Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Disability Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has described the death of Ann-Marie Smith as horrific, but not unique.
“When I learnt about the tragic death of Ann-Marie Smith over the weekend it filled me with a mixture of grief and anger, in equal measures. Violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect is the experience of so many disabled people in this country,” Steele-John said.
“It’s clear that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has a lot of questions to answer and I will be personally following up with them today regarding Ann-Marie’s case.
“In the meantime, they must ensure that independent welfare checks are carried out on every other person who interacted with this support worker whilst they worked for Integrity Care South Australia.
“There must also be questions for the State Government over their role in the reduction of funding to community visitor programs, which has resulted in so many people being left alone in the community without anyone checking that they are ok.
“We all know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of disabled people around Australia that are suffering as Ann-Marie did right now.
“Her death cannot be put down simply to the actions of just one individual, allowing the service provider Integrity Care SA and others to distance themselves from the horrible reality of Ann-Marie’s death. All those who knew, or should have known, must be held to account.
“Ann-Marie’s case is why the Royal Commission is so important to bring the reality of the situations that disabled people find themselves in every single day to light and ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.”

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that all states and territories have put the federal government to shame over its lack of support for international students.
Last night, New South Wales became the last state to release a package providing support to international students during COVID-19. The federal government continues to deny international students access to federal income support, and has not set up any financial assistance fund or program for students. Students across the country are going hungry and are at risk of homelessness.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This is nothing less than a complete failure of leadership and humanity from the Morrison government.
“It’s extraordinary that the federal government has completely abrogated its responsibility for higher education, and left it up to the states and territories to support the half a million international students currently studying in Australia.
“With NSW stepping up, all states and territories are now putting the Commonwealth to shame over its treatment of international students.
“There are hundreds of thousands of students who have lost work and would be eligible for the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments were it not for their visa status. They are doing it incredibly tough.
“The state-level packages are welcome, but they won’t be enough to get international students through COVID-19. Packages also vary from state to state. We need a federal level commitment and national coordination to make sure that every single student gets the support they need to get through this crisis,” she said.

The National Cabinet met today to further discuss Australia’s current COVID-19 response, easing restrictions in the coming months, helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-Safe environment and getting the economy moving again.
The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been over 7,000 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 98 people have died. There are now less than 1,000 active cases in Australia, and over the past week, daily infection rates have remained low. Testing remains high, with more than 950,000 tests undertaken in Australia.
We need to continue to have the right controls in place to test more people, trace those who test positive and respond to local outbreaks when they occur. These are precedent conditions to enable Australia to relax baseline restrictions and enable Australians to live and work in a COVID-19 safe economy.
National Cabinet again encouraged Australians to download the COVIDSafe app to ensure that we can protect Australians and continue to ease baseline restrictions.
More than 5.7 million Australians have already downloaded the COVIDSafe app. This is an enormous achievement but more is needed.
National Cabinet noted that the Governor-General extended the human biosecurity emergency period for three months from 17 June 2020 to 17 September 2020.
This will enable the Minister for Health to continue to exercise the emergency powers under the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act to prevent or control the spread of COVID-19.
The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, also provided an update on epidemiological modelling and the rare conditions – paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PMIS-TS) and Kawasaki disease. Professor Murphy advised that there were no cases of PMIS-TS or Kawasaki disease related to COVID-19 in Australia.
National Cabinet also received briefings from Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy, Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Chair Wayne Byers on the economic and financial situation.
National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 29 May 2020.
Mental Health
National Cabinet endorsed the Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Plan developed by the National Mental Health Commission, in conjunction with teams from New South Wales and Victoria.
The Plan acknowledges the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on the mental health and wellbeing of so many Australians, including mental health impacts from economic downturn through loss of income and job losses.
We have seen these impacts in increased calls for help to our crisis and support services, with Beyond Blue, Lifeline and Kids Helpline together receiving over 130,000 contacts in the last month, an increase of between 25 and 56 per cent for each service, compared with the same time last year.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Plan has three core objectives to:

1. Meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of all Australians to reduce the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the short and long term;
2. Outline seven key principles and 10 key priorities to inform the jurisdictions as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19 during the response and recovery from the pandemic; and
3. Define governance, coordination and implementation requirements across jurisdictions to facilitate informed planning and decision making

National Cabinet noted that the Commonwealth will invest $48.1 million in the plan focused on:

• Improving data and research with more immediate monitoring and modelling of mental health impact of COVID-19, including boosting national capability in monitoring, anticipating and reacting to mental health impacts of the pandemic; expanding the national self-harm and suicide monitoring systems; and investment in the National Suicide Prevention Research Fund;
• Supporting vulnerable groups, by supporting services accessible in homes, workplaces, aged care, schools and other community sites – with a specific focus on vulnerable groups – aged care, carers and indigenous mental health support; and
• Better coordination and communications – more connectivity through improved service linkage and coordination, including a national mental health communication campaign to manage anxiety and encourage mental wellbeing and systems to guide the onward care of people contacting federal digital and telephone support services by connecting them to appropriate local services that provide outreach care in the home.

National Cabinet further noted Victoria’s investment of $19.5 million, announced today, to deliver mental health reforms and additional resources, staff and programs, as more people seek support as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All governments agreed the need for each jurisdiction to ensure Australians receive the mental health services and support they require at this time, and in the coming phases of recovery and rebuilding.
Strong mental health will be a foundation stone as we move ahead, not just to productivity and the economy, but to family wellbeing, social cohesion, community functioning and national resilience.
Elective Surgery
All governments have been monitoring public and private hospital activity, and have reviewed the current situation in light of the restoration of elective surgeries and found:

• The spread of the COVID-19 outbreak has slowed, with new cases decreasing nationally since the restoration of elective surgeries;
• There is currently still unused hospital capacity in all jurisdictions across both public and private sectors, and harm to patients can be reduced by taking further steps to restore elective surgery; and
• PPE supplies need to be carefully managed and while there is a need to continue to actively monitor this and manage availability, supply lines are firming.

Given the current situation and Australia’s response to COVID-19, it is now considered safe to reopen elective surgery activity in an incremental and cautious way, while maintaining necessary ICU capacity for any localised outbreaks of COVID-19.
National Cabinet agreed to reopen elective surgery, by removing restrictions and restoring hospital activity involving 3 stages.
It is a decision of each jurisdiction to determine which stage applies to its circumstances, the timeline for implementation and the level of normal surgical activity is safely restored in line with the agreed principles. The stages are:
Stage 1 – up to 50 per cent of normal surgical activity levels (including reportable and non-reportable);
Stage 2 – up to 75 per cent of normal surgical activity levels (including reportable and non-reportable);
Stage 3 – up to 100 per cent of normal surgical activity levels (including reportable and non-reportable) or as close to normal activity levels as is safely possible.
Private Hospitals should mirror their own state’s approach to surgical activity unless agreed otherwise with the relevant state.
The level of elective surgery will be reviewed monthly from May 2020 by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC), to ensure that it remains safe and sustainable, and in line with the agreed principles.
Remote Communities
National Cabinet agreed to a framework to inform decisions around lifting remote area travel restrictions as we move through the three-step plan for a COVIDSafe Australia.
This will help remote communities and governments manage risk and respond to cases early. It also recognises that the different circumstances across communities will require different approaches.
Our key concern is ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place to minimise the risks of transmission and manage any cases or outbreaks that may occur. The restrictions in place in remote communities have followed requests from communities, organisations and leaders, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
National Cabinet acknowledged the success with no reported cases of COVID-19 among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities.

The Morrison Government will provide an additional $10 million to improve COVID-19 hygiene measures in non-government schools that plan to have 50 per cent of their students back in the classroom by June 1.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said schools could use the extra funding for soap, hand sanitiser or extra cleaning.
“Our Government has taken a consistent position to follow the expert medical advice and the expert medical advice has been consistent that schools are safe for students and teachers with the right protocols in place,” Mr Tehan said.
“National Cabinet has recognised the importance of an education being delivered by a teacher in a classroom so as we continue to flatten the curve, all students and teachers are moving back to the classroom.
“This is excellent news for our children and their education and social wellbeing. It is particularly good news for vulnerable students because the evidence suggests they suffer most from being disconnected from school.
“Washing hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser is an important part of practicing good hygiene that helps slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Supporting schools to adopt stronger hygiene protocols will help ensure the safety of teachers.
“The Australian Government has been working with industry to bolster domestic production of soap and hand sanitiser and ensuring supplies to essential services like schools.
“This includes working closely with states and territories, which are responsible for the provision of hand sanitiser and soap at public schools.”

Australia’s aerial firefighting capability has today received an annual $11 million boost to ensure additional aircraft are available for the 2020-21 and future bushfire seasons.
Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the additional funding, bringing the annual Australian Government investment to $26 million, would increase aerial firefighting capacity across the country helping the States and Territories to prepare for summer.
“The $11 million boost to the national aerial firefighting fleet was announced in January by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and comes on top of the $15 million we already deliver each year for aerial firefighting,” Minister Littleproud said.
“In previous fire seasons, these aircraft have been a comforting sight for people living in and around the bush.
“We recognise the vital role that aerial firefighting plays in protecting communities, and it’s their integration with the hard work of firefighters on the ground, along with a well-prepared community, that makes the difference.
“Most importantly, this investment by the Australian Government will save lives and property.”
The additional funding to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre will increase the length of existing lease arrangements and/or the number of contract opportunities available to aircraft owners/operators.
These aircraft, contracted on behalf of state and territory governments, are supplemented by additional state owned, and state contracted aircraft and other aircraft hired to meet peak demand across Australia.
The Australian Government is committed to working with states and territories to reduce the impacts of bushfires, and ensure the availability of resources to combat natural disasters.

The Australian Greens have joined an international delegation signing onto a letter calling for extensive debt forgiveness from international financial institutions, including the IMF and World Bank, for International Development Association countries. The letter was initiated by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and signatories include Jeremy Corbyn, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Yanis Varoufakis.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Adam Bandt MP are the sole Australian signatories to this unprecedented letter.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens spokesperson for International Aid and Development, said:
“The shackles of debt have crippled poorer countries for far too long. I proudly join many other leaders across the world calling for extensive debt forgiveness from international financial institutions.
“Many of these countries simply do not have the public health systems, nor the wealth, required to survive a deadly pandemic. They will need all the resources they can hang onto in order to get through to the other side of this.
“The Australian government should be urging institutions including the World Bank and the IMF to cancel developing countries’ debt and help put them on a track to get through COVID-19 with minimal loss of life and living standards.
“Though this pandemic has been devastating, it has also forced us to think in different ways about how the world should work. Governments, including Australia’s, should seize this opportunity to reset their thinking about debt, obligation and global poverty.
“We should approach debt through the lenses of human rights and social justice, and with historical context never far from our minds. Let’s be frank: the cascading legacies of brutal colonialism have locked in the poverty and economic underdevelopment which mean that it is highly unlikely that the debt of many countries will ever be fully paid off. And with the impacts of climate change to be felt most acutely in the Global South, we cannot let developing countries’ debt hold them back any longer,” she said.
Adam Bandt MP, Leader of the Australian Greens, said:
“The Australian Greens are proud to be adding our voice to calls from over 300 politicians, including Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar, to cancel debt for the world’s poorest countries.
“The COVID-19 health and economic crisis is entrenching global income inequality. But right now we have the chance to transform our world to be fairer and more equal,” he said.

Today the Greens will introduce a bill to empower Sport Australia to fund the sports clubs whose applications they recommended under the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program, but were not funded by then-Minister McKenzie.
The Australian Sports Commission Amendment (Ensuring a Level Playing Field) Bill 2020 will correct the injustice of the Coalitions sports rorts scheme.
Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Sport said:
“The sports rorts scandal isn’t over. While the Prime Minister is trying his best to duck and weave about his role in this saga, there are still hundreds of sports clubs around Australia who deserved funding but haven’t received a cent.
“The clubs that were recommended for funding by Sports Australia were robbed so that the Coalition could repurpose tax-payer money as a slush fund to buy elections. The Greens Level Playing Field Bill will correct this injustice for those community sports clubs.
“Many of the sports clubs have lost trust in government and felt utterly cheated by the Coalition’s corrupt process.
“This Bill won’t fix the Coalition’s failure of transparency or their active subversion of our democracy. But it will make a real difference to these clubs and communities.
“During the COVID-19 crisis, sports clubs are now in more need of support. Most of the projects are shovel-ready, and this Bill will benefit these community sports groups by providing much-needed investment stimulus in the face of the pandemic.”
“The Senate inquiry into the Administration of Sports Grants received answers yesterday that showed the Minister lacked independent authority to issue grants, instead ‘piggybacking’ on Sport Australia’s authority to do so. My Bill ensures that the Sports Minister would not have the power to direct the Commission on this new round of funding.
“As the Deputy Chair of the inquiry, I am eager to hear from Senator McKenzie. I  urge her to accept the invitation to appear before the committee in a hearing next month.”

The Government’s latest attempt to prohibit items in immigration detention centres is a massive overreach, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“This is a transparent attempt to cut people in immigration detention off from the outside world,” Senator McKim said.
“Phones in immigration detention are absolutely essential.”
“They allow people to stay in touch with friends and family, and they also help shine the disinfectant of sunlight on abuses which are all too common.”
“There are many people in immigration detention who have no criminal history. These facilities are not prisons, despite the Government’s attempts to make them such.”
“This is massive overreach and must be defeated in the Senate.”

The Greens will introduce a motion in the Senate calling for Federal Parliament to sit in June to strengthen democracy and address ongoing issues of national importance.
“The Covid crisis response and the plan for recovery demand more transparency in government decision-making. The Senate Covid Committee plays a critical role, but is no substitute for full parliamentary oversight,” said Senator Larissa Waters, Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Democracy.
“We need more democracy during this time, not less. We need to ensure that Australia’s recovery is fair, effective, and guided by expert advice. We need Parliament to return.
“The Greens are calling for both houses to sit in June to fix gaps in the JobKeeper scheme, introduce rights to pandemic leave, consider banking royal commission legislation, and debate the merits of the government’s proposed gas-led recovery.
“We must ensure we don’t come out the other side having brought this coronavirus under control but finding ourselves with our democracy eroded and hard-fought for rights lost.”

The Government’s latest attempt to expand ASIO’s powers is cynical and unjustified, the Greens say.
“Yet again, Peter Dutton is trying to increase powers of security agencies without even trying to explain his reasons,” Greens Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“Nor has he tried to give any possible justification for the need to interrogate children as young as 14.”
“To use the pandemic as cover for the increased scope of the surveillance state is dangerous and cynical.”
“The National Terrorism Threat in Australia hasn’t increased for more than five years, and yet we have been confronted with wave after wave of legislation.”
“There have been more than 200 pieces of ‘counter terror’ legislation passed in Australia since 2001 and very few have been relaxed or withdrawn.”
“Australia desperately needs a Charter of Rights to protect our basic freedoms.”