Night time politics summary
If it felt like a scrappy political day, that is because it was.
- Education minister Simon Birmingham suggested the Coalition might consider dropping funding for the yes and no cases for the plebscite to win Labor’s support for the bill. It was a price of entry for a number of Coalition MPs on the right.
- The first and second legal officers of the land, attorney general George Brandis and solicitor general Justin Gleeson will appear before a senate committee on Friday to put their sides of the stoush over a regulation which gives the AG a veto over who seeks advice from the SG.
- Labor targeted Medicare cuts, the closure of the Ford factory and the Brandis-Gleeson matter in the house. They focussed fairly steadily on Brandis in the senate and debated the matter after question time. Labor also tried to suspend debate to discuss Medicare cuts.
- The prime minister and opposition leader cooperated on a Labor motion to welcome diversity, Indigenous recognition and reject racism in the face of calls for a discriminatory immigration program by Pauline Hanson and George Christensen. It echoed a motion 20 years ago passed by John Howard and Kim Beazley when Hanson first appeared in parliament. Turnbull said Australians were united by their political values. Shorten said we are not being swamped by anyone.
- Bob Katter introduced a private members bill to establish a bank commission of inquiry with powers like a royal commission.
- Andrew Wilkie introduced a private members bill to ban foreign donations. The major parties said nothing.
- Tonight, the Committee on Economic Development of Australia will hear from PMO secretary (and former head of treasury) Martin Parkinson at 8.30pm.
- Tonight we have a cabinet meeting. Tomorrow we have partyroom meetings and joint partyroom.
So that is enough from me. Thanks to the brains trust, Gareth Hutchens, Paul Karp and Katharine Murphy. Mike Bowers, take a bow for those pictures.
Thanks for your company people.
Labor’s motion on George Brandis is currently being debated in the Senate.
Updated
Simon Birmingham says government could defund yes and no cases in return for Labor's support for plebiscite
David Speers of Sky has just interviewed education minister Simon Birmingham. At the end, he took a few questions on marriage equality and the plebiscite. Labor is due to decide their final position on the plebiscite bill tomorrow morning.
Birmingham threw out a bone – suggesting the Coalition could consider defunding the yes and no cases. Funding was one of the issues insisted on by the right wing of the Coalition party room.
Speers asked, personally, would you be happy to see a plebiscite that doesn’t fund the yes and no camps?
I think that is a reasonable point of debate. I think we have worked very hard to keep the cost of the plebiscite as low as possible to make sure there are safeguards around any government-funded advertising that occurs so we can ensure it is respectful. Ultimately, if that is something the Labor party want to take out in return for support for a plebiscite, well they should say so and put it on the table.
Q: It’s a reasonable request, is what you are saying ...
It would be a reasonable request and one we could consider ourselves.
Somewhere, Eric Abetz is exploding.
Updated
If you are struggling with the Brandis-Gleeson matter, here are a few excerpts from Senate QT:
Labor to Brandis: I refer to the explanatory statement on the legal services amendment solicitor general opinions direction 2016, tabled by the attorney general, which states, ‘The attorney-general has consulted the solicitor general.’ The solicitor general has said, ‘I wasn’t consulted about the direction.’ Is the solicitor general correct?
Brandis in part:
I consulted the solicitor general about the matter at a meeting in my office on 30 November 2015. I invited the solicitor general to put his ideas in writing, which he did, and I considered those as well. When I made the direction, I was advised by my department that the requirements of section 17 of the legislation act have been satisfied.
Labor to Brandis: I refer to the solicitor general’s submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which states: “at no time — I repeat: At no time during that meeting did the attorney general indicate that he was considering issuing a legal binding direction”. Given the solicitor general has directly contradicted the attorney general’s statements, will the attorney general now concede he has misled the Senate?
Brandis in part:
I agree with that statement, Senator Wong, because at the time of that meeting I was seeking Mr Gleeson’s views about the matter. I had formed no view whatever as to what course I would take. That is a view I formed subsequent to the meeting.
Updated
Brandis and solicitor general to appear before Senate committee
The very public spat between attorney general George Brandis and solicitor general Justin Gleeson will continue on Friday when both will appear before a Senate committee examining a controversial direction giving Brandis a veto over legal advice from the solicitor general.
The legal and constitutional affairs references committee has just released its schedule showing a further hearing with the two main protagonists.
As Brandis explained in question time, the dispute centres on whether a meeting on 30 November to discuss the way requests for advice were referred to the solicitor general constituted a consultation. Brandis said it was, Gleeson said it did not.
Updated
Exhibit A.
Outside parliament, the natural world continues.
Currawong braves the elements in the Senate courtyard pic.twitter.com/z5QRCwOu82
— Frank Keany (@FJKeany) October 10, 2016
Christopher Pyne and his hair.
Tone is in the building.
Pauline Hanson's first ever question in #SenateQT is about "urgently needed lifesaving drug" medical cannabis.
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) October 10, 2016
Find a happy place.
Health minister Sussan Ley gets a question on World Mental Health day.
I think the key message for those listening is to look after after yourself, realise the supports are out there and you are not alone.
Updated
Dreyfus to Keenan: Did the attorney general provide the solicitor general with a copy of the Australian citizenship allegiance to Australia bill as presented to parliament before he advised the intelligence committee “that the government had received advice from the solicitor general that, in his opinion, there is a good prospect that a majority of the high court would reject a constitutional challenge”.
No answer from Keenan. He will seek advice.
Updated
Attorney general George Brandis has been asked by senator Louise Pratt if he considers advocates for same-sex marriage that oppose a plebiscite “fools”.
Brandis responded:
“I don’t. But I do think it is very foolish for those who wish to see marriage equality … to pass up the best and nearest opportunity to achieve that outcome soon.”
Pratt followed up by asking about polls that show a parliamentary vote is more popular than a plebiscite.
Brandis said that before the election 70% of Australians wanted a plebiscite, drawing jeers from Doug Cameron “they changed their mind”. Brandis explained the government won the election on the policy of a plebiscite and it “intends to keep to that commitment”.
Updated
The man of the moment.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie asks foreign minister Julie Bishop a question on the security situation in Afghanistan.
Labor’s Dreyfus asks Michael Keenan again: Did the attorney general provide the solicitor general with a copy of the legal services direction before he tabled it in the Senate on 4 May 2016?
I’ll seek advice, says Keenan.
Updated
A government question from George Christensen to agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce: Will the deputy PM update the House on the rollout of the national water infrastructure development fund? How will this fund benefit the nation, including my constituents in Dawson?
Joyce spends the whole time talking about the Greens and Labor in Queensland and people getting stuck in lifts in South Australia during the storm.
It is very good for the Australian people to see what power looks under Labor. Power under Labor is a blackout, absolute chaos.
Updated
There is a question to Peter Dutton on the government’s border protection policies so that he can talk about Labor’s previous border protection policies.
Then Labor’s Mark Dreyfus asks Michael Keenan, justice minister, about the solicitor general.
The explanatory statement to the legal services direction in relation to the solicitor general tabled by the attorney general in the Senate on 4 May 2016 states “The attorney general has consulted the solicitor general”. Did the attorney general provide the solicitor general with a copy of the legal services direction before he tabled it in the Senate?
Keenan does not answer the question.
The attorney general has changed guidance note No.11 to clarify the procedure for briefing and seeking options from the solicitor general. This change is purely administrative. It does not restrict the independence of the solicitor general and is consistent with the law and historical practice.
Updated
During a question on Medicare, Turnbull accused Labor of a scare campaign. Shorten played the violin.
Bill playing the violin #qt pic.twitter.com/YBBZTjxZi0
— Heath row (@newcasm) October 10, 2016
Chris Bowen asks Scott Morrison: What discussions has the treasurer had with the CEOs of the four major banks about a royal commission into the financial services industry? When did the treasurer first discuss the idea of a banking tribunal with these CEOs?
Der. We talk to the banks all the time, says Morrison. But he does not answer the question as to what discussions were had on a potential royal commission.
Updated
Labor’s Tim Watts makes a relevant point.
Frydenberg talking about the "suite" of Coalition renewable energy policies - names 4 initiatives.. 2 of which the Govt tried to abolish #qt
— Tim Watts MP (@TimWattsMP) October 10, 2016
The Coalition tried to abolish the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
Meanwhile, in the Senate:
.@sarahinthesen8 now pushing @birmo to say whether the govt thinks yesterday's blackouts in Vic were caused by renewables #senateqt
— Matthew Doran (@MattDoran91) October 10, 2016
Updated
Labor asks Turnbull: what is the government’s policy to support the development of renewable energy projects after 2020?
Turnbull says the Renewable Energy Targets and the “whole climate policy” will be addressed and reviewed in the course of next year.
Turnbull flicks the question to the energy minister Josh Frydenberg, who starts on an attack of Labor’s “carbon tax”.
A government question goes to defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, on the joint strike-fighter program.
Rob Mitchell is accused of making an “unparliamentary remark” by Pyne.
The Labor party has sunk very low, Mr Speaker, unfortunately.
Updated
There was a government question on energy to Josh Frydenberg, energy minister. Will the minister update the house on developments following the extraordinary meeting of the Coag energy ministers on Friday? Is the minister aware of any challenges facing Australia’s energy security?
Then Labor follows up to Turnbull: During the election at a campaign rally in Adelaide, the prime minister praised SA as a leader in clean energy generation. Why did the prime minister champion renewable energy in SA before the election only to use an extreme weather event to play politics after the election? Isn’t that just another example of the prime minister following his party instead of leading it?
[Shorten] puts his finger on the very central problem that Labor faces with this issue. That they treat renewable energy as an ideological issue rather than a technological issue.
The bottom line is simply this: There are many sources of electricity. There is intermittent renewable, there is hydro, we have many forms of fossil fuel generation. All of them have different characteristics. What we have to do is take away the ideology and the political clap trap that the Labor party surrounds all of their policies and focus on these objectives.
Updated
George Brandis has explained in Senate question time that the reason solicitor general Justin Gleeson has said he was not consulted on the direction is because they have had a difference of opinion on what constitutes consultation.
Labor points to the fact that the legally binding direction that all advice had to come through the attorney general was drafted on 20 April, 2016 – five months after the 30 November meeting which Brandis said constituted consultation.
Brandis explained:
I didn’t come with a pre-formed view as to how [advice] should be dealt with. The purpose of that meeting was to listen to what the solicitor general had to say to me, so we could proceed to fix the problem.
So he’s sticking to his guns, it was a consultation, even if the fix came five months after discussion of the problem.
Updated
Labor has targeted attorney general George Brandis with its first two sets of questions in Senate question time.
Senator Jacinta Collins asked if Brandis would concede he misled Senate when he said he had consulted the solicitor general before issuing a direction that all requests for legal advice would have to go through the attorney general’s office.
Brandis said he agreed with the solicitor general that he did not indicate he was considering a legally binding direction at their meeting on 30 November, but insists he did consult because he sought Justin Gleeson’s view on “the matter” of how requests for advice were handled.
Labor senators heckled “what matter” – reflecting the solicitor general’s view the meeting was not about the direction.
Labor leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, said “he pinged you”, in reference to Gleeson contradicting Brandis’s view of the meeting in submissions to a committee inquiring into the controversy.
Then Senator Doug Cameron had a go, pointing to a letter Gleeson sent on 11 May, saying he did not believe he had been consulted on the direction. Brandis stood by his statement that he did consult Gleeson and did not mislead the Senate.
Updated
NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie asks industry minister Greg Hunt about the automotive transformation scheme and why it is underspent by $1.24bn. She also asks why it can’t be used by businesses who want to diversify out of the car industry.
Hunt does not go anywhere near the question. We acted, we put in place a different program, it’s making a difference. But nothing about the transformation scheme.
Updated
Shorten to Turnbull: On Friday, more than 600 people lost their jobs in the Australian automotive industry. I note the prime minister had nothing to say about these jobs even though his predecessor did tweet his sympathies. Why did the prime minister spend last week fighting for the jobs of bank CEOs and not thousands of automotive manufacturing workers? What is the plan to help these automotive workers find new jobs?
Turnbull says it was a sad day.
He says Ford’s decision was made during the Gillard government and the Coalition had established a $155m growth fund to back local manufacturing.
A government question to Scott Morrison on how the government is progressing the national economic plan.
The man has a plan. He says it includes:
- tax cuts
- bracket creep tax cuts
- making our financial and banking system
- cracking down on foreign investment applications that don’t meet the standard.
Updated
Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull: Why has the prime minister failed to abandon the freeze on Medicare rebates, which will mean Australians will pay more every time they go to see a doctor?
Turnbull:
It’s interesting to see how the Labor party’s indignation boils down to the indexation freeze ... a freeze which Labor imposed.
Which is correct. Labor first introduced the Medicare rebate freeze in 2013 as a temporary measure. The Coalition extended it.
Updated
The government question is on the CFA legislation.
Labor stands with militant unions, the Coalition stands with volunteers, says the PM.
The Leader of the Opposition and his party are tied up with another militant union seeking to undermine the independence of the volunteers,seeking to disrespect them, to remove their autonomy, to undermine their independence and, in doing so, undermine their very ability to recruit. Who do they think stands between them and their homes this summer? Who will it be? It will be the volunteer firefighters of Victoria. The volunteers.
Updated
First question from Shorten to Turnbull on Medicare.
Shorten: Immediately after the election, the Prime Minister promised that he’d learnt his lesson on Medicare but today in the parliament the prime minister voted against Labor’s motion to keep Medicare in public hands, reverse the freeze on Medicare rebates, and his costs will drive up the costs of blood tests, MRI and X-rays. Doesn’t this show after 100 days the prime minister still hasn’t learnt anything about Medicare?
Turnbull says he is pleased to remind the parliament of the “deceit” perpetrated by Labor at the last election, namely the texts to voters on the eve of the election.
If that had been done in a commercial matter, if that had been done by a business, the people responsible would be facing criminal charges today and the opposition know it.
He says his government was spending record levels of investment on Medicare.
Updated
Senate votes 38-33 to move on to third reading of CFA legislation.
— Rob Harris (@rharris334) October 10, 2016
First up in the house, there is a condolence motion for Shimon Peres.
In the Senate, Labor is questioning the attorney general, George Brandis, on the solicitor general, specifically his contradiction of the solicitor general’s statement. Brandis says the proper consultation was undertaken over his regulation which requires the AG to be informed if any department is seeking legal advice from the SG. Labor urges him to admit he has mislead the Senate. He declines.
Updated
Question to immigration minister Peter Dutton earlier this morning:
Donald Trump’s comments, your reaction to those over the weekend?
Dutton:
I don’t have any comment to make in relation to the US election.
The Senate is dividing on the CFA bill on the edge of question time.
Updated
Mike Bowers is up to his old tricks again with the Brick Parliament. This time he has turned his attention to Liberal senator James Paterson, who suggested the $350m Blue Poles painting by Jackson Pollock should be sold off to pay off the national debt.
Lunchtime politics
- The prime minister and the opposition leader have joined to speak to a motion recommitting them to reconciliation, tolerance and diversity – while rejecting racism. Pauline Hanson and others on the Coalition backbench such as George Christensen, who have called for an end to Muslim migration, were not mentioned by name.
- Shortly after, Labor tried to suspend standing orders to debate cuts to Medicare by the Coalition. Shorten warned that Labor would pursue the issue until the next election. Labor lost the motion on the numbers.
- Pauline Hanson has clashed with Derryn Hinch over Donald Trump’s comments about women. Hanson said they were made 10 years ago in private. Hinch called him a sexual predator and questioned how Hanson “as a woman” could defend him.
- Independent Bob Katter has introduced a private member’s bill for a bank commission of inquiry which would have the same powers as a royal commission.
- Independent Andrew Wilkie has introduced a private member’s bill to ban foreign political donations.
- The Senate has debated the Country Fire Authority volunteer bill, which looks as though it may pass with Pauline Hanson’s support – if her other senators vote the same way. That point remains unclear.
Updated
Bipartisan benches.
Senator Nick Xenophon has spoken in the Senate about the government’s changes to the Fair Work Act to deal with the Victorian Country Fire Authority dispute.
Xenophon said he and his two fellow NXT senators will vote for the bill because “on balance it will clarify the rights and responsibilities of volunteers and [United Firefighters Union] members in their interactions with each other”.
He said NXT’s senators have reservations about the bill but opted to “err on the side of caution” because it has a significant potential to ameliorate the long-running dispute.
Xenophon said the bill will face a “robust and lengthy committee process” so the Senate can scrutinise how it will work, the scope of regulations and concerns about its constitutionality.
Senator Jacqui Lambie has opposed the bill, citing those constitutional concerns and describing the dispute as a “school-yard fight that should be left to the Victorian government”.
The fate of the bill now depends on One Nation. Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have expressed support, and if their colleagues vote with them the government will win the vote.
Mike Bowers reports Tony Abbott was not in the chamber for the statement on multiculturalism and reconciliation. Though we are not sure he is in parliament today.
Updated
It seems the chamber was not entirely full for the diversity motion.
While they rush down to the chamber, some pictures.
Bill Shorten warns the Coalition that Labor will pursue this issue to the next election. Health shadow Catherine King follows Shorten.
Okay, we have a vote now.
Updated
This is Labor’s motion.
Despite the Prime Minister claiming he had heard a “very clear lesson” about his attacks on Medicare, 100 days since the election not one cut to Medicare has been reversed; and b) Therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to:
i. Guarantee to keep Medicare in public hands as a universal health insurance scheme for all Australians;
ii.Guarantee to protect bulk billing so that every Australian can see their doctor when they need to and not only when they can afford to;
iii. Reverse his harmful cuts to Medicare by unfreezing the indexation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule;
iv. Reverse his cuts to pathology that will mean Australians with cancer will pay more for blood tests; v.Reverse his cuts to breast screening, MRIs, X-rays and other diagnostic imaging which will mean Australians will pay more for vital scans;
vi. Abandon his plans to make all Australians, even pensioners, pay more for vital medicines; and
vii. Develop a long-term agreement to properly fund our public hospitals so Australians don’t languish in our emergency departments or on long waiting lists for important surgery.
The Medicare suspension is a chance for Bill Shorten to go back to the election result and Labor’s campaign. He reminds the chamber of the image of Malcolm Turnbull’s shocking election night.
Updated
Labor moves a suspension of the house to debate Medicare
I need to break from the speech text.
Bill Shorten is moving to suspend standing orders on the issue of health. The house was in the middle of a debate on migration measures, so the former health minister, now immigration minister, Peter Dutton is looking a little flummoxed.
And here is the quote regarding the person in the Senate – left unnamed by both leaders:
Bill Shorten says the facts are these:
In Australia, we are not being ‘swamped’ by anyone.
Migrants are not filling our dole queues, or taking our jobs, or clogging up our highways – or doing all three at the same time.
Migration is not a cost, or a burden.
It is a powerful force for our continuing economic growth and future prosperity.
Migration boosts productivity, participation and population.
It enhances and complements the skills of our workforce – and it adds new knowledge to our national understanding.
In their first year of arrival, migrants contribute a net economic benefit of around $880 million.
Ten years later, the same group will contribute around $2 billion to our national economy.
Updated
Bill Shorten:
The word ‘tolerance’ doesn’t do justice to the society we treasure.
We tolerate traffic jams, we tolerate flight delays, we tolerate headaches.
We tolerate Brussel sprouts – we embrace diversity.
The Bible does not tell us to ‘tolerate’ thy neighbour.
Diversity is not a minor inconvenience to be endured, it’s not a device of political correctness … it’s the collective power of our nation, of all of us.
We know today’s immigrants and refugees are tomorrow’s community leaders, business leaders, doctors, nurses and teachers.
We know inclusion, openness, cohesion are universal values to build upon.
We know multiculturalism is not a passing fashion – it is at the very heart of our national identity.
Updated
So Shorten’s argument was that attacks on minorities are weaker when the parliament shows the way.
He makes the point that none of us are described by one feature of our lives – be it religion or anything else. He urges the parliament to reject the false choice between faith and nation or us versus them.
With this motion, we say to Australians no one part of you defines all of you and it should not define your destiny.
Updated
Bear with me. Trying to find the text here.
Shorten: We are not being swamped by anyone
He says not so long ago his mother was turned away from a job for being Catholic.
Shorten is building the case for diversity, making the bridge between extremists and the right in western countries, who argue Muslims cannot integrate.
Bill Shorten says there is much disagreement in the parliament. He makes the point diversity and multiculturalism should be embraced rather than just tolerated. He says all but five members in parliament have come from migrants. Shorten says some of his descendants were convicts but it does not mean he is better or worse than anyone else.
We must thoroughly publicly reject racism wherever it occurs, no matter who says it ... as leaders we cannot choose to pass by on the other side of the road.
Updated
Labor filed into the house slowly as Malcolm Turnbull was speaking in time to fill the chamber for Bill Shorten’s speech. Now that Shorten has begun, government MPs are filing out.
Malcolm Turnbull says he hopes the constitution will some day reflect the First Australians and mentions all Indigenous members by name.
What unites us is that we call ourselves Australian - a nation defined by shared political values of democracy, the rule of law, a fair go.
And surely, if someone, whoever they are, ascribes to the values we hold as important in Australia, and sees themselves as Australian – with all that means in terms of freedom, rule of law, social cohesion through the acceptance of fundamental democratic principles – then they deserve our respect and our welcome.
Mr Speaker, we are citizens of a most remarkable nation. Our people are our greatest assets – a nation of immigration, multicultural, with a shared destiny.
This is our home. We have no other. Unity in diversity, harmony at home in the midst of a turbulent world - we have much of which to be proud, to cherish and defend.
And that is our duty, the 45th parliament’s duty, to stand up today for the timeless values of the motion which together we commend to the House.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull acknowledges Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations.
Kevin Rudd’s apology for these past injustices has gone some way to heal our nation. Our democratic institutions, and the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people that have steered them, mean our journey towards reconciliation has taken great leaps forward in the half a century that has passed since Wave Hill, but there is still more healing to be done, still relationships that can be built, and still many steps we must walk together on the journey of reconciliation.
Which is why today this parliament reaffirms its commitment to the process of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we rededicate ourselves to redressing the profound social and economic disadvantage our nation’s First Peoples face.
Updated
Turnbull: our multicultural character began long before Europeans
Turnbull goes on to note the role of Gough Whitlam and former Labor premier Don Dunstan in overturning the support for a white Australia policy in the Labor party. He says they fought long and hard to do it.
He also pays tribute to Vincent Lingiari, who led the Wave Hill walk off.
We are a multicultural nation and our multicultural character began long before Europeans set foot on this land.
Before European settlement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples spoke hundreds of languages, including more than 600 dialects, and for tens of thousands of years Indigenous cultures lived side by side with the shared purpose of caring for this country.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - language is not just a collection of words. Language is knowledge. And knowledge is what protects and maintains culture.
My government is deeply committed to the preservation of these ancient languages and to their recognition by the wider Australian community, and ensuring Indigenous language organisations can teach them to future generations, so the stories, the knowledge and the cultures lives on.
Updated
Turnbull turns to the “thoroughly diverse” Muslim Australian community. While there are Muslim converts who seek to do us harm, they are a tiny minority. He says the Muslim community is just as horrified at that minority. Don’t play into the terrorist campaign which seeks to make Muslims feel unwanted, he says.
It looks as though there is a full house behind Turnbull but I will get eyes on the full chamber in a moment.
He continues, saying not every Australian always welcomes newcomers. There has been disharmony but:
We have much more of which to be proud than self-rapproaching.
Turnbull tells the story of refugee and AFL player Aliir Aliir. He says Australians are bound together by shared political values, “the glue that holds us together is mutual respect”.
Our natural inclination is to welcome newcomers ... we are open and tolerant because we are confident in our culture.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull is moving the motion to a non-discriminatory immigration policy, reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, and denounces racial intolerance in any form.
He is going back through previous Liberal governments’ achievements to end the White Australia policy and reaffirms his commitment to “common Australian values”.
We rise in this parliament today as John Howard and Kim Beazley did 20 years ago ... a 20-year-old unity ticket. We are as old as our first Australians ... and as young as the baby in the arms of her migrant mother.
Australia is an immigration nation, he says, and notes Australia is much more diverse than the United States.
Updated
Denison Independent Andrew Wilkie is introducing a private member’s bill to ban foreign political donations. He references Sam Dastyari, who stood down from his frontbench roles after he requested a Chinese-linked company pay his travel bill.
Wilkie says the reason we can’t get meaningful action on foreign donations is because self-interest by the major parties is put above the national interest.
He suggests Australia has some of the weakest donations laws in the world.
He calls for a $1000 threshold on domestic donations.
He calls for quicker disclosure, if not in real time then in a matter of weeks.
He calls for consistent laws across the states and commonwealth that stop donors hiding donations in different jurisdictions.
Once again its left to us on the crossbench to listen to the Australian people.
Wilkie asks the major parties to work with him and the crossbench.
Updated
Commission of Inquiry into Lionel Murphy: 30 years on, access to records still being decided.
This statement was made in both houses this morning:
PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT ON RECORDS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
In May 1986 the Parliament established, by legislation, a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry to advise the Parliament whether any conduct of the Honourable Lionel Keith Murphy was such as to amount, in its opinion, to proved misbehaviour within the meaning of section 72 of the Constitution.
In August 1986, following a special report to the Presiding Officers relating to the terminal illness of the judge, the inquiry was discontinued and the Act establishing the Commission repealed. The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (Repeal) Act 1986 gave to the Presiding Officers exclusive possession of the documents of the Commission for 30 years from its commencement.
The repeal Act commenced on 25 September 1986 and the period of exclusive possession expired from 26 September 2016. The Presiding Officers may now grant access to documents of the Commission by written authority.
With the expiration of the period of exclusive possession, the Speaker and I have determined that the Clerks of the Senate and the House of Representatives and other nominees approved by us can access and examine the records of the Commission for the purposes of providing advice to assist in our responses to requests for access.
The examination of the records by parliamentary officers commenced on 29 September 2016.
We are awaiting advice on the contents of the records before determining any arrangements for wider access to them. It should be understood that this process may take some time as the records are extensive.
Just because:
I have no idea who is responsible for this Trumpkin. It's wonderful. pic.twitter.com/VilR9Bellv
— Dan Murphy (@bungdan) October 9, 2016
Independent @WilkieMP will introduce a Private Member’s Bill to ban foreign donations to political parties & candidates at 11:35am #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) October 10, 2016
Malcolm Turnbull was asked about Gina Rinehart’s joint bid for Kidman and Co.
Would the government look favourably upon that?
Turnbull:
Well it is always great to see Australians investing in Australian agriculture, but the matter will go before the Foreign Investment Review Board (Firb) of course because there is a minority foreign investor. Of course there is a minority foreign investment in Kidman now. I always welcome seeing Australian investment in Australian agriculture, as I believe all Australians do.
This is important.
Attorney general George Brandis has announced a free legal advisory service for people engaging with the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (Naaja), the Children in Care and Youth Detention Advice Service will receive $1.1m from the government this financial year.
This is also important, from March last year.
The North Australian Aboriginal justice agency (Naaja) earlier this month told a Senate inquiry budget cuts of about $1.6m would cost 10 to 15 jobs.
From the end of this month Naaja would cease all criminal legal services in Darwin and Katherine for Aboriginal adults, other than those currently in custody and, as well as cut back on civil services, it was further reported on Wednesday.
Updated
I should also tell you that the Committee on Economic Development of Australia is on in Canberra today. Ceda does a state of the nation conference annually.
The speakers include secretary of the department of the prime minister and cabinet, Martin Parkinson, industry innovation and science minister Greg Hunt, NSW treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas and chair of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Jillian Broadbent.
Parkinson, who is the headline act, is not on until tonight at dinner.
The theme is pretty close to jobs and growth. Otherwise known as “A new policy agenda: innovation, growth and the future economy”.
Updated
PM Malcolm Turnbull with govt. & oppositon at Shimon Peres condolence book this morning @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/PiuorMKJX3
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) October 9, 2016
Turnbull and Shorten to reaffirm a non-discriminatory immigration policy in response to One Nation
Malcolm Turnbull will move Bill Shorten motion regarding non-discriminatory immigration policy around midday. Labor initiated this motion which is similar to one moved by John Howard and Kim Beazley in 1996 when Pauline Hanson first came to the parliament. After negotiation between Turnbull and Shorten, the PM agreed to move it.
The motion says:
That this House:
(1) reaffirms its commitment to the right of all Australians to enjoy equal rights and be treated with equal respect regardless of race, colour, creed or origin;
(2) reaffirms its commitment to maintaining an immigration policy wholly non-discriminatory on grounds of race, colour, creed or origin;
(3) reaffirms its commitment to the process of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in the context of redressing their profound social and economic disadvantage;
(4) reaffirms its commitment to maintaining Australia as a culturally diverse, tolerant and open society, united by an overriding commitment to our nation, and its democratic institutions and values; and
(5) denounces racial intolerance in any form as incompatible with the kind of society we are and want to be.
Katter is outlining cases of banks foreclosing on clients who defaulted on loans as a result of banks failing in responsible lending practice. He says the banks, as a result, get the asset and the client is made a “debt slave”. He says the banks have a “punitive discretionary power”.
Indi MP Cathy McGowan seconds the motion.
In the Senate, they are debating the CFA volunteers bill. There are 13 senators waiting to speak.
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Is that the time?
PM Malcolm Turnbull & Bill Shorten at Shimon Peres condolence book signing this morning @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/Ejf7I5SwxV
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) October 9, 2016
Katters moves next to the bank commission of inquiry “with the powers of a royal commission”.
The point of this bill is for Katter with the Greens and Labor et al to try to get the numbers in both houses to force a royal-commission-like inquiry on the government and the banking industry.
He refers to The Big Short book and movie.
He is talking about the danger of recourse loans.
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The banks commission of inquiry bill has been deferred. Now Bob Katter is speaking to a private member’s bill on the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975. He starts in on the decision of the Norther Territory government to sell the lease of the Darwin port to a Chinese owned company. He reminds the chamber that Australians always thought they would be protected by the British in the second world war until …
Katter is talking about the vertical integration exercised by foreign companies like Adani (“even though I am a fan of Adani”). He talks about Chinese mining companies that bring in “their own food”.
Where are the benefits for Australians … it has been negative, Mr Speaker.
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I have already noted Labor’s final position on the plebiscite bill will be nailed down at caucus tomorrow. The caucus will also decide who will take retiring Labor senator Stephen Conroy’s position as deputy leader in the Senate. It is ordained to be Don Farrell, Faceless Man and party powerbroker who is back after the last election. He will also take Conroy’s special minister of state shadow position.
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Loathsome. Demeaning. Disappointing. Trump.
Malcolm Turnbull has weighed in on Trump, describing his comments as “loathsome”. And the minister for women Michaela Cash, described the comments as demeaning and disappointing.
I’m told the legal and constitutional affairs committee is likely to have a hearing on Friday re the Brandis-Gleeson matter, an argument between the first and second legal officers of the nation.
They are arguing over the details around a directive that would allow George Brandis to veto whether the solicitor general provided advice to government departments.
Given the solicitor-general, Justin Gleeson, made a submission to the inquiry, everyone is assuming he will want to front the committee. But it is an assumption at this stage. Whether Brandis wants to appear is anyone’s guess.
Already, Labor is moving a motion to debate Brandis’s behaviour today, expected around 4.30pm.
Labor’s leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, has moved a motion to strike down the Brandis regulation but it has been deferred until after committee reports on 8 November.
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Somehow, Leyonhjelm supports and condemns Trump's obscene comments #auspol pic.twitter.com/AZiyVCFgm0
— Myles Morgan (@ImMylesMorgan) October 9, 2016
From Greens advisor Tim Beshara:
Parliament will debate how Brandis is a dill. pic.twitter.com/jX1Nh7E94P
— Tim Beshara (@Tim_Beshara) October 9, 2016
This relates to the controversy about the circumstances around attorney general George Brandis’s directive and whether he properly consulted the second legal officer, solicitor general Justin Gleeson.
The matter is now the subject of an inquiry by the Senate standing committee on legal and constitutional affairs. I am checking on the committee’s next moves.
The Senate also starts at 10am. The senators have a number of bills to consider, including the CFA bill and the bracket creep bill later today.
This week we will have first speechs from One Nation senators Brian Burston and Rod Culleton, NXT senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore and Labor senator David Chisholm.
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The lower house starts at 10am this morning.
Private members’ bills run all morning. Among them is a Bob Katter version of a banking “commission of inquiry”. The bill states it would have the same powers as a royal commission and outlines the mechanics that Katter prefers:
(1) The treasurer must, within six weeks after the governor general in council assents to this act, appoint persons to:
(a) conduct an inquiry into the matters specified in section 6; and
(b) report to the treasurer on the matters (including any recommendations relating to the matters) within six months after the governor general in council assents to this act.
(2) The appointment must be by notifiable instrument.
(3) The appointment takes effect on the day after the instrument of appointment is made.
(4) The commission’s report is not a legislative instrument.
(5) The members of the commission have the privileges of members of the House of Representatives.
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Oh look. Trump does have a fan in Australia.
David Leyonhjelm says Trump's comments show's he's a man of his time and maybe we should "cut him some slack" #auspol
— Primrose Riordan (@primroseriordan) October 9, 2016
It is hard to get attention on the expanded Senate crossbench.
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Poll numbers. It must be Monday. Thanks to our friends at AAP for this.
Malcolm Turnbull is more popular with voters than Bill Shorten, but support for the government continues to trail the opposition party, a new poll shows.
The Australian reports the latest Newspoll shows the prime minister’s popularity at 45% – the highest level in the 100 days since the tight election win – compared with the Labor leader’s four-month low of 30%.
In two-party preferred terms, Labor has 52% compared with the Coalition’s 48%, the second time voters’ support for the government has been lower than when Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott as prime minister 13 months ago.
The primary vote for the government rose to 39%, while Labor’s slipped to 37% and the Greens were static at 10%.
Independent popular support was at 15%, with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party taking 6%, while Nick Xenophon’s party was at about 2%, the Australian reports.
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Malcolm Turnbull is meeting CFA volunteers with employment minister Michaela Cash. He is challenging Bill Shorten to stand up for the volunteers, who defend Victorian lives in the “inferno of summer”.
Mike Bowers is down there at the minute. Some pictures to you shortly.
Hanson and Hinch clash over Donald Trump
The Clinton-Trump debate is coming up and the Donald has declared he will dig the hole deeper and delve into Bill Clinton’s behaviour. (Because you know a woman must always be held to account for her husband’s crimes.)
Pauline Hanson was speaking about Trump’s comments today.
It was vulgar. It wasn’t said publicly, [it was] said behind the scenes in a tape recording. That was 10 years ago. I do believe that the people of America are fed up with the major political parties of Republicans and the Democrats and the way the country has been.
I know Trump is standing as a Republican. The whole fact is they are looking for change. They have seen the destruction of their country, their way of life, the standard of living and want someone who will fight for them. It is up to the people …
Then Hanson and Hinch met up at the lifts and Hinch said Trump was a disgrace.
Donald Trump, in any manner or form, is absolutely disgraceful. [That] you as a woman can even make any justification for what he has said …
Hanson:
I didn’t condone what he said. The people of America will decide.
Hinch:
If you are even slightly right then God help the country. The man is a sexual predator and he is a disgrace.
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Before we get to the Hanson-Hinch thing, Katharine Murphy reports the legal counsel to tobacco giant Philip Morris has told a parliamentary committee that people have responded hysterically to a landmark legal case challenging Australia’s plain packaging laws.
This is about the legal case allowed under the investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause in a previous trade agreement with Hong Kong. And a similar ISDS clause caused great controversy in the negotiations over the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement. It is worth a read.
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Good morning and it’s good to be back for this fortnight of sitting.
This week, you can expect a veritable smorgasbord of politics.
I’m thinking Country Fire Authority. I’m thinking plebiscite. I’m thinking banking behaviour. I’m thinking tax threshold legislation.
First up, Pauline Hanson has told the ABC that she will support the respect for emergency services volunteers bill. This is the so-called CFA bill, which became an issue in the federal election because of a stoush between the Victorian professional firefighters and the volunteers over an enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). The bill gives emergency service volunteers more power in any EBAs. The government needs nine votes and with four One Nation senators coming across the line, with three Nick Xenophons, Derryn Hinch and Bob Day, the Coalition appears to be in the clear.
As Katharine Murphy reported late yesterday, after um-ing and ah-ing and foot shuffling while still pointing out their vehement opposition, Labor is finally going to decide what to do about the Coalition’s plebiscite bill. This is the legislation which would create a plebiscite on marriage equality. The plebiscite would give an indication of the electorate’s feelings, though its outcome would not bind the parliament or the Coalition to the outcome. At the last sitting, Labor announced it would undergo consultations and those meetings have included both the LGBTI community and church groups who oppose marriage equality. They will take the issue to Tuesday’s party room meeting.
While I was sitting in a quiet corner reading a book last week, the bank bosses appeared at the much-vaunted house economics committee hearings set up by the Turnbull government. There was a fair bit of squirming involved but it did not soften the resolve in Labor, the Greens and Independent Bob Katter among others for a royal commission. The Greens have already flagged they will be moving for a commission of inquiry this week. I reported on this advice from the clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing to Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson in August. Her letter then suggested the parliament could force an inquiry like the one into Lionel Murphy in the 80s. (That one was abandoned due to Murphy’s illness.) The problem for those in favour of a banking royal commission is that it can only be established by executive government, that is the Turnbull government. But a commission of inquiry could be – according to Laing – forced by the parliament if their numbers in both houses were there. We shall await developments there.
Also on the agenda are income tax cuts. Today, first thing we shall see Scott Morrison’s bracket creep bill in the house again, which:
Amends the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to increase the third personal income tax threshold so that the rate of tax payable on taxable incomes from $80,001 to $87,000 for individuals is 32.5%. The Greens are not having a bar of it but Labor supports it so it is done deal.
Also around this morning, Gina Rinehart, who has lately gone long in cattle, has thrown her weight behind a $365m bid for the Kidman cattle company, confirmed last night. The Stock and Land has a version of this story here:
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd, Shanghai CRED Real Estate Stock Co Ltd and S. Kidman & Co Ltd (Kidman) have announced today that they have entered into a Bid Implementation Agreement (BIA) under which a joint venture company Australian Outback Beef Pty Ltd (AOB) owned 67 per cent by Hancock and 33pc by Shanghai CRED has committed to make a takeover offer to acquire the Kidman and Co.
In a statement to the media issued by a public relations company acting on behalf of Kidman and Co and Hancock Prospecting, it was revealed the offer was conditional on approval from Australia’s foreign investment regime and Chinese government approvals.
It is also conditional on the completion of the divestment of the Anna Creek station and the Peake by Kidman to other Australian grazing interests.
So you can see where this parliamentary week is going along at a clip already. And if you think this week is full, next week we have the house sitting and budget estimates …
Of course, it will be hard for even the most eventful Australian parliamentary day to compete with the second Clinton-Trump debate after the weekend’s revelations of a sordid little conversation otherwise dismissed as “locker-room banter”. Get me a bucket. We will have live coverage of this elsewhere on the big G. Like duelling banjos, the Australian and American political blogs will create (if not beautiful then) music of sorts.
Join us in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or @mpbowers. Already there has been a little rigorous debate between Hanson and Hinch at the press gallery lifts over the Trump. More of that in a moment...
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