Month: December 2021

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 disabled people across the country.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Steele-John said:
“I am so excited to release the first stage of our monumental Greens plan for disabled people ahead of International Day of People with Disabilities.
“The Australian Greens are committed to centering the needs and voices of disabled people. Our Accessible Australian plan provides a clear pathway forward to fix the broken systems disabled people interact with every day, and will enable our community to live fully, and enjoy our lives.
“One of the systems that must better meet the needs of disabled people is the NDIS. I am committed to ending the uncertainty and distress experienced by many on the NDIS, that’s why The Greens are committed to properly funding, staffing, and resourcing the NDIS.
“In the balance of power, the Greens would push to remove the age limit that prevents disabled people over 65 from being accepted in the NDIS. The aged care system is not providing sufficient support for disabled people over the age of 65. The Australian Greens want to ensure everyone is able to access support to live a good life.
“Outrageously, we experience violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation by those who are there to support us, or at the hands of institutions we have no choice but to interact with. That’s why The Greens are committing to investing $300 million in the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission so it is able to undertake its compliance and investigative capacity.
“Working together, The Greens and the disability community have achieved many things. We’ve stopped the Morrison Government’s attempts at implementing Independent Assessments, successfully negotiated stronger confidentiality protections for people sharing their experiences with the Disability Royal Commission, and obtained justice for Thalidomide survivors. We’re determined to improve our NDIS too.”
The Australian Greens Announcement has been supported by The Disability Doesn’t Discriminate Campaign, Polio Australia, and Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance. 
Mark Townend, CEO of Spinal Life Australia, the organisation behind the Disability Doesn’t Discriminate Campaign supports this policy position of Senator Jordon Steele-John and the Australian Greens.
“We have been campaigning to expose the disgraceful and deliberate decision, made in 2013, to exclude people with disability from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on the basis of age. Disability can impact anyone at any time and doesn’t discriminate, so why should age matter? It is unfair, unjust, and unacceptable, and it must end now,” Mr. Townend said.
“It is unconscionable that Australians with a spinal cord injury over 65 who are excluded from the NDIS, are forced onto the My Aged Care Scheme, which provides a maximum of $52,000 a year in support, has a waiting list of up to 18 months and is means tested. A younger person with the same spinal cord injury, can qualify faster for the NDIS and receive a funding package of up to $200,000 a year. At Spinal Life Australia we hear these heartbreaking stories every day and hope this decision by the Greens will end the shocking inequity once and for all.
“Some of our members have missed out on NDIS funding packages by mere weeks. These are Australians who have fought in wars, paid taxes all their working life, and don’t deserve to be discriminated against,” Mr Townend said.
Polio Australia said:
“Polio Australia welcomes this announcement from the Australian Greens. Those permanently disabled by polio in their early childhood were optimistic about the creation of the NDIS. Survivors thought the NDIS would provide disability support not available through the aged care system, but were devastated when the scheme was capped at age 65.  It’s imperative to remove this artificial limit and end the unconscionable age discrimination against those with a lifelong disability.”
Dr Bronwyn Morkham, Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance said :
“Properly funding the NDIS goes hand in hand with completing the National Injury Insurance Scheme. Both are needed to provide a comprehensive disability support system for Australia.”
Our Greens Plan will ensure all people are supported to live a good life with access to inclusive education and employment, and ensuring access to essential services like healthcare is made completely accessible.
The Greens will:

• • Ensure that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is available to all disabled people who need it.
• • We’ll reduce wait times by properly staffing, training, and resourcing the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
• • Increase support for the advocacy organisations and intervention services that are needed to protect disabled people from abuse and bring perpetrators to justice.
• • Boost NDIS funding and reinvest the $160 million the Morrison Government committed to corporations as part of their failed attempt to roll out Independent Assessments.

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.”

The number of people waiting to receive a home care package continues to decrease as the Morrison Government ensures more senior Australians can live at home for longer.
The Home Care Packages Program Data Report (1st Quarter 2021-22) shows the number of people accessing a home care package grew to 204,146 at 30 September 2021 – an increase of over 41,000 older Australians in 12 months.
The number of people waiting for their approved home care package also dropped by 25 per cent from 30 September 2020 to 30 September 2021.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said it underlined the action taken by the Morrison Government in its comprehensive response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
“Senior Australians want more choice, they want support to remain in control, to stay connected to their community and to remain as independent as possible, in their own home,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We have seen a 25 per cent decrease in the number of people who are waiting for a home care package at their approved level since 30 September 2020.
“The significant investment in home care packages and a shorter waitlist shows the Government is ensuring senior Australians have access to this kind of support when they need it.”
The Government is investing $6.5 billion for an additional 80,000 home care packages to support senior Australians who choose to remain in their own home.
Minister Colbeck said the packages, which commenced roll out from 1 July 2021, are expected to further reduce waitlist and wait times.
Importantly, 99 per cent of senior Australians waiting for a package at their assessed level have also been offered support from the Government, including an interim package or Commonwealth Home Support Programme and continue to have access to Australia’s world-class health care system.
“We’re rolling out the packages quickly” Minister Colbeck said.
“In addition to the 40,000 packages released in 2021-22, another 40,000 packages will become available in 2022-23.
“This means that by 30 June 2023 there will be around 275,600 packages available.
“This allocation continues to significantly reduce the wait list while we work through the design phase of the new home care system which we aim to implement by July 2023.”
Minister Colbeck said the Government remained committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of senior Australians remained a priority.
“We are working hard to make sure more senior Australians than ever before are able to receive the support they need to live at home and in the communities they love.”
The Home Care Packages Program Data Report (1^st Quarter 2021-22) can be viewed here.

A new funding agreement that increases total program funding from $52.6 million to $151.1 million over four years will significantly expand the National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP) to support greater choice and quality safeguards for senior Australians.
The Morrison Government committed to an increase of $99.6 million for the NACAP program, as part of its $17.7 billion aged care reform package, announced in the 2021-22 Budget.
This responds to the Royal Commission into Aged Quality and Safety recommendation to expand aged care advocacy, recognising advocacy support that identifies and actively considers consumer needs is essential to an aged care system that delivers respect, dignity, and consumer choice and control.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the role of the NACAP was as important as ever.
“Our five-year, five pillar reform package is transforming aged care by prioritising the individual needs of senior Australians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“An expanded National Aged Care Advocacy Program will ensure those seeking support are empowered to make informed decisions about their care, understand their rights, and have support to resolve complaints when they arise, in a time of great change.”
The expanded NACAP will improve access to face-to-face and virtual aged care advocacy through:

• doubling the workforce to support more than 15,000 additional advocacy cases and adding more than 1,000 local networking and education sessions each year;
• new community advocacy activities, including increased capability for self-advocacy, home and community care vulnerability check-ins, and education around home care service costs;
• support for aged care reform and emergencies, including extending COVID-19 response advocacy activities, and
• education for providers to better understand the diversity of the community they are serving and help remove any related barriers to access.

The NACAP will continue to be provided by the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), which builds on its record since 2017 of effectively delivering essential free, independent and confidential advocacy support and information to seniors and their families of choice or representatives.
Minister Colbeck said OPAN had a strong track record of advocacy for senior Australians through the NACAP, particularly since the emergence of COVID-19.
“OPAN is providing critical advocacy and support services to aged care residents and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including those in facilities that have had an outbreak,” Minister Colbeck said.
OPAN delivers NACAP through its network of nine service delivery organisations across Australia.
People in need of advocacy or information can contact an OPAN member organisation in their area on 1800 700 600 (free call), or via OPAN’s website at www.opan.com.au/opan-network.

The Morrison Government is marking World AIDS Day by announcing over $50 million in new funding to extend access to HIV treatment in Australia and to support activities that will support the health and mental wellbeing of people living with blood borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections.
World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year. It remembers the 30 million people worldwide who have died of HIV/AIDS and reminds us of this ongoing global pandemic.
The theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is ‘End inequalities. End AIDS’
This year is the 40th anniversary of the first official report of the immune illness that would be later recognised as AIDS. In 2020, there were 633 new diagnoses of HIV in Australia and more than 29,000 people living with HIV.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said, the Morrison Government was investing more than $39 million over 5 years to support people living with HIV in Australia, who are not eligible for Medicare, to access the treatment they need.
“This investment will benefit an estimated 1,000 people currently living with HIV in Australia each year, providing access to appropriate and equitable HIV treatment and care,” Minister Hunt said.
“By expanding treatment to more people living with HIV in Australia, we can improve health outcomes for individuals and contribute to curbing the onward transmission of the virus.”
The Morrison Government will continue to work with the states and territories to establish the new access arrangements which will commence from 1 July 2022.
Improving access to treatment for HIV positive people in Australia regardless of their nationality will contribute to decreasing the transmission of HIV in Australia, a key goal of the Eighth National HIV Strategy which has been agreed by State, Territory and Commonwealth Governments.
“Our Government will also provide more than $11 million in new funding to Australia’s blood borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections peak bodies to continue their important work across the country,” Minister Hunt said.
The Morrison Government works closely with the peak bodies, including the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, the National Association of People with HIV in Australia, Hepatitis Australia, the Australian Injecting Drug Users League, Scarlet Alliance – Australian Sex Workers Association, and the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine.
Access to new and flexible testing arrangements is also being expanded through recent changes by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to increase the availability of the Atomo HIV Self-Test, the only HIV self-test approved for sale in Australia.
New rules now allow easier on-line access, over the counter sales in pharmacies, and supply of the at-home test through organisations or institutions who work with HIV at-risk communities if they have appropriately trained staff.

National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response and the new Omicron strain.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on the current COVID-19 situation and health response across Australia.
The World Health Organization has declared the B.1.1.529 strain, now known as the Omicron strain and first detected in Southern Africa on 24 November 2021, to be a variant of concern, one of five existing variants of concern including Delta. Six cases of the Omicron strain have been detected in Australia. All cases have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, and are in quarantine.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 210,239 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 2,006 people have died. More than 47.8 million tests have been undertaken, with over 1 million tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 262 million cases and sadly over 5.2 million deaths, with 650,462 new cases and 7,391 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date over 39.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 95,247 in the previous 24 hours. In the previous 7 days, more than 604,000 vaccines have been administered in Australia.
More than 92.4 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 97.4 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 99.9 per cent of over 70 year olds.
More than 87 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated including more than 93.7 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 97.3 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.
National Cabinet noted Australia has sufficient supplies of booster shots available, with contracts in place for 85 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 15 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 51 million doses of the Novavax vaccine.
National Cabinet further noted that the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation are in late stage consideration regarding when Pfizer can be rolled out to 5 to 11 year olds.
National Cabinet and the National Federation Reform Council will next meet as scheduled on Friday 10 December.
Omicron Variant
National Cabinet received an update from Professor Paul Kelly on the Omicron variant and governments responses.
The Chief Medical Officer provided advice that Australia is in the early stages of understanding the Omicron variant.
At this stage it is known that the Omicron strain has a high number of mutations particularly within its spike protein. Early data indicates Omicron may be more transmissible when compared with previous variants of the virus which causes COVID-19. At this stage there is insufficient evidence that vaccines and treatments are less effective against Omicron than other variants, and no evidence at this stage that Omicron is a more severe disease.
The Commonwealth and states and territories have already acted on medical advice to implement travel restrictions and revised quarantine and home isolation requirements.
The Commonwealth has implemented restrictions for travellers into Australia who have been in countries of concern in the past 14 days to slow the entry of the Omicron variant into Australia. The Commonwealth has implemented a temporary ban on non-citizens from Southern Africa entering Australia. Australians who have returned from Southern Africa countries are required to undertake 14 days quarantine under state and territory public health requirements.
The Commonwealth has updated the Australian Traveller Declaration (ATD) to specifically require travellers to comply with PCR testing requirements mandated by states and territories. These changes are in addition to the steps the Commonwealth has taken since 1 November to provide states and territories with detailed advice on incoming passengers, including by sharing data sets which link travellers’ ATD data to the flight on which they are arriving, and the enhancements to the ATD.
The Commonwealth National Security Committee has further taken the decision to push back the reopening to international skilled and student visa cohorts, as well as humanitarian visa holders, from 1 December until 15 December. Reopening to Japan and the Republic of Korea will also be paused to 15 December.
These are temporary precautions pending more information on the Omicron strain becoming available worldwide.
Existing arrangements will continue for Australians, permanent residents, immediate family (including parents), and other exempt visa holders including travellers through the New Zealand and Singapore safe travel zones and Pacific Labour Scheme participants.
States and territories have initiated new quarantine and home isolation requirements under public health measures. The Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria will continue to require 72 hours home isolation for all international arrivals, with 14 days quarantine in place for travellers returning from Southern African countries.
National Cabinet noted that on the basis of advice provided by the Chief Medical Officer, there was no immediate need to change current settings.
National Cabinet agreed that the Commonwealth and state and territory governments will continue to pursue a suppression strategy, noting the objective is to limit the rate of Omicron incursions into Australia, rather than eliminate it at the border.