Night time politics
That’s enough for me. I need to go and stick my eyeballs in a glass of water and my spirit in a decompression chamber.
Today:
- The budget omnibus bill - agreed on by the Coalition and Labor - passed through the lower house but not without protests from Greens MP Adam Bandt and Andrew Wilkie. Fellow crossbenchers Cathy McGowan and Bob Katter joined them to oppose the bill. There appeared to be some funny business going on around the $800m put back into the renewable energy agency Arena (which was going to lose $1.3bn). It remains a net loss.
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Malcolm Turnbull introduced the same sex marriage plebiscite bill. Bill Shorten let it be known that he would recommend blocking the bill. But we don’t have it from his mouth because he jetted off to meet Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. There is some suggestion via Paul Karp that a Coalition briefing note suggests conscientious objectors in the non-religious sphere may achieve protections of some sort. Blessed are the cakemakers. Stay tuned for that one.
- The government announced a national amnesty for illegal guns.
- The Coalition has referred a number of matters from the last election to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (Jscem). They include political donations, funding political parties, electronic voting and foreign political donations.
- Eighteen years after her first first speech, Pauline Hanson used her second first speech to move her targets from Indigenous people and Asian people to Asian people and Muslim people. She wants a ban on all immigration, a ban on new mosques, Muslim migration if she can’t get the full ban, burkas, Islamic schools, mosques. She wants to look after the old and sick Australians but without the growing tax base from migration. Like the government, Hanson wants to make kids out of schools wait for welfare and instead teach them to get a job. Even where there are no jobs. And so it went.
- Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy followed her with a speech talking about her Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage and her long path to the senate. She contrasted with Hanson to say she was in the senate for all people, Indigenous and non, from all around the world. Underline. She said she understood the trepidation over Indigenous recognition, the idea of asking for recognition again was difficult. She wants reforms for the Northern Territory, perhaps including moving to becoming the seventh state and increasing the representation numbers for the territory. At the end, Hanson congratulated her, lingered and gave her a hug. Cameras whirled.
Tomorrow, Shorten will still be hanging with his new bestie, Justin Trudeau. It will be the final day of the sitting week. Thanks to Paul Karp, Katharine Murphy, Gareth Hutchens, Katharine Murphy and Greg Jericho. Mike Bowers’ pictures were outstanding. And thanks everyone for your input. We couldn’t do it without you.
Goodnight.
The other quote I have pulled out of Pauline Hanson’s speech relates to her call for a halt to further immigration.
At present our immigration intake is 190,000 year. High immigration is only beneficial to multinationals, banks and big business seeking a larger market while everyday Australians suffer from this massive intake. They are waiting longer for their lifesaving operation, the unemployment queues grow longer, and even longer when government jobs are given priority to migrants. Our city roads have become parking lots, schools are bursting at the seams. Our aged and sick are left behind to fend for themselves and many towns and cities struggle to provide water for an ever-growing population. Our service providers struggle to cope due to lack of government funding, leaving it to charities to pick up the pieces. Governments both state and federal have a duty of care to the Australian people. Clean up your own backyard before flooding our country with more people who are going to be a drain on our society. I call for a halt to further immigration and look after our aged, sick and helpless first.
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OK, I have located that final quote from Pauline Hanson.
I can guarantee the name Pauline Hanson carries with it independence, honesty, assurance, quality and reliability. Something the Chinese can never buy. And halal snack packs never provide it.
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I’m just trying to track down the text of the Hanson speech.
McCarthy’s friends and family yell from the gallery, “Love you, Dirri.”
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greens return to the chamber to watch NT sen. Malarndirri McCarthy give her first speech @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/yzOxOR6UHT
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 14, 2016
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Please reconsider your plebiscite bill ... make marriage equality a reality.
She reminds Malcolm Turnbull of the hateful debate that ended Adam Goodes’ football career, in a challenge to the idea that hate speech will not feature in the plebiscite debate.
To the sister girls and brother boys who struggle with their sexuality, I say to you stay strong. I stand with you.
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She says she understands Indigenous recognition is a bitter pill to swallow to ask again for recognition from other people.
(But she does not urge a change to Labor policy supporting recognition on that.)
Is it not time to consider a vision for the north?
We need a vision that unites over 100 Indigenous language groups in the NT alone?
She raises the possibility of the NT becoming a seventh state and urges the government to consider a way of getting more NT senators and members into the parliament.
Let the people of the NT have a say.
McCarthy says she has been questioned as to how she is so educated, given she is an Indigenous woman.
McCarthy commends Indigenous journalists, of which she was one before entering politics.
She talks about her ancestors, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Their support for the Wave Hill walkoff, which she says attracted support from many Australians, not just Indigenous. She thanks a range of people, including her fellow Indigenous colleagues Pat Dodson and Linda Burney.
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Hanson’s mob has left but she stays to listen to McCarthy.
McCarthy is talking about her path to the Senate. She says she is here to represent not just her people but for all people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, migrants and all in the Northern Territory.
Underline. Contrast.
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So there was no words on Indigenous people, the previous offenders. The Asian community remain a menace, as do of course Muslims. She has a corner on common sense and good old fashioned values, in her mind. The rest of us are just kidding ourselves.
Stay tuned for Malarndirri McCarthy. Her mob are sitting in the opposite stalls. They give her applause as she opens with her Indigenous language.
Hanson reckons she comes from a breed taught morals, values, common sense. And there are some final quotes which I will check before I print because I was a little gobsmacked. That’s it, everyone comes up to congratulate her. Minus the Greens, of course.
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Hanson thanks her kids, her families and controversial staffer James Ashby. She notes Ashby has been kicked around by the establishment, as she has.
The Greens senators all leave together during Pauline Hanson's first speech #senate @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/1bdZncvaWz
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 14, 2016
"I'm Back" Pauline Hanson gives her first speech in the senate @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/3wvDD8b7Pa
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 14, 2016
Pauline Hanson says she will not do a Derryn Hinch and speak for 45 minutes. She says she has six years so she has plenty of time – which will make the Greens cringe.
Oh no, they have left.
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Both parents’ incomes should be taken into account. Make it fair with both custody and child support and most parents will take on their responsibility, she says.
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On to family law. Discriminatory and biased, she says. I referred to it in the last first speech, says Hanson. If anything it has got worse.
Men suicide and women make frivolous claims. We will continue to see murders due to “sheer frustration”, she says.
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Hanson supports the Coalition policy not wanting school leavers to go straight on to welfare. Teach them how to apply for a job, she says.
(That might be news to some of the kids in her supporters’ small towns.)
She advocates no more welfare payments for mothers with a second child. Get a job and learn to look after it, she says.
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She says while foreign buyers can only buy new properties, it is not policed.
Our land and assets are not for sale.
Overpaid public servants. Tick.
You never miss the water ’til the well runs dry.
Hanson moves on to debt and deficit.
Welfare has become a way of life for some and rorted and abused by others.
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She wants a register of all land (not just agricultural) to see who owns the land.
Why are we allowing an oppressive communist government like China to own our land, she asks.
This foreign takeover is destroying small towns across the nation, she says.
These foreign properties become food bowls for their countries, she says.
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What major projects have we had? She says while not many dams have been built, Australia has just put money towards welfare for “mostly migrants”.
She calls for a total halt to immigration and for the government to look after the aged and sick instead.
(Which would be interesting without the tax base.)
If we do not make changes now, have no doubt, we will have sharia law.
Therefore, she says, she is in favour of stopping Muslim immigration, mosques, Islamic schools, burkas, halal certification costs.
Australians have never got to vote on multiculturalism, she says.
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Hanson is going through statistics on Islam globally. Then snippets of news. Threats to Christmas celebrations, forced halal certification taxes, prayer rooms.
She’s going the whole gamut.
Muslims want to see sharia law imposed in Australia.
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The Greens walk out on Hanson's first speech
Why has Islam and its teachings had such an impact on Australia, she asks. It’s “partly a religion” but its more than that.
It regulates their total life.
She says the unemployment rate, the prison population, organised crime rates are higher in Muslim populations.
Australians in general are more fearful.
The Greens walk out en masse.
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Hanson says if you are not prepared to give Australia your undivided loyalty, you should:
Go back to where you came from.
She offers to drive you to the airport and “wave you goodbye”.
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As a strong and united team, I guarantee we will make a difference.
Hanson says her first first speech woke Australia up.
She names current problems, including aggressive multiculturalism and trade agreements.
Too many Australians are afraid to work alone at night. They are afraid of terrorism.
She says when she first warned Australia was being swamped by Asians, it wasn’t out of disrespect. It was a warning that things were changing fast and political parties were appealing for votes. She says now the same is happening with Muslims.
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Hanson starts with a reminder that when she left the parliament last time, she told the chamber she would be back. Other members shouted: “No you won’t.”
She says there have been many legal battles since then, including a stint in maximum security. She says she was Australia’s first political prisoner.
I’m back. But I am not alone.
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Hanson is sitting next to David Leyonhjelm and in front of her fellow One Nation senators Malcolm Roberts and Brian Burston. Last time I covered her first speech, Labor and Coalition members boycotted. They have not done so today. Their benches are not full but not empty either.
The galleries are starting to fill in the Senate with families and friends of Pauline Hanson and Malarndirri McCarthy.
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The Jscem terms of reference relating to political donations, truth in political advertising , electronic voting and foreign donations
The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, has released the reference to the joint standing committee on electoral matters (Jscem).
Referral by Special Minister of State Senator the Hon Scott Ryan to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matter
That the following matters be referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters for inquiry and report:
1. All aspects of the 2016 Federal election and matters related thereto, and without limiting the scope of the committee’s inquiry, with particular reference to:
a. The application of provisions requiring authorisation of electoral material to all forms of communication to voters;
b. The potential applicability of ‘truth in advertising’ provisions to communication to voters including third-party carriage services;
c. The options available to Parliament to ensure consistent application of disclosure rules to and the regulation of all entities undertaking campaign activities; and,
d. The potential application of new technology to voting, scrutiny and counting, with particular reference to its application to remote voting, ADF personnel on deployment and supporting vision-impaired voters.
2. The extent of donations and contributions from foreign sources, persons, entities and foreign-owned subsidiaries to political parties, associated entities and other third parties and entities undertaking campaign activities, and the options available to Parliament to regulate these.
3. The current donations, contributions, expenditure and disclosure regime, its application and timeliness and alternative approaches available to Parliament.
4. The extent to which fundraising and expenditure by third parties is conducted in concert with registered political parties and the applicability and utilisation of tax deductibility by entities involved in campaign activities.
5. Any matters related to the terms outlined above.
In considering these matters, the Committee is encouraged to consider previous inquiries and reports of past committees, regulatory developments implemented by States and Territories and recent determinations of the High Court with respect to these.
The Committee is requested to provide a report in respect of item 1a by December 1, 2016, and item 2 by March 3, 2017.
(It looks like the Coalition is going to have a proper go at the issues at the start of this inquiry. Let’s see where it goes.)
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FYI.
Treasurer @ScottMorrisonMP lists "Labor's top 10 achievements of the last 12 months" #auspol pic.twitter.com/CGcpOh9Fvj
— Political Alert (@political_alert) September 14, 2016
Labour are AGAIN trying to FOI George Brandis diary to see if he lied about meeting with LGBT groups #auspol pic.twitter.com/ayrWYn2kvY
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) September 14, 2016
This development is in regard to the ongoing stoush between Labor’s Mark Dreyfus and George Brandis over access to the attorney general’s diary. Brandis lost a case last week and so Dreyfus is trying to get information again.
As we await first speeches, I urge you to read Katharine Murphy’s piece on Pauline Hanson ahead of her speech.
Understanding Hanson’s context is simple enough. But we face another challenge. The problem is not so much comprehending Pauline. Her shtick is now reasonably familiar. The contemporary problem is how we engage constructively with Hansonism, and by constructively I actually mean deconstructively, which is our core business as journalists: calling out the snake oil, attempting to protect people from being manipulated.
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The conscientious objectors clause
Paul Karp has an exclusive regarding the plebiscite:
The government will propose new protections for “conscientious objectors” to same-sex marriage, which marriage equality advocates fear could allow civil celebrants, registrars and even bakers and florists to refuse to serve gay weddings.
According to briefing notes on the plebiscite prepared for the Coalition party room, seen by Guardian Australia, the legislation would allow “conscientious objectors” to reject gay weddings, an exemption more extensive than merely allowing religious leaders to refuse to conduct them.
The prospect of extensive exemptions to discrimination law would provide a further reason for Labor and others to block the plebiscite and and could split the yes vote in the plebiscite if it went ahead.
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18 years in the making. Coming up.
One Nation promo for Hanson speech says it is '18 years in the making' #auspol pic.twitter.com/qFwDrMqPpP
— Paul Osborne AAP (@osbornep) September 14, 2016
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From earlier today, Natalie Kotsios of the Weekly Times reports National MP Andrew Broad has said foreign investment thresholds in free-trade agreements should be reconsidered and brought down to $15m.
The government brought the Foreign Investment Review Board thresholds down to $15m for agricultural land and $55m for agribusiness.
But exemptions built into free-trade deals with the US, New Zealand and Chile remain, for whom the threshold is $1.094bn.
“Some say you can’t renegotiate a deal but I think that [the threshold] is an anomaly and if we’re going to be true to ourselves, we need to be consistent with everyone,” Mr Broad said.
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The Nationals’ MP for Lyne, David Gillespie, is giving the reply, defending Turnbull and the Coalition.
Meanwhile in the Senate, I hear whispers the government is seeking to extend the sitting hours of the Senate on Thursday afternoon after a couple of days of filibustering.
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Tanya Plibersek references the plebiscite. She says, in years gone by, other families were deemed not suitable.
Have we not learned that we should give up judging other people’s relationships? ... Families come in all different shapes and sizes.
Plibersek says everyone is waiting for the real Malcolm Turnbull to stand up.
This fizza is the real Malcolm Turnbull.
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Tanya Plibersek is prosecuting the matter of public importance today, namely “the prime minister’s failure of leadership”.
The deputy leader mentions the artist in her electorate who produced this poster:
Download & distribute your ''Malcolm is a Fizza poster'' here https://t.co/LxG1p0ePaX#auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/m2Ycot2idJ
— Tom Allen (@UrbanLorax) May 26, 2016
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There was a government question to Christopher Pyne as defence industry minister.
Then Labor asked financial services minister O’Dwyer again about superannuation, regarding whether she agreed to meet Labor.
She reiterates she looks forward to sitting down with Labor to discuss the Coalition’s super policy.
Next government question to the infrastructure and transport minister, Darren Chester, on northern Australia investment.
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There is a government question to Sussan Ley: Will the minister outline to the House the government’s commitment to fighting the scourge of cancer in our society, including funding for preventive measures?
This is about Labor refusing to agree cuts to the public dental scheme. This was part of the original omnibus bill but Labor stopped it. Here is Ley:
The deputy leader of the opposition probably doesn’t take quite the same approach to budget repair as some of the economic hardheads in her party because she desperately hung on to a measure that makes absolutely no sense in the context of public health and she’s highlighted it, thank you, the kids dental measure ... The problem is it’s not a public dental scheme. It’s a scheme where, if you have an income of $178,000 and two children, you could access this public dental scheme.
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A very interesting question from Andrew Leigh to Kelly O’Dwyer: Why won’t the government join with the opposition to produce a package of superannuation concession reforms that add $4.4bn to the budget bottom line over the medium term?
O’Dwyer:
The Coalition government has put forward a very detailed policy as outlined in the budget, a very detailed policy is outlined in the budget. Those opposite don’t believe in some of the flexibility measures that would actually deliver for individuals the ability to contribute more into their superannuation to provide more in their retirement. We on this side think it’s important to protect those flexibility measures, which is why we have argued so strongly for them.
(This is interesting because it is the next obvious policy area for Labor and the Coalition to cooperate on after the budget cuts. The political problem for Morrison would be ignoring the conservatives who oppose the super changes within the Coalition in order to strike a deal with Labor, which already has a similar policy. The Coalition need Labor – or someone – in the Senate anyway.)
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The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, is asked a government question about water infrastructure, which gives him a chance to talk about dams. BJ loves dams.
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There is another question on superannuation, this time to the financial services minister, Kelly O’Dwyer. It refers to a report in the Australian Financial Review that the superannuation draft bill is not out because it is “difficult to draft”.
O’Dwyer does not mention when the bill is appearing but launches into a defence of the government’s superannuation policy.
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The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, answers a question on keeping Australians safe overseas.
She has been meeting with European ministers to discuss border protection, law enforcement collaboration and intelligence sharing.
The government is sending a representative to work in the cell which was set to counter the online threat, establishing a new security unit in government and setting up a joint initiative with the UK in Jakarta to strengthen regional terrorism and law enforcement agencies.
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On queue: Labor in the lower house asks Scott Morrison: Last night the member for Warringah said Joe Hockey was the last treasurer who was serious about a structural reform budget. Does the treasurer agree with the member for Warringah’ s assessment of the job that, the more time passes the better Joe Hockey looks?
Obviously Morrison is not going near that question and instead talks about the government’s economic plans and Labor’s plan to “arrest economic growth”.
In the wings, Katharine Murphy reports Tony Abbott looked up at the question and then looked down with no expression. When Morrison said “achievements” Abbott looked up again with the shadow of a smile.
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George Brandis just told the Senate:
I believe Malcolm Turnbull will rank with Sir Robert Menzies and John Howard as one of Australia’s great prime ministers.
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Josh Frydenberg gets a question on Arena, the subject of fierce debate this morning during the budget omnibus bill. (The government obviously thought they needed to explain.)
Will the minister update the House on the benefits for renewable energy in the government’s budget savings of an omnibus bill?
The omnibus bill is good news for the renewable energy sector because we will restore $800m in grants for the renewable energy sector through Arena while keeping the $10bn Clean Energy Finance Corporation intact.
Which doesn’t really explain where the money is coming from.
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Australian Christian Lobby very pleased with @TurnbullMalcolm's speech today (via @BernardKeane) #auspol pic.twitter.com/ExRBYhI6xG
— Michael Koziol (@michaelkoziol) September 14, 2016
The landscape today.
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Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: I refer to the treasurer’s previous answer in which the treasurer said the government was committed to the revenue from its superannuation policy but failed to confirm the government is committed to the policy itself. We ask again – can the treasurer confirm the concessional cap for superannuation will continue to have a $500,000 limit and a 2017 start date?
Morrison talks about how important the superannuation reforms are but does not commit to the specific measures.
Of course the backstory here is that Morrison is still negotiating (as far as we know) with his backbenchers. Some of them oppose the measures.
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A government question to the social services minister, Christian Porter: Will the minister update the House on savings achieved in the social services portfolio over the past 12 months? Are there any alternative approaches?
This is a chance for Porter to take the mickey out of Labor for supporting Coalition budget measures which they previously opposed. Apparently some of the posters against the cuts are still displayed in Labor offices in parliament.
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Wilkie to the health minister, Sussan Ley: I’ve received many complaints from older Australians and their families about the ridiculous cost of home care packages. One example is a client who was effectively being charged $165 an hour for assistance with house cleaning and showering when all of the administrative expenses were included. The problem is that there’s a cap on fees but no floor on services. And this allows overcharging by many service providers on a scale, a reasonable person would characterise as systemic rorting. Minister, this is obviously unacceptable, both for the consumers who can’t afford the fees and for the taxpayers who are subsidising the packages. What will you do about it?
Ley wants to hear about the individual case.
It is true that at the moment providers of home care packages can charge an administration fee and we expect them to charge a reasonable fee.
Ley says that, under reforms going to parliament, the care packages will be attached to the consumer rather than the aged care providers.
This situation will not therefore happen. We will give the consumer the power of the spending on their own care, on their own package in their own home that allows them to live exactly the life that they choose, not dictated by providers, not with excessive administration fees, but actually recognising that choice in aged care is vital.
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A government question to Morrison on a strong economy.
We need to break the curse of Labor’s debt, says Morrison.
Plibersek to Morrison: Given that it’s more than four months since the budget, can the treasurer confirm that the nonconcessional superannuation cap will continue to have a $500,000 limit and a 2017 start date?
Morrison:
We continue to pursue those measures because those measures are essential to not just the equity of the system as it stands but the intergenerational equity as we have a growing and ageing population.
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Plibersek to Turnbull: A group of Catholic nuns and their supporters working to combat slavery and support victims of human trafficking is in Canberra today. They have been told that government cut also mean they will lose their funding from July next year. Why is that? Why is it that the PM can find over $170m to spend on an unnecessary damaging and divisive plebiscite but he can’t find the money to help the victims of human trafficking?
Turnbull:
Yes, it will cost $170m. But what price democracy? ... There was a time when the Labor party did not accuse people who disagreed with them of being homophobes, the extraordinary hateful expressions used by PM innocent figures in the Labor party against people who do not support same-sex marriage is a disgrace.
We respect each side and the Labor party should do the same. Many of their constituents sincerely, honourably, conscientiously believe that same-sex marriage should not be made the law of land. They’re entitled to do that. We will give them a choice.
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Shorthand from Shalailah:
Labor: Plebiscite!
— Shalailah Medhora (@shalailah) September 14, 2016
Coalition: Dastyari!
Same as yesterday, basically.
"Not every Australian is like your Senator Dastyari!" yells PM @TurnbullMalcolm, hunched over the despatch box #qt
— Matthew Doran (@MattDoran91) September 14, 2016
Christopher Pyne and Anthony Albanese are baiting each other.
The first government question is on long-term economic prosperity.
Far from having the hard catastrophic economic landing that so many economists predicted, our economy is transitioning well. But it’s not happening by accident. It needs clear leadership and that is what we’ve provided. Now, the options available to the parliament today are as clear as they are stark. We have to make this 45th parliament work for all of us.
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Murpharoo reports: The prime minister just sauntered in to the chamber with Darren Chester. Sitting down in his chair, he looked over the dispatch box to TPlibs. He must have smiled a welcome. She grinned back. Sitting behind TPlibs, Mark Butler and Kate Ellis both tapped their knees and shot her a thumbs up.
The first question from Plibersek to Turnbull: The Haymarket clinic in Darlinghurst has provided free medical nursing and welfare services to homeless and vulnerable people for more than 40 years. But has been forced to close its doors because of the PM’s cuts. Why is it that the PM can find over $170m to spend on an unnecessary and damaging and divisive plebiscite but he didn’t find $900,000 to keep the Haymarket clinic open?
Turnbull says the government is providing funding to health but doesn’t really go to the specifics.
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Remember Bill Shorten is not in the parliament today or tomorrow due to a trip to Canada. Tanya Plibersek as deputy will lead Labor for question time.
Derryn Hinch spoke about the archaic Senate rules earlier today. The Senate will not allow photos of anyone other than those with the call – which are different to the rules in the lower house. Hinch is trying to get something done but because we could not make the press conference, I will have to catch up. More after question time.
.@HumanHeadline grappling with the mystery of the Senate's farcical photography rules pic.twitter.com/qA4ga9o2Tl
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) September 14, 2016
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We have question time coming up shortly. Take your places.
Nationals MP Andrew Gee is giving his first speech. I missed the first bit – due to seeking sustenance – but I did hear that he supports fixed four-year terms. Hear hear.
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Lunchtime politics
- This morning, the Coalition have pushed Labor to support the plebiscite bill to no avail. We understand that Bill Shorten will recommend Labor block the plebiscite bill. Malcolm Turnbull has just presented the bill to parliament. He argued he supports marriage equality “because he is a conservative” but it is a matter of conscience and therefore people of goodwill had the the right to oppose it. Very few Labor MPs went to hear his speech and Shorten was flying to Canada to meet Justin Trudeau.
- The treasurer introduced the amendments to the budget omnibus bill and the Labor amendments. The Greens MP Adam Bandt and the Denison independent Andrew Wilkie spoke vociferously against the cuts, which would still see a $500m cut from Arena from its initial funding of $1.3bn, instead of the previously announced full cut to Arena. The MPs also questioned where the money would come from for the Coalition Labor deal – given the financial minister’s suggestion that it would come from the Clean Energy Innovation Fund. They did not get any answers.
- The government has announced a national amnesty ahead of increasing penalties for holding illegal guns.
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Pauline Hanson still thinks we may be swamped by the Chinese and there might be a recession. She will further outline her views in her first parliamentary speech (this time around) at five – followed shortly after by the Labor Indigenous senator Malarndirri McCarthy.
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Happy anniversary Malcolm.
This was during the Bandt-Wilkie incursion on the budget bill. The PM was waiting for the budget bill to pass but the argy bargy meant it went on longer than expected. Eventually he left and came back later. Slowly, government MPs entered the chamber as he began speaking on the marriage bill.
The chamber filled.
Finally, a late arrival.
Labor was largely a no-show for the marriage bill.
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Meanwhile, backstage ...
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(Un) holy alliance.
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The crossbench and their friends.
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Mr Omnibus.
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Now its time to catch up with some wonderful photos from Bowers from the omnibus bill and the plebiscite speech. After that, a summary. After that, hopefully, lunchette.
So that is it and the bill is left for another day.
Malcolm Turnbull has questioned the opposition of Julia Gillard to same-sex marriage and her comments at that time. He asks why Labor did not denounce her as homophobic.
Turnbull outlines the details which were released yesterday, relating to the public funding, the question and the yes and no committees. He finishes on the mandate point.
We took this to the election and we won the election. There was no doubt about our policy. There was no doubt about our platform. This was prominently debated every day of the election campaign, every Australian who took any interest in the election knew that was our policy. We have a mandate for it and the opposition should respect it. I ask the leader of the opposition today to support this plebiscite. This plebiscite will give the Australian people the say on this. I ask Labor to respect the people they represent.
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Turnbull says the arguments against the plebiscite have fallen into two categories.
- It’s not the normal way we change laws.
- It will cost too much.
He says those two arguments are valid but the government has decided on the plebiscite so they have “decided to proceed”.
But he says the argument that the debate will be not be civil “insults the Australian people”.
Turnbull: It is a matter of conscience and we should respect it.
BTW, Bill Shorten is not in the house because he has flown to Canada to meet Justin Trudeau.
Turnbull:
But there are many other Australians who are equally filled with love, equally respectful of gay couples, equally respectful of the families, of gay couples, of same-sex couples, who will, in thoroughly good conscience, vote no. And they will do so not because they disrespect gay couples, not because they disrespect the couple that was in the house yesterday with their little boy, they will do so because of a deeply felt conscience. It is a matter of conscience and we should respect it.
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Malcolm Turnbull: I support same sex marriage because I am a conservative
Turnbull:
We have to respect there are sincerely held views on this issue. They are views very often informed by deeply felt conscience, informed by religious commitment very often, informed by faith. It is we have to respect and we must respect – and I can say the government respects, the diversity of views on this issue ...
From the bottom of my heart that our society was stronger if more people were married and there were fewer divorces. If there was something we could do to make families happier, it would be a wonderful thing. We know that the breakdown of the family unit is one of the great causes of hardship, of poverty, of so many of our social ills ...
And sticking together and working hard and supporting their children and their families and enabling their dreams. And that is why I support same-sex marriage. David Cameron summed it up very well some years ago when he said, “I support same-sex marriage, not despite being a conservative, but because I am a conservative, because we value commitment.”
So that is where I stand, that is where Lucy stands.
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Malcolm Turnbull harks back to the change in attitudes on the issue. He remembers speaking to George W. Bush in 2007 about the issue of superannuation changes relating to same-sex couples.
I remember discussing this point with President Bush many years ago, at the time of Apec in 2007, when we were discussing what were the big moral issues in Australian politics, and we talked about this issue of equal access to superannuation, and I remember the president said: “Well, those are all issues of finance. The big moral issue is the one about marriage.” And we have to respect that it is a very big moral issue.
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Turnbull on the plebiscite bill:
I present to the House today the commitment that we made in the election campaign to put the question of whether same-sex couples will be allowed to marry under Australian law to the Australian people in a plebiscite. Now, we believe that that commitment is one that all members of this parliament should support and respect. It is thoroughly democratic. It is thoroughly democratic. Every Australian will have their say and, if the opposition support the plebiscite in the Senate, the plebiscite can be held on 11th February, which is the soonest practicable date.
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The budget bill has passed.
We are onto the same-sex marriage plebiscite. Malcolm Turnbull is on his feet.
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Christopher Pyne has moved to shut down the debate, given Bandt and Wilkie have had a fair go. Andrew Wilkie has asked that his and Bandt’s dissent be recorded.
The Greens MP Adam Bandt says if we can find this tricky deal in 20 minutes of debate, what else will we find in the budget omnibus bill agreed to by the Coalition and Labor?
I for one am not prepared to wave it through?
The clue to your job is in the title - TO OPPOSE!
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It looks as though the plebiscite bill is not going to get to the plebiscite before question time.
Bandt on Arena: they are robbing Peter to pay Paul
Answering the crossbench queries, Chris Bowen says we have an agreement to work together to ensure the deal for $800m for Arena.
Bandt says the fact that neither Bowen nor Morrison answer the question properly suggested they had been caught out.
He says the $800m to “save” Arena was taken out of another government “clean energy bucket”, according to the bill’s explanatory memorandum.
So to be clear, Cormann said yesterday the $800m to “save Arena” would be taken from the Clean Energy Innovation Fund.
Labor then denied that was part of the deal this morning. Again, from the Guardian story:
A spokesman for Mark Butler, Labor’s climate and energy spokesman, told Guardian Australia he was confused and surprised by Cormann’s comments.
“Our understanding and expectation is that he is not cutting CEFC,” he said. “The government’s clean energy innovation fund was never the subject of negotiations.
“The discussion was progressed on the basis that any save that fell short of what we needed would be made up for by some other area, and that’s exactly what happened. So no cut to the Clean Energy Innovation Fund is needed.
So both Bandt and Wilkie are questioning this, given it is contained in the explanatory memo for the bill.
The clerk of the house is rushing around with a new memo. The revised memo takes out the reference. To which, Wilkie says, where is it coming from then?
Bandt:
They are robbing Peter to pay Paul ... this is what happens when you do dirty deals.
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OK, Bandt’s amendment was voted down. Now the house is moving onto the amendments agreed between Labor and the Coalition.
Adam Bandt is asking the treasurer about the Clean Energy Innovation Fund, quoting Mikey Slezak’s story this morning.
The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, has said the Coalition’s deal with Labor to save some funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) will be balanced by a new cut to the Clean Energy Innovation Fund – but Labor has denied that was the agreement.
Speaking on Sky News, Cormann said: “Labor has asked for us to restore $800m of that for grants funding so we will do that but the capital available to the Clean Energy Innovation Fund will be reduced accordingly.”
It is understood that would in effect be cutting the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) by $800m, because the innovation fund is part of the CEFC.
He also stated that the proposed $1.3bn in cuts to Arena were actually going to be diverted from Arena to the innovation fund, suggesting that the new deal is reversing that move.
Bandt wants to know where the money is coming from to save Arena. General confusion ensues.
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Adam Bandt, Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan voted against the first of many procedural questions on the budget omnibus bill. The fifth crossbencher, NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie, is the only crossbencher not there.
Bandt, Katter, Wilkie & McGowan vote against the Govt. & Opposition on the omnibus bill @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/TqK1OSNjur
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 14, 2016
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The House is dividing still on the Greens’ amendment to the budget omnibus bill.
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There have been some questions in the thread about why the government is filibustering in government business. In the parliamentary program, there are certain times set down for certain business, such as government biz or private member’s biz or indeed question time.
At the beginning of a parliament, obviously while the lower house is debating things, the Senate has got little to do because they are waiting for bills to pass. Things like the budget bills were being nutted out, the plebiscite bill had to be sorted in cabinet and party room and other bills were not simply not ready to go. Labor’s clear grasp on procedural matters also allowed a slowing of the process.
Therefore, if the government business session has no business, they have to talk about something else or they move on to Other People’s Agendas. Which is not good for a government.
If you want to know more, the parliament has live minutes in both the Senate and the lower house, which gives you an idea of the timing of sessions like government business and other matters. Keep refreshing so you are up to date.
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Coalition announces a national gun amnesty for illegal weapons
The Turnbull government has made two gun-related announcements this morning.
It says it will be introducing legislation to parliament this week to crack down on illegal guns.
The legislation will increase the maximum penalties for gun smuggling to up to 20 years and make mandatory minimum sentencing of five years for those who are convicted of gun smuggling.
The government also plans to start a national gun amnesty so people can hand in their illegal guns without penalty. It will not be a buyback.
The justice minister, Michael Keenan, said his state and territory colleagues have agreed in principle to the plan but the details will have to be worked out.
He said his National party colleagues were onboard.
“Everybody is on board with this because there’s no one in the Coalition wants to see more illegal guns on the streets,” he said.
“This isn’t about targeting people who legally own firearms. This is about targeting the grey market, the black market for guns, and getting guns that are not registered or held properly off our streets.”
Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday that the crackdown comes after an unprecedented wave of violent firearm-related crime in Melbourne.
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Sorry, jumped the gun. The first vote was on the consideration of the bill. There will be a number of amendments coming. The first is a Greens amendment to take out the cuts to Arena, which is $500m off its $1.3m funding package, leaving it with $800m.
Wind back the tax breaks to the mining companies or the banks, says the Greens MP Adam Bandt.
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Not happy Bill.
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The lower house is now voting on the budget omnibus bill.
I just want to clarify the Labor position on the plebiscite. While Bill Shorten is understood to be recommending blocking the plebiscite, it has yet to be ticked off by both the shadow cabinet and the caucus – both required processes in Labor policy formulation. #justsaying
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The treasurer is back in the house to close off on the omnibus bill.
In the meantime, have a read of Paul Karp’s story about finance department advice warning government it may not make its planned surplus in 2020.
The finance department has warned the re-elected Turnbull government that a number of “significant downside risks” may prevent its planned slim surplus in 2020.
The risks include blocked “zombie” budget savings measures and cost blowouts in the national disability insurance scheme.
This is the guts of the advice:
The brief noted the government planned to achieve a 0.2% budget surplus by 2020-21 and to shrink payments as a proportion of GDP from 25.8% to 25.2% in that time.
The “significant downside risks” which might ruin the planned surplus included:
- The risk of a “significant negative economic shock”
- Failure to pass $18bn of savings booked in the pre-election economic and fiscal outlook but still unlegislated because they are blocked in the Senate
- Growth in the number and package costs of clients of the NDIS
- Potential increased costs for defence operations, new drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and disaster relief
It’s a really good speech from Andrew Wilkie in its breadth. He has covered refugees and climate change as well as budget measures. He says its important to look after the community and as climate change is the biggest threat to Australia, he does not shy away from talking about it. The term “quisling” is repeated regularly – and he ends on it, in regard to Labor.
You are a pack of quislings.
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In the house, Adam Bandt and Andrew Wilkie are tearing strips off Labor for doing the budget deal with the Coalition.
Wilkie describes the budget omnibus bill as a
black-hearted bill ... it is not a fair-minded bill ... it betrays Labor voters.
He asks:
Why not go after high-income earners ... people like us.
By way of contrast, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Income Tax Relief) is coming into the house later this afternoon. This is the “bracket creep” bill that:
Amends the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to increase the third personal income tax threshold so that the rate of tax payable on taxable incomes from $80 001 to $87 000 for individuals is 32.5%.
It effectively gives people earning more than $80,000 a $315 tax cut.
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Bill Shorten is expected to recommend to the caucus that Labor blocks the Coalition’s plebiscite legislation. Shorten and Labor have been equivocating on what they will do with the legislation even though they oppose a plebiscite and believe there should be a free vote in parliament.
Last night Labor said Shorten would be consulting with groups and people effected by the plebiscite debate. This expected recommendation this morning to block the bill is a move forward. Possibly to leave his own caucus is in no doubt as to what his position is. Labor will still do the consultations but from a known leadership position of blocking the plebiscite bill.
There are twists with double pikes going on here. Bear with me.
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Senate is debating tobacco excise hike which was a Labor initiative taken up by the government. There are a lot of government speakers on this. Methinks there is a little buying of time for the government in the red chamber.
First speech juxtaposition: Pauline Hanson’s first speech at 5:00, immediately followed by Labor Indigenous senator Malarndirri McCarthy.
Every prime minister needs a spine.
The Labor MP Ed Husic is showing his usual cheek by bringing a spine for Malcolm Turnbull. He thought, given recent decisions, Turnbull might need it.
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There have been many words written on Malcolm Turnbull’s one-year anniversary. In case you missed it, Katharine Murphy wrote about it last Friday – which could be characterised as no time like the present.
Turnbull has been acting like a prime minister with time on his hands – time to recover from an election setback, time to plug in to the great geopolitical developments of our age, time to play a part, time to determine a new agenda for a new parliament, time to do some good on a range of fronts, time to fight on and live another day, another week, another month, another term.
Perhaps he’s acutely aware of the difficulties he’s in, yet he’s seemed slow to grasp the harsh political realities of his post-election position – landmines everywhere, contingency everywhere.
Here is the brutal reality facing Malcolm Turnbull as he faces his first anniversary in the job he’d always wanted.
He doesn’t have time.
He has now, and he wastes now at his peril.
Laura Tingle of the Australian Financial Review has written a piece today that takes a different tack. She started the piece with former Labor leader and US ambassador Kim Beazley, backing in Turnbull on the Kevin Rudd nomination for UN secretary general. Beazley’s conversations with the prime minister confirm the view that Turnbull did not consider Rudd a suitable candidate. And that a government could not nominate someone without endorsing. She uses the example for a wider point.
Beazley’s intervention forces us to think again about this incident, and opens a wider appraisal of Turnbull’s prime ministership than has generally been seen in the orgy of words marking 12 months since he toppled Tony Abbott.
Much has been made in the past year – and the past week – of the high expectations voters had that Turnbull would transform politics and their disappointment that he has not.
The prime minister’s performance is rated in terms of these expectations. Many of those who criticise him notably do so because he has not delivered what they particularly want.
On the left, there is disappointment on issues like climate change and same-sex marriage. On the right, the criticism is he hasn’t done enough on tax reform, budget repair and industrial relations.
But there is very little said about the way the Turnbull prime ministership actually works. Whether it is good, bad or indifferent, it is certainly a very, very different prime ministership.
Let’s be blunt here. This is a bloke who is not particularly good at retail politics, nor particularly concerned about running to the beat of the retail politics drum.
As one cabinet minister says, “You will observe that a particular issue isn’t quite zooming down the ski slope politically and he thinks that’s fine, he’s relaxed. He doesn’t mind things being a bit ‘off piste’.”
Yet all those who have moaned about three-word slogans and politicians driven by the 24-hour media cycle and “announceables” still don’t seem happy with an approach so conspicuously lacking such frenzy.
Few doubt Turnbull’s intellectual capacities. But few also observe that the prime minister sees his job foremost as head of the “Office of Wicked Problems”, not first as the beating heart of a political organisation focused on winning the next election.
Discuss.
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Bowen says, hey government, there is more we can do to fix the budget together. He names private health insurance and VET fees. He also thanks the treasurer, Scott Morrison.
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In the lower house, we begin.
Chris Bowen is speaking on the budget bill. This is the resumption of a debate, which had already begun. After the compromise deal yesterday, amendments will be moved to accommodate the deal and then the vote will happen.
Bowen is reinforcing the point that they wanted budget cuts that are fair. He says the “baby bonus” was unaffordable and he congratulated the government for dropping it. He notes Labor’s opposition to the baby bonus was compared to China’s one child policy by government members.
As a bookend for the Hanson post, you must check out Gareth Hutchens’ piece on her One Nation colleague Malcolm Roberts.
The One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has used his first speech to pour scorn on modern climate science, call for Australia to leave the United Nations and question the reliability of data from Australian government departments and agencies.
He railed against the level of taxation in Australia and thanked his colleagues in the Galileo Movement, such as Ian Plimer, the radio host Alan Jones and the late professor Bob Carter for their constant questioning of climate science. He said he loved to ask questions to get to the truth, like Socrates.
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Parliament calling space.
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Pauline Hanson: We're still being swamped by Chinese. And watch out for a recession.
The second first Pauline Hanson speech is on tonight. This morning, she was doorstopped in the press gallery.
If we keep heading down the path of selling our land and our houses and everything, we will be swamped by the Chinese. They talk about there is a smaller amount than other interests, foreign, even owned, but if Kidman station was sold they would be second to Britain.
Q: What do you make of Malcolm Turnbull’s performance given this is the first anniversary of him becoming PM?
I think a lot of people have been disappointed with him. They have expected more of him and his performance. He is treading very, what can I say, on thin water at the moment because he hasn’t got the numbers in the lower house. So the last election I think has been a big wake-up to the Liberal party and the National party. So people will want to see something happening. If they don’t start reining in the budget, I believe we will be heading down the path of a recession.
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And yes, the Senate has guvvie business.
- Excise tariff Amendment (Tobacco) Bill 2016
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Tobacco) Bill 2016
And, if these bills make it up to the red chamber, these will be debated too:
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Country of Origin) Bill 2016
- Treasury Laws Amendment (Income Tax Relief) Bill 2016
- Budget Savings (Omnibus) Bill 2016
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These are the bills on the program for the lower house today:
- Budget Savings (Omnibus)
- Plebiscite (Same-Sex Marriage)
- Australian Crime Commission Amendment (Criminology Research)
- Narcotic Drugs Legislation Amendment
- Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges)
- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Student Payments)
- Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2016 Measures No. 2)
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The shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, has also spoken to Radio National about a $6.3bn savings deal agreed between the government and opposition on Tuesday.
Asked about the remaining $12bn of the government’s “zombie” savings blocked in the Senate, Bowen said there was no room for compromise.
We’ve been very clear and consistent about those.
He said the 2014 budget measures were “unfair”, including making unemployed people wait for the dole or making people work until 70 to get the pension.
Speaking about the marriage equality plebiscite, Bowen said legislation could change the Marriage Act but a referendum is needed to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
While we are having this debate about a plebiscite and making the people do what parliament should, we’re not progressing Indigenous recognition. There’s not enough bandwidth in the political debate to allow us to have a referendum on Indigenous recognition and plebiscite on marriage equality at the same time.
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Katharine Murphy wrote a piece last night about a reference to joint standing committee on electoral matters (JSCEM). Malcolm Turnbull’s answer to donation reform post-Dastyari was that the JSCEM would look at all of these issues and then make recommendations (which are often ignored).
The government is poised to send a reference to the joint standing committee on electoral matters requiring a fresh look at Australia’s donations and disclosure system after negotiations with key Senate crossbenchers and the ALP.
The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, has signalled he will ask the committee to examine the question of foreign donations, fundraising, and activity by third parties, reporting by March.
While negotiations were still underway on Tuesday night with Labor and other key stakeholders, the new inquiry is expected to be confirmed by the Turnbull government on Wednesday.
The likelihood of imminent agreement has prompted the Nick Xenophon Team to withdraw a motion it wanted to push through the Senate calling for an inquiry foreign political donations; sources of private (including corporate and union donations) and public funding and contribution limits and caps; alternative funding practices including consideration of comparative overseas models operating in Canada and the UK; transparency, accountability and reporting measures, and potential limits on election expenses.
No doubt JSCEM may get a submission from the Americans, if the ambassador’s comments are any indication.
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The Coalition-Labor compromise on the $6.3bn budget bill was a welcome relief – a sign that politicians can get in a room and find some common ground. If you wondered why Tony Abbott’s prime ministership was such a dogfight, it may have been because he does not appear to believe in compromise.
Tony Abbott says there will be no 'magical consensus' on budget repair https://t.co/9RB0MMpp6i https://t.co/bcKWloXFft
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) September 13, 2016
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Free Ruddesque advice from Peta Credlin.
Peta Credlin says she has no doubt that Tony Abbott would have won the election with more than a one seat majority https://t.co/XB2wjhmIiT
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) September 13, 2016
The environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, has been on Radio National explaining the government’s compromise with Labor to retain $800m in the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The decision decreases the planned cut from $1.3bn to $500m over four years.
This is good news for the job of budget repair ... this is also good news for the renewable sector, because $800m of grants has been restored to Arena. The reality is we have to work with Labor, the Greens and the crossbench to pass savings because 89% of government spending is tied to legislation.
The Arena deal is part of a wider plan to save $6.3bn by dropping the cut to the clean energy supplement to new welfare recipients but also dropping a $1.4bn “baby bonus”.
Frydenberg says the deal is a credit to the treasurer, Scott Morrison, and the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, but only grudgingly gave credit to Labor, noting the total of $6.5bn of budget savings in the omnibus bill were measures the opposition had supported before the election.
Asked about the first year of Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership, Frydenberg rated it as “outstanding”. He rattles off statistics including GDP growth of 3.3% and unemployment of 5.7%.
In the poll published yesterday he [Turnbull] was way ahead of Bill Shorten in terms of preferred prime minister ... don’t subscribe to the Bill Shorten victory lap, he actually lost the election.
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George Brandis: marriage equality is so close now you can touch it
I noted attorney general George Brandis’ plea to Bill Shorten and Labor. Shorten has said it will be three weeks before they will give an answer, which is inexplicable to me. They say they are consulting with the LGBTI community, which would make sense if there had not been extensive and intense consultations in this building and across the country. If Labor opposes the plebiscite, surely they should just put everyone out of their misery and block it.
Here is Brandis:
I would appeal to Mr Shorten and members of the Labor caucus to realise that if they support this plebiscite bill, then there will be a plebiscite on the 11th of February, which all of the opinion poll evidence indicates would be passed overwhelmingly. And if those of us, and I’m one, who believe that we ought to reform our marriage law and there ought to be marriage equality, we can have marriage equality within a matter of months. This is so close now you can touch it. Instead, I’m sorry to say, so far Mr Shorten has been putting political game playing ahead of the merits of the issue. Mr Shorten only a year ago said he did support a plebiscite, he thought it was a good day of dealing with the issue. The fact is that Mr Shorten wants gay people to wait for years and years so that he can play politics and, if that’s the way this lands, then that will be disgraceful.
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Labor’s shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, has been around the traps this morning.
He was asked how he would rate Malcolm Turnbull’s first year.
F. F for Fail.
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US ambassador concerned over Chinese political donations
The Australian’s Paul Kelly has an intervention by the outgoing US ambassador John Berry on the issue of donations by Chinese companies following the fall of Sam Dastyari.
The US has expressed its alarm about the influence of China and the Beijing government in Australia’s domestic politics and wants reforms to eliminate China’s ability to use financial donations to influence Australian politicians.
In an exclusive interview, the departing US ambassador to Australia, John Berry, said foreign donations were illegal in America and the US had been “surprised” by Chinese money power in this country and wanted Australia to resolve the issue.
“It is an entirely different matter when the government of China is able to directly funnel funds to political candidates to advance their national interests in your national campaign,” Mr Berry told the Australian.
“That, to us, is of concern. We cannot conceive of a case where a foreign donation from any government, friend or foe, would be considered legitimate in terms of that democracy.”
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Good morning,
A year ago today, Malcolm Turnbull toppled Tony Abbott. The Coalition government became the second government to change a prime minister in the first term.
This was his pitch:
It is clear enough that the government is not successful in providing the economic leadership that we need. It is not the fault of individual ministers. Ultimately, the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs.”
Our political editor, Katharine Murphy, looks back at the past year, charting the peaks and troughs of the Turnbull prime ministership. It is well worth your time.
Tony Abbott has been speaking about his demise, suggesting he doesn’t want to go over the entrails. He has to accept the world as it is, rather than as it was or even “as it should be”.
With that year in mind, the prime minister comes to parliament today to present two key bills.
The first is the budget omnibus savings bill, which is the compromise on budget cuts outlined by the Coalition and Labor yesterday. It is worth $6.3bn.
The second is the plebiscite (same-sex marriage) bill, as it is known. The attorney general, George Brandis, has been on ABC already this morning, appealing to Bill Shorten and the Labor caucus to support the bill. Brandis is a supporter of marriage equality and did not support the plebiscite originally. But the moderates in the party have decided this is the only way thy will be done. Brandis tells the ABC there will be plebiscite on February 11 and marriage equality could be a reality “in a matter of months”.
Let’s crack on because there is a bit to catch up with. I am on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers is lurking in the building somewhere. I will try to get to the thread, all things being equal.
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