Category: Australian News

Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck, said the role offers an opportunity to lead the national agency as it plays a vital part in shaping the future of the sector, with a particular focus on high performance sport.
“It has been a difficult period for sport across Australia, creating challenging circumstances for sporting organisations and athletes at every level,” Minister Colbeck said.
He said the appointment would usher in new leadership as the sporting community works its way through the new COVID-19 environment and towards the Tokyo Olympics.
“This is an exciting chance for a well-credentialed professional with a passion for the advancement of sport, as Australia begins its recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The newly formed Sport Appointments Selection Committee will convene to consider candidates with the administration of the selection process managed by a recruitment specialist.
Its members include former Minister for Sport and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney Olympics, The Hon. Warwick Smith, AO, as panel chairman, Department of Health Associate Secretary Caroline Edwards,  Paralympic wheelchair racer and leading coach Louise Sauvage, OAM, former Matildas’ vice-captain Moya Dodd and former Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimming champion Samantha Riley, OAM.
The successful candidate will require high level stakeholder engagement skills to ensure Sport Australian continues to create pathways for athletes to reach their potential.
The recruitment campaign follows the announcement that John Wylie, AM, will step down from his role as Chair of the Board on 5 November.
Minister Colbeck said throughout his eight year tenure Mr Wylie has displayed great dedication to developing Australia’s sport capacity, particularly through his contributions toward the National Sport Plan, Sport 2030 and supporting athletes to the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games and numerous world championships.
“Mr Wylie’s passion and commitment to the promotion of sport and increasing involvement at all levels has been a notable highlight of his work with Sport Australia,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Government thanks Mr Wylie for his passion and commitment to Australian sport during his role as Chair of Sport Australia.
More information about the Sport Australia role can be found here.
Expressions of interest close on 16 October, 2020.

Labor is deeply saddened by the passing of the Honourable Susan Ryan AO.
We remember Susan not just for the things she did first. We remember her for the legacy she leaves.
She changed Australia for the better. Before her, Australian women were – in so many ways – second-class citizens.
She was responsible for so many of Labor’s greatest modernising reforms, including the Sex Discrimination Act.
Until then, it had been legal to discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status or pregnancy. Women were locked out of education, jobs and opportunity; refused access to home finance and faced the sack for being pregnant.
As unremarkable as this reform might sound today, Susan fought widespread opposition. 26 members of the House of Representatives voted against it.
Susan was also instrumental to the Equal Employment Opportunity and the Affirmative Action Act, and drove improvements in perhaps the most powerful equaliser: education.
As Education Minister, she was responsible for seeing more Australians complete school and increasing participation in tertiary education.
Her life after politics was also dedicated to bettering rights and equality, serving as the Age Discrimination Commissioner and later the Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
Susan was also a strong advocate for superannuation as head of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia.
Outside of her career, she spent time mentoring those within the labour movement who sought her trailblazing advice.
We have much work to do in continuing to advance her legacy, toward a truly equal Australia.
The Australian Labor Party give condolences to all Susan’s family and loved ones.
The entire movement mourns the passing of one of our greatest.

The Morrison Government is investing almost $800 million to enable businesses to take advantage of digital technologies to grow their businesses and create jobs as part of our economic recovery plan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies by Australian businesses and consumers, which has enabled many to transform their operations and continue to trade through the crisis.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this year’s Budget would support businesses to recover, build back and create more jobs as part of our economic recovery plan.
“Many businesses moved online quickly when the pandemic hit, undergoing a decade of change in months, finding new customers or new ways of doing things,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our JobMaker Digital Business Plan provides significant backing to continue that digital push and expand opportunities for businesses to grow and create more jobs.
“The Plan supports Australia’s economic recovery by removing out-dated regulatory barriers, boosting the capability of small businesses and backs the uptake of technology across the economy.”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Government was investing in Australia’s digital economy to keep businesses in business and Australians in jobs as part of our economic recovery plan.
“The Governments’ Digital Business plan is targeted at building on this digital transformation of Australian businesses to drive productivity and income growth and create jobs,” the Treasurer said.
“Our Digital Infrastructure package is estimated to increase Australia’s GDP by $6.4 billion a year by 2024 and around $1.5 billion of this additional economic activity is estimated to flow to regional Australia each year.”
Key elements of the Digital Business Plan include:

• $256.6 million to develop a Digital Identity system to enable more secure and convenient engagement with government services, and in future, the private sector. Digital identity is already being used by over 1.6 million Australians and 1.16 million businesses to access over 70 government services.
• A further $419.9 million to enable the full implementation of the Modernising Business Registers (MBR) program, allowing businesses to quickly view, update and maintain their business registry data in one location;
• A further $28.5 million to support the rollout of the Consumer Data Right to the banking and energy sectors, which is in addition to the more than $120 million already committed;
• $29.2 million to accelerate the rollout of 5G, including an initiative to invest in 5G commercial trials and testbeds in key industry sectors such as agriculture, mining, logistics and manufacturing.
• $22.2 million to support small business operators take advantage of digital technologies through an expansion of the Australian Small Business Advisory Service – Digital Solutions program, a Digital Readiness Assessment tool and a Digital Directors training package;
• $11.4 million for a new regulatory technology commercialisation initiative to improve compliance and directly support our digital technology firms;
• $9.6 million to support fintechs to export financial services and attract inward investment;
• $6.9 million for two blockchain pilots directed at reducing business compliance costs;
• $5.9 million to boost Australia’s influence on international standards;
• $3.6 million towards mandating the adoption of electronic invoicing by 1 July 2022 for all Commonwealth government agencies to encourage greater adoption amongst businesses supplying to government and within their supply chains, and to consult on options for mandatory adoption of e-invoicing by businesses;
• $2.5 million to connect workers and small and medium sized businesses to digital skills training;
• Consulting on making permanent the temporary reforms to allow companies to hold virtual meetings and execute documents electronically;
• Reviewing the regulatory architecture applying to the payments system to ensure it remains fit for purpose and is capable of supporting continued innovation for the benefit both businesses and consumers; and
• Reforming the regulation around stored-value facilities to support innovation and competition in line with the recommendations of the Council of Financial Regulators.

These initiatives are in addition to the Government’s $4.5 billion NBN investment plan to bring ultra-fast broadband to millions of families and businesses across the economy over the next two years.
They also complement our actions to build digital skills and to improve trust and security in the digital economy, including through the $1.67 billion investment in the 2020 Cyber Security Strategy and investments in online safety.
The Digital Business Plan is part of the Government’s economic recovery plan to grow the economy and create jobs and supports our goal for Australia to be a leading digital economy and society by 2030.

The Morrison Government is providing $9 million to support research into the causes, biology and progression of cancer among children and young adults.
Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease among Australian children. In the decade to 2015, nearly 1000 Australian children under the age of 15 died from cancer.
Delays in diagnosing childhood cancers can limit treatment options, and for some cancers, there are currently no effective treatments.
Tragically, survival rates for some cancers among children have not improved in more than 25 years, and new analysis of records held by the Australian Childhood Cancer Registry shows the rates of several childhood cancers are slowly rising.
This $9 million investment from the Government’s ground-breaking Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) will provide grant opportunities for Australia’s world-leading researchers to accelerate options to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in children and adolescents.
The Grant Opportunity will fund projects in two streams of research:

• Cancers that occur in children aged 0-14 years.
• Cancers that occur in adolescents aged 10-19 years.

Funding of $3 million will be allocated to each of the two streams. The remaining $3 million will be earmarked to support the overall best research, irrespective of streams.
Consultation with The Kids’ Cancer Project and Cancer Australia, has informed the scope and priorities of the 2020 Childhood Cancer Research Grant Opportunity.
The Government’s MRFF is a $20 billion endowment fund. The MRFF is a long-term investment supporting Australia’s best and brightest researchers. Further information about the MRFF is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff.
Guidelines to apply for grants under the 2020 Childhood Cancer Research Grant Opportunity are available at https://www.grants.gov.au/

Easing restrictions in Victoria in a COVIDsafe way is vitally important so that more Victorians can get back to work and resume their normal lives.
Today’s announcement is a small but further important step in that direction. The removal of the curfew, the ability of sole traders to operate garden maintenance and related services and the improvements in supermarket capacity and manufacturing are all welcome.
It will be important that more be done in the weeks ahead to safely ease more restrictions.
We note that at similar case levels NSW was fundamentally open while remaining Covidsafe due to a world class contact tracing facility.
As many epidemiologists have encouraged, we would support Victoria in reviewing the trigger of five and zero cases with regards to the third and last steps.
As it stands this lockdown is already longer than that faced by residents in many cities around the world.
We remain deeply concerned about the mental health impacts of a prolonged lock down on Melbourne residents.
The Morrison Government has already delivered more than $27 billion in economic support to
Victorians during this crisis and we have extended JobKeeper for another six months which is estimated to see an additional $16.8 billion be paid to Victorians in the December and March quarters.
The Government will continue to support Victorians during these challenging times.

Senior Australians who have moved out of an aged care home during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to benefit from the Australian Government’s emergency leave arrangements.
Under changes to legislation first implemented in May, residents won’t be penalised or disadvantaged if they temporarily move out of their aged care home during a crisis where it is safe and appropriate for them to do so.
The provision was immediately activated for the COVID-19 pandemic and was due to finish at the end of this month.
It is now extended until 30 June, 2021.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said the extension was another measure of support as the pandemic continues to impact communities, particularly in Victoria.
“Many permanent residential aged care residents want to temporarily relocate with family to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19, and the Australian Government supports that choice where appropriate,” Minister Colbeck said.
“By introducing this arrangement, we are giving senior Australians the option of staying with family for the duration of the emergency, without the extra worry about using or exhausting their normal social leave entitlements.”
Without emergency leave arrangements, permanent residents are entitled to be away from their aged care residence for up to 52 days a year for non-hospital related reasons — known as social leave.
Under normal circumstances, if a resident takes more than 52 days social leave, the Government does not provide its subsidy to the aged care home for that person for the extra days in addition to a resident’s normal contribution.
The cost of the government subsidy can then be passed on to the resident by a provider. Emergency leave prevents this from happening.
For aged care residents who do choose to take emergency leave, there is a national model of emergency support available through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
There are a range of care and services available, including personal care, nursing services meals, social support, allied health and therapy services, unaccompanied grocery shopping and transport.

The Morrison-McCormack Government will inject $250 million into regional Australia, encouraging more Australians to travel and experience a home-grown holiday, boosting regional jobs and local economies.
The package include two measures announced today, a $50 million Regional Tourism Recovery initiative to assist businesses in regions heavily reliant on international tourism and $200 million for an additional round of the Building Better Regions Fund.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the package would deliver targeted support for regional tourism.
“By investing $200 million in an additional round of the Building Better Regions Fund we are investing $200 million in securing regional Australia’s future,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“This Budget will set aside $200 million for projects to boost local infrastructure in regional communities, $100 million of which will be dedicated to tourism-related infrastructure.
“We know every dollar spent on building local communities is a dollar well spent and that is at the heart of our economic plan for a more secure and resilient Australia.”
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said tourism regions had been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and this would help them to bounce back firstly by attracting more Australians and then overseas visitors when our international borders re-open.
“Tourism is such an important job creator and driver of many regional economies. We want to make sure that our tourism regions are in the best possible shape on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Birmingham said.
“This targeted new fund will support internationally dependent tourism regions to adapt their offerings, experiences and marketing to appeal to domestic visitors in the short-term and be in the strongest possible position to welcome back international tourists down the track.
“The Morrison-McCormack Government’s billions in economy-wide support has provided a lifeline to many in the tourism industry, sustaining hundreds of thousands of tourism businesses.
“Increasingly we are targeting sectors hardest hit, with this regional support sitting alongside our $50 million business events program to get meetings, conventions and conferences up and running again, which is so crucial to the visitor economies of our capital and larger cities.”
Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism Jonno Duniam said regional tourism was the lifeblood of so many Australian towns and regional communities and this would help to get them back on their feet.
“Tourism will never be the same again, but there is opportunity in this challenge and the greatest opportunity is in our regions,” Assistant Minister Jonno Duniam said.
“Our $50 million package will help to realise this opportunity, it will assist in saving thousands of businesses and jobs in the first and worst hit regional tourism areas across the country.”
Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories Nola Marino said BBRF Round 5 presents a great opportunity for regional communities to see the benefit of continued investment.
“BBRF has been such a successful program, with regional, rural and remote Australia reaping the rewards,” Assistant Minister Marino said. “Local jobs, local procurement, local upgrades and local wins – that’s what BBRF means to communities across the country.”
BBRF Round 5 will be delivered like its previous four rounds, with Infrastructure Project and Community Investment streams. Grant Opportunity Guidelines will be made available shortly, consistent with the existing BBRF framework, to assist potential applicants.
 

As part of the 2020/21 Budget, the Morrison Government will provide more than $600,000 to the Leukaemia Foundation as part of Australia’s first National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer.
Blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, are estimated to account for more than one in 10 cancer deaths in Australia this year.
The number of blood cancers diagnosed each year is on the rise, from around 12,500 new cases in 2010 to an estimated 17,300 in 2020. While survival rates are improving, it is estimated that there will be more than 5,600 deaths from blood cancer this year.
The National Strategic Action Plan will deliver continued support for people battling blood cancers.
Throughout the Blood Cancer Awareness Month of September, there is no better time to shine a light on the tireless work of the Leukaemia Foundation and its efforts to bring Australia’s first comprehensive plan to improve outcomes for people diagnosed with blood cancer to life.
Our Government is committed to ensuring Australia is equipped to deal with the challenges of blood cancer and the need for a coordinated and strategic national response.
This funding will deliver Optimal Care Pathways for blood cancer patients, and enable the Blood Cancer Taskforce to continue its vital work, providing strategic oversight of the implementation until the end of next year.
Optimal Care Pathways will provide wide ranging, evidence-based recommendations for best practice care, from the point of diagnosis, through treatment, survivorship and end-of-life care.
The Blood Cancer Taskforce, made up of representatives from leading Australian haematologists, researchers, and cancer charities, will continue in their roles of coordination of the blood cancer community and implementation of actions in this National Action Plan.
This announcement builds on the $150,000 provided in 2019-20 to establish the expert Blood Cancer Taskforce to develop the National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer.
The plan was developed in consultation between governments, researchers, non-government organisations, health care professionals, industry, patients, carers and advocacy groups.
This commitment adds to our Government’s significant investment to combat blood cancer, including more than $310 million for blood cancer research from 2013-2019, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund and Cancer Australia.
The Morrison Government has also delivered more than $5 billion for blood cancer medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from 2013-14 to 2018-19.
Our Government recently provided access to ground-breaking CAR-T cell therapy for several types of Leukaemia and lymphoma.
CAR T-cell therapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The patients T cells are extracted from the body, genetically reengineered and programmed to recognise and destroy cancer cells, and then reimplanted into the body.
Together with states and territories, the Government currently provides access to Kymriah, a CAR-T cell therapy, through specialist hospitals.
We thank the Leukaemia Foundation for their advocacy and look forward to continue working with them and other partners in implementing this Strategic Action Plan.
The National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer is available at www.leukaemia.org.au

Greens Economic Justice spokesperson, Senator Nick McKim, responded to reports today that the government will loosen lending standards and relieve the banks of responsibility for determining a customer’s loan capacity to service a loan.
“Today’s announcement shows exactly where this government’s allegiances lie,” Senator McKim said.
“The day after Westpac received the largest corporate penalty in Australian history, the government is changing the rules to benefit the banks.”
“Looser lending standards will result in higher profits, higher dividends, and more money to flowing into the most overpriced housing in the world.”
“This will perpetuate the cycle of high household indebtedness, falling home ownership, and greater financial instability.”
“This is not the pathway to recovery.”
“We’ve just had a Royal Commission that showed the banks’ blatant disregard for the welfare of consumers and their willingness to engage in unlawful and predatory lending.
“And what’s this government’s response? Instead of making the banks abide by the law, they’re changing the law to abide by the banks.”
“Switching the onus of evaluating loan serviceability onto customers will mean the banks shove money down the throat of anyone with a heartbeat.”
“This is foie gras for banking.”
“I am hopeful that the Senate crossbench will join the Greens in opposing the overturning of the National Consumer Credit Protection Act.”
“So I ask Labor today: Whose side are your on? Consumers or the banks? The real economy or real estate speculation?”

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi has said a report of the government-dominated Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee into the Job-ready Graduates legislation is flawed and highly partisan.
The inquiry process was highly problematic, with a 22-day total inquiry period, only two days of hearings, and with no time allowed for discussion on Greens amendments to the report.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This is a flawed and highly partisan report. The Government have used their majority to ignore witnesses, rig the process and recommend this unfixable package be passed. The crossbench should see right through it.
“The report does not fairly convey the level of dissent to the bill heard by the committee. The report leans heavily on the approving comments of some stakeholders while failing to fairly include the more critical comments of others.
“The report fails to acknowledge that numerous key organisations did not support the bill, or only gave their support contingent on substantial amendments.
“Job-ready Graduates is terrible legislation. For no good reason, it will raise student fees and cut billions from Commonwealth contributions to teaching and learning.
“The Senate has the power to bin this bill. I call on all crossbenchers to fully consider the awful impacts of this austerity package for students, staff and universities.
“If passed, the legislation will damage higher education in Australia, possibly irreparably.”
Full Australian Greens Dissenting Report: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Educatio…