Category: Australian News

All the news from around Australia

Five arrested for million-dollar NDIS fraud

 
A joint agency investigation into an organised criminal syndicate suspected of defrauding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) of millions of dollars has today resulted in the arrest of five people in western Sydney.
Today’s arrests are the result of a six-month investigation by the NDIS Fraud Taskforce – comprising members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). This investigation was supported by the AFP hosted Fraud and Anti-Corruption Centre and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
All five were arrested at four residences in the western Sydney suburbs of Lurnea and Liverpool (two locations) early this morning. A number of them are expected to be charged with a range of fraud and proceeds of crime offences, and are likely to appear before Sydney Central Local Court this afternoon. A sixth person will be issued a summons to appear before court to answer related charged at a later date.
Taskforce investigators will allege in court that three registered NDIS providers controlled and exploited by those arrested today fraudulently claimed more than $1.1 million in NDIS payments from more than 70 people on disability plans, or those managing their affairs.
Investigations into the true scale of this fraud are continuing, with more than 100 other potential victims identified through the three entities controlled by this syndicate – Universal Group Australia Pty Ltd, Reliance Disability Services and United Mission.
The three entities are believed to have received more than $2.6 million in NDIS payments since December 2017. Further enquiries are required to determine whether these payments are legitimate or fraudulent.
It is also suspected that syndicate members applied to register another four entities as NDIS providers to claim payments.
The AFP also seized three vehicles – a Porsche Cayenne, an Audi A3 and Mercedes E63 – suspected of being purchased with funds fraudulently obtained by syndicate members.
AFP Acting Commander Mark McIntyre, Manager Criminal Assets and Fraud and Anti-Corruption, and said police were committed to targeting those deliberately exploiting the Australian community.
“This is an organised criminal activity preying on those that society has chosen to help– it took money directly out of the pockets of NDIS participants, reducing their ability to obtain crucial assistance and services to help them lead their lives,” he said.
“Unfortunately this is not an isolated case, and we will continue to work with our taskforce partners to identify those preying on our needy and bring them to account for their selfish and despicable actions.”
Acting CEO of the NDIA, Vicki Rundle, said the NDIS Fraud Taskforce was a partnership with a focus on high-risk and serious criminal activity targeting the NDIS.
“The NDIA is committed to working with families impacted by alleged fraud and ensuring they have their funds reinstated in their plans where appropriate,” she said.
“We want to make it clear that fraud of the NDIS will not be tolerated. The NDIA takes the matter of fraud very seriously and will continue to invest in our capability to continue to identify attempts to defraud the scheme”.
The Department of Human Services also has an important role in the NDIS Fraud Taskforce, providing expert capability to detect and investigate organised criminal networks that seek to take advantage of vulnerable members of the community.
A 40-year-old man from Lurnea will be charged with Obtaining a gain contrary to section 135.(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), and Dealing with property reasonably suspected to proceeds of crime contrary to section 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
A  35-year-old woman from Lurnea was charged with Obtaining a gain contrary to section 135.(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), and Dealing with property reasonably suspected to proceeds of crime contrary to section 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalties for these offences are 10 years and three years imprisonment, respectively.
A 27-year-old man, 30-year-old man and 27-year-old woman – all from Liverpool – were charged with Dealing with property reasonably suspected to proceeds of crime contrary to section 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is three years imprisonment.
A 22-year-old woman will be issued a court attendance notice relating to an allegation of providing false or misleading information contrary to section 137.1 (1)(c)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 months imprisonment.

New report shows record low coral cover at many WA reefs

A diver surveys bleached coral at Scott Reef, Western Australia. Photo: Nick Thake

The most extensive report into the state of Western Australia’s coral reefs, led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), shows many reefs have the lowest coral cover on record.
Western Australia’s coral reefs, comparable in extent and diversity to those on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, have been seriously affected by heat stress and cyclones.
This latest study of WA reefs was undertaken through the collaboration of 26 researchers from 19 institutions, and included important marine observations from regional managers, tourist operators and Bardi Jawi Indigenous Rangers in the Kimberley.
AIMS marine scientist Dr James Gilmour said it was the first study of its kind to establish a long-term history of changes in coral cover across eight reef systems and the extent of coral bleaching at 401 survey sites.
“Despite their extent and diversity, there are few published accounts of the condition of Western Australia’s reefs,” Dr Gilmore said.
“Coral reefs make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy and identity through associated fisheries, tourism and recreation, so we are formally assessing their condition following the third global coral bleaching event in 2016 and establishing a baseline for future change.”

Scott Reef in 2012 with healthy coral population (left), and after the 2016 coral bleaching, showing coral skeletons covered in algae (right). Photos: James Gilmour

WA Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions marine scientist, and co-author in the research, Dr Shaun Wilson said a heat wave in 2016 had its greatest impact in the north-west but had relatively little effect on those reefs south of the Pilbara, such as Ningaloo.
“However, these reefs were affected by heat stress in La Niña years, particularly the 2011 heat wave, so over the past 10 years, few reefs have escaped bleaching,” Dr Wilson said.
University of Western Australia physical oceanographer and co-author Dr Rebecca Green said to assess changes to reef systems, the team had linked site-specific data since 1990 on the coral’s exposure to damaging marine heatwaves and heat stress, with mean changes in coral cover.
“We found half the reef systems have been severely impacted by coral bleaching since 2010, which has been further compounded by cyclones at some reefs,” Dr Green said.
Dr Gilmour said for 75 per cent of reef systems with long-term data of between five and 26 years, coral cover is currently at, or near, the lowest on record.
“Full recovery is unlikely if heat stress and cyclone disturbances continued to intensify, however, at some reefs, coral cover has remained relatively stable or has increased in recent years.”
“Within all reef systems, the condition of communities based on their exposure to disturbances, was varied.”
“We have started identifying coral communities least susceptible to disturbances, which show some capacity to adapt to future warming, and investigating how their coral larvae connect between reefs following coral spawning.”
Dr Gilmour said the capacity for coral larvae to disperse between reefs and expand their distribution would be important for future research and management priorities.
The report entitled, `The state of Western Australia’s coral reefs’ is published in the research journal Coral Reefs here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-019-01795-8

APRA releases report on industry self-assessments into governance, culture and accountability

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released a report analysing the self-assessments carried out by 36 of the country’s largest banks, insurers and superannuation licensees in response to the Final Report of the Prudential Inquiry into Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).
APRA wrote to the institutions’ boards last June asking them to gauge whether the weaknesses uncovered by the CBA Prudential Inquiry also existed in their own companies. The landmark CBA inquiry had found that continued financial success dulled the bank’s senses, especially with regard to the management of non-financial risks.
After receiving the self-assessments last December, APRA’s frontline supervision teams carried out detailed analysis and benchmarking of their quality and the key issues that institutions identified.
APRA noted a wide variation in the quality of the self-assessments; most institutions recognised the opportunity provided by the findings in the Final Report to critically examine their own organisation , however a small number of institutions took a lighter touch approach and viewed it as an exercise for APRA rather than an opportunity to drive improvement.
Consistent findings in the self-assessments included:
  • non-financial risk management requires improvement;
  • accountabilities are not always clear, cascaded and effectively enforced;
  • acknowledged weaknesses are well-known and some have been long-standing; and
  • risk culture is not well understood, and therefore may not be reinforcing the desired behaviours.
APRA Deputy Chair John Lonsdale said it is clear that many of the issues identified within CBA are not unique to that institution.
“Although the self-assessments raised no concerns about financial soundness, they confirmed our observation that industry is grappling to manage non-financial risks, such as culture and accountability,” Mr Lonsdale said.
“The self-assessments provided valuable insights into the depth and totality of issues, and how institutions were addressing them. It was also interesting to observe the generally positive assessments boards and senior leadership teams had of their own performance, even when they had identified serious weaknesses in their institutions.
“It was not always evident that institutions clearly understood the drivers of their findings. Therefore, there is a risk that any planned action to address weaknesses may not be effective or sustainable.”
APRA is considering applying additional capital requirements to several regulated institutions after an analysis of self-assessments found material weaknesses in the governance and management of non-financial risks. APRA is also seeking assurances from all boards that the weaknesses identified in their self-assessments will be addressed as a matter of priority in an effective and sustainable manner.
Mr Lonsdale said the findings would be used to help APRA better target its efforts to lift standards of non-financial risk management, as outlined in its 2019 Policy Priorities document.
“APRA will shortly write to the boards of all participating institutions providing tailored observations on their self-assessments. Boards should expect increased supervisory scrutiny of their institutions as they implement remediation actions. Also, in a number of cases, the weaknesses identified in the self-assessment were sufficiently material that APRA is considering stronger supervisory responses, including the application of an operational risk capital overlay,” he said.
“Boards must be committed to uplifting governance and management of non-financial risks. Where this commitment is not forthcoming, APRA will consider the need for further regulatory action. We also continue to encourage those institutions that have not yet done a self-assessment to do so as a valuable means of identifying and addressing weaknesses in their business.”
A copy of the publication is available on the APRA website at www.apra.gov.au/information-papers-released-apra.

Australian Pilots not at higher risk of melanoma than other Australians

Recently, ARPANSA co-authored a new study which found that modern airline pilots registered in Australia, appear not to be at higher risk of developing invasive melanoma than the rest of the population.
The study, led by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, has been published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
This study is significant because it is a change from previous findings that focused on pilots in the northern hemisphere.
For decades, previous research showed much higher risks of melanoma in European and North American pilots, compared to the general population.
The Australian study was also conducted in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). QIMR Berghofer researcher and lead author, Associate Professor Catherine Olsen, said this study examined health information from more than 20,000 Australian licensed pilots.
‘We looked at de-identified medical records from 2011 to 2016 held by the CASA, and found pilots in this country were not at a higher risk of developing invasive melanoma than the general population,’ Associate Professor Olsen said.
‘These new findings may reflect that conditions on airliner flights have changed,’ added Dr. Rick Tinker, co-author of the study and Director of Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA.
‘Factors such as levels of short-wave solar ultraviolet radiation, which are the kind associated with melanoma, are mostly extremely low on today’s airliner flight decks.’
‘Other reasons why melanoma risk for pilots may have lowered, may be because pilots these days have different lifestyles and work practices. For example, they are expected to fly more and therefore have less layovers, especially in sunny destinations.’
Researchers hope this study will be built on further, using contemporary data gathered from around the world, in order to confirm whether commercial pilots in other countries are also no longer at increased melanoma risk.
The study was funded by the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine.
For more details on the study, visit QIMR Berghofer.

New Diabetes Service for Bundaberg

The Morrison Government is providing $700,000 for the Bundaberg Community Diabetes Service – a new approach to complex diabetes care that will address a significant service gap for patients living with the condition.
Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt welcomed today’s announcement which has been funded through the Community Hospitals and Health Program and will be commissioned by the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN.
“More than 7000 people (6.7 percent) are registered with the National Diabetes Support Scheme in Bundaberg, which is above the state average of 4.8 percent. However it is likely there are more people with diabetes who are undiagnosed,” Mr Pitt said.
“As someone with a family history of late onset diabetes I know that this is a disease which doesn’t discriminate.
“This is not an election commitment, it is a fully funded program which has been identified as needed in this community, which will target high complexity and high-risk patients with diabetes,” Mr Pitt said.
“Our strong economic management means we can provide record investment in these initiatives, Medicare, public hospitals and medicines, delivering more doctors, more nurses and more services to people in Queensland” said Minister for Health Greg Hunt MP.
Without dedicated diabetes services in Bundaberg, high complexity and high risk patients, who make up 20 per cent of people with diabetes, are missing out on specialist care, or having to wait too long for it. This means they are developing complications that might otherwise be prevented.
The new Community Diabetes Service will be delivered by advanced skill GPs, supported by an endocrinologist and multidisciplinary care team. Patients who would otherwise be referred to a specialist are instead referred to the Community Diabetes Service.
A diabetes educator/care coordinator will conduct a comprehensive screening assessment. This includes a review of medications, diabetic history, retinal photographs, foot assessment, depression screening and appropriate blood and urine testing.
Patients are then booked for their diabetes clinic, which is a four-hour session involving the endocrinologist, advanced skill GP and diabetes educator. A management plan is developed, appointments made with allied health services, and the GP kept closely informed of the care and management the patient is receiving. Patients are discharged back to their usual GP once targets have been achieved.
Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN CEO Pattie Hudson said that providing diabetes care in a community setting is an important step to empowering people take a more active role in managing their condition.
“By working with patients who have complex health needs, and providing them with a support network of health care providers in a community clinic setting, we can provide treatment to more people, reducing waiting lists and making specialist care more accessible.”
“The PHN is pleased to be partnering with Diabetes Queensland, the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, GPs and allied health providers in Bundaberg to deliver this innovative service” Mrs Hudson said.
The Government is aware of the significant impact that diabetes has on people and their families and is committed to working towards the prevention of the disease in the Australian community.
We are supporting people living with diabetes on several fronts. This includes cheaper access to products that help them manage their diabetes following improvements to the National Diabetes Services Scheme.
We have expanded free access to glucose monitoring devices for pregnant women, children and more adults with type 1 diabetes, saving Australians up to $7,000 a year. Our investment over the next four years will ensure that free glucose monitoring devices are available to over 37,000 eligible Australians with type 1 diabetes.
We will also invest $54.5 million for research that will give new hope and support for Australian children and adults living with type 1 diabetes.
All of these initiatives are part of our plan to strengthen Australia’s world class health system.
We can deliver this record investment in health without raising taxes for hard-working Queenslanders.

Funding Vital Medical Research

The Liberal National Government will funding 10 highly promising research projects that aim to tackle medical conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, antibiotic resistance, cerebral palsy and stroke.
The projects, funded under Stage One of the bold Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Frontiers initiative, will receive funding of up to $1 million each over one year to develop detailed planning for their cutting-edge research projects.
Each of the selected 10, like Transform Emergency Stroke Care project, will be able to apply for Frontiers Stage Two with the opportunity to secure up to $50 million or more to realise their ground-breaking research plan.
The projects include:

  • $999,956 for a world first research project to harness next generation brain imaging technology for diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder of children, and one of the major neurological conditions affecting the Australian population. More than 200,000 Australians currently live with epilepsy. For people with epilepsy, finding the right medication is a matter of ‘try it and see. For one third of patients, no medication is successful and often surgery is also problematic. New advanced brain imaging methods can help. The Precision Medicine for Epilepsy project will use advanced neuroimaging with artificial-intelligence prediction to transform management of epilepsy, reducing clinical uncertainty and leading to earlier decisions and better selection of effective treatments. Professor Jackson and the Florey will collaborate with Australian and international leaders in epilepsy, neuropsychological testing and genetic testing in working groups to dramatically improve epilepsy care and patient experiences.
  • $924,100 for research to develop a new interface between the brain and a machine, to help people regain eyesight, movement or other nerve functions. The Cortical Frontiers: Commercialising Brain Machine Interfaces project is headed by Professor Arthur Lowery, Professor of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University. The device was originally developed to restore vision, but can be repurposed to provide stimulation of many neural functions. The Cortical Frontiers project will work with doctors and patients to identify the two most promising applications of the technology for development.
  • $998,731 for research towards a national database of antibiotic resistance, to allow resistant strains to be traced, isolated and treated.. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents the greatest health challenge facing humanity. Without a solution, it is forecast to cause 50 million deaths a year worldwide by 2050. The Trace, Track and Tackle project will use sensor technologies, data, knowledge, and artificial intelligence to develop a nationwide system, called OUTBREAK, help in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. OUTBREAK will allow researchers to study how resistant bacteria spread and how to treat them. Its goal is to protect Australians from AMR infections, and reduce hospital admissions and health care costs. The project is headed by Professor Steven Djordjevic of the Proteomics Core Facility at the University of Technology Sydney.
  • $964,700 for research into large scale use of an Australian method for controlling the spread of Zika virus, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases. The Innovative Public Health Program Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases is headed by Professor Scott O’Neill, of the Institute of Vector-Borne Disease at Monash University. Professor O’Neill and his team pioneered the use of a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia to reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit certain viruses. The method has been successfully tested in small field trials and a larger field site in Townsville in Queensland
  • $895,346 for multidisciplinary research to develop new technologies to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health. The EVE-M — Enhancing the Vaginal Environment and Microbiome—Initiative is headed by Professor Gilda Tachedjian of the Burnet Institute. The EVE-M initiative will develop and commercialise a series of pioneering technologies to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health. It will use innovative materials to harness beneficial genital microbiota to potentially deliver other drugs, including contraceptives. The ultimate goal is to reduce the health burden and cost of bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted infections in Australia and around the world. As well as the Burnet Institute, the EVE-M Initiative includes Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus, and Family Planning NSW.
  • $960,000 for intensive research into new 4D diagnostic technology to allow accurate assessment of lung function in people of all ages, including the very young and old. The Australian Lung Health Initiative aims to deliver an original technology that is rapid, easy to use and safe, with less than 10 per cent of the radiation used by x-rays. Patients would not have to remain still or follow instructions, making it suitable for infants, children, older people and the very sick who are difficult to assess with current technology.The five-year project will build on Australian company 4Dx Limited’s patented XV Technology™, a four-dimensional lung function imaging analysis, and new lose-dose imaging science. Professor Andreas Fouras is founder, chairman, and chief executive of 4Dx.The Australian Lung Health Initiative was formed to bring together world-leading Australian scientists, engineers, manufacturers and medical researchers to revolutionise lung screening and treatment.
  • $1 million for a world first Australian research project using the latest genome editing technology to rapidly detect and identify infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance. The c-FIND: CRISPR Frontier Infection Diagnostics to Detect Infection project is led by Professor Marc Pellegrini of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. There is an urgent, unmet need around the world for rapid and accurate identification of infectious disease in patients, to combat antimicrobial resistance and mitigate the devastating consequences of epidemics and pandemics. Breakthrough CRISPR technology (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) provides scientists with the prospect of new, accurate and fast point-of-care diagnostics. Work by the c-FIND team has the potential to dramatically change the way infectious diseases are diagnosed, providing clinically relevant answers in real time, and speeding time to treatment.
  • $1 million for a world first Australian research project using therapeutic ultrasound to treat brain disorders, including dementia. The Therapeutic Ultrasound for the Treatment of Brain Disorders project is headed by Professor Juergen Goetz, Director of the Centre for Ageing Dementia Research at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Queensland Brain Institute. Last year, around 450,000 Australians were living with dementia. Without a medical breakthrough, this number is expected to rise to more than a million by 2028. The multidisciplinary therapeutic ultrasound program will build on the UQ’s successful use of ultrasound to improve the effectiveness of drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. It will aim to deliver an innovative technological platform combining ultrasound and essential auxiliary technology to effectively treat Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders.
  • $747,596 for a world first Australian research project to test a new biomedical technology to deliver spinal cord stimulation as a treatment for cerebral palsy. The Cerebral Palsy Treatment by Closed Loop Electrical Stimulation project is headed by Professor John Parker, founder and chief executive officer of Saluda Medical Pty Ltd and Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of New South Wales. Cerebral palsy is an incurable disease characterised by spasticity. There is no current cure although various treatments can provide some relief from symptoms. Currently more than 34,000 Australians are affected by cerebral palsy. Every 15 hours, a child is born with cerebral palsy in Australia, making it the most common form of childhood physical disability. Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord may have therapeutic benefits, but has not been adopted in clinical practice due to the limitations of current implants. Saluda Medical is a medical device company at the cutting edge of bioelectronics medicines. It has developed a closed loop feedback technology that measures neural activity controlling muscles and applies electrical stimulation to the spinal cord that self-adjusts to remain within the therapeutic range.
  • $1 million to identified the development of new technologies to care for stroke victims before they reach hospital as one of the first funded projects. The multidisciplinary research alliance on pre-hospital care for stroke is headed by Professor Geoffrey Donnan of the University of Melbourne and includes stroke experts, engineers, computer scientists, paramedics, healthcare providers and non-government organisations. The Alliance will spend a year creating a detailed research plan to develop new, lightweight brain imaging equipment to transform diagnosis and care for stroke victims in the so-called ‘golden hour’— the first hour after a stroke occurs. Coupled with real-time data transmission capability, this will allow images to be sent from specialised road and air ambulances to stroke specialists in major hospitals. More than 56,000 Australians have strokes every year and around half a million people are living with the effects of stroke.

Frontiers is an initiative under the $1.3 billion National Health and Medical Industry Growth Plan And the 2019-20 Budget MRFF 10 year Investment Plan extends Frontiers to 2027-28 and increases funding from $240 million to a total allocation of $570 million.
Frontiers provides endless possibilities for Australia’s talented researchers.
These projects have the potential to save and protect millions of lives.
This investment has the potential to transform healthcare and stimulate growth in the Australian medical technologies, biomedical and pharmaceutical sector, a vital part of the innovation economy.
The Coalition Government’s strong economic management ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding into ground-breaking medical research, Medicare, mental health, life-saving medicines, and hospitals.
All applications were assessed by an International Scientific Peer Review Panel to ensure those recommended for funding would deliver new to world ideas and opportunities.

Greens release plan for 270,000 new jobs

The Australian Greens have today announced that their plan will deliver hundreds of thousands of new jobs across Australia.
“The Greens have a plan for a safer climate, a fairer society and new lasting jobs,” said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.
“Scott Morrison wants you to believe that we have to choose between our economy and the environment but the truth is that they move in the same direction.
“Not only would the Greens’ plan protect existing jobs in Australia’s food bowl and on the Great Barrier Reef, but it would also create 270,000 new full-time jobs in a range of industries.
“We will create 21st-century jobs that support Australia’s 21st century needs. Jobs in renewable energy, construction, public service, aged care and the arts
“While the major parties do the bidding of their big corporate donors and prop up dying fossil fuel industries like coal and gas, the Greens have a comprehensive plan to create real jobs that will last and set us up for the future,” said Di Natale.
Jobs Plan For The Future
Jobs for the FuturePDF1.69 MB

Richard Di Natale pays tribute to Bob Hawke

Australian Greens leader Dr Richard Di Natale has paid tribute to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
“Bob Hawke will be remembered as a giant among Prime Ministers. He was a champion for the environment, he stood against racism and he gave voice to workers. He showed an unparalleled ability to connect with people across the country, regardless of status or political affiliation.
“Bob Hawke’s leadership on environmental issues showed tremendous courage. He took action to save the Franklin River, despite suffering a political backlash in Tasmania, and he delivered world heritage listing of Kakadu National Park and the Daintree Wet Tropics. Thanks to him some of our most precious places are now protected forever and he has inspired many of us to follow in his footsteps.
“At a time when the world faced the menace of apartheid, of the Tiananmen Square massacre and human rights abuses, Bob did not back away from speaking with honesty and strength on the global stage.
“His legacy, including Medicare, legislation to end gender discrimination in the workplace and our strengthened relationship with our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific, have become cornerstones of our nation.
“Farewell Silver Bodgie, you were a Labor Legend and you’ll be missed.”

A permanent parliamentary voice in Canberra for Indigenous Australia

The future of Australia depends up on a long overdue reckoning with our past. We need to be brutally honest about the complex facts of contemporary indigenous Australia. Most critically, the time has come for indigenous Australia to have a stake in power.
Together supports the Uluru Statement From the Heart. A physical presence and an advisory body, the Voice to Parliament – at federal and state levels, would be a practical and symbolic reminder of our past and an investment in a shared future. A Voice to Parliament must be written into our constitution and can also lead the process of working through treaties with the myriad First Nations of Australia.
Together advocates an Indigenous Future Fun supported by federal government taxation; levies, duties, royalties and taxed from the states; donations from the public and investments from superannuation funds and other institutions.
The Fund would be run by First Nations leaders from business and government, communities and the professions. Its would direct spending on key projects across housing, health, education, economic development, the arts and criminal justice. By consolidating and aggregating expenditure across these overlapping projects it would aim to maximise the economic and social returns.
“Housing is fundamental to a future for indigenous Australia,” Together founder and candidate for the Senate for NSW Mark Swivel said. “We must acknowledge the failure and waste of recent ‘mainstreamed’ government projects.
Indigenous leadership is required to roll out housing for remote and regional, suburban and inner-city indigenous people. Designing these communities must be led by the communities not Canberra. Property buying tax incentives must be shifted from private property into community housing, including indigenous housing.”
Health and Education
Indigenous health remains poor despite years of effort and funding. Infant mortality, life expectancy and incidence of disease is at odds with the prosperity and health of our general population. Our indigenous health budget is under a $1billion, this needs to be at least doubled, an investment that would be offset by savings in other programs that currently mop-up the consequences of this underinvestment.
Massive strides have been made in the inclusion of real indigenous history but curricula still need an overhaul to incorporate indigenous Australian culture and history – and education across the board to adapt to the needs of First Nations communities. Pathways for indigenous students into the professions, supported by industry placements and mentoring are key to maximising investments.
Business and the Arts
The starting point for business development is acknowledging that change is underway but it needs to be fostered to flourish – like business anywhere. This must be led by indigenous enterprises that are emerging all over Australia. The Indigenous Future Fund can provide seed capital and bridging finance to scale up existing businesses, connecting them with national and international markets, delivering tailored support from initiatives such as grants to micro-finance.
The arts lie at the centre of the identity and culture of indigenous Australia but they are also a key economic activity. At present too much value is extracted by non-indigenous Australia. Government must develop strategies to keep value in communities for artists and their families, for instance by strengthening community owned co-operatives
“Government needs to cooperate closely with the arts sector to access its supply chain and distribution networks both locally and internationally – with the overriding objective of ensuring financial dividend from the arts is retained to build First Nations communities” Swivel said.
Justice
The starting point to deliver genuine justice into the future. need to acknowledge that Australia has failed its First Nations people in criminal justice.
Criminal justice for our indigenous people remains a national and unacknowledged disgrace. Outrageous incarceration levels, continuing deaths in custody and police harassment in daily life are problems that must be tackled head-on. We need a program to ensure there are indigenous magistrates across our entire local court system together with more indigenous community policing, the mainstreaming of community justice conferencing and critical cross-cultural education for police and magistrates.
Northern Territory and Native Title
The paternalistic; Northern Territory Intervention must be stopped. It is a relic of an earlier, colonial time. Solutions must be developed in partnership with each community, not imposed as generic solutions. The Voices to Parliament and Indigenous Future Fund would lead the development of new approaches in the NT and other remote communities.
The Indigenous Future Fund would also lead solutions in the development of Native Title responses and compensation. The watershed Timber Creek decision is the first of many claims across Australia that should be engaged with proactively. Australia owes its First Nations communities and the approach should be orchestrated and future-focused rather than reactive and piecemeal. The IFF board would lead strategies for housing, health, education, economic development, the arts and criminal justice.
Indigenous Australia needs its say in power. Together supports putting a stake in the ground and offers to participate in the conversations to help make that happen.

Parliamentary Inquiry to Respond to Cancer Concerns

A parliamentary inquiry will be established by a Morrison Government to investigate community concerns of a possible cancer cluster in Barwon Heads.
Member for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson, said “I have been meeting with local residents and hearing their concerns about the number of people with cancer in this area”.
“They want answers as to why it appears there is an unusual number of cancer cases and to understand if there are local environmental contributing factors.”
“Residents deserve to be heard and so far they don’t feel they have been given all the information or there has been sufficient investigation of the claims. I have written to Premier Daniel Andrews requesting that an independent judicial inquiry be conducted but have not had a response.”
“We again call on the Victorian Government to respond comprehensively to these community concerns.”
Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said “Sarah has been a strong advocate for the community and ensuring their voice is heard. In response to her representations, I have agreed to establish a parliamentary inquiry to investigate the health concerns of residents.”
The Victorian Government has issued a statement denying there is evidence of higher rates of cancer. The City of Greater Geelong has also denied that its mosquito spraying program is in anyway connected with these rates of cancer.
This parliamentary inquiry will provide residents with an important avenue to have their concerns raised, make submissions and have the issues investigated.