Things have started to quiet down here, so we are going to call it a day.
But what a day it was! Australia, you have a new deputy prime minister.
Barnaby Joyce is on the backbench for the first time since 2013 (by my count).
Malcolm Turnbull admitted he launched an investigation into his now former deputy prime minister.
The Coalition Agreement is once again top of mind.
And once again, no one is talking about company tax cuts or anything the government would like to talk about.
What will tomorrow bring? Well, who knows. This is only the third sitting week and already we have had an embarrassment of riches. Truly. I need another holiday. I can’t imagine how you all feel reading about it.
Michaelia Cash is back tomorrow, fronting estimates as part of the hearing looking into the AG department. Home affairs will also get a run through. As will agriculture and water. So the Murray Darling Basin plan will be back on the agenda.
You can find a program here
We will also be back tomorrow, because a) well, it’s our job. And b) I apparently am a sucker for punishment.
But the Guardian brains trust help make it a little more bearable. As does Mike Bowers. Follow him at @mpbowers and @mikepbowers. You’ll find some more behind the scenes shots and it’s the best way to get your thoughts straight to the great man himself.
You can catch me at @amyremeikis or @ifyouseeamy. Same deal.
The biggest thank you, as always, is reserved for you, the readers. Thanks for playing along so early in the week. Thanks for the laughs. And for the chats, even if I don’t respond. I’m reading.
We will hopefully see you back here tomorrow just after 8am. In the mean time, have a lovely night and take care of you.
Updated
And the estimates train rolls on
- Quaedvlieg put on leave in May after his girlfriend gets a job in the dept.
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) February 26, 2018
- ACLEI reports back late last year.
- Martin Parkinson investigates whether to sack him, reports in December
- Q responds in January
- AG gets report on Feb 5.
- Quaedvlieg paid $500k in the meantime
The Fair Work Commission decision to end the Glencore Oaky Creek mine lockout has been welcomed by Craig Laundy.
It has been 230 days since the miners were allowed on site, after they were locked out of the mine when negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement fell apart.
Andrew Broad (who publicly called for Barnaby Joyce to step aside last week) has put out his statement welcoming his new Nationals overlord:
This morning the National party voted in a new leader, The Hon. Michael McCormack MP.
Michael is an outstanding force in the National party, a leader, a man from rural beginnings, who holds himself and others to a strong set of values, and a vital part of the National party team.
As we welcome Michael to the new role, I also would like to note the great contribution of former leader Barnaby Joyce to the National party.
While we do have a new leader alongside our deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, regional Australians can rest assured the National party will remain the same – a driven party who will deliver outcomes regional Australians are asking for.
From mobile black-spot towers, regional highway upgrades and infrastructure projects for small towns to doctors in your local hospitals and jobs for you and your children – we are the Nationals and we are for regional Australia.
***End statement****
Updated
Penny Wong and Mathias Cormann have had a very robust exchange about the government’s staffing committee, and whether they treat approvals of Liberal and National staff the same way.
Cormann says that the prime minister and the committee has only an “administrative” role in approving changes to staffing arrangements and informing the finance department.
Wong objects repeatedly to his use of “administrative” - she points out the prime minister is the one that gives the legal power to appointments by other ministers, including Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan, who both hired Joyce’s now partner Vikki Campion.
Cormann:“I’m just a humble non-English speaking immigrant.”
He accuses Wong of playing a semantic word game, when all staffing approval decisions are matters of administration.
Updated
There seems to be some problems with phrasing (BOOM!) today
Phrasing, please. pic.twitter.com/2eflCoGmjP
— Andy 🕵🏻♂️ Park (@andy_park) February 26, 2018
On the same day as this... pic.twitter.com/rNuadi1vet
— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) February 26, 2018
The reason there is a lot of excitement over the admissions Penny Wong has wrangled out of Mathias Cormann?
Well, the Coalition agreement has been kept private on the grounds that it is a political document, not a government one. Labor has spent a bucket taking the government to court to try to make it public and that case is sitting in the federal court not really going anywhere.
But today Cormann said it included staffing allocations – which is part of government business. If you squint. So, Labor will now be pursuing the agreement as a public document, given that it takes into account what staff should go where, for at least part of the government. At least that appears to be the plan.
Updated
There has been a lot of talk today about passing the hat.
Well, here are Steve Ciobo’s boots.
The @Davos dress code: someone missed the memo#auspol pic.twitter.com/MV9pX5Vlof
— Australian Kitsch (@OzKitsch) February 24, 2018
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull had a chat to Miranda Devine about his US trip. The interview was recorded yesterday.
You can listen here.
Updated
Jacinda Ardern is making her second trip to Australia as NZ PM this Friday- she'll meet Turnbull in Sydney for annual talks
— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) February 26, 2018
So the battle between Labor and the Greens over Batman seems to be going well:
No, that's not a plan as to how _the Greens_ would stop Adani if they won #Batman, or at all. It's a list of ways that you think other people could #stopAdani - a great way of demonstrating how little difference electing a Greens party person in Batman would make #auspol https://t.co/jSdYOhUgxm
— Terri Butler MP (@terrimbutler) February 26, 2018
It's fair enough Labor feels worried and defensive Terri. We've seen the Batman numbers too. Go Greens 😊
— Queensland Greens (@QldGreens) February 26, 2018
For those who haven’t seen it, or just want to know a little more, Christopher Knaus has put together a brief history of Michael McCormack.
You’ll find that here.
Updated
Coalition agreement in Labor's sights
Penny Wong has extracted some very interesting concessions from Mathias Cormann about the Coalition agreement between the Liberal and National party.
Cormann has said that the document “goes to the running of government” and specifies the “allocation of staff to the National party”.
Wong notes the Coalition is fighting to keep the document secret in federal court proceedings.
She said: “There is no basis on which the government can continue to hide this document from the public.”
Cormann tries to clean up by describing it as a “political document” that “goes to how our parties work together in government and opposition”, including the proportion of ministers and opposition spokespeople and staff which are “administrative arrangements between two political parties”.
Wong suggests that the concessions reveal the document determines allocation of public resources (such as staff) which could force it to be revealed. Watch this space.
Updated
Here is how Mike Bowers saw question time:
Updated
For those playing along at home, Labor incorporated the word “inept” into four of their questions (Bill Shorten got to say it twice when he was made to repeat a question).
Everyone needs a legacy.
Updated
David Littleproud is on Sky and just said he believes Barnaby Joyce is one of the greatest deputy prime ministers in Australia’s history.
Updated
Wait! Tony Burke wants to know if the committee that George Christensen chairs has advised the house that it no longer meets and whether or not he is still receiving the extra funds as chair of that committee.
That is being investigated.
Updated
And we are done.
George Christensen gets a question!
Joel Fitzgibbon to Christensen:
“My question is to the member for Dawson in his capacity as the chair of the joint committee on publication. I ask him when does his committee next intend to hold public hearings? Will it seek evidence from the member for New England on whether it should be published as a parliamentary paper and does the member for Dawson act with other members or does he act alone?”
Only the first part of the question is ruled in order.
But Christensen is THRILLED to be getting up, giving us a taste of what deputy prime minister George Christensen (a precursor to acting prime minister George Christensen) could have been like:
“A nonsense question like that deserves the answer that I am going to give to the member. Ask a real question to government ministers, not backbenchers, that’s for starters. Do your job.
“Secondly, Mr Speaker, my committee has been very efficient, actually. What we have done is streamlined the processes for presentation of parliamentary papers to the parliament, as such, we no longer meet.”
Christensen is quite pleased with himself. He sits down and leaves us to listen to Greg Hunt answer a dixer. But for a brief shining moment there, a thousand flowers were allowed to bloom.
Ian Goodenough looks like he falling asleep. I feel you, Ian Goodenough. I feel you.
Updated
Meryl Swanson (the Labor MP for Paterson) to David Littleproud:
“It concerns farming families. Is the minister concerned the government’s inept delay at actually introducing reforms to pay-day lending and rent-to-buy schemes is hurting farming families? Including farming families who are being preyed on by unscrupulous lenders who are sometimes charging more than $8,000 for a laptop worth $1,900. Are you concerned, minister? You should be.”
There is a point of order over the last few words of the question, so those last words aside, it’s allowed.
Littleproud:
“Labor only does half the job when it comes to research. They have taken a story out of the Courier-Mail that is totally taken out of context in respect to numbers. I am going to put up my hand and say I’m a proud business owner, something they would know nothing about. I say come and look at my profit and loss. You mightn’t know what a profit and loss looks like because you never had to run one. I am proud to say I put my own hand in my pocket and employ four people in the regional community and provide a service for those that are less fortunate than you and I, that can’t afford to buy a fridge, a TV. It allows them to be able to do it.
“In respect of the numbers that are quoted, what they fail to understand is because of some unfortunate reporting is that the lease agreement they quoted provides an opportunity for those people that lease that product to upgrade that product and change that product, to be able to have a service to that product when it breaks down. That’s what a business does and those opposite should understand we play an important part in small business. If you want to cast aspersions on my character in this way, for God’s sakes come with policy and something that will change Australians’ lives and stop the characterisation assassination of those who are trying to make Australia better.”
While the Coalition looks a little taken aback at Littleproud’s performance and whether maybe they should have pushed a little harder for him to challenge for the Nationals leadership, Ed Husic had a slightly different take, yelling out, “You’re so uptight! Get that man an emotional support hamster!”
If you don’t know the story of the emotional support hamster, I don’t know if we have a lot to talk about.
Updated
So in both Senate estimates and question time we’ve heard that while the PM&C inquiry into Joyce has been dropped, the independent parliamentary expense authority has an inquiry ongoing.
Although the PM&C inquiry was instigated by Malcolm Turnbull, Mathias Cormann reveals that the second investigation was instigated by the IPEA and was “not initiated by the prime minister or the prime minister’s office”.
Martin Parkinson spoke to IPEA in the conduct of his own inquiries, and later advised Turnbull that while the PM&C inquiry should be dropped, the second inquiry is ongoing.
Updated
Christopher Pyne takes the next dixer.
I am trying very, very hard to stay awake here.
Tim Hammond to Kelly O’Dwyer:
“Almost one year ago the minister said that legislation which would reform pay day lending and rent to buy schemes would be introduced at the first opportunity. Is the minister aware of a Queensland business? Is this conservative government so inept it has allowed this behaviour to continue unchecked because it has delayed legislation to fix it?”
O’Dwyer:
“It is quite surprising that those opposite would be critical of our government, of our government, that has sought to put in place the protections that are required for those people who are some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Let me remind those opposite that they have not been a friend to consumers because they are the people who have wanted to stand in the way of the one-stop-stop for consumer complaints. It is our side of politics that has put that in place, that has legislated that, to ensure that those people who have a complaint, a financial services complaint, whether it’s the superannuation complaint, a credit complaint or in fact a complaint against one of the banks that they can receive access to free, binding and very fast responses so that they can be put in a position where they can get on with their lives. Now, those opposite weren’t particularly keen on this but we on this side of the house were able to deliver it. So while they might talk about all of things that they want people to believe that they are doing for consumers, it is us who are acting.”
Updated
Chris Bowen to Malcolm Turnbull:
“With wages at record lows under this government, why is this prime minister making people pay more in income tax while giving big business a tax cut?”
Turnbull:
“Few people in this chamber have been as eloquent in their support for cutting business taxes as the member for McMahon. He even wrote a book about it. He wrote a book about it and right now, as we all know, he goes around corporate Australia, trying to be the friendly face of the Labor party, saying we understand the need to be competitive and just wait. And of course, he’s had his coat tails pulled by the left of the Labor party because they are committed to the higher taxes and the result of that is making Australia uncompetitive. Let’s not kid ourselves, Mr Speaker. We’ve got to look at this in a clear-eyed way. Do we really think Australia will effectively compete for capital with the highest rate of company tax in the OECD? The Labor party, in an ideal world, may say, an ideal from their point of view, they may say company taxes should be higher. Well, we don’t live in that fantasy world. We live in a world which is intensely competitive and we have to fight for every dollar of investment and every single job. And that’s what my government does, every day.”
The answer goes on, but it is nothing we haven’t heard before. And won’t hear again about a million times in the lead up to the budget. Sigh.
Updated
Here is that the question I missed from Adam Bandt, in it’s entirety:
Documents available on the official climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au website state:
Southwest Western Australia has already seen reductions in rainfall due to human influence, and further drying in winter is a particularly confident prediction.
The time of drought will increase over southern Australia, with a greater frequency of severe droughts (high confidence).
However, in your first speech only a few years ago, you said that just because there is less rain, ‘it does not mean we all need to listen to a government grant-seeking academic sprouting doom and gloom about climate changing irreversibly’.
And then a couple of years later, you referred to it in parliament as ‘so-called climate change’.
Deputy prime minister, are you a climate change denier?
It was ruled out of order.
Updated
Scott Morrison just got very excited about a dixer.
Moving on:
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“In Senate estimates during question time it has been revealed that on 21 February the prime minister asked the secretary of his department to provide advice on whether the member for New England had breached ministerial standards, nine days after the prime minister was asked about it. What changed last Wednesday that caused the prime minister to initiate this inquiry?”
Turnbull:
“The matter of compliance with ministerial standards is one I take very, very seriously. The advice on ministerial standards is given to me by the secretary of my department, currently Dr Martin Parkinson. (There are several eyebrows raised at the use of the word ‘currently’.)
“And doing an outstanding job, I might say. So I requested that he provide that advice on 21 February. There were constant claims that the member for New England had been in breach of the statement of ministerial standards but no particulars were being given.
“It was appropriate and I discussed it with the member for New England, then deputy prime minister at the time, that this work would be undertaken and it was undertaken by the secretary. He’s written to me, today, to say that in light of – I’ll quote his letter: ‘In light of MrJoyce’s decision to stand down from the ministry, there is little to gain by continuing the investigation.’
“I note, however, that the audit into the use of travel and travel-related expenses by Mr Joyce and Ms Campion by the independent parliamentary expenses authority is ongoing.”
Judging by Barnaby Joyce’s face just then, that was the first time he had heard of that.
Updated
Back to the PM’s answer on charities:
“What we are committed to is ensuring that we keep Australian politics and Australian political decisions within the hand and influence of Australians. Now, Mr Speaker, the reality is this – that the Labor party’s only proposed legislation sought to ban all entities, including charities, from using money, foreign money, donated for political purposes, to finance political campaigning.
“The only problem was that Labor’s legislation defined ‘foreign donations’ so narrowly as money being physically located outside Australia. So if the money was brought into an Australian bank account, it wasn’t caught by this really tough law, you know.
“That was Labor standing up to defend our system. Labor’s foreign donations legislation was a joke. And it is a very simple point, Mr Speaker. Under our bill, charities are able to take as much money from foreign entities as they want. But they can’t use that foreign money to fund political campaigning in Australia. Now, Mr Speaker, it has long been a requirement for any individual or entity that incurs a significant amount of political expenditure to disclose this to the electoral commission. Just seven out of the registered charities in Australia reported political expenditure last year. The bill has no effect on charities political campaigning where it is funded for Australians. Talking about St Vincent de Paul or World Vision is a simple exercise by the Labor party trying to distract from the fact that GetUp wants to raise money to influence our nations. And we won’t have it.”
Updated
After Malcolm Turnbull asked Martin Parkinson on 21 February to investigate and advise whether Barnaby Joyce breached the ministerial code of conduct, the investigation has been CANNED because of Joyce’s resignation.
Witnesses in Senate estimates have said that Parkinson told Turnbull “in the light of the resignation the secretary’s advice the investigation should not continue and the prime minister has accepted his advice”.
Mathias Cormann reads Parkinson’s letter into Hansard. Parkinson told Turnbull there was “little to be gained” because Joyce was no longer a minister and subject to the ministerial code, but the independent parliamentary expense authority could still investigate it.
Updated
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Can the Prime Minister confirm that Australian charities will be caught in the government’s foreign donation laws? And why is the good work of Australian charities being put at risk because of the Prime Minister’s inept handling of foreign donation laws?”
(There is that word again)
Turnbull:
“There is a fundamental principle that I would have thought all members would agree upon and it is this - that Australians should be the ones, the only ones, that are putting money into Australian political contests. Surely, surely we have enough pride in ourselves, in our nation, that we would say it is Australians that should be determining who sits on the Treasury benches here. And that we shouldn’t have foreign organisations or foreign billionaires pouring money into Australian political campaigns. You would think that that would unite both sides of the house. But apparently not.”
A visual on the new seating arrangements for you:
Amanda Rishworth to Malcolm Turnbull:
It’s on the Murray Darling basin and who has responsibility for water in his government:
Turnbull:
“The Labor Party, purely for the purpose of trying to ingratiate itself with the Green voters in the seat of Batman is putting the whole Murray-Darling plan at risk. They’re voting down, seeking to vote down the northern basin review, which the member for Watson initiated. He set it up when he was minister for water. It was a part of the plan. And they want to vote that down in the Senate and as a consequence, as a consequence, we’ve seen the governments of New South Wales and Victoria, Liberal and Labor governments raising the question of whether they will continue to be part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
“ It is recklessness on a grand scale. And nobody knows how reckless it is better on that side of the house than the member for Watson. He knows because he was minister for water, he understands the politics of it but he has been overruled by the Green left in the Labor Party who are pursuing inner city votes at the expense of jobs of farmers, of irrigators, of cities and towns right down the Murray-Darling Basin.
“This is a disgraceful abandonment of jobs, farmers, production, of the environment, Mr Speaker, an abandonment by the Labor Party as they pursue green votes in the seat of Batman. It demonstrates their utter failure to have record to the importance of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and on that context, I want to say Mr Speaker, that the member for agricultural and water resources, the member for Maranoa to keep the plan on track despite the wrecking activities of the Labor Party and the Greens.”
Llew O’Brien gets the first dixer to deliver to Michael McCormack.
It’s on infrastructure.
He refers to the answer he has written down in long form quite frequently.
Barnaby Joyce looks like he is having a great chat with Damian Drum. He is as red as a Christmas light.
I missed part of Adam Bandt’s question to Michael McCormack, but it boils down to McCormack’s first speech and comments he made about climate change.
It ends with this: “Deputy prime minister, are you still a climate change denier?”
It is ruled out of order.
Updated
We’ve just heard in Senate estimates that on Wednesday (21 February) Malcolm Turnbull asked Martin Parkinson, the head of his department, to provide him with advice relating to relating to Barnaby Joyce and whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct.
This is new. It suggests that the government’s defence – that Vikki Campion was not Joyce’s partner when she was employed in his and Matt Canavan’s office was checked with the department of prime minister and cabinet, AFTER the government had defended Joyce for weeks on that basis.
It’s pretty extraordinary that the government got this advice so late in the game. As this timeline shows that advice came after:
- The Daily Telegraph published a photo of Campion, pregnant on its front page (7 February)
- Turnbull announced that Joyce would go on leave and a revision to the code of conduct (15 February)
Perhaps just a coincidence but the date aligns with the interview that Joyce gave with Fairfax media in the Armidale apartment.
Penny Wong is now probing why the request came so late. Mathias Cormann says that PM was not aware of the sexual harassment complaint at that time. Wong asks: what changed?
Updated
Joel Fitzgibbon to Malcolm Turnbull:
“I refer him to his previous answer on the question of the Coalition agreement. Can the prime minister confirm his government has spent almost three years and tens of thousands of taxpayers’ money on lawyers to hide the secret coalition agreement? Why is the prime minister sending tens of thousands of taxpayers money in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to hide the job? Will he release the secret coalition agreement.”
Cue debate over whether the question is in order or not.
Back and forth we go and then Fitzgibbon has a chance to ask it again:
“My question is to the prime minister. I ask him how much his government has spent with respect to the lawyers it has engaged in the matter of Joel Fitzgibbon, versus Malcolm Turnbull of Australia.”
Turnbull:
“I’ll get back to the honourable member on that. And I’m sure, Mr Speaker, I’m sure that in the honourable member’s electorate of Hunter, that’s what everyone’s talking about. That’s right. It’s all – the Coalition agreement and the legal costs. There’s no-one there talking about jobs, are they? Member for Hunter? No-one there talking about investment? No-one talking about infrastructure?
“No-one talking about national security? They’re only talking about - they’re only talking about their out-of-touch federal member who doesn’t want to focus on the real economic issues that secure their future, Mr Speaker. The member for Hunter is an embarrassment.”
Updated
Over in Senate estimates, they are also talking about the Coalition agreement – among other things.
Mathias Cormann has just revealed that last Wednesday, the prime minister sought advice from Martin Parkinson over whether Barnaby Joyce’s behaviour was consistent with the ministerial standards.
Updated
Next dixer is on how amazing is the idea to cut the company tax rate?
Very amazing.
#deathtodixers
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull:
[Referring to the Coalition Agreement and what is in it] The deputy leader of the Nationals said yesterday: ‘The governor general is across it and that’s all we need to worry about’. Has this government provided a copy of this secret coalition agreement? Yes or no?’
Christopher Pyne already has an interjection. Tony Burke is ready. There is a debate over what page of the standing orders we should be looking at. In the end, Tony Smith allows the second half of the question.
Turnbull:
“The deputy leader of the National party, Senator McKenzie, in a magnificent interview on Insiders, in which she underlined the enduring strength of our relationship with the coalition and the contribution it is making right now to making thousands of jobs, 403,000 jobs in Australia last year. That was a great interview and showed her real mettle on that Insiders program. But Mr Speaker, in terms of the question relating to the coalition agreement,it is an agreement between two political parties, it is an administrative agreement only.
“It is not being made public in the past,that has been the practice. The governor general does not have a copy of it. The senator – well, senator – of course he doesn’t have a copy of it. Senator McKenzie was referring to the letter that each leader of the National Party provides to the governor general to confirm that the government has the support of the National party. That is always provided and that is what she was referring to.”
Updated
And just on what Tanya Plibersek was saying as Michael McCormack walked in:
This week the government made a sterling guide in how not to deal with sexual harassment complaints.
First, the deputy prime minister called for allegations against him to be referred to the police.
Sexual assault and sexual harassment are not the same. Assault should always be referred to the police, but organisations should have strong policies in place to deal internally with sexual harassment complaints in the first instance, as clearly set out by the Human Rights Commission.
The complainant requested that the National party executive conduct a formal and confidential investigation – as is her right.
Instead, someone, inside either the Liberal party or the National party, for political reasons of their own, splashed her identity across the front page of the Australian.
Leaking the woman’s identity against her consent is a betrayal of trust, and will make it less likely that other women with similar complaints will come forward.
The member for Mallee says the leaker was a Liberal – so the prime minister has questions to answer:
Did he, or his office, or any member of his government have any role in identifying the woman who lodged a confidential sexual harassment complaint against the former deputy prime minister?
What steps is the prime minister taking to assure Australians that such complaints will be properly investigated, and that complainants are protected?
Updated
We all get a break as Malcolm Turnbull tells us how much we love America.
Spoiler: a lot
#deathtodixers
Question time begins
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“I refer to the prime minister’s inept failure to enforce his own ministerial standards. Is the prime minister powerless to act against a minister who breaches the ministerial standards when that minister is a member of the National party and are there any formal agreements which prevent the prime minister from his enforcing his own ministerial standards.”
Turnbull: “The answer to those questions is no and no.
The ministerial standards are enforced and have recently been revised. And I want to note, Mr Speaker, it took some while, some time before the leader of the opposition – for the leader of the opposition to agree that ministers must not engage in sexual relations with their staff. It took him a while to agree with that. He did. Anyway, Mr Speaker, the ministerial standards have been revised and for the information of honourable membersI take a copy of the ministerial standards as revised by me and reissued on the 15th of this month.”
The interjections come thick and fast.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull starts proceedings by welcoming in Michael McCormack.
“Seat warmer” Labor yells.
Everyone thanks the member for New England for his service.
He keeps writing in his book.
Barnaby Joyce walks in with Josh Frydenberg and takes his place next to Kevin Hogan one row back from the front bench.
He’s brought in his diary. Or maybe a notebook and has begun scribbling in it. Afterall, we know he is writing a book.
Malcolm Turnbull and Michael McCormack have entered the chamber together.
After a shake of a few hands, McCormack takes his seat on the bench next to Christopher Pyne.
Meanwhile, Tanya Plibersek is using her statement to condemn the leaking of the identity of the woman who made the complaint against Barnaby Joyce.
Estimates is not just for the opposition and cross bench to prosecute their cases.
The government likes to use it to get things on the record as well.
Today, Dean Smith used the opportunity to have a chat to Jenny Wilkinson from the Parliamentary Budget Office about the government’s company tax cuts - and whether they were funded.
Smith: So according to the PBO’s document, the post-election economic and fiscal outlook, doesn’t that prove that company tax cuts are affordable to the Budget and will not compromise the Budget’s return to surplus in 2020-21?
Wilkinson: I just reiterate my statement earlier, which is the Government’s fiscal forecast fully incorporate the cut in the company tax cuts so the projected return to surplus which was reflected in the post-election report but also in the most recent MYEFO does incorporate the company tax cuts.
Smith: So the PBO’s own report says that company tax cuts can be delivered and a Budget surplus achieved over the forward estimates?
Wilkinson: That is correct.
And then a little later:
Smith: For most people, in the context of this debate, most people would judge affordability through the lens of Budget surplus, Budget deficit, Wouldn’t you agree?
Wilkinson: So certainly from the perspective of can you deliver a sustainable fiscal policy which includes the company tax cuts, the medium term projections that the PBO has released show that there is a projected return to surplus and that the surplus is projected to remain around, I think it is about .3 per cent of GDP over the ten years to 2027-28.
I am not sure if that will help to convince the crossbench though.
Ahead of question time, Adam Bandt and Lisa Chesters are having a back and forth over the Batman by-election.
Chesters used her statement to attack the Greens over their promises. Bandt shot back with: “You cut pensions for single mothers.”
March 17, this all ends.
Updated
And over in Senate estimates, Penny Wong is facing off against Mathias Cormann over who knew what and when in regards to the Barnaby Joyce affair. (After first making it clear that she had no interest in the relationship, rather just the use of his office.)
Updated
We are about to head into the chamber for question time.
If you have predictions, you know what to do with them.
In other news, I can’t believe I haven’t seen Return of the Mack yet as a headline.
(You may remember that Warren Truss had anointed him as his preferred successor. Even threw him a press conference. It went terribly and Barnaby Joyce was elected unopposed.)
A (one would assume) jet lagged Malcolm Turnbull is about to start his first question time with a new deputy prime minister.
Across the other side of the world, the Human Rights Legal Centre is in Geneva:
I'm in Geneva for Australia's first session on the UN Human Rights Council.
— Daniel Webb (@DanielHRLC) February 25, 2018
There is a staggering gulf between what the Turnbull Govt has been saying on the world stage & actually doing at home. #HRC37 https://t.co/nprW6rmJmu
She’s writing op-eds in the Australian – and now another book is on the way.
Pauline, In Her Own Words, compiled by Tom Ravlic, is Pauline Hanson’s latest book.
It’s a selection of her speeches. For those who missed them the first time round.
Here is what she had to say about it, at least according to her PR blurb:
In recent years, Australians have become disappointed with the quality of their political representatives, and I understand that. I hope that in publishing a selection of my speeches that Australians will better know who I am and can be better informed when they cast their vote. We have one people, one flag and we are one nation.
Updated
Andrew Broad also just pointed out that he “probably knows more about ag or water than David” in relation to David Littleproud being promoted to agriculture minister, but that his job is to listen to his constituents.
Oh, and a “good minister” listens to those around him.
Updated
Andrew Broad, speaking on Sky, says the “toughest job” Michael McCormack has is working out who gets a promotion or not.
Updated
Sky’s Laura Jayes has questioned Larry Anthony about what he knew about the harassment complaint, when he knew it, and whether he asked for it in writing, as well as who may have leaked the woman’s identity to the media:
Jayes: You asked for her complaint in writing. Now this has been seen as quite significant from those supporting Barnaby Joyce? Is it?
Anthony: I had this put to me by the leader, the deputy leader, and a former leader of the WA Nationals. I have to take these issues seriously. I said to them, well, if this is a substantial complaint then it needs to be put in writing. How can I possibly investigate anything? I think that is my duty as president of the party and that is exactly what happened.
Jayes: Do you dispute any suggestion that by asking for this in writing, it was seen as an inducement from [the woman] to make this complaint, because in the end, that complaint has buried Barnaby Joyce.
Anthony: The week before I was in parliament trying to tell the colleagues to give Barnaby more time. I have been his supporter for a very long time here, but when you have serious allegations which have been put to me by the leadership of another division, how am I meant to investigate it? They were looking to me to take action and I can’t take any action.
Jayes: How did it get to the paper?
Anthony: The confidentiality that we were imposed on by her solicitor and her we have kept confidential. I knew that many people knew about this ...
Jayes: How can you guarantee that, because the paper ...
Anthony: During this whole period of last week, many calls from other MPs not related to the National party, from other individuals telling me about this issue. So the knowledge was out there by a large number of people. So there were many areas where it could have come from.
Jayes: How did the paper know about the complaint to the Nationals?
Anthony: I did not confirm this. When I was contacted by the media on Friday, on Thursday afternoon, had a formal complaint been registered, and it was my duty to say yes.
Jayes: Have you launched an investigation into how this leak may have got to the paper?
Anthony: Well, I don’t know how this leak gets to the paper, because I know, as far as my director and myself and my legal counsel, we were the only ones who knew the actual content and we knew the person’s name. Nobody else did, not even on our federal management.
Jayes: Have you asked the questions? It is a small ...
Anthony: Of course I did. It was three people ... No, what I am saying is that many people contacted me well before this came, who knew this individual, who knew the allegations, so it wasn’t as if there was a secret. It was well known; it was well known by the West Australian National party. So I think it is unfair to say that, but my duty was to respond to it, going forward. Yes there will be dialogue between different legal counsels, but it is not appropriate for me to go on your show and go into any more detail.
Updated
Over at estimates, Kimberley Kitching has asked about a reported debt the NSW Liberal party owes to the parliament catering arm:
Kitching: Could I move on to another topic …
Chair: You may.
Kitching: Chair, thank you, and this is in relation to the catering division. I’d like to look at the department’s accounts receivable processes. So how many, are there? Are you aware firstly, Mr Stefanic, how many creditors owe in excess of, let’s say, $20,000?
[Nick] Creagh: Senator, I’d be the one to take that question and unfortunately I’m going to have to take that question on notice.
Kitching: No problem.
Creagh: So there shouldn’t be, there should be very few creditors greater than $20,000.
Kitching: Well I’m looking at the NSW division of the Liberal party of Australia and it says that there’s a line item in that that says APH Catering / Department of Parliamentary Services $64,789.09 and so that was in their 16-17 AEC disclosure return. So could I ask you what’s your process when people owe large sums of money?
Creagh: So ...
Kitching: I mean, for example, is there a restraint action put in place, or something like that?
Creagh: So we do have an events policy that refers to non … Ah, so I’ll have to maybe ask someone to clarify on the events policy but in the normal course of events when a debtor is generated we would seek to recover that debt from that company or person. That would be done by issuing an invoice upon which we would then expect, I think our invoices would normally have a 28-day expectation of payment. Once that, if that is delayed, we would then follow up with that debtor and we would seek to, you know, contact that debtor as to try and initiate that repayment.
Kitching: Given, Mr Creagh, you have said there are very few debtors of such magnitude you must be aware of this one, and what’s the process you’ve put in place?
Creagh: So I’ll have to take that on notice, senator, because the the – yeah I’ll have to take that on notice.
Kitching: Do you ask such debtors to enter payment plans?
Creagh: Certainly that is an option that is available to us as an organisation in terms of seeking back that funding, yes.
Kitching: OK ... And could you also take on notice how much is owed by the Liberal party of Australia to the department as at 25 February?
Creagh: Yes, senator.
Kitching: Thank you.
Updated
Julie Bishop has had a chat about the South China sea (and Australia’s position) after Malcolm Turnbull’s meeting with Donald Trump last week:
It suggests that the Australian government doesn’t comment on operational matters,” she said, of the prime minister saying the Australian government doesn’t comment on operational matters.
“We have been traversing the South China sea for many years in accordance with international law and we will continue to do that. Australia is an upholder and defender of the international rules-based order and we believe strongly in the principle of freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight and we will continue to traverse the South China sea as we have in the past.
“Have there been discussions with the US to join them? Australia doesn’t have such a program. We complement each other but it doesn’t mean we align with each other on every aspect. The prime minister is absolutely right. We don’t discuss operational matters.”
Updated
The federal National party president, Larry Anthony, has popped up on Sky.
“We just need time to heal, to get out of the media and focus on our job,” he says of what is next for the National party.
He says Michael McCormack needs time.
“His job is to heal the party now and to get back to the issues, and that is what Australians want.”
That was the word “heal” twice, in about one minute. But everything is fine.
Updated
Despite most of the crossbench, the Greens and Labor standing against the government’s company tax cuts in the Senate, Simon Birmingham was on Sky this morning saying the government would not be giving up:
We will keep talking and working with all the crossbench parties. We, of course, wish that the Labor party would recognise all of the things they said in the past in favour of company tax cuts: that company tax cuts do drive wages growth and economic investment and therefore jobs growth as well; that Labor would be true to the Paul Keating principles that Chris Bowen has variously defended and Bill Shorten himself had previously argued for. But if they’re not going to be true to those principles then we will keep working with the crossbench because this is a way that drives investment growth, jobs growth and wages growth.”
Updated
In other news:
A Notice of Motion I’ve just lodged in the House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/YVncbWvfgF
— Julian Hill MP (@JulianHillMP) February 26, 2018
Helpfully, we have a transcript of the questions asked in the finance estimates hearings, as it pertained to Vikki Campion’s role in Damian Drum’s office. Below is the exchange between Labor senator Kimberley Kitching and Scott Ryan:
Kitching: I’d like to ask some questions around the creation of a position in Mr Drum’s office for Ms Campion. There’s no trace of Ms Campion in the APH system. Was Ms Campion issued an APH login during her employment with Mr Drum?
Ryan: Can I um – firstly, obviously the matter of employment for a member of the House of Representatives is not a matter for DPS. Can I take that on notice, Senator Kitching, on the basis that provision of information about something that relates to a member of the House of Representatives I want to be very careful about because it does apply to a member of the other chamber.
Kitching: Well actually, chair, I did actually seek some advice from the clerk and I was told that in 1999 the Senate resolved in adopting a report of the procedure committee that any questions relating to the operations or financial positions of departments are relevant questions for the purposes of estimates hearings and that it was DPS that has control or oversight of the pass system and that is why I’m asking it here in this way.
Ryan: I don’t have the benefit of that advice, Senator Kitching, so I’ll take the question on notice because I think you asked about an IT login?
Kitching: Yes. So an APH login. So she has no ... there’s no trace of her in the APH system. And I’d like to know the date. Um, if she was issued an APH login, what date did that occur? Was Ms Campion issued with a Parliament House security pass when she was employed by Mr Drum? And on what date was that issued? During Ms Campion’s employment with Mr Drum how frequently did she enter Parliament House? And I have to say, chair, that the quote from Mr Drum that has been said to a number of people is that: “She did not step foot into my office once.” So I’m just asking, that’s why I’m asking about the frequency of her visits into that office.
Ryan: I’ll take all of that on notice with the proviso obviously that I will also seek some advice from the clerk with respect to Senate estimates questions applying to members of the House of the Representatives.
Updated
The commissioner of the Australian Border Force, Roman Quaedvlieg, has been paid nearly half a million dollars to not work while he has been on administrative leave, during a nine-month investigation into allegations he conducted an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and possibly abused his power.
Quaedvlieg went on leave from his $618,000-a-year job on 29 May last year, when he stepped aside pending an investigation by the Australian commission for law enforcement integrity into possible abuse of power.
The commission is investigating whether Mr Quaedvlieg acted improperly by allegedly helping his girlfriend – a younger woman in the ABF – secure a job at Sydney airport. Quaedvlieg denies any wrongdoing.
An inquiry is being overseen by the head of the public service, Martin Parkinson, the secretary of the home affairs department, Mike Pezzullo, told Senate estimates.
The investigation/inquiry (the nomenclature of this was subject to some forensic discussion in estimates) into Quaedvlieg’s actions has gone on more than nine months, with no known end-date.
Quaedvlieg is reportedly “anxious” to return to work.
“I understand that to be his position,” Pezzullo said. As to what might be the outcome, Pezzullo was adamant he would not prejudge the findings.
“It’s highly speculative to be talking about dismissal.”
Pezzullo was happy to talk in generalities about natural justice being afforded to all parties, but did not want to go to specifics in Quaedvlieg’s case. Under intense questioning from Labor’s Kim Carr, who repeatedly asked why the inquiry was taking so long, saying he was deeply concerned a senior statutory officer had been treated poorly, Pezzullo demurred.
“Senator Carr, the only way to answer your questioning is to talk about the specifics of the case, and I’m just not prepared to do it.”
Updated
Also, the missing security manual has still not been found.
Labor’s Kimberley Kitching has been asking the assistant secretary of parliament’s security, Graeme Anderson, about an unidentified white powder incident on 22 November.
As live blogger extraordinaire Amy Remeikis reported, Anderson tasted the white powder instead of calling a hazmat team and using a testing device.
Anderson defended his conduct:
“That’s correct senator. My response to that incident – I handled that in exactly the same way as if I was in the [Australian federal police]. My assessment was based on the evidence that was available to me. Without going into operational methodology, there was no evidence it was a biological or chemical threat.”
Anderson said that incidents are judged based on the “consequence” and “likelihood”. Basically he thought it was so unlikely the powder was a chemical agent that he felt safe to taste it. “There was no evidence it was suspicious.”
Anderson denied that he breached protocols, noting there is “no protocol” for a “type 1 non-suspicious” powder found out of place.
He said:
“There was sugar on the balustrade near Queen’s Terrace.
... If it was anthrax we were already exposed to it. This was not consistent with any biological threat. It was not anything other than what it was: sugar that was out of place.”
Updated
The federal National party has only now released its statement welcoming its new parliamentary leader:
The Nationals federal president, the hon Larry Anthony, has welcomed the election of the Hon Michael McCormack as the new leader of the Nationals.
“Michael’s heart and soul is in regional Australia and he will be a strong advocate for the hard-working people we represent,” Mr Anthony said.
“A former regional newspaper editor and small-business owner, Michael understands the issues facing the regions and everyday working families.
“As small business minister, Michael covered the breadth of Australia talking with local small and family business and stood up for key reforms to help them grow.
“Regional Australia can trust Michael to stand up for their issues and fight for a fair share for local communities.”
Mr Anthony said that Michael and deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, provided a dynamic and modern leadership team to take the party forward.
“Michael and Bridget lead a strong team of local champions that are united in the goal of securing the future of regional Australia,” Mr Anthony said.
Mr Anthony paid tribute to outgoing leader, the hon Barnaby Joyce, for his dedication to regional Australia and the party.
“Barnaby Joyce has been a great figurehead that led the party to our best electoral result in 20 years at the 2016 federal election, which was critical to forming a Coalition government,” Mr Anthony said.
“Barnaby will continue to be a positive force within our party.”
***End statement***
Updated
Over in estimates, there have been a few questions about the Roman Quaedvlieg investigation, and why it is taking so long.
The Border Force chief was stood down, on pay, while an investigation is carried out into whether his relationship with a colleague influenced her promotions.
He denies any wrongdoing. But it has been almost a year and we are no closer to finding out what went on there.
There’s been a small update on that:
Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo has just revealed the 9 month investigation into Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg is now being overseen by the boss of Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet Martin Parkinson #Estimates
— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) February 25, 2018
Updated
The (new) band is together.
Updated
Labor’s Kimberley Kitching has asked a series of questions of the parliamentary services department about Vikki Campion’s employment in Damian Drum’s office.
These include: when she was given an IT login? When she was issued a Parliament House security pass? How frequently did she enter parliament house when she was employed by Damian Drum?
The questions were all taken on notice, but Labor clearly wants to know whether Campion was working hard or hardly working in Drum’s office.
Updated
David Gillespie has just repeated that Michael McCormack is a “very good fellow”.
Now, I would never dream of being cynical enough to suggest there were talking points on this, but he moves on to this:
“We have given Bill Shorten a free kick. We are putting him back in the spotlight. He hasn’t come up with anything but vague wishy-washy, populist responses.”
Updated
“We are really excited that this chapter has closed,” David Gillespie says.
David Gillespie is next up on Sky.
He is doing his best to hose down talk there is division in the Nationals.
“It was obvious that I didn’t have the numerical support ... so I am very happy to get behind who our party has chosen. Michael is a very good fellow,” he said.
Updated
The opposition spokesman on consumer affairs, Tim Hammond, has introduced a private member’s bill on payday lending.
Here’s the trick: it’s actually the Coalition’s legislation.
Consumer groups are angry that the government has delayed payday lending reforms that have already passed cabinet and the party room, and in February George Christensen put his name to a backbench revolt over the legislation.
Now Labor is trying to wedge the government.
Hammond:
Today I will introduce into the chamber a private member’s bill to amend the small amount credit contracts laws in exactly the same way that the government bill purported to do. We have not changed a sentence; we have not changed a word.
So today the government has a choice. Will they vote for their own bill that some would like to pretend never existed, that we will introduce? Will they vote for their own bill so we can take steps to protect over 620,000 Australians who are trapped in a vicious debt spiral of payday loans and rent-to-buy schemes?”
Updated
Michael McCormack has just been sworn in as deputy prime minister, minister for infrastructure and transport.
A spy has just let us know that Barry O’Sullivan was spotted walking through the Senate courtyard as Michael McCormack held his first press conference as leader.
He could have been making his way to an estimates hearing.
Updated
The parliamentary services department is telling Senate estimates about a spate of incidents of bollards hitting cars using the Senate and House of Representatives slip roads.
Bollard facts:
- There have been five incidents: three involving Comcars, one Australian federal police vehicle, and one DPS maintenance vehicle
- The first three incidents occurred in November
- There is an independent review into the incidents, which will report back by March or April, and will cost $27,000
- DPS witnesses say the incidents happened while the bollards were being manually operated. They are now back to automatic operation
- While DPS says it will wait for the review before determining if human error was to blame, they’re pointing fingers already by saying there is “likely some blame on the part of Comcar [drivers]” and one of the November incidents “looks like a tailgating incident”
Updated
Just back to Sky for a moment, and Darren Chester just admitted that he has never seen the Coalition agreement, so he doesn’t know what is in it.
Who does know what is in this document?
Updated
Just going through those group shots following the National party meeting this morning and I am not seeing Barry O’Sullivan.*
Perhaps he was busy with Senate estimates? Or maybe just somewhere in the back?
*Correction: I have just spotted Matt Canavan in the back. I obviously have not had enough coffee today.
Updated
Michael McCormack is about to be sworn in.
Updated
Absolutely delighted.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull has welcomed his new deputy
In a statement which has just been released, the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, welcomes Michael McCormack to his new spot on the bench. He’s “delighted”.
I’m delighted to welcome the appointment of Michael McCormack as the new leader of the National party and deputy prime minister.
Michael McCormack is a strong advocate for rural Australia. He will continue his party’s long tradition of standing up for farmers and all those living in regional Australia.
The Liberal party has been in Coalition with the Nationals for more than 70 years and our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael’s leadership of the National party.
I congratulate Michael McCormack on his appointment and I look forward to working closely with him and the entire Coalition team in the interests of all Australians.”
Updated
Here is the statement on the protester fines:
Speaker Tony Smith says protesters who abseiled down Parliament House's front façade on 30 November 2016 were each fined $1,500 #auspol pic.twitter.com/SuYW3gRBLd
— Political Alert (@political_alert) February 25, 2018
Back to Sky and Darren Chester said he has not had any conversations with Michael McCormack about returning to the cabinet.
As for George Christensen wanting to break away from the Coalition and also putting up his hand for the leadership....
“George is full of surprises, I didn’t expect that.
“...George is George”.
The Speaker, Tony Smith, has opened the House proceedings with an update on the question time protest last year, which saw activists glue their hands to the public gallery.
There have been some quite hefty fines apparently, with more to come.
Updated
Darren Chester has been dispatched to tell us a little more about Michael McCormack.
He’s a mad Hawthorn* supporter.
He likes the gee-gees and can name every Melbourne Cup winner for the past 100 years.
And he’s a student of Australian war history.
“He is very well-rounded character. He is a hell of a nice guy to spend time with and he is also a force to be reckoned with,” Chester says.
As for whether he’ll be heading back to cabinet: “I have learned not to get too far ahead of yourself in this place.”
*Thank you to the reader who pointed out my Queensland slip, which saw me add an extra ‘e’ to Hawthorn originally. As a Collingwood supporter, I try to pay as little attention to Hawthorn as possible.
Updated
There has already been a mention of Barnaby Joyce in estimates and it’s not even 10am!
It was over his pet project, the inland rail, and there was no resolution – the questions were put on notice and we’ll hear the answers a little later today.
But basically Labor wanted to know how his former chief of staff, Di Hallam, ended up as head of the inland rail.
You can watch that first exchange, here.
Expect some questions about the alignment of the track as well.
Updated
The bells are ringing. The House of Representatives is about to sit.
Updated
Kate Carnell, the small business ombudsman, has congratulated McCormack on his ascension:
“Michael McCormack was a diligent and committed small business minister, so we are particularly pleased with this outcome.
“Mr McCormack ran his own small business before entering parliament so he knows what it’s like, and has great empathy for the challenges and opportunities small businesses face every day.”
Updated
Speaking to ABC Brisbane, Michelle Landry (who bought a new whip for this morning’s party room meeting) said she felt like the party had been through a war.
But she says it is important to unite now.
Michael McCormack will be sworn in as deputy prime minister very soon:
Michael McCormack will be sworn in to his new role this morning.
— Matthew Doran (@MattDoran91) February 25, 2018
The Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau is filling in for the Governor-General @abcnews #auspol pic.twitter.com/YCOb6hWi3v
George Christensen has released a statement:
George Christensen on his failed bid for the Nationals leadership #auspol pic.twitter.com/ME18s9zojP
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) February 25, 2018
Just as many eyes (and lenses) were on Barnaby Joyce as Michael McCormack in that press conference.
This looks to me like a man who has had the past few weeks come crashing down suddenly.
![The [almost] former deputy prime minister.](https://media.guim.co.uk/e6e5c60ee51d230bca72b12d0fdedac5d61c40d7/0_0_4293_3218/1000.jpg)
Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
Updated
Part of Murray Watt’s job as a Queensland Labor senator is to raise the profile of Labor in the regions and north Queensland.
Since taking his seat, he has not been shy in letting loose against LNP MPs in his home state.
Here is what he had to say about George Christensen at doors this morning:
George was out in the media again over the weekend saying that he was going to blow up the Coalition yet again.
How many times have we actually seen this from George Christensen? He’s like the boy who cried wolf. Last year alone, George Christensen was going to cross the floor on the banking royal commission and didn’t. He was going to cross the floor on penalty rates and he didn’t. He was going to cross the floor on the backpacker tax and he didn’t. Every single time he caved into the Liberals when he got down here to Canberra.
And who can forget that last year he was the anonymous National party MP who was going to resign from the government unless Malcolm Turnbull was gone as the leader by Christmas.
I think people in Mackay and Queensland are pretty sick of George Christensen just huffing and puffing, and rolling over when he gets down here to Canberra. He is the boy who cried wolf. He is actually the biggest gutless wonder that north Queensland has ever produced. In Queensland, we like people to say what they mean and follow through on what they say.
George Christensen is a gutless wonder. He’s a wuss and he’s an embarrassment to all Queenslanders. It’s time he actually followed through on his threats.
Every day that he stays with the Coalition under Malcolm Turnbull, he owns every one of Malcolm Turnbull’s decisions. When Malcolm Turnbull voted to cut penalty rates, George Christensen and the Nationals voted with him. When Malcolm Turnbull cut regional health, George Christensen and the Nationals voted with him. When they cut schools, unis, training facilities in the regions, George Christensen and the National party voted with him. So every day that George Christensen stays in this Coalition, he continues to let down his constituents back in Queensland.”
Updated
For those wondering about the Barnaby Joyce eye roll, it came when Michael McCormack was asked about his role in the party going forward, and whether he was just a seat-warmer for Joyce:
I have been elected to a job by the National party. Barnaby will be an important part in our party going forward and I look forward to working with him towards overcoming some of the challenges faced by our constituents. We have always done that and I have always been good friends with Barnaby and I look forward to [that continuing]. I have been kicked out of parliament defending him before but I will certainly make sure that we are very close and we will continue to work as a team. Not [just] as individuals, but as the team going forward.”
Updated
I'm told Barnaby Joyce gave a "genuine speech" to the Nationals party room when he quit as leader. He called for unity, did not endorse anyone as the future leader. #auspol
— Caitlyn Gribbin (@CaitlynGribbin) February 25, 2018
Looks like some in the Liberal party are having fun.
This just sent out from @NolaMarinoMP’s office.....and then recalled! @Barnaby_Joyce @TonyAbbottMHR 🤨 @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/C7ZM5s4WdM
— Laura Jayes (@ljayes) February 25, 2018
I’m just going to leave these images here:
Updated
So @GChristensenMP told me he had "No idea" how many votes he got" "It isn't made public. Not even to contenders". Will be releasing statement shortly. Whip Michelle Landry just told me same @David_Speers @SkyNewsAust
— Samantha Maiden (@samanthamaiden) February 25, 2018
And no, it is not a conspiracy or a “strange reason” beyond there has been a little bit on this morning, what with a new deputy prime minister and all, but there was a Sky News/ReachTel poll released yesterday:
It showed the Coalition’s primary vote had slipped one point to 33%, while Labor gained one point to 37%, which on the two-party-preferred measure brings Labor to 54% to the government’s 46%.
Next week is Newspoll number 28.
Updated
Tim Hammond stopped by the doors* for a press conference this morning:
I read this morning that the National party’s tin ear for conflicts just extends even further: their newest cabinet member, David Littleproud, has a direct interest in a rent-to-buy business in Southern Downs that is currently flogging off fridges that would normally cost you $1,700 for about $8,000.
Now many will be aware that Labor has been trying to offer bipartisan support to fix the area of payday loans and rent-to-buy schemes for almost two years now, to no avail. We almost got there, under the perhaps soon-to-be new leader of the Nationals, Michael McCormack, who actually got legislation through the cabinet process last year, only for it to be pushed off to the long grass, allowing the “Parliamentary Friends of Payday Lending” have their way, and pretend this legislation never existed.
Well, it’s not good enough.
Today I will introduce into the chamber a private member’s bill to amend the small amount credit contracts laws in exactly the same way that the government bill purported to do. We have not changed a sentence; we have not changed a word.
So today the government has a choice. Will they vote for their own bill that some would like to pretend never existed, that we will introduce? Will they vote for their own bill so we can take steps to protect over 620,000 Australians who are trapped in a vicious debt spiral of payday loans and rent-to-buy schemes?”
*For those wondering, journalists stand outside the doors of the Senate entrance and the House of Reps and ministers/senators who walk through do it, knowing they will be stopped. There are a lot of ways to get into this building, so if they come by, it is because they have something to say. But we just call it “doors”.
Updated
The new Nationals party leader and deputy prime minister (almost) is off to speak to (I would imagined very jet-lagged) Malcolm Turnbull about his new role.
The Nationals get four cabinet positions. There is a potential for a small reshuffle here.
Remember, it was Barnaby Joyce who decided that Keith Pitt and Darren Chester should be booted. That came after Joyce’s choice for deputy, Matt Canavan, came third in the deputy challenge (after Bridget McKenzie and Michael McCormack, the joke being then that he was beaten by someone no one in Australia had heard of) and of course, as we now know, discomfort over his affair with a former staffer.
Will they be back?
Updated
Michael McCormack said he is not disappointed it became a contest:
Not at all and I congratulate George Christensen for putting up his hand. He gave an outstanding speech as he always does. Where is he? Come here, George. George and I sat together in parliament for the first three years and we were a noisy pair.
Luckily we had someone sitting beside us to calm us down. George has been a friend of mine and will continue to be so. It is democracy, that is the National party. We talk openly about things with each other and once the doors shut we are a party that is united going forward. I congratulate George for putting his hand up. I look forward to working with him, just like the other National party members going forward.
And to reinforce his point that they are just one big happy family, he brought Christensen forward and they gave each other a very manly hug and Christensen pretended to raise a fist, and really, it was just a very beautiful display of manly togetherness.
I for one totally bought that they are totally fine. Everything is totally fine.
We don’t know the numbers in that spill just yet, but I wouldn’t expect Christensen would have received too many.
Updated
Bridget McKenzie was allowed to speak:
I would also like to pay tribute to Barnaby Joyce and his legacy. Something that we all is the party room recognised and we look forward to continuing. Michael, I think your skill set in being a team player and wanting to take our message to the regions, I am looking forward to working with you and continuing the work we have been able to do as a team. If you look behind the two of us, the local champions right here from all around rural and regional Australia bring the concerns in the interest on the needs of those in Gippsland, in Flynn, from right around our country to this party room and as one we fight for their needs and interests. I’m looking forward to working with Michael and all of us to make sure that their needs and interests are delivered here in Canberra.
Updated
Michael McCormack:
I will honour the faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best. I am a team player and I will do it with the very best team for rural and regional Australia to serve the interest of our nation, particularly of those people who live in country, coastal and regional areas. We come to Canberra and we do our very best for the people we serve. We have been doing this for over 90 years. I want to place on record an acknowledgement for Barnaby Joyce. He has been an outstanding leader. His service to our party and to our nation will never be diminished. His legacy will endure. And his continued work for and behalf of our nation, for and on behalf of our party and for and an on behalf of regional Australia will also continue. I wish him well into the future and I look forward to him being part of our strong National party going forward. I want to ... acknowledge my colleagues who are the very best to work with. We’re strong and united and we have delivered large projects. We have delivered well above our weight and will continue to do so.
George Christensen is standing behind him in the back row, next to Barnaby Joyce and there is A LOT of shade being thrown in his looks.
Christensen is not a happy chappy. Joyce is just staring straight ahead.
Not the greatest optics for your first introduction as leader.
Updated
“Barnaby is very supportive of Michael and I think that is going to be very important for the future of the growth of the National party,” Landry said.
“George decided he wanted to stand up and talk about the National party values and what we have done for regional Australia and I think that is very important,” she added.
Christensen putting his hand up is not something to roll your eyes at. The Nationals have a history of not contesting leadership contenders. So Christensen putting up his hand means that divide is still there. And that there is a small group at least who want the Nationals going in a different direction.
We have so much fun ahead of us!
The National party has a new leader
George Christensen put his name forward so it was a contested leadership battle
But Michael McCormack is the new leader.
“There is a new era now,” party whip Michelle Landry said.
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What are Michael McCormack’s upcoming battles?
- Attempting to overcome the divide in the National party
- Attempting to corral George Christensen (good luck. Christensen actually respected Barnaby Joyce and still broke ranks on the regular)
- Introduce himself to the Australian public
- Overcome his past comments (and they will be brought up again, and again)
- Manage a media conference
And that’s just this week. There is a loooong year ahead of us.
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The arrivals:
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Taking a look at the estimates schedule, it looks like Michaelia Cash will be up at 11am as part of the Public Service Commission and later this afternoon, we have ministerial standards.
Or, as it is being called in the hallways, the Barnaby Joyce hour.
Just dipping into actual policy for a moment (I know, what’s that)?
Pauline Hanson has used her strongest words to date in an opinion piece in the Australian to say, well, she’s just not that into them:
The government persists in the false claim that company income tax rates drive business investment. This is ridiculous — all it does is undermine my confidence in the government and their advisers,” she says.
So Labor is against it. And the Greens are against it. With Hanson coming out against it and the Nick Xenophon Team not exactly enamoured, these don’t look like going anywhere.
Barnaby Joyce has arrived for the Nationals party room meeting
Barnaby Joyce is heading down the corridor to enter the party room meeting.
Bridget McKenzie and Wacka Williams are flanking him.
He’s got a smile on his face. Relief, perhaps?
Michael McCormack has also just walked in. He enters alone.
But speaking of the Coalition agreement, there has not been a lot of support within the Nationals to heed George Christensen’s call and break from the Coalition altogether.
Christensen, who has threatened to quit almost as many times as I have drunk coffee, took to social media on the weekend to call for the Nationals to leave the alliance and stand on their own two-feet.
You can find more about that here , but essentially, this was his beef:
Our formal coalition with the Liberal party has proved successful over the years but it has always been a compromise and, right now, that compromise is becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate.
I believe the formal Coalition is too restrictive ... I need the support of the National party, not the shackles of an aimless Liberal party.
But the thing is, without the agreement, the Nationals would a) not hold the deputy prime minister position and b) not have any ministers or say in cabinet decisions. So, as you could understand, holding the balance of power may seem attractive to some, but not if it comes at the expense of a seat at the big table.
Expect Christensen to walk away from this today. Maybe it was just a joke?
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Now that the leadership question for the Nationals has (all but) been decided, questions are turning to the Coalition agreement (you know the one, helps run the country but none of us are allowed to see it) and whether there will need to be a new one.
The Nationals senator John “Wacka” Williams told ABC this morning that he believed there may need to be some tinkering of the agreement, but he did not think it would have to be rewritten.
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And as promised: David Gillespie arriving at the Nationals party room meeting.
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The National party doesn’t usually do leadership contests (remember it has sacked just one leader in its 90-year history), which is why we saw David Gillespie step away over the weekend and why David Littleproud officially took his name out of contention at the 11th hour (literally, the press release came out just after 11pm on Sunday).
This is what Littleproud had to say:
I am truly humbled by the significant support I have received from colleagues and others over the past few days.
Now is not the time for internal contests. Now is the time for all individuals to be team players. Now is the time to think about stability and the good of the party.
I will not be contesting the leadership.
It is time for the Nationals to get behind Michael McCormack as leader and focus on delivering for regional Australia together.
Gillespie (who Mike Bowers says has just walked into the party room meeting) basically said it was a matter of arithmetic – he didn’t have the numbers.
But this is not exactly a united party at the moment. Barnaby Joyce has promised no sniping from the backbench. We may have to wait for a little bit to see if he sits in the Tony Abbott school of no sniping, or whether he follows a different definition.
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Here’s a little more from Andrew Broad, speaking to the ABC about how a woman who made the complaint against Barnaby Joyce (which he said was the last straw and one of the main reasons he decided to give up the fight) had her identity leaked:
They [the party executive] will need to look at processes, but I can pretty confidently say, from what I’m hearing, and I’ve been around agricultural circles and I know of a Liberal MP who had access to that letter when we had not seen it – I would suggest the processes and the National party that I’ve seen are very sound, but can I make this very clear? But can I make this very clear? A person needs to make an accusation, and they need to be able to do that in confidence, and it disappoints me that their confidence has been breached.
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Mike Bowers is out and about outside the Nationals party room, waiting to see who pops up.
The meeting isn’t due to begin until 8am.
Darren Chester is on Sky, so he’s not in a rush. He says it wasn’t the right time for Michael McCormack when Warren Truss stepped down in 2016, but now it is.
Will we see Chester back in the cabinet? He’s not really saying, beyond saying that he has not made “any deals”.
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Senate estimates hearings are also on.
The Senate isn’t sitting. Instead, it’s examining government and departmental decisions.
Today is environment and communications. You can find the schedule here.
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Good morning and welcome to day nine.
That’s right, it’s only the third week of parliamentary sittings for 2018 – but hasn’t it felt like a lifetime.
It was quite the week in Australian politics. After telling all and sunder he would be staying in the job, Barnaby Joyce will surrender his leadership of the Nationals and the deputy prime ministership in about an hour.
A lot of backroom shenanigans have been playing out over the weekend and Michael McCormack – the man Warren Truss wanted as leader when Joyce took over – looks set to be elected unopposed.
McCormack might have the respect of the party room, but there are not too many people outside these walls who know who he is. There was, of course, his editorial piece from about 15 years ago, which can only be described as homophobic fear-mongering, but the party feels he has apologised and that is no longer who he is, so we should all move on.
He’s also not known as being the strongest media performer. As deputy prime minister, you can expect Labor to do everything it’s capable of to exploit that.
But it’s really going to come down to the next election to see how successful a transition this has been.
Before the harassment claim was lodged against Joyce, that was one of the biggest worries for the Nats – who in their party has the same cut-through as Joyce? They didn’t want Malcolm Turnbull’s face on their placards come the next election, but given the lack of recognition for anyone else, that might be who they are left with.
Speaking of that harassment claim, Andrew Broad, who broke ranks by publicly calling for Joyce to step aside last week, was on RN this morning, blaming the media for releasing the name of the woman who made the complaint against Joyce.
After suggesting on Sunday night that maybe it was a Liberal MP who leaked her identity (which I am sure will do wonders for inter-party relations) Broad is now blaming the media, singling out the Australian which first published it, for the move.
In other news, Turnbull is back, just in time for the fireworks. We’ll bring you all the day’s events as they happen, so make sure you are following Mike Bowers and me on Twitter, for some behind-the-scenes action. You’ll also find me in the comments.
Got your coffee? Good. Let’s get started.
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