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Australian Constituency - by Craig Hill

The Australian and Northern Territory Governments today opened a women’s safe house and a men’s cooling off place in the remote community of Ngukurr, as part of a roll-out of 22 safe places across the Northern Territory as part of the Northern Territory Emergency Response.

Ngukurr is one of 15 remote communities in the NT to receive safe places under a joint initiative between the Australian and Northern Territory Governments to improve the safety and protection of Indigenous children and their families.

Safe places are important circuit breakers in the cycle of violence. They are a safe haven when violence threatens – short-term crisis accommodation for families and children.


The safe places will offer a range of counselling, legal and support services as well as parenting and men’s healing programs.

Local people will be employed to work in the safe places – building the local workforce and helping spread the word that there is an escape from violence.

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said keeping women and children safe is everyone’s responsibility.

“The Australian Government is determined to show national leadership to stop the abuse and neglect of women and children,” Ms Macklin said.

“To be safe and protected is the most basic of human rights.”

Indigenous women are 35 times more likely than other Australian women to be hospitalised and eight out of ten of them are assaulted by a partner.

Since 2007 the Australian and Northern Territory Governments have invested more than $22 million in the Family Support Package for Indigenous families – including safe places, a mobile child protection team and remote Aboriginal family and community workers.


The NT Minister for Children and Families and Child Protection, Malarndirri McCarthy said all safe places would be operational over the coming months. They are:

* women’s safe houses in Ngukurr, Angurugu, Hermannsburg, Kalkarindji, Lajamanu, Maningrida, Nguiu, Peppimenarti, Ramingining, Ti-Tree, Yarralin Darwin and Alice Springs, and
* men’s cooling off places in Ngukurr, Angurugu, Apatula, Beswick, Maningrida, Nguiu, Pmara-Jutunta, Ramingining and Yuendumu.

“Protecting children and women is essential if we are going to make in-roads into closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians,” Ms McCarthy said.

Media Statement with NT Minister Malarndirri Mccarthy and MP for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon
31st January 2009
Jenny Macklin
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

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Care Beds For Indigenous Mothers

January 31st 2009 09:11
Expectant Indigenous mothers and their babies in North Queensland will have greater access to ante-natal and post-natal care at a new 24-bed accommodation facility in Cairns.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin and Jim Turnour, Member for Leichhardt, today announced Australian Government funding of more than $5 million for the facility.

It will be managed by the Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan Corporation. Since 1983 the corporation has managed a 12-bed facility in Cairns caring for Indigenous women from the Cape York, Torres Strait and Gulf regions in Queensland.

“Many Indigenous mothers cannot access obstetric services in their home communities and need to travel to Cairns to have their babies,” Ms Macklin said.

“This facility will provide accommodation, referrals, advice, education and support for these mothers.

“There is such a high demand for services that Mookai Rosie currently turns away at least one woman a day. It is clear there is a real need to expand these services,” Ms Macklin said.

Construction of the new 24-bed facility is due to start in April 2009, to be completed by February 2010.

On top of the eight shared bedrooms, it will include two living areas, a large dining area and kitchen, plus a meeting room for post-natal education programs and other support services.

“The need for this type of facility was identified in the Australian Labor Party’s May 2007 policy paper New Directions: an equal start in life for Indigenous children,” Mr Turnour said.

“It will help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by improving outcomes for new mothers in remote parts of far north Queensland.”

The funding comes from the Government’s new Indigenous Mothers’ Accommodation Fund, announced in this year’s Budget, which provides $10 million in capital funding over three years for accommodation for expectant mothers travelling from remote communities to access medical and related services in urban centres.

Media Statement
31st January 2009
Jenny Macklin
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

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Latest IMF World Economic Outlook

January 29th 2009 08:54
In its World Economic Outlook (WEO) update, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has drastically revised down its forecast for the global economy since the November 2008 WEO update and has called for further action to support growth.

Against the sobering backdrop of a global recession and collapsing commodity prices, it is inevitable that Australian jobs and growth will be affected.

This update represents the third downward revision to IMF forecasts in just four months, demonstrating how rapidly the global economy is deteriorating.

While our economy is better placed than most other countries to face this crisis, we can't completely resist the pull of international economic forces.

The IMF is now forecasting that the global recession will be much deeper and more protracted than previously envisaged.

Global growth is now expected to fall to ½ per cent in 2009, with advanced economies expected to suffer their deepest recession since World War II. Collectively, advanced economies are expected to contract by 2 per cent in 2009 — the first annual contraction in the post‑war period.

Emerging economies are expected to slow sharply, growing by 3¼ per cent in 2009. The IMF has revised down its economic growth forecast for China in 2009 by almost 2 percentage points to 6.7 per cent — just half the rapid rate recorded in 2007.

The IMF also notes that the dramatic slowing in global growth has brought about a reversal of the global commodity prices boom, which has provided significant stimulus to Australia’s economic growth in recent years.

The IMF has called on governments around the world to undertake further action to support economic growth. The IMF says “Monetary and fiscal policy need to become even more supportive of aggregate demand and sustain this stance over the foreseeable future, while developing strategies to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability.”

The Rudd Government has taken decisive action to protect Australians from the worst impacts of the global recession through our Economic Security Strategy, guarantee of bank deposits and wholesale funding and nation building investments.

And the Government stands ready to take whatever further action is necessary and responsible to support jobs and growth in the face of the global recession.

Media Statement
29th January 2009
Wayne Swan
Treasurer

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The PM's Australia Day Message

January 26th 2009 08:20
As we celebrate Australia Day with our friends and families - over barbeques, picnic tables and beach towels - I know that many of you share my concerns about the impact of the global financial crisis on our families.

This year will not be an easy one, and to be frank, we face some very big challenges.

But I am confident that, if we all pull together, we can come through this together - and come out even stronger and emerge from this crisis even more resilient than before.

Australia is better placed then almost every other nation to deal with the global financial crisis, but it's going to be tough.

Our history as a nation is one of resilience - to confront obstacles and see a way through, to emerge stronger and more determined.

From the struggle of Indigenous Australians for recognition and respect;

From the courage of our diggers in Gallipoli, on the Western Front, at Kokoda, in Timor Leste and in Afghanistan;

From the determination of miners on the goldfields, of women for the right to vote and of workers for a fair go at work.

This is not an ordinary nation... This is an extraordinary nation.

Resilient, courageous, and purposeful, without sacrificing compassion.

In 2009 we will be calling on all those great Australian qualities because we are all in this together.

The Government stands ready to do whatever is necessary to support the stability of our financial institutions at a time when others around the world are under threat; to support the economy during a global economic recession; and to create new jobs through government investment as other jobs in the private sector come under pressure

Our shared history as Australians shows that together, we can meet the challenges the world might throw at us in 2009.
I wish you a very happy Australia Day.

Media Statement
26th January 2009
Kevin Rudd
Prime Minister

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Expert Panel's Broadband Report (ALP)

January 22nd 2009 08:09
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy today announced that the final report from the Panel of Experts on submissions to the National Broadband Network process has been received.

The Minister stated that the receipt of this report marks a significant milestone in the NBN process: "The Government is now considering the Panel of Experts' report."

"Until this point, the evaluation of proposals received in the National Broadband Network process has proceeded at arm's length from the Government."

"The Government had not seen the contents of any proposal, nor had it received detailed briefings on any proposals from the Panel of Experts."

"The Government will give this serious and detailed report careful consideration."

The Minister emphasised that while the Government had now received the final report of the Panel of Experts, the NBN process and associated probity requirements remained active.

The disclosure of the contents of the Panel of Experts' report before the completion of the process, particularly any negotiation phase, has the potential to prejudice the outcome of the process. As such, the Government will not be commenting on the contents of the report.

The Minister also took the opportunity to congratulate the Panel of Experts for their contribution to the NBN process: "I would like to thank the members of the Panel of Experts for their hard work."

"The Panel has made an invaluable contribution to the realisation of the Government's commitment to the roll out of the National Broadband Network."

The Minister also acknowledged the important contribution to the process by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission which had provided its own report as input to the Panel's consideration.

Media Statement
22nd January 2009
Stephen Conroy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

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