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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong, Trade Minister Senator Don Farrell, Industry Minister Ed Husic, and Member for Solomon Luke Gosling OAM, will travel to Indonesia for the Annual Leaders’ Meeting with President Widodo in Jakarta.

They will be joined on the visit by a high-level delegation of Australian business leaders.

The Prime Minister will depart Australia on Sunday 5 June, returning Tuesday 7 June.

During the Annual Leaders’ Meeting, the Prime Minister and President Widodo will discuss bilateral trade and investment, cooperation on climate and energy, and regional and global interests.

Especially important will be both sides’ ambition to unlock the potential of the Indonesia‑Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, including to take forward the Government’s proposed $200 million climate and infrastructure fund with Indonesia.

In Jakarta, the Prime Minister will also meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi to discuss the Government’s commitment to Southeast Asia and ASEAN centrality.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours, which is why I committed to visiting as soon as possible.

“Our two countries have a long history of cooperation and friendship, and my Government will work with Indonesia to deepen this.

“We partner together closely on issues of trade, development, education, and regional security.

“During my visit, I look forward to building our ties further, including to revitalise our trade relationship and promote climate, infrastructure and energy cooperation.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong said:

“The Australian Government is serious about our engagement in Southeast Asia, and this visit demonstrates the importance we place on our partnership with Indonesia.

“We share a fundamental interest in promoting a more prosperous, stable and secure region, where sovereignty is respected.

“Australia’s partnership with Indonesia has never been more consequential to this objective.”

Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell said:

“The Albanese Government will deliver the economic expansion promised in the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

“Revitalising our trade and investment relationship will boost the economies of both Australia and Indonesia.”

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said:

“Australian industries will benefit greatly from a reinvigorated partnership with Indonesia.

“Working with Indonesia is central to the Albanese Government’s Trade Diversification Plan, which will provide new opportunities for businesses in both nations.”

Today the Albanese Labor Government has recommended to the Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel conducting the Annual Wage Review that they ensure that the real wages of Australia’s low paid workers do not go backwards.

One of our election commitments was to put forward our own submission to the Fair Work Commission advocating for an immediate wage increase for Australia’s low-paid workers, and today we are delivering on that promise.

For nearly a decade, low wages were a deliberate design feature of the Liberal National Government.

That era is now over.

Economic conditions are highly unusual and challenging given inflation is at a 21-year high of 5.1 per cent and is expected to increase further in the near-term due to persistent and compounding supply shocks.

High and rising inflation and weak wages growth are reducing real wages across the economy and creating cost-of-living pressures for Australia’s low-paid workers.

The Government does not want to see Australian workers go backwards; in particular, those workers on low rates of pay who are experiencing the worst impacts of inflation and have the least capacity to draw on savings.

Many low-paid workers are young, female, in casual employment, and are far more likely to find themselves experiencing financial hardship.

These low-paid workers were also on the front line delivering essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in the retail, hospitality, aged care, cleaning, and childcare sectors.

Over the past decade, in 9 out of 10 years, the Panel has increased the minimum wage rate in line with, or above, inflation. The largest increase in recent years was in 2018–19 where a 3.5 per cent increase was ordered, when inflation was only 1.9 per cent.

Our submission does not suggest that across-the-board, wages should automatically increase in line with inflation, and our broader economic plan has been calibrated to boost productivity, which is the key driver of real wages growth over the longer term.

Ensuring that real wages for low-paid workers do not go backwards will protect the relative living standards for these workers and give them the best chance possible to earn a decent living, keep up with skyrocketing costs of living, secure more opportunities and actually get ahead.

An increase in wages for Australia’s low-paid workers will also complement our efforts to help close the national gender pay gap.

The economy we inherited from the previous government is weaker than was expected before the election and there are significant challenges ahead.

The Albanese Labor Government has immediately started work on building a better future for all Australians, including through this Annual Wage Review submission.

We thank the Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel conducting the review for the opportunity to make a submission and look forward to their decision later this month.

New Australian Government Submission to the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2022 PDF 598 KB | DOCX 147 KB

Australian Red Cross has highlighted the extraordinary contributions of women and people in low-income areas in the ranks of its most generous donors since the start of 2019 and throughout fires, floods and the pandemic.

New South Wales stands out as the state or territory that gave the most to Red Cross, at $76.5 million, followed by Victoria at $56.2 million. But the smaller state, Victoria, took out the top spot for having the most Red Cross donors, with 197,755 people supporting the charity, followed by NSW with 197,195.

Australian Red Cross State and Territory Operations Director Poppy Brown said an analysis of Red Cross non-corporate donations data from 1 January 2019 – 30 April 2022 showed women give more money and donate more often than men, and people in low-income areas give as much – as a percentage of their area’s median income – as those in wealthy areas and more than those in middle income areas.

“This has been the case throughout 2020 and 2021, despite women and people on lower incomes being disproportionally affected by the pandemic, the rising cost of living, and slow wage growth,” Ms Brown said.

“And this trend is only growing. In the first four months of 2022, a period marked by significant disasters, with unprecedented floods in Queensland and New South Wales and multiple international crises, women and those in low-income areas continue to show their generosity, already donating $21 million to Red Cross.” 

Ms Brown said Red Cross was grateful for support from every part of the community.

“Every donation makes a difference, supporting our work to help people in urgent need 365 days a year – which is why we’re asking people to make a tax-deductible donation as the financial year ends, so we can continue delivering vital services. 

“Every single dollar from every single donor helps make a real difference, whether it’s children donating their pocket money, people giving $5 or $10 when they can, or people and corporates making large donations, including bequests. 

“That support from so many means we can not only respond to disasters at home and overseas, but also support migrants and refugees, work with people who are homeless, and help older Australians overcome loneliness and isolation,” Ms Brown said.

To make a tax-deductible donation, head to redcross.org.au by June 30.

Key data: Australian Red Cross Giving Trends 01 January 2019 – 30 April 2022

• 1,038,644 donors gave $586.95 million to Australian Red Cross from 1 January 2019 – 30 April 2022 (includes corporate donors and donations).

WOMEN

• 183,940 women donated a total of $91.37 million compared to 129,539 men who donated a total of $88.96 million.**
• In the first four months of 2022, 74,484 women have given $13.83 million compared to 55,948 men who have given $10.68 million.**

LOW-INCOME AREAS

• People in low-income and high-income areas gave 0.13% of their area’s median incomes, while those in middle-income areas gave less, at 0.11%.
• In 2021, people in low-income areas gave a higher percentage of their area’s median income, at 0.12%, compared to those in middle (0.10%), high (0.11%) and very wealthy (0.11%) areas.
• In 2021, a total of 54,000 people in low-income areas donated a total of $13 million. This generosity continues in 2022, with 41,000 people in low-income areas donating a total of $8 million in the first four months of 2022. 

STATE AND TERRITORY ANALYSIS

• Per capita, ACT was the most generous state with donations amounting to $25.12 per person, followed by TAS ($15.59 per person), WA ($9.69 per person), NSW ($9.35 per person), SA ($8.77 per person), VIC ($8.46 per person), QLD ($7.93 per person), NT ($7.07 per person).
• Per capita, more people in the ACT give to the Red Cross (5.14%) followed by WA (3.02%), VIC (2.98%), TAS (2.97%), NSW (2.41%), SA (2.27%), QLD (2.25%), NT (1.4%).
• NSW had the highest total donations at $76.5 million, followed by VIC ($56.2 million), QLD ($41.5 million), WA ($26 million), SA ($15.5 million), ACT ($10.8 million), TAS ($8.4 million) and NT ($1.7 million)
• VIC had the most Red Cross donors at 197,755 people, followed by NSW (197,195), QLD (117,726), WA (81,122), SA (40,140), ACT (22,095), TAS (16,014), and NT (3,613)

POSTCODES ANALYSIS

• QLD postcode 4350 had the highest number of Red Cross donors (2,873) followed by VIC 3000 (2,786) ACT 2602 (2,006), NSW 2153 (1,743), WA 6163 (1,680), TAS 7250 (1,441), SA 5159 (900), NT 0810 (29)
• QLD postcode 4350 had the highest donations total, at $1.135 million, followed by ACT 2602 ($1.130 million) NSW 2088 ($870,046), TAS 7250 ($659,467), VIC 3186 ($646,104), WA 6163 ($610,178), SA 5159 ($281,873), NT 0810 ($4,356)

 Top 3 postcodes for donations:

o   QLD: 4350 ($1.135 million), 4740 ($631,490), 4870 ($612,574)

o   ACT: 2602 ($1.130 million), 2611 ($912,382), 2615 ($869,140)

o   NSW: 2088 ($870,046), 2000 ($669,366), 2066 ($602,411)

o   VIC: 3186 ($646,104), 3122 ($637,599), 3000 ($604,367) 

o   WA: 6163 ($610,178), 6010 ($521,216), 6155 ($492, 111)

o   SA: 5159 ($281,873), 5062 ($250,356), 5000 ($244,495)

o   TAS: 7250 ($659,467), 7000 ($497,905), 7018 ($415,461)

o   NT: 0810 ($4355), 0870 ($2656), 0822 ($1853)

Top 3 postcodes for donors (actual number of donors in the postcode area):

o   QLD: 4350 (2,873), 4870 (1,828), 4740 (1,706)

o   ACT: 2602 (2,006), 2615 (1,875), 2611 (1,739)

o   NSW: 2153 (1,743), 2031 (1645), 2026 (1,631)

o   VIC: 3000 (2,786), 3030 (2,005), 3121 (1,729)

o   WA: 6163 (1,680), 6018 (1,499), 6210 (1,365)

o   SA: 5159 (900), 5162 (704), 5158 (617)

o   TAS: 7250 (1,441), 7018 (844), 7000 (764)

o   NT: 0810 (29), 0870 (16), 0800 (14)

*Analysis is based on latest available Australian Red Cross data and 2016 census data. Postcode, income areas, state-by-state and gender analysis excludes corporate donors and donations.

**Of donors where gender was known to Red Cross

Tonight I will travel to Samoa and Tonga, to renew and strengthen Australia’s deep ties of friendship and family.

This is my second visit to the Pacific since being sworn in as Foreign Minister nine days ago.

I look forward to listening to leaders in Samoa and Tonga about how the Australian Government can best apply the new energy and resources we are bringing to the Pacific.

We understand that we need to work together like never before, for our peoples and for generations to come.

We want to make a uniquely Australian contribution to help build a stronger Pacific family – through social and economic opportunities including pandemic recovery, health, development and infrastructure support, as well as through our Pacific labour programs and permanent migration.

We will increase our contribution to regional security: we understand that the security of the Pacific is the responsibility of the Pacific family, of which Australia is a part.

We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in addressing the existential threat of climate change. And we will deepen cultural and sporting ties.

In Samoa I will meet Head of State, His Highness Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Prime Minister the Hon. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa. My visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of Samoa’s independence being celebrated this week.

In Tonga, I will meet leaders including Prime Minister the Hon. Hu’akavameiliku and Foreign Minister the Hon. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu. Australia played a leading role in the international response to January’s volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga, and I look forward to discussing what more we can do to help.

“Australia is the only Western democracy that doesn’t have a national Charter of Human Rights, but we have an opportunity to change that,” said the Greens spokesperson for Justice: Senator Lidia Thorpe. 

This comes as The Human Rights Law Centre released the Charters of Human Rights Make Our Lives Better report, outlining 101 cases where a Charter would level the playing field and empower people to take action if their rights are violated.

The application of human rights in these cases include a domestic violence survivor avoiding eviction, parents with a disability keeping their family together, advocating for people in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and access to education for asylum seekers.

“Human rights are the tools we use to fight for our basic dignities and freedoms. These tools belong to all of us. They ensure that each and everyone of us in this country is protected.”

“Successive governments have failed to legislate our human rights in federal law. It is time we live up to our international commitments and reflect these in our laws, policies and practice.” Said Thorpe.

The Australian Government has been closely monitoring the evolving situation regarding cases of monkeypox virus internationally.

The National Incident Centre has been activated to support the national response after Victoria and New South Wales both confirmed a case today.

The confirmed cases are both in returned travellers – one travelled to the United Kingdom and the other through Europe.

The Victorian Department of Health and New South Wales Health are responding to the cases and working to rapidly identify contacts.

The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) have met and will continue to meet to monitor the situation.

Internationally, cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France, the Canary Islands, the United States and Canada. Local transmission is thought to have occurred as the majority of the cases have not travelled to areas where the virus is endemic.

Whilst a number of the recently identified cases have self-reported as gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, monkeypox has not been described as a sexually transmitted disease, though it can spread through direct intimate contact during sex.

Monkeypox, also known as MPX/MPXV, is a rare viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions.

The virus is mostly transmitted to humans via infected animals, such as primates or rodents, however human-to-human transmission does occur.

Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox can occur through close contact with lesions on the skin, body fluids including respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding. Transmission via respiratory droplets usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact. Transmission can occur between sexual partners, through intimate contact during sex, with infectious skin lesions being the likely mode of transmission.

It is important to note that significant close contact with an infected person who is displaying symptoms is usually required for transmission. This means that, with good community awareness, transmission is likely to be localised, readily identified and able to be contained.

Investigations are ongoing as to the precise nature of transmission during this outbreak.

While there are currently no specific treatments available for monkeypox infection, outbreaks can be controlled. As monkeypox is similar to smallpox, smallpox vaccine can also protect people from getting monkeypox. It is also thought that antiviral treatments for smallpox may also be effective for treating monkeypox.

The department is coordinating the necessary approaches for both potential vaccination and treatments for high-risk people in collaboration with states and territories.

Australian travellers returning from, or going to, countries where cases have been identified, are urged to be aware of the signs of infection and to seek medical help if they think they may be at risk.

Signs of infection include fever, a distinctive vesicular rash which can occur on any part of the body including the face, and swollen lymph nodes. People who have recently returned from overseas, or who have been in contact with a case in Australia, and who develop any of these symptoms should seek medical advice immediately.

Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks, however severe cases can occur, including death in rare instances. Effective treatments are available in Australia so early diagnosis is important.

Monkeypox virus is not currently a nationally notifiable disease in Australia, however international incidents such as these are monitored by the CDNA and AHPPC, which includes communicable disease experts and Chief Health Officers and other representatives from jurisdictional health departments.

States and territories are alerting clinicians to be on the lookout for potential cases and to report any cases to their relevant state and territory authorities urgently so that a public health response can be activated. Post exposure prophylaxis can be effective in preventing or modifying disease contacts if provided soon after exposure.

The Australian Government will continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates.

Learn more about monkeypox.