Australian Greens Anti-Racism spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that all key government agencies have indicated in initial PJCIS committee submissions that the threat of far-right extremism is growing.
However, the Greens say substantial policy change and political action is nowhere to be seen.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The unanimity of federal authorities on the growing threat of far-right extremism stands in sharp contrast to the dismissive rhetoric of Government MPs.
“The Liberals have completely failed here. Laws on extremist hatred must be strengthened and enforced. There are still no dedicated programs for tackling far-right extremism in the community, and no commitment to an anti-racism strategy or campaign.
“When MPs have their heads in the sand, or even tacitly endorse far-right ideas, it totally undermines the government’s response to this threat.
“The government was dragged into this inquiry kicking and screaming, and even deflected a clear-eyed focus on far-right extremism and white supremacy. Now they have to look at the evidence and respond accordingly.”
Category: Australian News
All the news from around Australia
Step forward for South East Queensland 2032 Olympic Bid
Queensland is a step closer to hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time in the state’s history following a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to enter into exclusive negotiations for the 2032 event.
The decision is a game-changing development for the Bid which has long been supported by all levels of government.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed the decision from the IOC and reaffirmed the Commonwealth Government’s support to host the Olympic Games for the third time, and Paralympic Games for the second time.
“Since we announced our early support for the Bid in 2019, we’ve been working with the state and local governments, the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia to put forward the best possible case for South East Queensland 2032,” the Prime Minister said.
“On two occasions, I took up the case directly with IOC President Dr Thomas Bach and I know how enthusiastic the Committee is about working with Australia.”
“Today’s announcement from the IOC is a positive development but we still have a lot of work to do.”
“Particular credit must go to the Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien who has campaigned heavily to bring the event to the Sunshine State. It will see Queensland beamed around the globe, while delivering an economic and jobs boom.
“We saw how Sydney 2000 brought our nation together and took Australian sport to a new level, and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do again if we’re successful in hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games again in 2032.”
Federal Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said Australia has an enviable reputation for its ability to hold world class international sporting events, having recently hosted the AFC Asian Cup 2015, the Sydney 2018 Invictus Games, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.
“You don’t have to be a sports fan to understand the profound impact hosting these major events can have on host cities, regional areas and the nation,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Just next year Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and the UCI Road World Championships.
“Last year we also successfully secured hosting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which will be co-hosted with New Zealand, and we are actively working with Rugby Australia to submit a host bid for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.”
Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien said Queensland was ready, willing and able to host the Games in Australia in 2032.
He said Queensland is well placed in this regard, with more than 80 per cent of the venues existing or proposed to be delivered through temporary solutions.
“These Games will be a legacy event—affordable, beneficial and sustainable for Queensland and Australia,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This is a great milestone, but the real prize lies in being announced as the host ideally later this year. That would be an enormous shot in the arm to ‘brand Australia’ as we continue our economic recovery effort.”
Minister Colbeck and Mr O’Brien will continue to lead the candidature process on behalf of the Commonwealth Government with the IOC and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in partnership with the Queensland Government, the South East Queensland Council of Mayors, the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia.
Finalisation of the candidature process is a matter for the IOC.
Parliament passes News Media And Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code
Parliament has today passed the Morrison Government’s world-leading News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code that addresses the bargaining power imbalance between news media businesses and digital platforms.
The Code was developed after extensive analysis from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), including almost three years of public consultation.
The Code will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate, helping to sustain public interest journalism in Australia.
The Code provides a framework for good faith negotiations between the parties and a fair and balanced arbitration process to resolve outstanding disputes.
Importantly, the code encourages parties to undertake commercial negotiations outside the Code and the Government is pleased to see progress by both Google and more recently Facebook in reaching commercial arrangements with Australian news media businesses.
The Code is a significant microeconomic reform, one that has drawn the eyes of the world on the Australian parliament. Our commitment to legislating the Code reflects the importance of a diverse and well-resourced news media sector to our democracy and the Australian people.
The Government would like to thank all stakeholders for their contribution throughout this process, particularly the ACCC for its ground-breaking research which led to the drafting of the Code.
The Code will be reviewed by Treasury within one year of its commencement to ensure it is delivering outcomes that are consistent with the Government’s policy intent.
The Code was developed after extensive analysis from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), including almost three years of public consultation.
The Code will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate, helping to sustain public interest journalism in Australia.
The Code provides a framework for good faith negotiations between the parties and a fair and balanced arbitration process to resolve outstanding disputes.
Importantly, the code encourages parties to undertake commercial negotiations outside the Code and the Government is pleased to see progress by both Google and more recently Facebook in reaching commercial arrangements with Australian news media businesses.
The Code is a significant microeconomic reform, one that has drawn the eyes of the world on the Australian parliament. Our commitment to legislating the Code reflects the importance of a diverse and well-resourced news media sector to our democracy and the Australian people.
The Government would like to thank all stakeholders for their contribution throughout this process, particularly the ACCC for its ground-breaking research which led to the drafting of the Code.
The Code will be reviewed by Treasury within one year of its commencement to ensure it is delivering outcomes that are consistent with the Government’s policy intent.
Far-right Hate Attack Shows Extremists Emboldened
The Greens have responded to sickening reports of a violent assault by a man with a swastika on a First Nations woman and her daughter in Western Australia.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Anti-racism spokesperson, said:
“This is a horrendous act of racist violence and I hope the perpetrator is identified and prosecuted without delay.
“Far-right extremists and neo-Nazis are feeling emboldened. This is the crisis the government refuses to take seriously.
“The Liberals do not acknowledge racism and far-right extremism as existential threats to the community.
“The government has refused to commit any funding to anti-racism initiatives, or dedicated programs to tackle the far-right. The Liberals even go out of their way to re-write motions in parliament to remove references to far-right extremism.
“This horrific flamethrower attack is yet another wake-up call for the government. They must act now, or it’s only going to get worse.
“My thoughts are with the targets of this vicious attack, who I hope are getting the support that they need,” she said.
Senator Lidia Thorpe, Greens First Nations spokesperson, said:
“Right wing extremism is real, and the threat is growing.
“Racism kills. It harms people. I am appalled at this terrible act of violence – this shocking hate crime.
“But it doesn’t come from nowhere. There is a clear link between the politics of hate, and acts of hate. When politicians and prominent public figures spend years encouraging and amplifying the politics of hate, the inevitable outcome is violence.
“I’m ashamed that racial hatred and division is a standard being set out of Parliament.
“Right now, there is a moment of reckoning around the culture at Parliament House. This place should be setting the standard – but right now, it’s rife with discrimination of all kinds, including racism, sexism and misogyny.
“It’s absolutely necessary for politicians of all stripes not only to stop the racism in this place, but to send a clear message that it’s not in any way acceptable. We are meant to be uniting this country, not dividing it.”
More Ministers protecting the boys club
“The men of this government are still following the rules of the ‘boys club’, covering for each other instead of speaking out about what they knew about an alleged rape in parliament house and allegations of serial sexual harassment by a government staffer in Craig Kelly’s office.” said Senator Larissa Waters, Greens Leader in the Senate and Spokesperson on Women.
“The PM has admitted he knew for some time about staff issues in Kelly’s office. Did the Prime Minister know about Mr Kelly’s alleged serial sexual harasser office manager and the failure to deal with him when he saved Kelly’s preselection in 2019?
“The PM has form in either ignoring sexual abuse or having a ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ approach – either of which make him complicit in leading a party and a culture which is toxic and unsafe for women.
“The news today that yet another senior government minister may have been informed by the AFP about an alleged rape metres from the PM’s office will do nothing to quell the brewing anger of women in Parliament House and across the country.
“Peter Dutton must fess up – what did you know about Brittany Higgins’ case, when did you find out and did you inform the PM?
“Mr Dutton should take his own advice, if you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear.”
‘DobSeeker’ hotline is an abuse of power
The Greens say that the Government’s reporting line dubbed the ‘DobSeeker’ is an abuse of power that will hurt the most vulnerable in our community.
“This is all part of the sick obsession this Government has with blaming and demonising people for not having a job in the midst of a recession and a pandemic.
“The Job Provider system (Jobactive) is already rife with bullying, harassment, of people being ignored or treated very poorly by their job providers and now the Government is empowering employers with the means to intimidate and bully Jobseekers.
“The Government is doing next to nothing about this but blame people who can’t find work that doesn’t exist.
“Jobactive Providers are being paid billions to help find jobs when we have 1.5 million people on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance and 175,000 jobs available.
“In April there will be 1.5 million people on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance having to search for 15 jobs per month.
“That’s 22,500,00 job applications per month in a job market with 175,000 jobs available. This will go up to 30,000,000 once people have to apply for 20.
“Has the Government consulted with businesses and employers on how they are going to manage that?”
Charges laid following investigation into extortion of Iraqi government official
Two people have been charged after NSW Police and Canadian law enforcement authorities dismantled a criminal group allegedly attempting to extort a member of Iraqi Parliament through a series of attacks on his family’s home in Sydney’s south west.
Strike Force Mulach was established by the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad to investigate multiple violent incidents that occurred at a home at Chester Hill between December 2019 and January this year, which are believed to be targeted.
The alleged incidents include –
• About 1.15am on Thursday 5 December 2019, four masked people – including one armed with a firearm – forced entry to the home on Campbell Hill Road, Chester Hill, and assaulted the 16-year-old male occupant, by striking him on the head with the firearm. The men stole a sum of cash before fleeing the scene.
• Just before 12.30am on Monday 10 August 2020, police were called to the same address at Chester Hill, following reports a shot had been fired at the home. Two adults, two teenagers and a child were home at the time, but no one was injured.
• About 2.40am on Friday 5 February 2021, a brick was used to smash the front window of the Chester Hill home.
• Just before 2.45am on Sunday 14 February 2021, unknown persons left a threatening note outside the home and lit a fire on the front porch, which damaged the stairs and a small section of the yard.
Throughout this time, the family received various demands for money and threats to their welfare via social media and letters left at their home.
As part of ongoing inquiries, strike force detectives linked the alleged online extortion attempts to an address in Canada before requesting assistance from Canadian authorities.
Following further investigation, two search warrants were executed at Blacktown and Seven Hills about 6am today (Wednesday 24 February 2021), during which investigators seized several electronic devices and items of clothing relevant to the investigation.
Two men – aged 24 and 22 – were arrested at Blacktown and Seven Hills respectively and taken to Blacktown Police Station, where they were both charged with:
- Demand property by force in company with intent to steal
- Destroy or damage property
- Damage property by fire/exp
- Participate criminal group contribute criminal activity
- Send etc document threatening death or grievous bodily harm
- Send etc document threatening death or grievous bodily harm
They were refused bail to appear at Blacktown Local Court tomorrow (Thursday 25 February 2021).
Inquiries under Strike Force Mulach are continuing.
Greens say Government needs to step up support for local mRNA facilities
The Greens say that the Government will miss out on opportunities to expand and diversify Australia’s vaccine portfolio if they don’t invest in public capacity to produce mRNA vaccines
“We cannot only rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine, we need to have a diverse portfolio to rapidly pivot to deal with new strains, including public facilities to produce supplies in Australia”, Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“The Government should immediately invest in developing Australia’s capacity to locally manufacture vaccines and medicines that use mRNA technology. mRNA technology is likely to revolutionise vaccine and drug development and Australia could be at the forefront of this.
“We need a public health response that is publicly funded.
“In addition we need to ramp up CSL’s capacity to start locally producing Novavax at the same time as AstraZeneca given the promising Phase 3 Trial data, this will increase our vaccine diversity and ensure that we can vaccinate people in Australia and those in the regions.”
Greens say $25 a week is a cruel joke
Today is an extremely distressing day for the 1.5 million people on the JobSeeker and Youth Allowance payments who have now had confirmation that the Morrison Government has made the cruel decision to condemn them to poverty.
$44 a day is not enough to live on. This will mean people going without meals, without medication, without the funds to pay for heating or cooling.
This should not be happening in a country as wealthy as Australia.
This is an appalling slap in the face for all those people trying to survive on Jobseeker.
The Government chose to lift people out of poverty when the pandemic hit and now they are choosing to condemn people in our community to live on just $44 a day in the midst of a recession and a pandemic.
This is a cruel decision, not based on evidence about what is best to support people to find work nor what is best for the economy.
We will not stop campaigning until we have an increase that is over the poverty line.
Providers urged to apply for a share in record infrastructure funding
Aged care providers are being reminded applications for a share of funding in the Australian Government’s largest ever investment in residential aged care infrastructure will soon close.
Funding totalling $150 million is available to providers for capital grants and additional beds as the Morrison Government continues to strengthen the sector and ensure the wellbeing of older Australians.
Two thousand residential care places and 1028 short-term restorative care (STRC) places will be made available as part of the 2020 Aged Care Approvals Round.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said it was another step forward to help providers deliver quality residential services where it’s needed most.
“The Australian Government is absolutely committed to ensuring our senior Australians are provided with the best quality residential aged care possible,” Minister Colbeck said.
“That’s why we’re making the biggest investment in residential aged care infrastructure in Australia’s history.
“This investment will not only improve the quality of residential care services in areas across the country, it will also offer a boost to local economies through job creation in the aged care and construction sectors.”
The residential care places in this ACAR are targeted to providers that can commence delivering care within 18 months, Minister Colbeck said.
Priorities for the $150 million in grant funding include:
- Upgrades to create more spacious rooms, increase privacy and decrease the need for shared living quarters;
- A focus on dementia-friendly services aimed at allowing those diagnosed with dementia living in the bush to remain in their communities;
- Improved infection prevention and control measures, and
- Help for providers in financial stress to bring their allocations of residential care places online, including those impacted by bushfires and COVID-19.
Application forms, guidance materials and other resources can be found online.
All applications for the 2020 ACAR must be received electronically on or before 11:59pm (AEST) 18 March 2021.