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Ed Husic decries Trump travel ban as parliament debates US relationship – politics live Ed Husic decries Trump travel ban as parliament debates US relationship – politics live
(35 minutes later)
4.32am BST
04:32
Labor’s energy spokesman Mark Butler steps up to the dispatch box
“My question is to the minister for energy. In his presentation to the Coalition joint party room room, he confirmed that a Clean Energy Target lowers prices. Given the energy minister told the government’s own party room it would lead to lower prices, why is the government caving into the demands of the former Prime Minister, by abandoning the Clean Energy Target, that would save Australians money on their power bills?”
Josh Frydenberg is just thrilled to be able to answer.
After the ubiquitous South Australian blackout reference, Frydenberg moves on to the other 49 recommendations in the Finkel report and the government’s action on those, before moving on to issues from the last parliamentary session - when Labor asked about power prices increasing by $1000, a figure which was found to be wrong.
“One thing we don’t do on this side, we won’t tell lies to the Australian people like the member for Port Adelaide did, like the Opposition Leader did in the last sitting fortnight, when they came to the Despatch Box and said that power prices have gone up with $1000. You won’t hear them repeat it any more,because the Australian Energy Regulator and the Australian energy market commission, in correspondence, tabled in this house, have that directly --contradicted directly the claims made by the Labor Party. Stop making things up. Have the courage of braveheart, walk up to the Despatch Box and repeat the lies of your past. You know it’s misleading theAustralian people.
He’s asked to withdraw, and does, following it up with a “I do say” which is the parliamentary equivalent of ‘I’m sorry, but...” and Speaker Tony Smith shuts him down.
“No, you can resume your seat. No, you can resume your seat. No, no, you’re finished.”
4.24am BST
04:24
Paul Karp
Heading to the red chamber for a moment.
Labor has targeted the government leader in the Senate, George Brandis, on power prices and the government’s abandonment of the clean energy target.Asked about Tony Abbott’s speech in London, which included the claim that climate change is “probably doing good” and likening policies to combat climate change to “primitive people ... killing goats to appease the volcano gods”, Brandis replied:
“I haven’t actually read Mr Abbott’s speech but I’ve seen some reports, and I’ve seen some extracts on the Insiders program yesterday morning. He made some interesting anthropological observations about people sacrificing goats to volcanoes or something like that. I note what Mr Abbott had to say, Mr Abbott is entitled to his views, but life … is too short to read everything that all of one’s political colleagues have to say, no matter how interesting they may be. Rest assured, the views of the Australian government are the views of the prime minister and his cabinet not the views of a backbencher.”
4.23am BST
04:23
Lucy Wicks, the Member for Robertson has been gifted with the first dixer.
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the house on what the government has done to ensure that energy is affordable and reliable for hard working families and businesses, including in my electorate of Robertson,” she said.
“Is the Prime Minister aware of any alternative approaches.”
Well what do you know, not only is Turnbull aware of some alternative approaches, he has many opinions on them. So many opinions in fact, he wants to get to that first.
“Let me start with the alternative approach, because we know what it’s been from the Labor Party,” he begins.
The chamber gets loud, which only serves to encourage Turnbull more. He always looks like he could do with a walking microphone, and never more so when he is relishing a fight.
“We know what their approach is. We know that their approach is. No engineering and no plan. Massive investment in renewables, with no regard to the fact that the sun doesn’t shine all the time, and the wind doesn’t blow all the time. Full speeding a massive amount of renewables into the South Australian market, without any backup, or storage, whatsoever,driving out reliable power to introduce variable power.”
As for what the government is doing? Refer to answer one.
4.19am BST
04:19
Question time begins
Bill Shorten has the floor and asks about... energy DING DING DING
“On the 9th June, the energy minister stated: The Prime Minister said it very clearly in his press conference, there a number of [reasons] for the Clean Energy Target. It it’s technology neutral and it lowers energy prices. (A Labor wag interjects with “really?” in their most quizzical tone of voice) Why is the Prime Minister caving into the member for Warringah for abandoning the Clean Energy Target, a target that saves Australians money on their power bills?”
Malcolm Turnbull is “surprised” Shorten is asking this question on the day the Senate abolished the Limited Merits Review.
And almost like he has come prepared, he has a list of things the government has done to lower electricity prices:
We have gone out to the retailers, and ensured that they deliver the best deals to their customers. And thousands ofAustralian families are paying less for electricity now, saving hundreds of dollars a year, in many cases,than they were before. Of course the single biggest factor in pushing up electricity prices in recent times has been the price of gas. Why is that? Well, the LaborParty in government allowed gas to be exported from the east coast ofAustralia, without paying any attention to the need to protect the domestic market. We took strong action and we delivered a commitment, a contractual commitment from the energy companies, to supply more gas, and as honorable members know, wholesale prices have been coming down as a result.”
4.11am BST
04:11
The remainder of those speeches have been moved to the Federation Chamber. The House is standing for a moment’s silence.
4.09am BST
04:09
Both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten are speaking on a condolence motion for Indigenous activist Dr Evelyn Scott, who passed last month.
Updated
at 4.21am BST
4.02am BST
04:02
Paul Karp
The Senate has passed a government competition law bill instituting an “effects test” – prohibiting conduct that has “the purpose effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition”.
However, the government removed a provision of the bill to increase penalties for secondary boycotts to $10m after opposition from Labor, the Greens and crossbench. Labor opposed the measure on the basis it would imposing higher penalties for sympathy strikes, further watering down unions’ right to strike.
A spokesman for Nick Xenophon has told Guardian Australia the Nick Xenophon Team wants to consider the issue of increased penalties for secondary boycott, but did not believe it was appropriate to include in this bill. The comments leave open the possibility the government could attempt to pass the measure with NXT support in a later bill.
Updated
at 4.09am BST
3.58am BST3.58am BST
03:5803:58
Given the theme of the day–energy, energy, energy–we can expect question time to be chock full of energy attacks. But there is always at least one surprise–any guess what today’s random topic will be? Given the theme of the day – energy, energy, energy – we can expect question time to be chock full of energy attacks. But there is always at least one surprise. Any guess what today’s random topic will be?
Updated
at 4.11am BST
3.49am BST3.49am BST
03:4903:49
Question time is about to begin, so get ready for that.Question time is about to begin, so get ready for that.
Also - here is a thing that happened Also – here is a thing that happened
On @sunriseon7 this morning Pauline Hanson tells me get it through your head Sarah climate change "isn't because of humans" 😳😂#OneNationFail pic.twitter.com/nUT6hFMMpNOn @sunriseon7 this morning Pauline Hanson tells me get it through your head Sarah climate change "isn't because of humans" 😳😂#OneNationFail pic.twitter.com/nUT6hFMMpN
Updated
at 4.11am BST
3.25am BST3.25am BST
03:2503:25
It’s been one of the quieter starts to parliament for some time. It’s given some of the MPs, like Labor’s Anthony Byrne some time for some candid (cough) contemplationIt’s been one of the quieter starts to parliament for some time. It’s given some of the MPs, like Labor’s Anthony Byrne some time for some candid (cough) contemplation
Just enjoying a brief moment in one of the many beautiful gardens surrounding Parliament House. pic.twitter.com/7kwwQGvGsOJust enjoying a brief moment in one of the many beautiful gardens surrounding Parliament House. pic.twitter.com/7kwwQGvGsO
UpdatedUpdated
at 3.39am BSTat 3.39am BST
3.00am BST3.00am BST
03:0003:00
Scott Morrison addressed Citigroup in New York late last week and has promised there are “better days ahead” for the economy.Scott Morrison addressed Citigroup in New York late last week and has promised there are “better days ahead” for the economy.
My speech to global investors in NY about Australia's solid economic growth story. Full text here: https://t.co/gKMFmOBLyI pic.twitter.com/3NCg5ryJ6bMy speech to global investors in NY about Australia's solid economic growth story. Full text here: https://t.co/gKMFmOBLyI pic.twitter.com/3NCg5ryJ6b
2.44am BST
02:44
It’s a four-flag situation
Updated
at 3.14am BST
2.39am BST
02:39
Stranger in the house update
Christopher Pyne is on Sky talking about how busy the government is in parliament this week.
Asked if he, as the leader of government business, will have to direct the sergeant at arms to remove Barnaby Joyce from the parliament if the high court rules against him, he doesn’t miss a beat.
Pyne says the government is still confident of a win but that all outcomes are being anticipated and there will be no need for the sergeant at arms to step in, if the court goes the other way.
For what it is worth, Pyne says there are a “veritable blizzard of polls” in Australian politics and “we saw their unreliability” with the Trump result, and Brexit, so he “lets polls come and go” and says the “only sale we have to make is on election day every three years”. (Drink)
Updated
at 3.15am BST
2.31am BST
02:31
A bit of a housekeeping in the Senate, with Arthur Sinodinos still absent. The senator revealed earlier this month he is fighting cancer.
Michaelia Cash will represent his portfolio of industry, innovation and science, while the attorney general, George Brandis, will represent Trade, Tourism and Investment.
Concetta Anna Fierravanti-Wells is also away on ministerial business, so Simon Birmingham will represent her portfolio during question time.
Updated
at 3.15am BST
2.26am BST
02:26
House debates Australia's relationship with the United States.
Labor MP Ed Husic has delivered a speech on the motion regarding Australia and its key ally the United States of America. The House spent 50 minutes discussing the relationship.
But Husic, who said he has visited the US every year since 2005, has had an epiphany of sorts in the wake of the travel ban Donald Trump has been working so hard for since his election.
Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shut down on Muslims entering the United States until that country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. I can’t believe that this is where this great country has got to. And then it exercises that ban. And it shuts out people on the basis of faith. I visited the country in that point of time before the inauguration, friends saying to me that it is probably premature to think that it is not right to visit again sometime later. But I think it is wrong, that a nation that can promise so much on the basis of freedom can shut out people on the basis of faith, and do it that way. I think it’s wrong. And against what America stands for.
I think of the words of Paul Keating, who said that ‘once they have pawned the crown, it is hard to reclaim the inheritance’, and he is right. What America is doing to itself and the way it is behaving, is so disappointing to so many of its friends. I can’t see myself going back to America while this is being maintained. I can not think of people like me and my faith, being taken out in front of their children in a line, queuing up to visit the States, just on the basis of faith. America, I think the world of you. But I cannot, and people like me, cannot be shamed by you. This is not the promise of the America we love. America is better than this.”
You can find the whole speech on Husic’s YouTube channel, here
Updated
at 2.41am BST
2.07am BST
02:07
The government has just passed the amendments to its media reforms, as negotiated with the crossbench in the Senate, in the House of Representatives.
2.02am BST
02:02
Perhaps the god of thunder had some tips on energy policy?
1.55am BST
01:55
Quick look into the parliament: The amendments attached to the media reforms bill by the Senate are being debated in the house (where they will pass) and Malcolm Roberts is talking about the “sharing of ideas” as being “even sexier” as part of his speech on the Competition and Consumer Amendment bill. That may not have been the greatest time to tune in.
1.34am BST
01:34
Back to other issues which don’t seem to make a whole lot of sense lately, but on a ground we are more familiar with: ACCC head Rod Sims is attempting to talk about the draft report on electricity prices, without discussing the politics, to which we can only wish him luck.
Asked about the clean energy target, Sims had this to say:
Look, our focus is on affordability. We’ve spent a lot of time working out what’s driven prices up. And we’ve done that. And now the focus is going to be on how do we address all those issues to get prices down? As we all know, there’s three objectives in relation to our electricity sector: there’s meeting the Paris targets for emission reductions, and that’s obviously very important. That’s the clean energy target. Secondly, there’s improving reliability. And there’s a range of things happening there. And, thirdly, there’s a focus on affordability. And when you look at our work, you see that the biggest causes of higher electricity prices are higher network prices, higher retail costs and margins. That’s what we’ve got to be looking at.
Updated
at 1.39am BST
1.30am BST
01:30
From the ‘so strange it can only be Australian politics’ file comes this story.
I’ve tried three times to condense this for you but, well, there are a lot of moving parts to this situation and not a lot of them make sense. Take a bow Australian politics. It’s only taken 1.5hours into the parliamentary sitting to completely flummox me. (You can read the story here. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.)
Updated
at 1.31am BST
1.17am BST
01:17
Bill Shorten has also had a bit to say about the energy debate this morning – looks like we are getting a sneak peek of what awaits us during question time!
Will the real leader of the Liberal party please stand up, is basically the theme here:
Well, first of all, what is the point of asking the chief scientist of Australia to write a full report on climate change and energy, and then not follow the recommendations? It is very clear that Turnbull faces a test in the next 24 hours. It is a test of whether or not he is running the Liberal party and can back in what he believes, which is a clean energy target, or if Tony Abbott is running the Liberal party and they’ll dump a clean energy target. Labor has made it very clear, from even before the final report of the chief scientist, that we will work with the government to do something to lower energy prices in this country. But what we see is the government can’t even work out what they want to do, and long-suffering consumers and business are the people paying the price, with higher energy prices, because this government is at war with itself.
Updated
at 1.22am BST