What happened this Thursday 25 March
With that, we’ll be closing the blog for today.
That was quite an interview there at the end with Scott Morrison.
Here’s what happened today:
- Morrison said the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins was a “wake-up call”, to which Tracy Grimshaw responded: “It hasn’t been a wake-up call to 52% of Australians.”
- Morrison admitted that Higgins was “left on her own” and that her colleagues and supervisors “failed her”.
- He confirmed he has still not read the accusations against Christian Porter, and said Porter and Linda Reynolds would “continue to play an important role” in his cabinet.
- And he said he would like to see a female candidate succeed him in the seat of Cook when he retires.
- Earlier, Higgins made a formal complaint to the prime minister’s chief of staff, John Kunkel, asking him to examine whether government staff have backgrounded against her or her loved ones.
- In question time in parliament, Morrison said that Kunkel had received “confidential information from a primary and direct source regarding these matters”.
- Liberal MP Warren Entsch contradicted Peta Credlin’s claim that she was responsible for sacking a Coalition staffer who was dismissed again this week for allegedly masturbating over a female MP’s desk. Entsch told Guardian Australia that he fired the staffer, and Credlin had no input.
- The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, said the government would continue “pursuing” its investigation into the staffers who participated or shared images of the sex act.
- Victoria will begin accepting international flights again from 8 April, starting with 800 a week, as the state also improves its hotel quarantine system.
- The government confirmed it is continuing to make regular representations to China over the detained Australians Dr Yang Hengjun and Cheng Lei.
- Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie told parliament that some GPs in her electorate had been charging pensioners $70 to receive a Covid vaccination, by charging a consult fee.
We’ll be back tomorrow with the news as it happens. As it’s not a parliamentary sitting day, Amy Remeikis will not be blogging and Matilda Boseley will be blog captain instead.
Thanks for reading.
Updated
Morrison 'would love' to have female MP succeed him in electorate when he retires
Finally, Morrison signs off, saying that he wants to boost female representation.
He says he would “love to see” a woman succeed him ... as the local member for Cook in Sydney. But he doesn’t mention the role of prime minister.
He says:
Someone made a very good suggestion in our party room discussion this week.
I would love to see a woman follow me as the member for Cook when I choose to retire from politics.
Updated
'Big swinging dicks' group is disgraceful, Morrison says
Grimshaw asks Morrison about the “big swinging dicks”, a group of self-named Liberal MPs who former foreign minister Julie Bishop said blocked her while in parliament.
She asks:
I am wondering instead of quotas ... you would be better off starting to actively discriminate against Neanderthal men like the so-called big swinging dicks club that Julie Bishop said stood in her way.
Morrison:
That was disgraceful, I saw Julie spoke about [it]. That was appalling. At the end of the day, if we are not getting more women in this parliament, we have got to be doing something different. That is the point I am making.
Updated
Morrison defends his decision not to attend the March 4 Justice protest.
He says he offered to speak to the organisers privately, but does not attend protests, no matter “whoever is doing the protest”.
That has been whether I was a backbencher or a minister or prime minister, I wanted to hear them where we have a proper conversation. That opportunity was there, it was extended by my office to those, and that offer wasn’t accepted. I respect that.
Grimshaw asks if he could have made an exception. He declines.
Updated
'This has been a wake-up call' – Morrison
Morrison says that the past few weeks’ revelations of sexual assaults and harassment have been a “wake-up call”, to which Grimshaw responds: “It hasn’t been a wake-up call to 52% of Australians.”
A shorter version of this clip was previously posted by the program online.
Grimshaw asks Morrison: “Do you understand why this issue has dogged the government for the past month? Why has it has not blown over, all gone away?
Morrison:
In this place, over many years, people from all sides of politics have worked hard to address issues of violence against women ... I think of what happened to Hannah Clark to just over a year ago.
... What has become, I think, more crystallised in this past five weeks as Brittany has stood up has caused a very deep and confronting conversation in Australia. We have gone way deeper, we have gone beyond the sheer shock of violent acts. We are starting to deal with some home truths.
Grimshaw:
Are you saying, really, that the enormity of this issue that women deal with every single day has only just become apparent to you in the last month?
Morrison:
No I am not. I’ve recounted you already the story of my own experience with my mother ... I am doing everything I can to try to understand this as best I can. I may not have always got it as much as people would like me to, but I assure you, I am doing everything I can to understand it as best I can.
This has taken me deeper into this issue then I have appreciated before.
Grimshaw:
Where have you been!
Morrison:
I think that’s a bit unfair, Tracy. I think there are many people across this country who live with it every day. You have lived without your whole life.A lmost every woman has.
Grimshaw:
But you are not on an island, or maybe you are in a bubble. You must know, you have a wife, daughters, you have referenced them several times. How did you not know the depth of it?
Morrison:
This is the difficult part of this. You understand it in a way that only you could. I have a different experience to yours but I can tell you, for many Australians, this has been like a big wake-up call and it’s been like a red light to say ‘stop, look at this’.
Updated
Grimshaw asks Morrison why he has believed Porter, senator Eric Abetz and others, rather than the women making the accusations.
Grimshaw: “Brittany Higgins was called a ‘lying cow’ by Linda Reynolds.”
Morrison: “That was very out of character for Linda.”
Grimshaw: “But that pattern here is that women are always the liar. Brittany Higgins, Sue Hickey, Christian Porter’s accuser.”
Morrison:
I don’t agree with your assessment. In this country, people will make allegations and we have ways of dealing with it. I am not making that judgement about the truth of either statement.
Updated
Morrison has not read Porter accusations
Morrison confirms that he still has not read the accusations made against Christian Porter.
He tells Grimshaw that they were “immediately forwarded” to the Australian federal police.
On the night I became aware of this, I had no copy of those ... That information had not come to me that Wednesday night.
It had come to someone else, it had gone to the federal police. I spoke to the federal police, I spoke to the federal police commissioner, who gave me his understanding of those allegations. I raised those with the attorney general, he absolutely rejected them.
When they eventually came to me, I followed the commissioner’s advice. I wasn’t in Canberra, I was in Sydney. They weren’t sent to me electronically, they were sent as hard copies ... and they were immediately forwarded to the federal police, as the commissioner had advised me to do.
Updated
Porter and Reynolds will 'continue to play an important role' in cabinet
Morrison has said both Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds will remain in “important roles” in his cabinet, but not confirmed they will have the same roles.
The PM also says that there is a “double standard” in how Christian Porter has been treated, compared with Bill Shorten, who also had a historical rape allegation made against him.
Grimshaw asks him why he “immediately believed” Porter and didn’t read the accusation.
Morrison says that is a matter for the police, and he brings up the example of Shorten.
There are historical allegations that have been made, not the first time this has happened in this country. You are aware of historical allegations being made against another member of parliament.
On that occasion, what happened is that when the police said there was nothing further to be investigated here ... Now we have the same situation when it comes to Mr Porter
He returns to the “rule of law” topic and says Porter is “an innocent man”.
An allegation can be made against you, me, against anyone else. The only system we have when it comes to understanding, and for treating these issues fairly, is to do its job.
Updated
The quotes are really coming thick and fast in this interview.
Morrison: Brittany Higgins was 'very much on her own'
Morrison has just said that Brittany Higgins was “very much on her own” and agreed that people providing support to her “failed”.
Earlier, he had said she had “shone an important light on things”.
As she became more traumatised by these events, the services faded away and she was very much on her own.
Grimshaw asks: “Why was she on her own?”
Morrison:
It would be not true to say that those who were there were not trying to give every support they could. I agree with you that clearly that did not pass the test and failed Brittany. No one is disputing that.
Grimshaw: “So why do they still have their jobs?
Morrison:
They would have been trying, like everybody else was trying in those circumstances. We have to fix this and you don’t have to tear things down to build things up. What we need in this place and around the country is much better systems and resources to help people in these situations.
Updated
Grimshaw asks if Morrison will speak to Brittany Higgins.
Morrison had earlier said he would be “very pleased to”.
“Are you going to call her tomorrow?”, Grimshaw asks.
Morrison:
She hasn’t asked to speak with me directly.
Grimshaw: “You haven’t asked to speak to her?”
Morrison:
Whether she would like to have discussion about something as deeply private and personal as this ... I’m happy to have the conversation [if she is].
Grimshaw adds: “It’s not private any more.”
Updated
Scott Morrison interview begins
The prime minister’s interview with Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair has begun.
She asks him:
Brittany Higgins has released a statement today formally complaining about your office briefing against her, and her partner, presumably to discredit and undermine her. Do you now acknowledge that happened?
Scott Morrison:
We started a process today. I received a direct and confidential source who reported those matters to me.
Grimshaw asks if this means that it happened:
Morrison:
A primary source, someone who had allegedly witnessed this [came forward]. We have a process for dealing with that and I think it is important that with things like this, I allow how you deal with these matters to be done properly.
Updated
Government 'pursuing' investigations into staffers over alleged sex acts at parliament
The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, has just issued a statement saying the government will be “undertaking further investigation” into staffers who allegedly shared images of masturbating on the desk of a female MP.
News reports earlier this week said a group of Coalition staffers had committed sex acts including masturbation in Parliament House. One staffer has already been dismissed for allegedly taking part.
Birmingham, who is also the leader of the government in the Senate, has vowed to continue “pursuing” the allegations.
He said:
Allegations that have surfaced this week are disgusting and inappropriate in any workplace, but particularly in the nation’s parliament. These are serious allegations and we’ve demonstrated that this behaviour won’t be tolerated, with one individual being dismissed on Monday night.
Earlier this week I indicated that we would be undertaking further investigations to ascertain any other instances of wrongdoing. We have been pursuing these investigations and I thank those who have been able to assist us with information to date.
The government is working to resolve these issues and get to the bottom of these allegations.
I assure everyone that we are not going to tolerate the behaviour that has been alleged and are taking all steps possible to ensure appropriate consequences for anyone found to have done the wrong thing.
Updated
Hi all, yes, it is Naaman Zhou here with you.
Thanks as always to Amy Remeikis. A massive innings today, on top of the most ridiculous week.
Her post below sums it up better than anyone else could – have a read of it while we wait for the PM’s upcoming interview. It should start at 7pm or thereabouts, depending on ACA’s run order.
On that note, I am going to hand you over to the extraordinary Naaman Zhou to take you through the evening.
We’re waiting on a statement from Simon Birmingham on action against staff or staffers who a whistleblower may have identified as being involved in lewd acts at work, and the interview on A Current Affair with Scott Morrison.
So a fun hour coming up for you.
Thank you to everyone who followed along with me this week. Your support has meant the world. We do hope to restart comments again soon, and I know how much you miss them – we do too. Truly. We are just taking all the action we can to make sure we are all legally protected.
Parliament won’t sit until the budget is handed down in May, so that’s when I will be back with the Politics Live blog – but we’ll have a daily news blog in the meantime, so you won’t be left without your daily updates.
And a special thank you to everyone who has reached out – we’re all doing as well as we can be, and just want to do a good job for you.
It has been another very rough week in a long run of them. That doesn’t make them easier. In fact, that sort of emotion can be exhausting. We are thinking of you, and we understand. Please make sure you are taking care of yourself and those around you. I don’t know anyone who isn’t bruised by this. Not everyone can be public about it and they shouldn’t have to be. Everyone owns their own story, and it’s the one thing you can control sometimes. So treat those around you with a bit more kindness at the moment. Sometimes it can make all the difference in the world.
I’ll be back on the political round, but I’ll be back with the blog in May. If you need me, you can reach me here and here.
Until then, take care of you.
Updated
Scott Morrison would also “be happy” to sit down and have a chat with Brittany Higgins, according to another snippet of the upcoming A Current Affair interview.
Eight private companies will share in a windfall of $330m to carry out the Morrison government’s controversial national disability insurance scheme independent assessments program.
Martin Hoffman, the chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, told Senate Estimates on Thursday that the agency had signed contracts with the eight health care providers to conduct 518,000 assessments over three years.
Hoffman also hit out at questions over the handling of the tender process, after the ABC revealed some winning bidders also have subsidiary companies that run other NDIS services. Under the contract rules, companies running independent assessments cannot offer other NDIS services in the same area. But the rule does not extend to subsidiary companies.
Asked by Labor’s Nita Green about “a perceived conflict of interest” with one contract, which went to a company linked to the former National Disability Insurance Agency boss, Rob De Luca, Hoffman told Senate estimates:
No, absolutely not. I do not agree with that.
Estimates heard that De Luca started the first independent assessments pilot. He left the NDIA in April 2019.
But De Luca said the process was a full open tender with independent probity advisers and was “carefully managed”.
He said:
I made the recommendation to our board for the final eight. I have never met or spoken to Mr De Luca. I owe him nothing ...
The suggestion that the board would award improperly a contract to his firm just doesn’t hold water ... There’s been no impropriety or problem here. I think it’s an unfounded slur on me, the board and Mr De Luca to suggest otherwise.
Updated
In that clip, Scott Morrison is under questioning from Tracy Grimshaw, who asks him how – as a 52-year-old man – he is only just understanding that women aren’t treated equally, and he says he was aware “at a different level”.
This has taken me deeper into this issue, then, than I’ve appreciated it before.
Where have you been? asks an exasperated Grimshaw.
You live with it every day, you’ve lived with it – I am sure – your whole life, you have,” he adds, despite Grimshaw not disagreeing with him.
I don’t think a 60-year-old woman who has fought her way to the top of a successful career in the media needs a man to tell her she has lived with the issues women face for her whole life.
I’m sure almost every woman has,” Morrison adds, as part of his newfound knowledge on the topic.
“Women do,” Grimshaw says, adding:
But you’re not on an island, or maybe you’re in a bubble in Canberra, I don’t know, but you’re not on an island, you must know. You’ve got a wife you love, you’ve got daughters, you’ve referenced them several times. How did you not know the depth of it?
Morrison:
Well, this is the difficult part of this, you understand it in a way that only you could. You know I have a very different experience to yours, as do many men in this country.
Updated
A Current Affair has tweeted out part of its interview with Scott Morrison.
Crisis in Canberra. The interview.
— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) March 25, 2021
Prime Minister Scott Morrison one on one with Tracy Grimshaw.
Tonight at 7.00. #9ACA pic.twitter.com/BaNgTUL51Y
Updated
Anthony Albanese delivered a speech just after question time today which included this:
We saw today, after two weeks of asking every single day for confirmation that what Brittany Higgins told the March 4 Justice outside, that the prime minister’s office had sought to undermine her loved ones, he stonewalled for two weeks. He refused to answer the question. Then today, guess what?
He announced another review. This is about his own office. Why doesn’t he just ask them? He’s the prime minister of Australia and he can’t ask his own chief of staff and his own office staff what is going on?
... This prime minister is an empathy vacuum. He wouldn’t attend the March 4 Justice. In the train wreck of an interview where someone from Sky dared to ask a question, he had the temerity to demand that women stand with him, rather than him standing with them.
This is a prime minister who has an ear of tin, a heart of stone and a wall of concrete to shield him from the concerns of his fellow Australians. He is an angry man who has mastered the rare art of clenching a glass jaw. That’s what this bloke has done.
Updated
We are expecting a statement shortly from the finance minister, Simon Birmingham, in relation to the group of Coalition men who shared images of solo sex acts in parliament.
One has already had his employment terminated, the rest are in the process of being identified by the government.
The whistleblower has said publicly he has provided this information to Labor’s Kristina Keneally (presumably because she is shadow minister for government accountability) and has met with Birmingham’s office. Birmingham has previously said those involved should “pack their bags”.
Earlier, in question time, Scott Morrison was asked about efforts to identify the men. He said:
These are very serious matters and the government is taking it very seriously, and where matters such as this can be pursued, we will. But I don’t think it is helpful to provide a running commentary on such sensitive matters.
This and the upcoming statement from the minister responsible for parliamentary staffers’ employment suggests those who are still employed in parliament may be about to lose that privilege.
Updated
The House is adjourning.
It won’t sit again for another six weeks.
Liberal MP Andrew Laming apologises for correspondence that 'fell short' of expectations
Liberal MP Andrew Laming has decided to get ahead of a story we’re expecting to air later tonight, issuing an apology in the House of Representatives.
He said:
Speaker, today I was informed of the significant distress experienced by two of my constituents as a result of my online communication with them. They are both highly regarded individuals within our Redland community. I both acknowledge and commend their contribution to my city. I want to unreservedly apologise to both Ms Huelet and Russo and I express my regret and deep apologies for the hurt that my communication may have caused. I’d like to retract those comments and issue a public unreserved apology.
Laming said he has “made a concerted effort” to understand the impact of his words on others and indicated a “clear change” in the way he communicated from now on.
He continued:
I want to say to any person that receive correspondence from me that fell short of what they expect from an MP. I intend to own that failure and apologise without hesitation.
Updated
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, was asked a little earlier this afternoon about how she would describe the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang region. She replied:
“We would describe the human rights abuses in Xinjiang as amongst the world’s most egregious human rights abuses.”
Elly Lawson, a first assistant secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said: “We would characterise it as credible human rights abuses, we would characterise it as systematic human rights abuses.”
Payne also spoke about difficulty accessing the Xinjiang region. “I think it is now five years ago, when our then deputy head of mission visited. That does demonstrate the difficulties in independently testing these extremely serious allegations and that is another of the reasons for which we press for transparency and join with our international partners in doing so.”
(To date, the Australian government has not adopted the language of the US government and Canadian and Dutch parliaments in describing the treatment of the Uighur minority as genocide.)
An interesting moment in Senate estimates just now.
The Greens senator Jordon Steele-John, who lives with cerebral palsy, asked the social minister, Anne Ruston, whether she had difficulty raising a water bottle to her mouth.
Ruston was a little confused, and questioned the relevance of the question.
Steele-John pressed on, asking Ruston whether she had any difficulty living by herself.
“I’m not going to engage with this,” Ruston said.
Anyone who has been following the debate about the government plans for NDIS independent assessments probably knew what Steele-John was up to with his line of questioning.
He revealed that the questions were from the tools used in these independent assessments, which will see NDIS applicants undergo an assessment with an allied health professional – who they don’t know – in order to determine their eligibility for the scheme. We’ve covered that here.
Steele-John said:
There are questions in here, minister, which I would feel deeply uncomfortable asking, which would be inappropriate for me to ask you, because they pertain to questions around your personal life, and around even the sex lives of an individual.”
Steele-John said some people who had done the assessments were left “devastated”.
He raised the case of Aaron Carpentery, who told the Guardian he’d been assessed by a physiotherapist when he lives with autism.
He said another person, an academic of national standing and an expert in disability accomodation, was asked what support he requires in his sex life during an assessment.
Ruston noted that the questions in the assessment were asked in a private setting, with their doctor or a medical expert, not on a nationally televised broadcast.
Steele-John replied:
You are right. Speaking to your doctor ... as part of a long built relationship between those two, or three, or multiple individuals. Yet the program your government is rolling out right now requires you to answer those questions to strangers, to you people you have never met, and may never again.”
Updated
Queensland LNP MP Andrew Laming has made an apology to anyone who has received correspondence which has “fell short of what they expect from an MP”, without giving any context.
Updated
Lorena Allam wrote about this earlier, but in case you missed it:
Another Blak death in custody. pic.twitter.com/Z8GbkWLaIm
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@lidia__thorpe) March 25, 2021
Labor MP Andrew Leigh is asked on the ABC what the party should be doing about the complaints its women staffers have raised:
I would certainly encourage these women who wish to come forward to do so.
I think that we will be a better Labor party if we have none of this behaviour going on in our ranks. If that means losing people, having people step down, I think that is a good thing.
We need to make sure we are model employers, the party of the workers, and must be treating workers as well as possible.
One point made in the Academy of Social Sciences panel was that it is incumbent on managers to think about sexual harassment as being poor for workplace performance and to think about it as any other issue of poor workplace performance.
If a manager hears a rumour that somebody is sexually harassing coworkers, don’t wait for a complaint, step forward and treat that as you would any other issue of underperformance.
Updated
This is expected soon.
I understand there will be statement from the Finance Minister on the claims re ongoing discussions into what has been evocatively described as the masturbatory offences against office furniture
— Samantha Maiden (@samanthamaiden) March 25, 2021
Updated
Kristina Keneally has publicly responded to tweets saying she had received information from the whistleblower in the Network Ten story about staffers allegedly involved in sex acts at parliament.
Statement regarding tweets from @BlowingTom today.
During a phone call yesterday, my office was verbally provided detailed information in response to what the person described as misleading statements by the Prime Minister in Question Time about the allegations that sex workers had been procured for Coalition members of parliament and other disturbing conduct revealed on Network Ten.
We have not been provided any documents, videos or photos. Today @BlowingTom says he has also provided information to Senator @Birmo office.
We stand ready to assist the Government as they examine these serious allegations.
Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Updated
Given the amendment, the legislation now has to go back to the Senate, which can’t happen until budget week in May.
The amendment addresses concerns the Senate bill (passed in a rush late last week when confidentiality was raised as as issue) could also mean some documents would be protected from staffers seeking access to them (including for their own complaints).
Member for Warringah @zalisteggall to move an amendment to the bill #auspol pic.twitter.com/wNOoYA2UFx
— Political Alert (@political_alert) March 25, 2021
Updated
Warren Entsch contradicts Peta Credlin, claiming he sacked staffer accused of solo sex act for leaking to her
Paul Karp has followed up Peta Credlin’s Sky editorial from last night about staffers who she warned “I see you”:
Federal Liberal MP Warren Entsch has emphatically rejected Peta Credlin’s claim that several years ago she was responsible for sacking a Coalition aide dismissed again this week for allegedly masturbating over a female MP’s desk.
Entsch, the member for Leichhardt and former chief opposition whip, told Guardian Australia that not only did Credlin have no input into his decision to sack the staffer in 2012, but in fact, he dismissed the aide for an alleged unauthorised leak from his office to Credlin who was then Tony Abbott’s chief of staff.
Alex Somlyay, the chief whip before Entsch, has backed Entsch’s account and added that he had originally hired the staffer on Credlin’s suggestion.
Guardian Australia revealed on Tuesday the man had been employed on and off for more than a decade working for senior Liberal figures. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, later confirmed his employers included former chief whip Nola Marino in whose office the masturbation incident allegedly took place.
Updated
It was only Monday that we learned that Phil Gaejtens the report on who knew what, when in the PM’s office about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation had been put on hold on 9 March.
Then came the desk desecration story.
The prime minister’s press conference was only on Tuesday.
When you think about everything which is happened this week alone, each would usually be a week-long story on its own. And yet because of how this month has played out, each day has brought something worse than the last.
These are absolutely extraordinary times, and yet, there still seems to be some who have not grasped just how extraordinary.
Updated
Results of Brittany Higgins' complaint to prime minister's office should be made public, Tony Burke says
Tony Burke is on Afternoon Briefing where he is asked about whether or not “the results of Brittany Higgins’s formal complaint that the prime minister’s office were backgrounding against her and her partner be made public?”
Burke:
Yeah, they should. They should.
Because it doesn’t go to the privacy issues of Brittany Higgins, it goes to the behaviour of the prime minister’s office.
Can I tell you, I understand why people are fed up on this one.
You know, if you are Brittany Higgins saying that this had happened and the prime minister’s office had behaved this way did not cause the prime minister to act, Catherine King is the prime minister about this in the last fortnight, in question time, on the floor of parliament, 14 times and that wasn’t enough for him to act. Today he says he received a call from a journalist and that was suddenly enough [now] he thinks it might have an impact on how he is portrayed in the media he is willing to act. Questions in the parliament he was willing to ignore.
And Brittany Higgins herself, in delivering a far more compelling speech outside this building and I have ever hurt inside it, that wasn’t enough to compel him to action. I’m glad he is now going to act on it, but for heaven’s sake, did it really have to be a call from a journalist before he would act, when everything else wasn’t enough?!
Updated
The prime minister did speak with ABC radio this morning, but after the Sydney radio 2GB interview with Ray Hadley yesterday, and now this, I think we know who Scott Morrison wants to speak to – we’re back to the “quiet Australians”.
#EXCLUSIVE: Tracy Grimshaw face to face with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra.
— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) March 25, 2021
The full interview tonight 7.00. #9ACA pic.twitter.com/3k72aD8oMY
Updated
There has been some discussion in Senate estimates of claims that Mathias Cormann had travelled, during his OECD, with a colour-coded spreadsheet of OECD countries’ emission reduction targets.
Labor senator Tim Ayres asks if Dfat could provide a copy to the committee.
Helen Stylianou, a first assistant secretary at Dfat, replies:
“I did read that with some amusement, actually, because there is no colour-coded sheet that Mr Cormann was provided with. There were fact sheets included as part of a briefing which Mr Cormann received across a range of issues, all issues of interest to OECD members, covering policy issues under discussion in the OECD. Part of that briefing did relate to emissions and there were some colours on some pages but there was no colour-coded spreadsheet.”
Readers will recall colour-coded spreadsheets were a big issue during the sports grants saga.
Updated
Marise Payne has issued a statement on the fire at Cox’s Bazar:
I am deeply saddened by the news of the devastating fire in the Kutupalong Balukali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. I offer my sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. The impact on over 120,000 people and the extensive damage to food distribution centres, health clinics, learning centres and essential facilities is of great concern to Australia and the international community.
I commend the response of the Government of Bangladesh and Rohingya volunteers who assisted with bringing the fire under control and the initial rescue operation, and the humanitarian agencies delivering food assistance, emergency shelter, and water and sanitation services for those affected.
Australia is committed to sustaining our humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar. In light of this devastating event, I announce today an additional $10 million in emergency assistance from the existing humanitarian budget to those affected by the fire. Our additional support will be provided through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Population Fund.
This funding is in addition to the over $260 million Australia has provided to the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh since 2017.
Updated
Mike Bowers was in question time, from his lens to you.
Updated
Thousands more to go on to cashless debit card as Covid 'pause' ends
Yesterday, the Morrison government announced it was ending the “pause” on new welfare recipients being placed onto the cashless debit card. The pause was put in place due to the pandemic.
Today, the Department of Social Services confirmed in Senate estimates about 3,800 people would go onto the card now the pause has ended.
The Greens senator Rachel Siewert noted that’s happening despite the government-commissioned evaluation finding scant evidence the scheme is effective.
But Anne Ruston, the social services minister, insisted there was plenty of evidence from people in communities that it was working. She did acknowledge she was “keen” to gather more quantitative data.
Updated
We’re not about to be told the costs of Mathias Cormann’s travel on the RAAF aircraft as part of his successful campaign to become the OECD secretary-general.
Dfat officials say the costs haven’t yet been reported by the Department of Defence, but will be reported by the department as part of its usual process by 30 June.
Helen Stylianou, a Dfat first assistant secretary, says Cormann - the former finance minister - made two separate overseas trips, the first from 8 November to 10 December and the second from 16 January to 25 February.
Only the first trip involved the RAAF aircraft.On the first trip, Stylianou says, Cormann visited 15 countries - Turkey, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Austria, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, France, Colombia and Chile.
She says the objective of that first trip was to visit as many countries as possible, and the itinerary was constantly changing over those 33 days in order to seize opportunities to meet with senior decision makers.
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says that for this first trip, it would have been impossible to cover the same ground on commercial aircraft.
Stylianou says the second trip could be done commercially. That involved visits to just the United States and France.
The purpose of that trip was to make contact with officials in the new Biden administration in order to advocate his case.
After those meetings with US officials, Cormann travelled to France. “The objective of that trip was principally to base himself at the headquarters of the OECD.”
Updated
Scott Morrison calls an end to question time.
It’s the last one until the budget is handed down on 11 May.
Updated
Sharon Claydon has the next question, but doesn’t get it out in time:
Thank you Mr Speaker, my question is to the prime minister. In recent weeks the prime minister has not read the allegations of serious sexual assault against the attorney general, but declared him innocent anyway, not checked whether his own office sought to undermine Brittany Higgins’ loved ones even though she said they did, not believed the Tasmanian speaker’s account of horrendous comments allegedly made by Senator Abetz and declared it would be very unfair to...
Tony Smith:
The member’s time has concluded. There is no question, we will move to the next one.
I’m sorry, I am not going to put up with that from the member for Lalor. We have a time limit for questions. It applies to both sides, you have 30 seconds.
It is completely unacceptable to interject when I’m enforcing the standing orders.
You expect me to enforce them. You have up to 30 seconds and if a question can’t be asked in that time, there is no question. I’ve done the same thing with the member for Kennedy on a number of occasions, and actually, met approval for doing so.
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Government MP celebrates government minister answering government dixer.
I just asked a question in @AboutTheHouse of @PaulFletcherMP on matters of public interest - and he answered! Unlike @IndustrySuper who are using their @unionsaustralia hounds to attack anyone who dares ask them questions about how they’re lavishing Aussie’s super on themselves.
— Tim Wilson MP (@TimWilsonMP) March 25, 2021
Updated
Julie Collins to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister. I refer to the prime Minister’s comments in this house yesterday attributed to Senator Abetz. The Tasmanian premier has separately written to the prime minister asking him to consider the matters raised. Since he received the premier’s letter, what steps has the parameter taken to investigate the claims, has he spoken to Senator Abetz?
Morrison:
I did receive that letter from the premier and it provided no additional information on this matter whatsoever, to what was already in the public domain. He simply noted the statement of the, the statement that had been made under privilege in the Tasmanian parliament and he then noted the complete denial of that statement by Senator Abetz, Mr Speaker and that is where the matter rest.
It’s a matter of comment that of course, were that to be the case, that would be repugnant, but those comments have been absolutely denied by Senator Abetz, Mr Speaker, a senator of long-time standing in this place has made that statement openly as a complete denial of what has been put against him and Mr Speaker, having not been party to that conversation, like the member has raised the question, then Mr Speaker, that denial as senator Abetz has put it forward, is there on open record.
Photograph: Sam Mooy/Getty Images
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
Yesterday the prime minister told Ray Hadley that unacceptable behaviour at parliament from government staff did not happen when he was prime minister. Network 10 reported these acts occurred over a two year period ending last year. Why did the prime minister tell Ray Hadley and his listeners something that clearly wasn’t true?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I have answered honestly when I answered the question, I am not aware of that behaviour having taken place, but if there is other information has come forward, then I happy to address that, these acts that have been referred to in the media, I just find completely incomprehensible, incomprehensible.
Incomprehensible in terms of what Channel Ten has been reporting, this is conduct that is completely mysterious to me, it is not something that I can even conceive of, to be honest, and I think people around this place know me when it comes to those types of issues, and so Mr Speaker, where this has taken place, and I hope Mr Speaker, given that those opposite [don’t] have a clean [record] in this topic, given how many anonymous reports that have been reported in the media also, that I know that leader of the opposition has acknowledged in his own media conferences, I hope that they will show the same enthusiasm in pursuing those matters as they are expecting from the government.
Updated
In Senate estimates, the independent senator Rex Patrick has been asking about Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange and whether Australia has had any discussions with the US about the matter since Joe Biden took office.
Dfat official Lynette Wood says that from a consular perspective, Australia has been focused on supporting Assange’s welfare in the UK. She says the extradition request is a matter between UK and US, and that Australia is not a party to the proceedings.
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, says she hasn’t raised it with Antony Blinken yet:
“I had previously raised this matter with both my United States and UK counterparts in relation to ensuring that Mr Assange is afforded fair process and fair justice and acknowledging that Australia trusts the legal processes of the United States and the United Kingdom. I have not raised this at this stage with Secretary Blinken, with whom I’ve yet to meet in person, but I’m sure that it will be a matter which is raised in that conversation.”
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Anne Aly to Scott Morrison:
I refer to comments made by Peta Credlin regarding unacceptable behaviour in parliament by government staff and I quote, ‘the other three that Peter van Onselen broke in his story this week, I know who you are, I see you’.
Has the government contacted Peta Credlin in order to identify the staffers?
Peter Dutton, who seems to be relishing his acting role as leader of the house, and tends to take more of an ordering role, rather than just raising procedural issues says:
I would just point out that that question cannot be in order, it is not within the prime ministerial responsibilities or his duties to be commenting on comments made by commentators. The Labor party sought to politicise this issue all week and the fact is that the question should be ruled out of order!
Tony Smith does not rule it out of order.
Morrison:
A similar question was asked yesterday, and these are very serious matters, and the government is taking it very seriously, and where matters such as this can be pursued, and we will, but I don’t think it is helpful to provide a running commentary on such sensitive matters and how any inquiries maybe be pursued, I don’t think that is a very responsible thing to do here.
We have spent quite a bit of time here in recent weeks talking about the importance of process* in relation to how complaints may arise regarding the conduct of staff or others in this place. I propose that in how I deal with these things and I would encourage others to follow the same methods.
*This is just a couple of days after the prime minister publicly aired rumours he had heard of a non-existent HR complaint in an attack against a media outlet (which he later retracted and apologised for).
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Does the prime minister intend to keep the attorney general in cabinet without holding an independent inquiry into the serious sexual assault allegations against him?
I further ask, does the prime minister also intend to keep the defence minister in cabinet despite her calling someone who reported a sexual assault [victim] “a lying cow”?
Morrison:
I am asked again about members of my cabinet. I am very confident about all of my members because they continue to perform in their roles.
I refer particularly to the minister for defence and the great role she has played in cabinet.
As minister for defence, she was the minister who at the time of the bushfires already had preprepared and planned for the biggest single callout of the army reserve to see that she could respond to operation bushfire assist.
That was an extraordinary effort by the defence forces, something those opposite mock but I would caution them.
Mocking the callout of our defence forces to assist Australians at their greatest time of need, at their greatest time of need.
And I thank her for the great work she has done on that matter and the attorney general.
When jobkeeper went into the public and I noticed that those opposite like to vote for it on one day and criticise it the next.
They voted for jobkeeper to come off and now they criticise when jobkeeper comes off.
Over this pandemic, we have not been able to rely on the opposition.
They have had to be dragged, kicking and screaming. We can’t rely on them, the Australian people can’t rely on them. But as attorney general, what he did was ensure that we had the changes, we had the changes that people in work. But across my cabinet, the minister for the environment.
(Tony Smith tells him to stick to the topic.)
Morrison:
Another opportunity will present itself during the course of question time, maybe I will have to add to an answer later because they were quite a number of others that I was keen, very keen to speak of their achievements, including the minister of environment, he does an amazing job on the recycling revolution in this country.
I have great confidence in the members of my cabinet, the leader of the opposition can’t even have enough confidence in his shadow treasurer to keep him in the job, he has had to put someone into overseeing him, and I have great confidence in my cabinet members, they have great confidence in me.
I don’t think the leader of the opposition can say the same for those who sit on his front bench.
Updated
Scott Morrison is asked to table the document he was reading from, but says it is confidential, so he does not.
Richard Marles details some of the portfolio scandals which have hit his ministers, and Scott Morrison takes it as an opportunity to give snaps to all his ministers. He’s prepared for this - there are notes.
Morrison:
I am very proud of my team.
I am proud of the fact we have got a deputy Prime Minister who has overseen record infrastructure funding and has kept planes in the sky during the code may pandemic.
I am very proud of a Treasurer who stood with me and announced the single biggest economic intervention that has saved Australians lives and livelihoods through the course of the pandemic and has seen job numbers return to the level we saw before the pandemic.
I’m incredibly proud of the Minister for Health, proud of his efforts to see Australia fruit to ensure that Australia stands amongst a small minority of countries as we lead the world out of the Covid may pandemic.
On top of that, at the same time, continues to preside over one of the most successful Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is in the world.
I am incredible proud of Senator - Minister Michaelia Cash, deputy leader in the Senate to put in place the job trainer program that has seen more than 300,000 additional training places this year right in the middle of the pandemic.
The Minister for industry who has reignited manufacturing and is getting Australians back into work and back into shopfronts and subfloors all over the country.
I am very proud of the Minister for Foreign Affairs because Minister for Foreign Affairs, she, Mr Speaker, she, Mr Speaker, she is doing a massive job standing up for Australia, bringing together with other world leaders, the Quad together.
And putting into this place the foreign relations bill which is a stand up for Australia’s sovereignty like we have never seen in this country. I suspect I could say more - the foreign interference legislation.
That was such a critical act, pulled together by the Attorney-General.
And I commend him for the job he has done on that.
And of course we have the Minister for Home Affairs who continues to keep those votes away much more than that, votes that those opposites started when they sat in those portfolios, stopped by this government and remain stopped under this Minister of the Home Affairs but has done more to combat child sexual abuse than anyone who has sat in his role before.
I speak also of the Minister for Communications. Time is going to prevent me, time is going to prevent me from going through the longest of achievements.
And I am happy for the Leader of the Opposition to move an extension of time so... I suspect he won’t.
The Minister for Communications to the Treasurer himself stood up to the global tech giants, stood up to the global tech giants and ensure that we got the right outcome for Australians.
The Minister for emergency management who right now is supporting the people recovering from the floods.
Some GPs charging pensioners to receive Covid vaccination
Rebekha Sharkie had the independent question and it is to Greg Hunt:
Minister I have several pensioners in my electorate who have been charged up to $70 in out-of-pocket fees by doctors who are authorised to give the Covid vaccination, because some doctors are demanding and charging a pre-vaccine consultation. Pensioners can’t afford to pay these fees, just to get the vaccine. Some risk not being vaccinated at all due to the cost. What can be done to address this issue?
Hunt:
I want to thank the member who brought this to my attention a couple of days ago, and there are three principles to the Australian vaccination program, firstly, that it is free, secondly, that it is voluntary, and thirdly that it is universally available, with enough vaccine for every Australian three times over.
With regards to the specific question that you raised, I have received an example from your office with a specific practice, we refer that immediately to the department and they are following up, and secondly, the notion that it is free has been reaffirmed with peak providers as it has been and is overwhelmingly, I believe other than the case I have heard from you, overwhelmingly the case around the country.
And then thirdly, we have reaffirmed the advice which has been provided publicly and I will read this for the benefit of the house, in relation to the formal advice of the Australian government Department of Health, vaccination providers cannot charge to administer the Covid-19 vaccine, the vaccine is free, and the consult appointments for patients to receive their vaccine is also like that you have raised, charging a patient any cost associated with the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine including booking fees is a breach of the requirements under the program, but that has been the case, it is the case, that will continue to be the case, where there are examples such as those raised by the member, we will take them up.
But I do know what is the case, that will continue to be the case, where there are examples such as those raised by the member, we will take them up, but I do want to say more generally, our GPs have been magnificent.
They are doing an extraordinary job, and what we have seen this week is a rapid escalation in the number of doses as the general practice phase one of the program has begun.
We have had 30,000 doses administered on Monday.
Over 46,000 doses administered on Tuesday, and the figures just received show 49-and-a-half thousand doses administered on Wednesday, so that rapid growth which was always intended for this week is occurring.
Over 126,000 doses over the course of the first three days of this week, and significantly, we have now passed the 400,000 hundred thousand doses mark in Australia, 408,000 doses, and those numbers are escalating rapidly, and daily.
We are only able to do this because of the help of our magnificent GPs, because of using the primary health network and very importantly, we had the impact of distribution, that there were 38 practices to be looking for their first deliveries, that is now down to one: Taree, where the practices are still battling flood conditions. What we have achieved that result, and the second week vaccination deliveries are on their way already.
Updated
Prime minister says his office has received 'advice from a primary source' on backgrounding
Catherine King asks Scott Morrison the same question she has asked for the same two weeks, and receives a new answer:
I refer to the formal complaint from Brittany Higgins to the prime minister’s chief of staff asking him to examine if the prime minister’s office undermined her loved ones. Has the prime minister asked him if his staff they have tried to undermine Brittany Higgins’s loved ones and does he deny that?
Morrison:
I have seen and received that correspondence and I will be responding to Brittany Higgins in the course of today. But separate to that, following my interview this morning on ABC AM.
My chief of staff received confidential information, not the matter the member is referring to, but confidential information from a primary and direct source regarding these matters.
In response to that confidential information, I have asked my chief of staff to commence a process with advice from the Department of Finance to deal with complaints against staff members. We will follow that processing dealing with that matter.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg is now talking about how today is the last sitting day where jobkeeper will exist, and is giving the program an obituary.
Jim Chalmers to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister. When only about 10% of the vaccines he announced have been delivered, when 0% of a disaster mitigation find has been delivered, and when less than 1% of jobs the treasurer announced would be supported by his hiring credit scheme have been delivered, why is the prime minister ripping away 100% of jobkeeper supported workers this weekend?
Josh Frydenberg takes this one, letting him give the answer he couldn’t fit in to the 40 seconds he was left with earlier:
Yesterday the secretary of the Treasury, Dr Steven Kennedy told the committee when he was asked about the future of jobkeeper, he said it is our view, it is appropriate for the program to end, as other support measures take effect and to allow the economy to continue adjusting.
The member for Rankin may not be aware, but more than 19,000 members in his own electorate have graduated off jobkeeper, and the member for Rankin and may not be aware that in his state of Queensland, more than 550,000 people have graduated off jobkeeper, and the member for Rankin may not be aware that the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.8%, and employment levels are now higher than they were before the pandemic.
Again the member for Rankin may not be aware that of all those 88,700 jobs that were created in the month of February, there were full-time jobs, and more than 80% of those jobs went to women and more than 40% went to young people, so we understand that there are sectors across the economy and regions across the country that continue to do it tough, and that’s why as jobkeeper ends, other support measures from the Morrison government continue to roll out, today we have made an announcement, and again support for the creative economy with $125m in new Rise grants.
We have announced a $1.2bn tourism and aviation package, designed to get more planes in the air and more tourists on the ground. Including to many destinations across Queensland. We are not out of this pandemic yet, there is still some challenging days ahead, but the Australian economy is recovering more strongly than nearly any other country in the world.
Updated
The current deputy prime minister is delivering the (actual) very important message not to drive into flood waters. You don’t know what is beneath the water, or the strength of it, and everything happens very quickly, so please, don’t risk it.
It’s a lesson the former deputy prime minister learnt in 2011, when he drove a taxpayer funded four-wheel-drive into flood waters and got bogged, forcing him to climb through the window to escape.
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, has given a strong hint that she is pushing for the government to adopt Magnitsky-style laws to allow targeted sanctions against individuals for human rights abuses.
Payne told Senate estimates she had “written to the prime minister with my views on that matter”. Payne noted she was the one who initiated the parliamentary inquiry that resulted in a report late last year calling for Australia to introduce Magnitsky-style laws.
“It is with government for consideration, I’ve written to the prime minister and we’ll make our response public in due course.”
Payne made the comments during discussion about Australia not joining with the US, the EU, the UK and Canada this week in announcing coordinated sanctions against senior Chinese officials involved in the mass internment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
The foreign minister observed that Australia did not have the same types of sanction laws as those countries – but that she and her New Zealand counterpart had issued a statement expressing support for the measures they had taken.
Simon Newnham, Dfat’s chief legal officer, said Australia did not currently have a country-specific regime for China under the autonomous sanctions system “and therefore there is not the avenue to apply sanctions in this case”.
Newnham said it could take some six months to add a new country to that existing sanctions system.
The Coalition senator David Fawcett said the government’s response to the December report was overdue. Fawcett argued that events in Myanmar and elsewhere meant that “we do need to have some lever that we can use to actually do more than issue statements”.
Payne replied: “I agree and that’s why we’re progressing these matters.”
Updated
Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:
The prime minister will rip away jobkeeper for more than a million Australians in just three days time.
Treasury is warned that up to 150,000 Australians currently on jobkeeper will lose their jobs. It has been revealed that the government’s hiring credit scheme has supported 609 jobs.
How many Australians will be left behind by this government when the prime minister rips away jobkeeper this Sunday?
Morrison:
I will hand over to the treasurer in just a moment. As the Treasury secretary has already stated, the impacts that were being felt in our economy do not lead to the conclusion in the Treasury that that would lead to a rise in unemployment, but we will deal with issues as they continue to present, but what we know is that in less than one year, in less than one year, the number of people employed in this country is now greater today, in fact back in February, than it was when the recession and the pandemic hit this country.
We have still got a long way to go, there is no doubt about that, but now that we have returned, to the position and better than when the pandemic started in terms of the number of people employed in this country, then as we said, that assistance, that emergency assistance would be temporary and would be targeted.
It is one thing when it comes to a government such as ours to know when we need to act, and to stand in their, in the gap for Australians and provide that emergency assistance, that is an important thing that governments must have in responding to a crisis, but our government also understands that you cannot run the Australian economy on taxpayers’ money forever, you also need the physical discipline of a government that the taxpayers can trust, to know when you need to provide that support and as your economy grows, to back the Australian business.
... You also have to know that once you have stepped in and you have provided that support that you can trust Australian businesses and Australian workers who are rebuilding this economy on the other side of the pandemic. It was up to the Labor party, they would never stop spending, they would never stop spending, and that means they were never stop taxing. That is what we know about the Labor party, that is what we know about the Labor party, they can start spending, but they can never stop, and that means they start taxing and they never stop taxing. The treasurer may wish to add to that.
The treasurer does, but he only has 40 seconds left on the clock, and it’s nothing you haven’t heard before.
Updated
The South Australian Liberal senator Alex Antic has raised concerns about the size of China’s consulate in Adelaide, triggering a broader discussion of China’s diplomatic footprint in Australia.
Ian McConville, from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, tells Senate estimates the number of Chinese passport holders in South Australia was 50,000 pre-Covid and 30,000 post-Covid. McConville adds:
“In terms of the footprint in Adelaide, I think you have to take it in the context of the overall footprint in Australia. The interesting comparison is if you include locally engaged staff, the footprint of China [in Australia] is a little more than half what the US equivalent footprint is. And if you look at the footprint of the Australian diplomatic and consular presence in China and include the totality of all staff, we actually have a significantly larger number of staff in China including [locally engaged staff] than China has in Australia.”
Antic asks whether having 12 foreign national staff working in a state of 1.7 million people with a significant defence project footprint and a significant Uighur population causes “any alarm bells to ring”.
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says she fully understands the concerns Antic is raising. She says:
From a Dfat perspective solely, we look at what role the consulate general is telling us it needs to perform in terms of the number of citizens it needs to service. On the basis of that alone, yes, it looks on the large side, but it is not on its own a matter of concern. What would be of concern and what we would seek to act on immediately is if we – and when I say we I don’t just mean Dfat, I mean all government agencies – observed any behaviours on the part of those staff which were contrary to their formal roles under the Vienna convention, and contrary to our interests. So we hear what you say, we know that China – as some other countries, admittedly small – don’t tend to employ locally engaged staff the way we do.”
Adamson says defence interests “are matters for the department of defence” but adds that “this is a matter, if you like, of active consideration on our part.”
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Can the Prime Minister confirm that not a single dollar of the government’s $4 billion emergency response fund has been spent. Can he confirm that this is a fund that has an annual allocation for both recovery but also mitigation and the figures there are zero and zero that have been spent. When Australians have suffered record fires and floods, how is it possible that not a dollar is being spent from this fund?
Morrison:
The Leader of the Opposition once again comes to this dispatch box and seeks to misrepresent at a time like this, the important support that is being provided by this government....to people in greatest need, there has been no hesitation from this government to ensure we are providing the support Mr Speaker that is necessary.
The Leader of the Opposition would well know because time and again, whether in this chamber or elsewhere, we have made it very clear that the funds he refers to are drawn upon once all other funds have been significant, $2 billion alone forward bushfires themselves that have been rolling out.
The funds that have been provided to devastated flood victims. The funds that have been provided for COVID assistance.
And I will ask the Minister to add further but the real question is, what is this leader of opposition’s boundaries?
On what issue will he not politicise? Even in the midst of floodwaters which are still not yet receded, this of the opposition, there is nothing that he will not play games with.
David Littleproud:
The legislation that was passed through this house that had bipartisan support quite clearly said in its that the funds within the 200 $10 dividend were part of two components. $150 million used for a catastrophic event or the catastrophic event we had happen in the last summer, we put $2 billion out.
In fact, $150 million was spent in some of those opposite electorate’s collect threats alone.
The $50 million for mitigation is now being assessed after it went out for application. It will be rolled out before June 30.
This is the first year in which the fund was to rollout and the dividend was to be paid. Disappointingly, over those opposite didn’t read the legislation before they voted for it or they are playing politics.
Please, this is about people, not politics.
This is about making sure that the money that we put out is driven about the recovery at a local level, not that a Canberra level.
This is about those people who went through the disaster to make sure that it was about locally let recoveries.
So plead, if you come into this house and you want to be elected in this house and vote on legislation, it is imperative that you either read it, read it properly and understand what you’re voting on or please leave the at the door.
One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts has popped up in the foreign affairs estimates. He asks: “What would it mean to Australia if Australia chose to withdraw from the United Nations – if we exited?”
Marise Payne replies: “I can assure you that there is no consideration of that.”
Roberts is unbowed: “I respect your right to have an opinion. I also have a different opinion.”
Roberts proceeds to quote some extracts from Scott Morrison’s “negative globalism” speech.
Updated
Question time begins
But first, we are acknowledging “the bicentennial of the modern Greek state”.
Updated
It seems amazing how little MPs read the news.
Coalition senator Hollie Hughes is asked about Brittany Higgins’ official complaint to the prime minister’s office about allegations PMO staff backgrounded against her loved ones - something which has been widely reported over the last fortnight and says:
This is the first I’ve heard of it.
I’m pleased that if Ms Higgins is taking the steps through appropriate channels, it is never appropriate prosecuting your argument through the media before going through appropriate channels.
It is good – I saw some things come through today from journalists that there was a complaint made on national TV, that isn’t an official complaint, it is also not a complaint to the police.
[I am pleased to learn the complaint] will go through the correct channels, that is what should have been happening from the beginning.
Hughes then moves on to calls for an independent inquiry into Christian Porter’s fitness to sit in the cabinet and says:
I would like to respond with regards to Minister Porter.
He has denied the allegations and I do think as both parliamentarians and the media here, we need to be very mindful that people aren’t punished for allegations that are unproven and if Minister Porter has denied them, and it is now subject to a defamation case, if we start making people lose their careers and jobs and responds to an allegation that is unproven, can’t be tested, not subject under the rule of law because of this situation, we find ourselves in very dangerous territory because, by the grace of God, every single one of us could be victim of that and we know that these days, people do make allegations and they aren’t always proven to be correct.
We need to be mindful that no one is making a too-hasty decision here and with regards to the inquiry, there is now a case with defamation to the ABC and a proper court of law. You’ll probably find more information out than new word from an inquiry, especially when people are put under oath.
Updated
We are 15 minutes out from question time.
Lucky us.
Just a little more information to add to our previous blog post about the extra data provided by AstraZeneca about its Covid vaccine, which shows its overall efficacy against symptomatic disease is 76%.
Some people might remember that the interim results the drug company released earlier in the week had the efficacy at 79%.
But this difference is not statistically significant. The newer 76% figure has a confidence interval of between 68% to 82%. This means there is a 95% chance that the true efficacy of the vaccine is between 68% to 82%, making it similar to other vaccines, including Pfizer’s.
As more data is added, the confidence interval usually tightens and provides more certainty.
A professor of epidemiology with La Trobe University in Australia, Hassan Vally, said the difference between 76% and 79% was not significant.
“In the scheme of things it’s not changing anything, when you take into consideration the confidence intervals,” Vally said. He said AstraZeneca was correct in saying the additional data confirmed their earlier results.
Updated
Oh yes, Rod Culleton was also back in the parliament, with Pete Evans, meeting with Craig Kelly.
Because of course.
Updated
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials have been asked about Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s criticism of the “quiet diplomacy” approach to securing her release from Iran.
Readers may recall that in her first sit-down interview after her release in November 2020, Moore-Gilbert said she had pushed for her story to be leaked to the media months before it made headlines.
The British-Australian academic – who was released after a little more than two years in a complex prisoner swap involving four countries – told Sky News that “much greater attention was paid to my health and my condition” once her ordeal became public. Moore-Gilbert said she was “not convinced the quiet diplomacy case stacks up”.
Asked about the matter at Senate estimates today, Lynette Wood, a first assistant secretary at Dfat, said Australia never accepted “the circumstances of her detention and her arrest and imprisonment” and was “absolutely delighted” that she had arrived back in Australia.
“In terms of comments she has made now that she is back in Australia, of course we respect to the utmost her privacy but also she has the right to express her opinions and talk about her experiences from her perspective. I can simply underscore … that the department and the Australian government worked tirelessly to secure her release. The ways that you do that, there are many avenues that one pursues and I really have nothing more to add [other] than there was a lot going on behind the scenes to secure her release.”
Wood says Dfat had provided support to Moore-Gilbert when she was in quarantine on her return to Australia, and has continued to be in contact with her since.
“Normally once someone returns to Australia they’re not technically a consular client any more, they’re back in Australia as an Australian citizen. In her case there has been contact, for example, in ensuring her personal effects were returned from Tehran. She also had questions about access to various services in Australia so we’ve been in contact on an occasional basis.”
Updated
Pauline Hanson is waging war against this program, which gives age-appropriate lessons to children about consent, and agency over their own body.
As Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi points out, money for the program isn’t being spent
Consent education resources six years overdue:
— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) March 25, 2021
Since 2015, $7.8m has been budgeted for "respect matters" resources for schools. Schools still don't have them! This year alone the Liberals haven't spent $1.27 million of the budget for the program #estimates
Libs have announced this three times without delivering—
— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) March 25, 2021
2015: Turnbull announces $5m for "resources... on respectful relationships".
2019: Still no resources, Tehan adds $2.8m.
2021: Still no resources, only $0.36m of $2.8 spent, Tudge pretends it's all new and great. pic.twitter.com/xkUx4JTJEZ
Australian officials have renewed their concerns over the extradition of Australian citizen Osama al-Hasani, 42, from Morocco to Saudi Arabia.
Lynette Wood, a first assistant secretary at Dfat, has been asked about the case at Senate estimates. She says Australia had consular access to al-Hasani after he was detained in Morocco and had been aware that Saudi Arabia had sought the extradition, and made representations about that.
But Wood says Moroccan authorities confirmed to Australia on 15 March that he had been been extradited three days earlier, on 12 March. “We were informed after it [the extradition] happened, which we had some concerns about.”
Wood says the Australian government “is concerned about the circumstances of Mr al-Hasani’s detention, his access to due process of law, and the extradition proceedings that led to his extradition to Saudi Arabia”.
Australian officials in Canberra, Rabat and Riyadh have been active on this case, making representations to ascertain the circumstances of Mr al-Hasani’s detention, both in Morocco and now in Saudi Arabia.
We have repeatedly expressed our concerns for his welfare; we’ll continue to advocate for his interests and provide consular assistance to him and his family.
Wood says Saudi Arabian authorities have confirmed he is in detention in Saudi Arabia, and Australia has had one occasion of consular access since he’s been in detention.
Australian officials are currently working through the Saudi Arabian system “to ascertain more details about the circumstances of his detention”.
Updated
Cabinet reshuffle expected before Sunday
The cabinet reshuffle that no one will confirm, but also everyone seems to have information on, is expected sometime before Sunday.
Jo Dyer, one of the longterm friends of the complainant who made historical rape allegations against Christian Porter (which he strenuously denies) says a cabinet reshuffle will not stop her friends from advocating for an independent inquiry.
To be crystal clear: moving Christian Porter into another portfolio does not address the issue of his fitness to hold high office while allegations he committed a serious crime remain uninvestigated. #auspol #christianporter 1/4
— Jo Dyer (@instanterudite) March 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/instanterudite/status/1374901989700595715?s=20
A high cost, high wattage defamation case brought solely to defend an imperiled reputation is not a substitute for an independent inquiry constituted exclusively to probe the veracity of credible allegations that remain completely untested. 2/4
— Jo Dyer (@instanterudite) March 25, 2021
The claim that an independent inquiry is counter to the "rule of law" has been comprehensively and repeatedly debunked by legal experts including current and former judges across jurisdictions as per, for example, Justice Francois Kunc of the NSW Supreme Court. 3/4 pic.twitter.com/N7LLm5jHkK
— Jo Dyer (@instanterudite) March 25, 2021
Kate's friends will continue to advocate for such an inquiry regardless of any reshuffle. 4/4
— Jo Dyer (@instanterudite) March 25, 2021
Updated
Good afternoon all – just a quick update. Last night I wrote a story about growing agitation from parliamentary staff (and two spouses of former prime ministers) about the detail of legislation designed to keep submissions to the looming Jenkins inquiry confidential.
If you missed that, you can read it here. The concern is about an exemption that has been added to the legislation that would protect any documents presented to the inquiry by ministers or by departments from FOI requests.
The worry from staff is this particular exemption might be used to throw a blanket over relevant material that they, themselves, might want access to in the future.
To put this more simply: the concern is the ministerial exemption could deprive staff of a right they have currently to access material pertinent to any complaint they might be pursuing.
Anyway, I gather there have been rolling discussions between the Coalition, Labor and the crossbench about how this problem can be fixed. Apparently the government and the crossbench are on board with fixing the problem.
But I’m hearing Labor has been difficult. I don’t know why Labor would be difficult at this point, but that’s what I’m hearing.
The legislation is scheduled to come before the House at 4pm this afternoon. We’ll keep you posted.
Updated
Craig Kelly has been spotted walking Pete Evans out of the parliament.
Evans is best known as being a chef enamoured of activated almonds turned conspiracist. So of course his views are worth the time of a federal MP who quit the governing party so he could share his own views on unproven treatments on Covid and the vaccine.
Updated
Australian consular officials have spoken twice to Prof Sean Turnell, the Australian economist detained in Myanmar, including yesterday.
Lynette Wood, a first assistant secretary at Dfat, says Turnell was first detained on 6 February and remains in detention.
Wood says Australian consular officials have spoken with Turnell twice, but not in person.
The first contact was by videolink on 11 February. The second contact was a phone call that took place yesterday.
We are undertaking extensive and sustained representations to Myanmar and to other governments regarding his detention. There’s been a tireless pattern of representations and we’ve been supported by a number of other governments who are also making representations on our behalf.
Updated
Brittany Higgins makes formal complaint to Scott Morrison's chief of staff
From Katharine Murphy:
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has made a formal complaint to the prime minister’s chief of staff, John Kunkel, asking him to examine whether government staff have backgrounded against her or her loved ones.
Higgins wrote to Kunkel after Scott Morrison said in an interview with the ABC on Thursday morning that no-one from the parliamentary press gallery had “raised that” – meaning any negative backgrounding by his office – with his chief of staff.
Morrison has been asked more than 10 times in the parliament whether or not he has investigated allegations of negative backgrounding by his staff raised first publicly by the Network Ten journalist Peter Van Onselen in February.
Morrison said in response to the persistent questioning: “I’ve no knowledge of that and I would never instruct that. I would never instruct such a thing”. Asked whether he has made specific inquiries with his staff to satisfy himself of the facts, Morrison has referred to his previous answer.
Yes, Eric Abetz did say this in 2018:
Senator Abetz, Sept 18: “Look at the Labor Party side of the parliament and you can see what quotas do and it aint a good look."
— Anika Wells MP (@AnikaWells) March 24, 2021
What it looks like: 📸@DomLorrimer pic.twitter.com/fYLSCKEyGS
Updated
Earlier this week, AstraZeneca released more data to support its vaccine efficacy. The interim results from the phase 3 clinical trial of more than 32,000 people found the vaccine was 79% effective against symptomatic disease, and 100% effective against severe disease and death.
But soon after the results were published, questions were raised in the US by the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board, which said AstraZeneca may have provided “outdated information” from the trial, which gave “an incomplete view” of the results.
In response, AstraZeneca has just released the additional data which confirm the efficacy results reported earlier this week. This has now been presented to the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board. An additional 49 cases have now been added to the previously announced interim analysis.
AstraZeneca said:
The primary endpoint, vaccine efficacy at preventing symptomatic Covid-19, was 76%, occurring 15 days or more after receiving two doses given four weeks apart. In addition, results were comparable across age groups, with vaccine efficacy of 85% in adults 65 years and older. A key secondary endpoint, preventing severe or critical disease and hospitalisation, demonstrated 100% efficacy.
The vaccine was well tolerated, and no safety concerns related to the vaccine were identified.
Mene Pangalos, the executive vice-president of AstraZeneca’s bio pharmaceuticals research and development, said: “The primary analysis is consistent with our previously released interim analysis, and confirms that our Covid-19 vaccine is highly effective in adults, including those aged 65 years and over.”
AstraZeneca will also submit the primary analysis for peer-reviewed publication in the coming weeks.
Associate professor Paul Griffin, who is the director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Queensland, said people should believe in the vaccine and that it is safe and effective.
It is such a shame that a vaccine with so much evidence supporting its safety as well as efficacy continues to be shrouded in controversy.
We heard very positive news almost a week ago that the European Medical Authority’s safety committee concluded that the vaccine was not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots and therefore the benefits of receiving the vaccine continue to outweigh the risk of side effects.
The request for more vaccine data was standard practice in drugs approval processes but had played out very publicly due to the intense focus on Covid and need for transparency, Griffin said, but he said it was important not to overreact when questions are raised.
“As the only Covid-19 vaccine currently able to be manufactured in Australia, and [with] the exciting news that the first four batches have been approved for release, we need to continue to support its use in an evidence-based manner with faith in our regulator the TGA, and not falsely sound the alarm over coincident events with no established link or based on perceived issues with how results are communicated in the press,” he said.
Updated
Government says it’s making regular representations to China over detained Australians
Australian officials say they continue to make representations to the Chinese government over the situation of the detained Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and the detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei.
Lynette Wood, a Dfat official, says Australia has made 16 representations to China on Yang’s situation since the last Senate estimates in October. She notes that on 12 October 2020, China stated Yang had been charged with espionage. “We continue to have regular consular access,” she says.
“Our next visit has been approved for today but has not yet taken place.”
All such consular visits are being done by video-link, in light of the pandemic. Today’s virtual visit with Yang would be the first one since 26 January.
Guardian Australia reported last September that Yang had rejected Chinese reports he had confessed to espionage, stating: “I am innocent and will fight to the end.”
In the case of Cheng – an anchor for the Chinese state-owned English-language news channel China Global Television Network, who has been formally arrested “on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas” – officials say Australia has made 14 representations to China since the last Senate estimates in October.
Wood says Australia calls for basic standards of justice and humane treatment to be adhered to. The last consular visit with Cheng took place online yesterday, she says.
Louisa Wen, Cheng’s niece and a spokesperson for Cheng’s family, has previously told the ABC’s 7.30 program she was unsure what her aunt had been caught up in but “I don’t think she would have done anything to harm national security in any way intentionally”.
Updated
At Senate estimates, Penny Wong asks whether the Australian government will consider providing more Covid-19 vaccine doses from its own domestic stocks to Papua New Guinea, if the 1m contracted doses that Australia had requested being available for PNG are not on a reasonable timeframe.
Marise Payne says she can’t go into cabinet deliberations “but that is something which must be on the table”.
“I agree, thank you,” Wong replies.
Wong also seeks confirmation that the government cut two positions from the high commission in Port Moresby last year. Dfat secretary Frances Adamson says yes, but says Port Moresby is still one of Australia’s biggest diplomatic missions and there should be no sense that the change had impaired in any way its ability to respond to the current Covid-19 crisis.
Updated
This is a good point – freedom of information requests come to an end if a minister is reshuffled out of the portfolio.
Just for nerding’s sake, the reason why is outlined in the OAIC guidelines, paragraph 2.52. Journos can wave at the cartons of boxes as they are carried out in the coming days pic.twitter.com/DOGJ0yvRTq
— Darren O'Donovan (@DarrenODonovan) March 24, 2021
Updated
Larissa Waters also tweeted this out last night.
“Apology to Peter Dutton On 25 February 2021 I published a media release on my website, posted on my Twitter account, and made in the course of a press conference false and defamatory statements that Peter Dutton is a rape apologist, that he has sought to conceal and dismiss 1/2
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) March 24, 2021
reports of rape, and that he has no sympathy for victims of rape. I accept that there was no basis for those allegations and that they were false. I unreservedly apologise to Minister Dutton for the hurt, distress and damage to his reputation I have caused him." 2/2
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) March 24, 2021
Larissa Waters has responded to the reports (nothing confirmed as yet) of a cabinet reshuffle:
“The PM is treating this issue of sexual violence against women and endemic misogyny as another PR problem to be managed away.
“The expected ministerial reshuffle and demotion of Minister Porter is just shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, just like they shuffle staff around to hide political problems rather than fixing them.
“A reshuffle does not address ministerial bad behaviour or men’s bad behaviour more generally and it won’t make women safer – either in Parliament House or anywhere else.
“Women deserve real and immediate action on safety and equality.
“For women everywhere, the Greens are calling for the implementation of all 55 of the Respect@Work recommendations; fully funded frontline domestic violence and sexual assault services; legislation to end the gender pay gap; the strengthening of sexual harassment laws; free early childhood education; enough social housing; and compulsory whole-of-school consent training in all schools nationwide.
“For those working in politics, Parliament House must be a safe place. We need compulsory sexual harassment training for staff and MPs, independent enforcement of the ministerial standards, an independent complaints body, and a binding code of conduct for all MPs enforced independently with the power to hold all MPs to account, including recommending censure or suspension. And we still need an independent inquiry into the bungling of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, as well as a strong national corruption watchdog with real teeth.
“And in his own ranks the PM must appoint a cabinet that is half women and introduce quotas in his party to rectify the appalling gender imbalance.
“This is serious, PM. It’s about time you acted accordingly.”
Updated
The social services minister, Anne Ruston, says the plan to drug test welfare recipients remains government policy, but it has no intention to progress the legislation.
Under questioning from Labor’s Nita Green, Ruston says the policy is “on pause” and there is currently “no plan” to seek support from parliament to implement the program.
So basically, the government would still like to do it but it has paused the plan, in part because of the pandemic, and in part because the Senate doesn’t support it.
Updated
This is important.
Via AAP:
Traditional owners and scientists are coming together in Cairns as part of an Indigenous-led response to climate change issues in Australia.
More than 120 traditional owners representing 40 groups have been collaborating with scientists from the CSIRO over five days to share knowledge and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The National First People’s Gathering on Climate Change, which began on Monday, seeks to help communities respond to climate change-induced events such as marine heatwaves, rising sea levels, bushfires and heatwaves.
Remote and isolated indigenous communities are particularly affected by such events, and Mr Gudjugudju of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji, who are traditional owners from the Cairns area, says the event is important in response to a changing climate.
“We need to understand and prepare for climate change now and into the future,” Mr Gudjugudju said.
“We always had dialogue together, between different traditional owner groups, as climate changed in the past. We need to continue these dialogues today.”
The gathering provides a place for traditional owner groups to share experiences and discuss way for their communities to adapt.
The indigenous-led hub also stresses the importance of engaging and supporting traditional owners and addressing the gap, to make sure they are included at the design stage of research.
Hub Leader and CSIRO scientist David Karoly said it was paramount to facilitate dialogue between First Peoples and climate scientists, and build on previous events in 2012 and 2018.
“Climate science has helped to establish a clear line of evidence of a changing climate due to increased human fossil carbon emissions, and many First Peoples are already using climate change science to care for country and communities,” Dr Karoly said.
It’s all about First Peoples having a genuine seat at the table, and the way we have designed this event reflects just that.”
Dfat officials are asked about Australia’s push to persuade European countries to release 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for use in Papua New Guinea:
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says: “Every one of our missions in Europe is engaged in this exercise, drawing to attention of host governments the plight, if you like, of Papua New Guinea, the urgent need for vaccines.”
Adamson says the engagement is being done particularly through Brussels, with the prime minister, foreign minister, health minister and others engaged in the efforts.
“This is an every-day effort … it’s the top priority [for Australia] in Europe ... Everyone is seized of the urgency of the situation.”
Greens senator for Victoria and Djab Wurrung Gunnai Gunditjamara woman Lidia Thorpe has reacted strongly to the news that there has been a fourth Aboriginal death in custody in three weeks.
A 37-year-old Barkindji man, Anzac Sullivan, died during a police pursuit in Broken Hill on Thursday 18 March.
Confirmation of Sullivan’s death comes after a man in his 30s and a woman in her 50s died in prison custody in New South Wales a fortnight ago. Their deaths were only revealed under questioning during a state parliamentary hearing. An Aboriginal man died in Victoria’s Ravenhall correctional centre on Sunday March 7.
“On behalf of the Australian Greens, I wish to express our sympathies to Mr Sullivan’s family, friends and community. I know they are hurting today. What they’re experiencing is something that no family or community should ever have to go through,” Senator Thorpe said.
“As First Nations people, we are sad - and we are angry beyond words. Why does this system continue to kill us off?
“Why should our people keep dying in places where they’re meant to be kept safe? The system is deeply racist.
“As recently as last week, this Government said deaths in custody were a ‘tragedy’, and said they were sorry.
“We’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times. Sorry isn’t good enough. Sorry means you don’t do it again. It’s all talk and no action from these people, and these families deserve better.”
Updated
Labor wants to know why Australia didn’t sign up to a strongly worded “statement by ambassadors to Myanmar” on 19 March that was backed by European Union members, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The statement condemned the security forces for the “immoral and indefensible” brutal violence against unarmed civilians. It also called the Myanmar military’s actions “abhorrent” and urged it take a number of steps including ceasing violence and restoring the democratically elected government.
Ridwaan Jadwat, a Dfat official, says Australia supports the statement but decided not to join:
In this case it was a judgment made by the ambassador on the ground and the embassy decided on this occasion it was not something we were going to join, but certainly we support the sentiments in the statement.
Frances Adamson, the Dfat secretary, adds a mea culpa on behalf of the department: “On this occasion, a decision was made without consultation with the foreign minister based on local and other considerations. We should have consulted the foreign minister - that is a failing on our part and we bear responsibility for it. But it doesn’t detract from the fact that we absolutely support the content.” The foreign minister, Marise Payne, says if it had been brought to her attention, Australia would have signed up to the statement “in all likelihood”.
Updated
It’s almost like they almost have the answer?
Deputy Liberal Leader @JoshFrydenberg on gender quotas in the Party: "I think this is a legitimate conversation to have...we only have 26% of our representatives in the House being female, we have a target of 50%, so more needs to be done and more can be done" #7NEWS #auspol pic.twitter.com/riCaciRez0
— Jennifer Bechwati (@jenbechwati) March 24, 2021
Australia considering Myanmar sanctions
The Australian government has confirmed it is considering expanding sanctions against military figures in Myanmar, amid concerns the situation in the country is “highly volatile” and deteriorating.
Ridwaan Jadwat, a Dfat official, tells Senate estimates nationwide protests and civil disobedience continues to grow, and the response from the military is increasingly violent.
At least 250 people have been killed and some 2,300 arrested, he adds.
Asked if Australia is considering additional targeted sanctions, the foreign minister, Marise Payne, says:
We have five people listed currently … and I am continuing to take advice on that and reviewing that with colleagues.
Payne is unable to give a timeframe of when she’s likely to finish that review of sanctions, saying the issues are “very dynamic”.
It is an important matter, I take it seriously and undertake to engage appropriately with the committee on that.
On the situation more broadly, Payne says has been working with Asean and others “to identify possible paths forward”. She says she also spoke with the UN secretary general last week.
There is no clear path, senator, in relation to how to work with with partners to address the impacts of the coup and how to engage with the leaders of the regime, if and how that is appropriate and what form that would take.
Penny Wong notes that the minister has recognised the situation as a coup, and asks why Payne used the phrase “the incoming government in Myanmar” in an interview with the ABC’s Sabra Lane on 9 February.
Payne replies: “I used the wrong word, senator.”
Updated
The government has not given up on their plan for a purpose-built quarantine village facility, in the style of Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.
Acting Victorian premier James Merlino say there is now a shortlist of 10 potential locations for the facility.
A business case to narrow this one to one location is expected by the end of this month,” he said.
The government made the decision to resume hotel quarantine in the meantime as planning and construction for the purpose-built facility is expected to take at least six months.
It’s about time. You have got to locate the site, do the business case, make a decision and then construct it,” he said.
And then, how you construct it? Whether it’s a fully permanent facility, or whether it’s designed and constructed in a way, for example, that you can pick up some of those buildings and go around ... a major bushfire or a flood, where you need to deliver some of that accommodation.”
Updated
I’m watching community affairs estimates, where the Greens senator Rachel Siewert has been asking questions about the jobseeker payment.
She has plenty of good questions, but there aren’t many answers coming.
We did learn there were 1,077,45 people receiving the coronavirus supplement at 26 February who also get family tax benefit. That means they have children.
It means more than one million children live in families that will lose the $150 supplement from 1 April. They will receive a $50 boost to the base rate of their payment, but in effect it’s a $100 fortnight cut.
From 1 April, there will be also be a reduction in the partner income test (how much your partner can earn before you lose your payment). Similarly, the amount of money people can earn before their payment is reduced will fall from $300 to $150.
DSS’s Matt Flavel says they don’t know how many people will lose jobseeker payment as a result of the change. He says they haven’t broken it down by individual measure.
“You have no idea how many are going to be affected by it,” Siewert says.
How many will be affected by the changes combined, then? The department takes it on notice.
Updated
Victoria to push for stricter ventilation standards in hotel quarantine Australia-wide
The Victoria government has also released its response to the final report from the “hotel quarantine board of inquiry”. They have already implemented 49 of the 81 recommendations, have implement another four in part, and plan to action a further eight. The remaining 20 will be referred to national cabinet to try and ensure there is a consistent country wide approach.
Acting premier James Merlino says Victoria will advocate for all states and territories to adopt stricter ventilation standards.
I have written to the prime minister advising him of Victoria’s capacity in terms of returning flights and our hotel quarantine system, advocating for a nationally consistent approach to ventilation.
Victoria’s the only jurisdiction that has done this additional work in terms of ventilation so we want to share that.
Updated
The high commissioner to the UK, George Brandis, “was treated exactly the same way” that every other head of mission when he returned to Australia for midterm consultations and leave, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Labor’s Tim Ayres has asked a series of questions at Senate estimates about Brandis, the former Coalition minister, who was criticised for returning to Australia over the Christmas period, spending almost a month off in Queensland after completing two weeks of quarantine and holding a series of meetings.
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says heads of mission typically return for consultations and leave in the middle of their term. After two weeks of quarantine (based on whatever rules apply in the state they are entering the country) they typically have three weeks of consultations, then “whatever period they’re entitled to and manage given the demands on them at post”. She says these arrangements would normally take over a month.
Adamson says she approved Brandis’ leave. “It was definitely time for him to be coming back.” She says there is a lot going on in the relationship with the UK and Brandis was able to be part of discussions with Dfat officials, including Adamson, about those matters.
Adamson says she had an exchange with Brandis, while he was in Australia, about when he return to the UK, given the rising case numbers of Covid there. Adamdson says her advice to him was to return to post as scheduled, but she recalls he may have left Australia a couple of days after originally scheduled. “I think that was flight-related.”
Updated
This only happened seven years ago
March 25, 2014: Prime Minister Tony Abbott added Knights and Dames to the Order of Australia honours. The awards were scrapped in November 2015. pic.twitter.com/nlB5xM2xZS
— Canberra Insider (@CanberraInsider) March 24, 2021
Victoria to restart international arrivals
Victoria will begin accepting international flights again from 8 April, as the government relaunches its hotel quarantine program with additional security precautions to combat highly contagious variants.
In a fortnight the state will state accepting 800 international passengers a week and will scale up to 1,120 per week by mid-April as the government completes ventilation reviews and upgrades to hotel quarantine locations.
Around 93% of hotel quarantine worker in Victoria have now received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with the administration of second doses under way. A spokeswoman for the premier told Guardian Australia that only those who have had at least one dose of vaccine will work in “red zones” with face-to-face interaction with travellers when the program restarts.
In early February premier Daniel Andrews announced all international flights landing in Melbourne would be paused after an outbreak of the UK variant of Covid-19 at a hotel quarantine facility threw the state into a snap five-day hard lockdown.
Although this outbreak was successfully contained flights did not resume after the lockdown ended.
Previously the premier had floated the idea of transforming a space such as airfields at Tullamarine or Avalon airport into a quarantine village in the style of the Howard Spring facility in the Northern Territory. This plan is still being developed, however the revamped hotel quarantine set to relaunch in two weeks will see much less dramatic changes.
The government has developed a Victorian standard for ventilation in quarantine facilities, which includes ensuring the air pressure in hallways and room are equalised to viral particles cannot be sucked into communal spaces. Ventilation reviews and upgrades have been completed in three hotels so, with two more partial operational. Eight more locations are expected to become operations in April.
PPE requirements will now be standardised across all facilities to ensure that workers at regular hotel quarantine facilities, where travellers have so far tested negative, are donning the same level of PPE as those working at “health and complex care” hotels where positive patients are house. Testing for guests will be ramped up from two to four times during their stay with follow-up tests recommended after they exit.
The previous outbreak, at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn hotel, was in a regular facility.
Updated
Everything seems to be going swell
Linda Reynold's office tells #7NEWS she's "looking forward to returning to work as Minister for Defence" and talk of her being shifted to another role is "entirely a matter for the PM." #auspol
— Jennifer Bechwati (@jenbechwati) March 24, 2021
Foreign affairs officials don’t have a clear answer as to when the 36,000 Australians currently registered as wanting to return from overseas will all be home.
One official says “the cup keeps refilling” (meaning some come home and others add themselves to the list of Australians wishing to return).
But the secretary of the department, Frances Adamson, says:
The answer is as soon as we can manage it … We will not rest until they are all home.”
The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, says the Howard Springs quarantine facility in the Northern Territory – which will soon increase its capacity from 850 places per fortnight to 2,000 per fortnight – is focused on places for Australians returning on facilitated flights arranged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Updated
Arts sector offered an extra $135m
AAP has more on the latest arts and entertainment rescue package:
The arts and entertainment sector is being offered another $135m to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Most of the money ($125m) will top up an existing recovery fund for arts businesses and production companies, taking its value to $200m.
The so-called RISE program is designed to support festivals, concerts, tours and productions.
There will also be an extra $10m for Support Act, which provides financial relief for artists, crew and music workers in crisis.
But with one in five arts workers still on jobkeeper payments, there are still grave fears about what will happen when the wage subsidy scheme ends on Sunday.
Arts minister Paul Fletcher said the package was aimed at getting shows back on the road.
“We want to see our performers and creators on stage, we want to see jobs for the backstage crews, we want to see front of house,” he said on Thursday. “All of that depends upon, and can be stimulated and supported by, this funding.”
The fund guidelines will also be changed to allow more support for smaller organisations, venues and artistic groups.
Fletcher said the changes were aimed at helping the music industry, which has been crying out for more help in the face of venue capacity limits and touring restrictions.
“Theatre is on the road back but the music sector is lagging somewhat behind,” he said.
One of the major changes is reducing the minimum grant size under the program from $75,000 to $25,000.
Updated
Labor decries 'waste on a gargantuan scale' over companies who received jobkeeper and posted profits
Andrew Leigh was talking companies who received jobkeeper and posted profits this morning with the ABC. He says there are a couple of issues with corporations using taxpayer funds to pay dividends:
I think there’s two questions. One’s around corporate morality. I think it’s important that firms who say in their corporate social responsibility statements that they’re there for the general public do the right thing. If they got corporate welfare and their profits went up, they should repay it.
But it’s also really worrying that although parliament gave Josh Frydenberg extraordinary discretion for the jobkeeper bill, that he then allowed a system to run which has seen perhaps a fifth of the money go to firms with rising earnings.
Jobkeeper was designed for large firms whose earnings had fallen by 50%, and yet around a fifth of the money – according to analysis by Ownership Matters – has gone to firms with rising profits. That could mean $10 to $20bn wasted of taxpayer money. That’s enough to extend jobkeeper for another six months right now. That’s the cost of the entire Building the Education Revolution program that did school construction in every school in Australia. That is waste on a gargantuan scale.
Updated
Gladys Berejiklian was asked about Michael Johnsen at her press conference earlier today:
I think I joined everybody else in being absolutely shocked at the serious allegations that were raised and somewhat relieved that it’s subject to a police investigation. I think all of us want to make sure that justice is served well and properly and the alleged victim needs to be able to have a process where nothing is prejudiced, so I’m going to be really careful in what I say because all of us want to get to the bottom of this and want it to be done properly.
Labor’s Penny Wong has been pursuing officials over Scott Morrison’s “home by Christmas” assurance for stranded Australians.
Marise Payne, the foreign affairs minister, argues progress has been made:
To be really clear: Between 18 September and Christmas 63,100 Australians returned from overseas, that included more than 24,800 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Of those that included 5,150 who were classified as vulnerable … In the six weeks prior to Christmas the department made over 50,000 offers of places on flights to Australians registered overseas to support that return process.”
Updated
The number of Australians stranded overseas is about 36,000, estimates has been told.
There are now 36,206 Australians registered as wishing to return to Australia as of Tuesday, officials told the session. Of this number, 4,860 are identified as vulnerable Australians.
The top-five countries are:
- India
- UK
- US
- Philippines
- Thailand
Updated
The ABC journalist currently facing defamation action from attorney general Christian Porter is among the six finalists for the annual Stella prize for literature announced this morning.
Louise Milligan has made the final cut for Witness, an examination of the justice system’s treatment of sexual assault and sexual abuse victims.
Now in its ninth year, the $50,000 award for fiction and nonfiction was established to address the underrepresentation of women among literary prize winners in Australia. In 2020 the prize broadened its criteria to include non-binary as well as female writers, and for the first time this year a non-binary author has made the final cut – S L Lim for their novel Revenge: Murder in Three Parts.
The strong favourite is Laura Jean McKay for her debut novel The Animals in that Country, which collected the country’s most valuable book gong, the $100,000 Victorian literary prize, in February.
The remaining finalists are Rebecca Giggs for her first nonfiction work Fathoms: the World in the Whale, Mirandi Riwoe for Stone Sky Gold Mountain set in the Australian gold-rush era, and previous Miles Franklin Award winner Evie Wyld for her third novel The Bass Rock.
The winner will be announced on 22 April.
Updated
Dfat estimates has fired up already. Labor’s Penny Wong asks Marise Payne whether she can say anything about speculated changes to the ministry or secretary roles.
“I have no comment to make on that,” the foreign affairs minister replies.
Asked if Payne is part of those discussions, the minister says she is not going to comment.
Wong asks if she can infer from that that Payne is not part of those discussions.
Payne fires back: “You should not infer anything from that, because you know you are playing politics.”
Chair Eric Abetz: “Please it’s only 10 past 9.”
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Eric Abetz is the chair of that committee Hursty is watching, and he has opened the meeting.
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The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, opens the session of foreign affairs estimates by saying she would like to take opportunity to acknowledge officials overseas and at home during the “prolonged Covid crisis”.
Adamson says many overseas staff are dealing with challenging circumstances in places with higher prevalence of Covid. She says her colleagues are supporting Australia’s nearest neighbours to respond to the pandemic. Adamson also cites the “increasingly complex strategic environment”.
Things seem really rosy in the NSW parliament at the moment.
This Gladys media alert cancellation pic.twitter.com/cshdftvxdi
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) March 24, 2021
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What political capital is Scott Morrison willing to expend to have more women preselected in state divisions?
Morrison:
Well I always start with my own house. So, I’m a member of the New South Wales division.
And what I want to see is more women in parliament. Now, and I will see more women in my ministry.
Now, no prime minister, Liberal or Labor, has put more women in their cabinet than I have.
And in fact the cabinet that I have has more women in it and that’s more than the last Labor cabinet, which was voted on by the entire Labor caucus.
Q: Your New South Wales division – the Liberal politician Catherine Cusack, who’s a Liberal says the party division in your state is run by a boys’ club drunk on power and alcohol.
Morrison:
The New South Wales premier is Gladys Berejiklian, a female premier of New South Wales.
... And Gladys Berejiklian and I have been discussing these matters, and, and we share many views on this topic, I mean I met when I was state director of the Liberal party in New South Wales, Gladys was running for Willoughby.
And, you know, there were many women that we were bringing into the parliament back then, people like Judy Hopwood and many others.
And, you know, I’ve always been very committed to this, but what matters is the outcome, what I’ve simply said is I don’t think, and I’ve said this to the party organisation at every level federal and state, that we must achieve more here.
And different divisions I suspect we’ll come up with better ways of achieving it.
It’s not about this measure or that measure, I just want what works.
Just give me what works, party organisation. The Liberal party, And the same is true for the Nationals, we want to see more here.
And so, the party organisation has to seriously address that.
Now if there’s any suggestion that they’re not addressing quotas because they think the prime minister is against it, well, that’s not right. I’m not against it.
What I’m more for though, is getting more women here because the women I have in my cabinet do an extraordinary job and the women are brought into the assistant ministry I just mentioned to you Amanda Stoker*, she’s one of the most, most bright and intelligent people to come into this parliament and I was thrilled to be able to bring her into the executive so earlier the parliamentary career.
*Amanda Stoker is in a battle with James McGrath for the number one Queensland Senate ticket spot. The number two spot goes to the Nationals (Matt Canavan) and number three is not guaranteed. So the battle is always for one.
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Just a few minutes after that Scott Morrison interview on ABC radio ended, Malcolm Turnbull tweeted out this:
Accountability. Leadership. Responsibility. Ministers must lead by example and live the values they espouse. They should be held responsible for their conduct and for ensuring their staff behave respectfully to others. pic.twitter.com/7TEvARLQTp
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 24, 2021
Sabra Lane then asks the prime minister “Is your leadership safe?”
Scott Morrison:
Absolutely (laughs) What ... what suggestions are you picking up there? (laughs again)
No I’ve been very grateful for the tremendous support I’ve had from all of my colleagues, from my cabinet, my ministers all the way through to my party room, they have just, I’ve just been overwhelmed by the amount of support that I’ve received from my colleagues this week.
Our party has never been more united.
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Q: You’re apparently considering moving Christian Porter as attorney general, why do you do that when you’re backing his defamation case against the ABC.
Scott Morrison:
I‘m not speculating on any of these decisions, all I’ve said in the parliament this week is, that in relation to Mr Porter’s return to the cabinet, I’ve been considering the advice of the solicitor general about conflicts of interest that may arise in relation to that defamation action against the ABC and the way that they’ve handled these matters.
And, and I’ll consider that. Also in terms of the ministerial code of conduct which also deals with perceived conflicts of interest.
So I’m working through those issues with the attorney at the moment he’s not returning to work for the first, some of the another week or so yet, and, and that will be done in time, after his return.
Q: And how do you drop Linda Reynolds from defence without it being considered a reprimand for the handling of the Brittany Higgins matter.
Morrison:
Again, you’re making assumptions based on speculation which have been reported in the media,
Q: Yes, widely reported, and it seems from outside the bubble, prime minister, that everyone has the same information.
Morrison:
Well, I can’t speak to what media report, all I can say is that when I make decisions on these matters I’ll communicate them and my reason for it.
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In that ABC interview, Scott Morrison said he had not been in direct contact with Brittany Higgins.
No, I haven’t been direct contact with it her, no I haven’t. I didn’t know Brittany when she worked here.
And I know she was in the building, just like there are large numbers of people who work here.
The apology I offered, in the parliament, nationally, publicly, was one I sincerely meant.
Sabra Lane: The Tasmanian premier has written to you and asking you to consider an allegation that Liberal senator Eric Abetz made offensive comments about Miss Higgins effectively blaming her. It’s something that the senator has strenuously denied, [what will you do]?
Scott Morrison:
Well that’s not how I would characterise the letters from Premier Gutwein and the premier has not added any further information.
Senator Abetz has absolutely denied this completely. And, and he’s made that statement and these other statements I understand were made under privileged in the Tasmanian parliament, and so I mean I would find those sorts of comments as I’m sure anyone would be completely appalling.
Senator Abetz, who is a longstanding member of the Senate and a longstanding figure in public life and has a strong record when it comes to addressing these issues very seriously, has absolutely denied that.
SL: Has the premier, has he asked you to look at it further at all?
Morrison:
He’s just raised the matter, and said it was raised with him, but he has no additional information and he doesn’t corroborate or confirm any of these, any of these things.
He’s just simply mentioned this matter to me, but Senator Abetz has issued a clear denial of that and I think is a very strong one.
SL:
Why do you believe him and not the female Tasmanian politician [who raised the allegations]?
Morrison:
I was not a party to the conversation. And so, you know in this country if people make allegations, they can make them – this has been strenuously denied. And so I think it would be very unfair to draw a conclusion here. When you know the facts are in such dispute.
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Morrison interviewed on ABC
Sabra Lane asks Scott Morrison whether or not he can categorically say his staff did not background against Brittany Higgins’ loved ones.
Again, Morrison uses passive language and says no one in the federal press gallery has raised those allegations with him or “any discomfort with anything that my office has done”.
“So people make allegations all the time, second, third-hand, but there’s no one has raised that with my chief of staff out of the gallery, no.”
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NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro issued this statement this morning:
In light of the police investigation and upon learning of allegations against the member for Upper Hunter Michael Johnsen, I sought Mr Johnsen’s resignation from his role as parliamentary secretary and he duly resigned.
Mr Johnsen also agreed to no longer sit in Nationals party room nor joint party room while the police investigation is under way.
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For more on the looming cabinet reshuffle, head here:
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Scott Morrison will also be speaking to ABC radio at 8am.
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Josh Frydenberg and Paul Fletcher are holding a press conference at 8am to announce a new arts and entertainment rescue funding package. I don’t think Guy Sebastian will be at this one.
Good morning
We’ve made it to the last House sitting day until the budget is handed down.
Not that it means anything.
All of the news has come from outside the chamber, overshadowing anything happening in Parliament House, and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
Overnight, NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen identified himself as the NSW government member accused of sexually assaulting a sex worker in 2019. He has denied the allegations and is cooperating with police in an investigation he says will clear him.
He has stepped aside as a parliamentary secretary, and won’t sit in either the Nationals party room or the joint party room while it’s investigated.
Johnsen named himself after a Labor MP told the NSW parliament she had been contacted by a woman a year and a half ago about the incident. Trish Doyle did not name the MP, but said it was a member of the government.
NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen has identified himself as the state government member accused of sexually assaulting a sex worker
— Naaman Zhou (@naamanzhou) March 24, 2021
"I am confident any investigation will conclude that I am an innocent party," he says.
Johnsen will step aside from his role and take leave pic.twitter.com/mX64ijOLrr
The Tasmanian Liberal premier, Peter Gutwein, has written to Scott Morrison urging him to “consider” the matters the Tasmanian Speaker Sue Hickey raised in the Tasmanian parliament on Wednesday. Hickey alleged federal Liberal senator Eric Abetz had made offensive comments about Brittany Higgins, which Abetz immediately denied. Abetz questioned Hickey’s motivation in making the claim now, given Hickey claimed the conversation happened three weeks ago. (Hickey is now an independent, after being told recently she would not be endorsed by the Liberal party for the next election.)
Gutwein said he was not made aware of the detail, but said Hickey had raised concerns with him several weeks ago, alleging Abetz had made offensive statements.
Gutwein wrote to Scott Morrison on Wednesday afternoon, requesting “that he consider the matters raised”.
Reports are also growing that Morrison is looking at reshuffling his cabinet for the second time in just a matter of months. Nothing is confirmed, but the reports have Peter Dutton moving to defence, Stuart Robert moving to home affairs and Michaelia Cash moving to the attorney general portfolio. Christian Porter is due to return to work on 31 March, with Morrison seeking advice from the solicitor general on ministerial standards, given some of his existing portfolio duties will have to be delegated elsewhere, given his defamation action against the ABC. There is no word on where Linda Reynolds would end up if she loses the defence portfolio.
Like I said, nothing is confirmed, but the reports are only gathering steam. We’ll bring you all of that and more as the day rolls on. You have Amy Remeikis on the blog and Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin, Daniel Hurst and Paul Karp in Canberra.
Ready?
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