Blow the Truth

  Victoria’s emissions are continuing to fall with an emissions report clearly demonstrating the state’s transition to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 is on track. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio released the Victorian Greenhouse Gas Emissions report for 2019 showing the state’s emissions continued to fall to 24.8 per cent below 2005 levels. The result means the Andrews Labor Government’s ambitious 2020 target − to reduce emissions by 15 to 20 per cent below 2005 levels − was exceeded ahead of schedule. The report also shows that in 2019, Victoria contributed 17.3 per cent of Australia’s total net emissions − less than Queensland (31.1 per cent); NSW (25.8 per cent) and WA (17.4 per cent). Victoria is decarbonising at the most rapid rate of any major jurisdiction in Australia and is doing so while its population and economy continues to grow. The report shows that while cutting emissions the economy has continued to grow. The Govern...

Joe Biden On July 28, the President and the bipartisan group announced agreement on the details of a once-in-a-generation investment in our infrastructure, which was immediately taken up in the Senate for consideration. The legislation includes around $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will grow the economy, enhance our competitiveness, create good jobs, and make our economy more sustainable, resilient, and just. The legislation will create good-paying, union jobs. With the President’s Build Back Better Agenda, these investments will add, on average, around 2 million jobs per year over the course of the decade, while accelerating America’s path to full employment and increasing labor force participation. President Biden believes that we must invest in our country and in our people by creating good-paying union jobs, tackling the climat...

Gold Coast Covid Residents on the Gold Coast are being urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help small business, following the release of Queensland’s COVID Vaccine Plan to unite families and protect Queenslanders. Visiting a pharmacy in Surfer’s Paradise that received a COVID-19 Business Support Grant, Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer said there was no time to waste. “The message is simple: the more of us who are vaccinated, the sooner we can be safely reunited with friends and family interstate and overseas, and the more patrons our small businesses can welcome,” Minister Farmer said. “This call is especially important now that we know of a case that’s potentially been infectious in the Gold Coast community for up to 10 days. “Parts of the Gold Coast are doing really well, but there are still 156,000 people who aren’t vaccinated. “Nowhere has reached 80% double vaccinated which is when we will see significant changes, allowing fully vaccinated people to com...

Senator Sarah Hanson Young Senator Hanson-Young ( The Senate ): I move: That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The fact that the Government is failing to do its fair share of limiting global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures by continuing to approve new coal mines and gas fields and refusing to adopt strong 2030 emissions targets of 75% below 2005 levels. 

First, I want to provide an update on our efforts to protect more Americans by getting more shots in arms, starting with vaccinating the unvaccinated. We’ve made tremendous progress across the past nine months. As of today, 77 percent of eligible Americans — those 12 and older — have gotten at least their first shot. And thanks to the President’s leadership on vaccination requirements, we continue to make important progress. More than 3,500 organizations — from healthcare systems, to educational institutions, to state and local governments, to private businesses — have already stepped up to adopt vaccination requirements. These vaccination requirements have increased vaccination rates by 20-plus percentage points, with organisations routinely seeing their share of fully vaccinated workers rise above 90 percent.

Small to medium businesses in North and Far North Queensland who were impacted by the 2019 Monsoon Trough can now access additional financial support to help their operations grow and also help strengthen their preparedness for future hazards, as part of a $10 million business support package from the Australian and Queensland Governments. Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie said the Business Concierge Service pilot program, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, is now accepting applications from small business owners to access up to $2,500 in financial support. “There are many small businesses that took a real hit during and after the 2019 Monsoon disaster. The Australian Government not only wants to support these small businesses in their recovery but wants to give them the tools to become stronger and better able to withstand future challenges,” Minister McKenzie said. “Small businesses owner...