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Malcolm Turnbull accuses Labor of 'post-truth politics' – question time live Malcolm Turnbull accuses Labor of 'post-truth politics' – live
(35 minutes later)
4.42am GMT
04:42
Barnaby Joyce: APVMA move to my own seat coincidental
I did not hear the question but presume it is about moving the pesticides agency to Tamworth.
He says the Nats are very proud of its decentralisation policy.
Joyce says the NSW Labor government moved the minerals department to Maitland to one of its seat.
Of the APVMA move (announced during the election campaign when he was challenged by Tony Windsor), Joyce says:
It’s coincidental its in the seat of New England. It is absolutely a proper fit.
4.36am GMT
04:36
What’s your message to farmers today who are furious the way the Coalition has handled this issue over the last 18 months?
Barnaby Joyce:
I’d say to farmers right from the word go we were the ones who bought $40 million on the table to resolve the issue. Not the Labor Party. We stated quite clearly we would resolve this issue. Not the Labor Party. The Labor Party were the ones who brought about this rate in the first place.
This is not true.
This rate was brought in at the 2015 Abbott/Hockey budget.
4.32am GMT
04:32
There is a flock of Nats in the Senate courtyard speaking on backpackers.
Barnaby Joyce speaks first and then Fiona Nash. They are justifying the policy twists and turns, including the final landing spot. Nash says:
Politics is the art of what’s possible and we now have a 15% rate. It’s a very sensible outcome. It’s a good outcome. Compromise is reality in this parliament.
Updated
at 4.33am GMT
4.23am GMT
04:23
Barnaby Joyce is doing a press conference in five minutes on the backpacker tax.
4.19am GMT
04:19
4.15am GMT
04:15
Updated
at 4.17am GMT
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04:14
Updated
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4.12am GMT
04:12
Updated
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4.09am GMT4.09am GMT
04:0904:09
Paul Karp reports that Senator David Leyonhjelm wants to tear down the goat’s cheese curtin. This day may get worse. Paul Karp reports that senator David Leyonhjelm wants to tear down the goat’s cheese curtain. This day may get worse.
The ABC and SBS will be forced to remove themselves from the “goat’s cheese curtain” by holding community forums under a deal struck between the government and Senator David Leyonhjelm. The ABC and SBS will be forced to remove themselves from the “goat’s cheese curtain” by holding community forums under a deal struck between the government and senator David Leyonhjelm.
Leyonhjelm announced the deal for his vote on the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill on Monday, in addition to a promise that the federal government lead a reform process to loosen suppression orders on court reporting. Leyonhjelm announced the deal for his vote on the Australian building and construction commission bill on Monday, in addition to a promise that the federal government lead a reform process to loosen suppression orders on court reporting.
But the deal could still be torn up if the government agrees to further water buybacks in its horse trading with the Nick Xenophon Team, Leyonhjelm warned. But the deal could still be torn up if the government agrees to further water down buybacks in its horse trading with the Nick Xenophon Team, Leyonhjelm warned.
Updated
at 4.13am GMT
4.05am GMT4.05am GMT
04:0504:05
Shorten to Turnbull: Yesterday, the former prime minister and member for Warringah said “It is good that we are no longer talking about innovation and agility because, frankly, it loses people”. Almost at the same time the minister for finance said “I think innovation and agility is an important part of our economic plan”. Whose lead will the prime minister follow today and is agility still central to your government’s policies? Shorten to Turnbull: Yesterday, the former prime minister and member for Warringah said: “It is good that we are no longer talking about innovation and agility because, frankly, it loses people.” Almost at the same time the minister for finance said: “I think innovation and agility is an important part of our economic plan.” Whose lead will the prime minister follow today and is agility still central to your government’s policies?
Innovation is essential to our government, Turnbull says.Innovation is essential to our government, Turnbull says.
Innovation is the driver of productivity and without continued growth and productivity, Australians cannot be competitive, our living standards cannot be maintained.Innovation is the driver of productivity and without continued growth and productivity, Australians cannot be competitive, our living standards cannot be maintained.
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at 4.14am GMT
4.02am GMT4.02am GMT
04:0204:02
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at 4.14am GMT
4.01am GMT4.01am GMT
04:0104:01
Most of the government questions have been on unions, union corruption and the need for the government’s Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).Most of the government questions have been on unions, union corruption and the need for the government’s Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).
3.58am GMT3.58am GMT
03:5803:58
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: Given the Treasurer has been contradicted by the NSW Liberal Government on negative gearing, first argued there were excesses in negative gearing and then attacked Labor’s reforms to negative gearing and was rolled in cabinet when he himself argued for changes to negative gearing and now doesn’t know what negative gearing is. Isn’t it plain this Treasurer’s just incompetent? Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: Given the treasurer has been contradicted by the NSW Liberal government on negative gearing, first argued there were excesses in negative gearing and then attacked Labor’s reforms to negative gearing and was rolled in cabinet when he himself argued for changes to negative gearing and now doesn’t know what negative gearing is. Isn’t it plain this treasurer’s just incompetent?
Morrison does not go to negative gearing policy.Morrison does not go to negative gearing policy.
This is the shadow treasurer who, at the last election, thought the right plan for Australia was to increase the deficit by $16.5b. This is the shadow treasurer who, at the last election, thought the right plan for Australia was to increase the deficit by $16.5 billion.
Updated
at 4.15am GMT
3.53am GMT3.53am GMT
03:5303:53
Thanks to Paul Karp for this.Thanks to Paul Karp for this.
3.52am GMT3.52am GMT
03:5203:52
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: On Friday the treasurer said: “What negative gearing is is the ability for you to deduct what is a business expense against a business income.” Does the treasurer realise that is actually not negative gearing? Is the reason the treasurer refuses to reform negative gearing is because he doesn’t know what it is?Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: On Friday the treasurer said: “What negative gearing is is the ability for you to deduct what is a business expense against a business income.” Does the treasurer realise that is actually not negative gearing? Is the reason the treasurer refuses to reform negative gearing is because he doesn’t know what it is?
Morrison:Morrison:
It is a very simple tax principle. When you incur costs in earning that income, you can recoup the costs in claiming deductions for those. I was drawing a comparison with businesses in the way that a rental of a property is like running a business.It is a very simple tax principle. When you incur costs in earning that income, you can recoup the costs in claiming deductions for those. I was drawing a comparison with businesses in the way that a rental of a property is like running a business.
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at 3.55am GMTat 3.55am GMT
3.50am GMT3.50am GMT
03:5003:50
This is extraordinary, from the Australian National Audit Office.This is extraordinary, from the Australian National Audit Office.
This is what the ANAO just said about $5 BILLION in tax deductions the oil and gas companies have made. pic.twitter.com/amviqtmXR3This is what the ANAO just said about $5 BILLION in tax deductions the oil and gas companies have made. pic.twitter.com/amviqtmXR3
3.47am GMT3.47am GMT
03:4703:47
Tony Burke to Barnaby Joyce: I refer to the Murray-Darling Basin plan. Will the government guarantee to acquire the additional 450 gigalitres of water through infrastructure investment?Tony Burke to Barnaby Joyce: I refer to the Murray-Darling Basin plan. Will the government guarantee to acquire the additional 450 gigalitres of water through infrastructure investment?
Joyce says the government will deliver the plan and it would be better if Labor came up with some ideas.Joyce says the government will deliver the plan and it would be better if Labor came up with some ideas.
It sounds like Labor thinks the government is doing a deal to deliver the 450GL to South Australia to get Nick Xenophon across the line on the ABCC bill.It sounds like Labor thinks the government is doing a deal to deliver the 450GL to South Australia to get Nick Xenophon across the line on the ABCC bill.
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at 3.53am GMTat 3.53am GMT
3.44am GMT
03:44
A quick view from the red place: Brandis in the Senate
Katharine Murphy
The attorney general, George Brandis, is, unsurprisingly, taking much of the heat in question time today.
Both Labor and the Greens are trying to get to the bottom of whether or not Brandis told the then solicitor general, Justin Gleeson, to run dead in the high court matter about the Bell Group – which is a central allegation in the West Australian’s news report last Friday.
Brandis has invoked his statement before question time as all the information anyone could possibly want. The Brandis statement didn’t actually address this point, hence all the questions.
Brandis doesn’t want to get into his conversation with Gleeson on the basis that would breach privilege.
He eventually tells the Senate Gleeson sought instructions from Brandis to argue certain points during the litigation on the matter of the corporations law, and “I gave him the instructions he sought”.
(Which is more or less the formulation he used during his parliamentary statement.)
Updated
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3.43am GMT
03:43
Shorten to Turnbull: I refer to the statement of the attorney general in the Senate today and the answer just given by the minister for revenue. Is it seriously the position of the government that the only person to blame for the WA kick back scandal is Joe Hockey?
Turnbull says he has dealt with this issue.
Updated
at 3.51am GMT
3.41am GMT
03:41
Tanya Plibersek to financial services minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, as minister responsible for the Australian Tax Office. In state parliament, the West Australian treasurer has said the ATO acted in the Bell Group litigation “contrary to the direction or advice of the assistant treasurer, Kelly O’Dwyer”. What direction or advice did the minister give to the ATO on this matter?
O’Dwyer says she fully supported the ATO in the matter:
When I was made aware of assertions being made by WA ministers regarding dealings with the former treasurer, the honourable Joe Hockey, regarding the Bell litigation, I sought a briefing from the ATO.
The ATO advised me it had a legal obligation and a sound case to intervene in the proceedings in the high court of Australia to protect the interests of the commonwealth.
I fully supported the ATO position and so advised the attorney general of the joint position of myself and the ATO to which the attorney general actually refers to in his detailed statement in the Senate.
This position was subsequently vindicated by the high court in a unanimous decision.
Updated
at 3.50am GMT
3.32am GMT
03:32
Tony Burke asks Malcolm Turnbull again about more correspondence between the WA and commonwealth governments involving Christian Porter. Labor wants to know where the correspondence is and Turnbull says Brandis tabled the documents. He said the documents Labor requested may be confidential.
(Apologies, bear with me, the transcript is broken and this is a very technical matter.)
The Bell Group litigation as everyone knows has been going on for over 20 years. It is a modern version of the Jarndyce litigation ... in the book Bleak House. What the Australian government sought to do was to deal with it. The legislation that they passed had a fatal flaw in it which was, well, perhaps, it may have had others, but the fatal flaw was that it was inconsistent with the federal Taxation Act, which was raised by a number of parties in litigation, including the Australian Taxation Office, and was the basis for it being struck down.
Updated
at 3.39am GMT
3.26am GMT
03:26
Malcolm Turnbull is again asked by Bill Shorten about what exchanges between attorney general George Brandis and former solicitor general Justin Gleeson.
Turnbull again says he was not a party to the conversations so he does not know.
3.20am GMT
03:20
Cathy McGowan to Turnbull: This morning in this place, I introduced a bill, a private members bill, the Charter of Budget Honesty regional Australia impact statements bill. This bill calls on the government to release with each Budget or MYEFO regional Australia statements that outline the impact of fiscal policy on those of us who live outside the city. My question Mr Prime Minister is can you give the assurance to the house that this bill will be brought onto consideration and to demonstrate to those of us who live in rural and regional Australia that our issues are taken account of by the government in preparation of its fiscal policy?
Malcolm Turnbull:
No doubt, we will have differences at election time but we are absolutely united in our commitment to regional Australia and our determination to ensure that the Budget and every element of our policy delivers for regional Australians. We will have a close look at her bill and I thank her for raising it.
3.17am GMT
03:17
Prime minister does not know what happened between attorney general and solicitor general
Dreyfus to Turnbull: Did the attorney general verbally instruct the solicitor general not to run a particular argument in the Bell case in the high court? This is not covered by the attorney general’s statement in the Senate today and the attorney general has said on Sky News today: “I am not going into that matter.”
Malcolm Turnbull states:
The shadow attorney general is asking me what transpired in a conversation between two distinguished members of the bar at which I was not present. Obviously I don’t know what transpired between them but the attorney general has set out his account of the events.
If Turnbull does not know the answer to this question and has not been briefed, that’s a failure of government process – at best.
Updated
at 3.24am GMT
3.12am GMT
03:12
Scott Morrison is asked a government question about budget repair.
3.11am GMT
03:11
Shorten to Turnbull: In the Senate today the attorney general said about the WA kick back scandal: “There was never any agreement or understanding.” So why, on Friday, did the West Australian newspaper report “Senator Brandis told Mr Gleeson an understanding had been reached between the federal and WA governments”, and why is the treasurer of WA insisting that there was an understanding and agreement between WA and the federal government? Who is telling the truth?
Turnbull says Shorten is misleading the house and George Brandis’s statement was comprehensive and lengthy.
Nothing to see here.
Updated
at 3.22am GMT
3.05am GMT
03:05
The first government question is about the Coalition’s economic record and the need for the ABCC bill.