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Malcolm Turnbull under attack over funding of marriage equality plebiscite – politics live
Malcolm Turnbull under attack over funding of marriage equality plebiscite – politics live
(35 minutes later)
6.30am BST
06:30
The argument over senate business continues. Labor saying the bill the government was claiming was held up by Labor was not even due in the house until midday but the government filibustered from 10am.
David Sharaz of SBS has put this together.
.@SenatorWong attacking the govt for not having legislation to debate in @AuSenate is worth a watch @SBSNews #auspol pic.twitter.com/oBeFePNuJf
6.26am BST
06:26
Justice party senator Derryn Hinch is due to give his first speech in the Senate at 5ish.
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6.25am BST
06:25
Question time is over. The first speeches continue. The Liberal MP for Dunkley, Chris Crewther, is speaking now. (He is the new Bruce Billson.)
Peter Khalil, the new Labor MP for Wills, spoke earlier.
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6.20am BST
06:20
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6.17am BST
06:17
Tony Burke asked the Speaker to investigate “interference” with MPs following a story that has just appeared in the Daily Telegraph by Simon Benson and Daniel Meers.
The government will lock down parliament to prevent MPs leaving early and a repeat of the chaos that erupted two weeks ago.
Liberal sources told the Daily Telegraph that the leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, has ordered that all eight exits of the parliament be manned by a staffer to stop any Coalition MP leaving the house before the adjournment of business for the day.
The Speaker, Tony Smith, says he will check it out. I think this is just a way of drawing the House’s attention to the story.
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6.11am BST
06:11
Mike Kelly, the new (former) MP for Eden-Monaro asks Turnbull: Last time the parliament sat the PM lost another eight MPs, including three ministers. Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Speaker says the question is borderline.
Turnbull launches on Dastyari again, asking Kelly how many people he represents that earn as much as Senator Sam Dastyari?
Not many. I reckon they would love to be able to ring someone up, dial a benefactor. That’s what they would like to do. Dial a benefactor. The bill is too high, the credit card is maxing out, the tax bill is difficult, overdone on the expenses, go to the Dastyari bank. That’s what you want. This is a man who rails against business. Rails against banks. Claims to be standing up for the workers.
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6.04am BST
06:04
Tony Burke to the PM: Is the PM aware the Liberal party’s list of achievements for the Turnbull government is twice as long as the achievements for the entire Menzies era? Can the PM confirm the achievements by his predecessor for Warringah, and there are others not legislated and achievements not yet achieved, and is the PM capable of talking about his own achievements for three minutes?
Turnbull says strong growth (3.3%) and strong employment were achievements.
Economists around the world predicted that we would have a hard landing. Most countries do. It’s almost inevitable that you will have a hard landing but we didn’t and we haven’t. The reason is because we had clear economic leadership from the government. We have hard-working, agile creative Australian businesses.
He also names the national broadband network as an example of his government’s achievements. Then a government question is asked of Paul Fletcher representing the communications minister, Mitch Fifield, to update the house on the NBN.
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5.57am BST
5.57am BST
05:57
05:57
Science and innovation minister Greg Hunt is asked to update the house on the innovation and science agenda.
The science and innovation minister, Greg Hunt, is asked to update the house on the innovation and science agenda.
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5.54am BST
5.54am BST
05:54
05:54
Labor asks Turnbull about his nominations of achievements of his government: the defence white paper, the China-Australia free-trade agreement and the Transpacific partnership. Given the PM has claimed the member for Warringah’s achievements as his own, does he have plans to copy his duration in office?
Labor asks Turnbull about his nominations of achievements of his government: the defence white paper, the China-Australia free-trade agreement and the Transpacific partnership. Given the PM has claimed the member for Warringah’s achievements as his own, does he have plans to copy his duration in office?
In answer to a highly political question, we should get a political answer. And the real question here today about political longevity is the political longevity of the Leader of the Opposition so tenuous, Mr Speaker, so under threat, so frightened is this man that he was unwilling to say anything critical of a junior Senator from NSW.
In answer to a highly political question, we should get a political answer. And the real question here today about political longevity is the political longevity of the leader of the opposition. So tenuous, Mr Speaker, so under threat, so frightened is this man that he was unwilling to say anything critical of a junior senator from NSW.
Turnbull is continuing on the theme of Dastyari.
Turnbull is continuing on the theme of Dastyari.
Joe Hockey said the age of entitlement is over. I tell you what, it’s only getting started on the Labor side. What an extraordinary sense of entitlement.
Joe Hockey said the age of entitlement is over. I tell you what, it’s only getting started on the Labor side. What an extraordinary sense of entitlement.
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5.52am BST
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05:52
05:52
The unbearable lightness of opposition.
The unbearable lightness of opposition.
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5.50am BST
5.50am BST
05:50
05:50
A government question to Peter Dutton updating the House on border security.
A government question to Peter Dutton updating the House on border security.
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5.49am BST
5.49am BST
05:49
05:49
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bA0y3lNv9h
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bA0y3lNv9h
5.48am BST
05:48
Labor to Turnbull: I refer to reports that the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney and the Anglican Archbishop have written to the Attorney-General complaining they have been shut out of negotiations about the plebiscite. Are they part of current negotiations with the Government? Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Consultations are on-going says Turnbull.
5.48am BST
05:48
A government question to the health minister, Sussan Ley: Will the minister update the House on how the government has strengthened our health system to ensure Medicare is well placed to support the one in five Australians who are living with multiple chronic conditions.
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5.43am BST
05:43
Dreyfus to Bishop: I refer to the foreign minister’s acceptance of a media tablet, air force and accommodation from Huawei. Has the minister ever advocated in government in the interest of Huawei?
Julie Bishop points out that Rankin MP Jim Chalmers, the shadow finance minister, had accepted travel from Huawei.
The member for Rankin accepted travel from the company. I assume he declared it, as did I and other members of this house. There was an iPad because the company is a technology company and I donated the iPad to a school.
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5.40am BST
05:40
Government question to Scott Morrison: Will the treasurer update the house on the progress of the Australian tax office in relation to the recovery of debt? What advice does he have for business and individuals in relation to the payment of their bills?
Read Sam Dastyari again.
Morrison:
Having spent his allotment of travel expenses, decided he didn’t want to have to pay the extra so he got on the blower and rang a donor and said I wanted you to pay the rest. You have to have a pretty high level of expectation to get on the phone to someone to ask them to cover the debt. I don’t know if this is the first person he called. I suspect it was the first. It was the first call he made because he knew and he had expectation that that donor would pick up his personal debt. Now the leader of the opposition when confronted by this, what he didn’t do was seek to get some clarity about the facts of the case. Did he ask the sector of the ALP to give him advice and sit down with Senator Dastyari and get a clear statement of facts? No.
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5.37am BST
05:37
Mark Dreyfus to Julie Bishop: I refer to the report of $500,000 in donations by the West Australian division of the Liberal party by companies with links to the Chinese government and no business interests in WA. What assurances can the foreign minister provide that these foreign donations have not influenced the policies of the government?
Political donations to political parties are subject to AEC rules and requirements and subject to audit. I think it is quite apparent that the government’s policy on foreign affairs are taken in the interests of the national interest. All decisions we take whether it be on the South China Sea, whether it be on Australia’s relationship with China, are taken in the national interest and I am proud of the consistency and the coherence of the Turnbull government’s foreign policy, says Bishop.
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5.33am BST
05:33
Cost benefit analysis for APVMA cost $272,000
Labor asks Scott Morrison: Yesterday the deputy PM refused to release the cost-benefit analysis for the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to the deputy PM’s own electorate. Is the government policy not to release competing cost-benefit analysis and how much did the cost-benefit analysis cost?
Scott Morrison answers: $272,000 and the matter is for cabinet consideration.
That is a concession.
Updated
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5.28am BST
05:28
Another government question on how the Coalition has strengthened the economy. This time to Scott Morrison.
Then Labor’s Brendan O’Connor asks Turnbull: Unemployment in Australia is higher than in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Is this what the PM means when he says so far, so good?
Turnbull recognises that economic growth must be inclusive.
He’s right to draw attention, however, to the fact as I outlined in my speech earlier today that not all Australians are doing as well as they should, as we would like them to do. We do recognise that growth must be inclusive. We do recognise that we need to deal with sections of the community, parts of Australia where there has been disruption, where there has been changes, big sector changes, that have undermined employment in those areas. That is why we are seeing strong support for regional jobs programs ...
After giving a few examples of government policies, Turnbull segues onto Sam Dastyari.
Many Australians are facing challenges in terms of the cost of living. Not everyone is like Senator Dastyari who, when he can’t pay a bill, gets a donor to pick it up. Gets a donor to pick it up! This is the man the Labor party defended all last week. The part of equity, the party of fairness and the party of the downtrodden.
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5.19am BST
05:19
Cathy McGowan asks the transport and infrastructure minister, Darren Chester, about when the Coalition’s infrastructure promises will be honoured. The promises relate to roads in her electorate.
Chester says the promises will be honoured.
She was particularly interested in my frequent visits to her electorate during the election campaign. Admittedly I was not always there in a supporting role but, as a neighbouring electorate, it’s true Albo had to build the Great Dividing Range to keep us apart but I assure the member for Indi that all commitments made will be honoured. I know she has a particular interest in infrastructure and transport and we’ve had conversations about that.
This is much more conciliatory of Chester than last time she asked a question – when Sophie Mirabella was running against McGowan. The government is being friendly again.
Updated
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5.15am BST
05:15
Labor asks Turnbull again: I refer to his previous answers to the opposition today and just to be clear: before the election did the PM tell the Anglican archbishop of Sydney that taxpayer funding for the plebiscite was a matter for cabinet or did he guarantee the funding? Which one was it?
I have answered this before and any funding will be fair, says Turnbull.
If he is committed to the same-sex couples being able to have their relationships treated or regarded as a marriage, then what he should do is support the plebiscite because what we are doing is offering a clear and democratic roadmap that gives every single Australians a vote. And every criticism he makes of the plebiscite, Mr Speaker, which he once supported, every criticism he makes demeans the Australian people.
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5.12am BST
05:12
The prime minister gets a government question on the stabbing attack in Minto over the weekend. He draws a link between 9/11 and the attack.
I spoke of the heroism of those who rushed to the aid of those assaulted in the twin towers on 9/11. I want here today to also commend the bravery of the man who was attacked in Minto and the bravery of those citizens who helped him and supported him, including the police officers that rushed to the scene. They are true heroes.
