Category: Australian News

Our government is backing plans for the Australian War Memorial that will honour Australians who have served in our armed forces, and those men and women who serve today.
Our $498 million investment in the Australian War Memorial’s redevelopment will help them tell new stories in new ways.
It means the Australian War Memorial will be able to display more of their collection and proudly tell the stories from recent years in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.
We want to recognise the service of our Australian Defence Force members and safeguard a place for history to present and communicate those stories not yet written.
The redevelopment will increase visitor areas by 83 per cent or ar ound 10,000 square metres to expand the exhibition and public program space which is currently at capacity. The Australian War Memorial will be able to better tell the stories of current and recent conflicts, operations, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions.
It will include a new temporary exhibition space, improved visitor orientation, wayfinding and amenities, areas for respite and reflection, new education facilities, and a theatre and functions space.
Our ex-serving organisations which play a vital role in supporting our veterans and their families will also be recognised along with the proud communities throughout Australia whose loved ones never returned.
This funding builds on our new Australian Veterans’ Covenant, Veterans’ Card and lapel pin, as well as the $1.4 billion we’re investing for fairer indexation of defence force pensions, free mental health care for all veterans and our veterans to work program.
Whether it’s respecting and recognising our veterans and their families, record investment in defence force capability or building a place where we can proudly tell their stories for generations to come, our government is committed to putting our service men and women and veterans first.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan is misleading the Australian people by linking petrol prices to drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, the Greens say.
“Saying that letting big oil drill in the Bight will lower petrol prices is plainly wrong and highly misleading,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The Minister is either deliberately lying, or he doesn’t know what he’s talking about by trying to link current petrol prices to the push for drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight.
“The Minister has himself said that drilling for oil in the Bight, if approved, wouldn’t be in operation for at least a decade. Even then, the oil is earmarked for foreign companies to ship straight overseas, not for use here in Australia.
“Thankfully South Australians are not as easily fooled as the Morrison Government seems to think we are. There is no link between today’s petrol prices and the campaign to protect our Bight from devastation of an oil spill. To argue otherwise is a lie.
“South Australians are not willing to risk the devastating impact of an oil spill in the Bight. The jewel in our crown, Kangaroo Island, our tourism and fishing industries, and our precious marine life are too important to risk.
“This hip-pocket manipulation is disrespectful and dishonest to people struggling with mounting cost of living pressures.
“Renewables are on the rise and electric car technology is getting better every day. In 10 years’ time, with a bit of ambition and political will, we will be less reliant on fossil fuels. The UN’s harrowing climate change report makes plain that we urgently need to phase out fossil fuels. We must heed that warning for the planet, and for our communities.
“There is no social licence to drill in the Great Australian Bight. The Greens stand firm with the South Australian community who want our Bight protected.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison MP PO Box 6022
House of Representatives, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing today asking that you allow a free vote in the House of Representatives on the ‘Animal Export Legislation Amendment (Ending Long-haul Live Sheep Exports) 2018’, which was passed by the Senate on September 10.
The non-partisan bill, which was cosponsored by the Australian Greens, Sen. Tim Storer and Sen. Derryn Hinch, would bring an immediate end to long-haul sheep and lamb export voyages to the Persian Gulf or through the Red Sea during the Northern Hemisphere summer. After a transitional five-year period, that ban would be extended to cover the entire year.
Australians are demanding action to bring an end to live exports because of systemic and repeated issues of animal abuse. The horrifying images of suffering animals have shocked the community to its core. Unfortunately, the live export industry has shown itself to be incapable of or unwilling to address these serious deficiencies in its conduct. The recently released Moss Review has shown a system that has failed animals and is based on money, not animal welfare. The community is looking to Parliament for leadership.
We believe that the House of Representatives has a right to vote on the matter and that the numbers exist for the legislation to pass, in line with community sentiment and expectations. The only thing standing in the way of resolving this problem to the satisfaction of the Australian public at this point in time is your Government. By not allowing the bill to be debated, democratic process and the wishes of millions of Australians are being disregarded.
We therefore request that you allow debate on the bill to proceed to a vote on the week of November 26. In addition we request that you allow a free vote on the bill in your party and agree not to seek retribution against any MPs who cross the floor.
Thank you.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi
Australian Greens Animal Welfare Spokesperson
Richard Di Natale
Australian Greens Leader

Reports that the Australian Government plans to bring the children it is detaining on Nauru to Australia by Christmas removes any excuse to keep people in offshore detention, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“The warped logic of offshore detention is crumbling around the major parties. There is now no excuse not to end offshore detention and conclude this dark chapter in our country’s history,” Senator McKim said.
“Christmas is not soon enough – we need to get every child and their family here to Australia now, which we can do if Labor supports the legislation we currently have before the Parliament.”
“Public pressure is finally having an impact on Government policy, and as a result the entire artifice of offshore detention is falling apart.”
“There is now no logic behind holding any man, woman or child on Manus Island or Nauru for a single day longer. It is vital that we give them safety and freedom in our country permanently.”

Members of the Labor Party agitating for improving their stance on the environment must fight for investment, and change on the party’s stance on fossil fuels, if they are to take a strong policy to the next election.
“The real test will be how much they are willing to prioritise funding to protect and restore the environment. If they are on the side of protecting our natural environment, it will need investment,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“We are in the midst of an extinction crisis yet we have little detail on Labor’s plan to save our threatened species. Labor continues to ignore the calls to phase out coal and stop the Adani mine.
“They are still split on drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, which not only comes at great risk to the marine environment and local fishing and tourism industries, but locks us to burning fossil fuels into the future.
“Until Labor is committed to phasing out fossil fuels, their stance on environmental law and protection will not be enough. So long as we are mining and burning fossil fuels, we will continue to contribute to a warming planet at a time when action to arrest climate change is more urgent than ever. “

In an effort to drum up investment in its ailing Carmichael mine, Adani has again announced the project is about to get off the ground adding to its already long history of false starts, Greens spokesperson for Mining and Resources, Queensland Senator, Larissa Waters said.
“Adani are producing more spin than coal,” Senator Waters said.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times Adani has said they are about to “hit the green light” on their mega coal mine.
“Adani keep desperately reducing the size of their plans to attract investors, but all it proves is that nobody wants their coal, because clean energy is a better investment.
“From environmental law breaches overseas, investigation and prosecution of alleged breaches here, their application for a 12.5 billion litre water-sucking pipeline in a drought-stricken area, fake jobs claims, and the massive scaling down of the project because no-one is stupid enough to invest in new dirty coal projects – the alarm bells are well and truly ringing.”
Senator Waters said today’s Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report makes it clear the coal export industry is in “terminal long-term decline”.
“Between 2014 and 2017, the LNP and Labor accepted $3.94 million from the resources sector,” Senator Waters said.
“The major parties need to stop doing the bidding of their donors in the fossil fuel industry, put an end to the Adani Carmichael mine once and for all and start transitioning to renewables.
“We need real jobs not Adani’s fake jobs. There are almost 10,000 construction jobs being created in renewables across Australia, that’s where our future lies – and must lie – if we are to prevent further damage to our Reef and planet from climate change.”

Our government is backing plans for the Australian War Memorial that will honour Australians who have served in our armed forces, and those men and women who serve today.
Our $498 million investment in the Australian War Memorial’s redevelopment will help them tell new stories in new ways.
It means the Australian War Memorial will be able to display more of their collection and proudly tell the stories from recent years in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.
We want to recognise the service of our Australian Defence Force members and safeguard a place for history to present and communicate those stories not yet written.
The redevelopment will increase visitor areas by 83 per cent or ar ound 10,000 square metres to expand the exhibition and public program space which is currently at capacity. The Australian War Memorial will be able to better tell the stories of current and recent conflicts, operations, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions.
It will include a new temporary exhibition space, improved visitor orientation, wayfinding and amenities, areas for respite and reflection, new education facilities, and a theatre and functions space.
Our ex-serving organisations which play a vital role in supporting our veterans and their families will also be recognised along with the proud communities throughout Australia whose loved ones never returned.
This funding builds on our new Australian Veterans’ Covenant, Veterans’ Card and lapel pin, as well as the $1.4 billion we’re investing for fairer indexation of defence force pensions, free mental health care for all veterans and our veterans to work program.
Whether it’s respecting and recognising our veterans and their families, record investment in defence force capability or building a place where we can proudly tell their stories for generations to come, our government is committed to putting our service men and women and veterans first.

Australia’s Environment Minister has let the public down yet again with her silence on the WWF’s damning report into human-driven mass extinction, the Greens say.
“Today’s WWF report is harrowing. But, as usual, we have not heard a peep from our Environment Minister Melissa Price on how the Liberal Government is going to act,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Australia has a terrible track record when it comes to extinction. We need to stand up, take responsibility, and ensure that we slow this trend down before it is too late.
“Between the WWF report today and the latest IPCC report, we can no longer look away from the impact we are having on our planet.
“Our Environment Minister’s silence in the face of this report is deafening. Yet again, she is missing in action on a vitally important issue that needs to be taken seriously and acted on urgently.
“We need an eco-system wide approach to protecting natural habitats and saving our native flora and fauna. We created this extinction crisis, we need to ensure it doesn’t get worse.”

Greens science and research spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed the Liberals for their continued attacks on research and academic freedom. Mr Bandt said actions of Minister Birmingham and his successor, Minister Tehan, show the contempt with which the government holds the science and research community.
“The Liberals anti-science and anti-research agenda started with Tony Abbott and has continued long after his departure,” said Mr Bandt.
“Simon Birmingham’s decision to veto 11 research projects that were recommended by experts for funding is a disgraceful attack on academic freedom and independence.
“This veto is another example of power being wielded in secrecy. This latest politicisation of research represents yet another capitulation to the hard-right backbench.
“This government is putting Australia’s international reputation at risk.
“I will be writing to Minister Tehan to call on him to reverse the decision and commit to fully-funding the previously rejected grants and to provide a full explanation for what occurred in November last year.
“The new so called ‘national interest test’ announced today is another example of policy on the run and another attack on academic freedom. I understand there is already a requirement for each grant application to show the ‘national benefit’.
“The Greens will be investigating any legislative or regulatory options available to ensure that the Minister is compelled to publicly disclose the reasons why any grants recommended by the ARC are rejected and to safeguard academic freedom and independence of research funding decisions in Australia.”

The joint letter from Sydney Anglican school principals shows they want to continue to be able to discriminate against LGBT+ people just because of who they are, say the Greens.

‘If what the Sydney Anglicans are saying is that merely being out as LGBT+ is enough to ‘undermine or denigrate the beliefs and teachings of an employing school’, then that’s homophobia and transphobia, not religious freedom,’ said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.

‘The simple fact is no student should be expelled and no teacher or other staff member should be fired just because of who they are. Jesus taught love for all people, not that love is conditional.’

‘The Greens support freedom of religion to be included in a Charter of Rights, and I call upon the Anglican Diocese of Sydney to support us in achieving that. But freedom of religion is not a licence to discriminate against LGBTIQ+ people.’