Category: Australian News

From today, Pacific island and Timor-Leste nationals will be able to register for Australia’s second annual Pacific Engagement Visa stream (PEV) ballot.

The PEV provides opportunities for up to 3,000 Pacific island and Timorese nationals to live, work and study in Australia each year.

Samoa and Kiribati will join the program in 2025-26, showing their strong interest in closer links between our countries and peoples.

Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu will continue to participate in 2025-26.

The inaugural PEV ballot in 2024-25 demonstrated the keen interest from the region for deeper connections and enhanced integration with Australia, with over 56,000 ballot registrations.

Australia has granted over 1,000 PEVs since October 2024, with many visa holders now settled with their families in Australian communities.

The PEV program will grow the Pacific island and Timor-Leste diasporas in Australia, strengthening links between our people and encouraging business and education ties.

PEV holders can move freely between Australia and their home countries over their lifetime, delivering education, skills and economic dividends for the region and linking us more closely together.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“The Pacific Engagement Visa highlights Australia’s commitment to the Pacific family and Timor-Leste.

“Strengthening our ties between the Pacific and Timor-Leste through people and education is central to our shared ambition for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

“The opening of the second ballot is a milestone in an initiative that will offer life-changing opportunities for families and communities in our region.”

Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Tony Burke:

“I am pleased to open the PEV ballot for a second year. The PEV demonstrates Australia’s commitment to deepening relationships with Pacific island nations and Timor-Leste.

“I look forward to more people from the Pacific and Timor-Leste settling in Australia and enhancing our nation’s rich cultural diversity.”

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy:

“The Pacific Engagement Visa program responds to requests from the Pacific for greater regional mobility and access to education and training opportunities.

“The program is part of our commitment to listening and delivering on the priorities of our Pacific partners.

“I am so pleased that Samoa and Kiribati are joining the ballot this year.

“It is a great way of bringing the peoples of the Pacific together, growing the diaspora in Australia and creating opportunities for our Pacific neighbours.”

The Greens are renewing calls to end the use of drug detection dogs and routine strip searches in NSW following the release of a report today revealing more than 80,000 people were strip searched over a decade from 2014-2023, with drugs being found in just 13.5% of those searched.

The review, The Use of Strip Searches and Drug Dogs in NSW, was produced by Harm Reduction Australia and Redfern Legal Centre using data obtained by Greens MP Cate Faehrmann through the NSW Parliament. 

“This data confirms what we’ve known for years. NSW Police are routinely subjecting people to traumatising, invasive strip searches based on the unreliable noses of drug dogs, and in the vast majority of cases, they find nothing,” said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and drug law reform spokesperson. 

“Most strip searches are being conducted out of suspicion of minor drug possession. You have to ask why such a huge amount of police and court resources is still being spent despite the government putting in place a drug diversion scheme. 

“Of the more than 80,000 people who were forced to remove their clothes, including children as young as ten, 71,800 had no drugs on them. That’s nearly nine out of ten. If that doesn’t scream abuse of power, I don’t know what does.” 

“In cases where people were strip searched following a detection by a drug dog, the dog got it wrong 60 percent of the time.  

“The Minns Government continues to defend the use of these tactics, including on the false premise that it’s about stopping supply. Yet just 1.4 percent of the 82,471 strip searches led to a conviction for drug supply.”  

The report also found that First Nations people were significantly overrepresented in strip search data, with regional towns like Dubbo and city stations like Redfern disproportionately targeted. 

“This is a regime that punishes young people, First Nations people, and festival-goers, all under the guise of drug enforcement. But it’s got nothing to do with safety and everything to do with intimidation and control,” said Ms Faehrmann. 

“I urge the Premier and Police Minister to prioritise reducing drug harm and saving lives. Our global reputation has taken a battering with reports of international visitors wanting to enjoy a night out or attend a music festival also subjected to strip searches. No other country does this to this extent.  

“It’s beyond ridiculous. Strip searches on the suspicion of minor drug possession and on those under 18 must end and drug dogs should be banned from festivals, venues and public spaces,” said Cate Faehrmann.  

Labor Premier Chris Minns has been challenged to explain his Government’s failure to stop land clearing after shocking SLATs data released today revealed a staggering 40% jump in land clearing rates.  

Greens MP and Environment Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:

“Land clearing in New South Wales is like a runaway train under this Minns Labor Government and it’s wiping out 66,000 hectares of bushland a year and showing no signs of slowing down”, 

“I think most people in NSW would be horrified to learn that land clearing is 40% worse under the Minns Labor Government than it was under the Liberal National Coalition Government, but that is the reality these figures show”,  

“The Liberal National Berejiklian Barilaro Government made catastrophic changes to land clearing laws to allow more rural land clearing, and since then the problem has only been getting worse. The Liberals and Nationals have made a huge mess and it’s now Labor’s responsibility to clean it up – but instead of taking action, they’re sitting on their hands while the problem gets worse”, 

“We are well on the way toward mass extinctions and ecosystem collapse unless we reign in land clearing, and that means reform to make our environmental laws stronger, an end to native forest logging and more support for farmers to invest in sustainable agriculture practices”, 

“Labor Premier Chris Minns rode into power on the promise to do better for nature, to date we’ve seen more environmental destruction under his Government than we had under the Coalition. I’m calling on the Premier to open his eyes to the environment of NSW, because to date he’s lost all sight”.  

Pressure is mounting on Police Minister Yasmin Catley to ensure an independent investigation into the death of Ballina local Lindy Lucena, following revelations that the NSW Police force took 55 minutes to respond to a call for help from a man who witnessed her violent death at the hands of a partner.  

Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:

“Lindy’s family and friends have the absolute support of the myself and the Greens for an independent investigation into police conduct on the night of the dreadful incident”, 

“Police took nearly an hour to even respond to reports of a woman being beaten to death by her partner. Police are well aware of the outrage in the community with regard to domestic violence, but it’s clear NSW Police are still not treating domestic violence victims with the respect and urgency that we need them to in order to save lives”,  

“It’s just despairing and infuriating to think that Lindy’s life could have been saved if not for the negligence of a police officer, who drove to the site of Lindy’s death and didn’t even get out of his car to investigate”,  

“NSW Police didn’t even declare a critical incident when Lindy died, and now they’re dodging questions from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission into her death”, 

“There is a startling culture within NSW Police of disrespect and neglect towards women who are domestic violence victims. We know that dozens of currently serving police officers in NSW have been charged with domestic violence offences themselves, and several have even been convicted,” 

“The police’s internal investigation has completely failed Lindy, and it’s proof that cops investigating cops just isn’t good enough when it comes to police misconduct”, 

“I’m backing the calls from Lindy’s family and friends, and I have written to the Police Minister urging her to ensure an entirely independent investigation into Lindy’s death from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission,”  

“My thoughts are with Lindy’s family, friends and community as they seek justice for a loving mother, sister and local woman.”  

The Greens are calling on the Albanese Government to implement a sanctions regime against Israel based on Russian sanctions to force Israel to let aid into Gaza, stop the occupation of the West Bank and end the genocide.

The Greens today have updated its call on the Albanese Government to end the two-way arms trade and sanction Israel. The new call seeks to implement comparable sanctions to those applied to exports and imports from Russia and expand individual sanctions to those imposed by the US, UK, Canada and European Union.

Exporting goods like aluminium, aircraft parts, and luxury goods to a country that is actively engaging in war crimes was prohibited in the case of Russia and should be prohibited now for Israel. The Greens, by comparing the Russian sanctions regime to UN trade data, estimate this would impact some $50 million annually in direct exports to Israel, including the prohibition on trading ‘arms or related matériel’.

Australia has also imposed some 1,400 sanctions on individuals and entities in Russia, while there are only a dozen concerning Israel. Australia has also failed to match sanctions in 17 instances where the US, Canada and the European Union have implemented sanctions on Israeli individuals and entities.

The Albanese Government has also failed to sanction the Israeli Security Cabinet, which is responsible for carrying out the genocide in Gaza and the illegal occupation of the West Bank.

The Albanese Government set the yardstick for how to respond to an illegal occupation and invasion of another country through its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Albanese Government must now apply this standard to Israel.

International legal experts have made clear that even with these sanctions, more will likely need to be done to meet Australia’s obligations under international law.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, said: “For too long, the Albanese Government has refused to act, and placed no pressure on the Israeli Government to end the genocide.

“We know what action looks like, we have seen it done before. We need to see it again. There is mass starvation in Gaza, and thousands of children are hours away from death. Inaction was never an option; it is not now.”

“It is good that after two years of denial, the Albanese government is now acknowledging the horror occurring in front of our eyes. The Prime Minister must now impose sanctions, follow the words with action and end the two-way arms trade.

“The Albanese Government’s position that there is nothing it can do to put pressure on the Israeli Government is a weak attempt to distract the public from its complicity.

“The Albanese Government will claim they are waiting for other countries to act so they can follow, but the Albanese Government has failed to impose sanctions on Israel to the level of other countries.

“Despite the spin from the Albanese Government, it is not in dispute that the Government has allowed weapons and weapon parts from Australia to be sent to Israel. Parts of the F-35 fighter jet were exported this month, and the Canberra-made R400 remote weapon system was used in Israel early this year.

“We stopped the arms trade with Russia. We can do the same with Israel,” Senator Shoebridge said.

The Albanese Government is making cheaper medicines even cheaper – with legislation being introduced to Parliament this week that will mean a prescription on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will cost Australians no more than $25 from 1 January next year.

The last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was 2004 – more than 20 years ago.

This is another key cost of living measure delivered by the Albanese Government.

Having already slashed the cost of medicines – with the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS in 2023 – we’re now going even further.

This is a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year.

Making medicines cheaper is a tangible way we’re helping with the cost of living.

Pensioners and concession cardholders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030.

This builds on action we’ve already taken to deliver cost of living relief through Cheaper Medicines, including: 

• More free and cheaper medicines, sooner, with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts a concessional patient must fill before the PBS Safety Net kicks in – (July 2022)
• The largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling to $30, from $42.50 –  (January 2023)
• 60-day prescriptions saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition – (Three phases from September 2023)
• Freezing the cost of PBS medicines, with co-payments not rising with inflation for all Australians for the first time in 25 years – (January 2025)

All medicines that pharmacies can discount today can continue to be discounted once the co-payment is cut to $25. The legislation includes specific provisions to protect the availability of discounting.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“We said we would make cheaper medicines even cheaper – that is exactly what we are doing.

“This is another example of cost of living relief that helps every Australian.

“The size of your bank balance shouldn’t determine the quality of your healthcare. My Government will continue to deliver cost of living relief for all Australians.”

Minister Mark Butler

“The Albanese Government has been focused on delivering cheaper medicines for Australians.

“Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket and good for your health.

“For general patients medicines haven’t been this cheap since 2004.

“For pension and concession card holders we’ve frozen your medicine prices at a maximum price of $7.70 until the end of the decade.”

The NSW Government has completed three new purpose-built homes in Wyee – delivering safe, accessible and inclusive housing for people with disability in Lake Macquarie.

The $5.1 million development was delivered in partnership with leading disability provider Aruma and marks a major step forward in expanding specialist social housing for people with high support needs.

A PROJECT DESIGNED FOR DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE:

The newly completed Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) homes include:
Two 3-bedroom houses
One 2-bedroom house with an adjoining 1-bedroom villa
Construction on two more homes – each with three bedrooms and space for live-in carers – will begin shortly and are expected to finish by mid-2026.
The project is jointly funded by Aruma and Homes NSW.
This initiative also forms part of the NSW Government’s $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW program – the largest investment in housing in the state’s history.

NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“We’re getting on with the job of building homes that actually work for people, not one-size-fits-all developments, but places that reflect the real needs of the community.”

“We’re building homes that give people safety and dignity – and we’re doing it as part of the biggest investment in housing in our state’s history. Through the Building Homes for

NSW program, we’re delivering the kind of accessible, purpose-built housing people need.”

NSW Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:

“The Minns Labor Government is building a more inclusive NSW, by investing in state-of-the-art, safe and accessible housing.”

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Aruma to ensure more people with disability have great housing options in Lake Macquarie.”

“People with disability have the right to live with dignity, and these new accessible homes offer that and much more – the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.”

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper said:

“These new homes in Wyee, designed to support people with disability, are an asset to Lake Macquarie.”

“While these much-needed homes are welcome, there is still a great need for more social housing and disability accommodation in Lake Macquarie. I look forward to further investment in our region to meet the diverse needs of our growing population.”

Aruma CEO Dr Martin Laverty said:

“Our goal is to support people with disability to live the life that they want and choose.”

“These homes have been designed with accessibility and liveability in mind, and to provide the level of support our participants need. “

“Importantly, these properties have been built to support independence and honour personal choice. At Aruma, our focus is on creating homes for our participants – not just places to live.”

We, the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Australia and the Foreign and Defence Secretaries of the United Kingdom, reaffirm our shared commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda as a cornerstone of our foreign and defence policies.

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in October this year, the promise of the WPS agenda remains unfulfilled. Around the world, women and girls continue to be disproportionally affected by conflict and insecurity, and their exclusion from conflict prevention and peace processes is preventing the achievement of lasting peace, security and prosperity.

Australia and the United Kingdom have long championed action across the four pillars of the WPS agenda: Participation, Prevention, Protection and Relief and Recovery. This includes driving progress to eliminate conflict-related sexual violence, and both nations are deeply concerned by its pervasive use as a deliberate and devastating tactic of war.

Together, we remain committed to the full implementation of the WPS agenda, including to:

• Promote women’s leadership across all realms of peace and security, including conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacekeeping operations, and defence institutions.
• Support women-led organisations and human rights defenders working in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
• Strengthen accountability mechanisms to prevent and respond to sexual gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.
• Collaborate internationally to share best practices, build capacity, and advocate for the WPS agenda in multilateral forums and through the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.

We recognise that progress requires sustained political will and inclusive partnerships. As close partners, Australia and the United Kingdom will continue to work together to ensure that the WPS agenda remains central to our efforts to build a more peaceful, stable and prosperous world.

The Minns Labor Government will introduce legislation when Parliament returns in August to limit the pay rises for NSW parliamentarians to 3.5 per cent in 2025-2026.

The independent Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal (PRT) has awarded a 4 per cent for NSW politicians.

This comes as the Government’s legislated wage freeze of the pay of MPs, senior public servants, judges, the governor, and other office holders for two years came to an end on July 1.

It was a significant budget measure that saved the NSW budget hundreds of millions of dollars.

Given the Tribunal’s decision to award a higher increase than the base increase offered to essential public sector workers, the Minns Labor Government believes the most responsible and fair course of action is to align the parliamentary pay rise with the pay offer of 3.5 per cent to the general public sector workforce last financial year.

This ensures consistency with broader public sector wage settings and reflects the Government’s commitment to responsible budget management and fairness.

This will mean in the first three years of the Minns Labor Government, essential workers will have received a minimum pay rise of 10.5 per cent, three times higher than the 3.5 per cent plus super which politicians will have received in three years.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“We removed the wages cap so we could deliver fair pay increases to the essential workers who keep NSW running — like teachers, paramedics, nurses, firefighters and police.”

Special Minister of State John Graham said:

“While the government has settled the majority of public sector pay claims, there are still important pay disputes underway. We have taken the view it is the wrong moment for parliamentarian pay to increase by 4%.”

The NSW Government will introduce tough new laws to crackdown on the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vaping goods across the state.

The legislation will see NSW bring in some of the toughest penalties in the country for the sale and commercial possession of illicit tobacco and will grant substantial powers for inspectors to close premises found to be in breach of the new rules.

The amendments form part of the NSW Government’s commitment to protecting the community from the harms of tobacco and vapes, and will include, among other things:

• A new offence for the commercial possession of illicit tobacco with a maximum penalty of over $1.5 million and 7 years’ imprisonment.
• New penalties for the sale of illicit tobacco with a maximum penalty of over $1.5 million and 7 years’ imprisonment.
• The introduction of short-term (up to 90 days) and long-term (up to 12 months) closure orders for premises selling illicit tobacco, illegal vaping goods, or selling tobacco without a licence.
• New offences and penalties for anyone who breaches these closure orders, including for entering closed premises or selling products from closed premises.
• Lease termination powers for landlords where a closure order is in place.
• New nation-leading offences for falsely claiming to be licensed; resisting seizure; and attempting to retake seized products.

In addition to the tough new measures in this new legislation, the NSW Government will also commence a targeted consultation on a new offence for landlords who knowingly lease their premises to illicit tobacco and vape suppliers.

These new penalties and offences will complement the tobacco licensing scheme which came into effect from 1 July 2025. The scheme ensures accurate information is collected on tobacco retailing and wholesaling activities in NSW to support enforcement efforts, deter tobacco retailing businesses from operating outside of the law and provide greater oversight of the tobacco retail industry.

If an applicant has been found guilty of an offence relating to the sale or supply of tobacco or vaping goods, they could be refused a licence to sell these products.

From 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025, NSW Health:

• conducted over 700 retailer inspections and seized:
• more than 90,000 nicotine vapes, e-liquids and pouches with an estimated street value around $2.9 million;
• more than 6 million cigarettes and 1,100 kg of other illicit tobacco products with an estimated street value of around $6.8 million; and
• issued around 150 penalty notices, totalling around $316,000.

The NSW Government has established a cross-agency NSW Illicit Tobacco Taskforce, with senior representatives from NSW Health, NSW Police, the Department of Customer Service, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport, and the Department of Communities and Justice.

The Taskforce has developed options and recommendations for the NSW Government to strengthen compliance and enforcement activities in NSW to reduce the availability of illegal tobacco in the community.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“We understand the community’s frustration at the growth of the illicit tobacco market.

“These will be among the toughest penalties in the country and will send a clear message to bad actors that selling illegal tobacco and vaping goods will not be tolerated in NSW.

“We are disrupting the business model of the large-scale criminals who profit from addiction, tax evasion, and putting young people at risk.

“This isn’t just a serious health issue, it’s about fairness, because these illegal operators are undercutting small businesses that are doing the right thing. 

“I know many landlords have also expressed their concerns about illegal tobacco operations occurring on their premises. These new powers will give them certainty and the opportunity to terminate leases where there is a closure order in place.

“These changes are on top of the tobacco licensing scheme which came into effect on 1 July and will help to clean out bad actors in the NSW tobacco market and level the playing field for small businesses who do the right thing.”