Night-time politics
OK people the carnival is over. Today:
- Christopher Knaus reported that the office of the human services minister, Alan Tudge, mistakenly sent a journalist internal departmental briefings about a welfare recipient’s personal circumstances, which included additional detail on her relationship and tax history. Labor is now referring the matter to the Australian federal police to determine whether it was the unauthorised use of information.
- Question time was dominated by the Fair Work Commission’s cut to penalty rates of some awards. Labor says the government could act but will not. The government says Labor used to support the commission’s decisions and now do not. Labor tried to suspend standing orders to no avail.
- LNP MP George Christensen has rejected senior government arguments that 18C is not a big issue, suggesting if the racial discrimination act was not changed it would be a breach of faith with Coalition voters.
- The deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, is still threatening to intervene as the dispute between sugar growers and the international miller company Wilmar continues.
- Barnaby Joyce also snuffed out Clive Palmer’s hopes that his Waratah coal firm might get support from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for a clean coal project.
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And Joyce and the education minister, Simon Birmingham, set up a review into rural and regional educational outcomes and training.
Thanks to my brains trust, Paul Karp, Christopher Knaus and Katharine Murphy. Mike Bowers, sleep well. I am running off to a podcast so stay tuned for that in coming days. We have no more parliament until 20 March, so see you back here then.
In the meantime, here is some more Bowers magic.
Hands across the aisle.
Brendan O'Connor to Malcolm Turnbull "your like a shop steward for the banks" @murpharoo @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/2eeYsAgwBV
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) March 2, 2017
Good night.
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Barnaby Joyce, speaking to David Speers on Sky, appears to rule out any support for a Clive Palmer-led clean coal power project. This is a reference to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation now taking submissions for clean coal projects, one of which might be owned by former politician Palmer.
Joyce said yeah-nah, when Speers asks about support for a possible Palmer project.
Something to do with his history, he mumbles.
Something to do with his political party that lasted three weeks, he mumbles.
Clive unfortunately has had a very bad day at the track.
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Barnaby Joyce again threatens to intervene in the sugar dispute after the Queensland LNP opposition’s legislation to force a resolution between sugar growers and the Wilmar milling company.
He again says a sugar code of conduct is a real option but there is no cabinet meeting so he cannot “telegraph” his punches.
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Speaking of Joel Fitzgibbon, he has accused his shadow Barnaby Joyce of being all hat, no cowboy on the sugar dispute.
Barnaby Joyce confirmed again today he is all hat, no cowboy. All spin, no substance.
Last week he told Queensland cane growers he would intervene in their dispute with Wilmar if the Queensland parliament did not act this week.
Joyce told cane growers:
“We have options at the federal level.” and,
“I’ve got other cards up my sleeve and I’ll play them at my will.”“I’ve got other cards up my sleeve and I’ll play them at my will.”
Last night the Queensland parliament chose not to intervene in the commercial stand-off.
Today Barnaby Joyce led the second full-court-press of rural Liberals and Nationals in two days. Yesterday they announced a website, today they announced a review.
George Christenson was not there. Barnaby Joyce is on the run but the member for Dawson has already bolted.
Barnaby Joyce said nothing about sugar today until pressed by journalists. Queensland growers will be asking why.
Updated
Labor loses the suspension motion on the numbers.
Question time ends.
Anthony Albanese notes today is the 21st anniversary of the class of 1996. That is, the MPs who came into parliament in that year, when John Howard won office. It includes Albo, Joel Fitzgibbon and Jenny Macklin.
Then Albo starts a speech on a matter of public importance on public infrastructure - his personal passion.
One of the good things about being in government is you have access to some very smart people...
Thanks mate, says Joel Fitzgibbon.
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Strategist in chief Christopher Pyne.
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The House is now voting on Labor’s motion to suspend standing orders to debate penalty cuts.
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Malcolm Turnbull also repeats his points in reply.
The commissioners on the Fair Work Commission were appointed by Labor.
Labor made the reference to the commission.
The president Iain Ross has worked for the ACTU.
He is hardly an “enemy of the people”.
What he is seeking to do yet again is turn Australians against each other, turn workers against business, divide the country, stifle investment, stifle employment, all in his campaign to do anything to secure an election to government on the basis of a populist antibusiness campaign. He has no principle, no consistency, no integrity.
It was not his finest performance.
Labor shadow employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor starts his speech with:
Wakey, wakey.
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Bill Shorten says grandfathering the penalty rate decision, proposed by Eric Abetz “the ghost of banquets past”, is not the solution.
There is no government worth its salt in this country that could sit on its hands and do nothing.
We will fight this issue in the house ... we will fight it all the way to the next election.
So Labor’s campaign is, as Tony Burke said earlier today:
- Workers face pay cuts.
- The government can fix it.
- The government is choosing not to.
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Bill Shorten says this pay cut could not have come at a worse time for workers.
He says this is about real people’s lives.
When Turnbull is asked, he throws his hands up and says it is not my problem.
Shorten “admits” the big end of town had done well out of this government.
But the penalty rate cut will disproportionately hit the young, he says.
He talks about the effect on women of the cuts, not to mention the regions.
What have the regions ever done to deserve Barnaby Joyce?
Shorten says the National party is simply hostage to One Nation.
Bill Shorten tries to suspend standing orders mid-question.
He is told to wait until the PM has finished his answer.
On penalty rates, obvs.
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Shorten to Turnbull: Today the prime minister has heard from just some of the nearly 700,000 Australians who will have their pay cut because of the prime minister’s support for the penalty rates decision. The prime minister has the power to stop this decision and he won’t stop the cuts. Why is this prime minister doing everything he can to give big business a tax cut but doing absolutely nothing to stop workers getting a pay cut?
Turnbull says Shorten constantly traded away penalty rates as a union leader.
He quotes a report in the Oz that the workers effected are around 286,000 rather than 700,000.
That is a very substantial number but it is not 700,000. It shows the way the honourable member is loose with the truth.
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2 arrivals #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus @murpharoo #politicslive pic.twitter.com/QOSrnuCfx4
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) March 2, 2017
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I can feel a suspension of standing orders coming on.
Labor to Turnbull: Ruby lives in my electorate and works two casual jobs whilst studying part-time at university. She says she works in retail on Sundays because it makes a huge difference to her low income. She says this pay cut would be devastating and the owner of the business will just keep the money taken from her pay. Why won’t the prime minister stand up for the penalty rates of workers like Ruby and use his power to stop the pay cut?
Turnbull says again, Labor has to work out whether it supports the independent umpire.
He says the FWC is working out how to phase in the penalty rate cuts.
When modern awards began in 2010 under Bill Shorten as industrial relations minister, the phase-in period was five years.
It is a longstanding practice to ensure that the objective of modern awards, namely that changes don’t result in a reduction in take-home pay.
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Just a reminder. Work Choices 1.0.
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"If the volume doesn't lower, I'll be lowering it" - Speaker
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) March 2, 2017
"Sorry my bad" - @edhusicMP but @GrahamPerrettMP is the one who gets booted #qt
Labor to Turnbull: Linda lives in my electorate and she works on Sundays as a hotel chef because her rent is more than half her wages and she needs the money. Linda previously relied on Centrelink but re-skilled to become a chef and she is proud she got off Centrelink and into a job. Linda can’t understand why the Turnbull government wants to cut her wages. Why, when the prime minister has the power to act, is he refusing to stop Linda’s pay cut?
Turnbull:
I trust the honourable member will be advising her constituent that the decision about penalty rates is not a decision of the government. What the honourable member said in her question is quite misleading. It is a decision of the Fair Work Commission.
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Shorten to Turnbull: Margarita is a single mum with two children who regularly works Sundays at a hotel. The Sunday penalty rates help her put food on the table, buy shoes for her kids. She stands to lose thousands in take-home pay. She says, “Everything is getting more difficult. The bills go up so why is our wages going down? Where is the balance? “ Can the prime minister explain why he is willing to intervene in the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the CFA decision, but will do nothing to stop Margarita’s pay cut?
(This is already feeling like Work Choices 2.0.)
Turnbull:
The lady that the honourable member refers to, Margarita, may be affected in the manner he describes by the penalty rate change. We have learnt not to take our critical assertions of fact from the opposition but the fact is that the leader of the opposition, again and again and again, stated that he would support the decision of this Fair Work Commission. He gave them the reference to look at penalty rates.
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NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie to Turnbull: It was revealed in Senate estimates yesterday that 75% of the contents of ration packs for Aussie diggers are foreign produced, including items such as biscuits, fruit cake, tea, coffee and tomato sauce. Even the toilet paper is from China. Does the prime minister agree that Australian troops serving our country should be supplied with Australian goods in their ration packs, which would support Aussie food manufacturing, and if so how would the government rectify this situation?
Turnbull:
The revised commonwealth procurement rules came into affect on 1 March or come into affect on 1 March this year and Senator Xenophon advocated for the changes. The commonwealth is required to assess the economic benefit to the Australian economy of each procurement. I am advised the vast majority of items in ADF ration packs are Australian and New Zealand products.
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Labor’s Linda Burney to Turnbull: Terry works in a news agent in my electorate. He works on Sundays and sacrifices time with his family and friends at important events like birthdays to provide for his partner and a four-and-a-half-year-old son. Terry stands to lose almost $4,000 a year because of the prime minister’s support for cutting penalty rates. He says the cut to penalty rates will just mean the same work for less money. Why won’t the prime minister use his power to stop Terry’s pay cut?
Turnbull says the government is standing up for the independent umpire.
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Government questions so far have been on the importance of economic growth and the national accounts.
Labor’s Tony Burke to Turnbull: (delivered in droll style) We all know what the prime minister meant when he said he supports the decision. What government policy was the prime minister referring to this morning when he said
There’s the, there’s no question for you if you, um, the evidence is strong that you, you have lower penalty rates or on a Sunday public holiday there is less or more incentive if you like. It is more affordable for businesses to employ people, that is common sense, that is one consideration”.
Don’t Australian workers deserve better than that?
Turnbull cops the joke.
I thank the honourable member for his comic interlude and recall on the subject of penalty rates his time as an organiser for the STA, the shop distributive and allied trades union. In those times the SDA negotiated one trade away of penalty rates after another.
Turnbull says the FWC have done a “good and thorough job”, which sounds like support.
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In the style of finance department video:
Forget #paleopear... Australia Post's grad video has a triple shot, almond milk, decaf, chai latte with honey https://t.co/X0siO3W0kB pic.twitter.com/h9gbK2ovMF
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) March 2, 2017
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Labor to Turnbull: Today, the prime minister said, “It is an element in a part of every modern award that it is the intention that any changes to awards will not reduce the take-home pay of employees but last week’s penalty rates decision will reduce take-home pay”. The prime minister has the power to fix this problem. Why won’t he and when will the prime minister join with Labor to change the law so the take-home pay of all workers is not cut?
Turnbull goes to the enterprise bargaining agreements negotiated under Shorten as a union leader.
He quotes the clause referenced in the FWC decision.
That neither the making of the award nor the operation of transitional agreements is intended to result in a reduction in the take home pay of employees.
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Question time in 5,4,3,2,1.
#Barnaby @gabriellechan @GuardianAus @murpharoo #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bARdNCvDNN
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) March 2, 2017
Minister's office sent journalist internal briefings about Centrelink client
The office of the human services minister, Alan Tudge, mistakenly sent a journalist internal departmental briefings about a welfare recipient’s personal circumstances, which included additional detail on her relationship and tax history.
Senior departmental figures were grilled at Senate estimates on Thursday about the release of welfare recipient Andie Fox’s personal information last month.
Fox had written an opinion piece critical of Centrelink and its handling of her debt, which ran in Fairfax Media in February. The government released her personal details to Fairfax journalist Paul Malone, who subsequently published a piece attacking Fox and questioning the veracity of her claims.
Two responses were given to the journalist, one from the Department of Human Services and the other from Tudge.
The department said its response – three dot points containing only minimal detail on Fox’s personal history – was cleared by lawyers and was lawful. The minister’s office then added two quotes from Tudge and sent its own response to Malone.
Guardian Australia can now reveal that the minister’s office also accidentally sent the journalist two internal briefing documents, marked “for official use only”, which had been prepared by the department.
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Lunchtime politics
I have been running all morning but there has been only limited forward movement.
- George Christensen has warned if the Coalition does not amend 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, it will be a breach of faith with the Coalition base.
- The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has ended a labour agreement begun under the Gillard government to allow fast food chains to employ 457 visa foreign workers.
- Dutton batted away questions of leadership conspiracies after he was spotted on his usual exercise routine with the finance minister, Mathias Cormann.
- The former Abbott workplace minister Eric Abetz suggested penalty cuts should be grandfathered but his prime minister said the Fair Work Commission had already stated it did not like grandfathering arrangements but the cuts would be phased in.
- A law to amend the criminal code to protect children from online predators, negotiated by the Nick Xenophon Team, was accepted by government. It will be called Carly’s law after 15-year-old Carly Ryan who was lured to her death by an online predator.
- A review into regional, rural and remote education has been established by the Turnbull government.
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Barnaby Joyce’s shadow.
When @Barnaby_Joyce is out, @fitzhunter is sure to follow pic.twitter.com/EGe3ULk0W0
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) March 2, 2017
@fitzhunter is Joel Fitzgibbon, Labor agriculture spokesman.
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Turnbull government review into regional remote and rural education
There is another mass Nat pack press conference down in the courtyard to announce a comprehensive review of regional education.
The education minister, Simon Birmingham, who appears to be the only Lib attending, says the point is to improve school outcomes and encourage regional, rural and remote (RRR) students onto further study, training and employment.
The independent review into regional, rural and remote education will be led by emeritus professor John Halsey of Flinders University.
I have lost vision of it, so I hope to bring you more as I see it. For those who are interested, I blog in an office in the building and, in order to bring this to you in a timely manner, I cannot physically attend press conferences.
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George Christensen: failure to amend 18C a breach of faith with Coalition base
Pardon me. Computer crash allowed me to grab sustenance.
In the meantime, George Christensen has lobbed a statement into the middle of the leadership’s daily plans.
It specifically references the treasurer, Scott Morrison, brushing off concerns about the conservative push to change the Racial Discrimination Act.
Morrison said such a change would not create a single job – which was his main concern in his role.
Some of the arguments put forward for failing to act on the issue of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act are a nonsense.
I have heard it stated that ‘this issue doesn’t create one job’.
Neither does the omnibus savings and childcare reform bill but we’re still doing that.
I have also heard it said that it’s not the issue people are talking about in pubs or in farm sheds.
They weren’t talking about the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) either but we still brought it back.
Section 18C is political correctness enshrined into law, and it stifles freedom of speech in Australia.
Nothing could be more of an affront to Australian values.
And nothing could be more at odds with National and Liberal party values.
The National party constitution states that one of the party’s objectives is ‘the maintenance of democracy and liberty’.
A fundamental Liberal party value is that ‘We believe in those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy – the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association’.
And where this issue definitely is being talked about is at local party meetings and state conventions.
It’s an issue of great importance for the people who fundraise for us, who hand out how-to-vote cards for us and who preselect us so that we can stand as candidates and serve our electorates.
As far as I’m concerned this is a fundamental issue not only for democracy but for the base of the Liberal and National parties. I would expect that those parties who form the Coalition would not walk away from it.
We should repeal, or at the very least amend, section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act sooner rather than later.
Failure to do so will represent a fundamental breach of faith with our base.
Christensen knows how to wound. If you haven’t already, I suggest you read up on him, with a piece by colleague Joshua Robertson prepared earlier.
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John Ferguson of the Oz reports:
Former Howard government minister Peter Reith has nominated to contest the Victorian Liberal party presidency.
The Australian understands his nomination has been lodged this morning, opening the way for a bitter battle with incumbent president Michael Kroger.
The ballot will be held on April 1 and will lead to inevitable instability on the party as the warring camps seek the position.
It is the first time in decades that the position has been contested by two party heavyweights of the standing of Mr Reith and Mr Kroger.
Let the games begin.
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There have been questions in the estimates committee, about foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop’s attendance at the Portsea Polo in 2016 which she charged to the taxpayer.
Asked about the trip earlier this year when the Sussan Ley expense scandal broke, Bishop issued a statement:
The minister was invited and attended in her official capacity as minister for foreign affairs and deputy leader of the Liberal party.
The questions revolve around her attendance and its “official” capacity and why she cancelled her 2017 visit to the annual event.
George Brandis, as the minister in the chair with the department officials, defended her visiting “important national events” like the Melbourne Cup.
The department take most of the questions on notice which means they will return with answers at a later time.
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Last night, Barnaby Joyce spoke at the launch of the National Rural Press Club. It occurred in the Nationals’ party room. Notwithstanding its location, it was a bipartisan event organised by The Land journalist Colin Bettles. It included speakers such as the Labor senator Glenn Sterle, the Greens senator Janet Rice, the Indi independent Cathy McGowan and the keynote speaker, Joyce. (In the interests of disclosure, AFR journo Phil Coorey and I also spoke briefly.)
Joyce told the crowd that it was very important to speak to the press and explain policies in order to engage with voters.
In a cheeky speech, McGowan said she hoped more independents like her would create greater competition in rural and regional NSW and particularly mentioned Queensland, perhaps for the benefit of the recently de-whipped George Christensen, who was in the back of the room.
While McGowan was speaking, the Victorian Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie walked in, visibly horrified at McGowan at the lectern in the sacred space. While I am not a lip reader, she mouthed to her colleague something along the lines of “what is she doing here?”
McGowan batted on, as a bit of wing-fluffing occurred at the back of the room. Then she took the opportunity to grab the number of the deputy PM.
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Carly’s law.
Sonya Ryan, the justice minister, Michael Keenan, Nick Xenophon, Skye Kakoschke-Moore and Derryn Hinch marked the 10-year anniversary of her death with the unveiling of a memorial quilt, made from Carly’s favourite clothes.
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More on Centrelink.
DHS confirms it has spoken with privacy commissioner on the release of private info, not yet formal inquiry. #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
Just another middle-aged bloke trying to lose weight.
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The Senate crossbenchers Nick Xenophon and Skye Kakoschke-Moore have negotiated an amendment to the criminal code that is known as Carly’s law. It is due to come to the parliament this morning.
This is the amendment.
Acts done in preparation for, or planning to, cause harm to or engage in sexual activity with a minor
(1) A person (the defendant) commits an offence if the person uses a carriage service to do any act in preparation for, or planning to:
(a) cause harm to a person under the age of 16; or
(b) engage in sexual activity with a person under the age of 16; or
(c) procure a person under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, and
(2) the defendant is at least 18 years of age.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years.
Xenophon has been pushing for this law since 2o13 after a campaign by Sonya Ryan, the mother of 15-year-old Carly Ryan, who became the first person murdered in Australia by an online predator. Her murderer was a 50-year-old paedophile who posed as a 20-year-old to lure Carly to a meeting.
The senator says the new laws fill a gap in the criminal code by allowing police to intervene when a predator is preparing to cause harm. Crucially this will include when a predator lies about his or her age to a child.
Since her daughter’s death, Sonya Ryan has spoken to tens of thousands of school children and their families about the risk of online predators.
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The national disability insurance scheme savings fund – set up to quarantine savings from the uncertain omnibus bill – has just passed through the lower house.
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but says, in this case, woman's claims were "unfounded" and could make others worry they have not complied with own requirements. #estimates
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
Bill Shorten is asked why he promised to support the independent Fair Work Commission decision before the election and then changed his mind.
I think you need to ask [Malcolm Turnbull]. When the remuneration tribunal for truck drivers made a decision he didn’t like, he didn’t just overrule the decision, he sacked the tribunal. Not a lot of respect for the independent umpire was there then.
Or when the [Country Fire Authority] negotiated an enterprise agreement with professional firefighters last year, Malcolm Turnbull passed a law to overturn the enterprise agreement.
A federal court is the independent umpire, isn’t it? And on native title, we had a debate last week where the government wants to overturn a decision. This is a government who is very selective about which decisions it takes action on.
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Bill Shorten says it is a dumb idea to phase in penalty rate cuts through a grandfathering provision. Employers will just roster the cheaper worker ahead of the more expensive worker.
The problem is if you are a small business or a big business and you have the choice of rostering someone at eight hours on a Sunday at double time or rostering someone for eight hours on a Sunday for time and a half, you don’t need to be a Rhodes scholar to work out what will happen. This is a government desperate to cover a smokescreen.
(The FWC have said they don’t support grandfathering.)
Shorten does not address the concept of phasing in the rate cut for everyone over time.
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Bill Shorten is speaking in a workplace of some sort. He addresses the government’s attacks that he bargained away penalty rates. He says deals he negotiated increased workers’ overall pay.
Q: When you were the head of AWU, did you bargain away penalty rates?
Look, I’ve watched the government attacking me for standing up for workers. I will back my record for protecting workers’ rights and conditions against Malcolm Turnbull and his whole frontbench any day of the week. Malcolm Turnbull has been trying to look at union deals, negotiated on behalf of workers, approved by the Fair Work Commission, which see people increase their overall pay.
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Peter Dutton on leadership aspirations and conspiracy theories
There is peak derp happening today. The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, the man with the tan and the plan, is talking about his crackdown on 457 visas used in fast-food outlets.
PDuddy’s meditations on immigration policy are interrupted by leadership questions.
Q: Do you have leadership aspirations?
I have dealt with that. My loyalty was to Tony Abbott when I served in his cabinet.
My loyalty is to Malcolm Turnbull. I serve in his cabinet because I believe in him as leader and I want all my colleagues to do everything within their power to make sure the government succeeds, the prime minister succeeds.
That is what I pledge myself to and I want to make sure that overall, we do not get Bill Shorten at the next election.
Q: Why then were you seen going for a walk with WA powerbroker Mathias Cormann?
He is a close friend of mine and has been for a long time. He was my shadow health parliamentary secretary. So I have had a close friendship.
I go to the gym, I am sorry it doesn’t show but I do exercise a fair bit. And he, like me, wants to lose a fair bit of weight. I am not sure if that accords with your conspiracy theory but two middle-age blokes trying to lose weight, I am not sure you can speculate on that.
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That's a remarkable interpretation of s202 of the social security (admin) act, which allows disclosure for purposes of social security law
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
DHS confirms didn't have public interest certificate for release of welfare recipient's info, says didn't need it #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
I had this vague feeling that I was missing something, with Senate estimates committees rolling here. Then I realised it was actually the parliament.
*hits forehead on desk*
So the lower house began at 9.30am with government business.
First cab off the rank is NDIS savings account, designed to squirrel away savings from the omnibus bill for the NDIS.
These are the bits of legislation on the list today.
- National Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund Special Account
- Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 1)
- Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Digital Readiness and Other Measures)
- Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan)
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On Centrelink:
Labor senator Murray Watt questioning on release of personal information, is asking where dept GM @HankJongen is. #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
DHS agree the personal information it handed to journo was protected information, but was done so lawfully #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
Tony Burke has been prosecuting Labor’s penalty rate argument on Sky news. It looks like a dry run for a 2018 election slogan.
- Workers face pay cuts.
- The government can fix it.
- The government is choosing not to.
Regarding the Centrelink release of personal information on a critic of the system:
Campbell defends release of personal information by dept, says it has the power to do so under social security law #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
Welfare recipient Andie Fox wrote an article for Fairfax Media earlier this month setting out her difficulties dealing with the agency after she began receiving calls from a debt collector.
But, over the weekend, she was shocked to discover details of her interactions with Centrelink and claim history set out – with some information she says is incorrect – in a separate article by Fairfax Media.
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Penny Wong and her eyebrows are questioning the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Frances Adamson, on the global heads of missions meetings, which were revealed by the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop.
This is the inaugural global heads of missions meetings where more than 100 ambassadors and heads of mission are brought back to Australia to discuss the government’s foreign white paper.
Adamson says it was her idea.
Wong wants to know what the outcome of the meeting will be. Adamson says the outcome will be fed into the white paper. Wong wants to know if there will be a formal report process.
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Campbell agrees in some cases initial robo debt letters were sent to old addresses. Says 6600 addresses were old #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
My colleague Christopher Knaus is watching the the community affairs estimates. He did some great work on this over the Christmas period so he is worth following.
DHS secretary Kath Campbell defends robo debt system as fair, says initial letters not "debt letters"in #estimates @gabriellechan
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 1, 2017
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One of the issues that has lobbed back on to the prime ministerial plate is 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. This happened after the report this week basically came up with every single option, from procedural changes to removing “insult” and “offend”. There was a prize for every child. Again it bounces back to the leadership group.
Scott Morrison has been quite forthright on this. A change to the act won’t create a single job, says the treasurer (ie, colleague frolic).
Turnbull does a bit of conservative whispering, pointing out he defended Peter Wright in the Spycatcher case – a case that was about a former British spy’s right to free speech.
This is a very legitimate area to discuss, to debate. Scott’s right. It’s not going to result in people making another investment and taking on more employees. But nonetheless, we are here in a house of freedom in Parliament House, a house of democracy, and these issues are important.
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Malcolm Turnbull has been asked, do you think Tony Abbott’s intent on blowing up this government?
I’ll decline the opportunity to comment on personalities.
(This comes after Turnbull blamed Abbott for the bad Newspoll results this week.)
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Here is that quote from treasurer Scott Morrison on not spending any excess windfall in government revenue.
Q: There is no temptation to spend it?
John [Fraser] is right. That is government actual fiscal policy.
Malcolm Turnbull lauds the national accounts figures while acknowledging that there are still parts of the country that are doing it tough. (Hello, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.)
There’s no doubt that parts of regional Australia – not all, but parts – of regional Australia have done it tough, largely because of the downturn in the mining and construction boom.
You know, we have seen in this last quarter a pick-up in business investment which is a very good sign, but obviously … investment in mining was up to 8% of GDP. It couldn’t stay there forever.
It came off and that’s hit some regional areas very hard. Now, the good news is that because we are growing our exports. And you saw on the weekend I secured greater access for sugar and for beef into Indonesia … it’s a huge market.
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Malcolm Turnbull: FWC supports phased-in penalty rate cuts, not grandfathering
Malcolm Turnbull makes a couple of points.
The Fair Work Commission reduced some penalty rates, typically from 250% to 225% or 175% to 150%.
Modern awards state an intention that any changes to awards will not reduce the take-home pay of employees.
That is the take-home pay clause in every modern award. And the commission is now seeking submissions as to how to manage the transitional arrangements. [The FWC] have said that they do not support what’s called red circling, which is where you would say that employee A’s penalty rate remains the same but new employees, B, C, D, would be under the new arrangements.
Which sounds like the PM does not support Abetz’s option of grandfathering.
It depends what you mean by grandfathering? They’ve said they’re not in favour of that. They’ve indicated that provisionally. They have asked for submissions on how the take-home pay orders could be conducted.
He says the FWC supports a phased-in transition so that as wages rise and penalty rates fall, it evens out in the pay packet.
They have said – and this is consistent with the practice in the past – is that the changes to penalty rates should be phased in over a period of years …The employee’s overall pay packet increases and offsets the phased-in reduction in penalty rates.
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Malcolm Turnbull is speaking to Sabra Lane on AM.
He will not be giving an opinion on whether the government supports the penalty rate cut.
If you’re asking me do I think that the penalty rate for a public holiday should be reduced in one award from 250% to 225%, that is a matter that the government has not decided. That is a matter for the Fair Work Commission.
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has hardened his line on any increase in government revenue from commodity prices.
Yesterday, after the hopeful national accounts, Morrison was a little coy about what he would do with any coming windfall.
If you were with me yesterday, you will know the the Treasury secretary, John Fraser, was clear cut in estimates hearings. Bank the savings, he said. As Peter Martin at Fairfax reports:
Mr Fraser told the committee that if the terms of trade stayed high, the government should “prioritise budget repair and ensure that any additional revenue is banked as an improvement to the budget bottom line”.
“We need to take great care not to fall into the trap of spending unexpectedly higher revenue, should it arise, in a way that would structurally weaken the budget as may have occurred through the early 2000s,” he said.
Morrison told Kieran Gilbert on Sky that if there was an improvement – and it was not clear that there was – it would go to paying down the debt.
He made the point that he didn’t want to chase revenue up hill and down dale. I will have the quotes to you Asap but there is a lot happening here this morning.
The prime minister coming up.
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Good morning blogans,
As you rub the sleep from your eyes, in this parallel universe of Australian politics, Eric Abetz has suggested no worker should be worse off under the penalty rate cut.
Unlike the senior levels of the Coalition, he unequivocally supported the decision:
I am pleased that the Fair Work Commission made the decision that it did.
But:
It’s now important that the Fair Work Commission’s decision is implemented in a fair and equitable manner for current workers in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors.
This approach would ensure that “no worker is worse off” while allowing new opportunities for the unemployed and especially for young unemployed people. It would mean no existing worker would have their income or household budget adversely impacted while supporting small business and assisting the unemployed.”
Abetz’s argument is that the FWC has powers under the Fair Work Act to grandfather current employees covered by the modern awards mentioned in its recent four-yearly review of modern awards – penalty rates, with the new award rates applying only to prospective employees.
He goes right to the point that is now under contention, that is how to implement the cut, remembering that Labor and the Greens are still trying to block the effect of the decision in parliament.
Talk to me in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or at Facebook. The man with the lens is @mpbowers. The prime minister is coming up. Up, up and away.
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