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Malcolm Turnbull rejects Amnesty claim that detention akin to torture – politics live Malcolm Turnbull rejects Amnesty claim that detention akin to torture – politics live
(35 minutes later)
12.28am BST
00:28
Jacqui Lambie wants to know from attorney general George Brandis why the government is not ratifying the optional protocol on the convention against torture (Opcat).
Brandis says the government supports the principles in Opcat.
He says a number of steps need to happen first, including consultations with states and territories. It is on the agenda for the next Coag meeting for attorneys general on Friday.
12.24am BST
00:24
Jacquie Lambie asks Triggs about the rights of families and access to mental health services for ice addicted children. She is getting to the ability of parents to compel ice addicts into medical intervention.
Triggs takes the question regarding compulsion on notice.
12.20am BST
00:20
Watts is digging to see if he was still on the public purse while starting his preselection process. Triggs said he was careful to discuss his resignation quickly.
12.18am BST
00:18
Murray Watts asks if Triggs is sure that former freedom commissioner Tim Wilson didn’t undertake political campaigning or attend events while he was on the payroll of the HRC.
As far as she knows, he did not breach the guidelines.
Brandis:
Thank you very much Prof Triggs for that answer.
Watts says, so he did attend Liberal events on the public purse?
He attended various political parties’ events in his advocacy role for the Human Rights Act, says Brandis.
That included the Labor party if they wanted to engage with him on human rights issues.
So which ones? Brandis said he attended a Greens events. But he cannot say whether Wilson attended National party events.
Updated
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12.11am BST
00:11
Gillian Triggs says there is a cap for commissioners’ expenses. There is a high level of discretion for commissioners to spend their budget. She says new commissioners often spend more in the first year because they travel extensively to consult. Then it settles down.
There is also family reunion expenses and living away from home allowances.
Triggs says the annual cap is $30,000. Watt points out in Wilson’s first year, he spent $77,000. Triggs will get back to him on the reasons for the overspend.
Brandis intervenes for Wilson, his appointee and friend. He points out that the commission’s headquarters are in Sydney and he lives in Melbourne.
Watts says he is sure no one would be qualified for the job in Sydney.
Brandis asks:
Are you suggesting only people in Sydney should be qualified for the job?
Updated
at 12.27am BST
12.04am BST
00:04
The Labor senator Murray Watt asks about former freedom commissioner Tim Wilson’s expenses. Wilson is of course now MP for Goldstein.
Updated
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12.02am BST
00:02
Prof Triggs' appearance a reminder of the last time Brandis, MacDonald & O'Sullivan bullied a statutory officer who dared to stand up
12.01am BST
00:01
The Greens senator Lee Rhiannon accuses senator David Leyonhjelm of horse trading.
There should not be horse-trading on these bills. It is so important that we do not let our stringent gun laws slip away by bartering over bills like this.
The ABCC is a piece of anti-worker legislation. It has nothing to do with cracking down on corruption, it is about union busting.
We know the Turnbull government is desperate to resurrect the ABCC bill but are they so desperate that they are willing to relax sensible gun laws that keep our communities safe?
Updated
at 12.09am BST
11.59pm BST
23:59
Albo whacks colleague Gavin Marshall: his comments say more about him than others
Paul Karp
Senior Labor left shadow minister Anthony Albanese has responded to comments by senator Gavin Marshall, an ally of Kim Carr, threatening colleagues’ preselection.
At a press conference in Canberra, Albanese said:
I have seen the comments about not just Andrew Giles but Catherine King and Jenny Macklin – they are all valued colleagues, they are all frontbench colleagues, they’re all playing a significant role in the parliament. And they have, I think, the support of everyone not just here but importantly the people in their respective electorates, which is why they were all returned on July 2 at the federal election.
Albanese said Marshall’s comments “speak for themselves” and “say more about senator Marshall than they do about the colleagues he’s disparaged”.
Asked about the preselection of Kimberley Kitching for Stephen Conroy’s Senate vacancy, Albanese said it was a matter for the Victorian branch and he did not have a vote but noted that Kitching had the support of “some significant figures” in the Victorian branch (read: leader Bill Shorten).
The preselection was conducted in accordance with the rules, Albanese said, but noted he has previously called for ALP members to have votes in all Senate preselections.
Updated
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11.54pm BST11.54pm BST
23:5423:54
Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce made the decision earlier this year to move offices of the Grains Research and Development Corporation from Canberra to regional areas. The deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, made the decision earlier this year to move offices of the Grains Research and Development Corporation from Canberra to regional areas.
On Wednesday Mr Joyce announced three Canberra based research organisations will have work shifted out of the national capital. On Wednesday Mr Joyce announced three Canberra-based research organisations will have work shifted out of the national capital.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation, based in Barton at the foot of Parliament House, will have four offices outside Canberra at Dubbo, Toowoomba, Adelaide and Perth even though the GRDC recently signed a new lease.The Grains Research and Development Corporation, based in Barton at the foot of Parliament House, will have four offices outside Canberra at Dubbo, Toowoomba, Adelaide and Perth even though the GRDC recently signed a new lease.
AusTender documents say the 10-year, $12.2 million lease for the grains corporation’s office in Barton was signed in December 2013 and expired in 2024. AusTender documents say the 10-year, $12.2m lease for the grains corporation’s office in Barton was signed in December 2013 and expired in 2024.
The tweet below lists the costs related to those moves.The tweet below lists the costs related to those moves.
It is timely given the controversial decision by Joyce to move the APVMA offices out of Canberra to his own electorate. In the context of the election.It is timely given the controversial decision by Joyce to move the APVMA offices out of Canberra to his own electorate. In the context of the election.
GRDC gives #estimates their relocation/fitout/running costs to move to four sites, excluding GST: #auspol #agchatoz @abcrural pic.twitter.com/MRmvCmqkb4GRDC gives #estimates their relocation/fitout/running costs to move to four sites, excluding GST: #auspol #agchatoz @abcrural pic.twitter.com/MRmvCmqkb4
Updated
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11.47pm BST11.47pm BST
23:4723:47
There is a fair bit of tension in the room in this estimates.There is a fair bit of tension in the room in this estimates.
Fawcett’s questioning was controlled and Soutphommasane was not backing off.Fawcett’s questioning was controlled and Soutphommasane was not backing off.
Now Liberal senator Linda Reynolds is asking Triggs how she sees her role. Obviously the Coalition is trying to catch her out overstepping the mark. Triggs is walking carefully. Now the Liberal senator Linda Reynolds is asking Triggs how she sees her role. Obviously the Coalition is trying to catch her out overstepping the mark. Triggs is walking carefully.
Perhaps what you are getting at is what is our mandate... Perhaps what you are getting at is what is our mandate ...
Updated
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11.42pm BST11.42pm BST
23:4223:42
Triggs is asked by Coalition senator David Fawcett about the complaint about the Bill Leak cartoon on the grounds of 18c. Triggs is asked by the Coalition senator David Fawcett about the complaint about the Bill Leak cartoon on the grounds of 18c.
Triggs says she cannot speak about individual complaints.Triggs says she cannot speak about individual complaints.
This was reported in the Oz:This was reported in the Oz:
Bill Leak and The Australian are staring down a Human Rights Commission challenge under section 18C, 10 weeks after the cartoonist’s provocative drawing led to a public debate over indigenous parental neglect. Bill Leak and the Australian are staring down a Human Rights Commission challenge under section 18C, 10 weeks after the cartoonist’s provocative drawing led to a public debate over Indigenous parental neglect.
Commission president Gil­lian Triggs’s delegate, Jodie Ball, has written to the newspaper’s lawyers to advise that allegations of racial hatred under the Racial Discrimination Act will be investigated.Commission president Gil­lian Triggs’s delegate, Jodie Ball, has written to the newspaper’s lawyers to advise that allegations of racial hatred under the Racial Discrimination Act will be investigated.
The allegations are in a complaint by Melissa Dinnison over Leak’s August 4 cartoon, which prompted widespread commendation and criticism for its blunt portrayal of a crisis in Aboriginal parenting.The allegations are in a complaint by Melissa Dinnison over Leak’s August 4 cartoon, which prompted widespread commendation and criticism for its blunt portrayal of a crisis in Aboriginal parenting.
Fawcett suggests the cartoon presented a good image of a police officer in authority.Fawcett suggests the cartoon presented a good image of a police officer in authority.
Triggs won’t bite so Fawcett moves to race commissioner Tim Soutphommasane about his comments about the cartoon and his assessment about “racial stereotyping”. Soutphommasane points out that his comments are appropriate because he has no role in the complaints process and does not judge the complaints.Triggs won’t bite so Fawcett moves to race commissioner Tim Soutphommasane about his comments about the cartoon and his assessment about “racial stereotyping”. Soutphommasane points out that his comments are appropriate because he has no role in the complaints process and does not judge the complaints.
Updated
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11.34pm BST11.34pm BST
23:3423:34
For #agrinerds...For #agrinerds...
Ag #Estimates is underway, Barry O'Sullivan chairing. GRDC up first. Livestream for #agrinerds via: https://t.co/QOn5a9mWMs #agchatoz #ozpolAg #Estimates is underway, Barry O'Sullivan chairing. GRDC up first. Livestream for #agrinerds via: https://t.co/QOn5a9mWMs #agchatoz #ozpol
11.33pm BST11.33pm BST
23:3323:33
#estimates exploring how NBN Chair published this fiery op-ed despite advice it breached caretaker conventions https://t.co/PjRxVTCfWv#estimates exploring how NBN Chair published this fiery op-ed despite advice it breached caretaker conventions https://t.co/PjRxVTCfWv
11.26pm BST11.26pm BST
23:2623:26
Brandis also intervened, reminding Macdonald he could stop the hearings.Brandis also intervened, reminding Macdonald he could stop the hearings.
Macdonald mentions that Senate president Stephen Parry had to counsel Wong for her behaviour in the chamber.Macdonald mentions that Senate president Stephen Parry had to counsel Wong for her behaviour in the chamber.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.31pm BSTat 11.31pm BST
11.25pm BST
23:25
Gillian Triggs tells Wong she has not been offered any other jobs since the last estimates hearing – a reference to Brandis offering her another job.
Triggs says relations with Brandis’ office have “normalised”.
Macdonald intervenes to stop questioning.
Wong says she was not surprised he intervened (given his behaviour at solicitor general Justin Gleeson’s hearing).
You are a bully, that is the reality, says Wong to Macdonald.
Macdonald threatens to suspend the committee until she plays by the rules.
That means you don‘t talk over people, especially the chairman.
Wong says the whole of Australia saw his behaviour.
Macdonald says:
I am the chairman.
Wong says she is allowed to ask these questions.
Updated
at 11.31pm BST
11.19pm BST
23:19
Come back Ewen Jones.
How about Andrew Hastie and others look for solutions to indigenous disadvantage rather than using Bill Leak as an 18C Trojan horse? #auspol
11.16pm BST
23:16
Wong asks about protection for the LGBTI community for offensive or insulting comments given there is for similar comments on racial grounds.
Triggs says none that she knows of apart from defamation.
11.14pm BST
23:14
Penny Wong is in the building, indeed the room.
Wong asks Triggs about her comments that moves to suspend discrimination laws for the plebiscite would be a “disgraceful way of dealing with the issue”.
Updated
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11.10pm BST
23:10
Ian Macdonald welcomes the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs. George Brandis opens with introductions for the new appointments.
Edward Santow replaced Tim Wilson, now Liberal MP for Goldstein, Alastair McEwin is the new disability commissioner, Kay Patterson, age discrimination commissioner.
Updated
at 11.17pm BST
11.03pm BST
23:03
Oh good. Senator Ian Macdonald is in charge of the legal and constitutional affairs estimates committee. The best thing is that I can say what I like about him because he revealed yesterday – SHOCK HORROR – that he doesn’t read the Guardian.
Updated
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10.59pm BST
22:59
Don’t forget there is a chamber running as well.
We have the three VET bills:
Updated
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10.50pm BST
22:50
Cruel, that Wong.
Late night, Wong hits Brandis with a low blow: "It’s alright, no one thinks of you as a lawyer either George." pic.twitter.com/tkGY4bvJo1
10.45pm BST
22:45
Of course estimates continue on, as they did until 11pm last night.
First up this morning we have the Human Rights Commission, the attorney general’s department more generally, the department of finance, the commonwealth director of public prosecutions, ABC and SBS. And the lower house. Pity me ...
In 12-hour hearings, things get a bit willing. They also get more relaxed towards the later stages of the evening, as revealed in this little exchange last night with and around Margaret Stone, inspector general of intelligence and security.
Brandis:
You know, Justice Stone, it is sometimes difficult to explain to politicians how lawyers are very precise in their use of language.
Stone:
Um, so, putting that aside …
Xenophon:
Are you implying that I’m not a very good lawyer, attorney?
Brandis:
I wasn’t thinking of you Senator Xenophon. I must confess I do not think of you as a politician.
Wong:
It’s alright, no one thinks of you as a lawyer either George.
Xenophon:
That’s not very nice.
Wong:
He’s been a bit mean lately. Keeps misleading parliament.
Updated
at 11.30pm BST
10.30pm BST
22:30
Good morning people,
Seven months ago, Malcolm Turnbull declared the “times for games is over” and threatened to take the country to a double-dissolution election if his industrial relations bills were blocked. It seemed like a good idea at the time but, after the election, the government benches were whittled back to a one seat majority.
The two bills would establish a Australian Building Construction Commission and regulate registered organisations, ie unions. Today the first bill returns to the house, in a neat two-step following Bill Shorten’s endorsement of former Health Services Union official Kimberley Kitching and an outbreak of factional farnarkling.
In an interview with Fran Kelly, Turnbull has, on the one hand, attacked union thuggery in the CFMEU and, on the other, endorsed the bills as a great thing for the health of unions.
This is not anti-union. This is not union busting. If the Labor party were to support this legislation, they would build public confidence in the unions, because the unions would be run in accordance with the law.
Kelly asks, why not get the Australian Securities and Investment Commission to regulate unions as they do the banks? Why bust unions and not banks? Turnbull says the government is doing lots on the bank front and now they are doing lots on the union front. He is an equal opportunity regulator.
Right across the board, what we’re doing is addressing the issues that have been raised and that’s what we’re doing in the industrial relations field too.
Overnight, you might have seen David Leyonhjelm has raised the prospect of horse trading over the ABCC bill. He wants a ban lifted on the importation of the Adler shotgun.
The regulation of firearms is dealt with by Coag in effect, by states and territories and the commonwealth working together and so the importation ban on the lever-action Adler shotgun, over more than five rounds, was introduced and has been maintained because of a failure to date of that state and territory group to reach a resolution on it.
So it is a collaborative effort. But I want to stress to you ... we have among the most, if not the most rigorous laws on the regulation of firearms in the world. It’s one of the great achievements of John Howard.
Fran: The world’s leading human rights body is accusing your government, our government, of torture. You need to respond to that, don’t you?
Well, I reject that claim totally, it is absolutely false ... And I just note that the minister, Mr Dutton, offered to go onto to the Four Corners program and be interviewed live to deal with those allegations and that offer was rejected.
Fran played some audio of one of the articulate children on the program last night.
We’ve heard from this young lady and it is, it is a ... It is a very sad story that she tells. But, you know, there are 1,200 people, many of them young women too, no doubt, from whom we can never hear, because they drowned at sea under the Labor party’s reckless failure to keep our borders safe.
Turnbull says the government is negotiating with other countries but he accuses “many people in Australia” of telling refugees to hold out in the hope of coming to Australia.
I know that’s a tough policy. I know that is hard. But the alternative is what we had under Labor – 50,000 unauthorised arrivals and 1,200 voices that were silenced, that cannot go on Four Corners, that cannot talk on Radio National because they drowned at sea.
On same-sex marriage, Turnbull says there was a still a chance the Senate could pass the bill, in spite of what “your fellow distinguished journalist, Katharine Murphy, from the Guardian said at a press conference.
Q: You think there’s still a chance it will pass?
Of course. Of course ...
Arguments ensue on the merits of the plebiscite ...
It is a perfectly reasonable argument to say this is not consistent with our parliamentary tradition. But the fact is it is perfectly democratic. It is a proposition that we took to the election. We won the election ... Why wouldn’t we grab this opportunity and say, “Look, it may not be the perfect way of resolving the matter from your point of view but grab it, it will be carried, it will be done.” Let’s get on with it.
Right, now that we are done with the War and Peace of first posts, I am @gabriellechan on the Twits, @mpbowers has some wonderful pics from the house games this morning.
Updated
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