Here’s how Mike Bowers saw some of the day
Kristina Keneally has seemingly beat the government in the temporary exclusion order press release race (where she explains why Labor supported a bill it has a concerns about, because this is becoming something of a habit):
Australia will finally have a mechanism to appropriately control the return of foreign fighters into the country following the passage of the Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) legislation through the parliament this afternoon.
This is not a victory for Peter Dutton who, as home affairs minister, could have had this legislation in place four years ago – just as the United Kingdom did in 2015.
Instead, Minister Dutton left Australia unprotected for four years, allowing, as we learned this week, 40 so-called ‘jihadis’ to come back into Australia unmanaged.
Labor has always supported the intent of TEOs – which is why we have taken every step to ensure the scheme works, keeps Australians safe, and is constitutional.
The reality is, Australians who have gone overseas to join the so-called ‘caliphate’ do pose a risk to the safety and security of our country. Their return, including those returning to face criminal charges, must be controlled appropriately.
Given this risk, Labor was not prepared to leave Australia without a scheme to control their return, like Mr Dutton has done for the past four years.
Labor moved amendments in both the House and the Senate to give full effect to the bipartisan recommendations of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS).
These recommendations were handed by the chair of the PJCIS, Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, to Peter Dutton himself and signed off on by all members of the committee – including Liberal members Eric Abetz, Amanda Stoker, David Fawcett, Julian Leeser and Jason Wood.
Regrettably, the Liberal MPs and senators voted against their own recommendations – marking the first time since 2013 that the government has rejected outright recommendations from the bipartisan PJCIS.
Instead of working to improve legislation, the home affairs minister and the government have taken the dangerous step of fracturing the bipartisan approach to Australia’s national security and the compact of the PJCIS.
Minister Dutton also refused to release the government’s legal advice to put to rest concerns about the constitutionality of the legislation.
When it comes to keeping Australia safe from countering violent extremism and terrorism we should expect and demand more than a home affairs minister and government that plays political games such as these.
Updated
Annnnnnd there goes the House
The House stands adjourned. Members will return to the Chamber on Monday.
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) July 25, 2019
Temporary exclusion orders have passed – and the Senate has adjourned.
A small mystery this parliamentary week is why the Coalition removed a 12-month amnesty for employers who fail to pay workers’ superannuation from a government bill, when the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, told Guardian Australia it remains government policy.
On ABC TV, Christian Porter, minister for industrial relations, was asked where the amnesty is at.
He replied: “It remains in the bill but my recollection as to what precise amendment might have been made on that I couldn’t quite say. I think that’s not one of the matters that was changed. But the bill did go through a range of amendments based on committee recommendations and those amendments were to bring the bill as closely into line with corporations law as could possibly be achieved with respect to registered organisations.”
That answer is wrong – because the amnesty was removed from the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) bill 2019 - and is also confused, because the second half appears to relate to the Ensuring Integrity bill, which never contained the amnesty.
But in any event, despite the confusion it seems clear the amnesty for employers who don’t pay super IS still policy.
Updated
Patricia Karvelas asks whether unauthorised strike action could see unions in trouble under the ensuring integrity bill.
Christian Porter tells Afternoon Briefing:
Well, the structure of the bill as it sets out quite clearly, what are the types of behaviour, unlawful behaviour which could trigger an application issuer against a sitting public official or where there’s lots of that behaviour occurring against registered organisation itself.
But of course the point I think is that these are triggers which then require an argument by someone with sufficient standing before the federal court.
As to why the pattern of unlawful behaviour warrants an organisation or part of an organisation, say a branch being deregistered, and then the court would have to consider whether that was just in all the circumstances. So there are all of the usual safeguards and steps and requirements and burdens and things that must be shown and proven. But this is just a minimum standard for lawful behaviour in the workplace.
So that is a yes then. Basically.
Updated
'We are on to him and we will not rest' – Labor takes on Peter Dutton
You may remember from earlier this week, that Ed Husic has decided he has had enough of lightly stepping around Peter Dutton and declared Dutton “could not be trusted” on national security.
Today, in a statement to the House, he doubled down, saying he did not believe Dutton was “worthy” of the crucial portfolio.
National security is one of the most critical functions of government.
The safety of the nation is a principal threshold priority. It should remain shielded from politicisation, so that the Australian public can remain confident that no one is playing games with national security.
Yet, through his actions, the minister for home affairs has demonstrated he is not worthy of this portfolio. He cannot be trusted and he cannot help himself from prompting politicking above the solemn duty to do the right thing when it comes to national security.
Look at his track record. He has trashed the bipartisanship that’s guided national security debate.
He’s deliberately misled the public with falsehoods about the medevac legislation that have proven to be wrong.
Under his watch, journos’ homes get raided. Yet investigations into how Asio documents fall into the hands of the media gets dropped.
He ratted on deals to fix up the encryption legislation that’s hurting Australian tech firms. Metadata that is supposed to be used under strict terms is being abused and his department refused to provide legally required reports on what’s happening with its use.
Millions of dollars in government contracts were awarded to Paladin under his watch. Foreign fighter laws, that took years to get here, still aren’t here properly.
He cannot be trusted. We are on to him, and we will not rest.
Updated
Seems like everyone is keen to get out of here today.
The Senate looks like it is reordering business, at the request of the government, to move all the routine business aside, so the temporary exclusion order can be discussed.
Labor is supporting that, so the Senate will sit until that is passed (which it will be, because Labor is supporting the bill) and then the Senate will rise until Monday.
Mathias Cormann: I move that …
(1) The routine of business for the remainder of the day be consideration of government business only.
(2) Divisions may take place after 4.30 pm.
(3) The Senate shall adjourn without debate after it has completed consideration of the Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Bill 2019 and a related bill, including any message from the House of Representatives, or a motion for the adjournment is moved by a minister, whichever is the earlier.
Updated
Just in case you missed some of the Angus Taylor stories from Lisa Cox and Anne Davies, you can find them here,
For those who followed #qt today, a thread with key stories from our @GuardianAus investigation of Angus Taylor, Josh Frydenberg and the endangered grasslands
— Lisa Cox (@_LisaMCox) July 23, 2019
This is an issue which hasn’t got a lot of airplay in the parliament today, but Richard Di Natale has released a statement on this story:
In the same week UK courts declared British arms exports to Saudi Arabia to be unlawful, a large shipment of Australian-built remote weapons systems left Sydney airport.
Secret photographs, obtained by Guardian Australia, confirm the identity of the buyers – the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates governments, whose forces are currently waging a devastating war in Yemen. Also marked are the suppliers of the equipment, which the manufacturer boasts is ‘significantly enhancing lethality’ in combat.
Di Natale:
While other nations around the world ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and the US Senate recently blocked sales to both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Australia is continuing to profit off both nations’ warmongering, while remaining tight-lipped or wilfully ignorant about where our weapons are ending up.
By shipping weapons to these two regimes, we’re contributing to an unfolding catastrophe in Yemen, pouring fuel onto a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and been described by observers as the ‘world’s worst humanitarian crisis’.
This is inexcusable and callous ignorance. By permitting and profiting off these sales, Australia is tacitly allowing the UAE and Saudi regimes to continue a war that’s left 24 million people in need of help. It’s time to end our arms trade with human rights abusers, and rip up the government’s obscene plans to make Australia a global arms dealer.
Updated
Bill Shorten has released a statement on the Senate call for the disability abuse royal commissioners to stand down:
... The Senate has now backed the calls of the Australian Labor Party and the disability community for the Government to act to preserve the integrity of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
This commission is a chance to let sunlight in, expose historical wrongs and learn from them so we can provide better services to people with disability and eradicate abuse and neglect from their lives in the future.
But that will be impossible to achieve if we have two commissioners who could end up in charge of investigating themselves, their former colleagues or their former workplaces.
John Ryan is an ex-Liberal politician, NSW shadow minister for disability, and a public servant who had oversight of residential care programs for people with disability in NSW.
Barbara Bennett was deputy secretary for families and communities at the Department of Social Services and at various times oversaw the Commonwealth workplace health and compensation scheme, the National Redress Scheme, welfare, family safety, housing and homelessness, and grants to the disability sector.
Barbara Bennett and John Ryan should have already listened to the voices of the disability community, recognised that they are fundamentally conflicted, and stood down from these roles.
Since they have not then it falls to the Coalition Government to do the right thing and remove them. Labor has called for this.
Sixty groups representing people with disability have already called for this.
Now the Senate is calling for it.
Time is up for these two. It’s time for the Government to act.
Updated
The division ends as it was always going to and question time ends, with Scott Morrison commending all the new members, and giving a particular mention to Peta Murphy, the Labor member for Dunkley, who told the House her breast cancer had re-emerged two weeks after her election, and sends her the House’s best wishes.
Time for the final divide.
The parties swap sides of the chamber.
Scott Morrison is yawning (I get it) and chatting to Darren Chester and Josh Frydenberg.
Anthony Albanese is talking to Mark Butler, Jim Chalmers and Matt Keogh.
No one is talking to Michael McCormack.
Yup.
Terri Butler seconds Tony Burke’s original motion. “The minister is going to have to come clean eventually and he should just do so now,” she says.
Christian Porter gets up to ask that she no longer be heard.
We divide.
The papers are not only stacked in front of Scott Morrison, his diary and phone are on top of them.
FREEDOM AWAITS US ALL*.
*Except those in Manus and Nauru
Updated
This will fail (insofar as what Labor wants to achieve) and then another Labor frontbencher will get up and then Christian Porter will move that they are no longer heard, and the House will divide again.
The government has the numbers to back Porter’s call.
The papers are stacked in front of the PM, so he’ll probably call time on QT at the end of all that.
Updated
Will Fowles, the Victorian state Labor MP police spoke to this morning, after a door was damaged in a Canberra hotel, is taking immediate leave
.@willfowles to take leave to deal with health issues. Says he has battled with addiction and mental health issues @abcmelbourne #springst pic.twitter.com/qS43qcx5RG
— Richard Willingham (@rwillingham) July 25, 2019
The motion to suspend standing orders has been called.
Here is the motion Labor wants to move
The motion Labor is attempting to move regarding Angus Taylor; pic.twitter.com/0vMWaSInoI
— Amy Remeikis (@AmyRemeikis) July 25, 2019
A #qt tableau. @murpharoo @mpbowers @AmyRemeikis pic.twitter.com/3h23xSERzE
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
Tony Burke seeks leave to move a motion to suspend standing orders.
He wants an explanation to the House from Angus Taylor, covering off the questions Labor has asked today.
The government has the numbers in the House. This will go no where.
Scott Morrison:
We have talked a lot about the impact of thuggish unions and them trying to thieve workers’ wages and we know about the union coming here and trying to kick down doors of Parliament House, as we saw in 1996, but this week we had a state Labor party come and try to kick down the door of a hotel room, Mr Speaker.
That is the sort of behaviour they think is OK in the Labor party, and we are seeing that in the same way.
Tony Burke:
Mr Speaker, I accept with a question like that it is really hard to not be relevant. The question was as broad as it could possibly be. And the prime minister has managed not to be relevant to the question.
Tony Smith says he thinks the prime minister has finished his preamble, and Morrison gets down to drought, tax and WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, probably.
Updated
This dixer is literally:
Will the prime minister update the House on further action the government has taken this week to deliver on its priorities?
Updated
Zali Steggall to Scott Morrison:
Businesses in Warringah are bound by Australian consumer law. In particular, they’re not allowed to mislead and deceive customers about their products or services, yet in contrast, it is a free-for-all in political advertising during campaigns, where misleading and outright false claims are made by all sides of politics, resulting in a loss of trust in our political system and undermining of our democracy.
Will the government introduce or support legislation for a minimum standard of truth in political advertising during political campaigns?
Steggall is referring to some of the ads which were run against her during the election campaign.
Morrison:
And I thank the member for Warringah for her question. She would be aware that the joint standing committee on electoral matters undertakes a review of all matters in relation to the conduct of the most recent election and it will bring forward a report and that will be considered indeed by the government and the parliament and that is the appropriate place for those matters to be addressed and to be considered as they come before this parliament.
But I would agree with the member for Warringah that the activities by GetUp in the most recent election and the actions they took against the former member for Warringah was some of the grubbiest and some of the most despicable actions I’ve seen (‘what, are you jealous’, yells someone from Labor) by what is, indeed, a political organisation masquerading as something independent, Mr Speaker.
And the actions that GetUp took against by the former member for Warringah, and stood up to by the member for Boothby and I commend the member for Boothby for staring them down at the last election, and also the member for Dickson, the member for Kooyong, and I’m so pleased to see them here again, Mr Speaker because the Liberal party and the National party will never be intimidated by the bullying tactics and the big union money that goes into GetUp and the Labor party.
Updated
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor:
My question is to the Minister for Energy and emission reduction and I refer to his previous answer. Did the minister’s meeting with departmental officials discuss any of the following matters later references in departmental correspondence about the threatened species.
Whether the minister could act against the committee’s advice and if the minister acted against the committee’s advice could the minister keep the reasons secret?
Taylor:
The briefing was a technical briefing with respect to a revised listing of the EPBC which had the potential to impact thousands of farmers in my electorate, their livelihoods, their well being.
Peter Dutton:
We know that during the course of this last election, only in May of this year, that vessels had already departed in anticipation of a Labor government being elected.
Mr Speaker, there were 41 people on a boat, on their way to Australia, anticipating a Labor government and the Labor Party had, just before the election, decided to introduce a very dangerous bill called the Medevac law which - which sent the wrong message to Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
They have been all over the place for years now when it comes to border protection policy.
This Leader of the Opposition is trying to be as sneaky as the last Leader of the Opposition.
He is trying to pretend to the Australian people that he’s on their side when it comes to border protection policies but, of course, he is not, Mr Speaker.
The Australian public’s worked out Labor. They know that Labor remains weak on border protection policies and if Labor was ever re-elected, the boats would restart and the kids would be back in detention”
There was also a very serious and tragic series of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka earlier this year. But strangely that doesn’t seem to get a mention.
Australian Council of Social Service head Cassandra Goldie has welcomed the Senate inquiry into Newstart:
“This is yet another indication of the growing parliamentary support for an increase to Newstart.
“A Senate Inquiry will confirm the existing overwhelming evidence for an increase to Newstart and should not prevent the government from acting now and providing a minimum increase of at least $75 per week, which is urgently required.”
Updated
Andrew Hastie invites Peter Dutton to tell the chamber JUST HOW SAFE ARE YOU.
(Answer, as safe as possible because of Coalition policies, but OMG who knows what could happen with Labor).
The next election is three years away.
Updated
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor:
My question is to the minister for energy and emissions reduction. On Tuesday the minister said, and I quote, ‘I have always disclosed my interests and I have been very clear about those interests’. When did the minister relinquish his interest in the Cayman Islands?
Christian Porter raises a point of order that it is outside his portfolio.
Tony Burke says it relates to an earlier answer.
But it’s ruled out of order.
Updated
Scott Morrison has embraced the opportunity to get some extra work done during question time with gusto.
This is the fourth question time Labor has utilised its new “weak link” strategy (my terminology).
But if you haven’t caught on, the opposition has decided to shine a spotlight a little brighter on some of what it sees as the government’s weaker links. Morrison is a good performer, and they know that, so they are benching him as much as possible.
Minister @AngusTaylorMP defends his disclosures while the PM @ScottMorrisonMP catches up on some reading. #qt @murpharoo @mpbowers @AmyRemeikis pic.twitter.com/xJhs1T8uzl
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
Updated
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor:
At the meeting to which the minister referred, did he ask for the listings? Was that the minister’s idea or the treasurer’s?
Taylor:
Look, Mr Speaker, I make absolutely no apology for seeking and receiving briefing on policies that affect the farmers in my electorate.
And I am a proud farmer in my electorate and I will always seek and receive briefings on policies that impact them, Mr Speaker. That impact them.
Updated
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor:
I refer the minister to a claim he did not refer for a member to be present at his grasslands meeting. If it wasn’t idea, whose was it? Did the treasurer advise the compliance officer was there …
Taylor:
The department determines who comes to these meetings. Let me be very clear. I didn’t ask for, nor indeed know that, a compliance officer was present at the meeting.
Updated
Ed Husic continues his trolling, this time aiming at Alan Tudge and telling him “is this your serious face - raise your eyebrows more” as Tudge talks about his many, many concerns about Labor not being supportive of the Westconnex project.
“Tolls,” Labor MPs call out.
Updated
Tony Burke asks him to table the letter, because he says he has one with identical language, but a different date to the one Angus Taylor indicated.
Taylor says it is a confidential document and can not be tabled. We move on.
Tony Burke asks him to table the letter, because he says he has one with identical language but a different date to the one Angus Taylor indicated.
Taylor says it is a confidential document and can not be tabled. We move on.
Updated
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
I refer the minister to his previous answer. When did the minister tell the prime minister that he had an interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd?
Taylor:
I have answered the question about the disclosure of my interest before. You need to answer the question as to why you are part of a grubby smear campaign against my family in this parliament and the New South Wales parliament and you are well aware of that.
Mr Speaker, as I’ve said, my indirect interest in that farm in Jam Land has been widely reported in the media and was declared in accordance with the rules. And on this side of the House, on this side of the House, before we came into the House, many of us were involved in farming and business.
That’s what many of us did. And the result of that is we have interests in family farms and that is fully declared through my family company, Mr Speaker. As has been widely reported in the media.
Now, Mr Speaker, the reason this issue came up is several years ago, before I was in this current role, several years ago, I sought to ensure that my farmers were being fairly treated in the electorate of Hume under a revised EPBC listing. And that revised EPBC listing was having an impact on, and creating concerns, with my farmers, which were raised – which were raised, Mr Speaker, which were raised by the New South Wales famers and in National Farmers Federation on several occasions, Mr Speaker.
And I read from the letter to the treasurer at that time.
I quote: “At the time the listing was raised the NFF raised this, the then minister of environment and energy the now treasurer, the information available for public consultation did not provide any qualified assessment of the extent, distribution and the quality of the listing”.
The information provided is part of the review did not adequately analyse the ongoing risks, and thirdly, Mr Speaker, based on the information provided in the NFF’s view it is highly unlikely an individual farmer would be able to assess their responsibilities under the EPBC.
These were legitimate concerns, they were properly raised in the right context, Mr Speaker, because I stand up for my farmers.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg has the next dixer and is demonstrating how to make three minutes feel like 10.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
Butler jumped up, but Gladys Liu tried to beat him. She was originally called up then Tony Smith realised Butler had beat her to his feet and calls Butler.
“Well done, Gladys,” one of her colleagues says.
Butler:
I refer him to his previous answer. I have a copy of the minister’s statement of interests. Will the minister confirm it contains no reference whatsoever to Jam Land?
Taylor:
As I said a moment ago, my indirect interest in Jam Land has been widely reported – has been widely reported in the media ... and it was declared in accordance with the rules through my family company. Now, there are many ... who have farms. Who are part of family farms. And we invest through our family companies. That’s how we own our farms. Now, those opposite who have never participated in small businesses or farming wouldn’t understand that.
They wouldn’t understand that for a moment. Mr Speaker.
This issue has been raised by those opposite as a grubby smear campaign against me and my family. A grubby smear campaign against me and my family and I can safely say ... that the work that I have done ... with respect to the listing that has been referred to in this place in the last 24 hours was to protect interests of the farmers in my electorate and they need protection against most, of all, the sorts of policies that those opposite brought to the last election.
Updated
Michael McCoramack is Michael McCormacking his way through a dixer and talking about magistrates needing to go back to magistrate’s school.
Not even his own side is paying attention.
Andrew Bragg was called to the vice principal’s office
Asked in Senate Question Time whether he agrees with new Senator Andrew Bragg that superannuation should be made voluntary, Mathias Cormann: "The answer is no and I've told him that privately..... and now publicly" #auspol #QT
— Alex Beech (@AlexHBeech) July 25, 2019
Peter Dutton jumps up with a point of order about Ed Husic’s (alleged) comment and asks him to withdraw it.
“Whilst the minister was on his way to this dispatch box there was an un-parliamentary and offensive comment by the member for Chifley and I ask him to withdraw it.”
“Ooooohhhh, I’m getting to you,” Husic replies.
He’s asked if he made an un-parliamentary comment.
He says he didn’t. We move on.
“That went well,” someone else from Labor calls out.
Updated
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday about his declaration and the requirement to declare any relevant interest in any shares whether held directly or indirectly. The minister has not declared his interest in Jam Land. Why?
Taylor gets the call-up.
“Minister for dodgy omission*s,” someone, who may or may not be Ed Husic calls out.
Taylor:
As I made absolutely clear yesterday, my indirect interest in Jam Land, which is part of our family farms, has been widely reported in the media, and was declared in accordance with the rules, Mr Speaker. In accordance with the rules. It is very clear ...
Labor gets a bit rowdy, so Tony Smith tells them to calm down.
Taylor:
As I said yesterday, I had no association, have no association, with the compliance action and I have never made a representation in relation to it, Mr Speaker. But I tell you what I’ve made representations with respect to, with respect to the farmers in my electorate, Mr Speaker. The farmers in my electorate. And I note the comment from the member for Eden-Monaro yesterday that the issue wasn’t raised with him. I have to confess, I wasn’t surprised by it. Despite the fact that this listing covers his electorate as much as mine. I wasn’t surprised one bit, Mr Speaker. I’ll tell you why. I know why the farmers of Eden-Monaro aren’t raising the issue with their local member, because he doesn’t care. His constituents are raising it with me as are mine. We stand up for farmers on this side of the House. Those opposite simply don’t.
*I went back and checked this, he said omissions. I originally misheard.
Updated
Hands up if you’re not a fan of the CFMMEU’s John Setka. The AG @cporterwa in #qt. @murpharoo @mpbowers @AmyRemeikis pic.twitter.com/Lm7sAJa2l8
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
Christian Porter is back with another segment of WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON: UNIONS ARE TERRIBLE edition.
Seems he has taken a leaf out of Labor’s book, by writing all the questions on the same issue.
Rebekha Sharkie has the independent’s question:
Mr Speaker, my question is to the minister for drought. Farmers in my electorate are grappling with the impact of climate change, hotter and drier seasons and more frequent severe weather events. For two successive years we had hail storms devastating our apple orchards leaving growers desperate for horticultural netting to safeguard from such disasters in the future. In 2018 you initiated work on climate change. Would you please advise the House on the content and timing for the strategy?
David Littleproud:
You are right, in April last year, one of the first achievements after becoming agricultural minister, my first ministerial council of all agricultural ministers, state and myself, was to be able to get an agreement on a nationally coordinated approach to help our farmers to adapt to a changing climate.
With the support of the Victorian government, I need to acknowledge the former agricultural minister who took the lead and commissioned a report that was provided to the last ministerial council meeting in September last year.
The final report will be provided in September this year. So it is important we get a coordinated approach between state and federal agencies to ensure that we’re not duplicating expenditure.
But it is also important to understand the work our farmers and the government has already done, particularly ...
Our farmers have been adapting to a changing climate and we put $1.1bn a year to farmers to give them to tools to adapt to a changing climate for research they need. It is important to improve our landscapes. $1.1bn has gone into land care itself.
A great movement has changed the practices of our farmers for the better, not only for environmental outcomes but profitability. Only last night, this government was able to pass the Future Drought Fund. $100m dividend, year in, year out. It is legislated. We will be going out and consulting with the community. What a crazy idea the government might go out and ask those whose money it is how it might be spent. We will talk about climate risk and make sure farmers take up the research and development we’ve got to adapt to a changing climate. The government should be agile and be there to deliver money that is purposeful and will be spent properly.
Updated
Milton Dick goes on my list for being the first to inflict Michael McCormack on question time.
When will work on the Rockhampton ring road commence?
Sliced White (AKA McCormack):
As I said yesterday, as I said yesterday, work is phased in. When you have a $100bn infrastructure rollout across this nation ... work gets rolled out. What we’re not going to do for when Labor makes election commitments in their own electorates prior to an election, we don’t have to meet those particular commitments because Labor didn’t win the election. News flash: Labor didn’t win on May 18, we did.
But we are, indeed, rolling out $100m of infrastructure right across the nation, Mr Speaker. And when it comes to the member who asked the question’s electorate, we are spending $250m. Financial assistance grants up to $50m, Mr Speaker. Major projects, business case funded $25m.
He’s asked to stick to the topic.
SW:
As I hear the leader of the opposition say it is not local government, it is also state governments, we have to work in conjunction with the state governments. Maybe if the Queensland treasurer’s house was near the road they might be forth right with approving the projects and let us get on with building them.
Updated
In very exciting niche news, they have finally replaced all the blown globes in the chamber roof.
This observation obviously has nothing to do with Christian Porter’s dixer delivery. It is quite normal to look to above for escape routes. It always pays to be prepared.
Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg:
When will the prime minister cave into pressure from members of his government on changing the legislated changes to the super guarantee, making super voluntary, and include the home on the assets test just like he did on the National Energy Guarantee?
Frydenberg:
There’s only one side of this place that is promising $34bn of higher taxes and it’s those opposite, Mr Speaker. $34bn of higher taxes. And those opposite, and when it comes to superannuation, want to ban the catch-up contributions, Mr Speaker.
“Craig Kelly is more influential than you,” someone, who may have been Stephen Jones, yells.
Then we are back to WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON: UNIONS ARE TERRIBLE with Christian Porter.
Updated
Christian Porter gets the first dixer on just how terrible unions are.
THEY ARE VERY TERRIBLE (at times) is the gist of the answer.
He includes this in his answer:
Now, when we look at Queensland, there are proceedings that were commenced in December of last year against a CFMEU organiser for his behaviour towards a Queensland government occupational health and safety inspector. The construction site was Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The safety inspector was in the course of inspecting exit signage. He was confronted by the CFMEU official who, within centimetres of the face of the safety officer said, “You are an Fing dog”. Not once, not twice, but three times. The up shot of all this...
Tony Smith reminds him that you can’t use un-parliamentary language, even in a quote.
Porter wrote the answer, so this is all new to him.
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Given the government has ruled out changes to the legislated increase to the superannuation guarantee, making superannuation voluntary and including the family home in the pension assets test, what is the prime minister’s response to the many members of his government still campaigning for those very policies?
Morrison:
As the treasurer reminded the House yesterday, and I made it very clear in the lead-up to the last election, our policy is unchanged.”
“Whose side are they on?” someone in Labor yells.
“They didn’t get the memo!”
Morrison continues:
And what I know is unchanged is the Labor party have a policy for $34bn of extra taxes on superannuation. They also have a policy that continues to to strip away the dividend imputation credits for retirees. That remains their policy and they continue to pursue these matters of policy as fixed items on the Labor agenda. We know why. Because Labor are always for higher taxes, Mr Speaker.
Albanese tries for a point of order on relevance, but it is on the policy topic, so Morrison can continue.
“Labor, Labor, Labor,” yells someone from the opposition benches.
Morrison:
Labor are for higher taxes and I’ll tell you why – because they don’t know how to control spending either. They went to the 2016 election and weren’t voted in because the deficits were too big and in the 2019 election they weren’t voted in because the taxes were too big. The answer is consistent. Labor can’t manage money, they will be for higher taxes and bigger deficits. It is why they can’t be trusted with the management of our economy and Australians who depend on essential services and a stronger economy can never rely on Labor.
“You’re the government,” a Labor MP yells.
Today is going well. Today, we all wish we were Nick Champion, who is allowed to miss this, because he got kicked out for 24 hours yesterday. I am still trying to work out how that is a punishment.
Updated
Question time begins
What a time to be alive
Labor's Katy Gallagher says appointment of Gaetjens to PMC "paints a picture that we're concerned about" because he used to be Morrison's CoS, but says Labor will give him "the benefit of the doubt". Quite mild!! #auspol
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) July 25, 2019
Craig Kelly is on ABC TV and is doing nothing to calm down the super split in the Coalition:
The question that Senator [Andrew] Bragg was putting forward was that someone who is earning under $50,000, is that person better off having that money taken off them and put in a super account, or would they be better off having that as an increase in salary? And I think that is a reasonable debate to be having, and certainly all ideas in the space have to be welcomed.
Scott Morrison, Mathias Cormann and Josh Frydenberg have all ruled out changes to super.
Updated
Labor, the Greens and Centre Alliance are basically moving every single amendment the parliamentary joint security and intelligence committee wanted for the temporary exclusion bill, to force the government to vote against it.
The bill will go through. CA will probably abstain, the Greens are not supporting it, but Labor is, even without the amendments.
Labor just wants it on the record that the government did not support these recommendations.
Updated
No one knows who wrote the letter, who gave him the letter, or what it says, or even why it didn’t show up in any of the freedom of information requests.
And yes, of course we are asking. But that doesn’t mean we get answers.
Updated
For those asking, here is the whole statement Rex Patrick made to the Senate on why he won’t be supporting the motion for an inquiry into Angus Taylor:
Patrick: I just want to state to the chamber that I’ve been shown evidence that Minister Taylor was asked to make representation on behalf of some constituents. I disagree …
... If someone is presented with a concern by a constituent they should be allowed to go to a minister – I do that all the time. If I get a …
Scott Ryan: Order! Senators Di Natale, Hanson-Young and Rice, please – other senators were heard in silence. Can we let Senator Patrick be treated with the same courtesy?
Patrick: If I am presented with a concern by a constituent, I do go to ministers and I do ask them to get a briefing from a department. So what’s happened is not unusual. It’s not unusual for things that have happened to me. So, my problem with the motion is, and Senator Wong’s statement, is that there’s an error of fact in there in that ... in this instance I’m quite satisfied that Minister Taylor was making representation on behalf of some constituents.
Updated
Australians are continuing to abandon private health insurance, new data from the prudential regulator shows.
Statistics released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority today shows that 64,700 Australians dumped their private hospital cover last year, on top of more than 21,000 the year before.
And the proportion of the population with private cover has fallen for the third year running, dropping from 45.6% to 44.6% in 2018. Coverage peaked at 47.3% in 2014.
The falls come despite the government’s hefty subsidies for the private health insurance industry through tax rebates and come amid warnings the system is “broken”.
Earlier this week, the head of one of Australia’s biggest funds, NIB, said Medicare should be abolished and his industry propped up by making private insurance compulsory – a suggestion immediately rejected by the health minister, Greg Hunt.
Updated
Pauline Hanson is on Sky News telling Chris Kenny that Labor senator “Kimberley Kitchiner” who she thinks is “great” has reached out to her to set up some sort of formal working relationship, with regular meetings.
We assume she means Kimberley Kitching.
Hanson also says that Penny Wong has never spoken to her. Kenny seems to think this is OUTRAGEOUS. I mean, you could probably point him to Hanson’s maiden speech for a refresher, but sure. You do you, Kenny.
Labor’s Katy Gallagher will respond to the appointment of Phil Gaetjens as head of Prime Minister and Cabinet at 1.30 in the Senate courtyard.
Updated
Sarah Martin reported on this earlier this week but the Senate has passed another motion – this time calling for the disability royal commission senators, John Ryan and Barbara Bennett, to be replaced over what Jordon Steele-John has called “unmanagable conflicts of interests”.
Bill Shorten had also raised concerns.
The motion passed with the support of the Labor party, Centre Alliance, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Jacqui Lambie.
“These commissioners have lost the confidence of the disability community and they have now lost the confidence of one of the chambers of the Australian parliament,” Steele-John said.
“Their positions have now become untenable and they must be replaced.
“The government must now, immediately, engage with [the] disabled to appoint new commissioners in line with the criteria set out by the community, our organisations and our supporters:
- is a person with disability;
- has minimal and manageable conflicts of interest;
- has respect and trust from people with disability and the wider community;
- has high-level standing and experience in the application of the law and their impact on people with disability;
- understands the rights, laws and policies for people with disability, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- has knowledge of all forms of violence inherent in all settings and the existing legal and policy frameworks;
- understands the way age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, intersex status, ethnic origin or race intersect with disability and violence.
Updated
The moods of @JacquiLambie #senate @murpharoo @AmyRemeikis @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/KFpgqm6B2o
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
Labor says it will put its motion for an inquiry into the conduct of Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg on Monday after it failed to get crossbench support.
The Greens have also given notice they will move for a production of documents, including the letter Rex Patrick said he was shown that he told the Senate had satisfied him it was constituent matter.
Updated
Linda Burney has also spoken on the Newstart inquiry. The government voted against it, hence her reference to them below:
People can’t find work because Newstart is inadequate.
The Liberals and Nationals have no agenda and Australians doing it tough deserve better than a prime minister that doesn’t even acknowledge Newstart is too low.
Labor is determined to get Newstart working to lift people out of poverty and get Australians back into the workforce.
Updated
Victorian Labor MP @willfowles arrives at Melbourne Airport after being questioned by police over a disturbance at a Canberra hotel on Thursday morning. @theage pic.twitter.com/NyrKluKlrj
— Charlotte Grieve (@CharlotteGriev1) July 25, 2019
The Western Australian police commissioner, Chris Dawson, has defended his officers after the revelation that on two occasions WA police applied for – and obtained – a journalist information warrant from a person not authorised to provide it.
Dawson told 6PR radio the “administrative error” was made shortly after law changes in 2015 which required a “higher threshold” to obtain metadata for journalists through a journalist information warrant, to be granted in consultation with an appointed public interest advocate.
Dawson explained the WA Police had applied for a warrant from a judge in South Australia and then WA, but the first judge and the WA Police were under the mistaken belief he had been validly appointed.
Dawson conceded that an invalid warrant can result in “tainted” evidence which must be disregarded by a court, but played down the metadata failure by claiming that there was “no value” in the telecommunications billing information police had access to as a result of the invalid warrants.
Dawson declined to name the journalist. The WA Police have not yet explained whether the journalist was notified.
Updated
Senate to review Newstart
The Senate will look into the Newstart payment after a motion from Rachel Siewert and Patrick Dodson won the numbers.
Siewert in a statement:
I’m very pleased that the Senate has supported our reference to the Community Affairs References Committee.
This week we’ve had people from all sides of politics come out in support of an increase to Newstart which has not had a real term increase since 1994.
This inquiry will also look into a wide range of issues that interact with Newstart and other income support payments including impacts of the current approach, the changing nature of work, mechanisms that set payments, as well as the role of independent and expert decision-making in setting payments.
It is vital that the government pay close attention to this inquiry where we will hear from the community on what it is like to survive on Newstart. Their refusal to raise the rate is out of step with community expectations.
I urge members of the community to make submissions to the inquiry.
Updated
The motion is defeated, after the crossbench side with the government.
Larissa Waters gives notice that she plans on moving a motion for production of documents regarding the Angus Taylor issue.
Penny Wong:
Minister Taylor has a direct interest in Jam Land. He has a … by another company, I think it’s called Gufee Proprietary Limited, which is a third owner of Jam Land. There is no declaration of Jam Land on his own registered interests.
The government’s defence for Minister Taylor is that because he declared Gufee, which is another company which owns the shares in Jam Land, that’s sufficient, that’s sufficient.
The whole point of declarations - the whole point - is that they go to declaration of conflict.
They go to declaration of conflict of interest. You report the conflict on your register of interest, so it is a disclosed potential or actual conflict of interest.
How can you disclose a potential conflict of interest if you hide the fact that you actually are, via another company, an owner in the company that has the issue in terms of the property and the environmental regulations?
It is just hiding behind companies. That is the government’s defence – oh, he declared it because he declared the other company.
It’s not a standard that the public recognise.
Now, it may be, it’s been put to me, ‘well, he didn’t make any money out of it’ - that is not the test. I don’t know if he did or didn’t.
I don’t know, I assume there was some impact on the value of the property or the use of the property.
I mean, all of those issues can be explored. But that’s not the test. The test is what is appropriate for a cabinet minister.
And again, just go back to this: who else gets to ring up a cabinet minister in charge of a portfolio where there’s been an environmental regulation imposed, that affects your property, and says can [I] have a meeting with the department to discuss it.
It’s only Minister Taylor, he’s the only one. Do we really think that’s the standard we expect for ministers of the crown?
Updated
Kristina Keneally is asking who the letter Rex Patrick says he has seen, is from – and whether the whole Senate can see it – making the point that the Senate doesn’t know if the letter writer is related to Angus Taylor.
Updated
Rex Patrick is on his feet now and says he has been shown evidence that says Angus Taylor was asked to make a representation on behalf of a constituent. “If I am presented with a concern by a constituent, I do go to ministers and I do ask them to get a briefing from the department. So what has happened is not unusual,” Patrick says.
Patrick says he believes there is an “error of fact” in the motion and he is “quite satisfied minister Taylor was making representations on behalf of constituents”.
Updated
Larissa Waters points out the Greens tried to get their own inquiry into this issue (but it was a lot broader), which is slated to be voted on for Monday – but it is a lot broader and unlikely to get support. Waters says the Greens will support Labor and asks why the crossbench has gone cold on it.
Updated
Penny Wong is on her feet in the Senate, delivering a statement by leave, on what she says is the government protecting Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg from an inquiry.
The official statement on the prime minister’s department staff changes is out:
After a distinguished career in the public service, Dr Martin Parkinson AC PSM will conclude his tenure as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on 30 August 2019.
I want to express my deep appreciation to Dr Parkinson for his record of service to Australian Governments and to the Australian people over many years.
Martin has been a highly valued source of advice to me, both as Prime Minister and in other portfolios, and he has led the Australian Public Service with great distinction. His policy acumen across a range of domestic and international policy areas has helped Australia navigate a complex and rapidly changing world.
I wish him well for the next phase of his career and I look forward to him serving the national interest in other capacities.
Mr Philip Gaetjens will be the next Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The appointment was made by the Governor-General for a period of three years from 2 September 2019.
Mr Gaetjens has held leadership roles in the Commonwealth and State public sectors as Secretary of the New South Wales Treasury between 2011 and 2015 and, most recently, as the Commonwealth Treasury Secretary. He has also served in a range of other senior executive positions in the Commonwealth and South Australian public services and as Chief of Staff to the Treasurer on two separate occasions.
Phil will bring enormous experience to the position and help drive the Government’s ambitious agenda over the next three years in delivering for the Australian people. He is the ideal candidate to steer the Australian Public Service into the future.
Dr Steven Kennedy PSM will be appointed as the next Secretary of Treasury. He will move from being Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development.
Steven brings broad expertise and strong leadership to the Treasury Secretary role. In recent years, he has led work on infrastructure planning and delivery, the cities agenda, regulatory reform, public data and digital innovation. Steven has twice been seconded to the Prime Minister’s office, working as the Director of Cabinet and Government Business and Senior Economic Adviser.
Climate change is not such a clusterhucked trash fire in the UK. Which means the conservatives can pass a 2050 net zero emissions target.
And did.
Which Labor is keen to highlight, now that Boris Johnson is prime minister and, well, Australia’s emissions reduction target is ... not great. Mark Butler had this to say about it:
The UK is an extraordinary demonstration of the impact of political maturity and bipartisanship when dealing with climate change.
In 2030 Australia’s pollution is projected to be only 7% below 2005 levels, well short of the government’s inadequate commitment of a 26-28% cut. Compare that to the United Kingdom, which is currently projected to meet a reduction of 61% over the same time period. Their fifth carbon budget reflects a bipartisan process that is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The UK parliament has taken the science of climate change seriously and have acted in accordance. Scott Morrison should take a note from the UK handbook and work with Labor in delivering credible climate policy.
Updated
Mawwiage.......
(If you don’t get that reference, read a book! (and then see the movie))
ABS reports median duration of job search is 19 weeks. Among those who've been out of work for at least a year, the median duration is 109 weeks (or more than 2 years)
— Shane Wright (@swrighteconomy) July 25, 2019
Updated
Flags three ways. The PM @ScottMorrisonMP at his press conference. @murpharoo @mpbowers @AmyRemeikis pic.twitter.com/SX8tzvm4vk
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
The House is dividing for the third reading of the medevac repeal vote.
It will pass the House. Then it heads to the Senate, where, as we’ve been reporting since earlier this month, it will do nothing for at least a couple of months. The bill is in committee, which is not due to report back until October. The Senate won’t sit again until November. So there is a bit of time for both sides to make their cases to Jacqui Lambie.
Updated
Scott Morrison ends the press conference after this question:
Back to the public sector, the economy is facing a testing time at the moment and you have also implemented or are working on Ember mentation of the Royal Commission, did you take that into consideration when you change horses in Treasury smoke a confident of this process?
Morrison:
Absolutely. That may be clear because this came up in Question Time yesterday, there is already legislation that has passed Parliament in regarding implement in recommendations, many of the recommendations don’t require legislation and are being appointed in a ministry capacity.
But there is quite a bit of legislation out there and expose a draft for public consultation. What we need to be very careful to do is particularly you would know, writing for the AFR, we have to be careful in the precision of this legislation when it comes forward into the Parliament.
I’m not going to rush that and see things for new legislation that could have been addressed the to the consultation period. I’m going to make sure we give that time to work with the sector to make sure these legislative responses are correct. I don’t understand labour ‘s position.
What are they expecting, that we should have some rushed legislation? That’s how we end up with pink bat fiascoes. And overpriced school halls when you don’t take care and making responses to these things.
And we are taking care. This is a very, very significant priority of the government, to get this right. Just as all the other matters are, and we will continue to just work through the process of delivering on our agenda and to deliver on that agenda, you have to be hand in glove.
And you had the public service, working closely with strong leadership from the ministers and the Prime Minister, the expectation of performance and delivery and respect for the great capabilities of our public service.
The ACT police have released this statement:
At about 7.50am today ACT Policing received a report of a disturbance at a hotel in Kingston.
Officers on patrol nearby attended and the matter was resolved.
At this time, no charges have been laid. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident in consultation with the business owners.
For privacy reasons, ACT Policing cannot comment on whether a particular individual is under investigation or not.
On Andrew Bragg’s super views:
Well, I respond by as I always do encouraging all my members to participate in the policy process, and we have many of those processes.
In fact, the primary way we do that is through our internal processes as a party. When people give their first speeches, their made speeches in parliament, it is not unsurprising that people will set out broader especially personal views, and I welcome that. That is what we have seen in first speeches in this place for a very long period of time.
And I think it is important that members and senators have the opportunity to do that, especially in their first speeches, so I wouldn’t over interpret on that front ...
On the points of policy that you raised, I have been very clear. The government’s policy has not changed. The treasurer made that very clear also yesterday in question time. Because I am very keen to ensure, especially in a time of low-wage growth, which we have, it has been modest, I have always acknowledged that, in the best way to improve that and improve what people have in their pockets is to ensure they keep more of what they earn, and that is why we were so adamant at the last election and prior to that, and now, to deliver that tax relief which the Labor party sought to do everything they could to oppose, and they will always be for higher taxes, not for lower taxes, and that is something on which I know all members agree.
Updated
Scott Morrison on whether there will be more changes:
Well, I will always reserve that right to make further changes where I believe they are necessary. I think these are the ones that are necessary right now. We will have an acting secretary in infrastructure until such time as we make a permanent appointment in that area, but these are matters that I am looking at closely.
I am working close with all the secretaries of all departments and agent fees, and I look forward to that continuing. I am obviously consulting closely with my ministers as well about the best set of arrangements that we can put in place. But when it comes to PM and C and Treasury, I think you’ll agree they are fairly central agencies but we will continue to work with others as government dictates.
Scott Morrison was VERY prepared for this question:
Appointing your former senior adviser as the head of the bureaucracy will inevitably be seen as a politicisation of the bureaucracy. How can you give an undertaking undertaking that that traditional break between departmental officials and the political wing of government will be maintained?
Morrison (who goes to read from a piece of paper in front of him):
Well, in the same way that previous Labor prime ministers have been able to give that same obligation and accountability and commitment to the Australian people, in the numerous appointments they have made of everyone from Don Russell to Tim Lee, Geoff Ferry, Richard Mort.
This is not uncommon that people have worked in the political sphere and the bureaucratic sphere, because it is both, and where they have that experience, I think that AIDS them well in the tasks that they have.
In the secretaries that I currently have working under the Coalition government, Rosemary Huxtable, Steven Kennedy, Daryl Quinlan, Frances Adamson, all of them have served in both political roles for Labor and are doing an outstanding job for me in the secretary roles they have. It is about merit and it is about quality. And in the two appointments I have announced today, I believe that the two men have done an extraordinary job, and have earned my trust and my respect and the respect of my government.
Updated
The Treasury boss and former chief of staff to Scott Morrison when he was in Treasury – Phil Gaetjens – has been named Morrison’s new departmental secretary.
Steven Kennedy, who is in infrastructure, will move over to Treasury.
Steven has obviously worked on the Labor side, Phil has worked on the Coalition side. This is about merit, this is about people that know how to get a job done, and people have earned the respect for the roles that I think they will now be able to serve in.
Updated
'Expect and respect': prime minister says he will reform public service
Scott Morrison continues:
The review is in its final stages, but I have already made it clear in speaking to all the secretaries of all departments, in fact, even before I swore my ministry in, what my expectations were.
And this is of a very public-facing public service, a public service that is very focused on the delivery of programs, whether it is in our infrastructure programs and the pipeline of support to the states to get those projects happening, and water infrastructure, in delivering in the government services agenda where we have a new minister responsible for service in Australia, government services in Australia, these are the initiatives I want to see the public service focus on.
Implementation, implementation, doing. And it’s not just the regulations that can frustrate investment and getting services to people, whether it is Indigenous remote communities, supporting our veterans, or delivering education services in a major capital cities.
It’s just not the funding and the regulations that can frustrate this. It can just be the practices of administration within the bureaucracy. And I know that frustrates the bureaucracy as much as it can those who are expecting and waiting on those services. So that’s the culture of service that I want to see in the public sector, and that is the approach I’ll be taking and working closely in partnership with the secretaries.
Updated
Scott Morrison:
But the purpose of being here today is to say, when it comes to the public service, that is the engine room through which a government implements its agenda, and I have always had the good experience of working with the public service in providing very clear direction and leadership to the agencies I have worked with that enable them to get on with the job.
And I have always seen the public service at its best when it is really getting on with things. I have had that experience in multiple portfolios, and as prime minister, I have seen it in the eyes of our public service officials when they are responding to difficult challenges.
The north Queensland floods, I think, was a very good example of our public service at its best, responding to people’s needs, understanding what needed to be done, getting rid of barriers that were in the way of them helping people. So when it comes to the public service, my view is to respect and expect.
Respect their professionalism, respect their capability, respect what they can bring to the table and what they can do, and expect them to get on with the job of incrementing the government’s agenda. That has always been my approach in working with the public service, across many portfolios, including as prime minister.
Updated
Scott Morrison has welcomed Boris Johnson’s elevation to the UK prime ministership:
I had the opportunity to talk to Boris Johnson and congratulate him on being the elected leader of the UK Conservative party.
Since then he has now become the prime minister of the United Kingdom. We are going to have a very strong relationship. I am looking forward to spending time with him on meeting with him at the G7 next month, and we are both looking forward to that opportunity. Moving very quickly, when the opportunity presents, to be able to move to an agreement between the United Kingdom and Australia on trade.
We will be one of the first cabs of the rank, as has been the case in our discussions with the UK for some time. This is a time of change for the United Kingdom, and I think the new prime minister will bring a new opportunity, I think, to resolve what had been some very difficult issues, and that it is in the interest not only of the United Kingdom and Europe to resolve these matters, but for the order global economy to get some resolution of these issues. So I wish him all the best on those matters, and it was good to be able to catch up with him last night and I look forward to our meeting.
Updated
Anthony Albanese is speaking against the medevac repeal bill in the House.
He says it is possible to be tough on border security but still have humanity.
Updated
Katharine Murphy tells me a replacement for Martin Parkinson, the secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet, will be named at Scott Morrison’s press conference.
Peter Dutton wins the vote to suspend standing orders (no surprise there, the government has the numbers) and we move to the third reading of the medevac repeal bill.
Updated
The Greens are getting ahead of Scott Morrison’s public service announcement:
Greens spokesperson for the public service, Adam Bandt MP, today commented on reports that the Prime Minister will make “immediate and sweeping reforms” to the public service, warning that the Greens will fight to defend the public service from any attempts by an increasingly authoritarian government to weaken it.
Without a policy agenda, this government seeks only to destroy,” said Mr Bandt.
The Prime Minister’s words today are riddled with euphemisms that foreshadow an attack on the public service.
The erosion of the public service has been steadily occurring under the old parties, through privatisation by stealth and relentless outsourcing.
Now, emboldened by the election, the government looks to be preparing for a direct attack.
The Greens will take up the fight to this government to defend the public service and will not allow the outcomes of the Thodey review to be a stalking horse to weaken the public service.”
Updated
Yup – it is about bringing on the third reading of the medevac repeal.
Mr Dutton (Minister for Home Affairs), pursuant to contingent notice, moved – That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion for the third reading being moved without delay.
Updated
Peter Dutton has called for a suspension of standing orders in the House (I think it is over the medevac repeal).
Updated
Odds are Scott Morrison will be talking about this story in the Australian at his press conference:
Scott Morrison has signalled immediate and sweeping reforms to the public service to make mandarins more accountable and ensure they are serving the “quiet Australians”, confirming a changing of the guard at the top levels of the bureaucracy.
The Prime Minister has told The Australian he plans to move swiftly with a cultural shake-up across the 18 government departments and more than 100 agencies before the final recommendations from a 12-month review of the public service.
“We don’t expect the public service to run the government. That’s what we were elected to do,” Mr Morrison said. “In my experience, the public service always works best when it has strong guidance and leadership.”
Updated
By now aficionados of climate science/people who do not want the world to reach catastrophic levels of heating will be familiar with the distinction between weather (brrr it’s cold today) and climate (oh my God, on average the world is 1.5 degrees hotter and we’re headed for much more).
But not so the Nationals MP George Christensen, who has this morning told his Facebook followers not to worry:
Normally, on the road to Parliament House, MPs and Senators are greeted by extreme green protesters with alarmist banners banging on about global warming and declaring that there is a “climate emergency”. This morning, with a temperature of -3 degrees, there’s not a protesting soul in sight.
I don’t know why. For a north Queenslander, -3 degrees is a bloody climate emergency. It’s just not global warming.
Updated
Scott Morrison has called a press conference for 10.45am in the prime minister’s courtyard – the Beyoncé of political press conference locations.
Updated
Rex Patrick’s motion to suspend standing orders was defeated, 36 to 36 (when there is a tied vote, the status quo rules, which means continuing on with the schedule in this case).
The Finance Minister @MathiasCormann chats to One Nation’s @PaulineHansonOz during the vote on Senator Patrick’s TEO bill motion. #senate @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/qcUDNKafUB
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
There seemed like an easy fix to this – giving Centre Alliance a private (and confidential) briefing of the advice. But that doesn’t appear to have been made available, which is a strange tactic, given how important Centre Alliance is in the Senate.
Updated
Oh, and Labor is still keeping count on government MPs.
Ed Husic called for a quorum after noticing there were less than 31 government MPs this morning.
For those who missed it, after the government pulled some shenanigans on Monday, rushing a bill through, Labor told the government it would play hardball of its own.
And it is, calling for a quorum every time there aren’t enough MPs in the chamber. Usually it is one of those rules that is just politely ignored. But not this week.
Updated
The Senate is dividing to see if Rex Patrick can suspend standing orders.
Doesn’t look like he has the numbers.
It’s excitement plus in the House right now.
The offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage amendment bill is being debated.
I may need a fainting couch, I am so overcome.
For those interested, there is also this:
Of special interest today, it's #Budget2019 Day! ...Sort of. Appropriation Bills 1 and 2, plus Parliamentary Appropriation Bill 1, will be introduced this morning. Interim supply bills were passed following the actual Budget in April. pic.twitter.com/w3A7i7kwNp
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) July 24, 2019
Updated
Police are speaking with a man at Civic police station.
Politician in Canberra hotel incident now confirmed to be Victorian Labor MP Will Fowles https://t.co/b9xPzqHGGk
— Richard Ferguson (@RichAFerguson) July 24, 2019
Updated
Pauline Hanson says she trusts the law is constitutional because the government told her it was
Whole lotta lobbying goin’ on. One Nation gets lobbied by Senator Rex Patrick (top pics), and the Finance and Defence Ministers (bottom pic). On Senator Patrick’s motion on the TEO bill. @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/cmkJaBp3O8
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 25, 2019
The government denied Rex Patrick leave to move his motion – which is why we are having this debate.
So it will come down to whether the rest of the crossbench supports him. Labor and the Greens are in.
There could be two votes – one to suspend standing orders in order to move the motion.
If that fails, that is it. If it succeeds, then there is another vote on the motion itself.
It looks like Pauline Hanson is against it.
Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick moves in the Senate a motion to (as he says) improve the constitutionality of the TEO legislation. @AmyRemeikis @mpbowers @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/9XX5o4nxTg
— Lyndal Curtis (@lyndalcurtis) July 24, 2019
Police called to Canberra hotel after reports of incident involving state Victorian MP
The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age have reported this:
First term Victorian Labor MP Will Fowles has been questioned by police over a disturbance at a Canberra hotel on Thursday morning.
...When approached for comment by the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Mr Fowles would not comment on the incident but said he would make a statement later in the day.
Updated
Rex Patrick is attempting to suspend standing orders in the Senate, in an attempt to demand the government release constitutional advice about temporary exclusion orders.
There are questions over whether the legislation is constitutional.
Updated
The bells are ringing - parliament is about to start.
Update: I’m told the man who kicked in a door at a hotel in Kingston is not a federal politician pic.twitter.com/HzRMjwrX2W
— Fiona Willan (@Fi_Willan) July 24, 2019
Remember how I said Labor had a spring in its step over the super split in the Coalition party room? This was Jim Chalmers this morning, speaking to ABC radio:
This is a test of authority, of Frydenberg’s authority and Cormann’s, and also Scott Morrison’s. Remember he went to the party room on Tuesday and said to his colleagues, “please stop talking publicly about super”.
And since then we’ve had multiple Liberals out there bagging Frydenberg and Cormann’s position.
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There are reports a MP has been involved in an incident at a Canberra hotel. Former journalist Kellie Sloane tweeted about the incident on Twitter
So here’s the latest. A politician (I don’t know who) has gone into a rage after discovering he couldn’t access his luggage. Police say he’s now calmed down but is facing charges. pic.twitter.com/VRKu5p2s2t
— Kellie Sloane (@kelliesloane) July 24, 2019
Details are sketchy. Calls are in to PMO. We’ll update you as facts come to hand.
There were five names on this press release, but the future drought fund is a reality (the money won’t flow until July 2020 though).
Farmers and rural and regional communities which have been suffering years of unrelenting drought will now have access to the tools they need to prepare for, manage and sustain their businesses with the passage of the Future Drought Fund legislation through the Senate today.
The Future Drought Fund will grow from $3.9 billion to $5 billion over the next decade, while facilitating a $100 million a year additional investment into drought resilience and preparedness, even in the good years, every year from 1 July 2020.
The Government is backing in our farmers, and we will always stand up and support our drought-affected communities. The Future Drought Fund is about more than just money – it is about giving our farmers the best possible tools to face drought, now and in the future.
Despite Labor’s attempts to stop the Government from establishing the Future Drought Fund, the Government has delivered on its election commitment to guarantee a sustainable source of funding for vital drought resilience projects in rural and regional communities.
A consultative committee will soon begin engaging with farmers and rural and regional communities to ensure the money is well spent when the additional funding becomes available from next year.
The Government will work swiftly to establish the Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee and put in place rigorous governance arrangements for the appropriate selection and prioritisation of projects.
Drought is a fact of life in this country. Our Future Drought Fund will ensure our farmers, who are among the best in the world and regional communities are better equipped to deal with its effects when it happens again.
The Future Drought Fund comes on top of the Government’s $2 billion in additional drought initiatives we have already previously announced.
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Marise Payne is off to Fiji:
I will travel to Fiji from 24 to 26 July to represent Australia at Pacific Islands Forum ministerial meetings and further strengthen cooperation to promote security and prosperity in our region.
At the special Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting on 25 July, ministers will discuss opportunities and proposals to support a resilient and stable Pacific.
At the Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting the following day, I will join other foreign ministers to discuss how we can work together to secure our region, the Blue Pacific, including through managing fisheries and finalising maritime boundaries.
I am also looking forward to discussions on how we can strengthen regional security under the Boe Declaration.
Australia is working with Pacific partners to implement two key regional security initiatives in support of the Boe Declaration – the Pacific Fusion Centre, and the Australia Pacific Security College.
The Pacific Fusion Centre will inform responses to the security challenges our region faces, including illegal fishing, people smuggling and drug trafficking. The Australia Pacific Security College will strengthen regional security cooperation across the region.
I will meet again with women parliamentarians in Fiji, including the Minister for Women Children and Poverty Alleviation, the Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa. I am also looking forward to visiting the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT), an important initiative to assist Pacific island countries access vital seeds and staple crops, and the Fiji National University (FNU) to see Australian support for Pacific island students.
Jacqui Lambie is one of the most popular people in parliament these days. Its amazing how having the swing vote can bring all the parties to the yard.
The Tasmanian senator is the deciding vote in the medevac bill. She’s keeping her powder dry in that one.
But she’s also a very important vote in the ensuring integrity bill. And on that, she had some interesting things to say to Phil Coorey in the AFR:
“It’s no secret I have concerns about the behaviour of certain members of the trade union movement. I have made these concerns very clear to Michele O’Neil, [ACTU secretary] Sally McManus and John Setka.”
The bill isn’t due for its final vote until after the winter break, in October or November.
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It’s very on-brand for a Liberal to believe a scheme should be voluntary – the power of the individual is kind of their thing, after all.
But this bit in Andrew Bragg’s first speech to the Senate is what has eyebrows raised this morning:
Compulsory superannuation is almost 30 years old. Super is now almost twice the size of the economy and the capitalisation of the securities exchange. We have the fourth-largest private pension pool in the world with only 25 million people.
It remains a strange but huge experiment. The Centre for Independent Studies says one of the preconditions necessary to justify forced saving is that “under-saving for retirement will result in serious harm, including serious levels of old age poverty”.
Super fails at the first gate as the age pension underwrites Australians against old age poverty. Grattan Institute modelling shows super tax breaks will not pay for reduced pension outlays until the 22nd century, if at all!
So what does this money do? Most of the funds invest in the same index-hugging way. The super industry contains layer upon layer of intermediation, with the same request from government: higher and higher mandatory contributions.
As lawmakers, our duty is to focus on the public interest. I do not believe this system is working for Australians. Certainly the case has not been made for ever bigger super. I would change direction. Super should be made voluntary for Australians earning under $50,000. Taxpayers could simply tick a box to get a refund when filing an annual tax return. I commissioned modelling from Rice Warner actuaries, which estimates a saving to government of $1.8bn in the first year alone.
Super is making home ownership so much harder for lower income Australians.
The CIS found that the average deposit for a first home has doubled between 2000 and 2015. Since super started in 1992, every single age group has experienced lower levels of home ownership.
Two answers must be provided, in my view, if we are to keep super as it is today: (1) will more super reduce future pension costs to government – and if so, by how much – and (2) how much better would retirement standards be if we had more super? The last Intergenerational Report showed around 80% of people would take a public pension in 2055. That is not good enough after 70 years of compulsory superannuation. Unless the next edition favourably answers these questions, I would be inclined to make the whole scheme voluntary.
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Good morning
It’s parliament Friday, which means the MPs are itching to get out and back home.
But first there is the business of legislating. Or at least arguing about legislating.
As well as arguing in the party room. Or, as we keep getting told, having “the conversations”. Even if the conversations are not going anywhere. Or are not supposed to be.
But despite both Mathias Cormann and Josh Frydenberg ruling out changes to super, it keeps coming up. Craig Kelly, who you might remember was saved from a looming pre-selection loss by Scott Morrison, the man who then went on to win the election for the Coalition, had his ideas, which he decided to air in the media. Then Andrew Bragg suggested superannuation for those earning under $50,000 should be voluntary.
Plus, there is a group within the party room who are getting louder about scrapping the 12% superannuation guarantee. This has all come after Morrison told the party room to keep their lips shut, at least when it came to the media, and to air their views through the usual party room processes.
That is going great.
But it has put a spring in Labor’s step, for probably the first time since the 18 May election, as the government’s attempts to put the spotlight on unions and the ensuring integrity bill.
Fun times.
Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy and Paul Karp are on deck for you, and you’ll find me in the comments and social media.
Ready?
Let’s go.
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