In summary
After opening the day on Nauru, we end it there as well, with Julia Banks making her private views on the situation known.
Pressure is building.
Tomorrow will bring the drought summit, and given how the government has been talking it up, there will be an announcement that comes with it. Or I will eat Barnaby Joyce’s hat.
It’s also the energy Coag meeting tomorrow. And I can’t imagine all the states are going to be thrilled with the lack of emissions reduction targets in the government’s latest policy.
But these are all problems for tomorrow-Amy. Right now, I need to thank Mike Bowers for his amazing work, this and every week, and the Guardian’s brains trust for not only keeping me standing, but cleaning up my typos and generally keeping me sane.
We will be back when the Senate resumes on 12 November, for what will be a Senate-only week. And then, we have two more weeks of joint sitting and the year is O-VAH. It’s cancelled. Until next year.
But that’s still some time away. In the meantime, remember to check back for regular updates on the site through news stories and analysis, as we continue to cover all the goings on, in between the parliament sittings.
But most importantly – thank you for following along and helping to make this little blog what it is. We could not do it without you. Enjoy your break, and as always –
take care of you.
Updated
We all know that nothing is official until it’s Facebook official.
Fraser Anning has updated his Facebook header. #auspol Still waiting for formal response to being booted from KAP pic.twitter.com/eF5Uyg7Jnm
— Paul Osborne AAP (@osbornep) October 25, 2018
And as we wind up the day, for those who missed it this morning, the Member for Just On Sky News, I mean Hughes, has been reportedly spared from losing his preselection battle. As Phil Coorey reported for the Fin this morning:
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has intervened to spare NSW conservative Liberal MP Craig Kelly a certain preselection defeat in order to stop an outbreak of civil war inside the NSW Liberal Party and to improve his embattled government’s chances of holding the seat of Hughes.
Mr Kelly was saved from a preselection challenge by moderate Kent Johns before the last election by then-leader Malcolm Turnbull. But he then turned on Mr Turnbull and was a principal player in his downfall.
After that, moderates vowed to get rid of Mr Kelly, who was again being challenged by Mr Johns and people on both sides believed Mr Johns had the numbers.
But sources say Mr Morrison has told factional bosses he wants Mr Kelly spared.
As many of you have pointed out, Julia Banks has already announced her intention not to run as the Liberal candidate for Chisholm at the next election.
However she has left the door open to perhaps run as an independent. Which makes her comment about being constrained by the machinery of a major party doubly interesting.
'It is our humanitarian obligation to remove children and their families from Nauru'
Julia Banks:
We could have made progress this week with the New Zealand solution, but the parties are too concerned to not back down on their position to make concessions so that we can find a solution.
The message will be clear – a solution to this situation that it is a one-off act of grace, a humanitarian decision. A decision that comes from our hearts but our minds will ensure that we have the capacity to ensure we maintain our secure borders.
Just as nothing surpasses the unconditional love a parent has for their child, nothing should be stopping or delaying our getting these sick children, and their families, off Nauru.
I ask members of this House to see this situation through the prism of a child’s years, not in adult’s years. Because childhood is fleeting. The time period of a month is enormous in a child’s world.
In the past months, the political games and distractions of both parties have disgracefully played out in this place and in the meantime the situation on Nauru with sick children has reached a crisis point.
There is no more noble profession, than that of the health care professional. The Hippocratic oath contains the element of ‘do no harm’.
We as a parliament should be grateful that in this same time period of the past few months, when these children and their families voices were drowned out by the game playing and the delay of the New Zealand option, we have thousands of doctors, the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Law Council of Australia, UNICEF, UNHCR, who all gave voice to these children.
For all the political games in this place, on Monday, this place, saw that across the political divide, Australians have good hearts.
Our country, overwhelmingly on Monday, committed to keeping children safe. Children are citizens of the world and the children on Nauru are our ultimate responsibility.
Long-term indefinite detention is no place for any child. It is wrong to say these children and their families are not detained.
Sure they are not behind bars and they can walk about, but the will, especially the will of a parent with a sick child, wanting help, is a detention of their mind and their spirit.
I know there are many MPs on both sides of this House, across this House, who share my concern and compassion. But many are constrained, by the machinery that goes with belonging to a major party.
The major parties should put political point scoring, horse trading, combative politics and trying to think of the next clever wedge, or worse, trying to work out how, in the words of that wise man who didn’t attend the national apology, ‘to make MPs themselves or their respective parties look good’.
Despite all the political games, this issue comes down to a simple truth – it is our humanitarian obligation to get these children and their families off Nauru.
I heard today from the head of the UNHCR that when he was in Nauru, a little girl asked him ‘why am I in prison?’ He then tried to engage in dialogue with this little girl and when he asked her name, she immediately recited a number.
That little girl has a name. That little girl has a life. And she is living in child years.
Let us as a country, not to have to apologise to this little girl and the other children in Nauru in years to come.”
Updated
The House is adjourned – I’ll get you that speech as soon as I can.
Julia Banks became teary at the end. Cathy McGowan and Rebheka Sharkie were among the only MPs in the chamber and both stood in support of the Chisholm MP as soon as she finished. Adam Bandt was there too – can just see him at the end walk over.
Updated
Julia Banks calls for removal of children from Nauru
The Liberal MP is using the adjournment debate to call for children and their families on Nauru to be removed, immediately, for medical treatment.
Cathy McGowan has moved behind her in support, as she makes the speech.
Banks has become the first Liberal MP to break ranks and publicly call for this.
“It is our humanitarian obligation to get these children and their families off Nauru.”
Updated
Mike Bowers was witness to Bob Katter’s press conference:
Updated
KAP president Shane Paulger’s statement, as read by Bob Katter, on Fraser Anning:
99% of what Senator Anning has been saying is solid gold.
However, there is 1% of what he is saying that is totally unacceptable.
I, as party president, made it perfectly clear, as did the federal leader, that inter alia there was to be no more use of words like ‘Europeans’ and ‘non-Europeans’. Clearly that is racist; clearly our policies are anti-racist.
This position was made perfectly clear again following a bill that Senator Anning had drafted. He was unequivocally informed when the party learnt of this bill, that there would be extreme hostility if the bill went forward using racial identification terminology. And that the party would not accept future use of such language or such policies.
The Senator then came back with a press release, albeit for party approval, that used the same racial language and purported to explain and defend the bill. And, more importantly, its title.
Clearly his divide of ‘European’ and ‘non-European’ would prevent for example Sikhs and Filipinos coming to this country.
His bill said the people should have the last say and that Australia’s policies should favour European migration. Both these things are true.
The party considers it a great tragedy that the wonderful work Fraser has done to cut back the mass influx of people to this country has been damaged.
Hundreds of thousands are turning out now to the ACTU rallies (which we support strongly) against inter alia the flood of Section 457 visas and the consequent casualisation of the workforce. Our party, especially, represents mine workers who – in the most dangerous of work (living away from home and most hostile environments) – have watched their wage structures halve and they will be halved again, as all wages in Australia will be cut by the current mass migration levels and its casualisation, if nothing is done.
We backed to a man, Senator Anning, 100% on his maiden speech. In spite of the party never having used words like ‘European’ or ‘Muslim’, but we knew ‘what he was getting at’. The party’s policy says that entry requirements should favour people who can integrate into our community.
Of the 640,000 people being brought into Australia every year, overwhelmingly they are from countries with:
- no democracy and/or
- no rule of law and/or
- no industrial awards (pay and conditions) or proper worker representation and/or
- no Judeo Christian spiritual belief systems (love your neighbour/make the world a better place) and/or
- no egalitarian traditions (mateship, all people are equal).
Our party has fought aggressively to, for example, bring Sikh people to Australia and they tick all of these boxes, so do Europeans, but so do Filipinos.
Our party’s policy is that if you are going to bring people in from the Middle East and North Africa then priority must be given to the persecuted minorities – the Christians, Jews and the Sikhs (84,000 murdered in one year).
The party’s policy also says there should be no restrictions on entry upon our brother cousins – the Pacific Islanders.
But the party cannot and will not have any representative from our executive, members of Parliament, Senators or candidates dividing Australia along racial ‘Europeans’ and ‘non-Europeans’ divides, which in fact destroys the message which was carried initially, so extremely well and laudably by Senator Fraser Anning.
In spite of the most severe and clear warnings, Senator Anning has continued down this pathway and consequently we announce the termination of his endorsement by the KAP.
Clearly Fraser wants the freedom to pursue his crusade. And we think it is best for he and the party to give him this freedom.”
Updated
The drought forum is on tomorrow – but so is the energy Coag meeting.
Where the climate council does not expect climate change will be discussed – at least when it comes to reducing emissions:
The country’s energy ministers will meet for breakfast in Sydney tomorrow, but missing from the agenda is any talk of reducing greenhouse gas pollution from the power sector.
“The leaked COAG agenda paper indicates federal energy minister, Angus Taylor, wants to ignore the elephant in the room. Reducing emissions isn’t even officially up for discussion,” said the Climate Council’s energy expert, Petra Stock.
“This is extremely unfortunate. Australians want lower power prices and they want action on climate change. The good news is we can have both with low cost renewable energy,” she said.
Back in August, the federal government dumped its proposed national energy policy. It means Australia no longer has any official overarching policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020.
“Fortunately, in the absence of federal government leadership on this issue, the states and territories have stepped into the vacuum and are leading Australia’s transition to clean power,” Stock said.
“The ACT, for example, is on track to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2020 and Tasmania is likely to follow a few years after that,” she said.
“As part of our Paris climate commitments, Australia has promised to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 26% by 2030 based on 2005 levels. These are woefully inadequate targets and we’re not even on track to reach them.”
Updated
In that press conference with Bob Katter, he was asked about the rumours from Queensland, that Robbie Katter, his son and a state MP, would be running as the KAP candidate in the next federal election.
Katter, the senior, didn’t deny that discussions were occurring.
While we are on succession plans, in the crossbench press conference a little earlier today, Cathy McGowan was asked her plans and said she had a succession plan in place, but wasn’t sure yet whether it would be enacted for the next election, or the one after that.
So there you go.
Updated
#BREAKING: Senator @Fraser_Anning has been axed from @RealBobKatter's Australian Party.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 25, 2018
'Clearly Fraser wants the freedom to pursue his crusade, and we think it's best to give him this freedom.'
MORE: https://t.co/OaG8mGx35o #Speers pic.twitter.com/Un2wZ2c9fH
But Katter, now he is off-script, is saying he never said Fraser Anning was “solid gold” but that he was “99% gold”.
That’s not true. After the “final solution” speech, which Katter just got very angry about when asked, claiming it was “disgraceful” how the media made that an issue, Katter said Anning was solid gold.
That was at the same time that Katter got very angry when he was asked about his Lebanese grandfather and what he would have thought about the speech, saying his grandfather was Australian.
Updated
Bob Katter:
The party can not and will not have any representative ... dividing Australia along racial, European and non-European divides, which in fact destroys the message which was carried so initially extremely well and laudably by Senator Fraser Anning.
Despite the most severe and clear warnings, Senator Anning has continued down this pathway and consequently we announce the termination of his endorsement by the KAP.
Clearly Fraser wants the freedom to pursue his crusade and we think it is best for he and the party to give him this freedom.”
Updated
Fraser Anning is expelled from Katter's Australian party
Bob Katter is reading a statement from the president of the KAP, Shane Paulger.
He says Anning was told by the party to stop using terms like “European” when making his point – and it is too far.
Anning joined the party in June this year.
Updated
Just a reminder, before Bob Katter makes his expected announcement that Fraser Anning is out of the party, of how Katter defended that speech in August.
Updated
Great news. DFAT at Senate Estimates just confirmed that since my Passport ban -- on convicted paedophiles travelling overseas on child rape holidays -- was brought in Dec 2 last year they have cancelled 857 passports. Compare that to 800 offenders who went OS in 2016.
— Derryn Hinch (@HumanHeadline) October 25, 2018
Fool’s gold?
Bob Katter is reading out a statement about Fraser Anning in 10 minutes #auspol
— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) October 25, 2018
And from question time:
“Google it.”
Not enjoying it.
Updated
Now that there is a moment to catch our breathes, here is a bit more from Mike Bowers’s day:
The crossbench is back in town
Updated
Oh! I just realised it was Malcolm Turnbull’s birthday yesterday.
Google tells me he is 64.
Happy (belated) Malcolm Day.
Updated
And question time ends with a nod to Julie Bishop for the award she was given by the US embassy yesterday:
Scott Morrison:
On another note, I wish to congratulate the member for Curtin. I want to recognise that she received yesterday an honour from the US embassy. The member for Curtin was awarded the inaugural recognition award for leadership excellence, established for quality, social justice and human rights.
I commend the member for Curtin.
The House applauds and question time ends.
Updated
Bill Shorten also speaks:
I acknowledge and associate the opposition with the Minister’s remarks, and I acknowledged to the poppy display around the parliament, which connects the parliament to the Australian War Memorial.
100 years ago our nation made a promise, we will remember them, lest we forget.
We carved that promise into our Grand National memorials in our capital cities, and the Stone of smaller and humble monuments in coastal towns and villages.
We made that promise to the young Australians who died, to the ones who were wounded, and to the ones who came home for ever changed. And ever since, around our nation, at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we repeat it to ourselves and to each other.
The first Anzacs are all gone. Even those left to grow old have passed away.
But we will never forget their sacrifice or their service. We must continue to give our nation’s century-old promise new meaning. By doing everything we can to help the next generation of Australian veterans when they return to civilian life. We will remember them, lest we forget.
As does Scott Morrison:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his words and the Minister. I can think frankly of no better demonstration than we’ve seen in Australia over the past week of the spirit of those who we lost 100 years ago, in the spirit of those who’ve been competing in the Invictus Games in Sydney over the past week.
It’s been truly remarkable.
Jenny and the girls have been out there this week seeing the events and the stories they’ve told me about courage and determination is... from all the athletes, from all the countries represented... [inspiring]
And I want to thank Sydneysiders for getting behind the Games and recognising those great athletes, and that’s a fitting tribute into Armistice Day.
Darren Chester takes a dixer about 11 November.
[The member] understands, as do all members, the importance of commemorating the centenary of the armistice to end the great war.
Remembrance Day is about respect and recognition. We wear our red poppies and we pause to remember the fallen and I urge all Australians to attend a local service, wear a red poppy and to pause for one minute at 11am on November 11 and in that minute we remember the service and sacrifice of 416,000 Australians who enlisted, and the 62,000 who never made it home and the thousands more who returned carrying the scars with them for the rest of their lives.
We thank them for their service, we thank their families and their loved ones too.
I’ve said before in this place, in many ways, the home front has been as important as the front line throughout our history in caring for defence force personnel.
Mr Speaker, on Remembrance Day the commemorations will be supported by the government both here and abroad and in this place, that you and I saw earlier today, 30,000 poppies on display above the marble foyer.
Each poppy, handcrafted with love, in remembrance, and I would say to members opposite who I know will visit as well, to thank them for visiting the 62,000 poppies on the grounds of the War Memorial which represent each person killed in the great war.
Each poppy is unique and individual and part of the more than one million poppies that have been made are the inspiration of a couple of ladies who started in Melbourne.
Mr Speaker, these individual poppies are a reminder to us all.
We often think of our defence members as a homogenous group, whereas we tend to only see the uniform and we think they’re all the same but they’re not, they are all individuals.
A brother, sister, a husband, a wife, a son, daughter, a best mate. To our current members of the ADF, I simply say, on behalf of all members in this place, thank you for your service.
You help keep us safe in an often challenging world and on Remembrance Day as we pause to remember the fallen, we should pay our respects to the current serving and women and their families in the defence force.
It was former prime minister Billy Hughes who made our obligation clear at the end of world war one when he said our heritage, our free institutions of government, all that we hold dear are handed back into our keeping stained with the blood of sacrifice.
Surely not only we, fellow citizens, but Australians through the ages will treasure for ever the memories of those glorious men to whom the Commonwealth owes so much and will guard with resolute determination the privileges for which they fought and suffered.
Mr Speaker, we honour the fallen of 1918 by the way we choose to live our lives in 2018. For a century we kept our promise and we’ve remembered them. Lest we forget.
Updated
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
Can the prime minister confirm that over the last fortnight, his divided and unstable government has lost its majority, been divided on climate policy, voted for a white supremacist slogan and descended into civil war over whether or not Malcolm Turnbull should go to Bali? Doctor Kerryn Phelps is here in the house, can the prime minister please explain why Mr Turnbull is no longer prime minister of Australia, for once?
“Fix your collar,” yells the always helpful Tim Wilson, during the question.
After he sits down, Shorten does.
Morrison:
Gives a list of what the government has done, stopping short of announcing it has saved puppies.
He finishes with:
I can confirm our government will always be focused on the issues that matter to Australians, and we will never get lost in the suited bubble of the leader of the Opposition.
Could someone please let me know what a ‘suited bubble’ is? Can a bubble be undressed? Does it wear undergarments? Can you have a skirted bubble? DO YOU SEE WHAT A SLIPPERY SLOPE THIS BUBBLE ROAD IS?
Updated
Peter Dutton has made his way to the prime minister’s table to show Scott Morrison a piece of paper while David Littleproud takes a dixer on the drought.
Whatever it is, there is a lot of pointing.
Sharon Claydon to Scott Morrison:
The prime minister told the parliament what I believe today is what I’ll believe next week and what I will believe in a month from now. Even as treasurer he voted to support cutting penalty rates eight times, does this prove that no matter what this prime minister says now, he will always put the top end of town before working Australians.
Morrison:
First of all, the member is misinformed and is seeking to misrepresent what goes on in this place, Mr Speaker.
What the government believes in is having the Fair Work Commission, which is an independent agency, which determines wage matters in the Australian economy.
The government does not believe that the leader of the Labor party and any politician should be setting people boss of wages.
We don’t believe they should, Mr Speaker. We believe in the independent process of the commission, which was set up by the Labor party when he was in government.
We do not think there should be the chaos, Mr Speaker, of people’s wages being determined by the politics of politicians, Mr Speaker.
We think there should be a certain and fair process where the issues can be considered and reasonable decisions can be determined and workers and employers can get on about the job of growing our economy.
Now, the leader of the Labor party wants to turn lawbreakers into lawmakers when it comes to industrial relations in this country. Union bred, union said, union led, that’s what this leader of the Labor party would be if he were to be the prime minister of this country – union bred, union led. They shouldn’t set pay and it should be fair and we will support that.
“You forgot union fed” someone from Labor yells.
Not so long ago, Morrison was saying that Labor would always look after the big end of town, so I am not sure how you can be for both big business and unions. It’s nice that, for now, the government has decided on an attack.
Updated
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
Prime minister, if actions speak louder than words, why did you vote against the banking royal commission on 26 separate times?
Josh Frydenberg takes the question. His answer is a variation of Morrison’s last ‘you did nothing’ answer, but Labor is too busy heckling the prime minister for not taking the question that no one can hear him.
Updated
Peter Dutton gets the next dixer:
‘Dun, dun, DUUUUNNNNNNNNN’
The corporate regulator has agreed to investigate further the business affairs of the Liberal MP Stuart Robert, at the request of Labor.
Robert, the assistant treasurer – who recently blamed “connectivity issues” for charging taxpayers nearly $38,000 for his home internet usage since 2016, before agreeing to repay it – will face deeper scrutiny of his involvement with Cryo Australia.
Officials from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) have agreed to consider if Robert breached the Corporations Act by failing to notify Asic in time of his recent resignation from Cryo Australia.
Updated
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison:
I miss the whole question, but it’s basically – are you really saying the banking royal commission was your idea?
Morrison:
Actions speak louder than words.
In the six years they were in government, did they initiate a royal commission with the banking industry?
Did they increase the penalties for offenders when it came to offences in the banking and financial industry?
And all the other scandals which the royal commissioner actually now is examining that happened on their watch? What action did they take with you [were in power] – they took no action.
They took no action at all.
Under our government we have introduced the toughest laws for banking executives in this country ever and around the world. Under our government, we have introduced the toughest and that is, both personally and for the banks that have ever been in place.
And have been getting the result when the prosecutions have come before the courts.
We have set up the financial complaints authority, which means that banking and financial customers can get access to justice without having to have a truckload of lawyers going with them, and indeed as treasurer, I initiated royal commission that the banking and financial industry, the leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand the public pay on results are not words.
Updated
Andrew Leigh has released this statement:
Labor welcomes confirmation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that it will make a new series of inquiries into Stuart Robert’s directorships.
The inquiry follows media reports that Mr Robert’s resignation as a director of Cryo Australia only occurred after media inquiries, rather than testimony he gave parliament, and examine whether he was in breach of the Corporations Act.
The public deserve to know that everything has been done to ensure that he has done no wrong, particularly since the allegations surrounding his involvement as a director of companies would fall under his responsibilities as the government minister in charge of monitoring companies and their directors.
That was from last night’s estimate hearings – Gareth Hutchens will have a story for you soon.
Updated
Clare O’Neil to Scott Morrison:
Last week, the prime minister told parliament, and I quote, what I believe today is what I will believe next week and what I will believe a month from now. Given that when he was treasurer he believed a banking royal commission was a populist whinge and voted against it 26 times, doesn’t this just prove that no matter what this prime minister says now, protecting the big banks and the top end of town is in his DNA?”
Morrison:
I initiated the royal commission into the banking industry. When you look up the terms of reference, you’ll find my name on it.
The answers have moved from my version of hangry to my version of being forced to be a passenger in a car after a fight with the driver, when my entire body is glued to the passenger side door.
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
Is he aware the first former Prime Minister in this government, the Member for Warringah, has said about the third and current Prime Minister’s decision to send the second former Prime Minister of this government, Malcolm Turnbull, to Bali to represent Australia. He said, and I quote, doesn’t matter how [inaudible] a private citizen might be, you can really only speak for the government if you’re a Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree, is he reconsidering sending Malcolm Turnbull as his convoy?
Morrison:
“No”
Morrison’s short answers to these questions reminds me of when I’m annoyed, but still hungry, and someone asks me if I am hungry. I have to answer, but I resent doing so.
Mike Kelly to Steve Ciobo:
My question is to the minister for defence industry. Is the minister aware that yesterday at Estimates his own department couldn’t say what his job was, and additionally the minister for foreign affairs commented, it’s fair to say, I’m enjoying this. His own department had to take the question on notice. Is this just another example of what Australians can expect from a government which the prime minister has described as the Muppet show?
That would be the exchange we alerted you to yesterday:
To be fair, no-one knows what he does. #auspol pic.twitter.com/NKGNAKQckW
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) October 24, 2018
Ciobo:
The extraordinary thing about the Australian Labor party on this issue is that they don’t even have a minister for defence industry.
The Australian Labor party has no track record at all when it comes to investing in the buildup of Australia’s defence capability.
The Australian Labor party lacks any goodwill at all frankly when it comes to making sure that the billions of dollars that the coalition is expanding into the defence portfolio goes towards creating jobs, investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for young Australians coming through.
Investing in advanced manufacturing, and, most importantly, making sure we have a pipeline of investment in the next generation of capability for the men and women that serve in the Australian defence force.
That’s the contrast between the Coalition and the Liberal and National party with our pipeline of investment, and the Australian Labor party.
Because these guys, Mr Speaker, they’re much more interested in being involved in the Canberra bubble and playing games around politics than knowing the facts about what the defence force is doing.
#theministerdoesnotanswerthequestion
Which Anthony Albanese points out.
Ciobo’s response is basically ‘google it’
Very simply, the Liberal and National party will keep investing in defence capability and Australia’s defence industry, and, most importantly, we will make sure the men and women of Australia’s defence force come home safely because we’re prepared to invest in safeguarding them, creating jobs in Australia and making sure our defence industry is strong.
Because it’s clearly beyond the shadow minister opposite, let’s make it clear, you’ve got your smart phone in front of you and you might want to go to www.minister.defence.gov.au because there’s a full list of responsibilities there.
It is far beyond you to know what it is so I suggest you go and have a look.
More reportedly, what I would say to the Australian Labor party is unique to take seriously the Australian defence industry, invest in capability because your track record is shameful.
In just six years, the Australian Labor party did not commission a single new vessel for Australia.
For six years you failed to invest in Australian jobs. For six years you failed to take seriously what we’re doing in defence industry.
We’ve corrected the record, we’ve made sure we got the defence industry back on track. We’re creating jobs, we’re investing $200 billion and we’re making sure under our watch we won’t go back to the lowly and miserly 1.38% of GDP that existed under the Australian Labor party.
So you stand condemned for six years of inaction and we stand proud beside the men and women of the Australian defence force.
Tony Burke asks him to table the document he was referring to during that answer as “apparently the department doesn’t have it” and Tony Smith asks if it was a confidential document, to which Ciobo answers yes.
The House explodes into laughter. Josh Frydenberg and Christopher Pyne might need to work on their poker faces, because it’s fair to say they are enjoying today.
Updated
Government still open to embassy move
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
It relates to his embassy announcement. Can he confirm there was no cabinet coordination process, the foreign minister wasn’t told until 48 hour before, the acting chief of the ADF found out about it after the media and confidential messages with Indonesia and Asio briefings were leaked. If this is what we get from the Muppet show during a byelection, what sort of chaotic divided and unstable performance is his government planning for the general election?
As Plibersek speaks, the government back bench picks up the heckle “do you think they are a rogue state?” to which someone from Labor yells back “it’s Embassies-R-Us over there”.
Well lay me down and cover me in laminate because I am just floored at the wit being displayed today.
Morrison:
When it comes to cabinet processes, I wouldn’t go into it in a public forum such as this, Mr Speaker.
I made very clear, the government has not made a decision in relation to the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the government has not made a decision on that.
What I simply said was that I was persuaded by the arguments that were made by the former ambassador to Israel from Australia, Dave Sharma, about the question going forward and that we would be posing that question and we would be consulting on that question with a view down the track to making a decision, and we would follow the full process that would be necessary to go through to come to a decision on that matter.
The opposition doesn’t seem to understand the difference between a decision of the government and the question that has been posed, Mr Speaker.
That is the clear distinction that has been made.”
The answer goes on, but it has been a long sitting, and we all have our limits.
Updated
Oh goody. It’s Michael McCormack time.
Rebehka Sharkie has the crossbench question today and its on local issues (you know, how these questions should actually be used)
My question is to the minister for health. Would you please provide an update with respect to the expansion of headspace services and would you please provide details of the government’s commitment to fund $20 million to improve a drug rehabilitation services to South Australia with a dedicated facility in Mayo.
Greg Hunt details the recent Headspace funding announcement and some local projects.
It has to be said the government is being very considerate in answering questions of the crossbench lately.
Josh Frydenberg makes some loud noises.
Moving on.
Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:
The prime minister said previously in question time that the [proposed] embassy change was discussed in cabinet. How would they have time to do that when they were running to a media timetable instead of a political real considered process. How will this government run when they are running towards a Wentworth byelection [result] and running to the clock of the media?
Morrison:
CANBERRA BUBBLE
I reject the assertions. This matter was discussed, we are looking at the question of whether or not the government would move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That is what we have said we have done. We are still open to this question and I was quite persuaded, by the arguments put forward by the former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma who, Mr Speaker, made a very, very compelling case.
What I find interesting is that they tie themselves up in the bubble of Canberra process that they are not prepared to address questions of substance. On the question of substance is this: Why does the leader of the Labor party object, object, to even considering the possible relocation of the Australian embassy to Jerusalem, and why would he not even reconsider the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel?
It is so tied up in the division of ranks opposite when one member says quite openly that Israel is a rogue state that the member for Melbourne Port said he would be in favour of such a change. We are prepared to consider these questions, Mr Speaker, the leader of the Labour party doesn’t know what he was doing.”
As he speaks, members of the Labor benches start yelling “tell Lara Bingle”, in reference to the infamous ‘Where the Bloody Hell are You” tourism campaign, Morrison oversaw as tourism boss.
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It’s an early showing of Pyne and Marles in the parliament, with Richard Marles getting to ask his Sky co-host a question:
When did the minister for defence, or his office, first advise the acting chief of the government’s announcement on Jerusalem?
Christopher Pyne:
Could this be his first question as shadow minister for defence, to me! As he knows, I have daily conversations with the secretary of defence and I quite often, not quite daily, certainly two or three times a week, conversations with the chief of the defence force. Another habit to reveal this to the house.
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It’s good to see so many MPs wearing a red ribbon for tomorrow’s Day for Daniel. The Daniel Morcombe Foundation raises money for child protection programs each year with its annual walk and fundraiser, and this year, that falls on October 26.
Question time begins
After a moment of silence for the official approval of the National Apology for survivors and victims of institutional childhood sexual abuse, question time begins.
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
Can the prime minister confirm that the government told the media about the Jerusalem movement of the Australian Embassy before he spoke to the foreign minister.
Morrison:
The government has done no movement on this policy. Apart from that moving to vote no on the UN and the matter of Israel in the General Assembly at the UN, what I indicated it was that the government would initiate two processes.
Remove without prejudice to the Iran Nuclear deal and that is chaired by the deputy secretary and the member of Cabinet.
On the other matter – we dare consider the question, we dare consider the question.
(At this point the Tveeder describes it as CROSSTALK ... CROSSTALK INAUDIBLE)
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It’s almost that time of day!
Get those question time bingo cards ready.
Let’s see how many times I can suffer through the phrase ‘Canberra bubble’ before something inside of me pops.
Mark Dreyfus has issued a statement on the religious freedom loophole Paul has been telling you about:
Unfortunately the government has stuffed this up.
The legislation presented to Labor late yesterday includes provisions that go beyond what the government promised, with potentially significant ramifications for LGBTI students. Labor has not been given an opportunity to consult on these new proposals.
Nevertheless, we made clear we would have supported introduction today so the public have a chance to have their say. Again, we see the government refusing to allow debate on these important issues.
Our position is clear. If the government presents legislation that simply removes the current exemption allowing discrimination against students, Labor would vote for it today.”
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I am having flashbacks to 2012 Australia.
The question is this: Will we ignore climate change, or will we act?
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 25, 2018
The answer is simple: we need to act now.
So here’s what we’re going to do to build a cleaner environment & a better future for Canadians: pic.twitter.com/tOS9V2JBgv
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“People say I am a loose cannon, and I certainly am,” says Bob Katter, while also talking about how loose cannons can do a lot of damage, on Sky.
He’s talking about the power of the crossbench.
On Fraser Anning, Katter says there have been two meetings, and the party prides itself on being the “anti-racist party”... and we suddenly find there is someone sort of ... he is 99% solid gold, but that 1% ...”
He won’t say if he thinks Anning is racist.
“The bloke on 99% is solid gold and the other 1% ... we are the anti-racist party”.
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Guardian Australia understands the sticking point in negotiations between the Coalition and Labor over religious freedom was that the government bill did not simply repeal exemptions that allow discrimination against students on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity.
It contained a positive right for schools to maintain their ethos with respect to students – which Labor believes effectively maintained exemptions to discrimination law for religious schools.
Labor has suggested something similar – a right for religious schools to maintain their ethos – but only with respect to teachers, not students.
As a compromise Labor suggested the government introduce the bill to the lower house to open it for debate and scrutiny, but as the attorney general Christian Porter’s statement indicates, the Coalition will not even do that.
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The Greens have pointed out just how hard applying for disability support is now.
For anyone with experience with this, this is not news. It is a long process and it seems no matter how many recommendations you can have from the medical profession, it’s not enough.
Rachel Siewart said it started in 2012 under the Labor government and has become progressively worse.
“In 2012 the Labor Government reduced the number of people able to access the support, introducing changes to the eligibility criteria and forcing people to prove they can’t find work for 18 months,” she said in a statement.
“In 2015 the Abbott government announced they would be reviewing DSP recipients under 35 and then started on those over 35.
“In 2016 the Coalition announced a further 90,000 medical reviews of existing recipients over three years, today we have heard at Estimates that process has been cancelled.
“I have been pursuing this punitive approach over a series of estimates and I’m glad to see that following a review of this process it has been cancelled,” Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services, said today.
In 2010-11 there were 150,270 people approved. In 2017-18, there were 103,005.
Those not approved are made to go on Newstart and look for jobs, which their conditions often make almost impossible.
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No final deal on religious freedom loophole closure
Two weeks ago Scott Morrison promised to legislate to prevent discrimination by religious schools against students, and said that the parliament “should use the next fortnight to ensure this matter is addressed”.
That deadline has now expired – because attorney general Christian Porter has announced there is no final deal yet with Labor.
Porter:
The government is continuing to work with the opposition in order to secure bipartisan agreement on proposed amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act.
It had been hoped that this agreement could be secured in time to provide for introduction of amendments into the House this sitting fortnight.
Those negotiations have been conducted in good faith and I thank the shadow attorney general for his constructive approach.
A first draft was provided to the opposition last week and, based on feedback from the Labor party, and a range of meetings with stakeholders, a subsequent draft was provided this week.
The Labor party has not finalised its position and requires more time to consider the latest draft and, in reflecting the cooperative approach so far to this issue, we will not introduce a Bill until Labor has had further time to consider the drafting with a view to coming to a bipartisan position.
To that end, the government will continue to consult with the opposition with a view to having an agreed Bill that can be introduced in the final sitting fortnight of the year.
I’ll check with Labor about what the hold-up is – it may simply be that they have to go through party processes to approve the bill.
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The National Farmers’ Federation is hoping tomorrow’s drought summit will bring actual action. From its statement:
At the request of the prime minister, Scott Morrison, government, farmers and representatives of rural and regional businesses and communities will converge on the capital to talk tactics on managing this drought and those into the future.
NFF President Fiona Simson said at the heart of the peak body’s priorities for the summit was the need for certainty.
“I believe it is a well accepted view, from the prime minister down, that we can’t afford to continue to be reactive in responding drought.
“We appreciate the support farmers have received for the current drought, from both federal and state governments, however our farmers would be much better served by an established, holistic plan for tackling dry times.”
To this end, the NFF will ask for a new Inter-Governmental Agreement on Drought that will provide a truly national approach to preparation, response and recovery.
The NFF will also propose that effective and affordable agricultural insurance products be available to farmers to manage drought.
“International experience shows that creating a viable agricultural insurance market depends on early government support,” Ms Simson said.
“We’re calling on the government to consider introducing a 150% tax incentive for agricultural insurance premiums for five years.”
The bolstering and refinement of the Rural Financial Counselling Service and the Farm Household Allowance are also priorities for the NFF. As are common sense changes to road rules that make the movement of agricultural vehicles easier.”
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Shortly after the joint-crossbench press conference, Bob Katter held one of his own, where, under questioning from Andrew Probyn, Katter all but confirmed Fraser Anning was out of the party.
Judging from Bob Katter’s comments just now, Fraser Anning hours or days from being booted from the Katter Australia Party
— Andrew Probyn (@andrewprobyn) October 25, 2018
Katter said Anning was “99% solid gold, but there is a problem” and that 1% is the issue.
That would be the whites-only immigration policy among other rah-rah whites positions Anning holds.
The matter has been handed over to the party president to be dealt with.
Katter’s Australian Party lost union donors, and an extra staff allocation granted to it in the Queensland state parliament following the 2015 state election, after it refused to apologise for Anning’s “final solution” maiden speech, which Katter strongly backed at the time and called “solid gold”.
KAP has never run in enough Queensland seats to receive anywhere close to the needed quota to have a senator, which made Anning’s chances of returning following the next election all but moot.
Katter also mentioned on his weekly Sky interview last week he was thinking of this. It’s been in the pipeline for a while.
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Josh Frydenberg, who called a press conference to slam Labor’s negative gearing policy, was then made to answer questions about the Israel embassy discussion proposal Scott Morrison put forward in the lead up to the Wentworth byelection last week.
“Our policy has not changed, about a two-state solution, that is really important to understand,” he said
“No decisions have been taken about moving the embassy. The third point to make is, the fact that Australia’s embassy is not in Jerusalem is an anomaly for the more than 80 embassies and high commissions that we have around the world, which are in those nations’ capitals. And west Jerusalem, would be the capital of Israel of any two-state solution.
“I think that is important to understand.”
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Things are about to get a lot more interesting around here.
Well, at least for the two sitting weeks the House has left this year.
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The federal government has scrapped a policy to medically review 90,000 people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) after less than 2% were found to be ineligible.
The Department of Social Services confirmed during a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that the government had ended the crackdown, which was introduced in the 2016-17 budget.
At the time, the government said it would conduct a medical review of 30,000 DSP recipients a year for three years, with the measure forecast to save the budget $61.2m over five years.
The government predicted 2,300 people a year would have their benefits cancelled and 1,800 would be moved onto a lower Newstart allowance payment.
On Thursday, department officials revealed of the 30,056 reviews that had begun, 28,784 had been finalised, and only 555 people were found to be no longer eligible for the DSP – a success rate of less than 2%.
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Rod Sims is getting another go around as the chair of ACCC. From Josh Frydenberg’s statement:
The Coalition government has extended Mr Rod Sims’ term as chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) until 1 August 2022.
Mr Sims has done an outstanding job as chairman of the ACCC since he was first appointed in 2011, and since that time the ACCC has been a strong and proactive competition regulator and protector of consumer rights.
Under Mr Sims’ stewardship the ACCC has:
- secured nearly $170m in penalties for breaches of competition and consumer law in 2017-18, including the highest ever fine for a breach of competition law of $46 million;
- successfully prosecuted its first criminal cartel case in 2017;
- reviewed the East Coast Gas Market, leading to some of the most substantial gas market reforms in two decades;
- vigorously enforced the Australian Consumer Law, with courts awarding penalties in recent years against businesses in the automotive, telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries among others; and
- conducted the Retail Electricity Pricing Review, which has informed the government’s plan to lower power prices, increase competition and support investment in new generation.
Mr Sims’ reappointment will ensure continued stability and strong leadership of the commission, particularly with important inquiries currently underway including the impact of digital platforms such as Facebook and Google on Australian media and advertising markets, the supply and demand for wholesale gas in Australia and residential mortgage products.
The ACCC plays an important role in keeping power prices down and enforcing the major competition law reforms enacted in 2017 following the Harper review, particularly the strengthening of the prohibition on the misuse of market power.
The government congratulates Mr Sims on his reappointment and looks forward to his continued leadership of the commission.
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A few more tidbits from the crossbench press conference.
Indi MP Cathy McGowan gave Labor credit for the “huge step that they took” to “put their hand out across the aisle” when they offered to help pass legislation to close an alleged back door and allow for the New Zealand resettlement deal.
McGowan laid a pretty thick guilt trip on Scott Morrison who she noted “is a father and loves his children” and made the apology to victims of child sexual abuse on Monday, suggesting it should be possible for him to manage the complex task of protecting children by ending offshore detention without restarting boats.
McGowan was asked about the fact that Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie has moved her office to Wodonga – a possible prelude to challenging McGowan in Indi. McGowan replied:
“Good on you Bridget, bring it on. One of the things we love in country Australia is a really good election. And having really good candidates like Bridget, to have a battle around ideas and policies. I would really welcome it, I say it’s a great move. I hope Bridget makes her announcement pretty soon that she’s running.”
The crossbench were asked about various policies like live sheep exports and moving the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Greens MP Adam Bandt piped up with one sleeper issue – he noted the majority in both the lower house and Senate would support a federal Icac (not sure who the government MPs are he’s counting – but that’s his claim). He predicted that “by Christmas” Australia could have a new federal anti-corruption watchdog.
Kerryn Phelps agreed it was “very achievable”.
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Most of the crossbench – Bob Katter disagrees – have cautioned the Nationals against moving to Barnaby Joyce as leader.
All have basically said they would question whether they could continue to give supply/confidence to the government if Joyce became leader again, as it is not what they believe their electorates want.
Australian government ignoring doctors over Nauru labelled 'outrageous'
Kerryn Phelps, the (most likely) incoming member for Wentworth, has met with crossbench MPs, and echoed the calls of Andrew Wilkie, Rebehka Sharkie, Cathy McGowan and Adam Bandt to bring a swift end to the suffering of children on Nauru.
Phelps, who was very careful not to pre-empt the AEC announcement of who won Wentworth said it was “outrageous” the government was ignoring the demands of the medical community to have the children, and their families, brought to Australia for treatment.
.@drkerrynphelps on the removal of children from Nauru: This is a matter of emergency. This is my priority. It's not acceptable that these children are trapped without the medical attention they need.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 25, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/YGEsmsPoZU #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/ni7WkHum1K
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You can say a lot of things about Nick Xenophon, but he is consistently, Nick Xenophon.
Speculation that I might be running in the next federal election (or even the 2022 SA election) is unfounded. Not interested. Not happening. Very happy in my law firm https://t.co/CLboxPxRQj (Mention this tweet for a $50 discount off your bill with NX&Co - ‘til 31.01.19) ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/lTXsblk42v
— Nick Xenophon (@Nick_Xenophon) October 25, 2018
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Labor and the Coalition are still negotiating on the legislation to prevent religious schools discriminating against students on the basis of sexuality and gender identity.
As we reported yesterday, the attorney general Christian Porter’s intention is to introduce legislation today and says it would be “preferable to have an agreed bill to introduce”.
Just a few points about process:
This bill promised by Scott Morrison two weeks ago did not go to the Coalition party room on Tuesday. If normal processes are followed the government will need to have a special party room meeting today before introducing it, and Guardian Australia understands this is the intention. Also, the relevant backbench committee has not been consulted on the bill.
In comments to Fairfax Media, the Liberal MP Craig Kelly reportedly said the consultation process is “obviously something of concern”.
Two weeks ago, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells called for the entire Ruddock review to be released.
What’s remarkable is that – despite these grumbles about process – nobody has taken Morrison on about the substance of the bill, a degree of latitude that wasn’t always granted to Malcolm Turnbull.
We’ll see if that changes if or when a party room meeting is held today.
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Life is a highway
Lost-Journalists and photographers ( including myself) confer with deputy PM Michael McCormack on the right way to the location of the event on the Kings Highwaywith PM Morrison this morning @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/biZxdSTnLX
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) October 24, 2018
Mark Butler has given us a hint of where question time will be heading:
This morning the nation’s leading health professionals, company directors, business and welfare groups, and members of the Liberal party have all spoken out against the Morrison government’s complete lack of climate action.
Health professionals, including Fiona Stanley and Peter Doherty, have published an open letter today in leading health journal Lancet, saying the Australian government’s contemptuous dismissal of the latest IPCC report on climate change is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘we are dismayed by the implications of our government’s ongoing stance to disregard the consensus of the world’s leading climate scientists’.
Australian company directors, for the first time, have nominated climate change as the number one issue they want the Morrison government to address, saying they need to ‘seriously consider what they’re doing’ against the real and urgent risk that climate change presents to organisations and businesses, adding: ‘Directors get it about climate change. It’s real. The scientists are unequivocal in their advice. And we’re conscious of the need for action.’
A coalition of business and welfare groups, including the Business Council of Australia, AiGroup, Acoss, St Vincent de Paul and the Energy Users Association have issued a statement saying, ‘investors will only view policy as durable if it effectively addresses all parts of the (energy) trilemma, including meeting emission reduction commitments’. And ‘we call on all sides of politics to deliver stable policy and investment certainty by addressing all parts of the energy trilemma – cost, reliability and emissions reduction’.
While Liberal Senator Dean Smith added his name to the list of a growing number of Liberal moderates who are ringing the alarm that the Liberals ‘risk losing the support of the next generation by failing to address climate change’.
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The Business Council of Australia hopes it will work.
From its statement:
Labor’s pledge to boost Asian languages and literacy as part of its FutureAsia policy is a welcome strategic commitment to building and strengthening Australia’s ties with Asia, Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said today.
Over the past two decades Australia’s economic growth has been built in large part on trade and investment with Asia, just as it will be into the future.
The emerging middle classes of Asia are an opportunity for Australia but only if we act to keep Australia competitive, and enhancing Asian language literacy must be a part of that.
Governments of both persuasions have worked to build strong international frameworks for co-operation and communication in the Asian region.
Today’s announcement by Tanya Plibersek and Chris Bowen to make it a national priority to improve Asian languages and literacy is an important strategic step that continues in that tradition.
As last year’s foreign policy white paper outlined, Australia needs a co-ordinated, long-term approach to boosting our engagement with the region. It is crucial that all political leaders remain committed to this project.
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Labor’s policy announcement this morning focuses on Asian language study.
From Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong and Chris Bowen’s statement:
We will invest $32 million to strengthen Asian language and literacy education in schools.
Our plan is:
1. To boost the supply of Asian language teachers
Up to 100 scholarships a year for Australians who are Asian language native speakers and for top performers in priority Asian languages in Year 12, to go on to study a teaching qualification.
2. Establish a new nationwide FutureAsia – Asia Capable Schools program
Intensive training for 5,000 principals and senior teachers to drive sustained whole-of-school change by supporting them to make the necessary updates to their curriculum and teacher capability. The training will cover the skills students will need for the Australian jobs created in the Asian Century, as well as Asian languages, histories, geographies, arts, literature, and how these translate to the school curriculum.
Labor would also seek matching funding from the states so this program can be rolled out for all 10,000 Australian principals over a five year period.
3. Improve Asian languages curriculum materials from pre-school to Year 12
This would build on the existing Early Language Literacy App and Language Learning Space. Hindi will be added as the first priority - Indonesian, Mandarin, and Japanese are already covered.
4. Set ambitious targets and goals for Asian languages
Working with the state and territories through COAG, and with non-government schools too.
5. Collect better data about the take up of Asian languages in Australia
So we can more easily track the progress and takeup of Asian languages.
Since 2011, no detailed Australiawide data on Asian language study in schools has been collected.
6. Establish an Advisory Council on Asia Capabilities
Headed up by experts from academia, the education sector, business, and not-for-profits to drive research and generate new ideas to boost teaching and learning about Asia across all levels of Australia’s education system.
7. Undertake a whole-of-government audit of Australian and state government policies and programs on Asian literacy and languages education
To stop costly duplication and to ensure government money is well targeted at achieving improved Asia capability.
8. Convene regular meetings of Indo-Pacific Education MinistersTo further strengthen educational links between Australia and our Asian neighbours. The meetings will discuss collaborative education initiatives, scholarships, and strengthening ties across school and post-secondary education systems.
One year ago, Labor announced a comprehensive policy approach to a deeper Asian engagement called ‘FutureAsia’.
A Shorten Labor Government is determined to do more than pay lip-service to the Asian century. At a time when Scott Morrison is using foreign policy as a political tool, Labor is doing the work to put in place the foundations for a more prosperous relationship with our region.”
***end statement***
To be fair, there has been talk about needing to do more to teach Asian languages at schools since before I last donned my William Duncan SS uniform (which is too many years to go into) and not a lot has changed. Will this do it? I guess we’ll find out.
Now that the environment minister has finally read the IPCC report, Scott Morrison wants it known that the IPCC isn’t the boss of Australia:
The IPCC doesn’t make recommendations to the Australian government, it makes observations about where those issues are globally, and we have been looking at that closely.
We have met the Kyoto One target, we will smash the Kyoto Two targets and meet them in a canter so Australia will pull its weight when it comes to the issues of emissions reduction.
Our government is committed to that, we will deliver on that, and what we will also do, what we will also do, is get electricity prices down and we won’t allow those other issues to force pensioners, families, small businesses to pay higher electricity prices, which is what the Labor party are proposing. They are proposing higher electricity prices, undermining the value of your own home and refusing point-blank to take a big stick to the electricity companies, which we will. They would rather take the big stick to the value of the most important asset Australians have, which is their own home – and on that we have to leave it there because we have to get back into town.
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The crossbench will be meeting with its newest member, Kerryn Phelps, this morning.
A press conference has been arranged for 11.15 in the Senate courtyard (the favoured media event place of backbenchers and crossbenchers from both chambers).
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The man who said he cancelled a Coag meeting because there is no point sitting around, eating biscuits and talking in Canberra, has defended the three-hour Canberra drought summit he has arranged, in Canberra, for Friday (no idea if there will be biscuits served) as coming from within “the Canberra bubble”.
(Also, the drought has been going on for almost eight years – have a chat to people in western Queensland, who have been doing this for almost a decade, so if you want to talk about ‘bubbles’ maybe let’s chat about why the federal government is only just turning its focus on it, six months out from an election where regional and rural electorates are in doubt)
Scott Morrison:
I will announce actions when we are at the summit. Today we announced $50 million to support drought communities across the country. These things always have critics.
In the Canberra bubble they will have the criticism of these sorts of things but people are out there in drought communities and they know that an extra million dollars in their shire, each and every one, to support their local economies, $1.8bn dollars in assistance going to rule and regional communities, investing in what happens on the farm and in the towns as well.
These are all very practical things and there will be more practical things … drawn from the work that Major General Day has been doing, Barnaby Joyce has been doing, David [Littleproud] has been doing, Michael [McCormack] has been doing and working with states and territories.
David said they also have a key responsibility under the agreement and we will look at the agreement between states and territories and the commonwealth tomorrow as well, looking forward to Coag late in the year to look at how that can be done.
Getting people together to focus on doing things is always a good thing to do and that’s what we will do tomorrow.”
Incidentally, the head-desk meeting has been scheduled quite early today.
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I thought the buzzing in my head was growing louder, but no, it is just the parliament bells.
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The estimates train is still chugging along.
Defence estimates are still on and Penny Wong has wrought an admission from Marise Payne – you know, the foreign minister – that she only learned of the plan to “open the discussion” about moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on 14 October 14, the day before some media was briefed.
Dfat heads found out a little later.
DFAT Sec said she found out for the first time via the PM's CoS at 1pm on Monday (day before the announcement) and Payne confirms there was no DFAT brief #Estimates
— Primrose Riordan (@primroseriordan) October 24, 2018
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Angus Taylor really looks like he is enjoying life, lately
.@Kieran_Gilbert: Aren’t the retailers already moving on the loyalty tax and the govt’s song and dance is a bit gratuitous?@AngusTaylorMP: Not on the standing offers. The standing offers have to come down by January 1.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 24, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/Vt6PGKrauE #amagenda pic.twitter.com/WDcG1MCtnK
In the latest instalment of “Scott Morrison looks at things before parliament”, which has included electricity bills, big trucks and gelato, the prime minister has added rocks.
Or, to be fair, water around rocks. He headed to the Muldoon Creek natural farm with Michael McCormack and David Littleproud this morning, ahead of tomorrow’s “definitely-not-a-talkfest-drought-forum-where-we-will-talk-about-the-drought-but-it’s-totally-more-than-that” meeting.
The farm uses natural techniques to drought-proof its operation.
It allowed for more of the Australian conservative power stance, and a lot of power pointing, as Mike Bowers shows you.
And, in what is a wonderful metaphor for this place lately, it also saw the deputy PM, who I am told drove himself to the job, get lost on the way. Along with half the media pack. Apparently the directions from the PMO, once punched into Google Maps, sent people in circles.
A lot of phone calls and, I am sure, some very lit What’s App messages later, and McCormack and the rest of the group made it to help Morrison point at things for the camera.
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There has been a lot of commentary too about the “destructive” nature of the crossbench in a minority government. Which, given the amount of legislation the Gillard government (and Colin Barnett and Steve Bracks and Annastacia Palaszczuk at a state level at one moment in time or another) managed to pass, is not exactly true to form.
Rebehka Sharkie says this crossbench will be constructive, but not pushovers.
I don’t think any of us want to be destructive or seen as wreckers. We will have open dialogue with the minister, with all of government, and I’m looking to use, I guess, more soft diplomacy with the government on this. I recognise that they’re the government but I want to ensure that they are well aware of my position and I know that’s the other crossbenches equally having conversations with government and, in some cases, we are doing it collectively. We only have two weeks left of sitting this year and Kerryn Phelps will be joining us this morning so we can make sure when she lands here in the parliament that we can be as an effective body as possible, but a cooperative body to work with government to make sure that we address a number of issues that we are concerned about.
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Rebehka Sharkie spoke to the ABC this morning about the urgent need for the government to act on the situation on Nauru and the power of the crossbench moving forward in this new era of an (officially) minority government (Kevin Hogan moving to the crossbench doesn’t count, because he still sits in the Nationals party room and is a government MP in all but name).
I think we have already seen change. While the government’s been saying one thing, we are now down to 52 children left on Nauru and that’s a very different position to where we were a month ago even indeed two weeks ago.
So I would like to think that we’ll get a solution here to get all of those families to Australia and look, it’s not just us on the cross bench in the Parliament, this has been a collective effort from many Australians and I know that I have received probably closer to 300 emails in the last 24-48 hours on this issue.
This is something that the broader Australian community is saying, look, enough is enough, these children are sick, more than 6,000 doctors have said, we need to change this.
So we will be using our best efforts in the parliament and I’m not going to rest until we can get all of those children from Nauru.
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Good morning
Nothing has shifted this week/month/year.
Energy, asylum seekers, the environment, protections for LGBTI students – we are exactly where we were before the leadership spill, and it’s always someone else’s fault.
Well, in the case of Nauru, where there are still children and their families being held in offshore detention, doctors and those who have worked on those policies have had enough.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has released health information showing one in four children of asylum seeking families on Nauru are “acutely suicidal”. Seven medical cases reviewed by doctors have been judged to be “critical”. Another 22 cases have been flagged. There are just under 60 children still on Nauru, according to the advocacy group.
Child psychiatrist Dr Julie Stone reviewed some of the cases for the ASRC and said all the cases she saw are “in urgent need of medical care, specialist intervention and treatment”.
“The children’s parents are extremely concerned and they are right to be. No child can spend five years in such a hopeless environment without their health and wellbeing deteriorating,” she said in a statement.
“All these children are at risk of significant developmental delay; some of the impairment may be lifelong, and specialist intervention is urgently needed,” Stone said.
The AMA has lobbied the government to bring the children to Australia for urgent medical treatment.
It is true that the government has been quietly removing children, and their families, for treatment, particularly in recent weeks, as pressure mounts to find a long term solution which will see all asylum seekers removed from Nauru and Manus Island and the offshore detention centres permanently closed.
Scott Morrison said he would accept New Zealand’s offer to take 150 asylum seekers, if Labor accepts the government’s “lifetime ban”. Labor won’t, the government won’t shift and here we are still are.
A former Home Affairs official has now written to politicians urging them to find a solution to the crisis, as Katharine Murphy reports:
An official from the Department of Home Affairs who quit his job in the refugee processing area a week ago has written to federal parliamentarians pleading for the removal of asylum seekers from Nauru.
Shaun Hanns told Guardian Australia he had worked in the home affairs department since 2013 before resigning “because it got to the point where what is going on became too insane”.
Hanns has circulated a 10-page paper to federal parliamentarians urging them to upend what he terms “the doctrine of necessity” and interrogate the claims sitting behind Australia’s border protection regime.”
The crossbenchers are also demanding action. Kerryn Phelps should be declared the winner of the Wentworth poll very soon, and most of the crossbench, who have already introduced a bill calling for all children to be removed, at least temporarily from Nauru, have vowed to bring the government to a point where it needs to act.
But Fairfax reports the government is now questioning the federal court’s ability to order medical evacuations in a case which could add further bureaucratic layers for asylum seekers and their advocates to overcome, before those determined to receive urgent mainland care, receive it.
All in all, it’s a mess. But more and more people are speaking up, which could get a result. Could.
So let’s get into the day. Mike Bowers is already out and about, as is the Guardian brains trust. I’m on my second coffee and hunting for my third.
Make sure you stay in touch, both in the comments, and on Twitter.
But ready?
Let’s get into it.
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