This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/feb/08/malcolm-turnbull-backs-away-from-a-gst-increase-politics-live
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 10 | Version 11 |
|---|---|
| Labor goes on the attack over Turnbull's GST 'backdown' – politics live | Labor goes on the attack over Turnbull's GST 'backdown' – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.36am GMT | |
| 03:36 | |
| Bill Shorten, who earlier today tried an unfortunate bush metaphor, is now trying a waffle. | |
| Q: Reports suggest that government ministers are backing away from plans to increase the price of everything with a 15% GST. PM, today is the day to stop the waffle and come clean with the Australian people. Will the prime minister introduce a 15% GST? | |
| First, derision. | |
| The leader of the opposition invites me to rule out any changes to the GST. And, to be fair, there is something to be said for doing so because it would mean the green grocery aisles of Australia would be safe from the leader of the opposition. Thousands of lettuces would no longer have the leader of the opposition flinging himself in front of any would-be charges on them. | |
| Then, the MalSplain®. | |
| Let me say something about the GST. | |
| The prime minister proceeds to explain the relative merits of switches in the tax mix while those opposite laugh at him at theatrical volume. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| As I have said, we are not, the government is not yet persuaded that in the context of Australia today, such a tax mix switch would give an adequate growth, adequate improvement in economic activity. But those are the trade-offs. | |
| Honourable Members opposite can scoff as much as they like. | |
| Those are the trade-offs. It’s a question of balancing the increase on GST on the one hand and an offsetting reduction in income tax on the other. And the extent to which that is fair, that gives additional impetus to economic growth, depends on the design. There is a considerable amount of complexity there. I believe that all Australians expect this government to approach this issue not with slogans or with scare campaigns, but with careful analysis. | |
| 3.29am GMT | |
| 03:29 | |
| Scott Morrison, winding up on a dixer on Labor’s general intellectual deficiencies. | |
| Now the contrast is clear. Those opposite, their plan is to tax and spend and borrow, Mr Speaker. Our plan is to ensure that we back Australians in who are working, saving and investing. | |
| Bowen, back. | |
| Q: My question is to the treasurer. What is the impact of the rate of GST on economic growth, what would be the impact on economic growth of increasing the GST? | |
| Morrison isn’t impressed with the question. | |
| His riposte? Welfare, it’s wicked. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| We have a deep empathy for people in this country who are working every day to pay for our expanding welfare system. We think we need to be thinking about their interests and trying to relieve their burden and we will leave no stone unturned to relieve that burden for them. Those opposite have no empathy for those who are working every day to pay for our burgeoning welfare system which they ramped up. | |
| (It’s just ever so slightly inconsistent to argue we absolutely must give those strivers money unlike those non-strivers who get money. I know what he means, but just think about the logic sitting behind the Morrison proposition and ask yourself, does the confected actually contrast work?) | |
| 3.20am GMT | |
| 03:20 | |
| Speaker welcomes the former member for New England @TonyHWindsor in the gallery.Labor’s @GrahamPerrettMP yells: “THE NEXT MEMBER!" | |
| 3.19am GMT | |
| 03:19 | |
| From Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie. | |
| Q: Treasurer, the government claims the recent change to the income test for defined pension recipients will principally affect superannuants on large incomes but most are not wealthy. Take one Tasmanian couple whose only assets are a caravan and car but have lost $164 a fortnight from their age pension. Treasurer, will you immediately reconsider this policy? | |
| Social services minister Christian Porter (who takes the question) doesn’t appear at all interested in changing the policy, which has been constructed as a matter of equity, he notes. | |
| 3.15am GMT | |
| 03:15 | |
| Bowen is back. | |
| Q: My question is to the treasurer. Last week the treasurer said: “We’ve got to do what’s right”. Does the treasurer still think that increasing the GST is the right thing to do? | |
| Morrison is back too. | |
| I can tell you what isn’t right, and that’s the tax and spend approach of those opposite. That’s what’s not right for jobs and growth in this country, Mr Speaker. | |
| 3.13am GMT | |
| 03:13 | |
| TPP. Still great. | |
| 3.12am GMT | |
| 03:12 | |
| Shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen. | |
| Q: My question is to the treasurer. The government has previously said everything was on the table in relation to changing the tax system. Treasurer, is that still the case? | |
| Treasurer, Scott Morrison. | |
| The government continues to consider all the matters that are before it on tax, as the Australian people would expect us to do. | |
| Wherever this government is able to properly and ably deliver support for those Australians who are working and investing, for those Australians who are earning every day Mr Speaker, not just receiving every day, but earning every day, we will always seek to ensure we leave no stone unturned to ensure we can provide them with support. | |
| These proposals always have to stack up and actually have to work. This is a government that is not only good on policy but it is good on the implementation of policy – something the PM was referring to earlier and when he was referring to a different matter when it came to border protection, Mr Speaker, and the Member for McMahon will know all about failures when it comes to failures on border protection. | |
| (Bowen is a former immigration minister.) | |
| 3.08am GMT | |
| 03:08 | |
| First Dorothy Dixer today is how great is that trans Pacific partnership? Answer, very great. The prime minister has spied something less great. | |
| Now the Labor party at this stage appears to be reluctant to approve the TPP. I notice they are referring it to a separate Senate inquiry over and above that of the work of the joint standing committee on treaties. So it may be we’ll see their opposition to the TPP as we did to the China-Australia free trade agreement. | |
| 3.06am GMT | |
| 03:06 | |
| Question time | |
| It being 2pm. Bill Shorten opens on asylum. | |
| Q: My question is to the prime minister. We all agree that Australia cannot let people languish on Nauru and Manus indefinitely. Can the prime minister update the House on efforts to secure a credible settlement arrangement in other countries for asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru and Manus Island? | |
| The prime minister responds by saying the current arrivals are all Labor’s fault. | |
| He then addresses the substance of the question in general terms. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| We inherited a number of people on Manus Island and Nauru from the period when Kevin Rudd, in his brief return to office before the 2013 election, overturned his own government’s policies. We are working to ensure they return to their countries of origin or are settled in other countries and third countries as quickly as we can. Not easy. But we are endeavouring to do that. We are working hard to do that. | |
| But I can say one thing, Mr Speaker, we will not abandon our commitment to keeping the high seas safe, to keeping our borders secure, to ensuring that our policies have integrity and security. | |
| 2.47am GMT | 2.47am GMT |
| 02:47 | 02:47 |
| Q: Given wages growth is slow, give inflation is sluggish, why is bracket creep a priority for the government now? | Q: Given wages growth is slow, give inflation is sluggish, why is bracket creep a priority for the government now? |
| The finance minister gives very little indication that bracket creep is, in fact, a priority for the government. He’s still waiting for the landing point. Out with the binoculars. Plane spotting. | The finance minister gives very little indication that bracket creep is, in fact, a priority for the government. He’s still waiting for the landing point. Out with the binoculars. Plane spotting. |
| Don’t worry, question time will save him (and us) shortly. | Don’t worry, question time will save him (and us) shortly. |
| 2.36am GMT | 2.36am GMT |
| 02:36 | 02:36 |
| The business I am involved in is a team game, the finance minister Mathias Cormann notes at the opening of an interview he is now doing on Sky News. Cormann approaches this task as he approaches every other task – as a challenge to remain ruthlessly on the talking points. His hosts are trying to disrupt this by time shifting, back to the Abbott period, forward to the present time. | The business I am involved in is a team game, the finance minister Mathias Cormann notes at the opening of an interview he is now doing on Sky News. Cormann approaches this task as he approaches every other task – as a challenge to remain ruthlessly on the talking points. His hosts are trying to disrupt this by time shifting, back to the Abbott period, forward to the present time. |
| Q: What’s changed? | Q: What’s changed? |
| Mathias Cormann: | Mathias Cormann: |
| The future. | The future. |
| 2.24am GMT | 2.24am GMT |
| 02:24 | 02:24 |
| I will try and get below the line today at some point. Some more analysis now. First my colleague Lenore Taylor on today’s tax developments. | I will try and get below the line today at some point. Some more analysis now. First my colleague Lenore Taylor on today’s tax developments. |
| Shoving the GST off the table has laid bare the ideological rifts that have muddled the tax “debate” for months. It confirmed what has been pretty clear – the Turnbull government is washing its hands of the looming funding crisis in health and education in the interests of an ideological commitment to small(ish) federal government. And it clarified the extent to which the prime minister and his treasurer are talking at cross purposes, again because of ideology. | Shoving the GST off the table has laid bare the ideological rifts that have muddled the tax “debate” for months. It confirmed what has been pretty clear – the Turnbull government is washing its hands of the looming funding crisis in health and education in the interests of an ideological commitment to small(ish) federal government. And it clarified the extent to which the prime minister and his treasurer are talking at cross purposes, again because of ideology. |
| Also, political blogger Paula Matthewson, who looks at tax as well, including some interesting thoughts on where Labor will go in this new phase of proceedings. | Also, political blogger Paula Matthewson, who looks at tax as well, including some interesting thoughts on where Labor will go in this new phase of proceedings. |
| Labor will certainly claim Turnbull’s abandonment of the GST increase as a win, and have already laid the groundwork for it to be depicted as an embarrassing backdown for the PM. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen was quick off the blocks yesterday, saying the PM was in a “muddle” on GST, didn’t have the political backbone to back the policy, and if he didn’t “proceed with increasing the GST, which we all know he wants to do, it will be humiliating for Malcolm Turnbull”. It’s also likely the Opposition will try to confect a schism between the PM and his treasurer, who appeared to be gung-ho on the GST increase until as recently as a week ago. However, the most damaging criticism that Labor will level at the PM is that his GST backdown is yet another example of Turnbull abandoning his principles to mollify detractors within the Coalition parties. | Labor will certainly claim Turnbull’s abandonment of the GST increase as a win, and have already laid the groundwork for it to be depicted as an embarrassing backdown for the PM. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen was quick off the blocks yesterday, saying the PM was in a “muddle” on GST, didn’t have the political backbone to back the policy, and if he didn’t “proceed with increasing the GST, which we all know he wants to do, it will be humiliating for Malcolm Turnbull”. It’s also likely the Opposition will try to confect a schism between the PM and his treasurer, who appeared to be gung-ho on the GST increase until as recently as a week ago. However, the most damaging criticism that Labor will level at the PM is that his GST backdown is yet another example of Turnbull abandoning his principles to mollify detractors within the Coalition parties. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.30am GMT | at 2.30am GMT |
| 2.01am GMT | 2.01am GMT |
| 02:01 | 02:01 |
| For completeness, we need to note that Stuart Robert’s office gave the following statement to the Herald Sun about the China trip. (I mentioned earlier on today this story came from Herald Sun political reporter Ellen Whinnett.) | For completeness, we need to note that Stuart Robert’s office gave the following statement to the Herald Sun about the China trip. (I mentioned earlier on today this story came from Herald Sun political reporter Ellen Whinnett.) |
| Mr Robert was on leave and attended in a private capacity. Mr Robert is not responsible for what is published by private companies such as Minmetals. As part of Mr Robert’s visit, he and Chairman Zhou exchanged lapel pins. | Mr Robert was on leave and attended in a private capacity. Mr Robert is not responsible for what is published by private companies such as Minmetals. As part of Mr Robert’s visit, he and Chairman Zhou exchanged lapel pins. |
| 1.58am GMT | 1.58am GMT |
| 01:58 | 01:58 |
| Back to Stuart Robert and that trip to China. | Back to Stuart Robert and that trip to China. |
| Robert China trips looks very messy. He says a private trip, Press release at the time quotes him as speaking on behalf of Defence Dept. | Robert China trips looks very messy. He says a private trip, Press release at the time quotes him as speaking on behalf of Defence Dept. |
| If you want to view the press release Michelle Grattan is referring to, you can find it here. That document references Robert’s presence at the event on behalf of the Australian department of defence. | If you want to view the press release Michelle Grattan is referring to, you can find it here. That document references Robert’s presence at the event on behalf of the Australian department of defence. |
| 1.51am GMT | 1.51am GMT |
| 01:51 | 01:51 |
| Speaking of exclusion and inclusion, your border force, at senate estimates today. | Speaking of exclusion and inclusion, your border force, at senate estimates today. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.52am GMT | at 1.52am GMT |
| 1.46am GMT | 1.46am GMT |
| 01:46 | 01:46 |
| Humphrey Appleby tributes all round today: when exclusion could be inclusion | Humphrey Appleby tributes all round today: when exclusion could be inclusion |
| Daniel Hurst | Daniel Hurst |
| The officials charged with securing the two parliamentary chambers were not included in a security review of Parliament House, a committee hearing has been told. | The officials charged with securing the two parliamentary chambers were not included in a security review of Parliament House, a committee hearing has been told. |
| The Labor senator Joe Ludwig has been asking why the Senate’s usher of the black rod and the House’s serjeant-at-arms were excluded. “I find it extraordinary quite frankly that you’d have a security review and leave off the two people who are head of security of the two parliaments,” he declared. | The Labor senator Joe Ludwig has been asking why the Senate’s usher of the black rod and the House’s serjeant-at-arms were excluded. “I find it extraordinary quite frankly that you’d have a security review and leave off the two people who are head of security of the two parliaments,” he declared. |
| The Senate president, Stephen Parry, gave a curious explanation: “They weren’t excluded … but they weren’t included.” | The Senate president, Stephen Parry, gave a curious explanation: “They weren’t excluded … but they weren’t included.” |
| The Department of Parliamentary Services spilled the beans in an answer to a previous question on notice. In the answer, the DPS said the Australian Parliament House security review began in September 2014 and involved an AECOM security consultant and representatives from the DPS, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Australian Federal Police, prime minister Tony Abbott’s office and Asio. | The Department of Parliamentary Services spilled the beans in an answer to a previous question on notice. In the answer, the DPS said the Australian Parliament House security review began in September 2014 and involved an AECOM security consultant and representatives from the DPS, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Australian Federal Police, prime minister Tony Abbott’s office and Asio. |
| The usher of the black rod, Rachel Callinan, told the Finance and Administration Committee today: “The review itself, the decision to undertake the review was made by people other than myself. I didn’t participate in that decision-making; I wasn’t invited to participate in the review. I would like to think I might have something to contribute had I been asked to participate, but that wasn’t the circumstance at the time.” | The usher of the black rod, Rachel Callinan, told the Finance and Administration Committee today: “The review itself, the decision to undertake the review was made by people other than myself. I didn’t participate in that decision-making; I wasn’t invited to participate in the review. I would like to think I might have something to contribute had I been asked to participate, but that wasn’t the circumstance at the time.” |
| She confirmed the parliament’s security management board also did not directly participate in the review, although some of its members - DPS and AFP - were part of it.A defensive Parry said it was not a “review” as such but “a collection of government departments that were going to be responsible for the implementation of a capital works program; and it did relate to security but it was a capital works program”. He said this issue was ventilated at a previous estimates hearing and since then the serjeant and black rod have attended taskforce hearings. | She confirmed the parliament’s security management board also did not directly participate in the review, although some of its members - DPS and AFP - were part of it.A defensive Parry said it was not a “review” as such but “a collection of government departments that were going to be responsible for the implementation of a capital works program; and it did relate to security but it was a capital works program”. He said this issue was ventilated at a previous estimates hearing and since then the serjeant and black rod have attended taskforce hearings. |
| “This estimates process picked up a slight flaw and we amended it straight away.” | “This estimates process picked up a slight flaw and we amended it straight away.” |
| 1.39am GMT | 1.39am GMT |
| 01:39 | 01:39 |
| Manager of government business Christopher Pyne, just now, on Sky News, has just shared the most accurate reading of the government’s current circumstances that I’ve heard uttered to date. | Manager of government business Christopher Pyne, just now, on Sky News, has just shared the most accurate reading of the government’s current circumstances that I’ve heard uttered to date. |
| We are responding to events as they occur. | We are responding to events as they occur. |
| (That’s certainly how it looks.) | (That’s certainly how it looks.) |
| Furthermore, Pyne notes he’s not a fan of a GST increase, which would, as he puts it, cut the tax applying to people who can most afford to pay tax and increase taxes for people who can least afford to pay. | Furthermore, Pyne notes he’s not a fan of a GST increase, which would, as he puts it, cut the tax applying to people who can most afford to pay tax and increase taxes for people who can least afford to pay. |
| Christopher Pyne: | Christopher Pyne: |
| Who decided economic leadership is increasing the GST by 50%? | Who decided economic leadership is increasing the GST by 50%? |
| (I think we are beginning to see why Scott Morrison couldn’t part the Red Sea.) | (I think we are beginning to see why Scott Morrison couldn’t part the Red Sea.) |
| 1.33am GMT | 1.33am GMT |
| 01:33 | 01:33 |
| Lunchtime analysis | Lunchtime analysis |
| Given my recent “in case you’ve just tuned in” stocktake I’ll use the traditional lunchtime pause to work through the two main events of the day in some more detail. | Given my recent “in case you’ve just tuned in” stocktake I’ll use the traditional lunchtime pause to work through the two main events of the day in some more detail. |
| A couple of weeks ago, Scott Morrison walked forward on a GST hike. Now the government is walking backwards. The basis for the walk back is not political, the prime minister says. He’s indicating, essentially, that the first run analysis of GST plus income and business tax cuts either doesn’t deliver the growth dividend the government is seeking, or it does, but the price tag is too high. Over the past few weeks, both Turnbull and Morrison have also locked themselves into a position of not increasing the overall tax take, which is a very rigid brace to wear if you are attempting to have the broad-ranging and mature conversation the government says it wants to have on reform. It’s also pretty strange to say you don’t want an increase in the total tax take but then in fact encourage state governments to increase their taxes to pay for essential services, because you’ve decided that funding those services is no longer your problem. Morrison was very frank today: he was never looking at the GST for either budget repair or for service delivery – he was looking at hiking the GST to give people and businesses an income tax cut (which does sound a lot like taking with one hand and giving with another). The government has also, along the way, raised community expectations about dealing with bracket creep without having a settled mechanism to fix the problem it has now told voters is there – which is a brave way to proceed. To put this all most simply: there has always been a strange sort of vacancy at the centre of the tax reform discussion. This vacancy persists. Perhaps the government is getting closer to filling the vacancy, but for now, just empty space. | A couple of weeks ago, Scott Morrison walked forward on a GST hike. Now the government is walking backwards. The basis for the walk back is not political, the prime minister says. He’s indicating, essentially, that the first run analysis of GST plus income and business tax cuts either doesn’t deliver the growth dividend the government is seeking, or it does, but the price tag is too high. Over the past few weeks, both Turnbull and Morrison have also locked themselves into a position of not increasing the overall tax take, which is a very rigid brace to wear if you are attempting to have the broad-ranging and mature conversation the government says it wants to have on reform. It’s also pretty strange to say you don’t want an increase in the total tax take but then in fact encourage state governments to increase their taxes to pay for essential services, because you’ve decided that funding those services is no longer your problem. Morrison was very frank today: he was never looking at the GST for either budget repair or for service delivery – he was looking at hiking the GST to give people and businesses an income tax cut (which does sound a lot like taking with one hand and giving with another). The government has also, along the way, raised community expectations about dealing with bracket creep without having a settled mechanism to fix the problem it has now told voters is there – which is a brave way to proceed. To put this all most simply: there has always been a strange sort of vacancy at the centre of the tax reform discussion. This vacancy persists. Perhaps the government is getting closer to filling the vacancy, but for now, just empty space. |
| Today we’ve seen immigration officials use the opportunity of senate estimates hearings to take issue with advocacy on border protection. A helicopter view of what’s been said today is some of the claims made by advocates about events and conditions on Nauru are not factually correct, and in any case talking about all of this is spectacularly unhelpful given the people smugglers are watching every utterance in Australia, around the clock. The government is currently trying to talk out both sides of its mouth. Various people are trying to send a message that Australia will continue to be absolutely punitive in its approach to people who attempt to reach Australia via boat – but we won’t be punitive to absolutely everybody – and we won’t tell you who will be treated harshly and who will not be treated harshly. Sound mad? (Yes.) That’s because it is mad. | Today we’ve seen immigration officials use the opportunity of senate estimates hearings to take issue with advocacy on border protection. A helicopter view of what’s been said today is some of the claims made by advocates about events and conditions on Nauru are not factually correct, and in any case talking about all of this is spectacularly unhelpful given the people smugglers are watching every utterance in Australia, around the clock. The government is currently trying to talk out both sides of its mouth. Various people are trying to send a message that Australia will continue to be absolutely punitive in its approach to people who attempt to reach Australia via boat – but we won’t be punitive to absolutely everybody – and we won’t tell you who will be treated harshly and who will not be treated harshly. Sound mad? (Yes.) That’s because it is mad. |
| Onwards, upwards. | Onwards, upwards. |
| 12.52am GMT | 12.52am GMT |
| 00:52 | 00:52 |
| Back to immigration estimates. Green senator Sarah Hanson Young wants to know whether asylum seekers will be sent back to Nauru if the medical advice recommends against the transfer. | Back to immigration estimates. Green senator Sarah Hanson Young wants to know whether asylum seekers will be sent back to Nauru if the medical advice recommends against the transfer. |
| Pezzullo says he would need to understand the basis of the medical concern. He points out that there is a significant investment underway in medical facilities on the island. The suggestion here from Pezzullo is most medical needs will be able to be met in situ. | Pezzullo says he would need to understand the basis of the medical concern. He points out that there is a significant investment underway in medical facilities on the island. The suggestion here from Pezzullo is most medical needs will be able to be met in situ. |
| Hanson Young persists. There’s no doctor’s veto? | Hanson Young persists. There’s no doctor’s veto? |
| Pezzullo says doctors are a bit like lawyers. Often different doctors have different medical advice. They are a bit like lawyers. Pezzullo says contrary to some reports from advocates in journalist’s clothing – (his explicit inference, my rhetorical characterisation of it to be clear) – the current policy regarding medical advice is to make careful, considered decisions. He says there’s no directive from border protection command to go hard on assessments. | Pezzullo says doctors are a bit like lawyers. Often different doctors have different medical advice. They are a bit like lawyers. Pezzullo says contrary to some reports from advocates in journalist’s clothing – (his explicit inference, my rhetorical characterisation of it to be clear) – the current policy regarding medical advice is to make careful, considered decisions. He says there’s no directive from border protection command to go hard on assessments. |
| Mike Pezzullo: | Mike Pezzullo: |
| I reject that out of hand. | I reject that out of hand. |
| 12.37am GMT | 12.37am GMT |
| 00:37 | 00:37 |
| I will expand my thoughts on the various events of the political day beyond dot points in due course – but not right now. Need to push on with keeping you across the various threads. | I will expand my thoughts on the various events of the political day beyond dot points in due course – but not right now. Need to push on with keeping you across the various threads. |
| Also, not momentous enough to make the quick summary, but in the spirit of comprehensiveness, this also happened. | Also, not momentous enough to make the quick summary, but in the spirit of comprehensiveness, this also happened. |
| Bill Shorten walks past the "poo carters" on his way to a doorstop in Yass. https://t.co/MXbQON6Rmc | Bill Shorten walks past the "poo carters" on his way to a doorstop in Yass. https://t.co/MXbQON6Rmc |
| 12.30am GMT | 12.30am GMT |
| 00:30 | 00:30 |
| Fly, fly away | Fly, fly away |
| Daniel Hurst | Daniel Hurst |
| Over in the Finance and Public Administration estimates hearing, Senate president Stephen Parry has been facing some robust questions about his travel entitlements. | Over in the Finance and Public Administration estimates hearing, Senate president Stephen Parry has been facing some robust questions about his travel entitlements. |
| Labor senators have cried foul about a push to change the procedures for approving travel by the Senate president. Previously, the prime minister was required to give “concurrence” for proposed travel. It appears Parry - who has been a strong advocate of the independence of parliamentary positions - has written to Malcolm Turnbull seeking a change to the arrangements to no longer require the prime minister’s approval. | Labor senators have cried foul about a push to change the procedures for approving travel by the Senate president. Previously, the prime minister was required to give “concurrence” for proposed travel. It appears Parry - who has been a strong advocate of the independence of parliamentary positions - has written to Malcolm Turnbull seeking a change to the arrangements to no longer require the prime minister’s approval. |
| Parry provides a bit of context to the committee: “Concurrence has been granted in every occasion for 19 years bar one, so really the presiding officers, both speaker and president - when determining their own travel - the letter that comes back from the prime minister says it acknowledges the presiding officers have the right to determine their own travel.” | Parry provides a bit of context to the committee: “Concurrence has been granted in every occasion for 19 years bar one, so really the presiding officers, both speaker and president - when determining their own travel - the letter that comes back from the prime minister says it acknowledges the presiding officers have the right to determine their own travel.” |
| Questions were raised after an answer to a question on notice revealed the Department of the Senate had met the $2,579 cost of an official visit to New Zealand. | Questions were raised after an answer to a question on notice revealed the Department of the Senate had met the $2,579 cost of an official visit to New Zealand. |
| Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, who is a member of the Senate’s staffing committee, says she believes the committee was kept in the dark: “I don’t believe there was a frank, transparent discussion about what you were proposing to change around your personal entitlements with the staffing committee and if the committee is not going to be run in that way we’ll consider our participation in it and we’ll deal with things in a different way.” | Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, who is a member of the Senate’s staffing committee, says she believes the committee was kept in the dark: “I don’t believe there was a frank, transparent discussion about what you were proposing to change around your personal entitlements with the staffing committee and if the committee is not going to be run in that way we’ll consider our participation in it and we’ll deal with things in a different way.” |
| Parry: “I’m very happy to be guided by the appropriations and staffing committee ... I think I’ve been more than upfront.” | Parry: “I’m very happy to be guided by the appropriations and staffing committee ... I think I’ve been more than upfront.” |
| 12.28am GMT | 12.28am GMT |
| 00:28 | 00:28 |
| Monday, thus far | Monday, thus far |
| I think there is some merit, given the cracking pace of the morning, to post a very quick summary in the event you are just tuning in. | I think there is some merit, given the cracking pace of the morning, to post a very quick summary in the event you are just tuning in. |
| If you are just tuning in, Monday in Canberra is: | If you are just tuning in, Monday in Canberra is: |
| There will be more, and I will cover it as it happens. | There will be more, and I will cover it as it happens. |