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| Government and Labor trade blows over energy in question time – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.52am BST | |
| 04:52 | |
| This week must be starting to get to more than just your correspondent–Josh Frydenberg has just received a verbal smack from the Speaker for swearing. | |
| He was responding to a dixer from Craig Kelly, who, it must be said, may have helped get him in the mood, given as he tends to present his questions like he’s interrupting a conversation at the pub bar, to tell someone why they are wrong. | |
| Frydenberg: I thank the member for Hughes for his question and know that he supports the government’s efforts to reduce power prices and create a more reliable system. Indeed, the National Energy Guarantee is a credible, workable, pro-market policy which will help lower prices and create a more reliable system. It involves no subsidies, no taxes, and no trading schemes, Mr Speaker. And given the 371,500 jobs we have created in the last 12 months, lower energy prices will continue to help this strong jobs growth continue. Now, Mr Speaker, I know that those opposite like to write books, their front bench often looks like an Oprah Winfrey Book Club! We had the Good Fight, we had from the member for Fenner, a book about billionaires -an odd title - we had from theLeader of the Opposition For The Common Good, it would is have been better titled, ‘If you don’t know where you going, any road will get you there.’ Another, it is titled Changing jobs’ but then we discovered the member for Por tAdelaide had a book, Mr Speaker. It is a pretty bland cover, it is called ‘The climate wars’ and I thought what does it say? The truth is, we in Labor have sent too many mixed signals about climate policy.He said we have made mistakes in the design of our policies and the presentation, Mr Speaker. But then this was the best. I was on a street corner in Port Adelaide and a guy said, ‘I was never sold on the whole climate issue, I thought you were all piss weak.’ | |
| He withdrew. The Speaker then had a word. | |
| Smith: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I say to the minister, the Leader of the House can cease interjecting for just a second. I say to the minister that that was, he’s withdrawn - if there is a repeat of that, I’ll have no choice but to take severe action against him and I ask him to be mindful not only of the audience watching... but the audience here in Parliament House. | |
| 4.45am BST | |
| 04:45 | |
| Over in the Senate, Mike Bowers has just informed me there have been celebrations when George Brandis pronounced Richard Di Natale’s name correctly. | |
| They always seem to have more fun in the Senate. | |
| Sidenote: the high court is yet to decide on the futures of Malcolm Roberts, Nick Xenophon, Matt Canavan and Fiona Nash (as well as Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam who have already resigned and Barnaby Joyce in the lower house). Could this be the last Senate question time some of those see in a while? | |
| 4.42am BST | |
| 04:42 | |
| A few notable visitors to parliament are in the public gallery today: | |
| The President of the Lebanese Forces Party, as well as Gary Johns, a former minister in the Keating government. Kerri-Anne Kennerly and Cathy Freeman have also been pointed out. | |
| 4.39am BST | |
| 04:39 | |
| The independent question has been given to Rebekha Sharkie: “My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Employment. Today Anglicare Australia revealed nearly five applicants for every entry level job, harvest season is approaching and farmers are looking for seasonal workers with many positions a from Australia. What specific promotional measures have the government implemented to ensure Australians on New Start Youth Allowance know about the trial?” | |
| (sorry for the delay in posts, but I am having a few internet issues this afternoon) | |
| The minister representing Michaelia Cash in the House is Christopher Pyne and he shares this wisdom: | |
| I would say to her that the very first thing I would say about her question is that the best news for anyone on Youth Allowance or New Start is to get a full-time job or a part-time job. In the last 12 months, this government has created 371,500 new jobs. It’s a record number. So the government’s economic policies,which have been supported by manyAustralians, have seen 371,500 new jobs. Now, for those people who have not yet got work, who are on Youth Allowance, or the New Start program,for three months or more, the government has introduced the seasonal work incentives trial which the honourable member refers to and that allows them to work in harvests like for fruit and nuts and other crops and earn up to $5,000 before they lose any of their New Start orYouth Allowance, it is a really good program promoted by many members of this side of the House from regional areas and it helps to fill in some of the workforce gaps in areas of the regions who are looking for workers, particularly at harvest time, and including in the member for Mayo’s electorate. We have promoted it through the HarvestGuide, we promoted it with stakeholders, like those who are doing disability employment services, the Job Active, the Transition to Work programs, there have been community forums and industry days being held in capital cities across regional areas, across Australia. The member for Mayo would be well aware of that and we will continue to promote it in the media and providing communications materials to stakeholders because we want more people who are on NewStart or Youth Allowance to access that particular program. But with the greatest of respect to the member for Mayo, I know it comes from a great state of South Australia, the best thing that we inSouth Australia can do for young people looking for a job is provide them with a good, stable government in South Australia. That understands the importance of reliable power and affordable power and the most important thing the member for Mayo could do is to get her boss to stop promoting unstable government inSouth Australia by running for the state parliament and cutting and running from the Senate, cutting and running from the Senate for the third time, now wants to leave the Senate early and goodness knows how longs he will stay if he win -- wins a seat in the state parliament.” | |
| 4.28am BST | |
| 04:28 | |
| Tanya Plibersek takes the floor: | |
| My question is to the prime minister. Power prices have never been higher than they are under the Liberals. The prime minister could take action right now to put downward pressure on power prices by pulling the trigger on gas export controls. Why won’t the prime minister take action to reduce the power bills of Australian households now instead of making Australians wait three years for a possible 50c saving? | |
| Malcolm Turnbull decides to take this one, mostly, I think, because he thinks he has a very clever sledge and he can’t wait to use it: | |
| Mr Speaker, I’m very ... concerned about the composition of the opposition’s questions pack. They seem to have pulled out a question from the last sitting, when we were last here, over a month ago. | |
| Mr Speaker, what we have secured in terms of gas is an agreement for the big gas exporters to make sure demand on the east coast is fulfilled, which means that there won’t be a shortage of gas on the east coast and if there isn’t a shortage of gas on the east coast, then there is no need to apply any restrictions on exports. | |
| It is an excellent outcome and one that has been welcomed by industry, by AIG, by BCA. It has been welcomed by industry because they know that having gas at affordable prices and full supply – and prices being a function of supply and demand, as all honourable members on this side at least are aware – having gas in full supply means businesses and energy generators and households ultimately will be paying a fairer price. | |
| He continues on the “reliable, affordable” power line his government’s policy is creating. For those playing at home, “responsible” seems to have gone missing in today’s talking notes. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.48am BST | |
| 4.24am BST | |
| 04:24 | |
| The treasurer, Scott Morrison, picks up the next dixer, linking the jobs figures to the government’s energy policy, with the general theme being this government is the most amazing government to have ever governed ever. | |
| He’s so excited by how amazing the government is, he doesn’t take a breathe for about two minutes, but you don’t need air when you’re living on a high. | |
| Australia has just experienced the strongest annual full-time growth in jobs on record. In 40 years, Mr Speaker. In the 40 years of records, on full-time jobs growth, this has been the best record of full-time jobs growth – some 316,000 full-time positions were created in the last year. 371,000 jobs were created in total in the last 12 months. And that means that the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5% below where it was at the first time this government was elected back in 2013 and down more than half a full percentage point over the last couple of years. 20,000 new jobs were created in September. This is the 12th consecutive month the jobs growth has been present in our economy. That is the longest run of jobs growth in 23 years, Mr Speaker! | |
| And I’m listening for the congratulations to those who got jobs from those opposite and I can’t hear a thing, Mr Speaker. I can’t hear a thing from those opposite congratulating the businesses that have gone out and created those jobs, Mr Speaker. All I see is down faces because the last thing they want to see is more jobs, Mr Speaker, because they are generated by their own self-interest when it comes to economic policy in this place. | |
| Jobs growth means the government’s policies are working, Mr Speaker, and that is something that this government can mark down as the consequence of good economic decisions and sound economic management and that includes, Mr Speaker, the decisions we have taken on energy, whether it is the securing gas for domestic use, getting the right deals out of retail energy companies, ensuring that we get rid of the free kick for poles and wires companies that were driving up prices, building Snowy 2.0 – all of this was part of the prime minister’s energy plan that was announced in the budget this year, but to top that off is the National Energy Guarantee. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.44am BST | |
| 4.20am BST | |
| 04:20 | |
| To opposition questions again and Jenny Macklin picks up from yesterday asking again about the axing of the energy supplement. | |
| “Is the prime minister so out of touch that he expects pensioners to thank him because they might get a lousy 50c saving on their power bills in three years’ time and don’t flick it off this time?” | |
| The prime minister punts the question to Christian Porter. | |
| Thank you, it is interesting that yesterday the member for Sydney [Tanya Plibersek] got up and put to us that somehow the removal of the carbon tax was a myth and now they are complaining about the fact that we want to remove the carbon tax compensation. | |
| That is fascinating. It’s particularly fascinating when the carbon tax compensation was a savings measure that members opposite adopted, booked, saved and spent. Wrong, wrong, we hear. Wrong. Let me read to you a fair summary, let me read to you a fair summary of the situation that appeared in The Guardian in September – sorry on 24 August 2016. The Guardian doesn’t always run to our defence, but this is what they said, this is what they said 24 August 2016 in The Guardian. | |
| They said: ‘As both sides gear up for the looming sitting period, Labor has also this week debated whether or not to proceed with a saving it accepted during the election campaign, the abolition of the energy supplement.’ | |
| You would have thought, if it wasn’t true, The Guardian would have let us know that. Wouldn’t you think that? That you come up time and time again and try and pretend to this place that somehow or other you did not bank this saving knowing as the ending of the carbon tax compensation. What the opposition did do is before an election, they say they are opposed to the saving, then they say they support the saving and then after the election, they are opposed to it again. When the election comes round again, they will support it again and they will bank it again and they will book it again and they will spend it again and you know what, The Guardian will write about the fact that that is what they have done. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.28am BST | |
| 4.16am BST | 4.16am BST |
| 04:16 | 04:16 |
| Trent Zimmerman then picks up the first dixer, which just happens to be on–you guessed it, the unemployment figures. | Trent Zimmerman then picks up the first dixer, which just happens to be on–you guessed it, the unemployment figures. |
| Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t even try to hide his grin, telling the chamber: | Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t even try to hide his grin, telling the chamber: |
| 375,500 more Australians in work than a year ago [the longest run of] monthly jobs growth since 1994. That is an extraordinary achievement and it is a tribute to the enterprise and the hard work of Australian businesses that are benefitting from the leadership and economic leader ... The parliament has approved, applying to small and medium businesses. To remain competitive, Australian businesses need affordable and reliable energy. They need to have the gas they need, they need to have the electricity for their businesses and it needs to be reliable and affordable. And that is what we are delivering. | |
| Now, when it comes to energy, the leader of the opposition talks, writes charming letters to me occasionally, talking about bipartisanship. He went completely off the reservation this morning, Mr Speaker. He talked, he described the considered advice from the Energy Security Board, appointed by Coag, five of the most knowledgeable people in the energy sector. He talked ... science-fiction! That is what he said. | |
| Then he described it, then, as he started to foam and froth, he described it as propaganda from the government! This is a recommendation from an independent board appointed by Coag, accountable to Coag – more Labor government appointments than Liberal people. The energy market operator, the Energy Regulator, the chairman of the AMC, and Dr Kerry Schott and Claire Savage, independent chair and deputy chair. Excellent appointments, praised by the member for Port Adelaide [Mark Butler] at the time, and he was right then. | |
| But now they don’t like the outcome and so all they can do is smear and play politics. Mr Speaker, Australians deserve better. The reality is this: Labor has failed to put Australian families first. They have failed to prioritise affordability and reliability. They have allowed Australians to see energy prices rise, gas becoming short supply all because of ideology and stupidity and now we see, Mr Speaker, the leader of the opposition complaining about jobs lost in renewables, so he forecasts. What about the 5,000 jobs in Snowy Hydro 2.0? What about that?” | |
| It’s at this point, I should probably make a comment about the Snowy Hydro 2.0 plan not being more than a feasibility study at this stage, but I think most of you know that. | It’s at this point, I should probably make a comment about the Snowy Hydro 2.0 plan not being more than a feasibility study at this stage, but I think most of you know that. |
| Updated | |
| at 4.32am BST | |
| 4.10am BST | 4.10am BST |
| 04:10 | 04:10 |
| Question time begins | Question time begins |
| Technology issues that are too boring to go into here have prevented me from heading to the chamber today, unfortunately. | Technology issues that are too boring to go into here have prevented me from heading to the chamber today, unfortunately. |
| But question time has begun and it is straight into energy. | But question time has begun and it is straight into energy. |
| Malcolm Turnbull answers Bill Shorten’s question over whether Australians should be expected to be grateful over such little savings. | Malcolm Turnbull answers Bill Shorten’s question over whether Australians should be expected to be grateful over such little savings. |
| Turnbull turns that into a gloat over the economy and the jobs numbers: | Turnbull turns that into a gloat over the economy and the jobs numbers: |
| Over the last few years there are more Australians in jobs and since we were first elected four years ago, 825,500 jobs have been created. Mr Speaker, jobs and growth is not just a slogan, it is an outcome. It is an outcome. | Over the last few years there are more Australians in jobs and since we were first elected four years ago, 825,500 jobs have been created. Mr Speaker, jobs and growth is not just a slogan, it is an outcome. It is an outcome. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.17am BST | at 4.17am BST |
| 4.06am BST | 4.06am BST |
| 04:06 | 04:06 |
| Just as we wait to head into question time, a reminder New Zealand is waiting to see who will be its leader. | Just as we wait to head into question time, a reminder New Zealand is waiting to see who will be its leader. |
| Our other live blog for the day is on all the action across the Tasman, where New Zealand is waiting with bated breath for minor party leader Winston Peters to tell them who their next prime minister will be. Peters’ New Zealand First party was left in the position of kingmaker after the national election almost a month ago and has been meeting with National’s Bill English and Labour’s Jacinda Ardern since then. He has said he will make an announcement today, but gave no indication of when or what it might be ... | Our other live blog for the day is on all the action across the Tasman, where New Zealand is waiting with bated breath for minor party leader Winston Peters to tell them who their next prime minister will be. Peters’ New Zealand First party was left in the position of kingmaker after the national election almost a month ago and has been meeting with National’s Bill English and Labour’s Jacinda Ardern since then. He has said he will make an announcement today, but gave no indication of when or what it might be ... |
| Follow along with that, here. | Follow along with that, here. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.10am BST | at 4.10am BST |
| 4.04am BST | 4.04am BST |
| 04:04 | 04:04 |
| The Labor MP for Bruce, Julian Hill, has done his best to entertain the chamber ahead of question time. | The Labor MP for Bruce, Julian Hill, has done his best to entertain the chamber ahead of question time. |
| Speaking in appreciation for “the generosity of our compassionate and benevolent leader”, he said: | Speaking in appreciation for “the generosity of our compassionate and benevolent leader”, he said: |
| The prime minister has thoughtfully offered struggling families some help with out-of-control power bills. He is giving families 50c a week. He is so generous, he is so loving, he is so kind, he understands his subjects, he is one of us. He is so in touch. | The prime minister has thoughtfully offered struggling families some help with out-of-control power bills. He is giving families 50c a week. He is so generous, he is so loving, he is so kind, he understands his subjects, he is one of us. He is so in touch. |
| And I am told our nation will be doing more to honour dear leader’s generosity: planning is already under way for the festival of the half dollar. The Australian mint will be issuing a commemorative 50c coin and thousands of Australians will be making one local call in celebration. | And I am told our nation will be doing more to honour dear leader’s generosity: planning is already under way for the festival of the half dollar. The Australian mint will be issuing a commemorative 50c coin and thousands of Australians will be making one local call in celebration. |
| We thank the prime minister for his compassion and his big heart. People who can’t pay their power bills can now pay for a soft serve at Macca’s or save for a month and buy a can of Coke. Tis is a truly remarkable offer from our most charitable and excellent leader. We do not deserve his kindness, but we are grateful for it nonetheless. There really has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian. | We thank the prime minister for his compassion and his big heart. People who can’t pay their power bills can now pay for a soft serve at Macca’s or save for a month and buy a can of Coke. Tis is a truly remarkable offer from our most charitable and excellent leader. We do not deserve his kindness, but we are grateful for it nonetheless. There really has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.08am BST | at 4.08am BST |
| 3.52am BST | 3.52am BST |
| 03:52 | 03:52 |
| The Productivity Commission has released its final report on the NDIS and has concluded that people waiting on the service could be made to wait another 12 months before they can join. | The Productivity Commission has released its final report on the NDIS and has concluded that people waiting on the service could be made to wait another 12 months before they can join. |
| The social services minister, Christian Porter, told the ABC he believed the rollout may have been a little ambitious. | The social services minister, Christian Porter, told the ABC he believed the rollout may have been a little ambitious. |
| I think that the Productivity Commission says as much. They noted that originally the estimates about the number of Australians who are transitioning at given points in time over the next several years were their own estimates back from pre-2013 and the Productivity Commission says those estimates were highly ambitious to the extent that the Productivity Commission note themselves they were so ambitious they were unlikely to ever be met. | I think that the Productivity Commission says as much. They noted that originally the estimates about the number of Australians who are transitioning at given points in time over the next several years were their own estimates back from pre-2013 and the Productivity Commission says those estimates were highly ambitious to the extent that the Productivity Commission note themselves they were so ambitious they were unlikely to ever be met. |
| But he said it will eventually happen: | But he said it will eventually happen: |
| Every state has a bilateral agreement where we agree with the states that the NDIS will be, if you like, open for business in a certain region at a certain time and nothing changes there and we are not planning to change anything there. So all of the bilateral rollout targets will be met, which means that if you are expecting in Gosford or Wagga Wagga or wherever you are in Australia, we have the ability to apply for the NDIS at a certain time. Nothing changes there. | Every state has a bilateral agreement where we agree with the states that the NDIS will be, if you like, open for business in a certain region at a certain time and nothing changes there and we are not planning to change anything there. So all of the bilateral rollout targets will be met, which means that if you are expecting in Gosford or Wagga Wagga or wherever you are in Australia, we have the ability to apply for the NDIS at a certain time. Nothing changes there. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.56am BST | at 3.56am BST |