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Malcolm Turnbull defends NBN rollout – politics live Questions over lost 1,000-page security manual – politics live
(35 minutes later)
1.17am BST
01:17
The parameters which were set for these questions to be asked publicly, include not asking about the content of the manuals.
But Senate president Stephen Parry wants to give the committee “a little bit of an outline of the manual Senator Kitching has been referring to.”
“First of all, it was an early draft ... secondly, some of the portions in that early draft are now redundant, thirdly a number of aspects have been modified and finally, about 50% ... are commercially available products,” Parry said.
“You start off with the worse case scenario, once the investigation was completed, our fears were allayed considerably. However, we still don’t want to identify aspects of this, so people don’t go looking in areas that we don’t want people to go looking, just in case matters are discovered, but we are comfortable at the moment that there are no compromise to the security arrangements to parliament house.”
Kimberly Kitching wants to know why a private investigator was hired to look into the missing manual, and why it wasn’t done by the AFP.
The security controller was verbally advised of the situation, and DPS said it was not the sort of matter the AFP would be engaged on, as it was not “identifiably a criminal matter”.
So they hired a PI.
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DPS and Parry have both said there was no “substantial breach of security” with the manual’s loss.
Wong says she “doesn’t understand that evidence”.
Hang on ... there is no substantial breach of security. It is common ground that a manual has been misplaced, correct? ... That is correct isn’t it. To this stage, as I understand the president’s evidence, he is saying we can’t find any evidence that it has got into the hands of someone untoward, but we don’t where it is, so we don’t know who’s got it. Is that right?”
The committee is told: “It’s definitely lost”.
“By definition, that means we don’t know where it is,” Wong says dryly.
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The finance committee is back. Kitching is continuing her line of questioning, reiterating that it was not DPS which lost the manual, but a private contractor. Now we are moving on to how DPS reacted.
The secretary of the department, Robert Stefanic, has confirmed the manual was lost by a contractor in November 2016. In February DPS was advised by letter that the manual had been misplaced.
Penny Wong wants to know why the contractor waited to advise DPS about the missing manual – but no one can say why they waited three months.
The AFP were made aware of it, Stefanic says, on the same day. DPS can’t say if the prime minister’s office was advised, or whether Michael Keenan, or George Brandis were advised (as the minister for justice and attorney general) “It’s a matter for the parliament,” Parry, the Senate president says.
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DPS is citing operational security as the reasons its can’t discuss the loss of the security manual. The Department of Parliamentary Services is citing operational security as the reason it cannot discuss the loss of the security manual.
Kitching was having none of that: Kitching is having none of that:
“I don’t want to talk about operational security, I want to discuss the fact that a 1000-page security manual was lost last November,” she said. “I don’t want to talk about operational security, I want to discuss the fact that a 1,000-page security manual was lost last November,” she said.
“...How was the manual lost? I am not asking about the manual, I am not asking about the details in the manual, I am asking how a 1000-page security manual was lost last November.” “How was the manual lost? I am not asking about the manual, I am not asking about the details in the manual, I am asking how a 1,000-page security manual was lost last November.”
After Stephen Parry also objected over the allegations being made public, Kitching tried again: After Stephen Parry also objected to the allegations being made public, Kitching tried again:
On this matter, we are spending $126 million approximately to security upgrades to parliament house, there is a security manual that has been missing for nearly a year, I am going to go to some questions around some mitigation that DPS has tried to do, which involved the hiring of a contractor to investigate this, which started in February. So over the Christmas holidays, no one did anything. Then in February they decided they should perhaps go into this. I would like to ask some questions about that. I will put them on notice if they are not able to be asked in a public forum. Remember this is public money that is being spent - and the fact that we are spending a lot of money...yet some of this may be undone, because a security manual was lost by another contractor, I think is in the public interest.” On this matter, we are spending $126 million approximately to security upgrades to parliament house, there is a security manual that has been missing for nearly a year, I am going to go to some questions around some mitigation that DPS has tried to do, which involved the hiring of a contractor to investigate this, which started in February. So over the Christmas holidays, no one did anything. Then in February they decided they should perhaps go into this. I would like to ask some questions about that. I will put them on notice if they are not able to be asked in a public forum. Remember this is public money that is being spent – and the fact that we are spending a lot of money ... yet some of this may be undone, because a security manual was lost by another contractor, I think is in the public interest.”
Chair James Paterson said Kitching should feel free to ask her questions, but to tread sensitively, given the security concerns. Chair James Paterson says Kitching should feel free to ask her questions, but to tread sensitively, given the security concerns.
The committee then went on break.The committee then went on break.
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12.36am BST12.36am BST
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Julie Bishop has just announced a further $10 million for the Myanmar humanitarian crisis: Julie Bishop has just announced a further $10m for the Myanmar humanitarian crisis:
The Australian Government remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Australian government remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Australia will contribute a further $10 million to help address the humanitarian needs of those people affected by the crisis. Australia will contribute a further $10m to help address the humanitarian needs of those people affected by the crisis.
The United Nations estimates that more than 582,000 Rohingya people fleeing violence have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, 2017.The United Nations estimates that more than 582,000 Rohingya people fleeing violence have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, 2017.
Most of these people have few possessions and are reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival. Many are injured and traumatised. Almost 70 per cent are young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Most of these people have few possessions and are reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival. Many are injured and traumatised. Almost 70% are young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Australian support will go towards providing food, clean water, shelter and essential health services. Our assistance will also help treat children for malnutrition, create safe and secure areas for vulnerable women and provide maternal health services.Australian support will go towards providing food, clean water, shelter and essential health services. Our assistance will also help treat children for malnutrition, create safe and secure areas for vulnerable women and provide maternal health services.
The new contribution will include support for the World Food Program, Save The Children, Oxfam and Care. It will also support an upcoming joint funding appeal with the Australia Red Cross and Australia for UNHCR.The new contribution will include support for the World Food Program, Save The Children, Oxfam and Care. It will also support an upcoming joint funding appeal with the Australia Red Cross and Australia for UNHCR.
The funding is in addition to the $20 million announced in September, bringing our total commitment to $30 million. The funding is in addition to the $20m announced in September, bringing our total commitment to $30m.
The Australian Government condemns the ongoing violence in Rakhine State. We continue to call for the protection of civilians and unfettered access for humanitarian workers. The Australian government condemns the ongoing violence in Rakhine State. We continue to call for the protection of civilians and unfettered access for humanitarian workers.
*end statement* Updated
at 12.58am BST
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Senate president Stephen Parry is suggesting a (private) briefing regarding the issue, which DPS is trying very hard to keep out of the public arena. Senate president Stephen Parry is suggesting a (private) briefing regarding the issue, which department of parliamentary services (DPS) is trying very hard to keep out of the public arena.
He says there has been “no compromise” of security.He says there has been “no compromise” of security.
Just to recap – as the government is spending $126m or so on a giant fence around parliament because of confidential security issues, a 1000-page security manual may have been lost by a contractor, which Kitching said may not have been acted on for at least three months. Just to recap – as the government is spending $126m or so on a giant fence around parliament because of confidential security issues, a 1,000-page security manual may have been lost by a contractor. Kitching says no action may have been taken on the loss of the manual for at least three months.
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In finance and public administration estimates, Senator Kimberly Kitching has just alleged a 1000-page security manual has been missing for almost a year. In finance and public administration estimates, Labor senator Kimberly Kitching has just alleged a 1,000-page security manual has been missing for almost a year.
This comes as $126m is being spent on a fence to protect parliament house.
UpdatedUpdated
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Malcolm Turnbull has continued his defence of the NBN roll out:Malcolm Turnbull has continued his defence of the NBN roll out:
Well, look, the NBN was a calamitous train wreck of a project when we came into government ... in 2013. Billions and billions of dollars were wasted by Labor, and there was no way to get them back, OK? As communications minister, I had to play the hand of cards I was dealt – as I often used to say, you know, in the words of the Irish barman when asked for directions to Dublin: ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t be starting from here.’ No-one would have wanted to start from where Labor left us. So, we have done the best we can getting that project on track. It is on track in terms of the rollout. They are activating many more households and premises a fortnight than Labor did in six years, but there have been real problems – both with the installation experience and with people not getting the speeds that they believe they’re paying for, or that they have paid for. We are very, very focused on improving on both of those counts. Of course, as the network expands, you will always get more complaints because, if you’ve got 3 million customers, you’ll get more than if you’ve got 50,000. Plainly. But one complaint is one complaint too many. So I am determined to ensure that we address those issues, and that people get the speeds they have paid for.Well, look, the NBN was a calamitous train wreck of a project when we came into government ... in 2013. Billions and billions of dollars were wasted by Labor, and there was no way to get them back, OK? As communications minister, I had to play the hand of cards I was dealt – as I often used to say, you know, in the words of the Irish barman when asked for directions to Dublin: ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t be starting from here.’ No-one would have wanted to start from where Labor left us. So, we have done the best we can getting that project on track. It is on track in terms of the rollout. They are activating many more households and premises a fortnight than Labor did in six years, but there have been real problems – both with the installation experience and with people not getting the speeds that they believe they’re paying for, or that they have paid for. We are very, very focused on improving on both of those counts. Of course, as the network expands, you will always get more complaints because, if you’ve got 3 million customers, you’ll get more than if you’ve got 50,000. Plainly. But one complaint is one complaint too many. So I am determined to ensure that we address those issues, and that people get the speeds they have paid for.
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12.10am BST12.10am BST
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The Bureau of Metrology is up in the environment estimates. Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who seems to have forgotten his popcorn and appears to be having a hard time containing his glee, got in ahead of a certain senator, by demanding empirical evidence about the Illuminati.The Bureau of Metrology is up in the environment estimates. Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who seems to have forgotten his popcorn and appears to be having a hard time containing his glee, got in ahead of a certain senator, by demanding empirical evidence about the Illuminati.
Dastyari asks BoM...How many members of the Illuminati work at BoM?To what extent to George Soros direct daily activity?#estimatesDastyari asks BoM...How many members of the Illuminati work at BoM?To what extent to George Soros direct daily activity?#estimates
11.58pm BST11.58pm BST
23:5823:58
But as for the conversations that matter–the ones with the states – Turnbull is a little more guarded.But as for the conversations that matter–the ones with the states – Turnbull is a little more guarded.
I’ve had conversations with several of them. I know Josh has been talking to the energy ministers. I think the next step is the energy ministers’ meeting in late November, and obviously there is modelling underway now, as you know. That’ll be – that’s the next step.I’ve had conversations with several of them. I know Josh has been talking to the energy ministers. I think the next step is the energy ministers’ meeting in late November, and obviously there is modelling underway now, as you know. That’ll be – that’s the next step.
Have they been receptive?Have they been receptive?
Well, the conversations I’ve had, they’ve been very receptive. But there’s often, as you know, a mismatch between the private conversations and the public rhetoric. But, ah ... there it is.”Well, the conversations I’ve had, they’ve been very receptive. But there’s often, as you know, a mismatch between the private conversations and the public rhetoric. But, ah ... there it is.”
UpdatedUpdated
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11.56pm BST11.56pm BST
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Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg are at a brick glass and mirror factory talking all things Neg. And in a change of pace, Turnbull is hosting a Q and A with one of the workers at the factory, as well as with Frydenberg.Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg are at a brick glass and mirror factory talking all things Neg. And in a change of pace, Turnbull is hosting a Q and A with one of the workers at the factory, as well as with Frydenberg.
It’s like an infomercial, but without the exercise gear.It’s like an infomercial, but without the exercise gear.
Turnbull: As you know, we’ve taken strong action on gas recently to ensure there’s enough gas for the east coast market. What has that done to the gas supplies and gas market?Turnbull: As you know, we’ve taken strong action on gas recently to ensure there’s enough gas for the east coast market. What has that done to the gas supplies and gas market?
Worker: We’re a big gas user, obviously, in our glass and bricks businesses. We’ve had to enter the wholesale market for gas to ensure we have supply. So we’ve sort of cut the retailers out of that in certain parts of our business. What we’ve also seen is the spot price comedown, which is very beneficial. The work you and the energy minister have done to guarantee the supply has meant spot prices have come down, and that’s great for us an as an organisation. It’s great for the people, actually; 4,200 employees. Our objective every day is to keep those people in work.Worker: We’re a big gas user, obviously, in our glass and bricks businesses. We’ve had to enter the wholesale market for gas to ensure we have supply. So we’ve sort of cut the retailers out of that in certain parts of our business. What we’ve also seen is the spot price comedown, which is very beneficial. The work you and the energy minister have done to guarantee the supply has meant spot prices have come down, and that’s great for us an as an organisation. It’s great for the people, actually; 4,200 employees. Our objective every day is to keep those people in work.
Turnbull: That’s our objective too. That’s what – that’s what the national energy guarantee is about. That’s what all of our energy policies are about, that Josh and I have been developing and rolling out. It’s about ensuring Australians have affordable and reliable power – vitally important for households and families, but vitally important for jobs. These jobs depend on affordable energy. Peter, how important is energy, the cost of energy, to making glass? Just talk a bit about that, and the jobs that you support at Dandenong where we were in February, and then at all of your plants around the country.Turnbull: That’s our objective too. That’s what – that’s what the national energy guarantee is about. That’s what all of our energy policies are about, that Josh and I have been developing and rolling out. It’s about ensuring Australians have affordable and reliable power – vitally important for households and families, but vitally important for jobs. These jobs depend on affordable energy. Peter, how important is energy, the cost of energy, to making glass? Just talk a bit about that, and the jobs that you support at Dandenong where we were in February, and then at all of your plants around the country.
And so on.And so on.
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11.49pm BST11.49pm BST
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Missing: smokeMissing: smoke
PM Turnbull talks a photo of media taking photo of him in a mirror at Hume glass factory @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/KnFSAfBlDcPM Turnbull talks a photo of media taking photo of him in a mirror at Hume glass factory @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/KnFSAfBlDc
11.48pm BST
23:48
Ben Doherty
Secretary of the immigration and border protection department Mike Pezzullo has told the Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee it is “probable” he is appearing before the committee in his current capacity for the final time.
Pezzullo is secretary-designate of the nascent Home Affairs department, whose establishment is proposed for July next year.
On the front foot early, Pezzullo told the committee in his opening statement that early criticism of the new department as a “sinister behemoth” was “fallacious and unworthy”.
The new department will combine inter alia: all of the immigration and border protection department, including the Australian border force; the Australian security intelligence organisation; the Australian federal police; the Australian criminal intelligence commission; and emergency management Australia.
Pezzullo said the new department would be subject to oversight by parliament and “the rule of law”.
“Power must always be exercised legitimately,” he said.
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11.48pm BST
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Tony Abbott has updated his interest register, declaring the travel and hospitality he received earlier this month when he gave his now infamous volcano gods climate speech in London.
The Global Warming Policy Foundation paid for both Abbott and his wife to travel to and stay in the UK.
travel and hospitality from the global warming policy foundation https://t.co/YV5MVYy5ZG
11.36pm BST
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In the Senate and public administration legislation committee, Labor is questioning Senate president Stephen Parry over whether LNP Senator Barry O’Sullivan has conflict of interests in regards to the Senate committees he sits on/chairs.
It’s getting quite heated.
Senator Murray Watt: “What I am saying is Senator O’Sullivan is asking questions about things he is making money of”. Senator Bridget Mackenzie says the questions are ridiculous, given so many of the Nationals MPs own farms, or have interests in the agricultural industry.
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Question time is at 2pm, but the main show before that is the estimate hearings, with environment and communications catching a lot of attention – mostly because it is being seen as (potentially) Malcolm Roberts last chance to question the Bureau of Metrology over climate data.
Stay tuned for that!
In more serious news, expect Labor to hammer the government over its clean energy target.
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10.56pm BST
22:56
Special minister of state Scott Ryan has kept the ball running on the NBN publicity blitz, saying the cost of fibre-to-the-premises rollout for some individual premises, revealed the “folly” of the Labor plan.
Pauline Hanson has weighed in:
The original with fibre to the premises should be done. You’ve got NBN and then Telstra. It should be one company like the same as what New Zealand did and I just think the costs, the blow-out is unbelievable, the workmanship is poor in a lot of cases, and there’s a lot of questions to be asked over this. Good advice wasn’t taken initially from the beginning, trying to, you know, cut costs. That’s been a big issue here. And initially – if that had been done, it would have been cheaper to the taxpayer. Now, I believe it won’t do the job when it is finished. You have businesses who are not going to get the service they need, like the rest of the world is providing. They will leave our shores and I think that many should be put into it now to get it right from the very beginning. Wear the cost of it, but get it right.”
For those who are interested, advocacy levels on NBN technology were discussed in June this year in the last estimate hearings: 35% of people would advocate for fibre to the node, while 66% of people would advocate for fibre to the premise.
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at 11.00pm BST
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Independent senator Jacqui Lambie’s campaign to reform the lobbyist rules is slowly bubbling along. Fellow crossbencher Cathy McGowan announced her support for it on Friday, saying she believed it was time to “restore respect and trust in the system”:
Lobbying is an important way people can participate in the democratic process. It must be transparent and equally available to all ... As an independent voice my call to the government is for effective change to make sure processes in parliament reflect community expectations.
Enshrining these expectations in law would be an important step forward.”
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10.30pm BST
22:30
The issue of renewables and where Australia is heading with them must have hit a sore spot.
Over the weekend, Josh Frydenberg released a statement defending the government’s action with a listicle:
The inconvenient truth for Labor is that the Coalition’s strong record on renewable energy couldn’t be clearer:
In 2016 there was a five-fold increase in investment in renewables compared to 2015
2017 is seeing an unprecedented wave of investment in renewable energy worth over $8bn and over 4,000MW of capacity
$4.3bn in investment commitments have been made by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, more than $3.5bn of which has been made under the Coalition.
More than $1bn of grants through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, around half of which has been made under the Coalition.
Investing in Snowy Hydro 2.0 which will be the biggest battery in the southern hemisphere and help to make wind and solar more reliable.
More than one in five Australian households now have solar panels installed on their roof – the highest rate per capita in the world.
Around 95% of the estimated renewable capacity to meet the large-scale renewable energy target is either operating or under way through firmly announced investment commitments.
These investments have been based on the existing renewable energy target, which remains unchanged.
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Just on the Neg, Labor is still criticising the process, while not ruling out supporting the crux of the policy.
Joel Fitzgibbon had this to say on Sky last night:
This is the fourth policy in 12 months if you count the proposal to extend the life of Liddell power station in my electorate. That lasted some 24 hours. But we are now I think five days after the announcement of this if you like seminal policy and the government still can’t give us the detail. They can’t give us any modelling, they can’t give us any of the numbers that will be involved here. So it’s a really strange environment we are in. It is becoming a bit of a joke but I don’t think anyone out there in the electorate is laughing.”
Meanwhile the government has responded by putting Kevin Rudd’s energy policies under the spotlight.
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I am going to be a little spider like today, as I keep an eye on the estimate hearings as well as watch what is happening in the house.
You’ll find the schedule here. I’ll update you on the going ons as soon as I can.
Cabinet is meeting today, as usual, but first Malcolm Turnbull has some media to do, with Josh Frydenberg. Brace yourself for more Neg news.
10.12pm BST
22:12
Good morning
It is week two of the sitting, but only the lower house is meeting this week, with the Senate taken up by estimates hearings.
But before the government starts defending its spending, its defending the NBN. NBN Co executives have been hitting the airwaves early ahead of a scheduled Four Corners report into the project tonight. A blitz of information has been released, including cost comparisons with Labor’s plan, as the government and the NBN Co point the finger at the retailers for the promised speeds not being delivered.
In other news, GetUp is being asked to prove it is not an associated entity of the Labor party, with the Australian Electoral Commission taking a deeper look. Paul Karp writes:
Guardian Australia understands the AEC wrote to GetUp noting it might have to submit an associated entity disclosure because its 2016 election activities benefited Labor and the Greens.
The AEC said it had not come to a final conclusion on whether GetUp was an associated entity, but said the organisation could risk prosecution if it did not complete the return by the deadline of last Friday.
*The battle for New England is heating up, despite no one firing the starting gun as yet. The Nationals are claiming dirty tricks as fake polling was distributed over the weekend using an old party letterhead. Joyce’s personal life also received an airing over the weekend, but the deputy PM is staying mum on that.
Senate budget estimate hearings are scheduled all week, so that should provide some fun and games. Watch out for Penny Wong, who has become a master at these hearings, as well as some classic Ian Macdonald action.
Looking outside Canberra for a moment, and the Queensland election rumours are only growing stronger. November 25 is the latest date on everyone’s lips, but 2 December is also in the mix. But either way there are a lot of federal eyes looking north for an idea of how the country is feeling at the moment.
Energy will continue to dominate the Canberra agenda, with Labor still looking at whether it will support the Turnbull/Frydenberg Neg plan. But from the mood in the building this morning, it seems like there are some itchy feet walking around, as the government waits on the high court ruling. It seems like everyone is just waiting for that other shoe to drop and treading water in the meantime. Won’t that make for a fun week!
Follow along with the Guardian Australia brains trust. Mike Bowers is already out and about in the hallways and I am standing guard at the keyboard, ready to keep you informed. As always, you can find us at @mpbowers or on instagram or @amyremeikis, as well as the comments.
Grab your coffee and let’s get started!
*Correction–GetUp has just informed me they do not have plans to campaign in New England, if a by-election is called.
Updated
at 12.46am BST