Day two ends with a new refugee policy platform for Labor, where not everyone got everything they wanted.
They call that a victory in Labor caucus circles. Everyone gave a little bit.
Same with Newstart. Although expect the calls to increase the rate to get louder.
And then there was the human rights bill. Three votes separated that. Expect more on that in the future as well.
Tomorrow is the last day of the conference. That’s when the national executive vote will take place, plus a strange little motion about getting Australia to sign up to the anti-nuclear weapon treaty. That’s a little tricky because of being America’s ally, so we’ll see how that goes.
Who knows what else tomorrow will throw up? This is Australian politics in 2018. No one can say anything for sure, beyond Andrew Broad being dressed up as James Bonds in the tabloids.
We’ll be back for the final day early tomorrow morning. Thank you so much for joining us for today – your comments and asides really make the day worth it.
Get some rest, and of course – take care of you.
Updated
Shayne Neumann’s speech has been transcribed by his office:
I want to say from the outset that I believe this is the most progressive, strong, robust and compassionate platform Labor has ever proposed on the issues of migration, refugees and asylum seekers.
Australia must be a leader in addressing the global humanitarian crisis.
We are a generous and kind nation – a nation built on migration – with refugees and migrants enriching communities across the country.
This chapter has taken a year to develop with the help of the Immigration Working Group – a sub-committee of the National Policy Forum.
I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues who took on the task of developing this part of the chapter – Andrew Giles, Matt Keogh, Peter Khalil and, of course, Ged Kearney. Put your hands together for them.
They have all been instrumental in fighting for decency, compassion and fairness in our platform.
These are Labor values – this is what we believe in and it’s worth fighting for. That’s why we’re all here delegates.
There were a number of union and branch representatives in this sub-group as well and I want to thank them for their time, their effort and contributions as well.
I believe Australia can – and should – have strong borders.
I believe Australia can – and should – be a leader in addressing the global humanitarian crisis.
It is not an “either-or” – these notions complement each another.
We believe that we should do something about the human tragedy of displaced persons but we will always keep the people smugglers out of business.
You can believe in strong borders, turnbacks when safe to do so, offshore processing and regional resettlement because it saves lives.
These measures prevent vulnerable people being exploited by unscrupulous criminal elements. It prevents people drowning at sea.
These measures mean Australia’s service men and women serving bravely north of Australia can actually be kept out of harm’s way as well.
The government is a walking, talking billboard encouraging people-smugglers when they lie about Labor’s strong position on border protection.
This is a government that cynically teamed up with the Greens political party and it resulted in 600 people – men, women and children – dying at sea.
That should hang over Scott Morrison’s head the rest of his life.
And this government should be ashamed of itself.
I want to be clear – we never let people languish in Manus and Nauru.
When I was recently in Nauru I came away convinced that Labor needs to do more and to make sure we get these people off as a matter of priority.
We can accept the New Zealand offer; we will continue with the American resettlement arrangement.
I want to see this situation resolved and only Labor, only Labor, will restore Australia’s now-tarnished reputation which the current, shameless government has caused.
I commend this motion and thank my colleague Ged Kearney for bringing it to us.
Updated
And with that, Labor ends the second day of its conference.
So the vote is lost, but only just.
Updated
192 in favour
195 against
The vote count is still going on:
First actual count ... should Labor commit to a human rights charter? #labconf18 pic.twitter.com/dTKAhPt4k8
— Paddy Manning (@gpaddymanning) December 17, 2018
AFP: No offences under Australian law identified in Broad referral
The Australian federal police have released this on the Andrew Broad referral:
The AFP can confirm it received a referral from Andrew Broad MP on 8 November 2018, and assessed the information provided.
· No applicable offences under Australian law have been identified.
· No further comment will be made at this time.
Did you note the date? Michael McCormack said he found out “a couple of weeks ago”.
Updated
Meanwhile, Peter Dutton has responded to Labor’s announcements from this morning. He is not happy:
Labor’s announcements today on its proposed actions to protect Australia’s borders are nothing but subterfuge.
Bill Shorten is promising to do this and he’s promising to do that, but what he won’t promise to do is maintain the Coalition’s strong border polices that have stopped the boats.
In fact what he has committed to is unravelling Operation Sovereign Borders – the Coalition’s successful policy – that stopped the boats after Labor’s last disastrous term in government.
There are three crucial pillars to Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) – boat turnbacks, regional processing and temporary protection visas (TPVs) – Labor opposes two of them.
It has previously announced it will remove TPVs.
Today its national conference will confirm the end to offshore processing via its support for legislation that contracts out Australia’s border protection to activist doctors, who via Skype, will decide that illegal arrivals in Manus and Nauru must come to Australia.
Who would believe Bill Shorten’s assertion that Labor will continue to turn back boats. That was Kevin Rudd’s lie in 2007 – just as it is Bill Shorten’s lie in 2018.
Who can forget the almost daily arrival of a people-smuggler’s boat – 800 of them under the last Labor government – bringing 50,000 illegal arrivals or the 1,200 dying at sea as their flimsy boats were smashed to pieces.
It has taken five years and over $16bn so far to clean up that mess from the Labor years.
Australians continue to pay for it today.
Labor’s announcements are an implicit recognition that their policy changes will put people smugglers back into business – OSB is a Joint Agency Task Force drawing upon 16 agencies including a network of 38 AFP officers across Asia. Labor says they’ll spend more on the Australian federal police, yet when last in government they cut its budget by $128m.
Worse, they slashed $735m and 700 staff from the then Customs – now Border Force.
Labor today talks about increasing Australia’s humanitarian program – yet in the Rudd-Gillard years it got pushed aside as Australia was swamped with illegal arrivals.
The special humanitarian program fell from 4,700 in 2007 to just 500 in 2012-13 while the number of illegal arrivals taking their places rose from 200 to almost 5,000.
By stopping the boats the Coalition government restored integrity to our migration programs and increased the refugee intake by more than 35%, making Australia one of the most generous resettlement nations in the world.
That again is at risk if Labor does not commit to all three pillars of OSB.
Bill Shorten could just state that he is committed to the policies of Operation Sovereign Borders that have stopped the flow of boats and illegal arrivals.
His failure to do so is acknowledgement that Labor does not have the mettle to maintain the tough policies needed to protect our nation’s borders.
Australians learned the hard way under Kevin Rudd that Labor cannot be trusted to keep the boats stopped.
Updated
The right have the numbers, so it should be lost. Unless, some cross the floor.
It is the first vote of the conference.
There is a show of hands. Wayne Swan calls it for it to be lost.
He tries to move on but is overruled.
They go to a vote.
Updated
The motion is lost on the voices ... but they want a show of hands.
Updated
Delegate Verity Firth is telling the room Labor has waited “long enough” and it is time to “take the next step in our national legacy”.
Mark Dreyfus is asking for delegates to reject the amend, and not pre-empt the outcome of the review he has proposed.
This one should be interesting:
Labor will:
- Consolidate federal anti-discrimination laws into a single act to remove unnecessary regulatory overlap and make the system more user-friendly;
- Review legislation, policies and practices for compliance with the seven core UN Human Rights treaties to which Australia is a party (which are listed in the framework); and
- Review the Human Rights Framework and consider whether it could be enhanced through a introduce a federal statutory charter of human rights or other similar instrument.
It’s always a debate between the left and the right. Watch for it to maybe go to a vote.
Updated
Emily’s List has moved this motion, which has been passed without a vote
After existing paragraph 188, add:
Labor recognises that the annual rate of violent death and injury of women is an unacceptable national crisis. Labor will work with OurWatch, ANROWS and Crime Statistics Australia to collect, publish, promote and monitor data on violence against women. It will also work with states and territories to ensure funding to collect data and prevent violence is sustained and enduring.
(submitted on behalf of Emily’s List Australia)
Speaking of Darcy Byrne, he was one of the speakers calling for the rate of Newstart to be increased:
I rise to propose that Labor must increase Newstart in the next term of government because after a quarter of a century without any increase to their incomes, the poorest Australians have waited long enough.
For 25 years Newstart has been frozen, leaving hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Australians permanently out in the cold.
We know Scott Morrison’s position – $15bn in tax cuts for the wealthiest Australians, permanent poverty for Australians without work.
Our party must be better.
Friends, this is a moral issue and as members of the Labor party and the Australian union movement let us say with one voice that this national shame must end with the election of a Shorten Labor government.
That is why I proposed a specific commitment in our platform to substantially increase Newstart in the first term of a Labor government.
That explicit platform commitment wasn’t supported by our leadership due to its expense. So instead we have won a commitment to urgently review the rate of Newstart.
But none of us can ignore the human cost of Labor failing to act.
We all know that families with parents out of work go hungry each night, forgo heating in winter or miss out on necessary medicines because their income is simply too meagre to afford necessities.
These citizens cannot afford to wait three or more years for an improvement to their living standards. They need a Labor government to deliver for them as a matter of urgency.
And I might add that after our grave error in cutting payments to single parents when we were last in government, it is fair enough that social justice advocates want a commitment from us now.
No government, especially not one committed to economic justice, can allow this outrage to go on.
Business leaders, mainstream economists, churches and charities have all spoken out to say that the rate of Newstart has become utterly inadequate and a real barrier to unemployed people getting a job.
Delegates, even John Howard, has acknowledged that Newstart is too low.
Well I say that the Labor platform must be braver and bolder than John Howard on this totemic issue of economic justice.
John Faulkner said when eulogising Whitlam that he made our party electable but more importantly, made Labor “worth electing”.
Friends, by committing to lifting the incomes of unemployed Australians we can ensure there is noble purpose, not just an electoral majority, behind the next Labor government.
Updated
Labor has also agreed to amend its platform on how to implement the recommendations from the royal commission into institutional child sex abuse:
The amendment to the national platform, moved by Sydney’s inner west mayor, Darcy Byrne, will see Labor establish a national working with children check to prevent abusers from moving interstate and reoffending. Others actions include:
Establishing clear ministerial responsibility for children’s issues, including the National Framework for Child Safety.
Ensuring institutions that engage in child related work retain records for at least 45 years to allow for delayed disclosure by abuse victims and limitation periods for civil action.
Annual public reporting on the implementation of the Commission’s
recommendations.
Byrne said Labor is building on Julia Gillard’s legacy of establishing the royal commission.
“The Labor party has today sent a message to victims that the royal commission’s report won’t gather dust on the shelf and will instead be a blueprint for Labor to systematically combat child sexual abuse in government,” he said.
“We owe it to the brave souls who found the courage to testify at the royal commission to act so that abuse can never happen on that grotesque scale again.
“One of the highest priority recommendations of the royal commission was for the federal government to establish a national working with children checks system within one year.
“Twelve months on and the Morrison government hasn’t even attempted to carry to do this but Labor is now committed to doing so.
“Repeated evidence at the commission showed that convicted and accused sexual abusers of children are travelling interstate and being re-employed in positions of authority because there is no national database of offenders.”
Updated
The anti-discrimination platform looks like this:
* Labor believes no faith, no religion, no set of beliefs should ever be used as an instrument of division or exclusion, and condemning anyone, discriminating against anyone, vilifying anyone is a violation of the values we all share, a violation which can never be justified by anyone’s faith or belief. Accordingly, Labor will review national anti-discrimination laws to ensure exemptions do not place Australians in a position where they cannot access essential social services. review anti-discrimination laws to ensure that exemptions do not apply to employment in, access to and the delivery of essential social services.
*After paragraph 32, add the following 3 paragraphs and renumber accordingly:
33. Labor is committed to a social security system which keeps people out of poverty, whether they are unemployed or in retirement, that is why the previous Labor government undertook a review of the age pension and increased the rate of the pension so that Australians could have a decent life in retirement.
34. Labor notes that after a quarter of a century with no increase to the rate of Newstart payments, the level of income for unemployed Australians is shamefully low by international standards.
35. Labor will urgently complete a review into the inadequacy of Newstart payments and make recommendations within the first 18 months of government, on how best to address this. The review should include broad consultation and surveying of unemployed Australians about how the low rate of Newstart impacts on their health, ability to re-enter employment and to afford basic necessities, with the responses to be publicly reported.
*Amend paragraph 229 to read:
Labor will ensure all couples whether married or de facto do not suffer discrimination. Labor is proud to have led the fight for marriage equality through collective action, quality campaigning and a commitment to equality for all. Without Labor, and without the trade union movement, marriage equality would not have become a reality for LGBTIQ Australians on 9 December 2017. Labor welcomes and celebrates the achievement.
*Amend paragraph 158 as follows:
There is a significant connection between homelessness and people being subjected to discrimination and harassment for being same-sex attracted or transgender and, specifically understands the discrimination and exclusion affecting transgender people seeking to access support. Accordingly, Labor will work with affected communities to enhance housing support for LGBTIQ Australians.
*Amend dot point 6 in paragraph 180:
The impact of gender inequality is compounded for women experiencing intersecting disadvantage and discrimination, including First Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse women, women with a disability, rural and regional women, lesbians, bisexual women and transgender and gender-diverse or intersex people.
*Amend paragraph 207 by adding Q after LGBTI
Where adoption arrangements already exist between Australia and other countries, Labor will seek to ensure these arrangements are expanded to allow for inter-country adoption by LGBTIQ parents on an equal basis to cisgender heterosexual people. Where Australia seeks to enter into new inter-country adoption arrangements, Labor will seek to ensure all new agreements treat LGBTIQ parents equally.
*Amend paragraph 225:
Labor will continue to prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status, and the removal of will remove such discrimination from Commonwealth legislation.
And all have been carried (although there were also some passionate speeches to raise the Newstart rate).
Updated
Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard to be made life members of the ALP
The Labor conference will have a special guest tomorrow.
Kevin Rudd will arrive in Adelaide tomorrow to accept his life membership to the Labor party. Julia Gillard will also receive life membership but will not be here to accept it. We are told she is “thrilled”.
The motion which will accompany the life membership reads as:
“The party recognises the extraordinary contribution that the Labor prime ministers make to Australia and the Labor party by bestowing lifetime membership of the ALP on former Labor prime ministers.
Bill Shorten wrote to the former prime ministers:
It’s my view, that, as a party, we have not always done enough in the past to recognise and pay proper respect to Labor leaders who have led our party and our nation as prime ministers.
I hope this can be an opportunity for all proud Labor members to acknowledge your service in a spirit of unity and solidarity.
Updated
That is the first motion which has been lost this conference.
It is lost on the voices. There is no vote.
This is the final one:
Labor will abolish the fast-track assessment process. Those who have had their claims rejected under the unfair fast-track assessment process will be provided with access to an independent merits review.
Shayne Neumann asks delegates to vote no, saying it would put undue burdens and stress on the legal system.
Updated
A very rousing “aye” greeted the previous refugee amendments and they are carried.
Updated
The next motion to be discussed is this one:
* Labor will abolish the fast-track assessment process. Those who have had their claims rejected under the unfair fast-track assessment process will be provided with access to an independent merits review.
And then that is it – the conference will move on to the NDIS.
Updated
Ged Kearney introduces the motions with this speech. As she got to the end, her voice broke with emotion:
I want to thank you, all of you.
We can be proud of one of the most progressive Labor policies on refugees and asylum seekers we have seen for a long time.
It has accompanied a big shift in community sentiment amongst the Australian people.
I want to acknowledge the Kids Off Nauru campaign, Grandmothers Against Kids in Detention, Mums 4 Refugees and so many activists, young and older, who have worked hard to have that conversation with the Australian people. And I want to especially thank Labor for Refugees.
And I want to thank my colleagues in the Labor party who have also worked hard, who have listened and acted.
To Shayne Neumann I’d like to say we have come on a long journey to this point today and I thank you for what you done to help get us here. If I reflect on where we started even less than a year ago, I can see mountains have moved.
We have heard throughout this session the advancements this policy makes and that under a Labor government the lives of refugees and asylum seekers will be better, so much better than it is now.
But we cannot let this conference pass without talking about Manus and Nauru.
They will not languish indefinitely not knowing their fate.
That is what Labor is about. We must strive for that light on the hill, to make people’s lives better. As I have said before, we don’t always get all the way to that light, but we strive every day to get closer and closer.
Whilst I know this motion is not perfect, and many may argue that, including me, it does get us closer and it is an important statement because we need this on the record from this conference.
We cannot continue to sit by while this government tortures people on Manus and Nauru with indefinite detention and it must be condemned.
Enough is enough.
The cruelty of Dutton and Morrison is intolerable.
The exhibition All We Can’t See was a culmination of all we know of the pain and suffering of people on Manus and Nauru.
We have heard from MSF, from the AMA, from children’s advocates and NGOs.
I called an emergency meeting with three days’ notice in my electorate and 80 people showed up ... This government can and must act immediately to take up the offers from New Zealand.
They can and must hasten resettlement to US.
They can and must prioritise other resettlement options in conjunction with this.
They can and must support the medical evacuation of all refugees who need treatment to Australia with their families.
And they can and must support people seeking asylum and refugees when they are here in our community, amongst us.
They can and must restore hope.
Because it is absolute loss of hope that destroys people, that breaks them.
Labor, if elected, will do this. We understand this is a crisis.
We will make it an absolute priority to settle refugees on Manus and Nauru to safe and permanent homes.
We will ensure all refugees and asylum seekers are treated with respect, their dignity is maintained and they are kept safe. That is their human right. It is not too much to ask. This is our commitment to them.
I am so proud to stand here today and say that.
I recommend this resolution to you.
Updated
Those motions are also carried without debate and we move on to this motion from Ged Kearney:
Labor recognises that successive Coalition governments have failed to negotiate viable, timely and durable third-country resettlement arrangements. This has left refugees and asylum seekers including children languishing in indefinite detention.
This conference condemns the failure of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government to properly manage off-shore processing and regional resettlement adequately and for playing with the lives of vulnerable people.
This conference calls on the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government to immediately accept New Zealand’s generous offer to resettle refugees by negotiating an agreement on similar terms and conditions as the United States arrangement.
If elected, Labor will prioritise the resettlement of all eligible refugees currently on Manus and Nauru to the United States, New Zealand and other third countries.
Updated
The conference stays on refugee issues, with these motions up next:
* Labor will appoint a special envoy for refugee and asylum seeker issues with responsibilities for advancing Australia’s interests and ensuring Australia plays a global role in the resettlement of displaced people.
*As the government should have done, Labor will refer the United Nations Global Compact on Migration for consideration through the proper parliamentary committee process. (which was changed from this: Labor will continue Australia’s contribution to international aid efforts to reduce the risk of displacement and to alleviate the pressing humanitarian needs of displaced persons).
Updated
Labor agrees on refugee platform
There are cheers as the below refugee motions are passed:
* Labor recognises that successive Coalition governments have failed to negotiate viable and timely regional resettlement arrangements, which has left refugees and asylum seekers including children languishing in indefinite detention. Labor believes that whilst these arrangements are negotiated, the Australian government is not absolved of its obligation to provide appropriate health, security and welfare services to asylum seekers. Labor will:
- work to negotiate on, and agree to, regional resettlement arrangements and resettle eligible refugees as a priority;
- continue to support the United States Refugee Resettlement Agreement and accept New Zealand’s generous offer to resettle refugees by negotiating an agreement on similar terms as the United States Agreement; and
- ensure appropriate health, security, and welfare services for asylum seekers; and including access to medical transfers when treatment is recommended by appropriate medical practitioners whilst resettlement arrangements are negotiated.
- improve the medical transfer process, establish an Independent Health Advice Panel to provide medical advice and maintain ministerial discretion in all decision making.
* Labor aspires to progressively increase the community sponsored refugee program intake to 5,000 places per year. (previously was this: Labor aspires to progressively increase Australia’s government funded humanitarian intake to 27,000 places per year).
* As soon as the reasons for mandatory detention have ceased every effort must be made to remove asylum seekers from immigration detention centres through community detention or the granting of bridging visas with work rights. Means-tested access to migration assistance, along with access to appropriate social services, will be provided while the merits of an asylum seeker’s application are assessed. People seeking asylum will have means-tested access to funded migration assistance, and to appropriate social services, including income, crisis housing, healthcare, mental health, community, education and English as a second language support during the assessment of the claim for protection.
Updated
Dipping back to Myefo for one moment – remember those tax cuts we were speculating about?
MYEFO shows income tax receipts $3.6b lower over coming 3 years than was forecast in May. Suggests further or faster income tax cuts on the way. https://t.co/nzYpGvPVsf
— David Speers (@David_Speers) December 17, 2018
Ged Kearney is moving this motion:
As soon as the reasons for mandatory detention have ceased every effort must be made to remove asylum seekers from immigration detention centres through community detention or the granting of bridging visas with work rights. Means-tested access to migration assistance, along with access to appropriate social services, will be provided while the merits of an asylum seeker’s application are assessed.
People seeking asylum will have means-tested access to funded migration assistance, and to appropriate social services, including income, crisis housing, healthcare, mental health, community, education and English as a second language support during the assessment of the claim for protection.
She describes the government’s asylum policies as “cruel” and says she “wept” when she saw the Peter Dutton budget cuts for migrant services.
(Labor recently helped the government pass longer wait times for migrants to access Newstart. It says it was to stop a worse deal, but the crossbench claimed it had the numbers to stop it all)
Updated
The last motions before the refugee amendments are moved are up.
This one potentially has issues for ride-share companies:
Labor will act to eradicate the exploitation and wage theft experienced by temporary migrant workers – working closely with trade unions – by introducing a range of measures that deliver increased protections. Measures will:
- manage information exchanges between the fair work ombudsman and the Department of Home Affairs to prevent exploited migrant workers from unwarranted deportation and protect migrant workers who can come forward without fear to ensure investigations and prosecutions of employers;
- explore reforms to visa laws to allow migrant workers who have been exploited or underpaid to remain in Australia until the relevant legal processes for recovery of their lost wages and conditions to be finalised;
- protect international students from exploitation and reduce the ability for businesses to use the cash economy to systematically ignore minimum award entitlements and exploit vulnerable workers;
- deliver better protections to working holiday visa holders who are subject to exploitation and underpayment;
- ensure employers – not workers – are the focus of exploitation investigations;
- increase fines for employers who breach obligations and employ people without work visas; and
- protect migrant workers from harassment, bullying, discrimination and unsafe practices.
Updated
Pat Dodson is introducing this motion:
Labor supports the recognition of First Nations peoples in the Australian constitution. This will be an important step towards a more reconciled nation based on strong relationships of mutual respect. Labor supports meaningful and substantive change to recognise the unique and special place of First Nations peoples and to reflect our nation’s fundamental belief in equality and non-discrimination.
Labor will develop a concrete proposition implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart’s sole proposal for constitutional recognition – including a First Nations Voice for First Nations Peoples to Parliament – in genuine partnership with First Nations peoples as well as building public support for change.
Updated
And the final draft on the fast track assessment process is:
Labor will abolish the fast-track assessment process. Those who have had their claims rejected under the unfair fast-track assessment process will be provided with access to an independent merits review.
Updated
Labor is committing to keep music venues open:
Australian stories being created and told by Australian performers and crew in Australian music, film and television production; and
Strong local markets supporting the Australian music sector.
A thriving grassroots music scene, keeping venues open and musicians in work, to allow our music sector to reach its full potential.
Updated
This chapter is what the Labor delegates have been referring to as the “heart and soul” of the party.
It’s Newstart and migration policy and human rights.
Labor will add this to its platform:
- Consolidate federal anti-discrimination laws into a single act to remove unnecessary regulatory overlap and make the system more user-friendly;
- Review legislation, policies and practices for compliance with the seven core UN human rights treaties to which Australia is a party (which are listed in the framework); and
- Review the human rights framework and consider whether it could be enhanced through a introduce a federal statutory charter of human rights or other similar instrument.
Updated
On the Newstart changes, Linda Burney said the “rate is too low” but it is important to have a “proper process” before any decision is made to lift it.
The text for the human rights charter motion has also been decided:
The text of the charter of rights amendment is: “Review the human rights framework and introduce a federal statutory charter of human rights or other similar instrument.”
Updated
And here is how Labor will incorporate the Kerryn Phelps bill into its platform:
Labor recognises that successive Coalition governments have failed to negotiate viable and timely regional resettlement arrangements, which has left refugees and asylum seekers including children languishing in indefinite detention. Labor believes that whilst these arrangements are negotiated, the Australian government is not absolved of its obligation to provide appropriate health, security, and welfare services to asylum seekers. Labor will:
- work to negotiate on, and agree to, regional resettlement arrangements and resettle eligible refugees as a priority;
- continue to support the United States refugee resettlement agreement and accept New Zealand’s generous offer to resettle refugees by negotiating an agreement on similar terms as the United States agreement; and
- ensure appropriate health, security, and welfare services for asylum seekers; and including access to medical transfers when treatment is recommended by appropriate medical practitioners whilst resettlement arrangements are negotiated.
- improve the medical transfer process, establish an independent health advice panel to provide medical advice and maintain ministerial discretion in all decision-making.
Updated
The income support for refugees which we were talking about earlier has been decided:
As soon as the reasons for mandatory detention have ceased every effort must be made to remove asylum seekers from immigration detention centres through community detention or the granting of bridging visas with work rights. Means-tested access to migration assistance, along with access to appropriate social services, will be provided while the merits of an asylum seeker’s application are assessed. People seeking asylum will have means-tested access to funded migration assistance, and to appropriate social services, including income, crisis housing, healthcare, mental health, community, education and English as a Second Language support during the assessment of the claim for protection.
There is confirmation that there will be a ballot for the national executive.
That’s important because it will determine how many members from the left and right will sit on the executive. The right is hoping for an 11-nine split, as opposed to a 10-10 split.
Updated
The last motion is coming up for vote:
Commonwealth government outsourcing of legal and consultative work to anti-worker firms has become a feature of Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison governments.
This has resulted in a double negative for workers through the gutting of jobs in the public service and having advice to the government slanted against the interests of working people.
By way of just one example, the government commissioned notorious anti-union law firm Seyfarth Shaw, who acts for employers and has held contracts to provide services the Australian building and construction commission (ABCC), to do an inquiry into the cause of workplace deaths in the construction industry.
The government’s approach has been an inefficient, costly exercise where taxpayer funds have propped up anti-worker firms who have often been Liberal party donors.
This national conference of the federal Australian Labor party commends the Andrews Victorian Labor government for initiatives taken to tackle inequality and exploitation.
Conference draws particular attention to the Victorian Labor platform passed in May this year which in part reads:
Labor will:
- Oppose government initiatives and appointments that are actively hostile to workers or unions;
- Encourage trade union membership across both the public sector and the broader economy; and
- Consider legal and industrial relations records of law firms and other organisations and oppose engagement of those organisations found to have a history of anti-worker or anti-union activity
This national conference endorses the same approach for a future federal Labor government including future appointments.
Again, it will be passed without debate
Updated
There’s a long list of topics in the next chapter – A Fair Go For All – everything from live music to Newstart to the NDIS.
There are two amendments we expect to go to a vote:
- One for the creation of a human rights charter.
- And the still-contentious Labor Left demand for asylum seekers whose cases were decided in the Coalition’s fast-track process to gain rights to a full merits review.
The Labor for Refugees resolutions have been withdrawn.
As flagged earlier, Ged Kearney will move a motion condemning mismanagement of offshore detention, referring to the need to look into New Zealand as a third country resettlement location, and new processes for medical transfers.
There will be no vote on raising Newstart – the review within 18 months is settled.
Updated
Labor delegates also wants a review into royal commissions:
- Conference notes that Labor governments establish royal commissions to address serious public policy issues in the national interest such as: a) The Hawke Labor government establishing the royal commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; b) the Gillard Labor government establishing the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse; and c) the Andrews Labor government establishing the royal commission into family violence;
- Condemns conservative governments for abusing royal commissions for partisan political purposes;
- Condemns the misconduct, excesses and abuses of the $80m trade union royal commission, which was clearly established for partisan political purposes;
- Calls on an incoming Labor government to examine complaints about, and where warranted, refer to inquiry and further scrutiny, the conduct of government agencies arising from the Heydon royal commission; and
- Calls on an incoming Labor covernment to consider reviewing the Royal Commissions Act 1903, to prevent royal commissions from being further abused by conservative governments in the future.
Updated
This one didn’t even need any speakers:
This conference notes:
- An enduring Labor value is that all Australians should have the right to exercise their democratic franchise to elect representatives to parliament to make laws for their state or territory.
- Labor believes this democratic right should be held by all Australians irrespective of the state or territory in which they reside; and
- Currently, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory are prevented from making laws in relation to some areas of social policy, as their democratic right to do so was removed in 1997 by an act of the federal parliament.
This conference:
- Believes it is unacceptable that Australians who reside in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory should have fewer democratic rights than other Australians; and
- Encourages all federal Labor parliamentarians to support reinstating equal democratic rights for residents of the territories when such matters come before the federal parliament in future.
Updated
Matt Thistlethwaite has used his two minutes to speak about the “modernising” constitution aspect of that previous motion.
That would include acknowledging the first Australians, as well as Australia’s multiculturalism.
Updated
And it is about to pass this one:
Labor congratulates David Hurley on his appointment as the next governor general of Australia.
This should be the last time an Australian prime minister should have to call Buckingham Palace to seek permission to appoint an Australian governor general.
It’s time we had an Australian head of state.
We commit to working with the Australian people to reflect our nations’s multiculturalism, independence and maturity by reforming our constitution to appoint an Australian as our head of state.
During the first term of a Labor government we will hold a national vote seeking the views of the Australian people about becoming a republic. We will also consult Australians about the model of appointment of an Australian head of state.
Labor will provide the national leadership required to modernise our constitution.
Updated
Labor has also passed this:
Labor notes that it’s 20 years since the Productivity Commission was created.
The Productivity Commission’s processes and legislative functions are in a substantial need of modernisation.
It is time that the commission undergoes a thorough examination to test if its remit, make up, statutory guidelines, structure and culture is fit for purpose, whether it is desirable that the commission remain the principal review and advisory body to the commonwealth government and what reforms need to be undertaken to it if it is.
Therefore, a Labor government will hold a root and branch review into the Productivity Commission and its constituting legislation.
Labor is committed to reforming the Productivity Commission, to ensure that its functions and policy guidelines are fit for purpose in a time of rising inequality and a turbulent international trade and investment environment.
Updated
Labor has added these words to its platform:
Labor opposes so-called ‘ex-gay’, ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ pseudo-therapies and their underlying ideology, recognising the harm that they cause, and will develop strategies to work with communities to prevent such harm and promote justice for LGBTIQ people affected by them.”
This form of words replaces an earlier proposed reference to “criminalising” these practices.
Labor opposes the practice of so-called conversion and reparative therapies on of diverse sexualities and genders and seeks to criminalise these practices.”
Looks like Labor's backing down on a policy to criminalise ex-gay conversion therapy. An amendment to the platform to be debated shortly removes criminalising, and replaces with a statement saying Labor will instead "work with communities" to "prevent such harm".
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) December 17, 2018
Updated
The refugee protest outside in the foyer is starting to heat up.
More refugee protests at #alpconf18 "ALP, close the camps, free the refugees" #auspol pic.twitter.com/qAWcvIxVB4
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) December 17, 2018
Updated
Anne Aly moving motion on CALD representation: "This is about moving beyond a bit of soy sauce on your sausage roll and a bit of kung-pow chicken every now and then". #auspol #ALPConf18
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) December 17, 2018
As the afternoon session swings into gear, just an update from the caucusing that took place during the lunch break on refugee policy.
The left has resolved to support the package of measures outlined by Bill Shorten this morning, so that means the increase in community-sponsored migration, the $500m for the UNHCR, and a special envoy for refugee and asylum seeker issues.
The left caucus has also agreed to incorporate Kerryn Phelps’s private member’s bill into the party’s platform. There is also an agreement to provide a safety net to people: income support and mental health services. I haven’t seen the wording of the various amendments yet but will bring it to you when we have it.
As we flagged earlier, there will also be a motion moved by Andrew Giles and Murray Watt about giving people subject to the government’s fast tracked system access to a merits review, and Ged Kearney will move a motion critical of the government’s management of offshore processing.
Labor for Refugees may move other motions but they will not be supported by the left.
Updated
Wayne Swan continues to enjoy his “stop the talking” gong very much.
No one is moving beyond their two-minute allocated talk time.
Updated
There has been a bit of an update on this upcoming motion as well – it is essentially all new:
Cultural Diversity and Inclusivity in a Stronger Democracy
88. Labor will promote participation of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in decision making processes
89. Labor will promote and support inclusiveness of people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia’s parliaments, governments, senior levels in the private sector and community sectors
90. Labor will work to ensure cultural inclusivity in decision making by:
- providing leadership on cultural diversity;
- equipping and supporting leaders from diverse backgrounds;
- supporting ethnic community representative organisations to inform policy development;
- collecting meaningful data on cultural diversity;
- moving beyond cultural celebration to cultivate organisational resilience in negotiating cultural differences;
- supporting greater representation of CALD in all Australian parliaments;
- supporting cultural diversity in corporate boards and executive levels; and
- ensuring the impact on people from CALD backgrounds is considered in developing bills and policies.
Tim Costello has welcomed Labor’s announcements this morning, in terms of funding for the UNHCR:
Micah Australia has today welcomed the announcement that a Labor government would commit $500m over five years to the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“With an unprecedented 68.5 million displaced people around the world, this is a very welcome announcement and one that was advocated for by Micah delegates during our Voices for Justice conference in Canberra two weeks ago,” said Tim Costello, executive director of Micah Australia.
“This funding is line with our values as a compassionate nation and will contribute to giving people waiting to find safety the support that they need during their wait.”
Over five years, the funding would help make sure regional processing and resettlement is implemented in an orderly and structured way through the UNHCR – by building capacity such as boosting staff, facilities and training throughout the region.
The announcement during the ALP conference comes on the back of an additional $30m to address the humanitarian crises in the Palestinian Territories, Myanmar and Bangladesh, and a commitment to reform the Community Sponsored Refugee Program from 1,000, to 5,000 refugees to resettle in Australia annually.
Micah Australia’s Voices for Justice, held in Canberra two weeks ago, saw over 200 Christians from across the nation meet with 94 with politicians to advocate for Australia to be a leader in helping the world’s extreme poor, displaced and oppressed.
“As we met with politicians from all major parties, there was strong consensus that Australia had stepped back in our responsibility to our region and beyond,” said Mr Costello.
“We are at a point as a nation where our national conscience is again being weighed in the balance. We either step us a nation to the humanitarian challenges of our time, or we continue to turn inward.
“Our policy ask regarding funding to the UNHCR was clear at Voices for Justice – we asked that Australia should increase its funding to the UNHCR, from $25m per annum to $100m per annum.
“Today’s announcement is a great outcome, reflecting the hard work of many advocates, including Welcome to Australia and others.”
Mr Costello said increasing funding to the UNHCR is not just compassionate, it is strategic, because the lack of essential services in displacement situations can add to the “push factors” that cause asylum seekers to take dangerous boat journeys.
“We are a compassionate and generous nation, and we hope to see many more announcements over coming months that reflect the nation we want to be and have the ability to be.”
Updated
The conference is about to get underway again, starting with this resolution (the new bits are in bold):
Labor will:
- Ensure public broadcasters cater to the needs of urban, regional and rural Australia, providing coverage of local news, current affairs and community activities, including production capacity in regions; provide programs and services relevant to young Australians; produce high levels of quality and distinctive local content; work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide services and programs relevant to them and their communities; provide comprehensive coverage of a broad range of sporting and artistic activities;
- Ensure ABC and SBS board members and chairpersons are appointed on merit and ensure a staff-elected commissioner position on the ABC board; and
- Support and promote Australia’s external broadcasters in radio, television and digital platforms, which encourage awareness of Australian values around the world and build closer ties in our region; and
-
Labor will ensure the ABC is never subject to privatisation and will remain a public asset owned by all Australians. This includes a commitment to never privatise any subsidiary or affiliate service of the ABC.
Amend paragraph 107 to read:
Labor will provide adequate significant and increasing triennial funding to the ABC and SBS so they can deliver quality public broadcasting services.
Slippery finger?
M_McCormackMP liked this tweet: https://t.co/w4ea0jO7Vw
— Auspolwatch (@auspolwatch) December 17, 2018
Sit in in progress ahead of the refugee debate this afternoon at ALP national conference #auspol @AmyRemeikis pic.twitter.com/vkq832ZYtR
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) December 17, 2018
The encryption debate rolls on:
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of the Telecommunication and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018. The then bill was passed by the parliament on 6 December 2018, and the amendments made by that bill were referred to the committee by the Senate.
The chair, Mr Andrew Hastie MP, and the deputy chair, the Hon Anthony Byrne MP issued the following joint statement:
The committee reached bipartisan agreement in its report on the assistance and access bill. This review will focus on the final act as passed by the parliament on 6 December 2018, with specific reference to government amendments – including those made to effect the committee’s bipartisan recommendations – made on that date. This further inquiry implements recommendation 16 of the committee’s report on the assistance and access bill, for the committee to complete a review of the new laws by 3 April 2019.
The committee will accept submissions on any new matters arising with the passage of the act, and will consider the need for further hearings as the inquiry progresses.
In addition to the current review, the committee will again be required to review the new laws alongside its review of the data retention regime. That statutory review must be commenced by April 2019 and completed by April 2020.
Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the committee’s website.
Updated
Just a quick update on where Labor is on the asylum seeker motion.
The left caucus is moving to support the fast-track review amendment, which would see that scrapped and replaced with something else.
It’s been a very big debate but the left feel they have come to a compromise.
There is still discussion around the human rights charter.
Updated
There is a close the camps protest in the foyer of the conference centre, as the Labor conference starts to get underway.
Looks like about 20, at my rough count, with arms crossed, staging a sit-in.
Updated
The Labor conference is about to start back again for the afternoon session.
We’ll learn a bit more about Labor’s planned national integrity commission, as well as Newstart and the refugee decision.
The caucus meetings are about to start.
The left meeting will attempt to resolve some of the remaining sticking points in the refugee policy. We’re told that is mostly about the “fast track” review process, which no one seems to really want, because it is not really a review process.
Labor is looking at a fresh merits review for people who had been assessed under the fast track review process. But that is still to be decided.
Updated
The Labor conference is on break, so there might be a slight break in posts.
We’ll do our best to find out what is happening in the afternoon sessions in this time for you.
The protest from earlier was in relation to Newstart I believe.
“What do we want?
“Raise the rate.”
“When do we want it?”
“Now.”
There were about 30 or so people from what I could see and it was all over in about 10 or so minutes.
Updated
The Labor conference has adopted a motion to restore a system of “safe rates” in the road transport industry, restoring an independent body to set safety standards including pay and conditions.
The previous Labor government established a Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal to set pay rates due to a studied link between low rates of pay for owner-drivers and worse safety outcomes. The Turnbull government abolished the body when some owner-drivers complained that mandating certain rates of pay would put them at a competitive disadvantage.
A motion moved by Michael Kaine, the Transport Workers Union national secretary, will see a very similar body restored.
The platform states: “This task has become more pressing given the emergence of new technology and the gig economy in passenger and freight transport which has accelerated the downward spiral throughout the transport industry.”
According to the platform, Labor will introduce a road pay regime with the following principles:
- Universal application of a system of binding, enforceable and safe standards. The standards will cover all parties in the transport supply chain/contract networks to ensure safe performance, planning and appropriate payments. The standards will focus on eliminating economic and contractual practices that place undue pressure on transport supply chains/contract networks;
- Appropriate, enforceable payments and related conditions for all operators and workers, regardless of label;
- The capacity to resolve (including where necessary through binding decisions) transport supply chain/contract networks disputes;
- Appropriate and adequate enforcement regime; and
- Appropriate resourcing of supply chain/contract networks auditing, training and education through an industry fund.
Updated
This is a tweet from 2015.
Never tweet.
The question of the day. #santaiscoming #Christmas pic.twitter.com/j7GuMvIiE9
— Andrew Broad MP (@broad4mallee) December 24, 2015
He continued:
And we do so in part because of our First Nations’ caucus.
How lucky are we, all of us as Australians, to have leaders from our First Nations’ people like Pat, who came through the experience.
Stories which children today would think would be more akin to a Mississippi or the stories of civil rights in other parts of the world, but it’s in our own country, in the lifetime of own people and the problems still persist right now.
How lucky are we that we have the father of reconciliation seeking to be part of the next Labor government.
How lucky are we also that he’ll serve alongside that remarkable Wiradjuri woman and leader, Linda Burney.
Linda has explained to us in the parliament that she wasn’t counted in the commonwealth census until she was 14 years old.
But, at the next election, if things go the way we hope, from someone not counted in our census she will be a cabinet minister in a commonwealth government.
And of course we’ve got our outstanding senator for the Northern Territory here with us on the stage. A Yanyuwa woman, Malarndirri McCarthy.
Anyone else in our caucus will tell you this, not only does she bring vibrancy and energy to our political discourse, she brings a marvellously fresh set of eyes to the old problems.
Now, it has taken our party the best part of 120 years to have three First Nations members in our caucus.
But sometimes at these conventions and in the gatherings of the ALP, the progressive party of Australian politics, there are moments which are even greater than the sum of the parts.
And I feel this is such a moment.
The fact that our party recognises and wants to be the party of choice for First Nations people, we understand the only way we can even begin to contemplate such a privilege, is by ensuring that in our ranks, we do have our First Australians.
Now some of the state parties have been very good, and they have led the way, some perhaps need to do more work. But we are here now.
And when you look at our movement’s contribution to equal rights and to reconciliation, we can hold our head up – not exclusively – but we have been in the lead more often than not.
It’s been 10 years since Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to the stolen generations, an act of Labor leadership and national healing.
The apology though wasn’t just the recognition of the wrongs of the past, it was a promise to do better in the future.
And later today, in our discussion of chapter nine, we will talk about our commitment to the unfinished business of reconciliation:
- Enshrining a voice for First Nations people in the constitution.
- Establishing a Makarrata commission, for truth-telling and treaty.
- And genuine partnership and progress on Closing the Gap.
Simply put, Labor believes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples deserve equal opportunity and an equal share in our nation’s future.
The equal right to a great education and a good job. The equal right to be safe in their home and their community, to be healthy in their life. And an equal right to justice in the courts of the land.
And when we say this, we reject unequivocally the notion that by closing the gap we are somehow giving a special advantage to our First Australians. Right now, our First Australians do not start a equally in life – we are just redressing an imbalance.
And I say to those who complain about policies which want to close the gap: why are you so scared by providing an equal go to people who do not have an equal go to start with?
So we will recognise, above all else, that these solutions and policies have to be authored and owned by First Nations people themselves.
We must, and we will, focus on local empowerment, on the principle of community control.
The Reconciliation Action Plan that we launch this morning is about what we can do to continue to improve our culture and our structures as the party for the advancement for First Nations people.
This plan is not a nod to good intentions, it is not a tick-box exercise. It is a set of overdue concrete steps and clear goals.
We want to see:
- More First Nations’ people as members of our party
- More First Nations’ people as members of a parliament and as senators.
- And more First Nations’ people enrolled to vote, to make sure that their policy priorities are national political issues.
We want to deliver and make Labor the party of choice for the First Australians but we need to earn that right.
So, delegates, for me – and I’m sure for all of us here – the First Nations members of our parliament and our party are simply an inspiration.
I acknowledge also the Reconciliation Working Group, the support and leadership of the national executive, Karen Mundine and Reconciliation Australia, who have worked to put this document together.
And finally, I’d also like to give a shout-out to the artist, Elizabeth Close, sitting up in front of us. We sometimes get a lot of speakers up the front but not a lot of artists … of sorts.
So, we all have a part to play, from members of parliament, to branch members, to union delegates and to volunteers.
Reconciliation is Australia’s unfinished business. And, delegates, it is everyone’s business.
I commend this marvellous plan to the conference.
Updated
Bill Shorten’s speech from this morning has been transcribed by his office:
When we think about where we sit in this hall, in this city, our nation stands on what is, was and always will be Aboriginal land and we acknowledge that today.
I was listening to Pat Dodson, as I know this whole gathering was. And like all of you I want to thank him him for his words, thank him for his wisdom, but I also want to thank him for making a decision, more than two-and-a-half years ago, to join our Labor family as our senator for Western Australia.
Pat is like a lot of truly modest people. They don’t always realise how much they are loved by others.
And to all of you here in the Labor family and movement, and to Australians watching today, when Pat speaks in the parliament and when he speaks in our caucus and our meeting rooms, he has this almost magical effect of making the rest of us feel better about ourselves. And that has been a journey of teaching and learning that Pat has been on his whole life.
I first met Pat 14 or 15 years ago when I was with the Australian Workers’ Union, and he took me through the Kimberley and to Fitzroy Crossing and he showed me parts of Australia that I didn’t realise existed.
And I remember thinking back then, wouldn’t it be good if this outstanding leader, a leader of all Australians, could make it through our Labor process and end up as one of our senators.
I wasn’t quite sure then how that would happen but it has. And Pat joining his story with the Labor story enhances and enriches the Labor story.
Thinking about his journey and his teaching of all of us, I went with our caucus committee, our ATSI caucus committee, Warren Snowdon the local member, we visited Katherine, in the Northern Territory, where Pat spent some of his young years.
And he took me along a road, Fourth Street, and he pointed to scrub near where he grew up, in the house he grew up.
And he explained to me that in 1960, in his lifetime, his beloved sister took him from the house and hid him in the scrub because welfare were coming down Fourth Street to take the children away and to send them out to Croker Island.
And then he told me about his first night, the next year, when he went to boarding school in Casteron, a very well regarded school – a lot of champion footballers. Pat said he was a Collingwood six-footer, which means not quite.
But he did tell me about his first night there, which perhaps is not as amusing.
Because of his skin colour, his was the only bed in the boarding school without sheets on it.
Then he comes back from school to visit his family back up in Katherine. There was a “rights for whites” meeting, as if the white people of Katherine were being put upon.
Now, he says that we was approached by the local Jawoyn people and they said: “You’ve been to school, you go and tell them why they’re wrong.”
Pat said, “I’ll do a couple more years of schooling and then I’ll tell them why they’re wrong.”
These are just little snippets of an amazing story and the reason why I perhaps focus on his story is this: it really shouldn’t have taken us 48 national conferences to develop a reconciliation action plan. But we have one now.
Updated
A refugee protest has kicked off outside of the conference centre.
Labor plans on introducing a national office of road safety.
From the resolution:
After decades of decline, the road toll is again heading in the wrong direction.
59. Labor will establish a national office of road safety. This dedicated unit within the Department of Infrastructure will be tasked with improving data collection, promoting best practice research, and leading the development of the next 10-year national road safety strategy, which will commence in 2021. Labor will ensure the strategy draws on the findings of the Inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020, and is developed in partnership with state and territory governments, law enforcement, motoring organisations, experts, research bodies and other relevant stakeholders.
60. Labor will ensure that the national safety standards applying to motor vehicles are up to date and fit for purpose. The role of the national government is to ensure the latest road safety technology features are in new vehicles, including electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking. Labor will work with industry and stakeholders to promote vehicle safety ratings and to amend the Australian design rules to mandate proven vehicle safety technologies in new vehicles.
Updated
Labor is moving its regional and agricultural policies.
There are not a lot of changes and can be summed up by this resolution:
Labor will work with states, territories and local government to:
- Invest in properly integrated transport systems involving public transport and roads;
- Invest in active transport solutions which connect with public transport, education and employment hubs closer to where people live;
- Invest in communities struggling with the shift away from traditional manufacturing in partnership with business and those affected to develop a strategic vision that will unlock future industries, jobs and learning opportunities;
- Improve housing affordability through the use of urban planning, land supply and incentives;
- Drive alignment of funding for smart and sustainable urban infrastructure;
- Align greater housing density with public transport corridors;
- Encourage the best practice urban designs outlined in Creating Places for People: An Urban Design Protocol for Cities;
- Promote jobs growth in outer and middle ring suburbs, by investing in research precincts around universities and hospitals, considering incentives for the location of business, and supporting innovative funding models for local governments in high growth areas;
- Work with states, territories and local government to support connectivity and productivity through a fibre national broadband network;
- Earlier integration of water, wastewater and stormwater into urban planning to improve overall (including health and liveability) outcomes for our cities and regions.
- Incorporate action on climate change into major urban strategic plans (mitigation and adaptation)
- Facilitate the transition to renewable energy by supporting urban innovation and green urban growth e.g. net zero carbon and liveable precincts.
So far, all have been carried without going to the vote.
Updated
Serious inquiry – are there any Nationals left to take over from Andrew Broad?
But Michael McCormack does not believe the National party has a problem with women. He can even name two women, so that’s how you know there are no problems at all:
Not at all, and I have spoken to Bridget McKenzie a number of times today. She is appalled at what has happened over the last couple of days but Bridget McKenzie and Michelle [Landry] are outstanding female representatives of the constituencies that they serve.
We have a strong women’s council doing wonderful things to make sure that women are encouraged to join our party and encouraged to run as members of parliament and, on Saturday, I was in Wagga Wagga for the preselection of an outstanding candidate for that state seat.
I want to encourage any women to not only join our party, but indeed, to run for political office. It is a tough job running for political office and making sure that we do the right thing to serve the people who we do.
It is tough to put your hand up public life and I’m glad that so many women are putting their hand up public life and I’m glad the National party is doing things to encourage more women to do just that.
I have got the member for Cootamundra in my own electorate doing outstanding things for the people of the Riverina in south-west New South Wales.
We will continue to encourage women if you have a look at the sorts of things that we have done to encourage more women to join our party, they are very admirable and we continue to do that.
Well, [these issues] are an unfortunate distraction, yes. I will agree to that and I’m doing my very best as leader to ensure that we are focused on the people we serve to ensure that we stop focusing on ourselves, we do the right thing, we make sure that we are answerable and accountable and that is why I have taken swift and decisive action I have over the past 24 hours, and I will continue to make sure that I lead a party that encourages women to not only join our party but also put their hand up for public life.
Given that McCormack said earlier that he learnt about this issue “a couple of weeks ago” the “swift and decisive action” seems to have been taken when it became obvious New Idea magazine was about to publish.
Updated
Bit more on the looming refugee debate: @gedkearney will move the motion this afternoon critical of the government's handling of offshore detention @AmyRemeikis #auspol
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) December 17, 2018
On the Barry O’Sullivan staffer who was stood aside after a vile message was sent to News Corp political editor Annika Smethurst after she wrote a column about women and the National party, Michael McCormack says this:
Well, he has been stood aside. There are circumstances in relation to that matter which he needs to seek assistance and he is seeking assistance with, the fact is it was an accidental and inadvertent sending about message to the journalist.
I know the journalist, and I’ve had a number of discussions with her when I found out about issue late Friday.
I appreciate the fact that when you look at the text that was sent to her, you can understand that they were not meant for her, but look, I do not condone in any way, shape or form the language, the vile language that was used in those texts. That is not the way I operate, that is not the way the National party operates and I’m very, very disappointed that it did occur. Annika Smethurst knows that, she knows what we stand for as a party in what I stand for as a leader, that is why the person concerned has been stood aside. He will seek the assistance he needs and that is the appropriate course of action.
Updated
On the resignation conversation, Michael McCormack says:
It was a very short and polite conversation. I have accepted his resignation. It was the right thing to do, we need to get on and focus on the people who matter most to us, those are the constituents.
And whether it is Mallee or whether it is, we need to make sure that they are being well served, they have been well served by a government.
We are getting on with the job of rolling out the water infrastructure that the country is needed for many, many years, we are getting on with the job of building Australia, those are the sorts of things that I want to be focused on, not these sorts of issues that quite frankly distract from otherwise what has been a very good government, and is a good government, and will be a good government going forward.
Updated
Michael McCormack said he learnt about the Andrew Broad situation “a couple of weeks ago”
Obviously I am very disappointed by what has happened, obviously it is also a matter for the Australian federal police and, obviously, I know Mr Broad will co-operate with the Australian federal police, but when he told me about what happened, I urged him to contact the Australian federal police about the allegations that had been made by him and against him, so I think that is the right course of action, and we will see what the AFP comes up with as a result of these investigations.
When did he learn about it?
A couple of weeks ago ... Yes, I told him to contact the Australian federal police, which he did.
Updated
Just worth noting from this morning’s updated economic forecasts, the Morrison government has set aside $131m over seven years from 2018-19 (and $10.1m per year ongoing from 2025-26) to “support measures to improve energy affordability, reliability and sustainability”.
This includes its controversial commitment to underwrite new power generation, including coal, and an advertising campaign to tell everyone how marvelous everything is.
According to Myefo, the funding will:
• enable the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to hold an inquiry into prices, profit and margins in relation to the supply of electricity in the National Electricity Market;
• establish a default market offer and reference bill to help consumers get better energy deals;
• design and implement the new underwriting new generation investment program to drive investment in new power generation to increase energy supply, improve competition and affordability in the energy sector;
• provide support to small and medium businesses to get better energy deals and reduce their energy usage;
• support the Energy Security Board to provide whole-of-market oversight for energy reliability, affordability and sustainability;
• implement the retailer reliability obligation to ensure a reliable energy system;
and • continue the national campaign to inform Australians about work being undertaken to deliver more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy and promote options available to consumers to reduce their energy bills.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek has interrupted her speech to the convention to announce the Andrew Broad news.
So we have peace in our time on refugees, sort of. As Amy has reported, there is an agreed increase in the intake of 5,000, and tripling of AFP resourcing for disruption activities, and $500m for the UNHRC.
But there will still be debate this afternoon. We don’t expect anyone to move a motion opposing boat turnbacks or offshore detention but that can’t be ruled out.
There will be a debate about rights of review for asylum seekers subject to the Coalition’s fast track process. We expect a motion from Andrew Giles and Murray Watt proposing that people have access to a merits review of their cases, but the motion is unlikely to succeed.
There will also be a motion critical of the government’s handling of offshore detention.
Updated
Chris Bowen was also not impressed with the midyear economic and fiscal outlook:
This is a government which is riding on the back of a good international economy and has given up on the task of budget repair themselves. What we see in this economic update today, the government’s own update, is that growth is down, investment growth is down.
Wages growth is down. Consumption growth is down. And the only thing that’s up is terms of trade.
What the world is prepared to pay us for our commodities – the one thing which this government has absolutely no influence over is up.
When it comes to wages growth and consumption, we’re seeing the fruits of the government’s poor economic policy and the chaos and confusion at its heart.
This is a budget which is being delivered by a strong global economy, but we have a weak government. Now the government is pat itself on the back for budgeting and forecasting a surplus when in fact they’ve been failing to deliver surpluses now for almost six years.
Updated
Chris Bowen has commented on Andrew Broad’s resignation:
I’ve seen the report. Obviously his resignation has a personal element for which I have absolutely no comment, that is entirely a matter for him. His resignation doesn’t help the chaos and dysfunction at the heart of the Morrison government. But the rest I have no comment on.
Updated
All eyes may be on Andrew Broad but at least the ratings agencies are paying attention to Josh Frydenberg’s Myfeo announcement this morning:
S&P Global Ratings said today that Australia’s credit rating and outlook reflects its expectation that the general government, including state and local governments, will return to surplus by the early 2020s.
We believe today’s midyear budget announcement confirms that the central government is on track to achieve this.
Stronger nominal GDP and terms of trade as well as better labor market conditions are delivering higher revenue growth and lower expenditure outflows than we expected at the time of the 2018-2019 budget, released in May.
This improvement is funding new policy announcements.
“We continue to monitor the effect of spending announcements on the general government budget in the lead up to the 2019-2020 budget and upcoming election,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Anthony Walker.
“This is because political parties can introduce new spending or investment initiatives that are not currently earmarked, and this can weigh on fiscal outcomes.”
Updated
Michael McCormack accepts Andrew Broad’s resignation from ministry
McCormack’s statement:
Deputy prime minister, minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development and leader of the Nationals, Michael McCormack, has accepted Andrew Broad’s resignation as the assistant minister to the deputy prime minister.
Mr McCormack thanked the federal member for Mallee for his service to the ministry, following his appointment in September this year.
A replacement will be made and announced in due course.
Mr McCormack said due to the nature of the allegations made, it is appropriate for Mr Broad to resign as the assistant minister to the deputy prime minister.
He also stressed the matter may also be subject to future investigation and further media comment on such detail is not appropriate.
Mr McCormack said Mr Broad will continue as an effective and hardworking Member for Mallee, a role he has capably held since 2013.
Broad was what used to be known as a parliamentary secretary, the title was changed to assistant minister, because it sounded more fancy, under one of the Coalition governments (who can remember these days which one it was).
Updated
And on border security (because these things always go hand in hand in Oz):
A Shorten Labor government will strengthen Australia’s border security with new measures to disrupt and deter people smugglers from preying on vulnerable people throughout the region.
Labor will triple the number of Australian federal police officers overseas dedicated to working cooperatively with partner nations to deter and disrupt people smuggling operations at their source.
These officers are critical in the fight against people smugglers, by preventing risky boat ventures before they start and stopping people drowning at sea.
“The first aim is to deter and disrupt the ventures from taking to the water in the first instance. That’s a lot more effective; it has a lot less risk, particularly for the people who want to use the people smugglers, so that’s always our preference.” – outgoing Operation Sovereign Borders commander Air Vice-Marshal Stephen Osborne, 21 May 2018
The Liberals’ cuts and chaos mean they have slashed the number of officers to just four dedicated officerscovering the entire region. This is putting our border protection framework at risk.
Labor has committed $8.5m to establish an additional eight dedicated AFP officers throughout the region to support Australia’s regional neighbours and prevent people smuggling journeys.
Peter Dutton and Scott Morrison have risked Australia’s border security by ordering the Australian border force fleet to stop patrols to save money on fuel and have cut frontline ABF staff at Australian airports over the Christmas period.
Labor will keep the people-smugglers out of business and maintain Australia’s strong borders, ensuring they are never able to exploit the lives of vulnerable people again.
Labor is committed to strong borders, turnbacks when safe to do so, offshore processing and regional resettlement because we know it saves lives at sea.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor will not make cuts to border protection. Under Labor, Operation Sovereign Borders will be fully resourced, we will maintain Australia’s strong border protection measures and strengthen them even further with these new measures to stop people smugglers in their tracks.
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Labor’s official statement on the refugee changes:
A Shorten Labor government will ensure our nation can do our part to resettle genuine refugees facing persecution and in need of protection.
While the global humanitarian crisis has continued to grow, with over 25 million refugees worldwide, the Liberals have failed to improve Australia’s humanitarian response on the international stage.
Labor will commit $500m to the work of the UNHCR, to deliver stronger asylum seeker assessment and resettlement processes across the region and closer to source countries – an important measure to ensure vulnerable people are not exploited by people smugglers to travel by boat.
This funding delivered over five years will help make sure regional processing and resettlement is implemented in an orderly and structured way through the UNHCR – by building capacity such as boosting staff, facilities and training throughout the region.
It is in addition to $30m in urgent humanitarian relief announced to address the pressing humanitarian crises in the Palestinian Territories as well as Myanmar and Bangladesh.
A Labor Government will also work more cooperatively with community, faith based and business groups to responsibly support and expand community sponsorship of refugees.
We will reform the Community Sponsored Refugee Program to, over time, allow up to 5,000 refugees to resettle in Australia annually.
This model – akin to the successful program in Canada – will mean groups such as state and local governments, community organisations, businesses, unions, and faith-based organisations, will be able to sponsor humanitarian entrants into Australia. This program does not have a budget impact.
Support for community sponsorship of refugees has been growing in recent years – including community and faith based groups, who are raising funds and actively supporting the settlement and integration of refugees into the community and businesses supporting refugees by securing jobs for humanitarian entrants.
Labor will also appoint a special envoy for refugee and asylum seeker issues to advance Australia’s interests and leadership on refugee issues within the region, secure third country resettlement agreements, develop an Australian refugee commission and provide policy advice for Australia’s humanitarian program.
This comprehensive suite of measures are underpinned by a commitment to maintain Australia’s strong borders – to ensure people smugglers are never able to exploit vulnerable people ever again.
Labor is getting the balance right – we will maintain strong borders, keep the people smugglers out of business, and do our part to address the global humanitarian crisis.
Labor’s policies ensure Australia does its fair share to meet humanitarian need, plays a leadership role in our region, and treats genuine refugees with dignity and humanity.
Updated
BREAKING: Andrew Broad has resigned from the Morrison ministry after a woman went on the record about his behaviour on an overseas trip. Story from @CroweDM soon #auspol
— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) December 17, 2018
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What does that announcement mean?
Labor plans on increasing the humanitarian intake from 27,000 people, to 32,000.
Bill Shorten finishes with this:
Our approach – Labor’s approach – is strong, compassionate and sustainable. I want to rekindle Australia’s reputation as a good international citizen when it comes to dealing with these complex humanitarian challenges.
You can have secure borders and you can live up to our humanitarian obligations.
You just require leadership in this country. We can keep the people-smugglers out of business but we will most certainly if elected keep faith with our enduring Labor values – proud at home and proud overseas, confident that we can work together as a community and as a nation, listening to each other, getting this right, being a welcoming nation, being consistent and strong.
This is the Labor mission.
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Labor announces $500m for UNHCR, increased humantarian intake
Bill Shorten is announcing what Labor would do, if elected:
Around the world, one person becomes displaced every 20 seconds. Nearly 70 million people have been driven from their homes.
Many will not find permanent safety. The United Nations reports that in some cases there’s a third generation of children being born into displacement. This is an issue of a most enormous scale and complexity.
No one country can hope to fix it on its own but Australia can do better. So if elected, we will look to take up New Zealand’s offer to resettle refugees from Manus and Nauru by immediately negotiating an agreement on similar terms with that that has already been negotiated with the United States, and today I’m pleased to announce that if elected ...
[a fire alarm interrupts the speech]
“I’m not going to blame the government,” Shorten laughs. He then continues:
I’m pleased to announce today that if elected, we will commit $500m over the next five years to support the important work of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
This funding will directly improve orderly regional processing and resettlement in the region and countries closer to where refugees originally come from.
This funding will speed up legitimate settlement pathways. It will deny people smugglers a product to sell.
If we are elected, I will seek the immediate advice from the chief of the defence force, the Department of Home Affairs, Asio and other relevant agencies about our state of preparedness to disrupt people smuggling operations before people depart.
A Labor government will triple the number of Australian federal police officers working overseas in cooperation with other countries to stop the people smugglers at their source, to prevent people even contemplating getting on that unsafe vessel in the first place.
And finally, delegates, along with our responsible international role where Australia should have always been, along with our commitment to strong borders, Labor will build on the proven success of the existing community-sponsored refugee program.
This means state and local governments, community organisations, businesses and unions and faith-based institutions will be able to sponsor humanitarian entrants into Australia and support the economic and social integration of refugees into communities. We will seek to expand this scheme from 1,000 to 5,000 places.
And to be clear – this would be in addition to the existing humanitarian intake, not instead of it.
So we will take more refugees as part of our migration mix. We will make sure that it is a safe process.
Our approach is both more practical and more affordable. We’re not afraid of immigration in the country. Immigration has been a success in this country. Skilled migration, family reunion and indeed refugees.
What we will do with our sensible, strong-yet-compassionate approach, is we will ensure that people go to where they are needed, wanted and welcomed in this country in a neighbourly way.
Labor will empower local communities, country towns, business and community groups, if country towns and regions want to sponsor humanitarian intake. Well, it is not the job of the commonwealth to get in the way.
This will make sure there’s no cost to the taxpayer.
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Bill Shorten:
It has never meant allowing people’s mental and physical health to deteriorate whilst under direct or indirect Australian care.
It has never meant fighting every step of the way against medical advice which says that more needs to be done to treat people.
I believe that Australia can meet our international humanitarian and legal responsibilities without compromising our national security or a commitment to strong border protection.
I wonder sometimes even deep down that some of our opponents know this to be true – that it is not one or the other – strong borders or indefinite detention.
Because after all on the current government’s watch, there are 800 asylum seekers in Australia who have been transferred here eventually for medical treatment.
That’s far more than remain on either Manus or Nauru right now.
This has already happened. But have no doubt that our opponents will never let the truth get in the way of the pursuit of low political advantage.
We saw that when they were in opposition when this current prime minister was the spokesman for immigration and the Liberals decided to team up with the Greens’ political party to vote against the arrangements with Malaysia.
Never forget that over 600 people drowned on their way to Australia after that decision.
The Liberals did not vote against the Malaysia arrangement because they thought it wouldn’t work, they voted against it because they were afraid it would work.
They decided that they would rather have a slogan, they would rather weaponise the issue than solve the problem.
And we saw a recurrence of this behaviour again in the very last week of parliament, the government relying on Pauline Hanson to run down the clock in the Senate rather than be seen to help a handful of sick children on Nauru get the urgent medical attention they need.
And every time you see the government ministers on television telling lies about Labor, they are doing the dirty work of the people smugglers.
The Liberals are acting as spruikers for the criminal syndicates.
Every time they get up and say that there will be a change in terms of border security, they are signalling criminal syndicates to try their hand again. They should be ashamed, they know what they do and they still do it.
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On asylum seeker policy, Bill Shorten says:
Today we’ll deal with our policies on border security and refugees. Whilst we debate over the course of the day, I wanted to take this opportunity this morning to say to all of you – I sincerely respect the right of delegates to put arguments, to make the case.
I appreciate that everyone in this room comes to this issue with a passion that is genuine and deep.
I’m sure as we did a conference in swift, we will engage in a constructive debate which produces the right policies for our party and, more importantly, for our nation.
Delegates, my own view on this is straightforward – we cannot and we must not and we will not allow criminal people smuggling syndicates to get back into business but, let me say, it is not a crime to want to come to this country.
All of us other than our First Australians came here from somewhere else. It is not a crime to want to come to this country.
But it is a crime to exploit vulnerable people to put them in dangerous and unsafe vessels and have them drown at sea.
We cannot, we must not, and we will not permit the reopening of their trade in human desperation and the drownings and the irreplaceable loss of life that it brings.
This requires rigorous security, character and health assessments throughout both our humanitarian and general migration programs.
It means pursuing regional resettlement, turning back boats where it is safe to do so and maintaining offshore processing.
But also in your party we understand that keeping our borders secure and keeping the people smugglers out of business should and has never meant leaving men, women and children to languish for years and years in indefinite detention in substandard facilities and unacceptable conditions.
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Bill Shorten:
So I can confirm and announce to this conference that if we are elected, a Labor government will initiate an urgent review into the inadequacy of Newstart payments, the overdue first in a quarter of a century. We will ensure the review will be completed within 18 months. I acknowledge the work already of the conference and the delegates to have us arrive at this position. We believe in the greatness of the Australian safety net. We want to lift everyone’s aspirations up, but we are the great safety netters of Australian politics.
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As we reported yesterday, Bill Shorten says that, if elected, Labor will issue an “urgent review” into Newstart, to be completed within 18 months.
He says Labor is the party of the “safety net”. But, as we also reported, there is no commitment to increase the payment.
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The official statement on the reconciliation action plan has been released:
A Shorten Labor government will become the first political party to put in place a Reconciliation Action Plan – committing our party to practical measures to give First Australians a voice in our party, in our parliament, and in our society.
For Labor, reconciliation and recognition is about ensuring that First Nations people have the same rights, opportunities and outcomes as every other Australian.
Labor’s Reconciliation Action Plan includes strategies to work to better understand how to improve the current involvement of, and relationships with, First Nations People.
Labor recognizes its role in building a more equitable relationship – one in which the rights and obligations flow both ways. This includes a commitment to establishing a Voice and enshrining it in the Constitution. It is our first priority for Constitutional change.
Labor’s Reconciliation Action Plan is a practical plan with measurable timeframes – ensuring that at every level of our party we are constantly building our understanding of the issues that affect First Nations People’s equality and aspirations, and developing practical ideas for achieving sustainable change.
These goals have eluded us as a nation for more than two centuries. It is time for that to change – and Labor wants to lead this change.
Reconciliation and recognition is about acknowledging – and celebrating – the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people and custodians of Australia and recognising the need for change through real partnerships.
In doing this Labor can continue to lead the way on our nation’s path to Recognition, Reconciliation and Justice.
A fair go for Australia also means a fair go for First Nations People.
More information on Labor’s Reconciliation Action Plan can be found here.
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The conference is going to go straight into asylum seeker policy (further debating what will be the final amendment resolutions) after the reconciliation announcement.
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Meanwhile, in Canberra.
Josh Frydenberg & Mathias Cormann MYEFO presser in the blue room of parliament house Canberra this morning. @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo #PoliticsLive https://t.co/vzTH6iRseq pic.twitter.com/I1E7AgRMtz
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) December 16, 2018
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Bill Shorten said sometimes closing the gap could be seen as giving advantage to First Nations people – but that ignores the fact that Indigenous Australians are so often starting from behind.
He says to those critics:
Why are you so scared by providing an equal go to people who don’t have an equal go to start with?
And he reiterates that First Nations people need to be at the forefront of any policy.
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Unions and welfare groups that have campaigned against the community development program have welcomed the announcement Labor will abolish it.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions president, Michele O’Neil:
The announcement that an ALP government would abolish the CDP is a huge win for 30,000 workers who have been racially discriminated against through this scheme for the last 3 years, and for workers’ rights in this country.
This program discriminated against people on the basis of the colour of their skin and the place they chose to live ...
This scheme is an appalling example of state-sanctioned racial discrimination and worker exploitation and Australia will be a better place without it.
The Australian union movement will continue to campaign to ensure that workers in remote communities are not exploited, are given access to paid job opportunities and that remote communities are given back the financial autonomy which was taken from them by the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government.
The Australian Council of Social Services chief executive, Cassandra Goldie:
We applaud the opposition for listening to First Nations peoples and announcing its intention to abolish the CDP. First Nations organisations have repeatedly stood up against CDP and put forward their own solutions. Today is a great day when the alternative government has committed to self-determination for First Nations peoples.
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Bill Shorten said it has taken Labor 120 years to have three First Nations members of its caucus “but we’re here now”.
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You can follow along with Bill Shorten’s speech here:
LIVE from Adelaide - I'm launching @AustralianLabor’s Reconciliation Action Plan. Because Reconciliation is Australia’s unfinished business, and it’s everyone’s business. #LabConf18 https://t.co/BJBh3CK5Ih
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) December 16, 2018
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Pat Dodson has just labelled the community development program “discriminatory punitive and ineffective”, confirming that a Shorten Labor government will abolish and replace it.
Dodson said Shorten was “ready willing and able to step up in partnership with First Nations people, to deliver justice and equality, deliver a voice [to parliament] and constitutional recognition”.
He spoke about what was needed to make the reconciliation action plan “a lived reality” – suggesting the first steps were to get the Shorten Labor team elected to government, and to improve Indigenous enrolment so First Nations people can vote in a referendum on constitutional recognition.
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Bill Shorten is delivering his second speech, following the announcement of Labor’s reconciliation plan.
Labor’s reconciliation action plan motion looks like this:
The Australian Labor party acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the first peoples of Australia, and have sustained spiritual beliefs, cultural and ceremonial practices on their traditional estates. In the true spirit of reconciliation, the Australian Labor party affirms its equal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the ongoing custodianship and maintenance of land and “sea country” throughout this nation.
National conference commits Labor to the 2018-2020 reconciliation action plan.
For Labor, reconciliation and recognition is about ensuring that First Nations people have the same rights, opportunities and outcomes as every other Australian.
These goals have eluded us as a nation for more than two centuries. It is time for that to change – and Labor wants to lead this change.
Reconciliation and recognition is about acknowledging – and celebrating – the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first inhabitants and custodians of Australia. We are home to one of the oldest surviving cultures on Earth. That is something that we can all take pride in.
Reconciliation and recognition is about acknowledging the truth of our history, the wrongs that have been committed against first peoples – and not shying away from our historical pain. Without truth, there can be no healing.
Reconciliation is about building relationships, and about listening.
Above all, it is about taking action to tackle disadvantage and inequality. It is about introducing practical measures to close the gap in health, housing, education, employment and life expectancy.
To achieve these outcomes and create a truly reconciled nation, First Nations people must have a say in all of the decisions that affect their lives.
Labor is committed to ensuring that First Nations people have a voice – entrenched in our constitution.
The reconciliation action plan sets out practical measures to give First Australians a voice in our party, in our parliament, and in our society.
It outlines Labor’s commitment to come together with First Nations’ people and work towards equality, and a reconciled and just nation.
The reconciliation action plan outlines a comprehensive strategy for ensuring First Nations people are actively supported to participate in our party, our parliament, and our nation.
The reconciliation action plan focuses on building relationships, respect and opportunities.
It identifies a range of practical measures that Labor will adopt to ensure that First Nations people have more opportunities to be involved in our party, at every level.
By implementing the reconciliation action plan, Labor will ensure we are constantly building our understanding of the issues that affect First Nations people’s equality and aspirations, and developing practical ideas for achieving change.
As outlined in the reconciliation action plan, the ALP’s national executive will have responsibility for the oversight and reporting of the Rap.
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Pat Dodson, announcing Labor’s policy, said Labor would “give back community control” to First Nations peoples.
“This ... is not just a plan, not just a pretty document, not just fine words,” he said.
“This is the first Reconciliation Action Plan adopted by a political party in Australia.....Labor commits to a voice for Australia’s first peoples and to enshrining that voice in the Constitution.” @SenatorDodson pic.twitter.com/ObBFjIHBKK
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) December 16, 2018
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Labor to abolish community development program
First up at Labor conference is its reconciliation action plan – we’ll hear from Labor senators Malarndirri McCarthy and Pat Dodson.
I understand Dodson will announce Labor will abolish the community development program – a form of the work-for-the-dole program which disproportionately affects Indigenous Australians. It’s been labelled racist, blatantly discriminatory and compared to modern day slavery.
There are about 35,000 CDP participants in Australia and 83% are Indigenous. As a condition of income support, remote area participants must engage in up to 25 hours of work for the dole, five days a week.
I can’t bring you more detail on what Labor will replace the CDP with yet, but we’ll hear from Dodson shortly.
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Table One of the Myefo document has the fun line “decisions taken not yet announced” which has about $10bn allocated to it.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet your election campaign income tax cuts (I assume).
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The bells have begun ringing for the Labor conference, where From Little Things Big Things Grow is being pumped through the speakers.
You can read the whole Myefo statement here.
You won’t get the glory of a Josh Frydenberg address (complete with slides!) but you’ll get the general idea. The government has money and it’s not afraid to spend it.
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Josh Frydenberg:
There is more to be done, but this update shows that our plan is working. The underlying cash balance in 2018-19 is forecast to improve to a $5.2bn deficit – about two-thirds lower than the budget estimate of $14.5bn in May.
The 2018-19 deficit is now 0.3% of GDP – one-tenth of the deficit of 3% of GDP that we inherited from Labor in 2013-14.
The underlying cash balance for 2019-20 is now expected to reach a surplus of $4.1bn – almost doubling the surplus estimated for that year in the May budget.
This will be the first budget surplus since the last year of the Howard government. The surplus will increase to $12.5bn in 2021 and $19bn from 2021-22.
The cumulative surpluses over the next four years will be $30.3bn – around double what was announced in the May budget.
The combination of a growing economy with a record number of people in work is helping both sides of the ledger increasing our revenues, while also decreasing our expenditure.
Previous decisions taken by the government to ensure payments are better targeted as well as steps taken to ensure the integrity of the tax system are also continuing to benefit the budget.
Consistent with a strong and growing economy, the tax share of GDP is expected to be 23.8% of GDP in 21-22, and the Coalition’s tax speed limit equal to 23.9% of GDP is reached and then held from 25-26.
The cap ensures that the government lives within its means by not imposing an increasing of tax as a burden on Australians over time which would adversely affect growth, cost jobs and investment.
The government has also successfully controlled expenditure in its efforts to return the budget to surplus.
Compared with the 2018-19 budget, payments are lower in each year of the forward estimates with the payments to GDP ratio expected to be 24.9% in 18-19, falling to 24.6% in 2020-21.
Average annual real growth in payments over the five years from 2017-18 is expected to be 1.9%.
This is the lowest level for any government in 50 years. I want to repeat that – with spending growth down to 1.9%, this is the lowest level for any government in 50 years.
This is even after taking into account new spending commitments in Myefo to support schools, hospitals, drought-stricken communities and a newer and fairer model for distributing the GST.
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The embargo on the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook has lifted and Josh Frydenberg is doing his best to make it interesting.
#MYEFO Budget aggregates #auspol pic.twitter.com/AtLCc3dEV2
— Political Alert (@political_alert) December 16, 2018
#MYEFO Updated economic outlook #auspol pic.twitter.com/F8BNc964PQ
— Political Alert (@political_alert) December 16, 2018
We’re expecting Bill Shorten to make an announcement on refugees this morning.
The cross-factional working group disagreed about how to handle asylum seekers who were rejected under the Coalition’s “fast-track” assessment process, so I don’t expect Labor Left’s demand for a second-chance review to be included in the announcement.
Sources involved in those negotiations said the party’s commitment to take 27,000 refugees will be lifted to 32,000 by creating 5,000 community-sponsored places.
The other planks of the policy already agreed include improved regional arrangements to bring refugees to Australia and an asylum seeker safety net, providing welfare and support services in Australia.
Just so you can plan your day
Looking ahead to today’s events, Bill Shorten will use the opportunity of the conference to launch his reconciliation action plan. This is a special agenda item requiring a suspension of the standing orders.
After that, we are likely to learn the outcome of the discussions under way in the left and right caucuses about the party’s refugee policy. Shorten will give delegates an outline of where that has landed about 10am Adelaide time.
Then we are into the policy debates of the day: education, infrastructure, Newstart, and immigration.
Right now, we can confirm there will be a resolution condemning the government’s management of offshore detention. The rest we’ll keep an eye on.
Updated
Good morning
Welcome to day two of Labor’s three-day federal conference, where the asylum seeker policy and whether or not to raise Newstart are the big issues of the day.
There is also the Uluru statement, education and migration.
As we learnt yesterday, a lot of these policies are being worked out in the individual committee groups away from the conference floor, only hitting the vote once a deal has been decided.
Will today follow that same pattern? Everyone, so far, seems to be on the same page of wanting it to, but these are big issues, which go to the heart and soul of the party, so we’ll see.
The government is also announcing its mid-year economic and fiscal outlook statement today, which is basically a mini-budget – and what it’ll use as the budget, if forced to go to an earlier-than-anticipated election in March. Gareth Hutchens is all over that for you, and we’ll bring you the reaction as it comes.
Bill Shorten is already in election mode. He went for his run around Adelaide this morning, echoing a familiar sight during the 2016 campaign. As Labor peeps will tell you, the party has been in election mode all year, having set up headquarters in Parramatta and put all its campaign teams in place.
But those same Labor peeps will also tell you that the delay to the federal conference, which was caused by the “coincidental” scheduling of the super Saturday byelections for the original conference date in July, has become a “blessing in disguise”.
That’s because Labor has a lot more information in front of it. And it’s had a lot more time to sort out some of those more tricky policy issues.
Today some of the more contentious issues will be decided, freeing the party to concentrate on the upcoming election. Shorten will give a second speech today, which will help shape what the next few months are going to look like for Labor. And Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp and I will be following along for you all day.
I hope you’ve had your coffee. I’m on number two, and the coffee line at the conference centre is an insight to what living in a Mad Max world must be like, so I don’t like my chances for the necessary third. But still. We persist.
Ready? Let’s get into it.
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