It may be the time for your parents or grandparents to hop on social media as the NSW government encourages seniors to enhance their digital skills during Get Online Week.

Acting Minister for Seniors Geoff Lee said being skilled in an increasingly digital world is vital for our seniors to stay connected with their family and friends, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While our NSW seniors are better connected than ever, with more than 70 percent accessing the internet daily, we want all older people to have the chance to go digital,” Mr Lee said.

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“NSW Seniors Card statistics show more than half the state’s older residents use smartphones, tablets or laptops but need help to upskill in social media interaction with family and friends.”

Technology training programs will be held across NSW at participating libraries and community colleges through the NSW Government’s Tech Savvy Seniors program. 

Tech Savvy Seniors offers a range of courses including a basic introduction to using tablets, computers, smartphones, email or social media.

Partnering with Telstra, Principal for Strategy and Inclusion Michael Parks said Tech Savvy Seniors is part of Telstra’s commitment to helping all Australians enjoy the benefits of being connected and engaged with digital technology.

“Telstra’s Australian Digital Inclusion Index research found age is a significant influence on digital inclusion in New South Wales. Seniors, or those aged over 65, are the largest digitally excluded group. Tech Savvy Seniors is a way to help address that,” Mr Parks said.

“Being confident in digital technologies can help break down social barriers, save money, and open up new learning and engagement opportunities for Seniors in their golden years.”

Courses can be also be delivered in Auslan and offered in a range of languages including Arabic, Assyrian, Cantonese, Hindi, Greek, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Vietnamese.

“Even if seniors have little or no digital experience they can join fun and practical classes to develop the skills and confidence to benefit from technology,” Mr Lee said.

Australians will not be sent to an early federal election with Prime Minister Scott Morrison declaring he is a “full termer” who will go the distance to 2022.

Mr Morrison met with his colleagues in Canberra on Tuesday to say that in political cycles there was always “good times and bad times” and they must maintain their discipline, unity and focus.

“When things are going well (politically) that’s when there’s a risk of complacency, disunity of the work rate dropping up, so that’s bad for governance but more importantly it’s bad for the community, the people we’re (here) to serve,” he said.

“So we need to maintain our discipline and unity and our focus, that’s more important than ever.”

The latest a joint lower house and half senate federal election can be held in Australia is 21 May 2022, but a vote can be held up to 10 months before then.

“I’m a full termer,” he said.

“Elections are too hard to win, I cherish every day. We’ll do it for the time we said we would.”

Mr Morrison recalled being asked about the impact of coronavirus on the timing of the election.

“It was the furthest thing from my mind then and it still is,” he said.

The glooming recession and proposed long-term COVID-19 recovery plan were a few of the reasons some political commentators speculated the government may want to go to an early election.

However Mr Morrison’s comments appeared to contradict that theory, as he insisted to colleagues he would go the full distance.

Sourced By: The Daily Telegraph

Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, spoke to members of the Greek Australian community tonight in an inaugural Digital Conversation Series organised by The Hellenic Initiative (THI) Australia.

The Prime Minister, who was joined by Andrew Liveris AO, THI’s Global Chairman, focused on the role of the Greek diaspora in Greece during the discussion.

“The role of the Greek diaspora in Australia is crucial to Greece’s recovery… and we are always looking for allies to help us solve problems,” Mitsotakis said.

“We are also open to collaborate with organisations that share the same values with the Greek government.”

Greek Consulates:

Mitsotakis went on to say that he hopes Greek Consulates in Australia will be digitised soon to ensure the Greek diaspora are given the same opportunities as those in Greece.

“We also want to be one of the first countries to get 5G and we want to reposition Greece as a digital hub,” he said.

Voting and Infrastructure:

When asked about how the Greek diaspora in Australia can strengthen their ties to Greece and help in their recovery, Mitsotakis pointed to two main areas: diaspora voting and infrastructure.

For voting, Mitsotakis said the election in three years time will be the first time Greece will have ballot boxes and representatives overseas, something the diaspora have been asking for.

“The younger generation, who are eligible to vote, will now have the right to vote from their home of residence,” he said.

On investments, the Greek Government will work on “supporting a new image of Greece as open for small and large investments but also open to facing future challenges.”

Celebrations for 2021 next year:

Independence Day celebrations for next year were also top of the agenda during the Digital Speaker Series, with Mitsotakis saying celebrations will be “slightly different” this year “in line with what Greece has to offer post-2021.”

“We are excited to celebrate the emergence of modern Greece but celebrations will be more measured. We are still excited for the year to come,” the Prime Minister said.

Benaki Museum:

The recent announcement that Melbourne will become the first city to house a permanent Benaki Museum outside of Greece, was also discussed.

The Prime Minister congratulated the Benaki and Hellenic Museum for working with developers to construct the new Greek museum.

“Benaki museum’s collaboration with The Hellenic Museum in Melbourne, is an example of how we can bring the Greek culture to Australia,” he said.

READ MORE: New Benaki Museum in Melbourne set to be first of its kind outside of Greece.

Turkey:

Turkey was also a hot topic during the discussion, with Mitsotakis clearly describing their neighbour’s actions as “provocative.”

“Turkey has changed profoundly. One can’t rely on it as a stable ally. But we will not be bullied, we will not be blackmailed or forced into a dialogue,” he said, adding that they will continue to work with international organisations to help their cause.

More than 200 people who were in Victoria’s hotel quarantine program are being urged to get tested for HIV and other viruses after a testing mix-up.

State health authorities have announced that 243 people are being advised to undergo testing for Hepatitis B and C and HIV, after it was revealed that single-use blood glucose testing kits were used “across multiple residents” between March 29 and August 20.

Safe Care Victoria, the state’s healthcare quality and safety agency, said the needles can be changed between each use but the body of the device can retain microscopic amounts of blood.

“This presents a low clinical risk of cross-contamination and blood-borne viruses — hepatitis B and C, and HIV,” the agency said.

To reassure those affected, confidential testing is being arranged. People are being contacted on the basis of their health records.

The agency has said there was no risk to anyone who did not have a blood glucose test, nor was there any risk to anyone who used their own device.

Coronavirus is not spread by blood so there was no risk that the test could have spread the illness.

A “full review” into how the breach happened is also now being conducted by the agency.