LABOR’S FAIR GO PLAN TO HELP CLOSE THE GENDER PAY GAP

Labor will deliver a fair go for Australian women by strengthening the ability of the Fair Work Commission to order pay increases for workers in female dominated industries such as early childhood, aged care, and disability services.
Labor will change the Fair Work Act to make it clear that the Commission must consider pay equity a central objective of the workplace relations system.
Labor will give the Commission greater capacity and funding to conduct Pay Equity Reviews and order pay increases in undervalued feminised industries. Low paid workers should not have to rely on fighting complex, expensive legal cases to secure a decent wage rise.
Pay Equity Reviews will be conducted by a new Presidential member of the Commission, supported by an expert Pay Equity Panel.
We don’t need to compare female dominated jobs with male dominated jobs to know that female dominated industries are often poorly paid – that’s just a fact.  So we will change the Fair Work Act to make it clear that establishing undervaluation of female dominated industries does not require a male comparator.
These reforms are an important part of Labor’s plan to close the gender pay gap.
A fair go for all Australians means fair pay and conditions for Australian women.
The gender pay gap is one of the most persistent forms of inequality in the Australian economy.  When you consider total remuneration, women still get paid about 23 per cent less than men.
One of the key drivers of the gap is the fact work in traditionally female dominated industries is undervalued.
The average woman working in the most feminised industries such as health care, social assistance and education is paid around $30,000 less than the average man working in the most male dominated industries such as mining and construction.
Australia’s equal pay laws are not working well enough to tackle this problem. Of the 21 applications made since 1994, only one equal remuneration order has been made by the Fair Work Commission.
The Commission’s President, Iain Ross, recently said “it is likely [the gender pay gap] will widen again absent any measures to stop it.”
That’s why Labor will:

  • Make gender pay equity an object of the Fair Work Act;
  • Establish a statutory Equal Remuneration Principle, to guide the Fair Work Commission’s consideration of whether feminised industries are paid fairly;
  • Establish a new Pay Equity Panel within the Commission led by a new Presidential Member with specific expertise in gender pay equity; and
  • Fund the Commission to establish a Pay Equity Unit that will provide expert research support during equal remuneration matters, and more generally.

This announcement builds on commitments Labor has already made to tackle the gender pay gap, including:

  • Reversing cuts to penalty rates, which disproportionately impact women;
  • Investing $400 million to boost women’s superannuation balances;
  • Setting staged and progressive targets to close the gender pay gap, and making an annual statement to Parliament on progress;
  • Legislating so companies with more than 1,000 employees have to report their gender pay gap publicly;
  • Changing the Fair Work Act to prohibit pay secrecy clauses and give employees the right to disclose (or not disclose) their pay;
  • Requiring the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to publish a list that shows whether a company has undertaken a gender pay gap audit and reported the results to its board; and
  •  Requiring all Australian Government departments and agencies to conduct gender pay audits within the first year of a Labor Government.

LABOR’S TEN- YEAR PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MORE CONSTRUCTION JOBS

A Shorten Labor Government will help more Australian families with the cost of rent and turbocharge housing construction in Australia, with a ten- year national plan to build 250,000 houses –  Australia’s biggest ever investment in affordable housing.
This is a cost of living plan, a jobs plan and a housing plan. It will give working families a fair go to put a roof over their head now – and save for their own home in the future.
Labor will support affordable housing for renters by offering 15 year subsidies – $8500 per year – to investors who build new houses – conditional on them being rented at 20 per cent below market rent.
Support for 250,000 new units and houses will be available – with 20,000 new units and houses estimated to be built in the first term of a Shorten Labor Government.
These properties would be available to rent to eligible Australians – including those on low and moderate incomes – taking pressure off budgets and helping people save.
A family paying the national rental average of $462 a week could save $92 a week under Labor’s plan.
Labor’s plan will provide investors with certainty to build – knowing that they will have long term government support and guarantees beyond the decade. The existing rental scheme – the National Rental Affordability Scheme – has attracted private investment of approximately $12.9 billion to deliver 37,000 affordable rental dwellings in the ten years since 2008.
Despite this success, the Liberals have abandoned affordable housing and axed the subsidies that encourage affordable housing. There is a severe shortage of affordable rental housing in Australia and many families are struggling to find and keep a roof over their heads. The number of Australians experiencing rental and mortgage stress is at record levels.
Access to housing stands as one of the biggest challenges in addressing intergenerational inequality – there is a persistent and increasing wealth gap which is locking Australians out of the housing market.
Increasing the supply of affordable housing is critical to addressing pressures on disposable income, and in turn, addressing inequality.
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has estimated that there is a shortfall of more than 525,000 affordable rental properties in Australia.
Labor’s plan will deliver affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that help to reduce energy consumption and cost of living pressures on Australian families. Overseas students, temporary foreign workers, other non-residents will not be eligible tenants.
Labor will work with community housing providers, the residential construction sector and institutional investors to generate economic growth and new construction jobs. The plan will support Labor’s negative gearing reforms which direct concessions to newly built premises and encourage housing construction.
Consistent with Labor’s commitment on major infrastructure projects, one in ten jobs during construction and maintenance of properties will go to an Australian apprentice.
Only Labor will give families a fair go by investing in the plans, infrastructure and services needed to build a better and more equal Australia and help working families with cost-of-living pressures.
Labor’s policy has been costed independently by the Parliamentary Budget Office and will have an impact of $102 million over the forward estimates (to 2021-22), and $6.6 billion over the decade to 2028-29.
More information is available here.

Greens call on Shorten to commit to scrapping the cashless debit card

The Greens are calling on opposition leader Bill Shorten to commit to abolishing the cashless debit card, should they win Government this year.
“With Mr Shorten in Bundaberg today and the card set to rollout out in just over a week, he has the perfect opportunity to commit to scrapping this expensive, ineffective, punitive card,” Greens Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters said.
“I was in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay late last year with my colleague and Greens spokesperson for family and community services, Senator Rachel Siewert, and the local community is devastated by what this card will mean for them and their children.
“Labor did not support the rollout in Queensland and they should commit to scrapping the card if, but most likely when, they win Government.
“Control of your personal finances is very important for your dignity and sense of self-worth, that is taken away with compulsory income management and it should therefore be completely abolished in Australia.
“The money wasted on income management needs to be spent on better employment services, raising Newstart and drug, alcohol and mental health services. I’ve spent the last week in north and central Queensland and it’s been very apparent that all our regional areas need urgent improvements to these services and that’s where the Government’s focus should be.”

Australians deserve the truth on Murray Darling Basin

Reports that the South Australian Government may prevent the SA Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission’s final report from being made public show a contempt for the Australian people, and the need for an urgent federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin, the Greens say.
“The South Australian Government should not be running a protection racket for their federal counterparts and release this report immediately when the Commissioner delivers it. It’s political interference like this that warrants a federal Royal Commission as a matter of urgency. We need to stop the cover-ups and games, which is why when Parliament resumes I will be asking my colleagues to vote to establish a national Royal Commission,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“While the SA Royal Commission is expected within weeks, the scandals and problems continue. As a Senator for South Australia and member of the Federal Parliament, I am formally requesting the Commissioner provides me a copy of the report once it has been delivered to the Governor.
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan has been corrupted, mismanaged and interfered with by all levels of Government. It would be an absolute disgrace for a report investigating these matters to be hidden for political expediency.
“We know that even though the South Australian Royal Commission already had its wings clipped by the Federal and SA Governments the report is expected to be scathing. The Royal Commissioner’s findings should be released without political interference.
“Australians – who have spent $13 billion on a Plan that isn’t working – deserve better than this. The community is expecting the SA Royal Commissioner’s findings on February 1, and deserve to know the truth.”

Senator & Water Engineer Faruqi Visited Menindee Lakes & Broken Hill

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and water engineer, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has visited the Menindee Lakes and Broken Hill to meet with locals and discuss the crisis of the Murray Darling system.
Dr Faruqi said:
“It’s clear that there is justified and widespread community anger at the situation and at the Liberal/National Governments at state and Federal levels that have caused it to happen.
“As a water engineer, I know that healthy river systems only function when they are allowed to have significant environmental flows. The system has been denied that for many years by rules that privilege big corporations and operators over the environment and community.
“For years, this river system has been used and abused for profit. The hundreds of thousands of dead fish in the river system is the tragic result of that. I am really concerned that another mass fish kill is not a matter of if, but when.
“We also cannot hope to protect our mighty Murray Darling system if we don’t address the elephant in the room, dangerous climate change that will mean more and more severe droughts and heatwaves.
“The community members I met with have a clear call for action – return flows from upstream and establish a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of this disaster.
“I thank the locals of Menindee for their hospitality, support and resilience and assure them that the Greens will continue to stand with them, shoulder to shoulder, until this mess is fixed.
“The Greens will be moving to set up a Royal Commission into this whole sorry saga as soon as Parliament resumes. This is an issue of national and international importance,” she concluded.

Government to Require Councils to hold Australia Day Citizenship Ceremonies

Australian citizenship is an immense privilege, and fundamental to our national identity. Whether you are Australian by birth or choose to settle here, Australian citizenship is at the heart of who we are and what we believe as a nation.
The Government is updating the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code, which governs how citizenship ceremonies are conducted, to ensure the importance of these events is fully reflected across our nation.
As part of this update, the Government will require that citizenship ceremonies be held on Australia Day across the nation.
More than 73,000 people have become Australian citizens on Australia Day in the past five years, making it by far the most popular day of the year for people to attend a citizenship ceremony.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the new Code will better reflect the expectations of the Australian community and provide clear guidance to Councils on hosting citizenship ceremonies.
“New citizens should be given the opportunity to become an Australian on our national day,” Mr Coleman said.
“While most Councils already hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, becoming an Australian on our national day is a great privilege and I want more people to have that opportunity.
“Australia Day is an incredibly important part of our national calendar, and each year Australians in huge numbers celebrate our success at the many events organised by Councils across the country.”
Along with a requirement to hold a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day, Councils will also be required to hold a ceremony on Australian Citizenship Day (September 17). Council s will be able to continue to hold citizenship ceremonies on other days throughout the year.
A recommended dress standard will also be introduced for those who attend a citizenship ceremony given the significance and formality of the event. Conferees may continue to wear national or cultural dress.
Mr Coleman will write to all Councils in the coming days, who will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes to the Code. The new Code will be formally introduced in the first half of 2019.
Once implemented, Councils that choose not to hold a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day will be in breach of the Code and will have their authorisation to host citizenship ceremonies revoked.

Greens NSW Senator and Engineer to Visit Menindee and Broken Hill Tomorrow

Greens Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, will visit Broken Hill and Menindee tomorrow (17 January) to meet with locals and see first hand the devastation occuring in the Murray Darling system as a result of mismanagement and climate change. Senator Faruqi is a civil and environmental engineer who has worked on water management for the last two decades.
Senator Faruqi will also meet the Broken Hill Greens Convenor, Eve-Lyn Kennedy. Senator Faruqi will be available for media on Thursday and on Friday morning.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The shocking scenes of the fish kills is the result of consistent abuse of the environment for greed and profit. The ecosystem is collapsing because politicians have pushed the Murray Darling River system to the brink.
“The continued abuse of the Murray Darling System is nothing new and, sadly, what we are seeing now is the inevitable result of years of neglect and incompetence, especially by the National Party. The Nationals must be held to account.
“The Liberal and National Parties are more interested in appeasing big corporate interests than looking after the needs of the community and fostering a healthy river system.
“The Greens have been the most consistent advocates for protecting the Murray Darling. Greens in Broken Hill have been fighting for years to have politicians listen to the reality of what is happening to their community.
“For years there has been over-extraction from the system, restricting environmental flows that allow the Murray Darling to function. This has been devastating for communities and the environment.
“Climate change is the elephant in the room. If we don’t take urgent action to stop our planet warming, extreme heatwaves and drought will become more and more common.
“I’ll be meeting with locals and touring the area to see the extent of the situation and hear ideas about how to fix it.
“The axing of the National Water Commission under the Abbott Government was a reckless move that has led to a lack of national leadership and no independent auditing of water management in Australia.
“This is a huge wake up call. We need to urgently return the environmental flows that have been stripped. The Greens have called for a Royal Commission to expose the mismanagement, greed and corruption that has caused this,” she concluded.

Police launch Operation Tamworth Country Music Festival 2019

Police have launched a high-visibility operation for this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival to ensure country-music fans enjoy the event safely.
Operation Tamworth Country Music Festival 2019 will be in place for the duration of the event which starts tomorrow (Friday 18 January 2019) and runs until Sunday 27 January 2019.
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is Australia’s largest music festival, with a program featuring 700 artists and more than 2800 events, across 10 days.
General duties officers from Oxley Police District and across Western Region will be assisted by specialist police from the Operations Support Group (OSG), Dog Unit, Licensing Police, Bicycle Unit, and Traffic and Highway Patrol Command throughout the operation.
Operation Commander, Superintendent Fred Trench said, police will be out in force focusing on road safety, anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related violence.
“Thousands of people make the annual journey to be involved in the festival, and while the vast majority are well-behaved, police will act swiftly if you choose to do the wrong thing,” Supt Trench said.
“Everyone should be able to enjoy the event in Tamworth safely, but not at the expense of other people’s safety, so make sure you behave responsibly and think before you drink.
“Police will not tolerate any form of dangerous or criminal behaviour and alcohol-free zones in the CBD will be enforced,” Supt Trench said.
Additional Traffic and Highway Patrol officers will be deployed to ensure country-music fans and other motorists make it to and from their destinations safely.
Music fans are also reminded that there will be a number of alcohol-free zones throughout the Tamworth CBD for the safety and security of all festival-goers and the wider community.
“Camping is a popular choice among festival-goers – so take care of yourself and your belongings while in and around the event precinct,” Supt Trench said.
Police offer the following safety and security tips for campers:
• Plan your trip in advance and if possible, make a booking;
• Get to know your surrounding campers;
• In large crowds, be mindful of your own safety and security as well as that of people around you;
• Leave valuables at home – if you must take valuables with you, ensure they are secured and kept out of sight;
• Lock your caravan or campervan when unattended;
• Where possible, use a lock to secure your tent;
• Where possible, use a portable alarm in your tent or camper;
• Plan for changes in weather conditions;
• Ensure valuables are not left in unattended vehicles;
• Report any suspicious behaviour to police.
For comprehensive event details, visit the official festival website: www.tcmf.com.au
Special-event traffic information can be found at: www.livetraffic.com.

Seismic testing go-ahead bad for SA

Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Great Australian Bight and will have devastating outcomes for SA, the Greens say.

“This is a bad decision – bad for our marine life, bad for Kangaroo Island, and bad for SA. Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Bight, and an oil well 90km off Kangaroo Island is a disaster for South Australia,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“It seems as though after endless chances for the Norwegian company to finesse their plan, the regulator has buckled, doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry.

“PGS now has the green light to send seismic blasts into waters 90km from Kangaroo Island. This is an area sperm whales migrate through and where blue whales feed, sending constant blasts into the water for three months straight will devastate our marine life.

“The last time we had seismic blasting in the Great Australian Bight, whales beached themselves at Ardrossan and died. There is never a safe time for seismic blasting, and our environment will suffer for the regulator’s decision today.

“NOPSEMA has ignored the community, the fishing industry and Traditional Owners who want our Bight protected. 74% of South Australians want to see the Bight protected, and thousands of people have joined The Greens’ campaign to nominate the Bight for World Heritage Protection

“The Greens are fighting tooth and nail alongside the South Australian community to stop big oil and gas drilling off the coast of Kangaroo Island and in the Bight. The impact on our tourism industry and the marine life off our coast would be devastating.”

Govt under pressure to release secret documents over Menindee Lakes

The Liberal National Government are hiding critical information about draining the Menindee Lakes twice in three years, the Greens say.
“The Government’s refusal to release this information, by order of the Senate, stinks of a cover-up and puts them in contempt of the Senate,” Greens water and environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“For over six weeks we’ve been waiting for answers from the Minister about why water was released from Menindee Lakes twice in three years. We still don’t know how or why those decisions were made. I was concerned about it back in November, and now after the death of a million fish it’s even more concerning.
“The Liberal National Government cannot be trusted to deal with this environmental disaster, and they can’t be trusted to be open with River communities. The cover-ups must end if we are to see this river, and the faith of the people who rely on it, restored.
“Water Minister David Littleproud is following in the footsteps of his predecessor Barnaby Joyce, standing up for corporate cotton interests rather than the communities that rely on this vital river system for survival.
“Australians want a healthy river system and a government that stands up for the environment. It’s clear this government is concerned about keeping big cotton happy at the expense of the river we love.”