Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Disability Rights and Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has labelled reports that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has fined just one provider, despite receiving more than 8000 complaints, as deeply concerning but not surprising.
“As a disabled person, as a disability advocate, it speaks to the systemic and endemic nature of the violence and abuse we have been screaming about for decades, and the abject failure of the commission to act.
“This report is particularly concerning to me because we know that those 8000 complaints are still just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect that is occuring.
“There are many people who, because of their disability or circumstances, physically cannot use the safeguard system to report. You’ve got to be able to pick up the phone, do it in a safe way, and if you’re hearing impaired, visually impaired or have a physical mobility issue that’s not an option to you.
“It should not have taken the murder of Ann Marie Smith for the Commission to take action against a single provider. I shudder to think about the number of people who are in similar situations around the country with no avenue for justice.
“These systems are supposed to protect disabled people and hold perpetrators to account. They are failing.”

Health professionals in drought and bushfire-affected rural communities have access to extra resources to help them deal with the mental health fallout from these events.
CRANAplus, the peak professional body for Australia’s remote and isolated health workforce, has received Commonwealth funding to provide a suite of webinars, podcasts, and tailor-made workshops for those working on the frontline, to keep themselves and their communities resilient.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said nurses are the lifeblood of rural areas, responding to complex health needs away from major hospitals and needed support to carry out this vital role.
“We cannot overstate the important role our remote nursing workforce has in helping their local communities get through these tough times,” Minister Coulton said.
“The CRANAplus mental health training workshops are unique and tailored to the specific needs of clinicians in a particular community to help build long-term resilience in our rural and remote health workforce.
“With the summer months fast approaching, it is important to prepare for the upcoming bushfire season by ensuring our health professionals are well supported to respond and help rural communities who might face additional challenges in the months ahead.”
Minister Coulton said Nursing in the Community Week (14-20 September) provided an opportunity to thank all rural and remote nurses who continuously put their heart and soul into caring for communities, especially this year as we face the additional challenge of managing COVID-19.
“I want to thank all the nurses who often go above and beyond the call of duty to care for rural and remote communities, this year has already been particularly challenging for rural Australia,” Minister Coulton said.
CRANAplus CEO, Katherine Isbister said many rural communities have dealt with years of drought, compounded by last summer’s devastating bushfires and now COVID-19.
“Our primary health clinicians are starting to see an increase in complex, trauma-related mental health presentations linked to these events, and we need to support them to continue caring for their communities,” Ms Isbister said.
“In many cases, our rural and remote health professionals have been through the same traumas and challenges as their patients and they haven’t had a break to be able to look after their own wellbeing”
CRANAplus Psychologist, Cath Walker said the free resources were developed in conjunction with experts in the field of disaster recovery and mental health, and can be accessed via the CRANAplus website.
Ms Walker said consultations with clinicians in remote and rural communities have led to training content being developed across four key areas:

• Effects of disaster, long term stress, common reactions and helpful responses.
• Potential for secondary trauma and burnout in health professionals and other carers.
• Resilience and self-care strategies to reduce the potential long-term effect on personal health and wellbeing.
• Increasing confidence with conversation about mental health using basic listening, counselling and communication skills.

“The prolonged disaster-related stress being experienced by some of our rural and remote communities is placing significant pressure on isolated clinicians, who may not have had mental health training, particularly when community members are unable to travel to access specialist mental health care, so it’s vital to provide tools to help the helpers,” Ms Walker said.
Minister Coulton said the Federal Government’s investment totalled more than $13 million over three years to CRANAplus to provide remote health professionals, including community nurses, with access to training, professional services and mental health support.
This builds on existing support available to provide trauma-informed care and mental health first aid training to frontline healthcare and emergency workers, under the Australian Government’s $76 million Supporting the Mental Health of Australians Affected by Bushfires package.
Health professionals in areas affected by drought and/or bushfires interested in a having a local mental health training workshop can contact National Project Manager Kristy Hill at kristy@crana.org.au or visit crana.org.au to access the free resources.
“This initiative complements our existing CRANAplus Bush Support Services 24/7 toll-free support line, 1800 805 391, for rural and remote health professionals and their families,” Ms Isbister said.

The Morrison Government is investing in new and emerging technologies that will support jobs, strengthen our economy and reduce emissions.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the $1.9 billion investment package in future technologies to lower emissions would back jobs now and into the future, cut costs for households and improve the reliability of our energy supply.
The Prime Minister said the Government is supporting the next generation of energy technologies with an extra $1.62 billion for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to invest, as well as expanding the focus of ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to back new technologies that will cut emissions in agriculture, manufacturing, industry and transport.
“Our JobMaker plan is about protecting and creating the jobs of today and positioning Australia for the jobs of the future, which is why our investment in new technologies is so crucial,” the Prime Minister said.
“Australia is in the midst of a world-leading boom in renewable energy with over $30 billion invested since 2017. Solar panels and wind farms are now clearly commercially viable and have graduated from the need for government subsidies and the market has stepped up to invest.
“The Government will now focus its efforts on the next challenge: unlocking new technologies across the economy to help drive down costs, create jobs, improve reliability and reduce emissions. This will support our traditional industries – manufacturing, agriculture, transport – while positioning our economy for the future.
“These investments create jobs and they bring new technologies into play. This will not only cut emissions, but deliver the reliable energy Australia needs while driving down prices for homes and businesses.”
The new package also invests in a range of promising low-emissions, reliable new technology advancements including:

• Supporting businesses in the agriculture, manufacturing, industrial and transport sectors to adopt technologies that increase productivity and reduce emissions through a new $95.4 million Technology Co-Investment Fund that was recommended by the King Review
• Piloting carbon capture projects that will dramatically help cut emissions with a $50 million investment in the Carbon Capture Use and Storage Development Fund
• Helping businesses and regional communities take advantage of opportunities offered by hydrogen, electric, and bio-fuelled vehicles with a new $74.5 million Future Fuels Fund
• Setting up a hydrogen export hub worth $70.2 million to scale-up demand and take advantage of the advancements in this low emissions, high powered source of energy
• Backing new microgrids in regional and remote communities to deliver affordable, reliable power with $67 million
• Contributing $52.2 million to increase the energy productivity of homes and businesses, including a sector specific grant program for hotels supporting equipment and facilities upgrades
• Slashing the time taken to develop new Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) methods from 24 months or more to less than 12 months, involving industry in a co-design process and implementing other recommendations from the King Review into the ERF, worth $24.6 million
• Boosting energy and emissions data and cyber-security reporting and supporting the delivery of future Low Emissions Technology Statements under the Technology Investment Roadmap process, as well as developing an offshore clean energy project development framework, together worth $40.2 million

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said getting the next generation of energy technologies right would not only help to keep prices low and the lights on, but would importantly grow jobs, strengthen the economy and reduce emissions.
“We will reduce the cost of new and emerging technologies, not raise the cost of existing technologies or layer in new costs to consumers and businesses through mandated targets or subsidies,” Minister Taylor said.
“The Government recognises the strong growth in emerging energy technologies that will play a role in Australia’s energy mix into the future. We need to get the balance right and our investment to re-energise ARENA will deliver that.
“ARENA has played an important role in this growth, and as the cost of renewable technologies has fallen dramatically, the Government is investing in the future of ARENA to support the next generation of energy technologies.”
The Government’s emissions reduction strategy is focussed on technology not taxes. An approach that doesn’t compromise energy affordability or reliability will be more important than ever as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government will provide ARENA with guaranteed baseline funding of $1.43 billion over 10 years. ARENA’s baseline funding will be supplemented in two ways:

• Together with the Clean Energy Regulator, ARENA will be approved to deploy a portion of the $2 billion Climate Solutions Fund; and
• ARENA will also become a clean technology grants hub for future initiatives, with a new $193.4 million provided to deploy targeted programs.

The Boards of ARENA and CEFC will continue to be accountable for individual investment decisions. The Government will introduce new legislation so both agencies can support new and emerging low emissions technologies (including zero and negative emissions technologies). That ensures they will be able to support critical technologies such as soil‑carbon sequestration, carbon capture and storage, production of green-steel, and industrial processes to reduce energy consumption.
This package will contribute to Australia’s continued success in meeting and beating our emissions reduction targets. Australia beat its Kyoto-era targets by up to 430 million tonnes and the Government is on track to meet and beat our 2030 Paris target.
As a nation, Australia has done far better than similar export-oriented countries with emissions now 14.3 per cent below 2005 levels. This is an achievement all Australians can be proud of.
Early-stage investment is a proven method to accelerate the development of new and emerging technologies. The Technology Investment Roadmap will provide a strategic framework to prioritise the Government’s investments.

The OECD has upgraded Australia’s economic growth outlook for 2020 in its latest Interim Economic Outlook Report despite the global economy being hit by “an unprecedented sudden shock in modern times” as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
According to the OECD, global GDP will contract by 4½ per cent in 2020 before picking up by 5 per cent in 2021, as the world deals with the economic fallout from the coronavirus. To put this in context, global growth fell just 0.1 per cent in 2009 during the Global Financial Crisis.
Economic growth in Australia is projected by the OECD to fall by 4.1 per cent in 2020, representing an improvement of 0.9 percentage points compared to the OECD Economic Outlook from June.
Australia’s economic outlook compares remarkably well to other nations with the United Kingdom forecast to contract 10.1 per cent, Italy 10.5 per cent, France 9.5 per cent, Canada 5.8 per cent and Germany 5.4 per cent.
The OECD also sends a warning that “localised lockdowns, border closures and new restrictions being imposed in some countries to tackle renewed virus outbreaks are likely to have contributed to the recent moderation of the recovery in some countries, such as Australia.”
Put simply closed borders cost jobs and put the economy in a weaker position to recover.
Only by working together will we beat this virus and ensure that our economy comes out stronger on the other side with the OECD calling on “enhanced global co-operation to maintain open borders and the free flow of trade, investment and medical equipment which is essential to mitigate and suppress the virus in all parts of the world and speed up the economic recovery.”
Australia approached this crisis from a position of economic strength. The Federal Budget returned to balance for the first time in 11 years which underpinned our capacity to respond to this unprecedented shock with more than $300 billion in economic support.
State Governments will also play an important role in the recovery with the RBA Governor proposing to National Cabinet that States Governments commit a further $40 billion in areas such as infrastructure over the next two years.
The Morrison Government will continue to do what is necessary to cushion the blow and help all Australians get to the other side of the crisis.

The Greens have today said the Morrison Government’s Media Code plan is incomplete, calling on the government to include the public broadcasters in the Mandatory Code, ensure the survival of the AAP newswire and protect smaller players.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said any Code must protect public broadcasting and public interest journalism.
“The ABC is Australia’s most trusted news source and should be included in any reform to tackle the greed of the big tech giants.  It was a deliberate decision to lock the public broadcasters out of the draft code, allowing Facebook and Google to profit from their content for free – the Government should reverse this and drop their relentless attack on the ABC.
“The power and greed of the tech giants is threatening journalism and public access to news. The government’s mandatory ACCC code could be part of the solution but the draft needs fixing and additional measures brought to the table.
“Australia’s media landscape is facing unprecedented challenges. Public interest journalism, reliable local news and trustworthy and informed analysis is essential for a robust and accountable democracy.  The power imbalance between the big tech giants and Australian news organisations is unsustainable.
“It is therefore important that key parts of Australia’s media landscape are protected as part of this process.  There is no reason for the ABC and SBS to be excluded from the Code. Public broadcasters deserve a fair return for what they produce and what the tech platforms benefit from.
“At the same time it is important that Australia’s fact based independent newswire service is supported. It would be unconscionable for the Government not to find a way of supporting AAP while introducing a code that supports other media players. AAP is key media infrastructure that helps new players into the market and diversity across Australia’s media landscape.
“The ACCC’s draft Mandatory Code must guarantee simple and cost effective benefits for small and independent media players, through effective collective bargaining arrangements.
“If the aim of this code is to ensure the viability of Australia’s media, then the Government should ensure ABC is included, that AAP doesn’t fail and that small and independent publishers don’t miss out.
“Public interest journalism is under threat in Australia, whether it be from funding cuts to the ABC, loss of advertising revenue for commercial outlets or the threat of heavy-handed police action that we have seen lately. The Greens’ changes would see the mandatory code go some way to protecting public interest journalism in Australia.
“The Greens reserve our final position on the Mandatory Code until we have seen the legislation.”

The Greens strongly oppose the bill to establish a nuclear waste dump at Kimba.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia said:
“The Senate Inquiry showed that this is a highly flawed bill. There are deep concerns that this bill blatantly seeks to prevent any right to judicial review of this process and sets in stone Kimba as the dump site against strong community opposition.”
“The Morrison Government has no mandate from the people of South Australia to dump nuclear waste in our backyard. The decision to set up a nuclear waste dump in SA will affect our state for generations to come. All South Australians should have the right to have their say on this important issue.”
“The Morrison Government has bungled this process from the beginning. They have mismanaged site selection, failed to secure the consent of the Traditional Owners, the Barngala people, and failed to consult the broader South Australian community.”
“The Government needs to halt this process and establish an independent inquiry into all waste management options.”
”The Greens will fight this is Canberra, and work hard in Parliament to stop our state being the Morrison Government’s dumping ground.”
Mark Parnell MLC said:
“Nuclear waste dumps are illegal in South Australia under State law. We already know that the Traditional Owners of the land are opposed to the dump. They were even denied the right to vote in the community ballot. Also, other affected communities through which nuclear waste will be transported, weren’t even consulted.
If the Federal Government pushes ahead with this divisive project, it will also trigger a State Parliamentary inquiry, where all those South Australian communities ignored so far, will be able to express their concerns.”

The Greens are calling on the Labor Leader in the Senate, Penny Wong to declare where her party stands on the proposed Nuclear Waste Dump in SA, after a clear division within the Labor Party was revealed in a Senate Inquiry Report released late yesterday.
NSW Labor Senator Jenny McAllister delivered a dissenting report, independent of her Labor colleagues including SA Senator Alex Gallacher who supports the majority report that SA should be a dumping ground for nuclear waste.
Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Penny Wong needs to come out today and tell South Australians where the Labor Party stands.
“Does it stand with Senator McAllister who has stated the process for selecting a site has been flawed and no meaningful community consent obtained? Or does it stand with SA Senator Alex Gallacher and the Liberal Party who want to dump on SA?
“The decision to set up a nuclear waste dump in SA will affect our state for generations to come. All South Australians should have the right to have their say on this important issue and they should know very clearly where the ‘opposition party’ stands both at a federal and state level.”

Gas will help re‑establish a strong economy as part of the Government’s JobMaker plan, making energy affordable for families and businesses and supporting jobs as part of Australia’s recovery from the COVID-19 recession.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government would reset the east coast gas market and create a more competitive and transparent Australian Gas Hub by unlocking gas supply, delivering an efficient pipeline and transportation market, and empowering gas customers.
The Government will get more gas into the market by:

• Setting new gas supply targets with states and territories and enforce potential “use-it or lose-it” requirements on gas licenses
• Unlocking five key gas basins starting with the Beetaloo Basin in the NT and the North Bowen and Galilee Basin in Queensland, at a cost of $28.3 million for the plans
• Avoiding any supply shortfall in the gas market with new agreements with the three east coast LNG exporters that will also strengthen price commitments
• Supporting CSIRO’s Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance with $13.7 million.
• Exploring options for a prospective gas reservation scheme to ensure Australian gas users get the energy they need at a reasonable price

We will boost the gas transport network by:

• Identifying priority pipelines and critical infrastructure as part of an inaugural National Gas Infrastructure Plan (NGIP) worth $10.9 million that will also highlight where the government will step in if the private sector doesn’t invest
• Reforming the regulations on pipeline infrastructure to promote competition and transparency
• Improving pipeline access and competition by kick-starting work on a dynamic secondary pipeline capacity market

To better empower gas consumers, the Government will:

• Establish an Australian Gas Hub at our most strategically located and connected gas trading hub at Wallumbilla in Queensland to deliver an open, transparent and liquid gas trading system
• Level the negotiating playing field for gas producers and consumers through a voluntary industry-led code of conduct, to be delivered by February 2021.
• Ensure Australians are paying the right price for their gas by working with the ACCC to review the calculation of the LNG netback price which provides a guide on the export parity prices
• Use the NGIP to develop customer hubs or a book-build program that will give gas customers a more transparent and competitive process for meeting their needs

“To help fire our economic recovery, the next plank in our JobMaker plan is to deliver more Australian gas where it is needed at an internationally competitive price,” the Prime Minister said.
“We’ll work with industry to deliver a gas hub for Australia that will ensure households and businesses enjoy the benefits of our abundant local gas while we hold our position as one of the top global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is about making Australia’s gas work for all Australians. Gas is a critical enabler of Australia’s economy.
“Our competitive advantage has always been based on affordable, reliable energy. As we turn to our economic recovery from COVID-19, affordable gas will play a central role in re-establishing the strong economy we need for jobs growth, funding government services and opportunities for all.”
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said reliable and affordable gas was more important now than ever.
“A gas-fired recovery will help Australia’s economy bounce back better and stronger while supporting our growing renewable capacity and delivering the reliable and affordable energy Australians deserve,” Minister Taylor said.
“We are building a robust and competitive gas industry that will allow both gas producers and users to thrive, with lower prices and lower emissions benefiting all Australians.”
Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said the Government’s Gas Plan would drive job creation and economic growth in northern and regional Australia.
“This commitment will encourage investment to unlock Australia’s vast resources potential – boosting exports, jobs and energy supplies,” Minister Pitt said.
“Developing Australia’s untapped gas resources will help to deliver more affordable and more sustainable gas supply that supports households and businesses.”
Gas supports the manufacturing sector, which employs over 850,000 Australians and is an essential input in the production of plastics for PPE and fertiliser for food production. In 2019, Australia was the largest exporter of LNG, with an export value of $49 billion.
Low gas prices also drive down electricity prices, benefiting all Australian households and businesses. Gas complements our world leading renewables sector by keeping the lights on when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.
The Government wants the private sector to step-up and make timely investments in the gas market. If the private sector fails to act, the Government will step in – as it has done for electricity transmission – to back these nation building projects. This may include through streamlining approvals, underwriting projects or the establishment of a special purpose vehicle with a capped Government contribution.
The Government has already taken a number of important steps to ensure affordable and reliable gas prices for Australian users, including increasing domestic supply through the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, supporting the development of the Beetaloo Basin, and successive Heads of Agreement with east coast LNG exporters.
Gas is part of the Government’s plan to reduce emissions without imposing new costs on households, while at the same time creating jobs, growing businesses and the economy.

The Prime Minister said the Government would also work with state governments through a program worth up to $250 million to accelerate three critical projects – the Marinus Link, Project Energy Connect and VNI West interconnectors.
“These links will help put downward pressure on prices, shore up the reliability of our energy grid and create over 4,000 jobs,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our plan for Australia’s energy future is squarely focused on bringing down prices, keeping the lights on and reducing our emissions and these interconnectors bring us a step closer to that reality.”
Together with the Government’s existing support for HumeLink and the QNI Interconnector, this means we are accelerating all priority transmission projects identified in the AEMO Integrated System Plan.
The Government’s plan will hold the energy companies to account and maintain downward pressure on electricity prices while simultaneously developing the backbone of a reliable, lower emissions National Electricity Market for the next decade and beyond.

The Government is setting a target for the electricity sector to deliver 1,000 megawatts of new dispatchable energy to replace the Liddell power station before it closes down in 2023.
To protect families and businesses against the risk of price rises, the Government will step up and back a new gas power plant in the Hunter Valley if the sector doesn’t replace Liddell’s capacity.
The Liddell Taskforce found closing the plant without adequate dispatchable replacement capacity risks prices rising by around 30 per cent over two years, or $20 per megawatt hour to $80 in 2024 and up to $105 per MWH by 2030.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government’s JobMaker plan was focused on delivering affordable, reliable energy that would ultimately support the economy and new jobs.
The Prime Minister said the potential price increases were unacceptable and would represent a huge hit to families, businesses and job creating industries in NSW if the energy generated by Liddell wasn’t replaced.
“Affordable, reliable and a secure electricity supply is critical to our JobMaker plan for households, businesses and industry,” the Prime Minister said.
“We won’t risk the affordability and reliability of the NSW energy system and will step in unless the industry steps up.
To ensure we do not have a scenario without replacement, the Government is giving the private sector until the end of April 2021 to reach final investment decisions on 1000 MW of dispatchable capacity, with a commitment for generation in time for summer 2023-24.
However, if, by the end of April 2021, the private sector has not delivered on the target, the Government will take necessary steps to ensure the required dispatchable capacity is built.
To this end, Snowy Hydro Limited is developing options to build a gas generator in the Hunter Valley at Kurri Kurri should the market not deliver what consumers need.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the market has a clear obligation, as an essential service, to step up and deliver affordable, reliable power for consumers.
Minister Taylor said that since 2010, investment in dispatchable capacity had slowed to a trickle, with only around 1.6 GW of new dispatchable capacity connected in the national electricity market.
“The Government has always been clear – we need to see life extension or like-for-like replacement of Liddell,” Minister Taylor said.
“Over the last decade, the private sector has not built a single new reliable power plant in NSW.
“And in the five years since the closure of Liddell was first announced, the private sector has only committed to a single dispatchable generation expansion – a 100MW addition to the existing Bayswater plant. This falls far short of what is required.
“The Government expects industry to step up and deliver the new dispatchable capacity required to ensure a reliable and affordable energy system.
“If industry steps up, we’ll step back.”
The Prime Minister said the Government would also work with state governments through a program worth up to $250 million to accelerate three critical projects – the Marinus Link, Project Energy Connect and VNI West interconnectors.
“These links will help put downward pressure on prices, shore up the reliability of our energy grid and create over 4,000 jobs,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our plan for Australia’s energy future is squarely focused on bringing down prices, keeping the lights on and reducing our emissions and these interconnectors bring us a step closer to that reality.”
Together with the Government’s existing support for HumeLink and the QNI Interconnector, this means we are accelerating all priority transmission projects identified in the AEMO Integrated System Plan.
The Government’s plan will hold the energy companies to account and maintain downward pressure on electricity prices while simultaneously developing the backbone of a reliable, lower emissions National Electricity Market for the next decade and beyond.

The Greens have today said the Morrison Government’s Media Code plan is incomplete, calling on the government to include the public broadcasters in the Mandatory Code, ensure the survival of the AAP newswire and protect smaller players.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said any Code must protect public broadcasting and public interest journalism.
“The ABC is Australia’s most trusted news source and should be included in any reform to tackle the greed of the big tech giants.  It was a deliberate decision to lock the public broadcasters out of the draft code, allowing Facebook and Google to profit from their content for free – the Government should reverse this and drop their relentless attack on the ABC.
“The power and greed of the tech giants is threatening journalism and public access to news. The government’s mandatory ACCC code could be part of the solution but the draft needs fixing and additional measures brought to the table.
“Australia’s media landscape is facing unprecedented challenges. Public interest journalism, reliable local news and trustworthy and informed analysis is essential for a robust and accountable democracy.  The power imbalance between the big tech giants and Australian news organisations is unsustainable.
“It is therefore important that key parts of Australia’s media landscape are protected as part of this process.  There is no reason for the ABC and SBS to be excluded from the Code. Public broadcasters deserve a fair return for what they produce and what the tech platforms benefit from.
“At the same time it is important that Australia’s fact based independent newswire service is supported. It would be unconscionable for the Government not to find a way of supporting AAP while introducing a code that supports other media players. AAP is key media infrastructure that helps new players into the market and diversity across Australia’s media landscape.
“The ACCC’s draft Mandatory Code must guarantee simple and cost effective benefits for small and independent media players, through effective collective bargaining arrangements.
“If the aim of this code is to ensure the viability of Australia’s media, then the Government should ensure ABC is included, that AAP doesn’t fail and that small and independent publishers don’t miss out.
“Public interest journalism is under threat in Australia, whether it be from funding cuts to the ABC, loss of advertising revenue for commercial outlets or the threat of heavy-handed police action that we have seen lately. The Greens’ changes would see the mandatory code go some way to protecting public interest journalism in Australia.
“The Greens reserve our final position on the Mandatory Code until we have seen the legislation.”