Category: Australian News

The Greens say Labor claiming a win on a tiny JobSeeker indexation and a paltry increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is an insult to the millions of Australians the government is keeping in poverty and housing insecurity.

Today, the combined “increases” from indexation and tinkering to the CRA come into effect. The indexation to JobSeeker amounts to $1.09 a day; for the CRA it’s only a $1.64 rise. 

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

“It shows the disdain Labor has for people on income support that they are calling a paltry increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance and automatic JobSeeker indexation help.

“The automatic increase from indexation amounts to just $1.09 a day. This is an automated fig leaf for a Labor government that is leaving people in poverty.  

“The changes coming into effect today don’t bring JobSeeker anywhere close to the poverty line, let alone enough to live on.

“$1.64 a day increase to rent assistance means next to nothing when average national rents have increased by over $115 a week since this Labor government was elected 

“A marginally increased rate of JobSeeker for 4,700 people with an assessed partial capacity of under 14 hours shows how broken this system is. It’s crumbs instead of the real heavy lifting of fixing the Disability Support Pension.

“If Labor is serious about keeping any of their promises instead of paying lip service, the government must raise income support above the poverty line.” 

The Victorian Greens have slammed the Victorian Labor government for claiming in court that they have no documents which back up their plan to demolish and privatise the public housing towers at North Melbourne and Flemington.

The Victorian Labor government has refused requests from the Supreme Court to produce documents backing up their reasoning for demolishing the towers which the judge has labelled as “startling”.

The Victorian Labor government was requested to provide these documents as part of the discovery process for the ongoing class action being led by residents from the North Melbourne and Flemington towers.

It comes just a few months after the Victorian Labor government refused to produce 146 of 158 documents to Parliament related to the demolition and privatisation of all 44 public housing towers, denying access under executive privilege.

The Victorian Greens Acting Spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri accused the Victorian Labor government of ongoing secrecy and lack of transparency over their plan to demolish and privatise the towers.

She said that it’s unbelievable that Labor would steamroll ahead with this disastrous plan without a shred of evidence to back it up.

Quotes attributable to the Victorian Greens Acting Spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“Labor is denying documents to courts, parliament and the public – they’re clearly hell bent on concealing the true reason they’re demolishing and privatising all of Victoria’s public housing towers.

“This half-baked plan has never been about the residents. It’s just a way for Labor to hand over prime public land to private developers for massive profits. Any plan that starts with demolishing 7000 public homes in the middle of a housing crisis, is not a housing plan, it’s a housing disaster.

“The Premier owes us an explanation. This plan will displace more than ten thousand public housing residents in the middle of a housing crisis, yet they’re steamrolling ahead without providing a shred of evidence to back it up. Where we see communities, they see dollar signs.

“The plan to demolish and privatise all 44 public housing towers has never stacked up and it’s clear that Labor has something to hide. It’s only a matter of time until their house of cards falls down on them.”

Australia is stepping up efforts to tackle high priority health issues in the Solomon Islands and across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Through expanded partnerships between governments and civil society, we will provide $15.9 million to the Pacific Community – the region’s principal scientific and technical organisation – to help strengthen the health workforce across the Pacific.

The package also builds partnerships between Pacific and Southeast Asian organisations and their Australian counterparts, encouraging experts from across the region to share their technical skills and to develop exciting new links

Under the package we will:

• invest $9 million to provide technical support to improve immunisation coverage across the region , drawing on the expertise of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance and the Australian Regional Immunisation Alliance.
• support regional collaboration and partnerships through research on issues at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health, such as in food security and nutrition, by jointly funding programs with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
• co-fund two collaborative Centres of Excellence with the National Health and Medical Research Council, that link Australian and regional health research institutions.
• strengthen community preparation and response to epidemic disease threats through a $3 million investment which will support the Australian Red Cross to work with partners in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
• support training for animal health workers across the Pacific and Timor-Leste to enhance regional biosecurity and better protect animal and human health, through a $2.5 million partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

These activities are funded under the Australian Government’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, which works with governments and civil society organisations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia to build resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong:

“A peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific rests on the shared wellbeing and health of communities across our region.

“The Albanese Government is responding to Pacific priorities and working with partners to improve immunisation coverage across our region, helping communities better anticipate, prevent, detect, and control communicable diseases and protect the most vulnerable.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy:

“This new package reflects our commitment to the health of our family and neighbours across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

“Recognising the importance of working in partnership with governments and local civil society organisations, we are committed to addressing high priority health issues in our region.”

The Victorian Greens have slammed the Victorian Labor government for announcing the next public housing towers to be demolished, just days after claiming they had no evidence to back up the demolition of the first towers at North Melbourne and Flemington.

Today the Victorian Labor government announced that they’re targeting the towers and low-rise communities in Richmond as part of the next stage of their disastrous plan to demolish and privatise all 44 public housing towers in Victoria.

It comes just a few days after the Victorian Labor government told the courts they had no documents to back up their decision to demolish and privatise the first towers at North Melbourne and Flemington.

Today also marks the one year anniversary of the Victorian Labor government’s Housing Statement, with the state of housing only worsening since then with rents soaring across Victoria and the list of people on the public housing waitlist ballooning.

The Greens MP for Richmond, Gabrielle de Vietri said that this plan is only going to make the housing crisis worse and that it’s outrageous that Labor is steamrolling ahead without providing a shred of evidence to back it up.

Quotes attributable to Greens MP for Richmond, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“Just days ago Labor admitted that they have no evidence to back up the first demolitions and now they’re steamrolling forward to destroy the next community. This disastrous plan is only going to make the housing crisis worse for everybody.

“Labor is gaslighting us about this plan. It’s never been about providing more homes for Victorians and it’s certainly never been about the residents – all this is about is handing over prime real estate to their property developer mates for massive profits.

“Once again Labor has thrown public housing residents under the bus today. If Labor listened to the residents in Richmond – or any of the towers – for just one second, they’d hear that they don’t want to leave, they don’t want their homes torn down and their communities ripped apart.

“There are over 120,000 people on the public housing waitlist and that number continues to soar. Yet Labor wants to tear down 7000 public homes in the worst housing crisis in living memory and then won’t even show us the receipts.”

Annual migration under Labor is on track to shoot over 400,000 for the second consecutive year and could even surpass 500,000 arrivals.

Labor will almost certainly fail to honour its commitment to halve migration, based on ABS population data published today:

• Under Labor, Net Overseas Migration (NOM) was 133,802 for the March 2024 quarter — the second highest March quarter ever reported by the ABS — beaten only by Labor’s record 165,500 arrivals in March 2023.

• 388,241 additional migrants arrived in the first nine months of Financial Year 23-24 under Labor.

• In comparison, when Labor broke the Australian migration record with 536,547 arrivals in FY22-23, NOM was 415,034 across the first nine months of that year — just 26,793 higher than Labor is currently tracking.

• For Labor to achieve its FY23-24 migration target of 395,000 arrivals in this year’s budget, NOM will have to be lower than 6,759 in the June quarter — a level so low it was only reported when the borders were closed during COVID.

Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to explain why Labor was not honouring its commitment to halve migration.

“The Prime Minister needs to explain where all these people are going to live,” Mr Tehan said.

“Australians are experiencing a housing and rental crisis, but the Prime Minister seems to be unaware.

“Labor kept their plans for a Big Australia secret before the election, and Australians are living with the consequences.

“We have experienced record migration since Labor came to power, and housing supply isn’t close to keeping up. That drives up the cost of housing and rents, which further increases inflation as Australians endure cost-of-living pain.

“The Prime Minister’s broken promises to cut immigration, cut electricity bills and provide cheaper mortgages is making that pain worse.

“The Coalition will get the migration policy settings right to help free up more houses for Australians.

“Labor can’t be trusted to manage immigration, and they can’t be trusted on national security.”

Labor can’t be trusted to manage migration

On 9 December last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “migration is expected to decline substantially over the coming financial year”.

On 10 April, 2024, then Labor Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the Labor government would halve migration from its record high.

“When we get to the 1st of July this year, and I’m talking about in a few months time we will be back in a normal year of migration. We will have halved our migration rate as a country.” O’ Neil said an interview on Sunrise.

When asked if Labor would achieve its then NOM target of 375,000, O’Neil replied: “I mean, the numbers will come out but the indications are yes, that we will hit that target”.

Work is planned to start next week on Queensland’s biggest ever social and affordable housing project, jointly funded by the Albanese and Miles Labor Governments.

The big housing build will deliver 490 homes in Woree and will be the biggest social and affordable housing project to be built in Queensland.

It’s aimed at older Queenslanders who are looking to downsize from their current home, and will in turn free up larger homes for families.

The complex will include 245 social, 223 affordable and 22 specialist disability apartments.

The purpose-built, architecturally-designed precinct features modern, low maintenance and energy efficient one and two-bedroom homes for people over 55 and those with disability, and is set among landscaped gardens and picnic grounds.

The Woree site has direct access to transport routes, the Bruce Highway, the local shopping centre and the Woree Aquatic Centre.

The project is being funded through the Miles Government’s Housing Investment Fund, as well as lending from Housing Australia, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and ANZ as well as a capital grant from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility.

Community Housing Limited (CHL) and Tetris Capital are joining forces to deliver and manage the homes with construction undertaken by FCC Construction Australia and Modscape.

Adopting innovative construction methodologies to help solve the housing crisis, FCC Construction Australia will be joined by local modular housing supplier, Modscape, to help deliver the impressive package of works, with most of the materials and labour planned to be Australian sourced.

Once complete and tenanted, CHL will provide onsite staff and work with support partners to deliver lifestyle programs aimed at reducing social isolation and encouraging active lifestyles.

Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Housing changes lives, and my Government is determined to work with the Queensland Government to deliver more homes all across the state.

“In spite of the No-alition of the Liberals, Nationals, Greens and One Nation we are determined to increase housing supply.

“This project will deliver hundreds of homes in regional Queensland, while complementing our plan to deliver thousands of homes through our Housing Australia Future Fund all around Australia.”

Premier of Queensland Steven Miles

“Every Queenslander deserves a safe place to call home.
“One of the most important things a government can do is build homes for the most vulnerable – something I’m proud to be doing every day.

“In Woree, this 490-home precinct is the biggest housing build in our state. That’s our Homes for Queenslanders plan in action.  

“I have a plan to build more homes, faster while supporting first home buyers, renters and the most vulnerable, and I will do what matters every day to relieve the housing pressures we face while also planning for the future.”

Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King

“Every Australian needs a roof over their head and a place to call home.

“I’m very proud to be part of a Government that is taking practical steps to build more homes for more Australians.

“This project is a great example of how the Northern Australia Investment Facility is supporting social infrastructure and making lives better for people living in the North.”

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil

“This is about reducing housing stress for Queenslanders and Australians everywhere, because the more homes like these that we build, the more affordable housing becomes.

“This is a fantastically innovative project that shows the Commonwealth is back in the game of partnering with States, Territories and the housing sector to build housing at scale, and to make housing more affordable.”

Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon

“To build more homes faster, we’re partnering with community housing providers and rolling out hundreds more modular homes. This project in Cairns does both.

“Our Homes for Queenslanders plan is delivering – whether it’s building or buying more social homes, working with community housing, helping first homeowners, supporting renters and those sleeping rough.”

State Member for Cairns Michael Healy

“It’s the Miles Government that has been doing what matters for the Far North – with $1,000 off power bills, 20 per cent off car rego and building more homes locally.

“I’ve fought hard for more homes to be built – because it’s what matters to our community – and I’m excited to see what is the largest social and affordable housing project in the state get underway in Cairns.”

Inmates from across NSW Prisons call for free phone calls and education rights in largest inmate only petitions tabled in NSW State Parliament

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice Sue Higginson has today tabled two inmate led, inmate only paper petitions in the NSW Parliament. The petitions collected the signatures of over 1,000 inmates from ten of the 32 correctional centres across NSW and call for NSW Labor to provide free phone calls and access to information technology devices so that inmates can access educational programs.

Education Petition

Currently, there are a limited number of Tertiary Education programs available for inmates in this state, but due to a lack of internet access, computers or email services, it is virtually impossible for inmates to enrol in these courses or complete their coursework. In 2016 the privatisation of Corrective Services Education resulted in an 86% reduction in qualified teachers in NSW Prisons, who still have not been replaced. The number of prisoners who reoffend within 12 months of their release date has increased from 20.8% in 2016 to 23.4% in 2022.

Phone calls Petition

In June 2023 NSW Labor scrapped a service which provided low-cost calls to mobile phone numbers, effectively increasing the cost of a ten-minute phone call from $0.25 to $2.59. Inmates currently receive $16-18 per week, meaning the cost of one phone call is now equivalent to approximately 15% of their weekly income.

Comments attributable to Sue Higginson MLC

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice Sue Higginson said, “NSW Corrective Services have been operating in the shadows for far too long. People on the inside are screaming out to be heard and now they are asking the Minister for Corrections to respond to their demands directly,”

“It can cost up to $100 a week for an inmate to stay connected to their loved ones. This cost is crippling to most people. To an inmate making less than $1 a day, it is a cruel and impossible price to place on connection,”

“Right now inmates in this state are suffering from “Disconnection Disorder”. They can’t connect to the people they love, because punitive policies in this state won’t let them,”

“Connection and education are two of the most effective factors in reducing recidivism. By denying basic access to technology and educational programs the Minns Labor Government is ripping away the path to rehabilitation inmates in this state have,”

“The voices of these inmate petitioners represent just a fraction of the daily calls begging for reform from inside the hellholes that our prisons. NSW Labor and Corrections NSW must take accountability for its appalling treatment of some of our most vulnerable people,”

The Prime Minister’s “pro-business” comments at a CEO big business event overnight show he is backing big corporations over the environment, say the Greens. Last night marked the second CEO dinner the Prime Minister has attended in a week. 

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens manager of business in the Senate, spokesperson for Environment:

“The Prime Minister may think he is pro-business and pro-worker, but he sure isn’t pro- environment. 

“The Prime Minister is so busy trying to please the mining lobby and big business, that he’s given up on the environment. 

“Mr. Albanese used to care about the environment and climate, but now he doesn’t even want to talk about it. 

“It’s disappointing to see the Prime Minister backing big corporations over our environment and climate.

“Australians didn’t vote for another bulldozer in our Parliament or in our native forests. When Australia turfed Scott Morrison there was hope of a better, more collaborative Parliament. What we’ve seen recently is disappointing.

“The PM should spend less time with fossil fuel and banking CEOs and more time negotiating with the Senate crossbench to deliver outcomes which protect nature.”

The Government’s Nature Positive legislation is currently before the Senate with the Greens and crossbench calling for an end to native forest logging and climate damage to be considered in environmental approvals.

The Australian Greens have called on the Government to take immediate action on reforming Australia’s early childhood education and care system, following the release of the Productivity Commission’s report A path to universal early childhood education and care today.

Australian Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson Senator Steph Hodgins-May welcomed the Productivity Commission’s support for a universal system that has been championed by the Greens for decades and said there’s no excuse for any further delay.

Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“The Productivity Commission report lays a roadmap on how to fix Australia’s broken early years education system and move towards universal childcare. Now the question is: When will Labor finally deliver? 

“With rents nearly doubling the rate of wages, food prices rising nearly 20 percent in the last four years – families need as much support as they can get right now. 

“The Albanese Government has had the draft report in its hands since 28 June. Every day that Labor delays implementing these critical early childhood education reforms, kids miss out on early education and parents miss out on important paid work.

“The Australian Greens welcome the report’s calls for all children aged 0-5 years to have at least 30 hours of care per week, increased access for the most disadvantaged and remote communities, removal of the punitive childcare subsidy activity test, and greater inclusivity. These are essential steps towards universal, early years education, which the government could implement today.

”But let’s be clear – early years education is a fundamental right and should be completely free, just like primary and secondary school.

“The Greens have consistently called for free, universally accessible childcare for decades, and while we recognise and support this critical pathway towards universal care as an immediate first step, we must go further.”

The ACT Greens have released a plan to ensure our city remains beautiful, safe and livable as we respond to our changing climate. 

“With Greens in Government the ACT has become a global leader on climate action. We have cut emissions by over 40%, shifted to 100% renewable electricity, and committed to phasing out polluting fossil fuel gas,” said ACT Greens Leader, Shane Rattenbury.  

“But the reality is that our climate is changing and we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change through more frequent heat waves, more intense bush fires, more severe droughts and increased intensity of rainfall events.

“We need to put in place measures across the city to adapt to the changing climate, and prepare for these extreme weather events. It’s important that we protect the most vulnerable in our community as we do this.

“With good preparation we can ease the impact of these extreme weather events on our community and make sure our city remains beautiful, safe and liveable. 

“The ACT Greens will take decisive action to prepare our city and our community for climate change. This means planting more street trees and changing the way we develop to keep our city cool, it means being prepared for heat waves and keeping our community healthy and safe as the climate changes, and it means being well prepared for extended bushfire seasons.” Mr Rattenbury said.

To build resilience to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, the ACT Greens will: 

• Plant at least 20,000 street trees each year to increase urban canopy cover with a focus on suburbs with the least tree cover, ensuring tree species are climate appropriate and non- invasive
• Bring back the iconic bus stop bunkers – or other types of climate ready, shaded and weather-resistant bus shelters across Canberra with a focus on areas where they are lacking.
• Establish a Chief Heat Officer to coordinate responses to extreme heat events, and develop a Climate and Health Strategy.
• Work with the community to trial and implement city cooling interventions, including active measures such as misting systems and awnings, or passive systems such as water features, street plantings, green roofs and facades
• Increase funding for the Emergency Services Agency and ACT Parks and Conservation Service to reflect the increased bushfire risk, longer bushfire season and increased likelihood of severe weather events.

Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens, Rebecca Vassarotti said the ACT Greens will plant 20,000 trees across Canberra to protect our status as the bush capital of Australia and reintegrate the environment back into our suburbs.

“In a climate crisis, planting more trees isn’t just an option—it’s a crucial part of making Canberra a more liveable city,” Ms Vassarotti said.

“When we’re designing and building our future suburbs, the environmental infrastructure – the trees, plants and green spaces –  is just as important as the roads, the footpaths and buildings.

“But for too long, Labor has treated it as a second order priority, rather than a foundational element to building a sustainable and liveable city. 

“For years, developers have been given a free pass to make a quick buck rather than creating leafy, green, liveable suburbs – and we’re still feeling the impact now. 

“All this has done for Canberrans is turn our newer suburbs into hot, dry concrete jungles in the middle of summer. As the climate crisis deepens, these conditions are only going to become more extreme unless we take urgent action now.

“That’s why the ACT Greens will plant 20,000 trees each year to keep our city cool in the summer and maintain our status as the bush capital. 

ACT Greens Candidate for Yerrabi, Soëlily Consen-Lynch says Canberra needs a network of well-managed parks and waterbodies to cool the city, and believes the government should prioritise areas that currently have the lowest access to green space or are most affected by urban heat effects. 

“Our summers are getting hotter and so are our suburbs,” Ms Consen-Lynch said.

“The ACT Greens will work with the community to trial and implement city cooling interventions like misting systems and awnings, water features, street plantings, green roofs, which will help make our suburbs cooler and more liveable for everyone.”

Today’s announcement builds upon the Greens’ August announcement to pick up the pace on delivering equitable climate action, so that we meet net-zero emissions faster, in a fairer way, supporting those who need it most. 

The Greens’ comprehensive plans to  provide real climate leadership are detailed on the ACT Greens website.