Clare Armstrong: More to come in Morrison saga, Solomons election a security concern and no room for pork in politics
A possible inquiry, reforms to stop it happening again and even a contempt of parliament investigation all potentially await Scott Morrison after his portfolio power grab, writes Clare Armstrong.
Opinion
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From scandals and dodgy funds to tough policy issues with no easy answers, here are the political sound bites that will dominate the week.
TIS BUT A SCRATCH
Wounded but still standing, Scott Morrison’s political legacy will likely suffer more blows.
The next chapter around the former prime minister’s secret portfolio power grab is a report from the Solicitor-General on the legality of his actions, which is due to land on Anthony Albanese’s desk on Monday.
Even though it’s expected to say Morrison acted within the law, the new Prime Minister has made it clear the report will not be the end of the issue.
A possible inquiry, reforms to stop it happening again and even a referral to the privileges committee for contempt of parliament all potentially await Morrison.
Last week Morrison joined in laughing at the memes joking at his own expense, attempting to appeal to Australians’ innate appreciation for larrikinism as a sort of shield from further criticism.
It might have provided light entertainment for some, but the true test of how people feel about Morrison will be if they oppose moves by Labor to prevent another leader secretly consolidating so much power.
EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS
China’s increased belligerence puts foreign affairs firmly at the centre of politics in Australia, with one concerning issue emerging particularly close to home. The Solomon Islands, one of our nearest neighbours, has just inked a deal to borrow $96 million from China to build 161 mobile towers.
Of course they will be provided by Huawei, the Chinese telco giant Australia banned from being a part of our own 5G network.
And the trouble doesn’t end there.
The Solomons parliament will soon vote on a bill backed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to delay elections due next May until December. The reason given is the Solomons is hosting the Pacific Games in November 2023 and can’t afford both.
Soon after Sogavare announced he wanted to postpone the election, Australia announced a $16.68m grant to stage the Games.
Why Australia couldn’t have given the money on the condition the election be held on time remains unclear. But given ongoing concerns about the secret security pact Sogavare signed with Beijing, the Albanese government must be seriously considering a request from opposition Solomons MPs that Australia provide election funding.
PORK DOESN’T PASS PUB TEST
Governments across the country will be tense this week as a new report reveals the favouritism attached to hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars delivered through grants.
In news likely to surprise absolutely no one, living in an electorate held by the state or federal government of the day overwhelmingly ups your chances of receiving a bigger slice of the grant funding pie.
Numbers crunched by the Grattan Institute essentially show both sides of politics are equally bad once in power, and though the preferencing of projects in supportive or “must-win” seats is not illegal, it stinks as far as the public is concerned.
Businesses, councils and other organisations vying for taxpayer dollars to realise their productivity boosting, service improving or socially beneficial dream projects have the right to expect a fair hearing.
SKILFULLY AVOIDED
Nine out of ten jobs in Australia in the next five years will require a post-high school qualification and businesses are increasingly struggling to find the workers they need.
With that in mind, the Albanese government sees the Nationals Skills Week starting Monday as the perfect time to relaunch a national conversation about the “jobs of the future” and how to get them.
So what are these jobs? Well it’s not quite the stuff of sci-fi movies just yet. Australia really needs a lot more electricians, engineers, construction project managers, child care workers, registered nurses and chefs.
The government says adding more free TAFE courses for in-demand skills and improving completion rates will help meet the critical skills shortage. They’re not wrong, but that’s not the full picture.
It’s increasingly likely the government will increase skilled migration – albeit after cutting a deal with unions to ensure businesses first verify there is a local shortage before turning abroad for workers.
But there’s an important piece of the puzzle still missing.
Unless the government boosts resources for processing visa applications, all the ready and willing skilled workers in the world won’t help if they can’t get into the country.
Reports suggest almost a million applications – from skilled workers to family members and asylum seekers – are stuck in administrative limbo.
After almost a decade out of office no reasonable person is blaming Labor for this backlog, and yet the Albanese government have been bizarrely reticent to tackle the issue.
It should be addressed at next week’s Jobs and Skills Summit.
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Originally published as Clare Armstrong: More to come in Morrison saga, Solomons election a security concern and no room for pork in politics
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