Month: May 2019

The future of Australia depends up on a long overdue reckoning with our past. We need to be brutally honest about the complex facts of contemporary indigenous Australia. Most critically, the time has come for indigenous Australia to have a stake in power.
Together supports the Uluru Statement From the Heart. A physical presence and an advisory body, the Voice to Parliament – at federal and state levels, would be a practical and symbolic reminder of our past and an investment in a shared future. A Voice to Parliament must be written into our constitution and can also lead the process of working through treaties with the myriad First Nations of Australia.
Together advocates an Indigenous Future Fun supported by federal government taxation; levies, duties, royalties and taxed from the states; donations from the public and investments from superannuation funds and other institutions.
The Fund would be run by First Nations leaders from business and government, communities and the professions. Its would direct spending on key projects across housing, health, education, economic development, the arts and criminal justice. By consolidating and aggregating expenditure across these overlapping projects it would aim to maximise the economic and social returns.
“Housing is fundamental to a future for indigenous Australia,” Together founder and candidate for the Senate for NSW Mark Swivel said. “We must acknowledge the failure and waste of recent ‘mainstreamed’ government projects.
Indigenous leadership is required to roll out housing for remote and regional, suburban and inner-city indigenous people. Designing these communities must be led by the communities not Canberra. Property buying tax incentives must be shifted from private property into community housing, including indigenous housing.”
Health and Education
Indigenous health remains poor despite years of effort and funding. Infant mortality, life expectancy and incidence of disease is at odds with the prosperity and health of our general population. Our indigenous health budget is under a $1billion, this needs to be at least doubled, an investment that would be offset by savings in other programs that currently mop-up the consequences of this underinvestment.
Massive strides have been made in the inclusion of real indigenous history but curricula still need an overhaul to incorporate indigenous Australian culture and history – and education across the board to adapt to the needs of First Nations communities. Pathways for indigenous students into the professions, supported by industry placements and mentoring are key to maximising investments.
Business and the Arts
The starting point for business development is acknowledging that change is underway but it needs to be fostered to flourish – like business anywhere. This must be led by indigenous enterprises that are emerging all over Australia. The Indigenous Future Fund can provide seed capital and bridging finance to scale up existing businesses, connecting them with national and international markets, delivering tailored support from initiatives such as grants to micro-finance.
The arts lie at the centre of the identity and culture of indigenous Australia but they are also a key economic activity. At present too much value is extracted by non-indigenous Australia. Government must develop strategies to keep value in communities for artists and their families, for instance by strengthening community owned co-operatives
“Government needs to cooperate closely with the arts sector to access its supply chain and distribution networks both locally and internationally – with the overriding objective of ensuring financial dividend from the arts is retained to build First Nations communities” Swivel said.
Justice
The starting point to deliver genuine justice into the future. need to acknowledge that Australia has failed its First Nations people in criminal justice.
Criminal justice for our indigenous people remains a national and unacknowledged disgrace. Outrageous incarceration levels, continuing deaths in custody and police harassment in daily life are problems that must be tackled head-on. We need a program to ensure there are indigenous magistrates across our entire local court system together with more indigenous community policing, the mainstreaming of community justice conferencing and critical cross-cultural education for police and magistrates.
Northern Territory and Native Title
The paternalistic; Northern Territory Intervention must be stopped. It is a relic of an earlier, colonial time. Solutions must be developed in partnership with each community, not imposed as generic solutions. The Voices to Parliament and Indigenous Future Fund would lead the development of new approaches in the NT and other remote communities.
The Indigenous Future Fund would also lead solutions in the development of Native Title responses and compensation. The watershed Timber Creek decision is the first of many claims across Australia that should be engaged with proactively. Australia owes its First Nations communities and the approach should be orchestrated and future-focused rather than reactive and piecemeal. The IFF board would lead strategies for housing, health, education, economic development, the arts and criminal justice.
Indigenous Australia needs its say in power. Together supports putting a stake in the ground and offers to participate in the conversations to help make that happen.

A parliamentary inquiry will be established by a Morrison Government to investigate community concerns of a possible cancer cluster in Barwon Heads.
Member for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson, said “I have been meeting with local residents and hearing their concerns about the number of people with cancer in this area”.
“They want answers as to why it appears there is an unusual number of cancer cases and to understand if there are local environmental contributing factors.”
“Residents deserve to be heard and so far they don’t feel they have been given all the information or there has been sufficient investigation of the claims. I have written to Premier Daniel Andrews requesting that an independent judicial inquiry be conducted but have not had a response.”
“We again call on the Victorian Government to respond comprehensively to these community concerns.”
Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said “Sarah has been a strong advocate for the community and ensuring their voice is heard. In response to her representations, I have agreed to establish a parliamentary inquiry to investigate the health concerns of residents.”
The Victorian Government has issued a statement denying there is evidence of higher rates of cancer. The City of Greater Geelong has also denied that its mosquito spraying program is in anyway connected with these rates of cancer.
This parliamentary inquiry will provide residents with an important avenue to have their concerns raised, make submissions and have the issues investigated.

The Morrison Government is a jobs Government.
Jobs figures released by the ABS today reinforce the importance of a strong economy to the jobs prospects of all Australians.
There are over 1.3 million more people in work than there were in 2013, with over 320,000 jobs created last year and almost 30,000 jobs in the last month.
Participation in the jobs market is the highest it has ever been and female participation is the highest it has ever been.
More than three quarters of the jobs created over the last year were full-time and more women are in full-time work than ever before.
Last year, over 100,000 new jobs were created for young people, the first time this has ever been achieved.
Welfare dependency is at its lowest level in 30 years.
Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations and Minister for Women, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, said the Coalition’s economic plan is working.
“Our plan for a strong and secure economy is working. There are 1.3 million more people in work than when we came to office, and a record number of Australians participating in the jobs market,” Minister O’Dwyer said.
“The Morrison Government is committed to creating a further 1.25 million jobs over the next five years, including 250,000 jobs for young Australians.”
“A weaker economy under Bill Shorten risks jobs and livelihoods. When Labor was last in Government more than 205,000 Australians joined the unemployment queue. The number of unemployed women in Australia increased by more than 80,000 under Labor. The total unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent and 12.7 per cent for young Australians.”
The only way to deliver more jobs is through a stronger economy under a Liberal-National Government.

A re-elected Liberal National government will commission an independent audit of NOPSEMA’s current consideration of exploration in the Great Australian Bight.
The Liberal National Government recognises that the Great Australian Bight and the surrounding region are important to local communities, and the fishing and tourism industries. The region is known for its unique environment and deserves strong protection.
Australia has one of the safest regimes for offshore oil and gas in the world. There are very strict safety and environmental standards and the industry is overseen by Australia’s independent regulator NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority).
The Liberal National Government recognises community concerns around drilling in the Great Australian Bight and community groups are seeking further assurance of environmental protection.
The Liberal National Government will commission an independent audit, to be conducted by the Chief Scientist, to provide this additional level of assurance to the community
The independent audit will be jointly commissioned by the Minister for Resources and the Minister for the Environment. The Chief Scientist will be asked to work with NOPSEMA to assure all environmental considerations are thoroughly considered as part of the assessment process and decision making of the independent regulator. The audit will be conducted in tandem with the assessment process.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is Australia’s independent regulator for health and safety, well integrity and environmental management for offshore oil and gas activities in Commonwealth waters and in coastal waters where regulatory powers and functions have been conferred. NOPSEMA was established on 1 January 2012.
Exploratory drilling proposals will continue to be assessed by NOPSEMA, which has an independent assessment process underway under Australian law.

The Morrison Government has maintained its commitment to responsible Budget management during this election campaign and will continue to deliver a budget surplus this coming year and every year over the forward estimates and the medium term.
Additional spending on election commitments by the Coalition, beyond what was already factored into the 2019-20 Budget, has been modest and has been more than offset by additional savings.
Since the Budget delivered on 2 April 2019, the Coalition has made $1.4 billion in new spending commitments over the forward estimates, building to $3.8 billion over the medium term.
This is more than offset by a reduction in departmental funding of $1.5 billion over the forward estimates, building to $5 billion over the medium term.
This means a re-elected Coalition Government will reduce departmental funding by $600 million less than Labor, who have announced a $2.1 billion cut to departmental funding.
That means that over the forward estimates departmental funding will reduce from $288.6 billion to $287.1 billion over the forward estimates, whereas under Labor it would reduce further to $286.5 billion.
Unlike Labor the Coalition will leave it to the judgement of departmental secretaries where those efficiencies are best found.
If departmental secretaries assess that these efficiencies can best be secured through reductions in expenditure on contractors, consultants and travel, because that makes sense from a value-for-money point of view, then of course that is what the Coalition would expect them to do.
Efficiency outcomes will be better and more sensible by letting departmental secretaries make those judgements based on value-for-money considerations.
The net effect of all our policy commitments announced since the Budget during the election campaign is a slight improvement to the budget surplus in each year of the current forward estimates period, without increasing taxes.
This leads to a slight overall increase in the cumulative surplus, now expected to be $45.1 billion over the next four years.
In contrast Labor has abandoned any pretence of budget responsibility.
Labor’s own costings reveal a massive $35 billion in additional spending on its promises over the forward estimates, and $112 billion over the medium term.
However, its spending goes well beyond this. Just one day after Labor released its costings, Bill Shorten promised a further $10 billion in spending.
Labor’s costings do not account for a series of expensive spending promises they have made costing more than $40 billion over the forward estimates and more than $240 billion over the next decade.
The Coalition has made a lot of progress in rebuilding our economy and repairing the Budget. There is more to do. This is not the time to turn back to Labor’s fiscal mismanagement. The Coalition has the right plan to build our economy and secure Australia’s future.
Our plan to deliver Budget surpluses without increasing taxes.

Only Labor will be in a position to improve aged care and adequately respond to the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
By contrast, the Liberals have still not answered what other programs and services they will cut to deliver their promise of at least $77 billion in tax cuts for very high income earners, and that’s before they make further cuts that would be needed to pay for any new aged care spending commitments.
We know the Liberals called the Royal Commission because they failed to drive reform across the aged care sector over the past six years:

• There are 128,000 older Australians waiting for their approved level of home care package.
• The Liberals cut almost $2 billion from residential aged care.
• The Liberals sat on dozens of reports, reviews and inquiries about how to improve aged care but instead called a Royal Commission.

A Shorten Labor Government will work with the sector, including all unions, to improve aged care and respond to the Royal Commission’s recommendations once they are handed down.
To further improve the quality of care and support a future aged care workforce, an elected Shorten Labor Government will:

• Immediately investigate interventions to ensure older Australians most at need are prioritised for home care.
• Provide opportunities through TAFE so that up to 20,000 aged care workers can obtain or improve their qualifications.
• Immediately speed up implementation of the Matter of Care workforce strategy to address inadequate staffing in aged care.
• Ensure that for residential aged care facilities there is a registered nurse present, on site, 24 hours a day.
• Publish the skill mix of the workforce employed at every residential aged care facility to ensure the appropriate skills mix of properly trained staff is present at all times.
• Look at how best to improve access to home care packages and increasing staffing levels and skills.
• Further address the number of GPs working in aged care to provide proper incentives for GPs to do home visits and provide services in residential aged care.

Consistent with Labor’s commitment to support Australians with dementia and their families and carers, a Shorten Labor Government will:

• Make improving the care of Australians with dementia a national priority.
• Remove the complexity of multiple interactions between the Department of Health and Ageing, Centrelink, aged care providers, and the broader health care system for Australians with dementia and their families.
• Improve the training of aged care staff to improve the workforce’s understanding of dementia, including scholarships for nurses and carers to undertake specialist dementia care training.

Labor also recognises the unique requirements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and LGBTIQ communities, and will prioritise establishing programs that focus on improved support for these groups.

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $30 million towards the redevelopment of the WACA – Western Australia’s oldest and most iconic cricket ground.
This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will build the sporting infrastructure our community needs, or more of the Liberals’ cuts and chaos.
We need real change, because more of the same isn’t good enough.
Following the opening of Optus Stadium, the WACA Ground Improvement Project will allow for the ground to be reshaped as a 10,000 spectator capacity boutique stadium and a community-focussed sport and entertainment hub.
Federal Labor is making this commitment to both the Perth, and wider WA community, because we want to make sure that the WACA is future-proofed, fit-for-purpose, and able to be used by all levels of cricket, in addition to hosting broader sporting, entertainment and hospitality events.
The project includes a 10-lane indoor cricket facility, high performance and administration facilities, a community fitness facility, a new museum honouring the history of the ground and a piazza-style space that can be enjoyed by the community year-round.
Importantly, the project will deliver equitable facilities to accommodate the surging popularity of women’s cricket in Western Australia.
The state-of-the-art training facilities will be accessed by both grassroots community cricketers and professional players from the Western Warriors, Western Fury and Perth Scorchers.
“I want to ensure the future of the WACA for all Western Australians,” said Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten.
“My united Federal Labor team and I want real change for Western Australians at the election – and we want to make sure Perth and WA aren’t left behind by Canberra and Liberals,” said Mr Shorten.
Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Don Farrell, said the redevelopment reinforces Labor’s commitment to sport in Western Australia.
“The WACA has been the scene of some great moments in Australian sporting history but the elite training facilities are outdated.
“Labor’s investment help ensure the WACA’s rich cricket history is preserved and that the iconic ground can serve the needs of cricket into the future, both as a dedicated first-class venue and a modern, year-round elite training facility,” Senator Farrell said.
Shadow Minister Anthony Albanese said the WACA was an Australian cricketing institution and was well-loved by generations of fans.
“This investment will ensure the WACA continues to be a part of Australian cricket along with the new multi-purpose stadium,” said Mr Albanese.
“The WACA holds a very special place in Western Australia’s heart and now has an exciting future as a community hub in East Perth, helping to activate the area, thanks to Federal Labor,” Patrick Gorman, Member for Perth, said.
Across Western Australia, the WACA drives participation to a community footprint of over 200,000 participants, 55 junior and senior cricket association, 447 junior and senior cricket clubs and over 4,000 volunteers across the state – all from its headquarters at the WACA Ground.
Labor is committed to supporting improved sporting facilities to give all Australians a fair go at sport, whether they dream of playing for Australian or just want to enjoy the health and social benefits of grassroots sport.
Our investments in projects like the WACA redevelopment help build capacity in our communities to meet the welcome growth in female sport participation, provide facilities for player development pathways and support more Australians to live active, healthy lifestyles.
Labor can invest in a fair go for all Australians because we’ve made the tough budget decisions to make multinationals pay their fair share of tax and we won’t give the big banks a tax cut.
If you want a fair go for all Australians – vote Labor.
Funding for this commitment has been included in Labor’s Fair Go Budget Plan, available at  http://www.alp.org.au/labors_fiscal_plan.

Tasmanian Greens Senators Peter Whish-Wilson and Nick McKim have expressed dismay at NOPSEMA’s approval of oil and gas exploration in the Otway Basin.
NOPSEMA this week approved 3D Oil’s application to undertake seismic testing 18km west of King Island (Tas) and 56km south of Cape Otway (Vic).
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This decision means we are one step closer to seeing oil rigs off Tasmania’s coast.
“This is madness. King Island has some of the most pristine waters in the world.
“Tasmania’s entire tourism and fishing industries depend on our clean and green reputation. Yet the major parties, who take millions in donations from multinational oil and gas companies, are prepared to open up a whole new area for drilling and risk oil spills across the entire coastline.
“Seismic testing is also a threat to the health of our oceans. It has been shown to kill plankton and shellfish. But just how much harm it does to other marine life, including dolphins and whales, is unknown.
“The Greens will stand up for fishers and coastal communities in Tasmania and around the country. That’s why we have drafted a Private Members’ Bill to ban all new offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction to be introduced in the new parliament.”
Senator Nick McKim said, “In the face of a climate emergency we must say no to all new oil and gas.
“A report released last month by international NGO Global Witness found that the opening up of any new oil and gas fields is incompatible with the Paris climate agreement.
“Without a commitment to no new coal, oil or gas, no government can be taken seriously on climate action.
“The approval of oil and gas exploration off King Island should serve as a reminder to Australian voters on Saturday that both major parties are not serious about climate change or our precious environment, and that the big oil and gas donors call the shots in our parliament.
“The Greens want Tasmania and Australia to be leaders on tackling the climate emergency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”