Australian politics live: Monday February 18

“As the Prime Minister was leaving the chamber, I asked him to give us a clear timeline, and he said to me: ‘I’ve said what I said’.”

• Government hones in on ‘big new housing tax’
• ‘Not good enough’: PM’s awkward handshake
• Lights suddenly go out in parliament
• Australia’s major political parties hacked
• Key revelation from Home Affairs boss
• ‘Nothing to offer’: Steggall hits back at Abbott
• The mistake that doomed Hakeem
• AFP drops bombshell on ministers
• Evidence may have been destroyed
• Jenny Morrison’s moment with Meghan

Welcome to news.com.au’s live politics blog.

This is the last week of parliament before the budget in April, and it promises to be dramatic. Follow all the latest news live.

5:50pm

LIGHTS OUT IN PARLIAMENT

There was a brief moment of levity in the House as the lights suddenly went out, leaving Labor’s Tony Burke shrouded in darkness while he berated the government.

“I presume we’re still going? We’re still running? Fantastic,” Mr Burke said, taking it in his stride and promptly resuming his lecture.

The chamber is still dim, but thankfully not as pitch black as before. As the Washington Post says, democracy dies in darkness.

Tony Burke is in there somewhere.

5:10pm

‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’: PM’S AWKWARD HANDSHAKE

The man behind the push for a royal commission into the abuse of people with disabilities, Senator Jordon Steele-John, is still not happy with Scott Morrison.

Mr Steele-John’s motion calling for a royal commission was passed on the voices in the House this afternoon. The government had opposed it in the Senate on Thursday, but this time, did not stand in the way.

“He used a lot of big, kind words, but he failed to say the one thing that we needed to hear from him, which was that he would pick up the phone to state and territory ministers and solicit their report and call the royal commission,” Mr Steele-John said.

“As the Prime Minister was leaving the chamber, I asked him to give us a clear timeline for the taking of those steps, and he said to me: ‘I’ve said what I said’. Prime Minister, that is not good enough.

“The disabled people of Australia, those who watch you in the gallery, deserve more, they deserve better. You must tell us immediately the timeline you intend to contact states and territories. You must call a royal commission.”

The pair’s exchange was captured on camera.

The moment Scott Morrison shook Jordon Steele-John’s hand as he left the House. Picture: AAP

PM just shook my hand and said "well done"
I said "a timeline is what is needed now"
Response "I've said what I've said".
Not a good start @ScottMorrisonMP #RoyalCommissionNow #auspol

— Senator Jordon Steele-John (@Jordonsteele) February 18, 2019

4:15pm

ROYAL COMMISSION MOTION PASSES

After all the political shenanigans, the motion calling for a royal commission into the abuse of disabled people has passed on the voices.

3:45pm

KATE ELLIS’S PARTING MESSAGE

Labor MP Kate Ellis has delivered her valedictory speech in the House, with her husband and children watching on from the gallery.

Ms Ellis, who was first elected as a 26-year-old and quickly became Australia’s youngest ever minister, said she had felt a “great burden” to demonstrate that women could be in parliament and have children at the same time. But she said that burden no longer rested on her alone.

“Rightly or wrongly, I felt an overwhelming pressure that it was up to me to prove that a young woman could succeed here and hopefully make it easier for those who followed,” Ms Ellis said.

“What changed for me is not that I thought I couldn’t be a woman or a mother and do my job but that the pressure lifted.

“One day I looked around me and I just saw this inspiring army of passionate, talented, hardworking women that we have in our caucus. And I knew I could go.”

Ms Ellis said “no boys club has ever voluntarily dismantled”.

Ms Ellis during her valedictory speech. Picture: Getty

Ms Ellis is applauded by her colleagues. Picture: AAP

Bill Shorten hugs Kate Ellis. Picture: AAP

3:15pm

KEY REVELATION FROM HOME AFFAIRS BOSS

The government has persistently berated Bill Shorten for “ignoring” the advice of Australia’s security agencies when he supported the medevac bill.

Michael Pezzullo, the head of the Home Affairs department, appeared at Senate Estimates this afternoon and punctured that argument.

He clarified that Mr Shorten was briefed on the version of the bill that passed the Senate in December — so that briefing did not include an assessment of Labor’s later amendments.

“Just to be abundantly clear, the Director-General and I did brief Mr Shorten and his very senior colleagues on the Senate-amended bill,” Mr Pezzullo said.

“There was no discussion of, and nor were we able to as public officials unless authorised by the government, to engage with the opposition on what alternative constructions might look like.

“I want to be very clear about this, the briefing was about the Senate-amended bill.”

2:35pm

GOVERNMENT HONES IN ON ‘BIG NEW HOUSING TAX’

Josh Frydenberg used a dixer during Question Time to go on an extended riff about Labor’s changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing.

The government has settled on an Abbott-esque slogan — a “big new housing tax”.

“Those opposite have a plan for 200 billion dollars of new taxes, including a big new housing tax,” Mr Frydenberg said.

Labor has vowed to limit negative gearing to newly built homes and halve the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount.

Bill Shorten claims the current government’s policies give investors an unfair advantage over first home buyers, and overwhelmingly benefit people with high incomes.

But the fall in house prices over the last 18 months has threatened to undermine Mr Shorten’s argument.

Mr Frydenberg told parliament he had met with industry groups and heard their concerns about Labor’s policies.

“Today the Prime Minister and the Assistant Minister to the Treasurer and myself, we sat down with the Real Estate Institute of Australia, the Master Builders of Australia, the Property Council of Australia and other experts, and everyone shared their concerns about Labor’s new housing tax,” he said.

“The Master Builders Association said this could cost 32,000 jobs and see 42,000 fewer dwellings being built.

“Under the policy, everyone who owns a home will see it be worth less, and under that policy, everyone who rents a house will end up paying more.”

Picture: iStock

2:25pm

STEGGALL HITS BACK AT ABBOTT

Tony Abbott took a swing at his rival in Warringah, Zali Steggall, on 2GB this morning.

“The basic point to make is that a vote for an independent is really a vote for Labor,” he said.

“The other thing that I think is unique to Warringah is that the independents there, they don’t have any positive message, apart from some vague waffle about climate. Although I note that my principal opponent says Labor doesn’t go far enough.

“She’s admitted that she’s never voted Liberal in her life.”

“But she’s portraying herself as a Liberal independent,” host Ray Hadley said.

“Absolute rubbish. Complete, absolute tosh,” Mr Abbott shot back.

“She didn’t vote for the Howard government. She didn’t even vote for the Turnbull government.

“This talk that she’s an economic conservative but a social progressive. No no no no no. She’s left on everything. Simple as that.”

Ms Steggall has responded, saying Mr Abbott has “nothing to offer”.

The usual negativity from Mr Abbott on his open mic 2GB session this morning. He still has nothing to offer and never faces any real questions. Locally, we have $1.5b of investment into large scale solar farms - that's what I support and want to see more of. #whatarewewaitingfor

— Zali Steggall (@zalisteggall) February 18, 2019

2:20pm

GOVERNMENT DEFENDS MORTGAGE BROKERS

Kerryn Phelps popped up during Question Time to ask about mortgage broking industry, and whether the changes to it in the wake of the banking royal commission would end up hurting customers.

“With the government’s proposed changes to the broking industry resulting from the royal commission into banking, how can the government ensure that the big banks do not profit while average families and small businesses are once again forced to pay the price of limited competition?” Dr Phelps asked.

“She said she was a Liberal, now she’s talking like a Liberal!” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg joked.

“The Coalition is standing with mortgage brokers against those opposite, who want to disrupt their business model,” he said.

“The reality is, if the mortgage brokers lose their business, the only beneficiaries will be the big banks.”

Crossbench MP Kerryn Phelps. Picture: AAP

2:10pm

QUESTION TIME SPAT OVER ROYAL COMMISSION

We are expecting the government to support a royal commission into the abuse of people with disabilities when it comes before the House later today.

That’s a reversal from Thursday last week, when government senators voted against it and Scott Morrison extended Question Time in an apparent attempt to avoid the issue.

“How can the Prime Minister claim has government never opposed a disability royal commission, when every government senator voted against it four days ago?” Bill Shorten asked to start today’s Question Time.

“Will the Prime Minister reverse his government’s position and commit to establishing a royal commission into violence and abuse and neglect of people with a disability before the next election?”

“The government takes the abuse and neglect of those disabilities seriously,” Mr Morrison said.

“At no point as Prime Minister have I said I oppose a royal commission. What I said clearly in the House last week was we would consider this matter clearly, and that matter will come

before the house later today. I expect the motion to be passed.”

He accused Mr Shorten of politicising the issue, and said the government would work methodically to address it in a “well thought out” manner.

Labor’s next question went to Linda Burney.

“Every government senator voted against the disability royal commission just four days ago. Why won’t the Prime Minister just tell the truth and admit he opposed the royal commission?” she asked.

“I was going to thank the member for her question but I specifically made a request to the opposition that they would not seek to engage in partisan politics on support for people with disabilities,” Mr Morrison said.

He said Labor was “obsessed with the politics of the Canberra bubble”.

1:50pm

‘WE DO NOT KNOW’

The head of the Australian Cyber-Security Centre, Alastair MacGibbon, just spoke about the cyber-attacks on parliament and Australia’s major political parties.

Mr MacGibbon admitted he did not know what the hackers had got their hands on.

“What we know is that a malicious state actor has gained access to various networks,” he said.

“Taking the extraordinarily fast remediation action that we have, by its nature unfortunately also does unpleasant things, like remove some of the forensic evidence that we were interested in.

“This is a risk management exercise where the risk of allowing the offender — unknown who the offender is or what the intent is — to remain on these networks, versus taking fast action.

“But we will continue to work as an Australian Cyber Security Centre, with our intelligence and law enforcement agencies both here and overseas, to try to determine what they were trying to do.”

Asked whether it would be possible for an MP to be blackmailed as a result of the hack, Mr MacGibbon was honest.

“We genuinely do not know, and we are being as transparent as we possibly can be, without going into the details of our ongoing investigation,” he said.

Parliament House. Picture: iStock

1:30pm

DROUGHT, WATER OVER-USE BLAMED

Scientists have found a lack of water in the Darling River system, due to the drought and excess use by irrigators, led to the death of millions of fish.

An expert panel has handed down a report into three major fish kills near Menindee in December and January, following a request from Labor.

It said the mass deaths were unusual in the combination of their severity, impact on large, older Murray cod and association with low flows.

“Our review of the fish kills found there isn’t enough water in the Darling system to avoid catastrophic outcomes,” panel chair Professor Craig Moritz said in a statement.

“This is partly due to the ongoing drought. However, analysis of rainfall and river flow data over decades points to excesswater extraction upstream.”

1:05pm

THE MISTAKE THAT DOOMED HAKEEM

We finally have answers to the lingering questions about refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi’s arrest in Thailand.

Mr Al-Araibi was detained when he arrived in the country for his honeymoon, after his native country Bahrain got Interpol to issue a red notice — an international arrest warrant which is not supposed to be used for refugees.

For months, we have wondered what role the AFP played in tipping off Thai authorities.

Today Commissioner Andrew Colvin fronted Senate Estimates. He said the AFP had delayed publicly responding to the case until after Mr Al-Araibi had been released.

“There is criticism from some quarters about the length of time it took for the AFP and for me to make a public statement on this matter. This was a decision made in what we thought were the best interests of Mr Al-Araibi,” he said.

“While it did not sit well with my members to be the subject of wrongful speculation about the AFP’s involvement in this matter, the priority was to ensure a safe return to Australia for Mr Al-Araibi.”

The 25-year-old arrived back in Australia to a warm welcome last week, and met with the Prime Minister in Canberra.

Mr Colvin blamed the Department of Home Affairs for the screw-up that led to Mr Al-Araibi being detained, saying the department had not advised the AFP of Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status until after his arrest.

“On 8 November 2018, at the request of Bahrain, Interpol issued a red notice for Mr Al-Araibi, which the AFP conveyed to the Australian Border Force on 9 November. This is a routine process, as many names come on and off Interpol watchlists regularly,” Mr Colvin said.
“At this time, neither the AFP nor the Australian Interpol NCB was aware of Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status. This was not known until after his detention in Thailand.

“Neither the AFP nor the Australian Interpol NCB can access visa information. We rely on notifications from the Home Affairs department. The Home Affairs department provided Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status to the AFP on 28 November, the day after his detention in Thailand.”

Hakeem Al-Araibi before Thai authorities released him. Pic: AP

12:45pm

‘SICK JOKE’: GLOBAL MEDIA SLAMS AUSTRALIA

An influential global magazine, The Economist, has panned the government’s response to the medevac bill.

In an article headlined “Sick joke”, the magazine accuses the government of “stirring up hysteria” about illegal immigration.

You can read more about it here.

⁦”Sick joke”: ⁦@TheEconomist⁩ tells the rest of the world what’s really going in Australian politics ... Stirring up hysteria about boat people from legislation which gives a “sliver of mercy” to those on Nauru/Manus needing onshore medical treatment. pic.twitter.com/hceQGRyZ8P

— Quentin Dempster (@QuentinDempster) February 17, 2019

12:30pm

WOOLIES DUMPS $1-A-LITRE MILK

Woolworths has become the first national supermarket chain to dump its $1-a-litre milk range, with farmers saying Coles and Aldi must follow suit if they want Australian dairies to survive.

The retailer has caved in to a years-long campaign, announcing its cheap milk line will be off the shelves from Tuesday.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says he hopes the decision is the beginning of the end for Australia’s “$1 milk disaster”.

“Supermarketscan’t pretend selling milk cheap doesn’t hurt farmers and they’ve got to be called out on this rubbish,” he said.

12:15pm

AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES HACKED

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed the recent cyber attack on parliament was carried out by a “sophisticated state actor” — and the three major parties were also hacked.

The Parliament House computer network was hacked earlier this month, and an investigation has been underway since then.

“During the course of this work, we also became aware that the networks of some political parties — Liberal, Labor and the Nationals — have also been affected,” Mr Morrison told parliament.

“Our security agencies have detected this activity and acted decisively to confront it. They are securing these systems and protecting users.

“Now, I do not propose to go into the detail of these operational matters, but our cyber experts believe that a sophisticated state actor is responsible for this malicious activity.

“Let me be clear though, there is no evidence of any electoral interference.”

This is a big deal. The hackers could have gained access to the emails, polling, election plans and who knows what else of Australia’s biggest political parties, just months out from an election.

Mr Morrison said he had instructed the Australian Cyber Security Centre to be ready to provide any political party of electoral body with immediate support.

“The methods used by malicious actors are constantly evolving and this incident just re-enforces yet again the importance of cyber security as a fundamental part of everyone’s business,” he said.

“The Australian government will continue to take a proactive and co-ordinated approach to protecting Australia’s sovereignty, our economy and our national security.”

Bill Shorten said whatever his differences with Mr Morrison, they shared a commitment to keeping Australia secure.

“Australia is exempt or immune from the kind of malicious activity that we have seen elsewhere,” Mr Shorten said.

“Over the past few years, we have witnessed a range of attempted infiltrations and manipulations in the democratic processes of Germany, Japan, to Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Canada.

“We cannot be complacent and, as this most recent activity reported by the Prime Minister indicates, we are not exempt or immune.”

Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP

11:45am

CANCELLED VISAS QUIETLY RESTORED

The Sydney Morning Herald reports hundreds of people whose visas were cancelled after they committed serious crimes are having those cancellations quietly overturned by officials in the Department of Home Affairs.

The report highlights the case of William Sualauvi Betham, whose visa was restored despite the fact he was jailed for more than 10 years over his role in a drug trafficking syndicate.

A man who was reportedly detained with Betham on Christmas Island claims he bragged to him about having connections that would lead to his visa being returned.

Betham’s lawyer told the paper she was “not aware” of any information to support that claim.

11:30am

‘CHEEKY BUNCH OF ROOSTERS’

Bill Shorten is still annoyed by the government’s rhetoric on asylum seekers.

“I think what we need to do is call out shameless Coalition lies about Labor policy,” he said at a press conference just now.

“We have the same policy, all we are doing is codify in it. This is where the government are such a cheeky bunch of roosters.

“They have brought 900 people here already from Manus and Nauru based on medical advice.

Yet somehow when Labor and Kerryn Phelps and the conscience of the Liberal Party proposed to codify and put some rules around it, the government said some how that was a terrible idea.”

.@billshortenmp: This is a govt that is addicted at smearing its political opponents.

Why does a govt, that is so addicted to politics, think it is a good idea to provide information about police raids to select media outlets first.

MORE: https://t.co/lehUVlihWm #newsday pic.twitter.com/mdj2eaKWdc

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 18, 2019

11:10am

‘ABSOLUTE RUBBISH’: ABBOTT ATTACKS STEGGALL

Tony Abbott has told 2GB’s Ray Hadley that today’s Ipsos poll, which shows Labor’s lead cut to 51-49, is a sign the government can pull off an unlikely election win.

“I don’t want to say I told you so but I’ve been saying for the last three years, the one defining thing between your party and the party that would be government is border protection,” Hadley said.

“Governments that have conviction and character can come back, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Abbott said.

“What I think we’ve seen from the Prime Minister and his senior ministers over the last few months is conviction and character.

“And I think we’ll see more of that over the next couple of months.”

Mr Abbott took a massive swing at his main opponent in Warringah, former Olympian Zali Steggall — though he never referred to her by name.

“The basic point to make is that a vote for an independent is really a vote for Labor,” he said.

“The other thing that I think is unique to Warringah is that the independents there, they don’t have any positive message, apart from some vague waffle about climate. Although I note that my principal opponent says Labor doesn’t go far enough.

“She’s admitted that she’s never voted Liberal in her life.”

“But she’s portraying herself as a Liberal independent,” Hadley said.

“Absolute rubbish. Complete, absolute tosh,” Mr Abbott shot back.

“She didn’t vote for the Howard government. She didn’t even vote for the Turnbull government.

“This talk that she’s an economic conservative but a social progressive. No no no no no. She’s left on everything. Simple as that.”

Former prime minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

Zali Steggall. Picture: AAP

10:45am

EVIDENCE MAY HAVE BEEN DESTROYED

The AFP has confirmed that evidence in its investigation into Michaelia Cash’s office may have been destroyed.

“Did you find any evidence that evidence relating to the leak may have been destroyed,” Labor Senator Murray Watt asked during Senate Estimates.

“We understood that could have been the case in some instances, yes,” the AFP’s Leanne Close replied.

“Involving ministerial staff?” Mr Watt pressed.

“It’s impossible for me to speculate today who that may or may not have been. I also did not hear the evidence in the trial,” she said.

Last week the Federal Court heard Ms Cash’s former media adviser David De Garis had deleted text messages.

10:30am

JENNY MORRISON’S MOMENT WITH MEGHAN

There was a lot to unpack from that interview with Jenny Morrison earlier.

The Prime Minister’s wife said she was a normal person who does normal things, downplaying the “glamour” of being Australia’s First Lady — although it must be said, not many normal people get to meet Meghan Markle.

Mrs Morrison spoke warmly of the time she hosted Meghan and Harry at Kirribilli House, shortly after Scott Morrison’s rise to the leadership.

She shared a nice human moment with Meghan, who joked that both of them were getting used to their new roles.

“When I had to greet them from next door and walk them in, I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I said, ‘I haven’t been here long.’ I said, ‘You know, this is all new to me.’

“And she was like, ‘Tell me about it, it’s new for me too.’

“They were so lovely. He is very charming and he’s quite good-looking. Like in real life, he’s got very beautiful eyes.

“Meghan’s like, just stunning. She’s tiny. She’s got little tiny ankles and waist, but she’s very, very sweet.”

Harry and Meghan meeting Scott and Jenny at Kirribilli House. Picture: Jonathan Ng

10:15am

VOTE LOOMS ON ROYAL COMMISSION

Over in the House of Representatives, Labor is pressuring the government to vote in favour of a royal commission into the abuse of disabled people.

This argument has carried over from Thursday afternoon, when the government extended Question Time until parliament adjourned — it was the longest Question Time in history, in fact — in an apparent effort to avoid a vote on the issue.

Scott Morrison has since claimed the government would have voted for a royal commission.

“On the weekend, Scott Morrison tried to airbrush history and gloss over last week’s obstruction in the parliament, when he used every trick in the book to deny, delay and defer a royal commission,” Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Linda Burney and Carol Brown said in a statement this morning.

“He needs to unequivocally get behind this today. This must be voted upon today. We must get a result today.”

That vote will happen at some point after Question Time.

10:00am

AFP DROPS A BOMBSHELL

Michaelia Cash is technically supposed to represent the Department of Home Affairs in Estimates this morning, but Linda Reynolds is playing that role instead.

“If you don’t like having me here, that is entirely your problem,” Ms Reynolds told Labor shortly after proceedings started.

In Ms Cash’s absence, the AFP has revealed it repeatedly asked both her and Human Services Minister Michael Keenan to give witness statements as part of its investigation into who leaked advance knowledge of its raid of the AWU’s offices to the media.

Both ministers refused, and provided written statements instead.

In the Federal Court last week, we learned Ms Cash’s former media adviser David De Garis — having learned of the raids from her chief of staff Ben Davies — had collaborated with a staffer in Mr Keenan’s office to tip off the media.

Mr De Garis also admitted to deleting text messages.

Today the AFP said it had enough evidence to charge one person after its investigation, which involved 14 officers and more than 60 interviews, but the CDPP decided not to lay charges.

Minister for Small Business Michaelia Cash. Picture: AAP

9:30am

NEW REVELATIONS ABOUT HAKEEM

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin started today’s Senate Estimates hearings by addressing refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi’s arrest in Thailand.

Mr Al-Araibi was detained when he arrived in the country for his honeymoon, after his native country Bahrain got Interpol to issue a red notice — an international arrest warrant which is not supposed to be used for refugees.

There are lingering questions about the role the AFP played in tipping off Thai authorities.

Mr Colvin said the AFP had delayed publicly responding to the case until after Mr Al-Araibi had been released.

“There is criticism from some quarters about the length of time it took for the AFP and for me to make a public statement on this matter. This was a decision made in what we thought were the best interests of Mr Al-Araibi,” he said.

“While it did not sit well with my members to be the subject of wrongful speculation about the AFP’s involvement in this matter, the priority was to ensure a safe return to Australia for Mr Al-Araibi.”

He essentially blamed the Department of Home Affairs for the screw-up, saying it had not advised the AFP of Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status until after his arrest.

“On 8 November 2018, at the request of Bahrain, Interpol issued a red notice for Mr Al-Araibi, which the AFP conveyed to the Australian Border Force on 9 November. This is a routine process, as many names come on and off Interpol watchlists regularly,” Mr Colvin said.
“At this time, neither the AFP nor the Australian Interpol NCB was aware of Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status. This was not known until after his detention in Thailand.

“Neither the AFP nor the Australian Interpol NCB can access visa information. We rely on notifications from the Home Affairs department. The Home Affairs department provided Mr Al-Araibi’s visa status to the AFP on 28 November, the day after his detention in Thailand.”

9:15am

ASYLUM SEEKER SPAT CONTINUES

Scott Morrison went on 2GB radio this morning and continued the government’s attack on the medical evacuation policy.

“They sought to solve a problem that didn’t exist,” Mr Morrison said.

“The medical professionals are there. The children are off. What this is about, let’s make no mistake, is about shutting down offshore processing.

“That’s what Labor voted for. They did it with eyes wide open.

“If you had anywhere in Australia the ratio of medical professionals to people ... I mean, there’s nowhere in the country to my knowledge that’s that concentrated. Not even in Wentworth!”

“We should open a detention centre there,” host Alan Jones interjected.

The Prime Minister said he didn’t want to reopen Christmas Island, but the Department of Home Affairs recommended it.

“I didn’t want to have to reopen the Christmas Island detention centre. I week ago I didn’t have to. I do today.”

Mr Morrison also spoke about the natural disaster in northern Queensland, saying it is far from over.

“The reconstruction effort is going to be significant and it’s going to take a long time,” he said.

“It’s not an announcement today or next week, it’s the next two, five, 10 years.

“This will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP

8:30am

JENNY MORRISON’S ‘I TOLD YOU SO’ MOMENT

Scott Morrison’s wife Jenny has spoken to Nine, giving Australians a rare insight into the Prime Minister’s family.

Mrs Morrison alluded to a tantalising “I told you so” moment with her husband.

“Do you do that thing I’ve seen in interviews with other politicians’ wives where they get a sense about someone, and they go, ‘You wouldn’t trust that person, I’m telling you’?” Nine’s Helen McCabe asked.

“Yes I do,” Mrs Morrison replied, with a knowing chuckle.

“I think it gives you an insight when people are relaxed and they’re talking to you. They can say things that they don’t think people are listening to. I’m a bit of a listener.”

“Have you ever gone, ‘I told you not to trust that person’?” McCabe asked.

“I might have,” she said.

Mrs Morrison revealed she and her husband often disagree, but he “always listens” to her point of view. She is a registered nurse, so can give him a different perspective.

“We disagree on things probably a lot,” she said.

“He doesn’t make policy for me, I can assure you. But he’ll ask me maybe what I think, because I come from a totally different mindset. So he gets a different viewpoint from me, which might be very much a layperson’s viewpoint. And sometimes we’re not always on the same page.”

She said there was a softer side to the Prime Minister the public rarely sees, confirming Mr Morrison had cried about asylum seeker policy.

“That’s true. He’s sensitive about it, so I don’t know whether people, like — I think they have one view of him. But he never took any of those decisions lightly. And it might seem like he’s gung-ho, but you need someone tenacious sometimes to hold the line.”

Mrs Morrison spoke warmly of the time she hosted Harry and Meghan at Kirribilli House.

“When I had to greet them from next door and walk them in, I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I said, ‘I haven’t been here long.’ I said, ‘You know, this is all new to me.’ And she was like, ‘Tell me about it, it’s new for me too.’

“They were so lovely. He is very charming and he’s quite good-looking. Like in real life, he’s got very beautiful eyes.

“Meghan’s like, just stunning. She’s tiny. She’s got little tiny ankles and waist, but she’s very, very sweet.”

Harry and Meghan meeting Scott and Jenny at Kirribilli House. Picture: Jonathan Ng

She admitted she had not predicted her husband’s sudden rise to the leadership, but said he had always had the potential in him.

“I was in shock. I was in total shock. I did not see it coming.

“I always knew Scott was capable of leadership. Not to say he was going to become leader. But he’s always been that kind of person all the way along. He’s strong and confident. People want to follow him. He’s a bit of a natural born leader.”

Finally, Mrs Morrison said life as the Prime Minister’s wife was more normal than many people would think — though she doesn’t see Mr Morrison as often as she’d like.

“I might be the Prime Minister’s wife, but I’m still a mum with two young girls, and I’m trying to keep things as normal as possible,” she said.

“I wake up at a quarter to six and have a shower, and get the kids’ lunch boxes ready, make sure they’re all dressed.

“Then we get in the car by no later than ten past seven. Otherwise it’s just chaos with traffic.

“You just do what you have to do. I think maybe people picture that your life as the wife of the Prime Minister is glamorous and amazing and exciting, but no I’m doing the same thing everyone else does.”

Jenny Morrison has given her first solo interview. Picture: Channel 9

8:15am

GOVERNMENT SURGES IN POLLS

The government has recorded its best poll result since former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was rolled.

The latest Ipsos poll, conducted for Nine newspapers, show last week’s bitter debate over refugee policy has been followed by a shift towards the Coalition, leaving it trailing by a margin of just 51-49.

This is starting to look like a trend. Last week’s Newspoll had the gap at 53-47, and before that, an Essential poll registered at 55-45.