PALLIATIVE Care Australia is launching a scholarships program for the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference (OPCC) this September in Sydney. 

“We know that the cost of taking part will be a barrier to some people, and our hope is that these scholarships will enable important voices to be heard and experiences to be shared,” Palliative Care Australia (PCA) chief executive officer, Camilla Rowland said.

“OPCC also represents a critical learning and development opportunity for nurses, doctors, allied health, volunteers, and others. We want that to influence and grow the care people receive right across Australia and the wider Oceanic region.” 

With the support of the Department of Health and Aged Care and Cancer Australia, scholarships range in value between $560 and $5000 and can be used to cover the full cost of OPCC registration as well as travel and accommodation. 

Everyone is welcome to apply, but priority will be given to the following categories:  

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers  

• Palliative care consumers and carers  

• Palliative care volunteers  

• People with less than three years’ experience in palliative care who have not previously attended the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference  

• People working in palliative care in rural or remote areas of Australia  

• People working in palliative care from the Oceanic region  

“A diversity of representation is important in shaping palliative care now and in the future, and we need to create a framework that allows and encourages people of all backgrounds to get involved,” Ms Rowland said.

“I’d urge anyone interested in attending OPCC but thinking twice because of the costs, to apply for a scholarship.”

Applications will be open until Friday, July 16, and will be assessed by an independent panel based on the published application priorities.

More information is available HERE. 

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has today launched an Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers.

Chair of the Committee, Peta Murphy MP said, "This inquiry will examine the effectiveness of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 in acknowledging and raising awareness of the important role of unpaid carers in Australian society, and will consider if legislative reform is needed.

"The committee wants to hear from individual unpaid carers, carers’ representatives and advocacy organisations so it can make meaningful recommendations to government."

The committee is seeking written submissions, ideally of no more than 10 pages, on the inquiry terms of reference by Friday, August 11, 2023. The inquiry is not considering the adequacy of payments for carers.

People who want to tell their story, but have concerns about privacy, can ask for their submission to be published without name, or for the submission to be received confidentially and not published by the committee.

Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has recommended that the Australian Government ratifies the Treaty on Extradition between Australia and the Czech Republic (Canberra, February 17, 2022) (Extradition Treaty).

The Extradition Treaty creates a framework that simplifies the surrender of a person from one country to the other for criminal prosecution or to serve a criminal sentence.

JSCOT Chair Josh Wilson MP said, “On ratification, this will be Australia’s 40th bilateral extradition treaty and will allow Australia and the Czech Republic to better combat serious and transnational crime. It will help to ensure that those who commit these crimes are not able to escape across borders and instead face a court of law and prison.”

The Extradition Treaty strengthens the ability of Australia and the Czech Republic to cooperate on matters of extradition which will work to ensure that those responsible for crimes will be held accountable.

Mr Wilson said: “Through cooperation between Australia and the Czech Republic, this Treaty provides clarity and certainty to the extradition process.”

The Report can be found on the Committee website, along with further information on the inquiry.

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ON JUNE 13, the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing in support of its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2021–22.

The Subcommittee will hear evidence from an academic panel as well as the Department of Defence on the inquiry’s third focus item: Support to domestic crisis.

Chair of the Subcommittee, Julian Hill MP, said, "In recent years Defence has been used increasingly as part of national responses to domestic crises. Recent examples include support to the COVID-19 pandemic, and numerous floods and bushfire events.

“The Subcommittee will hear how this seemingly near persistent requirement is impacting the organisation from a preparation, training, and capability perspective, as well as reviewing current policy and approaches to resourcing.

“Leading experts and senior Defence representatives will publicly share their views on this important matter which will also provide useful context as respective authors consider the 2024 National Defence Strategy.”

Further information is available on the inquiry webpage.

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