Category: Australian News

Federal Labor calls on the Morrison Government to do more for struggling small businesses in bushfire affected areas by offering a targeted program of wage assistance for employers.
Small businesses in fire devastated areas around the country are desperate for financial help right now. Concern is mounting that the Morrison Government’s small business package is not getting to businesses that need it most, nor having the desired result.
These small businesses in fire affected areas are facing a cash flow crisis – while shopfronts are still standing, many have lost their livelihoods due to the ongoing bushfires, and are facing continued economic uncertainty, severely impacting their ability to employ staff.
That is why the Government should consider extending eligibility and access to wage assistance programs for small businesses significantly directly and indirectly affected by the bushfire crisis.
Wage assistance was provided to North Queensland communities of up to 26 weeks at the NewStart rate by the previous Labor Federal Government when tropical Cyclone Yasi hit in 2011. Why has the Morrison Government not considered this response already?
In addition to targeted wage assistance, Labor also continues to call on the Morrison Government to set up a Prime Minister’s Business Taskforce, as was created after the 2011 Queensland floods and brought together 10 eminent business people to provide a direct line of ongoing advice to Government.
We also call on the Government to provide greater financial counselling for small businesses by increasing the number of financial counsellors available, while introducing a voucher scheme for accredited accountants to assist small businesses with accessing bushfire recovery commitments such as grants and loans, and revising their business plans.
Over the past few weeks, the cameras may have left and the fires may have abated, but communities still need assistance. It is imperative that businesses remain viable and local workers maintain their jobs.
Labor’s suggestion can be picked up and adopted by the Morrison Government now to mitigate the pain and suffering from the current emergency, and help rebuild resilient communities in areas facing a downturn as a result of the disaster.
 
 

The National Security Committee of Cabinet has agreed today to introduce new travel restrictions, update the travel advice and implement new screening measures as part of the Government’s coordinated measures to protect Australians from COVID-19.
The Australian Government’s highest priority remains the wellbeing and safety of Australians.
These actions are based on advice that the volume of reported COVID-19 cases in the Republic of Korea, and the scale of travel to Australia from the Republic of Korea, means that they present a high risk of further transmission of COVID-19 in Australia.
Therefore, screening measures alone would not be sufficient for the Republic of Korea.
For arrivals from Italy, we will implement enhanced health screening and temperature testing arrangements.
These measures are part of our ongoing strategy of containment and minimising risk to the Australian community as detailed in our pandemic preparedness plan.
As of 5 March 2020:

• Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents of Australia) who are in the Republic of Korea on or after today will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through the Republic of Korea;
• Australian citizens and permanent residents will still be able to enter Australia, as will their immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians or dependants only). They will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the day they left the Republic of Korea.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will raise the level of the travel advisory for the Republic of Korea to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ (level 3 of 4) up from ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ (level 2).
• The level of the travel advice will also be raised to ‘do not travel’ to Daegu (level 4 of 4) because of the significant outbreak of COVID-19 there. People in the Republic of Korea should monitor their health closely and follow the advice of local authorities.

Travellers from the Republic of Korea constitute at this time a materially greater risk of COVID-19 importation than other countries outside of China and Iran.
We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Korea for the transparent way it has dealt with this outbreak. It should be commended for its strong efforts in combatting COVID-19, including with its extensive testing regime.
The travel restrictions for the Republic of Korea will now be consistent with those in place for China and Iran.
The aim of these measures is to slow the importation of COVID-19 cases into Australia to enable preparatory measures to continue and to enable a public health response to the initial cases.
The current travel restrictions regarding mainland China and Iran continue to be successful in reducing the volume of travellers from those countries and will continue.
As part of the Australian Government’s preparedness response beyond the health system, today we have also activated the National Coordination Mechanism. The mechanism will coordinate activities across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments as well as industry to ensure a consistent national approach is taken to provide essential services across a range of critical sectors and supply chains.
While we are not immune as a country, we are as well prepared as anybody could possibly be.
The Australian Government continues to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak as it evolves.
We will work in close cooperation with state Government authorities and our international partners to coordinate our response and keep Australians safe.

Attorney-General Christian Porter continues to avoid a clear answer on whether his long overdue proposal for a Commonwealth Integrity Commission would have enough teeth to cover the rorts scandals.
“Based on the Attorney’s comments to date, it seems like sports rorts would not have been covered, which shows how weak and ineffective it is likely to be – if it’s ever in fact established”, said Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on democracy, Senator Larissa Waters.
Mr Porter also misled listeners this morning on Radio National about whether other states’ anti-corruption bodies had broad powers to investigate corruption that was not a criminal offence.
“The Attorney-General is designing an integrity commission with no teeth and trying to pass that off as normal.  But in Senate Estimates today, I pointed out that six of the eight State or Territory integrity bodies have much broader powers to investigate the type of conduct we’ve seen with sport rorts.
“It’s misleading for Minister Porter to make out that his toothless version is the norm.
“I’ve asked the Department to advise the Minister that his comments were incorrect and will pursue that this afternoon.
“The Attorney-General needs to come clean and admit his Integrity Commission is too weak to address the key corruption scandals currently facing the government, or he has to admit that the conduct of the Prime Minister and former Minister Bridget McKenzie amount to an offence that warrants investigation.
“We could have a strong corruption watchdog legislated by Easter if the government brought on a vote in the House for the Greens’ National Integrity Commission.
“The Greens will keep this firmly on our agenda until we have an independent body established with the strength and resources to stop the scandals and restore the public’s trust,” she said.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP and Greens Community Services spokesperson Rachel Siewert have called on the government to extend the Disaster Recovery Allowance to those affected by the coronavirus, especially those without sick leave.
The Greens have also called for any government stimulus to be targeted to support low-income Australians, support coronavirus resilience and be a more effective response to the threat of recession.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP said:
“The coronavirus has Australia’s economy running a high fever, and whenever our economy falters, people on low incomes always get hit the hardest.
“There are millions of workers without sick leave and unless the government financially supports those affected by coronavirus, they may be forced to come to work to earn money, which in turn could speed up the spread of the disease.
“People without sick leave should know that if they do what the government or the doctor says, they’ll be looked after financially.
“The government also need to be looking at a GFC-style payment to all Australians on low-incomes. This is the best way to build resilience in the community as the coronavirus spreads and will give the best bang for the buck in fighting recession, because the money will get spent on essentials. The government should also be raising Newstart by at least $95 in the May Budget.”
Australian Greens Community Services Spokesperson, Senator Rachel Siewert said:
“It’s people who are on the lowest incomes who are going to be hit the hardest by this virus, and lifting Newstart will not only put money in the pockets of those who are trying to survive, but it will significantly stimulate our economy.”
“Government needs to be making sure it has a hotline in place with Centrelink to ensure anyone who is in isolation can ring, register for these emergency payments, and ensure that if they can’t meet their mutual obligations that they won’t be penalised.”

Following revelations from the National Audit Office in Senate Estimates,Greens Senator Janet Rice has condemned the Morrison government for their corrupt behaviour and for meddling with the list of sports projects funding hours after the Federal election was called.
Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Sport said:
“Morrison is absolutely up to his neck in this scandal and his denials are not cutting it with the Senate or the Australian people. People are fed-up with this government thinking the rules don’t apply to them.
“Last night in Estimates, we learnt from the ANAO that the Coalition were still changing what projects were to be funded under the community sports grants and modifying the spreadsheet on the day the election was called, more than four hours after the government put into caretaker mode.
“These representations made by the Prime Minister’s office changed the allocation and amounts of grant funds sports clubs received. The updates resulted in one club being removed and likely missing out on funding, and nine new or amended applications rammed in at the last minute.
“These new grants were given to clubs and organisations that had put in late applications after being invited to do so by the government
“With revelations like this coming out almost daily, it’s crystal clear the Morrison government is actively subverting democracy with this cover up. The public has a right to know how their money is being spent.
“How many more scandals need to break before we get a federal anti-corruption watchdog with teeth?
“The Greens bill to establish a national integrity commission has already passed the Senate. If Scott Morrison was serious about integrity and honesty, he could bring this bill to a House vote now.”

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Education spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has said that private schools will be able to spend the $1.2 billion ‘Choice and Affordability’ slush fund with enormous discretion. Flexible guidelines for the fund have been released as parliament debates handing out a further $3.4 billion for private schools.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Private schools will have enormous freedom to spend this public money on practically whatever they want. Meanwhile, public schools continue to suffer without having their basic needs met.
“This latest handout reflects the Liberal government’s obsession with giving out cash to already over-funded private schools. The Greens have warned about this from the start.
“Now the Government has a bill before parliament that would gift a further $3.4 billion to private schools. I urge the Opposition and crossbench to oppose this bill and stop the handouts and special deals.
“It’s way past time to prioritise public school funding and stand up to the private school lobbies.”

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, and leader, Adam Bandt MP, called on the government to respond to today’s interest rate cut with stimulus spending, including for transformative infrastructure.
Senator Whish-Wilson said “this government must overcome seven years of surplus mania.
“We have the triple whammy of COVID-19, secular stagnation and a climate emergency, including recent bushfires.
“The government must use the latest record low interest rates and undertake stimulus spending.
“There’s no point achieving a surplus if the economy is on life support.
“I expect to see a conversion on the road to Damascus.
“Without government action the cheapest money ever will continue flow into ever higher house prices and other unproductive speculation.
Adam Bandt said the Greens have a plan to stave off a recession and transition to a clean energy future.
“We’re heading towards a cliff but Scott Morrison is refusing to grab the steering wheel.
“A looming recession means we need to stimulate the economy and there’s never been a cheaper time to do it.
“The Green New Deal means tackling the economic and inequality crises by lifting Newstart and Youth Allowance, increasing public sector wages by 4% and investing $6b to extend the electricity grid to Renewable Energy Zones.
“The only thing stopping the government from putting the economy back into gear is their own ‘surplus first’ rhetoric.
“Government needs to act now to stave off a recession or the public will never forgive them.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt will introduce a Bill into the House of Representatives this morning, seconded by the Member for Waringah Zali Steggall OAM, to formally declare a climate emergency, require every government department to be guided by the declaration and mandate the establishment of a ‘war cabinet’ to tackle the crisis.
Mr Bandt announced the Bill to a crowd over 2000 when opening the recent National Climate Emergency Summit.
Comment by Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP: 
“We are in a climate emergency. It’s time for Parliament to recognise the crisis and take urgent action.
“This Bill reflects the scale of the crisis we face and represents the scale of action that is needed.
“Winston Churchill was a flawed man and flawed Prime Minister, but in his greatest hours he reached across the aisle during WWII and formed a grand coalition, with the Labour party and others. That is what I am asking of Scott Morrison today.
“The Prime Minister must be a climate Churchill, not a climate Chamberlain.
“In October, I moved a motion for Parliament to declare a climate emergency and we fell just four votes short. We’ve just had a summer of complete climate devastation and it’s time for the Parliament to recognise the situation we face, join me in declaring a climate emergency and establish a ‘war-cabinet’ to take urgent action.
“It’s time for members of the Liberal Party, especially those that have called for climate action, to vote with their conscience and back this Bill.”