What we learned: Tuesday 27 February
And with that, I am going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
A new YouGov poll of 1,060 Australian adults indicates about four in five Australians support a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Greens lost a Senate motion on restoring UNRWA funding 27 to 10.
Redirecting $1.5bn in federal money committed for the Middle Arm industrial precinct in Darwin to greener alternatives would create more than 7,000 jobs in the Northern Territory, a new report argues.
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, responded to the inaugural workplace gender pay gap data by the workplace gender equality agency by targeting corporations who are underperforming.
Katy Gallagher has called on Peter Dutton to distance himself from comments made by Matt Canavan, after the opposition senator called the release of a national gender pay gap report today “useless data” that “breeds resentment and division”
Angus Taylor was among Coalition MPs ejected from question time amid fuel efficiency debate
The trade minister, Don Farrell, is at the World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi where he had a sideline chat with China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, overnight.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said Mardi Gras should reconsider the withdrawal of their invitation to NSW police to march in the parade. However, the independent Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe welcomed the decision.
Coles has recorded a lift in half-year sales revenue from its supermarkets division to $19.8bn, while keeping its profit margins elevated above pre-pandemic levels.
Catastrophic fire danger warnings were issued for Victoria’s Wimmera region.
Scott Morrison gave his valedictory speech, and included references to Taylor Swift. Our reporter Amy Remeikis also gave her analysis on his prime ministership.
Updated
Canavan’s comments on gender pay gap report ‘dangerous’, says Rishworth
The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, has branded as “dangerous” comments made by the Nationals senator Matt Canavan about the gender pay gap.
Responding to today’s latest figures on the gender pay gap, Canavan claimed it was “useless data” and derided it as an “annual Andrew Tate recruitment drive. It just breeds resentment and division.” The comments have been roundly criticised by government and Greens MPs.
Rishworth tweeted that the comments were “not just appalling, they’re dangerous”.
“Linking Australia’s first major report on the gender pay gap to ‘influencers’ like Andrew Tate who glorify violence against women is unacceptable,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
When gender-based violence and gender inequality persists in Australia, comments like this from Nationals Senator Matt Canavan are not just appalling, they’re dangerous. pic.twitter.com/kQTGY5k4Vj
— Amanda Rishworth MP (@AmandaRishworth) February 27, 2024
Updated
‘Terrorist-like activities' by extremist settlers also demand determined responses’, Hill says
Closing off his parliamentary speech, Labor MP Julian Hill said the Israeli prime minister’s declared opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state demands “an urgent international response”, including against “illegal Israeli settlements and extremist settler violence in the West Bank”. Hill said:
Financial sanctions against terrorist group Hamas are welcome. Consistency is important and terrorist-like activities by extremist settlers also demand determined responses.
Hill said he would write to the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission raising questions and seeking information about charities that “openly solicit donations and support settler and settlement related activities”. Hill, who has been in increasingly vocal in the past few weeks, said he wanted to thank “the many Australian and Israeli progressive Jewish and human rights groups who have contacted me since I first raised these issues”. He said:
To speak up about these things is not antisemitic and is not anti-Israel.
Antisemitism is a curse, and to label legitimate criticism of the current extremist right-wing Israeli government as antisemitism distracts focus from combatting genuine prejudice and discrimination in our community. The views I’ve expressed are openly discussed in Israel. To be called antisemitic when you raise them here is a nonsense.
Updated
‘For God’s sake, let food in now’: MP Julian Hill urges Israeli government to let aid into Gaza
In his speech to the parliament’s federation chamber, Labor MP Julian Hill said: “Domestically, one of the most offensive things said is that the Australian government or parliament or MPs support genocide.”
He said the claim was “ridiculous” because Australia had voted at the UN general assembly for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and had said it expected Israel to abide by the preliminary orders issued by the International Court of Justice.
Most urgently, though, right now is the need to get food to people starving in Gaza.
And I say to the government of Israel: for God’s sake, let food in now. Not tomorrow, or next week, or next month, but now. Today.
Right now, 400,000 Gazans are starving – now. One million are at risk of starvation.
Hill added:
If the rightwing Israeli government wants to salvage the shreds of its international reputation with much of the world that are left, let enough food in now.
How can a country that has so many wonderful people, and so much to offer the world, which claims to be a civilised democratic state, fail to act with urgency while civilians are at immediate risk of starving to death?
The Israeli government has repeatedly denied that it is restricting aid entry.
Updated
‘Mass starvation is not a proportionate response to Hamas’ horror show’: MP Julian Hill
The Labor MP Julian Hill has said the world must not “stand by while Gazans starve to death”, adding that “mass starvation is not a proportionate response to Hamas’ horror show”.
In a strongly worded speech in the parliament’s federation chamber this evening, Hill took aim at Israel’s “extreme rightwing government” and said it was wrong for anyone to claim that Australia supported genocide. He said:
I have been a longstanding and vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, and the need for a just resolution to this conflict and a political agreement for two states – a secure Israel and a Palestinian state – the longstanding policy of Australia and many nations.
Yes, a secure Israel. The world cannot just abandon the Jewish people to be slaughtered by the Iranian regime or their proxy extremists. Those calling for extreme responses should remember this.
The world also cannot stand by while Gazans starve to death, or just passively observe accelerating dispossession and escalating violence in the West Bank.
Mass starvation is not a proportionate response to Hamas’ horror show. All human life is sacred, and all innocent civilians should be protected.
(Continued in next post)
Updated
Emergency warning issued over out-of-control bushfire in south-west WA
An out-of-control bushfire is threatening lives and homes in Western Australia’s south-west, AAP reports.
An emergency warning has been issued for parts of Australind and Leschenault in the Shire of Harvey.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive,” a Department of Fire and Emergency Services alert said on Tuesday.
“There is a threat to lives and homes.”
The bushfire is moving in a north-westerly direction and is not contained or controlled, with some roads closed.
About 60 firefighters are on the scene, with support from water bombers.
An evacuation centre has been opened at nearby Eaton.
Updated
Three in four LGBTQ+ Australians have experienced mental disorder in their life, data shows
Three in every four lesbian, gay and bisexual Australians have experienced a mental disorder in their life, compared to four in every ten heterosexual people, new government data shows.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released a dedicated report focusing on the mental health of LGBTQ+ Australians from the 2020-2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
When the study was released in October last year, Dr Ruth Vine, the deputy chief medical officer for mental health in the Department of Health and Aged Care, said the two cohorts who had experienced significantly increased rates of mental disorders since the survey was last conducted in 2007 were young people and LGBTQI+ Australians.
The new data focusing on the results of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the study showed that more than two in five (41.2%) had self-harmed in their lifetime, compared with 7.4% of heterosexual people.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia congratulated the ABS on providing the first official national data on LGBTIQ+ populations’ mental health. CEO Nicky Bath, said the data confirms LGBTQ+ people experience mental ill health at rates two to four times higher than the broader population:
These adverse mental health outcomes relate directly to the stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse that LGBTQ+ people have experienced and continue to experience.
These results highlight the need to foster protective factors that promote mental health and wellbeing—such as creating a sense of belonging, establishing support networks and relationships, and ensuring access to gender affirming health care for trans and gender diverse people.
The University of Sydney’s Alone Together study of Australians mental health during the pandemic also found young LGBTQ+ people had been disproportionately worse affected:
Updated
Stage three expected to sail through Senate despite Greens’ attempt to delay passage
The Greens are attempting to delay a Senate vote to pass the stage-three tax cuts, instead hoping to refer it to a committee for reporting by March’s end.
However, the minor party will need the Coalition’s support to do so and it’s looking pretty unlikely that will happen.
An analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office provided to the Greens has shown the Albanese government could have saved $79.4bn in revenue over the decade by re-introducing a low-and-middle-income earner tax offset for everyone earning under $204,860.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said the extra revenue could have paid for important policies, such as the minor party’s proposal to pay for unlimited bulk billed psychiatric and psychological care.
Bandt said:
Labor is giving politicians and billionaires massive tax cuts instead of funding life-changing cost of living relief for everyone else …
Labor does not have the courage to tackle the problems we face, and the only way to get real action to bring down the cost of living is more Greens in the parliament.
But as we’ve foreshadowed, it seems unlikely because the tax cuts will be debated this evening after the opposition brought it forward.
A motion by the Liberal Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, passed this afternoon guaranteeing the upper house can vote on the bill after 7.30pm. Typically, votes can’t take place after 6.30pm.
With the opposition’s support, the tax cuts are expected to sail through.
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani here to take you through the rest of the day’s news.
The parliamentary day is beginning to wind down, so I will leave you with Mostafa Rachwani to see you through the afternoon. A very big thank you to everyone who joined us so far on this very busy day. I know there is a lot of heaviness around at the moment, and it seems unrelenting and some of the issues we deal with in this blog can seem completely inconsequential in comparison. You’re not alone in feeling it – and thank you for continuing to engage with your democracy despite it all. It matters, and you do too.
I’ll be back early tomorrow morning – until then, as always, take care of you Ax.
Updated
‘Think of the humanity rather than just taking sides’ on Gaza, MP urges
We don’t often visit the federation chamber (which is the speech overfill chamber for the House of Representatives) but we do like to check in.
The Nationals MP Mark Coulton, one of the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine, has given a speech on Gaza.
He calls for a ceasefire (and has been one of the only MPs to publicly do so) but also for an end to people “taking sides”.
One of the reasons that I have been a co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine is I desperately didn’t want this to become a political division in this country.
Sadly, I’ve completely failed in that attempt and the what I call the protest classes, the extremists who might think they’re helping the Palestinian people, are also doing enormous harm because as an excuse not to worry about the deaths of nearly 30,000 people, if the people that are speaking up for them and the ones that get the attention, don’t have the credibility with the broader community.
All I ask is that we don’t take sides, we look at a resolution for that area and that we understand that a child that is killed by stray bullets, a child that is suffering from malnutrition and illness is an innocent person, regardless of whether they’re Israeli or Palestinian.
And we must not forget our humanity and become a cheer squad for one side or the other in this country.
We are not doing the people of the Middle East any favour.
We need to have a measured approach. We need a ceasefire so this can be sorted through, but this is one of the most frustrating times in my 16 years in this place.
I know it’s a long way away. But when you’ve been there, and you’ve seen through your own eyes the conditions on the ground in that part of the world, you have a responsibility as a human being, as a member of parliament, to try to do what you can to make a difference. I know I’m outnumbered on this issue, but I’m just asking people to think of the humanity rather than just taking sides.
Updated
Thorpe backs decision to disinvite police from Mardi Gras
The independent Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe has welcomed the decision of the Mardi Gras board to disinvite NSW police:
Until police are subjected to real scrutiny and accountability, they won’t be welcome to wave our flags or march in our parades and rallies. We need accountability and justice, not more empty apologies and hollow gestures.
Thorpe’s whole statement can be found here:
For decades, Queer and Black people have been brutalised and murdered by police, and cops still don't face real accountability.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) February 27, 2024
I welcome the decision to keep police out of Mardi Gras - this comes after years of campaigning by the community.
Read more 👇https://t.co/UXyulnubZJ
Updated
Karen Andrews continues damning her former leader with faint praise on the ABC:
I was always keen to focus on the good things that were achieved by the Coalition government. I think it was a pity we didn’t grasp that opportunity as much as I believe we should have straight after the election, to capitalise on some of the good things, primarily Covid, but also Aukus was a huge achievement of that government. I think it is important now go through the process of this is a serious reset. We need to focus on going forward, gearing up for the election and everyone in our party should be looking forward, not backwards.
Updated
Andrews’s faint praise for former PM
The former Coalition home affairs minister Karen Andrews has given very faint praise of Scott Morrison’s final speech.
Andrews was one of the only Morrison ministers who publicly rebuked him for taking on secret ministries (hers among them), saying at the time he should resign.
Doesn’t seem as though the retiring LNP MP is too choked up by Morrison’s departure:
Firstly I thought he delivered a good valedictory. He covered off the appropriate thank yous, acknowledgement of people that got him in the position he was in. He reflected on what he thought were key pieces of advice for future governments. I think it was appropriate. Without talking about who said what in the party room, I think it was interesting in terms of the acknowledgement given to Scott Morrison, particularly about the work he led in Covid and if I was to pick a theme of recognition for Scott Morrison, that was coming through in the party room, the work he did in Covid was something the party room respected.
Updated
The Australian’s Dennis Shanahan was sitting in the gallery today. Mike Bowers watched as Peter Dutton’s eyes returned to his seat throughout the question time session.
Updated
In other “why do we have to pretend this matters” news, the Coalition has identified former coal power plant sites in Queensland as potential future sites for small modular nuclear reactors that no one wants to build because they are too expensive as a power source. News Corp is taking this very seriously of course, despite no one having an actual feasible option on the table, other than a bunch of mutterings from Coalition MPs who suddenly are very hot on nuclear, despite being pretty cool on it while in government.
Anyways the Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne has responded:
This is the coal-fired power station in my home of Gladstone.
— Penny Allman-Payne (@senatorpennyqld) February 27, 2024
The Coalition wants to replace this costly, polluting relic with a costly, polluting nuclear reactor that will push up power prices and endanger the community.
With all due respect, they can get absolutely f*cked. pic.twitter.com/hj6ybnKsBW
Updated
Question time finally, thankfully, ends.
And after another two questions about the five most important members of the Australian consciousness – Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, MG ZS and Toyota Rav4 (have you said your pledge of allegiance to your petrol tank today? If not, why not?) Anthony Albanese takes a dixer on the fuel efficiency standards to lay out the government response to the whole ridiculous “debate”.
Of course it was Roosevelt who said there was nothing to fear but fear itself, but the opposition over there, fear is all they have.
Just a second-hand scare campaign running on empty. Running on empty. The warmed-up leftovers of government past.
To those opposite, a car is nothing more than a fear campaign on wheels. We saw it when in the 2019 campaign they said that electric vehicles would end the weekend.
Fuel standards are about giving Australians more choice of the latest vehicles that are cleaner and cheaper to run, which is why we offered bipartisan support when the Liberal party and that minister wanted to introduce fuel efficiency standards.
Every other developed country in the world has fuel efficiency standards except one – Russia. Well, the leader of the opposition can line up with Vladimir Putin or line up with the United States and the rest of the developed world.
Russia. The country as famous for the quality of its cars as it is for the quality of its democracy.
Albanese continues with the “lemon” used car analogy for the opposition:
… The leader of the opposition’s used car model – it’s noisy, it’s unreliable, it only turns right, it only works in reverse, won’t ever go forward …
It won’t drive in Melbourne at night! Got to remember those migrants!
And it is made entirely of glass. Bit of a bold design move from this guy.
Like the bulldozer from Cook, who has left, it is designed to wreck, not build.
Updated
There are a bunch of interjections in there and Anthony Albanese continues:
[Advance campaigns] are a great example of where it is appropriate to have …
I thought they had nothing … to do with them, Mr Speaker. Nothing to do with it at all!
It’s very coordinated, the campaign. And it’s an example of where you see the bloke who’s trying to smile more and be a little bit nice and less nasty has the nasty staff overt being run by the Advance campaign so he can just run the little-bit-nasty stuff.
It is important. It is important that transparency occurs.
We’re committed to it.
We’ve received the JSCM report.
We look forward to acting on it. But we do want to act in a way that brings the maximum number of support for it. Because the fact is that, on a range of issues – I can think of at least two that have been raised today – we can’t get things through the Senate because of the Coalition of the Liberals and the Greens blocking it.
That’s why we want to reach out across the chamber to make sure that any proposals are carried.
Updated
Chaney urges government action on political donations disclosure
The independent MP for Curtin, Kate Chaney, asked a question in the midst of all of that:
Voters have a right to know who is funding their candidates before they vote. The government has a longstanding commitment to real-time disclosure of political donations over $1,000, but this hasn’t happened because the government has indicated it wants opposition support on electoral reform. Time is running out to implement transparency before the next election. Why won’t the government make good on its promise and pass this legislation immediately with crossbench support in both houses? We need transparency now.
Anthony Albanese:
We have, through our minister, engaged in good-natured discussion with the crossbenchers, but also with the opposition.
Because what we want to put in place is electoral reform that lasts over a period of time. That doesn’t seek to secure a political advantage for any particular side of politics or, indeed, for independents running as well.
And I’ve had representation, as you would be aware, both in meetings I’ve had with the crossbench but otherwise as well, from people who’ve been supportive of the crossbench about the crossbench being enlarged, if I could put it that way, by people who put forward different positions with regard to the range of transparency measures which we have historically supported.
We do support disclosure for all donations above $1,000.
That’s something that we, in fact, had in place, got changed by the former Coalition government. It’s something that we think is entirely appropriate.
It is important to have faith in the political system, that we know where donations are coming from. And the billionaires funding the Advance campaign of misinformation at the moment is a great example …
Updated
There is another question on the only five cars Australians will apparently ever drive again, and their cost under the fuel efficiency standard that is yet to be imposed.
This is all aimed at the Dunkley byelection, but it is all so ridiculous. Australia doesn’t have a fuel efficiency standard. If one comes in, older cars with inefficient fuel standards would be more expensive. But cars with more efficient fuel burning technology would be cheaper. That could be utes! SUVs! Whatever phallic stand-in takes your fancy!
That is why this is all so ridiculous. The bulk of question time has been taken up with this. The last 10 minutes has been taken up by points of order on what is additional information or not.
The planet is burning. “Plausible” allegations of a genocide. Tens of thousands of people being killed and millions displaced. An ‘incredible level of desperation’ in northern Gaza.
And what are our politicians focused on? The cost of a HiLux.
Updated
Taylor among Coalition MPs ejected from question time amid fuel efficiency debate
Angus Taylor gets booted under 94a as Chris Bowen goes through a variation of the same answer we have heard all week.
Bowen:
The leader of the opposition said last week on 9 February: “Now we have some of the highest efficiency standards in the world in terms of our vehicles.”
Now there’s a couple of small problems with that statement. You could argue about whether the highest or the lowest, if they existed. But the fact of the matter is, Australia doesn’t have any fuel efficiency standards – a point that was made by the member for Bradfield in his op-ed in The Australian when he said 80% of the global vehicle passenger fleet is subject to fuel efficiency standards, but Australia has none.
We’ve seen other examples, Mr Speaker – a man who’s received a bit of attention in question time today, Senator Canavan – not the most outrageous thing he said, but it’s pretty outrageous.
He said: “The government of Australia has decided to introduce the world’s most aggressive emissions limits on vehicles here in Australia.”
Again, Mr Speaker, clear misinformation when you consider I confess to the house the standards that the minister for transport and I are consulting on proposing are less ambitious than those that exist in Europe, in New Zealand, and in other key markets.
Because we have carefully designed them to deliver benefits to the Australian people.
A hard-ridden $40bn in benefits between now and 2040 – $12bn in fuel savings for motorists by 2030. The average new car buyer in 2028 will cut their annual fuel costs by around $1,000. Health benefits, which is why this policy has been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association. As well as the peak motoring groups – the NRMA and called for by the RACQ and RACW, and welcomed by Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, and others.
Taking many submissions and putting Australian motorists first, while the leader of the opposition wants to align his policy with Russia.
Updated
Daniel raises point of order, saying ‘we should not be spreading disinformation in this chamber’
The independent Goldstein MP, Zoe Daniel, tries to stop the same question from being asked over and over again, raising the point of order that:
Questions must not contain statements of facts unless they can be authenticated nor contain hypothetical matter. The question was based on false premise and we should not be spreading disinformation in this chamber, in questions or answers.
Much like when Zali Steggall tried this last sitting, Milton Dick says he can’t dictate what questions are asked, or there will be no questions (the dream).
The LNP’s Luke Howarth is booted from the chamber, reminding everyone he exists.
Labor’s Rob Mitchell is asking members of the Liberal frontbench to apologise for carry-on.
He says “you’re a coward”, then Dan Tehan jumps to his feet to object and ask for Mitchell to withdraw. He does.
Dick formally rules on Daniel’s point of order and says it is not for him to say if the research is true or not.
Daniel:
I would merely say facts are facts, they’re not a matter of opinion.
Updated
Liberals continue car talk
The Liberal MP for Flinders Zoe McKenzie asks:
In my home state of Victoria in 2023, 73% of Australians drove SUVs or light commercial vehicles or utes. The top-selling cars were the Isuzu D-Max and the Toyota. Estimates show they would attract up to $13,000. Why does the minister want to restrict Australians and their families?
Again, assuming Australians will never drive anything but these five cars forever. The year could be 2078 and the desert known as Australia will be littered with 54-year-old cars. Australians will no longer be divided by electorates, but by which of the five 2024 cars they drive. The prime minister of the Ford Ranger party has been in power for 30 years and mandated every family must name a child either Arctic White or Blue Lightning.
This is the future the Liberals want.
Updated
The Unparliamentary Language
There is a too and fro when Ed Husic says this:
There is no claim too outrageous. Nothing stands in the way. I don’t know if George Costanza has been hired as a special strategic adviser - you know, ‘it’s not a lie if you believe it’.
… as part of an answer, and then Paul Fletcher objects to unparliamentary language.
But no one can work out what is the unparliamentary language he is referring to. “Is it the Seinfeld reference?” Milton Dick asks.
There is a bit more back and forth where someone tries to decide if it is the Seinfeld reference (I think Fletcher is talking about ‘lie’, but it is not my job to do their job for them).
Husic assists the house by just withdrawing.
Updated
More car talk
There is another question on the fuel efficiency standard which presumes that everyone will want to buy the current cars that are available in Australia forever and will never want to buy a new, cheaper-to-run car, that would be made available once the government settings are changed.
Apparently, people only want to buy the top five cars that are in Australia forever and ever. Flying cars will arrive, but Australians will hold firm to their petrol Ford Rangers. You’ll pry the Isuzu D-Max out of our cold dead hands! We will never abandon our Hiluxes! (Allegedly.)
It is all a little ridiculous.
Updated
King calls opposition rhetoric on fuel standards ‘demonstrably untrue’
The LNP MP for Bowman, Henry Pike gets to ask a question:
The managing director of Mazda Australia has said, quote, ‘the timeframe is too ambitious and maybe the government has [not] educated themselves on the cost they will [push] onto consumers’. Yet the minister for climate change and energy has said, quote, no particular model will go up. Who is right? The director of Mazda or the minister for climate change?
Catherine King:
It feels a bit like Groundhog Day. The same people that said that the minimum wage would wreck the economy tax cuts for all Australians was Marxist economics in a war on hard-working Australians, the same people who said the weekend would be over and there would be no more barbecues for everybody.
We all know that what those the opposite is frankly demonstrably untrue and now of course we see it again. Instead of making claims that they know are false, those opposite need to explain why they think hard-working [Australians] should be denied access to cars that are cheaper to run.
That is the campaign that those opposite are running.
King repeats that this is something that the Coalition wanted to do while in government and that Paul Fletcher was on the record as supporting and then says:
We know that Australians are missing out on fuel savings because those opposite did not have the courage of their convictions when it came to fuel efficiency standards.
Right now Australians are missing out on millions of dollars of fuel savings they could have saved if his government had actually busy that. On this side of the House, we want Australians to have greater choice of new vehicles and, pay less of their hard-earned cash on fuel.
Updated
Jones defends fuel efficiency standards
Angus Taylor asks a question of Stephen Jones, who the Coalition have identified as a weak link in Labor’s front bench when it comes to question time performances. They forgot about him for a while, but have decided to go back and do a bit more poking. It’s very similar to how Labor would target Taylor when he was in government.
I refer the minister to his response in the House yesterday where he asserted that as a result of the government new family car and ute tax*, the Australian people will have access to cheaper fuels. Can the minister explain the government plan to reduce the price of a litre of petrol?
*It’s a fuel efficiency standard.
Jones:
It is quite clear from his question the position that they have adopted on the RBA and in fact there are entire records when they were in government that the Leader of the opposition has adopted drongo economics.
What is quite clear from the policy that has been announced by our minister is that we want Australian motorists to have the same benefits that motorists in the United States, in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe and in fact in the majority of countries around the world have, and that is access to better fuel efficiency standards in their motor vehicle.
What that means is that when they pull out of the petrol station, they know that every litre of fuel will go further because they have the most efficient fuel standards in their vehicles in the world.
The member for Hume [wants Australians] to pay more for every kilometre that they travel. We on this side do not.
There is a point of order attempt, but Jones decides he has completed his answer.
Updated
Labor condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia
In Senate question time, the Liberal senator Claire Chandler asked whether the government would “commit to taking urgent action to address the crisis of antisemitism in Australia and support our Jewish communities at their time of greatest need”.
The government’s acting Senate leader, Katy Gallagher, told the Senate that the government “condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia”.
Gallagher said the government had been “doing everything that we can” to “keep communities safe and to keep the community united”. She added:
We understand there has been an increase in antisemitism in this country - we oppose it, we reject it, we do stand with the Jewish community across Australia.
We also understand, because of the tensions in the Middle East, that Muslim Australians, that Australians from Palestine, have also been experiencing increased tension and Islamophobia.
Updated
No visa application currently made for Palestinian liberation front member Leila Khaled
Over in the Senate, the Coalition has asked the government to rule out giving a visa to Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who has been listed as a speaker at the Ecosocialism 2024 conference to be held in Perth in June.
Under the protection of parliamentary privilege, the Coalition senator Claire Chandler asked:
Media reporting yesterday revealed that Leila Khaled, a pro-Palestinian terrorist who hijacked two planes and is an active member of a terrorist organisation, is planning to come to Australia to speak at a socialist conference in Perth later this year. Will the Albanese government commit to ruling out any prospect of this radical terrorist being granted a visa to Australia?
In response, the government’s acting Senate leader, Katy Gallagher, told the Senate:
I would say that I strongly and the government strongly condemns anyone who incites violence and hatred in our community. Someone like that is not welcome in our country.
It is my understanding that no visa application has been made at this time. However, I’d like to be very clear that anyone with this history will not be allowed into Australia. We take the safety of the Australian community very seriously and that is the information that I have to date.
The organisers of the event have stated that Khaled may attend the conference by video link if she is unable to travel to Australia.
Updated
Albanese continues aggressive defence over RBA override power, despite contrary expert opinions
Anthony Albanese continues:
What is clear that the shadow treasurer not only cannot get the question to the treasurer in a question time [session], he has no authority amongst his colleagues who are trying to go down a popular stream.
The treasurer has done his best to be bipartisan, reasonably.
… The light shining upon the member for Groom does not make him brighter [there is a sunbeam in the chamber shining on Garth Hamilton]
This is in response to Hamilton saying “show us that glass jaw”.
Tony Pasin responds to the PM: “This from a bloke who didn’t know the cash rate.”
Albanese is made to withdraw and continues.
Senator Hume has said this, which is beyond my comprehension*. In fact, it keeps the RBA more independent if the government can override them. That is the position of the shadow minister in the other place. They want to side with the Greens. You can wear red. We expect economic irresponsibility from [the Greens] but we expect better from mainstream political parties.
*Except what Senator Hume was saying is also what the former treasurers, RBA governors and senior economists were saying: that keeping the safeguard in place makes the bank more independent, because it stops the parliament from legislating something in a rush which may not include all the same safeguards surrounding section 11 (which is very difficult to use and requires the treasurer telling the parliament why he is overriding the RBA, which is one of the reasons it has never been used) as well as preventing a populist leader threatening to sack the RBA governor, like Trump is doing with the US Fed.
So Hume was actually saying what others who have actually been in the jobs that understand the power were saying. And they want to keep it.
Updated
Albanese defends removing treasurer RBA veto power
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather is back with another question to annoy the prime minister, and this time it is on the RBA review – more specifically, the response to the government legislation created in response to that review, removing the treasurer’s veto power to intervene with the RBA in extraordinary circumstances.
Paul Keating, Peter Costello and former RBA governors Bernie Fraser and Ian Macfarlane all think removing the power is a bad idea. In fact the only people who seem to think it is a good idea is the RBA review panel and Jim Chalmers.
MCM:
Will you admit your government was wrong to try and give up its power to overrule unreasonable interest rate increases and back the Greens’ change to the bill?
Anthony Albanese is annoyed right off the bat:
What is surprising here is not that the Greens political party have that position. It is that the Liberal party, or some of them, saying that they will do that as well. It will see what happens in the Senate.
We had an RBA review and the government response is all about reinforcing the independence of the Reserve Bank.
The independence of the Reserve Bank to deal with monetary policy and the government responsibility through the Budget to deal with fiscal policy.
We would want them, of course, to work together, which is what we have been doing, which is why we produce the first budget surplus in 15 years.
Senator McKim has shown through his sniping from the sidelines that he knows nothing about how the RBA functions and he does not understand the review. He has found a kindred spirit in the shadow treasurer.
The shadow treasurer was consulted by the Treasurer for more than a year. He has never mentioned once any proposal to override power as a concern. This only shows that it is all about political posturing and opportunism.
Except Keating and Costello hate the idea too. And so do former RBA governors with no skin in the game anymore. And so do senior economists. And the current RBA governor is “agnostic” about it all.
Updated
Hail to the King: Wally Lewis raising awareness of concussion and CTE
The king of the greatest nation on Earth, Wally Lewis, is in the chamber today.
He was in the parliament for a Dementia Australia event to raise awareness of concussion and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in Australia.
All hail the King.
Updated
Catherine King is the next to say the Coalition should rebuke LNP senator Matt Canavan for his comments on the gender pay gap data.
(Spoiler: they won’t.)
Updated
Albanese fights back on immigration
Anthony Albanese:
If they want to do something about housing … they can support the help to buy scheme. If they want to do something about housing, they can support our housing Australia future fund.
If they want to do something about housing issues, they can support our housing, an extra 1.2bn homes, Mr Speaker!
If they want to talk about migration, they want to talk about migration, the Leader of the Opposition had this to say after the election during this term: “We do need an increase in the migration numbers. It is clear that the number needs to be higher”.
He went on to say: “we need migration, we need migration. The government’s announcement has been to increase the permanent migration intake has been delayed because of union pressure”.
But he went on to say “I brought in record numbers of people from India, China and many other countries”.
But it wasn’t just him, Mr Speaker, the deputy leader had a crack too. “We know that urgently business needs a workforce and much of that work was needs to come from overseas! We could have had a campaign to attract those workers, who, by the way, have got other options. They don’t come to Australia. No one understands this better than regional MPs”.
… When we talk about asylum seekers... this ... was said. “In total there were between 100,000 and 120,000 … applications lodged while Dutton was in charge. This is by far the largest number of asylum applications under any immigration minister in our history”.
The record holder of immigration is sitting right there. [Indicates Dutton]
Updated
Opposition targets housing and immigration numbers in question time
When the opposition get the question stick back, Sussan Ley tries to bring back yesterday’s tactic of asking the housing minister about the number of visas being approved and how that is impacting Australians getting a home (the Coalition is suddenly very concerned with rental and housing prices):
The share of rental properties available to rent is now 54% below where it was at the start of the pandemic. And yet the Albanese Labor government has granted over 500,000 visas in the last year with 1.6 million arrivals projected over the next five years. Where on earth will these people live and what additional stress will this record number place on Australia’s housing crisis?
(A reminder the 500,000 figure is part of the correction after the border closure and the Coalition had forecast very similar figures of migrants over the forwards in its last budget.)
Tony Burke is back to “nuh huh” the tactic:
Once again, in terms of asking questions to the minister … to the correct minister for their response … you listen to the whole preamble and where the question is headed and it is going to a different minister to the person who has carriage of the policy.
The Peter Dutton jumps in to argue “can to”:
As is well known, included in the ministerial responsibilities for Minister for immigration is the criteria that needs to be decided upon before he settles on the figure of 500,000 people a year. The reality is that the minister needs to take into consideration, as he would be advice from Treasury and Finance and other departments, about the impacts of this Albanese government [policy] to bring in 1.6 million people in five years and housing is a key part of that.
Anthony Albanese solves it by deciding to take the question himself.
Updated
Albanese targets Canavan over ‘useless’ gender pay gap data comments
Back to the House of Reps and Anthony Albanese takes a dixer so he can respond to LNP senator Matt Canavan’s contribution to public debate today:
Senator Canavan has gone on to the media saying the latest gender pay gap report is, to quote him, ‘useless and would encourage men to support men’s rights activists like social media identity Andrew Tate’.
He said this: ‘This gender pay report must be the most useless set of data that a government agency has ever collected.’
So while some of them are out there saying this is a good thing and even claiming credit for it, others are out there saying it is completely useless.
Updated
Coalition to introduce airline passenger compensation scheme bill
The opposition will push the Albanese government to bring in an airline passenger compensation scheme that would make carriers pay delayed customers, in a bill dubbed “pay on delay”.
On Tuesday, Coalition senators Bridget McKenzie and Dean Smith tabled the airline passenger protections (pay on delay) bill. Once the private bill is debated, senators will vote on it, and if it passes, it would require the transport minister, Catherine King, to establish the compensation scheme and an “airline code of conduct” within 12 months.
The senators said this would bring Australia into line with best practice in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Smith, who is the Coalition’s competition spokesperson, said that with more than Qantas Group and Virgin’s duopoly – together they hold more than 90% of the market – consumers have suffered. Smith said:
This bill begins the process of correcting that imbalance – and giving consumers some confidence when they travel. Once again, the Coalition has been forced to act in this space because Labor has not.
McKenzie, the opposition transport spokesperson, said:
If the minister won’t act in the face of the egregious behaviour from Australian airlines on the behalf of travelling Australians, the Coalition will.
Labor has acknowledged calls for a compensation scheme – which have also come from some in the industry as well as independent politicians including Monique Ryan – but has indicated it would decide on the concept as part of long-term aviation reforms to be outlined in the industry’s white paper, due in the middle of this year.
Compensation schemes already in place in the European Union and other countries force airlines to pay cash to passengers who are delayed as a result of the airline’s operations, and not weather related issues. Such schemes also force airlines to compensate passengers for missed connections, and stipulate payments must be made within days of the delay or cancellation.
Updated
Andrew Giles:
I refer him to the answer I gave in the last sitting week in which I said those applications, I can assure the House, are under way – noting the concerns that have been expressed, including [from] the Member for Wannon about the high threshold that is required to succeed in such an application.
Our top priority, speaker, is keeping the community safe. And unlike those opposite ... we have confidence in the capacity of our law enforcement agencies to do so.
We also recognise it is in no one’s interest to put in place an application that doesn’t succeed. Rushed applications make no one safer.
Updated
Question time begins
We are straight into question time and it is back to Andrew Giles time. Peter Dutton is back with another muddying of the waters over the high court indefinite detention decision.
The prime minister promised Australians before the last election that the government’s first job is to keep people safe … however the Albanese government has released at least 149 hardcore criminals from immigration detention, including seven murderers and 37 sex offenders. Why has the minister failed to apply for an order to reattain a single one of these killers or sex offenders?
The government did not release “hardcore criminals” – the highest court in the land ruled that indefinite detention was unconstitutional.
Australians who commit crimes, including murder and sex offences, are released back into the community every single day once they have completed their sentences. That is how the justice system works.
Updated
Question time looms
MPs are starting to pour into the House of Reps ahead of question time beginning.
The Liberal’s Paul Fletcher is detailing Services Australia call wait times as we tine into the chamber. He finishes by saying that Bill Shorten is doing a hopeless job “even by his own standards” so that sums up the mood this afternoon.
Updated
Liberal partyroom concerns: vehicle standards, gender pay gap and cost protections ‘overreach’
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, also offered his thanks to Morrison and Reynolds before turning to the cost of living crisis. In particular, he took aim at the federal government’s proposed national vehicle efficiency standards, describing it as “very bad policy”.
The changes would place a yearly cap on the emissions output for new cars sold in Australia to incentivise carmakers to supply low- and zero-emissions vehicles and penalise companies that do not. The Coalition is saying this will drive up prices, particularly in utes and SUVs, and is labelling a “car and ute tax”.
The deputy leader, Sussan Ley, similarly jumped on the thanking Morrison, Reynolds and Goodenough train before turning to the gender pay gap data released today.
Curiously, there were no contributions from the floor despite Nationals senator Matt Canavan‘s earlier comments that the data is “useless” and serves to “spread division and resentment in our community”.
The party room discussed its objection to Labor’s cost protections bill, calling it an “overreach”. The changes would protect applicants in sexual harassment cases from paying legal bills even if their case against a respondent is unsuccessful.
Updated
Morrison addresses his final partyroom meeting
Shortly before former prime minister Scott Morrison delivered his final speech to Parliament, the Coalition held their joint party room briefing.
The former leader was thanked by his Liberal and Nationals colleagues for his service, his contribution and the sacrifice of both himself and his family.
Morrison then got up and addressed the party room for the final time, saying he felt “very encouraged” about the discipline and unity of the Coalition’s leadership team. He added it was a “family” of two parties who “rely on each other”, offering some advice about letting go of “bitterness” and working hard to win the next election.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said the West Australian MP Ian Goodenough, who lost the preselection battle to recontest his seat earlier this month, had shown “grace and dignity”. (This is despite Goodenough’s statement to ABC warning the battle could incite a “civil war” in the electorate that could spill into the next West Australian state election.)
Dutton also added retiring senator Linda Reynolds had made an “extraordinary” contribution to the party and had shown “strength and dignity” in difficult times.
Dutton then moved to the Dunkley byelection, which will be decided this Saturday. The leader called Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy “terrific” but offered a sobering look at the history of swings in byelections against a first-term Labor government in Victoria.
Updated
Question time twenty minute warning
Question time will get underway in just over 20 minutes.
Grab what you need to get through it now (PG or above, we won’t judge).
Updated
Greens: ‘anger, frustration and sense of betrayal’ palpable over Unrwa funding cut
Back to the news and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has released a statement on the failure of the Senate motion to reinstate the Australian government’s Unrwa funding (Our Dan Hurst reported on that a little earlier today)
Faruqi:
Catastrophic famine, hunger, starvation and disease loom large in Gaza, yet it’s been 31 days since Labor suspended funding to [the] Unrwa without seeing a shred of evidence on Israel’s allegations and today they refused to restore it.
Minister Wong on one hand admits that Unrwa does life-saving work and then on the other hand halts funding. No one is being fooled by this doublespeak.
The anger, frustration and sense of betrayal in the community is palpable and rightly so.
Faruqi says the community will not forget Labor’s response and called on the government to immediately reinstate and increase the promised additional aid it has put on pause while an investigation into Israel’s allegations are carried out.
Updated
Amy's analysis: Morrison had a go. Now he’s got to go.
The daggy dad would become a “bulldozer” but in the end, Scott Morrison took down Scott Morrison.
Scratching beneath the surface of his prime ministership revealed just more Morrison. A political babushka doll, growing ever smaller in the public eye, he once declared he never thought of his legacy, which makes sense – legacies are written by those who remain.
The moment Morrison lost the prime ministership, he told worshippers: “We don’t trust in governments. We don’t trust in the United Nations, thank goodness.”
They were earthly and falliable; Morrison had a bigger hope.
Morrison has always been Morrison’s greatest hope. He departs the parliament having scarred democracy, diminished trust in government, creating a legacy of shallow politics and photo op policies, of raising the individual above the collective, of switching the story to fit the circumstances; of above all, advancing Scott Morrison.
If you have a go, you’ll get a go Morrison sold over and over again.
Morrison had a go. Now he’s got to go. There’s new skin to don, new Morrisons to be.
Morrison won’t look back. And neither should we.
Updated
Amy’s analysis: Morrison was whoever he needed to be to win
On becoming prime minister – an event he embraced with the same feigned surprise as Taylor Swift being handed another Grammy – Morrison embraced the daggy dad who lived for footy tips and family curry night, who claimed the mantle of “authentic” one carefully orchestrated photo op at a time.
There was the “ScoMo express”, a pre-campaign bus emblazoned with his face to introduce himself to the voters of Queensland before an election was called, that Morrison alluded to travelling on before it was revealed he spent much of the 1,500km, four day trip flying in the government jet. The ghost bus rolled on, an empty vessel dressed up as a down-to-earth connection with people. How prescient it was.
How good was Queensland? How good were trucks? How good was India? How good. How good. How good. Government at all levels were ridiculed.
Morrison flirted with Trumpisms, warning of “negative globalism” of the UN and other global organisations while staging photos of himself as the down-to-earth dad, hammering invisible nails into a chicken coup.
He didn’t hold a hose. He played the ukulele. Morrison slithered into whatever political skin he needed to win. If you have a go, you’ll get a go.
The daggy dad was reluctantly dragged into a collaborative leader by the pandemic, but forced to react in real time, the gaps were laid bare. It wasn’t a race, and he never said that. He said it, but not in the context you think he said it. Eventually, he regretted saying it.
Morrison often regretted things, but rarely spoke the word “sorry”. Morrison looked forward, never backward.
Updated
Amy’s analysis: who was Scott Morrison?
The leader who refused to confirm he sought to invite his friend and ally Hillsong pastor Brian Houston to a White House state dinner, dismissing questions as “gossip”; who used an official overseas trip to take a side quest into his family history while the rest of the nation was in lockdown and separated from loved ones then claimed it was no big deal; who oversaw the selective leaking of a private text exchange with a world leader to a friendly media outlet for political reasons, cautioned against using politics as “a surrogate for finding identity, ultimate meaning and purpose in life. There are far better options than politics”.
Morrison spoke of his enduring faith, a personal guiding force that “gives me the faith to both forgive but also to be honest about my own failings and shortcomings” but in true Morrison fashion, spoke of neither in his final speech.
At least there he was consistent – he barely acknowledged them as prime minister.
Morrison’s one political skill was reinventing himself and he did it over and over again. Scotty from Marketing was a rugby union fan (until he wasn’t), who went from “rugby will always be my game” to making “Go Sharkies” a political sign off.
He was the boy from the eastern suburbs who made the Shire his identity after the seat of Cook seemed his safest ticket into the federal arena. The hardnose immigration minister became the serious treasurer, who was so unknown after his time in the front bench he was asked who he was when he shook the hand of a bewildered football fan in Geelong.
Updated
Amy’s analysis: was Morrison 'a good prime minister'?
Some very quick thoughts on Scott Morrison’s final words there, as someone who covered his prime ministership rather intensely, given the period it coincided with in our national history.
It’s an unspoken rule that people do not speak ill of the politically departed on the day they deliver their farewells. But that is not the job of the media. And it is not because of differing faiths, or ideologies, or opinions. It’s informed by context, by history and by deed.
Morrison was many things, but a good prime minister?
The man who once told protesters agitating for better responses to violence against women they were lucky not to be shot, that he wanted women to rise, but not at the expense of men – who forced handshakes on bushfire victims he had abandoned on a Hawaiian holiday – spent his last speech to the parliament lecturing on values.
Morrison – who secretly swore himself into five different ministries and saw nothing to answer; who showed scant regard for transparency or procedure; who drilled almost every issue down to its basest politics and then wielded assumed righteousness as as weapon – told the parliament “I suspect that much of our disillusion with politics today and our institutions is that we have put too much faith in them”.
The same man who bought a lump of coal into the parliament and declared ‘don’t be afraid’; who turned the nonsensical phrase “on-water matters” into a shield against accountability; who made public allegations within reports Save the Children staff had been “coaching” asylum seekers on self harm and then refused to apologise when an investigation found it not to be true, suddenly wanted some grace:
Too often in this place, we confuse differences of policy with judgements about people’s intent and motives. This is not good for our parliament. We may disagree, but we need to honour the good intentions of all of us.
Updated
Dutton: Morrison ‘served his country in great distinction’
Dutton finishes with:
My closing words to Abby and Lily, thank you very much for facilitating that dad, moments, that your dad went through at your wish to go through the Taylor Swift songs.
He got away with it and it shows the influence that you have on his life, which is a very special thing.
We wish him every success and good fortune and good health into the future.
He has served his country in great distinction and we honour him as a leader of our party and the leader of our great country today.
Updated
Dutton continues thanks to Morrison family
Peter Dutton:
For Abby and Lily, they know that they’ve been born into an amazing family. And Jenny is centre to all of that - she’s been graceful, she has been supportive, she’s been generous, and the country saw in her at that time and since somebody with a very big heart and somebody who loved her husband very dearly.
So I want to say to the Morrison family - thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you very much for the contribution that you have given to our country.
And to Mrs Morrison today, to Marion and, in his absence to John, thank you very much for the values you have instilled.
Even to the current generation, the legacy you have presided over is significant in itself.
Updated
Dutton wishes Morrison family every success
Around that message to all those dirty lefties (we know who we are) Dutton spoke of Scott Morrison in a personal capacity.
I want to say thank you, on a personal level - we did have an exchange in 2018, as I recall, but we came out of the meeting that day, and you were gracious enough to extend the hand of friendship to me, and I pledged to you on that day that I would serve you loyally.
And together, I think since that day, we’ve been able to bring our party together in a way that wasn’t possible for the period, certainly after 2007. And I’m very grateful that that friendship continues today. And long into the future.
I wish you every success that you deserve into the future.
I wish Jenny and the girls every success - two beautiful young adults we see today in Abby and Lily, who were little girls, and we watched them grow up, and they would watch the footage now and think, ‘Why did I wear that?’ or ‘Why did I say that?’ or ‘Why did I cut my hair like that?’ as my kids often do.
You have so much to be proud of. I think, in this place - as the prime minister rightly points out - family is often forgotten.
Updated
Dutton pre-emptively attacks ‘cynicism’ in potential reporting on Morrison’s speech
Back to the house of representatives where Peter Dutton is finishing up his speech. Being Dutton, he can not help but take a moment of what is supposed to be graciousness to attack those he ideologically opposes – and blames them for his attack.
There will be a lot of cynicism in some of the reporting of Scott’s speech – the references to his faith and to his God.
In this age of inclusion, those people who would normally parrot the fact that we need to be more inclusive and that our society needs to be more tolerant – they will be the people who scribe tomorrow in a cynical way the words that Scott, in a very heartfelt way, conveyed to us today.
There’s a significant amount of irony in that.
It’s not going to change. That’s the reality of the world in which we live.
Updated
Ley rejects Canavan’s comments on gender pay gap data but says he is ‘entitled’ to his views
The deputy Liberal leader and shadow minister for women, Sussan Ley, has rejected Matt Canavan’s controversial comments about the gender pay gap, but said the Queensland backbencher is “entitled” to his views.
Asked about Canavan’s comments at a press conference, Ley said “I disagree with those comments”, but said backbenchers like the Nationals senator were able to speak their mind in the Coalition. Ley said she was strongly supportive of the gender pay gap research and focus, recounting her own story of struggling to secure a job as an airline pilot before joining parliament.
I reject all those comments, but again, people are entitled to express their views.
We are working hard to demonstrate to the women who didn’t support us at the last election that we are a different party, that we have their needs and aspirations front and centre.
Canavan, the regional contrarian, today called the release of a national gender pay gap report today “useless data” that “breeds resentment and division” and might push people toward following Andrew Tate – an influencer currently facing human trafficking and rape charges.
The finance minister and minister for women, Katy Gallagher, earlier called on Peter Dutton to distance himself from comments made by Canavan. We’ve reached out to the opposition leader for comment.
Ley expressed surprise at being asked several questions about Canavan’s stance at her press conference.
I’m not sure why everyone thinks one particular backbencher’s comments need to be clarified … The senator is entitled to express his views.
Updated
Public sector union welcomes resignation of NDIS quality and safeguards commissioner
The main union for public servants has welcomed the resignation of the NDIS quality and safeguards commissioner, Tracey Mackey. The commission responds to complaints from NDIS participants about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
While no reason for Mackey’s resignation has been publicly provided, the Community and Public Sector Union has highlighted Comcare’s decision to launch a formal investigation into workplace safety at the commission.
Here’s a statement from CPSU deputy national secretary, Beth Vincent-Pietsch:
The departure of Tracy Mackey from her role as commissioner at the NDIS quality and safeguards commission will be welcomed by our members.
People with disability and their families need the NDIS commission to be a proactive and powerful body that regulates providers of NDIS disability support services.
The CPSU looks forward to working with the new leadership to urgently address existing work health and safety concerns and get this workplace back on the right track.
Updated
Supreme court of Queensland says vaccine mandates were unlawful under Human Rights Act
The supreme court of Queensland has ruled vaccine mandates imposed on the state’s police and health workers to be “unlawful” under the Human Rights Act.
Like most jurisdictions around the world, Queensland health and the state police service both directed members of staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19 during the pandemic. Employees faced dismissal if they failed to get the jab, without an appropriate medical exemption.
A challenge by some 54 members of the police and ambulance services was heard by the court in 2022 and 2023.
On Tuesday, Justice Glenn Martin ruled in their favour, banning both the Queensand police and Queensland ambulance service from enforcing the mandate as well as Queensland Health more broadly. The judgement reads:
The Court declares that [the] employee COVID-19 vaccination requirements human resources policy is of no effect.
The mandates were abandoned in December 2022 and September 2023. In setting the order aside, the court also ordered that disciplinary proceedings cannot be taken against the employees.
Updated
Greens lose Senate motion on UNRW funding 27 to 10
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi told the Senate:
The anger, frustration and sense of betrayal in the community is palpable and rightly so.
We need to debate this motion to restore [the] UNRWA’s funding by this government because there are people in Palestine who are suffering, they are fighting for their survival.
Make no mistake, people will not forgive and forget this suspension of funding. People will not forgive and forget the murder of 30,000 Palestinians. There is catastrophic famine, hunger, starvation and disease looming large in Gaza, yet it has been 31 days since you suspended aid to UNRWA … We will not forget and not forgive the suffering of children because of this suspension of aid.
The motion to suspend standing orders was defeated 27 votes against and just 10 in favour. The opposition’s shadow assistant foreign minister, Claire Chandler, told the Senate:
Once again the Coalition absolutely does not support the Greens’ attempt to suspend standing orders to attempt to debate an entirely one-sided, misleading and inflammatory motion. And we have repeatedly seen the Greens behave disgracefully over the crisis in the Middle East by refusing to acknowledge it is the terrorist organisation Hamas that is responsible for the death and conflict in Gaza.
Chandler said it was “very very troubling to see a political party adopt a deliberate strategy of ignoring the horrific crimes of Hamas terrorists” as part of what Chandler said was an attempt by the Greens to “ingratiate themselves with the hard left fringe”.
The Labor senator Anthony Chisholm told the Senate it was “another stunt by the Greens who only seek to politicise this issue for political gain”. Chisholm said Australia’s $6m in additional funding to UNRWA was “paused temporarily”. he said UNRWA did “lifesaving work” but recent allegations against some staff were “grave” and must be investigated.
Updated
Greens fail in Senate motion to reinstate funding to UNRWA
Over in the Senate, the Greens have failed in an attempt to suspend standing orders so as to move a motion demanding the Australian government reinstate funding to a key UN agency delivering aid to Gaza.
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi told the Senate:
As if Labor’s aiding and abetting and full-throated support for Israel’s genocidal campaign was not enough … you suspend lifesaving aid to UNRWA. And that [was done] without a shred of evidence … but not even a slap on the wrist of Israel – in fact unquestioning support for Israel to commit the crime of all crimes – genocide.
South Africa has initiated proceedings at the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel has engaged in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza - a claim that the Israeli government has rejected as “false” and “outrageous” given that the state of Israel was created after the Holocaust.
The ICJ has yet to decide on the substantive allegations, but in an interim ruling late last month found the rights of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide were “plausible” and ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent” genocidal acts.
Australia was among more than 10 countries to suspend funding to the UNRWA after allegations from Israel that as many as 12 of its staff may have been involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attacks. Faruqi said the foreign minister, Penny Wong, “on one hand admits that UNRWA does life saving work and then on the other hand halts funding”. Faruqi said no one was fooled by the government’s “doublespeak”.
The major parties condemned Faruqi’s speech. More details on that soon.
Updated
Let’s go to some news now – our own Daniel Hurst has been watching the Senate for us, where there has been some more attempts by the Greens to have the government reinstate funding to the UN aid agency in Gaza.
Updated
Dutton thanks Morrison for ‘sacrifice that he’s made for our country’
Peter Dutton is now eulogising Scott Morrison’s political career.
It’s a day of deep emotion right across the chamber. That was evidenced in the prime minister’s contribution. It was certainly evidenced in Scott’s speech as well. On behalf of our party, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our 30th prime minister, the 14th leader of our party.
Thank him for the sacrifice that he’s made for our country and thank him for the way in which he has led our party. 16 years is a very significant contribution in public life.
And that period has a punctuation mark today, but I’m sure in many ways will continue.
He says Morrison was quite “modest” in his speech today.
Updated
Albanese thanks Morrison family on behalf of nation
Anthony Albanese continues:
I want to also take this moment to acknowledge Jenny and the dignity and diligence in which you have performed your role in public life. It is a difficult role.
There’s no script or manual – unlike in the United States, it’s a very different system.
And I thank you, Scott, as well, for your personal well-wishes for myself and Jodie going forward.
And you’re right – you always think about the things that really matter, and the people around you when you leave this place, which we all will - hopefully not for some time.
But you do think about those things, and family is so important. And I know how critical Jenny’s support has been for you during your public life – but particularly during what was an incredibly difficult period in which you were prime minister during that pandemic.
So, thank you on behalf of the nation, to the Morrison family.
As prime minister, I will be so bold as to say I speak on behalf of the entire nation, because I do believe – I do – in that respect [they thank you.
So, Scott – I broke with protocol there to not be pulled up with a point of order – I wish you every success for your future.
Thank you for the service that you have given this place. To your community, from the great Sutherland Shire. To your party, the Liberal party, of which you are a proud servant, and to your nation.
Albanese sits down.
Updated
Albanese congratulates Morrison’s daughters on ‘day of joy’
Anthony Albanese turns to Scott Morrison’s family. Jenny, Abby, Lily and Marion Morrison are all wearing white and so are easy to spot against the green house of reps walls.
In your first speech, you said, ‘Family is the stuff of life.’ Now, all of us know that serving in this place does take a toll on family life, including during that period, of course.
So, while I imagine for the member for Cook this will be a day of some mixed emotions, as farewells always are, for Abby and Lily, your daughters, this will be a day of joy.
And congratulations on your encouragement of your dad to work in that Taylor Swift reference. That was quite an achievement to go through all of those album titles and add in some song titles as well, just to complete the picture, to fill in the blank space, so to speak... it is fantastic that you’re joined by your beloved mum, Marion, and you are very welcome here.
Updated
Albanese: ‘Not everything was perfect’ but no doubts that Morrison went in 'with good intentions’
Anthony Albanese:
You spoke in your speech today about good intentions. I don’t doubt that everyone at that time had good intentions.
Not everything was perfect.
Today’s not a day to dwell on that.
Today is a day to say that everyone went into those processes with good intentions.
And I don’t doubt for one second that that was the case and that so many of those decisions were critical and that it was important also to project confidence, because the nation needed that confidence.
And I’m sure, in the solitary moments, of which there were too many of them, of course, for all of us, due to the Covid restrictions, that you must have gone through some really difficult times in trying to reassure yourself that the decisions that were being made - big decisions - were the right ones.
But I don’t doubt for one second that the motivation in that was absolutely right.
Updated
Albanese says him and Morrison agree job is to make Australia ‘greatest country on Earth’
Anthony Albanese:
I also want to acknowledge the contribution that the member for Cook has made as a parliamentarian.
Your first speech in this place – 16 years and 2 weeks ago. More than half that time in government. And, indeed, in cabinet. And for nearly half of the time in government, serving as prime minister.
As I said, one of only 31 people to know that incredible honour. You and I have had our differences, but we have absolutely agreed - absolutely agreed, and I hope that you have the same view that I have of you, which is that – no doubt for one second that we know that this is the greatest country on Earth, and that our job - wherever we come from in the political spectrum - is to try and make that greatest country on Earth that much greater by what we do each and every day.
Albanese then moves on to how the two worked together during the pandemic, focussing on how Labor voting with the government gave certainty and confidence in their political leaders.
Updated
Albanese lauds Morrison as ‘truly formidable opponent’
Anthony Albanese:
I can say, on behalf of the Australian Labor party, that Prime Minister Morrison was a truly formidable opponent. And to win an election is a big deal. Is a big deal.
Not many people have done it. And to be one of the 31 prime ministers is something that can never be taken away, and I know that when you leave this place, Mr Morrison will always be “former prime minister Morrison”.
In the United States, they acknowledge these things differently, of course, and I suspect you might go to the United States, as other people do afterwards, just so that you keep that title of “prime minister”. It’s an interesting tradition.
When I was first called “deputy prime minister” when I was there after 2013, I sort of hadn’t quite clicked at that tradition.
It says something about the respect for the office, which is so important.
We always knew, whatever the circumstances, that this was a person who would bring 100% of his energy and determination to the political contest.
And that was something that was acknowledged by Labor. It won you the admiration of your Liberal and National party colleagues. And in 2019, that was very successful in your election at that time.
Updated
PM thanks Morrison for valedictory speech
Anthony Albanese thanks Scott Morrison for his “warm” and “thoughtful” speech and his love of his electorate.
He then turns to part of his speech:
As he said, I will remember the news of the accident in Tasmania on that day, and I spoke with the then prime minister on that day to check that he was OK and to check that the police officers who serve us and protect us are OK as well.
And I confirm that the then prime minister was very emotional about feeling that other people had been hurt in protecting him. And that was to his great credit.
Updated
Morrison concludes speech with references to scripture
Scott Morrison:
During my time as prime minister, the power and necessity of forgiveness was demonstrated to me most profoundly by the Abdallah family whose children was taken from them, and they found the strength to forgive.
To those who may feel uncomfortable with my Christian references and scripture references here or at other times, I can’t apologise for that.
Because of what it in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …”
And 2 Timothy 1:17*: “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
He finishes with another scripture:
Thessalonians 2:16: “now may I Lord Jesus Christ Himself and our Lord and father, whose love has given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and deed.”
Thank you, all those who have joined me here today, or are listening elsewhere, for your kind attention. And, as always - up, up Cronulla.
That’s it. There is the standard standing ovation and Scott Morrison sits down. He has given his last address and now will sit there and hear people eulogise his political career with fondness, because that is the way of the system – no matter the damage done during a political career, let’s focus on the positives when they leave.
*It is actually 2 Timothy 1:12.
Updated
Morrison says he leaves politics ‘released from any bitterness’
Scott Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I leave this place not as one of those timid souls who no neither victory nor defeat - I leave having given all in that arena, and there are plenty of scars to show for it.
While I left nothing of my contributions on that field, I do believe that, in that arena, will always remain any bitterness, disappointments or offences that have occurred along the way. I leave this place appreciative and thankful, unburdened by offences, and released from any bitterness that can so often haunt post-political lives.
This is due to my faith in Jesus Christ, which gives me the faith to both forgive but also to be honest about my own failings and shortcomings.
Updated
Morrison: ‘There are far better options than politics’
Here we go – we are getting to the end now.
Morrison:
While politics may be an important and necessary place for service, I would also warn against it being a surrogate for finding identity, ultimate meaning and purpose in life.
There are far better options than politics.
In the dignity of difference, Rabbi Sachs wrote that politics turn under to a nation, when the nation in the face of fascism or system communism was absolutised and turned into a god.
Updated
Morrison: ‘We put too much faith’ in ‘imperfect’ politics and institutions
Scott Morrison:
While a noble calling, politics can only take you so far, and government can only do so much. You can say the same thing about the market.
You won’t find all the answers there either. And you won’t find it in unrestricted libertarianism and more command-and-control communism.
In the Liberal party, we’ve always believed in how great Australians can be, rather than governments, with the true test being how we are able to enable Australians to realise their own aspirations.
I suspect that much of our disillusion with politics today and our institutions is that we have put too much faith in them. At the end of the day, the state and the market are just run by imperfect people, like all of us.
Updated
Politics ‘is largely about contesting which approaches are less imperfect than others’: Morrison
Scott Morrison is winding up. He has practised this bit.
So to conclude, you’ll be pleased to note, a warning about politics where I have spent most of my professional life, as most of us here have.
I know that all political philosophies and ideologies, including my own, are imperfect and regularly confounded by events outside our control. I experienced this first-hand leading Australia through the global pandemic.
In my experience, the practice of politics is largely about contesting which approaches are less imperfect than others. In my view, those are the views of the Liberal party.
And then trying to humbly appreciate and compensate for their imperfections.
It’s like Winston Churchill’s famous quote, to paraphrase: ‘Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others.’
Updated
Morrison urges ‘secular’ society to remain connected to ‘Judaeo-Christian values’
Scott Morrison:
These truths are not self-evident, as some claim. As history and nature tells a very different story. They are divinely inspired.
You don’t need to share my Christian faith to appreciate the virtue of human rights. I’m not suggesting you do.
But equally, we should be careful about diminishing the influence and the voice of Judaeo-Christian faith in our Western society, as doing so risks our society drifting into a valueless void.
In that world, there is nothing to stand on. There is nothing to hold onto. And the authoritarians and autocrats win.
So in the increasing Western embrace of secularism, let us be careful not to disconnect ourselves from what I would argue is our greatest gift and most effective protect of our freedoms - the Judaeo-Christian values upon which our liberty and society was founded.
Even if you may not believe, it would be wise to respect and appreciate this important link and foundation.
Updated
Morrison claims ‘unique Judaeo-Christian values’ are ‘the very basis for our modern understanding of human rights’
Scott Morrison:
So my third point – how do we stand? And on what ground?
Well, on the very same ground that established our Western civilisation, that inspired and enabled the modern pluralist representative democracy we now enjoy.
We stand on the values that build out a successful free society - individual liberty, the rule of law, equality of opportunity, responsible citizenship, morality, liberty of speech, thought, religion and association.
All of these stem from the core principle of respect for individual human dignity. So does representative democracy. And even market-based capitalism.
This is a unique Judaeo-Christian principle. It is about respecting each other’s human dignity through our creation by God’s hand and God’s image for God’s glory.
Where each human life is eternally valued, is unique, is worthy, is loved, and is capable.
This is the very basis for our modern understanding of human rights. With the advance of secularism in Western society, we may wish to overlook these connections or even denounce them.
But the truth remains. Human rights or abuses were once called “crimes against God”, not just humanity. And they are, and they remain so.
Updated
Morrison decries rise in antisemitism as he turns to global conflicts
Morrison is gathering steam as he turns to Israel. The Israeli ambassador is in the chamber:
[Hamas’s] attack on October 7 is unforgivable. There can be no way we can stand as a representative democracy as another democracy is under attack. There can be no equivocation in calling out the antisemitism that has now occurred in our country to our shame, and others across the western hemisphere in the wake of October 7.
He mentions Ukraine in the next breath:
I’m proud of our swift response to Ukraine. This must continue and is, utilising every resource and capability we can reasonably provide. Ukraine may be a long way from Australia, but the implications of a Russian victory will reverberate just as quickly in our own hemisphere, emboldening again those who seek to challenge our region.
Updated
Morrison urges ‘continued vigilance’ on China and Iran
Scott Morrison continues:
The 2022 election may have provided an opportunity for Beijing to step back from their failed attempts at coercion. But we must not be deluded. Tactics change, but their strategy remains the same.
We are not alone in waking up to this threat. Investors are now rightly pricing the risk of their investments in an authoritative communist China, while consumer advocates are waking up to human rights abuses and environmental degradation that infects these supply chains.
This requires continued vigilance and the connection between all spheres of policy to create and protect supply chains, integrate and align our strategic and military capabilities, so we can protect our sovereignty and counter the threat that is real and building.
In Tehran, we find the funders, trainers and apologists for terrorists seeking to acquire the most deadly technology in existence – nuclear weapons.
Updated
Morrison talks up response to ‘arc of autocracy’ during time in office
Scott Morrison goes through the pandemic and then gets to the world at large:
During my time in this place, and especially as prime minister, we have seen an end to the post-Cold War period of globalisation and the emergence of a new era of strategic competition where our global rules-based order is being challenged by a new arc of autocracy.
This arc of autocracy … ranges from Pyongyang to Beijing to Tehran and Moscow. [An] accord of would-be regimes who care little for the price their own citizens pay to achieve their ends.
For these reasons, our government stood firm against against coercion of an aggressive Chinese Communist party in Beijing, who thought we would shrink when pressed.
Indeed, we not only stood firm, but worked with our allies and partners and those in our region who countered this threat to regional peace, prosperity and stability.
Updated
Scott Morrison mentions he has spoken to Josh Frydenberg for the second time in this speech, as he tries to make it clear that his bestieship with his treasurer is intact after swearing himself in secretly to Frydenberg’s ministry during the pandemic.
The pair shared the Lodge together during parliamentary sittings and watched Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and ate curries, so the betrayal cut deep.
Updated
Scott Morrison finishes his thank-yous to family and friends and again grows emotional.
He then declares the emotion time is over and turns to his legacy, or at least how he would like his legacy to be remembered.
Updated
Morrison: ‘Anything for my daughters’
Scott Morrison is now working in Taylor Swift song titles into his speech in order to please his daughters, who asked him to play Taylor Swift bingo. He is wearing one of the friendship bracelets.
Yes, this is happening.
Morrison:
It is true that my political opponents have often made me see red. Often when subjected to the tortured poets who would rise to attack my reputation. In response, I always thought it important to be fearless and speak now. Or forever hold my silence and allow those attacks to become folklore. Ever since leaving university in … 1989 … this has always been my approach.
My great consolation has always been my lover, Jen ... who has always been there for me whenever I needed her from dawn, and beyond the many midnights we have shared together.
See? I’m actually a true new romantic after all. I can assure you there is no bad blood. As I’ve always been someone who has been able to ... shake it off.
Anything for my daughters.
Updated
Morrison thanks family for sacrifices
Back to Scott Morrison:
As most people know, subject only to God, my family is the centre of my life. And at the very centre of our family is Jen.
I cannot imagine life without her. I love you, Jen, and always will. That is the cross you have to bear.
Your love has been my stay and strength. You are the other half of our joined soul who, by the grace of God, brought Abby and Lily … our miracle girls, into our lives, who we celebrate and love.
I thank Abby and Lily for their own sacrifices as they’ve grown, necessitated by having a father in public life.
They are beautiful girls in every way, as you can see, and I could not be more proud of them as a father. They are our joy and our delight. And I am so pleased that we can now have the time that was necessarily denied us for so long.
Updated
Head of NDIS watchdog resigns
Breaking in to Scott Morrison’s final speech for some breaking news:
The head of the government’s watchdog for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Tracey Mackey, has resigned from her post. She will depart in May.
Mackey’s tenure as NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner has come under intense scrutiny since the ABC broadcast vision of children with autism and intellectual disabilities being pinned to the ground, as part of a therapy funded by the NDIS.
There has also been sustained criticism from staff at the commission who allege their workload has led to physiological harm. Earlier this year, the federal government’s workplace safety commission, Comcare, launched a formal investigation into the commission over allegations it did not respond to an order to improve staff safety.
In late December, a highly anticipated review of the NDIS recommended a total rethink of how governments offer disability services in Australia. It warned the cost of the scheme could grow to $100bn within a decade.
Mackey’s departure was confirmed by the minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, in a statement:
The Albanese Government is committed to helping to protect Australians with disability from unscrupulous operators.
We are consulting people with disability and taking advice from all corners of the disability community on how together we can build a better NDIS disability watchdog.
The Government will now commence a recruitment process to find a new Commissioner to lead the NDIS watchdog though this significant period of Scheme reform.
Updated
Morrison thanks AFP officers who were ‘terribly injured’ protecting him in car crash
Scott Morrison continues to go through his thank yous, growing emotional as he speaks of the AFP officers who protected him.
To the members of my close protection team at the AFP over the years, and who continue to look after us even on the odd occasion these days – thank you. And I want to specially mention Travis Ford and Jen McCrae, who were terribly injured in the line of duty protecting me … in a terrible car accident in Tasmania.
I will always be grateful for your sacrifice.
When their colleagues rushed to them at the scene, their first words were – not knowing what had occurred – “anyone is the boss OK?”
Thank you.
Morrison has to take a sip of water to settle himself after growing emotional.
Updated
Senators make trip over to House of Representatives to hear Morrison
The Coalition benches are full and senators have made the trek over to the house of reps to hear Scott Morrison deliver his final speech, delivered from his seat on the back bench where he has made a rare contribution since losing the prime ministership, and most famously when defending his own legacy.
Michaelia Cash, Bridget McKenzie, James Paterson, Susan McDonald, Sarah Henderson, Dave Sharma, Simon Birmingham and Jacinta Price have all made the trip over.
Morrison’s family is also sitting in a place of honour on the floor of the parliament.
Updated
Morrison hails ‘quiet Australians’ in valedictory speech
Scott Morrison continues:
Both locally and in my national roles – including as prime minister – I’ve always been guided by the strong local values of my community. Family, community, small business.
And what I described as the fair go for those who have a go. This is what makes the Shire and southern Sydney such a great place to live and raise a family – and there are plenty of quiet Australians who understand that as well.
Ever since I was first elected, I’ve always seen it as my job to try and keep it that way.
And I believe I’ve honoured that commitment. I particularly thank the myriad of community organisations and sporting clubs, school communities, volunteers, small businesses, church and charitable groups that make our local community – as they do all of our communities – so great and so resilient.
Including my beloved Sharks.
These groups and organisations are the heart of our community, and I’ve always enjoyed the role I have played to support and enable them in their efforts.
And I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve all together in our community over this time.
Updated
Scott Morrison gives valedictory speech
Scott Morrison has begun his speech.
Let me begin with my thankyous. And firstly – and importantly – to my constituents in Cook. It has been my great privilege to have served you as your local member in this parliament for these past more than 16 years, where you have been kind enough to elect me on six successive occasions. I thank you for the tremendous and steadfast support you have provided to me and my family, who join me here today, during this time.
Whatever was going on at the time – success, failure, and everything in between – when I returned to the electorate, and particularly – and those who know the area know what I’m talking about when I go up the rise of the Captain Cook Bridge and descend into God’s country itself, the Shire, I would feel a great sense of belonging.
I would feel great sense of reassurance and peace. All of us who live there know this. This is as much, though, about the people as it is the place. It is home. And always will be.
Updated
The parliament sitting has begun.
We expect Scott Morrison to begin his valedictory speech in the next few moments. For anyone who doesn’t have a dentist appointment they can escape to, we have you covered.
Updated
Gallagher calls on Liberals to distance themselves from Canavan comments on gender pay gap data
Katy Gallagher has called on Peter Dutton to distance himself from comments made by Matt Canavan, after the opposition senator called the release of a national gender pay gap report today “useless data” that “breeds resentment and division” and might push people toward following Andrew Tate – an influencer currently facing human trafficking and rape charges.
The government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency released individual gender pay gaps at nearly 5,000 businesses across Australia – every private company with 100 employees or more – on Tuesday for the first time.
Canavan posted on social media platform X on Tuesday morning, after the release of the data, saying it could push people toward Tate:
The Gender Pay report is useless data because it does not even correct for basic differences like hours worked. The Gender Pay report is now the annual Andrew Tate recruitment drive. It just breeds resentment and division. Andrew Tate is so popular because governments and corporates push a simplistic, divisive and clearly incorrect gender narrative. This creates a massive vacuum for the likes of Andrew Tate to fill.
Gallagher:
I completely reject those assertions … I would say that this is data that’s been collected for 10 years. It did pass the parliament unanimously with the support of the opposition … This is important data and I hope that Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley will distance themselves from those comments as well.
WGEA has been collecting gender pay gap data from companies for a decade, but has only been allowed to publicly release the data showing industry-level pay gaps, not the pay gaps at individual employers. This changed after the passage of the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Act 2023, which passed with unanimous support last year.
Updated
Victoria’s Bayindeen fire evacuations ‘a precaution’
In Victoria, the premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking about the map that’s been distributed to media identifying a potential impact area around the Bayindeen fire near Ballarat. She says:
This is an additional tool we have developed in consideration of the active fire that is still present in and around that that area … We have seen through the fire events over the last couple of weeks that people have listened to the warnings, they have heeded the advice and we are deeply grateful for that and that is a significant contributor to there not being any loss of life as a consequence of the two recent fire events we’ve experienced here in Victoria.
The emergency management commission’s Rick Nugent says they’ve identified about 30,000 people who live in the potential impact area. Residents of nearby aged care facilities have already been relocated.
He says:
It is early advice. The fire there is active but it’s not running. So [the map] is really a device that if the conditions are such that it caused the fire to run, then it is likely to impact on those areas. So we’re asking people in there now as a precaution not to remain.
He says possessions “can be replaced”, lives cannot.
Updated
Greens: ‘Women of Australia are cheering as Scott Morrison retires’
The gender pay gap is a hot topic in the Greens party room and there was discussion surrounding a push to prevent companies with large pay gaps from receiving government grants and contracts.
In a brief on-the-record moment, the Greens senator Larissa Waters notes Morrison’s valedictory is slated for this afternoon, saying “the women of Australia are cheering as Scott Morrison retires”.
Given the conduct of parliamentarians has been in headlines in recent weeks, the Greens are also concerned about the delays to implement a drug and alcohol policy in the building.
A draft policy, worked on by the parliamentary leadership taskforce, has been gathering dust for six months and an enforcement body to sanction misbehaving MPs has been delayed until at least October this year.
The Greens said they don’t support Zali Steggall’s calls to introduce random drug and alcohol testing in the building because parliamentarians are meant to be adults and should know not to get drunk at work, they said.
Updated
Greens partyroom concerns: housing, stage-three, and rhetoric on immigration
The Greens held their party room meeting this morning where a range of topical issues, including Gaza, housing and the gender pay gap, were canvassed.
The minor party will cause a stir in the Senate around midday just as former prime minister Scott Morrison is expected to deliver his final speech to parliament.
The motion will push the federal government to reinstate funding to the UNRWA but will most likely be denied leave, meaning it will result in a suspension of the standing orders.
The Greens expect the stage-three tax cuts will dominate the upper house this week with one member describing it as “a bit less crap” than the original Coalition plan.
The demonisation of immigrants was also raised as a major concern in Tuesday’s meeting, with members feeling “really alarmed” at the Trumpian language used by the opposition and how the Labor party is allegedly leaning into it.
The Greens are also limbering up for another fight on housing, as we’ve reported previously, saying they will oppose Labor’s help to buy scheme in the Senate (where Labor needs the Greens’ support) unless the government budges on its demands.
Those demands include changes to capital tax gains discounts and generous negative gearing incentives and a look at coordinating a national cap on renting.
Updated
Skills minister says VET and university sectors must collaborate to address skills shortages
The minister for skills and training, Brendan O’Connor says it is “critical” Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university sectors better collaborate in order to meet skills shortages hitting the nation.
O’Connor told the Universities Australia Summit this morning that the “heads and hands” need to work together, with technical skills to complement conceptual knowledge.
That means the VET sector needs to be held in the same esteem as the university sector by industry, by governments, by the community and by the university sector.”
The Universities Accord final report, released on Sunday, recommended greater alignment between the two sectors, including cross-provision and an expanded role of Tafe.
O’Connor said the government was “considering its response to the report”, while backing greater sector-wide collaboration, such as movement from Tafe to bachelors programs and recognition of prior knowledge in degrees.
… Australia is facing a once-in-a-lifetime skills challenge. That is the greatest skills crisis or shortage we’ve had for five decades … it’s a very exciting time to be involved in public policy, but we have to make sure we get the policy settings right … there’s a lot of challenges ahead.
Updated
Victorian authorities say weather conditions coming through at noon and urge evacuees to leave now
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan says:
There is still time for communities to make sure that you prepare and get ready for tomorrow’s weather events. As you heard the commissioner say, particularly for those people in the Wimmera … fires will become very uncontrolled very quickly, and no homes are designed to withstand those catastrophic conditions. So if you’re planning to leave early, you are requested to do so this evening or by tomorrow morning. I would not let any later than lunchtime because those weather conditions will be coming at 12 o’clock.
Updated
Victorian authorities say ‘worst possible fire conditions’ expected
Back to Victoria and the fire danger, Emergency Management Commission Rick Nugent says:
It’s the worst possible fire conditions we can have across this part of the state, but following the heat, there will also be a change with some significant winds that can occur as well. So there will be the risk of trees falling and branches causing damage as well and people need to be mindful of their surroundings.
He’s urging people who live in the potential impact area identified on the map to leave tonight, as well as those people who live in extreme or catastrophic areas “close or near the bush, grasslands or paddocks”.
Nugent says:
You can go to regional cities or if you can go to Melbourne and stay with family and friends …
We have done all we possibly can to prepare for this high risk weather period on Wednesday. We now ask the community please prepare. Activate your fire plans, make those arrangements, check with your family and friends.
Updated
Just one quick last observation from the Labor briefing – there’s been a trend in the Labor party meetings recently where the party spokesperson says there were zero (or close enough to) questions to the ministry or PM. Today there was one question!
A backbencher asked agriculture minister Murray Watt about an agricultural tariff, to which Watt said some producers would be unhappy at the changes.
Updated
Catastrophic fire danger warning issued for Victoria's Wimmera region
Just heading back to Victoria for a moment:
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference at the state control centre. She says a decision has been made to declare a catastrophic fire danger warning for the Wimmera region, which takes in the town of Horsham.
She says:
Tomorrow is likely to be one of the most dangerous days Victoria has experienced in recent years.
People in the areas surrounding the Bayindeen bushfire, near Ballarat, which began last week, have also been told to leave their homes early tonight or before midday tomorrow.
Updated
Katy Gallagher says gender pay gap conversation will force change
Katy Gallagher is holding her press conference on the first company gender pay gap reporting:
I think, something had to change and the fact that you’re all here, the fact that there’s been articles written about this, the fact that businesses are responding, in a sense, is showing that this is a success already because we are talking about it and part of that will force change.
Updated
Victorian fire authorities urge residents to ‘leave today’ in areas of concern
The emergency services minister, Murray Watt, has been keeping a close eye on western Victoria, with everyone very worried about Wednesday.
Five hundred firefighters are working to build contain lines along the 170km perimeter of an out-of-control bushfire burning near Ballarat ahead of forecast extreme to catastrophic fire conditions tomorrow.
At a community meeting in the town of Avoca on Tuesday, incident controller Paul Bates from Forest Fire Management Victoria said the 21,000ha fire – which started last Thursday – has been burning in state forest and timber plantations.
The area of concern for tomorrow is north and east of the fire, bounded by the Pyrenees, Sunraysia and Western Highways.
“The focus of the day with mild conditions is to really work on that eastern edge and stitch it up as best as we can,” he said.
Bates said tomorrow would be a “difficult day” with winds forecast to reach up to 50km/h, and even stronger winds around peaks like Ben Nevis which is within the fire ground.
He added that “the peak temperature, the driest air, is going to coincide with that really strong northwest wind change,” forecast to hit about 6pm or 7pm.
“All efforts tomorrow will be focused on the eastern edge of the fire,” he said.
Bates urged anyone who planned to evacuate, particularly within the area of concern, to leave on Tuesday afternoon.
“If your plan is to leave, leave today. If you are undecided, leave today. That’s the strongest message I can give you.”
Updated
Albanese fires up troops on legislation but manages expectations on Dunkley
Anthony Albanese also went on to rev up the troops with criticisms of the Coalition over their stance on Labor’s revamped stage-three tax cuts. He again claimed the Liberals would seek to “reverse” the changes and alleged “Peter Dutton wants people to work more for less” - which we took to be a reference to the Coalition’s opposition to the right to disconnect work place laws.
The PM said the “help to buy” housing legislation would go through the lower house this week, foreshadowing further attacks on the Greens who announced intent to oppose the plan without further concessions on public housing and negative gearing. Albanese claimed the Coalition and Greens were teaming up to block the change.
On the Dunkley byelection, Albanese continued to manage expectations for his partyroom, again pointing out the average swing against the government in byelections and noting that it would be a tough-fought contest. Labor sources still expect to win the seat, but you can’t take anything for granted in politics at the moment.
The party spokesperson said Albanese “referred to the misinformation campaign on the ground, both with the Liberal party and through their proxies.”
Updated
Albanese calls out Liberal ‘proxies’ in partyroom meeting
A relatively quick meeting of the Labor partyroom this morning, where Anthony Albanese called out “misinformation” in the Dunkley byelection - accusing the Liberal party “and their proxies” of mischief.
The prime minister didn’t specify exactly who he meant, according to a party spokesperson, but the room took it to be a reference to Advance - the conservative campaign group pushing hard for voters to “put Labor last” in this weekend’s vote.
In the meeting, Albanese acknowledged the service of WA senator Louise Pratt, who recently announced her intention to retire from parliament at the next election. The PM praised her as someone who “always stood up on issues of human rights and discrimination”.
(continued in next post)
Updated
Minns wishes Morrison the best in post-parliament life
At the end of that NSW press conference, Chris Minns was asked about Scott Morrison.
There will not be a “ScoMo” library (Minns is currently in the Shire, Morrison’s electorate)
Although he did serve regardless of people’s differences with him as a prime minister, he served in this community, in the Shire community with real distinction.
I know he cared a lot about the Shire. I don’t wish anyone ill-will, particularly people who served in high office and public service. I wish him the best.
Updated
Minns says Webb doing ‘exceptional job’ as police commissioner
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said he maintains confidence in the state’s police commissioner, Karen Webb, and when asked about her use of Taylor Swift lyrics in response to criticism (“haters gonna hate”) Minns said:
I’m [not] going to comment about particular comments or quotes from the … commissioner for Police. At the end of the day, she’s answering questions in relation to this investigation. That’s appropriate.
… Media has a right to criticise government officials, that is part of the job. The public also need to know that we are getting on with the job, performing our jobs, what they expect us to do.
And on confidence in Webb, Minns said:
I want to make it clear in terms of the commissioner for Police’s responsibility to organise her police force to investigate serious crime, I think she’s doing an exceptional job in relation to that. That is the most important KPI [key performance indicator] for any commissioner for police. In fact, any police force in the world.
Updated
Minns defends police commissioner amid Mardi Gras fallout over recent murders
NSW premier Chris Minns has also (as you would expect) weighed in on the Mardi Gras board decision to uninvite NSW police from marching in the Mardi Gras parade:
There is an opportunity for New South Wales police to march as part of that parade, to join their community, the gay community of Sydney, as well as having an acknowledgment for significant challenges that a gay officer would have gone through, particularly one of long-standing service in the New South Wales police force.
Many of them would have faced prejudice as a result of their professional lives and having spoken to a lot of them, they would love to march.
He has also defended police commissioner Karen Webb’s response to criticism of the NSW police’s handling of recent events, including the alleged murders of Sydney couple, Luke Davies and Jesse Baird. A NSW senior constable has been charged with the deaths. Minns:
The commissioner for police, I think, has acted appropriately in the first instance, there’s been an investigation, there will be an investigation into police procedures, particularly as it relates to firearms.
That’s important. I thought she’s made the correct decision to recruit Shane Patton, the Victoria commissioner for police, to lead that inquiry so the community can have confidence there’s an external person that’s looking at New South Wales police.
The second point I make is that there is a continuing and important murder investigation that needs to continue.
That needs to continue for the most obvious reason - and that is to bring justice for Luke and for Jesse, and for their family and friends.
And, yes, there is legitimate media interest in that investigation, but the primary objective of New South Wales police is to continue those inquiries and that’s continuing. The public should have confidence that that’s happening.
Updated
Coles credits Pokémon collectibles for driving sales
Coles’ chief executive, Leah Weckert, has credited its Pokémon collectables campaign with helping drive sales in the new year.
Supermarket sales revenue is up 4.9% in the first eight weeks of 2024, Coles disclosed in its half-year results today. Weckert said the collectible ‘mon campaign had been “well received”, which combined with more product availability to drive sales higher than the corresponding period.
Toy enticements have become commonplace in recent years, with successful campaigns generally leading to a short-term spike in sales at Coles and Woolworths.
In 2021, Coles ran a highly popular campaign that rewarded shoppers with miniature plastic products, called little shop toys, before conceding the small plastic objects were ending up in landfill and waterways.
Updated
The party room meetings have finished, and we will have those briefings for you very soon.
Updated
Higher education panel recommends commissioner to ensure ‘survivability’ beyond current government
Mary O’Kane told the summit one of the top reasons the panel recommended a tertiary education commissioner was to ensure the final report had a lifespan beyond the current government.
Targets in the report are set for 2050 - eight elections away.
We thought a lot about the survivability ... a commissioner can provide advice to the government and get that protection. There were a lot of really interesting ideas that we’d really have liked to get in - but we needed costings and testing.
As to the most urgent recommendations, O’Kane said she hoped the government would make announcements in next 12 months on “many fronts”.
Pushing on equity numbers out is really important, and research issues - getting to full funding.
She also praised regional and semi-urban study hubs as one of the best ways to get equity groups to attend universities.
These attract people who’ve been dying to go to university and just haven’t had the opportunity. I think we need more of them, I think we need more of the suburban ones, they’re a tremendously important thing.
Updated
Universities Accord chair on higher education report: ‘Can we afford not to do it?’
The chair of the Australian Universities Accord panel has compared the billions required to fund tertiary education with payments for the nuclear submarine program following the release of her 400-page final report.
The report lays out a 25-year-ambition for higher education, laying out more than 40 recommendations including moving to a needs-based funding model and reducing financial barriers to studying.
Mary O’Kane told the Universities Australia Solutions Summit on Tuesday that if the review was fully implemented, it would be a “system change”.
I think it’s deliverable - I say, ‘can we afford not to do it?’ You can’t deliver skills without equity groups being much better represented - and you need everyone to have a fair go. Everyone should have a really good chance at university, not just a theoretical chance but a supported chance.
Asked how expensive it would be, she acknowledged: “yes, there’s a few billion there”.
There’s a few billion in the submarines and solving a lot of Australia’s problems. I think it’s very implementable. There’s a to-do list there – somebody should just get on and do it.
Updated
Albanese on Mardis Gras and police: queer community ‘grieving what is an enormous tragedy’
Anthony Albanese phoned in to ABC radio Melbourne to do more Dunkley byelection campaigning, which took up most of the interview. He was then asked about the Sydney Mardi Gras decision to disinvite the police and said:
That, of course, is a matter for the police and Mardi Gras. But can I say that from my personal perspective, I think it’s been very good that the police have marched.
It’s come a long way from the 1978 Mardi Gras where people were arrested for the crime of being who they were, and the events in Darlinghurst police cell have gone down in infamy since then.
The police have apologised and the relationships have been turned around and have been positive.
But I understand that the queer community in Sydney in particular, are grieving what is an enormous tragedy.
I can’t comment in too much detail, of course, because the police investigation is still underway and the prosecution.
But my heart goes out to those who are grieving, from the family and friends of these two men who’ve really suffered, Jesse and Luke. People will be doing it tough at the moment, and I understand that.
Updated
Matt Canavan claims gender pay gap data is ‘useless’
Sussan Ley may have taken aim at the “unacceptable” gender pay gap, but it seems she might need to convince some of her Coalition colleagues to take it seriously.
LNP senator Matt Canavan, who appears to be suffering from a serious case of relevance deprivation syndrome, has slammed the workplace gender equality agency work in having companies with more than 100 employees report their gender paygaps as “useless”.
According to the Australian, Canavan blamed drawing attention to the very real gender pay gap and other issues of inequality for driving men to men’s rights activists like Andrew Tate (yes, because obviously drawing attention to real issues impacting women is to blame for misogyny. Damn women and their truth telling!)
The Australian reports Canavan as saying:
These types of reports are becoming annual Andrew Tate recruitment drives, all they do is spread division and resentment in our community.
People, young men in particular, feel like they are now being discriminated against and that’s why they’re coming to watch the likes of Andrew Tate in droves.
Canavan, who is a trained economist who likes to cosplay as a coal miner, complete with smeared dust across his face (which is a workplace health and safety issue, given the dangers of coal dust) is also not a fan of the data itself. The Australian reports Canavan as saying:
This gender pay report must be the most useless set of data that a government agency has ever collected.
If we want to have useful information about a gender pay gap we need to at least correct for the fact that different people work part time and fulltime.
… And so is the argument here that someone of a certain gender working part time through paid the same salary is someone of a different gender working full time? It’s absolutely absurd.”
Updated
Gallagher wishes Morrison and family well post-parliament
And on Scott Morrison leaving parliament?
Katy Gallagher:
I think the best thing to say when someone’s leaving the Parliament is to wish them well, to wish them and their family well, we all serve the public when we’re in the parliament.
We leave with, I guess, different views across the parliament, but ultimately he served his country and I hope his post-parliament life for him and his family is a good one.
Updated
Gallagher: wages aren’t behind inflation
On whether wages are causing inflation, Katy Gallagher said:
We’ve been obviously looking at this closely and wages growth definitely isn’t the reason why we have high inflation in this country. We want to get real wages growth happening. We’re seeing that for the first time in many years now.
And certainly, we’ve had three quarters of positive wages growth. But the advice from Treasury and the RBA is that wages growth is not fuelling inflation. But obviously, this is something the government keeps a close eye on.
Updated
Gallagher says gender pay publication ‘shining a bit of light’
The minister for women Katy Gallagher spoke to the ABC this morning about the gender pay cap data released this morning. Gallagher will hold a press conference on the first company gap data report a little later today.
For her part, Gallagher thinks the transparency will start turning things around:
I guess the publication is shining a bit of light. That in itself, I think, when we’ve seen it in other jurisdictions, has driven improved performance.
Businesses will be required to report to their boards about this as they provide that information to WGEA, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. That in itself, I think, will drive improved performance. It’s not about naming and shaming. I know people will take this data and use it to, you know, list the businesses with the biggest gender pay gap and all that. But that isn’t the intention behind this.
This is about transparency, accountability and driving improved performance at an individual business level.
Updated
Additional members of Victorian energy response inquiry announced
(Continued from previous post)
The panel will also include Gerard Brody, the former chief executive of the Consumer Action Law Centre, and Kevin Kehl, a former electrical engineer and executive leader at Powerlink Queensland and Energy who has more than 40 years experience in the distribution and transmission network sector.
D’Ambrosio said community members and stakeholders will have opportunities to participate in the review through public meetings or written submissions.
The panel will seek input from the Australian Energy Market Operator, Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Safe Victoria, the Essential Services Commission and other regulators. It will deliver an interim report to the minister in June and final report in August 2024.
D’Ambrosio said in a statement:
Extreme weather events like the 13 February storms are becoming more intense and frequent and it’s critical our electricity distribution and transmission businesses are equipped to reconnect Victorians as quickly as possible.
Our expert panel has detailed operational knowledge of electricity distribution and transmission businesses and decades of experience in customer advocacy ensuring needs and expectations of Victorian are at the forefront.
Updated
Rosemary Sinclair to chair investigation into energy company response to storms
Long-time consumer advocate Rosemary Sinclair will chair a review into the response by energy companies to the destructive storms that left more than half a million homes without power in Victoria earlier this month.
The Victorian energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, on Tuesday announced the makeup of the independent expert panel which she says will investigate the operational response of the companies following the storm event, including “contingency planning, timely and effective management of the incident, and restoration of supply, including distribution of temporary generators”.
She said Sinclair, the former chief executive of Energy Consumers Australia, will chair the panel thanks to her more than 20 years’ experience in the corporate, government sectors including CPA Australia, the Communications Alliance and the International Telecommunications User Group.
(continued in next post)
Updated
Coles boosts sales revenue to $19.8bn
Coles has recorded a lift in half-year sales revenue from its supermarkets division to $19.8bn, while keeping its profit margins elevated above pre-pandemic levels.
Overall, Australia’s second biggest grocery chain posted a 3.6% fall in six month profit to $594m, amid increasing costs and moderating supermarket product price increases.
After rocketing sales during pandemic lockdowns, Coles and larger rival Woolworths have been able retain, and sometimes increase profit margins by offsetting price increases from suppliers through increased costs to shoppers.
Updated
Birmingham says Mardis Gras should reconsider withdrawal of invitation to NSW police
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham spoke to Sky News about the Mardi Gras decision to withdraw its invitation to NSW police to march in the Mardi Gras parade:
What we seem to have had occur is, of course, a terrible tragedy, the tragic murder, an instance of gross domestic violence that resulted in the deaths of these two young men.
Everybody can understand the pain and grief that would be attached to that.
But it is important in these cases to not then attribute blame across a whole class of individuals*.
There would be people in the New South Wales police service who would be just as distraught as many others at the deaths of these two young men.
Of course, there are people in the New South Wales police service who are working hard to bring the alleged murderer to justice and also to find the bodies of these two young men. And so, I think that the Mardi Gras organisation really should reconsider its decision.
The Mardi Gras is meant to be about inclusion and about bringing people together. At a time like this, it is more important than any other to bring people together as they should.
*This is a very important point and one which should be heeded in a whole range of scenarios. Like Palestinians fleeing the Israeli assault on Gaza for instance. The Coalition spent much of the last week raising “concerns” over Palestinian visas being approved for Australia. Let’s hope they start taking their own advice.
Updated
Page MP takes aim at Woolworths for axing Norco milk
The Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan has released a very succinct statement:
Federal Member for Page, the Hon Kevin Hogan MP has slammed the Woolworths (sic) for axing Norco milk from 90 stores.
They are sourcing their six pack mini ice cream sticks from Slovenia! And their 1 litre tubs from New Zealand.
They don’t like Australia Day*. They don’t support our region. Please don’t support them.
*Loathe as we are to defend giant businesses, Woolworths has nothing against Australia Day and instead took a commercial decision to not stock Australia Day mech because no one was buying it and this was turned into a culture war by the opposition, because an Australia Day culture war has become an annual tradition.
Hogan appears to be responding to this story
Updated
Morrison speech expected around midday
The sitting won’t start until midday (being Tuesday it is party room meeting day, so that takes up the morning) but soon after the bells ring Scott Morrison is expected to deliver his final speech. Just a special lunchtime treat.
Updated
Sussan Ley targets corporations who are underperforming in gender pay gap data
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has responded to the inaugural workplace gender pay gap data by the workplace gender equality agency:
There are big-name brands who make profits off the products they market to women while not meeting gender pay parity in their own workforces. That is unacceptable.
There are corporates who devote big money to social campaigns such as the voice and those that put on slick firm-wide morning teas for International Women’s Day. Organisations in both categories are underperforming when it comes to supporting women in their organisations. That is unacceptable.
There are businesses that have built their success from partnering with governments that are not meeting the mark on gender pay parity. That must change.
Construction, finance and mining are overrepresented and that demands renewed action.
There are unions that talk themselves up as champions for workers while failing to live up to their rhetoric when it comes to the gender pay gap. That has to change too.
The working women of Australia are not turning up day after day so the organisations that employ them can have a free ride and fail to recognise their potential.
Updated
Chalmers off to Brazil for G20 side meeting
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is off to Brazil where he will join the G20 Finance ministers and Central Bank governors’ meetings in Sao Paulo. This is one of the regular side G20 meetings where the global economy is the focus.
Here is Chalmer’s take (you may have heard a version of this a few times before):
In my engagements at the G20, I will outline Australia’s responsible approach to economic management that has seen us make welcome progress when it comes to inflation, real wages, budget repair and maximising opportunities from the big shifts in our economy.
I will also highlight the importance of collaboration when it comes to tackling global inflation and laying the foundations for strong, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Many people are under pressure and our economy has not been immune from ongoing global uncertainty, high but moderating inflation and higher interest rates – which are weighing on growth in expected ways.
But Australia confronts these challenges from a position of genuine economic strength, and is better placed than most other nations to deal with what is coming at us.
Updated
Why is the Kingo hallowed ground?
For those not familiar with Canberra, one of the reasons the Kingo welcomes all is because there are so few pubs in Canberra. That’s because of a 1911 decree by the then home affairs minister, King O’Malley, that there would be no new liquor licences granted in the ACT.
O’Malley was a professional buzzkill who had all sorts of weird ideas, including that cold climates produced genius, but for some reason people listened to him and one of the results is a lack of pubs.
Prohibition ended in 1928 when a bar opened in the parliament, but by then all sorts of weird ideas were floating around the territory – like no hotels and no bars because anywhere that served alcohol needed to be like a European licensed cafe.
So everyone went across the border to Queanbeyan to drink and long story short, Canberra doesn’t have too many of the historical pubs that you would expect to see in an Australian city.
The Kingo is an exception – it opened in 1936.
Updated
Neutral political ground at Canberra’s Kingston hotel
Scott Morrison will make his valedictory speech today, but the festivities began last night as his former prime ministerial office gathered for a catch-up at the jewel of Canberra’s parliamentary social scene - the Kingston hotel.
We spotted a large number of Morrison PMO veterans in the function room off the Kingo’s main bar, including his former private secretary Yaron Finkelstein, media director Andrew Carswell, media spinners and other staffers from the previous administration.
There was buzz that Morrison was going to drop into the drinks later in the evening, but we didn’t see the man of the hour in the flesh ourselves.
In keeping with the pub’s multi-partisan spirit – a neutral ground welcoming all comers – just outside the door to Morrison’s party was a meeting of a local Young Labor club attended by government-left caucus MPs like Julian Hill and Jenny McAllister, while a couple of Greens MPs were in the next room tucking into a pub meal. Truly, all are welcome at the Kingo.
Updated
Australia and China meet on WTO sidelines
The trade minister, Don Farrell, is at the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi where he had a sideline chat with China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, overnight.
Sideline chats are the unofficial official talks – it’s not considered a bilateral, but both sides have to agree to the talk in order for it to happen. So it’s not just a see them and grab situation between sessions. It’s a little more planned than that.
(You may remember Scott Morrison ambushed French president Emmanuel Macron with a “handshake” staged in front of his official photographer at a G20 summit, to show all was well after he cancelled the French submarine contract. It didn’t go down particularly well.)
In his official sidelines meeting, Farrell raised the issue of the last trade impediments China has placed on Australia, including lobster, wine and some meats. There was no agreement struck, but the Chinese review of the wine duties remains on track to be completed by the end of March, as previously agreed.
Farrell also advocated for Australian academic Dr Yang Henjun, who was given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court earlier this month.
Farrell’s meeting with Wang was the first face-to-face meeting an Albanese government minister has had with a Chinese government representative since Yang’s sentencing. The Albanese government will continue to advocate for Yang.
Updated
Australian gender pay gap data published
For the first time, Australian companies (with more than 100 employees) have had to publish their gender pay gap.
I don’t think you need me to tell you but it’s not good.
More than 3,000 employers, or 61.6% of the total, had a gender pay gap that favoured men. Meanwhile, 30.1% (1,493 employers) had a neutral gender pay gap – defined as a gap of 5% of lower – and just 412 employers, or 8.3% of the total, had a pay gap that favoured women.
The Guardian (listed in the data as GNM Australia) reported a pay gap of 2.5%.
This is not about cupcakes, or international womens’ days or any of those other platitudes and easy analogies. This is about a systemic culture that needs actual quotas to fix. Naming and shaming only works if its not so widespread.
I watched the Dolly Parton classic 9-5 the other day and by the end I was despairing – so many of the issues the women characters were dealing with in their fictional workplace continue today. And the solutions the heroes provide when they take over the workplace are still seen as revolutionary, 44 years later.
Updated
Business Council wants red tape slashed
It’s pre-budget submission season, which is when interest, lobby and social groups all submit their wish list to the government ahead of the May budget.
The Business Council of Australia submission is almost an artform – it is ostensibly a collation of their members’ desires from the government, but it is always presented as the saviour of the economy, with dire consequences for those governments who dare not heed their warnings.
The BCA is essentially a union for capital, but you would never know that by how it is treated by some media organisations – especially when compared to how they treat employee unions.
This year, the business union wants the federal government to “urgently address Australia’s global competitiveness warning signs with practical actions in the budget to be delivered in May of this year, otherwise investment and jobs will go elsewhere”.
The “range of suggestions” it has offered up to the treasury “can help secure economic opportunities for a productive future for all Australians”, the BCA’s chief executive, Bran Black, said:
This budget needs to help us get more out of every dollar spent and hour worked – to be more productive – so that Australians can enjoy the benefits with higher wages and a better quality of life.
To be more productive, we need to compete harder and win more investment on the global stage, where we have shockingly been a net exporter of capital since 2019 – this shouldn’t be the case for a growing country like ours.
A lot of it boils down to the dreaded red tape – the BCA wants it gone.
We have to give Australians, particularly younger ones, more confidence in their financial future with measures including clear fiscal rules like tax-to-GDP caps, and genuine efforts at productivity-generating tax reform, otherwise we will continue to embed intergenerational unfairness.
We also need to get more competitive with our regulatory and planning settings, and not continue to let red tape thrive, which is why we have recommended a national reform fund to incentivise states with payments for making productivity-generating reform.
Updated
Middle Arm funding could secure 7,000 green jobs, report says
Redirecting $1.5bn in federal money committed for the Middle Arm industrial precinct in Darwin to greener alternatives would create more than 7,000 jobs in the Northern Territory, a new report argues.
The report, commissioned by the Environment Centre NT (ECNT), recommends the Albanese government drop its planned equity stake in the controversial development and instead spend the money on renewable energy infrastructure, retrofitting of homes and investment into existing port facilities at neighbouring East Arm.
Among the projects it recommends is a Darwin big battery, a training centre for jobs in renewable industries, microgrids in remote areas, climate-safe upgrades for every low income household in the territory and development of “genuine” sustainable industry at East Arm.
The report finds this would generate 7,622 jobs across the NT, primarily for local tradespeople, electricians and educators.
Tom Quinn, the report’s author and managing director at Springmount Advisory, said:
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to slash the cost of living, create thousands of good quality local jobs and training opportunities, and build a clean industrial base for the Territory.
Release of the report comes after a Guardian Australia investigation last year revealed that Middle Arm was seen as a “key enabler” for the export of gas from the Beetaloo basin, despite being branded a sustainable development precinct.
A Senate inquiry has been established to investigate the proposed project.
Updated
Four in five Australians support Gaza ceasefire
A new poll indicates about four in five Australians support a ceasefire in Gaza.
The YouGov polling of 1,060 Australian adults was commissioned by humanitarian organisations, including Plan International Australia, Oxfam Australia and Caritas Australia.
While it is worth noting these organisations have previously publicly called for an immediate ceasefire, the polling questions are written in a neutral way without preamble, such as: “Do you support a ceasefire in Gaza?”
On this question, 81% of respondents agreed and 19% disagreed. Support for a ceasefire was greatest among respondents aged 18 to 34 (88%), while the level among over-65s was 75%.
Asked whether they “support the Australian government taking more action to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza”, 53% said yes, 25% said no and 22% said they did not know.
Some 30% of respondents said support for a ceasefire would be an issue they would consider at the next election, compared with 43% who said they would not.
The chief executive of Oxfam Australia, Lyn Morgain, said the findings “should compel our political leaders to ramp up their action and leave no stone unturned when it comes to pushing for an immediate and permanent ceasefire”.
The Plan International chief executive, Susanne Legena, said Australians “across the political spectrum are telling us loud and clear that they are horrified by what they are seeing”.
Updated
Good morning
Thank you to Martin for starting us off this morning – you have Amy Remeikis with you now for the parliamentary day.
Happy Scott Morrison Exits Politics day, to those who observe.
Let’s get into it.
Key event
Morrison’s farewell speech expected to focus on ‘Judeo-Christian values’
According to the Australian newspaper’s Simon Benson, Scott Morrison’s valedictory speech today will focus on “Judeo-Christian values”.
The former PM’s last word before he jets off to “new challenges in the global corporate sector” will be a warning against a “drift to secularism”, Benson reports.
He told Benson that our “successful, free society” stemmed from the core principle of respect for individual human dignity, which Morrison described as a “uniquely Judeo-Christian principle”.
“One does not need to share my faith to appreciate the virtue of human rights, and nor am I suggesting that,” the former prime minister also said.
Updated
Paul Karp, our chief political correspondent, brings you an exclusive that looks into one of Labor’s key regional funds to decarbonise the economy.
He has documents, obtained under freedom of information, that suggest the Albanese government plans to expand the $400m regional precincts and partnerships program (RPPP) which in 2022 replaced Coalition schemes accused of amounting to pork barrelling.
Read more here:
Updated
An immediate test of the government’s popularity will come this weekend in the Dunkley byelection, where Labor’s Jodie Belyea faces Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy. Sarah Basford Canales reports from the outer Melbourne seat – see the story below – and she also joined Benita Kolovos for today’s Full Story podcast to talk about what’s at stake for the major parties
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you the best of the overnight news before my colleague clocks on.
Data released today reveals a stark gender pay gap at many Australian companies, with airlines and banks among the worst offenders. Campaigners hope the information will be the catalyst for change to narrow the gap for the “good of society”. Organisations including Qantas (37%) and the Commonwealth Bank (29.9%) have a high proportion of well-paid men – the national gap is 19%, meaning that that a woman is paid is $18,461 less than a man. Read our story for more details of the best and worst performers.
The Coalition has pulled narrowly ahead of Labor for the first time since the election in the Guardian Essential poll, with a big hit to Anthony Albanese’s trustworthiness a further cause for concern to the government.
Still with politics, Scott Morrison has claimed in a newspaper interview that Julia Gillard is his unlikely model for post-political life. Speaking ahead of his valedictory speech to parliament today, the former prime minister told the Sydney Morning Herald “it is widely respected the way that Julia Gillard has conducted herself, post-prime ministership, whatever view people have on her prime ministership, positive and negative”. More coming up.
Outside politics, the organisers of Sydney’s Mardi Gras have asked police not to join in this Saturday’s parade in light of the charges against New South Wales police constable Beau Lamarre-Condon over the deaths of a gay couple in the city last week. The force said it was “disappointed” with the decision but would “continue to work closely with the LGBTIQA+ community”. And the police are facing calls for an independent review into the use of police weapons.
