NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-Evening Report: How Trump is weaponising the Department of Justice, and the ‘dark’ tactic he’s using to get away with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Harrington, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology

    It’s hard to keep track of US President Donald Trump’s many notable acts since returning to the White House. His recent pro-Russia stance on the war in Ukraine has, rightly, received a lot of attention.

    But for every big moment, there are others that fly under the radar. One such issue is the politicisation of the Department of Justice (DoJ).

    Although there is longstanding precedent that the DoJ remains politically neutral in its operations, recent events have indicated a dramatic break from that tradition.

    And, importantly, Trump has been laying the groundwork to justify this for nearly two years, using a propaganda tactic that’s been employed by authoritarian governments throughout history.

    Strategic sidelining

    The current administration has attempted to fire or sideline anyone at the DoJ who was involved with prior investigations and prosecutions of the now-president.

    This includes special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into several aspects of Trump’s wrongdoing, which have since ended. Several lawyers have been fired, ostensibly because “the Acting Attorney-General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda”.

    This action is not only vindictive, but likely designed to intimidate would-be investigators and make them think twice before further examining any wrongdoing by Trump or his associates.

    Equally noteworthy has been the department’s attempts to drop corruption charges against New York mayor Eric Adams.
    The official reason is that pursuing the charges might “interfere” with Adams’ reelection campaign.

    In reality, however, Adams has been accused of cutting a deal with the administration: he agrees to assist with Trump’s immigration crackdown in return for having the charges against him withdrawn (although not dropped entirely).

    Adams denies the existence of a quid pro quo, but he did joke about it on national television with Tom Homan, Trump’s “Border Czar”.

    So deeply problematic was all this that two US attorneys for the Southern District of New York opted to resign in protest, rather than be party to what they saw as a nakedly corrupt act.

    The whole scenario is eerily reminiscent of 1973’s “Saturday Night Massacre”, when President Richard Nixon ordered his Attorney-General Elliot Richardson to fire the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.

    Nixon eventually had his way, but not before refusals and resignations from both Richardson, and the Deputy Attorney-General William Ruckleshaus.

    But, where Nixon’s move dramatically hastened his own downfall, Trump’s actions have barely raised an eyebrow. Why?

    The propaganda play

    The answer lies in a propaganda technique known as “accusation in a mirror”, which entails accusing one’s opponents of the very wrongdoing one plans to commit.

    As one legal scholar explains, it’s:

    a rhetorical practice in which one falsely accuses one’s enemies of conducting, plotting, or desiring to commit precisely the same transgressions that one plans to commit against them.

    Accusation in a mirror has been used in the past, including in the Rwandan genocide. There, trusted voices claimed the Tutsi wanted to “exterminate” the Hutu. Tragically, it helped bring about the exact opposite circumstance.

    Similarly, in February 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainian government of committing genocide against Russian-speaking populations in the Donbas region. This baseless accusation provided a justification for invading Ukraine, which mirrored Russia’s own indiscriminate shelling of Ukrainian civilians.

    We suggest Trump has been using this technique since he was first criminally indicted, in early 2023, on 34 felony charges related to the falsification of business records. He and his supporters have insisted the department, under President Joe Biden, was “weaponised” against him.

    Trump repeatedly claimed those charges – and subsequent indictments – were a politically motivated “witch hunt”. He reiterated these claims in his first speech to Congress.

    Many elected Republicans have also supported and amplified that narrative.

    These claims of victimhood have helped prime Trump’s base to appraise any subsequent legal scrutiny of him as purely partisan, and therefore invalid.

    In reality, the facts were straightforward. Prosecutors were sure there was enough proof to proceed with the case, including evidence Trump illegally kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence, and obstructed attempts to retrieve them.

    In a functioning legal system, nobody is “above the law”. This means even former presidents can be prosecuted if there’s enough evidence.

    Yet Trump’s accusations of a partisan DoJ completely reframed legitimate investigations into alleged political vendettas. In doing so, it effectively justified his subsequent decisions.

    A self-fulfilling prophecy

    The idea that “if they did it to me, I’m entitled to do it back” was made explicit by Trump in late 2023.

    When asked if he would use the DoJ to go after his political rivals, Trump argued he would only be levelling the playing field, stating:

    they’ve already done it, but if they want to follow through on this, yeah, it could certainly happen in reverse.

    In short, Trump’s false claim of being victimised by a politicised DoJ served as moral cover for his own politicisation of it.

    This is a textbook example of how accusation in a mirror can help manufacture the reality it pretends to condemn.

    Addressing the problem

    This tactic has long been a play by totalitarian and authoritarian leaders.

    Foundational propaganda scholars such as Hannah Arendt and Jacques Ellul highlighted how authoritarian rulers often repeat falsehoods – flipping the aggressor and victim – until the masses become desensitised, alienated and confused.

    Once enough people believe the system is already corrupt and untrustworthy, they are less likely to be shocked by an actual purge (such as firing DoJ officials).

    The implications of such tactics extend internationally, not just to the US.

    History cries out to us about the risks of this sort of public discourse. It erodes trust in institutions and liberal democratic processes, paving the road for leaders to undermine them further, corrupting the system in the name of rooting out corruption.

    Ultimately, one of the best antidotes is awareness. By exposing these tactics, we can better safeguard against disinformation, protect the rule of law and hold leaders accountable.

    Stephen Harrington receives funding from the Australian Research Council, for the Discovery Project ‘Understanding and Combatting “Dark Political Communication”‘.

    Timothy Graham receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) for his Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, ‘Combatting Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour on Social Media’. He also receives ARC funding for the Discovery Project, ‘Understanding and Combatting “Dark Political Communication”‘.

    – ref. How Trump is weaponising the Department of Justice, and the ‘dark’ tactic he’s using to get away with it – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-is-weaponising-the-department-of-justice-and-the-dark-tactic-hes-using-to-get-away-with-it-250760

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the Opening Ceremony of the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this morning attended the Opening Ceremony of the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, presided over by Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

    Convened under the theme “Accelerating ASEAN’s Connectivity: People, Infrastructure, and Trade,” the summit brought together high-ranking government officials, prominent business leaders, and industry experts from across the region. The summit has reflected the commitment and the role of Cambodia as the host country as well as its contribution to ASEAN’s economic agenda, showcasing its leadership in fostering regional cooperation and integration.

    The post The Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the Opening Ceremony of the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025 appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Blasts OMB Deputy Director Nominee on Reckless Federal Workforce Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    WATCH: Padilla grills nominee for his support of cutting programs Americans rely on to pay for billionaire tax cuts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, questioned Dan Bishop, nominee for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), on his support of OMB and the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) irresponsible mass cuts to the federal workforce. He also pressed Bishop on whether he agrees with OMB Director Russell Vought’s agenda of putting federal employees into “trauma.”

    Senator Padilla outlined the devastating impacts of these cuts — and future funding and hiring freezes — on California families.

    • PADILLA: President Trump has made clear that the OMB’s sole mission, at least as he wishes it, under his Administration, is to cut programs, the very programs that so many Americans rely on in order to pay for another massive round of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. In fact, during his address to Congress just last night, he doubled down on DOGE’s wildly unpopular agenda of chaos and corruption, proudly listing the ways he has and will continue to devastate communities.
    • PADILLA: Mr. Bishop, I’d like for you to speak to the Californians that I represent for a minute here. I want them to hear how you’ll justify ripping away important services and programs while raising the cost of everything — that’s the impact that we’re seeing from this Administration. My constituents deserve to know exactly who to thank for these reckless cuts. 

    The reckless DOGE cuts championed by President Trump haphazardly removed people working to contain the bird flu outbreak, thousands of seasonal National Park Service employees, and nuclear weapons security officials. Padilla pressed Bishop on his previous statements in his confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, in which he consistently claimed that President Trump’s firing of civil servants was not indiscriminate. Bishop repeatedly dodged Padilla’s questioning.

    • PADILLA: The last six weeks, that’s all the time that it’s taken for President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget to wreak havoc across critical government programs. During your confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last week, I heard you insist multiple times that President Trump’s firing of civil servants was not indiscriminate. Is that correct?
    • BISHOP: That’s correct, and I continue to hold that view.
    • PADILLA: All right, so was it not indiscriminate, or was it intentional when President Trump fired scientists fighting the bird flu outbreak while the cost of eggs continues to soar?
    • BISHOP: We’d have to look at the details of that, Senator. I’m not aware of the specific point you’re making.
    • PADILLA: You’re a smart man. You’re a smart man. I know you’ve seen the details. Was it indiscriminate or intentional when President Trump fired military veterans operating the Veterans Crisis Line?
    • BISHOP: I’d have to look at the details of that Senator. I don’t as I said, I, I’m…
    • PADILLA: … I’m asking these questions because you seem to be applauding Elon Musk’s efforts and this DOGE strategy and chaos.
    • BISHOP: I certainly am.
    • PADILLA: … To make matters worse, you know, in so many areas of these indiscriminate firings, they’ve had to scramble to hire them back shortly after they realized their colossal error. And I could go on and on with additional examples. But let’s be clear: this is not a one-time adjustment, as Mr. Bishop has characterized it.

    Senator Padilla also referenced OMB Director Vought’s previous statements of his mission to put federal employees into “trauma.” Padilla questioned Bishop on his alignment with this goal, especially given the traumatic mass firings since Vought’s confirmation.

    • PADILLA: There’s example after example of exactly that happening, given the activity of the last six weeks, and especially since Mr. Vought was confirmed. Is that what you’re signing up for? To help facilitate that? To help further that? Putting federal employees into trauma?
    • BISHOP: You know, Senator, that comment in one of his writings that’s been taken or in one of the speeches has been taken out of context.
    • PADILLA: It’s pretty clear and direct.
    • BISHOP: No, it really, it really, it’s been used in a misleading way. I’ve seen — what he, what he means is that federal employees, that the American people need federal employees to perform. If federal employees themselves on surveys…
    • PADILLA: How do they perform when they’re in trauma? When they’ve been traumatized by their employer?

    Video of Senator Padilla’s full questioning is available here.

    Senator Padilla spoke on the Senate floor last month in strong opposition to the chaotic OMB funding freeze memo and Russell Vought’s nomination. He also protested the Budget Committee advancing Vought’s nomination to be OMB director behind closed doors, despite the Trump Administration’s unprecedented attempt to freeze federal funding. Padilla questioned Vought on disaster relief funding to help Southern California recover and rebuild after the recent fires during his nomination hearing.

    More information on today’s hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Ensure Legal Representation for Children in Immigration System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Ensure Legal Representation for Children in Immigration System

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, demanded the Trump Administration protect Congressionally mandated legal representation for unaccompanied children in the immigration system. The letter comes in response to the Trump Administration’s stop work order last month to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children. Last week, following public pressure, the order was rescinded, however confusion and uncertainty still remains.

    Padilla joined 31 other Senators in demanding that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum continue legal services for unaccompanied children involved in immigration proceedings as required by law. The termination of legal services for unaccompanied children violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and risks the safety of 26,000 unaccompanied children to trafficking, exploitation, and other harm.

    “Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities,” wrote the Senators. “Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system.”

    “Every day without access to counsel is another day in which vulnerable children face grave danger by human traffickers, abusers, or other bad actors, without an advocate at their side,” continued the Senators.

    Access to legal services, including representation, is essential for providing unaccompanied children fairness in the legal process. Without an attorney, many of these children face enormous roadblocks to advocate for themselves in a challenging immigration system because of their age, development, and language barriers.

    The TVPRA was passed by Congress in a bipartisan manner in 2008 and requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide counsel for unaccompanied children as much as possible by representing them in legal proceedings and protecting them from exploitation and abuse.

    Padilla signed the letter, led by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. He sharply criticized Trump’s harmful executive orders targeting immigrants at the start of his second Administration. Last week, Padilla denounced Trump’s transfer of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo as unlawful and demanded answers regarding these transfers. He also condemned the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities to detain immigrants as part of President Trump’s mass deportation plan. Additionally, Padilla cosponsored the Born in the USA Act to effectively block the implementation of Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States, or a similar subsequent executive order. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Earlier this year, Senator Padilla introduced the Access to Counsel Act to ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Burgum:

    We write to express our strong opposition to the February 18, 2025 stop work order issued regarding your agencies’ contract for the provision of legal services for unaccompanied children. Although the order has now been rescinded, we are concerned about the chaos and confusion it caused for legal services providers and the children they serve. Any disruption to services for unaccompanied children is alarming, particularly in light of recent reports of the administration’s intent to place unaccompanied children into removal proceedings.

    Pausing or terminating the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children under this contract runs directly counter to the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and places 26,000 unaccompanied children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm. The TVPRA, passed by Congress in 2008 on a bipartisan basis, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that all unaccompanied children have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking. Shirking this statutory mandate heightens the risk of harm for these uniquely vulnerable children.

    Access to legal services often provides unaccompanied children their only hope for a fair legal process. Unaccompanied children’s age, developmental stage, and communication and comprehension constraints make it virtually impossible for them to effectively navigate the complex and adversarial immigration system without an attorney at their side. The government-funded legal services provided under this contract are, in many cases, the only thing preventing a two or three-year-old unaccompanied child from facing court proceedings alone against a government attorney seeking their deportation. 

    Attorneys are vital to unaccompanied children’s comprehension of and compliance with immigration requirements and processes. From fiscal year (FY) 2005 through June of FY 2019, 98 percent of juveniles placed in removal proceedings who were represented by a lawyer appeared for their hearings. Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities. Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system. Moreover, attorneys help children understand their options and are often in a position to facilitate prompt voluntary departures, where appropriate.

    For these reasons, we urge you to publicly commit to maintaining this contract. We further request a briefing about why the contract was paused and your plan for compliance with your statutory mandate to ensure that children have counsel in immigration proceedings.

    Every day without access to counsel is another day in which vulnerable children face grave danger by human traffickers, abusers, or other bad actors, without an advocate at their side. Thank you for your consideration of this critical issue.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s 2025 roadmap: An overview of key targets & policy priorities

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Editor’s note: The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s national legislature, opened its third session on Wednesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with a government work report submitted for deliberation. This infographic highlights the key objectives and strategic directions outlined in the report, offering a clear snapshot of the nation’s policy priorities for 2025.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: No frills Teaching Council needed

    Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

    The Teaching Council has opened consultation this week on a proposal to increase practising certificate renewal fees from $464 to $501 for the next three years. 

     

    Chris Abercrombie said the proposal represented an 8% increase which the Council advise is the result of cost inflation as well as increased operating costs. One of those is the processing of thousands of overseas teaching applications.

     

    Teaching Council explanations for the proposed fee increase include the fact the Government funding of additional staff to process overseas teachers’ applications would end in June. “The Government has deliberately chosen to hire overseas teachers to address teacher shortages, rather than ensuring an adequate supply of New Zealand teachers, so it should continue the funding of staff to process overseas applications for as long as it takes. There is no way the profession should be paying for this.” 

     

    Chris Abercrombie said it was National Party policy that teachers’ registration fees should be paid for by the government, and teachers supported this. “This will most likely be part of our claim in our collective agreement negotiations later this year. 

     

    “In the meantime, I would strongly encourage all teachers to have their say on the proposed fee increase.” 

    Last modified on Thursday, 6 March 2025 16:59

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: March 5th, 2025 Tribal Water Rights Settlements Legislation Passes Unanimously Out of Senate Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON – A slate of Tribal water rights settlement bills introduced by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs today. The legislation next heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

    The full slate of Tribal water rights settlements legislation includes:

    • The Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Rights Settlements Act;
    • The Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act;
    • The Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act; and
    • The Navajo Nation Rio San José Water Rights Settlement Act.
    • Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments;
    • The Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act;

    “I’m proud to fight for these bills to finally unlock critical water infrastructure funding from these water rights settlements and ensure Tribes have the resources to use the water they own,” said Heinrich. “These settlements are supported by all parties involved, including Tribal and non-Tribal communities. Congress should pass these urgently needed bills to help communities manage their precious and limited water resources.”

    “Water rights are part of the federal trust responsibility for our Tribal communities,” said Luján, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. “I’m proud to have helped advance this critical legislation, allowing our Tribal communities to promote water security and complete much-needed water infrastructure projects. I’m particularly proud that my legislation to amend the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project has advanced, ensuring the resources and time needed to deliver clean drinking water to communities in northwestern New Mexico. These pieces of legislation will help fulfill our trust responsibility and promote water security for Tribes and Pueblos, as well as non-Tribal users, in New Mexico.”

    “This legislation upholds our trust responsibility to Tribes and helps bring certainty to disputes about water across the Southwest. The settlements included in these bills secure clean, reliable water for Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation, 11 pueblos, and the rural communities that are their neighbors across New Mexico,” said Leger Fernández. “It is with great expectation that I reintroduce this legislation which reflects decades of negotiation and collaboration. We must pass these bills so the scarce water resources our communities need to thrive for generations to come are available to all.”

    “In New Mexico, we know water is life,” said Stansbury. “That’s why these Tribal Water Settlement bills are so important. These pieces of legislation will give water rights back to our Tribes and Pueblos, ensuring the federal government upholds our Trust and Treaty Responsibilities. Indigenous people have been stewards of the land and water since time immemorial, and now is the time for them to lead these efforts.”

    “New Mexicans know the importance of safe and reliable water access, and today’s progress brings us one step closer to securing these fundamental resources for our Tribal communities. I’ll continue to honor my commitment to our Tribes and Pueblos to ensure they have the water infrastructure they need to thrive,” said Vasquez.

    The Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Rights Settlements Act is led by Heinrich and Leger Fernández. Luján, Stansbury, and Vasquez are original cosponsors. The bill would implement two fund-based water settlements: one between the Pueblos of Jemez and Zia, the United States, the State of New Mexico, and non-Tribal parties; and another between the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna, the United States, the State of New Mexico, and non-Tribal parties. The settlements are strongly supported by all parties involved.

    Heinrich and Leger Fernández previously introduced this legislation in March 2023. The bill received a hearing and was reported out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in December 2023. The House version of this bill received a legislative hearing in the House Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee in July 2024.

    Read the full bill text here.

    The Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act is also led by Heinrich and Leger Fernández. Luján and Stansbury are original cosponsors. The bill establishes a trust fund to implement the negotiated settlement between the United States, the State of New Mexico, the City of Española, the Asociación de Acéquias Norteñas de Rio Arriba, El Rito Ditch Asociación, La Asociación de las Acéquias del Rio Tusas, Vallecitos y Ojo Caliente, the Rio de Chama Acéquia Association, and Ohkay Owingeh to settle the Pueblo’s water claims in the Rio Chama Basin. The funding will be used for Ohkay Owingeh’s development of water resources to ensure the Pueblo has appropriate water infrastructure to use the water that they have claim to in the basin.

    Heinrich and Leger Fernández initially introduced the bill in June 2024. The bill then received a key hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in July 2024.

    Read the full bill text here.

    The Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act is led by Heinrich and Vasquez. Luján, Stansbury, and Leger Fernández are original cosponsors. The bill authorizes $685 million to support a trust for sustainable water management and infrastructure development that upholds the federal government’s trust responsibility while protecting the sacred Zuni Salt Lake. The bill ratifies the settlement between the federal government, State of New Mexico and Zuni Tribe that affirms their water rights for irrigation, livestock, storage, and domestic and other uses.

    Heinrich and Vasquez initially introduced the bill in July 2024. The bill received a key hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in September 2024.

    Read the full bill text here.

    The Navajo Nation Rio San José Water Rights Settlement Act is led by Heinrich and Leger Fernández. Luján, Stansbury, and Vasquez are original cosponsors. This bill would approve the water rights settlement for the Navajo Nation as well as participating non-Tribal parties in the Rio San José watershed.

    Heinrich and Leger Fernández initially introduced this bill in September 2024. The bill then received a key hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that same month.

    Read the full bill text here.

    The Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments is led by Luján and Leger Fernández. Heinrich and Stansbury are original cosponsors. The bill amends the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project to ensure it has the resources and time needed to reach completion to deliver drinking water to northwestern New Mexico communities.

    The Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project was first authorized as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which settled the Navajo Nation’s water rights in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and funded the design and construction of the waterline to reach an estimated 250,000 people by the year 2040. Upon completion, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply from the San Juan River to roughly 43 Chapters on the eastern Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, which currently rely on a rapidly depleting groundwater supply of poor quality.

    Luján, Leger Fernández, and Heinrich initially introduced the bill in June 2023. The bill was passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in November 2023.

    Read the full bill text here.

    The Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act is led by Luján and Leger Fernández. Heinrich and Stansbury are original cosponsors. This bill authorizes the appropriation of $6.3 million for the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Fund; $7.8 million for the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund; and $4.3 million for the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund, which covers Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque Pueblos. It will support water resources development projects for the Tribes.

    Luján and Leger Fernández initially introduced this bill in December 2023.

    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: HILDA data shows income inequality is at a 20-year high

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ferdi Botha, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne

    ArliftAtoz2205/Shutterstock

    The 19th annual report from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey was released today.

    The HILDA Survey has been following the same people every year since 2001, which makes it possible to examine how the lives of Australians have changed across several aspects.

    With data from 2001 to 2022, in this year’s report we looked at issues including income inequality, household chores, and the impact of natural disasters on Australian households.

    Income inequality is the highest since 2001

    Funded by the Australian government and managed by the Melbourne Institute, the survey is one of Australia’s most valuable social research tools.

    HILDA examined the lives of 14,000 Australians in 2001 and has kept coming back each year to discover what has changed over the course of their lifetimes. It now covers 17,000 Australians, due to the expansion of participants’ families.

    The survey shows that since COVID-era financial support ended, income inequality has risen substantially.

    The increase in inequality stems from growth in higher incomes as compared to middle incomes, as well as a fall in the growth of lower incomes relative to middle incomes.

    This means, relative to the median earner, Australians already earning a high income have seen the growth in their incomes rise. In contrast, Australians with low incomes have seen a decrease in the rate of growth in their incomes.

    Between 2021 and 2022, 51.2% of respondents reported their real incomes have declined. This is up from about 41% in preceding years, suggesting a decrease in people’s purchasing power.

    A technical measure called the Gini coefficient was 0.32 in 2022, the highest since we started the survey in 2001. The measure ranges from 0 to 1 and is an index that measures overall inequality, with higher scores suggesting greater income inequality.

    Older Australians are getting richer too

    Over the same period, household wealth has continued to grow.

    However, there are large and growing age differences in the growth in household wealth. For young people aged between 18 and 34, net wealth rose by 72.4% to $238,942 over the 20 years to 2022.

    But for older Australians aged 65 to 74, net household wealth jumped by 125% to about $1.26 million.

    These age disparities in household wealth are partly explained by rates of home ownership, which are much higher among older Australians.

    Home ownership is also the most important asset component in terms of total wealth. In 2022, almost 65% of households owned their home, and just over 20% of households held investment properties and holiday homes.

    As a proportion of total wealth, the family home accounts for 44.5% and investment properties account for 14.9%.

    Women are still doing most of the housework

    Australian women still undertake the majority of housework, whereas men’s share of housework has remained constant over 20 years.

    Men’s time spent on housework has not changed in 20 years.
    Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

    Women’s time spent on housework (such as cleaning, cooking, running errands) has fallen slightly from 23.8 hours per week in 2002 to 18.4 hours per week in 2022.

    Men spent 12.8 hours per week on housework, precisely the same amount they did 20 years earlier. Thus, women are still doing close to 50% more housework than men are.

    Men have increased the time they spend on caring responsibilities (such as playing with their children, helping with homework, caring for an elderly relative), from 5 hours per week in 2002 to 5.5 hours per week in 2022. The time women spend on care has risen from 10.1 hours per week to 10.7 hours per week over the same period. In 2022, women spent almost double the time on care duties than men.

    Among couples, men are generally more satisfied than women are with the current division of unpaid work. Most women feel they do more than their fair share at home. Men tend to believe they share the housework and care fairly with their partner.

    Surge in home damage due to weather-related disasters

    Respondents were asked if a weather-related disaster (such as floods, bushfires or cyclone) had damaged or destroyed their home in the past 12 months. In 2022, 4.5% reported experiencing such an event.

    This is a substantial increase from the year before, when only 1.3% of Australians reported weather-related home damage, and exceeding the previous peak of 2.7% in 2011.

    There are also regional differences, closely corresponding with the timing of specific floods or bushfires in the states and territories. In 2022, 9% of New South Wales residents and 6% of Queensland reported home damage, consistent with major floods experienced in these regions in the months prior to the survey.

    Among all Australians who in 2022 reported home damage due to a weather-related disaster, 62.5% were in NSW and 27.3% were in Queensland.

    With the current cyclone Alfred forecast to hit Queensland and northern NSW on Friday, we expect a further significant increase in reported home damage.

    Ferdi Botha is affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.

    – ref. HILDA data shows income inequality is at a 20-year high – https://theconversation.com/hilda-data-shows-income-inequality-is-at-a-20-year-high-251596

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Labour calls for end to police referrals to Destiny programmes

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation.

    “Referrals to Man Up and Legacy need to stop. Members of these groups violently disrupted a Pride Week event at the Te Atatū Peninsula library and are now at the centre of a Police investigation,” Labour MP for Te Atatū Phil Twyford said.

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell has confirmed Police referred 20 offenders to Man Up and Legacy since the two groups were approved as “wellness providers” in April last year, in answers to Twyford’s written parliamentary questions.

    “How does the Minister justify referring offenders to an organisation that openly preaches hate against the Rainbow community and has a track record of violence?”

    “Anti-violence groups have criticised Destiny Church groups’ involvement in offender rehabilitation, saying their approach creates a greater risk of violence against women and children.

    “Does the Minister have any evidence these Destiny programmes have a positive effect on offenders? Has he looked into whether Man Up and Legacy are using the Police referrals to recruit new members? 

    “The West Auckland Police are investigating the conduct of Destiny Church at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last month. Charities Services have confirmed to me they are investigating my call for Destiny charities to be deregistered for serious wrongdoing. It is time the Government now rules out the Police or any other government agency referring people to Destiny Church or their subsidiaries,” Phil Twyford said.

    Labour rainbow community spokesperson Shanan Halbert said, “Mark Mitchell promised that New Zealanders would feel safer under this government, but the Rainbow community has felt under attack. More than 100 incidents of hate against the community are reported monthly under his watch, but he he has declined to declare how many are related to Destiny Church. It’s time for him to take action.”

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Active transport boost for Western Australia

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    Cyclists and pedestrians across Western Australia will have more opportunities to walk, cycle and actively move through their communities thanks to support from the Albanese Government.  

    More than $15 million will be invested under the Active Transport Fund in 12 new projects across the state to build or upgrade existing bicycle and walking paths. 

    City of Canning will receive more than $1.1 million, for a new path and another upgraded path to increase active connectivity between METRONET’s Elevated Rail Project and the Canning River Regional Park through the Canning City Centre. 

    The improved facilities will benefit local students at Cannington Community College, Sevenoaks College and St Norbert College as well as people visiting Cannington Leisureplex.

    More than $4.8 million will be provide to the City of Mandurah to build the 3.9km Falcon Coastal Shared Path project stretching along the entire Falcon Coast, linking existing coastal paths in Wannanup to the south and Halls Head to the north.

    The Town of Cottesloe, on Perth’s southern beaches, will receive more than $4.1 million to widen and upgrade four kilometres of the pathway along Marine Parade between Curtin Avenue and North Street.

    Other projects receiving funding include:

    • The Shire of Cunderdin, north east of Perth, which will have more than $852,000 to design and build new footpaths along Togo Avenue, Watts Avenue, Hodgson Street and Yilgarn Avenue, about 3.25 kilometres long and 1.8 metres wide.
    • The City of Karratha, up north in the Pilbara, to receive $774,000 to build 1.3 kilometres of path linking Bathgate and Dampier Road to connect to the shopping centre.
    • The Shire of Nannup, on the south west tip of WA, will have more than $611,000 to build two 2.5-metre-wide shared paths, separated by Vasse Highway, known as the Southern Bridges Shared Path.

    Safe and accessible active transport options promote net zero-emissions travel, social connection and healthy choices, making our cities and regions more vibrant.

    This program supports the government’s commitment to invest in infrastructure planning, design and construction that improves safety outcomes for vulnerable road users under the National Road and Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

    For more information visit Active Transport Fund | Infrastructure Investment Program.  

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

    “Whether you’re on a motor scooter, pushing a pram, walking or cycling, we’re making it easier for people to get to school, work or local services, without having to jump in the car. 

    “This is about so much more than bike lanes and footpaths, it’s about reshaping our cities and regional centres, connecting our everyday places, and making our towns better to live in and easier to visit.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Perth Patrick Gorman: 

    “I love cycling and my kids love their scooters. I am proud to be part of an Albanese Government that is making our communities healthier and more liveable. 

    “There are so many benefits that come from people traveling by using physical activity.

    “Perth is an active city, and I welcome this national investment in our local our communities.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Swan Zaneta Mascarenhas: 

    “By linking METRONET’s with the Canning River Regional Park, we’re creating a safe and convenient pathway for walking, cycling, and enjoying our local environment.

    “This $1.1 million investment is about making it easier for our community to stay active and connected. It will be safer for kids getting to school, for commuters, and people accessing Cannington Leisureplex.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: World’s tallest bridge in Guizhou nearing completion

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    An aerial panoramic drone photo shows a view of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China’s Guizhou, Jan. 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province, set to become the world’s tallest bridge, is 95 percent complete, with installation of the bridge deck panels expected to finish by mid-March, a deputy to China’s top legislature said during the ongoing two sessions.
    Zhang Shenglin, a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, said the bridge’s main structure was completed in January, and engineers have overcome key technical challenges. The focus has now shifted to installing the deck, followed by anti-corrosion work on the main cables and infrastructure projects such as mechanical and electrical equipment.
    “When the bridge opens in the second half of 2025, this super project spanning the ‘Earth’s crack’ will showcase China’s engineering capabilities and boost Guizhou’s goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination,” said Zhang, who is also chief engineer of Guizhou Highway Engineering Group Co.
    The bridge’s main span stretches 1,420 meters, with a height of 625 meters from deck to water — comparable to a 200-story building — surpassing the 565-meter-high Beipanjiang Bridge as the world’s tallest.
    It is also the world’s longest span bridge to be built in a mountainous area.
    “Its steel trusses weigh about 22,000 metric tons — the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers — and were installed in just two months,” said Zhang.
    The bridge connects Liuzhi to Anlong and is a key link in southwestern China’s highway network. Once operational, it will cut cross-river travel time from about two hours to just two minutes.
    Beyond transportation benefits, Zhang said the bridge is expected to boost the local economy by promoting sales of agricultural products and ethnic handicrafts, as well as encouraging development of homestays and restaurants. At a nearby village, more than 100 young people have returned to their hometown to invest in tourism projects such as cliff hotels and camping sites, she said.
    The Guizhou Transportation Investment Group, responsible for the bridge’s “integrated development of bridge and tourism” program, said it is seeking investment from companies and individuals.
    The project includes the Yundu service center, a commercial complex spanning 21,100 square meters with dining, shopping, entertainment and tourism facilities. The development plan features 13 subcategories, including sightseeing suspension bridges, canyon cable cars, rock climbing, food markets, cultural products, resort hotels, holiday campsites and sky cafes, the company said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Government Bond Transactions No.2 [2025]

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    Announcement on Government Bond Transactions No.2 [2025]

    (Open Market Operations Office, February 28, 2025)

    The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) did not purchase or sell government bonds on the open market in February 2025.

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    2025年03月06日

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USINDOPACOM commander addresses Comprehensive Security Cooperation 25-1 Course participants

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Following an overview of USINDOPACOM strategy, Paparo answered questions from the CSC participants regarding regional security, highlighting allies and partners. 

    CSC is a five-week course attended by more than 80 mid-level military, government and non-government professionals from 33 nations in the Indo-Pacific to enhance security collaboration and strategic dialogue. After providing an overview, participants seek to develop resilient solutions to real organizational and regional security issues.

    DKI APCSS is a DoD institute that addresses regional and global security issues, inviting military and civilian representatives of the U.S. and Asia-Pacific nations to its comprehensive program of executive education and workshops, both in Hawaii and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

    USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with NIH Nominee, Calls for Radical Transparency at the NIH

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. During his remarks, Bhattacharya explained his plan to root out waste within the NIH and how he will earn back the trust of the American people by ensuring transparency.

    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you doctor for being here. It’s always good to run into somebody that’s name’s harder to say than mine and mispronounced more.

    You’ve got a hard job in front of you, but I share the ideas and desire that the President has to root out waste and the fraud that we have in this country. Because if we don’t, we’re not gonna have a country left. It’s gonna be gone. And he’s doing the right thing. You’re gonna have a tough job. You’re gonna have to put your team together and do the same thing. We have got to make sure we use American taxpayers’ money the right way.

    So, kind of give me your plan of how you’re gonna do this—when you come into office and are confirmed how you’re gonna put your team together?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Thanks Senator, I should say this: I have a background as an economist as well as being a doctor. And to me, that background, what it leads me to do is understand that every dollar wasted on a frivolous study is a dollar not spent—every dollar wasted on administrative costs that are not needed—is a dollar not spent on research. The team I’m gonna put together is gonna be hyper-focused to make sure that the portfolio grants that the NIH funds is devoted to the chronic disease problems of this country. It’s gonna be devoted to making sure we have not just incremental progress, but research projects that have the capacity to make huge advances in treatment for cancer, for diabetes, for obesity. That’s how I’m going to decide what the team is.

    And the NIH […], I’m blessed in some ways because it already has so many excellent scientists there to advise me on the on the areas I don’t know about. And I wanna tap [into] that resource. I wanna make sure I talk to every single person who who’s already a leader at the NIH to understand where those opportunities are.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. Well, thank you.

    You know, for the past four years, I’ve been on this Committee, and we’ve obviously gone through COVID [which was] devastating to not just our country, but the world.

    Transparency and trust is gonna have to be earned again from a lot of people. Most people across this country don’t know what the hell NIH stands for. Okay? But now they do because of COVID. You said that science has to be reliable, exactly. But people also have to trust, you know, we’re finding out now we have biolabs in Ukraine—where a war is going on, and we’re funding them.

    I mean, and so you’ve got to be on top of that, and the American people have to trust you that you will say, ‘Listen, we’re gonna keep an eye on, you know, the biolabs in North Carolina,’ or wherever we have them. Because it scares me to death of what’s going on. 

    What’s your plan there of getting trust back in this country?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Senator first of all […], I want to work with Congress to make sure that there’s appropriate regulation of any risky research. The NIH […] I don’t think should be doing any research that has the potential to cause a pandemic. And I want to work with Congress to make sure that happens.

    As far as trust, I think the key thing is we have to be utterly open, if I’m confirmed, I’ll be at the head of an organization that’s a scientific organization. As a citizen, I would often look for FOIA responses from the NIH Freedom Information Act request, and they’d be fully redacted during the pandemic.

    You can’t have trust unless you are transparent. And if I’m confirmed as an NIH Director, I fully commit to making sure that the American people can see all of the activities of the NIH openly, with limited sort of obfuscation. [The NIH has been characterized this way], I think unfortunately, [because of the] way that they’ve interacted with American people.”

    TUBERVILLE: “And I think that starts with being very visual on television, telling people, you know, the truth. Don’t hide anything because we’ve been hiding things for years and that that doesn’t work. We found that out.

    You know, Chairman Cassidy and I led a letter to the NIH under the last administration asking questions about a grant that the NIH funded focused on children transitioning genders. The study followed all these children—two of them committed suicide. Devastating. 

    So, how can we ensure the NIH doesn’t grant funds to things like this?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Well, first of all, I think it’s if you have a negative result and it’s politically inconvenient to you, usually, you have an obligation to scientists to report it. Right? 

    So, the NIH funds a study that shows that the gender transition doesn’t reduce suicide rate among, you know, adolescents. That researcher has an obligation to report it even though she may think it’s politically inconvenient. So, I wanna make sure that NIH research is required to report even negative results. And there’s ways to do that we can talk about.

    But I think as far as, like, the prioritization of studies, as I was telling Senator Paul, I think we wanna make sure that the studies are focused on the diseases that really are hurting Americans—obesity—a lot of the research that, you know, it’s so easy to come up with, examples of this. One of a shrimp on a treadmill for instance, that was once funded. It’s not that I’m necessarily against research like that, but the American taxpayer should be focused on the needs of American taxpayers. And the research should be focused on those needs, the health needs of Americans. And I want to make sure that the NIH, if confirmed, focuses on exactly that.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Good luck.”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Thank you so much.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to facilitate private firm financing

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Li Yunze, head of the National Financial Regulatory Administration of China, gives an interview after the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China will step up efforts to facilitate financing for private enterprises and micro and small enterprises, Li Yunze, head of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, said Wednesday.

    China will increase the supply of credit to private enterprises, and reduce overall financing costs to deliver more benefits to businesses, Li said on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.

    Private enterprises account for over 92 percent of all companies in China, and their share in micro and small enterprises is even higher, Li noted.

    In a government work report unveiled Wednesday, China has pledged to refine and develop new structural monetary policy instruments to provide stronger support for private businesses and micro and small enterprises.

    Half a month before the annual sessions of China’s top legislature and political advisory body, China held a high-level symposium on private enterprises, sending a signal of strong support for private businesses.

    As part of its latest efforts to ramp up the growth of the private sector, the country is also advancing the private economy promotion law, in a move to dismantle barriers, unlock the sector’s full potential and create a fairer and more dynamic business environment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Officials explain why China’s 2025 growth target is attainable

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 28, 2024 shows an interior view of the digital factory at a manufacturing enterprise in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s economic growth target of around 5 percent for this year is achievable, as it aligns with the country’s actual conditions and the laws governing economic development, an official said Wednesday.

    Achieving this target, however, will not be easy and will require tremendous efforts, said Shen Danyang, head of the group responsible for drafting this year’s government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.

    China’s momentum of economic recovery and growth continues to strengthen, said Shen, director of the Research Office of the State Council, at a press conference while outlining key factors that will support the country in achieving its 2025 growth target.

    China has introduced a package of new policies since September last year, leading to a notable economic rebound, with GDP growth rising to 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, he noted.

    Since the beginning of 2025, key indicators such as the purchasing managers’ index for the manufacturing sector, property sales, and container throughput have all signaled a trend of steady economic growth in China, the official said.

    Shen emphasized that favorable conditions are actively supporting economic growth, with new industries and growth drivers rapidly expanding, including new energy vehicles, the photovoltaic sector, shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.

    Meanwhile, factors that were dragging down the economy, such as the real estate sector, are showing positive changes, and their adverse impacts are gradually weakening, he said.

    China plans to implement more proactive and effective macro policies this year, the likes of which have not been seen in many years, and these are expected to provide a strong boost to economic growth, according to Shen.

    There are still options available in China’s policy toolkit, and macro policies will be dynamically adjusted in response to evolving circumstances, he said.

    Emphasizing the role of employment in achieving the economic growth target, Shen said that particular efforts will be made to support the employment of 12.22 million college graduates this year, along with individuals lifted out of poverty and migrant workers.

    Shen also called for invigorating market entities and boosting enterprise confidence, particularly among private businesses. “Authorities will continue working to foster a favorable market environment for fair competition and expand financing support for private businesses, as well as micro and small enterprises.”

    Macro data shows that China has an annual consumption of nearly 50 trillion yuan (about 6.97 trillion U.S. dollars), investment exceeding 50 trillion yuan, and imports of goods and services surpassing 20 trillion yuan, demonstrating a massive economic scale, said Chen Changsheng, deputy director of the State Council Research Office.

    Chen said that building a unified national market requires removing barriers to economic flows and fully leveraging the market’s decisive role in resource allocation, in order to enhance government functions while ensuring smooth domestic economic circulation.

    Chen underlined the positive reassessment of Chinese assets in international capital markets, driven by the growth potential of AI.

    “This year’s government work report calls for advancing the AI Plus initiative. By combining China’s digital tech with its manufacturing prowess and market scale, AI can hopefully empower all industries and reach every household,” Chen said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 3BA The Big Show, Ballarat

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    PAUL TAYLOR [HOST]: Let’s go local, Ballarat, and I was going to speak to Lilly from Not Your Grandma’s Pantry, but unfortunately Lilly’s not answering her phone. We’ll get her on another time, though. I tell you what, her replacement though this morning has a major announcement to make, that is for sure. And the Honourable Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government – good morning to you, Catherine.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Good morning, and also the most important title I have and the one I am proudest of is Federal Member of Ballarat. But I’m doing- I’m here in my ministerial capacity today.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Absolutely you are. Could we add any extra duties to your portfolio, do you think?

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] No, I’m pretty busy, to be honest. I’ve got some terrific junior ministers who help me out a fair bit, it’s a big portfolio and really busy. But I’m at home today, which is really lovely to actually be able to be in Ballarat. And I can smell the smoke in the air, and I hope everyone’s all right out at Buninyong Surrounds. That would’ve been a pretty scary event [indistinct] …

    PAUL TAYLOR: [Talks over] Our emergency services once again did a wonderful job in protecting our communities out Mount Clear and Mount Buninyong way.

    Speaking of which, Anthony Albanese up- is he still in Queensland at the moment, with the cyclone happening?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, as I understand it that’s where he is. He was certainly there yesterday with the Emergency Services Minister Jenny McAllister. She’s sort of basing herself up there at the moment, and we’ve got the National Emergency Management Agency – obviously the state of Queensland takes the lead, but we’ve got all of those national assets in place who’ve had time to prepare. But yeah, it’s pretty scary watching it. It seems unbelievable to imagine how much rain they’ve had right up the top of the state, and then to see this. And I’m sure there’s many people who know I’ve got family there, I’ve got staff there as well. I know there’s people who know- have lots of family, lots of people who- known up there, so I think our thoughts are all with them at the moment.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Catherine, a lot of pundits were saying Sunday was going to be the day that Mr Albanese would head to the GG’s office. But given Cyclone Alfred, that’s not likely to happen, do you think?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, again, the election timing’s a matter for him. But look, I think that he’s pretty focused on- you know, you’ve got such a big emergency up the top of the country. I don’t think it’s- I think we’re focused on how do we help, what do we do, what do we actually need to do to make sure people are safe. And then if there is, in the event of terrible and- you know, the sort of things we think might happen, then how do we help people recover quickly. And so I think he’s pretty focused on that at the moment. The election obviously is going to have to be held before May, but I think when you’ve got something like that happening, we’re all just like, okay what do we need to do, is really the mode we’re in at the moment, and the election sort of takes a bit of a backseat. But again, that’ll be a matter for him.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Catherine King, let’s get to the announcement at hand. If anyone’s travelled the Western Freeway, in particular around Melton and Caroline Springs, those sorts of areas, it’s a very frustrating drive, especially at peak hour. What’s going on where the Western Freeway is concerned? A lot of money to be thrown at this to make it a lot safer, Catherine King.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, absolutely. So the Victorian Government and the Albanese Labor Government, we put in money – about 20 million – to do a joint business case that has finished. There’s still some more work to be done on that, but in order to get the ball really rolling on the highway- it just really can’t wait, it’s at capacity or it’s about to be at capacity in the next five years or so, so we’re being told. So we’re putting in $1 billion- $1.1 billion actually, to- particularly from that Melton to Caroline Springs end to try and look at how can we make the road safer, how can we ease some of that congestion, particularly in those peak hours in the morning as people are coming out of Bacchus Marsh, out of Melton, out of Rockbank and trying to get into work- that really from 6am onwards, it’s very difficult to get through there, and the state of the road is not really keeping up with the demands of the population there. And then obviously the return peak hour, that also is really significant problem. We know that once the West Gate Tunnel is done, there’ll be some alleviation of the sort of bottleneck at the end, but really at the moment the road is just not keeping up.

    So that $1.1 billion, there’s also out of that 100 million to try and really resolve the issue that we’ve got down our end around Brewery Tap Road. It’s a really dangerous intersection there. I’ve had lots of people talking to me about really that needs to be fixed. It’s an accident waiting to happen, so we want to try and get ahead of that. It’s really awful when you’re trying to run the gambit crossing there, so we’ll do the work with the Victorian state government about what the solutions are to try and resolve that. But we’re putting 100 million in there.

    And there’s also a smaller amount of money down a bit further, which is to fix some of the bridges heading towards [indistinct], but all of the remaining money, there’s already $1 billion in the highway to do a range of other things down the other end of the highway. So that’s really what we’re announcing today. I use it- at least weekly I’m down that highway. I know lots of people use it to get to and from work, to get to and from family. It’s a really important piece of infrastructure for the whole west of the state. So we’ll be pleased to be making that announcement today.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Catherine, is that money guaranteed, even though we’ve got an election looming? If the Albanese Government is ousted, does that money stay? What’s …

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Well, any announcements we’re making before the election is called are obviously decisions of government. So they’re budgeted decisions that will show up in the Pre-Election Financial Outlook. The only risk, of course, is if the Liberals come in and say they want to cut things. And unfortunately, we do know that they’ve got to find money for the cuts that they do want to make, and that is always a risk when elections change. But this obviously is money that we’re making as a decision of government announced as government.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Well, good to see money being thrown at the Brewery Tap Road intersection at Warrenheip. It is a worrisome intersection and needs to be fixed as soon as possible, as does the congestion further down the Freeway towards Melton and Rockbank, Caroline Springs, those sorts of areas.

    The Honourable Catherine King, MP for Ballarat and all the other titles that you hold nowadays, thank you so much for coming on The Big Show. Few and far between nowadays with you jet setting around and looking after a whole heap of other things in your portfolio, but we appreciate your time this morning, Catherine. And take care on the roads, won’t you?

    CATHERINE KING: I will do. It’s always good to be with you, and a privilege that as the Member for Ballarat, I then get to hold these bigger roles. But it’s only because I’m the Member of Ballarat that I get to hold those bigger roles, so always an incredible privilege to be that and to hold that in the community as well. So I’m very, very appreciative for the opportunity afforded to me by the people of Ballarat, really.

    PAUL TAYLOR: Thank you so much, the Honourable Catherine King MP.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The IMF at Eighty

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Keynote Speech by Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke
    at a Symposium on the Future of International Cooperation on the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II
    Tokyo, Japan, March 6, 2025 

    March 5, 2025

    (As Prepared for Delivery)

    A very good morning to you all. Kudo-san: thank you so much for those kind words. It is a great pleasure to be here in Japan.

    Dear colleagues, let me begin by relaying Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva’s regret for not being able to be with us today. She was very much looking forward to her trip to Tokyo, and has asked me to share with you her best wishes.

    I would like to start with a deep note of appreciation for our host country: a pillar of regional and global stability, a tireless advocate of trade, a technology leader and innovator, and a nation proudly on the move. For the IMF, Japan is a true partner, always generous in its support for our work. To the people of Japan the IMF says: arigatō goza‑i‑mas—thank you.

    As this conference reflects on the state of the world 80 years after the end of World War Two, let me also salute the post-war rebirth of Japan. Who in 1945 could have imagined the economic miracle that would come—and the transformation of former foes into friends and allies? Living proof that prosperity and friendship can triumph.

    So much of the global progress of the post-war decades was the result of a grand experiment in economic cooperation whose roots traced back to a conference of forty nations at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in July 1944. The core idea at Bretton Woods was both bold and simple: a system where interests would be secured not only by geopolitical heft, but by mutually beneficial cooperation. This is the core principle behind the creation of the IMF. It is the principle we still serve today.

    After the war, reconstruction progressed rapidly, giving rise to new structures, new jobs, new trade, and new members. In 1952, Japan and West Germany were welcomed into the IMF’s family of nations.

    The Fund played its designated part not so much by financing global reconstruction and development—that was the World Bank’s job—but by supporting financial stability. A system of regular peer review of national economic prospects and policies was transformed from the black ink of Article IV of our founding Treaty to a familiar and appreciated reality.

    And thus were established the three core functions of the IMF:

    • First, our macroeconomic surveillance, which would bring in many newly independent nations starting in the late 1950s, followed by the Russian Federation and all the nations of the former Soviet bloc in the 1990s, such that today it spans almost all countries—a global perspective unique to the Fund.
    • Second, our support for macroeconomic programs to restore economic and financial stability to countries rich and poor alike when in distress, combining agreed policy actions to remedy underlying economic weaknesses with IMF lending and reserve creation—the latter again being a unique capacity bestowed upon the Fund.
    • And third, our support for capacity development, most generously financed from the start by Japan, alongside others.

    Through the many post-war episodes of mistrust and confrontation, the IMF has always remained a place where governance works; where information and knowledge are freely exchanged; where policy lessons from one country are shared for the benefit of many others; where efficiency meets effectiveness; and where members at odds with each other sit at one table and discuss matters calmly. This is the tangible, everyday reality of the Fund.

    Over the years we have, of course, had both successes and failures, but I would argue that the former outnumber the latter. I think for instance of our programs with the UK in 1977, India in 1991, or Brazil in 2002, and indeed of the examples being set today by the former program countries of East Asia and the euro area. Successes, yet each difficult in its own way when crisis raged.

    As finance minister of Jamaica during difficult times, I had the opportunity to see the Fund in action from the other side of the table. It was obvious to me then—as it is now—that the IMF teams had the knowledge, the experience, and the systems. They knew what they were doing.

    At the Fund, one foundational reality is well understood: countries are not companies, and in hard times the hardships of the people must always be addressed. It is the IMF that provides the closest thing sovereign states have to a framework to secure a fresh start. It is a unique and vital function for the world.

    And rarely does the IMF see a quiet moment. Today, as we confront a world of low growth, high prices, and high debt, we are warning countries that there is no room for complacency on inflation; advising them on how best to rebuild their macroeconomic buffers for the new shocks that will inevitably come; and getting more granular in our engagement on policies to lift productivity and create better jobs.

    Colleagues, we are at a new time of great flux for the world economy, with many countries reassessing their approaches, including in the face of structural transformations related to technology, demographics, and energy. Across the globe, voters have voiced anger at high prices and, in some cases, mistrust for an internationalist system they perceive as elitist and exclusionary. A chasm has opened between aspiration and reality—and that, in part, is fueling a challenge to the old system, with all the attendant uncertainty.

    So let me conclude by sharing a few forward-looking thoughts on how, as the world navigates these choppy waters, the Fund can help steady the ship.

    Four points:

    • First, in a tightly interconnected world, stability matters to everybody. Our mandate to promote international monetary cooperation sits at the heart of what we do, and has never mattered more than now, after 80 years of ever-closer integration. Like a fireman who douses a fire in one house and thus saves the neighborhood, when the IMF helps stabilize one country, it helps all others—we know how easily something small can become something big. The Fund is a seasoned repository of knowledge on how to do this, and so we shall remain. Whether it be crisis prevention through surveillance, crisis management through policy advice and lending, or resilience through capacity development, stability will remain our core mission. This means helping countries to design well phased and well communicated plans for budget consolidation; to maintain effective monetary policies to contain inflation; to safeguard external stability; to ensure financial systems are robust; and much more. This is our bread and butter.
    • Second, growth requires stability and stability requires growth. Ultimately, the way to ensure that economies can create jobs for their people and shoulder debt is through robust trend growth. And here I mean growth built on productivity gains and efficient resource allocation, not temporary stimulus. At the IMF, helped by our new Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth, we intend to identify positive lessons wheresoever they may be, and share them across our membership—while also helping countries harness technological advancement, notably in AI. Smaller government footprints will help in some cases, as will smarter tax regimes, more efficient public spending and better infrastructure, stronger bankruptcy frameworks, simpler and better regulations, more flexible labor markets with strong social safety nets, and deeper, more liquid capital markets, including venture capital. It is a broad and ambitious agenda.
    • Third, stability requires global macroeconomic balance. The IMF’s purposes include not only facilitating the expansion of international trade to contribute to the promotion and maintenance of high levels of employment and real income, but helping ensure that trade growth is balanced. Yet we live in an imbalanced world, with excessive external surpluses for some countries and excessive deficits for others, potentially sowing the seeds of future instability. At the Fund we understand that external imbalances reflect domestic imbalances, with some countries consuming or investing too much and others too little: a challenge calling out for the concerted deployment of the full macroeconomic policy toolkit. These are deep-seated problems, reflecting policy-induced distortions, exchange rates, institutional depth, reserve currencies, demographics, wealth and income levels, technology, culture, history, and more. We will continue to work with our members to lessen the degree of disequilibrium in their international balances of payments.
    • Fourth and last, as the global system reconfigures, agility will be key. Already in recent years, as geoeconomic fragmentation set in, many countries coalesced into groupings of common interest. Now, the trend continues, with an increasing emphasis on regional trade and regional financing arrangements. In a variable-geometry world, the IMF will respond as needed, flexibly, including to serve regional needs and explore ways to strengthen the global financial safety net for the good of all. For 80 years, from the gold standard to flexible exchange rates, from engaging with advanced economies to rescuing emerging markets to supporting low-income countries, the Fund has responded to changing circumstances and evolved with the times. We will preserve this tradition.

    In these four points I am offering a vision of an IMF that will remain faithful to, and be guided by, its core purposes as laid out in our 191‑nation Articles of Agreement—yet will be nimble, responding to the changing environment as necessary so that we can continue to serve our membership to good effect. So without further ado, let me leave you to reflect, perhaps, on my four themes—stability, growth, balance, and agility—and how they can fit together to shape a Fund for our changing times.

    I look forward to hearing your discussions today—and will be particularly interested in hearing your thoughts on Japan’s role in this new world as a champion of regional and global economic cooperation.

    Thank you

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER:

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The IMF at Eighty

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    Keynote Speech by Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke
    at a Symposium on the Future of International Cooperation on the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II
    Tokyo, Japan, March 6, 2025 

    March 5, 2025

    (As Prepared for Delivery)

    A very good morning to you all. Kudo-san: thank you so much for those kind words. It is a great pleasure to be here in Japan.

    Dear colleagues, let me begin by relaying Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva’s regret for not being able to be with us today. She was very much looking forward to her trip to Tokyo, and has asked me to share with you her best wishes.

    I would like to start with a deep note of appreciation for our host country: a pillar of regional and global stability, a tireless advocate of trade, a technology leader and innovator, and a nation proudly on the move. For the IMF, Japan is a true partner, always generous in its support for our work. To the people of Japan the IMF says: arigatō goza‑i‑mas—thank you.

    As this conference reflects on the state of the world 80 years after the end of World War Two, let me also salute the post-war rebirth of Japan. Who in 1945 could have imagined the economic miracle that would come—and the transformation of former foes into friends and allies? Living proof that prosperity and friendship can triumph.

    So much of the global progress of the post-war decades was the result of a grand experiment in economic cooperation whose roots traced back to a conference of forty nations at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in July 1944. The core idea at Bretton Woods was both bold and simple: a system where interests would be secured not only by geopolitical heft, but by mutually beneficial cooperation. This is the core principle behind the creation of the IMF. It is the principle we still serve today.

    After the war, reconstruction progressed rapidly, giving rise to new structures, new jobs, new trade, and new members. In 1952, Japan and West Germany were welcomed into the IMF’s family of nations.

    The Fund played its designated part not so much by financing global reconstruction and development—that was the World Bank’s job—but by supporting financial stability. A system of regular peer review of national economic prospects and policies was transformed from the black ink of Article IV of our founding Treaty to a familiar and appreciated reality.

    And thus were established the three core functions of the IMF:

    • First, our macroeconomic surveillance, which would bring in many newly independent nations starting in the late 1950s, followed by the Russian Federation and all the nations of the former Soviet bloc in the 1990s, such that today it spans almost all countries—a global perspective unique to the Fund.
    • Second, our support for macroeconomic programs to restore economic and financial stability to countries rich and poor alike when in distress, combining agreed policy actions to remedy underlying economic weaknesses with IMF lending and reserve creation—the latter again being a unique capacity bestowed upon the Fund.
    • And third, our support for capacity development, most generously financed from the start by Japan, alongside others.

    Through the many post-war episodes of mistrust and confrontation, the IMF has always remained a place where governance works; where information and knowledge are freely exchanged; where policy lessons from one country are shared for the benefit of many others; where efficiency meets effectiveness; and where members at odds with each other sit at one table and discuss matters calmly. This is the tangible, everyday reality of the Fund.

    Over the years we have, of course, had both successes and failures, but I would argue that the former outnumber the latter. I think for instance of our programs with the UK in 1977, India in 1991, or Brazil in 2002, and indeed of the examples being set today by the former program countries of East Asia and the euro area. Successes, yet each difficult in its own way when crisis raged.

    As finance minister of Jamaica during difficult times, I had the opportunity to see the Fund in action from the other side of the table. It was obvious to me then—as it is now—that the IMF teams had the knowledge, the experience, and the systems. They knew what they were doing.

    At the Fund, one foundational reality is well understood: countries are not companies, and in hard times the hardships of the people must always be addressed. It is the IMF that provides the closest thing sovereign states have to a framework to secure a fresh start. It is a unique and vital function for the world.

    And rarely does the IMF see a quiet moment. Today, as we confront a world of low growth, high prices, and high debt, we are warning countries that there is no room for complacency on inflation; advising them on how best to rebuild their macroeconomic buffers for the new shocks that will inevitably come; and getting more granular in our engagement on policies to lift productivity and create better jobs.

    Colleagues, we are at a new time of great flux for the world economy, with many countries reassessing their approaches, including in the face of structural transformations related to technology, demographics, and energy. Across the globe, voters have voiced anger at high prices and, in some cases, mistrust for an internationalist system they perceive as elitist and exclusionary. A chasm has opened between aspiration and reality—and that, in part, is fueling a challenge to the old system, with all the attendant uncertainty.

    So let me conclude by sharing a few forward-looking thoughts on how, as the world navigates these choppy waters, the Fund can help steady the ship.

    Four points:

    • First, in a tightly interconnected world, stability matters to everybody. Our mandate to promote international monetary cooperation sits at the heart of what we do, and has never mattered more than now, after 80 years of ever-closer integration. Like a fireman who douses a fire in one house and thus saves the neighborhood, when the IMF helps stabilize one country, it helps all others—we know how easily something small can become something big. The Fund is a seasoned repository of knowledge on how to do this, and so we shall remain. Whether it be crisis prevention through surveillance, crisis management through policy advice and lending, or resilience through capacity development, stability will remain our core mission. This means helping countries to design well phased and well communicated plans for budget consolidation; to maintain effective monetary policies to contain inflation; to safeguard external stability; to ensure financial systems are robust; and much more. This is our bread and butter.
    • Second, growth requires stability and stability requires growth. Ultimately, the way to ensure that economies can create jobs for their people and shoulder debt is through robust trend growth. And here I mean growth built on productivity gains and efficient resource allocation, not temporary stimulus. At the IMF, helped by our new Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth, we intend to identify positive lessons wheresoever they may be, and share them across our membership—while also helping countries harness technological advancement, notably in AI. Smaller government footprints will help in some cases, as will smarter tax regimes, more efficient public spending and better infrastructure, stronger bankruptcy frameworks, simpler and better regulations, more flexible labor markets with strong social safety nets, and deeper, more liquid capital markets, including venture capital. It is a broad and ambitious agenda.
    • Third, stability requires global macroeconomic balance. The IMF’s purposes include not only facilitating the expansion of international trade to contribute to the promotion and maintenance of high levels of employment and real income, but helping ensure that trade growth is balanced. Yet we live in an imbalanced world, with excessive external surpluses for some countries and excessive deficits for others, potentially sowing the seeds of future instability. At the Fund we understand that external imbalances reflect domestic imbalances, with some countries consuming or investing too much and others too little: a challenge calling out for the concerted deployment of the full macroeconomic policy toolkit. These are deep-seated problems, reflecting policy-induced distortions, exchange rates, institutional depth, reserve currencies, demographics, wealth and income levels, technology, culture, history, and more. We will continue to work with our members to lessen the degree of disequilibrium in their international balances of payments.
    • Fourth and last, as the global system reconfigures, agility will be key. Already in recent years, as geoeconomic fragmentation set in, many countries coalesced into groupings of common interest. Now, the trend continues, with an increasing emphasis on regional trade and regional financing arrangements. In a variable-geometry world, the IMF will respond as needed, flexibly, including to serve regional needs and explore ways to strengthen the global financial safety net for the good of all. For 80 years, from the gold standard to flexible exchange rates, from engaging with advanced economies to rescuing emerging markets to supporting low-income countries, the Fund has responded to changing circumstances and evolved with the times. We will preserve this tradition.

    In these four points I am offering a vision of an IMF that will remain faithful to, and be guided by, its core purposes as laid out in our 191‑nation Articles of Agreement—yet will be nimble, responding to the changing environment as necessary so that we can continue to serve our membership to good effect. So without further ado, let me leave you to reflect, perhaps, on my four themes—stability, growth, balance, and agility—and how they can fit together to shape a Fund for our changing times.

    I look forward to hearing your discussions today—and will be particularly interested in hearing your thoughts on Japan’s role in this new world as a champion of regional and global economic cooperation.

    Thank you

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER:

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/05/sp030625-dmd-imfat80

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: Press Conference – Melton

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    SAM RAE [FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HAWKE]: …We’re here in the seat of Hawk. I am Sam Rae, the Federal member for Hawke. I’m very happy to be here today. I’m joined by two wonderful ministers, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Minister Catherine King and the state minister, Minister Gabrielle Williams. And as you can see, I have a whole host of colleagues from both local government, state government and federal Labor with us here as well. And I’m going to run through – I’m going to look over my shoulder while I do it so I don’t miss anybody. We’ve got the Member for Melton, Steve McGhie here. We have Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi. We have Dr Phillip Zader from LeadWest. We have Brendan O’Connor, the Member for Gorton, a long standing member for Gorton. We have Alice Jordan-Baird, our fantastic new candidate for Gorton. And as I said, the two ministers who are here with us today, we’ve got a very exciting announcement about the Western Freeway. We stood here on the Western Freeway just before the last election. I stood here with Minister King, and we announced that the Labor government, state and federal, would work together to get a business case done to upgrade the Western freeway. And today is a very exciting announcement, building upon that, the delivery of that business case just before Christmas. So hand over to Minister King, great. Thanks so much.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Thanks so much, Sam. And it’s terrific to be here with state and local government colleagues, because really, this is a partnership about how we actually get good infrastructure in place for our growing suburbs, and this is a terrific announcement today that we’re making alongside the Victorian Government. This is one of the busiest highways in the state. It is an incredibly important freight route. I live down the other end, down Ballarat end, and used to represent the people of Stawell. Sam and Alice and Brendan and Steve all live around this part of the world, and they know we’ve seen significant growth. There are thousands of people traveling on this road every single day, and the road hasn’t quite kept up with the amount of housing development that we’ve seen in this area. So today, we’re announcing $1.1 billion from the federal government, a decision of government to invest in the Western Highway, in particular, the billion dollars will go towards the Melton and Caroline Springs area, where we know there has been significant growth and there needs to be upgrades in order to keep up with the amount of housing than the amount of people using this road, that work has been underway. As Sam said, the business case has been completed. We needed to make sure we had a good understanding of what are the things that you can do to improve this corridor. $100 million is to go down to the other end of the highway, down to Brewery Tap Road, and there’s also work to be done on additional bridges. This brings the Commonwealth’s total investment in the Western Freeway, Western Highway, to just over $2 billion. We know how important this road is from a freight and logistics point of view, but we also know how important it is to be able to get people to work. I think all of us here use this road on a regular basis. We know what happens from 6am to 9:30am in the morning and when people are trying to get home, that tail back, getting back into Melton in particular, but the Rock Bank area, this is a significant and serious investment from the Albanese Labor Government to make sure we improve these corridors. I do want to particularly welcome both LeadWest and the Melton Council here today, who have been advocating alongside our state and federal members, Sam, Brendan and Steve as well, to advocate for this road project. And I’ll hand over to Gab for a minute, and then I think the mayor will say a few words, and then we’ll take some questions. Thanks, Gab.

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS [STATE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE]: Thank you. Thanks, minister, and thank you for being here to make what is a wonderful announcement. And can I say how great it is for us as the Allan Labor government to have a partner in Canberra that has been something that has been missing in Victoria for the best part of 10 years. Victorians have been short changed to the tune of billions by successive Liberal National Coalition Governments, and finally, with the Albanese Government, we have a partner, a partner willing to work with us, willing to invest with us on the projects that matter most to Victorians. So, the $1.1 billion announced today is a very welcome investment in one of Melbourne’s fastest growing areas. People love living in the west, that’s the reality, and the population growth shows that. But as Minister King has outlined, we need to make sure that the surrounding infrastructure also keeps pace with that growth, and that we’re investing where it’s most needed, in our community, and out here in the west is a perfect example of that. Minister King also outlined that this has been a partnership with the state government for some time in doing that essential planning work to make sure that we understand where the priorities and the needs are along what is a very long stretch of road in the Western Highway all the way to Adelaide, and making sure that we can deliver the greatest value where it’s needed most. That work has allowed us now, with a funding commitment from the Commonwealth, to then fine tune and determine exactly what that will look like. Now that we’ve got the dollars attached, we can go back to that business case and look at the options that have been put forward in that and start to select our solutions and get moving, most importantly, on the project to deliver the congestion busting solutions that we know this project will deliver, making life easier for people in Melbourne’s west making that commute much easier, and basically catering to the growth that we know is taking place out here in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Can I also thank the many representatives we have here across local and state and federal governments, as well as LeadWest, we have an incredible team of advocates here in Melbourne’s west, those who live in their suburbs, they know their suburbs, and they know and understand the needs. And again, can I say a big thank you to the federal government for partnering with us, for being a part of the solution to being able to meet the growth in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, and for finally giving Victoria its fair share of infrastructure funding. Steve 

    STEVE ABBOUSHI [MAYOR OF MELTON]: Council is very thankful for the recent announcement for the $1.1 billion upgrade. We – it’s been – formed part of our main advocacy priorities for more than nine to 10 years. And finally, we’re seeing, you know, a western upgrade highway going to mean so much for our community. I’d like to thank the state and federal government for partnering with council. We would – we just had a meeting with residents last week around providing a voice for our community on their concerns to the Western Highway. Last year, we had the business case, and now we’ve got an announcement. So, this is what it means to partner, and this is what happens when you partner. It means that our community will see delivery, we’ll see safety. And we’re very, very thankful for this announcement, and we look forward to hearing more about what it means for our community. Thanks very much. 

    JOURNALIST: I’ve got some questions for Minister Catherine King, please. Can you provide us with a breakdown of the $1.1 billion? 

    CATHERINE KING: …So $1 billion is going on the Melton Caroline Springs area. And Minister Williams might talk a little bit more about the business case. There’s been a number of options put forward as part of the business case, and we’ll now go back and fine tune those, to select the projects, but to do a little bit of work to get there, but we’re not far off. And then there’s $100 million for Brewery Tap Road just as you head into Ballarat. And then there’s also $6.1 million to fix two bridges, one around Dadswell Creek and Dimboola is the other one. Those projects have been in planning for a while. They’re not they’re ready to go. They’ll start this year. And then, obviously, there is also money that is already in the Western Highway corridor. And so there’s a number of projects that will continue. There’s one down at Pykes Creek, and there’s further ones further down along Stawell. And those projects will continue as well. 

    JOURNALIST: And what will it actually improve? Is it like a few barriers or?

    CATHERINE KING: So, there’s a range of things. So obviously there’s some safety work that can be done fairly quickly. So that’s, you know, widening shoulders, looking at the road resurfacing where that needs to happen. But when you’re looking at things like as part of the project, when you’re looking at like, you know, more interchanges, they are a bit more complex and take a bit more time to do. But I might ask Minister Williams to talk about more of the data, sure.

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: and look in part, it’s a bit of a process question. So what we do when we partner with the Commonwealth to do the planning for this project is look at where, if you like, the biggest choking points were across the Western Highway, where population growth was, meaning that there was particularly acute points of congestion, and then therefore working out where the priorities were. What engineers tend to do is never come to the table with just one option, but come to the table with multiple different options for each priority site. What we can now do, though, that we have a financial commitment money on the table, is go back and start working through the options that we’ve been provided and ensuring that we’re choosing the best possible ones within our funding envelope, and making sure that we’ve got those priorities right now. So this cash injection of $1.1 billion and now allows us to get going and get shovels in the ground and make sure we’re choosing from those options, the best possible ones to meet the priorities that have been identified through that through that process. So Minister King has outlined where some of those, some of the other funding will go, in terms of Dimboola and Dadswell Bridge, and we will now be hard at work in partnership with the Commonwealth Government to go back to that, that planning that business case and then working out from the options that we’ve been provided, which ones will deliver the best outcomes for our communities out here in Melbourne’s west. 

    JOURNALIST: Sure, about the Brewery Tap Road. 

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: Yep, there’s some upgrades going there. 

    JOURNALIST: Can you go into more detail? 

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: I’ll tell you what I reckon Minister King is the expert on Brewery Tap Road.

    CATHERINE KING: So when, when, when the Western highway, it’s years ago now. So I’ve been driving this road for a long, long time. So there was always meant to be some treatment down at that Warrenheip section. And we know now that what’s happened there, you’ve got a service station. You’ve got a very old hotel on one side that’s now been closed but still utilised at certain times. You’ve got a school up in Warrenheip as well. You’ve got an industrial precinct. And what’s happening is, increasingly, we’ve got truck traffic using that intersection, crossing over the highway, and it’s really become quite a significant safety concern. We’ll have to work with the Victorian Government about this. Again, engineers have come up with a range of solutions for the particular site, but what we’re committing to as part of the $1.1 billion is $100 million to do both the planning, the early services work, and to really start to get moving, to try and deal with that intersection, which, again, has been, you know, really, one of the projects along the highway that has been needed for quite some time, but hasn’t had, but hasn’t had the funding to actually deliver an upgrade there. And that’s what we’re doing today. 

    JOURNALIST: just on the federal election coming up. Is this an attempt to sort of show up support for the government? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, can I just remind people what’s happened here is that three years ago, both Labor federally and at the state, we weren’t in government, then came together and said, we know we’ve got a problem here. This isn’t a problem the previous LNP government had identified at all. They completely neglected the west, and in fact, neglected Victoria. When we came, and I’ll just remind people, when we came to office,  I think the investment from the federal government in Victoria was around about $17 billion. This announcement today brings it up to $24 billion. We’ve done that in a term of government. And so what we had three years ago was no one other than the Victorian Government, saying we got some problems here. Can you come and partner with us? So what we’ve done is do the business case, which we want to make sure we understand. How do you fix these problems? These are not new, but they are complex problems when you’ve got a highway of this nature that now is reaching capacity. And so we’ve started this work three years ago. This today, we’re making an announcement as a decision of government. We’re not in an election campaign yet that we are putting $1.1 billion now in to actually get this work progress. That’s what this is about, and a billion dollars will go a long way to addressing many of the problems along the highway that we’ve been working together on for some time now. 

    JOURNALIST: And just one more question for me, how concerned is the government about losing Labor votes in the Melbourne south and west? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, can I just say that every seat matters. Every seat, whether it’s west, whether it’s in the east, whether it’s in Victoria or right the way across the country. We are very determined that the work that we have done as a country together to get the economy back on track, to make sure that we’re actually getting inflation down. We’re keeping people employed. We’re actually investing in the future. Every single seat matters. Every seat matters. The west matters. The east matters. But I know we have got the best member in Sam Rae. We’ve got the best candidate in Alice. She’s going to make an amazing member for Gorton, following, of course, in the footsteps of the fabulous – my fabulous friend and colleague, Brendan O’Connor, who I will miss dearly, but know is going to go on to wonderful things. We have got terrific advocates here in this community. And the only reason, the only reason this announcement is being made today is because the people behind me care about their communities. They care about the west, and we care about it, too.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: ABC Radio Melbourne, Breakfast with Justin Smith

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    JUSTIN SMITH [HOST]: Well, we’ve been hearing your assessments of the current state of the Western Freeway. Is it now about to- and this is obviously not new news. Is it now about to finally get fixed with the Albanese Government today announcing that they’re going to inject $1.1 billion into upgrading the Western Freeway? Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and also MP for Ballarat, is on the phone. Minister, thank you very much for your time.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER, MEMBER FOR BALLARAT]: Really good to be with you, Justin.

    JUSTIN SMITH: A billion dollars for the Western Freeway. You must be really worried about the west.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, this has been a project in the making for some time. We committed with the Victorian state government a few years ago now to do a major study into the Western Highway. Anyone who drives along that road regularly, as I do, knows there’s been significant housing development occur, particularly along Rockbank, Caroline Springs, Melton has been expanding, so that business case has been underway. $20 million has gone to that. And so this is really our now commitment to move the project along beyond the business case, to start to do the work, to try and fix really that area between Melton and Caroline Springs where that significant congestion is occurring.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Is it just- reading through what is being announced today, though? Does it really move it beyond the business case, though? I mean, because the federal government, then you still need to deal with the state government and figure out exactly what you’re going to fix, though, don’t you? So does it really move it beyond the business case?

    CATHERINE KING: Yes, it does. So I mean, what the business case is about is actually trying to work out what do you do to try and actually deal with the congestion there. So we’ve got a fair idea about where widening needs to occur, where there’s overpasses that will need to occur as well. So that business case work has now been done. And really what this is now is a commitment from the federal government to say we are now partnering with the Victorian Government to actually start to deliver projects along this highway. There’s already a billion dollars on projects along the highway, but mostly they are in, you know, the Stawell area. And so those projects are continuing. This is now trying to really deal with the problem that we’ve got, that this highway is now getting or starting to get beyond its capacity, because we’ve seen so many new developments along that area.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But you see what I’m saying? And I’m sorry, I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you’re saying that you’re still yet to identify the areas that you need to prioritise.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, we’ve just said that priority is on that Melton to Caroline Springs area. It’s a very long highway. So that is the area that the billion dollars is being concentrated on. There’s a couple of other projects that are part of the announcement today as well. But the billion dollars really is focused on trying to look at that section and then work with the Victorian Government to actually look at where we can widen, look at where there are safety measures. Those things can happen pretty quickly. Some of the bigger things which are required, which are going to be overpasses, new diamond interchanges, they are going to take a little bit longer because they are bigger to build. But this is really the money being committed. We’ll work with the Victorian Government on the project- the program of works to actually progress this.

    JUSTIN SMITH: How long have you had this money?

    CATHERINE KING: Certainly, this has been part of our upcoming budget cycle. But because we are now making it as a decision of government, this is part of the budget- the upcoming budget process. So we’ve been working on this for a while now because the business case has been underway.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Is it because things look so bad for you in the west at the moment?

    CATHERINE KING: Not at all. Not at all. And so this is what I’ve been at pains to do, is to make sure we are making decisions about our infrastructure investments based on business cases, based on proper planning, and based on where we know the strong need is across the community. There’s a lot of need in terms of our road infrastructure, our rail infrastructure, and what I’ve been at pains to do, as minister, is to really work closely with the Victorian Government to ensure we’re investing where it is needed.

    Now, to be honest, in terms of the Western Highway, I think the growth that we have seen, particularly along that Rockbank area, has sort of outpaced the capacity of the road. Everybody who travels along that is feeling that particularly, you know, between 6:00AM and 9:30 each morning and then coming home. So this is really us stepping in and stepping up with the Victorian Government to really make sure we actually try and resolve this issue.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But again, that is not new. I read out a social media post from somebody from three years ago and they said, you know, when is it going to take the government to do something about this? And they said, is it when Labor starts to lose those safe western suburb seats? Is that when- now, that was- that was from three years ago. So the things that you’re talking about these are not- you would concede, these are not new problems.

    CATHERINE KING: Well again, that’s why we put the investment in to do the business case. And that’s why we’re doing now the investment to put money in to construct new projects along the highway. I’ve lived in this area for- you know, I’ve lived in the east and I’ve lived in the west, and I represent the seat of Ballarat. I drive on the highway two to three times a week, and I am well aware of the problems that are on that highway. I’ve been driving the highway long enough. When we didn’t have Anthony’s Cutting, when we didn’t have the Deer Park Bypass. They are all significant investments Labor governments have made in the Western Highway.

    This is now again a Labor government stepping up, saying, we know we need to resolve the issues that we’re seeing along this part of the corridor and stepping into that space with this $1.1 billion announcement today.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Look, I know that you know the road very well. At Thornhill Park, just east of Melbourne. There are people who …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] Yes. Huge development. Yeah.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah, and people can’t turn right to go onto the freeway. They’ve got to go and do the U-turn, you understand …

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Yeah.

    JUSTIN SMITH: … and everyone who does that understands exactly what I’m talking about. Is that going to get fixed as part of this?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, certainly that would be our plan is to try and work out how do you get, particularly, as I say, where you’ve had these massive new housing developments and the road is no longer able to meet its capacity, how do you get people on and off the highway more quickly? People will know- you know, the big bank up of people trying to get home from work to Melton. That happens every afternoon as well. How do you actually look at- you know, what do you need to do there as well? So really this is part of putting that investment in where you’re going to need overpasses, where you’re going to need road widening. All of that is part of the billion dollars. The Victorian Government, they’ll be there with us today at the announcement. They’ve got some work to do through their budget process also. But we’re very committed to trying to make sure we try and resolve the issues that this- this has been a long standing issue. We’re stepping in with the money to try and resolve it.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Minister, respectfully, going back to the question, will people not have to do that u-turn to head into the city from Thornhill Park again?

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Again, I’ll work on the …

    JUSTIN SMITH: … is that going to get fixed?

    CATHERINE KING: Again, I’ll work on the specifics with the Victorian Government. I don’t know, and I’m not an engineer. I don’t know what the best solution to that is, but that has been part of the business case planning …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] Well …

    CATHERINE KING: … is to look at all of that. So that has been part of the business case to look at, you know, what do you need to do in each of the different sections. And that again will be part of the work we do with the Victorian Government going forward.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But if we don’t know- you concede that Thornhill Park has been a massive development …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] It’s not the only one. There’s a lot along that …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] No, no, no. But …

    CATHERINE KING: … a lot along that highway. And again, that’s- you know, that’s what we’re trying to resolve is how do you get people on and off quickly. But in terms of whether there’s an overpass, whether it’s an extra turning lane, whether there’s some other treatment, that I’ll leave to the experts, and that has been part of the business case planning. We’ve got a fair idea about what we need to do. Each of those projects will …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] It doesn’t sound-

    CATHERINE KING: … come on stream. But what we are doing today is putting the money on the table to make sure that the Victorian Government can actually do that work.

    JUSTIN SMITH: So it sounds like it hasn’t been set in stone yet, what’s going to get done.

    CATHERINE KING: There’s a fairly clear idea about what each of those projects will be, but that will be work we’ll need to do with the Victorian Government, who of course deliver these projects. We invest in them, and the Victorian Government will need to deliver these projects.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Maybe not so clear for Thornhill Park. But thank you, Minister. Thank you for your time.

    CATHERINE KING: Yup. Good to be with you. Thank you.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and also the MP for Ballarat.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press Conference – Melton

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    SAM RAE [FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HAWKE]: …We’re here in the seat of Hawk. I am Sam Rae, the Federal member for Hawke. I’m very happy to be here today. I’m joined by two wonderful ministers, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Minister Catherine King and the state minister, Minister Gabrielle Williams. And as you can see, I have a whole host of colleagues from both local government, state government and federal Labor with us here as well. And I’m going to run through – I’m going to look over my shoulder while I do it so I don’t miss anybody. We’ve got the Member for Melton, Steve McGhie here. We have Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi. We have Dr Phillip Zader from LeadWest. We have Brendan O’Connor, the Member for Gorton, a long standing member for Gorton. We have Alice Jordan-Baird, our fantastic new candidate for Gorton. And as I said, the two ministers who are here with us today, we’ve got a very exciting announcement about the Western Freeway. We stood here on the Western Freeway just before the last election. I stood here with Minister King, and we announced that the Labor government, state and federal, would work together to get a business case done to upgrade the Western freeway. And today is a very exciting announcement, building upon that, the delivery of that business case just before Christmas. So hand over to Minister King, great. Thanks so much.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Thanks so much, Sam. And it’s terrific to be here with state and local government colleagues, because really, this is a partnership about how we actually get good infrastructure in place for our growing suburbs, and this is a terrific announcement today that we’re making alongside the Victorian Government. This is one of the busiest highways in the state. It is an incredibly important freight route. I live down the other end, down Ballarat end, and used to represent the people of Stawell. Sam and Alice and Brendan and Steve all live around this part of the world, and they know we’ve seen significant growth. There are thousands of people traveling on this road every single day, and the road hasn’t quite kept up with the amount of housing development that we’ve seen in this area. So today, we’re announcing $1.1 billion from the federal government, a decision of government to invest in the Western Highway, in particular, the billion dollars will go towards the Melton and Caroline Springs area, where we know there has been significant growth and there needs to be upgrades in order to keep up with the amount of housing than the amount of people using this road, that work has been underway. As Sam said, the business case has been completed. We needed to make sure we had a good understanding of what are the things that you can do to improve this corridor. $100 million is to go down to the other end of the highway, down to Brewery Tap Road, and there’s also work to be done on additional bridges. This brings the Commonwealth’s total investment in the Western Freeway, Western Highway, to just over $2 billion. We know how important this road is from a freight and logistics point of view, but we also know how important it is to be able to get people to work. I think all of us here use this road on a regular basis. We know what happens from 6am to 9:30am in the morning and when people are trying to get home, that tail back, getting back into Melton in particular, but the Rock Bank area, this is a significant and serious investment from the Albanese Labor Government to make sure we improve these corridors. I do want to particularly welcome both LeadWest and the Melton Council here today, who have been advocating alongside our state and federal members, Sam, Brendan and Steve as well, to advocate for this road project. And I’ll hand over to Gab for a minute, and then I think the mayor will say a few words, and then we’ll take some questions. Thanks, Gab.

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS [STATE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE]: Thank you. Thanks, minister, and thank you for being here to make what is a wonderful announcement. And can I say how great it is for us as the Allan Labor government to have a partner in Canberra that has been something that has been missing in Victoria for the best part of 10 years. Victorians have been short changed to the tune of billions by successive Liberal National Coalition Governments, and finally, with the Albanese Government, we have a partner, a partner willing to work with us, willing to invest with us on the projects that matter most to Victorians. So, the $1.1 billion announced today is a very welcome investment in one of Melbourne’s fastest growing areas. People love living in the west, that’s the reality, and the population growth shows that. But as Minister King has outlined, we need to make sure that the surrounding infrastructure also keeps pace with that growth, and that we’re investing where it’s most needed, in our community, and out here in the west is a perfect example of that. Minister King also outlined that this has been a partnership with the state government for some time in doing that essential planning work to make sure that we understand where the priorities and the needs are along what is a very long stretch of road in the Western Highway all the way to Adelaide, and making sure that we can deliver the greatest value where it’s needed most. That work has allowed us now, with a funding commitment from the Commonwealth, to then fine tune and determine exactly what that will look like. Now that we’ve got the dollars attached, we can go back to that business case and look at the options that have been put forward in that and start to select our solutions and get moving, most importantly, on the project to deliver the congestion busting solutions that we know this project will deliver, making life easier for people in Melbourne’s west making that commute much easier, and basically catering to the growth that we know is taking place out here in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Can I also thank the many representatives we have here across local and state and federal governments, as well as LeadWest, we have an incredible team of advocates here in Melbourne’s west, those who live in their suburbs, they know their suburbs, and they know and understand the needs. And again, can I say a big thank you to the federal government for partnering with us, for being a part of the solution to being able to meet the growth in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, and for finally giving Victoria its fair share of infrastructure funding. Steve 

    STEVE ABBOUSHI [MAYOR OF MELTON]: Council is very thankful for the recent announcement for the $1.1 billion upgrade. We – it’s been – formed part of our main advocacy priorities for more than nine to 10 years. And finally, we’re seeing, you know, a western upgrade highway going to mean so much for our community. I’d like to thank the state and federal government for partnering with council. We would – we just had a meeting with residents last week around providing a voice for our community on their concerns to the Western Highway. Last year, we had the business case, and now we’ve got an announcement. So, this is what it means to partner, and this is what happens when you partner. It means that our community will see delivery, we’ll see safety. And we’re very, very thankful for this announcement, and we look forward to hearing more about what it means for our community. Thanks very much. 

    JOURNALIST: I’ve got some questions for Minister Catherine King, please. Can you provide us with a breakdown of the $1.1 billion? 

    CATHERINE KING: …So $1 billion is going on the Melton Caroline Springs area. And Minister Williams might talk a little bit more about the business case. There’s been a number of options put forward as part of the business case, and we’ll now go back and fine tune those, to select the projects, but to do a little bit of work to get there, but we’re not far off. And then there’s $100 million for Brewery Tap Road just as you head into Ballarat. And then there’s also $6.1 million to fix two bridges, one around Dadswell Creek and Dimboola is the other one. Those projects have been in planning for a while. They’re not they’re ready to go. They’ll start this year. And then, obviously, there is also money that is already in the Western Highway corridor. And so there’s a number of projects that will continue. There’s one down at Pykes Creek, and there’s further ones further down along Stawell. And those projects will continue as well. 

    JOURNALIST: And what will it actually improve? Is it like a few barriers or?

    CATHERINE KING: So, there’s a range of things. So obviously there’s some safety work that can be done fairly quickly. So that’s, you know, widening shoulders, looking at the road resurfacing where that needs to happen. But when you’re looking at things like as part of the project, when you’re looking at like, you know, more interchanges, they are a bit more complex and take a bit more time to do. But I might ask Minister Williams to talk about more of the data, sure.

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: and look in part, it’s a bit of a process question. So what we do when we partner with the Commonwealth to do the planning for this project is look at where, if you like, the biggest choking points were across the Western Highway, where population growth was, meaning that there was particularly acute points of congestion, and then therefore working out where the priorities were. What engineers tend to do is never come to the table with just one option, but come to the table with multiple different options for each priority site. What we can now do, though, that we have a financial commitment money on the table, is go back and start working through the options that we’ve been provided and ensuring that we’re choosing the best possible ones within our funding envelope, and making sure that we’ve got those priorities right now. So this cash injection of $1.1 billion and now allows us to get going and get shovels in the ground and make sure we’re choosing from those options, the best possible ones to meet the priorities that have been identified through that through that process. So Minister King has outlined where some of those, some of the other funding will go, in terms of Dimboola and Dadswell Bridge, and we will now be hard at work in partnership with the Commonwealth Government to go back to that, that planning that business case and then working out from the options that we’ve been provided, which ones will deliver the best outcomes for our communities out here in Melbourne’s west. 

    JOURNALIST: Sure, about the Brewery Tap Road. 

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: Yep, there’s some upgrades going there. 

    JOURNALIST: Can you go into more detail? 

    GABRIELLE WILLIAMS: I’ll tell you what I reckon Minister King is the expert on Brewery Tap Road.

    CATHERINE KING: So when, when, when the Western highway, it’s years ago now. So I’ve been driving this road for a long, long time. So there was always meant to be some treatment down at that Warrenheip section. And we know now that what’s happened there, you’ve got a service station. You’ve got a very old hotel on one side that’s now been closed but still utilised at certain times. You’ve got a school up in Warrenheip as well. You’ve got an industrial precinct. And what’s happening is, increasingly, we’ve got truck traffic using that intersection, crossing over the highway, and it’s really become quite a significant safety concern. We’ll have to work with the Victorian Government about this. Again, engineers have come up with a range of solutions for the particular site, but what we’re committing to as part of the $1.1 billion is $100 million to do both the planning, the early services work, and to really start to get moving, to try and deal with that intersection, which, again, has been, you know, really, one of the projects along the highway that has been needed for quite some time, but hasn’t had, but hasn’t had the funding to actually deliver an upgrade there. And that’s what we’re doing today. 

    JOURNALIST: just on the federal election coming up. Is this an attempt to sort of show up support for the government? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, can I just remind people what’s happened here is that three years ago, both Labor federally and at the state, we weren’t in government, then came together and said, we know we’ve got a problem here. This isn’t a problem the previous LNP government had identified at all. They completely neglected the west, and in fact, neglected Victoria. When we came, and I’ll just remind people, when we came to office,  I think the investment from the federal government in Victoria was around about $17 billion. This announcement today brings it up to $24 billion. We’ve done that in a term of government. And so what we had three years ago was no one other than the Victorian Government, saying we got some problems here. Can you come and partner with us? So what we’ve done is do the business case, which we want to make sure we understand. How do you fix these problems? These are not new, but they are complex problems when you’ve got a highway of this nature that now is reaching capacity. And so we’ve started this work three years ago. This today, we’re making an announcement as a decision of government. We’re not in an election campaign yet that we are putting $1.1 billion now in to actually get this work progress. That’s what this is about, and a billion dollars will go a long way to addressing many of the problems along the highway that we’ve been working together on for some time now. 

    JOURNALIST: And just one more question for me, how concerned is the government about losing Labor votes in the Melbourne south and west? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, can I just say that every seat matters. Every seat, whether it’s west, whether it’s in the east, whether it’s in Victoria or right the way across the country. We are very determined that the work that we have done as a country together to get the economy back on track, to make sure that we’re actually getting inflation down. We’re keeping people employed. We’re actually investing in the future. Every single seat matters. Every seat matters. The west matters. The east matters. But I know we have got the best member in Sam Rae. We’ve got the best candidate in Alice. She’s going to make an amazing member for Gorton, following, of course, in the footsteps of the fabulous – my fabulous friend and colleague, Brendan O’Connor, who I will miss dearly, but know is going to go on to wonderful things. We have got terrific advocates here in this community. And the only reason, the only reason this announcement is being made today is because the people behind me care about their communities. They care about the west, and we care about it, too.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ABC Radio Melbourne, Breakfast with Justin Smith

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    JUSTIN SMITH [HOST]: Well, we’ve been hearing your assessments of the current state of the Western Freeway. Is it now about to- and this is obviously not new news. Is it now about to finally get fixed with the Albanese Government today announcing that they’re going to inject $1.1 billion into upgrading the Western Freeway? Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and also MP for Ballarat, is on the phone. Minister, thank you very much for your time.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER, MEMBER FOR BALLARAT]: Really good to be with you, Justin.

    JUSTIN SMITH: A billion dollars for the Western Freeway. You must be really worried about the west.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, this has been a project in the making for some time. We committed with the Victorian state government a few years ago now to do a major study into the Western Highway. Anyone who drives along that road regularly, as I do, knows there’s been significant housing development occur, particularly along Rockbank, Caroline Springs, Melton has been expanding, so that business case has been underway. $20 million has gone to that. And so this is really our now commitment to move the project along beyond the business case, to start to do the work, to try and fix really that area between Melton and Caroline Springs where that significant congestion is occurring.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Is it just- reading through what is being announced today, though? Does it really move it beyond the business case, though? I mean, because the federal government, then you still need to deal with the state government and figure out exactly what you’re going to fix, though, don’t you? So does it really move it beyond the business case?

    CATHERINE KING: Yes, it does. So I mean, what the business case is about is actually trying to work out what do you do to try and actually deal with the congestion there. So we’ve got a fair idea about where widening needs to occur, where there’s overpasses that will need to occur as well. So that business case work has now been done. And really what this is now is a commitment from the federal government to say we are now partnering with the Victorian Government to actually start to deliver projects along this highway. There’s already a billion dollars on projects along the highway, but mostly they are in, you know, the Stawell area. And so those projects are continuing. This is now trying to really deal with the problem that we’ve got, that this highway is now getting or starting to get beyond its capacity, because we’ve seen so many new developments along that area.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But you see what I’m saying? And I’m sorry, I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you’re saying that you’re still yet to identify the areas that you need to prioritise.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, we’ve just said that priority is on that Melton to Caroline Springs area. It’s a very long highway. So that is the area that the billion dollars is being concentrated on. There’s a couple of other projects that are part of the announcement today as well. But the billion dollars really is focused on trying to look at that section and then work with the Victorian Government to actually look at where we can widen, look at where there are safety measures. Those things can happen pretty quickly. Some of the bigger things which are required, which are going to be overpasses, new diamond interchanges, they are going to take a little bit longer because they are bigger to build. But this is really the money being committed. We’ll work with the Victorian Government on the project- the program of works to actually progress this.

    JUSTIN SMITH: How long have you had this money?

    CATHERINE KING: Certainly, this has been part of our upcoming budget cycle. But because we are now making it as a decision of government, this is part of the budget- the upcoming budget process. So we’ve been working on this for a while now because the business case has been underway.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Is it because things look so bad for you in the west at the moment?

    CATHERINE KING: Not at all. Not at all. And so this is what I’ve been at pains to do, is to make sure we are making decisions about our infrastructure investments based on business cases, based on proper planning, and based on where we know the strong need is across the community. There’s a lot of need in terms of our road infrastructure, our rail infrastructure, and what I’ve been at pains to do, as minister, is to really work closely with the Victorian Government to ensure we’re investing where it is needed.

    Now, to be honest, in terms of the Western Highway, I think the growth that we have seen, particularly along that Rockbank area, has sort of outpaced the capacity of the road. Everybody who travels along that is feeling that particularly, you know, between 6:00AM and 9:30 each morning and then coming home. So this is really us stepping in and stepping up with the Victorian Government to really make sure we actually try and resolve this issue.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But again, that is not new. I read out a social media post from somebody from three years ago and they said, you know, when is it going to take the government to do something about this? And they said, is it when Labor starts to lose those safe western suburb seats? Is that when- now, that was- that was from three years ago. So the things that you’re talking about these are not- you would concede, these are not new problems.

    CATHERINE KING: Well again, that’s why we put the investment in to do the business case. And that’s why we’re doing now the investment to put money in to construct new projects along the highway. I’ve lived in this area for- you know, I’ve lived in the east and I’ve lived in the west, and I represent the seat of Ballarat. I drive on the highway two to three times a week, and I am well aware of the problems that are on that highway. I’ve been driving the highway long enough. When we didn’t have Anthony’s Cutting, when we didn’t have the Deer Park Bypass. They are all significant investments Labor governments have made in the Western Highway.

    This is now again a Labor government stepping up, saying, we know we need to resolve the issues that we’re seeing along this part of the corridor and stepping into that space with this $1.1 billion announcement today.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Look, I know that you know the road very well. At Thornhill Park, just east of Melbourne. There are people who …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] Yes. Huge development. Yeah.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah, and people can’t turn right to go onto the freeway. They’ve got to go and do the U-turn, you understand …

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Yeah.

    JUSTIN SMITH: … and everyone who does that understands exactly what I’m talking about. Is that going to get fixed as part of this?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, certainly that would be our plan is to try and work out how do you get, particularly, as I say, where you’ve had these massive new housing developments and the road is no longer able to meet its capacity, how do you get people on and off the highway more quickly? People will know- you know, the big bank up of people trying to get home from work to Melton. That happens every afternoon as well. How do you actually look at- you know, what do you need to do there as well? So really this is part of putting that investment in where you’re going to need overpasses, where you’re going to need road widening. All of that is part of the billion dollars. The Victorian Government, they’ll be there with us today at the announcement. They’ve got some work to do through their budget process also. But we’re very committed to trying to make sure we try and resolve the issues that this- this has been a long standing issue. We’re stepping in with the money to try and resolve it.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Minister, respectfully, going back to the question, will people not have to do that u-turn to head into the city from Thornhill Park again?

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Again, I’ll work on the …

    JUSTIN SMITH: … is that going to get fixed?

    CATHERINE KING: Again, I’ll work on the specifics with the Victorian Government. I don’t know, and I’m not an engineer. I don’t know what the best solution to that is, but that has been part of the business case planning …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] Well …

    CATHERINE KING: … is to look at all of that. So that has been part of the business case to look at, you know, what do you need to do in each of the different sections. And that again will be part of the work we do with the Victorian Government going forward.

    JUSTIN SMITH: But if we don’t know- you concede that Thornhill Park has been a massive development …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] It’s not the only one. There’s a lot along that …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] No, no, no. But …

    CATHERINE KING: … a lot along that highway. And again, that’s- you know, that’s what we’re trying to resolve is how do you get people on and off quickly. But in terms of whether there’s an overpass, whether it’s an extra turning lane, whether there’s some other treatment, that I’ll leave to the experts, and that has been part of the business case planning. We’ve got a fair idea about what we need to do. Each of those projects will …

    JUSTIN SMITH: [Talks over] It doesn’t sound-

    CATHERINE KING: … come on stream. But what we are doing today is putting the money on the table to make sure that the Victorian Government can actually do that work.

    JUSTIN SMITH: So it sounds like it hasn’t been set in stone yet, what’s going to get done.

    CATHERINE KING: There’s a fairly clear idea about what each of those projects will be, but that will be work we’ll need to do with the Victorian Government, who of course deliver these projects. We invest in them, and the Victorian Government will need to deliver these projects.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Maybe not so clear for Thornhill Park. But thank you, Minister. Thank you for your time.

    CATHERINE KING: Yup. Good to be with you. Thank you.

    JUSTIN SMITH: Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and also the MP for Ballarat.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Boost for health services on the South Coast

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Boost for health services on the South Coast

    Published: 6 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Regional Health

    The Minns Labor Government has today announced Nowra will benefit from a $21 million investment in health worker housing, as the site of the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment reached a major milestone.

    These investments will provide a significant boost to healthcare on the South Coast of NSW, a rapidly growing region which deserves the best access to world class healthcare.

    $21 million Key Health Worker Investment

    Nowra will receive new key health worker accommodation which will support staff and the community across the broader Shoalhaven region.

    The Minns Labor Government will invest $21 million as part of the broader $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation program.

    Now funding has been allocated, planning for the health worker accommodation works is underway.

    This planning will determine the best delivery model for Nowra and how many healthcare workers will be accommodated. This will include consultation with health workers and other local stakeholders.

    $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment

    The $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment has reached its highest point, with a topping out of the new seven-storey acute services building.

    As part of the traditional ceremony, a tree was lifted onto the roof, with messages tied to its branches from staff, construction workers, and project team members, sharing their excitement and well wishes for the future redeveloped hospital.

    The new acute services building is a key feature of the redevelopment and will enable the delivery of contemporary health services and facilities for the local community. The Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment will become a health hub for the region, providing the majority of emergency, critical care, acute, sub-acute and non-admitted health services locally, reducing the need to transfer patients to Wollongong and Sydney.

    The new acute services building will deliver a range of new and expanded health services including:

    • a new emergency department and emergency short-stay unit
    • new intensive care unit
    • medical wards
    • dedicated acute mental health unit
    • double the number of operating theatres, endoscopy and procedure rooms
    • a dedicated cardiology inpatient unit, coronary care unit and cardiac catheterisation laboratory
    • a new rooftop helipad.

    Consultation with staff, patients and the community has been a key part of planning and design for the redevelopment, ensuring the new hospital meets the unique health needs of the Shoalhaven region.

    The new hospital building is on track for completion in 2026.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

    “Today’s topping out ceremony marks a major achievement for the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment project.

    “The redevelopment will transform healthcare delivery for local residents, and ensure they continue to have access to quality care closer to home without needing to travel to Wollongong or Sydney.

    “Our government is committed to investing in modern, sustainable accommodation options for key health workers who are the backbone of our regional, rural and remote communities.

    “Strengthening our regional health workforce is a key priority for our government and this $21 million investment in accommodation will support attraction of key healthcare workers to Nowra.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for the South Coast, Liza Butler:

    “Funding for Key Health Worker Accommodation in Nowra will enhance the Local Health District’s ability to attract and retain essential healthcare professionals to Shoalhaven Hospital.

    “As work continues on the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment this will be particularly important, with the project set to transform healthcare services across the region, delivering modern health facilities and expanded health services for communities across the South Coast.

    “Not only is this redevelopment great for healthcare in the region, but it has also been great for local jobs and I am really proud that more than 70 per cent of the construction workforce is based locally.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Advisory: Schedules for China’s ‘two sessions’ on March 6

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The following are the schedules for the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Thursday.
    In the morning, NPC deputies will deliberate the government work report in groups.
    In the afternoon, they will examine reports and drafts on budgets and economic and social development plans.
    In the morning, CPPCC National Committee members will discuss the government work report and deliberate the work report of their standing committee in groups.
    In the afternoon, they will continue to discuss the government work report and deliberate the work report of their standing committee, and discuss reports on budgets and economic and social development plans, as well as a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People’s Congress and to the Local People’s Congresses at Various Levels. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lawmakers Raise Questions about Proposed Trump Administration Selloff of Federal Properties in Oregon

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    March 05, 2025

    Oregon senators and representatives ask why the rush to dispose of federal properties in Baker City, Eugene, Medford, Portland & Troutdale

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter today asked why the Trump administration proposed earlier this week to dispose of federal properties paid for by taxpayers in Baker City, Eugene, Medford, Portland and Troutdale.

    “Given Donald Trump’s checkered legacy in the private sector of multiple bankruptcies and real estate deals gone awry, forgive me if I’m more than a little skeptical when that dubious record gets applied to the public sector,” Wyden said. “I’m nowhere near convinced this fire sale of federal assets throughout Oregon is in the best interest of U.S. taxpayers who paid for these facilities or for all Oregonians who depend on them for a reliable power grid, a functional court system, constituent services and more.”

    “For a man who spent his whole life treating everything as one big real estate transaction, it’s no surprise Trump doesn’t grasp that federal buildings in our communities provide a central place for folks to access government agencies and the everyday essential services they provide, like keeping our electric grid functioning and providing help with the IRS and Social Security,” said Merkley. “The Department of Government Inefficiency has struck again, and I’ll be pushing to keep this short-sighted deal for Oregonians from closing.”

    “There are many ways to make the government more efficient, but a rushed sale of federal buildings that house agencies and services important to Oregonians will not accomplish that goal,” said Bonamici. “ I will continue to stand against Elon Musk and his team of DOGE bros as they work to undermine government and purge critical federal workers.”

    “It does not make any sense to demand all federal workers to return to in-person work and then turn around and push the sale of the buildings they work in,” said Hoyle. “This is random and reflects the ongoing chaos of this administration.” 

    “From help with filing Social Security claims to accessing veterans’ benefits, federal buildings house a number of important services for Oregonians,” said Salinas. “It is troubling that the Trump Administration would move to sell federal facilities across Oregon without offering a clear reason to the taxpayers who pay for these spaces. To me, it seems like President Trump and Elon Musk are trying to take away critical services from working families. I’m not buying what they’re selling, and I join my colleagues in demanding answers.”

    “This doesn’t do anything to help Oregonians,” said Bynum. “I’m still waiting for this administration to spend their time on lowering costs, creating jobs, and improving our quality of life. That’s my focus.”

    “DOGE wants to sell off the building, our district office, that everyone from Hood River to East Portland depends on for constituent services to the highest bidder,” Dexter said. “This is more of the same from Trump: cruelty in the name of ‘efficiency.’ I will work from a folding table if I have to, but you better believe that I’m going to keep serving our community even if Trump cancels our lease.”

    The list of federal properties in Oregon on the national list of federal properties slated for disposal earlier this week by the General Services Administration include the following:

    • David J. Wheeler Federal Building, Baker City
    • Eugene Federal Building, Eugene
    • James A. Redden U.S. Courthouse, Medford
    • USGS Building, Medford
    • USGS Warehouse, Medford
    • Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland
    • 911 Federal Building, Portland
    • BPA Building, Portland
    • Troutdale Metal Shed, Troutdale
    • Troutdale Warehouse, Troutdale

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Reaffirm Congress’ Authority to Maintain Trade Restrictions on Russia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    March 05, 2025

    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today led Senate colleagues, including Senator Jeff Merkley, in a letter to Donald Trump reaffirming Congress’ authority to maintain trade restrictions on the Russian Federation while it continues its war of aggression against Ukraine. 

    “Vladimir Putin is a ruthless dictator who has led the Russian Federation into a war of aggression against Ukraine with the explicit goal of denying Ukraine and its people their collective rights to independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” wrote the senators after Trump sandbagged talks between the United States and Ukraine last Friday and claimed Ukraine “should have never started [the war].”“Our country, in coordination with our allies and partners and with bipartisan support has imposed sweeping financial sanctions, stringent export controls, and aggressive trade restrictions on the Russian Federation.”

    In 2022, Congress passed the Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act which revoked Russia’s permanent normal trade relations status to ensure Russian goods and services do not enjoy privileged, “most-favored nation” access to the U.S. market. Congress also passed the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act which banned the importation of all energy products from the Russian Federation.

    According to these laws, the Russian Federation must reach an agreement relating to the withdrawal of its forces and cessation of military hostilities that is accepted by the free and independent government of Ukraine, recognize the right of the people of Ukraine to independently and freely choose their own government, and pose no immediate military threat of aggression to any NATO member before the president can restore normal trade relations.

    “In light of your worrisome statements, we wish to remind you that you must not—and cannot, under statute—attempt to restore normal trade relations or lift the import ban on Russian energy products unless and until Ukraine’s peace demands are met and their free and independent government has accepted a peace agreement,” continued the senators. “Ukraine must be at the table to determine its future, and conditions for peace cannot be imposed on Ukraine.”

    The letter was led by Wyden and Cortez Masto. In addition to Wyden, Cortez Masto and Merkley the letter was signed by Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.

    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces Bipartisan Risky Research Review Act to Oversee Gain-of-Function Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    March 5, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reintroduced the bipartisan Risky Research Review Act, a first-of-its-kind proposal to establish a Life Sciences Research Security Board within the Executive Branch. This independent board will oversee the funding of gain-of-function research and other high-risk life sciences research that potentially poses a threat to public health, safety, or national security.

    “We must demand accountability for the grave oversights that were revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety of our nation and the trust in its institutions depend on it. My bill not only strengthens transparency but also ensures that public health decisions are made in the best interest of the American people, free from financial motives and prioritizing national security,” said Dr. Paul. 

    U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate. 

    “Life science research can yield breakthroughs that help protect the health of Americans, but it must be done with proper safeguards in place,” said Sen. Peters. “By creating an independent oversight agency, this bill will help maintain control of high-risk research, to ensure it’s effective, innovative, and safe.”

    U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “Gain-of-function research is reported to be a potential target of a future President Trump Executive Order. As someone who has extensively investigated COVID-19 origins and biosafety concerns in foreign labs, it is clear to me that greater oversight measures are needed to review gain-of-function research of concern and risky experiments that involve virus transmission in humans. The National Institutes of Health has proven they are not capable of properly reviewing risky research applications, as in the case of EcoHealth Alliance. I believe the Risky Research Review Act establishes crucial oversight measures to alleviate the legitimate and significant concerns of the American people, thus reestablishing trust in our public health agencies,” said Rep. Griffith.  

    The Life Sciences Research Security Board will serve as an independent body responsible for thoroughly evaluating gain-of-function research and other potentially harmful studies involving high-consequence pathogens. Currently, the funding and study of life sciences research lack sufficient government oversight, allowing American taxpayer dollars to be spent without proper safeguards. Dr. Paul’s legislation establishes a much-needed stringent review process for the board to assess high-risk research and decide whether tax dollars should support specific research proposals, ensuring accountability and strengthening transparency.

    The Risky Research Review Act will:

    1. Establish an Independent Oversight Board: Form a Life Sciences Research Security Board dedicated to protecting public health, safety, and national security by evaluating and issuing binding determinations on high-risk life sciences research proposals seeking federal funding.
    2. Define High-Risk Research: Specify high-risk life sciences research as studies with potential dangerous uses, or dual-use research of concern involving a high-consequence pathogen, or gain-of-function research.
    3. Ensure Board Independence: Position the board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch, consisting of one executive director, five non-governmental scientists, two national security experts, and one non-governmental biosafety expert, each serving up to two four-year terms.
    4. Restrict Funding Without Approval: Prohibit federal agencies from awarding funding for high-risk life sciences research without board approval.
    5. Mandate Majority Vote: Require a majority vote of board members to approve high-risk life sciences research.
    6. Empower the Board: Authorize the board to compel agencies to turn over necessary information and records, including classified information.
    7. Demand Full Disclosure: Require life sciences research grant applicants to declare if their research falls under high-risk life sciences categories or involves select agents or toxins.
    8. Automatic Referral: Mandate that all positive attestations are automatically referred to the board.
    9. Continuous Subcontract Disclosure: Require grant recipients to continuously disclose subcontracts or subawards to agencies, with agencies required to submit these disclosures to the board.
    10. Annual Reporting: The board will submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees and publish it online, summarizing determinations, findings, and information about entities and sub-awardees involved in high-risk life sciences research.

    You can read the Risky Research Review Act HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Paul Reintroduces Transparency Bill on Royalties Paid to Government Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    March 5, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reintroduced his Royalty Transparency Act. This legislation increases transparency on royalty payments paid to Executive Branch officials and makes the financial disclosure forms public for federal advisory committee members such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under current law, federal employees are not required to publicly disclose the source or amount of royalty payments received in service of their official duties. Additionally, the financial disclosures of members of federal advisory committees are not available to the public, despite the fact that these committees make recommendations to federal agencies that have a significant impact on the day-to-day lives of Americans. This lack of transparency prevents taxpayers from holding individuals accountable within the federal government for conflicts of interest and other abuses.

    Dr. Paul’s legislation introduces long-overdue accountability by requiring Executive Branch employees to publicly disclose royalty payments for inventions developed during their employment with the federal government on their financial disclosure reports.

    “Distrust in public health officials is at an all-time high. One way to restore trust is to make sure that public policy isn’t influenced by personal gain,” said Dr. Paul. “The Royalty Transparency Act will allow more information to be seen by the public to ensure federal decision makers, and the policies they write, aren’t being influenced by the royalty payments they receive.”

    U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate. 

    “I am proud to support the Royalty Transparency Act, ensuring federal employees’ transparency and accountability to the American people,” said Sen. Rick Scott. “Under current law, bureaucrats like Anthony Fauci and NIH employees were able to receive millions in royalty payments from companies outside the federal government without requirements for reporting, raising serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and fueling distrust in the federal government. Our bill will bring much-needed transparency to these payments by requiring they be publicly reported, helping to hold bureaucrats accountable to the American people and restoring trust in the federal government.” 

    U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “For too long, federal bureaucrats concealed the royalties they received, who they were paid by, what they were compensated for and how much they were paid,” said Rep. Griffith. “As the Trump Administration ushers in a new era of transparency in our federal government, the Royalty Transparency Act will foster greater government transparency and accountability by requiring government officials in federal agencies to disclose the royalties that they receive as a result of their government service. I am excited to work with Senator Paul so we can shine a light on these royalties and hold federal bureaucrats to a greater standard of accountability.”

    For years, Dr. Paul has been working to expose the potential conflicts of interest that may arise when millions of dollars in royalties are paid to federal employees serving their official duties. In 2022, Dr. Paul spearheaded a letter with four other members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requesting information on disclosures of royalty payments made by third-party providers to NIH employees. However, federal agencies, including NIH, have refused to release the information. Through litigation, Open the Books obtained redacted documents and uncovered that approximately 2,400 NIH scientists have been awarded over $300 million in royalties in the last decade, which translates to an average payment of $135,000 per scientist. Since NIH claims that it is not required to disclose this information, it’s still unknown how much each payment amounted to, or why a payment was made. Dr. Paul’s legislation aims to ensure that federal agencies, including NIH, cannot evade scrutiny from Congress and the public, holding federal employees to a higher standard of accountability.

    The Royalty Transparency Act mandates that royalty payments received by federal employees from the U.S. Government be disclosed in their financial reports. It also requires members of advisory committees, particularly those at risk of conflicts of interest due to royalties or other financial connections, to adhere to the same standards of financial disclosure as are prevalent across the government. Furthermore, the bill requires that public financial disclosures be made available online, increasing transparency for American taxpayers. The bill introduces greater congressional oversight over the financial disclosure process for executive branch employees and strengthens measures to prevent conflicts of interest in federal procurement.

    You can read the Royalty Transparency Act HERE.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shanxi’s millennium-old porcelain gets modern makeover

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A millennium-old porcelain craft in north China’s Shanxi Province has been pulled back from the brink of extinction and is now poised for a modern renaissance.

    The techniques for making Honglyucai (Red and Green Color) Porcelain of the Bayi kiln, one of China’s earliest producers of the distinctive porcelain, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. The kiln is located in Bayi township, Shangdang district, Changzhi city of Shanxi.

    Archaeological excavations reveal that during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) over 1,000 years ago, the kiln was the largest porcelain production hub in southeastern Shanxi. Porcelain from the kiln became the gold standard of Honglyucai porcelain in China.

    Today, visitors to Honglyucai village, 2 kilometers from the Bayi kiln, can explore a Honglyucai porcelain museum housing over 600 ancient porcelain treasures from the kiln and over 10,000 modern pieces of Honglyucai porcelain.

    Honglyucai porcelain features a signature white base and is adorned with vibrant red, green, and yellow designs depicting auspicious flowers, birds, and figures, according to Li Yamin, a municipal-level representative inheritor of the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain of the Bayi kiln.

    Li Yamin said more than 100 ancient kiln sites were unearthed in Shangdang district, which is nestled in the Taihang Mountains and characterized by rolling ridges and deep ravines, confirming that Bayi township was a thriving commercial hub as early as the Song Dynasty. The region boasts abundant high-quality kaolin, coal, and water resources essential for porcelain production.

    “Red is one of the most iconic colors in Chinese culture, yet achieving a vibrant red glaze on porcelain was a significant challenge. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty when the Bayi kiln pioneered the use of iron-red pigment that Honglyucai porcelain products were successfully produced,” Li Yamin noted.

    But the road to revival wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. The Honglyucai porcelain industry was in decline over the past decades due to high production costs and complex craftsmanship.

    Li Yamin’s father Li Jianping grew up hearing stories about Honglyucai porcelain. His grandfather was a kiln worker at the Bayi kiln, and from a young age, Li Jianping learned pottery and painting techniques. After high school, he worked as a farmer and miner, but always dreamed of reviving Bayi kiln porcelain.

    In 2012, as part of an industrial transformation initiative, the local government launched a cultural heritage project for the Bayi kiln. Seeing an opportunity, Li Jianping decided to reignite the kiln fires and restore Honglyucai porcelain production.

    To make a Honglyucai porcelain item, 72 procedures must be followed, including a twice-firing technique.

    The procedures are so complicated that the techniques were lost for decades. Many people told Li Jianping not to waste his time, but he couldn’t bear to see this ancient craft disappear.

    Li Jianping collaborated with Honglyucai village to establish a company and construct a cultural expo center, the Honglyucai porcelain museum, and a production base of Honglyucai porcelain. Meanwhile, he visited local elderly artisans and technical experts to rebuild lost knowledge.

    After years of trial and error, the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain were recovered by Li Jianping, who became a provincial-level representative inheritor of the craft.

    The father-son duo have adopted a strategy of integrating tradition with innovation to promote the development of Honglyucai porcelain. In recent years, they’ve inked partnerships with prestigious institutions like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts & Design under Tsinghua University to tackle everything from material research and color matching to painting skills and product design.

    After years of dedicated efforts, the issues of rough bodies and dull colors of Honglyucai porcelain items were overcome. As a result, these items have gained greater popularity in the market.

    “Thanks to our independently developed new materials that withstand temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius without warping, our everyday-use porcelain items are thinner, lighter and more lustrous than traditional ones and are easy to clean,” said Li Yamin.

    In recent years, local rural tourism has thrived thanks to measures including the establishment of organizations aiming at passing on the intangible cultural heritage. The Honglyucai porcelain museum receives over 10,000 tourist visits annually.

    So far, the company has developed over 300 kinds of Honglyucai porcelain products, which have caught the eye of porcelain enthusiasts both at home and abroad, Li Yamin said.

    MIL OSI China News –