Coalition sustain attacks on Labor over ICAC investigations while Liberal MP Gladys Liu comes under scrutiny
Tears, red-faced tirades, failed attempts at hiding in broad daylight and a regal wave from an Aussie queen, the last two weeks of QT had plenty of bizarre moments. Here’s the wrap of what went down this fortnight.
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Tears, red-faced tirades, failed attempts at hiding in broad daylight and a regal wave from an Aussie queen, the last two weeks of Question Time had plenty of bizarre moments.
With Prime Minister Scott Morrison jetting off to the US to meet with President Donald Trump today, it was up to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack sit in the front seat on the final day of the current sitting period.
Labor focused its attack on the federal government saving money in the budget due to the slower uptake of the NDIS, while the Coalition was keen to promote its surplus credentials.
Some back-and-forth about the “name” of the government provided minor laughs — is it the “Morrison Government” the “Morrison-McCormack Government” or the “Morrison-McCormack-Frydenberg Government”? — but honestly who even cares.
So here are the top five things from the September sitting weeks of Question Time:
1. PRESSURE MOUNTS ON GLADYS LIU
In the last two weeks the government has faced sustained questioning about the nature of Chisholm MP Gladys Liu’s membership of organisations linked to the Chinese government.
Labor peppered Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s with questions about what advice, if any, he had received in relation to security risks, which were quickly ruled out of order.
The tense situation boiled over about an hour into Question Time earlier this week when Labor’s attorney-general spokesman Mark Dreyfus asked: “Did the Prime Minister receive any advice about the current member for Chisholm from government agencies before or since the May 18 election?”
It followed a News Corp report citing Victorian Liberal sources saying the intelligence community had warned the Liberal Party about preselecting Ms Liu.
Speaker Tony Smith ruled the question was in order and Mr Morrison launched a counter-attack against Labor.
“What is the intent of this question? The intent is to infer, against a member of this House, a disloyalty to this country, and that member has in some way been the subject of some investigation,” he said.
“That member knows that by simply coming up here and seeking to smear a member, knowing that the Prime Minister is not in a position to make comment on these matters, that he hopes the mud sticks.”
2. WHERE’S BOB?
Like a toddler playing hide and seek who thinks that if they can’t see you, then you can’t see them, Kennedy MP Bob Katter seemed to forget he was in a room full of cameras when he moved to sit next Gladys Liu during a division.
The bizarre situation followed a confusing bid by Mr Albanese to suspend standing orders because the Prime Minister had refused to sack Energy Minister Angus Taylor — something Labor focused a lot on last week but hadn’t mentioned today until this point.
For good measure Mr Albanese also threw in the accusation Mr Morrison has denied using the phrase “Shanghai Sam” and has prevented Ms Liu from providing her own statement to parliament.
Basically, Labor wanted to suspend orders so they could condemn the Prime Minister.
The government moved a motion that Mr Albanese no longer be heard and that’s when things got even stranger.
Mr Katter moved across the floor to support the Coalition he opted to sit next to Ms Liu.
As the cameras from the press gallery started whirring to capture the moment of apparent solidarity with an under siege Ms Liu, Mr Katter apparently realised his PR error and covered his face with his hands.
Cue taunts from Labor that they could “still see you Bob,” and yeah, they were right.
We could all still see you Bob.
3. THE COALITION’S PLASTIC RECYCLING PLAN DOES NOT INCLUDE ALDI BAGS STUFFED WITH CASH
The ICAC investigation into NSW Labor’s handling of an alleged illegal $100,000 donation featured prominently this fortnight.
Last week Mr Morrison seized on a question from Moreton MP Graham Perett, which included asking why the Government was talking about Labor instead of the economy, to do just that (the Labor Party brought it up this time after all).
“What is happening on the side of the Labor Party, and I was asked about the Labor Party, is chaos,” Mr Morrison said.
“It’s chaos and uncertainty and in New South Wales, there is the big stench of corruption.”
Mr Morrison has evidently been following the ICAC hearings into an alleged illegal donation made to NSW Labor in the form of a $100,000 bag of cash.
“When I said we had to recycle plastics, I didn’t mean Aldi plastic bags stuffed full of cash,” he said.
“That was not my plan … but it is certainly the plan of the New South Wales Labor Party.”
4. RED-FACED WAR OF WORDS AS DPM CRACKS IT
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack’s colleagues couldn’t hide their shock when the Nationals leader sensationally lost his cool in a ranting tirade against his Labor counterpart during a question about drought.
His red-faced rage held a remarkable likeness to that of his predecessor Barnaby Joyce during highly emotional debates.
Asked to outline the government’s drought response by a friendly Coalition backbencher, Mr McCormack’s initially calm response went completely out the window in the face of interjections from Labor’s Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon.
Mr McCormack suddenly launched into a tirade against the opposition frontbencher.
“The Member for Hunter. Behave yourself occasionally,” Mr McCormack yelled.
“Country people are doing it tough. You should behave yourself, you are a disgrace.”
Mr Fitzgibbon returned in kind, initially rising to raise a point of order against Mr McCormack’s “personal attack” before launching into a tirade of his own.
“How is the Deputy Prime Minister unhinged attack on me relevant to the question asked,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“The farmers just want him to do something.”
5. THE ONE THAT WE WANT
Parliament was abuzz on Wednesday after Question Time was graced with the presence of the one, the only Olivia Newton-John.
In Canberra to talk about Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, the Aussie icon sat in the gallery, giving a hearty wave to the starstruck crowd below.
Sensing an opportunity to craft an off-the-cuff pun blending a famous musical number from Grease, with a post-election bounce in the Australian housing market, Prime Minister Scott Morrison quipped, “we are the ones that the Australian people wanted at the last election.”
About 20 minutes later Ms Newton-John departed the room, giving another friendly wave to the squabbling pollies below.
Originally published as Coalition sustain attacks on Labor over ICAC investigations while Liberal MP Gladys Liu comes under scrutiny
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