Category: Australian News

Greens Co-Deputy Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP today backed separate calls from unions, a UNSW study and the Australian Conservation Foundation for an independent energy transition authority to manage the closure of coal-fired power stations. The Greens will reintroduce legislation to establish an independent statutory authority, Renew Australia, to oversee the transition of Australia’s electricity system to one based on renewable energy.
The Greens’ bill, which did not receive support from Liberal or Labor when previously introduced, would spend $500 million to establish Renew Australia, legislate a timetable for the closure of coal-fired power stations to provide certainty to workers and communities and create a $250 million Clean Energy Transition Fund to assist coal workers and communities with the transition.
“To avoid the mistakes of Hazelwood’s last minute closure and to ensure a just transition, a clear plan is needed to manage the energy transition,” said Mr Bandt.
“The Greens have been calling for the establishment of an independent statutory authority to manage the energy transition since the last election, but our calls have been ignored by the major parties.
“The Greens are of one mind with mining unions, academics and conservation groups on the need for an independent statutory authority to oversee an orderly transition away from coal.
“The old parties created the mess of the National Electricity Market and the Liberals are failing to act on the transition to renewables, let alone the management of that transition. We need a new public authority to lead the transition to a new energy system, without leaving coal workers in the lurch.

“The old parties have a habit of adopting Greens policies, from a royal commission into the banks to legislating to protect penalty rates. I hope they’ll ‘borrow’ this one as well.”

The Australian Labor Party is pleased to announce that Dr Brian Owler has nominated to be Labor’s candidate for Bennelong at the next federal election.
Dr Owler is a neurosurgeon, former president of the Australian Medical Association and past president of the AMA NSW.
As President of the AMA, Dr Owler led the campaign against the Liberals’ Medicare Freeze and GP Tax.
“As a doctor, a surgeon and a health advocate, I’ve dedicated my career to caring for people and serving the community.
“I’ve seen the pressure that’s been placed on hospitals and staff because of the Liberals’ funding cuts, and I’ve seen how undermining Medicare is bad for patients and for GPs,” Dr Owler said.
“I believe there is a critical choice at the next election over the future of health care in Australia. We can’t risk more Liberal cuts to health care. That’s why I’m putting my hand up.
“I want to pay tribute to our former candidate, Lyndal Howison. She is a formidable local campaigner with strong Labor values, and I’m pleased I’ll be able to rely on her support and advice during the campaign.
“I want to represent Labor in Bennelong because only a Shorten Labor Government will prioritise Medicare and local hospitals, and provide a positive vision for Australia.”
Labor Leader Bill Shorten welcomed Dr Owler to the Labor team.
“Labor believes it should be your Medicare card, not your credit card, that determines your access to health care in this country,” Mr Shorten said.
“Brian has spent his career fighting for quality, affordable health care, because he knows firsthand the difference it makes to people’s lives.
“Brian lives and breathes Medicare and he’ll be an outstanding addition to the party that created Medicare and defends it every day”.
Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek said a vote for Labor in Bennelong is a vote for better healthcare.
“The next election is a choice between protecting Medicare and hospitals, or more of the same Liberal cuts and chaos under Scott Morrison.
“The Liberals in Canberra have cut hospitals, frozen the Medicare rebate, and now they are outsourcing Medicare jobs to labour hire companies.
“Morrison and the Liberals will always attack Medicare. Bill Shorten and Labor will always protect it.”

A Shorten Labor Government will make the biggest investment ever in Australian netball by a federal government, committing $20 million over two years to Netball Australia.
This investment will help fund a range of Netball Australia’s grassroots participation and engagement programs, and ensure a strong future for netball in Australia – from local netball clubs, to our Super Netball stars and our outstanding national team, the Diamonds.
The funding will also support Netball Australia’s bid to host the 2027 Netball World Cup in Australia.
Labor’s commitment is great news for more than 850,000 women and girls who participate in netball, and will ensure that both grassroots and elite netball gets the best support it has ever received from government.
Netball has the highest rate of female participation of any club sport in Australia. AusPlay research released in April this year showed netball is particularly important for girls’ participation in organised activity outside of school hours. The benefits of team sport for kids is well known, particularly for girls in helping to develop confidence and self-esteem, learn new skills and make new friends.
The rapid rise of elite female sport in Australia is a great thing. It means Australian girls are seeing more sporting role models more often on the TV, and are inspired to take up sport themselves.
But it also means that netball isn’t competing on a level playing field in television coverage and sponsorship space. While the expansion and broadcast of women’s footy and cricket has been supported by revenue generated by their elite male competitions, this is not an option for netball.
Labor’s $20 million investment will ensure that netball, which has done so much for women’s sport for so long, can keep pace with the rapid expansion of elite women’s competitions in other sports.
Labor has made hard budget decisions to ensure our priorities are fully paid for – we will make multinationals pay their fair share and close unsustainable tax loopholes, because we want to help a new generation of young girls fall in the love with netball and inspire the next generation of Aussie Diamonds.

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has called news that the former Education Minister, Senator Simon Birmingham, personally intervened to block research grants outrageous. She has also called for a completely independent process, free from Ministerial interference.
Senator Faruqi said: “As a former academic, I am horrified that the Minister intervened to block research grants. This is a massive and outrageous overreach from the Government.
“Research Grants are not there for the Minister to pick and choose based on his own political prejudices. The Australian Research Council should be trusted to guide research funding, free from political interference.
“Academic research is too valuable to be hijacked by a narrow ideological agenda.
“No Minister can be trusted with the power to block research grants. There should be a completely independent process, separate from Ministerial interference,” she concluded.

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has called news that the former Education Minister, Senator Simon Birmingham, personally intervened to block research grants outrageous. She has also called for a completely independent process, free from Ministerial interference.
Senator Faruqi said: “As a former academic, I am horrified that the Minister intervened to block research grants. This is a massive and outrageous overreach from the Government.
“Research Grants are not there for the Minister to pick and choose based on his own political prejudices. The Australian Research Council should be trusted to guide research funding, free from political interference.
“Academic research is too valuable to be hijacked by a narrow ideological agenda.
“No Minister can be trusted with the power to block research grants. There should be a completely independent process, separate from Ministerial interference,” she concluded.

Residents in outer suburbs have been appalling neglected by successive governments failing to properly invest in public transport, say the Greens, following the publication of Infrastructure Australia’s Outer Urban Public Transport report.

‘This report shows just how successive Liberal and Labor governments around the country have failed to properly plan transport solutions for people in outer suburban areas, who are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams for several hours a day,’ said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

‘People are crying out for accessible, reliable and affordable public transport. Instead we have governments throwing money into expensive, polluting toll roads that do nothing to solve congestion and mean that people living in the outer suburbs have no other option but to drive.’

‘As our cities grow, we have to give people the choice of high quality, fully integrated public transport – trains, trams and buses. That’s the only way we will solve our transport problems.’

‘We have to make sure public transport is planned properly. It’s not just a matter of announcing big flashy projects. We need comprehensive integrated transport plans across the country that prioritise public transport, and walking and cycling.’

Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will today write to the Auditor-General to investigate reports of more scandal in the National Party.
“Reports that the National Party executive was paid $850,000 for drought-proofing that never eventuated are serious allegations. Today I will be referring this to the Auditor-General for investigation,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Another day, another scandal involving the Nationals. Scott Morrison’s Special Drought Envoy  Barnaby Joyce’s ‘nothing to see here’ attitude in response to these reports of rorting is typical of the former Deputy Prime Minister.
“The drought is crippling our farmers and to add insult to injury, the Nationals are brushing off these reports like they do with every scandal they find themselves in.
“The Nationals cannot be trusted with spending billions of dollars on drought relief and water management properly.
“Rorting and misusing taxpayers’ money are serious allegations and another reason why we need a federal anti-corruption body.
“The fact that Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack believes we don’t need a federal anti-corruption body says it all. The Nationals will always protect their own – no matter what their indiscretions – above the interest of our nation, our river, and the Australian taxpayers.”

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has called the Government’s so called ‘Choice and Affordability” package a private school slush fund. The fund is part of extra money announced for private schools by the Prime Minister in September, which Senator Faruqi has previously described as “hush money”.
In Budget Estimates today, the Department confirmed that it was a “decision of Government” and couldn’t answer how the figure was $1.2 billion figure was arrived at. The Greens have also confirmed that they will move to disallow the fund and call on the Government to reallocate it to the public system.
Senator Faruqi said:
“What has become pretty clear is the Government plucked the $1.2 billion figure out of thin air as a way to pay off the private school sector.
“This whole program is a farce. There are no rules, no criteria and the Department seems to have no idea how the amount of the enormous $1.2 billion private school slush fund was arrived at.
“The Greens unashamedly believe that with public money, public schools have to come first. It is beyond reprehensible that while one in ten public school classrooms in New South Wales are demountable, the private schools will be getting billions in special funds.
“There is absolutely nothing stopping the schools spending this money to subsidise school fees for wealthy parents. What a slap in the face for public schools.
“The Greens will be moving to disallow this fund as soon as it comes to Parliament,” she concluded.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed revelations from Labor that they would allow the construction or refurbishment of coal-fired power stations if the contracts were signed under the Liberals before the election. Mr Bandt also attacked Labor’s apparent confirmation that they would revive the zombie NEG to be their climate and energy policy for the electricity sector.

“Labor will have blood on their hands if they honour a contract to build a new coal-fired power station,” said Mr Bandt.

“If a contract to build or extend a coal-fired power station is signed before the next election, Labor has just confirmed they’d wave it through if they proceeded to form government.

“While Labor would ‘honour’ any contracts, the Greens would rip them up.

“Labor will pay dearly at the ballot box if they continue with this policy announced by Chris Bowen today. Bill Shorten needs to overrule his Shadow Treasurer.

“Signing a contract for a new coal-fired power station is like signing a death warrant for the Australian people.

“This despicable admission from the Labor party shows that they’re as bad as the Liberals on coal.

“If that wasn’t enough, it appears that Labor confirmed it would take the zombie NEG as their policy to the next election.

“The NEG is an unproven, opaque mechanism that was cooked up to get through a climate-denying backbench. Instead of reviving a discredited policy, Labor should be revisiting policies that actually work.

“Labor have only committed to a pro-rata 45% reduction in the electricity sector and do not appear to have any plan to reduce emissions in other parts of the economy.

“What we’ve learnt today is that Labor is a pro-coal party with no credible climate plan.”

Contact: Gideon Reisner, 0429 109 054
TW: @AdamBandt FB: facebook.com/Adam.Bandt.MP
The relevant excerpts from Labor’s press conference are below:
Phillip Coorey: On energy, one of the things Angus Taylor said yesterday is that using this recommendation to under-write the investment in new plants, either through a loan or a purchase guarantee, that they’ll have a shortlist of projects ready to go early in the new year, which we understand could be as early as January. If any of these projects are contracted before the election, would Labor reserve the right to reverse any contract? I know it’s a bit hypothetical, but you can see where the government is going here. Would you be locked into any coal-fired power station for example that the government contracts?
Chris Bowen: As Mark said, this is policy on the run and if the Liberal/National government wants to engage in such poor policy that they are prepared to risk the national interest in doing this quickly, in a haphazard way, that is on them. Labor honours contracts, we don’t create sovereign risk. That’s been our consistent position across the board when it comes to any matter in the economy. We honour contracts, we don’t create sovereign risk…To answer your question, our position has always been consistent on a range of matters. An incoming Labor government honours contracts, even ones that we thoroughly and completely disagree with.
Joe Kelly: Mr. Butler, could I just clarify something? If Labor wins office at the next election, to meet the 45% emissions reduction target you’ve set, your preferred mechanism to do that would be the National Energy Guarantee that Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Frydenberg were working on, to meet that target?
Mark Butler: Well certainly in the energy sector. The Paris targets apply across the economy but the debate has been about the energy sector. The very clear view is that bringing the different stands of energy policy, reliability and emissions reduction together in the NEG, is the best way to do that.