Australia has been through two years of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Over 7,000 Australians died. Around 45 people per day continue to die. Our hospital systems, and our economy have suffered.
Job Keeper and a raft of supply side investments by treasurer Josh Frydenberg insulated Australia to greater economic shocks. The prime minister’s national cabinet, along with the states’ work, resulted in a 95 per cent vaccination rate, a feat by world standards.
Regardless, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is under pressure in this election. Mr Morrison is a campaigner and has pulled out all the stops in his attempt to carry his government over the line.
The Coalition is contending with independents like the ‘teals’, who may garner moderate Liberal votes and even dethrone the government’s best performer, treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong. The populist United Australia Party (UAP) is also a problem as it targets anti-vaxxers and the disaffected. The prime minister, a natural campaigner, has his work cut out.
He won’t be drawn into preference deals and says “preferences are a matter for the party” not the government.
Cost of living pressures, a rise in interest rates generated by the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine are outside any government’s control, but voters are not that forgiving.
“Our plan is for Australians to own their own home, Labor wants equity in your home, that’s why we introduced the Home Guarantee, and Homebuilder – owning your own home is one of the biggest aspirations Australians have”
– Scott Morrison.
Australia’s Reserve Bank’s (RBA) interest rate hike, however small, ushered new fears. Rates have been low for a very long time and an increase of interest rates, to suppress inflation, is one of the few levers at the RBA’s disposal.
“We understand the pressures, whether it’s self-funded retirees, pensioners or part-pensioners, or Australians paying taxes.
“We will get tax relief and those going to the bowser will benefit from the halved petrol tax,” the prime minster’s office quoted to Neos Kosmos.
Mr Morrison pointed to the one-off $420 Cost of Living Tax Offset that according to him, will help 10 million “low-and-middle income earners and pensioners, and other concession card holders will also get a one-off $250 Cost of Living Payment.”
Aware of the pressures many older Greek Australians feel, Mr Morrison emphasised the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, intends to see 50,000 largely self-funded retirees, and those on part pensions access support offered by the scheme.
“Older Australians will get access to the safety net on pharmaceuticals from 48 down to 36 scripts and will access concessional rates on pharmaceuticals, which for older Australians aren’t a choice,” Australia’s prime minister said.
Mr Morrison was keen to pitch to ethnic media, following last week’s $5 million commitment by his government to independent multicultural media.
“The Coalition government is a strong supporter of multicultural media, we invested $8.2 million in multicultural media, and as you know, there is new support of $5 million for independent and small publishers, and a further $3.3 million in Indigenous media in 2020-21 alone,” Mr Morrison stated in comments supplied by his office..
Buying a home is only a distant dream for many Australians now. Both Labor and the Coalition are burnishing their credentials in housing. Just this week Mr Morrison promised to allow first home buyers to dip into their superannuation for a house deposit.
Labor wants to help Australians buy a house by procuring up to 40 per cent of someone’s new-bought house.
The prime minister rejected Labor’s plans emphatically.
“Our plan is for Australians to own their own home, Labor wants equity in your home, that’s why we introduced the Home Guarantee, and Homebuilder – owning your own home is one of the biggest aspirations Australians have”, said Mr Morrison. Multicultural Australians were badly impacted on by COVID and lockdowns especially in Melbourne and Sydney.
“We are the most successful multicultural nation in the world, and key to that success is social cohesion, which is central to keeping our nation united and resilient in the face of the challenges posed by COVID-19.
“Our investment includes $45.1 million to expand the Strong and Resilient Communities grant program, supporting an additional 120 local community-driven projects to increase the social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison’s government has allocated $29.2 million for the Stronger Communities programme, “that resulted in projects that deliver social benefits for local communities across Australia.”
He said that the “government invested $17.8 million in mental health support to multicultural communities across Australia.
“This includes $10 million towards the Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, $7.8 million for translation and interpreting services for Primary Health Networks (PHN) commissioned mental health services, and $10.6 million for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Health Advisory Group to engage with communities and tailored health information is understood.”
The pandemic exposed Australia’s overreliance on foreign products like vaccines, face masks, cars and more. Labor has committed over $1 billion in manufacturing especially in lithium batteries and renewable energy.
Mr Morrison said that Coalition has done much in bolstering manufacturing.
“We have invested $243 million in support for four projects under the Collaboration Stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative.
“That will create over 3,400 jobs over time and cement Australia’s place in the rapidly growing critical minerals, electric vehicle, and battery markets,” Mr Morrison said.
He said that $119.6 million has gone into Pure Battery Technologies’ and $399 million to Western Australian pCAM Hub, “to partner with Poseidon Nickel, to build a nickel manganese cobalt battery material refinery hub in Kalgoorlie.
“The site will add 380 construction jobs and 175 initial permanent jobs from 2023.”
The prime minister presented dollar figures to underscore his manufacturing credentials and renewable energy investments like “$49 million for a $367 million project by Australian Vanadium, to process high-grade vanadium from its Meekatharra mine in WA for the Tenindewa plant powered by clean hydrogen from partner ATCO Australia.
“This critical mineral will be transformed into energy-storing batteries to fuel the growing domestic and overseas market, and will support more than 740 jobs,” Mr Morrison’s office said in a statement to Neos Kosmos.
Another $30 million, Mr Morrison said, is for Arafura Resources’ flagship Nolans Project in Central Australia, “the first of its kind rare earth separation plant in Australia and only the second outside China.”
The $50 million from the CEFC to Pilbara Minerals has been allocated to support the development of the Pilgangoora Project, “which includes two lithium processing plants. With one of the largest hard rock lithium deposits in the world it is considered strategically important within the global lithium supply chain.”
Many Greek elderly died in private Greek aged care facilities during the pandemic and the fallout for the government was significant. Over 140 recommendations were made by the Aged Care Royal Commission on improving the sector.
Mr Morrison said that his government “responded to all 148 recommendations of the Final Report of the Royal Commission.
“We are one year into a five-year plan that steers a path to a stronger future across the five priority pillars of home care, residential care, quality and safety, workforce, and governance.”
Aged care workers are the lowest paid health support staff, at a paltry $31,000 per annum. They have a claim for a 20 per cent increase in the Fair Work Commission. One that Labor supports.
The prime minister was cautious stating, “the Fair work Commission has not yet determined the rates of the wage case being heard for aged care workers.”
Mr Morrison said that Greek Australians have made a “major contribution to Australia and are exceptional citizens.”
Whoever wins on Saturday the honeymoon will be short lived. Work will need to be done to resurrect Australia’s health systems, and economy. And to do so without making the mountain of debt an insurmountable one to climb for future generations.