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| Bob Katter says he will back Coalition in event of a hung parliament – politics live | Bob Katter says he will back Coalition in event of a hung parliament – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.34am BST | |
| 06:34 | |
| Bob Katter has also raised the issue of land title for Indigenous owners in his talks with Turnbull. That is, to address the problem that Indigenous communities cannot get freehold title over land. This was his answer. | |
| There is no guarantees, there’s no quid pro quo, there is no written agreements here and there can’t be....What I want to know is if I give you that backing, what is the intentions of your government or put it another way, what is the intentions of your government and I will decide what I’m going to do with my vote. I came away comfortable that there is very serious and real commitment. | |
| (You understand my reluctance to be definitive on any deal.) | |
| 6.12am BST | |
| 06:12 | |
| Malcolm Turnbull: these exciting times that remain exciting | |
| We will unite the nation in a common purpose to continue to ensure that we have strong economic growth, we continue successfully to transition from the mining construction boom that is in a manner that is fair and offers opportunities, strong opportunities for these very exciting times which remain exciting. Perhaps exciting [in] different ways but they are exciting. They are at times of opportunity, a great challenge, and S&P has reminded us that budget repair and responsibility for the public finances are critical. | |
| It was a short statement. No questions. | |
| Updated | |
| at 6.21am BST | |
| 6.04am BST | |
| 06:04 | |
| It has been one hell of a day really and there are still lots of rats and mice to clean up. I promised to go back to the Scott Morrison-Chris Bowen press conferences on Standard and Poor’s among other things. | |
| The S&P statement basically downgraded the credit outlook – as opposed to the credit rating. It was putting everyone on notice. Get your house in order, so to speak. | |
| Housing loans also got an honourable mention. | |
| This is from the S&P statement: | |
| That said, Australia’s high stock of external debt and structural current account deficits are mostly generated by the private sector and they reflect the productive investment opportunities available in Australia, foreign investor confidence in Australia’s rule of law, the high creditworthiness of its banking system and the positive yield available on highly rated debt. | |
| A portion of Australia’s external debt has also funded a surge in unproductive household borrowing for housing during the 1990s and 2000s, which was intermediated by the banking sector. Household debt (including debt for small businesses) now stands at more than 180% of household income. | |
| Morrison was asked about tax reforms, specifically relating to housing, given Labor had proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts. He would not answer. | |
| You’re raising issues of politics, not policy. The Labor party wanted to increase taxes and that seemed to be popular. I dispute that for a start and I made comments on the election yesterday so I don’t intend to go over those again here today. | |
| Updated | |
| at 6.20am BST | |
| 5.34am BST | 5.34am BST |
| 05:34 | 05:34 |
| Bob Katter is asked about Pauline Hanson “who wants to ban Islam”. | Bob Katter is asked about Pauline Hanson “who wants to ban Islam”. |
| Katter unplugged: | Katter unplugged: |
| Let’s deracialise the issue. The government has been bringing 620,000 people into Australia each year. The economy has only got 200,000 jobs and over 200,000 school leavers. I mean is this madness? The whole country’s economy must collapse. I mean clearly, 500,000 people are forced on to the dole each year as a result of the government bringing 620,000 people into the country. As far as I’m concerned, it’s in line with the job creation which will be down to 100,000 and if you go to persecuted minority groups, and I will be very specific, the Christians in the Middle East, the Jews in the Middle East and other parts of the world and the Sikhs in India, they will fill your 100,000. | Let’s deracialise the issue. The government has been bringing 620,000 people into Australia each year. The economy has only got 200,000 jobs and over 200,000 school leavers. I mean is this madness? The whole country’s economy must collapse. I mean clearly, 500,000 people are forced on to the dole each year as a result of the government bringing 620,000 people into the country. As far as I’m concerned, it’s in line with the job creation which will be down to 100,000 and if you go to persecuted minority groups, and I will be very specific, the Christians in the Middle East, the Jews in the Middle East and other parts of the world and the Sikhs in India, they will fill your 100,000. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.37am BST | at 5.37am BST |
| 5.19am BST | 5.19am BST |
| 05:19 | 05:19 |
| Bob Katter said he will be getting his demands in writing soon. | Bob Katter said he will be getting his demands in writing soon. |
| We will be getting things in writing in due course. I can assure you. We will be. | We will be getting things in writing in due course. I can assure you. We will be. |
| As to what the demands are, this is not an entirely coherent press conference. He wants government money in the Galilee rail project (which is related to the Carmichael mine). There is some talk of ethanol. There is the Hell’s Gate dam project. But I am struggling to understand whether this was definitely in the agreement. Bear with me, the afternoon is moving at a pace. | As to what the demands are, this is not an entirely coherent press conference. He wants government money in the Galilee rail project (which is related to the Carmichael mine). There is some talk of ethanol. There is the Hell’s Gate dam project. But I am struggling to understand whether this was definitely in the agreement. Bear with me, the afternoon is moving at a pace. |
| 5.15am BST | 5.15am BST |
| 05:15 | 05:15 |
| Hands off the unions says Bob Katter | Hands off the unions says Bob Katter |
| We have said to him that we are comfortable that his policies are good in these areas, right. We are comfortable that we’re not going to go on some union-bashing crusade. No disrespect to Tony Abbott, I like Tony personally and particularly Peta Credlin, I have great admiration for. They were on a union-bashing exercise and I made it clear there will be bashing come from me as well. We have a close relationship with unions and we don’t apologise to anyone for that. | We have said to him that we are comfortable that his policies are good in these areas, right. We are comfortable that we’re not going to go on some union-bashing crusade. No disrespect to Tony Abbott, I like Tony personally and particularly Peta Credlin, I have great admiration for. They were on a union-bashing exercise and I made it clear there will be bashing come from me as well. We have a close relationship with unions and we don’t apologise to anyone for that. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.31am BST | at 5.31am BST |
| 5.10am BST | 5.10am BST |
| 05:10 | 05:10 |
| Even on a bare majority, don't go to the bathroom | Even on a bare majority, don't go to the bathroom |
| Bob Katter wants to nail the backpacker tax. He makes the point that Julia Gillard’s minority government was quite stable, passed a lot of legislation. But he said they lost him when Labor banned live exports. | Bob Katter wants to nail the backpacker tax. He makes the point that Julia Gillard’s minority government was quite stable, passed a lot of legislation. But he said they lost him when Labor banned live exports. |
| Katter also suggested that even if the Coalition gets a bare majority of 76, they still need him. | Katter also suggested that even if the Coalition gets a bare majority of 76, they still need him. |
| You try running a government with one vote up your sleeve. Don’t have your mother die because you can’t go to the funeral. Don’t go to the bathroom. You go to the party room and said I missed that vote because I had to go to the bathroom, I don’t think that will fly. I mean, you take the risk of what happened to Julia Gillard. You are flying on a couple of votes, even a little nobody like me can knock you out of the ball game. | You try running a government with one vote up your sleeve. Don’t have your mother die because you can’t go to the funeral. Don’t go to the bathroom. You go to the party room and said I missed that vote because I had to go to the bathroom, I don’t think that will fly. I mean, you take the risk of what happened to Julia Gillard. You are flying on a couple of votes, even a little nobody like me can knock you out of the ball game. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.31am BST | at 5.31am BST |
| 5.04am BST | 5.04am BST |
| 05:04 | 05:04 |
| Katter will be "acting with aggression" to stop further foreign ownership | Katter will be "acting with aggression" to stop further foreign ownership |
| Queensland independent Bob Katter will use his position to stop further foreign ownership. | Queensland independent Bob Katter will use his position to stop further foreign ownership. |
| We will be acting with aggression to stop further ownership of the assets of Australia. If they want to bring development capital in – but that is not what is happening. The capital that is coming now is buying assets that we as a people in Australia have created and they are buying them, quite frankly, at bargain-basement prices and because they have got the financial power and muscle to buy them. | We will be acting with aggression to stop further ownership of the assets of Australia. If they want to bring development capital in – but that is not what is happening. The capital that is coming now is buying assets that we as a people in Australia have created and they are buying them, quite frankly, at bargain-basement prices and because they have got the financial power and muscle to buy them. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.32am BST | at 5.32am BST |
| 5.01am BST | 5.01am BST |
| 05:01 | 05:01 |
| Katter: If I don't give confidence, we would be back to the polls | Katter: If I don't give confidence, we would be back to the polls |
| There will be a vote of confidence and supply. If I do not give that, then we have a situation in Australia, assuming that Andrew Wilkie and the Member for Indi are as good as their words, they said they are going to stay neutral. That being the case, then it’s just, as far as I can see, not humanly possible for the Labor Party to form government. | There will be a vote of confidence and supply. If I do not give that, then we have a situation in Australia, assuming that Andrew Wilkie and the Member for Indi are as good as their words, they said they are going to stay neutral. That being the case, then it’s just, as far as I can see, not humanly possible for the Labor Party to form government. |
| So unless I give this undertaking, then I think we have a very bad situation in Australia which in all probability the government would be forced back to the people. | So unless I give this undertaking, then I think we have a very bad situation in Australia which in all probability the government would be forced back to the people. |
| 4.59am BST | 4.59am BST |
| 04:59 | 04:59 |
| Bob Katter, did Turnbull listen to you, do you think? | Bob Katter, did Turnbull listen to you, do you think? |
| Well, I think when you are on 74 seats and you need 76, I thought he was listening very closely. | Well, I think when you are on 74 seats and you need 76, I thought he was listening very closely. |
| 4.56am BST | 4.56am BST |
| 04:56 | 04:56 |
| Malcolm, you get confidence and supply, cheers Bob Katter | Malcolm, you get confidence and supply, cheers Bob Katter |
| Bob Katter has just emerged from his meeting with the prime minister in Brisbane saying he has been advised by Malcolm Turnbull that Labor will not be able to form a government. | Bob Katter has just emerged from his meeting with the prime minister in Brisbane saying he has been advised by Malcolm Turnbull that Labor will not be able to form a government. |
| On that basis, Katter says he will guarantee the Coalition confidence and supply. He doesn’t sound hugely happy about it. | On that basis, Katter says he will guarantee the Coalition confidence and supply. He doesn’t sound hugely happy about it. |
| He says he’s a proud union man. | He says he’s a proud union man. |
| Bob Katter: | Bob Katter: |
| If there is the slightest hint of union bashing I assure you all bets are off. | If there is the slightest hint of union bashing I assure you all bets are off. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.00am BST | at 5.00am BST |
| 4.47am BST | 4.47am BST |
| 04:47 | 04:47 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Meanwhile in the count, Paul Karp reports: | Meanwhile in the count, Paul Karp reports: |
| Labor’s lead in Hindmarsh has been whittled down to just eight votes.On Thursday morning Labor had a lead of 151 in Hindmarsh. The Coalition needs to win Hindmarsh and one more of Cowan, Capricornia, Flynn and Herbert to win majority government. | Labor’s lead in Hindmarsh has been whittled down to just eight votes.On Thursday morning Labor had a lead of 151 in Hindmarsh. The Coalition needs to win Hindmarsh and one more of Cowan, Capricornia, Flynn and Herbert to win majority government. |
| Labor’s candidate in Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas, told the ABC: “I think we may go down a little bit more while we count postals and then turning it around with the absentees.” | Labor’s candidate in Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas, told the ABC: “I think we may go down a little bit more while we count postals and then turning it around with the absentees.” |
| He estimated there were 5,000 absentee votes and about 2,500 postal votes yet to be counted. “But look, it’s on a knife edge and whoever wins it will win it by a handful of votes.” | He estimated there were 5,000 absentee votes and about 2,500 postal votes yet to be counted. “But look, it’s on a knife edge and whoever wins it will win it by a handful of votes.” |
| 4.41am BST | 4.41am BST |
| 04:41 | 04:41 |
| John Howard to journalists: don't put Hanson in a special corner, she will play off that | John Howard to journalists: don't put Hanson in a special corner, she will play off that |
| Howard: | Howard: |
| Everybody’s got to accept that to sort of put her in a special corner is stupid and all it does is enhance her position. I watched this debate back in 1998 and1999 and the more she was attacked, the more popular she became because those attacks enhanced her Australian battler image and she plays off that. I think you all know that and you should understand that when, if I may say so, with great respect, when you write about her. | Everybody’s got to accept that to sort of put her in a special corner is stupid and all it does is enhance her position. I watched this debate back in 1998 and1999 and the more she was attacked, the more popular she became because those attacks enhanced her Australian battler image and she plays off that. I think you all know that and you should understand that when, if I may say so, with great respect, when you write about her. |