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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/mar/17/senate-enters-a-marathon-sitting-to-pass-voting-reform-politics-live
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| Coalition divisions on Safe Schools widen as Senate marathon sitting continues – politics live | Coalition divisions on Safe Schools widen as Senate marathon sitting continues – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.04am GMT | |
| 06:04 | |
| Bruce Billson. It’s all about the personal feng shui. | |
| 6.01am GMT | |
| 06:01 | |
| Bruce Billson has just described Philip Ruddock as a great humanitarian, criticised unfairly. Perhaps I imagined it but Ruddock seemed to double blink at the compliment and the reference to criticism. “Broughie” – Mal Brough – was his cultural adviser in Indigenous affairs. Now we are speaking about threads, bringing them to the fabric of Australia. | |
| Being in the Abbott cabinet was a great privilege. | |
| I apologise to my colleagues who thought I went too hard on the things I believed in. | |
| Abbott, Billson said, was a great mentor. A guru of sorts by the sounds. The wisdom, the insight, the personal feng shui. | |
| (Yes, he did say that.) | |
| 5.54am GMT | |
| 05:54 | |
| I was the face of overseas tragedy for a while. | |
| We are out of Bruce Billson’s period in veteran’s affairs and into being Alexander Downer’s parliamentary secretary during the Indian ocean tsunami. | |
| 5.51am GMT | |
| 05:51 | |
| I’m sorry to cover this valedictory speech in flying phrases but it is that kind of experience. Almost like beat poetry. Without the skivvies. | |
| 5.48am GMT | |
| 05:48 | |
| Almost a renaissance of opportunity. | |
| This is Bruce Billson on the Howard government. | |
| 5.46am GMT | |
| 05:46 | |
| Passion. Positivity. And a whole lot of persistence. He’s like a fountain, this man, Bruce Billson, spewing out ebullience. | |
| 5.45am GMT | |
| 05:45 | |
| You try and do useful things for the air you suck in. | |
| This is the Liberal MP Bruce Billson, winding up his valedictory speech. | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.48am GMT | |
| 5.32am GMT | |
| 05:32 | |
| Some very quick analytical thoughts on Turnbull's dilemma | |
| It’s clear the prime minister is attempting to settle his prime ministership by recessing rather than asserting. He wants to be consultative. He wants to draw a line over the top down culture that existed under Tony Abbott. This is all sensible. If he wants to survive as the leader of the Liberal party, he’s got to work out a way of dealing with the conservatives within his own ranks. He’s not in a position to go to war with them, he doesn’t have that internal authority, so he has to try and reach an accommodation that will allow the government not to exist in some permanent state of war. It’s a long game Turnbull is playing, but the problem for him is he has only a short window between now and the election. And it’s not at all clear that the conservatives in his ranks are interested in suing for peace, even if he is. | |
| Here’s Turnbull’s dilemma. People see him as being a rarity in politics: a person who stands for something. Yet his current suing for peace strategy is doubtless confusing for voters who associate him with principle rather than pragmatism. It could easily turn from confusing to outright damaging if the prime minister consents to fade from view in the pursuit of his broader objective. | |
| He has two responsibilities: the one he’s prioritising, leading a cohesive team into battle, one where various flowers are permitted to bloom; and preserving his own political identity, which is not just abstract vanity, but hard currency for the Liberal party. | |
| Turnbull’s personal standing and popularity was sufficient hard currency for the Liberal party to inject him back into the party leadership despite many colleagues having considerable reservations about him dating from his stint as opposition leader. He was the politician able to communicate with the sensible centre. That’s his value. | |
| If he genuinely becomes a hostage of the right, or if he bows sufficiently to be able to characterised successfully as a hostage of the right, his own value to the Liberal party is diminished. And we all know what happens then. | |
| 5.05am GMT | 5.05am GMT |
| 05:05 | 05:05 |
| Just reviewing question time quickly to order my thoughts for the afternoon, I realise I had a lapse during the health questions from Labor. I had too many balls in the air. Apologies. | Just reviewing question time quickly to order my thoughts for the afternoon, I realise I had a lapse during the health questions from Labor. I had too many balls in the air. Apologies. |
| I should note for the record that the prime minister did signal the government was looking at a trial dental scheme that looks after kids oral health. | I should note for the record that the prime minister did signal the government was looking at a trial dental scheme that looks after kids oral health. |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | Malcolm Turnbull: |
| As honourable members are also aware, the trial dental benefits schedule is nowhere near meeting its target with only around 30% of eligible children accessing the scheme. Yet another example of Labor over-promising and under-delivering. | As honourable members are also aware, the trial dental benefits schedule is nowhere near meeting its target with only around 30% of eligible children accessing the scheme. Yet another example of Labor over-promising and under-delivering. |
| Now we are working on dental reform and as part of that it is only natural that the government considers the effectiveness of current programs. Every program’s effectiveness has to be examined regularly and we have a responsibility to ensure that every dollar we invest in dental services delivers the best health outcomes possible. We want to ensure that funding is targeted to where it is needed most. | Now we are working on dental reform and as part of that it is only natural that the government considers the effectiveness of current programs. Every program’s effectiveness has to be examined regularly and we have a responsibility to ensure that every dollar we invest in dental services delivers the best health outcomes possible. We want to ensure that funding is targeted to where it is needed most. |
| 4.44am GMT | 4.44am GMT |
| 04:44 | 04:44 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Catching up with a few things post question time. The assistant minister for health Fiona Nash has poured cold water on the possibility of Australia adopting a tax on sugary drinks, after news the UK would introduce one. “The government’s position at the moment is not to consider a sugar tax. I’m not open to any discussion on that,” she said. | Catching up with a few things post question time. The assistant minister for health Fiona Nash has poured cold water on the possibility of Australia adopting a tax on sugary drinks, after news the UK would introduce one. “The government’s position at the moment is not to consider a sugar tax. I’m not open to any discussion on that,” she said. |
| Nash said people “have a responsibility to make their own choices when it comes to food”. Greens leader Richard Di Natale said taxing sugar was “a really interesting idea”, something Australia should “look at and consider implementing ourselves”. | Nash said people “have a responsibility to make their own choices when it comes to food”. Greens leader Richard Di Natale said taxing sugar was “a really interesting idea”, something Australia should “look at and consider implementing ourselves”. |
| 4.41am GMT | 4.41am GMT |
| 04:41 | 04:41 |
| More valedictories. Bruce Billson, coming up. | More valedictories. Bruce Billson, coming up. |
| Preparing for my last speech in Parliament - Valedictory - Tune into the House @ 4:20pm pic.twitter.com/ykWjW3jw5M | Preparing for my last speech in Parliament - Valedictory - Tune into the House @ 4:20pm pic.twitter.com/ykWjW3jw5M |
| 4.37am GMT | 4.37am GMT |
| 04:37 | 04:37 |
| Because it is that kind of day. | Because it is that kind of day. |
| and look here's Conroy, Cameron and McGrath just saying "bottom" and "bum" over and over https://t.co/hlQFOF4gXU | and look here's Conroy, Cameron and McGrath just saying "bottom" and "bum" over and over https://t.co/hlQFOF4gXU |
| 4.19am GMT | 4.19am GMT |
| 04:19 | 04:19 |
| Swan is suspended from the House for 24 hours. | Swan is suspended from the House for 24 hours. |
| The prime minister places further questions on the notice paper. A few minutes to reorient myself and I’ll be back with the afternoon. | The prime minister places further questions on the notice paper. A few minutes to reorient myself and I’ll be back with the afternoon. |
| 4.15am GMT | 4.15am GMT |
| 04:15 | 04:15 |
| The social services minister Christian Porter has just used an answer to argue that Wayne Swan, when treasurer in the last Labor government, did not leave enough money that was secured and identifiable for the NDIS. | The social services minister Christian Porter has just used an answer to argue that Wayne Swan, when treasurer in the last Labor government, did not leave enough money that was secured and identifiable for the NDIS. |
| Swan hollers that’s a lie. | Swan hollers that’s a lie. |
| Speaker Tony Smith asks Swan to withdraw because lie is an unparliamentary term. | Speaker Tony Smith asks Swan to withdraw because lie is an unparliamentary term. |
| Wayne Swan: | Wayne Swan: |
| I will not withdraw, it is a lie. | I will not withdraw, it is a lie. |
| Smith names Swan. The government moves over top of Smith to suspend Swan from the services of the House. | Smith names Swan. The government moves over top of Smith to suspend Swan from the services of the House. |