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Labor accuses Malcolm Turnbull of misleading parliament – politics live Labor accuses Malcolm Turnbull of misleading parliament – politics live
(35 minutes later)
4.13am GMT
04:13
Mere mortals don't understand the extent of the Wentworth genius ..
Shorten, continuing.
Now, I feel a little bit of a pang for poor old Member for Warringah (Tony Abbott). He got undermined by Malcolm Turnbull for making captain’s calls, but as soon as Mr Turnbull is up there, the captain’s call!
We know what this leader of the government said. He said there would be no changes to capital gains tax whatsoever. So today we ask him to back in his words and there are really three options the PM could have picked: tell the truth or indeed tell us what was happening with capital gains tax or he could have just said: “Everyone else is wrong.”
We are lucky enough to have an infallible prime minister in this country, we are very lucky to know that we are led by the smartest man in Australia, self-declared – that even when he gets it wrong, he is still right, us mere mortals just don’t understand the extent of Wentworth genius.
4.09am GMT
04:09
This is the second censure order of the day against the prime minister for misleading the House.
Bill Shorten:
Either this prime minister is dishonest or he is incompetent, he cannot be both. The prime minister needs to rule out increasing capital gains tax on the superannuation accounts of millions of people.
What is it about this prime minister that makes him so out of touch that he will defend to the last drop of Liberal blood, reducing the 50% capital gains discount to 25%, when it comes to defending the capital gains tax discount of millions of Australians and their superannuation - well, he is out of town for that.
The prime minister is so arrogant that he thinks he can say unsay words and make them miraculously disappear, but the problem for him is this: every journalist in the press gallery heard exactly what he said, every newspaper in Australia showed that he was ruling out tackling capital gains tax, and what does he do?
No, they are all wrong.
4.04am GMT
04:04
Rightio, here comes the suspension of the standing orders.
4.03am GMT
04:03
Turnbull is persisting with his argument that he was taken out of context yesterday on CGT.
It is perfectly obvious that - perfectly clear that I was talking about Labor’s proposal to increase capital gains tax on individuals, and it was perfectly obvious that that’s what the Member for McMahon (Chris Bowen) was talking about.
(Nope, nope, nope.)
Malcolm Turnbull:
When you are in a tax hole, stop digging.
(Quite universal, that advice, I reckon.)
3.59am GMT
03:59
We are proceeding.
Malcolm Turnbull:
I think what the opposition is doing here demeans this House. It demonstrates a desperation that really insults the intelligence of the Australian people.
3.57am GMT
03:57
Bill Shorten.
Q: Will the prime minister acknowledge that he misled the parliament?
Manager of government business Christopher Pyne has had enough.
Speaker Smith is deliberating.
3.53am GMT
03:53
Malcolm Turnbull:
Every single home owner in every single electorate represented in this House will be poorer if the Labor party is elected to government.
3.50am GMT
03:50
Labor, persisting on the mislead of the House.
Q: Does the prime minister stand by the following statement: “Increasing capital gains tax is no part of our thinking whatsoever?”
The prime minister is glad to have this question he says, because it gives him an opportunity to note that Labor wants house prices to come down. Massive shock. Everyone will be poorer if Labor wins the election. Lower house values, a poorer Australia, less investors, less confidence.
3.47am GMT
03:47
Vote Labor and be poorer!
The prime minister, digging in here on negative gearing and CGT.
3.42am GMT
03:42
After the foreign minister Julie Bishop informs the House of all the benefits associated with the China Australia free trade agreement, Bowen rolls back to CGT.
Q: Will the prime minister today rule out cutting the capital gains tax discount for millions of Australians’ superannuation accounts?
Turnbull says the government is looking at superannuation across the board.
What we are looking at is the entire superannuation system, as you would expect, in any responsible review of taxation, unlike the Labor party, we are not rushing into snap decisions, to reckless decisions which are going to undermine property prices.
3.39am GMT3.39am GMT
03:3903:39
3.36am GMT3.36am GMT
03:3603:36
Chris Bowen is back.Chris Bowen is back.
Q: Prime minister, why is halving the general capital gains tax discount a terrible thing, but halving the capital gains tax discount for millions of superannuation accounts a good idea?Q: Prime minister, why is halving the general capital gains tax discount a terrible thing, but halving the capital gains tax discount for millions of superannuation accounts a good idea?
Malcolm Turnbull is kicking off on Labor’s CGT policy. He says Labor’s proposal amounts to a radical change that will provide an extraordinary disincentive to investment.Malcolm Turnbull is kicking off on Labor’s CGT policy. He says Labor’s proposal amounts to a radical change that will provide an extraordinary disincentive to investment.
We are back to the very vulnerable property market.We are back to the very vulnerable property market.
In this very vulnerable property market where prices are forecast in some cities to decline, in others to increase by maybe 1 or 2% – that is in that moment they are proposing the biggest shock to the most important asset for all Australian families.In this very vulnerable property market where prices are forecast in some cities to decline, in others to increase by maybe 1 or 2% – that is in that moment they are proposing the biggest shock to the most important asset for all Australian families.
3.30am GMT3.30am GMT
03:3003:30
The prime minister’s self described wing man, the deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, is deep in cherries and irrigation. And dams. Damnation.The prime minister’s self described wing man, the deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, is deep in cherries and irrigation. And dams. Damnation.
3.27am GMT3.27am GMT
03:2703:27
Shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen.Shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen.
Q: My question is to the treasurer and refers to his answer just then on implementing the recommendations of the Murray inquiry into financial systems. Is the treasurer aware that the Murray inquiry found in relation to negative gearing and capital gains tax discount and I quote: “Reducing these concessions would lead to a more efficient allocation of funding in the question?”Q: My question is to the treasurer and refers to his answer just then on implementing the recommendations of the Murray inquiry into financial systems. Is the treasurer aware that the Murray inquiry found in relation to negative gearing and capital gains tax discount and I quote: “Reducing these concessions would lead to a more efficient allocation of funding in the question?”
Treasurer Scott Morrison says the government has no interest in being in a race to raise taxes to fund more spending. He says Labor just wants to rip away investment opportunities from ordinary people.Treasurer Scott Morrison says the government has no interest in being in a race to raise taxes to fund more spending. He says Labor just wants to rip away investment opportunities from ordinary people.
3.24am GMT3.24am GMT
03:2403:24
Independent Andrew Wilkie is worried about CSIRO job cuts and the recent decision to exit climate research. The innovation minister Christopher Pyne hints there are some announcements coming up in Tasmania that should please Wilkie.Independent Andrew Wilkie is worried about CSIRO job cuts and the recent decision to exit climate research. The innovation minister Christopher Pyne hints there are some announcements coming up in Tasmania that should please Wilkie.
Christopher Pyne:Christopher Pyne:
I think there will be some announcements in the next few days specifically about the Antarctic and Ocean Division that the Member for Denison has been particularly concerned about, and I understand that the work that is being done is to ensure that the essential services provided around the measuring of temperatures will be able to be continued through the CSIRO or through any of the other national institutions that do this kind of work.I think there will be some announcements in the next few days specifically about the Antarctic and Ocean Division that the Member for Denison has been particularly concerned about, and I understand that the work that is being done is to ensure that the essential services provided around the measuring of temperatures will be able to be continued through the CSIRO or through any of the other national institutions that do this kind of work.
3.19am GMT
03:19
The next Dorothy Dixer invites the prime minister to outline to the House how important the asset value of the family home is to the economic security of Australians.
Turnbull is happy to oblige.
The Member for Sydney is complaining that housing prices are too high and that people can’t afford to buy a house, so what she wants to do, she wants to crash housing prices.
She thinks - she thinks that - she thinks that by their measure – a wrecking ball swung into an already vulnerable property market, they believe they will knock down property prices and they will make it easier for people to buy homes.
So, the 70% of Australians who own houses will see the value of their single most important asset smashed to fulfil an ideological crusade by the Labor party, designed, so she claims, to make it easier for people to buy houses.
(I think the prime minister thinks he’s in opposition. This is the sort of hyperventilating nonsense oppositions try and peddle. Not governments. The value of their asset, “smashed.” Smashed? To fulfil an ideological crusade? Like the ideological crusade that Joe Hockey said was a good idea in his final speech to parliament?)
3.10am GMT
03:10
Shorten is back.
Q: Is the prime minister aware that this morning on ABC Radio the minister for resources said, and I quote: “I did notice that the PM did say to the parliament yesterday that the increase in capital gains taxis not part of our thinking andI think that this is a very clear statement by the prime minister.” When the members of his own Cabinet recognise that the PM made a clear statement to the parliament yesterday, why does the PM continue to waffle and blame everyone else for simply misunderstanding him?
Malcolm Turnbull is sorry for all this childishness. I mean, really.
This is pathetic childishness.
3.07am GMT
03:07
The first Dorothy Dixer is about growth opportunities in the global economy.
3.05am GMT
03:05
Question time
It being 2pm, let’s have a break from the pre question time madness and supplement it with the question time madness.
Bill Shorten, opening the batting today on the prime minister misleading the House over capital gains tax. How can people trust you when you say one thing and do something else, Shorten wonders.
The prime minister rises to say he has not, by his own account, misled the House. Turnbull says he can’t help it if Labor failed to understand what he was talking about. He’s pleading “taken out of context.”
2.48am GMT
02:48
The Australian Christian Lobby, by contrast, looks to have had had sufficient advance warning (just speculation on my part) to issue a small screed. I can safely spare you most of it. It ends this way.
Lyle Shelton, ACL managing director, on the scourge of rainbow ideology:
Many people are asking questions about where rainbow ideology is taking our politics. The government should immediately pay out its contract with the program providers. The break fee would be a small price to pay to ensure all children could be safe at school.
2.41am GMT
02:41
I promised I would share the statement on the safe schools review from the education minister, Simon Birmingham, when it arrived. Here it is. Two lines.
Homophobia should be no more tolerated than racism, especially in the school environment. However, it is essential that all material is age appropriate and that parents have confidence in any resources used in a school to support the right of all students, staff and families to feel safe at school.
Apparently I can also assert as fact that an independent review will happen and report to the minister in March.
No other particulars.
Chaos, much?
I suspect the education minister has had better days.
2.30am GMT
02:30
Bernardi wound up that interview with a couple of observations on tax: I haven’t seen any justification for any change to negative gearing; and don’t tinker with it (CGT) lightly.
2.23am GMT
02:23
The ABC is now playing a pre-recorded interview with the South Australian Liberal, Cory Bernardi. Schools just need to stick to the three R’s, he says. Not experiment in radical gender theory.
I’m a parent. I want my children to go to school learning how to read, to write and to do their maths. We already have problems with literacy and numeracy in our school system. Yet what we’ve discovered is that federal funds and resources from schools are pushing a social engineering agenda that is radically at odds with the aspirations of many parents.
We have got children as young as 11 being told to imagine they’re 16 and in a sexualised environment, either in a same-sex or opposite sex attraction, to imagine themselves without genitals and being bullied and intimidated into complying with a radical program such that if they don’t answer the questions correctly, they are left humiliated in front of the class.
Q: Would you concede there are some children and teenagers where gender issues are a problem and they need to feel they can be in a safe environment in their school?
Cory Bernardi:
Children have all sorts of issues in dealing and coping with puberty and growing into adulthood. We need to teach them resilience. We also need to teach them acceptance and responsibility.
2.18am GMT
02:18
Penny Wong is asked about the safe schools program review. She says it is important to remember what this program is actually about. It’s about trying to ensure kids don’t die, or harm themselves.
Can I be clear about what this program is designed to address? Remember, it’s a program that has had bipartisan support.
It’s designed to address the terrifying statistics - I’d invite you to look at what Beyond Blue has said about young people, gay and lesbian, young LGBTI people, the number that have experienced abuse and the terrifyingly high numbers who have attempted suicide or self-harm.
We all want our children to be safe. I hope the more sensible people in the Liberal party will continue to focus on that very important objective.
2.12am GMT
02:12
Back to Senate voting reform momentarily. Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong is on the ABC now making the case for why the opposition won’t back the government’s package.
Penny Wong:
We recognise the current system isn’t perfect but no system is.
Our concern is what has been presented to the parliament is a deal done behind closed doors. The largest change to Senate voting in 30 years – that’s going to be rushed through the parliament with the consent and willingness of the Greens.
Let’s understand what the deal does.
It is designed to purge the parliament, not just for now but, if possible, forever, of all minor parties. That’s what it’s designed to do. We think there’s a problem with that.
This is a purge, frankly.
We don’t think it’s appropriate.