PoliticsNow: It’s OK to be white: Coalition backs Hanson on lost vote
PoliticsNow: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says ‘it’s OK to be white’, but her motion acknowledging that has been narrowly lost.
- Sharma ‘appalled’ by ex-PM’s treatment
- Wentworth goes to the wire
- ‘I knew of ABC’s Guthrie plans’
- Labor pushes for ban on discrimination
- Endorse Sharma, Abbott urges
Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra.
Scott Morrison will use this sitting week to try and gain legislative wins and set the agenda ahead of the crucial Wentworth by-election.
Here’s how today played out.
Rosie Lewis 4.45pm: ‘It’s OK to be white’
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s motion that acknowledges it’s “OK to be white” has been narrowly voted down in the Senate, after she gained support from the Coalition and several crossbench colleagues.
The motion, which also recognised the “deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation,” was voted down 31 – 28.
“Anyone who pays attention to the news or spends any time on social media has to acknowledge that there has been a rise in anti-white racism and a rise in attacks on the very ideals of Western civilisation,” Senator Hanson told the chamber.
“I would also hope the Senate does the right thing and acknowledges it is indeed OK to be white. Such a simple sentence should go without saying but I suspect many members in this parliament would struggle to say it.
“People have a right to be proud of their cultural background, whether they are black, white or brindle. If we cannot agree on this I think it’s safe to say any white racism is well and truly rife in our society.”
Please note #WentworthByElection voters 👇
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) October 15, 2018
The Liberals just sided with One Nation and Frasier Anning on a motion straight out of the alt-right playbook.
That’s what you get if you vote @DaveSharma https://t.co/JIAkxkLoqT
Victorian independent senator Derryn Hinch declared the motion could’ve been written on toilet paper and said it was not only “wrong” but could be dangerous.
He claimed there was a race between Senator Hanson and her ex-Queensland senator Fraser Anning, who is now a member of Katter’s Australian Party, to be the “biggest, loudest and most racist bigot” ahead of the next federal election.
“She’s used this chamber as a conduit for the headline grabbing stunts — and just remember the burka,” Senator Hinch said.
“Senator Hanson knew, or knows, that this motion will not pass.”
One Nation, Senator Anning, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi supported the motion, while Centre Alliance, Senator Hinch and South Australian independent Tim Storer sided with Labor and the Greens to vote it down.
Rosie Lewis 4.40pm: ABC ‘whitewash’
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland has joined the Greens in labelling the Communication Department’s report into the ABC “nothing but a whitewash”, warning Labor would push to set up a Senate inquiry into “allegations of political interference” at the broadcaster.
“As Labor predicted, this internal inquiry was nothing but a whitewash, given the inquiry was unable to ascertain all the facts, leaves key questions unanswered and points to insidious government pressure,” Ms Rowland said.
“Senator Fifield’s Clayton’s inquiry shows why a public Senate inquiry is needed and why he should stand down as Minister for Communications.”
Brad Norington 4.20pm: Wentworth a ‘sideshow’
Greg Brown 3.40pm: Labor religious freedom group not consulted
Labor senator Louise Pratt has confirmed the party’s internal group to revise religious freedoms was not consulted about Bill Shorten’s announcement to ban religious schools from sacking gay teachers.
Senator Pratt told Sky News she was not party to any discussions, despite being part of the Labor group that includes Kimberley Kitching, Terri Butler and Michelle Rowland.
Labor senator Kimberley Kitching says religious schools should be able to fire teachers if they do not teach the “ethos” of the school, including on same-sex marriage.
“And that is different from the removing of the discrimination of the sexual orientation of the teacher,” Senator Kitching told Sky, while defending Bill Shorten’s decision to oppose the right of religious schools to sack gay teachers.
Rosie Lewis 3.30pm: Fifield involved in ABC: Wong
Labor has accused Communications Minister Mitch Fifield of having “direct personal involvement” in the scandal that plagued the ABC and claimed the scalps of Michelle Guthrie and Justin Milne.
“When it comes to damning allegations of political interference with the ABC, the Minister asked the secretary of his department to undertake an inquiry to establish the facts. Given the Minister’s direct personal involvement in the scandal, does his secretary ask questions of the Minister in relation to allegations of political interference with the ABC? And if so what was the substance of those questions,” Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong asked in question time.
Senator Fifield noted he had said previously his department secretary Mike Mrdak was “perfectly at liberty to talk to me” for the ABC investigation. Mr Mrdak only interviewed Ms Guthrie, the ABC’s former managing director, Mr Milne, the former chair, and acting managing director David Anderson.
“Consistent with the advice of the former managing director and the former chair to the secretary of the department … I in no way, shape or form have ever sought to influence employment matters at the ABC and I never would,” Senator Fifield said.
Senator Wong went further, declaring: “Given the Minister’s direct involvement (in the ABC saga), why has this Minister failed to stand aside as Minister for Communications?”
Senator Fifield fired back: “Just because Senator Wong keeps repeating something, does not make it true … I have always respected the independence of the ABC, I have never sought in any way, shape or form, not hinted, not intimated, in no way in relation to ABC staffing matters.”
Greg Brown 3.20pm: Game on, Harry and Megs
Question time finishes with both Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten welcoming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Australia.
“It is tremendous to have Prince Harry and Meghan here, and we hope to have a very pleasant stay in Australia,” the Prime Minister says.
“And can be also commend them on the reason why they are here, and that is for the Invictus Games, and we welcome all athletes who are coming to the Invictus Games.”
Greg Brown 3.15pm: Visa delivery ‘failure’
Labor MP Cathy O’Toole asks Scott Morrison if Michael McCormack has raised concerns about the government’s failure to deliver an agriculture visa.
The Prime Minister says job shortages should be filled by Australians who are on welfare.
“We are moving to provide, where there is a defined shortage of labour, particularly for the upcoming harvest, we will be addressing that need with a working visa program, to ensure that the Pacific Labour Scheme and the seasonal worker scheme will be tailored to meet those shortages,” he says.
Greg Brown 3.08pm: Are ag visas dead?
Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon asks if agriculture visas are “dead”, despite the Nationals continuing to push for one.
Scott Morrison says more needs to be done to get locals in farm jobs and people should be taken off welfare if they won’t pick fruit.
The Prime Minister says an agriculture visa, which could bring in foreign workers from Asia, could be considered in the future.
“The government has made no decision about having visas such of these are in the future, but what we can do right now is ensure that we can get those workers onto the farm is to ensure the farmers have the workers that they need,” he says.
“But Australian jobs should go to Australian workers first, and we need to ensure that all those who are working on farms have the appropriate protections, are paid properly, and we are not having illegal workers working on our farms in Australia.”
Greg Brown 3pm: Preschools funding
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks about the budget papers which he says shows there is no funding for preschools after next year.
“Will the minister guarantee funding every for three-year-old in this year’s financial update?”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Bill Shorten was expecting the states to do the heavy lifting by extending subsidies for preschool to three — year-olds.
“He hadn’t even got their agreement,” Frydenberg says.
Greg Brown 2.50pm: ‘Record level’ school spend
Labor MP Susan Templeman asks why the government won’t increase funding on public schools.
Education Minister Dan Tehan says the Commonwealth is spending record levels on state schools.
“Commonwealth funding for state schools was $6.8 billion last year, and it will be $7.3bn this year. It will be $7.9bn next year, and $8.6bn the year after that,” Tehan says.
Greg Brown 2.40pm: No movement on Ruddock review
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus asks why the government is not releasing the report from the Ruddock review.
Scott Morrison says his first priorities have been tackling the drought and dealing with problems in the aged-care sector.
“Once we have been able to address those priorities, we will be taking a government response through the normal cabinet process,” Morrison says.
“And when we have concluded that, we will release this report and seek to have a mature discussion with this chamber and the other chamber and the Australian people about protecting the religious freedoms, of which millions of Australians hold dear.”
.@ScottMorrisonMP on immigration: We’re dealing with the legacy of Labor’s failure. They get agitated when I talk about the issue, that’s what happens when you stare failure in the face.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 15, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #auspol pic.twitter.com/dhkfRAfEk8
Greg Brown 2.35pm: Smugglers target NZ as ‘backdoor’
Scott Morrison says people smugglers are advertising New Zealand as a backdoor entry to Australia.
In response to a question about offshore detention from crossbench MP Cathy McGowan, the Prime Minister says letting asylum seekers settle in New Zealand would pave the way for more illegal boats.
“We’ve introduced legislation into this place to prevent that backdoor movement of people into Australia from New Zealand and that legislation isn’t supported by those opposite,” Morrison says.
3.32pm: Sharma ‘appalled’ by Turnbull treatment
Liberal candidate for Wentworth Dave Sharma says he was appalled by the way his party treated former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, AAP reports.
Addressing an election forum in Bondi on Monday, Mr Sharma pleaded with voters to give the Liberals another chance despite the fact it booted Mr Turnbull, who he described as a “mentor and a friend,” from the top job in August. “I too was appalled at the treatment that was meted out to him,” Mr Sharma said.
Despite winning Wentworth with a 17 per cent margin at the last federal election, the Liberals are bracing for a hit this Saturday, with independent candidate Kerryn Phelps leading the charge to wrestle the blue-ribbon seat from the government.
The local GP and marriage equality advocate told the forum that voters in Wentworth needed to send the government a message on Election Day.
Greg Brown 2.30pm: PM won’t be “lectured” by Labor
Bill Shorten asks Scott Morrison if the government will join Labor in opposing the rights of religious schools to sack gay teachers.
The Prime Minister read out the bill the former Labor government introduced which created the discriminatory law.
“We don’t take kindly to be lectured on these issues when you created the laws which created the discrimination,” Morrison says.
Greg Brown 2.25pm: ScoMo quizzed on gay teachers
Bill Shorten goes Scott Morrison on religious freedoms. He asks the Prime Minister if he agrees with statements from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg this morning, who said he did not think gay teachers should be discriminated against by religious schools.
The Prime Minister fobs it and says he is focusing on revoking laws that allow religious schools to expel gay students.
“I hope we can do that and we won’t be point scoring and playing politics with this, we can just get it done and give those families and their children the certainty that they deserve and the laws which were indeed introduced by those opposite when in government can be corrected,” Morrison says.
Greg Brown 2.15pm: Wentworth doesn’t “want Shorten”
Bill Shorten opens his QT questions on Wentworth. He notes Scott Morrison has said a vote for anybody but the Liberals would destabilise the parliament.
“But didn’t this Prime Minister destabilise the government in the first place when he and his colleagues deposed Mr Turnbull?”
Morrison says the people in Wentworth do not want Shorten as prime minister.
“They don’t want him and they have had five years to have a good look at him, and they have rendered their verdict on him,” he says.
“A vote for anyone other than Dave Sharma, the Liberal Party candidate in Wentworth, is a vote that would undermine (business) certainty and would undermine the strong economy that our government is delivering.
.@billshortenmp: @ScottMorrisonMP has complained that voting for anyone but the Liberals in Wentworth will destabilise his government.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 15, 2018
Didn’t this Prime Minister destabilise the government when he deposed of @TurnbullMalcolm.
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #auspol pic.twitter.com/ObOmh7qO3G
Greg Brown 2.10pm: West Gate Bridge victims tribute
Scott Morrison opens question time paying tribute to victims of the collapse of the West Gate Bridge collapse in Melbourne, 48 years ago.
The Prime Minister says the tragedy, which killed 35 people, was because of human error.
The collapse happened during construction in 1970.
Today it is 40 years since the bridge was opened.
“Each time this date and this period is marked, it is a chilling reminder and a terrible time of sadness for all of those who were touched personally by these tragic incidents,” Morrison says.
“On that day, Australians watched in horror as the West Gate Bridge collapsed during construction.”
Bill Shorten also rises to pay tribute to the victims.
“Today, we remember riggers and fitters, ironworkers, boilermakers, engineers, fathers, brothers and sons. Many of them were actually migrants who were seeking a fresh start in a new nation,” the Opposition Leader says.
Greg Brown 1.45pm: End $1 milk ‘farce’
Nationals MP Andrew Broad has called for an end to $1 milk, after Agriculture Minister David Littleproud slammed Coles for its “farce” milk levy that was supposed to help drought affected farmers.
Mr Broad said people were starting to see through Coles after claims there is no guarantee 10c levy on its milk will go to drought-impacted farmers.
“Australians deserve affordable and healthy food, everyone agrees with that, what they don’t deserve is cheap food at the expense of the person who is trying to make a living producing that, and it is about time we broke this nexus of the $1 milk,” Mr Broad told Sky News.
“It does need to go up, and that is only fair and reasonable, because it has been five years, farmers’ costs have gone up, it should go up above a $1.
“I think what Coles are doing by looking to be good people in the drought we can now see through.”
Greg Brown 1.15pm: ‘Let schools discriminate’
Nationals MP Andrew Broad says independent schools should be able to discriminate against gay teachers.
Mr Broad, the member for the regional Victorian electorate of Mallee, said religious schools should not be banned from discriminating against teachers because of their sexual orientation.
“If a parent sends their child to a school and they are paying for that school then they expect that school in their leadership, in their teaching faculty, to uphold the values that they believe in,” Mr Broad said.
“The school needs to be able to employ people that hold the values the parents expect.”
.@tomwconnell: Do you think a religious school should be able to not employ someone because of their sexual orientation?@kimbakit: I think that the religious schools are able to employ people who abide by the teachings of that school.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 15, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/NA2xs6ATSx #newsday pic.twitter.com/bqKQaXr1wI
Greg Brown 12.30pm: Being underestimated ’one of Bill’s strengths’
Senior Labor MPs have played down Bill Shorten’s unpopularity, with the Opposition Leader trailing Scott Morrison as preferred prime minister.
Opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers rejected claims Mr Shorten was a drag on Labor’s vote.
“Bill Shorten has led the Labor Party now for five years. He has the lead on policy. He has empowered his colleagues,” Mr Chalmers said in Canberra this morning.
“He has built remarkable stability, unity and cohesion and that is reflected in the opinion polls and the fact that we have a suite of policies that are out there which are supported overwhelmingly by the Australian people over the alternative, which is Scott Morrison’s cuts to schools and hospitals and penalty rates.”
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said Mr Shorten always performs better than is expected
“I think the fact that Bill Shorten continues to be underestimated is possibly one of his biggest strengths. And he, in fact, makes it known that we all need to work harder,” Ms Rowland.
Greg Brown 11.45am: ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’
Crossbench senator Derryn Hinch says he will try again tomorrow to suspend standing orders in the Senate to debate a motion condemning religious schools that discriminate against gay staff and students.
My Senate move -- to suspend standing orders & bring on a motion to deny federal funding and/or charity status for schools discriminating against teachers or students because of sexual orientation – failed 31-30 today. Back tomorrow. It’s the right, moral, decent thing to do.
— Derryn Hinch (@HumanHeadline) October 15, 2018
Greg Brown 11.30am: Wentworth goes to the wire
The bookmakers are starting to look more favourably on independent Wentworth candidate Kerryn Phelps in the lead up to Saturday’s by-election.
Sportsbet is pricing Ms Phelps at $2.75, compared to $3.50 last week, while Tim Murray has shortened from $10 to $5.50.
Liberal candidate Dave Sharma remains the favourite to take out the by-election but his odds have widened from $1.33 to $1.65.
“This is going to be a tight contest on Saturday with Kerryn Phelps really gaining momentum with punter support but Dave Sharma is still holding onto favouritism,’’ said sportsbet.com.au’s Will Byrne.
Wentworth by-election Winner
$1.65 Dave Sharma (Liberal) (out from $1.33)
$2.75 Kerryn Phelps (Independent) (in from $3.50)
$5.50 Tim Murray (Labor) (in from $10)
$12 Licia Heath (Independent) (in from $21)
Greg Brown 11.16am: Hinch motion fails
Derryn Hinch’s move to suspend standing orders has narrowly failed, by 31 votes to 30.
Key crossbenchers backed the government in opposing the motion, including Centre Alliance and Liberal Democrat leader David Leyonhjelm.
Greg Brown 11.00am: Hinch seeks to suspend standing orders
Crossbench senator Derryn Hinch is seeking to suspend standing orders in the Senate to call on the parliament to condemn religious schools discriminating against gay teachers and students.
Labor’s Don Farrell says the suspension of standing orders will have the opposition’s support, as has Greens leader Richard Di Natale.
HINCH MOTION: Mobile users click here
Rosie Lewis 10.40am: ’I knew of ABC’s plans to axe Guthrie’
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has revealed he learned the ABC wanted former managing director Michelle Guthrie gone on September 12 — nearly two weeks before she was sacked — as he defended the government’s against claims it has undermined the ABC’s independence.
“I had a professional relationship with both the former chair and the former managing director. I’ve always respected the legislative independence of the ABC and its board and management,” Senator Fifield told the chamber.
“The then chair (Justin Milne) spoke to me in Canberra on 12 September to advise that the board no longer believed the managing director was best placed to lead the organisation. He further advised that he would be conveying this to the managing director on behalf of the board the following day.”
Greg Brown 10.35am: Labor to push for ban on discrimination
Bill Shorten has called for religious schools to be banned from discriminating against gay teachers.
The Opposition Leader said Labor would push for the removal of exemptions for religious schools to choose its staff based on church teachings.
“As a father, I try to teach my children to treat everyone with respect, and to view everyone as equal,” Mr Shorten said in a statement.
“I’m pleased both sides of politics are now united in the view that exemptions allowing religious schools to discriminate against children should be removed. I believe we can use this goodwill to go further and remove the exemption that would allow a teacher or school staff member to be sacked or refused employment because of their sexual orientation.
“In my discussions with religious educators, it’s clear this is not an exemption that they use or want to use. These laws are no longer appropriate, if indeed they ever were appropriate. It’s time our laws reflected the values we teach our children.”
Greg Brown 10.10am: Endorse Sharma, Abbott urges
Tony Abbott has urged Malcolm Turnbull to give a personal endorsement for the Liberal Party’s candidate in the Wentworth by-election.
Mr Abbott declined to respond to Mr Turnbull calling him a “miserable ghost” but urged the former prime minister to send a “solid, clear, personal endorsement” of the Liberal Party’s candidate Dave Sharma.
“The one thing that I would love to see from Malcolm this week is a tweet from New York endorsing Dave Sharma,” Mr Abbott told 2GB radio.
“I know he doesn’t want to get too involved with Australian politics, I understand that, I know he is probably enjoying a bit of R & R with Lucy in New York, but I reckon he owes it to the party and the people of Wentworth to give Dave Sharma a solid, clear personal endorsement this week in particular.”
He said this Saturday’s by-election would be a “tough” one to win for the Liberal Party and labelled independent candidate Kerryn Phelps as “effectively the Labor candidate”.
“The official Labor candidate is some bloke but the real Labor candidate is Kerryn Phelps and that’s why if you vote for Kerryn Phelps you are really voting for Bill Shorten and it is important that people understand that,” he said.
Mr Abbott said the government was in better shape with Scott Morrison as leader than under Mr Turnbull.
“The great thing about Prime Minister Scott Morrison is when he addresses a subject you understand exactly what he means, he speaks in short clear sentences, and he is a tribal Liberal. And that is what we want, we want someone who believes in our cause and regards themselves as a creature of our party,” he said.
9.55am: Over half of Aussies want republic
A narrow majority of Australians want a republic with support highest among younger and middle-aged Aussies, a new poll shows.
The survey, released as Prince Harry and his new wife Meghan arrive for their first tour of Australia, shows all age groups believe the nation should become a republic with an Australian head of state.
The independent poll of 1000 Australians, commissioned by the Australian Republic Movement, found 52.4 per cent want a republic.
Of those polled, 25.2 per cent weren’t sure of the need for change, with 22.4 per cent against or strongly against a future as a republic. The ResearchNow poll gauged the views of Australians aged 18 to 65 and older. In all age groups more people agreed than disagreed on the need for change. Support was strongest among 25-34 year olds, at 58.6 per cent but Australians aged 45-54 weren’t far behind at 57.9 per cent.
It was lowest among Australians aged 65 and older, but even then almost half (47.5 per cent) agreed or strongly agreed that the nation should become a republic with an Australian head of state.
AAP
Greg Brown 9.35am: Greens plea to drop TPP
The Greens are putting in a final hour plea for the Labor Party to drop its support of the Trans-Pacific partnership, which is expected to be passed through the Senate this week.
“The dodgy TPP deal was designed by corporations, for corporations. It is baffling to Australian workers, and the broader community, that the Labor Party has abandoned its base, and unions, to give this toxic trade deal the green light,” said Greens trade spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young.
“Labor has an opportunity to say no to the TPP enabling legislation and back withdrawing from the agreement. Labor is trying to walk both sides of the street on the TPP.”
Greg Brown 9.25am: Gay teachers ‘vexed question’
Labor frontbencher Michelle Rowland says the issue of allowing religious schools to ban gay teachers is “vexed” as she urged the government for an immediate release of the report from the Ruddock review into religious freedom.
.@DanTehanWannon: When it comes to students the Prime Minister has made it very clear – he wants to act and has asked the Attorney-General to look at that.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 14, 2018
I expect that something will be done over the coming days.
MORE: https://t.co/wFXtgmf71p #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/c9klvN7qXR
Ms Rowland said religious communities were frustrated that the issue of religious freedom had become a debate about schools, arguing this had happened because of the delay in releasing the Ruddock report.
“It is a vexed issue in relation to teachers, on the one hand, of course, you have particular religious schools who may well expect their teachers to be able to teach a certain religion or adhere to certain values,” Ms Rowland told Sky News.
“But it really does get to what was described as the thin end of the wedge, how close do you get into teachers’ personal lives and shouldn’t the issue (of) ‘are they teaching children properly?’ be the primary reason why they are there in that school.”
Greg Brown 9.05am: Law change to protect gay teachers possible
Education Minister Dan Tehan says the government will consider changing laws to prevent religious schools from banning gay teachers.
“That is obviously something we want to look at as part of the broader Ruddock review, the Prime Minister has already made some comments on that, but he said that he wants the issue of students dealt with quickly and that is what the focus is of the Attorney-General,” Mr Tehan told Sky News.
Mr Tehan said he did not believe there were enough religious protections in Australia and that a national framework, including a religious discrimination act, should be considered.
“I don’t think, when it comes to our national laws, that we do have the protections that are in place that are necessary, but that will be something that is part of a broader conversation that the government will have,” Mr Tehan said.
“We have got to make sure we get the balance right.”
Greg Brown 8.50am: “No room for discrimination”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says there should not be “any room for discrimination” in Australian schools as the government weighs up whether to allow religious schools from banning gay teachers.
Mr Frydenberg said the government would this week move legislation to prevent schools from expelling gay students and declared his own view was that teachers should also not face discrimination.
“These are negotiations that we will have both internally and with the opposition, I don’t think there is any room for discrimination and against a student or against a teacher,” Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio.
“But that being said we need to work through this process with the Labor Party and ensure that we provide a bipartisan front to the country.”
He said laws that allowed the discrimination against gay students were introduced by the Gillard Labor government.
“I don’t think these laws are right and I do think we need to ensure that there is no discrimination in either our workplaces or in our schools, that is my feeling,” he said.
Greg Brown 8.25am: “Like a box of chocolates”
Scott Morrison says the Wentworth by-election is “very tight” as he warned voters in the eastern Sydney seat against a protest vote that would create instability and put the economy at risk.
.@ScottMorrisonMP says voting Independent is like voting for a box of chocolates and ‘you’ll never know what you’re going to get.’
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 14, 2018
‘That’s what people need to think about in Wentworth'
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/VcCzltyKTE
The Prime Minister said independent candidate Kerryn Phelps has every chance of getting over the line in Malcolm Turnbull’s old seat with the help of Labor and Greens preferences in Saturday’s poll.
“The Wentworth by-election is very tight, that is very clear, it is not like the last election, this is a three horse race with an independent in the middle of that and running second very strongly,” Mr Morrison said this morning.
“It doesn’t matter where the independent’s preferences go if they come second, they keep all of those votes and then the Labor Party and the Greens get the independent over the line.”
Mr Morrison said the government would legislate more small business tax cuts within a fortnight, noting there were 29,000 small and family businesses in Wentworth.
He said you could not trust Labor on small business tax cuts, despite Bill Shorten backing the government’s plans to fast track relief for businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million.
“That’s what people need to think about in Wentworth: with the Liberal Party you know what you are going to get, with the Labor Party you never know what you are going to get, and with independents you certainly don’t know what you are going to get,” he said.
“It is like the good old box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get with independents, we have seen that in this parliament too often.”
What’s making news:
Scott Morrison is now considered by Liberal voters as a better option than Malcolm Turnbull to fight an election against Bill Shorten on key issues, as the Coalition continues to claw back electoral ground following a dramatic collapse in support sparked by the leadership spill.
Trade and Investment Minister Simon Birmingham has warned that key Australian industry sectors including steel, wine and agriculture would be disadvantaged if the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal — worth an estimated $15.6 billion in net annual benefits to the national economy by 2030 — isn’t pushed through parliament.
Donald Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said the Morrison government was increasing its naval co-operation [BG1] with the US in the contentious South China Sea, as Chinese state media issued a blunt warning to Australia not to side with the Americans in any new cold war.
Fixing the business model of the National Broadband Network will be a key Labor priority if it wins the next election, with a multibillion-dollar writedown a live option, according to communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland. “The Coalition has ruled out a writedown but we are keeping all of our options open,” she said.
Barnaby Joyce has reopened the Coalition’s energy wars on the new battlefield of the proposed $4.5 billion Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project that he says should be shelved or scrapped in favour of new coal-fired power stations.
Nationals MPs have declared a new class of agriculture visa is “not dead” and vowed to continue pushing for the policy in the party room, amid warnings that Scott Morrison’s proposal to get unemployed Australians working on farms did not go far enough.
The Ruddock review’s recommendations on religious freedom have been denounced by legal academics for perpetuating what they see as an illegitimate hierarchy of rights that downgrades religion.
Clive Palmer’s attempt to pass off former prime ministers Robert Menzies, Billy Hughes and Joseph Lyons as past members of his United Australia Party has been labelled as “ludicrous” by experts.
Mathias Cormann has assured voters the Coalition is “united” behind a move to prohibit religious schools from expelling children based on their sexuality.
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