Category: Australian News

Victorians have made great progress in reducing the rate of COVID-19 infections from the second wave outbreak in Victoria.
While the Commonwealth Government welcomes Victoria’s commitment to the national framework agreed at National Cabinet to have Australia open by Christmas, for many Victorian businesses and their workers today’s announcement will mean they will simply not be able to make it.
The new Framework to reopen by Christmas is a clear and transparent, three step plan which provides the Australian community and businesses with a way forward where Australians can live and work in a COVID Normal Australia, ensuring that we maintain strong health protections and minimise job losses and mental health impacts.
Victorians are to be congratulated for meeting and beating the considerable benchmarks that were set by their State Government before restrictions could be eased. They have played their part and sacrificed much in the pursuit of reaching those targets in the belief restrictions would be eased.
Under the Victorian Stage 4 lockdown, Victoria has seen the devastation of more than 1,000 job losses per day. We have also agonisingly witnessed a 31 per cent increase in Medicare funded mental health presentations in Victoria during the lockdown and significant increases in other mental health services.
At some point, you have to move forward and put your public health systems to work in a bid to reclaim the jobs that have been lost, and rescue the livelihoods and peace of mind of so many Victorians who have been affected by the inability to contain the outbreak that led to the second Victorian wave.
Victoria’s public health systems are either up to the task of dealing with future outbreaks or they are not. The decision to keep businesses closed suggests that there is still not sufficient confidence within the Government that their systems can support reopening.
This is a profound disappointment. Of course, Victorians do not want to face another lockdown and of course they don’t want all of this to have been for nothing. That is why ensuring the State Government’s capability to deal with outbreaks through their public health response is so essential. This is what you need for Victoria to open up safely and stay safely open.
Borders and closures are not indicators of public health success. They are the opposite.
Victoria’s infection rate is now below the Victorian Government’s own target of a 14 day rolling average of fewer than 5 cases per day to further reduce restrictions. It is also well below the Commonwealth’s hot spot definition, based on the advice of the acting Chief Medical Officer, of a rolling average of fewer than 10 cases per day over 3 days.
During this time, the Victorian Government has greatly benefitted from the cooperation of the Victorian public and business community who have paid a significant price as a result of the prolonged lockdown measures.
The Commonwealth Government has also provided significant assistance from the ADF, medical and technical experts with the management of the lockdown and boosting Victoria’s contact tracing systems.
The Victorian Government has stated that they have now significantly improved their contact tracing capabilities to deal with any future outbreaks. Such capacity has been critical to enabling NSW to deal with numerous outbreaks, whilst staying open.
If this is the case, then we strongly encourage the Victorian Government to rapidly take the next steps to implement the National Framework and mirror the NSW COVID Safe restrictions for the sake of health, mental health and halting the loss of more than 1,000 jobs per day.
The Australian Government will continue to support Victorians through this crisis through our record economic and income supports. We will also continue to work with the Victorian Government to assist them to strengthen their public health and contact tracing capacity.

The National Cabinet met again today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent progress following the Victorian outbreak, easing restrictions (including international border measures), helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment and getting the economy moving again.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19. Australia has done well on both the health and economic fronts compared to most countries around the world.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the latest epidemiological data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been more than 27,000 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 905 people have died. There are now around 220 active cases in Australia, a decrease from around 1,100 cases five weeks ago. There continues to be differences in testing rates between states and territories, and National Cabinet agreed on the importance of enhanced testing. More than 8.4 million tests have been undertaken in Australia.
National Cabinet noted the increase in COVID-19 cases in many countries and the comparative strength of Australia’s effort in addressing COVID compared to most other developed economies.
National Cabinet noted the 2020-21 Budget and the collective work needed across the Federation to facilitate economic recovery measures. National Cabinet thanked the Council on Federal Financial Relations for its work and noted further work is underway to coordinate the federation-wide economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to drive a more productive economic recovery.
National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 13 November 2020.
Framework for National Reopening – A COVID Normal Australia
The Commonwealth, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory agreed in-principle to a new ‘Framework for National Reopening Australia by Christmas’ (document attached), building on and enhancing the 3-Step Framework for a COVID Safe Australia developed in May 2020.
Western Australia did not agree to the National Framework for Reopening, specifically the domestic border and international arrival proposals.
The Framework will provide the Australian community and businesses with a way forward where Australians can live and work in a COVID Normal Australia, recognising that the highly infectious nature of COVID-19 means that it will be present until a COVID-19 vaccine is found. The Framework underscores the need for continued health vigilance while providing a path to easing the physical and mental burden on Australians.
The Framework will establish an updated Common Operating Picture with strengthened criteria to ensure that health systems are prepared and detailed information is publicly available on COVID-19 conditions. The criteria take into account the National Hotel Quarantine Review by Ms Jane Halton AO PSM and will be informed by further work underway by Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AO on digital contact tracing and public health systems, and advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
The Commonwealth and seven states and territories agreed to finalise the Framework by the next National Cabinet meeting on 13 November 2020 and ensure that a new Common Operating Picture is publicly available by 1 December 2020.
The Commonwealth and seven states and territories agreed that reopening by Christmas under the Framework sets a pathway for the removal of domestic border restrictions where it is safe to do so, and with free movement of people and freight consistent with National Cabinet’s strategy of suppression with a goal of no community transmission.
Improving Quarantine Systems
Ms Jane Halton AO PSM presented the final report of the National Review of Hotel Quarantine (document attached). National Cabinet thanked Ms Halton for the extensive work undertaken to review the hotel quarantine system in seven of eight states and territories.
Ms Halton noted that quarantine constitutes a first line of defence in preventing the importation of COVID-19 into Australia. While the quarantine system should be managed to limit breaches, the robustness of a second line of defence (testing and contact tracing) is essential as it is not possible to manage a quarantine system that is completely error free. There must also be a third line of defence – physical distancing, hygiene and health system capacity.
National Cabinet agreed to publish the National Review of Hotel Quarantine and to implement recommendations, noting that the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory had already established an emergency-surge quarantine capacity supported by the Northern Territory at Howard Springs.
National Cabinet agreed to keep working on risk stratification as an appropriate approach to progressively increasing the number of international arrivals to Australia in a COVID-safe manner, including Australians returning home. Potential alternative approaches could include quarantine such as home quarantine, on farm quarantine, quarantine by universities and private providers, and use of technology and expanding international travel arrangements with very low risk countries and cohorts.
As noted by Ms Halton and AHPPC, alternatives to hotel quarantine for low risk cohorts can also free up significant capacity in Australia’s hotel quarantine system for returning Australians.
National Cabinet noted that any changes to quarantine settings for international arrivals must be done in a way that maintains health considerations as an absolute priority.
Australians returning home
National Cabinet noted that there are a significant number of Australians wishing to return home from overseas, with the Commonwealth already taken steps to further support those facing personal hardship.
National Cabinet agreed that all jurisdictions would continue to work towards enabling more Australians to return home. Existing international air passenger arrival caps will continue until 21 November 2020, with ongoing review by National Cabinet.
National Cabinet noted that a number of the states and territories will support the Commonwealth in increasing the number of vulnerable Australians returning home. This includes the Commonwealth-Northern Territory arrangement to provide 500 beds at Howard Springs, with the first flight dedicated to vulnerable Australians arriving in Darwin today.
A further arrangement, soon to be finalised with the Australian Capital Territory, will support 150 returning Australians every 16-18 days. In addition, a limited and dedicated number of spaces will be provided on existing international commercial services for vulnerable Australians where possible. This includes an additional:

• 140 arrivals per week into Perth;
• 100 arrivals every 14-16 days into Adelaide;
• 150 arrivals per week into Queensland(to be finalised once a new Government is formally sworn in).

Tasmania has also offered further support where required.
The Commonwealth thanks the states and territories for their support in helping more Australians return home for Christmas.
Mental Health National Cabinet Reform Committee
National Cabinet noted 3,318 Australians died by suicide in 2019, equivalent to nine Australians each and every day. This represents a significant loss to our communities, our families and our nation.
Today, National Cabinet commissioned the new Mental Health National Cabinet Reform Committee. The Committee will:

• deliver a new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement by November 2021; and
• oversee, and provide advice to National Cabinet on, the implementation of the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan which guides jurisdictions’ responses to COVID-19.

This work builds on all jurisdictions’ efforts to scale resources and investment to support Australians’ mental health and prevent suicide during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Aged Care Emergency Response Centres
National Cabinet again noted the critical importance of minimising the COVID-19 pandemic risk in aged care, cementing preparedness arrangements based on the three previously agreed actions of 21 August.
The Department of Health continues weekly engagement with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and states and territories. Weekly jurisdictional reporting is now established.
All jurisdictions have provided assurances that their Aged Care Emergency Response Centres can be stood up within 48 hours. Jurisdictions have completed the Response Centre Preparedness Assessment which has provided additional clarity about where further focus is needed.
National Cabinet expressed its thanks to the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre which has supplied to all jurisdictions—through the Department of Health—with its extensive suite of resources for use or adaption as required.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission continues its program of infection control site visits to residential aged care facilities in all jurisdictions to monitor and assess aged care preparedness. The Commission is distributing summary reports of its spot check visits to each jurisdiction to enable targeted focus on areas for improvement.
States and territories are supporting the Commission’s preparedness visits through sharing of public health intelligence, conducting supplementary visits to residential aged care facilities and prioritising face to face infection prevention and control training. Across jurisdictions a range of training models are in place. States and territories continue to consider how best to tailor this training to their jurisdictional requirements.
National Federation Reform Council
National Cabinet agreed to establish a Taskforce on Veterans’ Wellbeing in recognition of the challenges faced by our current and ex-service personnel. The Taskforce will meet at the first meeting of the National Federation Reform Council on 11 December.
On 26 June 2020, National Cabinet agreed that Mr Peter Conran AM would conduct a review of the former COAG Councils and Ministerial Forums with a view to rationalising and resetting the structure and work programs.
Today, National Cabinet accepted the Review’s recommendations that include reducing the number of ministerial forums and ensuring that those that remain are more agile and responsive, with direct responsibility for decision-making resting with Ministers. Consistent with the direction set by National Cabinet, ministers’ meetings will not report to National Cabinet (or the National Federation Reform Council) unless tasked.
This represents a significant reform to Commonwealth-State relations and will significantly reduce bureaucracy and red tape. National Cabinet also noted that the range of significant reforms agreed today have come about directly through the collaboration of National Cabinet, as the country comes together to continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further information is available here: https://www.pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/effective-commonwealth-state-relations

From 1 November, the Morrison Government will invest more than $86 million over the next four years to provide greater access to life saving medicines for Australians living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and various forms of cancer.
MS is the most commonly acquired neurological disease in younger adults with over 25,600 Australians living with multiple sclerosis and over 2.3 million people affected globally.
The average age of diagnosis is only 30 and around 75% of those affected with multiple sclerosis in Australia are female.
There is a high clinical need for effective treatments for patients with progressive forms of relapse onset multiple sclerosis.
Mayzent® (siponimod) will be listed on the PBS for the first time to treat those patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Without PBS subsidy, these patients would pay more than $25,000 per year for treatment with approximately 800 patients benefiting from this listing each year.
The PBS subsidy now means patients will only need to pay $41 per prescription, or $6.60 with a concession card.
In addition to this listing, Australians diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma which affects the skin will receive subsidised access to a new medication and specialised treatment from 1 November 2020 through an investment of over $11.5 million.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the skin and causes an accumulation of malignant T-cells in the skin, resulting in raised, rash-like or itchy patches of skin, skin lumps or ulcers and swollen lymph nodes.
Uvadex® (methoxsalen) will be listed on the PBS for the first time for treatment of patients with erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma who have not responded to other treatments.
Around 75 patients per year may benefit from this listing. Without PBS subsidy, these Australians would pay more than $3,400 per year.
Concurrently, two new items will be introduced on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for the use of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in combination with Uvadex® to treat the condition, as recommended by the Medical Services Advisory Committee.
ECP is a type of treatment that involves attaching a patient to a machine that removes some of their blood. The machine separates the white blood cells, and the red blood cells and plasma go back into the body. The white blood cells are mixed with Uvadex®, exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, then put back into the patient. ECP activates the patient’s immune system to fight the cancer.
Other PBS listings from 1 November ­– announced in the Budget 2020-21 – include the expanded listing of:

• Tecentriq® and Avastin® (atezolizumab and bevacizumab) for use in combination to treat patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of primary liver cancer. An average of 500 patients per year may benefit from this. They would normally pay up to $170,000 for a course of treatment without PBS subsidy
• Lynparza® (olaparib) for the treatment of newly diagnosed advanced high grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancers. An average of 300 patients per year may benefit from this listing and would normally pay around $140,500 per course of treatment for this medicine.

These PBS listings have been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
Since 2013, the Australian Government has approved over 2,450 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 Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring that Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.

Queenslanders who can’t earn an income because they must self-isolate or quarantine, or are caring for someone with COVID-19 can now access support with a $1500 Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment.
The Australian Government has extended Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment arrangements to include Queensland following agreement with the Queensland Government.
The $1500 lump sum Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is already available in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Western Australia.
If an individual is instructed by a health official to self-isolate or quarantine, and has used up all appropriate leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave, they may be eligible for the payment. They may also be eligible if they’re the parent or guardian of a child aged 16 or under who has been instructed to isolate as they are a close contact or has tested positive for COVID-19, or they are caring for someone with COVID-19.
In line with arrangements with other states, Queensland workers will not be eligible for the payment if they are receiving income, earnings or salary maintenance from work, receiving JobKeeper Payment or other forms of Australian or Queensland Government income support.
To date, more than $15.5 million in Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments has been paid for some 10,300 granted claims since 6 August.
The fastest and easiest way to make a claim is over the phone by calling 180 22 66. Please do not visit a service centre.
More information is available at www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disaster.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are being encouraged to use an Australian Government toolkit to ensure young children are meeting their milestones for hearing and speaking.
The Australian Government has made ending avoidable deafness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children a priority, with their rates of hearing loss and ear disease significantly higher than the non-Indigenous population.
Between 2018–19 and 2022–23, almost $104.6 million will be provided for ear health initiatives to reduce the number of Indigenous Australians suffering avoidable hearing loss, and give Indigenous children a better start to education.
The Parent-evaluated Listening and Understanding Measure (PLUM) and the Hearing and Talking Scale (HATS) have been developed by Hearing Australia in collaboration with Aboriginal health and early education services.
As part of a $21.2 million package of funding over five years from 2020-21 to advance hearing health in Australia, the 2020–21 Budget includes an additional $5 million to support early identification of hearing and speech difficulties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and embed the use of PLUM and HATS Australia-wide.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services will be able to access $2 million from that funding, through the Service Maintenance Program, to establish quiet spaces that can be used for audiology assessments.
PLUM and HATS uses questionnaires that help parents and carers, early childhood educators and health professionals to screen for hearing and communication difficulties in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and ensure action can be taken to address problems early.
The Australian Government has also provided $30 million for diagnostic hearing assessments and follow-up treatment for Indigenous Australian children in the years before starting school. The resulting Hearing Assessment Program – Early Ears (HAP-EE), also delivered by Hearing Australia, was co-designed with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector and other stakeholders.
HAP-EE was initially focussed on rural and remote areas, and more than 3,100 diagnostic hearing assessments in 93 communities have been conducted from when it began in 2019 to September 2020. The program will be expanded to metro areas by the end of the year.
Other ongoing initiatives include the Healthy Ears Program providing a range of clinical ear health services for Indigenous children and youth, including ear nose and throat (ENT) and speech pathology. Funding is also available to deliver access to culturally safe surgery, streamline care pathways, train health professionals, supply equipment and provide the Care for Kids’ Ears health promotion resources.
More information about PLUM and HATS is available online – https://plumandhats.nal.gov.au
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families can also call 134 432 to have their child’s hearing assessed. Hearing Australia is offering appointments in many Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, in its hearing centres and via teleservice.

Revelations that the Finance Department inquiry into Assistant Minister Michael Sukkar was outsourced to the law firm he used to work for is further proof Australia urgently needs a federal corruption watchdog, Greens say.
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
“This is just another outrageous example of why we need an independent federal corruption watchdog. Mates investigating mates won’t stop corruption.
“Not only is the Prime Minister choosing not to investigate whether Mr Michael Sukkar breached Ministerial Standards, but now we’ve learnt the Finance Department administrative inquiry into the Assistant Treasurer was outsourced to the very law firm he used to work for.
“The government cannot be trusted to properly scrutinise its own Ministers and is doing all it can to delay setting up a watchdog with teeth that will hold their dodgy dealings to account.
“Just this morning, the Attorney General’s Department revealed an exposure draft of the Government’s bill for a federal integrity body has been sitting in the Attorney General’s inbox since December 2019. And yet the Government is still peddling the excuse that the pandemic has slowed them down.
“After two years of excuses and promises of draft laws being “imminent” and “soon”, it’s clear that the government just doesn’t want a watchdog, and perhaps that’s because with every passing week there is a new scandal.”

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said allegations by American Marines that Australian special forces shot and killed a prisoner because there was no room for them on a helicopter were disgraceful and appalling.
“These allegations, if proven to be true, are war crimes and the individuals responsible must face the full weight of the law for their actions,” Steele-John said.
“When you have American Marines and the Drug Enforcement Agency saying they don’t want to work with Australian special forces because of their alleged criminal behaviour then you know that something is very seriously wrong.
“This is clearly a much larger problem then just the individuals involved in this case, and the many others that have surfaced over the last few months. What we are beginning to see emerge here is a sinister cultural problem within our defence forces that must be investigated, owned and addressed.
“Australians expect that our defence forces will act respectfully, and lawfully, when undertaking operations in foreign conflict zones in our name. If that is not the case, then we deserve to know.”

Not a single dollar of the $250m arts and entertainment package the PM announced with Guy Sebastian four months ago has been spent, the Department has revealed under questioning by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young at Senate Estimates today.
“The Morrison Government has failed the arts and entertainment industry. The fact not a single dollar of this so-called rescue package has gone to an artist or creative four months after the announcement is a kick in the guts,” Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The arts and entertainment industry was shutdown overnight in March and has been the second hardest hit with job losses, yet the PM didn’t even put money on the table for it until June and now still hasn’t spent a cent.
“The Prime Minister was excited to be sharing the stage with Guy Sebastian, but despite the fanfare nothing been delivered. Again Scott Morrison is all sizzle and no sausage.
“It’s hardly coming to the rescue if eight months after being hit by Covid19 restrictions the industry is still waiting for support. It’s like promising a struggling swimmer a lifebuoy and not throwing it out till their too weak to hold onto it.
“The Morrison Government has shown nothing but contempt for the arts. We know he prefers footy, but he should also value a $112bn contribution to our economy and the benefits for other sectors likes hospitality and tourism.
“The PM should be ensuring the $250 money gets out the door immediately, and then quadrupling it so the industry worth so much to our economy, culture and social fabric, has a chance of survival.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the incidence and severity of perinatal depression and anxiety. Since March 2020, the number of new callers to the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) helpline has doubled. 43% of all calls to the PANDA helpline come from Victoria.
The Morrison Government is supporting expectant and new parents providing $13.6 million through our $43.9 million Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing Program to extend vital national perinatal mental health services.
Almost 100,000 Australian parents are affected by perinatal depression and anxiety each year. One in 10 women experience this while pregnant and one in seven in the year after birth. Men can also experience perinatal mental illness, with about one in 10 expectant and new fathers experiencing depression, anxiety or other forms of emotional distress.
Callers to the helpline are also presenting with more intense and enduring mental illness with call times rising from 15 to 30 minutes prior to COVID-19 to 30 to 45 minutes.
In May our Government provided $320,000 additional funding for the PANDA helpline and in September a further $350,000 in funding to ensure that the helpline is able to meet the increased demand from parents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Victoria.
The $13.6 million in additional funding will ensure that PANDA and other key national programs will continue to support women and their families affected by perinatal mental illness, or experiencing grief after the death of a child during this challenging period.
Dedicated perinatal mental health support, perinatal loss and bereavement peer support, and perinatal mental health promotion and training will be delivered by trusted organisations right across Australia. This will complement the work being done by Primary Health Networks in ensuring tailored local mental health services are available on-the-ground in every community.
The new program will extend funding for existing national perinatal mental health and wellbeing services including:

• PANDA’s National Perinatal Anxiety and Depression helpline
• Red Nose’s helpline and peer support
• Sand’s helpline and peer support
• the MumSpace website (www.mumspace.com.au) which hosts the MumMoodBooster treatment program and the MindMum smartphone app

This funding builds on the $1.3 million delivered to Sands Australia for an intensive support service to families affected by stillbirth, as well as $3 million for national education and awareness programs to demystify stillbirth and reduce its incidence announced last year.
The Morrison Government continues to prioritise better mental health for all Australians, with an unprecedented $5.7 billion to be spent on mental health in 2020–21.