Category: Australian News

This week is National Reconciliation Week.
It is bookended by two anniversaries important in our nation’s history and progress.
The anniversary of the referendum on 27 May 1967, when Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the Constitution to allow the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and ensure they were counted in the population.
And the anniversary of the High Court’s Mabo decision delivered on 3 June 1992, which ruled that Aboriginal people held native title in the common law before the colonisation of Australia.
This week also marks the 20th anniversary of the presentation to the Government of the final report of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, and the public walks across bridges which attracted hundreds of thousands of people across the land.
National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on our troubled history and how far we’ve progressed down the path of resolving the differences  between settler communities and First Nations peoples.
There have been signs of progress in the past two decades, but it has been an incremental change going forward and much more still needs to be achieved.
In light of recent events, it is fitting that the theme of the 2020 Reconciliation Week is, “In this Together”.
The pandemic has highlighted the resilience of First Nations communities.
So this week is also an opportunity to consider how to make those communities, and our relationships, more resilient as we work towards the recovery of our nation.
The fulfilment of the hopes embedded in the Uluru Statement from the Heart would go a long way towards Reconciliation.
Labor continues to support the basic principles of the Uluru statement – a Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, and a Makarrata Commission to examine our history since occupation and supervise a process of agreement-making with Australian governments.
Not until we have reached a true national settlement will we all be able to echo confidently the words of the Gurindji leader Vincent Lingiari in 1975, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically poured dirt into his hands:  “We are all mates now.”
We encourage all Australians to use this week to learn more about Reconciliation and the practical steps they can take to realise it in their own way.
Reconciliation is everyone’s business. We are in this together.

The Greens say that all native forest logging operations across Australia now face a cascade of legal challenges, after today’s Federal Court judgement showed that existing logging laws and operations are sending threatened species to the brink of extinction.
Australian Greens forests spokesperson Senator Janet Rice welcomed to this morning’s landmark Federal Court judgement on Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum Inc v VicForests saying:
“This is a hugely significant decision. It shows the provisions of our logging laws under the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) are not working to protect threatened species.
“The federal government and state governments have long argued that logging operations were fine and legal, but this case says that VicForests’ logging operations under the Victorian Central Highlands RFA are not working to protect threatened species including Victoria’s animal emblem, the Leadbeater’s possum, and the Greater Glider.
“The judgement says that logging’s exemption from our national environmental laws (the EPBC Act) will end in a swathe of coupes in Victoria, setting a precedent which puts all other native forest logging operations on notice.
“Native forest logging cannot continue if Australia’s threatened species are going to survive.
“This is a major warning to Commonwealth and state governments who are continuing to allow destructive native forest  logging, showing that they face significant legal hurdles to continuing their work.
“It’s time to get out of native forest logging now.”
The Greens have a bill in the federal parliament to scrap the Regional Forest Agreements.
The full judgement of the Federal Court can be found here online.

With JobKeeper set for a $60b underspend, the Greens will introduce legislation to the Senate when Parliament resumes in June to extend JobSeeker and JobKeeper eligibility, as well as pushing for investment in jobs-rich recovery in arts and manufacturing.
Although Labor previously voted against Greens’ amendments to extend JobKeeper eligibility to all casuals and gig workers and to give the coronavirus supplement to Disability Support Pension recipients and carers, the Greens are optimistic that the measures will pass the Senate, given Labor’s recent supportive comments as well as public statements from crossbenchers. Only two government backbenchers would then need to cross the floor for any of the measures to secure a majority in the House. The bill passing the Senate will increase pressure on the government to provide further assistance to those it has left behind. A Royal Commission into the banks was established after a Greens-led push passed the Senate and was due for a vote in the House, with the government ultimately caving in to avoid losing a vote.
The No One Left Behind bill to be introduced in the sittings commencing 10 June will seek:

• the extension of JobKeeper eligibility to casuals employed less than 12 months, workers with intermittent employment histories, gig workers, university staff and temporary visa holders including international students; and
• the payment of the full $550/week coronavirus supplement to DSP and carers payment recipients.

The Senate push will also include a redirection of funds from the government’s unused coronavirus stimulus package towards jobs-rich recovery measures, including:

• a $2.3b fund to rescue the arts and creative sectors;
• prepare for Australia’s recovery from the crisis by investing $12b to establish the Manufacturing Australia Fund to modernise and expand Australia’s manufacturing, creating clean, green jobs of the future.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said:
“The $60b in already-budgeted funds should be used to help the people the government has left behind and invest in a jobs-rich recovery package. The Greens will use Parliament to help make it happen.
“Further cuts will make it harder to recover. We must invest to recover.
“Over 2 million workers are needlessly hurting and this bill will help them.
“The government budgeted $130 billion to save jobs. This is their chance to extend the JobKeeper payment to all casuals, temporary visa workers and industries left behind like universities.
“The arts, creative and university sectors are being decimated and there are now clearly funds available to help them get back on their feet.
“This underspend could also set up a new body, Manufacturing Australia, to turbo-charge manufacturing in this country, just like the Clean Energy Finance Corporation has done for clean energy. We can grow industries like green steel and provide decent jobs for coal workers as we phase out coal to deal with the climate emergency.”

The Greens have said that the Coalition government can’t be trusted to rebuild our vocational education system or create jobs, ahead of the Prime Minister’s address to the National Press Club today.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Education, said:
“Free TAFE and uni for all and new investment to rebuild publicly-delivered training in our TAFEs are the crucial first steps needed for any skills overhaul. That’s the benchmark for the Prime Minister today.
“Scott Morrison has overseen years of cuts and marketisation and now trots out the hollow language of efficiency without a hint of commitment to the public education and training we need to rebuild as a fairer and more equal society after this crisis.
“For Scott Morrison to turn around and criticise the skills system his Government has systematically undermined is hypocrisy of the highest form.
“In real terms, the Liberals have cut more than $2 billion in funding for student places in the last few years, watched training hours collapse, and apprenticeship numbers fall to historic lows.
“At the same time, the federal and state governments have done far too little to protect increasingly insecure jobs in TAFEs.
“I’m deeply concerned this will end up just another windfall for the profit-making private providers at the expense of TAFEs,” she said.
Adam Bandt MP, Leader of the Australian Greens, said:
“The Prime Minister isn’t a job maker, he is a job faker, with no plan to invest to create decent jobs.
“Cutting rights is not a plan to create jobs and nor is skilling people up for jobs that aren’t there.
“We must invest to recover, with nation-building, planet-saving projects and a Jobs and Income Guarantee.
“Depression-era job numbers demand a Depression-era response. That means not shying away from debt, but using it to invest in building a cleaner, fairer Australia. We need a Jobs and Income Guarantee to offer people security and decent work while setting Australia up for the future.
“We desperately need a plan to create decent work while tackling the climate crisis, but the only jobs this government is creating are for gas lobbyists.”

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has expressed deep concern that the United States Marine Rotational Force will be going ahead in Darwin in early June.
“All military cooperation with the United States in Australia must cease while the threat of COVID-19 remains high to protect people in the the Northern Territory, including First Nations Communities and Australian Forces who would ordinarily be undertaking shared activities with US Troops based in the Top End,” Steele-John said.
“The Northern Territory has worked hard to ensure that COVID-19 is contained, including strict border controls and placing restrictions on movement into remote communities. So far, these measures have been extremely successful at keeping Territorians safe.
“Conversely, the United States has more than 1.2 million active cases of COVID-19 and President Trump’s handling of the crisis has been nothing short of a disaster.
“There have also been serious COVID-19 outbreaks on the USS Kidd, USS Theodore and many others.  This risk is further amplified by a decision by the US military to clamp down on publicising the number of cases there are amongst deployed forces due to security concerns.
“Noting that Darwin has already had returning Australian troops come in with COVID-19 from overseas deployments, I urge you to reconsider the allowing  Marine Rotational Force to go ahead over the next couple of week.
“There is absolutely no reason to put communities or the health system in the Top End at risk.”

The Australian Government is providing more than $20 million additional funding for research to improve mental health care and reduce suicide rates in Australia.
Mental health and suicide prevention remains one of the Government’s highest priorities.
Almost half of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetimes and as we battle COVID-19 it’s more important than ever that we prioritise mental health.
Call for Rapid Research on the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19
The disruption to normal life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the required restrictions has had profound impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of many Australians.
The Government will therefore be providing $3 million for a new grants round under the $125 million MRFF Million Minds Mission, for rapid research to improve the national mental health system response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This funding is for new research that will help better position our mental health system to be more effective in supporting Australians to manage their mental health and wellbeing, during and following the pandemic.
Applications for grants of up to $1 million will open on 1 June, with the research projects expected to deliver results within 12 to 18 months.
These grants may support work consolidating data systems, and help design and deliver new treatments, services, and policies. The research is expected to also be relevant in future times of hardship, such as natural disasters.
These research projects and the grant opportunity complement the Government’s broader efforts around mental health and suicide prevention, including the recently announced National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan.
Since 30th January, the Government has provided an additional approximately $500 million for mental health services and support, including $64 million for suicide prevention, $74 million for preventative mental health services, $48 million to support the pandemic response plan.
It also includes a significant proportion of the $669 million telehealth package to support MBS-subsidised treatments provided by GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.
$10.3 Million for Suicide Prevention Research
The Government is also investing $10.3 million to support three research projects to help reduce the rate of suicide in Australia.
In 2018, suicide was responsible for 12.1 deaths per 100,000 people in Australia, with 3,048 suicides recorded in that year.
Every suicide is a tragedy and devastates families, friends and loved ones.
Through the Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission, the Government is investing in projects to better understand suicide and provide the right services, in the right place, at the right time.
The three successful projects to receive grants through the Mission are:

• University of Melbourne (Professor Jane Pirkis): will receive $5.6 million to research the prevention of suicide in boys and men. Men account for 75 per cent of all suicides. This research will trial five interventions designed to encourage men to seek help. It will also trial two interventions designed to ensure that if men and boys seek help from telephone crisis support workers and psychologists, these providers can offer services that meet their needs.
• University of New South Wales (Scientia Professor Helen Christensen AO): will receive $3.7 million for the Under the Radar Project. As many as 60 per cent of those who die by suicide are not in care. Many will only use the internet. This project will investigate the use of the internet as the first point of contact and develop a collaborative, consumer-led, comprehensive care model using digital, peer support and face-to-face services.
• Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Associate Professor Rebecca Giallo): will receive $951,000 to research suicide prevention among men in early fatherhood. One of the highest rates of suicide among men coincides with becoming fathers and raising young children. This project will develop effective interventions to improve men’s mental health during early fatherhood.

$6.75 Million to Improve Treatment Using Pharmacogenomics
In addition, the Government is investing $6.725 million to support research on the use of pharmacogenomics in providing more effective treatment options for Australians requiring medication for mental health challenges.
Pharmacogenomics looks at how genetics can affect a person’s response to certain drugs.
While psychological strategies are usually the first-line in treatment of mental illness, medications can be an important part of a treatment plan, with almost 10 per cent of Australians now regularly taking antidepressants.
However, a significant number of people do not respond positively to their first prescription, causing delays in improvements to their symptoms and sometimes exacerbating anxiety.
Studies suggest that antidepressant treatment response is significantly influenced by each person’s specific genetic profile, and delays in improvement of symptoms can potentially be reduced through predictive pharmacogenomics testing.
This $6.75 million in funding, under the Medical Research Future Fund’s Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research initiative, will allow four leading researchers to investigate how pharmacogenomics can be used to tailor mental health prescriptions to the needs of each individual and improve health outcomes.
The successful recipients are:

• Professor Jon Emery (University of Melbourne) who will receive $1.39 million to investigate the effects of using pharmacogenomics to prescribe antidepressants on depression outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder in primary care.
• Professor Sarah Medland (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research) who will receive $1.37 million to examine how we can improve the performance of pharmacogenomics in Australia.
• Associate Professor Janice Fullerton (Neuroscience Research Australia) who will receive $1 million to investigate the pharmacogenomic signatures of bipolar disorder for improving treatment outcomes.
• Doctor Kathy Wu (St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney) who will receive $2.95 million to conduct trial of genotype-guided versus standard psychotropic therapy in moderately-to-severely depressed patients.

These new research grants will help more effectively treat those who might need medication with options that are best suited to them, and will ensure that we continue to provide the best possible mental health care for all Australians, now and in the future.
Through record investments in mental health services and support, with expenditure estimated to be $5.2 billion this year alone, the Australian Government continues to demonstrate its firm commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians
Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health (www.headtohealth.gov.au).
20-05-25 Hunt – Media Release – Additional $20 million for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research

The Morrison Government has committed $10.8 million over three years for Reconciliation Australia to continue their valuable work in shaping Australia’s journey towards reconciliation.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said the funding will enable Reconciliation Australia to continue to help all Australians turn good intentions into meaningful action and deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“For two decades, Reconciliation Australia has worked to improve relationships between Indigenous and other Australians, by building respect, trust and opportunities among individuals, organisations, schools and communities,” Minister Wyatt said.
“Through its Australian Reconciliation Barometer and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program, Reconciliation Australia has provided significant momentum to empower people to build a better future for all of us.”
“Tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are benefiting from job creation, education opportunities and business transactions created through RAP actions.”
“Reconciliation Australia is also helping to improve Australians’ attitudes and perceptions of Indigenous peoples and cultures by supporting national campaigns that positively impact reconciliation, most notably the annual National Reconciliation Week which starts on 27 May.”
“The Morrison Government is proud to continue its support of Reconciliation Australia so that all Australians are supported in our collective journey towards a more reconciled country.”
Chief Executive Officer of Reconciliation Australia, Karen Mundine, said the funding will support the advancement of reconciliation nationally.
“Since we began Reconciliation Australia 20 years ago, we have assisted Australians to imagine a better country, a future based on mutual respect and understanding, and a shared appreciation of Australia’s history,” Ms Mundine said.
“Australians are informing themselves and, in turn, informing their own families and friends about the truth of our history and the critical importance of reconciliation.”
“These conversations will ultimately make us a better country that truly values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures as fundamental to who we are as Australians.”

The Greens are calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to stop being Team ‘Some’ Australians, and immediately expand the JobKeeper program to businesses and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been left out.
“For months now the Government has refused to include the hundred of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the arts and entertainment industry in their JobKeeper package. They said they didn’t have the money,” Greens Arts and Media Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Well this excuse no longer stands and the Morrison Government should now fund a specific arts and creative jobs package, before more people and businesses go under.
“The Treasurer has $60billion, already budgeted to be spent on JobKeeper, to put towards keeping more Australian workers in their jobs.
“The Greens pushed for a wage subsidy at the beginning of this crisis and when Parliament resumes we will fight for the $60billion to go to workers left out in the cold by the Morrison Government.
“Treasurer Frydenberg keeps claiming he is Team Australia, yet he excluded more than a million Australians from the JobKeeper program. In reality the Treasurer is just Team ‘Some’ Australians.
“The arts and entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions and will be one of the last to recover, yet the government has left many artists and creatives without support due to the nature of the work.
“The Government needs to hit reset on JobKeeper, and it needs to deliver an arts and entertainment specific package, which it clearly has the financial capacity to do it.
“The Greens have pitched a $2.3billion package to help the arts and entertainment industry recover. The Creative Australia policy includes funding to get our artists, musicians, writers, creators, and crews back producing content for our screens, theatres, live music venues, festivals and galleries.
“This isn’t just an investment in arts and entertainment but our tourism and hospitality industries too. It’s good for jobs and our social fabric.”

The Australian Greens condemn the Chinese Government’s plans to enact sweeping new national security laws in Hong Kong, with Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt today offering solidarity to protesters who have resisted months of recriminations.
“As Hong Kong activists have said, this is a dangerous prospect for Hong Kong and if implemented could be a knockout blow for Hong Kong’s one country, two systems arrangement.  It is an attempt to silence Hong Kong and its brave and vocal pro-democracy activists,” Mr Bandt said.
“The people of Hong Kong have stood firm over months and months in the face of Chinese Government and Hong Kong authorities’ crackdown.  They have withstood things like a fearsome build-up of force on the border, an overpowering and violent police presence unleashing teargas and rubber bullets, and arrests and reprisals.
“The Chinese Government should remember that the people power of Hong Kong led to the withdrawal of the damaging Extradition Bill, as well as similar national security laws back in 2003.
“This is another disappointing escalation from the Chinese Government following the recent arrest by Hong Kong police of 15 pro-democracy activists.  Their decision to try to quietly arrest them under cover of a global pandemic was a new low.  The global community will continue to watch Hong Kong closely, as will we.  The people of Hong Kong have a right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.  The Chinese Government must not interfere with these rights or meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs.“

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that up to 30,000 university jobs will be lost if the federal government does not provide a new funding package for universities and extend the JobKeeper payment to university workers.
The Greens support the National Tertiary Education Union’s National Day of Action (NDA), taking place today, which calls on Education Minister Dan Tehan to step up on university funding and save thousands of jobs.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Universities around the country are already cutting staff and courses in response to this crisis. As semester two approaches, this will only get worse.
“Job and course cuts will have generational impacts on the quality and excellence of university teaching and research in our country.
“University workers are being left high and dry by a government that has not only resisted providing them support, but put up extra barriers every step of the way during this crisis. It seems this government simply doesn’t care.
“With tens of thousands of jobs on the line, it is outrageous that the government won’t lift a finger to help save livelihoods and the future of higher education.
“It’s time Minister Tehan provided a new funding package for universities and scrapped the unfair rules which have excluded every single university from qualifying for the JobKeeper payment.
“Universities are some of the most casualised workplaces in the country. This leaves uni workers incredibly vulnerable to downturns in revenue.
“Universities with large reserves must prioritise staff jobs in spending what money they have. Keeping university staff, including casuals, on payroll should be top of every Vice-Chancellor’s agenda in managing this crisis,” she said.