Night time politics
Here is your brief summary of the political day.
- Question time was dominated by the GST debate and the so-called “bedwetters”, the backbenchers nervous about losing their seats. Ministers said there was no such plan.
- Malcolm Turnbull also faced questions on whether he complained to the ABC about coverage of the NBN. He said before the election, he complained publicly and privately that there was not a proper discussion about the competing technologies. “I’m entitled to have that view”, he told parliament.
- And the prime minister confirmed he was not a fan of the plebiscite on marriage equality but described it as a “democratic innovation” which would give all Australians a say on the issue.
- The Greens and independent senator John Madigan were the only senators to back a motion to grant an amnesty to the 237 asylum seekers who face return to Manus Island after the High Court ruling.
- Trade minister Andrew Robb signed Australia up to the Trans Pacific Partnership and rejected suggestions the Productivity Commission should do an economic analysis.
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The Australian Building and Construction Commission bill passed the lower house but was swiftly referred back to an employment committee in the senate, thereby delaying it further.
- Clive Palmer finally updated his pecuniary interest register, 18 months after the fact.
Thanks for all of your comments, thoughts and links throughout the day and thanks to Shalailah Medhora, Daniel Hurst and Lenore Taylor. And to Mike Bowers who took a truckload of wonderful pictures.
Katharine Murphy will be back in the chair next week when the lower house sits and the senate is immersed in estimates - grilling public servants on their departmental activities. Murph will have her work cut out.
I leave you with a Matt Hatter gif, which I find mesmerising and accurately reflects my blog day.
Goodnight.
@gabriellechan Thanks for today - and lordy what a day it must have been. Cheerio. pic.twitter.com/rhlQ6dC0br
— The Matt Hatter (@MattGlassDarkly) February 3, 2016
The winner of the funniest press release today must be Labor’s Tony Burke, responding to a piece of news I missed this morning.
The end of the Bonfire of Red Tape.
The redtape minister Peter Hendy wrote in the Oz that his work is done. Sid Maher reported:
The Turnbull government will scrap its twice-yearly parliamentary red-tape repeal days — a feature of Tony Abbott’s election promise to cut red tape by $1 billion a year — arguing much of the heavy lifting to remove unnecessary laws has been done.
Assistant Minister for Productivity Peter Hendy, writing in The Australian today, says repeal days will be replaced with annual reports “that will assess our performance to date and set a course for reform over the next year’’.
Under Abbott, the house endured endless filibustering on red tape, which resulted in minor changes to statute books that usually happen behind the scenes without much fuss. Abbott elevated parliamentary housekeeping to a fine art and produced a glossy book, wrapped in red tape to prove he was getting rid of red tape.
But now, it’s over. The bonfire has been doused. You are all free of red tape.
Burke had a bit of fun with it this morning:
The war is over. Punctuation has been defeated and the government’s semi-annual skirmishes against hyphens and semi-colons have come to an end.
After four rounds in the arena of red tape reduction, the Government’s third minister responsible for Repeal Days, Peter Hendy, has declared victory.
Repeal Days have often been accompanied by much hype about the success of the Government’s war on the punctuation, but what has been achieved?
On the first Repeal Day, the Defence Act 1904, which related to the definition of naval officers and state navies, was repealed.
The states haven’t had navies since 1913, but just in case Queensland or Western Australia got any ideas, this government was on to them.
Owners of mules and bullocks were also given a reprieve, with the repeal of laws requiring the animals be registered for military purposes.
The government has also claimed red tape reductions in the updating of spelling, grammar and punctuation on the statute books.
Such pressing updates include changing the word “e-mail” to “email” and “facsimile” to “fax” across numerous pieces of legislation.
In a series of Statute Law Revision bills, the government removed 40 hyphens, one comma and one inverted comma; changed two full stops to semi-colons, one semi-colon to a full stop; and inserted two commas, one full stop, one colon and one hyphen.
Burke points out that the government also used the bonfire of red tape to justify watering down the future of financial advice (Fofa) reforms and the wage cut to cleaners by abolishing the commonwealth cleaning services guidelines.
Updated
The member will leave the house...
Small business minister Kelly O’Dwyer gets a constituent question (Dixer) on small business and the economy.
Labor to Turnbull: I refer to his previous answer, given his admission that he complained privately to the ABC and given evidence that the story was dropped because of concerns by the Turnbull camp, and given concerns that the Coalition has about bias at the ABC, will he conduct an independent inquiry into this just like he did about ‘Q&A’?
Turnbull:
I simply made the point that in respect of the ABC coverage of the NBN issue - and this was essentially in the lead up to the last election, so this predates my being a minister.
My view was, and I’m entitled to have that view as we’re all entitled to have a view about news reporting, that they could have done a more comprehensive job, a more balanced approach in which they...made a better effort of explaining the arguments about the competing technologies which was, if you like, the factual context in the NBN broadband debate at the time.
You know, is fibre to the node worthwhile? Does it deliver adequate speeds? Is fibre to the premises the only way to go?
I mean, in many respects the debate has been resolved. The evidence is in, the multi-technology mix the Government is taking has been proved to be correct.
Turnbull: Yes I did complain to the ABC about NBN coverage - publicly and privately
Turnbull says he was very critical of the ABC’s coverage.
My point very simply was this, that was we know in the lead up to the last election there was a debate, a discussion, if you like, about competing technologies and the proposition that the Labor Government presented was that the only solution, the only acceptable solution was to have a universal fibre to the premises network which was their plan.
The honourable member’s question is, have I complained? Did I complain about this to the ABC? The answer is yes, I did complain but I complained publicly. I was very public about it and made this point. I’ve said nothing in any of my discussions with the chief executive at any time. I’ve said exactly the same things privately as I’ve said publicly because it is important, in my view, that the national broadcaster, whenever it can, seeks to inform the public debate so to ensure that, right or wrong, the contending arguments are well exposed in light of the facts.
Two weeks ago a taped conversation between a journalist and management at the ABC surfaced. It revealed an ABC article critical of his NBN was blockedby management because they did not want to upset, and I quote , “The Turnbull camp.” Can thePrime Minister advise the House if he or any members of his current or former office has had any contact with ABC management in relation to stories critical of his second-rate NBN?
Pyne objects on the grounds it is within the responsibility of the ABC. Burke says it is within the bounds. Pyne says it was a fishing exercise.
Speaker rules the question can be answered.
Updated
A Dixer to Turnbull: In a advance of the next joint Commonwealth-Tasmanian economic council, Prime Minister, can you update Tasmanians on the progress of investments and Tasmania’s trade performance?
Malcolm Turnbull on marriage equality: I did not favour a plebiscite
Labor to Turnbull: will you allow a free vote on marriage equality, given your previous views?
Turnbull says the plebiscite is a democratic process.
Every single Australian will have a say. It is a new approach. It has not been a practice in the Australian political system, other than constitutional referendums. It is a new approach, I grant the honourable member that, and it is certainly not the approach that I favoured. At the outset, I am a traditionalist. This was a case of democratic innovation. The innovator was out innovating. There you go.
Turnbull says he will vote for marriage equality. Others may vote against.
A Dixer to Barnaby Joyce: Will the minister update the house on how strong agricultural exports figures are contributing to growth and jobs not just in rural and regional Australia but right across the nation?
Updated
Bowen to Morrison on the GST.
Meanwhile:
New backbencher.
A Dixer to the social services minister Christian Porter: Will the Minister update the house on reforms recently announced to achieve fairness and sustainability in Australia’s welfare system? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?
Porter talks about the debts owed by individuals inside to social security system and changes. Will have to check the finer details.
Labor to Morrison: The ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ today reports that Liberal MPs are worried that he’s already made up his mind to increase the GST to 15%. Has the Treasurer made up his mind? When will we see the Treasurer’s plan to increase the GST or will we never ever see it or at least never until after the next election?
Morrison says Labor has learned nothing from its days in government.
Russell Broadbent, Liberal GST critic, asks Turnbull: will you outline the importance of tax reform for growth and jobs?
Turnbull talks about the complexity of changes to the tax system. Reforms need to meet 3 goals, he says:
- drive growth and jobs
- have to be fair
- complexity has to be justified for a productivity outcome.
Labor to Morrison: Kay Ross is a disability pensioner from California Gully in my electorate. Kay buys her groceries from lots of different stores and checks the prices by walking between them the day before her weekly shop. In a recent shop, Kay spent $11.20 on a litre of milk and three loaves of bread. Can the Treasurer tell Kay how much more she will have to pay for bread and milk if he broadens the GST on fresh food?
Morrison says there is no such plan and goes on to say Labor can’t be trusted to cover the cost of their policies.
A Dixer to Dutton: Will the minister inform the house why a strong and consistent approach to immigration and border protection is necessary?
I would say to all those people who are vulnerable - and it totals millions of people across the region and as we’re seeing in Europe, people who are vulnerable and desperate and would seek to come to a country like ours and are prepared to pay thousands of dollars to get a better economic outcome for their family, which you can completely understand, the way to Australia by illegal boat is closed.
PDuddy.
Bowen to Morrison: A Coalition MP is reported in the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ as saying about an increased GST, “Now is the time to do this.” At a time of global uncertainty, sluggish wages growth and slowing growth in China, is now really the time to hit the Australian economy with a 15% GST? And what impact would rising prices have on demand in our economy?
Morrison says the government has not decided because they are “working through the many things you have to trade off in the process”.
Dixer to assistant treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer: Will the minister update the house on what the government is doing to crack down on those who are not paying their fair share of tax?
O’Dwyer talks about changes to the laws to toughen tax laws for multinational companies. She wants to point out that Labor opposed the laws.
Adam Bandt to Malcolm Turnbull: Prime Minister, this is your first big moral test.Do you really believe that child abuse is somehow necessary to stop people dying at sea? Will you promise today that no children, including the 37 babies born here and the kids currently in Australian schools, will be deported to Nauru?
The member for Melbourne’s party from time to time tries to create the impression that it has a monopoly on empathy, a monopoly on morality. It doesnot. If the government were to follow the policies advocated by the Greens party in this regard, the consequence would not simply be tens of thousands of unauthorised arrivals coming to Australia, it would be thousands of deaths at sea.
Turnbull says one child in detention is one child too many. Everyone is anguished about children in detention, he says. When Howard lost office, he says there were no children in detention.
Within five years the number had reached 2000... our goal is to reduce that to zero....The honourable member has got to recognise his responsibility to support our collective effort at a policy that has broad support across the community, keeping our borders secure and keeping women and children safe on the seas, ensuring they don’t get on leaky boats and that they don’t drown at sea.
Bowen to Morrison re bed wetters: Does the Treasurer believe those he dismisses in this matter are undermining his plan to increase the GST and does he think the Australian people have a right to know about his plans to make everything cost more?
Morrison starts amid heckling but the speaker interrupts and warns people will be thrown out.
A Dixer from new North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman: Will the Treasurer advise the House of the importance of microeconomic reform to our transitioning economy? How important is it to our national economy that we finally bring to an end lawlessness and criminality in our building and construction industry?
Australia has high building costs, some 4 to 5 times higher than France, the estimates are the BusinessCouncil of Australia found that construction costs are now 40% higher than those in the US, let alone what they are in Asia...The reason we have to ensure that this commission and this code is back in place is because it supports jobs and growth in the economy.
Bowen to Morrison: On Neil Mitchell’s program last year, the Treasurer described leadership rumblings as, and I quote, “A bit of political bedwetting by some.” A source in today’s ‘Financial Review’ on the front page describes Coalition MPs who oppose a rise in the GST as bed wetters. Is this a coincidence and when will the Treasurer come clean with the Australian people and his own colleagues about his plan to increase the price of everything with a 15% GST?
I thought the shadow treasurer might want to ask me something about the economy, the transition taking place, the issues happening in global markets, something like that, but he wants to focus on trivia.
(Government MPs agree on the source, mind you.)
A Dixer on women in full time work. Goes to the childcare report mention early in the blog.
Turnbull:
If we are going to take advantage of our greatest resource, which is our human capital, the men and women of Australia, if we’re going to take advantage of that we have to take advantage of all of our population, men and women, so the more Australian women can contribute their talents to our workplaces, their ingenuity to our national enterprise. The more that that occurs the stronger our economy will be, the better prospects our children and grandchildren will have in the years ahead.
Shorten to Turnbull: Why is the Prime Minister planning a TAFE-destroying takeover of vocational education, why is the Prime Minister committed to $100,000 university degrees and opposing Your Child Our Future education plans which will give every child in every school every opportunity?
Turnbull says the issue is not about money but teacher quality. He does not answer the question on TAFE or vocational education.
Australian Academy of Science on the #CSIRO cuts; pic.twitter.com/T0hvDNNKaL
— Melissa Davey (@MelissaLDavey) February 4, 2016
Question time coming up.
Here is a shot Bowers prepared earlier.
We shall overcomb. @mpbowers prepares for #qt #trumptantrum pic.twitter.com/ebsMwzPwle
— Gabrielle Chan (@gabriellechan) February 4, 2016
Up to 350 positions at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Csiro) will be made redundant, with its climate research divisions to bear the brunt of the job losses.
The chief executive of the national science agency, Larry Marshall, said the redundancies were in line with CSIRO’s 2020 strategy to increase collaboration with industry and boost commercialisation of science.
The former Silicon Valley entrepreneur told staff in an email obtained by Guardian Australia the agency’s research had pioneered climate models and honed their measurements “to prove climate change”.
“That question has been answered, and the new question is what do we do about it, and how can we find solutions for the climate we will be living with?”
Lunch time politics
Today:
- Ministers including Barnaby Joyce, Peter Dutton and Andrew Robb have rejected the idea of a backbench revolt on GST. They say it is all part of the policy discussion and nothing has been decided. But Cory Bernardi has flagged crossing the floor and says others may well vote against a GST. Russell Broadbent has declared he is against a GST.
- Trade minister Robb has signed Australia up to the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.
- The Australian Building and Construction Commission bill has passed the lower house but then been flicked to a committee which will report on March 15, further delaying the bill.
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The senate has voted against a Greens motion to give amnesty to 267 asylum seekers following the High Court ruling that offshore detention was lawful.
Here is a photo of Cory Bernardi speaking against the bill for recognition of foreign marriages.
Bowers was allowed to take the photo in this case because Bernardi had the call - that is, he was allowed to speak. But photos of divisions are a definite no-no.
The division in which major parties and a few crossbenchers vote against an amnesty for 267 asylum seekers.
Archaic @AuSenate rules prevent photog. of divisions while allowing similar to air #changeTheRules @gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/nXx53Xwnjs
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) February 4, 2016
A clutch of crossbenchers.
Senate rejects Greens motion to grant amnesty to 267 asylum seekers
Lambie, Lazarus, Muir voted with the government and Labor against the amnesty.
Independent senator John Madigan voted with the Greens.
Updated
The Liberal, National and Labor parties are all voting against the amnesty for the 267.
At this stage there are only 10 supporting the bill. Just checking the names but looks as though the Greens are only ones supporting the motion.
This is the Hanson-Young motion:
That the Senate calls on the Turnbull Government to grant amnesty to the 267 men, women and children in Australia as part of the M68 High Court challenge, and allow them to stay.
Updated
Sarah Hanson-Young is now moving her motion to ask the parliament to keep the 267 asylum seekers in Australia – notwithstanding the High Court ruling.
Updated
Building watchdog bill delayed as Labor sends it to committee
The ABCC bill has been sent to the employment committee now. Labor argues this is necessary in the light of the trade union royal commission report. (The ABCC bill has already been to a committee before.) Labor has managed to make the reporting date 15 March. The government wanted an earlier date to expedite the bill through the house.
Labor senator Claire Moore:
Since we’ve actually had these bills originally put to the Senate we’ve had the TURC report and in terms of that process there are still great need to examine the evidence that came through in that area.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce has been asked for his views about churches offering sanctuary to asylum seekers.
He acknowledges the goodwill of the leaders who have taken the stand, but defends the “moral point” of the government’s policy to deter boat arrivals:
Well, you know, they’re following their heart and following their views but they’ve also got to follow the laws of the land and I hear what they say. Can I suggest that if we are to go back to the former policy then the fruits of their endeavours will be ashes in their mouth because we will go back to people drowning and I don’t think anybody wants that.
Nobody really wants to revel in being tough. No-one wants to make it their badge of honour that they have to be hard on this policy issue but no-one should delude themselves that the alternative to the policy, which I think now is adopted by the Labor party as well, is that people will swindle other people, vulnerable people, out of money.
They will put them on boats they really don’t care about and an indeterminate number of people will drown. Mums, kids, other people. What is the moral point of that? What is the moral point of us putting someone in a position where the consequences of our lax policy are the death of we don’t know, possibly thousands, on our watch? We had to stop that. We did stop that.
Updated
In the Senate, Labor is trying to send the ABCC bill back to a committee. It has already been there once. Attorney general and leader in the Senate George Brandis and Michaelia Cash are very cranky.
This is a misuse of the powers and process of the Senate.
Cash is reading out all the dates it has been scrutinised in different committees, chambers and public hearings.
The Australian people have every right to expect the Senate to make decisions.
Updated
Deputy Nats leader and agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce held a press conference to talk about commodity prices. He canvassed a range of issues – as leader-in-waiting – including the GST debate.
Q: Are you concerned about an increase to the GST – have they raised those concerns with you and are those concerns fair enough?
It is unsurprising that in a discussion people discuss things. That’s what’s supposed to happen.
Q: When you were a senator you gained something of a reputation for crossing the floor on issues of principle. Cory Bernardi has said this morning he’s prepared to cross the floor and oppose a GST. Do you support his right to do that?
Joyce makes the point that you cannot cross the floor in the Greens and the ALP. Then,
The party that crosses the floor more than any other party is the National party because we believe in the liberty of the individual, the freedom of the individual. Now, going to the more substantive part of your question, Cory’s a good bloke and I get along well with him but he’s not going to cross the floor ... because it’s a hypothetical ... There has been no change. It is a key message today ... Surely to God we are big enough and intelligent enough to allow ourselves to have a discussion or are we going to say from this point forward no more discussions, we’ll all live like Cistercians monks in our room and never discuss anything until it’s been through the PC committee.
Updated
You would have seen that Turnbull supporter Russell Broadbent has been contributing to the GST debate. He has lost his seat of McMillan twice over the GST, in 1993 and 1998.
The former prime minister was keen to speak to Broadbent in the ABCC divisions today, when MPs don’t have to sit in their own seats.
House of Cards 1.
House of Cards 2.
House of Cards 3.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is planning to make the major parties vote on the following motion:
To move – That the Senate calls on the Turnbull government to grant amnesty to the 267 men, women and children in Australia as part of the M68 high court challenge, and allow them to stay.
Even if the motion passed, the executive could ignore it. But it makes a statement about their respective policies.
It will happen around midday.
Updated
So has Clive Palmer.
Mr Clive Palmer has updated the interests register. https://t.co/2sl4SR9e1F
— DisclosureBot (@AusDisclosure) February 4, 2016
Tony Abbott has updated his pecuniary interests register. Just checking now.
The Hon Tony Abbott has updated the interests register. https://t.co/JwIIH16hrQ
— DisclosureBot (@AusDisclosure) February 4, 2016
Bernardi says “what about in some countries where you can have four wives”.
His lack of support is based on which marriages you accept and which you reject.
The Senate is debating a private members bill by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young which would recognise overseas marriages – particularly same sex marriages. Senator Cory Bernardi is speaking on it now. He is straying into “one world government”. *drink*
At the heart of this bill is a challenge to sovereignty. We have to stand up for our national sovereignty and our self determination...it does circumvent our law.
Updated
Building watchdog bill passes the lower house
The ABCC bill has just passed the lower house. Remember, while the house is sitting next week, the senate has estimates committees so the bill will not go to the senate until the next sitting week.
Independent senator Glenn Lazarus on the GST debate.
I think this government has a real problem with making the big end of town accountable and making them pay their way. The only people that pay GST is the consumer and a lot of consumers can’t afford another hike in the GST and I think they need to go back and have a good look at the big end of town and make sure they’re paying their way before they start slugging the poor Aussie workers. GST is just a really, really basic way of securing some sort of revenue. It takes a lot of money to actually collect allthat revenue. Big multinational companies are based on the fact that all the money they earn in this country goes overseas and they don’t pay their way. If everybody paid their way...we wouldn’t have a problem.
There has been shenanigans in the house over the ABCC bill. There have been a series of divisions. Labor wants four more speakers on the building watchdog bill but Christopher Pyne as manager of government business is seeking to gag the debate and bring on the vote. Labor has protested and Pyne is pushing ahead.
The background is that the bill was not put on the notice paper last year. Obviously Labor wanted a lot of speakers on the substance of the bill. It was debated yesterday but Pyne has said enough and is moving a suspension of standing orders.
The government will win on the numbers.
Labor Hotham MP Clare O’Neil stands up, telling Pyne:
How dare you gag my contribution in the debate, I represent 100,000 people.
Pyne ignores her and presses on with the vote.
Gillian Triggs: laws allow us to wash our hands of the welfare of refugee children
Human Rights Commissioner, Gillian Triggs is releasing a report on children in detention.
Sadly, there’s a widening gulf between the constitutional powers of the Australian government and the country’s international legal responsibilities. Our national laws in effect allow us to wash our hands of the welfare of refugee children once they leave Australia’s shores. Our laws impose no standards on Nauru to meet educational and medical needs of refugees. Indeed, the government’s chilling defence to claims that it’s in breach of its duty of care is it that it has no control over the treatment of refugees transferred to Nauru. Now it seems it rests with the international community to use its influence to ensure the safety of refugee children under the agreed principles of international law.
Green bananas.
The lower house is dividing on the competition and consumer amendment (payment surcharges) bill.
The bill:
amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010to: establish a framework to ban surcharges imposed in respect of particular payment methods that exceed the cost of acceptance for those payment methods; and provide the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with additional powers to gather information and issue infringement notices in enforcing the ban on excess surcharges.
Adam Bandt tried to amend it. He had been wanting the bill to cover ATM fees. The amendment failed and the bill passed on the voices.
Now on to the Australian Building Construction Commission (ACCC) bill.
Andrew Robb signs the TPP
Trade minister Andrew Robb has just signed the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. He was the first minister to sign up.
Love this pic. Actor Steven Oliver and senator Nova Peris.
Conservative senator Cory Bernardi says:
There’s never been a better time to be a backbencher.
Asked if by Virginia Trioli if he thinks he is more powerful now, Bernardi says backbenchers are encouraged to participate in the debate.
His point, like moderate Russell Broadbent, is that it makes no sense to take money from the system and “slip it back” to the same taxpayers.
Bernardi says increasing taxes is easy but lowering taxes and shrinking government is difficult. He suggests reforms like income splitting and providing a tax free threshold for children.
Liberal McMillan MP Russell Broadbent is talking GST.
No case has been made so far for an 50% increase in the GST....I don’t think it raises that much money anyway and the compensation you have to pay ameliorates any gain.
When Broadbent is asked about the possibility of broader tax reform with a GST as part of a holistic package, he says there was a holistic GST package in 1993 offered by John Hewson and he lost. There was also a holistic package under John Howard in 1998 and the Liberal party lost the popular vote and 18 seats.
Backbench revolt?
It was put to me there was a revolt on the backbench, that is rubbish.
Broadbent is a longstanding moderate from Victoria and a Turnbull supporter.
Bananas go National.
In November last year, the government announced changes to its childcare policy. Shalailah Medhora reported:
Families earning between $170,000 and $250,000 will get back 50% of their childcare costs, as long as they meet minimum standards of work, training or employment. The subsidy will be tapered to 20% for families earning $340,000. Families earning more than $340,000 will also receive the 20% subsidy.
Families earning less than $65,000 will still receive a subsidy of 85% gradually decreasing to 50% for those earning $170,00 a year.
Subsidies for families earning more than $185,000 will be capped at $10,000 per child per year.
This morning, Shalailah reports a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, commissioned by Goodstart Early Learning found the childcare subsidy will get thousands of new parents into the workforce and pump an extra $7.6bn into the economy by 2050.
The guts:
By 2050, an extra 29,000 people would be in full-time employment as a result of the payment, with approximately half coming from current workers increasing their hours and the other half from new workers joining the workforce, the report said.
In three years, 19,000 more parents would take up full-time employment, adding $850m in tax revenue and saving the government $150m in welfare and assistance measures. Despite the initial benefit, the subsidy would still cost the government $170m a year to implement in 2020, breaking even only in 2028.
By 2050, it would add $7.6bn to Australia’s GDP of which $4.3bn would come from increased tax revenue.
Trade minister Andrew Robb has just talked to Kieran Gilbert on Sky. He is in New Zealand to sign the TPP, the trade agreement that has been 10 years in the making.
One of the most contentious issues was the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision, which sets the boundaries by which foreign companies sue governments over trade. For example Philip Morris unsuccessfully sued the Australian government over plain packaging.
Robb was asked about the ISDS clauses and the impact on Australian domestic policy. Robb said the Philip Morris case was lost on an “older ISDS” clause.
It’s got stronger since then.
Robb was also asked about GST nervousness in the partyroom.
I think it’s a total beat up and I can’t remember it being raised in the partyroom.
Robb said the reason it wasn’t raised was that all options were on the table and no decisions have been made.
Updated
Labor’s environment shadow Mark Butler auditions to be a banana.
The bananas in pyjamas are always the big hit of the ABC showcase, which happens every year. The showcase brings characters, bangs the drum and gently and not-so-gently asks for more funding. It was the last year for managing director Mark Scott. Chairman Jim Spigelman paid tribute to him and read out an article from Crikey almost 10 years ago which suggested he was a terrible appointment because he was a Coalition lackey. Of course, Scott has been under fire since the election of the Coalition government.
Immigration minister Peter Dutton told Michael Brissenden at the ABC he will go through individual cases of the 267 asylum seekers caught up after the High Court ruling.
Q: You are going to send these kids back to Nauru when these children apparently according to this report talk openly of self-harm and suicide. They have “palpable anticipatory trauma at the mention at the return ofNauru”. Surely there’s a better way, it’s simply cruel to send traumatised kids back to Nauru?
The arrangements we have in place is to look at individual cases. If there are exceptional circumstances in individual cases and we’re happy to look at that and that’s always been the case. We’ve brought people from Nauru if there is additional medical support needed and we’ve provided that to them. That will continue, but there were 1200 people who drowned at sea including women and children, the voices of whom have never been heard.
Good morning,
The government is fighting fires inside and outside the house this morning.
Inside, a rump of government backbenchers are reportedly unhappy about a GST election campaign. There are two camps. One is the small government camp, who think the GST rise is lazy reform. This much was enunciated by backbencher Angus Taylor last year. The other camp has been rather unkindly labelled the “bedwetters”. These are the marginal seat holders who (historically) get nervous with any controversial change in government. They are the canaries in the coalmine.
Natasha Griggs is the MP for Solomon in the Northern Territory. She has told the ABC that Labor had been actively campaigning in her seat over the summer break on a possible GST.
Territorians are concerned because we already have a high cost of living.
Immigration minister Peter Dutton has been defending treasurer Scott Morrison who is
trying to relieve the tax burden from middle Australians who are working hard.
He said Morrison was “proceeding” with a debate about the government’s motives. The Coalition is trying to stimulate small business to grow the economy, he says.
Outside the house, churches and joining refugee advocates to gear up for a campaign for the 267 asylum seekers who could be sent back to offshore detention after the High Court ruling.
Peter Catt, the Anglican dean of Brisbane, has offered sanctuary in his church to the 267 people effected by the ruling. Catt acknowledged that he had a moral rather than a legal right to do this but noted it would be a bad look to drag people out of a “sacred space”.
The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will be signed today and trade minister Andrew Robb has rejected the idea of an economic analysis of the deal by the Productivity Commission. More on that later.
The ABC descended on parliament last night so we have plenty of pictures coming up from one Mike Bowers. Join us on the Twits @mpbowers and @gabriellechan. Buckle up. Last sitting day.
Updated
