1 in 6 Australians suffer from some degree of hearing loss, expected to increase to 1 in 4 by 2050. Hearing loss hurts people in education, employment and social situations, and costs Australia almost $12 billion a year.

A Parliamentary inquiry found in 2009 that hearing health was not a national priority. The Greens want to change that. That's why we're announcing our $368.2 million hearing health plan, to put it on the agenda this Hearing Awareness Week.

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia—Australian Greens Whip) (17:42): I present the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on palliative care in Australia, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee. 

Senator SIEWERT: I move: That the Senate take note of the report. 

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has welcomed reports that $6 million will be invested in WA's Kimberley region to tackle high suicide rates in Aboriginal communities.

"The increased rate of suicide, including clusters of suicides, has been a concern for an extended period of time in WA's north," Senator Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health said today.

"I am encouraged by this investment, and those announced by the WA Government, and I hope it is the beginning of a better approach to this problem around the country.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Government to reassess the latest version of the NT Intervention, Stronger Futures, with evaluations conducted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations showing key aspects of the policy are ineffective.

As it introduces new intervention measures in the Northern Territory, the Government is keen to talk about the effectiveness of existing policies in tackling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage.

Reports with glossy pages and matching colour schemes cannot hide the reality that the programs they discuss are costly, ineffective and are not based on sound evidence.

The Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee says they were shocked by the intolerable and unacceptable experiences of patients who received the DePuy hip and hip resurfacing system. 

The Committee has reported on the Inquiry into the Regulatory Standards for the Approval of Medical Devices.

"There are approximately 5500 Australians who have received the DePuy or ASR metal-on-metal hip replacement and their experiences were a major focus of the Inquiry," Committee chairperson, Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Senate has today supported an Australian Greens motion recognising the success of the Youth in Communities (YIC) program.

Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues said today that YIC has shown strong, positive outcomes for youth in central Australia.

“Courage Partners, in their report on YIC service provider survey findings has identified improved school attendance, reduced substance misuse and reduced involvement in the criminal justice system as a result of the program,” said Senator Siewert.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

The Australian Greens today welcomed the announcement of the National Health Leadership Forum and the Government’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.

“All states and territories should participate in the process to ensure effective delivery of national health outcomes,” Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health said today.