Month: March 2024

The global shift to net zero emissions is Australia’s opportunity to become a renewable energy superpower.

That is why today the Albanese Government has introduced legislation to establish the Net Zero Economy Authority to ensure Australian workers and regions realise and share the benefits of the net zero economy.

The Government is also announcing $189.3 million over four years from 2023-24 (and $53.3 million per year ongoing) in resourcing for the Authority.

The Authority will support the economy-wide net zero transformation that is underway by acting as a catalyst for private and public investment, major project development, job creation and transition, and skills and community development.

Global efforts to reduce emissions have already started transforming traditional industries, creating new opportunities to broaden Australia’s industrial base and strengthen our sovereign capability.

The Albanese Government is already delivering a strong policy agenda to reduce emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

This Authority will be pivotal to delivering this goal and realising the broader benefits for our nation.

Today’s legislation is another step forward in our plan for a net zero economy.

The Net Zero Economy Authority, an independent statutory body housed in the Prime Minister’s portfolio, will:

• Facilitate public and private sector participation and investment in emissions reduction and net zero transformation projects across Australia, including working with established investment funds.
• Support workers in emissions-intensive industries to access new employment, or acquire skills to improve their employment prospects, including an Energy Industry Jobs Plan to help workers in closing coal-fired power stations transition to new jobs.
• Support communities – including First Nations communities – to participate in, and benefit from, the economic shift to net zero emissions.
• Share information about Australia’s transformation to net zero economy, educating communities and supporting social licence for the transition.
• Promote coordination and consistency across government policies and programs.

It will play a key role in our plan to make Australia a renewable energy superpower, building on more than $40 billion in job-generating investments.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“There is no nation on earth better placed than Australia to achieve the energy transition here at home and power it in the world.

“We are home to every metal and critical mineral essential to net zero. Our workforce is skilled and valued, our safety standards are the highest in the world and we have a proven track record as a reliable producer and exporter of energy and resources.

“The Net Zero Economy Authority will play an important role in one of the most significant economic events in Australian history and position us as a renewable energy superpower.

“We are committed to working across governments, with regional communities and industries, and our international partners, to secure the opportunities of Australia’s net zero future.”

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen

“Neither government funding nor private capital alone can meet this challenge. It will take both, working together, to secure the opportunities of Australia’s net zero future.

“Our local and regional communities are at the forefront of the economic shift. Through this new body, we can better support them to seize the opportunities of a net-zero economy.

“We will work in genuine partnership with business, unions and communities to help make sure no one is left behind as we seize on this once in a generation opportunity.”

The Australian Government joins the United Kingdom and other international partners in expressing serious concerns about malicious cyber activities by China state-backed actors targeting UK democratic institutions and parliamentarians. 

The persistent targeting of democratic institutions and processes has implications for democratic and open societies like Australia. This behaviour is unacceptable and must stop.  

Australia calls on all states to act responsibly in cyberspace.  

Australia’s electoral systems were not compromised by the cyber campaigns targeting the UK. Australia remains well positioned to continue to resist and address threats to our electoral roll. This is critical to maintaining public trust in our democracy. 

The Australian Electoral Commission has strong measures in place to ensure Australia’s electoral roll is secure. This includes working closely with members of the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce, to ensure Australia’s systems are protected from the threat of foreign interference. 

The Government continues to invest in protecting our public institutions and strengthening our national cyber security defences, including through the implementation of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.   

Australia will continue to cooperate with our international partners to promote international law and the agreed framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and call out states if they act contrary to these international obligations and expectations.  

The Albanese Labor Government is continuing its race to the bottom on migration and refugee rights today by rushing through legislation that will unfairly punish and jail some of the most marginalised people in the country.

The Migration Legislation (Removal and other Measures) Bill 2024 is designed to force unwilling people to apply for passports to their countries of origin, like Russia, Iran or Sri Lanka, despite their fear of arrest and persecution on return. If people do not comply and facilitate their return to regimes that are known to be brutal, the Government intends to jail them for non-cooperation.

The Bill gives the Immigration Minister the power to direct people in Australia who are legally on a ‘removal pathway’ to take certain actions, If the person fails to do this they will face criminal offences, with a minimum year in prison and up to five.

This means a mother and her children who fled a country like Iran, who went through an unfair refugee determination system Labor is currently dismantling, will all be ordered to seek a passport from the country they fled or face years in jail.

The Bill also creates a list of countries where people can no longer seek a visa in Australia, similar to US President Trump’s 2017 travel ban.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for Immigration said:

“The Albanese Labor Government is desperately trying to outflank the Coalition to the right, in a cruel contest they can never win.

“This Bill will undoubtedly break up families and betray the multicultural values that Australians are so proud of.

“Jailing mums who refuse to return their kids to cruel regimes like Iran or Russia never used to be a Labor value, at least until today.

“Even the Coalition didn’t think of this in their decade of creative cruelty towards refugees and people seeking asylum.

“This is part of an ongoing cruelty agenda from Labor as they are scheming to come up with novel ways to punish and harm people seeking asylum in this country.

“The Greens will be joining with millions of Australians who want fairness and decency in our immigration and asylum laws and oppose these changes in both houses of Parliament,” Shoebridge said.

NDIS Legislation is to be introduced into the House of Representatives tomorrow, Wednesday 27th March 2024. 

Senator Steele-John Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services, says: 

“This NDIS Legislation has been done behind closed doors, with non-disclosure agreements abound. Making advocates sign non-disclosure agreements is not genuine co-design. 

“The question on my mind is why has the Labor Government prepared NDIS legislation behind closed doors? What have they got to hide? 

“Let’s be very clear; there should be no changes to the principle of Choice and Control that underpins our NDIS. Disabled people should continue to have choice and control over the people who are paid to support them. 

“Today, we have seen Premiers, Chief Ministers and the Federal Government bickering at the 11th hour over the future of disability supports in this country. The time for bickering is over, and the time for ensuring these supports work for disabled people is now. 

“No disabled person should be pushed by abled-bodied politicians from the NDIS into the vast gaping hole that is non-NDIS disability supports in this country.”

The Greens say that Labor’s continued attempts to weaken First Nations voices and fast-track new gas projects is a “roadblock” to the government passing national vehicle emissions standards. 

Prior to the watering down of the NVES, the Greens offered to pass the bill as initially proposed if Labor ceased trying to work with Peter Dutton’s Liberals to fast-track offshore gas using the OPGGS Amendments bill.

Since then, Labor and the Liberals have voted together to gag debate on the OPGGS bill and rush it through Parliament. 

With details of the NVES legislation still not public, modelling on the emissions reductions of the weakened bill is not yet available. However, in its original form, the climate gains from the plan would have been wiped out by a single project slated for approval under the OPGGS gas fast-track – the Santos’ Barossa project, which will release 380Mt of C02-e by 2050.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:

“Resources Minister Madeline King is a roadblock to passing the government’s EV Bill. Her attempts to fast-track gas have put a handbrake on getting emissions standards through parliament,” Mr Bandt said.

“Gas is as dirty as coal, but Labor wants to open more. If even one new big gas project is fast-tracked, it will wipe out all the climate gains from the EV plan.

“We offered to pass Labor’s vehicle emission standards, even though we thought they should go further, if Labor stopped working with the Liberals to try and fast-track gas projects. 

“It makes no sense for the Greens to work with Labor on vehicle emissions standards that gradually reduce emissions over 25 years, if Labor’s deal with Peter Dutton undoes all that with a single giant gas project.

“Labor needs to choose who they want to work with on climate. If Labor works with Peter Dutton and the climate deniers in the Coalition on laws to increase climate pollution, they’re betraying everyone who voted for a change of government to stop the Liberals writing climate policy. 

“If Labor really values the NVES Bill, Madeline King should withdraw her blatant attempt to ignore First Nations voices and fast-track climate-destroying gas projects.”

The Greens have called for an investigation into the governing body of the Cranbrook School after revelations today that one of its members remained a member of the board for 22 years after being convicted of a child sex offence.

The offender, Peter Cullen Macarthur, was a member of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW when it investigated claims, revealed in the “Old School” Four Corners report, that a Cranbrook teacher had sent sexually explicit emails to a former female student.

The Association of Independent Schools of NSW is the governing body for around 500 independent schools in NSW and is responsible for receiving and distributing government funding to its member schools. Member schools have reported more $13.6 billion in federal funding in the past decade.

Under the Education Act 2013 all approved non-government school authorities must be a “fit and proper person”. As prescribed in the Australian Education Regulations 2023 the Minister may have regard to whether a person has been convicted of or charged with an offence, “including an offence in relation to children”, or whether the person has engaged in a “deliberate pattern of immoral or unethical behaviour”, in determining whether they are fit and proper.

Greens spokesperson on Primary and Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“These shocking revelations call into question whether the Association of Independent Schools of NSW is an appropriate body to be receiving federal funding.

“In the decade to 2022 the private schools governed by the authority – including Newington College, SCEGGS Darlinghurst and Scots College – reported combined federal government income of more than $13 billion.

“It’s bad enough that some of the wealthiest schools in the country continue to have their designer uniforms and gleaming performing arts centres subsidised from the public purse.

“But it’s utterly unacceptable that a body with such a profound influence over the education and wellbeing of thousands of children would allow a convicted child sex offender to remain serving on its board for 22 years.

“The Education Minister must instruct the Department of Education to launch a thorough investigation into the Association to determine whether it should continue to receive billions of dollars of government funding every year.”