Category: Australian News

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt, has today announced a portfolio redistribution that will see Lidia Thorpe and Mehreen Faruqi take on a new anti-racism strategy intended to counter Australia’s growing tide of far right nationalism and tackle systemic racism.
The move comes as Lidia Thorpe attends her first Greens Party Room meeting as a Senator this Wednesday and ahead of a fuller redistribution of portfolios by Adam Bandt on Thursday.
Victoria’s first Aboriginal Senator, Lidia Thorpe, will have the First Nations and Justice portfolios, focusing on breaking down the entrenched disadvantage that Aboriginal people face.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi will lead a newly created Anti-Racism portfolio, aimed at sharpening the fight against a toxic surge of the anti-immigrant fringe.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt said that the last two years have seen the far right emboldened in Australian politics, growing from a handful of anti-immigrant politicians to a well-organised, far-right coalition.
“These new portfolios recognise the scale of the challenge that compassionate politics has today,” Mr Bandt said.
“These new portfolios will sharpen the Greens’ fight for justice and put anti-racist work at the core of everything we do.”
“It’s no longer enough to just preach acceptance of diversity. We need to actively prevent hate speech through education, take action against media that uncritically promotes hate, improve standards in our parliament, and dismantle the racist structures that fail to deliver First Nations peoples justice.
“Lidia Thorpe and Mehreen Faruqi will help lead the way as the Greens fight for justice, take on racism and tackle the far-right.”
Senator Lidia Thorpe said despite the rising tide of racism, public support for systemic change is stronger than ever.
“Right now, we stand at a crossroads, as a nation and as a global community. People from all backgrounds are coming together, united by the conviction that no one’s identity or background should limit their potential, safety or their life expectancy,” Senator Thorpe said.
“Across the world, the Black Lives Matter movement has empowered the community to demand justice for First Nations people and people of colour.
“Australia’s continued failures towards First Nations people aren’t just the result of a few bad policy decisions. They’re systemic issues that have become entrenched through decades of inaction.
“If we’re to right these wrongs we need to fix the system. That means ending deaths in custody and the mass incarceration of First Nations peoples, righting the wrongs of the past and moving forward through Treaty, and reversing the entrenched economic inequality that this pandemic has highlighted.
“It’s time to address the systemic racism that cuts lives short and leaves Aboriginal people falling behind. A just Nation means justice for all, including First Nations people.”
Senator Mehreen Faruqi said that anti-racist advocacy and activism was more important than ever.
“Australia hasn’t yet grappled with being the country that raised the Christchurch killer,” Senator Faruqi said.
“We’re going to take the fight to the far-right and their cheerleaders in Parliament and the media to build a proactively anti-racist movement.
“For our country to become anti-racist at its core, we need strong hate speech laws, resources for quashing the far-right, a national anti-racism campaign and diversity in public life.
“The institutions that are meant to protect us haven’t just failed – they’ve become captive to the hate they’re meant to fight. Any nation where police officers feel comfortable with flashing white supremacist hand gestures is not one where people of colour can feel safe.
“Politicians who ignore or encourage the rise of the far-right do so at their own peril. I’m proud of the Greens record of anti-racist work alongside communities of colour.
“Australia’s colonial history and ongoing occupation has to be recognised and addressed head on. I’m looking forward to working with Lidia to do just that.”
The portfolio redistribution has also seen Senator Janet Rice take up the Multiculturalism Portfolio, highlighting how building a diverse and compassionate society is the responsibility of all of us, not just people of colour.

A national consultation process will guide the third set of the Morrison Government’s ground-breaking Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities for 2020–2022.
This consultation process will ensure the MRFF continues to target national health priorities for better health outcomes.
Determining future health priorities is about taking into account the burden of disease in Australians and the need to enhance the translation of research into clinical practice.
Australia’s health and medical researchers are world class and we continue to drive investment in ways that deliver the practical benefits of medical research and innovation to all Australians.
The landmark $20 billion MRFF is supercharging this growth in Australia’s cutting-edge health and medical research.
It is leading to new cures and treatments across Australia—saving lives and improving lives. The Australian public, organisations with expertise in health and medical research and innovation, consumer representatives, clinicians and health services managers are invited to contribute to the consultation.
Online consultation will begin today, 9 September with submissions to be considered by the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board.
There will also be targeted webinars and virtual roundtables on specific issues and themes to inform this third set of MRFF priorities.
Information about consultation activities will be provided on the MRFF website.
Interested stakeholders can receive the latest information, by subscribing to the MRFF newsletter (www.health.gov.au/using-our-websites/subscriptions/subscribe-to-mrff-newsletter).
The MRFF was established as an endowment fund to provide a sustainable source of funding for vital medical research and is the single largest boost in health and medical research funding in Australia’s history.

The Australian Government is implementing three new measures to help provide increased protection to help reduce the number of healthcare workers being infected with COVID-19.
Today, three new measures will be introduced to help all states and territories learn from what has occurred in Victoria and new information from around the world.
Firstly, a new partnership has been established between the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) and the National COVID-19 Evidence Taskforce led by the Living Guidelines Consortium.
With so much evidence emerging so quickly, this partnership will bring together Australia’s leading infection control practitioners, many of whom are frontline clinicians, with other senior healthcare workers, to review the latest evidence on infection prevention and control during COVID-19.
The partnership will contribute to national infection control guidance by providing consensus guidelines on specific infection control issues that have emerged during COVID-19.
Secondly, the AHPPC has endorsed an expansion of national surveillance of healthcare worker infection to ensure we have a better understanding of COVID-19 among healthcare workers at the state and territory level.
This will provide more information on the type of healthcare workers who are becoming infected and enable state and territory governments to target their investigations and interventions based on national-level data.
Thirdly, the Australian Government has funded a new network of epidemiologists – or “disease detectives”. These ‘COVID-NET’ epidemiologists will be available on request by state and territory public health units to assist investigating healthcare worker outbreaks. They will also gather and analyse data on healthcare worker infection at a national level.
We are committed to assisting the states and territories to understand where workplace controls designed to protect healthcare workers have can further strengthened. It is important healthcare facilities to continue to review their controls and strengthen these to ensure workers are better protected.
The Australian Government continues to support hospitals in their efforts to protect their workers from COVID-19.
This includes the provision of vital personal protective equipment, drawn from the National Medical Stockpile.
Since March, over 73 million masks have been dispatched from the National Medical Stockpile to support healthcare workers, aged care workers, States and Territories and to support the disability sector.
Our healthcare workers are doing an outstanding job of bravely caring for the health and wellbeing of Australians who have either contracted – or are suspected to have contracted –COVID-19.
They are at the frontline of our fight against COVID-19 and deserve the greatest possible protection from contracting the virus themselves.
The Australian Government is committed to assisting state and territory governments to ensure healthcare workers receive the protection they deserve.

Australia has led a successful push for worldwide action to tackle two key global health issues – cervical cancer and eye health.
The Morrison Government welcomes the recent adoption of two Australian-led resolutions by member states of the World Health Organization (WHO):

• Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control: Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem.

• Integrated People-Centred Eye Care, including Preventable Vision Impairment and Blindness.

Australia was successful in adding Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control to the World Health Assembly agenda in 2018, and led the development of the resolution. Australia is a global leader on cervical cancer elimination. The resolution garnered co-sponsorship from a number of countries.
We now stand ready to work with the international community to take these commitments forward.
The resolution on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control has been recognised by the President of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, as “a generational commitment to eliminate a cancer for the first time”.
“Civil society applauds this achievement, which will bring true momentum to providing girls and women the health care they need to thrive,” she said.
“UICC salutes Australia’s global leadership in championing this cause, inspiring countries with the highest burden of cervical cancer and greatest needs to also commit to elimination.”
The cervical cancer resolution highlights the importance of women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights in responding to public health issues like cervical cancer.
Australia’s world leading cervical screening and HPV immunisation programs are highly effective at preventing and detecting cervical cancer. Australia remains on track to eliminate it in this country by 2035.
Australia’s leadership reinforces the clear pathway for countries to fast track and strengthen action to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide.
About 800 to 900 Australian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with more than 200 deaths. Since the start of the National Cervical Screening Program in 1991, using the Pap test, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Australia.
The resolution on Integrated People-Centred Eye Care, co-led by Australia and Indonesia, is an important step in ensuring eye health is integrated as part of universal health coverage worldwide. It supports implementation of effective strategies to address eye care needs, global research, and targets for eye health by 2030.
Globally, at least 1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed, and this rate is expected to rise. The burden of poor eye health is particularly felt by vulnerable communities and low and middle income countries.
Australia’s global leadership aligns with our strong domestic eye health agenda. This includes Federal Government support for a five-year plan to improve access and close the gap in preventable blindness rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, funding for eye checks for people with diabetes under the KeepSight program, and activities to raise awareness about macular disease in line with the National Strategic Action Plan.

More than $500 million has been paid to 51,200 employers to keep 89,300 apprentices in work to protect workers and businesses from the impact of COVID-19.
Since launching the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy in April, these payments have ensured stability for apprentices, trainees and employers across Australia.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said this critical measure is helping the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This $500 million milestone demonstrates the Government’s commitment to a skilled economic recovery,” Minister Cash said.
“This targeted financial support is providing rapid and direct assistance to protect jobs and keep businesses, apprentices and trainees connected to the benefits of training already undertaken.
“The $2.8 billion wage subsidy is a vital part of rebuilding our economy, while at the same time, building a skilled workforce for the future.”
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships, the Hon Steve Irons MP, said the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is available to small and medium businesses who retain an apprentice or trainee. In addition, employers of any size that re-engage an eligible out of trade apprentice or trainee are also eligible.
“The initial $1.3 billion package was extended and expanded in July with an additional $1.5 billion of investment from the Government. This will see up to 180,000 apprentices and 90,000 employing businesses supported,” Assistant Minister Irons said.
“Eligible employers will receive a subsidy of 50 per cent of an apprentice’s or trainee’s wage—up to $7,000 per quarter—with the program also extended to March 2021.”
Minister Cash said the wage subsidy is part of the Australian Government’s $6.5 billion investment in VET in 2020-21.
“We are working closely with jurisdictions to establish the $1 billion JobTrainer Fund, with a $500 million investment to the JobTrainer fund, matched by the state and territory governments,” Minister Cash said.
“This will provide up to an additional 340,700 free or low-fee training places to help Australians upskill and reskill in areas of demand.”
Further information on how to apply for the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is available at https://www.employment.gov.au/supporting-apprentices-and-trainees

A free COVID-19 vaccine will be available progressively throughout 2021 in Australia, if promising trials prove successful, following a $1.7 billion supply and production agreement between the Australian Government and pharmaceutical companies.
Under the agreement, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca and the University of Queensland/CSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses for the Australian population, almost entirely manufactured in Melbourne, with early access to 3.8 million doses of the University of Oxford vaccine in January and February 2021.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said both vaccines would need to be proven safe and effective, and meet all necessary regulatory requirements, prior to being made available to the public.
“Australians will gain free access to a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 if trials prove successful,” the Prime Minister said.
“By securing the production and supply agreements, Australians will be among the first in the world to receive a safe and effective vaccine, should it pass late stage testing.
“There are no guarantees that these vaccines will prove successful, however the agreement puts Australia at the top of the queue, if our medical experts give the vaccines the green light.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australians would be among the first in the world to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, once it is available.
“The Australian Government is a strong supporter of immunisation in that it is a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of many diseases in the community that can cause hospitalisation, serious ongoing health conditions, or even death,” Minister Hunt said.
“All vaccinations help save lives and protect lives. This vaccination though is fundamental to the safety of individuals and our nation and it will protect our elderly and our frail and we can all help save lives.”
“While the Government supports immunisation, it is not mandatory and individuals maintain the option to choose not to vaccinate.
“Any decisions regarding vaccines will be based on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and other experts, and will be contingent on a vaccine meeting all requirements with regard to testing and safety.”
This commitment forms a crucial part of the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19 and our strategy to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians and the national economy.
The Prime Minister also remains committed to ensuring early access to the vaccines for countries in the Pacific as well as regional partners in Southeast Asia. Both agreements allow for additional orders to be negotiated and for doses to be donated or on-sold (with no mark-up) to other countries or international organisations.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said these agreements demonstrate what can be achieved when researchers and industry work together.
“Both these vaccines were initially tested by the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong, while the UQ vaccine is being developed with $5 million in support from the Federal Government,” Minister Andrews said.
“Now our nation’s manufacturing prowess will ensure Australia is in the strongest position to roll out a vaccine as quickly as possible, if and when it proves safe and effective.
“The work we are doing now will also build our knowledge and strengthen our local manufacturing capability, which will grow our pharmaceutical and medtech sectors for the future.”
The University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is world leading, having entered Phase three trials. To date it has generated strong immune responses, with no significant safety concerns.
The University of Queensland (UQ) vaccine has been developed in Australia by world class scientists and researchers, with support from the Australian Government.
UQ has recently announced that pre-clinical testing showed the vaccine is promising and already effective in animal models.
This production and supply agreement is part of the Australian Government’s COVID Vaccine and Treatment Strategy and was recommended by the expert advisory group – COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatments for Australia – Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group.
The deal leverages the manufacturing capability of experienced Australian pharmaceutical manufacturer CSL/Seqirus and will ensure that the vaccines will be manufactured onshore, to the highest quality standards at the earliest possible time.
Australia has a long history of vaccine development and vaccination which ensures Australians are protected from deadly and debilitating diseases including vaccines for rubella, polio and cervical cancer.
The Australian Government is contributing significantly to vaccine development work both in Australia and around the world, investing $362 million in vaccines, therapeutics and COVID medicines – including $257 million in vaccines.

The Morrison Government will continue to provide regulatory relief for businesses that have been impacted by the Coronavirus crisis by extending temporary insolvency and bankruptcy protections until 31 December 2020.
Regulations will be made to extend the temporary increase in the threshold at which creditors can issue a statutory demand on a company and the time companies have to respond to statutory demands they receive.
The changes will also extend the temporary relief for directors from any personal liability for trading while insolvent.
These measures were part of more than 80 temporary regulatory changes the Government made designed to provide greater flexibility for businesses and individuals to operate during the coronavirus crisis.
The extension of these measures will lessen the threat of actions that could unnecessarily push businesses into insolvency and external administration at a time when they continue to be impacted by health restrictions.
These changes will help to prevent a further wave of failures before businesses have had the opportunity to recover.
In addition, the Government is providing an unprecedented level of support totalling $314 billion to cushion the blow for workers, households and businesses during the coronavirus crisis.
As the economy starts to recover, it will be critical that distressed businesses have the necessary flexibility to restructure or to wind down their operations in an orderly manner.
The Government will continue to help businesses successfully adapt and restructure so that they can bounce back on the other side of this crisis.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, the Victorian outbreak, easing restrictions, helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment, border restrictions and getting the economy moving again.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been more than 26,000 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 737 people have died.
Following Victoria’s second wave, there are now around 2,500 active cases in Australia. Daily infection rates have remained low in all states and territories, other than Victoria. Testing remains high in most states and territories, with more than 6.5 million tests undertaken in Australia.
National Cabinet has agreed to a suppression strategy for COVID-19 with the goal of no community transmission. Seven of Australia’s eight states and territories are successfully suppressing COVID-19, enabling most Australians in those jurisdictions to live and work in a COVID-safe economy. However, National Cabinet noted that there had been some relaxation in community attitudes towards social distancing. National Cabinet recommitted to providing all necessary support to Victoria during this very difficult time.
National Cabinet noted the release of the June quarter National Accounts highlighted the devastating impact on the Australian economy of the COVID-19 global recession. While efforts by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments have helped to cushion the blow, many challenges remain on the road to recovery.
National Cabinet will meet again on 18 September 2020.
Roadmap for Recovery
National Cabinet agreed on the need to work together cooperatively for the benefit of all Australians and as a Federation of the Commonwealth, states and territories. We need to continue to protect people’s health but we also need to find the road back from the economic crisis that COVID-19 has generated.
The Commonwealth, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory agreed in-principle to develop a new plan for Australia to reopen by Christmas, including the use of the hotspot concept for travel between jurisdictions. This plan will build on the three-step plan released in May 2020, with work continuing through the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the National Coordination Mechanism. Further components of the plan will be submitted for review at the next meeting.
National Cabinet noted the COVID-19 hotspots definition, proposed by the Commonwealth Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, and based on analysis of locally acquired cases in Australia in recent months. The paper presented to National Cabinet, provides quantitative and qualitative metrics to determine COVID-19 hotspots for the purpose of the provision of Commonwealth support. Decisions would be based on a threshold of:

• The Commonwealth trigger for consideration of a COVID-19 hotspot in a metropolitan area is the rolling 3 day average (average over 3 days) is 10 locally acquired cases per day. This equates to over 30 cases in 3 consecutive days.
• The Commonwealth trigger for consideration of a COVID-19 hotspot in a rural or regional area is the rolling 3 day average (average over 3 days) is 3 locally acquired cases per day. This equates to 9 cases over 3 consecutive days.

Once the trigger has been activated, further analyses would be performed by the Commonwealth to assist a discussion between the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer and the state/territory Chief Health Officer.
The Commonwealth will work with seven states and territories to refine the definition of COVID-19 hotspots. Officials have been asked to continue the development of the final definition and protocols for its application.
In addition, bilateral and multilateral arrangements between the Commonwealth, states and territories will continue to be developed to better support border arrangements between states and territories as part of the revised plan. National Cabinet noted that Western Australia has specific circumstances which mean that it will not subscribe to the reopening plan and timetable, but it will continue to participate in discussions on its development.
The Commonwealth hotspots definition would also be used as a starting point for any future COVIDSafe travel arrangements encompassing New Zealand and those states and territories applying the hotspots definition.
Agriculture Workers’ Code
NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT agreed to adopt the National Agricultural Workers’ Code. Victoria, South Australia and NSW will begin immediately to work together to put the code in place. Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania will consider the Code as part of their border restriction arrangements.
The Code delivers consistent approaches to facilitate the movement of critical agricultural industry workers across domestic borders where border restrictions are in place. The Code is important in mitigating animal health, welfare and biosecurity risks.
The Code is a risk-based approach. Permits or an equivalent approval, with appropriate conditions, will be applied to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being transmitted to regional areas.
Regular update on international arrivals and cap
National Cabinet conducted its fortnightly review of international air arrival passenger caps and agreed to boost the capacity for international arrivals where possible, supporting more Australians to come home from overseas. National Cabinet noted that NSW has been undertaking much of the heavy lifting in terms of quarantine of international arrivals.
All states and territories, where possible, agreed to work with the Commonwealth to increase the number of international flights to their jurisdiction to enable more Australians to return home.
National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth will work with airlines to identify opportunities to boost arrivals into cities with available quarantine capacity.
Energy National Cabinet Reform Committee
Leaders agreed to the tasking for the Energy National Cabinet Reform Committee. The Committee will progress critical reform of the energy system as a key component of Australia’s economic recovery. It will work to ensure an affordable and reliable energy system to support job creation and economic growth for the long-term benefit of customers.
The Committee’s work program will focus on developing:

• Immediate measures to ensure reliability and security of the electricity grid ahead of the 2020-21 summer;
• The redesign, by mid-2021, of the National Electricity Market to take effect after 2025; and
• A package of reforms, by July 2021, to unlock new gas supply, improve competition in the market and better regulate pipelines.

These reforms will ensure the market serves consumers by promoting efficient investment, operation and use of energy services, and by delivering secure and reliable energy at least-cost.
Council on Federal Financial Relations
National Cabinet noted that the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) has reduced 82 existing National Partnerships and Project Agreements into five new sector Federation Funding Agreements, covering Health, Education and Skills, Environment, Infrastructure, and Affordable Housing Community Services and Other. National Cabinet thanked CFFR for its work and noted further work is underway to safeguard the proliferation of future small agreements and reporting burdens.
Briefing on high risk weather season
National Cabinet was briefed by the Bureau of Meteorology on the national outlook for the high risk weather season (Spring-Summer 2020-21), in particular the likelihood of La Niña and what that means for the risk of natural disasters occurring.
National Cabinet agreed that Emergency Management Australia would convene Commonwealth, state and territory authorities to ensure a seamless arrangement for the movement of emergency personnel between states and territories in a COVIDSafe and timely manner.
Mental Health and social supports
National Cabinet noted the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and committed to provide increased support as needed.

Today’s report showing two trillion litres of water is missing from the Murray-Darling Basin shows the Liberal-National Government has mismanaged the River and set it on a trajectory to a slow trickle and ultimately death, the Greens say.
Greens Water Spokesperson and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The report by the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists today is devastating.
“Two trillion litres of water is missing. Why? Because of theft, corruption, corporate greed, floodplain harvesting, mismanagement and lack of action on climate change.
“The Liberal-National Party has overseen seven years of mismanagement of Australia’s biggest river system.
“Environmental water is necessary for the survival of the River and should be the priority of all governments, not helping out upstream corporate irrigators.
“As a South Australian I’m very angry that once again we have another report showing the River is being ripped off.
“The Murray-Darling Basin has suffered on the watch of the National Party for far too long while River communities and small family farms are left high and dry.
“Their mess needs cleaning up and we need a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of what’s gone so badly wrong.”