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| Version 9 | Version 10 |
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| Malcolm Turnbull accuses Labor of 'post-truth politics' – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 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.) | |
| 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. | |
| 3.04am GMT | |
| 03:04 | |
| Shorten to Turnbull: I refer to this letter which details an agreement between the federal government and the [WA] Liberal government. Does the prime minister seriously expect the Australian people to believe that there was no agreement between the federal and West Australian governments on the WA kick back scandal? | |
| Turnbull says Shorten had not simply taken leave of his senses, he has taken leave of reality. | |
| Turnbull says of Mark Dreyfus and Bill Shorten: | |
| I hope a future Labor government doesn’t ever appoint [Dreyfus] to the bench. He will dispense with the trial and go straight to the execution. There will be no need for any of that rule of law or due process. We are seeing now the absolute embodiment of post-truth politics, falsehoods from the leader of the opposition. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.21am GMT | |
| 3.00am GMT | |
| 03:00 | |
| Regarding the the privileges committee recommendation which has upheld Jason Clare’s right to privilege over leaked NBN documents. | |
| For this recommendation to have weight, the parliament has to vote and agree. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.00am GMT | |
| 2.56am GMT | 2.56am GMT |
| 02:56 | 02:56 |
| Senator David Leyonhjelm has announced his deal on the ABCC bill: | Senator David Leyonhjelm has announced his deal on the ABCC bill: |
| The government has agreed to remove the onus of proof imposed on employees by the bill to establish they took action because of a reasonable concern about an imminent threat to safety. Employees shouldn’t be wondering about their legal position like this when it comes to matters of safety. I have negotiated for our taxpayer-funded broadcasters to have more accountability to their shareholders. Their shareholders being Australians. The ABC and SBS will hold open community forums in conjunction with their board meetings with some to be held in regional areas. | The government has agreed to remove the onus of proof imposed on employees by the bill to establish they took action because of a reasonable concern about an imminent threat to safety. Employees shouldn’t be wondering about their legal position like this when it comes to matters of safety. I have negotiated for our taxpayer-funded broadcasters to have more accountability to their shareholders. Their shareholders being Australians. The ABC and SBS will hold open community forums in conjunction with their board meetings with some to be held in regional areas. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.59am GMT | at 2.59am GMT |
| 2.45am GMT | 2.45am GMT |
| 02:45 | 02:45 |
| We have question time coming up at 2pm. Blimey, this day is moving quickly. | We have question time coming up at 2pm. Blimey, this day is moving quickly. |
| 2.42am GMT | 2.42am GMT |
| 02:42 | 02:42 |
| Back to George Brandis. We are still not clear on the legal direction from Brandis to Gleeson to gain his approval before giving legal advice to government departments. We are also not clear on whether Brandis asked Gleeson to avoid a certain argument to allegedly help out WA. | Back to George Brandis. We are still not clear on the legal direction from Brandis to Gleeson to gain his approval before giving legal advice to government departments. We are also not clear on whether Brandis asked Gleeson to avoid a certain argument to allegedly help out WA. |
| He was asked again on Sky by Peter Van Onselen. | He was asked again on Sky by Peter Van Onselen. |
| Look, I’m not going to disclose legal advice. But when there is a large matter before any court, including the high court, of course you have discussions with your barrister and of course you discuss a range of options and the posture and strategy that you should take. Now I’m not going to into that matter. | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.04am GMT | |
| 2.37am GMT | 2.37am GMT |
| 02:37 | 02:37 |
| Malcolm Turnbull spoke to the parliament on the Indigenous campaign against domestic violence at the same time as the Brandis statement at noon. | Malcolm Turnbull spoke to the parliament on the Indigenous campaign against domestic violence at the same time as the Brandis statement at noon. |
| Thank you to those who led the ceremony, the story the two sisters, a story of creation. Your dance brings a message from the beginning of time – a message of love, a message of respect, a call to men to respect women – the mothers who gave them life, the wives who give their children life, the sisters who carry their culture through thousands and thousands of years, from time [immemorial]. You are using the strength of your culture to seek to stop this violence. | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.05am GMT | |
| 2.35am GMT | 2.35am GMT |
| 02:35 | 02:35 |
| Brandis: there was no evidence of Hockey-Nahan agreement | Brandis: there was no evidence of Hockey-Nahan agreement |
| Brandis is asked, does this call into question ambassador Hockey’s record, and should it? | Brandis is asked, does this call into question ambassador Hockey’s record, and should it? |
| Brandis: | Brandis: |
| No, it doesn’t, not slightly. As I said in response to your colleague, the evidence we have of the discussion or discussions between Mr Hockey and Dr Nahan is that contained in the exchange of letters of April 2015, which do not [constitute] evidence, let alone constitute, an agreement. | No, it doesn’t, not slightly. As I said in response to your colleague, the evidence we have of the discussion or discussions between Mr Hockey and Dr Nahan is that contained in the exchange of letters of April 2015, which do not [constitute] evidence, let alone constitute, an agreement. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.46am GMT | at 2.46am GMT |
| 2.32am GMT | 2.32am GMT |
| 02:32 | 02:32 |
| Brandis says: | Brandis says: |
| At all times commonwealth ministers, including me, acted to protect the interests of the commonwealth. We acted on the solicitor general’s advice, the interests of the commonwealth were protected ... The position the commonwealth took in relation to the Income Tax Assessment Act ... the principal issue before the high court, was resolved on terms favourable to the commonwealth. | At all times commonwealth ministers, including me, acted to protect the interests of the commonwealth. We acted on the solicitor general’s advice, the interests of the commonwealth were protected ... The position the commonwealth took in relation to the Income Tax Assessment Act ... the principal issue before the high court, was resolved on terms favourable to the commonwealth. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.45am GMT | at 2.45am GMT |
| 2.30am GMT | 2.30am GMT |
| 02:30 | 02:30 |
| George Brandis: Mark Dreyfus will lie through his teeth | George Brandis: Mark Dreyfus will lie through his teeth |
| In a doorstop after his statement, Brandis accuses Labor’s Bill Shorten and Mark Dreyfus of “serial lying”. | In a doorstop after his statement, Brandis accuses Labor’s Bill Shorten and Mark Dreyfus of “serial lying”. |
| The things they have said had no basis whatever in fact. No basis whatever. But I’m sorry to say that we live in an era, as far as the Labor party and the Greens are concerned, what is lately become known as post-truth politics. It is absolutely of no concern to Mr Dreyfus that he will lie through his teeth, that Mr Dreyfus is prepared to lie and lie again to make things up, to fantasise, to make the most reckless and offensive allegations with no facts to support him whatsoever. | The things they have said had no basis whatever in fact. No basis whatever. But I’m sorry to say that we live in an era, as far as the Labor party and the Greens are concerned, what is lately become known as post-truth politics. It is absolutely of no concern to Mr Dreyfus that he will lie through his teeth, that Mr Dreyfus is prepared to lie and lie again to make things up, to fantasise, to make the most reckless and offensive allegations with no facts to support him whatsoever. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.44am GMT | at 2.44am GMT |
| 2.21am GMT | 2.21am GMT |
| 02:21 | 02:21 |
| Lunchtime politics | Lunchtime politics |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.43am GMT | at 2.43am GMT |