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Senate president employs ex-Liberal MP on special allocation from PM – politics live
The Lodge needed $83,000 luggage lift to protect heritage stairs, senators told – politics live
(35 minutes later)
2.06am BST
02:06
Penny Wong is question the PMC about the prime minister and ministers use of communication apps like Whatsapp. This follows a story by James Massola in Fairfax.
Allan McKinnon of PMC says that he did not raise any issues following the report.
Wong asks “does anyone check”? Argy bargy ensues about answers.
Brandis intervenes to help Elizabeth Kelly of PMC.
Wong fires back that he should have stopped the “disgusting bullying of a statutory officer” (solicitor general) Justin Gleeson.
Brandis says Kelly is also a statutory officer.
Updated
at 2.09am BST
1.58am BST
01:58
Lodge renovations and the cost of upholstery from supplementary answers.
The total cost of refurbishing the original Ruth Lane-Poole lounge and two matching chairs was $11,524.22 (GST inclusive).
Poole was one of the original designers.
1.47am BST
01:47
Exhibit A. Heritage stairs. Precarious and valuable.
MacAlister wonders if there are any pictures of said luggage lift? Nope.
No other prime minister needed this, says Wong.
Wong asks if Turnbull is the only PM to have a luggage lift?
Turnbull is the only prime minister who has lived in the Lodge, says Kelly. The luggage lift was in the original reno plans in 2010.
Not Malcolm’s lift - is the message. Over.
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1.43am BST
01:43
Penny Wong wants to know about what a luggage lift looks like. Paula Ganly says it’s a bit like a dumb waiter, certainly not for people.
1.42am BST
01:42
The lift:
Senator Jenny MacAlister is asking about the luggage lift. Kelly says the luggage lift was installed to protect the staff, one of whom was injured lugging suitcases up the heritage stairs. There was also the heritage value of the stairs.
1.39am BST
1.39am BST
01:39
01:39
Senator Wong is now expressing her “disappointment at the discourtesy” shown by the department of prime minister and cabinet in returning the aforementioned supplementary answers late.
Senator Wong is now expressing her “disappointment at the discourtesy” shown by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in returning the aforementioned supplementary answers late.
Kelly says the tardiness was due to the caretaker period.
Kelly says the tardiness was due to the caretaker period.
Wong says Labor does not call the secretary Martin Parkinson as a matter of courtesy but if DPMC does not lift its game, they will.
Wong says Labor does not call the secretary Martin Parkinson as a matter of courtesy but if DPMC does not lift its game, it will.
Updated
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01:34
01:34
1.32am BST
1.32am BST
01:32
01:32
Updated
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1.31am BST
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Updated
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1.29am BST
1.29am BST
01:29
01:29
Elizabeth Kelly notes staff changes in the past six months, including the appointment of former Greens senate candidate Lin Hatfield Dodds as as deputy secretary for social policy in the department of prime minister and cabinet.
Elizabeth Kelly notes staff changes in the past six months, including the appointment of former Greens senate candidate Lin Hatfield Dodds as as deputy secretary for social policy in the department of prime minister and cabinet.
Chris Uhlmann reported this fact on the eve of the election:
Chris Uhlmann reported this fact on the eve of the election:
Cabinet ministers, senior bureaucrats and Coalition backbenchers are outraged at the appointment of a former Greens candidate to a senior position in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the eve of the federal election...
Cabinet ministers, senior bureaucrats and Coalition backbenchers are outraged at the appointment of a former Greens candidate to a senior position in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the eve of the federal election...
A spokesman for the department told the ABC: “Ms Hatfield Dodds was appointed following a merit selection process conducted in the usual manner and consistent with the Public Service Act.”
A spokesman for the department told the ABC: “Ms Hatfield Dodds was appointed following a merit selection process conducted in the usual manner and consistent with the Public Service Act.”
The appointment has revived suspicions in the conservative ranks about Dr Parkinson, who was dumped as Treasury secretary in the months after Tony Abbott was elected in 2013...
The appointment has revived suspicions in the conservative ranks about Dr Parkinson, who was dumped as Treasury secretary in the months after Tony Abbott was elected in 2013...
1.24am BST
1.24am BST
01:24
01:24
Attorney general George Brandis is in the seat to steer the department of prime minister and cabinet.
Attorney general George Brandis is in the seat to steer the department of prime minister and cabinet.
Elizabeth Kelly is in the chair for the department. Grab your popcorn.
Elizabeth Kelly is in the chair for the department. Grab your popcorn.
1.19am BST
1.19am BST
01:19
01:19
Good morning from Matt Hatter:
Good morning from Matt Hatter:
@gabriellechan I suppose it's too late now to add 'Official LodgeLuggage Hauler' to Eric Hutchinson's nebulous job description? #estimates pic.twitter.com/KchbZlWXEt
@gabriellechan I suppose it's too late now to add 'Official LodgeLuggage Hauler' to Eric Hutchinson's nebulous job description? #estimates pic.twitter.com/KchbZlWXEt
1.16am BST
1.16am BST
01:16
01:16
More from questions on notice.
More from questions on notice.
Lucy Turnbull has asked for a sustainability assessment of the Lodge.
Lucy Turnbull has asked for a sustainability assessment of the Lodge.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has arranged with the ACT Environment and Planning Directorate to conduct a sustainability assessment of The Lodge at no cost.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has arranged with the ACT Environment and Planning Directorate to conduct a sustainability assessment of the Lodge at no cost.
Updated
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12.55am BST
12.55am BST
00:55
00:55
Katharine Murphy is also trawling the additional information.
Katharine Murphy is also trawling the additional information.
We learn more of the Lodge renovations:
We learn more of the Lodge renovations:
12.53am BST
00:53
Nick Xenophon is questioning the Department of Parliamentary Services. He wants to know about how the email services for MPs and parliamentary staff are dealt with.
We learn that the:
Updated
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12.43am BST
00:43
Paul Karp
Senator Nick McKim is using Senate estimates to quiz the Australian federal police about the department of immigration revealing that 19 referrals to the Nauruan police have been made over alleged violence and sexual assault.
The AFP deputy commissioner Justine Saunders responded that 14 incidents were referred to the Nauruan police. Of those, nine were closed owing to insufficient evidence, one was withdrawn, in one instance the investigation concluded that no offence was committed and two remain open.
Saunders said of the referrals, one has resulted in the charge of a suspect with an assault offence and the matter is before the court.
Asked why immigration had said the number was 19 and the AFP believed it was 14, Saunders replied to ask the immigration department but “perhaps [they] didn’t meet the threshold to refer to the Nauruan police”.
Updated
at 1.04am BST
12.40am BST
00:40
Advice for senior government officers travelling to China
Back to supplementary answers:
Back in February, then senator Stephen Conroy:
What advice would you give to a high-ranking PM&C official who indicated that they were going on holiday in China? What advice would you give to that government official about their personal communications devices?
This was the answer from PM&C today:
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) would provide a detailed security briefing to the travelling employee. Information on device security, exploitation methods, security measures and considerations while abroad would be provided.
Whole-of-government resources are used in the development of the briefings, with particular emphasis on Information Security Manual (ISM) controls, as published by the Australian Signals Directorate.
PM&C provides the same advice for both personal and business devices. The ISM controls are amended to reflect personal electronic devices and any personal services or accounts the official may use while travelling. Department officials are reminded that the use of consumer or commercial services for the transmission of classified or sensitive official information is not permitted.
This question was getting to the assistant defence minister Stuart Roberts.
Conroy wanted to know about Roberts’ personal devices.
The answer provided today:
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is not aware if there is any process in train regarding personal devices issued to the former assistant minister for defence.
Updated
at 1.05am BST
12.28am BST
00:28
Paul Karp
In Senate estimates, the AFP assistant commissioner Ramsey Jabbour has revealed the federal police have not made any applications for a warrant to access journalists’ metadata in the past 12 months.
Nick Xenophon is annoyed that previously at estimates he was denied this information. The AFP commissioner, Andrew Colvin, concedes he is prohibited from discussing specific cases but can give general numbers.
Colvin added:
We did say it would be a very rarely used piece of legislation – we’ve been shown to be quite truthful. I won’t say we’ll never use it, of course.
In April Guardian Australia reported that the AFP admitted it sought access to reporter Paul Farrell’s metadata without a warrant in 2014 in an attempt to hunt down his sources.
That was before the law was changed requiring a warrant. Xenophon moved on to another line of questioning, surprised that the answer was that no warrants were sought. Perhaps he should have asked how often police accessed journalists’ metadata before the regime required a warrant.
Updated
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12.23am BST
00:23
PM's Lodge luggage lift: $83,535.75
There has been last-minute drop of additional answers to supplementary questions. Let me explain. When the departments cannot answer a question, they take it on notice and the answers are delivered at a later time.
These additional answers from estimates in February have been dropped just before these estimates – hoping that it will be swept away in the news squall that generally happens around estimates.
Around the extra committees, I will work my way through the answers.
Here is one:
The cost of the specialised luggage lift put into the Lodge during the recent renovation was $83,535.75 (excluding GST), including installation.
Updated
at 1.07am BST
12.14am BST
00:14
Paul Karp
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has spoken on 2GB Radio about the government’s bill to strip people involved in terrorist offences of their citizenship.
Morrison he had “no doubt” that advocates would legally challenge them in the high court, but said in the meantime they are being implemented and “tightly followed”.
He added:
They’re dual citizens as well, so it’s not like they’re left stateless under these laws. By their own actions they’d be disqualifying themselves to the values of Australia. I’m very proud we put these laws in place – it’s a signal that citizenship matters, and obligations attach to [citizenship], not just rights. Those obligations include holding to our values.
Updated
at 1.07am BST
12.11am BST
00:11
The finance committee is finished with the Parliamentary Budget Office and on to the Department of Parliamentary Services. This is the department that supports the functions of parliament and pollies. In another hour, we will be on to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, mustered by George Brandis.
Updated
at 12.29am BST
12.06am BST
00:06
In case you are wondering what the cost might be of Hutchinson’s new special representational work for the Senate president, it could be up to $160,000 – under a special allocation from Turnbull.
Government personal employees other than senior staff, such as an adviser
A handy salary guide can be found here.
Updated
at 12.28am BST
12.00am BST
00:00
A round plug in a round hole.
11.56pm BST
23:56
In finance committee, senators are on to the Parliamentary Budget Office.
