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| Labor in talks with crossbench after Barnaby Joyce high court referral – politics live | Labor in talks with crossbench after Barnaby Joyce high court referral – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.23am BST | |
| 01:23 | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.28am BST | |
| 1.12am BST | |
| 01:12 | |
| In July 18 ABC radio interview: Barnaby Joyce on Waters-Ludlam is just amazing https://t.co/B75JuNfLU1 pic.twitter.com/QZ7tUwFpsX | |
| 1.11am BST | |
| 01:11 | |
| News from the party room: | |
| PM to party: The Australian people elected this Govt, Bill Shorten wants to steal Govt by entering into a conspiracy with a foreign power. | |
| He's going to call the police again isn't he? #AlwaysLaborsFault 🚓🚨😭 https://t.co/2thoxm2S2m | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.13am BST | |
| 1.10am BST | |
| 01:10 | |
| Malcolm Turnbull's former chief of staff appointed to NBN board | |
| Here is the statement: | |
| The Government has appointed Mr Drew Clarke AO PSM as a non-executive Director of the Board of NBN Co Limited (nbn) for a term of three years, commencing on 22 August 2017. | |
| Mr Clarke has extensive experience having served in a range of senior government positions. He served as Secretary of the Department of Communications from 2013 to 2015, where he was involved in the large scale review and reform of the National Broadband Network (NBN) project and developed an in-depth understanding of the telecommunications market. | |
| Mr Clarke also served as Secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism from 2010 to 2013 where he made substantial contributions to public policy. | |
| Mr Clarke also served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister from September 2015 to April 2017. | |
| Mr Clarke is uniquely placed to assist the nbn Board as the rollout increases in scale and the company transitions from network construction to an operational business. | |
| Mr Clarke’s extensive government and regulatory experience will enhance the Board’s capability through to the completion of the NBN rollout in 2020. | |
| 1.00am BST | |
| 01:00 | |
| Eleanor Ainge Roy, our erstwhile New Zealand correspondent, has been on the trail of Barnaby’s forebears. Here is the street. No evidence of a plaque as yet. | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.07am BST | |
| 12.51am BST | 12.51am BST |
| 00:51 | 00:51 |
| The other James Joyce. | The other James Joyce. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.52am BST | at 12.52am BST |
| 12.47am BST | 12.47am BST |
| 00:47 | 00:47 |
| Labor MPs may be open to challenge, says Pyne | Labor MPs may be open to challenge, says Pyne |
| Christopher Pyne is thinking about what to do about Labor and citizenship. | |
| He told AM: | |
| I’m thinking about what to do because the Labor Party of course can say we’re supposed to take their word, Bill Shorten’s word, not a word that Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd were capable of taking when they were the prime ministers of Australia. | |
| If they haven’t got the evidence, they need to have their status clarified by the High Court. So all they need to do is produce the evidence that they are qualified to be in the House of Representatives, that they’ve renounced their citizenship successfully. | |
| To take Justine Keay, for example, she claims that she was still a UK citizen on the day of the election and received her information from the UK after the election that she wasn’t any longer, which is no different to the situation Malcolm Roberts finds himself in, in the Senate, for example, from One Nation. | |
| We haven’t seen any evidence from Tony Zappia or from Maria Vamvakinou of whether the Greek or Italian governments have renounced their citizenship and the same for Susan Lamb from the UK, so the Labor Party needs to produce the evidence or the government will obviously consider its options. | |
| Later, talking to Sam Maiden on Sky, he again warns Labor that they have citizenship questions to answer on their own side and may be referred to the high court, including: | |
| Braddon MP Justin Keay | Braddon MP Justin Keay |
| Longman MP Susan Lamb | Longman MP Susan Lamb |
| Makin MP Tony Zappia | Makin MP Tony Zappia |
| Calwell MP Maria Vamvakinou | Calwell MP Maria Vamvakinou |
| He named them in parliament yesterday. Maiden asks him if it is appropriate to include Labor employment shadow Brendan O’Connor, reported in a list this morning as open to challenge. Maiden says, given O’Connor’s wife is undergoing chemotherapy this morning, is it appropriate? | |
| Pyne says the question is unfair because he did not name O’Connor in the house yesterday. | Pyne says the question is unfair because he did not name O’Connor in the house yesterday. |
| Pyne says he does not know who will pay Barnaby Joyce’s legal fees but says it would be appropriate given he is “an officer of the government”. | Pyne says he does not know who will pay Barnaby Joyce’s legal fees but says it would be appropriate given he is “an officer of the government”. |
| *amended | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.07am BST | |
| 12.39am BST | 12.39am BST |
| 00:39 | 00:39 |
| Housekeeping. Party room meetings are on this morning. | Housekeeping. Party room meetings are on this morning. |
| Then, the House and Senate begin sitting around midday. | Then, the House and Senate begin sitting around midday. |
| We expect media reforms to dump the two out of three rules and the reach rule in the senate. Negotiations between the Turnbull government, the Greens and the crossbenchers continue. | We expect media reforms to dump the two out of three rules and the reach rule in the senate. Negotiations between the Turnbull government, the Greens and the crossbenchers continue. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.41am BST | at 12.41am BST |
| 12.31am BST | 12.31am BST |
| 00:31 | 00:31 |
| Tony Abbott fears moral bullying over marriage postal vote | Tony Abbott fears moral bullying over marriage postal vote |
| Tony Abbott, captain of the case against marriage equality, has written an op-ed for his old paper, the Oz. He argued that the plebiscite was most likely to reassure people that their views had been taken seriously and the outcome was fair. Then he set into marriage equality advocates. | Tony Abbott, captain of the case against marriage equality, has written an op-ed for his old paper, the Oz. He argued that the plebiscite was most likely to reassure people that their views had been taken seriously and the outcome was fair. Then he set into marriage equality advocates. |
| Here is a little taste: | Here is a little taste: |
| Now that the vote looks like going ahead, the challenge is to have a debate that takes seriously the ramifications of changing something that is so central to the way we live. It’s a pity that the advocates of change haven’t finalised what they think are fair protections for freedom of religion and freedom of speech in an era of same-sex marriage because it’s hard to be sure about something without knowing exactly what it may entail. | Now that the vote looks like going ahead, the challenge is to have a debate that takes seriously the ramifications of changing something that is so central to the way we live. It’s a pity that the advocates of change haven’t finalised what they think are fair protections for freedom of religion and freedom of speech in an era of same-sex marriage because it’s hard to be sure about something without knowing exactly what it may entail. |
| Another disappointment is the tone of so much of the same-sex marriage advocacy. If polls are right, most support change so the plebiscite should be a way of reassuring people that it won’t strain the social fabric. Instead, the activists have insisted that the general public can’t be trusted to have a sensible debate and make a considered decision. | Another disappointment is the tone of so much of the same-sex marriage advocacy. If polls are right, most support change so the plebiscite should be a way of reassuring people that it won’t strain the social fabric. Instead, the activists have insisted that the general public can’t be trusted to have a sensible debate and make a considered decision. |
| Last week, one very senior Labor senator attacked the prime minister for allegedly exposing her children to “hatred” because of their family circumstances. | Last week, one very senior Labor senator attacked the prime minister for allegedly exposing her children to “hatred” because of their family circumstances. |
| It is not homophobic to maintain that, ideally, children should have both a mother and a father. Yet I fear much moral bullying in the weeks to come – invariably from those demanding change. | It is not homophobic to maintain that, ideally, children should have both a mother and a father. Yet I fear much moral bullying in the weeks to come – invariably from those demanding change. |
| It is probably no coincidence that Abbott’s op-ed followed a piece by his former ministerial colleague Amanda Vanstone yesterday which tore strips off him, his use of the word honour and his behaviour, particularly since losing the leadership. | It is probably no coincidence that Abbott’s op-ed followed a piece by his former ministerial colleague Amanda Vanstone yesterday which tore strips off him, his use of the word honour and his behaviour, particularly since losing the leadership. |
| It’s almost unbelievable to hear him speak as though he has some insight into why people are turned off politics at the moment. If he did have that insight, he wouldn’t behave the way he does. If he had a quick look in the mirror he’d see what it is that aggravates people about politics today. He’d see someone who is behaving as though what’s important is his importance. | It’s almost unbelievable to hear him speak as though he has some insight into why people are turned off politics at the moment. If he did have that insight, he wouldn’t behave the way he does. If he had a quick look in the mirror he’d see what it is that aggravates people about politics today. He’d see someone who is behaving as though what’s important is his importance. |
| The people don’t get a look-in. His first priority is to advance his own position, to make life hard for Malcolm Turnbull. In Abbott’s eyes, Turnbull took his job. The truth is the party room took his job because he wasn’t doing it well. | The people don’t get a look-in. His first priority is to advance his own position, to make life hard for Malcolm Turnbull. In Abbott’s eyes, Turnbull took his job. The truth is the party room took his job because he wasn’t doing it well. |
| He’d see someone who is great on the bif-bif and short on sensible policy. He’d see someone who has real trouble finding common ground with others. He wants the whole ground to himself. Worse, he’d see someone who thinks he’s better than all his colleagues. I’ve met some fairly self-centred people in my life but he truly takes the cake. | He’d see someone who is great on the bif-bif and short on sensible policy. He’d see someone who has real trouble finding common ground with others. He wants the whole ground to himself. Worse, he’d see someone who thinks he’s better than all his colleagues. I’ve met some fairly self-centred people in my life but he truly takes the cake. |
| Then this morning on ABC, she nixed the view that the people had to decide rather than politicians voting in parliament. | Then this morning on ABC, she nixed the view that the people had to decide rather than politicians voting in parliament. |
| There has been a lot of commentary lately that has amazed me from well-respected journalists, for example, it is the job of a parliament to put forward the views in their electorate and I find myself laughing. | There has been a lot of commentary lately that has amazed me from well-respected journalists, for example, it is the job of a parliament to put forward the views in their electorate and I find myself laughing. |
| Why? Because the views in the electorate will be divided. The job is not ... if I vote for you ... do what I want. I am electing you to make the best decision on my behalf. | Why? Because the views in the electorate will be divided. The job is not ... if I vote for you ... do what I want. I am electing you to make the best decision on my behalf. |
| That is what representative democracy is. You just can’t vote for people to do what you want because the person might agree with you on one thing and on the next issue they disagree with you. It doesn’t work that way. It can work that way. It never will work that way. | That is what representative democracy is. You just can’t vote for people to do what you want because the person might agree with you on one thing and on the next issue they disagree with you. It doesn’t work that way. It can work that way. It never will work that way. |
| Vanstone said she will be campaigning for the yes vote. | Vanstone said she will be campaigning for the yes vote. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.36am BST | at 12.36am BST |
| 11.43pm BST | 11.43pm BST |
| 23:43 | 23:43 |
| There is a lot of riffing on Barnaby this morning. | There is a lot of riffing on Barnaby this morning. |
| pic.twitter.com/eAZULvfFxx | pic.twitter.com/eAZULvfFxx |
| 11.41pm BST | 11.41pm BST |
| 23:41 | 23:41 |
| Look – a shellshocked Barnaby Joyce | Look – a shellshocked Barnaby Joyce |
| Bowers spotted Barnaby Joyce coming in the front of parliament. There were no journos there, so he and the cameraman fired off a few questions, bless them. | Bowers spotted Barnaby Joyce coming in the front of parliament. There were no journos there, so he and the cameraman fired off a few questions, bless them. |
| Q: How are you feeling? | Q: How are you feeling? |
| Shellshocked, I suppose. I was born in Tamworth. My great-grandmother was born in Tamworth. I only had it confirmed on Thursday from an inquiry that was made in New Zealand that apparently my father being a New Zealander, I was a New Zealander. Now I am trying to fix it up. I am sure the high court, who is vastly wiser than me, will come up with all of the answers. | Shellshocked, I suppose. I was born in Tamworth. My great-grandmother was born in Tamworth. I only had it confirmed on Thursday from an inquiry that was made in New Zealand that apparently my father being a New Zealander, I was a New Zealander. Now I am trying to fix it up. I am sure the high court, who is vastly wiser than me, will come up with all of the answers. |
| Q: You should resign, shouldn’t you? Stand down? | Q: You should resign, shouldn’t you? Stand down? |
| No, the balance of opinion by the attorney general is the more likely outcome is clear we should continue on with our work. | No, the balance of opinion by the attorney general is the more likely outcome is clear we should continue on with our work. |
| Q: Will you re-contest? | Q: Will you re-contest? |
| That is hypothetical. Let’s cross that bridge when it happens. | That is hypothetical. Let’s cross that bridge when it happens. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.54pm BST | at 11.54pm BST |
| 11.34pm BST | 11.34pm BST |
| 23:34 | 23:34 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.54pm BST | at 11.54pm BST |
| 11.30pm BST | 11.30pm BST |
| 23:30 | 23:30 |
| Before you start this day, Katharine Murphy has written on the last day. | Before you start this day, Katharine Murphy has written on the last day. |
| Never mind the separation of powers. Never mind the appearance of firing off a direction to the good justices (people who, one suspects, don’t appreciate directions from parliamentarians and, in this case, the most powerful parliamentarian in the land). | Never mind the separation of powers. Never mind the appearance of firing off a direction to the good justices (people who, one suspects, don’t appreciate directions from parliamentarians and, in this case, the most powerful parliamentarian in the land). |
| Never mind the risk that you’ll look pretty damned foolish if the high court has a different idea of what it might do with the deputy prime minister, and your words come back to haunt you. | Never mind the risk that you’ll look pretty damned foolish if the high court has a different idea of what it might do with the deputy prime minister, and your words come back to haunt you. |
| Short-term political calculations – the need to project a sense of certainty, to project a sense that your government isn’t turning to custard around you – trumps everything, apparently. | Short-term political calculations – the need to project a sense of certainty, to project a sense that your government isn’t turning to custard around you – trumps everything, apparently. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.55pm BST | at 11.55pm BST |
| 11.27pm BST | 11.27pm BST |
| 23:27 | 23:27 |
| The Parliamentary Friends of AFL is an annual shindig that draws out all the footy fans in the building in a bit of bipartisan fandom. | The Parliamentary Friends of AFL is an annual shindig that draws out all the footy fans in the building in a bit of bipartisan fandom. |
| Things were a little chilly after a willing day in parliament. | Things were a little chilly after a willing day in parliament. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.29pm BST | at 11.29pm BST |
| 11.22pm BST | 11.22pm BST |
| 23:22 | 23:22 |
| Essential is out by Katharine Murphy: | Essential is out by Katharine Murphy: |
| Public disapproval of the postal ballot on same-sex marriage has increased over the past week as political and public controversy about the concept has intensified, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. | Public disapproval of the postal ballot on same-sex marriage has increased over the past week as political and public controversy about the concept has intensified, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. |
| The latest survey of 1,815 voters found that 47% of the sample disapproved of the postal vote while 39% approved of it. | The latest survey of 1,815 voters found that 47% of the sample disapproved of the postal vote while 39% approved of it. |
| When a similar question was asked only a week ago, before marriage equality advocates mounted a legal challenge in the high court, more voters approved than disapproved of the postal vote. | When a similar question was asked only a week ago, before marriage equality advocates mounted a legal challenge in the high court, more voters approved than disapproved of the postal vote. |
| Raw numbers here: | Raw numbers here: |
| Labor is maintaining its election winning lead over the Coalition on the two-party preferred measure, 54% to 46%. That result is the same as last week. | Labor is maintaining its election winning lead over the Coalition on the two-party preferred measure, 54% to 46%. That result is the same as last week. |
| The Coalition primary vote is on 37% to Labor’s 39%. The Greens are steady on 9% as is Pauline Hanson’s One Nation on 8%. | The Coalition primary vote is on 37% to Labor’s 39%. The Greens are steady on 9% as is Pauline Hanson’s One Nation on 8%. |
| The Nick Xenophon Team has dropped a point in each of the last three polls. Three weeks ago the NXT was on 4%, two weeks ago it was on 3% and the latest poll has them on 2%. | The Nick Xenophon Team has dropped a point in each of the last three polls. Three weeks ago the NXT was on 4%, two weeks ago it was on 3% and the latest poll has them on 2%. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.29pm BST | at 11.29pm BST |
| 11.18pm BST | 11.18pm BST |
| 23:18 | 23:18 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.30pm BST | at 11.30pm BST |
| 11.14pm BST | 11.14pm BST |
| 23:14 | 23:14 |
| 45th parliament: off piste, one ski, no poles | 45th parliament: off piste, one ski, no poles |
| Good morning dual citizens, | Good morning dual citizens, |
| Welcome to #politicslive, where too much excitement is never enough in the 45th parliament. | Welcome to #politicslive, where too much excitement is never enough in the 45th parliament. |
| After the extraordinary developments of yesterday – in which the deputy prime minister confirmed he might have a teensy citizenship problem – Australian politics has skiied off piste, one ski, no poles as Paul Keating would say. This is because the Turnbull government has a one0seat majority so the long white cloud hanging over Barnaby Joyce’s head has emboldened the opposition. | After the extraordinary developments of yesterday – in which the deputy prime minister confirmed he might have a teensy citizenship problem – Australian politics has skiied off piste, one ski, no poles as Paul Keating would say. This is because the Turnbull government has a one0seat majority so the long white cloud hanging over Barnaby Joyce’s head has emboldened the opposition. |
| But first, according to Rosie Lewis of the Oz, Nick Xenophon has conceded he never heard back from Greek and Cypriot authorities when he attempted to renounce any Greek citizenship. | But first, according to Rosie Lewis of the Oz, Nick Xenophon has conceded he never heard back from Greek and Cypriot authorities when he attempted to renounce any Greek citizenship. |
| Senator Xenophon, who leads a crucial bloc of four MPs, is pushing for an independent audit of the eligibility of all members and senators, and said he would happily comply. With a mother from Greece and father from Cyprus, Senator Xenophon declared he had “never been a citizen of another country” but acknowledged there was no written proof. | Senator Xenophon, who leads a crucial bloc of four MPs, is pushing for an independent audit of the eligibility of all members and senators, and said he would happily comply. With a mother from Greece and father from Cyprus, Senator Xenophon declared he had “never been a citizen of another country” but acknowledged there was no written proof. |
| “I’ve never had, never sought, never received citizenship of another country but out of an abundance of caution I wrote to the Greek embassy and Cypriot high commission saying essentially, ‘I’ve never been a citizen, I don’t want to be, so if there’s any question that I could be, I renounce any rights to be’. I don’t know what else I can do in the circumstances,” Senator Xenophon said. | “I’ve never had, never sought, never received citizenship of another country but out of an abundance of caution I wrote to the Greek embassy and Cypriot high commission saying essentially, ‘I’ve never been a citizen, I don’t want to be, so if there’s any question that I could be, I renounce any rights to be’. I don’t know what else I can do in the circumstances,” Senator Xenophon said. |
| But in the lower house, Labor’s strategy is emerging, if you combine question time yesterday with this Sabra Lane’s interview with Labor’s manager of opposition business Tony Burke. | But in the lower house, Labor’s strategy is emerging, if you combine question time yesterday with this Sabra Lane’s interview with Labor’s manager of opposition business Tony Burke. |
| Labor is pushing for Barnaby Joyce to stand aside while the citizenship matter is resolved - as Matt Canavan has done in the senate. At the same time, Labor is in talks with the crossbench over two issues that were lost by one vote - penalty rates and the banking royal commission. | Labor is pushing for Barnaby Joyce to stand aside while the citizenship matter is resolved - as Matt Canavan has done in the senate. At the same time, Labor is in talks with the crossbench over two issues that were lost by one vote - penalty rates and the banking royal commission. |
| We are talking to them and they are the two issues we have been focusing on. | We are talking to them and they are the two issues we have been focusing on. |
| Burke said the lower house resolved unanimously that it did not know whether Joyce was eligible to sit. | Burke said the lower house resolved unanimously that it did not know whether Joyce was eligible to sit. |
| A brave man, Burke was supremely confident that Labor MPs are all G. | A brave man, Burke was supremely confident that Labor MPs are all G. |
| He said the Labor process goes through the country of birth of the candidate, their parents and grandparents. Burke said the examples of the Greens, Malcolm Roberts, Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce would have been picked up by the Labor process. | He said the Labor process goes through the country of birth of the candidate, their parents and grandparents. Burke said the examples of the Greens, Malcolm Roberts, Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce would have been picked up by the Labor process. |
| They are all examples that would have been easily caught by our process. | They are all examples that would have been easily caught by our process. |
| Burke was also highly critical of Malcolm Turnbull’s emphatic assertion in parliament yesterday that the high court would clear Joyce’s case. | Burke was also highly critical of Malcolm Turnbull’s emphatic assertion in parliament yesterday that the high court would clear Joyce’s case. |
| He stood up and announced what conclusion the high court will reach...They are clinging on to power and there is nothing more than that...This is a government without legitimacy. | He stood up and announced what conclusion the high court will reach...They are clinging on to power and there is nothing more than that...This is a government without legitimacy. |
| But attorney general George Brandis said the prime minister had not challenged the separation of powers by declaring Joyce was clear. | But attorney general George Brandis said the prime minister had not challenged the separation of powers by declaring Joyce was clear. |
| Nowhere near it. The prime minister who is himself an accomplished lawyer...doesn’t need any instruction about the separation of powers...As a lawyer he is entitled to inform his own view. | Nowhere near it. The prime minister who is himself an accomplished lawyer...doesn’t need any instruction about the separation of powers...As a lawyer he is entitled to inform his own view. |
| Which is true, except as prime minister, he is also the head of the executive government. But hey, I’m no lawyer so what would I know. | Which is true, except as prime minister, he is also the head of the executive government. But hey, I’m no lawyer so what would I know. |
| Stick with us - it will be a big day. Talk to me in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or try Facebook if that’s your bag. | Stick with us - it will be a big day. Talk to me in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or try Facebook if that’s your bag. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.19pm BST | at 11.19pm BST |