Australia on the international stage, 23 September 2022

 

 

Senator Penny Wong, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, addresses the 11th plenary meeting session of the general debate of the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on 23 September 2022.

The seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly opened on 13 September under the theme; “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.” The theme stems from the recognition that the world is at a critical moment in the history of the United Nations due to complex and interconnected crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, humanitarian challenges of unprecedented nature, a tipping point in climate change as well as growing concerns about threats to the global economy. It is therefore necessary to find and focus on joint solutions to these crises and build a more sustainable and resilient world for all and for the generations to come.

State of Play: New South Wales general election March 2023

The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 September 2022, excerpt:

The result, if replicated on March 25, would put Labor in majority government. The ALP needs to win at least eight seats to secure that majority.

Voters have also made it clear that the election will be fought on the rising cost of living, with 30 per cent identifying it as the No.1 issue of concern, while 10 per cent of voters singled out health and aged care, followed by the environment and climate change as well as economic management.

Despite the support for Labor, voters are not warming to either leader, with Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns equal on the preferred premier rating.

Both are on 28 per cent (a slight drop for Minns from 32 per cent in February when he overtook Perrottet as preferred premier) but crucially, 44 per cent of voters are undecided…..

Read full article here.

Cartoon of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

Tweet of the Week

#BREAKING: Tiwi Traditional Owner Dennis Tipakalippa has won his landmark case over Santos’ approvals to drill precious Tiwi Sea Country!

The Federal Court of Australia has found that Santos failed to consult Traditional Owners as required. pic.twitter.com/WXcHLWRH1s

— Environmental Defenders Office (@EDOLawyers) September 21, 2022

Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme commences proceedings at 10am on Tuesday, 27 September 2022

 

Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, MEDIA RELEASE, 21 September 2022:

The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme will hold its initial public hearing in Brisbane at 10am on Tuesday, 27 September 2022.

At this hearing the Commissioner and Senior Counsel Assisting will make short opening statements.

No witnesses will be called.

The hearing will be held in the Grand Windsor Ballroom, Pullman Hotel King George Square, corner Ann and Roma streets, Brisbane.

The hearing will be streamed live through the Royal Commission’s website and a transcript will be available on the website shortly after the hearing.

Further information on the Robodebt Royal Commission is available at

robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au

Public submissions

The Royal Commission is accepting submissions from members of the public.

The online form for submissions is available on the Royal Commission website at

https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/share-your-story

Submissions will be accepted until 3 February 2023.

Enquiries

For general enquiries, email RRC.enquiries@royalcommission.gov.au.

Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has reached 984,000 men, women & children or 3.8 per cent of the total Australian population

    

It has been estimated that the Aboriginal population of Australia in January 1788 may have been as high as more than one million men, women and children.

By the time the 1921 national census was conducted only 72,000 people were identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

The August 2021 Census has revealed a guardedly happier story.....

Australian Bureau of Statistics, media release, 21 September 2022:

Source: Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2021

Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has reached 984,000 or 3.8 per cent of the total Australian population, according to the latest population figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

ABS Demography Director Emily Walter said that over the five years to June 2021, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population increased by 23.2 per cent, or 185,600 people.

"This is higher than the 5.5 per cent increase for the non-Indigenous population over the same period" said Ms Walter. “We have seen similar increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population between past Censuses, and they are partly explained by changing identification over time.”

While Victoria was the fastest growing state or territory for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait population with an increase of 36.2 per cent, it remains the jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (1.2 per cent). The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people relative to its total population size (30.8 per cent).

New South Wales had the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (339,500 people), followed by Queensland (273,200 people) and Western Australia (120,000 people). These three states comprised almost three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population. One-third (33.1 per cent) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were aged under 15 years, with just 5.4 per cent aged over 65 years. This compares to 17.9 per cent of the non-Indigenous population aged under 15 years and 17.2 per cent aged over 65 years.

“This younger age structure is the result of more babies being born and people dying younger in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population compared with that of the non-Indigenous population”, said Ms Walter.

Click on image to enlarge

• The preliminary estimates presented in this release are based on the 2021 Census counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, adjusted for net undercount as measured by the Post Enumeration Survey. They are different from statistics released in 2021 Census finds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older population continues to grow | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au) which are based solely on the 2021 Census counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

"Don't Drown Our Town" banners appearing on Yamba streets as the town waits to see how long and strong this third La Niña will be

Stop The Fill banner in front of retaining wall holding back landfill on a subdivision site in Carrs Drive, Yamba....

IMAGE: NBN News, 18 September 2022

Examples of STOP THE FILL: Don't Down Our Town corflutes out the front of homes on Yamba Rd, The Halyard & Golding Street....

Photographs supplied.