Night time political summary
We began the day with the agenda dominated by Australia’s involvement in Iraq and ended the day with a Clive Palmer-inspired inquiry into the Queensland Newman government.
As I leave the blog, the two broad elements of the inquiry are:
- Anything the Newman government has ever done that the committee sees fit to examine.
- The adequacy of Commonwealth oversight of coal seam gas projects in relation to any state government. (This clause is not bound by any dates).
The inquiry has the capacity to severely damage the Newman government’s chances of a second term of government. It also could stymie the Abbott government’s chances of returning environmental approval powers back to the states.
- Also today, the Abbott government is considering compensation options for the families of the victims of the home insulation scheme.
- The parliament’s Liberal-led human rights committee said the government’s changes to welfare for under 30s may breach human rights.
- Cabinet met but no decision was made regarding Australia’s deployment of troops in Iraq.
- A 23-year-old man was arrested in relation to funding a proscribed terrorist organisation after police raids in Melbourne.
Thanks for your company and to Mike Bowers for his wonderful pictures.
Goodnight.
All right, this time it really is the last element to the Queensland inquiry for tonight. A spokesman for the Newman government said:
This will be seen for what it is: a political stunt by Labor, Clive Palmer and the Greens. The Queensland government will not be distracted from the real issues of growing the economy and delivering better frontline services and a lower cost of living for Queensland families.
What goes around comes around.
One last element on the Queensland inquiry.
Eric Abetz is outraged.
Abetz said the inquiry was a personal vendetta, completely undemocratic in its membership and it offended the principle of comity between Parliaments.
Incredibly, the Greens even voted against an amendment to extend the inquiry’s scope back to the former Bligh Government – something they supported just a week ago. This inquiry makes a travesty of the Senate Committee process. It will backfire badly and come to haunt Labor, the Greens and Palmer United in Queensland. Queenslanders will not take kindly to this abuse of Senate process to attack their elected Government.
Each party came to support the Queensland inquiry with different motivations. The Greens have long pursued Campbell Newman on a range of environmental issues, not least of which is coal seam gas. Labor had the happy knack of whacking a Liberal government and Stephen Conroy himself mentioned the royal commissions instituted by the Abbott government as examples of vendettas.
And Clive Palmer, lest you were in any doubt, released a statement as to who was in his sights.
Palmer United Party senators have successfully moved for a Senate select committee to investigate the activities of Queensland Premier Campbell Newman, Queensland Senator and leader of the Palmer United Party in the Senate Glenn Lazarus said today.
Premier Newman has made many questionable decisions since he was elected and Queenslanders deserve an honest and consistent government and leader,” Mr Lazarus said.
This inquiry will serve to investigate Premier Newman’s questionable tactics concerning the reformation and operation of the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Commission.
Premier Newman has also sought to politicise the Queensland Police Service and bring the state’s judiciary and legal process under his control.
Waters also points out that unlike the inquiry into funding between the commonwealth and the state, the clause relating to coal seam gas approvals has no date.
Our amendments include extending the inquiry so that it can look at coal seam gas approvals of the Bligh Government, which a whistle blower revealed on ABC’s 4 Corners program were issued subject to political and industry interference. We’re pleased that not only have we protected national environment protection from Tony Abbott’s one-stop shop but to have also secured an investigation into the environmental attacks of the Newman Government and the dodgy coal seam gas approvals of the Bligh Government.
Greens senator Larissa Waters has released a statement on the Queensland inquiry, saying they are proud to have secured an agreement with the Palmer United Party to block Tony Abbott’s plan to hand federal approval powers over to state governments.
We now have the numbers in the senate to protect our federal environment laws from Tony Abbott’s one-stop shop, which would have wound back environment protection in Australia by more than 30 years. After more than two years of fighting against handing federal environmental approval powers to the states, since Labor first proposed the plan, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief – our federal environment laws will remain safe from environmentally reckless state premiers.
Senate inquiry into Queensland Newman government
Let’s be clear what has just happened.
The senate in the federal parliament has just voted for a select committee inquiry, chaired by Palmer United Party senator Glenn Lazarus, into the government of Liberal premier Campbell Newman, who is the arch political enemy of Lazarus’ boss Clive Palmer.
The inquiry terms examines the period beginning March 2012, two days after the election of Campbell Newman, and the inquiry will report in March 2015, during the month of the Queensland election.
The full terms of the inquiry are wide and deep but it will inquire into environmental approvals including on coal seam gas projects, Commonwealth funding for Queensland, the separation of powers, any use of funds for party political purposes.
Updated
The senate has just voted to establish an inquiry into the Queensland government for the term of the Newman administration, based on a motion by the Palmer United Party. PUP won the vote 30-27 with support from Labor, the Greens and Ricky Muir.
The government senators are interjecting about Greens hypocrisy”.
PUP wins the procedural motion 30-27 with same voting pattern.
Daniel Hurst reports from the chamber the Coalition senators are furious.
Now the final substantive motion establishing the inquiry into the Queensland Newman government. This is it.
Senator Jacqui Lambie moves that the question on the Queensland inquiry be put.
Just an aside, senator Barry O’Sullivan tries to speak, Parry shuts him down to be polite to Lambie - though by rights he should have heard O’Sullivan.
Parry suggests Lambie may want to grant O’Sullivan the right to speak.
No, says Lambie. She is taking no prisoners today.
PUP, Greens, Muir and Labor vote NOT to include Bligh government term in any senate inquiry to the Queensland government.
Abetz procedural vote going again with PUP, with support of Labor, Greens and Muir. It appears PUP has sewn this one up.
Voting now on the substance of Abetz’s amendment (to extend the inquiry to Labor).
Senate now voting on more procedural stuff relating to Liberal senator Eric Abetz’s motion to extend the inquiry to a Labor government.
Eric Abetz is amending the Queensland inquiry to start at 21 March 2009, which would effectively include the last term of the Labor Bligh government. Abetz said given coal seam gas projects started during that period, it would be interesting to see what turns up.
Can I ask senators whether they want to demean themselves and their parties to become puppets for someone else’s agenda.
It’s the bloody reason for the inquiry.
Abetz is pointing out that Labor refused to support the amendment last week to extend the inquiry into the Labor government of Anna Bligh.
You couldn’t see the Labor Party for dust.
Eric Abetz is advising PUP senators to request specialist knowledge on Senate practice.
Updated
Eric Abetz warns Labor and the minor parties:
What goes around comes around.
He calls it an “abuse of numbers”.
Updated
Senator Eric Abetz says Labor knows by supporting the Palmer inquiry, it is wrong in principle.
The only rationale is the leader of the PUP has a personal vendetta against the premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman.
Abetz says polling has improved for Newman (as of today) and describes the inquiry as a “rushed hatchet job”.
It’s a bitch session about Queensland.
Updated
Liberal senator Bill Heffernan asks about conflicts of interest. Parry rules out the point of order.
It’s the bloody reason for the inquiry.
So while the Senate argues the procedural points, there are a couple of points to make.
- On behalf of Clive Palmer, who has been in a long-standing fight with Campbell Newman, this attempt is clearly part of a personal vendetta on Palmer’s part.
- Vendetta notwithstanding, there has been clear concerns over the Newman government’s actions in regard to judicial appointments and removals of environmental protections and landholder appeals process.
- Finally, is one parliament inquiring into another the best way to clear up those concerns?
Labor’s Stephen Conroy has raised the trade union royal commission and the home insulation commission as examples of vendettas by the Abbott government. Should a precedent be set for federal government inquiring into state government?
Updated
Senate president Stephen Parry rejects a point of order from Liberal Ian Macdonald, saying he is trying to help Lazarus, given it is not an every day occurrence - this motion. George Brandis is quoting standing order 86 that says motions which are basically similar to previous ones, they cannot be moved.
In essence, Brandis is saying we have done this before. We can’t do it again.
Lazarus is slightly confused as to the senate procedure. He is not alone there.
PUP wins the right to suspend standing orders on a vote of 33 to 28.
Voting with PUP is Labor, Greens and Ricky Muir.
The senate is voting on the suspension of standing orders to debate the Queensland government inquiry.
The terms of reference of Palmer's proposed inquiry into Queensland government.
- The terms of reference include:
- examining Commonwealth government funds paid to the Queensland government since March 26, 2012, two days after Newman came to office, including what the funds were used for, including any party political purposes.
- the separation of powers in Queensland, including judicial independence.
- the approval process for resource projects.
- whether it is appropriate for the federal environment minister to delegate his powers to the Queensland government - as per the Coalition’s ‘one stop shop’ promise at the last election.
- whether the Queensland government’s policies are compatible with international human rights obligations.
As a result of the deal with the Greens, the inquiry will also investigate commonwealth oversight into coal seam gas projects in Queensland.
Remember this is still the motion to suspend standing orders so that the Senate can debate the Queensland committee motion. Essentially a procedural motion. But the government is arguing the toss as it appears Lazarus has the numbers to get a committee.
Updated
Christine Milne is making a point of order but Parry asks her not to get personal after she has a crack at attorney general George Brandis. (She suggests his “desperate” arguments show why he never made it to the Queensland bar association.)
Updated
On the select committee inquiry into Newman, which is proposed to be five members, the government only gets one member, compared with two for Labor, one for the Greens and one for Palmer United. Which means the government is very much in the minority.
Updated
Greens senator Larissa Waters says in Queensland, “we are back to the Bjelke-Petersen days, with environmental laws over turned in a “brutal agenda” by the Newman government.
Waters says the Queensland government is turning back Wild River legislation, introduce grazing in national parks, logging in areas earmarked to become national parks and “at three minutes to midnight” it removed landowner rights to object to mining projects.
She says the Queensland government is trying to:
silence Queenslanders in favour of big mining companies.
Updated
The exact wording of the motion for the proposed inquiry into the Queensland government is here.
A Greens source said they would help PUP secure the inquiry with some amendments, in securing an agreement from Palmer to vote with the Greens to save the critical federal environment laws.
In the Senate, under privilege, Conroy says the proposed inquiry is looking into “a thoroughly corrupt” bunch of individuals in Queensland.
After an intervention from Queensland senator Barry O’Sullivan, president Parry says Conroy should not reflect on other parliaments.
People opposite are very sensitive, says Conroy.
Updated
Liberal senator Ian Macdonald asks what is the point of having the same motion (for a Newman inquiry) put again if it was defeated last week.
Senate president Stephen Parry says the rule is rarely invoked because circumstances changed.
Labor’s Stephen Conroy is yelling about Abetz’s arguments “from a government that has trampled” conventions in order to smear former governments at a cost of more than $100m “to pursue their political opponents”.
Even the former prime minister John Howard has said I wouldn’t have called those royal commissions.
Updated
Liberal leader in the senate Eric Abetz is arguing it very unwise for one parliament to seek to inquire into another.
Abetz says Clive Palmer is using a “personal vendetta” to pursue Queensland premier Campbell Newman.
It is understood the Greens may vote in favour of the inquiry.
Lazarus is calling for inquiry into the Queensland Newman government
Glenn Lazarus, leader of PUP, is moving to establish a select committee on “certain aspects” of the Queensland state government. This is the Palmer inquiry that was tried on last week but failed.
Updated
Country caucus
Labor is running a matter of public importance, namely:
“The government’s broken promises and failures on rural and regional health.”
Labor is trying to make inroads into rural issues, focussing on the National party and particularly the budget changes which proportionately hit low-income families more than high-income families.
Health minister Peter Dutton says Labor can’t prosecute the argument because they don’t come from the bush.
Updated
No props!
Bill Shorten speaks on the home insulation response and in his remarks, acknowledges the families of the four young men.
Matthew Fuller, 25, Rueben Barnes, 16, and Mitchell Sweeney, 22, died from electrocution and Marcus Wilson, 19, died after installing insulation batts in extreme heat.
Shorten widens the issue to workplace safety more generally.
I hope to include Abbott’s full remarks in a moment.
Employment minister Eric Abetz has been asked to develop investigations of the role of the public service – though it is not a “witch hunt”.
This is not a witch hunt but we do recognise the home insulation was a failure of bureaucracy and a work place failure, Abbott says.
Updated
Home insulation royal commission report
Abbott is setting out the government’s interim measures to the report.
Environment minister Greg Hunt has been appointed to oversee the government’s full response to the report. He has asked Hunt to develop options for compensation to the families of the four young installers.
This program was a failure of government.
Updated
Abbott seeks indulgence at the end of question time to address the home insulation report from the royal commission.
Conroy gone.
Member for Charlton Pat Conroy 201st 94A @GuardianAus @gabriellechan #politicslive http://t.co/T2CmDmpiN9 pic.twitter.com/3OuO95PrAd
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) September 30, 2014
Crossbench chats.
Updated
Labor to social security minister Kevin Andrews: I refer to reports on the weekend that the government’s plan to leave young people with nothing to live on for six month was not the brainchild of social services minister Kevin Andrews. Is the minister running away from the government’s plan to leave young people with nothing to live on?
I love this policy, says Kevin. In not so many words. I’m not disowning it.
Don’t believe everything you read.
Updated
Government question to assistant education minister Sussan Ley: Will the minister update the house on the progress of the government’s $200m worth of professional development program for long daycare workers? And how does this government’s approach to professional development differ from previous approaches?
Minister Sussan Ley goes on to say:
I am happy to announce that this week money will start to flow under the Abbott government’s long daycare professional development program.
At which point Labor’s Tony Burke points out you can’t make a policy announcement in question time.
That’s correct, says Speaker Bishop. Is it a policy announcement?
No, we announced it months ago, says Ley.
Updated
We are back on the Cheezel-eating Xbox-playing dole bludgers again.
Assistant employment minister Luke Hartsuyker says of the 12.75m appointments by unemployed people with employment service providers last year, 4.5m were missed, representing a 35% failure rate.
[They] simply can’t be bothered turning up. We have excuses like I forgot or they couldn’t be [bothered] or that they didn’t think it was worthwhile. Just as workers have to turn up at their place of work on time and as required, jobseekers have to turn up for appointments on time, as required.
Updated
Labor to Christopher Pyne: I refer to page 41 of the Coalition’s real solutions policy document released before the election which promised that the Coalition would ensure the continuation of the current arrangements of university funding. So why did the minister say on Q &A last night, “We actually didn’t release a higher education policy.”
Pyne says the government is spreading opportunity to more students, 80,000 more students by 2018 a year, by expanding the demand-driven system, by establishing the largest commonwealth scholarships program “in Australia’s history”. He says they are expanding the commonwealth grants scheme to non-university higher education providers by getting rid of the extra loan fees for VET and for private institutions.
Updated
Bridie Jabour reports from the Senate:
Defence minister David Johnston was asked a dixer about what Muslim leaders are saying about challenges around confronting “brutal and barbaric” Isis.
He has just returned from Abu Dhabi and said he visited a mosque which represented the “true meaning of Islam, which is peace”. He cited Muslim leaders who supported military intervention against Isis.
Johnston was asked by Labor’s Stephen Conroy about buying submarines from Japan which triggered an attack on the former Labor government.
They were very good at launching press releases, but they weren’t very good at launching submarines.
Michaelia Cash also used a question about the suitability of Cambodia as a destination for people seeking asylum in Australia to attack the former government.
This is a regional solution, those on the other side talked about a regional solution, we implemented a regional solution.
Updated
Shorten asks Abbott about the human rights committee’s finding that the government’s proposed six-month wait for the dole breached the human rights of young people.
I am all in favour of rights. I am also in favour of the rights of taxpayers not to have their money abused. I am in favour of the rights of taxpayers to say that young people should be doing the right thing by themselves and by our society.
Updated
Labor to Abbott: I refer the PM to reports that over $8.4bn a year is lost to corporate tax avoidance. More than the total amount of cuts this year from the government’s budget. Why is the government going soft on multinational corporations that aren’t paying tax while slugging Australian families? Abbott throws it back on Labor.
A government question to environment minister Greg Hunt on the removal of the carbon tax. He is reading energy companies’ letters to its customers who will receive a credit of between 7 and 10% since the repeal.
A government question to deputy prime minister Warren Truss on the proposed East West Link. This question goes to the comments by the Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews not to go ahead with the link project which is funded through state and federal governments.
Truss says if the project does not go ahead, the $3bn provided by the federal government will have to be returned. Over. A. Barrel.
Updated
A government question to Joe Hockey about the government’s plans to “strengthen the economy”.
Hockey is having a crack at former treasurer Wayne Swan.
Labor to Abbott: Why is the PM abolishing the low-income super contribution, ripping up to $500 a year from 2.1 million women on low incomes? While giving 16,000 people with super balances over $2m a tax break?
Because we promised to at the election, says Abbott.
Updated
Herewith, Speaker Bishop’s 200th Labor expulsion, via Mike Bowers.
Richard Marles the 200th Opposition expulsion by madam speaker @GuardianAus @gabriellechan #politicslive pic.twitter.com/UEVHnkmGK7
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) September 30, 2014
Labor to Abbott: Why has the government cut $189m from the tax office which would cost the budget up to $1bn in lost revenue?
My understanding is that this is the efficiency dividends which has been applied to a number of government agencies by this government as it was applied to a number of government agencies by the former government.
Updated
Scott Morrison is asked a question on restoring the “full range of measures that are securing our borders and stopping the boats”.
When his opposite, Richard Marles, takes a point of order to ask about the Cambodian boat deal, he is thrown out for refusing to sit down.
He is outlining the number of turnbacks of boats (12) and the deal on temporary protection visas with the Palmer United party.
Updated
Labor asks Abbott: Why has the government decided not to proceed with Labor’s measures to repeal section 25-90 reforms to the Australian banking regime and other measures which will cost the budget $1.1bn?
Joe Hockey answers instead and repeats Labor did not have the courage to follow through on reforms announced.
Updated
Justice minister Michael Keenan briefs the house on a meeting on this Friday in Geelong between attorneys general and police ministers and the heads of security and law enforcement agencies.
Updated
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie asks Abbott about freight subsidies for Bass Strait.
Madam Speaker, these cauliflower ears were not produced by too many strums but by chewing of these members from Tasmania, Bass, Braddon and Lyon have been chewing my ear constantly, constantly about the freight equalisation scheme and I say to them and indeed to the member for Denison, I say that we continued the freight equalisation scheme, we support the freight equalisation scheme.
Labor to Abbott: I refer the PM to reports that more than eight out of 10 of the nation’s biggest corporations don’t pay the full 30% corporate tax rate. How is this fair to the nation’s 3.2 million small businesses who pay their tax and make their contribution and why is the PM walked away from closing $1.1bn in tax loopholes for multinational corporations?
Abbott says Labor is opposing the government’s attempts to close a tax loophole accessed by multinational companies for research and development.
Updated
A government question to Julie Bishop on efforts to combat the ideology and propaganda used by terrorist organisations to recruit foreign fighters.
Australia is a great nation with an open and tolerant society that embraces people from every corner of the globe. We’re multicultural and multifaith. That is why it is unfathomable why some Australians, mostly young men,are being drawn to the extremism and violence represented by Isil and its ilk. The challenge for our nation and many other nations around the globe – indeed at least 80 countries who claim to have foreign fighters in their midst – is to ensure that the poison of groups like Isil doesn’t infect our young people and our communities.
She notes $13.4m for deradicalisation programs.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Abbott: I refer the PM to reports thats James Hardie does not pay a single dollar of tax in Australia. Why has the government abandoned Labor’s initiatives to crackdown on debt shifting and close a $1.1bn tax loop hole for multinational corporations?
It would be remiss of me to offer observations on the taxation arrangements of any particular individual or company.
Updated
A government question to Abbott on keeping Australia safe. He details the raid in Melbourne earlier today, though adding nothing new from the police press conference.
He reiterates the message given to the party room earlier today.
At this time, national security and international security are indivisible.
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop is in the chair.
Shorten to Abbott: Why has the PM walked away from closing $1.1bn in tax loopholes?
In fact, we haven’t, said Abbott.
Question time coming up. Will Tony Abbott make a statement on Iraq? Stay tuned...
My colleague Paul Farrell reports: World press freedom organisations have roundly condemned Australia’s national security laws as placing unreasonable restrictions on press freedom, and warned the crackdown on journalists and whistleblowers would damage free speech.
In stark international rebukes against the federal government’s three-pronged package of national security legislation, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Committee to Protect Journalists and Electronic Frontier Foundation have said new powers and laws under the bills would have dire effects on journalism and free speech.
Updated
Australian lunchtime political summary
- Tony Abbott has warned his party room that Islamic State’s aim was “to have heads on stakes”, while acknowledging people wanted calm confidence and a capacity to get things done.
- Cabinet is meeting today but a decision to approve troop deployment is not expected until later in the week.
- The Greens have lost a second attempt to have a parliamentary debate on Australia’s involvement in Iraq.
-
A joint raid by the AFP and the Victorian police have resulted in the arrest of a 23-year-old man for funding a proscribed terrorist organisation.
- Julie Bishop revealed Australia signed a treaty in August with the Netherlands to cover Australian personnel working on the MH17 investigation.
Updated
Just when you thought it was not possible in up the ante, Tony Abbott ramped up his rhetoric another notch in the joint party room today. It made for some conflicting messages.
He said in challenging times people need to see governments projecting:
calm confidence and a capacity to get things done.
But then he described the challenge of Islamic State (Isis, also called Isil):
an apocalyptic death cult.
And:
Their aim is to have heads on stakes.
The ultimate aim of the government, was enunciated thus:
Our objective is to do what we can in partnership with our friends and allies to secure governments that don’t commit genocide against their own people and don’t commit terrorism against our people.
The government’s message through Abbott and Bishop was that during the United Nations foray last week, there was general agreement from Middle Eastern nations that Isis was a danger – contrary to the view of some domestic critics that the threat was overstated.
Abbott described the second half of the last century as “the most golden period in human history”.
Updated
We now have duelling Labor speakers. Chris Hayes in the lower house is talking about the consistent whittling away of workers rights, in this case, through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee bill. This is the bill that seeks to cap entitlements for workers owed money by companies which go bust. And in the Senate, Claire Moore is speaking against the social services and other legislation amendment, which she says demonises people on welfare.
Updated
Greens lose the suspension vote 10 to 39.
Greens lose the second attempt to allow the parliament to debate Australia’s involvement in Iraq.
Abbott says Howard govt told people to be "alert but not alarmed" about terrorism. He prefers "be aware but reassured". Ping @gabriellechan
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) September 30, 2014
The Senate votes on the Greens suspension of standing orders on Iraq.
Updated
Scott Ludlam says the Greens did circulate the motion beforehand.
Ludlam says parliament had a right to debate deployment. The recent debate in the British parliament showed that a reasonable debate could be held without giving away strategic advantage, he says.
The deployment would probably still pass, given Labor supports it, but at least everyone would get their say and people would need to vote. Subtext: and be held accountable for their vote.
It’s time we grew up as the rest of the world have done.
If it’s good enough for Obama and Cameron, it’s good enough for Australia.
What the Australian Greens are proposing here today is a stunt, says Mitch Fifield, given they gave no notice.
Penny Wong says Labor does not support the Greens proposal for a parliamentary debate either. Labor wants more notice too. (Not that that would have changed their minds).
As Wong goes on to say, deployment is a decision of executive government, though it should be announced and explained to the Australian public.
Updated
Answering Milne, Liberal frontbencher Mitch Fifield says governments take – very seriously – the decision to place Australian personnel “in harm’s way”.
Fifield said they were deployed should the government take a decision to commit forces but that decision has yet to made.
In Australia, he says, we do not have requirements akin to the US where “congress has a certain role” in regard to deployment. Here, cabinet makes the decision and then the opposition is briefed.
Updated
Milne seeks parliamentary debate on Iraq
Greens leader Christine Milne is speaking to her suspension motion:
It is a critical matter that at this moment, the RAAF has informed the Australian people that it is ready for combat in Iraq ... yet the Australian parliament has not debated the deployment of Australian troops to a multi-year war in the Middle East.
There will be families across Australia with relatives in the armed forces, who will remember Afghanistan and ask:
Why are we going to another war in the Middle East?
Updated
The Senate is about to sit. The Greens want to to suspend standing orders for a parliamentary debate on Australia’s involvement in Iraq, which the party has tried before. The Greens’ position is that the parliament, rather than the prime minister, should have final approval for deploying troops. It did not get support from Labor then and presumably will not now.
Updated
So the treaty was signed out of the parliamentary session because of the urgency, says Julie Bishop.
Labor’s Tanya Plibersek is given leave to speak on the treaty
Bishop announces Australian-Dutch treaty on MH17
The treaty, signed on 1 August this year, allows Australian personnel to work within the Netherlands with the necessary rights and protections under the command and control of the Australian government.
The Dutch are still carrying out their own investigation of the accident.
Updated
More than 500 Australian personnel went to the Hague to assist in the MH17 investigation and identification process.
A total of 251 victims of the 298 have been identified but Bishop will not name how many are Australians out of respect for the families.
Updated
Bishop is speaking to her resolution in the United Nations.
It is regarding a treaty with the Netherlands on personnel.
Julie Bishop is making a statement to the house on the downing of MH17.
The crows are circling.
The bells are ringing for the house to begin.
The police press conference has wound up now. Notably, the police made the point these raids were conducted in a more “low-key” manner to the first raids, which were criticised by some as being too high-profile.
You will have noticed this morning that the searches that were conducted were done in a far more low-key manner in terms of the way in which we approached this as a terrorism financing case. We didn’t assess there being a significant community safety risk or significant risk to our officers. We approached this in a far more low-key manner. You may have noticed that in relation to the television coverage around the roads this morning. I want to reinforce the fact that there was no direct threat to any community safety from this operation conducted this morning.
Updated
Police said there was no information or intelligence to indicate that the 23-year-old man was “involved in planning an attack, nor is there are any known links to the 18-year-old man involved in last week’s Endeavour Hills incident”.
Man charged after Melbourne police raids
As a result of “operation Hohensalzburg”, police are alleging the organisation was a proscribed terrorist organisation and the man provided approximately $12,000 in funds to support a US citizen who is currently fighting in Syria. Police executed warrants today as they believed that further funds were about to be transferred to the person in Syria.
Updated
Police executed seven search warrants in the Melbourne suburbs. The operation involved in excess of 100 members of the Victorian police and Australian Federal Police. The search warrants were the culmination of an eight-month investigation which began following information provided by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Updated
Police raids for terror funding
Victorian police have announced that a 23-year-old Melbourne man will be charged with providing funding to a proscribed terrorist organisation after an ongoing investigation. Police said there was no direct community threat as a result of the raids this morning or from the investigation. It was about funding terrorist organisation.
Police said the family of 18-year-old Numan Haider, who was shot dead by police last week, have received death threats. Victorian deputy commissioner Graham Ashton:
That was particularly disconcerting to us and certainly very disconcerting to the family involved ... They weren’t involved in this investigation. They are in the process of grieving and they need to be left alone to grieve. The fact that they did receive those death threats last week is very disappointing. We certainly want to continue to encourage the community to act responsibly.
Updated
John Bercow, speaker of the British House of Commons, is in the house.
Updated
Clive Palmer has called a press conference for 3.15pm today. Is it:
a) a compromise struck on the government’s social security measures
b) an attack on the Chinese company Citic
c) a show of solidarity with burqa-wearing Muslims
d) none of the above.
Updated
On to a not-so-raucous caucus.
Just in case his colleagues missed it, Bill Shorten told his party room Labor’s position on Iraq was “strong and principled”.
We put national security above politics, that’s why Julie Bishop’s comments are particularly disappointing.
Shorten said Australia’s national security agencies were among the best in the world.
They deserve better than cheap political shots like this.
He said everyone had a responsibility to act with compassion and understanding, given the current climate.
We cannot give in to hatred, division and prejudice. Ban the burqa language is designed to make ignorance sound truthful and intolerance respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to hot air.
In that context, the attempt to reopen the (now defunct proposal) to change the Racial Discrimination Act (18C) by government backbencher Cory Bernardi and Family First senator Bob Day was giving a licence to bigots.
Updated
The parliamentary human rights committee has ruled that two of the government’s proposed social security changes relating to the six-month waiting period for the dole for under-30s breach human rights. Patricia Karvelas reports that the committee, led by Liberal senator Dean Smith, found the measure was “incompatible with the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living”.
Fellow Liberal backbencher Ewen Jones, at least, was unapologetic about the measure and urged alleged couch potatoes to throw down their Mario Kart and step into the day.
If you’re not in the game we’ve got to make it as easy as possible for you to get into the game, by turning up for work-for-the-dole programs so you’re not sitting at home awake from 10 o’clock at night to 6 o’clock in the morning playing bloody Nintendo or whatever people do, or roaming the streets. What they’ve got to be doing is getting up in the morning going to work, or going to college, getting those qualifications. We can’t let people isolate themselves. Is it better to have someone earning and learning? Is it better to say to them, there’s your dole, go home eat Cheezels, get on the Xbox?
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We know that climate change was once considered the “greatest moral challenge of our time”. And the evidence just keeps mounting.
Now Bill Heffernan has named corporate tax avoidance and the repatriation of profits overseas as “the greatest financial challenge” facing Australia.
Heffernan has been banging the tax avoidance drum for a long time now, haunting Senate inquiries, plus holding his own on matters such as the grain-handling inquiry which looked closely at the ADM takeover of Graincorp. He told Fairfax:
If you’re willing to turn a blind eye to billions of dollars going out the door and offshore, you’re doomed in terms of providing what people expect from government: roads, schools and hospitals.
This is the greatest financial challenge facing the western world and if not addressed it could redefine sovereignty in the western world.
It’s placed on the agenda by Joe Hockey at the G20 summit later this year.
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The lower house meets at midday today and will resume debate on the Fair Entitlements Guarantee Amendment. The existing law, implemented under Labor, sees the government pay four weeks for every year of service when a company goes broke and cannot pay. The Coalition bill caps the employee entitlements to 16 weeks (or the equivalent of four years service). Speaking to the bill last month, Christopher Pyne said the government was addressing the “moral hazard of overgenerous redundancy payments” as it was unsustainable.
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There is a curious story over at the Australian by Dennis Shanahan about the fact that a super security agency to absorb the roles of Asio, federal police, customs and border protection (a la the US Department of Homeland Security) will not be created.
Foreign minister Julie Bishop told the Oz that there was NO proposal “to create a new department to improve the co-operation between the three arms of security: intelligence agencies, police and defence”.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like someone in government must favour it but Bishop has jumped on it. But that is pure speculation on my part.
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On to the PUP house. Mike Bowers reports it was a chilly start on the Senate doors this morning – and not because of the weather. Clive Palmer and Jacqui Lambie met amid the cameras and it looked as if things are not travelling too well. After Lambie continued her campaign against the burqa and sharia law and reports that Clive described her as “not too bright”, PUP solidarity appears to be a little shaky.
Nothing concrete, mind. Just the vibe.
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Michael Safi reports on the raids occurring right now in Melbourne.
Joint Victoria police and Australian Federal Police counter-terrorism raids are under way at a number of properties in Melbourne’s south-west.
Search warrants are being executed as part of a joint operation in the Melbourne suburbs of Flemington, Meadow Heights and Seabrook, a Victoria police spokesman said.
An AFP spokesperson has confirmed that the raids are counter-terrorism related.
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Good morning blogans,
In Canberra, outside parliament, there was a sunrise to make a grown woman weep. Inside parliament, the cogs of war are grinding inexorably onwards.
The first thing you need to know is that the Australian Federal Police and the Victorian police are conducting joint raids in Melbourne. That news is still breaking and the raids are reportedly related to terrorism.
Tony Abbott is back from New York and the cabinet meets today, as do the various party rooms, including the government joint party room. There are various reports around this morning that today cabinet could initially discuss our involvement in Iraq. Daniel Hurst reports cabinet will not give the final go-ahead until its national security committee has met. It is fair to say though, the situation is fluid.
Overnight, RAAF personnel have begun flying exercises in readiness to join the US and other international forces in airstrikes. The US has already started bombing Isis positions. David Wroe at Fairfax reports the RAAF’s commander in the United Arab Emirates Air Commodore Steve Roberton has declared Australian forces are ready, with a rather ominous comparison to Vietnam.
We have managed to deploy the largest air task group since Vietnam. We’ve gotten over here within days and we’re ready for combat operations.”
You may have noticed, the first tranche of national security measures passed the Senate last week. This tranche includes greater powers for intelligence agencies to access computer data, tough new penalties on journalists and whistleblowers and greater protection for Asio officers for use of force. Labor, which unreservedly supported the bill, appears to be trying to have a bob each way this morning. “Sources” reported by Ben Grubb and Matthew Knott, have said the feeling in the party was that Labor must “pick its battles” on national security. The reality is that, like the asylum seeker issue, Labor wants not a sliver of light between their position and the government. Fairfax reports:
Labor sources said the party would likely have supported stronger protections for journalists if the powerful parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, which is dominated by Coalition members, had recommended them. The committee made only 17 relatively minor recommendations for change.
Labor does not want to be seen as “obstructionist on the politically-sensitive issue”, those sources said. Never mind the substance.
Senior Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy was applauding the cautious approach of the government on Radio National this morning – given that troops waiting in the Middle East will not get the go-ahead until later in the week. Just because the RAAF and special forces troops were quick and efficient getting over to the Middle East, says Conroy, it doesn’t mean they should rush into battle.
It is vital to get it right and it shouldn’t be rushed.
Of course we will have the lovely images of Mike Bowers and reportage from Daniel Hurst and Bridie Jabour. Stay with us for the day’s events. If you are a twitter person, join us for the conversation @gabriellechan and @mpbowers.
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