PoliticsNow: Scott Morrison attacks Labor Party ‘tantrum’ on policy

Scott Morrison seizes on Labor’s repeated questions on economic management, ridiculing the opposition’s ‘lack of policy’.

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese in Question Time. Picture: Gary Ramage

• Keneally ‘wants to let in terrorists’
• Steggall pushes climate bill
• Littleproud defends drought plans
• Labor debates free trade

Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra. Question Time is under way.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has accused opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally of dragging the Labor Party to the Left on key border protection measures.

Scott Morrison has bolstered assistance payments to struggling farmers days after he clashed with radio host Alan Jones over the government’s response to the drought.

Olivia Caisley 3.50pm: PM attacks Labor ‘tantrum’

Labor continued its attack on the Morrison government and its handling of the economy on Thursday with the opposition again attempting to embarrass Scott Morrison over the International Monetary Fund’s decision to downgrade Australia’s growth forecast.

In a repeat of Wednesday’s parliamentary hour of power, Mr Albanese fired-off question after question on the country’s finances, calling on the Prime Minister to “debate the economy”.

But the assault fell short with Mr Morrison seizing on the questions to lash the opposition leader over his “tantrums” and the Labor Party over its lack of policy.

Highlights included a terse exchange between the leaders where Mr Albanese asked the Prime Minister why he shut down a proposed debate and “organised an additional question for himself so that only he could talk about the economy.”

“Is that because the Prime Minister only wants to listen to himself?” Mr Albanese quipped.

But Mr Morrison didn’t dignify the question with an answer, firing back: “When the Labor Party can confirm what their actual policies are, maybe that’s when they want to start asking those questions.”

Another question on why the Treasurer “falsely claimed the drought was the number one call on the budget” in Wednesday’s question time, saw Mr Morrison grow weary. But only momentarily.

“The Leader of the Opposition seems quite insistent on this point,” he said.

“But he obviously wasn’t insistent this morning because the matter of public importance, which has been tabled today by the federal member for Barton does not mention the word “economy” at all.”

Mr Morrison again attacked Labor’s “penchant for panic and crisis” before criticising ALP’s internal division over emissions reduction targets.

“Their response to climate, which they say is an emergency, but we’re not going to know their policy about it until the next election and before then we’ve got constant infighting.”

For the second time in as many days Mr Albanese sought to suspend standing orders to debate the economy.

But the attempt failed given the Coalition’s majority.

And that concludes this parliamentary sitting week. Stay tuned for all the action live from Capital Hill next Monday when the House of Representatives sits.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese during Question Time. Picture: Gary Ramage

Rosie Lewis 3.13pm: Union chief slams Labor over trade deals

ACTU president Michele O’Neil says Labor has made a mistake that would not be forgotten by Australian workers by siding with the government on three free trade deals.

“The decision by the ALP to side with the government is an abandonment both of their own platform, and of their responsibility to stand up for fair trade deals which deliver jobs for local workers, that protect Australia’s public services, sovereignty and visa workers from exploitation and that ensure international labor standards in the countries we trade with,” Ms O’Neil said.

“There is no evidence that these deals will create local jobs or improve wages.”

Ms O’Neil claimed the deals were not in Australia’s interest, with 1.4 million Australian workers already on short-term visas.

“The government has signed away local workers’ rights and given rights to multinational corporations to sue the Australian government over laws that threaten their profits,” she said.

“They limit the Australian government’s capacity to regulate in the public interest, and to ensure workers have the required skills and qualifications that ensure worker and public safety.”

Olivia Caisley 3.00pm: Question doesn’t get an answer

Labor leader Anthony Albanese is up again and asks why Scott Morrison shut down a proposed debate and “organised an additional question for himself so that only he could talk about the economy.”

“Is that because the Prime Minister only wants to listen to himself?” Mr Albanese quips.

The Prime Minister doesn’t dignify the question with an answer and fires back:

“When the Labor Party can confirm what their actual policies are, maybe that’s when they want to start asking those questions.”

Olivia Caisley 2.57pm: Labor attacked on environment record

A dixer from Liberal MP Dave Sharma to Environment Minister Sussan Ley regarding the government’s record on environmental protection sees Labor seethe with anger.

Ms Ley rattles off a long list such as its $167 million recycling investment plan, $50 million in world-leading environmental research and 44 marine parks.

Ms Ley begins attacking Labor’s environmental record, which prompts jeers from the opposition.

Labor MP Ged Kearney is ejected from the chamber.

Olivia Caisley 2.50pm: Labor’s ‘penchant for panic’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time today. Picture: Gary Ramage

Labor leader Anthony Albanese asks why the Treasurer falsely claimed the drought was the “number one call” on the budget in Wednesday’s question time, before asking (again) for a debate on the Australian economy.

“The Leader of the Opposition seems quite insistent on this point,” the Prime Minister says. “But he obviously wasn’t insistent this morning because the matter of public importance which has been tabled today by the federal member for Barton does not mention the word “economy” at all.”

Mr Morrison again attacks Labor’s “penchant for panic and crisis” before lashing the ALP’s internal division over emissions reduction targets.

“Their response to climate, which they say is an emergency, but we’re not going to know their policy about it until the next election and in between that time we’ve got constant infighting.”

Olivia Caisley 2.47pm: A ‘fair deal on energy’

Labor leader Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison to confirm whether the government’s “absence of an energy policy” is leaving people with higher electricity bills.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor takes the question.

After rattling off a long list of measures the government is taking such as the Snowy 2.0 scheme and new hardship policies to “ensure vulnerable Australians are getting a fair deal on energy, he takes a swipe at Labor.

“Only this side of the Parliament — only this side of the House, is for a fair deal on energy,” he says.

The chamber erupts.

Olivia Caisley 2.38pm: Morrison bites back

After a fourth question from Labor leader Anthony Albanese on the government’s handling of the economy, Scott Morrison says “it’s all about you, isn’t it?”

Speaker Tony Smith recalls the Prime Minister to the dispatch box to answer the question, which specifically asked about low wage growth and household debt.

“When we came to government, the real wage growth through the year was 0.5 per cent and now today it’s 0.7 per cent,” Mr Morrison says.

He quotes from the most recent Reserve Bank of Australia minutes:

“Despite the level of high household debt in Australia, relative to other countries, the risks from household debt appear to have been mostly contained.”

Members noted that households continue to have large repayments on their housing debt and aggregate mortgage repayments equal to 2.5 years of repayment.”

Olivia Caisley 2.30pm: Ita watches on

In other news from question time ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose is watching the theatrics from the public gallery.

She joined Health Minister Greg Hunt at Parliament House this morning to launch the National Strategic Action Plan for Osteoporosis.

“In Australia, osteoporosis is under-diagnosed and undertreated with as many as 80 per cent of patients failing to receive appropriate investigation and treatment post fracture,” Osteoporosis Australia said in a statement.

Olivia Caisley 2.25pm: Economic battleground

It looks like the IMF’s decision to downgrade its forecasts for Australia will dominate the discussion again.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison to confirm that only two Australian Treasurers since 2002 have presided over a period where the unemployment rate is higher than the OECD average.

The Prime Minister says Mr Albanese is “clearly only interested in his own job because all he wants to do is have a talk-fest in this place.”

“I’m interested in the jobs of Australians,” Mr Morrison says. “And taking action to ensure Australians are in work.”

After a point of order, where Mr Albanese calls on the Prime Minister to answer the question “properly”, Mr Morrison accuses him of throwing a tantrum.

“The tantrums of the Leader of the Opposition in this place only re-enforce their addiction to panic and crisis on the Labor Party. They love panic. They love crisis.”

Olivia Caisley 2.16pm: PM rebuffs Labor ‘offer’

Labor leader Anthony Albanese is up again and invites Scott Morrison to have a debate on the economy in the wake of the IMF’s decision to downgrade Australia’s growth forecast for this year.

The Prime Minister says instead of debating, the government is “actually implementing the policies that make our economy stronger”.

Mr Morrison says the government will continue to “implement those sound and carefully-managed, disciplined and stable policies.”

He says it’s the government’s approach that has resulted in increased employment each month over three years.

“It’s the longest run of jobs growth on a monthly basis this country has ever seen.”

Olivia Caisley 2.08pm: Albanese’s growth spurt

Question Time kicks off with a question from Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who asks Scott Morrison whether the IMF was “wrong to downgrade Australia’s economic growth forecast”.

The Prime Minister says he won’t comment on the accuracy of the forecasts, but uses the question as an opportunity to spruik new data, which shows employment increased by 14,000 jobs over the month of September.

“Our economic plan, the calm, measured, stable certain plan just gets on with the job of delivering for Australians and the increase of almost 15,000 jobs bears that out.”

Olivia Caisley 12.50pm: Lambie blasts ‘dirty’ deal

Jacqui Lambie has threatened to withdraw her support for expanding cashless welfare card trials.

Crossbench Senator Jacqui Lambie has threatened to “pull up stumps” and withdraw her support for expanding cashless welfare card trials as the government moved with Labor to abolish a $4 billion education investment fund and divert it to disaster relief.

In a fiery scene in the Senate, Senator Lambie slammed Labor for striking a “dirty deal” with the Coalition, declaring the opposition had “sold its soul.”

The Australian understands Labor made the decision to strike a deal with the Morrison government over the emergency funding legislation at the special shadow cabinet meeting on Wednesday night.

This was in spite of objection from opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek and “many” among Labor’s ranks.

A Labor source said the promised $50 million in TAFE funding was ridiculous considering the fund generated up to $100 million in interest per year.

Senator Lambie has been calling for some of the federal money, which was earmarked in the April Budget for drought and flood relief, to be used to fund TAFE in Tasmania.

Senator Lambie told the Upper House she had supported the government’s expansion of the cashless welfare card trials on the proviso the promised TAFE funding would be the “carrot at the end of the stick.”

“You think TAFEs have too much money? Where are you living? Come to my sort of town. Come to the Devonport campus in Tasmania. Let me show you the rust, the holes, the water damage. Let me show you the equipment they’re training the kids in my community with,” Senator Lambie said.

The fund will be created from the leftover allocations form the former Labor government’s Education Investment Fund as well as money that had been previously allocated to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is no longer needed.

Senator Lambie said the government was ripping of Australian kids and for the future of their trade skills.

The crossbencher called on Finance Minister Mathias Cormann to answer why the states were now required to chip in $15 million when they previously had $4 billion at their disposal to spend on TAFE and other education services across the nation.

In a blistering attack, she asked whether the government had plucked the $50 million figure from “thin air.”

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi also lashed the new funding as “measly” as she criticised Labor for moving away from its roots.

“Labor used to be the party of public education,” Senator Faruqi said. “...Labor and the Government have teamed up to stab education in the back by abolishing billions in education funding.”

The bill will return to the lower house for final approval.

Rosie Lewis 12.41pm: Labor’s free trade conditions

Opposition trade spokeswoman Madeleine King says Labor will back the three trade deals with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru, but she’s concerned about how the government will implement them.

Ms King has revealed a list of “firm commitments” to ensure Australian jobs were protected and market access for local businesses was maximised.

Labor is seeking:

A guarantee that these agreements protect Australian jobs.

An assurance that working holiday makers are not exploited and are appropriately qualified for the work they undertake.

The termination of the existing bilateral investment treaty with Indonesia.

The termination or updating of outdated bilateral investment treaties and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses.

A review of recent ISDS mechanisms in trade agreements.

An inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) into Australia’s treaty-making process.

An assurance that there is no inference from the agreements that would require the privatisation of government services, nor restrict any future decision to bring acquire public assets.

“Labor will fight to ensure that the implementation of the Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru trade agreements fully achieves the goal of creating Australian jobs and opening opportunities for Australian exporters,” Ms King said.

“Trade generates jobs for Australian workers. Reducing barriers to trade also creates more competitive industries and benefits Australian consumers through lower prices and greater choice.”

Geoff Chambers 12.07pm: GetUp blames Palmer

GetUp has blamed “big money” campaign advertising blitzes headlined by Clive Palmer for the “voices of ordinary Australians” being drowned at the May 18 election amid an internal review into its failure to unseat conservative MPs. Read the full story on GetUp’s submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Election Matters here.

Olivia Caisley 11.34am: ‘She wants to bring in foreign terrorists’

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has accused opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally of dragging the Labor Party to the Left on key border protection measures.

It comes as Labor and the Greens reached a deal to try and scrap the fast-tracked processing of asylum seekers who arrive by boat, and as Senator Keneally declared Medivac appeal legislation was working after Mr Dutton prevented the “violent father” or an Iranian asylum seeker from entering the country.

Speaking on 2GB on Thursday, Mr Dutton lashed Senator Keneally’s approach to border protection.

“Kristina Keneally is completely off the reservation, she is dragging even Anthony Albanese to the left on border protection matters,” Mr Dutton said. “She wants to bring these foreign terrorists into our country. She doesn’t want to kick the bikers out and she’s happy for the boats to restart.”

“I don’t understand what is going on in the Labor Party at the moment but it’s completely lost the plot.”

The Australian revealed today Labor’s new deal with the Greens could result in up to 4000 asylum-seekers, who arrive by boat, to remain in the country for more than 500 days.

The coalition’s current fast-track scheme was established in 2015 to try and resolve the visa applications of more than 30,500 asylum seekers.

When asked about the Labor-Greens deal a spokesman for Senator Keneally said the party “does not support the fast-track process because the facts show it’s neither fast nor fair”.

Labor argues that, as of February last year, the average processing time from lodgment to a primary decision under the current program was 415 days for temporary protection visas and 316 days for safe haven enterprise visas.

Olivia Caisley 11.25am: Assange should ‘face the music’

Scott Morrison says Julian Assange should “face the music” in court as he fights his extradition to the United States.

It comes days after former deputy prime minister and Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce called on Australia to step up its diplomatic efforts once the Wikileaks founder serves his time in British prison for breaching his bail.

But Mr Morrison said the Australian government would let the legal process run its course.

“My personal opinion is that the legal ... processes should run their course and he should face the music,” he told 2SM Radio on Thursday.

Assange sought asylum at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 after being accused of sexual assault in Sweden.

He spent seven years inside the embassy’s walls before Ecuador withdrew its protection and he was subsequently arrested by British police.

Greg Brown 11.20am: Fitzgibbon: farm funds ‘not good enough’

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has slammed Scott Morrison’s extra funds for farmers as “not good enough”.

Mr Fitzgibbon said the lump sum payments for people who are coming off the Farm Household Allowance - $13,000 for couples and $7500 for singles - amounted to an extra six months on the assistance payment.

Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor would support the measure but demand the four-year time limit on the allowance be lifted during the drought.

“What the Prime Minister announced this morning is that desperate farming families coming off Farm Household Allowance will have an additional six months of allowance. That means that farming families coming off Farm Household Allowance, will not come off after fours years but four-and-a-half years,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“What we know already is 600 farming families have had their payment cut off and by Christmas that is more likely to be 1100 farming families, almost double the number that has already been taken off.

“It is a callous act, in fact the greatest act of bastardry by any government in the history of federation, to be taking our most desperate drought stricken families off the modest Farm Household Allowance payment.

“It is not good enough Prime Minister to extend the payment by six months.”

Andrew Clennell 11am: NSW Labor secretary payout

NSW general secretary Kaila Murnain has finally resigned, after receiving a payout believed to be worth $250,000 as a severance involving leave entitlements and a further $450,000 to pay for legal costs related to ICAC. The amount paid to Ms Murnain was made after Ms Murnain sought a severance payment as high as $600,000 — The Australian understands. Ms Murnain was forced to admit to ICAC that she sat on an allegation that a $100,000 illegal donation was made by Chinese developer and suspected agent of foreign influence Huang Xiangmo to the Labor Party prior to the 2015 state election. Ms Murnain’s resignation paves the way for RTBU official Bob Nanva to become general secretary of the party. Read more here on the story here.

Kaila Murnain leaves the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Rosie Lewis 10.55am: Labor backs free trade deals

Labor has agreed to support the Indonesian, Hong Kong and Peru free trade agreements despite fierce resistance from the unions and some MPs, after deciding they were in the national interest and would help jobs and growth. There was a special meeting of shadow cabinet and a caucus committee meeting on Wednesday night after the Morrison government introduced the enabling legislation in parliament. Caucus then signed off on the deals on Thursday morning. The Australian was told numerous MPs in the committee meeting were against the FTAs but there was a powerful argument about the economic consequences of voting them down. One MP was concerned but not surprised the ALP had capitulated on the trade deals but warned this would be an ongoing matter.

Labor MP Ed Husic said trade agreements with neighbours like Indonesia were “absolutely crucial”. “Labor has spent many decades arguing the need for us to get closer, to build stronger relationships not just with Indonesia but in our region. These are tangible ways in which to do that and they must be supported,” Mr Husic told Sky News. He said the role the unions were playing in holding the government and the deals to account was “exceptionally important”.

Ben Packham 10.45am: ASIO to get more money

Peter Dutton says ASIO will get more money in next year’s budget but has refused to commit to an above-inflation funding boost, despite warnings from the domestic security agency that it doesn’t have sufficient resources to do its job. ASIO warned the government in its latest annual report it was falling short in intelligence collection and providing advice to security partners on countering foreign spies and interference threats. It’s now-retired director general Duncan Lewis said there was “an increasing gap between demand for our counter-espionage and foreign interference advice, and our ability to furnish this assistance”.

The Home Affairs Minister said on Thursday that the government was already providing unprecedented funding for ASIO, and that its funding increases every year. “ASIO has never had more funding that what we have been able to provide it now. We are not ripping money out of it like Labor did, and we will continue to put more staff in.

“The staff numbers will click over 2000 on the figures we have got … so it is getting unprecedented funding and we will continue to support it.”

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton speaks to the media during press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.

However, he declined to say whether the government would provide a special budget top-up to the agency to meet the agency’s “unprecedented” workload.

“We will put more money in each year and the staffing numbers grow each year,” Mr Dutton said. “And look, every agency head across the commonwealth wants more money into their agency, and every minister wants more money into their departments and their agencies.”

Mr Dutton said the fact that no one had yet been charged under the government’s new foreign interference and espionage laws was not a matter for him to comment on as Minister.

“They are issues for the agencies,” he said. Mr Dutton backed ASIO’s assessment that capable foreign intelligence services “have the potential to get around (the) legislation”.

“I think that’s a statement of the obvious,” he said. “People will conduct themselves in a subversive way, That’s the nature of intelligence gathering and foreign interference. That’s the tradecraft.

“So I think leave it to the experts, and if they have recommendations to make in relation to strengthening the legislation, we’d be very happy to hear that.”

Greg Brown 10.15am: PM boosts drought help

Scott Morrison has bolstered assistance payments to struggling farmers as he comes under pressure over the government’s response to the drought.

The Prime Minister on Thursday morning announced plans to give farmers lump-sum payments when they reach the four-year cap on the Farm Household Allowance payment.

Couples will receive $13,000 when they reach the four-year limit of the allowance, while singles will receive $7500.

“What we are doing today in the parliament, when people get to the end of their four years of that Farm Household Allowance, they will get an additional payment of $13,000 for couples and $7,500 (for singles),” Mr Morrison told 2SM radio’s John Laws.

Labor and farming groups were calling for the cap on the $489 fortnightly payment to be lifted until the drought ends, after The Weekend Australian revealed nearly 600 farmers had been kicked off the allowance in the past two years.

Mr Morrison on Tuesday faced criticism for his handling of the drought in a combative interview with 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones.

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said the move built on the government’s decision to increase access to the allowance from three years in their lifetime to four years out of every 10.

“Today, the government introduces a bill to provide drought relief for those who have exhausted their four years on FHA,” Senator McKenzie said. “The bill will allow for farmers to receive the FHA payment four years in every decade; make it easier for more farmers to access the payment by lifting the amount families can earn off-farm to $100,000 a year; and allow farmers to count income from agistment against their losses.

“These changes reflect the nature of contemporary farming businesses – by recognising the reality that much of the income earned off-farm goes straight to servicing debt rather than putting food on the table.”

Radio broadcaster Alan Jones (left) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison clashed this week over drought assistance.

On 2GB radio on Tuesday, Jones called on the government to step-up its response to the “national disaster”, challenging him to bankroll farmers struggling to keep breeding stock alive.

“Why don’t you take over the whole show? It’s a national disaster. You say Farm Household Allowance, come on, you go and tell Jenny she can live on $250 a week,” Jones said.

“It’s not $250 a week Alan. It’s not just that,” Mr Morrison told Jones.

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon on Wednesday urged Mr Morrison to form a “war cabinet” with Anthony Albanese to tackle the drought, declaring the “national emergency” was starting to become a food security issue.

Olivia Caisley 9.15am: Native title bill

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter will on Thursday reintroduce legislation to fill a gap in native title legislation that has put more than 300 mining leases at risk. The legislation is designed to fix a hole in native title laws caused by the Federal Court’s surprise decision to overturn an indigenous land use agreement (ILUA) signed between the WA government and Noongar people over a large area of the southwest of the state. In a statement released on Thursday, Mr Porter said the amendments, based on recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Council of Australian Governments, were originally introduced early this year, but not passed before the May federal election.

Olivia Caisley 9.00am: Labor debates free trade agreements

Labor MPs have been called to a special caucus meeting to decide their position on three new free trade agreements.

It comes after a second shadow cabinet meeting last night, where the Indonesia, Peru and Hong Kong FTAs were discussed.

Also on the agenda is the party’s drought response, which comes after the National Farmers Federation released its own drought plan that calls for forward-planning to safeguard the country from a similar situation in the future.

Olivia Caisley 8.55am: ‘Frothing at mouth’ over drought

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has defended the government’s plans to tackle the drought, while taking aim at “metropolitan commentators” he said were “frothing at the mouth” over the government’s drought response.

Speaking on ABC Radio on Thursday Mr Littleproud called for a more measured conversation on current drought conditions, saying negativity could deter people from entering or staying in the agriculture industry.

“While I get a lot of metropolitan commentators are frothing at the mouth at the moment, we can do ourselves and regional Australia a lot of harm if we talk ourselves down. It will rain,” Mr Littleproud said.

MORE: Drought powers to delay ‘day zero’

When asked whether he was diminishing the plight of farmers by suggesting those living in the city didn’t understand the drought, the minister doubled down.

“Totally not, Hamish. I don’t have the comfort of tucking myself into a bed in a metropolitan [area] I actually live and breathe it every day my friend. I actually see these people and I know them by face and by name. These are resilient people and they believe in what they do and they know what they are doing is the best in the world.”

Scott Morrison locked horns with 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones during a combative interview on Tuesday, where he insisted the government was doing everything he could to help the nation’s drought affected regions, having committed an additional $318.5 million to the cause.

Mr Littleproud also poured cold water over opposition resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon’s calls for a war cabinet response to the drought, saying consensus between the parties had already been achieved at the Drought Forum

Olivia Caisley 7.40am: Steggall pushes UK style climate bill

Zali Steggall at Clontarf in her Sydney electorate of Warringah. Picture: AAP.

Independent MP Zali Steggall intends to put forward a climate change bill early next year that would compel the government to yearly mandatory reporting on emission reductions.

The Warringah MP issued a statement on Thursday saying the bill would be modelled on the United Kingdom’s Climate Change Act and would set up a framework for Australia to achieve the “long term goal of reducing greenhouse emissions”.

“We need to set out a road map for Australia to become a low carbon economy without all the fear mongering and misinformation,” Ms Steggall said. “The big question all sensible Australians are asking is how? This is why we need a Climate Change Act to set out a legislative framework.”

Ms Steggall is also calling for an Australian equivalent of the UK’s 2006 Stern Review, which helped deliver the UK’s Climate Change Act and attempted to quantify the costs of climate change to the UK economy.

“We need to know the economic implications of climate change to all sectors of the economy,” she said. “In circumstances where some argue that we should not, or cannot, act, to prevent climate change, then let’s be very clear about the cost of doing nothing or not enough. Business as usual is not a zero sum game.”

A new OmniPoll obtained by The Australian testing voter sentiment on renewables and electricity network priorities shows that, with the exception of Australians aged 24 and under, affordability was rated the highest priority across the nation.

The survey, conducted online by OmniPoll last month using a sample of 1242 voters across the country, showed 81 per cent of Australians supported the use of renewables as part of the nation’s energy mix.

Under the proposed legislation an independent body would be created to advise the government how to economically reduce emissions over time.

It would compel the government to yearly mandatory reporting on emission reductions.

The legislation follows Ms Steggall’s call for a Parliamentary conscience vote for a Climate Emergency.

What’s making news:

Scott Morrison is staring down ­increasing pressure from business leaders to take action to boost economic growth, in the face of a “synchronised’’ global slowdown that is sapping confidence despite repeated cuts in official interest rates.

GetUp national director Paul Oosting has admitted it was a mistake to target “hard-right” Coalit­ion MPs in traditionally safe seats during the election, declaring the strategy was adopted because the lobby was expecting a Labor win.

Support for reducing carbon emissions is dominated by younger Australians, with new polling revealing a high support for affordability and reliability in the electricity market among voters aged 35 and older.

Up to 4000 asylum-seekers who arrived by boat could remain in Australia for more than 500 days under a deal between Labor and the Greens that would scrap fast-tracked processing of illegal maritime arrivals.

ASIO has warned the Morrison government it is falling short in intelligence collection and providing advice to security partners on countering foreign spies and interference threats.

Dennis Shanahan writes: The International Monetary Fund has forced Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg back to the future.

Alice Workman’s Sketch: Anthony Albanese started his day with a trouncing on the Parliament House squash court, handed to him by a member of his own backbench. You can find Strewth here.