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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/oct/13/coalition-embarrassed-by-mistaken-support-for-labor-vote-politics-live
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| Question time: Labor attacks Sussan Ley over Medicare rebate freeze – politics live | Question time: Labor attacks Sussan Ley over Medicare rebate freeze – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.19am BST | |
| 05:19 | |
| Kelly O’Dwyer comes to Question Time prepared for grilling on multinational tax avoidance stunt in the house last night. | |
| 5.12am BST | |
| 05:12 | |
| I now have to step off this ship for an hour to do another project. I will hand you over to Paul Karp, who will bring you the best of Bowers. | |
| 5.11am BST | |
| 05:11 | |
| Lucy Wicks to industry minister Greg Hunt: Could the Minister update the House on the actions that the Turnbull Government is making to boost medical research and grow jobs on the Central Coast? What action is the government taking to support the Central Coast medical school and Medical Research Institute and surrounding precinct in Gosford? | |
| Tony Burke to Christopher Pyne: Given that in the first week of this parliament the government became the first majority government in over 50 years to lose control of the house of Representatives and last night, for the first time not in 50 years but the first time ever an Opposition’s second reading amendment was carried with the government voting against itself, how does the Leader of the House reckon it’s going and is there anything he needs to fix? | |
| Speaker Smith rules out the question. | |
| Anthony Albanese yells, oh he might want to answer it! | |
| 5.06am BST | |
| 05:06 | |
| A government question to justice minister Michael Keenan on terrorism. | |
| Then Shorten to Turnbull: Can the prime minister confirm that he fronts a government with a health minister destroying Medicare, a revenue minister not up to the job, ajustice minister who embarrasses the government even when he turns up to work, an attorney-general in conflict with the solicitor-general and a Leader of the House who can’t manage the parliament. Prime minister, is the only reason they keep their job because you are so afraid of losing your job? | |
| Turnbull: | |
| I think should have very careful regard to his own job if he keeps on asking questions like that. The ministry is governing. The ministry is delivering. The government is securing legislation through the parliament. | |
| Then Turnbull winds up into a Churchillian-style address in tone and tempo. Minus fighting on the beaches. Or maybe I am losing it towards the end of the sitting week. | |
| 5.01am BST | |
| 05:01 | |
| Shorten to Turnbull: Can the prime minister explain to the house how the attorney-general was able to consult with the solicitor-general about a direction which did not exist, receive advice from the solicitor-general about a bill the solicitor-general had not seen and receive advice from the solicitor-general about amendments the solicitor-general had not seen?Isn’t it becoming clear that the prime minister’s leadership is so unstable that the attorney-general is surviving for that reason and no other? | |
| Turnbull: | |
| The Leader of the Opposition has an experienced member of counsel in the member for Isaacs. He should avoid appearing for himself. | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.01am BST | |
| 4.58am BST | |
| 04:58 | |
| A government question to social services minister Christian Porter: Will the minister update the house on how the government intends to improve the lives of vulnerable Australians through the priority investment approach to welfare? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches? | |
| 4.56am BST | |
| 04:56 | |
| Mark Dreyfus to Malcolm Turnbull: Former solicitor-general Dr Gavan Griffith QC has said the attorney-general’s actions in relation to the solicitor-General bring to mind “the image of a dog on a lead”. Why is the prime minister continuing to express confidence in an attorney-general so obviously unfit for office? | |
| Turnbull is not amused. | |
| I can well understand the honourable member’s concerns about the disturbance in the Bar common room but I would never repeat such an unflattering remark as Gavan Griffith made about the Solicitor-General which I think was very unfortunate. | |
| 4.53am BST | |
| 04:53 | |
| NT labors' Luke Gosling wears a red nose in #QT until whip Joanne Ryan intervenes @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/HGzOWGmZGK | |
| 4.50am BST | |
| 04:50 | |
| Bill Shorten asks Turnbull about O’Dwyer and Keenan: what exactly does a minister have to do to get the sack in your government? Is the fact you can’t move on any of these people, the fact they’re still here because your leadership is so unstable? | |
| Turnbull: | |
| The honourable member’s question reminds many of us how scant and sparse are the pleasures of Opposition. | |
| While we have been getting on with governing, while we have been getting on with forging new free trade deals, creating new markets for Australian exporters,creating jobs, while we have beencreating the circumstances that willsee $2.25m invested in central and north Queensland, where we’ve seen the ability this week todefend the rights of 60,000 CFA volunteers, when we have been able to do that, when we’ve been able to stand up for the heros who stand up and fight for us, when nature flings her worst at us, people Labor abandoned, we defended them and we got that legislation through. We did that because we’re in government. | |
| 4.46am BST | |
| 04:46 | |
| A government question to Greg Hunt: I refer the minister to a statement yesterday by manufacturing Australia which outlines the threat to SA and investment from unreliable and high-priced power. Will the minister outline the challenges facing South Australian industry and what action the Government is taking to safeguard jobs and investment in the future? | |
| 4.45am BST | |
| 04:45 | |
| Labor asks justice minister Michael Keenan: A few weeks ago the government lost control of the House when the minister went home early. Yesterday the government voted against itself when the minister was still here and personally in the chamber. Given the minister has acted against the interests of his government by being absent and by being present, how on earth can this government trust the minister to deal with the serious issues of international crime within his portfolio? | |
| Speaker Smith rules it “just” in order. | |
| Keenan: | |
| Whilst they’ve been playing these sorts of silly Parliamentary games that have absolutely no impact on the actual lives of the Australian people, particularly over the last 24 hours, let me go through some things that have actually been happening in the real world. | |
| Christopher Pyne objects to an “unparliamentary remark” from Anne Aly, MP for Cowan, who was the targeted by Keenan during the election. | |
| I can only guess at what that unparliamentary language would be. | |
| Aly fesses up and withdraws. | |
| 4.40am BST | 4.40am BST |
| 04:40 | 04:40 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| From the senate: | From the senate: |
| Labor has again targeted attorney general George Brandis over his direction that the solicitor general must get his agreement before giving advice to other parts of the government. | Labor has again targeted attorney general George Brandis over his direction that the solicitor general must get his agreement before giving advice to other parts of the government. |
| Senator Jacinta Collins has asked about Gavan Griffith, a former solicitor general who, in an explosive submission to the inquiry into the matter, said the direction brought to mind the image of “a dog on a lead”.Brandis replied: “It is a very unfortunate choice of words. It is an attack on the independence of the solicitor general.” | Senator Jacinta Collins has asked about Gavan Griffith, a former solicitor general who, in an explosive submission to the inquiry into the matter, said the direction brought to mind the image of “a dog on a lead”.Brandis replied: “It is a very unfortunate choice of words. It is an attack on the independence of the solicitor general.” |
| Barristers, including the solicitor general, are free to put whatever they want in their advice so it is inappropriate to suggest they can be so controlled, he said. | Barristers, including the solicitor general, are free to put whatever they want in their advice so it is inappropriate to suggest they can be so controlled, he said. |
| Brandis has also dredged up a quote from shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus that “most legal questions are capable of a different outcome” to explain why he and solicitor general Justin Gleeson are having a difference of legal opinion and it is fine to get advice from elsewhere. | Brandis has also dredged up a quote from shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus that “most legal questions are capable of a different outcome” to explain why he and solicitor general Justin Gleeson are having a difference of legal opinion and it is fine to get advice from elsewhere. |
| Penny Wong responds the controversy is about requiring Brandis’s consent for Gleeson to give advice, not the fact the attorney general may get advice elsewhere. | Penny Wong responds the controversy is about requiring Brandis’s consent for Gleeson to give advice, not the fact the attorney general may get advice elsewhere. |
| 4.39am BST | 4.39am BST |
| 04:39 | 04:39 |
| A government question to transport minister Darren Chester: Will the minister update the house on the progress of the government’s $50bn infrastructure investment program? Specifically, the construction of the Toowoomba second range crossing in my electorate of Groom. What benefits will this investment deliver to my community? | A government question to transport minister Darren Chester: Will the minister update the house on the progress of the government’s $50bn infrastructure investment program? Specifically, the construction of the Toowoomba second range crossing in my electorate of Groom. What benefits will this investment deliver to my community? |
| 4.38am BST | 4.38am BST |
| 04:38 | 04:38 |
| Like I say. | Like I say. |
| Labor’s Jim Chalmers to Kelly O’Dwyer: Given the minister for revenue can’t answer basic questions about her legislation, contradicts the prime minister on house prices and negative gearing and was the original architect of the Census disaster, can the minister [tell] the house what other spectacular policy achievements lie ahead or is this the high point of your brilliant career? | Labor’s Jim Chalmers to Kelly O’Dwyer: Given the minister for revenue can’t answer basic questions about her legislation, contradicts the prime minister on house prices and negative gearing and was the original architect of the Census disaster, can the minister [tell] the house what other spectacular policy achievements lie ahead or is this the high point of your brilliant career? |
| Speaker Smith rules the question out of order and Labor loses the question. | Speaker Smith rules the question out of order and Labor loses the question. |
| 4.36am BST | 4.36am BST |
| 04:36 | 04:36 |
| A government question to Barnaby Joyce: Will the deputy prime minister update the house on the government’s investment in water infrastructure? Is the minister aware of any threats to the rollout of these nation-building investments? | A government question to Barnaby Joyce: Will the deputy prime minister update the house on the government’s investment in water infrastructure? Is the minister aware of any threats to the rollout of these nation-building investments? |
| I’m not really sure of what that answer was about but it involved a hose, The Castle and Daryl Kerrigan. | I’m not really sure of what that answer was about but it involved a hose, The Castle and Daryl Kerrigan. |
| 4.34am BST | 4.34am BST |
| 04:34 | 04:34 |
| Chris Bowen to Kelly O’Dwyer: Given the minister wasn’t in the house last night when detailed questions on the amendment bill could be asked, given the bill that was eventually passed last night affects the taxation of dividend payments, what will be the change to the tax treatment of affected dividends? | Chris Bowen to Kelly O’Dwyer: Given the minister wasn’t in the house last night when detailed questions on the amendment bill could be asked, given the bill that was eventually passed last night affects the taxation of dividend payments, what will be the change to the tax treatment of affected dividends? |
| She talks about a new German tax treaty which must be one of the agreements that will be covered by the bill. However Labor’s question was very direct and not about that subject. | She talks about a new German tax treaty which must be one of the agreements that will be covered by the bill. However Labor’s question was very direct and not about that subject. |
| Labor is going after O’Dwyer by asking a very specific question (which would not be in the briefs). She cannot appear to answer the specifics. | Labor is going after O’Dwyer by asking a very specific question (which would not be in the briefs). She cannot appear to answer the specifics. |
| Bowen is stonyfaced as O’Dwyer pads out. | Bowen is stonyfaced as O’Dwyer pads out. |
| Tony Burke asks her to be relevant and Speaker Smith notes that it is a more specific question than is normally asked. O’Dwyer cuts and runs, saying she has concluded her answer. | Tony Burke asks her to be relevant and Speaker Smith notes that it is a more specific question than is normally asked. O’Dwyer cuts and runs, saying she has concluded her answer. |