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| Version 16 | Version 17 |
|---|---|
| Labor grill government on Centrelink and Bernardi – as it happened | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.26am GMT | |
| 06:26 | |
| Night time summary | |
| That’s it for day 1 and what a day 1 it has been. | |
| Today, Cory Bernardi finally carried out his threat to resign from the Liberal party - that party which he stood for eight months ago. No one followed him out the party door. As yet. The government was disappointed, Labor was delighted and he made lots of friends on the crossbenches in the senate. Barnaby Joyce’s only advice was to pray hard. Bernardi’s defection means the government needs one more vote (probably his) to pass legislation in the senate. All subject to change when the Day and Culleton senate vacancies are resolved. | |
| The Turnbull government dumped the gold pass scheme for ex-politicians to prove there are no elites in the building. The rules had allowed free air travel. It is retrospective so past pollies will lose their travel entitlements which has angered LNP MP Warren Entsch who says it is unfair for those who served for long periods. He said by all means, chop it off for those post 2014 pollies but not before. And chop it off for PMs while you are there, said Entsch. The government also announced it would introduce the bill for an independent authority to oversee politicians expenses this week. | |
| The government backflipped on plans for compulsory acquisition of land north of Rockhampton to expand the Shoalwater Bay training facility to fulfil an agreement with Singapore for joint military exercises. Barnaby Joyce and defence minister Marise Payne announced that any land would only be acquired with a willing seller. | |
| The government focussed on energy affordability while attacking Labor’s renewable energy policies. Labor pushed back, questioning the government on the cost effectiveness of an energy intensity scheme as well as the Centrelink debt scandal. | |
| The hearing into former Family First senator Bob Day’s eligibility has concluded. The high court reserved its judgment, meaning it will be a few weeks (or months) before we know whether he was ineligible for election due to an “indirect pecuniary interest” in the lease of his electorate office. | |
| The judgment will determine who fills the Senate vacancy created by Day’s resignation. If the commonwealth wins and Day was ineligible, it is likely Lucy Gichuhi, Family First’s second candidate, will take the seat. If Day wins and he was eligible, the party’s pick of Rikki Lambert will take the seat. If former Labor senator Anne McEwen persuades the court the entire Family First group should collapse, then she might sneak back into the Senate. | |
| That’s it from me. Thanks for your time and conversation. Thanks to the brains trust, Paul Karp, Gareth Hutchens and Katharine Murphy. Take a Bow, Bow Wow Bowers. | |
| Good night. | |
| Before you go, here is a video explainer of the Cory Bernardi swan dive, via Josh Wall. | |
| Enjoy. | |
| Updated | |
| at 6.31am GMT | |
| 5.43am GMT | 5.43am GMT |
| 05:43 | 05:43 |
| The House is voting on independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s earlier motion regarding the Centrelink debt notices. The motion fails 73-71. | The House is voting on independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s earlier motion regarding the Centrelink debt notices. The motion fails 73-71. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.48am GMT | at 5.48am GMT |
| 5.28am GMT | 5.28am GMT |
| 05:28 | 05:28 |
| The Senate by numbers | The Senate by numbers |
| I just want to double back on the Senate numbers now, more for myself as much as anyone else. | I just want to double back on the Senate numbers now, more for myself as much as anyone else. |
| With the Cory defection, the numbers are: | With the Cory defection, the numbers are: |
| Government 29 | Government 29 |
| Labor 26 | Labor 26 |
| Greens 9 | Greens 9 |
| Others 10 | Others 10 |
| Vacant (due to Bob Day, Rod Culleton) 2 | Vacant (due to Bob Day, Rod Culleton) 2 |
| For a majority, the government as of today requires 38 or nine extra Senate votes. | For a majority, the government as of today requires 38 or nine extra Senate votes. |
| If Day and Culleton are replaced by their own parties, the government would then require 39 or 10 extra Senate votes. | If Day and Culleton are replaced by their own parties, the government would then require 39 or 10 extra Senate votes. |
| If not, back to the drawing board. | If not, back to the drawing board. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.37am GMT | at 5.37am GMT |
| 5.14am GMT | 5.14am GMT |
| 05:14 | 05:14 |
| Updated | |
| at 6.30am GMT | |
| 5.08am GMT | 5.08am GMT |
| 05:08 | 05:08 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.31am GMT | |
| 5.03am GMT | 5.03am GMT |
| 05:03 | 05:03 |
| The weight of office. | The weight of office. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.04am GMT | at 5.04am GMT |
| 5.01am GMT | 5.01am GMT |
| 05:01 | 05:01 |
| New friends. | New friends. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.31am GMT | |
| 4.55am GMT | 4.55am GMT |
| 04:55 | 04:55 |
| The Liberal MP Warren Entsch says it is unfair to take the gold pass for people in the past who have served seven terms (which was the requirement). | |
| By all means constrain it, I have no problem ... I have no issue with cutting it off from 2014. | By all means constrain it, I have no problem ... I have no issue with cutting it off from 2014. |
| Entsch’s thinking is that the government foreshadowed the policy change in 2014. He also says if the gold pass is removed for everyone else, former PMs should have it removed as well. | Entsch’s thinking is that the government foreshadowed the policy change in 2014. He also says if the gold pass is removed for everyone else, former PMs should have it removed as well. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.33am GMT | |
| 4.51am GMT | 4.51am GMT |
| 04:51 | 04:51 |
| The new paradigm. | The new paradigm. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.33am GMT | |
| 4.36am GMT | 4.36am GMT |
| 04:36 | 04:36 |
| Gareth Hutchens | Gareth Hutchens |
| The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, says she spoke on the phone this morning to the new US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. | The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, says she spoke on the phone this morning to the new US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. |
| She told the Coalition party room that her conversation with Tillerson “could not have been warmer” and there was “no doubt” the Turnbull government and the Trump administration would work together. | She told the Coalition party room that her conversation with Tillerson “could not have been warmer” and there was “no doubt” the Turnbull government and the Trump administration would work together. |
| It is clear that the United States will remain deeply engaged in our region. | It is clear that the United States will remain deeply engaged in our region. |
| She also told them she would be meeting China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, on Tuesday afternoon, and this showed Australia could be friendly with both nations. | She also told them she would be meeting China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, on Tuesday afternoon, and this showed Australia could be friendly with both nations. |
| It shows that we can manage relationships between both of those countries in a calm, considered and mature way. Every nation puts it’s interests first, and it’s in Australia’s interest to provide peace, stability and security. | It shows that we can manage relationships between both of those countries in a calm, considered and mature way. Every nation puts it’s interests first, and it’s in Australia’s interest to provide peace, stability and security. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.39am GMT | at 4.39am GMT |
| 4.33am GMT | 4.33am GMT |
| 04:33 | 04:33 |
| Question time is over. | Question time is over. |
| Speaker Tony Smith announces criminal charges will be laid as a result of the demonstration from last year which saw question time disrupted after protestors superglued their hands to the benches. | Speaker Tony Smith announces criminal charges will be laid as a result of the demonstration from last year which saw question time disrupted after protestors superglued their hands to the benches. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.58am GMT | at 4.58am GMT |
| 4.31am GMT | 4.31am GMT |
| 04:31 | 04:31 |
| Government question to Peter Dutton: Will the minister update the house on steps the government is taking to ensure foreign workers are a supplementary to and not a substitute for Australian workers? How does this compare with other approaches? | Government question to Peter Dutton: Will the minister update the house on steps the government is taking to ensure foreign workers are a supplementary to and not a substitute for Australian workers? How does this compare with other approaches? |
| Dutton goes to the number of visas for 457 issued under Bill Shorten as minister. | Dutton goes to the number of visas for 457 issued under Bill Shorten as minister. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.32am GMT | at 4.32am GMT |
| 4.26am GMT | 4.26am GMT |
| 04:26 | 04:26 |
| Shorten to Turnbull: Today’s print media includes comments from a large number of members of the prime minister’s own government airing grievances about the workings of the Liberal government including in the Daily Telegraph, the Herald Sun, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Courier Mail and the Australian all have examples of this. When thousands of people are losing their jobs at Toyota and Holden, why are members of the government only talking about themselves? | Shorten to Turnbull: Today’s print media includes comments from a large number of members of the prime minister’s own government airing grievances about the workings of the Liberal government including in the Daily Telegraph, the Herald Sun, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Courier Mail and the Australian all have examples of this. When thousands of people are losing their jobs at Toyota and Holden, why are members of the government only talking about themselves? |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| It is not so long ago that ... the leader of the opposition spoke at the Press Club, the day before I did, and he said he would be focused on people rather than politics. What we see is one cheap shot after another. | It is not so long ago that ... the leader of the opposition spoke at the Press Club, the day before I did, and he said he would be focused on people rather than politics. What we see is one cheap shot after another. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.29am GMT | at 4.29am GMT |
| 4.23am GMT | 4.23am GMT |
| 04:23 | 04:23 |
| The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, gets a government question: Will the minister update the House on how the government is promoting Australia’s national interests in strengthening our bilateral relationships? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches that would threaten our national interest? | The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, gets a government question: Will the minister update the House on how the government is promoting Australia’s national interests in strengthening our bilateral relationships? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches that would threaten our national interest? |
| She goes to Chinese free-trade agreement and the increase in exports from the citrus industry. | She goes to Chinese free-trade agreement and the increase in exports from the citrus industry. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.26am GMT | at 4.26am GMT |
| 4.20am GMT | 4.20am GMT |
| 04:20 | 04:20 |
| Labor’s Tanya Plibersek asks Turnbull: Does the prime minister agree with the member for Warringah that “the first duty of the leader is to keep the party together”. How is that going? | Labor’s Tanya Plibersek asks Turnbull: Does the prime minister agree with the member for Warringah that “the first duty of the leader is to keep the party together”. How is that going? |
| Speaker Tony Smith rules the question out of order. | Speaker Tony Smith rules the question out of order. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.27am GMT | at 4.27am GMT |
| 4.19am GMT | 4.19am GMT |
| 04:19 | 04:19 |
| There is a Dixer CFMEU question to the defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne. | There is a Dixer CFMEU question to the defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne. |
| The revelations of the year of funding up to the 2016 federal election, the union movement spent an incredible $26.5m of other people’s money campaigning against the Turnbull government. | The revelations of the year of funding up to the 2016 federal election, the union movement spent an incredible $26.5m of other people’s money campaigning against the Turnbull government. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.20am GMT | at 4.20am GMT |