Category: Australian News

Greens Treasury spokesperson Senator Nick McKim has accepted Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ challenge for a debate on the economy.

“Mr Chalmers has challenged shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor to a debate, which would be an absolute snorefest as they are in lockstep on the big issues,” Senator McKim said.

“Mr Taylor has gone quiet so the  Treasurer now has a chance to  debate someone who will actually disagree with him.”

“He should debate the Greens so some of the big challenges and opportunities in our economy get the exposure they deserve.”

“The Treasurer has had three years and is still failing to make billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax.”

“If he were prepared to take these obvious steps to increase revenue he could fund genuine legacy-defining reforms like putting dental and mental health into medicare.”

“He’s had three years and is still giving wealthy property speculators massive tax handouts so they can outbid renters trying to buy their first home.”

“He’s had three years and has failed to introduce economy-wide divestiture powers to increase competition and bring prices down.”

“Neoliberalism needs to be challenged, which won’t happen unless the Greens are involved.” 

“Mr Chalmers’ first term as Treasurer has been a litany of missed opportunities and he needs to be held to account. Mr Taylor won’t do that but the Greens certainly will.”

A re-elected Albanese Labor Government will build on its historic investment in Medicare to expand the availability of free, urgent care, with a $644 million commitment to open another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, with more clinics in every state and territory.

• New South Wales: 14 clinics
• Victoria: 12 clinics
• Queensland: 10 clinics
• Western Australia: 6 clinics
• South Australia: 3 clinics
• Tasmania: 3 clinics
• Northern Territory: 1 clinic
• Aust. Capital Territory: 1 clinic
• Australia: 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

The Albanese Labor Government went to the last election promising to open 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and we have delivered 87 clinics.

The new clinics will open during the 2025-26 financial year. A full list of the locations of the additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics is available below.

Once all of Labor’s clinics are open, 4 in 5 Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, according to analysis by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

All you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.

More than 1.2 million Australians have already been treated at one of Labor’s existing 87 Urgent Care Clinics, which provide bulk billed care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, seven days a week, for extended hours, with no appointment needed.

Parents and families swear by them: one third of patients are under the age of 15.

The Liberals say the Albanese Labor Government’s Urgent Care Clinics are “wasteful spending”. Peter Dutton will close every Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, forcing over a million Australians a year back into the waiting rooms of busy hospital emergency departments.

Doctors have embraced the clinics, with a survey finding 7 in 10 GPs support Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and 8 in 10 GPs say they have a positive impact on hospital emergency departments.

Around 2 million Australians are expected to make use of an Urgent Care Clinic each year, getting the free urgent care they need, fully bulk billed, without waiting hours in a busy hospital emergency department.

This extends Labor’s election commitment to strengthening Medicare, with the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago:

• $644 million for 50 more Urgent Care Clinics, with more in every state and territory.
• $7.9 billion for more bulk billing, with 9 in 10 GP visits bulk billed by 2030.
• $617 million for more doctors and nurses, with the largest GP training program ever.
• $573 million for more choice, lower costs, and better health care for women.

The $644 million investment for 50 more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics was provisioned for in 2024-25 MYEFO.

Video – Patient case studies | Sarah Hunstead’s visit | Bhavana’s visit
Video – Health professionals explain | Inside the Rockhampton Urgent Care Clinic
Animated explainer – When should you visit | What do Urgent Care Clinics offer
Advertisement – That’s a case for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“This announcement of 50 additional Urgent Care Clinics if we are re-elected will provide the urgent care people need – and all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.

“Labor is building Australia’s future with the largest investment in Medicare in over 40 years.

“Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community.

“Four in five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, once all Labor’s clinics are open.”

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler

“Australia’s doctors voted Peter Dutton the worst Health Minister in Medicare history for a reason.

“The Liberals had nine years to open Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and they never opened a single one. Now they call Labor’s clinics ‘wasteful spending’ and want to close every single one of them.

“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are an Albanese Government initiative because we believe in Medicare and in free urgent care, fully bulk billed.

“You can’t trust the Liberals with Medicare: you can’t trust them to open Urgent Care Clinics and you can’t trust them to keep them open.”

Locations of the additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

The locations of the additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have been determined according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) geographic areas. More information on the SA3 locations for the 50 additional Medicare Urgent Care Clinics is available at: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/locations-of-the-additional-50-medicare-urgent-care-clinics

• New South Wales (14 clinics)
  • Bathurst
  • Bega
  • Burwood
  • Chatswood
  • Dee Why
  • Green Valley and surrounds
  • Maitland
  • Marrickville
  • Nowra
  • Rouse Hill
  • Shellharbour
  • Terrigal
  • Tweed Valley
  • Windsor
• Victoria (12 clinics)
  • Bayside
  • Clifton Hill
  • Coburg
  • Diamond Creek and surrounds
  • Lilydale
  • Pakenham
  • Somerville
  • Stonnington
  • Sunshine
  • Torquay
  • Warrnambool
  • Warragul
• Queensland (10 clinics)
  • Brisbane
  • Buderim
  • Burpengary
  • Cairns
  • Caloundra
  • Capalaba
  • Carindale
  • Gladstone
  • Greenslopes and surrounds
  • Mackay
• Western Australia (6 clinics)
  • Bateman
  • Ellenbrook
  • Geraldton
  • Mirrabooka
  • Mundaring
  • Yanchep
• South Australia (3 clinics)
  • East Adelaide
  • Victor Harbor
  • Whyalla
• Tasmania (3 clinics)
  • Burnie
  • Kingston
  • Sorell
• Northern Territory (1 clinic)
  • Darwin
• Australian Capital Territory (1 clinic)
  • Woden Valley

The locations and providers of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will be determined through independent commissioning processes conducted by Primary Health Networks or state and territory governments.

The commissioning process typically involves a competitive open tender or expression-of-interest, to determine the most appropriate private provider to operate the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in that location.

The Albanese Labor Government will freeze the indexation on draught beer excise for two years, in a win for beer drinkers, brewers and hospitality businesses.

Indexation is applied twice a year under arrangements in place for decades. While the February indexation accounted for a small percentage of the cost of a pint, this change will help pubs and their patrons.

We will freeze indexation on draught beer for two years from the next indexation date of August 2025.

This will take pressure off the price of a beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues, supporting businesses, regional tourism and customers across Australia.

The Government will consult with the sector on the implementation of this measure.

This announcement comes on top of new tax relief announced last week for Australia’s distillers, brewers and wine producers.

Currently brewers and distillers get a full remission of any excise paid up to $350,000 each year.

We will increase the excise remission cap to $400,000 for all eligible alcohol manufacturers and we will also increase the Wine Equalisation Tax producer rebate cap to $400,000 from July 1 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“My Government is building Australia’s future and to do that we need to support our small and medium local businesses to thrive.

“Freezing the excise on draught beer is a common sense measure that is good for beer drinkers, good for brewers and good for pubs.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers:

“This is a modest change but will help take a little bit of the pressure off beer drinkers, brewers and bars.”

The Australian Government strongly disagrees with the decision of the Thai Government to transfer a cohort of 40 Uyghurs to China against their will.

Australia expects all countries to adhere to their domestic and international legal obligations, including non-refoulement obligations. We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Thai Government and have also now raised our expectations about the group’s treatment with the Chinese authorities.

The Australian Government has consistently expressed our grave concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, and the treatment of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China. We continue to raise these concerns at the highest levels with China.

We urge China to uphold its international human rights obligations, including to ensure due process and proper treatment are afforded to these individuals.

The Greens have called on Employment Relations Minister Murray Watt to immediately suspend the Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) after Greens questioning during estimates revealed the Department had no confidence in the system.

Greens spokesperson on Social Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“It’s clear from their responses to my estimates questions that both the Department and the Minister have serious concerns about the TCF.

“Neither were able to provide any assurance that the mutual obligations regime is operating lawfully, which is a remarkable thing to admit given they continue to impose it on hundreds of thousands of people on income support.

“We know as many as a thousand people may have had their Centrelink payments cancelled illegally after welfare payments were incorrectly cut off due to Departmental mistakes, 10 of whom have subsequently died. 

“People on income support and their advocates are sick of Labor’s hand-waving about employment services reform. The Minister must immediately suspend the TCF so it can no longer inflict harm on people on some of the lowest incomes in the country.

“The Greens will continue fighting to eliminate for-profit providers from the employment services system, to restore the Commonwealth Employment Service, and abolish all mutual obligations.”

The Albanese Labor Government is working with the Minns NSW Government to deliver a new $25 million program to help apartment residents save up to $600 on their energy bills annually.

The Solar for Apartment Residents incentive is the first-of-its-kind in NSW and provides co-funding to eligible owners’ corporations and strata managers to install shared rooftop solar systems.

Currently one in five NSW homes are apartments, yet only about 3.5 per cent of those are connected to solar.

This program will expand access to renewable technology and lower the cost of resident’s power bills.

It will cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of installing shared solar systems on apartments or other multi-unit dwellings, up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.

The incentive is funded by the Albanese Labor Government’s Solar Banks Scheme, which is focused on removing the barriers to accessing solar nationwide, and is a key action in the NSW Government’s Consumer Energy Strategy.

The program is designed and administered by the NSW Government, which will assess and approve applications, distribute funding to grant recipients and oversee the delivery of funded projects.

Owner’s corporations or strata managers of apartments or other multi-unit dwellings with 3-55 units that haven’t had a solar PV system installed in the last 10 years are eligible to apply.

Applications are now open and will close on 1 December 2025 or when funding is exhausted.

For more information on the initiative and to check your eligibility, visit Solar for apartment residents

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is Building Australia’s future. We want to makes sure all Australians have the services and the infrastructure they need now and into the future.

“That’s why we are working with the Minns Government to encourage the use of solar panels and help slash the cost of people’s power bills.

“This is good for families and good for the environment.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen

“We want to make it cheaper and easier for every Australian to install rooftop solar, because whether a home is a house or apartment, everyone should be able to take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to bust bills for good.

“In the past it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar- but Labor is helping households overcome those barriers and powering more Australian homes with renewables.”

NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe

“We’re excited to launch this initiative here in NSW, making solar power more accessible and affordable for the many people who live in apartments.

“Solar should be available to everyone. This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar.”

Information for media: Ashfield Case Study

Overview

• The apartment building is a three-level brick block with nine units in Ashfield, NSW, built in 1970.
• There is a mixture of owner-occupied and rentals in the building.
• The occupants are a mix of young families, working adults and retirees.

Solar system information

• Installed in December 2021.
• 20kW solar photo-voltaic (PV) system with 55 x 370 W solar panels and a 20-kW inverter powering nine strata units plus the common property, with capacity to export surplus electricity to the grid.
• The system is ‘battery-ready’.

Costs & savings

• Total system cost and cost to install: $50,000 total, paid for with a $5,000 special levy on each unit and the balance taken from the Owners’ Corporation Capital Works Fund.
• Approximate annual energy bill savings: $8,900 for the unit block, which is estimated to be $990 per household.
• Savings they would have received under the SoAR grant program: With a total system cost of $50,000, they could have been eligible to receive grant funding of up to $25,000 from SoAR.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Higher Education Senator Mehreen Faruqi has slammed universities for trying to shut down criticism of Israel by adopting a definition of anti-semitism that has been called “dangerous, politicised and unworkable” by the Jewish Council of Australia. 

o Senator Faruqi:

“Shamefully, universities have betrayed their students, their staff and their reputation by shutting down free speech and criticism of Israel. They are weaponising anti-semitism to sanitise campuses of anyone who speaks up for Palestinian human rights or against Israel’s genocide and occupation. 

“I’ve taught in universities for more than a decade, and I’ve never been more ashamed of how far the academic integrity of universities has fallen. Universities should be spaces for critical thought, open debate, and intellectual diversity, not for political censorship. 

“By adopting a definition of anti-Semitism that threatens academic freedom, silences Palestinian voices, and prevents legitimate criticism of Israel, they have failed their staff, students, and the very mission of higher education.

“Universities have shown utter cowardice in succumbing to conservative political forces and the Murdoch media, rather than standing up and defending political debate. They are also taking advantage of this political moment to silence legitimate criticism of their partnerships with companies complicit in genocide.

“Universities should be politically active places encouraging critical thinking and debate not quashing it with dangerous censorship. This is all embarrassing and galling at the same time.”

The Albanese Government has today launched A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India, to maximise Australia’s trade opportunities, benefit our businesses and consumers, secure our supply chains, and create jobs.

India’s economy is on track to be the world’s third largest by 2030, and Australia is working to realise the enormous trade and investment opportunities that come with this.

The Roadmap sets out a pathway to focus our ongoing efforts, including to boost two-way investment, and work with Indian-Australian communities and businesses. It identifies four ‘superhighways of growth’ in sectors where we have natural strengths and a competitive edge: clean energy, education and skills, agribusiness, and tourism.

It also identifies nearly 50 specific opportunities to focus and accelerate our engagement across fields such as defence industries, sports, culture, space, and technology.

To help kick start this ambitious plan, we are investing $16 million for a Australia-India Trade and Investment Accelerator Fund, which will help Australian business unlock new commercial opportunities in India.

We are also investing an extra $4 million for our Maitri (‘friendship’) Grants program, enhancing our people-to-people, business-to-business and cultural links.

Our free trade agreement with India, has saved Australian businesses hundreds of millions of dollars and is on track to save exporters around $2 billion in tariffs by the end of the year.

The savings are having a direct impact for Australians, reducing costs at the checkout and creating local jobs.

Australia continues to make progress in its negotiations with India on a new free trade agreement, which will unlock even more trade opportunities for Australian business.

The Roadmap is informed by over 400 consultations across every state and territory, as well as in India.

Imagery will be available from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Media Library, and a live stream of remarks on Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Youtube channel.

the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“India is an essential partner as we diversify our trade links to boost prosperity for all Australians.

“This Roadmap is critical to helping us fully realise our potential with India, which will be a boon to Australia’s economy, our businesses and jobs, and our prosperity”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong:

“Growing Australia’s economic security and diversifying our partnerships is a key element of our statecraft and central to our national interest.

“By boosting our economic ties with India, we are not only creating more jobs and opportunities for Australians, we are advancing our shared interest in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell:

“Australia has a rich and diverse Indian community, with strong personal and economic ties.

“The potential of our relationship with India is almost unmatched, opening a fast growing market of over 1.4 billion people.

“The Roadmap, the result of significant consultation with businesses and the community, offers a blueprint for Australian businesses to seize this extraordinary opportunity”

The ACT Greens have called on the ACT Government to step up their support for the Brindabella Christian College community as students, parents, teachers and staff are being left in the dark about the future of the school.

“We are alarmed that a rogue private operator has been allowed to descend into this level of turmoil without stronger, swifter government intervention,” said Laura Nuttall MLA, ACT Greens spokesperson for education.

On Sunday it was revealed that many staff at Brindabella Christian College had not been paid their salaries this week, as the future of the school remains in doubt. The school also owes money to staff in superannuation and over $8 million to the Australian Taxation Office.

“Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and staff are rightly concerned about the school’s future, and the subsequent impact on educational outcomes for students and employment security for staff.

“We’ve spoken to many families, including those involved in the group Reform BCC who are invested in the future of the school and they are rightly disappointed with the Government’s lack of action.

“The ACT Government has an obligation to ensure that every child in the ACT has access to a good education. There must be greater protections in place to ensure that an independent operator cannot get to this point.

“The ACT Greens are urging the ACT Government to take every action they can to support the school community. The ACT Government should seriously look into the feasibility of bringing Brindabella Christian College into public administration in the short term, if that’s what it takes to provide certainty for the BCC community.

“What we have witnessed is the failure of our current regulatory systems to intervene before a school reaches an inevitable crisis point. The regulatory action available to government has not been sufficient to ensure students and staff can confidently return to a safe, well-supported learning environment or, in the latter case, be paid their due salary during a cost of living crisis.

“This is not the first time government has been unable to act swiftly in the face of uncertain conditions for students or delayed payments for staff in a private institution.

“Both the ACT and Commonwealth Governments’ inability to intervene before the majority of staff at Gowrie Genius Childcare resigned over unpaid super and adverse working conditions earlier this year demonstrates that we do not have strong enough regulatory settings for independent education providers.

“The ACT Government needs to enact better legislative safeguards to ensure it is never again in a position where it cannot act swiftly to support student and staff wellbeing.

“The ACT Greens will always advocate for a strong education sector and where this is private it must have sufficient safeguards for the good of students, educators and parents,” said Miss Nuttall. 

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will invest an historic $9 billion into Medicare to fix Labor’s healthcare crisis and ensure all Australians have timely and affordable access to a doctor.   

Under Labor’s bulk billing crisis, it has never been harder and more expensive to see a doctor. Australians are now paying 45 per cent more to see their GP, as bulk billing has collapsed from 88 per cent under the Coalition, to 77 per cent under Anthony Albanese.  

This has had a serious impact on Australians’ access to healthcare at a time when they can least afford it. Last financial year alone saw 40 million fewer bulk billed GP visits under Labor, in comparison to the Coalition’s last year in government.   

This crisis has forced 1.5 million Australians to avoid seeing a doctor in 2023-24, adding further demand to already under-pressure hospitals across the country.  

The Coalition recognises the urgent need for better access to bulk billed services in the middle of Labor’s healthcare crisis.  

That is why a Dutton Coalition Government will match the $8.5 billion investment into Medicare dollar-for-dollar to fix Labor’s mess and restore bulk billing back up to Coalition levels.  

This investment builds on the $500 million commitment already announced by the Coalition to restore critical Medicare funding for mental health support, after it was slashed in half by the Albanese Government. We continue to call on Labor to match this funding and support vulnerable Australians with more complex or chronic mental health conditions.  

The Coalition welcomes the Government’s decision to finally listen to our calls to address the health workforce crisis with a comprehensive package of training measures. The Coalition led the way with our $400 million plan to grow a strong pipeline of homegrown GPs, which will provide junior doctors who choose to train as a GP in the community with financial incentives, assistance with leave entitlements and training support, to help fill the shortages in our suburbs and regional areas.  

In Government, the Coalition increased hospital funding by 16 per cent and established the now $22 billion Medical Research Future Fund which has delivered cutting edge research, medical breakthroughs and advancements for all Australians.  

The Coalition supported the additional $1.7 billion in funding for the public hospital system, because we know that Labor’s primary care crisis is putting unprecedented pressure on our hospitals.  

The Coalition has a strong record on health.

Without sound and prudent economic management – something Labor is incapable of – investments like this cannot be delivered. Only the Coalition can guarantee a strong economy to deliver better healthcare. 

Fixing Labor’s health care crisis and bulk billing crisis is all part of our plan to get our country back on track.