Category: Australian News

Scott Morrison is about to become the billion-dollar man when it comes to wasting public money on taxpayer funded advertising.
Taxpayers have spent $913 million on advertising since the year the Government took office and at the current rate Scott Morrison will crack the $1 billion mark this year.
Scott Morrison’s gift to Australia is a trillion-dollar debt and a billion-dollar bill for self-promotion.
His obsession is marketing, photo-ops and favours for Liberal mates, rather than delivering for Australians.
For example, in 18 months Mr Morrison has failed to invest a cent from his $4 billion fund for bushfire relief and natural disaster mitigation. But as communities affected by last year’s bushfires continue to struggle, he has given a former Coalition staffer $190,000 to produce video material for his bushfire response marketing.
He has splashed $15 million on the “Our Comeback” economic campaign this financial year, based on $1 million worth of research by a Liberal mate.
In another indication of his warped priorities, Mr Morrison recently announced plans for a $24 million Coronavirus vaccine marketing campaign before he had even finalised plans for the actual roll-out of the vaccine.
Then there was the $140 million pre-election advertising blitz in 2018-19, which included $15.9 million towards the dud “Powering Forward” campaign later criticised by the Australian National Audit Office.
Mr Morrison’s professional background is marketing. First as Treasurer, and now as Prime Minister, he has made an artform of using public money on self-promotion.
He treats taxpayers’ money as though it is the Liberal Party’s money.
Mr Morrison’s obsession with advertising is matched only by his propensity to make grand announcements but fail to deliver.
Scott Morrison is always there for the photo-op but never there for the follow up.
TABLE: GOVERNMENT FIGURES ON ADVERTISING

 
 
 
Sources:
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2019-20
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2018-19
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2017-18
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2016-17
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2015-16
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2014-15
Department of Finance campaign advertising report 2013-14

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says there is no excuse for the Morrison government to do anything other than provide an Australian citizen safe passage home, with assurances that he can live and work here freely.
“It’s time for Scott Morrison to fight for an Australian citizen whose work exposing war crimes has subjected him to an extraordinary campaign of persecution from the United States,” Bandt said.
“Australia’s meek pandering to the Pentagon on the rights of one of our citizens reflects poorly on our sovereignty and diplomatic independence.
“The charges the US has laid are anathema to a free press and free society and Australia should give Assange safe passage home and rule out extraditing him to become a political prisoner.
“All Australians should know that when foreign governments act against their liberty for political reasons, their homeland will have their back. It’s time Morrison showed the gumption to say no,” Bandt said.

With the news overnight that Julian Assange has been denied bail, Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson Senator Janet Rice has called on Prime Minister Morrison to act to ensure his wellbeing, and signalled that she will seek to involve the Australian Senate to act on his behalf.
Senator Rice said:
“I call on Mr Morrison to show some courage and pick up the phone to speak directly to both UK Prime Minister Boris Johnston to ensure Mr Assange’s wellbeing; and to US President-elect Joe Biden to drop the charges against him.
“It is a massive and tragic irony that the judgement has been made to not extradite Mr Assange because of risk of suicide, yet he is still being subject to onoging indefinite detention in the brutal conditions of Belmarsh prison.
“I urge Mr Morrison to heed the calls from Amnesty International who have said the decision to deny Julian Assange’s request for bail has rendered his continued detention ‘arbitrary’.
“If Mr. Assange is still being detained when Parliament resumes next month, I will request that  the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) seek an urgent meeting with the incoming US Ambassador to Australia as soon as they arrive on our shores to discuss this case further.
“The US charges against Julian Assange must also be seen in the light of the chaos and insurrection in Washington overnight. It is the same President Trump who has incited his followers with baseless claims of conspiracy and fraud who is going after Assange, a whistleblower who exposed corruption and war crimes.
“Australia needs to speak out against the madness and attacks on democracy that have been the hallmarks of the Trump presidency, and that should include speaking up for the rights of an Australian citizen who should be being treated as a hero not a criminal.
“Julian Assange is an Australian citizen and therefore the responsibility of our government. He has suffered enough. The Australian Government must say ‘enough is enough’ and intervene to ensure his safety,” Senator Rice said.

The oversight and guidance for sport integrity matters in Australia has been further strengthened with the appointment of a highly experienced nine-member Sport Integrity Australia Advisory Council.
The Advisory Council includes leaders from a wide cross section of sport, governance, government administration, law enforcement and child protection.
Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said each member of the council brought with them a breadth of experience that would reinforce the work of Sport Integrity Australia in strengthening the framework of sport across Australia.
“I am pleased to announce the nine member advisory council,” Minister Colbeck said. “Each member brings skills and knowledge to provide advice on all areas of sports integrity.
“It follows the Australian Government’s recent investment of $10.1 million to introduce an independent complaints handling process within Sport Integrity Australia.”
Appointed members include World Sailing Vice President Sarah Kenny (Chair), Paralympics Australia CEO Lynne Anderson, Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland, former elite athlete and governance expert Margot Foster, former NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney, former senior public servant Peter Conran, sports consultant and former elite athlete Scott Draper, former National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell and policy adviser Jason Marocchi.
Sport Integrity Australia commenced operations on 1 July 2020, and is the cornerstone of the Government’s sport integrity strategy.
The newly appointed Advisory Council will provide Strategic advice to both the CEO of Sport Integrity Australia as well as to the Minister for Sport.
“I am particularly pleased to announce Ms Sarah Kenny as Chair of the Advisory Council,” Minister Colbeck said. “Highly regarded for her national and international experience within the administration of Olympic sailing, Ms Kenny is a vice president of World Sailing, and represented Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games in windsurfing.”
He said Ms Kenny also boasts an extensive legal career combining corporate law with a sports related practice including integrity matters.
“Experienced in the complex wagering regulatory regime in Australia, anti-money laundering, and complex integrity issues, her leadership will be invaluable to the success of the Advisory Council,” Minister Colbeck said.
Ms Kenny said it was an honour to be appointed.
“I am looking forward to working with the other highly respected Advisory Council members to bring together our combined experience and knowledge to advise on all aspects of sport integrity and to assist in safeguarding the integrity of Australian sport,” she said.
Minister Colbeck said the highly qualified council members will bring enormous value to the consideration of sport integrity issues and the way they are addressed.
“The Government has invested heavily in protecting the integrity of Australian sport.
“By establishing Sport Integrity Australia and the National Sports Tribunal, increasing investment into independent compliant handling and forming the Sport Integrity Australia Advisory Council, Australians can be confident everything possible is being done to keep the sport they love clean, safe and fair.”
The inaugural Sport Integrity Australia Advisory Council will consist of the following members:

• Ms Sarah Kenny (Chair)
• Ms Lynne Anderson (Member)
• Mr Peter Conran AM (Member)
• Ms Margot Foster AM (Member)
• Mr James Sutherland (Member)
• Mr Scott Draper (Member)
• Mr Ken Maroney AO APM (Member)
• Ms Megan Mitchell (Member)
• Mr Jason Marocchi (Member)

Scott Morrison’s copper-based National Broadband Network is acting as a hand brake on national productivity and making it more difficult for Australians to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest figures from the Speedtest Global Index show Australia’s broadband internet speeds now rank 60th in the world behind Moldova, Bulgaria, Belarus and New Zealand.
The Index listed Australia’s average broadband speed as 60.54 megabits per second in November, similar to speeds in Ukraine and Vietnam. The global leader was Singapore, with 241 megabits per second – four times faster than Australia.
Labor Leader Anthony Albanese said Scott Morrison should be ashamed of these figures.
“Today I will visit the electorate of Macquarie with local MP Susan Templeman, where hundreds of residents’ NBN connector boxes have failed in recent storms,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“Poor mobile phone coverage in the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury means some residents have been left without phone or internet for days or even weeks.
“Some people have lost up to six boxes in a row. They’ve started asking for a spare.’’
Ms Templeman said: “This makes it pretty much impossible for people to work from home or run a small business.
“It’s also dangerous during the bushfire season.’’
When the Government came to office, it replaced the former Labor Government’s plan for an NBN delivering fibre to the premises with a second-rate copper wire-based system that was out of date before it was even constructed.
In September, the Government finally admitted its error and committed $6 billion to bring the NBN into the 21st century, reverting to Labor’s initial plan.
This brings the cost of the NBN to $57 billion – nearly $30 billion more than what the Coalition promised their second-rate NBN would cost in 2013.
It has also been reported up to 238,000 NBN connections are still incapable delivering basic 25 megabit per second speeds, despite the Liberals promising everyone would have these minimum NBN speeds by 2016, and these speeds also being a requirement of Australian law.
Scott Morrison’s incompetence and mismanagement on communications is holding back business growth, particularly in regional Australia.

Scott Morrison wants this New Year’s Day to be the last that Australian workers are guaranteed penalty rates and pay loadings.
Under Mr Morrison’s nasty industrial relations changes a typical hospitality worker could be hit with a $210 New Year’s Day pay cut.
This Government has already cut the penalty rates of hospitality workers. Now it wants to abolish them altogether.
These workers, like all workers, deserve extra compensation for working on a public holiday.
But under Mr Morrison’s scheme to scrap the Better Off Overall Test a part-time level two hospitality worker aged over 21 could see their hourly New Year’s Day rate slashed from $46.85 this year to $20.82 next year, according to the Fair Work Commission’s pay calculator.
So instead of earning $375 for working 9am to 5pm they would earn just $166.
These sorts of cuts could occur across the Australian economy. No private sector worker would be safe from Mr Morrison’s pay cut.
This pay cut is Scott Morrison’s thanks to the workers who got us through the pandemic.
The cleaners, the retail workers, the truck drivers, the childcare workers and the aged care staff – they have put themselves at risk to get Australia through this crisis. But they could all lose take-home pay under Mr Morrison’s scheme.
If you abolish something called the Better Off Overall Test, guess what will happen. Workers will be worse off.
Scott Morrison’s earlier penalty rate cuts for retail, fast food, pharmacy and hospitality workers failed to deliver a single extra job. But now they want us to believe that cutting more penalty rates, cutting overtime, cutting shift loading, cutting allowances will create jobs?
Pay cuts are bad for workers and bad for the economy. For Australia to recover from the recession we need people with the money and confidence to spend.
The Government says the economy is doing well enough that businesses no longer need JobKeeper. But then they say the economy is doing so badly they need to cut the pay of workers. They can’t have it both ways.
Australian workers know they cannot trust a Liberal Government with their wages and conditions.
 

Scott Morrison is bringing in the new year by cutting crucial financial support to millions of Australians, who stand to lose up to  $300 per fortnight.
From today, the economic support payments once lauded by Scott Morrison as crucial lifelines will be slashed, cutting support from the economy, small businesses and local communities and ripping hundreds of dollars from the pockets of some of Australia’s most vulnerable.

•          From 1 January, Scott Morrison is slashing the rate of the JobSeeker coronavirus supplement by $100 per fortnight, hurting over two million Australians.
•          From 4 January, Scott Morrison is slashing the rate of JobKeeper by $200 per fortnight for those on the top rate, and $100 per fortnight for those on the lower rate.

These cuts to support come at a time of heightened uncertainty, new COVID-19 outbreaks and when Australia is already in the grip of a jobs crisis.
At a time when 2.2 million Australians are looking for work or more work and 90,000 more are expected to join unemployment queues by March, according to the Government’s own forecasts, now is not the right time to be cutting crucial support.
After the end of March, unemployment payments are scheduled to go all the way back down to the old Newstart rate of $40 a day.
Business, economists, experts and those who work on the front line with people who have lost their jobs are all calling for a permanent increase to the base rate of unemployment payments.
In a country like Australia, people should not have to live in poverty.
The new year should be a time of optimism and hope but Scott Morrison is choosing to deliver a financial blow to millions of Australians.
Instead of a plan to create jobs, boost wages and tackle underemployment or outlining a permanent increase to JobSeeker, the Morrison Government is focused on cutting vital support, cutting workers’ pay and cutting superannuation.

Perth will host the 2023 World Transplant Games in a major sporting coup for Australia.
The Morrison Government today announces it will provide Transplant Australia with $600,000 towards its preparations for the event which is expected to lure more than 1300 athletes and thousands more supporters from around the world.
Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck and Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government Mark Coulton said securing the World Transplant Games would significantly boost awareness and provide inspiration for transplant recipients around the world.
“This will be a spectacular showcase of what can be achieved from transplant athletes who have had either an organ or bone marrow transplant,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Games are the world’s largest awareness event promoting the importance of organ and tissue donation and just how high transplant recipients can aim in their recovery.”
Minister Colbeck said it also marked another major sporting event in the same year Australia will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Australia has already proven itself as an enviable host of global sporting events and securing the World Transplant Games serves to reinforce that reputation,” he said.
It will be the third time Australia has hosted the biennial event. Previous World Transplant Games were held in Sydney in 1997 and the Gold Coast in 2009.
It will also be a triumphant return for the Games after the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 event in Texas.
Previously Australia has fielded teams in 20 of the 21 games, with competition in core sports including athletics, 3-on-3 basketball, road racing, cycling, darts, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, petanque, tennis, squash, tenpin bowling, and sprint triathlon.
Lawn bowls, beach volleyball and football are also under consideration.
Minister for Regional Health, Mark Coulton, said hosting the World Transplant Games provides an opportunity to celebrate Australia’s success stories.
“The games will highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation and will be a good chance for Australians to consider registering to become a donor and to discuss their intentions with their family,” Mr Coulton said.
“The games will see many visitors to Perth and Western Australia, and provide a boost for local businesses, hospitality and tourism.”
World Transplant Games Federation and Transplant Australia CEO, Chris Thomas, said the event is living proof that donation can lead to those with chronic organ failure living long and healthy lives.
“After the challenges of 2020 the world’s transplant population will be looking for a host city that’s modern, with excellent sporting facilities and first class health care services,” Mr Thomas said. “Perth will be a beautiful destination.
“Australia’s reputation across the world with how we handled the coronavirus pandemic gives people confidence they will be able to travel here safely to participate in this inspirational celebration.”
More information about the 2020-21 MYEFO statement is available online: www.budget.gov.au
To find out more about Transplant Australia and the World Transplant Games see www.wtgf.org

The first day of the new year will bring with it new hope for Australians fighting one of the most common blood cancers, thanks to a critical new medicines listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
From 1 January 2021, Darzalex^® (daratumumab) will be listed for the first time in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, as a second-line treatment for patients with multiple myeloma – a cancer of the plasma cells.
Around 1,165 patients will benefit from access to this treatment, which might otherwise cost up to $160,000 a year. Patients could now pay as little as $41.30 per script, or $6.60 with a concession card.
Darzalex^® mobilises the patient’s own immune system to fight the disease.
This treatment will bring improved clinical outcomes and quality of life for those affected by this disease.
In 2020, it is estimated more than 2,300 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in Australia.
About 18,000 people in Australia are living with this serious condition at any one time.
Also from 1 January 2021, Australians living with severe chronic psoriasis will benefit from the first time listing of Otezla^® (apremilast) on the PBS.
Around 5,000 patients with severe chronic psoriasis might pay more than $7,500 a year for treatment without this listing.
Around 1.6 million Australians live with some form of psoriasis—a long-term inflammatory skin condition. People who suffer with the most severe and chronic forms of the disease also have an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The source of inflammation in psoriasis is thought to be caused by an enzyme, PDE4. Otezla^® works to reduce the PDE4 activity and the subsequent inflammation.
Both Tagrisso^® and Otezla^® have been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).
Since 2013, the Australian Government has approved over 2,500 new or amended listings on the PBS.
This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of close to $12 billion.
Changes to PBS co‑payment and safety net thresholds come into effect on 1 January each year. The changes are calculated in accordance with the National Health Act 1953 and are indexed based on the Consumer Price Index.
The PBS co‑payment for concession card‑holders will remain capped at $6.60 per script in 2021. The safety net threshold for concession card‑holders will also remain at $316.80 per year. When a concession card-holder reaches the Safety Net threshold, they will be eligible for a Safety Net Card and receive PBS medicines free of charge for the rest of 2021.
The maximum co‑payment for general patients will be $41.30 per PBS script in 2021.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring that Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.

The Morrison Government has this year passed major pieces of legislation to cushion the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping Australians in jobs, businesses in business and sparking a faster-than-anticipated economic recovery.
Despite 2020’s challenges, the Government has also successfully delivered on its promises to cut red tape and improve Australia’s economic competitiveness, with reforms to the tax system, insolvency, financial services and foreign investment.
In total, the Government passed more than 40 pieces of legislation in 2020 from the Treasury Portfolio, including:
JobKeeper
A key feature of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan is the temporary JobKeeper Payment which has been an economic lifeline to millions of Australians, helping to keep businesses in business and Australians in jobs.
Announced in March, legislated in April and extended in September, the JobKeeper Payment provided a critical economic lifeline for Australian businesses and their employees at the height of the pandemic.
The first phase of JobKeeper supported more than 3.6 million workers and around 1 million businesses, with payments totalling nearly $70 billion in the six months to the end of September.
RBA analysis released in November indicated that JobKeeper has saved at least 700,000 jobs.
Cash Flow Boost
The Government’s economic response also provided direct cash flow support to small and medium businesses and not-for-profit entities to keep operating, pay their bills and retain staff.
The Boosting Cash Flow for Employers measure was announced and legislated in March, with the first payments beginning in April.
In total, this measure is expected to provide around 800,000 small business and not-for-profit entities with support totalling around $35.5 billion.
The cash flow boost has offered vital support to businesses and not-for-profit entities weathering the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring they recover strongly and continue to grow.
JobMaker Hiring Credit
Unveiled in October’s Federal Budget, the $4 billion JobMaker Hiring Credit is helping younger Australians, hit particularly hard by the pandemic, get back to work.
Parliament passed legislation in November, securing fixed payments of $200 per week for an eligible employee aged 16 to 29 years and $100 per week for an eligible employee aged 30 to 35 years, paid quarterly in arrears by the Australian Taxation Office.
The JobMaker Hiring Credit is expected to support around 450,000 positions for young Australians.
Tax Relief
Following the Federal Budget in October, the Government secured the passage of legislation through Parliament to deliver tax cuts for more than 11 million Australians, backdated to 1 July this year.
By bringing forward Stage two of the Personal Income Tax Plan and providing the additional low and middle income tax offset, hard working Australians will have more money in their pockets at a time when they need it most.
The legislation also recognises the importance of businesses in the economic recovery, by allowing those with a turnover of up to $5 billion to immediately deduct the full cost of eligible depreciable assets as long as they are first used or installed by 30 June 2022.
Insolvency Reforms
In order to help businesses dealing with the economic impact of COVID-19, the Government successfully passed legislation to enact the most important changes to Australia’s insolvency framework in 30 years.
The reforms introduce a new, simplified debt restructuring process, drawing on key features of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy model in the United States. They will apply to incorporated businesses with liabilities of less than $1 million – covering around 76 per cent of businesses subject to insolvencies today, 98 per cent of whom who have less than 20 employees.
The measures take effect on 1 January 2021, reducing costs, cutting red tape and ultimately helping more small businesses to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
Foreign Investment Framework
In December, the Government passed legislation giving effect to the most significant reforms to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 in nearly 50 years.
This ensures Australia’s foreign investment framework keeps pace with emerging risks and global developments, including similar changes to foreign investment regimes in comparable countries.
Responding to the Hayne Royal Commission
The Government continues to bolster protections for consumers and small businesses as part of its response to the Hayne Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.
In December, Parliament passed legislation addressing 20 recommendations, strengthening unsolicited selling (anti-hawking) provisions and preventing pressure selling, introducing a deferred sales model for add-on insurance products and making the handling and settlement of insurance claims a ‘financial service’.
These changes are complemented by providing further clarity regarding the role of the regulators and enhancing the requirements of financial institutions reporting breaches of the law which will ensure significant misconduct is reported and investigated sooner.
The Government’s legislative agenda in 2021 will continue to create jobs, rebuild our economy and secure Australia’s future.