Government invested a total of $17 million in 2015, under the Health and Hospitals Fund, to build clinical training facilities and accommodation on the hospital grounds at Bega, Cooma and Moruya.
The funding was provided to the University of Canberra and the Australian National University.