Nationals backbenchers are confident the government will spend more on the drought after demanding a $1.3 billion relief package. FOLLOW LIVE
Labor has called on the federal government to increase immediate drought measures as Nationals backbenchers push for a $1.3 billion spend on struggling towns.
The junior coalition partner has presented a 10-point plan for cabinet consideration, with the proposal including $10 million cash injections for every council in a drought zone.
The Nationals have described the drought as a seminal issue for the regions and warned the party could lose votes to One Nation if they don't act.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says the coalition will be booted from government unless they pump more money into the drought.
Follow all the debate in our Question Time live blog.
Labor are now going to continue asking Mr Taylor about the source of the document cited in the letter to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Mr Butler to Mr Taylor:
"I refer the minister to his previous answer. Where did he get the document?"
Mr Taylor:
"The document was drawn directly, from the City of Sydney’s website.”
Labor's energy spokesman Mark Butler:
"My question is to the Minister of emissions reduction. Section 253 of the New South Wales crimes act creates a serious offence for making a false document to influence the exercise of a public duty. I refer to his provision of a forged city of Sydney documented the Daily Telegraph in an attempt to influence the Lord Mayor of Sydney in exercise of her public duty. Will administer a shorter house that this forgery was not made by him or his office?"
Energy Minister Angus Taylor:
"Yes."
Mr Albanese to Mr Morrison:
"My question is to the Prime Minister. And I refer to his comments in this parliament on Monday, when the Prime Minister told the house that the following, quote, “Whether they are politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone, there is no-one in this country who was above the law”. Does he apply the standard to his own ministers?"
Mr Morrison:
“It’s a fairly obvious answer to that question. No-one is above the law in this country."
Today Labor's questions are being framed with a pre-amble to the effect of "is the reason you're so obsessed with Labor because …".
Someone in the tactical team has been rewatching Mean Girls for sure.
Labor 's David Smith asks: "Is the real reason the Prime Minister obsesses about Labor because he wants to distract Australians from the fact that net government debt has more than doubled on his watch?"
Mr Morrison responds:
"Net debt under this government now is coming down. We are in surplus this year, Mr Speaker. And it's been a long time… since we have been in surplus and after six painstaking years of getting the budget back into shape, getting spending under control, conservatively budgeting on their forecasts on revenue and ensuring we are getting Australians back into work so they are going off welfare and they are paying taxes, the budget is now in surplus this year…"
Labor then interject to complain about Mr Morrison talking about Labor too much.
Speaker Tony Smith isn't having a bar of it because "Labor" was literally in the question given to Mr Morrison.
And then, not to be outdone on movie references, the prime minister then starts attacking Mr Chalmers for being a big Wayne Swann fan.
"The Shadow Treasurer was talking about his glory days as the chief of staff to Wayne Swann.
"He was at one with obi … Swann, Mr Speaker. And as he listens to the Yoda of the time, Kevin Rudd, all he can hear is "Higher taxes, he must, higher taxes, you must". "
So there you have it, Mean Girls and Star Wars in the one question/answer!
Labor's Treasurer spokesman Jim Chalmers to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg:
"Is the real reason the Treasurer always bans on endlessly about Labor because he wants to distract Australians from the fact he has presided over higher towels hold debt — household debt and business debt than any other Treasurer in the history of this country?"
Mr Frydenberg:
"Mr Speaker, we're not going to take lecture from the Labor Party that lecture from the Labor Party that delivered 204 to billion dollars of accumulated deficit. Germany four budget surpluses that the Member for Lilley, Wayne Swann — do you remember. Guess who wrote this piece, Mr Speaker, the Member for Rankin! The reality is, Mr Speaker, Rankin! The reality is, Mr Speaker, we are paying back Labor's that, Mr Speaker and we are doing that by growing the economy. And what we will never do is we will never whack the Australian people with $387 billion of higher taxes."
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie has the cross bench question today and asks Mr Morrison about the treatment of horses following revelations animals were being horrifically mistreated after their racing careers ended.
Mr Wilkie:
"Prime Minister, the sickening revelations on the ABC last week exposed the vile treatment of horses in New South Wales and Queensland. If it is happening in those two states, it is a safe bet it is happening elsewhere, including Tasmania. Prime Minister, systemic animal cruelty is rampant in Australia, horse racing, Greyhound racing, live as sport, puppy and kitten factories and the industrial production of animal -based food and textiles topic clearly the states and territories cannot be trusted to regulate animal welfare especially when they defer to industry self regulation. Will you finally acknowledge the systemic failings and animal welfare in this country, and establish a national independent office of animal welfare?"
Mr Morrison:
"I thank the member for his question and I share with him and I would be certain that all members of this house would share their deep concern at the images that were recently seen, and screened. I found a very concerning a very disturbing Mr Speaker, and I have no doubt that Australians across the country were equally disturbed. We are a country that cares for our animals and in particular our farmers and those across our rural districts care deeply for the livestock and want to manage those issues in the best possible way, and so Mr Speaker, the government of course will consider all its options in relation to dealing with these matters and I will ask the Minister representing the Minister of agriculture to answer further."
Drought and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud further elaborates:
"Thank you Mr Speaker and thank you Prime Minister, and I do share concern and anger that the member for Clark has articulated, there is no-one in this place that would not agree that this is abhorrent. We are working with the Queensland government in a constructive way to make sure that action is taken and the assessment of that vision is undertaken as quickly as we possibly can, and any resources the Queensland government requires they will get out, but we are confident in the ability of the Queensland government to continue on with the processing of that vision. Can I just cautioned the member in generalising the behaviour of industries, this has been something that is quite traumatic to many in those industries, the vast majority of participants in those industries find this abhorrent, it is against their morals and the culture, and they are hurting from this as well. We expect, we expect the states to live up to their responsibility as they have, in managing animal welfare in this country, we don't need another Labor bureaucracy, we just need the bureaucracy to do their job."
Mr Fitzgibbon is up again (there have been some government dixers on infrastructure and the economy in between).
"My question is to the Prime Minister. Who is running the government's chaotic drought response? The Prime Minister or the National Party backbench?"
Mr Morrison:
"The cabinet."
Labor's Joel Fitzgibbon continues the opposition's strategy leveraging discontent among The Nationals on drought policy to attack Mr Morrison.
Mr Fitzgibbon:
"My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for regional development. Does he endorse the drought plan linked by the Nationals backgrounds as government policy? A plan which includes regional funding."
Mr Morrison:
"Thank you Mr Speaker and I think the member for Hunter for his question. The National Party always comes up with a range of policies because we care … about regional people, we care about rural people, those who live in country and coastal remote Australia, and they are doing a tough at the moment. Regional people in those drought stricken communities are doing it very tough at the moment and that is why I am delighted I am part of a government which is helping them with changes to the farm household allowance, taking it from three years which was what Labor's policy was to four years in every 10."
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack jumps up to add:
"That's why I thought it That's why I thought it was made national colleague parties cheering me on… Coming up with policies for rural and regional Australia, making sure that we are committed to helping those drought stricken farmers, and at the end of the day, it is all about delivery on the ground for those communities. It is not about who gets the credit in this place, it is about delivery on the ground, 122 councils receiving support, so they can upgrade their Memorial Hall, so they can, as I was the other day in grand fell, seeing new horse stables and horse stables, to ensure that the local rugby field has got water. At the moment, the rugby field is as hard as this dispatch box, but thanks to their 1 million dollar drought community support program, it will be green as the leather on the chairs we are sitting on, and that is a great thing. These drought stricken communities want to see us talking about them, not about each other."
Labor leader Anthony Albanese kicks off QT with a question for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Mr Albanese:
"Is the reason his government won't commit to a bipartisan approach with Labor on the drought because he cannot even manage a bipartisan approach with the National Party?"
Mr Morrison responds:
"No."
Question Times ends with a dixer on border protection for Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who begins on a matter of indulgence recognising a child safety advocate present in the gallery.
"On indulgence can I quickly acknowledge Sonya in the gallery today.
"We have been doing a lot of work with Sonya and the Carly Ryan foundation. Her story is a tragic one, her beautiful 15-year-old daughter online was befriended by somebody who made out to be an 18-year-old male and turned out to be a fit-year-old predator and eventually lurid Carly to a remote spot and it resulted in terrible tragedy.
"Now Sonya has dedicated he life to keeping children online and in real life as safe as possible I want to say thank you very much for the work you are doing with the Federal Police and my department."
Then it's on to the question:
"I’m asked about the very important issue of border protection. This government has been working day and night to keep our borders occur.
"We want the Labor Party and the Greens with the passage of the medevac bill. Not too long ago that it would result in people coming to the country who…"
Speaker Tony Smith stops him saying he has to put forward the government's policy before presenting the "alternative one" from Labor, as per the dixer question.
Labor move to have Mr Dutton no longer heard.
A division is called.
The attempt fails and with that Question Time wraps up.