Night time Australian politics summary
Here is your lot for the night, as a well known gardener would say.
- The government is considering a “general request” for a military role in Iraq.
- The government has established an interim embassy in Kiev to repay Ukraine for its support during the MH17 crisis.
- Former prime minister Paul Keating has lashed the government-Palmer mining deal as employers say they will not necessarily be able to provide pay rises to make up for lost superannuation - contrary to government claims.
- The government lost the vote in the senate to bring in tougher rules for breaches of the rules for unemployed people on benefits.
- The debate continues in the lower house on the government’s higher education changes which introduce deregulation to universities and increasing repayment rates.
As I shuffle off into the night, I will leave you with Mike Bowers’ photo of Tasmanian senator Richard Colbeck congratulating Jacqui Lambie, presumably through gritted teeth. Lambie gave past and present Tassie senators a bollocking for not doing more to solve the island’s transport crisis. Thanks to the Canberra office brains’ trust and the legendary Bowers for his pictures.
Good night.
God put me here to reform the defence forces, says Lambie.
One thing I missed in the Lambie speech, the details of her indigenous heritage. Here from her official speech:
I acknowledge and pay my respects to Australia’s Aboriginal traditional owners. I share their blood, culture and history through my mother - Sue Lambie’s family. We trace our history over 6 generations to celebrated Aboriginal chieftain of the Tasmanian east Coast - Manalargerna.
Lambie commits to being part of the biggest reform of the department of veterans’ affairs.
She says there has been a complete lack of leadership and a culture of cover up. She (again) calls for a royal commission into the department and leadership.
There is several reasons why a royal commission needs to happen, according to Lambie, including:
- high levels of abuse and sexual assualt
- under resourcing of defence
- mismanagement of defence procurement
- and the case of former lieutenant, Marcus Saltmarsh, who served in East Timor (and is sitting in the gallery).
Because the government would not apologise, I would like to apologise (to Saltmarsh).
Lambie says Saltmarsh’s rifle accidently discharged killing his best mate, Corporal Stewart Jones. He was forced to face a court martial and after a long investigation, the finding was “no case to answer”. The defence officials handling of the case, including public leaks to the media, which she says exacerbated his situation.
She said defence chiefs David Hurley and David Morrison have never publicly apologised or exonerated Saltmarsh. Then, she claimed, photos of Jones’ body in the mortuary - Lambie says “his best mate” - were sent to Saltmarsh by mistake.
She thanks her family and her staff.
God bless Australia, my tasmania and our beautiful Southern Cross.
Lambie says she cannot understand why every Tasmanian senator that has been in power or is in power now has ignored the problem, which she describes as the:
outrageous stinky filthy injustice... if the government does not want an army of Jacqui Lambies in this place, fix the Bass Strait Transport Cost Crisis.
Lambie described Australia’s power prices as some of the highest in the world. She says Labor, the Greens and some in the government believe making energy more expensive will fix climate change.
She says if Australia is going to prosper, Australia has to have the cheapest power in the world.
Lambie said one of Tasmania’s biggest problems is the Bass Strait Transport Cost Crisis which has:
strangled our economic life.
Lambie was born in north Tasmania and says she has had her share of knocks. Her military service taught her the value of freedom.
Lambie says she will always scrutinise legislation with an eye to water, food, energy, job, national security.
PUP senator Jacqui Lambie begins her first speech talking about her Aboriginal heritage on her mother’s side.
Then she moves on to her commitment to veterans and Australia’s greatest state - Tasmania.
Lambie contacted Palmer with concerns about veterans and offered to stand.
She says like Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang, they were not born into privilege so will always side with the marginalised.
Day is talking about his two pet topics, the barriers to jobs and housing. He believes two of the bigger barriers are:
- Rent seekers, the scourge of business and politics.
- Planning controls.
In the Senate representing Family First, Day is a long time member and office holder in the HR Nicholls Society. That group has its central tenet on the website.
The HR Nicholls Society believes that in a modern society there is no intrinsic imbalance in bargaining power between employers and employees and the regulation of workplace relations should be minimal. That is in the interests of both sides and in maximising economic growth for the economic and social benefit of the nation.
Just to give you an idea of where he is coming from.
It’s time people are given the freedom to opt out.
He has brought a large audience in the public gallery and after he finishes his speech, fellow senators line up to shake his hand.
Family first senator Bob Day is giving his first speech. He is talking about employment opportunities for young people.
Young people should not be made to stay on to year 12 if they are not happy, says Day.
Day points out Newstart is worth about $240 while the minimum wage is $640. Day’s thesis is that young people might find a job that suits them for less than the minimum wage. He says we celebrate volunteers who work for nothing but people are not allowed to work for less than the minimum wage.
If you are allowed to work for nothing, surely you should be allowed to work for something.
He says just because a few people might be exploited, does not mean the government should not let young people seek more flexible working arrangements out of the industrial system.
I am not advocating a return to Workchoices.
Our father, who art on the backbench.
Tawdry. Wilful. Sabotage. Cheap ideology. PJK delivers his verdict.
The father of superannuation, former prime minister, Paul Keating, has delivered his ruling on the Coalition-Palmer superannuation changes.
The government’s connivance with PUP (Palmer United Party) to spike superannuation at 9.5 per cent has little to do with the budget balance this year, or in the early out years, and everything to do with cheap ideology.
The Prime Minister and Mr Palmer trotted out the tawdry argument that working people are better off with more cash in their hand today than savings for tomorrow.
Yesterday’s decision represents nothing other than the wilful sabotage of the nation’s universal savings scheme.
Updated
Coming up, the first speeches of PUP senator Jacqui Lambie and Family First senator Bob Day.
Updated
Don’t touch that dial.
The senate is debating an urgency motion on Australia’s shipbuilding industry over a broken promise.
In May last year, the defence minister David Johnston, then in opposition, promised:
The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide, we will get that task done, and it is a really important task, not just for the Navy but for the nation. And we are going to see the project through, and put it very close after force protection, as our number priority if we win the next Federal Election.
It appears now that the government is backing away from that promise.
Nick Xenophon told the senate the prime minister refusal to rule out a foreign build for the Future Submarine project came just months after “the outrageous decision of excluding the entire Australian ship building industry from the tender for the navy’s two new supply ships”.
The Future Submarine project will cost between $12bn and $36bn, depending on which design option is chosen. It is a crucial project to sustain the employment of thousands of South Australians. South Australia is suffering an historic deindustrialisation that requires a proper policy response from the Federal Government.
South Australian Labor senator Penny Wong and new Family First senator Bob Day have also criticised failure to keep the Future Submarine commitment.
Self-declared best friend of the students, Christopher Pyne.
It must be spring. The Melbourne Cup publicity road show has turned up.
Very excited to welcome the Melbourne Cup officially to Parliament! First time in history. #melbcupcarnival #auspol pic.twitter.com/0jJeuU25EO
— Dan Tehan (@DanTehanWannon) September 3, 2014
Shorten: The government thinks manual labor is a Spanish tennis star.
Which is eerily like Adam Bandt’s line in August.
The budget needs a salesman who doesn’t that manual labor is Spanish soccer player.
Bill Shorten embarks on a Matter of Public Importance regarding the government’s deal with Palmer United Party on repealing the mining tax and the associated spending spending measures. Shorten calls it:
The most stupid short-term decision I have seen this government make.
He calls Joe Hockey the most out of touch, cigar-chomping, blowhard treasurer we have had.
By the way, Clive Palmer is away from the parliament today.
A government question to agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce on dairy. The prices of dairy are going through the roof.
Isn’t it amazing what a difference we have made in one year?
(The government is apparently controlling markets these days.)
There are two more questions on superannuation and I can save you the trouble because it was more of the same.
The opposition leader is mired in this culture of irrelevant complaint, says Abbott.
Updated
Treasurers at 30 paces.
Joe Hockey to Wayne Swan "the worst treasurer Australia has ever had" @GuardianAus @gabriellechan #politicslive #QT pic.twitter.com/7YZcO6Mljl
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) September 3, 2014
Updated
A government question to Warren Truss about what the government is doing for rural and regional Australia.
Roads, roads, roads. The roads of the 21st century. Did I say roads?
Shorten to Abbott: Why is the PM placing the interests of one billionaire ahead of the interests of 9 million working Australians, 1.3 million families, 3.2 million small businesses?
Abbott dead bats the question to the point where Labor’s Tony Burke appeals to Speaker Bishop.
There’s got to be something left of the relevance rule?
Abbott says Labor dealt with all members when negotiating legislation. No different.
In the senate, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm is giving George Brandis a lecture on increased funding to Asio. He suggests, given the ABC and SBS have to undergo an efficiency review, why doesn’t the government implement one for Asio.
Brandis says the extra national security funding is necessary due to the international climate.
Shorten asks Abbott: 3.2 million small businesses, 3.2 million, will have the instant asset write-off slashed from $6,500s to $1,000 because of the PM’s dirty deal with the leader of the Palmer United Party. Why is the PM more interested in putting the interests of nine mining companies ahead of 3.2 million small businesses?
Abbott:
The government supports small business... It’s a government which comes from small business, unlike members opposite who all comes from the ranks of union officials and party officials.
Joe Hockey is asked how the removal of the mining tax will help jobs. This is a question to whack Wayne Swan, who was defending the mining tax on Twitter yesterday. Swan is yelling back at the treasurer.
Jenny Macklin asks Tony Abbott: 1.3 million Australian families will lose the school kids bonus because of this PM’s dirty deal with the leader of the Palmer United Party, a cut will mean a typical Australian family with two kids in school will be $15,000 worse off over the course of their children’s schooling. Why is the PM putting the interests of nine mining companies ahead of 1.3 million Australian families?
Abbott says we were upfront about removing the mining tax and the corresponding spending measures such as the school kids bonus.
(Except the Coalition did promise a pause of two years rather than seven years on the superannuation increase.)
Joe Hockey reporting on the national accounts, which he says shows 24 years of consecutive economic growth.
This has happened because Australia has been good at reforming, says Hockey.
(Did I miss something in the last parliament?)
Shorten to Abbott: Why is the PM placing the interests of nine mining companies over the interests of almost 9 million working Australians?
Abbott responds by picking up on Shorten’s refusal to say whether he would reinstate higher contributions to compulsory superannuation.
Shorten is yelling across the table:
Less than 12 months for you Joe (Hockey).
Justice minister Michael Keenan is outlining the extra funding for the Australian Crime Commission for the creation of a foreign fighters taskforce.
Keenan says the ACC has conducted 40 coercive hearings on 24 individuals to understand foreign fighters and their support networks.
Labor asks Abbott: Why is this government protecting people earning $100,000 or more in interest on their superannuation while punishing workers earning $37,000 or less by abolishing the low income superannuation contribution?
Abbott repeats the government is putting more money in people’s pockets. Which is not strictly true.
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson is interposing from the other house on the wisdom of leaders beginning question time with statements on World War II.
@gabriellechan should have started with the stupidity and madness that began WW1 (many historians see WW2 as a continuation of this?)
— Peter Whish-Wilson (@SenatorSurfer) September 3, 2014
In between times, Labor asked a question on the effect of the superannuation changes and immigration minister Scott Morrison is speaking on the counter terrorism laws.
We have yet to see the legislation on the second tranche of counter terrorism laws relating to returning foreign fighters even though the bills are due in the next spring sitting.
Greens MP Adam Bandt asks why Australia is selling uranium to Russia.
The prime minister confirms there will be no uranium sales to Russia until further notice.
More details on the Ukraine development.
It is an interim embassy, which will support the 9 AFP investigators. The government is considering short term humanitarian assistance and “non-legal military assistance”.
In the medium term, Australia could provide “civil and military capacity building assistance”.
A government question on Ukraine to Abbott, who announces Australia is opening an embassy in Ukraine to repay that country for the help on MH17. Labor supports the “interim” embassy, says Plibersek.
A government question on Abbott’s trip to India (see earlier).
Labor to Abbott: Can the PM confirm that for an average income earner aged 25 that his decision to freeze the superannuation guarantee will cost that person around 100,000dollars by the time they retire?
I can confirm in response to the Leader of the Opposition that money that would otherwise be squirrelled away in superannuation funds will instead be in the pockets of workers.
Updated
The prime minister has made a confusing statement on requests for military involvement.
We have received no specific request to engage in actual military action against ISIL. Nevertheless, Madam Speaker, we have received a general request and we are considering what we may be able to make available. But I stress, Madam Speaker, no specific request has been received, no specific decision has been made.
This is new but is opaque. We will do our best to keep you updated as to what it means in specific terms.
Shorten asks Abbott to update on parliament following the death of Steven Sotloff.
There is no reason that I have to doubt that this atrocity has indeed been carried out by ISIL. I have no reason to doubt, Madam Speaker, that there hasn’t been involvement of people from several countries in this latest atrocity committed by ISIL.
Now Bill Shorten:
As PM John Curtin said, let Hitler boast that every citizen of Germany is a soldier. Let us be proud that every Australian soldier is a citizen.
Question time begins in the house and the senate. Tony Abbott starts by talking about Robert Menzies’ wartime statement when Australia followed Britain into war on this day.
We honour the memory of the leaders who served our country and we salute the service of our people.
Lunch time Australian politics summary
- The employers say they will not necessarily be able to provide pay rises to make up for lost superannuation as a result of the mining tax repeal bill.
- The government lost the vote in the senate to bring in tougher rules for breaches of the rules for unemployed people on benefits.
- The debate continues in the lower house on the government’s higher education changes which introduce deregulation to universities and increasing repayment rates.
-
Tony Abbott has attended the first high profile National Flag Day ceremony in front of parliament house.
The head of the Australian Chamber of Commerce Kate Carnell has joined the chorus of people questioning the idea that scrapping the planned superannuation increases would automatically lead to wage rises.
Employers say a long freeze on legislated increases in the amount they are required to pay workers in superannuation will help them afford wage rises but it will not guarantee pay increases of equivalent value.
The freeze will reduce Australians’ total superannuation savings by $128bn by 2025 and was part of a deal with mining magnate Clive Palmer’s Palmer United party to secure the long-promised abolition of the former government’s mining tax.
Updated
Greens leader Christine Milne and Scott Ludlum have warned against signing a deal with India to supply Australian uranium. Tony Abbott will be jetting off to India this afternoon and is expected to sign to provide uranium “under suitable safeguards”.
The prime minister has said if Australia was once prepared to sell uranium to Russia, it should sell to India, as a fully functioning democracy.
It will be Abbott’s first trip to India as prime minister.
Joe Hockey is asked the key question. If the government wants to end the age of entitlement and make more people self sufficient in their retirement, why reduce entitlements to ensure that more people will need the aged pension?
That assumes that there is no growth in the pool of superannuation or limited growth and the best way to grow the pool of superannuation is to have a stronger performing economy, stronger performing equity markets, more profitable businesses, higher real estate prices, these things all feed into the value of superannuation and the return on investment.
Hockey and Cormann have been using Bill Shorten’s words from 2012 when the then Labor minister noted that superannuation contributions came out of the pockets of workers (and business). Hockey said, contrary to Labor’s claims, the Coalition is the friend of the worker.
We’re the workers’ friends, we are on their side, we want them to have more money in their pockets.
Hockey is asked whether he will “pick up the phone” and call Labor and the Greens. He said the government had tried Christine Milne over the winter recess and she didn’t return the calls. When finance minister Mathias Cormann finally got on to her, it was not very fruitful.
I don’t understand what (Labor and Green) their logic is. As I said, they got their foot on the accelerator and they’re going into a cul-de-sac at high speed.
On superannuation, Hockey is asked why is it better for people to have money in their pockets now rather than in long term savings?
The bottom line is in the short to medium term people are going to have more money in their pockets and their super will continue to rise but the best thing we can do for superannuation is to grow the economy, because that actually grows the size of superannuation in Australia.
Joe Hockey releasing the June quarter national accounts.
The Australian economy obviously expanded by 0.5% in the June quarter, 3.1% over the course of the year. In light of the previous very strong quarter, where we grew by 1.1%, this was a strong outcome and it was at the top of market expectations.
Behind you! That man has a camera and he is a trusted insider!
Attorney general and arts minister George Brandis also attended the Menzies exhibition at Old Parliament house.
Not happy John.
The ideological love child. Where’s Mum?
Hear ye, hear ye.
New heads of departments have just been announced by Tony Abbott. The secretary of Immigration Martin Bowles will swap over to secretary of Health. Deputy secretary of the department of foreign affairs and trade Chris Moraitis will become secretary of the Attorney-General’s department. The prime minister will announce the new head of immigration in the near future.
The senate voted down the government’s tougher dole penalties 29 to 35.
In the red chamber, the senate is debating the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Stronger Penalties for Serious Failures) Bill 2014. This is the one that penalises unemployed people who refuse a job or don’t participate in the activity requirements for the dole.
Under current law from Labor’s days, unemployed people lose the dole for eight weeks as a penalty, unless the government waives the penalty in the case of severe financial hardship or if they are unable to participate for good reason.
The leader of the government and employment minister Eric Abetz said under Labor, the government was waiving the penalty too often so this bill removes the government’s discretion and makes the exceptions more prescriptive.
Nick Xenophon, among others, argued the penalty was more likely to hit people who are already struggling and create a vicious cycle where people who are hit are more likely to breach.
The senate has just divided on the bill.
Updated
You may have heard the news that Coles has cut more than 400 jobs in Melbourne overnight, including 378 permanent positions and 60 contractors will be cut. Only 160 of the workers to be offered other roles within the company.
Defending the company was none other than Alister Jordan, former chief of staff for Kevin Rudd while he was Prime Minister. He has taken up up the role of head of corporate affairs at Coles.
Inside Retail reported another former Rudd economic advisor, Andrew Charlton, became head of liquor at Coles in June 2013.
Foreign minister Julie Bishop has described the apparent execution of Steven Sotloff as brutal and barbaric and more evidence that Australia and its US cannot let Isis spread.
Reports have emerged that the US are sending 350 troops to protect US and western assets in Iraq. Bishop says she “does not envisage being asked or offering” combat troops on the ground in Iraq.
The Australian government has contingency plans in place for the Australian embassy in Baghdad if the situation deteriorates and the government would be able to get diplomats out.
Tony Abbott is opening the Robert Menzies exhibition in Old Parliament House, curated by the former prime minister John Howard.
He comes to praise, “both giants”. More in a minute.
Victorian Independent Cathy McGowan is speaking on the higher education bill. She says rural and regional Australia already suffers from market failure with regard to higher education. The Coalition’s higher education changes will exacerbate the market failure.
She said rural students are excluded because of the accommodation and travel costs associated with travelling away from home to universities.
We are creating an academic underclass by not supporting rural and regional students.
At a school level, she urged the government to implement the Gonski reforms.
Tony Abbott was asked whether Barack Obama was too hesitant in his response to Isis.
President Obama has responded with a mix of reason and appropriate anger against what we have all seen. We are right to be appalled, absolutely appalled at what is happening in Iraq.
It would not be a flag raising ceremony without school kids.
Rapt in the flag.
We are told by attendants that this flag ceremony is the first of its type in the parliamentary forecourt.
Tony Abbott is at the National Flag Day ceremony. Abbott said given the “challenging times”, it is right to have a “public and formal” celebration of the flag. It is also fitting, he said, because it is the 75th anniversary of Australia’s involvement in the second world war. (Britain declared war on Germany today.)
It’s a flag of stars and crosses. The crosses represent our history and our heritage. The stars under which indigenous people have roamed for tens and tens of thousands of years represent our dreams, past, present and future.
As Australians we are proud to say that we were born under this flag, have fought under this flag, have cheered for this flag and many of us wish to be buried under this flag.
I encourage everyone to fly the Australian national flag proudly and to celebrate our flag’s day.
The higher education bill is in its second reading stage in the parliament. This is the bill that deregulates fees, extends coverage to diplomas and associated degrees, changes student loan rates to the government bond rate and lowers the threshold at which student debts are repaid.
Bill Shorten is doing a press conference right now on the superannuation changes and the Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014 being debated in the parliament at the same time. National party MP Darren Chester is speaking on the bill as Shorten and Kim Carr are at the University of Canberra congratulating its vice-chancellor Stephen Parker for his opposition to the changes.
There seems to be some argument over whether a lesser superannuation rate will actually mean less money for workers overall or whether people will just get the money now instead of later.
Economist Saul Eslake characterised it as moving future income into the present. However there is no guarantee that employees will get wage rises equivalent to what they would have got in mandated future.
Over at The Australian, David Crowe has some interesting figures on how much people will lose from their superannuation as a result of what he describes as a “shock deal”.
The superannuation industry has crunched the numbers to show what the average worker will lose.
The analysis by Industry Super Australia also shows that a worker who is 30 and earning $100,000 a year would retire with a nest egg about $39,264 smaller than otherwise because of the changes made yesterday.
In the same way, someone who is 50 and earning $100,000 a year would lose $19,138 in retirement savings when the smaller contributions and super fund earnings are compounded over time.
Next to Peter Martin at Fairfax, who was in favour of the government’s extended delay in superannuation rises.
We’ve dodged a bullet. Had compulsory super contributions climbed as legislated, Australian workers would have lost 0.5 per cent of wages from their next pay increase, 0.5 per cent from the following one then 0.5 per cent from each of the following three. By 2019 they would be earning 2.5 per cent less than if the government had left compulsory super alone.
Labor legislated to increase compulsory super recklessly. After being stalled at 9 per cent of pay since 2002, Labor wanted to lift it to 12 per cent, lifting it at first by 0.25 per cent of pay in June 2013 and 2014 then by 0.5 per cent in each of the next five years.
There has been a range of reactions to the government’s surprise deal with Clive Palmer. We will start with Lenore Taylor, who has nailed the Palmer pattern of negotiating:
maximum disruption and then support the government after extracting cobbled-together concessions during chaotic backroom meetings from which all stakeholders are excluded.
Taylor makes the point that compulsory superannuation means more people can finance their own retirement and fewer will need the aged pension.
It also proved, once again, that Palmer is an easy touch in behind-closed-doors negotiations, and that neither Palmer, nor the government, are all that keen on Australia’s world-leading system of retirement savings through compulsory superannuation.
Updated
Labor backbencher and sometime Rudd numbers man Alan Griffin arrives in his trackies. Is that a soft drink can in his hand?
National Flag day marks the first day the Australian flag was raised in 1901. The prime minister is due to wave the flag at 9.30am.
Mike Bowers has been scouting about the grounds and found a lone protestor Meredith Rose with “No War” signs. She told Mike it was important for democracy to make a stand in things you believe in.
Good morning,
On this National Flag Day, comes the sad news of another alleged execution by Isis of journalist Steven Sotloff in the same manner as James Foley. US agencies are currently analysing the video to check its authenticity.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has already reacted to the news.
Asked whether the warning in the video gave Australia pause in following US into Iraq, Hockey told Radio National:
It’s not about following the US into Iraq. It is about doing what is right. We are absolutely determined to do what is right by humanity, to do what is right by our values as Australians. We will not be intimidated by the threats of murderers; we will never be intimidated as a nation or a people by the threats of murderers.
Parliamentary secretary Josh Frydenberg called it a “vicious act of bastardry” that most people would find abhorrent and an example of what the government is up against in national security terms.
Labor’s Ed Husic has raised the issue of people and platforms allowing the sharing the video, which again shows the beheading of a person believed to be Sotloff.
We do have a responsibility to work with our partners that we don’t stand by and see genocide occur.
Overnight, the Australian Defence Forces confirmed an Australian C-17A Globemaster aircraft landed at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after delivering military stores including ammunition to Erbil, Northern Iraq.
Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston said further aid, stores and support flights may be planned for northern Iraq.
.jpg?w=600)
