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Labor says George Brandis 'lying about lying' over Gleeson affair – politics live Labor says George Brandis 'lying about lying' over Gleeson affair – politics live
(35 minutes later)
10.35pm GMT
22:35
I will give you a little more Peter Dutton from his speech yesterday because the House will start at 9.30am and, after a few procedural flurries and introductions of other bills, they will get around to the refugee ban.
This is Dutton yesterday claiming harsh government policies are not developed using fear to scare people away because Australia is a multicultural country.
These policies and practices were not developed from a basis of fear – how could they be, because more than one in four Australian residents were born overseas and close to half of the population have at least one parent born elsewhere. Immigrants and their descendants are foundational to Australia’s human capital and social fabric.
The ban will apply to all visas, both temporary and permanent.
It is critical that the bar apply to all visas to Australia. Any visa that allows a former illegal maritime arrival to come to Australia has the potential to provide a pathway to permanent residence. We cannot and will not leave the door open for people smugglers to find a backdoor once again into our country.
People are coming:
In particular, if people believe that the door in Europe has now closed for them, they will make a path to Sri Lanka, to Vietnam, to Indonesia, to elsewhere to make their onward journey to this country. And this government is not going to preside over a re-emergence of boat arrivals, because we are not going to allow those 17 detention centres to be reopened. We are not going to allow the 2,000 children in detention, a legacy we inherited when we came to government, to stay in detention. And we have got those 2,000 children out of detention. Most importantly, we are not going to allow the deaths at sea of innocent men, women and children.
Updated
at 10.41pm GMT
10.16pm GMT
22:16
Today the government is focused on the forever ban on Australian travel for those on Manus and Nauru, otherwise known as the Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort).
The bill was introduced to the House yesterday and the debate will begin in earnest today.
It will be interesting to watch because it will be the first time in a while that the major parties have been divided on the issue of asylum seeker policy.
This was the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, yesterday:
The bill will amend the Migration Act to further strengthen Australia’s maritime border protection arrangements by barring certain illegal maritime arrivals, who are subject to regional processing, from applying for an Australian visa.
The legislation will apply to people transferred to a regional processing country after 19 July 2013, including people who are currently in a regional processing country, have left a regional processing country and are in another country, are in Australia awaiting transfer back to a regional processing country and who are taken to a regional processing country in the future.
This includes people temporarily transferred from regional processing countries to Australia for medical treatment and those who have since settled in another country or returned home.
Updated
at 10.25pm GMT
10.02pm GMT10.02pm GMT
22:0222:02
I’ve actually wondered about the same thing. If there is a press conference and no one is listening, did it actually happen?I’ve actually wondered about the same thing. If there is a press conference and no one is listening, did it actually happen?
"Is anyone actually listening out there?" Canberra is fixated on the US election, so @JamesMcGrathLNP confronts some philosophical questions pic.twitter.com/Gb7ivhkdKe"Is anyone actually listening out there?" Canberra is fixated on the US election, so @JamesMcGrathLNP confronts some philosophical questions pic.twitter.com/Gb7ivhkdKe
9.52pm GMT9.52pm GMT
21:5221:52
Good morning and happy US election day, Good morning and happy US election day.
There are a few plates spinning in the air today as the United States election slides down to a resolution of sorts. I am trying not to watch because once I start, I may not stop and #politicslive will slide to a stop. But Mike Bowers is having fun.There are a few plates spinning in the air today as the United States election slides down to a resolution of sorts. I am trying not to watch because once I start, I may not stop and #politicslive will slide to a stop. But Mike Bowers is having fun.
We shall overcomb. Happy election Day #PoliticsLive @mpbowers @gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/hMZdlMaxN1We shall overcomb. Happy election Day #PoliticsLive @mpbowers @gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/hMZdlMaxN1
Onwards people.Onwards people.
Three (Australian) issues up front:Three (Australian) issues up front:
George Brandis:George Brandis:
The backwash of the Opposition-dominated senate committee which said - essentially - that attorney general George Brandis was unfit to remain a minister because he failed to consult the former solicitor general Justin Gleeson over a legal direction. Brandis has said he did consult and his defence revolved around the Oxford definition of “consultation”. The backwash of the opposition-dominated Senate committee, which said – essentially – that the attorney general, George Brandis, was unfit to remain a minister because he failed to consult the former solicitor general Justin Gleeson over a legal direction. Brandis has said he did consult and his defence revolved around the Oxford definition of “consultation”.
Mark Dreyfus has been around this morning calling for Brandis to be sacked.Mark Dreyfus has been around this morning calling for Brandis to be sacked.
He’s mislead the senate and worse than that, he’s now lying about lying because he is pretending that he didn’t mislead the senate. He’s misled the Senate and, worse than that, he’s now lying about lying because he is pretending that he didn’t mislead the Senate.
Backpacker tax:Backpacker tax:
Labor’s last minute support of a Jacqui Lambie proposal to drop the Coalition’s proposed 19% backpacker tax to 10.5% has the government in a spin. The backpacker bills (and associated savings of 95% tax on backpacker superannuation and a $5 increase in the passenger movement charge) have passed the lower house. But they are yet to pass the senate. Labor’s last-minute support of a Jacqui Lambie proposal to drop the Coalition’s proposed 19% backpacker tax to 10.5% has the government in a spin. The backpacker bills (and associated savings of 95% tax on backpacker superannuation and a $5 increase in the passenger movement charge) have passed the lower house. But they are yet to pass the Senate.
Treasurer Scott Morrison said Labor lied about the backpacker tax at the last election because they said they would resolve it in a revenue neutral way. He says a 10.5% tax rate would cost the budget $500m. Agricultural industries - which use backpackers for 25% of their labour - has been crippled by nearly two years of uncertainty. The treasurer, Scott Morrison, said Labor lied about the backpacker tax at the last election because they said they would resolve it in a revenue neutral way. He says a 10.5% tax rate would cost the budget $500m. Agricultural industries – which use backpackers for 25% of their labour – has been crippled by nearly two years of uncertainty.
Morrison said not us, your honour.Morrison said not us, your honour.
He said backpacker numbers had falling since 2012 - by 35,000 - well before Tony Abbott proposed a 32.5% tax in the 2015 budget. That’s why he was using some of the tax increase to pay for a tourism marketing campaign. He said backpacker numbers had falling since 2012 – by 35,000 – well before Tony Abbott proposed a 32.5% tax in the 2015 budget. That’s why he was using some of the tax increase to pay for a tourism marketing campaign.
[Labor] want to give a bigger tax cut to foreign workers and ask Australians to pay for it.[Labor] want to give a bigger tax cut to foreign workers and ask Australians to pay for it.
Morrison said a lower rate would also give growers a greater disincentive to employ locals.Morrison said a lower rate would also give growers a greater disincentive to employ locals.
Lifetime ban on travel to Australia for asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru:Lifetime ban on travel to Australia for asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru:
The government’s plans will be debated in the lower house but with Labor and the Greens voting against the bill, it is all in the hands of the crossbenchers. The government needs 8 out of 10. The government’s plans will be debated in the lower house but, with Labor and the Greens voting against the bill, it is all in the hands of the crossbenchers. The government needs 8 out of 10.
Senator Nick Xenophon is one who is crucial given he holds three votes.Senator Nick Xenophon is one who is crucial given he holds three votes.
I’ve got to say at this stage I think it’s pretty touch and go as to whether this legislation gets through. It’s a conscience issue for the team and I respect that.I’ve got to say at this stage I think it’s pretty touch and go as to whether this legislation gets through. It’s a conscience issue for the team and I respect that.
The Xenophones will not vote as a block. The government needs at least one of them.The Xenophones will not vote as a block. The government needs at least one of them.
Apologies for the longest post in history. You can contact me on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers or on Facebook. We shall overcomb.Apologies for the longest post in history. You can contact me on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers or on Facebook. We shall overcomb.
Updated
at 10.11pm GMT