What we learned, Monday 9 September 2024
We’re winding down our breaking news blog for the day. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy this Monday:
The federal parliament accepted the final royal commission into defence and veteran suicide report, which was tabled by defence minister Richard Marles, who said the government would respond to the report’s 122 recommendations in a “timely manner”.
Industrial action season is upon us, with New South Wales nurses on strike tomorrow and rail workers planning strikes from 18 September.
The Health Services Union is calling for 12 days of reproductive leave to be made standard nationwide.
South Australia is forging ahead with plans to ban children who are under 14 from social media, while the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, followed suit.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has called for divesture powers for airlines, specifically, threatening Qantas with the forced sale of its low-cost brand, Jetstar.
The Queensland opposition has promised to create a public child sex offender register named for murder victim Daniel Morcombe.
And, in case you missed it, the government will reinstate LGBTQ+ questions in the next census.
Thank you for joining us, we’ll be back tomorrow morning.
Updated
NT chief minister Finocchiaro takes on police portfolio
Over to the Northern Territory, where chief minister Lia Finocchiaro has kept her election promises to tackle crime by taking on the crucial police portfolio and introducing a new ministry to accelerate development in the territory.
Finocchiaro pledged she would take on the police, fire and emergency services ministry in the lead-up to the Country Liberal party’s crushing election victory, where it won 17 of 25 seats, reports AAP.
The chief minister has also given herself defence and a newly created role of Territory coordinator, which she promised during the election campaign would speed up development and funding approvals.
The role was first proposed by Finocchiaro in opposition in 2020, but was voted down by the Labor government.
She said the Territory voted for change and her new cabinet would focus on rebuilding the economy and addressing crime after the landslide victory against Labor on 24 August.
“The CLP has been given a mandate to deliver change for all Territorians and our new cabinet will ensure a better Northern Territory for everyone,” Finocchiaro said.
Community safety is my government’s first priority and we are on track to deliver our promised reforms on bail and increased police powers in the first week of parliament.
Gerard Maley will be deputy chief minister and take on mining and energy as well as the renewables portfolios.
Finocchiaro made good on another election promise by putting youth detention back into corrections. The critical ministry will be overseen by Maley.
Updated
NSW nurses on strike tomorrow
Nurses across New South Wales will strike tomorrow, with the state’s minister for health urging those with less serious conditions to seek alternatives to emergency departments while they deal with the disruption.
Ryan Park said that the Industrial Relations Commission on Friday issued a recommendation that the NSW Nurses & Midwives Association should cease the proposed strike action tomorrow. Hearings were ongoing today to seek to avoid impacts to patient and community safety.
He warned that the strike action will affect the public health system, from longer waits in emergency rooms to cancelled non-emergency surgeries.
In a statement, the minister said:
While all local health districts have plans in place to minimise disruption, the strikes will very likely affect people seeking care.
We assure the community they should not hesitate to go to their local hospital for emergency care.
All patients will be seen and triaged on arrival at the ED and, as always, the most seriously unwell patients are treated first.
Tomorrow, we expect to see people with less urgent conditions experience longer wait times, with seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care.
NSW Health has also already started to contact people across the state whose planned surgeries will need to be postponed because of the strikes.
We remind the community of alternative options already available to them for less urgent minor conditions and keep emergency departments and ambulances for saving lives.
Nothing is more important to me as minister for health than investing in our essential health workers.
Updated
Victorian premier floats age limit for social-media use
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says the state will place age limits on social media platforms to help protect children.
In a social media video released on Monday afternoon, Allan announced the government would consult with parents, children and teachers about placing new rules on social media use – but she did not specify an age.
Allan says social media is “just not a place for kids before they’re ready”.
It harms their development and it hurts their focus. It’s not just parents telling me that, it’s kids and young people too.
It’s time to give parents the power to push back. Not against kids, but against tech giants.
The South Australian government has drafted a bill to ban children 13 and under from using social media. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has previously said he believes 16 would be the right age limit for social media, while the Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has floated 14.
For an Explainer on this issue:
Updated
ANU student wins appeal against expulsion for pro-Palestinian activism
A student at the Australian National University says winning her expulsion appeal is a “victory for all students” who have faced disciplinary action for their pro-Palestinian activism, vowing the “fight will continue” on campuses.
Beatrice Tucker was suspended in May and became the first Australian student to be expelled a month later for comments she made refusing to unequivocally condemn Hamas on ABC radio. A petition calling on her expulsion to be retracted collected more than 1,200 signatures in the following three months. Tucker said:
At campuses across the country, students have faced disciplinary action for speaking out to free Palestine and for taking action against the genocide in Gaza ... it can never be a crime to uphold the right of oppressed people to resist occupation ... the fight to cut all of ANU’s ties with the Israeli apartheid state and the Labor government’s support for genocide will continue.
The Zionist Federation of Australia president, Jeremy Leibler, said it was “beyond comprehension” that ANU has overturned her expulsion, labelling it a “failure of leadership”. He said:
ANU is setting a loud and clear precedent to other students that they can say and do whatever they want with zero consequences.
A spokesperson for ANU told Nine Newspapers it didn’t comment on specific disciplinary matters but took seriously “any alleged behaviour or speech that contravenes our values as a community, and which go against our codes of conduct”.
Updated
Disruption looms for NSW commuters as union plans action over Metro conversions
Sydney commuters could once again face delays on the train network as the union pledges to shut down a major line amid opposition to Metro conversions.
The NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union told members it would suspend all work on the T3 Bankstown Line from 18 September if the NSW government does not negotiate on the Metro upgrades, the AAP reports.
“Forcing a genuine conversation about the Bankstown conversion – one that hits on the facts and isn’t manipulated by a distracting shiny new toy,” the union said in a statement.
“At the core of these actions is ensuring that trains continue to run on the Bankstown Line and it is not closed as planned to deliver the Metro conversion.”
The union says the conversion of the T3 line between Bankstown and Sydenham would be unsafe and while Metro is the “fad of the month” the Bankstown line is a “different beast”.
“Automation for the sake of automation,” it said.
“It’s easier to bargain with machines than unionised workers.”
The planned action will involve a ban on all work on the T3 line and a pledge to only work the timetable as it stands on Monday.
The planned strike is the most significant action the union has threatened against the Minns Labor government.
Updated
Thank you, Amy Remeikis. Let’s get on with the remainder of today’s news:
Norway’s defence minister emphasises linked nature of Europe and Indo-Pacific
The visiting Norwegian defence minister, Bjorn Gram, says that northern Europe and the Indo-Pacific are not as dissimilar as might immediately meet the eye.
Speaking with Afternoon Briefing, he said:
We have a war going on in Europe. The Russian attack on Ukraine. We see that countries like China and North Korea are facilitating the Russian ability to attack Ukraine in different ways. So that’s one illustration of how these two regions are more and more interlinked.
Focusing closer to (his) home, he would not be drawn on Ukraine’s calls for permission to use long-range missiles.
“We don’t comment on terms of rules and engagement that we do for our donations to Ukraine. But, of course, Ukraine has totally aligned with international law when they also attacked Russian military capabilities within Russia proper,” he said.
And, while Gram wouldn’t comment on a US election outcome, he said Trump “had rhetoric that was difficult for Nato … I think when it comes to the security situation in the higher north, there are also some American interests there. I think when everything’s settled down, our cooperation will continue to grow in a positive way.”
Updated
The parliament is starting to slow down, but the Canberra team will keep an eye on everything that is happening for you.
I will hand you over to Daisy Dumas for the rest of the evening – but I’ll be back early tomorrow morning for more politics live (and party room meeting day! Hurrah!)
Until then – take care of you.
Updated
Marles says Labor will respond to report ‘in a timely manner’
How will the government respond to the report? Richard Marles:
I’m not going to go into each and every recommendation as you probably would imagine, given that the report has literally just been handed down. But I want to make a couple of points more generally.
We very much support the thrust of the royal commission.
We believe that the work that it’s done is profoundly important and that the report itself is profoundly important.
Without knowing – or still in the process, I should say, of going through the specifics of the recommendations, we do understand the direction in which the royal commission has gone.
And we will support the thrust of the recommendations that are made. We want to take the time, obviously, to go through each of them. But in taking that time, I also want to make this point; we will respond to this shortly. And in a very timely manner.
We understand how important it is to that there is clarity provided in terms of the government’s response and we will make that happen.
Updated
Marles acknowledges importance of transition back to civilian life for defence personnel
Richard Marles is speaking about the royal commission report on the ABC and he is asked about one of the issues which was raised – transitioning back into civilian life. He says:
I think transition is a really important issue. And I think there are gaps around the question of transition. So I do recognise that. And this has been a focus of the royal commission’s efforts.
When I appeared in front of the royal commission myself, which was an unusual step for a sitting minister to appear before a royal commission, this was very much a focus of the royal commission at that point, and I made clear in my testimony then that I understood the significance of transition as an issue.
We need to get it right. I think the other point that was certainly being made by the royal commission throughout its hearings is that there’s been a lot of work by a lot of different reports and investigations and inquiries in the past. They want this one to make a difference.
So in terms of having a standing body, they see that as being an important part of that. Again, without responding directly to the recommendation, we absolutely are committed to making sure that this royal commission makes a difference and that its recommendations last.
Updated
Strata insurer Steadfast Group suspends ASX trading after ABC report
Major strata insurance broker and underwriter Steadfast Group has suspended trading on the ASX today after a story in the ABC this morning alleged the company had engaged in misleading its clients.
The allegations included that a Steadfast-owned broker, engaged by a Sydney owners’ corporation to provide insurance quotes for their residential building, had recommended a more expensive policy from a Steadfast-owned firm while hiding a cheaper quote from a competitor.
The article was a teaser story ahead of an episode of Four Corners, scheduled to air tonight, called “The Strata Trap”.
In a statement to the ASX, Steadfast requested the trading halt until such time as it had made a statement in response to the ABC’s story, or the opening of trade on Wednesday morning – whichever came first.
The story also prompted the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, to call for strata insurance commissions to be banned. She told the ABC:
There are a set of hidden arrangements that are … not disclosed, but also circumvent disclosure of fees … The receipt of hidden payments and commissions of whatever nature is misleading consumers.
Updated
The tabling of the royal commission report into defence and veteran suicide
As the parliament accepted the final royal commission into defence and veteran suicide report, Tanya Plibersek made her way to the speakers’ gallery where Julie-Ann Finney was sitting. Finney was understandably emotional, given what she has been through to get to this point.
Mike Bowers said Plibersek looked up and saw Finney, and made her way upstairs to comfort her.
(No one is allowed to take photos or footage of the galleries, unless the speaker acknowledges someone specifically by name or title)
Updated
Question time through the Bowers lens
Here is a bit more from how Guardian Australia’s photographer-at-large, Mike Bowers, saw Question Time:
Updated
Further recommendations on responses to veteran suicides
(Continued from previous post)
Also among the recommendations:
Improve organisational culture and leadership accountability to increase member wellbeing and safety.
Amend the annual performance appraisals of ADF leaders (from the rank of colonel to the rank of general) to include upward feedback from their direct reports and assessment against outcomes-based targets related to culture, health and wellbeing.
Codesign “a new doctrine recognising that operational readiness depends on a healthy workforce”.
Understand the prevalence and effects of military sexual trauma and improve responses to support victims and “prioritise the prevention of sexual misconduct in the Australian Defence Force”
Improve the military justice system, including having the inspecto -general of the Australian Defence Force initiating an inquiry “into the weaponisation of the military justice administrative system by the end of 2024”.
Have an inspector general inquiry into all deaths of serving members “unless suicide can be excluded as the cause of death”.
Reduce stigma and remove structural and cultural barriers to help-seeking.
Increase the Department of Veterans’ Affairs fee schedule so it is aligned with that of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Establish a new executive agency focused on veteran wellbeing, to have “distinctive branding” but be “administratively nested within” DVA.
Improve the ability for future royal commissions to undertake their work, including amending the Royal Commissions Act “so there are meaningful consequences for noncompliance with a compulsory notice” and “allow royal commissions timely access to material covered by public interest immunity”.
Updated
A look at the royal commission’s recommended responses to the issue of defence and veterans suicide
Returning to the royal commission’s 122 recommendations, some of the key ones include:
Establish a new statutory entity to oversee systemic reforms “across the whole defence ecosystem” and provide “independent oversight and evidence-based advice” to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members.
Improve support for all recruits in training “to build resilience and embed help-seeking behaviours”.
Mitigate the adverse effects of the posting cycle on ADF members and their families, including “measures to reduce the frequency of relocation” and to better support family members.
Support all serving members “to decompress, rest and reintegrate, especially after high-risk experiences”.
Updated
Opposition reactions to a slice of fried gold(mine), in pictures
Mike Bowers was in the chamber and caught Sussan Ley having some thoughts, feelings and emotions during Tanya Plibersek’s answer on the goldmine tailings dam.
Updated
What did we learn in question time?
There isn’t too much to say about the return to QT other than to point out that Peter Dutton did not ask a single question. It is all back to the cost of living and inflation and how Labor is managing the economy, at least from the Coalition side of things.
After finishing the last parliament sitting without asking about the economy, it is a return to what the Coalition said it would focus on at the beginning of the latest reset (there have been so many of them).
Let’s see if it keeps up during the week.
Updated
The House moves on to the next order of business, returning to the Future Made In Australia legislation debate.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce says ‘something wrong’ when veterans are more likely to die as civilians than while serving
Barnaby Joyce also speaks on the tabling of the royal commission report:
We have a responsibility in this nation that when someone signs their name on the dotted line, therefore they offer their life for this land, that we protect them when they come home.
There is something wrong when a person is more likely to die once they’ve finished their service and get back on to civvy street then [when] they are actually in the service.
And this is something that I hope on a bipartisan level. We work to our very best, and I’d like to acknowledge the minister here at present to get to expedite this process, get it through, get it resolved out of respect for those who have died.
Updated
Report: ‘number of deaths among those who serve or have served in the ADF is unacceptably high’
The royal commission report, tabled in parliament a short time ago, states:
The number of deaths by suicide among those who serve or have served in the ADF is unacceptably high. Between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2021, there were 2,007 confirmed suicide deaths of individuals who had served at least one day in the ADF since 1 January 1985. An average of 78 serving or ex-serving ADF members have died by suicide each year for the past 10 years. This equates to an average of three deaths every fortnight.
As large as these numbers are, they underestimate the scale of the problem. These figures do not include deaths by suicide of veterans who separated from the ADF before 1985, thereby excluding many Vietnam veterans.
In addition, these figures underreport suicide deaths before 1997, as death records from this time were not as comprehensive. These figures also only include deaths officially recorded as suicide, and therefore exclude deaths where the intent of the deceased could not be determined.
The rate of suicide among serving and ex-serving ADF members has persisted over time. The suicide rate for males serving in the permanent forces was 13.9 per 100,000 population per year in 1997–99, and 14.4 per 100,000 population per year in 2019–21.
The suicide rate for ex-serving males was 26 per 100,000 population per year in 2005‒07, and 28.4 per 100,000 population per year in 2019‒21.
- Support for veterans and their families is available 24 hours a day from Open Arms on 1800 011 046 and Safe Zone Support on 1800 142 072.
Updated
Report into defence and veteran suicde contains 122 recommendations
The three-year royal commission, which was led by the former New South Wales police deputy commissioner Nick Kaldas as chair alongside two fellow commissioners, heard evidence from more than 340 witnesses. It also conducted almost 900 private sessions and received more than 5,800 submissions.
The seven-volume report – presented to the governor general, Sam Mostyn, this morning and then tabled in parliament after question time – includes 122 recommendations.
The commissioners state in their foreword:
Whether the work of this royal commission will contribute to a reduction in rates of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving personnel now largely depends on the Australian government and its agencies: the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
As commissioners, we insist that it is both necessary and possible to reduce the number of deaths by suicide and experiences of suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members. Our sailors, soldiers and aviators deserve to receive the protection and support they need to thrive, grow and heal, both during their time in service and beyond
- Support for veterans and their families is available 24 hours a day from Open Arms on 1800 011 046 and Safe Zone Support on 1800 142 072. Hayat Line is a free and confidential crisis support line for Muslims on 1300 993 398.
Updated
Marles says Labor will carefully consider recommendations from report
Richard Marles in a statement said:
I thank the members of our defence force, our veterans and their loved ones who bravely shared their stories with the royal commission. This has been a thorough inquiry, and we will take the time to carefully consider the recommendations of the final report.
Our priority is ensuring that those who pursue a career in the ADF have a safe and inclusive workplace and are supported from the time they join, through transition, and after service.
Updated
Richard Marles tables royal commission report into defence and veterans suicide
Richard Marles is now tabling the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide’s final report.
He acknowledges Julie-Ann Finney, who is in the gallery watching, for her role in pushing the commission.
Once tabled, it will be made public. The government response will take some time though.
- Support for veterans and their families is available 24 hours a day from Open Arms on 1800 011 046 and Safe Zone Support on 1800 142 072. Hayat Line is a free and confidential crisis support line for Muslims on 1300 993 398.
Updated
Question Time ends
Catherine King takes a dixer so she can say this:
Now, of course, we all woke up this morning to see the shadow transport spokesperson having a bit of a big idea. She’s decided that she wants to [direct the] divestiture of Jetstar, breaking up aviation. Seeing Jetstar go the way of Tiger Air.
This significant policy, you would think … any serious political party would have thought deeply about such a significant policy. But this thought bubble didn’t last the light of day while Australians were still having breakfast.
The member for New England [Barnaby Joyce] and Senator Hume refused to back it in, quite rightly and just after breakfast, the leader of the Nationals [David Littleproud] quite rightly killed it dead forever.
That’s it. He not only confirmed that it hadn’t been to shadow cabinet, he said, and I quote, ‘well, it’s not Coalition policy because we haven’t got the evidence’. By lunchtime, not even Senator McKenzie backed Senator McKenzie.
She was forced to front a press conference, walking back her comments – another evidence-free and damaging thought bubble from people who’ve proved once again why they can’t be trusted with managing Australia’s economy.
The only divestment the Liberal party should have a good look at and now consider, is divesting themselves of this loose National party.
And question time ends.
Updated
Chalmers says opposition ‘desperately want a recession in this country to serve their political purposes’
Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh asks Jim Chalmers:
Why does the treasurer blame everyone and everything for his failings from the former government? Covid, [the] war in Ukraine, global economy, financial instability and the RBA governor herself? Interest rates have come down in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, so why won’t the treasurer take responsibility for the weakest GDP growth outside the pandemic since Paul Keating’s 1990s recession?
Someone from the Liberal benches yells “have a go at that, Jim!” Jim does.
They couldn’t even stick with the shadow treasurer for one full question time. They had to go up the back!
He’s told to get to the answer.
Well, a couple of things about that. First of all, the honourable member made the point about interest rates in other countries. A number of the other countries that those opposite site have got higher unemployment than us and they’ve got higher interest rates than us and their inflation peaked higher and earlier than us.
And so if they want to make comparisons with other countries, make the full comparison, you know, do they want the much higher unemployment that we see in some of these countries that they cite – Canada and New Zealand and the like?
And so they should be upfront about that when they ask these questions with international comparisons.
Now we know that they desperately want higher interest rates to serve their political purposes. We know that they desperately want a recession in this country to serve their political purposes.
Updated
Liberal MP Tony Pasin booted out of question time
The member for Barker, Tony Pasin, is booted from question time.
Pasin was eight 94A removals behind the Liberal booted out of question time champion, Michael Sukkar. Is he launching a last minute challenge to the title?
Updated
Fletcher and Dreyfus tangle over anti-domestic violence funding package
Mark Dreyfus takes a dixer on the family and domestic violence funding package announced following national cabinet on Friday. He is partway through:
This investment in legal assistance will ensure that those services can help more Australians. This investment in legal assistance services will ensure that these services can help more women, including First Nations women, safely leave and recover from violent relationships by providing ongoing funding to the sector. We help in the destructive uncertainty created by the former government.
Now, legal services can hire new staff, they can take up new premises, they can plan with confidence for the future. The Liberals saw oversaw a decade of chronic underfunding …
Paul Fletcher stands up with a point of order and Dreyfus addresses him directly:
I know you don’t like it, but you’d better listen!
Milton Dick tells him Fletcher can ask a point of order. Fletcher:
It was, in fact, a commendably tightly drafted question. There was no reference to alternative approaches. The attorney general of all people, should be able to follow the standing orders and control his temper. Yeah, you should control your temper!
Fletcher yells this last line, which sort of undermines his point.
Updated
Marles acknowledges Sharkie’s concerns on potential sale of Woodside barracks in Mayo
Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie asks the sort of local member question that question time should be used for:
The Woodside barracks, established in 1927, is historically, militarily and economically important for my Mayo community. The base also hosts over 100 Army and Air Force cadets, regional young people, many of whom are interested in a military career. Minister, will the Woodside barracks remain an operational base and will you rule out selling off the land as [is] currently speculated?
The defence minister, Richard Marles, says:
As the member would be aware, the government has undertaken a review into the defence estate to ensure that the defence estate is the appropriate platform that it should be for the defence force that we need and for the defence force to achieve the strategic aims that we need it to achieve in what is a very difficult world.
I’m not going to go into the specifics of any defence site and walk down the path of that before the government releases its response to the estate review. We are currently in the process of working that response through. We’ve received the report from those who have undertaken it.
We need to be ensuring that all the implications in relation to personnel associated with the thorough review of our defence estate are completely worked through, and that will take some months to do that.
It is not our intention to respond to the review until some time next year because of the work that is involved in relation to that.
Having said that, I acknowledge what the member has said about the Woodside barracks and its significance, of course, for pretty well every member of this place, they will have a part of the defence estate within their electorate.
Defence is one of, if not the biggest landowner in the country. And so this is an important process to go through. But as I say, the government is working this through in detail and I’m very happy to brief the member at greater detail at a later stage.
Updated
Agencies prepare for potential outbreak of H5N1 bird flu
Australian government agencies across agriculture, threatened species, environmental protection, emergency management and health are warning Australians of the risk of an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu, which has killed tens of thousands of birds and other animals around the world.
The country’s chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, said there was no evidence the H5N1 strain was spreading in Australia nor that it would cause serious illness in humans but Australian agencies were nonetheless planning for a possible outbreak.
There have been 14 cases in the US, for example, this year, in relation to H5N1 – this particular strain of H5N1 influenza – and they have all been mild, mainly conjunctivitis and mild respiratory disease … So [while] we are very alert to this and very alert to the potential for human infection, we are not alarmed at this stage because of this experience in other countries.
The emergency management minister, Jenny McAllister, said agencies were participating in the final stage of Exercise Volare on Wednesday, designed to wargame a whole-of-government and industry response to a hypothetical outbreak:
Exercises like this stress test our preparedness. They help us understand what we’ll need to do to communicate should an incursion take place.
The disease is spread by migratory birds but has killed more than 500 species of birds and animals worldwide, with water birds and marine mammals particularly vulnerable along with species already under threat of extinction.
The National Animal Disease Preparedness commissioner, Brant Smith, said the greatest risk of H5N1 entering Australia was via the east Asian Australasian flyway, a migratory bird path which stretches from north Asia down through south-east Asia, across Australia and New Zealand and on to the western Pacific.
He said diseased birds would often die suddenly and sometimes in large numbers. He urged anyone noticing affected birds to call the emergency animal disease hotline.
The hotline number, published on the department’s website, is 1800 675 888.
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Plibersek says her decision on goldmine matches that of Liberal predecessor
After points of order on relevance, Tanya Plibersek says:
It is the same group of traditional owners and I’m going to table the map that shows the two projects are about 50km apart. About half an hour’s drive.
It’s also the same type of decision I made a declaration under the Act, I made a declaration under the Act in the same way the previous minister did, a section 10 declaration.
I will table that. I made [it for] the same reasons as the minister.
I’ll read to you from her press release: ‘the decision acknowledges the cultural significance that this area has for the Wiradjuri people in contributing to local Aboriginal narratives, songlines, ceremonies and cultural heritage’. It’s the same reasons.
I was asked about the reasoning, and I am explaining the reasoning and just the fact that you don’t like it [isn’t enough]. And I’ve said to the company that I will provide them with the statement of reasons we’re going to deal with this.
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David Littleproud asks Plibersek to defend decision on McPhillamys goldmine
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, asks the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, about this:
To be very clear, the goldmine has not been blocked. Tanya Plibersek’s order was about the tailings dam (where waste goes) and where it was being built. The goldmine itself has not been rejected.
With that in mind, here is Littleproud’s question:
Regis resources has confirmed the Blayney goldmine is no longer viable following the minister’s decision to block a critical part of the project against the local Aboriginal land council. Why won’t the minister release the statement of reasons for her decision that’s jeopardised a $1bn investment, some 800 jobs, and create sovereign risk that will see companies withdraw investment from Australia?
(Sovereign risk! Drink!)
Plibersek:
It’s interesting that he suggested that the company doesn’t believe the project is viable, because the chairman has just bought 15,000 extra shares. And one of the other directors has just bought more than 10,000 extra shares with his wife, the CEO and his wife, through [a] trust, more than 10,000 extra shares.
Just to be very clear here, I have not blocked the goldmine. What I said [is] of this 2,500 hectare site, 400 hectares ought to be protected. I have done it on the basis of advice from the same group of traditional owners, as the former minister for the environment, the … now deputy leader of the opposition [Sussan Ley], and I want to table the picture of the former minister meeting with the same group of traditional owners.
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Chalmers says Labor recognises tough economic times and says they want ATO to recognise it as well
Jim Chalmers says in response to that question:
[Thank you] to the member for North Sydney for raising the genuine concerns that I know she has about the ATO’s debt collection activities. And I also want to acknowledge the member for Warringah [Zali Steggall] who raises these matters from time to time with me as well.
This is something that I speak with the tax commissioner about, from time to time. Because I do understand that in the context of an economy where growth is slow and subdued, where consumption is weak, particularly when it comes to discretionary spending, I do know a lot of small businesses like a lot of Australians are doing it tough.
And so we do need to make sure that when the ATO does its important work, recovering tax debts, so we make sure there’s a level playing field between the people who do their best to keep up-to-date and those unable to, we need to make sure there’s an even playing field, but whenever these activities are undertaken, we need to make sure they’re undertaken in the most sensitive and understanding way they can be.
My advice to small businesses who are in the situation that you describe, the member for North Sydney describes, I would encourage them to engage as early as possible with the ATO to come to the arrangements they need in order to keep doing the important work they do. From our point of view, we’ll continuing doing what we can to support small business, whether it’s help with energy bills, the tax breaks and in other ways, we’re big supporters of small business.
We know it’s a tough time for them. And we want the ATO to recognise that as well.
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Independent MP Kylea Tink asks ATO to recognise tough economy in debt collection processes
Independent MP Kylea Tink asks Jim Chalmers about this ongoing story:
Jonathan Barrett broke that story and has continued to stay with it. Tink asks:
Will our economy recording the weakest annual financial growth in years, small-to-medium size businesses are struggling.
These business owners from North Sydney and beyond, and tax experts, have raised serious concerns about the ATO’s aggressive debt enforcement action increasingly targeting them.
Will your government issue a mandate to the ATO to ensure that debt collection processes are conducted in a way that recognises the tough economic times?
Updated
And now Angus Taylor has a new question for Jim Chalmers.
This might be a new record!
Last week’s national accounts reveal the true impact of Labor’s economic failures. KPMG chief economist Dr Brendan Rynne says the government “has its foot on the accelerator, the Reserve Bank’s foot is on the brake, it’s stalling the economy.” Why is the government fighting the Reserve Bank and leaving Australian families going backwards?
Jim Chalmers:
I’m asked about the government’s position and the Reserve Bank’s position. And honourable members and the public beyond, should be aware that the governor of the Reserve Bank has - has herself said that we are completely aligned when it comes to the focus on inflation and being concerned about maintaining the gains in the labour market. Her quote “we’re completely aligned on this,’.
Governor Bullock also said on 5 June, “I think that fiscal policy has been running a surplus, so that’s helping the home-grown inflation”.
Another very similar point that Governor bullock has made - and I’m surprised, given she said it twice, that the Shadow Treasurer didn’t notice it.
On 16 August Governor Bullock said “public demand is not the main game here, it’s not the thing we’re focused on.”
On 5 September she said, “Government spending is not the main game here.” If they don’t want to take my word for it, take the word of the governor of the Reserve Bank.
The governor of the Reserve Bank has made it clear we’re aligned when it comes to the fight against inflation, it’s one of the reasons why we’ve got inflation down from a six in front of, it to a three in front of it right now.
We know the price pressures are more persistent than we would like, that’s why it requires ongoing effort. The primary focus is the fight against inflation, as is the Reserve Bank’s. We know we need to do that without ignoring the risks to growth and the pressures that people are already under. If those opposite were in office, we would be in recession right now, they’ll be running huge deficits and that would have implications. We’re managing the budget responsibly. It’s the third year of a parliamentary term and they don’t have any policies.
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Liberals continue economic attack lines on Labor
Angus Taylor is back again! This time he asks Anthony Albanese:
Despite Labor’s pre-election promises, under this government living standards have fallen by nearly 9%. The household savings rate is down 10 percentage points, personal income tax payments are over 25% higher and a home owner with a typical mortgage is over $35,000 worse off.
Why won’t the prime minister admit his government has been a disaster? As more Australian families are working harder and longer but still going backwards?
Albanese:
Well, the shadow treasurer, I thank him for his question. He’s exhausted his annual quota of questions to the Treasurer in one morning.
His answer works through the same areas Jim Chalmers covered off in his earlier answers, so I will save you from having to read any of it.
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Crossbenchers appeal for Labor to make environment changes with them, not opposition
The Greens and David Pocock are teaming up in the Senate to push the federal government further on changes to outdated environmental laws.
Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Pocock said on Tuesday the Albanese government should work with the minor party and crossbenchers in the upper house rather than cut a deal with the opposition leader, Peter Dutton.
The government’s legislation proposes establishing a new environment protection authority and a separate new agency that would manage environmental information and data.
The Greens senator said the government had an opportunity to consider the climate in federal environmental decision-making rather than “rolling out the red carpet for the mining industry and for Gina Rinehart”. Hanson-Young said:
Don’t run away and hide behind Peter Dutton and Gina Rinehart, roll up your sleeves, let’s get to work. Let’s actually protect Australia’s environment.
Specifically, the Greens want loopholes allowing native forest logging closed, as well as considerations for climate change under federal laws.
Pocock said it appeared Labor was terrified of upsetting the mining industry and that its elected representatives “aren’t actually standing up for their community”. The nature positive laws require the support of either the Coalition or the Greens and three crossbenchers to pass into law.
Lidia Thorpe also reiterated her support for passing the bill, encouraging the government to improve the inclusion of First Nations communities in environmental governance and decision-making.
There’s nothing positive about continuing to allow destructive industries and multinational corporations to drive us into a climate and ecological catastrophe, or excluding First Peoples and our expertise from laws that will have such a significant impact on country.
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Chalmers counters Coalition critiques over inflation and cost of living
Jim Chalmers continues:
Now, more broadly when it comes to the fight against inflation, I take responsibility for our part of the fight against inflation.
I take responsibilities for surpluses when those opposite only delivered deficits. I take responsibility for $80bn in savings when those opposite had none in their last budget. I take responsibility for banking all of upwards revisions for revenue.
I take responsibility for helping the Reserve Bank governor fight inflation without ignoring the risks to growth. And I won’t be taking lectures from those opposite, Mr Speaker, who left us huge deficits and a trillion dollars of debt.
They left us with inflation with a six in front of it and rising. The same people who cheer for higher interest rates and a recession because it serves their political interests. The same people who would have us in recession right now, but with no help for people doing it tough, and lower wages.
The same people who can’t tell us where those $315m in secret cuts are coming from.
The same people who don’t have a costed or credible alternative policy. As the governor said, the government and the governor are aligned when it comes to the fight against inflation.
We’ve got the same objective, but we’ve got different responsibilities. I take responsibility for our part in the fight against inflation. And we are making welcome progress since inflation was north of 6% when you were in office.
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Chalmers continues to defend economic record against Coalition attacks
It is Sussan Ley time!
Last week, the Treasurer accused the RBA of smashing the economy. Then, Labor’s national president, and the treasurer’s mentor, Wayne Swan, said the RBA is “punching itself in the face.” Treasurer, why does the Albanese Labor government think it’s acceptable to bully the independent RBA in this way when they’re all doing is cleaning up Labor’s economic mess? Why is the government fighting the Reserve Bank of Australia, [while] Australian families go backwards?
There are immediate questions over whether this question breaches standing orders. Ley is asked to repeat it and does and the question is ruled in order.
Jim Chalmers:
A number of elements to the question. First of all, the governor of the Reserve Bank doesn’t consider it the way the deputy leader has said. That’s the first point. She made that clear ...
(There are so many interjections, the speaker, Milton Dick, threatens to bring out Dugald and warns everyone to shut it – it is a joke within Queensland politics that when the usually affable Dick is cranky, Dugald, the speaker’s legal name, has taken over.) Chalmers continues:
The governor made it clear she doesn’t agree with the assessment put forward by the deputy leader. Second point is I’m asked about cleaning up the mess, it’s ironic, when you consider the mess we inherited, turning the deficits into surpluses, getting real wages moving again, inflation is half the peak of what it was in the year we were elected. In terms of the rest of the question, it is self-evident, it is a factual point to say that a combination of global economic uncertainty and persistent price pressures and high interest rates are slowing our economy.
If the opposite don’t agree, they don’t know the third thing about the first thing about the economy. Anyone who looks at this objectively knows that higher interest rates are slowing our economy. We saw it in the numbers for consumption, discretionary spending, we saw it in a number of indicators in the national accounts.
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Albanese says ‘we paused process’ on LGBTQ+ census questions ‘to get it right’
Anthony Albanese:
The 2026 census will include sexual orientation and gender for the first time. The ABS came to the government with potential changes it planned to trial, including changes it had not recommended for the 2026 census, we paused that process to get it right. And that’s precisely what we have done.
The government’s position follows further engagement with the community and additional discussions with the ABS.
We ensured, for example, the only people aged over the age of consent will be asked questions on the new topic. And that people can choose not to answer.
Now, regulations to add this new topic will be finalised before the end of the year. This is how you get a commonsense solution by working with people, in the order to achieve the objective that we have set, and when I sat in my first term as a member of the House of Representatives, I was the first person to move a private member’s bill to give equity for same sex people for any bill brought before the House.
That goes back to 1988, and every since then, I have argued the case for equality regardless of people’s sexual orientation, regardless of their identity, regardless of their race, regardless of their faith. What the census is about is recording the state of Australia in 2026, and that’s precisely what it will do.
(There will be no questions in the census on variations of innate sex characteristics – that is, questions on intersex Australians. The ABS has said they don’t think questions in the census would be very reliable on that front.)
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Stephen Bates questions PM on LGBTQ+ census issue
Greens MP Stephen Bates is up (still without a tie – we love the commitment to the bit. For those who don’t remember, possibly because they have lives, the Nationals in particular were very upset when Bates and fellow Greens member Max Chandler-Mather first sat in the parliament because of their lack of ties. Turns out ties are not in the dress standard, so the ties remain banished from the Greens benches.)
Anyway, Bates asks Anthony Albanese:
Why did you make a captain’s call to not include LGBTIQ+ people in the census, and do you think the pain caused by this decision underscores the need for an LGBTIQ+ human rights commissioner?
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PM praises contributors to royal commission into defence and veteran suicide as Dutton pledges bipartisen support
Anthony Albanese has acknowledged the imminent release of the royal commission report into defence and veteran suicide will be “a difficult day for many people”.
The report is expected to be tabled in parliament shortly after question time, and that is when it will be publicly released.
The prime minister told parliament he wanted to acknowledge everyone who contributed to the royal commission, including ADF members, veterans and their families, saying their desire to drive change were an act of courage and selflessness:
For many this has meant revisiting the darkest moments of their lives.
Albanese said royal commissions had a special capacity to drive change, including making Australia “face up to our collective failures”, and promised that the government would “thoroughly consider every recommendation” and work across the parliament on the issues.
The PM said that just as veterans and ADF personnel stepped up for Australia “we have an obligation to step up for them”.
He described “lest we forget” as “Australia’s most solemn promise” which included a promise to “remember the fallen, to honour their sacrifice, to care for the loved ones who are left behind, and to ensure all those who have worn the uniform of this nation have access to the support and services they need and deserve”.
Albanese said the release of the report would be triggering for many people. He encouraged anyone who needed support to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, rose to speak on indulgence, saying he would “join with the government on what is necessarily a bipartisan response to one of the most critical issues facing our country”.
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14 and for veterans specifically Open Arms is on 1800 011 046
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Taylor and Chalmers spar over economic issues
Angus Taylor is back! It’s double Angus. Brilliant. Fantastic. Great move.
Can the treasurer confirm that since the Albanese government was elected, Australian families have suffered a bigger fall in real disposable income per person than any other OECD country?
Having already worked through his delight that Taylor is asking him questions, Jim Chalmers moves into reflection mode (which also includes leaning on the despatch box like it is a pulpit):
We understand the pressures on living standards and that’s why we’re doing something about it. That’s why we’re rolling out cost-of-living support that those opposite don’t support.
That’s why we are giving a tax cut to every taxpayer … It’s why we’re helping people with their energy bills.
It’s why we’re helping with what people pay at the pharmacy. That’s why we’re providing rent assistance. It’s why we’re doing cheaper early childhood education. It’s why we’re getting wages moving again after a decade of deliberate wage stagnation and wage suppression.
So, if those opposite really cared about living standards, they would support our efforts to help people with the cost of living but they don’t. If those opposite cared about living standards, they would support our efforts to get wages moving again but they don’t.
In fact, they want people working longer for less, we want people earning more and keeping more of what they earn. When we came to office, real wages were falling 3.4%. Now they’re growing again. That’s not an accident. That’s deliberate. That’s because of the policy agenda of this Albanese Labor government
Paul Fletcher is not happy with the answer and has a point of order on relevance. Chalmers is told to stay on topic.
I have acknowledged that people are under extreme pressure. I have acknowledged that. But more than acknowledge that, more than acknowledge that, Mr Speaker, we’re doing something about it. And only one side of this parliament cares about the pressures that people are under. And that’s why we’re rolling out cost-of-living help. It’s why we’re cleaning up the mess they made of the budget.
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Chalmers claps back at Liberals over economic attacks
Angus Taylor has a point of order on relevance. He is not happy with the compare-and-contrast Jim Chalmers has been undertaking. Chalmers is advised to stick to the issues in the question and says:
I’m speaking the madness of pulling billions of dollars out of an economy that’s already weak in nominal and per capita terms.
We have managed the economy responsibly … we have maintained a primary focus on inflation, but not ignoring the risks to growth and the pressures people are under. Per capita growth went backwards on a number of instances under those opposite as well.
We understand the economy is particularly soft right now. It would be even softer if those opposite had their way, their approach to cuts in the budget, Mr Speaker, would be a recipe for recession. We found a way to keep the economy growing at the same time as providing cost of living relief and get the budget into much …
He runs out of time.
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Question time begins
After two weeks of almost no questions on the economy or cost of living from the opposition in the last sittings weeks, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor is straight into it:
The treasurer confirmed that Australia has been a household recession for the past six-quarters? And that this is the longest straight run of falling per capita output on record?
Jim Chalmers seems energised:
There he is. He is there, after all. He is there after all. What a relief for all of us, that he is.
Mr Speaker, as I said, when the national accounts came out last Wednesday, the Australian economy barely grew in the June quarter. That’s true in nominal terms, and it’s true that the economy is weak per person as well.
And that’s why it would be diabolical if we poured $315bn out of the economy as the shadow treasurer wants us to do. If we had taken the free advice of those opposite, if we had taken their advice, the economy would be in recession right now. The economy would be in recession right now.
When we came to office, inflation had a six in front of it, and was rising. Interest rates were going up. Deficits as far as the eye could see. Real wages were falling when we came to office, Mr Speaker.
And because of our collective efforts, we got wages moving again. We’re rolling out cost of living relief. And if they truly cared, Mr Speaker, if they truly cared about household incomes in the country, they wouldn’t have called for an election over our tax cuts.
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Question time looms …
Well time just flies when you’re having fun (or an existential crisis, depending on which way you look at it) and we are now in the downhill slide to question time.
So grab what you need to get through it – we will be here waiting.
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ACTU chief addresses criticism over actions in response to CFMEU allegations
The Australian Council of Trade Unions chief, Sally McManus, has attempted to address some of the criticism over the reaction to the construction arm of the CFMEU on social media.
McManus says that “this isn’t unionism” in her short video;
An important message to all of Australia's union members pic.twitter.com/WW3wK8AiwN
— Australian Unions (@unionsaustralia) September 9, 2024
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Karen Andrews on gender quotas – video
We reported on this earlier this morning, but here is Liberal MP and former home affairs minister Karen Andrews speaking on her changing attitude to quotas:
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Pups and politicians
Seeing eye dog puppies were let loose in a parliament courtyard.
It went as you would expect.
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McKenzie walks back call for airline divesture powers after Littleproud says it is not Coalition policy
After various Coalition figures (Barnaby Joyce and Hollie Hughes) backed in the “give the ACCC airline divestiture powers” call from Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie in an op-ed in the Financial Review, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has poured a bucket over it, saying it is not Coalition policy.
It hasn’t been to the party room apparently. So now McKenzie, whose name and photo is on the op-ed, is also “clarifying” her position.
The SMH reports McKenzie held a doorstop (quick press conference) explaining her position – she wants the treasurer to “actually look at all the tools on how he’s going to address the excessive air fares that Australians are continuing to pay”.
Which apparently is not divesture.
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Liberals on TikTok
Peter Dutton MP (verified) on TikTok has gained three new followers on the Chinese social media app since this morning. He now has 22.
So we thought it might be fun to have a look over some of the comments from Coalition MPs about TikTok.
Here was James Paterson in March this year:
TikTok is a bad faith actor, it is a risk to our democracy; it’s a risk to our national security and the government should take action here to protect Australians from this very serious threat.
TikTok is a national security threat for Australia for the same reason it’s a national security threat to the United States.
And here is Dutton himself, from February:
Speaking to Sky News Australia’s The Kenny Report on Thursday, the opposition leader pushed for TikTok to be banned on the premise of its “exploitative” presence in the cyber space but did not explicitly allude to Chinese interference in the platform’s operations.
If photos of young kids are being scraped from their accounts and stored by a third party, whether it’s a country or state actor or whether it’s an organised crime group, then the prime minister has to act
If data is being scraped by the terabytes off these accounts and young people are being exposed to extortion at some point, or [it’s] just their personal data being collected, it’s not a safe platform.
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Chalmers’ trip to Beijing comes as Chinese economic funk spells uncertainty for Australia
As Jim Chalmers noted on Sunday to the ABC’s Insiders, the treasurer is headed to China later this month, the first such visit for about seven years.
How much time Chalmers will have to assess the state of the economy outside the official meetings remains to be seen. (The sense this holidaying correspondent had in three provinces last month was that the economy is very much in a funk.)
Since China accounts for the largest share of consumption for most commodities, what happens in that economy has a big impact on the value of Australia’s exports. Chalmers told Insiders the drop in commodity prices “could cost the budget something like $4.5bn”.
We’ve sought a clarification of that figure. Yes, commodity prices are wilting, with iron ore dropping below $US90 a tonne in Singapore today for the first time since late 2022, according to Bloomberg.
Coking coal used in steel making, too, was down “around 40%” since the start of this year, Chalmers said. (It’s trading at about $US177/t.)
However, Treasury is typically conservative in its commodity price forecasts. The 2024-25 budget, for instance, pencilled in iron ore averaging $US60/t and coking coal $US140/t. So, unless the market crumbles further, those estimates should be exceeded - and the budget will gain an upgrade if they do.
Reinforcing the “funk” view of the Chinese economy, producer prices in August were 1.8% lower than a year ago, far worse than July’s 0.8% decline (and economists’ estimate of a 1.5% drop), Bloomberg reported. Consumer prices rose but less than expected.
No doubt something for the treasurer to chat about in Beijing later this month.
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Amended net zero authority bill passes Senate
Having passed the net zero authority amendments from the Senate (meaning the bill has passed), the house has moved on to the amendments being put forward on its Future Made in Australia legislation.
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Australia signs new tax treaty with Slovenia
Andrew Leigh has announced Australia has signed a new tax treaty with … Slovenia!
It’s the first tax treaty between the two nations (fancy that) and Leigh says represents “a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship”.
Once in force, the treaty will enhance trade and investment opportunities between Australia and Slovenia by creating a more favourable regulatory environment and producing new opportunities to enhance economic cooperation.
The treaty will give Australian businesses new opportunities to access Slovenian capital through reduced withholding tax rates.
This will lower costs for Australians investing in Slovenia and will improve access to Slovenian technology.
Leigh reports that last year, trade between Australia and Slovenia amounted to $411m and $215m in bilateral investment.
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Lidia Thorpe brands national cabinet funding for community legal services ‘smoke and mirrors’
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe says the national cabinet domestic and family violence funding package will mean that community legal services will still struggle to meet growing needs.
Thorpe said that with just $800m of the $3.9bn funding package going to legal assistance services over the next five years, the announcement was “just smoke and mirrors”.
It isn’t a substantial new funding commitment, it’s mostly a rebrand of existing funding arrangements. The Albanese government is focused on getting a good headline, not on what will work for communities.
It’s good that the government says they want to take action on domestic and family violence, but this weak commitment falls significantly short of what is needed.
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Net zero authority bill is before the House
The House is considering the Senate amendments to the net zero authority bill.
That vote is happening, but the government is in agreement, so it won’t be long until that is passed.
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Griffith University to establish Brisbane CBD campus in former Treasury building
There have been questions over what the former Brisbane CBD historic Treasury building would be used for after the Star casino officially left the premises for the Queen’s Wharf precinct (you can read about some of the dramas with all of that here).
Griffith University has announced it is taking over the building and establishing its Brisbane City campus:
This landmark development will serve as a hub for the University’s business, information technology, and law disciplines, as well as a centre for postgraduate and executive education.
The acquisition of the lease for this heritage-listed building marks a significant milestone for Griffith, expanding its footprint into the heart of Brisbane’s CBD.
By 2035, the city campus is expected to be home to approximately 7,000 students and 200 staff, offering a state-of-the-art educational environment fostering innovation, collaboration, and engagement with the broader community.
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Andrews: ‘the appointment of people on merit is often used to stop people from progressing’
Karen Andrews finished that speech with:
Now, historically, we have always been of the view that you get preselected based on merit but sometimes you look around and you think, well, maybe merit only applies in certain circumstances and basically merit and the appointment of people on merit is often used to stop women from progressing, so what I would like to see is that there is an openness, there is an understanding of what the issues are that we face [and] one of those is to make sure that we recognise that there is a need to ensure that we have more women sitting in parliament.
Now, I have stated publicly on many occasions that I think the preselection processes of my own party need to be looked at to make sure that there is opportunity for all people to be able to put their hands up to be preselected as a member of this parliament and representing a political party if they choose to do so or if they are choosing to be an independent.
What I have said before and I say again, if we want to make change here, we cannot simply cross our fingers and hope that things are going to change unless we take positive action because doing that in the past has been an abject failure.
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Karen Andrews steps back from opposing gender quotas for the Coalition in outgoing speech
You may have seen Karen Middleton’s story with Julia Gillard on quotas, with the Labor party acknowledging 30 years of its affirmative action policy:
There has been a motion debate on that issue in the house. Outgoing Liberal MP Karen Andrews decided to make an speech on the issue:
I graduated from university with a degree in mechanical engineering which I am incredibly proud of and have always considered myself to be an engineer first and foremost and of course, even back then there were significantly less women that were undertaking engineering studies and there are now. There are clearly not enough.
I have spent my entire what life working in male-dominated industries and my entire life fighting to make sure that women [are] treated equally and given the opportunities that boys and men have … that was clearly a much easier task in engineering because … when you went on to the factory floor, you were treated very equally based on your ability to actually do the job.
As I move through my second career which was in industrial relations, I experienced similar issues as to what I had in engineering where as long as I could do the job I was generally accepted what I needed to do.
My third career has been, is, politics. And when I was first elected as the member for McPherson, they were clearly discussions about that there was greater representation of women in parliament and issues of quota or targets has been discussed by the Coalition are many, many years and initially I would have to say I have always been opposed to quotas because I never wanted to be considered to have been appointed into a role for anything other than my ability to do the job.
What I have seen over the last decade at least has made me soften my views into opposing quotas.
My concern is that the parliament of Australia needs to be a parliament that truly reflects the people of Australia. That means that there are a number of groups, for want of a better way of describing it, that need representation in the parliament. One significant group is women.
I look at this side of the house and I look at the female representation that we have here and I am absolutely convinced that we need to do better. We need to make sure that we are doing all that we can to promote this as a workplace that is desirable for women to enter. We need to promote from the Coalition’s point of view, in my view, as a welcoming place for women to be part of.
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Veteran suicide commission chair says some ‘simply didn’t care enough to tackle the problems’
In his press conference outside Parliament House, the commission chair, Nick Kaldas, was pressed to elaborate on his claim of a failure of leadership on the issue of suicide of Australian defence force members and veterans.
Kaldas said:
When there’s been dozens of inquiries, hundreds of recommendations, and no one’s gone back to check whether they’ve acquitted the intent of the recommendations, I’d say that’s a failure of leadership.
What is clear from some of the horrible stories that we’ve heard is that many people simply turned a blind eye, over many years and felt that it was too hard, or they simply didn’t care enough to tackle the problems.
Having said that, we have come across many, many really motivated, excellent people, both within the ADF and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, who have tried their best within the system.
Kaldas raised issued with the approach taken by government lawyers in particular. Asked about the level of cooperation with the royal commission, he said:
I think there’s been systemic issues such as relying on parliamentary privilege for reports that have been tabled in parliament, therefore making it impossible for us to rely on or use those reports.
That sort of problem is something that we’ve recommended [action on] in the first interim report, and there’s been discussion since to try and address. We’re aware that we’re not the first royal commission to raise these issues, and the Australian Law Reform Commission has, in fact, made recommendations along the lines we’d like to see.
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Veteran suicide commissioners say report makes problems 'undeniable'
Let’s return to that press conference from earlier with the commissioners who conducted the inquiry into defence and veteran suicide.
The commission chair, Nick Kaldas, said the royal commission should be a “line in the sand” and a “call to action once and for all”. He told reporters outside Parliament House that he believed there had been a “failure of leadership”, noting there had been dozens of past inquiries and hundreds of past recommendations “and the dial hasn’t moved”.
Kaldas said he hoped that if the royal commission had achieved one thing, it was that the problems were now “undeniable”. He hoped the recommendations to be released later today were approached in a bipartisan manner rather than as a political issue. He also paid tribute to serving members, former members, and loved ones who relived their trauma and shared their experiences with the royal commission in the hope it did not happen to anyone else.
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14.
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Leigh says ABS recommendation was that intersex questions would not have produced reliable data
On why there will be no questions on variations of innate sex characteristics, Andrew Leigh said:
We went with a recommendation from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that the survey questions that had been proposed wouldn’t have produced reliable data. We recognise there are a group of intersex Australians born with variations of sex characteristics. We need to do a better job of counting those Australians. But the survey question which had been proposed, according to the experts in the Australian Bureau of Statistics, wouldn’t have produced reliable data.
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Leigh says LGBTQ+ census questions match Labor commitment in national platform
Asked to explain to the host “like I am a 10-year-old” how the mess happened, Andrew Leigh said:
I’ll leave others to talk about the internals. I’m pleased with where we’ve ended up, which I think is the right approach. We’ve got an appropriate balance here.
We’ve recognised we’re able to ask questions which will count LGBT+ Australians in a way in which they weren’t counted before. That’s a commitment that Labor has in our national platform. And I understand, too, and you haven’t asked about it, but this is important.
There was a proposal around intersex status. We weren’t able to have a question there that the ABS was confident would produce reliable data. We’ll continue to work with the intersex community to ensure that they’re counted in future surveys.
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Leigh on census questions: ‘I think we’ve arrived at the right result’
The assistant minister for treasury, Andrew Leigh, was asked on Canberra ABC radio this morning about the census debacle and “why it had to be like this” in terms of adding additional census questions about gender and sexuality.
Leigh said:
We’ve always sought to listen to people and in this case, I think we’ve arrived at the right result. We’re led by a prime minister who is as committed as anyone in the parliament to inclusivity of LGBT+ Australians. This is a Prime Minister who, back in 1997, whose first term in parliament, moved a private member’s motion to have superannuation for same-sex couples recognised. He was a strong advocate for marriage equality and was then the first sitting prime minister to march in the Mardi Gras.
So, I think everyone recognises his strong commitment to the LGBT+ community, and that’s reflected in the decisions we’ve made here.
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Royal commission into defence and veteran suicide report has been received
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, has received the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide.
There were seven volumes and more than 100 recommendations.
The report will be tabled in the parliament, but we will have to wait some time before the government response is made public.
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Victorian premier confirms gas stove ban not part of net zero plan
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has confirmed a ban on gas stove tops will be excluded from its net zero roadmap.
The government released a plan in 2022 which included incentives for households to replace gas water heating and space heating with efficient, low-emissions electric equipment while phasing out incentives for all gas products by the end of this year. This would have required households to replace broken gas appliances with electric options.
Speaking to reporters, Allan confirms the policy, saying the government has “listened to the Victorian community”:
I want to be really clear today for Victorians, that Victorians can continue to keep cooking with gas, that gas will be there for their cooktops, for their stoves.
Allan says Victorians will be able to cook on their existing gas stove and replace it if needed.
She says the government is also committed to helping Victorian households transition to electric appliances and renewable energy.
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With polling showing that the Liberals could win in Goldstein and Curtin, there is renewed focus on what teal independent MPs are doing to withstand the campaigns.
Zoe Daniel says she is just getting on with the job:
I’m ready to go for another week in Parliament representing everyone in Goldstein. There’s plenty to do! pic.twitter.com/PUudGaKSmX
— Zoe Daniel MP (she/her) (@zdaniel) September 8, 2024
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In case you missed it: government to reinstate LGBTQ+ questions on census
For those who missed it, here is the official statement from Andrew Leigh on the reinstatement of questions on gender and sexuality in the census. But there will not be a question on variations of innate sex characteristics.
Leigh said yesterday:
The Albanese government is setting a new topic of ‘sexual orientation and gender’ for inclusion in the 2026 census.
This will allow the Australian Bureau of Statistics to ask questions on sexual orientation and gender for the first time, in keeping with their recommendation to government.
These questions will only be asked of people aged 16 and over, and the ABS has told the government that people will have the option not to answer.
The new topic reflects consultation with the ABS’s LGBTIQ+ expert advisory committee, including key peak bodies in the sector.
The ABS did not recommend a topic on variations of sex characteristics (intersex status) in the census, and it will not be included.
Although this topic was considered by the ABS, testing indicated high-quality data could not be collected due to the technical complexity of the topic. The government will continue to work with the intersex community about ways of gathering information in other ABS surveys.
We value every Australian, regardless of their faith, race, gender or LGBTIQ+ status. The government’s position follows further engagement with the community and additional discussions with the ABS.
The government will make a legislative instrument to implement these changes, and will introduce this instrument before the end of the year.
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Commissioners hold presser on report into defence and veteran suicide
The commissioners overseeing the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide will officially hand over their report in the next half an hour.
Ahead of the trip to Government House, they held a brief press conference at parliament.
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So you want to start an Australian airline? Here are all the reasons you can’t
Given the airline discourse, it is worth revisiting this from Elias Visontay and the video team:
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Coalition considering changes to aged care legislation ahead of vote
Last sitting fortnight we reported that Labor and the Coalition had reached in-principle agreement on changes to aged care to increase the element of users pay. But the government wouldn’t release the legislation until the opposition committed to vote for the whole thing.
We understand that the Coalition was given the full bill last week, not just the section responding to the aged care taskforce, and will consider it at their party room meeting on Tuesday. So final approval is coming soon, unless they spot something else in its 500-plus pages they don’t like that sets negotiations back.
What we know so far:
The government dropped its proposal for criminal penalties for directors for sub-standard care.
The reforms will involve greater user-pays for aged care residents, particularly with respect to residential accommodation and food
The Coalition had pushed for those changes to be grandfathered so they didn’t bite those who were currently on waiting lists
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Queensland opposition proposes public child sex offender register
The Queensland opposition has promised to create a public child sex offender register named for murder victim Daniel Morcombe.
The LNP leader, David Crisafulli, said the register would have three tiers, including a publicly available website with photos and personal details of offenders who have “failed to comply with their reporting obligations or provided false or misleading information to police”.
People will also be allowed to apply for even more information on “high-risk offenders living in a local area”.
At tier three, parents and guardians will be able to inquire about a specific person who has regularly unsupervised contact with their child.
Crisafulli said the register would put the rights of children, victims and parents ahead of the rights of dangerous predators.
He said:
My LNP team and I are focused on reducing the number of crime victims in Queensland and if this register protects just one child from becoming a victim, it is a decision we must make.
I’d also like to acknowledge the advocacy of the Morcombe family who through unimaginable tragedy have fought to keep children safe.
These law changes will be attributed to an innocent young boy from the Sunshine Coast and forever known as Daniel’s Law.
In 2003, the 13-year-old was abducted and murdered by Brett Peter Cowan, who had two previous convictions for child sex abuse. Morcombe’s parents have long called for a sex register. Western Australia is the only state with a public register, established in 2012. South Australia is considering a similar policy.
Research shows that sex offender registries do “not have a statistically significant impact on recidivism” by sex offenders. Many experts regard Australia as having some of the weakest prevention programs in the western world.
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Crossbenchers call for end to native forest logging exemption
Independent parliamentarians Sophie Scamps, Monique Ryan and David Pocock have held a press conference calling for the federal government to end the exemption for native forest logging under regional forest agreements. Scamps also called to clean out the board of the NSW Forestry Corporation.
Scamps noted that the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, had shown some willingness to end regional forestry agreements but there was no timeline, and they could be in place until 2040. She called for the change to be made before Australia hosts a world nature positive summit.
Pocock said the environmental protection bill that passed the lower house was “a farce” because the proposed environmental protection agency would have no independence if the board can’t pick its own chief executive.
Businessman and veteran environmental campaigner Geoff Cousins said he “can promise” there will be electoral campaigns and consequences for the federal and NSW governments if they don’t take action, promising to do “everything” he can to ensure it. Ryan also urged voters to remember inaction at the election.
Cousins said failure to ban regional forest agreements showed the federal government’s commitment to no new extinctions was “feeble”.
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Matt Thistlethwaite continued:
What we need to see is, of course, conditions that encourage more competition. And one of those big issues in Sydney airport, in my electorate, has been slot management, and the previous government sat on that for ten years and did nothing about it.
We acted, we brought in a new system to manage those slots to make it easier for new operators and competitors to get into that market, to get access to those slots.
I think that the Western Sydney airport coming online in a couple of years will make a big difference and there will be an opportunity for new players to come into the market.
But it’s also a factor that we don’t have a very big market here in Australia compared to Europe, Asia and the United States, unfortunately. And we’re going to make the best of what we’ve got and make sure that we put in place measures to encourage as much competition as possible.
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Thistlethwaite rejects Coalition call to force Jetstar divestment
Given the government response to the call for divesture powers when it came to the supermarkets, you can already guess where Labor is going with the call for divesture powers for airlines (hint: they are not fans).
Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for immigration, confirmed that in the same Sky News interview with Hollie Hughes:
Well, we all want to see more competition and cheaper fares, but this is a crazy economic policy. Let’s say you do divest Qantas of Jetstar.
Who buys it?
And if no one buys it, then you’re left with less competition in the aviation market and we’re all worse off.
They’re the questions that the Coalition’s been unable to answer with this ridiculous economic policy.
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Let’s play “guess who said this”.
They are speaking about the Nationals’ push to have the ACCC receive divesture powers for the major airlines.
It’s not about free markets when you’ve got basically a monopoly. We’re not talking about a free market, and we know that it’s not just the airlines.
You know, when you look at the airports and the landing spaces and where those capabilities are for new entrants into the market to participate, it’s very, very difficult because of landing fees, but also access to gates. So, there does need to be a wholesale review.
… And what Qantas is doing with its airfares is helping contribute to higher inflation because we know those airfares are continuing to rise.
If you guessed Liberal senator Hollie Hughes – congratulations!
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Dreyfus signals lawyers, real estate agents and gem dealers to come under increased money-laundering scrutiny
The attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, has signalled the government is about to turn its eye to “tranche two” entities in the renewed focus on money laundering. What is tranche two? It is lawyers, accountants, trust and company service providers, precious metals and stone dealers and real estate agents – anyone who could be used to wash money.
Dreyfus:
Australia needs to remain vigilant and harden our businesses against exploitation. The Australian Government is committed to strengthening our anti-money laundering regime through these reforms which are critical in protecting Australians and our economy from the impact of transnational, serious and organised crime.
Dreyfus says the government will be modernising the legislation that deals with money laundering “to ensure it keeps pace with the increasingly digital, instant nature of our global financial system – closing those gaps that we know increasingly sophisticated, professional criminal organisations can exploit”.
He is responding to a report on the issue – which you can read on the AIC website.
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The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, responded to Joyce:
They’ve only got one idea. Break up the supermarkets, break up the airlines. What we actually have to do with the airlines is make sure that takeoff and landing slots, there’s more competition there. The previous government got a report years ago recommending just that. We’re implementing it right now.
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Barnaby Joyce backs call for Qantas to be forced to divest Jetstar
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce appeared on the Seven Network this morning promoting the idea that divesture powers should be applied to the major airlines. Bridget McKenzie wrote an op-ed in the Financial Review calling for the power, particularly in terms of Qantas (the idea being if prices and service didn’t improve, Qantas could be threatened with the forced sale of Jetstar).
Joyce:
I think it’s important that if the study clearly says that we don’t have the competition, then we’ve got to do something about it. You’ve got to remember Qantas destroyed Bonza, and Qantas has destroyed basically Rex by their control of the marketplace. And we can’t just sit back and say, “well, that’s all right. We’ll just have a monopoly in Australia”. No other country would put up with this. The United States would not put up with this, so why would we?
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I am old enough to remember when Peter Dutton wanted to ban TikTok in Australia (March, 2024) – but he is now gracing the social media platform with his official presence.
Peter Dutton MP (verified) has 19 followers. Three weeks ago we would have said this is very demure and mindful, but much like Brat summer, that is over (we truly pity whoever in his office has to explain social trends to Dutton).
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The parliament will sit from 10am this morning.
You can find the house’s daily business here and the Senate’s here.
(All things subject to change of course, because – parliament.)
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The government’s response to online privacy reforms will be a little clearer this week – Paul Karp has taken a look at what that will mean (and more importantly, what it won’t).
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More than 70% of Centrelink recipients cutting back on meals, medications and seeing friends due to cost, Acoss says
The Australian Council of Social Service (Acoss) has a new report showing that almost three-quarters of people on jobseeker, youth allowance and the parenting payment are cutting back on meat, fruit and vegetables, because they can not afford it. Three in four are also struggling to afford their medications.
The research found:
71% are cutting back on meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. 51% are skipping meals altogether.
74% are having difficulty affording the medicine or medical care they need. 92% said that the low rate of income support harmed their mental health and 84% said it harmed their physical health.
68% are cutting back on heating or cooling their homes, 54% are cutting back on using lights, and 42% go to bed early to save money.
81% said they use their car less than they would otherwise and 87% see friends and family less often.
94% of people renting privately are in rental stress, paying more than 30% of their income on rent.
Acoss is calling on the government to:
Lift income support payments to at least the pension rate, currently $80 a day, and index to wages as well as price movements.
Establish a disability and illness supplement to recognise the additional costs that people with disability and chronic illness face.
Establish a single parent supplement.
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Coalition senator calls for power to force Qantas to sell Jetstar
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has written for the AFR calling for divesture powers for airlines.
Specifically, threatening Qantas with the forced sale of its low-cost brand, Jetstar.
“[The government’s] competition review will be a failure if it does not address the role of divestiture in the Australian aviation sector,” McKenzie writes.
McKenzie, expanding a Nationals call for more divesture powers, which includes the major supermarkets, says that the threat may be one of the only ways to ensure competition in the Australian aviation market.
Peter Dutton endorsed the Nationals’ call when it came to supermarkets, despite discomfort from some Liberals. The Coalition did not move on divesture powers while in government for almost a decade, despite the original threat against energy companies.
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Union call for 12-day nationwide standard for reproductive leave
The Health Services Union is pushing for 12 days of reproductive leave to be made standard nationwide.
Disability service provider Scope has agreed to the leave, which will cover “IVF, severe menstrual pain, endometriosis, vasectomies, menopause, gender transitioning therapies and other health issues”.
The HSU now wants the 12-day entitlement to be part of minimum standards and union officials will be in Canberra this week to lobby for the changes.
The HSU’s national senior assistant secretary, Kate Marshall, said people, mainly women, were using up all their leave to look after reproductive health.
Making 12 days’ reproductive leave part of the minimum entitlements for all workers will have incredible benefits across the entire economy.
Women will be able to stay in the workforce longer, build more superannuation and help us close the gender pay gap.
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Westpac announces new CEO
Westpac has announced a new CEO: Anthony Miller will be stepping into the role following Peter King’s retirement.
Miller is currently the bank’s chief executive for its business and wealth division, but before joining Westpac, he was head of the Australia/New Zealand division for Deutsche Bank. He was also a partner at Goldman Sachs.
He’ll take over the role on 16 December.
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The governor-general, Sam Mostyn, will receive the royal commission into defence and veterans’ suicide final report at 11am.
It will then be up to the government to decide when it is tabled and made public.
Penalties for social media companies under proposed ban should be ‘in seven figures’: Malinauskas
Peter Malinauskas said in order for the government ban to work, the penalties have to be serious:
Well, it has to be seven figures for those companies that knowingly, willingly, break the law with impunity. That comes out of the [Robert] French report. This is about creating an economic deterrence for those companies who really go about their business breaking the law. Infringements will happen, and there are lower levels of infringement notices that can be issued by a regulator under the proposition by Robert French.
But where we see the most egregious breaches of the law, where it is done willingly, and then civil penalties can apply, and that would have to be of a seven-figure magnitude and talking about millions of dollars, given the nature of it.
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Social media companies ‘industrialising addiction’ in children, SA premier says
The SA premier said the ban was about doing what is right:
I mean, I don’t think that we can overstate this. Parents around the country are tearing their hair out with children who are suffering these addictions and knowing that they’re doing them harm. And even for kids themselves.
I mean, you ask children, “do you want to give up social media?”, and they’ll say no.
But if you ask them whether or not if they would give up social media if all of their friends would do it as well, they all would gladly give it up. We know that something is up here.
We know that the companies industrialise the addiction for their own purpose, which is actually what invites governments to respond, and that’s what we’re going to do in South Australia, and I hope that the rest of the country is able to get on board.
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Peter Malinauskas says that the SA government is confident it can work out the legal issues with its proposal to ban under 14s, and the tech is there to ensure age verification can work:
There are substantial advances made to age verification globally. And they’re already in place in some areas. The commonwealth is now trialling that as a federal level, which we think is a good thing.
But it is about putting the obligation upon the companies themselves. This shouldn’t be up to parents or children, or even governments.
The governments should be able to impose the obligations upon the services that are, quite frankly, profiteering out of addiction.
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South Australia proposes social media ban for under-14s
South Australia’s Labor government wants to ban children who are under 14 from social media.
The premier, Peter Malinauskas, told the ABC it was about protecting children:
There is now a substantial and growing volume of international peer-reviewed research that makes it clear that social media addiction is actually doing children great harm that can be long lasting, particularly when it comes to their mental health. So what we are seeking to do is replicate what other parts of the world are now doing, and that is putting an obligation upon social media services and platforms from allowing children under the age of 14 getting access to accounts and allowing their addiction to take hold. So, we think that we can go a long way to making a difference. It is not a silver bullet but about making a difference where we can.
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Government to begin testing age-verification technology for social media platforms
The federal government is set to begin testing technologies aimed at verifying the age of social media users and stopping children from accessing adult material, with phase three of the $6.5m age assurance trial starting on Tuesday.
The first two phases involved assessing the community’s willingness to use age-verification technologies if they were available, and consulting with industry and key affected and interested sections of the community.
The third phase will test the effectiveness of technologies that are activated when a phone, computer or tablet is set up, and those that are activated via an operating system, app store or through individual apps and platforms.
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, said parents were rightly concerned for their children’s safety.
But parents and young people themselves have told me they also expect government to consider privacy, the ethics of different technologies and not isolating young people from their digital native world in our policy response.
Rowland said big tech and social media platforms share a responsibility for users’ safety.
Any parent hearing the message from social media companies that protecting children from harmful online content is the parent’s sole responsibility would be rightly dismayed."
The three-phase trial is part of a suite of existing government measures to address issues relating to social media access and influence, including funding free school digital literacy programs and providing free information guides on using parental controls and on talking to kids about online safety. The government is also reviewing the Online Safety Act, introducing codes of practice for platforms in relation to pornography regulation and online dating, and updating its “stop it at the start” anti-misogyny advertising campaign.
The age-verification trial is expected to provide guidance on how ready the sector is to provide effective age assurances and provide advice to both government and the eSafety commissioner on the future enforcement of policies and codes of practice.
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Invasive species could cost NSW nearly $30bn a year by 2030, new report says
Failure to properly manage invasive species in New South Wales, including the speed at which some pests spread, could cost the state $29.7bn a year by 2030, according to a new report released by the Minns government.
The “worst case scenario” figure is in a Natural Resources Commission review of the management of invasive species in the state, which include feral cats, foxes and weeds.
The report finds there has been a lack of strategic planning and resourcing of programs to control or eradicate pests. Among a raft of recommendations, it calls for development of a framework to prioritise and resource programs that reduce current and future risks posed by invasive species. It recommends five yearly funding commitments from Treasury.
The report notes that impacts caused by pest animals such as feral cats and foxes are more prominent and well understood and, when each invasive species is considered individually, widespread feral animals have a greater impact than any single weed species.
But it adds:
However, the overall number of weed species is larger than pest animal species and their combined impacts and associated costs are also much greater.
The NSW agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said the government had already taken some steps towards addressing the recommendations by creating an independent biosecurity commissioner role and committing “record” funding to biosecurity and the NSW Local Land Services. She said the government commissioned the review so it could “understand the problems we inherited from the former Nationals/Liberal government’s management of this critically important area”:
We are committed to responding to the NRC report comprehensively and we are already reviewing the current compliance settings to make sure they are fit for purpose.
In addition, we will be making sure that public land managers are not only compliant but are leading the way in how they manage the public estate for future generations.
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Good morning
Hello and welcome back to parliament, where we pick up where we left off – with the government trying to define itself as handling the cost-of-living crisis and the opposition doing all it can to derail the government’s narrative.
In the parliament, the super on paid parental leave legislation will be up for debate, and the legislation to put in place the phased-in 15% pay rise for early childhood educators will be introduced.
The Hecs legislation will also be debated (that is the one changing how interest is indexed), but all eyes will be on the future made in Australia legislation debate, given its importance to the Albanese government.
You’ll also see the independent parliamentary standards commission legislation, logging laws and multinational tax pop up in the legislative mix.
After two weeks in a mess of its own making over scrapping gender and sexuality questions from the census, the government has reverse-ferreted and announced the 2026 census will have a gender and sex section after all. It still won’t ask questions on variations of innate sex characteristics, but it is hoping that reinstating the other questions will cut down on criticisms.
But so far this year, the parliamentary weeks have been dominated by what Peter Dutton and the opposition are doing, as the legislative agenda gets pushed to the side. With the ongoing argument over the government’s response to the reserve bank, inflation and cost of living in general, don’t expect that to change.
Meanwhile, the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide will be handed down, with the government to decide when it is tabled.
The number one recommendation in the interim report, reinforced by the commission in its closing ceremony, is for an oversight body – with teeth – to be established, to ensure that all agencies and departments follow through with what needs to happen in addressing the issue.
We’ll follow all the day’s news and more as the first sitting day unfolds. You have Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Sarah Basford Canales and Daniel Hurst with you in Canberra and Mike Bowers behind the camera. You’ll also have me, Amy Remeikis, with you on the blog.
Ready? Let’s get into it.
