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| Version 16 | Version 17 |
|---|---|
| Shorten and Turnbull trade blows over negative gearing – politics live | Shorten and Turnbull trade blows over negative gearing – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.59am GMT | |
| 06:59 | |
| Let us fold this magic tent | |
| That’s enough I think, enough of this Politics Live great goodness. Lets all have an evening before regrouping in tight battle formation at 8am tomorrow. | |
| But first, let’s recap Monday. | |
| There was more, but there’s your main points. | |
| Thanks for your company. See you in the morning. | |
| 6.36am GMT | |
| 06:36 | |
| Senator Jacqui Lambie, on the ABC just now, on the intrinsic merits of the Senate cross bench. | |
| We’ve done a lot of great goodness up here. | |
| 6.23am GMT | 6.23am GMT |
| 06:23 | 06:23 |
| Catching up with a little Mikearoo magic. | Catching up with a little Mikearoo magic. |
| 6.18am GMT | 6.18am GMT |
| 06:18 | 06:18 |
| My colleagues Lenore Taylor and Daniel Hurst report the prime minister has invited all the senate crossbenchers round for a bite of tea on Thursday night. Peace, love and harmony. And Awks. | My colleagues Lenore Taylor and Daniel Hurst report the prime minister has invited all the senate crossbenchers round for a bite of tea on Thursday night. Peace, love and harmony. And Awks. |
| 6.14am GMT | 6.14am GMT |
| 06:14 | 06:14 |
| Here’s a picture of the visitors today at the Parliamentary Friendship Group for LGBTI Australians – referenced in Shalailah’s post. | Here’s a picture of the visitors today at the Parliamentary Friendship Group for LGBTI Australians – referenced in Shalailah’s post. |
| 6.11am GMT | 6.11am GMT |
| 06:11 | 06:11 |
| Shalailah Medhora | Shalailah Medhora |
| Continuing to take stock of other matters, both the Coalition and Labor have signalled today that they are examining options for changing the laws around cross hormone therapy for transgender children. | Continuing to take stock of other matters, both the Coalition and Labor have signalled today that they are examining options for changing the laws around cross hormone therapy for transgender children. |
| At the moment, transgender minors and their parents must get permission from the Family Court before doctors can administer oestrogen or testosterone. Australia is the only country in the world to mandate judicial oversight in this area. | At the moment, transgender minors and their parents must get permission from the Family Court before doctors can administer oestrogen or testosterone. Australia is the only country in the world to mandate judicial oversight in this area. |
| But both major parties have indicated that they will look at options to change that, a move welcomed by advocates. “We’ve been through the courts three times, and it’s a horrible, horrible process and we need to make sure that this doesn’t happen to any other family,” transgender teen, Georgie Stone, told Guardian Australia during a visit to parliament today. “There were changes happening to my body that I didn’t want and we had to apply to these people who didn’t even know us to make decisions about my body, which is just wrong. And I think it’s discriminatory and it has to change.” | But both major parties have indicated that they will look at options to change that, a move welcomed by advocates. “We’ve been through the courts three times, and it’s a horrible, horrible process and we need to make sure that this doesn’t happen to any other family,” transgender teen, Georgie Stone, told Guardian Australia during a visit to parliament today. “There were changes happening to my body that I didn’t want and we had to apply to these people who didn’t even know us to make decisions about my body, which is just wrong. And I think it’s discriminatory and it has to change.” |
| Parents and their transgender children attended an event in Parliament House aimed at pressuring the government to change what they say is an “increasingly large barrier” to transitioning - the requirement that the Family Court must sign off on cross hormone therapy. | Parents and their transgender children attended an event in Parliament House aimed at pressuring the government to change what they say is an “increasingly large barrier” to transitioning - the requirement that the Family Court must sign off on cross hormone therapy. |
| 6.04am GMT | 6.04am GMT |
| 06:04 | 06:04 |
| Turning to the other key matter of the day, Senate voting reform, Labor is still sounding less than convinced on this proposal. | Turning to the other key matter of the day, Senate voting reform, Labor is still sounding less than convinced on this proposal. |
| A spokesman for Bill Shorten says the proposal will go through the usual shadow cabinet and caucus process, but (you felt that but coming, didn’t you) .. | A spokesman for Bill Shorten says the proposal will go through the usual shadow cabinet and caucus process, but (you felt that but coming, didn’t you) .. |
| Labor is concerned this looks very much like Malcolm Turnbull’s Greens party preference deal. It is not in the nation’s interest or our economic future to give the Greens party the balance of power in the Senate. | Labor is concerned this looks very much like Malcolm Turnbull’s Greens party preference deal. It is not in the nation’s interest or our economic future to give the Greens party the balance of power in the Senate. |
| 5.54am GMT | 5.54am GMT |
| 05:54 | 05:54 |
| Reading each statement in context, this is what I think. I think Andrew Wilkie was perfectly entitled to call Dutton out on his self-harm/blackmail remark, which was quite something (as I noted covering it in real time.) | Reading each statement in context, this is what I think. I think Andrew Wilkie was perfectly entitled to call Dutton out on his self-harm/blackmail remark, which was quite something (as I noted covering it in real time.) |
| Dutton has a habit of making general declarations about such things without feeling much obligation to peg himself to facts: actual examples, actual cases, that would support such a serious allegation. It’s always inference, political word painting with a clear object of presenting behaviour as undesirable, and being called periodically on your sledge is an essential part of a healthy democracy. If he gets called more often, perhaps the minister will be more careful in his characterisations. | Dutton has a habit of making general declarations about such things without feeling much obligation to peg himself to facts: actual examples, actual cases, that would support such a serious allegation. It’s always inference, political word painting with a clear object of presenting behaviour as undesirable, and being called periodically on your sledge is an essential part of a healthy democracy. If he gets called more often, perhaps the minister will be more careful in his characterisations. |
| But in terms of the Marles rationale – the analysis that said Wilkie hasn’t represented precisely what Dutton said, therefore we can’t support this censure motion – it is actually possible to read Dutton’s comment this afternoon as one of his many general statements that I’ll categorise as “what these (dreadful) people” do – rather than a specific reflection on this particular case involving the baby in Brisbane. | But in terms of the Marles rationale – the analysis that said Wilkie hasn’t represented precisely what Dutton said, therefore we can’t support this censure motion – it is actually possible to read Dutton’s comment this afternoon as one of his many general statements that I’ll categorise as “what these (dreadful) people” do – rather than a specific reflection on this particular case involving the baby in Brisbane. |
| There’s a small fig leaf there. I don’t regard the fig leaf as particularly compelling, but it is there. Convenient for Marles that the tiny fig leaf is there, because here is the actual truth: Labor really doesn’t want the current debate about the treatment of this child and other children in immigration detention. It would really like this debate to go the hell away. | There’s a small fig leaf there. I don’t regard the fig leaf as particularly compelling, but it is there. Convenient for Marles that the tiny fig leaf is there, because here is the actual truth: Labor really doesn’t want the current debate about the treatment of this child and other children in immigration detention. It would really like this debate to go the hell away. |
| Labor is caught, as the party always is, between “traditional” Labor voters who absolutely support policies like Operation Sovereign Borders and progressive Labor voters who are completely disgusted by the policy. This asylum debate for Labor is like a scab that won’t heal. Which is, of course, a fact not lost on the Greens, who want progressive voters to defect and stay. | Labor is caught, as the party always is, between “traditional” Labor voters who absolutely support policies like Operation Sovereign Borders and progressive Labor voters who are completely disgusted by the policy. This asylum debate for Labor is like a scab that won’t heal. Which is, of course, a fact not lost on the Greens, who want progressive voters to defect and stay. |
| One more thing should be noted about the circumstances of the baby. Because the government tells us nothing about its own behaviour concerning asylum seekers, and about their practical circumstances far out of sight and out of mind, we don’t know specifics about this case. We really don’t know key facts that would be useful to know in order to make a judgment about this specific case. And rather than pursuing a policy of disclosure and transparency, the government simply blames reporters for getting detail wrong, and characterises advocates for the asylum seekers as pursuing a strategy of boosting their own media profiles (as if this is something a person of conscience would actually contemplate doing). | One more thing should be noted about the circumstances of the baby. Because the government tells us nothing about its own behaviour concerning asylum seekers, and about their practical circumstances far out of sight and out of mind, we don’t know specifics about this case. We really don’t know key facts that would be useful to know in order to make a judgment about this specific case. And rather than pursuing a policy of disclosure and transparency, the government simply blames reporters for getting detail wrong, and characterises advocates for the asylum seekers as pursuing a strategy of boosting their own media profiles (as if this is something a person of conscience would actually contemplate doing). |
| Those immutable facts, and the inevitable overlay of politics, tend render these discussions incredibly suboptimal. We journalists can’t keep the public properly informed because the government won’t allow us to do that, and the government then blames us for failing to be accurate. It’s a disgrace, and the absurdity of fictions, the absurdity of the policy contortions, the deeply irritating false binaries and false equivalences in this debate, are obviously unsustainable to anyone who looks at this area for more than five minutes. | Those immutable facts, and the inevitable overlay of politics, tend render these discussions incredibly suboptimal. We journalists can’t keep the public properly informed because the government won’t allow us to do that, and the government then blames us for failing to be accurate. It’s a disgrace, and the absurdity of fictions, the absurdity of the policy contortions, the deeply irritating false binaries and false equivalences in this debate, are obviously unsustainable to anyone who looks at this area for more than five minutes. |
| Thus ends my analysis. | Thus ends my analysis. |
| 5.22am GMT | 5.22am GMT |
| 05:22 | 05:22 |
| Rightio, several readers have been in touch wondering how it is that Richard Marles can say Labor doesn’t support the Wilkie motion (censuring Peter Dutton) on the basis the wording was over egged. The only way to get to the bottom of this is backtrack to the motion, which I missed, because it was brought on on the fly. | Rightio, several readers have been in touch wondering how it is that Richard Marles can say Labor doesn’t support the Wilkie motion (censuring Peter Dutton) on the basis the wording was over egged. The only way to get to the bottom of this is backtrack to the motion, which I missed, because it was brought on on the fly. |
| Thanks to Andrew Wilkie’s office, here is the motion put this afternoon. | Thanks to Andrew Wilkie’s office, here is the motion put this afternoon. |
| That the minister for immigration and border protection be censured for implying that the baby Asha was deliberately harmed as a means of facilitating asylum seeker access to Australia. | That the minister for immigration and border protection be censured for implying that the baby Asha was deliberately harmed as a means of facilitating asylum seeker access to Australia. |
| So let’s work through this carefully. | So let’s work through this carefully. |
| In question time, Dutton said the following. | In question time, Dutton said the following. |
| I’m not going to conduct a situation, not going to preside over a situation where we have people self harming to come to hospitals in this country because they believe that is the route out into the Australian community for Australian citizenship. | I’m not going to conduct a situation, not going to preside over a situation where we have people self harming to come to hospitals in this country because they believe that is the route out into the Australian community for Australian citizenship. |
| This remark was in response to a question from Adam Bandt. Here was his question, which went to Turnbull before it was redirected to Dutton. | This remark was in response to a question from Adam Bandt. Here was his question, which went to Turnbull before it was redirected to Dutton. |
| Adam Bandt: | Adam Bandt: |
| Q: Doctors have said that returning baby Asha to detention would harm her. Your immigration minister has decided not to send her to Nauru for the time being but said it will happen later. Prime minister, do you agree with the doctors that detention harms children or are you waiting until after the election to deport babies and children to Nauru? | Q: Doctors have said that returning baby Asha to detention would harm her. Your immigration minister has decided not to send her to Nauru for the time being but said it will happen later. Prime minister, do you agree with the doctors that detention harms children or are you waiting until after the election to deport babies and children to Nauru? |
| This was Dutton’s full answer. To make a fair judgment I think we need the full answer. | This was Dutton’s full answer. To make a fair judgment I think we need the full answer. |
| Peter Dutton: | Peter Dutton: |
| Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank the member for his question. Last year when the shadow immigration minister addressed the Labor party conference and he said that Labor regretted the decisions they made which resulted in children drowning at sea, I thought his words were profound and I thought they were genuine, I thought they were sincere and it’s why the Labor party decided to move away from the policy which had seen 50,000 people arrive on 800 boats and 1,200 people drowned at sea. | Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank the member for his question. Last year when the shadow immigration minister addressed the Labor party conference and he said that Labor regretted the decisions they made which resulted in children drowning at sea, I thought his words were profound and I thought they were genuine, I thought they were sincere and it’s why the Labor party decided to move away from the policy which had seen 50,000 people arrive on 800 boats and 1,200 people drowned at sea. |
| Since Operation Sovereign Borders has been implemented we have been able to stare down the threat from people smugglers. Not one death at sea has been reported over that period. We have the ability to turn back boats where it’s safe to do so and it’s the policy of both government and opposition in this country to continue regional processing because we know that it works in stopping the boats. Now we are working with third countries to try and provide alternative arrangements but we have been very clear and I repeat this today, because the people smugglers listen to every word spoken in this place, spoken by premiers and other leaders around the country, let me be very clear to these people. | Since Operation Sovereign Borders has been implemented we have been able to stare down the threat from people smugglers. Not one death at sea has been reported over that period. We have the ability to turn back boats where it’s safe to do so and it’s the policy of both government and opposition in this country to continue regional processing because we know that it works in stopping the boats. Now we are working with third countries to try and provide alternative arrangements but we have been very clear and I repeat this today, because the people smugglers listen to every word spoken in this place, spoken by premiers and other leaders around the country, let me be very clear to these people. |
| We will not be held to ransom, we will not be blackmailed into changing this policy because this policy has resulted in lives being saved. And we are not going to retreat on what has been a successful policy because I’m not going to preside over an arrangement which the Greens presided over when they were in coalition with the Rudd and Gillard governments which saw children drown at sea. I’m not going to allow that to return. | We will not be held to ransom, we will not be blackmailed into changing this policy because this policy has resulted in lives being saved. And we are not going to retreat on what has been a successful policy because I’m not going to preside over an arrangement which the Greens presided over when they were in coalition with the Rudd and Gillard governments which saw children drown at sea. I’m not going to allow that to return. |
| We have said we will look at each case compassionately, on its merit, and we will decide in relation to those cases what is in the best interests of those children or of those families. | We have said we will look at each case compassionately, on its merit, and we will decide in relation to those cases what is in the best interests of those children or of those families. |
| I’m not going to conduct a situation, not going to preside over a situation where we have people self harming to come to hospitals in this country because they believe that is the route out into the Australian community for Australian citizenship. | I’m not going to conduct a situation, not going to preside over a situation where we have people self harming to come to hospitals in this country because they believe that is the route out into the Australian community for Australian citizenship. |
| Now we know that we will provide medical assistance, including to this baby, and including to other people we have brought to this country and when the medical assistance has been provided, Mr Speaker, to that family or to that individual, the policy of this government, the policy of the opposition is that that person will return to Nauru. We will provide support and assistance to return people back to their country of origin if they have found to be not under protection and that is the policy we will continue because we are not going to allow the people smugglers to get back into business. | Now we know that we will provide medical assistance, including to this baby, and including to other people we have brought to this country and when the medical assistance has been provided, Mr Speaker, to that family or to that individual, the policy of this government, the policy of the opposition is that that person will return to Nauru. We will provide support and assistance to return people back to their country of origin if they have found to be not under protection and that is the policy we will continue because we are not going to allow the people smugglers to get back into business. |
| I’ll let you think on that, before I come back in the next post and share my thoughts. | I’ll let you think on that, before I come back in the next post and share my thoughts. |
| 5.01am GMT | 5.01am GMT |
| 05:01 | 05:01 |
| I’ll try and track down the precise wording of that Wilkie motion. | I’ll try and track down the precise wording of that Wilkie motion. |
| In the meantime, here was that vote. | In the meantime, here was that vote. |
| The Gov & Oppos vote against @WilkieMP @Indigocathy and @AdamBandt as they attempt to censure Min Dutton @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/BvvywMsGJD | The Gov & Oppos vote against @WilkieMP @Indigocathy and @AdamBandt as they attempt to censure Min Dutton @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/BvvywMsGJD |
| 4.44am GMT | 4.44am GMT |
| 04:44 | 04:44 |
| 4.41am GMT | 4.41am GMT |
| 04:41 | 04:41 |
| Labor’s immigration spokesman Richard Marles says he won’t support the censure motion because it over eggs what Dutton said in the parliament during question time today. Marles says in this debate, it is very important to sift facts from spin. Marles says this debate has to be conducted on the basis of accurately representing what people say, not distorting what they say. | Labor’s immigration spokesman Richard Marles says he won’t support the censure motion because it over eggs what Dutton said in the parliament during question time today. Marles says in this debate, it is very important to sift facts from spin. Marles says this debate has to be conducted on the basis of accurately representing what people say, not distorting what they say. |
| The government is driving this through now. | The government is driving this through now. |
| 4.37am GMT | 4.37am GMT |
| 04:37 | 04:37 |
| Peter Dutton is back in the house. Dutton says in relation to baby Asha, I pass no judgment and make no comment in relation to (the circumstances of the baby’s injuries). He says he wants children out of detention and he’s not going to cop sanctimonious lectures from the Greens who presided over people drowning at sea. | Peter Dutton is back in the house. Dutton says in relation to baby Asha, I pass no judgment and make no comment in relation to (the circumstances of the baby’s injuries). He says he wants children out of detention and he’s not going to cop sanctimonious lectures from the Greens who presided over people drowning at sea. |
| Peter Dutton: | Peter Dutton: |
| This cooked up situation in parliament today needs to be seen for what it is. We are not going to tolerate these lectures from the Greens. That’s why the censure motion should be rejected. | This cooked up situation in parliament today needs to be seen for what it is. We are not going to tolerate these lectures from the Greens. That’s why the censure motion should be rejected. |
| 4.32am GMT | 4.32am GMT |
| 04:32 | 04:32 |
| The Wilkie motion is being seconded by Green Adam Bandt. He says there’s a certain inevitability in Australian politics, when the polls go down, the ugly goes up. Dutton’s remark he characterises as a disgusting and vile statement. | The Wilkie motion is being seconded by Green Adam Bandt. He says there’s a certain inevitability in Australian politics, when the polls go down, the ugly goes up. Dutton’s remark he characterises as a disgusting and vile statement. |
| 4.30am GMT | 4.30am GMT |
| 04:30 | 04:30 |
| 4.19am GMT | 4.19am GMT |
| 04:19 | 04:19 |
| No time to take stock. The Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie is attempting to censure the immigration minister Peter Dutton, for his remarks in question time about blackmail and self harm. | No time to take stock. The Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie is attempting to censure the immigration minister Peter Dutton, for his remarks in question time about blackmail and self harm. |
| Wilkie says the suggestion from Dutton today that self harm was being deployed as a route to citizenship was one of the ugliest things I have heard in this place in my time serving here. | Wilkie says the suggestion from Dutton today that self harm was being deployed as a route to citizenship was one of the ugliest things I have heard in this place in my time serving here. |
| The government clearly isn’t expecting this, and no initial effort is made to shut Wilkie down. Ah yes, they’ve cottoned on now. The gag has been moved. | The government clearly isn’t expecting this, and no initial effort is made to shut Wilkie down. Ah yes, they’ve cottoned on now. The gag has been moved. |