Month: November 2023

Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, and Senator Larissa Waters welcome reports today that a national ombudsman on student safety will be proposed at next week’s Education Ministers meeting, as long as the oversight body has the teeth to actually hold universities accountable for their failure to protect students from sexual assault on campus.

Deputy Greens Leader & Greens spokesperson on Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:

“Sexual violence on campus is widespread and systemic. The ombudsman must have real teeth, be properly resourced and have solid enforcement powers, so the failures of universities and TEQSA are not repeated.

“I welcome the idea of a student ombudsman, but it must be made concrete urgently and have the powers to hold universities accountable for their responsibility to keep students safe. For too long governments and unis have failed students on campus, where hundreds of assaults are still occurring each week. 

“A proper complaints mechanism, combined with transparency, oversight and accountability for universities must inform every approach the government takes to address sexual violence on campus, including the student ombudsman. We’ve only come this far due to the hard work of activists like EROC, Fair Agenda and the STOP Campaign. 

“Universities have failed to make real change to protect students, so the government must step in and do so quickly. Unis must be safe places for students to learn and thrive.”

Greens spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The conduct of universities in covering up the sexual assaults and harassment that happen on campus rather than seriously addressing student concerns and keeping students safe has been reprehensible. 

“The government has finally heard the calls of advocates like End Rape on Campus, Fair Agenda and the STOP Campaign and is now floating ‘the idea’ of a national ombudsman, to oversight these issues. 

“Federal, state and territory education ministers are meeting Tuesday to negotiate changes to university governance; the demands of students and advocates for an independent, expert-led oversight body must be at the forefront of those negotiations.

“We don’t care what it’s called, taskforce or an ombudsman, as long as it’s a body that actually holds universities accountable for the safety of students on campus and in residential halls.

“To be effective this oversight body must; be independent and expert-led, be transparent, have an effective complaints avenue, and actually enforce meaningful accountability for those unis who don’t make the grade.”

The Greens are calling on the health minister to urgently fix the issue of insurance for midwives, who are currently unable to provide critical care for women and people in early labour.

Birthing on country initiatives are being particularly impacted, and an immediate fix is essential to ensuring continuity of care and culturally-safe birthing models.

Greens spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The Government needs to urgently fix the issue of insurance for midwives, once and for all. The recent discovery of a loophole in the midwives’ insurance cover means that the care midwives provide to people in early labour before they reach the hospital is not covered and therefore cannot be provided lawfully.
 
“It is unacceptable that the insurance contract was ever approved by government with this gaping error within it. 
 
“Midwives are essential to improving access to maternity and reproductive healthcare, particularly in regional and remote parts of the country.
 
“To learn they are suddenly no longer covered to perform these services has direct implications on the livelihoods of midwives, and on the health outcomes of the people they are caring for during pregnancy and birth.
 
“Midwives should be supported to perform more reproductive healthcare procedures and be funded to do so.”

Greens spokesperson on First Nations Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“First Nations women have been giving birth on Country for thousands of years using our Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing. First Nations parents can experience trauma when forced to be away from Country during the birthing process, or when a hospital doesn’t provide the appropriate culturally safe care. 

“Receiving that culturally sensitive and safe care on Country improves health outcomes for mums and babies and that opportunity should be available to all expectant First Nations mums as it can help close the gap. Women deserve maternity care that works for them and their bubs.

“The Senate inquiry into reproductive healthcare recommended support for midwives in birthing and a broader range of reproductive healthcare, and for more birthing on Country services and that must be immediately fast tracked.”

The Labor government has voted down Greens amendments to its Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Supporting the Transition to Work) Bill 2023 that would have raised the rate of income support, abolished mutual obligations and extended the work bonus for everyone.

The government’s Bill seeks to extend the temporary work bonus that was introduced last year for aged pensioners and some veteran recipients – leaving behind all other income support recipients in a poverty trap.

It also extends the nil rate period for Jobseeker and other income support recipients, meaning income recipients are able to work longer without their payment being cancelled. The Greens know this is simply tinkering at the edges and avoiding the change needed to the system – raising the rate of income support and abolishing mutual obligations.

Senator Janet Rice said:  

“While this bill takes small but important steps to assist income support recipients entering the workforce, we also know that these measures are just tinkering around the edges of a broken system.” 

“If Labor can increase the amount pensioners can work to $300 a fortnight – why can’t they do the same for Jobseekers, people on the parenting payment and Disability Support Pensioners under 21?” 

“Our safety net should encourage people to supplement their support payment with income from work. But right now Jobseekers and other income support recipients are only allowed to earn up to $150 a fortnight before their payment is reduced.” 

“It is completely astounding that Labor has decided to grant the work bonus to pensioners, and not include all income support recipients.”

“Over 43% of Jobseeker recipients have a partial capacity to work, meaning they are sick and/or disabled. Disabled or sick people don’t always have the capacity to sustain long term employment and may only be able to work intermittently.” 

“Labor is doing nothing for them. If you’re struggling to find employment, if you’re suffering from an illness, if you’re living with a disability, if you have caring responsibilities – forget it. Labor will not give you the full support you need to meet your basic needs.”

“Payments below the poverty line mean hunger, they mean illness, they mean hopelessness. None of those realities are conducive to finding meaningful, sustainable work.”

“If Labor really wanted to help people find meaningful work, they would raise the rate of all income support payments to above the poverty line and abolish mutual obligation requirements.” 

“The evidence shows that having more money and more time allows people to turn their attention away from day-to-day survival and towards creating a financially and emotionally sustainable future.”

“Our amendments aren’t new and they aren’t complicated. Each of these measures were implemented in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and they can be implemented again. The problem is Labor’s lack of political will to end poverty.”

“This is just one set of amendments – today, the Greens introduced three sets of amendments on three different bills trying to address the core problem of our social safety net, but Labor voted with the Liberals against them every time.”

The Albanese Labor Government is leading the way for Australia to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, with the release of the National Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer and a $48.2 million investment to support implementation.

As we mark the World Health Organisation’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, Australia is also making new investments to share our world-leading expertise with the Pacific and Southeast Asia, and work towards a world free of this deadly disease.

The National Strategy aims to eradicate cervical cancer as a public health issue in Australia by 2035. The $48.2 million investment over four years, will improve access to screening and follow up services, as well better data access to target vaccination efforts.

The National Strategy was developed by the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer after extensive public consultation and sets ambitious targets, and complements the Albanese Government’s landmark Australian Cancer Plan.

The new targets include extending the 90% HPV vaccination target to boys, so all children are safe from HPV. It also extends the 70% screening target to 5-yearly participation for 25- to 74-year-olds rather than just twice in a lifetime.

The National Strategy will improve support and access to services in priority populations such as First Nations people, people with disability, people living in rural and remote areas of Australia, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and LGBTIQA+ people. $8.3 million has been allocated to implement innovate screening models to support such communities.

This work supports other initiatives to eliminate cervical cancer, including the self-collected Cervical Screening Tests introduced in July 2022. These tests allow privacy and help to break down barriers for thousands of people who have never screened – including women who have experienced sexual violence, LGBTIQA+ people and culturally and linguistically diverse and First Nations communities.

First Nations women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and face significant barriers to participating in cervical screening compared to non‑Indigenous women. $12.7 million has been provided to the National Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation to improve access for First Nations women so they can be screened closer to home in their local community.

The Albanese Government is also making a new investment of up to $12.5 million to the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) as part of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.

This investment will connect Australia’s world-leading cervical cancer expertise with governments across the region to get HPV vaccine programs up and running, expand screening and treatment and build health workforce capacity.

The partnership complements Australia’s existing support for the region through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and cervical cancer screenings from sexual and reproductive health initiatives.

The National Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Australia is available via the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer website.

More information on Partnerships for a Health Region is available via the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security website.

Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Ged Kearney said:

“Australia has always punched above its weight when it comes to cervical cancer, and now Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate this deadly disease.

“One of my priorities is to address inequities in our health system. I want to make sure that everyone can get access to screening – and all healthcare – no matter where you live.

“By supporting the Pacific and Southeast Asia region eliminate cervical cancer we are another step closer to ridding the world of this disease”.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Penny Wong said:

“A quarter of global cervical cancer cases occur in our region, the Indo-Pacific.

“Tragically, in the Pacific, women are dying at up to 13 times the rate of women in Australia.

“Using Australian expertise to respond to the region’s most pressing challenges is at the heart of our new international development policy”.

The Australian Government has imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions on eight persons and one entity in response to the acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

These persons include Hamas members, operatives and financial facilitators, along with a currency exchange owned by one individual.

In 2001, Australia imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions against Hamas in its entirety. Since that time, we have sanctioned a further six entities and three persons with links to Hamas.

Sanctioning and publicly listing these additional eight persons and one entity for terrorism financing demonstrates that they are actively engaged in the support and facilitation of terrorism.

This makes it a criminal offence, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and heavy fines, to provide assets to sanctioned individuals or entities or to use or deal with their assets. These measures enable their activity to be prevented and holds them and those that transact with them directly to account.

Australia unequivocally condemns Hamas’ abhorrent acts of terror against Israel. These sanctions are targeted at those most culpable for terrorist acts.

A consolidated list of sanctions is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Every day a police officer dons their uniform, and every hour they are on duty, they knowingly and willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect the rest of us.

As the shields of our communities, our men and women in blue risk their lives. And sometimes, ever so sadly, our police officers pay the ultimate price for their dedication to law and order.

South Australian Police Officer, Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, tragically lost his life last night.

The seasoned 53-year-old officer, together with two fellow officers Sergeant Michael Hutchinson and Constable Rebekah Cass, attended a property after 11pm at Senior near Bordertown in the state’s south-east, close to the Victorian border.

The officers confronted an armed suspect. Brevet Sergeant Doig was shot and killed.

My thoughts are with Brevet Sergeant Doig’s family and friends who have had their lives upended and will be enduring their darkest hours.

Sergeant Michael Hutchinson was also wounded in the shooting. I wish him a speedy recovery.

The South Australian police – especially those from Brevet Sergeant Doig’s Lucindale Police Station – and the local communities around Bordertown and Lucindale will also have been rocked by this event.

This incident comes less than a year after the Wieambilla disaster where police officers also attended a rural property and were shot dead.

Today, in tragedy, we salute the life of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig. He chose a noble profession. He did his duty. He served his community with distinction.

We remember a remarkable Australian who embodied the very best of Australia.