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Labor tries to suspend debate to discuss Medicare cuts – politics live Labor tries to suspend debate to discuss Medicare cuts – question time live
(35 minutes later)
4.42am BST
04:42
There was a government question on energy to Josh Frydenberg, energy minister. Will the Minister update the house on developments following the extraordinary meeting of the COAG energy ministers on Friday? Is the Minister aware of any challenges facing Australia’s energy security?
Then Labor follows up to Turnbull: During the election at a campaign rally in Adelaide, the prime minister praised SA as a leader in clean energy generation. Why did the prime minister champion renewable energy in SA before the election only to use an extreme weather event to play politics after the election? Isn’t that just another example of the prime minister following his party instead of leading it?
[Shorten] puts his finger on the very central problem that Labor faces with this issue. That they treat renewable energy as an ideological issue rather than a technological issue.
The bottom line is simply this: There are many sources of electricity. There is intermittent renewable, there is hydro, we have many forms of fossil fuel generation. All of them have different characteristics. What we have to do is take away the ideology and the political clap trap that the Labor Party surrounds all of their policies and focus on these objectives.
4.37am BST
04:37
Paul Karp
George Brandis has explained in Senate question time that the reason solicitor-general Justin Gleeson has said he was not consulted on the direction is because they have had a difference of opinion on what constitutes consultation.
Labor points to the fact that the legally binding direction that all advice had to come through the attorney-general was drafted on 20 April, 2016 - five months after the 30 November meeting which Brandis said constituted consultation.
Brandis explained:
I didn’t come with a pre-formed view as to how [advice] should be dealt with. The purpose of that meeting was to listen to what the solicitor-general had to say to me, so we could proceed to fix the problem.
So he’s sticking to his guns, it was a consultation, even if the fix came five months after discussion of the problem.
4.36am BST
04:36
Paul Karp
Labor has targeted attorney general George Brandis with its first two sets of questions in Senate question time.
Senator Jacinta Collins asked if Brandis would concede he misled Senate when he said he had consulted the solicitor general before issuing a direction that all requests for legal advice would have to go through the attorney general’s office.
Brandis said he agreed with the solicitor general that he did not indicate he was considering a legally binding direction at their meeting on 30 November, but insists he did consult because he sought Justin Gleeson’s view on “the matter” of how requests for advice were handled.
Labor senators heckled “what matter” – reflecting the solicitor general’s view the meeting was not about the direction.
Labor leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, said “he pinged you”, in reference to Gleeson contradicting Brandis’s view of the meeting in submissions to a committee inquiring into the controversy.
Then Senator Doug Cameron had a go, pointing to a letter Gleeson sent on 11 May, saying he did not believe he had been consulted on the direction. Brandis stood by his statement that he did consult Gleeson and did not mislead the Senate.
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4.34am BST
04:34
NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie asks industry minister Greg Hunt about the automotive transformation scheme and why it is underspent by $1.24bn. She also asks why it can’t be used by businesses who want to diversify out of the car industry.
Hunt does not go anywhere near the question. We acted, we put in place a different program, it’s making a difference. But nothing about the transformation scheme.
Updated
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4.30am BST
04:30
Shorten to Turnbull: On Friday, more than 600 people lost their jobs in the Australian automotive industry. I note the prime minister had nothing to say about these jobs even though his predecessor did tweet his sympathies. Why did the prime minister spend last week fighting for the jobs of bank CEOs and not thousands of automotive manufacturing workers? What is the plan to help these automotive workers find new jobs?
Turnbull says it was a sad day.
He says Ford’s decision was made during the Gillard government and the Coalition had established a $155m growth fund to back local manufacturing.
4.26am BST
04:26
A government question to Scott Morrison on how the government is progressing the national economic plan.
The man has a plan. He says it includes:
Updated
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4.22am BST
04:22
Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull: Why has the prime minister failed to abandon the freeze on Medicare rebates, which will mean Australians will pay more every time they go to see a doctor?
Turnbull:
It’s interesting to see how the Labor party’s indignation boils down to the indexation freeze ... a freeze which Labor imposed.
Which is correct. Labor first introduced the Medicare rebate freeze in 2013 as a temporary measure. The Coalition extended it.
Updated
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4.15am BST
04:15
The government question is on the CFA legislation.
Labor stands with militant unions, the Coalition stands with volunteers, says the PM.
The Leader of the Opposition and his party are tied up with another militant union seeking to undermine the independence of the volunteers,seeking to disrespect them, to remove their autonomy, to undermine their independence and, in doing so, undermine their very ability to recruit. Who do they think stands between them and their homes this summer? Who will it be? It will be the volunteer firefighters of Victoria. The volunteers.
Updated
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4.14am BST
04:14
First question from Shorten to Turnbull on Medicare.
Shorten: Immediately after the election, the Prime Minister promised that he’d learnt his lesson on Medicare but today in the parliament the prime minister voted against Labor’s motion to keep Medicare in public hands, reverse the freeze on Medicare rebates, and his costs will drive up the costs of blood tests, MRI and X-rays. Doesn’t this show after 100 days the prime minister still hasn’t learnt anything about Medicare?
Turnbull says he is pleased to remind the parliament of the “deceit” perpetrated by Labor at the last election, namely the texts to voters on the eve of the election.
If that had been done in a commercial matter, if that had been done by a business, the people responsible would be facing criminal charges today and the opposition know it.
He says his government was spending record levels of investment on Medicare.
Updated
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4.10am BST4.10am BST
04:1004:10
Senate votes 38-33 to move on to third reading of CFA legislation.Senate votes 38-33 to move on to third reading of CFA legislation.
4.08am BST4.08am BST
04:0804:08
First up in the house, there is a condolence motion for Shimon Peres.First up in the house, there is a condolence motion for Shimon Peres.
In the senate, Labor is questioning attorney general George Brandis on the solicitor general, specifically him contradicting the solicitor general’s statement. Brandis says the proper consultation was undertaken over his regulation which requires the AG to be informed if any department is seeking legal advice from the SG. Labor urges him to admit he has mislead the senate. He declines. In the Senate, Labor is questioning the attorney general, George Brandis, on the solicitor general, specifically his contradiction of the solicitor general’s statement. Brandis says the proper consultation was undertaken over his regulation which requires the AG to be informed if any department is seeking legal advice from the SG. Labor urges him to admit he has mislead the Senate. He declines.
Updated
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4.02am BST4.02am BST
04:0204:02
Question to immigration minister Peter Dutton earlier this morning:Question to immigration minister Peter Dutton earlier this morning:
Donald Trump’s comments, your reaction to those over the weekend?Donald Trump’s comments, your reaction to those over the weekend?
Dutton:Dutton:
I don’t have any comment to make in relation to the US election.I don’t have any comment to make in relation to the US election.
3.58am BST3.58am BST
03:5803:58
The senate is dividing on the CFA bill on the edge of question time. The Senate is dividing on the CFA bill on the edge of question time.
Updated
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3.50am BST3.50am BST
03:5003:50
Mike Bowers is up to his old tricks again with the Brick Parliament. This time he has turned his attention to Liberal senator James Paterson, who suggested the $350m Blue Poles painting by Jackson Pollock should be sold off to pay off the national debt.Mike Bowers is up to his old tricks again with the Brick Parliament. This time he has turned his attention to Liberal senator James Paterson, who suggested the $350m Blue Poles painting by Jackson Pollock should be sold off to pay off the national debt.
3.28am BST3.28am BST
03:2803:28
Lunchtime politicsLunchtime politics
UpdatedUpdated
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3.16am BST3.16am BST
03:1603:16
3.11am BST3.11am BST
03:1103:11
Bipartisan benches.Bipartisan benches.
3.09am BST
03:09
Paul Karp
Senator Nick Xenophon has spoken in the Senate about the government’s changes to the Fair Work Act to deal with the Victorian Country Fire Authority dispute.
Xenophon said he and his two fellow NXT senators will vote for the bill because “on balance it will clarify the rights and responsibilities of volunteers and [United Firefighters Union] members in their interactions with each other”.
He said NXT’s senators have reservations about the bill but opted to “err on the side of caution” because it has a significant potential to ameliorate the long-running dispute.
Xenophon said the bill will face a “robust and lengthy committee process” so the Senate can scrutinise how it will work, the scope of regulations and concerns about its constitutionality.
Senator Jacqui Lambie has opposed the bill, citing those constitutional concerns and describing the dispute as a “school-yard fight that should be left to the Victorian government”.
The fate of the bill now depends on One Nation. Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have expressed support, and if their colleagues vote with them the government will win the vote.
3.08am BST
03:08
Mike Bowers reports Tony Abbott was not in the chamber for the statement on multiculturalism and reconciliation. Though we are not sure he is in parliament today.
Updated
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3.06am BST
03:06
It seems the chamber was not entirely full for the diversity motion.
3.03am BST
03:03
While they rush down to the chamber, some pictures.
3.02am BST
03:02
Bill Shorten warns the Coalition that Labor will pursue this issue to the next election. Health shadow Catherine King follows Shorten.
Okay, we have a vote now.
Updated
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2.59am BST
02:59
This is Labor’s motion.
Despite the Prime Minister claiming he had heard a “very clear lesson” about his attacks on Medicare, 100 days since the election not one cut to Medicare has been reversed; and b) Therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to:
i. Guarantee to keep Medicare in public hands as a universal health insurance scheme for all Australians;
ii.Guarantee to protect bulk billing so that every Australian can see their doctor when they need to and not only when they can afford to;
iii. Reverse his harmful cuts to Medicare by unfreezing the indexation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule;
iv. Reverse his cuts to pathology that will mean Australians with cancer will pay more for blood tests; v.Reverse his cuts to breast screening, MRIs, X-rays and other diagnostic imaging which will mean Australians will pay more for vital scans;
vi. Abandon his plans to make all Australians, even pensioners, pay more for vital medicines; and
vii. Develop a long-term agreement to properly fund our public hospitals so Australians don’t languish in our emergency departments or on long waiting lists for important surgery.
2.56am BST
02:56
The Medicare suspension is a chance for Bill Shorten to go back to the election result and Labor’s campaign. He reminds the chamber of the image of Malcolm Turnbull’s shocking election night.
Updated
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2.52am BST
02:52
Labor moves a suspension of the house to debate Medicare
I need to break from the speech text.
Bill Shorten is moving to suspend standing orders on the issue of health. The house was in the middle of a debate on migration measures, so the former health minister, now immigration minister, Peter Dutton is looking a little flummoxed.
2.50am BST
02:50
And here is the quote regarding the person in the Senate – left unnamed by both leaders:
Bill Shorten says the facts are these:
In Australia, we are not being ‘swamped’ by anyone.
Migrants are not filling our dole queues, or taking our jobs, or clogging up our highways – or doing all three at the same time.
Migration is not a cost, or a burden.
It is a powerful force for our continuing economic growth and future prosperity.
Migration boosts productivity, participation and population.
It enhances and complements the skills of our workforce – and it adds new knowledge to our national understanding.
In their first year of arrival, migrants contribute a net economic benefit of around $880 million.
Ten years later, the same group will contribute around $2 billion to our national economy.
Updated
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2.48am BST
02:48
Bill Shorten:
The word ‘tolerance’ doesn’t do justice to the society we treasure.
We tolerate traffic jams, we tolerate flight delays, we tolerate headaches.
We tolerate Brussel sprouts – we embrace diversity.
The Bible does not tell us to ‘tolerate’ thy neighbour.
Diversity is not a minor inconvenience to be endured, it’s not a device of political correctness … it’s the collective power of our nation, of all of us.
We know today’s immigrants and refugees are tomorrow’s community leaders, business leaders, doctors, nurses and teachers.
We know inclusion, openness, cohesion are universal values to build upon.
We know multiculturalism is not a passing fashion – it is at the very heart of our national identity.
Updated
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