Nighty night
Well, it’s been epic, but eleven hours in and 7,000 words down, it’s time for me to walk away from the open microphone before things get crazy. Ok, crazier. We have been playing with Lego and cracking jokes for much of the day.
Let’s wrap with a summary. Today Tuesday.
- Tony Abbott’s day opened with a crook Newspoll, and a smack down with Karl Stefanovic – and ended with a crook Essential Poll and a smack down from the Senate cross bench on higher education.
- In between there was all manner of nonsense.
- The treasurer Joe Hockey said we wouldn’t have got FTAs with China and Korea and Japan if the government hadn’t dared Australia’s automotive manufacturers to leave the country. To me that sounded like a zero sum game. To Hockey evidently it sounded like a killer point because he said it three times.
- Everyone circled each other for hours on the higher education package. Christopher Pyne (who was under instructions from the prime minister to get a vote this week) kept upping the offer. But the process imploded in quite memorable fashion when Glenn Lazarus issued a press release demanding that Pyne stop texting him. Journalists meanwhile stopped traffic at a road safety event in order to demand that Ricky Muir reveal his position on the bill even though it was abundantly clear he had no intention of answering any questions.
- The bill was ultimately killed, but Pyne said now was not time to give up. There would be another bill, pronto – and tomorrow would be another day.
- The government also had to wear another setback – Labor pulled a swifty stunt in the Senate, amending a red tape bill to force the Coalition to run an open tender process for the next batch of submarines. The stunt actually succeeded, the opposition rustled the requisite numbers. Now the prime minister will have to launder the legislation in the House. Or run an open tender for the subs, which would be tricky, because Hockey said there was no way that would happen.
- The prime minister responded to the littered landscape by declaring that 2014 was a year of achievement and MPs must spread this message far and wide.
- The opposition leader had a different conclusion. Bill Shorten said we were reaching a tipping point concerning truth in Canberra, meaning we were tipping over rapidly into post truth.
There was more, but that’s the main business.
Thanks to my colleagues and to Bowers, my partner in blogue crimes, and the genius creator of #BrickSenate. See you in the morning.
Greens higher education spokeswoman Lee Rhiannon has called by our office. She sees the reintroduction of a new bill by the government as a holding pattern to get them through the looming Mid Year Economic Forecast. If the whole package was dumped, the savings self evidently couldn’t be banked in MYEFO.
It’s possible.
But again, the weird mixed messages. Tony Abbott has tried to draw a line this week under the government’s problems – but it’s all rhetorical – he remains shackled to them. Now the revised official mantra is tell the voters there aren’t problems, there are achievements, 2014 has been the year of achievement.
This will not work. Sorry. I cannot see how this can work.
So the government intends to compound its first major blunder with a second?
Instead of now walking away from a policy that no-one knew was coming and is, by all the available evidence, deeply unpopular – bowl it up again.
Keep it live. Keep it on the national agenda. Don’t give yourself time to work through the next steps and work out what can be salvaged what lessons can be learned. Just bowl it up again.
Honestly, I can’t work these folks out at all.
Pyne: with great reform comes great responsibility
No, that’s just me being cheeky. From the Pyne statement. Great reform takes time.
It is disappointing that Labor and the Greens voted to shut down Senate debate on the government’s higher education package before amendments could be considered. However the government will not be deterred and will move to introduce a new higher education reform package into the House of Representatives. It will be passed and sent to the Senate early next year.
Great reform takes time.
For the record, Ricky Muir voted with the Coalition for the second reading.
BREAKING: Senate throws out uni bill at second-reading vote (33-31). Muir, Madigan, Day, Leyonhjelm sided with Coalition #auspol
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) December 2, 2014
But ..
But govt has not given up on uni reforms. Pyne has immediately issued a statement saying govt will reintroduce amended bill to House of Reps
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) December 2, 2014
If at first you don’t succeed.
We may yet see that unicorn.
Goodnight higher education reform
Well folks that’s it – the Senate has just thrown out the higher education package.
Keeping on top of the nuances in the red room, the Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan swung by for a chat with The Brick after his contribution to the higher education debate. Given we can’t photograph it, we’ll recreate it.
Sorry that wasn’t quite the second reading vote. It was a motion to close off the second reading debate. That motion was negatived.
Now we are on the second reading debate.
Here’s the second reading vote now.
While we wait – Bill Shorten used the phrase demon dialing today. I’ve never heard that expression before. I have therefore typed it into my favourite interwebz search engine and discovered the following definition: in the computer hacking scene of the 1980s, demon dialing was a technique by which a computer is used to repeatedly dial a number (usually to a crowded modem pool) in an attempt to gain access immediately after another user had hung up.
I have no idea whether this is correct but it sounds vaguely plausible.
One measure of game over – stakeholders creeping away
Taking Madigan’s very reasonable point – it’s irresponsible for legislators to do nothing – it actually increases the degree of political botch-up here. If this package fails, the government has narrowed its future options to achieve changes to a critical sector which can’t really afford to stand still.
Any future package will live in the shadow of this one.
And underscoring the scale of the debacle, the university sector is now beginning to creep away from this package.
Universities Australia now says what Pyne has put on the table this afternoon isn’t enough.
Universities Australia welcomes the federal government’s announcement that it would seek to move amendments to the higher education legislation but has warned that these are insufficient to satisfy calls by the sector for substantial changes to improve fairness and affordability.
(There’s still time for the unicorn.)
Lazarus in his speech just now argued the Senate shouldn’t even bother wasting time with debate. It’s a toxic package, so why even bother.
Fellow crossbencher John Madigan begs to differ. A responsible Senate does not vote down bills without proper debate, he says. He’s not a great fan of this bill, but he says the university sector needs reform. Madigan says he’ll vote in favour of the second reading to allow arguments to be ventilated. He’s not yet saying what he’d do on the definitive vote.
Lazarus goes on to quote Confucius.
If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.
Updated
The Senate has resumed the debate on the higher education package. Muir’s position is still not clear, but that’s a technicality at this stage. Successful passage would take a miracle at this point.
If this package fails, the Coalition has nowhere to look and no-one to blame. The incoming government gave voters no warning that reform of this magnitude was in contemplation. It is almost impossible to execute a major structural reform like this without taking peple with you.
Glenn Lazarus is on his feet now.
This is a revolting proposal and we will be voting it down.
Lazarus says no roses or chocolates or texting from Christopher Pyne will persuade him otherwise.
Avoiding a scrum, with cars.
Here is some video of the absolute circus down the front of the building earlier today as journalists attempted to ascertain Ricky Muir’s position on the higher education reforms.
Politics is a tough gig for a bloke who doesn’t like to talk.
Essential asked its respondents whether government legislation currently blocked in the Senate should remain blocked.
The answer was a resounding yes.
- People gave the biggest thumbs down to increasing the fuel excise (72%), the $7 Medicare co-payment (68%) and cuts to university funding (65%).
- Even the Coaliton base is unconvinced. The only legislation supported by a majority of Liberal/National voters was a six-month waiting period for those under-30 before they can access the dole (59% for/27% against).
- A majority of Liberal/National voters thought the Senate should vote against increasing the fuel excise (66%) and the paid parental leave scheme (62%).
Rightio, time to get serious. It being Tuesday, we have the new Essential Poll. I’ll work through this material in the next couple of posts.
Questions.
Q: In response to claims that he has broken election promises, the prime minister said he has ‘fundamentally kept faith with the Australian people’. Do you agree or disagree?
56% disagree that Tony Abbott has “fundamentally kept faith with the Australian people” and 31% agree.
Q: Which of the following describe your opinion of the prime minister, Tony Abbott?
Tony Abbott’s key attributes were out of touch with ordinary people (66%), hard working (62%), arrogant (61%) and narrow-minded (61%). Since May, the largest shifts have been for good in a crisis (+7), hard working (+5) ands visionary (-4).
Q: Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten?
Bill Shorten’s key attributes were intelligent (66%), hard working (64%), understands the problems facing Australia (53%) and a capable leader (46%). Since May, the largest shift has been for a capable leader (-5).
(No zinger index, sorry.)
Sorry, we just had to – with apologies to Gaga and Beyonce
Sometimes I feel like/I live in Grand Central Station/But tonight I’m not takin’ no calls/‘Cuz I’ll be dancin’ (dance)/(Tonight I’m dancing)/Cause I’ll be dancin’ (dance)/(Tonight I’m dancing)/‘Cuz I’ll be dancin’/(Tonight I’m dancing)/Tonight I’m not takin’ no calls/‘Cuz I’ll be dancin’
#BrickSenate Christopher stop calling me #BrickWithTies @murpharoo @GuardianAus @cpyne http://t.co/E38i5NmbEN pic.twitter.com/lMIU3PPSQW
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 2, 2014
The many faces of Christopher Pyne, by Mike Bowers
But wait, there's more ..
Pyne is nothing if not a fighter. The education minister has now issued another statement upping his offer to the crossbench. In addition to the concessions already made, Pyne will throw in a structural adjustment fund for universities, focussed on those with large numbers of low SES students.
Budget: $100m over three years.
(Perhaps there’ll be a bonus unicorn by close of business.)
(You’ve got to wonder what the new bottomline saving is for this package now. Does it actually provide any savings anymore?)
Shorten, still.
This is a government in search of a compass to find out what it should do.
#ShortenSweet
Updated
Christopher Pyne, demon dialer
We have a minister for education who is doing more texting than Shane Warne.
Bill Shorten, in the MPI debate.
No amount of demon dialing changes a rotten set of proposals.
Updated
Thank the Lord. The prime minister has placed further questions on the notice paper. But don’t despair, today has only just reached rolling boil.
The communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has moved from Conrovianism (his normal ditty on the various failings of his predecessor in the portfolio, Stephen Conroy) to a new state – Neoconrovianism. I’m not quite following the transition, apart from the fact there is a big NBN rollout in Newcastle, and Labor MP Pat Conroy (no relation) wants more stuff for his constituents.
Turnbull:
I have in my hand a letter from the Federal (Labor) Member for Charlton, Pat Conroy MP and it’s very revealing. It reveals, Madam Speaker, for those that care to look at his letterhead, that he is very proud of his teeth because there is not one of them that is not visible on the photograph.
But nonetheless, gleaming fangs aside, Madam Speaker, he writes to me, he writes to me and urges there be more fibre to the node rolled out in his electorate and he calls on us to do that. Madam Speaker, when uncle Stephen hears about this, there will be hell to pay.
Labor has asked again whether the defence minister David Johnston will hold his portfolio. This question was asked yesterday, and Abbott tip toed around it. Today, nicer mail for David Johnston.
The prime minister.
Of course minister for defence has my support and he deserves the confidence of this parliament.
Infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs, upping the aggro and the zinger.
The Member for Ballarort should apologise and explain why it was she rorted Australian taxpayers’ money to try and save Labor seats.
(That’s Catherine King.)
(Ballarort. Geddit?)
There have been a couple of Dorothy Dixers allowing the government to beat up the shadow health minister Catherine King over regional grants – grants going to the city instead of the country – referencing an audit report released last week.
Shorten is back with a question to Abbott:
Q: My question is to the prime minister. Before the election the prime minister said, “Australians are sick of leaders who play politics ahead of governing the country and who blame everyone but themselves when things go wrong”. Isn’t blaming everyone but himself exactly what the prime minister has done in his answers today?
Abbott:
Madam Speaker, I am making the obvious point, the absolutely obvious point that solving the debt and deficit disaster we were left by Labor is not easy. It’s particularly not easy when members opposite are not assisting the repair, they are sabotaging it. This government takes responsibility for fixing the debt and deficit disaster that we inherited. I just wish members opposite would accept the responsibility for creating it because, Madam Speaker, create it they did. Create it, they did.
Speaking of which ..
Frankly I think I'm just being thorough. #auspol pic.twitter.com/kHDSUYDfP7
— Fake Chris Pyne (@FakeChrisPyne) December 2, 2014
Oh that’s quite funny.
Madam Speaker has just warned Pyne for interjecting. (Yes, I know that’s unusual, but it was Pyne who was warned.)
Some wag just yelled out:
So did Glenn Lazarus.
This is a government which is determined to deliver the surplus that members opposite promised but could never manage.
This is the prime minister Tony Abbott. Now perhaps I’ve missed something – it would not be the first time – but zeroing in here today is a little tiny bit odd. In a couple of weeks time, the government will release its Mid Year Economic Forecast (MYEFO). The government has been sending a stack of signals that MYEFO will not paint a pretty picture. The finance minister has suggested surpluses now look a fair way off. So the truth is noone is delivering a surplus, right?
The government seems to have retreated today into oppositionism. The theme of the day is everything is Labor’s fault. Various government folks are breaking out the quick quotes quills, the clipping files, The Book of Shorten, regional “rorts.”
In between the various strolls through history, Pyne is still fighting for his university package. Labor and their soulmates in the Greens are stopping the government’s equity agenda.
Senator (Kim) Carr has made it clear why. He has told Vice Chancellors that Labor wants an election.
They believe they will stop the reforms and force the government to the polls. He told The Australian Financial Review conference in November that Labor would win the next election and force this government to the polls and that this was the reason they were voting against these reforms in the Senate.
So they are being the usual vandals they were in the Howard government, the vandals they were in an economic sense in government under the Gillard-Rudd governments.
For Labor it’s about politics, it’s never about policy. It’s always about politics, it’s never about people.
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie wants to know about funds for the University of Tasmania.
The education minister, Christopher Pyne, says the university must pursue a restructure, but that’s contingent on the university package not expiring in the Senate.
So the government does encourage the University of Tasmania to pursue its restructure but the restructure cannot occur without the government’s higher education reforms.
I know I’ve been harping on about this today, but this really is a significant measure of the disconnect between what comes out of ministers mouths and the real world inhabited by actual people.
The treasurer Joe Hockey three times today has made a virtue of the government pulling the industry assistance rug out from under the Australian car industry. In political terms, it is brave to keep persisting with the treasury seminar when out in the real world, people are losing their jobs.
Hockey, again, just now:
Ending the age of entitlement was a hard decision but it needed to be made – because as a result of that decision we were able to get free trade agreements with Korea, Japan and China.
Given polling indicates Australians are neutral to slightly apprehensive about FTAs, and I suspect would prefer jobs today to the abstract benefits promised by trade deals (which are in their infancy, or haven’t even commenced yet) – this really is brave politics. Hockey thinks he’s on a winner.
Updated
"Grow up and get out" – part two, #BrickSenate
Meanwhile, in the other place.
Protestors interrupt debate in the #BrickSenate @murpharoo @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/JtqiXpaViX
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 2, 2014
Senator Bernadi to students from the chair of the #BrickSenate "grow up and get out" @murpharoo @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/WUxzQldlJg
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 2, 2014
Updated
This has been a year of achievement for our country and a year of delivery for this government.
That’s the prime minister, responding to a Dorothy Dixer.
There is much laughter across the chamber. Madam Speaker is not amused.
Question time
Let’s push on and get to the other side of Question Time but then I will stop and recap. I’m conscious there is a lot happening very quickly.
All you probably need to know right now is the higher education package looks dead in the water – and Labor has chalked up a victory on submarines.
The hour of glower now.
The Labor leader Bill Shorten has opened on the reset, and the prime minister’s arguments to colleagues that the government’s woes are not about the substance, they are about the vibe.
Q: When will the prime minister accept that its $100,000 university degrees, not “the atmospherics” – that Australians have fundamentally rejected?
The prime minister quotes Labor’s Andrew Leigh and the Group of Eight chairman Ian Young in support of deregulation.
"Grow up and get out"
Nick Xenophon is speaking now in the higher education debate. Unlike Lazarus, Xenophon is praising Christopher Pyne as the consummate professional.
But ..
I will not in good conscience support this bill for a whole range of reasons.
Now uni students have erupted in a protest in the public gallery.
Liberal senator Cory Bernardi, who is presiding:
Remove the intruders!
Grow up and get out.
Dear oh dear, I meant to launch #BrickConroy before and I forgot. Apologies.
Here is the architect of the submarine stunt.
I think we can call game over on the education reforms
An extraordinary statement from the PUP senator, Glenn Lazarus.
Christopher Pyne is embarrassing himself and needs to stop harassing me and other cross benchers.
I am being inundated with text messages from Christopher Pyne virtually begging me to support the Abbott government’s higher education reforms. I have never given Christopher Pyne my mobile phone number. Christopher Pyne’s office and other Abbott Government ministers are continuing to contact my office and other cross benchers offering all sorts of deals and incentives to get our support for the higher education reforms.
I won’t be bought and I am not prepared to horse trade.
The red tape bill has now passed with amendments, including the Labor amendment for the competitive tender. The government spared its senators a vote. It passed on the voices.
The debate gives us a nice window to introduce #BrickXenophon
Now, the bill returns to the House. So now the ball is in Tony Abbott’s court – accept the competitive tender for the submarine acquisition, or knock it out.
My colleague Lenore Taylor is back from the Coalition partyroom debrief, and this her debrief to me.
- The prime minister reported to colleagues that this year had been “rich in performance.”
- 2014 had been a year of “success and achievement” – so much success and achievement in fact that the treasurer and the finance minister shared a slide show of the aforementioned success and achievement.
- The treasurer told colleagues the budget had largely passed the parliament, so it was all good.
- Joe Hockey also repeated his rather forthright observation from this morning, that the government’s brave decision to show the car manufacturers the door shortly after the election had resulted in free trade deal success with China.
- It is unclear whether KoolAid was distributed at the door.
(Number five is me, not Lenore. Lenore is not rude like me.)
Jacqui Lambie will support the imposition of a competitive tender.
Labor’s defence spokesman Stephen Conroy.
It would be an absolute scandal to do this project without a proper competitive tender. The government’s outrageous bias against Australian manufacturers is getting in the way of good process. The Japanese have got this in the bag. This is a done deal.
Meanwhile the Usher of the Black Rod is prowling about in #BrickSenate
(Usher of the brown rod, in our version, but why nit-pick.)
While I listen to Jacqui Lambie’s contribution in the submarines debate, just a little segment of the education minister Christopher Pyne’s interview on Adelaide radio this morning.
Q: Now, allegedly, according to all the newswires today have you struck a deal with the crossbenchers to pass your higher education reforms, and how confident are you of securing their support?
Christopher Pyne:
Well Leon, I’m certainly getting closer and closer.
It’s like wading through molasses because we have eight crossbenchers.
As inelegant and clumsy is this mechanism is, I’m obliged to support it on behalf of my constituents.
Nick Xenophon, wrapping up. Xenophon says there is a lot of evidence now in the public domain which indicates the submarines can be built locally at a competitive price. Maintaining local shipbuilding capacity is important both economically and strategically, he says.
Back to submarines. Labor’s South Australian senate leader (Penny Wong) intends to subject South Australians across the chamber (Simon Birmingham) to maximum political discomfort for the next hour or so.
SA Lib Senator Birmingham in the Senate speaking against Labor's move for a competitive tender on submarines.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) December 2, 2014
Birmingham is telling the chamber the government won’t be distracted by stunts, it will set about in orderly fashion securing the best possible outcome for all Australians.
South Australian independent Nick Xenophon tells the chamber he knows the odd thing about stunts. (True that.)
But he says this isn’t a stunt. Xenophon says this is about trying to ensure the government keeps its election promises. The Coalition promised to build the new submarines in South Australia.
Meanwhile, my colleague Lenore Taylor is at the debrief after today’s Coalition party room meeting. ‘Jingle bells, we’re so cool.’
Abbott tells party room they must spend Xmas telling the govts story of success and achievement #auspol
— Lenore Taylor (@lenoretaylor) December 2, 2014
The Labor party is more interested in stunts than they are in submarines.
Simon Birmingham, again.
Zings.
A motion put by Abetz failed 33-37. Senators Bob Day and David Leyonhjelm voted with the government. Labor, Greens, Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon, Dio Wang and Glenn Lazarus (he’s back!) voted against.
Labor’s senate leader Penny Wong says she wants this process transacted before Question Time. Just to recap, the senate is currently considering a bill to reduce red tape. Labor has tacked the competitive tender demand for the submarine acquisition onto that bill. The debate is now underway.
Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham:
Last night, in an ambush move ...
While we wait for particulars, I believe we’ve finally nailed #BrickSHY #BrickSenate
It's not easy being green @murpharoo #bricksenate #auspol pic.twitter.com/JAi1eS9r1V
— Viscount Hinemoa (@pananian) December 2, 2014
Senators have gathered in the red room for today’s session. The government’s senate leader, Eric Abetz, is objecting strenuously to Labor’s ambush overnight on the submarines.
I flagged this issue first thing this morning: Labor is trying to force the government to have an open tender process for the looming procurement. The government does not want this to happen, but I suspect sees the writing on the wall. Labor has the numbers to push this through.
Updated
Sorry! Make that a road safety event.
I gather there’s been a massive scrum at the front of the building, with reporters jostling to ask questions of Ricky Muir – who will be critical in the looming higher education vote. Muir declined to reveal his position. The crossbencher was at a motoring event.
Ask for a canoe and the canoe comes.
@murpharoo @mpbowers Ricky Muir in an ASC canoe with not just one but two paddles! #BrickSenate #auspol pic.twitter.com/zqKi73GDAq
— Tim Stephens (@TimStephens10) December 2, 2014
Joyeux Noel
Now speaking of Clive, Politics Live spies tell me that Christmas gifts are arriving in political offices around the building this morning.
Clive has sent everyone a DVD of Joyeux Noel – a movie which apparently recreates events on the western front in World War One.
The tagline for the movie is ..
Without an enemy, there can be no war.
Make of that what you will good people.
(Nice one Clive.)
Clive Palmer: money can't buy you love
My colleague Daniel Hurst has been pursuing Clive Palmer concerning the report we’ve flagged this morning which suggests the PUP leader is pursuing a sweet side deal for Tassie on the higher education package.
Palmer has just said this to Daniel:
Our position is unchanged.
Money can’t buy you love.
Scared to share, but impossible not to.
David Leyonhjelm, packing something big between his legs @murpharoo #BrickSenate pic.twitter.com/EEgo9Aglji
— Captain Haymaker (@CaptainHaymaker) December 2, 2014
For those readers who like their politics served with extra sass.
New politics: don’t screw the rest of the country to gold plate Tasmania. That there, is a people’s revolution. (Sorry Tassie, but we are still paying for the Mersey Hospital.)
Once-was-PUP Jacqui Lambie has just addressed the UTAS point in a press conference. She says she will vote down the higher education package. She can’t be wooed. Lambie says the University of Tasmania does not want deregulation.
Lambie says she’ll find the money through a different method:
Sooner or later once this pay dispute is fixed up, they will need my vote and I will make sure that Tasmanian university of mine gets their $400m and part of that infrastructure budget because it deserves it.
Q: Haven’t you got the opportunity to secure that funding for Tasmania now by supporting this bill?
To support the education bill and ruin it for other universities around Australia, the kids around the rest of Australia for the Tasmanian university – they wouldn’t ask me to do that.
Updated
What's Clive up to?
Speaking of higher education, this, from the Burnie Advocate this morning, is very curious indeed.
Is Clive Palmer cooking up a side deal on the higher education package involving sweeties for Tasmania, even though he just lost his Tasmanian senator? From this morning’s edition.
Clive Palmer could be the white knight who delivers a game-changing cash boost for UTAS. It would include a $42m foreshore campus development in Burnie, major spending in Launceston and UTAS becoming two universities. A deal being discussed would deliver $398m of federal money over four years towards a $453m UTAS revamp.
An oldie but a goodie, truckloads of cash for Tassie.
Labor’s Kim Carr, in the context of the higher education senate vote.
Senator Carr ready to prevent ram through legislation. @murpharoo #bricksenate pic.twitter.com/tZ7mUavmow
— Comrade Pattie (@tric000) December 2, 2014
The eyes are good. The forehead is good. I’m not sure whether he has a lightsaber. I might make inquiries.
My colleague Daniel Hurst is just back from the briefing after the Labor caucus.
A couple of news points:
- The opposition will back a private members bill from Jacqui Lambie which aims to ensure defence personnel get pay increases of at least CPI.
- Trade continues to simmer away in the Labor caucus. There were questions from backbenchers this morning on the process for legislating the China FTA, and about the investor state dispute resolution clause in the Trans Pacific Partnership. Labor gave bipartisan backing to the FTA with Korea earlier this year – but there was a bunfight in caucus before that resolution.
Apparently it’s Tanya Plibersek’s birthday, also.
This wins.
The Coalition science minister stands ready to address a joint sitting in the senate. #BrickSenate @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/9u9VZ3htFz
— Rob, the plebeian (@rtillsley) December 1, 2014
Is that a yeti or an abominable snowman? The ice man cometh ..
Oh, man.
"You'd be pulling this face if you were spending Christmas with Nazarbayev." #tonyblair #tonyblairchristmascard pic.twitter.com/JZMIjzhZKs
— Kimberley Ramplin (@Kimbo_Ramplin) December 1, 2014
Parliament’s joint intelligence committee has this morning called for public submissions on the government’s proposal to force telcos to hold the metadata of their customers for two years. If you have views on this issue, you can of course make a submission.
According to the program released this morning, you need to email the secretariat at dataretention@aph.gov.au by Monday 8 December 2014 if you intend to make a submission.
From the committee’s statement:
Submissions are requested as early as possible, but no later than Monday 19 January 2015. Public hearings will be held on Wednesday 17 December 2014 and on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 January 2015, with the possibility of further hearings if required. The committee intends to report by 27 February 2015.
What a poll dive looks like – a 6.5% swing in 12 months
Edmund Tadros in The Australian Financial Review has crunched his poll of polls data and reached the following conclusion.
The polls, both based on preference flow at the 2013 federal election, represent a swing away from the government of at least 6.5 percentage points since that election. Significantly, the new polls continue a trend seen for most of this year and especially since the May budget, showing the Coalition trailing in the national polls.
You folks are killing it this morning.
#BrickSenate @mpbowers @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/cQlHrhRaDb
— Sean Brookes (@SeanBrooke23) December 1, 2014
I love our readers.
I'm "helping" with #LegoSenate - here's Senator Whish-Wilson @SenatorSurfer #BrickSenate @mpbowers @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/N724BPH9iM
— CJJingles (@cjjosh) December 1, 2014
@murpharoo @mpbowers Senator Ludlum trying to take a selfie with an old phone. pic.twitter.com/0B5rUJf2Ix
— Jane Cattermole (@janecat60) December 1, 2014
Labor folks inclined to gallows humour used to remark at the height of the civil war that Julia Gillard’s poll numbers always improved when she left the country. Perhaps the current prime minister has banked the lesson. Keeping out of sight can be good for the health of your government.
The Australian’s Dennis Shanahan has the official telegram this morning. The prime minister is planning to do “much less international travel next year and have a reasonable, relaxing family holiday of surf and sand for the first time since he was elected Liberal leader five years ago.” Senior staff in the prime minister’s office are also going on holidays.
Let the slumber begin.
Updated
@mpbowers @murpharoo I've found Senator Cameron pic.twitter.com/obYVf2MYEW
— CJJingles (@cjjosh) December 1, 2014
Keep them coming folks.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking B1? I think I am B2.
Shorten " this is the final caucus meeting 4 the year & you may feel somewhat tired imagine how T. Abbott's feeling?" pic.twitter.com/2rNrLb6b1p
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 1, 2014
Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy.
Riddle me this: we are more than what they are not
The Labor leader, Bill Shorten is addressing the Labor caucus. Shorten references yesterday’s reset, noting it’s an odd reset when nothing actually changes. The opposition leader says the government is always constantly talking about changing their tactics but they never change their mind.
It is not, despite what Tony Abbott was saying, the barnacles. It’s the actual ship.
It’s the crew, it’s the captain.
It’s simple, if the government wanted to reboot, recast, press the delete button, try and convince people that they never made the promises before the election and broken them, there are six little things they could do.
No GP tax, no $100,000 university degrees, no petrol tax, no cuts to schools and hospitals, no cuts to pensions, and no attack on family payments.
This budget is the centrepiece of this government’s unfair attack on the living standards of ordinary Australians. We end the year with this government still determined to attack the living standards of ordinary Australians.
We are mercifully zinger free in this final Shorten address to the caucus for 2014. Because I don’t get out much, any day when I don’t have to listen to excruciating Dad jokes is a very good day. It’s a day when my head doesn’t connect with the desk.
Oh no, here’s a drift into the obscure.
We will be more than what this government is not.
(Err, wut?)
I note the interwebz is now alive with Karl versus Tones. Junkee.com Karl was in no mood for funny buggers today, and it took about two seconds for the prime minister to wish he’d stayed in bed, because Stefanovic handed him his own Speedo-d butt.
I’m happy to report that our #BrickSenate offensive has been a major hit. Perhaps we can’t actually change the Senate’s ridiculous restrictions on chamber photography (which was our intention), but we can at least crack ourselves and you good folks up.
I should be clear that we welcome all contributions from readers and from occupants of the building. We are in the market for a canoe, just quietly.
One of our ABC colleagues, Lyndal Curtis, has contributed this mini Scott Ludlam. He’s a play-ah.
Thanks @lyndalcurtis for bringing @SenatorLudlam to the #BrickSenate complete with his game boy-ping @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/tgtBWBSOyr
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 1, 2014
Don’t be shy to share.
Readers with me yesterday will know that LDP Senator David Leyonhjelm suddenly invoked the contents of politician’s trousers during an empathy offensive with the poor oppressed bikers of Australia.
This morning he’s in man junk territory again. There was, I’m told by Mike, an analogy about grabbing the prime minister’s manhood. I think there are groups to help people with these sorts of issues.
Methinks someone wants a little something from a little someone with a couple of key Senators.
Looking forward to @annabelcrabb’s #KitchenCabinet tonight – @CliveFPalmer makes an excellent birthday cake… 🎂#takeitfromme #auspol
— Christopher Pyne (@cpyne) December 1, 2014
One of the PUPs remains in hospital, Glenn Lazarus. I’m not really sure how that will impact the various votes today. Presumably he’ll be paired.
Breakfast television. Christmas tree twinkles. Prime minister pretends he’s happy to be there.
Karl Stefanovic:
The reality here is that the budget position is in a shambles and every day it does get worse; it’s not getting better.
Tony Abbott:
Well, it’s not in a shambles, Karl, I want to stop you there …
Karl Stefanovic:
No one is buying what you are selling is the point. No one is buying what you are selling – what you are laying down – and that’s the problem.
Tony Abbott:
Well, Karl, I want to stop you there.
Where has terror gone?
I just want to bounce off one more Textorism from last night.
Economic anxiety is number one, two and three on the issue agenda.
Textor has a sophisticated research apparatus tracking what swinging voters are thinking and feeling, so I’d credit the analysis. He’s also trying to tell the prime minister to get back to the core issues that voters actually care about rather than indulging various ideological frolics.
It’s clear the prime minister is attempting to get back to the economy space – in a manner of speaking. His capacity to do that cleanly is complicated by budget measures that are not yet passed, but Abbott is tracking back into the general territory.
One thing that is, however, really noticeable if you stop and think about it for half a minute is how quiet the government has gone all of a sudden on counter-terrorism and domestic threats.
National security has gone from being the dominant daily political theme to radio silence in a very short space of time.
I don’t know why that’s happened, I have a couple of working theories, but no concrete facts, so I won’t speculate. But interesting, right?
Mark Textor calls for a reboot: a real one
Sensible people who go to bed early may have missed an interesting intervention on Lateline last night by the Liberal party’s pollster, Mark Textor. Allow me to bring you up to speed, because his remarks are worth noting.
Textor was scrupulously polite, so polite in fact, that he’s a contender for a diplomatic prize. But if you strip back the polite to the substance, what he said was actually quite pointed. He said the government had basically fluffed its economic strategy; the prime minister was in trouble in part because he didn’t delegate enough; and there was too much centralised control in the prime minister’s office.
Textor:
I think it’s one of the things you learn in the process of the first term of government - is respectful delegation. That you really need all arms of government to sing, because if you hold messaging too tight and you don’t let the arms of government do their business, you’re actually limiting your ability to speak to the Australian people.
Also, if people aren’t given the appropriate amount of space and responsibility, they’ll tend to misuse what responsibilities they have. When ministers like Andrew Robb particularly have been given a lot of leeway and the same with Julie Bishop to go and do their job, I think they’ve done remarkable jobs in the Trade and in Foreign Affairs portfolio.
The interview wasn’t quite Shane Stone telling John Howard that he was mean and tricky – we are now well past the time when people working in professional politics have the courage to be that frank with one another, everything is too brittle for that – but it was a substantial critique.
I wonder if Abbott is prepared to listen?
Updated
Still shaking my head on the car industry – what treasurers and treasury boffins generally think, but don’t often say. Ah well, got to love a truth bomb.
Hockey was also asked about Labor’s tactical ambush in the Senate last night about submarines that I referenced in the opening post. Would the government allow a competitive tender for the looming submarines acquisition?
No, said Hockey.
We don’t have time.
No FTAs if we had continued to support the car industry: Hockey
Fran Kelly despite her best efforts is not cracking the treasurer wide open on what reset might actually mean. It’s abundantly clear that at this point there is no settled “reset” plan. With actual facts in it.
Hockey does not accept it’s a budget mess.
The economy is on a good trajectory.
Hockey is ebullient enough however in this encounter to share one burst of frankness. He tells Kelly’s listeners that the Coalition would not have secured its recent free trade agreements if the government hadn’t presided over the demise of local car manufacturing. (He’s quite correct on that point, but I doubt Australian car workers currently in the process of being retrenched will appreciate the fact they have been sacrificed in order for Australia to lock down an FTA with China and Korea.) The treasurer was quite clear this morning that was the transaction – there would have been no free trade agreements if we hadn’t made the hard decisions on industry assistance at the beginning of the year.
More fodder for Labor to cause trouble in South Australia.
Hockey also advises us all to get out the plastic for Christmas.
Don’t let Santa down. Get out and spend for Christmas.
(Retrenched workers may need to be a little more cautious, of course.)
Fran .. Fran ..
The treasurer, Joe Hockey, is being interviewed now on Radio National Breakfast.
Thus far the budget is all Labor’s fault.
Well, Fran ..
Good morning tragics and welcome to Tuesday, the busiest day of the parliamentary week, in the final sitting week for 2014. Last night, Canberra put on a magnificent electrical storm. Mike Bowers chased the drama in the skies.
A wild night in the capital join @murpharoo @GuardianAus for #politicslive as the storms move inside today pic.twitter.com/LgDroZ7LYT
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) December 1, 2014
Today, the storms are all inside the building. The government will, however, be pleased with the opening atmospherics of the day. A number of media outlets are telling their readers and viewers the government has “reset its agenda”, even though the government has not actually reset its agenda at all. Really quite amazing.
Having banked the spin win, the government would like to move to a Senate vote on its higher education package today. To stave off the appearance of deadlock and unproductive wheel spinning, the government would very much like that vote to be affirmative.
The numbers are still not clear. All eyes are on crossbencher Ricky Muir. If he’s a yes then the package is a yes – if he’s a no it’s back to the drawing board.
But the orderly business of the Senate was subverted last night by Labor. The opposition abruptly brought on debate on a red tape bill in order to tack on a requirement that the upcoming purchase of submarines be subjected to a competitive tender process. (This is an effort to intensify pressure on South Australian Liberals who are doing it tough politically courtesy of a number of government decisions, including the likelihood of the new subs coming from Japan.) Debate and a vote is expected later today – and it looks like Labor has the numbers to push that through. That bit of blindsiding will cause the government some heartburn.
While still in heartburn territory, there’s another Newspoll around this morning which charts the prime minister’s approval rating at a five month low. The poll’s two party preferred measure is Labor 54 Coalition 46. The thumbs down from voters is now sustained and comprehensive. Tony Abbott’s minders this morning have placed him in front of a Christmas tree to do the rounds of breakfast television. Presumably that looks friendly.
We too are friendly characters, which is why the Politics Live comment thread is now wide open for your business. You can also reach us on the Twits @murpharoo and @mpbowers
Game on blogans.
