16 News

Professor Richard Scolyer’s contribution to brain cancer research and advocacy will be continued and further celebrated with a new position named in his honour at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

The Albanese Government is committing $5.9 million to establish the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research.

The funding will be used to support the salaries of the Professorial Chair, as well as Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Assistants and PhD Scholarships, along with research costs.

The investment will provide strong leadership to accelerate brain cancer research, expand clinical trials and help translate research into better outcomes for patients.

Professor Scolyer AO, the 2024 joint Australian of the Year with Professor Georgina Long AO, is a renowned pathologist and melanoma researcher who has made remarkable contributions to medical research, particularly in the field of melanoma and skin cancers research.

He has also inspired many through his own cancer journey after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2023.

He was the first in the world to receive combination immunotherapy before surgery, and a personalised vaccine to treat his glioblastoma.

This experimental treatment approach – adapted from his own melanoma immunotherapy research – saw him become both a patient and a research subject.

Brain cancer is rare but aggressive, accounting for an estimated 1,924 new diagnoses, and 1,579 deaths in 2023.

The funding builds on other Australian Government funding to accelerate brain cancer research, including $50 million for the Australian Brain Cancer Mission and $83.9 million through the National Health Medical Research Council and Cancer Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“Professor Richard Scolyer is an extraordinary Australian.

“Through his skill, his tenacity, and his courage he has made such a difference for our country.

“This will build on Professor Scolyer’s research, advocacy and leadership in tackling cancer.”

Minister for Health Mark Butler:

“There are few people in Australia, or indeed the world, who have made as significant a contribution to cancer research, treatment and advocacy as Professor Richard Scolyer.

“It is fitting that this new Chair position at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, where Professor Scolyer has been receiving his own treatment, be named in his honour.

“Brain cancers have one of the highest mortality rates amongst cancers and little improvement made in survival rates in recent decades.

“With this investment in leadership, research and clinical trials, we hope we can shift the dial and improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with brain cancer.”

The Albanese Government is answering the calls of the Pacific, providing more than $1 million in assistance to respond to current dengue outbreaks across the region.

The number of dengue cases is the highest recorded in the Pacific in the past decade, with 19 deaths reported this year.

Outbreaks have been declared in Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Tuvalu, while Fiji and Tonga recently announced that their outbreaks have ended.

We extend our condolences to those affected, particularly those families and communities that have lost loved ones.

In response to discussions with Nauru, Samoa and Tuvalu, Australia’s support will include technical advice, and delivery of insecticides, dengue test kits, and medical and laboratory supplies.

Australia is also supporting the deployment of medical personnel to Nauru, and an Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) will deploy with New Zealand’s Emergency Medical Team to provide support in Samoa.

This builds on our longstanding support for resilient health systems in the Pacific as well as our history of emergency response, through the World Health Organization, the Pacific Community, the James Cook University-led PacMOSSI program, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

We acknowledge the swift and proactive measures taken by Pacific governments in their response to the current dengue outbreaks.

Deployment of supplies and personnel has already begun. Australia stands ready to provide additional assistance if requested.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong:

“Australia stands with our Pacific community during this challenging time, as we act to assist them in accelerating their response.

“We’ve listened to the Pacific countries in their request for assistance and will continue working with our neighbours to fight this outbreak.”

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy:

“Our thoughts are with the families and communities affected by this devastating outbreak.

“We are working closely with our Pacific neighbors and stand ready to provide additional support if needed.

“We hope that together we can end this outbreak as quickly as possible.”

Minister for International Development Anne Aly:

“Australia is backing the leadership and priorities of our Pacific neighbours, supporting their response to dengue outbreaks.

“We are working together to ensure the prosperity and wellbeing of Pacific communities.”

The Albanese Government welcomes the findings of the independent review of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme, led by Ms Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM.

The Government has accepted all 23 recommendations of the review. We are taking action to strengthen, clarify and streamline the Scheme in line with the review’s recommendations.

The Foreign Arrangements Scheme is a key part of the Government’s broader resilience strategy, protecting critical sectors of Australian society from foreign interference.

The Scheme has been successfully deployed to raise foreign policy awareness with state and territory governments, local governments and universities, and to ensure arrangements between them and foreign entities support Australia’s national interest.

The Government is committed to reforming the Scheme to ensure it remains effective and responsive to an increasingly complex international environment. These reforms will:

• sharpen the Scheme’s focus on arrangements that pose higher foreign policy or national security risks
• reduce the regulatory and compliance burden for low-risk engagements.

Changes to the Foreign Arrangements Scheme will help ensure Australia can continue to engage globally while safeguarding our national interests, and will support the creation of economic and cultural links that are consistent with our foreign policy.

The report of the independent review of the Scheme and the Government response can be found on the Foreign Arrangements Scheme website.

The Victorian Greens’ Bill to make housing a human right will be debated in Parliament today, putting Labor to the test after its MPs have 16 times declared on the record this term that housing is a human right.

The Greens’ Bill would enshrine the internationally recognised right to adequate housing into Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, meaning all future laws and government decisions, departments and bodies like police and courts would have to comply with and uphold this right. 

The Greens say if Labor believes the right to housing is a human right, they will vote with their values and support the bill. If the bill passes it could influence government decisions like Labor’s plan to demolish and privatise all 44 public housing towers, which is set to displace more than 10,000 residents. 

The Bill is backed by housing, human rights and legal experts including Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, and former Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell AO KC, and comes just weeks after he told a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s plan to demolish the towers that it breaches the right to housing under international law. Bell told the inquiry:

“If the right to housing were incorporated in the Charter, the government would have to go about this kind of project differently, and that’s a very good thing.”

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“Labor says housing is a human right, but they’re demolishing people’s homes in the middle of a housing crisis. You can’t have it both ways, it’s a total contradiction.”

“If Labor votes against this Bill, they’ll be admitting their policies are at odds with the basic right to housing, and that they care more about property developers than people who need a safe and secure home.”

The Victorian Greens have condemned the deeply disturbing scenes yesterday of far-right extremist violence, including the storming of Camp Sovereignty where people were ambushed and assaulted. 

There is absolutely no place for this disgusting racism and hate in our community, or anywhere. The Greens stand in solidarity with First Nations people, multicultural communities and the broader community in stamping out racism and demanding stronger action to tackle racism and the rise of far-right extremism.

The Victorian Greens have long warned about the rise of far-right extremism and secured Victoria’s first parliamentary inquiry into the issue in 2021. This inquiry made clear recommendations to respond to the online recruitment and radicalisation of mostly young men who were being preyed on by these groups online.

The Victorian Greens say that unfortunately the response from the Labor Government at the time failed to meaningfully commit to the long-term resourcing of the targeted interventions required to stop this hate from spreading, but that now is the time for urgent action.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell: 

“The storming of Camp Sovereignty by far-right extremists assaulting people and committing awful acts of violence are deeply disturbing. 

“First Nations people are leading a movement for truth and justice that makes our whole community stronger, and this racist attack is an attack on all of us. 

“Far-right extremism has been growing for years, preying on and radicalising young men online. The Greens’ inquiry set out a clear roadmap to stop this hate from spreading, but it wasn’t taken seriously enough. Now is the time for real, long-term investment to tackle extremism at its roots.”

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, Anasina Gray-Barberio: 

“These vile, racist attacks on First Nations and multicultural communities are terrifying, and a stark reminder why we must stand together against hate. As a migrant, I know the strength and resilience of our communities, and I know our diversity is what makes Victoria stronger.”

“For too long, this Labor Government has failed to take the safety of multicultural communities seriously. Our safety should be a priority, and we should never be expected to shrink ourselves just to feel safe. We deserve better, to live proudly in who we are, in a community free from hate and fear.”

I condemn the racist anti-immigrant march in Darwin today – This march was organised by neo nazis interstate.

I am livid that the hateful messaging from bad-faith actors is being imported here, although it appears it was a tiny turn out. The messaging it sent was still dangerous, and I had many constituents from migrant backgrounds contact me during the week, fearful for their safety. I want to reiterate to all those in our community from different backgrounds, you are welcome here, you are valued, and you are respected.

The beautiful diversity in Nightcliff is one of the many things that makes this place so special. Myself, my staff and my office have zero tolerance for hateful, racist or bigoted speech or actions.

And to state the obvious, if you aren’t a First Nations person, you’re an immigrant here. We all live on stolen Aboriginal land.

Your problems with the housing market and the cost of living aren’t caused by migrants, they’re caused by billionaires and the two major parties working for corporate vested interests instead of everyday people.

Stop buying the Sky News propaganda and start laying the blame where it belongs. Don’t be misled by divisive rhetoric that scapegoats’ migrants for problems created by corporate greed and failed housing policy.

We need working class solidarity if we’re ever going to rid our political systems of corporate vultures and billionaires.

In solidarity,

Kat McNamara MLA – Member for Nightcliff

There are serious concerns about the viability of the Government’s proposed social media age ban following the release of findings from the age assurance trial report. The report has identified significant risks including mass surveillance, biometric data collection, increased Big Tech control and systematic bias against vulnerable groups that may very well outweigh any potential benefits of the policy.

These findings should have the Government reconsidering the viability and appropriateness of age verification technology as a tool for protecting young people online, with the prospect the current approach could cause more harm than good to the very children it aims to protect with the December deadline for implementation looming. 

Senator Shoebridge, Greens Digital Rights Spokesperson:

“The age assurance trial report makes the case against a social media age ban. The risks it identifies including mass surveillance, biometric data collection, Big Tech control, and systematic bias against girls and People of Colour, which clearly outweigh any potential benefits.

“The government’s report on age assurance tech admits ‘implementation depends on the willingness of a small number of dominant tech companies’ meaning we’d be handing even more power to Big Tech to decide who gets online access. Labor surely understands this is bad!

“The age assurance trial findings accidentally prove the social media age ban is unworkable and it is time to rethink this flawed approach.

“The Australian newspaper has come out hard today against our inquiry into age verification and the social media age ban and got it completely backwards. 

“The inquiry isn’t about helping Big Tech, it’s exposing how Labor’s rushed age ban will hand power to the very companies that are exploiting kids.

“The Greens don’t agree the choice is between Big Tech or Murdoch controlling our public spaces and debate, it is the community who should have both control and rights including privacy.  

“The real question is why Labor and the Murdoch media are so afraid of parliamentary oversight of this ban?” Senator Shoebridge said. 

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Media and Communications spokesperson:

“The age assurance trial report shows the huge amount of resources that this government is putting into trying to find a way to make it technically feasible to lock young people out of social media. 

“The time, money and resources that are being put into this would be much better spent on holding the big tech platforms to account to make their spaces safer for people of all ages.

“We shouldn’t be spending the next few years playing whack-a-mole and trying to plug all the technical holes in this, we should be investing in the guard rails that makes online spaces safer for everyone.

“The inquiry that I will chair into the age verification processes will continue the conversation with experts about how we hold big tech accountable for protecting all of their users.