This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
After being battered by repeated heavy rainfall and flooding earlier this year the little village of Nimbin has scrubbed its face and decided to put on its beads and feathers again.
(Cartoon by Mark David / @MDavidCartoons) INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA, 16 February 2022
It’s
been eight and a half years since the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison
Government came to power and
took a wrecking ball to key policy initiatives of the Rudd &
Gillard Governments – solely on the basis that these were programs
initiated by the Labor
Party.
NBN
Co then closed the door and, to all intents and purposes, walked away frommost of the
issues both it and the Coalition Government had created by using a patchwork of different connection types to supposedly meet the needs of over 25 million people in homes and businesses scattered
across est. 7.692 million square kilometres of
widely varying terrain.
In
2021 in response to Internet connection problems in his own
electorate a member of the Morrison Government,
Liberal
MP for Berowra Julian Leeser,
tabled a private
members bill - supported by
seventeen MPs and senators - which
attempted to make NBN Co more accountable, build
better infrastructure and
improve customer
service.
In
response to the Bill, Choice’s Alan Kirkland said: ‘It’s
unacceptable for people who live in a major city like Sydney not to
have mobile coverage in their home, and even worse in a
bushfire-prone area. We find it puzzling that the telco industry,
particularly Telstra, has been able to get away with substandard
service for so long.’
Professor
Alan Fels, former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission, agreed that more needs to be done. He said: ‘For many
years the telco industry has failed to make access to mobile phone
services universally available, even in a number of suburbs. Yet such
access is an essential service and vital in emergencies. After
waiting for so long, it is clear that the only solution is
legislation, backed by sanctions compelling it.’
That
particular private member’s bill appears to have withered on the
vine.
Also
in 2021 a five-member panel conducted a review
of regional telecommunications in Australia. One could be forgiven for wondering about the independence of this panel given a former Nationals MP for Cowper and, a business person who worked on the 2013 Nationals election campaign and previously derived consultancy work from a WA Liberal Government are among its members.
It
came as no surprise that there were 16 key findings contained in the
December 2021 review report, along with twelve recommendations. Although Finding 10 (highlighted below) raised an eyebrow.
Key
Findings
1.
Increased coordination and investment between the Australian, state
and territory governments is needed to address a ‘patchwork quilt’
approach to connectivity in the regions.
Relates
to Recommendations: 1, 2
2.
Local councils and other regional stakeholders are increasingly
expected to facilitate telecommunications service delivery, but are
not appropriately resourced to identify connectivity need and support
the deployment of suitable solutions.
Relates
to Recommendations: 1, 5
3.
Supply side issues, including backbone fibre and spectrum access, are
barriers to competition and innovation in regional telecommunications
markets.
Relates
to Recommendations: 1, 2
4.
There is an urgent need to consider the future of the Universal
Service Obligation in order to provide reliable voice services to
rural and
remote consumers.
Relates
to Recommendations: 7, 8
5.
There are significant issues with the maintenance and repair of telecommunications
networks, particularly copper landlines, in regional,
rural and remote areas.
Relates
to Recommendations: 7, 8
6.
In instances of natural disasters and emergencies, connectivity is significantly
impacted by power and network outages. This reduces access
to recovery and support.
Relates
to Recommendations: 3
7.
Mobile coverage continues to improve, but expanding reliable coverage
to priority areas is becoming more difficult.
Relates
to Recommendations: 9, 10
8.
Increased ongoing demand for data on regional, rural and remote
mobile and fixed wireless networks is not always being met, causing
network congestion issues.
Relates
to Recommendations: 6, 9
9.
Although Sky Muster Plus has improved access to data, Sky Muster users
are frustrated by insufficient data allowances, high latency and reliability
issues.
Relates
to Recommendations: 6
10.
Current minimum broadband speeds are mostly adequate, but will
need to increase over time.
11.
There are emerging technology options to meet the demand for data but
their service performance has not yet been validated.
Relates
to Recommendations: 4
12.
Regional consumers, businesses and local governments experience
difficulty in resolving telecommunications issues and providers
are not adequately addressing the complex needs of regional
users.
Relates
to Recommendations: 5, 7
13.
Regional consumers, businesses and local government need access to
independent advice and improved connectivity literacy to support
them in making informed connectivity choices.
Relates
to Recommendations: 1, 5
14.
Predictive coverage maps and other public information do not accurately
reflect on-the-ground telecommunications experience. There
is significant misinformation about the availability of
telecommunications
services.
Relates
to Recommendations: 5, 9
15.
The cost of telecommunications services remains high for vulnerable
groups in remote Australia. This is impacting on their access to
essential services.
Relates
to Recommendations: 11, 12
16.
Continued engagement with Indigenous Australians in regional, rural
and remote communities is needed to address ongoing issues
of access, affordability and digital ability.
Relates
to Recommendations: 5, 11, 12
Over
a year after the Morrison Government declared the high broadband
network a success it was very evident that it was far from having
that status.
Indeed,
in some quarters opinion had been scathing.
This
week, Telstra claimed its 5G home broadband service will offer
average speeds of 378 megabits per second to homes and businesses. In
contrast, the average maximum speed on Fibre to the Node is 67
megabits per second, and up to 200,000 premises on the copper NBN
can’t even get 25 megabits.
Imagine
spending $50 billion on a copper dominated network, that’s not
delivering minimum speeds required under law, and already losing its
competitiveness.
That
is the anti-genius of Liberal-National Party. Deceive. Implement bad
technology policy at higher cost. Then spend more money to correct
their mistakes. They led us down this path on broadband, and now want
to do it with energy.
In
2013 the Liberals produced “modelling” known as the NBN strategic
review. This elaborate sham had a sole purpose: provide political
cover for abandoning fibre.
This
document was then used to claim a multi-technology mix of second-rate
technologies was going to be $30 billion cheaper than a full-fibre
NBN.
This
untruth, repeated at nauseum, relied on two tricks.
The
first was pretending the copper dominated network being rolled out
costs $41 billion. False. It is costing $57 billion.
The
second was to claim the original plan to deploy a fibre network to 93
per cent of Australia would cost $72 billion, rather than the near
$50 billion forecast under Labor.
The
latter claim, which the Liberals clung to desperately, was decimated
in a front-page report in the Sydney Morning Herald in February 2021.
It
revealed that in late 2013 the Liberals were explicitly told
deploying Fibre to the Premises was dramatically cheaper than what
they claimed in public.
That
advice was redacted and kept secret for seven years, and it is clear
why.
If
the redacted costs for fibre, along with real-world interest rates,
were fed back into the strategic review “modelling”, the original
fibre rollout would have cost around $53 billion.
Notably,
Minister Fletcher stopped repeating his $30 billion claim since the
unredacted extracts appeared in print, because he always knew it to
be false.
The
NBN copper rollout has now become a business case liability and looks
increasingly uncompetitive against 5G.
The
NBN HFC network, which relies on Foxtel Pay TV infrastructure, is
arguably the most expensive and unreliable deployment of its sort in
the world.
Tens
of thousands of Fibre to the Curb modems across the country are also
frying during storms because lightning is being conducted over the
copper that leads into the home.
The
government is now saying Fibre to the Curb technology will not
deliver gigabit speeds, despite promising it would only a year ago.
Every
fixed-line technology deployed by the Coalition is beset by technical
or business case problems, except for Fibre to the Premises –
Labor’s original technology of choice.
As
the 2022 federal election date drew nearer the Morrison Government on
23 March bestirred itself enough to
announce that:
The
Morrison Government has welcomed NBN Co’s announcement that 50,000
homes and businesses will be able to order an upgrade to their NBN
connection, delivering ultra-fast speeds at no upfront cost.
These
are the initial customers to have access to upgrades that will allow
8 million homes, or 75 per cent of premises in the NBN fixed line
footprint, to access to ultra-fast speeds by 2023.
Minister
for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the
Hon Paul Fletcher, said the on-demand upgrades will give more
Australians access to the fastest broadband speeds available on the
NBN.
I
am honestly not sure that this is anything more than a typical
election year 'announceable' which will sink down into the pile of past
unmet expectations raised concerning NBN high speed broadband.
Regardless
of whatever media releases the Morrison Government is sending out,
the dissatisfaction with the NBN high speed broadband network
remains 12 days out from election day…..
The
NBN rollout may have been completed, but Richard Proudfoot is still
using an old ADSL internet connection, and he has to juggle his Zoom
meetings around his partner’s work.
He
runs a small IT business from his home in Maleny, on the Sunshine
Coast, about 100km north of Brisbane, while his partner is a
part-time university lecturer.
Due
to their property’s terrain, NBN Co has told him he is not able to
connect to fixed wireless or fixed line. While he has the option of
satellite, many users have reported poor speeds and reliability. He
has stuck with ADSL for the time being because he believes the tree
cover and weather would adversely effect his service.
“We
are very, very dependent on a reliable internet ADSL connection. To
make it work for us given the limitations, we schedule internet use
based on need ... we cannot do concurrent Zoom meetings so we
rearrange diaries in order to cope.”
The
Coalition and NBN Co declared the rollout of the then $51bn network
complete in 2020. There are now 12.1m homes able to connect, and 8.5m
homes on the NBN.
The
high-speed network was meant to resolve the digital divide in
Australia, but two years on from its completion there remains a stark
difference between the haves and have-nots; those who have a decent
internet service and those still waiting or suffering from poor
speeds and reliability on their NBN service.
The
Liberal
MP Julian Leeser wrote a scathing review of the NBN in a
submission to the federal government’s regional telecommunications
review last year, describing it as “too slow with countless
delays”.
Leeser’s
northern Sydney electorate, Berowra, is a mix of suburban and
semi-regional locations, meaning his constituents are living with the
spectrum of NBN technologies, from fixed to wireless and satellite.
“There
is too much variability in the quality of coverage across the various
NBN technologies,” he said.
The
pandemic forced many people to work from home and rely on their home
internet more than ever before.
Leeser
said that teachers had been forced to work out of McDonald’s car
parks to leech the wifi for online classes, people were unable to
work from home or undertake telehealth appointments, and some had
even been forced to move out of the area due to their poor NBN
connection…...
Many
Guardian Australia readers raised problems with the project when
asked what their major concerns were ahead of this month’s federal
election.
One
reader, Cate, who lives in Killarney Heights in the Sydney electorate
of Warringah, missed out on full fibre or cable that some nearby
suburbs have access to.
She
says she was originally connected via the Optus internet cable but
was moved over to fibre-to-the-node (FttN) on the NBN.
“Using
Optus cable we rarely had dropouts. I could count on one hand the
number of times over five years that we lost internet for any
noticeable length of time,” she says.
Now
she says they experience daily interruptions.
“Our
modem takes five to 10 minutes to reconnect so this can often mean at
least 25 to 50 minutes a day of disruption to our service and this is
still considered acceptable by NBN and they will do nothing to fix
it.”
She
says she is rarely able to get the top speeds promised. In speed test
results Cate provided to Guardian Australia taken between 2pm and 3pm
on a weekday, the results ranged from 1.3Mbps to 40Mbps, compared to
100Mbps on her previous Optus cable…..
Around
119,000 premises that are connected to the NBN via FttN still can’t
get the minimum 25Mbps download and 5Mbps upload speeds. Due to the
ageing copper and environmental conditions, FttN connections will
continue to get worse over time.
In
February, the NBN CEO, Stephen Rue, admitted the bit rate – the
number of bits that can be transferred across the network per second
– would degrade between 2% and 4% every year on average across the
4m FttN connections.
The
other looming factor is people switching the NBN off. Customers
frustrated with the NBN might look to 5G or another service like Elon
Musk’s Starlink, and threaten the ability of the network to make a
return on the taxpayer investment.…...
Something to think about standing in line at the polling booths on Saturday 21 May 2022.
“I
acknowledge that tomorrow is a very difficult day for our First
Nations people.” Anthony Albanese, 25 January 2022.IMAGE: YouTubevideo snapshot
Leader of the Opposition & Labor MP for Grayndler since 1996, Anthony Albanese’s Press Club Address, at the 'unoffical' commencement of the parliamentary year, 25 January 2022, transcript:
Australia’s
best days are ahead of us.
Not
just the better days that we’re all hoping for right now, but the
best our nation has ever seen.
Together,
we are ready for it.
Australia
Day is a good moment for us to reflect; to consider our blessings as
a nation and to celebrate them. Perhaps that is more important now
than it has been for decades.
We
have been through a time so challenging, none of us will ever forget
it.
I
know, as we enter the third year of the pandemic, a lot of
Australians are exhausted. Worn-down by bad news, uncertainty,
inconvenience, disruption and separation from loved ones.
And
we look forward to the day when we can put all this behind us.
My
argument to you today is that if we get this moment right, Australia
can emerge from this once-in-a-century crisis better, stronger, more
fair, and more prosperous.
My
case for government is that we must learn the lessons of this
pandemic in order to build a more resilient Australia for the future.
What
stands before us now is the opportunity to build on the best
qualities that characterise Australians, and to realise our potential
as a people and as a nation more fully than at any time in our
history.
The
chance is ours to seize.
But
it requires courage.
It
requires vision.
It
requires leadership that brings Australians together.
And
it demands a government that steps up to its responsibilities and
fulfills its most fundamental roles: to protect our people, to act as
a force for good, and to change people’s lives for the better.
Just
‘pushing through’ this pandemic is not enough. We need to learn
from it, we need to use what the last two years have taught us to
build a better future.
Paul
Keating once said the lesson of the First World War was a lesson
about ordinary people – and the lesson was they were not ordinary.
We’ve
had that same truth brought home to us these past two years.
I
say it every chance I get – the Australian people have been
magnificent during this crisis.
Calm
in the midst of turmoil, looking out for each other in tough times.
If
I’m elected Prime Minister of this great country of ours, I see it
as my deep responsibility to repay these sacrifices, to reward these
efforts, to prove worthy of the generosity and bravery of the
Australian people.
And
that means building on the lessons of this pandemic:
One,
a strong, properly funded public health system, with Medicare as its
backbone, is vital to every aspect of our lives.
Two,
the rise of insecure work has undermined too many families’
confidence in their future.
Three,
stripping our TAFE and training sector of investment over the last
decade has led to crippling skills gaps and worker shortages.
Four,
the need to manufacture more things here in Australia – to be more
self-reliant – and to back Australian businesses, so our fate isn’t
held hostage to global supply chains.
Five,
the need for a high quality NBN - because this is not an optional
extra, it is fundamental to working from home, building a small
business, education for our children, and vital medical
consultations.
And
six, affordable childcare – because this too isn’t a luxury. It’s
an essential part of family and working life.
In
a recent profile, when asked to reflect on his time in office, Scott
Morrison suggested he is not interested in leaving a legacy. For him,
leaving no legacy is a conscious choice. I find this remarkable.
If
given the opportunity, I want to make a real difference for the
people of our nation – and to strengthen the nation itself.
I
want a better future.
And
if I’m successful, the future we are working toward will be
demonstrated to Australians by the end of Labor’s first term.
An
Australia with rising living standards, lifted by more secure work,
better wages, better conditions for small business, stronger
Medicare, and more affordable childcare.
An
Australia with more secure jobs in both existing and new industries –
industries that will be reaping the benefits of cheap, renewable
energy.
An
Australia that is secure in our place in the world, standing up for
Australian democratic values and for human rights on the global
stage.
An
Australia with robust funding for the Australian Defence Force, which
rebuilds our diplomatic service, revitalises our international aid
program, and works closely with our American ally and regional
partners in the challenges and uncertainties that lie ahead.
An
inclusive society, where gender, race or religion are no indication
of a person’s opportunities or possibilities.
An
Australia reconciled with ourselves and with our history, and with a
constitutionally recognised First Nations’ Voice to Parliament.
The
desire to deliver that legacy for Australians, with the lessons of
this moment at its core, will be a driving force of a Labor
government.
Lessons
Not Learnt
Of
course, the greatest crisis we have faced since the Global Financial
Crisis is the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
It
is beyond comprehension that this Government has actively refused to
learn from this pandemic.
This
Government has failed repeatedly on testing, tracing, vaccinations
and quarantine – it is the Grand Slam of pandemic failure.
A
Prime Minister who is repeatedly warned by experts about what is
coming and given the opportunity to plan ahead – but repeatedly
fails to listen, and more importantly fails to act.
And
while Mr Morrison talks drivel at the cricket and shows off the
contents of his kitchen, Australians are being confronted by empty
supermarket shelves.
And
contrary to Barnaby Joyce’s statement yesterday, Australians are
dying from COVID in record numbers – over 900 lives lost in the
first 25 days of this year.
Never
before has Australia had a Prime Minister with such a pathological
determination to avoid responsibility.
He
declares:
It’s
not my job.
It’s
not a race.
It’s
a matter for the states.
He
doesn’t hold a hose – and he doesn’t give a RATs.
Every
action, every decision has to be dragged out of him – and so often,
after all the build-up, he gets it wrong anyway. And it’s always
too little too late.
Australia
needs leaders who first show up and then step up.
Not
a Prime Minister who goes missing and thinks that “getting out of
the way” helps Australians manage an unprecedented crisis in the
midst of uncertain, difficult times.
For
all their talk of less government, they are Australia’s biggest
government in three quarters of a century – with the largest
deficit since World War II, the largest debt and, outside of the
Howard era, our highest taxing government in modern Australian
economic history.
Creating
the Way
Australia
needs good government now more than ever.
A
country and a people as extraordinary as ours deserve a government to
match.
A
government of competence and integrity.
A
government that doesn’t get out of the way but helps to create the
way.
A
real government is the steering wheel of a nation, not just a bumper
sticker.
A
country and a people as extraordinary as ours deserve a government to
match.
Since
Federation, we have been united from our Pacific coast to the Indian
Ocean.
To
use Edmund Barton’s phrase – ‘a nation for a continent and a
continent for a nation’.
On
the eve of Australia Day, consider just how remarkable that is.
Some
talk about Federation as a mere administrative change – but it was
so much more than that.
It
was fuelled by a belief that we could be more than the sum of our
parts.
And
an ambition to do things better – and differently.
When
you consider how much we have achieved since Federation, that belief
has been justified time and time again.
Yet,
as we begin 2022 there is an obvious need to bring the nation back
together again.
To
treat the states with respect, rather than simply as objects of
political opportunity or attack.
To
be as concerned with the regions as with our biggest cities.
We
cannot be complacent in our good fortune.
Even
Australia is not immune to the forces of division, whether it’s
ideology, political opportunism or cynical self-interest.
We
have seen how this plays out across the world.
This
is not the path I will take.
I
choose the path built on the lessons that the pandemic made so clear
to us: that we are stronger together.
More
resilient together.
Better
together.
And
that is a truth that guides me as someone who now puts himself
forward to be Prime Minister.
It
is why we need federation reform.
After
decades of moving toward more national consistency - with technology
helping us steadily overcome the distances on our vast continent -
what we’ve seen in recent times is a reversal of that once
inexorable trend.
More
differences. Less cohesion.
I
will change that. I will work with all state and territory leaders,
to advance Australia’s common interest for the benefit of all.
Backbone
of Public Health
As
the pandemic has so forcefully reminded us, our togetherness is
underpinned by our universal public health system.
Perhaps
the greatest lesson we can take from these last two years is what a
grave mistake it would be to take our public health system and
Medicare for granted.
Right
now, our health workers are paying the price for some of the most
serious public policy failures our country has seen.
They
are overworked. They are exhausted.
We
might roll our eyes about wearing a mask to the shops – they suit
up in full PPE for 10 hour shifts.
Like
firefighters during the Black Summer, they put their own wellbeing on
the line for their fellow Australians.
They
embody the best of the Australian spirit.
We
owe it to them to study what the pandemic has revealed about the
vulnerabilities of our public health system – and strengthen it for
the future.
At
the heart of it all is Medicare – a proud Australian achievement.
Medicare is part of who we are. It makes our way of life possible.
With
its green and gold, it is the most patriotic piece of plastic you can
have in your wallet.
Medicare
was established by the Hawke government, building on years of work by
Bill Hayden.
Bob
Hawke’s government never hid behind the cowardly pretence of
‘getting out of the way’ – they knew good governments made the
way.
Bob’s
first instinct was to bring Australians together. Under him, Labor
built Medicare not just as a safety net but as a conscious act of
nation building.
Right
now, we could strengthen both the safety net and our sense that we
are all in this together by making rapid antigen tests available free
to every Australian through Medicare.
That
is what a Labor government would have done at this moment.
Because
Labor will always strengthen Medicare. We know there is nothing more
central to our families, our communities, our schools and our economy
than our health.
A
Labor government will deal with the damage inflicted by nine long
years of neglect from this Liberal Government.
Protecting
the health of Australians will be a defining issue in the upcoming
election. And a critical choice will be this: who do you trust to
keep Medicare safe?
Australians
know where Labor stands.
Labor
built Medicare. Labor has always fought for Medicare. And only Labor
will protect Medicare.
Back
on Track
The
past two years have been hard for all Australians, but I think all
parents know that our children have done it especially tough.
Remote
learning, exam chaos, cancelled sport, and now the delays in vaccine
supply, have turned what should be some of the best years of their
lives into a cascade of stress and uncertainty.
Some
children have fallen behind academically, and many are struggling
with their mental health. And so many are just missing their friends.
Parents
are stressed from home schooling; anxious about the weight the
pandemic has put on their children’s shoulders, as well as their
own.
Over
the past two years, time-starved parents put aside their own needs to
support their children.
Homes
have been reconfigured into classrooms, while parents sit with the
quiet heartbreak of knowing this wasn’t the childhood they had
hoped to give their precious children.
They
want to do the right thing, to keep their children safe and make the
best choice. They are looking for guidance from their federal
government.
But
they are waiting in vain for Mr Morrison to come good on his vows.
The
man who stood before the country and promised a national plan for
getting our children back to school – but didn’t deliver one.
He
promised a national approach in which his government would work with
the states – instead he did what he always does: he palmed off his
share of the work on to the states.
The
states have done a great job in picking up the slack from the
slackest government in living memory.
But
this is not how it is meant to be.
Like
a heart that decided to give itself a bypass, this government has
decided to outsource responsibility for the fulfilment of its core
obligations to the Australian people.
It
has run from its responsibilities to schools for nine long years -
since Tony Abbott’s horror first budget in 2014.
Education
is fundamental and essential to the jobs, productivity and prosperity
of the future.
And
education is the biggest and most powerful weapon we have against
disadvantage.
Labor
sees education as about creating opportunity. Liberals see it as
about entrenching privilege.
It’s
why Labor remains committed, working with state and territory
governments, to getting every school to 100 per cent of its fair
funding level.
And
it’s why today I‘m announcing Labor’s plan to help our schools
and students bounce back.
Our
plan starts with the Student Wellbeing Boost. It will provide funding
for school activities that get children back on track.
This
could mean more funding for school counsellors and psychologists, and
for camps, excursions, sporting and social activities that improve
children’s wellbeing.
Every
Australian school stands to benefit from this investment. And the
schools themselves will decide how to use the extra money to best
help their students.
Our
plan will fund a free mental health check tool. Schools could choose
to use this to help quickly identify students who may need extra
support.
Our
plan will direct the Education Department to conduct an urgent review
of the impact of COVID on students with disability, so they get the
support they need.
These
children have been among the most vulnerable during this pandemic,
and they deserve a government that prioritises their protection along
with their education.
The
other element of our plan is a Schools Upgrade Fund, which will
provide much needed support for improving ventilation in schools and
creating outdoor learning areas.
Both
are key to managing the spread of Covid. Just as they will be
valuable for schools in a post-Covid world as well.
This
is something the Morrison Government should have already been doing
to make sure schools are safe for our kids and teachers to return to.
And
not just for this term.
Chief
Medical Officer Paul Kelly tells us that Covid will be with us for
some time, so we need to act and adapt.
That
means making our schools safer and better prepared for what’s
ahead.
Mr
Morrison never thinks as far ahead as next week, but the very
business of a Labor government is to plan for the future.
This
is what good government does – it plans ahead instead of waiting
for a crisis before acting, and then doing too little, too late.
It’s
one more pandemic lesson Scott Morrison hasn’t learnt – but we
have.
Plans
for a Better Future
Throughout
the pandemic, Labor has developed a series of plans that share a
common spirit: to avoid repeating the mistakes of the present, and
allow us to build the very best version of Australia possible.
To
imagine a better future and then set about creating it.
Covid
has made it clear that being at the end of a global supply chain is a
precarious place to be. We must be a country that manufactures things
here.
Our
plan for a Future Made in Australia, with our National Reconstruction
Fund at its heart, will propel our growing self-sufficiency.
It
will work alongside our plans for Secure Australian Jobs and a Better
Life for Working Families to give Australians the tools they need to
shape the lives they want and deserve.
We’ve
already announced a number of key policies that set us on this path:
Our
Buy Australian Plan – because government should back our
businesses;
Our
creation of Jobs and Skills Australia and our Made in Australia
Skills Plan offering free TAFE places in areas of skill shortages –
because these shortages are hampering our recovery and wasting the
potential of our people;
Our
plan for Secure Work – because casual jobs disappeared without
warning during the pandemic, and it isn’t the Australian way to
leave each other so vulnerable;
Our
Cheaper Childcare Plan – because working families need the support
– especially women. It will give families more choice, it will
strengthen the economy, and it will be good for future generations;
Our
longstanding plan for the NBN – because high speed internet, as
originally conceived by Labor, is vital to work, school and family
life;
And
our Disaster Ready Fund, because Australians deserve a government
that looks forward and plans to mitigate the impact of natural
disasters.
Our
plans add up to a better future in which Australia stands on its own
two feet, self-reliant and self-assured.
A
country that embraces its place in Asia, the fastest growing region
of the world in human history; forging deeper relationships in the
region as the tyranny of distance gives way to the privilege of
proximity.
A
country that is smart, innovative, and adaptive, where businesses
find a partner in a resolutely pro-growth, pro-employment,
pro-investment government.
A
country with secure, good-paying work – because a job is about so
much more than a wage. It’s about identity, community, connection –
and giving your family the standard of life that you aspire to.
A
country with world class health care, education and child care – so
that at every stage of life our people have all the opportunities and
tools they need to succeed and thrive.
A
country that treats its natural environment as a national asset to be
protected – not only because it supports communities and local
economies, but because of our moral obligation to preserve our land
and water for future generations.
I
also see us as a country that uses its abundant natural resources to
drive new industries and become a renewable energy superpower,
creating jobs as power prices fall, and writing a new chapter in
Australia’s proud energy story.
Our
Powering Australia plan will reduce Australia’s emissions by 43 per
cent by 2030, putting us on track for net zero by 2050.
It’s
a plan with economic growth at its heart: creating over 600,000 jobs,
attracting $52 billion of private sector investment, spurring new
industries and cutting power bills by $275 for the average family.
Unlike
Mr Morrison’s glossy pamphlet, Powering Australia is underpinned by
the most extensive independent expert modelling ever done for any
policy by an Opposition.
Our
plan has the backing of the Business Council of Australia, the
Australian Industry Group, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, the ACTU, the National Farmers Federation, and a range of
non-government organisations.
That
is just one practical example of how I will bring Australians
together, united by a common vision and a national partnership for
progress.
We
can – finally – put the climate wars behind us.
How
We Do It
Setting
Australia on a path to a better future is not just about what we do.
It also matters how we do it.
It
was here at the National Press Club that Paul Keating first said if
you change the government, you change the country.
My
team and I want to change the government – and we want to change
the way government operates and the way government is perceived.
I
don’t expect to make Australians fall in love with Question Time –
but I do want more people to have greater faith in the integrity of
our parliament and its representatives.
Australian
democracy is a great national achievement.
But
our system is no more immune to the threat of extremism and
polarisation and the decaying, corrosive influence of corruption and
cynicism than other democracies around the world – many of whom are
grappling with these very challenges.
The
best way to make democracy stronger is to make government work
better.
That’s
why I will advocate for federation reform, with greater co-operation
between the Commonwealth and the States – to be true to that vision
of Australia as so much more than the sum of its parts.
And
we need a National Anti-Corruption Commission – to restore faith in
government and trust in our public officials.
We
will end this government’s culture of rorts – because public
money should not be splashed around in cynical vote-buying exercises.
And
just as I want to encourage the Commonwealth and state governments to
work together better, I want to encourage business and unions to work
together, because ultimately they share the same interests: a
stronger economy, increased productivity, more good jobs.
We
can create a better deal for workers and grow our economy at the same
time, with leadership that brings both together.
For
our country to advance together, as one, we must advance equality for
women.
We
need to respect women across all elements of our culture – at work,
at home, in schools and in our community. Women’s safety must be an
absolute national priority.
And
on her final day as Australian of the Year, I’d like to take a
moment to thank Grace Tame for her extraordinary courage and fierce
advocacy.
Grace,
you’ve inspired countless Australians and you’ve earned enormous
respect.
The
events in parliament that were revealed last year constituted a
powerful wake-up call. But we have had so many wake-up calls. We have
no excuse to wait for another.
Every
time I look around our Caucus Room and see my colleagues such as
those here today – Tanya Plibersek, Linda Burney, Katy Gallagher,
Kristina Keneally, Michelle Rowland - I am reminded of a simple,
powerful truth: that our country will be so much closer to what it
should be when women enjoy true equality.
We
cannot look to our future without also reflecting on the past,
including injustice to First Nations’ people.
Until
a nation acknowledges the full truth of its history, it will be
burdened by its unspoken weight.
We
must acknowledge the wrongs, learn from them, and look for ways of
healing.
Truth-telling
can be confronting – but it need not be grounds for conflict.
We
should come to this process not armed for battle in culture war, but
with an open mind – and far more importantly – an open heart.
With
the lessons of our history and our enduring Australian values, we can
forge an inclusive, sustainable, and fair social compact.
With
the lessons of our history and our enduring Australian values, we can
forge an inclusive, sustainable, and fair social compact.
And
a key part of that is to keep heading down the path to become a
country deeply proud of being home to the oldest continuous cultures
on Earth.
A
nation that takes up the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its
gracious, patient call for Voice, Treaty, and Truth.
A
powerful and inspiring new chapter in a 60,000 year story.
Conclusion
This
crisis has shown us we are stronger together.
But
that truth is older and runs deeper than this pandemic.
Tom
Uren was the closest person in my life I had to a father figure.
He
fought in World War 2. He spent most of it as a prisoner of war.
And
he always said his fellow Australian prisoners survived because of a
simple code:
The
healthy looked after the sick, the strong looked after the weak, the
young looked after the old.
To
me, that’s always been the best of Australia.
And
those are the values I want to bring to the job of Prime Minister.
Leadership
that brings people together in a spirit of compassion and decency.
A
government that seeks to unite the country – that earns the respect
of Australians by treating them with respect, by dealing with them
truthfully, by taking responsibility.
One
day, the COVID-19 pandemic will be written about in the past tense.
We
all hope that day is soon.
By
then, I know that, as Australians, we will have done so much more
than get back on our feet.
Beyond
the recovery, I see renewal and rejuvenation. An Australia rebuilding
on the foundation of its people’s greatest strengths and best
qualities.
An
Australia that is worthy of our people – and their potential.
An
Australia where no-one is held back and no-one is left behind.
Our
best days are ahead of us. Together, we will get out of the pandemic
and chart a path to them.
~~~~END~~~~
Questions from journalists and Anthony Albanese's replies begin at 34:49 mins into this video.
Anthony Norman 'Albo' Albanese
Born
2 March 1963 in
Sydney and raised in
the inner western suburbs of that city.
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Economics (University of Sydney).
Elected
to the Australian Parliament House of Representatives as Labor
MP for Grayndler, New South Wales, in 1996. Re-elected 1998, 2001, 2004,
2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.
Leader
of the Opposition from 27.5.2019.
Former
ministerial
appointments
Minister
for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local
Government from 3.12.2007 to 14.9.2010.
Cabinet
Minister from 3.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.
Minister
for Infrastructure and Transport from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.
Minister
for Regional Development and Local Government from 25.3.2013 to
1.7.2013.
Deputy
Prime Minister from 27.6.2013 to 18.9.2013.
Minister
for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy from 1.7.2013
to 18.9.2013.
Connection
to the Northern Rivers region in NSW
– holidayed here in his youth & in
2007 spoke in
support of Northern Rivers communities’ strong
opposition to the Howard-Turnbull plan to turn one or more of the state's northern coastal
rivers inland, for the intended benefit of business & industry in Qld & NSW sections of the Murray-Darling Basin to the detriment of our region.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
[Adopted and proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948]
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.
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