This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/oct/18/energy-battle-turns-to-the-states-as-the-sell-heats-up-politics-live
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Energy battle turns to the states, as the sell heats up – politics live | Energy battle turns to the states, as the sell heats up – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.33am BST | |
| 02:33 | |
| Over at the National Press Club, Brendan O’Connor is giving a speech on workplace relations. | |
| Here’s his opening: | |
| “...we cannot tackle inequality or build a future of inclusive prosperity unless Australia has a workplace relations system that is both productive and fair. We have to both address the challenges in the labour market that exist now, and prepare for what is coming. | |
| Essential to that task is striking the right balance of power between workers and employers. | |
| The tilt of bargaining power away from workers and to employers has gone too far. | |
| Too many of our fellow Australians can no longer see the link between hard work and fair reward. | |
| Inequality is at a 75 year high. | |
| Wage growth is flat lining. | |
| Work is too often hard to find, and insecure. | |
| For too many low and middle income earners, access to education and training is limited. | |
| Workers don’t believe they have the power any more to negotiate a better deal at work. | |
| And many are deeply anxious about what the future will bring. | |
| The consequences for our society and our economy are profoundly negative.” | |
| 2.28am BST | |
| 02:28 | |
| Another question time strategy hint from Labor, with Mark Butler discussing the chief scientist. | |
| I think Alan Finkel should be congratulated with his work over the last months, taking advice from experts overseas and through process developed a comprehensive plan. Malcolm Turnbull has turned his back on that plan. Yes, at the end of the day Alan Finkel said there needs to be an orderly mechanism to combine climate and energy policy and he then said the clean energy target was the best mechanism. He said it was the mechanism that would deliver the best outcome for households on power prices and Josh Frydenberg reflected that when he did his presentation to the Coalition party room, he [had] a slide that said the clean energy target will lower prices. Malcolm Turnbull reflected that. The problem for us all is that Tony Abbott vetoed it and again Malcolm Turnbull ended up capitulating to Tony Abbott. | |
| As a reminder, here is what Finkel said yesterday, when asked about the clean energy target, where he concluded there was more than one way to “skin a cat”: | |
| The clean energy target is not a headline item, it is bullet point number two of three bullet points. It is not even introduced as a clean energy target, it is introduced as the need for a credible mechanism and there are multiple ways of achieving a credible mechanism. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.33am BST | |
| 2.23am BST | |
| 02:23 | |
| 2.07am BST | |
| 02:07 | |
| Katharine Murphy | |
| As promised ... | |
| Also undetected yesterday because of the focus on energy, Peter Dutton told party room colleagues he would amend the citizenship package. | |
| This is not high court citizenship issue but the becoming an Australian issue. He said the government would reduce the English test from level six (university standard) to level five. | |
| But this won’t be enough to secure a crossbench breakthrough. The NXT says it will need more than this concession to reverse its opposition to the controversial overhaul. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.25am BST | |
| 2.01am BST | |
| 02:01 | |
| Stay tuned: we are hearing there is movement on the citizenship reforms after all. We shall have those details with you as soon as we can. | |
| 2.00am BST | |
| 02:00 | |
| ABC reforms to be introduced to the Senate | |
| We are moving quickly today, so please stay with me while I try and keep up. | |
| Communications minister Mitch Fifield is moving forward on the ABC reforms he promised to One Nation as part of the deal for their support on the media reforms.I’ll let Fifield explain what is going on. After all, I would hate to be accused of not being fair or balanced while reporting facts. | |
| From his statement: The Turnbull Government will today introduce legislative reforms to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Act to enhance the ABC’s commitment to rural and regional Australia and require its news services to be fair and balanced. | |
| The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Rural and Regional Measures) Bill 2017 will implement reforms championed by Senator Bridget McKenzie to enshrine a formal commitment to rural and regional Australia in the ABC’s Charter. The Bill also requires the ABC to consult on changes affecting rural and regional audiences, through the establishment of a Regional Advisory Council. | |
| The Bill will also require there be at least two members of the ABC board with a substantial connection to, or substantial experience in, a regional area through business, industry or community involvement. The Government would already satisfy this obligation through its appointments to date. The Bill also introduces greater transparency by requiring a number of additional particulars to be included in its Annual Report. | |
| These amendments will ensure the ABC has an even greater focus on, and regard for, the needs of rural and regional communities. | |
| The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Fair and Balanced) Bill 2017 will require news and information to be ‘fair’ and ‘balanced’, in addition to the already legislated requirement to be ‘accurate and impartial according to the recognised standards of objective journalism’. | |
| The Bill seeks to legislate what the ABC already expects of itself. The ABC’s own Editorial Policies already cover “fair treatment”, as well as requiring ‘a balance that follows the weight of evidence’. And the MEAA’s Journalistic Code of Ethics refers to ‘fairness’ no less than six times. | |
| The amendments will cement the standards expected by Australian taxpayers. | |
| 1.57am BST | 1.57am BST |
| 01:57 | 01:57 |
| Bob Brown wins high court fight against Tasmania's anti-protest laws | Bob Brown wins high court fight against Tasmania's anti-protest laws |
| Turning my Eye of Sauron outside the Canberra bubble for just a moment (I know, I know, I should get out more) former the Greens leader Bob Brown has had a win in the high court. | Turning my Eye of Sauron outside the Canberra bubble for just a moment (I know, I know, I should get out more) former the Greens leader Bob Brown has had a win in the high court. |
| Here is a bit from Michael Slezak’s report, which you’ll find here | Here is a bit from Michael Slezak’s report, which you’ll find here |
| The former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has won a landmark high court fight against Tasmanian anti-protest laws passed in 2014 and under which he was charged in 2016. | The former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has won a landmark high court fight against Tasmanian anti-protest laws passed in 2014 and under which he was charged in 2016. |
| Brown, the third person arrested under the Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Act 2014, argued the laws directly targeted implied freedom of political expression in the constitution and were therefore unconstitutional. | Brown, the third person arrested under the Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Act 2014, argued the laws directly targeted implied freedom of political expression in the constitution and were therefore unconstitutional. |
| The landmark case stemmed from Brown’s arrest while filming a video about an anti-logging protest at Lapoinya state forest in Tasmania’s north-west in January 2016. | The landmark case stemmed from Brown’s arrest while filming a video about an anti-logging protest at Lapoinya state forest in Tasmania’s north-west in January 2016. |
| 1.49am BST | 1.49am BST |
| 01:49 | 01:49 |
| Meanwhile Julie Bishop has announced a new Consul-General to Istanbul– Jeffie Kaine: | Meanwhile Julie Bishop has announced a new Consul-General to Istanbul– Jeffie Kaine: |
| “The Australian Consulate-General in Istanbul plays a significant role in fostering trade and investment between Turkey and Australia. Istanbul is the business and finance capital of Turkey. It generates almost one quarter of Turkey’s GDP and accommodates one fifth of Turkey’s population of almost 80 million. Istanbul is a popular destination for Australian travellers and a gateway to the Gallipoli peninsula. | “The Australian Consulate-General in Istanbul plays a significant role in fostering trade and investment between Turkey and Australia. Istanbul is the business and finance capital of Turkey. It generates almost one quarter of Turkey’s GDP and accommodates one fifth of Turkey’s population of almost 80 million. Istanbul is a popular destination for Australian travellers and a gateway to the Gallipoli peninsula. |
| Our enduring relationship with Turkey is grounded in our shared experience at the Gallipoli battles of World War I, and covers a broad range of areas including ANZAC commemorations, cooperation on counter-terrorism and participation in the MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia) Forum. | Our enduring relationship with Turkey is grounded in our shared experience at the Gallipoli battles of World War I, and covers a broad range of areas including ANZAC commemorations, cooperation on counter-terrorism and participation in the MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia) Forum. |
| Australia and Turkey enjoy close people-to-people links, with some 67,000 Australians claiming Turkish ancestry. Our economic relationship continues to strengthen, with two-way trade growing by 14.6 per cent in 2015–16 and totalling almost $1.5 billion. | Australia and Turkey enjoy close people-to-people links, with some 67,000 Australians claiming Turkish ancestry. Our economic relationship continues to strengthen, with two-way trade growing by 14.6 per cent in 2015–16 and totalling almost $1.5 billion. |
| Ms Kaine is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She was most recently Director, Head of Mission/Senior Executive Service Section. In Canberra, she has held a range of positions, including in the Iraq Task Force and Staffing Branch. She has served previously overseas in the Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. | Ms Kaine is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She was most recently Director, Head of Mission/Senior Executive Service Section. In Canberra, she has held a range of positions, including in the Iraq Task Force and Staffing Branch. She has served previously overseas in the Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.50am BST | at 1.50am BST |
| 1.48am BST | 1.48am BST |
| 01:48 | 01:48 |
| Trouble at (banking) mill | Trouble at (banking) mill |
| Katharine Murphy | Katharine Murphy |
| While we’ve all been focussed on energy (or perhaps that’s just me), trouble has broken out inside the government on another front. This fight is over plans to regulate the salary and appointment of banking executives, which is one of the things the government is doing to hold off calls for a royal commission into the banks. | While we’ve all been focussed on energy (or perhaps that’s just me), trouble has broken out inside the government on another front. This fight is over plans to regulate the salary and appointment of banking executives, which is one of the things the government is doing to hold off calls for a royal commission into the banks. |
| The veteran Liberal MP Russell Broadbent kicked up a stink about this package in the Coalition party room meeting yesterday, and is reserving his rights, which means he might cross the floor to vote against the change. | The veteran Liberal MP Russell Broadbent kicked up a stink about this package in the Coalition party room meeting yesterday, and is reserving his rights, which means he might cross the floor to vote against the change. |
| Broadbent has told me governments should not be regulating the internal affairs of businesses. He says that’s like Labor’s plans for bank nationalisation in the 1940s. | Broadbent has told me governments should not be regulating the internal affairs of businesses. He says that’s like Labor’s plans for bank nationalisation in the 1940s. |
| “This is totally at odds with what the Liberal and national parties stand for,” Broadbent said. “I think Ben Chifley tried something like this in 1947.” | “This is totally at odds with what the Liberal and national parties stand for,” Broadbent said. “I think Ben Chifley tried something like this in 1947.” |
| He says he is not “sticking up for the banks” but for a point of principle. | He says he is not “sticking up for the banks” but for a point of principle. |
| All pretty interesting. We’ll keep an eye on development. | All pretty interesting. We’ll keep an eye on development. |
| 1.47am BST | 1.47am BST |
| 01:47 | 01:47 |
| Andrew Wilkie is speaking more about the allegations he has tabled in the parliament this morning, regarding Crown Casino. He won’t go further into the allegations during the press conference because parliamentary privilege does not extend to the Senate courtyard and press conferences. But Wilkie, a whistleblower himself, says he is also not going to do anything which could identify the group which have come forward to him. | |
| He’s calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations and wants the Victorian government and the federal government to investigate what has gone on. | He’s calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations and wants the Victorian government and the federal government to investigate what has gone on. |
| I’m not going to talk to the specific allegations: You know where to find them in the Hansard record if you’re interested in seeing them. What I will say is that the three whistleblowers who have approached me, I’ve met them – I’ve confirmed their identity, and I think that the allegations have enough weight to them that we should take them seriously, and they should be investigated. | |
| It’s now up to the federal government and the Victorian state government to take strong and immediate action. The federal government because some of the allegations would involve breaches of federal law, and obviously the Victorian government because the allegations, if true, would indicate breaches of Victorian law. So, I’m now looking to the prime minister and to the premier to find out what they’re going to do about these very serious allegations. Clearly there needs to be some sort of inquiry by the relevant law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and I’m also looking to the parliament to form some sort of parliamentary inquiry into these allegations, and perhaps more broadly than just Crown Casino, just to be able to reassure ourselves that if these allegations are true, that at least they’re limited to Crown seen know, but we will wait and see. | |
| Now, I’ve have seen the footage that I have tabled today of the three whistleblowers, you will see that some considerable trouble has been taken to hide their identity. And that’s fair enough because these are three men who are making very serious allegations. It is a very risky thing that they’ve decided to do, to become whistleblowers. It is not an easy road, whistleblowing in this country, but I can reassure the media, that although their identity is concealed, that I have confirmed their identity and although I cannot make any comment about the accuracy or not of their allegations, I do know that these are three people who we should listen to, and we should take their allegations very serious. | |
| Meanwhile you can play our own interactive pokie machine to find out just how addictive they are: | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.09am BST | |
| 1.40am BST | 1.40am BST |
| 01:40 | 01:40 |
| Back to the politics. | Back to the politics. |
| Bill Shorten is at the Mt Majura solar farm , with about half the Labor shadow cabinet (that may be a slight exaggeration, but with Mark Butler, Chris Bown and Andrew Leigh, joining him, it’s quite crowded) | Bill Shorten is at the Mt Majura solar farm , with about half the Labor shadow cabinet (that may be a slight exaggeration, but with Mark Butler, Chris Bown and Andrew Leigh, joining him, it’s quite crowded) |
| Labor is still examining the policy, but they are certainly no fans of the process. From Chris Bowen: | Labor is still examining the policy, but they are certainly no fans of the process. From Chris Bowen: |
| What we saw yesterday was Turnbull energy policy 72.0. The latest attempt, as they go from crisis to crisis with an energy policy. Just a few weeks ago we were told by the prime minister a clean energy target “would certainly work” Josh Frydenberg told us it would reduce electricity prices. A few weeks before that just in the last session, we were told that the answer to Australia’s energy needs was to keep the Liddell power station open, the coal-fired power station, words that don’t utter their lips anymore. T | What we saw yesterday was Turnbull energy policy 72.0. The latest attempt, as they go from crisis to crisis with an energy policy. Just a few weeks ago we were told by the prime minister a clean energy target “would certainly work” Josh Frydenberg told us it would reduce electricity prices. A few weeks before that just in the last session, we were told that the answer to Australia’s energy needs was to keep the Liddell power station open, the coal-fired power station, words that don’t utter their lips anymore. T |
| The prime minister says it is about engineering and, but it’s about party politics. What is particularly concerning is the lack of modelling which goes with this policy. I’ve seen more thorough modelling in a high school economics essay than the government has been able to produce this far. Particularly scary is the fact that the treasurer said this morning the Labor party has all the information that the government has. Well, I tell you what, that means the government has no information, no modelling at their disposal. | The prime minister says it is about engineering and, but it’s about party politics. What is particularly concerning is the lack of modelling which goes with this policy. I’ve seen more thorough modelling in a high school economics essay than the government has been able to produce this far. Particularly scary is the fact that the treasurer said this morning the Labor party has all the information that the government has. Well, I tell you what, that means the government has no information, no modelling at their disposal. |
| This is not the fault of the Energy Security Board. They have been given an unrealistic timetable and unrealistic task by the government, again which has been driven by the rival factional and liberal politics of the party room, not by good policy. The Labor party has been offering bipartisan support to the government for months for a proper energy policy, but we are all of a sudden expected to think that this latest thought bubble from the government which we were told last week they had a different plan, the week before that a different plan and all of a sudden this is the one that the Labor party should automatically back without the modelling and research. | This is not the fault of the Energy Security Board. They have been given an unrealistic timetable and unrealistic task by the government, again which has been driven by the rival factional and liberal politics of the party room, not by good policy. The Labor party has been offering bipartisan support to the government for months for a proper energy policy, but we are all of a sudden expected to think that this latest thought bubble from the government which we were told last week they had a different plan, the week before that a different plan and all of a sudden this is the one that the Labor party should automatically back without the modelling and research. |
| The Labor party will continue to be the adults in the room in this conversation. We will continue to offer support for good policy, but policy which is supported by the evidence and the facts, and the fact that this government has put this policy together with strings and Band-Aids, with no modelling, no thorough analysis, as has been confirmed by the energy board themselves, that they have to now go to do the work, well, let’s see that work, and if they publish it all for all to see, clearly. | The Labor party will continue to be the adults in the room in this conversation. We will continue to offer support for good policy, but policy which is supported by the evidence and the facts, and the fact that this government has put this policy together with strings and Band-Aids, with no modelling, no thorough analysis, as has been confirmed by the energy board themselves, that they have to now go to do the work, well, let’s see that work, and if they publish it all for all to see, clearly. |
| The government is still hoping for bipartisan support, to help give business and industry some certainty that the policy would survive beyond the next few minutes. It would also help bring the Labor states on board, which would be the easiest way for the government to get this all happening. But it probably didn’t help that Scott Morrison was demanding Labor support the policy almost immediately yesterday, before anyone had even had a look at the policy. It seems that whatever political goodwill there was regarding this, is evaporating quite rapidly. | The government is still hoping for bipartisan support, to help give business and industry some certainty that the policy would survive beyond the next few minutes. It would also help bring the Labor states on board, which would be the easiest way for the government to get this all happening. But it probably didn’t help that Scott Morrison was demanding Labor support the policy almost immediately yesterday, before anyone had even had a look at the policy. It seems that whatever political goodwill there was regarding this, is evaporating quite rapidly. |
| If you missed it here’s Peter Lewis on the energy policy shambles. | If you missed it here’s Peter Lewis on the energy policy shambles. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.51am BST | at 1.51am BST |
| 1.27am BST | 1.27am BST |
| 01:27 | 01:27 |
| Before the politics gets in the way again, here’s a bit of what Malcolm Turnbull told our Invictus Games team: | Before the politics gets in the way again, here’s a bit of what Malcolm Turnbull told our Invictus Games team: |
| It’s good to see so many of you again. Last time we met we were in Sydney with Prince Harry and you’ve been hanging out with him at the Invictus Games where you’ve been so successful. | It’s good to see so many of you again. Last time we met we were in Sydney with Prince Harry and you’ve been hanging out with him at the Invictus Games where you’ve been so successful. |
| It’s great to see you again Gary. You kept Julie Bishop – Julie Bishop is here – you were part of our close personal protection team in Afghanistan years ago, not long before you suffered your injuries in the Black Hawk crash. And you kept us safe. You put your life on the line with your comrades to keep us safe there as you all do and have done every day. | It’s great to see you again Gary. You kept Julie Bishop – Julie Bishop is here – you were part of our close personal protection team in Afghanistan years ago, not long before you suffered your injuries in the Black Hawk crash. And you kept us safe. You put your life on the line with your comrades to keep us safe there as you all do and have done every day. |
| We live in a dangerous world. There are many people that seek to do us harm and we know that the freedoms we exercise in this parliament are due to you and those like you who have carried out with that Anzac spirit the defence of our nation for generations. | We live in a dangerous world. There are many people that seek to do us harm and we know that the freedoms we exercise in this parliament are due to you and those like you who have carried out with that Anzac spirit the defence of our nation for generations. |
| We’re surrounded by parliamentarians, the servicemen and women of tomorrow, all of these young people – their freedoms, their future depends on the sacrifices you have made and so many other brave Australians will make in the years to come. | We’re surrounded by parliamentarians, the servicemen and women of tomorrow, all of these young people – their freedoms, their future depends on the sacrifices you have made and so many other brave Australians will make in the years to come. |
| You’re an inspiration. We thank you for what you’ve done. | You’re an inspiration. We thank you for what you’ve done. |
| And Bill Shorten: | And Bill Shorten: |
| I want you to know, just as the prime minister has said, on behalf of all Australians – that by returning from adversity, by returning from places which many Australians will never have to go, coming through that storm, that difficulty and that uncertainty – coming through the other side – you served your country again, by your inspiration. | I want you to know, just as the prime minister has said, on behalf of all Australians – that by returning from adversity, by returning from places which many Australians will never have to go, coming through that storm, that difficulty and that uncertainty – coming through the other side – you served your country again, by your inspiration. |
| You are proof of the human spirit’s boundless resilience. I want you to know how many people you give hope to by your effort. They mightn’t always get the chance to tell you, but trust me, you give a lot of people, a lot of hope. And you are also a reminder of the duty that we owe all of those who’ve served, the duty to support the men and women of the ADF and their families. | You are proof of the human spirit’s boundless resilience. I want you to know how many people you give hope to by your effort. They mightn’t always get the chance to tell you, but trust me, you give a lot of people, a lot of hope. And you are also a reminder of the duty that we owe all of those who’ve served, the duty to support the men and women of the ADF and their families. |
| Looking around this room, you can almost feel and see the pride that your families have in you. You should know that every Australian wishes they could be here, telling you how proud they are of you. | Looking around this room, you can almost feel and see the pride that your families have in you. You should know that every Australian wishes they could be here, telling you how proud they are of you. |
| You represent: the purest expression of sport, the noblest example of mateship, the very best of Australia. | You represent: the purest expression of sport, the noblest example of mateship, the very best of Australia. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.34am BST | at 1.34am BST |
| 1.21am BST | 1.21am BST |
| 01:21 | 01:21 |
| Wilkie has released a statement ahead of his press conference: | Wilkie has released a statement ahead of his press conference: |
| Today very serious allegations have been levelled at the poker machine industry. | Today very serious allegations have been levelled at the poker machine industry. |
| Although the allegations focus on Crown in Melbourne, they could also suggest a broader pattern of behaviour in the poker machine industry, which would obviously have grave implications for people right around Australia, including in my electorate of Denison. | Although the allegations focus on Crown in Melbourne, they could also suggest a broader pattern of behaviour in the poker machine industry, which would obviously have grave implications for people right around Australia, including in my electorate of Denison. |
| These allegations are obviously very serious. If members and senators, law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and the media, scrutinise the video record of the whistleblowers’ testimony, I’m sure they’ll agree that the claims warrant an immediate and strong response. | These allegations are obviously very serious. If members and senators, law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and the media, scrutinise the video record of the whistleblowers’ testimony, I’m sure they’ll agree that the claims warrant an immediate and strong response. |
| I call on the federal and Victorian governments to ensure the allegations are investigated thoroughly. The truth will not be uncovered without a parliamentary inquiry, as well as investigations by law enforcement and regulatory agencies. | I call on the federal and Victorian governments to ensure the allegations are investigated thoroughly. The truth will not be uncovered without a parliamentary inquiry, as well as investigations by law enforcement and regulatory agencies. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.35am BST | at 1.35am BST |