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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly and Amy Remeikis (earlier)

Liberal MP Bridget Archer to cross the floor on climate bill – as it happened

Labor Greens Adam Bandt United States Australia Nancy Pelosi Penny Wong Coalition Mike Bowers Taiwan

What we learned, Wednesday 3 August

And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. But before we go, let’s recap the big stories from today:

Thank you for spending the day with us – we will be back tomorrow to do it all again.

Updated

Despite conspiracy theories about the 2022 election and scrutiny of candidates’ eligibility, the window for challenging the results is now closed.

The Australian Electoral Commission returned the election writs on 23 June, starting the 40-day window to challenge the results or a candidate’s eligibility in the court of disputed returns.

The deadline was 4pm on Tuesday. A spokesman for the court confirmed on Wednesday that nothing had been filed.

Bridget Archer to cross the floor on climate bill

The Liberal MP, Bridget Archer, has revealed she will cross the floor to vote with Labor to enshrine a 43% emissions reduction target.

Archer spoke in the house about climate change’s impact on Tasmania, from its land use to dry lightning “a relatively new phenomenon” in the island state.

Archer said climate change is an issue that “transcends age, gender, political beliefs and socioeconomic circumstances” and she’d been approached from all types of constituents – including a Baptist minister, business leaders and pensioners of the left and right – “all of who believe this is not an issue of left or right”.

Archer mentioned a “a lifelong 70-year-old Liberal supporter who wants to see our country move ahead with greater action on climate change”, adding that “he’s not alone”. “I have heard you.”

Archer said she would not vote for the consequential amendments bill due to concerns of the impact it would have on infrastructure projects, but would support the primary bill.

Archer said she has to be able to “sincerely say” when she’s back in her community that she used the power of her vote to enact their wishes.

She said she had “constructive discussions” with Peter Dutton, who understands her position. Archer said she respects his position, including that the party will formulate a policy to combat climate change while supporting the Australian economy before the next election.

“While that happens it is important we act now and not delay until the next election,” she said.

Bridget Archer will support Labor’s climate legislation.
Bridget Archer will support Labor’s climate legislation. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

Updated

Albanese triggers fourth flood support grants

A program to help renters, home owners and landlords impacted by the New South Wales floods has been extended by the federal and state governments, AAP reports.

An additional $47m worth of grants has been made available to help people repair their properties and replace belongings lost in the June and July flooding.

The jointly funded Back Home program provides one-off payments of $20,000 for owner-occupiers, $15,000 for landlords, and $5000 for renters.

People can use the cash grants to make structural repairs, move to a new home, reconnect gas, water and electricity and replace or repair damaged household goods such as fridges, ovens or washing machines.

The commonwealth is working with all levels of government to support communities affected by natural disasters, prime minister Anthony Albanese said.

“We know recovery is a long road ahead and we stand with the NSW government in helping victims of the recent devastating floods get their lives back on track,” he said in a statement.

The emergency management minister, Murray Watt, said the government’s priority was to return flood victims to a safe, dry home.

“This program will help their homes to become habitable again by contributing to the cost of replacing appliances, reconnecting utilities, fixing roofs, connecting electricity and making other necessary repairs,” he said.

The grants are available for 17 local government areas deemed to be the most severely impacted by last month’s floods: Blacktown, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Penrith, Port Stephens, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollongong.

Applications for the grants will be live in the coming days.

Updated

An important story here from Eden Gillespie.

Updated

Australia secures supplies of new monkeypox vaccine

The health minister’s office has confirmed that the federal government has “secured supplies of the new third-generation vaccine [against monkeypox] and will be announcing the details tomorrow”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mark Butler described supplies as “hotly contested” and did not guarantee enough for at-risk populations, which suggests the order might be limited in number.

The health minister told reporters in Canberra:

We’ve been working very hard with peak providers in this area, particularly groups like the Federation of AIDS Organisations ... the clinicians in this area and many others who have a particular interest in the monkeypox outbreak across the world.

Chief health officers have been in regular discussion about our response to that and we’ve been considering the recommendations from the World Health Organization.

I’ve announced previously that we’re in discussions to try to secure pretty hotly contested supplies of the third generation vaccine which can be used pre-exposure or post-exposure, and it’s certainly a much more moderate vaccine than the second generation vaccine, of which we do have substantial supplies now and it’s particularly useful for patients who have compromised immunity for example, potentially HIV.

So we’ve been working very hard on both of those in close dialogue with the peaks. And I’ll have more to say about that in the next 24 hours.

Last week Guardian Australia reported that health stakeholders believed an announcement of a supply deal for the newer vaccination was imminent.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation advised that “limited supplies of … [MVA-BN Jynneos] have been secured by the commonwealth and some states and territories”. It is unclear if these supplies have arrived in Australia, with demand high globally.

A vaccine against the monkeypox virus in the Netherlands.
A vaccine against the monkeypox virus in the Netherlands. Photograph: Lex van Lieshout/EPA

Updated

UAP senator ends first speech with ‘Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!’ chant

United Australia party senator Ralph Babet has finished his first speech by leading an “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!” chant inside the Senate chamber.

It was returned with an “oi oi oi” by a small number of viewers in the gallery, before Senate president Sue Lines chided the new senator for being “disorderly”.

The chant ended a speech in which Babet had criticised “unaccountable” international organisations and “radical Marxist ideology” and declared himself a patriot.

Babet, a senator for Victoria, gave his first speech to the parliament on Wednesday night, as UAP leaders Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly watched on from the public gallery.

He spoke of arriving in Australia from his native Mauritius at age seven, not knowing any English and only speaking French when he began school.

The former real estate agent banged the podium repeatedly to reinforce key points in his speech: “To say I’m a patriot is an understatement. To say I love the red white and blue [of the Australian flag] and the southern cross doesn’t come close.”

Babet said he had not “been groomed in the political machine”, describing himself as “a regular Australian who decided it was time to put my hand up and have a go.”

“Nation first. That must be at the centre of all we do in this place,” he said.

Ralph Babet wore an Australian flag pin as he delivered his first speech in the Senate.
Ralph Babet wore an Australian flag pin as he delivered his first speech in the Senate. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Babet spoke of his concern at increasing global tensions, not specifically naming any country but appearing to reference China.

“We live in a world where powers beyond our shores seek ever increasing power and influence over the direction of our country and our people. We must temper this with a staunch patriotic attitude,” he said.

“We must not allow unelected, undemocratic and unaccountable international groups and organisations to exert undue influence over the future of Australia.”

Babet also criticised “radical marxist ideology” which he claimed was influencing key institutions, speaking of his dislike of conversations about terms including “white privilege” and “gender fluidity”.

He thanked Palmer and Kelly for their support, saying their advice “into the future will be invaluable”.

Updated

Penny Wong is heading to Cambodia

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is jetting to Cambodia for a series of meetings with south-east Asian leaders to discuss issues including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar crisis, health, security, climate change and human rights.

She said:

Tonight, I will travel to Cambodia to attend this week’s ASEAN-Australia foreign ministers’ meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers’ meeting, and the ASEAN regional forum (ARF).

I look forward to meeting with regional leaders and ministers to continue to deepen the Australian government’s engagement with Southeast Asia.

In ASEAN meetings, I will underline Australia’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, furthering cooperation through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in areas of shared interest including combatting climate change, building health security, and advancing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

At the EAS and ARF, I will outline Australia’s vision for the region and our positions on the Myanmar crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

My visit to Cambodia coincides with the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. I will meet with members of the Cambodian Government to discuss economic recovery, education ties, health security, and human rights.

Penny Wong is off to Cambodia tonight to meet with other foreign ministers.
Penny Wong is off to Cambodia tonight to meet with other foreign ministers. Photograph: Robert Kitchin/AP

Updated

Imagine just waking up and there is a piece of a SpaceX craft sitting in your paddock – wild.

Updated

Independent Dai Le won’t vote on climate bill, citing cost of living concerns

The independent MP Dai Le has announced on Twitter that she will abstain from voting on the climate change bill.

The member for Fowler cited a lack of details around the bill’s cost of living impacts among her reasons for not voting:

Updated

Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly are in the building

In a blast from the political past, Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly are back in Parliament House. The United Australia Party pair were spotted sipping coffees at the staff cafe, waiting for the first speech of their new senator, Ralph Babet – which is due any minute in the upper house.

Palmer, the former member for Fairfax, and Kelly, the recently-deposed member for Hughes, were joined by Babet’s brother for a late afternoon caffeine hit. They were seen rushing off to get in position for Babet’s first speech to the Senate, presumably to the public galleries.

We’ll bring you the speech of Babet, elected to the Senate for Victoria, when he takes to his feet in a few minutes.

Updated

Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanks Australia for support in ANU speech

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has spoken to the Australian National University, thanking Australia for its support against the Russian invasion.

Zelensky decried “hundreds thousands of military crimes” and Russian atrocities on what is the 161st day of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. These included “mass execution of a peaceful population, handcuffing people, put them on their knees, kill them with a shot on their back; and [raping] them in front of the eyes of their own children”.

Zelensky said:

We are shocked by messages of new Russian atrocities. It shouldn’t be a common thing for the world, that would mean the world had put up with it.

I’m very thankful to Anthony Albanese for the significant support, the full scale humanitarian assistance, sanctions against Russian entities; cancelling of [taxes on] Ukrainian goods, [provision of] coal for Ukranian energy.

[Australia has given] the biggest military support from non-NATO members. We will be thankful for the continuation of this support. We today need your help, the help of all the civilised countries. We must conquer evil. Thank you for attention – glory to Ukraine.

Zelensky rejected the idea the world needed to allow Russia or Vladimir Putin to save face to bring an end to the war. He said:

One who wants to save face, doesn’t launch rockets from from multi rocket systems, hit households, doesn’t hit living quarters ... doesn’t drop bombs on birth houses and hopsitals, kindergartens, museums, theatres, and temples.

Zelensky called on the US to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

Updated

Zelensky says the world, the UN security council, the Red Cross and Nato all have a choice to recognise Russia as a state which sponsors terrorists.

“To do this important step two: recognise Russian Federation as the country terrorist sponsor [sic],” he said.

Updated

Zelenskiy is up.

“It’s been already 161 days,” he said. “It’s important not to forget any of those days.”

He says Russia has dropped bombs on hospitals, kindergartens, universities, museums, theatres, temples and holocaust memorials.

The [country] who wants to save face doesn’t commit hundreds of ... crimes against humanity, doesn’t commit ... massive executions of the peaceful population, doesn’t put ... handcuffs on the peaceful people, doesn’t put them on their knees and kill them with a shot in the back.

He says Russia has lost its face, its dignity.

Russia has lost [its] face long ago. It has happened not just today, not the day before yesterday ... and not this weekend.

He said the difference between terrorists and Russia is that Russia cannot be held accountable for its actions.

Updated

Julie Bishop says Zelenskiy has “stood firm” in the face of Russian aggression.

“Rallying his people through his presence and his words, supporting his military [which] has been afflicted significant losses on the invading forces,” she says.

“His energy and determination, his advocacy for freedom against tyranny, has inspired people around the world. And it is our great honour that he has agreed to participate in this event this evening.”

Updated

ANU Chancellor The Hon. Julie Bishop is up introducing Zelenskiy.

She says Russia’s invasion invioked “dark and grizzly” meories, it was also a “dircet challnage to the international rules based order”.

From AAP:

Far-right extremist claims he was participating in theological discussion when he called LGBTQI-friendly churchgoers ‘sodomites’

The far-right extremist Neil Erikson has claimed he was trying to participate in a Bible discussion when he stormed into an LGBTQI-friendly church and asked if they married Sodomites.

His lawyer told a Melbourne court on Wednesday the victims of the abuse, including the church’s reverend, caused a disturbance by standing up and trying to get him out of the room.

Erikson, 37, crashed a Mother’s Day service at the Metropolitan Community Church in Hawthorn in May 2019 with two women, livestreaming the ordeal to his followers online.

A few minutes after the Bible discussion began, Erikson got up from his seat and, while standing in front of about 20 parishioners, asked: “Does your church marry Sodomites?”

Parishioners were shocked by the incident and Reverend Susan Townsend stood up and asked him repeatedly to leave.

He hurled further abuse, including at times calling the parishioners “degenerates” and “fa***ts”.

His barrister Stephanie Wallace said he was not trying to disturb, but instead wanted to participate in a discussion as there were “theological origins” to the word Sodomite.

Updated

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is about to give a special address to ANU.

I will bring you that when it starts.

Updated

I want to draw your attention to this piece from Peter Hannam - looking at the government slashing the forecast of future gains in national productivity.

Hello everyone, this is Cait. Before we start - a big thank you to Amy for taking us through the hectic morning! I will be with you for the rest of the day - so let’s get into it.

First up, I have some First Dog on the Moon - you’re very welcome.

Updated

The parliament will keep rolling on for a bit as it works through the climate bill and the amendments.

Cait Kelly is going to guide you through the evening – and make sure you check back regularly: Murph has a piece incoming on what the Greens announcement on the climate bill means, while the rest of the team have been working non-stop to bring you everything else which has been happening today (it has been a lot).

A very big thank you to Mike Bowers for being my eyes and ears while mine were trained on a variety of screens, and for all his work bringing the parliament to you in a way my words never could.

And as always, thank you for helping me through another huge day. We couldn’t do it without you. Until tomorrow morning – take care of you.

Updated

Crossbenchers oppose Labor's super changes

Crossbench senators are lining up to oppose Labor’s plan to water down super funds’ disclosure of political donations and ad spending.

Opposition from Jacqui Lambie, David Pocock and Ralph Babet to the draft regulations could force the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, back to the drawing board or risk defeat in the Senate.

In July Jones released draft regulations that would remove the requirements for super funds to itemise their spending on political donations, payments made to related parties and marketing, allowing them to declare only totals for those categories.

The regulations would water down reforms passed by the Morrison government, aimed at discouraging super funds’ advocacy through donations, advertising and news, including support for The New Daily website.

Jones said that “unnecessary regulatory measures can impose a significant administration cost on funds and their members”.

He announced a treasury review to consider “concerns relating to the regulatory complexity of best financial interests duty requirements”, consultation for which closed on Friday.

The shadow assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, has confirmed the Coalition will seek to disallow the regulation if and when it has made, and has written to the crossbench seeking their support. The Greens would likely have the casting vote in any disallowance vote.

Babet told Guardian Australia that “full and frank disclosure of how superannuation funds are spent on behalf of members is essential”.

“It comes a question of ‘does a super member stand to benefit from funding advertising or donation to any political party?’.”

In Senate question time on Tuesday, Lambie said it was “basic common sense” that money be spent in members best interests, and questioned whether Labor cared if “directors spend Australians’ retirement money on stuff they don’t need”.

Lambie said super funds make donations that “many members do not know and which I do not like” but “at least they have to tell members who they’re donating to and how much they’re giving them”.

Lambie questioned whether the changes were “really just about hiding super money going to Labor and the unions”. The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, rejected that, but took other questions on notice.

On Wednesday Lambie confirmed if the regulations are in line with the draft “we’ll move to disallow them”. “This is about making sure there’s transparency and accountability on all sides of politics,” she told Guardian Australia.

“If you only care about integrity and transparency when it’s applied to your opponents, you don’t care about integrity at all.”

A spokeswoman for Pocock told Guardian Australia he also has concerns about the regulation diluting transparency requirements. The Greens have not revealed their position.

Earlier on Wednesday, Robert told reporters in Canberra that Labor’s first move by treasury was “to water down transparency when it comes to superannuation”.

Robert said the Coalition changes ensure “full disclosure of donations, sponsorships, [and] payments for union picnics” due to concerns that $85m had been given by super funds in undisclosed payments.

Jones has defended the changes, arguing itemised statements “didn’t align with the accounting standards” and created a “red-tape nightmare”.

“If anyone thinks providing somebody with a 300-page document, line by line by line is providing greater accountability, that’s pretty out of touch with the way that most members interact with this,” Jones told The Australian.

Updated

Greens senator Barbara Pocock to chair committee on work and care

The South Australian senator said:

We need a work-care system built for the 21st century that assists working carers.

Establishing a parliamentary inquiry to examine the current work and care system and how we can create an economy that is care inclusive and narrows inequality, was a priority for me, and I’m pleased the senate has supported its establishment.

I have spent my life fighting for the rights of working people, women and low-income workers. I am an Economist and Emeritus professor and established and led the Centre for Work + Life at the University of South Australia. I am thrilled to bring this experience to the role of chair of this committee.

Working carers make up a huge proportion of the Australian workforce. In 2022, 2 million Australians provided unpaid assistance to others with a disability, long-term health condition or due to old age [according to the ABS].

Working carers need free, accessible, quality childcare. It is as essential to working life as the road that gets us to work.

Australia’s workplace laws need a renovation to give job security, appropriate leave, and decent pay to working carers.

We need to fix the work and care regimes that we labour under in Australia.

Updated

Royal Australian College of GPs welcomes Covid vaccinations for children under five

The president of the RACGP, Adj Prof Karen Price, said it was another positive step forward in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

This is promising news for Australian families.

With tens of thousands of new Covid-19 cases emerging every day in communities across Australia, including in children aged six months to five years, it could not come at a better time.

Once again, I remind everyone that all the Covid-19 vaccines are extremely safe and effective and will significantly reduce the incidence of people suffering severe effects from the virus, including hospitalisation or worse.

But the RACGP President warned that practices delivering Covid-19 vaccines needed more assistance

This latest announcement is good news, but it will add another layer of work for practices who have put their hands up to help deliver these vaccines.

Please be patient and don’t all rush forward at once making immediate demands for the vaccine from your usual GP. Initial supplies will be arriving in Australia later this week and given the relatively small size of the cohort to be vaccinated it is likely only a small number of practices will deliver this vaccine.

These clinics will be identified on the Vaccine Clinic Finder and bookings will open later this month, so please be patient and respectful towards general practice staff because even if they are one of the vaccination sites they won’t be able to accommodate your child right away.

In terms of children under five who aren’t yet eligible, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) will continue to monitor the evidence.

This latest announcement is yet another reminder that practices need more support from government. We are already flat out delivering Covid-19 vaccines and influenza vaccines as well as delivering care to people who have delayed consultations and screenings during the pandemic.

It is important to keep in mind too that delivering vaccines to children, particularly young children, is more time intensive and complicated compared to adults.

If we are to continue as the backbone of the vaccine rollout, we really need more support from the new government. Many practices are having enormous difficulty absorbing the cost of taking part in the rollout. We didn’t sign up to make money, but at the end of the day we must make ends meet because no one benefits when a practice has to shut up shop or drop out of the vaccine rollout.

That is why once again the RACGP urges the government to step up and provide more funding for practices. If that occurs, practices will be able to run more after-hours and weekend vaccination clinics and get more vaccines in arms as soon as possible for our kids.

Updated

Australian activist Drew Pavlou has tweeted that he may leave the United Kingdom due to delays in a police investigation into a false bomb threat against the Chinese embassy in London. Pavlou was arrested after a “small peaceful human rights protest” outside the Chinese embassy. He had intended to glue his hand to the building.

But prior to the protest, an email account that used Pavlou’s name sent a false bomb threat to the embassy.

The Metropolitan police confirmed it had received a report of a bomb threat made by email. It said it had arrested a man outside the embassy because of his “suspicious behaviour”. Its investigations are ongoing.

Pavlou has categorically denied that he sent the email and says it was clearly a fake. On Wednesday, Pavlou tweeted that he was considering leaving the UK. He said it had been 12 days since his arrest and that the investigation was dragging out.

Updated

Well, it has been absolutely non-stop since 7am this morning, so if you are still standing, take this as as moment to have a bit of a switch off and touch some grass.

Further to the obsession with ties and dress codes by some members of the Coalition on the parliament, our international site editor, Graham Russell, reminds me that NZ is, as it often is, already on the right side of this debate:

Updated

Here is some of how Mike Bowers saw question time.

Ted O’Brien and Barnaby Joyce
That feeling when you get to review nuclear again, even though you did a whole report on it which was largely ignored just a little while ago – Ted O’Brien and Barnaby Joyce. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Dr Sophie Scamps
The Independent member for Mackellar, Dr Sophie Scamps, bringing some decorum back to the House. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Chris Bowen
Chris Bowen continues his good day. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Barilaro inquiry: London trade job recipient was ‘added to the process late’

Tamsin Rose and Michael McGowan have this report on the ongoing Barilaro inquiry:

The inquiry has turned to the appointment of Stephen Cartwright to the UK agent general and senior trade and investment commissioner role based in London.

Investment NSW head Amy Brown told the inquiry that there had been a different preferred candidate for the position before Cartwright was “added to the process late” after interviews had already been undertaken. He was eventually given the job.

Brown told the hearing she got the impression that Cartwright “felt he had some sort of elevated status”.

She said that during a meeting in front of other colleagues he said he would “go to the deputy premier or the premier” when contract negotiations became difficult.

She said:

If things were getting too difficult he seemed to find it a bit of a go-to statement to say he would go to the deputy premier or the premier.

When negotiations got difficult ... he said ‘well I’ll just elevate this to the deputy premier or the premier’.

Given that process happened last year, Brown is going back to check her notes to say whether the premier was Gladys Berejiklian or Dominic Perrottet at the time.

While Brown said the alleged comments had not affected her contract negotiations, she got the impression from dealing with Cartwright that his former role as head of the NSW Business Chamber meant he had a relationship with ministers.

Brown also said that the decision to publicly announce Cartwright as the London agent general - which occurred on the same day as Berejiklian stood down as premier and was attended by both John Barilaro and Perrottet - happened before the contract negotiations were complete.

There was “contention around the interpretation of the contract”, so it was “still live”, she said.

Brown did not reveal whose decision it was to proceed with the announcement.

The Guardian has approached Cartwright for comment.

Updated

Death to ties.

Updated

National Covid summary: 66 deaths reported

Here are the latest Coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 66 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 889
  • In hospital: 143 (with 2 people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 39
  • Cases: 16,648
  • In hospital: 2,288 (with 67 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 366
  • In hospital: 57 (with 1 person in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 6,399
  • In hospital: 788 (with 22 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 2,860
  • In hospital: 337 (with 11 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 3
  • Cases: 892
  • In hospital: 101 (with 7 people in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 9,122
  • In hospital: 743 (with 40 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 4 (dating back to 28 July)
  • Cases: 4,062
  • In hospital: 404 (with 12 people in ICU)

Updated

Mike Bowers has been absolutely everywhere today.

He caught Adam Bandt at the press club announcing the Greens would support Labor’s climate legislation – while continuing to push the government to go further.

Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt addresses the National Press Club. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Gotta love an A4 notebook. (Again – no tie. We assume Bert van Manen is taking deep breathes somewhere.)

Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt prepares to address the National Press Club, sans tie. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Bowers then ran over to the prime minister’s courtyard, where there were lots of hand movements:

Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen
Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen taking questions before Question Time. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen raising hands
*Algernop Krieger voice* Jazz Hands! Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Question time ends

With Ed Husic having concluded his answer, question time ends.

One more to go.

Updated

Tamsin Rose will have a post on this for you in just a moment:

Telstra reaches agreement with ACCC after accusations of attempting to hinder Optus deployment of 5G

Telstra registered hundreds of new sites to use its low-band spectrum in a move that Optus said was “gaming the system” to delay the company’s 5G network rollout.

Optus won the rights to use all available 900MHz spectrum at an auction at the end of last year, with intention to use it for 5G.

Telstra currently holds a licence for parts of the 900MHz spectrum band until 30 June 2024, but had not registered a new site to use the spectrum since 2016.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority said in December last year it would consider allowing Optus early access to the 900MHz spectrum band, and in January Telstra registered 315 sites in major cities, or inner regional areas to use the 900MHz spectrum band. It subsequently deregistered 153 of these sites.

The company has now made an undertaking with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to deregister the remaining 162 sites after the ACCC investigated and said it was concerned the registrations “had the substantial purpose or likely of preventing or hindering Optus from deployment of its 5G network”

ACCC’s commissioner, Liza Carver, said:

Telstra’s undertaking will ensure Optus is not hindered from expanding its 5G rollout, giving more Australians access to a choice of 5G services in regional and metropolitan Australia.

Telstra disagreed with the ACCC’s findings, arguing the focus was “on improving service for our customers, including relieving 3G congestion in some parts of regional Australia.”

A Telstra spokesperson said:

We identified an opportunity to reduce congestion in a small number of places by moving 3G traffic onto our 900 MHz spectrum, given it is unused and we own until 2024. At the same time this would free up 850 MHz spectrum to meet the growing demands of our 5G customers.

The spokesperson said Telstra filed the undertaking to avoid a case being drawn out, costly, and time-consuming, and it would use the 900MHz spectrum in areas where Optus’ 5G rollout is not advancing.

Optus’ VP of regulatory and public affairs, Andrew Sheridan, said:

Optus was concerned that our major competitor was gaming the system to delay our 5G rollout to gain an unfair advantage and deny Australians choice.

We are pleased with the actions taken by the ACCC to promote 5G competition for Australia’s consumers and businesses.

Updated

While Husic completes his dixer which could have been a press release, Josh Taylor has an update for you.

Updated

Ed Husic gets a dixer.

Moving on.

Updated

Butler: rural priority changes will begin to undo damage to Medicare

Andrew Gee to Mark Butler:

Why has the government changed the distribution priority area classification for rural doctor shortages to now include outer metropolitan areas, in a move the Rural Doctors Association of Australia warns will wreak havoc in the bush and it could cost lives of rural and remote patients? Why is the government putting the lives of rural Australians at risk?

Butler:

...the position we inherited from those opposite is that it has never been harder, never been more expensive to so a doctor than it became under this government. After nine long years of cuts and neglect to Medicare.

Let me just run through for context what exactly led to the decisions I’ve been asked about: back in 2019, the former government ripped away the ability to recruit overseas trained doctors from a 140 GP regions. 140 GP regions, which for years have depended upon overseas-trained doctors to fill their consulting rooms, had that removed in the stroke of a pen.

I can tell you on this side a number of MPs organised discussions with patient groups and with doctors to run through what that had meant to those local communities. Members in the Hunter Valley, the member for Shortland, Patterson, the candidate for Leichhardt, and the senator for Far North Queensland said to me what that meant for the people of Cairns. What it meant for the Hunter Valley to have those consulting rooms hollowed out ... with the stroke of a pen by the former government.

And we took an evidence-based approach to this question. We had a long Senate inquiry that took evidence from patient groups, from doctor’s groups, local communities about what exactly that had meant for people wanting to go in and see a GP. It lifted the lid on the impact of that decision by the Morrison government back in 2019.

Now the former government had pretended recruiting a doctor in the Hunter Valley was the same as recruiting a doctor in Mosman. After three years of their experiment, ripping out from regional Australia the ability to recruit those GPs...

Paul Fletcher tries his luck with another point of order:

The question asked specifically about the Rural Doctors Association of Australia warning this will wreak havoc in the bush.

There is no point of order.

Butler:

We make no apology for making it easy to see a doctor in this country or strengthen Medicare after nine long years of cuts and neglect.

As the member and those opposite should know, a range of incentives continue to be in place: for example the workplace incentive program that provides up to $60,000 additional incentives for those modified Monash areas, number three to seven, that continue to provide additional incentive to [go to] rural health areas.

There is still much to do to undo the damage of those opposite.

Strengthening Medicare can’t happen overnight, but we make no apology for starting to undo the damage inflicted after nine long years of their cuts and neglect to the Medicare system.

Updated

Bowen: if Coalition wanted to engage with climate legislation they could have instead of just opposing it

Ted O’Brien (who, a lot of you have been asking? Why the shadow minister for climate change, is who) has a question for Chris Bowen. which shows where the Coalition plan on taking climate discussion on whichever channel will have them:

The leader of the Greens has been successful in changing the government’s emissions legislation to stop government agencies investing in gas projects. Given the minister has joined in questioning the importance of gas, can he guarantee his support for the Beetaloo Basin Project and other important gas projects? What will be the cost to the economy and jobs of this concession to the Greens?

Bowen:

If the opposition wanted to engage in conversation with the government they could have instead of opposing the bill. What we have done is put the climate targets in. If you’re not in favour of targets, you don’t require government organisations to work with them.

Updated

Butler: good climate policy is good public health policy

Dr Sophie Scamps has a question from the crossbench, restoring some much needed order to the chamber. There is big FriYAY energy in the chamber, but we still have tomorrow to go. And you know, several national crises, including that people can’t afford to buy produce.

Scamps:

The Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and others have declared that climate change is a health emergency. I commend the government’s commitment to developing a national strategy on climate change, health and wellbeing, as this will begin to address this emergency. Would the minister please outline to the House the contents of the strategy and the timeline for delivery?

Mark Butler (the minister for health, who gives an actual response):

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the member for Mackellar for this important question. The World Health Organisation has described climate change as the greatest threat to public health in the 21st century.

They estimate that between 2030 and 2050, 250,000 people every year will lose their lives as a direct result of a warming planet. And the impact in Australia will be profound. In a climate that already pushes us right up against the limits of human tolerance, heat-related deaths will increase.

The health effects are more frequent and intense, extreme weather events will grow substantially and disease will start to creep southward.

The dengue fever exposure zone, for example, is expected to move as far south as Rockhampton by the middle of the century and as far south as northern New South Wales by the end of the century. Mr Speaker, we’re already seeing this.

Separate from the tragic fatalities caused by the Black Saturday bushfires more than a decade ago, that heatwave in Victoria caused 374 heat-related deaths, as well as a huge increase in callouts to the ambulance service.

Australia lags the rest of the world in climate and health after nine long years of denial and inaction.

But, Mr Speaker, that will change under this government. The first and the most important step obviously is to take real action on climate change.

And I congratulate my friend and colleague, the minister for climate change and energy, for the bill he’s brought before this House and for the constructive engagement by the member for Mackellar.

On this side we know good climate policy is good public health policy.

Renewable energy is not just good for the climate, it also removes dangerous particulate pollution from the atmosphere and improves public health, as do electric vehicles.

I’ve already commissioned advice from my department about the implementation of the election to which the member for Mackellar refers and I’ve had an early discussion with state and territory health ministers about how we can work together, Labor and Liberal alike, to reduce emissions from the health sector, as well as improving its capability to deal with the risks and the opportunities that come with climate change.

Mr Speaker, the legislation before the House today is an important first step in ending nine long years of denial and inaction. But alongside sectors like manufacturing and transport, energy, agriculture, and mining, the health sector also needs a focused plan to deal with climate change. And we are getting on with the job of making that plan.

Updated

The next dixer has a a “what options have the government rejected” attached to it, which immediately causes an eye twitch, after three years of “alternate approaches”.

Further proof everyone eventually becomes what they hate.

Updated

In case you missed it, here is one of the reasons for Labor’s good mood – Adam Bandt’s press club speech:

The government side of the chamber looks like it needs a lay down after that.

To be fair, it doesn’t take much though, these days.

Chalmers: Labor has been consistent on what it would do for cost of living

Angus Taylor is up with a question for Jim Chalmers, and the government side of the house acts like Santa just announced the elves could unionise:

Can the treasurer name a single new initiative announced since coming to government that will address the rising cost of living pressures facing Australian households and businesses?

Chalmers:

Well, thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the call. Thank you to the member for Hume for the question. But most of all, Mr Speaker, from the very bottom of my heart, can I thank whoever thought it was a good idea to get Angus to ask a question about the cost of living.

Now the member for Hume is very chirpy now about the cost of living but when the Australian people really needed him to speak up about that 20% increase in electricity prices that he intervened to keep quiet about during the election, he was absolutely nowhere to be found.

And the same as with the captain’s call made by the leader of the opposition ... [who] said they should extend the petrol excise relief. The member for Hume was asked eight times in a press conference yesterday afternoon, does he agree with the leader of the opposition, and he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do it.

Now we have been consistent, right throughout this conversation. We have said that our priority on the cost of living is to implement the commitments that we took to the election, that the prime minister and everyone on this side of the House took to the election. And those commitments are around making childcare cheaper. And more affordable for more people. Our commitments ...

Taylor has a point of order on relevance. There is no point of order, says the Speaker.

(Labor MPs are heckling Taylor, saying “stay down Angus”, while Murph tells me Ed Husic says “you only get one Angus in your life”)

Chalmers:

The budget in October will contain a range of new initiatives which we took to the election and won the support of the Australian people for. Cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines, a wages policy to get wages growing again in this country after a decade of deliberate wage suppression and wage stagnation that those opposite chased when it came to their economic policies.

And so what we’ve said all along is when you inherit a budget which is absolutely heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal party debt, you’ve got to work out what your priorities are, and our priorities are childcare, and skills, and the cost of medicine, and getting wages growing again, investing in the energies of the future, cleaner and cheaper, more reliable energy: all of the issues that we took to the election and won a mandate for. In many ways [that’s] the reason why we’re on this side of the House and you, thankfully, are on that side of the House. So we’ve been consistent all along.

Now when it comes to the cost of living you cannot take those opposite seriously.

This is the party that called for fiscal responsibility at the same time as they said we should shovel billions more out the door. This is the party that demands an invite to a job summit they want cancelled. This is the party, if you’re to believe the wise words of the Financial Review, this is the party that got John Howard in to teach them about the future.

Well, you can’t believe a word those opposite say about the cost of living. When it comes to the member for Hume in particular, when it comes to the cost of living, he should be ashamed of himself.

Updated

Inside every speaker there are two wolves; a Dugald and a Milton. And they are constantly at war with each other.

(This is a niche joke on many levels and if you get it, you may be following both memes and politics a bit too closely. If you don’t get it, congratulations on having a life.)

Updated

Nola Marino (the member for Forrest) who has been very quiet in this new parliament, has a question on ... the burning issue of the CFMEU.

On the day the construction watchdog was giving evidence against the CFMEU officials, accused of sexualising, demeaning and humiliating a female labourer and abusing, threatening and elbowing a female health and safety inspector, the CFMEU donated $65,000 to Labor’s federal campaign. Prime minister, haven’t you said it’s time to change the culture? That means too many women aren’t safe at work. Why are you, prime minister, compromising this principle to protect the CFMEU thugs?

Milton Dick:

I ask the member to resume her seat. About 40 seconds ago I said not to do exactly what you said. So ... I’ll ask her to rephrase the question and not use that terminology. I call the member for Forrest. Start the clock.

Marino:

Thank you. My question is to the prime minister. On the day the construction watchdog was giving evidence against CFMEU officials, accused of sexualising, demeaning and humiliating a female labourer and abusing, threatening and elbowing a female health and safety inspector, the CFMEU donated $65,000 to Labor’s federal campaign. Prime minister, it’s time to change the culture that means too many women aren’t safe at work. Why are you compromising this principle to protect the CFMEU thugs?

(But she has run out of time.)

Dick:

There ... unfortunately there was no question in there. It’s a wise lesson for everyone when you’re drafting questions to make sure that principle is adhered to.

So Marino doesn’t get her question in and the house moves on.

Updated

Back in the house and Tony Burke decides to troll the opposition by pointing out that “you” is being used (he means in the point of orders) instead of titles.

Updated

Amy Brown: Ayres reactions would have had ‘a level of influence’ over Barilaro job decision

Back to the NSW inquiry for a moment:

The former NSW deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres spoke with colleagues about the potential appointment of John Barilaro to a New York trade role before an offer was made, agency head Amy Brown has told an inquiry.

Brown, the Investment NSW chief executive who had ultimate responsibility for the decision, told the state’s upper house inquiry into the appointment that the measure was her “final check”.

She said that if Ayres had raised the decision with colleagues and it had been perceived as “particularly controversial or caused material negative reaction” then it would have had a “level of influence” over her final decision.

She reported Ayres came back to her and said it was “good to go”. She did not reveal which colleagues Ayres allegedly sought out.

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has previously insisted that Brown was responsible for the appointment and there was no ministerial approval. He has said he had “no recollection” of being asked for his approval on the jobs.

Brown earlier also gave evidence that she had checked the appointment with the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Michael Coutts-Trotter.

Updated

Labor’s next round of dixers have been on its ‘Powering Australia’ plan, but there are press releases for that

Albanese: ABCC didn’t take action on construction deaths, wage theft

And now Peter Dutton is back on the CFMEU, which is, of course, the burning topic on every Australian’s mind right now. I know I can’t sleep thinking about the CFMEU. It’s all anyone is talking about, obviously.

Dutton:

I note the Prime Minister’s long and close association with the lawless and criminal CFMEU. I also note that the Labor Party’s received over $10m from the CFMEU since the watchdog was last abolished by Labor. Last week the federal circuit court gave the maximum penalty to a CFMEU official for breaching right of entry and making disgusting homophobic slurs at a safety advisor. Prime minister, why are you compromising the right of people to feel safe at work at the behest of your union backers?

Anthony Albanese:

I’m asked about the ABCC and why my government supports abolishing the ABCC. And I’m also asked about donations in the construction sector. Let me tell you a little story about donations in the construction sector, of Hanssen Proprietary Limited, which donated at least $175,000 to the Liberal party since 2014.

In October 2016, a 27-year-old German backpacker tragically fell 13 storeys to her death on a Hanssen worksite. Employees were forced to continue working while she lay on the ground, covered with a sheet. Covered with a sheet.

The company was fined $60,000 for health and safety violations which the company dismissed as a ‘legal technicality’.

This is what the judge said.

Mr Hanssen was blinded by his hatred of the applicants in preventing the taking of logical, rational and reasonable steps of entry and inspection that would have protected and assisted his employees. That was not to their benefit.

In 2018 the company was taken by the union, by the union, not by the ABCC, for being knowingly involved in the underpayment of a backpacker under an alleged sham contracting arrangement.

The case went to the high court and found the backpacker employed by a labour hire company was an employee covered by an award, not a self-employed contractor as had been designated. He had been earning 25% less than the award.

You’d think the ABCC might have taken action ... on that.

There is a point of order from Paul Fletcher because Albanese is not talking about donations. Milton Dick says there is no point of order.

Albanese finishes with:

Well, in fact, that wasn’t just one element of wage theft. PwC have estimated around $320m of wage theft in the construction sector every year. Every year.

They ... just expose their ideology day after day.

Since it was established, the ABCC have recovered $5m ... representing just $1m for every year. So $320m of wage theft, $1m recovered. But we don’t hear anything about that from those opposite, like we don’t hear anything about the 116 deaths in the construction industry since the reintroduction of the ABCC in 2016.

Updated

Cutting in to question time for a moment:

NY trade job recruitment head says she called department of premier and cabinet regarding Barilaro appointment

Investment NSW head, Amy Brown, has said she called the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Michael Coutts-Trotter, to see if he wanted to check with the premier, Dominic Perrottet, when the former deputy premier John Barilaro was the preferred candidate for the New York trade role.

Giving evidence before a parliamentary inquiry into Barilaro’s appointment to the job, Brown said she called Coutts-Trotter for a short conversation on April 12.

She said:

The only person I phoned, and said that Mr Barilaro was the preferred candidate out of the recruitment process, was [the] secretary of department premier and cabinet.

I had some nervousness around that appointment... I said something along the lines of, ‘Mr Barilaro is the successful candidate from the recruitment process. I’m nervous about it. I wonder if you might want to check in with the premier’.

Coutts-Trotter “expressed some surprise” but did not reply with anything of “substance”, according to Brown.

Brown said she asked the senior public servant if there was “anything that you wish to tell me that would dissuade me” from giving him the role.

She told the inquiry that he then shrugged and said “no”.

Earlier in the day, Brown said she had been nervous when it became obvious that Barilaro would be the front-running candidate.

She said:

He had some history with the NSW government that may make it difficult for him to take up the role without media and public controversy.

Updated

The truth is, Australia’s social housing has been in decline for years, while the people in need of it has been increasing at rapid rates.

You can read more about the state of social housing in this country here.

It is not helped by the fact that there are, according to the last census, about 1m unoccupied homes in Australia. Now, not all of them are sitting empty – some people would have been legitimately not home on the night of the census. But the bulk of them are investment or short term holiday rentals, in areas where rents have priced people out of their homes.

It is quickly becoming a national crisis, and so far, there are not a lot of solutions for it.

Updated

Albanese: happy to work constructively with Greens on housing affordability

The Greens MP for Griffith Max Chandler-Mather has a question on housing wait lists. Given it is homelessness week, it is not only timely, it is of actual importance to the ballooning number of Australians suffering housing stress or are already without a home.

(This is a paraphase of the question, given the transcription doesn’t catch it all):

Prime minister, you often speak about the role of public housing in your life. Currently there are 163,500 households on the waiting list around the country.

Since 2018 the number has increased by 7,600 homes a year on average. Your housing Australia Future Fund promises to build just 4,000 social homes a year for five years. Won’t your policy see the waitlist grow, denying hundreds of thousands of people the same chance you had in your life?

(In the midst of this, Nationals MP Pat Conaghan raises a point of order about Chandler-Mather not wearing a tie. After that question, the member for Cowper is most exercised about a missing piece of material he thinks should be dandling from Chandler-Mather’s neck. Galaxy brain stuff from the opposition)

Anthony Albanese:

I thank the member for Griffith for the question and I congratulate him on his election to this House.

I indeed do understand the importance of having a secure roof over your head, and what that can do for the opportunity to advance in life. I know it because I have lived it.

And that is one of the reasons why we went to the election with the substantial program, our Housing Australia Future Fund, a $10bn fund, the returns of which will be used to build around 30,000 social and affordable houses over the next five years.

We also established a national housing supply and affordability council that will work with state and local government, importantly, to deliver increased housing, be it social housing or affordable housing, particularly through community housing organisations.

And I know that the member’s political party has substantial presentation in local government and what I’d encourage him to do is to actually encourage the Greens political party to back affordable housing rather than just oppose it. Because in my local area, when there been programs in Marrickville, they have been opposed.

The sort of inclusive programs whereby councils can work with developers to get increased numbers of social housing units in return for an increase in size, but one which then delivers, delivers that mix that you need as well.

Because one of the things that we have learned as well over the years, and various research has shown, is that when we look at increases in social housing, we need to make sure that we don’t create pockets whereby there are areas where people grow up where people don’t know and don’t have a role models of people who work. Where you have a mix of incomes.

Part of my vision for the country is one where ... you won’t know what income people have by just looking at their postcode.

So I’m quite happy to work with the member on this issue and to work across the parliament, because it is very important that we do that.

This is an issue that I have raised with state and territory governments. We had the next meeting of the National Cabinet tomorrow morning. And we will continue to work constructively.

We know that pressures are on particularly renters at the moment, and we want to look at ways in which we can improve housing affordability across the board.

We have also a Help To Buy scheme, the regional first homebuyer support scheme and other programs as well and I’d pleased to work constructively [with the Greens].

Updated

It’s another dixer on the defence review, which I am sure is absolutely the topic on every Australian’s mind right now.

Moving on.

Further questions on the ‘$275 promise’

Sussan Ley is up next:

Prime minister, in the last four months alone, you have been caught not knowing the cash rate, not knowing the unemployment rate, not knowing that Australia’s borders were open, not knowing your own NDIS policy, and not knowing how to keep women safe on worksites. Prime minister, now you have been caught giving families...

Tony Burke interjects with a point of order, but Milton Dick is already all over it:

I ask you to rephrase the end of the question to make sure it’s not reflecting – you can repeat the question as one of the does not reflect upon the prime minister.

So is Ley – she already has a new version of the question ready to go:

In the last four months alone, you were caught not knowing the cash rate, not knowing the unemployment rate, not knowing that Australia’s borders were open, not knowing your own NDIS policy, and prioritising the CFMEU over women’s safety on work sites. Now that you have been caught giving families false hope about a $275 cut to their power bill, why won’t you confess and apologise to struggling Australians?

Anthony Albanese:

I thank the deputy leader for her question, which goes to what occurred over the last four months. It goes to what occurred over the last four months and there is one day in particular that sticks in my mind over the last four months.

It’s 21 May, 2022. On 21 May, 2022,... 77 members of the Australian Labor Party were elected to the House of Representatives. And those 77 people were elected with a clear mandate, to stop the waste and the rorts, that dominated those opposite. To end the corruption that occurred by having a national anti-corruption commission, to make sure that we had fairness in the workplace by reforming industrial relations, to give the lowest-paid workers on $22.33 an hour a $1 increase, something that they said would ruin the economy.

We were elected [with] the mandate to increase investment in public housing to a PowerHousing Australia Future Fund.

There is a point of order from Ley (of course)

Why is that all this shouting in a family friendly parliament?

I am not sure whether it has been an official memo or just a coping mechanism, but the opposition have taken up these sorts of points of order with gusto.

Milton Dick has had enough:

That is the second time in a row that she has done that. I warned her specifically yesterday about taking points of order during Question Time to disrupt questions. I want to be very clear on this. She is right down to the wire in terms of pushing me at the moment. To ensure that we keep Question Time flowing. I can’t be clearer than that.

There is no point of order obviously, so we continue with Albanese:

I was asked about the last four months. And I’m going through the last four months, which I must say I’ve had worse four months. I’ve got to say that, Mr Speaker. Because in the last four months, what we have also done ... is advance the interests of the Australian people who have wanted action on climate change.

[The Australian people] who have wanted action on climate change, with a 43% reduction by 2030, with legislation carried, moving forward the debate about climate change. Working with the business [community], working with unions, working with civil society, and that’s why as well we convened the Jobs and Skills Summit which will occur within four months of that election on 21 May.

That’s why we also introduced into this parliament, and will carry through both houses, 10 days’ pay [for] family and domestic violence ... That’s why already we are taking action to implement the recommendations of the aged care royal commission.

That’s why we have already made moves on the robodebt royal commission. This is a government that has taken up the mantle, both before and preparing a solid agenda for a government that is forward-looking, for a government that actually governs, as opposed to just engages in cheap, tawdry politics every day.

Updated

The first dixer is on the latest defence review.

More ‘$275 promise’ attacks from Dutton

On to the questions for the second last time this week.

Peter Dutton to Anthony Albanese:

On becoming Prime Minister you repeated your promise to cut electricity bills by [$275] on no less than 15 occasions. After becoming prime minister, you have not mentioned it once. Prime minister you said and I quote, it is the job of the prime minister to deal with the challenges that Australia faces and not to constantly just blame someone else. Will you be honest with the Australian people and tell them whether they will be getting a $275 cut that you promised them?

Albanese:

Today we have another step closer to delivering our mandate. Our mandate that we received at the election. Our mandate that was fully modelled by reputation and that we stand by.

Our mandate that will see a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030. While we are doing it we will create 640,000 new jobs, five out of every six of them in regional Australia. A mandate that will see the renewable sector as part of the National electricity market grow to 82% by 2030.

All part of our plan to go to net zero by 2050. And I am pleased that we have made statements today across this parliament of people who are prepared to not get everything that they want, but are prepared to acknowledge the fact that we need to end the climate wars.

Those opposite [were] very different. Very different. Prior to the 2019 election, the then shadow minister said that there would be a 25% reduction in the average NEM spot price to less than $75 per megawatt hour by the end of 2021. That is what was said at that time. By the minister, now the shadow treasurer. In May 2019, [the] average wholesale price was $93.

Unsurprisingly, there is a point of order from Paul Fletcher on relevance. Milton Dick rules there is no point of order.

Albanese continues:

I can see why they don’t want to hear this. Because they promised it would be $70, it was $93. And guess what it was? $341. Missed by this much! Missed by just $271! Promised $70, delivered $341.

And now they have come up with opposition to the cheapest form of energy, renewables; they’ve come up with the most expensive solutions. Nuclear power, nuclear power.

Putting the member for Fairfax in charge of a review on nuclear power bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr Burns putting Homer Simpson in charge of nuclear power safety in Springfield.

No one loves a reactor like a reactionary. No wonder he is so obsessed by nukes over there. The truth is, renewables are the cheapest, we will deliver increased renewables.

Nothing says Gen X parliament like a Simpsons reference (although technically the prime minister just scrapes in as a Boomer, so a Xoomer, if you will).

Updated

Peter Dutton pays his respects on behalf of the Coalition and the debate moves to the federation chamber.

Updated

Question time begins

After that rush of news, we are into question time.

Anthony Albanese first puts forward a condolence motion for the Labor MP Bob Brown – the former MP for Hunter, not the former Greens leader, who is still with us.

Updated

Bragg unlikely to cross floor to support Labor’s climate bill

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg most likely won’t be crossing the floor in support of Labor’s climate policy.

He says he wants his party to be ambitious itself, telling the ABC:

I want my party to have an ambitious emissions reduction policy. That is what our leader has committed to. My [hope] will be that that is developed and out ... at least for the next election.

The reality is we need to be able to present the market and the community with the facts, but we are committed to emissions reduction and we have our own policy ... meeting our international obligations, which will also include how we are actually going to achieve doing that.

Updated

What resources will Morrison get as a former prime minister?

Anthony Albanese has made a new determination outlining what resources Scott Morrison will get as a former prime minister.

These include:

  • One non-ongoing staffer at or below senior adviser 1 level “for a period of no longer than 12 months, while the former prime minister remains in the parliament”. So, if Morrison sticks around longer than a year, he’ll lose this staffer. Does Albanese know something we don’t?
  • One position not above the level of assistant adviser.

After he leaves parliament, Morrison will get:

  • One position not above the level of adviser.
  • One non-ongoing employee at the senior adviser 2 level, for a period of 12 months from the date of leaving parliament.

Looking at the earlier regulation, this is consistent with what Malcolm Turnbull and other former PMs got, although of course he didn’t stick around in parliament after losing the top job.

Updated

Government adjusts productivity growth forecast to 1.2%, down from 1.5%

Interesting to see the government has adjusted its forecasts in the budget for productivity growth.

We’d noted here last week that the out-of-cycle October budget provided an opportunity for the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, to get the bad news out of the way, with a more realistic forecast than was contained in the final Morrison-Frydenberg budget for productivity changes.

It sounds arcane, but the number Treasury plugs into economic models for productivity growth – ie how much more we get out for a set amount of resources, hours worked etc – makes a difference. The previous budget used 1.5% as the annual growth rate they anticipated.

Just how realistic was that?

The new productivity commission report (which we reported on here, with the original report here) provided this perspective on the long-term trends. In other words, 1.5% was fanciful ...

The government now has cut the growth path to 1.2%, to bring the budget more in line with reality. Chalmers:

In their budgets they assumed long-term productivity of 1.5%. [The Coalition] never got near it but budget after budget, they pretended they would and hoped no one would notice.

The AFR reckons the damage to the budget is in the order of $50bn out to 2033.
Chalmers’ forecasts for GDP cuts, etc, as outlined last week in his state of the economy speech apparently took that productivity growth change into account.

Updated

Well, that has been quite the run of stories.

I’ll spend a couple of minutes catching you up on what else has happened, while you wait for question time to begin

Anthony Albanese leaves the press conference saying he has to get to question time, which is in 15 minutes.

Anthony Albanese
Anthony Albanese at a press conference at Parliament House where he welcomed the news the Greens would vote for Labor’s climate legislation in both houses. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Q: Why can’t the market decide if it wants to invest in nuclear or not?

Anthony Albanese:

The market has decided. There is no-one coming forward and every time has there been, every time there has been reviews on nuclear energy and every time the Coalition, during the Howard era [or] Abbott ...

Every time, no-one is prepared to come forward and say they want to spend their money or their shareholder’s money on this because it will take a long time, in terms of the investment ... at least a decade.

It will not serve today’s energy prices. And if you want to see how fast Coalition members can run, go into a Coalition party room and ask them who wants a nuclear power station in their electorate. And watch them [get] out the door.

Updated

Albanese: after a decade of inaction, delay and denial, we will move forward

But there doesn’t look like there will be any movement on the safeguards mechanism as yet.

We are dealing with today’s legislation, which is pretty significant. The parliament is about to, after a decade of inaction and denial and delay, move forward. The Coalition have chosen once again to engage, they seem obsessed by nuclear reactors, but are ignoring the biggest nuclear reactor of all. It is up there: the sun. Solar power that they are ignoring; they are stuck in the past, they are frozen in time while the world warms around them.

We will not be held hostage to that behaviour, we will continue to advance our agenda, and what I have said is that Australians have conflict fatigue. They want people of goodwill to work together. We will be working together on implement in the agenda to which we were elected.

Updated

'Good day for Australia'

Chris Bowen says today is a good day (cue Ice Cube):

It is a good day for Australia. A good day therefore the economy, a good day for the future. The climate wars may not be over, but they are suddenly in retreat, under this government.

Updated

Anthony Albanese responds to the Greens climate announcement

The prime minister is claiming victory. He is in the PM’s courtyard, with climate change minister, Chris Bowen.

Albanese:

This is an opportunity to end the climate wars. If the Coalition decide to break with their rhetoric and actually come to the table and listen to the business community, who are saying that what we need is investment certainty: we need investment certainty to get that investment in clean and cheap energy, which they know – and indeed the Coalition knows – is the cheapest form of new energy going forward.

This is an opportunity for the whole of the parliament to be on the right side of history, to put aside the conflict and the arguments that came around with 22 different energy policies – not one of them implemented – and give support to the government’s mandate that we received in May, for the one policy that we took to the election, the one policy that we will implement.

Updated

Greens are not planning on blocking budget supply bills

Adam Bandt says the Greens are not planning on blocking budget supply bills (which would send us back to an election) but will work to amend some of the other budget bills:

Budget and budget measures usually require a number of bills. There might be one bill that contains spending on a number of measures but there is usually a number of other bills that implement the various programs that are part of that Budget.

Those bills have got to get through the Senate. Secondly, bills can be amended and that has historically happened in this parliament, including budget bills.

To say you can’t spend money on this particular thing or you have to spend less. We are not talking about what you are talking about, what you are alluding to but I think it is increasingly dawning on this government that, despite what they said prior to the election, actually to get things through parliament, you have got to work with others.

Others will have a say, including on a number of measures associated with the Budget.

Updated

Anthony Albanese has called a press conference for 1.30pm in response to the Greens news it will support the climate bill.

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Greens want to see action on truth telling and treaty this parliament

Adam Bandt expands on that:

I want to be crystal clear: When we go into those discussions with the government about proposal for voice, we want to see a number of things.

We want to see progress towards truth telling and treaty start in this parliament.

We want to see a start down the road of truth telling and treaty. We want to see the recommendations from the previous royal commission reports into black deaths in custody, and also the bringing them home reports into the stolen generation, implemented.

It’s time to take action on that and do that.

That is something that can start now ... we also want to see the government support our push, [which] Senator Lidia Thorpe is introducing into the parliament, to have the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous people and the enshrined right to self-determination recognised here in Australia.

Those are all things that are eminently achievable, could start now, could perhaps even finish before a referendum when it comes to implementing some of the recommendations from the royal commission reports. They have sat on shelves for too long and it is time to implement them.

Those are things that we will put and it’s not accurate to say that anything other than what I have just said, we are saying it is time to start the progress towards truth-telling and treaty.

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Greens: there is no reason we can’t commence a process towards truth telling and an Indigenous treaty right now

What is the Greens position on an [Indigenous] treaty this parliament?

Adam Bandt:

There is a lot of straw arguments going on about this and about our position on things. I want to be absolutely clear: There is absolutely no reason that we can’t commence process towards truth telling and treaty now. We could start it right now ...

The Victorian government has started it. We can begin it right now. We, as Senator Lidia Thorpe announced over the weekend, [are] looking forward to having discussions and negotiations with the government about their proposal for voice.

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Greens decision to support Labor’s climate laws binding on party

Was the Greens party room decision unanimous?

It was ‘a consensus position’ and under the party rules, that binds the parliament party to vote for it.

Bandt:

We made it clear we have a consensus decision. Consensus is consensus and we will all vote for it. You would expect during the course of the discussion people will put different views but we have come to a consensus decision which we will all unanimously vote for.

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Allowing new fossil fuel projects to go ahead is a ‘massive hole’ in environmental laws, Bandt says

Further to that, Adam Bandt says:

I think we need a climate trigger in the EPBC Act. The state of the environment report gives the government all the evidence and justification it needs to understand that big parts of Australia’s environment are collapsing, and the single biggest driver is the climate crisis which is fuelled by coal and gas.

An environment law that allows projects to go ahead, even if it makes climate change worse and destroys the environment, is an environment law with a massive hole in the middle of it. You need a climate trigger in the Act.

But you’re right. There are other ways that this could be dealt with, including with the safeguard mechanism, and that over the next few months we will have more to say about that because, as you say, it depends what obligation the safeguard mechanism puts on these projects.

If the safeguard mechanism allows big polluting coal and gas [to] go ahead, we will blow even the weak 43% [target], it will blow Labor’s weak target, let alone the contribution it will make to the climate crisis.

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Government must acknowledge opening more coal and gas mines is a problem, Bandt says

Q: How would a safeguard mechanism work? Would it take into account the emissions from coal burned in other countries?

Adam Bandt:

Yes, and these are the questions that have to be looked at during the course of the design of the safeguards mechanism.

The minister has said publicly that new projects will be caught by the safeguard mechanism. He said that publicly.

The question is what are the obligations that are imposed on those new projects? That is something that, over the next few months, obviously has to be worked through.

That is one of the areas that we are going to push to say the safeguard mechanism needs to reflect climate reality, needs to reflect climate reality. There is also the climate trigger, there is withdrawal of fossil fuel subsidies. There is a number of ways that this problem can be tackled.

We need to get the government to acknowledge that opening more coal and gas mines is a problem, through the amendments that we have secured to this bill we’re a smaller step closer towards stopping coal and gas projects, because now it will be harder for government to fund coal and gas projects as a result of some of those amendments, but we do still have further to go.

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Bandt: government has not publically ruled out climate trigger

On the issue of a climate trigger in the environment protection act, Adam Bandt says:

On the EPBC, it is woeful that under this country’s environment laws you can approve projects, even if they make climate change worse and destroy the environment.

You don’t have to take it into account if you are a minister, you can just sign off on that.

That has to change. As I said, there are a number of other ways that we can tackle this question of stopping the opening of new coal and gas projects.

We have been clear all along that we are open-minded about how that happens, but there needs to be a climate trigger in our environment laws, and that is why Sarah Hanson-Young introduced a bill to that effect into the Senate and ... we will do the same in the house.

We need this to be a change that happens. I don’t want to go into what happened during private discussions, the private discussions have remained private and I want to honour that, but you have seen us very publicly calling for a climate trigger in our environment laws.

You can draw your own conclusions about what that means, [what] might have been said other than publicly, but we will keep pushing for that because we need it, and I do note that the government has not yet ruled it out publicly.

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Bandt says Australian people would reward Labor for more ambitious climate targets

Adam Bandt:

I hope that this parliament, with more third voices in it than ever before, provides the circuit breaker. I really do – and maybe we can even talk about campaign financing reform during the course of this parliament as well, so we are not in this position where we wonder whether we are negotiating with people whose party has just taken donations from the coal and gas corporations but where decisions could get made in the public interest rather than for vested interests.

If we can get some of those changes during the course of this parliament, we might start seeing decisions made that reflect the will of the people.

The second thing that I have learnt is that everyone has to give a bit. Everyone has to give a bit and this is where I say the government’s position is ultimately untenable, to stick with a low target [while] opening new coal and gas projects.

I suspect they think at the moment that it is an electoral advantage to be saying we have got a weak climate target but it is not. It is not. The Australian people would reward them if they were more ambitious. That is a realisation that the government is yet to come to, I think.

Updated

Bandt: Big corporations are taking this country for a ride and everyone else is paying for it

Adam Bandt continued:

The other thing that I have learnt, especially after this election, is that people are thoroughly sick of it and people can see that the big driver behind the cost of living crisis is also the same as behind the climate crisis, which is that the big corporations are taking this country for a ride and everyone else is paying for it through more fires and floods, paying for it through higher cost of living.

Every day it becomes clearer, the scale of the challenge and the range of interests that are there against us as we try to take real climate action, but every day, the fire in me to take that fight on gets renewed. It is a renewable energy source.

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Bandt: We are not just negotiating with government, we are negotiating with big coal and gas corporations behind them

What have the last 10 years taught Adam Bandt about climate action in Australia?

(This is a long answer so I will break it up over a couple of posts.)

What has become clear to me over the last 10 years, and over the last two months as well, is that we are up against some very powerful and vested interests in this place.

We are not just taking on different political parties, we are taking on the coal and gas corporations that are some of the biggest corporations in the world. They have had politicians in their pockets for a very long time.

So much so that they can make billions of dollars of profit, not pay a cent of tax and get the gas for free.

They get to wreck our climate and we then subsidise them and pay for the privilege of it.

It is crystal clear that we are not just talking with and negotiating with the government, we are negotiating with the big coal and gas corporations that sit behind them and potentially have donated to their campaigns.

We are very clear-eyed about the scale of getting climate action in Australia and as the world’s third-largest exporter of fossil fuel pollution, one of the best gifts that we could give to the world to tackle the climate crisis is to stop opening new coal and gas.

In doing that, we are pushing against some very, very powerful interests. We don’t take donations from those big coal and gas corporations and so we are in here fighting. Is that fight easy? No, it is not always easy because you have to negotiate and push not just across the political spectrum but also with the big corporations lurking in the background as well.

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We need to prioritise de-escalation in Indo-Pacific, Bandt says

What is Adam Bandt and the Greens’ position on China, given Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan?

Bandt:

The Greens are concerned about rising tensions between US and China and what it means for our region.

We are concerned about increasing instability.

The whole world, but especially Australia, has a lot to lose if there is armed conflict between two nuclear armed super powers. We are in a position in Australia where we have got relationships with both to be taking steps to de-escalate.

What concerns us is that we don’t see a plan on the table for de-escalation of tension.

We only see a plan on the table for escalation of tensions.

What we will do is push for a de-escalation, knowing how much Australia has got to lose. That has to be the priority.

As the new government considers its foreign policy, considers its defence policy, we will be saying we need a policy that puts Australia’s interests and Australia’s defence first and that the best way to keep people safe in our region is to prioritise de-escalation and we want to see the plan for that.

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Bandt: Labor’s stance on new coal and gas projects ‘not a tenable position’

Adam Bandt says Labor’s position to continue to open up new coal and gas projects is “untenable”:

This is round one. There is three years of this parliament and there are a number of points coming up where we will push to stop opening coal and gas. We are going to have to review the country’s environment laws and we want a climate trigger in those laws.

The safeguard mechanism is going to have to be designed and also, as I said during my speech, Labor’s position is untenable ultimately.

The plea from the Pacific Islands recently was that if there is one thing we can do, it is stop opening new projects.

We now have a situation where you have the Greens, US president Joe Biden, the Pacific Islanders, the UN, International Energy Agency on one side and Labor and Liberal on the other.

If Labor wants to host a climate summit here which we support, but still open up new coal and gas mines, they may well not get it. It may not happen here. This is increasingly becoming a dealbreaker around the world, including with our closest security allies.

They want the government to act.

I understand that two weeks into the first parliament Labor thinks it can maintain its position but ultimately it can’t. It is not a tenable position. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows it.

We can have a debate about what targets should be and how quickly to get out of existing coal and gas but if you asked the every day Australian should we stop opening up new projects at a time that we are trying to cut them, most people would say “yes”.

I think the penny hasn’t really dropped with the government yet just how much the rest of the world and the Australian public wants climate action and wants them to stop opening projects and we will use and pull every lever at our disposal in this parliament and on the streets, with the movement to make that happen.

Adam Bandt at the National Press Club in Canberra this afternoon
Adam Bandt at the National Press Club in Canberra this afternoon. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

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Bandt: this was a ‘consensus decision’

The first question – did the history of the CPRS weigh on the Greens party room in making this decision?

Adam Bandt:

We have got such an amazing group of people and now excitedly, a bigger group of people.

We in the Greens, in our party room and across our party have a principle of acting on consensus and part of that is taking the time to talk through difficult issues and one of the things I really love about our party room is that everyone can put their position on the table and put different positions on the table and have them discussed in good faith, knowing that people will judge the argument on its merits.

We don’t come into our meetings with predetermined positions organised by the factions or someone from the top saying this is how it is going to be.

Anyone who has been involved in our amazing Greens movement over the years will know that is something we take seriously from our branch levels, right up to the party room.

We made sure that we had enough time to work through this and have a number of meetings over a number of weeks and then again over the last couple of days so we could reach a consensus position and that is what this position is.

Of course, during that, there are different positions put forward. I would be disappointed if that wasn’t the case and the way that you get good outcomes is by having different positions put there, proposed, tested and refined and we went through that process but our commitment to ensuring we give ourselves the time to make this decision, to take into account everything, including knowing that we have just had a record Greens vote and that people want to see action but as the votes showed, they want more than what the Labor government is offering was obviously something that influenced us.

But by giving ourselves that time and that ability to talk it through, we have come to a position, where every single one of us will line up behind it.

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Public servant questioned over name added to NY job shortlist after consultation with Stuart Ayres

Just before we get to the questions for Adam Bandt, Tamsin Rose has another update on the NSW inquiry:

Investment NSW head Amy Brown has been questioned over an email she sent in February this year that appeared to show that then minister Stuart Ayres had asked for a name to be added to the shortlist during the second recruitment round - a claim he has repeatedly denied.

The email, revealed last week, was sent by Brown to colleagues and explained that after running through the long shortlist with the minister, he wanted to make an addition.

“He’d like to add [REDACTED] to the short shortlist please,” she wrote in the email.

Pressed on the matter during the inquiry, Brown explained she had been showing Ayres the list on her phone and he spotted a name that did not initially make the shortlist and they discussed the candidate.

She had discounted the person due to “controversial circumstances” around the end of their previous job but he advised her that shouldn’t be an issue.

She said:

I wanted his opinion because there was a controversial circumstance under which they left their previous job. It was the minister’s opinion that I shouldn’t worry about that. He did not direct me.

After their discussion, she asked for the name to be added.

She said:

I’m a senior official at the NSW government for a reason and that’s that I’m capable of owning my decisions, and it was my decision to put that person on the shortlist.

Brown confirmed the name was not the former deputy premier John Barilaro, as Investment NSW had previously indicated.

Updated

Adam Bandt gets a standing ovation from his supporters in the room – which is most of the room.

Updated

Climate crisis is already here, Bandt says

Adam Bandt:

The climate crisis is not a future threat anymore, it is here.

It is right in front of us and it is frightening. England, 40 degrees. Thousands of people dying in Europe last month from heat waves. Parts of New South Wales flooded three times this year. Thousands of people living in makeshift accommodation from the floods and fires in the Morrison era.

Our house is on fire and it is time we acted like it.

The only way to keep people safe, manage the economy and reduce the cost of living is to take action on the climate crisis. We cannot afford to keep approving coal and gas. It is not only a more expensive form of power, it is deadly. It is blowing the budget and it is costing the earth. Labor said passing this bill will end the climate wars.

The Greens will do our bit, but Labor is set to undo parliament’s work by opening new coal and gas projects, unless we stop them.

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Bandt: I call on all Australians to join this ‘battle to save our country, our communities and our whole civilisation’

Adam Bandt on what the Greens will do to force further climate action, using its numbers in the senate:

Over the next six to 12 months the battle will be fought on a number of fronts.

We will comb the entire budget for any public money, any subsidies, hand outs or concessions going to coal and gas corporations and amend the budget to remove them.

We will push to ensure the safeguard mechanism safeguards our future by stopping new coal and gas projects.

We will push for a climate trigger in our environment laws.

We will continue to fight individual projects around the country, like Beetaloo, Scarborough and Barossa.

I call on all Australians to join this battle. This battle to save our country, our communities and indeed our whole civilisation from the climate and environment crisis.

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Safeguard mechanism could ‘ignite new climate wars’, Greens leader says

Adam Bandt on the safeguard mechanism:

Soon, the government will start to say how it will cut pollution, putting some meat on the bones of its centrepiece safeguard mechanism which may reduce pollution by as little as 1% a year and ignite new climate wars if it allows new coal and gas projects to proceed.

The Greens in balance of power here in the Senate will be crucial as the safeguard mechanism can be disallowed.

Coming out of the negotiations, I can also announce that because the safeguard mechanism will deal with this question of new coal and gas projects, the government will have further discussions with the Greens as it designs this mechanism.

Further, the government will also consider Greens proposals to support coal and gas workers and communities, including the establishment of a transition authority.

Updated

Labor will not be able to meet 43% target while opening new coal and gas projects: Adam Bandt

Bandt says:

The Senate inquiry here will be critical as we expect that the Senate inquiry will show that the government cannot meet even the weak targets in this legislation if it opens new coal and gas projects and that the government will need to rethink its approach.

The Beetaloo gas project alone could lift Australia’s pollution by up to 13%. If all the coal, oil and gas projects on the books go ahead, Australia’s pollution could rise by as much as a third from where it is now.

None of this – none of this – is included in Labor’s modelling on its target.

Here, we have the science, the public and the international community on our side. Labor might be holding out now but their position is ultimately untenable. They can’t go to upcoming climate summits, vowing to open new coal and gas projects, and expect to be taken seriously.

Updated

Labor climate bill ‘bringing a bucket of water to a house fire’: Bandt

Bandt says:

To be crystal clear: The Greens have improved a weak climate bill, but the fight to stop Labor opening new coal and gas mines continues and in this parliament, the only obstacle to greater climate ambition is Labor.

People need to be clear-eyed about the importance of this bill and that this government is bringing a bucket of water to a house fire.

Worse, even this smallest of steps on the road to tackling the climate emergency could be wiped out by just one of the 114 new coal and gas projects in the government’s investment pipeline. The fight begins now to get Labor to stop opening coal and gas mines.

Updated

Bandt says Greens will support climate bill through both houses

Adam Bandt:

While the government has been unwilling to adopt science-based targets and place a moratorium on new coal and gas, we have been able to secure improvements to the bill.

Ensuring that the target can be ratcheted up over time and that it is now Dutton-proofed with a genuine floor which means the target cannot go backwards. Changes have also been made to put in place greater transparency, accountability and strengthen requirements on the Climate Change Authority.

Government agencies, such as Export Finance Australia, that in the past have funded coal and gas projects, will for the first time be forced to take climate targets into account. That would see them curbed from supporting fossil fuels.

They join a range of other agencies with new limits, including Infrastructure Australia and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund. And more which I will come to in a moment.

That is why I can tell you today that tomorrow I will be joined by our Greens MPs in the House of Representatives in voting for the climate change bill and when the bill comes before the Senate, we will vote for it there as well.

Updated

Adam Bandt on climate: Greens will vote yes

Adam Bandt says if Labor continues to open up more coal and gas “the planet will burn”.

“And that is the mandate we all need to listen to,” he says.

But the Greens are in support of the bill passing.

Adam Bandt
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, prepares to address the National Press Club in Canberra. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Adam Bandt says the Greens reserve their right to amend Labor’s budget bills.

Budget legislation doesn’t often get amended but we reserve the right to amend Labor’s first budget if Labor proceeds with tax cuts for billionaires and hand outs to coal and gas corporations while leaving every day people behind.

Updated

Billions in profits going overseas effectively tax-free, Greens leader says

Adam Bandt:

In a country where one in three big corporations pays no tax, the gas industry are poster child tax avoiders. They aren’t just profiteering off a Russian dictator’s invasion of Ukraine, they are driving up energy costs in Australia, all while giving next to nothing to the public purse.

The ATO has called the gas industry ‘systemic non-payers of tax’. In one year, 27 big gas corporations bought in $77bn of revenue, but 96% of the gas industry is overseas-owned so paid no tax.

Billions in profits are going offshore effectively tax-free. Our gas tax laws are broken. When a nurse pays more tax than a billionaire corporation something is seriously wrong.

Even worse, in many instances, the big corporations don’t even pay royalties for the gas. They get the gas for free. The gas tax laws in this country are broken and our country is being taken for a ride. The combined cost of free child care now and dental in Medicare would be $18.2bn a year averaged over a decade, fully offset by the $18.3bn revenue raise from a billionaire’s tax and fixing our gas tax laws.

Updated

Make childcare free and bring dental into Medicare, Bandt says

Adam Bandt:

There are two things this government could do in the October budget to address the wage and cost of living crisis. First, the government should bring forward changes to childcare. Make childcare free and support the workforce.

We don’t need to wait for another review to tell us that childcare is in crisis.

Secondly, the government should also put dental into Medicare, delivering real cost of living relief to everyone in this country. This could be funded by a tax on billionaires and by making tax dodging gas corporations start to pay tax.

Each household spends, on average, $960 a year on dental care and the average out-of-pocket costs of childcare are $2,997 per child.

Getting dental into Medicare and making childcare free could save a family of four up to nearly $7,000 a year. This would deliver real immediate and lasting cost of living relief. We had free childcare during the pandemic, so we know it can be implemented quickly.

We have a Medicare system that everyone understands so we know we can add dental line items to it.

These would be long lasting changes that would deliver real relief to every day people battling with high inflation and low wages and incomes.

Better than a short-lived cut to fuel excise that can be wiped out by a profiteering petrol corporation, these measures would mean people are better off, not just right now, but next month and next year, year after year. We can pay for this by making the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax.

Updated

Adam Bandt is speaking on inequality and poverty and the need to push Labor to improve both in its first budget.

Then he says he will move on to climate.

Bandt:

Labor spent the last three decades and then the last three years adopting the same economic policies as the Coalition, going out of their way to reassure people during the election campaign that they were a small target and that there would be no real difference if the government changed.

Well, people heard that message and Labor’s vote went backwards. The Greens offered a straightforward proposition: make the big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax so we can make life better for everyday people by getting dental into Medicare, making child care free, wiping student debt and building affordable housing.

This economic alternative is simple, achievable and relevant to peoples’ everyday lives. People responded.

Because wealth inequality in Australia is the worst it has ever been. The profits share of the economy is higher than ever before, while the share going to wages is the lowest in history.

There are over 3 million Australians living in poverty. Nearly half a million women over the age of 45 are at risk of becoming homeless.

Too many young people cannot leave home because it is too tough to find an affordable place to live. The government income support forces people to live below the poverty line.

Wages have flatlined before the pandemic and now working people are going backwards. Unemployment is at record lows, but that hasn’t flowed into a better life for working people.

Working people have more insecure work, fewer rights – and wage theft is endemic across numerous industries.

The Greens would tackle the cost of living crisis by making the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax to fund better services because if we don’t, the corporations and the billionaires are going to keep price gouging and profiteering, while the rest of us struggle to access basic services like health, housing and education.

Updated

Australia ‘a country that still has a big beating progressive heart’, Bandt says

Adam Bandt:

Labor is now the party of the centre right.

You don’t need Vote Compass to tell you that, although it was good to have that confirmed since Keating and Hawke Labor has adopted neoliberalism, which has privatised public services, cut taxes for the wealthy and adopted more and more austerity.

The Greens are now the only social democratic party in Australia.

We say it is our job to get the country back to a fairer place so that everyone can have an affordable home, a free education, healthcare – healthcare that includes our teeth and our mental health.

We want to put an end to the outrageous stage three tax cuts and the billions of dollars of public money going straight into the hands of big corporations, ... so that everyone can have a better life.

Our working presumption is that Australia will end this term of parliament with Labor the country’s centre-right party. The Liberals are far-right irrelevance and the Greens the dominant social democratic party in a country that still has a big beating progressive heart.

Updated

Adam Bandt: ‘The Greens are now in a powerful position’

Bandt says:

We had a climate alternative and an economic alternative to both of the establishment parties.

Labor’s vote went backwards. The Liberals’ vote went backwards and the Greens’ vote went up.

This record Greens vote is a floor, not a ceiling.

People voted for the Greens in record numbers to help shape this country’s future.

They voted for us to fight.

They voted for us to work with others and they voted for us to get things done. And we will. We will fight for our clear, popular demands and we offer a realistic pathway to achieving them.

The Greens are now in a powerful position.

The Liberals are irrelevant.

With Peter Dutton as their leader we expect they will go back if they continue their denial, their defensive economic inequality and a profound lack of integrity. They deserve to be irrelevant.

Updated

Adam Bandt, after acknowledging country, First Nations people and his party room, has begun his speech.

He is recounting the Greens election success – he says it is a “floor, not a ceiling”.

Updated

The transcription service Tveeder is down, so I will be live transcribing – so bear with me on this.

Adam Bandt gives national press club address

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is delivering a speech to the National Press Club.

Bandt (without a tie – no one tell LNP MP Bert van Manen) is speaking on the Greens’ place in the 47th parliament.

That place is an important one – the Greens are kingmakers in the senate.

Updated

Cost of living has risen for all groups in past 12 months, ABS data shows

This won’t come to a surprise to anyone, but here is AAP on the ABS Living Costs Indexes:

Inflation raised the cost of living across four household types in the June quarter, with higher transport and food costs the biggest contributor, statistics show.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Living Cost Indexes, released on Wednesday, showed the cost of living for employees and self-funded retirees rose 1.5% in the second quarter.

Pensioners and beneficiaries faced a smaller 1.3% rise because healthcare costs declined over the three-month span, in part because more consumers qualified for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidies.

Over the 12 months to June the cost of living has risen for all groups by between 4.6% and 5.2%, the ABS said.

Flooding, rising freight costs and supply chain disruptions raised the cost of food by two per cent in the June quarter, with the prices of fruit and vegetables jumping the most.

Transport costs were up 2.3% in the June quarter, compared to March, as global sanctions on Russian oil lifted fuel prices. As calculated by the ABS, the price of automotive fuel is up 32% from a year ago.

Updated

Paul Karp asks Mark Butler for an update on attempts to secure third generation monkeypox vaccinations (which can be used pre- and post-infection) and he says the government has been working “very hard” and will have more to say on that “in the next 24 hours”.

Updated

Investment NSW head says minister told her John Barilaro ‘could be quite good’ for trade role

Investment NSW head Amy Brown told the inquiry that she had a conversation with then trade minister Stuart Ayres in January this year about John Barilaro’s application for the New York job in which he told her he thought the former deputy premier “could be quite good” in the role.

Recounting the conversation, she said:

I gave him a heads up that Mr Barilaro had indeed applied and he said ‘given he has been the trade minister I would suspect he would have relevant experience to represent the NSW government’.

The sentiment of it was John Barilaro would have some attributes, positive attributes, that are relevant to the role.

She said she agreed that due to his experience as a former trade minister, Barilaro would be a strong candidate for the role.

Asked if the minister’s praise for Barilaro carried weight with her, she said it did and she agreed it was “fair” to say that Barilaro was always going to be shortlisted for the gig.

Updated

Mike Bowers has been busy this morning. Here is some of where he has been:

Prime minister Anthony Albanese with deputy PM and minister for defence Richard Marles, former CDF Angus Houston and former Labor minister Stephen Smith at a press conference
Prime minister Anthony Albanese with deputy PM and minister for defence Richard Marles, former CDF Angus Houston and former Labor minister Stephen Smith at a press conference. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Sir Angus Houston expresses his thanks
Sir Angus Houston expresses his thanks. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Just repeating:

At this stage, Covid-19 vaccination is only recommended for children aged six months to under five years with severe immunocompromise, disability, and those who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe Covid-19.

Updated

If your child is eligible for a vaccine for under five-year-olds – don’t try to make an appointment just yet. More information is to come before the program is rolled out next month.

Updated

Queensland government to introduce bill to improve gender identity changes on documents

Queensland’s attorney general says the state government will introduce a bill before the end of the year to better recognise trans and gender-diverse people on their identity documents.

Shannon Fentiman told budget estimates on Wednesday that Queensland is the only state which requires trans people to undergo gender affirmation surgery before updating the gender marker on their identity documents.

That is one of the key reforms we are continuing to consult on for this bill,” she said.

Fentiman said the government was also consulting on whether the proposed changes would include non-binary people.

Greens MP Michael Berkman asked the attorney general when the legislation would be introduced, noting the government had promised to introduce the legislation in 2021.

Fentiman said the bill would be introduced by the end of the year and said the delay was due to several roundtables where the government received further feedback from LGBTQ+ stakeholders.

Updated

Vaccine program for children six months to five years old to start 5 September

Australia will be one of the first countries to roll out a vaccination program for this age group – but not the first.

The program won’t start until 5 September. The vaccines arrive tonight, but they have to be batch-tested. The federal health authorities will then work with the states, as the doses will mostly be rolled out through children’s hospitals.

Updated

So that is not a general recommendation for Covid vaccinations for children aged between six months and five years.

The recommendation for that age cohort is for children with a severe immune illness, a disability and complex health conditions only.

Updated

Health minister announces Covid vaccine approvals for children under 5

Mark Butler is making this announcement now:

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The register of interests are being submitted:

Investment NSW boss refutes Jenny West’s claim she was told trade job would be a ‘present’ for someone

Investment NSW head Amy Brown has refuted testimony given by former bureaucrat Jenny West to the inquiry that she told her the New York job was to be a “present” for someone else when the offer was revoked last year.

West previously told the inquiry that Brown had informed her that the job was a “present” for someone and made note of the comment at the time in her personal files.

Brown said:

I would not have used the word ‘present’. It’s not a phrase I would have used.

I also have a particular taste in my mouth around the fact that she [took notes] after personal conversations and sent it to lawyers I didn’t know she engaged.

But regardless of all of that, I would have expressed a level of disillusionment around the fact that these positions were now to be handed out by politicians.

She said that when she phoned West “it was probably more with my friend hat on”.

Investment NSW former general counsel Chris Carr also disputed West’s notes when he gave testimony before the committee.

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I feel this is some inside joke made public, but happy Leo Szn Andrew Leigh.

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So looks like there is consensus among the independents that the climate bill (with amendments) needs to be passed.

(A very big thank you to Paul Karp who has been tracking down the independents’ standing on the bill for you)

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The independent MP for North Sydney, Kylea Tink, has also shared her views on the climate bill:

The initial draft that was shared in good faith with me as a member of the cross bench some weeks ago relied heavily on putting parliamentary and public ‘trust’ in the climate change minister to do the right thing.

The truth is that is not good enough when it comes to legislating positive change, and so I have worked with the minister to increase the role of the parliament, all members of parliament, to increase transparency and enable greater insight into what advice is being received from where and when.

The amendments that I have fought will help ensure parliamentary responsibility and accountability over the minister’s response to the scientific advice that comes forward from the climate change authority.

This is how we will keep climate policy on track, regardless of which major party may be in government.

While the floor of 43% could have been more ambitious, I believe that rather than focusing on what this bill is not, we should see it for what it is: an important signal to both our domestic and international markets on the direction we are headed.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the government on this legislation – an outcome which would not have been possible if I had not been elected as the independent for North Sydney.

We have a long way to go, and I will continue to advocate for the changes the people of North Sydney wish to see including pursuing cleaner petrol and stronger fuel efficiency standards for Australian vehicles.

But at least the conversation and positive change is underway.

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Curtin independent MP Kate Chaney has also tested positive for covid (Chaney is the second on the crossbench after Helen Haines) so she won’t be able to move her amendments to Labor’s climate bill.

Kooyong independent MP Monique Ryan will move Chaney’s amendments instead:

“In recent weeks, I have collaborated with the other crossbenchers to ensure that between us, we are proposing a suite of compatible amendments, some of which are no doubt more likely to be accepted than others,” Ms Chaney said.

Ms Chaney has specifically worked on an amendment to ensure the Bill clearly states that its intention is to actually drive climate action and is linked to the science. This amendment to the Objects clause of the Bill will be relevant in future reviews of the Bill’s efficacy and in any interpretation of the Bill.

“The current draft shows that the Government has already taken into account some feedback provided by me and other crossbenchers.

“The inclusion of an Objects clause that addresses targets, accountability, expert advice and the need for climate action in line with the science makes it clear that this is the beginning of a new era in Australia.

Zali Steggall said something very similar to this, this morning:

Bill on excluding rent-free housing from public servants’ super payments passes Senate

The Senate has passed Labor’s bill to ensure that defined benefits superannuation is not paid on rent-free housing for public servants. It sailed through 40 votes to 12 with the Coalition and David Pocock supporting Labor; and only the Greens opposed.

On Wednesday Labor MPs were told the potential claim on the government was worth between $3bn and $8bn for about 10,000 public servants between 1986 and 2022.

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, said retrospective legislation was required to prevent “widespread, significant, unintended and inequitable” consequences.
The bill was introduced in the Senate, and will now go to the House of Representatives where it should pass easily.

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Back to the NSW inquiry for a moment:

Amy Brown is being questioned over why she asked the global recruitment firm NGS charged with assisting with the New York appointment to change a draft selection panel report that initially put another candidate - Kimberly Cole - in the top spot above Barilaro.

She said it was the first time she had ever asked for a report of that nature to be changed because she felt it was “so inaccurate”.

Brown explained that when she saw the draft report she felt it did not reflect the panel’s discussion that Cole and Barilaro were “neck and neck” at the end of their interviews and the panel had planned to “do some informal” reference checks.

Asked why she wanted to have the report changed to put Cole behind Barilaro, Brown explained she did not think she would have Ayres’ confidence.

She said:

The female candidate had met with minister Ayres and that I felt the meeting was disappointing and that person would not have the confidence of the minister… and be able to hit the ground running when it came to representing NSW investment interests.

She said after reference checks, it was decided that Barilaro “would do a better job”.

Take a moment to grab a cup of tea or your fifth cup of coffee – Adam Bandt’s speech to the press club will begin very shortly, where we will get an answer to what the Greens have decided to do in terms of Labor’s first major climate bill.

Conversations with Stuart Ayres were ‘to a degree influential’ but decision was ‘ultimately mine’, Amy Brown says

That press conference has finished, so we will dip back into the inquiry into John Barilaro’s recruitment process:

Amy Brown kicked off the hearings with a statement to “clarify” evidence given during her previous appearance.

She said that while during the second recruitment process, she had many conversations with then minister Ayres about the appointment and did feel his opinions had influenced her, she felt the decision was hers at all times.

She said:

Much of the reporting has been around the engagement I had with minister Ayres on the second recruitment process that ultimately led to the appointment of Mr Barilaro. As is customary with high-profile roles, informal opinions of the responsible minister are often sought … Any conversations I had with minister Ayres were therefore to a degree influential on my decision but in my view, it did not amount to undue influence because I at all times I felt the decision was ultimately mine to make.

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Voice to parliament ‘is an opportunity for national unity’, says PM

Anthony Albanese is now being asked about the Indigenous voice to parliament and the chances of a treaty.

He is asked specifically about the differing views within the Indigenous community and says:

Let me say this very clearly. I say this to with respect to the fourth estate – there’s – I don’t know how many people in this room, 30, you’re all from the media. Guess what, you all don’t have the same view. About the media, about issues.

The idea that you should, because you’re an Indigenous Australian, have the same view as every other Indigenous Australian is not real.

And of course there are divergent views. But what we know is that the Uluru Statement from the Heart didn’t appear in a vacuum.

It occurred after years of the most extensive consultation with First Nations people around the country. And they came forward overwhelmingly with the united perspective.

And that’s a vision for the country.

It’s a generous and gracious offer to non-Indigenous Australians to walk with them going forward. It is something that I am strongly supportive of. It’s something that I believe will receive the support of overwhelmingly people in the business community.

I know that because I have spoken to them. I know it will receive the support of people in the labour movement because I have spoken to them.

I know it will receive overwhelming support of church organisations because I have spoken to them.

But most importantly I know it has overwhelmingly the support of Indigenous Australians.

Is that uniform? Is that homogenous? No, it’s not.

Media can choose during this debate to look at – and you have a big responsibility – to look at and promote what unites us and to put that in a coherent way whilst recognising there are different views.

But overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, this is an opportunity for national unity. Do I expect every Australian on the roll to vote yes? No, I don’t.

That’s important that people are able to express their views.

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Objective of the government is avoiding conflict, PM says

Is conflict with China inevitable?

Anthony Albanese:

We need to do all that we can to advance peace and security in our region. And that is our starting point. I visited Ukraine a short time ago. I saw first-hand on the ground the consequences of what conflict looks like. I spoke first-hand to families in Kyiv and surrounds. I firmly believe that one of the objectives front and centre of having a strong defence of Australia is to make sure that we avoid conflict. That is the objective of this government and I believe that’s the objective of - which the Australian people want to see. And this focus is very much on just that.

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This press conference has Auslan interpreters, which is an excellent step towards inclusion when it comes to federal politics. Auslan interpreters have been part of state press conferences (mostly) for some time and there should be more automatic inclusion for accessibility.

How is Australia’s relationship going with Indonesia, given Indonesia’s protest against Australia’s plan for nuclear submarines, with the UN?

Anthony Albanese:

We have a very constructive relationship with Indonesia. We obviously don’t talk about all of our diplomatic measures that we take. That’s the nature of it. I said in a range of contexts, I’m not just talking about this one, the government I lead will conduct our diplomacy appropriately and not aimed at domestic political purposes.

We’ll do that across the board.

So, regardless of what question I get in that sort of context you will get the same answer, which is the way that prime ministers should conduct themselves.

Albanese: ‘Our position on Taiwan is clear’

Is the government doing this review in response to China’s growing bolshiness in the region?

Anthony Albanese:

Well, the context in which this review takes place is well known. We live in an era where there’s strategic competition and increased tension in our region. And where China has taken a more aggressive posture in the region. But our position on Taiwan is clear – we don’t want to see any unilateral change to the status quo and we’ll continue to work with partners to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

And where does Australia stand on Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan?

Albanese:

The level of US engagement with Taiwanese counterparts is a matter for them.

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Deputy PM defends Stephen Smith’s appointment to defence review

Richard Marles also defends Stephen Smith’s appointment and responds to Neil James from the Australian defence force association’s comments from a little earlier this morning:

I’ve got the highest admiration for the defence association but I really ask them and others to lift their eyes.

I mean, you think about the strategic circumstances that we face right now, what we have to deal with, and going through a historic assessment of top five bottom five defence ministers, I mean, it’s a bit school yard and we need to move beyond that.

Obviously I disagree with the assessment. But the challenges that face us now are profound and this is what the review needs to look at. And the criticism that we’ve seen this morning comes without a single piece of work done by the review so far.

So, it’s evidently not fair.

The prime minister has made clear our commitment to defence spending. We have committed to the funding envelope of the integrated investment plan. But we’re going to apply a critical eye to it. That is the point. It’s to ensure the 10-year schedule of procurements is fit for purpose given the significance of this moment.

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Anthony Albanese defends Stephen Smith’s appointment

Albanese says:

I’m very confident that Stephen Smith, along with Angus Houston, are the right people to do this review. That Stephen’s experiences both as defence minister and also as foreign minister but also what he has done in post-political life puts him in very good stead.

It is true that - and I concede that – Stephen is someone who I have a long association with. It’s also the case that I have a long association with Angus Houston and indeed have appointed Houston to the chair of air services Australia and gave him the responsibility of bringing together civil and military air services and that was a difficult task which Angus fulfilled like every other task he has performed in his whole life. With diligence and with effectiveness.

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Defence review is ‘absolutely necessary’, Angus Houston says

Angus Houston also speaks:

It’s a fast changing environment and it’s absolutely imperative that we review the current strategic circumstances – which I rate the worst I have ever seen in my career and life time – and what we need to do about it in terms of, obviously, the force structure, posture, and capability of the Australian defence force.

So I look forward to working with Stephen and it will be a very challenging job. But I think it’s something that is absolutely necessary.

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Review will look at ‘strategic circumstances in the Indo-Pacific’, Stephen Smith says

There has been quite a bit of criticism of the review only having two heads (usually there are three, so there can at least be a consensus view if there is a disagreement) and for one of those heads being Stephen Smith, the former Labor defence minister.

Smith is at this press conference.

He says:

Since retiring from public life and finishing up as foreign minister and defence minister, I spent a good proportion of the time since then at the University of Western Australia looking at our strategic circumstances, both as a member of the Perth USAsia centre but also as part of the university’s defence institute.

I have looked at our alliance relationship with the United States and the Indo-Pacific.

And a very important part of this review will be looking at how those strategic circumstances in the Indo-Pacific, particularly as they impact upon our northern and western approaches, what those changed strategic circumstances mean for capability, for force posture, and for force structure.

He also references his close working relationship with Angus Houston:

Angus, I’m very much looking forward to working with you closely again. We caught up at the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore and had a good conversation about old times and now we’re looking forward to having a conversation about the future.

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Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles announce defence review

The prime minister and defence minister are announcing the latest review into the defence force.

Anthony Albanese says:

I have commissioned this review to ensure that Australia has the necessary capability to defend ourselves in the most complex strategic environment we have encountered as a nation in over 70 years.

It’s for this reason we have appointed former minister for defence and former foreign affairs minister Professor Stephen Smith, and the former chief of the defence force, Sir Angus Houston, to lead the review.

Professor Smith and Sir Angus bring a unique blend of knowledge and experience to their role as independent leads. Their depth of expertise will be invaluable in the informing this review.

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Shadow climate change minister says climate bill will embolden ‘green lawfare’

The shadow climate change minister, Ted O’Brien, has kicked off debate on the target bill.

O’Brien has made the point that Labor has slowly backed off an element of the Reputex modelling associated with their climate policy that said power prices would decrease as new renewables were bolted into the grid.

He’s right to point to that. The government says it stands by the Reputex modelling but hasn’t really backed in the precise cost reduction figure post-election, because there are a lot of moving parts in the energy market at the moment – as consumers are painfully aware.

But O’Brien has contended in this morning’s debate that the price estimate in Reputex is a target that Labor has now abandoned.

It was never a target, it was an estimate in a modelling exercise. There is a difference.

In any case, O’Brien has told parliament there shouldn’t be a targets bill because it will embolden “green lawfare” (as he puts it) and it will constrain executive discretion.

As a former prime minister was once fond of saying: what a time.

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How the house voted on territory rights

Labor’s bill to restore the rights of territories to make their own laws on voluntary assisted dying has passed the House of Representatives by a thumping 99-37 majority, after the Coalition members split nearly evenly on the conscience vote.

Five Labor MPs voted no, but they were more than outweighed by the 26 Liberal and National MPs who voted yes.

Government members Tony Burke, Cassandra Fernando, Matt Keogh, Emma McBride and Daniel Mulino voted against the change; Liberal leader Peter Dutton, deputy Sussan Ley, Nationals leader David Littleproud, Bridget Archer, Paul Fletcher and Warren Entsch were among the opposition MPs to join Labor in supporting.

Eleven members of the crossbench also backed the change, including Adam Bandt, Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender and Rebekha Sharkie.

Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather did not vote in the division, but later returned to the chamber to apologise for missing the vote, and said he would have supported the change.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to be a tighter vote. Labor’s MP for Solomon, Luke Gosling – who moved the private member’s bill on territory rights – said he hoped the bill would pass the Senate in the next sitting period in September.

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Amy Brown to reappear before inquiry into John Barilaro’s appointment

The fourth day of hearings for the New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year trade post in New York is about to begin. Today the head of Investment NSW, Amy Brown, will give evidence from 10.30 until about 4.30 after the resignation of trade minister Stuart Ayres from the cabinet and his position as deputy party leader late last night.

Brown first appeared before the committee on 29 June and is likely to be called back for further evidence next Monday when Barilaro will also be appearing.

Opposition leader in the upper house Penny Sharpe yesterday said Brown had questions to answer over the recruitment process and her working relationship with the then minister:

We want to know about her conversations in the shortlisting process in relation to the second round. We want to understand what direction and discussions she was having with ... Ayres. We still haven’t got to the bottom of why she decided that Jenny West was the best candidate for the job one day and then, after the ministers had met and decided to change the process, all of a sudden Jenny West was unsuitable.

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‘We think Angus Houston is going to have his work cut out for him’

Neil James, the executive director of the Australian Defence Association, is also not happy with the government selecting former Labor defence minister Stephen Smith as one of the people heading the defence force capability review. He tells the ABC:

Look, it makes sense to have Angus Houston on the review team. We’re a little bit puzzled by two people, not three – what do you do when they disagree?

We’re quite puzzled – astounded is the word being used in some defence circles at the moment – by Stephen Smith being picked as the other bloke.

Why someone wouldn’t go to someone like John Faulkner who is widely respected across politics, the country and the defence force and the department, and why they go for Stephen Smith who is basically generally rated as among the worst five defence ministers in the last 70-odd years is just a complete and utter puzzle …

So we think Angus Houston is going to have his work cut out for him and luckily he has the expertise and indeed the temperament to handle this bizarre situation.

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The view from Murph

Morning all. Debate will start shortly on the Albanese government’s climate targets legislation.

There will be a huge number of contributions on this issue, so debate will get truncated in terms of speaking times as we hit the evening, but the objective is to get through the contributions tonight and vote in the House tomorrow morning.

Obviously Labor has the numbers to carry this bill in the lower house. We assume things are on track in the Senate, but we won’t know until the Greens leader Adam Bandt fronts the press club at lunchtime.

This is the bill that enshrines the new 2030 target of a 43% cut, enshrines net zero by 2050, and sets up a process of reporting progress against the targets. The Coalition will vote against this measure, continuing a decade-long tradition of standing on the wrong side of a critical issue.

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Looks as though the climate debate is about to start in the House …

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Jacqui Lambie is not alone in the Senate

Senators Jacqui Lambie and her colleague Tammy Tyrrell in the upper house.
Senators Jacqui Lambie and her colleague Tammy Tyrrell in the upper house Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

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Stuart Ayres' statement

Stuart Ayres has released his own statement:

Last night, I read a section of the independent review being conducted by Graeme Head. This section is relevant to my role as Minister. It creates a question as to whether I breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

In my view, no such breach has occurred. However, I agree it is important that this matter is investigated appropriately and support the Premier’s decision to do so.

I have always applied the highest levels of integrity in my conduct as a Minister.

To maintain the integrity of the Cabinet, I have decided to resign as a Minister to allow the investigation to be completed. Accordingly, I will also be resigning as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

I believe I have always acted in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct and in the best interests of the people of NSW. I will continue to serve my community as the passionate Member for Penrith.

Amid all that, Mike Bowers headed out into the rain to capture the Australian Youth Climate Coalition presenting their Letters of Hope.

ACT independent senator David Pocock spoke to them. His vote is one of the ones Labor needs to pass its bill in the Senate.

Independent ACT senator David Pocock addresses the Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Independent ACT senator David Pocock addresses the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition with their Letters of Hope
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition with their Letters of Hope. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

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Here is the whole statement on Stuart Ayres:

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House of Representatives passes territory rights bill

Josh Butler is watching the chamber where the territory rights bill has just passed the House, 99 to 37.

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Victoria to hold state memorial service for Jane Garrett

A state memorial service will be held on 2 September for Victorian Labor MP Jane Garrett.

The Andrews government has announced the service will be held at the Brunswick town hall in Melbourne’s inner north. Condolence motions for the former MP will also be held in the Victorian parliament’s lower house this morning before the chamber is adjourned.

Garrett died last month from breast cancer at the age of 49. The former emergency services minister, an MP since 2010, was diagnosed with the disease in 2016 and announced late last year she would not stand for re-election in the 2022 state poll.

The member for Brunswick then Eastern Victoria quit cabinet in 2016 over a controversial firefighters’ union pay deal.

In a statement, premier Daniel Andrews offered condolences to Garrett’s children Molly, Sasha and Max and her husband James.

Jane Garrett speaks to media
Jane Garrett as Victoria’s emergency services minister in 2016. Photograph: Angus Livingston/AAP

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Murray-Darling report

Nationals MP and shadow water minister Perin Davey responded to Tory Shepherd’s story on the Murray-Darling late yesterday:

The senator said it was “disappointing” that the report didn’t assess the social and economic implications of delivering the environmental water:

Both NSW and Victorian governments have made it clear on numerous occasions that recovering an additional 450GL will have major social and economic impacts as well as leading to environmental degradation if constraints are not addressed.

This WESA report shows that we, in government, were willing to adjust and adapt to maximise the outcomes being achieved environmentally, socially and economically.

You can find the whole story here:

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House passes bill to abolish cashless debit card

The House of Representatives has passed a government bill to abolish the cashless debit card income management tool after Labor said an accelerated passage of the measure was needed because of complex transition measures to unpick connections between the card and buy-now-pay-later accounts.

Labor used newly granted powers to declare the bill “urgent” last night, truncating debate and bringing on a vote first thing this morning. The bill passed 86-56, with the Coalition voting against the change.

Social services minister Amanda Rishworth said a “significant” number of cashless debit card participants had linked their cards to Afterpay or BNPL accounts. Guardian Australia understands the number is north of 50% of participants, representing potentially more than 8,500 people.

Rishworth:

A number of deductions that participants have connected to their card means that you can’t just close the card overnight. What you need to do is work with individual participants to work out their final arrangements to ensure that when the card ends, that they’re not caught up in any unusual financial arrangements that leads to them incurring fees or debts.

As of 27 May, there were 17,322 participants across the CDC trial sites in the Northern Territory, east Kimberley, Ceduna, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, Cape York and Goldfields regions.

The government says that, with the CDC legislation to sunset from 31 December, it needed to pass the repeal bill in the parliament’s next sitting in September – and that the bill needed to pass the House of Representatives this week.

Rishworth:

We want to make sure that there is enough time to transition all participants off the cards safely to ensure that everyone has the support they need and without getting this legislation through in September we won’t necessarily have enough time to do this in a safe manner.

Shadow social services minister Michael Sukkar criticised the government’s plan to abolish the cashless debit card, saying it would lead to a “flood of alcohol and drugs” into communities where the card has been used.

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Stephen Smith ‘utterly wrong choice’ to lead defence review, Stuart Robert says

Stuart Robert is not particularly pleased with the choice of Stephen Smith as one of the review heads:

Labor has announced Stephen Smith and of course Angus Houston. I think Angus Houston is an outstanding choice – chief of defence force for half a decade. Stephen Smith was a defence minister who oversaw $4.5bn worth of cuts to defence. He took defence expenditure to 1.5% of GDP. He made no hiding of his dislike for the military and myself and other former officers made no hiding our dislike for him. He is absolutely and utterly the wrong choice, in my personal view.

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Labor announces defence force review

Risk of conflict and the need for modernisation are among the reasons for a swift review of Australia’s defence force.

The ABC reports that former defence minister Stephen Smith and retired air chief marshal Angus Houston will oversee a study of the force’s structure, preparedness and investments.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese said the review would make sure the Australian defence force was “well-positioned to meet the nation’s security challenges over the next decade and beyond”.

Defence minister Richard Marles said Australia’s cooperation with the United States and the United Kingdom (who have formed the Aukus partnership) would also be considered.

The review will submitted to cabinet’s national security committee no later than March.

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Back to federal politics now …

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Stuart Ayres resignation

So Tamsin Rose and Michael McGowan will have more on what is happening in NSW for you very soon, but to recap that press conference:

  • Stuart Ayres has resigned as trade minister and as deputy leader of the Liberal party after a draft report raised questions about his role in John Barilaro’s recruitment to a NSW government New York trade role.
  • Ayres denies any wrongdoing.
  • There have been no findings.

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Asked again if he believes Stuart Ayres has misled him on his role in the recruitment process, Dominic Perrottet says:

I don’t have evidence of that ... Mr Ayres has denied any wrongdoing in respect of this matter. That is important. He has denied any wrongdoing, and in relation to the process being at arm’s length, that is obviously a matter that arises during a review.

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Dominic Perrottet says his understanding is Stuart Ayres plans on staying on as the member for Penrith.

Perrottet says decisions must be made in best interests of people in NSW

Dominic Perrottet:

From my perspective as premier, I am a elected to do and have great responsibility in making sure that decisions are made appropriately, in the best interests of the people of our state, and that is what our government has done the entire time it has been in office.

We continue to work tirelessly each and every day for the great people of New South Wales.

That’s I and my ministers do, and when issues arise, they need to be dealt with appropriately and that is exactly what I have done.

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Stuart Ayres denies any wrongdoing

Dominic Perrottet says Stuart Ayres denies any wrongdoing in relation to the John Barilaro recruitment process:

Perrottet:

On the discussions I had with minister Ayres last night in respect of how he saw his role in the process, and Mr Ayres, denies, I will make this very clear, Mr Ayres denies any wrongdoing at all.

I just want to make that point because it is very relevant and that is that he denies any wrongdoing, understand the point of respect at arm’s length, as part of the process, he has a different view in relation to his engagement with the process and the review that will be conducted by DPC will make findings.

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‘I have called for a review in relation to whether there has been a breach’

Q: People watching this at home who don’t follow politics, they don’t understand what the ministerial code of conduct is, can we just simplify it, for your understanding of the draft report, did this play a significant role in the appointment of John Barilaro? Is that what talking about?

Dominic Perrottet:

What they have received in that draft report, there is no doubt that there are questions in relation, questions raised, not findings, not findings in relation to information I have received, questions are raised in relation to whether or not there has been a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.

In those circumstances and on receipt of that information, minister Ayres tendered his resignation and, appropriately, I have called for a review in relation to whether there has been a breach.

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‘Influence on the decision-making process’

Q: Which section of the ministerial code of conduct do you believe has been breached?

Dominic Perrottet:

It relates to Mr Ayres’.. .the advice they have received is in relation to the engagement with the department secretary in respect of influence on the decision-making process.

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Is Perrottet bowing to pressure?

Why is Dominic Perrottet acting now after a draft report, if he is not “bowing to pressure” (his answer from the previous question).

Perrottet:

Because yesterday afternoon I received information from the departments, the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. I read a draft excerpt of that review that pertains to Mr Ayres.

Once receiving that information, I am on notice in respect of questions that were raised, in respect of the engagement between Mr Ayres, the department secretary and the recruitment process. With the information provided to me yesterday afternoon in a briefing with a department secretary, I met with Mr Ayres and he tendered his resignation appropriately.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet speaks to media this morning
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet speaks to media this morning. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

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‘I will do what I believe is proper and right’

Q: Did Mr Ayres lie to you? Has he lied to you when you asked him this?

Dominic Perrottet:

I do not believe so, no. I have no evidence of that at all. What I have, what I have ...

Q: You said he was a very good minister ...

Perrottet:

I will say two things in relation to that. I said from the outset in relation to these matters that I would conduct an inquiry, and that is exactly what I have done.

I have voiced at every step of the way through the process that I will not do what is politically expedient, I will do what I believe is proper and right.

They are the guiding principles in relation to my ethical framework in respect of due process in attaining information, not in a political way but in independent and fair way.

That is exactly what I have done in relation to this review. It is exactly what I have done in relation to this review. What I will not do is move to and make decisions based on media pressure or political pressure.

I will make decisions, as I have always done, in relation to what I believe is right. I have conducted this independent review, information from that review has come to light that raises questions in respect of compliance with the ministerial code of conduct.

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‘I have not received the entire report,’ NSW premier says

Given Stuart Ayres’ has denied any involvement, did he mislead the public and the premier?

Dominic Perrottet:

What is important is rather than speculate, what is important is the information is acted on when it comes alive. That is exactly what I have done.

That is what Mr Ayres has responded to – information that is come through that draft review.

Q: But it wasn’t new information. It wasn’t new information to him.

Perrottet:

The information that has come through from the draft review, as I have said from the outset, I conducted a review and almost immediately when questions came to light in respect to this process.

I have said in every public statement during the course of this period of time that once I receive the information from this review, I will act accordingly. Now, I have not, I will make this clear, I have not received the entire report.

I have only received and elements of the draft review that was brought to my attention yesterday but relates specifically to the conduct of Mr Ayres in respect to his engagement with the department secretary in relation to the recruitment process.

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Recruitment process questions

What are the questions around what Stuart Ayres has done?

Dominic Perrottet:

The issues in the review go directly to the engagement of Mr Ayres with a department secretary in respect to the recruitment process.

That raises questions in relation to the … ministerial code of conduct. As a result Mr Ayres has resigned from his position is and the DPC, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, will conduct an investigation.

Updated

Ayres resignation follows briefing to premier

Dominic Perrottet:

His intention to resign follows a briefing I received from the department of the Premier and Cabinet Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter yesterday afternoon on a section of the draft Graeme Head report.

I subsequently discussed the issues raised in that briefing with Mr Ayres. Mr Head’s draft findings raised a concern as to whether Mr Ayres had complied with the ministerial code of conduct.

The issues raised fell outside the terms of reference of the Head review. Mr Head’s review does not and could not extend to whether Mr Ayres had complied with the ministerial code of conduct.

When I put these matters to Mr Ayres, he offered his resignation from the ministry and as deputy leader of the parliamentary Liberal party. An investigation will now be undertaken to determine if Mr Ayres has breached the ministerial code of conduct, I have asked [I miss the name] to ensure this is carried out in an appropriate manner.

Public confidence in ministers discharging their response ability is is paramount and fundamental for our political system. The portfolio response ability is for minister for enterprise investment and trade, minister for tourism and sport and minister western Sydney will be reassigned and I will make that announcement in due course. The election of a new deputy leader of the Liberal party will be conducted at the next party room.

Updated

Stuart Ayres resigns from NSW ministry

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet says Stuart Ayres is resigning in the wake of the John Barilaro posting.

He is resigning from the ministry and as deputy leader of the NSW Liberals.

An investigation into whether or not he has breached the ministerial code of conduct has been launched.

Updated

NSW reports 39 more Covid deaths and Victoria six

NSW and Victoria have reported their Covid statistics for the last 24 hours.

39 people died in NSW, while six people died in Victoria

Updated

We will bring you this press conference as soon as it starts

Minister acknowledges mortgage stress

On the economy and the interest rate rise, Stephen Jones told the ABC:

We’re very alive to the stress that this is going to be placing on households. Of course the people who entered the market at the height of the boom and had had incredibly large mortgages will be the most hard hit by that because by definition they’re going to have the biggest mortgages.

We’ve been in conversations with the bank about how they can help their customers work their way through a difficult situation. The last thing the government wants to see is people having to forcibly sell their homes because they can’t meet mortgage repayments. I know the banks are very much understanding of this situation as well. We certainly hope that it doesn’t come to that but we’re obviously aware that people who entered the market late and were paying those incredibly high rates for houses at the top of the boom are going to have significant mortgage burdens.

Updated

Stuart Robert on superannuation funds

Stuart Robert’s big issue today is the changes Labor is making to how superannuation funds (mostly industry funds) declare donations.

He told the ABC:

The current requirement is that you must disclose in an itemised list, all of those donations and those kickbacks and those sponsorships. What Labor is proposing is just a single rolled-up number. Well, to get to that rolled-up number, you’ve got to add up the single-line items.

What we’re saying is members’ money – not Labor’s money, not industry super fund money – member’s money, should be declared to the members at an annual member’s meeting exactly where that $85m has gone. Everyone expects it from corporations and other areas. Why are super funds different?

Stephen Jones says the industry funds don’t make political donations:

I was talking to a fund yesterday that was advising me that under the changes brought in by the former government they spend $1m to send a letter to fund members to advise them that they don’t make political donations.

That’s $1m that should be sitting in the savings accounts of individual fund members. And it’s spent compiling a very thick report to tell members that they don’t make political donations.

At the heart of this, frankly, is this obsession by the Coalition government, which is impervious to evidence, that somehow industry and not-for-profit superannuation funds are making political donations. I’ve asked the funds. They say they don’t. I’ve asked the regulator are there political donations being made by the funds? They say no.

Pressed on that point, Jones says:

They don’t make political donations. That is correct. They don’t make political donations. There are payments in relation to marketing and in relation to services that there are made and yes, if there and is a director or trustee who is a trustee of a superannuation fund, they receive the same trustee fees as anybody else on that fund. They don’t become ineligible to receive trustee fees because they happen to be a union official as well.

Updated

Nuclear too expensive and too slow, Zali Steggall says

What does Zali Steggall make of the Coalition’s sudden interest in nuclear, a technology it ignored while in government?

Steggall:

I was part of the environment and energy inquiry on whether to lift the moratorium on nuclear technologies on this. And their own report said that there is no case for it as yet. We need social licence and that the evidence was overwhelming that it is too expensive and too slow. So I think that the Coalition at the moment are making themselves really irrelevant on one of the biggest issues of our future by failing to heed the message that more action on climate change is needed.

Updated

‘We do need to increase ambition’

What about the 43% target – are Zali Steggall and those who want stronger action on climate on the crossbench holding out for a higher target?

Steggall:

Look, the key thing is that we need to send a signal to business and industry that Australia is open for investment. That will accelerate the position and every one degree of warming accelerates it. All of the warnings are for extreme weather events and that will keep increasing. We do need to increase ambition. The government is attached to its political goal of 43%. We need to get them to move stronger. I think that it will do it through policies.

Updated

Zali Steggall expects whole day of debate on climate bill

Independent MP Zali Steggall expects there to be a whole day of debate on the government’s climate bill today. She told ABC News Breakfast that Labor’s Chris Bowen had been very positive in discussions with the crossbench:

For some weeks now, we’ve been meeting with Chris Bowen and the department to discuss the first draft of the bill. And we have gotten some movement already in relation to the bill that was tabled last week.

It includes a number of things, such as reference to the goals of the Paris agreement, which is incredibly important for the temperature goals. Greater accountability for reporting from the government and the minister to parliament. And more certainty around the idea that 43% is a floor, not a ceiling.

And we are still having some further discussions and I would anticipate that there will be a whole day of debate today on the bill. And then some consideration in detailed amendments tomorrow.

Independent MP Zali Steggall in parliament
Independent MP Zali Steggall in parliament. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Defence review to be announced

The government is announcing a defence force review today, which it wants completed in about six months. Is this in response to China?

Penny Wong:

It’s because we need an ADF that is well-positioned to meet our security challenges over the next decade and beyond.

And we have inherited, as you all know, some real capability issues, some of which have been well publicised in the media. It is important that we look at how we ensure the Australian defence force can meet our security challenges, not just now, but in the years ahead. So, you know, I welcomed this and the prime minister and the defence minister will be having – we’ll have more details about this later today.

Updated

Four states on alert after damaging winds warning

Victoria, NSW, South Australia and WA are all on high alert for damaging winds.

In Perth power has been returned after an outage caused by the wild weather. But only the after it left the airport without power for hours as travellers were stranded in the dark with flights delayed and cancelled.

In NSW a severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall has been issued for people in parts of the Illawarra, the south coast, the southern tablelands, the south-west slopes, the Snowy Mountains. The warning covers the ACT as well

The severe weather warning remains in place for much of Victoria, which saw the damaging winds begin last night and continue to sweep through the state, with peak gusts up to 110 km/h occurring over elevated areas of the eastern ranges.

In South Australia the strongest winds are expected at Cape Willoughby, Neptune Island, Cleve and Ceduna.

Updated

‘The region wants peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait’

For Australians, and those living in Taiwan, Penny Wong says she understands “this is a very concerning situation for everyone”.

I think it’s really important that we all continue to calmly assert the importance of peace and stability and to urge all parties to contribute to de escalating tensions when we do have a situation where we see rhetoric increasing and we see military hardware being deployed.

What we need to say to all parties is that the region wants peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. And all all parties should contribute to de-escalating tensions.

Updated

Penny Wong bound for Asean meeting in Cambodia

Penny Wong is off to Cambodia later today for an Asean meeting, where China and security of the region will be discussed. This morning Wong was asked by ABC radio AM host Sabra Lane about possible ramifications of Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and she said:

I think the most important thing to say is this that all parties should consider how they best contribute to de escalating the current tensions. And, you know, we all want peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Obviously, the level of US engagement with their Taiwanese counterparts is a matter for them.

I would just reiterate Australia has a bipartisan one China policy and we have a bipartisan view of that discouraging unilateral changes to the status quo.

Updated

Productivity Commission report

Some important words are “headline killers” – think “energy efficiency”, “biodiversity” and “productivity”.

On the last of those, the Productivity Commission has released its latest report on how Australia is faring with the sisyphean task of squeezing ever more output from a set amount of resources or time. Rising living standards hinge upon it.

We have a look at the PC’s The Key to Prosperity report here:

To put it bluntly, past reports have not been particularly productive in terms of results.

The previous five-year report, Shifting the Dial, didn’t shift much at all since the Morrison government sat on it and never produced a response. What it did do, though, was to pencil in a magical increase in anticipated productivity growth in its last budget, which was a bit cheeky.

What to make of the new report? Well, there are no doubt “lessons” to be learnt from how we adjusted to life under Covid restrictions (think, WFH).

And there’s a recognition that decarbonisation is going to be costly and, at least in transition, potentially dent productivity. It has to be handled with care, the PC says.

And what might ensure the transformation is handled as efficiently as possible?

How about a price on greenhouse gas pollution? For some reason, that’s NOT one of the PC’s recommendations, despite their strong support for markets.

Why not, we have to ask?

Updated

Stuart Robert seeks ‘sensible debate’ about a role for nuclear power

Stuart Robert spoke to ABC News Breakfast this morning and he was asked about the Coalition’s position on climate, and why, if it is supportive of a higher emissions reduction target than the one it had in government (26% to 28%), won’t it support Labor’s bill:

We’ll keep faith with the Australian people. We went to the election to say that we were on track for up to 35% reduction. That would be driven by technology. Labor, of course, is driving their emissions down by taking the top 215 large corporations and putting a de facto tax upon them*. We don’t believe that that is the right approach. So we’ll keep faith with our election commitment but we’ll also keep a very healthy ambition.

*This is not correct

Robert was also asked about this story by Samantha Maiden.

Q: A Liberal party MP has told news.com.au: “Sixty-seven per cent of the research think that the Liberal party are weirdos on climate change.” Is he or she right?

Robert:

I don’t know if I agree with that, and the fact that they didn’t put their name to it tells me everything about who you’re speaking to. The bottom line is that we’ll keep faith to what we took to the election. We want to have a strong ambition and get the emissions down as low as possible. That’s why we want to have a sensible debate about the role of nuclear power and other areas of technology that can make a difference. But we all want to leave a better planet for our kids.

Updated

When will banks move on interest rates?

The Reserve Bank’s latest interest rate increase moves into its next phase today with attention on how soon commercial banks follow suit and push up their variable rates.

Will any of them go beyond the 50-basis point increase in the RBA’s cash rate? (Or go lower?) As of yesterday evening, Macquarie Bank, the fifth biggest lender, was the first to move, lifting the lowest variable rate by half a percentage points to 3.69%.

Interestingly, Macquarie also said it would cut its fixed mortgage rate by as much as 75 basis points from Friday, a change RatesCity says may be a sign the market is shifting after rates began rising last year.

We noted yesterday after the RBA decision to hike rates for a fourth time in as many meetings (which effectively meant four rises in a little over three months since the first one was on 3 May) that the language in the accompanying statement suggested the run-up in rates might be less vigorous than previously feared.

A weaker Australian dollar and a bounce in the stock market were clear signs investors thought so too. Their prediction of coming RBA moves has also been slightly moderated:

What’s to come? Well, the short answer, nobody really knows. Will China do something rash over the visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or will Russia’s Vladimir Putin do more to curb energy supplies to Europe, reversing the slide in global oil prices?

And as we note here, the RBA relies on a lot of backward-looking data, while more than a few current numbers are starting to turn south:

Updated

Cashless debit cards linked to buy-now-pay-later services

The government used the new standing orders to declare its legislation to end the cashless debit card “urgent”. The legislation to end the Indue card (but not the Basics Card which is used in the Northern Territory, meaning income management still continues) should pass the House today.

The cashless debit card trials were meant to end in December under a sunset clause in the Coalition’s legislation (there was always the option to renew) but Labor wanted to meet its election promise earlier.

But a new group have popped up to express their concern – it turns out cashless debit cards could be linked to buy-now-pay-later services, and those groups are worried about how debts will be paid off now that the card is being axed.

So people who have connected their cards to services like Afterpay will have to continue to have their income run through the cashless debit card.

Tony Burke addressed the issue briefly when declaring the bill urgent overnight:

The phase-down period is required because – and I’m not sure how this has happened, and I don’t want to engage too much with the debate – it has been possible with this particular card for people to connect it to Afterpay accounts. As a result of that, you can’t just suddenly end it on a set date without there being a staged-down period. For that reason, for the bill to be able to work, the government requires when we return in the next sitting fortnight for the Senate to pass it at that point.

Updated

Penny Wong tightlipped on Taiwan

Foreign minister Penny Wong has been speaking to ABC radio AM’s Sabra Lane where she is asked about Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Wong is pretty tightlipped and won’t say if Australia would back the US if China were to make a move on Taiwan.

Updated

Good morning

Happy Wednesday!

We have made it to the week’s halfway point and, as a little treat, we will find out the Greens position on the government’s climate bill.

Adam Bandt will address the National Press Club today, where he will reveal which way the Greens will vote on Labor’s climate change bill. The party met twice yesterday to try to come to a consensus and declined to update the media after the second meeting, so we’ll have to wait until midday for Bandt to explain whatever position it is the party has landed on.

The government can not pass its bill through the Senate without the Greens. That doesn’t put a halt to climate action – Labor can still act without legislation but, given the momentum around actually acting on climate after a decade of ... well, not a lot, refusing to pass the first major bill threatens to derail that momentum.

So we wait.

One thing we do know Bandt will talk about is the Coalition’s “gas-led recovery” projects it was in the process of setting up.

Bandt says Labor is now in a position to do something tangible about climate. He also points out that the Liberals are now “irrelevant”.

In the meantime, we have what the Coalition is doing, which is opposing Labor’s climate bill and deciding, after almost a decade in power, to look into nuclear power.

Something it didn’t touch while it was in a position to do anything about it. The Sky After Darkers (SADs) might be pleased with the review but anyone who has had anything to do with climate for the last decade is screaming with frustration.

Exhibit A:

In other news, the Coalition is still very upset about Labor’s superannuation changes while most people are still focused on the interest rate rises and the economy.

Looking more widely to the region, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, and a delegation from the US Congress have touched down in Taiwan, which has created some anxiety about China’s reaction. Pelosi is the highest-ranked US politician to visit Taiwan in about 25 years. People are watching for Beijing’s reaction.

We will cover the day’s events as they happen. You have Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin, Paul Karp, Josh Butler and Tory Shepherd keeping their eyes and ears everywhere for you.

You have Amy Remeikis on the blog for most of the day. I’m fuelled by chocolate chip cookies this morning, so it is going to be fun.

Ready?

Updated

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