Category: Australian News

A Shorten Labor Government will act faster and go further in standing up for victims of banking misconduct.
Labor fought for the Banking Royal Commission – unlike Scott Morrison and the Liberals who voted against the Royal Commission 26 times, called it a “populist whinge” and refused to give parliament more time to implement the recommendations.
A Shorten Labor Government will implement 75 recommendations of the Royal Commission in full and stand up for Australians affected by banking misconduct.
This stands in stark contrast with Scott Morrison and the Liberals, who continue to protect the big banks and are delaying, watering down or rejecting at least 15 recommendations.
Unlike the Liberals, we will fully implement the Royal Commission’s recommendation to end the hawking of insurance products, to ensure there are consequences when the big banks breach industry codes and to ban life insurance commissions if ASIC finds there is no clear justification for retaining them.
Labor has already announced tough new accountability mechanisms on the banks and regulators to ensure that a further 23 recommendations are implemented in full, as soon as possible.
Labor has also already drafted bills to enact five of Commissioner Hayne’s recommendations – these could be law before the election if Scott Morrison ends his protection racket for the big banks and agrees to extra sitting weeks in March.
Labor will establish a groundbreaking victim compensation package. It’s the courage of victims who have shared their stories that has shown us the need for reform. We must ensure that these victims aren’t left behind as we clean up the sector after a decade of misconduct. Under Labor’s plan, more victims will have the opportunity to pursue a just outcome, and all consumers will benefit from quadrupled AFCA compensation caps going forward.
Labor will also abolish trail commissions from lenders to mortgage brokers and aggregators on new loans from 1 July 2020 as well as banning volume-based commissions and ‘soft dollar’ payments being offered to brokers by lenders.
Labor will deal with the Royal Commission’s key concerns with mortgage broker remuneration, namely conflicted remuneration and incentives that drive higher average loans sizes that may not be in the consumer’s best interests. We will impose a fixed percentage upfront fee for brokers that will eliminate the conflict of interest that comes from different lenders offering different commission rates, while ensuring these upfront commission can only apply to the amount drawn down by the borrower, not the total loan amount.
Scott Morrison never wanted the Royal Commission – he voted against it 26 times. He described it as a ‘populist whinge’, a ‘reckless distraction’ and a ‘QC’s complaints desk’. For 600 days, while Labor pushed for this Royal Commission, the Liberals fought for the banks to get a $17b tax handout. Now his government is deliberately going slow on the implementation of its recommendations.
The Liberals simply cannot be trusted to crack down on the big banks.
Labor’s position is crystal clear – we will implement 75 recommendations in full.  The single remaining recommendation – Recommendation 1.3 – will be implemented in a manner that will achieve the objectives set out by Commissioner Hayne. More detail on this recommendation is in our full response.
Labor called for this Royal Commission, Labor fought for this Royal Commission, and Labor will work day and night to ensure that we deliver the reforms recommended by the Royal Commission.

A Shorten Labor Government will boost Australia’s firefighting capabilities with a national fleet of aircraft and dedicated smokejumper units to keep Australians safe from bushfires.
All Australians understand the devastating impact that bushfires have. Lives are lost, homes destroyed and communities shattered.
Our firefighters and emergency services personnel are among the best in the world, and they do a tremendous job, often putting their own lives at risk. But they need more support from government.
At the moment, Australia doesn’t have a government-owned fleet of water bombing aircraft – making us reliant on borrowing from private companies domestically and from overseas.
The bushfire season in Australia is lengthening and already overlapping with the northern hemisphere, increasing the risk that we won’t be able to access the aircraft we need at times of peril.
At the same time, the Federal Government’s contribution to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre has plummeted from 50 per cent of funding to just 23 per cent, reducing our overall firefighting capability.
The Bureau of Meteorology has identified this summer as Australia’s hottest on record, which included devastating bushfires in Victoria and Tasmania. Now is the time to invest in giving our firefighters the resources they need to keep us all safe.
Labor’s national firefighting package will deliver:
$80 million to establish the National Aerial Bushfire Fighting Fleet of aircraft
This fleet will provide standing aerial firefighting capacity that can be used on demand in emergencies.
It will include retro-fitted Black Hawk helicopters as they are phased out from active use by the Australian Army and Erickson S-64 Air-crane helicopters (or ‘Elvis’ as they are commonly known) which has a 2,650 gallon tank capable of snorkelling or scooping fresh or salt water.
It’s expected that the national fleet will include a standing capability of up to six Large or Very Large Air Tankers, and up to 12 heavy rotary wing helicopters.
The benefits of aerial firefighting are clear. Aircrafts offer speed, access and observation advantages over ground crews. Containment is more effective and the final fire burned area minimised using aerial capability, thereby reducing demand on ground crews.
Australia’s first ‘smokejumper’ units
Smokejumpers are firefighters trained to be rapidly deployed by helicopters at remote fires during the short window during which those fires can be contained.
Smokejumpers usually rappel from helicopters and use chain-saws, hoes and other dry firefighting tools to establish a containment perimeter around the fire. They then patrol the perimeter to ensure the fire does not jump containment lines while working with water-bombing aircraft to ensure the contained fire is fully extinguished.
California and other US states currently have a number of smokejumper units which have proven successful.
As part of the $80 million commitment to establish a fleet, Labor will work with the states and territories to establish smokejumper units across the country.
$21 million for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC)
A Shorten Labor Government will stop the Federal Government’s reduction in funding for our firefighting capabilities by returning to a 50-50 funding split between the states and territories and the Commonwealth.
Labor’s investment will ease the burden on state and territory governments, develop new national programs including a national risk management model, and national research and development programs including trials of new aircraft and night firefighting activities.
Labor can pay for new firefighting aircraft the smokejumper units because we are making multinationals pay their fair share and closing tax loopholes for the top end of town.

Australian Greens Digital RIghts spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has today announced the Australian Greens commitment to a 21st Century NBN, finished using best-choice technology, to ensure everyone has access to affordable, reliable and high quality internet services into the future.
Senator Steele-John said our internet was slower and less affordable than comparable countries, with Australia ranked 56th in the world for internet speed and 57th in world for affordability.
“The reality is that Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to having access to reliable, affordable and high quality internet services,” he said.
“The Coalition’s Multi-technology mix has been a disaster that has left many people without reliable or affordable services, particularly in rural and regional areas.
“This is not what was promised, nor what Australia needs to ensure that our companies are able to remain globally competitive into the digital future.
“Our commitment is to keep the NBN infrastructure publicly owned and ensure that the rollout of the NBN is finished using best choice technology, not the multi-techology mongrel that the Coalition will leave us with.
“Our promise is to make quality telecommunications affordable for all Australians and ensure regional telecommunications are funded, fair and fit for purpose.
“Affordable, quality telecommunications are fundamental to the future of Australia’s economy, jobs, education, essential services and way of life.”
Key points – 21^st Century NBN:

• $1.3 billion to establish Federal Telecommunications Concession
• $250 million NBN migration program to close the digital divide
• Keep NBN infrastructure publicly owned
• Finish the NBN using best-choice technology
• Make quality telecommunications affordable for all Australians
• Ensure regional telecommunications are funded, fair and fit for purpose

Details of the policy can be found here: https://greens.org.au/platform/public-ownership#telecomm

The Tasmanian government is continuing to privatise public land through its secretive expressions of interest process, Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim says.
“The first-stage approval of the Mount Roland cable car is effectively a sell-off and lock up of one of the most precious and beautiful parts of our state,” Senator McKim said.
“The Liberals have learned nothing from the backlash over Lake Malbena, and want to push ahead with their secretive process.”
“Tasmania’s reserves, national parks and the TWWHA are not theirs to sell.”
“The Greens will keep fighting to keep our precious places in public hands.”

Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Senator for NSW, has has responded to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s disgraceful comments attacking her this morning. Senator Faruqi is the first Muslim woman to serve in any Australian Parliament and Australia’s only Muslim Senator.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Peter Dutton is the Minister for Home Affairs and is meant to be keeping us safe. For some time we have been saying he isn’t fit for the job but this morning’s tone deaf comments further prove it.
“He still refuses to take responsibility for his role in demonising Muslims, migrants and refugees. Trying to claim that my response to the horrific massacre and Senator Anning’s disgraceful comments that harm our community are in any way equivalent is just vile.
“Peter Dutton’s comments show that Australian politicians are still not listening. Our country needs leadership and reflection on how to stamp out hate and Islamophobia,” she concluded.

The Australian Greens are committed to real protection and restoration of our environment, backed up by solid investment and a plan to make Australia a climate hero, not a climate villain.
“The environment has been ignored by successive governments. We are seeing mass species extinction, habitat loss and the degradation of our national landscape and waterways. It is time to give the environment the protection and value it deserves,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“We have listened to the advice of The Australian Panel of Experts on Environmental Law (APEEL) to develop new laws that will protect and restore the environment. While the Labor Party has signalled support for strengthening our environmental laws, a strong Greens presence in the next Senate will hold them to implementing APEELs blueprint.
“We have a plan for a cleaner, healthier planet. We will create a tough, independent environmental watchdog that can enforce a new generation of laws. Our Environmental Protection Authority will be a cop-on-the-beat, enforcing real consequences for corporations that put communities and our environment at risk. An independent Environment Commission will tell us where money should be spent, how much we need and whether it’s working.
“Too often our natural world is exploited. In just the last few months we have seen the Murray Darling in collapse with unprecedented fish kills, the world’s first climate related extinction here in Australia, protected wetlands up for sale and threatened birds exported to dodgy collectors. There is little consideration given to protecting and preserving nature by a Liberal Government that gives more in fuel subsidies to the mining industry than they spend on the environment.
“With a Labor Government the most likely outcome of the next election, it is vital we have a strong Greens team in the Senate to make sure protecting the environment is prioritised both in law and funding. We will always stand up to the fossil fuels lobby, corporate irrigators and keep up the fight to end new coal, oil and gas projects.
“Our care for the environment should be based on facts, not the whims of the government of the day. We need to get down to the business of restoring ecosystems, addressing climate breakdown and making sure we leave a thriving planet. We are living with the effects of climate change right here and now, this is about our children as much as future generations. We cannot continue down our current path if our planet is to survive.
“We have a plan, because we know we can be the generation that saves the planet.”
 A tough new environment watchdog
The Greens will introduce a new generation of environmental laws overseen by an independent regulatory body with real power to enforce environmental laws.
The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is a relic of the Howard era. We need a new generation of environmental laws that actually protect our shared natural resources, our wild places and our threatened species.
The Greens will provide real protection for our animals, land, air and water with a national Environmetal Protection Authority with real teeth to enforce the law and provide independent expert advice, at arm’s length from the influence of politicians and the big business lobby.
Backing this Authority, the Greens’ new environmental laws would expand federal responsibility for:
•          National parks and reserves, including critical habitats, climate refugees and national biodiversity hotspots;
•          Vulnerable ecological communities;
•          Impacts from land clearing;
•          Greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution;
•          Water resources (including rivers, wetlands and aquifers);
•          Ecosystems and wetlands of national significance;
•          Invasive species.
These new laws will also allow increased community access to justice by implementing “open standing” for people and communities to challenge environmentally damaging decisions in court, without risking huge costs in public interest cases.

Australian Greens Senator, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to the Christchurch terrorist attack. Senator Faruqi is Australia’s first Muslim woman senator.
Senator Faruqi said:
“What happened in Christchurch is deeply devastating and terribly distressing.
“I am heartbroken and quite frankly scared. First and foremost we are grieving and our thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims who have been brutally killed by a white supremacist terrorist from Australia.
“As far as I am concerned, some politicians have been openly inciting hate, division and Islamophobia. Some in the media, rather than scrutinising these politicians, have been amplifying their message.
“We have been saying for years that politicians – including One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Liberals like George Christensen and Peter Dutton – have been stoking the fires of hate and division. Other politicians have stood by and allowed this to happen, and even hoped that anti-migrant and anti-Muslim sentiment would win them votes.
“Senator Fraser Anning is a disgraceful Merchant of Hate. His statement blaming the victims for this white-supremacist terrorist attack was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.
“Fraser Anning does not deserve to be in the Senate. The Labor and Liberal parties should have joined the Greens when we moved to censure him after his disgusting first speech where he called for a White Australia Policy and a ban on Muslim migration.
“Australian politicians need to understand that demonising Muslims and encouraging division has consequences. When they encourage hate, they are quite literally playing games with our lives.
“There are now serious questions about whether Australian Governments have focused enough on far-right extremism and taken this threat seriously. For years, I and many other Muslim Australians have been receiving threats of death and violence that haven’t been taken seriously. The Government must start listening to what we have been saying and pledge to tackle right wing extremism.”

A Daley Labor Government will deliver an additional $9 million to Coffs Harbour hospital – bringing the total investment into the facility to $203 million – as part of the Schools and Hospitals before Stadiums’ plan.
The additional Labor funding for Coffs Harbour hospital will go towards:

• Replacement of the dental X-ray machine, which has been broken for at least six months – forcing patients to go “private”; and
• Funding to deliver additional parking spaces to off-set the expected loss of 110 parking spaces under the current plan.

The overall improvements – costing $194 million – include:

• Expansion of the existing surgical and operating theatres;
• New theatres;
• A new short stay surgical unit;
• Orthopaedic and vascular unit;
• Ambulatory care area; and
• The expansion of community health.

The region has experienced substantial population growth over the last eight years and the needs of the hospital have been neglected.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley made the announcement with Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge.
The Coffs Harbour announcement follows NSW Labor’s commitment to employ 5,500 more nurses and midwives; 1,500 more paramedics; 2,240 more cleaning, support personnel and allied health workers; and 250 more security staff to protect patients and health workers.
In an earlier announcement, NSW Labor committed to capping hospital parking fees for health workers at $10 per week – subject to current contracts ending.
Coffs Harbour hospital is under enormous pressure with its emergency department seeing about 40,000 patients a year.  About one in five (21.9 per cent) of patients waited longer than four hours. Ten per cent of patients waited longer than seven hours and 48 minutes.
As of December 31, there are 1,797 patients waiting for elective surgery at Coffs Harbour hospital with the median wait for non-urgent elective surgery is 240 days with 10 per cent of patients waiting longer than 348 days.
In addition, in 2018, there were 1,058 babies born at Coffs Harbour hospital.
Built in 2001 under then Labor Premier Bob Carr and Dr Andrew Refshauge, it is a major referral hospital for the Coffs Network of the Mid North Coast Local Health District.
With 292 beds, its services include general medicine, surgery, day surgery, planned and emergency theatre service, coronary care (including coronary angiography unit), intensive care, obstetrics, paediatrics, 24-hour Emergency Department, oncology, palliative care, rehabilitation, stroke, acute renal dialysis, high dependency and mental health and an extensive range of outpatient clinics.
Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge said: “The mid-North Coast has been neglected by the National Party and taken for granted.”
“Unfortunately, the National Party have the wrong priorities. They want to splurge $2.2 billion on stadiums and refuse to listen to the community on their health and hospital needs – while NSW Labor will invest in health and hospital services.
“Coffs Harbour deserves world-class health and hospital services in their local community.”

The Morrison Government will provide a further $40 million in grants to better support people living with dementia.
Applications are now open under the National Dementia Support Program for funding from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
Funding of $36 million will support education programs, services and resources to improve interactions between people living with dementia and those around them.
This could include projects to raise awareness and understanding about dementia, and increase the skills and confidence of people living with dementia, their carers, families, health professionals, volunteers, and contacts within their communities.
Grants may also be used to:

• support primary health care practitioners, including GPs, to improve early diagnosis of dementia;
• reduce stigma about dementia which can exist in the community;
• support people and families at or after the diagnosis of dementia;
• provide culturally appropriate education and information on dementia and support services for people, families and carers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This funding includes $5 million to Dementia Australia to enable the organisation to continue to provide its services for five months to 30 November 2019 while the grant process is undertaken.
This investment will ensure people living with dementia, their families and carers are continually provided the support they need during this process.
The remaining $4 million focuses on the use of innovative technology for people living with dementia.
These grants will aim to:

• assist people living with dementia to sustain their independence and remain in their own homes for longer;
• improve the quality of life of people living with dementia in both home and residential aged care; and
• support families and carers to develop skills and strategies for caring.

Dementia is one of the biggest health and social challenges facing our nation, and other developed countries around the world.
The number of Australians living with dementia will increase rapidly over the next 30 years because we are living longer and the population is ageing.
Earlier this month, the Morrison Government announced funding for a world-first national network of specialist care units for patients with severe dementia. At full roll out, funding of $70 million a year will support more than 30 specialist care units to provide best practice person-centred care for these vulnerable people.
The Morrison Government also provides $50 million each year for a number of dementia specific programs to support quality of life and care for people living with dementia.
It’s also on top of the $200 million over five years for the Boosting Dementia Research Initiative, of which $15 million is earmarked for Implementing Dementia Risk Reduction and Prevention Research Priority projects.
Applications for the National Dementia Support Program can be downloaded from the GrantConnect website by searching for GO1777 at www.grants.gov.au.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the New Zealand Muslim community in the wake of today’s senseless right wing terrorist attack in Christchurch. I extend these sympathies to Muslims in Australia and indeed around the world. My heart aches with yours on this dark and terrible day.

We must unite, as one community, against the plague of hatred and violence that is ricocheting around the world. Silence is not an option. This is a time for us to call out racism and islamophobia in all its forms, and the politicians and media commentators who enable it.
Innocent New Zealanders are lying dead in the streets of Christchurch tonight because a climate of fear and division has fueled this kind of murderous behaviour. It must stop.
Muslims contribute so much to the fabric of our great multicultural nation, a fact I’m reminded of every time I have the honour of being welcomed into their community.
We stand with the Muslim community at this time of suffering and grief, and pledge to end this senseless violence, and the hateful rhetoric that fuels it.

– Richard Di Natale, Leader of the Australian Greens