Month: December 2021

Vaccinating 5 to 11-year-old children in Australia against COVID-19 is a significant step closer, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approving the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as safe and effective for use among this age group.
Subject to final considerations and recommendations from the vaccination experts on the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), and other related approvals, the Australian Government will start rolling out the Pfizer vaccine to 5 to 11-year-olds from 10 January 2022.
The Government expects to receive ATAGI’s recommendations on how to incorporate this safe and effective vaccine into Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program over the coming weeks.
Subject to advice from ATAGI, vaccinating the approximately 2.3 million children aged 5 to 11 in Australia will build on the rapid uptake of vaccination among children aged 12 to 15. In just eleven weeks, more than 76.6% of this group have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 67.5% having completed their two-dose course of vaccination.
Across the country, 87.9% of Australians aged 16 or over are fully vaccinated. More than 92.8% have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds was based on a careful evaluation of available data to support its safety and efficacy among this age group.
The vaccine dose approved by the TGA for children aged 5 to 11 is the same safe and effective vaccine used for other age cohorts, however is one-third the dose approved for those aged 12 and over.
The Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds will be distributed to vaccine providers in different packaging to the vaccine approved for people 12 and over, and will be clearly differentiated by being dispensed from orange-capped vials instead of grey or purple capped vials.
As with other age groups, the use of this vaccine in children aged 5-11 years should be given in two doses at least 3 weeks apart.
Already, significant planning work has been undertaken involving the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce, the states and territories primary health professionals in relation to how the vaccination rollout will be extended to children in this age group.
It is expected the vaccines would initially be made available through General Practices Aboriginal Health Services, community pharmacies and state and territory clinics.
Once the final ATAGI advice is received, further information on how to book a COVID-19 vaccination will be provided.
The Commonwealth Government will continue to work closely with vaccine providers and states and territories as a priority to provide the opportunity for children aged 5 to 11 to receive a first dose of this COVID-19 vaccine in the lead up to and in parallel with school returning in 2022.
The Government has an agreement in place with Pfizer to receive sufficient supply of the paediatric vaccine for the entire population of children aged 5 to 11 in Australia.
The first shipment of children’s doses are due to arrive in Australia by early January 2022 and will undergo the same rigorous batch testing processes in the TGA laboratories as other batches of COVID-19 vaccines.
The TGA is also currently evaluating an application from Moderna for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used in Australia for children aged 6 to 11 and the Government already has supply deals in place to make it available should it be approved by the TGA and recommended by ATAGI.
This two step TGA and ATAGI assessment and approval process is the same rigorous process followed for all COVID-19 vaccine approvals in Australia.

An Albanese Labor Government will deliver secure, well-paid jobs, by investing in the skills Australia needs to drive future economic growth.
Labor will provide Australians access to Free TAFE, create more university places and tackle the skill shortages that are holding back our COVID-19 comeback.
Under Labor, Australians studying in an industry with a skills shortage will be supported through the provision of free TAFE.
Our $1.2 billion Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will focus on closing the gap on key areas of skills shortages with new places at university and TAFE.
This is good policy for jobs, good policy for people looking to train or retrain, and good policy for businesses, which need more skilled workers.
For nearly a decade, the Liberal-National Government has cut TAFE and slashed apprenticeships. Today we have 85,000 fewer apprenticeships and traineeships compared to 2013.
At the same time, it’s getting harder and more expensive to go to uni.
The proportion of applicants who get an offer of a place at university has fallen every year since the Liberal Government slashed university funding. This year, the offer rate fell to its lowest level in years.
This has happened in the face of the stark economic reality that nine out of ten jobs of the future will require a VET qualification or a university degree.
One in four Australian businesses are experiencing critical skills shortages at the same time there are 2 million Australians who are either looking for a job or want to work more hours.
Free TAFE
Free TAFE will help rebuild industries hit hardest by the pandemic, like hospitality and tourism, as well as meet current and future needs in the care economy, including jobs like child care, aged care, disability care, nursing and community services.
It will also provide more opportunities for apprentices and trainees. And fill skills shortage gaps like those in trades and construction, resources, digital and cyber security, new energy and advanced manufacturing.
Free TAFE will provide opportunities for school leavers, workers wanting to retrain or upskill, and unpaid carers – who are predominantly women – to get back into the workforce.
Under Labor’s plan for free TAFE, we will focus on those areas which are currently seeing a critical skills gap, because of the Morrison Government’s neglect.
Labor’s Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will close this gap, and boost these critical workforces by providing 465,000 Free TAFE places, including 45,000 new TAFE places.
Labor’s $50 million TAFE Technology Fund will improve IT facilities, workshops, laboratories and tele-health simulators across the country.
Additionally, Labor will work closely with industry and unions for opportunities which allow workers to transfer and build on their accredited micro credential training.
Labor is committed to investing in the jobs of the future which is why our $100 million New Energy Apprenticeships will encourage and support 10,000 apprentices to train in new energy jobs, and provide the additional support they need to complete their training.
While many states and territories have invested in the skills and training sector, the Morrison Government has neglected the backbone of our vocational educational system – public TAFE.
Labor will end privatisation by stealth – ensuring at least 70 per cent of Commonwealth vocational education funding is for public TAFE.
More university places
Labor’s Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will also deliver up to 20,000 new university places.
This will help fix areas of skills shortages and fill future skills needs by training Australians in jobs including engineering, nursing, tech, and teaching.
Places will also be prioritised for universities offering more opportunities for under-represented groups such as people in regional, remote and outer-suburban areas, those who are the first in their family to study at university, and First Nations Australians.
Our Year 12s have had the final school years from hell.
Our students didn’t ask for this significant disruption.
Labor’s commitment will help lighten the load for school leavers at a very stressful time.

Disabled person and spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John has announced the Australian Greens have released a plan to improve the lives of 4 million disabled people across the country.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Steele-John said:
“On International Day of People with Disabilities, The Australian Greens are confirming their commitment to centering the needs and voices of disabled people.
“Right now, disabled people face many systemic barriers. Decisions that impact our lives are made without us everyday. Public buildings and public transport are built to be inaccessible, workplaces aren’t equipped to support us, adequate housing isn’t available and information is provided in formats that don’t meet our needs.
“All of these systemic barriers can be overcome, and I am proud to be announcing our Greens commitment to address these. The Greens are the only party with a plan to address these.
“Our Greens Accessible Australia plan will tackle the affordable housing crisis. Right now, so many people are experiencing housing stress. It’s especially dire for those who need accessible accommodation. The Greens will build 1 Million physically accessible homes across Australia and invest in accessible housing solutions.
“Catching public transport can be a nightmare, if not impossible, for so many disabled people. The Greens will invest $1 billion over four years to boost accessible public transport across Australia.
“The Greens want everyone to be able to enjoy outdoor places and access public spaces. That’s why we’re committing $3 Billion for an Accessible Infrastructure Fund, including $30 million for an Accessible Nature Fund. These investments from the Federal Government could be accessed by state, territory, and local governments to improve the accessibility of existing public places, and allow disabled people to enjoy outdoor places like beaches, parks, and other tourism spots.
“Our plan also will make our digital world accessible to everyone. We will restore funding to ensure the availability of AUSLAN interpreters and invest an additional $30 million over the forward estimates towards relay and translation services, and expand the regulatory requirement for audio description and captioning services to commercial TV.
“Working together, The Greens and the disability community have achieved many things. We’ve stopped the Morrison Government’s attempts at implementing Independent Assessment, successfully negotiated stronger confidentiality protections for people sharing their experiences with the Disability Royal Commission, and obtained justice for Thalidomide survivors.
“The next election will be closer than people think. Scott Morrison is only 828 votes away from losing majority government and on current polling, a power-sharing Parliament is the most likely outcome.
“In the balance of power, the Greens will kick the Liberals out and push the next government to make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share of tax so all people are supported to live a good life and able to access education, housing, and public spaces.
The Greens will:

• Make our physical world accessible to everyone by investing in public transport, schools, hospitals, nature play spaces, and other public infrastructure to make them physically accessible.
• Increase support for the advocacy organisations and intervention services that are needed to protect disabled people from abuse and bring perpetrators to justice.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP has criticised today’s climate announcement, saying Labor has given up on climate.
Labor’s target is not consistent with the science of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, the goal set out in the Glasgow Climate Pact. Labor now joins the Liberals with targets that have given up on the science, given up on Glasgow and given up on the climate.
The independent Climate Targets Panel, the Climate Council and the climate and environment movement have all determined that Australia needs a 74-75% by 2030 target, in line with the UK’s 68% by 2030 cut.
Labor is going backwards on the last election, and a 43% cut is not much more than business as usual. The Greens policy is for a 75% emissions reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2035.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said: 
“Labor has given up on climate.
“Labor has given in to the coal and gas corporations and given up on climate.
“The climate crisis is getting worse but Labor is going backwards.
“Labor now joins the Liberals with targets that have given up on the science, given up on Glasgow and given up on climate.
“Labor and Liberal want more coal and gas and their low targets mean we lose the fight against global warming.
“Labor’s backdown shows the only way we’ll get climate action is kicking the Liberals out and putting Greens in balance of power to push Labor to go further and faster.
“These targets take us past the point of no return. The Liberals are taking us over the cliff at 200 km/h while Labor’s promising to do it at 180 km/h. Both their plans mean Australia heats up by more than 3 degrees, which is game over for our country.”

When First Nations people fight for Country, against dirty mining companies or corporate landowners with deep pockets, they’re often locked in a long, expensive and ultimately unfair legal battle.
The Greens have a plan to balance the scales, by making billionaires and big polluters pay their fair share of tax. Through a ‘billionaires tax’ and a ‘corporate super-profits tax,’ we can put resources towards an environmental and cultural heritage legal defence fund.
“We need better resources so Traditional Owners can fight back and assert their rights to Country.” Said the Greens spokesperson for Justice and First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“Right now, there’s no money and no support when we take big corporations to court. In balance of power, The Greens will contribute $51m to establish a First Nations Legal Defence Fund so Traditional Owners can access independent legal advice.”
“We saw at Beetaloo how the Labor and Liberal parties decided to destroy Country, in favour of a company that makes big donations to both of their parties. Too many sacred sites have already been destroyed.”
“We heard evidence in the Senate Inquiry into the Juukan Gorge crisis that mining companies manufacture consent. They talk to corporations who say they represent the Traditional Owners, when they don’t. We need to make sure the right people are making decisions about what happens on their Country.“ Said Thorpe.
Yamatji-Noongar Senator for Western Australia Dorinda Cox: the Greens spokesperson for Mining and Resources said:
“In some state-based legislation, there is no right to appeal. There is no right to veto. First Nations people do not have bags of cash lying around to take mining companies and corporate landowners to the Supreme Court to protect their cultural heritage.”
“The Australian Cultural Heritage Bill and the Senate Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge show that legislation protecting Country is weak. It was written in the interests of mining and development.”
“We need designated resources for First Nations people to assert their rights and fight for Country.”

Labor has signed on to the government’s anti-democracy agenda by voting for new legislation designed to silence critical voices from the nonprofit sector.
The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Political Campaigner) Bill was rammed through the Senate tonight without debate and without going to inquiry, passing after a dirty deal between Labor and the Liberals.
The new laws will mean that more nonprofits will now be classified as “large third parties”, increasing their disclosure requirements and administrative burdens.  More charities will spend more time on paperwork and less time advocating for public interest policy reforms. Many will be discouraged from advocacy work altogether.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“This bill is not about transparency and accountability. It’s not about the integrity of elections. This bill will undermine charities and the right to advocate for change.
“It’s always been about shutting critical voices out of the election debate by tying them up in bureaucracy. Whatever happened to the Liberals hating red tape?
“That’s why over 80 charities joined together to call on the government to scrap this bill. And it’s why the government has ignored them.
“Charities are already subject to strict reporting and transparency obligations under the ACNC. There is no justification for the additional reporting that a lower threshold would impose on the many organisations already struggling to make ends meet.
“This is a cynical stitch-up between the government and Labor. We’re glad to see the back of the voter ID laws but secretly trading one legislative outcome for another is not how democracy is supposed to work.
“Labor is of course patting itself on the back for getting some amendments through, but the changes do little more than make terrible legislation marginally less terrible. They don’t deserve a cookie for that.
“If this government was serious about transparency during elections, they would ban dirty donations, immediately lower the donation disclosure thresholds and require real-time reporting.
“And if they were serious about accountability and inappropriate influence, we would not have been waiting more than 1080 days for a national integrity commission.
“This is a kick in the teeth to a sector that needs more support, not more roadblocks. The Greens will continue to stand up for charities who advocate for policy reforms.”