16 News

Healthy Oceans spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, today praised the order from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal which will see an end to Queensland’s shameful lethal shark culling in the World Heritage-Listed Great Barrier Reef.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Lethal shark measures are indiscriminate killers and weapons of mass destruction to protected marine life.
“This is a massive win for our Great Barrier Reef and for healthy oceans.”
The AAT’s findings of “overwhelming scientific evidence” that killing sharks doesn’t reduce the risk of unprovoked shark interactions, comes on the same day the Queensland Government’s response to a 2017 Senate inquiry into shark mitigation was tabled in the Senate, claiming their Shark Control Program “continues to provide a safer swimming and surfing environment at popular beaches in Queensland.”
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This is absolute claptrap. The Queensland Government still has its head in the sand and refuses to acknowledge the scientific fact that its inhumane method of culling sharks does not make people safer.”
Senator Whish-Wilson chaired the 2017 Senate inquiry into shark mitigation and deterrent measures that recommended NSW and Queensland phase out shark nets, immediately replace lethal drum lines with SMART drum lines and increase funding and support for the development and implementation of non-lethal mitigation measures.
“It’s uplifting to see the hard work of the Senate inquiry supported by the Tribunal’s findings to phase out lethal shark mitigation methods. This new finding will further assist in breaking down many of the myths that surround sharks and safety, which is an absolutely critical part of getting change.
“It has been a long road to get to this point. I applaud the persistence of Humane Society International in pursuing an end to this inhumane, lethal shark culling.”
Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said her state should never have been turned into a shark killing field.
“The judgement by the AAT confirms what the Greens have been saying all along about Queensland’s shark control program – it’s completely out of date at more than half a century old, isn’t in line with community expectations, doesn’t protect swimmers and harms marine life,” she said.
“The Great Barrier Reef has copped enough recently from climate change, coral bleaching and floodwaters but now finally at least one disruption to its precious ecosystem from the senseless killing of sharks will end.
“I call on the Queensland Government to act immediately, phase out all lethal shark mitigation methods in our state and invest in new approaches that help increase beach safety whilst protecting precious marine life.”
The Greens’ plan to invest in non-lethal shark mitigation measures can be found here.

The Liberal National Government is improving the lives of patients with breast cancer and a rare skin cancer by subsidising innovative medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), saving patients up to $150,000 a year.
In this year’s Budget our Government will invest $81.5 million to list the medicine Bavencio® (avelumab) on the PBS for the first time for the treatment of metastatic merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and highly aggressive type of skin cancer.
The incidence of Merkel cell carcinoma is rising in Australia and has become the second most common cause of skin-cancer death after melanoma.
Those with a high level of sun exposure who are over the age of 75 are most at risk.
This is a new immunotherapy medicine designed to help the body’s immune system attack and destroy cancer cells.
It has the potential to save and prolong the lives of around 160 patients a year who expected to benefit from this listing.
Without PBS subsidy patients would pay approximately $150,000 per year for this treatment.
From May 1 this year it will be reduced to the PBS price of $40.30 per script, or $6.50 with a concession card.
Australian patients with breast cancer will benefit from an Australian Government decision to list Ibrance®(palbociclib) for the first time, on the PBS.
Ibrance® will be listed on the PBS for the treatment of hormone receptor positive locally advanced inoperable or metastatic breast cancer.
Hormone receptor positive tumours are the most common form of breast cancer and account for most deaths from the disease.
By inhibiting two proteins which drive the growth of tumour cells, Ibrance® — used in combination with other medicines — will slow the progression of breast cancers in some patients.
Without PBS subsidy, patients would pay more than $55,000 a year for this treatment.
Around 3,000 patients a year are expected to benefit from this listing.
These patients will now be able to access this medicine for just $40.30 per script, or $6.50 with a concession card from May 1, 2019.
These treatments improve lives. They reduce the burden of expensive medicines, saving patients and families money.
Every medicine was recommended to be added to the PBS by the independent expert Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. By law the Federal Government cannot list a new medicine without a positive recommendation from the PBAC
Unlike Labor, we are subsidising all drugs recommended by the independent medical experts.
Since 2013, our Government more than 2,000 new or amended items on the PBS.
This represents an average of around 30 listings per month—or one each day— at an overall cost of around $10.6 billion.
Our commitment to the PBS is rock solid. Together with Medicare, it is a foundation of our world-class health care system.
Our plan for a strong economy continues to deliver record funding for essential health services that saves lives.

A Shorten Labor Government will work with Australia’s transport sector to cut vehicle emissions, boost adoption of electric vehicles and help Australians save on their petrol bills.
Australia needs real action on climate change – not the chaos and division of the Liberals. And real action on climate change means a plan to reduce pollution in the transport sector while saving money for motorists.
Transport emissions make up almost 20 per cent of Australia’s emissions and are a fast growing source of pollution
Cleaner cars and transport aren’t just good for the environment – they are cheaper to run. But Australia lags behind our competitor countries, whether it’s in electric vehicle take-up, or vehicle fuel efficiency. We have ten times lower electric vehicle take-up than the global average, and we’re at risk of being left behind.
That’s why Labor will introduce Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle (EV) policy – building the local industry, generating more local jobs, and helping consumers make the switch.
Labor’s strategy will include:

• A national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent new car sales by 2030 – The global transition to electric vehicles is well underway, but the Liberals’ failure to deliver credible climate change and electric vehicle policies means Australia is now last among western counties for electric vehicle uptake. Incredibly, New Zealand has more electric vehicles than Australia.  Setting a national target will deliver more affordable electric vehicles into the Australian market and drive the switch to electric vehicles, reducing their cost, create thousands of jobs and cutting pollution.

 

• Set a government electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of new purchases and leases of passenger vehicles by 2025 – This government fleet target will send a strong signal to the global industry that we expect cost competitive vehicles to be available for the Australian market. Government electric vehicle fleets will also be important in developing a second hand market. Labor will work towards requiring all Commonwealth‑owned-and-leased office buildings to include the provision of charging infrastructure where appropriate.

 

• Growing private electric vehicle fleets: Labor will allow businesses an upfront tax deduction to purchase electric vehicles for business purposes, as part of Labor’s announced Australian Investment Guarantee. We will allow business to immediately deduct 20 per cent depreciation for EV vehicles valued at more than $20,000 as part of private fleets

 

• Regulatory reforms and COAG agenda: Labor will establish an electric vehicle COAG agenda to improve coordination of electric vehicle take-up and related infrastructure planning. Labor will also require all federally-funded road upgrades to incorporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure, work with states to ensure new and refurbished commercial and residential developments include electric vehicle charging capacity, promote national standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and ensure investment in public charging stations meet these standards.

As part of our focus on cleaner and cheaper transportation, Labor will also work with industry to introduce vehicle emissions standards, to save Australian motorists hundreds of dollars each year at the bowser while driving down pollution on our roads.
Australia is now one of the only developed nations without vehicle emissions standards in place. As a result, motorists will pay as much as $500 each year more at the bowser than they should be, as well as seeing pollution on our roads sky-rocket.
Labor will consult on the timeline and coverage of vehicle emission standards to ensure consumers are made significantly better off, and aim to phase-in standards of 105g CO2/km for light vehicles, which is consistent with Climate Change Authority advice.
These are sensible standards which will bring Australia’s cars into line with those in the US, which has a similar car fleet to ours, but won’t be as stringent as those operating in the EU.
These standards will be applied to car retailers to meet average emissions standards, rather than imposing blanket mandatory standards on manufacturers. This will allow retailers to meet the standards by offsetting high emissions car sales with low or zero emissions car sales – such as electric vehicles.
In addition, Labor will also develop a Low Emission Transport Strategy to inform future policy development across transport more broadly, including maritime, aviation, rail and heavy vehicles. We’ll develop a Bioenergy Strategy, that will see more clean fuels on our roads and more jobs on our regions. These policies will be complemented by our already announced Hydrogen Plan.
Labor also has an electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing strategy and will work with industry to create new job opportunities with the transition.
After six years of chaos, uncertainty and rising pollution under the Liberals, Australians need stability and certainty on climate change policy – that’s what our plan delivers.
A Shorten Labor Government will reduce pollution, invest in renewable energy and take real action on climate change – to ensure we hand on a better deal to the next generation.
More information is available at  https://www.alp.org.au/climate_change_action_plan

A Shorten Labor Government will work with Australia’s biggest industrial polluters to help them cut their pollution, grow their business and create a cleaner future for the next generation.
Ignoring climate change isn’t the answer. 
Real action on climate change isn’t just about protecting our environment – it’s about future-proofing our economy and protecting jobs.
Under the Liberals and Nationals industrial pollution has risen by 17 percent, and their own projections show it will rise all the way to 2030.
That’s why Labor will work in partnership with business to help bring down pollution – providing overdue policy certainty and helping the industrial sector plan for the future.
There will be no carbon tax, carbon pricing mechanism, or government revenue.
Rather, Labor will reduce pollution from the biggest industrial polluters by extending the existing pollution cap implemented by Malcolm Turnbull – the safeguard mechanism.
The safeguard mechanism was established under the Liberals and Nationals to cap industrial pollution for the biggest polluters, by setting pollution limits or ‘baselines’ for covered facilities.
However, the Liberals and Nationals have failed to make this mechanism effective in bringing down pollution, or incentivising reduction of pollution below a facility’s baseline.
Labor has listened to industry and stakeholders who desperately want stability after this chaotic government – they don’t want to start from scratch with another mechanism. Industry feedback has been unanimous, businesses want Labor to expand the safeguard mechanism, and we’ve listened.
Labor will expand the safeguard mechanism to make it effective and relevant:

• Coverage will be extended to apply to the biggest industrial polluters. Labor will work with industry to extend coverage to a threshold of 25,000 tonnes of direct CO2 pollution annually, and we will consult with industry on this coverage threshold and how it is phased in. It’s estimated around 250 of Australia’s biggest industrial polluters would be captured by this threshold – just 0.01 per cent of all businesses. The agricultural sector will not be covered by the expanded safeguard mechanism, and Labor will work with the red meat industry-owned Research and Development Corporation, Meat and Livestock Australia, to help it meet its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030. Likewise, electricity sector facilities will not be included – they will be covered separately by Labor’s Energy Plan.

 

• Pollution levels will be reduced: Labor’s safeguard mechanism will reduce industrial pollution in line with Labor’s targets – fixing one of the biggest issues with the current safeguards mechanism, its failure to bring down pollution. Labor will consult with industry on the baselines and trajectories that apply to each covered entity.

 

• Businesses will be able to earn credits for overachievement: Labor will allow for businesses to earn credits and be rewarded for reducing pollution below their baselines, which they can sell or carry over to meet their future pollution cap. This means businesses can make money out of cutting pollution.

 

• Emissions intensive trade exposed industries (EITEs) will be supported to keep Australian businesses competitive – In recognition that emission intensive trade exposed industries face particular challenges in reducing pollution while maintaining their international competitiveness, Labor will provide tailored treatment for EITEs such as steel, aluminium and cement. This will ensure they face comparable impacts from climate change policies as their competitors do in relevant international markets. Labor will also establish a Strategic Industries Taskforce and $300m Strategic Industries Reserve Fund to support these industries in finding solutions to cut pollution and remain competitive.

Labor will consult with industry and experts on baselines that should apply to individual entities and how they will decrease over time.
In addition, Labor will put in place a well-functioning offset market and reinvigorate the land offset market.
Currently, a facility that emits more than its baseline must offset excess emissions by purchasing offsets, primarily from the land sector. But currently businesses cannot access international offsets, or offsets from the electricity sector.
Labor will make it easier for covered businesses to meet any offset obligations, not only by allowing for the creation and sale of offsets if emissions fall below baselines, but also through the purchase of international offsets and potentially offsets from the electricity sector.
We will also boost offset supply through revitalising the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) – including reforms to strengthen the integrity of the CFI, and increasing land and other sector abatement opportunities. This will include exploring the establishment of ‘premium’ land sector credits to provide substantial environmental, biodiversity and other co-benefits, establishing a Carbon Assessment Standard to boost the bankability of offset projects, and re-vitalising offset methodology research and development with an additional $40 million in funding over four years.
Labor’s plan will help industry reduce pollution at least cost, and give traditional owners, farmers, the forestry industry and traditional owners new opportunities to earn income.
Labor will also abolish the Liberal’s ineffective and expensive Emission Reduction Fund (ERF). The ERF has failed to drive down Australia’s emissions, while costing Australian taxpayers $2.25 billion, with the Liberals pledging a further $2 billion for this ineffective policy.
Labor’s approach isn’t about punishing polluters, it’s about partnering with industry to find real, practical solutions to cut pollution, in a way that protects and grows industry and jobs.
The Liberal Party is full of climate sceptics and hopelessly divided on climate change – Scott Morrison even brought a lump of coal into Parliament instead of a climate policy.
The Liberals and Nationals have pushed up power prices and pollution by undermining investment in renewable energy and backing power privatisations – and their chaos and division means industry can’t adequately plan and invest in the future.
There is only one major political party serious about real action on climate change – Labor. That’s because we are determined to pass on a better deal to the next generation – and we will partner with business and industry to achieve it.
Only Labor will deliver real action on climate change and lower pollution, lower power prices and a stronger economy.
More information is available at  https://www.alp.org.au/climate_change_action_plan

A Shorten Labor Government will reduce pollution, invest in renewable energy and take real action on climate change – to ensure we hand on a better deal to the next generation.
After six years of chaos, uncertainty and rising pollution under the Liberals, Australians need stability and certainty on climate change policy – that’s what our plan delivers.
Ignoring climate change is simply not an answer.
Australia needs leadership – to protect jobs, grow the economy, cut pollution and deal with more extreme weather like droughts and floods, with natural disasters already costing the economy $18 billion a year.
At the same time, Australian households are seeing their power bills soar – families and businesses are taking this into their own hands and backing renewable energy because they know more renewables means lower power prices.
Labor is committed to reducing Australia’s pollution by 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero pollution by 2050.
We are also committed to 50 per cent renewable energy in our electricity mix by 2030.
Labor’s plan will tackle climate change to keep the economy growing by:

• Investing in renewable energy and batteries to grow jobs and cut power bills – With almost two million Australian households having solar panels, Australians are enthusiastic adopters of renewables. Labor will empower Australians to take advantage of cheaper, clean renewable energy and storage, by offering $2000 rebates for solar batteries for 100,000 households, with a target of 1,000,000 batteries by 2025. We will also double the original investment in the Clean Energy Finance Corporation by $10 billion, supporting new generation and storage across the country. Labor’s investment will support our target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030 for the nation’s electricity generation, which will see cleaner and cheaper power and more than 70,000 new jobs.

 

• Boosting clean transport and infrastructure– A key part of tackling pollution will be tackling transport emissions – which make up almost 20 per cent of Australia’s emissions and one of the fastest growing sources of pollution. Labor will implement Australia’s first national electric vehicle policy, setting a national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent new car sales by 2030 and introducing vehicle emissions standards to reduce pollution and make the cost of driving a car cheaper for consumers.

 

• Working in partnership with business to help bring down pollution – Labor will reduce pollution by big polluters over the decade by extending the existing pollution cap implemented by Malcolm Turnbull – the safeguard mechanism. Australia’s biggest industrial polluters (about 250 – or just 0.01 per cent of all businesses) will be covered by Labor’s scheme, which will not include the agricultural sector. Pollution caps will be reduced over time and Labor will make it easier for businesses to meet these caps by allowing for industrial and international offsets. Facilities can also earn credits and make money from reducing pollution below their baselines. Labor will not introduce a carbon tax or new a carbon pricing mechanism and our reforms will not raise any government revenue.

 

• Supporting trade exposed industries to keep Australian businesses competitive – Emission intensive trade exposed industries (EITEs), such as steel, aluminium and cement, face additional barriers to cutting pollution while staying competitive in global markets. In recognition of this, Labor will provide tailored treatment for EITEs under the extended safeguard mechanism. This will ensure they face comparable impacts from climate change policies as their competitors do in relevant international markets. Labor will also establish a Strategic Industries Taskforce and $300m Strategic Industries Reserve Fund to support these industries in finding solutions to cut pollution and remain competitive.

 

• Helping the land sector to cut pollution while giving farmers and the forestry industry new opportunities to earn income – No one knows our land better than our farmers – they’ve been leading the way in responding to climate change. The agricultural sector will be exempt from the expanded safeguard mechanism – we won’t have targets for farmers. Labor wants to see Australia’s land sector supply more affordable offsets for pollution, which will reduce the cost of abatement for business and give farmers and regional communities greater economic opportunities. We will review and reinvigorate the carbon farming initiative, and develop a high-quality, well-functioning offset market. Labor will also put in place new federal legislation to bring broad-scale land clearing under control. Where states properly regulate land clearing, such as in Queensland, Labor will take no action.

In addition, Labor has taken the decision not to allow the use of Kyoto credits to meet its Paris targets. By allowing the carryover of Kyoto credits, the Liberals’ already weak target effectively falls from 26 per cent to 16 per cent. Using Kyoto credits is fake action on climate change, and Ukraine is the only other country in the world to confirm they will do this.
Labor will restore and reform important institutions like the Climate Change Authority, and to make sure we can adapt to a changing climate, we will conduct the first ever comprehensive Climate Change Assessment on the likely and potential impacts of climate change on all aspects of Australian life.
Our policy has been developed in consultation with industry and experts, and it builds on already announced policies like our Energy Plan and Hydrogen Plan.
It’s a good plan for families, for industry – and for the planet.
The Liberal Party is full of climate sceptics and hopelessly divided on climate change – Scott Morrison even brought a lump of coal into Parliament instead of a climate policy.
The Liberals have helped push up power prices by having 13 different energy policies, undermining investment in renewable energy, supporting taxpayer money for new coal plants and backing power privatisations.
There is only one major political party serious about real action on climate change – Labor.  That’s because we are determined to pass on a better deal to the next generation.
Only Labor will deliver real action on climate change to deliver lower pollution, lower power prices and a stronger economy.
More information is available at  https://www.alp.org.au/climate_change_action_plan

Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, today commented on new tax statistics released by the ATO revealing tax credits to oil and gas giants have ballooned to $324 billion.
“The PRRT is the most egregious rort in the Australian tax code.
“The failure of successive Liberal and Labor governments to address this problem has resulted in oil and gas companies accumulating a whopping $324 billion worth of tax offsets.
“This equates to around 70% of the Commonwealth Government’s total revenue.
“The Government’s Bill scheduled to be debated in parliament this week will raise only $6 billion in additional revenue over ten years.
“While the world is in the middle of an LNG boom, we’re practically giving the stuff away.
“The fundamental flaw with the PRRT is the overly generous uplift rates applied to carried-forward expenditure which is used to offset taxable income.
“Most problematic are exploration expenses which compound at 15% above the long-term bond rate, and can be transferred from one project to another within a company.
“On current trends, it is an open question whether PRRT tax offsets will ever be expired. Some companies might ride a multi-decade long boom and end up tax positive.”

Greens’ climate change spokesperson and Co-Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt, said that Labor’s climate announcement today was a jumble of Liberal party ideas without any plan to transition out of thermal coal. Mr Bandt also said his party would oppose the ‘fake action’ of international offsets contained in Labor’s plan. The Greens will work to kick Scott Morrison’s government out but then toughen up Labor’s proposals in the Senate.
“There are a couple of good ideas here, but overall this is a dog’s breakfast of Liberal party leftovers, with no plan for coal and no hope of meeting the Paris Agreement goals,” said Mr Bandt.
“Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change. If you don’t have a plan for coal, you’re not serious about climate change.
“The Liberals love coal and Labor won’t say its name, but without a plan to transition out of coal, we will not meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.”
‘Safeguards’
“The NEG and so-called ‘safeguards’ were created by the climate change-denying Liberal party and should be put in the bin, not reheated by Labor and served up as a climate policy.”
“By adopting the ineffective safeguard mechanism with huge carve outs for some sectors, it looks like the free ride for big business in this country on climate will continue under Bill Shorten.
International offsets
“Labor has also confirmed it will adopt a dodgy accounting trick that even Tony Abbott opposes by allowing business to use international offsets.”
“International offsets delay climate action in Australia. More coal will be burnt at home and the transition to 100% renewables will be delayed.”
“We cannot outsource our emissions reduction obligations to a pig farm in Ukraine.”
“The Greens welcome Labor’s rejection of the dodgy carryover credit scam, but international offsets are also ‘fake action’ because Australian polluters will buy overseas permits from other countries but keep polluting at home.”
The passage of Labor’s plan through Parliament
“I’m desperate to turf to the conservatives out, but I’m bitterly disappointed Labor isn’t taking the climate emergency seriously, hoping that being only slightly less bad that the Liberals will be enough to get them elected.”
“Labor is still jumping at Tony Abbott’s shadow, unwilling to put together a coherent economy-wide climate policy at the very time the public mood has shifted in favor of strong action and a carbon price.”
“This announcement shows why you need Greens in Parliament. The Greens will work towards a change of government then, in the Senate, toughen up Labor’s poorly cobbled-together patchwork of Liberal party policy rejects.”
Electric cars
“Not only does the target lack ambition, but the policy lack mechanisms that would get us even close to 50% electric vehicles by 2030,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson.
“Labor’s EV announcement is nothing but an attempt to grab some headlines on climate change without any actual substance.”

Labor’s electric vehicle policy including a target of 50% by 2030 is weak and lacks any clarity or mechanisms to achieve the target, say the Australian Greens.
“Not only does the target lack ambition, but the policy lacks mechanisms that would get us even close to 50% electric vehicles by 2030,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson.
“We have the opportunity to join countries like Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland which have a target of all new vehicles sales being electric vehicles by 2030. This is also what the NRMA is calling for.”
“Labor’s target is weak and leaves Australia stuck in the slow lane.”
“Labor’s 105g CO2/km light vehicle emissions policy won’t play a part unless it is introduced immediately and ramped up over time. Where is Labor’s timeline for implementation?”
“This is a weak electric vehicle target for Australia, when we already have the lowest uptake of OECD countries and other countries are zipping us by with bold, ambitious EV policies that are working.”
“Labor’s EV announcement is nothing but an attempt to grab some headlines on climate change without any actual substance.”
The Australian Greens electric vehicle policy includes:

• setting a target of 100% of new passenger vehicles being electric by 2030
• strong vehicle emissions standards of 105g CO@/km by 2022
• removing import tariffs and other taxes such as GST, stamp duty and registration,and
• rolling out fast charging infrastructure.

More than 3.9 million Australians will receive a one-off Energy Assistance Payment to help with their next energy bill and cost of living expenses.
The payment of $75 for singles and $125 for eligible couples will be exempt from income tax and will be paid automatically before the end of the current financial year, subject to the passage of legislation.
The Government is able to deliver this assistance because our responsible budget management allows us to guarantee the essential services Australians rely on.
It will provide additional support to:

• 2.4 million Australians receiving the Age Pension;
• 744,000 recipients of the Disability Support Pension;
• 280,000 carers receiving the Carer Payment;
• 242,000 Parenting Payment Single recipients; and
• 225,000 veterans and their dependants receiving eligible payments from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Guaranteeing essential services is part of our plan for a stronger economy and securing a better future.

A Shorten Labor Government will work with Australia’s states and territories to implement a domestic ban on Australia’s commercial trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn
While the poaching of elephants and rhinos might not be an issue in Australia – the trade of products containing ivory and rhino horn is. Australia’s domestic market is unregulated and there’s nothing to stop people buying and selling products containing ivory and rhino horn if they manage to get them into the country.
Elephant and rhino populations in Africa and Asia have continued to decline and elephants and rhinos continue to be targeted for their ivory and horn: in the six months during which the inquiry took place (April-October 2018) 10,000 elephants were killed across the African continent, and in South Africa alone, approximately 528 rhinos were killed.
A 2018 Parliamentary Inquiry into the trade in Australia looked at online traders, auction houses and antique dealers in Australia, identifying illegal domestic markets for ivory and rhinoceros horn worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. These markets continue to fuel the poaching crisis of elephants and rhinos in Africa.
While ivory and rhino horn continue to maintain a value in marketplaces around the world, poachers will continue to kill these iconic species.
Australia, as a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES), prohibits the import, export or possession of ivory and rhino horn “harvested” after 1975, but when such an item finds its way into the country the domestic market is unregulated.
Currently, there is no legal requirement for Australian sellers to provide any evidence at the point of sale demonstrating the legality, provenance or age of items containing elephant ivory or rhinoceros horn. That means post-1975 ivory and rhinoceros horn items can easily be passed off as antique, circumventing Australia’s current laws.
Labor’s commitment is in line with the UK Government’s recent ban of its domestic ivory trade. The United States, China, Hong Kong, France and Taiwan have also all implemented domestic bans.
In the past four years, nearly 36,000 people have written to the Australian Government supporting a domestic ban, while a Galaxy Research Poll conducted last year suggested that 86 per cent of Australians want the trade banned. However, that same poll found that 77 per cent of Australians thought that trading in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn within Australia was already illegal.
Labor will work with states and territories to:

• Develop model legislation to be adopted across Australia, banning the trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn.
• Ensure there are well-targeted exemptions for museums and cultural institutions, antique musical instruments with small ivory content, portrait miniatures more than 100 years old, and other antiques with minimal ivory and rhino horn content.
• Develop appropriate penalties and new offences for individuals and companies which circumvent the ban

Today’s commitment supports the bipartisan recommendations from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement’s 2018 inquiry into the trade.
Labor’s implementation of a domestic ban on Australia’s commercial trade in ivory and rhinoceros horn will help the international efforts to save these iconic species for future generations, before it is too late.