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Scott Morrison introduces bill to raise Medicare levy to fund NDIS – politics live
Scott Morrison introduces bill to raise Medicare levy to fund NDIS – politics live
(35 minutes later)
1.37am BST
01:37
Bill Shorten is doing a doorstop and is asked about an old story about a $25,000 donation from the Australian Workers Union when he was the boss of the union.
Did you authorise a $25,000 donation of union money to your 2007 election campaign when you were secretary of the AWU?
This government is absolutely keen to chuck all of the rubbish it can at me because they are desperate to distract from their own matters. I will not go into - in and out of every issue but what I will say is this....
I am very proud of my record of standing up for workers. Very proud indeed. I also had a whole royal commission, a glorious taxpayer waste of money to ask us 1,000 questions and now the government wants to have another crack. I’m not getting into that game.
The trade union royal commission had no adverse findings.
1.25am BST
01:25
The Canberra Times’ public service specialist reporter Noel Towell reports:
Rank-and-file officials at the Australian Bureau of Statistics have “grave doubts” that the same-sex marriage postal vote can be done properly in the time-frame ordered by the Turnbull government, the public servants’ union says.
Some ABS workers fear the postal survey will be a “rush job” that risks repeating last year’s Census debacle, while others are worried it will not deliver an accurate picture of Australians’ opinions of same sex marriage, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.
Even the bureau’s boss has conceded to his staff that doing the job by November 15 is “challenging” although Chief Statistician David Kalisch insists the ABS is up to the task.
1.21am BST
01:21
Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster has answered her brother’s column on Monday which accused the yes case of moral bullying.
She writes today in the Oz:
The challenge for all of us is to acknowledge there will be fault on both sides and to refrain from pointing the finger at only our opponents. Calling each other — depending on which side you sit — bullies or bigots is never going to be constructive and it will never win over the people the respective proponents seek to convince.
That is particularly true when you consider that once all the politicking, posturing and name-calling is pared back, both sides are arguing the same point: the special nature of marriage.
When we discuss marriage in Australia we are not addressing a religious issue but a relationship between two people, exalted and protected under federal legislation. That legislation was enacted in 1961 and has since been amended 20 times.
1.16am BST
01:16
Banana sandwich.
1.13am BST
01:13
Conservative Liberal and former Cormann staffer Slade Brockman has been sworn in as the new senator to replace the retired Chris Back.
Updated
at 1.15am BST
12.59am BST
12.59am BST
00:59
00:59
Treasurer Scott Morrison has given quite a long off-the-cuff speech in support of the increase of the Medicare levy and the NDIS generally.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has given quite a long off-the-cuff speech in support of the increase of the Medicare levy and the NDIS generally.
He says it is totally hypocritical for Bill Shorten, who was involved in the establishment of the NDIS, to reject a way of funding it into the future.
He says it is totally hypocritical for Bill Shorten, who was involved in the establishment of the NDIS, to reject a way of funding it into the future.
Morrison says the Labor party that had the courage and the heart to bring forward the NDIS is not the same Labor party now.
Morrison says the Labor party that had the courage and the heart to bring forward the NDIS is not the same Labor party now.
This is one of the few things where I thought we would have agreement.
This is one of the few things where I thought we would have agreement.
Updated
Updated
at 1.01am BST
at 1.01am BST
12.51am BST
12.51am BST
00:51
00:51
I’ve just lost it.
I’ve just lost it.
@gabriellechan With a grip like that I hope @RichardDiNatale bulk bills. 😬😂 #yowza @mpbowers #politicslive pic.twitter.com/Fv9MGDOyPo
@gabriellechan With a grip like that I hope @RichardDiNatale bulk bills. 😬😂 #yowza @mpbowers #politicslive pic.twitter.com/Fv9MGDOyPo
12.47am BST
12.47am BST
00:47
00:47
The finance and public administration references committee has announced an inquiry into the postal survey on marriage equality.
The finance and public administration references committee has announced an inquiry into the postal survey on marriage equality.
It will look at:
It will look at:
Oddly, submissions close on 10 November 2017, well after the postal vote is delivered. The report will be tabled well after, by the second sitting Tuesday in February 2018.
Oddly, submissions close on 10 November 2017, well after the postal vote is delivered. The report will be tabled well after, by the second sitting Tuesday in February 2018.
Updated
Updated
at 12.50am BST
at 12.50am BST
12.42am BST
12.42am BST
00:42
00:42
Scott Morrison is introducing the Medicare levy bill for an 0.5% increase right now.
Scott Morrison is introducing the Medicare levy bill for an 0.5% increase right now.
He says the bill goes to Australian character of helping out their mates.
He says the bill goes to Australian character of helping out their mates.
It is that character that is called upon in this bill.
It is that character that is called upon in this bill.
12.33am BST
12.33am BST
00:33
00:33
Goodbye Laurie. What a journalist.
Goodbye Laurie. What a journalist.
Laurie Oakes prepares for his last TV appearance this morning with legendary cameraman Mark Jessop. Farewell Laurie @gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/w4Gq1wfet6
Laurie Oakes prepares for his last TV appearance this morning with legendary cameraman Mark Jessop. Farewell Laurie @gabriellechan pic.twitter.com/w4Gq1wfet6
12.21am BST
00:21
Labor's Joel Fitzgibbon challenges Coalition agreement in court
Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon has gone to the courts to seek to see the Coalition Agreement between the Liberals and the Nationals.
This is the unicorn of Australian politics. Everyone claims to know what’s in it, MPs use it to justify all sorts of positions, ie we have to stick to no free marriage vote because it’s in the agreement.
This from Fitzgibbon this morning:
Today the federal court will rule on my case against the prime minister.
All Australians have the right to know what is in the Coalition Agreement that handed Malcolm Turnbull the prime ministership.
The case will be heard at 10.15am at the federal court of Australia in Sydney.
Updated
at 12.24am BST
12.15am BST
00:15
Cathy McGowan gave a raw speech yesterday which we missed as it was in the federation chamber (the second smaller one) about the plight of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. She said it is un-Christian for a parliament that says the Our Father prayer.
She has sought and received a briefing from the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, and she says while she understands his logic, she does not understand “the heart of it”. She said:
I find it personally extraordinarily distressing. But more importantly, as a member of parliament, my constituents find it distressing.
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12.02am BST
00:02
Albo does cuddly.
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11.58pm BST
23:58
This is clearly an audition.
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11.56pm BST
23:56
In arguing the case for the Medicare levy rise, Scott Morrison has said in future, the government wants to lower taxes – apart from increasing tax for the NDIS.
Asked if 100% of the levy rise would go toward the NDIS, Morrison says:
100%, all of it.
The treasurer makes this point and while I usually speak Morrison, I am having trouble with this one. I think his main message it that the levy will be put in a separate bucket, otherwise known hypothecation.
In the future, governments like our government would want to reduce taxes ... if it was a Bill Shorten government he would want to increase taxes. In either case, the way this is designed is that the levy at 1% out of the total 2.5%, that would be secure so governments could on transfer payments, welfare payments, make whatever changes a government may wish to make but the funding flow from the Medicare levy would be secure.
Updated
at 12.10am BST
11.29pm BST
23:29
The Medicare levy increase to fund the NDIS will kick in when a single person earns $21,000 and a family earns $36,000.
Labor will only back the Medicare levy increase for people on more than $87,000.
The independent senator Jacqui Lambie, who has been a strong critic of the government and votes more with Labor than not, has entertained the possibility of a compromise. This might give an indication that the crossbenchers are dealing on the levy increase.
She told Fran Kelly:
I think it needs to be pushed up higher. I think Bill Shorten is calling for $87,000 it starts there. I think that’s too high. I think we can find some middle ground here.
The treasurer is not ruling out a compromise but warns that the bringing in different thresholds for this portion of the levy could create complications in the tax system.
Scott Morrison:
This is not about Bill Shorten’s politics of envy. It’s about disabilities … if you have a Medicare levy, a part of it that only comes in at a particular income you get a massive spike in the effective marginal tax rate and it’s just not good design. And so if there are issues the senators are raising – and they are – then we will work through them in the due course of the parliament.
The increase, if it goes through, starts in 2019 and Morrison rules out bringing it in early if it passes the Senate.
Updated
at 11.46pm BST
11.19pm BST
23:19
Thanks, Bowers.
Rainbow over Parliament this morn-Join @gabriellechan on #politicslive for her last day in this role 😭😭😭@GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/m2JnKYWFHr
Updated
at 11.45pm BST
11.18pm BST
23:18
The Justice party senator, Derryn Hinch, has provided a bit of media advice for Malcolm Turnbull.
He said the government could have avoided all this with an audit.
We can avoid all these headlines if the major parties, if the Nats and the Libs and Labor – twice we have gone to the Senate, most of the crossbenchers, and said: ‘Give us an independent audit, push it off to the legal and constitutional affairs committee, let them put up an independent audit or and everybody issue documents.’
If the Human Headline can sort it out and fix it, it can’t be that hard! Barnaby Joyce should have stood down, should have stood aside. Why on earth a clever prime minister didn’t force him to come out on the Friday and the Saturday, get it out on the weekend. It is now Thursday – I hope – and we are still talking about it. They got no clear air all week on any other issue.
Updated
at 11.44pm BST
11.13pm BST
23:13
Cory Bernardi calls for the prime minister to prorogue parliament over 'crisis'
The Australian Conservative senator Cory Bernardi says the citizenship issue has caused a lack of confidence in political institutions. He wants to effectively halt the parliament until the high court rules and any byelections are out of the way.
Two senators have stood aside, good on them for doing that, pending the result of the high court appeal.
We also know there are members of the government that have been referred to the high court and the crossbenches.
There are accusations there are members of the Labor party that should also be going. The crisis of confidence is very real. There is a lack of confidence in our body politic and there are great concerns about the health and wellbeing of our political institutions.
After some contemplation, I believe there is only one way forward for this parliament and that is for the prime minister to prorogue the parliament, effectively end this session pending the outcome of the high court, pending any byelections that may be necessary, but we need to ensure every decision taken by this parliament.
Whatever incarnation comes after it before the next election is absolutely above board, that it retains the confidence of the Australian people and that we can get about rebuilding faith in politics and our political institutions.
Updated
at 11.38pm BST
10.58pm BST
22:58
Good morning blogans,
There is a veritable derp storm this morning as competing bluff and bluster try to win the political agenda.
The citizenship tornado continues the blow around the benches. The latest to be questioned is the justice minister, Michael Keenan, whose father was British. Journalists have been putting questions to every possible MP since this whole thing broke. Keenan sought to clear his own situation up.
1/3 I am an Australian citizen and I do not hold citizenship ofany other country. Fairfax is aware of this, yet in a cheap grab #auspol
2/3 ...for a headline they have ignored this. I have to wonder why they’re not pursuing Labor with suchvigour. #auspol
3/3 I renounced my citizenship in 2004 before enteringParliament. #auspol
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, and the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, have addressed this point this morning. Their message: nothing to see here, move on.
But let’s get to an actual policy argument. There was a budget in May. Remember that?
Three bills will be introduced into the parliament this morning at 9.30am.
Medicare Levy Amendment (National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding) and related bills
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card)
Morrison wants to talk about funding the national disability insurance scheme, specifically the planned 0.5% rise in the NDIS levy on 1 July 2019, to help fund what the Coalition says is a $55.7bn, 10-year funding shortfall.
The human services minister, Alan Tudge, has also been out talking about the cashless welfare card so you can see the government wants to start filling the hole that was blown in its agenda by the citizenship debacle.
On Medicare, Morrison said he was working constructively with the crossbench – he doesn’t want to over-egg it but he underlines that he is being pragmatic.
We are making it work.
I have some other treats in store for you today on this, my last day on the #politicslive blog. Mike Bowers has some fabulous shots from the ABC showcase, with MPs going bananas over B1 and B2. Talk to me in the thread, on the Twits @gabriellechan or on Facebook.
