Month: July 2021

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has taken another step forward with the Pfizer vaccine being approved for use in children aged 12 to 15 years.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has thoroughly, and independently, assessed the domestic and international evidence before extending its approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to this age group.
Up until now, the Pfizer vaccine had only been approved for use in Australia for people aged 16 years and over.
The TGA’s approval is a very important step in the process.
As with all of our vaccination decisions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will now consider this approval and provide expert advice on which groups of adolescents should be prioritised for the roll out of the vaccine and how and when it should be administered.
ATAGI has been meeting with global experts over recent days to inform their deliberations and expert advice.
The National COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce has been undertaking detailed planning to support the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine for children, following an approval from the TGA and in line with the expert medical advice from ATAGI.
The Australian Government has been consistently following the advice of our medical experts in order to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as quickly, and safely, as possible.

Australia’s biggest thermal coal and LNG customer, Japan, has announced new 2030 targets for their electricity sector, slashing the amount of coal and gas they intend to use, with a 41% cut in thermal coal and 46% cut in gas over the next 10 years.
Given Australia’s high reliance on Japan, these new targets could see the Australian thermal coal industry slashed by almost 20% by 2030, putting the lie to Liberal and Labor’s claims that coal will continue to be mined and exported for decades to come.
The almost halving of gas for electricity by Japan underscores the economic and environmental madness of spending hundreds of millions of public dollars to open up the massive new Beetaloo gas fields, as Labor and Liberal are proposing.
Based on data from the Department of Industry’s Resources and Energy quarterly June 2021 publication:

• Last financial year (2019-20), Australia exported 74.1 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, which was 34.8 percent of Australian thermal coal exports by volume. The previous financial year (2018-19) Australia exported 79.3 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, or 37.8 percent of total thermal coal exports by volume. Over the first three quarters of the current financial year, Australia has exported 56.7 million tonnes of thermal coal to Japan, or 39.5 percent of thermal coal exports by volume.
• Last financial year (2019-20), Australia exported 30.1 million tonnes of LNG to Japan, which was 38 percent of Australian LNG exports by volume. The previous financial year (2018-19) Australia exported 29.9 million tonnes of LNG to Japan, or 40 percent of total LNG exports by volume.

Japan gets 67% of its thermal coal and 39% of its LNG from Australia.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“When Liberal and Labor say that coal will be mined and exported for decades, they’re lying to voters.
“This year, about 40% of Australia’s gas and thermal coal exports have gone to Japan.
This one decision from Japan alone could end close to 20% of Australia’s thermal coal exports within a decade, and with China and Korea also committing to net-zero emissions, the industry could soon collapse.
“These industries could be over by 2030 as our biggest customers accept the climate science, but Liberal and Labor are giving communities false hope about coal and gas continuing for decades.
“It’s time to face facts and tell workers in Queensland and New South Wales the truth. Coal and gas are now on borrowed time and we need to support workers and communities to transition.”
“The federal government must now massively ramp up investment in manufacturing and green energy in Queensland and NSW to guarantee secure jobs after 2030.
“Liberal and Labor must immediately halt their plans to use public money to open up the massive new Betaloo gas fields in the Northern Territory. Opening up new gas fields isn’t just a climate crime, it’s an economic disaster.
“This is further evidence that 2030 is the main game for the rest of the world. The Liberals’ 2030 target is completely out of step with the science, and Labor doesn’t have one at all. That kind of denial is putting coal and gas workers at risk.
Australian fossil fuel exports

Thousands of community pharmacies and additional GPs across Australia will be invited to join the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
This additional workforce will be brought on board to support pharmacies and GPs already delivering COVID-19 vaccines in cities, regional, rural and remote areas, as well as areas with a COVID-19 outbreak.
To date, 118 community pharmacies are currently vaccinating across the country and over 470 community pharmacies will be vaccinating by the end of July 2021.
From Monday, over 3,900 community pharmacies who have expressed interest in joining the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and who have previously been found suitable, will also be invited to participate.
This includes 1,262 suitable community pharmacies from regional, rural and remote areas and 1,668 suitable community pharmacies that have also been identified in metropolitan areas.
Pharmacies who have not yet expressed interest will also be offered the opportunity to participate, as well as any GPs that are not yet participating in the rollout.
Community pharmacy is an essential part of the Australian health care system and pharmacists are highly accessible health care professionals who provide patients with access to vital medicines, health care services and support.
Community pharmacies across Australia have kept their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic to support their patients and will now play a crucial role in vaccinating Australia.
The National COVID Vaccine Taskforce is continuing to work with state and territory Governments to accelerate the vaccination program and ensure the nation has broad coverage of primary care sites across the country who are delivering the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the past week, the Taskforce has been fast tracking the on-boarding of community pharmacies in the Local Government Areas of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool, with 48 pharmacies to commence offering vaccines in these areas by the start of next week.
It is anticipated that pharmacies wishing to administer AstraZeneca vaccines will commence vaccinating from mid-August.
In addition, community pharmacy will also participate in the rollout of the Moderna vaccine from September.
Further information on this pharmacy roll-out will be made available through the Department of Health.

As the need to reestablish a large-scale JobKeeper becomes increasingly obvious, the Greens say the same coalition that dragged the Prime Minister over the line the first time can do it again.
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said:
“13 million people are under lockdown but Scott Morrison is fiddling with makeshift support packages rather than simply reintroducing a previously successful, well-understood JobKeeper scheme.
“The government resisted JobKeeper last year, and we saw Depression-era dole queues. The Greens were the first party to call for wage guarantees, Labor joined us and ultimately the government was dragged kicking and screaming to JobKeeper.
“Cruel austerity is the default for this government and they’re resisting JobKeeper yet again, but without JobKeeper and a lifted JobSeeker people will fall through the cracks and Australia’s success against Covid is at risk.
“When people don’t have adequate support, they are forced into making potentially risky decisions. This was a clear lesson from last year’s Melbourne outbreak.
“JobKeeper and a lifted JobSeeker were needed last year, and they’re needed again now.”
Greens Family and Community Services Spokesperson, Senator Rachel Siewert said: 
“The Morrison Government’s double standards have to stop. People on income support payments who are in lockdown urgently need access to the $600 per week Covid-19 Disaster Payments.”
“I am appalled that this Government is once again leaving unemployed people, students, single parents, disabled people and carers behind.”
“The Government’s decision to stop people on income support payments from accessing the Covid-19 Disaster Payments is adding to the significant amounts of stress people in lockdown are experiencing.”

Federal Labor congratulates Queensland on Brisbane’s successful bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
The announcement that Brisbane will host the Games is extremely exciting news for Queensland and the nation.
An Albanese Labor Government will be completely committed to making the 2032 Olympic Games a success.
Hosting the 2032 Games will provide a boost to tourism, trade and the national economy, deliver jobs, and accelerate infrastructure development – benefits that will be more important than ever as Australia continues to recover from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The decade-long runway into 2032 will also provide a unique and unprecedented opportunity to engage an entire generation in a range of sports, boosting participation and giving more young Australians the opportunity to benefit from an active, healthy lifestyle.
Australia has a proven track record for delivering world-class sporting events on a global scale, from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics to Sydney 2000, five Commonwealth Games and many world championships.
Federal Labor looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders towards making the 2032 Olympics are the best Games yet and ensuring that the benefits of hosting the Games – for sport, tourism, infrastructure, trade and the economy – are fully realised.