Australian Politics Live: Controversial power station could stay open

PoliticsNow: The PM has secured a commitment from AGL to consider an extension for the Liddell power station in NSW.

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Australian Politics Live: The same-sex marriage debate has dominated the day in politics, while AGL boss Andy Vesey held a meeting with Malcolm Turnbull over the Liddell coal-fired power plant in NSW’s Hunter Valley.

Key developments today:

• Liddell power plant could stay open

• SSM survey details revealed

• Media elite’s ‘double standard’

• Canavan — ‘grow a spine’
• Joyce on renewables vote

David Crowe 6.19pm: Controversial power plant could stay open

Malcolm Turnbull has secured a commitment from AGL boss Andy Vesey to consider a five-year extension to the controversial Liddell power station in NSW or its sale to an alternative owner under plans to prevent a dramatic energy shortfall in 2022.

The AGL chief executive has agreed to take the proposals to the AGL board and respond within 90 days in a new sign the coal-fired power station could keep operating.

The development late on Monday came after Mr Turnbull met Mr Vesey in Parliament House to discuss the options, clearing the way for the board decision.

“The outcome of the meeting is that AGL will take to its board a proposal to keep Liddell open for another five years or to sell to another party,” said Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg after the meeting.

“At the same time, the company will also work up a plan to ensure sufficient additional supply into the market equivalent to what is coming out of Liddell.

“This would be firm dispatchable capacity and have no adverse impact on consumers both in terms of price and the reliability of the system.”

AGL boss Andy Vesey is in Canberra for a meeting with the PM. Picture: Kym Smith

The discussions centre on a warning issued by the Australian Energy Market Operator last week about the need to develop at least 1,000 megawatts of new electricity capacity by 2022 to make up for the expected closure of the Liddell coal power station.

A leading option is to build new coal-fired power stations to match the capacity of Liddell, given the advantage that coal-fired power have in scaling up as demand grows.

Asked if AGL asked for federal financial assistance, Mr Frydenberg said that was not the nature of the discussions.

Mr Vesey confirmed the commitment to take the future plans to the AGL board but warned that the Liddell power plant had failed in recent months and needed a big investment to keep operating.

“I was asked to take to the AGL Board the Government’s request to continue the operation of Liddell post 2022 for five years and/or sell Liddell, which I agreed to do,” Mr Vesey said in a statement.

“Short term, new development will continue to favour renewables supported by gas peaking. Longer term, we see this trend continuing with large scale battery deployment enhancing the value of renewable technology. In this environment, we just don’t see new development of coal as economically rational, even before factoring in a carbon cost.

“The long notice period we have given reflects our commitment to managing carbon risk for shareholders and avoiding the volatility created by recent sudden withdrawal of capacity.”

It was revealed earlier today that Mr Vesey sold $1.24 million of his company shares in the lead up to his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Rachel Baxendale 6.12pm: Power meeting ‘very productive’

AGL boss Andy Vesey has emerged from a marathon meeting with Malcolm Turnbull which he has described as “very productive”.

Mr Vesey was in the PM’s office for more than two hours, however, the meeting was interrupted several times when Mr Turnbull and other ministers including Barnaby Joyce and Josh Frydenberg had to leave to vote in divisions in the House of Representatives.

“It was very productive and we’ll wait to see what the PMO says and then I’ll comment,”

Mr Vesey said as he walked from the Prime Minister’s office to another meeting with Cities Minister Angus Taylor.

On his way there, Mr Vesey bumped into Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon, who introduced himself and told Mr Vesey he was the local member in the NSW Hunter Valley where AGL’s Liddell coal-fired power station is located.

“I hope you had a fruitful conversation with the Prime Minister,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“It was very productive,” Mr Vesey replied, before continuing on to Mr Taylor’s office.

Rachel Baxendale 4.10pm: Power powwow

AGL boss Andy Vesey’s meeting with Malcolm Turnbull is underway.

On his way into parliament, Mr Vesey said he was looking forward to a “frank and constructive” meeting.

“Big issues to discuss. Important for all of us,” he told Sky News.

Asked whether he was prepared to sell the Liddell coal-fired power plant in NSW’s Hunter Valley rather than simply shut it down as planned in 2022, Mr Vesey declined to comment.

“We are looking forward to the discussion we’ll have with the PM and the government and that’s the comment I have at the moment,” he said.

Several cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister maintain Mr Vesey told a meeting of senior ministers and energy industry leaders that AGL was prepared to sell Liddell to a responsible buyer, but Mr Vesey has disputed this.

Rachel Baxendale 3.55pm: Postal survey paperwork

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey forms and envelopes ahead of the mail-out beginning tomorrow.

All eligible voters should receive their ballot papers by September 25, and must return them by October 27 for their vote to count, with the survey officially closing on November 7.

Survey results will be published on the ABS website on November 15, alongside a report from the Australian Statistician on the quality and integrity of the survey.

Greg Brown 3.45pm: ‘Unashamed effort’ on Safe Schools

Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar has criticised calls to make the Safe Schools program compulsory in schools across Australia,

Mr Sukkar said Safe Schools was a “highly politicised program” which transcends its supposed aim to reduce bullying.

Mr Sukkar was responding to the latest Quarterly Essay by Safe Schools advocate Benjamin Law, which he said was an “unashamed effort” to push for the program to be installed nationally.

“It has morphed into a program that promotes radical gender theory curriculum and sexual identity politics,” Mr Sukkar said.

“On top of this, the Andrews Labor Government move to make the Safe Schools Coalition program compulsory in all Victorian schools diminishes a parent’s right to guide and educate their children on values and moral code.”

Mr Sukkar said parents’ consent will not be sought before Safe Schools is taught at their childrens’ school.

“Parents I speak with are concerned with the myriad of influences sexualising children in our society, let alone having extreme gender and sexual theory being forced into every classroom around Australia,” Mr Sukkar said.

Greg Brown 3.15pm: Boats broadside

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton uses a Dixer to attack Labor’s credibility on boats.

“We know that this Leader of the Opposition is shifty and he can’t be trusted,” Dutton says. “The Labor left will not allow a policy which sees boats stopped, deaths at sea stopped, children out of detention.”

And on that note, Question Time ends.

Rachel Baxendale 3.10pm: Mixed messages

The government uses a Labor attempt to attack Barnaby Joyce over a National Party motion over the weekend to dump renewable energy subsidies by focusing on Hunter Valley Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon’s views on coal amid debate over the future of the valley’s Liddell coal-fired power station.

PM Malcolm Turnbull quotes from Fitzgibbon’s maiden speech, in which he declared that coalmining began in his electorate as soon as European settlement began.

“It permeates every aspect of life in the Hunter,” Fitzgibbon said in the speech.

Turnbull then quotes Fitzgibbon saying “clean coal is a lie” and is “not the future for this nation” in March.

“The Labor Party is driven by ideology and idiocy,” Turnbull says. “Our policies are based on engineering and economics. We see a role for every form of generation, coal, renewables, gas, right across the board.”

Greg Brown 3.10pm: ‘Coal is still important’

Bill Shorten’s brings out an old Josh Frydenberg quote.

“His Minister for Energy has said ‘we are moving away from coal, and that is not a bad thing’. Does the minister’s statement reflect the policy?”

Malcolm Turnbull says there is a transition under way but coal was still important.

“We have a national vested interest in coal continuing to play an important role in energy generation here and around the world. But at the same time contributing to reducing emissions,” Turnbull says.

Greg Brown 3.06pm: Super shot

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer is asked a question by a government MP on The Australian’s story today about giving APRA more powers on superannuation funds’ donations to unions.

“The government will be making changes to give the regulator, APRA, greater powers to investigate all superannuation funds, powers to detect fraud inside funds as well as new powers to force funds to be more transparent and more accountable to their members,” O’Dwyer says.

Then she gets stuck in to Bill Shorten’s record as secretary of the Australian Workers Union.

“When he was the AWU national secretary, $25,000 of AWU members’ money was donated to his own campaign for the seat of Maribyrnong,” she says.

Greg Brown 3.05pm: Hefty union bill?

Leader of the House Chris Pyne gets a question from a government backbencher on unions.

Pyne gets stuck into deals done when Bill Shorten was secretary of the Australian Workers Unions.

“Last Thursday I outlined that an (insurance) protection company paid $566,000 to the Australian Workers Union during the time that the Leader of the Opposition was the secretary of the union, 2004-2007,” Pyne says.

“In return for those payments, we have no idea what those payments were for, but in return, they became the preferred provider of income protection for 28 enterprise business agreements that the AWU was negotiating with employers at that time.”

Rachel Baxendale 3pm: A Harry Potter reference

Chris Bowen and Scott Morrison go head to head on energy prices

“The government’s (Finkel) report said that implementing a clean energy target would put downward pressure on energy prices. At a time when wages are flatlining and the government supports penalty rate cuts, why is the Treasurer are not fighting for a clean energy target?” Bowen asks.

Morrison lists a series of initiatives including the $3 billion for “lowered emissions technologies” from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation but avoids addressing the clean energy target issue.

He accuses Bill Shorten of being “shifty” and declares that if he gets to “slither into the lodge, the Australian public will feel the effects.

Then he throws in a Harry Potter reference.

“If he went to Hogwarts, he would have been in the house of Slytherin. The only difference between him and other members of Slytherin is that some of them came good,” Morrison says of Shorten.

Greg Brown 2.55pm: ‘Welcome back Bowen’

Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks Scott Morrison about the economy.

“This Thursday is the anniversary of the Prime Minister promising new economic leadership. With the government in its fifth year in office, can the Treasurer confirm that under this government, household debt is up, underemployment is up and wages growth is down?”

Morrison launches into Bowen’s relative quietness over the past few weeks.

“Welcome back, it has been over 100 days. I thought we might have to table role to see if he had been in the chamber today,” Morrison says.

He then gets stuck into Labor’s plan to increase taxes.

“I am happy to report that the Turnbull government is producing the result of a stronger economic plan, cutting taxes for small businesses, cutting taxes that those opposite want to put up again. They will put them up again,” Morrison says.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during Question Time today. Picture: AAP

Rosie Lewis 2.50pm: ‘No time for games’

Crossbench MPs in the lower house are fed up with “party games” during question time. You will have noted Rebekha Sharkie, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan abstained when Labor put that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce be no further heard. “The crossbench are not buying into party games and we are keen to get on with the work of question time,” Ms Sharkie tells us. “(It’s) time to move on, weeks are counting down.”

Rachel Baxendale 2.45pm: Focus turns to Canavan

Labor attempts to put pressure on the government over former Resources Minister Matt Canavan’s citizenship status.

“Can the Prime Minister confirm that on the 18th of July, Senator Canavan became aware that he was an Italian citizen? Labor energy spokesman Mark Butler asks.

“On 24 July Senator Canavan triggered a legal instrument requiring the government to act on (gas) price controls and on the next day he resigned from cabinet.

“Why did the Prime Minister allow Senator Canavan to make decisions on export controls the day before he resigned as Prime Minister, when he was already fully aware there were doubts over his qualifications to be a Member of Parliament?” Butler asks.

Turnbull attacks Butler over his David Speers interview again, saying he’s “already confessed to his failures” on the subject of gas.”

After a point of order interjection from Labor, the PM returns to the subject of Canavan.

“All of the ministers are eligible to sit in this house, and indeed, in the Senate. We rely on the advice we have received,” Turnbull says.

Greg Brown 2.40pm: A blue-collar rant

Barnaby Joyce opens up excoriating the Labor Party for its “lack of respect” for Question Time.

Bill Shorten refuses to look at Joyce and has his back to the Deputy PM while in a deep conversation with frontbencher Richard Marles.

But Joyce doesn’t stop delivering a polemic on Labor’s energy policies.

“They stand away from their belief in those workers. They stand away from the people, the blue-collar workers who they once upon a time represented,” Joyce says.

Greg Brown 2.35pm: Motion defeated

The vote is rejected 72 to 64.

Greens MP Adam Bandt sides with Labor, while crossbenchers Andrew Wilkie, Cathy McGowan and Rebekha Sharkie abstain. Queensland MP Bob Katter is nowhere to be seen.

Barnaby Joyce is free to answer his Dixer.

Greg Brown 2.30pm: Labor targets Barnaby (again)

Barnaby Joyce gets asked a Dixer on agriculture.

But Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke moves to suspend standing orders so the Deputy PM be no longer be heard.

Doesn’t look like Labor is letting this issue go.

A division is required.

Rachel Baxendale 2.25pm: Centrelink complaints

Now it’s time for the crossbench question.

Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has a question for Human Services Minister Christian Porter on Centrelink, which he said is the subject of some of the most prevalent complaints to his office.

“People have to wait months for their applications to be processed, documents go missing. We are talking about the disabled, sick, unemployed and homeless, as well as aged carers, families and students, vulnerable people. Really, Centrelink is at breaking point, despite the best efforts of the staff. When will you say, enough is enough, and fix it?” Wilkie asks.

Porter gets laughter from Labor when he declares the Turnbull government is driving the “largest improvement program ever undertaken” by the Department of Social Services.

“The welfare payment system, child-support system and the Medicare system. All of these systems are 30 years old, which the former government failed to invest in. We are doing that investment right now.”

Greg Brown 2.22pm: Back to citizenship

Labor goes again on citizenship, despite Bill Shorten saying they would move on from the issue in parliament this week.

Frontbencher Jason Clare asks, yet again, if the government is delaying pulling the trigger on limiting gas exports because of doubts about Barnaby Joyce’s eligibility.

Malcolm Turnbull’s response is brief.

“The answer is no and I refer you to my earlier answers,” Turnbull says.

Rachel Baxendale 2.19pm: Tactics practise

Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon attempts to intervene on a point of order on Member for La Trobe Jason Wood’s Dixer for the PM on energy.

Wood asked the PM to update the house on “how the government’s energy policies are already pushing down gas and “electricity prices for households, and businesses, including in my electorate of La Trobe.”

“Mr Speaker, I refer you to page 557 of the practice, which says questions must not contain statements of fact unless they can be authenticated and are strictly necessary to answer the question,” Hunter stated, before being asked to resume his seat by an unimpressed Speaker Tony Smith.

“If members want me to adopt that practice strictly, as I have said, most of the opposition’s questions will be out of order,” he said.

PM Malcolm Turnbull says the opposition tactics committee “must be a fascinating place”.

He declares that Sky News political editor David Speers “speared” Labor energy spokesman Mark Butler in a recent interview during which Butler admitted that Labor was warned about the possibility of a future gas crisis while in government.

“Since we made our announcement that we would take steps to restrict (gas) exports, to protect the domestic market, wholesale spot prices in July were about $6 a gigajoule, as low as $6 per gigajoule,” Mr Turnbull said.

“You are already seeing positive results. Lower gas prices, a better outcome for all Australians.”

2.17pm:

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek links high power prices with Barnaby Joyce’s eligibility. Looks like they won’t give up on citizenship this week.

“Is the government refusing to pull the trigger on gas export controls because there are serious legal doubts about the ministerial actions of the Deputy Prime Minister? Why are doubts about his deputy standing in the way of lower power prices for Australians today?”

Malcolm Turnbull says it will take consultation before bringing in restrictions on gas exports, which is slated for next year.

“The minister’s determination, which is a determination that puts precise restrictions on exports, is one that is taken after a considerable amount of consultation and information and advice,” Turnbull says.

Greg Brown 2.15pm: Energy goes into energy

Bill Shorten opens Question Time with an energy question. (Watch QT in the video above)

“Since the 2013 election, have power prices gone up or down?”

Malcolm Turnbull hits back with the government’s new nickname for Shorten, “blackout Bill”.

That was regarded out of order by Speaker Tony Smith. Mr Smith warns parliament they better be better behaved this week than last week.

Labor MP Tim Watts is kicked out.

As the PM starts talking, Labor MPs s holding up four fingers in his direction, leading him to remind them it was the same hand gesture the Muslim Brotherhood used

“They are all making the sign of solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood, they might want to think about that,” Turnbull says.

He was forced to withdraw that one and proceeded to blame Labor for the high energy prices.

“Energy prices today are the consequence of reckless decisions taken by the Labor Party. There is no question about that,” Turnbull says.

“I don’t know what frustrates the Leader of the Opposition more, the reality that his party in government, in which government he was a minister, ignored the advice they received that their policy on allowing unrestricted export of gas from the east coast would put up prices and create tight supply, whether they ignored that, or whether his friend, the member for Port Adelaide, finally confessed to it.”

Greg Brown 1.58pm: Polling comes and goes

Labor front bencher Ed Husic says he is not concerned about Bill Shorten’s drop in popularity, declaring the opposition was leading the debate and in a strong position to win the next election.

Mr Husic said people would give Labor credit for doing policy work more than “sitting on its hands”.

“The bigger problem for the other side of politics is, more and more in the general community people think the government is a mess, that it’s lost direction, it’s not focused on the things that people think are important,” Mr Husic told Sky News.

“To be frank, I think the other side of politics has got its work cut out for it and I’m not necessarily phased by polling that comes and goes when you look at the state of play of the Coalition.”

Rachel Baxendale 1.15pm: Mental health ‘a big SSM issue’

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has hit back at Matt Canavan after the Nationals senator called for people offended by the same-sex marriage debate to “grow a spine” and stop being “delicate little flowers” amid warnings the campaign was having an impact on the mental health of gay people.

The National Mental Health Commission this morning said it was concerned about the detrimental impact the marriage debate would have on the mental health of people in same sex relationships.

The commission also sought to address claims from same-sex marriage opponents that children from same-sex parent families experience poorer health and social outcomes, stating “research in this area contradicts such claims” and citing a 2013 Australian Institute of Family Studies review of international literature on the subject.

Mr Bowen said Senator Canavan should be mindful that there are people “going through great anguish” as a result of the same-sex marriage debate.

“Mental health in the gay and lesbian community is a very big issue. It’s a big issue in the broader community as well of course, but there are young people in particular who are struggling with coming out, they’re struggling with this debate,” Mr Bowen said.

“We keep being told it’s a respectful debate, but it’s not always a respectful debate.

“If he’s saying to people who are on the other side of the argument to grow a spine and to listen to the arguments, I think that’s frankly a pretty unfortunate way of putting it.”

Rachel Baxendale 12.55pm: Media elite’s ‘double standard’

Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz has slammed what he terms a “disappointing double standard” in the same-sex marriage debate from “self-appointed media elite”.

Senator Abetz cited three examples from the last 48 hours, leading with the response to The Australian’s story about writer and same-sex marriage advocate Benjamin Law’s Twitter joke about “hate f. king” the homophobia out of “anti-gay MPs in parliament”.

Senator Eric Abetz has slammed Fairfax columnist Benjamin Law’s tweet.

“A left-wing comedian “jokes” about rape and having sex with right-wing members of parliament and there is relative silence and some MP’s even try to run a defence,” Senator Abetz said. “Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot.”

Senator Abetz also objected to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s declaration that he will legislate for same sex marriage even if the people vote no.

“Despite this, the same journalists and commentators who have demanded of me and others that we accept the will of the people have been silent,” he said.

Last year the Daily Mail headlined an article about Senator Abetz’s relationship with his gay press secretary “the awkward moment Senator Eric Abetz gets flustered as he refuses to say the word ‘gay’ in front of his homosexual staffer”, after Senator Abetz described the staffer as “same-sex attracted” during an ABC TV interview.

“It was disappointing that when Tanya Plibersek used the exact same term in a press conference that the same commentators and outrage merchants didn’t have a word to say about her use of the phrase,” Senator Abetz said.

Rachel Baxendale 12.30pm: Payment boost

Almost 5 million welfare recipients will receive a boost to their payments from September 20, as a result of twice-yearly indexation.

Payments for age and disability support pensioners will rise $6.10 a fortnight to $894.40 for singles and $4.60 a fortnight to $674.20 for each member

of a couple.

Newstart recipients will get a $3.20 per fortnight increase for childless singles, rising to $538.80, while couples will get an extra $2.90 a fortnight for a total payment of $486.50.

Single parenting payment recipients will get an extra $4.50 a fortnight for a total payment of $748.10.

Payment rates are adjusted in March and September each year.

Pension rates are linked to prices and wages while payments such as Newstart and Youth Allowance are linked to the Consumer Price Index.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the increases would help pensioners and allowance recipients keep up with increases in living costs.

“Rent Assistance rates also increase from next week and a range of income and assets limits for pensions and allowances will also increase as a result of indexation,” Mr Porter said.

“The amount self-funded retirees can earn to qualify for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which provides access to cheaper medicines and a range of state/territory government and local government concessions increases by $1,003 annually for singles and $802 annually for each member of a couple.”

On January 1 the Turnbull government tightened the rules around the pension assets test, reducing the part pension cut-off level for single homeowners from $793,750 to $542,500 and single non-homeowners from $945,250 to $742,500 and for couple homeowners from $1,178,500 to $816,000 and couple non-homeowners from $1,330,000 to $1,016,000.

Rachel Baxendale 11.45am: Birmingham seizes on uni growth

Education Minister Simon Birmingham has seized on news universities have spent $1.7bn over seven years on advertising, using it to bolster the government’s case for reform of the higher education sector which will universities subjected to a 2.5 per cent efficiency dividend between next year and 2019.

The Turnbull government’s $2.7bn tertiary overhaul will also tie about $500m a year in university funding to performance ­improvements, and require graduates to begin paying back their HELP debt at 1 per cent when their income reaches $42,000.

Senator Birmingham said that since 2009 universities had seen revenue growth of 70 to 71 per cent.

“They’ve seen their revenue per student grow at about 15 per cent compared with costs growing at around nine per cent, so we know from the evidence that there’s been enormous growth in revenue funding and of course enormous opportunities for efficiencies to be achieved as they get greater economies of scale from having record numbers of students and revenue growing faster than costs growing,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.

“What we’re proposing is to make a contribution towards repairing the budget deficit that unis face a slightly slower rate of growth over the next four year, funding growth that would still accord in terms of taxpayer funded growth with around 23 per cent growth over the next four years.

“Now pretty much any small business around the country would love to have that sort of certainty, that sort of growth projection. There is nothing for universities to fear around the changes we’ve proposed.”

Greg Brown 11.30am: ‘Grow a spine’

Nationals senator Matt Canavan says people offended by the same-sex marriage debate need to “grow a spine” and stop being “delicate little flowers” amid warnings the campaign was having an impact on the mental health of gay people.

Mr Canavan said this morning the debate had not been “that bad” in response to a statement by the National Mental Health Commission which issued concern about the impact the campaign could have on gay people.

“Can’t we just all grow a spine and grow up? The debate hasn’t been that bad, indeed if there is any complaints to be had it’s from those who advocate Yes, some of the vile tweets and statements we have heard from Yes campaigners,” Mr Canavan said.

“But I can ignore that, let’s stop being delicate little flowers and have a proper debate.

“This is an institution that has stood the test of time for thousands of years, it is an institution that remains a union between a man and a woman in a majority of countries, all countries really in our region and that is going to be maintained for years.”

Mr Canavan said it was hypocrisy for Yes campaigners to call No advocates bigots, given they would not go to Indonesia and do the same.

“Say we do change the law here in Australia and apparently if you do hold a different view and hold a traditional view of marriage you are a bigot, how do we go to Indonesia and talk to them in reasonable way?

“These people say if you hold a different view you are a bigot, Indonesia is not going to change.”

Rachel Baxendale 11.15am: Forster urges respect

Same-sex marriage advocate Christine Forster has urged both sides of the debate to be respectful of one another in the lead-up to the Turnbull government’s postal survey, after a government body today warned of a negative impact on the mental health of LGBTI Australians.

The National Mental Health Commission said it was concerned about the detrimental impact the marriage debate would have on the mental health of people in same sex relationships.

Ms Forster, who is a Liberal Sydney City councillor, said the Yes campaign would be won through respectful conversations between family members and friends.

She said she expected to meet with her brother, former Prime Minister and No case advocate Tony Abbott, later this week.

“In terms of my own family I’ve just been in China for a week on holiday so I haven’t had a conversation with my brother lately person to person but we’re planning to catch up this week and I will have a conversation with him about how I think the campaign’s going,” Mr Forster told Sky News.

“He obviously is campaigning for the No side, I’m campaigning for the Yes side, but the important thing is that we respect each other’s views on this, our differing views, and we have a conversation (and) ... at the end of the day we remain friends.”

Greg Brown 11am: Joyce on AGL meeting

Barnaby Joyce says he witnessed AGL chief executive Andy Vesey say the energy giant was prepared to sell the Liddell Power Station in the NSW Hunter Valley.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he was in a meeting with Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison when the AGL chief said he would be willing to sell the coal power plant.

Mr Vesey said last week AGL planned to shut the plant down in 2022 and the company had no plans to sell.

“I was at the meeting with the Prime Minister and the Treasurer with others when he said he would sell Liddell to a responsible party, now he is the boss and he said he would do that, now we will find a responsible party and see if he wants to sell it to them,” Mr Joyce told ABC radio.

He would not say if the government would offer subsidies to a buyer to keep the coal station open to 2027.

“I’m not going to start suggesting options because as soon as you suggest options they work out tactics to stop them so you don’t do it like that,” he said.

Mr Turnbull and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg will meet with Mr Vesey today.

The Prime Minister said this morning the Australia would have a power shortage if Liddell closed in 2022.

“We don’t want to have a repeat of the Hazelwood situation where a big power station is shut down and then there is nothing to put in its place and you get a big increase in prices,” Mr Turnbull told Triple M.

“The closure of another big power station in NSW, called Liddell, in 2022 will result in a big gap in baseload power that year. So we are looking at all the options to plug that gap and the obvious one is the keep it running for a few more years.”

Greg Brown 10.40am: ‘Renewables need to be subsidised’

Barnaby Joyce says renewables need to be subsidised for Australia to meet its international climate change commitments despite the Nationals voting on the weekend to eliminate them.

Mr Joyce said the vote against renewable subsidies and a clean energy target at the Nationals weekend conference showed power prices was the biggest concern for people in the regions.

But he noted the parliamentary party was not bound to the motions passed at the weekend conference and that everything would be negotiated with its larger Coalition partner.

“I believe we have got to comply with our international agreements, we are also part of a cabinet negations on international agreements and if you negotiate them you have got to comply with them,” Mr Joyce told ABC radio

“Subsidies are essential if you want to comply your international agreement.

“We are guided by our party and we respect the views from our party, we are not instructed by it, we’ve got to make sure that we take those negotiations into a Coalition, into our business arrangement with the Liberal Party.”

Mr Joyce said a clean energy target was still on the table.

“What it shows quite clearly is out in the regions power prices are the number one issue,” Mr Joyce said.

“The number one issue for them is not same-sex marriage, it is not that Lachlan Macquarie or Captain Cook were bad buggers, it is not changing Australia Day, it is about energy prices.

“Energy prices and how you have affordable and reliable power and how you manage to keep the dignity in the house with Mr and Mrs Smith on 123 Jones Street so they can actually have a job that requires power and have a house that they are able to afford to pay the bill.”

Rachel Baxendale 10.20am: Government deliberating on Finkel target

Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham says the government is continuing to deliberate on Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s recommendation of a clean energy target, after the National Party voted against the measure at its conference over the weekend.

“Work on that recommendation out of Finkel continues, and we will make sure that we do all of the analysis that is necessary to make a decision that is in the interests of Australian consumers, households, businesses in terms of the way in which any clean energy target or similar policy could be structured,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.

Senator Cormann downplayed the Nationals’ motion, saying many motions get debated at party conferences.

“We’ll of course hear the views of our membership, but we’ll also be very mindful about what is in the best interests of Australians to ensure affordability and reliability in our energy markets in the future, and what that requires is to keep on working on keeping baseload dispatchable power systems like Liddell open for as long as possible.”

Senator Cormann said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would be working on keeping the Liddell coal-fired power station in NSW’s Hunter Valley open when he met with the CEO of Liddell owner AGL Andy Vesey today.

“That is of course a key part of the Prime Minister’s discussions today and we will keep a focus on how we can keep that major generator going longer to make sure we have reliable power, cheap power, affordable power coming into the energy market, while of course pursuing new investments around areas like Snowy 2.0, other projects around the country that can also give us dispatchable power when we need it,” he said.

9.54am: Shorten falls in poll

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says poll out today which show’s Bill Shorten trailing Malcolm Turnbull as preferred PM, 31 to 48, shows Australians are “increasingly suspicious” of the Labor leader.

The Ipsos poll also showed the government more than ten points ahead of the opposition on economic management, despite remaining behind on two-party preferred stakes, 47 to 53.

“As people look at what Bill Shorten is proposing to do, they realise they would leave all of us worse off, that it would lead to less growth, to fewer jobs, to lower wages, to less opportunity for people across Australia to get ahead,” Senator Cormann told Sky News.

But Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus has played down Mr Shorten’s unpopularity in Fairfax-Ipsos poll, saying the only thing that matters is the two-party preferred vote.

“The trend of the two-party preferred is the safe guide, the only safe guide to election results; very many elections have been won by parties led by Opposition Leaders who were less popular. ” Mr Dreyfus told ABC radio.

Greg Brown 9.44am: Postal survey deal

Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus says the government and opposition are close to striking a deal that would that would put campaign regulations during the postal survey.

Mr Dreyfus said the government looks like it will agree to a provision that would ban vilification.

“We have been negotiating through the weekend, and in particular Labor has asked the government to include a provision that would ban vilification — hate speech — and it looks at this stage like the government is prepared to agree to that,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“We haven’t yet hit on the final form of words but those negotiations are going to continue today. Obviously, we need to get this legislation through the Parliament as quick as possible, certainly by the end of this sitting week.”

He said there would be other regulations for campaigning which include forced authorisations.

“I think most people would agree we want to see people put a name to statements that they make and advertisements that they put out, and what’s broadcast,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“So there’s going to be authorisation provisions just like we see at election time. There’s some other provisions, anti-bribery, anti-fraud provisions again which may be of some assistance.

Rachel Baxendale 9.25am: Safeguards ‘by end of week’

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the government is hopeful of passing legislation before the end of the week to ensure the integrity of the same-sex marriage postal survey.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is due to begin sending ballot papers out tomorrow, with the result due on November 15.

Senator Cormann said the government has always been keen to ensure that the survey would be conducted in a similar manner to an election, as run by the Australian Electoral Commission.

“I’m quietly optimistic that we’ll be able to reach a consensus (with Labor) which hopefully will see additional safeguards legislated through the parliament by the end of this week,” Senator Cormann told Sky News.

“The intention is to finalise the discussions today and to finalise legislation through the parliament by the end of the week.”

Senator Cormann said the government was hoping to provide for authorisation requirements for advertising.

“We want to provide fair opportunity for both sides of the argument through broadcasters to get their views heard,” he said.

“We want to ensure that there’s no misleading of Australians in terms of how to fill in their survey form, a range of other provisions that would normally apply during election periods.”

Senator Cormann said there were already laws prohibiting vilification and intimidation, but that the government wanted to ensure all Australians had the opportunity to express their opinion freely.

Greg Brown 9.10am: MP welcomes Turnbull backing

Liberal MP Tim Wilson has welcomed Malcolm Turnbull showing a stronger presence in the Yes campaign.

Mr Wilson, a gay marriage advocate, said this morning the reform was one based on conservative ideals.

“He is going to keep saying that, he has been saying it for a long time, nothing has changed but now we are in formal campaign following the High Court’s decision,” Mr Wilson said.

“He is going to be clear and unambiguous and that’s a good thing because my hope is there is a successful Yes vote, that we can legislate this change before Christmas.

“That is a fundamental Liberal ideal that people enter committed relationships as a foundation for family, community and country.”

Greg Brown 9am: ‘A matter of fairness’

Malcolm Turnbull says marriage is the bedrock of society and that legalising gay marriage would do nothing to undermine the institution.

A day after speaking at the Liberal Nationals Yes campaign, Mr Turnbull said legalising gay marriage was a matter of fairness.

“I passionately believe in marriage and I believe it is the bedrock of our society,” Mr Turnbull told Triple M radio.

“So if two gay people who have got a commitment to each other and who are living together and who are supporting each other through life's ups and downs and tribulations and successes and everything else, why shouldn't we recognise that as a marriage.”

Mr Turnbull said Australia would be a better place if there were more people married.

“I know I sound like a very conservative person when I say this but it is very heartfelt, I sincerely believe we would be a stronger nation if more people were married and fewer divorced,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Throughout all my life I have encouraged the singles to get married, the married to stay married, for people who are straying to mend their ways and people who have been wronged to forgive.”

Mr Turnbull said the only thing that threatened marriage was a lack of commitment.

“So what threatens marriage it’s neglect, it’s abandonment, its adultery, it is basically losing that commitment,” Mr Turnbull said.

“If two gay people down the road who are living together decide to get married, how does that threaten my nearly 38 year marriage to Lucy? Of course it doesn’t.

“If lack of commitment is the problem then people showing commitment should be a positive, it actually would encourage people to do the same.”

Rachel Baxendale 8.40am: Hanson criticised Nats over burka vote

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised the National Party for voting down a ban on the burka 55 to 51 votes at its conference over the weekend, saying she’s travelled Australia since wearing a burka in Senate Question Time and faced no backlash.

“I’ve travelled across Canberra to Tasmania to Sydney plus also through Queensland and out to Birdsville which I’ve met about 8000 people went there, so you can imagine the numbers of people from all over Australia,” Senator Hanson said.

“Not once, not once have I been actually criticised about the burka, and people want a banning on full face coverings, so I don’t think (the National Party) are representing the National voters and I think that will be evident at the next election.”

Greg Brown 8.25am: ‘Get out of my face’

Barnaby Joyce has urged same-sex marriage campaigners from both sides to “get out of my face” while saying he did not want to push the No vote due to the personal backlash.

The Deputy Prime Minister said his views on marriage were personal and he did not want get involved in the debate.

He said people had made up their mind on the issue and were “sick of being yelled at” by campaigners from both sides.

“I don’t want to be yelled at by groups who tell me I’m somehow less than human if I’ve got a different view from them and sometimes that comes from both sides,” Mr Joyce told ABC radio.

“I believe in the current definition of marriage, I’m no saint I just believe that is the contract that works, if you want to know my position there it is, I get one vote, you get one vote everyone gets one vote.

“The one thing I like about my personal views is I like to keep them personal.

“I can’t stand these people who stand at the corner and start yelling at you about what your views are on a very personal issue. Get out of my face, leave me alone, I’ll make the decision myself.”

Mr Joyce said he had no problem with Malcolm Turnbull campaigning for the Yes case as it was not an issue drawn on party lines.

But he said zealous advocates on both sides were damaging their own cause.

“People are sick at being yelled at in some instances by both sides, they have made up their mind, they have it worked out, they are going to send their ballot back and sometimes I believe on both sides the advocacy is doing ore to harm than to help,” Mr Joyce said.

“Whatever that view is I will not vote against the Australian people, so if the Australian people want to change the definition of marriage then I will not vote against it, if they want to keep the definition as it is then it stays where it is.

“I just don’t want people standing at the corner yelling at me, telling me if I don’t agree with them that I am somehow less than human.

“Just get out of my face.”

7.15am: Making headlines

• The Nationals have sent a message to Malcolm Turnbull to repudiate the central finding of the Finkel review for a clean energy target and eliminate subsidies for renewables to maximise the difference with Labor over surging power bills.

• A ban on government-backed loans for onshore coal and resource export operations will be overturned in the “national interest” to help fund billions of dollars in projects that are threatened by the growing reluctance of the major banks to back them.

• The financial regulator will be granted broad new powers to force the $2.3 trillion superannuation industry to make detailed disclosures of millions of dollars in hidden annual payments to unions and employer groups, and issue orders against any fund that fails to act in the best interests of its members.

• The ALP’s biggest union affiliate, the shop assistants union, has been paying 10 per cent of members’ dues in commissions to Coles and Woolworths under an extraordinary arrangement that generously compensated the supermarket giants for deducting union fees from the pay of thousands of workers.

• A breakthrough on the media reform bill deadlock could be announced today after a series of tense conference calls over the weekend that has seen the historic package go down to the wire.