Night time political summary
- Tonight we finish where we began, with Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The two Australians have arrived on the island where they are due to be executed while the government and the opposition pleaded for clemency.
- The other bipartisan moment was provided over Labor’s matter of public importance on domestic violence. Michaela Cash launched a $30m awareness campaign funded between the federal and the state governments. Tony Abbott has agreed to discuss the opposition’s concept of a national summit with Bill Shorten but it is not clear whether the government will take up the idea.
- In a spectacular backflip, Tony Abbott announced an increase in defence force pay, from the government’s offer of 1.5% to 2%. Jacqui Lambie, who has refused to vote on government bills over the issue, says she is considering her options. But she does point out it is still way below pollies pay rises of 7%.
Thanks to the brains trust, Daniel Hurst, Lenore Taylor and Shalailah Medhora. All power to Mike Bowers who continues to be all over the parliament like a rash.
Tomorrow is the last day of sitting for the week.
Good night.
Labor has been rolling out a few policies of late, in an attempt to get away from the “small target” model of opposition.
This week, they announced a multinational tax avoidance policy.
Today, on domestic violence, Bill Shorten mentioned the following policies in the matter of public importance this afternoon.
- A national summit on family violence within the first 100 days of government.
- $15m for a homelessness/national Safe at Home grants program: so that the abuser is not rewarded, and the survivor can stay in the family home. It would provide funds for better security systems: alarms, locks and CCTV.
- $42m in frontline community legal services.
- $4.5m to build the capacity for capacity of Family Violence Prevention Legal Services given Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women suffer the highest rates of family violence.
- $8.4m to develop research into prevention/perpetrator accountability.
My eyes keep getting drawn back to Josh Robertson’s story on the womens event at a mens club.
LNP Women vice president Peta Simpson, who made the decision:
At the end of the day men are men and women are women and I know increasingly in society the lines are getting blurred. But how can we celebrate international women’s day knowing that there’s not an international men’s day – and then when the men do want to have something that’s for themselves, we can’t respect it?
It would appear Tony Abbott could see the suppository of wisdom comment coming. Malcolm Turnbull started with:
(Labor) thought they were the despository....repository...
To which Abbott roared: “Suppository!”
My colleague Josh Robertson has quizzed the organisers on the logic of holding a womens day function at a mens club.
The Queensland Liberal National party women’s group will hold its international women’s day event at a “men only” members club with the vice president questioning why it can’t be respected when men want something for themselves.
LNP Women has sent out invitations to its lunch in Brisbane on Friday at Tattersall’s, a 150-year-old club that invites $1,000 a year memberships from among the business and political elite – unless they are women.
LNP Women vice president Peta Simpson said the decision to celebrate international women’s day at a men’s only club came down to two factors: Tattersall’s represented the best value, and was the ideal forum to protest an establishment stacked against women’s political participation.
“I’ll speak only for myself here because I’m the person who made the final decision,” Simpson told Guardian Australia.
“At the end of the day, point blank, we made a decision on price. We booked it through one of our women members. And what better place to, I guess, rage against the establishment than in the establishment.”
I ask that further questions be taken on notice.
Christian Porter, a former WA treasurer, attorney general and crown prosecutor, is describing a case of a young indigenous woman who was the victim of domestic violence.
The key is to enter that causal change as early as possible...if it’s a crisis and we do one thing, we must make sure (restraining orders) are worth the paper they are written on.
Everyone of them is a human being and everyone of them is a citizen of this country and is owed this, says Plibersek.
She urges to the government to get on board with a national summit.
Tanya Plibersek is documenting cases of women murdered by family members, including Tanya Costigan, who was killed this week in Canberra by an ex-partner.
How many women, right now tonight, will fear for their lives and their children?
These speeches, Shorten, Morrison, Plibersek, are very powerful on domestic violence.
Labor thought they were the suppository of wisdom. As the PM said.
Scott Morrison is giving a response on domestic violence. He says MPs see the results every day (through their constituents). He says the sentiments in the house has to be translated into action.
Lenore Taylor has written a piece on the government’s efforts to chase down foreign investors who fail to get approval to buy property.
The government will investigate all realistic evidence of illegal foreign purchases of real estate and is receiving scores of tipoffs from around the country, Joe Hockey has said.
A day after the government ordered the Hong Kong property developer and billionaire Xu Jiayin to sell a $39m Sydney harbourside mansion – allegedly illegally acquired through an Australian front company – the treasurer said he was receiving information about other improperly acquired homes in cities other than Sydney and in lower price ranges.
Bill Shorten is speaking on a “matter of public importance”. It is on domestic violence and calls for a national summit on the issue.
Wyatt Roy asks Scott Morrison: Will the minister inform the house of the importance of being able to achieve savings in social services in order to fund changes to welfare and child-care that will support Australian families?
I hope all members on the other side know that it takes eight out of 10 income taxpayers going to work every single day to pay for our $150bn social services welfare bill.
Any economists out there?
Updated
There is a government question on how the Coalition is securing Australia’s borders.
Then a Labor question on a funding cut to community centres. Tony Abbott says all of “these organisations” have had their funding confirmed for the rest of the financial year.
Not sure what happens after that.
There is a government question to Christopher Pyne on the implications of not passing the higher education reforms.
Then Labor to Joe Hockey on the cost of fully restoring the private health insurance rebate, which was promised at the last election.
Treasurer, will the intergenerational report reflect the cost of restoring the private health insurance rebate?
I would love to, says Hockey, but you left us with no money.
Even the Speaker Bronwyn Bishop is interested in the answer.
There will be silence onboth sides of the house! It’s male only, I’m interested to see how the women got in but the PM has call.
Tony Abbott - bursting with enthusiasm - is asked why and digs the hole deeper.
This is just how wonderful this broad church that I lead is. Just how wonderful the broad church that I lead is.
Obviously they’ve now broken down the last barrier and they’ve made the men only club admit women! Admit women.
Isn’t that fantastic at last! They’ve admitted women and they’ve done it on International Women’s Day because of the Liberal National Party, smashing the glass ceiling yet again! Yet again we’re smashing the glass ceiling.
I say congratulations and thank God that bastion of old fashioned chauvinism has finally collapsed like the walls of Jericho at the trumpet cry of the Liberal and National Party. Good on you!
@JessMarie_News @couriermail Who said we don't understand irony?
— Ewen Jones MP (@EwenJonesMP) March 4, 2015
The Courier Mail has a story:
THE LNP will host its International Women’s Day event - at a men’s only club.
LNP Women has booked out Brisbane’s Tattersall’s Club on Friday to host the annual event that advocates women’s equality.
Labor asks Abbott if he is planning to limit bulk-billing to children and concession card holders or to introduce means-testing for bulk-billing?
No and no, says Abbott.
Stuart Robert, assistant defence minister, is going through all the initiatives for the defence forces as the operations increase in “tempo”, including
- free ADF health care for our people,
- an arts program - a nation first trial to help wounded, injured and ill through creative arts.
- streamlined post-separation health examinations.
- full electronic health records.
- restarted the gap year.
Meanwhile in the senate, Penny Wong and Mathias Cormann are having a Twitter war.
Mathias Cormann says chaos in government is a bad idea. Abbott’s lost his vote too? #senateqt
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 4, 2015
Yep. Australians voted against Labor chaos & for Coalition stability. "@SenatorWong: Mathias Cormann says chaos in govt bad idea. #senateqt”
— Mathias Cormann (@MathiasCormann) March 4, 2015
Labor’s Ed Husic asks Sussan Ley what she wants the bulk billing rate to be?
Husic has a disadvantaged electorate, says Ley, so the rate of bulk billing would remain quite high but wealthier electorates might need to make contributions.
More details on the Iraq deployment from Kevin Andrews, defence minister.
The troops will be stationed 25km north-west of Baghdad.
They will largely come from Brisbane’s 7th brigade.
Part of this total deployment of some 400 ADF and New Zealand personnel will be a very strong and significant force protection component because that is important to ensure that this training mission is one which is done as best we can to alleviate the risks of the safety and the security of those personnel involved.
You got me.
Tony Abbott is asked about a helpful opinion piece by Andrew Laming in the Daily Telegraph, which essentially described what the flaws of the co-payment policy and its implementation.
Abbott repeats his formula about getting it wrong.
I did read thearticle. I thought it was avery good article and I thoughtit was rather good and the member for Bowman (Laming) to amongst other things to suggest that one of the best ever health ministers had been someone whose modesty prevents me from naming.
Tanya Plibersek rises on indulgence to make the same points re Chan and Sukumaran.
I want to thank the foreign minister for suggesting that I have a moment on indulgence to speak about this important issue. There is a very strong bipartisan sense in this parliament that the death penalty is wrong in this case. It is always wrong to whomever it is applied wherever it is applied.
Julie Bishop’s points are consistent.
- Indonesians ask for the same clemency for their citizens.
- Chan and Sukumaran are reformed and helping reform other prisoners.
I spoke to the families of both men this morning. As you can imagine they are devastated. But they are just living day by day. And, Madam Speaker, on behalf of the parliament, I respectfully ask of the Indonesian President that he spare the lives of these two Australian citizens.
Craig Laundy asks Julie Bishop about a stay of execution for the Bali Nine duo.
Indonesian authorities are making preparations for execution of Chan and Sukumaran.
She talks about the ongoing campaign by government, including governor general and the opposition, to dissuade the Indonesian government.
The house is hushed.
Labor’s point is that Sussan Ley is still saying she is looking for anyone other than concession card holders to make a contribution. Ley says, indeed, that is what I said,
those who can make a modest contribution to their cost of care should be encouraged to do so.
Joe Hockey gets another question on the national accounts.
Then a Labor question on the Medicare copayment to Tony Abbott. He says the health minister Sussan Ley is more than capable of taking the question and invites her to the dispatch box.
Cathy McGowan, Indi indie, asks:
Problems with broadband remain one of the most prevailing issues raised by constituents in Indi. Can you tell the House what the situation is with NBN in Indi, and what is the plan to finish the job and a detailed answer by local government areas of Indi including timelines and a comment about the situation in Indi more broadly would help me answer constituents’ queries.
Malcolm Turnbull goes into a town by town answer and then into Labor’s history, metaphorically cuffing Tony Abbott on the back of the head along the way.
I want to acknowledge the very different, the big difference between our approach and the Labor Party’s. Labor thought that they knew everything. They thought they were the - indeed as the PM observes - the suppository of all wisdom on broadband but they were not. And you know, the Coalition, we believe in getting global experience.
Can’t. Help. Himself.
Labor asks what has changed with the defence pay deal, given his firm support.
Tony Abbott obfuscates.
What I said back then was that no-one would receive a better offer than our uniformed military personnel. That is what I said back then. And it was obvious, as time went by, that in order to ensure that that was the case, it was important that we upped the offer that was made to our uniformed military personnel.
This is what annoys people about politicians, in my opinion.
The reason for the backdown was clearly the twin wedge of his party room and Jacqui Lambie. So just say it was a bad decision and we have listened and move on. #justsaying
Another government question to Joe Hockey on the national accounts and the intergenerational report. Which is released every five years, by the way.
Joe is excited. He suggests Madame Speaker might still be around mid century in the chair due to longer lives.
It illustrates the demographic change in Australia’s future and it’s exactly, Madam Speaker, that there is in all likelihood a chance that by the middle of this century, life expectancy will be around 100 for every Australian.
Shorten asks Abbott whether the defence pay will be retrospective - that is, given from last November.
In a word no.
Abbott says it is not retrospective but will apply from the next pay period after defence remuneration tribunal approves the decision.
First government question previews the intergenerational report.
Tony Abbott says the IGR will be like a fiscal road map, which will detail how much the surpluses would be under Labor and how much it will be under the Coalition.
But it is not about politics.
Abbott says he is happy to sit down with Shorten to discuss “how to get better outcomes on this issue”.
He does not answer on the national summit.
Two women a week have died from domestic violence this year. Both Shorten and Abbott make the point.
First question from Bill Shorten to Tony Abbott on domestic violence.
Will the PM keep an open mind and meet with me to discuss the national summit?
It’s a very good question, says Abbott.
The Greens Adam Bandt have called on the government to pass on the defence pay deal to the rest of the public service.
If the government can give real pay rises to ADF personnel, which we welcome, the government can do it in the public service too. The Abbott government has been pushing cuts in real wages and conditions for public servants, resulting in unprecedented levels of industrial action.”
Question time coming soon.
The minister assisting the prime minister for women
Cash announced a $30m domestic violence awareness campaign, jointly funded by the state and the feds.
Labor out in force
Bill Shorten and Michaela Cash talk equity
Lunchtime political summary
-
Tony Abbott has backed down on defence force pay, offering a 2% pay rise instead of 1.5% which was below the inflation rate. Jacqui Lambie, who had refused to vote with government on any legislation in the senate, said it was still well below what politicians had received. Abbott said it was not about Lambie, but about doing what’s “right”.
- Foreign minister Julie Bishop has called the impending executions of Chan and Sukumaran “unacceptable and unthinking” in the face of ongoing legal challenges still in the Indonesian courts. The pair are in the process of being transferred to the execution location.
- Joe Hockey released the national accounts for the December 2014 quarter, showing economic growth at 0.5%, 2.5% higher than over the past year.
- Clive Palmer has apologising for telling Tony Abbott to commit suicide “when I meant political suicide”.
Labor’s Chris Bowen has commented on the national account figures.
More people unemployed in Australia than any time since 1994, the highest youth unemployment for a decade and this level of economic growth is not enough to see unemployment come down.
Bowen is preparing for the intergenerational report tomorrow, which he says is one month late, described as a breach of the law. Essentially, he is accusing Hockey of politicising the report.
On the IGR, Bowen says the government:
- is planning a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign.
- would not accept the advice of the immigration department on migration figures, which would underpin the forecasts of the IGR
- has included a chapter on the Labor Party.
And yet the Treasurer has the hide to claim this is not a political document. What he is doing is he is using an intergenerational report as a prop to help his flailing campaign to sell his unfair budget.
Clive sends out a message.
Today I inadvertently used the term suicide in regard to @TonyAbbottMHR when I meant political suicide. I apologise for any offence caused.
— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) March 4, 2015
Daniel Hurst spoke to Jack Heath, the chief executive of Sane Australia, who described the remarks as “totally inappropriate, irresponsible and unacceptable”.
It’s not the language we use whatever political differences might exist between people.
These are issues that touch people’s lives in such a personal way but to trivialise a thing like suicide and use language like this – we expect more from our political leaders.
It’s clear from the dialogue that [Palmer] realised the mistake he made and he sought to quickly qualify things but this is why you shouldn’t be going there in the first place.
Jacqui Lambie makes the point that the politicians and defence chiefs have seen fit to give themselves bigger pay rises.
Over the last ten years, on average the parliamentarians have had a 7% rise. The chief of defence hpay has doubled. The other issue is that we are paying for war that we should not be involved in yet we are not prepared to go and ask Iraq or any of the Middle East countries to contribute to the cost of what it’s costing our defence forces to be in the Middle East.
Jacqui Lambie says she has not made up her mind about whether she will start voting on government legislation until she speaks with the people of Tasmania.
Lambie was asked why she refused a briefing with Eric Abetz this morning. Lambie says he did not say what the briefing was about and she has been busy.
Updated
Jacqui Lambie is welcoming movement on the pay deal but is reserving full judgement until she gets feedback from defence forces.
The families and veterans are grateful for the 0.5% that he’s given them but effectively he has stolen a full 1 per cent off them. So I can tell you now I think, as one veteran put it to me over the phone, done it once and now he’s done it twice. If he was thinking it was going to help his stance as the PM and the Liberal Party and the National Party, then I think this is about to come back to bite him.
Lambie makes the point that “not once” has she been allowed to talk to Tony Abbott “one on one” so she can put the views of the defence force.
Joe Hockey has been asked about the ruling of against a foreign investor, who must now sell a $39m Sydney waterfront property. What if he doesn’t sell?
I don’t want toget into that scenario. I have issued a direction. There are obviously criminal sanctions available and there are a range of different mechanisms available. If it is sold at a profit, the owner gets to keep the profit. Having said that, under our new rules, there would be a very different outcome. If it’s sold at a loss, it sounds as though the owner has a capacity to absorb some of them.
Cast aside your cynicism.
Much has been made of the coming intergenerational report, given it will frame the next budget. Joe Hockey is asked why he is including budget projections in the IGR if a number of the measures have been blocked, thereby making the projections wrong.
Hockey says the budget is the financial working plan for the government. And then tells journalists not the prejudge the IGR.
Technology is going to change the way we live our lives. That’s all fantastic and exciting and one of the many reasons why I’m very positive about Australia’s future. But this (IGR) is just the information pack that starts the debate. It’s the information pack that says look, this is a demographic trend, this is a trend in government expenditure. How are we going to pay for our future, but more importantly, how are we going to embrace our future? In that regard I would urge you not to prejudge the IGR, not to come with a cynical approach. Cast aside the cynicism, come onboard with positive attitude towards the future of Australia.
Joe Hockey is framing all his comments within the context of the intergenerational report to be released on Thursday.
Q: Given it is growing at a sub-trend rate, the unemployment rate is destined go up from here, would you agree?
Look, 2.5% for the year in the face of the massive transition the Australian economy is a good outcome. It’s right on track.. around about where we were expecting to be.
Joe Hockey again:
- “Our income” as a nation picked up in the quarter.
- Nominal GDP rising by a solid 0.6%.
- Real gross national income also rose in the quarter.
- The terms of trade fell again by 1.7% in the quarter, that’s the fourth consecutive fall.
But we continue to face global headwinds from Europe and Asia which have put downward pressure on our commodity prices...Since coming to government we have witnessed the largest fall in terms of trade. That said, Australia is still performing well by international comparisons.
Joe Hockey on the national accounts figures.
This is the strongest outcome for household consumption in three years. Household savings continued to drift down from higher levels as consumers become more confident. Housing investment rose by 2.5% in the quarter to be a remarkable 1% higher than it was a year ago.
Jacqui Lambie is coming up shortly on defence pay. So is treasurer Joe Hockey on growth figures. As is the gender equity lunch at the press club.
Spinning plates.
Clive Palmer is clearly getting more and more frustrated he is not the centre of attention these days. He gets away with a lot, like the mad uncle at the wedding. But he needs to be held to the same standards as all other politicians and public officials.
For help or support in Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Clive Palmer tells Tony Abbott to commit suicide
Daniel Hurst reports that in his press conference, Clive Palmer has told
We all agree we are going to vote against the retrospective education [bill]. Why are we going to do it? This report tells us we should, because we are number one in the world. There’s a million students going to tertiary education in this country. There’s a million more that’s about to go, and a million more that’s just left. They’ve all got parents.
So commit suicide Tony Abbott, you know.
Then Palmer laughed.
Daniel Hurst asked whether it was respectable to make that comment in the debate. Palmer answered:
Because it’s not a debate...I would raise it because its suicide, political suicide, to go against the will of what’s good for the Australian people.
Friends, Romans, countrypeeps, lend me your ears.
Shalailah has also provided this comment from the Defence Force Welfare Association, which wanted a slightly bigger rise. The association’s national president, David Jamison, said that the new offer was “as fair as could be expected” in the currently budgetary environment.
We would have hoped for a bit more, but we’ve got to concede that 2% is fair. It will at least ensure that ADF pay won’t go backwards.
Updated
OK, Clive is continuing though I don’t have access to his smiling face so I will bring you Daniel Hurst’s reports as soon as is humanly possible.
In the meantime on the pay deal, it is worth remembering there has been widespread industrial action. Here is Shalailah Medhora’s earlier story on where the general public service is up to.
Australia is in the midst of an “unprecedented level of industrial action” within the public service, as workers refuse to accept pay offers put forward by the government, according to a trade union.
The departments of defence, employment, agriculture, human services and veterans’ affairs, as well as the CSIRO and tax office, have all moved to take industrial action over pay and conditions.
Economic growth = 0.5%
Economic growth figures for the December quarter = 0.5%.
Clive Palmer is standing in front of a chart showing government debt. He is quoting a government report.
He is making the point about what good shape - relatively - the Australian economy is in.
We now know what he and the former treasurer Wayne Swan were talking about last night.
What they (the government) were telling the media is just a lie.
Updated
The A Team.
Tony Abbott has not spoken to Joko Widodo since last week. This is the point he made to the Indonesian president.
The point is that Indonesia does have a serious drug problem, a very serious drug problem but these two, because of their rehabilitation, were actually helping Indonesia in the fight against drug crime and it makes no sense whatsoever to kill people who are working for you and with you.
Anger is not a very good basis on which to determine policy or conduct: Abbott on executions
Tony Abbott is asked about Chan and Sukumaran. Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry has said he will never visit Indonesia again.
I can very much understand their position. There are millions ofAustralians who feel quite angry at this time at what is happening. I have to say, anger is not a very good basis on which to determine a nation’s policy. In the long run, anger is not a very good basis on which to determine your own conduct.
Let’s see how things develop. Let’s maintain our values. Let’s maintain our respect for human life as a nation and as a society. Let’s remember that a good relationship with Indonesia is very important to this country and whatever might happen in the next few days, the relationship with Indonesia must endure and, over time, it must grow stronger. Obviously, this is a very difficult period for the relationship and I hope that even at this late hour, the better angels of the Indonesians peoples’ nature will reassert themselves.
How far from the frontline will the troops be based?
Tony Abbott says there is “no such thing as a frontline as such”.
This is a dangerous place. That is why it is a highly capable armed force that we are sending there for this training mission.
The cost of war.
Tony Abbott on the Iraq deployment.
There was the deployment that we announced in September, the air component and the special forces component. That is costing $250m or thereabouts in the current financial year.
This new deployment, this capacity deployment, is estimated to cost in the order of $100 million over a 12-month period. They are the additional costs of these deployments to Iraq.
Abbott says no deal with Jacqui Lambie - defence pay rise is the right thing to do
Tony Abbott says he has not done a deal with Jacqui Lambie over the defence deal.
I respect Senator Lambie’s position. As a former member of the Australian Defence Force, she obviously has a keen interest herself in the outcomes that are delivered by government for our Defence Force personnel. We have done this because we believe under all the circumstances, it is the right thing to do.
Abbott is asked whether it is another example of sticking with a bad policy for too long.
Obviously what we need to do is manage the nation’s finances that can get us out of the difficulties that the former government left us in but we have to do it in ways which take the Australian people with us.
The pay offer means the defence department civilians (regular public service) have a different offer to uniform personnel. The public service have voted to take industrial action.
Will that be reviewed now, and if not is there a danger that a too greater gulf is opening up?
One of the differences between a uniform pay setting and public service pay setting is that uniform pay setting is simply done by the government, whereas Australian public service pay setting is a negotiated process which goes before a tribunal in the end for a decision, says Abbott.
Tony Abbott:
We ask a lot of our defence forces and the fact we have deployed additional numbers of our defence forces into what is a difficult and dangerous mission - training mission, not a combat mission - but nevertheless difficult and dangerous. It does reinforce just how much we ask of our defence forces.
Remember this was the sticking point with crossbencher Jacqui Lambie.
Tony Abbott increases defence force pay
Kevin Andrews:
The Government is asking the chief of the defence force to approach the defence tribunal in order to increase the pay amount to the Defence Forces, the military forces, from the current amount of 1.5% to 2%. 2% is slightly above the current rate of inflation of 1.7%.
Tony Abbott says it is still “frugal government” but it acknowledges the “special compact” of the defence forces.
It will cost $200m over the forward estimates.
Updated
Tony Abbott is up now, stressing the Iraq involvement is a TRAINING exercise. Not flanked by flags, rather he is flanked by his loyal lieutenants, defence minister Kevin Andrews, chief whip Andrew Nikolic, local MP Peter Hendy.
Andrews has just announced a pay rise 1.5% to 2%.
As you know, we only have one Mike Bowers. He was covering other events this morning when Tony Abbott made the trip to the press gallery.
So he has reconstructed the event. Herewith.
Updated
There are a few moving parts today.
Journalists are preparing to doorstop the Indonesian ambassador in Perth.
Tony Abbott will give a press conference at Joint Operation Command Centre, just outside of Canberra.
Not a flag in sight.
Plain blue & coat of arms for PM presser today at JOCC outside Canberra @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/IxsanOZ9g0
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) March 3, 2015
The Council of Australian Governments is currently discussing a national domestic violence order system but Bill Shorten says Coag is only part of the solution.
COAG is part of an answer, absolutely. But one of the things about family violence is that at its core it’s about gender inequality. The violence is the ultimate outcome of gender inequality but the key risk factor, to suffer family violence is not your race, it’s not your ethnicity, it’s not your post code, your wealth, it is whether you are a woman.
At the National Press Club, Shorten will join Michaela Cash, minister assisting the prime minister for women to discuss the issue. Tony Abbott is the minister for women.
Also taking part is Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Young Australian of the Year (QLD); Helen Conway, director, Workplace Gender Equality Agency; and Julie McKay, executive director of the Australian National Committee for UN Women.
I will bring you some of that as it happens.
Labor’s Bill Shorten wants a national summit on domestic violence.
We will do it within the first 100 days if elected, that’s if the prime minister doesn’t want to do it now, is that this problem requires not just premiers and prime ministers. This is a problem where 17 in every 100 Australian women will face violence from their current or former partner, where only 20% of these acts of violence will get reported to the police. We need a summit where you bring together not just powerful premiers and the prime minister - survivors, the people who work in the legal services, the people who understand the epidemic of violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Updated
By way of the grapevine, spies report Clive Palmer dined with Wayne Swan last night. More dumplings.
More good sports.
Bipartisan debate.
Someone has to be on the reserves.
Policy Part II.
2014 Budget higher education reforms. Latter day history.
In January this year, Christopher Pyne set a March deadline. Here is what he said.
We want to get this reform through in February or March this year but we will not so adulterate the reforms that they’re now meaningless.
And if that’s the situation in Australia today, if the crossbenchers are not up to microeconomic reform because they don’t want to be unpopular with any organisation in Australia or any particular individual, well, the government will accept the decision of the Senate.
On February 20, the architect of HECS, Bruce Chapman wrote a submission suggesting a “penalty” for universities. Effectively it worked like a sliding scale, so as uni fees rose, government funding dropped. Last night, Pyne’s spokesman told Daniel Hurst:
A number of proposals, including the submission by HECS architect Bruce Chapman to the Senate committee, are currently being discussed with cross benchers.
As we have previously stated we intend to consult and negotiate to secure passage of the reforms, which inevitably involves listening to and discussing ideas. It is however unhelpful to give a detailed running commentary on negotiations.
A reminder that this morning, Tony Abbott said he was not for turning on the higher education changes because, unlike the Medicare co-payment, the universities supported the policy.
Back to pesky policy.
On Medicare co-payment, Tony Abbott repeated his mea culpa on the failing to consult doctors.
For a sad and sorry history of the co-payment, Michelle Grattan has written a fulsome piece at The Conversation. Here is a taste:
(AMA president) Brian Owler, whose day job involves using the scalpel on patients’ heads, takes up blunter instruments when dealing with politicians. In the medical trade, they claim decisiveness is a surgeon’s trait. He is a capable and indefatigable media performer, had something to prove to his members and was more than a match for a government on the ropes.
As Owler said on Tuesday, the co-payment “has been dead for some time” – it was only a matter of pronouncing its passing.
Abbott did not attend the burial. He was more comfortable flanked by eight flags and the chief of the Australian Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, announcing more Australian troops for Iraq. (Health minister Sussan) Ley’s news conference followed immediately. She was alone.
Julie Bishop backs Barack Obama's negotiations with Iran
Foreign minister Julie Bishop has supported Barack Obama this morning over Israel. Obama is negotiating with Iran to curtail its nuclear program, much to the chagrin of Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu. Overnight he said:
That’s why this deal is so bad: it doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb; it paves Iran’s path to the bomb.
Bishop said she supported the P5 plus 1 negotiations, as they are known.
We understand Israel’s deep concerns about Iran’s nuclear program but we support the P5 plus 1 negotiations and we want to see what negotiated outcome can be achieved. If there is no outcome then more time should be given to the process because we believe a negotiation is the best way to achieve peace in this regard.
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Tony Abbott on Chan and Sukumaran
Tony Abbott on the impending executions.
At every moment I am making Australia’s position clear, as is the foreign minister. We frankly are revolted by the prospect of these executions. I think there are millions of Australians who feel sick in their stomachs at the thought of what is likely to happen.
We abhor drug crime but we abhor the death penalty as well which we think is beneath a country such as Indonesia and I note that there are many people in Indonesia today who would like it not to go ahead with these executions.
We are making our position absolutely crystal clear through every possible channel. What I don’t want, though, is to hold out false hope.
There has been a parliamentary Olympics of sorts going on here over the last two days. The press gallery versus the pollies at swimming, netball, soccer and cricket. Mike Bowers turned up at 6am to watch the netball at which the pollies whipped the press. Bowers reports that Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie owned the court. Sky politics presenter David Speers was also “surprisingly dexterous”. It would appear his sporting skills match his television skills.
Here’s McKenzie running interference.
The game is also a chance for bipartisanship.
The winners 6-4.
Reaching across the divide.
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I have been watching pictures on Sky News of an armoured vehicle – apparently known as the Wolf – driving away from the Kerobokan prison. Chan and Sukumaran will be taken to Nusakambangan, the island where the executions will take place. Sky reports the vehicles left at 5.18am local time.
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The cogs were whirring earlier and there was not enough downward dog that could have prepared me to see the flurry in the pink corridors as I arrived at the top of ABC’s AM program. It seems after Bollardgate yesterday, Tony Abbott did the shorter walk of shame down the press gallery corridors to the ABC studio. The shorter walk involves the TV end of the gallery.
For those who are not political tragics – the PM used to be in the habit of wandering through the corridors popping into the odd office for a cheerio. Allowing a bit of a chat. Not so much these days. The photographers/camera people – the keepers of all knowledge – say it has not been done this year.
Anyway, better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick. Loving the new consultative government. Hell, he even did a doorstop outside afterwards.
This, from young Alex Ellinghausen over at Fairfax.
The Prime Minister departs the Press Gallery pic.twitter.com/CApU3hwwM8
— ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) March 3, 2015
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Tony Abbott admits Indonesia hardening to Bali Nine duo
Morning political teamsters.
We wake to the pictures of Indonesian police massing outside the Bali prison, apparently in preparation for the move of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. Sky is reporting that the convicted drug dealers have now been moved. Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop have been out early, pleading their case but it would appear that those messages are falling on deaf ears, notwithstanding the remarkable rehabilitation stories of the pair.
Here are the key messages from the PM this morning:
On Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran:
- We are making position crystal clear through every possible channel.
- There were suggestions earlier that some in Indonesian system were having second thoughts, but it seems to be waning.
It does look like the Indonesian position is hardening.
On the Budget:
- We were too ambitious on the budget.
- On the Medicare co-payment, the “lesson should have learned better from days of health minister”. That is, deal the doctors in or there is no deal.
- But - the university deregulation is different because “we have the very strong backing of the university sector” - even though they had their worries in the beginning. Canberra should not be micromanaging unis.
- The intergenerational report out on Thursday shows:
that, had we got all of the budget measures through, the structural changes through, we would have set our country up for a generation.
On domestic violence:
- We want to see is a national domestic violence order scheme
We need to also have a uniform national set of procedures around this – the way police handle these matters and we also need to have a much stronger approach to online violence because there is a lot of online persecution and harassment these days.
On Malcolm Turnbull’s kind words:
Malcolm hearts Tony hearts Malcolm.
- MTdog is a great contributor, done a “really good job” with the NBN and Malcolm is dealing with Australia Post’s issues.
I’ve got a very strong team and I am honoured to be their captain.
Michael Brissenden asks what have you learnt from this experience of #libspill?
Well, I have learnt that you’ve got to stay focused every day. And everyday you have to demonstrate to the people of Australia that you are not focussed internally, you are focussed on them. On you the voters.
The point I make and I think there’s only so much profit in these discussions but the point I make is that it’s quite a different mood in our party room today than just three weeks ago. Obviously three weeks ago, we had been for through a rough patch. We had all had the trauma of watching the Queensland election result. But I think we have put all of that behind us and we are now focussed on governing, on doing the right thing by the people of Australia every single day.
As you can see, hump day is shaping up to be a doosy, so stick with me @gabriellechan and @mpbowers.
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