What we learned – Monday 12 August
This is where we will wrap up the blog for this evening, but first a quick summary of the big headlines:
For the first time this century, Australian federal police proposed to take industrial action over a pay deal the federal police union described as “toxic”. But the AFP responded to the officers’ association saying it will “strenuously oppose” any strike action taken by its officers in Canberra amid an ongoing pay dispute, adding any action this week would be “unlawful”.
The health minister, Mark Butler, announced new cancer medications and treatments have been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The federal government tabled its new Aukus agreement with the US and the UK.
The South Australian Liberals elected Vincent Tarzia as their new leader.
The Greens announced they would move an amendment to communications bill to ban gambling ads.
Angus Taylor was ejected from question time.
Malarndirri McCarthy said the makarrata commission was “difficult to pursue” without bipartisan support.
Downpours and storms have raised the threat of flash flooding on the east coast.
Have a lovely evening. Amy will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning.
Updated
‘Our finances weren’t in a very good position’: Mvac
The Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive, Paul O’Neil, told the court the organisation entered administration two years before he joined in 2017.
The work of two forensic accountants and pressure from board members prompted him to hand police a 19-page document outlining Egan’s alleged fraud in August 2018. He said:
When I took control, our finances weren’t in a very good position.
The board wanted this to be investigated in the criminal space.
The issue was never off my desk because my board members were relentless in making sure it was followed through.
Executive business manager at Mvac, Mary Khouri, gave insight into the hands-on approach Egan had to management during his time at the organisation.
It was Phil that would come into the office to talk to us. It was Phil that was running the place.
Egan’s court appearance comes days after his company Binmada’s work compiling the report into claims of historical racism at Hawthorn Football Club was thrust back into the spotlight.
Norm Smith medallist Cyril Rioli was among several former players to launch federal court action against the club earlier in August.
The report, which was first released in 2022, has led to Indigenous ex-players claiming they were subjected to a “racist culture” and told to abandon plans to have families.
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Lifeline 13 11 14
- AAP
Updated
Hawks racism report author accused of stealing $779k
A former AFL player who wrote Hawthorn’s dramatic racism report is accused of stealing almost $800,000 from the Indigenous organisation he worked for, AAP reports.
Phil Egan has previously denied any wrongdoing. Egan was contracted by the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative (Mvac), near Mildura, between 2010 and 2015, working as chief executive and chair.
He appeared at Melbourne magistrates court today in the first of a five-day committal hearing after being hit with dozens of fraud charges 12 months ago.
The 61-year-old earned more than $680,000 plus a contract termination or bonus payment of more than $140,000 for the services he provided.
But court documents allege Egan received a further $779,000 secretly gained from 52 supplier invoices paid by the organisation for more than $911,000 worth of work.
He has been charged with 73 offences including obtaining financial advantage by deception from the co-op and using false documents.
Updated
Beware of ‘false prophets’, ‘buffoons’ and ‘charlatans’: RBA deputy governor
Last week, the Reserve Bank left is cash rate on hold (as it’s done so since November), with the governor, Michele Bullock, making it clear she doesn’t expect any rate cut this year.
Well, the deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, (who only joined the central bank in February), has called out “false prophets” – or those who make clearcut statements about what the RBA should be doing. Hauser has told a gathering of economists today:
‘The economy is falling off a cliff’; ‘No – the economy is red-hot.’ ‘Rates up now – we’re way behind the curve’; ‘Rates are clearly far too high – slash them’; ‘It’s vital rates stay where they are.’
Those seeing things differently are castigated as incompetent, biased or on the make. And changes in view are presented as disastrous or humiliating failures … In short, it’s a world of winners and losers, gurus and charlatans, geniuses and buffoons.
Well, given much of the media can’t resist those competing “hopes” and “fears” headlines after many data points, it’s fair to say Hauser will (and is) copping a bit of blowback for his comments.
As we’ve argued for a while, Bullock and Co will regularly remind everyone that they will follow the data. Tomorrow we get June quarter wage data and on Thursday, July labour market figures.
Big surprises will no doubt raise or lower the chances of an interest rate cut or hike – but as the RBA won’t meet again until 23-24 September – so be wary of the geniuses and buffoons in the meantime.
Updated
Neurodivergence group raises concerns over NDIS changes
The Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association has released a statement raising concerns over proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding, which they say threatens to remove parenting supports.
The association says the proposed changes, recently announced by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), would eliminate funding for parenting programs, including making parenting supports accessible for disabled parents flagged by child protection.
Sarah Langston, the president of ANPA, said:
The removal of these essential supports is a direct threat to the integrity and wellbeing of disabled families.
The rates of child removal from disabled parents are already 10 times the national average. Eliminating these supports will only exacerbate an already dire situation, leading to increased family separations and undue distress.
The association emphasises that neurodivergent parents and those with psychosocial disabilities require more access to support, not less.
Updated
Up to 80mm rain expected in Northern Rivers
The NSW State Emergency Service urged residents in Lismore, Byron Bay, Ballina, Evans Head, Yamba and Maclean to monitor conditions.
Rainfall totals between 40mm and 80mm were likely in those areas on Monday, with isolated totals possible of up to 150mm. The SES said:
Currently, rain is occurring across the Northern Rivers and is expected to persist until this afternoon.
- AAP
Updated
Downpours and storms raise threat of flash flooding on east coast
East coast residents have been warned to stay vigilant as a severe weather system delivers a likely deluge and possible flooding, AAP reports.
The NSW north coast is expected to bear the brunt of wild weather as it moves across the border from Queensland today, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
In the NSW Northern Rivers region, Ballina had received about 94mm of rain between 9am and mid-afternoon, while Yamba to the south had received nearly 80mm.
Rising local rivers and flash flooding were likely within the areas that received the heaviest falls, the bureau said.
Catchments within the flood-watch areas had been dry but were beginning to become wet as widespread rain and isolated thunderstorms continued in parts of coastal Queensland and north-east NSW, meteorologist Dean Narramore said.
Heavy rainfall is likely to affect regions in an area stretching to as far north as Mackay in Queensland. Narramore said:
We have an upper trough combined with a really moist onshore flow and that’s causing this trough system to deepen and cause widespread rain and storm activity from the central (Queensland) coast all the way down to north-eastern NSW.
It’s going to continue today, tonight and into tomorrow as this system very slowly moves south.
The weather system was forecast to move off the coast by late Wednesday or Thursday.
Updated
Thanks Amy and good afternoon everyone!
The parliament sitting is beginning to slow down, so I will hand you to Natasha May who will guide you through the rest of the evening.
Thanks so much to everyone who followed along with the return of parliament. Check back to see what the Canberra team have for you tonight and, of course, politics live will be back with you tomorrow morning, bright and early.
It’s party room meeting day, so the morning will be a little slower than today – but there is still a lot to get through. Until then, as always, take care.
Updated
Here is the minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, speaking in the senate earlier today about the future of a makarrata commission:
Updated
New AFR editor-in-chief, James Chessell, appoints Cosima Marriner as new editor
On his first day as editor-in-chief of the Australian Financial Review, James Chessell has appointed a new editor.
Chessell has hand-picked the AFR’s managing editor, Cosima Marriner, as the new editor, replacing Fiona Buffini.
Buffini had been in the role for two years and with the paper for 27 years, and was editor under Michael Stutchbury, who retired on Friday after 13 years in the top job at the Nine Entertainment masthead. She said on Monday:
It’s been a privilege to lead a fantastic newsroom over the past two years and to drive the Financial Review’s digital transformation over the past decade,” Buffini said.
We’ve done some excellent journalism, including last year’s gold Walkley win. I’ve loved every minute. I look forward to continuing to contribute to a great masthead.”
In a note to staff, Chessell said Buffini will be given “a significant new role in the new year” but for now will manage the digital transition and oversee newsletters, podcasts and explanatory journalism.
Updated
Hazara Advocacy Network commemorates anniversary of Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan
A little before question time, the Australian Hazara Advocacy Network (AHAN) and the parliamentary friendship group for Hazaras gathered at parliament to commemorate the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and what that has meant for its people.
The parliamentary friends group includes:
Dr Andrew Charlton MP
(Chair)
Ms Kylea Tink MP
Senator Nick McKim
(Co-Chairs)
Ahan member Muzafar Ali showed a documentary from their recent trip to Afghanistan, documenting human rights violations.
My visit to Afghanistan in May 2024 revealed the extent of the Taliban’s brutality. I saw first-hand the fear in the eyes of Hazara families, the courage of women running underground schools, and the resilience of a community under siege. The international community must not turn a blind eye to these atrocities. We must support the brave individuals risking their lives for education and freedom, and hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes.
Updated
As for the rest of the vibe, Mike Bowers was there to capture that too.
Here’s what it looks like when your mum tells you to smile for the family photo:
We’re still unsure why it is a ‘punishment’ to be removed from QT.
It can be cheesy being Albanese.
New seats
Updated
Mike Bowers was in the chamber to capture the moods of QT, first up the science minister, Ed Husic.
Updated
Question time themes
It is easy to see where the government wanted question time to go – and that was what it is doing to ease the cost of living.
The recent early childhood education wage increase dominated the dixers, followed by cost-of-living relief in general and whether there were alternative views.
Whenever a question includes alternative views, it is just a parliamentary way of saying ‘Please tell us all about how terrible the opposition is, we are all dying to hear three minutes on this’.
The Coalition too started with cost of living, but from the other side – asking why wasn’t the government doing more to lower inflation and address the cost of living.
This is what we all expected, given what every single poll has been saying since before 2024 started – it is ALL about the economy.
But there were a couple of curveballs which were very revealing. One was the government’s discomfort about the future of the makarrata commission. Anthony Albanese very rarely cuts an answer short, but he did when asked the second question about it today. Albanese wouldn’t say the words, as Malarndirri McCarthy did in the senate when she said “We will not endeavour going down that pathway without the support of the opposition”. But he came close to it: “I refer to the same answer before the referendum as afterwards, that that is not the focus that we have.”
Another obvious sore topic for the government? The gambling ad reforms.
Albanese made the point that the government had ‘done more’ in the past two years than the opposition did in the last nine years, while also pointing out that former prime minister John Howard appeared to be a new convert to wanting to act on gambling harm, given it wasn’t something he did when in government for 11 years.
Sometimes, it is not the answers but the way they are answered that is the most revealing.
Updated
Mark Butler gets a dixer on the new PBS-listed medicines we reported on earlier today and question time ends. Huzzah! Just the rest of the week and then all of next week to go!
Updated
B-girl O’Neil tries out her new set about government housing action
Having completed the verbal equivalent of Australian breaker Raygun performing her Olympics routine, Clare O’Neil says:
I talked about the strong action the government is taking. There’s analysis that shows impacts on residential construction. That’s experts in the industry that say it had no impact on residential construction. The point I would make is the policy fix is exactly the same. The policy fix is exactly the same. What we need to do is take this union and clean it up.
It is hard to concentrate on the rest of her answer over Michael Sukkar’s grin.
Updated
Sukkar puts Clare O’Neil on the spot about link between CFMEU and housing costs
Michael Sukkar, who has been very quiet when it comes to interjections, so you know he has a late scheduled question, gets to ask that question now:
Has the CFMEU corruption and lawless behaviour added to construction and housing costs for everyday Australians?
Clare O’Neil gets this one and begins speaking on the issues she says need to be “cleaned up” within the CFMEU.
Sukkar, obviously enjoying O’Neil’s discomfort, asks about relevance. O’Neil is told to get to the question.
O’Neil:
I have talked about the action the government is taking and I do want to make the point this is stronger action than anything that was done by those opposite in the almost decade they were in power, despite all the complaining that went on. Speaker, we have a housing crisis in our country that’s been 40 years in the making. For a long time, the commonwealth stepped right out of this policy area. This issue is too important for our citizens.
Sukkar is having a very good time and has another point of order on the same point (relevance) but Milton Dick is already trying to get O’Neil back to the question.
Dick:
If the minister can’t answer that question, or doesn’t want to add any information, that’s OK. But, she’s got one final chance here. Otherwise, I will ask her to resume her seat.
Updated
Burke: full leadership of CFMEU would ‘stay in power’ even if union deregistered
Tony Burke continues:
You had an organisation [that] instead of trying to deliver on productivity was obsessed with flags, was obsessed with stickers, would pull down a health and safety sign if it had a union sticker on it. It was described by a judge of the federal court as saying – I hold this is a quote from the federal court; “I hold the clear view this is a case where the ABCC has been publicly exposed as having wasted public money without a proper basis for doing so.”
Since we abolished the ABCC, the number of days lost to industrial action fell by 30%.
And when those opposite there start calling out now about wanting a cop on the beat, they forget the ABCC was incapable of dealing with any criminal issues. It only dealt with civil issues.
Instead, the third option is the one not put forward by the crossbenchers, but is put forward by those opposite. To say, why don’t we have deregistration?
The answer is simple. WorkChoices changed who could turn up to negotiate. Whether you’re registered or not, you can still turn up to the commission.
Under this idea, the full leadership of the CFMEU would stay in power, could still negotiate, nothing will be fixed.
Updated
Tony Burke: putting CFMEU into administration ‘highly interventionist’
Independent MP Allegra Spender asks:
The construction industry is different. We’ve lived through 11,000 pages of royal commission reports with shocking allegations of corruption and criminality. And flatlining productivity over the last 20 years.
The ABCC didn’t stop some of these but I believe, as many others do, that the industry is different and needs a different oversight mechanism. Will you consider a body or framework that brings together industry, unions and people across this parliament to truly clean up the industry?
Tony Burke, who is now the minister representing the workplace minister (Murray Watt is in the senate, meaning Burke will answer questions for him in the house) is very passionate on this topic:
The oversight mechanism that the government is following through on is what we will introduce to the Senate, which has placed the CFMEU into administration. And the reasons for that are very strong. If you go through the three different options, which is to place the organisation administration, to establish a watchdog of some sort or go down the path of deregistration, all involve fundamentally different outcomes.
In going down the pathway of administration, it allows someone to be in charge to make sure that they can look at official by official and say that that person should not be there, who can make sure that the union runs for its members, who can look at the money trail and say that money shouldn’t be spent in a particular way.
It is highly interventionist, which is only something that you do in extraordinary circumstances, which are the circumstances we face.
The experience of a watchdog … has been all the things we don’t want.
Updated
Malarndirri McCarthy: Uluru statement next steps must bring people together
The government returned to the issue of the Uluru statement’s next steps near the end of senate question time, when the Labor senator, Jana Stewart, asked:
The government has said it is committed to the principles of makarrata and truth-telling. Can the minister provide an update on the government’s approach?
The new minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, replied:
Thank you, Senator Stewart. I know that you are incredibly passionate about all of these issues and we do remain firmly committed to the principles of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
There are a variety of views on how to move forward and it is important the next steps bring people together. We saw what happens when people do not walk together on the issue and area of First Nations people.Already, important treaty and truth telling work is under way at the state and territory level. In Victoria, we’re seeing the progress being made by the First Peoples’ Assembly and the important work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. In South Australia, work of the historic South Australian Voice to parliament is well under way.
As I travel this country and talk to First Nations people, I am humbled that despite everything we have been through, both historically and more recently, there is a great determination and resilience to keep going. We are a resilient people. And we are strong and determined to keep going, but we want to do it together.
Updated
Peter Dutton renews attack on government stance on makarrata commission
Has the prime minister committed to anyone that he supports the establishment of a makarrata commission?
Anthony Albanese:
I’m pleased to see the leader of the opposition is focused on cost of living.
What we have said on makarrata is that we’ll continue to engage. We held a referendum last year, which wasn’t successful. That’s right. It wasn’t successful.
And what happens is – you accept that, you accept responsibility for it. Something foreign to those opposite. We can accept our responsibility. You accept your responsibility for saying that it would have an impact on interest rates and on nuclear subs.
There is an attempt at a point of order, but Albanese decides he has concluded his answer.
Updated
John Howard failed to act on gambling advertising, Albanese says
Back to the house, Anthony Albanese rounds out his answer on gambling advertising, with a comment about former prime minister John Howard, who is a signatory to a letter calling for a blanket ban on gambling advertising.
I do note some people who, like John Howard, are entering this debate.
If only he’d been in a position to have some influence over public policy over this time. Over this time! But the entire time, the entire time that he occupied my seat, he did absolutely nothing about any of these issues.
Updated
McCarthy: Labor learned from voice referendum the value of bipartisan support
(Continued from previous post)
When Cox pressed McCarthy to make an explicit recommitment to a makarrata commission and to “stop denying First Nations people justice in this country”, McCarthy said Labor was supportive of a senate inquiry into Cox’s bill, but added the government had “learned from the referendum and the pain and hardship that that created for First Nations people in this country”.
McCarthy said:
We will not endeavour going down that pathway without the support of the opposition.
McCarthy said Dutton had made the Coalition’s stance on the matter clear. She added:
And so that makes that pathway very difficult to tread.
Updated
Makarrata commission ‘difficult to pursue’ without bipartisan support: Malarndirri McCarthy
The new minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, has described a makarrata commission as “very difficult” to pursue without bipartisan support.
The Greens senator Dorinda Cox used senate question time on Monday to press the government to recommit to an independent makarrata commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations people and truth-telling about Australia’s history.
McCarthy began by saying the Albanese government retained a “strong commitment” to the Uluru statement from the heart, and remained “firm” in terms of the statement’s “principles” of voice, treaty and truth.
She said, however, that the government saw the recent Garma festival as an opportunity to “reset, regroup, regather”.
Cox, in a follow-up question, contended that the government had previously committed and begun budgeting to begin an independent makarrata commission, and asked why Labor was breaking this election promise “and gaslighting First Nations people” about its U-turn.
McCarthy replied that “there is certainly no gaslighting going on in terms of this discussion”.
The minister said it was disappointing the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, chose not to attend Garma. Dutton instead used the time to explicitly say that “under a government I lead, there will be no makarrata” and that “there will be no revisiting of truth telling”.
(continued in next post)
Updated
Albanese defends government’s position on gambling ads
Independent MP Zoe Daniel has the next non-government question and asks:
Goldstein constituents tell me that they want all gambling ads banned. Yet, it’s reported that you want only a partial ban. Rod Glover, husband of [late] Peta Murphy said, in a hard trade-off you have to put people first and think about what kind of future we want to create.
Prime Minister, will you reconsider your reported position, and honour Peta’s legacy by banning all gambling ads?
Anthony Albanese:
There’s a fair bit of hypothetical in there about what our alleged position was. But we are working through these issues and the government has made it very clear that the status quo regarding the saturation of gambling advertising, particularly where kids are exposed to it, is untenable.
The minister for communications and the minister for social services are getting on with tackling gambling harm comprehensively.
And we’re doing that in a way that will ensure that there aren’t unintended consequences of it.
He says the government had already done more in the past two years than the previous government did over the nine years it was in power.
Updated
Makarrata commission also mentioned in Senate
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe just tweeted:
The new minister for Aboriginal Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, just told the Senate that Labor won’t honour their promise for a makarrata commission without the support of the Coalition. What a cop out. Where is the leadership from Minister McCarthy and this government?
Labor have a majority in the house and a crossbench in the senate that would pass legislation for this. They are the party in power who can make change, and should be. But they are just gutless and paralysed. Shifting blame to the Coalition shows incredible weakness.
Updated
Albanese pressed on his plans for a makarrata commission
Melissa Price asks Anthony Albanese:
Has the prime minister ruled out the creation of a makarrata commission to see truth telling and treaty? If so, why is there still money in the budget to create one?
Albanese describes his recent visit to the Garma festival. Paul Fletcher asks a point of order on relevance.
Albanese is told to return to the question.
Albanese speaks on the definition of the Yolngu word makarrata – “coming together after struggle”.
No one can say there hasn’t been a struggle in this country with Indigenous Australians when you have the closing the gap at that point.
Coming together means sitting down and discussing the issues of how we move forward together.
Now, those opposite might want to seek to continue to have division. Well, I’m seeking to do, and when I spoke at the festival about economic empowerment, is to search for ways, along with the new Minister for Indigenous Affairs, in which we can come together, which is what makarrata is, “coming together”.
I seek for Australians to come together in order to advance the interests of Indigenous Australians and I invite those opposite to actually stop with the attempts to divide, and to try to come together in order to close the gap, because that is our objective.
On the substance of the question, Albanese says:
During the referendum that was held last year, I was asked on multiple occasions a range of questions. I was asked about whether the Voice would affect interest rates and submarines and a whole range of issues.
I was asked about treaty and I indicated continually the same answer.
I referred to the same answer before the referendum as afterwards; that that is not the focus that we have.
Updated
Angus Taylor ejected from question time
Milton Dick just announced that Angus Taylor interjected “eight times” during Jim Chalmers’ last dixer answer.
Taylor was already on a warning after he interjected while Dick was ruling on his point of order, so he is booted under 94A.
There’s consequences for actions,” Dick, in his Dugald era, says.
As Taylor gets ready to go, Chalmers says something and Dick immediately turns his Eye of Dugald in his colleague’s direction.
“The treasurer is now warned.
Updated
Chalmers: Shadow Treasurer ‘cheering for higher interest rates and more pain’
Angus Taylor gets the next non-government question (you may see a theme develop here)
Independent economist Chris Richardson said last week’s RBA statement was about as clear as they can be. ‘There is extra budget spending in the system which is fuelling inflation’. The Treasurer said last week, “I don’t think that’s what the statement says”. When will the Treasurer cut the spin and take responsibility for decisions driving up his homegrown inflation?
Jim Chalmers sharpens up the government’s attack on the Coalition when it comes to the economy (which you will be hearing a lot of as we are absolutely in the election zone now).
The Shadow Treasurer was disappointed and embarrassed last week because he desperately wants interest rates to go up and they didn’t. He desperately wanted underlying inflation the week before to go up and it went down.
While the rest of Australia was cheering for our Olympians, he was cheering for higher interest rates and more pain. He wants higher inflation and rates because he doesn’t want anyone to notice in the third year of a three-year term, he still doesn’t have costed or credible economic policies.
He still won’t come clean on the $315bn in cuts he says the economy needs. He still won’t tell people what that means for Medicare, or for pensions, or for the economy more broadly, Mr Speaker.
On this side of the house we acknowledge people are doing it tough. We are helping with cost of living, repairing the budget and we are making our economy more resilient at the same time.
Those opposite did none of this.
Updated
Independent Monique Ryan wants Productivity Commission to examine cost of poverty
Independent Kooyong MP Monique Ryan questions Jim Chalmers about the cost of poverty in Australia:
Treasurer, one in eight Australians live in poverty. Helping them helps us all, meaning that more Australians can afford to pay their bills, to get to interviews and get a job, to feed their kids and themselves. Eradicating poverty would transform their lives as well as our economy. Will you instruct the Productivity Commission to inquire into the economic cost of poverty to Australia?
The short answer is no, because Chalmers says it has already been looked at.
We’re not contemplating another study of that kind in addition to the one the Productivity Commission has released. But as a Labor Government we are proudly focused on the most vulnerable in our society and on the question of intergenerational disadvantage.
… There are a range of things that we are doing. I could go on about those things that we are doing. We are proud of the progress we have made for Australia’s most vulnerable but we don’t pretend that every challenge in our society is fixed. That’s why the work of the PC and mobility is so important to us and why in every single budget we do what we can to help the most vulnerable in our country.
Updated
Labor targets LNP senator Gerard Rennick’s comments about childcare
Anthony Albanese mentioned this tweet from LNP senator Gerard Rennick in a press conference on Sunday, and Jason Clare mentioned it in a press conference this morning. Clare has just brought it up again in his dixer answer, so you know the government wants it to catch on.
“Institutionalised childcare is a sacred cow for the Labor party. It helps to fulfil a number of their goals. 1) Destroy the family unit 2) Brainwash children early with the woke mind virus 3) Put money into the coffers of United Voice, the union that childcare workers are pressured to join.
Clare:
There’s no better example of that than the ramblings of that policy heavyweight, Senator Rennick, who on Saturday hopped on to Twitter and said that childcare destroys the family unit.
The truth is, it’s units like that that destroy the Liberal Party’s credibility. It’s comments like that that make you think the modern Liberal Party thinks that women with little kids shouldn’t go back to work or have a paid job. If there are awards handed out to cookers, this bloke would win a Michelin star. If the opposition leader had any ticker he would pull this bloke into line and maybe he would pull the plug on his computer. Then he would back this pay rise for some of the lowest paid workers in this country.
Rennick lost the third spot on his party’s Senate ticket despite an endorsement from Peter Dutton, and is unlikely to return to the senate after the next election.
Updated
Early childhood educators ‘deserve gold medal’, quips Jason Clare
Education minister Jason Clare continues hishabit of making dad jokes in his parliamentary answers.
This time it is that early childhood educators deserve a gold medal. The early childhood education minister, Anne Aly, who has been at several events with Clare recently speaking about the wage increase for early childhood educators, and has heard this quip several times, gets a podium finish for not rolling her eyes.
Updated
Sussan Ley says Albanese in denial about government spending’s link to inflation
Sussan Ley gets the second non-government question.
Last week, the RBA said: “Public demand is forecast to be stronger than previously expected, reflecting recent public spending announcements by federal and state and territory governments.” But the prime minister dismissed this, claiming “That’s not what they’ve said.”
Why is this prime minister in denial that Labor’s spending is causing homegrown inflation and keeping interest rates higher for longer?
Anthony Albanese (after a bit, I am trying to save us all some reading time)
This is also what Michele Bullock, the RBA governor had to say about inflation: “Inflation has fallen substantially since its peak in 2022.” This is what she said on August 6, last week.
She spoke about the international experience as well. “We’ve seen from overseas experience how bumpy inflation can be on the way down and across the economy.”
She had that to say as well. She’s been very, very consistent.
We have been consistent. What we have been doing is making sure that we do continue to have inflationary pressure put down, which is why we have halved it since we came to office. At the same time, we’re not leaving people behind. We’ve given tax cuts to every Australian.
Something that the questioner here, the Deputy Leader of the opposition said that they would roll back.
(There is then a bit about the opposition wanting to roll back the stage three tax cuts, but you know about that)
Updated
Question time begins
Peter Dutton kicks off the first question time in five weeks in much the same fashion as we left the last question time:
The prime minister has broken promises to cut electricity bills, to provide cheaper mortgages and to ensure families will be better off on the cost of living. The price of electricity is now up by 22%. We’ve endured 12 mortgage rate hikes and the prices for food and groceries are up more than 11%. Isn’t it clear to Australians this government has lost its way because of this prime minister’s lack of economic management and experience and general incompetence?
We have a new tag line though, as you can see from above.
Anthony Albanese:
The leader of the opposition asks me about [the] cost of living. And there’s one thing that is consistent about our cost-of-living pressures which is … they have all been opposed by those opposite.
He then lists everything the government has done to address the cost of living and the Coalition’s record of opposing those actions. Tony Burke reminds him that the wage increase for early childhood educators is now on that list, in a voice loud enough to be picked up by Albanese’s microphone despite Burke sitting on the benches behind him.
Albanese has not developed a habit of speaking in shorter, more concise sentences since we last gathered in this space.
Updated
Everyone loves the olympians.
Everyone loves future olympians.
Everyone loves how the olympians made them feel.
And with that, the unity ends, and question time begins.
The House of Representatives stood to mark the death of Australia’s last Rat of Tobruk, Tom Pritchard.
Updated
The questions are yet to begin in the house, as the chamber is now hearing speeches on indulgence on the success of the Australian olympic team.
Coalition congratulates Labor senators who have joined cabinet
Senate question time began with a formal update of the government’s ministerial arrangements.
The Coalition’s Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, began by congratulating senators Malarndirri McCarthy and Jenny McAllister on their promotions in a recent cabinet reshuffle.
He went on to say the Coalition was “pleased to recognise the Senate is being better recognised” in the share of representation in Anthony Albanese’s ministry “after the Scullin government-equalling low” in Albanese’s first ministry.
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The chamber is full for the start of question time, but the questions are delayed for a condolence motion for Tom Pritchard, Australia’s last Rat of Tobruk, who died last week, aged 102.
New Zealand PM Chris Luxon to visit Australia this week
New Zealand prime minister Chris Luxon is headed across the ditch on 15 and 16 August for what he describes as “a series of top-level political and business engagements”. Wonder if he is bringing an interpreter, given his trip is taking place just a week after this story?
Luxon will meet with Anthony Albanese on Thursday, where the agreement to stop deporting New Zealand-born people who have spent most of their lives in Australia is under threat following the ministerial directive 99 saga.
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Government agrees declared areas legislation should be extended
After some eyebrow-raising speeches (Bob Katter’s contribution sent some people’s eyebrows heading towards his electorate in far north Queensland), Mark Dreyfus has given the official government response regarding extending the declared areas bill (which can designate regions as “declared areas” when it comes to foreign fighters).
The parliamentary security and intelligence committee recommended the legislation (which was due to sunset next month) be extended and the government agrees.
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Question time looms …
There is just over 30 minutes until the first question time in five weeks.
You know, they know, we all know – it is going to be very messy. So grab what you need now to get through it.
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David Pocock continues crossbench push for total gambling ad ban
The crossbench is continuing to push the government to go for a blanket ban on gambling ads:
The huge push from independents to stop gambling advertising reflects what we are hearing from our communities.
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) August 12, 2024
All parliamentarians need to step up, listen to this message and not accept anything less than the total ban the Murphy review recommended. pic.twitter.com/e826uoK0i9
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AFP statement on potential industrial action
(continued from previous post)
In response, the AFP put out a statement on Monday afternoon:
As of Monday, [12] August, 2024, it is not lawful for the AFPA to take any protected action that withdraws protection from parliamentarians, APH or Canberra airport during the first week of the Parliament sitting period. That is because this type of action requires five full business days’ notice and a valid notice has not yet been received. That means it cannot lawfully happen this week.
If the AFP is notified of protected industrial action that could impact on next week’s sitting, the AFP would strenuously oppose this application in the Fair Work Commission.
The AFP encourages the AFPA to be mindful of its language, noting any baseless suggestion that resources could lawfully be withdrawn can have a chilling impact on stakeholders and the wider public.
Just recently, the national terror threat [level] was raised to Probable. The AFP is also responding to more threats against parliamentarians.
The AFP will not tolerate any action that threatens the functioning of Australian democracy or the safety of any member of the public.
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AFP says any strike action taken this week is 'unlawful'
The Australian Federal Police says it will “strenuously oppose” any strike action taken by its officers in Canberra amid an ongoing pay dispute, adding any action this week would be “unlawful”.
On Sunday afternoon, the Australian Federal Police Association wrote to all parliamentarians warning them of upcoming protected industrial action their members have voted to take after pay negotiations broke down.
The federal government deal, accepted by other public servants, consisted of an 11.2% wage increase over three years, as well as an increase in allowances and flexibility, such as guaranteed work at home.
The AFPA’s president, Alex Caruana, said the deal was “toxic”, warning union-affiliated officers could walk off the job from Canberra airport and Parliament House during this sitting fortnight.
Caruana said the AFPA would “not take any industrial action that will put anyone in danger” but would fight for a “reasonable deal”.
(continued in next post)
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Why is Linda Reynolds in the Senate today?
You may have noticed Mike Bowers spotting Linda Reynolds sitting in the Senate.
Reynolds finished giving her evidence in the defamation trial she has brought against Brittany Higgins on Friday so she could be in Canberra in time for parliament resuming today. Her husband, Robert Reid is expected to give evidence in the Perth court.
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Coalition push for House to make southern Lebanon a ‘declared area’
The House is also considering legislation which will extend the life of “declared areas” legislation – that’s areas where if Australians went to fight overseas, they would be considered a foreign fighter and face criminal penalties upon returning to Australia.
The Coalition wants southern Lebanon to be declared under the continuation of this legislation (it had been due to sunset in September 2024, but under this legislation, would continue for another three years, when it will be reviewed again)
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Greens to move amendment to communications bill to ban gambling ads
The Greens have held a press conference at which Max Chandler-Mather accused the housing minister of citing non-existing modelling on build-to-rent changes and David Shoebridge warned of the possibility Australia may get no nuclear submarines from Aukus by the 2030s.
Sarah Hanson-Young revealed that the Greens will move to amend an unrelated communications bill on television transmission to ban gambling ads.
She said:
There’s going to be a test for the government this week in the Senate. We will be moving an amendment for a total ban on gambling advertising ... We will use that bill to test the guts of this government to do the right thing ...
The gambling industry are parasites. They feed on the misery of everyday people. And they whisper in the ears of governments, to allow them to just keep going.
Hanson-Young noted reports that the Coalition wants to amend Labor’s laws to set up an Environmental Protection Agency, arguing Peter Dutton will make the laws worse unless Labor negotiates with the Greens.
She said:
At the moment the EPA and the environment laws that are currently before the parliament have no friends. They’ve got no friends from the business lobby and they’ve got no real friends from the environment sector. Everyone knows that this legislation is not good enough.”
Hanson-Young said to work with the Greens to pass the laws, Labor must stop native forest logging and enact a climate trigger in environmental approval laws.
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The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (known as the PJCIS and often prefaced as the ‘powerful’ PJCIS because it is a rare day when a government does not accept its recommendations) has reviewed the listing of Ansar Allah as a terrorist organisation under the criminal code.
Ansar Allah is commonly known as the Houthi movement, and is based in Yemen.
The government listed it on the criminal code for the first time in May while Clare O’Neil was the home affairs minister.
The committee is “satisfied that the appropriate process has been followed and that Ansar Allah meets the definition of a terrorist organisation”.
Deputy chair, Andrew Wallace though, criticised the delays between O’Neil’s office and Mark Dreyfus’s office in making the listing (this has been one of James Paterson’s bugbears and given a run on Sky News previously)
Wallace told the parliament:
The Coalition is deeply alarmed at the significant delays for ministerial consideration of this terrorist listing. It took at least 49 days for the decision making process to list Ansar Allah – it bounced between the Minister for Home Affairs and the Attorney General, and it took another 28 days for the Prime Minister to write to First Ministers in relation to the decision to list it.
Overall, it took 126 days for the Houthis to be finally prescribed as a terrorist organisation after the initial recommendation of the Department of Home Affairs.
Mike Bowers spent some time in the Senate this morning:
Updated
Sarah Hanson-Young has announced the Greens are going to move to amend a (separate/unrelated to what the government is discussing) communications bill this week to attempt to pass a total gambling ad ban.
Updated
Just an update on the gambling reforms – we are told that the consultation over the bill (which will deal with how gambling advertising can be treated) is ongoing and not necessarily in front of the cabinet this week.
We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.
Milton Dick gives update on Parliament House security review
The speaker of the house, Milton Dick, is giving an update on the Parliament House security review after the 4 July protest which involved protesters taking to the roof of the parliament.
Dick says interim measures have been put in place (but he won’t say what, because that would undermine the security they are trying to put in place) and long-term measures “are being considered”.
Dick:
Longer-term and more permanent options are currently being explored and will be informed through engagement with relevant authorities and experts, included by technical specialists from national security agencies and law enforcement agencies.
Australian Parliament House is a key pillar of our democracy. It is also a source of national pride.
The [Senate] president and I take matters around the respect and safety of the building and its occupants very seriously. The security and access to Australian Parliament House must always be balanced to keep democracy open to the people, whilst also protecting those who visit and work in the building and surrounds.
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Thorpe urges Labor to ‘have some conviction’ on issue of gambling ad bans
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe says if the government was serious about addressing harms to First Nations peoples, it would follow through with a blanket ban on gambling ads.
Thorpe:
Gambling harm disproportionately impacts First Peoples in this country. It’s critical that the government listens to First Peoples on this issue, and not just big betting corporations and media moguls.
We’ve recently seen the prime minister and the Indigenous Australians minister talking about how they want to prioritise economic empowerment for First Peoples. But how can they be serious about that while giving this industry free reign to destroy more people’s lives?… I want to see Labor have some conviction on this and do the right thing for First Peoples and the broader community.
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Senate looking at amendments to Labor’s NDIS bill
The Senate is going through the amendments to Bill Shorten’s NDIS bill.
There is a lot of them (you can find the list here) so it is not going to be a fast process.
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Richard Marles comments on Aukus agreement
Daniel Hurst has been keeping you updated with what is in the tabled Aukus agreement documents this morning.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has commented on the release:
This agreement is an important step towards Australia’s acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
It builds on the significant progress that has already been achieved, including the passing of the US National Defence Authorisation Act, the announcement of Australia’s sovereign submarine build and sustainment partners, and the ongoing work to integrate and uplift the industrial bases of all three Aukus partners.
The Albanese Government, alongside Aukus partners, continues to re-affirm that Australia’s acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines will set the highest non-proliferation standards through the Aukus partnership. The agreement is unequivocal that, as a non-nuclear weapons state, Australia does not seek to acquire nuclear weapons.
There was a lot of rumours about what the agreement could contain, plus grumbles that the US were a lot more transparent about these things (we can not tell you how many times we heard the old “if you want to know what is happening in Australia’s defence portfolio, ask the US” line) which is part of the reason for the tabling.
Plus, the government is trying to address an anti-Aukus flank emerging within its own ranks (at least from the grassroots membership), so we are getting a bit more information than you would usually expect at this stage of a defence-agreement.
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Mint to follow Bluey coin release with Mem Fox’s Green Sheep
The Bluey coin release has been breaking collector’s banks (it’s going for a lot of dollarbucks in the collectors’ market). Not sure if the next commemorative coin the Royal Australian Mint has announced will have quite the same response (especially with alleged thieves), but it will come close.
Where is the Green Sheep? is getting its own coin. For those unfamiliar with the beloved Mem Fox childrens’ book, readers are introduced to a whole heap of sheep, while looking for the Green sheep (spoiler: the Green Sheep is where I wish I was, most of the time).
The coin will be launched on Wednesday, with the book’s illustrator, Judy Horacek in attendance.
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LNP submits motion criticising Labor over cost-of-living response
The House of Representatives is a big fan of motions this morning. We are on our third (first was on rural and regional housing and the second was yay for Olympians). The LNP’s Bert van Manen has a motion criticising the government over its cost of living response.
Here is the text on the shopping list van Manen has put forward:
notes that Australians have lost tens of thousands of dollars over the past two years through no fault of their own, with:
(a)workers paying 20% more in personal income tax;
(b)real wages collapsing by nearly 9%;
(c)living standards falling by 8%;
(d)household savings reducing by almost 10%;
(e)prices on goods rising by around 10%;
(f)inflation remaining higher than any other developed nation; and
(g)homeowners with a typical mortgage of $750,000 being some $35,000 a year worse off; and …
It continues in that vein, demanding the government address it and change their direction and so on.
(The government is allowing the debate, but obviously does not agree with the premise of the motion.)
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Allan reaffirms pledge to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has reaffirmed her government’s commitment to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12 but would not say whether the state was on track to increase it to 14 by 2027.
While Allan said she would forge ahead with a bill that is before parliament to raise the age from 10 to 12 with no exceptions, as planned, she refused to recommit to the pledge made by the former premier Daniel Andrews to up it from 12 to 14.
She said cabinet would be meeting today to discuss a range of measures to reduce youth crime – particularly among a small cohort:
We know we need to do more. We need to take further steps to both address concerns in the community around community safety but … what we are seeing [is] with a group of young people who are engaging in repeat, serious, risky behaviour and that’s what the focus of those discussions [we’ve] had and I’m not here today going to preempt any discussions that we’re having as a cabinet.
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Vincent Tarzia elected new leader of SA Liberals
The South Australian Liberals have elected Vincent Tarzia as their new leader, after David Spiers announced he was stepping down last week (ending the momentary confusion whenever his name was mentioned by ABC journalists, given he shares it with the ABC political lead, David Speers).
Tarzia beat Josh Teague for the role.
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Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock back AFP industrial action warning
The Australian Federal Police Association is not backing away from its threats to take (protected) industrial action during a sitting week.
The AFPA is warning that the action will mean a withdrawal of AFP officers from the parliament and Canberra airport, as well as events without a “significant” threat level. It is fighting for a better pay deal and Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock have come out in support.
The AFPA says it won’t take any action that will endanger lives, but is serious about taking the first industrial action this century if Mark Dreyfus does not intervene and issue a better pay deal.
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House congratulations Australian Olympians and wishes luck to our Paralympic atheletes
The House is now speaking to a motion congratulating Australia’s Paris Olympians.
Everyone loves the Olympians and “wishes the best of luck to the Australian Paralympic Team competing in the 2024 Paralympics between 28 August and 8 September 2024”.
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Aukus takeaways, part two
(continued from previous post)
Also included:
The agreement “obligates Australia to only use nuclear material transferred under the Agreement for naval nuclear propulsion, to not enrich or reprocess any nuclear material received, and to be responsible for the management, disposition, storage and disposal of any spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste resulting from naval nuclear propulsion plants that are transferred”.
The agreement requires Australia to have an arrangement with the International Atomic Energy Agency “prior to the UK or the US transferring any nuclear material to Australia”.
New legislation is not required in Australia to implement the treaty.
The agreement “shall remain in force until 31 December 2075”, but “any party may terminate the agreement (including its Annexes) by giving at least one year’s written notice to the other parties”.
If one country terminates or materially breaches the agreement, “each other Party has the right to require the return or destruction of any naval nuclear propulsion information, nuclear material and equipment that it communicated, exchanged, or transferred pursuant to the Agreement”.
If Australia “materially breaches its obligations” under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) or withdraws from the NPT or “detonates a nuclear explosive device” then the UK and the US “have the right to cease further cooperation under the Agreement and require the return of any nuclear material or equipment transferred pursuant to the Agreement”.
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Key takeaways from the Aukus treaty documents
Wrapping up what we know after the Aukus documents were tabled, here are some key points about what is in the Aukus treaty:
The agreement allows for “the communication and exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information, and the transfer of nuclear material and equipment relating to naval nuclear propulsion” (that’s for nuclear-powered submarines).
The countries commit to protecting sensitive information relating to the nuclear material and equipment.
The nuclear material is to be transferred in “complete, welded power units”.
These power units “shall contain highly enriched uranium and, only with respect to irradiated fuel, may contain plutonium” but the “total amount of such Special Nuclear Material that may be transferred shall not exceed the total amount needed for the number of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to be provided or constructed under the Aukus trilateral security partnership”.
(Continued in next post)
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Journalist Niki Savva to deliver this year’s Speaker’s Lecture
The Speaker of the house, Milton Dick, has selected Niki Savva to deliver this year’s Speaker’s Lecture.
Paul Kelly, Troy Bramston and Michelle Grattan have delivered the lecture in previous years – Liberal speaker Tony Smith began the series, and Dick reinstated it after it went on hiatus during the Covid lockdown years.
Savva will speak on Survival in the age of mistrust, challenges for politicians and journalists, which “will explore how trust in politics is being eroded by culture wars, how feelings rather than facts are creating battlelines amongst groups of voters, and how it is effecting the way politics is perceived in Australia”.
The lecture, to be held on 9 September, is open to the public – you can register to attend here.
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Australia agrees to indemnify UK and US on nuclear safety risks under Aukus treaty
Australia has agreed to indemnify the UK and the US about any costs or damage arising from nuclear safety risks with the nuclear-powered submarines, according to newly tabled documents.
According to the Australian government’s “national interest analysis”, the new Aukus treaty “requires Australia to indemnify the UK and the US against any liability, loss, costs, damage, or injury (including third party claims) arising out of, related to, or resulting from nuclear risks (risks attributable to the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other hazardous properties of materials) connected with the design, manufacture, assembly, transfer, or utilisation of any material or equipment, including naval nuclear propulsion plants, parts thereof, or spare parts transferred or to be transferred”.
However, this indemnity “shall not apply in relation to a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine that has been in service with the US Navy until such time as it is transferred to Australia”. This appears to relate to Virginia class submarines to be sold to Australia from the US in the 2030s, before Australian made SSN-Aukus submarines start to enter into service in the 2040s.
The document also says the indemnity “shall not apply to the extent that the UK or the US have received payment for the same liabilities from a third party”.
The document adds:
The Agreement provides that arrangements relating to the management of nuclear risks to be indemnified by Australia, including measures to provide appropriate visibility of activities, may be mutually determined by the Parties. The Agreement further provides that other risks that are not nuclear risks may be addressed by the applicable Parties in separate agreements or arrangements.
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Allan says sexual harassment NDAs ‘too often used to silence victim-survivors’
(Continued from previous post)
Allan said:
What started off [as a way] to protect trade secrets is now too often being used to silence victim-survivors. That is why I’m announcing today that our government is commencing consultation on how we need to change this here in Victoria because we know this is a problem.
I’ve heard directly from victim-survivors who had told me both about the traumatic experience of being sexually harassed … then being retraumatized and required to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
The consultation is a direct response to a ministerial taskforce investigating workplace sexual harassment, which in 2022 made 26 recommendations to government.
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Victorian government mulls banning NDAs on sexual harassment unless requested by victim-survivor
The Victorian government is considering banning nondisclosure agreements in cases of workplace sexual harassment unless requested by the victim-survivor. The state's premier, Jacinta Allan, this morning has announced the government will begin consultation on the introduction of new laws to restrict the use of NDAs she says will be “nation-leading”.
The premier says the consultation will seek feedback on a number of proposals including:
Banning NDAs unless requested by the complainant;
Introducing review and cooling off periods after a NDA has been signed;
Allowing complainants to waive their own confidentiality in the future; and
A mechanism to ensure no attempts can be made to unduly pressure or influence a complainant to sign a NDA.
(Continued in next post)
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Does Australia’s ‘non-legally binding understanding’ on Aukus contradict claims on sovereignty?
The Australian government has always insisted that it would make “sovereign, independent decisions” on how to use its military capabilities, indicating that no pre-commitment has been given to the US to join any future military action.
But the revelation that there was “a non-legally binding understanding” among the three Aukus countries which includes “additional related political commitments” has prompted critics to question whether Australia had promised, for example, to go along with the US in any military action over the future of Taiwan.
The documents tabled in the Senate a short time ago provide some detail about this (and it doesn’t sound like it goes to any particular military engagements).
The Australian government’s “national interest analysis” says the understanding “is intended to publicly memorialise the Parties’ discussions on their intended approach to certain provisions and guide implementation, although it does not form an integral part of the Agreement”. The analysis says:
The Understanding re-affirms that Australia, the UK and the US intend to jointly cooperate to facilitate Australia’s effective integration into, and use by, its naval nuclear propulsion program of any information communicated or exchanged under Article III of the Agreement (Understanding, paragraph 1). It also provides assurance that the UK and the US should make best efforts to transfer material and equipment in a timely manner to Australia (Understanding, paragraph 2).
The Governments also reaffirm their commitment to setting the highest non-proliferation standard in connection with their cooperation pursuant to the Agreement (Understanding, paragraph 5).
Under the Understanding, the UK and the US should not unreasonably withhold information, nuclear material or equipment from Australia. The governments are also expected to take all reasonable steps to facilitate in a timely manner any communication and exchange of information or transfers of nuclear material and equipment that may be authorised pursuant to the Agreement (Understanding, paragraph 6).
The Understanding also provides assurances that the UK and US intend to apply their respective standards and quality control processes that they would apply for similar material and equipment for their own governmental uses (Understanding, paragraph 7).
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Government tables Aukus agreement with US and UK
The federal government has tabled its new Aukus agreement with the US and the UK.
Critics of Aukus were alarmed when the US president, Joe Biden, wrote to the US Congress last week to say the new treaty was accompanied by “a non-legally binding understanding” which included “additional related political commitments”.
The new agreement will allow for the transfer of nuclear material to Australia as part of the process of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and replaces a preexisting agreement that allowed “for the exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information”.
Several documents were tabled in the Senate a short time ago. The Australian government’s national interest analysis describes the goal as follows:
The purpose of the Agreement is to establish a legally-binding framework to facilitate the communication and exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information between and among Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (US), and the transfer of nuclear material and equipment from the UK and the US to Australia for conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, under the enhanced trilateral security partnership ‘AUKUS’.
We’re going through the documents now and will bring you more details soon.
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Indi independent MP Helen Haines is on her feet very early with a motion on the need to recognise the housing crisis in regional and rural communities.
Haines wants the house to recognise:
the importance of affordable and well-located housing in regional, rural and remote Australia and the fundamental human right to shelter;
and notes that the:
housing crisis is getting worse, with rents and house prices reaching record highs across regional Australia in the first half of 2024; and
National Housing Accord’s target of building 1.2 million new homes over five years from 1 July 2024 contains no specific targets for regional, rural and remote Australia;
and acknowledges that:
(a) there is a housing affordability and availability crisis in regional, rural and remote Australia;
(b) this Government has no housing policies specifically targeted at addressing the housing needs of regional, rural and remote Australia; and
(c) the Housing Australia Future Fund and the Housing Support Program contain no dedicated funding or targets for regional, rural and remote Australia; and
Haines wants the government to provide 30% of all housing funding to go to regional, rural and remote Australia (to reflect the 30% of Australians who live outside of major cities) and establish a dedicated regional housing infrastructure fund.
The government is allowing the debate, but won’t accept what Haines wants it to in terms of earmarking funding for rural and regional communities.
Albanese says sports funding gets kids off devices and into the open air
Anthony Albanese is doing all he can to capitalise on Australia’s best Olympics with the hope that some of those good vibes will translate to the political arena. Here he was speaking to Triple M radio Adelaide this morning:
….We put $250m into the Australian Institute of Sport here in Canberra. It was, frankly falling apart.
…And we are investing real dollars, helping not just our Olympians as well, but our Paralympians, of course, [who] will do us proud over the coming weeks as well. And it is in the national interest.
Sometimes we get criticised for putting money into sport, but if we can have more kids off their devices and on to the footy fields or the swimming pool or the netball courts or whatever sport, who cares? Get them out into the open air …
Host: Break dancing.
Albanese:
Break dancing, whatever! And the thing about the Olympics is that it is all about participation in different sports. So, you know, I responded a bit to the pile on that happened with Raygun. Well, good on her for having a go.
Host: She had a crack.
Albanese:
We just need to provide that support because they give us so much. We need to give them a bit of love back.
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Littleproud says gambling ads have ‘gone too far’ as Labor prepares to detail reform legislation
One of the key questions the Albanese government will face on its gambling ad restrictions is: will the Coalition cooperate, or will Labor have to negotiate with a crossbench that wants a total ban?
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, told Sky News that gambling ads were “offensive” and had “gone too far”, particularly having live odds advertised during games of football. He said:
There needs to be some sensible policy put in place. We’re going to work with the government when they announce all their policy details. But we’ve already come out and said there should be a ban an hour before sporting events and an hour after.
I’m not a wowser, I don’t mind a flutter. But it should be up to me when I decide to educate my children about gambling ... not because I’ve had ads shove it down my throat and my kids’ throat. I think common sense can prevail here. I think there is a way to break through this.
It seems both the Coalition and Labor are in favour of a ban on ads during sport and an hour either side. It’s still unclear what the Coalition thinks of a total ban on online ads, and caps of two per hour during general TV programming.
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Zoe Daniels pushes for total gambling ad ban
Independent Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel is continuing to push the government to go further on its gambling ad changes, as cabinet meets today to discuss a proposal that does not include a blanket ban.
If the Albanese Government thinks it can make this issue disappear by offering up a partial ban on gambling ads it is living in a fools paradise. Australians have had enough of the tsunami of betting ads, and they want them gone.
Australians from all walks of life are hurting from the devastating impact of gambling addiction, and they want change. The government has to find the courage to stare down the corporate gambling giants, the media conglomerates, and the sporting codes, and do the right thing.”
Everywhere I go in my electorate of Goldstein people want to talk about this issue, and how it is impacting them and their families. They are crying out for a ban on gambling ads, and they need the government to listen.
I hear stories from my local suburban footy competitions where runners and trainers are out on the field, not delivering messages from the coach, but updating players about how their multi is going – it’s a huge red flag. When sport has become all about odds and bets, we’ve lost our way.
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PM spruiks AFL for 2032 Brisbane Olympics
Asked what demonstration sport Australia should put in the Brisbane Olympics, Albanese offered up:
AFL is the obvious one for us to put into Brisbane, isn’t it? We’re a fair chance of cracking the gold medal there.
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Albanese says consultation on international student cap are continuing
Cabinet has not yet signed off on a cap for international students as part of the government’s cut to migration.
Last week, Jason Clare said reports of a 40% cap of enrolment were wrong.
Asked about the issue on ABC radio Adelaide this morning, Anthony Albanese said:
We’re dealing with the Universities Accord and negotiations and having consultation with universities about what is the appropriate number or mix, if you like, of students at universities. Should they be 80% of foreign students or is there a reasonable setting for that?
We recognise that overseas students can play an important role in providing income. It’s an export for Australia that’s absolutely vital for us. But we need to make sure as well that universities aren’t totally reliant upon that, that they continue to provide a service and education for Australian students, because there are also implications, of course, for the migration numbers.
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Senate and House programs available here
You can find the daily program for the House of Representatives (subject to change) here and can follow along with the live minutes here.
The Senate business, can be found here.
Updated
Parliament looms …
The sitting will officially begin at 10am.
It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks, so make sure you stagger yourself in following all of this.
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Coalition complains about Labor spending on stage-three tax cut meeting, despite Liberal support for measure
The shadow assistant minister for government waste reduction (that is a mouthful), James Stevens, wants you to know that the caucus meeting where Labor agreed to alter the stage-three tax cuts cost $93,952 in travel.
The Coalition supported these changes. But Stevens is trying to make “broken election promise” happen, even though his side of politics also voted for it.
It was clear for months that Anthony Albanese intended to break his promise on the stage-three tax cuts, but it wasn’t clear that he would bill the taxpayer almost $94,000 for a Labor Party photo opportunity in the process.
This show pony caucus meeting was a desperate attempt to look like they were making a decision that was merely formalising a long-held plan to break a solemn election commitment made to the Australian people.
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Butler announces new additions to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
The health minister, Mark Butler, has announced new cancer medications and treatments have been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The PBS listings of these medicines means eligible patients will pay a maximum of $31.60 per script, or $7.70 with a concession card.
Those listed include:
Selumetinib (Koselugo®) will list for the first time to treat symptomatic, inoperable benign nerve tumours in children two years old and over with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
Around 170 children are expected to benefit from this listing each year. Without subsidy, families might pay around $146,000 per year of treatment.Patisiran (Onpattro®) will list for the first time to treat hereditary transthyretin-mediated (ATTR) amyloidosis that has affected many parts of the nervous system.
This listing is expected to benefit around 55 patients each year. Without subsidy, they might pay around $647,500 per year of treatment.Tecentriq® SC (atezolizumab) will list in a new subcutaneous form, which means it can be given as an injection under the skin.
Without a PBS listing, the medicine would cost $120,000 per year.Vitrakvi® (larotrectinib) will also be expanded to include treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer or soft tissue sarcoma solid tumours that have a specific gene fusion known as neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK).
Around 10 patients are expected to benefit from this listing each year. Without the PBS subsidy, they could pay over $300,000 per course of treatment.Zyamis® (midazolam) will be listed to provide Australians living with epilepsy with a solution delivered via prefilled syringes for the emergency treatment of potentially life-threatening seizures.
More than 10,000 patients each year are expected to benefit from the PBS listing. Without subsidy, each prescription would cost $270.
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A sample of attack lines from the Labor’s transcript email subject line
When the media receive transcripts from MPs, it includes subject lines of what has been spoken about in the press conference or interview. These used to be very plain – just the topics would be listed. And for some MPs, it is still just the topics.
But somewhere along the line, the subject line has morphed from topics to political attack lines of their own. Liberal deputy Sussan Ley’s team are gold medallists at it at this point, but the assistant minister to the prime minister, Patrick Gorman, looks like a strong challenger.
Here is the subject list from Gorman’s transcript this morning:
Subjects: Labor’s cost of living relief is already benefiting Australian families; Peter Dutton is gutless for failing to visit Collie; Peter Dutton does not respect the people of Western Australia; Peter Dutton’s failed leadership on extreme comments by his senior party members; the benefits to Australian families as a result of the Albanese Government’s investment in childcare; the Albanese Government is back to parliament and back to work on key legislation; Peter Dutton needs to come clean on his plans to cut essential services.
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Here’s where we’re at with the gambling reform legislation
The cabinet will meet today, where the big issue will be Labor’s long awaited gambling reforms.
The minister met with the gambling industry before anti-gambling harm advocates and also had 12-page non-disclosure agreements people had to sign before they were allowed to take part in the consultation.
So it is safe to say that people who pushed for a total ban are already not impressed with what the government has to offer so far.
From the leaks, which our Paul Karp has confirmed, a blanket ban is off the table. Instead it will be caps on advertising and restrictions on when gambling ads can take place.
The legislation, once signed off by cabinet, will still have to go to the Senate, so we’ll see what happens next. The crossbench is among those pushing for more – but so are former Liberal prime ministers. So we’ll wait and see what happens there.
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Joyce on bad breaking: ‘you’re going to have international commentary’
Barnaby Joyce was also asked to comment:
Look, obviously I don’t agree with denigration of any human being. Any person in public life has seen comments that are disgusting.
But I temper that in a slight way. If you are an international competitor, you are an international competitor, you are going to have international commentary.
It’s like going to the AFL or the league or watching the Wallabies. People will comment about whether you had a good game or bad game. You have to accept that part of it.
We comment on the swimmers. We comment on so many other people exactly how they went.
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Plibersek on Raygun at the Olympics: ‘haters are going to hate’
I regret to inform you we are in day three of the Raygun discourse.
If you missed the whole Raygun moment, here is a refresher:
Tanya Plibersek was asked about the whole *gestures* on the Seven network and said:
Well, I think haters are going to hate. If I could buy a Raygun T-shirt I would. The rest of those people are sitting on their couch mucking around on social media. She’s actually represented our country at the Paris Olympics. She’s an Olympian.
No-one can ever take that away from her. Good on her for having a go. Actually, that’s what sport is all about.
I’m, you know, a bit hopeless at sport. But having a go, makes me feel good. That’s what it’s about, right?
It’s about participation, good on her. Like I say, whatever I can do to show my support I’m there.
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The prime minister has spent the morning speaking to a variety of radio stations. We will bring you those highlights soon.
Greens say ‘build to rent’ system in Victoria doesn’t work in practice
One of the big issues the Greens have with the Build to Rent legislation is that it gives money to private developers to build rental properties. The Greens think the government should build it themselves. One of the reasons for that, is, Adam Bandt says, because of what has happened with previous Build to Rent schemes:
One of the things we saw again in Melbourne when you look at the experience there, is what it actually means in practice. So people in my area in a … build-to-rent a development get kicked out after a year so that the landlord could then hike the rent.
And this is our point with the current system. It is a broken system, and it’ll keep pushing prices, rents and house prices out of reach of first home buyers, unless there’s some serious fundamental change to the current system.
We’ve got to stop just tinkering around the edges and actually do something practical and that something practical, would be to put a cap and freeze on rents to give wages a chance to catch up. Otherwise, you’re gonna find more renters being pushed to a breaking point.
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Greens waiting on new offer on Labor’s housing bills
The Greens’ leader, Adam Bandt, said his party will wait and see whether Clare O’Neil offers anything new in negotiations over housing before forming a position.
It depends whether Labor’s prepared to negotiate and work with the Greens to do something real to fix the housing crisis. I mean, Labor needs to get serious .The housing crisis is breaking people and it is breaking people now.
People are skipping meals to pay the rent. People who’ve got mortgages are skipping other expenditure because of soaring mortgage payments and in the face of all of that Labor’s tinkering around the edges with measures that in many instances are going to make the problems worse.
Bandt is not backing down from what the Greens want the government to do:
What we’ve said is the principles that we want to negotiate over are a freeze on rents for two years to give wages a chance to catch up and a cap on rents after that.
Let’s wind back those billions in tax breaks for wealthy property investors that are denying renters the chance to buy a home and let’s build some serious public housing.
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O’Neil decries ‘low-rent politics’ on housing negotiations
Clare O’Neil says she understands there is a “massive housing crisis in this country”.
One of the frustrations I have just coming in fresh to this space, is that there’s a lot of really sort of low-rent politics being played in all this. We don’t want to get political outcomes in the parliament for political reasons.
I want to see more Australians in housing, and that is the big focus of our government.
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O’Neil says Labor’s ‘single focus’ is on housing affordability, not politics
Clare O’Neil now has the housing portfolio, which means she has carriage over the government’s stalled legislation Build to Rent (which gives incentives to private builders to build rental properties) and Help to Buy (a shared equity scheme).
The Greens are in the negotiating seat and they want changes to tax breaks like negative gearing and capital gains tax as a bare minimum and the government to build social and affordable housing. So the bills have been in a deadlock.
O’Neil says she will speak with the Greens, but tells RN Breakfast:
I can tell you that my focus is not on the politicians here and it’s not on the politics of this. It is about trying to get more homes for Australians.
And I’d say again, there’s a lot of games being played in the parliament. I’m not interested in that. I don’t go to bed at night thinking about politicians and what they might say and what they might do.
I think about the millions of Australians who need more housing, and our government[’s] single focus is on them on addressing the rental crisis on addressing issues with housing affordability and making sure that more Australians can access homeownership.
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Cabinet to be briefed on proposed Labor gambling regulations
Cabinet will be briefed on the gambling proposal today.
Peta Murphy’s husband, Rod Glover, spoke to the Nine newspapers ahead of the cabinet briefing and said that he hoped his wife’s colleagues thought of her while in the room:
This is the closest thing that she’ll ever get to being in cabinet. So she won’t be in the room, but for the people in the room, I hope that they’re imagining she is.
On ABC RN Breakfast, Clare O’Neil is asked about this and says:
Absolutely. And you know, Peta Murphy was a friend of mine and a friend, a dear friend of many people in the caucus as indeed is her husband, Rod Glover.
We think about Peta a lot. She’s a big motivator for us in parliament, and there was no stronger advocate for these reforms than Peta Murphy. So we’ll be thinking of her. And I would say also that the commitment is there. We do need to do something about this problem. And that’s why the government is taking this so seriously
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Ed Husic defends Labor work on gambling reform
Ed Husic has been on the media carousel this morning, talking about the new science priorities, but he is of course being asked about all the issues on the boil at the moment – including gambling.
The late Labor MP Peta Murphy chaired an inquiry into gambling and concluded that the best way to address gambling issues in Australia was a blanket ban on gambling.
The report and its recommendations were handed down just over a year ago. The government had promised to act, but the action doesn’t look like matching what Murphy and the inquiry recommended.
Instead of a blanket ban, it looks like there will be caps and limits on when gambling ads can appear – but they will still appear. Husic is asked about this on ABC TV:
I think as a government, we’ve taken the issue of the impact of gambling on society very seriously. You’ve seen us take a number of steps to try to curtail the impact of gambling on individuals in particular, knowing how it affects people’s lives.
If you’ve seen the different steps that Minister [Michelle] Rowland has taken - Betstop, the limiting of accessing of credit cards for online gaming for instance. We’re working through the issues in a methodical way.
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AFP decry ‘useless’ work-from-home pay deal entitlements and threaten to withdraw police resources in lower-risk settings
(Continued from previous post)
The protected action includes removing federal police from the Canberra airport and parliament during sitting weeks, withdrawing federal police resources from political functions and events unless they carry a “significant” threat rating and temporarily removing police resources from commonwealth investigations, including those related to the NDIS and ATO.
I know these actions will disrupt the viability of activity at parliament house … They are not measures the AFPA is taking lightly. Our members are very aware of the vital role they play in ensuring the safety of community members, members of parliament and senators.
...Work from home entitlements are useless to an AFP officer who cannot investigate international paedophile syndicates or take a bullet for the prime minister from home. The deal currently being presented, is toxic.”
Caruana said a survey of members showed 6% said they would leave “immediately” if the deal was not improved, while 68% responded that they would actively look for other career opportunities.
Caruana said the AFPA would “not take any industrial action that will put anyone in danger” but would fight for a “reasonable deal”.
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AFP poised to strike over ‘toxic’ pay deal
For the first time this century, Australian Federal Police are proposing to take industrial action over a pay deal the federal police union described as “toxic”.
The Australian Federal Police Association wrote to all parliamentarians on Sunday afternoon warning of upcoming protected industrial action their members have voted to take after pay negotiations broke down.
The federal government deal, accepted by other public servants, consisted of a 11.2% wage increase over three years, as well as an increase in allowances and flexibility, such as guaranteed work at home.
AFPA’s president, Alex Caruana, said work at home benefits were “useless” for AFP officers, and the pay deal would see a mass exodus of AFP officers from the force.
(continued in next post)
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Chalmers and Gallagher pick fight with Liberals over public spending
Labor’s finance team and Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher are laying the turf for a new electoral battleground against the Coalition – the future of public spending, including pensions.
Chalmers and Gallagher compiled recent comments from their opposition counterparts, Angus Taylor and Jane Hume, criticising public spending.
The amount of public expenditure has become a hot-button political issue as the debate continues over whether the spending of state and federal governments (almost all of them led by Labor) was contributing to inflation and stopping the RBA from dropping interest rates.
Chalmers and Gallagher say that since Hume, the opposition finance minister, commented on 1 August that wouldn’t have made “$315bn of spending in the last two years” if it was in government, the senior Coalition leadership has repeated the claim. (The government says it is over six years, not two.)
The $315bn figure includes the indexation of the aged pension and unemployment payments, increased rent assistance and social housing, the energy bill relief, new medicines on the PBS, superannuation on paid parental leave, natural disaster funding and GST revenue.
It’s everything, in other words. Which has led to the government making the leap that the Coalition would put “everything” at risk if it won government.
The election can be held any time between now and May, so expect a lot of this coming your way.
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A legislative preview
Let’s take a look at what is coming up in the sitting.
After the recent ministry reshuffle, Anthony Albanese has been trying to refocus the agenda on measures the government has put in place to mitigate the rising cost of living so far, including tax changes and the energy bill relief. As part of the attempts to refocus the agenda on its own terms, the government will spend these first sitting weeks introducing a flurry of legislation.
Among the bills heralded by the government is the first tranche of the future made in Australia legislation which aims to set up a national interest framework to underpin investment and attract private capital – including community benefit principles. That just means that benefits to the community (or lack of them) must be considered when it comes to projects.
Legislation to enable the construction division of the CFMEU to be placed under the control of an administrator will also be introduced and passing it will be one of the priorities of the government over the next two weeks. The bill will grant “sweeping powers” to the appointed administrator “to clean up” the union, a government spokesperson said.
Bill Shorten will be working to progress his NDIS bill through the senate, which so far has not proven to be an easy task.
Passing the legislation aimed at criminalising the sharing of sexually explicit deepfake material should be easier and the Hecs indexation bill should fall somewhere in between the two (in terms of ease).
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Indigenous knowledge systems to be elevated under new science priorities
Indigenous knowledge systems are being elevated in the national science priorities for the first time, with the science minister, Ed Husic, unveiling the new science framework this morning.
The national science and research priorities and statement are the official mission statements underpinning government, private sector and university efforts to tackle Australia’s big issues. Last updated under the Abbott government, Husic said it was time for a new foundation.
The chief scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, was asked to come up with the priorities which should underpin Australia’s science and research. The new priorities are:
Transitioning to a net zero future – to develop and adopt next generation technologies, particularly in clean energy and storage, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, quantum and robotics.
Supporting healthy and thriving communities – so more Australians can enjoy healthier lives from birth well into old age.
Elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems – to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people particularly to have more of a say in advancing research that affects them.
Protecting and restoring Australia’s environment – to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect our biodiversity, diverse landscapes and ecosystems.
Building a secure and resilient nation – to strengthen our democratic institutions while addressing economic, social, geopolitical, defence and national security challenges.
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Good morning
Hello and welcome back to Politics Live.
It has been a long five weeks since the parliament last sat, but then again, as someone once noted (probably Ray Cummings and not Albert Einstein), time is what keeps everything from happening at once.
Except in politics, it would seem.
Labor returns with a reshuffled ministry and a renewed focus on getting people to see it has acted on the cost of living. But with inflation proving sticky, those outside the aggregate the RBA uses to make its decisions – that’s anyone without a savings buffer, not spending money on holidays and with high housing costs – is feeling the pain.
That makes Labor’s job even harder, because being told things aren’t as bad as they could be isn’t a winning strategy when people feel they may not get through what is in front of them. The latest Newspoll has the Coalition and Labor on 50-50 on a two party preferred basis.
For the Coalition to be within spitting distance of winning government, it would need to win at least 14 seats and then hope for support from the crossbench; minority government with Labor has been looking the more likely outcome for some time, and the poll numbers aren’t getting any better.
Still, while December 7 is still being bandied about as a potential early election date, with the poll numbers not showing any improvement you can expect the election to be held in 2025.
Elsewhere, the CFMEU administration legislation will be introduced into the parliament this week as a “priority”. Labor is very keen to have that issue cleaned up – and as soon as possible – as it seeks to remove distractions.
The government will focus on putting through what is left of its agenda for the next few sittings. Some, like the religious discrimination legislation, is all but dead, although there will be hate speech laws to go along with the doxing ban.
Tanya Plibersek is hoping for a win in her nature positive bill, but has to convince the Greens it will actually do what it says it will do.
Clare O’Neil now has the housing quagmire, which you would only think would be easy after home affairs if you haven’t been paying attention. Housing is one of the more visible portfolios in the government, given an entire generation is now struggling with it and unless O’Neil has some wriggle room with the Greens, it doesn’t appear to be getting any easier.
All in all it’s going to be a busy couple of weeks, so I’m glad to have you back with us. You have Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst and Sarah Basford Canales, as well as Mike Bowers to guide you through it. Amy Remeikis – that’s me! – will be with you on the blog for most of the day.
Ready? Grab your coffee (number three over here) and let’s get into it.
