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Version 11 Version 12
Labor targets Scott Morrrison over negative gearing – question time live Labor targets Scott Morrrison over negative gearing – question time live
(35 minutes later)
4.56am GMT
04:56
There’s a few things to catch up on. Give me a few minutes to survey the field and I’ll be back with the remainder of the political afternoon.
4.55am GMT
04:55
The result of the division means we are not considering marriage equality this afternoon. Put up your hand if you are shocked?
4.53am GMT
04:53
4.51am GMT
04:51
Labor’s point in this debate is Malcolm Turnbull has broken the hearts of all gay and lesbian people by not pressing ahead with marriage equality. If you believe in representative democracy then you’ve got to believe parliament can resolve marriage equality with a free vote, so let’s spare the public an expensive and divisive plebscite and bring on the resolution. Like, this arvo. Those arguments have been put by Terri Butler (pictured in the last post) and by Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek.
The government response, articulated by Christopher Pyne, was this is too serious an issue to be the subject of a political stunt. I, Christopher Pyne, will be campaigning for marriage equality because the time has come to sort this out. We have a process for sorting it out. And excuse me, isn’t Labor’s policy for a conscience vote now followed by a bound vote – and didn’t you just lose a senator (Joe Bullock) over that policy last night? Does that policy actually make sense to anyone? (No, was the Pyne view.) In any case, was his final contribution, if you want to actually do something, we could make sure we pass a bill ensuring that a yes vote in a plebiscite becomes a tick and flick issue after the next election. You, know, if you want to do something apart from posture.
That’s the summary. The House is dividing now.
4.41am GMT
04:41
4.37am GMT
04:37
Ok, back to present tense.
Here’s the motion that has just been moved by Labor MP Terri Butler. This is an attempt to force a free vote today on marriage equality, ahead of Mardi Gras this weekend.
I seek leave to move the following motion —
The House:
1. Notes:
a. The prime minister has previously said he supports a free vote on marriage equality;
b. Former prime minister John Howard supports a free vote on marriage equality;
c. Members of the prime minister’s own party have said that they would not respect the result of the prime minister’s plebiscite on marriage equality;
d. A plebiscite on marriage equality would cause a divisive national debate, which would harm community cohesion and give voice to extreme bigotry; and
e. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians and their families are just as valued as every other member of the Australian community; and
2. Calls on the prime minister to be the prime minister that Australians hoped he would be and allow a free vote in the parliament on marriage equality; and
3. Suspends so much of the standing and sessional orders as would prevent Private Members’ Business Order of the Day No. 1 in the Federation Chamber relating to the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2015, being returned to the House for further consideration, being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business for passage through all stages by no later than 6.30pm on Wednesday, 2 March 2016, with the question on the second reading being put immediately.
4.31am GMT
04:31
As escalations go, this one is pretty serious
A live blog requires you to keep moving, always. But it is equally important that we stop periodically to make sure things don’t get lost in the wash.
So today, this happened. A former prime minister Tony Abbott decided to defend his legacy in an interview with the The Australian newspaper. He, Tony Abbott told The Australian that he, Tony Abbott, would have built Australia’s new fleet of submarines sooner than the man who replaced him, Malcolm Turnbull. The Australian had copies of documents that seemed to bear out Abbott’s arguments, confidential NSC documents no less. As vanquished leader tantrums go, this was a good one, following on from foot stamping in the Coalition partyroom meeting on Tuesday on budget strategy.
Turnbull had two options today: ignore the provocation or double down and go to war. He’s chosen go to war of his two options. There is now a police investigation into the leak to The Australian. Turnbull also gave a different version of Abbott’s history to the House in the first and second questions in question time today, a version he was at pains to point out was backed by Australia’s defence chiefs.
Turnbull chose to greet Abbott’s provocation on Tuesday with obsequiousness. Not today. As escalations go, this one is pretty serious.
4.17am GMT4.17am GMT
04:1704:17
Further questions have been placed on the notice paper.Further questions have been placed on the notice paper.
Labor is moving now in the House to stir the pot on marriage equality. I’ll keep an ear on that obviously, but I think it’s more important right now that I give you a quick summary of the implications of that question time session. Be back with that in a minute.Labor is moving now in the House to stir the pot on marriage equality. I’ll keep an ear on that obviously, but I think it’s more important right now that I give you a quick summary of the implications of that question time session. Be back with that in a minute.
4.14am GMT4.14am GMT
04:1404:14
Labor’s Jenny Macklin, to the prime minister.Labor’s Jenny Macklin, to the prime minister.
Q: Isn’t it the case that by not addressing what the treasurer calls excesses or enthusiasms in negative gearing the prime minister is choosing to protect tax breaks for people buying their seventh house instead of protecting older Australians from cutting to their pensions?Q: Isn’t it the case that by not addressing what the treasurer calls excesses or enthusiasms in negative gearing the prime minister is choosing to protect tax breaks for people buying their seventh house instead of protecting older Australians from cutting to their pensions?
Turnbull says housing affordability is a big issue, but it’s predominantly a state issue because its about land release and zoning.Turnbull says housing affordability is a big issue, but it’s predominantly a state issue because its about land release and zoning.
He insists Labor hasn’t thought through the consequences of its negative gearing policy.He insists Labor hasn’t thought through the consequences of its negative gearing policy.
The treasurer spoke earlier about the apartment developments. And the fact that most of the buyers for apartments in most of our cities, particularly in close to the city where the member for Sydney’s electorate is and where my electorate is, are investors, because the properties are typically rented out. They’re rental properties.The treasurer spoke earlier about the apartment developments. And the fact that most of the buyers for apartments in most of our cities, particularly in close to the city where the member for Sydney’s electorate is and where my electorate is, are investors, because the properties are typically rented out. They’re rental properties.
What the Opposition’s policy will do is have this very adverse effect. It will have this very adverse effect. The Opposition’s policy would mean that investors would be able to buy an apartment off the plan from Meriton or Mirvac or somebody like that, but then when they chose to sell that apartment they would not be able to sell it to an investor. Yet that is the market. So that would have the consequence of not only reducing the value of those apartments on the resale, but it would also start progressively reduce the stock of housing that was available for rental.What the Opposition’s policy will do is have this very adverse effect. It will have this very adverse effect. The Opposition’s policy would mean that investors would be able to buy an apartment off the plan from Meriton or Mirvac or somebody like that, but then when they chose to sell that apartment they would not be able to sell it to an investor. Yet that is the market. So that would have the consequence of not only reducing the value of those apartments on the resale, but it would also start progressively reduce the stock of housing that was available for rental.
4.07am GMT4.07am GMT
04:0704:07
4.01am GMT4.01am GMT
04:0104:01
I missed excesses becoming enthusiasms in that press conference earlier today.I missed excesses becoming enthusiasms in that press conference earlier today.
Neat-o.Neat-o.
UpdatedUpdated
at 4.02am GMTat 4.02am GMT
3.59am GMT3.59am GMT
03:5903:59
A Dorothy Dixer on cyber security.A Dorothy Dixer on cyber security.
Bowen is back on negative gearing. Given the treasurer today has redefined “excesses” of negative gearing as “enthusiasms” – will the treasurer now outline what the enthusiasms are?Bowen is back on negative gearing. Given the treasurer today has redefined “excesses” of negative gearing as “enthusiasms” – will the treasurer now outline what the enthusiasms are?
Scott Morrison says he spoke today about distributions in negative gearing.Scott Morrison says he spoke today about distributions in negative gearing.
I said you can call them excesses, you can call them enthusiasms, you can call them whatever you like. They can refer to it however they wish. I simply made the point that across the income spectrum different Australians engage with negative gearing at different levels of activity. There’s no great shock about that.I said you can call them excesses, you can call them enthusiasms, you can call them whatever you like. They can refer to it however they wish. I simply made the point that across the income spectrum different Australians engage with negative gearing at different levels of activity. There’s no great shock about that.
3.54am GMT3.54am GMT
03:5403:54
Chris Bowen has asked the treasurer whether or not he knows what negative gearing is given earlier he described it as an “entirely legitimate practice to offset the cost of earning an income against that income.” (He did, actually. A slight swerve into incoherence.)Chris Bowen has asked the treasurer whether or not he knows what negative gearing is given earlier he described it as an “entirely legitimate practice to offset the cost of earning an income against that income.” (He did, actually. A slight swerve into incoherence.)
Q: Is the treasurer aware that that is not negative gearing? Does the treasurer know what negative gearing is?Q: Is the treasurer aware that that is not negative gearing? Does the treasurer know what negative gearing is?
The treasurer thinks people aren’t interested in school boy debating tricks, they are interested in real developments in the economy.The treasurer thinks people aren’t interested in school boy debating tricks, they are interested in real developments in the economy.
3.42am GMT
03:42
Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek wonders if the prime minister eventually caves in and does nothing to negative gearing this will be a co-captain’s call. She means that Tony Abbott will have effectively forced Turnbull’s hand.
Speaker Smith notes this last reference has breached the irony limits.
The prime minister opens on Labor’s negative gearing policy, and the socialist paradise offered after the next election.
3.36am GMT
03:36
Two Dorothy Dixers about thuggish union behaviour on building sites. One for Christopher Pyne and a second for trade minister Steve Ciobo.
3.34am GMT
03:34
Another question from Bowen to Morrison about negative gearing.
Q: Today, the treasurer said in reference to Labor’s negative gearing reforms: “Obviously those who are more engaged in negative gearing have higher incomes than those who are on modest incomes.” Is the treasurer aware that is the point?
Morrison says Labor’s policy benefits wealthy investors and stings modest investors. That’s a bad policy, he reasons.
3.29am GMT
03:29
Meanwhile, down the back.
3.26am GMT
03:26
Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie.
Q: My question is specifically to the prime minister because the community wants to hear his answer. PM, I’ve just given notice of a private member’s bill to combat poker machine problem gambling that would bring in the $1 maximum bet and mandatory pre-commitment. Since poker machine gamblers are concerned, will you support the bill or at least allow a debate on it?
Turnbull says gambling is a state issue. He throws then to human services minister Alan Tudge, who doesn’t care for mandatory pre-commitment.
Alan Tudge:
I think the problems of the future will come from the online environment where as you would be aware we have an inquiry into that and we will be responding to that shortly.
3.21am GMT
03:21
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen is up now on negative gearing. Actually he’s up now with a gratuitous crack against Scott Morrison. He wonders whether the treasurer is one excess that the government can deal with?
The question infers there’s a division in thinking between Turnbull and Morrison on negative gearing: Morrison wants to act, Turnbull doesn’t.
Morrison tells Bowen he’s not rushing to failure, unlike the Labor party.
3.15am GMT
03:15
Two Dorothy Dixers on growth.
3.14am GMT
03:14
Shorten comes back with the obvious question: so was the former prime minister’s version of events in The Australian this morning wrong?
Malcolm Turnbull:
The chief of the defence force confirmed yesterday, as honourable members would have noted, that there has been no delay to the future submarine program. The actual delivery date, the first future submarine, will depend naturally on the outcome of the competitive evaluation process which is under way and that reality has not changed.
3.08am GMT
03:08
Question time
It being 2pm.
Bill Shorten opens today on the leak to The Australian about submarines. Has this gone to the police?
It has, as a matter of fact.
Malcolm Turnbull:
I can confirm that the secretary of the department of defence has advised me that he has initiated an investigation which will obviously be conducted by the Australian Federal Police into the apparent leak of these classified documents, that were referred to in the newspaper.
I should also advise the House, Mr Speaker, that the secretary of defence and the chief of the defence force have advised the ... their advice to the government since 2013 has been that it was highly unlikely the first of the future submarines could be delivered by 2026, and an extension of life for the Collins class submarine would almost certainly be required.
The secretary and the chief of the defence force further advised us that a study commissioned by the defence minister confirmed in 2012 that an extension of life for the Collins submarine was feasible and practical.
The department of defence and the Australian Defence Force have since that time worked on the basis that an extension of life would be undertaken as the only practical option to ensure that there was no capability gap between the Collins and the future submarines.
(Take that Tony.)
2.52am GMT
02:52
People just being mean now.
Christie right now. https://t.co/BfMaG4y5ci