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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Ricky Muir moves to disrupt the Senate program – politics live | Ricky Muir moves to disrupt the Senate program – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.42am GMT | |
| 00:42 | |
| Shalailah Medhora | |
| The Greens will not support bringing the Senate back in the first week of May. A Senate majority can overturn the discretion of the Senate president to recall the chamber. | |
| 12.40am GMT | |
| 00:40 | |
| Ringside at the Greens partyroom | |
| Shalailah Medhora | |
| The Greens will support debate on same sex marriage taking place during private member’s time on Thursday. The party has reserved judgment on the issue being debated today, because they haven’t seen the Leyonhjelm motion. The inclination is to wait til Thursday. | |
| 12.15am GMT | |
| 00:15 | |
| Gabrielle Chan | |
| Back to NBN. Stephen Conroy is now onto the NBN Co executives, including chief Bill Morrow (in person) and chief technology officer Dennis Steiger (on video conference). | |
| Conroy asked Steiger to hold up a today’s newspaper, to determine “proof of life” to make sure it’s not a “time lapse video”. (My earlier post showed that Steiger has been reluctant to appear.) Steiger looks vaguely uncomfortable. | |
| Morrow says the NBN Co currently has 1.91m premises connected with the “fastest growth rates” yet in NBN’s history. He says Fibre to the Node (FTTN) is the key to the fast rollout. He says they are well within their goal of striking 2.6m premises by June 30 2016. | |
| He says NBN Co is exceeding 40,000 homes each week because the work over the last kilometre is not needed. (You will remember Turnbull dropped Labor’s Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) for FTTN - using the existing copper cables for the last kilometre.) | |
| On the famous skinny fibre, Morrow admits that during trials - leaked earlier - skinny fibre reduced the cost of taking NBN to each premises by $450 per home and has taken four weeks of the “build time”. But Morrow says there are trade-offs with skinny fibre. | |
| 12.13am GMT | 12.13am GMT |
| 00:13 | 00:13 |
| It’s that kind of week, the sequel. | It’s that kind of week, the sequel. |
| The Greens party room will report its position on whether or not the party will vote against its own marriage equality bill at 11.30am. | The Greens party room will report its position on whether or not the party will vote against its own marriage equality bill at 11.30am. |
| 11.59pm GMT | 11.59pm GMT |
| 23:59 | 23:59 |
| So perhaps this is a shadow cabinet decision? Or a decision in-principle leaving discretion for Labor’s Senate leadership to decide which way to jump on the floor of the chamber in about an hour. | So perhaps this is a shadow cabinet decision? Or a decision in-principle leaving discretion for Labor’s Senate leadership to decide which way to jump on the floor of the chamber in about an hour. |
| Sorry I did warn you. It will be this kind of week. | Sorry I did warn you. It will be this kind of week. |
| 11.54pm GMT | 11.54pm GMT |
| 23:54 | 23:54 |
| Strange, the official Labor caucus debrief suggests Labor’s support or otherwise for the Muir motion on the ABCC was not considered this morning. Funny that Labor’s deputy Senate leader just said it was being considered. | Strange, the official Labor caucus debrief suggests Labor’s support or otherwise for the Muir motion on the ABCC was not considered this morning. Funny that Labor’s deputy Senate leader just said it was being considered. |
| Here’s Conroy on the ABC, on the ABCC and caucus, about ten minutes ago. | Here’s Conroy on the ABC, on the ABCC and caucus, about ten minutes ago. |
| Q: Time management becomes critical here because lurking in the background is what time, if any, might be left over to debate the building and construction commission watchdog. If Labor is opposed to it would you be opposed to bringing that on so you could bring it down? | Q: Time management becomes critical here because lurking in the background is what time, if any, might be left over to debate the building and construction commission watchdog. If Labor is opposed to it would you be opposed to bringing that on so you could bring it down? |
| Stephen Conroy: | Stephen Conroy: |
| That is something the caucus is deciding right now. There were many perspectives in the last few days. | That is something the caucus is deciding right now. There were many perspectives in the last few days. |
| Q: That is a live option? | Q: That is a live option? |
| That is being considered. | That is being considered. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.10am GMT | at 12.10am GMT |
| 11.40pm GMT | 11.40pm GMT |
| 23:40 | 23:40 |
| Gabrielle Chan | Gabrielle Chan |
| Meanwhile, back at the NBN. We have just had a tech lesson from another contractor, Su-Vun Chung of Corning Optical Communications, who is the NBN executive account manager. | Meanwhile, back at the NBN. We have just had a tech lesson from another contractor, Su-Vun Chung of Corning Optical Communications, who is the NBN executive account manager. |
| Corning has done two trials in Ballarat and Karingal for NBN Co for their new technology known as skinny fibre which reduces the number of cables and removes the Malcolm Turnbull cabinet and the need for to rely on the old copper wires. Chung brought in a show-and-tell bag of technology. The skinny cable to the house looks like your average TV aerial cable and the box that replaces the big green cabinet is the size of a mobile phone and goes into the ground. The connection is just a plug rather than splicing wires. | Corning has done two trials in Ballarat and Karingal for NBN Co for their new technology known as skinny fibre which reduces the number of cables and removes the Malcolm Turnbull cabinet and the need for to rely on the old copper wires. Chung brought in a show-and-tell bag of technology. The skinny cable to the house looks like your average TV aerial cable and the box that replaces the big green cabinet is the size of a mobile phone and goes into the ground. The connection is just a plug rather than splicing wires. |
| It looks like a no-brainer but hey, as Tony Abbott once said, I’m no tech head. Notwithstanding the skinny fibre trials, NBN Co is still going ahead with the FTTN office cupboard rollout. | It looks like a no-brainer but hey, as Tony Abbott once said, I’m no tech head. Notwithstanding the skinny fibre trials, NBN Co is still going ahead with the FTTN office cupboard rollout. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.54pm GMT | at 11.54pm GMT |
| 11.37pm GMT | 11.37pm GMT |
| 23:37 | 23:37 |
| Speaking of the Muir (and Leyonhjelm) procedural forays, I’ve mentioned the fur will start flying during the hours debate, which should be first up when the chamber meets at lunchtime. | Speaking of the Muir (and Leyonhjelm) procedural forays, I’ve mentioned the fur will start flying during the hours debate, which should be first up when the chamber meets at lunchtime. |
| Some scene-setting before we get lost in the invective. | Some scene-setting before we get lost in the invective. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.56pm GMT | at 11.56pm GMT |
| 11.31pm GMT | 11.31pm GMT |
| 23:31 | 23:31 |
| Conroy has attempted to distance himself from the fact Labor has shifted position on Senate voting reform. He suggests some Labor parliamentarians signed up to a model of Senate voting reform like the model the government is currently pursuing during the joint standing committee on electoral matters inquiry – but the caucus didn’t. | Conroy has attempted to distance himself from the fact Labor has shifted position on Senate voting reform. He suggests some Labor parliamentarians signed up to a model of Senate voting reform like the model the government is currently pursuing during the joint standing committee on electoral matters inquiry – but the caucus didn’t. |
| Q: So those who were undertaking committee work as Labor senators or members aren’t to be in future regarded as reflecting the view of their party? | Q: So those who were undertaking committee work as Labor senators or members aren’t to be in future regarded as reflecting the view of their party? |
| Stephen Conroy: | Stephen Conroy: |
| Not at all. The only time something becomes official Labor policy is when the caucus decides. | Not at all. The only time something becomes official Labor policy is when the caucus decides. |
| Speaking of caucus, Conroy says colleagues are currently considering whether to support Ricky Muir’s foray on the ABCC. | Speaking of caucus, Conroy says colleagues are currently considering whether to support Ricky Muir’s foray on the ABCC. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.58pm GMT | at 11.58pm GMT |
| 11.25pm GMT | 11.25pm GMT |
| 23:25 | 23:25 |
| Labor senator Stephen Conroy has zipped out of the NBN hearing and onto the television. | Labor senator Stephen Conroy has zipped out of the NBN hearing and onto the television. |
| Q: A lot of mind games, senator, but why doesn’t Labor just accept the inevitability of [Senate voting reform] and have a workmanlike debate and be done with it. Why all the brinkmanship? | Q: A lot of mind games, senator, but why doesn’t Labor just accept the inevitability of [Senate voting reform] and have a workmanlike debate and be done with it. Why all the brinkmanship? |
| Stephen Conroy: | Stephen Conroy: |
| This is the most significant voting change in 30 years. It will have a dramatic impact on the representation in the chamber, whether you like or dislike the current make-up of the Senate, this new voting system will dramatically change the outcome. | This is the most significant voting change in 30 years. It will have a dramatic impact on the representation in the chamber, whether you like or dislike the current make-up of the Senate, this new voting system will dramatically change the outcome. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.57pm GMT | at 11.57pm GMT |
| 11.18pm GMT | 11.18pm GMT |
| 23:18 | 23:18 |
| A joint statement just in from the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Labor leader Bill Shorten says Pat Anderson has been appointed as the new co-chair of the Referendum Council, following the resignation of Patrick Dodson. | A joint statement just in from the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Labor leader Bill Shorten says Pat Anderson has been appointed as the new co-chair of the Referendum Council, following the resignation of Patrick Dodson. |
| The Referendum Council was tasked in December 2015 with providing advice on progress and next steps towards a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. Ms Anderson has been a member of the Referendum Council since it was formed. The work of the council builds upon the extensive work of the expert panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians and the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. | The Referendum Council was tasked in December 2015 with providing advice on progress and next steps towards a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. Ms Anderson has been a member of the Referendum Council since it was formed. The work of the council builds upon the extensive work of the expert panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians and the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. |
| Pat Anderson is an Alyawarre woman and the chairperson of the Lowitja Institute. Previously Ms Anderson was chief executive officer of the Danila Dilba Health Service in Darwin, chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and executive officer and chair of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory. Anderson also co-authored the Little Children Are Sacred Report. | Pat Anderson is an Alyawarre woman and the chairperson of the Lowitja Institute. Previously Ms Anderson was chief executive officer of the Danila Dilba Health Service in Darwin, chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and executive officer and chair of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory. Anderson also co-authored the Little Children Are Sacred Report. |
| In June 2014, Ms Anderson was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Indigenous community as a social justice advocate, particularly through promoting improved health, educational and protection outcomes for children. Ms Anderson was awarded the Public Health Association of Australia’s Sidney Sax Public Health Medal in recognition of her achievements, and she was awarded the Human Rights Community Individual Award (Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Award). | In June 2014, Ms Anderson was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Indigenous community as a social justice advocate, particularly through promoting improved health, educational and protection outcomes for children. Ms Anderson was awarded the Public Health Association of Australia’s Sidney Sax Public Health Medal in recognition of her achievements, and she was awarded the Human Rights Community Individual Award (Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Award). |
| Ms Anderson joins Mark Leibler as co-chair of the council. | Ms Anderson joins Mark Leibler as co-chair of the council. |
| 11.11pm GMT | 11.11pm GMT |
| 23:11 | 23:11 |
| For close watchers of ministerial locutions, the finance minister Mathias Cormann has told Sky News this morning the government will consider the ABCC bill .. | For close watchers of ministerial locutions, the finance minister Mathias Cormann has told Sky News this morning the government will consider the ABCC bill .. |
| ... at the earliest opportunity when we come back in May. | ... at the earliest opportunity when we come back in May. |
| The quote he gave at the doors of the Senate this morning was just May, not the earliest opportunity in May. Make of that something, or nothing. | The quote he gave at the doors of the Senate this morning was just May, not the earliest opportunity in May. Make of that something, or nothing. |