Night time political wrap
- David Johnston has been censured by the senate after a three hour debate, with the support of six crossbenchers as Tony Abbott declared his confidence in the embattled defence minister. The last time a cabinet minister was censured was 2005.
- Bill Shorten has launched a scathing critique of Tony Abbott, casting the Australian prime minister as a backward-looking failure at home and “adrift” on the world stage. The opposition leader said the government had “no prospect” of getting its higher education changes through the Senate, had lost the argument for other contentious budget proposals, and should drop the measures before next month’s economic update.
- Tony Abbott accused Bill Shorten of xenophobia for criticising the possibility of a Japanese contractor manufacturing Australian submarines.
- The senate passed the counter terrorism bill on sharing intelligence with the ADF and expanding control orders.
- David Leyonhjelm introduced his same sex marriage bill to force the Coalition party room to debate the issue.
-
A report into sexual abuse in the defence force has recommended a royal commission.
Thanks for your company. We have had a lot of fun with #BrickSenate and appreciate your similarly offbeat sense of humour. Mike Bowers was a brick (geddit!) as was my colleagues.
Lastly, that Xenophon paddle that began the blog, has been sighted in a number of places in the parliament. A little like a garden gnome, it has travelled.
Good night.
Just back to duelling chambers during question time. There is a small point I want to pick up on.
As you would have heard all week, Tony Abbott has taken a lot of grief for his broken promise on the ABC and SBS, including from his own party room. Part of the problem is that Abbott made such a feature of under-promising after Julia Gillard’s famous promise,
there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.
Leaving aside the whole carbon price argument, after relentless attack by Abbott, Gillard conceded on February 27, 2011:
Yes, I did say that and circumstances have changed.
Today in question time, Tony Abbott used a very similar form of words on his ABC promise.
Circumstances changed, events moved on.
I overlooked this story in the Financial Review by Phil Coorey this morning. Rumours are swirling this afternoon that it may come to pass as early as today. This was Coorey’s take.
The federal government is poised to dump the $7 Medicare charge and water down its paid parental leave scheme as it seeks to clear itself of problems before Christmas and begin the new year on the front foot.
Other contentious budget measures, including the higher education deregulation, still the subject of furious negotiation with the Senate crossbench, are under a cloud because the government is determined to rid itself of damaging issues it feels it cannot resolve.
After taking the backdown proposals to cabinet and the outer-ministry on Monday night, Tony Abbott told his MPs on Tuesday the past year had been difficult and, at times, tumultuous, but there was reason to be optimistic about the next 18 months.
Eager to start 2015 free of baggage, he told a meeting of Liberal MPs, and then a subsequent joint meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs, there were “one or two barnacles on the ship but by Christmas they will have been dealt with”.
We have no confirmation yet. I’m just passing on whispers from the corridor.
A word about the sub vote. South Australian independent Nick Xenophon is ill this afternoon. He had a pair, so he effectively voted for both the suspension of standing orders and the censure motion. Given all round bollocking for the government this morning (with paddle), we could have guessed he would enthusiastically censure Johnston.
David Leyonhjelm is introducing his Freedom to Marry bill “to reduce government intervention in marriage”.
Tanya Plibersek, who has her own same sex marriage bill which has been ready for a year, made some comments this afternoon on her position.
As I have said many times, I will only introduce the bill when Tony Abbott allows members of the Coalition partyroom a conscience vote, because that’s the only way the bill would have any prospect of succeeding.
Leyonhjelm is taking the opposite tack - introducing the bill so that it forces the Coalition to consider the issue in the party room.
Senate censures defence minister David Johnston
Voting with Labor: Greens, Lazarus, Wang, Lambie, Muir and Madigan.
Voting with the government: Day and Leyonhjelm.
Senate censures David Johnson for disparaging remarks about ASC.
Updated
Lambie will support the censure motion.
Division now on Labor’s motion to censure the defence minister David Johnston over his comments that he would not trust the government owned ASC to “build a canoe”.
Jacqui Lambie is speaking on the censure. She says the subs should be built in Australia. Johnston is arrogantly living off the Anzac legend while cutting the pay of the Anzac diggers, says Lambie.
He was missing in action when the real wages were cut, says Lambie. She has prepared a private members bill to link ADF pay to politicians wages.
Senator Faulkner is reading from a defence manual. I missed the name but it appears to be a procurement manual or in other words, How To Be A Good Defence Minister.
The issue is whether a reasonable person would feel the minister had an apprehension of bias (on procurement).
Faulkner welcomed Tony Abbott’s statement supporting the ASC.
He says Johnston should assure the senate he has sought advice on all procurement processes on the submarine contracts and he should share the advice with the senate to show things are above board.
Senator John Faulkner, a former defence minister, has been goaded into speaking by George Brandis.
Faulkner is saying when he was defence minister, he tried to keep defence bipartisan and refused to dump on previous ministers.
So is just going to limit his remarks on David Johnston to “process and probity issues”.
I am concerned that the comments by the minister of defence are not consistent with these requirements to act ethically and particularly equitably.
South Australian minister Martin Hamilton-Smith, former Liberal and now independent, has urged the federal government to get state government, industry and unions in a room, lock the door and work it out.
In the senate, it is Eric Abetz’ turn to defend Johnston. He reprimands Labor for moving “flippant” censure motions.
Assistant defence minister Stuart Robert is speaking to David Speers at Sky right now on the government position.
Absolutely we trust ASC.
Stephen Conroy turns his attack towards Christopher Pyne, an Adelaide MP, who this morning said Johnston should not have made the remarks. Conroy says Pyne has said nothing to defend the Adelaide-based company ASC for six months.
I welcome the fact that Mr Pyne has grown a spine.
Julie Bishop, he says, simply said she accepted the defence minister’s statement.
SA minister Jamie Briggs, he says, called the comments wrong.
His own colleagues have abandoned him, says Conroy. No friends on his frontbench or his backbench.
Put your vote where your mouth is, says Conroy. Stand up for your state.
Stephen Conroy up now, saying his comments:
undermine national security.
Conroy says John Howard told Tony Abbott not to put David Johnston in the defence ministry. Had Abbott taken the “wise advice” of John Howard, the government would not be in the position.
David Johnston is still speaking with great calm, I might say. He doesn’t seem worried by the reaction.
For my sins I have worn the odium of two hours this morning.
He says the men who are doing the welding and fit outs at ASC are doing a good job, its the management that is the problem.
Back to Bill Shorten, who gave a personal explanation in the lower house after question time in response to Abbott’s accusation of xenophobia over the possibility of a Japanese contractor for submarines.
Shorten said he said no such thing and that he supported ASC.
Here is what Shorten said to a rally in Adelaide on the issue.
For goodness sake, Tony Abbott, buy a map of the world...We are an island, Tony Abbott, and our navy matters...This is a government with a short memory...In the Second World War, 366 merchant ships were sunk off Australia.
Updated
We saw promises, doorstops, no decisions and no action by Kevin Rudd, says Johnston.
David Johnston says Labor had SAS pay adjusted and SAS troops serving in the field received debt letters from the government.
The comparison is off the planet.
Johnston said the only threat to the future submarine program was the exercise in “fooling the Australian public” by Labor.
You set out to pretend you were building 12 submarines.
So here we are in 2014, and I have had to start from scratch.
David Johnston is on his feet defending himself yet again.
He says the greatest insult he has ever seen was when Julia Gillard sent a bodyguard to the National Security Committee.
You were the greatest underminers in Australia’s defence capabilities in the six and a half years you were there.
At least the censure motion has brought old friends together in the senate. Though we can’t show you the real photo, Jacqui Lambie has talked to Glenn Lazarus for the first time since the rift. By the way, that’s Ricky Muir on the other side of Jacqui.
Jacqui Lambie talks to Glenn Lazarus #BrickSenate @murpharoo @gabriellechan @GuardianAus http://t.co/dxZxKbj6NB pic.twitter.com/7dTRrjSW7U
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) November 26, 2014
Updated
Penny Wong accuses Johnston and the government of demonising ASC to justify breaking the promise to build the subs in Adelaide.
That is a fundamentally dishonourable thing to do.
The government is abandoning the shipbuilding industry in Adelaide.
Labor censure motion of David Johnston
The Labor motion in the senate is thus:
I move that the Senate censures the Minister for Defence (Senator Johnston) for:
1) Insulting the men and women of ASC by stating he “wouldn’t trust them to build a canoe”;
2) Undermining confidence in Australia’s defence capability;
3) Threatening the integrity of the Future Submarine Project, Australia’s largest defence procurement, by demonstrating bias and failing to conduct a competitive tender;
4) Breaking his promise made on 8 May 2013 to build 12 new submarines at ASC in South Australia; and
5) Cutting the real pay, Christmas and recreation leave for Australian Defence Force personnel.
Penny Wong says with his comments, Johnston has compromised the procurement process for future submarine contracts. Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs are involved.
In the lower house, Labor is also prosecuting the same case against David Johnston in a matter of public importance. They failed to get a censure motion up earlier today. The MPI is “The Prime Minister’s refusal to sack the Minister for Defence”.
So South Australian senator Bob Day did not support a move to allow a censure debate, notwithstanding Johnston’s comments about a large company and industry in his state.
Vote goes 39 to 33, which means Labor now moves its motion to censure defence minister David Johnston. Penny Wong will now argue the case.
Labor gets the votes of the Greens, Lazarus, Wang, Lambie, Muir, Madigan.
The government only gets Day and Leyonhjelm.
No sign of Xenophon.
Senate now dividing on the motion to suspend standing orders. Which way will the crossbenchers go?
Christopher Pyne defends the speaker against Burke and Bowen.
It was full of argument, inference, imputation, insults, ironical expressions and you ruled it out quite correctly, says Pyne.
In the house, Labor’s Tony Burke asks Abbott: who came up with the strategy of lying about lying and how do you reckon it’s going?
Speaker Bishop rules it offensive and out of order. Burke rephrases. Speaker Bishop is still offended and gives the question away. Burke just got punted for impertinance.
George Brandis is again defending Johnston, whom he called the finest defence minister of recent times. He calls the comments “exuberance”.
So you know, government members have also called the comments:
- Rhetorical flourish
- Overstatement in question time
- Slip of the tongue
Labor’s Stephen Conroy has just posited that given The Australian opinion writers have suggested Johnston has to go.
You know what happens when the Australian says you are in the way of the government. You have to scrape the barnacle off the bottom and move on.
Labor and Greens try to censure Johnston
Christine Milne says the Greens will support Labor’s suspension of standing orders to debate censure of David Johnston.
We should have a debate on the confidence of the minister.
She says Johnston has showed he doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the procurement in defence.
Eric Abetz answers the motion to suspend standing orders.
This motion is about getting a very capable defence minister who in opposition saw the demise of a Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon.
Even Johnston laughs and looks down, slightly embarrassed.
Abetz calls Johnston’s remarks that “he would not trust ASC to build a canoe” an
overstatement in question time.
Wong to Johnston, will the minister undertake to build 12 news subs at ASC in Adelaide?
The one important ingredient missing from (Wong’s) case is truth.
Johnston refuses to answer.
Warrior Wong moves a suspension of standing orders in the senate to censure David Johnston.
It is untenable for him to continue in the ministry of defence.
Liberal senator Ian Macdonald tries to intervene but is sat down.
Most people would say this is a legitimate matter for debate, given the debate in Australia in the past 24 hours, says Wong. She says his comments effectively knocked out one of the bidders in the tender process.
David Leyonhjelm asks about the Renewable Energy Target and whether the RET was an achievable target.
Mathias Cormann says they are taking advice on it at the moment.
This is about Leyonhjelm and the government’s deal to rewrite the RET as foreshadowed in this story by Lenore Taylor.
Leyonhjelm again asks about spiralling power prices and whether the government will work with the crossbench on reform.
We will work with everyone, says Cormann because we want to ensure Australian manufacturing remains competitive.
In the house, Shorten to Abbott: I refer to reports back today that the PM scraping off barnacles. Which barnacle will the PM scrape off today? His disaster of a defence minister or his disaster of a GP tax?
I reckon what we need to lose is Barnacle Bill! Let ‘s get rid of Barnacle Bill, says Abbott.
In the senate, David Johnston said he sat down with the chair of ASC to work out the problems between the government and the company and “for my trouble, I don’t think I got very far”.
(Digging deeper.)
He says he did not criticise the workers.
Johnston is asked again at his remarks.
It may have been that I got over involved in the issues.
Back on to union slush funds and the registered organisations bill.
Labor is asking Tony Abbott again if he will sack Johnston given he has overseen a cut in real wages to the ADF?
The Government is proposing a 1.5% increase for members of our Defence Forces. So the premise of the member’s question is simply false. Simply false. Simply false. So, Madam Speaker, if members opposite want to have a proper debate in this House, they should deal with facts, not fiction. I’ve concluded my answer.
Sounds like the PM has not grappled with the concept of real wages.
The man of the moment.
In the senate, the government is reprising the former Labor MP Craig Thomson’s case. Thomson has been in court this week. Eric Abetz is outlining that there is more than “one bad apple” in the trade union movement. In the lower house, Christopher Pyne and justice minister Michael Keenan are talking about corruption in the construction industry, primarily the CFMEU.
Abbott is asked by Adam Bandt if he can visit Victoria.
With less than 72 hours until people start voting in Saturday’s Victorian election, will the PM please spend as much time in Melbourne as possible? Will the PM explain his Liberal Government’s vision for a society where wind turbines don’t get built, money is cut from public education and public transport gets nothing at all.
Abbott does not take a backward step.
I’m very happy to give the member my vision for Victoria and for Melbourne. My vision for Melbourne is a Melbourne with East West Link built. That is my vision for Melbourne. My vision for Victoria is a state that’s run by the premier, not by the leader of the CFMEU, that’s what my vision is for Melbourne.
Abbott has also said defence minister Johnston does not deserve his treatment.
This minister does not deserve to be undermined by members opposite… just because of a slip of the tongue in the senate yesterday
Abbott on Shorten:
The Leader of the Opposition went to the ASC and he said that the last thing Australia should ever happen is a Japanese submarine. That is what he said because remember World War II! That is exactly what he said. He was kind of like a reverse John Cleese, that’s what he was. Remember the war.
Tony Abbott accuses Shorten of xenophobia
Tony Abbott has just accused Bill Shorten of not wanting a Japanese company to build submarines because of WWII. He accuses Shorten of xenophobia “when he has his union leaders’ hat on”.
The Leader of the opposition says that we could have submarines as long as they have nothing to do with Japan because of what happened in World War II
David Johnston said Labor’s charge of bias towards a Japanese submarine company, away from the ASC, is completely unfounded.
I actually don’t make the decision, it is such a large contract so it will go to the National Security Committee. The government makes the decision, says Johnston.
Defence minister Johnston "I took my medicine for about an hour this morning" #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/mchKUS3xfi
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) November 26, 2014
Cory Bernardi asks David Johnston to outline why the ASC contracts were so behind, following the management of former Gillard minister Penny Wong.
It’s about the ASC’s previous contract on the Air Warfare Destroyers.
So the government is mounting a defence of defence minister. Johnston is even getting the Dixer questions in the senate, maintaining him in the public eye.
Johnston said one of the principal reasons for my contrition is because SA Liberal leader Steven Marshall criticised him.
Updated
Tony Abbott says David Johnston has “my full confidence”.
Sounds like Johnston is safe for now.
In the lower house, Abbott says Johnston is doing a great job.
The minister for defence is doing an outstanding job, absolutely outstanding job., following six years of neglect by members opposite, says Abbott.
In senate question time, Penny Wong asks David Johnston to explain why he should not resign.
Johnston says:
I took my medicine.
Johnston agrees he said the wrong thing and he regrets it.
David Johnston has responded to the defence task force
I recognise that considerable work remains to be done. Further support is required for those who have contacted the task force. The government is determined to ensure that the task force terms of reference be fully and independently discharged. Therefore, while the task force was due to conclude on 30 November this year, the government has decided to extend the task force with a view to bringing its important work to a timely and appropriate conclusion.
Question time coming up people. We are expecting a lot of action in the senate. It’s going to be hard to cover both the senate and the house of reps but we will do our best. Here are the senators limbering up.
Bill Shorten is asked about the budget and what should be dropped in the face of budget problem. How should Joe Hockey handle it? Shorten predicts the government may drop higher education deregulation as one of the “barnacles” Tony Abbott said he would remove.
Well the first thing is he should just go down to Bunnings, not Bunnings, go to Kmart or Target, buy himself a white tea towel, put it on a wooden broom and wave surrender on his silly changes.
Shorten is asked about Labor’s idea of fairness and how it equates with asylum seeker policy, where Labor has moved to the right.
I believe that Labor’s push for regional resettlement has been the cornerstone upon which the people smugglers’ model has been broken. In terms of this government and what they’re doing in terms of their temporary visas, we need to look at the detail carefully.
And fairness?
A number of questions have been asked pushing Bill Shorten to acknowledge the mistakes Labor made in government. He vaguely mentions not being brave enough on climate change.
there’s no doubt and we’ve taken responsibility for various matters over the last year and a quarter. But we missed an opportunity in 2009 with the collapse of Copenhagen and in hindsight, I’m not saying I had this view at the time but in hindsight, and hindsight is an invaluable tool, we’ve all used it, is we should have pushed for a double dissolution and there is no doubt that Tony Abbott ran a very effective campaign against the high fixed price on carbon that we put in that term. So yeah, I get that we need to rebuild trust.
Mike Bowers, meantime, is having too much fun.
Heffernan- I withdraw Mr President that Senator Conroy is a blockhead #BrickSenate @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/d4xJtzXfcT
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) November 26, 2014
Finally Shorten addresses Labor’s reputation from the previous government:
I recognise that Labor has to rebuild the nation’s faith in us. We are are determined to earn the trust of the Australian people. We will earn their trust and we will repay their trust. Today I give Australians this commitment. We will seek a mandate based on a positive plan. We will not ask the Australian people to vote for us just because we are not the Abbott Government.
That final line a direct nod to the last election.
Bill Shorten at the Press Club:
For people on lower earning careers, like teaching, nursing and community work, and for women in particular, Christopher Pyne is playing loan shark. Today it takes a woman social worker around 9 years to pay off her degree. Under Tony Abbott’s changes she would never pay back her total HECS bill.
Bill Shorten prosecutes the case against the Coalition’s budget while moving onto the Labor agenda.
Labor would have signed up to the China-led Asian Infrastructure Bank, which Abbott has declined until the rules change.
Shorten says if Australia is to competing in the “new world order” governments have to create jobs in a global economy. Shorten again pushes his higher education priority, in contrast to the government’s higher education deregulation, which will increase university fees.
A lifetime of student debt is not a reform.
Bill Shorten says Abbott was “blind-sided” by China and the US on climate change and described as a “flat-earther” by Tories in Britain.
The PM was lost in space. While real world events were moving around him. Remember, even the hyped up shirt front with President Putin turned into a butterfly kiss. The uncompromising words were left to Germany’s Angela Merkel and Canada’s Stephen Harper while our PM settled for a photo with Putin nursing a couple of bewildered koalas. The ignominy of it. And it wasn’t just President Obama’s inspirational speech or his decisive actions alongside President Xi that threw Tony Abbott’s stubborn reactionism into sharp relief. Soon the Tories in Britain were calling him a flat-earther. Japan and Canada announced their substantial contributions to the green climate fund, an institution which our bewildered PM has previously dismissed as socialism masquerading as environmentalism.
Bill Shorten raised the G20 speech:
On that Saturday morning in eight excruciating minutes, the PM delivered a weird, cringe-worthy, little Australia lecture to the global community...There he was, boasting about taking Australia backwards on climate change. There he was bemoaning the massively difficult job he has as Australian PM, whining about the unpopularity of his GP tax and his plan for $100,000 degrees. And presenting live to the world a negative character reference of his own people, the Australian public, blaming them, our people, for his government’s failures. Damning our country as selfish, anti-modern, anti-reform, anti-change.
Bill Shorten has said Tony Abbott is not suitable to be Australia’s prime minister. He has outlined the G20 events, including Abbott’s speech to world leaders on his domestic agenda.
On every issue the same problem - no vision, no plan, no trust. Tony Abbott has no vision for foreign policy, for Australia’s foreign policy future or our economic future. And he is deliberately and wilfully deepening the trust deficit, ignoring the wishes and the wisdom of the Australian people.
Updated
Lunch time political summary
- David Johnston has said his comments on the Australian Submarine Corporation were not meant to offend but expressed frustration at its past performance. Labor tried to censure Johnston but failed on numbers.
- A report into sexual abuse in the defence force has recommended a royal commission.
- The senate continues to debate the counter terrorism bill which would share intelligence between the security agencies and the defence forces.
-
The Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has introduced a bill to beef up parliamentary security.
While the senate goes through its various amendments on counter terrorism, which will not pass as Labor is supporting, Bill Shorten is about to speak at the National Press Club.
Meanwhile Senator Bill Heffernan provides a little plain English.
Senator Heffernan "I withdraw Mr President that senator Conroy is a boofhead" @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/Ud48Lgqlmx
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) November 26, 2014
George Brandis is speaking to his counter terrorism legislation in the senate. There has been an interesting argument this morning enunciated by Brandis around counter terrorism and the paradigm of the debate on national security.
It carves out the difference between suspecting a terrorist act in order to stop a crime before it happens as opposed to providing enough evidence to prove a terrorist act, after the event.
It goes to some of the debate in Britain around the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby by terrorists on the street outside his barracks and the issue of whether the crime could have been prevented.
The trouble with the counter terrorism debate, says Brandis, is that many groups, including the Greens are arguing about the laws to stop terrorism in a “criminal law paradigm” where an event has already occurred. These laws are to stop terrorism before the event.
Brandis to Penny Wright:
I understand you have a philosophical objection to control orders themselves but we are not debating the broad point now, we are debating the narrow point.
Within the control order regime, ought there be a capacity if all other conditions are satisfied, ought there be a jurisdiction to issue a control order, where to do so would substantially assist in preventing the provision or support for or the facilitation of a terrorist act.
Instead what you and your Green people would have us do is provide an order where a person HAD provided support for a terrorist act...
If there is enough evidence to show a person has provided support for or has committed a terrorist act, well you wouldnt be issuying a control order, you would be issuing an arrrest warrent....
Once the terrorist act has occurred, it’s too late. That’s why we have to move out of this criminal law paradigm to think that this is about punishment for offences that have been committed.
The purposes of counter terrorism policy and counter terrorism law is to provide the apparatus to interdict so as to prevent the occurrence of a terrorism act and control orders, judiciously hedged by the many safeguards with which they are hedged, are a very important part of that apparatus.
Updated
George Brandis strong defence of David Johnston provides a momentary paddle.
(Independent senator Nick Xenophon said Johnston’s comments regarding the Australian Submarine Corporation landed the defence minister up the creek without a paddle.)
The senate is now back onto the counter terror laws, that is the amendment that allows Asis to share intelligence with the defence forces and for the extension of control orders. Penny Wright has raised George Brandis’ refusal to answer questions in the committee stage of debate yesterday.
He flat-out refused to answer legitimate questions about the Bill – sitting in the Senate wilfully ignoring me – without the courtesy to even explain the basis on which answers were being refused. I was asking these questions on behalf of all those who do not have the opportunity: legal experts, human rights organisations, civil liberties groups and those at the forefront of national security policy.
Wright said while some changes had been made to allay fears on the bill, not enough had been done.
And yet Senator Brandis could not even find it within himself to give me – and by extension, the Australian public – the courtesy of a response.
Brandis says he wants to stick to the substance of the bill rather than the senate processes.
I don’t want to have a meta debate. I don’t want to have a debate about a debate.
A slip of the tongue, says Brandis.
During the procedural votes over censures of David Johnston and Malcolm Turnbull, there was a little tete a tete between Anthony Albanese and Christopher Pyne - two of sharpest parliamentary operators in the house.
Pyne, as leader of the house, was getting to the end of his tether even though it was only 10am in the morning. He yelled:
Grow up you losers.
We could not pick up Albanese’s reply.
Seantor David Leyonhjelm has revealed more on his Freedom to Marry bill, allowing same sex marriage bill. Here is a soundbite from his speech to the senate last night. Note he has not yet introduced the bill.
Those arguments fall under three heads: liberty, conscience and state power. I turn first to liberty. To most people, marriage equality means the right to get married irrespective of gender or sexual preference. But it is much more than that; it is the right to live your life as you choose and not have the government impose a particular view on you.
Daniel Hurst has a story here on the bill.
The bill, which Leyonhjelm will not bring to a vote until he has the numbers, makes a very simple change.
It changes the word “man” and “woman” to “2 people”. It also provides a counterpoint by allowing civil celebrants to refuse to marry on the grounds of conscience. This is a power religious ministers already have.
The senate debate regarding David Johnston continues, with attorney general George Brandis defending the minister. He - and Abetz before him - raise the occasion when Labor’s Stephen Conroy attacked General Angus Campbell in senate estimates.
That was over the Coalition’s asylum seeker policy was under attack and Conroy essentially accused Campbell of being involved in a political cover up.
A rather peeved Brandis describes Campbell as:
A better man than senator Conroy will ever be.
He quotes Campbell’s reply to Conroy, describing his “extreme offence” at the statement.
To the eternal “disgrace and shame” of senator Conroy, he never apologised to Campbell, says Brandis. Conroy, “the alternative defence minister”.
When my friend the defence minister made a slip of the tongue...
Then Brandis goes into reports that Julia Gillard sent her bodyguard to the national security committee.
Helen Davidson has done a first take on the report into sexual abuse in the defence force.
The federal government must hold a royal commission into allegations of abuse during the entire history of the Australian Defence Force training academy (Adfa), an investigative taskforce has recommended.
The defence minister, David Johnston, tabled two reports by the defence abuse response taskforce (Dart) to parliament on Wednesday.
The first covered allegations and instances of abuse within the ADF over several decades, while the second looks more specifically at cases at Adfa.
In justifying its call for a royal commission into Adfa, Dart said the ADF was unable to adequately deal with the cases itself as so much time had passed since they occurred or were reported.
“The taskforce has concluded that the only way of ensuring confidence that the allegations of very serious abuse at Adfa can be thoroughly and completely investigated – and appropriately dealt with – is by way of a royal commission,” said the chairman of the taskforce, Len Roberts-Smith QC.
It will be interesting to see if the government, which began its life quickly establishing two royal commissions (into home insulations and trade unions), accepts the recommendation for a sexual abuse royal commission.
Here’s Eric Abetz defending David Johnston.
Eric. Abetz defends defence minister David Johnston @GuardianAus @gabriellechan http://t.co/dxZxKbj6NB pic.twitter.com/TFBK80gW6V
— Mike Bowers (@mpbowers) November 25, 2014
I would like to correct myself on a procedural matter brought to my attention by a thoughtful rodent.
Re politics live blog @gabriellechan @GuardianAus only bills are guillotined. Motions are gagged. That's right @AuSenate? #proceduralnerdery
— Rat (@ThoughtfulRat) November 25, 2014
I have checked and that is right so I will amend my language from now on. If you are going to knock something off, it is very important to note whether it is guillotined or gagged. There may be a cartoon in that.
Parliamentary security bill
Speaker Bishop is making a statement to the house on security around parliament house. She is introducing the parliamentary service amendment bill 2014. It will:
- enable a representative of Australian Federal Police to be security management board of parliament.
- amend the remit of the board to allow it to provide advice to presiding officers (Speaker and President) on the management or operation of security.
Labor’s Tony Burke says they have been briefed on the bill but have not seen the detail. He says while Labor agrees in principle, he would like to see the bill before going straight into a debate.
Speaker Bishop agrees to adjourn the debate.
Burkas were not mentioned.
Updated
Eric Abetz has just given a full dissertation on what a fantastic job defence minister David Johnston has been doing. He countered Labor’s attack with the arguments that:
a) Labor had cut the defence budget.
b) we are all human.
c) leave him alone.
The house is now going through a series of procedural votes on the Turnbull suspension, guillotining, putting questions, moving motions.
Liberal member gets punted.
This is the Labor motion on Malcolm Turnbull.
1. Notes that:
(a) on Monday 24 November 2014, the Prime Minister stated to the House: “We are applying an efficiency dividend to the ABC”; and
(b) the next day, the Minister for Communications directly contradicted the Prime Minister’s statement in the House by stating on Sky News, “It is not an efficiency dividend,” and again, “This is not an efficiency dividend”; and
- Censures the Prime Minister for deliberately misleading:
(a) the Parliament;
(b) the Australian people when he promised on the night before the last election that there would be “No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST, and no cuts to the ABC or SBS”; and
(c) the Australian people when he said, “It is an absolute principle of democracy that governments should not and must not say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards.”
Government has guillotined debate.
The house is now censuring Malcolm Turnbull on the ABC/SBS. Government has guillotined debate again. Labor’s Jason Clare gets less than a sentence out before Christopher Pyne shuts him down.
This is the Labor motion censuring David Johnston that was guillotined in the house first thing.
That the House:
- Notes that the Minister for Defence;
(a) Promised on 8 May 2013 that the Coalition “will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.”, and then broke that promise worth $20 billion; and
(b) Cut the real pay, Christmas and recreation leave for Australia’s Defence men and women; and
(c) Insulted the highly skilled and dedicated workers at ASC on 25 November 2014 by saying he ‘did not trust them to build a canoe’.
- Calls on the Prime Minister to immediately attend the House and confirm:
(a) why he has failed to direct the Minister for Defence to withdraw his insulting remarks; and
(b) whether he retains full confidence in the Minister for Defence.
- Should the Prime Minister fail to attend the House, that the House:
(a) condemns the Prime Minister for his failure to stand up for Australia’s defence personnel;
(b) calls on the Prime Minister to sack the Minister for Defence.
Debate was shut down.
Labor have characterised Tony Abbott’s statement backing ASC as “cutting loose” David Johnston.
It was remiss not to bring you Abbott’s comments earlier.
Whilst ASC has had challenges meeting the government’s cost and schedule expectations of the Air Warfare Destroyer program, we are working closely with ASC on a reform strategy to improve shipyard performance and productivity. It is early days, but the government is confident that ASC and its partners will successfully turn the corner on this important build.
South Australian Senator Penny Wong has answered Johnston is a fiery speech.
Well, senators that was the minister for defence. This is the gentleman who is supposed to be in charge of our defence personnel who wants us to forgive him and all workers in our ship building industry to forgive him because it was a regrettable rhetorical flourish.
Let us understand this Defence Minister’s behaviour. This Defence Minister’s behaviour, this is the man who has broken his election promise to build 12 submarines in Adelaide.
This is a man who has trashed the reputation of a major defence industry firm. This is a man who has insulted thousand of hard working Australians employed at the Australian Submarine Corporation and this is the defence minister who is happy to come into question time in our Senate and undermine confidence in Australia’s naval capability.
He is a disgrace. He is a utter disgrace. This is a man who is in charge of a multibillion-dollar project who has jeopardised the fair and equitable conduct of that procurement process. Does anyone believe after his performance that this minister will make a fair and unbiased decision when it comes to the future submarines project?
No-one in Australia believes that, no-one in this Senate believes that. Not even your South Australian colleagues behind you or in fact your Cabinet colleagues believe that.
Labor’s Stephen Conroy yells:
Bring back Arthur!
Updated
Johnston says he did not mean to offend on subs
David Johnston has just made a statement on indulgence in the senate, saying he did not mean to cause offence.
I wish to make a short statement to the Senate regarding ASC and Australian shipbuilding.
All Australian’s have come to know well the frustrations successive Governments faced in fielding a world class submarine capability. And today we are in the middle of a $8 billion program to build three Air Warfare Destroyers. We have all faced challenges. This can not be denied.
The frustrations of successive Governments with the performance of both the Collins Class sustainment and the AWD program are well documented.
In 2011, Labor Defence Minister Stephen Smith expressed his own concerns on the sustainment of Collins. He said:
“Without having confidence in our capacity to sustain our current fleet of submarines, it is very difficult to fully commence, other than through initial planning, the acquisition program for our Future Submarine.”
(ASPI presentation, 19/7/2011)
I am committed to leading the effort to fix our problems. And regrettably, in rhetorical flourish, I did express my frustrations in the past performance of ASC. In these comments I never intended to cause offence and I regret that offence may have been taken.
And I of course was directing my remarks at a legacy of issues and not the workers in ASC whom I consider to be world class.
And on the matter at hand, the Government has not made any decisions on the future submarine. Decisions will be made as I have said time and again on the advice of our Service Chiefs.
Our goal is to deliver to our Navy a new class of submarine that is superior to Collins, before the planned withdrawal date of the Collins class. Given the sheer scale of submarine programs, it is only by working together as a team that we will reach this goal.
The former Government’s submarine program was costed at over $40 billion by Defence and would have resulted in a capability gap. This is an unacceptable risk to our $1.6 trillion economy.
Whatever decision is made on the future submarine, there will be more jobs for South Australia and a more capable Navy for Australians.
Thank you Mr President and I thank the indulgence of the Senate.
Stuart Robert’s argument in defending Johnston revolves around the general budgetary argument that Labor cut defence spending and the Coalition has increased defence spending.
So apparently you don’t need to worry about the minister’s performance.
Robert says Johnston has been “very open and honest”.
Australia’s sub capability gap was caused because Labor made “zero” decisions on the contracts, says Robert.
Tony Burke is going through the past sins of the defence minister David Johnston.
He says the defence minister has been on radio “saying to Australia and to the world, please don’t take me seriously”. Burke says Christopher Pyne was late to the house because he was on radio, refusing to defend Johnston this morning.
He must be starting a petition.
Of all the jobs where ... you would think someone needs backing in, it would be the defence minister.
Burke reminds the house that when Johnston was asked at a recent senate estimates hearing why he hadn’t attended the National Secuity Committee, the minister said:
I wasn’t going to add much.
Stuart Robert, the assistant minister for defence, has been given the worst job in government today. Defending David Johnston.
Now Labor’s Tony Burke is having a go. Expect him to be guillotined shortly.
The house just guillotined the David Johnston debate 79-49.
Here is the full Johnston from Adelaide ABC. A bit like the full Monty.
Q: David Johnston … what possessed you to say that you wouldn’t trust the ASC to build a canoe?
Well, David, frustration I think but look, that was a rhetorical flourish that I don’t want to be taken literally but the fact is I am very frustrated. What has happened is … the Labor Party has hidden the truth with respect to that air warfare destroyer program from us. It’s in a bad shape but we are fixing it … as I sit here talking to you now there are some green shoots which I’m very pleased to say that I’m starting to see
… (Bevan: But your attack was not on so much on the Labor Party in making that comment, your attack was on the ASC and the workers there … either the ASC is incredibly incompetent or you are?)
It was not an attack on the workers … let’s get that straight. The workers have done a very good job down there and may I say that this is an extremely complex program. The air warfare destroyer program is the most complex program Australia’s ever undertaken. Yes, we are probably half a billion dollars over budget and two years late, yes there were two attempts to remediate that program by the previous Government, both of which failed.
The Minister in charge of the Australian Submarine Corporation of course was Penny Wong … she is the one who is responsible for this and you’re quite right … what I should have said was the Labor Party could not be trusted to build a canoe because it was their responsibility and she takes no responsibility.
Here is another wonderful mashup on the plight of the government re the ABC and budget problem generally. But it makes a nice metaphor, particularly for the Python fans amongst us.
The parliament is voting on the guillotine now but obviously the government has the numbers to win.
The government has just guillotined debate on defence minister Johnston.
Parliament is sitting and there is immediately an argument because a government minister was not ready when the bell rang. Speaker Bishop is saying “no biggie”. She is telling the house yesterday’s behaviour was a “disgrace”.
Then Bill Shorten is straight into a suspension of standing orders to censure the defence minister and call on Tony Abbott to sack David Johnston.
Bill Shorten:
- The parliament notes the defence minister promised on 8 May 2013 that a Coalition would deliver submarines built in South Australia.
- With his comments that ASC couldn’t “build a canoe”, Johnston insulted the highly skilled workers at ASC.
- He calls on the prime minister to attend the house and confirm why he hasn’t asked David Johnston to withdraw his remarks
- He calls on the PM to sack the minister for defence.
Shorten says Johnston has shown chronic under-performance since he started as defence minister.
A helpful reader Jimmy sent us this:
@gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/VPApa3jkGO
— #Jimmy (@choox75) November 25, 2014
Up shit creek? Here’s your paddle.S
South Australian senator and resident stuntmeister Nick Xenophon has been out early defending his state and the Australian Submarine Corporation from the defence minister David Johnston.
He baldly stated: “The government is up shit creek without a paddle”. So he brought one in. Apparently he is no paddler, so he had to source the paddle from a Canberra club.
Already Johnston and other government members have been out defending his comments as:
rhetorical flourish.
But the feeling in parliament is that when Tony Abbott said he had to scrape a few barnacles off the ship, he was thinking of his defence minister. And though Johnston’s self inflicted wound came after Abbott’s barnacle comment, if he did not have the minister in mind at the party room speech, he most certainly will now.
Good morning all,
It is Wednesday, and Wednesday being what it is, especially in a sitting week, there is some peak political blather coming your way.
There is a lot on the news agenda already this morning.
- The defence minister David Johnston is under extreme pressure for attacking the government-owned Australian Submarine Corporation. Johnston, whose performance was already in question, said he wouldn’t “trust the ASC to build a canoe”. Tony Abbott rushed out with a statement to defend the ASC, rather than his minister.
- Which is not great timing, given this is the guy in charge of the defence forces. His attention will be divided, as also today we are expecting the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce report into sexual abuse in the ADF as well as another report into the cases of abuse at the Australian Defence Force Academy historically.
-
Jacqui Lambie is still waiting to talk to the prime minister about the defence force pay issue. She has been out already this morning, waving her arms, reminding the PM that she is still waiting.
- A same sex marriage private bill is also expected in the senate, with a neat wedge issue delivered to the Abbott government by Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm.
-
Bill Shorten is speaking to the National Press Club. On standby for #peakzinger.
-
Clive Palmer is in court with two Chinese companies who are suing him over using $12m to fund the Palmer United Party election campaign.
I think that’s enough to keep you going before your morning beverage. Mike Bowers has more #LegoSenate for you today, so follow him @mpbowers or me @gabrielle chan on the Twits.
