Night time politics
What happened today?
- The government trumpeted its reworked superannuation package, that passed cabinet last night and was given the big tick of approval by former critics, George Christensen among others. It drops the $500,000 lifetime cap and makes a number of other changes while still reining in some of the more generous tax concessions. Financial services minister Kelly O’Dwyer did a lot of the backbench negotiating while Scott Morrison did the shoulder charging. Both ministers challenged Labor to support the changes in question time but Chris Bowen was not ready to approve it. Labor of course have their own package which does broadly similar things. But given the Coalition tried to sneak a few other measures into the budget omnibus bill, he wants to see the fine print first.
- The super compromise was a win for government but it still has to pass the parliament and that needs Labor’s support. But the win did increase Coalition confidence in question time, as evidenced by Mike Bowers photos. Turnbull rejected the characterisation as a backflip, saying policies needed to change and respond to circumstances. He said the government would consider ideas from any quarter, even Labor. Leader of government business, Christopher Pyne followed up, saying the Labor’s divisive rhetoric was so last parliament. Remember that one under Tony Abbott?
- The budget omnibus bill went to the Senate today and after the motion by Labor and the Coalition to extend the hours for the day, senators will be forced to sit until the bill passes. The Greens are objecting mightily, having wanted to get the bill to a Senate inquiry.
- Attorney general George Brandis will have to submit to a Senate inquiry into the circumstances around his direction that any requests for legal advice from the solicitor general must come through his office. This will be a very interesting fishing exercise.
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Bill Shorten is still in Canada with Justin. Trudeau, not Beiber.
That’s it from me. Thanks to the brains trust, Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp, Gareth Hutchens and Mike Bowers. Thanks for your company this week.
We are not sitting until October 10, so I will be back here, driving the bus on that very day.
Goodnight.
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The ejections. Husic.
Husar.
Feeney.
Have a go ya mug.
F-f-f-f-f-finance.
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The Greens’ treasury spokesman, Peter Whish-Wilson, says Scott Morrison caved in on the superannuation package.
Today the government caved in on the substantial reforms needed to address the perversities in the superannuation system that allow the wealthy to use their superannuation as a tax haven.
The Greens estimate superannuation concessions cost Australian tax payers nearly $30bn per annum. The government is only proposing to cut these by 10%.
Whilst some concessions are necessary to incentivise savings, many are simply used by the wealthy to minimise tax, which means less money for our schools and healthcare.
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Meanwhile, in the Northern Territory, the Country Liberals have released their shadow cabinet positions. Playing it for the lols.
I introduce to you the Northern Territory Opposition. #NTPol pic.twitter.com/MYRA6Zg4bJ
— James Oaten (@james_oaten) September 15, 2016
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This explains the last post. My football consultant, Mike Bowers, tells me the Western Bulldogs are playing the Hawks.
They are revving up Bill Shorten. While he is away in Canada. Demotion looms.
@gabriellechan @terrimbutler @JulianHillMP @westernbulldogs pic.twitter.com/pJfYkp740C
— Tim Watts MP🐶🔴⚪️🔵 (@TimWattsMP) September 15, 2016
Is there a football game happening somewhere?
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Now that the flurry of question time is over, I can post Gareth Hutchen’s analysis of the unemployment figures:
The latest unemployment figure is out today, and the headline number looks good.
The unemployment rate fell last month to 5.6%, seasonally adjusted, from 5.7%. It hasn’t been this low since September 2013.
Not bad, eh?
The government hasn’t been trumpeting the news today because the story is complicated.
Firstly, the seasonally adjusted number can be unreliable. It can jump around a lot. The trend figure provides the best measure of the underlying behaviour of the labour market and it has been stuck at 5.7% since May.
Secondly, underemployment keeps increasing. Since December last year, there are about 105,300 more people working part-time, but the number of people working full time has decreased by 21,500.
In fact, the trend underemployment rate – a quarterly measure of employed people who would like to work more hours – hit 8.6% last month, the highest it has ever been.
There is a question to the industry minister, Greg Hunt, on the current state of negotiations as to the sale of Arrium’s assets and what could we possibly do to ensure its survival.
Hunt says the first shipment from this steel plant for the Adelaide to Tarcoola railway line was delivered.
That is a tremendous step forward. That should deliver $80m of cash flow for the plant and for the future of the Whyalla steel plant.
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Labor asks the prime minister: Is the PM aware that Gina Rinehart offered $175m for a charitable cancer centre in Darwin but has withdrawn that after as a response to the defeat of Adam Giles as chief minister. Will the PM undertake to ask Gina Rinehart directly or through her adviser Sophie Mirabella to [honour] her original commitment in the interests of cancer sufferers in the NT?
Speaker Smith rules the question out of order.
Labor through Tony Burke and Anthony Albanese ask the Speaker to allow the second half of the question. That is that the PM make representations on the issue.
Speaker won’t budge. He advises Solomon MP Luke Gosling to raise the matter in other forums such as the adjournment debate.
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A question to the urban infrastructure minister, Paul Fletcher: During the election the Turnbull government announced a $210m dollar commitment to upgrade the M1 Pacific motorway. Will the government reconfirm this commitment and what steps he is taking to ensure the people of the Logan and Gold Coast see this upgrade happen?
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George Brandis confirmed he is not going anywhere
In Senate question time the attorney general, George Brandis, has denied having any conversations with the prime minister, foreign minister or other members of cabinet about receiving an overseas appointment or a judicial appointment.
Brandis is rumoured to covet an appointment to the high court, which he is not expected to be offered but he has been tipped to become Australia’s next high commissioner in London.
Asked to rule out taking a judicial or overseas appointment before the end of his current Senate term, Brandis replied:
You know Senator [Catryna] Bilyk I thought the day would never come when I would enjoy a question from you but that day has come at last – yes I can rule that out.
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Labor asks Scott Morrison why he wants a superannuation policy that saves $1bn less than the Labor superannuation package. See previous Morrison answers.
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The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, gets a question on the rural women awards, which were on last night. He outlines the achievements of all the state finalists and the winner, Sophie Hanson from New South Wales.
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Speaker turfs one from each side during #QT Tony Pasin & Jim Chalmers @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/gzaHQVzWQS
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 15, 2016
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: In question time yesterday, the treasurer said of the government’s superannuation package, we continue to pursue those superannuation measures because they are essential. Given the government abandoned those measures a few hours ago can the treasurer explain to the House why they were essential yesterday but not today?
Morrison says Labor made changes to their own superannuation policy after the election.
[Labor has] the opportunity to do [support] that and I look forward to them doing that because they know they’re going to support it. We know they’re going to support it and the Australian people just want them to get on with it.
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A government question to Sussan Ley, the health minister, regarding reforms around medicine listing.
Today, the government announced that we are taking action to bring medicines and medical devices to Australia faster. We found our expert panel has found that it’s taking up to two years to get listings from the US or Europe here to Australia.
Ley doesn’t actually say what the changes are but, rather, that Labor failed to do anything. I will have to track this down.
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A question to Michael McCormack, the small biz minister: Will the minister inform the House of the findings of the inquiry into the effect of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s payments order on Australian small businesses?
(see the Paul Karp post earlier.)
Then another Labor question to O’Dwyer: In question time yesterday, the minister said of the government’s superannuation package, “We announced it in the budget. We believe in our superannuation package.” Does the minister believe in the superannuation package announced today or does the minister believe in the superannuation package she believed in yesterday?
I do note that at a time when he was the treasurer, at a time when he was the treasurer he didn’t embark upon superannuation reform. He embarked upon increasing superannuation taxes, that was it. No reform. No flexibility. No ability for people to contribute more to their superannuation. We believe very strongly in our superannuation package on this side of the House because we know that it will help average Australians.
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The financial services minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, gets a Labor question: Yesterday, was the minister aware she was ridiculing a superannuation measure that the cabinet was set to adopt just hours later? Or was the member for Dawson yet to advise the minister of the government’s new superannuation policy?
O’Dwyer quotes Industry Super Australia, the Financial Services Council and the Australian Superannuation Funds of Australia saying favourable things about the super reform package.
So frankly we cannot understand why those opposite are going through this charade of pretending that they are not going to support our policy changes when they know that they are right for the Australian people and they are right for the budget.
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That is SO 44th parliament, says Pyne. We are tribal no more.
A government question to Christopher Pyne: Will the minister inform the House of the steps the government is taking to support emergency services volunteers? How are these measures and other achievements of the government proving that we are implementing our commitments to the Australian people?
Even Christopher Pyne is feeling the love. He says the government will work with anyone who wants to work with them. Labor, Greens, crossbenchers, the Coalition will take on all comers. This is the 45th parliament now, not the 44th – brackets – run by Tony Abbott – close brackets.
We will work with them because the most important thing that we can all do as parliamentarians is make the lives of Australians better, make our country and our economy and our society better. So those members of the Labor party want to be so last 44th parliament, let me say to them, we are in a new parliament and the parliament is working. The parliament is working. And if you intend to continue with the same tactics that you had for so many years is so pass and as the minister says if you want to continue with that the public will mark them down.
Let’s work together to make our country great again .
Ch for Christopher and Ch for Chutzpah.
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Kelly O’Dwyer, the financial services minister, gets a question on superannuation.
Then Labor to Turnbull: Today Senator Abetz issued a press release claiming credit for the PM’s humiliating backdown on superannuation. Are the extreme elements of his party so powerful that they can force the PM to abandon his absolutely ironclad promise? What happened to the PM’s absolutely ironclad promise?
I am happy for every member of the Coalition party room to claim credit for every decision of the government. And the truth is it’s a team business. It’s a team business. Of course, very often members are too modest to do that but I think it’s good and I want every member of the Coalition party room – House and Senate – to claim credit for the government’s decisions.
(This is trolling Abetz more than Labor.)
He then goes on:
We’re going through what I describe as the pantomime of politics, which is one of the reasons her constituents and my constituents, all of our constituents, get fed up with what politicians do and say. So a government improves a measure, consults, changes it, improves it, makes it work better. In the real world ... people say that is good. They listen. They listen and they tweaked it and they made a change. Good on them. They listened to us, it’s sensible ... I say to the honourable member if she believes any of our measures can be improved, she should let us know. We will look on what she says in good faith.
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Labor’s Jim Charlton asks Turnbull: The member for Dawson said about the PM’s humiliating super backdown today, “We put forward all our views and they listened and they acted ... What happened to the PM’s absolutely ironclad promise? Isn’t it the case that the member for Dawson and the extreme elements of his party are now in charge of the government’s economic policy?”
Charlton, Wayne Swan’s former adviser, has a PhD in economics. Turnbull makes a (cheap) crack about his doctorate, “I’d ask him where his PhD in economics has gone too”.
But then goes point out an “important principle” of his government.
We will seek always to improve our measures. If measures we propose or implement can be improved, we will improve them. We will listen to all those who offer criticism or suggestions for change, we will listen to them in good faith, if we can improve measures we will improve them. We have to recognise the policy-making must be dynamic.
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Scott Morrison is rather cocky too – challenging Labor to support the package – so Tony Burke asks him to table to bill. Labor is waiting to see the details and do not believe the details until they see it. After the omnibus bill experience.
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Scott Morrison gets a Dixer on superannuation.
Meanwhile, up in the Senate:
The Greens’ disabilities spokeswoman, Rachel Siewert, has identified a “mean-spirited” proposal to remove backdating of carer’s allowances in the omnibus savings bill.
The saving is worth $108.6m over four years and is an element of the Coalition and Labor’s $6.3bn budget savings compromise, being debated in the Senate today.
Under current rules when a person unexpectedly becomes a carer due to a sudden injury or worsening condition of a loved one, they can have their carer’s allowance backdated. The maximum amount available is 12 weeks’ of payments, or $741.
She said:
Carers provide an a huge amount of care and support nationally, the government is taking this group for granted in moving to legislate this cut as part of the omnibus bill.
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Bob Katter asks Scott Morrison about pensioner incomes and whether there should be an increased tax on imports to pay more to pensioners.
Morrison says, with great respect to the member, no.
If you do that then what you are doing is you increase the costs to produce things in this country because our businesses make those imports. Now, if you’re going to increase the costs on business in this country, whether it’s by that measure or by increasing taxes, like those opposite want to do on business, then what you end up doing is costing incomes and jobs.
Fun fact: That was a 45-second question from Katter. Crossbenchers get an extra 15 seconds under the rule changes that went through on Tuesday night.
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Bowen to Turnbull: My question is for the prime minister. Can the prime minister confirm in June he was asked about superannuation and can you foresee any circumstance in which the policy is detailed following the election? The prime minister responded that it was absolutely ironclad. How can the prime minister claimed to lead a country when even his absolutely ironclad promises can’t survive the extreme elements of his own party?
Turnbull is looking cocky now. He appears to be enjoying himself.
My government took it out of that [hard] basket ... the opposition urged us to make changes, many others did too, we listened to them and made some changes. The honourable member says, I listened to George [Christensen]. He may as well have said I listen to him, he may as well say we listen to everyone, because we consult, we listen, we consult and then we make decisions based on the public interest.
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Malcolm Turnbull gets a Dixer on national security. He foreshadows his upcoming trip to the US with meetings in New York with world leaders to discuss the security and humanitarian challenges posed by the uncontrolled movement of 65m people “who were forcibly displaced around the world, many from the Syrian conflict”.
(The comments from Dutton in the earlier post regarding New Zealand may be a shot over the bow before this refugee meeting in New York.)
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Plibersek to Turnbull: The PM was asked what was your greatest achievement since being PM and the PM responded the reforms in superannuation, the reforms in business tax. Today he’s junked both. What is the point of the Turnbull government if the PM can’t even deliver on his so-called greatest achievements?
The acting opposition leader’s question underlined, demonstrated as if on cue the very point I just made ...[Labor] love to talk about fairness. The problem is they don’t practise what they preach. They did nothing about superannuation when they were in government. The only approach they have to equity is self-help. That is the Dastyari approach.
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The government question to Malcolm Turnbull is on superannuation. It is a great outcome he says and then gives Labor a lecture.
With a little less grandstanding, a little less name calling and a little bit more constructive negotiation, we can achieve great things for Australians and their future in this 45th parliament.
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The first question from Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull: why has the government not established a redress scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse?
Turnbull says its complicated but we are working our way through it. Minister for social services is working with state governments “to ensure that redress is provided” and that is a “nationally consistent” approach. When Labor fires up, he gets indignant.
I would say to the member opposite, there is no monopoly on empathy, we understand the problem. We are working through it sensitively with those affected, with the institutions and with governments to ensure that justice is done.
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Question time coming up people.
A visual representation of Scott Morrison negotiating with his party room.
@gabriellechan The Treasurer commended govt MPs for engaging in a respectful debate over changes to Superannuation. pic.twitter.com/OcIE0R1M06
— The Matt Hatter (@MattGlassDarkly) September 15, 2016
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The ABC has reported comments from immigration minister Peter Dutton in an interview with al-Jazeera. Lest I verbal him, here they are:
We have had people smugglers that have tried to send boats across the top of Australia to New Zealand before. Let me make this very important point that people – if they’ve sought to come by boat – it doesn’t matter where they’re resettled, New Zealand or somewhere else, they will not be coming to Australia at any point.
This would appear to leave the way open to the option of resettling asylum seekers currently on Nauru. Previously, the government has characterised New Zealand as being too good a country. (My words.) Or rather, a back door way of getting into Australia as Peter Dutton said earlier this year.
Is a deal looming? We are checking.
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Lunchtime politics
- The Coalition’s superannuation package has finally come down from the mountain. This is the reworked deal after the conservative backbench revolt over the $500,000 lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions. The lifetime cap has been dropped, among other things. Labor has said it would look at the detail but it was a backflip. Bowen would be looking at this closely, given Labor came out with its own reforms to wind back overly generous tax concessions ahead of the Coalition. But I suspect he is not going to give the government two compromises in one week.
- Various people including Liberal, Labor, the Greens, Nick Xenophon and many others have condemned Pauline Hanson’s anti-Muslim, anti-Asian, anti-immigration, anti-welfare, anti-anti speech.
- Unemployment figures have declined slightly in August but my economics whiz, Gareth Hutchens, tells me it is in line with the trend. He will add a little more nuance in a post shortly.
- The Coalition and Labor have combined to extend the Senate sitting hours to push the budget omnibus bill through today. We may have a marathon sitting ahead of us tonight.
- Labor has forced a legal affairs committee Senate inquiry on the attorney general, George Brandis, over his moves to have all requests for government legal advice come through his office.
- In an opinion piece for Guardian Australia published on Thursday, Alan Joyce, the Qantas chief executive, has taken a stand against the marriage equality plebiscite, the first time the leader of a major corporation has rejected the government’s mechanism for same-sex marriage.
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The Greens wanted the $6.3bn budget omnibus bill to go to inquiry.
Richard Di Natale is cranky about forcing the Senate to consider the bill in a day.
Now, here we are, after this government has spent the first two days of the parliament filibustering, talking about God knows what, and we’re being asked to stay here to ram this bill through the parliament tonight.
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Senate may sit late to pass budget omnibus bill
We may be in for a late night. Labor and the Coalition have voted together to extend the Senate sitting hours tonight to get the omnibus bill through. We will not know until later how long it will take because anyone who wants to speak on the bill can speak. There is no cut-off rule in the Senate. It’s how they roll.
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More in sorrow than in anger, Labor says maybe to the Coalition’s superannuation compromise.
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From AAP:
Malcolm Turnbull has been given another gift for the anniversary of his first year as prime minister – the lowest jobless rate in three years.
The unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 5.6% in August when economists had expected it to stay at 5.7%, as fewer people sought a job.
The fall came despite overall employment dropping by 3,900 in the month as 11,500 new full-time workers was more than offset by a decline in part-time positions.
Goodbye John.
John Madigan's Manufacturing and Farming Party has been deregistered - https://t.co/OxOpHWtwUr
— AEC (@AusElectoralCom) September 15, 2016
Senate inquiry into Brandis' moves to stop solicitor general providing independent advice
Senate news. Labor has successfully forced a Senate inquiry into the moves by the attorney general, George Brandis, to stop the solicitor general providing independent legal advice without his prior approval.
The legal and constitutional affairs references committee will conduct the inquiry.
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The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, the small business minister, Michael McCormack, and the transport minister, Darren Chester, have launched a report about the effect of the road safety remuneration tribunal.
That tribunal set minimum rates that truck owner-drivers had to charge to ensure they weren’t lowly paid and incentivised to skip breaks. It was abolished in April over concerns it would put the drivers out of work, because they could not compete with employees.
The report claims the order – which was only in effect for two weeks and was never enforced – caused “a devastating personal and economic” impact on owner-drivers.
Cash said the report included “evidence from the owner-drivers themselves that the work was drying up, there would literally be nothing left for them on the day the order came into force”.
This report now confirms in black and white that is exactly what occurred – lives were devastated.
Asked how the report could claim hardship was due to the order rather than conditions in the industry, including low pay before the order, Cash said that owner-drivers reported they were “already being told they would not have jobs”.
She denied that this constituted anecdotal evidence.
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Bowen is asked about Labor banking the Coalition’s $3bn superannuation savings before the election and then revealing the full detail of their package, which was worth $4.5bn savings after the election.
[Before the election] I said, the government will drop the $500,000 cap after the election. We are prepared to find ways of making that money. I believe we’ve been proven right in this debate at every turn, every step of the way in the public discussion. The government has lurched from policy to policy, from crisis to crisis on this.
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Chris Bowen has started his press conference criticising Scott Morrison. But he says he will take up the government’s offer of a briefing.
A few weeks ago Bill Shorten, Katy and I outlined a better plan for superannuation, a constructive plan to help the government through their mess, drop the retrospective cap, reduce the contributions for threshold tax for $200,000, the catch-up measure and harmonising contribution rules between 65 and74. The government said that we had it wrong. Scott Morrison, Kelly O’Dwyer said we didn’t understand superannuation by dropping those measures. Today, they have dropped one of the measures themselves.
Bowen and Katy Gallagher, the financial services minister, want to go through the fine detail, given the Coalition asked Labor to tick off the budget bill sight unseen, only to find errors and other unexpected measures.
Bowen:
The Labor party has led this debate. We have remained consistent all the way through. This is the latest backflip on superannuation from this treasurer who is simply not up to the job. If the treasurer is consistent with policy making, if he is consistent with his objectives, you will get consistent policy ... The Labor party has shown consistently that we are bipartisan in the national interest where we can.
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@murpharoo vegemite, avocado and hommus
— Emisto Enasel Istom (@tihrigby) September 15, 2016
@murpharoo Marriage equality, marriage equality, a fountain of wine or chocolate
— K❌J (@propertyofKJ) September 15, 2016
@murpharoo No more racism, heaps more tolerance and care and support for the disadvantaged....I'm under no illusions that it's even possible
— Brian Jones (@Darthspoog) September 15, 2016
@murpharoo Equality in health and education for all children; an end to racism and bigotry; a Parliament House built out of lamingtons.
— Ashleigh Smith (@Smash_Bash_Ash) September 15, 2016
@murpharoo 1. A different national anthem. 2. A choir of liberated greyhounds barking it in unison. 3. That's basically it.
— David Smith (@dtsmith_sydney) September 15, 2016
Further to Morrison’s trifecta of Australian dreams, we have had many entries from Twitter.
1. Turning up to school naked. 2. Being chased by wolves. 3. I'm dating Rebecca Gibney and my teeth fall out. https://t.co/Qi0Ku7yv5g
— Ben Pobjie (@benpobjie) September 15, 2016
The Institute of Public Affairs is not happy about where the superannuation package landed. Brett Hogan, the director of research at the Institute of Public Affairs:
The Turnbull government should be congratulated for dumping its retrospective and unworkable $500,000 lifetime non-concessional contributions cap.
However, limits on what can be transferred into a retirement account remain, as does the proposed objective that superannuation exists only to ‘substitute or supplement the age pension’.
Overall, the Turnbull government’s superannuation policy remains ill thought-out and built on a platform of higher taxes.”
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The debate in Australia today. Is she:
Bad Pauline.
Good Pauline.
Mike Bowers asks, you decide.
Knowing me, knowing you. Aha.
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Scott Morrison done good on superannuation.
We are inundated with many suggestions for the trifecta of Australian dreams which I will bring you in a minute. But first a quick comment about superannuation.
The need to rein in the Howard governments overly generous superannuation concessions has been long and loudly noted by economists for many years. Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull’s willingness to grab this bull by the horns should be congratulated. Labor’s superannuation package, which was released by Chris Bowen a fair while before the Coalition’s package, should also be congratulated. Bowen essentially gave Morrison cover to work up superannuation reforms which could make a difference to the budget and get rid of a significant tax shelter. As Morrison said, people were stacking money into balances up to $100m paying no tax. Larf!
Now you could say, Morrison should have run it past his own backbench before the budget to make for a neater policy package. It certainly would have saved a bit of angst and removed a stick for Eric Abetz. But hey, the broader point remains. If the generous concessions for largely high-income earners are wound back for the good of the budget and the savings figures are correct, Morrison and Turnbull done good. (All nuclear explosions kept to the comments thread, please.)
Bowen will be out at midday. Morrison says he has spoken to him. We await with interest but could there be two policy reform handshakes in one week?
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Lastly – I promise – George Christensen gives the prime minister five stars for performance. Malcolm the Movie has exceeded all expectations. He has managed to juggle the party room and come to compromises.
He is doing a very good job. When we see decisions like this on superannuation, obviously as PM he has been able to steer that conversation to a landing point which both moderates and conservatives are happy with.
Has the PM exceeded your expectations?
I think he has. He has been willing to listen to both sides of the fence, not just Nationals and Liberals but conservatives and moderates or progressives within the Liberal-National Coalition and he is doing a very good job at that. I give him full marks.
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George Christensen's vote on marriage will depend on his electoral vote
Conservatives are continuing to issue fine print on the outcome of the plebiscite in preparation of a potential yes to marriage equality.
Q: If a plebiscite does take place and Australia votes to change the Marriage Act, will you yourself support that in parliament?
I will vote how my electorate votes. That is how I will vote. If my electorate votes for same-sex marriage I will cast my vote for it. If my electorate votes against it – and if every MP voted according to the will of the electorate – we would have the national mood reflected in this place.
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Christensen: restrict immigration from countries with high levels of violent extremism
George Christensen is also asked about Pauline Hanson’s views on banning Muslim immigration. He does not think Australia is being swamped by Muslims.
For instance, Pauline Hanson might say ban all Muslims from immigrating into – or migrating to Australia. I would say that it probably reflects the concerns of people regarding national security, but do I agree with that? No, I think a more nuanced policy would be to restrict immigration from countries where there is a high level of violent extremism. That would be putting the precautionary principle into place when it comes to national security and using our immigration policy to do that.
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Christensen says he told the One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts to keep speaking the truth on climate change.
I told him keep speaking the truth to the climate mafia. Obviously he has views on the idea of catastrophic man-made climate change being bogus, just like I do. We were on the same page when it comes to that.
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Christensen is asked about his views on same-sex marriage and polygamy. Will one lead to the other?
I will treat the same-sex marriage issue on its own. There are people out there that are almost pushing for polygamy.
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George Christensen: superannuation changes seal the deal
George Christensen, Liberal National party MP and agitator, is a happy man today.
The doing away of the $500,000 non-concessional lifetime cap goes even further that than I would have thought. I would have been happy with a $1m non-concessional cap. Doing away with it is one step better, I suppose that does away also with all the retrospectivity concerns that people had. These were issues that were raised by many, many people in my electorate and also many people in the Liberal and National party membership and base … This really does seal the deal and as such, I can say I am 100% supportive of the new superannuation reforms that we will take to parliament and I will no longer be crossing the floor, if indeed what has been announced today is what is going to be legislated.
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Thank you, Matthew.
Ms Hansen presented an erudite & charitable maiden speech, commensurate with her role as a Party leader. #auspol pic.twitter.com/XElfHBtEB3
— The Matt Hatter (@MattGlassDarkly) September 14, 2016
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The trifecta of Australian dreams, by Scott Morrison
A question from Peter Martin of Fairfax draws out a soliloquy of sorts from the treasurer about the Australian dream.
Q: People concerned about the stability of the budget will be applauding this if you get it through, it looks like you will. Can you understand, though, why most people would think that $100,000 a year out of after-tax income, is an extraordinarily high amount to enable someone to contribute to super out of their own pocket. Almost no one could do that. Is the limit a little high?
I’m no enemy of aspiration by Australians and what we’ve said is that we have established a transfer balance cap of $1.6m in this package which we announced on budget night. You know, as well as I do, that only about 1% of people get to that, even under the generous concessions that have particularly been in place since 2007 …
And when you could have $180,000 a year with three-year bring forwards and you could keep rolling it in three years after three years after three years we had balances in this country on superannuation in excess of $5m, $10m, $50m, $100m. That is the product of a previous set of arrangements.
That will have a legacy to it, understandably. But at the same time what we’ve said here is you can make those after-tax contributions but once you hit $1.6m, that’s great. I think … there are many great achievements in life. Raising your children, paying off your home and providing for yourself in your retirement. They are a trifecta of Australian dreams that we believe in.
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A question from the floor to Scott Morrison..
The PM described the changes outlined in the budget as ironclad. They have now been changed. Do you expect that ironclad promise was wrong?
What I accept is when you’re in government you have to solve problems, you have to work issues and you have to get to conclusions and that’s what we’ve done today.
This is more detail from the treasurer’s statement.
Individuals with a superannuation balance of more than $1.6m will no longer be eligible to make non-concessional (after tax) contributions from 1 July 2017. This limit will be tied and indexed to the transfer balance cap.
This ensures that we focus the entitlement for after tax contributions to those Australians who have an aspiration to maximise their superannuation balances and reach the transfer balance cap in the retirement phase, where a zero tax on earnings applies.
These measures mean that with their annual concessional contributions, Australians will be able to contribute $125,000 each year and, if taking advantage of the non-concessional ‘bring forward’, up to $325,000 in any one year until such time as they reach $1.6m.
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The treasurer makes the point that Labor should support the package (given it has removed the backdating provision which they opposed). He has called Chris Bowen and offered a briefing. It’s the new caring, sharing Scott Morrison.
I commend Mr Bowen this week, I commend Chris on the work he did on the omnibus bill this week. I think it is clear that there are people in Labor, as Chris has demonstrated, we can work with, to come to arrangements like this. It’s really up to whether Mr Shorten is. That’s really what it’s about. He’s demonstrating a greater commitment to opposition than he is to progress but there are members in his own team who I think are trying to go a better way.
Naughty ScoMo. Push Bowen. Whack Shorten.
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The measures were supported “acclamation” in the party room, says the treasurer.
Over the past few months, we have been engaging with our colleagues, our Coalition colleagues, on all of these measures. And we have been listening to them as they have been listening to their communities and to their constituents.
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Superannuation reform package 2.0: lifetime cap is gone
The new measures, by Scott Morrison, are:
- Replace the lifetime non-concessional cap with an annual cap of $100,000 with a three-year bring forward, limited to those who have a balance of $1.6m. The cost of reversing the other measure and introducing the new measure is $400m to the budget.
- In addition to pay for this, we will be reversing the abolition of the work test measures for those aged 65 to 74 and that means the existing arrangements for those who are aged over 65 will continue. That is a saving of $180m.
- We will also defer commencement of the catch-up concessional contributions by one year to 1 July 2018, which provides a saving over the budget and forward estimates of $400m. That provides a net improvement to the budget of what we announced today of $180m over the forward estimates and some $670m over the medium term.
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Morrison starts with the purpose of superannuation and a note to Peter Costello, who oversaw the current superannuation system.
The purpose of these tax concessions is as outlined by David Murray and that is to provide income in retirement to substitute or supplement the aged pension. That’s what they’re supposed to do.
Scott Morrison’s superannuation press conference begins.
Richard Di Natale on Sky this morning, defending the Greens’ decision to walk out on the Hanson speech.
Richard Di Natale says Pauline Hanson's speech was 'racist, bigoted and divisive' #AMAgenda https://t.co/d3PXdOGDX5
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) September 14, 2016
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Phil Coorey of the Fin has the super guff.
The federal government has made significant changes to its superannuation package, including dumping plans for a backdated, lifetime cap of $500,000 on non-concessional contributions, in order to win over the backbench and ultimately, the Senate.
In a compromise to be put to the party room for approval on Thursday, sources said the $500,000 cap backdated to 2007 had been removed and replaced by a mechanism in which people would be able to make both concessional and non-concessional contributions until the cap of $1.6m in a super retirement account was reached. There will be a yearly cap of $100,000 on non-concessional contributions until the $1.6m is reached.
Dumping the $500,000 lifetime cap would cost the budget $550m in revenue over four years.
To recoup this, sources said the government had scrapped a proposal to remove restrictions such as minimum work requirements on people aged between 65 and 74 wishing to make voluntary contributions to their super.
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Let’s just refresh memories about the government’s superannuation proposal that emerged from the 2016 budget.
The Coalition policy placed a $500,000 lifetime cap on after-tax superannuation contributions backdated to 2007, increases the concessional tax rate on asset earnings from 0% to 15% for people aged 56 to 65 in the “transition to retirement”, and taxes accounts over $1.6m at 15%.
A number of backbenchers were revolting, on the lifetime cap and the backdating. I am told the cap is gone in a major rejig.
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Malcolm Turnbull appears to have given an interview to the Financial Review:
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull believes the Senate will pass the two industrial relations bills that triggered the double-dissolution election without the need for a joint sitting of parliament as he indicated the government was prepared to compromise on these measures as well as all other budget bills to secure their passage.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review to mark his first year in office, Mr Turnbull said the government’s singular focus from now until the next election would be on the budget and economic reform and that he would not be distracted by such issues as same-sex marriage.
And in Fairfax Media:
A defiant Malcolm Turnbull has claimed credit for stronger-than-expected economic growth in the first year of his prime ministership, declaring he deserves a “tick” for delivering economic leadership.
The prime minister has also cited his science and innovation agenda as one of the key reasons for higher growth and investment and stronger business confidence, saying it is “directly related” to the improvement.
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Coalition superannuation deal just about done with the backbench
Now that I have that off my chest, I can tell you that there is a party-room meeting going on now to tick off changes to the Coalition’s superannuation policy. Cabinet met last night, as did the economics committee. We are told the changes are revenue neutral. More details in a minute.
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Those who have followed my work will know I have written extensively about the disenfranchised in rural and regional areas. While some may call me a latte-sipping elite, I am no stranger to communities in the back blocks. I live in a small town and live among some people who for various reasons share some of the views of Pauline Hanson. Some vote for her.
I heard those views just prior to Hanson winning a seat in 1996. I had just moved out of the city and at that time, she was an anathema to me because I considered her and her supporters ignorant. Since coming to know the people in regional Australia, I don’t think of her supporters in that way. They have issues which they want to see ventilated and putting a lid on them will not make them go away. Conversations help.
But there is a difference between then and now, though the messages are similar. I covered that 1996 speech when she said Indigenous Australians were getting special benefits and we were being swamped by Asians. Now we are being swamped by Muslims, who are taking benefits, and the Asians, having done too well, are buying all our land. As Penny Wong said this morning, if she was around in the 50s it would have been the Greeks and Italians. I predict the Sudanese will come into focus in the future.
The difference as I see it is this. In 1996, Hanson was unformed, politically naive, channelling views she heard in her family and in her community. The political process and Svengalis got a hold of her, chucked her in jail for a bit and she has emerged out the other side a different person. Strategic. Polished. That speech last night was a result. Deliberately hitting the same notes but choosing different victims. Smirking as the Greens staged their ill-advised walkout. As Tony Burke said she is not dumb, this was a deliberate, damaging, illogical but incendiary intervention. As much as I railed in 1996, I prefer that version. Pauline Hanson 2.0, in this security environment, has much more capacity for damage.
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If you are looking around for powerful first speeches, check this one out.
Leeser won the safe Liberal seat after Philip Ruddock retired.
It’s the personal experiences I think which shape the best first speeches. Like Labor’s Anne Aly and Liberal’s Tim Wilson. More coming today. I hope to have a list shortly.
A bit of housekeeping. Bills on the program today include:
- Broadcasting legislation amendment (television and radio licence fees)
- Higher education support legislation amendment (2016 measures No 1)
- Offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage amendment (petroleum pools and other measures)
- Treasury laws amendment (income tax relief)
- Fair work amendment (respect for emergency services volunteers)
- Building and construction industry (improving productivity) 2013
- Building and construction industry (consequential and transitional provisions) 2013
Parliament starts at 9.30am.
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Good morning,
It was a long night after a long day. I had a dream that Malcolm Turnbull was delivering a speech in a yoga pose called firelog – a decent hip opener with much to recommend it. I think that the very long blog day was messing with my mind. The other thing I was considering was the Pauline Hanson speech. Of course, she went off like a firecracker. And then, so did everyone else. I will have something more to say in a moment but let’s get this baby up and running with a range of reactions.
The PM, via Rosie Lewis in the Oz:
Senator Hanson knows I do not agree with her views on migration. Australia is the world’s most successful multicultural society and the foundation of that success is mutual respect.
Labor’s Penny Wong told Radio National she chose not to attend because Hanson “peddles prejudice and fear”.
There is no community which has been made stronger by prejudice and fear … by targeting people based on their religion or ethnicity. Her comments don’t make Australia stronger or safer, or Australia a more cohesive society.
Wong made the point that if Hanson had been around in the 1950s or 60s she would have targeted Greeks and Italians, then eastern Europeans, then Asians in the 1990s, and today Muslims.
I think diversity is a strength.
Nick Xenophon said the way Hanson had “vilified” Islamic Australians was “heart-breaking”.
This is not what Australia is about – we are an open, inclusive country. Pauline Hanson is wrong.”
The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, said Hanson’s was an “overtly racist, bigoted, divisive speech”.
He explained the Greens walked out because “we didn’t want to dignify it with an audience”.
She’s been elected as a member of parliament, she’s got a platform, doesn’t mean we have to stay in there and listen to that garbage. It just got worse and worse, then I think she tried to conflate refugees with terrorists – and at that point there, our team had had enough.
Mikey Bowers is chasing the pollies around the building so we will have more from in a moment. I am @gabriellechan and he is @mpbowers or you can join the conversation on my Facebook page. Party like it’s 1996.
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