Category: Australian News

The Australian Greens are extremely concerned at comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend that, if re-elected, he will “extend sovereignty” to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In response to the comments, Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale said:  “Any annexation, even a partial one, of the West Bank would be a serious violation of international law.  It would represent yet another huge blow to the prospect of a two state solution, and would be disastrous for Israel’s democracy.”
“The Greens urge the Australian Government to speak out and make it clear that the Israeli Government must not rule over millions of Palestinians while denying them equal civil and political rights.  It’s time to reinvigorate the peace process, not escalate tensions yet again with reckless actions during an Israeli election campaign.”

Australia’s AAA credit rating has been reaffirmed by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in a strong expression of confidence in the 2019-20 Budget and the Coalition Government’s economic management.
In its report, S&P notes that Australia’s “economic growth prospects remain sound” and that our “public finances traditionally have been a credit strength for the rating”.
S&P states, “Better labour market conditions and commodity prices have helped to lift government revenues. The resulting boost to income and, in particular, company taxes, combined with expenditure restraint, have helped the central government forecast a return to surplus in 2020.” It further notes that “commodity prices and employment and wage trends over the next few years should continue to support revenue growth”.
Today’s report confirms Australia as one of only 10 countries which has a AAA credit rating with all three major ratings agencies.
In 2019-20, the Budget surplus will be $7.1 billion or 0.4 per cent of GDP. Over the forward estimates, surpluses will total $45 billion. Surpluses will continue to rise over the decade, reaching more than one per cent of GDP and eliminating Commonwealth net debt by 2030. All of this is being achieved without increasing taxes.
Under the Coalition Government’s economic plan, one million new jobs were delivered as promised and ahead of schedule. The unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9 per cent, its lowest level in more than seven years, and the proportion of working age Australians on welfare is at its lowest level in 30 years.
Our future is bright and the Government has committed to creating another 1.25 million new jobs created over the next five years, driven by our economic plan of lower taxes, more infrastructure and better skills.
The Government is also providing tax relief for families and small and medium-sized businesses. S&P notes, “Recently announced tax changes could provide some support to the household sector, if introduced.”
We must not, however, be complacent. As S&P states, “While our base case is for a soft landing, our ratings could come under pressure if house prices fall sharply and increase risks to fiscal accounts, real economic growth, and financial sector stability.”
Labor’s housing tax policies will do just this. They will damage Australia’s housing market and destroy the equity that people hold in their homes, increasing the risk of financial instability and lower economic growth. Now is the worst possible time for Labor’s experiments with the housing market.
Our strong economic performance and the important reforms that we are undertaking would all be put at risk by a Shorten-led Labor Government and its high tax and spend agenda.

Greens Healthy Oceans spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has urged the Federal Government not to intervene in Queensland’s Shark Control Program after the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ordered an end to lethal shark culling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I urge the Federal Environment Minister to put our oceans first and listen to the scientific evidence that killing sharks does not make oceangoers safe.
“Lethal methods of killing sharks only provide a false sense of security.”
Queensland Fisheries Minister Mark Furner has written to Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price saying urgent action from the Commonwealth Government was required to provide for swimmer safety within the Marine Park. The Federal Government can intervene under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to allow Queensland to continue their lethal shark control program if it is deemed to be in the ‘national interest’.
“I reminded Senator Birmingham at Senate Estimates this week that the AAT heard overwhelming scientific evidence that killing sharks does not reduce the risk of unprovoked shark interactions.
“What part of ‘overwhelming scientific evidence’ does the Queensland Government not understand?
“With no scientific evidence that killing sharks makes oceangoers safe, it would be very interesting to hear the basis for any Federal Government decision that lethal shark culling is in the national interest.”
The Greens’ plan to invest in non-lethal shark mitigation measures can be found here.

State and Federal Governments must intervene to save Australia’s first baseload solar thermal power plant, following the collapse of Solar Reserve’s plans, the Greens say.
“I’ve written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and SA Premier Steven Marshall today to urgently ensure this project is saved, fixed, and funded. So South Australia gets the jobs, investment and permanent lower power bills,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“South Australians would be proud to be the owners of the country’s first baseload solar thermal plant. The Greens are calling for this project to go ahead with state and federal funding.
“Once again the Liberals have dropped the ball on a critical renewable energy project. The State and Federal Governments need to immediately intervene and save this project.
“A publicly-owned solar thermal plant would be a boon for jobs at a time when they are desperately needed in our state. It would also provide investment in R&D catapulting South Australia as an innovation state.
“This is exactly the type of project The Greens’ Renew Australia 2030 is designed to support. We know when energy generation is publicly owned, it drives down electricity prices.
“The Port Augusta community fought so hard for this project, but this doesn’t have to be the end of the road. This is an opportunity for our state to take ownership of our own renewable energy future.
“Barnaby Joyce is calling for a publicly-funded coal-fired power station that would lock us in as a major polluter on the world stage and cement dangerous climate change. The Greens’ alternative is a jobs-rich, nation-building solar thermal power station that will launch South Australia into a clean, renewable future.”

Tuesday’s budget will be pork-barrelling at its finest. A desperate, spent government trying to stave off a landslide. Imagine if we recast the budget – to create a viable future and make Australia both better and fairer! Together wants Australia to take 10% of its budget – that’s $50billion and spend it differently:
• A Climate Economy Fund – $10 bil – to invest in renewables, an ETS, repair our rivers, new business and jobs
• Homes for all Australians – $10 bil – building homes for the homeless, for renters and first home buyers
• More Medicare – $10 bil – for better public hospitals and access to specialists, free dental and ambulances
• Our Learning Nation – $10 bil for funded places at university and Tafe and boosting research and innovation
• Better Society – $5 bil – doubling the ABC budget, arts funding, legal aid, federal ICAC and national DV action
• Trickle Up Economics – $5 bil into start-ups, social enterprise, more for NDIS and Newstart and UBI trials
Together wants action on tax. Companies like Exxon, Energy Australia and Ikea need to pay their fair share. Then we can shift the balance even further. The budget currently picks winners and we need to pick new ones. We can:
• move subsidies for fossil fuels into renewables – to fund Climate Economy projects
• wind back of negative gearing – to fund Homes for All Australians
• reversing increases in defence spending over the last 5 years – into Our Learning Nation
• use the Banking Levy to start a publicly owned bank
• move our wasteful financing of off-shore detention into on-shore justice.
The time for tinkering is over. The time for bribing the nation with tax cuts is done.
Together we can change #auspol, create a viable future and a better, fairer Australia – by picking new winners.

The Australian Greens have written to the Foreign Minister Marise Payne to express deep concern over Brunei’s new laws that punish homosexual sex with death.
“Brunei’s new laws punishing homosexual sex with death are extremely concerning and a serious violation of basic human rights,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.
“I urge the Australian government to put as much pressure on Brunei to immediately repeal these inhumane laws.”
“I call on the government to grant asylum in Australia to LGBTIQ+ people from Brunei, and update Australia’s travel advice for Brunei.”
Greens candidate for Higgins and LGBTIQ+ advocate Jason Ball, said:
“Australia needs to lead the charge in ensuring Brunei feels the heat from the international community that these laws are unacceptable, and that we won’t allow fear and hatred to go unchecked.”
“This includes the possibility of working with other nations on a UN resolution condemning the Brunei Government’s actions, reviewing our diplomatic relationship with Brunei, and reconsidering Royal Brunei Airlines’ right to land aircraft in Australia.”

Labor’s backflip on forcing car dealers rather than manufacturers to reduce vehicle emissions shows their policy was written on the run, say the Greens.
“Putting the onus on car dealers rather than manufacturers was clearly unworkable and just demonstrates that Labor has cooked up this dog’s breakfast of a policy on the run,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.
“Every other country in the world with emissions standards regulates this through manufacturers, not dealers. This is also what the experts, including the Climate Change Authority, have always recommended.”
“So far this week Labor has announced a weak 50% by 2030 EV target, but with no mechanisms or policies to achieve it. They also announced a light vehicle emissions standard, but wouldn’t commit to an implementation schedule. And now this backflip.”
“It’s becoming crystal clear that Labor’s electric vehicle and emissions standards policies are just announcements without any substance. There are no timelines for implementation or measures to achieve the targets. The whole thing looks to have been written down on the back of a serviette to dump the day before the budget.”
“The Greens have a 100% by 2030 electric vehicle target, backed up by a range of measures that will actually work, measures that are already driving huge electric vehicle uptake in other countries like Norway and the Netherlands.”

With the stroke of a pen rolling over last century’s destructive logging laws, WA Labor has signed the death warrant on threatened animals like the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum, say the Australian Greens.
“This rollover is the first by a Labor government. While federal Labor talks tall about strengthening federal environmental laws, the WA Labor government is allowing precious native forests to be destroyed for another 20 years,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens forests spokesperson.
“The Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) give loggers guaranteed supplies of timber from our forests and exempts them from federal environmental laws.”
“They were set up last century to protect the environment and give certainty to the industry. They’ve done neither. They are destroying our native forests, pushing threatened animals to the brink of extinction, and are failing to provide a secure future for regional communities.”
“It’s time to shift wood production to 100% sustainable plantations from the current 88%. We can do it, we just need political will from the major parties.”

A Shorten Labor Government will work with Australia’s transport sector to cut vehicle emissions, boost adoption of electric vehicles and help Australians save on their petrol bills.
Australia needs real action on climate change – not the chaos and division of the Liberals. And real action on climate change means a plan to reduce pollution in the transport sector while saving money for motorists.
Transport emissions make up almost 20 per cent of Australia’s emissions and are a fast growing source of pollution
Cleaner cars and transport aren’t just good for the environment – they are cheaper to run. But Australia lags behind our competitor countries, whether it’s in electric vehicle take-up, or vehicle fuel efficiency. We have ten times lower electric vehicle take-up than the global average, and we’re at risk of being left behind.
That’s why Labor will introduce Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle (EV) policy – building the local industry, generating more local jobs, and helping consumers make the switch.
Labor’s strategy will include:

• A national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent new car sales by 2030 – The global transition to electric vehicles is well underway, but the Liberals’ failure to deliver credible climate change and electric vehicle policies means Australia is now last among western counties for electric vehicle uptake. Incredibly, New Zealand has more electric vehicles than Australia.  Setting a national target will deliver more affordable electric vehicles into the Australian market and drive the switch to electric vehicles, reducing their cost, create thousands of jobs and cutting pollution.

• Set a government electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of new purchases and leases of passenger vehicles by 2025 – This government fleet target will send a strong signal to the global industry that we expect cost competitive vehicles to be available for the Australian market. Government electric vehicle fleets will also be important in developing a second hand market. Labor will work towards requiring all Commonwealth‑owned-and-leased office buildings to include the provision of charging infrastructure where appropriate.

• Growing private electric vehicle fleets: Labor will allow businesses an upfront tax deduction to purchase electric vehicles for business purposes, as part of Labor’s announced Australian Investment Guarantee. We will allow business to immediately deduct 20 per cent depreciation for EV vehicles valued at more than $20,000 as part of private fleets

• Regulatory reforms and COAG agenda: Labor will establish an electric vehicle COAG agenda to improve coordination of electric vehicle take-up and related infrastructure planning. Labor will also require all federally-funded road upgrades to incorporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure, work with states to ensure new and refurbished commercial and residential developments include electric vehicle charging capacity, promote national standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and ensure investment in public charging stations meet these standards.

As part of our focus on cleaner and cheaper transportation, Labor will also work with industry to introduce vehicle emissions standards, to save Australian motorists hundreds of dollars each year at the bowser while driving down pollution on our roads.
Australia is now one of the only developed nations without vehicle emissions standards in place. As a result, motorists will pay as much as $500 each year more at the bowser than they should be, as well as seeing pollution on our roads sky-rocket.
Labor will consult on the timeline and coverage of vehicle emission standards to ensure consumers are made significantly better off, and aim to phase-in standards of 105g CO2/km for light vehicles, which is consistent with Climate Change Authority advice.
These are sensible standards which will bring Australia’s cars into line with those in the US, which has a similar car fleet to ours, but won’t be as stringent as those operating in the EU.
These standards will be applied to car retailers to meet average emissions standards, rather than imposing blanket mandatory standards on manufacturers. This will allow retailers to meet the standards by offsetting high emissions car sales with low or zero emissions car sales – such as electric vehicles.
In addition, Labor will also develop a Low Emission Transport Strategy to inform future policy development across transport more broadly, including maritime, aviation, rail and heavy vehicles. We’ll develop a Bioenergy Strategy, that will see more clean fuels on our roads and more jobs on our regions. These policies will be complemented by our already announced Hydrogen Plan.
Labor also has an electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing strategy and will work with industry to create new job opportunities with the transition.
After six years of chaos, uncertainty and rising pollution under the Liberals, Australians need stability and certainty on climate change policy – that’s what our plan delivers.
A Shorten Labor Government will reduce pollution, invest in renewable energy and take real action on climate change – to ensure we hand on a better deal to the next generation.
More information is available at  https://www.alp.org.au/climate_change_action_plan