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The Morrison Lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne are taking a political toll on the Prime Minister, but the Greens say the long-term damage of the mismanagement will land hardest on young people, and are calling on the Prime Minister to ensure no-one is left behind by lifting JobSeeker back to $1,100 a fortnight and implementing JobKeeper 2.0.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“These Morrison lockdowns are hitting many people just as hard as last year, so the Prime Minister must give people the same level of support as before.”
“The PM might be taking the political hit, but it’s everyone else that’s hurting.”
“The PM’s failures have led to these lockdowns, so now he must make sure no-one is forced to live through them in poverty.”
“If full JobKeeper and $1,100 a fortnight JobSeeker were needed last time, they’re needed again now.”
“Young people are getting hit particularly hard. Scott Morrison’s determination to shortchange young people on everything from superannuation to climate change will drive economic stress for a whole generation.
“The Morrison government is failing young people with housing prices skyrocketing and rents soaring, insecure work and huge student debt growing, all as they watch other countries vaccinating everyone.”

Australian Greens Anti-racism spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission has found that 4 in 5 Australian Muslims have experienced discrimination, and a similar proportion feel the Christchurch mosque attacks made them afraid for their community.
Senator Faruqi is the first Muslim woman elected to the Australian Senate.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This report makes for disturbing reading, but I have to say I am not surprised by its findings, and I expect many Muslims would say the same thing. The discrimination is very real and so are its consequences.
“In recent decades, Muslims have experienced substantial discrimination in Australia and have been on the receiving end of serious racism and bigotry in the community, the media and in politics.
“Most catastrophically, anti-Muslim hatred led an Australian man to murder 51 innocent Muslims in Christchurch two years ago. But we can see anti-Muslim hatred and intolerance throughout our community and we must fight it with everything we have.
“Australia urgently needs to recommit itself to anti-racism and fighting Islamophobia, especially in the face of a resurgent far-right. We need to invest in and roll-out a national anti-racism program, stronger laws on extremism and hate speech, and much better representation of people of colour in public life.
“It has not escaped me that this report has recommended better representation of Muslims in the Australian media in the same week it was revealed Channel Seven cast a woman with a history of toxic Islamophobia and racism in an upcoming TV series. This saga was a strong reminder of the sustained Islamophobia and racism in the Australian media,” she said.

“Aboriginal people are dying from preventable deaths in police custody because the Morrison government is continuing Liberal and Labors’ legacies of inaction,” said Senator Lidia Thorpe, a Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman who is the Australian Greens’ First Nations and Justice spokesperson.
“It’s been 30 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Morrison government has failed to show leadership and implement all 339 recommendations. What’s the point of a Commission if you ignore its findings?”
As a matter of national urgency, The Greens are calling for the full implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, a ban on lethal chokeholds, greater transparency around the reporting of deaths in custody and a culturally safe, properly resourced independent prison oversight system.
“This is a matter of life and death, why should our people keep dying in places where they’re meant to be kept safe?” said Senator Thorpe.
Due to our community protocol, we will not comment on the recent death unless permitted to do so from family.

The Morrison Government is providing access to a new treatment through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to support around Australians who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a type of bowel cancer.
In 2020, bowel cancer was the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with around 15,000 Australians diagnosed with the disease each year. Sadly more than 5,000 lives are lost to bowel cancer each year, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in Australia.
For the first time, Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) will have its listing extended on the PBS to include the treatment of unresectable or metastatic mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer.
This is the first immunotherapy treatment available to Australians with this type of cancer, which cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to an area outside the colon/rectum.
Keytruda® belongs to a new class of immunotherapy medicines that help the body’s own immune system to detect and fight cancer cells. The drug is already available on the PBS for other types of cancer, including lung cancer and melanoma.
More than 580 Australians a year will benefit from this listing. Without PBS subsidy, patients might pay more than $150,000 per course of treatment. From 1 August, it will be available for $41.30 per script or just $6.60 if they have a concession card.
This listing has been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
Earlier this year, the Government announced $9.7 million for a new National Bowel Cancer Screening Program awareness campaign.
The campaign will aim to increase the numbers of Australians taking their free bowel cancer test and will focus on men aged 50 to 59 years, people living in regional and remote Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and individuals from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
When detected early, the majority of (around 90 per cent) of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.
Our Government is increasing its efforts on cancer screening to help more Australians to get early treatment and beat the disease.
Since 2013, the Coalition Government has approved more than 2,600 new or amended listings on the PBS.
This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $13.2 billion.
The Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.’

The Australian Government has today announced significant quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be made available for GPs, community pharmacies and other healthcare providers across Greater Melbourne, Moorabool Shire, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, Borough of Queenscliff and Bass Coast Shire who need to see their patients within their practices.
Health professionals in these areas are able to request a package of PPE from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) through their local Primary Health Network (PHN) with an initial allocation of up to:

• 725,000 surgical masks;
• 725,000 N95 masks;
• 175,000 pairs of gloves;
• 175,000 gowns; and
• 175,000 goggles.

These will be made available through the five PHNs relevant to the Commonwealth hotspot, namely:

• North Western Melbourne;
• Eastern Melbourne;
• South Eastern Melbourne;
• Western Victoria; and
• Gippsland.

These packages will assist to further supress the COVID-19 infection rate occurring across Melbourne and builds on the recent commitment to support NSW as announced on 12 July 2021.
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to the critical PPE supplies they require to continue to safely see their patients during this COVID-19 outbreak.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Australian Government has deployed more than 90 million masks, 5.8 million gowns, 6.5 million pairs of gloves and 1.1 million goggles from the National Medical Stockpile.

The Morrison Government is providing $3 million to support young Australians in Victoria, ensuring they can access mental health support if and when they need it during this lockdown.
The funding will be matched by the Victorian Government and delivered through headspace, helping meet the critical demand for youth mental health services across the state.
This additional investment to headspace services, complemented by co-funding from the Victorian Government, will support a surge workforce of clinicians to immediately boost the capacity of 32 headspace services across Victoria for six months.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt MP, said the Government is profoundly committed to safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians, who have been substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a tough time for our young Australians and we want them to know that they are not alone, which is why we’re putting more health professionals on the ground to meet increased demand,” Minister Hunt said.
It is vital young Victorians can get the mental health support they need, where and when they need it. This is even more so when their lives are upended by COVID-19-related restrictions.”
The funding will also ensure Primary Health Networks and headspace National can integrate activities through the National headspace Program for monitoring and evaluation activities. This further complements the Morrison Government’s $152 million program to reduce wait times and manage demand at headspace services across the nation.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention,
David Coleman MP, said the Government had made more than $500 million in direct supports to respond to the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic including $43.9 million in targeted support for Victorians during the 2020 lockdowns.
“We know that extended lockdowns can have significant impacts on the mental health of young Australians and our Government has worked quickly to ensure that additional support is available for those who need it,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.
If the Victorian lockdown is extended, the Commonwealth will provide additional support in consultation with the Victorian Government.
Targeted mental health support for Victorians during the pandemic has included $12 million to bolster the capacity of Beyond Blue, Lifeline and Kids Helpline, and support headspace outreach services. An additional $31.9 million was also provided last year during Victoria’s extended lockdown to establish 15 HeadtoHelp mental health clinics across Victoria and to further enhance digital and phone services for vulnerable groups.
The Morrison Government continues to make mental health a national priority, investing a record $2.3 billion in the 2021-22 Budget for the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to lead landmark reform of the mental health system. This includes a record $6.5 billion in mental health and suicide prevention services and supports in 2021-22, doubling since 2012-13.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service anytime via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available  at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck has credited outgoing Paralympics Australia chief executive Lynne Anderson for forging greater pathways for athletes.
Ms Anderson has announced she will step down from her role at the end of 2021 after six years leading the organisation.
Minister Colbeck said Ms Anderson had showcased extraordinary leadership during her tenure.
“She has championed the needs of the Australian Paralympic movement starting with those who matter most – the athletes,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Ms Anderson has strengthened the pathways for aspiring para-athletes, taking advantage of every funding opportunity to ensure our Australian representatives can make their mark on the world stage.
“She has worked tirelessly to reinforce athlete welfare – an increasingly important aspect as we navigate the impact of the pandemic on professional sport.”
She has also been a fierce advocate for corporate support.
Minister Colbeck said Ms Anderson’s professionalism and experience extended to her role as a member of the Sport Integrity Australian Advisory Council.
“The Morrison Government, through the establishment of the advisory council, has been able to draw from Ms Anderson’s breadth of experience and professionalism, ensuring matters of sports integrity are dealt with comprehensively,” Minister Colbeck said.
“I thank her for her contributions to sport in Australia and wish her every success in the future.”