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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/feb/03/asylum-seeker-high-court-case-and-gst-debate-to-dominate-parliament-politics-live
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| Asylum seeker high court case and GST debate to dominate parliament – politics live | Asylum seeker high court case and GST debate to dominate parliament – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.45pm GMT | |
| 22:45 | |
| #Beardtalk @edhusicMP & @JoshFrydenberg discuss the merits of chin growth @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/NmKQfVjXiw | |
| 10.42pm GMT | |
| 22:42 | |
| No footy boots required for the Nationals party room. | |
| 10.34pm GMT | |
| 22:34 | |
| The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) bill is back in the house. Brendan O’Connor, Labor’s employment shadow, is speaking on the issue. | |
| 10.22pm GMT | |
| 22:22 | |
| Peter Dutton is speaking on Sky ahead of the High Court decision at 10.15am. | |
| He is maintaining the rage about not allowing anyone who comes by boat to settle in Australia. | |
| He says nothing will change and he is not talking about possibility of being forced to change legislation if the High Court finds Australia cannot detain people offshore. | |
| 10.00pm GMT | 10.00pm GMT |
| 22:00 | 22:00 |
| The house of representatives is just starting. Senate is starting at 9.30am. | The house of representatives is just starting. Senate is starting at 9.30am. |
| 9.57pm GMT | 9.57pm GMT |
| 21:57 | 21:57 |
| Lenore Taylor sheds more light on the National party leadership. She reports: | Lenore Taylor sheds more light on the National party leadership. She reports: |
| The leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss, has privately told his colleagues he will make an announcement about his future in mid-March, with his expected retirement paving the way for Malcolm Turnbull to reshuffle his frontbench. | The leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss, has privately told his colleagues he will make an announcement about his future in mid-March, with his expected retirement paving the way for Malcolm Turnbull to reshuffle his frontbench. |
| Truss chastised his Nationals MPs and senators at the closed-door meeting on Monday afternoon, saying he was disappointed and frustrated that the Nationals had been talking about themselves over the summer with a series of speculative stories about his resignation and possible successors. | Truss chastised his Nationals MPs and senators at the closed-door meeting on Monday afternoon, saying he was disappointed and frustrated that the Nationals had been talking about themselves over the summer with a series of speculative stories about his resignation and possible successors. |
| He said he wanted the party room discussion to remain private and he did not want to read what he had revealed about the timing of his announcement in the newspapers. | He said he wanted the party room discussion to remain private and he did not want to read what he had revealed about the timing of his announcement in the newspapers. |
| Many MPs left the meeting believing Truss had said he would make an announcement at the end of next week but senior sources insisted he had said it would come at the end of the parliamentary session – in mid-March. | Many MPs left the meeting believing Truss had said he would make an announcement at the end of next week but senior sources insisted he had said it would come at the end of the parliamentary session – in mid-March. |
| Remember Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough stood aside at Christmas time. A Truss announcement in mid-March potentially pushes the reshuffle back even further, potentially leaving new ministers very little time to get on top of their portfolios. | Remember Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough stood aside at Christmas time. A Truss announcement in mid-March potentially pushes the reshuffle back even further, potentially leaving new ministers very little time to get on top of their portfolios. |
| All indications are Barnaby Joyce will take the leadership while there is hot competition for deputy. Names mentioned regularly include Michael McCormack, Darren Chester, Luke Hartsuyker and perhaps more. The field would appear to to be open. | All indications are Barnaby Joyce will take the leadership while there is hot competition for deputy. Names mentioned regularly include Michael McCormack, Darren Chester, Luke Hartsuyker and perhaps more. The field would appear to to be open. |
| 9.45pm GMT | 9.45pm GMT |
| 21:45 | 21:45 |
| So Phil Coorey’s story in the AFR quotes sources that contend the government has approached Labor to nut out the Senate reforms. There is a qualification that Malcolm Turnbull still prefers the spring option. But Coorey reports: | So Phil Coorey’s story in the AFR quotes sources that contend the government has approached Labor to nut out the Senate reforms. There is a qualification that Malcolm Turnbull still prefers the spring option. But Coorey reports: |
| On Tuesday, after question time, Mr Turnbull canvassed voting reform directly with Labor, which is split on the issue, while acting Special Minister of State Mathias Cormann has sought talks with the Greens who, along with Nick Xenophon, are supportive of change and eager to vote it through the Senate. | On Tuesday, after question time, Mr Turnbull canvassed voting reform directly with Labor, which is split on the issue, while acting Special Minister of State Mathias Cormann has sought talks with the Greens who, along with Nick Xenophon, are supportive of change and eager to vote it through the Senate. |
| Sources told the Australian Financial Review that the government wants the changes through parliament before it rises on March 17 for seven weeks. This would enable it to call an early election if it wanted to. If it chose to go full term, as is its preference, it would still stop micro-parties gaming the system, although the aim of cleaning up the Senate would take longer. | Sources told the Australian Financial Review that the government wants the changes through parliament before it rises on March 17 for seven weeks. This would enable it to call an early election if it wanted to. If it chose to go full term, as is its preference, it would still stop micro-parties gaming the system, although the aim of cleaning up the Senate would take longer. |
| We understand the Greens are due to meet with the government about Aenate reform later this week. | We understand the Greens are due to meet with the government about Aenate reform later this week. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.10pm GMT | at 10.10pm GMT |
| 9.38pm GMT | 9.38pm GMT |
| 21:38 | 21:38 |
| Since the election of the eight crossbenchers, the major and minor parties have been pushing for Senate reform. At issue, is the very small votes that allowed candidates like Motoring Enthusiast party senator Ricky Muir to get elected after polling 17,122 first-preference votes where the quota for election was 483,076 votes. | Since the election of the eight crossbenchers, the major and minor parties have been pushing for Senate reform. At issue, is the very small votes that allowed candidates like Motoring Enthusiast party senator Ricky Muir to get elected after polling 17,122 first-preference votes where the quota for election was 483,076 votes. |
| Muir told ABC AM this morning, not surprisingly, that he did not think the system needed to be changed. | Muir told ABC AM this morning, not surprisingly, that he did not think the system needed to be changed. |
| In reality, the party that I represent and many, many other micro parties that actually stood up for that election, would not have been there if they felt like they were represented by the major parties anyway. So the real question is, are the major parties living up to the expectation of the public or are they letting us down, forcing us to get political. | In reality, the party that I represent and many, many other micro parties that actually stood up for that election, would not have been there if they felt like they were represented by the major parties anyway. So the real question is, are the major parties living up to the expectation of the public or are they letting us down, forcing us to get political. |
| From a terrifying start, Muir has really grown into the job, bringing a certain everyman approach. He pointed out the irony of a government pushing legislation such as the building watchdog bill to stop bullying and thuggery in the industry while hanging the threat of Senate reform over the heads of crossbenchers. | From a terrifying start, Muir has really grown into the job, bringing a certain everyman approach. He pointed out the irony of a government pushing legislation such as the building watchdog bill to stop bullying and thuggery in the industry while hanging the threat of Senate reform over the heads of crossbenchers. |
| I will vote on what I believe is the best in the interests of Australia on the available information and I won’t be threatened into a position by the threat of losing my Senate seat. If I lose my Senate seat by doing the best for what I think [for] Australia, so be it, I went down trying. But I’m not forced to go into a position by emotive campaigns. | I will vote on what I believe is the best in the interests of Australia on the available information and I won’t be threatened into a position by the threat of losing my Senate seat. If I lose my Senate seat by doing the best for what I think [for] Australia, so be it, I went down trying. But I’m not forced to go into a position by emotive campaigns. |
| Muir says he will enter the chamber of secrets to read the sixth volume of the trade union royal commission report and keep his options open for the bill. He voted against it the first time. | Muir says he will enter the chamber of secrets to read the sixth volume of the trade union royal commission report and keep his options open for the bill. He voted against it the first time. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.12pm GMT | at 10.12pm GMT |
| 9.09pm GMT | 9.09pm GMT |
| 21:09 | 21:09 |
| Good morning fellow political tragics, | Good morning fellow political tragics, |
| There are a mess of things swirling around the political agenda this morning. Some are nebulous, such as Phil Coorey’s reports that the Turnbull government is trying to win support for Senate reforms. More on that coming. Some are concrete, like the high court ruling expected at 10.15am on whether Australia can detain people in another country. We will have full coverage when that happens. | There are a mess of things swirling around the political agenda this morning. Some are nebulous, such as Phil Coorey’s reports that the Turnbull government is trying to win support for Senate reforms. More on that coming. Some are concrete, like the high court ruling expected at 10.15am on whether Australia can detain people in another country. We will have full coverage when that happens. |
| Paul Keating has entered the tax debate in striking form. He is dead against a 5% increase in the GST. At the most, he suggests 1%-2% tied to health funding. Anything else will just encourage bad behaviour in government. | Paul Keating has entered the tax debate in striking form. He is dead against a 5% increase in the GST. At the most, he suggests 1%-2% tied to health funding. Anything else will just encourage bad behaviour in government. |
| I will just pull out two of many choice quotes: | I will just pull out two of many choice quotes: |
| When a country gets locked into such permanently high taxation, there is no way out of it. Were the public to agree to give the political system such a load of money, the political system would simply go and spend it. | When a country gets locked into such permanently high taxation, there is no way out of it. Were the public to agree to give the political system such a load of money, the political system would simply go and spend it. |
| The GST is just a flat, bang you over the head, tax. It changes nothing; no behaviour, other than to put the tax weight onto the wrong people. | The GST is just a flat, bang you over the head, tax. It changes nothing; no behaviour, other than to put the tax weight onto the wrong people. |
| Mike Bowers is already down at the Senate doors, so we shall have some pictures soon. Follow us on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers or join the conversation below. | Mike Bowers is already down at the Senate doors, so we shall have some pictures soon. Follow us on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers or join the conversation below. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.26pm GMT | at 9.26pm GMT |