Category: Australian News

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today responded to the Snowy Hydro 2.0 announcement, noting that if the government was serious about energy storage, it would put in place a national storage target and incentives for storage across the electricity network.
“Snowy Hydro is not enough,” said Mr Bandt.
“Not only do we need to force coal out of New South Wales, so that an expanded Snowy Hydro doesn’t give it a leg up overnight, but we need to establish a Commonwealth Large Scale Energy Storage Scheme to legislate a target of 20 GW of storage across the NEM and the WA and NT networks.
“We can’t afford to wait for one big hydro project that will require billions in transmission upgrades.
“We need to fast-track other small-scale pumped hydro projects at a grid-level to complement Snowy and provide enough storage to underpin a 100% renewable energy system.
“One pumped hydro project does not a storage system make. We need a comprehensive nation-wide plan to deliver storage that the old parties don’t appear to have.”

Scott Morrison’s Emissions Reduction Fund is nothing more than a rort designed to funnel taxpayers’ money to his big coal mates and the funding would be better spent helping coal communities to transition, said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.
“Coal is the world’s biggest driver of climate change and Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal. Without a plan to shift away from coal, this government has no plan to fight climate change, ”said Senator Di Natale.
“Instead of wasting $2 billion reheating Tony Abbott’s failed policy to pay polluters out of your pocket, the government would be better off helping coal communities prepare for the future.”
“A transition away from coal is urgent and necessary but the Greens want to ensure that it doesn’t leave workers and communities stranded.
“A responsible and caring government would have already been investing in a transition plan for the coal workers and communities who will be impacted by this significant structural shift.”

Labor will give bank victims a fairer chance to fight for their rights with a $640 million Banking Fairness Fund.
The fund will raise $160m per year from Australia’s biggest banks to revolutionise the services available to Australians in financial difficulty – a key recommendation from the Royal Commission.
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.
Labor will double the number of financial counsellors across Australia from 500 to 1000with a $320 million commitment from the Banking Fairness Fund over the next 4 years.
These new financial counsellors will provide advocacy, support and advice to an additional 125,000 Australians each year.
These 500 new financial counsellors will be able to assist Australians to pursue fair compensation through the Australian Financial Complaints Authority under significantly increased compensation caps announced by Labor last week.
Commissioner Hayne recommended that Australia’s hardworking financial counselling sector should be given “predictable and stable funding”.  Commissioner Hayne noted in his final report that “their services, like financial services, are a necessity to the community”, but that the sector currently “struggles to meet demand, which is increasing”.
Financial counsellors provide invaluable assistance, free of charge, to Australians who find themselves in disputes with their banks and other financial service providers.
A stronger, larger financial counselling sector is just one part of Labor’s plan to restore fairness to financial services.
Labor will make further announcements about the other programs that will be funded by the Banking Fairness Fund over coming days.
Labor called for the Royal Commission, Labor fought for the Royal Commission, and Labor will work day and night to give victims of financial misconduct the support they need to fight for their rights.

Ita Buttrose must be considered by the independent nomination panel before cabinet names the next ABC chair, the Greens say.
“If the Morrison Government wants to nominate Ms Buttrose, it must go through the proper channels,” Greens media spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Five months have passed since the Government was caught in a web of political interference at the ABC. They still have not learned their lesson.
“Ita Buttrose is clearly a strong candidate for the position, however the current mess at the ABC is a result of exploiting board appointments. This cannot be allowed to continue, no matter how strong the contender.
“Political interference has plagued the ABC and there can be no doubt placed on future board appointments, or indeed the chair.
“The independent panel exists for a reason, and must not be disregarded or side stepped yet again by this Government.”

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said Scott Morrison’s latest climate ‘policy’ was an expensive hoax that had no plan to deal with coal.
“There’s nothing in this expensive fig-leaf that deals with coal, and if you don’t have a plan for coal, you’re not serious about climate change,” said Mr Bandt.
“This policy will not ensure a safe climate.
“A climate policy that doesn’t deal with coal is like a car without wheels. It’s an expensive way of going nowhere.
“Pouring public money into Tony Abbott’s failed emissions fund isn’t just throwing good money after bad, it’s a hoax.
“Emissions have gone up under Tony Abbott’s scheme and they will rise under Scott Morrison as well because big polluters still get off scot-free.
“Malcolm Turnbull called this fund a “fig-leaf to cover a determination to do nothing” and he was right.
“The public, who are footing the bill for this policy, can’t even be sure that all the emissions reductions claims are genuine.
“Former regulators, the CSIRO and the Climate Change Authority have all questioned the integrity of emissions reductions claimed under the fund.
“Instead of giving money to the polluters, we should be making polluters pay, like we did under the carbon price.”

New records revealed in today’s labour force figures show that the Coalition Government’s plan for a stronger economy is working.
A record number of Australians are in work, with seasonally adjusted employment increasing by 39,100 in January 2019, to stand at a record high, of 12,751,800.
Full-time employment is at a record high of 8,743,100, after growing by 65,400 in January 2019, and 236,100 over the year. Full-time employment growth has accounted for 87 per cent of the total increase in employment over the last 12 months.
Encouragingly, female total employment, female full-time employment and the female participation rate have all reached new record highs. Male total employment and male full-time employment are also at record highs.
The gender pay gap has reached a new record low of 14.2 per cent, down from 17.2 per cent under Labor.
Importantly, the unemployment rate has decreased by 0.5 percentage points over the year to 5.0 per cent in January 2019, the equal lowest rate recorded since June 2011.
A total of 1,276,300 jobs have been created since the Coalition Government came into office in 2013.
“Today’s new jobs records show that the Government’s plan for a stronger economy is working,” Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP said.
“Our approach stands in stark contrast to our opponents. Labor’s only plan for the economy is $200 billion of higher taxes on your retirement, your superannuation, your house, your business and your income.”
“All that Labor’s taxes and job-destroying policies will do is hurt Australians, including many on low and middle incomes, and older Australians.”

Julie Bishop is a giant of the Liberal Party and she has been a ground breaker for women in public life.
Julie has been a good friend. I have valued her judgement, appreciated her insight and admired the tireless way she has served the Party, the Parliament and Australia.
On behalf of the Government and the Liberal Party, I thank Julie for her great service to Australia for nearly two decades.
Julie was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 – 2018 and played a critical role in our election to Government in 2013.
As the first woman to be Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and the first woman to be Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie’s place in the Liberal Party pantheon and in the history of the Howard Government and this Government is secure.
There are many achievements from her time as Foreign Minister in which Julie can be proud: the New Colombo Plan, the establishment of the DFAT innovationXchange and strengthening Australia’s relations throughout the Pacific.
However, I believe her greatest achievement was her work in the days after flight MH17 was brutally felled. Julie’s judgment, determination and energy helped secure a United Nations Security Council resolution that ensured Australia and its partners could repatriate the victims of that terrible crime. Australia has not forgotten those terrible days and still waits for the perpetrators of that crime to be brought to justice.
Julie was one of Australia’s truly great foreign ministers. In the Liberal Party she will take her place alongside the greatest foreign ministers of our history: Casey, Hasluck and Downer.
Julie is enormously popular with party members across Australia and for more than a decade, in addition to her travels as foreign Minister, Julie has hit the highways and byways of our country in support of our Members and candidates.
On behalf of the Party and the Government, I wish Julie well in the next chapter of her life. I have no doubt it will be a roaring success.
Scott Morrison

The Australian Greens have a plan to more than double the amount of social housing across Australia by building 500,000 new ecologically sustainable and fully accessible homes, with a net addition of 33,000 dwellings each year. The homes would be funded by scrapping negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions, as well as redirecting part of the banking levy on major banks.
Housing is in crisis in Australia. The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute estimates there is a shortfall of over 500,000 affordable homes across the country. According to the ‘Everybody’s Home Campaign’, Sydney alone has a shortfall of 80,000 social housing homes. This gap will grow to 141,000 by 2036. Nationally, an estimated 189,000 families are on social housing waiting lists. Each night, 1 in 200 Australians are homeless.
Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Senator for New South Wales and Housing Spokesperson, has said this is a long overdue and revolutionary investment in housing that will reverse the tide of shrinking public and community homes and provide a massive boost to our national affordable housing stock. This investment will more than double the current social housing stock, which is currently estimated at 435,700.
The Greens will:
Invest in 500,000 new public and community homes through a Federal Housing Trust. This additional investment will encourage states and territories to expand access to their social housing schemes so more people can have a secure home.
We’ll provide a guaranteed $500 million each year, indexed to CPI, to crisis services and transitional housing to ensure nobody is without a bed and a roof over their head – even for just one night. We will  specifically allocate funding for women and LGBTQI+ people experiencing homelessness.
Our plan is funded by winding back unfair tax breaks like negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions that advantage an investor looking to buy their fifth property over a home buyer looking for their first.
Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said:
“Housing in Australia is monumentally messed up.  Social housing has not kept up with need, despite the rise in homelessness and  numbers of people in housing stress. Almost 200,000 people around the country are on social housing wait lists.
“With so many people in need of affordable housing we need sweeping changes to the way we think about social and community housing.
“For too long, governments have been neglecting and selling off public housing. They’ve lazily sat by, watching our stock of public housing stagnate. We have to play catch up fast.
“The primary goal of a housing system should be to supply long term secure homes to people, not unbridled profits for investors.
“Just like Medicare and our public school system, everyone should have access to social housing if they need it. By building more and improved public and community homes, we can guarantee an affordable, good quality home to people for life.
“The Federal Government must show leadership in tackling the housing crisis by making an unprecedented investment in social and community housing. Half a million new houses will make a huge difference to families needing homes.
“All homes built through the Federal Housing Trust will be environmentally sustainable. The Trust will incorporate principles of climate conscious architecture, to build sustainable and energy efficient homes with a minimal carbon footprint.
“This is a huge opportunity to ensure that new public housing is fully accessible, ensuring homes are designed to meet the needs of residents with a variety of mobility needs.
“Everyone has the right to a safe, secure and permanent home. We know the number of people seeking assistance for homelessness is growing every year. The situation is getting worse. We need urgent intervention, coupled with significant financial resources and reform of the housing system, or more and more people will be without a home.
“The Greens will make sure everyone has the dignity of a secure and affordable home. Housing is a human right – we’ll make sure there is a home for all.
“Nobody should be without a home. The Greens plan will make sure there are enough affordable homes for everyone to have a decent and safe place to live.
“Even with our big investment in expanding social housing, there will still be a need for crisis services as an important safety net. These services must be available and accessible to everyone who needs them. We will make sure nobody is without a bed and a roof over their head, even for one night.
Budget Details (Costed by Parliamentary Budget Office)

Initiative Summary (Expenditure)	4 Year Estimate (m)	10 Year Estimate (m)
Federal Housing Trust	1,931	4,005
Capital Grants (to complement the Trust)	4,500	7,000
Funding for Crisis Services and Transitional Funding	1,534	5,579

Details
Federal Housing Trust
A Federal Housing Trust (the Trust) will be established as a bond aggregator to offer secured loans to public housing authorities in all states and territories and community housing providers (CHPs). It will issue Commonwealth Government guaranteed bonds to fund the loans. The Trust will be in a position to issue loans worth 6.67 billion in 2019-20 rising to 8.49 billion in 2028-2029. The Trust will finance the construction of 500,000 affordable homes over 15 years, a net addition of 33,000 dwellings to Australia’s social housing stock each year. The Trust will ensure these homes are:

• Affordable: rents indexed and based on household income;
• Secure: long-term leases;
• Accessible: mobility and accessibility needs will be met with best-practice design; and
• Sustainable: climate conscious, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient construction and design.

The loans will be complemented by capital grants funding. Research shows combining capital grants with loans is one of the most cost effective ways for the Commonwealth to boost Australia’s social housing stock.
Funding Crisis Housing Services
In 2018, around 300,000 people sought assistance for homelessness. Lack of availability meant that 236 people seeking services had to be turned away every day.
The Greens will set aside $500m per year, indexed to CPI, to fund transitional housing and crisis services and guarantee this funding for ten years to give service providers certainty, with a specific allocation for women and LGBTQI+ people experiencing homelessness.
How we will pay for it
The Capital Gains Tax (CGT) discount of 50% has encouraged wealthy investors to gamble on future price rises. It has done very little to encourage the building of high-quality and affordable homes. It’s also an inequitable tax break. The latest available data shows that 80% of CGT discount benefits, amounting to about $7.6 billion per year, go to the top 10% of income earners.
Allowing property investors to negatively gear their investment has also encouraged speculation in housing. The Grattan Institute reports that the combination of negative gearing and the CGT discount “distorts investment decisions, makes housing markets more volatile and reduces home ownership”. The Coalition government claims average workers benefit from these tax breaks, but in reality they receive very little of the benefit. The Australia Institute has found that the top 20% of income earners get almost 50% of negative gearing benefits.
The Greens will:

• Wind back the CGT discount by 10% per year over five years;
• Phase out negative gearing for investors with two or more investment properties over five years. Investors with a single property will be exempt;
• Prohibit negative gearing on all future investment purchases;
• Redirect part of the banking levy.

Winding back the CGT discount and phasing out negative gearing is expected to raise $5.18 billion over four years and $54.5 billion over ten.

The first mammal to go extinct in the world from climate change, the Bramble Cay Melomys, is just the tip of the iceberg, say the Australian Greens.
“This is a national tragedy, but the extinction of the Bramble Cay Melomys is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Australian Greens Senator Janet Rice, Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s animal extinction crisis.
“Climate change is pushing other threatened animals to the brink of extinction, yet the Morrison government’s lack of action means nothing is being done to protect them.”
“We have other animals like the Spectacled Flying Fox where one third of the population dropped dead out of the sky in one afternoon during Queensland’s December heatwave.”
“The recovery plan for the Melomys was never implemented. The Morrison government could have done more but turned a blind eye.”
“This tragedy was entirely preventable. No species should go extinct. This is a political choice.”
“The burning and exporting of Australia’s coal is the single largest contribution to climate change that Australia makes. Australia’s addiction to coal and coal exports is the death warrant for many of our other threatened animals.”
“The Labor and Liberal parties need to quit coal now and stop taking millions of dollars in donations from the coal industry.”
“It’s also clear the Environment Department has learnt absolutely nothing from the tragic Melomys extinction, with no current plans in place to conduct a review into how the extinction of the Bramble Cay Melomys occurred or learn what must happen to ensure more species don’t follow it down the tragic path to extinction.”
Other animals at risk of extinction due to climate change include the Spectacled Flying Fox, the Mountain Pygmy Possum, the Lemuroid Possum, and the Northern and Southern Corroboree Frog.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, responded today to the comments from Labor frontbencher, Richard Marles, that “The global market for thermal coal has collapsed, and wonderful – that’s a good thing – because what that implies is the world is acting in relation to climate change.”
Quotes attributable to Mr Bandt:
“He’s right. That’s why Richard and Labor should support my bill to phase out thermal coal.”
“Labor can’t say its wonderful countries overseas want to burn less coal and then support expanded coal exports.”
“We need a plan to phase out coal mining in Australia by 2030 so the industry can transition in an orderly and just way.”