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| Questions over lost 1,000-page security manual – politics live | Questions over lost 1,000-page security manual – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.32am BST | |
| 02:32 | |
| Gareth Hutchens | |
| The Parliamentary Budget Office has warned it will run out of funding completely in 2020-21 if new federal funding can’t be secured. | |
| Jenny Wilkinson, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, has told senators that the PBO has already started drawing down on its special appropriation to continue paying its 40-odd staff, and it has roughly three years left before the money runs out. | |
| The PBO was established in July 2012 to provide independent and non-partisan analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial implications of policy proposals from major parties. | |
| Its work has become well-respected, and it works hard to protect its non-partisan name. | |
| In August, it was forced to reject reports that it produced new modelling of Labor’s tax policies, showing Labor’s policies would increase the tax burden on households by more than $100bn. | |
| News Corp papers the Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and the Courier-Mail published the much-hyped story, and Treasurer Scott Morrison promoted it heavily. | |
| Morrison’s office had dropped the story to the newspapers the afternoon before, and told their journalists the new figures came from “independent modelling by the PBO and Treasury.” | |
| Wilkinson said on Monday that the PBO had had some discussions about its ongoing funding with the joint committee of public accounts and audit about the need for more funding, but it had not had direct discussions with the government yet. | |
| “I would expect that over the next year or two we should be having those discussions so that everyone is well aware of the sort of level of resourcing that we would need to supplement the PBO with, just in order to maintain the same level of resourcing that we have had over these first five years.” | |
| 2.32am BST | |
| 02:32 | |
| Over in the Finance and Public Administration committee again, and George Brandis is in the hot seat, and Julie Bishop’s travel is on the agenda. | |
| 2.28am BST | |
| 02:28 | |
| Looks like parliamentary staffers and members (including your correspondent) are about to get help reaching their 10,000 steps a day– the parliamentary carpark lifts (not the public one) will be out of action between December and May. So I guess we can expect them to be out until November then. | |
| On to slightly more important matters, Penny Wong is questioning officials from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet about the leaking of the COAG agenda on terrorism offences to the media. George Brandis pointed the finger at the states, who had the agenda. | |
| 2.24am BST | |
| 02:24 | |
| Sky News is reporting the man charged with headbutting Tony Abbott has faced a Hobart magistrates court. | |
| He entered no plea and the case has been adjourned until January. | |
| 2.18am BST | |
| 02:18 | |
| Pat Conroy has come out swinging against Josh Frydenberg and the government’s energy policy this morning in a doorstop. So I guess those bipartisanship talks are going well: | |
| This is the quality of policy making from this government. No modelling, no regulatory impact statement, nothing but an eight-page letter from the Energy Security Board, done behind the back of COAG and he’s expecting consumers, he’s expecting households, he’s expecting Labor to sign off on a document and a plan without any details where at best they claim something between 50 cents and $2 of savings a week. While I wouldn’t expect any different from a man [Frydenberg] more intent on knocking off Malcolm Turnbull than doing his day job. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.23am BST | |
| 1.53am BST | 1.53am BST |
| 01:53 | 01:53 |
| Quite a few revelations from the immigration estimate hearing. | Quite a few revelations from the immigration estimate hearing. |
| Manus men to be denied drinking water and food and abandoned to the PNG navy which tried to kill them early this year pic.twitter.com/PYKj7bDfdM | Manus men to be denied drinking water and food and abandoned to the PNG navy which tried to kill them early this year pic.twitter.com/PYKj7bDfdM |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.57am BST | at 1.57am BST |
| 1.48am BST | 1.48am BST |
| 01:48 | 01:48 |
| While the environment committee estimate hearing goes on, it might be timely for you to have a look at Mike Bowers’ latest amazing project, looking at the survival of Kiribati, which is dealing with the direct impacts of climate change. | While the environment committee estimate hearing goes on, it might be timely for you to have a look at Mike Bowers’ latest amazing project, looking at the survival of Kiribati, which is dealing with the direct impacts of climate change. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.50am BST | at 1.50am BST |
| 1.42am BST | 1.42am BST |
| 01:42 | 01:42 |
| Caption this: | Caption this: |
| 1.38am BST | 1.38am BST |
| 01:38 | 01:38 |
| Lyle Shelton is on Sky for his regular segment arguing marriage equality with Christine Forster, talking small slim stages and wide chairs. He makes a joke about the fall, which took down Mark Latham, Miranda Divine and himself, who were all arguing the no side (shocking) for a weekend event, was a plot by the yes campaign. But it gives us an excuse to run this. | Lyle Shelton is on Sky for his regular segment arguing marriage equality with Christine Forster, talking small slim stages and wide chairs. He makes a joke about the fall, which took down Mark Latham, Miranda Divine and himself, who were all arguing the no side (shocking) for a weekend event, was a plot by the yes campaign. But it gives us an excuse to run this. |
| pic.twitter.com/BWK41oF3e4 | pic.twitter.com/BWK41oF3e4 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.46am BST | at 1.46am BST |
| 1.28am BST | 1.28am BST |
| 01:28 | 01:28 |
| Stephen Parry steps in again and says he wants to make it very clear in the public domain that this relates to “matters that would have taken place in the future”. | Stephen Parry steps in again and says he wants to make it very clear in the public domain that this relates to “matters that would have taken place in the future”. |
| “Not matters that had actually taken place, which gives the department the opportunity to modify and change is a risk is deemed to be out there because of this issue and I will go through the other aspects again that it was an early draft, a lot of the matters are now redundant, a lot of the matters have been modified and over 50% of the materials which were going to be sourced were commercially available ... so I’ll just leave those matters. It is not a security breach of security and security at parliament house has not been compromised.” | “Not matters that had actually taken place, which gives the department the opportunity to modify and change is a risk is deemed to be out there because of this issue and I will go through the other aspects again that it was an early draft, a lot of the matters are now redundant, a lot of the matters have been modified and over 50% of the materials which were going to be sourced were commercially available ... so I’ll just leave those matters. It is not a security breach of security and security at parliament house has not been compromised.” |
| The committee moves on. | The committee moves on. |
| The Greens senator Lee Rhiannon asks how many lobbyists have access to the building. | The Greens senator Lee Rhiannon asks how many lobbyists have access to the building. |
| As of August 2017 there are 1,710 “sponsored passes”, which is the category of pass given to lobbyists. | As of August 2017 there are 1,710 “sponsored passes”, which is the category of pass given to lobbyists. |
| The names are not released, Parry says, because of security issues. | The names are not released, Parry says, because of security issues. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.36am BST | at 1.36am BST |
| 1.25am BST | 1.25am BST |
| 01:25 | 01:25 |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Australia will spend between $150m and $250m supporting refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in the year after the regional processing centre closes. | Australia will spend between $150m and $250m supporting refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in the year after the regional processing centre closes. |
| The impending closure – next Tuesday – of Australia’s immigration “regional processing centre” on Manus Island has dominated early questioning in Senate estimates. | The impending closure – next Tuesday – of Australia’s immigration “regional processing centre” on Manus Island has dominated early questioning in Senate estimates. |
| The vast majority of the men held on Manus Island have been there more than four years. More than 71% have been found to be refugees – they have a “well-founded fear of persecution in their home country”, they cannot be returned home, and are legally owed protection. | The vast majority of the men held on Manus Island have been there more than four years. More than 71% have been found to be refugees – they have a “well-founded fear of persecution in their home country”, they cannot be returned home, and are legally owed protection. |
| The Manus detention centre at Lombrum was ruled “illegal and unconstitutional” by the PNG Supreme Court in April 2016, but the government has now outlined more of the new regime that will follow the Lombrum closure. | The Manus detention centre at Lombrum was ruled “illegal and unconstitutional” by the PNG Supreme Court in April 2016, but the government has now outlined more of the new regime that will follow the Lombrum closure. |
| Deputy commissioner with the Australian border force, Mandy Newton, told Senate estimates it was estimated Australia would spend $150m and $250m for “support services” for those still held in PNG over the next 12 months. | Deputy commissioner with the Australian border force, Mandy Newton, told Senate estimates it was estimated Australia would spend $150m and $250m for “support services” for those still held in PNG over the next 12 months. |
| Refugees will be housed at accommodation built at East Lorengau and West Lorengau. Asylum seekers will be housed at a separate site, Hillside House. | Refugees will be housed at accommodation built at East Lorengau and West Lorengau. Asylum seekers will be housed at a separate site, Hillside House. |
| Healthcare will only be provided at East Lorengau. | Healthcare will only be provided at East Lorengau. |
| Australia will still retain effective control of refugees and non-refugees in PNG. The Australian government is currently negotiating contracts with: Paladin Solutions, as the primary contractor for East Lorengau; IHMS, to continue to provide medical care; JDA Holdings (settlement services); and NKW Holdings (site services). | Australia will still retain effective control of refugees and non-refugees in PNG. The Australian government is currently negotiating contracts with: Paladin Solutions, as the primary contractor for East Lorengau; IHMS, to continue to provide medical care; JDA Holdings (settlement services); and NKW Holdings (site services). |
| There is no proposed end to these arrangements, though there is an “expectation” services will be transitioned to PNG responsibility. | There is no proposed end to these arrangements, though there is an “expectation” services will be transitioned to PNG responsibility. |
| “Australia will meet all reasonable costs,” department secretary Mike Pezzullo said. | “Australia will meet all reasonable costs,” department secretary Mike Pezzullo said. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.29am BST | at 1.29am BST |
| 1.17am BST | 1.17am BST |
| 01:17 | 01:17 |
| The parameters which were set for these questions to be asked publicly, include not asking about the content of the manuals. | 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.” | 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. | “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.” | “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. | 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”. | 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. | So they hired a PI. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.24am BST | at 1.24am BST |
| 1.09am BST | 1.09am BST |
| 01:09 | 01:09 |
| DPS and Parry have both said there was no “substantial breach of security” with the manual’s loss. | 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”. | 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?” | 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”. | The committee is told: “It’s definitely lost”. |
| “By definition, that means we don’t know where it is,” Wong says dryly. | “By definition, that means we don’t know where it is,” Wong says dryly. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.14am BST | at 1.14am BST |