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| Eric Abetz demands Julie Bishop explain staffer's presence at coup meeting – politics live | Eric Abetz demands Julie Bishop explain staffer's presence at coup meeting – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.28pm GMT22:28 | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young has her marriage equality bill debated in the senate today. | |
| The Greens, David Leyonhjelm and Glenn Lazarus have a press conference at 10am to discuss it. The bill will not be voted on today. | |
| Also on now, Peter Dutton has an interview with Ray Hadley, who is a fierce Abbott supporter. Hadley may have his bible close for PDuddy to swear on, if the question of Julie Bishop arises. | |
| Updated at 10.31pm GMT | |
| 10.15pm GMT22:15 | |
| Luggage sir? | |
| Bowers remarked this morning was the first time he had seen a PM/first woman handle their own luggage. | |
| 10.10pm GMT22:10 | |
| Parliament has begun with the treasury legislation amendment a.k.a. repeal day. | |
| 10.06pm GMT22:06 | 10.06pm GMT22:06 |
| Assistant minister to the treasurer Alex Hawke has told Sky that some in the government were “understandably hurt” but was not surprising that the deputy leader was taking soundings. | Assistant minister to the treasurer Alex Hawke has told Sky that some in the government were “understandably hurt” but was not surprising that the deputy leader was taking soundings. |
| Labor’s Nick Champion countered: | Labor’s Nick Champion countered: |
| The government looks healthy but it has an ulcer in its stomach and it will be coughing up blood very soon. | The government looks healthy but it has an ulcer in its stomach and it will be coughing up blood very soon. |
| 9.57pm GMT21:57 | 9.57pm GMT21:57 |
| Pants down 52 | Pants down 52 |
| Peter Hendy has been doorstopped on the way into parliament, which is sitting at 9am. Hendy holds the bellwether seat, Eden-Monaro and is now the assistant minister for productivity. So his house was handy to Canberra for a meeting the night before a sitting day. | Peter Hendy has been doorstopped on the way into parliament, which is sitting at 9am. Hendy holds the bellwether seat, Eden-Monaro and is now the assistant minister for productivity. So his house was handy to Canberra for a meeting the night before a sitting day. |
| I invite you to review the public record and I’ve got nothing to add. | I invite you to review the public record and I’ve got nothing to add. |
| On the public record is now some more detail from Battleground. | On the public record is now some more detail from Battleground. |
| Remember the context of the coup was the Monday before the Canning by-election. Legend has it that the Canning polls were actually not as bad as expected for the seat, providing Abbott with a little ballast at a time when the general polls were diving. | Remember the context of the coup was the Monday before the Canning by-election. Legend has it that the Canning polls were actually not as bad as expected for the seat, providing Abbott with a little ballast at a time when the general polls were diving. |
| Rule number one, if you have the numbers, use them. | Rule number one, if you have the numbers, use them. |
| Sinodinos reportedly told the group to “strike now”. | Sinodinos reportedly told the group to “strike now”. |
| If we win Canning, they will spin it any which way they want. If we have the numbers, we should use them. | If we win Canning, they will spin it any which way they want. If we have the numbers, we should use them. |
| James McGrath, Scott Ryan and Mitch Fifield were the numbers men and Ryan’s expression of the numbers on the Sunday was “pants down 52”. | James McGrath, Scott Ryan and Mitch Fifield were the numbers men and Ryan’s expression of the numbers on the Sunday was “pants down 52”. |
| That is, the number of members who would vote for Turnbull even if he forgot to wear pants. | That is, the number of members who would vote for Turnbull even if he forgot to wear pants. |
| 9.33pm GMT21:33 | 9.33pm GMT21:33 |
| TPlibs: JBish - up to her neck in it | TPlibs: JBish - up to her neck in it |
| Julie Bishop’s opposite in parliament, Tanya Plibersek, has been helpful this morning. JBish and TPlibs are both deputy leaders, both foreign affairs representatives and it would be fair to say there is no love lost. | Julie Bishop’s opposite in parliament, Tanya Plibersek, has been helpful this morning. JBish and TPlibs are both deputy leaders, both foreign affairs representatives and it would be fair to say there is no love lost. |
| It’s not just Labor saying that Julie Bishop has questions to answer about her involvement in the stalking and the bringing down of a prime minister. Her own party are saying she has questions to answer, that it’s plain she was was up to her neck in the bringing down of Tony Abbott. Julie Bishop has a very well deserved reputation from her colleagues of being a survivor. | It’s not just Labor saying that Julie Bishop has questions to answer about her involvement in the stalking and the bringing down of a prime minister. Her own party are saying she has questions to answer, that it’s plain she was was up to her neck in the bringing down of Tony Abbott. Julie Bishop has a very well deserved reputation from her colleagues of being a survivor. |
| 9.20pm GMT21:20 | 9.20pm GMT21:20 |
| Julie Bishop has questions to answer on Turnbull plotters meeting | Julie Bishop has questions to answer on Turnbull plotters meeting |
| Good morning blogsters, | Good morning blogsters, |
| Well, as the prime minister jets off to Indonesia, a new book reveals the hitherto snow white deputy leader Julie Bishop had a chief of staff at a critical meeting held by plotters the day before Malcolm Turnbull brought down Tony Abbott. | Well, as the prime minister jets off to Indonesia, a new book reveals the hitherto snow white deputy leader Julie Bishop had a chief of staff at a critical meeting held by plotters the day before Malcolm Turnbull brought down Tony Abbott. |
| The details are contained in a book Battleground by Peter Van Onselen and Wayne Errington. The report, by Sid Maher in The Australian, shows Bishop’s chief of staff Murray Hansen represented his minister at the home of then backbencher Peter Hendy just outside Canberra on the Sunday before the coup on Monday. | The details are contained in a book Battleground by Peter Van Onselen and Wayne Errington. The report, by Sid Maher in The Australian, shows Bishop’s chief of staff Murray Hansen represented his minister at the home of then backbencher Peter Hendy just outside Canberra on the Sunday before the coup on Monday. |
| Also there was Craig Laundy, Mitch Fifield, James McGrath, Arthur Sinodinos, Wyatt Roy, Victorian senator Scott Ryan and Mal Brough. Malcolm Turnbull too. | Also there was Craig Laundy, Mitch Fifield, James McGrath, Arthur Sinodinos, Wyatt Roy, Victorian senator Scott Ryan and Mal Brough. Malcolm Turnbull too. |
| Bishop has previously said she was unaware of the coup, though she had a meeting with Turnbull on the Saturday. She said she told Abbott around midday on Monday when she first became aware that he had lost the numbers. | Bishop has previously said she was unaware of the coup, though she had a meeting with Turnbull on the Saturday. She said she told Abbott around midday on Monday when she first became aware that he had lost the numbers. |
| All of the plotters have been rewarded with cabinet or ministry positions. One of the losers was Eric Abetz, former employment minister and Abbott cheerleader. Abetz was ready to talk this morning to Sky News reporter Kieran Gilbert. | All of the plotters have been rewarded with cabinet or ministry positions. One of the losers was Eric Abetz, former employment minister and Abbott cheerleader. Abetz was ready to talk this morning to Sky News reporter Kieran Gilbert. |
| When I was a minister, I would never have countenanced my chief of staff going to such a meeting without my imprimateur and my approval so I think a question does need to be answered whether the chief of staff was there on a frolic of his own or with the imprimatur of the deputy leader and I think colleagues are entitled to know exactly what was going on at a meeting of that nature, having people from Victoria and Queensland and elsewhere is not organised on a minutes notice. | When I was a minister, I would never have countenanced my chief of staff going to such a meeting without my imprimateur and my approval so I think a question does need to be answered whether the chief of staff was there on a frolic of his own or with the imprimatur of the deputy leader and I think colleagues are entitled to know exactly what was going on at a meeting of that nature, having people from Victoria and Queensland and elsewhere is not organised on a minutes notice. |
| Abetz is disappointed. | Abetz is disappointed. |
| One would imagine if there were such a meeting, there might have been an obligation as a loyal deputy to report that to the leader at the time. But look the facts are sketchy and let’s see what the response is. But I think it is deserving of a response because it would be very disappointing if a deputy was sending a chief of staff to a meeting of that nature. | One would imagine if there were such a meeting, there might have been an obligation as a loyal deputy to report that to the leader at the time. But look the facts are sketchy and let’s see what the response is. But I think it is deserving of a response because it would be very disappointing if a deputy was sending a chief of staff to a meeting of that nature. |
| Are you suggesting she might have been more involved in the coup than previously alluded to? | Are you suggesting she might have been more involved in the coup than previously alluded to? |
| That might be the conclusion people come to... | That might be the conclusion people come to... |
| Whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know. All I am saying is it is disappointing to read about these things and why people want to talk about these things, ventilate these things, I don’t know, unless for some notoriety. Nevertheless there are some questions that do need to be answered given these revelations that could have only come from one source, that is the people at the meeting. | Whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know. All I am saying is it is disappointing to read about these things and why people want to talk about these things, ventilate these things, I don’t know, unless for some notoriety. Nevertheless there are some questions that do need to be answered given these revelations that could have only come from one source, that is the people at the meeting. |
| So there you have it. The first book is out and there is another one coming by Nikki Savva. This day has just got a lot more interesting. | So there you have it. The first book is out and there is another one coming by Nikki Savva. This day has just got a lot more interesting. |
| But don’t forget, the wheels of government are still turning. We have the legislation around the rules for foreign investors in agricultural land. We have the bill that strips dual nationals of their Australian citizenship for terrorism related offences. We have the bonfire of red tape repeal legislation (which is usually a filibuster). | But don’t forget, the wheels of government are still turning. We have the legislation around the rules for foreign investors in agricultural land. We have the bill that strips dual nationals of their Australian citizenship for terrorism related offences. We have the bonfire of red tape repeal legislation (which is usually a filibuster). |
| Mike Bowers is back with us after royal duty yesterday. Today, republicans unite! | Mike Bowers is back with us after royal duty yesterday. Today, republicans unite! |
| I’m @gabriellechan and he is @mpbowers and get stuck in below or on the Twits. More to come. | I’m @gabriellechan and he is @mpbowers and get stuck in below or on the Twits. More to come. |
| Updated at 9.24pm GMT | Updated at 9.24pm GMT |