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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/oct/17/politics-live-turnbull-shorten-parliament
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Labor and Greens ask if Ian Macfarlane's mining job breaches ministers' code – question time live | |
(35 minutes later) | |
4.34am BST | |
04:34 | |
Elizabeth Kelly says while DPMC staff had seen the Coalition Agreement between Turnbull and former National party leader Warren Truss, she was not aware whether anyone had seen the Turnbull-Joyce Agreement. | |
4.32am BST | |
04:32 | |
Paul Karp | |
Labor MPs have asked Malcolm Turnbull to repeat a promise he made on Channel Seven the day before the election that patients would not pay more to see a doctor because of the Medicare freeze. | |
Turnbull sticks to the government’s strengths on health, including that the number of bulk-billed services has increased and its record listing drugs on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. He stops short of repeating the promise. | |
Malcolm Turnbull would rather call 000 here than repeat his election promise that Australians won't pay more to see the GP #qt | |
The next question is to health minister, Sussan Ley, on a similar point says that “one part of the health system connects to the others”. She suggests that cost savings from the GP freeze go towards other benefits like drugs being listed. | |
Coalition MPs have all asked Dorothy Dixers about union governance in general and the construction industry. | |
4.31am BST | |
04:31 | |
The estimates committee is onto the Coalition Agreement under questioning from Penny Wong. This is a result of the return of those pesky supplementary questions this morning. | |
We learn that the Agreement is in the fiscal branch of economic division of the DPMC. | |
This is the Agreement between the Nationals and the Liberals for Coalition. | |
As I have written before, the Agreement is like a unicorn - often cited, rarely seen. The supplementary questions say that one officer had the document and it was delivered to the fiscal branch. | |
The government has refused to release the Agreement on the grounds its a private document between the two leaders rather than a government document. Wong says she has asked for it before as well as under Freedom of Information rules. It has not been forthcoming. | |
Wong says it is more than a private document if it governs things like the plebiscite. And why would the fiscal branch need a private document? | |
4.20am BST | |
04:20 | |
Paul Karp will be providing some reports out of question time in a minute as we press on with the estimates on DPMC. | |
4.19am BST | |
04:19 | |
Senator Wong asks Paterson about the return of questions on notice, given how late the last ones came back. | |
Wong to chair James Paterson: | |
Did you roll your eyes at me? Did you roll your eyes at me? | |
George Brandis: | |
Really Senator Wong, behave like an adult. | |
Updated | |
at 4.24am BST | |
4.12am BST | |
04:12 | |
First question from Shorten to Turnbull: On the day before the election, the prime minister was asked by Sam Armytage on Sunrise “You have committed to a freeze on the GP rebate. Can you guarantee our viewers will not pay more to see the doctor due to this freeze?” The PM responded “Sam, absolutely”. Does the PM stand by his absolute guarantee that Australians will not pay more to see the doctor as a result of his freeze? | |
Updated | |
at 4.25am BST | |
4.11am BST | |
04:11 | |
Penny Wong asks whether the PM’s department is considering or involved in a new VIP plane. This is taken on notice. | |
4.08am BST | |
04:08 | |
Bill Shorten is speaking to the condolence motion. | |
4.08am BST | |
04:08 | |
National senator Bridget McKenzie asks about Craig Emerson and whether prime minister Rudd asked for advice on whether Emerson had complied. | |
It was before Kelly’s time. | |
4.06am BST | |
04:06 | |
Question time begins with a condolence motion on the King of Thailand. | |
I will stick with the estimates committee on lobbying for a while longer. | |
4.05am BST | |
04:05 | |
Lobbying and former ministers | |
Under questioning, we learn: | |
Former assistant minister Bob Baldwin is a registered lobbyist even though he retired at the 2016 election. | |
The Coalition also asks about former Labor ministers: | |
Did the PM approve Macfarlane’s position? Kelly said she was unaware. | |
Does the department have an ability to initiate investigations if the prime minister does not ask? | |
Peter Rush of the DPMC says when a lobbyist registers, the department makes sure the relevant clauses in the ministerial standards are pointed out to the former minister. | |
In registering as a lobbyist, the former minister would have to make a statutory declaration regarding their actions. | |
Rush says the department rely on allegations coming forward rather than initiating actions. | |
3.54am BST | 3.54am BST |
03:54 | 03:54 |
The prime minister has not requested any advice about Ian Macfarlane’s position relating to the ministerial standards. | The prime minister has not requested any advice about Ian Macfarlane’s position relating to the ministerial standards. |
Labor senator Jenny McAllister wants to know whether there have been any meetings between Macfarlane and anyone in government. | Labor senator Jenny McAllister wants to know whether there have been any meetings between Macfarlane and anyone in government. |
Updated | Updated |
at 3.58am BST | at 3.58am BST |
3.51am BST | 3.51am BST |
03:51 | 03:51 |
There is an 18-month cooling off period for ministers. Allegedly. | |
Elizabeth Kelly says the department of PMC only provides advice when asked on ministerial standards. | Elizabeth Kelly says the department of PMC only provides advice when asked on ministerial standards. |
Do you believe the ministerial standards are working? | Do you believe the ministerial standards are working? |
I do senator Rhiannon, Brandis says. | I do senator Rhiannon, Brandis says. |
Chair James Paterson has already pointed out peak bodies are not lobbyists. | Chair James Paterson has already pointed out peak bodies are not lobbyists. |
*blogger falls off chair* | *blogger falls off chair* |
A distrinction is drawn between professional lobbyists and industry peak bodies for a start, says Brandis. | A distrinction is drawn between professional lobbyists and industry peak bodies for a start, says Brandis. |
Updated | Updated |
at 4.01am BST | |