The day that was, Tuesday 6 September
We will wrap up the live blog for Tuesday.
Here’s what made some of the news today:
The Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates for the fifth consecutive month by 0.5 basis points to 2.35%, bringing the cash rate to the highest level since 2015.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has told Labor members “there will be difficult decisions” made in the upcoming October budget, being mindful of the trillion-dollar debt inherited from the former government.
Albanese also announced this sitting fortnight the government will introduce legislation to tackle cost-of-living pressures.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said a UN report that accuses China of crimes against humanity over the mass incarceration and detention of Muslim Uyghurs made for “harrowing” reading and confirmed concerns held by Austrralia for some time.
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has denied the state’s triple zero service has lacked funding for more than seven years after a review into the system found 33 people died waiting for an ambulance between December 2020 and May 2022.
The government’s signature climate change legislation is one step closer to passing the Senate this week with the Labor government agreeing to some amendments proposed by independent senator David Pocock.
Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare has rejected an offer from Australia to help fund an upcoming election, calling it “foreign interference” despite Australia having offered support in the past.
Independent MP Kate Chaney has called for abortion laws across the country to be harmonised, noting that women in WA are “subject to some of the most restrictive laws in the country”.
The government has indicated it may axe a controversial $18m Australian Future Leaders grant announced in the dying days of the Morrison government.
Amy will be back tomorrow with all the latest as we get to hump day for this sitting week. Well, technically past hump day given parliament only sits for four days this week.
Until tomorrow.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has given a speech launching Andrew Leigh’s book Fair Game, which compares Australia’s competitiveness in sport and the economy.
Albanese said Leigh used an analogy that Australia’s performance at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, “seen as a national calamity when Australia didn’t perform”, that prompted the founding of the Australian Institute of Sport.
He said:
We need to take that approach to look at where we are now in so many areas. For example ... 70th in the world in women’s economic participation and opportunity. What’s calamity when Australia doesn’t win gold medals in an Olympic games – it’s an absolute calamity when Australia is ranked 70th in the world as a G20 nation for women’s economic participation and opportunity. That’s why we need to do something about it.
Albanese also spoke about the need to enshrine the first nations’ Voice in the constitution.
He concluded with some personal remarks, joking that Leigh had helped make Canberra a “Tory-free zone”.
Updated
Some photos from first speeches in the Senate today via our photographer-at-large, Mike Bowers.
Updated
Solomon Islands brands Australia's election help offer 'foreign interference'
The prime minister of the Solomon Islands has blasted Australia’s offer to help fund an upcoming election, branding it “foreign interference”.
AAP reports Manasseh Sogavare also labelled the move “an assault on our parliamentary democracy” in a blistering public statement.
Sogavare wants to push back the election until 2024, arguing his country cannot afford to fund the poll as well as the upcoming Pacific Games.
He is preparing to introduce legislation aimed squarely at delaying the vote.
Australia has offered to fund the Solomon Islands election so it doesn’t have to be pushed back.
But Sogovare refused the offer on Tuesday, almost a week after receiving it in writing.
He described the timing of Australia’s approach as “inappropriate”.
“The timing of the public media announcement by the Australian government is in effect a strategy to influence how members of parliament will vote on this bill,” Sogovare said.
“This is an assault on our parliamentary democracy and is a direct interference by a foreign government into our domestic affairs.”
The bill is set to come to a vote on Thursday.
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the offer reflected Australia’s “longstanding and historical commitment” to democracy in the Pacific, noting Australia had previously offered support to the Solomon Islands.
Wong said it was “reasonably common” for the government to support elections throughout the Pacific.
Australia assisted the Solomon Islands 2019 election, with the defence force providing logistical support during the polling period.
Updated
Global construction giants have been shortlisted for contracts to build the first section of Melbourne’s controversial Suburban Rail Loop, AAP reports.
Five bids were made to carry out tunnelling from 2026 on the 26-kilometre eastern section of the line from Cheltenham to Box Hill.
The Victorian government on Wednesday announced three consortia been invited to submit detailed proposals to dig the twin tunnels.
The tunnelling work will be split into two separate contracts, with the first between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley and the second between Glen Waverley and Box Hill.
The first contract would be awarded next year, should the Andrews Labor government secure a third consecutive term in November.
But if the Victorian coalition triumph at the polls it will shelve the project, worth up to $34.5bn, and redirect funding to the state’s health system.
So far only $2.3bn has been allocated in the Victorian budget for early works and the opposition has vowed to honour any signed contracts.
Victoria’s independent Parliamentary Budget Office last month released a report that found building the first two sections of the rail loop could set taxpayers back $125b, more than double the previous estimate.
The three consortia invited are CPB Contractors Pty Limited, Ghella Pty Ltd and Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd; John Holland Pty Ltd and Gamuda Berhad; and Webuild S.p.A and GS Engineering and Construction Australia Pty Ltd.
Spiky, enormous and largely unknown in Australia, the exotic jackfruit could soon become a supermarket staple, AAP reports.
Predominantly grown in south and south-east Asia, jackfruit has grown in popularity in western cultures as a plant-based meat alternative.
When ripe, it tastes sweet and tropical, subtly redolent of banana, mango and pineapple. Unripe, it can be used in savoury dishes like curries.
However, jackfruit remains an untapped food source in Australia, perhaps due to its spiky exterior and cumbersome size.
A jackfruit can weigh up to 50kg and is the world’s largest tree-grown fruit.
A group of food scientists at Monash University has been commissioned by the Northern Territory government to see whether they can make jackfruit more consumer friendly.
This will involve repackaging and repurposing the unfamiliar fruit and finding ways to process it into ready-to-eat products.
“Jackfruit has so many benefits; it is high in fibre, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, and it is a good source of vitamin A, B1 and B2,” lead researcher Leonie van ‘t Hag said.
“It is a good source of Lysine, an amino acid that vegetarians and vegans can struggle to obtain in their diet.
“Research also suggests that jackfruit has many classes of phytochemicals that have anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, anti-ulcer and anti-ageing properties.”
The Australian jackfruit industry, based in the Top End and Far North Queensland, is valued at $2.6m.
But research suggests the industry has the potential to double or even quadruple by 2025, if new growing and processing methods are adopted.
Updated
Labor senator Fatima Payman, the parliament’s youngest member, has spoken of addressing homelessness and poverty as her priorities in federal politics, as she gave her first speech this evening.
Payman, aged 27, quoted from a Persian poet and began her speech with the traditional Islamic greeting “As-salamu Alaykum” as she told the Senate of her experiences growing up in Afghanistan and coming to Australia as a refugee.
Born in Kabul in 1995, Payman said her family fled to Pakistan following the rise of the Taliban. In 1999, her father attempted to reach Australia by boat.
“Anxiety and waves of doubt flooded my mother’s thoughts as she waited and waited, for any news of my father arriving safely in Australia. Four months later we finally received the good news,” she said.
It was not until 2003 that Payman, her mother and siblings were able to reunite with her father in Perth. She said her family suffered “discrimination and abuse to job insecurity and low wages”, as her father worked multiple jobs and her mother started her own business.
Payman herself studied pharmacy at university, but said her hijab was ridiculed at a university class.
“Comments like ‘Go back to where you came from’ or inferences to extremism forced me to feel like I didn’t belong,” she said.
Payman went on to detail her volunteer work with youth leadership groups, police advisory groups and Muslim student associations. Outlining her plans for parliament, Payman spoke of experiencing grief and depression following her father’s death, and said she wanted to “eradicate stigmas around mental health and make it more accessible to receive professional help.”
She also talked of wanting to address homelessness and poverty issues.
Updated
PM's office refuses to release question time briefing documents
The prime minister’s office has refused to release the PM’s question time briefing documents from July under freedom-of-information laws, arguing they are not ministerial documents.
Ministerial staffers prepare question time briefing documents for ministers, including the PM, in anticipation of the questions that will be asked so the ministers will have all the information at hand.
A user on the transparency website Right To Know sought the briefs from the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in his first sitting week as PM.
Albanese’s office, however, refused the request this week, arguing that the briefing documents do not meet the definition of a ministerial document under the Freedom of Information Act.
Senior legal adviser Simona Gory said:
Here, the documents were prepared by the personal staff of the Prime Minister and were not intended to be, nor were they, shared or provided to the department (or any other agency).
Further, there was no deliberation between the Office and the department with respect to the requested documents.
Taking into consideration these finding of fact, I am satisfied that you are not seeking access to ‘an official document of a Minister’ as defined under section 4 of the FOI Act.
Accordingly, I am satisfied that your request falls outside the scope of the FOI Act.
Updated
Senator Tammy Tyrrell has spoken passionately of the need to better support the unemployed and of her own experiences struggling to find work, in her first speech to parliament today.
“I’ve seen bright, funny, confident people get broken by a long stint out of work,” she said.
“They get humiliated by it. It’s like coming last in a beauty contest, every day. And it’s a kind of trauma it’s bloody hard to come back from.”
Tyrrell, representing the Jacqui Lambie Network for Tasmania, said unemployment in her state “breaks my heart” and called on parliament to do more.
“When you’re out of work, you deserve help to get back on your feet. You deserve a lift up. And respect for the strength it takes to lift yourself up off the floor,” she said.
“If you can’t work, we should be working for you. To make your life better.”
Tyrrell, a former staffer for Lambie, called for more “civility” in parliament, and for the nation to “cut us some slack” during complicated debates.
“Please don’t be horrible to us here in the crossbench,” she implored colleagues and the public.
“It gets ugly when we don’t just disagree, but we take it further. Half the country, represented by half the parliament, thinks the other half isn’t just wrong, but bad.
“I want to disagree nicer.”
Tyrrell spoke of Lambie’s evolving views on certain issues during her time in parliament, saying it was a “normal” thing to do.
“It’s one of the things I like about Jacqui. She’s not the Jacqui she was when she was elected the first time, because she’s not been afraid to learn,” she said.
“I want to learn, and I want to change my mind … I like being modest enough to say I’ve learned more, and I was wrong.”
“If you want politics to change, you’ve got a role to play too. If you’ve ever criticised a politician for flip-flopping or reversing their position on something – or looking like a dork – or feeling nervous about a media appearance – you’re making it impossible for regular people to get involved in politics.”
Updated
Queensland reports 15 more Covid deaths
Queensland has reported 15 more lives lost to Covid and 257 in hospital with the virus
Today we have recorded 1,631 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) September 6, 2022
Sadly, we have reported 15 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡️https://t.co/rKHIwrH8sQ pic.twitter.com/jyYtI2UYZI
Josh Taylor is going to guide you through the evening – I will be back early tomorrow morning to take you through the third day of the sitting.
Can you believe we have another six days of this? How lucky are we.
Until tomorrow morning, please – take care of you
China’s ambassador to Australia to be interviewed on ABC’s 7.30 tonight
We started the day talking about China in the context of Solomon Islands and the UN report into China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim community (the report found long-running Chinese human rights abuses against the community).
Looks like we will be ending the day speaking about China too.
Tonight on #abc730, @FergusonNews interviews China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian. Tune in on ABC TV and ABC iview. pic.twitter.com/9i14eJJApb
— abc730 (@abc730) September 6, 2022
Updated
And here is the disallowance motion itself.
This is the disallowance David Pocock is moving to scrap Labor's new super rules the crossbench say waters down transparency including of non political donations. #auspol pic.twitter.com/tbEH3vqbAI
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) September 6, 2022
Updated
As Paul reported a little bit ago, the Greens aren’t supporting his disallowance motion this sitting fortnight, because it is in talks with the government about developing “a more meaningful and useful transparency regime” around the superannuation sector.
But Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is in support:
I welcome Senator David Pocock’s motion to disallow the anti-transparency superannuation Regulations.
These Regulations will conceal $35 million in superannuation payments to unions by 2030 based on AEC data.
The transparency of super fund expenditure, particularly to political or semi-political organisations, must be beyond reproach.
Canberra established compulsory super, therefore we have a responsibility as a Senate to maintain the integrity and transparency of the scheme.
The Senate can demonstrate that it is beyond reproach by supporting Senator Pocock’s motion.
If the disallowance is successful, Australians will be furnished with the complete picture of their fund’s financial arrangements.
Even the most ardent super supporters know that this is the right thing to do.
Amendments David Pocock requested on climate bill
David Pocock’s office has released a statement on what amendments the senator wanted on the government’s climate bill, breaking it down to what is supported, what he’d like to be supported and what he’d like considered in the future:
Following constructive discussions with the government, Senator Pocock expects amendments pertaining to the below to be carried:
The annual statement includes climate risk assessments
Advice on the annual statement is published before annual statement
There must be public consultation in relation to advice on the annual statement
Senator Pocock looks forward to moving additional amendments which he encourages the senate to consider and debate which go to:
That the Charter of Budget Honesty be amended to require the production of carbon impact assessments (co-sponsored by Senators Lambie ad Tyrrell)
That the annual statement include scope 3 emissions
That the Climate Change Authority advice on new or amended Nationally Determined Contributions consider best available scientific knowledge
Senator Pocock is also seeking commitments from government:
to consider a process that would see the setting out of what emissions reductions are expected of each sector.
to review the ARENA Act with a view to removing any risk that funding will go to non-renewable technologies in future.
Updated
Sam Lim delivers first speech
New Labor MP Sam Lim says the “best job in my life” was his stint as a dolphin trainer in Malaysia, as he reflected on his eclectic history – which also included time as a Buddhist monk – in his first speech to parliament today.
Lim, member for the Western Australian seat of Tangney, spoke of working as a police officer and cafe owner, after immigrating from his native country of Malaysia.
“My family could not afford electricity and running water. We had to chop rubber wood to cook. The floor of our house was rammed earth, the roof was leaky and our toilet was just a hole in the ground,” he said in his speech.
His parents did not go to school, and while Lim did, he said he wasn’t able to afford university fees – and after two years working as a police officer in Malaysia, Lim said he became a dolphin trainer in a safari park.
“Dolphins are so loving and beautiful; they are cheeky and very intelligent. They can sense our feelings,” he said.
“I was very sad to say goodbye to them but I was also happy that they were back in their home, where they belonged, wild and free.”
Lim said his spirituality was very important to him, recounting 25 days living as a Buddhist monk in Thailand.
“I shaved my head, and took a vow of silence. I meditated and ate very simply. During this time, I experienced absolute peace – peace that radiates from within,” he said.
“It is an experience that I still reflect on and find peace in solitude and contentment in helping others.”
Immigrating to Perth in 2002, Lim said he again started work as a police officer, travelling great distances across WA on his patrols.
Lim said his hero was former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam, praising his support of multiculturalism in Australia.
Updated
Greens senator calls on Reserve Bank’s governor to step down
The Greens senator Nick McKim has said the governor of the Reserve Bank, Dr Philip Lowe, needs to step down after he said that interest rates wouldn’t increase until at least 2024, given what has happened.
McKim says while people should not have taken on mortgages they couldn’t afford, they were also lulled into a false sense of security by Lowe’s statement:
People absolutely have to exercise due diligence. but I also think that Australians are entitled to believe someone in the incredibly powerful and I might add incredibly well-paid position that Dr Lowe occupies. We can’t allow the independence of the Reserve Bank to be mistaken for a lack of accountability.
Ultimately when people whose words and actions can have such a massive negative material impact on the lives of ordinary Australians, they have to be held accountable for what they do and say.
Updated
Photos from question time
Here is how the Guardian’s photographer-at-large, Mike Bowers, saw question time.
He caught this chat between the prime minister and treasurer ahead of the questions starting:
Many shouting
And Kristy McBain responds to the opposition’s attempts to make her the question time main character.
Updated
Angus Taylor: if government had the right plan RBA wouldn’t need to raise rates
Angus Taylor – yes, that Angus Taylor – says he won’t comment on the RBA, but if the government had the right plan, then the RBA wouldn’t need to raise interest rates.
He says “that is how economics work”.
Updated
Labor may axe $18m grant for Future Leaders program
In Senate question time, the Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell asked Labor about the $18m Australian Future Leaders Program grant announced by the Morrison government, after the governor general, David Hurley, advocated for it in talks with Scott Morrison.
Tyrrell said the foundation that is to administer the program has “no website, no office, no staff, no previous record” and there was “no competitive process” before the grant was announced. She asked:
The governor general might think it’s a great idea, but there’s no detail, or transparency. Where do you stand?
Penny Wong replied:
I have a little bit of knowledge in this. [Senator Katy] Gallagher may have more. I am aware of this because it came to light under the previous government, it was an issue at estimates we did ask some questions about, some of the issues you avert to were raised in the context of preparing for that estimates round.
I understand that measure along with a number of other measures announced by the previous government is under review.
Wong said the reconsideration of the grant would occur in the context of the October budget preparation, adding in response to a supplementary about the foundations deductible gift recipient status would likely be considered at the same time.
Updated
Crunching the numbers on the latest rate rise
As the dust settles after the latest RBA rate hike, abacuses and calculators come to the fore, as borrowers large and small crunch their numbers. Since about one-third of Australian households have mortgages, that means “how much more will I have to pay?”.
For those with 25 years to go on a $500,000 mortgage, each half-percentage point increase adds $144 to monthly repayments. Since May, the 2.25 percentage point increase in the RBA’s cash rate, if passed on in full, would increase those repayments by $614 a month, RateCity said.
Assuming the Reserve Bank lifts its cash rate to 2.35% on Tuesday, here's how much more someone on a 25 year mortgage will repay per month (and how much more since rates started to rise in May). (Source: @RateCity ) pic.twitter.com/1fB04kjGCP
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) September 5, 2022
The average variable rate borrower would soon be on a rate above 5%. If passed on full, the average existing customer variable rate for owner-occupiers would be on 5.11%. Still, about a dozen lenders are likely to offer variable rates under 4%, RateCity said.
Investors, meanwhile, would face average variable rates – if you’re an existing customer – of 5.46%. Similarly, a dozen or so lenders will likely be offering investor variable rates under 4.30%.
Of course, there’s the two-thirds of households without a mortgage. There’s the question of how long savers will have to wait for higher interest rates to be passed on those with deposits. Whatever rate you’re able to wrangle, though, is likely to be well shy of inflation (which was about 6.1% for consumer prices and 4.9% for the “underlying rate” in the June quarter, and both will be higher now).
An RBA decision, of course, also brings a flurry of media releases. The Finance Brokers Association of Australia wins the prize for a catchy (if perhaps self-serving) term of the day: act now, it recommends, or face “mortgage prison”. The group’s managing director, Peter White, has this to say:
We have reached a point where more borrowers will find it impossible to refinance and will be trapped in ‘mortgage prison’.
In other words, they are forced to stay with their current lender at whatever rate they are being charged, because they are unable to secure a new loan due to the rate on which their application is assessed, which is on average a couple of percent above the actual rate,
Perhaps so, but shopping around can’t hurt. Plus, “mortgage manacles” would be my pick, while “mortgage Mordor” might be a bit over the top at this point.
Updated
Comparing the 17% interest rate from the 1990s to now
Just a note because I see a bit of chatter about the 17% interest rates during the 1990s.
Not to discount the pain that was felt then (and I know it was real), but there is a pretty big difference in the debt-to-income ratio between then and now.
The average mortgage in 1990, when interest rates were at 17%, was about $70,000. The average wage was about $567 a week (male earnings) or just over $27,000.
Today, the average mortgage is about $600,000 and the average weekly wage is $1,769.80, or $92,000 a year.
Updated
Greens won’t support super disclosure rule changes ‘this sitting fortnight’
The Greens senator Nick McKim has revealed his party won’t support senator David Pocock’s disallowance motion on superannuation disclosure rules “this sitting fortnight”. McKim said:
We’re not going to support a disallowance motion this sitting fortnight. We’re in discussion with the government about developing a more meaningful and useful transparency regime for the entire superannuation sector.
With the Liberals, Pocock and Jacqui Lambie in favour of more transparency for super funds, seems the Greens know they’re in the box seat.
Updated
Question time ends
That’s that done with for today.
Updated
Labor changes language slightly on stage three tax cuts
Well, then. That is some different language around the stage three tax cuts.
Jim Chalmers repeated that the government’s position on the tax cuts has not changed, but he spent a good chunk of his answer pointing out that they don’t come into effect until July 2024 and focussing on the PRESSING issues.
So that seems to add weight to the argument the tax cuts are parked for now. There are two budgets (October and May next year) before the cuts are legislated to come into being. Looks like there is a bit more discussion going on about that behind the scenes.
Updated
Chalmers: cost-of-living relief priority is on near-term pressures instead of stage three tax cuts
Stephen Bates, the Greens member for Brisbane (still not wearing a tie, so there must be some very shaken Coalition MPs) asks Jim Chalmers:
How are Labor’s stage three tax cuts actually good for the economy?
Chalmers:
The stage three tax cuts, which are legislated by the former parliament, come in in two years time … as the honourable member knows, the tax cuts that are legislated by a former parliament come in around [July 2024]. The government’s position on those changes has not changed.
Our priority is to focus on some of the nearer-term issues in our economy, some of the issues which were essential to the jobs and skills summit which was held here in Canberra last week. The most pressing thing that we can do in the economy is to responsibly deal with people’s costs of living pressures in a way that delivers an economic dividend.
It is to do with the labour and skill shortages which are holding the economy back and it is to invest with the future of our economy, whether it be energy, skills or other ways that we can ensure that we have a future made in Australia.
I know there is a lot of debate and discussion about those tax cuts. I listen respectfully, obviously, to all points of view that are put to us about the future of those tax cuts, but our focus is on some of the nearer term pressures.
Those opposite asked us, ask the prime minister about taxes in the Budget. I say this to those opposite – if we had a tax on stupid questions asked by the member for Hume we could pay off the deficit in one hit.
That’s a sledge on Angus Taylor, for those keeping score.
Updated
Albanese: cheaper pharmaceuticals and childcare will help ease pressure on cost of living
The new Liberal member for Menzies, Keith Wolahan, has the next question:
Given Australians are doing it tough amid rising costs, can you guarantee that the government won’t announce any new or increased taxes for families before the end of the year?
Anthony Albanese:
What the government is doing is taking pressure off families, and that is why just in this fortnight – just in this fortnight – what we will be doing is introducing legislation tomorrow to make pharmaceuticals cheaper. To reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals to $30 from $42.50. We will be doing that tomorrow.
I would invite the member for Menzies to indicate his support for that move because ...
(There is a point of order, but it’s not a point of order and I am too tired to write it out … but to summarise, Wolahan was after a yes or no answer, but the speaker says that’s not how question time works.)
I was asked what we were doing and I am telling you what we’re doing …
We will reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals, and next week we have other legislation to reduce the cost of childcare for 96% of families [who] will benefit from that. What we are about is assisting people who are doing it tough …
And when it comes to the cost of living, I noticed that the leader of the opposition was asked this morning about whether he supported an extension of the petrol excise continuing beyond September, and you know what his answer was? He said, ‘I will tell you before the next election.’
That is what he said. He will tell you before the next election. The fact is that those opposite had contempt for people who are doing it tough. We are engaged in the cost of living relief and that is what you will see in our budget.
Updated
Butler: government has no higher priority than strengthening general practice, but no answer on raising Medicare rebate
Andrew Wilkie gets the next crossbench question and it is to Mark Butler, the minister for health. (I missed the question, but it is on whether or not the government will fix the GP Medicare issues by raising the rebate)
Butler:
I thank the member for Clark for his question because he knows there’s never been harder, never more expensive to see a doctor than it is right now in Australia and is no mystery why, Mr Speaker. It is a direct result of nine long years of cuts and neglect to Medicare, because they began when the leader of the opposition was the minister for health.
We remember, Mr Speaker, that we managed to block his original radical plan to impose a GP tax on every single Australian going to the doctor, but he was determined … to hack into Medicare funding and so instead he imposed a freeze on Medicare rebates for lasted six long years. A pay freeze on the nation’s GPs while their costs were going up ... this has created unprecedented pressure on billing rates.
The former government was allergic to telling the truth about bulk billing, but … the truth is that one in three Australians now are paying a gap [fee] to see their doctor. … The number is increasing and the gap has never been higher than it is right now.
For the first time in Medicare’s history, the average gap fee for you to see a doctor right now is higher than the Medicare rebate itself … that is why strengthening Medicare was the centrepiece of the Labor government[’s election commitment].
We brought together doctors, nurses, patient groups and others in the task force that I chair, leading up to Chris Schmidt, to advise the government on the best way to invest those funds. Mr Speaker, they will be different views within the task force but as we saw last week, when you bring people together in a respectful ...
Wilkie has a point of order and Butler is told to get back to the crux of the question.
Butler:
As I just said, Mr Speaker, there will be different views from doctors, nurses and patient groups within that strength in Medicare taskforce, but when you bring those groups together, and engage in a respectful, constructive dialogue, you create the best outcomes for the Australian people and I know that we will do that in that area as well.
That task force, that fund also sits on top of our commitment to rollout 15 urgent care clinics, bulk billed including three in the member’s state of Tasmania, next year. $220m in grants to Australia’s GPs, practices that deserve more than just our thanks for the extraordinary work that they undertake over recent years, and $146m to strengthen general practices in rural and regional Australia. This government has no higher priority in health than strengthening general practice.
Updated
What’s next for the RBA and Phillip Lowe?
Like a metronome, it seems, the RBA has lifted its key interest rate much as almost everyone expected by a half-percentage point to 2.35%.
That made it four 50-basis-point moves in a row. Toss in that 25-basis-point soften-upperer in the federal election campaign in May and we’re still tracking at the most aggressive tightening phase since 1994 (or near the end of the Hawke-Keating years).
Anyway, also metronomic is much of the language that Phillip Lowe, the RBA governor, used in the statement accompanying the move. There’s still the note about keeping the economy on “an even keel“ (rather than capsizing or sinking it), and the challenge because of unpredictable “global developments” – think Russia’s war, “Covid containment and other policy challenges in China” and so on. Most countries are also lifting interest rates to choke off inflation.
Attention, as always, shifts to: what’s Lowe’s next move? Well, today he concluded with:
The Board expects to increase interest rates further over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path.
And a month ago, he said:
The Board expects to take further steps in the process of normalising monetary conditions over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path.
Pretty much identical. Interest (so to speak), though, may land on the words Lowe added before the pre-set path.
Price stability is a prerequisite for a strong economy and a sustained period of full employment.
Full employment didn’t feature in the August statement - so perhaps Lowe was moved by the jobs and skills summit to make that a priority too.
Updated
Body found in Snowy Mountains believed to be missing skier
Breaking out of politics for a moment for this terrible news: A three-day search for a 23-year-old man has ended in tragedy after NSW police found a body believed to be that of the skier missing in the Snowy Mountains.
The Canberra man went missing in Kosciuszko National Park on Saturday after going to ski in the backcountry. When he did not make contact with family or friends at the end of the day, a search and rescue operation was launched.
On Monday, the search team found the man but were unable to land because of poor weather conditions, police said.
PolAir located a person in a remote area of Watsons Crags yesterday afternoon. Due to steep terrain and hazardous weather conditions, both PolAir and another emergency service helicopter were unable to land or use winching capabilities.
The operation was suspended for the day and resumed today, with the arrival of PolAir carrying specialist police trained in alpine rescue.
The officers were winched down to the ground, where the body of a man was located.
An operation to retrieve the body is still ongoing, and it is yet to be formally identified, police said.
While it is believed to be the body of the missing skier, he is yet to be formally identified.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
Updated
What today’s rate rise means, in numbers
And here is what Rate City said about what the rate increases will mean for those with mortgages of varying sizes:
$500,000: $144 more a month with this increase ($614 since May).
$750,000: $216 more a month with this increase ($922 since May).
$1m: $288 more a month with this increase ($1,229 since May).
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On the average Australian mortgage
For the record, here is what the ABS says on average mortgages:
In July 2022 in original terms, average loan sizes for owner-occupier dwellings (which includes construction and the purchase of new and existing dwellings):
fell slightly by 0.1% at the national level from $610k to $609k.
fell in the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
rose in all other states.
In seasonally adjusted terms at the national level, the value of owner-occupier dwelling commitments fell 7.1% while the number of these commitments fell 5.8%.
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Angus Taylor asks for the increase in repayments on the average mortgage despite it just being given
And then, I kid you not, the opposition’s first question on the rate rise, asked immediately after Jim Chalmers sits down, is something which was LITERALLY just answered. Angus Taylor is a Rhodes scholar, but apparently needs some lessons in listening.
Taylor:
Can the prime minister tell Australians how much will they pay on a typical mortgage as a result of all of those increases, all of those increases …
The Labor side of the chamber absolutely erupts.
Anthony Albanese (after order is restored)
They are nothing if not agile, Mr Speaker. I refer to the Treasurer’s answer when he just said if we’ve got a $330,000 mortgage, you will pay an extra $95. If it’s $500,000... It’s $140... See?
There are interjections about it not being the average mortgage.
Albanese:
Maybe not yours. In Angus Taylor land, [it is] not the average but in the real ... [there is some crosstalk] … it is actually the average mortgage which is what he asked.
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Treasurer responds to interest rate rises
Jim Chalmers takes a dixer on the rates announcement, which is just the question time way of being able to make a statement on it:
Mr Speaker, the independent Reserve Bank has just announced its decision to increase interest rates by another 50 basis points and that brings the cash rate to 2.35%.
This will be very difficult news for a lot of Australians with a mortgage. Once again, it isn’t a surprise to anyone, the bank had flagged more increases, the markets had anticipated it and homeowners were expecting it as well. But the fact that we knew it was coming doesn’t make it any easier for people.
This is tough. This will tighten the screws on family budgets. This will put more pressure on a lot of Australians who are already stretched enough. As the house would be aware, a half a percentage point increase in the cash rate means that average homeowners owing $330,000 will have to find about $95 a month more for payments.
For Australians with a typical $500,000 mortgage, it’s about an extra $145 a month in addition to the extra $475 they’ve had to find since rates started rising before the election in May.
Interest rate rises do mean that Australians will have to make more hard decisions about how to make ends meet. And it also means more difficult decisions for governments. Because higher interest rates mean a high cost of servicing the trillion dollars of debt that has been left to us.
As I’ve said previously … it’s not for the government to interfere with the independent decisions of the Reserve Bank, it is our job to do what we responsibly can to help Australians deal with these pressures in the near term and to build a much more resilient economy into the future that is able to withstand some of these global and domestic shocks.
And our job summit, our economic plan, our budget, they’re all deliberate and direct responses to these economic circumstances that were left to us.
High and rising inflation, flat and falling real wages and productivity paralysis. That is why we’re doing so much to ease the cost of living, whether it comes to childcare or wages or medicine, it is why we are working so hard to do with the issue in our supply chains with the prime minister mentioned in response to the question from the member for Kennedy.
All along, Mr Speaker, we have been upfront about the inflation challenge with been realistic with the decisions taken and will continue to work around the clock to make this economy more resilient so that Australians are especially right now with the mortgage doing especially tough, know that the government is doing what they can to deal with with those parts of inflation.
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Albanese: McBain has been upfront about shares situation at all times
What is happening in question time? Now that the rate rise has been handed down, surely Peter Dutton was ALL over it.
Dutton:
My question is to the prime minister: What are the consequences of a minister in the prime minister’s government breaching the prime minister’s ministerial code of conduct?
Anthony Albanese:
From the guy responsible for Leppington triangle. That’s the problem they’ve got here. When it comes to integrity … let’s compare the issues here. Because.. the member for Eden-Monaro … who was re-elected with the support of over 60% of the people of Eden-Monaro, has sold the shares that were available. She was a holder of shares, she inadvently gave them to her husband, her husband, if we want to get into families, we’ll go down that track.
Dutton:
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The prime minister has been asked very clear and concise questions. He has wriggled his way through question time today [and] refused to answer the questions. He cannot answer a straight question. The question is very clear and the prime minister again is refusing to provide a straight answer.
Albanese is asked to stick to the question.
Albanese:
What has occurred here is that the minister … was made aware of the situation. She acted immediately … to address the circumstances. And that stands in stark contrast to the behaviour of those opposite. She has been transparent the whole way through.
… I completely stand by the minister for regional development and local government. She is doing a fantastic job of representing the people of Eden-Monaro. And … she is doing a fantastic job of turning up and doing her job as she did last Thursday and Friday, engaging with people in the community, particularly engaging with people in local government.
The minister has been upfront about a situation at all times. There has been no conflict of interest, no conflict of interest whatsoever. No … blind trust set up to pay legal fees, no activity such as that which characterised those opposite and that is why … there hasn’t been any convict of interest, there hasn’t been any cover-up, the situation is rectified and that earliest possible opportunity which is an entirely appropriate way for a government of integrity to act.
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So if you have a mortgage of $500,000, you will now be paying more than $600 a month more in interest than you were paying in April.
And there are more rate increases to come.
If you are on a fixed rate that is due to expire, you will see a pretty big jump all at once.
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RBA raises cash rate by 0.5%
The Reserve Bank has just raised its key interest rate to 2.35%, with the 50 basis point increase in line with most economists’ expectations.
The rise is the fifth in as many months, and brings the cash rate to its highest level since 2015. More to follow soon.
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RBA 'committed' to bringing 'what is necessary' to lower inflation
Given this statement from the Reserve Bank explaining why it is raising rates again, this will not be the last one. In fact, there is quite a bit more to come.
An important source of uncertainty continues to be the behaviour of household spending. Higher inflation and higher interest rates are putting pressure on household budgets, with the full effects of higher interest rates yet to be felt in mortgage payments.
Consumer confidence has also fallen and housing prices are declining in most markets after the earlier large increases. Working in the other direction, people are finding jobs, gaining more hours of work and receiving higher wages. Many households have also built up large financial buffers and the saving rate remains higher than it was before the pandemic.
The Board will be paying close attention to how these various factors balance out as it assesses the appropriate setting of monetary policy.
The further increase in interest rates today will help bring inflation back to target and create a more sustainable balance of demand and supply in the Australian economy. Price stability is a prerequisite for a strong economy and a sustained period of full employment.
The Board expects to increase interest rates further over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path. The size and timing of future interest rate increases will be guided by the incoming data and the Board’s assessment of the outlook for inflation and the labour market.
The Board is committed to doing what is necessary to ensure that inflation in Australia returns to target over time.
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Financial figures slightly weaker before RBA announcement
As financial markets prepare to go berserk at 2.30pm AEST when the Reserve Bank rates decision lands, it’s worth noting a couple of other economic numbers have landed today.
The ABS has posted trade and government spending figures for the June quarter that were slightly on the disappointing side. That’s prompted economists to start paring their predictions for the full GDP data that will arrive at 11.30am on Wednesday.
Brendan Rynne, a senior economist at KPMG, expects GDP growth to come in at about 1.1% compared with the March quarter. Annual growth should come in at about 3.5%, or in line with the pace of the January-March period.
Weaker-than-expected investment and a smaller increase in inventories were also cited by Westpac economists as they took the scalpel to their June-quarter forecasts. Prior to this week, the bank had tipped quarterly growth to come in at a brisk 2% but that’s been slashed to 1.1%.
For the annual rate (which people tend to remember more easily), the June quarter GDP now looks more like 3.6% compared with the more robust 4.5% pace that the fourth-biggest bank was expecting prior to the latest statistics landing.
It’s not clear what that means for the RBA and its imminent rates decision, but here’s what was expected as of yesterday:
Ahead of the RBA rates verdict (and accompanying commentary), investors were viewing the likelihood the cash rate would rise 50bp to 2.35% as an 83% chance. They're also predicting rate would peak at about 3.85% by July next year. (Economists think it'll be more like a 3% peak.) pic.twitter.com/nB8r1VnwKX
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) September 6, 2022
We’ll find out very soon…
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Right, switching to RBA rate watch now.
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Kristy McBain says she informed PM’s office of her shareholding once she saw the written code of conduct
Julian Leeser then gets the next Coalition question and of course it is an issue very close to everyone’s hearts. Yes, that’s right – with just a few minutes to the RBA announcement, which could see people with a mortgage of $500,000 paying more than $600 a month in interest repayments compared to what they were paying just five months ago, Leeser asks:
My question is for the minister for local government and territories … When did the minister first made contact with the prime minister’s or his office concerning this matter?
Kristy McBain:
Thank you. And I thank you for your question because transparency does matter. At this house and matters every day, not just when you have a code of conduct or not and that is properly something other people should reflect on. [I’m] happy to answer if you let me.
She says she transferred the shares to her husband before she saw a written code of conduct, and then:
Once I reviewed the written code of conduct I was given, I immediately spoke to the prime minister’s office. I then put in place a series of events to sell those shares. And once that was done, I reported back to the prime minister’s office that I completed the transaction. Thank you.
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Bob Katter asks what government is doing on the cost of living crisis
Bob Katter gets the first of the crossbench questions and the chamber collectively holds its breath.
Is our country in pain? Free markets save the planet. Housing prices up 500%. Cars, 800%, electricity and health insurance 400%. Yes our average weekly earnings are only up only 215%. The supermarket duopoly is recording record profits charging Mrs Housewife an avocado markup of 120%, tomatoes 200%, sugar 300%, potatoes 1,000%. With the CEO’s salaries $10m a year. PM, while your workload is an inspiration to us all, what is your salary? Action when? Action when?
I don’t know if the country is in pain, but I am.
Anthony Albanese:
I thank the member for Kennedy for his patience and his question because he was ready to get the call yesterday during question time.
I can inform the member for Kennedy that the government has a range of policies which are in line with his long-term objective that he has held, very sincerely, about improving the capacity of the Australian economy to stand up and be more resilient.
It was one of the lessons we had during the pandemic, we need to make more things here. We need a future made in Australia and that is why the government’s “buy Australian” plan is important. Using government procurement to make sure that at every possible opportunity we maximise the creation of Australian jobs, the support for Australian businesses and industry right here, whether it be the agriculture sector, whether it be in manufacturing, whether it be in the purchase of goods and services that we support Australian industry.
The other thing we have is our national reconstruction fund … of $15bn that will be about: how do existing industries adapt? And providing them with support in terms of capital that might make new investment and the transformation of those industries far easier going forward.
It is about more than that as well. It’s about creation of new industries. The fact is we have everything, for example, that can go into a battery. Not just a battery for electric vehicles that will be required, but batteries for ensuring that renewables can go around the community and not be isolated, for batteries that can assist manufacturing as well. That is why we have an enormous opportunity.
I know in the middle of the member for Kennedy’s electorate, I was at the Minerals Council dinner last night. Some of the rare earth [industries] and the traditional industries like copper that the member of Kennedy is passionate about, have enormously positive prospects going forward.
Just as we were powered by minerals in the 20th century and the 21st century, we are now in a situation whereby the natural advantage we have in this country – if we get it right, if we are prepared to intervene at the right time to facilitate private sector investment in the agricultural sector for value adding, in manufacturing for value adding, to ensure we have a future where Australian jobs are maximised and Australian living standards are lifted and where the Australian economy continues to grow.
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Paul heard some of the heckling during that question:
Sussan Ley has asked Albanese if "anyone else" (other than Kristy McBain) is in breach of ministerial standards.
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) September 6, 2022
Pat Conroy: "This from you? How's the Gold Coast going?"
And "get a mirror!" from the govt benches.#auspol #qt
Coalition continues pressing on Kristy McBain’s shareholdings
Sussan Ley is up next. Of course the deputy leader of the Liberal party will get to the heart of the matters impacting real people.
Ley: My question is to the prime minister. Is the prime minister aware of any other ministers who have breached the ministerial code of conduct?
There is laughter because, well;
Anthony Albanese:
Must have an interesting tactics meeting. Can you imagine? I shouldn’t asked that question, maybe you should ask that question. No, no, go ahead.
“Is there anyone in the committee that didn’t have an issue?”: that was the question. My government has been transparent. We have a code of conduct when there have been any issues, there have been ... Oh, come on!
Peter Dutton:
The point of order is relevance. The prime minister has been asked two questions and he cannot give a straight answer.
There is no point of order.
Albanese:
I’ll answer the question. That’s the way it works. You are in your chair, I will answer. That’s the way it works! Because for those opposite, what we are already seeing on that side is people being set up ... When someone hands you a question, you don’t have to ask it. You want me to sit down?
Dutton yells: “Answer the question”.
Albanese:
I wonder if he yells that loudly in their tactics meeting … because the fact is that the opposition are seeking to make something out of a short-lived oversight because they have nothing else to say …
Nothing about the cost of living, nothing about the jobs and skills summit, nothing about the energy crisis that we have inherited. Nothing about the fact people can’t get access to childcare, nothing about the crisis in aged care. What they ask about is a minister who … it’s not surprising that the minister here, the member for Eden-Monaro, the person who has turned Eden-Monaro into a safe Labor seat, is a target for those opposite.
Remember when it was called the bellwether seat? Not anymore. Because this is minister of integrity. This is a minister of honesty, this is a minister who is upfront and I stand by this minister. And this minister, what she did, and she has declared that occurred is that shares were given to her husband, to her husband ...
He runs out of time.
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Question time begins
Given the interest rate rise slated for today, or the cost of living in general, you can guess what Peter Dutton’s first question is on.
Yup: Kristy McBain.
Dutton: Was the minister for regional development, local government and territories ever in breach of the prime minister’s code of conduct?
Anthony Albanese:
Well, Mr Speaker, I am very surprised by the opposition’s newfound interest in portfolios … because for those opposite, they were not aware of who held the energy portfolio, or who held the health portfolio, or who held the treasury portfolio or who held the finance portfolio.We responded to these questions yesterday and I stand by those answers. The minister responded yesterday, as was appropriate.
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Everyone is congratulating Liz Truss on her elevation to the UK prime ministership, so question time is a tad delayed.
Greens respond to new Catholic guidelines on gender identity
The Greens have responded to reports the Catholic education system has adopted new guidelines on gender identity.
According to The Australian, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will advise schools that:
Research data strongly suggests that, for the vast majority of children and adolescents, gender incongruence is a psychological condition through which they will pass safely and naturally with supportive psychological care.
It reportedly stipulates that pastoral care initiatives that are “in conflict with the generosity of the Christian vision” are also to be “respectfully avoided”, including concepts that say gender is arbitrarily assigned at birth, gender is fluid and that gender is separate from biological sex.
The Greens schools spokesperson, Penny Allman-Payne, said:
As a teacher for 30 years I know how challenging school can sometimes be for young people figuring out their gender identity. They need to be supported and encouraged to affirm their genders, not abandoned during what can be an incredibly difficult and confusing time.
Archbishop Peter Comensoli says Catholic schools adhere to the principle that everyone is loved by God. Abandoning vulnerable students is an odd way for them to show it.
The party’s LGBTQ+ spokesperson, Stephen Bates, said:
Trans and gender diverse children already suffer elevated rates of poor mental health outcomes and suicide risk as a result of the discrimination and bullying they regularly experience. Schools should be a place where we set young people up with the confidence and skills to thrive in our society, but instead the Catholic Bishops Conference wants to see schools undermine the agency and acceptance of already marginalised communities.
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Snaps from the senate floor
Mike Bowers ventured into the senate (brave man) and caught some of the negotiations ahead of the government declaring the climate bill “urgent”.
Declaring bills urgent is a new thing the Labor government has introduced in this parliament – it essentially gives notice that the government can stop the debate and take it to vote, to stop filibustering, or to get things moving.
In the house that isn’t a problem: the government has the numbers. In the senate, though, it needs a bit of support.
The climate debate will continue – but if the filibustering gets a bit much over the next couple of days, it will go to a vote.
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Just to let you all know the plan – I will cover QT as usual (rocking under my desk) but Peter Hannam and I will give you the RBA news as soon as it is handed down at 2.30pm. So you can stick around here for all your interest rate news as well.
We will bring you the decision, and then Peter will give you some quick context, even though question time is going on.
And I still won’t be covering dixers.
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Question time will be in just under 30 minutes, so grab yourself some lunch (or whatever it is you need to get you through) and get ready.
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Seven and Foxtel reportedly retain AFL broadcast rights
Seven and Foxtel have reportedly signed an agreement to retain the AFL broadcast rights beyond 2024.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported the deal will be announced on Tuesday afternoon and would run for seven years.
Nine Entertainment had been offering $500m for the rights to broadcast on Channel Nine and streaming service Stan.
Last month the government weighed in on the broadcast negotiations, with the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, directly addressing the AFL Commission and broadcast stakeholders in a rare move for the federal government.
“I encourage the AFL Commission and its broadcast and streaming partners to ensure there is no diminution in the availability of AFL matches on free-to-air television under the new deal,” Rowland said.
Seven has been approached for comment.
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NSW government requests rail dispute hearing in Fair Work Commission be adjourned
The New South Wales government has requested an 11th-hour delay to its fight against the state’s rail unions in the Fair Work Commission after failing to complete its evidence in time for the hearing.
The two sides had been due to meet in the commission on Tuesday after the combined rail unions filed for an urgent hearing to force the government back to the negotiating table.
The union had accused the government of bargaining in bad faith after the premier, Dominic Perrottet, vowed to tear up their industrial agreement unless they accepted his government’s final pay offer.
But on Tuesday lawyers for the government requested the hearing be adjourned until Friday because they were unable to complete their submissions in time.
Harry Dixon SC, acting for the government, said compiling the government’s evidence was “taking much longer than we’d hoped”.
The unions had sought the urgent hearing after the government issued a deadline of 5pm last Friday to end all protected industrial action or they would seek to launch a termination application.
That deadline was later pushed back because of Tuesday’s hearing.
Dixon gave an undertaking to the commission that the government would not take action against the union before the case was heard. He said a letter had been provided to the combined rail unions confirming that:
Sydney Trains and NSW trains will not proceed with a ballot for a new enterprise agreement nor an application to terminate their current enterprise agreements until a decision is handed down … in these proceedings.
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Late last week the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, released new super disclosure rules, responding to some of the crossbench concerns about transparency.
Under the new rules:
Political donations will need to be itemised in information given ahead of the annual general meeting; but
Non-political donations will only be disclosed “in aggregate”
The crossbench is still unhappy that the regulations water down disclosure. Guardian Australia understands that senator David Pocock will give notice this afternoon of a motion to disallow the new regulation.
Senator Jacqui Lambie is also unhappy. She told Guardian Australia:
At the end of the day it’s up to Labor to explain why they think funds should be able to hide information from their members and the public. I don’t see a case for the change. I’m not keen on watered down transparency. What have these super funds got to hide from the public and their members?”
The Coalition also want to disallow the regulation, meaning the Greens have the casting vote. The issue wasn’t discussed at their party room this morning.
Climate bills declared urgent by government
Over in the senate, the climate bills have been declared urgent by the government – a motion which was supported on the voices.
That won’t mean that there will be a vote today. But it does mean that if there is an ongoing filibuster by the opposition, then the government can call for a vote and end the debate.
As Adam Morton reported a little earlier, the government is prepared to move a little on some of the climate amendments, but are confident the legislation will pass, so they are not too stressed.
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Labor MP: review highlights ‘profound imbalance’ between environmental protection and development
Government backbencher Josh Wilson says Australian governments need to stop fooling themselves that they are striking a balance between environmental protection and development.
In a speech on Monday, the Western Australian MP said governments need to change the way they approach environmental protection in the wake of the state of the environment report, which highlighted years of neglect.
As I have said before, we can’t fool ourselves with the concept of ‘striking a balance’ when the reality has been a profound imbalance against nature.
Wilson said the future of Australia’s environment would require governments to become more “uncompromising” about the protection of Australia’s unique wildlife and ecosystems.
This would mean not subscribing to the view that “any and every form of environmental impact can be approved provided [there] is a sufficient economic benefit”.
He said environmental offset policies should not be used to “fix” developments that were environmentally damaging when offsets were not being properly recorded or audited and were allowing a net loss of critical habitat.
We can’t have a regulatory approach that essentially condones the steady degradation of the Australian environment. We can’t keep finding ways to conditionally approve forms of harm that in some cases are not acceptable, especially where conditions are not monitored and not met.
The Albanese government is promising reform when it delivers its response to the Graeme Samuel review of national environmental laws later this year.
A NSW auditor general’s report released last week found that state’s environmental offset scheme and biodiversity market was failing to protect species and ecosystems and was riddled with integrity and transparency concerns.
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Just another point on Gerard Rennick’s speech (I am still shaking my head over it): he said his grandparents used to vote Labor. His grandparents would have been of voting age in the 40s and 50s, when some members of the Labor party were LITERALLY communists.
It was a pretty big deal, given that Robert Menzies used anti-communist rhetoric so effectively; it split the Labor party and was one of the reasons it was out of power for decades. In fact it didn’t win back government until 1972 with Gough Whitlam.
Labor has headed down a neo-Liberal path for decades and I don’t think there is anyone who could say with a straight face that Labor is communist today.
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Gerard Rennick on redefining Marxism
I just did a search for “Marx” in the senate hansard to find this quote
Rennick, Sen Gerard in the Senate on 2022-09-05: You became Marxists and communists and you forgot that the true capitalists in this country are the people who get out of bed every day, put their noses to the grindstones and do the hard yards.
— AUHansard_said (@auhansard_said) September 5, 2022
And there were SIX results. To be fair, some of it was in respect to Mikhail Gorbachev … and then there’s Alex Antic and Gerard Rennick, who are quite obsessed.
Here is Rennick from yesterday:
My grandparents used to vote blue-collar Labor, but do you know what? You guys lost the plot. You became Marxists and communists and you forgot that the true capitalists in this country are the people who get out of bed every day, put their noses to the grindstones and do the hard yards.
But you’re not interested in that; you’re interested in protecting your bureaucrats and your unions and your big corporate end of town. None of these guys – these guys aren’t your primary and secondary industries. They’re not your farmers, they’re not your miners, they’re not your manufacturing industry.
Now, I am not a Marxist scholar. But I am pretty sure that Marx and Engels were writing a lot about the workers – those who put their noses to the grindstones and do the hard yards – being sacrificed because of capitalism. That their labour had been commodified, their children commodified, for their labour, in order to feed an ever-expanding capitalist system, where profits were not evenly distributed to those doing the work, but instead shared between a small amount of people who benefited from their work.
Again, I am not a Marxist scholar, but I am pretty sure that was the whole gist.
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Kate Chaney calls for harmonised abortion laws
Yesterday afternoon the independent MP Kate Chaney called for abortion laws to be harmonised, noting that women in Western Australis are “subject to some of the most restrictive laws in the country”.
Abortion laws need to be harmonised across Australia. WA women are subject to the most restrictive laws in the country. @SHealthQuarters @ranzcog @childrenXchoice pic.twitter.com/bkqK2voBGu
— Kate Chaney (@ChaneyforCurtin) September 5, 2022
Chaney told the federation chamber:
In some circumstances, they need to travel thousands of kilometres to access abortion. They’re uprooted, alone and financially disadvantaged when at their most vulnerable. In Western Australia, abortion is still in the criminal code and there’s limited access to terminations through the public health system. The choice to have a termination after 20 weeks doesn’t belong to the pregnant woman and her healthcare provider but rather to an ethics panel of six people appointed by the health minister.
A doctor living in my electorate gave me some examples of the impact of this issue on women’s lives.
Fiona had serious mental health problems and was living in a violent relationship with a partner who prevented her from having an earlier termination. She was denied a termination by the panel and couldn’t travel because of Covid. She had the baby and continued to be trapped in that relationship.
Alina had eclampsia at 22 weeks and was having uncontrolled seizures. Termination of her pregnancy was delayed while applying to the panel, placing her life at risk.
Anh’s baby was diagnosed with a significant genetic disorder, but the ethics panel decided she was not permitted to discontinue the pregnancy. She then had to travel to Victoria for the procedure. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure all Australian women have equal access to safe abortion care.
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Government agrees to minor climate bill changes
Labor’s signature climate change legislation will pass the Senate with some minor changes after the government agreed to amendments proposed by the independent David Pocock.
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, told Sky News the government would accept some of Pocock’s amendments. They included changes to rules covering how and when advice from the Climate Change Authority would be tabled, and the inclusion of information about climate risk in an annual ministerial climate statement to parliament.
It means the bill – including the government’s target of a minimum 43% cut in emissions by 2030 compared with 2005 – is guaranteed to pass the Senate in this sitting period before returning to the House of Representatives for final approval.
Bowen said it would mean that:
Australia will have a climate change act for the first time in more than a decade, and that’s a very good thing for our country because it sends a signal to investors around the world and in Australia.”
Pocock said he had productive discussions with the minister and his office and they had settled on some amendments that would strengthen the bill by improving transparency and accountability. On the bill, he said:
It’s a starting point for Australia. Moving forward there’s clearly a lot more work to be done.”
Pocock was again critical of Labor’s support for a continued expansion of the oil and gas industry while pledging to cut emissions, saying “those two things clearly don’t go together”.
Bowen said he had also agreed to consider a ban on native forest wood burning being counted as renewable energy, a definition that was introduced under the Abbott government. A Labor-led Senate committee last week recommended the government look at the issue.
The minister said the government would release a discussion paper and seek feedback before making a decision.
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Coalition joint party room update
Over in the Coalition party room, Nationals leader David Littleproud told his colleagues that the Labor government should prepare for “hand-to-hand combat” on key political issues, as Liberal leader Peter Dutton warned the new Albanese administration against “hubris”.
Dutton also called on Labor to release more details about how the Indigenous voice to parliament would operate, claiming the government was “making it up as they go along” and said the Coalition wouldn’t make a final party room position on the proposal until more information was given.
Liberal and National MPs met in Canberra on Tuesday morning. The meeting resolved to support much of the government’s legislative agenda to be introduced into the House of Representatives this week, including bills on treasury amendments, access to medical cannabis and Labor’s aged care election commitments around 24/7 nurses.
However a Coalition spokesperson told a media briefing that the opposition would look to amend Labor’s aged care bill to more specifically outline the exemptions that will be given to centres over the 24/7 nursing, raising concerns over centres in rural and regional areas that may not be able to attract enough staff. Exemptions will be given but the opposition wants to see what they are.
Dutton, giving a leader’s report at the meeting’s commencement, again criticised last week’s Jobs & Skills Summit (which he chose to ignore), claiming it was not of the level of Bob Hawke’s 1983 jobs summit, and said the key outcomes on migration and pensioners were not surprising.
Dutton also claimed there were “so many unanswered questions” about the voice, asking Labor to give more information on which policies it will give input on, who will be on the body, and how representatives would be chosen.
We still need those very basic questions to be asked. The final position will be made in the party room when those questions are adequately answered,” the spokesperson said Dutton told the meeting.
Dutton also said the government’s “honeymoon period” would end, with “tough times ahead”.
The spokesperson said Littleproud, the deputy Coalition leader, echoed similar thoughts.
There’s going to be no silver bullet. It’s going to be almost hand-to-hand combat as to how each one of these issues are dealt with,” the spokesperson recounted of Littleproud’s remarks.
The spokesperson clarified that it was a “rhetorical flourish” from Littleproud.
The meeting did not discuss former PM Scott Morrison’s recent multiple ministry scandal, they said.
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Have you had your cervix checked lately?
Given it is national women’s health week, the Australian Royal College of General Practitioners wants to remind you to go get your cervix checked, if you have one:
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is urging women to get back on track with health checks and, in particular, ask their GP about self-collection for cervical cancer screening.
It comes after the 2022 Jean Hailes National Women’s Health Survey found many women had missed appointments due to the pandemic, and one in five said they missed a GP health check.
The self-collection option for cervical cancer screening was expanded from 1st July to all people with a cervix who are eligible for cervical screening.
And a newsGP poll has shed light on the uptake so far – just 8% said the majority of eligible patients had made use of expanded access to self-collection, while most respondents, 67%, said none of their patients had made use of it.
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Anthony Albanese addresses Labor caucus
Anthony Albanese told the caucus that Peter Dutton had “made himself irrelevant” by choosing to snub the jobs and skills summit on Thursday and Friday.
He said:
We are about bringing people together. People want the discipline and competence we are showing.”
Albanese also warned the Labor caucus that “there will be difficult decisions in this [October] budget”. He said:
We will soon be preparing our first budget an we need to address the cost of living issues Australians are facing while being mindful of the trillion dollars of debt we have inherited. We must be straight with Australians about the challenges before us and the difficult decisions we must take.
It’s just a guess, but it sounded to my ear like a reference to the temporary halving of petrol excise expiring in October.
There was also lots of discussion of the Indigenous voice to parliament. Pat Dodson told caucus “the long haul is on” but the task for this term of parliament is to entrench the body in the constitution with a successful referendum.
Asked how to respond to calls for treaty to precede the Voice (eg from Greens senator Lidia Thorpe), Linda Burney replied that the commitment was for a referendum this term. Another questioner noted Greens voters seem “more positive about the voice referendum than some of their spokespeople”. Burney urged Labor members not to be distracted and noted the PM is working with all parties.
Dodson noted Victoria is at a “different stage” of the debate, because treaty negotiations are already advanced there.
Labor’s caucus approved the slate of government legislation and resolved to oppose private senators’ bills on pensioners’ workforce participation (they have their own measure for that) and to set up a new environmental watchdog.
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The sitting is about to officially begin.
The House and Senate will sit from midday.
The climate bill will be dominating the policy conversations today in the Senate.
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Qantas says it’s ‘working hard to improve our service to customers’
Qantas is working very hard to try and win back hearts and minds after about six months of more mess and drama than what’s currently surrounding the Don’t Worry Darling film (ifykyk)
This comes after a Four Corners episode on what was happening behind the scenes with the airline, which aired last night.
🧵We’re working hard to improve our service to customers, and our performance is turning around. In August, our on-time departure rates, cancelled flights and misplaced bags all improved strongly. We’re getting our service back to our pre-COVID standards. pic.twitter.com/cg50KihxSh
— Qantas (@Qantas) September 6, 2022
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁
— Qantas (@Qantas) September 6, 2022
▪️ On-Time Performance has improved from 52% in July '22 to 70% in the last week of August. Target 75% in September.
▪️ Cancellations have gone from 7.5% (Jun '22) to 2.2% in the last week of August. Pre-COVID: 2.4%
▪️ Misplaced bags rate has decreased from 12/1,000 pax (Apr '22) to 6/1,000 pax (Aug '22). Pre-COVID: 5/1,000 pax.
— Qantas (@Qantas) September 6, 2022
▪️ Call centre wait times have decreased from 129mins (Mar '22) to 7mins (Aug '22)
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Prepare for 'difficult decisions' in budget, Albanese warns MPs
Back to the budget – this narrative is starting to get louder and louder from the government.
Anthony Albanese told caucus "there will be difficult decisions in this budget” earlier this morning #auspol @AmyRemeikis
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) September 6, 2022
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Funding for women experiencing menopause
It’s Women’s Health Week, which I didn’t know until right this moment (which tracks, given how women’s health is treated – it still takes about 10 years for an endo diagnosis).
Assistant health minister Ged Kearney announced some funding for menopause as part of the government’s spending on health:
The Albanese government is investing more than $1m through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Partnership Project scheme to improve the delivery of healthcare for women experiencing menopause.
Researchers led by Monash University endocrinologist, Professor Susan Davis, will develop a simple assessment and decision-making tool to ensure menopausal symptoms are not overlooked when women are seeking care.
The tool will ensure key information is immediately accessible to GPs, together with a self-assessment to be completed by women before their consultation, and will be integrated into GP software.
The project will be undertaken in collaboration with the Australasian Menopause Society, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
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Victoria records 25 more Covid deaths
Victoria has reported 25 more lives lost to Covid and 260 in hospital being treated for the virus.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 5, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/0JtksM50jH pic.twitter.com/W4DtCeI0Od
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NSW records 27 more Covid deaths
NSW has reported 27 more lives lost to Covid and 1,640 people in hospital with the virus.
COVID-19 update – Tuesday 6 September 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 5, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 97% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/7gy9ADTEjZ
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Low rate of jobkeeper impacting mental health
It has to be said that under Anthony Albanese’s social media posts on suicide prevention today are legions of comments of people speaking about the financial stress the low jobseeker rate has put them under and how that is impacting their mental health.
And it is not as easy as saying “just get a job”. Not everyone is able to take up work because of chronic health difficulties or disabilities – they are not able to commit to all of their shifts because of their medical needs. Others are unable to find meaningful work because they are spending all their time and energy trying to survive on a payment which consigns them to poverty. Others are working, but not receiving enough stable pay to be able to leave the social security system and others still are trapped by the gig economy.
We know what lifting people out of poverty can do – we saw it during the pandemic. There are no plans to raise the jobseeker rate at the next budget in October.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Suicide prevention a ‘personal priority’, says Albanese
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia’s suicide statistics are a “stain on our national conscience”, saying prevention was a “personal priority” of his as PM.
Albanese spoke at a Suicide Prevention Australia event in Parliament House this morning, where a new report highlighted the impact of financial pressures on suicide and mental health. Amy already brought you some of his comments from a brief doorstop outside the event, where he acknowledged cost of living pressures ahead of another expected Reserve Bank rate rise.
But inside the event, Albanese made more lengthy remarks, saying “we really need to do better” on addressing mental health and suicide issues, and spoke of the need to “dispel the shame and stigma” attached to those.
Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to people like you for your extraordinary courage,” Albanese told those working in the suicide prevention space.
The event, at a small function room inside parliament, was packed – Albanese noted the size of the crowd, remarking on how suicide touched so many people, and said it was “deeply saddening it [this event] is needed”.
All of us have lost people we’ve gone to school with, gone to university with, worked with.I know Australians care deeply about one another but we cannot allow this ongoing stain on our national conscience. We need to do better.”
We cannot change the past or undo the heartache it’s caused, but we can and must build on the progress that has been made.”
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Greens party room update
The Greens party room met on Tuesday morning resolved to continue to put pressure on Labor over rental stress and rising interest rates.
Janet Rice, the chair of the community affairs references committee, will lead a Senate inquiry into the cost of living and poverty – something that could put pressure on Labor to raise jobseeker, especially closer to the 2023 budget.
The Greens will move in the Senate to disallow regulations that cause the crisis payment for national health emergencies to expire at the end of September. This is a payment for income support recipients to allow them to isolate, similar to the Covid disaster payment.
There was no discussion of the new super disclosure rules that Labor enacted late last week.
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Simon Birmingham on ensuring energy security in Australia
On Sky News a little earlier today, Simon Birmingham was asked whether there was a lesson for Australia in the UK energy crisis, given the UK’s shift to renewables.
Birmingham was a lot more measured than his party’s leader, who spent the morning trying to stir up a scare campaign about power rationing:
Well there are lessons that we need to learn. Now, of course, much of what’s happened in terms of the immediacy of some of these shocks relates to the pressure that Russia has put on by depleting or turning off gas supplies in different ways to parts of Europe and the sanctions that have been applied back to Russia in terms of seeking to diminish energy dependency.
It’s to the credit of many European nations that they are willing to bear some of this pain to be able to apply those sanctions on to Russia.
And we should always remember that Australia has the luxury of having a rich supply of energy, both traditional energy sources and renewable energy sources.
And we need to make sure that we continue to harness all of those opportunities to keep energy security in Australia.
Our challenges are real, but when you compare them against 10% inflation in the UK, 80% increases. 80% increases in energy prices.
It puts in some perspective where we are at.
But of course, he is still an opposition politician and he finished with:
But nonetheless, I know many Australian households today will see the Reserve Bank probably increase interest rates again and be wanting to know what the new Labor government in Australia has in store to help them with the real cost of living pressures that Australians are feeling too.
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Consumer confidence up
Economists have noted Australians’ spending has been holding up nicely even while consumer confidence levels rather resemble a recession. (“Whinge and binge” is our trademarked slogan, with all rights reserved, etc.)
Well, consumer sentiment hasn’t surrendered entirely and has lately bounced back to the highest levels since early June when the RBA board had barely strapped on their hiking boots.
Ahead of another rate rise expected from the RBA, consumer sentiment is actually perking up, albeit from relatively low levels. (Source: @ANZ_Research, @RoyMorganAus ) pic.twitter.com/KbrR8WHcR4
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) September 6, 2022
The weekly survey by ANZ and Roy Morgan showed confidence rose in most “major states” (yes, that included South Australia) except NSW.
Most of the subindices also showed a rise with the exception of “future financial conditions”, which suggested respondents are keeping a wary eye of the RBA.
(As mentioned earlier and here, the central bank is widely tipped to lift its cash rate for a fifth straight monthly meeting later today, probably to 2.35%. Technically, that would be 23.5 times the level of its rate before the RBA raised the level from 0.1% – but that’s overegging things.)
Should the RBA board members take a peak at the ANZ/Roy Morgan’s report this morning (am thinking, over morning tea with shortbread biscuits), they might also take some heart from this chart, showing that punters are not yet expecting inflation to spiral out of control.
Little sign of a big pick-up in inflation expectations, which is one thing the RBA had been worried about. (Source: @ANZ_Research, @RoyMorganAus) pic.twitter.com/Z4w8oSiNzC
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) September 6, 2022
Still, they’d also be aware that the end of the fuel excise “holiday” on 29 September will add about 25 cents per litre in one hit, waking some of those inflation worries from their slumber.
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Pressure building to scrap stage-three tax cuts
In the background of everything happening in the parliament at the moment is growing tension over the stage-three tax cuts.
They aren’t due to come into effect until July 2024. So right now, the government has parked them – it won’t become an issue for the government’s budget until 2024, so it will be put off until it absolutely has to be dealt with. Labor says it has no plans to change the Morrison plan, which was legislated with Labor’s support, but at a cost of $243bn to the budget and counting, while people are being told it is too expensive to raise the jobseeker rate, or bring forward the planned childcare cost relief package, resentment is building.
And the crossbench are feeling it. One of the most vocal is Jacqui Lambie, who was one of the four votes in the Senate (along with Centre Alliance) who gave the Morrison government the support it needed to pass the cuts if Labor decided to stand against it (which it didn’t).
Labor chose to support the bill, because the Morrison government wouldn’t unhook the stage-three tax cuts from the earlier phases which gave cuts to lower- and middle-income earners, and Lambie supported the cuts as part of a deal to wipe Tasmania’s public housing debt.
Labor and Lambie both stated at the time they were reluctant supporters of stage three. Lambie said at the time the cuts were (then) six years away and there was an election in between. Now, Lambie is saying it is time for the cuts to be scrapped, with the money spent on health and other essential services.
I wouldn’t expect any movement on stage three this year. But the pressure is absolutely building.
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Party (room) time
The party room meetings are being held, which is why you are not seeing a lot of politicians at the moment (and why the chambers are not sitting).
We will bring you the news of what happened at those meetings very soon.
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Andrews denies Victoria's triple-zero service lacked funding
Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, has denied the state’s triple zero call-taking service has lacked funding for more than seven years.
A review into the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (Esta), released on Saturday, found 33 people died after waiting too long for an ambulance between December 2020 and May 2022.
It found the service lacked a sustainable funding model and did not have the budget to recruit more staff at the start of the pandemic.
Andrews says the government has been supplementing Esta’s budget since 2015 and it had been reaching its benchmarks prior to the pandemic:
Nothing in that model would avoid the system being overwhelmed by thousands of additional calls for day after day after day.
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Morrison “will determine if and when he leaves parliament”, says Stuart Robert
Scott Morrison’s ally and former cabinet colleague Stuart Robert was asked this morning about the latest Guardian Essential poll which shows that more than half of people surveyed think the former prime minister should resign over the secret ministries scandal.
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast earlier, Robert said he would leave the decision up to Morrison, but said “these are important issues, and they are being elevated as they should”.
My view is already on the record in that respect, but the former prime minister will determine if and when he leaves parliament and when he stops representing the members for Cook, and we’ll leave it up to the good [burghers] of the seat of Cook to work out what their elected representatives should or shouldn’t do.
I’ve made the point when this came to the fore, that if this had gone to cabinet, cabinet probably would have decided this was unnecessary and of course the fullness of time has shown it’s unnecessary.”
The poll found that just over half (51%) of those surveyed believed he should resign from parliament, including a third of Coalition voters, while 58% believed he should front the Bell inquiry, and 58% said he had diminished the reputation of the former government.
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Poll finds majority think Morrison should resign over secret ministries
In his interview with Australia’s hardest-hitting-journalist, Scott Morrison was asked if he felt he should have apologised louder and faster (as well as given a pint of blood) to people over his secret ministries. Morrison said he has made his statements on the matter.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem that voters are satisfied with those statements, as Sarah Martin reports:
Most voters think Scott Morrison should resign from parliament over his decision to secretly appoint himself to five additional portfolios while prime minister, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, which also finds trust in government in steady decline.
As the former prime minister continues to defend his decision to take on the additional portfolios without informing his colleagues or the public, the survey of 1,070 people finds that just over half (51%) say he should resign from parliament, including a third of Coalition voters who believe Morrison should go.
Most people (58%) also believe he should appear at an inquiry into the issue which is being led by the former high court justice Virginia Bell. Morrison has indicated he may be prepared to cooperate, but has also said the inquiry should look more broadly into the management of the pandemic.
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Suicide prevention groups call for government help
Suicide prevention organisations are sounding the alarm on the impact of cost of living pressures on mental health, with a troubling new report finding 40% of Australians saying money issues are causing them more distress in the last year, and experts warning it is “the biggest risk to suicide rates”.
Suicide Prevention Australia released its annual State of the Nation in Suicide Prevention report on Tuesday, with a YouGov survey of 1,000 people reporting 70% experiencing “elevated distress” compared to last year.
Top of the concerns list was cost of living issues. Of other causes of distress, 26% said isolation and loneliness, 19% said unemployment and job security, and 23% said family or relationship breakdowns.
Feeding the family and keeping a roof over our heads are two of the most basic human behaviours,” said Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Nieves Murray.While inflation and interest rates keep rising, we must be prepared and proactive to prevent mental distress and suicide rates from doing the same.”
Suicide Prevention Australia referenced Tuesday’s expected Reserve Bank rate rise in releasing its survey. Murray said this was “the first time an economic issue has overtaken social issues like drugs, loneliness and family breakdown” in issues of distress.
Murray called for “increased action from their federal government” on suicide prevention, including a new suicide prevention act “that looks to take a whole-of-government approach” on the issue.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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“The so-called ship blockade”
And with her foreign minister hat on, Penny Wong is also very focused on language –including with questions.
Q: More on the Solomons, apologies if this one’s already been asked. But where are we at with the ship blockade? The so – so-called ship blockade.
Wong
Let’s be careful in our use of language. I don’t think that’s an accurate reflection. I think there has been an indication from Solomon Islands that obviously that they are making decisions about ship visits and we look forward to Australia and Australian ships continuing to visit. And I understand from public reports – that will continue.
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Wong says Coalition filibustering is holding back climate bill
Penny Wong was asked about the amendments to the government’s climate bill in the Senate and was quick to make the point it had not yet gone through yet:
No, it hasn’t gone through because the Coalition has been filibustering on another piece of legislation and demonstrating yet again that they really don’t want to do the right thing on climate. I look forward to them deciding that they might actually want to start debating the bill. Otherwise, we will know yet again that Matt Canavan and the Nationals are in charge of their climate policy and we’ve seen this movie before in the last nine years.
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Andrews says Victoria will improve triple-zero service after damning review
Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, is addressing media for the first time since an independent review into the state’s triple zero call-taking service found 33 people died after waiting too long for an ambulance.
He says at the time of the deaths, the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (Esta) was “completely overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases and call outs”:
It was a period of surge unlike any other that we have ever experienced much more prolonged, much more intense than say a bushfire event … than [a] thunderstorm asthma [event], or any similar event. You can’t really find an event that is similar in size and scale … Of course, I offer my deepest condolences and sympathies and my personal apology and the apology of the government more broadly to anybody who has been touched by this virus and particularly those who have lost a loved one. You can’t imagine the pain and the great burden that those families carry with them every single day. And we extend those condolences with a sense of commitment, not only to those individuals, but a commitment to every single Victorian to make the change, to make the improvements, the investments - that’s what we are doing now.
The report by Victoria’s inspector general for emergency management (Igem), Tony Pearce, released on Saturday, identified 40 “potential adverse events” linked to triple-zero delays, lengthy ambulance waits and command decisions at Esta between December 2020 and May 2022.
Of the 40 events, 33 patients did not survive. Pearce did not make any findings about whether faster intervention would have prevented the deaths, noting it will be a matter for the coroner.
According to the review, the Andrews government was aware of Esta’s “precarious financial position” as early as 2015, via an auditor general’s report.
The service did not have the funding to recruit more staff, and “missed an opportunity” to seek urgent government funding at the start of the pandemic.
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Kosciuszko skier search resumes
Breaking out of politics for a moment, emergency services are still searching for a missing skier. As AAP reports:
The search for a cross-country skier who has spent three nights in freezing conditions in the NSW Snowy Mountains is set to resume.
The 23-year-old, whose family do not want to be identified, last made contact on Saturday morning before setting out to ski the backcountry of Kosciuszko national park.
A search involving specialist police from the alpine operations unit, State Emergency Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service is set to resume.
The experienced cross-country skier is believed to be carrying a personal locator beacon, limited day supplies and adequate equipment for back-country conditions.
Monaro police district commander Supt John Klepczarek said on Monday the police helicopter would join the search for the skier, who was thought to be in remote mountain terrain.
This fellow is experienced and probably capable of making some shelter himself. It’s my intention to have a positive outcome.
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Record year for farm exports
Australian agricultural export earnings are expected to be the highest on record, AAP reports:
The outlook for 2022 and 2023 from the Australian bureau of agricultural and resource economics and sciences (Abares) finds exports will climb to a record $70.3bn, almost 50% more than a decade ago.
The executive director of Abares, Jared Greenville, says the forecasts factor in slowing global growth and the likelihood of a third straight La Nina, a once-in-a-30-year event.
Widespread inflation and a sluggish Chinese economy are the main watchpoints. Global food and fertiliser prices remain very high despite falling from peaks earlier in 2022.
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, says the numbers represent a remarkable achievement.
We know our agriculture industry has its challenges but this data shows the sector is in good shape.
Key findings
Production forecast to be second highest ever, exceeding $81bn next year
Value of exports to be a record $70.3bn in 2022-23
Favourable seasonal conditions in Australia to persist
Wheat will be most valuable export, followed by beef and cotton
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Dutton goes on the attack
Meanwhile, Peter Dutton, who is leading a Coalition party which has seen its lowest Newspoll approval ratings to historic lows, is leaning heavy on the scare campaigns:
There’s talk in our country of rationing or of lights going out like we’ve seen in Germany. The pressure you’re seeing on families in the United Kingdom at the moment. That’s essentially a picture to the future of what is going to happen here unless the government gets the policy settings right.
No one is talking about rationing – in fact there was that whole thing where the energy market regulator suspended the market to ensure that didn’t happen. It was kinda a big deal, but maybe the opposition leader missed it.
Then Dutton repeated his attack on the prime minister about how he said power prices would come down, (under the modelling of Labor’s Powering Australia plan, once there are more renewables connected to the grid, then power prices will drop) – Dutton is trying to get the narrative going that there was a time period attached to the promise. But in this attack, Dutton neglects to mention that it was his government that delayed the news energy prices would rise.
The prime minister promised on 100 occasions before the last election that the power prices of families would come down by $275. He’s not mentioned that figure one day since and we’re going to see an increase in the cash rate today and that will put extra pressure on families and there will be a lot of extra pressure as families come off a fixed rate to a variable or new fixed rate package and they will see mortgages increase.
It’s clear the government has no plan to help Australian families under pressure at the moment. That pressure is mounting. Petrol prices are about to go up by 22 cents a litre when they end the excise and there’s nothing here the government is offering by way of support to families at the moment. Only excuses. They promised before the election they had a plan and they’ve never mentioned it since.
People voted for this government on the basis that they would reduce their power prices by $275. That was the solemn commitment the prime minister gave to the Australian public. He spoke about it, as I say, on 97 occasions before the election. He’s not mentioned the figure once since that time. Not once. We’ve asked him repeatedly about it during the course of question time. He’s got some sort of complicated answer to it that the public just don’t get. And the fact is that here’s a significant broken promise. That’s the first thing they could do to try and provide some support to families who are struggling at the moment. If they have other sensible suggestions … They’re the government. They went to the electorate saying they a plan. Let’s hear what the plan is. Families are suffering when they thought the prime minister was going to deliver and he’s done nothing at all for them.
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What Scott Morrison said on Sky News
For anyone dying to know what Scott Morrison told Australia’s hardest hitting journalist, it was a lot of “welcome to the Shire” and “I play golf now”.
Paul Karp watched it so you didn’t have to.
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Albanese: women are underutilised, undervalued and underpaid
Anthony Albanese is giving an address to the Chief Executive Women’s Summit this morning, following the release of a report that shows women’s representation at the executive level of public companies is going backwards.
The prime minister agrees that the report’s findings are a “wake-up call” and backs in the need for targets to improve gender parity, and says that women are are underutilised, undervalued and underpaid.
We want to work with you to boost board representation in private sector companies that are lagging.
This is important. Targets work.
Albanese points to the success of affirmative action targets in the Labor party, saying the current government has “more diverse voices than ever before.”
The introduction of quotas in the Labor party has been transformative.
Today, 50.2% of positions on Australian government boards are held by women. That’s the result of targets first introduced under the last Labor government.
The government is firmly committed to maintaining this level of representation [and] business should share this commitment.”
Evidence tells us when women are in visible decision-making positions and genuinely consulted within these spaces, economies and whole societies benefit.”
Albanese is also talking up the government’s commitments on gender equity, including establishing expert panels in the Fair Work Commission on pay equity, and the care and community sector, to help improve pay and conditions for women in those sectors.
And we have committed to support pay rises for aged care workers in our submissions to the Fair Work Commission.
He also says a new national strategy to achieve gender equality “will set an ambitious agenda to drive generational change”.
While the government has been resisting calls to bring its childcare policy forward, the prime minister also talks up its importance, saying it will play a “crucial role” in improving productivity and workforce participation.
It’s an economic reform that unlocks opportunities for parents, aligns with modern family life, and promotes inclusion and growth.
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Cost-of-living help is coming in legislation, Albanese says
In what was a very brief doorstop interview, Anthony Albanese was asked about the cost of living, given there is another interest rate increase predicted today.
The PM said:
We’ll be introducing legislation this fortnight on cost-of-living measures, including for cheaper medicines and cheaper childcare.
That’s why we put forward a submission to the Fair Work Commission to increase the wages of people who are on the minimum wage and successfully argued for the result, which was a 5.2% increase.
That’s why we ensured that the pension increases and increases for those in social security have occurred this month*. We understand the pressures that people are under, and we wanted to undertake measures that alleviate cost of living pressures.
*The government didn’t stop the set indexation increase, true, but it also didn’t raise rates itself. Social security payments are assessed against CPI at this time every year, as part of an automatic process. The increase this year is notably bigger because inflation is the highest it’s been in 30 years. The Coalition did it, too, and it was also called out – governments can not take credit for indexation increases to social security payments.
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“We need to do better,” Albanese says to mark World Suicide Prevention Day
Anthony Albanese held a short doorstop to speak about World Suicide Prevention Day:
What we’re talking about today is just an absolute tragedy, the fact that nine people will end their life today is something that is a scourge on our society. We need to do much better and today, this morning is an opportunity to pay tribute to those frontline workers who are doing such extraordinary work under enormous pressure themselves, to help their fellow Australians. The prevalence of suicide means that this year, some 65,000 Australians will attempt to end their own life. Quite clearly, we need to do better.
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Delayed rate pain
While the interest rate increases are hitting those already on variable rates, those who are on fixed rates which are about to expire are going to feel a lot of pain, when their repayments jump to include the cumulative increase all at once.
In July, the RBA estimated that by mid next year, when fixed rates begin to expire, “just under 30 per cent of borrowers would face relatively large repayment increases of more than 40 per cent of their current payments”.
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Interest rate rises: more maths
Had a few messages asking about this, so here are a few more calculations Rate City has done on what the interest rate rises will mean for mortgage holders.
(Based on a predicted 0.5% increase today.)
If you have a $500,000 mortgage, the increase will mean another $144 a month. Since May, that is an increase of $614 a month.
If you have a $750,000 mortgage, today’s predicted increase will mean another $216 a month. Since May you would be paying an extra $922 a month.
If you have a $1m mortgage, today’s predicted increase will mean finding an extra $288 a month. Since May, that’s an extra $1,229 in repayments.
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Interest rate rises: the maths
If the RBA decides to raise interest rates for a fifth time (which it will), rates will most likely be at their highest point for seven years.
What does that mean for home loans?
Rate City has done some maths:
As RateCity.com.au noted on Thursday, a 0.50 percentage point hike will see the average variable borrower’s monthly repayments rise by $144, assuming banks pass on the hike in full to customers (see table below).
However, a rate hike tomorrow will be the fifth time the Board has lifted rates since May. For an owner-occupier with a $500,000 debt at the start of the hikes and 25 years remaining on their loan, the total increase to their monthly repayments could be $614.
But while rate increases mean mortgage holders are feeling the pinch, it is not leading to a huge drop in house prices.
Home prices across Australia dropped 0.4% in August. And in Sydney and Melbourne they are back to levels last seen in August last year. Given house prices increased by about 20% in a year, this is just a drop in the ocean.
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Australia’s reaction to human rights report
How will Australia react?
Penny Wong:
What we need to do is work with international partners, other members of the international community about how it is we respond to this report. And more broadly, I think the issue of how it is that in a world where we see a lot of human rights violations, how we can continue to promote and protect and assert the importance of human rights.
One of the things we said before the election that I’m very focused on, partly because of my engagement with NGOs, is to improve the modern slavery act, because if we have a domestic framework, which more strongly enforces a ban on products made from forced labor, I think that is one of the ways we can use supply chains to ensure we don’t promote we don’t condone and we don’t financially support forced labor.
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UN report on China ‘harrowing reading’, says Wong
Penny Wong was asked about the United Nations accusing China of crimes against humanity over the mass incarceration and detention of Muslim Uyghurs.
Wong said the report made for “harrowing” reading:
I read some of that report overnight, and it’s it’s pretty harrowing reading and it confirms what Australia and the international community have held concerns about for some time, and that is it concerns in relation to human rights violations.
… Certainly, the report concludes that serious human rights violations have been committed in Xinjiang. The report states that the allegations of build treatment and torture are credible.
I want to start first before we get into some of your questions, to just acknowledge the courage of the Australian Uyghur community. You know, they have consistently spoken out, they’ve shown strength and determination. Many of them have been unable to be in contact with their loved ones.
And, you know, I think the fact that some of the stories have come to light demonstrates the determination of of Uyghurs around the world but certainly here in Australia.
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Is Penny Wong disappointed the US is not exempt from the decision to ban foreign naval vessels in Solomon Islands waters (Australia and New Zealand are exempt)?
Ultimately, as I understand that, Solomon Islands is making as indicated publicly they’re making a decision on a case by case basis. They are a sovereign nation and they’re, you know, that’s a matter for them.
What I would say is that the US has a long history of presence in the Pacific going back to World War Two. We saw just recently Caroline Kennedy, visiting us Solomon Islands for the commemoration of the battles of the Pacific and the US is part of the history of the region and part of the present and future the region.
Wong asked if Australia is concerned China would step in if Solomons Islands election causes unrest
There was a little in that interview with Penny Wong to get through, so bear with me while I transcribe it.
Asked if Australia was concerned China would be asked to step in to restore order if the situation becomes unruly in the Solomon Islands, Wong says:
I’ve made the point that Prime Minister Sogavare has consistently outlined that Australia remains the security partner of choice. Australia maintains the position that we have for some time that security is the responsibility of the Pacific family of which we are a part you know, the [assistance] force that has assisted Solomon Islands previously, which included Fijian personnel, as well as personnel from Papua New Guinea and some support from New Zealand.
These partners are part of the Pacific family and obviously we we continue to engage with them on how we can continue to provide assistance to Solomon Islands.
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Solomon Islands election funding offer
Penny Wong is speaking about Australia’s offer to Solomon Islands to help fund its coming election. Wong says it is not in response to Solomon Islands’ opposition’s concern the election will be delayed and is part of a historic partnership Australia has with the islands to support it.
Does the government's offer to help fund the Solomon Islands election reflect concerns that PM Sogavare is planning to delay the poll?
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) September 5, 2022
"It reflects a long standing and historical commitment to supporting democracy and democratic processes in the Solomon Islands"
- @SenatorWong
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Penny Wong: “calm down” about diplomatic appointments
Penny Wong is speaking to ABC radio RN where she has congratulated Liz Truss for her elevation to the UK prime minister.
But pressed on when the government will make an announcement on the new high commissioner to the UK, Wong says her focus has been on the Pacific and people should “calm down” about appointments.
I know there has been a lot of speculation and people … should just calm down. We’re obviously working through quite a lot of appointments … over the coming year. There’s a few appointments coming up, but to be honest with you, my focus has been more on what I said I will do before the election, which is to prioritise engagement with the Pacific and south-east Asia, so appointments have not been the top of my list.
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Good morning
It’s day two of this two-week sitting and it already feels like a month, so we are absolutely back in the swing of things.
Tuesday means party room meetings, so everyone will retreat back to their corners for a little bit before parliament resumes. The sitting always starts a little later on Tuesdays for that reason.
Shortly after it does sit though – smack bang in the middle of question time in fact – the RBA will hand down its latest interest rates decision at 2.30pm. Most pundits are expecting a 0.5 % increase to the cash rate – which would take it to 2.35%. Interest rates began rising in May from historic lows, but with inflation continuing to rise, so too will interest rates. September will be a tough month – the cut to the fuel excise will also expire at the end of this month meaning petrol will also become more expensive. Don’t expect that to be extended either – Jim Chalmers has been very clear that is not something the government is entertaining.
In the parliament, senators are hoping to amend the government’s climate bill to give it a bit more oomph, which means it won’t have a quick passage.
Last night, as Sarah Martin and Paul Karp reported, Anthony Albanese promised the resources sector an ‘orderly transition’ from fossil fuels:
Anthony Albanese has promised to work with the resources sector to “reduce emissions in a predictable and orderly way” as Labor comes under increased pressure from the Greens to ban emissions intensive projects.
Albanese made the comment to the minerals industry parliamentary dinner on Monday, suggesting the “cooperation and dialogue” Labor achieved at the two-day jobs and skills summit“should be the rule” not a “48-hour exception”.
The Greens want a climate trigger – which would mean any new fossil fuels project would have to prove it won’t increase emissions before being approved. Leader Adam Bandt promised that his party would keep pushing the government to do more on climate and this is just one of the first steps.
Sarah Martin, Josh Butler and Paul Karp will be all across it as usual (Murph and Dan Hurst are still on leave for those asking) and Mike Bowers will also be all over all the things, as this day unfolds. You have me, Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day. It’s going to be a four-coffee day at least – so I hope you’re ready.
Let’s get into it.
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