Australia politics live: Novak Djokovic saga back on the agenda, Jenny Morrison criticises Grace Tame
The Novak Djokovic border fiasco has flared up again, this time regarding the process through which he was granted his controversial visa.
Welcome to another week of parliament. It is Valentine’s Day, and I for one feel there is no better time to delve into the minutiae of Canberra politics.
The House of Representatives is sitting this week, and Senate estimates are happening. That means the Senate won’t be passing any legislation, and there shall be no resolution to the religious discrimination debate.
One of the subjects up for discussion in estimates is the Novak Djokovic visa saga. We’ve already seen some tense questioning on the matter.
Meanwhile the nation is digesting last night’s 60 Minutes feature with the Prime Minister and his family. Yes, Scott Morrison played the ukulele. Of greater interest, perhaps, were Jenny Morrison’s thoughts on former Australian of the Year Grace Tame’s “manners”.
Read on for the latest updates.
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Signing off
OK folks, I’m going to close down this blog for the day, with the usual assurance that any important news tonight will still be covered on news.com.au - just not in this story!
Thank you for accompanying us through the slog of Senate estimates. Do come back for more tomorrow. And if you missed anything today, by all means read on to see how it unfolded.
‘Nothing to do with it’: Blow-up over Djokovic saga
Righto, I have a big, mildly intimidating wall of text to throw at you here. It concerns one of the Senate estimates hearings, where an increasingly exasperated Kristina Keneally has been questioning Department of Home Affairs officials about the Novak Djokovic visa saga.
You remember the basics of that fiasco: Djokovic was granted a visa to come to Australia, where he wanted to play in the Australian Open. But when he arrived he was detained by Border Force officials and his visa was cancelled.
After a subsequent court fight, Djokovic was deported on the authority of Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. Mr Hawke decided the Serbian tennis star presented a risk to public order and health, given his anti-vaccination views.
Ms Keneally’s line of inquiry, which eventually ended in rather fiery circumstances, essentially boiled down to this: if Djokovic was a threat to public order and public health, how and why was he granted a visa in the first place?
I shall now run you through the interrogation in detail, so buckle up.
Ms Keneally began by clarifying the basic process through which Djokovic got a visa. He applied online, and his application was then reviewed by a visa processing officer. That is to say, a human being, not a computer algorithm.
Next she asked whether Djokovic had ever been on the Home Affairs Department’s movement alert list, which tracks details about people “of immigration concern” to Australia.
“Not to my knowledge, Senator,” said department official Michael Willard.
Sidebar: Australian Border Force officials will appear before the committee later. In their absence this afternoon, Ms Keneally indicated she would limit her questions to the granting of Djokovic's visa (which was the department’s responsibility), rather than his entry at the border (which was Border Force’s responsibility).
“If I’m correct in understanding, one of the most famous people on the planet wanted to come to one of the most famous tennis events in the world. He had well known anti-vaccination views that contradicted government policy,” Ms Keneally said.
“Yet when he applied for that visa, which was approved by a human being, nobody thought to consider whether or not those statements might cause a problem, or a risk to public order, health and safety in Australia?”
Department Secretary Michael Pezzullo told her there was essentially a “two step process” at play, the first step being the granting of the visa, and the second being an incoming traveller – in this case Djokovic – meeting the entry requirements.
“I’m not asking about the entry requirements. I’m asking about the granting of the visa,” Ms Keneally interjected.
“Understood. A delegate can only have regard to the criteria that’s as stated in the act. The Minister, on cancellation, has a wider discretion, in the public interest, to consider whether someone, in this case, would give rise to discord,” said Mr Pezzullo.
“And Minister Hawke took that decision on that basis.”
He said Djokovic, despite his previously expressed anti-vaccine views, could easily have turned up at the Australian border in January, long after being granted his visa, and been fully vaccinated, hence meeting the entry requirements.
“I’m not asking about the entry requirements. I’m asking about his statements. Which is the reason I’m not entering into the discussion about his vaccination status,” Ms Keneally said.
Can you sense the exasperation growing?
“The grounds for cancellation that were used (by the Minister) are different to the grounds for consideration for the granting of a visa, in terms of the character test that applies,” Mr Willard said a short time later.
“Sorry, I have to ask a clarifying question there,” said Ms Keneally.
“Are you trying to say that – (hypothetically), someone applies for a visa. Because they’re a public figure, and they’ve made public statements or done a public act, or done something, are you saying that your officers would not pause and say, ‘Gee, I wonder if we should let this notorious wife beater, or this terrible misogynist, or this perpetrator of ISIS ideology into the country?
“Are you actually saying whoever applies gets a visa, and then we worry about the character later?”
I should stress that she was not suggesting Djokovic is any of those things.
“No Senator, that’s not what we’re saying. In those examples you gave, each of those would be grounds to form a view that someone doesn’t meet the character test,” said Mr Willard.
“In this particular circumstance, in granting the visa, the decision maker formed the view that the character test was met.”
“So just so I’m clear on that, you’re now saying that the human being that reviewed the visa does have some capacity to consider whether the character test is met,” Ms Keneally asked.
“Yes,” said Mr Willard.
Still with me? The person who reviewed Djokovic’s visa application did not think his public statements about the Covid vaccines disqualified him on character grounds. Being an anti-vaxxer is obviously not as bad as being a wife beater or an ISIS sympathiser.
“At no point, either at the point where he applied for the visa, or the point at which he tweeted he was coming, or at any point ... did anyone think maybe we should cancel his visa on character grounds?” Ms Keneally continued.
“Well if you’re asking now about entry, which you said earlier you weren’t, there was a very different line of engagement with Tennis Australia,” said Mr Pezzullo.
“It was made abundantly clear to Tennis Australia that presentation at the border-”
“I’m not talking about his vaccination status. I’m talking about his anti-vaccine posture and public statements, which is the basis for the visa cancellation,” Ms Kenally told him.
“I understand. But in terms of entry, which also relates to both vaccination status as well as issues of character, some of the time points that you’re referring to are subsequent to the grant,” said Mr Pezzullo.
His point there was that Djokovic’s social media post announcing he would be coming to Australia happened long after the visa had been granted.
Mr Willard then made the point that a lot of time passed between the granting of the visa and the decision to rescind it.
“(It was cancelled) after the passage of two-and-a-half months and a whole series of events in the interim,” Mr Willard said.
“‘A whole series of events.’ That’s a very tactful way of putting an absolute colossal cluster at our border,” Ms Keneally quipped.
Mr Pezzullo noted Mr Willard would not characterise the situation “in those terms”. I’ll note that the word “cluster” should have more letters at the end of it, but Ms Keneally did not say them. Given a term as innocuous as the word “liar” was deemed unparliamentary the other day, that was wise.
We’re nearing the end of the exchange now.
“I’m just trying to explore, if the government had been aware and alert to the fact that a famous person with well-known anti-vaccination views was intending to come to Australia, and thought to put him on the movement alert list, had thought about whether he posed a risk to public health and safety, this whole sorry saga could have been avoided,” Ms Keneally said.
“Well, in the alternative, had Tennis Australia followed up on the directions and guidance given by the government-” Mr Pezzullo began, before he was halted by a loud sigh from the Senator.
“This has nothing to do with Tennis Australia, this line of questioning,” she said.
The committee’s chairwoman, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, urged Ms Keneally to let Mr Pezzullo speak.
“But it really doesn’t. You’re conflating issues,” said Ms Keneally.
“I do appreciate we want succinct answers from all officials, but Mr Pezzullo does need to be given an opportunity to answer the question,” Ms Henderson told her.
“If he had presented as being vaccinated in early January, the issue would have been moot,” Mr Pezzullo finished.
At that point, Liberal Senator Amanda Stoker piped up.
“Just because you don’t want to talk about the-” she started, speaking to Ms Keneally (don’t want to talk about the border entry requirements, to finish her sentence).
“No, I’m going to ask questions about it. That’s not relevant to the reason his visa was cancelled. I’m exploring the reason his visa was cancelled,” said the Labor Senator.
“I’ve been told I can’t ask these other questions until Australian Border Force is here.”
“Senator Keneally, you also can’t talk over me. And you’re insisting on doing it,” Ms Stoker protested.
“Because I’m seeking relevant answers,” said Ms Keneally.
“Can I just ask for some order?” asked Ms Henderson. She then allowed a different senator to ask questions, putting an end to the hostilities.
For those of you who made it this far, I promise to be more concise next time.
PMO has been given Tudge report
Another interesting piece of information from Senate estimates: the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet says the report into former staffer Rachelle Miller’s bullying accusations against Education Minister Alan Tudge has been handed to the Prime Minister’s office.
Scott Morrison ordered an inquiry into the allegations (which Mr Tudge denies) back in December, though Ms Miller declined to participate, citing issues with the terms of reference and the government’s refusal to budge on them.
One such term of reference required the inquiry to be completed by January 28. In estimates, Mr Morrison’s department confirmed his office did indeed receive the report on that date.
It is now undergoing the process of consulting with the report’s participants - people who were interviewed, essentially - to determine whether they are comfortable with the report being handed to both Ms Miller and Mr Tudge.
“We advised that, should the Prime Minister wish to provide the report to the two parites, to Ms Miller and Mr Tudge, then we should go through a process of consultation with those participants of the inquiry who provided information,” said a department official.
The department sent the relevant people extracts of the report on Friday of last week. Those people have until close of business on Wednesday to respond.
If anyone objects to their part of the report being given to Ms Miller and Mr Tudge, the department will need to consider their argument and decide what is in the public interest.
PM’s ‘incredibly unchivalrous’ moment
Our political editor, Samantha Maiden, had some thoughts about the Morrisons’ 60 Minutes interview, and specifically Jenny Morrison’s apology for her family’s infamous trip to Hawaii as bushfires ravaged the country.
“I am more than sorry,” Mrs Morrison told viewers, “if we disappointed. And not if. We did.”
Her regret was clearly genuine.
“Did we make the right decision? I thought I was making the right decision for my kids. I obviously was wrong.”
Samantha makes the altogether reasonable point that Scott Morrison should have stepped in and said, ultimately, it was his decision. Because it was.
You can read her full piece here.
China attack was out of order
My main focus at the moment is listening to Senate estimates, where Labor is planning to grill government officials about the Novak Djokovic visa saga.
Question Time is also proceeding, in the usual soul-crushing manner. I should note that, just before QT started, Speaker Andrew Wallace ruled that Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s attack on Labor leader Anthony Albanese last week implying China wants Labor to win the election was out of order.
“On Thursday after Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition asked me to reflect on comments made by the Minister for Defence,” said Mr Wallace.
“When the matter was raised during Question Time, I made it clear that I had not heard the comments because the level of interjections was so loud as to prevent me from hearing exactly what had been said.
“I have however since carefully examined the transcript of that period of Question Time and considered the relevant sections of the practice.
“Even though no explicit charge was made by the Leader of the House, there was an insinuation made about the Leader of the Opposition. I am of the view that, in context, the reference made by the Leader of the House is not in order.”
He asked that “such comments not be repeated”.
Mr Albanese thanked the Speaker for his “timely consideration of the matter” and asked whether Mr Dutton might withdraw his remarks. The answer was no, for procedural reasons.
‘Will not cop it’: Deb Knight lashes protesters
2GB radio host Deborah Knight has blasted the protesters who’ve been camped out in Canberra for forcing the cancellation of Lifeline’s annual book fair fundraiser.
The fundraiser was supposed to happen over the weekend, but got cancelled due to potentially unsafe conditions for volunteers, who were being abused by some of the protesters. The book fair is a major source of revenue for the charity.
Knight interviewed Lifeline Canberra’s general manager, Adam Miller, this afternoon. Mr Miller stressed that the worst behaviour was from a “fringe element” of the protesters, not a majority of them by any means.
“But we’ve got to look at the safety and security of our patrons and our volunteers,” he said.
“I just find it ironic in the worst possible way that this fringe group, as you say, who keep going on about their mental health and their rights, and the fact that it is Lifeline that is there to deliver the services to those people,” Knight remarked.
“It just beggars belief, for me.”
The pair did identify a “silver lining” – the public response has been immense. Lifeline has received a surge of donations online since cancelling the book fair (more than $700,000 according to The Canberra Times).
After the interview, Knight addressed the views of some listeners who felt she was overhyping the controversy.
“I’ve had a few people on the texts saying I’m trying to beat this up into something that it wasn’t, that you know, they can just reschedule. Well why should they have to reschedule?
“Sure, it’s a fringe element, and sure, we have a right to protest, but Lifeline also has a right to hold its book fair.
“I will not cop the fringe element from these protesters giving grief to Canberrans, giving grief to businesses, because that is what has been unfolding.
“They need to pull their heads in. Protest peaceful, but don’t disrupt organisations like Lifeline.”
Zali Steggall in $100k donation controversy
The independent MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall, has hit out over a story in The Sydney Morning Herald regarding a $100,000 donation she “failed to declare”.
This is the story in question. It concerns an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) compliance review into Ms Steggall’s 2018-19 financial disclosures, from the lead-up to the 2019 election (where she defeated Tony Abbott).
The review found a $100,000 cheque from the family trust of a wealthy businessman, John Kinghorn, had not been publicly disclosed even though it far exceeded the $13,800 threshold.
While the money came in a single cheque, it was split into eight separate donations of $12,500, each identified as being from a single Kinghorn family member.
This sort of tactic, where large donations are split up into a series of donations under the threshold, has been the subject of criticism from transparency advocates.
In a statement, Ms Steggall accused the newspaper of misleading its readers.
“The headline today in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age was misleading,” the MP’s office argued.
“The headline claimed Zali Steggall ‘failed to declare’ the donation from a family trust. This is incorrect. All amounts received were disclosed in accordance with the requirements in November of 2019.
“My campaign received over 1700 individual donations for the 2019 election. I received eight individual pledges from a large family living in my electorate. The AEC later considered it to be one single donation, so the return was amended in 2021 to reflect that. The money donated was at all times disclosed.
“These are donations from a number of members of a large family who nearly all live in Warringah.”
Let’s get the facts straight. There was no undisclosed money received by my campaign. #auspolpic.twitter.com/qzNPQqxE19
— 🌠Zali Steggall MP (@zalisteggall) February 13, 2022
Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields responded to Ms Steggall’s statement, dismissing it as “spin”.
“Nice spin,” he said, before quoting directly from the AEC review.
“On 20 January 2021, the financial controller of Warringah independent Ltd advised AEC that the donation of $100,000 from the Kinghorn Family Trust to Warringah independent Ltd consisted of eight individual donation amounts from Kinghorn family members,” the review explained.
“He provided eight individual pledge forms and donation receipts generated by Warringah independent Ltd to the Kinghorn family members.
“Notwithstanding the donation consisted of eight individual pledges, one cheque of $100,000 was given to Warringah independent Ltd from the Kinghorn Family Trust. Under the Electoral Act, the details of individual receipts exceeding the threshold must be disclosed in the annual disclosure return.”
PM marks anniversary of apology
At midday, parliament marked the anniversary of the national apology to the Stolen Generations. The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader both spoke.
“We are on a journey to make peace with our past. And it is a difficult journey, and it’s an important one, to draw together the past, present and future, so we can truly be one and free,” said Scott Morrison.
“We don’t seek to sugar coat this story. We don't turn aside from the injustices, contentions and abrasions. That’s what successful liberal democracies do.
“We must remember if we are to shape the future. So as we do this, at this time every year, we remember the Stolen Generations. Children taken from their parents. I say it again: children taken from their parents. No parent, no child, could fail to understand the devastation of that, regardless of their background. Families and communities torn apart, again and again and again.
“Fourteen years have passed since we said sorry, here in this place. Sorry for the cold laws that broke apart families. Sorry for the brutalities that were masked, even under the guise of protection, and even compassion. Sorry for believing that Indigenous people were not capable of stewarding their own lives. Sorry for the failure to respect, to understand, to appreciate.
“So on this day, we are right to remind ourselves, not to reignite the coals of pain, or to bring division where there are the beginnings of healing, but to be mindful of the lessons learnt.
“And to again say: we are sorry.”
Mr Morrison proceeded to reflect on the challenge of forgiveness, quoting from a speech he gave in parliament when the apology was delivered.
“Sorry can never be given with any expectation of forgiveness. But there can be hope,” Mr Morrison said.
“I said an apology involves standing in the middle ground, exposed, vulnerable and seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness is never earned or deserved. It can never be justified on the simple weighing of hurts and grievance.
“Forgiveness transcends all of that. It's an act of grace, it is an act of courage, and it is a gift that only those who have been wounded, damaged and destroyed can offer.
“I also said 14 years ago, sorry is not the hardest word to say. That hardest is, I forgive you.
“But I do know that such a path of forgiveness does lead to healing. It does open up a new opportunity. It does open up a release from pain that no simple apology can achieve. And nor do I believe that such forgiveness is a corporate matter. It can only begin with the individual.
“And forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Nor does it mean there are not consequences for actions, and the need for redress and restitution.”
Australians ignore plea to leave Ukraine
The Department of Foreign Affairs says 147 Australian citizens, permanent residents and dependents have ignored the government’s advice to leave Ukraine, amid fears a Russian invasion could be imminent.
Australia is among multiple countries, including the United States, that have issued such advice. US intelligence officials believe an invasion may happen within days.
“We can’t pinpoint the day at this point, and we can’t pinpoint the hour, but what we can say is that there is a credible prospect that a Russian military action would take place, even before the end of the Olympics,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
The Winter Olympics end on February 20, less than a week away.
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department updated its travel advice for Ukraine to “do not travel” on January 24, and on February 8 told Australians to “leave immediately”.
“The embassy in Kiev would have been in direct contact with all those Australians, permanent residents and dependents that were appropriately registered to convey advice they needed to leave immediately,” department official Roderick Brazier told Senate estimates today.
The number of Australians still in Ukraine fell from about 180 to 147 in the last week.
Band mocks PM’s ukulele playing
We are doomed to talk about Scott Morrison’s ukulele playing forevermore, it seems.
“Like many times before, Dragon is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons,” the band whose song he played said today.
“This time it’s Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia’s interpretation of April Sun in Cuba. Written by two New Zealanders living in Australia (Paul Hewson, Marc Hunter, both since passed) about a long-ago diplomatic fracas on the other side of the world.
“It is a cynical move for a politician to co-opt music in an attempt to humanise themselves come election time. Maybe if his trip to Hawaii had not been cut short, he could have learnt the lyrics to the rest of the chorus.”
Those lyrics are: “Take me where the April sun gonna treat me so right, so right.”
Higgins labels PM interview ‘inappropriate’
Brittany Higgins has elaborated on her criticism of the Prime Minister’s 60 Minutes interview.
“Super appropriate and normal,” Ms Higgins wrote of the interview (sarcastically) before it aired yesterday.
Subsequently, she explained her stance in response to a critic on social media.
“I have no issue with humanising interviews pre-elections,” she said.
“Given the detrimental comments made this week by the PM in parliament, I think it’s a little inappropriate to roll all this into a political fluff piece for personal gain.”
Politicians ‘shocked’ by ‘lawless acts’
I’ve been watching Senate estimates. And I’m on my second coffee of the last hour. These two facts are related.
Speaking to the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Senate President Slade Brockman addressed the mass protests that have been happening in Canberra for weeks. He expressed discomfort with increased security restrictions in the parliamentary precinct, but said such restrictions were necessary.
“I would like to briefly address the significant protest activity,” he said.
“One of the virtues of western democracies is that our citizens can exercise their right to communicate their opinions and ideas through peaceful assembly. This includes gatherings within the parliamentary precinct.
“We were all shocked by the lawless acts which led to significant acts of vandalism and graffiti on our building, and most recently, a significant fire which damaged Old Parliament House.
“As a direct result, it has been necessary to maintain the security of the precinct by enacting tighter security controls.”
He thanked the building’s staff for their “patience” with those controls, including changed traffic conditions.
Albanese reacts to voters’ criticism
Tonight’s Four Corners episode involves some ordinary voters giving their assessment of Labor leader Anthony Albanese. He was asked about that during an appearance on ABC radio this morning.
“Some voters have told Four Corners tonight that they think you’re a bit vanilla, when asked. ‘Is that the best Labor’s got?’ and ‘You can’t trust someone you don’t know.’ How do you turn that around quickly, given we’ll be into an election campaign in about a month and a half's time?” Sabra Lane asked him.
“Well people focus, Sabra, during an election campaign,” said Mr Albanese.
“I’m very confident that our positive message that we will put forward of a better future, combined with the frustration that people are feeling.”
He ended the sentence there but I presume he meant those factors would combine to lead Labor to victory.
Mr Albanese went on to pan the government for, in his view, lacking an agenda.
“I don’t know what we are dealing with this week. I’m not quite sure why parliament is sitting, given they don’t have any legislation of any significance. They don’t have an agenda for today, let alone a plan for tomorrow,” he said.
“That’s why you have a Prime Minister who is engaged in pretending he’s a fighter pilot, or hair shampooer, or a racing car driver, or a ukulele player.
“For goodness’ sake, people want a prime minister who will just do the job.”
‘I do not regret it’: PM remains defiant
Scott Morrison spoke at St Maroun’s Maronite Church in Adelaide yesterday. He said he had no regrets about putting forward the religious discrimination legislation that turned into such a headache for him last week.
“We sought to add those protections and we were unsuccessful. And that is a bitter disappointment. But I do not regret that I brought that bill forward,” said the Prime Minister.
Quick context: Mr Morrison’s proposed bill was intended to prevent people from being discriminated against on the basis of their religion. He also proposed amending the Sex Discrimination Act to prevent schools from expelling students for being gay.
Labor, the crossbench and a handful of Liberals were concerned that transgender students were not being offered the same protection. Five Liberal MPs in the House crossed the floor to vote for an amendment to the legislation.
The government subsequently decided not to debate the bill in the Senate, where it quite obviously did not have the numbers to pass its preferred version of the legislation.
Back to Adelaide. Speaking to the church’s congregation, Mr Morrison brought up the biblical tale of Solomon, who had to decide which of two women was a baby’s real mother. He accomplished this by suggesting the child be cut in half; one woman was OK with the idea and he determined she was the one faking.
Anyway here’s what Mr Morrison said.
“I felt very much like the woman before Solomon. You will know the story,” he said.
“They go before Solomon and Solomon wisely said, OK, why don’t we cut the child in half. And the woman whose child it was said, no, the other woman can have my child. And at that moment, Solomon knew who the mother was.
“So I would rather lay down our attempt to secure those protections than see them compromised or undermined.
“I am sure, like communities of faith around Australia, you all understand that. I share your disappointment. But I have not forgotten upon which everything else rests, and that is not something that I would forsake.
“So there will be those who will say that I have been humiliated and all of those things, but happy to suffer those things in a cause that I believe strongly in. We will see where this goes in the future.”
I’ll confess I didn’t quite follow Mr Morrison’s analogy, but I’m no biblical scholar.
As things stand, the legislation does not have much chance of passing before the election, as the government lacks the necessary numbers and there are only two more sitting days left in the Senate’s schedule.
PM faces new questions over RAT shortage
As news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden and NCA NewsWire’s Courtney Gould reported exclusively this morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s claim that health officials never advised his government to adopt the widespread use of rapid antigen tests has been brought into question.
The Prime Minister has defended his failure to order more rapid tests in recent weeks by arguing health officials never told him to embrace RATs before the summer of Omicron “flipped” the situation and overwhelmed standard PCR tests.
Despite the fact they were in widespread use overseas, including on the Prime Minister’s own trips to the United Kingdom, Mr Morrison said the advice remained to stick with PCR tests.
But now information provided to parliament by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) has raised new questions about exactly what the Prime Minister was advised and when.
The answers, obtained by news.com.au, reveal PM&C provided multiple briefings to the Prime Minister on testing throughout the course of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, including advice about the growing reliance on RATs overseas.
Mr Morrison also received regular advice from the Secretary of the Department of Health and the Chief Medical Officer.
You can read the rest of that report here.
‘I agree with her’: Barnaby sides with Jenny
Those remarks from Jenny Morrison are going to come up a lot today, so here is the context for what she said.
During the Morrisons’ interview with Karl Stefanovic on 60 Minutes, the Prime Minister and his wife were asked about the awkward moment they greeted outgoing Australian of the Year Grace Tame during an event at the Lodge.
You will, I’m sure, recall the images.
“I just found it a little bit disappointing, because we were welcoming her in our home,” Mrs Morrison told Stefanovic.
“I just wish the focus had been on all the incredible people coming in. I respect people that want to change things, stand up for their beliefs and are strong, but I still think there are manners and respect.”
Ms Tame has not responded to Mrs Morrison. If you wish to be thoroughly versed in her views on the matter, I’d suggest checking out our coverage of her comments at the National Press Club last week.
We just mentioned Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s defence of Mrs Morrison (he had “no problem” with her comments and felt they were “measured”). Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce also sided with her during an appearance on Today.
“Jenny can say it but we can’t. (But) I agree with Jenny, I have to say,” said Mr Joyce.
“I just think, if you are going to see the Prime Minister, you respect the office, if nothing else.
“You understand it is a great honour to be there. The Prime Minister does not own the Lodge, he holds the office. Respect the office.”
Having watched a fair few sessions of Question Time in my 31 years on this earth, I do always find it amusing when politicians talk about respecting the office of prime minister. Or respecting anyone full stop, come to think of it. But there you go.
‘You are going to get smashed’
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has been everywhere this morning: ABC radio, News Breakfast, Sunrise. Probably other places too.
His glorious purpose was to talk up ATO and Treasury data suggesting young women have been the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s tax cuts.
On the ABC, Michael Rowland asked about “lots of speculation about what you’ll do with the low to middle income tax offset”, which expires in June.
“Will you roll that over to next financial year in next month’s Budget?” he asked.
“Well Michael, that’s an $8 billion question, and I’m not about to answer it on your show today,” said Mr Frydenberg.
“There’s a lot of speculation as to what may or may not be in next month’s Budget. What we have done as a government is look to cut taxes at every turn.”
“You do realise if you don’t roll it over, it effectively represents a tax rise for all these families come next financial year?” Rowland pressed.
“Well, obviously I don’t accept that characterisation,” said the Treasurer.
“The low and middle income tax offset is not a permanent feature of the tax system. We’ve introduced it due to particular economic circumstances.”
He was also asked about Jenny Morrison’s comments to 60 Minutes, essentially accusing Grace Tame of lacking manners (specifically, at this event).
“I could understand her disappointment, and I thought her comments were very measured,” said Mr Frydenberg.
“I didn’t have any problem with what she said. I thought it was very measured and reflected her heartfelt feelings.
“I don’t think anyone has to smile, but you know, you only had to look at the camera, to look at that scene, and you could see how uncomfortable it was.”
On Channel 7, Mr Frydenberg was asked about those latest Newspoll figures, which show the government still trailing Labor 55-45.
“At this stage, you are going to get smashed,” host David Koch told him.
“There were many in the media, many political pundits who wrote us off ahead of the last election, and obviously the result was somewhat different,” said the Treasurer.
He said he understood the “frustrations” of some Australians, but the government had done a good job on managing the pandemic and the economy.
“Let’s focus on getting the big things right,” he said.
This also happened.
Should Prime Minister Scott Morrison be charged with murder for his cover of 'April Sun in Cuba' by Dragon? 🔪
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) February 13, 2022
Treasurer @JoshFrydenberg responds. pic.twitter.com/sWWdGlX9vg
Newspoll shows government still struggling
The government is still heading for a significant election defeat, according to the latest Newspoll results.
On the two party preferred metric, Labor leads the Coalition 55-45. Labor’s primary vote is 41 compared to the Coalition’s 34. Among the minor parties, the Greens have registered the most noteworthy number, bleeding a handful of percentage points to sit at just 8 per cent.
Scott Morrison does still lead Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister by a margin of 43-38, which is a small improvement from the last poll. Perhaps the ukulele thing will raise his standing even more?
‘Not a game’: Lambie’s fury at Trump
An independent senator has given an impassioned response to the Trump administration’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.
Hanson’s demand after US attacks Iran
Pauline Hanson is pushing for a visa ban for Iranian nationals and tougher action on nationwide protests against recent US strikes.
Australia makes huge call on Iran strikes
Penny Wong has finally confirmed Australia’s position on the bombing of Iran but a big question about our involvement remains.