It has been another very strange and slow moving day in this place, so we are going to wrap it up before the molasses crystalises and I am no longer able to will my fingers to strike the keyboard.
Tomorrow we should have some high court updates for you on the David Gillespie case and we’ll bring you the wash up of the welfare legislation.
I would also bet on the government ramping up its attack over Labor’s tax dividend policy, now that the immediate danger from the bushfires appears to have passed. I sense there is a retirement community visit in all of our futures.
Sally McManus will also be speaking at the National Press Club, talking about secure work – which has been the unions main campaign since the beginning of the year.
Massive props to the Guardian brains trust. And to my partner-in-crime and insanity Mike Bowers. I promise you we are usually more cheery than we appear in the last couple of updates on @pyjamapolitics but it has been a looooooooooonnng two days.
So thank you and good evening, readers. We’ll be back tomorrow morning just before 9am with more of the slowest moving Senate-palooza of all time.
Have a lovely evening (and stay warm Canberrans – I hear there is a cold snap coming) and take care of you.
Updated
While the welfare bill is being discussed in the Senate, along with One Nation’s amendment to keep the bereavement allowance, Labor has had a little to say about it, given some of the shenanigans that went on last night.
Labor moved an amendment to remove the payment schedule, which would have kept the bereavement allowance in place, which shouldn’t have passed, but did – because two One Nation senators missed the vote.
Brian Burston was otherwise occupied, and Peter Georgiou said he was in the bathroom.
So the vote was held again, as part of a standing order which allows votes to be held again (after a motion) to make sure the true will of the Senate is being upheld.
With Burston and Georgiou in the chamber, Labor’s amendment failed.
Labor says One Nation is now trying to undo its vote to cut the payments, with its amendment to protect the bereavement allowance.
That is a little simplistic, because One Nation does support the other government measures contained in the legislation, but somewhere along the way, the bereavement allowance cut became untenable. Hence - today’s amendment.
I have heard that Malcolm Roberts is tweeting about this, but can’t tell you for sure, because I was blocked by the former senator and failed state candidate turned One Nation staffer many, many moons ago.
Updated
Mike Bowers paid a visit to senate question time:
He’s done it. Frydenberg just released the new marine parks. It’s the largest removal of area from conservation ever from any government in the world. In the Coral Sea, long lining and trawling is now allowed from north to south. #auspol #oceans
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) March 20, 2018
Speaking to David Speers, Derryn Hinch said he had a chat to Mathias Cormann last night about the government’s company tax cuts and while he thinks company tax cuts are “generally a good thing”, he is worried that “too much of it is going to be used for share buybacks by the companies” and other things which would benefit the company’s shareholders, and not, well, trickle down.
He wants a guarantee that a certain amount of money saved in tax will go towards what the government says it would go towards – lowering prices, helping wage rises.
I think that has already been ruled out but Hinch says his talks continue.
Updated
Update on AFP raid of the AWU offices case
In Melbourne there has been a hearing into the AFP raid of the Australian Workers Union headquarters.
Basically, the federal court has agreed to delay the union’s challenge because of a public interest immunity claim over key documents including three confidential AFP affidavits related to the raids. The court heard the AFP investigation into the leak of the raids to the media was still three or fours months from completion.
The union is particularly encouraged because Justice Anthony North seemed to suggest the documents are probative – which could help it challenge the legality of the raid after the claim is lifted.
Justice North:
The AFP claims public interest immunity on the basis that release of the documents to the applicant would prejudice the ongoing investigation. I am satisfied from looking at the documents that that claim is made out on the material.
I am also satisfied from the material that there is a real likelihood that the information contained in the redacted portion of the documents might assist the applicant in the establishment of its claim that the decision of the first respondent to conduct its investigation was done for an improper purpose, as pleaded. It would be therefore a disadvantage and unfairness if the applicant were forced to trial without having access to the documents.”
(Update, the AWU have also responded)
Daniel Walton, AWU National Secretary:
All we have been seeking is procedural fairness and we are grateful we have received it today from the Court.
We are determined to get to the truth of what happened and there is no doubt the documents currently being held back on public interest immunity ground are potentially critical.
If we are truly to get the bottom of what Minister Cash and her office knew, and what they did, we will need these documents.
We are pleased that Justice North, who has seen the material redacted, noted it might assist us in establishing that the initial investigation was conducted for an improper purpose.
We note there are only two parties who have seen the material in question – the AFP and Justice North. Justice North approved an adjournment so we could access the material, and the AFP did not oppose it.”
Updated
David Leyonhjelm is moving a motion in the Senate to scrap the tampon tax. pic.twitter.com/icTifIMH3O
— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) March 20, 2018
As Alice points out a little later, it passes, but means nothing, other than the Senate would like to see the tax removed.
Further amendments to the One Nation plane declaration
In addition to the declaration about the plane, One Nation has also amended its 2014-15 declaration to include $57,720 from Vicland, which is one of Bill McNee’s companies.
On the ABC’s Four Corners program in April 2017, McNee denied funding the purchase of the plane, saying he had not funded the party beyond what was publicly disclosed.
The questions senator Murray Watt has raised below are still pertinent – who actually owns the plane? Where did the $100,000 to buy the plane come from?
Fortunately the Australian Electoral Commission investigation is still underway.
Updated
As promised, from the Greens earlier press conference:
Richard Di Natale gave the same answer to the timeliness of bringing up climate change while the bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria were still smouldering as he (later) did during Senate question time.
Adam Bandt then had a bit to say about the government’s Neg policy:
Malcolm Turnbull says we have always had bushfires in Australia, well that’s right, so why the hell would you wish more of them on people around the country? That is what the Liberal government is proposing. The national energy guarantee, the Neg, the government is out trying to pressure the states into signing up to, following the results in South Australia and Tasmania, will make climate change worse. The Neg is a recipe for more coal-fired power, which means more pollution, which means more bushfires.
Sarah Hanson-Young also congratulated the state schools organisation “who have come out today, very strongly, in defence of public school students, public school teachers and public schools – well done”.
“Because, it seems in this place, there is very little support for our public school system coming from the Labor. They have decided to pick a winner and the winner is Catholic schools.”
You are up to date.
Updated
Question time ends.
Pauline Hanson is coming up on Sky.
Honestly, the good times just never stop in this place.
For anyone who was dying to hear what Mathias Cormann would have said to Fraser Anning, Kelly O’Dwyer has encapsulated it here in a statement she has just issued:
New data has today revealed that Labor’s retiree tax will hit low-income earners in every Australian state.
In each and every Australian state, the majority of individuals impacted by this policy have a taxable income of less than $18,200.
The data also reveals that in each and every Australian state more than 80% of individuals hit by Labor’s policy have a taxable income of less than $37,000.
Across Australia there are more than 1.1 million Australians who will be affected by Labor’s cash grab. Around 1 million of these Australians have a taxable income of less than $37,000.
These Australians include pensioners, part pensioners, veterans, war widows and self-funded retirees.
Bill Shorten classifies these people as ‘millionaires’ but these are Australians who have paid taxes their whole lives and want to live a comfortable, not lavish, life in retirement.
Labor’s $59bn attack on more than one million Australians needs to be called out for what it is – just another Labor cash grab to add to the more than $160bn of taxes they have already announced.
Labor’s plan to abolish refunds of franking credits attached to share dividends means that if an Australian receives the pension, is on a low income or is a member of a small, self-managed superannuation account, they will no longer get a refund from the Tax Office of tax they have already paid on their shares.
Bill Shorten has to answer why he thinks it’s fair to deny these people their refunds but is comfortable with those on higher incomes getting the full value of their franking credits.
***end statement***
The key point there, is “taxable income”. For those who missed it earlier, here is what the Grattan Institute had this to say about that
Updated
Catryna Bilyk to Concetta Fierravanti-Wells: I refer to a question in the Senate [yesterday] ... ‘What are you going to come up with next, negative gearing on the family home’? Can the minister explain how it is possible to negatively gear a family home?
The answer here is a mess but here is the crux:
Quite frankly, you guys come up with anything on the other side, given the tax hole you have dug yourself and given the six years of fiscal vandalism. Look, I think that one of the things that we have to look at, my point was this, Senator Wong [who interrupted], you have basically declared war on pensioners and retirees. Many of whom will be thousands and thousands of dollars worse off.
#thesenatordoesnotanswerthequestion
Fierravanti-Wells is trying very hard to read from (the highlighted) attack sheet she took into question time today, because seriously, they had to expect this question, and claim that she meant that Labor could do ANYTHING.
I probably would have just gone with a slip of the tongue rather than continuing to dig, or at least the advice that one should at least try and dig up, but that’s not the track Fierravanti-Wells has taken:
Let me tell you about negative gearing. If you are returned to government after the next federal election, we will see a repetition of the six years of fiscal vandalism, that negative gearing will go, rents will go up. As I was saying, what will it be next? Of course, we can always go back to the previous years when Labor were in government. Remember Paul Keating, double-digit inflation, remember interest rates of 18% on mortgages? Remember your huge government debt? Remember the recession we had to have? And all that you ever know, all that you ever know, it’s the true adage. Margaret Thatcher said it, the problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people’s money and that’s what you are doing. You will run outside of other people’s money.
The Senate president, Scott Ryan, has to remind us all, more than once, that it is “only Tuesday”. I feel your pain, Mr President. I feel your pain.
Updated
Louise Pratt to Marise Payne (representing Julie Bishop)
On Sunday, the minister told the ABC’s Insiders program that ‘the humanitarian program’s credibility comes from the fact that it is non-discriminatory and that each application is assessed on its merits. As far as I’m aware, there are no plans to change that visa program’. Does Minister Bishop’s statement reflect government policy?
Answer – yes, it does.
Pratt:
The minister for home affairs, Peter Dutton, last week said that white South African farmers deserve special attention. And that they ‘need help from a civilised country like ours’. Why is the minister for home affairs articulating a policy completely contradictory to that of the minister of foreign affairs?
Payne:
The minister for home affairs was not.
Pratt:
Which is government policy? Are they both government policy? [Who was right] that of the minister for home affairs or that of the minister for foreign affairs?
Payne:
If the senator bothered to read the full transcript of the minister for home affairs and the minister for foreign affairs, she would know they are consistent and representative of government policy.
Right. Clear as mud, then.
Updated
Fraser Anning to Mathias Cormann:
First, Minister Cormann, thank you for explaining the fact that the franking credits have been funded by the very people who are receiving the benefits. But my question, minister, it has long been recognised that franking credits have the potential to negatively impact many vulnerable Australians. Minister, can you please explain the vital importance of franked credits to the Australian economy and retirees?
(Do you really need me to put in the answer here? Because you have heard this answer from the moment Labor announced its policy and, really, I think I am going to have to treat this one as a pseudo-dixer.)
Updated
Jenny McAllister to Mathias Cormann:
Can the minister confirm dividend imputations has increased to $5.6bn?
(Fun fact: Tveeder hears Senator McAllister as ‘Senator California’.)
Cormann: (cut down, but this is the basics)
Let me say – the importance of franking credits to the Australian economy is very simple They represent tax that has been paid by companies on shareholders’ behalf, that is what the Labor party used to believe. For 20 years it was a bipartisan position and it took Bill Shorten to walk away from it and put his hands in the pockets of self-funded retirees and pensioners.
McAllister:
Given the minister described the blowout in the impact of the cash refundability of imputation credits, which is upwards of $5bn, as ‘not that much at all’, is it any wonder that under this minister the deficit has blown out eightfold to $23.6bn, net debt has doubled to $350bn. Crashing through half a trillion dollars?
Cormann:
I’m surprised the Labor party would go back there because this is very embarrassing to the shadow finance minister and shadow assistant minister because a question I was asked in an interview [on] whether this was a blowout that cost the economy too much. The point I made is no it doesn’t, because the money stays in the economy. Leaving the money with the people doesn’t take it out of the economy. It leaves it with people who are better able to spend the money more efficiently than the Labor party would be. The Labor party doesn’t understand the difference between the budget and the economy. If you refund money to the people, it belongs to the people. Does it have an impact on your budget bottom line? Yes, it means your revenue is lower [than] if you stole people’s money but it stays in the economy and I would challenge you to explain to people how that money does not stay in the economy by leaving it with the Australian people?
It’s then time for another #deathtodixer.
Moving on
Updated
Richard Di Natale to Mathias Cormann:
Minister, our heart goes out to the many people who have been affected by the bushfires in Tathra and south-west Victoria. They have suffered terrible losses and we must come together to help them rebuild. Like many others who have gone through bushfires, including my neighbours, who have lost homes as a result of bushfires, they have pleaded with me to please bring up the link between climate change and bushfires. They say that treating the symptoms and not the cause is putting them at risk. You say that now is not the right time to talk about climate change. What do you say to those many people who have called on us to say that right now is precisely the time to be talking about climate change and the impact it is having on them in their lives?
Cormann:
We do talk about climate change and the government is taking effective action against climate change, consistent with our commitments that we’ve made internationally. No amount of green posturing would have prevented the sad events that we have witnessed in recent days and I think it reflects very poorly on the Greens in general, and Senator Di Natale in particular, that he is making this link in this way on this occasion.
Di Natale:
Minister, why is your position any different to the NRA in America, who, whenever there is a shooting of innocent people, they claim that is not the time to talk about gun control? Why is your position any different?
Cormann:
In due deference, and out of the great respect we have for the many impacted by the tragedies in New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory, I will resist providing a political answer except to say that if you listen carefully to what I said in response to the primary question, I actually made the point that not only are we talking about climate change, our government is taking effective action against climate change. As such, the premise of your question is false and if you listened more carefully to the answer to the primary question, you would have adjusted your supplementary question accordingly.
Di Natale:
You talk about climate change but you talk about it to deny it. How is supporting the Adani coalmine helping to mitigate against bushfires? How is reducing the renewable energy target supporting action on climate change. How is bringing a lump of coal into the Australian parliament and waving it around, doing anything to advance the action we need to take when it comes to dangerous climate change?
Cormann:
This government believes that Australia is in a great position to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by contributing cleaner coal into markets around the globe which would displace dirtier coal. Australia has a unique contribution to make to the world, exporting our gas, exporting cleaner coal and, indeed, we are able to develop our economy, create jobs and help to achieve better environmental outcomes at the same time and that is what we believe is our responsibility to the Australian people.
The Senate moves on to a very excited Jim Molan delivering a series of questions on Asean very excitedly to Marise Payne. And when I say very excited, I mean as excited as I am to be able to listen to dixers.
Updated
Deborah O’Neill to Simon Birmingham:
I refer to former prime minister Abbott who yesterday told 2GB the Turnbull government education policy was ‘going to make low-fee schools in middle-class suburbs almost impossible to run’. Is former prime minister Abbott correct?”
“No,” says Birmingham.
Yesterday, we learnt the former Liberal leader John Hewson was also wrong about something. The Senate seems to be the place where former Liberal leaders are corrected by the current government.
He continues:
The reality is the Turnbull government’s reforms are ensuring schools across Australia are receiving fair, consistent funding. It sees growth in funding, a lift of around $23bn to $25bn over the next decade. We see real, consistent needs-based funding being applied. It means for non-government schools, regardless of their background, their affiliation or otherwise, they will be funded on the same basis, based on their needs. Because the Turnbull government believes that schools should be funded based on the need of the children in those schools, not the political deals that can be done like the Labor party seeks to do. Ultimately, what we’ve seen, since of course the Gonski report was handed down, is the response of the then Labor government was a response to say ‘let’s do a bunch of special deals rather than apply the Gonski report’. Step two was in the context of the 2013 election, what the Labor government did was rip some $1.2bn from the schools funding budget. They took the money away from states like Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory as well. And then they would have the gall to come into the chamber and vote against the Turnbull government’s reforms of Gonski. To vote against it, in a model that was endorsed by David Gonski himself. It was endorsed by a number of other members of the original Gonski panel. And now in a reversion right back to the start of Mr Shorten’s response to the original Gonski report, they go back to try to do special deals. Well, the truth is, there is additional funding to core school sectors right around the country, to school sectors in the independent sector, the Catholic sector and the government sector but it is being delivered fairly and consistently on the basis of need.
The supplementary questions and answer are much the same.
Updated
Senate question time begins
The first question is on whether it was appropriate for Simon Birmingham to have “used an analogy from the Christian scriptures to compare the Catholic education office to Judas of Iscariot”.
Mathias Cormann takes that one:
Our school funding reforms for the first time put all schools own an equal footing. Ours is a genuinely needs-based funding system without special deals. So, and of course, Senator Birmingham as an outstanding education minister, of course, has been able to secure outstanding results with school funding arrangements. But let me read to the chamber what the perception of Mr Shorten’s approach is to school funding by the Australian...
Penny Wong interrupts to say Labor is asking about what Birmingham said, not about policy.
Cormann continues as if he was not interupted:
As I said, our government values the contribution of the Catholic education system, as we value the contribution of all parts of our education system and indeed, that is the position for the minister for education. But what I would say is the public school system across Australia is very concerned about the fact the Labor leader wants to reintroduce special deals when this government has been able to secure historic reforms putting it on a genuine needs-based foundation. Labor wants to go back to the discredited ways of the Gillard government, having a plethora of special deals. It is not the way we will proceed going forward.
Susan Collins continues with a supplementary:
Does the prime minister agree with his senior colleague who has described the comparison of the Victorian Catholic education office to Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ, as offensive? Has the prime minister counselled him for the statement which is offensive?
Cormann has not seen the comments, he says and essentially gives the same answer he has already delivered.
We move on to Matt Canavan getting a series of dixers on how great the coal industry is, which is apparently the Senate version of Peter Dutton giving a daily dose of how safe the nation is. #DEATHTOALLDIXERS
Updated
Lyle Shelton, who now works for Australian Conservatives as their “federal communications director” is headed to regional Queensland over the next few days, as Cory Bernardi pushes ahead with his plan to win another Senate spot.
That could prove interesting for One Nation, given that the two minor parties are fighting over the same vote.
But Shelton also had a few things to say about how the Australian Conservatives won Batman for Labor:
With the Liberals vacating the field in Batman, if Australian Conservatives had not run and delivered preferences to Labor, the least worst option, the Greens would have been certain to secure a second seat in the House of Representatives.
By showing up to defend Queensland coal in inner city Melbourne, Australian Conservatives helped Queensland dodge a bullet.
Just a reminder*, Labor’s primary vote in Batman was 43 per cent. (Just correcting from a previous post, where I accidentally threw in the two-candidate preferred total of 54 per cent), but the main point stands.
Updated
Gone, but not forgotten :
In a statement read into Hansard last night by David Leyonhjelm, former Senator Bob Day says if he could have a do-over, he would have opposed sending his case to the High Court. The first s44 case in this parliament! pic.twitter.com/KUf3QOg5f1
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) March 20, 2018
Speaking of section 44, the high court should hear an update on the David Gillespie case tomorrow
New from Nick Evershed:
Malcolm Turnbull granted Tony Abbott extra travel entitlements for the use of chauffeured cars in Sydney after replacing him as prime minister, according to documents obtained by Guardian Australia.
The documents, obtained under freedom of information laws, detail the entitlements offered to Abbott in his capacity as former prime minister, and the advice to Turnbull from public servants in determining those entitlements.
Many parts of the documents have been redacted, including comparisons of Abbott’s proposed entitlements with other former prime ministers, and what appear to be recommendations on the number or type of staff provided to Abbott.
You can find that whole story, here
Updated
Also in the Senate, the welfare changes the government wants to get through (which introduce the three strikes rule for those on welfare) look closer to passing.
One Nation has just distributed amendments, which would see the bereavement allowance (known as the widow allowance), which was due to be scrapped, kept, which would indicate a deal is very close.
Updated
Murray Watt still has some questions for Pauline Hanson over the changes in how she declared the plane her chief adviser, James Ashby, pilots her around in:
Pauline Hanson’s belated declaration of $30,000 worth of free charter flights raises more questions than it answers.
It is still not clear who actually owns the plane – James Ashby, One Nation or Senator Hanson herself?
Where did the $100,000 come from to buy to the plane?
Was it a gift from Senator Hanson’s property developer mate Bill McNee?
Was it declared, like all political donations are meant to be?
It’s time for Senator Hanson to finally come clean.
Updated
Over in the Senate chamber, Nigel Scullion was forced to respond to Pat Dodson’s motion from February calling for an explanation on the government’s Indigenous housing policy, particularly in rural and regional communities.
Dodson has been very strong on where he thinks the government is failing, or wibble-wobbling on the issue, which he sees as crucial to ensuring all other progress in indigenous communities continues.
As he told the ABC in February:
Particularly the housing support – that’s one of the real, clear social requirements in these communities, to make sure that housing is resourced and funded.
And we’re not getting a clear message from the government that that’s happening.
So, if housing funding falls away, then I think many of these other factors will also come back, and we’ll see a regressing of where the progress has happened.
Scullion essentially said the government was working on its policy and was committed to positive outcomes. Dodson though, is looking for something concrete.
Updated
I am just working on chasing down the audio from the Greens’ press conference for you – it wasn’t broadcast.
Updated
We haven’t had any NBN news for a while, but the ACCC has just released this decision:
Internet providers iiNet Limited and Internode Pty Ltd will compensate more than 11,000 customers who could not reach the internet speeds they were promised in their NBN contracts, following an investigation by the ACCC.
Remedies will now be offered to more than 8,000 iiNet customers and more than 3,000 Internode customers. Affected customers can choose from options including moving to a lower-tier speed plan with a refund, or exiting their plan without cost and receiving a refund.
You can read the whole statement here
Updated
Senate business has got underway. Nothing major appears to be on the agenda today, although a decision will be made on when the first speeches for Steven Martin and Kristina Keneally will be delivered. Martin will probably get his slot tomorrow, I am told, while Keneally will most likely deliver hers next week.
Simon Birmingham has issued this statement on the federal court decision to dismiss the appeal the Malek Fahd Islamic school brought on to challenge the government decision to stop funding it:
The federal court has dismissed the appeal brought by Malek Fahd Islamic School Limited in respect of the decision to revoke the authority’s approval to receive funding under the Australian Education Act 2013.
The Turnbull government does not and will not tolerate the misuse of taxpayer funding for schools.
All school authorities must meet the requirements of the Education Act and ensure that our taxpayer dollars and any private investment by parents is being spent to benefit Australian students.
I have contacted the NSW minister for education, Rob Stokes, and our departments will work together to support the school’s students, families and staff.
I urge Malek Fahd’s management to clearly outline their plans to give their school community certainty for the future.
Updated
Richard Di Natale, Adam Bandt and Sarah Hanson-Young will hold a press conference in the next hour.
Updated
GetUp appears to be for Labor’s tax dividend policy, but that is a little unclear from this Twitter thread it has just put out (you’ll find the whole thing here).
Tim Watts was having none of it.
If you're going to sledge someone's explanation of a complex concept, you're leading with your chin if you go on a 6+ tweet thread talking about 'fixed pools' (that aren't fixed), 'a spectrum of retirees' & use errant apostrophes. Think this sledge is unnecessary? You're right.
— Tim Watts MP (@TimWattsMP) March 19, 2018
Updated
And on the schools debate, Chris Bowen had this to say:
.@Bowenchris: 'The catholic education sector is not a secret society. They have a very vital role to play in educating millions of young Australians, and we will fix the damage of @TurnbullMalcolm's cuts.'
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 19, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/ZqKMvfxkvy #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/FdR2XLVcbr
We stand by the policy, but we’ll have more to say about pensioners #HINT
The shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, has been in Sydney talking about Labor’s policy to end cash rebates for excess imputation credits for individuals and superannuation funds.
Bowen addressed some new government figures dropped to Fairfax today which he said drew on data about people’s taxable incomes, which is misleading in the sense that retirees with substantial assets and big superannuation balances can have low taxable incomes because income from super for people over 60 is either low tax or tax free.
“We will call this out on every single occasion,” Bowen said of the figures. “You can be considered to have a low income and still have a very big super balance.
“I say this to Malcolm Turnbull: stop your silly scare campaign. Stop lying and start leading.”
Labor has been sandbagging its policy since seniors groups and self-managed super funds raised vociferous objections to it last week. The change Labor proposes returns more than $11bn to the budget over two years and $59bn over 10, which is obviously not chump change.
Labor needs that saving to fund personal income tax cuts and social spending in the run up to the next federal election, due next year.
But we do expect the ALP to outline some additional assistance for pensioners. The new policy impacts about 200,000 pensioners and a healthy proportion of that group will have genuinely low incomes, not low taxable incomes. That change could come this week, it’s not clear to me yet.
Bowen said just now Labor stands by the policy, but is “always looking at ways to help pensioners”.
Just in case we missed that HINT Bowen said: “We’ll have plenty more to say about pensioners.”
Updated
Bill Shorten has been asked at his press conference in Tathra about the Malcolm Turnbull (and now, other government MPs) criticism of the Greens pointing to climate change as the reason for the bushfires.
Yesterday the prime minister said he was “disappointed” the Greens were “politicising” the issue.
Shorten said he didn’t want to get into the “blame game” today but when told residents were looking for answers, he had this to say:
They are entitled to. That is their view. I’m not there to criticise. I have no doubt that there will be matters to be spoken through. No doubt on the issue of phone towers [will come up in] the future. But we have to remember people have not seen if their houses are destroyed. There are people who are beginning to sort out, now the adrenaline has stopped pumping, how they rebuild? That is my prerogative. I understand there is a debate about climate in this country. On a day when 69 houses have gone, it is not a debate I will start.
Updated
Grattan Institute researchers have taken a look at Labor’s tax policy.
You can find the whole report at Inside Story, here, but their takeaway points (from my very quick perusal) seem to be that:
- Claims that more than half of the people affected have taxable incomes less than $18,200 ignores any income from tax-free superannuation.
- Not many of those people (about 610,000) are “maximum rate” pensioners - most are either part-pensioners or not receiving the pension, with most drawing their income from their tax-free superannuation.
- You can have assets of about $2m, and a taxable income of less than $18,200 a year. Because, once again, their tax-free super income doesn’t count.
Updated
Speaking to people at the Bega fire response centre, Bill Shorten said he was “very grateful” no one had lost their life.
I want to say to you that all of Australia saw the television images and everyone cares. There are not many people in Australia who have not been to the south coast for a lovely holiday, or don’t know someone here, so there is a lot of people who care about you, but in particular I want to say to the people who perhaps have lost houses, or sheds, or photos and heirlooms, some of you might be wondering how on earth can you start again and what has happened to your property. I just want to say to you – ask for help.
There is no rule book which says how you have to respond. At the moment, you are probably being quite busy, you want to find out the detail, but this is not a one-day matter, you will need help and you should ask for help.
If you are doing it hard, that is perfectly normal. I worked on the bushfire reconstruction in Victoria, which was a dreadful experience too, you can’t predict when you are going to find it hard. Just ask for help.
We are all here to help you, you have each other. I tell you what, anyone in Australia who sees images of this hall, and the people here, they are going to think that Bega and Tathra must be among the best places in Australia, because the people are so wonderful. Ask for help and you’ll get it.
Updated
Pauline Hanson declares James Ashby's plane
One Nation has amended its 2015-16 financial disclosure to declare $30,375 for the use of a plane which has been the subject of Australian Electoral Commission investigation.
Hanson has described the Jabiru aircraft, which bears her political branding, as belonging to the party, but her adviser James Ashby later said he had bought it for his own business purposes. This led to an AEC investigation into why the party had not declared use of the plane as a donation.
On 15 March the party submitted an updated disclosure with the following amendment to the “gifts in kind” section:
“James AshbyJabiru Single Engine Light AircraftThrough enquiry – price for dry hire rate @$125.00/hr243 hrs @ $125.00 per hour = $30,375.00”
So you could say WE FOUND THE PLANE. No, not MH370, but it’s a start.
CORRECTION: it's moved from a gift in kind and been added to "total receipts"
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) March 19, 2018
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Oh look, Australia has a new man in London.
From Julie Bishop’s statement:
Today I announce the appointment of The Hon George Brandis QC as Australia’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Australia’s warm and longstanding relationship with the UK is built on deep historical ties, shared values and closely aligned strategic, security and economic interests. People of British descent are our largest migrant community. The United Kingdom is our fourth largest source of visitors, with over 700,000 British tourists to Australia in 2017.
The strong economic relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom continues to grow. The United Kingdom is Australia’s second-largest source of foreign investment, worth $515.5 billion in 2016, and our fifth-largest two-way trading partner, with $27.5 billion in goods and services in 2016-17.
Australia and the United Kingdom will pursue an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement. Mr Brandis has had a distinguished political career in Australia as a member of the Federal Parliament. His appointments have included Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Federal Minister for the Arts, and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Mr Brandis holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws (First-Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts (First-Class Honours) from the University of Queensland.
I thank outgoing High Commissioner, The Hon Alexander Downer AC, for his significant contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in the United Kingdom since 2014, and also for his distinguished career advancing Australia’s foreign, trade and development interests over a lifetime of public service.
****end statement****
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While the public school sector has has a little to say about Bill Shorten and Labor this morning, the Catholic education sector is equally as cranky at Simon Birmingham over comments he made on Monday to Sky News.
While talking about the Catholic sector’s involvement in the Batman byelection (the Victorian Catholic education head distributed a letter to voters backing in Labor’s promised funding increase, while highlighting the Turnbull government’s cuts) Birmingham made a reference to Judas, saying there would always be those who could be “brought by a few pieces of silver”.
The Australian reports that the executive director of Catholic Education Melbourne, Stephen Elder was not happy with the comments and is demanding an apology.
Birmingham also said the government was “continuing to engage” with the sector about its plans.
I’m no expert in Catholic theology but I’m pretty sure that when talking about Catholics it’s not exactly complimentary to compare them to the guy famous for selling out Jesus.
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Bill Shorten is headed to the Bega fire response centre this morning.
We’ll bring you some of what he has to say, as soon as it comes through.
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Good morning and welcome to day 14
It’s taken until the middle of March but policy is finally dominating the agenda.
I almost had to do a double take.
The Business Council of Australia has turned the dial up to 11 in its campaign to have the Senate crossbench pass the government’s proposed company tax cut, with One Nation seen as a key swinging vote.
It has launched a public and behind-the-scenes campaign, aiming to convince nine senators to switch to the government side. While Steve Martin, Tim Storer, Derryn Hinch and NXT are important, One Nation is crucial. If Pauline Hanson doesn’t shift, then the policy is dead, buried and cremated, and not in the way Tony Abbott means it.
Mathias Cormann has said he wants a vote in the next fortnight, with debate to start tomorrow. That’s because the government has to get it sorted for the budget, which will be handed down in about 49 days (but who’s counting). Plus, there is an election due sometime in the next year, so the government wants its ducks in a row.
But as Katharine Murphy points out, even if the Senate can be convinced, the public remains sceptical. Even in Malcolm Turnbull’s own electorate, which is one of the wealthiest in the nation.
And this of course comes as the National Retail Association calls for a freeze on raising the minimum wage. Which sort of undercuts the trickle-down economics argument.
Meanwhile, as Fairfax reports, the public schools lobby is not impressed with Labor’s plan to increase funding to the Catholic schools sector by $250m.
Labor has vowed to “return every dollar” that it says the Turnbull government has cut in its changes to the Gonski funding arrangement, to all schools, meaning they would all be better off. But the Australian Council of State School Organisations was having none of it.
And while all of this is going on, we are still debating Labor’s tax dividend policy.
After such a policy drought, during which time we were flooded with politics, it is actually refreshing to see the focus back on the things which dictate the nation’s direction.
Mike Bowers is out and about. Be sure to catch his day at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers. And, as always, you’ll find me lurking in the comments, on Twitter at @amyremeikis and, for a snapshot of our day, on Instagram at @pyjamapolitics.
Everyone ready? Let’s get started.
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