Category: Australian News

The passage of laws to make it easier for Governments to use the army within Australia is a dangerous step for our country, Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim said.
“Armies are not primarily trained for policing situations. They are trained to fight wars,” Senator McKim said.
“It is police forces that are trained primarily to maintain order and to keep the peace domestically in our country.”
“This legislation further blurs the lines between police forces and the Australian Defence Force, and is certain to be abused by authoritarian governments in the future.”
“It is disappointing that Labor and the LNP have stitched up a dangerous deal to make it easier for the army to be deployed against Australian people in their own country.”

The Nationals are showing their desperation to not lose the state seat of Lismore to the Greens, following a motion introduced in the Australian Senate today.
“The motion over a Facebook post shows the National Party are desperate to hold on to the state seat of Lismore, a seat they very nearly lost to the Greens at the last election,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens agriculture and rural affairs spokesperson.
“Instead of recognising that they’re on the nose in the Northern Rivers because they sold the farmers and farming communities out to coal seam gas, they are wasting the Senate’s time on a Facebook post.”
“Instead of recognising that farmers are fed up with the Nationals burying their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change while drought ravages regional and remote communities across Australia, the Nationals are focused on playing games in parliament.”
“Meanwhile the Greens in the Northern Rivers, as with Greens across the country, are standing with and supporting farmers. In fact the Greens in the Northern Rivers are farmers, including our excellent candidate for the state seat of Lismore, dry land rice grower Sue Higginson.”
Lines atrributable to Sue Higginson, Northern Rivers farmer and Greens candidate for the state seat of Lismore:
“The irony is that while Senators Williams and O’Sullivan are making hay out of a Facebook post and selling farmers out to their coal and gas lobbyist mates, I was out loading a semi-trailer with stock fodder grown on my farm to send to cattle farmers in the west of NSW who are enduring the drought.”
“If the Nationals want to really help farmers, that’s how they can help farmers, not clutching at straws over a Facebook post.”

“The Australian Greens support the Senate Inquiry recommendation to remove discrimination against LGBTQ+ students, but we must also act immediately to remove discrimination against teachers and other staff,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.
“We don’t need any further delay before removing discrimination. Schools should be discrimination-free zones for all LGBTQ+ people, regardless of whether they are are a student or a staff member.”
“Our schools should be teaching our kids about respect and equality. What message does it send to young people if LGBTQ+ staff can be fired because of who they are?”
“Labor and the government promised the Australian people that they would remove discrimination in schools within a fortnight of the Wentworth by-election. It’s beyond time for the major parties to act on that promise.”

The Senate has backed  a Greens’ motion declaring climate change is the biggest threat to life on our planet, calling on the Liberal Government to implement serious climate and energy policy.
“The biggest threat to humanity and life on this planet is climate change, and still the Liberal Government don’t have a plan to reduce pollution,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The consequences of the Liberal Government’s head in the sand on climate – and addiction to burning fossil fuels – are playing out before us now. We’re seeing more extreme weather, mass extinction, a planet under constant stress.
“The alarming recent research from Flinders University showed we are dooming species across the globe due to our inaction on climate change. This anti-science, anti-environment Prime Minister, Energy Minister and Environment Minister are standing in the way of real action on climate change.
“We have some of the most beautiful, unique flora and fauna in the world, but also one of the worst track records on extinction. The Liberal Government cannot be trusted to reverse this harrowing trend.
“The time to act is now. We can be the generation that saves the planet, instead of continuing to contribute to dangerous climate change.”
NOTICE OF MOTION
the Senate—
1.            Notes the Flinders University research published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, which shows that, “Climate change and human activity are dooming species at an unprecedented rate via a plethora of direct and indirect, often synergic, mechanisms.”
2.            Notes that climate change is, without a doubt, the biggest threat to life on our planet.
3.            Calls on the government to develop and implement a serious climate and energy policy, with a plan to reduce carbon pollution and overhaul our environmental laws to protect life on earth.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

Australian Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will bring her Private Member’s Bill to ban oil and gas drilling in the Great Australian Bight to the Senate for debate today.
“Drilling in the Great Australian Bight is high-risk, no-reward for South Australia or the nation. If we are to protect the Bight, act on climate change, and remove the risk of a devastating oil spill, drilling must be banned,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Like with the Adani coal mine in Queensland, both the Labor and Liberal parties are ignoring the concerns of the community. The longer they back foreign fossil fuel  companies over the community the harder it will be to transition to a clean zero-carbon economy.
“Putting an oil rig in the middle of a whale sanctuary is madness. We need to be doing more to protect our marine life and oceans, not turning our coastline into an oil field.
“South Australians are proud of our Great Australian Bight and Kangaroo Island is the jewel in our tourism crown.
“Protecting the Bight is a key issue for The Greens at the upcoming Federal Election. We stand with the thousands of passionate South Australians and coastal communities around the country fighting to get big oil out of our Bight.
“We want to show the world how great our Bight is, by giving it World Heritage protection, not turn it into an oil field.
“It was vital the Senate has an opportunity to debate this Bill before the end of the year. The South Australian community has the right to know where their senators stand on this issue – either with them, or with the oil and gas giants.”

Students planning to participate in a national school strike this Friday calling for emergency action on climate change should ignore the Prime Minister’s hectoring Question Time speech, Greens Deputy Leader and climate and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, said today.
Mr Bandt asked the Prime Minister if he would join the Greens in praising the students and if he would meet with some of the students when they come to Parliament this Wednesday. The Prime Minister’s response was an ignorant condescending lecture.
“The PM is unbelievably out of touch with young people, not only in Australia but around the world,” Mr Bandt said.
“These students want a leader to protect their future, but they got a hectoring, ungenerous and condescending rebuke from someone even worse than Tony Abbott.
“Students and young people are striking this Friday because governments have failed them in Australia and around the world.
“I met with some of these courageous young people from my electorate last week and I am proud to be their local MP and I am proud of their actions.
“Labor’s approval of another giant coal mine for the Galilee Basin shows they are just as out of touch with the mood of young Australians.”

I have spoken to Premier Daniel Andrews to congratulate him and his Labor team on their remarkable victory.
The first Andrews Government has given outstanding service to all Victorians. They have kept their promises, invested in TAFE, hospitals, schools and services. They’ve backed renewable energy and rooftop solar and they’ve begun generational infrastructure projects that will transform this state.
Premier Andrews and his team campaigned on their stability, on their proud record of economic success and social progress and with a clear pledge to finish what they have begun.
For four years, Daniel and his colleagues have worked hard to earn and keep the trust of the Victorian people and their success tonight is tribute to the faith Victorians have shown in them, once again.
Today’s result is also a fundamental rejection of the Liberals’ cuts to schools, TAFE and hospitals, and their failure to invest in renewables and take action on climate change.
All of us in the Federal Labor party wish the Andrews Government well in their second term as they continue to build a better future for all Victorians.

The Opposition is urging Mr Morrison to finally commit to a National Integrity Commission in the final sitting fortnight of the year.
There is no reason to end 2018 without a bi-partisan commitment to a national anti-corruption body.
We welcome today’s open letter to the Prime Minister from 34 former judges, calling on him to establish a National Integrity Commission.
The former judges write: “A National Integrity Commission is urgently needed to fill the gaps in our integrity system and restore trust in our democracy.”
Labor agrees.
In recent years, many Australians have lost faith in politics and our public institutions. It’s time for us to do better. It’s time for us to help restore people’s faith in politics.
At the beginning on 2018, we announced our plan to legislate for a federal anti-corruption body.
A bi-partisan process to establish a National Integrity Commission would help ensure the complex consultation and design work can be completed swiftly, and a body established as a priority.
Mr Morrison delayed the Banking Royal Commission by voting against it 26 times. He shouldn’t make the same mistake with a National Integrity Commission.
Let’s make this issue above politics. The Parliament can come together this week and start the process of establishing a National Integrity Commission.
The Labor Opposition will continue to push for a National Integrity Commission. And if Mr Morrison refuses to act, a Shorten Labor Government will make it law.

There is no evidence of adverse effects on human health from the consumption of lead in drinking water in Australia. However, lead is not considered to be beneficial or necessary for humans; therefore public health experts recommend Australians take every opportunity to limit potential exposure from all sources.
The concentration of lead set in the drinking water guidelines is very conservative so that it can be sure to protect the most vulnerable people, such as very young children and pregnant women.
There have been instances of detection of lead levels above Australia’ drinking water guidelines and, as a precautionary approach, enHealth has issued household good practice guidelines to assist Australians in minimising their exposure to lead in drinking water, particularly when drinking water from old taps.
enHealth have suggested these simple precautionary measures to ensure that lead levels in drinking water are as low as possible.
Elevated blood lead levels are rarely found to be related to lead exposure from drinking water and it is extremely unlikely that lead from drinking water, even over a lifetime, would cause clinical lead toxicity.
I welcome work being undertaken by the Australian Building Codes Board to examine the issue of the level of lead in plumbing fixtures in line with international best practice.
Further information on lead in plumbing products is available on the enHealth Statement on Lead in Plumbing Products available from the department’s web page at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/A12B57E41EC9F326CA257BF0001F9E7D/$File/Lead-plumbing-products-Guidance-Statement-July2018.pdf.