Category: Australian News

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke must provide details of the action he is taking against

non-citizens who support terrorist organisations Hezbollah and Hamas.

Minister Burke has said that he would “consider refusing and cancelling visas for anyone who seeks to incite discord in Australia”.

The Australian reports today that a pro-Hezbollah activist who led a Melbourne march waving the Hezbollah flag and who believes Australia is a “tyrannical terrorist regime” is an Iranian national.

Is Minister Burke reviewing this man’s visa status?

How many visas has Minister Burke cancelled because the holder supports a terrorist organisation?

What resources has Minister Burke directed towards identifying and removing non-citizens who sow discord with their abhorrent views?

Minister Burke must do the right thing by all Australians and take strong action against people who import trouble into our peaceful country.

When it comes to national security, Labor cannot afford to fail again.

Because of Labor’s Ministerial Direction 99, violent non-criminals have avoided deportation, including one man who went on to allegedly commit murder.

And one of the criminals that Labor released from immigration detention allegedly bashed and robbed a cancer survivor and grandmother after Labor removed his monitoring conditions.

Today’s decision by Origin Energy to abandon its Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub is the latest in a series of blows to the Albanese Government’s crumbling energy agenda. Following on the heels of Fortescue’s withdrawal from its own green hydrogen plans, this development further exposes Labor’s misguided, all-eggs-in-one-basket renewables-only approach to energy policy.

For all of Albanese’s promises about becoming a ‘green hydrogen superpower,’ it’s becoming abundantly clear that these projects are failing to materialise. Despite billions of taxpayer dollars being poured into green hydrogen initiatives, these projects remain grounded.

The fact that major players like Origin and Fortescue are stepping away from green hydrogen only confirms what we’ve been saying all along: Labor is picking losers, and it’s Australian taxpayers who are left to pick up the tab.

The collapse of these projects is not only a blow to Labor’s renewable energy goals but also jeopardises Australia’s energy security. With green hydrogen off the table in the near-term and looming gas shortfalls, Labor’s inability to secure reliable 24/7 baseload energy puts Australia in a vulnerable position.

The Coalition has consistently taken a sensible, technology-neutral approach to energy and that includes hydrogen. ⁠If hydrogen is to succeed in Australia, we must be colour blind when it comes to low emissions technologies including blue hydrogen (gas) and pink hydrogen (nuclear).

While hydrogen has a place in Australia’s future, no matter how much Bowen evangelises, it is fanciful to think green hydrogen is displacing gas anytime soon.

Labor’s over-reliance on green hydrogen was always going to be risky, and now that risk is being realised. As Origin itself admitted, the hydrogen market is developing more slowly than anticipated, with significant technological and cost hurdles still to be overcome.

Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen’s failure to anticipate these challenges is now putting Australia’s path to net-zero—and our energy security—at serious risk.

This latest failure demonstrates that, once again, the Coalition’s approach is the right one: an ‘all of the above’ technology-agnostic, balanced energy mix that is focused on energy affordability and security for all Australians.

Top lawyers have slammed the Albanese Government’s Misinformation Bill, with the Victorian Bar Association making a scathing submission on Labor’s planned censorship laws.

The leading body representing Victorian barristers has warned that the Government’s Bill would have a “chilling effect” on freedom of speech, especially in sensitive or controversial areas.

According to The Australian, the submission argued that the Bill would result in self-censorship by the platform services:

“The bill’s interference with the self-fulfilment of free expression will occur primarily by the chilling self-censorship it will inevitably bring about in the individual users of the relevant services.”

The Bill would impose huge fines on digital platforms if the Government decides that they have not removed enough of what they consider to be “misinformation”.

The digital platforms will want to avoid those big fines, so they will censor a large amount of free speech of everyday Australians who want to have their say online.

The Coalition will not support Labor’s Misinformation Bill, which is a shocking attack on free speech.

Submissions for a Senate inquiry on Labor’s censorship Bill closed on Monday, with the Government giving Australians barely a week to get their responses in.

The Communications Minister has also flagged that she is going to attempt to ram the Bill through Parliament before the end of the year, providing limited opportunity for people to have their say at Senate committee hearings into the planned legislation.

In a senate inquiry report tabled this afternoon, calls by Australia’s Antisemitism Envoy for a judicial inquiry into campus antisemitism have disappointingly been rejected by government senators.

Shadow Minister for Education, Sarah Henderson, and Senator Paul Scarr have raised serious concerns about the failure to listen to Jillian Segal AO, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism recently appointed by the Albanese government.

In the Coalition’s dissenting report into the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024 (No 2), Senator Henderson said the case to establish a judicial inquiry was overwhelming.

“Given Labor’s failure of leadership on campus antisemitism, the Prime Minister must start listening to his Antisemitism Envoy and major Jewish organisations which strongly support a judicial inquiry,” Senator Henderson said.

“Jewish students should not be forced to choose between their education and their safety.”

“Instead of tackling this antisemitism crisis with moral clarity and courage, Education Minister Jason Clare has been missing in action, allowing hate and division to fester.

In their report, Coalition senators also recommended:

• best-practice antisemitism policies and procedures for universities including fines for non-compliance;
• antisemitism training for university leaders;
• disclosure of all university revenues including agreements with foreign entities;
• the adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism; and
• the proposed independent student ombudsman be supported by an antisemitism expert.

“With the anniversary of the October 7 massacre just days away, the Australian Jewish community is grappling with the ugly spread of antisemitism across all corners of the country. That is why urgent action on campus antisemitism, including financial penalties for universities which fail to comply with student safety policies, is crucial,” Senator Henderson said.

“The proposal by the government-controlled committee for another parliamentary inquiry, without the powers, resources and expertise of a judicial inquiry, is inadequate.

“Similarly, after the distress and harm suffered by Jewish students and staff for almost a year, any suggestion universities should be responsible for reviewing their own policies is untenable.”

The Coalition’s dissenting report can be found on page 59 of the Senate inquiry report, here.

Pauline Hanson warned Australians many times about the dangers of an immigration program which allowed foreign values to infect our nation.

This week, following Israel’s success in targeting the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon, Australians were treated to the disgusting spectacle of people actually mourning the monster terrorist’s death and openly displaying the flag of a prescribed terrorist organisation in the streets of Sydney.

It’s against Australian law to publicly display symbols of prescribed terrorist organisations. Hezbollah has been plaguing the Middle East with terrorist attacks for decades; they were responsible for the infamous bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, which killed more than 300 people, but curiously didn’t make it onto Australia’s list of prescribed terrorist organisations until 2021.

The very idea there are people in Australia who support such an ‘organisation’ and its abhorrent acts is extremely offensive, but that’s what Labor and the Coalition have allowed to happen. There is no place for such people and their values in Australia, but the major parties have tacitly condoned it this week by failing to uphold laws and arrest those who marched in Sydney under the flag of a terrorist group.

If only the major parties had listened to Pauline and heeded her warning. These people would not be in Australia to spread their hate.

Immigration to Australia should be a privilege, not an entitlement. Immigration policy should work in the interests of the Australian people, not against it. Immigration policy should be guided in a way that produces a cohesive society based on shared values, not the increasingly fractured and segmented society we have in Australia today.

It’s too much to ask of the fundamentally weak and craven Labor and Coalition parties. It’s not too much to ask of One Nation.

The NSW Police Force has made an application to prohibit upcoming Pro-Palestine rallies on October 6 and 7 citing “safety concerns”. Its notice to the Supreme Court has revealed that a dozen planter boxes, moved into the Town Hall precinct for the arrival of spring, are the topic of safety concerns that would see peaceful vigils and a 12-month uninterrupted assembly stopped. 

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice Sue Higginson said, “It is a harsh and oppressive move by the NSW Police Force to attempt to prohibit the peaceful, uninterrupted weekly assembly where people have been expressing their collective grief and support of the Palestinian people suffering the most horrific genocide,”

“To learn that the reason for this undemocratic intolerance of the people’s right to protest is due to a few planter boxes on the street is cruel, callous and frankly dangerous,”

“For almost one year the people of Gaza have endured wave after wave of the most atrocious war crimes in living memory. Over 50,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives, and now NSW Labor are calling to prevent a peaceful community vigil to mourn these deaths, because of a dozen or so planter boxes. The gutless absurdity of this entire charade would be laughable if it wasn’t so unimaginably cruel,”

“The safety of protestors and the public is of course paramount to civil assembly. What we are now witnessing is a wilful attempt by the NSW Police Force, backed by Premier Chris Minns to block a peaceful assembly, rather than work with the community to resolve the issue at hand,”

“I am extremely concerned that the NSW Police Force are attempting to blatantly take away a very particular community’s right to gather peacefully. What is even more concerning is that Premier is so eager to jump on this bandwagon, all whilst deliberately withholding critical information from the public,”

“These peaceful protests have been the heartbeat of the Palestinian community and all who care since this genocide began. If the Premier genuinely wanted to prioritise the harmony and safety of NSW he would would move the flower boxes, not cut away a lifeline for a community in mourning,”

NSW Greens MP and party spokesperson on Democracy, Kobi Shetty, has voiced strong opposition to the NSW Government’s efforts to stop protests in Sydney this weekend.

Shetty emphasised that the fundamental right to protest must be protected, especially at a time when many Australians are deeply concerned about the escalating violence in the Middle East.

Kobi Shetty MP and Greens spokesperson on democracy, says:

“Attempts to block peaceful demonstrations represent a dangerous overreach by authorities and could set a worrying precedent for democracy in Australia.

“By attempting to shut down democratic protests, the government is not just stifling free speech but also ignoring the genuine concerns of thousands of Australians who want to voice their opposition to violence and war. This is not just about one group or one issue – it’s about the right of all people to participate in the democratic process without fear.

Shetty reiterated the importance of ensuring protests are peaceful but argued that shutting down public gatherings is not the answer.

“Our authorities should focus on ensuring protests remain peaceful, rather than intimidating communities with court orders and heavy-handed police responses. We need cooperation with local communities to enable safe and peaceful assembly, not blanket crackdowns.

“At a time when tensions are running high, the best way forward is through dialogue and peaceful protest, not by trying to silence those who speak out against violence. We need to uphold the right to protest while ensuring public safety, and this balance is crucial for our democracy.”  

With bulk-billing options plummeting across the country and millions of people delaying healthcare due to cost concerns, the Greens have announced an ambitious plan to enable all Australians to go to the GP for free, as well as get free appointments with other primary healthcare professionals, at new Free Local Healthcare Clinics to be established in every electorate. The plan, part of the party’s ‘Robin Hood’ reforms, will be paid for by taxing big corporations that are profiting off price gouging during a cost of living crisis.

The policy – which will provide significant cost of living relief to millions of people – will be announced by Greens Leader Adam Bandt, health spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John and Greens candidate Sophie Greer in the key Greens target seat of Perth on Thursday.

With a minority Parliament looming, the Greens say it is a key policy for the Party this election and will be on the table and pushed in any minority Parliament negotiations after the next election.

THE GREENS’ PLAN FOR GP FOR FREE INCLUDES:

• FREE LOCAL HEALTHCARE CLINICS : The Greens will establish 1000 Free Local Healthcare Clinics across Australia, with government-employed healthcare professionals providing free services. There will be at least 6 Free Local Healthcare Clinics per electorate.
• GP, DENTIST, REGISTERED NURSE OR PSYCHOLOGIST: These Free Local Healthcare Clinics will allow people to access free healthcare with a GP, a dentist, a registered nurse or a psychologist with no out-of-pocket costs.
• TRIPLE THE BULK BILLING INCENTIVE FOR ALL: The Greens will ensure everyone, and not just specific cohorts, can access a bulk-billed GP appointment in private practice by tripling the bulk-billing incentive for everyone with a Medicare card.
• LONGER GP APPOINTMENTS: The Greens will support doctors to spend more time with
  patients who need it by implementing a 20% increase to Medicare patient rebates for longer
  appointments.
• TRAIN THE WORKFORCE: The Greens will support our trainee GP workforce to ensure that GP
  trainees receive equal pay to their hospital trainee counterparts.

Each of these policies has been independently costed by the PBO. Based on this analysis, our plan would be expected to cost approximately $54b over the coming decade.

With the cost of living crisis smashing people across the country, the Greens will use the upcoming election campaign to highlight how the Labor and Liberal parties have rigged the system in favour of the big corporations, allowing 1 in 3 to pay no tax at all while others price gouge their way to record profits, while only offering pathetic, band aid solutions for people doing it tough.

With Labor and Liberal lacking the guts to take on the big corporations, the Greens say that change can only come by voting for it.

This election, the Greens are campaigning to hold their existing Senate seats and grow in the House of Representatives, in seats including Wills, Macnamara, Richmond, Sturt and Perth. In addition to stopping new coal and gas mines and ending native forest logging, the Greens will have a strong economic offering, centred around a series of ‘Robin Hood Reforms’ to tackle the housing and cost of living crises: a Big Corporations Tax on large companies’ excessive profits will raise $514b over the decade, which will fund ‘Dental into Medicare’ (already announced) and ‘GP for Free’, as well as other measures to come.

A national poll funded by The Greens has shown that 74% of the people agree that the government should ensure people can go to the GP for Free.

In the power-sharing Parliament of 2010, the Greens secured dental into Medicare for children.

Mr Adam Bandt, Leader of the Australian Greens:

“1 in 3 big corporations pays no tax. The Greens will make big corporations pay their fair share of tax so you can see the GP for free.

“If you’re worried about the cost of seeing a doctor, dentist or psychologist you’re not alone.

“In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to get the healthcare they need, but more and more people are putting off health appointments because they can’t afford it.

“Under Labor and Liberal, big corporations are price gouging and making massive profits, but everyday people are hurting.

“The Greens are fighting for outcomes for everyday people, and that means being able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse for free with your Medicare card.

“We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. If you want to see the GP for free, the first step is to vote for someone who’ll fight for you.”

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Health spokesperson and Senator for WA:

“The Greens have a bold plan that will improve the health of our community, and bring down the cost of living.

“It’s disgraceful that we’re in a cost of living crisis where people are choosing between going to the doctor, paying rent and putting food on the table. This is why I am so pleased to announce our Greens plan that will see people being able to get back to the GP for free.

“I’ve heard from many people here in Perth that the cost of going to the GP is too high. In the Perth CBD, the average out of pocket costs to see a doctor is $48.64, and rising.

“The majority of adults with a Medicare Card are unable to find a bulk-billing appointment like they used to. We’re seeing people skipping regular appointments, prioritising their kids appointments over their own health, or not following up test results because going to the doctor has become too expensive. This is exactly why we need to triple the bulk-billing incentive and establish Free Local Healthcare Clinics.

“We know that the future of general practice is in crisis. There’s a problem with too few trainee doctors choosing General Practice. One of the key barriers to this is pay inequity. If a trainee chooses to undertake a GP traineeship they get paid less than their peers training in a hospital. With the cost-of-living so high, students are making a financial decision to pursue careers other than becoming a GP. This is why the Greens are announcing our commitment to the future of the GP workforce with our plan to offer pay-parity to trainee GPs.

“Today’s announcement is the latest commitment from the Greens that will save the community thousands of dollars a year in healthcare costs. Our plan to go to the GP for Free sits alongside our plan to get dental health care and mental health care into Medicare; these will bring us closer to a universal healthcare system.”

Learn more:

See a GP for free 

Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and spokesperson for Anti-Racism, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to the Race Reporting Handbook developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Media Diversity Australia.

Senator Faruqi urges all media outlets to conduct immediate anti-racism training for all staff, as well as commission independent racism reviews and develop an anti-racism strategy going forward.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi: 

“The shocking dehumanisation of Arabs and Muslims by Australian media over the past year has emphasised the urgent need for all newsrooms to commission independent racism reviews, develop anti-racism strategies for their organisations and conduct anti-racism training for staff immediately.

“An independent review found systemic racism exists within the ABC. But the ABC are not the only ones. People of colour are dehumanised daily in Australian media, and we’ve seen more and more diverse journalists leave the profession due to their workplaces being unsafe. This has to change, and it has to change now.

“The Race Reporting Handbook is a step in the right direction, but the impetus for change must come from the media outlets. They need to recognise that racism is a serious problem in their industry, and it is infecting the way they cover stories as well as harming staff of colour.

“The consequences of not dealing with the racism in Australian media is the further erosion of audience trust. People can see when the media are not covering a story honestly, and are dehumanising sections of the community.” 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia in October 2024.

This year marks 100 years since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

His All-Holiness will spend two weeks in Australia, meeting with Greek Australian and diaspora communities, Orthodox parishioners, political and interfaith leaders, and community groups.

Prime Minister Albanese will host His All-Holiness as a Guest of Government on 5 and 13 October.

They will attend events together in Sydney and Melbourne that celebrate the milestone.

Australia is home to a significant Greek Orthodox community, with a population of over 400,000 people across the nation.

This will be His All-Holiness’ second visit to Australia as Ecumenical Patriarch— it has been 28 years since his last visit in 1996.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was looking forward to welcoming His All-Holiness to Australia.

“Australian society is enriched by our diversity—it is one of our greatest attributes,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Greek Australian community is a vibrant part of Australia’s identity, involved in business, public service, politics, the arts and sport.”

“It is a joy to celebrate the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the contributions of the Greek community to our nation.”