Trading aviation emissions – Part 3: Australia outlines its position

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Government yesterday announced solidarity with a number of other countries opposing the EU’s move to include international aviation in its emission trading scheme. The motion was originally put forward by Nationals Leader Warren Truss who has been active in raising awareness on the issue. The Government supported Mr Truss’ motion. Two previous FlagPosts (this one and this one) outline why the EU's decision has been controversial and what reactions there have been. This FlagPost summarises Australia’s position and provides an update on international actions.

Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers and regional processing: legislation before the Senate

Image source: Australia Awards

The Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers released its Report on Monday 13 August 2012. On 14 August 2012, in response to the panel’s recommendation to reintroduce processing on Nauru and Manus Island, the Government resumed debate on the Migration Legislation Amendment (Offshore Processing and Other Measures) Bill 2011, which had been introduced in the House of Representatives on 21 September 2011.

Despite the GFC, income support reliance remains low

Image source: Western Australian Department of Health

The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee is currently holding two separate but related enquiries, one into the adequacy of the allowance payment system for jobseekers and others, and the other into legislation to remove the ‘grandfathering’ transitional arrangements for parenting payment recipients (among other changes).

In this context, it is timely to look at the impact of previous changes to the welfare system and consider what proportion of the working age population is affected by issues being considered by the Committee.

Australia and the Arab-Israeli conflict: from ‘choosing the least of a number of evils’ to ‘strong backers of a two-state solution’

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Since the early days of Israel’s creation, the Australian Government’s position on the Arab-Israeli conflict has been of much public and political interest. The Parliamentary Library has just published two comprehensive Background Notes, Australia and the Middle East conflict: a history of key Government statements (1947–2007) and The Rudd and Gillard Governments and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: November 2007–May 2012, which outline the evolution of Australia’s position on the dispute and proposed solutions by exploring public statements made by each Australian Government over the past 65 years.

Breaking the deadlock? The Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers

Image source: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

On 28 June 2012 the Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced that the Government would establish an expert advisory panel to consider options for “the best way forward for our nation in dealing with asylum seeker issues”. This followed months of political deadlock over how to best manage the issue of increasing numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat, following the High Court’s rejection of the Government’s planned transfer arrangement with Malaysia in August 2011.

In February 2012 independent Member Rob Oakeshott introduced a Bill aimed at breaking the deadlock, which was supported by the Government. The Bill passed through the House of Representatives on 27 June 2012 but was defeated in the Senate the following day, with neither the Opposition nor the Greens prepared to support it, albeit for very different reasons. With few options left available to it, the Government announced the creation of a panel to provide expert advice on the best way forward.

Managing the performance of the health care system

Image source: Health Statistics New South Wales

Performance of the health care system was put on the national agenda in 2010 when the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined his vision for the National Health and Hospital Network (NHHN). One of the features of the NHHN was improved reporting and performance standards. The precursor to this were the objectives, outcomes, progress measures and outputs that were agreed by the Council of Australian governments (COAG) in 2008 as part of the National Healthcare Agreement (NHA). Although aspects of the NHHN were re-negotiated, the commitment to improved transparency and accountability remained.

Socioeconomic dimensions of pokie machine losses

Image source:

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation

A recent Age article has highlighted the disproportionate financial losses incurred from pokie machine gambling in low income areas of Victoria, when compared to higher income areas. Using statistics from the Victorian regulator the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR), Craig Butt compared net weekly expenditure per adult (ie player losses) on pokies across local government areas (LGAs), with the average weekly income of those LGAs based on census data provided to the Age.

Melbourne by-election results for the Greens

Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

A by-election was conducted for the Victorian state electorate of Melbourne on Saturday 21 July 2012. Vote-counting and rechecking has now been completed, with the ALP emerging as the winning party with 51.51 per cent of votes after distribution of preferences. 

Australia’s current debt position – update July 2012

In recent times a lot has been spoken about Australia’s debt level. This was no more evident than in the lead up to the last Federal election where it seemed to dominate debate. This article updates the data published in an earlier FlagPost titled Australia’s current debt position. I therefore intend in this article to report the latest available data on Australia’s level of debt for both the public and private sectors in gross and net terms. For more information on gross and net debt the reader is referred to the earlier FlagPost.

Sitting comfortably? How sitting is affecting our health

Image: Department of Immigration

A growing body of evidence is pointing to the health risks associated with sedentary behaviours, and in particular risks associated with prolonged periods of sitting, independent of other physical activities.

The consequences of a poor anti-money laundering program: the HSBC case study

Image source: Flickr user photobunny

On 17 July 2012, the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (the Committee) released a lengthy report detailing significant deficiencies in the anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing systems of one of the largest banks in the world.  The report is the result of a year-long inquiry by the Committee involving over 75 interviews and the examination of more than 1.4 million documents.  It reveals a long history of weak anti-money laundering controls resulting in the misuse of HSBC’s key US affiliate to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking, circumvent the prohibitions designed to prevent funds from being directed to rogue jurisdictions and to provide US dollars to banks linked to terrorist financing.

Staying on at school is not just a matter of money



Image: Victorian Government

 There is considerable evidence about the correlation between socio-economic status (SES)–particularly parental income, education and occupation–and educational attainment. Hence the inclusion of a measure of SES on the Myschool website, which allows for the comparison of ‘SES-equivalent’ schools, and higher education institutions receiving funding on the basis of meeting targets for the representation of students from low SES backgrounds.

While traditional SES measures may allow for comparisons or targets, they provide little guidance to policy makers on how to overcome such disadvantage–it is generally not possible to change the education level of a student’s parent for example. However a new study has emphasised the role of student characteristics–aspirations, poor school experience and participation in activities such as smoking and alcohol consumption–which may prove more amenable to direct policy interventions.

Australia’s performance against Anti-corruption treaty reviewed

Image source: Commonwealth Ombudsman

Australia signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in December 2003 and ratified it two years later.  A summary of the findings of the first review of Australia’s implementation of the UNCAC was released on 18 June 2012.  The review of chapters III and IV of the UNCAC coincided with the Australian Government’s development of the country’s first National Anti-Corruption Plan.  While the findings were largely positive, the reviewers also identified several challenges and areas of improvement.

SBY’s visit – the bigger picture

At the second Indonesia-Australia Leaders’ Meeting in Darwin on 3 July, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono re-affirmed the two countries’ ‘comprehensive strategic partnership, based on a mutual commitment to each other’s progress, prosperity and security’. The

Joint Statement agreed by the two leaders highlights cooperation across a range of issues, including regional institutional architecture, trade, defence and maritime cooperation, policing, development assistance, and people-to-people links.

What can be done about the social determinants of health?

Image source: World Health Organization

Three recent reports: the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report on perinatal depression, Australia’s Health 2012 (produced by the AIHW) and the Council of Australian Government (COAG) Reform Council performance report on the National Healthcare Agreement (2008) have highlighted the impact of the social determinants of health. These reports demonstrate the relationship between income, health status and access to health care. They clearly show that Australians with low incomes usually have poorer health outcomes.

Trafficking in Persons Report 2012

On 19 June, the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, released the 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report. The TIP Report is produced annually by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons within the State Department, and is seen by the US Government as its ‘principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking’. Released on Juneteenth or Freedom Day, the 2012  Report has particular resonance for the US as 22 September 2012 is the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, Proclamation 93, Declaring the Objectives of the War Including Emancipation of Slaves in Rebellious States.

Appliance energy ratings get the standard treatment

Image source :ACT government

Parliamentary debates on the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) Bill have been deferred. The Bill was originally scheduled for discussion on Thursday 28 June, with the portfolio Shadow Minister to outline the Coalition’s position. Although the scheme started out as a Labor election promise in 2007, it evolved into a commitment under COAG’s National Strategy on Energy Efficiency to ‘establish national legislation for Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labelling, and over time move to add Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS)’. This Bill implements that COAG commitment.

New Place Based Income Management to commence 1 July

Image: Bankstown Railway Station (Wikimedia Commons)

A new form of income management being introduced next week will extend welfare quarantining to selected disadvantaged areas across Australia, targeting people involved in child protection matters and deemed vulnerable to financial hardship.

From 1 July, the Government will introduce a new form of income management to communities in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
 
So, how will the new Place Based Income Management operate and how does it differ from existing forms? Why base it in particular areas? What do we know about whether or not it is likely to be successful?

Update on statistics for boat arrivals

The Parliamentary Library produces a number of publications about asylum seekers and immigration. The publication, Boat arrivals in Australia since 1976 provides a brief overview of the historical and political context surrounding boat arrivals in Australia. An update of the statistical appendix on boat arrival figures is provided below. Please note that the publication has not yet been formally updated.

Trafficking in Persons - Special Rapporteur's Report to the Human Rights Council

On 22 June, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons especially women and children, presented her annual  report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, including reports of her missions to Thailand and Australia.

Special Rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (formerly the Commission on Human Rights) to investigate, monitor, and advise on human rights violations – world wide or in specific countries. In carrying out her mandate, the Special Rapporteur undertakes country visits to study the situation on the ground and, develop recommendations to better prevent or combat trafficking and protect the human rights of its victims; and takes action on complaints about human rights violations against trafficked persons.

Australia's tertiary students - the latest snapshot

Almost twice as many higher education graduates enrol in vocational education and training courses than the other way round.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has just released Tertiary Education and Training 2010, an annual publication that compares vocational education and training (VET) and higher education on a range of key measures.

It draws on data from the National VET Provider Collection and the Higher Education Statistics Collection.

How's it going? Australia's Health 2012



Source: AIHW

 The thirteenth report on Australia's health was released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on 21 June 2012. The AIHW describes Australia's Health 2012 as 'the most comprehensive and authoritative source of national information on health in Australia', and many would not disagree. Produced biennially since 1988, the report has grown both in size and stature as a reliable report card on the status of the country's health and the services and resources that deliver and support it. A companion In brief publication was also released.

Is $325 million enough for Tasmania's health care system?



Image source: www.yourhealth.gov.au

 Last week, after much speculation, the Federal Government announced that it would provide an extra $325 million over four years to Tasmania’s health care system. Previously the Tasmanian Government had announced cuts of up to $500 million over four years to the health care system, commencing from 1 July 2011. Many of these cuts were directed to elective surgery, reduced services and the closure of hospital beds. The most recent Tasmanian budget (May 2012) announced a reduction of the savings target by $120 million.

2011 Census release

Image Source: http://www.abs.gov.au/

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the first data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Australia’s population has risen to over 21.5 million, with more people born overseas. There has also been an increase in the proportion of Australians identifying as Indigenous, and fewer people now identify a religious affiliation.

Australia’s migrant population is growing and changing

In the decade to 2011, the proportion of the population who were born overseas increased from 27.4% to 30.2%.

Over the same period, the proportion of Australians with at least one parent born overseas increased from 42.7% to 46.3%

There was a shift away from Europe and towards Asia.

• The number born in India more than trebled, from 95 452 in 2001 to 295 362 in 2011.
• The number born in China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) more than doubled from 142 780 to 318 969.

Income management: some answers to key questions

Image: BasicsCard kiosk, (Centrelink)

From 1 July 2012, income management will be extended to five new disadvantaged communities across Australia: Bankstown (New South Wales), Logan (Queensland), Rockhampton (Queensland), Playford (South Australia) and Greater Shepparton (Victoria).

While the policy of income management of welfare payments has been highly controversial, the specific details of its various forms are not generally well understood.

The Parliamentary Library has released a Background Note seeking to address this lack of understanding. It provides a brief overview of the history of income management and responses to a number of key questions about the policy.

New marine reserve proposals

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Commonwealth is proposing the proclamation of 44 new marine reserves covering a total of 2.34 million square kilometres by the end of the year. The move has drawn criticism from fisheries bodies for excluding fishing in substantial areas of the ocean; at the other end of the spectrum, some conservation bodies were disappointed that the government had not banned oil and gas exploration in areas adjacent to existing marine parks.

Hearing impairment—the silent barrier to Closing the Gap

Image source: Northern Territory Government

On May 15 students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia commenced the annual tests for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing. No doubt when the 2012 results are released they will continue to show a substantial gap between the achievement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. For example, the 2011 Year 3 reading results report that 21.3 per cent of Indigenous children were below the national minimum standard compared to just 3.3 per cent of non-Indigenous children.

Dissecting the growth of vocational education and training in Victoria

Image source: Victorian Government

The announcement of an Enterprise Migration Agreement providing for the recruitment of temporary overseas workers for the Roy Hill project in the Pilbara has fuelled debate about the supply of skilled workers for industry, and to what extent Australia needs to import skills rather than ‘grow our own’.

Amid this debate, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has released preliminary Students and Courses data for 2011. The full publication (due in July) provides data on the numbers of students, subject enrolments, hours of delivery and qualifications in Australia’s public vocational education and training (VET) system.

The preliminary data reveals some interesting results for one state in particular: Victoria.

The deeper worries about coal seam gas

Image source: WikiMedia Commons

One-third of Eastern Australia cooks its breakfast, warms its homes, and generates its power from natural gas, the main component of which is methane, supplied by coal seam gas (CSG) operations. Our need for natural gas has allowed CSG operations to grow, but critics contend that this has not always been accompanied by sufficient understanding of the social and environmental implications. Ground and surface water contamination, water consumption, and waste disposal are but a few issues fuelling the ongoing debate. However, reports of deeper risks are now surfacing.

People trafficking, forced marriage and slavery offences

The Crimes Legislation Amendments (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill 2012 was introduced into the House of Representatives on 30 May 2012. This Flagpost is a skeleton of a larger project.
If passed in its current form, this Bill will:

• expand the definition of slavery to include physical and psychological threats, coercion and deception
• expand the servitude and exploitation offences to not be limited to sexual servitude
• create new offences for aggravated slavery-like offences.
• create new offences for forced marriage
• create new offences for harbouring or receiving a trafficking or slavery victim
• increase the penalties for debt bondage offences

World Refugee Day

Image source: http://www.unhcr.org/

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in 2001, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution deciding that 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day in order to increase awareness about the world’s growing number of refugees, asylum seekers and forcibly displaced people.

Burma's economy—the long road ahead

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Following the Parliamentary by-elections in April, much of the commentary has now shifted focus from domestic political reforms and international responses to Burma’s economy and the challenge of achieving sustainable and inclusive growth. A brief discussion of these issues is important in the wake of the Australian Government’s decision to ‘normalise’ the bilateral economic relationship and last week’s visit to Burma by the Foreign Minister, Senator Bob Carr. During this visit, Senator Carr announced that Australia would suspend all remaining financial and travel restrictions against the Burmese Government. He also canvassed the potential for increased trade and investment in areas like mining and financial services as part of a new policy of engagement.

110th anniversary of the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Tuesday 12 June 2012 marks the 110th anniversary of the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902, the law that granted most Australian women the right to vote, and therefore to stand, in Commonwealth elections. The Act stated that ‘all persons not under twenty-one years of age whether male or female married or unmarried’ would be entitled to vote in Commonwealth elections. It excluded Indigenous men and women, unless they were eligible to vote under state laws in accordance with Section 41 of the Australian Constitution. Across Australia, women voted for the first time in the second Commonwealth election held on 16 December 1903. Women in South Australia (who were granted voting rights in 1895) and Western Australia (1900) were eligible to vote in the first Commonwealth elections held in 1901, since these were conducted under state laws. Four women stood as candidates for election to the Commonwealth Parliament in 1903. They were the first women nominated for any national Parliament within what was then the British Empire, although none of the women were elected.

Astronomical events

Image source: WA Department of Commerce via myregion.gov.au

Some 242 years ago, Captain James Cook explored the eastern coast of Australia, after having been sent to the South Pacific Island of Tahiti to observe the transit of the planet Venus in 1769. He was sent there partly in order to help astronomers of the day estimate the size of the solar system. Australia’s long and distinguished association with astronomy had begun.

On 6th June 2012, just before 8:30 am along the east coast of Australia, the tiny dot of the planet Venus will again pass slowly across the face of the Sun, as seen from Earth. Such ‘Transits of Venus’ are infrequent events; the next transit does not occur until 2117 so this is one for us to savour. Many smaller observatories here will be trained on this solar event.

A labour market for the resources sector – what are Enterprise Migration Agreements?

Image source: Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum

The use of temporary overseas workers to fill skills gaps in the Australian labour market has been commonplace over the last two decades. The subclass 457 visa was introduced by the Howard Government in 1996 specifically in order to meet the needs of employers looking for timely and flexible access to labour where it could not be found locally. There were 90 400 subclass 457 primary visa holders in Australia at 30 April 2012.

The Immigration Minister’s recent announcement that an Enterprise Migration Agreement (EMA), facilitating the recruitment of temporary overseas workers, had been granted to the Roy Hill project in the Pilbara appears to have taken many observers by surprise. It shouldn’t have.

New unit to lower health insurance premiums and improve competition

Image: Private Health Insurance Administration Council

The 2012–13 Budget included an announcement of funding for a new unit to advise the Government on private health insurance industry costs, insurance premiums and competition in the sector. Costing $2.3 million over four years—to be met by an increase in a levy imposed on private insurers—the unit will be established within the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC), the independent regulator of the sector. One of the primary functions of the new unit will be to identify options to increase competition in the sector and put downward pressure on health insurance premiums (see Portfolio Budget Statement, p. 556).

Australian elections in the next four years

There are between four and seven elections at the federal, state/territory or local government level each year. From now to the end of 2015 there will be one federal election, eight state or territory elections and seven local council elections. This does not include supplementary elections, by-elections or separate legislative council elections.

By the end of 2012 there will have been three state/territory elections (Queensland in March, the Northern Territory in August and the Australian Capital Territory in October) and four sets of local council elections across the Northern Territory in March, Queensland in April, New South Wales in September and Victoria in October.

The expulsion of Syrian diplomats

Image source: Voice of America

On 29 May 2012 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr, announced that the highest ranking Syrian diplomat in Australia, Chargé d'Affaires Jawdat Ali, was being expelled from the country in response to recent atrocities in Syria. Ali and one other Syrian diplomat were given 72 hours to leave Australia.

Immigration detention: what are the alternatives?



Image source: http://www.immi.gov.au/

 Since 1992 when the policy of mandatory detention was introduced in Australia, the detention of asylum seekers arriving unauthorised by boat has received a great deal of public attention. In particular, the duration and conditions of their detention have been controversial issues that have plagued successive governments since the early 1990s when there were several hunger strikes, rooftop demonstrations and suicide attempts at Villawood and Port Hedland immigration detention centres.

Codes of conduct for members of parliament

Many Australian and overseas parliaments have put in place codes of conduct covering ministers and members of parliament. Some parliaments have ethics or integrity commissioners to advise members on their code, while others have external bodies empowered to investigate members' conduct.

The federal Parliament is currently considering the arguments for and against a members' code of conduct and the benefits of establishing a National Integrity Commission.

A Parliamentary Library Background Note on parliamentary codes of conduct around Australia and in selected overseas jurisdictions has been updated to reflect some recent developments.

The following table summarises the codes of conduct operating in Australian parliaments:

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Indigenous federal voting rights

Source: http://www.indigenous.gov.au/

It is 100 years since the right and responsibility to enrol to vote became enshrined in Australian law and 50 years since all Indigenous Australians became entitled to vote in federal elections. (Some, but not all, adult Indigenous Australians, were able to vote prior to 1962.) Celebrations are in order.

 In March 1962 the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 was amended to enable Indigenous people to enrol to vote in federal elections, but it was not compulsory for them to enrol. It was made an offence for anyone to use undue influence or pressure to induce them to enrol. Once they enrolled, however, voting was compulsory.

Same sex families

Image source:www.goodenoughmother.com

Although children of same sex relationships often experience discrimination and stigmatisation, the existing evidence overwhelmingly indicates that the sexual orientation of a parent has no effect on a child's development or sense of wellbeing. Studies conducted since the 1980s have consistently found that ’there is simply no credible evidence that such relationships cause harm to the intellectual, emotional, psychological or sexual development of children’.

One research review conducted in 1996 noted that the results are ‘exceptionally clear’ and ‘yield a picture of families thriving even in the midst of discrimination and oppression’:

Schapelle Corby granted clemency by Indonesian President

In April 2012, Indonesia’s Justice and Human Rights Ministry recommended Schapelle Corby’s jail sentence be reduced by ten years, on humanitarian grounds. Corby, now 34, is said to be suffering from mental illness. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a letter on 15 May granting Corby clemency, cutting five years off her 20 year prison term. This is particularly significant as previously the Indonesian President has stated that he would not use his power of clemency in favour of drug offenders. This may have consequences for other Australians seeking clemency from the President, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran of the “Bali 9”.

New Zealand: Foreign Charter Vessels to be reflagged

Image source: Oyang 70, Photo by New Zealand Defence Force

On 22 May 2012, the New Zealand Government announced that it would require reflagging of foreign owned fishing vessels working in New Zealand waters, to "address labour, safety and fisheries practice concerns."

Commercial fishing in New Zealand is managed by a quota system, with all fishing quota owned by New Zealand companies. Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs) are foreign owned and flagged fishing vessels leased by a New Zealand company to fish in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone. As discussed in a Flagpost last year, the then Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Hon Phil Heatley MP, and the Minister for Labour, the Hon Kate Wilkinson MP, had jointly convened a ministerial inquiry into the use and operation of FCVs. This followed reports of serious abuse and exploitation of crew of commercial fishing fleets operating in New Zealand waters.

Latest Illicit Drug Data Report released

Image source: Australian Crime Commission

The Illicit Drug Data Report produced each year by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) provides a statistical overview of illicit drug arrests and seizures for the financial year and details the current situation, national impact and emerging trends related to illicit drugs in Australia and internationally. The latest report is the ninth in the series, which replaced the Australian Illicit Drug Report from 2002–03. Outlined below is a brief snapshot of some of the key findings of the 2010–11 Illicit Drug Data Report launched by the Minister for Home Affairs on 17 May 2012, with a focus on amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), cocaine and heroin.

‘For a Few Dollars More’: DFAT identifies priority posts

Image source: Wikimeida Commons

A recent submission by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to a Parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s overseas representation identifies its priorities for new posts should the Government provide additional funding.

Do alcohol health warning labels work?



Image source: ABC

On 24 May the House of Representatives Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee is to hold a roundtable with alcohol industry representatives, through which it will canvass their views on health warning labels on alcohol containers, including specific warnings for pregnant women. On 31 May, the Committee will hold a similar hearing with public health and alcohol and drug non-government organisations. The Committee is also currently conducting an inquiry into the incidence and prevention of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.


The hearings are being held in a context in which the Government has recently committed to certain alcohol labelling reforms in response to the recommendations of the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy. The Government has in its response taken account of the fact that, last year, the alcohol industry began voluntarily introducing new consumer information messages on the labels of alcohol products sold in Australia.

Perhaps the key issue that is likely to be considered in the course of the hearings is the question of whether or not alcohol health warning labels are effective in reducing alcohol-related harm. This question is the subject of a new Parliamentary Library paper, Alcohol warning labels—do they work? The paper provides a brief summary of some of the research evidence on the effectiveness of alcohol warning labels and a succinct overview of the context for the Government’s proposed labelling reforms.

In short, the paper finds that, based on the research evidence, alcohol health warning labels may increase consumers’ awareness of the risks associated with excess alcohol consumption. However, this increased awareness does not necessarily result in behavioural changes in those groups that are at highest risk of experiencing alcohol-related harms.

If alcohol health warning labels are to have any chance in spurring positive changes in drinking behaviours, then the evidence indicates that the messages they convey need to meet two main criteria. Firstly, they need to be arresting in their presentation of health risks, similar to those messages included on tobacco labels. And, secondly, they need to be varied reasonably frequently in order to counter consumer complacency.

Arguably, the new consumer information messages to be included on alcohol products by the alcohol industry do not meet the first of these criteria. And, given that this is the case, the paper suggests that they are unlikely to be particularly successful in contributing to a reduction in alcohol-related harms.

Korea passes ETS but details are hazy

A steel plant in South Korea
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Legislation for a mandatory greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme (ETS) has passed South Korea's unicameral National Assembly with bipartisan support. However, many important details have still to be finalised. This FlagPost provides a summary of the Korean scheme with a little bit of background. 

Fuel tax credits: are they a subsidy to fuel use?

Image source: Victoria DPI

Recently there has been debate over the nature of the rebate of the excise paid on fuels, paid under the fuel tax credits scheme. This FlagPost clarifies the purpose of the rebate.

Changes to community care

Image source: Aged Care Australia

The Government has announced a significant expansion in community aged care as part of its Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package. All existing community aged care packages (Home and Community Care Program, Community Aged Care Packages, Extended Aged Care at Home, Extended Aged Care at Home – Dementia and some smaller programs) will be consolidated into a single program known as ‘Home Care’ packages. The overall number of these home care packages will increase from 59 876 to almost 100 000 by 2016–17.

Changes will also be made to the payment arrangements for community aged care. From 1 July 2014, older Australians may be asked to contribute to the costs of their care via a Care Fee (it appears that whether fees will be charged will be at the discretion of the provider). These fees will be means tested and will be paid in addition to the Basic Fee which is currently charged.

Paying for aged care - should the family home be counted?

Image source: National Museum of Australia 

The Government’s Living Longer. Living Better package represents a new way of paying for aged care in Australia. From 1 July 2014, means tested co-payments, annual and lifetime limits for care costs and accommodation bonds for all aged care residents will be introduced. For further detail of the package see here.

One of the long running debates in the financing of aged care in Australia is the treatment of the family home and whether is should be included in any asset or mean-testing calculations when individuals access publicly funded aged care. In its recent report to the Government, the Productivity Commission (PC) put forward two recommendations (7.3 and 8.1) that would draw on the value of the family home to finance the costs associated with aged care.

Is income management working?




Image: BasicsCard kiosk (Centrelink)

  Much of the debate surrounding income management of welfare payments has related to the question of evidence. That is, is there evidence to justify the policy? Alternatively, is there evidence of policy failure or harmful consequences arising from income management? In other words, is income management working?

Income management (also known as ‘welfare quarantining’) refers to a policy under which a percentage of the welfare payments of certain people are set aside to be spent only on ‘priority goods and services’ such as food, housing, clothing, education and health care. Introduced by the Howard Government in 2007, income management has been criticised by some as paternalist and stigmatising.

Reform of aged care - a small step

Image source: Department of Health and Ageing

On 20 April 2012, after much anticipation, the Government released its response to the Productivity Commission’s (PC) Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians and put forward its reform plan, Living Longer. Living Better, for aged care. The initial response from stakeholders was largely positive. But as aged care providers and stakeholder groups have had the chance to reflect on the package, there have been claims that the cost of care provided in the home will increase for elderly Australians. Discussions about whether the family home should be included in the arrangements for paying for aged care also persist.

Skilled migration flows to Australia



Image source: http://www.immi.gov.au/

There has been a distinct shift in the focus of Australia's Migration Program in favour of skilled migration over the last decade or so. As a result, more permanent places are now allocated to skilled migrants than any other category. Migrants entering Australia under the skill stream in 2010–11 accounted for 67.4 per cent of all visas granted to permanent migrants.

Perhaps even more significant is the rise in temporary long-term skilled migration to Australia over the last decade with many of these entrants transitioning to permanent residence over time. In 2009–10, 43 390 temporary migrants who entered Australia originally with a long-stay business (subclass 457) visa, became permanent residents—the majority having been granted permanent employer sponsored visas.

The Parliamentary Library has just published a new paper with more detail on this topic—Skilled migration: temporary and permanent flows to Australia. The paper provides background on migration to Australia since the first immigration department was established in 1945. It also outlines some of the more recent changes that have been made specifically to address labour market concerns and encourage more ‘demand-driven’ sponsored skilled migration. Skilled migration statistics since the 1980s are provided in the appendix.

Other key Parliamentary Library immigration-related papers include:

• H Spinks, Australia's Migration Program, 2010
• J Phillips, M Klapdor and S Simon-Davies, Migration to Australia since federation: a guide to the statistics, 2010
• E Koleth, Multiculturalism: a review of Australian policy statements and recent debates in Australia and overseas, 2010
• E Koleth, Overseas students: immigration policy changes 1997 to May 2010, 2010.

Trading aviation emissions - Part 2

Image source: Department of Infrastructure and Transport

The leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss, has called the EU's inclusion of aviation in its emission trading scheme (ETS) an 'iniquitous tax', siding with a number of countries that oppose the move. In its FlagPost Trading aviation emissions from February, the Parliamentary Library outlined the main elements of the EU's decision and some of the international relations issues that have arisen. Since then, a series of new developments have taken place and the debate is far from resolved. This FlagPost is an update on the situation globally.

Calls to waive dentists' debts to Medicare

Image source: WA Department of Health

On 19 March 2012, the Opposition health spokesman the Hon. Peter Dutton, introduced the Health Insurance (Dental Services) Bill 2012 into the House of Representatives. The Bill was also introduced into the Senate on 21 March by Senator David Bushby, and immediately referred to the Senate Finance and Administration Committee for inquiry. The Bill proposes to 'redress past and future inequities that have arisen from the operation of subsection 10(2) of the Health Insurance (Dental Services) Determination 2007' (the Determination). This Determination prescribes the arrangements which allow dentists, dental specialists and dental prosthetists to provide Medicare funded services (capped at $4250 over two years) to patients with chronic conditions as set out under the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS). The Opposition and the Greens also supported a Senate motion on 21 March 2012 calling on the Government to waive debts of dentists.

Resignation of Senator Bob Brown

Source: Wikimedia

On 13 April 2012, Senator Bob Brown announced his retirement as leader of the Australian Greens and resignation from the Senate with the intention to leave the Senate when a candidate for the vacancy has been found.