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| Coalition appears to have numbers to pass Gonski 2.0 bill in Senate – politics live | Coalition appears to have numbers to pass Gonski 2.0 bill in Senate – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.47am BST | |
| 04:47 | |
| Lunchtime politics | |
| Paul Karp | |
| The Turnbull government has won widespread crossbench support for its schools package in a Senate vote after making concessions, including a purported promise that Catholic schools will not have their funding growth cut pending a review. | |
| Concessions to the Nick Xenophon Team and Jacqui Lambie, as described by those senators, include the creation of a national schools resource body, delivering the package in six years not 10 with an extra $4.9bn in funding; compelling the states to increase their funding; and preserving the status quo for Catholic schools for 12 to 18 months. | |
| Early on Wednesday afternoon the government won a vote at the second reading stage of the bill with the support of One Nation, NXT, Lambie, Derryn Hinch and Lucy Gichuhi. | |
| If those 10 crossbench senators continue to vote with the government, the bill can be passed without the Greens, who have been dealing extensively with the government but have not concluded a final position and voted against the move to bring on the second reading. | |
| If the Senate grouping holds, education minister Simon Birmingham will have crafted a package that addresses retiring Western Australian senator Chris Back’s concerns for the Catholic sector, and avoids the added difficulty in the Coalition partyroom of being seen to deal with the Greens. | |
| Chief scientist Alan Finkel has refused to buy into whether the Coalition should in invest in new coal facilities. | |
| Both Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten have distanced themselves from a CFMEU officials alleged threat involving Australian Building and Construction Commission inspectors and their families. Albanese said it was appropriate that the matter was referred to the police. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.56am BST | |
| 4.28am BST | |
| 04:28 | |
| Over to chief scientist Alan Finkel because there is just not enough going on in the building ... | |
| The full speech is here. | |
| Katharine Murphy asks ‘Is it a good idea for any government at this point in the economic transition, with a view to Australia’s emissions reduction agreement and the world’s emissions reductions agreements, to be contemplating building an HELE [high-efficiency low-emissions] coal plant? | |
| Finkel | |
| So my personal opinion, the panel’s opinion, the review, it’s all about the long term, and what you’re trying to do with that question and the other questions is get me to pass an opinion or a judgement on a [system] | |
| Murph: “You’re perfectly qualified” | |
| Finkel: | |
| for a short-term need. It’s not going to be decadal impact. I just don’t know enough about how the process will be run, what the result will be. Even whether the process will be run in the first place. It is what you have to call a hypothetical. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.35am BST | |
| 4.24am BST | |
| 04:24 | |
| Chief scientist Alan Finkel sees a place for "reverse auction" to get bids to reduce emissions. @PressClubAust | |
| Finkel offers no endorsement for coal. Says it's up to government on taking bids to build new coal power. https://t.co/vuLxwaNzWn | |
| 4.19am BST | 4.19am BST |
| 04:19 | 04:19 |
| Christopher Knaus reports: | Christopher Knaus reports: |
| A Chinese student organiser and gold trader linked to ALP Senate candidate Simon Zhou used a shell company to donate $45,000 to the Labor party while working for the shadow assistant treasurer in last year’s federal election campaign. | A Chinese student organiser and gold trader linked to ALP Senate candidate Simon Zhou used a shell company to donate $45,000 to the Labor party while working for the shadow assistant treasurer in last year’s federal election campaign. |
| Xin “Filip” Shu, then 26, began working casually for Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite during the election campaign, after finishing stints with several gold traders, including one now known to be involved in a $143m gold-trading tax scandal. | Xin “Filip” Shu, then 26, began working casually for Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite during the election campaign, after finishing stints with several gold traders, including one now known to be involved in a $143m gold-trading tax scandal. |
| 4.16am BST | 4.16am BST |
| 04:16 | 04:16 |
| Mike Bowers was in the chamber when for the second reading of Gonski 2.0. | Mike Bowers was in the chamber when for the second reading of Gonski 2.0. |
| Birmingham was on the phone in the latter stages of the debate. | Birmingham was on the phone in the latter stages of the debate. |
| After Derryn Hinch spoke in favour, the speakers ran out and the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, called on a vote. | After Derryn Hinch spoke in favour, the speakers ran out and the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, called on a vote. |
| Bowers says that took the Greens by surprise and there were hurried conferences as the vote was taking place. | Bowers says that took the Greens by surprise and there were hurried conferences as the vote was taking place. |
| And just after. | And just after. |
| Soon after, it became clear the government “at this stage, says Lambie” has her support. That is the 10th vote, the magic number. | Soon after, it became clear the government “at this stage, says Lambie” has her support. That is the 10th vote, the magic number. |
| It would appear the Greens were cut out, in favour of a deal with the crossbench. | It would appear the Greens were cut out, in favour of a deal with the crossbench. |
| Not relying on the Greens vote makes it politically easier for Turnbull and Birmingham in their own party room with the three As – Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews. | Not relying on the Greens vote makes it politically easier for Turnbull and Birmingham in their own party room with the three As – Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.18am BST | at 4.18am BST |
| 4.03am BST | 4.03am BST |
| 04:03 | 04:03 |
| While it seems that the government has a deal with the crossbenchers, there are no official amendments on the chamber documents yet. But the consensus in the debate from the players is: | While it seems that the government has a deal with the crossbenchers, there are no official amendments on the chamber documents yet. But the consensus in the debate from the players is: |
| Faster rollout of funding, from 10 years to six | Faster rollout of funding, from 10 years to six |
| Binding the states to commit their funding | Binding the states to commit their funding |
| Independent school funding body to oversee funding formulas and audits | Independent school funding body to oversee funding formulas and audits |
| For the next 12 months, a delay to changes to the Catholic system. The details on this are a bit sketchy and may mean different things to different senators, so all things are liable to change without notice. | For the next 12 months, a delay to changes to the Catholic system. The details on this are a bit sketchy and may mean different things to different senators, so all things are liable to change without notice. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.11am BST | at 4.11am BST |
| 3.55am BST | 3.55am BST |
| 03:55 | 03:55 |
| Nick Xenophon predicts the cross media ownership will not get through the Senate this week. | Nick Xenophon predicts the cross media ownership will not get through the Senate this week. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.10am BST | at 4.10am BST |
| 3.55am BST | 3.55am BST |
| 03:55 | 03:55 |
| UPDATE: I will support Gonski 2.0 at this stage pic.twitter.com/b15x6Fduo2 | UPDATE: I will support Gonski 2.0 at this stage pic.twitter.com/b15x6Fduo2 |
| 3.54am BST | 3.54am BST |
| 03:54 | 03:54 |
| Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon and his colleagues Rebekha Sharkie and Sky Kakoschke-Moore are holding a doorstop on Gonski 2.0. | Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon and his colleagues Rebekha Sharkie and Sky Kakoschke-Moore are holding a doorstop on Gonski 2.0. |
| They were asked about threats by the Australian Education Union to campaign against them. | They were asked about threats by the Australian Education Union to campaign against them. |
| Lambie gets her back up and says she will put it back on the AEU and ask them why they are not teaching kids properly. | Lambie gets her back up and says she will put it back on the AEU and ask them why they are not teaching kids properly. |
| Xenophon says meh, there is such a long list of people out to get me... | Xenophon says meh, there is such a long list of people out to get me... |
| 3.52am BST | 3.52am BST |
| 03:52 | 03:52 |
| Meanwhile at the Press Club, Alan Finkel is comparing the national electricity market to an Italian novel. | Meanwhile at the Press Club, Alan Finkel is comparing the national electricity market to an Italian novel. |
| Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel will conclude press club speech by comparing the electricity market to plot of an historical Italian novel: pic.twitter.com/Aso3RrRdaY | Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel will conclude press club speech by comparing the electricity market to plot of an historical Italian novel: pic.twitter.com/Aso3RrRdaY |
| 3.50am BST | 3.50am BST |
| 03:50 | 03:50 |
| Government appears to have numbers on Gonski 2.0 | Government appears to have numbers on Gonski 2.0 |
| Independent Jacqui Lambie is supporting the school funding bill “at this stage”. | Independent Jacqui Lambie is supporting the school funding bill “at this stage”. |
| This would appear to give the government the numbers to pass the bill. | This would appear to give the government the numbers to pass the bill. |
| 3.48am BST | 3.48am BST |
| 03:48 | 03:48 |
| Education minister Simon Birmingham paints himself as the saviour of Gonski, the guy that fixes the problem. | Education minister Simon Birmingham paints himself as the saviour of Gonski, the guy that fixes the problem. |
| He says the Greens have been thoughtful contributors in the public debate on this issue. | He says the Greens have been thoughtful contributors in the public debate on this issue. |
| He says Labor would rather play politics on this issue. | He says Labor would rather play politics on this issue. |
| It’s never been for them about applying needs-based funding across Australia. It is about a political wedge. | It’s never been for them about applying needs-based funding across Australia. It is about a political wedge. |
| This how I see it. | This how I see it. |
| Labor’s original intentions under Julia Gillard was to sort school funding through Gonski. | Labor’s original intentions under Julia Gillard was to sort school funding through Gonski. |
| Due to the leadership fights and the minority parliament, her hands were tied and she could not complete deals quickly enough. The Coalition states were agin her but Gonski 1.0 was a good start. | Due to the leadership fights and the minority parliament, her hands were tied and she could not complete deals quickly enough. The Coalition states were agin her but Gonski 1.0 was a good start. |
| The Coalition never believed in needs-based funding until recently – Tony Abbott broke his promise about being on the Gonski ticket in 2013 – so this latter-day conversion to needs-based funding is the ultimate reverse ferret. | The Coalition never believed in needs-based funding until recently – Tony Abbott broke his promise about being on the Gonski ticket in 2013 – so this latter-day conversion to needs-based funding is the ultimate reverse ferret. |
| But now that most of the Coalition have accepted it, Labor should welcome it and promise to ramp up funding when we get there. Due to competing constituencies, Labor will find it harder to stare down Catholic and independent schools. | But now that most of the Coalition have accepted it, Labor should welcome it and promise to ramp up funding when we get there. Due to competing constituencies, Labor will find it harder to stare down Catholic and independent schools. |
| If Labor are worried about enshrining the 80-20 split between public and private schools, they can also fix that with Greens support when they are in government. | If Labor are worried about enshrining the 80-20 split between public and private schools, they can also fix that with Greens support when they are in government. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.55am BST | at 3.55am BST |