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| Malcolm Turnbull expected to get Stuart Robert report this afternoon – politics live | Malcolm Turnbull expected to get Stuart Robert report this afternoon – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.36am GMT | |
| 03:36 | |
| Question four on Stuart Robert. Shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus this time. Did Stuart Robert use proper security protocols with his government devices while in Beijing? | |
| Robert won’t say either way. Like yesterday, he refers Dreyfus to the statement he made to parliament a few days ago, which confirms nothing of a substantive nature. | |
| 3.29am GMT | |
| 03:29 | |
| Shorten is back on Stuart Robert. He’s referencing today’s senate estimates evidence that I covered earlier: that there is a Chinese government record of the controversial meeting in Beijing, but no Australian record, because there were no Australian officials in the room. Has Dr Parkinson sought the record of the meeting? | |
| The prime minister is disposed to be genial. Accountability and due process is important, in accordance with the code, the prime minister says. | |
| Then geniality ceases. He’s back onto Shorten’s record with the workers at Cleanevent. | |
| Labor says hang on a second, Shorten gave a personal explanation a couple of days ago, taking issue with the prime minister’s misrepresentations on this issue. That should be the end of the matter, says the manager of opposition business, Tony Burke. | |
| Christopher Pyne, across the table. | |
| Toughen up Bill. | |
| Turnbull is powering on with Cleanevent. | |
| 3.22am GMT | |
| 03:22 | |
| The next Dixer invites the foreign minister to update the House on how her forthcoming visit to China will strengthen our economic relationship and help boost our domestic economy leading to jobs and growth. | |
| Labor’s Anthony Albanese notes that standing order 100(d)(6) clearly rules out irony and given today ... | |
| Speaker Smith gongs him off. Albanese is ejected from the House under standing order 94A. | |
| 3.18am GMT | |
| 03:18 | |
| Shorten is back to Stuart Robert and he’d like the prime minister to table letters confirming that the minister sought and was granted leave for his trip to Beijing. Shorten has reference numbers for the correspondence. | |
| The prime minister is inclined to see this as another polite request for information. Which he’ll decline for now. Just be patient, Bill, is the Turnbull counsel. | |
| I will consider (Shorten’s) request and consider what material should be tabled in the context of reporting (after the Parkinson inquiry). So I thank him for his suggestion. | |
| 3.14am GMT | |
| 03:14 | |
| Daniel Hurst | |
| Sorry to break into question time, and I know we already know this, but it’s worth recording properly, now he’s put his position on the record. | |
| Nationals MP Michael McCormack has confirmed he is not eyeing the leadership. There’s a brief statement: | |
| I am not challenging for the leadership and have told the party as much. | |
| And now, back to question time. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.15am GMT | |
| 3.12am GMT | |
| 03:12 | |
| First Dorothy Dixer is on the resilience of the Australian economy. | |
| Then Shorten is back, on Stuart Robert. | |
| Q: Isn’t it the case the prime minister has one choice: sack the minister, or sack your ministerial standards? | |
| (I think that’s two choices, but let’s not quibble). | |
| Turnbull says in the Robert investigation, he’s following the process set out in the code. This is called due process, the prime minister says. | |
| 3.05am GMT | |
| 03:05 | |
| Question time | |
| Thank heavens question time has arrived and we can now walk right by the dreams of men in Australian political leadership. | |
| Here’s Bill Shorten, to the prime minister. | |
| Q: When does good government start? | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says today we’ve had warm words about the National party, lovely words, and he intends to treat this question from Shorten as a polite request for information. We are back into excitement territory. Why is Bill so gloomy? Why does he get his questions from sarcastic newspaper columns? | |
| 2.59am GMT | 2.59am GMT |
| 02:59 | 02:59 |
| Just in case you think I might have been joking about the boulevard of dry dreams. | Just in case you think I might have been joking about the boulevard of dry dreams. |
| Former PM Tony Abbott jokes about "wet dreams" in Parliament, while farewelling Warren Truss #auspol pic.twitter.com/HaqTFMTOAs | Former PM Tony Abbott jokes about "wet dreams" in Parliament, while farewelling Warren Truss #auspol pic.twitter.com/HaqTFMTOAs |
| 2.54am GMT | 2.54am GMT |
| 02:54 | 02:54 |
| Tony Abbott congratulates Warren Truss #reps #politicslive @murpharoo @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/oCgMCm81Xj | Tony Abbott congratulates Warren Truss #reps #politicslive @murpharoo @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/oCgMCm81Xj |
| 2.47am GMT | 2.47am GMT |
| 02:47 | 02:47 |
| Tony Abbott, continuing: | Tony Abbott, continuing: |
| You know, in this parliament, we are very good at saying the right thing. We are not always nearly so good at doing the right thing, but both the member for Wide Bay and the Member for Goldstein have done the right thing, in every way. | You know, in this parliament, we are very good at saying the right thing. We are not always nearly so good at doing the right thing, but both the member for Wide Bay and the Member for Goldstein have done the right thing, in every way. |
| In everyway. | In everyway. |
| Our country is better for their public life and I join with my other senior colleagues in saying to both of them: “Well done, good and faithful servants.” | Our country is better for their public life and I join with my other senior colleagues in saying to both of them: “Well done, good and faithful servants.” |
| 2.44am GMT | 2.44am GMT |
| 02:44 | 02:44 |
| Tony Abbott and the boulevard of dry dreams | Tony Abbott and the boulevard of dry dreams |
| Tony Abbott is his making his contribution now. He notes very few people leave politics at a time of their choosing. But both of these men have managed it. | Tony Abbott is his making his contribution now. He notes very few people leave politics at a time of their choosing. But both of these men have managed it. |
| He’s running through their respective legacies and their remarkable achievements. Warren Truss he says, has transformed the country. He says he used to talk about adult government, then look to Warren Truss to see that it was delivered. | He’s running through their respective legacies and their remarkable achievements. Warren Truss he says, has transformed the country. He says he used to talk about adult government, then look to Warren Truss to see that it was delivered. |
| Tony Abbott: | Tony Abbott: |
| The foreign minister talked about the deputy prime minister’s dry and droll wit. I can remember after listening to one of his colleagues in leadership group, Warren said: “That sounds a bit like a Treasury wet dream,” and then he said, “No, Treasury only has dry dreams.” | The foreign minister talked about the deputy prime minister’s dry and droll wit. I can remember after listening to one of his colleagues in leadership group, Warren said: “That sounds a bit like a Treasury wet dream,” and then he said, “No, Treasury only has dry dreams.” |
| 2.36am GMT | 2.36am GMT |
| 02:36 | 02:36 |
| 2.34am GMT | 2.34am GMT |
| 02:34 | 02:34 |
| The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, is paying tribute to Warren Truss’s wonderful sense of humour. | The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, is paying tribute to Warren Truss’s wonderful sense of humour. |
| He’s a very droll fellow, she notes. | He’s a very droll fellow, she notes. |
| 2.27am GMT | 2.27am GMT |
| 02:27 | 02:27 |
| 2.24am GMT | 2.24am GMT |
| 02:24 | 02:24 |
| Barnaby Joyce: | Barnaby Joyce: |
| When they think of Truss they will think of decency: a decent man, a gentle man, a good man. | When they think of Truss they will think of decency: a decent man, a gentle man, a good man. |
| 2.21am GMT | 2.21am GMT |
| 02:21 | 02:21 |
| Barnaby Joyce is taking his turn now. His description of the departing leader’s personal qualities is very precise. | Barnaby Joyce is taking his turn now. His description of the departing leader’s personal qualities is very precise. |
| Warren has personified decency, self-control, attention to detail, leadership, strength. | Warren has personified decency, self-control, attention to detail, leadership, strength. |
| Warren, Joyce says, does not wing it. | Warren, Joyce says, does not wing it. |
| If he gets the file, he reads the file. He will read yours as well. He does not rise to the bait of the personal barb. | If he gets the file, he reads the file. He will read yours as well. He does not rise to the bait of the personal barb. |
| Warren’s capacity to hold a confidence is legendary. As we have said, there are probably three people who know what Warren is thinking on sensitive issues. Warren, his wife and his God. | Warren’s capacity to hold a confidence is legendary. As we have said, there are probably three people who know what Warren is thinking on sensitive issues. Warren, his wife and his God. |
| 2.17am GMT | 2.17am GMT |
| 02:17 | 02:17 |
| Shorten pays tribute to Andrew Robb’s pragmatism, an inclination he suspects will be missed around the corridors after he departs political life. He also pays tribute to the courage Robb has shown in managing his depression. | Shorten pays tribute to Andrew Robb’s pragmatism, an inclination he suspects will be missed around the corridors after he departs political life. He also pays tribute to the courage Robb has shown in managing his depression. |
| What you did, your example, your honesty, has helped break down some of the counter-productive and ill-informed stigma that inflicts many who suffer in silence. Because of you and your honesty, other people will have better lives. There is not much more than a member of this parliament can claim to do. | What you did, your example, your honesty, has helped break down some of the counter-productive and ill-informed stigma that inflicts many who suffer in silence. Because of you and your honesty, other people will have better lives. There is not much more than a member of this parliament can claim to do. |
| 2.14am GMT | 2.14am GMT |
| 02:14 | 02:14 |
| Bill Shorten, in his tribute to Warren Truss, reminds the chamber that Truss has the distinct honour of having a cameo in the US TV show, Lost. | Bill Shorten, in his tribute to Warren Truss, reminds the chamber that Truss has the distinct honour of having a cameo in the US TV show, Lost. |
| Bill Shorten: | Bill Shorten: |
| There was a character named Sawyer, he is dragged before a detective who had extremely unconvincing Australian accent. He is told he is being charged with involvement in a bar fight to which he protests that this is a badge of honour in Australia, at which point the detective leans in to tell him the bad news and I quote exactly: “You head-butted the honourable Warren Truss, minister for agriculture, forestries and fishery, one of the most important people.” Sawyer interrupts: “He head-butted me.” | There was a character named Sawyer, he is dragged before a detective who had extremely unconvincing Australian accent. He is told he is being charged with involvement in a bar fight to which he protests that this is a badge of honour in Australia, at which point the detective leans in to tell him the bad news and I quote exactly: “You head-butted the honourable Warren Truss, minister for agriculture, forestries and fishery, one of the most important people.” Sawyer interrupts: “He head-butted me.” |
| For some reason I’m just not sold on the image of Warren Truss, bar-room brawler. | For some reason I’m just not sold on the image of Warren Truss, bar-room brawler. |
| 2.11am GMT | 2.11am GMT |
| 02:11 | 02:11 |
| 2.08am GMT | 2.08am GMT |
| 02:08 | 02:08 |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | Malcolm Turnbull: |
| Mr Speaker, the most important thing for all of us to say to these men is thank you. They have made Australia different. They’ve made Australia better. They’ve shaped Australia. They’ve shaped our future, whether it is in trade or it is in infrastructure – or in their example of clear, warm, humane patriotism, a love of country. | Mr Speaker, the most important thing for all of us to say to these men is thank you. They have made Australia different. They’ve made Australia better. They’ve shaped Australia. They’ve shaped our future, whether it is in trade or it is in infrastructure – or in their example of clear, warm, humane patriotism, a love of country. |
| 2.06am GMT | 2.06am GMT |
| 02:06 | 02:06 |
| Turnbull is pressing on with the salutations. Robb is the best trade minister in Australian history. Truss is a coalitionist – knowing the Liberal and National parties are stronger together than at loggerheads. | Turnbull is pressing on with the salutations. Robb is the best trade minister in Australian history. Truss is a coalitionist – knowing the Liberal and National parties are stronger together than at loggerheads. |
| The prime minister: | The prime minister: |
| He understands the importance of the National party distinct identity, but also the reality that we are so much stronger when we are working closely together. | He understands the importance of the National party distinct identity, but also the reality that we are so much stronger when we are working closely together. |
| (Are you listening, Barnaby, hint hint.) | (Are you listening, Barnaby, hint hint.) |