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Andrew Wilkie says fourth Crown whistleblower 'is in fears of his life' – politics live Andrew Wilkie says fourth Crown whistleblower 'is in fears of his life' – politics live
(35 minutes later)
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The AFP is currently raiding The Australian Workers’ Union offices in Melbourne and Sydney, via @StephieBorys @abcnews
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A bird (a currawong, I think) was trapped in the mural hall this afternoon. It’s bogong moth season in Canberra, which sends the birds inside.
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Here is the announcement on the high court judgements Here is the announcement on the high court judgments.
Please be advised the following judgments will be handed down in Canberra this week:Please be advised the following judgments will be handed down in Canberra this week:
Friday 27 October 2017 at 2.15pmFriday 27 October 2017 at 2.15pm
1. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan (C11/2017)1. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan (C11/2017)
2. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Mr Scott Ludlam (C12/2017)2. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Mr Scott Ludlam (C12/2017)
3. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Ms Larissa Waters (C13/2017)3. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Ms Larissa Waters (C13/2017)
4. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator Malcolm Roberts (C14/2017)4. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator Malcolm Roberts (C14/2017)
5. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP (C15/2017)5. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP (C15/2017)
6. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash (C17/2017)6. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash (C17/2017)
7. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator Nick Xenophon (C18/2017)7. In the matter of questions referred to the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) concerning Senator Nick Xenophon (C18/2017)
Copies of the judgment summaries will be accessible on the High Court website following the delivery of judgment.Copies of the judgment summaries will be accessible on the High Court website following the delivery of judgment.
Copies of the full judgment will be accessible on http://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/browse once uploaded.Copies of the full judgment will be accessible on http://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/browse once uploaded.
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In other One Nation news, one of the party’s policies has managed to pull off the impossible and has united both the Queensland Labor party and the LNP in condemnation.In other One Nation news, one of the party’s policies has managed to pull off the impossible and has united both the Queensland Labor party and the LNP in condemnation.
Terri Butler also had a few things to say about it:Terri Butler also had a few things to say about it:
One Nation’s policy, announced today, to allow visitation rights to fathers regardless of an emergency protection order, puts women and children’s safety at risk.One Nation’s policy, announced today, to allow visitation rights to fathers regardless of an emergency protection order, puts women and children’s safety at risk.
This policy is abhorrent. Why is One Nation ignoring Australia’s family violence crisis? Australians look to elected representatives to keep women and children safe, not recklessly expose them to the risk of violence and harm.This policy is abhorrent. Why is One Nation ignoring Australia’s family violence crisis? Australians look to elected representatives to keep women and children safe, not recklessly expose them to the risk of violence and harm.
This policy is life-threatening.This policy is life-threatening.
Pauline Hanson has a woeful record in relation to violence against women and children.Pauline Hanson has a woeful record in relation to violence against women and children.
In June 2016, the Townsville Bulletin reported on her comments as follows:In June 2016, the Townsville Bulletin reported on her comments as follows:
“We need a full overview of the child support system and the family law courts to find the answers (because) you know some (women) are going out there and claiming domestic violence because they’re told ‘I don’t like the colour of your dress’,” Ms Hanson said.“We need a full overview of the child support system and the family law courts to find the answers (because) you know some (women) are going out there and claiming domestic violence because they’re told ‘I don’t like the colour of your dress’,” Ms Hanson said.
“They (women) are making frivolous complaints and it’s time that our court system (is looked at) - especially for men who are the subject of domestic violence themselves. “They (women) are making frivolous complaints and it’s time that our court system (is looked at) – especially for men who are the subject of domestic violence themselves.
“Men have nowhere to go - (domestic violence against males) is very widely spread. “Men have nowhere to go – (domestic violence against males) is very widely spread.
“I want to sit down with these (male-focused) organisations, these groups, and give them a voice, because they feel like they’re not being heard.”“I want to sit down with these (male-focused) organisations, these groups, and give them a voice, because they feel like they’re not being heard.”
Townsville Bulletin – 10 June 2016Townsville Bulletin – 10 June 2016
And in her recent first speech to Senate, when she returned to the Parliament, she said:And in her recent first speech to Senate, when she returned to the Parliament, she said:
HANSON: Children are used as pawns in custody battles where women make frivolous claims and believe they have the sole right to the children.HANSON: Children are used as pawns in custody battles where women make frivolous claims and believe they have the sole right to the children.
Children have two parents and, until we treat mums and dads with the same courtesy and rights, we will continue to see murders due to sheer frustration and depression and mental illness caused by this unworkable system.Children have two parents and, until we treat mums and dads with the same courtesy and rights, we will continue to see murders due to sheer frustration and depression and mental illness caused by this unworkable system.
First Speech to Parliament – 14 September 2016First Speech to Parliament – 14 September 2016
Violence against women is an epidemic. Victim-blaming, and making victims less safe, is destructive and wrong.Violence against women is an epidemic. Victim-blaming, and making victims less safe, is destructive and wrong.
I congratulate the Queensland Minister, Shannon Fentiman, and the Shadow Minister, for jointly opposing One Nation’s latest policy today.I congratulate the Queensland Minister, Shannon Fentiman, and the Shadow Minister, for jointly opposing One Nation’s latest policy today.
It stands in stark contrast to the actions of the Minister for Women, Liberal Senator Cash, who hugged Senator Hanson.It stands in stark contrast to the actions of the Minister for Women, Liberal Senator Cash, who hugged Senator Hanson.
The policy that One Nation has today announced is not only ignorant; it is incredibly dangerous for women and their children.The policy that One Nation has today announced is not only ignorant; it is incredibly dangerous for women and their children.
One Nation have stooped to a new low with this policy, proving that they cannot be trusted to keep the community safe.One Nation have stooped to a new low with this policy, proving that they cannot be trusted to keep the community safe.
*end statement**end statement*
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“One more question here. The ABC, I’ve read somewhere or maybe Ms Guthrie said, has more investigative journalists than anyone else. In Australia. Is that correct?,” Malcolm Roberts asks.“One more question here. The ABC, I’ve read somewhere or maybe Ms Guthrie said, has more investigative journalists than anyone else. In Australia. Is that correct?,” Malcolm Roberts asks.
It is correct, he’s told.It is correct, he’s told.
“Yet, none of the ABC’s investigative journalists have recently confirmed or recently found in what we have done, just ourselves, in investigating the CSIRO through there own presentations. SO there is a whole other side to this climate debate that I never hear about it on the ABC. One of the characteristics of group think, people who participate in group think actually think they are doing the right thing? “ “Yet, none of the ABC’s investigative journalists have recently confirmed or recently found in what we have done, just ourselves, in investigating the CSIRO through there own presentations. SO there is a whole other side to this climate debate that I never hear about it on the ABC. One of the characteristics of groupthink, people who participate in groupthink actually think they are doing the right thing? “
“I am sure we all think we are doing the right thing,” Alan Sunderland says.“I am sure we all think we are doing the right thing,” Alan Sunderland says.
You know what investigative journalists did manage to find out? That Malcolm Roberts was a dual citizen when he nominated to parliament. Despite the repeated denials. And the “hand on heart” protestations all the documents were in order. It was reporting , which, like climate reporting, is not based on what we feel, or choose to believe, but in what the facts say. You know what investigative journalists did manage to find out? That Malcolm Roberts was a dual citizen when he nominated to parliament. Despite the repeated denials. And the “hand-on-heart” protestations all the documents were in order. It was reporting, which, like climate reporting, is not based on what we feel, or choose to believe, but in what the facts say.
Let’s see what the high court has to say about those empirical facts on Friday.Let’s see what the high court has to say about those empirical facts on Friday.
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Alan Sunderland responds to the groupthink discussion: “One of the things we pride ourselves on at the ABC, we certainly don’t pride ourselves on being perfect, but we pride ourselves on having the most, the greatest level of commitment of any Australian media organisation, to a set of editorial standards designed to challenge preconceptions, to deliver impartiality, to deliver accuracy, for a whole range of outcomes to make sure we can be trusted as a media organisation that doesn’t engage in bias, in inaccuracies, in group think or anything else you want to discuss.Alan Sunderland responds to the groupthink discussion: “One of the things we pride ourselves on at the ABC, we certainly don’t pride ourselves on being perfect, but we pride ourselves on having the most, the greatest level of commitment of any Australian media organisation, to a set of editorial standards designed to challenge preconceptions, to deliver impartiality, to deliver accuracy, for a whole range of outcomes to make sure we can be trusted as a media organisation that doesn’t engage in bias, in inaccuracies, in group think or anything else you want to discuss.
Malcolm Roberts thanks Sunderland, but says: “I can assure you that a lot of people I listen to across Queensland and around Australia do not see the ABC as anything but groupthink. With the exception of regional reporters in Queensland.”Malcolm Roberts thanks Sunderland, but says: “I can assure you that a lot of people I listen to across Queensland and around Australia do not see the ABC as anything but groupthink. With the exception of regional reporters in Queensland.”
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Malcolm Roberts moves on to groupthink. Without irony.Malcolm Roberts moves on to groupthink. Without irony.
He has made a point of calling it “Your ABC” in his questioning.He has made a point of calling it “Your ABC” in his questioning.
“One definition is group pressures leading to groups making faulty decisions through deterioration through mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgment,” Roberts offers.“One definition is group pressures leading to groups making faulty decisions through deterioration through mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgment,” Roberts offers.
“That’s One Nation for ya,” quips Sarah Hanson-Young.“That’s One Nation for ya,” quips Sarah Hanson-Young.
Google tells me that definition came from a site like this, which looks like it was built in the 1990s.Google tells me that definition came from a site like this, which looks like it was built in the 1990s.
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“Let’s consider commentators moonlighting as journalists,” Roberts says. He is talking about Insiders. He says only five of the 32 journalists who recently appeared (the past eight weeks) were “right of centre”.“Let’s consider commentators moonlighting as journalists,” Roberts says. He is talking about Insiders. He says only five of the 32 journalists who recently appeared (the past eight weeks) were “right of centre”.
Also worth noting, one of the biggest ideological warriors in parliament, who is part of the one of the most ideological parties seen in Australia, “does not like the term right and left but that is what our society has degenerated into”.Also worth noting, one of the biggest ideological warriors in parliament, who is part of the one of the most ideological parties seen in Australia, “does not like the term right and left but that is what our society has degenerated into”.
Alan Sunderland, the director of editorial policies, said Insiders is “a program which does not bring together leftwing and rightwing commentators to provide leftwing and rightwing prospectives on the news. Insiders is a program which by and large seeks to bring together senior journalists, the majority of them working in the press gallery and others who are senior commentators on the matter of politics.”Alan Sunderland, the director of editorial policies, said Insiders is “a program which does not bring together leftwing and rightwing commentators to provide leftwing and rightwing prospectives on the news. Insiders is a program which by and large seeks to bring together senior journalists, the majority of them working in the press gallery and others who are senior commentators on the matter of politics.”
Roberts doesn’t say how he came to the conclusion of who is left and who is right.Roberts doesn’t say how he came to the conclusion of who is left and who is right.
That is an average of 0.625 conservatives per episode and that is not including Talking Pictures presenters. So over a total of eight weeks, 15.6 %, and, if you include the Talking Pictures commentators, it is only 12.5. So I am not advocating you must have rightwing and you must have leftwing, I am advocating you must have balance. Do you consider when we have only 12.5% of the commentators from the right wing, do you consider that to be fair and balanced representation of our society?That is an average of 0.625 conservatives per episode and that is not including Talking Pictures presenters. So over a total of eight weeks, 15.6 %, and, if you include the Talking Pictures commentators, it is only 12.5. So I am not advocating you must have rightwing and you must have leftwing, I am advocating you must have balance. Do you consider when we have only 12.5% of the commentators from the right wing, do you consider that to be fair and balanced representation of our society?
It might be worth noting that it was on Insiders that Pauline Hanson made her now infamous anti-vaccination comments.It might be worth noting that it was on Insiders that Pauline Hanson made her now infamous anti-vaccination comments.
Sunderland says given he doesn’t understand how Roberts has done his analysis on who is left and who is right, it is difficult for him to respond.Sunderland says given he doesn’t understand how Roberts has done his analysis on who is left and who is right, it is difficult for him to respond.
“I take it you are finding it difficult to understand about the concepts of fair and balanced,” Roberts concludes.“I take it you are finding it difficult to understand about the concepts of fair and balanced,” Roberts concludes.
“I am just questioning your assumptions,” Sunderland says.“I am just questioning your assumptions,” Sunderland says.
“Just because it is what you believe, Senator Roberts, doesn’t make it true,” Sarah Hanson-Young says.“Just because it is what you believe, Senator Roberts, doesn’t make it true,” Sarah Hanson-Young says.
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Malcolm Roberts has just stepped up to the microphone for the ABC estimates. “This will be good,” Sarah Hanson-Young says.Malcolm Roberts has just stepped up to the microphone for the ABC estimates. “This will be good,” Sarah Hanson-Young says.
His first question is on how the Australian public “can trust you without the facts, if they just simply go on opinions”.His first question is on how the Australian public “can trust you without the facts, if they just simply go on opinions”.
Michelle Guthrie: “We don’t go on opinions”.Michelle Guthrie: “We don’t go on opinions”.
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Just extraordinary scenes in both question time and estimates.Just extraordinary scenes in both question time and estimates.
Mike Bowers, as always, was catching it all.Mike Bowers, as always, was catching it all.
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Paul KarpPaul Karp
In estimates Michelle Guthrie is being asked about the possibility the competitive neutrality review could conclude that there should be a paywall on the ABC’s iView online TV playback service.In estimates Michelle Guthrie is being asked about the possibility the competitive neutrality review could conclude that there should be a paywall on the ABC’s iView online TV playback service.
Guthrie said that the idea “would seem to be double-dipping” because the Australian public had paid for ABC programming and would have to pay again to access it on iView.Guthrie said that the idea “would seem to be double-dipping” because the Australian public had paid for ABC programming and would have to pay again to access it on iView.
“They’ve already paid for the programming, in terms of taxpayer funding,” she said. “iView is simply taking those programs and making them available in a different window.”“They’ve already paid for the programming, in terms of taxpayer funding,” she said. “iView is simply taking those programs and making them available in a different window.”
Asked if she’d raised this concern with the minister, Guthrie responded:Asked if she’d raised this concern with the minister, Guthrie responded:
I’ve certainly raised my view that ABC has operated within dual environment since the beginning. Just because technology and audience habit is changing doesn’t mean the ABC is the cause of any economic difficulties [of commercial broadcasters]. That trend is happening everywhere in the world. The idea we might have to retract from particular platforms is not the expectation of Australian people.I’ve certainly raised my view that ABC has operated within dual environment since the beginning. Just because technology and audience habit is changing doesn’t mean the ABC is the cause of any economic difficulties [of commercial broadcasters]. That trend is happening everywhere in the world. The idea we might have to retract from particular platforms is not the expectation of Australian people.
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Back to estimates and Linda Reynolds is pressing the ABC representatives in estimates about how that question time came about.
Reynolds calls it an apparent “coordinated attack on the govt”.Guthrie: "all speculation, I have no idea of sequence of events" #estimates
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A Dixer to Michael Keenan on “the measures the government is taking to protect our community from our worst criminals” ends with Keenan saying this:
Now let me show you what is the current situation. This is the current situation. This is the status quo that the Labor party supports. 42% of Commonwealth child sex offences do not spend one day in prison. Not one day. And of the 58 ... {I] want to repeat that, Mr Speaker, because this is a status quo that the Labor party supports. 42% of the files not spending one day prison, not one day. 58% of those actually do go to prison, the most common length of time served is six months.
Tony Burke interrupts on a point of order asking Keenan to “withdraw the statement that there are members that want to see paedophiles on the street”.
Tony Smith says he didn’t hear the minister say that and there is a back and forth where the Speaker says he has to balance “what is very robust debate, with frankly, freedom of speech”.
It ends with a division after Burke moves the minister be no longer heard. And that is most likely the end of question time.
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Following a Peter Dutton Dixer (the government has switched from energy to how it is protecting Australians) Bill Shorten again asks about the AFP budget.
“How can the prime minister claim he is cracking down on drug importers on a scale never seen before when an AFP leak says thanks to his 184,000,000-dollar cuts to the AFP, the federal police was unable to properly investigate the importation of 1.6 tonnes of cocaine and an additional 600kg cocaine importation from Mexico?
Malcolm Turnbull responds:
As the minister has said, the track record of the AFP in intercepting drug importation speaks for itself. The way in which the Labor party wants to challenge the competence, the efficiency of the AFP is disgraceful. The Labor party have no ... no basis for the claims they have made. We know that we have provided the Australian federal police with record levels of funding. We know that they are intercepting drugs on a scale unprecedented. I note the challenge, the threat is also unprecedented. When we ask the Labor party for some real support in this place on law enforcement, where do they stand? Where does Labor stand? Where does Labor stand on punishing people who commit sexual offences against children? We have asked for mandatory sentences. You know why? Because we want to make sure they go to jail! That’s why. We want to make sure they go to jail. Where is Labor? Labor won’t support that. Labor won’t support that and perhaps they can explain why they don’t want to support, why they won’t support managed or offences, mandatory sentences for some of the most disgusting crimes in the criminal calendar. Mr Speaker, what about guns? What about guns trafficking? What about gun runners, gun smugglers? We want there to be mandatory sentences for them as well because we want to make sure they go to jail. We want to make sure there is the strongest deterrent message and that they are ... Where is Labor on that? Nowhere to be seen. Why won’t Labor support us in putting paedophiles and gun runners behind bars?
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Paul Karp
Back to estimates:
Michelle Guthrie has told Senate estimates about the ABC’s concerns that “fair and balanced” will be added to its charter: “We are concerned with how those words will be read by people who choose to take an aggressive view towards achieving a false balance, not based on the weight of evidence.”
The words already appear in the ABC’s editorial policies but include that important rider – based on the weight of evidence. The other ABC official at the table explains that “stripped of context” the terms fair and balanced might be construed to imply “false balance and he said she said journalism”.
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Clare O’Neil is next on the AFP question line:
Today the justice minister said the government has ‘never been more effective in the fight against drugs’ but earlier in estimates AFP Commissioner Colvin said the AFP is having to look at our organised crime work to make up the government’s $184m cut to the Australian federal police. Who is right? You or the Australian federal police commissioner?
Michael Keenan:
Don’t verbal a respected public servant. Don’t walk into this place and try and make out he said something that he didn’t. It is absolute nonsense to say we have cut the Australian federal police’s budget by $184m. It’s complete nonsense. As I said at the start of question time ... I’m very happy to run through the record and compare and contrast our record in government with your record when you were in government for six years which saw our law enforcement not given the support and the resources that, quite frankly, they deserve. We have invested, since 2013, $1.5bn in our national security and counter-terrorism operations. $128m to fund the serious financial crime taskforce. Very difficult crimes to investigate. We’ve got specialist capability in there with this investment to do it. $116m in the national anti-gang squad. $25m to expand the AFP as national forensic’s rapid lab capability $21m to extend the royal commission taskforce, something we know those opposite don’t support. $15m for the fraud and anti-corruption centre. On top of the resources we have given to our agencies, what is also very important is we’ve given them the powers to do their job. If the Australian Labor Party is so worried about fighting crime, why don’t they join us is in helping to lock up paedophiles? Why don’t they support what we want to do to lock up paedophiles?”
And that starts a firestorm of complaint from the Labor party. Keenan did this last week as well, after he made a similar accusation. Here is what Tony Burke had to say on this:
Practice 516 and 517 specifically refers to two points. One, that a comment does not need to be levelled against an individual member. It can be levelled generally to be offensive. Secondly, if language of a nature likely to create disorder is included as well as words that are generally considered unparliamentary. Specifically, criminal offences such as sedition, treason, support for corruption, deliberate dishonesty are referred to as being unparliamentary terms. Anything that associates members of parliament with in some way being approving of paedophiles is something ... in terms of directly saying, ‘They don’t want them to be locked up’, is an extraordinary claim. I would draw members’ attention to quotes from Senate estimates today that were not used by the opposition that this sort of language is going to have an impact on the chamber and both sides of politics should be above it.
Christopher Pyne responds:
What the minister for justice in his statement was referring to, which is well understood by the entire chamber, is that the government has legislation before the House to introduce minimum mandatory sentences for people who have been convicted of sentences to do with paedophilia and gun smuggling and the Labor party’s indicated they will not support that. It is, therefore, a statement of fact. It is not an insult ...it is not an insult to the opposition. It wouldn’t have been made as an insult to the opposition. It is a juxtaposing this government’s record on tough sentences on things like gun smuggling.
Tony Smith rules:
I have listened to the manager of opposition business. I listened carefully the other day to the minister for justice and what the leader of the House says – I ask forbearance of all members of the House while I complete my remarks – is quite right that is not what the minister for justice said. He didn’t refer to any legislation. He did make a very specific statement. On the manager of opposition business’s point of order, I’m very familiar with the practice and I’m very familiar with the pages. I spend a lot of time reading practice. He’s right when he says that offensive remarks directed at individuals have been asked to be withdrawn regularly and there have been occasions where speakers as far back as Speaker Sneddon has said remarks to groups to be withdrawn. It cuts both ways. You can pick what you wanted to out of all of those precedents. But I’ve reflected on what the minister said. He didn’t say what the leader of the House said. In fact, if he’d framed it that way, whilst I wouldn’t have approved, as I said the other day,that would have been a different matter but in terms of what I heard,I’m going to ask the minister to withdraw that and continue on with his answer.
So how does Keenan apologise?
“Well, I withdraw. I’m sorry that the facts are such a deep inconvenience.”
He’s told to sit down.
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Christopher Pyne gets his weekly “just how terrible are the terrible unions” question and surprise, surprise the CFMEU is this week’s subject.
Here is his concluding flourish:
The member for Sydney was asked about the CFMEU today. She defended the CFMEU. She said this, “Unions get to have a say. Business gets to have a say. Non-governmental organisations get to have a say.” The CFMEU is no worse than any other organisation engaged in robbery, no worse than the AIG, no worse than our friends in the Country Women’s Association, or Unicef, non-government organisations, the CFMEU, CWA, the ladies who invited weary travellers for a cake at the royal show, they are the same as the CFMEU. Perhaps the member for Sydney, next time John Setka is in dispute, he have a bake-off.
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Paul Karp
Back to estimates.
Under questioning from Eric Abetz, Michelle Guthrie concedes that the timing of an Australian Story special on Sam Dastyari, which coincided with release of the senator’s book, was “a mistake”.
But Guthrie noted the program didn’t refer to his book. “My concern was not around the program itself but around the timing ... and the way others have taken that as a tie, which didn’t exist,” she said.
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The ABC story they are fighting over, is this one
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Greg Hunt says some things about energy. Dixers will be the death of me.
But the main game is Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull and their battle over the AFP funding today. And both are getting visibly annoyed.
Shorten: Given the prime minister just advised the parliament to listen to the AFP, does the prime minister consider the AFP is wrong when it says the resourcing shortages left the AFP unable to properly investigate a 1.6 tonne cocaine importation? When will the prime minister finally stop blaming everybody else and take some responsibility for the decisions that his government makes when it comes to the AFP?
Turnbull: The Labor party’s commitment to the rule of law would be taken somewhat more seriously if they weren’t wholly owned and beholden to the CFMEU.
Let’s have a look, let’s have a look, very important ... to look at the corporate structures to see who the shareholders are. That’s where the money comes from. The CFMEU ... As at eight days ago ... there were 84 CFMEU representatives before the courts facing a total of 896 alleged breaches of the law.
The CFMEU, or its representatives, were respondents in 41 separate matters before the courts facing a total of 1,779 suspected contraventions and over $10m in penalties has been awarded against the AWU by the ABCC and its predecessors. Mr Speaker, the fact of the matter is Labor continues to defend an organisation that breaches the law as a matter of course, that treats fines as parking tickets. They know that if the leader of the opposition had the courage or the character of Bob Hawke, he would do what Bob Hawke has said, “You know what I did...”
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Bill Shorten: My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, we support the AFP efforts but why are the AFP advising that they lack the resources to properly investigate serious crime including drug importation? I quote the ABC online where they say, “The AFP document said New South Wales AFP did not have sufficient resources to meet the operational load”.
Malcolm Turnbull: If the honourable member spent more time listening to the AFP and less time coordinating his Question Time tactics with the ABC, he’d have abetter insight into national security.