Month: December 2023

OECD REPORT PROVES SCHOOL UNDERFUNDING IS BAKING IN EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY

The Greens say new OECD data showing Australia’s most disadvantaged school students falling further behind their more privileged peers should be the wake-up call Labor needs to finally deliver full funding to public schools.

The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, the first published since 2018, reveals a growing gap between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged students in mathematics performance, a worrying sign that inequity is increasingly baked in to the school system.

Some of the report’s key findings include:

  • The average performance of Australian students across reading, mathematics and science continues to trend downwards
  • Advantaged students outperformed their disadvantaged peers by 101 points in mathematics, higher than the OECD average of 93 and a rise of 20 points since 2018
  • The gap between the highest performing students and the weakest students widened in mathematics and science
  • 61% of school principals reported their capacity to provide instruction was hindered by a lack of teaching staff, a 44% jump from 2018

Greens spokesperson on Education (Primary and Secondary) Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“The PISA report reveals that not only is the average performance of Australian students continuing to trend downwards, Australia’s school system is increasingly unequal, with the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students widening over the past four years.

“Only 1.3% of public schools in Australia receive their bare minimum funding. Meanwhile, 98% of private schools are overfunded by governments, and they continue to charge ever-growing private fees, compounding the inequity.

“In the decade since Gonski, combined recurrent funding from Commonwealth, state and territory governments to Independent schools increased 34.04%, while spending on Catholic schools grew 31.17%. Spending on public schools only increased 16.92%.

“First Nations kids, kids in regional, rural and remote areas, neurodivergent and disabled kids, kids experiencing poverty and housing insecurity – when our governments make the choice to leave our public system underfunded, this is who they’re choosing to abandon.

“Labor and the Coalition’s collective failure means we do not have the sector-blind, needs-based funding system that Gonski proposed and all governments signed on to. What we have is the opposite of that: a sector-based, needs-blind Frankenstein stitched together with dodgy deals and caveats.

“With the new National School Reform Agreement and bilateral deals to be negotiated in coming months, and Labor in power federally and across the mainland, this is an historic opportunity to end a decade of false dawns and broken promises and deliver 100% SRS funding to every public school by January 2025.”

FUTURE FUND INVESTING OVER $600 MILLION IN WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS, INCLUDING A BLACKLISTED ISRAELI ARMS COMPANY

Documents obtained by Greens Senator David Shoebridge have revealed how the Future Fund has invested more than $600 million in public funds in global weapons companies. 

The documents, current to 31 October 2023, show the Future Fund has direct holdings in 30 weapons and aerospace companies including Thales, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.

Remarkably the Fund’s board has invested nearly half a million dollars into the Israel-based Elbit Systems despite the Future Fund being banned from investing in Elbit System since at least 2021 due to ‘exclusions related to military weapons-related Conventions or Treaties ratified by Australia’.

Greens Defence Spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge said: 

“The Albanese Government needs to introduce mandatory ethical investment rules for the Future Fund and that must absolutely include a prohibition on investing in weapon manufacturers. 

“Elbit Systems is meant to be excluded from the Future Fund’s investment choices because of exclusions related to military weapons-related Conventions and Treaties ratified by Australia. 

“The Future Fund’s board needs to explain how it continues to invest in Elbit Systems despite the publicly announced direction it gave to withdraw those funds because of Australia’s international legal obligations.

“Elbit Systems is also deeply implicated in the current destruction in Gaza where a suite of its weapons are deployed from artillery pieces to drones. 

“The majority of Australians want peace and justice, not just in Palestine, but around the world, yet the country’s wealth is instead being funnelled into companies that fuel violence.

“The Future Fund is meant to benefit future generations. That rings very hollow when they are investing in companies making equipment that ends future generations.”

Greens Finance spokesperson, Senator Barbara Pocock said:

“We’ve been looking at some of the investments the Future Fund has been making through an ethical lens and found some very questionable products including fossil fuel ventures, gambling and now this, weapons manufacturing that could be contributing to the deaths of innocent civilians.

“I think many Australians would be deeply distressed to find out that our sovereign wealth fund, our money, is being used in a variety of ways that conflict with basic moral and ethical principles. 

“We need to review the investment guidelines that govern the Future Fund and put some restrictions in place so that Australians can live with a clear conscience, knowing that our investments are making the world a better place and not the opposite.”

GREENS WRITE TO EDUCATION MINISTERS URGING FULL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Greens have today written to Commonwealth, state and territory education ministers to urge them to fully fund public schools, after PISA results published overnight revealed a growing gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

Read the letter here

Greens spokesperson on Education (Primary & Secondary) Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“The single biggest determinant of an Australian child’s school performance is their socioeconomic status. This is unacceptable in a wealthy country that professes to value fairness.

“The PISA data shows that in the lowest socioeconomic quartile, only 40% of students are reaching the national proficiency standard in science and reading, while less than a third hit that mark in mathematics. Among the most affluent students, around three-quarters of them are at or above the standard.

“Labor is in power federally and across the mainland. There has never been a better time to end a decade of delay and false dawns and finally deliver on the Gonski vision of a truly sector-blind and needs-based funding model.

“With education ministers meeting on Monday we urge them to seriously consider the PISA report and agree to fully fund public schools at the start of the next National School Reform Agreement, in January 2025.”

Targeted sanctions in response to human rights violations in Russia

Today, Australia has imposed Magnitsky-style targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on three Federal Security Service agents involved in the poisoning of prominent Russian opposition figure and pro-democracy activist, Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Australia has also imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on ten individuals, including a Russian Deputy Minister, who are linked to the politically motivated arrest, trial and sentencing of Mr Kara-Murza.

A long-time critic of President Putin’s repressive regime, Mr Kara-Murza was subjected to two near-fatal poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison under Russia’s draconian laws which prohibit criticism of the Russian Armed Forces.

Those responsible for Russia’s appalling crackdown on civil society, human rights defenders, independent journalists, opposition figures and minority groups must be held to account.

Today’s announcement builds on our existing actions. This includes sanctions on individuals involved in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, and Australia’s statements in key multilateral forums, such as the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

Australia calls on Russia to comply with its human rights obligations under international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Kara-Murza and all other detained political activists.

Maritime Advisory Council welcomes new members

The Minister for Transport and Transport for NSW welcome the appointment of new members to the Maritime Advisory Council.

These are crucial roles, as the council provides independent, expert advice to the minister on a broad range of maritime-related matters, such as maritime safety, maritime infrastructure, and maritime property.
 
The minister for transport endorsed 10 people to form the new independent council, with 4 new members and the reappointment of 6 previous members:

  • Emma Humphries (new)
  • Graham Peachey (new)
  • Jackie Parry (new)
  • Steve Hatch (new)
  • Darren Vaux (returning as Chair)
  • Anthony Haworth (returning)
  • John Barbouttis (returning)
  • Shannon O’Brien (returning)
  • Janice Thurgar (returning)
  • Adam Smith (returning)

The new council members began their 3-year term on 30 November 2023, and is looking to hold an inaugural meeting in early 2024.
 
Expressions of interest were advertised over 4 weeks, before an assessment panel reviewed the large number of applications. All members were chosen for their unique expertise, with the panel focusing on a diverse membership that reflects the maritime community, with a range of age, gender and experience.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:
 
“NSW has the most beautiful waterways in the world, and as transport minister, I take great pride in being responsible for our maritime operations.
 
“The Maritime Advisory Council is a vital body, analysing boating data, providing me with expert and independent advice, and greatly supporting our target of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our state’s waterways.

“I look forward to meeting with the council on crucial maritime matters to enhance safe and sustainable access to NSW waterways, and I thank both the new and returning members for their time and commitment.”
 
Transport for NSW Acting Deputy Secretary Safety, Environment and Regulation Sally Webb said:
 
“Every member of the Maritime Advisory Council is a passionate boater, kayaker, water skier and water lover. Their input ensures we hear from all people using our waterways. 
 
“It is important we have a diverse council to ensure decisions made cater to the whole boating community.”

New Connectivity Index uncovers the state of internet access

Government, businesses and the not-for-profit sector now have a statewide view of internet connectivity at a suburb level, paving the way for targeted initiatives and investment opportunities.

The NSW Digital Connectivity Index is a map-based tool that measures internet and mobile phone connectivity using three metrics: access, affordability and demographics.
The new tool evaluates the state of connectivity by measuring the presence and performance of mobile and internet coverage, assessing the cost of connectivity relative to income, and considering social factors influencing the ability of residents to use digital tools.

The Connectivity Index is the first of its kind to provide data specific to each suburb across the state, enabling government agencies, local councils, businesses and service providers to make more informed decisions around digital inclusion and connectivity investment.

NSW Government agencies can also overlay their own data sets on the map-based tool to help identify priority areas for connectivity, such as bushfire prone areas or car accident blackspots.

Combining more than 200 million data points, the NSW Digital Connectivity Index supports more evidence-based decision-making, whether it is first-home buyers gauging connectivity in an area, or government agencies identifying where investment in digital initiatives or infrastructure is needed.

The tool can also be used to engage commercial telecommunications providers to address identified issues and encourage greater transparency in the services available to customers, as well as enable the NSW Government to work more closely with the Commonwealth to identify priority issues.

The Digital Connectivity Index was developed by the NSW Telco Authority with support from NSW Spatial Services. Find out more about the Digital Connectivity Index.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

“Digital technology is transforming the way people do business and access services, so understanding the reliability and uptake of digital technology across communities is an important first step in making targeted decisions.

“It is a priority for this Government to ensure everyone can confidently access and utilise the internet. The NSW Digital Connectivity Index will help identify areas where we may be able to provide support and work with other levels of government and industry to develop solutions.

“The suburb-by-suburb detail of this tool, measuring connectivity by access, affordability and demographics, is a first for Australia. It sets us on the path to building digital inclusion and community safety, from improving connectivity during natural disasters to identifying blackspots.”

More local teachers for Queanbeyan as Grow Your Own program expands in high-demand regions

Teacher vacancies have halved in Queanbeyan public schools since November 2022, and a new program aims to make it even lower by attracting community members into the teaching profession.

The NSW Government’s Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline (LTP) program will attract aspiring teachers with generous training allowances and in-classroom experience. In return, participants are required to teach in a NSW public school within an agreed location for 3 years.  

Queanbeyan joins Western and Southwestern Sydney, Dubbo and the Murray regions in being targeted by the program because of its particularly high demand for teachers.

Schools in the city have struggled to maintain teachers after 12 years of the former Liberal National Government’s public sector wage cap, while schools over the ACT border were paying among the best teacher wages in the country.

The Minns Labor Government has begun to address the challenge by removing the wages cap and delivering NSW public school teachers the highest pay rise in a generation, making NSW teachers among Australia’s best paid.   

The Minns Labor Government has also converted the jobs of more than 9000 temporary teachers across NSW into permanent roles, including 36 at Queanbeyan schools.

The Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline program will build on inroads being made across the state by the wage rise and temporary to permanent conversions, with a focus on attracting and retaining teachers in areas most in need. 

Candidates from Queanbeyan will be among 75 prospective teachers across the state who will be supported to complete an education qualification under the program, starting in Term 1, 2024.

Eligible schools have helped to identify local people with teaching potential for the program, including career changers, school administration and support staff, high school leavers and other community members. 

Successful candidates are offered a range of financial and other incentives to train as teachers.

The program works with interested schools to identify which subjects are most in-need locally. Schools take part in the recruitment process to ensure participants are the right fit for their school communities.

Program participants will be offered a place in 1 of 3 pathways to a qualification: 

  • Undergraduate pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 4 years
  • Postgraduate pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 2 years
  • Industry Experience pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 2 years and a retention incentive of up to $30,000 paid over the first 3 years of teaching in a NSW public school in an agreed location. 

Participants will work 1 day a week in a local NSW public secondary school while completing their studies, and once qualified will be committed to teach in a NSW public school in an agreed location for a minimum of 3 years.  

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said: 

“Fixing the teacher shortage is one of the NSW Government’s highest priorities, which is why we’ve delivered a once-in-a-generation wage rise, made thousands of temporary teachers permanent and are investing in programs like the Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline program.

“We’ve already seen a significant drop in vacancies in the Queanbeyan area over the last 12 months and we are determined to keep working to restore teaching as a career of choice in NSW.”

Monaro MP Steve Whan said:

“I heard from many teachers before and during the election campaign about the challenges local schools have been facing, and I am very pleased to see this improvement as the Minns Labor Government prioritises fixing the teacher shortage.

“This Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline initiative builds on the huge boost we have had by removing the Liberal National wages cap and giving teachers a decent pay increase, and by providing permanent jobs for so many people left without job security by the former government.”

Minns Labor Government establishes taskforce to tackle emergency department wait times

The Minns Labor government will establish a new taskforce to tackle emergency department (ED) wait times.

The ED Taskforce comes off the back of the success of the Surgical Care Taskforce – established on the Health Minister’s first day in office – which has seen overdue surgeries more than halved.

The ED Taskforce will comprise health workers and NSW Health officials, from across the state’s various local health districts and specialty networks, including from regional communities.

It will be tasked with identifying and implementing efficiencies, including:

  • initiatives to reduce unnecessary presentations
  • addressing bed block and improve patient flow
  • safely discharging patients more quickly
  • improving the experience of patients and staff in the ED
  • moving patients to parts of the system with more capacity, where clinically appropriate.

The Minister for Health Ryan Park has instructed NSW Health to draft terms of reference, appoint membership of the taskforce, and set a first meeting date.

It comes after the release of 2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports and the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) quarterly results.

The 2 AIHW reports show that over 2022-23, NSW reported:

  • the highest number of ED presentations of any state or territory in Australia (3 million)
  • the highest proportion of presentations seen on time in Australia (74%)
  • the second-highest proportion of planned surgeries completed within clinically recommended timeframes (77.3%).

The latest BHI data for the September quarter shows:

  • a record number of triage 2 category (emergency) presentations (118,772)
  • a 61% reduction in the number of overdue surgeries compared to September 2022.

A significant factor in the record demand on hospitals is the proportion of cases that could be treated in primary or aged care settings.

Almost half of all presentations to EDs were either category 4 (such as sprained ankle, earache) or category 5 (such as small cuts or abrasions).

A further BHI report on patient experiences in small rural hospitals shows that 45% of patients felt they could have been treated by a general practitioner (GP) or other health professional.

This will remain a focus of the ED Taskforce.

The NSW Government is also embracing a suite of innovative initiatives to divert unnecessary presentations to hospitals and relieve pressure on GPs.

This includes:

  • rolling out 25 urgent care services across the state
  • empowering pharmacists to prescribe certain medications
  • increasing the use of virtual care
  • making it easier for doctors in regional health districts to work in both GP and hospital settings.

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“This Emergency Department Taskforce is the latest initiative in our suite of measures to improve wait times and access to care, including supporting and boosting our workforce, and embracing innovating initiatives to divert pressure from our hospitals.

“We won’t undo 12 years of underinvestment in our health system overnight, but I can assure staff and the community that seismic structural reforms are underway to turn things around.

“Patients just want to receive the care they need and deserve in a timely manner.

“Having people and their loved ones waiting around in our hospitals for lengthy periods of time is neither good for them, nor our staff, nor other patients.

“I’ve made it a ministerial priority of mine that where we can safely improve access to care and treatment – including timeliness – we will do it.

“I’m proud of our healthcare workers across NSW who have faced serious challenges over the past couple of years but continue to show professionalism amidst record presentations and demand on our health system.”

NSW Health Deputy Secretary Adjunct Professor Matthew Daly said:

“NSW public hospitals were recognised as the best in the country on performance in emergency departments in 2022-23, ensuring patients continued to receive high-quality care during periods of sustained high demand.

“Planned surgery performance also continued to improve across NSW, with the state achieving the second-highest result nationally for the proportion of planned surgeries completed within clinically recommended timeframes.

“We thank our outstanding healthcare workers who performed exceptionally well throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we remain committed to further improving patient health outcomes and experiences in our hospitals.”

Search for new Racing NSW Chair to get underway

The NSW Government will soon begin a public expression of interest process for the appointment of a new Racing NSW chair and member to replace outgoing Chairman Russell Balding AO.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris has also confirmed that Dr Saranne Cooke has been reappointed as Deputy Chair for a further 2 years.

Racing NSW will continue to make decisions and function as it normally would during the absence of an appointed chair, with a quorum still in place and the deputy chair presiding at Racing NSW meetings.

“The reappointment of Dr Cooke will ensure the board can continue to make decisions and operate normally while the selection process for a new chair is underway,” Minister Harris said.  

The Act provides that Racing NSW consists of the CEO and 7 other members appointed by the minister from time to time. 

Minister Harris said the selection process to fill the chair’s role, as well as the member vacancy created by the end of Mr Balding’s tenure, will begin this month.  

“This will include the establishment of a selection panel in accordance with the legislation, with a publicly advertised call for expressions of interest,” Minister Harris said.   

“The role of the selection panel is to prepare and provide me with a list of candidates based on merit and relevant experience.”  

Minister Harris thanked Mr Balding whose term ends on 18 December, for his service on the Racing NSW Board for 12 years including the past 7 as chair.

“The board, led by Mr Balding, has successfully guided the industry and helped position NSW as the leading racing state, with new marquee events such as The Everest, a revitalised Spring Carnival and record prize money to participants.  

“I want to thank Mr Balding for his outstanding contribution as Chair of Racing NSW. His legacy is a revitalised racing industry in NSW that this government will continue to support.”

Details about the expression of interest process will be available soon on the Office of Racing website.

$22 Billion Agri-Crisis: Murray Darling Basin Plan Threatens Food Production

Food and fibre production worth more than $22 billion per year is now at great risk following changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which were rushed through Parliament last week. 

It’s been nothing less than a return to the bad old days early in the development of the Basin Plan under the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments, when irrigators and river communities were facing savage reductions in the water they could use to grow 40% of Australia’s food and fibre. 

After already giving up more than 2000 gigalitres per year of water to the Plan—the equivalent of more than four Sydney Harbours—irrigators and their communities are about to be asked to give up another 700 gigalitres through buybacks. 

Buybacks have already devastated communities in the Basin, from Dirranbandi to Shepparton to Waikerie and everywhere in between. Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have visited communities across the Basin and seen this devastation for themselves; there is no denying it. 

Desperate irrigators have left the system, leaving those who have remained to pick up the water delivery costs, which do not fall with the loss of farmers and their properties. The loss of food production in these areas means processors and packing sheds – the big employers in the basin—are left with no choice but to stand down workers. This forces more people out of Basin communities to look for work, and with less people needing their services, institutions like banks and schools also close down. It’s a vicious cycle, and every Australian will feel it as their grocery bills skyrocket. 

And where does most of this water recovered for the environment go? Down into South Australia’s Lower Lakes, where about 1000 gigaliters just evaporate into the air every year. These are not natural freshwater lakes; before the barrages were built near the Murray mouth in the 1930s, they were saltwater lakes, and seawater penetrated inland as far as Swan Reach, 250km upstream. 

Labor and the Greens did a very dirty deal to get this bill hastily passed, a deal also involving the Jacqui Lambie Network and newly-independent senator David Van. We don’t know what favours were traded, but it’s a fair bet they’re not in the interests of Australia.