The Senate chamber has kicked off with the Greens’ disallowance motion regarding the government’s plans for the Murray-Darling Basin plan. And that is where we will leave it.
If all goes to plan, Kristina Keneally will be sworn into the Senate tomorrow. That also means she’ll be on deck in time for estimates. And I would bet all of the things she’ll be deployed.
Tomorrow is also Labor’s last chance to hit Barnaby Joyce in question time. At this stage, he’ll be acting prime minister next week while Malcolm Turnbull is in the US. There hasn’t been the final blow, and there doesn’t seem to be any idea within the Nationals on how to move forward. So we remain deadlocked, with the status quo holding firm. Will that change? Right now, I wouldn’t hold my breath, but sands can shift very suddenly in these sorts of cases, so who actually knows?
A big thank you to Mike Bowers. He has been out and about since the crack of dawn this morning. And he’ll be back in the hallways and alcoves tomorrow. You can catch him in the meantime at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers. Thank you also, of course, to the Guardian brains trust. Thank you for all the sugar (and typo sweeping).
And of course, as always as we wrap up, a big thank you to you, the readers. You guys didn’t quite get to 4,000 comments today but you gave it a very good effort. I feel very lucky to serve an audience as engaged as you, even if we don’t always agree. Thank you to all of you who have been following along outside of the Politics Live walls – those who want to join can find me at @amyremeikis or @ifyouseeamy, where you can find me talking politics from the moment I wake up. Most days.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning. Have a lovely evening and take care.
Updated
Jim Molan had quite a lot to say about defence in his speech, but it is not anything we haven’t heard before.
He also had this to say:
For obvious reasons control of our borders and immigration are important to me, as they are to most Australians. We now effectively control our borders in a way that few now trust the opposition to do. However, I am concerned that the level of legal migration, now that we control our borders, is in excess of the capacities of our cities to absorb, both culturally or in terms of infrastructure. We are approaching limits on this, if indeed we have already exceeded them. I don’t have the answers, but I certainly have the concerns.
I think quite a few of us have concerns.
Paul Karp was in the chamber:
Jim Molan has just given his first speech in the Senate - it was long on thoughts about how to structure the military and short on contrition for reposting two Britain First videos that blamed Muslims for violence.
Molan did address the controversy briefly - to thank Malcolm Turnbull for backing him, and to say how he appreciates the need for his public statements and actions (and his support for diversity) not to be misconstrued (ie: sorry you feel that way).
Molan rattled off his war record and said it had given him an “appreciation for democracy” - both the solemn duties of being a senator but also the need for democracy in the New South Wales Liberal party. Despite the odd jab at moderates for shutting down party reform, he denied being a member of the “hard right” faction.
The former leader of Australian forces in Iraq tackled what he said was the stereotype that military men accept orders unquestioningly.”The only order I ever obeyed without question was ‘Duck!’,” he quipped.
Molan heaped praise on Scott Morrison for his handling of people smugglers, and thanked him for describing him as one of the architects of its border policy. “Operation Sovereign Borders was my introduction to the Coalition, and I was mightily impressed,” he said.
There were some thoughts on foreign policy that wouldn’t sound strange coming from Paul Keating - that Australia needs to be independent. Molan said he doesn’t see how the US can come to the aid “all of its allies” in seriously troubled times and suggested “the myth of infinite US power and resolve” has led to under-investment in defence by allies. Before 1941 Australia “blindly” trusted Britain and the result was nearly catastrophic.
Molan suggested that the Australian government specify - in generic terms - what it thinks the next war is going to be (and how we’re going to win it), so that we can set a capability target for our defence forces and then deter would-be aggressors. It all sounded like a recipe for much-increased defence spending.
Updated
A law passed today! (I say this only half jokingly)
From Mitch Fifield’s statement:
Laws will be strengthened to prevent image-based abuse, commonly referred to as ‘revenge porn’, following the passage of the Turnbull government’s Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2018 in the Senate today.
The bill will provide the eSafety Commissioner with the power to issue ‘removal notices’ to perpetrators, social media service providers and website and content hosts.
These notices require such images to be removed within 48 hours after the notice has been given.
Individuals may be subject to civil penalties of up to $105,000, while corporations may be subject to fines up to $525,000.
The civil penalties regime complements existing criminal laws at the commonwealth and state and territory levels, providing victims with an option to have material removed quickly without the need for lengthy legal proceedings.
Amendments to the government’s bill were passed by the Senate which would make changes to the Criminal Code Act 1995 to establish a specific criminal offence in relation to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
The House of Representatives will carefully consider the Senate’s amendments and their workability.
Under commonwealth law, it is already an offence to use a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence (section 474 of the Criminal Code). The maximum penalty for this offence is three years’ imprisonment.
Under this offence, 947 charges have been proven against 475 defendants since 2004, including a number of cases in relation to image-based abuse.
The commonwealth has also worked with state and territory governments through the Coag Law Crime and Community Council to support a nationally-consistent approach to criminal offences.
A National Statement of Principles on the criminalisation of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images was published in May 2017. All states and territories have now enacted or are enacting these in their legislation.
The Turnbull government has a strong track record for protecting victims of image-based abuse.
The government has committed $10 million to support victims of image-based abuse, including $4.8 million for the eSafety Commissioner to develop and implement a national online complaints portal for image-based abuse.
The portal allows victims to report instances of image-based abuse and access to immediate and tangible support.
For more information about reporting the non-consensual sharing of intimate images visit www.esafety.gov.au/imagebasedabuse
Updated
While we listen to Jim Molan’s speech (so far, it is fairly paint-by-numbers), an update from Julie Bishop’s office:
Today I announce that the Australian government will provide $18 million over three years to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support stabilisation efforts in Iraq.
Australia recognises Iraq faces formidable humanitarian and stabilisation challenges as it seeks to rebuild after its defeat of Isis. The UN estimates that 8.7 million Iraqi people require humanitarian assistance and almost 2.6 million remain internally displaced.
The widespread destruction of people’s homes, hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure is a significant barrier to Iraqis returning home and resuming their lives. Women, children and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable.
Australia sees the stabilisation of Iraq as essential to the permanent destruction of Isis and preventing its resurgence. Isis and its ideology remain a global threat and Australia is committed to its defeat.
UNDP’s Financing Facility for Stabilisation is at the forefront of re-establishing essential public services and critical infrastructure in liberated areas of Iraq. The Facility has committed more than US$770 million for over 1,600 projects across Iraq and is working effectively to create the conditions for people to return home.
This funding is part of Australia’s $100 million Iraq Humanitarian and Stabilisation package announced in April 2017. Australia has provided and committed more than $613 million to the Syria and Iraq crises since 2011.
Updated
While we are on the Senate, Kimberley Kitching has just tabled this:
Labor demanding production of documents showing Special Purpose Flights taken by @Barnaby_Joyce as DPM and Acting PM with Ms Campion, as well as any international travel in 2017 pic.twitter.com/1r20tyUssU
— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) February 14, 2018
Updated
Just a reminder that new Liberal senator Jim Molan is due to give his official first speech to the Senate at 5.30pm.
Updated
Following that exchange, Doug Cameron has just let the Senate know that he plans on moving a motion to have Glenys Beauchamp (then secretary of the department) and Chris Pigram (former Geoscience Australia chief) appear before the Economics Legislation committee during estimates, on either 28 February or 1 March.
Updated
Meanwhile, in the Senate, this exchange occurred during question time.
Doug Cameron: My question is to minister for resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Did the minister or any of his staff raise with the secretary or any other senior official in the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science the appointment of deputy prime minister Joyce’s former media adviser to a departmental role?
Matt Canavan: Not to my knowledge.
Senate president: Senator Cameron, a supplementary question.
Cameron: Did the minister or any of his staff raise with the secretary or any other senior officials in any other department the appointment of deputy prime minister Joyce’s former media adviser to a departmental role?
Canavan: Again, not to my knowledge.
Senate president: Senator Wong?
Penny Wong: Mr president, that’s the second occasion on which the minister is saying he doesn’t know. We’d like him to take it on notice. Well, we think this matter goes to a matter of —
Zed Seselja: You don’t get to direct him; you can do it in the supplementary.
Wong: Well, I’m asking that and, if he refuses, that will be plain.
Government senators interjecting—
Senate president: Order on my right! Can I hear Senator Wong? Can I hear Senator Wong before I rule? Senator Wong.
Wong: I’m requesting that the minister take it on notice.
Senate president: Okay. Senator Wong, that is not a point — Senator Cormann?
Mathias Cormann: I just, on the point of order, make the point that the question was asked and the minister answered the question. The minister answered the question as he was able to answer it, so there’s no point of order.
Updated
As promised:
NOW: "The NSW ICAC is much better at destroying peoples' lives than uncovering criminality" - @TonyAbbottMHR on his opposition to a Federal ICAC #auspol
— Sydney Live (@SydneyLive2GB) February 14, 2018
NOW: "I was a little dismayed to hear the Prime Minister saying [a Federal ICAC] would be considered... this was a Greens idea" - @TonyAbbottMHR on calls for a Federal ICAC #auspol
— Sydney Live (@SydneyLive2GB) February 14, 2018
NOW: Federal ICAC is a "very, very bad idea. It's the LAST thing we should be hearing about from the Liberal/National Coalition Government" - @TonyAbbottMHR on Federal ICAC #auspol
— Sydney Live (@SydneyLive2GB) February 14, 2018
He had no advice for Barnaby Joyce.
Tony Abbott is enjoying his regular slot on 2GB. We’ll bring you the top hits in just a moment.
Jason Falinski was part of the same discussion. Here is part of his take:
“What we heard is Joel admit that there has been no breach of the ministerial code (“I did no such thing, Fitzgibbon interjected) that there has only been a perception of a breach.
“If there is something to be gained by this, it is this: that this place should be based on the facts. It should be based on the code and the law and not perception there of.
“...The Labor party has had more than a week and three days in question time to assert and set out the case of where there has been a breach in the code of conduct. They have failed to do so.
“I have seen no evidence that the code has been broken.”
Joel Fitzgibbon was speaking to David Speers on Sky. He said if he was Malcolm Turnbull, he would want Barnaby Joyce to go.
Because obviously he is dragging the government down on a daily basis. The Labor party don’t want him to go, because every day he stays is a good day for the Labor party. If your main objective is to maintain the integrity of the parliament and the Westminster system, your judgement would have to be, he should go.
… I don’t mind talking about my own past experiences; about nine years ago I resigned as defence minister. Why did I resign? A misdemeanour. I organised a meeting between my brother and defence officials about a matter for which there were no contracts pending, no tenders, a conversation about a concept, and when I checked the ministerial code of conduct, it said basically that even if there was a possible perception there could be a conflict, I was conscious I was doing the wrong thing, but when I re-read that, I came to the conclusion that I was in breach of the ministerial code of conduct because of the possible perception. And I wasn’t prepared to ask Kevin Rudd to stand in question time and argue that I wasn’t in breach of the code when clearly in my own view I was and I wasn’t prepared to damage my own government.
Now Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull are just doing the opposite. They are fighting this technicality based on a definition of whether someone is a partner or a girlfriend or whatever it might be and standing their ground. I don’t mind using my own case to paint a contrast of the standards.
Updated
It’s almost official – just has to go to the governor of NSW. Then the NSW governor to the governor general. Then the GG to the Senate. So maybe tomorrow. If the wheels move fast enough.
Hon Kristina Kerscher Keneally was chosen to hold the place in the @AuSenate rendered vacant by the resignation of Senator the Hon Sam Dastyari #nswpol #auspol #NSWParl pic.twitter.com/O7zCDvj2RP
— Legislative Council (@nsw_upperhouse) February 14, 2018
Updated
Cory Bernardi has delivered “your weekly dose of common sense”:
There is an ancient principle: You reap what you sow.
Never has this been truer than what we have witnessed this week in Canberra. The deputy prime minister is in all sorts of bother due to his personal choices, but that is all I am going to say about that today.
Whilst the news cycle has understandably developed into a demanding 24-hour cycle requiring a constant feed of news, the media have sown a modern Canberra commentary that is not about policy, principles or explanation of the issues.
Their crop – in full harvest in recent parliaments – is ripe innuendo, rumours and scuttlebutt that ultimately results in leadership change.
Salacious matters are far more attractive to news producers and indeed the mass audience than, say, a detailed explanation of just what is happening to the Murray-Darling Basin plan in the Senate at the moment.
I will have more to say on that in the Senate later today.
As for the political elites here in Canberra – where we have been passing legislation during the soap opera you see on TV – they are reaping a whirlwind they have sown over the years, namely poll-driven, knee-jerk decision-making.
Neither the National party nor the government can ignore the circumstances of the deputy prime minister because it is all over the media, and the doomsday clock of 30 Newspolls is about to tick again this weekend.
I am not for a moment defending or condemning the deputy prime minister, merely observing that the material you are seeing on your television and your smartphone screen is a direct result of the fatuous, gossipy swamp that the present gaggle of politicians and media have created.
There is – as I am wont to say – a better way.
Private and family lives of politicians should be off-limits. Yet politicians blur the lines by bringing the public into their lives to get public affirmation.
That public affirmation only occurs because politicians have cultivated a ‘selfie’-style, ‘look at me’ approach to their involvement in public policy, rather than devoting time to explain and educate voters about the principles behind their decision-making.
Where once Bob Hawke and Kim Hughes stunned us with tears, now the waterworks are regularly deployed to attract public sympathy.
I doubt that calmer heads will prevail this week when it comes to the leadership of the National party.
I’m not equipped with all the facts or machinations within that organisation, but I would be surprised to see the deputy prime minister serving as acting prime minister next week.
I think the Australian people, however, would be with me in saying a line must be drawn under this whole affair.
Once a position is settled, we need to get back to talking about the policies and principles that matter in this country.
If you don’t like a soap opera on your TV, you have the right to change the channel. We don’t want people switching off of politics, because too much is at stake.
Updated
Here is a little of how Mike Bowers saw QT:
Tony Burke is back, with a question for Ken O’Dowd, straight outta of the practices guide and it is allowed.
And O’Dowd gets to his feet. And he’s very excited. This will never happen for him again.
“My question is to the member for Flynn: I refer to the inquiry he has been helming. When does the member expect the report to finally be tabled?”
Smith: The question is in order. The member for Flynn.
O’Dowd: We have received 18 submissions. Me and my deputy –very competent deputy sitting over there … and some of my other committee, we spent last Friday, and we did eight submissions. We had eight witnesses. Tomorrow – anyone’s welcome to a public hearing – from the export council of Australia, we start about 0830 in the morning, if any of youse are out of bed by then … Once we received all the submissions, we will finalise our report some time before Christmas. Thank you.”
He gets a round of applause and some desk-slapping from both sides of the chamber.
This is what passes for fun in this joint. I kid you not. We don’t get out much.
Malcolm Turnbull says on that “triumph note” question time is concluded.
We all need a lay down after that.
Updated
Steve Ciobo is talking about … ugh, I don’t know. Trade, I guess. It’s a dixer and not even his own side is paying attention. It’s not his fault. No one pays attention to dixers.
Updated
Jason Clare … well, I’ll just give you the question:
My question is to the member for Flynn in his capacity as the chair of the joint standing committee on trade: I note the strong leadership the member has provided in the committee’s current inquiry into the trade system in the digital economy. Is the member able to inform the House of the progress of recent inquiries that he’s been leading? Is the member still accepting submissions from interested parties? When does the member expect his efforts to reach their conclusion? And when does the member expect the report to finally be tabled?
The member for Flynn, being, of course, Ken O’Dowd – who is not in the ministry, but who has been delightfully open about what has been going on in the Nationals over the last couple of days, every time a microphone has been put in front of his face.
It is ruled out of order.
But Tony Burke is giving it another red-hot go.
“The guide to procedures for the House of Representatives came out. On page103, it refers to questions to private members. It gives the exact example in this question of a committee chair being asked when a report would be tabled, which are the exact words that are in this question, and this was circulated to members today.”
Tony Smith:
“Well, OK, I’ll make a couple of points to the manager of opposition business. I was very pleased to launch the guide yesterday. In my remarks at the launch of the guide – that unfortunately the manager of opposition business wasn’t able to attend due to his other duties …
“… He would have heard me say that the guide was developed over a number of years. It first started as a short statement that then became a guide prior to the practice. It’s designed as a quick guide, not a detailed practice, which is to be found in the practice. If he looks to page 551 of the practice, he’ll notice that questions have been asked, generally, about timing and procedure. That question had a lot more in it than timing and procedure. I’ve made the point. The questions that have been allowed in the past have been very specific about timing and procedure.”
tl;dr – Question time has officially jumped the shark today.
Updated
Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce makes the jump to hyperspace during #qt @James_Jeffrey @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/UT3Uv3v5P5
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) February 14, 2018
Tony Smith rules this question from Chris Bowen to Barnaby Joyce out of order:
“I refer to his previous answers. The government has so far advised first-home buyers to get rich parents, get a better job, or get out of town. Does he stand by his statement referring to cheaper accommodation in Armidale, and can he confirm the government’s latest advice for first-home buyers is “just get rich mates”?’
Smith:
“… Can I just say with all candour, this is getting a little too cute. Practice is something that evolves, and it’s about to evolve. I don’t regard that as being in order. I regard that as a question where you’ve taken a statement that’s been made, to then ask a string of questions about housing affordability based on the deputy prime minister’s previous portfolio. I think that’s a bridge too far.”
Updated
When Sam Dastyari’s donation was brought up in 2016, Barnaby Joyce had this to say to Leigh Sales on 7.30, about friends giving politicians gifts:
“How can it be that individual, how can that individual just ring somebody up and miraculously without question say, ‘look, I need $1670.’ Sure, here, you go – Why don’t you ask for more. What a great relationship.
“… But a donation to an individual, and then people just saying, well, they just give me money. They just give me, personally, money, and it’s for no other reason.”
Updated
So, section 118 of the standing orders says this:
Ok, here's the rule around what is a "registerable interest" - when it's a gift from a personal friend it doesn't have to be declared "unless the Member judges that an
— Katina Curtis (@katinacurtis) February 14, 2018
appearance of conflict of interest may be seen to exist" pic.twitter.com/c0TWKE1caI
So there is some discretion around gifts from ‘friends’. However, on the point of conflict of interests, given Greg Maguire’s many business interests, surely there would be a conflict somewhere. Reasonably, you would expect that at the very least.
Chris Bowen to Barnaby Joyce (question seven, for those playing along at home)
My question is to the deputy prime minister: I refer to the deputy prime minister’s answer just now, and his February statement, advising first-homebuyers to find a cheaper house in Armidale. Is he aware of a video advertising an Armidale property which says “There’s a tipping point in your professional life where you reach a level of success, and you go from making ends meet to enjoying the spoils of all your hard work”? Given it’s a matter of public record that the deputy prime minister lives at this exact property rent-free …” (there are so many interjections, Bowen can no longer be heard)
Emma Husar is enjoying this so much, she applauds. Quite audibly.
Tony Smith tries to work out if the question is in order or not. With a bit of help from Christopher Pyne. But he allows it.
Joyce:
The first attempt at the question was a complete and utter failure because he forgot to ask a question. The second part wasn’t funny and sort of failed towards the end. The premise of the question is ‘Am I aware of a video?’ Well, I think that it just about shows you the substantial nature of the shadow treasurer. That’s about where he’s got to. That’s about where he has landed. That’s about where they are with the Australian people. He comes to the despatch box to ask if we’re aware of a video. I tell you what I am aware of – I am aware of the fact that, under your government, the agricultural portfolio at that time actually went backwards. I am aware of the fact that Albo actually – the member for Grayndler – actually wants – the member for Grayndler actually wants to be the leader of the opposition. I am aware of the fact that the member for Maribyrnong, the leader of the opposition, is holding onto his job by the skin of his teeth.”
Labor explodes with laughter. Everyone claps. Joyce goes puce. It’s almost like old times.
Updated
Chris Bowen to Barnaby Joyce:
On the 1st of February this year, the deputy prime minister made a statement about his previous portfolio responsibility for housing in agricultural areas, saying that people who live in cities that can’t afford to buy their first home should find a cheaper house in Armidale.
Does he stand by that statement? And can the deputy prime minister tell Australia’s first-home buyers how they, too, can get a rent-free home in Armidale from their “mates”?
It originally ruled out of order. Tony Burke gets it ruled back in order.
I thank the honourable member for McMahon for his question and note that it is a statement of fact that houses in regional areas – such as Tamworth, Armidale, Wagga, Orange – are, invariably, on the whole, cheaper than they are in Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane.
He goes on to say the government should be doing what it can to encourage decentralisation.
He does not say how we can all get millionaire friends though, which really, is what I was looking for.
Paul Fletcher continues his streak of killing my vibe. #deathtodixers
Updated
So while Josh Frydenberg takes the latest #deathtodixers, a few thoughts on that last answer:
So, if a tenancy is from a “close friend”, a MP doesn’t need to declare it, according to Joyce.
Unless the close friend was a Chinese donor, apparently.
But what if the close friend was a mining baron, who gifts someone a home. Does that need to be declared? Where does the close friend gift proviso get covered in the rules?
Updated
Mark Dreyfus is back with another question for Barnaby Joyce:
Ministerial standards require ministers to declare their personal interests to the House. The deputy prime minister has declared “post-election residual of six months tenancy on Armidale premises”. Is the deputy prime minister satisfied his declaration is sufficiently transparent to comply with his obligations under the ministerial standards, given he has not declared who gave him this gift? Can the deputy prime minister explain what these words mean – “post-election residual of six months’ tenancy on Armidale premises?”
Joyce:
I thank the honourable member for his question. I’m only too happy to provide the details, provide those details, which have been published and circulated widely in the media, and I think would probably satisfy the answer if you’d read the paper.
First and foremost ... the tenancy of that – because it’s from a close friend – doesn’t need to be declared at all. And I chose to declare it. I chose to declare it. Prior to that date, I wasn’t a member of parliament, as you probably remember, so it didn’t need to be declared. I’ve declared it. It’s on the record. And it’s there for you to see.
Updated
Mark Dreyfus asks the first direct question to Barnaby Joyce about his leadership:
My question is to the deputy prime minister: I refer to reports from National party MPs, including the member for Hinkler, and Riverina, have held crisis talks about his position. When even the National party’s colleagues goes the deputy prime minister’s position is untenable, why won’t the deputy prime minister do the right thing by the people of Australia and resign?
Tony Smith rules the question out of order.
I’ve made a ruling before on questions and there being preambles. The bulk of that question referred to alleged private conversations that are in the media. It had a tagline at the end.
Warren Snowdon gets booted.
Peter Dutton gives everyone a chance to look at social media, as he gets his daily dixer to tell you how strong Australia is. (Spoiler VERY strong)
Updated
Mark Dreyfus to Malcolm Turnbull with the next question on Barnaby Joyce:
Is the deputy prime minister the only member of cabinet the prime minister is powerless to take action against for breaching his ministerial standards? Is he powerless to act because of the terms of the prime minister’s secret Coalition agreement with the deputy prime minister?”
Tony Smith warns against the reference to the Coalition agreement.
Turnbull:
The honourable member’s question contains, within it, the assumption or assertion that the deputy prime minister is in breach of the ministerial standards. Now, [if the] honourable member wishes to make that case, make that allegation – and I invited him, and his leader, to do so yesterday – then he should do so. He should make that allegation and demonstrate the basis for doing so. The question is based, in other words, on a false premise – or at least a premise that the honourable member has not bothered to establish.
Oooohhh, burn. Better get the aloe vera.
Christopher Pyne gets the next dixer. #deathtodixers
Updated
There seems to be a lot more room on that bench than usual.
Updated
Kelly O’Dwyer gets a dixer.
Moving on. #deathtodixers
Bill Shorten has the second question on Malcolm Turnbull:
“Has the prime minister suggested to the deputy prime minister that it’s time he resigned?”
Turnbull answers the question before the dispatch microphone comes on, so I am not sure if it’s been recorded for Hansard, but my very rusty lip-reading skills put that down to a simple “no”.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce gets a dixer on his favourite topic:
The delivery of inland rail.
Rebekha Sharkie has the crossbench question and it’s to Barnaby Joyce:
“The Victor Harbour region is the third-largest significant urban area in SA. Victor Harbour Road has one of the highest rates of crashes, and is in urgent need of double lanes. There was a 34% increase in traffic in 2016, and 43 people were killed or seriously injured. One casualty every year for every 5km of road. SA-BEST is committed to upgrading this road. Regardless of who forms government at the next SA election, will the federal government commit to contribute funding to the much-needed upgrade of the Victor Harbour Road?”
Joyce:
I thank the honourable member for her question and note that, on the cessation of the Labor party’s … Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal that we took the money from that to place into further monitoring, especially of heavy vehicles – monitoring that you can see across roads. Might I also remind the honourable member that it’s the Coalition government that has spent more on infrastructure than any Labor government – billions of dollars more than what the Labor government spent. I understand, as we all do, the issues of road safety. Our road toll has been reducing. One would hope that we can reduce it more. I admit we are not quite on target for what we set for the reduction of the toll, but it continues to come down. Also, I acknowledge that there was a substantial truck accident in Brisbane today. We still have to get to the details on that. In regards to Victor Harbour, we’ll have to take that on notice, and get back to you.
Updated
The first Barnaby Joyce question of the day comes from Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
Does he still have confidence in him, and will he be acting prime minister next week?
Turnbull says the answer is the same as earlier in the week. Then, it was a yes and yes.
Scott Morrison gave his regular dixer answer on the government’s economic plan, but stole one of his colleagues lines:
“This shadow treasurer’s got the wibble-wobbles, Mr Speaker. He’s jelly on a plate, Mr Speaker. That’s what this bloke is.”
I hope Cormann gets royalties.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull:
“In his Closing the Gap speech on Monday, the prime minister lauded the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity – part-funded by US-based Atlantic Philanthropies, which aims to produce community leaders who will speak up and push for social change. Can the prime minister confirm that, under his government’s policy on donations, Atlantic Fellows would be defined as a political campaigner and would be forced to hand back the US$50 million donation that made its good work possible?”
Turnbull:
“I reject the assertion in that question completely.”
Updated
The prime minister just finished his tax-cut dixer answer with an attack on the ABC:
“… One of the most confused and poorly researched articles I’ve seen on this topic, on the ABC’s website … of course, the ABC – that’s an enterprise that understands profit and loss!
“… It does. It understands taxes. They’re recipients of them – they receive them, taxpayers’ funds. They understand the difference, the hard work, of investing and struggling and losing money one year, and then being able to offset it against profit the next – or not. No, Mr Speaker, the ABC has the same understanding of the commercial world as does the opposition.”
Updated
Question time begins
We are straight into it.
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Yesterday, the prime minister told parliament, ‘The apology to the stolen generations will never be forgotten.’ Yet John Howard’s government – the government the prime minister was a member of – spent years opposed to an apology to the stolen generations. Will the prime minister avoid the mistakes of the past, proudly stand on the right side of history, and reconsider his opposition to the Statement from the Heart and an Indigenous voice to parliament?”
Turnbull:
The position that the government has taken – that I’ve expressed – is that we do not support entrenching in the constitution a national representative assembly which only Indigenous Australians can vote for or be elected to. We take the view that every one of our national elected representative institutions should be open to every Australian citizen. We believe that is a fundamental part of our democracy and the rule of law. The reality is that, if the policy that the opposition has now adopted were to be carried out – if that referendum proposal were to be put up and if it were to succeed – and I have no doubt that it would fail, but if it were to succeed – that national representative assembly, elected by and composed only of Indigenous Australians as an advisor to this parliament on matters affecting Indigenous Australians would constitute, in effect, a third chamber of this parliament.
And the opposition can shout as much as they like, but the reality is there is not one bill that goes through this parliament that does not impact on and affect Indigenous Australians. The scope of that third chamber would get wider and wider, and a fundamental principle of our democracy would have been aggregated. The Coalition will not support it. The Labor party want to advocate that at the election – and it appears they do – we will let the Australian people decide.
It is worth noting that none of the dixers on either Monday or yesterday, the tenth anniversary of the national apology to the stolen generations, was on the apology. It seems a strange thing to miss.
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We are in the chamber for question time.
Barnaby Joyce has just walked in. He’s looking a lot more like his usual self today.
He walked in as Stephen Jones was making a statement about how the Nationals need to “do the right thing” and “sack the deputy prime minister”.
Updated
Michael McCormack (who came second in the Nationals deputy ballot) is the name which has most frequently been floating around as a potential replacement for Barnaby Joyce.
At 11.39am News.com published this column
Not exactly subtle.
Bridget McKenzie’s mention of “come tomorrow, come Friday” Barnaby Joyce will still be leader shows you the thinking around this.
The Nationals in support of Joyce just think he needs to get to the end of the week. If he can get there, then he can get clear, if you will.
Bridget McKenzie said she stayed silent for the past week, as it was a decision of the leadership team that “this was a personal issue” and Barnaby Joyce would deal with the issue himself, but she has been in “constant contact” with the MPs and “BJ” for the past week.
She says he will not be standing down.
“I have every confidence and I will give you my solid, rolled-gold guarantee here, that come tomorrow, come Friday, Barnaby Joyce will be leading the National party, a great party almost 100 years delivering for the regions and we are just going from strength to strength.
“I just wouldn’t believe whoever you are talking to and I would love to know who it is, because everybody that I am speaking to in the party, knows that Barnaby Joyce delivers for the regions, everybody in our regional communities knows that, he is like a rock star when you have him on the ground and that is just going to continue.”
The deputy Nationals leader said “whilst not everyone agrees with the decisions made in the personal life, everybody agrees that when you want people to deliver real results … Barnaby Joyce is the one.”
She says the whole party room is behind him.
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Nationals Deputy leader speaks
Bridget McKenzie, speaking to Sky News (Samantha Maiden said she was booked in this morning) says she thinks Barnaby Joyce’s behaviour is “very human” and out of respect for Natalie Joyce and her daughters, she thinks it should be left at that.
This is a personal situation and I don’t think it is fair for me, whose role is deputy leader of the National ... to be commenting on someone’s personal life.
McKenzie said Vikki Campion was “highly qualified” and she does not see “that there is an issue there at all”.
“And again, Barnaby’s statement outlined what occurred.”
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George Christensen and Bob Katter called this press conference. Today. Knowing what was going on, with Barnaby Joyce and the internal issues within the National party.
Christensen is now saying he won’t talk about Barnaby Joyce, and people aren’t interested in it. Christensen, who called the media conference, just ahead of question time, with the leader of another party, knowing what is happening behind the scenes.
“People are getting sick and tired of hearing about these internal games, when there are real issues to talk about, people’s jobs in real life, not people’s jobs here in Canberra.”
“I think this is completely a personal matter, which Australian people don’t like seeing personal matters becoming in involved in politics, they don’t like seeing about in the press, they don’t like hearing about it, because it stinks of the tabloidy Fleet Street stuff that they do over there, it is not the Australian way.”
“Barnaby Joyce will do what Barnaby Joyce does and he is one of the greatest assets to the National party and to the government. That is all I have got to say about that, because I am talking about jobs for north Queensland.”
Christensen said he did not believe there were “actually that many” Nationals MPs agitating for Joyce to step down.
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George Christensen and Bob Katter are interviewing each other in a joint press conference, calling on the government (of which Christensen is part) to stop solar farms from employing foreign workers.
Doug Cameron was out and about a little earlier today:
I have said it many times but we have got a weak prime minister.
We have got a prime minister whose government is completely in chaos and he doesn’t seem to have any capacity to deal with the issues that are just drowning this government.
I want to know exactly what role Matt Canavan played in this, what the arrangements were when members’ staff are getting shifted from one member to another, when workers in Australia are battling to get a wage increase and yet National party staff are getting moved from one MP to another and getting massive wage rises.
The National party are in chaos, the government is in chaos, the prime minister has no capacity to deal with this and this government, as I have said before, is an absolute rabble of a government.
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Labor Senator Murray Watt says Barnaby Joyce shouldn't be Acting PM. Who the hell is Murray Watt? Barnaby will be Acting PM next week. Murray should worry about acting as a real Senator. Like see actual constituents & be relevant. At the moment its Watt by name, who by nature.
— George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) February 14, 2018
George Christensen and Bridget McKenzie are both due to speak on Sky imminently.
I know I have been saying this all week. But it is really, really quiet today. Usually, as Mike Bowers just pointed out to the office, you can barely keep up on a Wednesday. Today, you can almost see the tumbleweeds.
That is not to say that people aren’t out and about. They are. They are just not talking.
At this stage, without another allegation which can give the Nationals MPs who are on the fence a reason to move against Barnaby Joyce, this stalemate looks like falling in his favour.
We await question time.
Christopher Pyne, on his regular Adelaide radio slot with Anthony Albanese, had a few things to say about the Barnaby Joyce affair this morning:
Obviously, the issues surrounding Barnaby Joyce are quite serious and need to be taken seriously. The decision about whether Barnaby Joyce leads the National party is one for the National party. It’s not one for the Liberal party. Your listeners probably know that we are in coalition. It’s a very longstanding coalition – 80 years of coalition between non-Labor parties and the National party. But at the end of the day, there are 60 Liberals in the House of Representative and 16 Nationals, 25 Liberals in the Senate and five Nationals.
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I just spotted Darren Chester having a very public meeting with some stakeholders, smack bang in the middle of parliament, at Aussie’s cafe.
Nothing says not-doing-the-numbers by being as visible as possible, eh?
To the South Australian election for a moment, former senator Nick Xenophon, who is running for the state’s lower house, has announced he will take legal action against SA Liberals leader Steven Marshall over claims he made.
#BREAKING: @SABEST_Party leader @Nick_Xenophon is taking defamation action against Opposition Leader @marshall_steven. pic.twitter.com/tqPR5lu96v
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 13, 2018
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Talking to the Nationals, the key issues appear to be:
- No one has the numbers to effectively force Barnaby Joyce from the leadership
- They don’t believe there is any concrete reason to force him out
- They are worried about setting a precedent where a leader is forced out because of a morality issue
- Joyce believes he can ride it out
- The Queensland contingent are very worried about their election futures, and believe Joyce can pull them across the line against One Nation
I think we can put George Christensen firmly in the pro-Barnaby camp as well
Aussies HATE pollies talking about themselves. Yet some MPs are talking about ousting Nats leader after week of bad news, doing more damage to Nats & govt than anything else. More Libs in on it than Nats. Barnaby stuffed up. He apologised. Move on. There's real issues to discuss.
— George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) February 13, 2018
Just on a point of interest though, you know who we have not heard from on this issue?
The Nationals deputy, Bridget McKenzie. Not a peep.
The situation with Barnaby Joyce’s political future appears to be deadlocked at the moment. No one has the numbers to move against him. He doesn’t appear to want to go. This particular game of chess appears to be running out of moves. For now. Things can change very quickly.
As a sidenote, on this story, I made inquiries as to why the holiday wasn’t declared on Joyce’s interest register. The answer was because the owner and his wife had invited Joyce for a holiday and were in residence. So it comes under visiting friends, not a gift. It’s a grey area, but there would be many, many MPs who do not declare similar holidays.
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Mike Bowers is in the Senate, where he reports a division was just held – and not a single Nationals senator was present.
The division wasn’t important, but still.
Updated
Thanks for the messages – the link to Melissa Davey’s vaping piece has been fixed.
If you don’t want to scroll, you can grab it here.
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The deadline for submissions to the religious freedoms inquiry closes today. Paul Karp has been following it very closely since it kicked into gear earlier this year.
Ruddock religious freedom review is now telling us date and city of hearings but no time, precise location, witness list and the meetings are CLOSED WITH NO RECORDED EVIDENCE #transparency #auspol pic.twitter.com/X6o5TMXY3n
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) February 13, 2018
Jim Molan is due to deliver his first speech to the Senate this afternoon.
Well, his first official speech – he has already spoken in the Senate, defending himself for reposting Britain First’s vile offerings. You know, the same group Donald Trump apologised for promoting. Molan has refused to apologise for sharing the largely debunked materials.
Putting the final touches to my First Speech which I will be delivering in the @AuSenate this evening at 5:30pm. #auspol pic.twitter.com/OEJeSYKmER
— Senator Jim Molan (@JimMolan) February 13, 2018
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A reminder this morning that politicians are human too – both Greg Hunt and Steve Ciobo became emotional at an event to announce a national plan to investigate new treatments and care options for the more than 65,000 Australians who are impacted by congenital or childhood heart disease.
And before you get too cynical, we don’t always know the personal stories of politicians, or who in their lives they might be thinking about when it comes to things like this, particularly with kids.
You can find more on Heart Kids, here.
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Where things stand now
The Barnaby Joyce situation is fluid. Trying to predict the outcome in a political party which approaches things in its own singular fashion is fraught.
But my intelligence as of now is a delegation of four or five Nationals resolved to see Joyce over the course of yesterday, but the insurrection fizzled out in the evening.
The pressure on the deputy prime minister remains acute. Joyce is showing no signs at the moment of stepping aside.
I gather he is appealing through back channels for more time. In the event things move decisively, the internal money is on Michael McCormack emerging with the leadership, notwithstanding his lack of a public profile.
The Nats, continue to chat, as Mike Bowers caught early this morning. #NatChat
Darren Chester and Ken O'Dowd at the opening of proceedings in the House this morning #NatChat @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus @murpharoo #politicslive https://t.co/4D8OCD3kyh pic.twitter.com/KHp5Q7NgAS
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) February 13, 2018
Cory Bernardi has spent the morning doing mainies around Parliament House in a vaping bus.
Because of course he has. He told Australian Associated Press it’s because he finds the government’s position on vaping (it’s banned) to be “illogical”.
From the AAP report:
The government and many public health experts are concerned about the impact wide-scale use of vaping devices might have on tobacco consumption in the broader community.
The government also has quality and safety concerns regarding e-cigarettes and has resisted calls to reverse its position on the issue.
My colleague Melissa Davey has taken a good look at this issue a little while back. You’ll find her report here.
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Over at the ABC, Emma Alberici has a report on who hasn’t paid corporate tax over the last decade.
From her report:
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, one of the most prominent supporters of the Turnbull government’s proposed big business tax cut, presides over a company that hasn’t paid corporate tax for close to 10 years.
The period roughly coincides with Mr Joyce’s tenure at the helm of Australia’s flag carrier.
Despite generating income of $106.4bn, the flying kangaroo has avoided paying tax on that bounty since 2009, thanks to Australia’s generous tax concessions, depreciation provisions and the ability to offset company losses against past and future profits.
You can find that, here.
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In other news...
Paul Karp has an update on the Philip Ruddock inquiry into religious freedoms.
Christian Schools Australia would like the right to eject students, who don’t share their values.
You’ll find the whole story here.
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Ken O’Dowd interrupted Tim Hammond’s doorstop this morning.
We know what O’Dowd had to say (scroll down to earlier this morning) but here is what Hammond had to say in response:
Look, the situation is simply this, and we’ve heard it as quickly as a few seconds ago. We’ve always thought Barnaby was pretty bad at his job, so he never really had our confidence. When he stuffed up his citizenship he lost Australia’s confidence. When his private affairs spilt out into the public domain I think it’s fair to say he probably lost his electorate’s confidence. And what we hear just then is that it’s quite clear that Barnaby has lost the confidence of his party.
It’s very clear that the only Australian who doesn’t believe that Barnaby has done anything wrong and needs to go is Malcolm Turnbull.”
Labor MPs are staying fairly quiet again today, preparing to let the government do all the talking.
But Stephen Jones had a quick chat on his way in:
It’s time for Barnaby Joyce to do the right thing by the country, by his party and step down. And, if he is not going to do that, if the National party can’t sort out their own issues, then the prime minister has to act.
This is not an issue about Barnaby Joyce’s private life; frankly, I don’t care about that. It’s about competence from the government, particularly in regional Australia. We’ve got a Regional Growth Fund which was announced as their number one priority in the budget last year – $270m to kick-start growth in regional Australia – well, we were told in October that plans and guidelines would be imminent yet we still have not got any guidelines for this fund.
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The bells are ringing, which means the actual business of the day is about to get under way.
But all the action seems to be in the hallways, alcoves and offices today.
We’ll be keeping an eye on both.
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The electoral matters committee will hear evidence at 9:45am from campaign finance expert, Joo Cheong Tham, about the proposed foreign donation ban.
In his submission Tham suggested the bill goes too far, because only donations from foreign governments should be banned rather than all donations from people who are not Australian citizens or residents.
He’s also noted that the two high-profile Chinese donors that sparked fears of foreign interference – Huang Xiangmo and Chau Chak Wing – would not be prevented from making donations if the bill were enacted.
Tham argued the foreign donation ban was “not justified” by those cases because neither would be banned since Huang is an Australian resident and Chau an Australian citizen. Nor would the restrictions likely apply to their businesses.
Tham:
“[The bill] doesn’t deal with the more fundamental problems with money in Australian politics – which come less from the foreignness of money and more the corporateness, the use of money to buy access and influence.”
Tham has proposed more restrictive caps on donations and election spending whatever their source.
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As of 9.15am, no one else has the numbers to stand against Barnaby Joyce as the Nationals leader. So, if he doesn’t want to go, there is no one to push him.
You can count Queenslander Michelle Landry as being firmly in the pro-Barnaby camp:
Barnaby will remain our leader. He has done a lot for us, particularly in regional Australia and I think we should give him a fair go with it. We look at what’s happened with the Labor party and certainly worse things that have happened there. It’s his personal life. As far as I’m concerned, everything is above board with the offices and he is there to stay.
Updated
Speaking to Sky, Liberal MP Alex Hawke also sent the message, through Sky, that it was time to bring this to ahead.
“The issues that are within the Nationals, are best to be resolved by the Nationals, as quickly as possible.”
Mathias Cormann has made it clear the Liberals want this resolved. And quickly.
As I just said, the leadership of the National party is a matter for the National party. I feel for Barnaby, I feel for all involved, his wife, his kids, his new partner for that matter. It must clearly be distressing. It is distracting for the government and the Australian people don’t want us to be talking about our own personal affairs, they want us to talk about how we are planning to secure more jobs and higher wages and better opportunities to get ahead, how we will continue to keep our country safe and secure.”
But if it’s a distraction, surely it must be dealt with, the ABC hosts asked.
“Well, it has to be dealt with, but ... ”
.@MathiasCormann: This is obviously a very difficult time for @Barnaby_Joyce... We as a team need to move on from this.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 13, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/ZD1qCDcr7E pic.twitter.com/PW4DYe10ej
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David Littleproud, the Queensland National MP who was elevated to the cabinet late last year, has strongly defended his boss, basically laying the blame at the feet of the media, who he accused of being “titillated” by the story.
He said there was “no leadership issue” which needed to be resolved, backing in Joyce as leader and saying he enjoyed the full support of the party room.
The reality is the deputy prime minister is Barnaby Joyce. He will continue to have the enjoyment of the support of the National party party room, as I said before, we need this to be dealt with quickly, but those that want to keep this issue lingering on, into he had to put up or shut up and leave him alone and leave his family alone.”
Updated
Ken O’Dowd, who has never enjoyed so much attention (as a Queenslander, I’ve always appreciated Kenny, but it is not as if he has made a splash at a national level before now), handily confirmed the reports, first broken by Lucy Barbour at the ABC, that a delegation was on its way to Barnaby Joyce.
Stopped on his way into parliament, O’Dowd said basically he hoped to have it resolved “today or tomorrow”.
“He will probably need the advice and someone needs to tell him where the party stands at this stage and it will be a cordial meeting,” he said, but he added he didn’t know who was in the delegation.
“If it came to [that] point, we would find a good leader, I have no doubt about that.”
Updated
Good morning and welcome to day seven
Nothing and everything happened overnight, so let’s get straight into it.
Barnaby Joyce is facing pressure from within his party to step aside, to bring an end to the controversy which has swirled around the government since the story of his extramarital affair with a former staffer was broken by the Daily Telegraph a week ago today.
It’s a big deal for the Nats that they are even talking about this in public. This is a party who keep their dirty laundry in the washing machine under lock and key. In the 90 or so-year history of the party, only one leader has been forced out. So Joyce is making waves in more ways than one.
A “delegation” of Nationals will be heading to his office to ask him to think about his future. It’s not sure how many people are part of the group, or who is in it. But with Joyce due to become acting prime minister next week, the government is not exactly enthralled at the idea of him being asked about his private life at every appearance.
The former Nationals leader Warren Truss said on 7.30 last night that Joyce had been “diminished” by the scandal. Mark Vaile told Fairfax the crisis needed to be resolved.
That’s a lot of messages to the party to bring this to a head.
Stay tuned.
Mike Bowers has been out and about. Follow him at @mpbowers and @mikepbowers.
You can catch me in the comments and at @amyremeikis and @ifyouseeamy, where you’ll find a video diary of the day.
The coffee is hooked straight to my veins this morning. Let the games begin!
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