Month: January 2024

With insurance premiums on the rise as communities across Australia experience increases in property crime, One Nation will demand that insurance is exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said in the long term it would be in the interests of Australian taxpayers to exempt insurance from GST.

“With premiums rising along with so many other costs of living and doing business, Australian households are going to take a long hard look at their insurance premiums, and some are going to decide they can no longer afford it,” Senator Hanson said.

“That potentially creates a big problem for Australian governments, especially in the event of a large-scale natural disaster, because ultimately taxpayers could be footing the bill for rebuilding.

“So I think we should be doing all we can to keep insurance costs low, so more Australians are protected. “Making insurance exempt from GST makes sense. Insurance is only a ‘service’ when a claim is made against a policy. This would save Australians a lot of money and hopefully encourage more people to get cover.”

Senator Hanson said One Nation, if it gained the balance of power at this year’s Queensland state election – would also exempt insurance from state government stamp duty.

“It’s obscene that with insurance premiums rising sharply on the back of escalating crime in regional Queensland, the state government – hopeless in addressing out-of-control crime—is receiving more direct revenue through stamp duty and more indirect revenue through GST.”

The Albanese Government will recommend to the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), that Mr Kimberley (Kim) Williams AM be appointed the next Chairperson of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Board.

Mr Williams has extensive experience across the screen, music, sports and media industries, and has made eminent and substantial contributions to the cultural life of the nation.

He is currently Chair of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, Co-Chair of the State Library of NSW Foundation Board and Director of Stradivarius Pty Ltd.

Mr Williams has held a number of Chief Executive positions across the creative industries, including the Australian Film Commission, Southern Star Entertainment, Fox Studios Australia, Foxtel, and NewsCorp Australia – and he is a recognised producer, innovator and executive leader.

His previous non-executive positions have included Chair of the Copyright Agency, the Sydney Opera House Trust, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Film Finance Corporation, Musica Viva Australia, the Richard Gill School, Deputy Chair of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, and an AFL Commissioner.

In 2006, Mr Williams was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the arts, film, and television industries.

Mr Williams was nominated for appointment by the independent Nomination Panel as part of the merit-based appointment process for the ABC and SBS Boards, and the Leader of the Opposition was consulted on the appointment in accordance with the legislated process.

The Chairperson position is part-time for five years, with remuneration set by the Remuneration Tribunal.

The Government acknowledges outgoing Chairperson Ms Ita Buttrose AC, OBE for her strong and steady leadership of the national broadcaster throughout her five-year term, and wishes her well for her future endeavours.   

Further information about the appointments process is available at: www.infrastructure.gov.au/abc-sbs-board-appointments.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“The ABC plays an essential role in Australia – it’s a pillar of our democracy, a lifeline in disaster, a voice for the regions and part of our cultural identity.

“It’s vital our national broadcaster has a safe and experienced pair of hands at the helm – and that’s what Kim will provide.

“Kim is eminently qualified to provide ongoing stability and leadership to this deeply valued Australian institution.”

Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said:

“Over the course of his impressive career, Mr Williams has held several significant roles at high-profile media and arts organisations, and he is a natural fit for the ABC.

“He’s shown a commitment to independence, to innovation and to best practice governance.

“We are confident Mr Williams will bring strong leadership and focus to the ABC Board, which is why he is being recommended to the Governor-General for this important role.

“The Government thanks Ms Ita Buttrose her for leadership of the ABC Board over the last five years. She was the right Chair for the right time, and we wish her well for the future”.

Australia has today used cyber sanctions powers on a Russian individual for his role in the breach of the Medibank Private network.

This is the first use of Australia’s autonomous cyber sanctions framework and is a result of Australian Government efforts over the past 18 months to investigate and respond to this cyber incident.

In the attack, 9.7 million records were stolen. These records included names, dates of birth, Medicare numbers, and sensitive medical information. Some records were published on the dark web.

The Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police, under Operation Aquila, together with other Commonwealth agencies and international partners, have worked tirelessly to link Russian citizen and cybercriminal Aleksandr Ermakov to the compromise of the Medibank Private network and continue to pursue other leads.

The Australian Government has imposed a targeted financial sanction and a travel ban on Aleksandr Ermakov. This sanction makes it a criminal offence, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and heavy fines, to provide assets to Aleksandr Ermakov, or to use or deal with his assets, including through cryptocurrency wallets or ransomware payments.

This announcement highlights the Albanese Government’s commitment in the 2023‑2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to deter and respond to malicious cyber activity, including through the use of sanctions.

We encourage all Australians – including businesses – to be vigilant about their cyber security arrangements to help make Australia a harder target against increasing malicious cyber activity.

The Australian Government discourages businesses and individuals from paying ransoms or extortion claims to cyber criminals. If you are asked to pay a ransom you should:

• Call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) for cyber security assistance; and
• Report the cybercrime, incident or vulnerability to the Australian Signals Directorate at https://www.cyber.gov.au/report

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP said:

“In our current strategic circumstances we continue to see governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and households in Australia targeted by malicious cyber actors.

“The Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police have worked tirelessly over the past 18 months to unmask those responsible for the cyberattack on Medibank Private and to ensure Australians are protected from malicious cyber activity.

“We continue to work with our friends and partners around the world to ensure cyber criminals are held to account for their actions and we will relentlessly pursue activities which disrupt their capability to target Australians in the cyber space.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Penny Wong said:

“The use of these powers sends a clear message – there are costs and consequences for targeting Australia and Australians.

“The Albanese Government will continue to hold cybercriminals to account.

“This is an incredible effort from our cyber and intelligence teams. We are using all elements of our national power to make Australia more secure at home and to keep Australians safe.”

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O’Neil MP said:

“The Australian Government condemns malicious cyber activity, and we will work with our partners and do everything in our power to punish individuals who attempt to perpetrate cyber crime in this country.

“Through the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, we are hardening our defences and putting layers of protection around Australians and Australian businesses. This includes working with industry to break the ransomware business model.

“Our strong advice to businesses is never pay the ransom. Paying a ransom does not guarantee sensitive data will be recovered, prevent it from being sold or leaked online or prevent further attacks. It also makes Australia a more attractive target for criminal groups.”

Australia has imposed further counter-terrorism financing sanctions on 12 persons and three entities linked to Hamas, Hizballah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This action is concurrent with further sanctions imposed on Hamas-linked targets by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union.

Those sanctioned include Hamas leaders, financial facilitators, and persons who have provided training to terrorist operatives, as well as three entities that have facilitated the transfer of funds to Hamas.

Sanctioning and publicly listing these 12 persons and three entities for counter-terrorism financing sanctions shows they have engaged in the support and facilitation of terrorism.

Australia has already imposed sanctions on Hamas, Hizballah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in their entirety, and a further 17 persons and seven entities with links to these groups.

Once listed for sanctions, it is a criminal offence to use or deal with the person or entity’s assets, or to make assets available to them. This is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and/or heavy fines.

Australia continues to unequivocally condemn the attacks on Israel by Hamas as abhorrent acts of terror against innocent civilians.

A Consolidated List of sanctions is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The Greens welcome Labor’s long awaited announcement today for an Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) inquiry into how the justice system handles sexual violence.

“The government doesn’t have to wait for the ALRC to work with the states to deliver the funding needed for sexual violence support services across the country.

“Many victim-survivors of sexual, family and domestic violence describe the court process as horrific and retraumatising.

“Over the past 18 months in particular we have seen high profile cases played out in court, with intense media coverage, and the impact those proceedings can cause for those individuals and all victim-survivors.

“We know that an alarming number of people still disbelieve or victim-blame survivors of sexual violence. Partially because of this, almost 9 in 10 incidents of sexual assault nationally are not reported to the police.

“Work on prevention should mean addressing rape culture, through well funded and expert delivered consent and Respectful Relationships education in schools.

“So far we’ve seen commitments from some state governments to strengthen the legal definitions of consent, and to make stealthing an offence. These are good steps forward, but we need to harmonise the laws to ensure everyone understands that only informed and enthusiastic consent means yes.

“I salute the strength of anyone who seeks justice through the courts for sexual violence, as it is often retraumatising and horrific for all victim-survivors of gendered violence.

“To change the unacceptable rates of sexual violence and end Australia’s culture of sexual violence, harassment and abuse, we need to support victims to come forward, and dismantle the power imbalances and gender stereotypes that deter them from doing so.

“It will be important to survivors that any ALRC recommendations are taken seriously and implemented promptly, they have waited long enough for a justice system that actually delivers justice for sexual violence survivors.

“We look forward to working with the government to identify problems with criminal justice responses to sexual violence and strengthen trauma-informed approaches and wrap-around services.”

Heatwaves are the biggest climate-related killer – more deadly than storms, fires and floods combined.

The only existing dedicated funding for heatwave mitigation projects at the Federal level is through the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF). Parliamentary Library analysis has revealed that last round the DRF funded just 2 heatwave mitigation projects for a measly combined total of $3.2M in funding. This contrasts to the $11.1B spent in fossil fuel subsidies last year, a 3,500x difference.

According to government analysis, heatwave related deaths are expected to climb to over 1000 annually in each of the following major cities by 2050: Perth (1419), Melbourne (1149), Sydney (1015) and Brisbane (1072). This is around double current figures for Melbourne and a 500% increase for Brisbane.

The Greens are calling on the government to coordinate a National Heatwave Plan, including the following elements:

1. Updating the National Construction Code to take into account expected climate change impacts and ensure all new construction is heatwave resistant, including mandating light-coloured roofs, 8 star energy efficiency, high-performance insulating windows, and passive heating and cooling systems.
2. Facilitate a mass roll-out of urban greening to reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect, including planting millions of shade trees across our cities to achieve a minimum urban green cover target in every suburb of 30%, and expanding shaded public green space within walking distance of residents.
3. Fund a proactive outreach program to mobilise an army of paid staff and volunteers to go door to door in high-risk areas during a heatwave to offer support and advice, including identifying vulnerable populations (people experiencing homelessness, pregnant people, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses) and developing targeted support for them.
4. An easy to access one-off payment for people to help ease the increase in energy costs for cooling their homes.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Greens spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Sustainable Cities said:

‘While Labor and LNP are giving billions in subsidies to coal and gas corporations each year, they have spent peanuts to help everyday people who are sweltering in their homes.

‘Over the next few decades, tens of thousands of Australians will die from heat-related illness if the government doesn’t take action to ensure our homes are heatwave resilient, and our cities and suburbs have enough tree coverage to prevent urban heat islands

‘You shouldn’t need to fret over your energy bill when there’s a 37 degree day like today, and turning on the aircon could well be what protects you from serious heatstroke.

‘At their Wednesday caucus meeting, Labor should immediately resolve to deliver a heatwave plan that includes planting millions of shade trees, making all of our buildings heat-resistant and liveable, coordinating an outreach army to check in on vulnerable people during heatwaves, and a one-off payment for people to help ease the increase in energy costs for cooling their homes.’