What we learned: Wednesday 21 June
Thanks for following today’s action, but with that, we’ll wrap up our live coverage.
Guardian Australia’s Mike Bowers is on the ground taking photos of the midwinter ball in Canberra tonight, and you’ll be able to see more of his pictures shortly.
For the evening’s other big event, you can check out our State of Origin live blog here.
Here’s a summary of the day’s main news:
Pressure is mounting on the Greens to support Labor’s housing fund after the party’s calls for state governments to impose rent freezes and increase caps were roundly rejected by east coast leaders.
Consulting firm PwC engaged in a “calculated” breach of trust by using confidential information to help its clients avoid tax and engaged in a “deliberate cover-up” over many years, a Senate committee has found.
Linda Burney says the Indigenous voice will not bother itself with “culture wars” like abolishing Australia Day as she launched an impassioned plea for voters to support the referendum.
The Greens may support the Coalition’s bill to limit gambling advertisements, potentially teaming up again after blocking Labor’s housing bill earlier this week.
The New South Wales corruption watchdog will hand down its much-anticipated and long-delayed report into former premier Gladys Berejiklian next week.
Suggestions of a “cover-up” over the tasering of a 95-year-old grandmother have been rejected by the NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, after the premier was forced to defend his minister’s handling of the situation.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be back to do it all over again tomorrow.
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It’s another former deputy prime minister!
Here is the Nationals MP Michael McCormack striking an eerily similar look to Barnaby Joyce earlier on. MicMac is also wearing a healthy grin and a sharp black tuxedo as he moves through the entrance to parliament with his wife, Catherine, who is also in a stylish ensemble.
This picture courtesy of Guardian Australia’s own Mike Bowers. He has also snapped this photo that provides an insight into Anthony Albanese’s inner circle. Pictured here is the PM’s press adviser Brett Mason with the PM’s bagpipe-playing speechwriter James Jeffrey, channelling a yin and yang energy, with junior PM press adviser Dean Sherr in the background.
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The environment minister Tanya Plibersek is in a black gown and accompanied by her son Joe, who is also cutting a stylish pose!
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The early childhood minister, Anne Aly, is in a purple number, pictured here with senator Jacqui Lambie who is wearing some standout jewellery.
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It’s a Greens sandwich here, with senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Peter Whish-Wilson either side of the executive director of Australia Institute Ben Oquist, who happens to be Hanson-Young’s husband.
Dr Jim Chalmers, Australia’s treasurer, opting for a clean-cut suit, pictured here with his wife, journalist Laura Chalmers, in a calm but vibrant dress.
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The teal wave has landed! From left, we have Sophie Scamps standing out in black, Kate Chaney continuing the sparkly aquatic trend, Zoe Daniel in a floral number, Allegra Spender and Kylea Tink in striking earth tones, and Zali Steggall also sparkling.
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Bob Katter looking dapper, with a nod to tonight’s other big event.
The resources minister, Madeleine King, is in a fashionable black dress and white fur, while husband Jamie King turns heads with his tux on the top and kilt down below.
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Anika Wells, the aged care minister, is wearing a dress with some shine to it that explores a blue/silver gradient. She’s here with husband, Finn McGrath, who’s in a tux and is sporting a beard you can set your watch to!
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Labor senator Jana Stewart is making a statement in her voice-themed outfit, with her husband, Marcus Stewart.
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The former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce is radiating, wearing a huge grin and dapper black tuxedo. He arrived with his partner, Vikki Campion, who is in an earth-toned dress.
Watch out, Nationals party room – someone is dressed to impress!
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The big dogs have arrived.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is in a sharp black tuxedo, with his wife Kirilly in a navy ensemble featuring a sparkly jacket and silky dress. And a tiny, sparkly purse.
“That’s the best I’ve seen Dutton look,” says someone in our newsroom.
And here’s a full body shot of Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon in the outfits we described earlier in this blog.
These pictures are from AAP’s Lukas Coch.
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Karen Andrews, Dorinda Cox arrive at Parliament House
The former home affairs minister Karen Andrews is in a stylish fur number, pictured here with staffer Valeria Cheglov in green.
Not to be outdone, here’s the Greens senator Dorinda Cox in what my colleagues Julia Hollingsworth and Ann Ding tell me is a semi-sheer shawl.
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Liberals at midwinter ball form a harmonious quartet in blue
Midwinter ball guests are cutting a stylish image as they enter Parliament House for tonight’s event.
A quartet of Liberal members have entered, featuring the Lindsay MP, Melissa Macintosh, in an icy light blue shade; the Durack MP, Melissa Price, in a darker but still voguish sapphire blue; the deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley in black; and the Flinders MP, Zoe McKenzie, in navy.
So far the colours seem wintry cool – matching the weather!
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Midwinter ball kicks off in Canberra
If you’re just tuning in, we’re bringing you the latest from Canberra’s night of nights – the midwinter ball!
First up, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has tweeted a picture of himself in a tuxedo with his partner, Jodie Haydon, wearing a stylish long-sleeved black number.
A great night to raise funds for Bill Crews’ Exodus Foundation at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra. pic.twitter.com/66Suq3NdbT
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 21, 2023
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Thanks for following along. I’ll now hand you over to our resident fashionista Elias Visontay who will be covering the press gallery’s much-awaited annual midwinter ball and any other developments.
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WWF calls for further action with nature repair market bill
Australia’s World Wide Fund for Nature has urged senators to “work together” to pass the nature repair market bill after it passed the lower house, but urged the government to pair it with strengthened nature protection laws.
WWF Australia’s conservation economist, Joshua Bishop, said:
WWF encourages rapid passage of the nature repair market bill, and asks our government to double down on strengthening nature protection laws.
Australia has waited far too long for critical nature policy reforms to be enacted. We need stronger nature protection laws, together with new ways of mobilising investment in nature, because business as usual is failing our wildlife and wild places.
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Nature repair market bill passes lower house without Greens’ support
The bill passed with the support of independent MPs Helen Haines, Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall, Sophie Scamps, Kate Chaney and Monique Ryan.
It was opposed by the Coalition, the Greens and independent MP Zoe Daniel.
It comes after Paul Karp reported earlier today the teal independent MPs had accused the Greens of “incredibly short-sighted” opposition to Labor’s proposed nature repair market, and urged them to improve rather than stall or block the bill.
The proposed legislation establishes a scheme to incentivise investment in nature restoration by creating tradable certificates for projects that protect and restore biodiversity.
BREAKING: our Nature Repair Market bill has just passed the House.#auspol pic.twitter.com/FsNVqT75FN
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) June 21, 2023
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Federal Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi says education minister Jason Clare’s comments that making university free would result in fewer people going to university and poorer people missing out as “frankly bizarre and the opposite of what would happen”.
It comes after the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Duncan Maskell, joined the Greens and student unions in calling for tertiary education to be free.
Faruqi said:
“Academics, experts, students, the NTEU, and now a vice-chancellor at one of Australia’s top universities have joined the Greens’ call to back free university. It’s time for the prime minister, who went to university for free, to get on board.
We have universal primary and secondary education. Free public higher education is the missing piece of the puzzle.
Making university free will be life changing for many, especially for people who want to change careers and re-skill later in life. By removing the crushing debts, people will be able to adapt to new and emerging careers without being penalised.”
Our Caitlin Cassidy has the full story on Maskell backing calls for free tertiary education here:
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Rolfe police complaint referred to corruption watchdog
A complaint against a detective involved in the investigation of ex-constable Zachary Rolfe over the shooting death of an Indigenous teenager has been referred to the Northern Territory’s corruption watchdog.
AAP reports Rolfe’s solicitor has written to NT police detailing a number of matters of concern.
They included accusations that evidence from an independent expert witness was amended and edited and that evidence favourable to Rolfe was withheld, the NT News reported.
Acting NT Police Deputy Commissioner Michael White confirmed receipt of the letter and that it had been referred to the NT Independent Commission Against Corruption.
He said:
We have received a letter from the lawyer representing Mr Rolfe and we’re investigating the contents of that letter and assessing the information that’s been provided.
We’ll determine where the investigation goes.
I’m not going to talk about specifics but again, we’ll review the information that’s been provided and we’ll thoroughly investigate any allegation that’s been made.
I have referred it to the ICAC.
White declined to comment on whether the detective concerned had been spoken to.
‘Gambling ads must be banned, full stop’: independent MP Zoe Daniel
The parliament is gearing up for another significant fight on gambling ads, with the Greens considering backing a Coalition bill to limit advertising, but other crossbenchers saying they should take much bolder action.
As we’ve reported, Sarah Hanson-Young says the Greens are sympathetic to “any bill” that would limit gambling - and are considering backing the Coalition in the Senate, which could roll the government again in the upper house - even though the Greens want such moves to go much further than the Coalition proposal to block ads for an hour either side of sporting games on TV.
But lower house independent MP Zoe Daniel, whose own private bill would look to a complete ban on gambling ads, says the Senate should go much further.
David Pocock is putting up amendments to the Coalition bill, which would see it mirror Daniel’s bill. Daniel said:
The Senate should not duck the issue. It should reject the coalition’s meagre proposal and pass Senator Pocock’s version of my Private Members Bill for a complete ban.
I hope the Coalition’s squib of a bill does not pass. The evidence is that trying to ring fence gambling advertising won’t work.
Daniel said past evidence of restricting gambling ads in this way just saw such ads shift into other programming, and actually an increase in overall ads:
Only a complete ban on gambling advertising on our screens will stop the gambling giants from grooming impressionable young people to believe they are not part of the gang if they don’t bet as they watch sport.
Gambling ads must be banned, full stop.
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Pocock calls for debate on Middle Arm development
After Guardian Australia’s investigation of the expansion of gas projects in the Northern Territory, independent senator David Pocock has called for a debate about the government’s plans to back the Middle Arm industrial precinct on Darwin Harbour with $1.5b in taxpayer funds.
I moved a motion to debate the Govt giving $1.5B of taxpayer money to Middle Arm.
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) June 21, 2023
Middle Arm will unlock Beetaloo for fracking + enable petrochemical production & gas exports.
Terrible health risks for people in Darwin & ⬆️ emissions (Beetaloo = 3177 years of domestic gas use). pic.twitter.com/Hq6x3JUswe
Read the investigation from our Anne Davies and Lisa Cox here:
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Anthony Albanese reckons he might have broken the record today for most people in the prime minister’s office thanks to visiting students from Haberfield public school.
Hey @GWR what’s the record for most people to fit in the Prime Minister's Office? I think Haberfield Public School just broke it. pic.twitter.com/eBGQqxB5G8
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 21, 2023
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Labor’s Deborah O’Neill criticises PwC for ‘coercion and spin’
The Labor senator Deborah O’Neill has criticised PwC in the Senate for “attempting to walk away from this profound ethical failure” after the committee expressed concern PwC had failed to take responsibility for the actions of its staff.
O’Neill says:
It shocks me that the obfuscation by PwC Australia continues and that PwC Global appears to be attempting to walk away from this profound ethical failure and calculated breach of trust.
I am concerned by reports of threats and intimidation by leaders inside PwC as they continue in their efforts of coercion and spin.
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Parliament’s interim report on PwC scandal makes two recommendations
The unanimous report of the finance and public administration committee has two recommendations:
The committee recommends that PwC cooperate fully and openly with all investigations and inquiries into this matter, including the investigations by the Australian Federal Police and the Tax Practitioners Board.
The committee recommends that PwC be open and honest with the Australian Parliament and people, and with the international community, by promptly publishing accurate and detailed information about the involvement of PwC partners and personnel (including names and positions) in the matters canvassed in this report.
The Greens want to go further.
The Greens senator Barbara Pocock says:
We now have cross-party agreement about what happened. PwC engaged in a calculated breach of trust and an intentional cover-up. The committee unanimously agrees that PwC should come clean and fully cooperate with independent inquiries into their wrongdoing. PwC must move beyond a simple “fall guy” strategy.
It is untenable for the government to keep doing business with an entity that conducts itself like this. The Greens are calling on the government to cancel PwC’s registration as a tax agent and will be introducing an amendment to do exactly this. The government must also enact an immediate ban on contracts with PwC.
We need Luke Sayers, who was CEO of PwC Australia throughout this debacle, and the head of taxation at the time, Tom Seymour, along with others in senior leadership to answer questions and be held to account.
The evidence in this report points to a go-slow and weak response from regulators that calls into question how far PwC’s tentacles reach into the heart of our public institutions. It has never been more clear, we need a NACC investigation of this matter. The Green’s will make this referral to the NACC on the day it opens.
The evidence cited in this report shows an internal culture at PwC so poor that it has lost the capacity to act honestly. In fact, it is clear now that its senior leadership does not recognise basic ethical and legal principles. The evidence also creates a strong argument for breaking the link between political donations and big consultancies.
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Parliament's interim report on PwC scandal calls firm’s actions ‘a calculated breach of trust’
The chair of the finance and public administration committee, Richard Colbeck, is tabling the interim report into consultants and the PwC scandal.
In the Senate, Colbeck described PwC’s actions as a “calculated” and an “egregious” breach of trust.
Colbeck says:
The report is titled: PwC a calculated breach of trust. Because that’s how the committee sees the actions that were undertaken by Mr Peter Collins, when he was given the privilege of being part of a consultation process on new legislation being proposed to deal with multinational tax avoidance.
Colbeck cites efforts by PwC to put obstacles in the way of the Australian Taxation Office investigating the breach.
Colbeck says the committee had to take “some care” in its inquiry, given the Treasury’s referral of the matter to the Australian federal police. The committee had to be careful not to “create a pool of evidence that would inhibit potential legal proceedings” or call witnesses “who may be subject to legal proceedings, who may want to come before the committee to put on record things that may not be able to be used in proceedings”.
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At last year’s Midwinter Ball, we saw the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Adam Bandt’s partner, Claudia Perkins, also emblazon their gowns with political messages.
Hanson-Young wore a dress bearing the phrase “end gas and coal”, while Perkins arrived in a gown emblazoned with the slogans “coal kills” and “gas kills”.
The fashion statements came after criticisms raised by Senator David Pocock and climate groups about fossil fuel companies Woodside and Shell sponsoring the annual press gallery ball.
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Labor’s Jana Stewart offers sneak peek of yes dress
Our Mike Bowers has snapped our first sneak peek of the opulent fits that will be on display at the press gallery’s Midwinter Ball tonight, where politicians and journalists rub shoulders with business leaders and celebrities.
The Labor senator Jana Stewart has continued the trend of politicians making their fashion statements at the ball political, with a dress that says yes.
The white dress, designed by Laura Thompson – the co-founder of social enterprise Clothing the Gaps – is embroidered with words from the Uluru statement of the heart and the word “yes” in a nod to the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament.
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Hanson-Young says housing bill ‘a bit of a sham’ amid Senate standoff
The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said the government should be reminded the point of the Senate is to hold it to account after the Greens decision to defer the debate on the Housing Australia Future Fund until October granted the first half of a trigger towards a full Senate election.
Asked on ABC whether she was concerned about the Greens decision leading to a double dissolution, Hanson-Young said:
Breaking news; the Senate is not at the whim of the government. It has not been for a long time and it should not be. It is how the Australian people vote, election after election. They want the Senate to hold the government to account.
We have been trying for months to negotiate with the government. We were very clear about what is needed for it to happen. We know the expert opinion is that this housing future fund bill is a bit of a sham. It is not spending any money for another two years, it is not building houses, it is gambling it on the stock market.
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Burke warns MPs that parliament may have to sit on Friday
Tony Burke has just warned the house the parliament may have to sit on Friday because the Senate isn’t getting through its business because the Coalition keep adding speakers to things.
It’s a filibuster tactic designed to make it look like the government isn’t getting through its work.
So Burke has come back with a WE WILL SIT LONGER DON’T PUSH ME move.
Let’s see if that moves them along in the Senate.
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Premier pressured over Hobart stadium advice
An independent MP responsible for plunging the Tasmanian government into minority has threatened to send the state to an early election if his concerns about plans for a Hobart stadium are not addressed, AAP reports.
John Tucker and Lara Alexander quit the Liberal party in May to sit on the crossbench, citing concerns around the government’s planning for a $715m waterfront stadium at Macquarie Point.
The stadium project was a condition of the AFL granting Tasmania a licence for a team.
The premier, Jeremy Rockliff, said he had tabled all relevant advice on the stadium plan, though some documents could not be released because they were covered by cabinet confidentiality, a longstanding convention under which government deliberations about policy were kept under wraps.
In a speech to parliament, Tucker said the government’s reference to cabinet in confidence amounted to an “obvious cover-up”.
Here’s Tucker:
At the end of the day, if they don’t provide the information there’s going to be a confidence problem in the government and we will be off to an election.
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Thanks Amy for leading us through the latest developments today. I’ll be with you for the rest of the day!
I am going to pass you to Jordyn Beazley for the rest of the afternoon while I go stare at a wall. Stay tuned for more updates – I will be back with Politics Live early tomorrow morning and will let you know how the parliament and press gallery pulls up after the Midwinter Ball tonight.
As always, take care of you Ax
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Liberal Democrat says Victorian government has committed to act on Denyer bail
The Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick, who’s partner Natalie Russell was 17 when she was murdered by Denyer, says despite the bill failing they’ve secured a commitment from the government to act:
Although the bill didn’t pass today, I regard it as a win – the efforts of the people behind me who bravely stood up and been making noise about this since 2021 have finally pushed the government into action. I’m very disappointed that it’s taken this long for the government to act. When we first started this in 2021, we thought that it would be something that would happen really quickly.
That would be sort of a no-brainer for the government to come up with some sort of legislation to deal with this. For whatever reason they chose not to act. But they have said now, the attorney general said herself they’ve made a public commitment to some sort of parole reform … I’m willing to contribute to that and work with the government on how that might work.
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Albanese put on hold in FM radio bit
The prime minister is on hold in his latest FM radio bit to give the hosts an “important clue” to get out of the escape room they are in because we are a very serious country.
When Americans joke Australia is not real.
It does give Paul Karp and I a chance to annoy our colleagues to sing Miley Cyrus’s Flowers out loud while we await this very important piece of national security information delivered to FM radio hosts doing a bit by the leader of this country.
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‘We’ll work with you. No politics’: Liberals appeal to Labor on Denyer parole
The Liberal MP Brad Battin is holding a press conference after his bid to change Victoria’s law to restrict any future parole applications by the serial killer Paul Denyer failed to pass the upper house.
Labor MPs, the Greens and the two Legalise Cannabis MPs voted to block the bill, which proposed the serial killer should only be able to apply for parole if seriously incapacitated or at risk of death.
The government has instead proposed changing the law to restrict serial killers from applying for parole for several years. The attorney general has said a law dealing specifically with Denyer would be subject to a high court challenge.
Battin – the opposition’s corrections spokesperson – says he is happy to work with “whoever it takes” to ensure the families are given closure:
Daniel Andrews our cry to you now is work with us. We’ll work with you. No politics. Let’s make sure to pass that legislation to ensure that Victorians are safe.
Vikki Petraitis, a crime author, has followed the case since the 1990s, and has become close to Denyer’s victims’ families. She says today is a “distressing day”.
We sat in the gallery and we watched 19 people vote no, and the stark reality is that even though they expressed that they wanted to help the families, they could have finished this today. And they voted no. And that’s really distressing.
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And just for fun and because we have missed him, here is a Mike Bowers series on facial expressions.
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Please enjoy this series from Mike Bowers: politicians discover hands.
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Anthony Albanese is bookending his day with FM radio interviews – he’ll be on KIIS FM Sydney this afternoon (he spoke to Triple M this morning, which feels like 20 years and at least 100 will the voice … questions ago).
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At the end of QT, Anthony Albanese and Max Chandler-Mather appeared to have words – as caught by Mike Bowers:
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The independent senator Lidia Thorpe has commented on the government’s announcement of real-time reporting on deaths in custody.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) June 21, 2023
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University of Melbourne staff strike for a second time
Staff at the University of Melbourne are on strike for the second time this year demanding pay rises at least in line with the consumer price index and lower workloads.
The National Union of Students education officer, Xavier Dupé, is rallying alongside academics. He says “a win for staff means better conditions for students”.
“Melbourne University is far from unique. Students across the country are faced with management that ... charge huge fees to students. A win for University of Melbourne staff and students would be an example for other unions fighting the cost-of-living crisis and education cuts.”
24hr strike at unimelb today. I'm striking against casualisation, centralisation and consultancy culture. And I'm striking for better working and learning conditions, for colleagues and students, and for the future of the University #whyimstriking pic.twitter.com/usUTgVmJeJ
— james parker (@farsidevirtual) June 21, 2023
Arts students have been sent an email reminding them of their rights to attend classes and exams, while a fundraiser has been launched with a $20,000 goal to help staff losing pay due to the strike.
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Bid to restrict future parole applications by serial killer Paul Denyer fails
A bid by the Victorian opposition to change the state’s law to restrict any future parole applications by the serial killer Paul Denyer has failed to pass the upper house.
Labor MPs, the Greens and the two Legalise Cannabis MPs voted to block the bill, which proposed the serial killer should only be able to apply for parole if seriously incapacitated or at risk of death.
The government has instead proposed changing the law to restrict serial killers from applying for parole for several years.
Debate on the bill was emotional, with the loved ones of victims in the chamber. The Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick, who’s partner Natalie Russell was 17 when she was murdered by Denyer, spoke in support of the bill.
Limbrick said he had felt closure after Denyer was sentenced in 1993 to three life sentences but this was ripped from him when on appeal he was granted a 30-year sentence:
No one who’s been talking about this publicly, none of us want to be going over and over it. But we just want to have some sort of solution or closure that we felt that we had back in 1993. Because, even today, despite our will, no one here can actually stand up and say for certain that he’s never going to harm another girl, the way that he harmed Nat. So we have to act.
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Question time ends
And that is pretty much it for QT.
One. More. To. Go.
Will the voice be able to declare its a scallop and not a potato cake for all of Australia? Will the voice be able to move Parliament House?
Will the voice change Valentine’s Day to Captain Cook was killed day?
Given where this week has gone so far, it is hard to rule anything out.
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‘Do not tell me what I do or do not know about Aboriginal Australia,’ Burney tells Liberal MP
Tony Pasin is next up with the non-government questions:
Minister, where in the wording proposed to create a new chapter in the constitution is the voice restricted from offering advice to the government and the executive on any issue it chooses?
Linda Burney:
I am sorry that it appears you are unable to read the very simple instructions for what this is about. Clause three makes it very clear.
Pasin makes a point of order asking Burney to withdraw:
While I did grow up in a household where English was not my first language, I can read.
Burney withdraws.
I have said on at least five or six occasions, this week, what the voice is responsible for and what the second reading speech of the attorney general said, especially in relation to matters that affect Indigenous people differently. I think it is patently clear.
Let me say this to the member for Barker. I have been to communities that are crying out for a different way of doing things.
I have been to communities where there are 30 people living in two-bedroom homes.
I have been to communities where babies are drinking sweet cordial instead of water because it is cheaper.
I have been to communities where you cannot get in and out because of the road conditions.
I have taken a friend, who died at 43, of end-of-life renal failure, to visit his son in jail. I have seen friends die, in hospitals, because they are very young, and their conditions in their life when they were younger terrible.
So do not tell me what I do or do not know about Aboriginal Australia.
Do not tell me the proposition the prime minister has outlined is not needed in this country.
I am not interested in culture wars. I am interested in closing the gap.
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Katter inquires about ‘housing packages in paradise’
Bob Katter then takes the next non-government question.
PM, could you confirm that house prices in Brisbane and Sydney exceed 800,000. And since only one million people live outside the 70km east coast, Perth and Victoria, who would miss Victoria, minister, if migration is halved in your housing authority buys or designates 14,000 one hectare housing blocks, at Mareeba and Atherton for example, if the authority overrides what the Reserve Bank describes as insurmountable building, building, zoning and planning impositions, won’t we get housing packages in paradise for under $280,000.
I don’t know what to tell you. Why is housing so expensive and what are you doing about it? That’s what I think he was asking there.
The prime minister gives his housing speech in response.
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‘I am not sure what the opposition is missing’: Burney fields more opposition questions on scope of voice
Michelle Landry asks Linda Burney:
Will the voice have the power to provide advice to the government on any program in the budget?
That sound you hear is Burney’s internal scream at this line of questioning.
Burney:
I have made the point repeatedly this week, that the voice has no power of veto. So the answer to the question is obvious.
I am not sure what the opposition is missing. This is a practical and simple proposition.
This is about making practical change the lives of First Nations people in this country and it is also about this country and recognising 65,000 years of history.
There are 10 design principles and that is the end of my answer.
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Jason Clare says making university free would mean ‘just a lucky few’ would be able to attend
Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown asks Jason Clare:
You and I and many others in this place benefited from free university before fees were introduced by the Hawke Labor Government. Last night, the University of Melbourne vice-chancellor called for first degrees to be free, something the Greens have also been calling for.
Prime minister, will you commit to making university free, or is Labor content with students continuing to accumulate massive rising debt to the minister for education?
Jason Clare:
Now we don’t support that because what that would mean is that fewer people go to university not more. In fact, that would mean that just a lucky few would end up going to university. And the sort of people that would miss out would be people from poor backgrounds.
People from the bush and more Indigenous Australians.
You know, Mr. Speaker, Kermit the Frog was wrong. It is easy being green because you can promise the world and you don’t have to deliver anything.
He then includes a sledge about housing.
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Question time is almost over but I am still catching up because of the transcription issue, so apologies for dragging this out.
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The Nationals’ Pat Conaghan then asks Linda Burney:
The voice referendum working group and Yes23 director Thomas Mayo has stated: “We keep going. We maintain this momentum until we change the system, until we tear down the institutions”. On what basis did the minister appoint Mr Mayo to the referendum Working Group?
Burney says:
I have a responsibility and that responsibility is what I say.
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Liberal MP asks Burney to name issue affecting non-Indigenous Australians, but not Indigenous Australians
OK. We have hit a new low with questions.
The member for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie, asks (the questions are handed to backbenchers by the tactics team which is made up of the leadership)
Can the minister name an issue that affects non Indigenous Australians, that does not affect Indigenous Australians?
There is a very long back-and-forth over whether the question is in order. Milton Dick rules it is, but is broad (meaning Linda Burney can answer it however she would like).
Burney:
The voice will not be required to make a representation on every law, policy and program.
The attorney general made clear that matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people need measures specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – or matters which affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people differently.
Just look at the bottom score of every social round, of every social ladder in this country and you might figure that out.
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NSW Icac to hand down report into Gladys Berejiklian next week
The New South Wales corruption watchdog will hand down its much-anticipated and highly delayed report into former premier Gladys Berejiklian next week.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption announced the report would be released on 29 June at 9am.
In a statement, Icac said:
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption will furnish its Operation Keppel investigation report, concerning the then member of Parliament for Wagga Wagga, the then premier, and others, to the Presiding Officers at the NSW Parliament on Thursday 29 June 2023 at 9.00 am.
If the presiding officers make the report public, it will be made available for download from the Icac website at www.icac.nsw.gov.au with notification also provided to media and via the commission’s Twitter account.
Berejiklian has denied any wrongdoing
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Indigenous voice ‘will not be involved in culture wars’: Burney
Sussan Ley (with the delivery of a high school debating captain):
Would the voice have the power to advise the government to abolish Australia Day?
Linda Burney:
The voice will not be bothered by cultural wars. It will focus on the practical and on the [matter of] policy [which affects Indigenous people] differently in terms of closing the gap.
As the … speech of the attorney general made clear, it will focus on matters specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people differently.
And the key word is “differently”.
The word “differently” talks about things like the 10-year gap in life expectancy. It talks about the higher chance that Indigenous people have of being incarcerated than of them possibly going to university.
It talks about infant and maternal mortality.
It talks about children born at lower birth weights, higher rates of family violence, lower rates of finishes school and higher rates of unemployment, overcrowding in houses.
It will not be involved in cultural wars.
Updated
Sussan Ley has the next non-government question.
Guess. GUESS what it’s on.
Chalmers: Greens ‘not prepare to vote for’ social housing ‘when it really matters’
Jim Chalmers is up next on the housing slam.
The Greens … say they believe in social housing, they’re just not prepared to vote for it when it really matters. They say they want more social housing, and they go into the Senate and they vote against more social housing.
… Our budgets, they aren’t just defined by our Labor values. They’re defined by Australian values, working together to get things done for each other, putting pragmatism and problem solving ahead of posturing and product differentiation, not just issuing pithy press releases, but running this country and our economy in the interests of the people and communities who sent us here to work for them.
Updated
Andrew Wilkie asks if Labor is trying cover up ‘obvious crime’ of coal quality fraud
Andrew Wilkie breaks the housing fund questions with:
These documents contain additional evidence of coal quality fraud by three companies regarding Australian exports to South Korea. Now when I first raised this issue with you last year, the ACCC initially told me it would investigate.
But since then, no agency has contacted me, the whistleblower involved struggled to even get a meeting with the ACCC and only Terracom is being investigated. Minister, is your government trying to cover up this obvious crime?
Madeleine King:
I thank the member for Clark for his question, and I can assure you this government is not interested in covering up anything at all at, least of all accusations such as this. I also want to thank the member for Clark for his advocacy for whistleblowers across Australia. And I admire him for his strong sense of social justice, and I thank him for his tireless work of protecting our nation against corruption and misinformation.
My office has engaged with the member on – not, perhaps, the matter you are raising today, but on other matters in relation to alleged misconduct and coal quality testing. I can assure the member I do take these allegations very seriously.
I will have to look in to the new matters you mentioned in relation that you’ve raised and your involvement or otherwise or lack of involvement as you have said in relation to the ACCC and of course I will do that and my office will undertake to do that straight away.
King says the government takes the allegations seriously and she will be on it.
Wilkie asks to table the documents but leave is denied. Tony Burke says he is unaware of the legal issues if the documents were tabled.
Updated
The next dixer is to Julie Collins who continues the reading of the Labor Burn Book entries about the Greens.
Updated
Dutton and Albanese spar over One Nation, Clive Palmer preferences at election
Peter Dutton then asks if the Australian Labor party will accept Greens preferences at the next election.
The chamber explodes in a cacophony of faux-rage and Milton Dick has to use his best headteacher’s voice to bring the house to order.
Anthony Albanese:
I do really thank the leader of the opposition for this question. From the party that relies on preferences from One Nation and Clive Palmer.
Peter Dutton has a point of order – the Labor party also accepts preferences from Clive Palmer and One Nation, he says.
Albanese:
They are often a part of a Coalition of the cookers over there in Queensland.
He has to withdraw it after complaints.
I note they find it offensive that I mention Clive Palmer and One Nation with the Queensland LNP.
Albanese then points out that the Liberal federal conference this weekend had a seven-minute video on “the Peter Dutton I know”.
“It was seven minutes, but it seems like longer,” he says.
I hope I don’t need to say this, but political parties don’t get to choose who they accept preferences from – voters vote how they vote. Political parties can put out how to vote cards for their supporters which have a guide on how they would like people to vote, but they cannot decide not to take someone’s preferences.
Updated
PM: Greens ‘want people to stay in poverty so they can have a rally against it’
The next question is a dixer on how terrible the Greens are for holding up the housing Australia future fund with its demand for action for renters.
Anthony Albanese is VERY exercised as he delivers his answer which includes the mention of an article written by one of the Greens (I think it is Max Chandler-Mather, in Jacobin:
This is what he had to say. He wrote, ‘This parliamentary conflict helped create the space for a broader campaign in civil society’. He went on to say this: ‘We’re opposing 30,000 social and affordable homes because’ – and I quote – ‘allowing the Haff to pass today would demobilise the growing section of civil society that is justifiably angry about the degree of poverty and financial stress that exists in such a wealthy country’.
Because it would demobilise people from campaigning against poverty. They want people to stay in poverty so they can have a rally against it.
It goes on and the chamber is in absolute outrage – on all sides.
Paul Karp sees Chandler-Mather say “that’s right” when Albanese says the Greens want a fight on the issue, and he and the independent MP Dr Monique Ryan are waving Labor MPs on in the universal “bring it on” signal.
Or as we said at my Gold Coast school: earrings off, rings on.
Updated
Question time begins
After learning that Anthony Albanese went downstairs to watch the cricket so as not to disturb his partner, and Peter Dutton watched it on his phone with the volume down so as not to wake his wife, we move on to the questions.
Melissa Price kicks it off asking if Linda Burney misled parliament with some of her statements yesterday. (The one in question is about Australia Day not being moved – the question seems to be based on an article in the Australian (one of many questions which have been based on articles in the Oz over the last couple of weeks)
Burney does the verbal equivalent of an annoyed eye roll and says no and what she won’t do is engage in “tokenism” adding that this is “not about culture wars”.
It is not the policy of this government to change the date of Australia Day, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have strong views about Australia Day but it is the parliament that makes those decisions. “This is not about culture wars, this is about closing the gap. This isn’t about division, this is about bringing people together.”
Alas, even the Tveeder transcription service has given up today and I can’t say I blame it.
Updated
Universities contributing to housing crisis ‘by charging huge prices’, Randwick councillor says
The Randwick Greens councillor Philipa Veitch has called for an immediate increase in public and affordable housing and a rent freeze, as students struggle under the weight of rising rents.
Speaking at the UNSW protest, she said:
Universities have … been contributing to the problem by charging huge prices for student accommodation, and selling off and leasing land to private accommodation operators.
A UNSW spokesperson said its Sydney campus was seeing higher demand for student accommodation compared to recent years, aligned to rental market demands and had established a new “concierge service” to help students find housing on and off campus.
This has been undertaken to support the needs of our students who have been increasingly experiencing difficulties in finding appropriate accommodation.
The University is aware that some students may be facing financial challenges at this time. UNSW endeavours to provide the support students need to succeed at university, ranging from financial assistance to academic skills support.
Updated
UNSW students rally to call for rent caps on campus housing
UNSW students are holding a rally this afternoon calling for urgent affordable campus housing as the rental crisis continues to bite.
Students are demanding UNSW caps rents on student housing to one-third of youth allowance – equating to roughly $100 a week – and commit more finances to providing affordable campus housing.
Organiser Cherish Kuehlmann said the cheapest accommodation on campus was currently $653 per fortnight, $100 more than Youth Allowance.
Students would have to earn a full-time salary of over $56,000 a year to not experience rental stress. What student can afford that?
Updated
Every thing I have learnt about Bazball has been against my will.
This includes the four minutes of my life listening to both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton talk about the Australian team underdog win in the first test.
There are four more tests to go. Calm down.
Meanwhile, QT will end with a Go the Blues, Up the Maroons moment ahead of origin.
And then we will continue to hear about how politics and sport should be seperate.
President of Tibet’s government-in-exile compares China’s treatment of Tibetan children to Stolen Generations
“We are dying a slow death culturally, day by day,” the president of Tibet’s government-in-exile said today, as he called on Australia to do more to stop China’s human rights abuses in his country.
Penpa Tsering is the democratically elected head of the exiled government, living in India (the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the east Asian nation).
Tsering has described China’s increasingly authoritarian rule in China to be “cultural genocide”, and in his National Press Club Speech he said if the federal government’s foreign policy was to impose sanctions on governments that commit crimes against humanity “just like China does in Tibet”, it should apply equally to everybody. He said:
We know for a fact Australia has sanctioned Iran, Burma, Russia, but when it comes to China, then everyone calms down a little bit.
He said he understood the sensitivities and the national interest that were involved, with China as Australia’s biggest trading partner, but that the bigger countries could “get away with everything”.
Tsering also likened the situation in Tibet to Australia’s Stolen Generations, saying Tibetan children were being taken from their families and put in boarding schools. China was also trialling schools with no Tibetan classes, he said.
China is trying to block Tibet and “make it like a huge prison where nobody can go in, nobody can go out” and then it tells the world it is a “socialist paradise”, he said. He also said the international community seemed to pay attention to violent conflicts and ignore the peaceful resistance of the Tibetan people, and that suited China.
“We are dying a slow death culturally, day by day,” he said. “[But] we have never lost hope.”
Updated
Greens accused of engineering rental crisis
The Greens are now being accused of engineering a rental crisis for their own ends in the house, as the airing of the grievances (90-second statements) comes to an end.
The last 90-second statement is usually the main message the government wants to get out because it is the time when everyone is switching over to pay attention before question time.
Anyway, here is another view:
Updated
Question time approaches
There is now less than half an hour until question time – the second last one of the sitting, which means it is also the second last one for almost six weeks.
We know that the Coalition will be asking more questions about what the voice can or can’t do and there will be more “when will the prime minister come clean about the damage his government is causing our country?”
Will the voice be able to save Fantales? Stay tuned.
Updated
Robodebt statement from Shorten still pending
We were waiting for Bill Shorten to deliver a ministerial statement (by leave) on robodebt which was down on the house notice paper for noon – but it doesn’t seem to have eventuated.
It is not surprising that Shorten would be delivering a statement – the final report is being handed down on 7 July and it’s the last parliament sitting before the Fadden byelection, which is happening because Stuart Robert, one of the Coalition ministers that had carriage of robodebt, has quit the parliament.
We’ll endeavour to find out what happened there.
Updated
‘We are not asking for independence’: Tibet’s Penpa Tsering
What is the difference between statehood (which Penpa Tsering wants) and independence?
Penpa Tsering
The middle way approach as proposed by his Holiness is a Buddhist concept avoiding extreme polarity.
So one polarity is the status of Tibet, historical status as an independent state and the other polarity is the present state of Tibet under the government of the PRC.
We are trying to seek a solution of an autonomous arrangement whereby Tibetans would have the freedom to practise its language, protect its environment, you know, and preserve its culture and religion and language.
So these are basic fundamental rights which are taken for granted in the free world that does not exist in Tibet. So this is what we are asking for. We are not asking for independence.
Even here at the Press Club, we know that Chinese government – the Ambassador here – ask the Press Club to disinvite me, and I always thank the Chinese government for being our best publicity agent.
Updated
President of the Tibetan government-in-exile delivers press club address
Penpa Tsering, president of the Tibetan government-in-exile, is giving his press club address. His government-in-exile is headquartered in northern India.
Freedom House, the international watchdog, has designated Tibet as one of the least free countries alongside South Sudan and Syria.
That itself explains it is not the Tibetans who are saying we are the least free country in the world, it is the international watchdog who is looking into all the parameters of freedom.
That it is what are the least free countries in the world where you have no access, no access to diplomats, no access to journalists, no access to even ordinary travellers.
That is what China tries to do, lock away Tibet, make it like a huge prison where nobody can go in, nobody can go out and then tell the international community that Tibet is a socialist paradise.
If Tibet is a socialist paradise, then why does Chinese government [not] allow [people] to see the paradise for themselves? Tibet does not have any political or civil rights.
If anyone of you have read George Orwell’s 1984, that has come into reality in China and more so in the Tibetan region, Mongolian region and in Hong Kong. Tibetans inside Tibet have no political space to express themselves.
Updated
Government sets up national registry to help combat workplace respiratory diseases
A national registry has been established to detect and combat deadly workplace respiratory diseases as the federal government seeks to tackle the prevalence of silicosis, AAP reports.
If passed, the law will require mandatory reporting of the disease which affects nearly one-in-four engineered stone workers in the industry prior to 2018.
But the peak union representing workers wants a ban on engineered stone to eradicate disease.
Products with high silica levels – commonly used in kitchen and bathroom benches – have been linked to the incurable lung disease silicosis and cancer.
Assistant health minister Ged Kearney said every case of silicosis was unacceptable.
Introducing the proposal to parliament, she told the story of Joanna, a 34-year-old mother of two who worked at a quarry run by a large multinational company.
During a fit-for-work test after returning from maternity leave, Joanna was diagnosed with silicosis.
Kearney said:
She’s not who many people would first picture when they think of a worker diagnosed with silicosis.
She’s a young woman and she worked largely in a reception role at the front office of the quarry.
(Joanna) should never have been diagnosed with this disease.”
The proposed national occupational respiratory disease registry will capture information on respiratory disease believed to have been caused by or exacerbated in the workplace.
Respiratory, sleep, occupational and environmental medicine specialists will be required to notify the registry of every diagnosis of occupationally caused silicosis.
They may also notify the registry of other occupational respiratory diseases, with the patient’s consent.
Updated
Protest mounted to save Kosciuszko brumbies
Ahhh – the mounted protest on the lawns of Parliament House is seeking to draw attention to the push to save the feral horses/brumbies in Kosciuszko national park.
The horses are being culled because their population is too large and they are causing damage to the ecosystem of the national park, including critically endangered frogs.
But the group is urging for other solutions to allow the horses to live.
Updated
Victorian Coalition urged to drop vote on Paul Denyer parole bill
Victoria’s attorney general Jaclyn Symes is urging the Coalition not to put its bill to restrict any future parole applications by serial killer Paul Denyer to a vote in parliament today.
The bill, which proposes the serial killer should only be able to apply for parole if seriously incapacitated or at risk of death, is currently being debated in the upper house and will be put to a vote, but is doomed to fail without the support of Labor, the Greens and the two Legalise Cannabis MPs.
The government has ruled out creating a single law dealing specifically with Denyer’s case and is instead considering restricting serial killers from applying for parole for several years.
Symes said she had met with the family of one of Denyer’s victims and gave them a “personal commitment” that she would craft laws that “give them comfort that Paul Denyer is not getting out of prison”.
But she confirmed Labor would vote against the Coalition’s bill, which she says would lead to a legal challenge:
A one-man piece of legislation in relation to denying them parole forever will be challenged in the high court. We’ve had successes in the high court before but there’s no guarantee that we will have a success again, particularly when I’ve been able to articulate that there are other options on the table in relation to dealing with this matter.
Symes urged the Coalition to delay a vote on their bill and instead arrange a meeting with her and the family
I have expressed my preference to not debate this bill today. I know that family members are coming in today. We should use the opportunity to sit down and have further conversations with them. It’s a very unknown world – politics – for a lot of people. So taking the time to explain the process, explain the options, I think is a better use of today’s time than politicians standing up talking about these victims when you can actually talk to them.
Updated
The neighs have it
There is some sort of mounted protest on the lawns in front of Parliament House.
As in horses.
Updated
Taxation bill passes Senate with future fund disclosure amendment
The Senate has passed a government taxation bill, including a Greens amendment supported by Labor setting up a proactive disclosure regime for the future fund.
The Greens amendment would require the minister to make regulations specifying that the future fund is to publicly report every six months on details of its investments including where funds are invested and how much.
Greens treasury spokesperson Nick McKim said:
Australians have a right to know exactly how the future fund is investing $250bn of their money. For too long the future fund has been operating behind closed doors and making investments that have had calamitous environmental and human rights impacts.
Mandatory disclosure will reveal whether the future fund is still investing in weapons manufacturers or fossil fuel corporations, as it has regularly done in the past.
It took [freedom of information] requests to reveal the fund had invested in arms companies with links to the Myanmar military. And it took questions through Senate estimates to find out that the future fund has $3.4bn in the 50 biggest fossil fuel companies in the world.
Public pressure following these revelations forced the future fund to divest, but it shouldn’t be that hard to hold the future fund to account.
We hope that the disinfectant of sunlight will bring about a change in the future fund’s investments and ultimately force them to invest ethically.
Proactive disclosure will increase pressure on the future fund to make investment decisions in line with the values that Australians expect.
Updated
Defence stopped sharing VIP flight details with watchdog, FOI documents show
We reported earlier this year that the defence department had suddenly stopped publishing details about the use of its VIP jet fleet by politicians, preventing the public from scrutinising their potential misuse.
Now, freedom of information documents show that the department has also stopped providing details of the flights to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, the watchdog designed to prevent travel rorts. Ipea has a role in recovering funds from the offices of MPs who should be using their own travel budget to pay for the costly flights – thought to be worth $4,600 an hour.
It recovered about $38,000 in 2019-20 and 2020-21 alone. But the department ceased handing over the data to Ipea in December 2021, preventing it from recovering any further funds.
An Ipea spokesperson said:
Ipea undertakes budget allocation and recovery action based on information provided by Defence. The most recent information related to 2021. Discussions with Defence relating to the SPA [special purpose aircraft] are ongoing.
Defence did not respond to a request for comment but has previously raised security concerns around the sharing of the VIP fleet data.
Updated
AEC: referendum messages must be authorised
The AEC commissioner Tom Rogers has a general message for anyone campaigning for either side of the referendum – if in doubt, authorise the message.
Politically active entities are familiar with the requirement to authorise their messages but others who will campaign in this referendum may not be.
If your communication is designed to encourage people to vote a certain way and you are expending money to create or distribute that communication, or if you’re likely to be a referendum entity, then you have to authorise that communication.
Authorisation laws are all about people knowing who is communicating with them about their vote – my advice to all campaigners is to make that as clear as possible and, if in doubt, authorise.
Public debate is important. The AEC isn’t here to stifle or prevent debate but we do want to make sure referendum communication is transparent and complies with the law.
Updated
Jane Hume makes her speaking slot – just
Liberal senator Jane Hume, the shadow minister for finance, is a little out of breath as she delivers a speech in the Senate – it looks like she has had to run into the chamber to make her speaking slot.
She pulls on her blazer as she speaks and pushes through catching her breath at the same time. Someone hands her a glass of water, which she gratefully accepts.
Updated
Government to fund sustainable aviation fuel development
Chris Bowen has announced funding to sustainable aviation fuel.
Bowen, the climate change and energy minister, and Andrew Leigh went out to the Canberra airport this morning to make the announcement.
Bowen:
Today we’re announcing that Arena, the federal government’s renewable investment agency, will invest $30m to work with companies to make sustainable aviation fuel a reality – not interested at this point in early-stage research; that work has been done. This is about late-stage research taking work that’s already been done and turning it into commercial reality, making it available for Australia’s airlines and, indeed, for international airlines to refuel in Australia.
Qantas calls Australia home; we want to make Australia a home for sustainable aviation fuel. So these grant applications will open in the coming weeks and will be open until November. So I invite people who are interested in developing Australia’s sustainable aviation fuel industry to apply for $30m of funding. It will make a difference to taking good research that’s already occurred and taking it to the next step to make that a reality.
Updated
Tibetan leader to speak at the National Press Club
At the National Press Club today is Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the democratically elected political leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile. He is visiting Australia until 25 June.
Penpa Tsering wants the Australian government to take a stronger stance at China’s increasing human rights violations in Tibet and wants help ending what he is calling a “cultural genocide”.
Updated
Perfect exchange, no notes.
Yeah, ok, cool. 🥶❄️ pic.twitter.com/p6nsR1dtHS
— U.S. Embassy Australia (@USEmbAustralia) June 21, 2023
White house lawn?
— Paul Osborne (@osbornep) June 21, 2023
Embassy lawn.
— U.S. Embassy Australia (@USEmbAustralia) June 21, 2023
Daniel Andrews: Victoria won’t freeze MPs’ pay
The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has arrived at parliament and is taking questions from journalists. First up, he’s asked if he deserves to be the highest-paid premier in the country – with his salary set to increase by 3.5% to about $480,000. His reply:
An independent body determines all of our pay, terms and conditions. It’s an independent body. There was a time when politicians set their own pay and we took steps to change that. We stand by those decisions.
Andrews says Victoria won’t follow NSW in freezing MPs pay during the cost-of-living crisis. He says the government is currently negotiating pay deals with the public sector “in good faith”:
We will negotiate in good faith with all of our workforce and we hope that all employers negotiate in good faith with all employees regardless of industry, regardless of circumstance, that’s our approach. It’s an independent model. We do not set our own pay – it’s set by an independent, arm’s length tribunal, and that is far preferable in my mind to MPs setting their own pay rises.
Andrews has rebuffed questions about his “halfwit grub” comment directed at a female Liberal MP:
The comments were withdrawn in accordance with the rules of the house. I’ve got nothing further to say. I’ve addressed these issues in question. I’ve got nothing further to add.
Updated
This sort of debate is going to continue today:
“The Greens deal in protest, we focus on progress. They see issues to campaign on, we see challenges to act on. They want to build their profile, we want to build more homes” - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese @AustralianLabor @AlboMP #auspol #politas pic.twitter.com/8HpcAtNiN4
— Helen Polley (@polley_helen) June 20, 2023
Greens’ Barbara Pocock wants to see PwC held accountable
The Greens senator Barbara Pocock is using the Australia Institute polling that found 80% of respondents wanted to see PwC banned from holding new government contracts to continue her push to see the consulting and accounting firm held accountable:
I share the shock and disgust that Australians feel when they hear about the rich and powerful ripping off Australian taxpayers in the most cynical and self-interested way.
This survey result certainly ramps up the pressure on the government to take more decisive action against PwC, who have clearly lost the trust of the Australian people.
There has been a moral and ethical failure within this firm, which has its tentacles in just about every facet of public life in Australia.
Updated
Pesutto says Victorian MPs’ 3.5% pay rise ‘overshoots the runway’
Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto has called for a review into the state’s remuneration tribunal, which awarded MPs a 3.5% pay rise yesterday, saying the decision doesn’t meet community expectations.
He told reporters:
This was a system that the Andrews government established some years ago. It’s designed to be an independent tribunal. But clearly, it’s landing decisions that don’t sit well with the expectations of the Victorian community. The government having set up this system really needs to look at ways to make sure that the criteria that the remuneration tribunal takes into account as an independent wage setting body will lead to decisions that better reflect the expectations of the Victorian people.
I don’t think Victorians believe that politicians should never get pay increases. I think Victorians, like everyone else around the country, believe in fair and reasonable increases, but not ones that overshoot the runway like this.
Pesutto also reiterated his call for Daniel Andrews to apologise to Cindy McLeish:
This parliament must lead in terms of lifting standards of political discourse and debate in this state. And if the premier can’t do it, if the minister for women won’t defend women, and if Danny Pearson is prepared to come out and say that he too supports the premier’s comments, it shows that we have a government that is not committed to those high standards.
Updated
Telstra-TPG bid to expand regional networks knocked back
Telstra and TPG have suffered another blow in their bid to expand their networks in regional parts of Australia, with the Australian Competition Tribunal backing a previous Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ruling against the two companies sharing network infrastructure.
The deal would have resulted in TPG decommissioning about 700 Vodafone mobile sites in order to use 3,700 Telstra mobile sites in a network sharing agreement across 4G and 5G. It would have increased the reach of Vodafone’s mobile network in regional and remote parts of Australia – increasing coverage from 96% to 98.8% of the Australian population.
Telstra would have also gained access to 169 TPG sites.
It was struck down by the ACCC in December, and in an appeal judgment on Thursday, competition tribunal president Justice Michael O’Bryan said while the agreement would not materially affect TPG’s position in the market, it would further increase Telstra’s competitive position in the market.
He said it would also undermine Optus’s willingness to invest in expanding its network coverage.
O’Bryan said the tribunal was concerned with maintaining competition in the mobile retail and wholesale markets as a whole, and not Optus specifically, but said that the market is highly concentrated and unlikely to expand to more operators.
He indicated the ruling was limited to this agreement and other network sharing arrangements might not be knocked back in a similar fashion.
Updated
Newcastle and Melbourne ports again targeted by climate protests
AAP has reported on the latest climate protests at the country’s coal ports:
Newcastle and Melbourne ports have again been targeted by climate protesters, just hours after a teenager scaled a coal loader and glued herself to a railing.
It’s the third day of action by climate activists targeting major east coast coal ports.
A young woman abseiled off Shepherd Bridge on Footscray Road on Wednesday morning, blocking six lanes of traffic with a safety line stretched across the road.
Earlier, a 22-year-old man perched himself on top of a nine-metre pole on a rail bridge at Branxton, forcing the closure of the NSW Hunter railway line, with no trains running between Scone and Maitland. The man anchored the pole to rail infrastructure to cause maximum disruption to operations.
By mid Monday morning both protesters had yet to be removed by police.
The action comes after an 18-year-old Canberra woman was charged on Tuesday night after scaling a coal loader at Newcastle and gluing herself to a railing.
On Monday another woman was charged after suspending herself above the railway leading to Newcastle’s coal loader.
NSW police minister Yasmin Catley labelled the protesters “crazy” and “blockheads”, describing the action as “absolute nonsense”.
“Their actions do absolutely nothing for the environment or climate change,” she told Sydney radio 2GB.
Updated
Midwinter Ball – the Aldi version of the White House press corps dinner
I’ve had a few people ask about the Midwinter Ball – what is it, what goes on and why it happens.
Hosted by the press gallery, it’s like the Aldi version of the White House press corps dinner. Unlike the White House gala, it is off the record – which is why you don’t see the speeches like you do when DC hosts its annual affair.
People have to register their interest in buying tickets – attendance is not guaranteed. Politicians have to be invited to attend on one of the tables – again, attendance is not guaranteed. It’s all run by the press gallery committee and a special Midwinter Ball committee. Everyone has to pay for their ticket.
There is usually a comedian as host and live entertainment. The press gallery journalist of the year is announced at the ball.
And the leaders of the political parties give speeches, usually self-deprecating.
There has been an ongoing battle over whether they should be off the record. You may remember that Malcolm Turnbull wasn’t happy when his Donald Trump impression was reported quite a few years ago.
There is a good cause underpinning it all – it has raised millions for charity over the years.
Which means there are raffles and auctions – this year you can go to the cricket with Peter Dutton, or play a game of tennis or pool with Anthony Albanese at the Lodge.
I am not attending (it is not my scene) so I will let you know if I hear of anything happening on the night.
In the meantime, a few happy snaps from last year’s do:
Updated
Daniel Andrews was defending female MP, says former minister for women
Victoria’s former minister for women Gabrielle Williams is also out this morning defending the premier’s “halfwit grub” comment directed at a female Liberal MP yesterday.
Williams – who served as minister for women between 2018 and 2022 – also said he was defending Northcote Labor MP Kat Theophanous:
I know that the premier like a great many others on our side of the chamber took umbrage at what was without doubt a very low blow directed at the member for Northcote. He was obviously defending the member for Northcote. These are attacks from the opposition that are not unusual in that place. And you know, we have much to point to in their treatment of women and in their approach on these issues.
She accused Liberal MPs of shouting over female ministers during recent budget estimates hearings:
We disproportionately saw women members screamed at, talked over and generally treated very poorly in in contrast to our male counterparts.
After about five minutes of questioning, Williams eventually conceded the premier’s comments were inappropriate and noted he withdrew them:
The premier himself acknowledged they were not appropriate hence his withdrawal.
Updated
It is no surprise that it gets icier the closer you get to Parliament House.
Updated
Zoe Daniel not impressed with Coalition gambling bill
Independent Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel introduced her private member’s bill to ban gambling ads earlier in the sitting – she has just seen the opposition’s bill, which was introduced in the Senate and she is not impressed:
The opposition has introduced its meagre attempt to limit gambling ads in the Senate. I am really hoping this squib of a bill does not pass. Gambling ads must be banned, full stop. #auspol
— Zoe Daniel (@zdaniel) June 20, 2023
Updated
Income management to be expanded with Coalition support
The Labor legislation to expand income management is in the Senate today for its second reading debate – and will be passed, given the Coalition is also in support of it.
Labor said it had abolished mandatory cashless debit cards – but it always remained, it just became voluntary and the BasicsCard (which is mandatory in some areas, including the NT) remained.
So income management never went away. And now, it is about to be expanded.
As the bill’s explanatory notes say:
Firstly, the bill extends the enhanced IM regime to include all of the measures that are in place for the IM regime in part 3B of the Administration Act. This will allow eligible welfare recipients to enter an enhanced IM regime that offers improved technology and access to over one million outlets across Australia as well as ‘Tap and Go’ transactions, online shopping and Bpay
Secondly, the Bill gives people subject to the IM regime under part 3B the choice to move to enhanced IM from the commencement date, thereby allowing them to access the BasicsCard bank account and superior SmartCard.
Thirdly, the bill directs all new entrants to the enhanced IM regime while further consultation is undertaken on the long-term future of IM.
The Greens and the crossbench cannot stop this as the Coalition is in support of the bill, which means the government does not have to negotiate.
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Greens leader: Victorian MPs’ pay rises should match public sector workers’
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam says MPs’ pay rises shouldn’t be higher than that of public servants.
MPs were awarded a 3.5% pay rise – 0.5% more than what has been offered to public sector workers.
Ratnam told reporters outside parliament:
The Greens have consistently argued that politicians’ pay rises shouldn’t exceed the public sector wage cap. We’ve also consistently argued that politicians’ pay should be set by an independent body like the remuneration tribunal.
We acknowledge that people are doing it really tough at the moment and our public sector wages especially have been suppressed for years. We’ve been pushing for that public sector wage cap to be increased. Our nurses and teachers should be paid fairly and we will continue to advocate for the fair pay for all workers.
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The sitting has begun and the house has opened with a moment’s silence for WA police officer Anthony Woods.
Victorian frontbencher backs Andrews over ‘halfwit’ comment
Danny Pearson also backed in the premier, who on Tuesday refused to apologise to Liberal MP Cindy McLeish for calling her a “halfwit grub” in state parliament.
Andrews argued he was defending Northcote Labor MP Kat Theophanous, after McLeish said she should vote on a bill related to anti-corruption report into her father, Theo.
Pearson said Andrews was justified in his comments:
I absolutely support the comments made by the premier because of the premier was standing up to support the integrity of the member Northcote, which was under attack.
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Victorian minister defends pay rise for MPs
Victorian minister Danny Pearson has defended a 3.5% pay rise awarded to MPs, saying he would be contributing some of his salary to local charities.
The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal on Tuesday released its annual determination that will see the base salary for all Victorian MPs increase by 3.5%. The increase will see a backbencher’s salary reach $199,000 a year, while the premier’s will rise to $480,000.
Pearson said the decision was independent, noting the Andrews government in 2017 set up the tribunal to ensure politicians could no longer set their own salaries:
One of the decisions we made as a government early on was to take out these decisions from the hands of politicians into the hands of any independent tribunal. That tribunal has done its work; it’s made those findings.
He said he would donate some of his salary to charities in his Essendon electorate:
I work very closely with my community and identify where there’s needs and make a donation. I’ve always done that. And I’ll continue to do that.
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Deputy RBA governor says unemployment needs to increase for inflation control
The deputy RBA governor, Michele Bullock gave a speech in Newcastle yesterday where she made clear the central bank believes unemployment needs to increase in order for inflation to get under control.
Bullock was speaking about Nairu – the non-accelerating rate of unemployment, which is a fancy term that essentially describes the theoretical level of unemployment where wages and employment are under control.
When orthodox economists talk about ‘full employment’ this is what they mean. Not everyone having a job and the hours they want to work (which is what full unemployment meant postwar at least for white men of working age) but a set unemployment rate (at the moment they think 4.5%).
So hundreds of thousands of people being unemployed in order for the economy to keep inflation under control.
Bullock:
Our goal is to return the labour market (and the market for goods and services) back to a level consistent with full employment – something like the endpoint in our forecasts.
We think this can be achieved if employment and the economy more generally grow at below trend pace for a while.
This would help to bring demand and supply into better balance and give us the greatest chance of securing sustainable full employment into the future.”
The unemployment rate is currently 3.6%. So what the RBA is saying is unemployment needs to INCREASE for the good of the economy as a whole.
You’ll probably see a lot of neoliberal economists and market defenders talk about how alternative is a much higher unemployment rate and inflation sticking around for longer and that it’s a hard reality, but a reality nonetheless. Which, OK, fine. But are they going to volunteer for unemployment to help the economy? Will they be OK with losing their job in order to help lower inflation as a whole? Of course not. Because it won’t be them. Or the people they know. It will be the people who benefited the most from the tight labour market – people in minimum wage jobs and those with low education/skill levels.
And at the same time, those same people defending calls for higher unemployment don’t want to see the unemployment rate raised because that could be inflationary.
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Sussan Ley: Linda Burney has questions to answer on voice to parliament
Sussan Ley has held a quick doorstop to deliver her daily ‘XX has questions to answer’ spiel.
This time it is Linda Burney.
Linda Burney has real questions to answer regarding the portfolio that she’s responsible for, Indigenous Australians.
Yesterday in the parliament, we asked straightforward questions, and we didn’t get straightforward answers. Which is the way this government treats the question of the voice in the parliament, they are politicising it*. They’re not answering in genuine terms the questions that we’re asking.
It is simply not good enough for Linda Burney to say in the parliament the voice will not make representations on Australia Day and she ruled out other matters that we questioned her on as well.
She’s now being contradicted by experts, including those on the Yes campaign and her own referendum working group. They’ve taken a completely different position.
They’re right, Linda Burney is wrong.
She needs to come into the parliament, and she needs to correct the record.
*little bit of projection there
** the questions included;
Which policy area, portfolio or government department would the voice not deal with?
Would the voice be able to make representatives to the chief of the defence force on military acquisitions or the location or operation of military bases?
How many people will make up the voice body, who will appoint them and how long will they be appointed for?
Which have been answered over and over again.
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Just on that post from Josh independent senator and former Wallaby captain David Pocock plays for Queensland in the politician state of origin and it’s like watching a benevolent uncle play with the kids at the family barbecue.
State of Origin match clashes with the press gallery Midwinter Ball
Tonight is the annual gladiatorial contest of mate against mate, state against state – as top competitors, who are usually staunch allies, face off in bitter rivalry to be crowned champion. The competition is fierce and tense.
And in addition to the press gallery Midwinter Ball naming the journalist of the year this evening, there’s also the second match of the State of Origin series.
For any footy tragics, you’ll know that one of the best parts of Origin was always Nine commentator Phil Gould giving his dramatic monologue right on the cusp of kickoff, with sweeping cinematic camerawork as the former NSW coach talked about heart and spirit and Origin; and guts and bravery, and Origin; and mateship, and putting your body on the line, and of course, Origin.
Gould has sadly long since retired that pregame monologue, but sports minister Anika Wells has resurrected a version of her own, filmed on the Parliament House front lawn. It’s very on-point and startlingly true to Gould’s tradition (now we’re just waiting for the minister to announce some long-awaited progress and federal funding for NRL Island).
Sorry @PhilGould15, I'm having The Last Word today.@QLDmaroons to take Game 2, crowning the Kings of the North for a second year.#queenslander #StateofOrigin pic.twitter.com/9GMrrQQEVS
— Anika Wells MP (@AnikaWells) June 20, 2023
We’re hoping her Queenslanders don’t wrap up the series tonight. PM Anthony Albanese has already ribbed the gallery for scheduling the Midwinter Ball on the same night as the decisive footy clash, so we’re expecting a lot of phones quietly playing the game under tables tonight.
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Government announces deaths in custody to be reported in real time
The Albanese government has announced it will start real-time reporting of all deaths in custody.
Thirty-two years after the royal commission into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody, 540 Indigenous people have died while incarcerated.
The attorney general Mark Dreyfus said real-time reporting of deaths will bring additional transparency and accountability.
The government has launched a “dashboard” to provide up-to-date information on all deaths occurring in police and prison custody as well as in youth detention.
The dashboard will be monitored by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC).
From the statement:
The new real-time deaths in custody dashboard provides aggregate information on all deaths in custody at the national level. Information is provided on custody type (police or prison), Indigenous status (including unknown), and sex and age group of the deceased.
The dashboard provides preliminary data. The AIC will continue to provide verified information on deaths in custody on a quarterly and annual basis.
Information included on the dashboard is supplied to the AIC by state and territory police and prison authorities through death notification forms and the dashboard is updated as the information is received.
The real-time deaths in custody dashboard will be available on the AIC Website at 9am, Wednesday 21 June 2023 (AEST).
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Lambie says Greens need to start ‘putting a roof over people’s heads’
Labor has said that the Housing Australia future fund is one part of its plan to address housing, but not the only one, so no, I don’t think Jacqui Lambie is breaking any confidences there.
Lambie finished the interview with a message to the Greens (this is also not a new message from Lambie but it is a little more refined)
Just get this money and start spending and get those houses built.
Goodness. We need those houses started now.
It really floored me with the Greens that sit there and put their credentials down to you know ‘that they’re the best social people out there. They help the most vulnerable’.
Well if this is helping the most vulnerable, well, blow me blimey bloody over this morning.
You are not helping anyone but yourselves. This has got nothing to do with politics. This has got to do with putting a roof over people’s heads. Get on with it.
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Lambie says housing bill delay means ‘more kids sleeping out in cars’
The interview moves to housing and Jacqui Lambie says she doesn’t think there will be a double dissolution election over it (the government made it clear after the Senate decision to delay the bill to 16 October it considered the bill to have failed for the first time – the first step in a double dissolution trigger) but she is also very uncomfortable with the delay itself.
Every day you delay this is every day that we have more kids sleeping out in the cars with their parents.
And I can tell you I’m sitting in Canberra now. It’s bloody freezing, and Tasmania is just as bad.
This is a starting point. And if there are hiccups along the way, you know, I’m sure the government will work alongside that.
They’ve just put another $2bn into it. They will – I honestly believe the prime minister and I hope this is not breaking confidentiality with my meetings with him – there’s things to be worked out along the way or we need to add more we can see that there’s, you know, see that we can plug gaps along the way
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Lambie agrees with calls to have Iraq invasion decision referred to ICC
Jacqui Lambie says she also agrees with calls to have the leaders of the “coalition of the willing” – the leaders of the UK, the US and Australia when the decision was made to invade Iraq – also referred to the international criminal court. Beyond that, she says Australia has never really examined its role in that decision.
I absolutely agree with and when you go in to Iraq, and you say you have a reason to do that … when you work out three years later that the reason that they were using was not there at all, then we have a massive problem here and you continue to stay in a war that you probably should never have been involved in the first place because you didn’t have that information correct.
Then you have a problem. And quite frankly, politicians when they send us into war, they should be accountable as well.
What really bothers me more than anything … We still have not got a committee up and running, to look at what happened in the last 20 years to fully investigate this and come up with their own conclusions in this country, because we’re too bloody scared.
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Jacqui Lambie speaks about referring Australia’s ADF command to ICC on RN breakfast
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie is speaking to Patricia Karvelas on ABC RN Breakfast about her referral of Australia’s senior ADF command to the international criminal court that she announced yesterday.
If Australia – and both governments we’ve seen it from the Liberal party and now from the Labor party – if they’re not prepared to go in and look at senior command … I’m going to force them to.
Because you are not going to chuck all these diggers under the bus and not [front] up.
Lambie says she expects the ICC to make inquiries to Australia about whether it has included senior command in its investigations. The ICC has to decide to investigate – a referral does not mean an investigation.
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What was not covered in that interview is one of the biggest news stories of the year – Fantales are to be discontinued.
We may never know the PM’s thoughts on the matter now. History will forever be bereft of these details.
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Albanese promises footy and beers with Triple M Sydney hosts
Anthony Albanese gets a Taylor Swift “shake it off” intro and launches straight in to telling how he is a bit tired because “I got up early and watched the last hour of that amazing cricket”.
“I was sitting there in the dark, in the jammies at the Lodge.”
He’d like to give himself a holiday he says, because he is tired.
We move on to the State of Origin. Not enough Rabbitohs in the team apparently.
He says that Annastacia Palaszczuk is not confident because Queensland does better when they’re the underdog. True. But he neglects to mention that is just because Queensland has more heart. It’s just a fact.
But he won’t be watching the game because of the press gallery Midwinter Ball.
They say sometimes that politicians are out of touch and I understand why they sometimes say that – but the media, the media guys, the press gallery ball is on tonight. It’s for charity but they put it on tonight.
… Could have been last week, could have been next week. Could have been any time.
They then play a clip of Albanese promising to take the hosts on a pub crawl around Balmain.
That’s another in a growing list of promises the prime minister has made (and kept) for FM radio hosts – he went to Kyle Sandilands’ wedding and had Perth FM breakfast hosts over to the Lodge for dinner. Now it’s footy and beers with Triple M Sydney hosts.
The interview ends and we hear Roam by the B-52s
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Albanese to speak on Triple M Sydney soon
Anthony Albanese is continuing his FM radio strategy – he’ll be on FM radio Triple M Sydney very soon. It’s a strategy Bill Shorten started as opposition leader and Albanese has perfected.
He’ll be speaking to Mick and MG this morning because it is Origin tonight.
We’ve just heard White Wedding and Pearl Jam’s Last Kiss so it’s not as bad as it could be.
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Tomorrow is the last sitting day in parliament
For a moment I was excited and thought it was the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) but alas that is tomorrow.
Which is also the last sitting day ahead of the winter break.
If you were wondering why the parliament seems more unhinged than usual lately, this is why – it’s the last chance to get things on the agenda until the end of next month.
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Good morning
Thank you to Martin for getting us started on what is another below-freezing start to a Canberra sitting day.
This little Queenslander is not impressed.
The MPs are up and about ahead of the second-last sitting day for about six weeks. It’s also the Midwinter Ball tonight, so there will be a lot more people hanging around than usual.
As Martin said, the main issue inside the parliament is the ongoing housing fight between Labor and the Greens. It’s between Labor and the Greens because once again, the Coalition dealt themselves out very early. Paul Karp and Josh Butler will keep you informed on the Canberra happenings and you’ve got Amy Remeikis on the blog.
Ready? It’s at least a four-coffee day. And a few hot-water bottles. And maybe cake for breakfast. Warmed.
Let’s get into it.
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Why won't Labor freeze rents? Full Story podcast
As rents rise across the country, Labor’s signature policy to ease the rental crisis – the $10bn Housing Australia future fund – has stalled in the Senate as the Greens demand more concessions.
To pass the bill, they are calling for up to $2.5bn of direct spending on housing and extra funds to incentivise the states to freeze rents.
Amid the worsening standoff between Labor and the Greens, chief political correspondent Paul Karp looks at the fight over renters’ rights and whether it could spell the end of the government’s housing bill.
Listen here:
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Looks like the PM was up early this morning, judging by this 4am tweet …
Tense finish to great match #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/gwFeixEAs1
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 20, 2023
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the news day. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ve got a few overnight headlines for you on what promises to be another fast-moving day in Canberra. Amy Remiekis will then be along to guide you through the day.
The Albanese government has asked the solicitor general for advice about having another attempt to pass the Housing Australia future fund bill amid a continued standoff with the Greens about the legislation. The move could lead to a double dissolution election if the Greens reject the bill again. They want to see more progress on help for renters while the government accused them playing “juvenile” games. More on this coming up, including our Full Story podcast today.
The defence department has stopped providing details about the use of taxpayer-funded VIP jets to the nation’s independent expenses watchdog, leaving it unable to recover funds from the offices of MPs who use it to ferry electorate staff and family across the country. The lack of transparency means we can’t scrutinise how politicians are using the expensive planes, our freedom of information expert, Christopher Knaus, reports.
Three-quarters of Australians believe it is likely China will become a military threat to Australia in the next two decades but a majority say Australia should remain neutral in the event of a conflict between China and the United States. The 2023 Lowy Institute poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 Australians in March on a range of issues, also found that 82% of Australians see an alliance with the US as “very important” or “fairly important”, down five points from a record high last year.
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