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 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Immigration official denies five-year-old was raped on Nauru – politics live | Immigration official denies five-year-old was raped on Nauru – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.24am GMT | |
| 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. | |
| 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, 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. | |
| 2.01am GMT | |
| 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.) | |
| 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 | |
| 01:58 | |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| 12.13am GMT | 12.13am GMT |
| 00:13 | 00:13 |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Dr John Brayley, Chief Medical Officer and Surgeon General of the Australian Border Force, has been quizzed about the impact of detention on children. “The scientific evidence is that detention affects the mental state of children, it’s deleterious. Wherever possible children should not be in detention.” He said a series of mental health tools had found significant mental health issues among children in detention on shore and offshore, but this needs to be seen “in the context of the government and the department’s concerted efforts to remove children from detention”. Department secretary Mike Pezzullo said it was the government’s policy “to do whatever possible within the ambit of the policy to get children out of detention”. | Dr John Brayley, Chief Medical Officer and Surgeon General of the Australian Border Force, has been quizzed about the impact of detention on children. “The scientific evidence is that detention affects the mental state of children, it’s deleterious. Wherever possible children should not be in detention.” He said a series of mental health tools had found significant mental health issues among children in detention on shore and offshore, but this needs to be seen “in the context of the government and the department’s concerted efforts to remove children from detention”. Department secretary Mike Pezzullo said it was the government’s policy “to do whatever possible within the ambit of the policy to get children out of detention”. |
| 12.07am GMT | 12.07am GMT |
| 00:07 | 00:07 |
| As I know there will be a number of readers interested, just a heads up, you can now read border protection chief Mike Pezzullo’s opening statement to the estimates committee this morning in full. | As I know there will be a number of readers interested, just a heads up, you can now read border protection chief Mike Pezzullo’s opening statement to the estimates committee this morning in full. |
| Do note the language I’ve bolded below about people being returned to detention on Nauru in the wake of the high court decision. Sir Humphrey Appleby would be impressed with a formulation that reads, those people will go back, unless of course they won’t. We are very tough. Unless we aren’t. | Do note the language I’ve bolded below about people being returned to detention on Nauru in the wake of the high court decision. Sir Humphrey Appleby would be impressed with a formulation that reads, those people will go back, unless of course they won’t. We are very tough. Unless we aren’t. |
| What a complete absurdity this all is. | What a complete absurdity this all is. |
| Mike Pezzullo: | Mike Pezzullo: |
| With regards to transferees and refugees in regional processing centres, the department will continue to ensure that adequate medical services are provided to those who require it. For those transferees and refugees temporarily in Australia for medical treatment, or accompanying those in need of treatment, they will be returned to Nauru and Papua New Guinea at the conclusion of their treatment, noting that determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. As the prime minister, the minister and others have said, we will exercise appropriate discretion and indeed compassion, but will do so quietly. | With regards to transferees and refugees in regional processing centres, the department will continue to ensure that adequate medical services are provided to those who require it. For those transferees and refugees temporarily in Australia for medical treatment, or accompanying those in need of treatment, they will be returned to Nauru and Papua New Guinea at the conclusion of their treatment, noting that determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. As the prime minister, the minister and others have said, we will exercise appropriate discretion and indeed compassion, but will do so quietly. |
| 11.56pm GMT | 11.56pm GMT |
| 23:56 | 23:56 |
| Furthermore .. | Furthermore .. |
| Immigration Secretary Mike Pezzullo denies reports of a child raped in detention - "There is no 5 year old child, it's a figment" | Immigration Secretary Mike Pezzullo denies reports of a child raped in detention - "There is no 5 year old child, it's a figment" |
| 11.48pm GMT | 11.48pm GMT |
| 23:48 | 23:48 |
| Departmental official counters rape allegation | Departmental official counters rape allegation |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Still in estimates, Cheryl Anne Moy, first assistant secretary of community and settlement division, has told the committee the allegation which aired last week on ABC television of the rape of a five-year-old child on Nauru is reportedly “untrue”. The circumstances of this child were widely publicised around the time of the high court’s decision on detention. | Still in estimates, Cheryl Anne Moy, first assistant secretary of community and settlement division, has told the committee the allegation which aired last week on ABC television of the rape of a five-year-old child on Nauru is reportedly “untrue”. The circumstances of this child were widely publicised around the time of the high court’s decision on detention. |
| But according to the department of immigration, which investigated the allegation after it was broadcast: the child was not five, but was ‘more than double that age’. The offender was two years older, and was a fellow asylum seeker. The allegation was not one of rape, but a reported incident of ‘skin to skin contact’. The issue was raised in the Moss report into conditions on Nauru. The child is currently living in the community in New South Wales. | But according to the department of immigration, which investigated the allegation after it was broadcast: the child was not five, but was ‘more than double that age’. The offender was two years older, and was a fellow asylum seeker. The allegation was not one of rape, but a reported incident of ‘skin to skin contact’. The issue was raised in the Moss report into conditions on Nauru. The child is currently living in the community in New South Wales. |
| 11.36pm GMT | 11.36pm GMT |
| 23:36 | 23:36 |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Back in estimates, immigration boss Mike Pezzullo has said that public calls to #LetThemStay “reduces our discretion” to allow people to stay in Australia longer. Pezzullo noted, articulating the rationale of Operation Sovereign Borders: “The more this is talked about publicly, the tougher we have to be.” | Back in estimates, immigration boss Mike Pezzullo has said that public calls to #LetThemStay “reduces our discretion” to allow people to stay in Australia longer. Pezzullo noted, articulating the rationale of Operation Sovereign Borders: “The more this is talked about publicly, the tougher we have to be.” |
| He said the policy was “tough”, even “harsh”, but offshore processing needed to be applied without exception, in order to deter people-smuggling operations. “It’s got to be applied universally, the moment you give a chink of light ... you open the doors to people drowning at sea.” | He said the policy was “tough”, even “harsh”, but offshore processing needed to be applied without exception, in order to deter people-smuggling operations. “It’s got to be applied universally, the moment you give a chink of light ... you open the doors to people drowning at sea.” |
| “The path [to resettlement] is shut with no exceptions,” Pezzullo said. “There is no compassion in giving people false hope.” | “The path [to resettlement] is shut with no exceptions,” Pezzullo said. “There is no compassion in giving people false hope.” |
| He said of the 267 there would be no “bulk determination” or mass return of the 267 asylum seekers. The removal of people will be “staged out”. Some may travel soon, some might be longer than six months. | He said of the 267 there would be no “bulk determination” or mass return of the 267 asylum seekers. The removal of people will be “staged out”. Some may travel soon, some might be longer than six months. |
| Pezzullo also accused sections of the media of engaging in “advocacy masquerading as journalism”. He said coverage by some media outlets of asylum issues was “essentially pamphleteering”. | Pezzullo also accused sections of the media of engaging in “advocacy masquerading as journalism”. He said coverage by some media outlets of asylum issues was “essentially pamphleteering”. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.48pm GMT | at 11.48pm GMT |
| 11.24pm GMT | 11.24pm GMT |
| 23:24 | 23:24 |
| Passionate concern .. but .. | Passionate concern .. but .. |
| The prime minister is asked about the fate of asylum seekers in the wake of the high court decision. Again we get the hedged lines from Insiders yesterday. This is a delicate matter, the prime minister notes, that requires compassion .. | The prime minister is asked about the fate of asylum seekers in the wake of the high court decision. Again we get the hedged lines from Insiders yesterday. This is a delicate matter, the prime minister notes, that requires compassion .. |
| ... yes, yes, with a passionate concern for those children ... | ... yes, yes, with a passionate concern for those children ... |
| But the government can’t give people smugglers a marketing opportunity, Turnbull notes, because they will use it. | But the government can’t give people smugglers a marketing opportunity, Turnbull notes, because they will use it. |
| This situation requires a cool head and a big heart. | This situation requires a cool head and a big heart. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.49pm GMT | at 11.49pm GMT |
| 11.19pm GMT | 11.19pm GMT |
| 23:19 | 23:19 |
| The prime minister is speaking to reporters after his session with the giant dominoes and the snakes and the ladders. Currently, he’s running through his explanations from yesterday about tax reform. | The prime minister is speaking to reporters after his session with the giant dominoes and the snakes and the ladders. Currently, he’s running through his explanations from yesterday about tax reform. |
| Malcolm Turnbull points out that everyone who wants to raise the GST wants to use the revenue for something different. He says tax reform does not necessarily require any adjustment to the GST. He says however the cookie eventually crumbles, the government is not interested in increasing the overall tax take. | Malcolm Turnbull points out that everyone who wants to raise the GST wants to use the revenue for something different. He says tax reform does not necessarily require any adjustment to the GST. He says however the cookie eventually crumbles, the government is not interested in increasing the overall tax take. |
| The prime minister: | The prime minister: |
| At this stage we have not made a decision about particular tax changes. We are looking at this very coolly and very rationally. We want to drive growth and more jobs. | At this stage we have not made a decision about particular tax changes. We are looking at this very coolly and very rationally. We want to drive growth and more jobs. |
| 11.13pm GMT | 11.13pm GMT |
| 23:13 | 23:13 |
| Things that make you go mmmm. | Things that make you go mmmm. |
| 11.10pm GMT | 11.10pm GMT |
| 23:10 | 23:10 |
| Shorten is asked about Stuart Robert. | Shorten is asked about Stuart Robert. |
| I think these are very serious matters. Malcolm Turnbull’s judgment is under question now. Minister Robert has to explain what he’s done, when he’s done, what have been his transactions. Has there been any conflict between his private relationships and his public role as a minister? | I think these are very serious matters. Malcolm Turnbull’s judgment is under question now. Minister Robert has to explain what he’s done, when he’s done, what have been his transactions. Has there been any conflict between his private relationships and his public role as a minister? |
| This is a most serious matter. | This is a most serious matter. |
| 11.09pm GMT | 11.09pm GMT |
| 23:09 | 23:09 |
| Shorten adds if the GST is now off the table, the prime minister will have to explain his swinging cuts to schools and hospitals. | Shorten adds if the GST is now off the table, the prime minister will have to explain his swinging cuts to schools and hospitals. |
| It’s ok. We know what he means. | It’s ok. We know what he means. |