Category: Australian News

“Yesterday the Senate supported my motion calling on the Government to immediately revise its JobSeeker announcement and urgently increase the Jobseeker Payment to be above the poverty line”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“In supporting my motion the Senate has agreed that the Government’s proposed $3.57 a day increase to JobSeeker is not enough.
“I strongly urge Senators to support amendments to the bill in the Senate to increase the rate.
“Today the Government’s JobSeeker bill has been referred to a Senate inquiry which will report on March 12.
“We need to hear from the people who will be impacted by this Government’s shocking cruelty.
“$44 a day is bad for our community and bad for our economy.”

The Australian Government welcomes the Final Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which has today been tabled in Parliament, noting its significant and sweeping proposals for reform of the aged care sector.
As a country it is important that we all acknowledge that we need to do more to ensure senior Australians are treated with respect, care and dignity and have access to quality care as they age.
The Royal Commission’s Final Report recognises the immense effort of our nurses and carers but also brings the challenges of aged care services into clear focus. The Government is committed to transforming aged care and the Royal Commission’s monumental report, with 148 recommendations, delivers a challenging, but achievable road to reform.
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said it was clear from the Royal Commission’s work that while significant progress has been made, there is a clear roadmap to improve respect and care for our older Australians.
“I called this Royal Commission to ensure our oldest and most frail Australians could receive the respect and care that supports their dignity, and recognises the contribution that they have made to society,” the Prime Minister said.
“I warned when I called the Royal Commission there will be stories that will be hard to hear. And that has been the case. But at the same time, we have also heard heart-warming cases of dedication and with the challenges of COVID-19 in the past year, we need to acknowledge the hard work performed by our aged care workforce.
“As I noted at the time, Australians must be able to trust that their loved ones will be cared for appropriately and the community should have confidence in the system. This remains our clear goal.
“Today, the Australian Government is continuing to drive reforms with additional funding of $452.2 million to address immediate priorities in the sector.”
These immediate steps will drive improved quality of care by strengthening aged care provider governance, and improved oversight of home care which will ensure senior Australians and taxpayers are getting value for money.
It will provide additional financial assistance for residential care providers so they can improve care, whilst building the much needed workforce of the future to support Australians who want to age in their own homes.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, reiterated the Australian Government’s commitment to the necessary reform of aged care.
“The Royal Commission’s report is a significant document, the culmination of a two year inquiry, and demands a carefully considered response,” Minister Hunt said.
“We thank the Royal Commissioners and commit to the two fundamental principles of respect and care for our elders. We responded quickly to the Royal Commission’s interim report and its special report on COVID-19, with additional investments in the priority areas identified by the Royal Commission.
“The Government announced a $537 million package in November 2019 in response to the Interim Report, with a focus on more home care packages, reducing the number of young people living in residential aged care, and improving medication management.
“As part of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in aged care $1.8 billion was committed last year, including a $132 million package in November 2020. This funding is increasing access to mental health support and allied health services for aged care residents, and has provided significant additional financial support to improve infection prevention and control and workforce capability in aged care facilities during the pandemic.
“Today, we announce a further $452.2 million package as an initial step in responding to this Final Report.
“Our comprehensive response to the Royal Commission final report will be driven by the principle of respect and care and through the lens of five broad pillars –

1. Home Care,
2. Residential aged care quality and safety,
3. Residential aged care services and sustainability,
4. Workforce, and
5. Governance.

“The five pillars will underpin the Australian Government’s response, along with its reform agenda and the implementation of those changes.”

1. SUPPORTING OLDER AUSTRALIANS WHO CHOOSE TO ACCESS HOME CARE

The Australian Government knows with more Australians wishing to stay in their own homes as they age, there is increasing demand for appropriate services to help them do so. This has been a key focus of the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
Since the 2018-19 Budget, the Government has invested a total of $5.5 billion in new funding to deliver more than 83,000 additional home care packages, including 10,000 packages announced in December 2020.
Minister Hunt said service providers must focus on the senior Australians at the centre of their work, to ensure their needs are met and that the care they receive continues to be tailored as those needs change.
“The Australian Government will immediately invest more than $18 million to enhance the oversight of the Government’s Home Care Packages Program, to deliver better value for senior Australians and the Australian taxpayer,” Minister Hunt said.
“Our Government expects home care providers to offer real value for money – and for the delivery of care, rather than any unjustified administrative fees, to make up the lion’s share of the cost. I expect our increased oversight will put downward pressure on any unfair administrative charges while supporting providers to deliver quality and safe services.”
Enhancing oversight of the delivery of home care packages will lead to more care and services going directly to care recipients and reduce the potential for fraud in the system.

2. QUALITY AND SAFETY IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE DELIVERS DIGNITY ALONGSIDE CARE

The Australian Government is committed to driving improvements to quality of care and safety for senior Australians.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the Government will review and enhance the sector’s quality standards with a focus on areas of concern identified in the report, including governance, diversity, dementia, food and nutrition.
“Funding worth $32 million will immediately be allocated to enhancing the capacity of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and greater regulation around the use of restraints in care,” Minister Colbeck said.
Eligible providers will be able to access programs to build their corporate and clinical governance across their Boards, to support increased accountability through strengthened legislative obligations. This will complement broader reforms, including improvements to provider governance and regulation.
“The use of physical and chemical restraint is a particular area of focus for the Royal Commission, and our Government has announced a number of measures to drive cultural change in this area following an independent review into the issue.
“In response to the Royal Commission, the Government will further establish clear new obligations and guidelines around the use of restraint to protect older Australians receiving care. A Senior Restraint Practitioner will be appointed to the Commission to lead an education campaign for the sector and general practitioners, to minimise the use of restraint, and bring practice into line with those in the disability sector.”

3. INVESTING TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE SERVICES AND SUSTAINABILITY

Minister Colbeck said the Australian Government wants to ensure there continues to be stable and reliable residential aged care options for senior Australians.
“The Australian Government committed more than $14.1 billion in 2020-21 towards residential aged care, up from $9.2 billion in 2012‑13 and reaching an estimated $17.1 billion by 2023‑24,” Minister Colbeck said.
“In response to the Royal Commission report, the Australian Government will immediately invest an additional $189.9 million for residential care providers to provide stability and maintain services while the Government considers the recommendations of the Royal Commission’s Final Report.
“This support equates to around $760 per resident in metropolitan residential aged care, and $1,145 for those in rural, regional and remote areas.”
In addition, the Government will invest $90 million to support a Viability Fund to assist those facilities which are facing financial challenges, particularly as we see the sector start to restructure and respond to the changing choices of people to live at home longer.

4. WORKFORCE: GROWING A PASSIONATE AND SKILLED AGED CARE WORKFORCE

As more Australians are supported to remain in their homes, there will be an increasing demand for skilled personal care workers (PCWs).
In response to the Royal Commission, the Government will immediately invest $92 million to create over 18,000 places for workers between now and mid-2023.
“There will be a significant increase in activity to attract job seekers into the sector, and a new Home Care Workforce Support Program will provide additional targeted support, including assistance to employers to access support and training for new recruits,” Minister Hunt said.
“The total value of measures to grow the skilled and professional aged care workforce is almost $92 million over four years.”
The Prime Minister said community confidence and the trust of senior Australians and their families would be bolstered by changes which bring transparency, accountability and oversight.
“Along with the measures to further develop residential aged care governance, our Government is also strengthening the arm of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, by appointing an Assistant Commissioner for Sector Capability with responsibility for leading a transformative change program,” he said.
Minister Colbeck said the enhanced oversight of the home care system will ensure senior Australians receive the quality of care they expect and that they get good value for the considerable investment made by families themselves and by Government in aged care.
In response to the Royal Commission, the Government will immediately invest $30.1 million to strengthen the governance of aged care providers and legislative governance obligations on the sector.
Minister Hunt also confirmed that work will immediately commence to replace the Aged Care Act 1997, providing a strong, fresh foundation to enable the reforms to be implemented and drive a cultural change with the focus on responding to the needs of senior Australians.
All of these immediate measures announced today are a starting point for further reform. Careful consideration will be given to the Royal Commission report and the Government will outline the path to transform aged care in the Budget.

5. GOVERNANCE: OVERSIGHT, STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY – A NEW ERA

The Prime Minister said, “Ultimately I called this Royal Commission as one of my first acts because I believe we owe a duty of care to every older Australian to ensure they have respect and quality care.
“This report provides an honest assessment and an important roadmap to deliver still greater respect and care for our older Australians. As a nation we commit to further honouring our elders and giving them respect and care.”
The Government thanks the Royal Commissioners, the Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs AO, for their considerable work in conducting the Royal Commission and all those who contributed throughout the course of the inquiry.

Thousands of Australians with multiple sclerosis, asthma and diabetes will benefit from the listing or extension of several medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), bringing further support to patients and their families.
From March 1, Zeposia® and Atecture Breezhaler® will be listed on the PBS for the first time, and Trulicity® will have its PBS listing extended.
Zeposia® (ozanimod) is used to treat relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system, and for which a cure is yet to be found.
Over 25,600 people in Australia have multiple sclerosis, and it affects each person differently, with more than 10 Australians diagnosed every week.
Without the PBS subsidy, over 5,200 patients might pay more than $29,000 per year for this medicine, instead they will now pay $41.30 per script or $6.60 with a concession card.
Atecture Breezhaler® (indacaterol with mometsone) is used as a treatment for asthma, helping to relax and reduce swelling and irritation in the small airways in the lungs.
Around 2.7 million Australians live with asthma and can experience episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness and fatigue caused by narrowing of the airways.
Without the PBS subsidy, over 34,600 patients might pay more than $400 per year to access this medicine, instead they will now pay $41.30 per script or $6.60 with a concession card.
Trulicity® (dulaglutide) is used in combination with insulin and metformin to treat type 2 diabetes, by helping the body produce more insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
Almost one million Australians have type 2 diabetes and their pancreas does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels.
Without the PBS subsidy, around 12,000 patients might pay more than $1,700 per year for treatment, instead they will now pay $41.30 per script or $6.60 with a concession card.
Each listing has been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
Since 2013, the Australian Government has approved more than 2,550 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 $12.6 billion.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring that Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.

Signalling yet another major milestone in Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 300,000 doses of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Sydney today.
Australia has secured 53.8 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The first doses of this vaccine have arrived from overseas ahead of 50 million doses to be manufactured by CSL here in Australia on behalf of AstraZeneca.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will now batch test the vaccines to ensure they meet Australia’s strict quality standards.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today was a significant milestone for the vaccine rollout.
“This is the next step as we ramp up the vaccine rollout,” the Prime Minister said.
“The University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will undergo the same rigorous TGA process to batch check the vaccine that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine underwent.
“We will now be able to scale up the vaccination rollout to our priority groups, including our most vulnerable Australians and to our frontline border and health workers.
“Most Australians will receive the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with the rollout of these due to commence from 8 March 2021 – provided they clear the TGA’s rigorous batch testing process.
“Australia is in a unique position because importantly this vaccine gives us the ability to manufacture onshore. Every Australian who wishes to be vaccinated will be able to receive a vaccine this year.”
The approximately 300,000 doses that arrived this morning will be distributed via logistics partners DHL and Linfox, and made available to priority groups in Phase 1a.
A further 50 million vaccines will be manufactured onshore and 1 million of these doses will be delivered each week from late March.
For AstraZeneca the second dose of the vaccine will be administered at 12 weeks after the first dose.
On 15 February 2021, 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 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 for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said this vaccine provides the option for the majority of Australians to get their vaccination through their usual GP, local respiratory centre and eventually community pharmacies.
“Importantly the TGA has conducted a full and thorough, and world class assessment process,” Minister Hunt said.
“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.
“Having AstraZeneca available in Australia provides an easier avenue for distribution across the nation, meaning people in rural, regional and remote areas will not have to travel as far to receive their vaccine.
“The cold chain requirements of this vaccine – it can be stored and handled in the same way as any other vaccine – make it a very good candidate for a country like Australia.
“As well, vaccine providers can use some of the vaccine vial, put the rest back in the fridge for 48 hours and use the rest the next day.
“This will save lives and protect lives.”
Australia has maintained a diverse portfolio of vaccines, and we are constantly engaging with international counterparts and vaccine sponsors to access the best available information on vaccine developments worldwide.
Pending TGA approval, the Government has also secured 51 million doses of the Novavax vaccine.
The Australian Government has also signed up to the international COVAX facility, which provides access to a range of vaccines to immunise up to 50 per cent of the Australian population.
This diverse portfolio ensures access for everyone in Australia, and is likely to equip us to support our neighbours in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
The University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is the second vaccine to receive provisional approval for use in Australia by the TGA. The TGA bases such decisions on the safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine candidates.

The next phase of the Australian Government’s $31 million public information campaign begins today to inform Australians, with the vaccination program underway.
At the end of Friday after four full days of operation and Monday as a setup day, almost 30,000 Australians had been vaccinated, including 8,110 aged care and disability residents throughout 117 care facilities.
Both the state and territory teams alongside the aged care in-reach teams are ramping up their operations, with more vaccines being distributed across the country in the next week.
The initial advertising campaign, which launched on 27 January 2021, focused on informing the Australian community about the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s world-leading independent approval process.
The second round builds on these safety messages and informs the community about Phase 1a of the vaccination program rollout, which prioritises those who are the most at risk of serious illness from the virus.
The advertising is important, so people understand how the vaccination program is operating, how they can find out when it will be their turn and answer any questions they have about the vaccines. They can go to Australia.gov.au and use the Vaccine Eligibility Checker to confirm which phase of the rollout they will be in.
The campaign will continue to run across a variety of channels, starting with television, and continuing on radio, press, digital, social, mobile, search and in medical settings and shopping centres including billboards and signs.
There are two advertisements, one which is animated, and a second which features a registered nurse, Melanie, who explains the rollout and the current priority groups.
Special committees representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people with a disability and the multicultural communities are consulted regularly to ensure messaging is clear, appropriate and disseminated through the best communication channels to reach all people in Australia.

A 2020 report on organ and tissue donation and transplantation shows that despite the significant impact of COVID-19, around 4,000 Australians benefitted from the gift of organ, eye, and tissue donation from a deceased donor.
The Minister responsible for the Organ and Tissue Authority, Mark Coulton, said the 2020 Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report confirms Australian generosity and willingness to give complete strangers a second chance through organ and tissue donation.
“This report shows that even when the chips are down and a global pandemic interrupts the national transplant program, Australian generosity shines through.
“Last year, despite the pandemic, some 1,644 Australians’ death provided the gift of life and sight to another Australian,” Minister Coulton said.
“We are very grateful to these Australians and their families for making organ, eye, and tissue donations possible.”
The report, released today, shows 1,270 Australian lives were saved through an organ transplant in 2020, due to the generosity of 463 deceased organ donors and their families. The report also shows 2,277 Australians received corneal transplants in 2020 from 1,318 donors.
“A corneal transplant can make a remarkable difference to someone’s quality of life.
“More than 23,500 Australians have thankfully received the gift of sight since the national program began in 2009,” Minister Coulton said.
Minister Coulton said it is important to also recognise the great power of tissue donation.
“Whether they gave heart valves to repair genetic defects in young children or skin grafts to help treat infection and trauma, the 290 deceased tissue donors in 2020 made a great difference to many lives.
“Last year, 182 living donors improved the lives of another Australian; predominantly by donating kidneys and in one case, a partial liver.
“Living donors make an incredibly generous sacrifice to improve the life of someone else.
“Organ transplants are not without risk to those who donate, and their act of kindness mustn’t be understated,” Minister Coulton said.
Last year, just 29 kidney transplants took place in Australia from living donors through the Australia and New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program. This figure represents a 42 per cent drop compared to 2019.
Organ and Tissue Authority CEO, Lucinda Barry, said 2020 outcomes were primarily impacted by the program’s suspension due to COVID-19 concerns in early-March, with the program gradually returning in earnest from September.
“The reality is there were 210 fewer kidney transplants across living and deceased transplant programs, mostly due to the impact of transplant program suspensions,” Ms Barry said.
“These suspensions were a responsible reaction to concerns within the health sector for hospital capacity and transplant patient welfare as the global pandemic took hold in Australia.”
Minister Coulton said the report once again demonstrates the need for more Australians to discuss donation with their friends and family and to register as a donor.
“We need all Australians to talk about organ and tissue donation, to understand what they and their loved ones wish, and to register to become a donor at donatelife.gov.au,” Mr Coulton said.
“It takes less than a minute.”
The 2020 Australia Donation and Transplantation Activity Report is available at:  donatelife.gov.au/outcomes.

Federal Labor congratulates Queensland on its bid to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games being named as the International Olympic Committee’s preferred candidate.
The Queensland bid will now be the only one in targeted discussions with the IOC, making Australia a clear favourite to continue its proud history of successfully hosting major international sporting events.
From the 1956 Melbourne Olympics to Sydney 2000, five Commonwealth Games and numerous world championships, Australia has proven we know how to set the stage and deliver world-class sporting events on a global scale.
New International Olympic Committee (IOC) hosting guidelines mean prospective Games hosts can reduce costs and use existing infrastructure.
A Queensland Olympics would deliver jobs, accelerate infrastructure development, and provide a boost to a tourism, trade and the economy, which have been hit hard by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If Queensland’s bid is successful, the 10-year lead-in to the 2032 Games would provide a great platform to engaging a generation of Australian kids in sport and help boost participation so more can enjoy the health benefits of an active lifestyle.
Federal Labor looks forward to continuing to work with the Queensland State Government, Council of Mayors South East Queensland, Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Federal Government, and other key stakeholders towards a successful bid and the benefits to be realised for sport, tourism, infrastructure, trade and the economy.

Rural and Indigenous health experts are meeting regularly to ensure rural communities continue to be central to the phased rollout of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The Remote Vaccine Working Group will provide advice to the Federal Government and identify issues as the rollout continues towards Phase 1B and beyond.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to every corner of the country was complex and that was why the Federal Government had a plan and was listening to expert advice from rural health stakeholders.
“COVID-19 case numbers in rural and remote areas have been low, but the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine into regional, rural and remote communities is a vital part of the Government’s vaccine strategy to ensure everyone in Australia is protected,” Minister Coulton said.
“The TGA has found the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to be safe, they are free, and you’ll be able to receive your vaccination near where you live.”
The vaccine demonstrates it will stop people becoming very sick – keeping them off ventilators and out of hospital.
Minister Coulton said the Working Group – made up of the Commonwealth Department of Health, the National Indigenous Australians Agency and state and territory agencies – draws on expertise from health representatives. Many of the health experts have also participated in Rural and Remote Health Roundtable chaired by the Minister since the start of the pandemic.
“The leadership and expertise of these professionals provide important voices to the Working Group to ensure the rollout is done in genuine partnership and enables all rural Australians to be vaccinated close to where they live.”
Minister Coulton said the rural health workforce and representative bodies had been integral in managing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We commend the efforts of our doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health workers in rural and remote areas,” Minister Coulton said.
“We genuinely appreciate the ongoing leadership of the rural health sector, and we are in this enviable position because of the care and advice this sector has provided us over the past year.”
The Australian Government is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services, general practices, state and territory governments, Primary Health Networks, GP-led respiratory clinics and community pharmacies to ensure that Australians living in regional, rural and remote locations have access to a COVID-19 vaccination if they so choose.

The Morrison Government’s latest attempt to weaken Australia’s environmental laws completely ignores their own expert’s recommendations and will lock in the demise of our wildlife and iconic natural places, the Greens say.
Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“This move by the Morrison Government is a death sentence for Australia’s koalas and wildlife.
“The Morrison Government has blatantly ignored their own expert’s recommendations and is instead taking a chainsaw to environmental protections.
“They have absolutely no intention of reversing the unsustainable environmental trajectory Professor Samuel warned about in his once-in-ten-year review. They haven’t even bothered to respond after more than 100 days sitting on the final report.
“The Morrison Government’s only plan is to weaken environment laws to make it even easier to mine, log and pollute.
“This latest bill is a push to satisfy big miners, big developers and big polluters who donate to the Liberal party.
“We need strong environmental standards and laws that protect our iconic natural places and precious wildlife and an independent watchdog to hold governments and corporate interests to account. This bill doesn’t even get close to delivering that.”

“Peter Dutton has finally confirmed when he was told about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations and outed himself as a rape apologist in the process.  Mr Dutton is now the fifth government member who knew about the allegation, but apparently didn’t bother to pick up the phone to the PM”, said Senator Larissa Waters, Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women.
“The AFP this morning has called out a culture of silence that makes it harder to hold perpetrators to account.  Ministers need to report criminal allegations, or provide genuine support for their staff to do so.
“At the International Women’s Day event today, the PM spoke a lot about ‘protecting women’ and the rule of law.  Yet he failed to  acknowledge that it is men who are harming women, and continues to oversee a culture in which alleged crimes are covered up.
“The terms of the Gaetjens review released today make it clear that it is yet another narrow exercise in arse-covering.  The government yesterday voted against making the terms public, and it’s no wonder.
“Rather than a comprehensive inquiry into government mishandling of a rape allegation, Mr Gaetjens will investigate only what the PM’s staff knew – not what the PM knew, not what other Ministers knew, and not whether the appalling allegations that his staff have been backgrounding journalists against Brittany Higgins are true.
“In other concerning news today, it appears that the alleged rapist visited Parliament House for a private event after he was dismissed in 2019. I will be asking the President of the Senate to confirm who invited him to that event, who signed him in, and which MPs and/or Ministers were in attendance at the event.
“If the PM was serious about protecting and respecting women, he would ask himself how a man fired following rape allegations could be allowed back into the building, and why so many people in his government did so little in response to an alleged rape of a staff member just metres from his office.”