PoliticsNow: Tony Abbott accuses Craig Kelly rival of ‘branch stacking’

PoliticsNow: Tony Abbott has warned there could be issues if Craig Kelly is rolled, accusing Kent Johns of ‘branch stacking’.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s blog on the happenings of Parliament House in Canberra.

Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash will challenge a subpoena requiring her to give evidence in court proceedings over the federal police raids on the Australian Workers Union headquarters.

The government will have one less MP in the House of Representatives today, with Barnaby Joyce granted personal leave until next month. Senate Estimates, meanwhile, will probe the portfolios of health, treasury, small business and defence.

That is where we will leave our live coverage for today.

Primrose Riordan 8pm: Progress on controversial bill

There has been major progress on new controversial laws aimed at combating what agencies have said are levels of foreign interference more serious than in the Cold War.

The Espionage and Foreign Interference bill - slammed by media companies as “criminalising” all steps of news reporting - has been stuck in a powerful joint intelligence committee.

Sources have told The Australian that the government and Labor members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security are increasingly confident they can come to an agreement over amendments, perhaps as soon as next Tuesday.

The sources said it was possible a draft report could be put together by then, and details could be nutted out in the next two weeks before parliament sits again at the end of June.

When the report is finalised, the government could then introduce the bill in the next sitting period.

Sources said it was unlikely Labor would issue a dissenting report at this stage. There was a meeting of the committee this week but amendments are yet to be finalised.

The Espionage and Foreign Interference bill is separate to proposed laws to create a foreign interference transparency scheme - laws the same intelligence committee are also considering.

After intelligence agencies warned of a growing level of “harmful espionage and foreign interference” operations in Australia and reports of Chinese government meddling in elections, the Turnbull government introduced laws to target covert, deceptive conduct on behalf of foreign interests.

Australian media companies - including News Corp, publisher of The Australian - said in the submission to the committee that the secrecy and espionage offences in the laws “applies criminal risk to journalists, other editorial staff and support staff” who ‘deal’ with, hold and communicate restricted information.

University, business, legal and religious groups appeared before the parliamentary committee, arguing different aspects of the new foreign interference bills were too broad and did not involve adequate consultation.

Margaret Stone, Australia’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, also raised concerns, saying the legislation potentially exposures IGIS officials to investigation and prosecution.

The committee’s chair Andrew Hastie recently went public with details of a court case involving Australian Chinese billionaire Chau Chak Wing.

Greg Brown 5.25pm: Abbott’s preselection warning

Tony Abbott has warned there could be electoral consequences for the government at the next election if Liberal MP Craig Kelly loses his preselection battle in the seat of Hughes.

The former prime minister attacked Mr Kelly’s moderate opponent, Kent Johns, accusing him of “branch stacking” and being the beneficiary of “factional deals”.

“I just think that is the worst possible look, the only way we can win the election is if we have harmony inside our party and we sure ain’t going to have harmony if Craig Kelly gets rolled,” Mr Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

“I think it would be a disaster for our party if Craig Kelly loses preselection, an absolute disaster, he has been a very good local member.

“He has been a very strong participant in all of our policy discussions, he has been a very good and vocal advocate for our position, he is a Liberal in the Menzies/Howard tradition and we have got to keep him there.”

Mr Johns has been contacted for comment.

Greg Brown 4.03pm: Kelly dodges independent question

Liberal MP Craig Kelly has twice failed to rule out running as an independent at the next election if he loses his preselection battle in the NSW electorate of Hughes.

Mr Kelly on Monday backtracked on his threats to leave the government if he loses preselection, after The Australian revealed he told senior Liberal MPs he could run as an independent if he was not the Liberal candidate.

But when he was asked today if he would consider running as an independent he avoided the question.

“We have a really big job to do for the rest of this term of parliament, I am looking to continuing to get the endorsement of the NSW Liberal Party and continuing to represent the seat of Hughes because people in the whole of Australia simply can’t afford a Bill Shorten government,” Mr Kelly told Sky News.

When pressed on whether he would continue to support the government if he loses preselection, Mr Kelly said: “I am very confident I will get that endorsement”.

Liberal Member for Hughes Craig Kelly. Picture: AAP

Greg Brown 3.19pm: Back to tax

Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks a tax question aimed at the electorate of Braddon.

He asks why the government won’t support Labor’s bigger tax cuts for the $30,000 people of Braddon who earn $90,000 or less.

Scott Morrison says the government’s income tax plan is worth double Labor’s.

“What we know is on this side of this House we have delivered a tax plan that benefits all Australians,” he says.

“Making sure that everyone from teachers ..do not face a marginal tax rate of more than 32.5 cents in a dollar.”

He also has a few cracks at Labor’s Tanya Plibersek causing her to yell: “why are you so angry?”

Greg Brown 3.07pm: ‘Look who Shorten’s dealing with’

Workplace Minister Craig Laundy reads out CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka’s rap sheet in parliament.

Calling Setka Bill Shorten’s “mate”, Laundy says the controversial unionist had had 59 convictions.

“They range across the following: assaulting police five times. assault by kicking, five times. Wilful trespass, seven times. Resisting arrest five times,’ he says.

“He has been jailed twice for contempt of court.

“This is the person the Leader of the Opposition has done his secret deal with.”

Greg Brown 2.56pm: Shorten ‘lying’ over hospital

Bill Shorten changes tack and goes on health funding in the electorate of Longman.

He asks why the government wants to give big business a tax break but won’t fund a chemotherapy centre at Caboolture Hospital.

The Prime Minister calls Labor’s claims of funding cuts for the hospital a “lie”.

“Labor’s truck that is going around the Longman electorate, saying that the federal government is cutting funding to Caboolture Hospital is a lie,” he says.

Greg Brown 2.41pm: CFMEU deal ‘rescued Shorten’

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton uses a Dixer to reiterate his claim the CFMEU made a deal with Bill Shorten to shutdown a debate on border protection at Victorian Labor’s state conference.

“You can imagine in the theatre where this debate is about to take place, and next thing you hear the hum of motorcycles downstairs, they hear the clanging of the chains, they hear the knocking of the knuckle dusters as people are marching up to the auditorium,” he says.

“The CFMEU burst through the doors and they closed the debate down because they provided their numbers, once again, to the Leader of the Opposition.”

Greg Brown 2.35pm: All in the timing

Labor’s Clare O’Neil asks Malcolm Turnbull when he found out Michaelia Cash was issued with a subpoena.

“This morning,” the Prime Minister says.

Greg Brown 2.31pm: Cash ‘doing a good job’

Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor asks why Michaelia Cash is still a minister, despite a litany of errors.

Malcolm Turnbull backs her in.

“Senator Cash is doing a better job protecting workers than the honourable member does, let alone the Leader of the Opposition does. Handing over hard-working members’ money to GetUp! without authority,” the Prime Minister says.

“Was it paid with authority or not? If it was, let’s hear why it was paid. Let’s see the evidence.”

Greg Brown 2.20pm: ‘Shorten’s the problem’

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek goes again on the Michaelia Cash saga. She asks if Malcolm Turnbull is confident all Senator Cash’s comments to parliament about the federal police raid of the Australian Workers Union offices were truthful.

The Prime Minister says he has “complete faith” in Senator Cash. He says the real problem was whether Bill Shorten wrongfully authorised a $100,000 payment to GetUp! when he was secretary of the AWU.

“All they would need is the minutes of the meeting, duly attested and approved and that would demonstrate that the payment was made with authority,” he says.

“Why hasn’t it been produced?

“And no wonder people increasingly believe they cannot trust the Leader of the Opposition with other people’s money, let alone with the management of our economy.”

Greg Brown 2.14pm: Cash copping a hiding

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek asks why Michaelia Cash won’t turn up to court if she “has nothing to hide”.

Malcolm Turnbull again says Labor is trying to “cover up” an investigation into Bill Shorten’s dealings.

“The determination of the Labor Party to try to distract from the fact that the Australian Workers’ Union, and the Leader of the Opposition, is doing everything they can to cover up the payment of $100,000 to GetUp! without authority is extraordinary,” he says.

“The issue is other people’s money, it is other people ‘s money, it is paying other people’s money without authority.”

Greg Brown 2.10pm: Questions Time begins

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus asks why Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash does not want to appear in court to give evidence over her office’s role of the leak of the federal police raid of the Australian Workers Union headquarters.

Malcolm Turnbull says the AWU is trying to protect Bill Shorten.

“The AWU, supported by the honourable member, is doing everything it can to stop at the Registered Organisations Commission from finding out whether the Leader of the Opposition paid a $100,000 of AWU members’ money to GetUp! without authorisation,” he says.

He goes on to say Shorten probably did not get proper authorisation for the donation.

“So a reasonable person, observing the failure of the Leader of the Opposition to prove the payment was authorised, and the determination of the union to stop the payment being investigated, can only assume that the payment was not authorised,” he says.

“And that is the cover-up, that is the shameful act that the Labor Party and (Mr Dreyfus) are trying to and obfuscate.”

Greg Brown 1.41pm: Barnarby’s ‘routine check-up’

Barnaby Joyce says he is only taking leave from parliament until June 15 following advice he received after “a routine check-up”.

It was initially thought he would not return to parliament until August.

“Contrary to reports, I’m taking leave until June 15 following a routine check up. The medical certificate provided allowed for a month,” Mr Joyce tweeted.

“I look forward to resuming parliamentary duties. The electorate office will continue normal operations in this fortnight.”

Greg Brown 1.30pm: Cash to fight subpoena

Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash will challenge a subpoena requiring her to give evidence in court proceedings over the federal police raids on the Australian Workers Union headquarters.

Senator Cash said the subpoenas sought by the AWU was the third at the request of the union, calling it “another effort by the union movement to Bill Shorten”.

The subpoena was in relation to her former staffer, David De Garis, tipping off media about the raid.

“The proceedings themselves are actually between the Australian Workers Union and the Registered Organisations Commission,” Senator Cash said.

.@SenatorCash: I had nothing to do with the whiteboard. You think you were surprised, you should have seen the look on my face. Parliamentary security has taken full responsibility for it.

MORE: https://t.co/YEpIS00Uvx #newsday pic.twitter.com/c9iHAsNTjI

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 30, 2018

“At the heart of these proceedings, a fact that Labor and the AWU want you to forget, the person who has questions to answer is the former head of the AWU, Bill Shorten.

“The AWU has refused to provide evidence that donations made when Bill Shorten was the national secretary were properly authorised.

“The fundamental question is: when Mr Shorten was secretary of the AWU, did he donate $100,000 of union members because money to GetUp! of which he was a director at the time, without proper approval of the unions’ executive?”

She denied she was avoiding scrutiny from Senate Estimates, arguing the proceedings this week were not in her portfolio and the responsible minister was Craig Laundy.

“I am absolutely not covering up. I am standing here at this point in time, how many journalists are here, 15, 20 of you? I am a national television as we speak …I front question time every single day,” she said.

“What I find very interesting though is this is a protection racket to protect Bill Shorten. Way back last year, if the AWU had produced the evidence that those donations were properly authorised, the matter would have ended there and then.”

Greg Brown 12.50pm: Bishop slams Keneally, Kitching

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has slammed Labor senators Kristina Keneally and Kimberley Kitching for reportedly asking questions in Senate Estimates that have been drafted by former foreign minister Bob Carr.

Ms Bishop said it was “extraordinary” Senator Keneally and Senator Kitching would take advice from Mr Carr about probing Malcolm Turnbull’s staffer John Garnaut, an adviser n Chinese espionage in Australia.

Mr Carr has been critical of the government’s rhetoric on China and is a director of the Australia-China Relations Institute.

“I find it extraordinary that senators would have their questions drafted by a former Labor member who has clearly a different view of the national interest than I would think the opposition here in Canberra does,” Ms Bishop said.

Greg Brown 12.10am: ‘Barnaby looks exhausted’

Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester says Barnaby Joyce looked “tired” and “exhausted” in parliament yesterday as he backed the former deputy prime minister’s decision to take leave.

“I respect Barnaby’s decision, he has been through a tough period in his life, there is no question about that, I’m not pretending to have a medical view about this I am not a GP,” Mr Chester told Sky News.

“I thought yesterday Barnaby looked like he needed a break, he looked pretty tired and pretty exhausted, so I think it is the right thing for him to do.”

Mr Chester said politicans should never get paid for media appearances.

“That is something we should look at (banning), at least have the conversation,” he said.

Greg Brown 11.40am: ‘Please explain’ over abolishing Family Court

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus says the government has “a lot of explaining to do” on why abolishing the Family Court was a solution to the lengthy delays in the system.

Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. Picture; AAP.

Mr Dreyfus said there was little detail on how the government’s proposal to merge the Federal Court and Family Court will work.

“Any change aimed at improving the experience of families when they are going through their toughest time must be given worthy consideration, and Labor will examine closely the government’s legislation when it is presented,” Mr Dreyfus said in a statement.

“However, the government has some explaining to do as to why it believes the effective abolition of the Family Court is the solution to the current crisis. It claims 8000 more family law matters will be cleared every year – nearly 40 per cent of the current backlog. On what basis does it make this claim?”

Greg Brown 11.25am: Joyce showed medical certificate

Barnaby Joyce handed in a medical certificate to get leave from parliament.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said the former deputy prime minister was given leave for medical reasons.

“Like any worker in Australia they are entitled to sick leave, Barnaby has a sick leave certificate provided by his medical practitioner and that is why he has been given leave and any other person in the workplace who produced such a certificate would get the same kind of leave,” Mr Pyne told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

Greg Brown 11.00am: ‘Sack Cash over raids’

Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor has called on Malcolm Turnbull to consider sacking Job Minister Michaelia Cash, after she was subpoenaed to appear before court to give evidence on her office’s involvement in the leaking of a federal police raid of the Australian Workers Union headquarters.

Brendan O'Connor says, "There is not a whiteboard big enough for Senator Michaelia Cash to hide behind. It is untenable for this to continue." #9News #auspol

— Airlie Walsh (@AirlieWalsh) May 30, 2018

Mr O’Connor said Senator Cash was attempting to avoid scrutiny, including failing to turn up to Senate Estimates.

“For seven months now, minister Cash has refused to make account of the conduct of her office and possibly herself in relation to the unlawful leaks of two police raids to the media,” Mr O’Connor said.

“We expect the Prime Minister to now indicate to the parliament whether in fact he still holds confidence in the minister. These are very serious matters.

“This is about whether in fact a genuine investigation by the Australian Federal Police, will be compromised because of the leaking of information by a minister’s office.”

Ewin Hannan 10.30am: Michaelia Cash subpoened

Minister for Jobs Michaelia Cash at Senate Estimates on Tuesday. Picture; AAP.

The Federal Court has issued subpoenas requiring Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash give evidence in proceedings over the Australian Federal Police raids on the Australian Workers Union offices.

The court ordered Senator Cash, who has so far refused to appear at Senate estimates today, to appear on August 1.

After a private meeting this morning, senators requested Senator Cash appear to give evidence if she “is available”.

Subpoenas have also been issued against her former senior media adviser, David De Garis, who was forced to resign last year, and another former adviser, Mark Lee.

AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said the Union had “long believed last year’s raid – and the investigation itself – to be unlawful.

“We think it’s vital for the Court is assisted by the evidence of witnesses who we believe are relevant to the issues in the case. That is why we sought subpoenas.

“If we are to understand exactly what happened then we believe the testimony of these individuals is critical.”

Greg Brown 9.35am: Spy law review due to changes in threats

Attorney-General Christian Porter says a massive review into Australia’s spy laws was launched because of the vast changes in both threats and the laws to deal with those threats.

Mr Porter said a review of how information is shared between agencies, revealed in The Australian this morning, would ensure practices are best equipped to deal with threats from Islamic State and foreign espionage.

“As a government we have an absolute priority of keeping Australians safe, we’ve undertaken massive change in the regulatory environment in response to the massive change in the threat environment and here is an opportunity to take stock, review and understand how all that is operating,” Mr Porter told Sky News.

“Now was the time to have a top to tail review of all of the national intelligence community agencies, how they interact with domestic agencies like the AFP and others and how the entire system interacts with the states and state police.

“So everything, top to tail: resourcing, the adequacy of information sharing, cooperation, coordination, the way in which the entire system is oversighted and where integrity exists and how that is oversighted.”

Greg Brown 8.55am: Joyce ‘exposes divided government’

Opposition trade spokesman Jason Clare says Malcolm Turnbull will be relieved Barnaby Joyce is going on leave because the former deputy prime minister’s saga exposes the government as being “divided and dysfunctional”.

.@JasonClareMP: I can understand why @TurnbullMalcolm doesn't want @Barnaby_Joyce in the building.

This saga has been a weeping sore for the govt. It reminds the public this govt is divided and dysfunctional.

MORE: https://t.co/11ixXp5rwR #amagenda pic.twitter.com/uidqwNrlwx

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 29, 2018

“(Mr Joyce) has asked for a pair and we’ve granted it, I can understand why he needs some time off, obviously he is going through some big challenges at the moment and they are only emphasised by the fact he has got a new born baby,” Mr Clare told Sky News.

“But I can also understand why Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t want him in the building either because this has been a weeping sore for the government.

“Every time Barnaby is on the front page of the Daily Telegraph it just reminds everybody that this government is divided and dysfunctional, they were at each other’s throats about this again yesterday.”

Greg Brown 8.25am: Frydenberg confident on energy

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says he is “very confident” the Coalition partyroom will stick with the government’s signature energy policy, despite concerns raised by Tony Abbott yesterday that the details of the policy could be signed off by the states before the federal partyroom.

Josh Frydenberg. Picture: AAP.

“I’m very confident my colleagues will see the way forward with the national energy guarantee, they do support that and I’m confident the states will also recognise that this is an historic opportunity,” Mr Frydenberg told the ABC.

He defended his decision to show the final details of the national energy guarantee to the states before the Coalition partyroom.

“We have had a very comprehensive debate in the partyroom previously and as I explained yesterday what is going to be discussed with the state ministers in August will be consistent with those previous discussions and I will be bringing back to the partyroom legislation once we get the agreement from the states and territories, provided that is the case,” he said.

Mr Frydenberg said electricity prices would start to decline over the coming year.

“We are coming up to the next round of price determinations in July and the evidence to me is that we will see a fall in Queensland and (prices will) stay relatively stable in NSW and South Australia,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“This compares to the increase in the wholesale price we saw following the closure of the Northern coal-fired power station in South Australia and the Hazelwood power station in Victoria.

“We do know that from the first of January this year until today wholesale power prices are down around 30 per cent compared to the same period last year so that will start to flow through to consumers.”

Greg Brown 8.05am: ‘Other things to do than watch Joyce’

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says he will not be watching the Seven Network profile on Barnaby Joyce’s family because he will have “other things to do”.

7 News headlines with @MarkFerguson_7. Watch 7 News on the free @7plus app. https://t.co/sgLrpaNi5f #7News pic.twitter.com/IfgQZjFHFs

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) May 29, 2018

But Mr Frydenberg said his thoughts were with the former deputy prime minister who went on leave last night.

“All of us know somebody whose marriage has broken down and in many cases that had another child,” Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio.

“This is difficult, it is very personal and it is not for others to judge. So my thoughts are with Barnaby’s family and with him obviously now that he has taken leave and I really just don’t want to add to that.

“Barnaby is a valued friend and a valued colleague and I think this time he spends with his family is no doubt something that he needs and wants.”

Greg Brown 7.35am: Privacy law ‘not a focus’

Attorney-General Christian Porter has poured cold water on Barnaby Joyce’s proposal for an overhaul of privacy laws.

Mr Porter said the government was not considering introducing a tort of privacy, which would have prevented the media revealing Mr Joyce had an affair with his former staffer Vikki Campion.

“Can I say that is not a primary focus of the government,” Mr Porter told ABC radio.

He would not be drawn on whether Mr Joyce should leave parliament altogether after being granted extended leave last night.

“I’m just not going to be diverted from that by talking about one individual parliamentarians leave, people take leave from time to time, I think he has been granted a pair, that’s that,” Mr Porter said.

What’s making news:

Average wage earners such as teachers, nurses and mechanics would be paying between $500 and $2000 a year more in personal income tax by 2024-25 under Bill Shorten’s tax plan than the Coalition’s, according to the government’s analysis of the competing tax policies on which the next election will be fought.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has launched an attack on the “highly politicised” Fair Work Commission, igniting a brawl with Labor and the union movement over the Productivity Commission’s proposal to decouple the $2.6 trillion superannuation industry from the industrial relations system.

Barnaby Joyce has taken extended personal leave until the end of June, effective immediately, and is not expected to return to parliament until August.

Prominent lawyers and the federal opposition have attacked Barnaby Joyce for proposing an overhaul of privacy laws that may have prevented the media from revealing the former deputy prime minister’s relationship with Vikki Campion.

Tony Abbott has challenged Malcolm Turnbull to give government MPs a final say on his national energy guarantee before it goes to the states for approval, warning the Prime Minister of the electoral consequences of failing to spare voters the pain of rising power prices.

The Family Court of Australia will be scrapped and rolled into a new, larger court, as part of the biggest change to the family law system since its creation in 1976, in an effort to resolve more efficiently acrimonious custody and property disputes that can drag on for years.

The biggest review of spy laws in more than 40 years will be unveiled today, amid growing concerns that national security agencies are unable to pass crucial information to police and other intelligence services about threats to national security.

Declaring the royal commission into financial services “troubling and very sad”, Treasury secretary John Fraser yesterday warned of a possible credit crunch, as Finance Minister Mathias Cormann batted away claims the government had politicised Treasury by costing Labor policies.

Parliamentary divisions may soon become more orderly, and potentially less theatrical, with the introduction of electronic voting in the House of Representatives.