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PoliticsNow: The contrast on same-sex marriage was made plain as the PM stood by his plan for a people’s vote.

Jared Owens and David Crowe
32 min read
3:30PMOctober 11, 2016.
Updated 6:51PMOctober 11, 2016
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A plebiscite is a dangerous thing to do for the mental health in the LGBT community

Welcome to PoliticsNow — read today’s coverage of federal politics from The Australian’s team at Parliament House in Canberra.

4.10pm:Question Time: things we learned

A plebiscite is a dangerous thing to do for the mental health in the LGBT community

The government wandered its way through Question Time and needs to step things up, writes David Crowe.

The contrast on same sex-marriage was made plain in Question Time on Tuesday as Malcolm Turnbull stood by the Coalition plan for a “people’s vote” while Bill Shorten tried to shame the government into backing down. The impasse is obvious. Turnbull’s approach is to insist there is still a chance for the Senate to support a plebiscite.

Marriage equality was the dominant issue of the day but may not be so for much longer. Labor confirmed its stance against the plebiscite and Turnbull responded in the only way possible – to cement the policy he took to the election. Shorten attempted the most emotional line of attack possible, warning that a plebiscite would put the mental health of Australians at risk. Turnbull offered a measured response: that Australians are “quite capable of having a civilised discussion” in a popular vote.

Labor’s tactics kept the government on the defensive throughout Question Time. Labor MPs heckled throughout the responses from ministers. Shorten and his colleagues attacked on Medicare, the plebiscite and the dispute over Attorney-General George Brandis and the Solicitor-General, Justin Gleeson. In the sharpest question of the day, Anthony Albanese score a point against Trade Minister Steve Ciobo over the government’s decision to increase the passenger movement charge weeks after complaining about the hit to travellers.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop more than made up for this by attacking Labor on its mixed messages on the South China Sea – and Paul Keating’s rebuke to Labor defence spokesman Richard Marles.

Even so, there is something tentative about the way ministers are approaching Question Time this week. Turnbull and his colleagues have prepared their answers so that they use up every second of their allotted three minutes with earnest arguments that look good on paper.

When asked about the credibility of his policy on Medicare, for instance, Turnbull offered a lawyerly response about the logic of the argument put by Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King. It ran for the full three minutes. He would have been better taking up just 15 seconds reminding Labor of the questions over its integrity after the misleading “privatising Medicare” scare campaign during the election.

The government could save a lot of time, and gain a bigger political advantage, by taking a more aggressive approach.

3.19pm:That’s a wrap

Malcolm Turnbull has been jeered by Labor MPs, including Bill Shorten, for drawing question time to a close. The Speaker admonishes Shorten as “quite disorderly”. “The Prime Minister can end Question Time at any time and those rules have existed longer than both the football teams we support. It’s very, very well written up,” Tony Smith says. That’s a wrap from QT.

3.17pm:Youth mental health

Health Minister Sussan Ley is asked by a Coalition MP to reaffirm the government’s commitment to youth mental health program Head Space. Unsurprisingly, she does. Ley says mental health spending is underpinned by the “tough decisions” needed to provide a “healthier Medicare”.

“Only by managing sensible, measured, sustainable health policy are we able to make the announcements that we made during the campaign about mental health, we are only able to add $192 million of effectively new funding,” she says.

3.15pm:More from Dreyfus

Dreyfus comes back for another chomp. How could the Attorney-General consult with Gleeson in November 2015 about a document that did not exist in April 2016? Keenan retorts that the Labor backbench, which appears so animated by the issue, don’t actually understand a word about the role of the Solicitor. He provides no further elucidation.

3.13pm:Defence ‘foundation stone’

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne is asked by South Australian colleague Nicolle Flint about the structural separation of the Australian Submarine Corporation announced earlier today.

Pyne says it is part of the government’s “foundation stone” for its defence industry plan.

3.11pm: ‘No comment’ from Keenan

Mark Dreyfus asks Justice Minister Michael Keenan for the answers to questions he put yesterday about the Attorney-General’s dealings with the Solicitor-General. Mr Keenan, who was floored by the questions yesterday, has come back prepared to be of little assistance. He tables a copy of the Attorney’s already-public submission to a Senate inquiry on the topic and issues a “no comment” on the topic of legal advice provided to the government.

3.09pm:Dutton on CFMEU and bikies

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is asked about what he’s doing to crack down on bikies. He accuses the Labor Party of being soft on ice-trafficking bikies because of their alleged links to the militant CFMEU construction union. “We know the CFMEU, the most militant union in the country, employs outlaw motorcycle gang members to stand over builders and workers on building and construction sites around the country,” Mr Dutton says. “Why would this Leader of the Opposition turn a blind eye to the activities of the CFMEU and of the bikies providing that standover and muscle on those building sites around the country? There are 1.3 million reasons why he did it last year, because the CFMEU donated $1.3 million to the Labor Party last year alone.” Mr Shorten’s manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, uses successive points of order to accuse Mr Dutton of imputing improper motives by the ALP leader and asks that Mr Dutton withdraw. The Speaker says there are “tough questions and tough answers” in the house and, although he took the issue seriously, he did not see Mr Dutton as overstepping the mark.

3.05pm:Meanwhile in the Senate

Question Time is underway in the Senate, with caucus’s rejection of a same sex marriage plebiscite, Attorney-General George Brandis’s disagreement with Solicitor-General Simon Gleeson, and SA Labor powerbroker Don Farrell’s ascension to deputy leader in the Senate and Shadow Special Minister of State dominating proceedings.

Government senate leader George Brandis began by congratulating Senator Farrell and saying he was a popular Senator, especially on the government side of the house, reports Rachel Baxendale.

Senator Farrell thanked him, saying he doubted his popularity with government senators would last as he launched into a series of questions accusing Senator Brandis of misleading parliament over whether or not he consulted Mr Gleeson before issuing a legal direction preventing him from providing advice to Senator Brandis’s colleagues.

Victorian Liberal MP Jane Hume asked Employment Minister Michaelia Cash a dixer about the government’s success last night in passing the CFA legislation. Senator Cash warmly thanked crossbenchers from the Xenophon, One Nation and Derryn Hinch parties for supporting it.

WA Liberal Linda Reynolds asked Senator Brandis another dixer about the consequences of Labor’s decision to reject a plebiscite in same sex marriage.

Senator Brandis accused the ALP of “driving a stake through the heart of gay marriage in Australia. Yelling ensued, with Labor Senate leader Penny Wong going toe-to-toe until both were reprimanded by the Senate President. “It matters to me,” Senator Wong yelled.

“Why don’t you do something about it?” Senator Brandis responded.

3.00pm:Must-watch TV

If you think Question Time is a little dull ... and in case you missed this on Sky News last night — watch former Liberal MP Ross Cameron offering his defence of Donald Trump and his comments on women.

2.55pm:‘Need for China clarity’

Kevin Andrews, the former defence minister, asks a question of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. What does she say about the need for clarity in policy around the South China Sea? This is prompted by Paul Keating’s criticisms of the ALP’s policies in The Australian today.

“What we have seen from the Leader of the Opposition is a complete failure of leadership on the South China Sea as Labor has announced inconsistent, contradictory positions,” Bishop tells the chamber. “Over the weekend, Labor’s shadow defence minister (Richard Marles) decided Australia should escalate tensions by having our navy conduct freedom of navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-controlled land features that are also contested by other claimants.

“This is too important an issue for Labor folly and indulgence and inconsistency. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to confirm that it is Labor’s policy that the Australian Navy should sail within 12 nautical miles of contested features in the South China Sea — something Australia has not ever done before.

“It is time for the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership over his party on this issue. It is too important for Australia to have the inconsistent mutterings from the Leader of the Opposition and his contradictory pronouncements on this issue.”

2.53pm: Question from Aly

Anne Aly, the new ALP member for Cowan in Western Australia, notes her Liberal predecessor raised in parliament concerns about slow internet in the Perth suburb of Greenwood. What’s the government done since to deal with this? Turnbull says he’ll consult with the relevant minister, Senator Mitch Fifield, and come back with the precise detail but notes she could have asked the NBN Co. “When the Labor Party lost office in 2013, construction had barely started and was stopped in Western Australia, so there was a complete failure. The contractor actually imploded effectively, so the NBN Co had to start again,” he says. “The construction of the NBN is more advanced in some other States but it is catching up.”

2.50pm:Tax cuts again

The Coalition is hammering the tax cut message. Small Business Minister Michael McCormack takes a Dorothy Dixer about how the Coalition’s policy would help the seat of Wright, in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley. “Why do you hate small business? Why do you hate small business?” McCormack hounds Labor.

2.47pm:A welcome to visitors

The Speaker has indicated there are some international guests in the gallery. A delegation from The Philippines and the German government’s parliamentary secretary for health, Ingrid Fischbach.

2.44pm:‘NBN is connecting’

Michelle Rowland, the opposition communications spokeswoman, asks about Optus’s abandonment of HFC cables as part of the NBN roll-out. Turnbull had previously touted the cables as a means of delivering fast broadband. Turnbull dodges the HFC question, steering the conversation towards the speed of the government’s broadband roll-out. “As of 29 September, so we’ll get some new numbers in a day or so, there are now 1.37 million premises actually activated, accessing the network, paying customers,” Turnbull says.

“The NBN Co is doing is connecting — that is to say, activating, signing up new customers — at the rate of around 90,000 every four weeks. In six years, Labor connected 50,000.

“Unlike the Labor Party, we do not turn technology into ideology. They make the same mistake with telecommunications as they do with climate policy and renewables policy.

“Of course, we could have stuck with Labor’s ideological plan, would have taken another $30 billion and taken six to eight years longer.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during House of Representatives Question Time.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during House of Representatives Question Time.

2.40pm:‘Labor a handbrake on aspiration’

Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer is asked by Liberal MP Jason Wood about company taxes.

She uses the opportunity to plug a “very successful” cafe in Wood’s country electorate of La Trobe, the Nomadic Cafe, which “opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it has now employed more than 25 employees”.

“Those opposite would put a handbrake on the aspiration of small business. They would limit small business from being able to access company tax cuts, from being able to access discounts, from being able to access the instant asset write-off if they had any more than $2 million in turnover,” she says. “We on this side of the house want to grow small business. We want them to be able to employ more Australians.”

2.36pm: Ciobo gives Butler a promotion

Labor’s Anthony Albanese is targeting Trade Minister Steve Ciobo over the Coalition’s planned hike in the passenger movement charge (a tax levied on international plane tickets). Ciobo in August said any such hike would “choking the golden goose that is Australia’s tourism industry” but the government has since announced the new hike. Ciobo comes back swinging, quoting Labor frontbencher Mark Butler as having previously advocated lifting the PMC in line with inflation to support the budget. “That would seem like a fiscally prudent approach ... that reflects the need for governments to be responsible. You’d almost expect it to be a comment on our side of the chamber but, in fact, it is a comment by the minister opposite — the shadow minister opposite.” Labor gets a rise out of Ciobo’s initial description of Butler as a minister.

2.34pm:Ghost of Gillard

Treasurer Scott Morrison is asked about the Coalition’s business tax cuts. Mr Morrison trots out a range of quotes from Bill Shorten, Julia Gillard and Chris Bowen all favouring company tax cuts and savages the ALP for opposing tax cuts for businesses with turnover upwards of $2 million. “There are 100,000 businesses with a turnover of between $2 and $10 million. They employ on average some 22 people. 2.2 million Australians’ jobs depend on the health and wellbeing of the small businesses they work for,” he said.

2.30pm:Question from MP for Indi

Cathy McGowan, the independent MP for Indi, asks about childcare to farming and Aboriginal communities in regional Victoria. “I can inform her the government will carefully transition services to enable them to become approved to administer the childcare subsidy where appropriate,” Mr Turnbull answers.

2.25pm:Plebiscite is ‘perfectly democratic’

Bill Shorten asks Malcolm Turnbull for his response to Pat McGorry, an esteemed expert in public mental health, who has criticised the plebisicte. Mr Turnbull — whose seat of Wentworth includes gay-friendly Darlinghurst — says he’s very aware of the concerns and has “very high regard” for McGorry. However, he says, the plebiscite is a “perfectly democratic process”.

“The Honourable Members opposite should remember that it was not so long ago that their own leader, the Member for Maribyrnong, supported a plebiscite. He advocated a plebiscite. What’s changed? The thing that’s changed is the politics.”

2.20pm: Barnaby on Labor silence

Barnaby Joyce is asked by Nationals backbencher David Littleproud about regional development.

The Deputy PM criticises the Labor Party, whom he says “don’t believe in building dams”, and cites record agricultural prices for cattle, meat sheep and pork. He says his Labor shadows have never asked him a question on water policy and he’s not faced a policy question from ALP agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon for more than a year. Fitzgibbon seeks a point of order but Joyce persists on shouting over the Speaker and earns a formal warning from the Speaker.

The Hunter MP finally gets his point of order, but it’s an insubstantial abuse of process. He adds: “And why would I ask him (Joyce) a question if he doctors the Hansard answers?”

Fitzgibbon joins Perrett in being sent out under 94A.

2.15pm:A question of Mediscare

Labor’s turn and they’re heading back into the health space.

Catherine King, the opposition health spokeswoman, wants to know if the PM is seriously suggesting that his credibility on Medicare was not harmed by his government’s budget savings and yet “couldn’t withstand a text message”.

Turnbull accuses Labor of “revelling in the success” of the controversial text message, which left older Australians “frightened out of their wits”.

“What she’s asking is whether the dishonest text message had any effect?” he asks. “She is like somebody who is charged or sued for misrepresentation, for telling a falsehood, for misleading somebody and whose defence is not that the statement was accurate, not that it did not mislead but that it didn’t have any effect.

“How low has the Labor Party sunk to that? So that they think it’s a joke to send millions of text messages to older vulnerable Australians which appeared to come from Medicare, which were designed, which were calculated, to mislead?”

Labor is up in arms.

Graham Perrett, the MP for Moreton, is kicked out under 94A. Tanya Plibersek is formally warned. Wayne Swan is called to order three times, but appears to be so animated he doesn’t hear the Speaker. We’re not even 15 minutes in yet.

2.10pm:Soft question

Victorian Liberal MP Julia Banks asks a very soft question of Turnbull about his economic plan.

Turnbull starts rattling off the government’s policies on tax cuts, budget savings, infrastructure spending and defence industry but then segues to the Country Fire Authority legislation that passed last night.

“The Country Fire Authority volunteers of Australia, that the Labor Party abandoned to a militant union, that they disrespected and allowed the very volunteer essence of the CFA to be compromised, we stood up for them,” he says.

“We said we would defend them as they defended us and we have defended them.”

2.05pm:Question Time under way: First question

Bill Shorten has the first question and it goes to Malcolm Turnbull’s “six-year freeze” in Medicare rebates.

Turnbull notes the freeze was initially introduced by Labor and extended when it was due to

expire. “The honourable member knows very well that the Medicare freeze is not, as he said ‘your Medicare freeze’; it is his Medicare freeze,” Turnbull says.

Turning to the Medicare privatisation scare campaign during the election, the Prime Minister earns a stern admonition from the Speaker for asserting that Mark Dreyfus, a Queen’s Counsel and the shadow attorney-general, “thinks telling lies are funny”.

Members cannot reflect on other members, and the word “lie” is unparliamentary.

2.00pm:Plebiscite reaction

Same-sex marriage campaigners have applauded Labor’s rejection of the plebiscite, saying the decision will “literally save lives”. However the Australian Christian Lobby has cautioned the Coalition against betraying voters by not sticking to its guns on the plebiscite.

ACL spokesman Lyle Shelton said, accusing Labor of denying ordinary voters a say on what he termed the biggest social policy change in a generation. “The Coalition went to the last election promising a people’s vote and won the election. It would be a breach of trust by government members to allow any other pathway for change,” he said.

Australian Marriage Equality chairman Alex Greenwich said Labor had listened to the concerns of the gay and lesbian community and the end game must be a vote in the parliament. “The political reality is that the plebiscite is dead and there’s strong support for marriage equality in the community,” Mr Greenwich said.

Rodney Croome, a veteran of the campaign for gay rights, said some Liberals were already discussing a parliamentary vote. “Not only is there another way forward, it is already taking shape with Liberal backbenchers talking privately about revisiting a free vote and with various supporters of marriage equality talking about a cross-party bill in the Senate,” Mr Croome said.

“I’m relieved that there won’t be a plebiscite because it will literally save lives.” — With AAP

1.50pm:More from the partyroom

Malcolm Turnbull and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce have slammed Labor over the South Australian blackout, saying the state and federal parties were taking an “ideological” approach instead of a “practical” one. The Nationals leader focused much of his address to the partyroom on the “incompetence” of the ALP and pointed to the blackout as the most recent example, reports Rosie Lewis. “When you have Labor in power you get a blackout. They couldn’t run a chook raffle in a pub on a Friday night because they are pathologically hopeless,” Mr Joyce said. The PM referred to the state Labor government as one that “can’t keep the lights on”. Mr Joyce also welcomed the Baird government’s reversal of the state’s ban on greyhound racing.

1.45pm:Lone voice in partyroom

The plebiscite is the hot talking point in Parliament House today but just one Coalition MP spoke about the public vote during the joint partyroom meeting, reports Rosie Lewis. The MP reminded his colleagues of the promise the Coalition had made at the last election to deal with the issue of same-sex marriage by way of a plebiscite. No one else spoke on the matter.

12.58pm:No comment over free vote

Turnbull refused to comment on whether he would allow a free vote in parliament, resisting the view that the plebiscite bill was doomed.

“We are delivering on our commitment to the Australian people to bring a plebiscite before the parliament and advocate and argue and contend for its passage,” he said.

12.55pm:Turnbull on plebiscite

Malcolm Turnbull insists he has a “mandate” for a same-sex marriage plebiscite, accusing Labor of “trying to subvert a straightforward democratic process”.

“(Bill Shorten) has decided he does not want a plebiscite on any terms. He does not want the Australian people to have any say on any terms. Well we do, we have a mandate for it, and we are asking the Senate to do their job and support it,” he said.

“The bill is before the parliament and the parliament has to do its work.”

12.50pm:PM backs Keating view

Defence Minister Marise Payne says moves to rotate Singaporean troops through northern Australia for training and exercises are a “huge game-changer” in the region. The Singaporean prime minister will address parliament in Canberra tomorrow.

Turnbull said: “Regional security is more important than ever. The relative peace and harmony in our region is the foundation upon which the greatest economic transformation in the history of mankind has been based... All of our efforts are focused on that.”

The Prime Minister says he agrees with Paul Keating’s criticisms of Labor’s position on the South China Sea, criticising the ALP’s open canvassing of its position as “immature” and against the national interest.

“I hope it won’t surprise you to learn that I am not going to canvass matters are this kind in public. And frankly, while being in opposition gives you certain liberties, it is not very promising for a party that claims to be an alternative government to be canvassing matters like this in the highly political way they are,” he said.

“Our position on the South China Sea is very well-known and very well understood. By all the parties, including China.”

12.40pm:

Turnbull and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann are holding a press conference about the restructuring of the ASC - the Australian Submarine Corporation.

Senator Cormann said the structural separation of ASC into separate shipbuilding, infrastructure and submarine maintenance companies by mid-2017 will not impact employees’ terms and conditions.

Senator Cormann said the government had no plans to privatise any of the new companies.

It is designed to ensure ASC can pursue new contracts and meet the government’s needs.

“This reform will deliver a more efficient and fixable approach to facilitate the necessary investment and infrastructure and workforce capability and a significant ramp up in shipbuilding related jobs,” Senator Cormann said.

The Prime Minister said Australian shipyards currently “do not have the capacity to undertake the scale of construction that we need”, noting the Labor Party’s failure to commission new naval vessels during its six years of government.

12.30pm:Comment: No end to deadlock in sight

“The impasse over marriage equality is now official. The question is how many years it will last.”

You can read David Crowe’s full comment on this morning’s developments in the same-sex marriage debate HERE

12.20pm:Farrell fills Contory role

South Australian Labor senator Don Farrell has been elected to fill the vacancy in Bill Shorten’s shadow ministry caused by the resignation of Stephen Conroy.

Senator Farrell – nicknamed “the Godfather” – was also catapulted into the ALP’s leadership group, filling Mr Conroy’s former role as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and also takes on his portfolios of shadow special minister of state and the opposition spokesman for sport.

Senator Farrell, a member of Mr Conroy’s right faction, was widely expected to step in to fill the shoes of the former communications minister.

Bill Shorten said in a statement: “Senator Farrell is an experienced member of Labor’s Senate team and a passionate advocate for South Australia. Our team will benefit greatly from Senator Farrell’s steady hand and his calm resolve.”

Mr Shorten added the portfolios of “digital economy” and “future of work” to the responsibilities of Ed Husic, already the opposition spokesman for employment services and workforce participation.

Pat Conroy, the shadow assistant minister for climate change and infrastructure, has had “energy” added to his portfolios.

12.15pm:Labor caucus support for government bills

The Labor caucus agreed to support nine government bills this morning, including a $163.6 million reduction in licence fees for commercial TV and radio stations.

Labor will also support the Criminal Code Amendment (Firearms Trafficking) Bill which imposes mandatory minimum sentences (once anathema to Labor) and increased maximum penalties for international gun-running.

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Television and Radio Licence Fees) Bill will grant a 25 per cent reduction in the licence fees payable by the commercial television and radio broadcasters.

Another bill that won Labor’s backing is the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) which, among other things, enables control orders to be imposed on children as young as 14 years.

The other bills are: Higher Education Support Legislation Amendment (2016 Measures No. 1) Bill, Water Legislation Amendment (Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Student Payments) Bill, Narcotic Drugs Legislation Amendment Bill, Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2016 Measures No. 2) Bill and Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Petroleum Pools and Other Measures) Bill.

Labor will oppose the Australian Crime Commission Amendment (Criminology Research) Bill and refer the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Sports Betting Reform) Bill to an inquiry.

Labor and the Coalition together have overwhelming numbers to push any bill through parliament.

Further details on these bills can be found on the Parliament House website.

12pm:

11.55am: Shorten press conference

Shorten has addressed the media about Labor’s decision to block the plebiscite, saying he’d consulted mental health experts and families who warned the plebiscite would harm young gay and lesbian people.

“Having met these families, having listened to their stories, I could not in good conscience recommend to the Labor Party that we support the plebiscite about marriage equality,” the Opposition Leader said in Canberra.

Mr Shorten rejected suggestions Labor’s move would kill off the issue in this parliament.

“Labor doesn’t give up,” he said.”There is more than one door to open to achieve marriage equality,” he said.

“The easiest way, which this parliament has done for a hundred years, is legislate, debate it.”

11.40am:Backpacker tax

The Labor caucus also decided to refer the government’s proposed “backpacker tax” plan to a Senate committee.

We’re told four opposition MPs raised questions about the issue, including about the proposal to raise the age cut-off for working holiday visa applicants from 30 to 35 years.

Labor MPs also raised concern about the proposed taxpayer-funded marketing plan to encourage backpacker tourism, and the potential impact on other seasonal workers.

One MP arced up over the government’s suggestions that any delay in passing the package would be Labor’s fault, given the Coalition took almost 18 months to announce its plan.

11.35am:Unanimous vote

We have further details about the same-sex marriage debate in the Labor caucus.

Frontbenchers Mark Dreyfus and Terri Butler jointly recommended to the closed-door meeting that they block the plebiscite bill.

No Labor MPs spoke against their recommendation and the decision was taken unanimously.

Bill Shorten told caucus the shadow ministry had spent several weeks consulting with lobby groups and mental health experts.

“The overwhelming message from almost everyone we met was sincere and straightforward: please do not support this divisive, expensive and unnecessary plebiscite – just get on with it, get parliament to do its job and have a vote on marriage equality,” he told the meeting.

11.30am:

11.20am:ACL statement

The Australian Christian Lobby has released a statement: “Despite constantly claiming overwhelming public support for redefining marriage, it is perplexing that advocates are not willing to trust the Australian people with a decision that has enormous consequences for all families.”

11.06am:

10.52am:Labor vote no great shock

Labor MPs have officially resolved to block the government’s same-sex marriage plebiscite, according to leaks from caucus.

This is no great shock, given Bill Shorten told reporters only minutes before the meeting: “I haven’t yet heard a good argument emerge at the 11th hour in favour of the plebiscite. It’s a shocking waste of $200 million.

“The Liberal Party’s not going to bind its own MPs, it’ll be compulsory for 15 million Australians to vote, yet for Liberal MPs it’s not compulsory on them to accept the outcome,” the Opposition Leader said.

Labor commands 26 of the 38 votes needed to block the legislation in the Senate. When combined with the Greens’ nine votes and the Nick Xenophon Team’s three, the policy appears doomed to fail.

10.50am:‘Applaud Baird over greyhound u-turn’

NSW Premier Mike Baird should be applauded for showing the “political courage” to reverse course on the greyhound racing ban, Treasurer Scott Morrison says.

“We make decisions in politics and sometimes we’ll change those down the track. That requires some political courage to do that, to admit when you’ve gone down a particular road and change direction on the basis of listening to people,” he told Sydney’s 2GB.

Mr Morrison admitted he knew little about greyhound racing, but said constituents in his Sutherland Shire electorate of Cook had repeatedly raised the issue with him.

10.45am:

10.43am:

The Labor caucus has confirmed its opposition to the federal government’s proposed same-sex marriage plebiscite. More to come ....

10.38am:Shorten speaks to business leaders

Bill Shorten has started the day with an important speech on social and economic policy, writes David Crowe.

The daily political clash always overshadows the more earnest meetings in Parliament House, and so it was this morning when Bill Shorten spoke to business leaders in the Great Hall. His message was that political leaders need to do better to offer an economic plan to voters that gives them an assurance about their own futures.

With Donald Trump in the headlines, Shorten warned that leaders should avoid the “low road” of change where it is all about scapegoating. “We need to take the high road – skilling our people, investing in education, addressing inequality, promoting inclusion,” he said.

“Unemployment has a 5 in front of it – but we are on our way to being a part-time nation. Between 2001 and 2006, 60 per cent of the jobs created were full time. Between 2011 and 2016 – that fell to 38 per cent. In the last year, only 10 per cent of jobs created were full-time. In July, the number of full-time jobs as a share of all jobs in the economy hit the lowest ever level on record. There are fewer Australians working full time today, than during the GFC or the recession of 1991,” he said.

“There’s nothing wrong with part time work, if that’s what you choose – but a lot of Australians aren’t making that choice.”

The speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia did not offer hard policies to change this. Shorten talked of lifting productivity but then quickly moved on to tackling inequality and promoting fairness. Even so, the speech offered some signposts for future policy and talking about “reward for effort” and trying to lift home ownership rates.

“Aspiration is a word I want to reclaim for the Labor side of politics,” he said. It is a word that Labor has been wary of his Mark Latham’s ladder of opportunity. The CEDA leaders praised the speech afterwards but it will go unremarked in the wider media. Upon finishing his speech and leaving the Great Hall, Shorten was instantly doorstopped on same sex marriage.

10.32am:

10.27am:Wilkie dismay at greyhound U-turn

Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie has called for a new federal bureaucracy to oversee animal welfare amid NSW’s imminent “profoundly disappointing” backdown on the issue of greyhound racing.

“Like a great many people I was heartened when Mike Baird announced that he would put a stop to the so-called sport. But it’s turned out to be just another hollow promise. Greyhound racing is systemically cruel and no half-decent politician could possibly look at the evidence and allow it to continue,” the independent MP for Denison said.

“This is further proof that we need a national independent Office of Animal Welfare to investigate these matters, because the state and territory governments have shown that they can’t be trusted when it comes to animal welfare.”

“Mike Baird has shown himself to be just another premier who is beholden to gambling tax revenue and who buckles under the slightest bit of pressure from the industry and his own party.”

However Stephen Jones, the Labor MP for the Illawarra seat of Whitlam, praised the impending announcement.

“Baird’s backflip on Greyhounds gives the iconic Dapto Dogs a stay of execution. Well done (NSW Labor) for a strong campaign,” he said.

10.10am:Leyonhjelm questions exemptions

Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm welcomed moves to exclude the coercion of civil celebrants, but questioned why people would be allowed exemptions on religious grounds but not others.

“(Senator Leyonhjelm) remains concerned that if eventually passed, this legislation makes it likely we will see ridiculous show trials of the kind we have seen overseas involving bakers refusing to supply weddings,” the Liberal Democrat’s spokesman said.

“Unlike the Greens and other virtue-signallers, Senator Leyonhjelm is willing to compromise and support any proposal to allow same-sex marriage, and has always voted accordingly.”

10am:Marriage changes ‘entrench discrimination’

Mark Dreyfus, the opposition legal affairs spokesman, says the Coalition’s proposed changes to the Marriage Act “entrench discrimination” against gays and lesbians.

Of particular concern are exemptions from discrimination law for civil celebrants who refuse to marry same-sex couples, and for religious organisations to refuse goods and services such as catering and venues, he said.

“If the government’s only objective was to achieve marriage equality, these amendments would stop at removing the words ‘man and woman’ from the Marriage Act. But they go much further. These amendments introduce new forms of legal discrimination against the LGBTI community,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“If the government truly wanted marriage equality, it would drop this plebiscite altogether and allow a free vote on the floor of parliament today. There is nothing stopping this happening except for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his unwillingness to lead.”

9.50am:What exactly are the ‘exposure draft’ amendments?

Let’s take a closer look at exactly what Attorney-General George Brandis’s “exposure draft” amendments to the Marriage Act entail. These five changes would be presented to parliament if the principle of same-sex marriage were approved by the Australian people at a plebiscite – now an increasingly unlikely proposal.

1. The definition of marriage (currently “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”) would be changed to replace “a man and a woman” with “two people”.

2. The conditions for a valid marriage would stay the same: It will continue to be the case that a marriage would be void if, for example, the parties are in a ‘prohibited relationship’, consent was not real, or one or both parties are not of marriageable age.

3. Foreign same-sex marriages would be recognised in Australia: All valid marriage solemnised under the law of a foreign country, including same-sex marriages, would be recognised in Australia if they are consistent with Australian law. A foreign marriage would not be valid in Australia if the marriage would be unlawful in Australia, for example, if the parties are siblings, in a parent-child relationship, or are polygamous.

4. Existing protections for ministers of religion would be retained and strengthened: ministers of religion would be able to refuse to solemnise a marriage on the grounds that the marriage is not the union of a man and a woman, if that refusal conforms to the doctrines, tenets or beliefs of the minister’s religion, or is necessary to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents of the religion, or if (irrespective of the teachings of his or her church) the minister has a conscientious objection to same-sex marriage.

5. Marriage celebrants (including those who are not ministers of religion) would be able to refuse to marry a same-sex couple: In addition to the existing law whereby marriage celebrants are under no obligation to solemnise marriage, the Marriage Act would be amended to allow marriage celebrants who are not ministers of religion to refuse, on the basis of conscientious or religious beliefs, to solemnise a marriage on the grounds that the marriage is not the union of a man or a woman. Religious bodies and religious organisations would also be able to refuse to provide facilities, goods or services for the purpose of solemnisation of a same sex marriage, or for purposes reasonably incidental thereto, if the refusal conforms to the doctrines, tenets or beliefs of the religion, or is necessary to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents to that religion.

9.35am:Keating blast ‘a misunderstanding’

Paul Keating’s criticisms of the Labor Party’s approach to territorial disputes in the South China Sea are “based on a misunderstanding”, deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek says.

Mr Keating, the prime minister between 1991 and 1996, has slammed Labor defence spokesman Richard Marles for saying that the government must authorise the military to ­determine freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea to defend Australia’s interest and send a clear message to China.

He also expressed concern to The Australian that Labor is too compliant in its attitude ­towards US naval interests in the Pacific rather than adopting a more independent outlook that better balanced strategic and economic priorities.

Ms Plibersek today said she did not share Mr Keating’s misgivings.

“I think his criticisms are actually based on a misunderstanding of what Richard said,” she told ABC TV.

“Richard has been very clear that in any instance, it should be the government that determines whether freedom of navigation operations are held. But the operational details of operations when they’re under way – of course they’re things that you would allow the military authorities to take charge of day-to-day.

“Labor has always had a policy of having good relations with both China and the United States. It’s not in our best interests to be pulled back and forth between these two very important partners.”

9.25am:Brandis to face Senate inquiry

Attorney-General George Brandis and Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson have both been scheduled to appear before a Senate inquiry, which will attempt to reconcile their conflicting views about whether Australia’s First Law Officer misled parliament.

Senator Brandis will appear before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee at 9am on Friday, followed by Mr Gleeson at 10.30am.

Mr Gleeson has publicly disputed Senator Brandis’s claims that he was consulted about a new legal direction preventing anyone in the government, including the Prime Minister, obtaining legal advice from him without the Attorney-General’s prior written consent.

Labor wants to disallow the legal direction, but has deferred the move until after a committee investigating the matter reports backs to the chamber next month.

9.15am:

9.10am: Shorten blasts Trump ‘extremists’

Bill Shorten has blasted Donald Trump and the UK’s Brexiteers as “extremists” in a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.

The Opposition Leader said Mr Trump’s candidacy “began as a de-facto reality TV show, grew into a circus, and has now gone beyond farce”.

“I know I am not the only one relieved that with every passing day, with every disgusting, demeaning comment Mr Trump makes, the possibility of him being president fades,” he told CEDA’s State of the Nation Conference in Canberra.

“Trump, like the Brexiteers, like extremists from every point on the political compass, draws his power from the people who have felt the rough edges of globalisation and economic change… Marginalised, alienated groups being told that – migrants, minorities, ‘big government’ – are to blame. That’s the low road of change – lashing out, scapegoating,” he said.

Mr Shorten said mainstream politicians needed to “win the argument” and defeat the “false choices” presented by such extremists.

“We must recognise the mantras of ‘innovation’ and ‘disruption’ can be a confronting message for Australians in insecure work. We need to understand that when a lot of Australians hear the word ‘automation’, they think ‘redundancy’,” he said.

“When many Australians hear the call for ‘flexibility’, they believe our system is good at flexibility for employers, but not so good at flexibility for employees.

“Many Australians know the calls for a low-wage easy-to-hire, easy-to-fire system will not deliver hundreds of thousands of new jobs.”

8.55am:National MP’s defection threat

Nationals MP Andrew Broad has threatened to defect from the Coalition should Malcolm Turnbull betrays his election commitment and endorse a free vote in parliament on same-sex marriage.

Andrew Broad
Andrew Broad

The MP for Mallee, in northwest Victoria, insisted plebiscites were “part of our democratic makeup” and was certain the Australian people could have a “robust and respectful” debate on the issue.

If the Coalition’s commitment to a plebiscite were abandoned in favour of a free vote, Mr Broad said he would “move to the crossbench” and sit as an independent.

Mr Broad, asked if he would still support the Turnbull government on votes of confidence and supply, told PoliticsNow: “I’m a Nat. I’m an independent Nat, so supply and confidence, I’d probably – but let’s not get to this point, let’s support our election commitment.”

Mr Broad said he’d received 64 handwritten letters from constituents on the same-sex marriage issue, and they were evenly split in favour and against recognising gay and lesbian marriages.

8.47am:

8.40am:

8.18am:

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten are both addressing breakfasts in Parliament House before their caucus meetings.

The Prime Minister has just concluded his remarks to the Australian College of Nursing where he helped launch a new report, Nurses Essential to Health Reform.

The Opposition Leader will address the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in the Great Hall later this hour.

8.10am:Plebiscite ‘sabotaging indigenous recognition referendum’

Chris Bowen warned the push for a plebiscite was sabotaging efforts to recognise indigenous Australians in the constitution which, unlike same-sex marriage, actually requires a popular vote.

“We don’t have the capacity to do a marriage equality plebiscite and an indigenous recognition referendum at the same time,” the opposition treasury spokesman told Sky News.

“The parliament should do its job which is to legislate for marriage equality – or at least have a process and a vote, let democracy work – and the people should do their job under the constitution and vote for indigenous recognition in the constitution.”

7.50am:‘Sweet spot’ in legislation

Attorney-General George Brandis, a proponent of same-sex marriage, said Labor MPs could see marriage equality enacted within four months if they support his plebiscite legislation at their caucus meeting today.

“The public opinion polls tell us clearly: we could have this outcome four months from today if the Labor Party put the political games aside and really committed themselves to the issue,” he told ABC radio.

Senator Brandis today released “exposure draft” amendments to the Marriage Act that would be enacted in the event of a “yes” vote, including exemptions from anti-discrimination laws for churches, ministers and civil celebrants who conscientiously object to marriage equality.

Conservative MPs are calling for broader exemptions for businesses who wish to discriminate against same-sex couples by refusing services — such as wedding cakes or photography.

Senator Brandis said he’d found a “sweet spot” between those concerns and those of same-sex marriage advocates, who argue proposed the exemptions for civil celebrants were already too broad.

“This legislation has landed in the sweet spot in the middle (of the debate) where there are protections for churches and ministers of religion and a recognition for a right of conscientious objection by civil celebrants, but the exemptions don’t go beyond the ceremony of marriage or matters reasonable incidental to it,” he said.

Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said the exposure draft legislation quelled none of her concerns about the plebiscite plan.

“Our concerns are about the mental health and wellbeing of Australians who will be affected by this debate,” Ms Plibersek told ABC radio.

“I can think of a lot better ways of spending $200 million. In my electorate, a health service closed because the government cut $900,000 a year — a health service that’s been there for 40 years — and they spend $200m on this? It’s absurd.”

The government estimates the plebiscite would cost $170m to conduct, including the funding for the “yes” and “no” camps, and impose an additional $32.5m burden on the economy as Australians take time out to vote.

7.30am:On the agenda today

• The government and opposition are caucusing this morning. Labor are poised to reject the same-sex marriage plebiscite, while some Coalition MPs are demanding laws to ensure patissieres and photographers can refuse service to gay couples.

• Paul Keating has slammed Labor’s hawkish position on Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, saying the opposition is too compliant in its attitude ­towards US naval interests in the Pacific.

• The Turnbull government has prepared an emergency plan to fly generators into South Australia to help major employers keep operating after the statewide blackout.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/politicsnow-live-coverage-from-canberra-senate-house-of-reps/news-story/aed7964729684bf8fba28d604f6275a4