Nighty night times
Ok, that will do, with the usual thanks and salutations to my colleagues.
Let’s recap today.
- Today was a backdown on the backpacker’s tax – the government has punted that off the a review and pushed the start date back to next January.
- It was also get Bill Shorten on the boats day. Malcolm Turnbull toured a border protection vessel in Darwin and subsequently declared that only the Coalition would secure the borders.
- Bill Shorten promised $500m for trams in Adelaide, and tried to head off the government’s political attack on boats, and the prime minister’s rolling assertions that Labor is angling for minority government with the Greens, by saying this was all mischief.
- There was more, there always is, but they are the main story arcs of the day. Have a lovely evening. See you in the morning.
Do let me know if you get a call from Tony Abbott.
It was good to visit @LiberalVictoria this morning and do some phone canvassing with the team. pic.twitter.com/ITItpInDyJ
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) May 17, 2016
A view of the campaign from Malcolm Turnbull’s official photographer, Sahlan Hayes.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die – and there is time to look at the Essential poll.
Labor is ahead of the Coalition on the two party preferred measure 51% to the Coalition’s 49%. Looking at primary votes, the Coalition is on 42% and Labor 38%.
Turnbull: approval
- 40% (up 1% since last month) of respondents approve of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as prime minister and 42% (up 3%) disapprove – a net approval rating of -2 (down 2).
Shorten: approval
- 34% (up 4%) of respondents approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing as opposition leader and 43% (down 1%) disapprove – a change in his net rating from -14 to -9.
Preferred prime minister
- 43% (down 1%) of respondents think Malcolm Turnbull would make the better prime minister and 28% (up 6%) think Bill Shorten would make the better prime minister.
- 46% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 28% prefer Bill Shorten.
- 40% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 27% prefer Bill Shorten.
A short dispatch from Murphy Street Wangaratta
Now that the yellow balloons have moved on from *Murphy* Street in Wangaratta, a few thoughts from the Wombat Trail.
1. Barnaby Joyce has changed the campaign for the Nationals on the ground. His quirky style has attracted a lot more attention, not to mention media, to rural seats. This very fact provides greater differentiation for brand National and surely that is a good thing for the party. The Coalitionists (the anti-Barnaby brigade) must acknowledge that.
2. But the animosity by the Nats towards independents in the bush has always intrigued me. Ask yourself which country seats will get the most attention and the answer is Indi, New England and Murray, all featuring heavy competition by way of three (or more) cornered contests.
By attracting independents and other candidates, all three of these seats are getting a lot of attention. Surely this is a good thing for rural Australia. The Nats should relish the competition. It makes for better representation of rural and regional people. It makes it easier for them to argue for resources. No brainer.
I know the Essential poll is out there this afternoon. I’ll get to that shortly.
Labor has now supplied a policy document to accompany the $500m for Adelaide trams announcement today.
Photograph: STRINGER/Reuters
The document makes a couple of things clear. The funding promised today is contingent on a positive assessment from Infrastructure Australia, “consistent with our position that all major infrastructure projects need to go through a thorough and detailed assessment prior to securing funds.” The funding will “fast track this assessment process, and will make sure that the project is made a reality as soon as possible.”
The $500m is allocated over the current forward estimates period:
- 2016-17: $5m
- 2017-18: $45m
- 2018-19: $225m
- 2019-20: $225m
-
Total: $500m
The immigration minister Peter Dutton has just been on 2GB in Sydney. He suggested to host Ben Fordham that dissenting Labor candidates have been sending messages of welcome to asylum seekers. Fordham seemed a bit taken aback by this information. Sending messages, he asked his guest?
Peter Dutton:
On social media.
This turned out to be Facebook pictures.
The refugee advocacy organisation People Just Like Us has invited all candidates in the federal election to sign its Pledge for a Just Refugee Policy ahead of the July 2 poll.
The five point pledge calls for:
- the immediate release and settlement of people in immigration detention
- an end to mandatory detention
- a raise in Australia’s annual humanitarian intake
- safe and just passage of asylum seekers, with no punishment based on means of arrival
- the granting of permanent settlement visas, with full rights including work rights and family reunion
Already, four MPs have signed: independent Andrew Wilkie, retiring Labor MHR Melissa Parke, and Greens Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Lee Rhiannon.
Other prominent signatories include: philosopher and author Noam Chomsky, barrister Julian Burnside; broadcaster Phillip Adams; Father Rod Bower from the Anglican Parish of Gosford; the NSW Council for Civil Liberties; the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre; and Professor David Isaacs, Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney, and who has worked in offshore detention.
Here's your hat, Sophie, what's your hurry?
Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash have just opened the campaign office of National’s Indi candidate Marty Corboy. It happens to be just next door to the Indi MP Cathy McGowan’s office.
They keep it close in the country. @Indigocathy office next door to @martycorboynats opening. #WombatTrail2016 pic.twitter.com/k0130VYS51
— Gabrielle Chan (@gabriellechan) May 17, 2016
It was a very different appearance than the one by former deputy PM Warren Truss, who politely skirted the issue of who Coalition voters should chose when he campaigned for Corboy and Sophie Mirabella before he retired.
By contrast, Joyce was very clear that voters should chose Corboy over Liberal candidate Sophie Mirabella. He says Marty has a “high work rate”, wearing out his shoes with the understanding of the pressures of a large family. (He and wife Annelisa have six children.) “Marty will take that understanding of Indi into the rooms of Canberra to make sure he is heard. Marty is in our party with Fiona and I, I have to listen to him otherwise in strife.”
Both Joyce and Nash also said the Nationals were responsible for the delay of the backpacker tax. This was an interesting intervention, given Latika Bourke’s story this morning which said: “The government’s partial backdown follows a campaign mounted by a group of rural and regional Coalition MPs, including the candidate for Indi and former Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella, Victorians Dan Tehan, Sarah Henderson, West Australians Rick Wilson, Melissa Price, Nola Marino and South Australian backbencher Tony Pasin.” The tax will be delayed pending a review which will be headed by Joyce even though farmer organisations have been calling on the Coalition government to rule it out. Joyce was asked about previous comments regarding SPC Ardmona when the company was in danger of closing down.
At the time, Joyce said it was not the Nationals responsibility to fight for the food manufacturer in the seat of Murray because the seat was held by Liberal Sharman Stone. “SPC is still operational isn’t it?” Joyce said. “It was also a state government including the National party which did exactly what you asked.”
And he rolled out the “seat at the table” argument for those voters thinking of choosing an independent. That is, unless you vote for a member of a government, your seat will not get a say.
“With Corboy you get a minister down here, with an independent you get a beautiful letter to the editor and empathy,” Joyce said. “I know the people of Indi, just like the people of New England will make a value judgement when they cast their vote. It is not a personality contest, it never is, it’s a contest about capabilities, its a contest about outcomes. As you go to cast your vote, leave sentimentality at the gate, and do what is best for Indi.”
Updated
While I’m fact checking and enjoying the minor miracle that I can hear myself think, let’s look at Labor’s policy announcement in Adelaide today. Bill Shorten copped a lot of questions from the local media contingent about Labor’s $500m for Adelink, which I gather is the proposal for a light rail network in the city.
I can’t find a policy document for today’s announcement, only a press release. I’m seeking a policy document from the ALP, if there is one, because the press release Labor’s CHQ issued this morning doesn’t make it clear when this $500m will be allocated, whether it’s over the current forward estimates period, or off into the fiscal never never.
Labor has pledged two things for this project today: $500m, and potentially, access to the $10bn infrastructure finance facility Labor pledged as a policy initiative last year. The questions in Adelaide today centred (not unreasonably) around who would stump up the extra money required, which the reporters suggested was $2.5bn.
Right now I’d like to know when the money Labor has promised today hits the road. As it were. Probably hits the tramline might be more appropriate.
An afternoon fact check: Malcolm Turnbull on boats
I addressed the campaign dynamics in the broad during the lunch time summary but I think it’s worth, now we can hear ourselves think, coming back to go over Malcolm Turnbull’s down the barrel of the camera pitch from Darwin this morning on border protection.
As the prime minister was speaking, some readers were urging me to conduct a live fact check of this answer, a challenge I had to decline in the interests of furnishing you with a clean report.
But it is worth doing. So let’s do it now.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Let me say to you that the protection of Australia’s borders is a political issue. We should not be naïve about this. The Australian Border Force, the men and women of the Australian Border Force, will do a professional job for which ever government the Australian people elect on 2 July. They will do an outstanding job, whoever is prime minister, but everything depends on whether there is a government that is committed to keeping our borders secure.
Fact check: Public servants will implement the policy of the government of the day. The Coalition and Labor have the same policy on boat turn backs. Both parties justify their policy on the basis that it will stop drownings at sea.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Australians know my government is. Our track record is there. It is there in this government, in my government, in Tony Abbott’s government, in John Howard’s government. We have an unequivocal commitment to keeping our borders secure and the people smugglers know that.
Fact check: People smugglers are aware of Australian policies in relation to border protection.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Let me be, let’s be very very frank about this. This is not a question of politics ...
Fact check: Politician holding a press conference in an election campaign says he’s not being political. If you believe that I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you.
Malcolm Turnbull:
This is a question of fact. There are over 14,000 people in Indonesia right now who came to Indonesia during the period of the Labor government in the hope that they would be able to get on a people smuggler’s boat and get to Australia. And they know they can’t get through because of the commitment of my government, because of my government’s determination to stop the boats and to turn them back when we intercept them at sea and that’s why there have been no more boats. That’s why we’ve had over 600 days without any unauthorised arrivals.
Fact check: Ok, let’s do this step by step. I presume the 14,000 is a number the government has ascertained from intelligence agencies. I have no idea whether that’s accurate or not. As to boats not getting through, well that’s just complete rubbish. Boats have gotten through. The last one actually arrived a couple of weeks ago. The Coalition didn’t tell us about that when it happened, it told us during week one of the election campaign, in order to create a platform to make some partisan points about Labor. So let’s not cop 600 days with no arrivals. Nonsense.
Malcolm Turnbull:
What we’re getting from the Labor party is one mixed signal after another. Not only do we have the dissension right through the Labor party and plainly a lack of commitment to enforcing protection on the borders, not only do we have the factual track record of the Labor party in office under Kevin Rudd but we now have the deputy leader of the Labor party, Tanya Plibersek, saying that they have a different border protection policy, they have a Labor policy and that’s what she supports. So what is she proposing? To change the border protection policy?
Fact check: Labor does have internal divisions on boats policy. We saw them at the party’s national conference in 2015, where the party proceeded to debate and then resolve its policy. Not everyone was happy with the resolution of the policy. That’s called politics. It’s true that Kevin Rudd and the then immigration minister Chris Evans dismantled John Howard’s border protection architecture and unauthorised boat arrivals ticked up. That is a factual record. As for Tanya Plibersek saying Labor has a different border protection policy, Labor does have a different policy to the government. The major party policies overlap entirely on boat turn backs and offshore processing, but differ on oversight of the detention centres and also on the humanitarian intake. Labor is proposing changes to the Coalition’s border protection policies on the two issues I’ve mentioned. That’s not a secret unAustralian conspiracy. It is not even news.
Malcolm Turnbull:
All Australians will say - and I regret to say all the people smugglers will say is: “Here we go again.” It’s the same old Labor. You cannot trust them on border protection. They have proved themselves to be incapable of protecting our borders in government and now in opposition as we approach an election, they are riddled with dissent and the deputy leader of the party herself is talking about a Labor border protection policy that is different from the Government’s border protection policy and the one thing we know about my government’s policy, my Government’s policy as implemented by the Border Force on the border, is that we are keeping the border secure and the people smugglers have been stopped.
Fact check: See answers above.
This afternoon we’ve published the latest in our series of campaign essays. Last week I attempted to grapple with telling the story of Bill Shorten and Labor over this past three years. Today, my colleague Lenore Taylor takes on the prime minister.
He beams even before he enters the room, leans forward into conversations, talks to the cameras with utter certainty. But he never strays far from the script, and when he’s delivering attack lines similar to those of the man he deposed, on climate policy or asylum, his conviction fades, and he hurries them, as if to get them over with.
To achieve his goal Turnbull seems to have stopped speaking in the way that for many years made him the country’s most popular choice as leader, according to opinion polls. To win the chance to govern in his own voice he seems to have calculated that for a time he has to temper himself, stay on message, talk the talk of a more conventional candidate.
Lenore’s piece charts the course of a leader who won plaudits from the public for standing on principle, but has compromised to conform with the expectations of the people around him. It’s funny now I’ve read her essay, there are some parallels with Shorten’s trajectory as opposition leader, and some differences. Perhaps we can tease those out in our campaign podcast later in the week.
Updated
"Park things and move on ..."
Speaking of Barnaby Joyce .. yes ok, we weren’t actually, but we were by inference, given he’s pictured with his colleagues in the last post .. thanks to the news wire service AAP for this snippet.
Supporters of Tony Abbott need to “park things and move on”, says Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Joyce was asked on 2GB radio on Tuesday about his advice to coalition voters still angry about Abbott being dumped for Malcolm Turnbull in September. “At times you’ve got park things and move on, otherwise you live your whole life looking back over your shoulder and you are going to get angry and bitter,” the deputy prime minister said. He had come across an “angry and bitter” political figure in recent times, he said, making a veiled reference to Kevin Rudd’s campaign against Julia Gillard. Joyce said voters, whether they supported Labor or the coalition, needed to consider who would provide the stronger government “for the love of the nation”. “Make that decision and then don’t worry too much about the personalities, worry about the team you want to back.”
Things look more sedate down in Indi, fortunately. My dear friend Gabi Chan is chasing Nats. She introduced us to this fellow, Marty Corboy, last night, a fellow who noted that some good folks in Indi were “rapt” to have a bloke to vote for.
Yes, that’s the Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash standing right behind him.
Yes, Fiona Nash is not a bloke.
Marty Corboy, @Barnaby_Joyce and @SenatorNash opening Indi office #WombatTrail2016 #Election2016 @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/BTjd5gbOwK
— Gabrielle Chan (@gabriellechan) May 17, 2016
I’m sure Gabi will keep us posted.
And here’s another angle.
Margo Carey, 49, says hello to the Opposition Leader. pic.twitter.com/qI4KMEJk48
— joe kelly (@joekellyoz) May 17, 2016
How about those hustings?
Margo pulls Bill Shorten in for a "cuddle" https://t.co/GxnUBvq1Rc
— ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) May 17, 2016
Umm, ok.
Bill Shorten gets up close and personal on the campaign trail. Photo by @ellinghausen. pic.twitter.com/dqH6GYTGYj
— Stephanie Peatling (@srpeatling) May 17, 2016
Brandis said the young man was in the process of acquiring a weapon, hence the arrest.
George Brandis:
He was in the process of acquiring a firearm and the judgment of the police was ... he was intending to put it to use imminently.
Updated
George Brandis: police acted to prevent an "imminent terrorist event"
I haven’t had a minute to alert readers to an arrest this morning. As my colleagues Michael Safi and Calla Wahlquist report, a Sydney teenager has been arrested on suspicions of preparing to commit a terrorist attack and trying to travel to Syria. Police said an attack was “imminent” when they arrested the Macquarie Park man, 18, earlier today.
The attorney-general George Brandis is addressing reporters in Brisbane now. He says the advice from police was an attack was imminent.
I can confirm that the individual concerned was known to law enforcement authorities, that he had attempted to leave the country in February to engage, it will be alleged, in hostile acts of foreign incursion but he was prevented from leaving because he was the subject of a passport cancellation.
Since that time, he has been under the surveillance of the relevant authorities who have decided this morning to act to prevent an imminent terrorist event- an imminent terrorism event in Australia.
This is the ninth occasion since the national terrorism alert level was raised in September 2014 that police have successfully intervened to prevent an imminent terrorism event on Australian soil.
It is also the second occasion in two weeks when police have arrested individuals for terrorism offences under the Commonwealth criminal code.
Just for the record, readers with me all day know the prime minister was asked at his press conference in Darwin earlier today about border force telling camera people not to film the border force logo lest the visit today be seen as political.
Here’s our border force enforcer of the caretaker convention, pictured below.
You can see the effort was unsuccessful.
For Malcolm Turnbull’s part, he thought border protection was political. Granted a few second later he thought it was factual, but there it is.
Campaign , this lunchtime
Let’s take stock this Tuesday lunchtime.
So folks, let’s begin by talking about boats.
- Two things happened today that are notable: Bill Shorten made an opening statement at his press conference rebutting Malcolm Turnbull on two points: he took issue with Turnbull’s repeated statements that Labor would wind back the Coalition’s border protection policy, and Labor was angling through this campaign for minority government with the Greens. You don’t do that unless you have a problem, or you fear you might develop a problem without pre-emptive action, which leads us to the second development, Malcolm Turnbull, clambering around on a border force boat in Darwin.
- The boats stunt in Darwin is kind of a campaign standard, it often denotes the point in time when the campaign has reached peak absurd. We have a way to go in 2016 before we hit peak absurd, but still Malcolm Turnbull wanted to send a message. He was dispatched by the backroom today to look down the barrel of a TV camera and go in for the kill on asylum boats. That was the only objective today. The man who took the Liberal party leadership fretting mildly about conditions in offshore detention in one of his first interviews after taking the party leadership (remember that, just a tiny wobble of compassion the day after Turnbull dispatched Tony Abbott), is now following a campaign strategy of invoking the tin hat. The tin hat has been passed in the past twenty years from John Howard, to Tony Abbott and now to Malcolm Turnbull.
- There is another explanation of course other than the one I started with – Labor in trouble, or trying not to let trouble take hold. Turnbull’s little speech today may in fact be inspired by Shorten performing better than expected. Going into this campaign, the Coalition was planning a campaign of affirmation, not an aggressively negative one, but here we are in week two and various people, including the prime minister today, are ramping up the attack lines. The Coalition really keeps needs to keep the message frame in Labor’s areas of weakness, if Labor can punch outside that and talk about it’s strengths then the Coalition is vulnerable.
- So who says this campaign is boring? It really isn’t.
- The major news lines today apart from the tussle I’ve covered are of course the backflip on the backpackers tax, which was, according to the treasurer, actually decided on in the budget, but only announced today. Because, campaign.
- And Shorten is also getting a lot of questions in Adelaide on the light rail project he’s planning to part fund, and still, on penalty rates, a hangover from yesterday.
- Greens leader Richard Di Natale told reporters this morning he didn’t know whether the Greens had made a submission to the Fair Work Commission on penalty rates, even though he’s now proposing to legislate to protect them. Just how he’ll do that with no parliamentary support is something of a mystery. And to answer the question Di Natale couldn’t answer, the Greens did not make a submission to the FWC, as we referenced on the blog yesterday.
I’m not finished with pulling apart various issues of today. I’ll revisit over the afternoon as time permits.
Updated
Speaking of postcards.
That was a hectic morning. I’ll pause and post a summary next.
Postcard from Gundagai
Ok blogsters. There I was, hot on the trail of the deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. On the Hume Highway, I could not resist the temptation to stop at the Dog on the Tuckerbox (5 miles from Gundagai) to chat to a few voters.
As I pulled in, I blew a tyre.
They say you can never predict anything on a campaign trail and that much is true. But out of the scrub emerged Bruce and Jodie Cole and Greg and Lorraine Lehmann from Queensland.
Thanks Jodie+Bruce Cole,Lorraine+Greg Lehmann, 4changing my tyre at The Dog on Tuckerbox.#WombatTrail2016 @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/kMaoFAOOih
— Gabrielle Chan (@gabriellechan) May 17, 2016
It was like pulling into a mobile tyre shop, they had the wheel off so quickly. They hailed from St George in Queensland, formerly Barnaby Joyce country, before he moved back to New England.
Like most voters, they hadn’t thought much of the election but were horrified at a Trump presidency. Clive Palmer got a mention too, as a “huge bag of wind”. As Queenslanders, they were happy he was on the way out.
But they did say they were keen to get back to a government that held the same prime minister for the whole term. “Like they used to do”.
“Malcolm Turnbull didn’t knife (Abbott) in the back like Julia did,” Lorraine said. “But people vote for the person as well as the party. So I think parties have to earn that trust back,” said Jodie.
Two things struck me. That those voters were prepared to cut Turnbull more slack for the challenge than Gillard. And unlike us, we have a way to go before voters are not yet fully engaged.
Actually, there was one more thing. The kindness of strangers always makes me grateful. Thanks Bruce and Greg.
Love your work.
Updated
Delcon #squad in the #ausvotes wild
#Squad, as promised.
Updated
I’ll get you a picture of #Squad shortly, but first I’ll answer my own rhetorical question from the post before – why take a decision in the budget and not announce it until the campaign? Answer: Campaign. Any rhetorical question I pose in the next month-and-a-half – the answer will be campaign. Just a heads up.
Old friends, on the hustings
Just while we are on curiosities, Kevin Andrews has taken to his Facebook page to inform his peeps that Tony Abbott is campaigning with him in his Victorian electorate today.
Squad!
Curiouser and curiouser
Interestingly, the treasurer Scott Morrison has just told reporters in Brisbane that the government had already factored in the costs of today’s backpacker tax backflip in the budget, which readers will remember was brought down the week before the election was called.
Scott Morrison:
The decision that we took today had already been provisioned for and taken into account.
Which really does beg the question – if the decision had been taken at budget time, why not announce it then? Why wait until now?
I have no time right now to unpick these various elements, but rest assured, I will be picking apart these themes over the course of the day. Stay tuned.
Q: Why did you not want to be photographed with the Australian Border Force logo? Your predecessor, Tony Abbott, would have seen that as an opportunity, surely?
Malcolm Turnbull:
I’m surprised that you ask that. We’ve been here with the Border Force and you’ve had ample opportunities to photograph me with the Australian Border Force. I am proud of the Australian Border Force and I have thanked them and honoured them for the great work they do for Australia.
Q: Border Force actually asked us not to photograph the logo because they didn’t want to be politicised for this event. Are you politicising them by coming here and launching your strongest attack on Bill Shorten yet?
(1. Woops. 2. In a campaign corner, try punch your way out.)
Malcolm Turnbull:
Let me say to you that the protection of Australia’s borders is a political issue. We should not be naive about this. The Australian Border Force, the men and women of the Australian Border Force, will do a professional job for which ever government the Australian people elect on 2 July. They will do an outstanding job, whoever is prime minister, but everything depends on whether there is a government that is committed to keeping our borders secure.
Australians know, my government is, our track record, is there. It is there in this government, in my government, in Tony Abbott’s government, in John Howard’s government. We have an unequivocal commitment to keeping our borders secure and the people smugglers know that.
Then Turnbull switches course. Border protection is not a question of politics, it’s a question of fact. He talks about the people waiting in Indonesia. At the moment they know they can’t get to Australia.
Malcolm Turnbull:
They know they can’t get through because of my government’s determination to stop the boats and turn them back when we intercept them at sea and that’s why there have been no more boats.
That’s why we’ve had over 600 days without any unauthorised arrivals. What we’re getting from the Labor party is one mixed signal after another. Not only do we have the dissension right through the Labor party and plainly a lack of commitment to enforcing protection on the borders, not only do we have the factual track record of the Labor party in office under Kevin Rudd but we now have the deputy leader of the Labor party, Tanya Plibersek, saying that they have a different border protection policy, they have a Labor policy and that’s what she supports, so what is she proposing? To change the border protection policy?
All Australians will say - and I regret to say all the public will say is, “Here we go again.” It’s the same old Labor. You cannot trust them on border protection. They have proved themselves to be incapable of protecting our borders in government and now in opposition, as we approach an election, they are riddled with dissent and the deputy leader of the party herself is talking about a Labor border protection policy that is different from the government’s border protection policy and the one thing we know about my government’s policy, my government’s policy as implemented by the Border Force on the border, is that we are keeping the border secure and the people smugglers have been stopped.
Q: The cost of the backpacker tax is $500m over the forward estimates, have you factored in how much that will cost to delay by 6 months and how much potentially the changes could cost the budget?
Malcolm Turnbull:
I can assure you all of those matters have been taken into account and will be reflected in the PEFO.
(If you don’t speak treasury, PEFO is the economic statement treasury releases during an election campaign.)
Reporters in Darwin are more interested in the backpacker tax, at least in the first instance.
Q: Why has the government backed down from the backpacker tax and why are you not announcing it here in Darwin where it is a big issue?
Malcolm Turnbull:
The matter’s been announced by the minister responsible for tax who is the assistant treasurer, she’s effectively the minister for revenue and Kelly O’Dwyer has done that, and as you know we’re having a 6-month review of it and we’re listening to the concerns from the horticultural sector and hospitality sector in particular.
Malcolm Turnbull addresses reporters in Darwin
We need to look north because Malcolm Turnbull is speaking. In front of the border force vessel, Turnbull launches a takedown of Labor’s stance on asylum seekers.
Fundamentally, no matter how professional, no matter how capable, courageous and committed the border force is, everything depends on strong leadership, strong conviction, commitment from government. Labor cannot deliver that. Mr Shorten cannot deliver that.
He can say all the fine words. His deputy [Tanya Plibersek] is crab-walking away in the direction of the Greens. His candidates are crab-walking away in the direction of the Greens. They lack the conviction and commitment to keep our borders secure.
The journalists want to know who will come up with the rest of the $2.5bn required to fund the tram network.
Jay Weatherill:
We’ve had some excellent discussions already with local government, led by the Lord Mayor of the city of Adelaide. He’s brought together a range of inner suburban councils. They’ve all expressed interest in being part of an investment to bring trams back to SA. Now we have the commitment of federal Labor. We’re of course committed so between the three levels of government we believe this project will get away.
More questions. Picking up on Trump, Shorten is asked whether he thinks politicians should release their tax records. He says that hasn’t been a condition in Australia but I’ve got nothing in my tax records which concerns me in the slightest.
A question about whether Shorten is at odds with his agriculture spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, on the backpacker tax. Fitzgibbon says the tax should be killed off entirely. Shorten isn’t saying that, says the questioner. The Labor leader says Labor is in agreement on this issue.
Lots of questions on the trams announcement then.
Q: This is just money ... for Infrastructure Australia to study it, are you giving false promises to the people of Adelaide if it doesn’t go ahead?
Bill Shorten:
Labor believes it is appropriate to use scarce taxpayer dollars to help improve public transport of our cities. We’ve soon three years of Liberal government with an effective sort of ban on public transport infrastructure investment.
The truth of the matter is it’s not good enough for Mr Turnbull to take selfies on trams, he’s got to build public transport.
Shorten backs Hillary Clinton for president
Bill Shorten gets a question on the Greens calling for Australia to reconsider the US alliance.
The Labor leader then, much to my surprise, endorses Hillary Clinton for president. Australian leaders don’t normally buy in to American election campaigns, and she’s not even the Democratic nominee yet unless I’ve missed something.
Bill Shorten:
First of all, when it comes to the Greens, I think the Greens have got some silly positions on a range of matters. In terms of the American alliance, the Labor party sees as part of our foreign policy the strong ongoing maintenance of the American alliance.
In terms of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, I have to say that if I was in America I would be voting for Hillary Clinton. Whoever America elects we’ll deal with but there’s no doubt in my mind that Trump would be very difficult, I think, to deal with, but Australia, we will stick to the American alliance full stop.
Updated
Questions now. Two on penalty rates. Bill Shorten is sticking to his formulation: Labor backs penalty rates, the Greens want to ignore the independent umpire, and the Coalition will remove penalty rates if it gets the chance. If you want penalty rates to be protected, you’ve got to protect the independent umpire. And vote Labor.
Shorten is asked whether his industrial spokesman, Brendan O’Connor, is in the naughty chair given he stuffed up on Neil Mitchell yesterday.
Shorten says come on.
I’ve got my shadow treasurer and leader of the Opposition and also talking about manufacturing and we’re talking about jobs for SA. Brendan is doing plenty of interviews and the real issue here, Mark, is this ... Why is it that the Liberal party is proudly pushing 61candidates who want to support cutting penalty rates?
Bill Shorten then says he wants to address some untruths from Malcolm Turnbull.
Before I take questions, I just want to make some comments about Mr Turnbull and some of the dishonest things he’s been saying about Labor.
He has clearly decided that he’s going to say as often as he can that Labor won’t tackle the people smugglers and he’s also clearly decided to say as often as he can that in the event of a hung parliament Labor would form a Coalition with the Greens.
There is no truth to any aspect or any detail of what he’s saying. Mr Turnbull’s clearly been told lies or he’s telling lies. Whatever the case, he ought to stop and he ought to stop now.
(Interesting. This suggestion of coalition is obviously hurting Labor, for Shorten to address it offensively like that.)
The premier Jay Weatherill gives Shorten a big character reference.
Jay Weatherill:
Everyone’s talking about the transformation of the economy. There’s only one party, the Labor party, that’s talking about helping workers and businesses make that transformation. This is why this announcement is so crucially important for SA.
Bill Shorten:
I’m very pleased, along with Chris Bowen and Penny Wong and Nick Champion, Labor is announcing that if we are electedon July 2 we will commit $500m in grant funding to secure Adelink, building a new network of tram services through Adelaide to help ease congestion, improve productivity, to help generate 2000 new jobs.
SA is the go-ahead state under premier Weatherill. They’re looking for new opportunities all the time but what they will get out of a federal Labor government after July 2 and what South Australians will get is a commitment to a federal Labor government investing in quality public transport in Adelaide, investing in new jobs for SA, and investing in manufacturing.
Bill Shorten addresses reporters in Adelaide
The Labor leader’s media conference is underway now in Adelaide.
Bill Shorten is flanked by the SA premier Jay Weatherill and two colleagues, Penny Wong and Chris Bowen. He’s committing $500m for the Adelaide tram network.
Back to Darwin and the border force vessel inspection.
PM Turnbull with border force officials at Darwin Port, leased to Landbridge #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/8rMBYRGsGW
— Primrose Riordan (@primroseriordan) May 17, 2016
I suspect Turnbull will get the odd question on foreign investment given he’s at the Darwin port.
The weirdest such inspection of a border force vessel from my memory happened when Julia Gillard climbed on board a customs vessel with David Bradbury, one of her MPs from western Sydney, who presumably, just happened to be in Darwin. As you do. Not. I believe that was 2010. That wasn’t even the weirdest thing that happened in the 2010 election.
The Greens leader Richard Di Natale is speaking to reporters in Sydney. He addresses the offshore processing issue that we pointed readers to earlier this morning – a quote where Di Natale appeared to signal that the Greens might compromise with Labor during a minority government negotiation. He says the Greens policy is clear: the Greens want to close the “hell holes.”
That’s our position and it will continue to be our position.
Q: Will you rule out doing a deal with Labor on offshore processing if the humanitarian intake was increased?
Di Natale says his party’s position is clear.
Then he says he’s not going to play games on minority government negotiations.
Richard Di Natale:
Our policy is clear, those camps will be closed and that is a position that we hold and we’ll continue to hold. Now, I’ve been asked on a number of occasions about my position on what things would or wouldn’t be part of any discussion should there be an opportunity for multiparty government. Just not going to play that silly game. It’s not a game we’re going to play.
If you want to know what issues we consider to be the basis for any negotiations, look at the issues we’re campaigning on during this election. That’s a guide to the basis of any future negotiation and clearly taking action on dangerous global warming, more decency towards innocent people seeking asylum, making the transition to the clean, renewable energy economy and addressing inequality in Australia are all things that will form the basis of any negotiation – but just not going to get into this silly game – what about things would or wouldn’t be part of any potential negotiation.
Apparently the prime minister will shortly climb on board a border force vessel at the Darwin port – something of a campaign standard.
Final question is childcare, what is the government going to do to raise the status of childcare professionals? Malcolm Turnbull says the government wants to take action on childcare but we’ve been blocked because of the Senate.
We’ll have a new Senate after July.
Q: We are hoping you might make an announcement now. What’s happening on the backpacker tax? What about the mango season?
Word must not have reached Darwin yet.
Malcolm Turnbull repeats Kelly O’Dwyer’s announcement this morning, the six month review.
Clearly there is a legitimate concern .. We’ve listened and we are going to review it over the next six months.
First question is on the budget – why wasn’t there resources to develop the north? Malcolm Turnbull says northern Australia is central to the government’s economic plan. He says there’s defence funding, and the $5bn concessional loans fund that can fund dams and irrigation.
Malcolm Turnbull:
I’m a bit of a water fanatic myself.
The prime minister is now up on Darwin radio, enthusing about the Darwin waterfront.
Malcolm Turnbull:
It’s a great scale.
Q: Will you be a unionist prime minister?
Bill Shorten:
I’ve always believed in a fair go.
There’s a question on the backpacker tax. Bill Shorten says it’s been a real hash by the government.
The decision to postpone will only cause more uncertainty.
(But I still don’t know what Labor’s position is.)
The Labor leader is pressed on today’s local transport announcement. Byner wants to know why Labor is putting in money for the project in Adelaide when the state government hasn’t yet. Shorten says how the state government proceeds is a matter for the state government.
He’s asked will he do a deal with the Greens to form government. Shorten says he won’t. So we’ll go back to the polls then if it’s a hung parliament, Byner wonders? You won’t do a deal to form a minority government?
Bill Shorten:
There’s a third option, I’d rather win.
Shorten says there’s sixty one members of the Coalition who support cutting weekend penalty rates.
The Labor leader Bill Shorten is on Adelaide radio with host Leon Byner currently battling the issue of yesterday: penalty rates. He’s pressed on what Labor will do in the event the Fair Work Commission ignores Labor’s position and cuts penalty rates.
Bill Shorten:
You are going into hypotheticals, Leon.
Q: So you won’t say what you’ll do if the decision goes against you?
Bill Shorten:
Leon, I’m not prepared to concede [people who support the abolition of penalty rates] have evidence and science on their side, I’m not conceding that at all.
Shorten is asked about the Greens pincer movement on penalty rates. He notes he’s never got stuck in a traffic jam behind a car load of Greens sticking up for workers rights. The Labor leader says the Greens didn’t make a submission to the Fair Work Commission on penalty rates, and he describes their proposal to legislate to protect penalty rates as “dangerously naive.”
Byner presses him again on whether he’ll support the FWC if the ruling goes against him.
Bill Shorten:
I’ve made it clear we support the role of the independent umpire. I’ve also made it clear [the system of conciliation and arbitration] it is the best protection.
Readers with me yesterday will know the Liberal party’s candidate in Fremantle, Sherry Sufi, has a few interesting views, views interesting enough to ensure he wasn’t campaigning with the prime minister in the electorate yesterday.
Readers who have listened to Lenore Taylor and my podcast last week will know that the Coalition’s campaign spokesman, Mathias Cormann is a tidy sort of fellow who eschews commentary unless it’s about jobs and growth. I seriously think someone should tally up the amount of times Cormann has said jobs and growth during this election.
Anyway, here’s Mathias “I’m not a commentator” Cormann from his press conference this morning.
Q: Was it a mistake for Malcolm Turnbull not to stand beside Sherry Sufi yesterday in Fremantle? Peta Credlin has said on Sky that she is worried that the PM is not standing beside some of these candidates during press conferences.
Mathias Cormann:
I’m not a commentator on commentators. The prime minister and all of us in the Turnbull government every single day are campaigning for our national economic plan for jobs and growth. Every single day we are out there explaining to the Australian people why this is not the time to change direction, this is not the time to take risks. We continue to face global economic headwinds. We need to ensure that we have political stability and that we continue to implement our plan for jobs and growth. That is what I am focussed on.
Q: Was it a risk for the prime minister to be seen campaigning next to Sherry Sufi yesterday?
Mathias Cormann:
The prime minister is travelling the length and breadth of Australia. Every single day, the prime minister and every member of the Turnbull government is working very hard. Our objective is to persuade and to win the trust of a majority of Australians in a majority of seats, so that we can from the 2nd July onwards, continue to implement our plan for jobs and growth, which is exactly what Australia needs right now given the continued challenges we are facing in global uncertain times.
Q: Minister, would you campaign alongside Mr Sufi or is he an embarrassment to the Liberal party?
Mathias Cormann:
I am based here in Canberra doing my bit as part of the Turnbull government team, every single day explaining why it is so important that we continue to implement our national economic plan for jobs and growth. That is why I am here explaining why we need to implement our innovation and science program to support start-up businesses. Why we need to implement our defence industry plan to support local high end manufacturing. Why we need to continue to roll out our export trade deals to help ensure that our exporting businesses are as successful as possible. Why we need our enterprise tax cuts and tax cuts for hard working families to ensure that we have a tax system that is as growth friendly as possible. That is why I am continuing to explain why our budget position needs to be put on a sustainable foundation by cracking down on tax avoidance and better targeting relevant concessions in the tax system. I am doing my job as part of the team and every member of the Turnbull government team is doing their job as well.
To an issue that isn’t getting as much traction as is should. Apart from a bit of debate about whose renewable energy target is better (Labor has promised to increase Australia’s renewable energy target to 50% of electricity generated by 2030, the Coalition’s current target is 23% by 2020) climate change has not had much of a look in on the campaign so far.
Professor Tim Flannery, who I interviewed in an airport lounge on his way back from looking at coral bleaching in both the Great Barrier Reef and in the Kimberley, says that’s “staggering”.
“This needs to be the reef election,” he said. “This is the last moment I think that we can realistically expect that we can enact some policies… to close down coal-fired power stations and save the reef.
“Other issues are still going to be there in another four years. This one won’t.”
Almost 93% of the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by coral bleaching; part of a global coral bleaching event that scientists say was is caused partly by El Niño and partly by background global warming.
Flannery said coral reefs in the Kimberley, reckoned to be among the hardiest in the world because of the large tidal changes, is similarly affected.
“I just find the lack of focus on this is astounding,” he said.
“The whole ecosystem is now falling apart but you look at our election debate and you would think everything was fine - the only problems we had were employment, or industrial relations, or jobs and growth. I am astounded.”
Backpacker backflip, in a post
So the guts of that announcement?
- There will be a whole of government review of the budget measure, and delayed commencement of the backpacker tax until January 2017.
- Let’s see what the various interest groups say, but I suspect they will say thanks, but the uncertainty for us continues.
-
Kelly O’Dwyer also declined the answer a question about whether or not the $500m forecast saving from the measure would be removed from the forward estimates in light of the review.
- She said the budget impact of the deferral would be $40m.
Q: So the budget impact of this six month delay, or six month review is $40m. Does that mean the government is still banking the $500m tax in the forward estimates?
Kelly O’Dwyer:
I’m here to announce what we’re doing over the next six months and the review that’s being conducted by Barnaby Joyce and I can tell you with great certainty that this is very good news for rural and regional communities. It’s good news for our tourism sector and it’s good news for working holiday makers.
"Nothing that Bill Heffernan does shocks me .."
Q: Was it a bit of a shock to you when Bill Heffernan warned you in a meeting of Coalition backbenchers that he would go a little bit stir-crazy on this issue because they hadn’t been consulted properly before the tax was announced?
Kelly O’Dwyer:
Nothing that Bill Heffernan does shocks me and I suspect it doesn’t shock any member of the Australian public.
Q: If you’re delaying the implementation of this tax until 1 January after the review, doesn’t that not give any certainty for backpackers who want to come to Australia for a working holiday, you can’t give them any certainty that after January next year that this tax is going to be in place?
Kelly O’Dwyer:
It gives them absolute certainty to know they can come to Australia, they can work here, they can travel around Australia and really take advantage of all that Australia has to offer and at the same time they can make a contribution, particularly in rural and regional communities, whether it’s being part of the seasonal work force, picking grapes, whether it’s working in other aspects of rural industry, or whether it’s working in the tourism industry as well which so many of them do, they can enjoy their time in Australia and at the same time make a wonderful contribution.
Q: So just to be clear, does that mean the new tax arrangements will come into effect from 1 January unless the review finds otherwise?
Kelly O’Dwyer:
There is a deferral of the commencement until 1 January next year. But let me make it very, very clear, there is a comprehensive, whole of government review that is being conducted ... We will look at enacting any of the outcomes made from that review from 1 January 2017.
Q: Is this a concession that you got it wrong to not have them look at the whole industry before putting this measure in place?
Kelly O’Dwyer:
What this is, is very clearly the government has listened to rural and regional communities, the government’s listened very much to those in the tourism sector that have raised these concerns.
Coalition backflips on backpacker tax
The assistant treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer is attempting to neutralise the backpacker tax in a park in Murrumbateman.
Kelly O’Dwyer:
Today I can announce that the government will review the working holiday makers supply and taxation. It is a review that will be conducted by Barnaby Joyce and it is a review that will be supplemented by the minister for immigration, the minister for employment, the minister for tourism and also the PM’s department and, of course, the treasury.
It is a whole of government review that’s going to be looking at making sure that we are internationally competitive, making sure that we address the issues to do with the taxation and supply of working holiday makers who are coming to this country and making a fantastic contribution. But also looking at much broader issues around labour force, particularly in rural and regional communities and how it affects our farmers, but also our tourism sector as well, a very critical sector to the Australian economy.
This means, by necessity, that there will be a deferral of the commencement of the measures that were announced in the budget, two budgets ago.
It will mean that that commencement date does not begin on 1 July this year but will be deferred until the 6-month period goes past and that there is the full review and the outcomes of that review are known.
The outcomes of the review, of course, will be considered by cabinet in October or November of this year and any outcomes following on from that review will commence from 1 January 2017.
Given the government’s backflip on the backpacker tax is coming up shortly, a bit of background in case this is the first time you are hearing about it. Essentially it’s a revenue raising measure. The change the government proposed would have seen backpackers taxed at a rate of 32.5% tax on all earnings, effective from July 1 this year. At the moment, people who work on their holidays pay tax only on money earned above $18,200.
Staying with the Greens, the party is attempting to dig in behind it’s penalty rates pincer movement on Labor yesterday by releasing a new attack ad on Facebook. Meet Elle, the manager of an organic shop, who employs university students.
My colleague Paul Karp has drawn your attention to Greens leader Richard Di Natale taking to twitter this morning to clean up a report in The Australian this morning referencing what the Greens would do on offshore processing in the event it was forming a minority government with Labor.
This is how The Australian characterised the comments.
“But yesterday he did not rule out supporting offshore processing in a Labor-Greens government if the yearly humanitarian intake were increased. “That’s something that we will come to if and when there is a close result and the need of negotiations post-election,” [Richard Di Natale] said in Melbourne.
Curious, this. That quote from the Greens leader clearly leaves open the notion of negotiation, unless this is a complete misrepresentation of what Di Natale said. So was this a smash up by The Australian (possible), or the did the Greens leader mis-speak given we know offshore detention is a no go zone for the Greens (also possible)?
Thanks to Bridie and good morning everyone, welcome to campaign Tuesday, which is still largely spinning its wheels on the issues of campaign Monday. If we assess the sum of the parts, a couple of Coalition ladies, Sophie Mirabella and Peta Credlin, are having look at me moments. Another lady, independent Cathy McGowan says she’ll freelance in the event Australian voters deliver a hung parliament on July 2. The major party campaigns are attempting to push past yesterday, (which I’d describe as a nil all draw with both sides scoring own goals), by focussing on infrastructure: if the previews are right Malcolm Turnbull is talking about roads and hospitals in Darwin today, and Bill Shorten is talking trams in Adelaide.
The government is also trying to clean up the mess of its backpacker tax which is causing regional Coalition candidates all manner of grief. The government is signalling now it will delay the measure, and we expect the delay to be confirmed this morning. Labor’s position on the backpacker tax, articulated by Anthony Albanese on AM just a moment ago, is the government has “stuffed this up” which of course isn’t actually a position at all. If you have a position, today’s comments thread is open for your business. If the thread’s too bracing for you, Mike Bowers and I are up and about on the twits – he’s @mpbowers and I’m @murpharoo. If you speak Facebook you can join my daily forum here. And if you want a behind-the-scenes look at the day and the looming campaign, give Mike a follow on Instagram. You can find him here.
Like Malcolm Turnbull, let’s have the ambition today of finding our inner zen.
Meditate like you mean it. Here comes Tuesday.
How time flies when you are having fun (and the day starts at 4.45am). It is time for me to bid adieu and for Katharine Murphy to hit the politics live campaign trail.
See you again bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow morning.
As Greens continue to get an unprecedented level of election coverage Richard Di Natale has hit back at a report in the Australian that he has said “there may be some movement” on asylum seekers so the Greens could govern with Labor in a hung parliament.
According to the report, Di Natale would not rule out supporting offshore processing in a Labor-Greens government if the yearly humanitarian intake were increased.
That’s something that we will come to if and when there is a close result and the need of negotiations post-election,” he is quoted as saying.
Di Natale took to Twitter to say there would be “no compromise” on the policy to close offshore detention camps:
.@australian Nice try Oz. Our policy on offshore detention is clear. Close the camps. No compromising on that.
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) May 16, 2016
Haw haw haw. On the cartoon front in the Australian Financial Review:
peta is lucy @FinancialReview #auspol pic.twitter.com/8TfKEOB0dl
— david rowe (@roweafr) May 16, 2016
The Labor party came under pressure on the industrial relations front yesterday after the Greens announced a policy to legislate penalty rates.
Anthony Albanese has been out and about this morning re-affirming that Labor does not support the policy. He says Labor backs a post-election submission to Fair Work before its decision is handed down.
The Adelaide Advertiser is digging up dirt on Nick Xenophon candidates – who ran almost 20 years ago.
Dr Graham Craig, a candidate for Xenophon in 1997, was struck off the register here after a too-intimate relationship with one patient, then moved to the UK where he was deregistered after a complaint he had had sex with a different young Adelaide patient, according to the report.
The newspaper acknowledges the candidacy is “ancient history” but says “the revelations will fan accusations from major party powerbrokers that Senator Xenophon’s vetting of candidates has let him down”.
Hmmmmm.
Of course Indepedent MP Cathy McGowan can’t be allowed to get away without saying who she would vote for in a hung parliament.
I’ve made it very clear for the people of Indi that I’m not going to make any deals. One of the things I’m so proud of is being Independent, and the people of Indi and around Australia can rely on me to vote on legislation issue by issue.
Cathy McGowan: Agriculture production needs 10 year plan like defence
Cathy McGowan is on Radio National talking about how a short term assistance program is needed for milk producers.
There are two parts to this issue, one is the actual impact on farmers and the second part is on regional manufacturing. So it’s really significant that the deputy prime minister [Barnaby Joyce] is coming to Indi and going to next door electorate Murray [to discuss this issue]. So we are calling on government to come out and give us a long term plan for regional manufacturing.
There is a three-cornered contest happening in Indi, between McGowan, Sophie Mirabella and Nationals Marty Corboy which McGowan says is having an “amazing” impact for the region with “minister after minister” visiting..
But doesn’t that put McGowan under pressure?
I’m not shying away from it, it’s democracy in action, every vote in Indi is going to count, it’s what rural and regional Australians have long been calling out for, having a strong choice.
I’m delighted that at long lost our vote actually matters.
McGowan says she would like to see “boots on the ground”, people coming into the region to help farming families manage their finances and negotiate with each other and the banks.
Asked specifically what she would like Joyce to announce today when in the area she says:
I want him to put more people on the ground, people with boots and cars talking to farming business and talking to suppliers, to look after manufacturing industry. We can get over this hump and we can do wonderful things with agricultural production but we need the government to get on board like they did with defence and say ‘we have a 10 year plan’.
The “milk price bubble” has burst with raw milk prices slashed from $5.60 to $4.75-$5 leaving many dairy farmers struggling.
Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce, has described the low prices paid to producers as “an anathema” and promised some form of indirect assistance while dairy giant Fonterra managing director Judith Swales said the industry “has to get real about the milk price”, according to the Australian Financial Review.
This is a serious issue that will bubble away in the regions throughout this campaign and Radio National has Indi MP Cathy McGowan on soon to discuss it.
Finance minister, Mathias Cormann, is on ABC radio rubbishing reports from the Australia Institute that Australia’s tax rates will benefit the US tax man.
That is just completely false, it is an assertion made by Greens aligned think tank. We all know Greens don’t like businesss, they dont like jobs, they dont like growth. People should be concerened Labor has jumped on the anti-business bandwagon of the Greens
He said the numbers are “fanciful” and “based on inaccurate asumptions”.
All the credible economic analysts would tell you a more comeitive company tax rate would boost investment, job creation, will increase real wages over time.
Cormann is asked if his disagrees with the treasury’s forecast that the company tax rates would only grow the economy by 0.1%.
You are misrepresenting what is put forward there, budget modelling for treasury appropriately doesn’t take into account secondary affects ... Other treasury modelling shows it will increase economic growth by more than 1.6% and that will create jobs and increased wages.
Malcolm Turnbull has all but confirmed the demise of the so-called “backpacker tax”. Backpackers currently do not pay any tax under the $18,000 threshold but were going to be taxed at 32.5% from 1 July.
When asked about it in Darwin last night at the Politics in the Pub event, Turnbull responded:
It is something that we are very alert to, watch this space is what I would say.
News Corp tabloids going hard on asylum seekers today:
The Courier Mail front page. Tuesday 17 May 2016. @couriermail #ausvotes #election2016 #auspol pic.twitter.com/T0mTPw5DSr
— Dave Earley (@earleyedition) May 16, 2016
Herald Sun front page. Tuesday 17 May 2016. @theheraldsun #ausvotes #election2016 #auspol pic.twitter.com/HCgAQ0UFAx
— Dave Earley (@earleyedition) May 16, 2016
The Daily Telegraph front page. Tuesday 17 May 2016. @dailytelegraph #ausvotes #election2016 #auspol pic.twitter.com/jHTDXG9eGH
— Dave Earley (@earleyedition) May 16, 2016
Updated
The left-leaning Australia Institute came out yesterday to say the company tax cuts at the centre of the government’s budget would benefit the US tax man to the tune of about $8bn.
If the American tax rate is higher, US companies operating in Australia will end up paying the difference back home according to the institute’s executive director Ben Oquist.
American firms operating in Australia will not invest more, employ more or be any more competitive after Australia cuts the company tax — they will simply pay less tax here and more tax in the US.
I mention this now because finance minister, Mathias Cormann, will be on Radio National’s AM soon to discuss it.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull was looking in his element in a Darwin pub last night and the indefatigable Guardian Australian photographer Mike Bowers was there to capture it.
I do wonder how much of the schooner was downed.
Updated
On the Nationals candidate in Indi, Marty Corboy, saying locals would be “rapt” to have a man to vote for:
@bkjabour Unfortunate comment (that would drive my vote elsewhere), but he's almost certainly correct. @gabriellechan @guardian
— yarekidsindetention? (@contriteshadow) May 16, 2016
Malcolm Turnbull did not campaign with the Liberal candidate, Sherry Sufi, in Fremantle yesterday, nor was he with premier Colin Barnett.
Sufi had misdescribed his work history in his preselection documents and also holds some rather extreme views, such as marriage equality will lead to polygamy.
Peta Credlin has helpfully provided her view on the situation on Andrew Bolt’s Sky News show, saying Turnbull made a mistake in not campaigning with other candidates in the area, Fairfax Media reports.
I think once in a while the candidate not being at a press conference in an electorate is fair enough, in isolation, fair enough.
When it becomes a pattern, the pattern becomes a problem, and particularly the seat of Boothby and Dunkley where he did not have the candidates, Nicole Flint in Boothby and Chris Crewther in Dunkley, I think was a mistake, they’re seats we hold, we’ve got retiring 20-year members going and anything you can do to boost name recognition is important.”
Updated
South Australia is reaping the (potential) spoils of being a state in danger of giving a few seats and Senate spots to a third party (the Nick Xenophon Team).
In Adelaide today Bill Shorten will announce $500m from a Labor government for a citywide tram network, creating 2,000 jobs according to Shorten.
The Adelaide Advertiser has the story which says the entire project is forecast to cost $3bn and Labor’s commitment would fund the initial stages.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek doesn’t seem worried about the optics of a crying child in a politician’s arms.
Today @tanya_plibersek tried to cheer her up, but she wasn't having it @PatsKarvelas @kerryhoganross1 @frankelly08 pic.twitter.com/FrL7offIz5
— Elizabeth Saunders (@E_R_Saunders) May 16, 2016
Good morning
The day dawns bright on day nine of the campaign, as cheerful and invigorated as those of us at Politics Live.
The leaders are continuing to pace themselves, unwilling to be seen as the first one to take a break. I will be taking you through the morning until Katharine Murphy takes over from 8.30am.
The big picture:
Traditionally most elections are said to be won in New South Wales and Queensland, but the electorate of Indi in Victoria has cornered quite a bit of attention.
Independent Cathy McGowan holds the seat on a 0.3% margin after beating Sophie Mirabella in 2013. Interest in the contest is so fervent their debate was televised and ABC’s 7.30 ran a piece on it last night, interviewing both candidates.
Mirabella hinted at discontent within the state party when asked about a story in the Australian which ran under the headline on the website “Mirabella is cooked”.
When asked where the leak came from Mirabella responded:
I’d rather not say. Let others be concerned about internecine affairs. I’ll focus on Indi. Quite frankly, it doesn’t really matter what people in [Victoria Liberal headquarters in] Collins Street say.
Mirabella inspires quite a bit of vitriol and has her own theories about it:
It’s part of how political commentary goes. A strong woman on the conservative side is not what those who oppose the conservative side of politics want to see, obviously.
The Nationals are running a candidate in the seat for the first time since 2001. Marty Corboy has told Gabrielle Chan that some people in Indi are “rapt” to have a man to vote for.
The Greens are going to spend the day campaigning on LGBTIQ issues, announcing a policy to remove religious exemptions to federal anti-discrimination law and increase funding to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program, Paul Karp reports.
The Sex Discrimination Act contains a number of exemptions for religious organisations providing accommodation and religious educational institutions, meaning they can have rules that exclude queer people. The Greens will campaign for these institutions to be treated like any other organisation in Australia and abide by the discrimination act.
In Senate ticket dramas the Daily Telegraph has a story on the Labor party dropping its non-factionally aligned Country Labor candidate Vivien Thomson to sixth spot in favour of unionist Tara Moriarty in fifth spot. Neither spot is seen as particularly winnable.
Several senior Labor figures said they were appalled at the decision, which was made without a formal meeting of the NSW right faction.
Fairfax Media has had a look at what life could look like for retiring politicians, with the former Speaker Anna Burke candidly admitting “no one is beating a path to my door”. But she is looking forward to not having to be nice to everyone.
Bruce Billson revealed an, uh, eccentric family ritual he had whenever he was leaving his home for Canberra.
Usually a bit of a farewell routine that my [youngest] kids and I go through, we just lightly bite each other’s earlobes. I know the kids are missing me when I get additional earlobe nibbles.
On the campaign trail
Malcolm Turnbull has made his way from Western Australia to Darwin where he was photographed with a schooner of beer at a Politics at the Pub event. Bill Shorten was in Victoria yesterday and is expected to campaign on manufacturing again today in Adelaide.
A peek into what goes into making Turnbull’s beer at a Darwin pub look so casual and natural.
Politics in the pub.
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) May 16, 2016
*I stood on a table to get that shot pic.twitter.com/fPm2ctYhV3
The campaign you should be watching
Durack in WA covers an area the breadth of Portugal to the Baltic coast. Calla Wahlquist has written about the electorate, the largest in Australia and second largest in the world, though home to only 200,000 people. The seat is held by Liberal MP Melissa Price with a margin of 4%. Although the competition for the seat is not Labor, but the Nationals.
The biggest challenge in such a large electorate for Price?
My challenge is to make sure that people in parliament, ministers and the prime minister, understand the significant economic contribution that my electorate is making, and that there was significant infrastructure and investment needed.
And another thing(s)
Lenore Taylor has written about the pincer move from the Greens that is getting Bill Shorten off-message in his otherwise effective campaign each day.
The combination of the Coalition, the tabloids and some light footwork from the Greens are all adding to the wobbles of the first nine days of the campaign for Shorten.
In particular is the demand that Labor declare they will not form a coalition with the Greens in the event of a hung parliament. Lenore writes:
Despite not making much sense, this scare from the right has given the Greens far more presence in the campaign than would normally come their way, diverted Labor on to subjects they’d prefer not to talk about, and highlighted inconsistencies in Labor’s message.
Fairfax Media economics editor Peter Martin has picked apart John “Aussie home loans” Symond’s campaign against Labor’s policy to curtail negative gearing. He has addressed the key points Symond has been making, particularly on morning television yesterday, breaking it apart point by point.
The real-estate industry employs 215,000 people. Negative gearers do indeed turn over properties more quickly than owner-occupiers. If owner-occupiers buy the properties negative gearers once would have, the market will become more stable, meaning less work for agents and for firms such as Symond’s.
Over at the ABC, Paula Matthewson is examining the “good cop, bad cop” double act Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin are performing at the moment.
Just one week into the campaign, there are also hints that Credlin aims to do more than garner a few more subscribers for Sky News and rehabilitate her career. She may also have political revenge on her mind.
A new episode of the Behind the Lines podcast is up, with Kristina Keneally, Guardian Australia opinion editor Gabrielle Jackson and myself discussing the role and experience of women in politics and media.
The leave-the-innocents-out-of-this moment of the day
This Mirabella segment on #abc730 is a train wreck but best part is when husband picks up cat and removed from shot. pic.twitter.com/1KnqXLa6Jx
— Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) May 16, 2016
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