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ScoMo to hold meetings with Tokyo and PNG next week

Sam Bernardo
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ScoMo to hold meetings with Tokyo and PNG next week

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ScoMo: Next week I will hold important meetings with two of Australia’s closest friends in Tokyo on 17 – 18 November, and Port Moresby on 18 – 19 November.

This will be my first meeting with the new Prime Minister of Japan, His Excellency Mr Suga Yoshihide. I’m honoured to be the first foreign leader to visit Japan to meet with Prime Minister Suga following his appointment.

Our relationship with Japan over the past few years has gone from strength to strength. We are Special Strategic Partners, and we work closely together on trade, security, defence and technology issues. I look forward to continuing to deepen that partnership.

Japan will play an important role in our economic recovery from COVID-19. I hope we can chart a course for the re-opening of travel, and discuss ways to deepen our trade ties worth $86 billion, including under the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement.

On the way back to Australia I plan to take the opportunity to see my friend  the Hon James Marape MP, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, our closest neighbour.

We will continue our discussions about advancing our many shared regional and global objectives, ahead of a formal bilateral visit I hope to make next year.

Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea have managed the coronavirus incredibly well, and I am confident the precautions in place during this travel will minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

I will be strictly following health advice and quarantine requirements when I return to Australia, as will staff and officials accompanying me, RAAF attendants and pilots, and media.

I look forward to hearing from Prime Minister Suga and Prime Minister Marape about their experiences in responding to COVID-19 and discussing ways to work together towards a stable, peaceful and resilient Indo-Pacific.



Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.



The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.

Andrews Government $235 Million Building Recovery Workforce To Support State

Sam Bernardo
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Andrews Government $235 Million Building Recovery Workforce To Support State

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Victoria Government Media Release: This has been the most challenging experience many of us will have ever lived through. We’ve had to stay home and spend time away from those we love the most in order to stay safe.

But supporting us the whole way through – our mental health professionals, family violence specialists and child support workers – professionals that were there for us every day, wherever and whenever we needed them.

This year’s Budget is dedicated to increasing support for these hardworking Victorians, creating better pathways to roles in these vital sectors and recruiting more positions, part of Victoria’s Recovery Workforce.

The Andrews Labor Government will invest $235 million to build our Recovery Workforce to create 500 new jobs across mental health, family violence, health and child protection. We will also generate new accelerated training pathways and internships for around 875 people, growing the pipeline of workers so Victorians have access to the support they need as we recover from this pandemic. 



In mental health this includes additional positions for child and youth psychiatry registrars, and funding for new part-time positions and cadetships for people with a lived experience of mental health – providing opportunity for these Victorians to use their experience and expertise to support those in need. This was also an interim recommendation made in the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. 



The Government is also increasing the number of available mental health nurse graduate positions across Victoria with $4.3 million so we have more workers on the ground caring for Victorians. 



Recognising the incredible skill, ability and knowledge of our carers, the Labor Government will provide $4.6 million to support pathways into employment in the community services, disability and aged care sector.



This includes relief to assist carers to get assistance with their caring responsibilities while they study and during their placements, helping with the cost of study materials, mentoring and additional supervision and support.



Victorians on a waiting list to access residential AOD services or who disengaged from treatment during the pandemic will receive more support with $25.62 million to employ new specialist alcohol and other drug workers.



As the Labor Government continues to lead the way with family violence reform, the package includes $8.1 million to build our family violence and sexual assault support workforce, supporting the coordination of up to 240 traineeships across the state. 



To ensure Aboriginal communities have access to the services they need to recover from the pandemic, $40 million will support a service delivery fund for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health organisations to boost services that will provide targeted support.



The package also includes $3.7 million for a new child protection student employment program, which will give students on the job experience, providing a future pathway to employment and financial support while they finish their studies.



In addition to this, the Budget will deliver $106.7 million over four years to recruit 239 new child protection practitioners, which will include graduates and experienced professionals who will be placed around Victoria to protect our young people. 



A further $22.5 million will employ up to 48 staff to take some of the workload off our child protection practitioners, helping with administrative support, working with children checks and a centralised subpoena unit. 



They will also assist with supervised visits, ensuring children and families can see each other.  



Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier and Minister for Mental Health James Merlino 



“As our state rebuilds, we are building a recovery workforce – to stand by every Victorian who needs our help.” 



“Now more than ever, we know how vital a family violence and mental health system is to keeping Victorians well and safe – and our work will continue to fix the cracks.”



 Quote attributable to Minister for Child Protection and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan



“By recruiting more child protection workers, and also helping our unpaid carers build on their experience and access work, we’re creating a stronger, more diverse workforce to support the most vulnerable members of our community.”



Quote attributable to Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and Aboriginal Affairs Gabrielle Williams



“We’ll continue to work with community service organisations to design programs, that deliver jobs and build a strong and resilient workforce, so they can help those who need it most.”



Attribution: State Government of Victoria

Hanson' The JobMaker scheme has not been properly thought through

Sam Bernardo
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Hanson' The JobMaker scheme has not been properly thought through

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Senator Pauline HANSON: Economic Recovery Package (JobMaker Hiring Credit) Amendment Bill   (Queensland—Leader of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation): The JobMaker scheme has not been properly thought through. It has too many flaws to successfully entice businesses into hiring extra employees and help rebuild the employment sector post-COVID-19. This pandemic induced recession is an extraordinary once-in-100-year event that has brought Australia and much of the world to its financial knees, and it needs something special to turn it around. JobMaker falls short.



The Senate might recall that on 24 February I was the first member of the Senate to question why the Morrison government allowed Australian universities to put profits before the health and security of this nation. Why I asked that series of questions was that a handful of universities here in Australia were circumventing international border closures unnecessarily and further spreading cases of the virus. It was a precursor to the troubles we would face as a nation due to the virus—in particular, the crumbling of the workforce. It was always going to require significant support from the government to help trigger businesses to rebuild Australia’s employment sector.



JobKeeper may have helped keep the heads of individuals above water, but it hasn’t helped in any way to help businesses restore employment numbers. JobMaker, which is the next stopgap measure, also won’t fix it. JobMaker offers little genuine financial incentive to business owners who are struggling to stay afloat. Just like many government programs, it was announced with much fanfare, but when it is truly analysed it doesn’t really do much to help. The government seem to prioritise getting positive publicity rather than actually solving the problem they claim to be solving. The money that has been thrown at JobKeeper and now proposed for JobMaker has wasted money that might be good for the short term, but in the long term, it must be paid back with interest, with nothing long term to show for it.



The $4 billion initially earmarked for JobMaker would be better spent on building infrastructure that would not only create jobs during construction but generate ongoing income for future generations. The modernised Bradfield Scheme, which I have highlighted for two decades, is the type of infrastructure project that could make a massive positive difference to the economy. It will pay for itself and then also generate much-needed ongoing income for Australia. It could irrigate such large parts of Central Queensland that it could become a food bowl not only for Australia but for the rest of the world. It’s a shame the Queensland Labor government doesn’t take this project seriously. It needs the federal government to make it a priority project in the national interest to get it off the ground.



Another infrastructure scheme worth analysing is Project Iron Boomerang, which would see the construction of steel smelters near the coalfields of Central Queensland and near the iron ore mines of Western Australia, with the two areas connected by rail. Coal and iron ore could be easily freighted between the two. It would mean we could process our iron ore to produce all Australian steel requirements here rather than exporting raw materials to China and then importing steel at great cost. We could then export to other countries. It would generate $72 billion in income per year, plus $21 billion in tax revenues annually, and create an estimated 75,000 jobs.



These two projects would help pay off Australia’s debt and help the economy to recover. It’s disappointing that projects like these two and others are not given serious consideration, yet debt-creating handout schemes are jumped at with enthusiastic fervour. The government would much rather throw borrowed money at welfare schemes that might put smiles on people’s faces but will have minimal long-term benefit. It fails to mention that all that money will also need to be paid back courtesy of the very people who receive the handouts: the taxpayers.



Rather than providing support that is genuinely helpful, the financial offerings under JobMaker are relatively small and largely dependent on the courage of the business owners themselves to take a leap of faith to hire new workers. This is a big ask at a time when we’re still in a significant recession and those businesses are struggling to survive. I have mentioned previously that the $4 billion to set up the JobMaker hiring credit scheme could instead go towards helping the states to raise the payroll tax threshold, which would support businesses and business growth across the board.



JobMaker also comes with administrative headaches for businesses, which are required to report quarterly to government to affirm their ongoing eligibility for the credits. A lot can change in business in three months. To be eligible, they need to prove an increase in total employee numbers. It makes it a worry for employers who fear the unexpected loss of a staff member or two could see them lose their entitlement to that support. The reality hanging over their heads would create more unwanted uncertainty in a year that has already been plagued with considerable uncertainty. On top of that, the wage credits are paid to the businesses quarterly, potentially adding to the administrative challenges and reducing the attractiveness of the scheme.



JobMaker supports two sectors of the workforce: those aged 16 to 29 and those aged 30 to 35. Jobseekers of other ages are therefore overlooked and disadvantaged, including those who might be a little older but who have considerable expertise and still much to offer. As I pointed out when the scheme was first announced, it is discriminatory towards school leavers and older workers, even possibly breaching age-discrimination laws. While federal laws like the Fair Work Act 2009 outlaw age discrimination, some state laws allow special exemptions that aim to lift those sectors of society that are disadvantaged. So the murkiness of JobMaker gets even murkier.



It was hoped that JobMaker would encourage the creation of 450,000 new jobs, but Treasury itself has downgraded that expectation to more like 45,000. Experts from the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, COSBOA, believe the dollars on offer through the scheme are not high enough for businesses to offset the costs and risks of hiring more employees. At $200 for a new worker aged 16 to 29 and $100 for someone aged 30 to 35, the employer who takes up these incentives still needs to find the bulk of the new employee’s weekly wages. To commit to finding that extra money upfront each week is daunting for many business owners, many of whom are in survival mode due to more than six months of hardship. As I said earlier, the credits are paid quarterly, so they are forced to pay full wages upfront and wait months for the credits to be reimbursed—a further disincentive. Many businesses are still finding their feet and they remain uncertain of what the future will bring. They will obviously baulk at the idea of taking on the costs that come with additional employees. Committing to hiring additional staff members means the business owner is also committing to finding hundreds more dollars in income to make up the full wages. If business growth were that easy, he or she would have hired without the need for a wage subsidy.



JobMaker would be more likely to interest employers if their business had entered a growth phase, but many small and medium businesses today are in a survival phase. It is my concern that JobMaker would encourage the loss of full-time jobs and reduce job security. JobMaker encourages the subsequent casualisation of any new roles. The $200 payment requires a new employee to work a minimum of 20 hours, so it makes sense that an employer might think to employ two workers, each working 20 hours, to qualify for two payments. This would better subsidise an employer than employing someone in a full-time equivalent position. This reduces the demands on the employer, but, unfortunately, the workers miss out on full-time work and the employment sector generally suffers.



Governments of both colours have always believed wrongly that small-business owners live the high life. The reality is that most small-business owners work the longest hours of all their staff, often doing paperwork late into the night. They are the first to be in the office in the mornings, and they are the last to get paid after invoices and overheads are taken care of. As we know, there are many businesses across this country crying out for workers. But, because of the decisions made by this government to make welfare so lucrative, there are not many people willing to take up these jobs. JobSeeker has made it easy for Australians to live comfortably without needing to work. JobMaker has been devised by the government to rectify that problem but is unlikely to be successful for the reasons outlined. JobMaker is not a strong enough system to help prise JobSeeker recipients off their couches and back to work. It is throwing bad money after bad money. One Nation will not support it.



The government needs to move away from the damaging handout mentality that is stagnating job growth and building debt. It needs to start thinking about measures that will fire up economic activity and make Australia the powerhouse economy that it can be. The government needs to shift focus to investing in infrastructure projects that will benefit Australians and Australia as a whole for the decades to come.



As I’ve stated in my speech, we won’t be supporting this. I’ve spoken with a lot of small businesses along the way. A lot of businesses are thriving. They’re doing extremely well with COVID. They’ve come out the other end. The trouble is that they don’t want the $100 or $200 that’s given to them. What they want is people to work. The signs are out there. When they’re taking on 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds for work because they can’t get anyone else to work then we have a real problem in this country. I know a lot of people are happy, and, under COVID, we needed to pay people who have lost their jobs and the jobseekers. I understand that. But extending this program out to March next year is not getting these people out of the way of life of sitting and getting paid by the government. That is not getting them to go and apply for these jobs.



My question to Michaelia Cash today was about what the government are going to do about these people who are offered jobs. We have 20,000 people in Cairns and the Hervey Bay in Queensland on JobSeeker, yet the farmers are crying out for about 15,000 workers, and they can’t get anyone. No-one applies for their jobs. If you go to Maranoa or the Darling Downs, there are another 7,000 on JobSeeker, and the farmers can’t get workers to pick the fruit. The farmers are ploughing their crops into the ground because no-one will pick the fruit. Is this how low this country has come—people don’t want to get out to work because it’s too hard? The handouts don’t send out a lot of money. It’s not a lot of money by the time you pay the rent, but the fact is that people here are quite happy to live this lifestyle. They don’t have to get up, get in the car, go to work and travel an hour to work like most other Australians have to do. They’re quite happy to receive that money and live this lifestyle because they don’t have to be told what to do or work for that money. There is a handout mentality in the third and fourth generations of this nation—a handout mentality of people not working. They feel it’s an entitlement; it’s not. It was set up as a helping hand.



When we bring workers from overseas to pick the fruit in this country, we have a real problem. Both sides of parliament keep giving handouts to buy votes. Once you give the handouts, you can’t take them back. People think they’re entitled to them. Where has the country that I grew up in gone? People have to provide roofs over their own heads, not rely on the government to provide them. It is there for those that need that helping hand. But when we have a generation on welfare payments, we have a real problem. This here is not helping the situation. Businesses don’t want handouts. Businesses want Australian workers.



Source: Transcript and Image Parliament of Australia Website 

Morrison extends lower rate $150 Jobseeker payment until march

Sam Bernardo
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Morrison extends lower rate $150 Jobseeker payment until march

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The Morrison Government will extend temporary support through the social security system, for those Australians seeking work, for a further three months as economic confidence and momentum builds.

Both existing and new JobSeekers will be paid the Coronavirus Supplement at a rate of $150 per fortnight from 1 January 2021 through to 31 March 2021 on top of their base rate of payment and other supplements they are eligible to receive.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said JobSeekers would continue to be able to earn up to $300 per fortnight without their social security payments being reduced.

“My number one priority is to get more Australians into work,” the Prime Minister said.

“As the country is safely reopening and businesses starting to return to full steam, we need to connect those seeking work with available jobs,” the Prime Minister said.



“When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia, we acted decisively by boosting our health response and putting in place more than $257 billion of direct economic support measures to cushion the blow, and today that support continues for those Australians that need it.”



Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said the Government was committed to supporting all Australians as the economy reopens and they return to work.



“We have temporarily put arrangements in place so that our social security safety net is not just for people who have lost their jobs but it is also supporting people who have had their hours or income reduced,” Minister Ruston said.



“As the jobs market improves we want to encourage people to re-engage with the workforce because we know that even a few hours of work a week while on payment can have a dramatic impact on the pathway off income support.”



Expanded criteria will continue to provide payment access for permanent employees who are stood down, sole traders and the self-employed until 31 March 2021. The relaxed partner income test will also continue meaning that a JobSeeker can still access payments where their partner earns about $80,000 annually.



The Ordinary Waiting Period, Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period and the Seasonal Work Preclusion Period will continue to be waived until 31 March 2021.



The extension of temporary measures is estimated to cost an additional $3.2 billion.



Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.



The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.

Vladimir Putin meeting President of Syria Bashar al-Assad

Sam Bernardo
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Vladimir Putin meeting President of Syria Bashar al-Assad

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Vladimir Putin had a meeting, via videoconference, with President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mr President.

Glad to see you.

Russia is continuing to make intensive efforts to facilitate a long-term settlement in Syria, restoring its sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

In this context, I should note the productivity of the Astana format that also involves our partners from Iran and Turkey. We have achieved great progress thanks to our joint efforts: the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria has been almost completely eliminated; the level of violence has been reduced significantly. The country is returning to a peaceful life while an inclusive political process continues under the auspices of the United Nations.

At this point, Syria’s post-conflict recovery is crucial – primarily, the return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes. As we know, this is one of the key conditions of the fundamental UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Unfortunately, as of today, more than 6.5 million refugees remain outside Syria, the overwhelming majority being able-bodied citizens who can and must take part in their country’s recovery. Moreover, their return would also be in the interests of the host countries – mainly, Syria’s neighbours, because this burden is significant and they have to incur substantial expenses related to temporary accommodation and provision of supplies to Syrians. Not to mention the fact that younger refugees often fall under the influence of radical groups, join militants and may pose a threat to their host countries.

Back in 2018, I addressed the international community with an appeal to support the process of repatriation of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons which you, Mr President, and the Syrian government initiated. It was then that we agreed to expand bilateral cooperation on this matter, in particular, by forming inter-agency coordination offices.

In Syria itself, measures to improve living and working conditions and lift various political, social and psychological restrictions, continue to this day.

These efforts have yielded fruit. Over 850,000 Syrian citizens have returned back to Syria and over 1 million people have returned to the places of their permanent residence inside the country. This is certainly a result of your efforts, Mr President. This is good, in general. But the scale of the humanitarian disaster – there is no other description for the situation – remains quite considerable.

Now that peace and tranquillity have been restored in the larger part of Syria, there is a possibility to ensure a large-scale return of refugees back home. It is vital, of course, that this process runs a natural course, with no pressure applied. Each Syrian must be able to make a decision independently, based on reliable information about the situation in his or her home country and the measures to restore peaceful life taken by you, Mr President, and by the Syrian authorities.

This is the objective of the international conference on the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, which will be held in Damascus on November 11–12. Russia wholeheartedly supports it and is actively helping Syria to organise and hold it. Representatives of many countries, as well as the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have confirmed their participation.



The Russian delegation, which will be one of the largest, will include professionals from over 30 ministries and agencies. In addition to taking part in the forum, they intend to hold meetings with their Syrian colleagues to discuss the most important current aspects of bilateral cooperation. Also, the delivery of 65 tonnes of humanitarian aid will be timed for the conference.



We hope that the conference will be productive and will help to stimulate the process of a massive return of refugees, thus promoting lasting normalisation in Syria.



I hope that it will be successful. For our part, this is what we will work for, Mr President.



Thank you.



President of Syria Bashar al-Assad (retranslated): Thank you very much, Mr President.



I am delighted to be hosting this videoconference with you today, especially in the run-up to the International Conference on Refugees, which will be convened in Damascus within the next few days.



Thank you for your attention to the problem of refugees. It is a humanitarian problem, but many countries around the world are trying to politicise it. It is a national problem, and all Syrian authorities are interested in resolving it. It is one of our government’s top priorities for the next period, especially since a significant part of Syria’s territory has been liberated, and we have eradicated terrorism there.



Of course, this matter is a priority, but, in addition to it, we would, of course, like to discuss other issues.



As you are aware, Mr President, many refugees and internally displaced persons were driven out of the country by fear of terrorism. Others fled because infrastructure was destroyed, and they lost their jobs.



We continue to maintain direct contact with most of the states in which these refugees are residing. We are aware that they are eager to return, especially after Syria has provided certain benefits to encourage the return process.



However, the problem is that terrorists are still holding some regions of our country, and Syria and its people are under economic blockade, which does not help us meet the Syrian refugees’ essential needs. Schools are closed or have been destroyed, and providing essential services is a challenge.



In addition, the returning refugees must have certain prospects for a normal life, but the problem is that the Western embargo is a big hurdle to achieving these goals.



We pin great hopes on this conference and hope that it will bring practical results. The Syrians are not only willing, but are excited to be able to carry out practical agreements in the months immediately following the conference. And we are aware that most of the refugees support the Syrian government, but, unfortunately, the current circumstances prevent them from returning.



We appreciate the other states’ interest in participating in this conference. We hope it will be possible to alleviate the existing economic embargo or even break it by joint efforts in order to create proper conditions for the return of refugees.



Once again, Mr President, thank you for this opportunity to contact you and for the attention that you and the leadership of the Russian Federation are devoting to this matter and, despite the international pressure and sanctions against this conference, you are helping us organise it.



We are confident that it will be a success, and are committed to continuing cooperation with Russia and other interested states on this matter. We are confident that, similar to the outcome of World War II, the truth is on our side and we will succeed in upholding it.



Thank you once again for supporting Damascus and the Syrian government in overcoming this crisis, the post-conflict rebuilding effort and the return of the refugees.



Thank you.



Vladimir Putin: Mr President, I propose briefly discussing some of the details related to organising this conference and then, maybe, our bilateral relations.



Source: Source President of Russia Kremlin Moscow



Kayleigh McEnany: We’re asking for truth and transparency into US Election

Sam Bernardo
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Kayleigh McEnany: We’re asking for truth and transparency into US Election

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Kayleigh McEnany: All we’re asking for is truth and transparency into the US Election, sadly we are the ones asking the questions that the Fake Mainstream media should.


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Donald Trump YouTube

Support President Trump: Join The Stop The Steal Caravan

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Photo Alex Jones Infowars


Infowars: He needs to see your strength in person that will in turn give him strength to fight this attempted coup against the United States of America by multinational forces who are trying to bring it down from within.

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If you don’t stand up now, get ready for the erosion of your rights to appease multinationals who could not care less about the values and liberties of the United States and its Constitution.  They could not care less about your day-to-day struggles. In fact, they’re cheering against you. Please go to Infowars for more Information about the Caravan

Payne welcomes Tongan Seasonal Workers for Queensland

Sam Bernardo
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Payne welcomes Tongan Seasonal Workers for Queensland

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Australia welcomes another significant step towards restarting Australia’s highly valued Pacific labour mobility programs and supporting our Pacific family, with the arrival of the first group of Tongan workers since Australia’s border restrictions came into effect in March.

This will also be the first time Pacific seasonal workers will be quarantined on farm, consistent with the Queensland Government’s approved guidelines.

The 151 Tongan Seasonal Worker Programme participants will support Queensland’s horticultural producers who play an integral role in securing Australia’s food supply and boosting regional economies. They follow on from the 323 workers who have arrived in the Northern Territory to date, from Vanuatu.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, said the Morrison Government is working with States and Territories, industry and Pacific governments, to ensure Australia’s valued Pacific labour mobility initiatives — the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme — can resume safely.

“These programs help businesses in rural and regional areas secure a productive workforce, while providing valuable skills and income to Pacific workers who send home savings to support their families and communities,” she said.

“They provide benefits for Australia and the participating Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. Our cooperation is enabling these programs to recommence in a COVID-safe way.”

All placements are subject to labour market testing in Australia.

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, said the programs provided employment opportunities for Pacific workers to play a critical role in supporting our food supply during the pandemic.



“All ten of the participating countries in our Pacific labour schemes have accepted our invitation to re-start recruitment, following the decision of National Cabinet to recommence these programs on 21 August,” he said.

“We encourage industry and state and territory governments to continue to identify options, such as industry-led quarantine, to enable more Pacific workers to enter Australia to fill critical workforce shortages while ensuring that returning Australian citizens and residents continued to be prioritised.”



The flight was also the first opportunity since borders closed to assist 80 Tongan citizens and residents to return to Tonga.



Participating countries in the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme are Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru and Timor-Leste.

  • Joint media release:
  • Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women
  • The Hon Alex Hawke MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Assistant Defence Minister
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

McKim National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms)

Sam Bernardo
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McKim National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms)

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Senator Nicholas McKIM Senate Speech 9 Nov 2020 (Tasmania—Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (10:39): The National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms) Bill 2019 (No. 2) effectively copies, word for word, the government’s 2017 draft bill to better regulate payday lending. Of course, we do need to better regulate payday lending in order to protect people from rapacious lenders and, on that basis, the Australian Greens will be supporting this legislation.


Unfortunately, after releasing a draft bill in 2017, the government walked away from any reform of payday lending, until it decided to include a new set of reforms for payday lenders in its recently announced package. Again, unfortunately, the government’s recently announced package basically blows up the entire system of consumer credit protection in this country so that the banks can continue to profit at the expense of the lives of so many Australians and their families.


We need to be clear about what the government is doing here. The government is walking away from the primary recommendation of the Hayne royal commission into banks in Australia—that is, recommendation 1.1 made by Commissioner Hayne:

The NCCP Act should not be amended to alter the obligation to assess unsuitability.

We now know that, in fact, the government is intending to amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act in those terms—a blatant rejection of Commissioner Hayne’s primary recommendations.

When this came out at estimates recently, I have to say government senators were particularly well scripted in their responses. I might add that their responses bore no relationship to reality, but they were very well scripted. Their defence of the decision by government to abandon its acceptance of recommendation 1.1 of the banking royal commission centres on what they say is the context for recommendation 1.1, namely Commissioner Hayne’s consideration of the suggestion by some consumer groups that the test under the NCCP Act should be changed from assessing whether a loan is not unsuitable to whether a loan is suitable. In the government’s contorted logic, government senators have equated the commissioner’s rejection of this suggested change to mean that the commissioner didn’t endorse the current test. This is a positively Orwellian attempt by the government to rewrite the history of the banking royal commission. Nothing could be further from the truth.



The commissioner was abundantly clear. To make that point, let me quote at length from the final report of the banking royal commission:



Subject to these matters—that is, consideration of whether to change the test from ‘not unsuitable’ to ‘suitable’—there was little or no debate about the terms of the NCCP Act. And, as will be apparent from what I have said, I am not persuaded that the terms of the NCCP Act should be amended to alter the obligation to assess unsuitability. My conclusions about issues relating to the NCCP Act can be summed up as ‘apply the law as it stands’.



But, of course, that’s not what the government intends to do. After having accepted that recommendation in Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s name, under his signature, the government accepted the recommendation of the banking royal commission that the law should not be amended to alter the obligation on lenders to assess unsuitability. The government has now walked away from that recommendation and from its previous acceptance of that recommendation.



Commissioner Hayne was basically saying: ‘Don’t strengthen responsible lending laws. Don’t weaken responsible lending laws. Just apply them as they stand.’ He was abundantly clear on that, and he made that recommendation in order to protect ordinary Australians from the rapacious, unethical and greedy banks and from the toxic culture



of those banks that was exposed during the banking royal commission. Now the government is walking away from that primary recommendation of the banking royal commission.



What the royal commission showed was the banks’ willingness to engage in predatory lending and the banks’ willingness to engage in unlawful lending. But, instead of making the banks abide by the law, the government is now proposing to change the law to abide by the banks. Again the corporatocracy rules in this country, and the banks are some of the most powerful corporations in Australia.



We have already in this country some of the highest levels of household debt in the world. Make no mistake, looser lending standards—which is the road the government has decided to walk down—will make it easier for banks to lure people into even more debt. And because, if the government gets its way, lenders won’t have to assess unsuitability there will be a greater chance that ordinary Australians will not be able to service their debts. That is, they will fall into a debt trap, and it is very difficult to haul yourself out of a debt trap once you have fallen in.



Proposing these changes, as the government is doing in the middle of a recession, when people are suffering even more financial stress than the already significant level of financial stress they were suffering pre-COVID, is a recipe for disaster. It is shameful in the extreme that the government, having been dragged kicking and screaming into setting up a banking royal commission in this country and having initially supported that primary recommendation from Commissioner Hayne, is now walking away because the banks have given it its marching orders. Again, big corporates are running the show. Whether it’s big banks, big coal, big gas or big gaming, the corporate vested interests are exercising their power and their influence over the government. When the banks say, ‘Jump,’ this government reflexively asks, ‘How high?’ When the banks said to the government, ‘You have to walk away from the primary and most important recommendation of the banking royal commission’—the banking royal commission that exposed predatory and unlawful lending practices by Australian banks and a culture of extreme toxicity within Australian banks—it didn’t take this government long to crumble and crumble they did. The people who will pay the price for it will be ordinary Australians, and these banks, with their culture of greed and toxicity and who were exposed as acting in a predatory and unlawful way by the banking royal commission, will be the winners from what the government is doing.



Source: Transcript and Image Parliament of Australia Website 

Trump-Supporting Hydraulic Fracturing, Technologies to Protect Our Jobs

Sam Bernardo
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Trump-Supporting Hydraulic Fracturing, Technologies to Protect Our Jobs

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  • President Donald J Trump    : Under my Administration, we are no longer beholden to foreign powers or domestic radicals. We are powering our Nation on our own terms
  • President Trump is fighting misguided attacks on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and other innovative energy and natural-resources technologies.
  • Due to public calls to ban or restrict such technologies, the President has directed his Administration to assess the potential effects of such bans or restrictions on American citizens.
  • The Administration will assess the potential consequences of fracking bans – such as job losses – on Americans who are directly or indirectly benefiting from the energy industry and other industries, including mining for sand and other minerals.
    • The President wants to protect these jobs and help out-of-work Americans who are seeking good jobs.
  • No responsible public official should sacrifice vast numbers of American jobs and livelihoods to appease domestic radicals and curry favor with foreign powers.



SECURE AND AFFORDABLE AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump will continue to ensure Americans have access to dependable, affordable energy to power their homes, cars, and lives.



  • In 2019, the Council of Economic Advisers estimated that fracking and other innovations had reduced energy prices and saved Americans $203 billion per year, or $2,500 each year for a family of four.
    • These savings disproportionately benefit low-income households, who spend a large share of their incomes on energy.
  • Banning or restricting such technologies would increase the prices of gasoline, electricity, heating, and air conditioning.
    • These increases would greatly harm senior citizens, middle- and lower-income Americans, and others on fixed-incomes.
  • In addition to assessing the potentially devastating effects of fracking restrictions on American jobs and workers, the Administration will assess potential effects on consumers, property owners, local governments, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics.



PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY:  President Trump will continue to put America First and will guard United States national security through energy independence.



  • Reliable, affordable energy is essential to our Nation’s well-being, our economic strength and global competitiveness, and our national security.
  • The President is opposed to misguided policies that would take us back to the days of vulnerable dependence on foreign oil and natural gas.
  • As a result of the President’s continued push for energy independence and new technologies, our country recently became a net energy exporter for the first time since 1952, with American energy exports reaching an all-time high last year.
  • The United States is now the world’s leading producer of both oil and natural gas.
    • Crude oil production set record highs both last year and the year before, leaping past the previous record set in 1970.
  • The Trump Administration has increased exports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) by nearly five-fold and has issued more than 20 long-term authorizations for LNG exports.
    • LNG exports are reducing the trade deficit by $10 billion each year and are on pace to reduce the trade deficit by $30 billion per year by 2030.
  • ·At the same time, America is a world leader in clean air and in reducing energy-related CO2 emissions.
    • Our Nation’s air quality has improved by 77 percent over the last 50 years, including 7 percent under President Trump.
    • In 2019, the United States had the largest absolute decline in energy-related CO2 emissions of any country in the world.
  • Through his strong leadership and common sense policies, President Trump has proven that energy production and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.



ATTRIBUTION: THIS ARTICLE, IMAGE AND VIDEO ROYALTY-FREE LICENSE WHITEHOUSE.GOV UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 3.0 LICENSE.

How a country’s attempt to give well-deserved recognition to a pious Jewish sage was hijacked and a nation’s honour ransacked

Sam Bernardo
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ILNIUS – It should have been a moment of celebration, 300 years since one of the great Torah scholars came to this world. However, the enthusiasm was marred by a much bigger event: a horrific plan to build a conference center on a cemetery filled with over 50,000 Jewish souls. 
Turto Bankas, the Lithuanian government-owned bank saw fit to move forward with its proposal. Despite international opposition to the development of a conference center on a cemetery, the developers, Turto Bankas, the Lithuanian government and the City Council of Vilnius pressed forward relentless in their efforts to execute the wholesale desecration of a cemetery which is a historical landmark. 
Proclaiming the year 2020 as the year of the Vilna Gaon was an amazing idea. It had the makings of being a fitting tribute to a rabbinical giant, the likes of which Jewish communities had not seen for generations. It had the potential to solidify Jewish and Lithuanian relations, to inspire communities across the world who had some connection to Lithuania. 
However, the enormous value which may have been achieved by the Year of the Vilna Gaon was hijacked by interest groups who were committed to following their own agenda. These groups totally ignored the importance which Jewish law attaches to cemetery preservation and to respect for the dead; in fact not so distant from generally accepted practice which is attributed by international law to cemeteries. 
These assemblies and individuals placed their own personal interests before those of Lithuania. In the end the total disregard for Jewish law, indifference and lack of appreciation for the preservation of Jewish culture, overshadowed the merit which the Year of the Vilna Gaon may have produced.   
Jewish communities the world over, respect and appreciate the tribute which the Seimas has bestowed on them, but they refuse to accept and eat caviar, while their brethren are being cattle-carred to the gas chambers. They refuse to be audience to the desecration of a cemetery in which their families were buried. Such an atrocity is no cause for celebration. Pretending so would be incongruent and hypocritical. 
A Jewish interest group depicts the sentiments of disenchanted Lithuanian Jews in a video.






https://youtu.be/r6KP2slz5es
Saving Shnipeshok Video




They are shocked, angry and feel betrayed over the notion of a conference center on their family burial plot.
Rabbi Elchonon Baron, an activist for Jewish causes together with famed Nazi-hunter Dr. Efraim Zuroff are quick to point out that Jewish communities in Lithuania were not victim to train transportation to the camps. This is because 95 percent of the Jewish population was slain in Lithuania. 
“However, most Jews want to move forward,” a spokesperson for a Jewish community said. “We will never forget, but we are builders. We want to be part of that vision, to contribute towards making life better for everyone.”   
Unfortunately, an initiative which could have been an international success story, has become a case study for failed diplomacy and an example of how hijacking a noble cause for personal interest, can be a defeat for the greater good of the nation.
Descendants of the those Jewish families interned in the Shnipishok cemetery, have filed a class-action suit in Lithuanian courts to stop the developers from building the conference center. Attorneys for the plaintiffs submitted expert evidence, certifying that the Sports Center is located in the cemetery and that the plaintiffs ancestors are buried there. Many of the plaintiffs are direct descendants of the Vilna Gaon. The case reference is (lith. Dėl uždraudimo atlikti veiksmus sukeliančius realią žalos padarymo grėsmę ateityje) Nr. e2-625-918/2020 in the District Court of Vilnius City.
Human rights groups express concern over the likelihood of a just outcome, as they believe that the Lithuanian court system is rigged. The next hearing is scheduled for November 24, 2020.









Attribution Grant de Graf / WhatsApp/ Telepgram: +1-917-727-7503
Email: [email protected] Website: savevilna.org


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