PoliticsNow: Labor asks if Julie Bishop led a backbench revolt on energy policy
PoliticsNow: Labor asks whether Julie Bishop led a backbench revolt over the government’s “big stick” plan.
- Morrison ‘weaponising’ gay discrimination
- PM floats conscience vote on gay student bill
- Shorten ‘reached out in sympathy’
- Turnbull ‘not colluding with Labor’
Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra.
Debate over laws protecting gay students dominated proceedings. The government’s push for a conscience vote for both parties to resolve the issue was not supported by Labor.
Here’s how the day played out:
Richard Ferguson 3.07pm: Another ejection
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack answers a question from crossbench MP Rebekha Sharkie about road funding.
Labor MP Julian Hill yawns loudly.
“I mean, it’s boring for certainly not boring for the Member for Mayo’s residents. It is irresponsible of you,” the Deputy Prime Minister responds loudly.
Mr Hill is ejected from the house.
Richard Ferguson 3.05pm: MP grilled again
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert if he will support labelling changes to pharmaceuticals given his financial interest in a health supplements company.
“The industry minister has policy responsibility for the Australian-made campaign,” the Assistant Treasurer says.
“When it comes to my interests, they are all updated, they have been blind trusted, so I have no responsibility with assets that regard.”
A Labor MP yells again: “What do you have responsibility for?”
Opposition financial services spokeswoman Clare O’Neil is ejected from the house.
Richard Ferguson 3pm: Labor goes after Stuart Robert
Opposition financial services spokesman Clare O’Neil asks Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert if he has met victims of bank misconduct.
She also if he will still attend a reported fundraiser advertised to donors as a chance to preview the government’s response to the Banking Royal Commission.
Speaker Tony Smith rules the question out of order and Leader of the House Christopher Pyne opposes it.
“The minister is not responsible for the banks,” Mr Pyne says.
A Labor MP calls out: “Is he responsible for anything?”
Richard Ferguson 2.55pm: Privatisation probe
Bill Shorten asks Scott Morrison if he is seeking to privatise Snowy Hydro and state electricity assets based on his previous answer regarding Queensland power assets.
“I refer the leader of the Labor Party to the statement issued by the Treasurer and the minister for energy. Where it is very plainly on the second page, the (big stick) legislation will apply to government-owned enterprises,” he says.
“In such cases, any divestiture must be made to another energy company where the two entities generally compete with one another. So ... It has nothing to do with privatisation.”
Richard Ferguson 2.50pm: ‘Don’t go there’
Health Minister Greg Hunt responds to a dorothy dixer about new leukaemia treatments.
“We know that it can only be done with a strong economy. We know that’s not always been the case, sadly,” he says.
Manager of opposition business Tony Burke rises to his feet to object.
“I want to draw your attention to if this answer goes to the point of claiming that only one side of politics is concerned about people with leukaemia, and only one side would make decisions in favour of leukaemia drugs,” he says.
“It’s happened before. I’m giving the Minister a chance to not go there.”
Speaker Tony Smith says there is no point of order.
“We can’t have a situation where people rise to the dispatch box because they are worried about something they think might be said,” he says.
Richard Ferguson 2.40pm: PM hits back at Shorten attack
Bill Shorten asks Scott Morrison if why he supports the privatisation of Queensland power assets, based on a Courier Mail report.
The Prime Minister says the Opposition Leader is not telling the truth.
“One truth he can point to though, is the Queensland electricity industry is owned by the Queensland government,” he says.
“As the Queensland government has been dividend stripping out of the Queensland electricity industry to prop up their financial mismanagement, you know who’s been paying for it? Queenslanders.”
Richard Ferguson 2.30pm: ‘We’re trying to bring down prices’
Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler asks Scott Morrison if he agrees with now-Independent MP Julia Banks that the divestiture policy is against Liberal values.
The Prime Minister responds that the Liberal partyroom supports bringing down power prices.
“Why would the Labor Party not want there to be a power to take action against price gouging and the sorts of conduct that would be anti-competitive and could lead to an increase in prices?” he says.
“Why would they be opposed to a power that would help even at the score for mums and dads and businesses?”
Dennis Shanahan 2.15pm: Tide turning for PM?
There are small signs the pendulum is swinging back in favour of the Morrison government, which scored a significant victory today. Read more here
Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: Bishop-led ‘revolt’ queried
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks Josh Frydenberg if Julie Bishop led a backbench revolt against the government’s “big stick” divestiture policy aimed at energy companies who price gouge.
“Can the Treasurer confirm reports this morning that the member for Curtin told the government that its discredited forced divestment policy could be regarded as sovereign risk and was inconsistent with Liberal values?” Mr Bowen asks.
The Treasurer responds by defending the big stick divestiture policy.
“We say to the member for McMahon, what is wrong with calling out that misconduct?” he says.
Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: ‘We’re backing renewables’
Greens MP Adam Bandt asks if Energy Minister Angus Taylor will prop up coal-fired power stations, after Stop Adani protesters filled the front foyer of parliament today.
The Energy Minister responds by saying the government is backing renewables.
“We are seeing, over the next 2.5 years, an investment of $15 billion, $15 billion committed to new generation in the electricity sector,” he says.
“That will see a 250 per cent increase in the solar and wind in our sector from 9 per cent of generation up to 23 per cent of generation in the next 2.5 years.”
Richard Ferguson 2.15pm: ‘Big stick’ plan queried
Tanya Plibersek asks Scott Morrison if he agrees with the Business Council of Australia that his “big stick” policy, to break up energy companies which price gouge, is reminiscent of Greens policy.
“Does the Prime Minister agree with the Business Council of Australia which today said about the government’s discredited for the in policy and I quote, it’s surprising to see this legislation proposed by the Liberal government,” she says.
“This is the kind of intrusive heavy-handed intervention you would expect from the Greens”
The Prime Minister responds and says his policy gives more power to customers.
“I’ll tell you who is sitting in bed with big businesses that want to rip off Australian customers and their electricity prices, the Labor Party,” he says.
Richard Ferguson 2.10pm: Morrison: budget is on track
Scott Morrison speaks about today’s national accounts figures.
“Today’s national accounts showed nominal GDP growth was 5.2 per cent through the year. That’s above the 4.5 per cent forecast that was the assumption under the most recent budget,” he says.
“The nominal outcome in this first quarter of the year is running ahead of what the budget was projecting for this year. That means our budget is on track.”
Richard Ferguson 2.03pm: ‘Living standards have fallen’
Bill Shorten opens question time by asking about today’s GDP figures.
“Australia’s economic growth rate has gone down and living standards have fallen. Growth in household consumption is the weakest in five years,” he tells the house.
“Everything is going up except people’s wages.”
Josh Frydenberg responds by saying the national accounts show Australia is the fastest growing developed nation apart from the United States.
“Over 1.1 million new jobs are being created. We’re one of only 10 nations in the world to have a AAA credit rating from the three leading credit rating agencies. Unemployment has come down to 5 per cent, the lowest level since 2012,” the Treasurer says.
“That is our record. Compared to those opposite, when they were in government, debt was rising, unemployment was rising, Mr Speaker, and they had no plan for the economy of Australia.”
Richard Ferguson 1.50pm: Wilson supports PM plan
Openly gay Liberal MP Tim Wilson is backing in Scott Morrison’s proposed compromise and conscience vote on banning discrimination against LGBTI students.
“The reason Labor don’t want to have a conscience vote on this issue is because they want to keep it alive,” he told Sky News.
“They want to go into an election year next year and put children’s lives, security, and anxiety on the ballot paper.
“Some of us want to deal with this now. We want to remove discrimination against LGBTI kids now. And we want to do it in the Parliament today.”
Supratim Adhikari 1.33pm: Telcos blast encryption bill
Telecommunications industry group Communications Alliance is continuing to agitate against the so-called encryption bill, warning that the planned amendments to the controversial legislation do not go far enough in tackling the risk posed by it.
With the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill set to pass this week, after the Coalition government and Labor agreed to a compromise deal on Tuesday,
Communications Alliance CEO John Stanton warned both parties have left “dangerous loopholes” unaddressed.
“As government and Labor MPs work today to craft amendments to the Assistance and Access Bill, it appears that one of the biggest flaws in the proposed legislation will not be addressed,” he said.
Richard Ferguson 1.15pm: Bandt’s motion fails
Adam Bandt’s motion to push through a series of crossbench bills on Nauru, a federal ICAC and banning funding for new coal-power fire generation has failed to get up.
The motion did get the most votes, 73 to 72, but a suspension of standing orders needs an absolute majority of 76 votes to pass the house.
Mr Bandt’s move shows the slim numbers in the house for Scott Morrison and his minority government.
Richard Ferguson 1.02pm: Bandt’s motion
This is the motion Greens MP Adam Bandt is trying to suspend standing orders over.
He want to bring to the floor his bill prohibiting funding to new coal power generation, Cathy McGowan’s bill creating a federal ICAC, and Kerryn Phelps’ bill evacuating children and sick adults from Nauru.
Member for Melbourne: I move that so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent -
1. private Members’ business order of the day no. 17 relating to the National Integrity Commission Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Indi being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business, except for Question Time, for final determination by the House;
2. immediately on conclusion of consideration of the National Integrity Commission Bill 2018, private Members’ business order of the day no. 23 relating to the Coal-fired Power Funding Prohibition Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Melbourne, being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business, with the exception of Question Time, for final determination by the House;
3. immediately on conclusion of consideration of the Coal-fired Power Funding Prohibition Bill 2018, private Members’ business order of the day no. 25 relating to the Migration Amendment (Urgent Medical Treatment) Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Wentworth, being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business, with the exception of Question Time, for final determination by the House;
4. Notwithstanding the above, if the leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business agree that Order of the day no. 1 relating to the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 should be given priority, then that order of the day shall be given priority over all other business, provided that the orders referred to in 1. To 3. Above must be finally determined pursuant to 5. Below; and
5. if consideration of the orders of the day has not been completed by 7.30pm on Wednesday, 5 December, any questions necessary to complete the House’s consideration of the orders of the day being put to the House immediately and without delay or intervening debate.
Richard Ferguson 12.57pm: Bandt in standing orders move
Greens MP Adam Bandt is trying to suspend standing orders in the house and bring on both a federal anti-corruption watchdog and Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps’ bill to evacuate children and sick adults from Nauru.
The house is currently debating whether standing orders should be suspended.
Labor has backed both Cathy McGowan’s federal ICAC bill and Dr Phelps’ Nauru bill with conditions.
The attempt to pass both bills could be a major test for Scott Morrison’s minority government.
Richard Ferguson 12.55pm: ‘Same route as SSM’
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says the debate over discrimination against LGBTI students could lead to another plebiscite on gay rights.
“Conservatives in the Liberal Party, the Nationals and others, are all trying to introduce complicating amendments to something that really is very simple,” she told reporters in Canberra.
“I’m worried that this will go down the same route at the marriage equality debate. Someone will be suggesting a plebiscite next.
“Labor doesn’t need a conscience vote because every member of the Labor Party agrees it’s wrong to discriminate against children.
“I don’t understand how anyone with a conscience thinks it’s OK to discriminate against children.”
.@tanya_plibersek: I'm worried that this will go down the same route as the marriage equality debate. Someone will suggest a plebiscite next.@ScottMorrisonMP then further complicates this by suggesting a conscience vote.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 5, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/jd1Z3hxHr1 #Newsday pic.twitter.com/v56rzWQUDV
Richard Ferguson 12.50pm: PM ‘weaponising’ gay discrimination
Bill Shorten says Scott Morrison is “weaponising” the issue of discrimination against gay students with his new bill and proposed conscience vote for both parties.
“We say to the Prime Minister that this partisanship is not where the debate goes,” the Opposition Leader told reporters in Canberra.
“Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has sought to weaponise this dispute and I do think that rather hand looking for the angle, the Prime Minister should look for the outcome.”
.@billshortenmp: It's disappointing the government in the Lower House has chosen to put forward a proposal which will replace one form of discrimination with another.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 5, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/jd1Z3hxHr1 #Newsday pic.twitter.com/ynURYd2IIs
Richard Ferguson 12.45pm: Labor won’t support conscience vote
Bill Shorten will not grant a conscience vote on Scott Morrison’s bill to ban discrimination against LGBTI students.
“Our legal advice about the Government’s proposed amendment is that it has the potential to permit discrimination against students in schools both direct and indirect,” he told reporters in Canberra today.
“The advice goes on to say that the provisions which we seek to put in would not prevent the provision of instruction in an educational institution.”
“There is no set of circumstances where this Parliament should be voting to replace one set of laws permitting discrimination against children with another set of laws permitting
discrimination against children.”
Greg Brown 12.10pm: Adani protesters leave
Police have intervened to forcibly move anti-Adani protesters out of Parliament House.
Protesters are leaving peacefully and singing “stop Adani, stop, stop Adani”.
Greg Brown 11.05am: Stop Adani protest
A Stop Adani protest has taken over the public foyer of the Australian Parliament.
Protesters are sitting on the ground in between the two grand staircases with signs that say: “Stop Adani’s coal mine” and “Our future is on the line.”
The public areas are blocked because of a sit in by dozens of people.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale is watching in support as well as Greens senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Larissa Waters.
There is a stop Adani protest in Parliament House #auspol pic.twitter.com/1TvHZpb606
— Greg Brown (@gregbrown_TheOz) December 5, 2018
Richard Ferguson 11.02am: Gay student bill amendments
Scott Morrison says his bill to end discrimination against gay students would include three amendments.
“The complete removal of the ability to discriminate against students based on gender or sexual orientation or relationship status or pregnancy,” he said.
“Secondly, a clarification that in deciding whether a school rule — a reasonable school rule that’s reasonable — the Human Rights Commission and courts should take into account the religious nature of the school and whether the school considered the best interests of the child.
“And three, a clarification that nothing in the act prevents a religious school teaching in accordance with their own religious beliefs.”
Richard Ferguson 11am: I want to resolve this: PM
Scott Morrison says he “meant it when I said” that he wanted to end discrimination against gay students.
“I just say I meant it when I said it. I want to resolve this,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“But it’s got to be done reasonably and fairly and it’s got to take into account all the serious issues that are there and I think that’s a pretty fair statement of them and I think we should just get on with it.”
Mr Morrison first promised to ban discrimination against LGBTI students in October, but negotiations with Labor over a bill have broken down over protections for schools to teach their faith.
.@ScottMorrisonMP on religious freedoms: I want to resolve this, but it has to be done reasonably and fairly.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 4, 2018
I think we should just get on with it.
MORE: https://t.co/xBHuv7Yvtf #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/XLjWVQ0vF4
Richard Ferguson 10.57am: Conscience vote on gay students bill
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is prepared to hold a conscience vote on a bill which protects gay students from discrimination and balance religious freedoms for religious schools.
“These should be uncontentious principles. The removal of discrimination and the upholding of religious freedom. I’m prepared to move that bill in the house today,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“’I'll make him another offer. I’m prepared to have this dealt with as a conscience issue in my party and if he’s prepared to do the same thing, then where the parties have been unable to agree, let’s take the parties out of it, Bill.
“I’ll move this bill as the member for Cook, not as the Prime Minister, and I’ll participate in the debate, just like anyone else and I’ll vote my conscience in that debate. But I actually think there’s a better way first. This is a good bill.”
Richard Ferguson 10.55am: Labor pulls gay students bill
Labor has just pulled its Senate bill to ban discrimination against LGBTI students.
Opposition senate leader Penny Wong will not proceed with the bill because Labor will not support amendments put forward by the government to protect religious freedoms.
The Sex Discrimination Act will not now be updated before the 2019 school year.
“It is a disappointing outcome because it means LGBTIQ kids now face the prospect of returning to school next year knowing they could be expelled or discriminated against because they are gay,” Ms Wong told parliament.
Richard Ferguson 9.20am: Shorten ‘reached out to Turnbull in sympathy’
Bill Shorten’s office says the Opposition Leader reached out to Malcolm Turnbull — as he had to Tony Abbott after he was rolled as PM — to “express his sympathy and thank them for their service.”
The Australian revealed today Mr Turnbull and Bill Shorten have held private phone conversations since the August leadership spill and are understood to have discussed the national energy guarantee, which Labor is attempting to revive.
“Bill reached out to both Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott after they lost their prime ministerships to express his sympathy and thank them for their service,” a spokesman for Mr Shorten said.
“He has a great deal of respect for the office, whatever the politics of the occupant.”
Richard Ferguson 9.05am: ‘No collusion’ between Shorten, Turnbull
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles say there was “no collusion” between Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull to revive the national energy guarantee.
“When the NEG was on the table, when Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister, we were seeking to work with the government for a bipartisan position,” Mr Marles told Sky News.
“There was no collusion between Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull.
“Bill was showing the courtesy and grace that you’d expect a leader to show, which he showed Tony Abbott when he left the role of being prime minister … All he’s done is what he did in relation to Tony Abbott.”
.@RichardMarlesMP: @billshortenmp was showing courtesy and grace that you would expect a leader to show.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 4, 2018
He did the same to @TonyAbbottMHR.
MORE: https://t.co/8Q9zSa4AXA #amagenda pic.twitter.com/KyhZX3Ki29
Richard Ferguson 8.40am: Turnbull ‘not colluding with Labor’
Malcolm Turnbull is “not colluding” with Labor despite being in regular phone contact with Bill Shorten, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne says.
“Bill Shorten has contacted Malcolm Turnbull to make sure he’s OK. That sounds like a good thing to do, as far as I’m concerned. And Malcolm Turnbull has taken his calls,” he told Sky News.
“He is not colluding with Bill Shorten.”
The Australian revealed today Mr Turnbull and Bill Shorten have held private phone conversations since the August leadership spill and are understood to have discussed the national energy guarantee, which Labor is attempting to revive.
.@cpyne has emphatically denied any collusion between @TurnbullMalcolm and @billshortenmp after it was revealed the pair discussed the ill-fated National Energy Guarantee in talks following August’s leadership spill. https://t.co/uFlHD6BzHG
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 4, 2018
Richard Ferguson 8.25am: PM defends Kelly decision
Scott Morrison has defended his decision to protect NSW backbencher Craig Kelly’s preselection, but not the positions of Queensland MP Jane Prentice or Liberal senator Jim Molan.
“There are four incumbent members that I believed it was important for the party to re-endorse,” he told reporters in regional NSW.
“With four incumbent members, members who have been on the ground, members who are well respected by their communities, they present the best chance to ensure the re-election of the government.
“You form government by having the best members and candidates on the ground in the House of Representatives. And that’s where my focus is.”
The focus on House members comes as Senator Molan, a former major-general, confirmed yesterday the Prime Minister was not going to intervene in his preselection defeat despite conservative calls to protect him due to his military expertise.
Mr Kelly was protected by a revolt in his seat of Hughes, aided by Malcolm Turnbull, by that move. But questions have arisen why former junior minister Ms Prentice was not protected considering the Liberal Party’s lack of female representation in their ranks.
“I wasn’t the Prime Minister at the time of Ms Prentice’s preselection, I can’t make any comment on that. That matter was dealt with many, many months ago,” Mr Morrison said.
Richard Ferguson 8.16am: Pyne denies sub cost blowouts
Reports of new submarine cost blowouts and delays are “false in every respect”, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne says.
The ABC reports today that the first of Australia’s new French-built $50 billion submarines could arrive up to three years late and cost up to 30 per cent more than originally expected.
“The story is absolutely false and Andrew Greene has been grievously misled at the ABC,” Mr Pyne told Sky News this morning.
The government is denying Australia’s submarines could arrive late and cost substantially more than expected.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 4, 2018
.@RichardMarlesMP: I hope the government is right for the nation’s interest.
MORE: https://t.co/pv0A1g9Iw2 #amagenda pic.twitter.com/nRlWqs2Juo
“There is nothing true about that story … there is zero cost blowout and absolutely no delay as part of the negotiation for the Strategic Partnering Agreement or the submarine project.
“The ABC did not ask my office, they went to Defence Media who gave them a very vanilla response … they did not check with my office for a political response.
“I can tell you the story is false in every respect.”
Richard Ferguson 8.08am: NEG ‘just a mechanism’
The national energy guarantee is “just a mechanism” and not necessary to bring emissions down, Scott Morrison says.
“The NEG is not being pursued by the government and it wasn’t being pursued prior to the change of prime minister either”
“The NEG is just a mechanism. It’s like a glass, what matters is what you put in it.
“The NEG is not the deal. What matters is what the emissions reduction target is … it’s not necessary, it’s not necessary, it’s not our policy, and we’re not pursuing it.”
Malcolm Turnbull called yesterday for the Prime Minister to revive the NEG and it said it was “vital” to bring both emissions and power prices down.
Mr Turnbull also said that he never “abandoned the NEG” despite pulling it before he was ousted.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: I think the laws are stacked against the customer in the energy market.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 4, 2018
If the Labor Party doesn’t want to support me on energy policy, then shame on them.
MORE: https://t.co/8Q9zSa4AXA #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/EdetZuqp1r
Richard Ferguson 7.55am: Big stick ‘central value’
Using a “big stick” to break up energy companies who price gouge is in line with Liberal Party values despite concerns from government MPs, Energy Minister Angus Taylor says.
“We strongly believe in free enterprise but we strongly believe in small businesses getting a fair deal from big (energy) companies,” he told ABC radio.
“That is a central value for the Liberal Party.”
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop told the Coalition partyroom yesterday that the policy threatened investment, could be regarded as a sovereign risk, and was inconsistent with Liberal values.
Three other backbenchers — Jason Falinski, Russell Broadbent and Craig Laundy — also spoke out strongly against the proposed legislation.
Richard Ferguson 7.35am: Terror laws ‘modest inconvenience’
Attorney General Christian Porter has blasted tech companies who stood in the way of a deal on encryption laws, after he reached agreement with Labor to pass the anti-terror laws.
Tech companies have criticised the government’s approach to widening access to encrypted apps for federal and state authorities as potentially unsafe and in contravention of people’s privacy.
But Mr Porter said the laws would be used “incredibly selectively” and would be a “modest inconvenience” for the tech companies.
“This is used incredibly selectively and only against the most serious targets who mean to do great harm to Australians,” he told the Seven Network this morning.
“And with respect to what the tech companies say, it may be some modest inconvenience to them but the United Kingdom have had laws very similar to this, perhaps even stronger than this, for a long time.”
What’s making news:
Malcolm Turnbull has embarrassed the government over energy by urging Scott Morrison to strike a deal with Labor, infuriating his former supporters within the Liberal Party and causing another distraction.
Scott Morrison had to personally call members of the NSW Liberal Party’s state executive to convince them not to block Craig Kelly’s preselection after former PM Malcolm Turnbull asked them to.
A rapid shift in Australia’s electricity mix to renewable energy from coal over the next decade may threaten the security of the nation’s power grid if poorly integrated, while introducing a carbon price may render the nation uncompetitive, the head of the world’s peak energy agency has warned.
Scott Morrison’s “big stick” powers over energy companies have been whittled down, with the government agreeing to judicial oversight of forced divestment orders for alleged market manipulation, following a backbench outcry and warnings of a constitutional challenge.
Scott Morrison is claiming victory after forcing Bill Shorten to back down over Labor’s demands for a temporary version of the government’s tough new anti-terror encryption laws, aimed at targeting terrorists and pedophiles.
The nation’s peak industry body, the Australian Industry Group, has formed a security working group to help business prepare for the emergence of a multibillion-dollar defence industry that security agencies fear is set to become one of the country’s top targets for foreign espionage.
Christian and Jewish groups have joined forces to push Scott Morrison to endorse the move of Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the government contemplates putting a consulate in the Israeli capital.
Schools could be prevented from expelling children based on their gender or sexual identity by week’s end, after the government and Labor left open the possibility of reaching a deal to drive through legislation to protect gay students.
Labor has backed a crossbench bill that would allow medical evacuations of refugees and asylum-seekers from Manus Island and Nauru on the advice of two doctors in a move blasted by the government as an abandonment of regional processing.
Liberal statesman John Howard has issued a rallying call to party members to offer Scott Morrison “100 per cent support” ahead of the election, saying unity is “crucial”.
Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott, the man he deposed as leader, have welcomed a change in the Liberal Party rules that makes it harder for a sitting prime minister to be chucked out of office.
James Jeffrey’s sketch: As question time crackled with electricity and big sticks, it fell to Deputy PM Michael McCormack to lead by example with a two-watt performance.
Dennis Shanahan writes that the more rogue Malcolm Turnbull becomes, the better Scott Morrison and his colleagues get at handling his sabotage.
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