PoliticsNow: Julia Banks calls for ‘one off act of grace’ to get kids off Nauru
PoliticsNow: In an emotional speech, Liberal backbencher Julia Banks has called for “a one off act of grace” to get the children off Nauru.
- Refugees complain about US: Dutton
- Frydenberg urges Labor to drop property policies
- Labor to take ‘NEG on steroids’ to election
- DFAT not consulted on embassy move: Payne
- PM’s Kelly intervention
- Di Natale blames Trump
Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton claims that asylum seekers resettled in the United States have been complaining back to friends in Nauru about the conditions in their new country.
Ben Packham 6.05pm: Banks’ emotional speech about Nauru
Liberal backbencher Julia Banks has told parliament the government has a humanitarian obligation to get refugee children and their families off Nauru, declaring both parties had acted “disgracefully” in refusing to work together on the issue.
Ms Banks, who has hinted she might run as an independent at the next election, she didn’t want to have to watch a national apology to those children in future years, like the apology the government had delivered this week to the victims of institutional sexual abuse.
In an emotional speech, she called for “a one off act of grace” to get the children off Nauru, which she said would not compromise the integrity of Australia’s border protection system.
“The nexus between the children and families on Nauru, and keeping he boats stopped, has been over-ridden by the plight of sick children and our humanitarian obligation to get these children and their families off Nauru.
“What was a defensible arrangement in the past is weakened now by the current facts. The US arrangement is living proof that there has not been a resurgence of boats coming to Australia, and nor will an arrangement with New Zealand.”
She said progress could have been made this week on the proposed New Zealand solution but the parties had been unwilling to compromise.
“In the past few months, the political games and distractions of both parties have disgracefully played out in this place, and in the meantime, the situation in Nauru with sick children has reached a crisis point,” she said.
She urged colleagues to view the plight of refugees on Nauru from the perspective of a child.
“Because childhood is fleeting,” she said.
Primrose Riordan 5.35pm: Payne still expected to visit Beijing
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Frances Adamson has said the Australia China relationship has developed “reasonably well” lately, and cited the recent meeting between Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
She said she would not say it was “firing on all cylinders” in every respect, but it was still possible Senator Payne will visit China this year for the Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue.
As former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with Mr Wang in Australia last year, Beijing had been expected to host the dialogue this year.
Senator Kimberly Kitching, sitting next to Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, asked Senator Payne and Ms Adamson about numerous statements Senator Fierravanti-Wells has made about Chinese “debt trap” diplomacy in the Pacific Islands.
Primrose Riordan 5.25pm: Call for less secretive security
Senator Jenny McAllister says the national security community should consider being more open with the public in order to avoid the reputational damage other institutions have suffered.
Senator McAllister is a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security pointed to a recent meeting she had with Alex Joel, the Chief of the Office of Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency, in the US Office of National Intelligence.
“He noted that there had been a number of instances over the past decade in which the American intelligence community had to deal with the release of classified documents, or indeed more recently, had been asked to declassify and release documents themselves,” she told the Women in National Security Conference in Canberra on Thursday.
“The American intelligence community had found, over time, that the best practice was to proactively disclose information where appropriate.”
“Not only did this mean that organisations were more familiar with how to handle the processes of publicly releasing information, it was also a way to build trust in the practice of secrecy itself.”
She said after recent scandals around institutions such as the church, there was “self-reinforcing trend” for the public to believe that institutions simply serve their own interests.
“It’s a trend that Australia’s national security community to date has managed to escape. Unlike so many others, you have not suffered a crisis of trust.”
“What would a similar shift away from trust to towards compliance look like in a national security context? We should aim to avoid finding out.”
Senator McAllister pointed to the work of the PJCIS as attempting to bring some transparency to national security decisions.
Rosie Lewis 4.23pm: Anning not all ‘solid gold’
Bob Katter’s announcement that KAP had “terminated” Senator Fraser Anning’s endorsement comes after the maverick senator attempted to move a motion in the Senate that urged Scott Morrison to “support a predominantly European immigration program”.
He also addressed a rally organised by a neo-Nazi group that billed itself as part of a libertarian conference attended by four Coalition MPs, as revealed in The Australian, and was attacked after delivering his maiden speech and calling for a “final solution” to immigration policy.
Senator Anning was elected in November last year to replace former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, who was disqualified for being a dual citizen, but left that party following a bitter falling out with leader Pauline Hanson.
“Ninety-nine per cent of what Senator Anning has been saying is solid gold. However, there is 1 per cent of what he is saying that is totally unacceptable,” Mr Katter said, reading from a statement by KAP president Shane Paulger.
“I, as party president made it perfectly clear, as did the federal leader, that inter alia there was to be no more use of words like ‘Europeans’ and ‘non-Europeans’. Clearly that is racist; clearly our policies are anti-racist.”
Greg Brown 4pm: Katter dumps Anning
Crossbench senator Fraser Anning has been dumped from Bob Katter’s Australian Party.
Mr Katter has read out a statement from the party’s federal president saying Senator Anning would no longer represent the party.
Katter’s Australian Party deemed Senator Anning’s proposal for a plebiscite on non-European migration to be racist.
“It was a unanimous decision of the party,” Mr Katter said.
3.30pm: Resettled Nauru refugees unhappy in US
Asylum seekers resettled in the United States have been complaining back to friends in Nauru about the conditions in their new country, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton claims.
“We are seeing ... reports of people that have gone from Nauru to the United States saying it is harder than they thought because they need to find work in the United States,” Mr Dutton told parliament on Thursday.
“And they are saying to people on Nauru now you would be better to go to New Zealand or Australia because they have a better welfare system.” — AAP
Greg Brown 3.15pm: Honour for Bishop
Scott Morrison finishes QT by congratulating Julie Bishop for receiving an honour by the US embassy for “leadership excellence”.
“I commend the member for Curtin,” the Prime Minister says.
Greg Brown 3.05pm: Shorten still stuck on Turnbull
Bill Shorten lists a number of the government’s problems before asking Scott Morrison why Malcolm Turnbull was rolled as prime minister.
The Prime Minister talks up the efforts of his government in managing the economy and tackling the draught.
“I can confirm our government will always be focused on the issues that matter to Australians, and we will never get lost in the suited bubble of the Leader of the Opposition,” Shorten says.
Greg Brown 3pm: Penalty rates cuts
Referencing a cut to penalty rates, Labor MP Sharon Claydon asks if Scott Morrison will always put the “top end of town” before working Australians.
The Prime Minister says he supports the matter of penalty rates to be in the hands of the Fair Work Commission.
“We believe in the independent process of the commission, which was set up by the Labor Party when (Bill Shorten) was in government,” Morrison says.
“We do not think there should be the chaos of people’s wages being determined by the politics of politicians.”
Greg Brown 2.50pm: ScoMo still claiming banks credit
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen asks Scott Morrison to tell the house about how the banking royal commission was “really all his idea”.
The Prime Minister says “actions speak louder than words”.
“I initiated the royal commission into the banking and financial industry, the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand the public pay on results are not words,” he says.
Greg Brown 2.46pm: PM takes credit for banks probe
Labor’s Clare O’Neil asks about Scott Morrison’s former opposition to a banking royal commission.
The Prime Minister takes credit for the banking probe, leading to jeers from Labor MPs.
“I initiated the royal commission into the banking industry,” he says.
“When you look up the terms of reference, you will find my name on it.”
Primrose Riordan 2.45pm: Aussies detained in China
Three Australian citizens say they were detained in China’s Xinjiang region last year and Australian attempts to find relatives of Australians detained in China have been unsuccessful, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.
Department Secretary Frances Adamson said the issue of ethnic minorities being arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang region in China’s North West was at the top of their list of concerns that the government has been raising with China.
DFAT North Asia head Graham Fletcher said the department was aware of three Australian citizens who say they were detained in Xinjiang during last year, mostly for a couple of weeks.
In June The Australian revealed that one Australian citizen was detained in Xinjiang province for about a month on a trip back to China to visit family.
He said, however, that all three Australians were now back in the country and had been released.
Greens Senator Janet Rice asked whether as many as six Australian residents were missing after travelling to Xinjiang, but DFAT were unable to confirm this. Representatives of the Uighur community in Australia have claimed Australian residents have gone missing after travelling to the region but relatives of these people have been afraid to inform Australian authorities.
Mr Fletcher said about a month ago, Australia asked China for more information about a number of relatives of Australian citizens who had either gone missing or been detained in Xinjiang.
But Beijing responded by saying that Australia had not handed over enough information.
Greg Brown 2.42pm: Mal still Bali-bound
Labor Tanya Plibersek asks if Scott Morrison is reconsidering his decision to ask Malcolm Turnbull to represent Australia at a conference in Bali after the move was criticised by Tony Abbott.
The Prime Minister was brief: “no”.
Greg Brown 2.40pm: Big energy, big stick
Energy Minister Angus Taylor uses a Dixer to accuse Labor siding with “big energy companies” for opposing the government’s plans to create divestiture powers.
“(Labor) just wants to take a toothpick to the big energy companies so they can keep their prices high and keep their record profits,” Taylor says.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, my single focus is to get prices down for Australian families and businesses, and if we need to use a big stick, we will do it.”
Greg Brown 2.35pm: Google me: Ciobo
Labor MP Mike Kelly ribs Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo.
“Is the minister aware that yesterday at Senate Estimates his own department couldn’t say what his job was?”
Ciobo rolls out Scott Morrison’s “Canberra bubble” line and invites Labor MPs to go to his website.
“You’ve got your smart phone in front of you and you might want to go to minister.defence.gov.au because there’s a full list of responsibilities there,” Ciobo says, while looking at a printout of his web page.
Labor MPs roared with laughter after that one.
2.30pm: Emergency Anning meetings
Maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter has had two emergency meetings with his party over whether to kick out his one senator, Fraser Anning.
The Queensland senator has been under fire for comments calling for an end to Muslim immigration.
“We’ve had two meetings, emergency meetings,” Mr Katter told Sky News on Thursday.
Senator Anning, who left Pauline Hanson’s One Nation before joining Katter’s Australia Party, also wants a return to a “European Christian” immigration program.
“We are the anti-racist party and we suddenly find there’s someone sort of … he’s 99 per cent gold, pure gold this bloke Anning, but the other one per cent …,” Mr Katter said.
He said it was for other people to decide if Senator Anning is a racist. — AAP
Greg Brown 2.27pm: ScoMo stays silent on Israel
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek asks if the decision to move the embassy in Israel went to cabinet.
Scott Morrison says he would not go into cabinet processes “in a forum such as this”.
Greg Brown 2.25pm: ‘Just plain weird’
Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke takes exception to the gesticulation of Michael McCormack.
“The wild gestures and auditions that are going on from those opposite is just plain weird,” Burke says.
The Deputy Prime Minister says Burke is objecting because his criticisms of Labor’s tax policies “hurts”.
“I tell you what is weird is the way you want to attack retirees,” McCormack says.
Greg Brown 2.15pm: ‘A media timetable’
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles asks about Scott Morrison’s previous claim the decision to review the location of the embassy in Israel was discussed in cabinet.
He asks how this is possible when the government was “running to a media timetable”.
The Prime Minister accused Labor of focusing on the “Canberra bubble” of “process”.
“This matter was discussed, we are looking at the question of whether or not the government would move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That is what we have said we have done,” Morrison says.
“We are still open to this question and I was quite persuaded by the arguments put forward by the former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who made a very compelling case.”
Greg Brown 2.10pm: Who knew about Israel first?
Bill Shorten asks if Scott Morrison told the media about the decision to reconsider the location of the embassy in Israel before he told Liberal MPs and department officials.
The Prime Minister says he consulted with the National Security Committee.
Labor’s Richard Marles then asks when the Australian Defence Force was made aware of the government’s announcement.
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne won’t say.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: We dared to ask the question or consider that Australia had a different position on this issue of the embassy relocation. As far as I know, @AustralianLabor believe Israel is a rogue state.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 25, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/lTQc4cKC1Z #ParliamentLive pic.twitter.com/dvEau4klSL
Greg Brown 2pm: Abuse apology passes
The House of Representatives has passed Scott Morrison’s apology to victims of child sexual abuse. MPs stood for a minutes silence out of respect for the victims.
1.16pm: Look who’s at the Invictus Games …
Get out and support Invictus. Like Malcolm is. pic.twitter.com/QezwJfAOfO
— Caroline Overington (@overingtonc) October 25, 2018
Rosie Lewis 1.04pm: Frydenberg urges Labor to drop property policies
Josh Frydenberg has called on Labor to “drop” its negative gearing and capital gains tax policies after a leading credit ratings agency warned a “larger pullback in investor demand” risked a sharp house-price drop in Australia.
The Treasurer also seized on Labor MPs “tying themselves in knots trying to explain their policy” after opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers claimed there would “still be growth in housing prices” under his party’s plan to limit negative gearing to existing dwellings and halve the capital gains tax discount. The negative gearing policy is grandfathered so people who currently negatively gear would not be affected.
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen’s spokesman yesterday said the policy would have a “modest” downward pressure on house prices — the same advice that was given from Treasury to the Turnbull government.
“The Labor Party should drop this terrible policy. It was designed at a time of a very different housing market. What we’ve seen is an orderly transition to more stability in the housing market, that’s to be welcomed, but changes to negative gearing and capital gains as proposed by the Labor Party will certainly be very punishing,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“Today Fitch, one of the three leading credit rating agencies in the world warns that a major drop in investor demand in the property market could contribute to a big property price drop and that is exactly what Labor’s changes to negative gearing and capital gains are designed to achieve.”
Labor says its negative gearing reform is aimed at shifting the incentive to the construction of new housing and argues the tax subsidies are largely used by high income earners to reduce the income tax they pay.
It would also change the composition of demand, according to Labor sources, bringing in more first home buyers and less investors.
The Fitch Ratings report referred to by Mr Frydenberg lists a number of scenarios in which a “sharp house-price drop” could occur in Australia and exacerbate risks posed by high household debts.
These include a larger pullback in investor demand, as Mr Frydenberg mentioned, plus reduced credit availability or an economic shock.
Meanwhile, Liberal MP Michael Sukkar expects Labor to drop its negative gearing policy by Christmas.
Mr Sukkar, the former assistant minister to the treasurer, leapt on inconsistent messaging from the Labor frontbench, after opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said house prices would rise under the policy.
“Labor is all at sea, Labor doesn’t know,” Mr Sukkar said.
With Greg Brown
Andrew Clennell 1.01pm: Luke Foley at risk of being rolled, NSW Labor MPs say
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has told his frontbench team he did not harass an ABC journalist as shadow ministers yesterday said if the journalist were to make a complaint, Mr Foley would be rolled from the top job.
The Australian has been told by two senior MPs that should the journalist formally complain, Mr Foley would not survive.
But unless the woman does come forward or an ABC investigation finds wrongdoing, MPs say, Mr Foley is likely to remain as leader until the March state election.
“There’s just this sense of dread every time you refresh your internet browser,” one senior MP said.
Greg Brown 12.46pm: ‘Bring it on, Bridget’
Independent MP Cathy McGowan has invited Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie to run against her in the seat of Indi.
Ms McGowan said she would like to compete against a “really good candidate” like Senator McKenzie, after The Australian revealed the deputy Nationals leader had moved her office into the regional Victorian seat.
“Good on you, Bridget, bring it on,” Ms McGowan said.
“I would say it is a great move. I hope Bridget makes an announcement … that she is running. I would look forward to her as a candidate.
“I know in my electorate, I have just heard that the Liberal Party have opened up for preselection, calling for nominations.
“I think before Christmas we will have a full suite of candidates running in Indi and I will watch it closely.”
Ms McGowan said she is working on a “succession plan” to replace her and is unsure whether she will run at the next election or whether she will attempt to sit in parliament for another term.
Joe Kelly 12.40pm: Gay student bill hits roadblock
EXCLUSIVE
The Morrison government and Labor have failed to reach agreement on legislation protecting gay students from being discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality.
No bill will be introduced into parliament today, meaning that action will be delayed until the end of November — well beyond the two week time frame Scott Morrison had initially flagged to deal with the issue.
Attorney-General Christian Porter confirmed to The Australian the government strategy was to secure bipartisan support for its legislation and more time was needed in negotiations with Labor.
Primrose Riordan 12.35pm: DFAT talks to China on Xinjiang
The Department of Foreign Affairs has talked to Beijing on behalf of Australians who have relatives who have been detained in Xinjiang region in North West China.
The Chinese government has been accused by the UN of detaining as many as one million people — mainly those belonging to ethnic minorities such as the Uighurs — in the region as part of their campaign against extremism.
DFAT’s North Asia head Graham Fletcher said the government could not confirm there were as many as one million people detained in the area in camps but he said it was possible.
“It may well be in the range of the number you’ve mentioned but we don’t know,” he said.
The Australian has reported that the federal government has privately acknowledged that ethnically Uighur Chinese citizens are being locked up arbitrarily and has previously pledged to work with the Uighur community to investigate the situation in Xinjiang.
Now Mr Fletcher said the government had been discussing individual cases of detention with China on the request of relatives in Australia.
“We are considering a possible range of measures we can take to convey our concern, or express our views on this subject in relation to family members.”
“We have spoken to a number of Australians who have relatives in Xinjiang at the moment they are unable to contact and in some cases we have at their request passed information to the Chinese government about them.”
A UN human rights panel said In August it had received many credible reports that as many as one million ethnic Uighurs in China could be detained and that the region of Xinjiang in northwest China now resembled a “massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy”.
Australian Uighurs and other Australians who have relatives in North West China have reported that their relatives have been arbitrarily detained in the Xinjiang region.
Greg Brown 12.25pm: Shorten a ‘flip flopper’: Frydenberg
Josh Frydenberg has criticised Bill Shorten for adopting the energy policy the Treasurer designed and tirelessly advocated for when he was energy minister.
Mr Frydenberg said the Opposition Leader was a “flip flopper”, after Labor confirmed this morning it would take the national energy guarantee to the election.
“Bill Shorten has again showed what a flip flopper he is,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“I mean only a few weeks ago Bill Shorten was saying the national energy guarantee was a Frankenstein of a policy and now he wants to embrace it.
“The reality is he doesn’t have the courage of his convictions, the reality is he will do whatever he feels is in his political interests at any particular time.”
Greg Brown 11.53am: Phelps heads to Canberra
Kerryn Phelps is in Parliament House to talk with her fellow crossbenchers about the demands they will put to Scott Morrison.
Dr Phelps was joined by every lower house crossbencher — including Bob Katter — in a press conference this morning.
She said she came to Canberra to “have a look at the logistics” of her new workplace.
“To just have a look at the logistics about what it takes to set up offices, to make sure that I have staff, to work out the parliamentary calendar, to make sure that I’m across the issues that I need to be across,” Dr Phelps said.
Joe Kelly 11.29am: Labor to take ‘NEG on steroids’ to election
Labor will take the National Energy Guarantee — devised by Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg — to the next election as its preferred mechanism for reducing emissions.
It will scale up the target in the NEG to meet its goal of reducing emissions by 45 per cent.
Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler confirmed that Labor would “certainly” seek to revive the NEG to meet its targets in the energy sector. He said Labor had been supportive of the NEG and argued it had the overwhelming support of business and industry.
“The Paris targets apply across the economy, but the debate has been about the energy sector. And our very clear view is that bringing the different strands of energy policy — reliability and emissions reduction — together in the NEG, is the best way to do that,” Mr Butler said.
“We’ve supported that process. Every single business organisation in the country supported it. Scott Morrison himself, when treasurer, said that he had not encountered a single measure in his ten years in parliament that had a broader base of support than the NEG”.
Mr Butler said the government needed to “reconsider its capitulation to Tony Abbott and others in the hard right of the Coalition party room” to develop a bipartisan policy.
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen also took aim at the Coalition’s revamped energy policy for containing a special divestment power which would allow the Treasurer to break up the assets of major energy companies on advice from the competition watchdog.
“It’s a stunt,” Mr Bowen said. “This is a sop to the climate change deniers who want to be able to force companies to divest coal fired power stations like Liddell”.
Chair of the Coalition’s backbench committee on energy and the environment, Craig Kelly, told The Australian the fact Labor was taking the NEG to the next election showed why it had been dumped by the government.
“The NEG was bad enough with a 26 per cent emissions reduction target. Scaling that up to a 45 per cent emissions reduction would be an unmitigated disaster,” Mr Kelly said. “It was a bad policy. We should have got rid of it. Labor want to put it on steroids and make it many times worse”.
Greg Brown 11.05am: ‘Modest rise’ under Labor’s housing plan
Opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers says house prices will rise under Labor’s negative gearing policy.
Mr Chalmers said Labor’s policy would only have a “modest impact” on housing prices and values would not be hit under Labor’s plan to axe negative gearing for existing homes.
He said the grandfathering of the policy would limit its impact on the market.
“The conclusion that the independent experts have reached is that there will still be growth in housing prices under our policy it will just be more modest,” Mr Chalmers said.
Mr Chalmers said Australia still had a housing affordability policy, despite softening in Sydney and Melbourne.
“It is designed to level the playing field so that when first home buyers rock up to auctions around Australia they are not disadvantaged by having being forced to compete with a taxpayer subsidised investor who might already have six or seven properties,” Mr Chalmers said.
“Despite the recent softening in some of the big markets in Australia we do have an enduring housing affordability problem which won’t go away. And part of the problem is, when you go to buy your first house, particularly young people but not exclusively young people, it is very hard for them because they are competing with people who have an advantage supplied by the taxpayer.”
Michael Roddan 10.53am: ACCC’s energy plea
The competition watchdog is urging the government to retain key parts of its dumped National Energy Guarantee ahead of tomorrow’s COAG meeting of state and federal ministers.
Appearing at a senate estimates hearing, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said the watchdog had endorsed the NEG after it incorporated rules requiring the disclosure of over-the-counter contract trading and obligations for market making.
“I hope they still get adopted,” Mr Sims told senators. He said energy companies in South Australia needed to be subjected to market-making rules, and that the obligations could spread to other states from there. “We’re hoping those two components still proceed,” he said.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has already warned state governments against derailing an attempt to legislate more reliability into the national energy grid by demanding emissions targets. At tomorrow’s COAG meeting, Mr Taylor will attempt to get state ministers to agree to a “reliability obligation” by the end of the year.
The energy sector has been in disarray since the government’s national energy guarantee was ditched at the time Malcolm Turnbull was deposed as prime minister following a backbench revolt over emissions targets. The government is without a policy and it is hoping to organically meet its 26 per cent reduction target in line with its Paris commitments. Labor is targeting a 45 per cent reduction in emissions.
Earlier this week the government announced it will move to set a default price for electricity, in line with a recommendation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry into retail power prices.
“It will benefit all customers,” Mr Sims said.
Rebecca Urban 10.33am: Probe into minister’s staff incident
The conduct of Industry Minister Karen Andrews has been probed during a Senate hearing, with departmental staff asked whether they were aware of an incident allegedly involving the minister throwing an object at a staff member.
“Did the minister throw an object at a staff member,” Labor Senator Jacinta Collins asked Department of Education secretary Michele Bruniges during a Senate estimates hearing this morning.
“Did a staff member ever tell you the minister threw an object at them?
“Did a staff member or an interim adviser request they return to the department earlier than scheduled.”
Dr Bruniges said she was unaware of such a complaint or the lodgement of an incident report on such a matter, but agreed to take questions on notice, including whether the department ever provided advice to Ms Andrews regarding her relationship with or behaviour towards staff.
Primrose Riordan 10.12am: DFAT not consulted on embassy move: Payne
Marise Payne found out about Scott Morrison’s decision to float the idea of moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem two days before it was announced, and the Department of Foreign Affairs was not consulted ahead of time.
Mr Morrison made the announcement — which also included a decision to review Australian support for the Iran nuclear deal — on Tuesday, October 16, and it was published in newspapers including The Australian late on Monday night. The decision was made in the week before the Wentworth by-election — a seat with a high Jewish Australian population.
The Foreign Minister said she was aware Mr Morrison had been briefed on Middle East foreign policy issues, but only found out via a phone call on the Sunday before the announcement.
Senator Payne said the leadership group, which she is a part of, discussed the matter on Monday but would only say that Cabinet was consulted, not whether it went through a formal cabinet process prior to the move.
Former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop opposed these moves in office — despite calls from some in the Liberal Party — and only a few weeks ago Senator Payne voiced support for the Iran nuclear deal at the United Nations.
Senator Wong asked “why Julie Bishop could hold the position and you couldn’t”.
Senator Payne also repeatedly said both of the foreign policy positions on Israel and on Iran were not a change in policy.
“I reject the assertion it is a change of policy it is a review,” she told Senate Estimates.
Under questioning from Labor, DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson said her department was not involved in the decision making process and she found out about it on the move at 1pm on Monday October 15.
She said Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s Chief of Staff called her at 1pm on Monday and then she met with her department’s Middle East section, who then worked up advice to the Department of Prime Minister about how to handle the issue in terms of international diplomatic relations.
This was in regards to which countries should be informed before the expected public announcement on Tuesday.
Senator Wong demanded to know which countries were informed and when but DFAT refused to say, but said 10-20 countries were informed in advance or early on Tuesday.
Greg Brown 10.05am: Turnbull to Bali ‘appropriate’: Dutton
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has defended the move to send Malcolm Turnbull to a conference in Bali on behalf of the Australian government.
Mr Dutton, who challenged Mr Turnbull for the Liberal leadership in August, said the issue had been “blown a little bit out of proportion”.
“I have had a very close look at this and I have spoken to Scott Morrison about it and the fact is that we have a very close relationship with Indonesia, we are in negotiations about a free-trade agreement at the moment,” Mr Dutton told 2GB radio.
“I think this has been blown a little bit out of proportion, when you have a look at it, Malcolm does have a relationship with the Indonesian President, the Indonesian President has I think extended an invitation to Malcolm to go to this conference.
“In the end the government makes the decisions on all policy areas, the cabinet will, the Prime Minister will and Mr Turnbull is going as a representative of our country and I think it is appropriate in the circumstances.”
Remy Varga 9.30am: Treasurer lashes Labor’s ‘cradle to the grave taxes’
Josh Frydenberg has criticised Labor’s negative gearing policy as “cradle to the grave taxes.”
The Australian reported today that Labor could impose its plan to curb negative gearing as early as July despite warnings from industry leaders that the policy could slash construction by up to 42,000 homes over five years.
The federal treasurer told 2GB this morning that the Coalition was revving up for a fight.
“We’re in the ring until the bell goes, and it’s a lose-lose policy.” he said. “If you own your home, it’ll be worthless. if you rent your home, it will cost you more.
“This is cradle to the grave taxes from the Labor Party.”
Mr Frydenberg defended the Coalition’s inclusion of renewables in its energy policy.
“What we are doing as a government is being technology neutral. We need to have all of the above: coal, gas and renewables.” he said.
Greg Brown 9.23am: PM reiterates prices-first approach to energy
Scott Morrison says the government will not let action on climate change get in the way of lowering electricity prices.
The Prime Minister this morning reiterated his claim Australia will meet its Paris targets “in a canter”.
“So Australia will continue to pull its weight when it comes to the issues of emission reductions, our government is committed to that, we will keep delivering on that,” Mr Morrison said.
“But what we will also do is we will get electricity prices down and we won’t allow those other issues to force pensioners, families, small businesses to pay higher electricity prices, which is what the Labor Party is proposing.”
Greg Brown 9.01am: PM’s Kelly intervention
Scott Morrison has intervened and attempted to save conservative Liberal MP Craig Kelly from a preselection challenge.
The Australian has confirmed the Prime Minister is pressuring Mr Kelly’s challenger, moderate Liberal Kent Johns, to stand aside from contesting preselection in the Sydney seat of Hughes.
A conservative factional powerbroker said a deal was expected to be done within a week.
Both conservative and moderate NSW Liberals say Mr Johns would probably be successful if a challenge eventuated.
8.52am: How about this from Jon Kudelka?
‘Ruddsy’ has proved to be a hit. See more of his work here.
Greg Brown 8.27am: Labor receives gay student legislation
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says Labor has received legislation that will ban religious schools from expelling students because they are gay.
Ms Plibersek would not say whether Labor will try to amend the bill to also stop religious schools from discriminating against gay teachers.
“We only saw it late last night so we haven’t had a chance to look at it,” Ms Plibersek told ABC radio.
“We will go through our proper processes with it. We are very eager to put beyond doubt that children are shouldn’t be discriminated against.
“We would also like to extend that protection to teachers and other school employees.”
Remy Varga 8.21am: Di Natale lashes Trump following foiled terror plot
Greens leader Richard Di Natale has condemned US President Donald Trump after pipe bombs targeting high-profile American liberals were intercepted.
Packages containing crude but potentially lethal pipe bombs were sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Maxine Waters, John Brennan, and billionaire George Soros.
The targets are all Democrats frequently attacked by Mr Trump online and in speeches.
Mr Di Natale said the US President’s rhetoric was empowering people who held fringe views to act.
“This is what happens when you have a political leader who incites hatred, division and violence in the community.” he told Sky News. “People at the fringes feel empowered and as a result you get these sorts of heinous behaviours.”
Mr Trump has condemned the attempted attacks as “abhorrent”.
Mr Di Natale said he didn’t have to wait for the outcome of the FBI’s investigation into pipe bombs.
.@RichardDiNatale on the US mail bombs: It is a disgrace, this is what happens when you have a political leader that incites hatred, division and violence in the community. As a result, you get these sort of heinous behaviours.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 24, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/zTycW9H7r4 #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/lpz6QocmBb
“The reality is that regardless of this investigation when politicians are out there inciting hatred, violence, indeed sexual assault … this is not talking about an academic exercise here, this is what’s happening everyday,” he said.
Mr Di Natale said racial tensions in Australia were flaring due to race baiting rhetoric spewed by divisive politicians.
“We know here in Australia racially motivated assaults and violence directed towards people who are migrants in this country are on the rise,” he said.
“You only need to look at attitudes from a number of published surveys that people are feeling under fire more than they ever have.”
“I think there is a direct correlation between the actions of our political leaders and what people are experiencing.”
Greg Brown 8.07am: Back-door legislation a ‘ridiculous overreach’: Plibersek
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek has labelled blocked legislation that would stop asylum seekers gaining a “backdoor entry” into Australia as an a “ridiculous overreach” that would “destroy our relationships with other countries”.
Ms Plibersek this morning said Labor would not back the government’s stalled legislation that would prevent asylum seekers who are settled in third-party nations from ever entering Australia.
Labor has proposed amendments to the bill that have been rejected by the government, with the standoff preventing Scott Morrison from allowing people on Nauru from being transported to New Zealand.
“What the legislation says is that no one who has ever come to Australia on a boat, for example, where they move in the world will ever be able to visit Australia on a tourist visa,” Ms Plibersek told ABC radio.
“They could have a dying relative in Australia and they wouldn’t be able to visit, they could join the Olympic team for their adopted nation and they wouldn’t be able to visit, they could become the president or the prime minister of that country and they would never be able to come to Australia, it is a ridiculous, absurd overreach.
“It is ridiculous overreach that would destroy our relationships with other countries if we say to them ‘this citizen that you have accepted into your nation now is never welcome to even visit Australia for a 24 hour period’.”
What’s making news:
Treasury has warned that Australians will be forced to raid their savings accounts over the coming year to counter record-low wage growth and rising costs of living, leaving them more vulnerable to economic shocks.
West Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith has warned that the government risks losing the support of the next generation by failing to address climate change, as business and industry demand certainty over emissions reductions.
A former immigration official says the government could settle refugees in Australia from Nauru and Manus Island without restarting the people-smuggling trade because of the almost complete success of boat turnbacks.
The Defence Department has publicly confirmed that a team of its officials travelled to Papua New Guinea to conduct a “scoping study’’ of the Manus Island naval base, a move that could ultimately see Australian warships permanently stationed in the strategically vital hub.
Queensland MPs are working with Scott Morrison on a battle plan, headlined by a major infrastructure program, to shore up as many as 10 LNP seats from falling to a resurgent Labor Party at the upcoming election.
The government was negotiating with Labor last night over legislation to prevent school students from being discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality, following the damaging leak of a key review into religious freedoms.
Barnaby Joyce has backed Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie for the lower house seat of Indi against Cathy McGowan two days after his public falling out with the high-profile independent MP.
Former independent MP Rob Oakeshott could be set for a return to politics, given mounting speculation he will make another tilt for the Nationals-held seat of Cowper at the federal election in a move that could net him tens of thousands of dollars in public funding.
A “visibly different” portrait of Julia Gillard has been unveiled at Parliament House, which Australia’s first female prime minister hopes children will one day view as “normal”.
Independent Kerryn Phelps appears close to having secured a slim victory over Liberal candidate Dave Sharma in the Wentworth by-election as key Liberals in the seat all but conceded the contest was lost.
Tony Abbott has criticised Scott Morrison’s decision to send Malcolm Turnbull to an environmental conference in Bali, slamming his political foe over his “studied silence” during the Wentworth campaign.
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