And on that note, it is time to close the blog.
We’ll be back when parliament resumes at the end of the month for the last sitting until the budget is handed down in May. It’s back to the general political news pool for me tomorrow, and make sure you check back on the site for all the latest from Katharine Murphy, Mike Bowers, Paul Karp and Sarah Martin, and whatever a zombie-me manages to come up with tomorrow and next week.
A big thank you to everyone who helped keep this show on the road this sitting. It was ROUGH at times, but we got there. You can find me on the twits or the gram if you have a burning question, and you’ll find regular updates on all things politics in both places in between sittings.
As always, thank you very much to everyone who read and came along with us. Please take care of yourself, support your local Chinese if you can, stop being crazy over toilet papers and supplies and wash your hands. And most importantly – take care of you, and those around you.
Updated
Alex Hawke delivering his set down.
This is absolutely outrageous. A Liberal minister accuses the first Muslim woman elected to parliament of thinking her diversity is 'better than others' during a debate on the importance of multiculturalism to Australian society #auspol pic.twitter.com/4IdgS3XiJl
— Amy Remeikis (@AmyRemeikis) March 5, 2020
Updated
The House stands adjourned. Members will return for the final sitting week of the Autumn period on Monday 23 March.
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) March 5, 2020
Question time as seen by Mike Bowers:
Diversity in action.
Everything is fine.
Butt-hurt over a letter to the editor
Another motion.
Updated
Kate Jenkins said:
“Our 2018 national prevalence survey found that one in every three Australian workers had experienced sexual harassment in the last five years, up from one in five in 2012. We heard throughout the inquiry that workplace sexual harassment is pervasive. It occurs in every industry, in every location and at every level. This is not simply the story of a few bad apples. Women are still most at risk, but we also heard from men who’d been harassed at work ...
“Young people under the age of 30 are at the highest risk, as well as LGBTQI workers, workers with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and migrant workers. We also now understand that some industries and environments create a higher risk of sexual harassment. We heard that gender inequality is the key power disparity that drives sexual harassment, along with other cultural and systemic factors.”
Jenkins noted “new” barriers to combatting sexual harassment including the impact of media reporting, the low rate of union membership and “the numbers of women in employment, if not in leadership”.
“We heard now more than ever making a complaint of sexual harassment can risk a complainant’s income, job prospects, mental health, family wellbeing and community connection.”
Jenkins noted workplace sexual harassment was estimated to cost $3.8bn in 2018.
Updated
Just back on the tone policing on Anne Aly from Alex Hawke there – which is what it was, let’s be clear here. Maybe he should consider some of what the Cowan MP has to face every day, as part of her heritage, including this, at the recent election.
Anyone who knows someone who is not white or white-passing, also knows what they personally face in this country on a regular basis.
Updated
[Continued from the previous post]
The proposed Workplace Sexual Harassment Council would be chaired by the sex discrimination commissioner and draw members from the Fair Work Commission and ombudsman, Safe Work Australia and state and territory workplace health and safety and human rights bodies, to be supported by a permanent secretariat.
Jenkins said: “What we found when we looked across Australia is that we do have strong workplace laws and they tend to sit in the safety regime or the Fair Work system, or the human rights system, and there’s state and federal bodies. What we discovered was the system on sexual harassment for individuals, including employers and victims, was quite confusing as to where you go for what complaint. The purpose of that council was not to duplicate or create new bodies but bring those bodies together to ensure on sexual harassment we are all consistent, we understand what we’re trying to do ... and we can create a better system going forward.”
Jenkins noted the terms of reference include a three-year review of changes, and she would like “to have progressed as many [recommendations] as possible” in that period.
Other high priorities nominated by Jenkins include:
- Regulatory agencies giving out consistent information.
- In workplaces, industry initiatives “seem to be where we get the most progress”, Jenkins said. “Industries like the universities, all 39 of them moving on the issue of sexual harassment has no doubt made a difference, we’ve seen it in the legal sector, I understand it’s being considered in the mining sector.”
- Primary prevention initiatives, namely “broader education of young people and the broader community”.
Updated
Of the 55 recommendations of the landmark sexual harassment at work inquiry report, the sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, nominated setting up the Workplace Sexual Harassment Council and “the legislative change we’ve proposed – particularly a positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act” as the top priorities.
The proposed duty on employers is to “take reasonable steps and proportionate measure to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation as far as possible”.
Jenkins said: “The refocus to the positive duty was because it was really clear our laws on sexual harassment have really only been triggered when someone makes a complaint, and the evidence was really clear that Australians don’t want to make a complaint, and if they do there is a high risk ... so our stats told us only 17% of people who’ve been harassed make a complaint. So it was really clear relying on the idea this only comes into play if someone complains is a system that will never work.”
Jenkins said employers have responded to a positive duty to create a safe workplace, and the same will apply with respect to sexual harassment. “Employers as a general [rule] have been very well-intentioned about sexual harassment ... but I do think it will be something that they’re comfortable with, in time,” she said.
Updated
Ken Wyatt is talking about the measures being taken to stop an outbreak of coronavirus in remote Indigenous communities to Patricia Karvelas on Afternoon Briefing:
In some cases you restrict the number of people visiting a community. Because often you will have public servants from state and commonwealth agencies. You will have tourists going through the area.
Now in discussions I’ve had with communities over a period of time, they will make a decision to shut down an area or will appeal to government agencies not to go out there during the most vulnerable period when the peak of any infection occurs.
... What they want to do is restrict access of entry, which is showing that they’re forward-thinking, they’re understanding what the implications are and they’re making a decision, because the community are doing it with their medical staff and with their community-controlled health services.
But equally, the committee that minister Hunt has established will provide advice for where they believe measures should be taken.
Now in this instance you’ve had a community take the decision themselves. And so they’re going to have a mix of those, Patricia, in the way that they deal with them and I have every confidence in our Indigenous leadership that are working with minister Hunt.
But equally, the chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, has flagged as well his concern for vulnerable communities and remote communities, isolated communities for a couple of reasons.
One is their own health but the other is having access to the right people to provide the level of services. It is a good approach by the commonwealth and we’re being proactive.
Updated
Liberal MP accuses Anne Aly of having 'chip on shoulder' over diversity
Alex Hawke has attacked Anne Aly in the chamber during a matter of public importance on the strength of multiculturalism for “citing her diversity as being something better than other people’s diversity” and “ignoring reality”.
“[Many MPs] have had a parent or been born here ... myself and when the member opposite likes to cite her diversity than something better than other people’s diversity, she ignores reality.”
“This is outrageous,” Aly can be heard yelling back. Hawke smiles.
The minister for international and Pacific development, who has maternal grandparents from Greece, continued, despite the obvious, obvious discomfort of most of the people in the chamber, including Llew O’Brien, in the Speaker’s chair.
Hawke:
If I have offended you, then I withdraw. But your tone and the words you take into this House ...
... The member for Cowan should reflect that people have come from all parts of Australia, over many years, and just because you are a migrant from one country, doesn’t make you better than from another and the tone that you take, as you enter that debate, that just because you have arrived more recently, or you have more chips on your shoulder, that somehow you are better than others, is exactly the essence of what has happened in this debate from the member of Scullin [Andrew Giles, who introduced the MPI].
Aly was born in Egypt and moved to Australia when she was a young child. She is the first Muslim woman elected to the Australian parliament. She has often spoken of the very real struggle she and her family have experienced with racism and xenophobia.
Hawke’s contribution to this debate *is* outrageous.
Updated
The sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, is launching the sexual harassment report.
If you didn’t think workplace harassment was a problem anymore – oh boy. I hope you enjoy your cakes filled with rainbows and butterflies and your rose coloured glasses of privilege.
As Jenkins says:
I met a health executive who had humiliating pornographic comments directed at her. She hoped that she would be able to make her workplace better by complaining.
But instead, she was treated as the problem. Which has made it impossible for her to work in the industry again.
An older male rural worker told me he was touched on his leg and propositioned by his male boss while driving home one night. When he rejected the advance, his contract was terminated and he couldn’t get another job without a reference.
And I spoke with younger workers who told me the best places to work were ones that were respectful, with leaders that were trusted, and where men and women were treated equally.
These experiences speak of the impact that sexual harassment has on the lives of too many Australians – and on our productivity. They show how our laws, workplace practices and community attitudes have contributed to the surprisingly high rates of sexual harassment.
While the same experiences I heard, over and over again, were all different, the message was the same. Australians don’t want to complain about sexual harassment – they just want solutions to make it stop. And that is the purpose of this report – to improve how Australian workplaces prevent and respond to sexual harassment. To provide those solutions.
Updated
And Craig Kelly on his ‘misrepresentation’:
In the Age newspaper on the second of March, in the letters to the editor section it was represented that my comment, and I quote, “the evidence is clear – young Australians are living at a time when they are safer from climate disasters than any time in human history”, was made without any evidence in support of my statement.
Mr. Speaker, this is incorrect. My statement is in fact supported by evidence, evidence from the emergency events database known as EM-DAT, from the centre of research on [inaudible] on disasters...
And my statement is further supported by analyse of that data by Professor [Bjorn] Lomborg.
Updated
Anthony Albanese made a personal explanation at the end of question time in response to the attack from Scott Morrison that he was “too busy having selfies with sports stars” for a coronavirus briefing with Brendan Murphy last week:
Mr. Speaker today in Question Time, the prime minister repeated a claim he’s made outside this house that there was a refusal to have a briefing from the chief medical officer last Wednesday.
That is not true.
The facts of the case is at 7.25pm last Wednesday, the health minister’s office rang the shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, saying that they’d been mixed up in Brendan Murphy’s office, the CMO and that he had arrived at Parliament to give the opposition of briefing.
That briefing went ahead at 7.30pm with the shadow health minister, my chief of staff and my senior health advisor.
At that time, I was with the prime minister at the vigil for Hannah Clarke and her children. That’s where I was when that phone call was made. I was unaware of any of this until the next day. I know it confirmed with Brendan Murphy when I met with the CMO this week, that that was the effect.
Updated
Craig Kelly appears to be butt-hurt over a letter to the editor in the Age, which questions the evidence over some of his climate change rebuttals.
Updated
Linda Burney is asking about people who have had to self-isolate, who don’t have leave entitlements:
The chief medical officer is recommending people that have potentially been exposed to the virus self-isolate for 14 days.
The health minister has said:
“It doesn’t matter if you’re an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a visitor from Iran, the message is very clear – you are now required to self-isolate.”
This will be very difficult for people who need to work in order to pay bills and the rent. It will also be difficult if parents have to stay home because schools and child care centres are closed.
People will face a choice between self-isolating and potentially stopping the spread of the virus and earning an income to pay the rent.
Existing payments simply aren’t the answer, given this government has put in place a one week automatic wait for Newstart, AND the government is doubling the liquid asset waiting period for Newstart applicants.
Many aged care, NDIS, transport, retail and hospitality workers are casual and they will be left short changed if they self-isolate. Because they don’t have access to paid sick leave.
Today the UK PM, Boris Johnson, has increased paid sick leave because people should not be, and I quote:
“Penalised for doing the right thing.”
Why isn’t the government doing something similar in Australia?
We have known about the virus for some time now – wouldn’t it be better to act now and prevent it spreading? Rather than waiting to see if it gets worse?
Apparently the government is now looking at options.
Updated
The motions fail and we get one last dixer.
From the PMO:
As of 5 March 2020:
- Foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents of Australia) who are in the Republic of Korea on or after today will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through the Republic of Korea.
- Australian citizens and permanent residents will still be able to enter Australia, as will their immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians or dependants only). They will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the day they left the Republic of Korea.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will raise the level of the travel advisory for the Republic of Korea to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ (level 3 of 4) up from ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ (level 2).
- The level of the travel advice will also be raised to ‘do not travel’ to Daegu (level 4 of 4) because of the significant outbreak of Covid-19 there. People in the Republic of Korea should monitor their health closely and follow the advice of local authorities.
Updated
The Human Rights Commission has released a major report into sexual harassment.
The motion:
That the House notes that:
a) the prime minister promised $2bn of immediate support for bushfire affected communities but months later he’s spent just 10 per cent.
b) the prime minister had an advertisement ready on the day he announced his bushfire response but bushfire affected communities are still waiting for support.
c) the prime minister promised to “rephase and revise” his bushfire efforts but bushfire affected communities are still waiting.
d) the prime minister has sought to blame the states for months for his failed response to the bushfires instead of fixing it.
e) the prime minister ran an advertising campaign for the urban congestion fund a year ago but still hasn’t spent any money from this fund reducing urban congestion.
f) in Question Time, the prime minister has repeatedly refused to provide the same straight answer the chief of the defence gave to the same question, and today bizarrely misled the Parliament about yesterday’s non-answer.
g) the prime minister has refused to give straight answers about his role in the sports rorts scandal despite the Australian National Audit Office finding his office was directly involved even on the day the election was called.
Three:
Today in Question Time, the prime minister engaged in deceptive conduct, attempting to criticise the leader of the opposition by tabling a document without revealing it was authorised by George Wright, the ALP national secretary twice removed, and said breaking news about Tony Abbott, the Liberal prime minister twice removed and therefore, condemns this prime minister for always putting marketing ahead of acting in the national interest and failing to provide straight answers to simple questions.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has moved a motion to suspend standing orders, which will fail. I am chasing the motion for you.
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
On the bushfires, the deputy prime minister has said, and I quote: “It really annoys me that I think states have been let off the hook largely this summer.” When people in bushfire affected communities just want help, why is the government blaming Gladys Berejiklian?
Michael McCormack gets the nod to explain what he meant:
Well, what I also said, Mr Speaker, was that, under the federation model, the state governments take on responsibility as first responders, and they performed that role in fighting the fires.
And they have. And well done to them.
But as far as their recovery efforts, again, the states first and foremost rely on us when they call us.
But we can’t do it all as a commonwealth, because that’s their obligation and responsibility.
And what I also said – and this is important, and this is important – we will work with them, and we’ll be there for the long haul. And we will. We will be there.
We’ve already put $2bn on the table, as we have. We will be there to help them through this crisis, but it will be ongoing. It will be months, if not years. That’s what I said. And if you want to start talking about these things, you should say exactly what I’ve said, not just a bit of it.
Updated
Someone called Andrew Gee stands up at the despatch box, so he must be a minister of some type.
Updated
Claire O’Neil to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister: has the government started work on an advertising campaign for a stimulus package?
Morrison:
No.
Updated
Stuart Robert, ever the Gregory Goyle, finishes his dixer with “but it actually might help if you listen, rather than be a Twitter troll...” because nothing says brown noser like echoing the bosses’s lines.
That one got quite personal – which is how you know Scott Morrison is p*i*s*s*e*d
Anthony Albanese missed a briefing during the vigil for Hannah Clarke and her children. Scott Morrison was there. Chris Bowen has attended the briefings Albanese has not.
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
My question is addressed to the prime minister: why is it that the prime minister ran an advertising campaign for the urban congestion fund a year ago but still hasn’t spent any money reducing urban congestion from this fund? Why is it that he had an ad ready on the day he announced a bushfire response, but bushfire affected communities are still waiting for support? Why is marketing rather than substance always the priority of this prime minister?
Morrison:
What I’ve noticed from the leader of the opposition is he always puts politics, Mr Speaker ... over the serious issues that need to be addressed in this place, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I reject the assertions ... I reject ... Mr Speaker, I totally reject the assertions that the leader of the opposition, as he constantly does, coming to the dispatch box, treating Question Time as smear time, Mr Speaker.
The leader of the opposition treats Question Time like he’s some sort of Twitter troll coming in here on a daily basis, seeking to smear and engage in misleading and misrepresentations, Mr Speaker, in one grubby attempt to simply try and prop himself up, because he’s got nothing else to talk about, Mr Speaker.
...So, I reject absolutely what the leader of the opposition put to this chamber when he came to his feet yet again, Mr Speaker. This is what the leader of the opposition constantly does.
He thinks this place is some sort of game. He thinks that the issues that are happening outside of this place, somehow they fall deaf on his ears, Mr Speaker. As all he does is constantly focuses on the smear games of politics, Mr Speaker.
He talks about advertising. Mr Speaker, already, already on the Labor sites they have an advertisement which actually features defence force personnel. And he comes in here, lecturing this government about those types of practices, Mr Speaker.
I would encourage the leader of the opposition to turn his attention ... to the focus of what is the government, right now, Mr Speaker, we are dealing with the very serious issues of Australia’s response to the coronavirus.
The leader of the opposition is even yet to ask me a question on the fact, Mr Speaker. Last week, he couldn’t even bother turning up, preferring selfies with sports stars than informing himself about the coronavirus.
And when we approached him a week ago, Mr Speaker, so the National Security Committee could meet, they engaged in disruptive, pathetic games in this place. I’m not going to take lectures from the leader of the opposition, who is the equivalent of a Twitter troll in this Parliament.
Updated
Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister: yesterday, General Campbell, the chief of the defence force, and the prime minister were asked the same question - did they speak about the prime minister’s bushfire ad?
General Campbell answered yes. General Campbell could give a straight answer to that simple question. Why can’t the prime minister? Did General Campbell speak to the prime minister to object to the Liberal party bushfire advertisement?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I confirmed yesterday that the CDF and I had discussed this matter.
I confirmed that in this House yesterday. Those opposite may not have been paying attention, Mr Speaker. But if they reflect on what I said yesterday, I confirmed that he and I spoke, Mr Speaker, on regular occasions. It includes this matter, Mr Speaker.
...And I would not characterise the conversation in the way that the member just did at the dispatch box, Mr Speaker.
As a reader pointed out earlier today, not accepting the “characterisation” of the question is the new “Canberra bubble” deflection.
Updated
Scott Morrison continues:
This is the government that, on the most recent national accounts, has seen growth well in excess of the OECD average, Mr Speaker, and compared to the G7 nations, Mr Speaker, only the United States was growing more quickly than Australia over the last 12 months.
Mr Speaker, what I know about the economic management of those opposite is when they put stimulus measures in place, they sent cheques to pets and dead people, Mr Speaker.
They engaged in programs which saw people’s homes burn down, and overpriced school halls.
They saw a stimulus package, Mr Speaker, that they were still spending money on four years after the crisis had passed, Mr Speaker.
The Australian people remember the fiscal recklessness of the Labor Party, and that’s why they keep rejecting them, time after time after time.
This leader of the Labor party, Mr Speaker, this leader of the opposition is arguably the most financially inept of all the leaders they’ve had in the past.
Mr Speaker, he’s cockier than the last bloke, Mr Speaker, he’s more arrogant than the last bloke, Mr Speaker, and he’s even more incompetent.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Anthony Albanese:
My question is to the prime minister: how can we trust the government’s promised stimulus package will be effective when it’s already bungled the bushfire recovery, not spent a cent of its promised $4.8bn urban congestion fund on urban congestion, and still hasn’t implemented a business tax incentive that it flagged six months ago?
Morrison:
This is the government that, over the last six years, has restored the balance sheet of this country.
Restored the balance sheet of this country from the reckless spending ... and, Mr Speaker, the inept financial management of those opposite, Mr Speaker.
...And Australians have returned this Government, not once, Mr Speaker, but twice, Mr Speaker, because they understand that the Liberal and National parties know how to manage money, Mr Speaker.
And that’s why they know, as we come together and we deal with this very real and significant challenge to our economy, which has been caused by the global coronavirus, Mr Speaker, they know that we will have the discipline to ensure that these measures will be targeted to those affected who need it most, that they will be measured and proportional to the challenge, Mr Speaker, and that they will be scalable to ensure that the Government can continue to respond as is necessary to support to keep Australians healthy, to keep Australians in jobs, to keep Australian businesses in business, Mr Speaker.
This is the government that’s cut taxes, this is the government that has led to the creation of 1.5m new jobs, Mr Speaker.
Updated
"We are as one about the rain, Mr Speaker. Indeed, we are". Michael McCormack on the things he and Barnaby Joyce have in common #qt
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) March 5, 2020
Barnaby Joyce is still paying penance. He has to ask a dixer to Michael McCormack.
His microphone is off, but no one notices he booms so loud.
I’m just going to take the opportunity to go to the bathroom. It’s a better use of my time.
Oh look, Josh Frydenberg has come back and said everything is fine.
Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg:
The treasurer flagged in September the government would introduce tax breaks for business investment. It’s now March and still nothing has happened. Does the treasurer acknowledge this delay has, in fact, caused businesses to hold back investment decisions for the last six months, at a time when business investment was already at a 28 year low on his watch?
Frydenberg:
It’s a bit rich, coming from the member for Rankin, who took to the last election a tax on family businesses, Mr Speaker! It’s a bit rich coming from the member for Rankin, who talked about an investment allowance, which would start in 2021, Mr Speaker.
He’s interrupted for a point of order on relevance. He’ll come back and say everything is fine.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg continues his new habit of listing the backbencher’s qualifications in his effusive thanks for their dixer, which can only be put down to banking goodwill for a future leadership tile.
There are no leadership rumours. But Frydenberg is an ambitious MP. He’s not in the game to stop at treasurer.
Rebekha Sharkie to Scott Morrison:
Interest rate cuts are hurting Australia’s pensioners. Why doesn’t the Government automatically pass on changes in the RBA cash rate to the pensioner deeming rate?
Morrison:
And I’m going to ask the Treasurer to add further to this answer, Mr Speaker. But as the member will know, on the last occasion when there was a cut in rates, we also reconsidered the deeming rate, Mr Speaker.
We are currently in the process of pulling together the response to the economic challenges that the country is facing in relation to the coronavirus, and I’ll ask the Treasurer to make further comment.
Frydenberg: (who looks like he didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Plus, he is using his very serious calm quiet voice, so you know he’s feeling it)
It’s a significant issue. And as she would be aware, last year we made some changes to the deeming rate, so the lower-level deeming rate is at 1%, Mr Speaker.
That was at a cost to the budget of $600 million over four years, and benefited around 1 million Australians.
Now, Mr Speaker, when it comes to setting the deeming rates, you obviously need to take into account investments in a range of assets - superannuation, shares, in terms of managed funds, term deposits, not just the cash rate, Mr Speaker. But obviously this is a serious issue that we have under consideration and will be part of our broader response.
Scott Morrison does not rule out a recession
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Will the prime minister guarantee that Australians will not suffer a recession under his government?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I can guarantee the Australian people that they will get the strong economic management they voted for.
Updated
Catherine King to David Littleproud:
And my question is to the minister for agriculture: is the minister concerned about the impact of the government’s inland rail route on agricultural businesses on the Condamine flood plain? If so, what is he doing about it?
Littleproud:
And can I thank the honourable member for her question. And, yes, I do have concerns. In fact, I have been very public about those concerns. It is prime agricultural land. It is a complex flood plain in which inland rail is proposing to go across.
This is an important piece of infrastructure for our nation, and obviously the farmers there – I have been working very closely with – they are pragmatic people and they understand, they want an engineering solution to something that is very difficult to get.
That is why I have had many conversations with...
Well, if you’d like me to answer. The CEO of ARTC about some of those concerns that go back to the hydrology, the baseline hydrology. In fact, we have a meeting next week in Sydney to go through that with hydrologists from both the farming group and also ARTC to make sure those baseline hydrology parameters are set.
And then the engineering solution that fits that hydrology is put in place. That is a calm, methodical approach to a key piece of infrastructure. But I will stand with those farmers, who I represent and I know personally.
They have significant businesses, they are important to this nation’s economy, they are important to those communities. So, we will work through this in a calm, methodical way, but ensure that this is predicated on science and engineering, not on emotion.
Updated
Fiona Martin delivers the dixer reminding me that there are SO many frustrated would-be school captains in the parliament.
Scott Morrison:
We’re putting together the technology plan, and a technology road map, Mr Speaker, which may well exceed a zero net carbon outcome in 2050, Mr Speaker. It may well exceed that, Mr Speaker.
But those opposite came up with a target, they had no clue what it would cost, no clue how they would get there, Mr Speaker. The interview that the [deputy] leader of the opposition gave on David Speers needed encryption analysts to work out what he was actually saying, Mr Speaker. They still haven’t worked it out. Mr Speaker, Labor has no plan, no clue, no targets, no idea.
"And we have a plan to meet the 2030 target, and we set that out before the last election, Mr Speaker" (Narrator: Plan contains 100Mt technology improvements, unspecified; an EV strategy not announced; + half from carryovers) #qt
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) March 5, 2020
Updated
Question time begins
It’s the final one of the sitting week and EVERYONE is in.
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison – on whether he has done any modelling on climate change and 2050 and does he have the confidence in his position to agree to a debate at the National Press Club before the climate change conference in Glasgow this year?
Morrison:
Unlike the Labor Party, unlike those opposite, Mr Speaker, we’ve got a plan. We’ve got a plan, Mr Speaker. And we’ve got a target for 2030, which we’re going to meet, and we’re gonna beat, Mr Speaker. Just as we have already met and will beat the target for 2020, Mr Speaker. And 10 years ago we were in opposition and we set out a plan to hit the 2020 target, Mr Speaker, and we have, and we’ll hit that target, and we will beat that target with the plan we put in place 10 years ago. And we have a plan to meet the 2030 target, and we set that out before the last election, Mr Speaker.
He goes on, but do I have to tell you again that the government plan is less of a plan and more of a vague mud map full of maybes and sort ofs?
I hope not.
Updated
Again, who says no one pays attention to Canberra.
Gold price since @RealBobKatter paid 19k in cash for some gold bullion during a press conference earlier today #auspol pic.twitter.com/WzdcX1H3XZ
— Samuel Clark (@sclark_melbs) March 5, 2020
Updated
“Why we can all get into this blame game and we might feel better if we see our name in the newspaper, we have to help people, we have to help all people,” says Bega MP Andrew Constance to Sky News.
The NSW Liberal frontbencher, who still looks exhausted from the summer he went through with his community, was responding to Michael McCormack’s latest ridiculous word vomit, saying he gets “annoyed” that the federal government has been left to carry the load when it comes to the bushfire response.
It hasn’t. The deputy prime minister, who couldn’t even answer a question about whether or not he was in charge while Scott Morrison was on holidays in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis, is either getting some stupid advice, or is just taking it upon himself to be an idiot.
You decide.
Updated
Question time is almost upon us.
It’s the fifth last one before the budget is handed down in early May.
Updated
Scott Morrison says he has no doubt people of Australia are doing things like “making a curry and taking it over” to people who might be self-isolating and don’t have access to Uber Eats and I just need to go lay down for a little bit because I can. not.
Updated
Scott Morrison then moves on to why you won’t know what the government is modelling for:
We’ve been careful not to be speculative about this in the public domain.
What we have done all the way through this global health crisis, I think, is to be very candid and upfront and we will continue to do that but what we won’t do is be speculative, because we’re not in the position of creating unnecessary anxiety.
What we are in the business of doing is making plans to ensure that we can deal with any gaps, or any respective shortfalls, [and] have contingencies in place that address what we may be seeing coming through the modelling. But the modelling at this stage relies on a lot of data, some of which is being sourced from experiences we are seeing overseas where you have to have a degree of scepticism about a lot of the assumptions you put in place.
Updated
In response to Sarah Martin’s question about what we are facing, in terms of infections, Brendan Murphy says:
There’s a range of modelling, some is just mathematical predictions –predictions from best-case scenario to worst-case scenario – and then looking at what impact that would have on every part of the set, primary care, emergency department … critical care beds, and we are looking at our current capacity and we will compare that with the model capacity, but we are looking at scenarios from the most benign through to some millions of people being infected over a period of several weeks. And we think our health system is able to cope with that, but we are making sure, the parameters have been very clear to us that we need to be sure that we plan for every eventuality, and build capacity where we think it may be under pressure if we have one of the worst-case scenarios.
Updated
Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy:
The importation risk, as we have also said recently, has been significantly greater outside of China in recent weeks, particularly Iran, we are very worried about Iran.
The other two highest risk countries are South Korea and Italy, where they have large caseloads. [In the case of] South Korea there is significant travel to Australia. We know that we will get more cases.
We are seeing a couple of cases identified every day but we have very robust systems to detect, as [has been said] many times before, we have tested well over 10,000 people, the great majority have been negative, we will continue testing anyone with a return travel history or indeed now as New South Wales health department [has said], people who may have been in contact with someone who has a suspect disease. We need to broaden our testing capability, but we need to also remember the most important thing, and I say this every time I take to the media, is that any return travel from any part of the world where there is a Covid-19 outbreak who develop symptoms should isolate and seek medical attention.
That is the most important way we can deal with and stop spread in Australia, but at the moment, there is no reason to put a mask on when you are walking around the shops, there is no reason to stop going to football matches or community activities, there is no reason to delude the shelves of lavatory paper in the supermarkets.
We should continue normal activity, we should watch the development of this and we will focus on any outbreaks and control.
Updated
Scott Morrison finishes his introductory spiel with a nice foray into Trump nationalism:
To all Australians, let’s get through this together, let’s help each other, stay calm, go about business and continue to enjoy the most wonderful country in the world to live and that does not change.
Under these circumstances, it does not change and we have always worked well together, we have always understood what our responsibilities are and we have always gone about business with common sense and that is what we are known for so let’s do that and I am sure I have no doubt that Australians will get through this, as we get through everything else.
*eye roll emoji*
Of course we will get through it. We are not the first country to deal with a pandemic. We may be the first country to go nuts over toilet paper during a pandemic though.
PM says there will be an intensive workshop for aged care tomorrow and there is one happening today for Indigenous communities #auspol #COVIDー19
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) March 5, 2020
Scott Morrison:
In relation to the Republic of Korea, we will also be upgrading the travel advice to level three, which is to reconsider the need to travel to the Republic of Korea, and it will be at level four which is do not travel to the province of Daegu.
In relation to Korea, the reason we have taken this decision is because of the high level of visitation we are seeing from Korea then we have seen come from Italy and the ability to immediately put in place the enhanced screening measures that I’ve talked about for Italy and to do that that Korea would be far more difficult.
So that ban is put in place because it affords the best protection and enables us to slow down the rate of transmission which means that the health system and all the other plants put in place will be able to deal with the virus here, in Australia.
Updated
Travel ban for South Korea
Scott Morrison is giving the update on the coronavirus spread: – the travel ban on China will be extended, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) will be added to the ban list, for the time being:
The first point I want to make is this, every Australian, all of our citizens, me as the Prime Minister, Minister for Health, Chief Medical Officer, mums, dads, schoolteachers, nurses, workers, boys and girls, we all have a role to play in containing and managing the spread of the coronavirus and ensuring that Australia is best prepared and best able to deal with this global virus. We all have a role to play. We all have responsibilities to play to support each other, help each other and inform each other, assist each other, as we all get through what will be a difficult time in the months ahead.
Updated
Mike Bowers: “I don’t know how to explain that, so I am just going to put this in the system as ‘Bob Katter press conference’.”
Updated
Meanwhile, the Greens are flagging that they will play “Senate hardball” on any legislation that might be needed to enact the government’s proposed coronavirus stimulus package.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said that after the “sports rorts” affair, he did not trust the government to follow independent advice to keep Australia out of recession.
The party will demand changes to legislation to ensure the stimulus package included a lift to Newstart and Youth Allowance, as well as support for affected workers who have no paid sick leave.
“The Greens will demand a ‘bottom up’, transparent stimulus package to keep Australia out of recession,” Bandt said.
“The best way to avoid recession and tackle inequality is through a green new deal, which starts with lifting Newstart and Youth Allowance by at least $95, because this money will be spent on essentials and go straight back into the economy.”
While Labor will likely back the stimulus package, details of which are expected next week, Bandt said their vote may still be “crucial” if legislation needs to pass the Senate.
It will also push the government to extend the Disaster Relief Allowance to workers without paid sick leave who get affected by the virus and follow government advice to stay home.
“Otherwise these workers may be financially forced to come to work, which would hamper efforts to contain the disease.”
“The Greens’ votes in the Senate helped keep Australia out of recession during the GFC, and I’m putting Scott Morrison on notice that we’re prepared to pay hardball in the Senate to ensure a ‘bottom up’, transparent approach to keeping Australia out of recession.”
Updated
Scott Morrison has called a press conference for 1pm, to give an update on coronavirus.
Updated
Look, I just feel like I need to apologise for Queensland today.
It remains the greatest nation on earth, but still. I’m sorry.
Updated
Meanwhile, the economics committee has gone off on a tangent, with One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts trying to ask Treasury’s fiscal group about funding to local government.
He says he has questions about widespread corruption in Queensland councils and wants to know how much federal funding has gone to local government.
He attempts to table a document, which chair Slade Brockman says he won’t accept.
“I’m not denying there might not be an issue with these councils ... I will just remind you that these are Treasury officials.”
Roberts says Treasury is looking after taxpayer money and he wanted them to be aware of his concerns.
Updated
It seems like there would be a lot stronger liquids than coffee being poured into the #SmugMug this week.
The economics committee is now hearing evidence from Treasury’s fiscal group. Labor senator Katy Gallagher is grilling officials on the Coalition’s claim last April that the budget was “back in black”.
“There were mugs printed with that on it. My question is ... is the budget back in black?” Gallagher asked. In response, Jenny Wilkinson, the deputy secretary of the department’s fiscal group, said the budget was in balance.
“The final budget outcome for 2018-19 was released at the end of last year in September, and that final budget outcome showed that as a percentage of GDP, the budget balance was 0.0 per cent of GDP.”
“In our mind that is a budget being in balance.”
Gallagher then challenged government senator Jane Hume, asking her whether the budget was back in black.
“The budget is back on track ... the first balance budget has been delivered,” Hume said.
“It will be updated in the final budget outcome.”
Updated
Bob Katter also brought along props – a copy of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, 1984, a giant scarf, $19,000 in cash and a gold bullion dealer.
He has the seat of Kennedy for as long as he wants it.
Updated
A bit from Mike Bowers this morning:
Sometimes my job is just surreal: Bob Katter is handing over $19,000 in exchange for some gold bullion to highlight a bill banning large cash payments pic.twitter.com/mzwDTednbK
— Katina Curtis (@katinacurtis) March 5, 2020
Bob Katter has just held his latest unhinged press conference.
He had about $19,000 which he handed to a gold bullion dealer.
It will not surprise you to learn that Katter is also a prepper.
If you are hoarding toilet paper, you follow the same thought process as Bob Katter. Let that sink in.
Labor’s Katy Gallagher is now delving into Wednesday’s national account figures.
Officials confirm the December figures did not reflect the economic fallout from the bushfires, apart from a boost from some insurance payments that flowed in the last three months of 2019.
“There wasn’t, at a macro level, a discernible impact,” Meghan Quinn said. Gallagher is pushing Quinn on the strength of the economy.
Gallagher says the economy was weaker in December than forecast in the budget, while Quinn is arguing that growth picked up in the last quarter and was stronger in the second half of the year than the first.
“We would characterise the Australian economy as solid and certainly there was no news in December that would have changed our mind,” Quinn said.
Gallagher, however, said business investment “had tanked” and the government was responding to the coronavirus outbreak from a position of weakness, with growth figures downgraded since the April budget.
Both are right.
Updated
While Frances Adamson is under the Penny Wong estimates heat lamp, it is worth reheating one of my favourite Dfat stories.
When she started as departmental boss (the first woman to take up the role) she and Julie Bishop had a chat to departmental officials about renaming some of the meeting rooms in the Dfat building. Because while several, distinguished male diplomats had been honoured with a room, the rest were named after flowers. FLOWERS
It was politely suggested that perhaps there were some female diplomats who may deserve the same honour, a suggestion which appeared to take some of the men by surprise, but was never the less taken up.
No word though on whether a man had to repeat a woman’s suggestion for the idea to be taken on board.
Updated
Over in social services estimates, Jordon Steele-John is grilling the officials over the NDIS.
He opens with a novel question to the social services minister, Anne Ruston: “Do you have life goals?”
She is stumped. “I could take it on notice.” Ruston says these are not really questions for her to answer in estimates.
Steele-John has a point to this question. He asks why are scheme participants asked to articulate a “life goal” that is “clear, realistic and measurable” when working out their NDIS plans.
The NDIA chief executive, Martin Hoffman, says it’s always been a part of the NDIS Act, but Steele-John disagrees – saying that it was only required that supports are “reasonable and necessary”.
Steele-John says it’s part of a new trial, which introduces that the participant’s life goal should be “clear, realistic and measurable”.
Hoffman says that at the “end of the day”, the decisions about goals are made by participants.
Steele-John still thinks it’s none of the NDIA’s business for the agency to comment on a person’s life goals, which he says are subjective and philosophical questions.
Updated
I can not tell you how much I laughed at Eric Abetz’s lamenting “we are on the big issues here” over the Brian Houston debacle, given one of his first questions in the ABC estimates hearing was over Gerard Henderson, who gets paid to observe the Australian media through the eyes of a dog, no longer appearing on Insiders. Can you bear it?
Updated
We’ve now rolled around to Scott Morrison attempting to get the Hillsong pastor Brian Houston an invitation to the White House in Dfat estimates.
What a stupid saga this has been.
The Labor senators Tim Ayers and Penny Wong want to know what Morrison asked the Americans for in terms of the invitation.
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says she’s not aware of that information.
Ayers raises FOI applications about the Houston invite, which were denied on the basis the disclosure would harm the bilateral relationship with the US.
Was Dfat consulted about those denials? Another Dfat official says the department was consulted.
“The only embarrassment here was for the prime minister,” Wong says.
“He didn’t want to answer the question so the whole public service had to fall into line with that”.
The Liberal senator Eric Abetz observes that’s a comment.
Wong agrees. It is, indeed, a comment.
Ayers wants to know whether Dfat knew, when it last gave not very helpful evidence about this matter at estimates, that Morrison wanted Houston at the state dinner at the White House.
Adamson says Dfat didn’t have complete visibility over that issue, noting she travelled with Morrison during last year’s visit to Washington.
“It was a matter for the prime minister and his office,” she says. Ayers asks when Adamson knew Morrison wanted Houston at the state dinner.
Adamson says she knew when Morrison told the radio host Ben Fordham this week.
She was aware of speculation prior to that, but she says Dfat wasn’t handling that element of the visit.
Ayers wonders why it was vital that information not be shared to protect the bilateral relationship, and then it was suddenly OK this week.
Adamson tries to tough the reverse-ferret out, but Wong is on a roll about Morrison’s embarrassment.
“We are on the big issues here,” Eric Abetz notes.
Wong notes the honesty of the prime minister is a significant issue.
Updated
It is also worth noting that Treasury official Meghan Quinn was asked a bit earlier about whether the department had done any modelling on the possibility of a recession.
Quinn said the department provided all sorts of forecasts, but “at the moment, we are not forecasting a recession for the Australian economy.”
In the economics committee, secretary Steven Kennedy has been asked about wages growth, which Labor senator Katy Gallagher said was “stagnating”, according to figures in the mid year budget update that show the wage price index at 2.5%.
Kennedy said Australia shared the “conundrum” with other countries, but he was confident that wages would grow once labour productivity improved.
“It remains my view that the fundamental driver of wages in the longer term ... will be about lifting labour productivity, and labour productivity is low.”
“We have to continue the long hard work of trying to make ourselves more productive and I think the labour market and wages would lift as a result of that.”
Treasury official Meghan Quinn said Wednesday’s national accounts showed a “welcome pick-up” to average earnings across the economy, which take into account other payments.
Finance minister Mathias Cormann said wages were continuing to grow faster than inflation, but Gallagher said people were not feeling that they were any better off.
Cormann also indicated that the government’s failed company tax cut agenda had been part of its productivity agenda.
Updated
Labor has asked education, skills and employment department officials about the PaTH internship scheme, which so far has created 56,000 internships and had 88,700 people participate (there are other elements, such as job readiness training).
Labor’s Louise Pratt wants to know whether the government is on track to meet its target of 30,000 internships this financial year.
Departmental official Derrick Stiller replies that in the first six months to 31 December, 1,881 internship placements have occurred.
Stiller: “We always seek and strive to have internships that help young people. Our key driver is getting young people into work. We know internships have a good outcome rate post a completed internship.”
The government is trying to boost its numbers by starting industry pilots with nine organisations, which are expected to add a further 2,000 internships – but that still seems a long way short of 30,000. Officials then note that 30,000 is a cap applied for funding purposes, not a guarantee that 30,000 internships will be created.
You can see why this enrages Labor: the government sets aside money, gets to claim it’s creating a BIG NUMBER of internships which then don’t get created. It’s marketing.
Michaelia Cash said the young people being targeted “face serious barriers to entering work” and the government hopes by working with industry it can tailor the program more to young people’s needs.
Updated
The Labor senator Penny Wong has more questions about what charges Julian Assange will face if he is expedited to the US. Wong confirms Assange will not face the death penalty, but could face a sentence of up to 170 years in prison for 17 counts of violating the US Espionage Act.
Dfat officials say it is impossible to know the extent of the penalty that could be applied. Wong wants to know whether the government has made any representations to the UK about the terms of any extradition should Assange be sent to the US.
Marise Payne says not at this stage, but that remains an open issue. Wong wonders whether the government would make representations to the UK about the possibility that Assange could face further charges if he’s sent to the US, including charges which would attract the death penalty.
“We have an Australian, we have a view about the death penalty, the UK has a similar position,” Wong says.
“Presumably it is open for Australia to make representations to the UK government?” Payne says the prospect of doing that remains open.
Wong wonders whether Assange has still withdrawn his consent for consular assistance.
Officials say they have written to him seven times to try and ascertain whether the withdrawal of consent remains current.
Updated
Here are the videos Scott Cam has done for Michaelia Cash’s department.
This one has had a whopping 538 views since it was launched in October last year:
And this one, launched in last month, has had 65 views:
We asked the shadow minister, Tanya Plibersek, what she thought:
Today in Senate estimates we learnt that the Liberals have paid celebrity tradie Scott Cam $145,000 for two short videos, four social media posts, and a press conference with Scott Morrison.
Given Mr Morrison’s marketing experience, does he consider that value for money?
Updated
Dfat asked if Julian Assange is getting a fair trial
The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson has questions about Julian Assange. Are consular officials in the court? The answer is yes, and regular reports are being provided to the government.
Whish-Wilson references new reports that Assange doesn’t have proper access to lawyers in the court, and can’t hear because of noise.
The Dfat official, Andrew Todd, says the court has ruled on those matters, and “we are not in a position to comment”.
The official says Assange has withdrawn consent for information to be provided to the department, and that makes things more difficult.
Whish-Wilson asks whether Dfat believes a Assange is getting a fair trial. Todd says words to the effect that there is no current reason to believe he isn’t getting a fair trial. The Greens senator wonders whether being stripped naked is fair treatment.
Marise Payne says standard pre-court procedures are being applied. “The approach being taken to Mr Assange is no different,” Payne says.
Whish-Wilson asks whether Dfat has confirmed whether Assange’s meetings inside the Ecuadorian embassy were filmed?
The Dfat official says there are separate legal proceedings under way in Spain addressing that issue.
“Leaving it to a foreign court is one thing, do you not have a view?” Whish-Wilson says.
Todd notes his personal views aren’t relevant. Whish-Wilson asks will the Australian government advocate for the Spanish proceedings to be paused until the British legal matters are concluded? I didn’t hear a direct answer to that question.
Payne says she raised her expectations that Assange will be subject to proper due process with the British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, when he was in Australia recently.
Updated
In the wake of sports rorts, every government program is now under the microscope for partisan allocation.
In education estimates, Labor has asked about the $50m industry training hubs program, on the basis that, of the 10 locations announced after the election was called, six were in Coalition seats and three were in marginals (Herbert, Braddon and Cowan), two of which the Coalition then went on to win.
Skills minister Michaelia Cash said she signed off on the locations, but she’s taken on notice a string of questions about when she did that, whether she followed the department’s recommendations and whether there was any contact with the prime minister’s office.
Labor also wants to know why other areas with very high youth unemployment missed out, such as Coffs Harbour (23.3% youth unemployment), outback Queensland (25.7% youth unemployment), Bendigo (18.3% youth unemployment).
Updated
Speaking of Bob Katter:
.@RealBobKatter really does know how to make a statement 💰 #auspol pic.twitter.com/cDRvZ1BbPz
— Jamie Travers (@JamieTravers) March 5, 2020
Alan Jones is also very upset about this.
Glad they are speaking up for the little people, who are gagging to be able to transfer more than $10,000 at a time.
The quorum games are in full force today.
Labor is calling quorums because the government keeps shutting down its debates. And around and around we go.
It doesn’t impact Scott Morrison, but it is really starting to piss off government backbenchers, who keep being dragged back into the chamber.
Updated
This has upset Bob Katter
Pretty extraordinary/weird interview from Entsch today. He confirms that the $25m for FNQ Tourism was part of the $76m bushfire recovery package. But Ministers are telling estimates they don’t know what he is talking about.
— Senator Nita Green (@nitagreenqld) March 4, 2020
Confusion on this important funding is inexcusable. pic.twitter.com/GXCYk0VTnx
Katter:
“I am demanding to know whether this announcement from Mr Entsch is just hot air and baloney, or whether, as we hope, he has been genuine and sincere, in which case we want to see the money.
“Show me the money!
“We have put a lot of time and effort into promoting the region, as the community is aware, and we worked hard to secure these breakthroughs from state and federal governments.
“We are very proud of the region’s prominent tourism leaders that we have been able to support.
“We will be launching a promotional campaign that will roll out every fortnight.”
Updated
The Green senator Mehreen Faruqi is asking Dfat officials why their climate change strategy is based on the Paris agreement scenario of 2C warming rather than 3 or 4C warming, which agencies like the Bureau of Meteorology (and others) are pointing to as a potential scenario.
“It’s an issue that is being discussed across government,” says the Dfat climate ambassador Jamie Isbister.
But he adds there are a range of expert reports, with a range of temperature scenarios. He points out the fundamental objective of the Paris agreement is to keep warming below 2C.
The Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson, says the climate strategy, which was released by Dfat last November, remains the current working document.
Updated
AAP has more on Scott Cam’s taxpayer pay day:
The Morrison government has defended TV tradie Scott Cam’s job as taxpayer-funded careers ambassador despite the Gold Logie winner attending just one event since October.
The Block star’s sole public appearance was a press conference alongside the prime minister, Scott Morrison, and skills minister, Michaelia Cash, to announce his appointment last year.
Since becoming national careers ambassador, Cam has pocketed $145,000 of his $350,000 18-month contract.
Skills department officials told Senate estimates on Thursday that Cam had also appeared in three short videos, made four social media posts and put a profile on a government website.
The skills minister, Michaelia Cash, defended Cam’s work, saying his job was about influencing people’s views of vocational education and training.
“It’s about utilising that profile to draw people’s attention into what otherwise they may not actually give any notice to,” she told the committee.
The skills and training deputy secretary, Nadine Williams, said his pay packet wasn’t a salary.
“Mr Cam has been contracted to do a range of activities that are designed to raise the profile of VET and designed to raise the profile of careers advice more generally,” she said.
Senator Cash also told estimates the celebrity builder would host the Australian Training awards in November.
“It is literally the Logies of training awards,” she said.
It was also promised Cam would appear at eight events this year, including one with Senator Cash next week.
“Like The Block, we’re going to have to wait for the reveal,” Labor senator Deborah O’Neill said.
The previous Labor government also paid Cam to open trade fairs.
Updated
Back on the coronavirus, the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, has confirmed the government is looking at boosting stockpiles of certain items, saying they are “making judgments right now” about what is needed.
When asked by Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick to give examples, Cormann said things like masks and various medications were being considered.
“There are stockpiles ... available to deal with emergencies if and when they happen, and we are currently seeking to supplement some of those arrangements,” Cormann said.
Updated
This exchange shows how the potential difficulties the government might have if the robodebt class action gets to trial.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert asks: “Does the government consider it has a common-law duty of care to people that are on income support payments?”
Social services minister, Anne Ruston: “As the minister for social services I believe that I have a responsibility to develop policy that is administered through the agencies … that provides the support system that people in Australia expect.”
But Ruston says she is not going to go into a “legal discussion in relation to the interpretation of duty of care”, nothing that there is a federal court case into robodebt – a class action being run by Gordon Legal.
Siewert: “Should our social security system not cause harm to another person?”
Ruston takes it on notice.
“I understand where you’re going but I would like to take that on notice so I can make sure the clarity of my answer is absolutely correct as it relates to social services guide and policy,” she says.
“As we often know, the common use of a term or words are not necessarily interpreted the same by law, and I would like make sure response to you is absolutely accurate”.
Updated
There’s been a session in Dfat estimates about the impacts of the phase one trade deal between Washington and Beijing (which is the start of a settlement to the trade dispute between presidents Trump and Xi).
The Labor senator Penny Wong has been asking questions about the (negative) impact of this deal on Australian exports to China, given it covers commodities such as coal, LNG, barley and wheat.
One of the economists at the table says there is the potential for “import replacement” (which in simple terms means American imports to China replace Australian imports) but the negative consequences for Australia are expected to be relatively minor.
Wong raises comments made by Australia’s outgoing ambassador in Washington, Joe Hockey.
Hockey reportedly said the trade deal was “written on rice paper, anyone can tear it up at any moment”.
Wong is not amused by rice paper. When I say not amused I mean annoyed. I think it’s fair to say the secretary, Frances Adamson, and the minister, Marise Payne, aren’t amused either.
Wong asks Adamson whether she can explain the rice paper analogy. “I’m not sure I can senator,” Adamson replies, deadpan.
Wong asks Payne whether Hockey ran these comments past the government. “They were not discussed with the government,” Payne says, deadpan.
What is the government’s position, Wong asks?
The position is Australia welcomes the agreement.
Updated
Senators have clashed in the economics committee over climate change after Treasury refused to reveal whether they had been involved in modelling emission reduction scenarios.
Labor senator Jenny McAllister asked whether the department was undertaking any modelling about different emission reduction scenarios that could be taken to the UN climate change summit in Glasgow later this year, known as Cop 26.
There is fierce debate within Coalition ranks about the possibility of signing up to a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, as has been agreed to by more than 70 other countries.
Treasury official Meghan Quinn said she would need to take the question on notice, prompting accusations that she was not answering the question for fear of “retaliation” from the government.
There was lots of yelling, so it was hard to hear what everyone was saying, but McAllister at one point said “you are kidding?”, suggesting the officials would know if modelling work was taking place and was deliberately obfuscating.
McAllister then asked whether Treasury had been asked to cost the effect of a trajectory of warming, but Quinn revealed no work had been done since the update to the Garnaut review, more than a decade ago.
“Not in recent times, no, but we were involved in looking at different scenarios – but going back more than 10 years ago, as part of the two Garnaut review process, and that did look at different scenarios,” Quinn said.
While saying the work was possible to do, she said there was an “inexact translation of climate impacts” into the economy.
She also said that Treasury often worked with other departments on scenario analysis, but said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was the lead agency for international agreements.
Quinn confirmed that before Australia signed up to the Paris target of cutting emissions by 26% to 28% on 2005 levels by 2030, Treasury had provided advice at that time.
Updated
This comes after Michael McCormack screwed up his other big moment – asking the states, who agreed to bring forward infrastructure projects in October last year, to get cracking, by asking the states to once again bring forward infrastructure projects.
So what he actually ended up doing was contradicting the prime minister, who less than 24 hours before had said:
Now, we brought forward $3.8 billion worth of infrastructure projects last year. And I sat down together with the iInfrastructure minister and the urban infrastructure minister with states and territories to identify those elements of the supply pipeline and our infrastructure program to get as much of that into this next, you know this six months and the next financial year.
Now, I’m pleased we did that, because that means those projects are now being accelerated and that will play a part in what can be made to occur. And if there are any elements of that that we can move more quickly, fine. But it’s not a simple thing to do.
You can’t just turn on an infrastructure project, not even necessarily one that’s even under way in terms of ramping up its level of activity. I mean, they will have issues about supply lines as well. And so what you have to focus on is that is the things that can move more readily.
Cool beans.
Updated
Michael McCormack has once again shown why he has earned the “sentient loaf of white bread” title, blaming the states for the bushfire recovery issues, in the Australian:
Mr McCormack, who is playing a central role in the bushfire recovery process led by Andrew Colvin, also launched an attack on state governments and suggested the commonwealth had been left with the heavy lifting. The Transport and Infrastructure minister said on both coronavirus and bushfire responses, the state governments have to “stump up too”.
‘It really annoys me that I think states have been let off the hook largely this summer,’ he said.
‘Everything has fallen in the lap of the federal government. The states — some of their members have come out swinging, and swinging hard, when in fact they needed to look a little bit closer in their own backyard to see that their own governments, and some of them were in government, weren’t doing enough and weren’t doing anything, quite frankly.’
Mr McCormack said that under the federation model, the state governments take on responsibility as ‘first responders’ and had performed that role in fighting the fires.
‘But as far as the recovery efforts, again the states first and foremost rely on us when they call us, but we can’t do it all as a commonwealth because that’s their obligation and responsibility.’
This is seriously what he believes has happened. The man who couldn’t admit or work out if he was leading the country while Scott Morrison was in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis is now all ‘iT’s tHE stAte’s FaULt’.
Updated
Jim Chalmers spoke to Fran Kelly on ABC RN radio this morning, and said Labor would work to support the government on its stimulus package:
Let’s see what they announce and then we’ll respond to it. We all want the economy to grow because when the economy grows it creates jobs and opportunities for people in our communities. That’s the overarching goal. We want to support the government where we can. If it turns out that it’s insufficient or poorly designed then we have a responsibility to point that out too. Our default position is to do what we can and to work with the government to get Australia through a difficult period.
Updated
This is also worth noting
FIAV has taken back their statement given in the favour of Josh Frydenberg and publicly apologised with the community. pic.twitter.com/pUcpGWg09Q
— MANOJ KUMAR (@manojkumar_alp) March 4, 2020
This came after one of the defenders in the original article, Vasan Srinivasan, was revealed to be a long time Liberal party member and failed candidate
Dear @MathiasCormann
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) March 4, 2020
The original statement that said @JoshFrydenberg didn't need to apologise for mocking Hindus has now been withdrawn by FIAV.
I think it's time Josh simply does the right thing, fix this, and apologise for mocking Hindus in the Parliament. Don't you? https://t.co/NPQShK7i2R pic.twitter.com/ohjqBDdwXu
Updated
The Labor senator Penny Wong has moved on to informing the Chinese government about the government’s decision to impose a travel ban to help contain the spread of coronavirus.
The Dfat secretary Frances Adamson has provided an exhaustive tick tock. The decision was taken by NSC on the afternoon of 1 February.
That meeting was over by 4.10 pm. Adamson left Parliament House, drove back to Dfat, climbed the stairs to the fifth floor, and spoke first to her staff in Canberra and the Beijing post and then to the Chinese ambassador in Canberra “by two minutes after 5”.
Adamson says the call was cordial.
“There was no issue, if you like,” she says. She says the ambassador was a little hard to reach because it was a Saturday afternoon, but reaching him by 5pm “is fast by any stretch of the imagination”.
Updated
Steven Kennedy is now talking about how Treasury models the effects of climate change, saying the department is “stepping up our work” in that regard.
He says there has been very little work done modelling the benefits of mitigating climate change risk.
“A lot of the economic modelling that is done looks really at the cost of transmission and has not considered the benefits of mitigation on the other side,” Kennedy said.
He says fully-integrated climate models are “complex”, but Treasury is working with the CSIRO to develop this capability. He says the last time an attempt was made to model both sides of the climate change equation was the climate change review undertaken by Ross Garnaut in 2008.
Updated
But on the more serious matter – the pulling of the bill – there doesn’t seem to be much of a reason why. Tony Burke attempted to appeal to government backbenchers:
You’re not just being asked to silence opposition members; you’re being asked to put off something substantive.
You’re being asked to put off a bill about multinational tax reform.
To use the prime minister’s trick, hands up how many of you know why.
How many of you know why it’s being put off?
This is a bill that’s gone through your party room. You’ve had a minister stand up in the party room and tell you why this was a good thing to support, and you’ve all agreed it should be supported.
Every office was delivered the bill today and you were told this is what we’d be debating next.
Now, all of a sudden, you’re not and you haven’t been told why. The parliament hasn’t been told why.
Don’t think that this room doesn’t matter. This room is not a bubble.
This room is the heart of democracy in Australia, and that’s why you contested elections and that’s why your constituents voted for you.
The man who normally sits in that chair opposite has reduced your contribution to your principal role being to silence people with a different view — which makes the term ‘debating chamber’ a bit odd — and now to get rid of a bill about multinational tax reform without telling any of you why.
Updated
Reading through the Hansard, the government rearranged business last night to postpone the tax avoidance bill.
There was a pretty big debate about it in the chamber, with Tony Burke levelling this burn at Damian Drum (who you might remember missed out on being deputy speaker after Labor nominated his former National party room colleague Llew O’Brien and won):
I acknowledge the interjection from the former future deputy Speaker. I acknowledge his interjection as he leaves the room. His interjection matches the contribution that he has made to the parliament, and the parliament has already had a chance to vote specifically on a vote about him.
Updated
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson is asking Treasury officials about a potential lift to Newstart, asking whether modelling had been done about what impact an increase to these payments could have on consumption.
The short answer is no.
Treasury secretary Kennedy says the department is mindful about the potential impact to low-income earners from a potential economic downturn, but that a permanent change to Newstart is something that should be considered separately to fiscal stimulus.
“In terms of what is the case for increasing Newstart on a permanent basis, that is obviously a matter for government and ...it is a matter that should be considered in its own right.
“Predominantly our focus is more on the temporary measures, on the more macro aspects, and then it is a matter for the government to consider the adequacy of the Newstart. And in my view that should be considered as a structural feature of the system and that should be considered in its own right.”
Updated
The Labor senator Penny Wong has asked the officials to confirm the age of the youngest unaccompanied child (and by unaccompanied I mean minus parents) still in Wuhan.
The answer is eight months old.
Updated
Over in skills and training estimates, it turns out we are paying $355,000 to Scott Cam as “national skills ambassador” to be a social media influencer.
Cam, born in 1962, who hosts a reality home renovation show or something, is meant to be appealing to kids and convincing them to get into a trade. As Shalailah Medhora reports, his page on the department website has had a whopping 1,400 views and he has made a total of four social media posts.
I will give a roll of toilet roll if any 16-year-old could pick him out of a line-up.
Basically the Dept is trying to make Scott Cam an influencer. pic.twitter.com/1BWmd1tieT
— Shalailah Medhora (@shalailah) March 4, 2020
Updated
Morning all, I’ve tuned in to Dfat estimates. As Amy flagged, there’s been an extensive conversation about Australians, including small children, left in Wuhan. Officials have outlined a list of reasons why it’s not practical to bring home unaccompanied children at this point.
The Labor senator Penny Wong is now asking about the decision to charge people $1,000 to leave Wuhan (cost-recovery that was subsequently dropped after a minor public stink). Wong wants to know how that decision-making unfolded.
The answer is there was an NSC decision to impose cost recovery and then Scott Morrison made a decision not to impose cost recovery after advice from the Dfat secretary, Frances Adamson.
“I made the decision myself,” she said. “I was quite open with the minister and the prime minister that Dfat had given incorrect advice”.
Wong asks Marise Payne (the foreign minister) whether she or the prime minister told Dfat they were intending to reverse the decision to impose cost-recovery. Payne says the government was in constant contact with officials.
Adamson said she expected the government would reverse the decision.
Updated
The Greens’ Rachel Siewert is pressing DSS officials about coronavirus and welfare payments. Siewert makes the point that people in precarious work – who don’t get sick leave, for example – are currently expected to use up their savings before they are eligible for welfare payments.
This is called the liquid assets test waiting period – which the government is trying to toughen through legislation right now.
Essentially, the department says there is no change as yet, although Kathryn Campbell adds: “We are looking at these measures.”
Siewert wants them to waive the test. “Surely you’ve thought about this,” a frustrated Siewert says.
Campbell replies: “We are providing advice to government. These will be government decisions.”
Updated
Oh look, there is some legislation being put into the House. And it’s to do with security. Because of course.
From Peter Dutton’s office:
The Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (International Production Orders) bill 2020 sets up a new framework in the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 for the issue of orders for data directly to communications providers subject to an international agreement.
The Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the bill was an important step towards standing up agreements with close partner countries such as the United States for faster authorised access to electronic information.
... The bill’s new framework is an essential precondition for Australia obtaining a proposed bilateral agreement with the United States pursuant to its Clarifying the Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (the CLOUD Act).
“The United States, where many of the world’s biggest communication providers are based, paved the way for much more efficient international crime cooperation with the CLOUD Act,” Mr Dutton said.
“A CLOUD Act agreement with the United States will significantly benefit our law enforcement and national security agencies by allowing orders for communication data to be directed at those providers, with robust privacy and civil liberty protections.
“There will be no trade-off of Australia’s existing privacy and civil liberty protections to achieve this most welcome boost to our agencies’ ability to keep Australians safe.”
The Bill includes technical amendments that ensure Australian service providers can respond to lawful orders for communications data from trusted countries with which Australia has an international agreement.
Updated
Steven Kennedy continues:
“That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be immediate support potentially around business to maintain people in employment.”
Kennedy flags keeping people employed in the tourism sector, as an example, until the shock passes, and help for business, particularly in the non-mining sector where growth has been slow.
“Not all businesses are affected to the same degree,” Kennedy says, pointing to “healthy balance sheets” in some sectors.
“The mining sector for example is enjoying good growth ... but there are certainly small and medium businesses that have been affected,” Kennedy says.
Finance minister Mathias Cormann says the government is focused on making “a substantial response very soon to ensure that business is in business and that people keep their jobs.”
“Yes, this is going to be a challenging period but the fundamentals in the Australian economy are sound and on the other side of dealing with this challenge ... there will be a strong economy.”
Updated
Steven Kennedy is now talking about the shape of a government stimulus package, expected within the next week.
He says that Treasury began work on a fiscal stimulus package “in the last couple of weeks” after it realised that the Covid-19 virus was going to have a broader effect than previous shocks, such as the Sars virus.
Labor’s shadow finance minister, Katy Gallagher, asks Kennedy to characterise what he thought the best fiscal response might be, asking him to compare it to the advice from former treasury secretary Ken Henry in the global financial crisis, who urged the government “go hard, go early, go households”.
Kennedy says that the impact of the virus is different as it captures both supply and demand.
“The nature of the fiscal response in this case needs to reflect these supply and demand elements,” he says.
“What happened with the GFC with the virtual closing of financial markets ... was aggregate demand really stopped on a dime, so to speak, and so a response to support demand very quickly, in light of what Ken Henry described, was appropriate in those circumstances.
“In this case we need to accommodate the fact that our community is going through the spread of a virus and its own behaviour is disrupted through this.
“We need to be thoughtful around when there is broader support for aggregate demand. We have a community and business sector well placed to respond to that stimulus because they feel like they are on the other side of the Covid-19 shock.”
Updated
Penny Wong to Dfat boss, Frances Adamson, on the question of Australian children stranded in China: “So what is the plan? We just wait?”
That appears to be what we have to do, yes.
Updated
Australia has not requested a further flight, at this stage, says Marise Payne.
Penny Wong “wants to be clear” that the government has not requested China officials enable non-Australian citizens help unaccompanied Australian children return to Australia.
Payne confirms that no, the government has not made that request.
She says we can’t get the flight in – so there is no point in asking the question as yet.
The Department of Social Services secretary, Kathryn Campbell, is being asked by Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy about coronavirus planning.
Campbell says she received an email from a Newstart recipient who is in self-quarantine, raising concerns about their payments.
“They were concerned they wouldn’t be able to meet their mutual obligations requirements,” Campbell said.
Campbell said she passed on the person’s details to Services Australia.
Centrelink has been telling concerned welfare recipients that those who self-isolate will be exempted from the mutual obligations, such as job search and appointments. (Failing to meet these can see a person’s payments suspended.)
Customers who are isolated in their home on the advice of a medical professional or government authority, will be given an exemption. If they are still unwell after the initial 14 day isolation period, they will need to provide a medical certificate to get a further exemption.
— Centrelink (@Centrelink) March 3, 2020
Updated
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has updated parliament on the economic impact of the coronavirus and the summer bushfires, saying the combined hit will be to see 0.7% slashed from economic growth in the first three months of the year.
Kennedy said Treasury had believed that the weakness seen in the global economy was “close to bottoming out” at the end of 2019, with some improvement being seen in before the hit.
“However the emergence of Covid-19 in late December and early January has significant negative impacts for the near term outlook for China ... and other nations as this virus has spread,” Kennedy said.
He said domestically the economy had performed better in the second half of last year than the first six months, with the economy delivering a “solid result” amid the headwinds of the global economy.
But he said the recent “devastating” bushfires and the emergence of the virus were two factors that were having a “significant negative effect” on the economy.
He said most of the effects of the bushfires would not be felt until the March quarter, with an estimated 0.2 percentage point hit to growth.
He also said the fires had brought the economic consequences of climate change to the forefront.”
This past bushfire season has reminded people of the increased probability of these events in the face of climate change,” Kennedy said.
“Treasury continues to work with its portfolio agencies and with departments to understand the impacts of climate change and the implications of the economy.”
He said Treasury’s “preliminary” estimate of the effect of the coronavirus was that “at least” 0.5 percentage points would be wiped off growth in the March quarter, taking into account the hit to tourism and education, and the exchange rate.
However, he said that this does not include supply chain issues and it was likely that there would be further domestic disruption arising from the virus.
He said the Australian economy was very well placed to respond to the shock, and said it was “appropriate” for the budget to deteriorate as the government responded with fiscal stimulus.
Updated
Over in Dfat, we have learned there are 199 Australian citizens and 236 permanent residents still in China’s Hubei province. That’s ground zero for Covid-19.
Among that group, there are 27 children between newborn and two, who are away from their parents/guardian.
So far, it doesn’t seem like there is any way or plan to get them out.
Updated
Australian economy facing 0.7% hit to growth
So the bushfires are expected to shave 0.2% off Australia’s economic growth and coronavirus will take an additional 0.5% off the GDP in the next economic quarter.
And that is why negative growth is a very, very real possibility. It is possible we are already experiencing it – there is another month to go in this quarter, but we have already felt quite a few impacts.
Updated
Coronavirus to cost Australian GDP "at least" half a percentage point
And then we get to Covid-19. Steven Kennedy says it is still too early to tell, but it is not going to be great. And this is why we are seeing the no-stimulus government suddenly talking up stimulus:
Given the high degree of uncertainty surrounding the economic impacts of Covid-19, Treasury is assessing the situation on an ongoing basis. Global equity markets have fallen sharply during the past couple of weeks and remain volatile. Importantly, despite the volatility in markets, there are no indications of systemic stress or financial market malfunctioning at this time.
The scale of the economic impact on Australia and the world will depend on a number of factors. The extent to which the virus spreads, how quickly it spreads, disruptions to ports and seaborne freight, and should Covid-19 become more prevalent in Australia, the direct impact it has on domestic economic activity.
We have undertaken a preliminary assessment of what the impact of Covid-19 might be in the March quarter, and at this stage, we expect the virus to detract at least a half of a percentage point from growth in the March quarter 2020. This preliminary estimate takes into account the direct impacts on tourism, international education exports and some exchange rate effects. It does not include supply chain disruptions or other potential broader impacts.
Beyond this preliminary estimate for the March quarter it is too early to tell, given the uncertainties, what the full impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus will be on the Australian economy.
Updated
The bushfires are also not great (Steven Kennedy prefaced this by talking about the social and mental health impacts) for the economy:
The bushfires have also had a negative economic impact. Our current expectation is that the bushfires will detract around 0.2 percentage points from GDP growth across the December 2019 and March 2020 quarters. Most of this impact will fall in the March quarter, before reconstruction and recovery activity picks up and other spending supports growth from the June quarter onwards.
The negative economic impacts will primarily be as a result of lower household consumption and tourism in combination with other effects on the agriculture and forestry sectors. Household consumption is expected to be lower both as a result of the direct impact on affected regions, as well as from the impact of widespread smoke haze across major east coast cities.
This past bushfire season has reminded people of the increased probability of these events in the face of climate change. The CSIRO predicts climate change will make bushfires more likely as fire weather patterns worsen as a result of an increase in weather patterns with hot and dry winds and fuel becoming drier (Sullivan 2010 and CSIRO 2019). Treasury continues to work with its portfolio agencies and other departments to understand the impacts of climate change and their implications for the economy.
Which has led to a slightly troubling domestic outlook. Steven Kennedy:
Turning to the domestic outlook, at Myefo, a number of the factors affecting domestic growth in 2019, such as falling housing prices, low housing turnover and the drought, were expected to wane. Further, towards the end of 2019, there were encouraging signs emerging for the domestic economy. GDP growth was stronger in 2019 than in the second half of 2018, while the labour market continued to outperform expectations with employment growth remaining around 2% and the participation rate reaching record highs.
At Myefo we forecast a gradual improvement in consumption in response to stronger household disposable income growth and an improvement in the housing market. Household disposable income growth is being supported by the personal income tax cuts, ongoing labour market strength, a pick-up in real wage growth, and supportive monetary policy settings.
Consistent with our assessment at Myefo, the housing market is showing continued signs of improvement, with capital city housing prices continuing to pick up and auction clearance rates improving. Export performance has been strong and, as has been the case for a number of years, public final demand is strongly contributing to growth.
Mining investment is predicted to grow though. Although the drought is not great, and farm GDP has dropped 0.2% and the rainfall will not break the drought in all areas.
Kennedy:
Turning now to yesterday’s release of the December quarter 2019 national accounts. The data confirm that the Australian economy improved in 2019 relative to the weak second half of 2018. In the December quarter, real GDP grew by 0.5 % to be 2.2 % higher through the year. Calendar year growth in 2019 was 1.8 %, above the OECD average and higher than every G7 nation except the United States.
This is a solid result given headwinds from the weaker global economy in 2019, as well as the ongoing drought.
However, two key events have arisen since Myefo that materially affect our assessment of the economy – this summer’s bushfires and the emergence of Covid-19.
Updated
Treasury boss Steven Kennedy has started his estimates evidence with a bleak international economic outlook:
At the time of the 2019-20 Myefo, our assessment was that global economic growth had weakened in 2019, with the weakness widespread, including among our major trading partners in Asia. We considered that this weakness was close to bottoming out, and there would be a gradual pick-up in global growth in late 2019 and into 2020.
This was consistent with the IMF’s update in January, forecasting global growth to lift in 2020 and 2021. The IMF forecasts were for global growth to rise from 2.9 % in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020 and 3.4% in 2021.
Activity was expected to be supported by accommodative monetary policy settings, fiscal policy in some jurisdictions, an improvement in global manufacturing, signs of bottoming out in the electronics and auto cycle, and expectations for some form of a trade deal between the US and China.
As it transpired, there was a ‘Phase one’ trade deal struck between those two countries in early 2020. The UK election and subsequent ratification of the withdrawal agreement also settled some of the uncertainties around Brexit.
At the start of the year, we began seeing some signs of an improvement in global economic conditions. World merchandise trade volumes increased 0.5 per cent through the year to December 2019. The February 2020 data for PMI manufacturing saw the EU record its strongest PMI in over a year, and the US remained in expansionary territory. Labour markets also remained robust, with unemployment rates near record lows in the US, the euro area and Japan.
However, the emergence of Covid-19 in late December has significantly negatively impacted the near-term outlook for China and in the past couple of weeks concerns have broadened to other nations as this virus has spread. I will address the potential economic impact of Covid-19 shortly.
Updated
Penny Wong is in Dfat estimates.
The Treasury secretary, Steven Kennedy, will be up in estimates at 9am.
Updated
Kristina Keneally followed that up with a defence of Gladys Berejiklian:
And where was the state premier, Glady Berejiklian? I’ll tell you where she wasn’t – she wasn’t in Hawaii. She was out every day, talking with communities, working with the Rural Fire Service and our other emergency services.
She was leading; she was leading a response. And, by the way, while Scott Morrison was in Hawaii, where was and who was the acting prime minister? It was Michael McCormack.
Michael McCormack, while Scott Morrison was in Hawaii you should have been out leading. You should have been out as the acting prime minister. It is extraordinary to open up the front page of our national broadsheet and see our National deputy prime minister taking such a significant swipe at the states – some of them his own Liberal colleagues.
It is shameful and, quite frankly, people are frustrated with this government. They are frustrated and disappointed because Scott Morrison is not a leader, he’s an ad man. He doesn’t have a plan, he just has a marketing strategy and he’s sending out his deputy to go out there and blame shift to other levels of government. Well, simply not good enough.
Updated
Kristina Keneally stopped by doors this morning to let Michael McCormack have it.
Fair.
Well, I got up this morning and, as I always do, read a copy of the Australian. There on the front page – open warfare. Let’s start with the deputy prime minister Michael McCormack. Inexplicably, Michael McCormack is out blaming the states. That’s right, when it comes to the bushfire crisis and the bushfire recovery, the deputy prime minister Michael McCormack is not standing up and leading, he is sitting down and shifting blame.
He is blaming the states. Michael McCormack says in the Australian today, quote, he is quite annoyed that the states haven’t stepped up and done more to help with the bushfire crisis and the recovery. He is annoyed that somehow, to quote Michael McCormack, this has all “fallen in the lap of the federal government”.
Well, breaking news for you Michael McCormack – you’re the deputy prime minister, you are the federal government and, in a time of crisis, the Australian people look for leadership.
They don’t look for blame shifting, they don’t look for marketing spin, they don’t look for Defence forces being used in a political advertisement from the prime minister trying to tell us what a great job he’s doing, they look for action, they look for response, they look for help.
And let’s talk about the states. My home state of New South Wales [sic: and Australia] had 33 people die. My home state of New South Wales had significant loss when it comes to the death of citizens, the death of firefighters and, quite frankly, the loss of wildlife, the loss of homes, the devastation that was reaped upon New South Wales in this bushfire crisis was the worst in living memory for that state.
Updated
Mike Baird has left the NAB. That follows some pretty strong rumours he is preparing for a run in Zali Steggall’s seat of Warringah.
The Liberals have begun plans to take back Tony Abbott’s former seat. Less than a year after the election and the games have begun.
To be clear, there is no confirmation that Baird is running – but the talk has been around since May, so just keep a close eye on that one.
Updated
Paul Karp also reported on this story last night. It might get missed in the mix today but is worth noting.
The Australian Signals Directorate has already spied on Australians in the last year, invoking “rare circumstances” and seeking ministerial approval to extend its powers in an unspecified number of cases.
ASD’s director general, Rachel Noble, indicated in Senate estimates on Wednesday that although the focus of the agency’s powers was directed at gathering intelligence about people or organisations outside Australia, it had also produced intelligence about Australians.
The evidence follows the home affairs department secretary Michael Pezzullo’s confirmation on Monday that “detailed consideration” is under way to better use law enforcement to tackle “evils” on the dark web.
Updated
Sarah Martin and Ben Butler wrote a bit about what could be in the stimulus package last night:
A new business investment allowance, a financial boost for pensioners and immediate support for small and medium-sized businesses will form part of the government’s economic stimulus package aimed at protecting the economy from the fallout of the coronavirus.
The package, expected within days, comes as economists warn that the country is at risk of falling into recession, despite the latest national accounts figures showing the economy grew by 0.5% in the December quarter.
Following the rate cut, the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said the government was finalising its response to the coronavirus outbreak, with the severity of the downturn expected to be outlined in a meeting with the International Monetary Fund and Treasury officials on Wednesday night.
The Treasury secretary, Steven Kennedy, will update parliament on the growth forecasts when he fronts Senate estimates on Thursday morning.
Updated
Part of the reason the government is so worried is because coronavirus isn’t something that is just going to be around for a few months. Natural disasters have to eventually end. Droughts impact productivity and exports but other parts of the economy can hold up.
But a pandemic? That stops things from moving around everywhere.
So the government, which was working on holding on to its surplus no matter what, is now starting to hit the panic button.
The definitely-not-a-stimulus-don’t-call-it-that “economic boost” is now all but throwing off its cloak as a full-blown stimulus. For this government, that’s the equivalent of your parent’s pulling you aside as the oldest child and letting you know that sSanta won’t be coming this year but that there might be something small for the younger kids.
Josh Frydenberg spoke to ABC radio this morning:
We just don’t know how the virus will evolve in coming months. Ultimately it won’t be the economists that solve for this problem, it will be the scientists who solve for this problem and, as you know, a lot of good work is being done.
Updated
Good morning
Well, the V that became a U is now a holy moly, we have to do something about this.
After speaking to the IMF and Treasury, the government will announce the predictions of just how hard the coronavirus is expected to hit the Australian economy. And Josh Frydenberg has got out ahead, telling Sky News that the government’s stimulus package will be “in the billions”.
Exactly what is in it won’t be revealed until next week. It had been expected sometime in the next few weeks, but the RBA’s emergency rate cut has sped quite a few things up.
“Cash” and “flow” are the treasurer’s buzzwords. We are not spending enough money, which was already having a flow-on effect – after the drought and bushfires it wasn’t great (as Shane Wright at the Age told me yesterday, up to billion dollars injected into the economy icame from insurance payouts from the Queensland and northern NSW fires from September onwards, which is not exactly a sustainable boost) so coronavirus is not great.
The treasurer is trying to avoid a recession. So there needs to be some money in the floating.
“It will be worth billions in terms of the impact it will have,” Frydenberg told Laura Jayes this morning.
A business investment allowance, changing to deeming rates and tax breaks are all on the table.
Jim Chalmers says Labor will look at the package but its standing position at this stage is to be supportive.
We’ll have all of that and more as the day rolls on. Treasury estimates are up this morning. Mike Bowers is heading down the hallways already. You have Sarah Martin, Katharine Murphy and Paul Karp, as well as the rest of the Guardian brains trust. I will hunt down a coffee so as to stop looking hungrily at the coffee stain on my desk.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
Updated
