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ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare refers concerns about Australian National University to regulator
The federal education minister has referred concerns about the Australian National University in Canberra to the country's tertiary education regulator. Independent ACT senator David Pocock wrote to the minister, Jason Clare, on June 16 to raise concerns about governance and financial management at the ANU, which is pursuing a controversial restructure to save $250 million by 2026. There has been widespread staff and community outcry over the university's ongoing plans to slash hundreds of jobs, after it revealed a cumulative deficit of around $600 million. Senator Pocock's letter, which also includes other unspecified serious allegations, has now been referred to the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), which regulates higher education. Mr Clare said he had also written to ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell on June 6 after hearing of "significant concerns" from his ACT Labor colleagues and the broader community about the university. "I wrote to ANU seeking assurances that they are managing these issues appropriately," Mr Clare said in a statement. Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne said she welcomed the minister's intervention. "Over many months I have been meeting with ANU staff and community and have become increasingly concerned about the situation there," Ms Payne said on social media. More than 400 people attended a town hall address at the ANU campus and online on Tuesday night hosted by Senator Pocock, who said he had no confidence in the ANU's leadership. "You're trashing an amazing institution," Senator Pocock said in a response to crowd questions about ANU executives. "It's probably one of the things people have stopped me in the street to talk about the most over the last few months. "People who have put their lives into the ANU, love it as an institution, recognise how important it is to our nation and have very, very serious, and I think valid, concerns about what is happening here." The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said the minister's referral to TEQSA was a significant escalation in oversight of ANU's process. "Problems have been mounting at ANU, so we're looking at wage theft, conflicts of interest, job cuts, financial mismanagement and more going on at the ANU over a period of time. "Those problems have mounted to such a significant extent in our national university that the education minister, who is understandably wary about ministerial intervention, has decided that he could no longer look away." The ANU is a Commonwealth authority, which means it is subject to public governance and public interest disclosure responsibilities, and is the only university over which the federal minister has jurisdiction. Renew ANU, which has spearheaded the university's financial overhaul since October 2024, said change plans had so far saved the university $12.5 million. In a statement, TEQSA confirmed it was considering Minister Clare's referral. "TEQSA gives consideration to all concerns received, including those from the minister, and where warranted, outcomes can include undertaking regulatory processes to assure provider compliance." "As this is ongoing, it is not appropriate for TEQSA to comment further until these processes are concluded." The ANU has been contacted for comment.
The Advertiser
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Crossbenchers pressure Labor to launch 'urgent' AUKUS inquiry
ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent.
Sky News AU
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Australia to be the ‘middle power' in achieving peace in the Middle East
Independent Senator David Pocock says he has been urging the Albanese government to place sanctions on Israeli ministers for over a year after he claimed the Israeli government's actions are 'unacceptable'. 'Given the concern amongst the Australian community, there's a real sense the Australian government can't end this war, but they can actually be a middle power,' Mr Pocock told Sky News Australia. 'I think it's totally unacceptable what is happening.'
Sky News AU
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Bipartisanship': Albanese government has ‘blinkers on' in hope to get defence from US
Independent Senator David Pocock slams Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for 'pushing forward' on the 'hope' Australia will get US submarines, following the Pentagon's review of AUKUS. Mr Pocock claimed the Albanese government has a 'bipartisan' view on this defence matter with the US. 'I think we should take this as an opportunity to actually do a review ourselves, I think that is long overdue,' Mr Pocock told Sky News Australia. 'I don't think that major parties have really made the case to the Australian people that we are guaranteed to receive this capability with the amount of money that we are already shovelling out.'
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Calls for urgent home support packages after aged care reform delay
The government is under pressure to fund at least 20,000 new at-home care packages for older Australians who need additional support, after the implementation of sweeping sector-wide aged care reforms were postponed. A group of 10 crossbenchers have written to the government calling for the additional packages to be made available from next month, a push that has been backed by the aged care sector and advocates. Under the aged care reforms — which passed parliament in November with bipartisan support — 83,000 home support packages were due to be rolled out from July. But the government announced last week that it would delay the implementation of the wider reforms until November to allow for a smooth transition and allay concerns from the sector. While providers and advocates welcomed the extension for the most part, they have raised concerns that the four-month delay would worsen the existing backlog of people waiting for at-home supports. About 80,000 people are currently on the waitlist for home care packages, with some people waiting a year for their correct supports to help with things like cleaning, cooking and showering. Independent Senator David Pocock, who was part of the group that wrote the letter to the government, warned on Wednesday that "people are dying on the waitlist". While he said delaying the majority of reforms was a good thing, he argued there is "absolutely no reason" to hold off on the home care packages. "The government has already budgeted for this," he said. "They need to bring that part of the reform forward so people can actually age at home with dignity rather than ending up in hospital or in aged care facilities, which are far more expensive." Fellow independent Helen Haines said the longer the wait for services, the bigger the backlog will grow. "The longer that they wait, the higher the chances are of further deterioration in their health and in many cases, people have a premature entry into residential aged care," she said. Canberra resident Kaye Pritchard has seen first-hand what the waitlist for at-home support means for the people that need it. Her cousin, Robin Rawson, was 93 when she died in April last year after being approved for a level four home care package — the highest one available. She had been told it would take six to nine months before she would be able to access that additional support. "I can remember her saying at the time, 'well, that's not much use to me because I'm going to be dead by then,'" Ms Pritchard said. "And she certainly was within the next couple of months. She deteriorated and passed away without ever receiving any of the benefits that she needed in those crucial last weeks of her life." Ms Pritchard said her cousin wanted to stay at home and the additional supports would have given her peace of mind that she could "die with dignity". "Six to nine months to wait for a package for someone who is terminally ill is just not good enough," she said. The reworked Support at Home Program is designed to shorten wait times for home care packages and lift funding for the highest classification of need up from $60,000 to $78,000 a year. It will provide support for nursing care, occupational therapy, help with showering or taking medications, and everyday living like cleaning and gardening, as the government aims to help more people stay in their homes for longer. Those packages will also be subject to greater means testing, which will vary depending on individual circumstances. Tom Symondson, the chief executive of peak body Ageing Australia, warned that the waitlist would grow to over 100,000 people if the packages are held up until November. "We need to see packages start to flow," he said. "We just can't have people waiting longer than they already are." Craig Gear, head of the Older Person Advocacy Network, told the ABC that many people want to be able to age at home. "And we also know that the residential aged care system, it's under a lot of pressure and it's pretty full at the moment," he said. "So we need to help support people to stay in their home as long as they can." Aged Care Minister Sam Rae did not respond to ABC News' request for comment. But Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler last week said the government had decided to push back the start date after listening to the sector. "We need to think about a delay of a few months to ensure that all of the systems are in place to deliver a smooth transition to the new laws, and also that older Australians are fully informed about what those new laws will mean for them," he said. "Nonetheless, what we see into the future is a once-in-a-generation reform to the aged care system that will deliver high quality, world class aged care services to older Australians who have built this community."
