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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/oct/23/senate-estimates-budget-nbn-getup-malcolm-turnbull-bill-shorten-politics-live
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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Questions over lost 1,000-page security manual – politics live | Questions over lost 1,000-page security manual – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.44am BST | |
| 03:44 | |
| Back to estimates for a moment and George Brandis is back and defending Julie Bishop’s event attendance. | |
| As part of that, he has had a lot of trouble pronouncing ‘Thor’ and jokes about how his pronunciation of names has got him in trouble lately. He’s referring to when he had trouble saying Richard Di Natale’s name, which was corrected after Brandis was referred to as Senator Brand-arse by the Greens in the Senate. | |
| 3.33am BST | |
| 03:33 | |
| And just a few minutes after Michelle Rowland finishes speaking, communications minister Mitch Fifield announces how he will be holding a press conference in the next 10 minutes. | |
| 3.23am BST | |
| 03:23 | |
| Would Labor’s NBN have cost $30bn more? | |
| Michelle Rowland: | |
| This is absolute rubbish coming from a government that said they would deliver the NBN by 2016 $42.95bn. It’s now blown out to $50bn, and 2016 came and went. We know that this government has failed to deliver on every single measure, whether it be increased speed, rolling it out faster and greater reliability – all those factors have failed. So we don’t accept for one minute that this government’s botched copper – based NBN is actually going to deliver dividends for the economy, and is actually what we need in the 21st-century. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.43am BST | |
| 3.19am BST | |
| 03:19 | |
| Labor’s communications spokesperson Michelle Rowland said there is a “frenzied state of panic” going on in Malcolm Turnbull’s office, as the NBN roll out goes on. | |
| “We are very concerned about these reports about putting increasing taxes and new taxes on wireless broadband,” she says. | |
| She dodges questions over the figures the government have put out about some of the individual costs (one case was close to $100,000) of connections under Labor’s plan. But she does say Australia was a “broadband backwater” when Labor first looked at the NBN. | |
| I hope you have the NBN on your QT bingo card. | |
| 3.09am BST | 3.09am BST |
| 03:09 | 03:09 |
| Brendan O’Connor has released a statement ahead of QT: | Brendan O’Connor has released a statement ahead of QT: |
| Labor is seriously concerned that the Turnbull Government is incapable of addressing consistently flat wages growth – and in fact they’re making things worse by cutting the penalty rates of Australia’s lowest paid workers. | Labor is seriously concerned that the Turnbull Government is incapable of addressing consistently flat wages growth – and in fact they’re making things worse by cutting the penalty rates of Australia’s lowest paid workers. |
| Turnbull and his Liberals have NOTHING to say about these terrible record lows and have NO agenda to address them. | Turnbull and his Liberals have NOTHING to say about these terrible record lows and have NO agenda to address them. |
| According to the latest data, wages growth for enterprise agreements approved in the June quarter fell to 2.6 per, from 2.7 per cent in March – a 26 year low. | According to the latest data, wages growth for enterprise agreements approved in the June quarter fell to 2.6 per, from 2.7 per cent in March – a 26 year low. |
| In addition to low wages growth, there were only 845 approved enterprise agreements in the June quarter, the lowest since 1995. | In addition to low wages growth, there were only 845 approved enterprise agreements in the June quarter, the lowest since 1995. |
| Expect a little more on that during question time. | Expect a little more on that during question time. |
| 3.07am BST | 3.07am BST |
| 03:07 | 03:07 |
| Looks like there has been an interesting development in the Nigel Hadgkiss ABCC case | Looks like there has been an interesting development in the Nigel Hadgkiss ABCC case |
| #breaking Ex-ABCC boss Nigel Hadgkiss "at no time" discussed the case that led to his resignation w/ ABCC top lawyer https://t.co/GO0IRbl4w9 | #breaking Ex-ABCC boss Nigel Hadgkiss "at no time" discussed the case that led to his resignation w/ ABCC top lawyer https://t.co/GO0IRbl4w9 |
| 3.01am BST | 3.01am BST |
| 03:01 | 03:01 |
| We are about an hour out from question time. So far we have learnt a lost 1,000-page security manual is not a security risk and the NBN is Labor’s fault. | We are about an hour out from question time. So far we have learnt a lost 1,000-page security manual is not a security risk and the NBN is Labor’s fault. |
| The Manus Island centre is due to be closed on 31 October, but there do not seem to be a lot of answers about what will happen to the 600 or so people still there. And energy policy is still being debated. | The Manus Island centre is due to be closed on 31 October, but there do not seem to be a lot of answers about what will happen to the 600 or so people still there. And energy policy is still being debated. |
| Fun times. | Fun times. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.03am BST | at 3.03am BST |
| 2.50am BST | 2.50am BST |
| 02:50 | 02:50 |
| Over in the chamber: | Over in the chamber: |
| HoR now debating Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation Measures No. 2) Bill 2017 #auspol | HoR now debating Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation Measures No. 2) Bill 2017 #auspol |
| 2.45am BST | 2.45am BST |
| 02:45 | 02:45 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Dean Smith notes a Bishop media release from 2015 stating the Australian government invested $47.2m to attract Thor: Ragnarok and a new Ridley Scott film to Australia. | Dean Smith notes a Bishop media release from 2015 stating the Australian government invested $47.2m to attract Thor: Ragnarok and a new Ridley Scott film to Australia. |
| Attorney general George Brandis has defended Bishop: | Attorney general George Brandis has defended Bishop: |
| “[Bishop] may have attended [the premiere] in the role she assumed as foreign minister in advocating Australia’s interests including promotion ... of Australian cinema and the film industry. | “[Bishop] may have attended [the premiere] in the role she assumed as foreign minister in advocating Australia’s interests including promotion ... of Australian cinema and the film industry. |
| “As a former arts minister, responsible for Australian film industry, I had discussions with Bishop and encouraged her, particularly in the US, to promote and advocate for the work of the Australian film industry. I know that the advocacy was greatly appreciated by the industry and very effective. [Her attendance at the premiere] may well be related to that.” | “As a former arts minister, responsible for Australian film industry, I had discussions with Bishop and encouraged her, particularly in the US, to promote and advocate for the work of the Australian film industry. I know that the advocacy was greatly appreciated by the industry and very effective. [Her attendance at the premiere] may well be related to that.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.55am BST | at 2.55am BST |
| 2.41am BST | 2.41am BST |
| 02:41 | 02:41 |
| Kimberly Kitching is asking about ministerial standards and whether Julie Bishop met them with some of the events she went to, mentioning the recent trip she took to the Thor premiere. | Kimberly Kitching is asking about ministerial standards and whether Julie Bishop met them with some of the events she went to, mentioning the recent trip she took to the Thor premiere. |
| George Brandis defends the foreign affairs minister: | George Brandis defends the foreign affairs minister: |
| “You may be reassured Senator Kitching, that Ms Bishop as one of the most experienced and most respected ministers in the Australian government is well aware of the standards and is always observant of them.” | “You may be reassured Senator Kitching, that Ms Bishop as one of the most experienced and most respected ministers in the Australian government is well aware of the standards and is always observant of them.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.54am BST | at 2.54am BST |
| 2.32am BST | 2.32am BST |
| 02:32 | 02:32 |
| Gareth Hutchens | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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.” | 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. | 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.” | “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.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.35am BST | at 2.35am BST |
| 2.32am BST | 2.32am BST |
| 02:32 | 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. | 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 | 2.28am BST |
| 02:28 | 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. | 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. | 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. |