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Nick Xenophon says Coalition may be 'wasting billions' on defence – politics live Nick Xenophon says Coalition may be 'wasting billions' on defence – politics live
(35 minutes later)
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Pat Dodson fan in the caucus.
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You will remember the Senate changed the rules recently to allow media photographers to take pictures of senators who do not have the call (those who are not speaking at the time).
The newly minted independent Cory Bernardi made a complaint yesterday to the chair about a senator taking a photo from the floor. The president is taking up the matter.
Bernardi said:
I wonder whether the president has made a ruling in light of a recent event to do with photographs being taken within the chamber. Perhaps it might be pertinent at some point for the president or the deputy president to remind senators about whether it is possible to take photos within the chamber.
Madame deputy president, who was in the chair, said president Stephen Parry would be in touch.
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To be clear on school funding, Labor promised to fund the full six years of the Gonski reforms but given a government budget only has four years of forward estimates, years 5 and 6 were promised.
The Abbott government cut great whack of money out of the first budget – even though they promised they were on a unity ticket on Gonski at the 2013 election. The Coalition also said they would rewrite the Gonski agreements for years 5 and 6.
So that’s the “cut” that Labor is talking about.
The Coalition claims that it is not a cut to education funding because overall education funding is rising as it always does due to indexation.
Thus – pea and thimble – there is no such funding cut. Because, as McGrath says, decreased growth is not a cut.
I think a pub test would determine it is a cut.
And in my opinion, these in-and-out-of-a-feline’s-backside arguments are exactly what gives voters the irrits. Let’s just call it how it is, hey people?
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11.34pm GMT11.34pm GMT
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Paul KarpPaul Karp
Labor’s deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, and shadow assistant schools minister, Andrew Giles, are out this morning demanding the government release its proposed schools funding model for 2018 and beyond. Labor’s deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, and the shadow assistant schools minister, Andrew Giles, are out this morning demanding the government release its proposed schools funding model for 2018 and beyond.
On Monday afternoon the Senate passed a motion noting that the government had cut $30bn from the schools budget in the 2014 budget and abandoned years 5 and 6 of needs-based funding agreements negotiated by the Labor government.On Monday afternoon the Senate passed a motion noting that the government had cut $30bn from the schools budget in the 2014 budget and abandoned years 5 and 6 of needs-based funding agreements negotiated by the Labor government.
It called on education and training minister, Simon Birmingham, to release the new funding model. It called on the education and training minister, Simon Birmingham, to release the new funding model.
Liberal senator, James McGrath, spoke against the motion noting schools funding is rising from $16.1 billion in 2016 to $20.2 billion in 2020, and claiming that decreasing the rate of projected funding growth does not amount to a cut in schools funding. The Liberal senator James McGrath spoke against the motion noting schools funding is rising from $16.1 billion in 2016 to $20.2 billion in 2020, and claiming that decreasing the rate of projected funding growth does not amount to a cut in schools funding.
The motion passed on the voices, without a division, which Plibersek and Giles have characterised as the Liberals agreeing to the motion.The motion passed on the voices, without a division, which Plibersek and Giles have characterised as the Liberals agreeing to the motion.
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The Matt Hatter moment has come early in the day.The Matt Hatter moment has come early in the day.
@gabriellechan ✈Hello✈ @Nick_Xenophon has a point; (eg) supporting the barely-fly's can't-shoot-straight F35 is throwing good 💰 after bad. pic.twitter.com/gJPDjxm6re@gabriellechan ✈Hello✈ @Nick_Xenophon has a point; (eg) supporting the barely-fly's can't-shoot-straight F35 is throwing good 💰 after bad. pic.twitter.com/gJPDjxm6re
11.29pm GMT11.29pm GMT
23:2923:29
The Xenophon wishlistThe Xenophon wishlist
The detail of the Xenophon requirements is worth a look so we know where this Omnibus may land. The detail of the Xenophon requirements is worth a look so we know where this omnibus may land.
NXT has long opposed:NXT has long opposed:
the four-week wait for Youth Allowance, and the four-week wait for youth allowance, and
PPL cuts at both the initial 18-week proposal and the subsequent 20-week proposal announced last week.PPL cuts at both the initial 18-week proposal and the subsequent 20-week proposal announced last week.
In a statement, NXT said before considering cuts to everyday Australian families, the government needs to:In a statement, NXT said before considering cuts to everyday Australian families, the government needs to:
take future company tax cuts for big business off the table at this time;take future company tax cuts for big business off the table at this time;
crack down on multinational tax avoidance and ensure companies such as Google and Facebook pay their fair share;crack down on multinational tax avoidance and ensure companies such as Google and Facebook pay their fair share;
urgently free-up funds in the Automotive Transformation Scheme to stem the flow of jobs as auto-making shuts down in this country in October, in order to keep people off welfare and contributing to the nation’s prosperity; and urgently free up funds in the automotive transformation scheme to stem the flow of jobs as auto-making shuts down in this country in October, in order to keep people off welfare and contributing to the nation’s prosperity; and
establish an Emissions Intensity Scheme which will lower power prices for families, pensioners and businesses and increase reliability. establish an emissions intensity scheme, which will lower power prices for families, pensioners and businesses and increase reliability.
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11.21pm GMT11.21pm GMT
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Perhaps as Christian Porter considers those negotiations, he may take some advice from Laura Tingle in the Fin Review. She notes that Porter is a conservative leadership contender, a former Western Australian attorney general and treasurer.Perhaps as Christian Porter considers those negotiations, he may take some advice from Laura Tingle in the Fin Review. She notes that Porter is a conservative leadership contender, a former Western Australian attorney general and treasurer.
What he hasn’t got is any political touch. He rather showed that last year when he missed a huge opportunity to parade himself as an innovative policy maker with some interesting ideas – and create a new platform for debating welfare spending – when he instead sold the government’s adoption of the New Zealand investment approach to social welfare as yet just another exercise in ways to save eleventy billion dollars in a hundred years’ time.What he hasn’t got is any political touch. He rather showed that last year when he missed a huge opportunity to parade himself as an innovative policy maker with some interesting ideas – and create a new platform for debating welfare spending – when he instead sold the government’s adoption of the New Zealand investment approach to social welfare as yet just another exercise in ways to save eleventy billion dollars in a hundred years’ time.
So here’s a tip Christian: don’t pick on disabled people.So here’s a tip Christian: don’t pick on disabled people.
It’s one thing for the politically tin-eared treasurer Scott Morrison to try to play funny buggers with the National Disability Insurance Scheme but for the two of you to try to double the stakes on the government’s omnibus childcare/family payments/welfare cuts bill by appearing to be playing off poor people against disabled people is just appalling.It’s one thing for the politically tin-eared treasurer Scott Morrison to try to play funny buggers with the National Disability Insurance Scheme but for the two of you to try to double the stakes on the government’s omnibus childcare/family payments/welfare cuts bill by appearing to be playing off poor people against disabled people is just appalling.
And it was only made worse by opening the press conference announcing the cunning plan by talking about how important it was to cut company taxes.And it was only made worse by opening the press conference announcing the cunning plan by talking about how important it was to cut company taxes.
The Coalition has always claimed Labor did not fund the NDIS properly. Labor has always claimed they had budgeted for the NDIS. Even from yesterday, the shadow social services minister, Jenny Macklin, said:The Coalition has always claimed Labor did not fund the NDIS properly. Labor has always claimed they had budgeted for the NDIS. Even from yesterday, the shadow social services minister, Jenny Macklin, said:
In the 2013-14 budget, the Labor government clearly identified how the NDIS would be funded for 10 years.In the 2013-14 budget, the Labor government clearly identified how the NDIS would be funded for 10 years.
This included a 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy. The Medicare levy was always intended to cover some – not all – of the cost of the NDIS. That’s why Labor made responsible budget choices to help fund the NDIS.This included a 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy. The Medicare levy was always intended to cover some – not all – of the cost of the NDIS. That’s why Labor made responsible budget choices to help fund the NDIS.
Figures underpinning these savings were developed and published by the Treasury – led at that time by Martin Parkinson, now the secretary of the prime minister’s department.Figures underpinning these savings were developed and published by the Treasury – led at that time by Martin Parkinson, now the secretary of the prime minister’s department.
I am chasing the “figures underpinning these savings”.I am chasing the “figures underpinning these savings”.
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11.06pm GMT11.06pm GMT
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As the parties settle down to talk among themselves, I have some time to consider the next step for the government after the Xenophon rebuff.As the parties settle down to talk among themselves, I have some time to consider the next step for the government after the Xenophon rebuff.
After the huffery puffery of yesterday, where the three amigos threatened to stick it to the NDIS if the omnibus did not pass, this morning the social services minister, Christian Porter, said the government was willing to negotiate.After the huffery puffery of yesterday, where the three amigos threatened to stick it to the NDIS if the omnibus did not pass, this morning the social services minister, Christian Porter, said the government was willing to negotiate.
The main issue here is finding a way to fund a very serious $1.6bn investment in childcare, which parents and families and mums are screaming out for. We can’t do that other than find money with the expenditure. The first project here is to look at the savings that Nick thinks that he can agree with and see where he can get to the figure of $1.6bn. If Nick has a view that there are other savings out that there can fill the gap and agree to the savings, we’ll obviously have a look at that.The main issue here is finding a way to fund a very serious $1.6bn investment in childcare, which parents and families and mums are screaming out for. We can’t do that other than find money with the expenditure. The first project here is to look at the savings that Nick thinks that he can agree with and see where he can get to the figure of $1.6bn. If Nick has a view that there are other savings out that there can fill the gap and agree to the savings, we’ll obviously have a look at that.
But from defence industry minister Christopher Pyne’s Twitter interventions, we can assume defence will not be one of those savings.But from defence industry minister Christopher Pyne’s Twitter interventions, we can assume defence will not be one of those savings.
Xenophon wants us to find $5.6B in defence savings to fund welfare.That's entire OPV program cancelled! Less jobs & investment in SA. Shame.Xenophon wants us to find $5.6B in defence savings to fund welfare.That's entire OPV program cancelled! Less jobs & investment in SA. Shame.
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10.55pm GMT10.55pm GMT
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Pat Dodson: the effect of the apology was powerful but remains symbolicPat Dodson: the effect of the apology was powerful but remains symbolic
Senator Pat Dodson tells his party room:Senator Pat Dodson tells his party room:
In this place, we collectively represent the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander nations across this great country whose lands have been occupied and stolen.In this place, we collectively represent the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander nations across this great country whose lands have been occupied and stolen.
I acknowledge the generations who have gone before and those yet to come. Nine years ago, the apology and Labor’s commitment to Closing the Gap [combined] the symbolic and the practical after a tumultuous decade of denial under the Howard government.I acknowledge the generations who have gone before and those yet to come. Nine years ago, the apology and Labor’s commitment to Closing the Gap [combined] the symbolic and the practical after a tumultuous decade of denial under the Howard government.
Prime minister Rudd’s apology was cathartic. The positive responses of the wider Australian public was heartening. Affirming that with right political leadership, we can transcend the politics of fear and guilt as a nation, and work towards a reconciliation based on truth-telling, healing and justice. Wrongs can be righted. The effect of the apology was powerful whilst remaining symbolic.Prime minister Rudd’s apology was cathartic. The positive responses of the wider Australian public was heartening. Affirming that with right political leadership, we can transcend the politics of fear and guilt as a nation, and work towards a reconciliation based on truth-telling, healing and justice. Wrongs can be righted. The effect of the apology was powerful whilst remaining symbolic.
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Bill Shorten is opening the Labor caucus meeting. (Remember there are party room meetings this morning.) He says the Indigenous flag will stay in the Labor caucus room.Bill Shorten is opening the Labor caucus meeting. (Remember there are party room meetings this morning.) He says the Indigenous flag will stay in the Labor caucus room.
We need to change the relationship between First Australians and all other Australians. It’s not about listing the pluses and minuses of the balance sheet and what works and what doesn’t.We need to change the relationship between First Australians and all other Australians. It’s not about listing the pluses and minuses of the balance sheet and what works and what doesn’t.
He introduces senator Pat Dodson.He introduces senator Pat Dodson.
Dodson teaches Labor members to say g’day in his traditional language.Dodson teaches Labor members to say g’day in his traditional language.
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KRudd gives a short history on carbon policy.KRudd gives a short history on carbon policy.
.@MrKRudd says Australia's energy policy can be described in three words: "Dumb, dumb, dumb!" pic.twitter.com/JSgI0x8aDu.@MrKRudd says Australia's energy policy can be described in three words: "Dumb, dumb, dumb!" pic.twitter.com/JSgI0x8aDu