Night-time politics
- Well it has been quite some first speech by the Justice party senator Derryn Hinch. Having said he would not use parliamentary privilege to behave like a cowboy, he named convicted paedophiles and sex offenders to call for a national register of sex offenders. He gave a passionate address defending free speech while denouncing Islamic terrorism, domestic violence, genital mutilation and live exports. It was a clear sign that Hinch will continue to act inside the parliament exactly the same way as he has outside the parliament. Watch out.
- The Coalition has revealed its cost-benefit analysis of moving the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to the deputy prime minister’s electorate of New England has itself cost $272,000. Joyce had earlier suggested he would not release the analysis but the treasurer, Scott Morrison, said it would be up for cabinet consideration tonight.
- In question time Labor attacked Malcolm Turnbull’s record in the prime ministership while the Coalition attacked Bill Shorten’s handling of the Sam Dastyari affair.
- Two sides of the Liberal party argued over marriage equality, specifically whether the “yes” and “no” cases should be funded. After a number of church representatives suggested Turnbull offered to fund the cases, conservatives tried to push the PM into funding the cases. At the same time, Labor and the crossbenchers brought marriage equality private member’s bills before the parliament.
- The auditor general reported to Labor that he had reviewed the public information relating to the Liberal software company Parakeelia and there was nothing to see here. It was not an audit, just a review, though we did find out Parakeelia had loaned $200,000 to the party to help with a cash flow problem. They need to pay it back this financial year. Federal director Tony Nutt said considering the finding, Bill Shorten and frontbencher Brendan O’Connor should withdraw their statements and apologise to the Liberal party.
That’ll do pig. One day down. Three more sitting days to go. Thanks to the brains trust Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp and Gareth Hutchens. Mike Bowers, take a bow.
Thank you for your company. Tomorrow we have party room meetings and more first speeches.
I’m Gabrielle Chan and that’s life. Goodnight.
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Derryn Hinch now fronting the cameras outside the chamber after a roving speech. Mike Bowers, who was in the chamber, said it was a bit like running under the sprinkler when you are a kid. Everyone gets a spray.
Sen. Pauline Hanson congratulates Sen. Derryn Hinch after his first speech @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/sIbrRsmGRf
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 12, 2016
The “vote whisperer”, Glenn Druery, is among those watching the Hinch speech, which has since moved on to domestic violence and child welfare.
Hinch has been hurried up by the Senate president, Stephen Parry. It’s a 20-minute speech and you have taken 45 minutes.
Hinch finishes the speech with his old sign off:
I’m Derryn Hinch and that’s life. Goodnight.
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Hinch talks about justice for Indigenous people and is critical of the white and Indigenous people who have ripped them off. He names the former head of the former body the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (Atsic) Geoff Clark.
Hinch also decries genital mutilation and Islamic terrorism. Now he is on to freedom of speech. We are covering a lot of ground here. Stay tuned. He is doing a press conference straight after.
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Hinch praises the New South Wales premier, Mike Baird, for his greyhound ban and hopes it spreads nationwide.
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The public has a right to know. Parents who are trying to protect their kids have a right to know.
Hinch says a national public register should be called Daniel’s law, after 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe who was killed.
Hinch says he will continue to work to ban for live exports. It described it as “money for morality”. He says he took his first petition on live export to Canberra in 1981.
Hinch calls on the parliament to pass euthanasia “dying with dignity” legislation.
He moves on to his call for a public register for convicted sex offenders. His “walk for justice” was the start of the Justice party.
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Hinch was diagnosed with terminal cancer and had a liver transplant. He says he would have been dead five years ago. Hinch met his donor’s family and thanked them and the surgical team which performed the operation.
Hinch wants to change the rules to allow photographers into the Senate more often, will continue to campaign for better justice for child sex offenders, he will work to change the organ donation rules to make it easier (he received one) and the speech continues ...
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Derryn Hinch is giving his first speech. The Human Headline is speaking to the Senate, noting he had been sacked 16 times.
They hire me because of what I say and they fire me because of what I say, he says.
I won’t be PC – politically correct.
I’ve spent half a century as a journalist trying to keep the bastard honest.
Hinch says if it is necessary to name “human vermin” who abuse children, he will name them. He names two offenders already.
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Josh Wilson, new MP for Fremantle, is giving his first speech too. He is tearing up, as Anne Aly did.
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Leyonhjelm: 'I’ve never known a straight guy yet that hasn’t discriminated against ugly girlfriends'
Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has been grilled on Sky News about his proposed marriage equality bill, which would allow florists and bakers and others to refuse to provide goods and services to gay weddings. The other bills only allow ministers of religion to refuse to conduct gay weddings.
Leyonhjelm said he was in favour of discrimination law where it prevented a publican from refusing to serve a beer to an Aboriginal person.
Asked what the difference was, Leyonhjelm said:
We generally distinguish between discrimination on the basis of who you want to marry, which is a sort of lower level.
He said refusing to provide services to a gay wedding was a “substantially lower order” than discrimination based on race – because you’re born with your race but “you’re not born with the desire to get married to someone of the same gender”.
The difference was between “material discrimination and nice not to do discrimination”.
I’ve never known a straight guy yet that hasn’t discriminated against ugly girlfriends – we all discriminate, it’s part of life. The question is where we impose the law in that. Discrimination is normal, it is what we all do as human beings.
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The MP for Lindsay.
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The MP for Dunkley.
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The MP for Cowan.
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The first Muslim woman elected in the parliament, Anne Aly has given a very eloquent first speech.
The deradicalisation expert has talked about attending Catholic, Protestant and state schools. She talked about her life as a single mother and her electorate of Cowan where she came under attack from the justice minister, Michael Keenan, and the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, during the election campaign.
She says growing up in the outer suburbs is more difficult and she called for a strategy to provide better services, infrastructure and jobs in those areas.
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BuzzFeed’s political editor, Mark Di Stefano, has reported:
Attorney general George Brandis has confirmed he personally approached his son’s criminal lawyer, who was also a party donor, to offer a government job with a $370,000-a-year salary.
BuzzFeed News revealed last week that Brandis had appointed Theo Tavoularis, who had previously represented the attorney general’s son in court, to the job in the final days before the election was called earlier this year.
In the Senate, Brandis said there was no conflict of interest.
There is no conflict of interest whatsoever. Since he has served in that office, he has served in an extremely diligent and admired manner.
Labor’s Mark Dreyfus has put out a statement relating to some comments in the Senate.
Attorney general George Brandis has made the astonishing admission this afternoon that he personally approached a lawyer who represented his son and who has donated money to the Liberal National party in order to offer him a senior role on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) with a salary of $370,000 per year for the next five years.
He has also – by his own admission – failed to notify cabinet of this conflict of interest when it signed off Mr Theo Tavoularis’s appointment.
This is shocking. The attorney general – the first law officer of this country – has effectively admitted to cherry-picking his mate, and an LNP donor, for a prestigious and well-paid appointment without notifying cabinet.
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Labor’s Anne Aly is giving her first speech now.
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Money talks.
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Emma Husar, the new Labor MP, is giving her first speech.
The Labor senator Murray Watt has won a motion referring “serious allegations of abuse”, self-harm and neglect of asylum seekers in relation to the Nauru regional processing centre to the constitutional and legal affairs references committee.
This follows the publication of the Nauru files by the Guardian.
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The Senate is currently dividing for a motion by Senator Xenophon.
the Senate notes that:
(i) on 3 August 2016, the Australian Statistician was interviewed on the ABC television program 7.30 in relation to the 2016 census, and
(ii) during the interview the Australian Statistician referred to legal advice received from the Australian government solicitor; and
(b) there be laid on the table no later than 3pm on Monday, 12 September 2016, by the minister representing the minister for small business, the legal advice referred to by the Australian Statistician during his appearance on 7.30 on 3 August 2016.
Even if Xenophon wins this motion, the government does not need to comply. #justsaying
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The argument over Senate business continues. Labor says the bill the government was claiming was held up by Labor was not even due in the House until midday but the government filibustered from 10am.
David Sharaz of SBS has put this together.
.@SenatorWong attacking the govt for not having legislation to debate in @AuSenate is worth a watch @SBSNews #auspol pic.twitter.com/oBeFePNuJf
— David Sharaz (@DavidSharaz) September 12, 2016
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The Justice party senator Derryn Hinch is due to give his first speech in the Senate at 5ish.
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Question time is over. The first speeches continue. The Liberal MP for Dunkley, Chris Crewther, is speaking now. (He is the new Bruce Billson.)
Peter Khalil, the new Labor MP for Wills, spoke earlier.
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Tony Burke asked the Speaker to investigate “interference” with MPs following a story that has just appeared in the Daily Telegraph by Simon Benson and Daniel Meers.
The government will lock down parliament to prevent MPs leaving early and a repeat of the chaos that erupted two weeks ago.
Liberal sources told the Daily Telegraph that the leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, has ordered that all eight exits of the parliament be manned by a staffer to stop any Coalition MP leaving the house before the adjournment of business for the day.
The Speaker, Tony Smith, says he will check it out. I think this is just a way of drawing the House’s attention to the story.
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Mike Kelly, the new (former) MP for Eden-Monaro asks Turnbull: Last time the parliament sat the PM lost another eight MPs, including three ministers. Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Speaker says the question is borderline.
Turnbull launches on Dastyari again, asking Kelly how many people he represents that earn as much as Senator Sam Dastyari?
Not many. I reckon they would love to be able to ring someone up, dial a benefactor. That’s what they would like to do. Dial a benefactor. The bill is too high, the credit card is maxing out, the tax bill is difficult, overdone on the expenses, go to the Dastyari bank. That’s what you want. This is a man who rails against business. Rails against banks. Claims to be standing up for the workers.
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Tony Burke to the PM: Is the PM aware the Liberal party’s list of achievements for the Turnbull government is twice as long as the achievements for the entire Menzies era? Can the PM confirm the achievements by his predecessor for Warringah, and there are others not legislated and achievements not yet achieved, and is the PM capable of talking about his own achievements for three minutes?
Turnbull says strong growth (3.3%) and strong employment were achievements.
Economists around the world predicted that we would have a hard landing. Most countries do. It’s almost inevitable that you will have a hard landing but we didn’t and we haven’t. The reason is because we had clear economic leadership from the government. We have hard-working, agile creative Australian businesses.
He also names the national broadband network as an example of his government’s achievements. Then a government question is asked of Paul Fletcher representing the communications minister, Mitch Fifield, to update the house on the NBN.
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The science and innovation minister, Greg Hunt, is asked to update the house on the innovation and science agenda.
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Labor asks Turnbull about his nominations of achievements of his government: the defence white paper, the China-Australia free-trade agreement and the Transpacific partnership. Given the PM has claimed the member for Warringah’s achievements as his own, does he have plans to copy his duration in office?
In answer to a highly political question, we should get a political answer. And the real question here today about political longevity is the political longevity of the leader of the opposition. So tenuous, Mr Speaker, so under threat, so frightened is this man that he was unwilling to say anything critical of a junior senator from NSW.
Turnbull is continuing on the theme of Dastyari.
Joe Hockey said the age of entitlement is over. I tell you what, it’s only getting started on the Labor side. What an extraordinary sense of entitlement.
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The unbearable lightness of opposition.
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A government question to Peter Dutton updating the House on border security.
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Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bA0y3lNv9h
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 12, 2016
Labor to Turnbull: I refer to reports that the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney and the Anglican Archbishop have written to the Attorney-General complaining they have been shut out of negotiations about the plebiscite. Are they part of current negotiations with the Government? Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Consultations are on-going says Turnbull.
A government question to the health minister, Sussan Ley: Will the minister update the House on how the government has strengthened our health system to ensure Medicare is well placed to support the one in five Australians who are living with multiple chronic conditions.
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Dreyfus to Bishop: I refer to the foreign minister’s acceptance of a media tablet, air force and accommodation from Huawei. Has the minister ever advocated in government in the interest of Huawei?
Julie Bishop points out that Rankin MP Jim Chalmers, the shadow finance minister, had accepted travel from Huawei.
The member for Rankin accepted travel from the company. I assume he declared it, as did I and other members of this house. There was an iPad because the company is a technology company and I donated the iPad to a school.
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Government question to Scott Morrison: Will the treasurer update the house on the progress of the Australian tax office in relation to the recovery of debt? What advice does he have for business and individuals in relation to the payment of their bills?
Read Sam Dastyari again.
Morrison:
Having spent his allotment of travel expenses, decided he didn’t want to have to pay the extra so he got on the blower and rang a donor and said I wanted you to pay the rest. You have to have a pretty high level of expectation to get on the phone to someone to ask them to cover the debt. I don’t know if this is the first person he called. I suspect it was the first. It was the first call he made because he knew and he had expectation that that donor would pick up his personal debt. Now the leader of the opposition when confronted by this, what he didn’t do was seek to get some clarity about the facts of the case. Did he ask the sector of the ALP to give him advice and sit down with Senator Dastyari and get a clear statement of facts? No.
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Mark Dreyfus to Julie Bishop: I refer to the report of $500,000 in donations by the West Australian division of the Liberal party by companies with links to the Chinese government and no business interests in WA. What assurances can the foreign minister provide that these foreign donations have not influenced the policies of the government?
Political donations to political parties are subject to AEC rules and requirements and subject to audit. I think it is quite apparent that the government’s policy on foreign affairs are taken in the interests of the national interest. All decisions we take whether it be on the South China Sea, whether it be on Australia’s relationship with China, are taken in the national interest and I am proud of the consistency and the coherence of the Turnbull government’s foreign policy, says Bishop.
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Cost benefit analysis for APVMA cost $272,000
Labor asks Scott Morrison: Yesterday the deputy PM refused to release the cost-benefit analysis for the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to the deputy PM’s own electorate. Is the government policy not to release competing cost-benefit analysis and how much did the cost-benefit analysis cost?
Scott Morrison answers: $272,000 and the matter is for cabinet consideration.
That is a concession.
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Another government question on how the Coalition has strengthened the economy. This time to Scott Morrison.
Then Labor’s Brendan O’Connor asks Turnbull: Unemployment in Australia is higher than in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Turnbull recognises that economic growth must be inclusive.
He’s right to draw attention, however, to the fact as I outlined in my speech earlier today that not all Australians are doing as well as they should, as we would like them to do. We do recognise that growth must be inclusive. We do recognise that we need to deal with sections of the community, parts of Australia where there has been disruption, where there has been changes, big sector changes, that have undermined employment in those areas. That is why we are seeing strong support for regional jobs programs ...
After giving a few examples of government policies, Turnbull segues onto Sam Dastyari.
Many Australians are facing challenges in terms of the cost of living. Not everyone is like Senator Dastyari who, when he can’t pay a bill, gets a donor to pick it up. Gets a donor to pick it up! This is the man the Labor party defended all last week. The part of equity, the party of fairness and the party of the downtrodden.
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Cathy McGowan asks the transport and infrastructure minister, Darren Chester, about when the Coalition’s infrastructure promises will be honoured. The promises relate to roads in her electorate.
Chester says the promises will be honoured.
She was particularly interested in my frequent visits to her electorate during the election campaign. Admittedly I was not always there in a supporting role but, as a neighbouring electorate, it’s true Albo had to build the Great Dividing Range to keep us apart but I assure the member for Indi that all commitments made will be honoured. I know she has a particular interest in infrastructure and transport and we’ve had conversations about that.
This is much more conciliatory of Chester than last time she asked a question – when Sophie Mirabella was running against McGowan. The government is being friendly again.
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Labor asks Turnbull again: I refer to his previous answers to the opposition today and just to be clear: before the election did the PM tell the Anglican archbishop of Sydney that taxpayer funding for the plebiscite was a matter for cabinet or did he guarantee the funding? Which one was it?
I have answered this before and any funding will be fair, says Turnbull.
If he is committed to the same-sex couples being able to have their relationships treated or regarded as a marriage, then what he should do is support the plebiscite because what we are doing is offering a clear and democratic roadmap that gives every single Australians a vote. And every criticism he makes of the plebiscite, Mr Speaker, which he once supported, every criticism he makes demeans the Australian people.
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The prime minister gets a government question on the stabbing attack in Minto over the weekend. He draws a link between 9/11 and the attack.
I spoke of the heroism of those who rushed to the aid of those assaulted in the twin towers on 9/11. I want here today to also commend the bravery of the man who was attacked in Minto and the bravery of those citizens who helped him and supported him, including the police officers that rushed to the scene. They are true heroes.
Turnbull says the terrorist threat is evolving.
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Tanya Plibersek asks Turnbull: If public funding is a matter for cabinet, why then did the PM secretly promise marriage equality opponents millions of taxpayer dollars to campaign against equality?
Turnbull notes both he and TPlibs will vote yes for marriage equality. But the process needs to be fair, he says, so that everyone respects the outcome.
We want every Australian to have their say and we want them to do so with a fair question and a fair process. So that, at the end of the day, whichever side is unsuccessful will nonetheless be able to say we had a fair go, it was a fair contest, a fair question, a fair process, the Australian people spoke, they made a decision and we, the parliament, then respect it and the Australian nation will respect it.
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The first government question to Turnbull is on the economy.
The fundamentals of our economy are strong. They are strong but we cannot be complacent. We need to do more. That’s why we took to the election a comprehensive, clear, national economic plan to generate growth and investment and deliver more jobs.
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Question time
Shorten to Turnbull: The Anglican archbishop of Sydney said the PM gave an unambiguous commitment to provide taxpayer funding for a ‘no’ campaign against marriage equality. The commitment the prime minister’s office has strongly denied. Is the PM accusing the archbishop of lying? Has the PM given any commitment to anyone for any public funding for the marriage equality plebiscite campaign?
Turnbull says cabinet will decide.
Any funding provided in respect of the arguments ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the plebiscite will be provided equally in accordance with our past practice. They will be divided equally. The details, manner and amount will be determined by the cabinet.
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Labor says Fifield’s claims are wrong because the “Registration of Deaths Abroad” bill was delayed because the minister on duty in the lower house did not know to move the contingent notice to suspend standing orders in the House when Labor denied leave to move the third reading immediately.
My parliamentary consultants tell me that while this is technically true, Labor could have assisted on the technicality. But, given the 43rd (hung) parliament, Labor is not in the mood to help.
Labor cannot rise above petty undergraduate student politics, says Fifield.
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Mitch Fifield said Bill Shorten’s comments regarding being cooperative were at odds with Labor’s behaviour.
Mitch Fifield is complaining about the Labor party holding up legislation in the lower house – suggesting that is why the Senate has nothing before it.
He says the bills were non-controversial and Labor was just using procedural motions to delay and be on “both sides of the argument” at once.
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The managing directors of Gummint.
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"In govt you can get things done," Sinodinos tells an almost empty Senate that's killing time with filibusters because it has nothing to do.
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) September 12, 2016
Thanks to Alice Workman of Buzzfeed for this little snippet.
"It was a fantastic spectacle" - @JamesMcGrathLNP filibusters about his favourite tv show 'Last Night At The Proms'. pic.twitter.com/bgHnRqzBZ4
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) September 12, 2016
Not happy Mal.
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Penny Wong, Labor leader in the Senate, is speaking on the government’s filibuster in the Senate.
She says the government was so divided, “they are paralysed”.
It’s been two-and-a-half months since the election and four months since the parliament sat in the last term.
Where is the plan for jobs and growth?
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Exciting times to be an Australian.
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Lunchtime political summary
- Conservatives and moderates in the Liberal party have debated whether the government should fund the “yes” and “no” case for the marriage equality plebiscite. Warren Entsch says there was never an agreement in the Coalition party room to fund the cases. Eric Abetz says the cases should be funded.
- Two separate marriage equality bills have been introduced into the parliament by Bill Shorten and crossbenchers including Adam Bandt, Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie. They are private member’s bills so, unless a government member crosses the floor, they have no chance of getting up.
- The auditor general’s limited review, sparked by Labor’s referral, of the Liberal party’s software company Parakeelia has found there is no evidence of any contravention of electoral laws. It wasn’t an audit, just a review of the evidence on the public record. We did find out that Parakeelia gave a $200,000 loan “for cash flow purposes” to the Liberal party, which it needs to pay back this financial year.
- The government has been filibustering in the Senate because the only bills on the government program are still in the lower house. We have seen a range of contributions on the minutiae of MPs lives.
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The prime minister and the opposition leader have given statements to the house on the global economic situation and national security.
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Bill Shorten is following up now, saying Labor will continue to be cooperative on national security. But he says it’s about time there was an “honest conversation” about jobs and growth.
Ordinary Australians are feeling the pinch.
He says the headline figures on growth do not reflect the “soft underbelly” of the economy. He says underemployment is at near record levels.
Essentially Malcolm Turnbull’s statement appears to be a stump speech for the government off the back of the summit season and throwing forward into the sitting week.
There was no notice of this speech. He has covered the economic challenges facing Australia and the world. He has covered the threat of Islamic state in the region, noting the stabbing in Sydney.
He again urges all the claimants in the South China Sea dispute to abide by the rules. He asks claimants to “refrain from coercive behaviour”.
Malcolm Turnbull is making a ministerial statement on the state of the global economy and national security. He is talking about the summits he attended last week, including G20.
The government leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, has moved to suspend standing orders to get the aforementioned bills through the House and into the Senate.
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Matt Canavan is up in the Senate now. One hour 40 minutes to go until Senate question time. Can the government fill the time?
#mattersofstate
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Earlier in the house, Denison indie MP Andrew Wilkie made mention of Bob Katter’s private members bill: the banking commission of inquiry bill 2016. Wilkie was helping Katter out by deferring the bill to the next sitting week.
We have not seen the text of this bill but we do know this.
- Bob Katter supports a bank royal commission.
- Bob Katter seconded Labor’s motion urging the government to establish a bank royal commission.
As I reported last month, the Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson was given advice from the clerk of the Senate that:
The opposition and minor parties could force a rare and powerful “commission of inquiry” into the banks if the Coalition refuses a royal commission, according to the clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing.
And the Senate’s key parliamentary adviser said if the commission of inquiry bill won a majority in both houses it would be an outcome that “any government would find difficult to resist”.
Laing has advised the Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson that parliament could establish the inquiry, similar to that set up to investigate former Labor minister and high court justice Lionel Murphy by the Hawke government.
I understand Katter’s bill will support a commission of inquiry into the banks.
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In the lower house, they are debating the two bills that are listed on the Senate paper in government biz. That’s why the Senate has nothing to debate. They have not gone through the lower house.
These are the bills.
PRIMARY INDUSTRIES LEVIES AND CHARGES COLLECTION AMENDMENT BILL 2016
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Croome urges Liberal MPs in favour of marriage equality to knock off plebiscite
Greens MP Adam Bandt and independent MP Andrew Wilkie have given a press conference about their cross-party same-sex marriage bill.
Bandt said that it “looks for all the world that the legislation to enable the plebiscite won’t pass parliament, so Malcolm Turnbull will need a plan B”. He said the best Plan B is the cross-party bill, a swipe at Labor for introducing its own marriage equality bill on Monday.
At the moment even pro same-sex marriage Coalition MPs appear locked in behind a plebiscite, but Bandt predicts blocking it will cause “a number of Liberal party members of parliament prepared to stick their hand up” and back the cross-party bill.
Wilkie said “it is in the hands of only three government [lower house] members to join with us to suspend standing orders and bring one or both of these bills for a debate and a vote”.
“We are now so close, it is in the hands of three government members ... who see the opportunity here, they could seize it and create history.”
Veteran gay rights campaigner Rodney Croome was also in attendance, lobbying with LGBTI group Just Equal for parliament to block the plebiscite.
Croome rejected the view of Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman that Coalition members are not free to vote how they like on procedural motions like suspending standing orders to force a vote on marriage equality.
I understand from speaking to Liberal backbenchers that it would be possible for them to join with supporters of marriage equality and other parties to suspend standing orders and pass this reform,” he said.
Knocking the plebiscite on the head may force the issue back to the Liberal party room, Croome suggests.
So just to be clear on the Senate business, the chamber is still debating the governor general’s address in reply. This is the filibuster mechanism, normally a run-of-the-mill short debate. Backbenchers have been doing their duty, reaching into the deep dark recesses of their brains to find details to entertain the senate. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie’s memory ran out. She had trouble with the name of a candidate ... can’t remember his name ... from a town beginning with T....Awks.
The filibuster continues but the government is running out of speakers.
Pretty soon the Coalition is going to have to go to ministers, which will make them happy.
The speakers list:
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RUSTON
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POLLEY
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DI NATALE
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BERNARDI
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CAMERON
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LUDLAM
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BACK
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RHIANNON
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WILLIAMS
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SIEWERT
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MACDONALD
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RICE
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PATERSON
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McKIM
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FAWCETT
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CONROY
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WHISH-WILSON
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O`SULLIVAN
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McALLISTER
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BILYK
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BRANDIS
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WATERS
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STERLE
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LINES
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LAMBIE
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LEYONHJELM
-
SMITH
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BROWN
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MCGRATH
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MCKENZIE
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SESELJA
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HUME
- DUNIAM speaking now
- REYNOLDS
- PAYNE
- CANAVAN
- SINODINOS
- FIERRAVANTI-WELLS
- BIRMINGHAM
- SCULLION
- CASH
- CORMANN
New senator Jonathon Duniam is one of the endangered species of the parliament – a Tasmanian Liberal.
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We are just going through the audit office response. In the mean time, this is an interesting footnote.
Parakeelia’s (unaudited) general ledger for 2015–16 included a loan from Parakeelia to the Liberal party of $200 000. Parakeelia advised that the loan was made for cash flow purposes and would be repaid by the Liberal party in 2016–17.
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Auditor general says limited review shows no evidence of contravention by Liberal party of electoral laws with Parakeelia
The auditor general, Grant Hehir, has written to Labor’s Brendan O’Connor to say after its limited review – which was not an audit – there has been no evidence of contravention of electoral laws by Parakeelia.
I am writing in response to your letter of 15 June 2016 requesting that I investigate the appropriateness of arrangements concerning the Liberal Party of Australia entity Parakeelia Pty Ltd. Your interest was in taxpayer funded reimbursements of related payments and financial transfers between Parakeelia and the Liberal Party, including whether Parakeelia has donated the profits from Feedback software to the Liberal Party.
My office has conducted a limited scope assurance review, not an audit, focused on electoral and parliamentary entitlement obligations, and financial transactions between Parakeelia and the Liberal Party. The review was limited to analysis of publicly available information, key documents and advice provided by the Australian Electoral Commission and the Department of Finance, and advice and financial information provided by Parakeelia.
In conducting the review, no evidence was provided to the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) that the arrangements contravene electoral and parliamentary entitlement frameworks or that Parakeelia donated any profits1 from the sale of Feedback software to the Liberal Party. Further, the financial transactions reported to the Australian Electoral Commission between Parakeelia and the Liberal Party indicated a net cost to the Liberal Party from 2000–01 to 2014–15.
Readers will remember this story blew up in the election campaign when Fairfax reported that Liberal MPs used their taxpayer-funded office allowance to purchase data registry services from Parakeelia Pty Ltd. Parakeelia is wholly owned by the Liberal party and has paid substantial sums of “other receipts” to the party.
Then former Liberal-turned-independent Dennis Jensen weighed in.
Liberal MPs use database software to profile constituents and decline requests for help from decided voters, even their own supporters, MP Dennis Jensen has claimed.
Jensen, who is recontesting his seat of Tangney as an independent after losing Liberal preselection, has lashed out at the “illegitimate” use of voter-tracking software for party political purposes.
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It must be difficult. Note marriage equality supporters Trent Zimmerman and Tim Wilson.
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This bill is a chance to say love is love.
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Rodney Croome says gov doesn't have a mandate on a plebiscite because they didn't outline details before election pic.twitter.com/KE7dLd6zu6
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) September 12, 2016
In the lower house, it is private members business still with government MPs talking about mobile black spots.
In the Senate, there appears to be no government business in the government business session. LNP senator James McGrath is filibustering. He is talking about the former member for Herbert, Ewen Jones. McGrath was his campaign manager. McGrath advised Jones to:
Please stop making jokes because the left do not have a sense of humour and they will not see that you are just a funny person, they will use political correctness to attack you.
I guess there are no bills ready to go, notwithstanding there being only five sitting weeks to go until the Christmas break.
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Bill Shorten: Today the parliament has a chance to prove its worth
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The Labor marriage equality bill does this:
Repeal the definition, substitute:
marriage means the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.
A little snap analysis from Paul Karp on where Labor might be headed:
Bill Shorten has just concluded his speech introducing Labor’s marriage equality bill, and it has given further strong indications Labor will block the plebiscite.
Shorten detailed a number of fundamental objections to the plebiscite, including Michael Kirby’s argument that imposing this process on LGBTI people is a “new hurdle” that has not been needed to resolve other human rights issues.
He also noted an increased risk of suicide for vulnerable LGBTI people, and said “if one child commits suicide over the plebiscite, then that is one too many”.
All this makes it incredibly difficult for Labor to waive through the plebiscite – even if the government denies a free vote on same-sex marriage.
It’s also worth noting he mentioned the nonbinding nature of the plebiscite only once, in a cursory fashion, further evidence that making the plebiscite self-executing (ushering in same-sex marriage automatically if the yes side wins) is not sufficient to overcome Labor’s objections to it.
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Bandt: This bill is a chance to say love is love.
More from Adam Bandt:
We are now the only developed English-speaking country not to have equal marriage laws. Our laws continue to send the message to people who are same-sex-attracted that their love is not equal. Our homophobic marriage laws are part of the system that for years has told young people who are coming to grips with their sexuality that you are not straight and not equal. It has allowed the tragedy of young people to suicide at rates many times greater than their heterosexual peers. This bill is a chance to take another important step away from this discrimination and pain into creating a world where all people know and feel that they are equal regardless of who they love. This bill is a chance to say love is love. It knows no gender, it is beautiful and it’s equal.
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Bandt: wedding bells could sound before the end of the year
Adam Bandt echoes Labor’s view that the cosponsors should work together for marriage equality.
If we all work together, we have a real chance to pass marriage equality through parliament sooner rather than later without a divisive and wasteful plebiscite. If we all work together, wedding bells could be sounding before Christmas this year. And at the end of the day, what matters is that marriage equality is passed and the leader of the opposition is right, ultimately no one will care whose name appeared in what position on this bill.
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Crossbenchers introduce marriage equality bill
Adam Bandt, Greens MP, introduces a bill with Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie, who sit either side.
This cross parliamentary bill will remove discrimination from our marriage laws and finally achieve marriage equality in this country. And it’s time that our laws recognise this equality. It’s time that our parliament finally says to every Australian, to every LGBTI Australian, that they and their love are equal. It’s time that we end discrimination and promote acceptance, love and equality for all.
Shorten: a no campaign would be an emotional torment
Bill Shorten questions the cost of the plebiscite and notes the hurtful campaign
Growing up is hard for everyone but for young Australians grappling with their sexual identity, it can be so much more difficult. Every piece of expert advice tells us young Australians who are gay are more likely to contemplate suicide and more likely to take their own lives. The idea of young people, perhaps yet to come out, seeing the legitimacy of their identity debated on the national stage. That is not an ideal inflicted on any citizen when we have a better path. Let me be as blunt as possible. A ‘No’ campaign would be an emotional torment for gay teenagers and if one child commits suicide over the plebiscite, then that is one too many.
Bill Shorten says he lives in a blended family and he and wife Chloe chose to get married partly to give their children a sense of formal equality with their other children.
Some might say that marriage equality is a second order issue, identity politics, mere symbolism. But what they need to understand is if you already enjoy a legal right, it is easy to take it for granted. For me, it is as simple as this – in delaying marriage equality, we are not just falling behind the rest of the world, 21 countries who we consider our legal, cultural and social peers, have already moved ahead of us. We are falling short of our own national sense of self. The country we want to see in the mirror, the Australia we tell our children to believe in, how can we call ourselves the land of the fair go if we discriminate against our citizens on the basis of who they are and who they love. And we, who sit in the parliament, trusted with the great privilege of representing all the Australian people, not just some of the Australian people.
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Bill Shorten:
Go down any street in Australia and you can hear these stories, hard-working people raising children, building community, serving the country, made to feel like second class citizens through one last lingering relic of legal prejudice. It’s in our power in this place to change that once and for all. That’s why Labor promise to deliver marriage equality within our first hundred days. Today we seek to honour that promise.
Shorten is listing a number of individuals who have written to Labor to support marriage equality.
Wilma Lorne is 89, with 14 grandchildren and three of her grandsons are gay.
After her husband of 62 years marriage passed away, Wilma wrote to me about her grandsons and their partners, saying “I see the same love and commitment that my husband and I shared, just as much as all my other grandchildren who are happily married. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to attend their weddings.
Labor introduces private members marriage equality bill
Bill Shorten is presenting the marriage equality (*private members bill) in the lower house.
Today is a chance for our parliament to prove its worth...Together we can vote to make marriage equality a reality.
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Parliament begins. Hold on to your hats.
Apparently Scott Morrison attended the whip’s meeting.
How was the meeting today with Christopher Pyne about making sure we don’t have a repeat of what we saw earlier this month in terms of divisions?
Very constructive.
What was the mood?
Very constructive.
Scott Morrison is asked:
Q: You mentioned it’s up to parliament to make decisions when it comes to the economy. Why can’t the parliament make decisions when it comes to human rights?
(This is about marriage equality and the need to have a plebiscite.)
It’s up to the parliament to make decisions on legislation the government puts before it. The government decides what legislation is put before this parliament. When you are successful in an election, you put your agenda to the parliament. That is what we are doing.
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Morrison is asked about the marriage equality split in his party. He won’t enter into the debate.
Q: Warren Entsch and Eric Abetz have come out on opposite sides. Isn’t there a split?
That is your commentary.
Treasurer Scott Morrison is speaking on the need to get the budget savings through the parliament. He won’t say if there is room to move on the budget almost $6bn omnibus bill.
That is a test for the parliament but we are engaging those discussions practically, in good faith, as I think the Australian people expect us to, to get a result. They elected this parliament. It’s the government’s job to work with that parliament to get the result.
Sean Parnell in the Oz has an interesting story about a proposed crackdown within Medicare. He reports:
The taskforce reviewing the $21 billion Medicare Benefits Schedule is finalising the most sweeping changes in more than a decade to crack down on rebate rorts and protect patients, including restricting GPs ordering powerful scans for back pain and reducing the number of colonoscopies and sleep tests.
The MBS Review Taskforce has called for feedback on a series of landmark recommendations from specialist clinical committees established to examine areas as diverse as diagnostic imaging and maternity care.
The new proposals include a requirement for mandatory health testing for pregnant women and new mothers, restrictions on GPs ordering expensive service such as low back scans, and a strict limit on surgeons ordering multiple MBS items for a single service.
The Australian Medical Association may have some firm views about this one though:
The committee, tasked with safeguarding Medicare rebates and improving compliance, has called for medical professionals to be required to pass a test on their knowledge of MBS rules and billing requirements before gaining their Medicare provider numbers.
Labor and a group of Greens and independent MPs are going to introduce separate bills for marriage equality into the house of representatives today.
The bills are not materially different which raises the question: why are there two of them? It’s a small sign of the tension between Labor and the Greens as both wish to be seen to lead on progressive issues.
The Labor equality spokeswoman, Terri Butler, has told Guardian Australia the opposition is fulfilling its election commitment to introduce a bill for marriage equality within 100 days.
Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan have urged Labor to sign on to its bill because it’s more likely to win government support if it’s a cross-party effort.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whose name appears on the bill, what matters is it gets passed. Now that the issue of equality is firmly on the national agenda, I’m worried that if one party tries to own it, it will fail, Bandt says.
Butler said that it doesn’t matter much, as either bill can be brought on for a vote and there are often two bills or motions seeking to achieve the same thing before parliament.
The Coalition doesn’t want either to be debated or voted on so – barring anything like a repeat of the government losing a procedural vote – they are separate but equally unlikely to progress.
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Since we last met, manager of opposition business in the Senate, Sam Dastyari, has fallen on his sword over his request for a payment of a travel debt by the Top Education Institute. He is now a humble backbencher with a propensity to use the underground carpark rather than chancing the media gauntlet at the Senate doors.
The former ACT chief minister, now financial services shadow, Katy Gallagher has just been appointed in his place.
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The requirements of members:
Rule number one. Do not miss votes.
Or you will have an unhappy PM.
There is a special Coalition party room meeting this morning to impress on MPs and senators how important it is to turn up to vote. The notice from the chief Coalition whip Nola Marino has fallen off the back of a truck. Her bolding, not mine.
Dear Members and staff,
There will be a meeting of Liberal and National Members of the House of Representatives at 9am on Monday 12 September in the Government Partyroom. The meeting is to inform Members about requirements of Members when the House is sitting.
At 9:30 also in the Government Partyroom, there will be a meeting of the staff of Liberal and National Members of the House of Representatives. At least one member of staff must attend from each office but all staff and Members are welcome, passes will be checked at the door. The meeting is to inform staff about requirements of their Members when the House is sitting and the responsibilities of staff when the House is sitting.
Regards
Nola.
Don't let that sky deceive you, it's 5C in Canberra pic.twitter.com/lynH31QB8n
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) September 11, 2016
The House of Representatives is sitting this week, and today's Daily Program is now available. https://t.co/bJWZxVX4xh
— Aus House of Reps (@AboutTheHouse) September 11, 2016
Bowers on Sunday.
The budget omnibus bill is being examined in a very short committee hearing. So the crossbenchers and the Greens have organised some of the groups concerned about the budget cuts to present a public submission between 10ish and 12ish.
The crossbenchers due to speak include: Senators Richard Di Natale, Rachael Siewert, Nick Xenophon, Derryn Hinch and Jacqui Lambie.
The list includes:
- Australian Council of Social Services: CEO, Cassandra Goldie
- Catholic Social Services Australia: policy adviser Liz de Chastel
- Solar Council: CEO John Grimes
- Australian National University, Prof Andrew Blakers
- Australian Dental Association: deputy CEO, Eithne Irving
- Future Care Mobile Dental Services: managing director Arthur Bushell
- Mental Health Australia: director of policy and projects, Josh Fear
- WA Association of Mental Health: president Alison Xamon
- Aboriginal Disability Justice Campaign: coordinator Patrick McGee
- KCI Lawyers: partner, Gregory Isolani
- Slater and Gordon: military compensation lawyer, Brian Briggs
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Fresh from their win at the death knell of the last sitting week – in which the government lost three procedural votes – Labor is hoping to hammer the first year anniversary of Malcolm Turnbull’s takeover.
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Greens MP Adam Bandt, Indi independent Cathy McGowan and Denison indie Andrew Wilkie will introduce a marriage equality private members bill just after 10am as well as Shorten.
It is essentially the same bill but the crossbenchers feel that supporters of marriage equality in the Coalition might be more disposed to support their bill than Labor’s bill.
We never agreed to public funding in the party room, says Warren Entsch
Warren Entsch, aforementioned Coalition campaigner for marriage equality, is pushing back at Eric Abetz. Any suggestion that public funding was part of the plebiscite agreement is tosh. And he knows ‘cause he was there for the whole six hours.
Any suggestion that it was a decision or a commitment made in the party room is absolutely wrong. This issue has only been discussed once in the party room and that was at the time when I was introducing my private members bill and party room was called ... we had a marathon six-hour debate.
Was it discussed?
No it was not. My bill was discussed and the prospect of whether or not we have a vote in the parliament and that was all that was discussed. Now at the end of that six-hour debate there was not a vote in the party room, there was definitely not.
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I should say Tony Abbott has also spoken to morning television. He says he has had a year reflecting on the “strengths and weaknesses” of his government.
The important thing now is to get behind the government we have got and make it as successful as it can be and that is certainly what I am determined to do and what all my colleagues are determined to do.
Probs needs to have a chat to Eric and the boys at the next Monkey Pod meeting.
Parliament gets down to business at 10am. Bill Shorten will be introducing his marriage equality bill at that time. This is the bill which the parliament could vote on (if the government allowed) and hey presto, marriage equality would be delivered.
Good morning blogans,
A thousand street side plums are blossoming in Canberra right now and the cheery faces are streaming back into the building for the second sitting week of the 45th parliament.
On the agenda:
- marriage equality and whether the yes and no case should be funded,
- the latest tranche of national security legislation, specifically lowering control orders to people as young as 14 suspected of planning terrorist acts and post sentence detention for terrorism offenders,
- the fair work amendments, including the ABCC bill and the volunteers bill
- the budget omnibus bill
- Labor will push again for the bank royal commission.
What we also have this morning is the Coalition party room meeting occurring on the outside of building.
First, Tasmanian tiger, Eric Abetz, comes out to draw a big chalk circle around Malcolm Turnbull when it comes to the plebiscite. Over the weekend, Samantha Maiden reported that a number of church leaders had been promised public funding for both sides. Turnbull said it would be a matter for the cabinet and the partyroom.
Abetz “trusts” it will be a party room decision.
This idea that somehow you can have a proper plebiscite without funding for the yes and no cases would not be the sort of plebiscite envisaged by the party room when we decided on it.
Coalition campaigner Warren Entsch says there was no such agreement for public funding at that marathon six hour meeting which decided the plebiscite. He doesn’t want funding and says after so much public debate, people have already made up their minds.
Meanwhile, the government in exile is dressed in bike shorts. Tony Abbott has appeared to talk about his annual cause, pollie pedal, which raises money for charity. This year it will be Soldier On, the veterans group. He is surrounded by supporters, including Kevin Andrews and his hair.
Abbott is asked about the case for public funding.
If we are capable of debating who should run the country, we are more than capable of having a similar quality of debate about whether we want to preserve marriage as it’s always been or whether we want to change it and that’s the way it should be.
So we better crack on. Mike Bowers is stalking the building. You can talk talk to us in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers.
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