And on that note, we are going to wrap it up.
We won’t see you again until May 8, when parliament resumes - with bonus budget! - but don’t despair. We’ll use the five week break to recharge and rejuvenate, and as always, you’ll find all the in-between parliamentary coverage, including what can be found in the budget, right here on The Guardian.
Plus, @pyjamapolitics, where you’ll find short updates of the goings on and a brief rundown of the main political stories of the day.
We have crammed a week into three days, so a bigger than usual thank you to Mike Bowers and the Guardian’s brain trust. Follow Mike at @mpbowers and @mikepbowers to see what he is up to in the next month or so. It’s how I plan on dealing with our forced separation.
And as always, the biggest thank you to you, for reading. I hope you have a wonderful easter filled with family, rest and as much chocolate as you feel like consuming. Stay safe, stay calm, and take care of you. We’ll catch you back here, on the other side.
Anne Aly launched her book in our parliament press gallery neighbour’s office this afternoon.
She says she hopes Finding My Place will help people learn a little bit more about her, outside of her parliamentary career.
It also includes the tidbit that she has seen Zoolander 23 times. But I mean – who hasn’t?
Updated
With all the Russian/QT/tax insanity, I almost missed this earlier today. Ben Doherty has an update on Myanmar:
Australia has told Myanmar that international observers must be allowed into the isolated Rakhine state to monitor the situation of Rohingya still living there, and to supervise the return of any of those who have fled and wish to come back.
In its strongest statement yet against the quasi-military regime, Australia condemned Myanmar’s violence at the United Nations human rights council, saying anyone guilty of human rights abuses “must be held to account”.
“Australia reiterates its deep concern about events in Rakhine state, including reports of widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses by Myanmar security forces and local vigilantes,” the charge d’affaires of Australia’s mission to the UN, Lachlan Strahan, said in Geneva. “We also note with concern ongoing clashes between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups in north-eastern Myanmar and barriers to humanitarian access.”
You can read the whole report, here.
Updated
In other Australian-Russian relations:
Tony Abbott says he threw a koala at Vladimir Putin when he was in Sydney.... On more serious note, he supports the Government's action on Russia but says tougher sanctions may likely be needed.
— Henry Belot (@Henry_Belot) March 28, 2018
Back to your usual Politics Live fare. I missed putting this one up from earlier.
Bill Shorten:
This is the last parliamentary sitting day before the 21st Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
So I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all 70 visiting teams and their supporters from around the world an enjoyable stay in a beautiful part of Australia. And I want to wish the 473 members of the Australian squad every success, whether it’s on the track, in the pool, on the beach, at the velodrome or, of course, on the netball court.
The member for Lalor, who would wear that Diamonds scarf in here every day if she could, told me a great statistic about this year’s games.
This is the 21st Commonwealth Games, but it is the first Commonwealth Games where half the medals up for grabs can be won by women athletes. And it is great news that the Gold Coast games will include the largest para-sport program in commonwealth history.
As ever, the smooth running of this event will depend on thousands of cheerful volunteers and I want to thank them in advance, because they are outstanding ambassadors for our nation.
Mr Speaker, Australian sport needs a good story at the moment.
And I know from the moment Sally Pearson and Kurt Fearnley lead the Australian team into the stadium to start the games, our whole country will be inspired and uplifted.
Good luck and go Aussies.”
Updated
Julie Bishop calls in the Russian ambassador
It was 100 years ago last year, that Rasputin died. The mystic and Tsarina’s confidante had been poisoned, shot and beaten. Russian tales are always tall, but the downfall of the Mad Monk, who led the Russian aristocracy over the cliff, is passed down in the same warning tones as a Baba Yaga fable. Hushed, fervent and with no lack of pride. Rasputin drank his cyanide-laced madeira as if at a state dinner, the third glass, seemingly soothing the stomach ache caused by the poison cakes he’d been served to soak up the poisoned wine.
Still on his feet, they tried lead, firing a bullet into his chest. Still he stood. And now, sure Felix Yusupov was trying to kill him, Rasputin reportedly launched himself at the prince. The beating was by no means feeble, and it took four more bullets to down him. Not taking any chances, his body was dropped into the Neva river, where it was found, two days later.
Russia’s history is littered with such tales. And those of us who grow up with them are told them as part warning, part honouring the past. But ultimately they all tell a tale of pride. That even in the event of a fall, pride will ensure some part of you will always stand tall.
Grigory Logvinov’s performance this morning was a masterclass in Russian story telling. Deny, laugh and charm, but ensure your audience realises later it was being ridiculed. The cartoonish Bond villain persona has masked many a sharp mind. Sprinklings of Le Carre intrigue among joking denials. Contemptuous dismissals with a smile chaser. Jovial history lessons with a flash of bite. Those raised with Russian tales recognise the signs.
It was a more subdued Logvinov who accepted Julie Bishop’s invitation this afternoon.
The ambassador walked into another room of cameras to sit at a pine table and accepted a public dressing down over the Kremlin’s actions from Australia’s foreign affairs minister.
The attitude shift was noticeable. The reasons why a diplomatic mystery. But the intention, at least from Australia’s point of view, was clear. Australia, minor player as it is, is taking this issue seriously, even if the ambassador is not.
Read into all of it, as you will.
Updated
Linda Burney is talking to Sky and says she believes there is a “crisis” with children in care across Australia.
She is calling for a national inquiry and for the state and territories to examine their foster care system.
Mike Bowers presents your last question time (until 8 May).
Updated
Question time ends.
Amanda Rishworth to Malcolm Turnbull:
Why is the prime minister committed to a $65bn handout for big business but are making our fantastic early childhood educators like those in the public gallery today pay more tax with an early childhood educator on $45,000 paying $225 a year more tax?
Turnbull:
“I thank the honourable member for her question and I want to say we all admire early childhood educators. I want to say that, Mr Speaker, the government does not set the wages or conditions of childcare educators. The role of the government is to provide subsidies to hard-working Australian families so they can afford the care they need in order to balance their work and family responsibilities.
“And we [will], as of the 2 July this year, provide up to 85% of the cost of care for low-income families and record levels of investment. In fact, Mr Speaker, the increase in the overall subsidy for childcare is well over $1bn a year. It will be $8.8bn in the first full year.
“Childcare reforms provide the highest rate of subsidies, 85% to those with the lowest incomes, below around $65,000 a year, provides the most subsidised care to those who work the most hours, 100 hours a fortnight, removes the annual childcare rebate cap to families on less than around $185,000 a year and that is 85% of families using childcare.
“The Labor party voted against it. They voted against that reform. We know the decision of the Fair Work Commission. It is an independent umpire set up by the Labor party. It respects the independent decisions and it’s about time the leader of the opposition did too.”
Updated
I would like to tell you a story about “Amy”, who was forced to listen to so many dixers she ended up catatonic, rocking under her desk. Poor Amy.
Updated
Julia Banks has the next dixer so Josh Frydenberg can tell us a story about Jennifer.
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“We now know that big business has refused to commit to invest in a rural and remote Australia or my favourite, pay tax. Why is the prime minister so committed to his $65bn giveaway to big business when big business won’t commit anything in return to him?”
Turnbull (who introduces us to Stewart. Or possibly Stuart):
“As I said to the house earlier in this question time, we don’t rely on the altruism of companies in framing tax policy. We rely on economics. Economics 101, something forgotten in the Labor party. Business will respond rationally and will invest more where the incentives are to invest, will employ more, and because you get stronger economic growth, you get more jobs, and as Julia Gillard said, the heroine of honourable members opposite, if you are against lowering company taxes, you are against economic growth and if you are against economic growth, you are against jobs.”
We then hear about Stewart/Stuart. Who has a similar story to Alan, Alan, Bruce, Campbell, Cullen and Margaret.
Updated
Jim Chalmers to Malcolm Turnbull:
“The leaked draft statement for the Business Council reveals that big business wouldn’t even commit to increase wages when the conditions are right. Given that over the last two years wages have grown by only 4%, while company profits have increased by 32%, has the prime minister had any discussions with big business about just how much more profit they need if all they will give a fair share to their workers?”
Turnbull (who introduces us to Margaret):
“ ... The reality is that the same treasury analysis that advised his boss, the member for Lilley, treasurer at the time, that it would add $450 into the pockets of Australian workers, have given the same analysis, says that the company tax plan we are taking through to the Senate will deliver $750 into Australian workers’ pockets. It is exactly the same analysis, probably by the same analysts. There was a time when the Labor party understood and adhered to economic orthodoxy. It is all thrown away in this chase after pensioners and self-funded retirees savings. Mr Speaker, just to give the honourable member opposite the latest dispatch from their latest class war, I would remind them of what Margaret Sykes, a lady in her 70s, said to me this morning. She said, ‘My husband worked [multiple] jobs as a young man to make sure we were self-reliant when we were older. He died in 2010, still working. Before he died he worked so hard to make sure I was looked after. I am a self-funded retiree, I have shares to supplement my income, I am not one of Bill Shorten’s millionaires, I don’t go on holidays or smoke, drink or dine out, just a person who is not dependent on Centrelink.’ They are the people the Labor Party is after.”
Updated
Kelly O’Dwyer finishes a dixer with: “It is like putting mag wheels, a spoiler and a speed [inaudible] on a Hyundai excel. It is no good.”
Well obviously she has never been to the Gold Coast.
Updated
Mike Bowers ran out of the chamber to (legally) bring you some images from the protest which interrupted question time earlier. The group were calling for a more compassionate response to refugees.
Updated
Julie Collins to Malcolm Turnbull:
The leaked draft statement from the Business Council reveals big business refused to commit to create more Australian jobs in the cities, suburbs and towns and bush when big business won’t commit to create more jobs in the cities,suburbs, towns and bush, why is the Prime Minister so committed to giving big business a $65 billion handout?
Scott Morrison takes it.
“The member must be completely unaware of the statements by Alan Joyce, the CEO of Qantas, Rob Scott, the CEO of Wesfarmers, the Australian Retailers Association’s Peter Coleman, Woodside’s Alison Watkins, the managing director of Coca-Cola, just some of the very large companies that employ tens of hundreds of thousands of Australians who have committed, who have been out there making it very clear that this very simple principle that if you make business not pay as much money to the government, they are in a much better position to give workers a pay rise.”
He goes on and includes a photo prop of Chris Bowen. But there is so much yelling and it’s been such a long week that I gave up half way through the transcript.
Updated
Second verse same as the first ...
Chris Bowen to Malcolm Turnbull:
A leaked draft statement from the Business Council reveals that big business refused to commit to increased wages when the conditions are right. When big business won’t even commit to increasing wages when the conditions are right, why is the prime minister so committed to giving big is this a $65bn tax cut?”
Turnbull:
“I quoted the member for Sydney’s heroine Julia Gillard on this subject where she said if you are against cutting company tax you are against economic growth and if you are against economic growth, you are against jobs and she obviously, well, we know, she is a great admirer, as is the member for McMahon, of the former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, a very distinguished Labor treasurer.
“And his experience was, after many years in that job, that lowering company tax, as he did very substantially, resulted in more investment, higher productivity, more jobs and higher wages. That was the consistent experience. There was one other great saying of Paul Keating that the honourable member for McMahon would remember. That is that in the great race of life you should always back self interest because it is trying.
“The reality is, the reason businesses invest more and employ more and pay higher wages when there is more economic growth is because they want to make a profit. In other words, you give [it] the incentive to get ahead, you give business the ability to be competitive and then it will get going and do so. And Paul Keating could see that, Julia Gillard could see that. There were days when the member for McMahon could see it but it’s all gone a bit cloudy now, the rear vision mirror ... and neither can the leader of the opposition recall what he said in the house.”
Updated
[Insert daily reminder of how safe you are here]
#deathtodixers
Brendan O’Connor to Malcolm Turnbull: A leaked draft reveals that big business refused to commit to create more Australian jobs if the Senate passed the prime minister’s $65bn handout. When big business won’t commit to create more Australian jobs, why is the prime minister so committed to giving big business a $65bn tax handout?
(I feel like I will be saying these words in my sleep, I have now heard them so often.)
Christopher Pyne jumps up to say that the question is “almost” exactly the same as one which has been answered, so can’t be asked again. Tony Smith cuts him off and says, yup “almost” and therefore it is allowable.
Scott Morrison looks like he probably has a story to tell us about Princess Consuela Bananahammock and how she will be impacted by Labor’s policy, so he takes the question.
It is “almost” like an answer we have heard before.
“The Liberal and National party are creating more jobs by backing businesses. That is what we are doing. We have always believed that, Mr Speaker, and we have always acted consistently from backing businesses from small to large. They are the engines of growth in our economy and that is where higher wages come from; that’s where investment comes from; that’s where jobs come from and that is why as the government,as the Liberal and National parties, we have been committed to follow through on our convictions to do the right thing so jobs can be created, and we have created 420,000 jobs in the last 12 months. We are only a few thousand jobs shy of the million jobs that we promised would be created under a Coalition government when we came to office in 2013 and we are close to hitting that mark six months in advance of the promised period, Mr Speaker, we are sticking to our commitments, we are sticking to our beliefs.”
He follows up yesterday’s “You Muppet” comment in the direction of Chris Bowen with a reference to “numpty ideas”.
Updated
Michael McCormack looks like he is attempting a political attack in answer to a dixer, but honestly, it is hard to tell. Reading from a prepared answer tends to dull the sharpest of words.
Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull:
My question is to the prime minister. A leaked draft of the statement from the Business Council reveals big business refused to commit to “increased wages” if the Senate passed the prime minister’s $65bn handout. When big business won’t commit to increase wages, why is the prime minister so committed to giving this business a $65bn handout?
Turnbull:
“To quote one of the honourable member’s heroines in the Sydney Morning Herald, Julia Gillard, right here, she said, in 2012, Julia Gillard, prime minister, said, ‘If you are against cutting tax, you are up against economic growth.’ That is what you said. If you are against economic growth, you are against jobs. That’s right. What about ... What about the elder statesman Paul Keating? At his policy launch in1993, he said, “We lowered the company tax rate from 39 to 33%. That was a lot. Providing them with a business tax system competitive with any in the world. This is where the energy will come from and we will do everything we can to stimulate it and where necessary, provide strategic support.
“Now, Mr Speaker, when Paul Keating said that, when Julia Gillard said that, when the leader of the opposition and the member for McMahon and the member for Lily, all of them said the same thing. They weren’t relying on the altruism of company directors any more than we are. We rely on the economic logic that has prevailed through both sides of politics until very recently. But if you increase the incentives for business to invest, then they will invest more. If they invest more as the leader of the opposition said, on one occasion, you get higher productivity, more jobs and wages.
“I would leave the honourable member opposite to reflect on the wisdom of her friend, Julia Gillard. If you are against cutting company tax, you are against economic growth and then you are against jobs. It follows that the member for Sydney and her leader and all her colleagues there are against economic growth and against jobs. I would tell you, the government is for economic growth and it is for jobs, for jobs and better paid jobs.”
Updated
Oh for goodness sakes, Christopher Pyne.
If you did, indeed write this dixer, I implore you, IMPLORE you to warn me, and at least give me time for a drink, before starting a question of with “Why it is important to reward aspiration.” FFS.
On another note, we can add “Cullen” to our list of examples.
Apparently, no women will be impacted by Labor’s policy. Just Alans and Twilight cast members.
Updated
Andrew Wilkie has today’s crossbench question:
He would be aware of my correspondence alerting you to Tasmania’s housing crisis. Especially in Hobart. I urge you to help remedy the situation. The commonwealth public housing debt is costing Tasmania $15m a year in interest payments and consuming a great chunk of the state’s commonwealth public housing assistance. It is a big impediment to the Tasmanian government being able to significantly increase investment in public housing and give thousands of people are home. Prime minister, will you tax Tasmania’s housing debt to the commonwealth as was done for South Australia in 2013? In doing so, really help to do something about the housing crisis.”
Malcolm Turnbull: I thank the honourable member for his question and his letter. Our long-standing position is that housing loans provided to states must be repaid – that is the government’s position. Housing is fundamental to the wellbeing of all Australians and we are providing practical solutions across the entire spectrum of housing policy to address some of the issues raised in the honourable member’s letter. The government is committed, $570m to unlock supply, encourage more investment in affordable rental housing and deliver additional homelessness funding. Through our investment, we are supporting Australians struggling to put a roof over their head by enabling older Australians looking to downsize their homes and put it into superannuation. We are assisting first-time buyers saving for a deposit through the first home supersaver scheme and that allows people, mostly young Australians, the ability to make voluntary contributions of up to $15,000 a year and $30,000 in total within their existing contribution caps to their superannuation account to go towards purchasing their first home.
“We have also tightened the rules that apply to foreign investors so more homes are available for Australians and we are better targeting tax concessions to ensure people are using them correctly. Overall, our comprehensive housing affordability package will make housing more affordable for Australians in all parts of the housing market to a secure improved – improved access to secure more affordable housing. When the Coalition came to government in here, in the federal parliament, in 2013, Tasmania had an unemployment rate without eight in front of it. It now has a six in front of it Over this period, 16,400 more Tasmanians are in work, and those precise figures are a reduction from 8.1% unemployment, September 2013, to 6% in February this year. Our sole focus is on providing a strong economy so that more Australians have the chance to gain employment and secure their futures. City deals in Launceston and Hobart, investment in projects like the new Antarctic Icebreaker are all about making sure the honourable member’s state is a great place in which to live, work and invest.”
Updated
Bill Shorten refers to the leaked BCA document and asks: when big business won’t even commit to paying their tax, why is the prime ministers so committed to giving BIS business $65 billion handouts?
Malcolm Turnbull: I remind the Leader of the Opposition that paying tax is compulsory and it would have been nice to have some help from the opposition with our multinational tax avoidance legislation. Mr Speaker, we won’t take lectures from the Leader of the Opposition or his sidekick, a member for McMahon on company tax payments. Let’s face it, Labor had an opportunity to vote with us to support to pass, but commenting multinational tax avoidance bill in 2015, their only action on multinational tax was to not vote for that bill. What sort of consistency was that? We have implemented now, with no tanks to the opposition, some of the toughest anti- avoidance legislation in the world. In fact, the diverting profits tax which build on this legislation is the most advanced multinational tax avoidance legislation and of course it is having the results you would expect when you grab down on tax avoidance, you get less tax avoidance. That is precisely what we have done. The bottom line is our multinational tax avoidance law has allowed the Australian taxation office to identify 38 large companies that have brought or are bringing their sales to Australian customers on shore where tax will be realised in response to our tough new laws.
“As a result, the expert advice from the ATO is that it expects an additional $7 billion in income each year will be returned to the Australian tax base. That is action on multinational tax avoidance, that is ensuring that everybody pays their fair share of tax and it is remarkable that when the opposition could have stood up and said, yes, we agree, we are all on the unity ticket, everyone should pay their fair share of tax, what did they do? They voted against it. It is yet another example of why Australians cannot trust the Leader of the Opposition. He stand up here and talks about companies paying tax on paying the right share of tax and then when he had the opportunity to vote for those tough anti- avoidance laws, which are delivering $7 billion a year to the corporate tax base in Australia, that was done by the government in the face of opposition from the Labor Party. They have no credibility on tax, no credibility on economics, they can’t be trusted with Australians money.”
All protesters have been removed.
We probably won’t be able to show you photos of it, because we are not allowed to take photos of the galleries.
Scott Morrison seems a little off his shouty game, with all the noise coming from the public gallery.
But he adds the story of Campbell, and Campbell’s mum, to the list of opposition dixer examples. So far we have had Alan, Alan and Bruce.
Is this “an insulting retiree tax” or a Braveheart extra roll-call list?
Updated
The protest is still going on, with security having a bit of trouble removing the protesters.
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
I refer to my previous question. The prime minister’s public failure in question time to commit to taking his $65bn corporate tax cut to the next election. We welcome an election on this issue which is why I ask the prime minister again: will the prime minister commit to taking his corporate tax giveaway to the next election, yes or no?
Turnbull: (the short version)
Our commitment is to get the tax enterprise planned past in this parliament, and I can assure the honourable member, I can assure the honourable member that we are committed to it, we will be committed to it today and at the next election and we welcome a contest with the leader of the opposition on tax. We welcome it! We welcome a contest on jobs. Because that’s what it’s about. It’s about creating jobs.”
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull continues with a dixer answer, while the protesters can be heard across the chamber:
Protesters against the detention of refugees in #QT. The protesters have arms linked together, but no glue this time.
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) March 28, 2018
Security is attempting to remove them from the public gallery.
Question time begins
It’s the last one for five weeks, and we start with a question on company tax:
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Now that a majority of senators have rejected the prime minister’s company tax plan, will the prime minister tell Australians right here, right now, whether he will take [the] $65bn tax giveaway to big business to the next election?”
Turnbull: As usual, the leader of the opposition is kicking off question time with a misleading statement. The Senate has not voted on the enterprise tax bill and that is a minor detail of fact, that the opposition doesn’t seem to be able to come to grips with. Mr Speaker, the reality is very, very straightforward. The leader of the opposition notes, as he said in 2012, that any student of Australian business and economic history since the mid 1980s, knows part of Australia’s success was derived through the reduction in the company tax rate and in deed, the economic wizard on the frontbench, he said in 2011, we recognise in a world of mobile capital, capital is even fleeter of foot than the marathon runner opposite. If we have higher tax rates, our companies won’t get the investment they need to grow employment and boost wages. Of course, it was the leader of the opposition himself, in that much-celebrated statement which I am surely he wishes he hadn’t said that he said right here in 2011, cutting the income tax rate increases productivity in investment and more capital all means higher productivity and economic growth and leads to more jobs and higher wages – more capital. It is straightforward, Mr Speaker.”
He finishes, as a protest starts up in the public gallery.
Updated
Just ahead of question time, Labor MPs have donned green and gold Australia scarves to wish our Commonwealth Games athletes good luck, ahead of the games next month.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE someone just yelled.
Matt Canavan finishes his speech with this:
The coal industry is not inconsistent with the Paris agreement because 14 countries have responded by saying their plans include investing in the advanced ... coal-fired power stations. They’re going to meet their commitments by investing more in coal because they’re going to invest in cleaner technology that burns coal at higher temperatures and therefore generates fewer emissions.
We should be thinking about the smart ways to respond to climate change, thinking about what we can do to continue economic growth and lower our carbon emissions, not locking ourselves in the national park view that it must be renewables, not coal or oil or gas. I don’t care. I agree with Xi Jinping. It doesn’t matter if it is a black cat or yellow cat so long as it catches mice. The technologies coming from the coal industry with going to be able to catch mice and lower emissions and are doing it already. It seems strange a country that gets so much from the coal industry would be taking an anti-technological and anti-scientific approach.
I just want to finalise, saying, you said I’m elected, yes, I am but I stand on a platform that is unashamedly pro coal. I got elected on that basis. I got elected on the basis I will support the resources sector.
I’m pretty sure that as a senator, you get elected as part of your party’s vote quota, but as we all know, I’m no expert.
Updated
Looks like China beat Trump to it:
China says North Korea pledges denuclearization during friendly visit https://t.co/gI4Rc5IldH
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) March 28, 2018
Fairfax has published this, just in time for question time:
EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm Turnbull office signed Vikki Campion's job transfer https://t.co/T97BtN9J3P #auspol
— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) March 28, 2018
By @CroweDM and Peter Hartcher
A key adviser to prime minister Malcolm Turnbull helped to formalise a job transfer for the partner of Barnaby Joyce, according to new details about the controversial decision to secure the new position in a ministerial office.
The letter from Mr Turnbull’s senior governance adviser was signed on 9 May last year and gave official clearance to the new role for Vikki Campion, who was in a relationship with Mr Joyce at the time and is due to give birth to their baby next month.
The role played by the prime minister’s office triggered detailed questioning in parliament last month amid an uproar over the relationship and the way the government moved Ms Campion from one office to another to manage the matter.”
Updated
Back to the press club for a moment, here is when the protester interrupted:
JUST IN: A 'Stop Adani' protester has interrupted the press club address of Resources Minister @mattjcan.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 28, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMeNddk pic.twitter.com/BSgokCNfyk
Why Tim Storer turned the government down
Tim Storer:
I wish to thank Senator Cormann and his staff for their respectful, patient and courteous dealings with me over the last month in my commencement as a senator.
As an independent senator from South Australia, it is my intention to review each bill on its merits, examining all the the evidence available in a non-partisan manner. I believe this is what the South Australian people expect of me.
My focus and evaluation of this bill has been on the impact to the future prosperity and fairness of all Australians and in particular to South Australians.
I have undertaken an at-length consideration of materials provided by many sources in relation to this bill, drawing on my business and economics background. I have held numerous meetings and received input from a wide range of stakeholders, including members of the public, South Australian businesses and business groups, leading economist groups, national business council and their members.
After undertaking that process, I remain to be convinced that in isolation from a broader discussion and initiatives on enhancing the overall sustainability of our taxation system that I should support this bill in its current form.
I believe this bill is a narrowly cast proposition of change to the overall tax and transfer system, a system which itself continues to be felt by some economists and business leaders to be unsustainable. In the significant reforms posited in the Henry tax review of 2010, the reduction in company tax to 25% was only one of a number of principal feature reforms which have not been acted upon.
I have doubts that the decision to reduce company tax for all companies is prudent to undertake in the face of Australia’s budget deficit and debt. Even without this tax cut, I doubt our present tax system is sufficiently robust to support a medium-term fiscal strategy of budget surpluses, on average over the course of the economic cycle.
Importantly I see the strength and timing of the effect of this proposed tax cut to be modest relative to its cost. With one of the highest rates of population growth in the developed world, I am mindful of other uses of government revenue which can generate prosperity and enhance fairness for the Australian people, such as well-targeted social and economic programs aimed at supporting businesses with RND, innovation and industrial transformation, funding of world-class education and health systems, harnessing the contribution potential of our youth and ageing populations, reducing inequality and investing in public infrastructure.
On January 31 2018, in an opinion piece in the Australian newspaper, the minister for urban infrastructure and cities, the honourable Paul Fletcher, noted that the commonwealth share of total public infrastructure spending, rising to nearly 30% would see a 0.5 to 0.7% rise in GDP growth and jobs in the fiscal year 2018.
He noted that an investment in infrastructure results in long lived assets that deliver benefits to the community for many decades, but also stimulates economic growth as the investment occurs.
So, as stated before, I remain to be convinced that I should support this bill in its current form, in isolation from a broader discussion and initiatives on enhancing the overall sustainability of our taxation system and with alternatives uses of government revenue that can generate prosperity and enhance fairness for the Australian people.”
Updated
Tim Storer is addressing the Senate on why he has not backed the government’s company tax legislation.
“I have doubts that the decision to reduce company tax for all companies is prudent,” he said.
I’ll have more for you in a moment, but like he told the Fin overnight, he doesn’t believe in tax reform in isolation and thinks there needs to be a whole reform.
Updated
I just moved across to the Senate in time to hear Pauline Hanson ask “If you marry someone, do you actually have the right to call yourself Indigenous-through marriage?” as part of a Treasury laws amendment, and I think my eyes rolled back so far I actually saw the back of my brain.
Updated
It looks like an Anti-Adani protester just attempted to disrupt Matt Canavan’s address by jumping on the stage, but security was prepared and the protester, who was yelling “no more coalmines” was quickly ushered off.
Canavan had this to say:
I should also welcome, I should have welcomed at the start, those outside this place. It is a democracy and I welcome the opinions and views, and it is a sector worth supporting, in my view, because of the people in this room, like Patrick and Irene who do want to see a strong resource sector.
I welcome the views of outside. But I want to make the point in Canberra, recently, 10 people were charged with tresspassing on Adani’s property in Bowen. Nine were from interstate, not even from Queensland, and the 10th was from Cairns. If we’re going to lift millions of people out of poverty, we’re going to need a lot of resources including coal and what is good for the resources sector is good for the rest of the world.”
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Matt Canavan has begun his National Press Club address, with a focus on the people who rely on the Australian resources industry.
I want to talk about Alicia, who I met at BMA Peak Downs mine last year. She got her first start at the mine; she moved from Brisbane to Dysart for the job. The mining industry gives lots of young Australians their first start in life.
Secondly, I want to talk about Elizabeth. She owns a company called Gecko Systems which she started in her garage in Ballarat and sells to the industry around the world. I saw her in Toronto recently. This sector gives so many people the opportunity to compete on the global stage.
The third person I want to speak about is Roger. He manages the Hide Away resort off Great Keppel Island ... in Queensland. But he is a third-generation coalminer and loves the reef and knows only so many customers can afford to come to the island because they have got a good paying job in the sector.
The fourth person is Patrick Malone, and I note Irene Simpson, the elders of the people who have the native title rights over the land for the Adani Carmichael mine. You might have heard of it before. They support the development of the mine, as does another 292 elders of the peoples who turned up at an authorisation meeting in Maryborough about two years ago now, where the Adani mine was supported 294 to 1 in favour of going ahead.
I support this sector because it gives our first Australians the opportunity for economic advancement and a job. We in Canberra think about the industry in terms of billions of dollars of exports, thousands of jobs, all the big numbers, but it’s not why the industry is important. It’s important because of the people it supports around our country. It’s important because of the families that it helps to provide for and keep them in a home.”
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Alan Jones has had a pretty strong reaction to Malcolm Turnbull’s comments yesterday that sledging needs to stop in cricket:
The Prime Minister should be the last person to talk about cheating or sledging. Is this the same Malcolm Turnbull who screamed and called Tony Abbott a "disloyal c..." on a private jet? I would've thought that was severe sledging. @SharriMarkson
— Alan Jones (@AlanJones) March 28, 2018
For anyone asking why the Kremlin would bother sending spies to Australia, I would remind you that we are part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance – and for many years were considered to be the weak link.
Plus, you know, China.
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Back to policy for a moment, and Labor isn’t taking any steps back from its tax plan, although the government is about to ramp up its attacks to 11.
Bill Shorten:
The reason why we are doing this long overdue reform is [that] it is a question of priorities. Did you know we are the only country in the world that gives an income tax refund to people that do not pay income tax? That is not a sustainable system going forward. You need to make tough choices. When I look into the faces of those cancer victims today, I am completely confident that Labor’s priority to put them first, to reverse and to challenge the cuts to hospital funding which Mr Turnbull’s doing, that is more important to me. If you want to have the country and the world’s best tax loopholes, vote for Malcolm Turnbull.”
That reference to cancer patients is because the press conference was held at the Canberra hospital’s integrated cancer facility.
Labor is taking its tax policy on the road, keen to highlight where it would spend the $55bn or so it says it will save by scrapping franking credits.
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Speaking this morning, Bill Shorten said when it came to Russia, the opposition was in lockstep with the government:
I support the decisions of the government and I support the actions and advice of our security agencies. We have to call it straight. What we saw in Great Britain was the Russian government engaging in illegal behaviour, engaging in violent criminal activity, and what we also saw them do is not only were they chasing former Russians who were resident in the UK but also their actions endangered the lives of British citizens. What they did was well beyond the pale of what is acceptable and we also need to remember that we have never got to the bottom of who shot down MH17. I think if the Russian government wants to regain some trust in Australia, I think they need to cooperate more fully because 38 Australians were murdered that day.”
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Julie Bishop missed the Grigory Logvinov hour:
I heard he covered a lot of ground. I expect to meet with him today. My message to him is that there has been a pattern of behaviour from Russia in recent times going against international order. Russia is not playing by the rules, whether it is cyber-attacks,interference, the illegal annexation of Crimea, interfering in the sovereignty of other nations. Their attitude and conduct towards MH17,and now another attempted assassination, in this case, the deployment of a Russian military grade nerve agent on British soil.It is unacceptable. The conduct of Russia has consequences. Hence the massive expulsion of Russian diplomats from embassies around the world. This is a collective voice saying to Russia you have crossed the line and we will not accept this behaviour”
Meanwhile, back at the company tax cuts coalface
While the Russian ambassador has been entertaining members of the press gallery (and the nation via live coverage) at his Canberra residence, Labor has distributed what it says is a draft of a public statement the Business Council of Australia issued last week, targeted at members of the Senate, in support of the big business tax cut.
Regular readers will know that the BCA issued a brief statement last week signed by 10 chief executives making a non-specific commitment about investment in the event the company tax cut passed.
The document Labor is distributing, headed “Informal Compact”, is a much longer document spelling out specific commitments in the event the company tax passes. It reads: “If the Senate passes the enterprise tax plan in full, we will – 1. Create more Australian jobs in the cities, suburbs, town and bush; 2. Invest in more Australian projects and ideas – especially in remote and rural Australia; 3. Be in a stronger position to avoid offshoring of jobs; 4. Be able to increase wages when the conditions are right; 5. Pay our tax and show our commitment by signing the ATOs tax transparency charter.”
I’ve had a preliminary conversation with a BCA spokesman, who says this statement is a separate document to the brief statement that was issued by the BCA last week.
There is also a statement from the BCA chief executive, Jennifer Westacott:
In agreement with our members, the BCA began a process for developing a statement of commitments to the Australian people.
We realise that in order to reestablish the community’s confidence in business we need to respond to the issues that matter most to them.
The statement will go beyond the company tax debate and outline what the business community will do to help the nation deal with the challenges of the future.
These include how we create more meaningful and well-paid jobs for people, how we support more Australian projects and ideas, how we keep Australians in jobs in Australia, including taking responsibility for the transition taking place in our workplaces, and ensure we pay our tax openly and transparently.
Given the broad and diverse nature of the businesses represented by our members, we are consulting with them closely to ensure we can make a meaningful commitment.
This process is ongoing.
Last night the BCA launched an advertising campaign to try to win hearts and minds in the Australian community and push back against progressive campaigns that the business community considers deleterious to its interests.
Labor will pursue this issue throughout the parliamentary day. There has already been some procedural theatrics in the house.
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In other news, Tony Abbott has launched the annual pollie pedal this morning.
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Russia has no spies in Australia. Ha ha.
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I absolutely need a vodka and a lie down after that. It’s partly a Pavlovian response to hearing those arguments put forward in a Russian accent (hey Uncle Sarunas) and partly because that was an incredible hour of absolute insanity.
Grigory Logvinov is now prosecuting Russia’s grievances with Nato (which go back to Mikhail Gorbachev) at this press conference.
(This is something I have heard about my entire life, from all sides, and also something that will be spoken about in 3018.)
As to why he believes Australia has joined forces with the UK and others, Logvinov had this to say:
I don’t believe it is simple and that the Australians are so simple that they can be fooled by anyone. I respect my Australian colleagues and that they are very able diplomats. Secondly, it was stated yesterday, we understand that it is 100% policy and that Australia is acting within the framework of the Euro Atlantic and Anglo-Saxon solidarity. That’s all.”
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We have officially reached the taking-the-piss-stage of this press conference:
Well, actually, I have never heard of anyone poisoned in Russia. Perhaps food poisoning.”
How many spies are left in Australia?
Zero minus zero is still zero.”
Question: Do you realise how stupid you sound when you say there are no Russian spies in Australia.
Answer: I do not feel stupid.
Is this a global conspiracy against Russia then?
Maybe. Perhaps it is a destiny of great ... global power. Russia has always encountered ... negative activity from the west. Everybody understands, and especially it became quite clear, when it was ... passed through the 90s, the period when Russia’s economy was completely in ... rubble while the armed forces were absolutely devastated. We had no real independent foreign policy.
As ... was said by our foreign minister, Russia has no national interests, only international. But after that, after Russia started revising, started carrying out its independent foreign policy, after Russia started pursuing its own independent ... national interests, everything started. All this anti-Russian campaign started and gained momentum as Russia became more and more independent. That is the problem. First of all, Americans, colleagues, they are not used to having equal partnership or relations with anyone. You see, they are following ... the old principle formulated actually by Stalin, if not, they would be against us. They cannot imagine, they cannot actually accept, any other state which can carry out independent foreign policy but not be hostile to the US. That is the situation, regrettably. But it has only just begun.”
And yes, I have an emotional connection to the Baltic states, but anyone defending Russia might want to have a chat to a Balt and ask them how they feel about Putin’s continuing reign.
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Why won’t he admit there are spies as part of the diplomatic efforts in Australia?
It is quite a peculiar question. If I say [that it] admits that all other Russian embassies are half spy embassies. Embassies are consisting of diplomats. Some embassies, well, our embassy here, is quite small. Its average, actually. We have embassies that are bigger in the US. Well, it was big, now it is much smaller.
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The press conference is now descending into Grigory Logvinov defending Russia against everything from MH17 to the next annexation of Crimea.
We just hit WWII.
I would be very happy to hear, actually, what they want and how do they see the final results on all of these anti-Russian campaigns. What do they want to see? Their final point? If they want Russia, if they are hopeful for Russia to fall on its knees, to repent and say yes, we are a bad place and so on, you see, it is blasphemy. Because don’t forget, please, Russia in the first world war lost more than the whole population of Australia in that time. In the second world war, Russia has lost more than today’s population of the whole of Australia and we have never surrendered. It sounds like a bad joke to expect Russia to give up and repent.”
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First of all … let’s ... not start judging or making judgment on our domestic situation. It is our choice, not anyone else’s. That is why we had troubles and frictions with the Americans. It is their bad ... tradition to interfere into other domestic politics and judge [what is] good and bad. Look at yourselves first. That is first of all. Secondly, you do not like that we simply deny [it]. Actually, what have the British said? What evidence have they provided? They simply say ... Just ... look at the famous three monkeys. No see, no hear, closed everything. But it is Russia, Russia, Russia. Why do you believe the British? [You] do not believe facts!
(Sidenote: Listening to Grigory Logvinov has me flashing back to my childhood and listening to my relatives argue over vodka about the USSR.)
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Someone just asked the Russian ambassador to Australia: “Are we in a new cold war?”
Because I am sure the first person to be told is Moscow’s man in Canberra.
Honestly.
For the record, his answer was:
Actually, [the] cold war was invented by, you know, Winston Churchill.
… If the west ... wants it.
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The Russian ambassador is quite cranky over the expulsion – not just in Australia, but in the 23 or so other countries across the west.
This has been coordinated and agreed. It is quite clear that the campaign about so-called Russian interference into domestic situations and domestic politics in the US was exhausted. It turned out to be nothing. That was well-prepared. This is a well-orchestrated campaign. Like the foreign ministry, this is boorish. We will have to retaliate. It is now … up to the west to finally stop and understand that the anti-Russian campaign has no future.
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Russian ambassador holds media briefing
Grigory Logvinov starts his briefing with a joke that the Russian diplomat expulsion seems to have attracted more attention than the cricket.
“That’s interesting,” he says.
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Matt Canavan is at the Press Club today. Paul Karp had a taste of his speech, which you’ll find here.
Craig Laundy is celebrating the Oaky Creek mine workers signing a new enterprise bargaining agreement, which will see miners go back to work after almost a year being locked out of the site:
I met with Glencore and local CFMEU representatives a number of times over the last couple of months, encouraging them to find a constructive settlement. I acknowledge the role the Fair Work Commission, the independent umpire Labor established, has played in helping achieve a positive outcome.
I would also like to thank MPs Ken O’Dowd, Michelle Landry and George Christensen, and my ministerial colleague Matt Canavan, for their unwavering efforts in urging the parties to resolve the dispute.
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Looks like the Russian ambassador will be having a briefing with the media this morning. We’ll bring you that as soon as we’ve heard what Grigory Logvinov has to say.
Chatting to Sky, Alex Hawke said “Australia will not shrink from our position of standing with the international community” against Russia’s actions.
This nerve agent was used in a public cafe, Russia has not explained its position. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom on this, it is an attack on their sovereignty – it is an outrageous attack on their sovereignty when you think innocent civilians were affected by this attack. And of course, there is a pattern of behaviour which is emerging with Russia over many years now. We haven’t forgotten MH17 … so there is a pattern and I think we are right to stand with the United Kingdom and the government is taking a very strong stance.
As to the identification of two Russian spies in the diplomatic ranks – and so quickly – Hawke said:
The government takes advice from agencies … the advice has been received, we have great faith in our agencies, we have great faith in our security partners, and the advice of the activities of these individuals in Australia was clear to the government.
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Katharine Murphy reported on the marine park disallowance motion which the government forced onto the agenda late yesterday. Labor and the Greens failed to get the numbers, but can just put the motion forward again (with slightly different wording).
From her report:
The government moved to bring on debate about the disallowance motion on Tuesday night knowing that Labor and the Greens did not yet have the numbers to scuttle the management plans.
Labor and the Greens in the Senate are a bloc of 35, so another four votes are required for the majority required for a successful disallowance.
Given Labor and the Greens lacked the numbers to land the disallowance, and had planned to build momentum between now and the budget session to help gather the requisite number of votes in the Senate, the government pulled a procedural tactic to bring on the vote.
It was a highly unusual move by the Coalition, effectively triggering a parliamentary process to disallow its own regulations.
Despite the motion being defeated in the Senate on Tuesday night, Labor and the Greens have the option of redrafting the disallowance and resubmitting it for consideration, which is likely to happen as soon as Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, the government is working to keep the conversation in the tax space – but focused on Labor. Malcolm Turnbull spent part of the morning chatting to retirees the government says will be impacted by what the government has branded Labor’s “retiree tax”.
Bill Shorten and Labor are hoping to get the the conversation turned to health funding – the opposition leader will visit a hospital before parliament this morning.
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Andrew Leigh had a little to say this morning about the government’s pulling of the company tax legislation (for now) and what that means for the government’s momentum heading into the budget:
I’m not sure if you mean the momentum of the Australian economy or the momentum of the Turnbull government, but frankly, both have stalled. We have Malcolm Turnbull now hitting 29 lost Newspolls, not Labor’s metric but the metric that he himself said that leaders should be judged by. We’ve also got the Australian economy struggling for momentum right now. We’ve had a year in which growth has been too sluggish, we’ve got consumer demand still in the doldrums. Part of the reason for that is that wage growth over the past two years under Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership has been just 4% while corporate profit growth has been 32%. If Malcolm Turnbull wasn’t so hellbent on cutting penalty rates, then we might see more of that consumer confidence flowing through.
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Because this is Canberra in autumn, there are hot-air balloons. Mike Bowers caught what was the view coming into work for a lot of us this morning.
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Overnight, it was the annual Rock the House event at parliament. Mike Bowers was there. John Paul Young’s Yesterday’s Hero went down quite the treat with Anne Aly, Stephen Jones and Claire O’Neil.
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But because this is still Australia, and there is nothing more sacred than sport, before getting to the Russian ambassador, Julie Bishop has weighed in on the cricket scandal.
(I am not a fan of adding -gate to things, because Watergate was the name of the hotel, not a new suffix, but I acknowledge it is a losing battle).
Here is what she had to say to Sunrise this morning:
While we have you, you’re expelling two Russians, are you going to let three cricketers back into the country?
Well, it is the right thing to send them home, and I’m glad that the culprits have admitted they were guilty of this act.
It has brought Australian cricket into disrepute.
It’s been raised with me on numerous occasions by foreign diplomats and ambassadors and other nations who were astounded that Australian cricketers would act in this way, after all it is Test cricket, and there is a high expectation that our players would act responsibly and respect each other and respect the game.
Theresa May has made comment. Have you received any comment, say, from the South African embassy, its ambassador?
During this week I attended an event with the ambassadors and high commissioners from almost all of the African countries, coincidentally, and you can imagine that it was raised by each and every one of them.
So you’re being sledged in diplomatic circles?
Not personally, but on behalf of the country the disdain for the act has been brought home to me. As so many of them have said to me, it’s just not cricket.
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Good morning and welcome to day 19
Julie Bishop has been doing the rounds this morning, with the two Russian undeclared intelligence officers now having six days to leave the country.
The foreign affairs minister has also made it clear, after some confusion yesterday in response to a question, that Australia will not boycott the World Cup. She will meet Grigory Logvinov, the Russian ambassador, later today. Logvinov caused quite the stir walking through the press gallery late yesterday. He didn’t say a lot, but he did let us know he thought it was “a joke” that Australia believed two diplomats to be spies.
Meanwhile, the government has had to eat a small slice of humble pie after failing to convince Tim Storer and Derryn Hinch to back its company tax cuts. Mathias Cormann had to head into the Senate late yesterday to announce the Coalition was two votes short and wouldn’t have the legislation passed before the Easter break.
He has promised it will be back. But it will face the same problem – Storer and Hinch will have to be convinced. We know why Hinch was sceptical but we are yet to hear from South Australia’s newest senator. Given the pressure he has been under I wouldn’t be surprised if he felt the need to publicly explain why he couldn’t support the cuts today, now that the heat, at least for now, has been turned down.
Mike Bowers has been out and about for hours, so I will bring you some of his best hits so far. You can find him hanging out with me on Instagram at @pyjamapolitics, or at @mpbowers. You’ll catch me lurking in the comments, and on Twitter at @amyremeikis.
It’s the last question time for five weeks – and the last one before the budget on 8 May – so I hope you have had your coffee. I’m about to hunt down number three.
Ready? Let’s go.
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