Summary
And with that, we’ll be closing the blog today. Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back again tomorrow.
Here’s what happened today:
- The unemployment rate rose 0.7 percentage points to 7.1%, as the Reserve Bank released its data for the month of May. 52% of the jobs lost in May were lost by women, and 45% of the jobs lost were lost by young people (15 to 24). Overall, the youth unemployment rate rose to 16.1%.
- The overall underutilisation rate, which combines the unemployment and underemployment rates for all ages, also rose to a new record high of 20.2%.
- The Northern Territory announced it will reopen its borders to domestic travel on 17 July.
- Scott Morrison was told by speaker Tony Smith to withdraw comments made in parliament that Labor leader Anthony Albanese “oversaw” the “corruption” and alleged branch-stacking within Victorian Labor.
- The expenditure review committee of cabinet is expected to sign off on a support package for the arts and entertainment industry this evening.
- Australia recorded 21 new cases of Covid-19: 18 in Victoria; two in NSW; and one in WA – lifting the country’s active cases to 412.
-
Peter Dutton called for the Queensland LNP branch president, David Hutchinson, to quit after allegations that he was destabilising the current leader, Deb Frecklington.
- New Zealand recorded another new case of Covid-19, and more examples of breaches of quarantine.
Updated
Earlier today, WA recorded the country’s biggest rise in unemployment when the ABS released its May job figures.
WA treasurer Ben Wyatt has resisted calls from the state’s Liberal opposition to reopen its borders to help the economic recovery.
Wyatt said it would be a fallacy to assume interstate visitors will drive an economic turnaround, AAP reports.
“What will certainly cause a much higher increase in unemployment is if we lift the borders and have a second wave of coronavirus,” he said. “Don’t assume for a minute that you lift that border and suddenly we’re going to be in economic nirvana. That’s simply not the case.”
WA’s unemployment rose to 8.1% in May, up from 6.1% in April. The national unemployment rate for May is 7.1%.
Updated
And the latest statistics: Australia recorded 21 new cases of Covid-19 today; 18 in Victoria; two in NSW; and one in WA – lifting the country’s active cases to 412.
Updated
Here is the footage of speaker of the house, Tony Smith, ordering Scott Morrison to withdraw comments that Labor leader Anthony Albanese “oversaw” the “corruption” and alleged branch-stacking within Victorian Labor.
We brought you the text of their run-in earlier today, as it occurred, at about 2pm.
If you remember, Smith ordered both Morrison and Labor’s Tony Burke to sit down, before saying: “The prime minister needs to withdraw that imputation.”
Speaker Tony Smith shows he's got no time for parlour games during #qt, on the final parliamentary session for the fortnight @abcnews #auspol pic.twitter.com/K2lU8IvcX9
— ABC Politics (@politicsabc) June 18, 2020
Ruby Princess protocols 'should have been scrapped' before the ship docked, inquiry hears
Hi everyone, and thanks to Amy Remeikis for her stellar work as always on the blog.
Today’s hearing of the special inquiry into the Ruby Princess has heard that the protocol NSW Health used to assess the cruise ship was out of date, and should have “scrapped and rewritten”, before it docked.
A senior NSW Health official, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, said the state’s procedures should have been updated on March 10 – nine days before the ship docked for the last time – but were only up to date for February 19.
AAP has this report:
A draft document for cruise ship health procedures dated February 19 should have been updated from March 10, nine days before the vessel docked.
The change would have conformed with updated information regarding suspected Covid-19 cases from the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia.
It would have included testing of all passengers who had been to any country within 14 days, as well as acute respiratory illnesses with or without fever.
Dr McAnulty said the risk assessment process used by the heath assessment panel to deem the ship low-risk before arrival was no longer relevant when the ship was granted access to berth in Circular Quay on March 19.
‘Have you just told me in effect that should all have been scrapped and rewritten?,’ Commissioner Bret Walker SC, overseeing the inquiry, asked.
‘That’s correct, once the CDNA guidelines changed to all countries,’ Dr McAnulty replied.
McAnulty told the inquiry the CDNA update meant the ship should have been labelled medium or high risk, and ‘all ill passengers or crew should have been sampled at that point.’
He explained the NSW Health draft document was not updated to reflect changes due to the ‘enormous busyness’ the department faced during this period.
Updated
This evening really has a last day of school (that you hate) about it, with the MPs not letting the door hit them on the way out as they leave the building for the last time before 4 August.
The winter parliament break is upon us. And with it, the Politics Live blog. But that is not to say you won’t see us again – you will, tomorrow.
We will be back with your Covid coverage, as well as everything else which is happening in the federal politics sphere.
Thank you so much for joining me, and the Canberra crew for Politics Live as normal – and for all the messages. I should be all caught up.
I’ll be back tomorrow. The lovely Naaman Zhou will take you through the evening as I find the cooking wine.
In the meantime – please, take care of you.
Updated
For those looking for the bushfire royal commission update:
From the royal commission today: 'Unprecedented' Australian bushfires directly affected one in eight Indigenous people https://t.co/ltKnvS7nkj
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) June 18, 2020
Meanwhile,
Global report: Beijing orders all hotels be shut down, as well as restaurants in high-risk areas amid outbreak. https://t.co/uClYXNvbbh
— heldavidson (@heldavidson) June 18, 2020
Better late than never?
New: The long-awaited arts support package expected to be ticked by ERC tonight https://t.co/FW32rvAviO #auspol
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) June 18, 2020
Yup. Politics is completely back to normal
This is the problem with Labor.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) June 18, 2020
They let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
If there’s one thing they don’t like, they vote down the whole lot.
And then they get upset when they’re held to account for the damage they’ve done to politics and democracy. pic.twitter.com/xp32YInhMF
AAP has reported on the issues plaguing NSW Labor:
Seven people will face a NSW Labor party tribunal over allegations of “unworthy conduct” following a report into branch stacking in western Sydney.
But NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has insisted the party does not have systemic issues with branch stacking and corruption.
News of the report, apparently given to party heads in March, broke in the media this week.
The report suggested seven party members engaged in unworthy conduct and evidence had been found that meeting records were falsified at several branches, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Ms McKay, who asked for the investigation, addressed the allegations on Thursday saying she had read “parts” of the report relating to members of parliament.
She said she had accepted the explanation of Granville Labor MP Julia Finn, who was reportedly alleged to have breached party rules but with no action recommended against her.
“In regard to Julia, there was no finding of unworthy conduct,” Ms McKay told reporters in Sydney.
“I have met with Julia a number of times, she’s provided an explanation and I am satisfied by that explanation.”
The NSW opposition leader said the seven people subject to party charges would front the tribunal when it could arrange to meet.
She said she was frustrated by the amount of time the process was taking but “we’ve been in the middle of a pandemic”.
“I am satisfied that given the fact that we’ve had a byelection in Eden-Monaro - but more importantly, given we’re in the middle of a pandemic where no one has been able to meet face-to-face - that the right process is occurring,” Ms McKay said.
The Eden-Monaro byelection is scheduled for 4 July.
Updated
You may have seen some other comments from Adem Somyurek in other media outlets – just a note to say I am aware of them, but am treading carefully for legal reasons.
Updated
Why did it take Anthony Albanese so long to speak to Anthony Byrne?
Tim Ayres:
That’s a matter for Anthony. The two Anthonies. Anthony Albanese spoke to Anthony Byrne yesterday afternoon. He checked in on his welfare. He’s sought assurances about what’s happened over the preceding weeks.
And he’s counselled Mr Byrne in relation to the language in the text messages that were revealed in the paper this morning. I would say I pay a bit of attention to what Mr Hastie had to say about Mr Byrne this morning. He said he’s a well-respected parliamentarian and plays an important role on that intelligence committee.
Updated
And from Linda Burney:
There are almost 2 million Australians on jobseeker.
The base rate of jobseeker was inadequate before the pandemic and it will remain inadequate unless the government acts to increase it permanently.
The temporary introduction of the coronavirus supplement is an acknowledgement by the government that the base rate of jobseeker is too low.
Many Australians will be anxious about what support will be available to them after September – when the coronavirus supplement is scheduled to stop.
Labor has been calling for a permanent increase to the base rate of jobseeker for some time, along with business, civil society groups and experts.
The base rate of jobseeker is so low that it is a barrier to finding employment.
When Australians have to get by on the base rate of jobseeker, many are forced to choose between food or medication. And many are unable to afford clothes or transport costs, which are essential to job searches or attending job interviews.
A permanent increase to the base rate of jobseeker will also provide a much-needed boost to the economy and assist in sustaining local jobs.
The government must explain to recipients of jobseeker what sort of support will be available to them after September. It must rule out a snapback.
Updated
And on the Jobseeker rate beyond September, when the Covid supplement ends, Andrew Bragg says:
The most important thing is we get the incentives right and don’t want an economy which is run by the Government. We want an economy where the incentives are in place and people are prepared to invest, create new jobs, but equally in relation to Newstart or JobSeeker, we don’t want it to be so low that it is a disincentive for people to do anything. It needs to be at a level where you can afford to buy a shirt, an iron and pay for a home internet connection if you’re going to have a serious crack at getting back into the jobs market.
Andrew Bragg says he doesn’t believe Jobkeeper should be extended across the economy, beyond the September deadline.
He tells Patricia Karvelas:
JobKeeper has been a very successful scheme and injected a good deal of confidence in the market. Even despite the shocking news that roll through daily that business confidence has improved from March through to April, but I don’t believe that it should be extended across the economy beyond its prescribed or beyond its proposed framework, timetable. And I think what we should be looking to do beyond that is to deploy care packages or to de ploy particular packages to sectors that have been by ongoing government shutdowns and ongoing government regulation.
The ACTU president, Michele O’Neil, is asked by Patricia Karvelas how long she believes jobkeeper should be kept for:
Well, we’re shocked by those figures today and really feel for all the hundreds of thousands of Australian workers who are out of a job and how it’s affecting them and their families. And we think there needs to be certainty about jobkeeper. We’re calling on the government to announce now they’ll extend the program for six months.
PK: But the government says they’re reviewing this system and everything is on the table. We won’t get a decision until the end of July. Why isn’t that timeframe satisfactory?
O’Neil:
Because we’ve got a lot of uncertainty at the moment. And that’s not good for workers. It’s not good for the economy. We know things won’t have recovered by the end of September. We know that for so many industries – you think about hospitality, tourism, retail, the aviation industry, if we’ve got half the domestic routes flying again by then we’ll have done really well. So there’s no doubt the economy is going to need support and workers are going to need support. Why should the government leave that uncertainty and an axe hanging over their head of those 3.5 million workers who are currently getting jobkeeper? And we know many have missed out.
Updated
Australian arts support package expected after talks with Scott Morrison – @murpharoo https://t.co/5O7aMvfANL
— Stephanie H Convery (@gingerandhoney) June 18, 2020
Asked how things became “so broken” in Victorian Labor, Brendan O’Connor says:
There’s an audit being undertaken. The Labor leader spoke about these issues this morning. We’ve responded to these matters. We have appointed Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin to assist in dealing with the audit. And until that has happened, I can’t even – there’s allegations that have been made. I’m not sure the extent to which those are accurate, but we’ll find out more because I certainly trust Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin to deal with this matter appropriately.
Updated
Brendan O’Connor is the first guest on Afternoon Briefing.
He is talking about the unemployment numbers and the future of jobkeeper:
Jobkeeper should be certainly not removed. This snapback proposition the government has talked about is fanciful.
No economist is suggesting the economy will recover in a couple of months and therefore they need to look at jobkeeper and providing wage subsidies and subsidies to the labour costs of businesses and keeping workers connected to the labour market is critical. Certain industries that have recovered, why should they remain on jobkeeper?
Patricia Karvelas: Do you think there are some areas where people should be taken off?
O’Connor:
I think you can revise the application. We always believe they left too many people out. We’re still paying people on jobseeker.
Karvelas: You do accept some people should come off jobkeeper?
O’Connor:
I think you could examine the labour market and in areas where businesses are not shut down and the impact of the pandemic is not great, then certainly you can recast the way in which you provide support.
But ironically the areas which have been forced to shut down, for example, have the highest proportion of ineligible workers, namely casuals, and therefore they’re getting less support.
Food, accommodation and tourism have a high proportion of casuals that are ineligible with jobkeeper. There are design faults already which I think the government should have attended to and we’re worried they’ll shut it down at the end of September. That will be devastating.
Updated
For those who watched The House with @annabelcrabb, you may remember #Senate Chamber Supervisor, John Brown. Today is John's last day with the Senate and he received a standing ovation in the chamber.
— Australian Senate (@AuSenate) June 18, 2020
Happy retirement John! pic.twitter.com/JuEO8JU9Pv
This is something that slipped under the radar for a while – the planned half a billion dollar development at the Australian War Memorial:
On 14 July, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works will hold a public hearing to scrutinise a proposal from the Australian War Memorial to conduct a $498m development project at the War Memorial in Canberra.
“At the hearing, the committee will examine the proposed works in light of its statutory role under the Public Works Committee Act 1969,” the Hon Dr John McVeigh MP, committee chair, said.
“This includes the need and purpose of the works, its cost effectiveness, any revenue it will produce and the current and prospective value of the works.”
Given the level of public interest in this proposal, in addition to hearing from the Australian War Memorial, the committee will look to hear from some of those who made written submissions to this inquiry as part of the hearings.
Anyone who is interested in making a statement on the proposed works should contact the secretariat via email at pwc@aph.gov.au to register their interest by 5pm on Wednesday 1 July. Not everyone who expresses an interest will be able to appear.
Updated
How Mike Bowers saw question time:
When Ed Husic announced the question was for his own leader, and named the standing order, there was a quick check to see if they were right (they were).
The Speaker has logged on to the group chat.
Just blinded by the dynamic light here.
Updated
With so much of the political attention on jobseeker and jobkeeper, it is easy to forget another deadline is coming up – the deadline on the evictions pause set up by many states is coming up as well.
As the Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said, just because the health crisis is passing (for now) doesn’t mean the economic one won’t bring its own continuing problems:
Over the coming weeks and months, renters face the prospect of eviction and possible homelessness as eviction bans come to an end across the states and territories.
With unemployment skyrocketing, we must do everything we can to avoid a worsening of the homelessness and housing crises.
The national cabinet must work to implement waivers for rent arrears, with relief for those with rental debts. It must also agree on a national standard of renters’ rights and rental laws to protect people from unfair evictions.
Rent increases should be frozen and lenders directed to give mortgage relief with no interest accrual for property owners.
This is the time for massive investment in public and community housing, and to ensure we recognise housing as a human right.
The Covid-19 crisis has further exposed existing inequalities in our broken housing system. It’s time to ensure that we not only make it through the pandemic, but fix housing in this country once and for all.
Updated
When the speaker ‘asks’, it’s really an instruction.
An awkward moment in #qt when the speaker Tony Smith asked the PM Scott Morrison to withdraw @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/3JAhLoL6O7
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) June 18, 2020
Updated
That is it now, until 4 August.
Scott Morrison answers a dixer which seems like it was just asked so his answer can be clipped up for social media, and calls an end to question time.
In the Senate there has been a standing ovation for John Brown, a chamber attendant who is retiring.
The parliamentary staff really are the unsung heroes in this place.
You can really hear the difference between Scott Morrison ‘I am your very calm and steady leader’ voice in answering dixers and Scott Morrison ‘I am and have always been a political animal voice’ answering opposition questions today.
Must be hard on the vocal cords, but I suppose he has his child actor training to fall back on.
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal told the government at least as early as March 2017 the robodebt was illegal. Why did it take until November 2019, 986 days, to suspend the scheme and admit to[fault]?
Stuart Robert gets the nod for this one.
That seems like a silly move.
Robert:
As I have said now on a number of different press conferences, the government moved expeditiously once informed that the scheme was raising debts in an insufficient manner to pause all debt recovery. We then announced that we would be repaying those funds to 373,000 Australians and those refunds would be flowing to Australians from 1 July and that more information would be provided to those impacted in preparation for that to occur.
Yup, as expected. Not the brightest move.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
It’s reported today that the number of applications for university has doubled this year. But thousands of young people will miss out on a place if the government doesn’t scrap its unfair cap on student places. Why does the government want young people to join the unemployment queue rather than study to be a nurse, a teacher or an engineer?
Dan Tehan gets the nod to take this one:
And we want young Australians to get the skills that they need to be able to get a job.
And one of the first things we did when the pandemic hit was put in place with the higher education sector short courses. We have put them in areas where we know there’s going to be skills shortages.
Areas where we know, as we come out of the pandemic, people will be able to get a job, areas like teachers and counselling. Very important.
We saw one of the great tragedies from the fires over Christmas was that we didn’t have enough clinical psychologists to be able to provide the counselling they need.
In areas of Stem and what we have seen since Easter Sunday is 20,000 students is what we estimate have taken up those short courses.
Mr Speaker, we’ve also put in with the university sector performance-based funding. It’s growing extra places in the education sector.
And how performance-based funding works is we incentivise the higher education sector to educate people in the areas that we know they will get a job.
We’re consulting with the sector and making sure places continue to grow and we continue to have discussions with the sector. We understand that one of the things that happens with unemployment is that you get counter cyclical demand for higher education places and we will continue to work with the sector to make sure that young Australians will come out of this Covid-19 pandemic with extra skills in the areas where we know they will get jobs.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
On July 2 last year, the government promised 80,000 new apprentices. Even before coronavirus, 140,000 apprenticeships and traineeships had been lost under this seven-year government and the losses are getting worse.
Why does the prime minister want young people to join the unemployment you rather than get a trade?
Morrison:
I don’t. We went into the Covid-19 crisis and increased the for apprentices to ensure that they would be, with a 50% wage subsidy would not, if we could help it, would not become early victims of this Covid-19 crisis.
And we continue to provide that support and continue to work with the states and territories to have major changes to the reform of how skills training is conducted in this country.
Each year the government puts $1.5bn to the states and territories to support vocational education and training. That dates back to the agreement put in place by the Labor government which said $1.5bn each year to the states and territories in return for nothing.
There was no accountability. There were no targets. There was no requirements for the states to report or do anything in relation to that money and that needs to change and that’s why I’ve engaged in discussing how we can change those arrangements to better put the $1.5m to work.
We’re very excited to changing the way skills are delivered in this country. The appointment of the Skills Commissioner has been vital to inform the sorts of skills that need to be trained in our work force, particularly those who are coming out of work at this terrible time and how we can retrain them to be in the jobs that will be there in the post-Covid.
I note the member raises these issues but I also note that when she was a member of the cabinet, the member of apprentices and trainees fell by 110,000 in a single year. Labor gutted $1.2bn from employer incentives to take on apprentices. I’m sure that actually the opposition and the government agree we need to get young people back into work and I’m sure we agree that we need to change the way that skills training is funded and delivered in this country.
And I would hope when we’re able to bring forward the package of further reforms for skills training, I look forward to the Labor party supporting it.
Updated
Mike Bowers caught that awkward moment between the prime minister and the speaker
Daniel Andrews has announced his new ministry.
Nat Hutchins is back. Shaun Leane and Danny Pearson (as announced) are also on the list.
Statement from the Premier on Cabinet Appointments: pic.twitter.com/EUnXp6N6CK
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) June 18, 2020
WA has one more case of Covid-19 – a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
Updated
It’s almost as if Scott Morrison has forgotten every single attack against Labor over the Global Financial Crisis response?
But that can’t be? No one in the history of Australian politics has EVER used an unexpected event to score political points against their opponents, obviously.
Brendan O’Connor to Scott Morrison:
Under this prime minister Australia has entered its first recession in three decades. How many Australians will lose their job and how many businesses will collapse in September when the prime minister snaps back their jobkeeper wage subsidy?
Morrison:
The member’s question is presumptuous because, Mr Speaker, he makes assumptions about government policy on decisions that have not been made.
It is wrong of the member to assert decisions of the government that have not been made. What the government is working to do is to ensure we have the right combination of income support, business support, targeted industry assistance measures, tax reductions and other states that ensure as few people as possible in this country lose their jobs.
And for those who do, and there will be more who do, because we’re in a recession caused by a global pandemic. Those opposite may wish to overlook that fact and seek to score points over a recession which is what they’re doing.
That is very disappointing. 220,000 more people lose their job and the Labor party come in and soak to make political points over this. The government is going to continue to provide the economic leadership and policy support to ensure that as few people as possible are impacted in the way.
But there’s a heavy blow that’s on this economy and the global economy in all countries, developed and not developed, and developing.
But what we are doing as a country is outperforming all of those countries pretty much and certainly the developed countries of the world as we’ve sought to respond to this crisis.
We will continue to provide that judgement and that support and that strong economic leadership.
Ensured prior to this Covid-19 crisis, we have balanced the budget and 1.5m jobs were created. 58% of those being women. That was the economic leadership that we’ve provided. We have done it before and the Australian people know they can trust us to do it again.
Updated
Julian Simmonds appears to have caught the bad acting virus which is going through members of the backbench.
We all hope he gets better soon.
His question is a lead up for Peter Dutton to do his usual unions and Labor are terrible speech, but he seems to forget that a) the government is trying to be friends with the union movement at the moment and b) Tony Smith is pretty annoyed over what just happened with Scott Morrison in terms of imputations on members.
That leads to this exchange:
Dutton: Obviously the government has take a very deliberate approach to make sure that we can keep Australians safe. We’ve cancelled a record number of bikies of the outlaw motorcycle gang members who are the defenders over there of the bikies, involved in the CFMEU. I understand the link.
Tony Burke: A point of order. I ask it to be withdrawn. That is a reflection on members. And the minister needs to withdraw.
Dutton: I withdraw.
Smith: I want the minister to resume his seat for a second now. I said earlier that imputations and reflections on members cannot occur and they need to be withdrawn. Given I’ve explained it as clearly as I possibly can, I’m asking if we need further explanation. Because if there’s further reflections, I’ll be taking more action than just the withdrawal. I’m regarding it as defiance.
Dutton: I should apologise to the CFMEU for any offence I’ve caused them, of course.
Which leaves the rest of his dixer attack all potato and no meat.
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
The Australian Financial Review reports today, and I quote, “the Morrison government believes moving people from jobkeeper to jobseeker beyond the end of September will maximise their employment prospects”. Why is the prime minister telling Australians the best form of job is welfare?
Morrison:
The article the member refers to does not contain direct quotes from me so that’s an editorial position that’s been summarised by the Financial Review.
But I’ll simply say this – the purpose of people when they go, the purposes when you go on to jobseeker is that you get people back into a job.
That’s what being on unemployment benefits means to the government. In the government we believe when someone loses a job and they go on to jobseeker, the goal of that program, working with the Employment Services program is to get people back into work.
Now it is absolutely the case that there will be a time when businesses make decisions about how many employees they’ll be able to carry in the post-Covid and through the crisis economy.
It will be important where employees who are not in a position to have ongoing employment with a company that we need to get them trained and into another job.
That’s how the system works and that’s what the government working night and day on to ensure we get the right balance of income supports, job programs, employment services, skills training, cash flow assistance, tax reductions, lower regulation, more infrastructure spending, Mr Speaker, to ensure we get people back into work.
We are fighting, Mr Speaker, for the jobs of Australians. That’s what our government is doing. Each and every day we are fighting to get Australians back into work.
Updated
As an aside, we are back to looking at what is happening across the rest of the world.
Scott Morrison just after 12.15pm:
While Australia is doing better than almost any other developed economy in the world, if you have lost your job, that is no comfort. So, we cannot set our expectations and what is happening elsewhere in the world.
Scott Morrison just after 2.30pm:
Even in a recession we find the Australian economy in a better position than almost if not every other developed economy in the world. Now that is no comfort to those Australians who have lost their job, Mr Speaker. But the truth is if you’re an Australian in Australia, you are in the best place in the world in the midst of this crisis.
Updated
I neglected to tweet the story by @joshgnosis yesterday, but now that Hunt has referred in #QT to 6.35 million downloads of the COVIDSafe app, it's worth posting:
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) June 18, 2020
The app works as few as one in every four times for some devices, documents reveal https://t.co/w2enf6znge
Julie Collins to Scott Morrison:
Under this prime minister Australia has entered its first recession in three decades. Can the prime minister confirm that women and younger workers have been most affected by this recession?
Morrison:
As I noted today with the treasurer it is young people who have been most hard hit in the most recent May figures today. Around 45% or thereabouts of the falls we’ve seen in employment have been for younger people.
And it’s 52% of women who are affected by those numbers. Now the member makes reference to the recession.
This recession has been brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the recession we weren’t going to have and we shouldn’t have had to have, Mr Speaker.
The last recession we had in this country was described by the Labor treasurer at the time as the recession we had to have.
We should never have to have a recession and that’s what the government had worked so hard to do, over many years, and the biggest beneficiaries of the job creation that had occurred under our government’s policies leading into the pandemic was for women.
Mr Speaker, labour force participation for women had risen to an all-time high.
The gender pay gap had fallen to an all-time low (still over 13%). And it is true that women have been the most impacted of the two genders (gender is a social construct) when it comes to employment in this country. That is true.
And young people also. And it is our great hope that has the economy continues to open, as I noted at the press conference today, the figures that were released today predated the opening of the economy under the three-step plan agreed by national cabinet.
Women and younger people should be the first to benefit because it’s in those sectors of retail and hospitality that have been most affected and they are the areas that we hope would be the most supported as the economy reopens.
This recession is a terrible business for all Australians. It’s a recession we didn’t have to have.
It’s a recession we weren’t going to have. As a result of the coronavirus epidemic, that is where we find ourselves.
Even in a recession we find the Australian economy in a better position than almost if not every other developed economy in the world. Now that is no comfort to those Australians who have lost their job, Mr Speaker. But the truth is if you’re an Australian in Australia, you are in the best place in the world in the midst of this crisis.
Updated
AAP has an update on the meeting Scott Morrison had with members of the entertainment industry:
The prime minister has met with members of the entertainment industry, which is struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
The arts sector was among the first to shut down when nationwide lockdowns took hold and will be among the last to reopen once the crisis subsides.
“They are obviously doing things very tough and the challenges will endure longer than most,” Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
Australian singers Guy Sebastian and Mark Vincent both attended the online meeting.
So too did Richard Evans from Live Performance Australia, Dan Rosen from the Australian Recording Industry Association and Dean Ormston from APRA AMCOS, which represents songwriters, composers and publishers.
A dozen commercial businesses also took part in the talks.
Australia’s unemployment rate has climbed to its worst rate in decades and the country is deep in recession.
Morrison is now trying to reopen the economy without risking a devastating second wave of infections.
He has previously flagged a potential funding injection for the entertainment industry once coronavirus survival payments expire in September.
Updated
Scott Morrison looks like he has his back to Anthony Albanese as he delivers this speech.
Updated
Ed Husic just asked a dixer of Anthony Albanese:
My question is to the leader of the opposition under standing order 99 and it relates to the motion standing in his name with respect to the disallowance of the Australia Post regulations and I ask why is the motion urgent?
As with most dixers, there are press releases on this.
But it shows you where we are at with politics in this place – Labor has just worked out how to get three minutes of prime time (at least when it comes to parliament) to have its say on something, on a debate the government has not wanted to have.
It has to be said, Husic is doing a very good job of seeming EXCEPTIONALLY interested in this answer. Government backbenchers take note.
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Quite the ding dong between the Prime Minister and the Speaker in Question Time just now. #auspol pic.twitter.com/mFVTc2JG3g
— Jamie Travers (@JamieTravers) June 18, 2020
Victorian Health officials have just put out the official data on the 18 new cases of Covid-19 recorded today:
The new case linked to an outbreak is a household contact of a case associated with the Croydon Family Practice outbreak – bringing the total number of cases in this outbreak to five.
One of the new cases attended the Black Lives Matter march but was not infectious at the time. The source of acquisition for this case is unknown, and no links have been identified between this and other cases previously reported as having attended the march. This new case worked at the H&M store at Northland while infectious and the store has been closed while cleaning and other public health actions are undertaken.
Two of the new cases attended childcare facilities for one day while infectious, one being a worker at The Learning Sanctuary Pakenham and a toddler at the Guardian Childcare Centre in South Yarra. Investigation of the sources of acquisition, contact tracing, deep cleaning and other necessary public health actions are being undertaken. Both facilities are currently closed.
A case has also been detected in a staff member at the Victorian Rehabilitation Centre in Glen Waverley. The staff member worked while infectious. The centre has been closed for new admissions while cleaning, contact tracing and other public health actions are undertaken.
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For the people up the back the Queensland borders are slated to come down on 10 July (as long as there is no huge uptick in southern cases).
SA is opening up to everyone (same caveat) from 20 July.
The Northern Territory is opening up on 17 July.
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Jim Chalmers to Scott Morrison:
Under this prime minister Australia has entered its first recession in three decades. 835,000 Australians have lost their jobs since March. How many unemployed Australians don’t have a job because the prime minister deliberately excluded them from jobkeeper?
Josh Frydenberg gets the nod:
Well, I’d say to the member for Rankin if he rang up the premier of Queensland there would be 66,000 more people in a job if you lifted those restrictions.
More than $600m a month to the Queensland economy. All he has to do is pick up the phone to that Labor premier and get her to lift the restrictions.
The reality is, Mr Speaker, we put in place a $70bn jobkeeper program that is supporting more than three million Australians.
And we were very clear at the outset that we wouldn’t be picking up the bill for fully owned foreign companies here in Australia.
We said right at the time that we wouldn’t be picking up the bill for local governments because they were the responsibility for state governments.
And we made it very clear that when it came to long-term casuals under the jobkeeper program, when it came to short-term casuals, we were hoping they’d stay in the job and put in place a $30bn cash flow boost to support small businesses based on the size of the payroll.
So I say to the member for Rankin, if the Australian economy was being hit by his $387bn of higher taxes, you would see fewer people in jobs. Under this government we are dealing with a one in a century pandemic. And under this government we have [worked] to keep Australians in jobs and businesses in business.
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Michael McCormack McCormack’s his way through a dixer, and manages to prove that voids can take physical form.
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Alan Tudge’s office have emailed me to let me know the minister has acknowledged Refugee Week.
Minister Tudge recorded a video message for Refugee Week that was tweeted out on Monday:
My message to mark Refugee Week 2020 #RefugeeWeek2020 pic.twitter.com/MBBMTzZtgC
— Alan Tudge (@AlanTudgeMP) June 15, 2020
It is also on the Department of Home Affairs website along with some great examples of refugee success stories.
“There has been nothing from the acting multicultural minister or the assistant minister, or nothing at least that I have seen.” (That was my comment)
Not sure where you were looking but both are pretty easy to find. (Is their sign off)
So there you go.
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That leads to this exchange:
Tony Smith: The prime minister will resume his seat. The prime minister will resume his seat. The manager of opposition business will resume his seat. The prime minister needs to withdraw that imputation.
Scott Morrison: Mr Speaker, on the point of order ... No.
Smith: Members on my left! Member for Kingston, the member for Kingston will cease interjecting. There’s going to be no debate. The prime minister needs to withdraw that imputation.
Morrison: Mr Speaker, if you would allow me...
Smith: I’m just going to say to the prime minister he just needs to withdraw. There was no point of order. I’ve made my ruling.
Morrison: Mr Speaker, I was not impugning a motive to the leader of the opposition.
I was referring to the word corruption which was used by the member for Holt to explain the investigation under way. That’s what I was referring to and was going on to explain in my answer. That is what I was referring to. It is the word used by the member for Holt. The member for Holt said corruption.
...Mr Speaker, to assist you and to respect your ruling, it has nothing to do with you. You [Tony Burke] can sit down. You’ve already had your point of order. I’m seeking to make the withdrawal.
...To assist the speaker and out of respect for the speaker I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
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Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister. Under this prime minister, Australia has entered its first recession in three decades. Australia now has an effective unemployment rate of 11.3%. How many unemployed Australians don’t have a job because the prime minister deliberately excluded them from jobkeeper?
Morrison:
No one in this country is unemployed because of the government’s responses.
People are unemployed in this country, people have been reduced to zero hours which is the same thing, people have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic!
Mr Speaker, Australians today are dealing with the news of some 270,000, almost half of those young people, Mr Speaker, of having lost their jobs in May.
And we know there will be more because of the recession Australia now finds itself in because of the pandemic. And for the leader of the opposition to come here to this despatch box and turn it into some partisan accusation, demonstrates not only his complete lack of understanding of economics, Mr Speaker, but his ability...
Tony Burke: On direct relevance. To be directly relevant the prime minister can refer to Dnata workers, a million casuals. Entertainment workers.
Tony Smith: I understand the point the manager of opposition business is making but all the points he just made weren’t in the question.
Morrison:
Jobkeeper and jobseeker expand the full economy of Australia. What our government has been doing has been responding to the needs of those Australians. This leader of the opposition, in the midst of a debacle and corruption scandal that he has overseen, corruption a word that...
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Question time begins
It is the last question time before parliament resumes in August, so you know it is not going to be pretty.
Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison about the unemployment figures.
Morrison:
This government, right from the outset of this crisis, understood that it was both a health crisis and it was a twin crisis to be faced here because of this pandemic.
The leader of the opposition did not agree with that position. He did not believe that the economic crisis was worthy of the same attention as the health crisis as we set it out.
And he criticised the government, he criticised the government for seeing it as a twin crisis.
But we always knew you would have to deal with both. That’s why we put in place, long before these terrible figures, these awful news of Australians going out of work, that we would put in place the income supports, starting with the safety net of jobseeker and then moving to jobkeeper to ensure we could now be supporting some more than 4.5 million people between both of those programs.
I want to commend again Services Australia for the tremendous work they did processing some 800,000 additional Australians’ claims to ensure they were getting the jobseeker support that they need at this time. Jobseeker support that was doubled through the Covid supplement.
Our government has been standing by Australians to ensure they can get through this crisis and, importantly, we have a plan, Mr Speaker, to ensure we not just get through this crisis, that we come out of this crisis and we regain the growth.
Our plan is based on ensuring that we’re getting unnecessary regulation out of the economy, we’re lowering taxes for Australians, we’re building the infrastructure that we need, we’re getting the gas and the energy support that’s needed for our manufacturing industries, that we’re building the Defence Force that we need in this important time.
The leader of the opposition’s great plan for the national economy, which we waited so long for, was a national driver’s licence, Mr Speaker. So much for the light on the hill. At least Bob Hawke had the capacity to dream big and it may have been an ambitious claim to take children out of poverty, but what this leader of the opposition has descended the Labor Party into is their great plan is a driver’s licence.
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OK. Question time is up.
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Oh – Dr Annaliese van Diemen just confirmed that one of the people who had tested positive for Covid-19 and attended the Black Lives Matter protest has since tested negative, after the initial positive test:
People test negative post – after they had positive tests frequently. One of the processes that is undertaken is further testing. Sometimes for clearance purposes, depending on whether they’re returning to high-risk settings.
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Victoria’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Annaliese van Diemen, is giving an update on the Victorian Covid situation.
She says it will probably be impossible to tell where the retail worker, a man in his 20s, who has tested positive for Covid-19, and attended the Black Lives Matter protest almost two weeks ago, picked up the virus:
We had one further case who attended the Black Lives Matter protest. This case was not infectious at the protest. It is possible that they acquired their illness at the protest, however, they were wearing a mask and did attend a number of other locations during their acquisition period. It will probably be impossible to tell where they actually acquired their infection.
...We would hope most people would have been discovered. It’s – you know, given the time frame since the protest – it’s now been almost two weeks, we’re getting to the end of the incubation period. So assuming people do get tested as soon as they become symptomatic, we would hope there wouldn’t be any or many more cases linked to the protest. Again, it’s not possible to say for certain whether this person acquired their illness at the protest. They were wearing a mask. It’s possible but it’s not certain.
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Michael Gunner:
I know July 17 is too far away for some people.
What I have learnt in the last few weeks is that everyone has an opinion when to open the borders.
I have been told to never open the borders, I have been told to open them in two weeks, tomorrow and yesterday.
I know I can’t make everybody happy but I can keep people safe and alive that’s why I’m listening to the expert medical advice.
I’m sure the opposition, the Terry Mills alliance and other special interests will bag this decision straightaway.
They have that luxury, they get to wash their hands of any responsibility if things go wrong, and I can’t do that and I won’t do that.
If things go wrong, if coronavirus is allowed to spread here, the consequences could be deadly. And the blood won’t be on their hands, it will be on mine.
I would rather you hate me right now and you are alive to hate me than have the regret of going too soon and stuffing it up.
After careful consideration and listening to the medical advice we will not be creating any travel bubbles.
We have legal advice that trouble bubbles are not consistent with the constitution and because we are not a state that create as bigger risk for us than others.
I also have advice from the police commissioner that will be difficult to implement and manage but honestly, the constitution is not my concern.
If I spent my time during coronavirus in constitutional debate, I may never have closed the borders in the first place. This is a Territory lives come first decision. I will not take any extra chances with this transition.
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Michael Gunner:
Until 12:01 AM on Friday the 17 July. From that date, arrivals will not have to quarantine for 14 days before enjoying the territory. That gives the rest of Australia four weeks notice and it gives Territorians four more weeks to get ready. Let me explain why that time is important. Yes, it gives businesses time to prepare and time for us to market the territory to visitors. But it also gives us time to lock in the gains that we have made and be absolutely certain that we are not putting our progress at risk.
We need that time to be absolutely certain to self quarantine is safe before we moved to no quarantine. I am not gambling. I’m not rolling the dice. I am not playing poker with the lives of Territorians. This is making decisions based on evidence. If you ever want to know where I stand, it is right here in front of Territorians putting your lives first.
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NT announces border reopen date
The Northern Territory will reopen its borders to domestic travel on 17 July.
Michael Gunner says it has been 28 days since the last person with Covid-19 recovered from the virus.
He is declaring the NT Covid-free.
And so, come mid next month, it will reopen its borders to domestic travel.
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Jim Chalmers on the unofficial unemployment rate:
Clearly the unemployment rate at the moment does not reflect the full horror of the jobs market in this country. We have got people who are hundreds of thousands of people are classed as employed who are working zero hours, we have got a massive problem, as Brendan has rightly identified – and not just in recent months – with underemployment and underutilisation. So it is important that we go even beyond that very confronting unemployment headline rate and look at some of the underlying challenges in the economy. And in the jobs market.
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Jim Chalmers:
Faced with hundreds of thousands of Australians unemployed for the government to be now talking about ending jobkeeper too soon.
As Brendan rightly pointed out, jobkeeper was implemented too slowly and too narrowly and now risks being withdrawn too quickly and too bluntly and that will have consequences for even more Australian workers.
Those Australian workers are headed for a cliff in September, if not before. It makes no sense in the face of what we now know about the jobs market for the government to be meeting with backbenchers, ministers to be meeting with backbenchers, talking about how they can kick even more people of jobkeeper like they did with the child care workers. A few moments ago, the prime minister was asked point-blank what is the future of jobkeeper and what is the future of jobseeker?
And he said he would let Australians in on the secret plan in July. The government promised that they would release the jobkeeper review and the budget update in June. They worked out that the Eden-Monaro by-election is not until early July.
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Brendan O’Connor is responding to the job figures.
He points out the unofficial unemployment rate:
The fact is that if everybody lost their jobs between March and May were looking for work, the unemployment rate, according to the ABS would be 11.3%
If everyone who had lost their job between March and May had been looking for work but they have given up looking because they’ve lost hope in the jobs market and that’s what’s so important.
The fact is now, and these are some important figures to go through, and Jim Chalmers will do the same.
But to be very clear, underutilisation of the labor market, the combination of employment and underemployment is the highest on record, there is never been an underutilisation rate in excess of 20% before.
Meaning one in five Australian workers are looking for some work or looking for more work. Not being able to find it. That is a remarkable statistic, a damning, tragic statistic which really speaks to the thousands and hundreds of thousands of stories behind each and every one of those workers who have found themselves underemployed, severely under in many cases, or unemployed.
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Indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by bushfires
Ninety-six thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were directly impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires, the royal commission into national natural disaster resilience has heard.
The figures come from research done by a group that included Bhiamie Eckford-Williamson, an Euahlayi man and academic from Australian National University. He said the fires affected 29% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations of the Indigenous populations in the states and territories in which they burned, and 12% of the total Indigenous population in Australia.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in fire-affected areas was also twice as high as the national average, or 4.6% of the population compared to 2.3%. And 9% of all children in fire-affected areas – totalling 35,000 kids, 12,000 of whom were aged four or younger – were Indigenous.
Eckford-Williamson:
“It is clear that Indigenous people have been disproportionately impacted by the Black Summer bushfires and I believe it’s very important to engage with those statistics.”
He said that despite those disproportionate statistics, there had been an “extraordinary absence of Aboriginal people” in post-fire commissions and inquiries.
Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher, an Aboriginal man and palaeoecologist from the University of Melbourne, said that researchers have been studying the geological record after the 2019-2020 fires to discover if there has been any equivalent bushfire event, stretching from Queensland to Victoria. According to the geological record, there has not.
“In that sense these fires are unprecedented in the geological record.”
Eckford-Williamson and Fletcher are among 15 witnesses talking to the royal commission today about cultural burning.
Also giving evidence is Vanessa Cavanagh, a Bundjalung and Wonnarua woman doing a PhD in Aboriginal women and cultural burning in New South Wales. Cavanagh is a former parks and wildlife firefighter, one of those who got lowered via helicopter into hot zones, and her own property was destroyed in the Gospers Mountain fire. She says they need a system that “supports us as Aboriginal women and doesn’t expect us to moult into a western framework or methodology”.
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A very small point, but Scott Morrison made a point there of saying:
While Australia is doing better than almost any other developed economy in the world, if you have lost your job, that is no comfort. So, we cannot set our expectations and what is happening elsewhere in the world.
But according to a quick review of some of his previous transcripts, he has previously compared our response to the rest of the world, particularly on 4 June, when the GDP figures were out.
Yesterday’s numbers were expected and compared to the rest of the world, I mean, we’ve seen almost 10 times worse overseas. I tell you, particularly in a crisis like this, there is no place you’d rather be than Australia.
You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else other than Australia. Particularly in times like this, when we look around the world and we see what’s happening.
Our economy has shrunk by 0.3% in the quarter. But, you know, when you look around the world, it was up to almost 10 times worse than that in other countries, you know, places like France and Italy and indeed the UK and the US and other places. So while things are pretty tough here, there’s no doubt about that.
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He finishes on this answer, which was following a question on opening the international borders up:
I‘m looking to get the economy as closes back to normal as it possibly can and to push the envelope in every possible area.
That means I have the odd dispute here and there with people I work closely with, we are all trying to do the same thing.
I will push the boundaries, as I have done for many months now, to get the economy as open as possible and to be as innovative and practical how we can achieve that while managing health issues.
When it comes to facilitating the ability of people to move in and out of Australia involved in important employment or work or investment or whether it is students or others, I’ve just had some of those issues raised with me by the entertainment industry about tours and promotions and artists and so on. These are very practical issues that go to the opening of the economy and I can tell you, we are fully immersed in all of these decisions.
That is why the government is working night and day. That is why I will not be distracted by the many other things that are there, as important as some of them may be, my job is to get Australians back into jobs. That is my pledge. I’ve done it before and I will do it again.
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Is the prime minister worried about any national security implications from that issue?
The government will continue to manage the national security interests with the strength we have. It is an important committee, though. A very important committee, which facilitates, on occasion, bipartisanship on important national security issues and it is a very important committee is, as indeed all the parliamentary committees are.
It has an important role to play. It really is a test for Mr Albanese as to whether he thinks Mr Byrnes should continue to serve on that committee. and he may wish to continue with current arrangements but that is matter for him, I’m not getting into a speculation game. It is a matter for Anthony Albanese to make a judgement on that.
Questions move to Labor and Anthony Byrne (Scott Morrison had put these questions off in favour of unemployment questions at the beginning of the press conference).
Does Scott Morrison have confidence on Byrne sitting on the intelligence and security committee?
I would take a recommendation from the leader of the opposition as to who he believes should be serving on that committee in the first instance.
And I would like to see what his recommendation would be. That is the fair and appropriate thing to do in the way that the parliament works.
The Labor party nominates who they would have to service the deputy chair of the committee. I don’t nominate that.
That is done by the leader of the opposition. So the question is really one to the leader of the opposition.
But you make reference to these issues. And I note that it is, it is Anthony Byrne who has described this as a corruption investigation.
A corruption investigation. It is not what the Liberal party is calling it, or the National party.
This is what the Labor party themselves have to find what is occurring in the Labor party at the moment. They have defined it as an investigation into corruption and you are right to raise these issues because Australians might be sitting at home and think prime minister, what has this got to do with me and my job?
I have lost my job and that is why the priority in question today has been on that. But there are weighty things that are considered by members of parliament.
And the national security agenda of the country is one. And you are raising questions about a member who, by his own admission, is saying that the events that have been acquired into is a corruption investigation.
And you’re asking whether they should serve on a committee of that seriousness. So there is very serious implications. I am disappointed that the Labor party is focused on themselves and fighting amongst themselves. The treasurer and I and my government will keep fighting for jobs.
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Asked about the Black Lives Matter protests and whether or not it will delay the economy opening up, Scott Morrison, who originally said it put it at risk, kick starting that debate says:
So far the news, despite the fact that we have had a number of people that have tested positive to coronavirus who took part in those mass gatherings, against health advice, so far, thankfully, so good. And at this point I am not aware of any states seeking to ease up on the pace of reopening their economies. But we will keep watching the data and they are taking advice from their chief health officers as I am from mine.
On youth unemployment which is at its worse levels in 23 years:
Everything is on the table here, everything is on the table here. On Monday, I highlighted the great risk if you have young people not in the job before they are between 22 and 25 and how that can lead to dependency. Now, that is just not a sickening loss to the person themselves and a great waste of human capacity but the long-term effects for the nation are significant and it’ll always been my view and I have had a great passion when it comes to getting young people into jobs. And that is why, whether it is what we’re doing in the workplace relations, the industrial relations or the youth path initiatives or the apprenticeships, I mean, that was one of the first things we did as we went into this crisis is we camped up what we were doing on apprenticeships.
Michaelia Cash is minister particularly in skills, sector, and small business, these are things that we focusing a lot of our attention on that you are absolutely right. You know, getting people back into jobs right across the board and we have to look at everything we can do.
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On the unofficial unemployment rate, which was pointed out by the ABS (about 11.3% if you count the number of people who have dropped out of the labour force market - so they are not even looking for work) Scott Morrison says:
Again, like I did when the unemployment figures with the treasury last time, I indicated that the unemployment rate I think does understate where things are on the ground.
That is why I made no reference to the rate, I made reference to the fact that 838,000 jobs had been lost because that is what has actually happened out there.
And how that, you know, adds up in the various, you know, economic measures.
They will be different views on that and so I am not seeking to have a debate about that but what I know is 838,000 people have lost a job and that is what we have to turn around and that is why our jobmaker plan has two components to it.
There are the necessary demand supports that we have in place and we will continue to calibrate going forward which provides support of the economy now both trying to keep people in employment and remembering that keeping people in employment is not just about jobkeeper, it is actually the industrial relations flexibility arrangements that are around jobkeeper that have enabled employers to keep those people in jobs.
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Murph asks what the government is considering in terms of jobseeker and jobkeeper:
These other questions and we continue to pull all the information together and get the right balance of all of those decisions by what we have done is give ourselves the time to be able to do that. We have set a timetable to make that decision and that would mean handing down in the July statement.
And these are the very issues we are wrestling with. I mean, as you know, both with Josh and myself and I can say for myself that I have dealt with some of the hardest policy problems you could...
Many of them you would not want to have dealt with. In many different portfolios.
In social services and in immigration and in treasury and I can tell you we have never had to deal with a more complex policy problem than this. And that is why I am not going to be rushed on it. I’m going to be careful about it. I am going to take the advice. I am going to grill the data. I am going to list the people, but I have just come from listening to them now, again. And we’re going to weigh these decisions very, very carefully.
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Phil Coorey asks about the future of jobkeeper and jobseeker:
Scott Morrison:
This is important information and we will have more information on this before the economic statement is handed down in late July.
There is other information that we are gathering to better understand what the right balance of the support staff. Supports will be important. What we have been careful to do is to work through and get this right get the balance right.
I mean, we put these arrangements in place for six months to give us this time. We put our supports in place, income support, jobkeeper and jobseeker, and we put that in for six months so we would have that time to properly move for the next step, to change gears again, because anyone can tell you they know exactly what is going to happen in September, in this Covid-19 crisis, is having a loan of you.
The information you have to be patient for, to make sure you design the next phase of the response carefully, and that is exactly what we’re doing. We are carefully doing it, getting ourselves the best possible information and what comes in every day, as sadly this has, but as you note, Phil, the loss of 227,000 700 jobs, is beyond market expectations.
The rate is different and that is because of the change and participates in rate. Perhaps one of the most upsetting elements, and there are so many, as I said, while devastated by the number, I’m sadly not surprised and we will have to brace ourselves I suspect for further news going forward.
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The first question is about Western Australia borders opening up, like we don’t know that the national cabinet advice has never been to close the borders.
Scott Morrison repeats that, and then moves on to this:
I have just met with the groups from the entertainment industry in a roundtable meeting with them and they are obviously doing things very tough and the challenges will endure longer than most but a further wave because even more devastation to the economy. So it is about getting these decisions right and health advice on those issues that you raised is clear, and we want to Australians back into jobs and then we need Australia open.
Josh Frydenberg calls the figures “devastating”:
In the last two months, over 835,000 jobs have been lost. These are not just numbers. These are our friends, family members, workmates and neighbours.
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'These are our dark times'
Scott Morrison:
Our expectations, the treasurer and I, together with our government, is getting these Australians back into work, to getting business doors open, to continue to give Australians the hope and confidence of the road back that we are charting together, as a government, together with other governments around the country.
These are our dark times, but I can see that ray of light, and I’m sure Australians can see that, too but we have to keep moving towards it and work harder each and every day.
We will not rest. We are working with some of the biggest economic challenges this country has ever faced annual government is working day and night to get the balance right, to get the right supports in place, the ones that will work, the one that will support, the ones that will encourage, the ones that will open business doors up again, the ones that will get Australians back into work!
I cannot tell you how focused we are on this. How disciplined we are as a team.
Cabinet met for hours and hours and hours last night. On these issues, as we have every week, for months, working through the data and there will be more data and we will need more data before we make further important decisions and that is how you can expect your government to respond and to behave and work diligently for you to get back into work.
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The prime minister says there is “some comfort” that the data was collected before the restrictions began to ease:
These figures were taken at a time, just before the opening up of this three-step plan that the states put in place, and that is of some comfort that we will see some Australians finding their way back into employment but I would not be seeking to overstate that.
There is some comfort that can be taken from the fact that we are making our way back and on the road back and that we are taking steps, every single day, we can take some comfort from the fact that Australia has put in place the biggest measure of income support the country has ever seen to cushion the blow, but the blow is still devastating and great.
And while Australia is doing better than almost any other developed economy in the world, if you have lost your job, that is no comfort. So, we cannot set our expectations by what is happening elsewhere in the world.
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Prime minister holds press conference on jobless figures
Scott Morrison says the figures are awful, but not unexpected:
As ... heartbreaking as all of these stories are that are represented in these numbers, the sad truth is these numbers are not surprising in these circumstances. We are very aware of the significant blow that Australians are being hit with through the course of this pandemic.
This recession will be written in the stories of those who are experiencing terrible hardship and these statistics today are a reminder to all, not that we need one, that with all the other noise about whatever else is going on, our task is simple. And that is we must get Australians back into work. We must maintain our focus on them. All 838,000 of them, but we know there will be more in the months ahead.
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One of New Zealand’s latest Covid cases, had flown in via Melbourne.
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Environment and climate groups are expressing their frustration about their exclusion from the Nev Power-led, gas-focused National Covid-19 Coordinating Commission process.
In a letter to the prime minister, five groups – Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the Sunrise Project and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility – note that they are included in a list of organisations that the NCCC claims to have engaged with.
They also note that Power told a Senate inquiry that the list was of more than 1,000 groups it had “consulted” with.
The groups say they have not been consulted or engaged with. Instead, they had been included in an online forum in which Power spoke and took some written questions via a moderator.
“We are deeply concerned that the commission lacks fair representation of the Australian community, has no transparent public consultation or accountability mechanism and has not made public any of its materials, including policies to guide commission, modelling to inform its work, submissions, or even its conflicts of interest register,” the letter said.
It points out that global organisations including the International Energy Agency and Bank of International Settlements have called for the Covid-19 economic recovery to also address the climate crisis.
They contrast this with the NCCC’s stance, which they say risks missing clean energy opportunities and locking in fossil fuel projects that would be expected to run for decades.
Greenpeace has tweeted a video taken from an online briefing in which Power is asked by a moderator about the NCCC’s role in addressing climate change.
His response begins: “Things like climate change were there before Covid, and they’re there after Covid. There’s nothing really changed, and nothing should change, in our agenda.”
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So what does that mean? Well, I am not an economist, but from my take, if you add in the number of people who have dropped out of the labour force in the last couple of months – so the people who are no longer looking for work, meaning they are not employed or unemployed, and therefore not counted – the unofficial unemployment rate is around 11.3%.
Which means (unofficially) there are about 1.55m people unemployed.
Which is closer to the 1.7m people who are recorded as receiving jobseeker benefits.
So, looking at the numbers, the actual unemployment rate is unofficially, in double figures.
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The ABS has also done a flow analysis of the latest unemployment data.
It includes this analysis:
The underemployment rate decreased 0.7 pts to 13.1%, reflecting a reduction in the number of part-time workers who indicated that they would prefer to work more hours.
Had the increase in the number of people who were not in the labour force between April and May (142,000) been a further increase in unemployment (that is, if they had been actively looking for work and been available to work) then the number of unemployed people would have increased to around 1.1 million people (and an unemployment rate of around 8.1%).
Looking at the cumulative change between March and May, had the increase in the number of people who were not in the labour force (623,600) been a further increase in unemployment, then the number of unemployed people would have increased to around 1.55 million people (and an unemployment rate of around 11.3%).
These estimates highlight the sizable impact of developments over the past two months on people working in Australia.
Just as an aside, the backlash against the LNP executive members who were on payrolls for various Clive Palmer companies (I am not agreeing, or defending, just making the point) seems a little strange, given it was Palmer’s votes which helped the Coalition win the election – particularly in Queensland.
And also, presumably, the LNP will be looking to make some sort of preference deal with Palmer at the coming state election.
But nothing to do with party politics ever makes sense.
Updated
Scott Morrison will hold a press conference at 12.15pm.
It’s in the prime minister’s courtyard – the fanciest of press conference stagings, so it’s serious-serious when he wants that backdrop.
Updated
Other important data from the May unemployment figures?
Youth unemployment – it has risen from 14.1% to 16.1%.
Millennials and Gen Z are bearing the brunt of the economic impacts.
For more on the global situation (which is also playing out in Australia) this is a good read.
Since the 18th century, no generation of Americans have had such a tough start as Millenials. Over the first 15 year of their working lives, the national economy grew by just over 15% v. 60% for the GI generation. https://t.co/XVANc1ZWur pic.twitter.com/y5H3p7Ltdd
— Adam Tooze (@adam_tooze) June 17, 2020
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There is a parliamentary inquiry into the NT’s representation in parliament because of this issue:
At the next federal election Victoria will have 39 House seats (+1), Western Australia will have 15 seats (-1) and the Northern Territory will have 1 seat (-1). #auspol pic.twitter.com/v7rbSE5vwY
— GhostWhoVotes (@GhostWhoVotes) June 18, 2020
Well this should fix it (this is sarcasm).
The LNP executive president role is unpaid, but things are getting very, very messy within the LNP, so don’t expect this to be the end of it.
And watch which federal MPs go where as this plays out.
Mr Hutchinson has ended his engagement with all Palmer companies, effective yesterday at 10am.
— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) June 18, 2020
“While I am disappointed that David is leaving, I understand his strong desire to do all he can to ensure the LNP is elected,’’ #QLDPOL
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Why is the underutilisation rate important?
That is the number of people who are either not working, or who have a job, but aren’t getting enough work.
So that would take into account those on the jobkeeper scheme.
Which gets turned off in September.
Here are some key figures from the ABS’s latest jobless figures:
The ABS estimates that a combined group of around 2.3 million people - around 1 in 5 employed people – were affected by either job loss between April and May or had less hours than usual for economic reasons in May.
The underutilisation rate, which combines the unemployment and underemployment rates, rose to a new record high of 20.2%.
Women continued to be more adversely affected by the labour market deterioration than men. Younger workers have also been particularly impacted.
Updated
Meanwhile, a parliamentary inquiry into the destruction of Indigenous sites has begun:
The Northern Australia Committee has commenced an inquiry into the destruction of the Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge.
The inquiry will examine how the destruction of the caves came about; the processes that failed to protect the site; the impacts on Traditional Owners; and the legislative changes required to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Committee chair, Warren Entsch, said that it was inconceivable that such a valuable heritage site could be destroyed in complete accordance with the law and without any means for Traditional Owners or their representatives to effectively intervene:
The committee wants to find out how this was allowed to happen and how we will prevent such occurrences in the future. The states and territories and the commonwealth have an absolute obligation to preserve our Indigenous heritage for the benefit of all Australians.
The committee welcomes submissions from all interested parties. The deadline for submissions is 31 July 2020.
The committee is due to report on 30 September 2020.
The detailed terms of reference can be found on the committee’s website.
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May job figures released – unemployment rises to 7.1%
The ABS says “unemployment increased by 85,700 people to 927,600” in the last month, which increased the rate from 6.4% to 7.1%.
Underemployment, however, fell - which means those who still had jobs, were working more:
Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said: “The drop in employment, of close to a quarter of a million people, added to the 600,000 in April, brings the total fall to 835,000 people since March.”
“In two months, the percentage of people aged 15 and over employed in Australia decreased from around 62.5 per cent to around 58.7 per cent.”
Unemployment increased by 85,700 people to 927,600, and the unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percentage points to 7.1 per cent (from a revised 6.4 per cent in April and 5.2 per cent in March).
As in April, the size of the increase in the unemployment rate in May was reduced by larger than usual numbers of employed and unemployed people leaving the labour force. This was reflected in a further fall in the participation rate, down 0.7 percentage points to 62.9 per cent. The last time the participation rate was below 63 per cent was in January 2001.
Monthly hours worked fell 0.7 per cent in May, to be down 10.2 per cent since March (with the April fall revised up to 9.5 per cent).
“The ABS estimates that a combined group of around 2.3 million people - around 1 in 5 employed people - were affected by either job loss between April and May or had less hours than usual for economic reasons in May,” Mr Jarvis said.
The underemployment rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points in May, to 13.1 per cent, but remained 4.3 points above March.
The underutilisation rate, which combines the unemployment and underemployment rates, rose to a new record high of 20.2 per cent.
“Women continued to be more adversely affected by the labour market deterioration than men. Younger workers have also been particularly impacted,” Mr Jarvis said.
Which, as we pointed out earlier this week, puts this intervention from LNP senator Amanda Stoker into context.
You can see the federal lines being drawn:
Not to be outdone by her comments about the Qld Premier, last night Senator Stoker took aim at her own QLD LNP Leader Deb Frecklington saying that she was 'weak' and 'playing the gender card'.
— Senator Nita Green (@nitagreenqld) June 16, 2020
This language doesn't help women in politics. It's designed to bring them down. pic.twitter.com/yEhY6Zg1n1
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Peter Dutton calls on Queensland LNP branch president to quit
Meanwhile, in Queensland, Peter Dutton has made an extraordinary intervention in the LNP leadership mess.
Internal polling showing how parliamentary leader Deb Frecklington was struggling to make electoral traction four months out from a state election was leaked earlier this week.
Dutton has worked out who he blames, while talking to Brisbane radio 4BC:
The branch members are outraged that the President of the LNP would be involved in a campaign to destabilise the state leader and he must resign.
I think he will reflect on his position and do the right thing.
His position is untenable.
The ABC has covered this story off. You can find more here.
Updated
Meanwhile, in the House, the government has moved to shut down debate from Adam Bandt, Andrew Wilkie and Bob Katter. Anthony Albanese just had a “member no longer be heard” motion moved against him as well.
Updated
The Senate crossbench is coming together to hold a press conference against the Coalition and Labor motion to limit the number of motions the Senate deals with each day.
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NSW reports two new Covid-19 cases after day of record testing
Good news out of NSW – a record number of daily testing has seen just two new cases of the coronavirus identified.
Gladys Berejiklian:
I am so pleased that we had a record number of tests in the last 24 hours, more than 17,300 citizens of New South Wales came forward to get tested, which is exactly what we have asked them to do. Even with the milder symptoms and there are only two cases identified and both are in quarantine. Again, that is a consistent and pleasing result. What it demonstrates is that we can’t be vigilant enough. We can’t be complacent at all. Please, please, do not let your guard down. We have seen elsewhere where if people let their guard down, don’t come forward and get tested when they have the milder symptoms, breakouts can occur.
Updated
Calla Wahlquist is following along with the bushfire royal commission. Give her a follow for regular updates (and of course, check back on the site for the news wrap)
There are TWENTY witnesses listed for the #BushfireRC today.
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) June 17, 2020
TWENTY.https://t.co/4BrhEN4nHh
Can Victorians have trust in the Labor party?
Daniel Andrews:
Look, I work hard every day to make sure that we deliver on our promises. That we keep Victoria strong and safe. That we get the job done. And I’m going to continue doing that. As I said yesterday, I will not have our agenda sidetracked. I will not have the important work we have to do undermined or interfered with. We are going to keep pushing forward with jobs. That’s the key at the moment. Everyone knows that. We’ve got a health response that’s very important for coronavirus. But we’ve got an enormous amount of economic damage that had to be done. There was no choice. This is now all about repairing that damage, looking after workers and businesses. Families, communities and you’ll see in the coming months, right up until the budget, and including the budget, this will be a plan for jobs. A plan for jobs and a plan for the future. And that’s what I’m absolutely focused on doing.
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On the review and how people will know how it is progressing, Daniel Andrews says:
This is a program of work. And we have to check against the progress that’s made.
There will be milestones.
There will be key markers of the work that’s being done. And we’ll have ... When we have announcements about that timeline or a different timeline, then we’ll make those at the appropriate time.
We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. This is a massive task. A critically important task. The first of the reports, the first progress that they’ll need to make is at the end of next month, and I’d be confident that Jenny [Macklin] and Steve [Bracks] will make significant progress.
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Daniel Andrews was, of course, also asked about the ongoing issues with Victorian Labor.
Asked if he is concerned about the potential for more correspondence between Labor MPs and Adem Somyurek being released, Andrews says:
I was concerned [enough] to sack Adem Somyurek. I was concerned [enough] to expel Adem Somyurek. And that’s the end of my concerns in relation to Adem Somyurek.
At the moment, Daniel Andrews says Victoria remains on track for its planned easing of restrictions, despite the uptick in cases.
He was asked about the three positive tests from people who went to the Black Lives Matter rally almost two weeks ago (two people did not pick up the virus at the rally and were wearing masks and the third and most recent was not thought to have been contagious at the march, and also worked in retail) and said:
I’m always concerned if there are any positive cases. But again, this strategy is about acknowledging that there will be more cases. There will be outbreaks and that’s why it is so important to have the very best public health response to that. And I think through [chief health officer] Brett [Sutton] and his team, that’s exactly what we have.
Three of Victoria’s new cases remain under investigation.
Victoria has seen an ongoing struggle with community transmission.
Updated
Among those new cases is a third person who went to the Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne, almost two weeks ago, but health minister Jenny Mikakos says the person was unlikely to have been contagious while at the rally.
However they did work two days at a Northland H&M store while potentially infectious.
Six of the 18 cases are returned travellers. They are in hotel quarantine.
Updated
Victoria records another 18 Covid-19 cases
Daniel Andrews is speaking about the uptick in Victorian coronavirus case numbers and what that means for the easing of restrictions. Yesterday, the state recorded 21 new cases (15 of which were in hotel quarantine).
Today’s numbers and yesterday numbers are a timely reminder, if anyone needed that, that this is far from over.
Now, we are not running a zero cases every day strategy. We’re always happy for those days, but that is not necessarily what we are aiming for.
What we are aiming for is to suppress this, and ultimately get to the point where there are no cases.
But we’ve been very clear, as has the PM and as has Brendan Murphy, we will see more positive case and we will see outbreaks. That’s why we’ve had more testing than any other state and one of the highest per capita rates anywhere in the world. That’s why we have a massive public health team.
There are more than 1,000 coronavirus detectives and the outbreak squad, if you like, that pounce on any of the outbreaks and lock them down. All of that investment is critically important. We believe that we can continue to slowly, cautiously, safely reopen.
Updated
While not talking about Victorian Labor, the government has been talking about Labor’s attempts to amend legislation which included mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders (under the federal statute - most child sex offenders are charged and sentenced under state laws)
Labor amended the bill in the Senate, with the cross bench, to remove the mandatory minimum sentencing aspect, which the government rejected. Labor, as a policy, does not support mandatory sentences, but in caucus, decided to let the government’s bill pass, without amendment, which it did.
That didn’t stop attacks from the government that Labor stood against the bill, including from Peter Dutton who used question time to launch his attack, which gives him parliamentary privilege.
That’s the context in which this exchange between Sydney radio 2GB host Ben Fordham and NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is interesting.
Labor is against mandatory sentencing because it can often be counterproductive to convictions. Juries, faced with a mandatory punishment for a crime that might be at the lower end of the scale, can acquit, rather than send someone to prison for longer than they are comfortable with.
Asked about mandatory sentencing for people who assulted police, Berejiklian says:
Well, in fact, it is Ben but we’ve also found that in some instances, what happens is the person gets let off because the mandatory sentence, ironically, can have the opposite effect. So I appreciate the sentiment out there and let me know, let me assure you and your listeners, we have the toughest laws in the land, and we’ll keep doing that. But we also need to make sure that anything we do doesn’t have the unintended consequence of letting people off when they should actually be serving jail time. So we are always looking at the right thing to do by our frontline men and women, especially men and women of the police force.”
Just thought it was worth noting.
There is a heated debate in the Senate right now, as Penny Wong explains why Labor is joining with the government to limit the number of motions the Senate will deal with each day (you’ll find the motion a few posts down).
Wong says that section of Senate business is not being used as it was intended and there are other opportunities for debate “on policy”. There is a lot of heckling – so much so that the usually unflappable Wong is tripping over her words.
Updated
Meanwhile, the Black Lives Matter protests, which were the favoured topic of the hand-wringing commentariat and politicians who told people they risked keeping Australians locked up for longer, have so far resulted in two cases, neither of which appear to have been picked up at the protest, and in both cases, the people found to have tested positive were wearing masks.
Greg Hunt was asked about this on the Nine Network this morning:
Well, so far there have been two cases associated with the protests. I hope that that’s it. We’ll wait and see. It was always a lottery.
If there was somebody who was infectious and spreading, then that could have led to a catastrophe. At this stage, we have only the two cases.
We do know there’s still some, as the chief medical officer describes it, grumbling community transmission in parts of Victoria, but the high rates of testing and then the contact tracing, all of these things helping to mop up the cases and that’s what’s allowing us to get back to our day-to-day activity and people to regain their freedoms, their social lives and the economic activity that’s just so critical.
Updated
Most of the states (Western Australia being the exception, because the west is probably divorcing Australia by stealth and no one is noticing because of the time difference) have laid out when they are reopening their borders.
For South Australia it is by 20 July, with Tasmanians, Northern Territorians and Western Australians able to travel there now.
For Queensland, it is most likely 10 July (at least according to the roadmap, which is posted on line).
But goodness knows what some commentators are going to have to talk about when those borders do open:
Ben Fordham: One thing that would help is opening up the borders. And this issue is now headed to the high court. And this was all about protecting health, but now it’s killing business big time?
Scott Morrison: Well, the story this morning, some 5,000 jobs have been costed a week on this. This is why I’ve been pushing this state so hard and –
Fordham: $84m dollars a day. We’re losing?
Morrison: This is why borders should be opened up. There’s never been any advice which says they should be closed. And that’s why this is so frustrating. I’m pleased that we’ve got a timetable at least now. And that’s important because that means that particularly the tourism industry up in Queensland can now start planning to take people again when that turns back on. And to be honest, that, it would take about a month or so for them to wind back up again for a lot of those businesses to get themselves ready to receive visitors again. So they do need a bit of forewarning about this, but there was no reason for the borders to be shut in the first place. And so they need to be reopened. I know that within those states in particular, whether it be in Queensland or WA or Tasmania or South Australia, there are people there who believe that was giving them some protection. But, you know, Australia’s had an amazing performance when it comes to the coronavirus. We haven’t been going for a complete elimination. That’s not a practical goal. What we’re doing is staying on top of it. And the numbers show that we’re doing that. And business should be able to open and employ people, it’s holding back jobs.
Updated
Scott Morrison was asked about the unemployment figures this morning while talking to Sydney radio 2GB:
We’re in a recession. And when you’re in recession, these are the sort of very heartbreaking numbers that we have to deal with. And we’ve still got a long way to go.
And so that’s why it’s so important that all of our efforts, all of our focus where the parliament’s focus should be, certainly where the government’s focus always has been, is on creating jobs, keeping people in jobs where we can and where people aren’t able to hold on to those jobs that we could find ways to get them back into new jobs and grow our economy again as quickly as possible.
I mean, the most recent figures we had, I said this on Monday when I was outlining further parts of our jobmaker plan, and we lost 30 months of jobs growth in the figures that came out last month.
And that’s heartbreaking because so many businesses, so many people work so hard to create all those jobs. And then almost overnight, we saw them go. So, you know, it’s a tough time.
Updated
The May jobs data will come out today.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics will drop those figures at about 11.30am today.
Given September (when jobkeeper and the covid supplement to jobseeker will end) is creeping up, it might be worth taking a look a this story from Paul Karp last week, if you missed it.
This is where the debate will be raging come August.
Updated
Helen Sullivan has the international coronavirus blog up and running.
Updated
Just in case you didn’t know, it is Refugee Week this week.
It runs from 16 to 22 of June to coincide with World Refugee Day on 20 June.
But you might not know, as the government is yet to acknowledge it. Labor and the Greens have (as it started) but there has been nothing from the acting multicultural minister or the assistant minister, or nothing at least that I have seen.
Alan Tudge did manage to link multiculturalism to a cooking show, but that was last week.
For the record, David Coleman, did acknowledge Refugee Week last year.
Updated
Just taking a look at the House of Reps daily program for today, and it looks like there is no new legislation being introduced (at this stage).
Which seems a little strange. I mean, it’s not as if there is *anything* going on that needs addressing or anything.
Updated
This seems an overkill for a sick day.
Updated
After originally leaving the issue of where the recordings used by the Age and 60 Minutes had come from alone, the government turned its attention to those recordings yesterday, under parliamentary privilege.
Here is some of what Christian Porter had to say about that yesterday during question time, in response to a dixer (question asked by the government to the government).
At a federal level, there are very strict rules about the use and authorised use of surveillance devices which, essentially, restrict that use to law enforcement agencies. As the member is aware, recently we also passed very important laws to counter the influence of or interference with members of parliament. Frankly, I think that everyone in this parliament would agree that the idea that a “non-law-enforcement device”, if you like, appeared to have been installed in the office of any member of this parliament is a serious concern.
I think it’s a matter also of some obviousness that the level of concern we might have, and whether that matter might require further inquiry, would turn very substantially on whether the member in question had themselves authorised or otherwise had knowledge of the installation of that device. That seems to be a very obvious and first question.
Updated
For those who are unfamiliar with the term “doors” it’s what we call the quick doorstops at the beginning of parliament.
There are lots of entries and exits into the parliament, so if a MP walks through either the Representatives main door or the Senate main entry, where the journalists and cameras are, it means they have something to say.
It’s fairly rare for the leaders of the party to drop by there, so that tells you Anthony Albanese wanted those comments out there quickly.
Updated
Labor backbencher 'counselled' by Anthony Albanese over text comments
Anthony Albanese stopped by doors a few moments ago to say this:
Yesterday afternoon I spoke with Anthony Byrne. I checked on his welfare.
Anthony Byrne is someone who has been under pressure and it was appropriate that I check on his welfare. I also discussed and sought an assurance from him that he had advice, which he has, that he has acted legally at all times.
That is consistent with what Channel Nine have said in terms of Nick McKenzie’s comments as well. He also assured me that he was offering full cooperation with Ibac and the police inquiries. And I took that assurance.
I note the comments that are published today from Mr Byrne. These comments are completely unacceptable and inappropriate.
And I’ve counselled Mr Byrne about his language and the inappropriateness of those comments.
I note Andrew Hastie’s comments this morning, where he has said clearly, ‘I can speak to Mr Byrne’s character over the last few years. He has been a great servant of our country in the committee.’
And certainly, the work that committee has done to keep our country safe has been important, has been bipartisan by and large, and certainly the chair and the deputy chair of the committee have worked very cooperatively.
Updated
Mathias Cormann and Penny Wong are putting in a motion to the Senate to limit how many motions the upper house can deal with each sitting day.
It would limit them to 12 –four for the government, four for Labor and four for the crossbench to share. That also includes motions for the production of documents.
There were more than 50 pages of motions lodged the other day, which has helped push this limiting motion along, but you have to question how this helps democracy.
Here’s the motion:
We give notice that, on the next day of sitting, we shall move
(1) That the following variations to the standing orders have effect as a temporary order until the last sitting day in June 2021:
(a) At the end of standing order 66, add:
(5) The following additional requirements apply to the consideration of general business notices of motion as formal motions:
(a) Senators may make (or have made on their behalf) only one request for formality in any sitting week.
No more than 12 motions may be dealt with as formal motions on any sitting day, comprising no more than four proposed by Government senators, four proposed by Opposition senators, and four proposed by minor party and independent senators.
(c) The motions to be considered shall be notified to the President.
(d) The allocation of motions to be taken as formal amongst minor party and independent senators each day shall be determined by the President and, across the course of a sitting week, shall be as nearly as practicable proportional to the numbers of those minor party and independent senators in the Senate.
(6) The restrictions in paragraph
(5) do not apply in respect of motions for the consideration of legislation (including the introduction of bills) or the conduct of Senate or committee business (including the appointment of a select committee).
(b) After standing order 76(7), insert:
(7A) A general business notice of motion shall not exceed 200 words, unless
it is a motion:
(a) for the consideration of legislation or the conduct of Senate or
committee business (including the appointment of a select committee), or (6) proposing an order for the production of documents.
(2) That the Procedure Committee review the operation of this order, and report to the Senate by the last sitting day in May 2021.
Senator Cormann
Senator Wong
Updated
It has cost NSW $50m to quarantine returned travellers in its hotels – each state has been picking up the cost of quarantining returned Australians in the city they land in, so Sydney and Melbourne, as the major hubs, have taken in the most travellers.
There is an international student return pilot in the works, which has raised the question of who will pick up the tab for any quarantining needed as part of that.
Simon Birmingham:
So that’s why we’re working through a pilot program in relation to international students.
It won’t be taxpayers picking up the bill for those students in terms of their quarantine period.
But we’re going to improve that. It’s not just complications of how you run quarantine, it’s also questions if you look at a [travel] bubble with New Zealand, how do we make sure that those flights coming in and out of international airports from New Zealand aren’t, if you like, crossing over with flights coming from other parts of the world where Covid is more prevalent because we want to make sure we protect those travellers going to and from New Zealand.
So there are a lot of things we are working on in the background as to how we run the logistics, to keep Australians safe, but reopen our economic activity wherever we to be able to save jobs across the economy.
Updated
But Australia’s borders to the UK, will remain closed. At least for the foreseeable future.
Simon Birmingham:
It’s a trade deal first and foremost, not some open borders arrangement and it won’t be an open borders arrangement.
There will absolutely be opportunity for us to look at how we can, as I say, manage our mutual recognition of qualifications in areas where we have similar high standards that enable Australians and Brits to travel, hopefully more freely with more ease in terms of working in the professions, working in different fields, and facilitating that right of passage that so many young Australians and young Brits undertake in terms of traveling to each other’s countries and working
Putting aside that they are owned by an American company now …
There are few countries in the world who share a closer friendship than Australia and the UK.
— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) June 17, 2020
Now, as an independent trading nation for the first time in decades, we have the opportunity to turn our shared history and friendship into a world-leading free trade agreement. 🇬🇧🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/PPWESs3aHq
… there would be more to an Australian-UK free trade agreement than biscuits.
One would hope.
Simon Birmingham spoke about that this morning to ABC TV:
The opportunities for Australia are immense. The UK is a market of 67 million people. We want to see for farmers that they get a fair crack at this. So for grain grower, sheep graziers, wine-makers, horticultural producers, we see real opportunities for them. But also in the services sector, huge potential there. We already have large healthcare providers operating in the UK. We want to enhance their ability through working at regulatory harmonisation, to make sure we got mutual recognition of standards and qualifications as we can. That can help us in financial services, FinTech and a whole range of other areas.
Updated
But nope. Doesn’t look like that is happening.
.@political_alert #auspol pic.twitter.com/5SSP9QU22Q
— Hon Bob Katter MP (@RealBobKatter) June 17, 2020
Updated
The health advice is to stay home.
I feel like death today 💀☠️🚙
— Hon Bob Katter MP (@RealBobKatter) June 17, 2020
Updated
Good morning
And welcome to the last sitting day.
Until August, that is. The winter break is upon us.
But, as with the rest of the week, it’s not what is happening in parliament that has everyone’s attention. The Victorian Labor branch has captured most headlines this week. Now, as AAP reports, it has entered the federal sphere:
The Victorian ALP scandal has pivoted back to the federal parliamentary party after explosive text messages written by the federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne were released.
The former Labor leader Bill Shorten, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, and the retired federal MPs Michael Danby, Alan Griffin and Sam Dastyari are subject to criticism in the text messages.
The texts were reportedly released by the disgraced party powerbroker Adem Somyurek, after the backbencher agreed to cooperate with corruption investigators. AAP reports:
“Somyurek has selectively released a hand-picked selection of my text messages to him sent over two years just hours after I made a public statement that I had contacted authorities and would assist with their corruption investigations into him. That speaks for itself,” Byrne said in a statement to AAP.
“In respect of the misinformation circulating, I want to make clear that I take the matters raised recently seriously and have been in touch with authorities to offer my full assistance.
“I welcome investigations into corruption, which has no place in the party I love.
“Because I do not want to cross over or impede any investigations that may be occurring, I’m unable to comment further at this point in time.”
An investigation by the Age and 60 Minutes led to Somyurek’s sacking from the Victorian ministry. He resigned from the Labor party before his expulsion. Two factional allies have also resigned as ministers but remain in the party as investigations begin.
We’ll cover all the day’s events in parliament and across federal politics, as well as update you on any Covid information you need to know. You have a two-coffee Amy, Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp and Daniel Hurst in Canberra, and access to everyone across the Guardian as the day rolls on.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
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