What we learned today, Tuesday 5 September
And that’s where we’ll wrap up today. Thanks so much for your company.
Here’s a little of what we learned:
A Senate inquiry will be held into the government’s decision in July to block Qatar Airways from offering additional flights in Australia after an amended motion put forward by the Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie passed.
The Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, has advised the board he will quit immediately, bringing forward his retirement by two months following a tumultuous few weeks for the airline.
The three brothers who owned Whakaari/White Island at the time of its deadly eruption had the individual charges against them thrown out by a New Zealand judge on Tuesday, two months into their trial.
The Senate will investigate the proposed development of the Middle Arm precinct on Darwin Harbour after the government voted to support an inquiry into the controversial project.
The Speaker of the house, Milton Dick, gave MPs a “final warning” after a protest by the Community and Pharmacy Support group erupted in the public gallery yesterday.
Borrowers will again get a break after the Reserve Bank announced it will keep the cash rate unchanged for a third month in a row, keeping it at 4.1%.
The government has resolved to not support the Greens senator David Shoebridge’s bill to legalise cannabis, which would have allowed recreational use and a commercial industry nationwide.
The New South Wales Teachers’ Federation has reached an in-principle agreement to back the state government’s pay deal, which will make public teachers in the state among the best paid in the nation.
The NSW government will “engage” with the owner of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station, Eraring, for a “temporary” extension of its operating life, prioritising short-term energy security over emissions reductions.
The corporate regulator is suing Westpac after it allegedly failed to appropriately respond to hundreds of financial hardship requests from bank customers.
Updated
Mike Bowers has captured new Liberal senator Maria Kovacic’s first speech in the Senate, in which she called for tax changes to increase home ownership, including capping negatively geared properties.
As Paul Karp wrote earlier, given the Coalition successfully opposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax in 2019, Kovacic’s speech brought quite a breath of fresh thinking into the economic debate.
Updated
New Qantas boss says the airline must focus on customers
The incoming Qantas CEO, Vanessa Hudson, says it is an honour to be stepping into the role and has thanked Alan Joyce for his service to the airline.
Speaking to staff in a video on Tuesday afternoon, Hudson said “we’ve overcome many challenges … and right now it feels like we’re facing another challenging time”.
Hudson said:
We know that post-Covid we haven’t always delivered to what our customers expect, but we are listening and we hear what they are saying.
Hudson said it was the company’s job to “get the balance right between looking after our customers, you our people and the business itself”. She said:
Right now achieving this balance must first start with our customers and that’s what we will be focused on.
Hudson thanked Joyce for his 22 years at Qantas:
He has devoted so much energy and commitment to the organisation. From starting up Jetstar to steering us through the pandemic.
Updated
Want to catch up on the top news from today? My colleague Antoun Issa has the rundown for you in our Afternoon Update.
Updated
Henderson blames ‘Labor’s cost-of-living crisis’ for pain on students
The shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, has backed concerns raised by the Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students, but fell short of echoing calls for the federal government to fund student placements.
Henderson said “so many students” were battling to pay the rent and put food on the table:
I have also spoken with many groups and students who’ve raised these concerns. Student placements are so often ... in the health sector ... and of course with that comes a very significant cost.
Henderson said the cost was made “so much worse” because of “Labor’s cost-of-living crisis” which led to a decades-high 7.1% indexation of student loans:
My concern is that this is going to be more and more of a disincentive for students to take up study ... the government has failed to address this issue.
Updated
New Liberal senator calls for tax changes including capping negatively geared properties
The Liberal senator Maria Kovacic is delivering her first speech in the Senate. A major theme of the speech is the importance of increasing home ownership, including strong backing of the Liberal policy to allow access to superannuation to help buy a home.
Kovacic then entered the realm of Coalition heresies by calling for tax changes including capping negatively geared properties. Given the Coalition successfully opposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax in 2019, this is quite a breath of fresh thinking in the economic debate.
Kovacic says:
We should not be afraid to consider tax changes. Whether it be capping the number of properties that can be negatively geared or working with the states to replace stamp duty, or at a minimum to correct decades of bracket creep. A serious plan by this parliament has to deal with the housing crisis. And it would go a long way to restoring the electorate’s faith in political leadership to solve big problems and deliver reform.
In May the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said changes to negative gearing were “dangerous talk because we need more rental stock in the pool”.
Dutton said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was working to “kill off negative gearing, which will undermine investment”. Dutton said:
People who are renting at the moment who can’t afford to buy, I don’t know what happens to them if property investors decide that it’s an unsafe asset class.
Updated
New Zealand judge dismisses charges against White Island volcano owners
The three brothers who owned Whakaari/White Island at the time of its deadly eruption had the individual charges against them thrown out by a New Zealand judge on Tuesday, two months into their trial.
The sudden eruption in December 2019 came as tour groups were visiting the island volcano. The explosion killed 22 people, 17 of them Australians, and seriously injured 25 others.
Andrew, James and Peter Buttle – who inherited the island and own it through a family trust – were individually charged under New Zealand health and safety law with failing to exercise due diligence as company directors to know and manage White Island’s risk.
A judge-alone trial for the men, their company Whakaari Management Limited, and other tourism firms involved in the Whakaari booking, transport and logistics process, began at the Auckland District Court in July. All have pleaded not guilty.
At the conclusion of seven weeks of evidence against the defendants, lawyers for the Buttles argued last week that the material was insufficient to prove the charges against the men.
Judge Thomas agreed, and dismissed the charges the brothers faced in a ruling on Tuesday.
The company Whakaari Management Limited (WML) – of which the three men were sole directors – remains a defendant in the trial. The men did not apply to have charges dismissed against the firm, which established deals with tour operators to bring visitors to the island.
More on this story from my colleague Charlotte Graham-McLay here:
Updated
Continuing on from our previous post:
Tyrrell has urged the federal government to fund workplaces to pay students to complete compulsory placements in areas with workforce shortages such as teaching and nursing:
It’s clear that we can’t keep asking people to work for free when all they’re trying to do is seek an education. An education that will lead them to fill critical workforce shortages.
Tyrell backed recommendations in the universities accord interim report to provide financial support to students undertaking placements, while going further than expanding access to Youth Allowance or Austudy.
Providers also need to be incentivised, because without quality practical experience in the field our students and industry suffer. The providers can decide what wage they want to offer students. But they’d be required to pass on at least minimum wage.
The government already offers incentives for companies that take on apprentices. This scheme could be similar. Universities should adjust to a new model too … universities shouldn’t be charging students the same fees for placement units as they do for units in the classroom.
Tyrrell suggested a cap of 25% be placed on universities for all practical placement units to stop “universities making money off students” where the bulk of the learning was external.
Updated
‘Shouldn’t have to go broke’: Tammy Tyrrell urges government to fund student placements
Senator Tammy Tyrrell, of the Jacqui Lambie Network, has urged the federal government to fund student placements to stem high dropout rates amid a cost of living crisis.
In March, Guardian Australia reported students in vocational degrees including social work, nursing, teaching, counselling and psychology were experiencing burnout and quitting their studies due to hundreds of hours of mandatory unpaid placements.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tyrell told the Senate that students “shouldn’t have to go broke” doing practical placements to finish their studies.
Imagine if we told all politicians: ‘nah, you’re not getting paid for the next few months. You’re still expected to do your full workload as normal, but we just won’t pay you for it.’
Mandatory unpaid placements have been raised repeatedly in the universities accord interim report as placing significant pressure on students.
Tyrell said students needed hands-on experience but it was “near impossible” to hold down a paying job while completing them.
Some of these areas … are where we are currently struggling the most with critical workforce shortages … We should be doing everything we can to encourage people to take up these careers.
You know what actually turns people away from finishing their degrees and entering these careers? Making them choose between buying groceries and paying rent.
Updated
Senate inquiry into Labor’s Qatar Airways decision to go ahead
Following the recount, there will now be a probe into the government’s decision in July to block Qatar Airways from offering additional flights, with 32 supporting it and 31 against.
The amended motion, put forward by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, means the committee will have three opposition members, two from the government and two from minor parties or independents.
The deputy chair will also need to be from a minor party or an independent senator.
It will also be a lot broader than just the Qatar Airways decision. It will look at “all federal government decisions relating to any proposals received in the past 12 months for additional services to Australia’s major airports”.
It will be given the rather procedural title of the “select committee on commonwealth bilateral air service agreements”.
Updated
Senate to investigate Darwin’s Middle Arm development
The Senate will investigate the proposed development of the Middle Arm precinct on Darwin Harbour after the government voted to support an inquiry into the controversial project.
It follows a Guardian Australia investigation that revealed the Albanese government knew the project was seen as a “key enabler” for the export of gas from the Beetaloo basin, despite being branded a “sustainable development precinct”.
The government has been under pressure from the Greens and the crossbench to drop $1.5bn in financial support for the project. Senior health professionals and concerned Northern Territory residents rallied in Canberra last month calling for the government to withdraw the subsidy and rule out new gas projects in the Beetaloo due to their impacts on human health and the climate.
The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young successfully moved to establish the inquiry after two previous attempts in past parliamentary sittings were voted down by the government and opposition. She said:
Gas fuels the climate crisis and taxpayers should not be subsidising its dangerous expansion.
Greenwashing gas and ‘petrochemicals’ as renewables means this entire project requires closer scrutiny.
Updated
That vote earlier on the Coalition’s push to hold an inquiry into Qatar Airways was actually miscounted, the Senate has heard.
It’s now being recounted as we speak.
Push for Senate inquiry into Qatar Airways decision fails
The Coalition’s bid to hold an inquiry over Qatar Airways has failed to pass the Senate after the Greens joined with Labor.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie put forward the motion on Tuesday to probe the government’s decision in July to block Qatar Airways from offering additional flights.
The Coalition needed the support of the Greens or all of the remaining crossbenchers to get the inquiry over the line.
A last-minute amendment to include crossbench senators on the select committee and to broaden the inquiry to cover “all federal government decisions relating to any proposals received in the past 12 months” seemed to suggest the Coalition might have won some crossbenchers over.
But the vote on Tuesday afternoon didn’t seem to go their way with 30 ayes and 30 noes, meaning it did not pass.
ACT senator David Pocock and Tasmanian senators Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell voted with the Coalition, along with One Nation senators and United Australian party senator Ralph Babet.
Updated
We’ve now got some video for you of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, giving his “final warning” to the house today after a protest by the community and pharmacy support group erupted in the public gallery yesterday.
Updated
Joyce says extraditing Assange to US would set ‘very bad precedent’
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was on ABC News earlier speaking about his reason for joining a group of politicians that will head to Washington later this month to lobby the US to end its push to extradite Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges, and to immediately release him from London’s Belmarsh prison.
Joyce said deporting an Australian who did not commit a crime in Australia and was not a US citizen to the US to be criminally charged set “a very bad precedent”. He thought the situation requires a “political movement”, he said.
The deputation will include independent MP Monique Ryan, Liberal MP Alex Antic and the Greens’ David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson.
Updated
Appeal against decision to take down Tasmanian premier’s statue
Jeff Briscoe, a former Hobart city council alderman, has launched an appeal against the decision to remove a statue of William Crowther, the Tasmanian premier who beheaded an Aboriginal man.
In August, the council voted to take down the statue of Crowther, who broke into a Hobart morgue in 1869, removed the skull of William Lanne and sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Lord mayor Anna Reynolds said:
Crowther was certainly not the only person making transactions in this discredited field of ‘racial science’, but he’s the only person with hands-on involvement who has a prominent celebratory statue in Hobart’s main civic square.
For the grounds of the appeal, Briscoe and two fellow appellants, Chris Merridew and Anne Burleigh, said the removal of the statue would destroy “the integrity of place of a cultural heritage item”. The status was of “great social value”, they wrote, adding that the decision was based on “bias, inaccurate, misleading and knowingly false information”.
Briscoe has also launched a crowdfunding campaign to “fight Hobart council”.
“The woke are determined to destroy our heritage and wash our history,” it says. “To place some people’s offence before the wishes of most.”
Updated
Earlier today we brought you news that NSW public teachers are poised to be among the best paid in the nation under a new deal struck with the state government.
My colleague Caitlin Cassidy now has more for you on this story here:
Thank you Amy Remeikis for leading us through the news today! I’ll now be with you until this evening.
Anthony Albanese and the Asean delegation are just about to leave, and the parliament is starting to wind down, so I will hand you over to Jordyn Beazley for the evening.
Politics Live will be back with you early tomorrow morning – this morning seems like it happened at least three years ago, but I’ll be back with you in a little over 15 hours.
Until then – please, take care of you.
Education exports hit record high after 'surging back'
Australia’s education exports have reached their highest ever value in a six-month period as the post-Covid recovery of the international student sector continues.
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday found education generated a record $10.8bn to Australia’s export revenue in the June quarter, on track to surpass annual earnings generated prior to the pandemic.
It takes total education export earnings in the six months to June to $21.8bn – up from $19.4bn in the first six months of 2019, when education contributed $40.1bn to exports annually.
The chief executive of Universities Australia, Catriona Jackson, said education was “surging back”.
Australia is an export nation and education is our largest services export and the biggest one we don’t dig out of the ground. When education exports are strong, Australia is strong. The March and June quarterly results are the highest quarterly results of all time, indicating we are on track to achieve a new high-water mark in 2023.
Earlier this year, Labor MP Julian Hill warned an inquiry into the international student sector that “history should tell us we should be suspicious of rapidly fast growth” in an industry and “question whether that’s sustainable”.
There were 622,000 international students studying in Australia in the first six months of the year, 20% more than 2022.
Updated
And the National Retail Association just hopes that people will start spending money again.
CEO Greg Griffith said the hold on interest rate rises was a like “parting gift” from Phil Lowe.
Australian retailers rely heavily on a strong sales period during November and December to help them finish the year strongly, and carry them through quieter periods in the new year.
And the most important factor in a strong November/December sales period is consumer confidence.
Three consecutive months without a rates rise will give consumers some extra breathing space, and hope that monetary policy may be eased in the new year.
This in turn should flow through to retail businesses and the pockets of their employees at a crucial time of the business calendar.
We can consider this the RBA governor’s parting gift to consumers and businesses.
Updated
Meanwhile, NAB home ownership executive Andy Kerr said there were still concerns (again WHAT? who could have guessed this) over the cost of living:
While interest rates are on hold this month, the cost of petrol, groceries and energy bills is still going up. Today’s decision is welcome news for around a third of Australians with a mortgage but we know rising living costs are still a cause of concern for many more and there’ll be some people who are worried about their financial situation.
Updated
Deloitte Access Economics partner Stephen Smith takes a slightly stronger view on the decision, though – he thinks the RBA is “increasingly realising the precarious position the Australian economy is in following the rapid increase in interest rates since May 2022”.
This is borne out by the facts. Monthly inflation indicator data released last week shows inflation continues to cool as supply-side factors abate, while the cumulative impact of 12 earlier rate hikes forces Australians to tighten their purse strings. Household spending was lower in July 2023 compared to 12 months earlier – the first time since February 2021 that this spending indicator has fallen. Wage growth, at 0.8% in the June quarter, remains modest and the labour market looks likely to deteriorate from here. At the same time, housing construction – one of the most interest rate sensitive components of the economy – is going backwards.
Deloitte Access Economics expects data released tomorrow to show the pace of economic growth in Australia slowed further in the June quarter, and that the Australian economy went backwards on a per person basis over the past 12 months.
Inflation is just one of the many complex structural issues facing the Australian economy that, as the intergenerational report highlighted last month, can only be solved by bold, productivity-enhancing fiscal policy and economic reforms.
Gee whiz, it’s almost like making just part of the population (mortgage holders and renters) carry the weight of bringing inflation down by cutting down their spending power has further consequences for the economy!
Updated
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pretty happy with the decision by the RBA board to leave interest rates on hold this month.
CEO Andrew McKellar said it was the smart decision:
There is growing evidence that we have passed the peak of the cycle and there is no need for further rates rises.
The focus must now be on maintaining economic growth to reduce the risk of recession.
Updated
Relations may be a little strained between the Greens and Labor on all sorts of things, but looks like the line of communication between the leaders remains open, as Mike Bowers captured:
Updated
How markets responded to RBA’s rates decision
Money market traders, who find almost any excuse to get twitchy, weren’t given much information to get excited about in today’s RBA decision.
The Australian dollar and the main ASX benchmark stock index both basically flatlined in the immediate wake of the third on-hold rates verdict in as many months.
The dollar was hovering at around 64.25 US cents and the ASX200 was defiantly holding on to its losses for the day of about 0.3%.
Most economists have been tipping for a while that the RBA’s rate rises are done.
If so, the first Tuesday of each month might get a bit dull for a while. And come next February, new RBA governor Michele Bullock will be fronting a media conference after each decision to explain why nothing has changed. (At least the number of board meetings will be cut to eight from next year instead of 11.)
Of course, the world might misbehave. China’s economy might go into a spiral, Russia could do something nastier in Ukraine, or some other surprise might cast out the best-modelled predictions. And, of course, more climate extremes are not only expected but likely.
In other words, we should be grateful for a period of steadiness. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Updated
'This is a final warning': Milton Dick on question time protests
Milton Dick is giving an update on the security review he instigated yesterday following the protest by the community and pharmacy support group which occurred in the public gallery yesterday (and throughout the parliament as they left).
It is unacceptable for people to enter the public galleries and attempt to protest or express their views or disrupt proceedings.
Members have been elected to this place by their own communities. And those communities should have paid their expectation that their representatives can carry out their work unimpeded.
The behaviour we saw in the public galleries yesterday was unacceptable. Creating a safe and respectful environment is everyone’s responsibility. It’s up to each and every one of us in this house to uphold the highest standards expected of this parliament, which is the heart of our democracy.
I just want to remind members that their guests’ seating in the galleries is a privilege. If you’ve invited guests to the gallery, consider their conduct to be a reflection on you.
And I want to be clear that it this behaviour continues that privilege may be revoked.
Visitors of the public galleries are here as observers, not participants.
This is the final warning.
There’ll be no tolerance for any attempts to disrupt or interfere with the proceedings of the house again.
Updated
Mark Dreyfus finishes his answer by saying that the government is reviewing the whistleblower protections.
Anthony Albanese ends question time.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie asks Anthony Albanese:
“The first person on trial for alleged Afghanistan war crimes is whistleblower David McBride. The only person before a court for the proven misconduct by the Australian Taxation Office is whistleblower Richard Boyle. All of which is unconscionable and unfathomable because McBride and Boyle are the heroes here, not the villains. Will you call off your dog? Will you instruct the attorney general to drop the charges immediately?”
Dan Tehan wants the reference to “dog” removed:
I respectfully ask that question be asked again without the reference, if I had correctly, to dog. I think it is unparliamentary and should not have been used. If it was a reference to either the Attorney-General or our intelligence agencies, that is completely unacceptable. I would ask that the question be asked again if I heard it correctly.
Peter Dutton chimes in with a “hear hear”.
Wilkie withdraws the “figure of speech” to assist the house and Mark Dreyfus takes the question, saying:
Members should be aware that following an investigation by the Office of the Special Investigator, a former US soldier has been charged with a war crime under Australian law, and his matter is currently before the courts.
I’m sure that member for Clark is aware of this. And I’m sure that member of Clark supports the ongoing work of the Office of the Special Investigator, which of course is responsible for war crimes investigations.
I am strongly of the view that integrity and the rule of law are central to Australia’s criminal justice arrangements.
The attorney general does have the power to discontinue proceedings
And I’m sure that the member for Clark would understand that that power of the attorney general is reserved for very unusual and exceptional circumstances.
As Mr McBride’s proceeding and Mr Boyle’s proceeding, both remain ongoing, it’s inappropriate for me to comment further on the particulars of their matters.
Updated
LNP MP Bert van Manen asks Anthony Albanese:
Has the prime minister had any conversations with the outgoing Qantas CEO or any other senior executive of Qantas regarding the Qatar application before the decision was made? If so, on what date or dates?
Albanese:
No
(That is the whole answer.)
Updated
Continuing in Senate question time, Penny Wong figures out what Ralph Babet is up to – he’s going to try to highlight that the Labor government is even worse at transparency.
Wong defends her government for having a lower rate of answering orders for the production of documents (OPDs), which are Senate requests for documents.
They work in a similar way to questions on notice or freedom of information requests.
Wong said:
I have never seen as many OPDs used as this, just as indiscriminately as the current opposition ... are using them.
Babet responded:
Obviously, you knew where I was going with that, not your first rodeo. So obviously my next question is, you guys, your government, you’re at 20.4%. Twice as secretive as the former government, twice as secretive as Scott Morrison’s government. Why?
Wong said there had been a nearly a doubling of OPDs in this parliament compared with the last.
Updated
Maria Kovacic will deliver her first speech to the Senate this afternoon – Kovacic is filling the vacancy following the death of NSW Liberal senator Jim Molan.
Liberal women descending on Canberra for Senator Maria Kovacic’s maiden speech this arvo 👸 pic.twitter.com/CcLkpXL2jQ
— Charlotte Mortlock (@CMMortlock) September 5, 2023
Updated
Independent MP Andrew Gee asks Anthony Albanese:
Since the days of the gold rush, our communities have been fighting for a crossing over the Macquarie River at Dixons Long between Mudgee and Orange.
There is $27.8 million of allocated funding sitting in the kitty and the project had gone out to tender before your government [stopped it]. Today I met with the relevant state minister and there is no immediate contribution for this federal initiative. Will your government support the people of our region by building this game-changing bridge and why can’t the $27.8 million be spent on improving the existing road?
Albanese sends this question to Catherine King. Gee had last asked about this in March and has spoken about it in the parliament quite frequently since leaving the Nationals .
Albanese:
I have also had discussions that I raised with the NSW government and I know I have raised it with the transport minister as well, and I would ask the transport minister to also make some comments.
King:
I know he is a strong advocate of this project and the former government did make some provision for this road. However, it was at least $20 million short of what was required to actually build the road, and that is before we have had to do some further work, and the project also involved a number of significant delivery challenges which are not met.
After taking a few swipes at the former government, King says:
… I will certainly make some representations to the NSW government in relation to this project and will have more to say about the infrastructure investment pipeline review in the coming weeks.
Updated
We’re heading into strange areas in Senate question time.
United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet asks senator Penny Wong whether the former Coalition government was a transparent one.
Now minister, a recent report by the Centre for Public Integrity revealed that the former Morrison government, this mob over here, honoured an appallingly low rate of just 48.7% of Senate orders for production of document requests. How terrible. Now does the minister believe that the former Morrison government was a transparent government because I don’t think they were.
We’re waiting for the punchline.
Updated
Peter Dutton is up now and he has a go at asking Anthony Albanese about the Qatar airways decision:
Did he have any conversations with the CEO or any senior executive of Virgin Australia regarding the Qatar application before the decision was made?
Albanese:
Yes
(That is the whole answer.)
Updated
Reserve Bank keeps interest rates steady for third month
Philip Lowe’s final meeting at governor of the RBA has resulted in the key interest rate being left at 4.1% for a third month in a row.
As is customary, though, Lowe has left the chance of further rate rises – but that will be under the leadership of his successor, Michele Bullock (who takes over from 18 September).
Lowe said in an accompanying statement.
Some further tightening of monetary policy may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe, but that will continue to depend upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks.
The board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that.
Follow on here:
Updated
The Nationals MP for Cowper, Pat Conaghan asks Anthony Albanese:
Did the prime minister have a conversation of any [kind] with Mr. Alan Joyce, prior to the government’s decision concerning Qatar Airways?
This is perhaps not the greatest way to ask this question. Because Albanese can answer it anyway he chooses and he chooses to take the question as asking him whether or not he has ever met with Alan Joyce.
I can confirm that I’ve met Alan Joyce, which is basically what the question was.
And he sits down.
Jim Chalmers finishes with a tribute for outgoing RBA governor Phil Lowe and a welcome to incoming governor Michele Bullock:
I also wanted to say that today is governor Lowe’s final Reserve Bank and board meeting. And he goes, as we said before, he leaves that important role with the government’s respect, the government’s gratitude, and he leaves with dignity.
Now his replacement, Michele Bullock, is an outstanding economist and leader with deep understanding of the RBA. She will be the first female governor in its 63-year history. And I’m sure that the whole house joins me in wishing incoming governor Bullock all the very best.
Updated
Jim Chalmers continues:
In the statement today, the Reserve Bank makes it clear that higher interest rates are biting in our economy and impacting our economy. It talks about a painful squeeze on finances and it also talks about the uncertainty out of the Chinese economy.
And what we’re seeing in recent data is the impact of higher interest rates, high but moderating influence inflation, and also this continuing global uncertainty on our economy and we expect to see that in one way or another in the national accounts, which are released tomorrow.
Consumption’s about half of our economy, so as these higher rates are taking a toll on households, they’re also taking a toll on the economy. We anticipated this in the budget forecast, and economists are expecting some of this in the national accounts tomorrow, that China’s economy is slowing as well, and this adds to the uncertainty and Australia is not immune for it from it.
We know that there are challenges ahead, Mr Speaker, but we are well placed to deal with it.
Updated
'A third moment of relief and reprieve': Chalmers responds to RBA rates call
And as always, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, uses a question time dixer to respond to the RBA’s decision:
The Reserve Bank has just announced its decision to keep the cash rate unchanged at 4.1%.
Now, as honourable members would be aware, this is the third month in a row that rates have been kept on hold. A third moment of relief and reprieve for many Australians and small businesses that we know are already under the pump, particularly those who have come off fixed rates, and the half a million more who will transition before the end of the year.
We understand that Australians are still under pressure even after this decision today.
That’s why we are working for Australia to roll out billions of dollars in cost of living relief in ways that take the edge off inflation rather than add to it. This is our major focus, and we are pleased to see in the most recent inflation data, and in today’s uptake in confidence, that our energy plan is helping, as the prime minister said.
Updated
Penny Wong is asked by Bridget McKenzie to outline “what exactly the national interest grounds” were behind blocking additional flights from Qatar.
Wong responds:
My answer is the one I gave, which is the minister considers a range of factors when determining whether an expansion of bilateral air rights is in our national interest.
Wong then quotes former Coalition transport minister Michael McCormack before she’s interjected by Simon Birmingham on a point of order:
The minister was asked specifically to define what the grounds were that are in the national interest not to go and quote past decisions or former ministers.
Wong responds with comments that drew the ire of many Coalition senators:
I’m asked about the reasons why a government would make this decision and I might refer, again, to the very experienced former transport minister Michael McCormack, who gave rationale which I think might be instructive for Senator McKenzie: ‘You can’t have an airline coming in from overseas and just undercutting to the point where Australian jobs are at risk and Australian airlines are placed at a disadvantage.’
Updated
View from Murph
Hi everyone.
I want to pick up a couple of points very quickly now that Peter Dutton has opened question time by decrying the voice referendum because it will divide Australia down the middle.
Don’t elections divide Australians down the middle every single cycle?
Does anyone believe we should abandon elections because they involve a contest of ideas that divides Australia down the middle?
Should political leaders only advance causes that everyone agrees with?
If that’s the new rule, how do we determine who agrees with what in the absence of a contest of ideas?
Adding to the passing strangeness of a professional politician arguing that a contest of ideas is inherently bad, we have the conundrum of a Liberal leader who chose to say no to the voice now wondering where this nasty division has come from, and wondering why a prime minister won’t abandon an election commitment because it’s divisive.
Angus Taylor asks as the RBA decision to hold interest rates at 4.1% comes down:
We’ve seen 11 interest rate increases on this government’s watch. Roy Morgan research shows 1.43 million Australians are at risk of mortgage stressb– that’s 28.7% of mortgage holders. Why are Australians paying the price for this prime minister’s economic failures?
Anthony Albanese:
I thank the shadow treasurer for his question, but I don’t think his heart was really in it because he, it’s like the treasurer has a force field around him where the shadow treasurer is unable to break through and ask him a question. But I do encourage him to do so.
Albanese goes on to say that interest rates are linked to inflation and what the government has done to make things cheaper without increasing inflation.
Updated
RBA keeps interest rates on hold
Angus Taylor has timed his question for just as the RBA is to announce its latest interest rate decision…
Oh it is in – interest rates are on hold for the third month in a row, so they are staying at 4.1%
Updated
RBA expected to leave rates unchanged
The Reserve Bank is widely expected to leave its cash rate on hold at the board meeting that will be winding up about now.
Governor Philip Lowe has been presiding over his final rates gathering since he took over seven years ago. As we noted in this piece, his first 29 meetings decided to leave the cash rate on hold:
Lowe and his eight fellow board members are likely to keep the cash rate at 4.1% for a third month in a row. Here’s a reminder of the impact on mortgage holders with a typical 25-year loan of the 12 rate rises since May 2022, according to RateCity:
Borrowers are bracing for the RBA's September rates decision. Here's the impact of the 12 rate rises of 400 basis points since May 2022. (Source: @RateCity ) pic.twitter.com/2OIUxaPngf
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) September 5, 2023
Now we can’t rule out a rate rise even if investors and economists overwhelmingly don’t expect one.
Borrowers are bracing for the RBA's September rates decision. Here's the impact of the 12 rate rises of 400 basis points since May 2022. (Source: @RateCity ) pic.twitter.com/2OIUxaPngf
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) September 5, 2023
Should Lowe and Co really want to shock, a 25 basis point rise to 4.35% would have this impact on your standard borrower:
Should the RBA surprise and hike its cash rate by 25bp to 4.35%, here's what the additional impact on borrowers would look like. (Source: @RateCity ) pic.twitter.com/Z3tRPEexCP
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) September 5, 2023
The fact the RBA doesn’t have a round number for its cash rate does leave open the chance of 15bp rise to 4.25%, which might please Lowe as he heads off into his next chapter. Then again, the first move by his successor Michele Bullock could similarly be a cut of 15bp to get her RBA governorship going.
Updated
Everyone is united when it comes to Asean. Huzzah.
Moving on.
We’re moving on to the Qantas-Qatar saga in Senate question time.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie points to recent comments by Western Australian Labor premier Roger Cook supporting allowing more flights into capital cities from the gulf carrier.
McKenzie asked:
Minister, why have some of your Labor colleagues seen the light and why is the prime minister and his government burying its head in the sand when it comes to this decision?
Penny Wong responds:
We support sustainable growth of Australia’s aviation sector. Now, right now, as the senator would know, Qatar ... Airways can fly as many planes as they like into Adelaide, Avalon [near Melbourne], Cairns, Canberra and Gold Coast.
Updated
Bob Katter has a question about wind turbine heights and Christmas? I don’t know. There were words, they were in some sort of an order, but not necessarily one that made sense.
The gist seems to be why is this government investing in renewables and not coal-fired power given the warnings of AEMO about power shortages.
I think.
Chris Bowen says AEMO has reported the need for more generation of renewables for years, including while the Coalition was in government, and the Albanese government is doing what AEMO wanted.
Katter decides he knows what the question is now – that 8,000 megawatts is coming off the grid and that the government’s renewables is not replacing it – and raises it as a point of order, which is not a point of order.
Milton Dick has NO TIME for this today.
Bowen ends his answer:
What we need is more investment in generation and natural energy and that is exactly what we’re getting, are doing.
Updated
Tony Burke is taking a dixer on his loophole legislation and Luke Howarth continues his role of raising point of orders claiming the opposition has been reflected on and asking for something to be withdrawn, which seems to be his primary focus of this parliament.
No one member was reflected on (Burke was talking about the opposition as a whole) so there is nothing to withdraw.
In Senate question time, Michaelia Cash continues to ask about the industrial relations changes.
Cash asks about productivity again but also asks for costs on businesses and how they might flow on to consumers.
There are a lot of interjections on both sides. Senate president Sue Lines has said “order” 22 times in the first 10 minutes, according to my recording.
Watt, over the rising interjection, says he is in his “happy place” because wages are moving again.
As I say, president, it didn’t take the opposition very long to revert ... to their happiest place, which is keeping wages low and keeping productivity low ...
They don’t like being reminded that. I am smiling because we have a government now that is actually committed to getting wages moving again ...
I am in my happy place, and I think the Labor party is in our happy place when we’re actually getting wages moving again.
Updated
Anthony Albanese continues:
I know full well that Megan Davis has made it very clear that the Uluru statement is one page.
What we have here is a whole range of meeting minutes effectively of the hundreds of meetings that took place in the lead-up to Uluru, because it was well thought through.
They came up with a gracious 440-word statement, 440-word statement, just like the words that are in question before the Australian people are very clear … as well.
They [the opposition] want to talk about everything but that. They [the opposition] say people are confused, but they try to add to every bit of confusion with what is an utter untruth, that they know is totally untrue, which is why Ken Wyatt, their person who was minister in the Morrison government, has walked away from you.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has narrowed his messaging down here and is now directly taking the Coalition on with these tactics:
Wait until they reveal the secret versus of You’re the Voice by John Farnham! Wait until they find that! Because they are out there somewhere. There is a 10-minute bagpipe solo in that, it goes on and on and on.
We had in that question it is 200 pages and we had it as 20 pages. On the front page of the paper it was 15 pages. What happened?
If you have a look at what it says, the record of meetings and views in different locations that are published very helpfully today in News Corp tabloids, it says things like this; delegates of the First Nations regional dialogue stated the form must be substantive, meeting the minimal reform or symbolic reforms are enough, dialogue emphasising that reform to be substantive including Hobart, Broome, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Torres Strait Islander and Canberra.
It goes on and says, for example, the document, what the reports from individual dialogue meetings. For example, they cite the reflection of the participants in the Perth dialogue that we have learned through the leaders of the Pilbara strike and the stories of our big sisters, mothers, how to be part of who we are.
In the lead-up to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, there were hundreds of meetings involving thousands of Indigenous people, set up under the former governments of this process … meeting at Uluru in 2017 to agree to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which I table. The one-page document.
Updated
There is a rare moment of decorum as both the prime minister and opposition leader pay tribute to the members of the defence force who are in the public galleries.
And then it is back to the questions and Sussan Ley is back on the question of hOw mANy PaGes iS the UlURu StaTeMenT fRoM tHe HeARt?!
The authorised official history of the Uluru Statement from the Heart written by the coach as Megan Davis and Pat Anderson was published six days ago. The almost 200-page hardcover book states the statement was drafted overwhelmingly endorsed by the convention delegates, it is 15 pages long. Does the prime minister still maintain the Uluru statement is just one page and that any suggestions otherwise are conspiracy theory and nonsense?
It is one page. The statement from the heart is one page.
For someone who liked numerology so much they added an additional S to their name to get better luck, there seems to be an issue with the number one, which, a quick google of numerology tells me means “a symbol of newness, possibilities, movement and independence. The number 1’s independent nature helps forge new paths and embrace unexpected possibilities”.
Updated
Mark Butler takes a dixer in order to be able to respond to the pharmacist protest yesterday (which ended with the speaker ordering a security review into their actions) and also to take a swipe at the Coalition for not backing the cost savings for patients:
The former government was given exactly the same advice five years ago and they ignored it.
And five years later they still have learned nothing. Still backing the powerful lobby groups over the interests of patients. Voting time and time again, four weeks ago … to block cheaper medicines to 6 million Australian patients, and even having lost that vote, within 24 hours they drafted another disallowance motion to have another go at blocking cheaper medicines for 6 million Australian patients.
This mob learned nothing. Always backing the interests of other people over the interests of Australian patients.
Updated
Interjections galore as Senate QT kicks off
Senate question time has begun. You know it’s begun because the yelling can be heard from the middle of the press gallery.
Liberal senator Michaelia Cash asks agriculture minister Murray Watt if he can point to one measure in Labor’s closing-the-loophole bill that will improve productivity in Australian businesses.
Watt can’t respond because there’s too much yelling.
Senate president Sue Lines singles out Liberal senator Sarah Henderson in particular.
Senator Henderson, can we just have a question time where you don’t constantly interject? I’m calling you to order.
Senator Watt chimes in:
I think that’s a record even for senator Henderson. I hadn’t even opened my mouth and apparently I was a disgrace.
Updated
Anthony Albanese continues:
At the moment we have an eight-year life expectancy gap, gaps when it comes to an Indigenous young male who is more likely to go to jail than university. An Indigenous young woman is more likely to die in childbirth than a non-Indigenous woman.
We have – right throughout the targets – only four of them on track … the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice will be a committee of Indigenous Australians, chosen by Indigenous Australians, giving advice to government so we can get better results for Indigenous Australians.
The leader of the opposition wants to defeat this referendum for political reasons ... and then he says he will have another referendum! He wants two referendums! He wants to talk about this year after year after year after year. We want outcomes.
Peter Dutton has a point of order that is not a point of order.
Albanese continues:
I tell you what, no one is asking for a second referendum, which is his position. No one.
He wants to see Indigenous people and just doesn’t want them to be heard. Just doesn’t want them to be heard. Then he said we can change the question’s claim that he voted for the legislation.
He sat over here and voted for the legislation that is the wording of this referendum, which will go to the Australian people.
The PM runs out of time.
Updated
Question time begins
Peter Dutton asks this question with a straight face and with an entirely serious bearing, as if he isn’t a big chunk of the reason the referendum is so fraught.
Over half the population, including one in three web voters, is telling you they don’t want the voice in the constitution. It is risky, permanent and divisive.
How can the prime minister in good conscience go into the referendum, the question being put to the Australian public on 14 October, knowing he will divide our country clean down the middle?
(I appreciate the cognitive dissonance here.)
Anthony Albanese:
He is aware that for many years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have advocated for constitutional recognition. And for many years they came together, as a result of the system established under the Coalition government, came together at Uluru, to determine that they wanted to have the recognition through a voice.
Commonwealth state and territory governments have all committed to it, business leaders are supporting it, legal experts have endorsed it, including we don’t hear about the solicitor general’s advice anymore. Remember that? Faith groups and sporting codes are supporting it and there is an army of volunteers campaigning for it.
On 14 October the Australian people can vote for it. They can vote yes for recognition, yes to listening and yes in order to get better results. That is the position that we have put forward, after consultation and after the gracious request from First Nations people.
They are not voting for a party or a person, they are voting for an idea. An idea to promote reconciliation, an idea to bring this country together, and idea in recognition that what we have done with the best of intentions over 122 years is not working. And that if you do the same thing in the same way you should expect the same outcomes.
Updated
Let’s get ready for QT!
The RBA decision will come in at 2.30, so some of the QT coverage may be interrupted but I will get in as much of it as I can
Greens say CEO change ‘won’t fix Qantas’s problems’
The Greens transport spokesperson, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, has released a statement on the departure of Alan Joyce – she says it will take more than a new CEO to turn Qantas around:
As CEO, Joyce has received bonuses of over $20 million, while workers and customers have lost out. Now that he’s being pushed out, the board should step in to ensure he receives no final bonus payout.
But a change of CEO alone won’t fix Qantas’s problems. As long as Qantas remains a private, for-profit monopoly, we’re going to see more price gouging, more undermining of workers rights, more scandals.
It’s time for a rethink. Instead of propping up Qantas’s profits, the government should take this moment to seriously look into bringing Qantas back into public ownership.
Bringing Qantas back into public hands would ensure no gouging or breaching of consumer rights, decent pay and conditions for workers, and fair prices for everyday travellers.
With 60% share of Australia’s aviation market, it makes no sense for Qantas to remain in private hands. Rather than protect Qantas’s monopoly status as ‘too big to fail’, the government should investigate bringing it back into public ownership.
Updated
OK, we are headed into question time – and this will be the last one Anthony Albanese is helming this week, as he flies to the Asean conference in Indonesia shortly after.
Still on the Coalition party room this morning, Senator Michaelia Cash walked members through 10 reasons not to support Labor’s closing loopholes bill, which included the complexity and uncertainty for business, along with additional costs for small businesses.
Senator Cash said there would be no Coalition amendments to this bill because “there is nothing that will make this bill better – it’s a bad bill and Labor have to answer questions about why it is necessary”.
There were also still “outstanding issues” relating to three bills proposing to implement some more of the Jenkins review’s recommendations.
Coalition members of the parliamentary leadership taskforce, Jane Hume, Sussan Ley and Perin Davey, said they would continue to work through some of the issues and hope they can be resolved before the bill is debated.
Coalition figures also had a “fair bit of conversation” about energy following warnings from the Australian Energy Market Operator of increased power outages this summer.
Nuclear energy was also raised with “repeated support” for it to become part of the broader energy mix.
Updated
Dutton in the party room
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has told Coalition members to keep quizzing Anthony Albanese over his relationship with Qantas.
In a party room meeting on Tuesday morning, Dutton said the federal government’s ties to the Australian carrier needed to be unpacked, adding that further details needed to be released on its decision to block Qatar Airways from offering additional flights to capital cities.
Dutton also praised his party for listening to arguments and asking respectfully for details on the voice to parliament.
Nationals leader David Littleproud backed Dutton’s points and reiterated the party’s commitment to constitutional recognition.
He said shadow Indigenous affairs minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and South Australian senator Kerynne Liddle should lead the party’s arguments, given their lived experience.
Updated
Some issues can bring about some very strange groupings.
Support for Julian Assange is one of them.
Here is what the multi-party delegation headed to Washington to lobby for an end to the US attempts to extradite and prosecute Assange looks like:
Updated
Tabcorp fined $1m over outage during Victorian spring racing carnival
Gambling giant Tabcorp has been fined $1m by the Victorian regulator for not adequately explaining why its system went offline for 36 hours during the spring racing carnival in 2020.
Tabcorp’s license agreement requires its wagering and betting system to be continuously available. The regulator issued two directives to Tabcorp to produce more information about the outage and explain why “disaster recovery arrangements” did not kick in.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission’s chair, Fran Thorn, said Tabcorp did not provide acceptable answers to the regulator’s investigation:
We will not tolerate licensees that are not forthcoming and cooperative when the commission investigates.
The commission had to use its compulsory powers and issue directions because Tabcorp did not provide the information we required about the business continuity and disaster recovery capability of its systems. It is Tabcorp’s failure to comply with these directions that has led to the fine announced today.
All entities we regulate – no matter how big or small – have an obligation to be open and honest with the commission and responsive to its lawfully issued directions. We will not tolerate attempts to frustrate our investigations.
In a statement, Tabcorp accepted it did not meet the regulator’s expectations:
The fine is in relation to an investigation following the 2020 systems outage, which was caused by a fire in a third-party supplier. Since its demerger, the company has been working to improve the way it engages with regulators.
Updated
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor is getting in early, announcing a press conference for 3.40 to talk about the RBA rates decision that will be handed down at 2.30.
So no matter what the bank decides (most likely to hold rates) the response will be “government bad”.
(Taylor has to wait for QT to finish, which can be any time between 3 and 4pm.)
Updated
Share market confident on rates hold
We will find out the RBA’s decision at 2.30 – but AAP has looked at what the share market thinks the reserve bank will do on rates:
At noon AEST on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 39.3 points to 7,279.5, a drop of 0.55%. The broader All Ordinaries was down 44.9 points, or 0.6%, to 7,480.8.
Markets and economists believe it is a close to a sure thing that the RBA will keep rates on hold at 4.1% at its 2.30pm board meeting, but its statement announcing the decision will be closely scrutinised for clues on its direction for the rest of the year.
The market’s expectations for another rate hike later in 2023 have been dropping, with the odds priced in at 20%, down from 50% a week ago, according to St George economist Jarek Kowcza.
Updated
Ryan: ‘It would be remiss of us to not make every effort that we can’ on behalf of Assange
Monique Ryan said the trip is to show US lawmakers how serious Australia is about sending Julian Assange home, while also showing the American public it is a matter of importance:
We are making every effort to secure meetings with people from all sides of parliament, all sides of government in the United States and this is something that has come into force, this delegation, only in the last few weeks so it is a work in progress.
We will be leaving in a couple of weeks and I expect we will be able to secure meetings with a number of people who can influence this issue.
… And that we conveyed to American citizens how strongly Australians feel about this issue. Everything we can do can make a change and it would be remiss of us to not make every effort that we can on behalf of this to Assange. We understand he is in poor health and that is an acute concern.
It is time, as I said earlier, enough is enough and it is time to bring Julian Assange home to Australia, he should not be extradited to the United States.
Updated
Crossparliamentary delegation headed to US to lobby for Julian Assange’s freedom
Kooyong independent MP Dr Monique Ryan is speaking to the ABC about the cross-parliament delegation she is part of which is heading to Washington to lobby the US against Julian Assange’s extradition and prosecution.
Ryan said the group is still organising who it will see:
We hope to meet with representatives from both houses of parliament in the United States and also with members of the free press and that may hopefully include representatives from both the New York Times and the Washington Post.
… those media organisations have spoken out in defence of Mr Assange in the past and they have published the findings of the release by WikiLeaks without being penalised in the same way that Mr Assange has been.
Updated
Liberals attempt to delay IR bill until next year
Over in the House of Representatives, and it seems that the Liberal MP Paul Fletcher attempted to send Tony Burke’s “closing the loopholes” IR bill to committee in an attempt to delay it until next year, by having the committee report back in February 2024.
There was a small debate, but the vote was deferred until later this afternoon. Given the numbers in the house, this will not succeed, but you have to respect the grind.
Updated
Looks like One Nation and the Coalition have found something to disagree on when it comes to the no campaign:
No to Albanese’s Voice and race-based Referendum.
— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) September 5, 2023
No to Dutton’s race-based Referendum.
One Nation wants all Australians to be equal. pic.twitter.com/psBxr0FNxK
Senate queries banking legislation
The parliament sitting began at midday and it is straight into business.
The Senate has been looking at banking legislation, which has made Malcolm Roberts very cranky (against the banks). Katy Gallagher is patiently answering his questions (he is alluding to the big four banks actually being the “big one”. There is a lot in those questions, and I am not sure anyone can do them justice.)
The bill is to put more regulations into the financial sector (around the banking royal commission) but Roberts is all about whether or not they are limiting competition.
The Greens put forward an amendment which would have meant multi-million dollar fines for bankers found to have done wrong, which was voted down, but LNP senator Gerard Rennick did side with the Greens in the vote.
Updated
Australian Travel Industry Association on Joyce departure
The Australian Travel Industry Association has responded to news of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce’s early exit.
The association’s CEO, Dean Long, said the body looks forward to working with incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson and her team:
It’s important we have a positive, collaborative relationship to support travelling Australians.
In the current year, one third of our clients flew with Qantas domestically and internationally, representing nearly $3bn of Australians’ money spent on air travel.
We look forward to working collaboratively to support these travellers and our businesses for mutual success.
Updated
Labor will not back Greens bill to legalise cannabis
Staying in the Labor partyroom, the government has resolved to not support Greens senator David Shoebridge’s bill to legalise cannabis in Australia.
A partyroom spokesperson said they wouldn’t back the bill, which would have allowed recreational use and a commercial industry nationwide.
Elsewhere in the meeting, the PM, Anthony Albanese, said the government would be focusing on more besides the referendum in coming weeks, noting more work to come on their fee-free Tafe policy, urgent care clinics and the Murray Darling Basin plan.
On the industrial relations legislation, a caucus member said the plan would “save lives and deliver justice”, noting an example of a gig worker who had died on the job. The PM noted that sometimes in government, politicians would receive “pushback” - perhaps a reference to the outrage of some business groups to the IR plan - but said he wanted to “make a difference, not to take up space”.
The trade minister, Don Farrell, was asked about wine exports to China. He said wine was “a difficult issue to resolve” but noted trade restrictions to China had rapidly reduced in recent months, and that the government was still working with Beijing to deal with the matter.
Updated
PM: winning the voice referendum will be ‘hard, but can be done’
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says winning the referendum will be “hard, but can be done”, in one of his last rev-ups to the Labor caucus ahead of the October voting day.
The Labor partyroom met in Canberra today for the sitting week. Top of the agenda for discussion were the government’s industrial relations changes, and the Indigenous voice referendum.
In his address to the room, Albanese said it had been a busy time for the government, pointing to last month’s national conference (“extraordinarily successful”), his overseas trip for Asian summit season (leaving today, returning Monday morning), and last week’s launch of the referendum campaign.
Albanese said: “changing the constitution is hard, but it can be done.”
Pointing to Labor’s historic triumph in the Aston byelection earlier this year, the PM said: “winning a byelection in government from opposition can be hard, but Mary Doyle is now in the room.”
Albanese said a referendum success would “declare to the world that we are a mature nation that can come to terms with its history”, and praised the Uluru Dialogue’s John Farnham ad as showcasing “the best of the Australian character.”
The PM also chipped as “absurdity” opposition leader Peter Dutton’s policy to have a second referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition, if the October vote failed. He said:
[Dutton] thinks we’re spending too much time on the issue, but wants to continue the debate for years.
Updated
Queensland government apologies to abused teens
The Queensland government has apologised to two boys with autism who were found severely malnourished, naked and locked in a room after their father died.
A report published by the disability royal commission heard the state of Queensland should have done more to prevent the severe neglect and abuse of the teenage brothers, known by the pseudonyms Kaleb and Jonathon.
It recommended the government acknowledge and apologise for their suffering and consider compensating them.
Between June 2000 and May 2020, there were 30 occasions when concerns about neglect were raised with Queensland authorities, while 19 child protection notifications were received by the state’s Department of Child Safety.
The boys were reportedly denied water on several occasions and needed haircuts because their hair had such a strong stench of urine that it could not be washed out.
In February 2019, Kaleb was observed eating a dog’s bone by child safety officers, the royal commission heard.
The state’s child safety minister, Craig Crawford, said he was “disgusted” to learn about the abuse experienced by the boys.
I want to sincerely apologise to Jonathon and Kaleb for what occurred to them over the 20 years ... This should never have happened ... We must do better, we can do better, and we will do better.”
Updated
Transport minister on Alan Joyce's early exit: 'an opportunity for new leadership'
The transport minister, Catherine King, has responded to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce’s early exit announcement today.
King said:
The decision by Alan Joyce to stand down as chief executive officer of Qantas marks the end of one era and the start of a new one with both major Australian airlines led by women.
His decision to bring forward his retirement from Qantas provides an opportunity for new leadership.
I wish Vanessa Hudson every success in her new role.
Updated
Australia Post applies to increase basic postage by 30c
Following news last week that Australia Post lost $200m last financial year, it has now applied to the competition watchdog proposing to increase the basic postage rate from $1.20 to $1.50. There is no proposed change to the cost of concession stamps ($0.60) or seasonal greetings stamps ($0.65).
Australia Post reported a $384.1m loss in its letters business in FY23.
It noted that Australia’s domestic stamp rate continues to be one of the lowest in the OECD and has increased by just $0.20 in the past seven years. The average household sends around 15 letters a year and, if implemented, the proposed increase would cost about $4.50 extra a year.
The group’s chief executive officer and managing director, Paul Graham, said:
We’ve made a number of changes in the past year to improve and simplify our business but, as we are entirely self-funded and receive no ongoing government funding, we need to ensure we reduce losses in our letters business.
Each year, our posties are required to deliver to more households, with approximately 200,000 new delivery points added to postal rounds in the last financial year. At the same time, letter volumes continued to decline, and we expect them to halve in the next five years.
We’re committed to maintaining the letters service for communities across Australia and increasing the basic postage rate will help us continue to deliver for all Australians.
Updated
NSW energy review releases results
The long-anticipated release of the NSW government’s independent review of the state’s energy security has provided some inconclusive results.
The O’Reilly “check-up”, commissioned by the state’s energy minister, Penny Sharpe, came up with 54 recommendationsl; 50 of them were accepted by the government.
One which will receive close scrutiny is the recommendation for the government to “engage” with Origin Energy to extend the operating life of the 2,880-megawatt Eraring plant, near Newcastle.
There is no recommendation, though, of how many of the four units should be extended beyond the present closure date of August 2025. Nor does it say for how long it should run.
Interestingly, the government should have the powers to extract from Eraring evidence of the claims it makes for the cost of an extension, the report has found.
Yesterday, the previous energy minister for the Coalition government, Matt Kean, said he had advice it would cost a net $3bn for running two units for two years beyond August 2025. The report doesn’t put a number on that cost.
Updated
Labor is promising to close ‘loopholes’ that hurt workers. What’s changing and how will it work?
Given the other big issue of the week (how is it only Tuesday?) is still ticking away in the background, it is worth having a look at what exactly Tony Burke’s latest IR legislation actually seeks to do.
Will it really cost nearly $1bn in extra wages? Will it actually bring about productivity Armageddon? Will Australia fall into the ocean the moment it’s passed?
Paul Karp has you covered on most of those questions:
Updated
Freecycle organisation reveals data breach including IDs, email addresses and passwords
Freecycle – a global forum dedicated to users giving their unwanted goods to each other across the globe – has admitted it has suffered a data breach of user information.
In a post late last week, the charity said it became aware of a data breach on 30 August, which includes usernames, user IDs, email addresses and passwords. The organisation said people should change not only their password on Freecycle, but the password on any other site that users may have used the same password on.
The organisation said it had informed regulators in the UK and the United States (but did not indicate whether the Australian privacy commissioner had been informed).
Updated
Given the Alan Joyce news, it is worth revisiting his Senate inquiry appearance from just last week.
Joyce had not wanted to attend and had to be summonsed, and I don’t think anyone thought it went well:
Updated
Paul Karp has been to the Greens party room briefing and it seems like the position on the inquiry into the decision to not allow Qatar more domestic routes (the main one between Sydney and Melbourne being the sticking point) hasn’t changed too much from this morning when Adam Bandt fronted RN:
Greens are expecting orders for production of documents about Qatar airways decision and special purpose flights to pass the Senate. Deadline of end of next week.
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) September 5, 2023
Greens "not opposed" to an inquiry into Qatar but wants to see documents first. #auspol
Updated
Rise in military export approvals to Saudi Arabia labelled ‘disturbing’
Australia significantly increased the number of permits for the export of military equipment to Saudi Arabia last year, prompting concern and calls for transparency.
The government issued 21 permits for military or dual use goods to Saudi Arabia in 2022. That was up on 17 from 2021 and about five between 23 August 2019 and 26 October 2020.
The government does not provide details about what is being exported and how it is being used. It could include ammunition and arms, but may also be simulators and training equipment that defence says is “not necessarily for a military purpose”.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge said:
When Australia changed governments last year, there was hope it would reverse Australia’s push to be a top-10 global arms dealer. Instead, the Albanese government has doubled down on arms sales to some of the world’s most troubling regimes.
When you sell weapons, you can expect people to use them. When you sell weapons to countries engaged in violent military occupations or wars of aggression, you can assume they will be used to breach human rights.
Human rights groups have in recent years warned against exporting defence materials to Saudi Arabia because of its primary role in the Yemen war. That conflict – involving the Saudi-backed government, a Saudi and UAE-led military coalition and Houthi rebels – has lasted eight years, displaced millions of people and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Updated
‘Merciless drive for profits’ made Qantas ‘lose its way’: ASU secretary
The Australia Services Union also thinks Alan Joyce’s early departure from Qantas is a chance at a “reset” with the airline.
That follows the group representing Qantas pilots, the TWU and others connected with the airline all pretty much saying the same thing.
ASU assistant national secretary Emeline Gaske said the decision to bring forward Vanessa Hudson’s term was the “right one after the events of the past week confirmed that the merciless drive for profits had led Qantas to lose its way”.
It’s time for Qantas to hit the reset button.
If this once iconic airline wants to rebuild its reputation with the Australian people and ensure it is around for another 100 years, it must start investing in the people that made it great in the first place: its people.
We need to bring the spirit of Australia back to Qantas with a commitment to its people and customers.
Updated
Labor’s caucus meeting has also ended, so we will get the briefing on what happened there very soon.
Updated
(continued from previous post)
Jacinta Nampijnpa Price did not take several opportunities to endorse Gary Johns remaining in the no campaign. She was “in agreement with the fact that, Indigenous kids need to be able to learn to read and write English”, calling it “a pretty pertinent point” for education and employment opportunities – but did not directly answer when asked whether she was comfortable with Johns staying as a leading figure in the no campaign.
People can have their opinions. My concern is the kids of Yipirinya right now, that’s the purpose of this particular media conference is about. I would prefer to be able to focus on marginalised children from my community than get into the weeds with other people’s opinions. It’s not what I’m here for.
Price’s staffer called “last question” at that point, after just four questions, as another journalist asked: “are you saying Gary Johns’ opinions are OK?”
She responded:
I’ll make it very clear, I’m not concerned with the opinions of others. I’m concerned with the welfare of Indigenous children in marginalised communities.
It’d be nice if the media was concerned with that as well. That’d be great. Perhaps we could start to improve the lives of marginalised Indigenous Australians, when people paid enough attention to the lives of marginalised Indigenous children, than getting into the weeds with other nitty-gritty right now, particularly right now in this particular conference is not important.
The media conference was ended at that point, following her staffer asking if there were any further questions about the Yipirinya school.
Updated
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price pushed on Gary Johns' comments at press conference
Shadow Indigenous Australians minister and No campaign leader Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has stopped short of endorsing controversial anti-voice campaigner Gary Johns, saying she doesn’t want to get “into the weeds” of comments from others when asked about his claims that recently drew widespread condemnation.
Price, the Coalition senator from Northern Territory, joined Victorian colleague and shadow education minister Sarah Henderson for a press conference in Parliament House, calling for more funding for the Yipirinya school catering to Indigenous students in Central Australia.
After several questions on the topic, Price was asked about comments from Johns – a key spokesperson for the no campaign, president of the Recognise A Better Way group set up by Warren Mundine – who recently came under scrutiny for suggesting Indigenous people should take blood tests to access Aboriginal welfare programs. Johns, in a speech at the CPAC conference of which Mundine is chairman, claimed some people in Indigenous communities lived in a “stupor” and recommended they “learn English”.
Johns has previously rejected calls for him to leave the no campaign after those comments, defending his claims in subsequent media interviews.
(continued in next post)
Updated
Birmingham says second referendum could be held alongside election
There has been a lot of criticism about Peter Dutton’s idea to have a second referendum if this referendum he is actively campaigning against fails. Dutton floated the idea of having a second referendum just for Indigenous recognition in the constitution, which no one has asked for (as a standalone referendum).
And another criticism has been the cost – Dutton and the no campaign have been critical of the cost of this referendum in a ‘cost of living crisis’ so the idea he now supports holding a second referendum has been met with … well, guffaws is putting it mildly.
Simon Birmingham, speaking to Sky News this morning had a solution (at least on the cost issue) – hold a second referendum at the same time as a general election!
It’s been a longstanding position that the Coalition supports constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples and first Australians.
I would hope that if the voice referendum fails, we can go through a proper process that ultimately builds the type of broad consensus and support across the country that enables it to occur without the type of problems that this referendum is encountering, and perhaps in a manner where it could even be held, maybe in conjunction with an election down the track or the like, to ensure that it is a unifying moment, but also one that minimises costs or other factors.
Updated
‘Confused and meek’: Pesutto voting no to protect his job, Andrews says
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says the opposition leader, John Pesutto, “doesn’t have the internal authority to vote how he’d like to” after he confirmed he would not support the Indigenous voice referendum.
Pesutto on Monday released a statement announcing he would vote no in the October referendum, saying he believes the objectives of the advisory body could be achieved without enshrining it in the constitution.
Speaking to reporters, Andrews said Pesutto was voting no to protect his job:
He doesn’t have the internal authority to vote how he’d like to.
This is his position, as confused and meek as it is. This is not leadership.
Updated
Implementing reforms from Yoorrook commission within one year would be ‘challenging’: Andrews
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has warned it will be “challenging” to implement a raft of reforms recommended by the state’s Indigenous truth-telling inquiry within one year.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission on Monday recommended sweeping changes for the state’s child protection and criminal justice systems. The inquiry recommended Indigenous Victorians have decision-making powers in the state’s child protection and criminal justice system. It recommended a one-year implementation timeframe for urgent reforms.
Speaking to reporters, Andrews said the government would consider all recommendations in the report:
Cabinet will have a proper, deliberative process … we will report progress.
Andrews said there were “ambitious” timelines in the report:
That’s not a criticism. What I’m not necessarily going to do is sign up to that 12 month [timeline].
Andrews is holding a press conference in Melbourne where he announced the government would extend the state government’s tutor learning program, designed to support students whose education was disrupted during the pandemic.
Updated
Philip Lowe’s final monthly RBA meeting as governor today
In the midst of everything going on today, it should also probably be noted that Dr Philip Lowe will attend his final monthly RBA board meeting. The board is expected to keep interest rates where they are, but Lowe will be succeeded by Michelle Bullock in just a couple of weeks.
Lowe will deliver a speech at the end of this week.
Updated
The Greens are out of their party room meeting – we should hear some of the decisions on whether or not the party will support the motions for an inquiry into the Qatar air decision, and to have more information on some of the special purpose flights (with a focus on the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles) very soon.
Updated
Mike Bowers has had a busy morning – here is a taste.
First there was the Australian Sports Foundation Pollie Relay Dash:
For some it was more of a jog …
Tony Burke continued his IR sell – this morning with the TWU on the issue of labour hire workers in the truck driving industry:
And Jacinta Price held what has become a very rare occurrence in Canberra – a press conference. We will bring you some of that very soon.
Updated
Simon Birmingham held a press conference before the Alan Joyce news dropped, where he said the Coalition would continue to push for answers on the Qatar airways decision:
The Prime Minister clearly still has questions to answer and his evasiveness on this is ill befitting the office of Prime Minister and completely inconsistent with what he promised to be before the last election. He promised to be more transparent. He promised to be more accountable. And yet what we’ve got is a Prime Minister who acknowledges he had secret conversations that influenced a government decision, but he won’t tell people who those secret conversations were with. That’s no way to conduct government decision making, particularly not when Australians and Australia’s tourism industry and Australian exporters end up being the ones paying the price.
Mining industry says Australia ‘a riskier place to invest’ due to tax and regulation
The resources industry is in Canberra for Minerals Week and it’s using the opportunity to push its case for … less tax and regulation.
As AAP reports:
The sector’s leaders have gathered in Canberra for the annual Minerals Week summit with cost pressures hitting development and amid a stoush with federal Labor over proposed industrial relations laws. Minerals Council chair Andrew Michelmore said:
There is no doubt Australia has become a more difficult place to do business and a riskier place to invest.
The grim picture must change if Australia is to realise its potential and reap the enormous benefits of this clean energy mining boom.
Michelmore said it takes, on average, 16 years to move a project from exploration and discovery to construction and development.
He said investors, both here and abroad, are starting to lose their appetite after “opportunistic tax and royalty increases and regular political invention”.
Updated
Estimated $900m-a-year cost of new IR laws is ‘extraordinary amount for people to have been underpaid’: Burke
Labor’s closing loopholes industrial relations bill is estimated to cost employers more than $900m a year in increased wages, consisting of about $511m for labour hire workers and $404m for gig economy workers. Some outlets have today reported that as a 10-year $9bn figure.
Asked about this cost impost on business, the workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, told reporters in Canberra:
About the $9bn figure – a couple of things. First of all, you look at that and you say, that’s an extraordinary amount for people to have been underpaid.
The second thing I’d say about it – you look at it in the context of the total wages budget of Australia, because there was an allegation that somehow this meant massive costs to consumers, that figure as a percentage of Australia’s wages budget is one tenth of one per cent (0.1%) of what wages are in Australia.
So let’s get all of this in context. What that figure says is: most businesses don’t use the loopholes, but some of them have competitors who do. For those who do use the loopholes, their workers are a lot worse off …
There’s no significant impact here to the economy because the money is not taken out of the economy. Money goes to workers who are currently being underpaid. That’s a good thing. It’s a small proportion, a tiny proportion of the total wages budget in Australia.
Burke said the IR bill will be “life-changing” for those being underpaid. The $9bn figure is “completely in the interests of working people and poses no threat to the Australian economy”, he said.
Updated
NSW Greens welcome public school teacher pay offer
The New South Wales Greens have come out in support of the state government’s salary offer to public school teachers, adding the party will “be holding” the education minister to her commitment to reduce workloads in parliament.
The offer, put to members of the NSW Teachers’ Federation this morning, offers a 12-month pay increase from 9 October that would make teachers the highest paid in the nation.
NSW Greens spokesperson for education, Tamara Smith, attended the federation’s announcement earlier this morning.
After negotiations stalled earlier this year, Smith lodged a motion in parliament calling on the state government to return to the table in “good faith” to address “uncompetitive teacher salaries and unsustainable workloads”.
Public school teachers in NSW are finally being valued for the work they do ... I know so many teachers were heartbroken to see the Labor government go back on their word to deliver a real pay rise, so it is heartening to see that teachers’ passionate advocacy has been heard.
Sixty per cent of teachers plan to leave the profession within the next five years – this is a crisis, and we need bold reform if we want to stop the chronic shortage of teachers in our schools.
The Independent Education Union has hailed the offer as “a way forward at last”, adding an agreement between the union and NSW Catholic dioceses means the salary increases to government schools will flow on to the Catholic system.
Updated
NSWTF reaches in-principle agreement with state government over pay
The New South Wales Teachers’ Federation has reached an in-principle agreement to back the state government’s pay deal which will make public teachers in the state the highest paid in the nation.
A previous offer which would have increased wages by 2.5% in years two, three and four was described as a broken promise by the union, who had threatened striking this month.
The agreement returned to the table moves all teachers to a new higher paying step of up to $122,100 for highest-paid teachers.
The union said the proposal was the most “significant improvement to NSW teachers’ wages in decades”. The executive has recommended the agreement be endorsed at an upcoming council meeting on Saturday.
As part of the deal, school counsellors will also have their salaries boosted recognising dual degrees and workforce shortages in their sector, and casuals will move to a three-step scale linked to the new full-time salary.
NSW Teachers Federation acting president, Henry Rajendra, said it was a “historic advance” for the state’s education sector.
The agreement we struck with the government has been resurrected and honoured.
The teacher shortage is a crisis that brewed for 12 long years. It can only be tackled by paying teachers what they are worth. The proposed agreement is a breakthrough moment.“
Updated
Pilots’ association hopes Joyce’s retirement can be a ‘circuit breaker’ for Qantas
The group who represent Qantas pilots, The Australian and International Pilots Association have also responded to Alan Joyce’s resignation and said they hope it is a “circuit breaker” which they say is “needed to allow Qantas to move forward”.
AIPA president, Captain Tony Lucas, said:
We look forward to working constructively with incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson to rebuild our iconic airline into the respected and trusted brand that has made all Australians proud.
There is much work to be done, however we trust that Ms Hudson recognises the power of respecting and valuing all Qantas staff and how that can play a significant role in the renewal of the airline.
The Spirit of Australia may be deflated, but it is not defeated and if we all work together, I’m confident Qantas can be great once more.
Elias Visontay has the whole story here:
Updated
‘Your time is up’: TWU secretary welcomes news of Alan Joyce’s early retirement
Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine has welcomed the news that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has brought forward his retirement from the role.
Kaine, whose union has had a combative relationship with Qantas, said:
The Australian people have caught up with the type of Qantas Alan Joyce was running.
He claimed the airline had become known for its “decimated workforce, service standards through the floor and air fares through the roof”.
Clearly the board, one of the few good decisions they have made recently is saying to Alan Joyce, ‘your time is up’.
Updated
Labor’s Tony Sheldon says Alan Joyce should forgo $24m bonus
Labor senator and former TWU secretary Tony Sheldon is not holding back when it comes to Alan Joyce.
Sheldon is a longtime critic of Joyce and said his legacy will be a workforce “split across 38 companies and a brand now synonymous with low pay, insecure work, illegal sackings and consumer rip-offs”.
He says the board should also be held accountable, that sacked workers should be reinstated and Joyce should forgo his $24m bonus.
The Qantas board and shareholders now have an obligation to knock Mr Joyce’s bonus off.
Updated
‘I’m not sure I agree with Barnaby Joyce on pretty much anything else’, says Monique Ryan on Assange
Kooyong independent MP Dr Monique Ryan is part of a cross-parliament delegation visiting Washington to urge the US government to drop its extradition attempts and prosecution of Julian Assange. Barnaby Joyce is part of the delegation and Ryan says the two have found some of their only common ground on the issue. Ryan said:
Enough is enough.
Julian Assange should be freed.
I’m not sure I agree with Barnaby Joyce on pretty much anything else, which suggests how important this is.
Assange has been jailed for a decade for publishing evidence of war crimes and human rights abuses.
This sets a dangerous precedent for all journalists, media organisations and for freedom of the press.
His extradition to the US is at odds with that country’s role as world leader on freedom of expression and the rule of law.
It’s time for him to come home.
Updated
NSW pay deal for public teachers would make them best paid in Australia
The New South Wales government has returned to the table with a pay deal that would make public teachers the best paid in the nation.
Teachers have rallied outside the offices of the premier, Chris Minns and deputy premier, Prue Car, in recent weeks after negotiations with the NSW Teachers’ Federation stalled in July. The union was considering taking industrial action this month.
Today, Car has confirmed after “positive discussions” with the teachers’ union, the federation is now considering a renewed offer made by the state government.
The four-year-agreement would raise the starting salary for a NSW teacher from $75,791 to $85,000 and the salary for top-of-the-scale teachers from $113,042 to $122,100.
Wages in the following three years will continue to rise in line with the state government’s wages policy. The offer will require the agreement of the Teachers Federation Council on Saturday.
Car said the state government was “hopeful” the agreement would be made.
Negotiating an outcome that demonstrates respect to teachers has always been my highest priority. In order to tackle the teacher shortage crisis we must restore respect to the teaching profession, so teachers are free to do their jobs without additional stress.
While there is much more to do, today marks an important step forward as we continue working to rebuild our state’s education system.
Updated
Alan Joyce’s early retirement comes as Qantas’ image has taken a battering in recent weeks.
The decision just comes days after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last Thursday announced it was taking legal action against the airline over damning allegations it had been selling tickets to more than 8,000 flights it had already cancelled in its system.
However, even Qantas itself conceded its image had been “hit hard on several fronts” due to soaring customer dissatisfaction – it was the most complained about company to the ACCC for the past two years – stubbornly high air fares, thousands of job cuts, and refusing to hand back billions in jobkeeper and government subsidies even as the airline posted a record $2.47bn profit in late August.
Pressure on Joyce and senior Qantas leaders had been building this week, with the airline’s board urged to withhold millions of dollars in executive bonuses.
In Canberra, momentum has also been building to investigate the airline’s special relationship with government, with a focus on the decision to reject Qatar Airways’ request to almost double its capacity into Australia and the influence of Qantas in the refusal.
Updated
Tony Burke on ‘closing loopholes’ bill and how it will help truck drivers
In the midst of all of that, Tony Burke held a quick press conference to talk about how the government’s “closing loopholes” bill (the gig economy legislation he introduced yesterday) will help truck drivers.
Burke says the legislation will mean:
The Fair Work Commission will have discretion on what those minimum standards will cover, such as fair payment terms, and must be satisfied that its orders won’t adversely affect the viability or competitiveness of road transport contractor drivers.
A road transport expert panel will be established within the Fair Work Commission to hear applications for standards, guided by advice from a road transport industry advisory group, ensuring the commission has the road transport expertise it needs.
-
Before making a road transport minimum standards order, the Fair Work Commission must also ensure:
There has been genuine engagement with the parties to be covered.
It has consulted the road transport advisory group and its subcommittees.
The order takes into account the commercial realities of the industry.
The order will not adversely affect the viability and competitiveness of owner drivers.
And just to head off the coming criticism, Burke’s statement says these proposed changes “follow extensive consultation with the industry and unions”.
Updated
University of South Australia launches new certificate in childhood trauma
The University of South Australia has launched Australia’s first postgraduate degree to support frontline workers responding to child abuse.
The online certificate in childhood trauma was developed in the wake of the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, which recommended more training and workforce capacity building for foster carers and relatives, residential care staff and child protection workers.
Deputy director in the Australian centre for child protection, Amanda Paton, said abuse was easy to miss if you didn’t know the signs.
She said social workers and psychologists often graduated from university without any understanding of child sexual abuse or signs of trauma.
It often gets misdiagnosed as autism or developmental disorders because most people working in the sector have not received adequate training.
With nearly one in four individuals across the nation reporting an experience of child sexual abuse, enhanced workforce support in this area is critical.
Analysis released by the eSafety commissioner today found one in eight complaints of child sexual abuse material was self generated, involving perpetrators directing children to perform explicit acts on their phone or webcam.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said perpetrators were sliding into DMs on online games and social media to groom children, overwhelmingly girls.
Updated
Well, that news is certainly going to focus the parliamentary agenda today.
The Qatar Airways decision inquiry push probably just got a little bit more of a boost too.
We’ll bring you the reactions as soon as they hear.
Updated
‘Challenging time’ for company, Qantas chair says in statement on Joyce’s departure
As for the rest of that statement, here is what the Qantas chairman, Richard Goyder, had to say:
Alan has always had the best interests of Qantas front and centre, and today shows that. On behalf of the Board, we sincerely thank him for his leadership through some enormous challenges and for thinking well-ahead on opportunities like ultra long-haul travel.
This transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time for Qantas and its people. We have an important job to do in restoring the public’s confidence in the kind of company we are, and that’s what the Board is focused on, and what the management under Vanessa’s leadership will do.
As planned, shareholders will formally vote on the appointment of Vanessa Hudson as managing director at Qantas’s annual general meeting in November.
Updated
Qantas ‘needs to move ahead with its renewal’, Joyce says in ASX statement
In the Qantas statement to the ASX, Alan Joyce said it had become clear to him the focus needed to be on renewal. Vanessa Hudson will assume the role of managing director and group CEO from tomorrow, 6 September.
Joyce:
In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority.
The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job.
There is a lot I am proud of over my 22 years at Qantas, including the past 15 years as CEO. There have been many ups and downs, and there is clearly much work still to be done, especially to make sure we always deliver for our customers. But I leave knowing that the company is fundamentally strong and has a bright future.
Updated
Alan Joyce stepping down as Qantas CEO early
Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, has advised the board he will bring forward his retirement by two months, after a damaging few weeks for the airline.
As a result, Vanessa Hudson will assume the role of managing director and group CEO effective 6 September 2023.
Updated
Oops – my mistake, Anthony Albanese is still in town – he will be leaving sometime this afternoon. So he is still in town and will be in QT.
And the party room meeting. So acting prime minister Richard Marles won’t be happening until later.
Apologies etc
Updated
Kerrynne Liddle says ‘nobody wins’ in ‘divisive’ voice referendum
Liberal senator and Arrernte woman, Kerrynne Liddle is on ABC News Breakfast speaking about the voice.
Yesterday on ABC radio RN, Liddle explained what she believed was needed to help Indigenous communities – and it sounded a lot like the voice.
But she is still team no;
I think the prime minister has had many occasions in the last 12 months to read the mood and separate constitutional recognition from voice. And I think that’s – I held the position for a very long time – that it is unfortunate that we are looking at this from a win-lose proposition. Nobody wins from this referendum being conducted in this way and in such a divisive way.
Updated
NSW government to give result of energy ‘checkup’ with Eraring plans in focus
The Minns government in New South Wales will this morning reveal the result of its “checkup” of the state’s energy security.
Much of the focus will be what the Labor government plans to do with Eraring, the 2880-megawatt power station near Newcastle. Origin Energy has set an August 2025 closure date for the coal-burning plant.
Media will get a briefing and media conference with the energy minister, Penny Sharpe, from 11am AEST. Without jinxing things, it is possible that there won’t be a definitive decision – as in, negotiations with Origin haven’t been completed. Let’s see.
As we saw yesterday, the former Coalition energy minister Matt Kean put the cost of extending just two of the four units at the plant for two years at a net $3bn:
The premier, Chris Minns, Sharpe and others said they hadn’t been briefed about a number that large. If it’s the case that talks with Origin are ongoing, there may not yet be an estimated cost.
Within Labor, there’s a frustration that the Coalition privatising the power sector about a decade ago had placed them in the muddle they now face. Origin paid just $50m for the giant plant (and even received $300m for a cancelled coal contract.)
Updated
Bandt asked about Labor criticism of Greens getting ‘too close’ to Coalition
Adam Bandt is asked about criticism (from the government) that the Greens are getting “too close” to the Coalition, because occasionally the two parties have fallen on the same side of some of these issues (calling the government to account).
Bandt says the guiding principle for the party is what is in the best interest of the people everyone in parliament is representing;
We will push the fight for public interest into the people’s interest. We don’t take the donations from the big corporations. We’re there to back the people and to back openness and transparency. And that’s our guiding principle and that’s why we’ll have a look at any proposals and will seriously consider any proposals that are put.
Updated
Greens party room to consider push for revealing security advice on reduced reporting of RAAF VIP aircraft
There is a push from the Senate to have the security advice the government received to justify the reduced reporting of the RAAF VIP aircraft (the special purpose flights) used by ministers.
Will the Greens be supporting that?
We’ll have a look at that proposal. Again, our party room is meeting this morning. So we’ll have a look at proposals that are being put our inclination is for transparency. If the government says that there’s there’s particular reasons that they can’t produce certain information, then it’s up to them to make that case and previous governments have done that and sometimes it gets accepted and sometimes it’s not.
But the starting point should be you produce it and you show it to the people unless there’s some good reason not to, and again, we’re yet to hear any good reasons not to be open and fully transparent.
Updated
Question of transparency over Richard Marles’ flight details, says Bandt
On deputy prime minister Richard Marles’ flight bill, Adam Bandt says it is again an issue of transparency:
John Howard, in his government, released the details of flights that were taken at public expense. And we’re asking for the same rules to apply here.
So for us again … the first question is, let’s just be transparent about this. It’s a significant sum of money, and previous governments have been upfront about how this money [was used], how these costs were incurred.
And we think this government should just continue the practice of previous governments and disclose this information. And we’re yet to hear a convincing explanation as to why that information won’t be disclosing, given the previous governments have done it.
Updated
‘Practise what you preach’: Bandt says Labor must answer outstanding questions on notice
Back to Adam Bandt, and the Greens leader is asked about Sarah Basford Canales’ story about the outstanding questions on notice the government has on the notice paper.
Bandt says the government has to walk the walk as well:
I don’t know whether it’s deliberate. That’s the question you’d have to ask the government, but the we know that a lot of questions aren’t being answered.
There are questions that we want answered as well. And I think transparency should apply when you’re in the opposition benches as well as from the government benches as well.
Like you can’t just do it from opposition – you have to practise what you preach when you’re in government too. [That’s one] of the reasons that we’re pushing to see what advice was given about the Qatar decision. We do need … transparency and we can’t just have it as something that you say from opposition.
Updated
Asic sues Westpac over alleged failure to respond to customers’ financial hardship requests
The corporate regulator is suing Westpac after it allegedly failed to appropriately respond to hundreds of financial hardship requests from bank customers.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) said in a statement on Tuesday it had started civil proceedings in the federal court seeking financial penalties to be imposed on the major bank.
A deficiency with Westpac’s online hardship notice process resulted in 229 customers not receiving a response to their hardship notice within 21 days which is a legal requirement, Asic alleges.
All of these customers told Westpac they were experiencing financial hardship.
Many of these customers also told Westpac about their difficult circumstances and vulnerabilities, including their inability to work, the impacts of serious medical conditions or their carer responsibilities.
The issue allegedly occurred between 2017 and 2022.
Westpac said in a statement the proceedings related to a technology failure, and that it has since completed a remediation program for affected customers that included fee and interest refunds. Scott Collary, Westpac’s chief information officer, said:
This error meant we didn’t provide some of our customers with the help they needed. For this, we are deeply sorry.
Updated
Government’s job to make big corporations act in public interest: Bandt
Adam Bandt said the Greens are open to see what other proposals different parties are putting forward about the Qatar decision, but haven’t discussed the issue as a party room as yet. He repeats that the main game for his party though, is looking at corporate interests as a whole;
The broader picture here is the we’re seeing big corporations at the moment making record profits off the back of everyday people, these big corporations line up to public handouts when the going gets tough and then when they get back into a more healthy situation, they just pocket the profits and they pass the costs on to everyday people and we think it’s time to say enough is enough and it’s time for these big corporations [to be] made to act in the public interest and that’s government’s job.
Updated
Greens want to know if Qatar Airways decision was made in ‘public interest’ or ‘corporate interest’
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is speaking to Patricia Karvelas on ABC radio RN Breakfast, where he is talking about the Greens push to look at the advice the government received over the Qatar Airways decision.
Bandt says the Greens want to see what advice was given to the government before backing any inquiry – but their main focus is whether the government is acting “in the public interest, or the corporate interest”.
And Bandt is also not on board with the Coalition logic that introducing another airline would have lowered prices.
Where we differ from the Coalition is that the Coalition seems to think that an introduction of another airline would have saved things and that’s not necessarily the case – that may have just resulted in high air fares being charged for everyone, and then profits going to a different corporation.
Updated
Tuesday is party room meeting day, which means the morning will be a little quiet. Labor will most definitely be quiet because its the first morning the prime minister is away, and it’s an unspoken rule that those acting in the role don’t make that big a splash.
At least on the first day.
Albanese speaks of ‘great respect’ for industry at Minerals Week dinner
Before he left for Indonesia, Anthony Albanese gave a speech at the Minerals Week dinner, which was held at Parliament House. As always, the speech for this type of thing was a little fawning, a little she’ll be right;
Minerals Week is a valuable opportunity for us to celebrate the contribution that all the employers and workers represented in this room make to Australia’s national prosperity.
Over 14% of our GDP.
Over two-thirds of Australia’s export value.
And more than a million jobs.
Our government will keep working with you to ensure that as you continue to create good, secure jobs, you can rely on a skilled and productive workforce.
This has been the focus of our constructive engagement on industrial relations reform, on overdue changes to the migration system and boosting skills.
And while we will not always agree on every aspect of every issue, we do all agree on the overarching objective: a more productive and prosperous Australia.
I’ve always had great respect for the vital role your industry plays in our nation.
And since being elected as prime minister, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the central role you play in our region.
Updated
WA premier says Qatar Airways request for extra flights should have been granted
The Qatar airlines decision was one of the issues to emerge from the mess that was yesterday, with plenty of business groups, as well as Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles chiming in to say they would like to see more flights in the domestic market.
Anthony Albanese tried to head off the issue yesterday in question time, by pointing to a decision former Coalition minister Michael McCormack deferred when it came to Qatar, but it hasn’t worked.
Now the WA premier, Roger Cook, has weighed in;
Let me say this about Qatar Airways – they backed Western Australia during Covid. They had as few as seven passengers on their planes, but they continued to fly. We think more flights with Qatar is a great opportunity for Western Australia and we think they should have been backed when it came to their request for extra routes in Australia.
Updated
Good morning
A very big thank you to Martin for kicking us off this morning – you have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day as we navigate parliament.
Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales will help walk you through what is happening on this second day of the sitting.
The prime minister has left for the Asean summit, meaning we have acting prime minister Richard Marles.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
Updated
Business groups attack IR reforms
Business groups have criticised the Albanese government’s proposed workplace reforms aimed at protecting the pay and conditions of workers, Australian Associated Press reports.
The government says the reforms are focused on closing loopholes, including the use of labour hire workers to undercut the rate of pay agreed for employees.
But the changes to workplace law, introduced to parliament on Monday, have been labelled as “radical” and “unworkable” by bodies representing employers.
Master Builders Australia, which represents the building and construction industry, challenged the notion the reforms would have a minimal impact.
“There is nothing simple about adding hundreds of pages to the Fair Work Act and expecting businesses of all sizes and independent contractors to try and navigate it,” chief executive officer Denita Wawn said.
The Australian Retailers Association raised concerns about the changes for casual workers.
“We see the benefits of a more permanent retail workforce, but our members say there are currently very low levels of casual conversion,” ARA boss Paul Zahra said.
He was worried the bill would add administrative hassle without making any material change to casual conversion rates.
MPs from across political spectrum to travel to DC to lobby for Assange release
A group of politicians from across Australia’s political spectrum are heading to Washington DC this month to lobby for the US to end its push to extradite Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges, and for his immediate release from London’s Belmarsh prison.
The deputation will include independent MP Monique Ryan, former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Liberal MP Alex Antic and the Greens’ David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson.
They will meets members of Congress and Senate, the US State Department and Department of Justice, and thinktanks and NGOs including the American Civil Liberties Union.
In a press release from the Assange Campaign group, its legal advisor Greg Barns said there was overwhelming public support for dropping the charges against Assange, which explained why the delegation came from across politics.
“Australians are united in their view that this matter must come to an end now. Julian should be immediately reunited with his wife and children,” Barns said. “That can only happen if the US Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once”
Assanges’s brother Gabriel Shipton said Australians have “had a gutful of this cruel never-ending injustice”.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to today’s politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories, keeping the seat warm for Amy Remeikis to take you through the day.
Our lead story this morning is our latest Essential poll showing that more Australians intend to vote no than yes in the voice referendum on 14 October. The bad news for the yes camp is that 48% intend to vote no and 42% yes, with 10% unsure. Breaking that down, 41% are committed to a hard no as opposed to 3o% for a hard yes. The better news is that 29% remain in the balance, of whom 12% are a soft yes, 7% a soft no and 10% undecided either way.
Anthony Albanese faces opposition demands for a Senate inquiry about his government’s decision to block Qatar Airways’ request for 28 additional weekly services. The prime minister told MPs yesterday that Australia’s airline industry is “the most competitive market in the world, bar none”. But calls grow for outgoing chief executive Alan Joyce and his senior team to have millions of dollars in bonuses withheld after blows to the airline’s reputation and questions over its relationship with government.
Another significant public figure on his way out of office is Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and he presides over his last board meeting today. He and his colleagues are widely expected to keep the cash rate on hold again at 4.1%, giving mortgage holders and borrowers of all stripes another month of relief from interest rate hikes.
Updated
