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30 September 2003 - Media ReleaseMinister Kemp Drowning in a Sea of Unkept PromisesThe 150% hike in Surf Life Saving Australia’s (SLSA) public liability insurance premium this year represents another of Sport Minister Kemp’s failed promises. In August this year Senator Kemp told the Surf Lifesaving Australia National Conference that he was “extremely concerned about the potential impact of the public-liability insurance crisis in the sport sector”. In the Minister’s view it would be “a disaster if this problem adversely affected the services surf lifesavers have rendered to the community for almost a century”. Minister Kemp assured the conference that there was no cause for alarm, however, as the Commonwealth had taken the lead in trying to address these problems. Given the massive jump in SLSA’s insurance premium, I suggest the Minister should have tried a little harder. Since January of last year I have called on the Howard Government to address the rising cost of public liability insurance in the sport and recreation sector. To date nothing has been done, with the result that the concerns raised two years ago are becoming a reality. Sport and recreation organisations are struggling to provide services due to increasing liability costs. For an organisation like Surf Life Saving, cuts in services quite simply equate to loss of lives through increased drownings. Minister Kemp vowed to keep a close eye on this issue and to personally argue Surf Life Saving’s case at the Federal level. He has clearly had no success in this important task. Unfortunately for sport in Australia, Prime Minister Howard’s Cabinet reshuffle yesterday failed to remove one joker from the pack. Media contact: Adina Cirson ‑ (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
29 September 2003 - Media ReleaseGood riddance to a bad minister: TuckeyWilson Tuckey has been dumped as Minister for Territories, after using the ACT as his political plaything during his tenure. As Minister, he took Canberra bashing to a new level. His interference in ACT affairs has been both unwelcome and inappropriately partisan and includes the following debacles;
Tuckey has chosen to involve himself in numerous National Capital Authority projects which have consistently resulted in controversy because of his mishandling and inappropriate political interference. Tuckey has won no hearts and minds in Canberra. He has repeatedly offended Canberrans and I am one of many who are glad to see him sacked. Media contact: Adina Cirson ‑ (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
29 September 2003 - Media ReleaseAlston: Three strikes and you’re outSenator Alston’s removal from the front bench comes after years of being asleep at the wheel and disinterest in his portfolio, particularly Information Technology (IT). Alston’s legacy in the IT portfolio is one of holding back Australia’s ICT potential and ensuring Australia slips in the ranks of key knowledge economy indicators, like broadband penetration. For a Minister who has continually put the interests of the big end of town first: three strikes and you’re out: Strike One: Massive ICT Trade DeficitAustralia has been going backwards in ICT industry development, resulting in a devastating ICT trade deficit. Imports have soared and Australia’s ICT sector has shrunk. Strike Two: Slow Broadband Internet PenetrationUnder Senator Alston’s watch, Australia’s broadband penetration slipped from 13th to 19th in the OECD. Strike Three: Internet ignoranceSenator Alston’s ridiculous and unworkable internet content regulatory regimes for adult content and online gambling earned him an international reputation as “the World’s Biggest Luddite”. Alston’s other noteworthy debacles include: the failed Framework for the Future Report (his only ICT policy contribution); his failure to address Telstra’s growing dominance in the broadband communications sector and, finally, his departmental website which cost a whopping $4 million. Senator Alston has had his three strikes, and now he’s out. His failing interest in Australia’s ICT industry was a standing joke within the sector, and he spent most of his energies criticising ICT journalists and industry groups which dared to criticise him. The ICT sector needs and deserves a Minister with vision and energy, but unfortunately by replacing Senator Alston with Daryl Williams, the Prime Minister has substituted a Minister asleep at the wheel with a plodder, hardly known for his dynamism. The big questions on everyone’s lips are now: “Which overseas posting is Senator Alston off to?” and, “Why should he be rewarded for failure?” Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
26 September 2003 - Media AlertArt exhibition: From the sublime to the digitalSenator Kate Lundy will open From the sublime to the digitalthe new work by Lelde Vitols and baskets by Yolngu women artists from Elcho Island Saturday 27 September 2003
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 | Ensuring expenditure of these funds is highly transparent and accountable through the Board to soccer stakeholders and through the Minister to Parliament; |
| Implementation of all the Crawford Inquiry recommendations with an added focus on strengthening the linkages between grassroots and elite soccer; |
| Investment in an equal share of the funds to support grass roots soccer at the junior, community and regional level; and |
| Development of a substantial and ambitious plan for the development of women’s soccer at both the elite and grassroots level. |
Importantly, soccer's long-term future must be given priority over short-term, riskier outcomes to enable the structural changes necessary. This is essential if soccer is to avoid being in the same place in five years that it is now.
Labor is also concerned that early or unreasonable repayment of the grant/loan may result in reduced investment in participation programs, and urges the development of a plan to ensure that grassroots support does not suffer as a result.
Finally, Labor is pleased that this funding will not be subtracted from the existing Federal sports budget, as that would have meant other sports would be paying for the soccer bailout.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Today’s Agenda for the meeting of the Online Council, organised by the Minister for Information Technology, Senator Alston, proves that even he has lost faith in his Framework for the Future (F3) Report.
The meeting between Federal, State and Territory information and communications technology (ICT) Ministers was the perfect opportunity for Senator Alston to address the first recommendation of the F3 Report, which states:
“A meeting of the Online Council should be convened by the Commonwealth within the next three months to discuss the outcomes and recommendations of this Report, and take the Report’s agenda forward, including addressing issues of coordination of ICT strategies and priorities between jurisdictions.”
However, the Minister has consigned this recommendation to the waste paper basket, only allocating ten minutes on the agenda for the discussion of F3 - that’s five minutes less than the 15 minutes set aside for a coffee break.
This is further proof that Senator Alston has no interest in working with the States to build on their strong efforts to develop Australia’s ICT industry - today’s two hour meeting is the first Online Council meeting since March 2002.
And now he has conceded that his big promise to the ICT industry, the F3 Report, is nothing but a flop - less important than coffee and biscuits. This leaves Australia’s ICT industry under the Howard Government without direction, costing our community jobs and investment dollars.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Senator Alston has again attempted to bully an Australian media outlet with details of his methods published today on the APC Magazine website.
Documents on the APC Magazine website show that Senator Alston, his Chief of Staff, and his media adviser used heavy-handed tactics against an APC Magazine journalist in relation to two articles published in June this year. Both articles were critical of the Minister’s dealing with issues relating to the ICT sector.
APC offered Senator Alston the opportunity to refute the article’s content, but this apparently was not good enough for the Minister.
These tactics have become a bad habit for the Minister's office. Previous attacks include:
| not one, but two, press releases attacking journalists from The Australian in a seven-day period; |
| spiteful attacks on industry lobby groups, such as the Australian Computer Society, when they have criticised Government ICT policy; and |
| his exaggerated claims of bias against the ABC. |
Senator Alston has to learn that he cannot shoot down every voice that tries to criticise him or his party, especially when he gets it wrong so often.
Correspondence between APC Magazine and the Minister's office can be found on the APC website.
Media contact: Adina Cirson 0418 488 295 or 02 6277 3334
Today’s introduction of anti-spam legislation into Parliament marks the end of a long eighteen month wait for the Howard Government to act on spam.
During the last eighteen months, spam is estimated to have risen from 17% of all emails in February 2002, to a massive 50% in August 2003. This means it has taken almost three times as many expensive and offensive unsolicited emails clogging up their mailboxes before any action has been taken.
This is the cost of the Howard Government’s procrastination.
It was in February 2002 that the Minister for Information Technology, Senator Alston, claimed to be “concerned” about spam. Later he promised a report from the National Office of the Information Economy (NOIE) “to be made public by mid-year [2002]”.
However, all that appeared - in August 2002 - was an interim report that recommended a continuation of the Howard Government’s light touch approach to spam.
Labor released a paper advocating a tougher approach to attacking unsolicited emails in December of 2002.
It was only following Labor’s response to the problem that the Howard Government back-flipped on their weak position held previously. The final NOIE, released in April this year, came to almost exactly the same conclusions that Labor had already reached: principally that new anti-spam legislation should be enacted by Government.
It is about time that the Howard Government made up its mind to combat the problem of spam. It is just unfortunate that Australians have been paying the price in the meantime.
Labor has always endorsed strong measures to counter spam, and will analyse the detail of the legislation to ensure that it will be effective in this aim.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295.
It has taken a party room coup to finally force the Howard Government to belatedly acknowledge Australia’s obesity problem. Liberal backbenchers, frustrated with their Party’s lack of action, have resorted to drafting a formal memo to attract the Prime Minister’s attention.
The fact that it has taken some ten years after the World Health Organisation sounded the ‘globesity’ alarm for the penny to drop is not surprising. It is merely another example of the Howard Government’s inability to keep up with current issues.
On a number of occasions, most recently last week, the Labor Party has called on the Government to address the very important issue of the increasing rates of childhood and adult obesity in this country.
The Federal Liberal Government, with its entirely irresponsible attitude toward the Australian obesity issue, has placed the nation’s health and wellbeing in serious jeopardy. Obesity is killing Australians, and it is costing the health system around $100 million a year.
The importance of physical activity and nutrition education in the fight against obesity are well documented but under the Howard Government, funding for physical activity and participation has continually been slashed across the board since 1996. For the year 1998/99 to 1999/00 alone, participation rates in Australia dropped by 4.7 percent across all age groups.
It is hypocritical of the Howard Government to now feign concern when they have directly contributed to this problem.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
A rally organised by the ACT Childcare Campaign Committee outside Parliament House today highlighted the importance of quality childcare and the responsibility of everyone to value and recognise the expertise of childcare professionals.
The rally demonstrated support for all those working in children’s services and asked Government to commit to better funding for childcare.
The rally was addressed by parents, Emily Brissenden and James Macken, childcare professional Leanne Martin, Lynda Stubbs from the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union and Shadow Minister for Children and Youth, Senator Jacinta Collins, and ACT Senator Kate Lundy.
Parent Emily Brissenden spoke about the difficulty in finding a child care place and need to increase the Childcare Cash Benefit.
“Our expectations of childcare professionals are high, parents are unable to pay more for childcare and childcare professionals every day earn our respect, but do not receive appropriate pay and conditions,” she said.
Leanne Martin told the rally how much she valued working with young children. But despite formal qualifications and her responsibilities to children, families and co-workers, Leanne earns less than in many other professions which don’t require comparable qualifications.
James Macken outlined what he described as the “juggling act” working parents face with finding suitable and affordable childcare.
Lynda Stubbs spoke of the union efforts to represent those working in the childcare sector, where the current rate of pay for trained childcare workers is $11.99 per hour.
“Labor is concerned about the Howard Government’s agenda to redevelop the support funding for childcare. The focus seems to be more on budget constraints than on needed services and Family Day Care providers are increasingly uncertain about the future of operational funding,” said Senator Jacinta Collins.
“Labor has heard that some co-ordination units will walk away from delivering Family Day Care without the needed operational funding.
“By refusing to assure funding for Family Day Care before December 2003, Minister Anthony is being irresponsible and is exacerbating the crisis in childcare.”
Media Contacts: Adina Cirson 0418 488 295 (Senator Lundy)
Senator Jacinta Collins 0418 991 757 Lizzie
Blandthorn 0407 689 244
Senator Vanstone’s attempt to use the artists as scapegoats is a disgrace when clearly the Howard Government is in damage control over the controversial ‘Red Fan’ proposal.
Earlier today the word was that Cabinet was going to veto the proposal. However when Senator Vanstone’s statement came out late Monday night it exposed a shallow and gutless attempt to blame the artists who were merely working to a government brief for the fiasco.
This fiasco was brought on by the National Capital Authority, Minister for Territories, Wilson Tuckey and Senator Vanstone’s incompetence and arrogance in pushing this project through without appropriate consultation.
It is appropriate that the proposal is halted given these failings, but the Howard Government must take the responsibility.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The decision to refer to Cabinet the proposal to build the controversial ‘Fan’ sculpture today shows that the Howard Government has lost confidence in the Minister for Territories, Wilson Tuckey.
The decision follows a ‘please explain’ letter to the National Capital Authority (NCA) about the lack of consultation on the sculpture from the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.
The Committee had accepted that appropriate consultation had taken place following a presentation by the NCA and approved the plan on 5 February 2003. However, it has also been revealed today that the sculpture presented to the Committee is different to the one that will be built behind Old Parliament House.
The NCA has not bothered to seek parliamentary approval for the modified design.
Previously the NCA - acting on behalf of Senator Vanstone and the Office of the Status of Women - did not seek parliamentary approval before commissioning the five designers who were flown to Canberra and asked to submit site-specific designs.
Consultation seems to be treated with contempt in the NCA, with a previous inquiry (into Draft Amendment 39 - State Circle) finding that no consultation with residents had occurred prior to the significant redevelopment of residential sites.
Minister Tuckey has once again failed in his duty as Minister for Territories and as Commonwealth custodian for the National Capital Plan in the ACT.
Regardless of the range of subjective opinions about the ‘Fan’ sculpture, the Howard Government and the NCA have failed to fulfil their obligations to widely consult with the community and heritage experts.
Cabinet’s consideration of this proposal amounts to damage control, made necessary because of the incompetency of Wilson Tuckey.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The announcement of Lauren Jackson as the American WNBA’s most valuable player officially confirmed her status as the world’s best female basketballer, and I join all Australians in offering Lauren our congratulations on this outstanding sporting achievement.
Without doubt every television station in Australia will be clamouring for interview time with Lauren now that she is an international MVP. We wonder if they will be making the same frantic rush to secure the rights for some prime time coverage of this season’s upcoming WNBL.
Over the past weekend more than 40 hours of sport has been shown on commercial television. Of these only 2.5 hours were dedicated to women’s sport, 1.5 of which only just scraped into the weekend sport timeslot by being shown from midnight to 1.30am on Saturday morning. Little did it matter that this just happened to be the national netball final, Australia’s most widely played sport.
Coverage of women’s sport in Australia is, to put it politely, paltry. Even Jackson’s historic announcement this morning could barely gain a mention amongst the “Monday’s expert” wraps of how the weekend’s football games were played and lost and how they could have been won.
Perhaps Sports Minister Kemp and Prime Minister Howard could focus a little more on addressing the inequality of coverage for women’s sport, and a little less on one-stop photo ops with our latest sporting heroes.
Unfortunately, given the Coalition’s lack of action to date, by the time we see some hardline steps taken toward women’s sporting equality, Lauren Jackson will have retired, and we will once again have been robbed of our opportunity to see one of the world’s great athletes playing in Australia or overseas.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The Labor party yesterday committed itself to implementing the visual arts community’s top priority - a Resale Royalty Scheme.
A Private Member’s Bill is currently being drafted to implement these measures which were recommended by the Government-commissioned Report of the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft inquiry (The Myer Report).
Under the Resale Royalty Scheme proposed by Labor, visual artists will enjoy a direct economic benefit from their work if it is resold for a higher value. Visual artists who generally produce original works, and sell their work to an art gallery, receive no further income from any future increase in value when the work is resold.
A major beneficiary of this program in the future will be Indigenous artists, families and communities who have missed out on millions of dollars of potential income because they were unable to benefit from vastly increased resale prices later in their careers.
This scheme will create a more equitable system that will bring financial rewards for visual artists more in line with those enjoyed by other artists under the Copyright Act 1968.
Furthermore, the European Union has mandated that all member countries introduce resale royalties for living artists by 2006, and artist estates by 2012. It is appropriate and timely that Australian artists also receive the economic benefit of such a scheme in Australia.
Labor is committed to protecting the rights of artists to access income generated from the increased value of their artwork and believes that this Labor initiative will be well received by the arts sector.
Key stakeholders are invited to provide contributions or comments related to the drafting of the Private Members Bill.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The Howard Government has a lot to answer for with respect to the Australian Sports Drug Agency revelation that the incidence of positive tests has increased for the first time since 1998.
These results indicate that the government’s approach to anti-doping and its ability to properly communicate the risks and penalties associated with drug taking in sport needs urgent improvement.
While changes in world doping policies have required ASDA to more than double the total number of drug tests conducted over the last seven years, for the same period, the percentage of Government funding for drug testing has decreased from 71 to 57 percent.
The Coalition’s insistence that ASDA increasingly bear the costs of its operations through private sales by decreasing government funding is seriously jeopardising the fight against drugs in sport in Australia.
We have seen a series of events this year, which have demonstrated that the Howard Government is not committed to enforcing its own policy.
First we saw that the Coalition was unwilling to force National Sporting Organisations to comply with their anti-doping requirements.
Then the Shane Warne fiasco revealed that Cricket Australia’s anti-doping policy - modelled on the Australian Sports Commissions policy - didn’t extend to a ban on charity matches.
I call on the Howard Government to immediately implement the WADA Code and ensure that National Sporting Organisations are supported in this process. This is the only way of providing a consistent and equitable approach to anti-doping in Australia.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Telstra has admitted that yet another customer was denied a broadband service on the grounds of line condition when applying through a competitor, only to be later accepted when applying through Telstra’s BigPond.
According to an answer to a Question on Notice, Telstra has admitted that the complaint occurred on 28 July 2003.
This is evidence that Telstra is again favouring broadband applicants from Telstra BigPond over competing providers. This demonstrates that the giant telco still appears to be acting anti-competitively in the retail broadband market.
Every new case that emerges throws more and more doubt onto Telstra’s claim that these are simply one-off errors.
Under the Howard Government, Telstra has become the dominant player in Australia’s broadband market. This is one of the primary reasons why the ACCC has expressed its concern about competition in the broadband market.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Calls by Labor for the extension of funding to the Building on IT Strengths (BITS) Incubators beyond June 2004 have been vindicated, following a recently published independent report which found that the program played a crucial role creating opportunities for commercialisation in Australia.
The Evaluation and Future of the BITS Incubator Program, conducted by Econtech, speaks positively of the BITS Incubator Program, demonstrating the value it provides to the Australian economy by addressing the market failure in Australia’s innovation cycle - that is, the provision of capital and business acumen to early stage technology companies.
According to the report, BITS Incubators fill a market niche that wouldn’t otherwise occur. The Program “helps address the ongoing market failure in servicing early stage [information and communications technology] companies,” the report says.
Additionally, the report found that even following the tech-wreck which has led to a greatly reduced level of investment in ICT start-ups, the incubators “performed creditably against [the Government’s] Key Performance Indicators”.
To prove it, the report estimates that companies accessing the program created 757 new jobs by March 2003. This is estimated to increase to 946 new jobs by June 2004.
These glowing findings add to the generally positive findings of the BITS Pilot Evaluation conducted by the Allen Consulting Group earlier this year.
The BITS Incubator Program funds 11 “incubators” around Australia, which perform the vital function of helping commercialise innovative new Australian start-up companies. With the current dearth of capital for these firms, many would find it hard to survive.
Labor and industry bodies such as the Australian Information Industry Association have called on the Howard Government to extend funding for the program, which expires next year, but the Minister for Information Technology, Senator Alston, has so far refused.
As a result, by as early as December of this year, most of the 11 incubators will be forced to commence winding-up, leaving over 100 Australian companies - and hundreds of highly skilled employers - on the rocks.
The Econtech report was only recently released, without fanfare, on the DEST website: http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/ri_taskforce/submissions/pdf/r6.pdf
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Mr Howard hasn’t done the sums on his choice to live in Sydney instead of Canberra. He admitted as much to ABC radio this morning.
But the Sunday Telegraph has done the sums: they come to a grand total of over $1 million for the commuter VIP jet taxi to and from Canberra and Kirribilli.
If Mr Howard moved to Canberra, he could power-walk to work every morning for free and save the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Since John Howard took office, the Sydney-Canberra VIP flight bill has cost taxpayers between about $70,000 and $130,000 for each six-month period. This is gross self-indulgence.
His original excuse of living in Sydney - that his children were still at school, is way past its use-by date.
His announcement that he spends more working days in Canberra anyway gives the game away.
He told 2CN:
"Without doing any sums on it I would certainly spend far more days of a working week in Canberra than I would in Sydney."
The answer to the sum is $1 million.
Time to move to the Lodge, Mr Howard.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
I am outraged that the opening presentation at Australia’s ICT Outlook Forum has advocated greater overseas outsourcing at the expense of local jobs and opportunities.
Australia’s ICT trade deficit is already a staggering $14 billion per annum and growing three times faster than the overall trade deficit.
Despite this, the Howard Government is continuing to promote its failed Framework for the Future agenda which does little to promote local industry.
It is both disgraceful and typical of the Coalition to promote a forum supposedly about building the Australian ICT industry and then ensure it is dominated by self-serving multinational vendors advocating overseas outsourcing at the expense of local businesses and jobs.
The message from the Coalition Government is clear. The big end of town will keep control of ICT industry development policy and there is nothing to stop them.
Conference Chair, Neville Roach and Minister for Education Brendan Nelson both paid lip service to Australia’s burgeoning ICT trade deficit, but then the Coalition’s real agenda to promote offshore software development emerged.
The Coalition’s ICT policies, including purchasing and industry development, have been biased against local industry for too long.
Labor rejects this approach and is developing policies that will provide strategic support for the crucial local ICT sector.
Labor understands the urgent need to improve Australia’s ICT growth in order to tackle the ICT trade deficit and create high-value jobs in the sector.
Local industry organisations must assert their members’ interest and challenge the Federal Government’s subservience, ignorance and damaging favouritism towards the big end of town.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The latest success of Australia’s sportsmen and women on the world stage is to be applauded. Australian athletes continue to show great form and it is not just the wins which are impressive but the strength of these wins.
Only days after Jana Pittman mowed down Russian world record holder Yuliya Pechonkina in the final metres of the 400m hurdles to become world champion, Australia’s rowers hit centre stage winning two gold, three silver and a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships.
To know that Jana Pittman is only starting out on what will be a brilliant athletics career, and to have 12 of the 14 Australian crews at the world championships qualify for the 2004 Olympics, is inspiring.
It is a very exciting time for sport in Australia and our ongoing international sporting successes clearly show that Australia will be a force to be reckoned with come the Athens Olympic Games next year.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
The loss of eleven jobs at Opera Australia, including that of Russell Mitchell, the business affairs director, raises serious concerns about the continuing mismanagement of the company.
The retrenchments come after reported operating deficits and a decrease in the number of productions to be staged in Melbourne and Sydney, resulting in job losses in the arts sector.
Despite being closely questioned about Opera Australia’s financial position during Budget Estimates earlier this year, the Australia Council made no mention of any future retrenchment plans.
The Australia Council told the committee that it did not have a copy of the Opera Australia review but;
“We have seen the outcome. The company has advised us of what measures it will put in place.” (Senate Estimates 28/5/03)
In other words, it would appear that the Australia Council was aware of measures to be taken by Opera Australia, yet failed to mention that this meant retrenchments.
It is unacceptable that Opera Australia - which receives approximately $13.5 million in Commonwealth funding, be jeopardised by mismanagement and that the solution once again means job losses for staff and the arts sector.
The Howard Government has a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that the Australia Council carefully manages the public funding of Opera Australia in order to protect its future viability.
Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
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