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Bill Shorten trumpets 'pensioner guarantee' – politics live
'Better second time around': Abbott launches Hanson's book – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Tony Abbott just referred to politics as a “vocation” and “a calling”, which is what was reported he had been telling colleagues in the story he described as “joke journalism” yesterday. Aaron Patrick’s story was about Abbott talking to colleagues about stepping up as opposition leader if the Coalition loses the next election.
In that press conference, Pauline Hanson also compared herself to Nelson Mandela, while Abbott said he thinks the Coalition should preference One Nation at the next election and he will be pushing for that within the party.
More joke journalism from Aaron Patrick. A story that's not backed by a single on-the-record quote except from someone who said the story was untrue.
It’s been a while since I had to type this name – but Barnaby is back.
Tony Abbott finishes with “you’re always better the second time around”.
Read into that what you will (remember he denied just yesterday a story in the AFR that said he had been talking about coming back as opposition leader after the next election).
.@TonyAbbottMHR: We have a welfare class which often needs reminding of the importance of having a go. Historically if we heeded the message of @PaulineHansonOz our country would be a better place.MORE: https://t.co/mkX9kJWWLh #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/eVqSu9G9LV
Tony Abbott is speaking at Pauline Hanson’s book launch – and says Hanson has always “made us face up to our problems”.
There is a lot going on in this speech, but Abbott says that if as a nation, “we had been less quick to shoot the messenger and listen to Pauline Hanson ... we’d be better off today”.
I’m just going to leave that there.
There has been a little on this this morning, but just looking again at the Financial Review’s story on the secret Business Council of Australia survey, which found most (80%) of executives surveyed would spend money saved from company tax cuts on boosting returns to shareholders, or re-investing in the company – exactly how the American experience played out.
A Bloomberg analysis released earlier this month found 60% of money saved in tax gains in the US was to go to shareholders, with just 15% flowing through to employees.
Morgan Stanley estimated just over 40% would go back to share and stock buybacks, while Capital surveyed 1000 companies and found 57% of tax savings would go to shareholders.
Paul Karp has an update on the Greens’ position on the marine park changes. After last week indicating the party may not support Labor’s disallowance motion, it looks like it has now reversed course.
breaking: Greens will be supporting Labor's disallowance on the marine parks. Says delay was to consult and environment movement is split. #auspol ping @AmyRemeikis
A little more from that event highlighting domestic violence in central Australian communities this morning:
A little more from that event highlighting domestic violence in central Australian communities this morning:
Emotional scenes as the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group from the town camps of Alice Springs bring their message to combat family violence to Parliament #auspol @NITV pic.twitter.com/f9wLQtg9vZ
Emotional scenes as the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group from the town camps of Alice Springs bring their message to combat family violence to Parliament #auspol @NITV pic.twitter.com/f9wLQtg9vZ
The British high commissioner to Australia has thanked the Turnbull government for expelling Russian diplomats.
The British high commissioner to Australia has thanked the Turnbull government for expelling Russian diplomats.
Thank you @TurnbullMalcolm and @JulieBishopMP for your unwavering support. Nerve agent use on 🇬🇧 soil demands concerted diplomatic action to avoid culture of impunity and to support our collective security. Great to have 🇦🇺 and others with us. pic.twitter.com/7YQ4VOwokt
Thank you @TurnbullMalcolm and @JulieBishopMP for your unwavering support. Nerve agent use on 🇬🇧 soil demands concerted diplomatic action to avoid culture of impunity and to support our collective security. Great to have 🇦🇺 and others with us. pic.twitter.com/7YQ4VOwokt
For those wondering if New Zealand is going to follow suit and expel its Russian diplomats, Jacinda Ardern said she had spoken to her security agencies and NZ did not believe it had any Russian spies (I’m sorry, undeclared intelligence officers) working within its borders.
For those wondering if New Zealand is going to follow suit and expel its Russian diplomats, Jacinda Ardern said she had spoken to her security agencies and NZ did not believe it had any Russian spies (I’m sorry, undeclared intelligence officers) working within its borders.
But if they found any, NZ’s prime minister said the country would expel them:
But if they found any, NZ’s prime minister said the country would expel them:
Let’s make this very clear: if we had anyone that fitted the description of the likes of what Australia and our partners have expelled, we would be expelling them too.
Let’s make this very clear: if we had anyone that fitted the description of the likes of what Australia and our partners have expelled, we would be expelling them too.
Just a small correction from yesterday – I said that with Ged Kearney’s inclusion, Labor can now claim its caucus is 48% women, which is the closest any party has come to gender parity. I should have said MAJOR party.
Just a small correction from yesterday – I said that with Ged Kearney’s inclusion, Labor can now claim its caucus is 48% women, which is the closest any party has come to gender parity. I should have said MAJOR party.
As I was reminded overnight, the Greens have reached the 50/50 number.
As I was reminded overnight, the Greens have reached the 50/50 number.
Hi @AmyRemeikis re: Labor having a gender balance of 48% in today’s Auspol live, before the citizenship saga the Greens were at 50/50, and in earlier years have exceeded this. 👍🏻
Hi @AmyRemeikis re: Labor having a gender balance of 48% in today’s Auspol live, before the citizenship saga the Greens were at 50/50, and in earlier years have exceeded this. 👍🏻
United Voice are leading the “Keep Your Children at Home” day, in a bid to draw attention to just how badly paid our childcare workers are. *
United Voice are leading the “Keep Your Children at Home” day, in a bid to draw attention to just how badly paid our childcare workers are. *
And they are. Given the service they provide, the responsibility of that service and what people pay for that service, their rate of pay is outrageous.
And they are. Given the service they provide, the responsibility of that service and what people pay for that service, their rate of pay is outrageous.
A childcare worker, with a Certificate III, earns just over $21 a hour.
A childcare worker, with a Certificate III, earns just over $21 a hour.
Walking off the job today is going to cause a lot of chaos for a lot of working parents, but as Bill Shorten said this morning:
Walking off the job today is going to cause a lot of chaos for a lot of working parents, but as Bill Shorten said this morning:
I think childcare workers have a fair argument, don’t they? Their wages are disproportionately low compared to other industries and sectors. When you think about the importance of the early years of children and their education, you would think we would value our childcare workers better. I am sure [for] any childcare worker on strike today, this is a last resort. How long is this nation going to rely on childcare workers to basically subsidise our childcare system? I have a lot of sympathy for the issues they are talking about.”
I think childcare workers have a fair argument, don’t they? Their wages are disproportionately low compared to other industries and sectors. When you think about the importance of the early years of children and their education, you would think we would value our childcare workers better. I am sure [for] any childcare worker on strike today, this is a last resort. How long is this nation going to rely on childcare workers to basically subsidise our childcare system? I have a lot of sympathy for the issues they are talking about.”
* Full disclosure, two members of my family have worked in childcare in the past, so I have a personal connection to this
* Full disclosure, two members of my family have worked in childcare in the past, so I have a personal connection to this
Former Greens senator Robert Simms is challenging senator Sarah Hanson-Young for the top spot on the party’s South Australian Senate ticket.
Former Greens senator Robert Simms is challenging senator Sarah Hanson-Young for the top spot on the party’s South Australian Senate ticket.
Simms lost a tight preselection battle for top spot with Hanson-Young before the 2 July 2016 double dissolution election and was not re-elected.
Simms lost a tight preselection battle for top spot with Hanson-Young before the 2 July 2016 double dissolution election and was not re-elected.
In a statement Simms said:
In a statement Simms said:
With high unemployment and rising inequality, SA voters are desperate for change. Our state is ripe for a progressive revolution and the Greens are the party to deliver it. This should be our time.
With high unemployment and rising inequality, SA voters are desperate for change. Our state is ripe for a progressive revolution and the Greens are the party to deliver it. This should be our time.
Refreshing our Senate ticket provides us with an opportunity to reconnect with those South Australians who may have switched off from us.
Refreshing our Senate ticket provides us with an opportunity to reconnect with those South Australians who may have switched off from us.
Out on the parliament grounds, there were other events occurring that deserve attention.
Tangentyere council domestic violence advocate Shirleen Campbell from central Australia was comforted by Northern Territory senator Malarndirri McCarthy after telling her story.
Campbell has travelled to Canberra with a group from central Australia to draw attention to domestic violence in regional and remote communities.
On how much Labor’s decision to carve out all pensioners from its tax imputation policy will cost, Katharine Murphy reports Labor predicts it will reduce its savings by $700m over the election forward estimates and $3.3bn in the medium term.
Tony Abbott will be launching Pauline Hanson’s new book a little later this morning.
That has raised some eyebrows, given, well, you know, she blamed him for sending her to jail that one time.
But Hanson says they have moved on and everyone else should too.
He said he was regretful of what happened in the past and I have accepted that. If I can get over it and move on, everyone else should stop. We need to work together in this place, I don’t care who you are. You get over your differences and move on, because we have to be here to make the right decisions for the people of the country.
Australia’s decision, like all our foreign policy, has bipartisan support.
Bill Shorten said Malcolm Turnbull spoke to him about the move earlier this morning:
In regards to the expulsion of Russian agents, the prime minister briefed me this morning and I have spoken to the security agencies. I am very supportive of this measure. There is no doubt that the actions the Russians had taken ... has caused outrage and Australia is making a response to it. These are undeclared agents and so therefore it is inappropriate that they be in Australia. I’m very supportive of the actions today.
From the prime minister’s office:
Together with the United Kingdom and other allies and partners, Australia is taking action in response to the recent nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK.
Two Russian diplomats identified as undeclared intelligence officers will be expelled by the Australian Government for actions inconsistent with their status, pursuant to the Vienna Conventions. The two officials will be directed to depart Australia within seven days.
This decision reflects the shocking nature of the attack – the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, involving a highly lethal substance in a populated area, endangering countless other members of the community.
It takes into account advice from the UK Government that the substance used on 4 March was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Such an attack cannot be tolerated by any sovereign nation. We strongly support the call on Russia to disclose the full extent of its chemical weapons program in accordance with international law.
This attack is part of a pattern of reckless and deliberate conduct by the Russian state that constitutes a growing threat to international security, global non-proliferation rules against the use of chemical weapons, the rights of other sovereign nations and the international rules-based order that underpins them.
Australia has had strong sanctions in place since 2014 in response to Russia’s threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We also continue to support international efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the downing of MH17, and we have called out unacceptable Russian action in cyberspace. In the same way, we will vigorously back the UK’s full investigation of the nerve agent attack.
Australia remains committed to acting with its allies and partners to deter Russia’s actions where they are a threat to international security.
This is why the Government is overhauling offences for espionage, secrecy and treason, and for the first time establishing powerful new foreign interference offences in legislation currently before the Parliament.
***end statement***
Bill Shorten is confirming Labor will carve out ALL pensioners from its tax imputation policy.
He is calling it Labor’s “pensioner guarantee”.
300,000 pensioners will be removed from the policy.
In the light of that we now think it is time for Turnbull to adopt the rest of our policy, which is highly targeted and ensures that we can find the necessary money in our budget going forward to properly fund our schools and hospitals, to properly ensure we can provide support for middle- and working-class Australians in terms of the tax system. Today Labor makes a good policy even better.
Chris Bowen, picking up on the buzzword of the moment – progressive – says there is now no reason for the government not to back it.
Labor’s policy will improve the budget position by $10.7bn over the forward estimates, $55.7bn over the medium term and that’s the key point, the policy integrity of the Labor announcement is very clear, 94% of the revenue created is protected even though we’re exempting around 25% of the people affected, which underlies how progressive this policy was to start with and how even more progressive it is today. Labor makes the big decisions with the courage to do so up front from opposition with plenty of time for them to be debated between now and the next election, and as Bill said, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison have nowhere to hide.
(Sidenote, Tveeder transcribed Malcolm Turnbull as “Miao Miao” and, honestly, that is the giggle I needed this morning.)
Stepping away from all things international intrigue for the moment, and the Australian Education Union is launching its big campaign today, wanting to draw attention to public school funding.
Principals, parents, teachers and union officials have descended on Canberra, while the AEU has released polling which shows school funding is a key issue in 18 marginal electorates.
From its statement:
Results show school funding will be a key federal election vote decider, with 83% of respondents stating that public school funding is very important or fairly important to how they will vote.
Key figures:
83% of voters say funding public schools is important in deciding who they will vote for in the next federal election.
72% of voters think federal funding for public schools is too low.
79% of voters think increasing public school funding is better for Australia than cutting company tax rates.
81% of soft voters have no confidence in Malcolm Turnbull to provide funds for public schools in the future.
Only 24% of voters think Malcolm Turnbull is focused on ensuring public schools are in good shape.
School funding is more important to voters than cutting company tax rates, with 79% of respondents stating that increasing public school funding to the national schooling resource standard is better for Australia’s future than cutting company tax rates.
***end statement***
Meanwhile, the Catholic sector is also ramping up its own campaign against what it says are funding cuts under the Turnbull government.
Simon Birmingham has denied school funding is being cut and says the government is getting the balance right with Gonski 2.0.
There is still a loooooong way to go on this.
It’s not the first time Australia has expelled a diplomat. In 1991 we expelled an Iraqi diplomat for “security reasons”.
And, in 1988, Australia closed the Yugoslav consulate in Sydney after a security guard was alleged to have shot and wounded a Croatian protester.
It’s pretty safe to say that Australia is going to follow its allies in expelling Russian diplomats today, but it is not confirmed.
There are quite a few boxes to be ticked off as you expel a diplomat, so it’s not as if the government can confirm it to the media before it has met all its Vienna obligations.
Here is what Scott Morrison had to say about it this morning to Sky:
We’ll have more to say about these things later, but we obviously have shown a lot of solidarity with Great Britain over this issue and we welcome the announcements made by our allies and partners around the world on this issue, and we’ll have to say about it a little later today.
Australia has woken to the news the US and several European allies have followed the UK’s lead and expelled Russian diplomats. Yesterday, when this news first started popping up, Julie Bishop’s office said there was “no change from Australia’s perspective”.
But if a day is a long time in politics, it is an eternity in diplomatic terms. Australia now looks like following suit and expelling Russian diplomatics.
That’s not overly surprising – earlier this month Bishop confirmed Australia would back any move by the UK to send weapons inspectors into Russia after the near-fatal poison attack on the former KGB spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in a British village on 4 March. (The Kremlin has denied any involvement.)
“This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. One cannot have a permanent member of the security council, or indeed any country anywhere, any time, deploying illegal chemical weapons, and so clearly Britain is within its rights to take action, as it has done with expelling diplomats,” Bishop said.
“Russia typically retaliates. But I have been in constant communication with [UK] foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Australia is most certainly considering what other options might be available.”
Under the Vienna convention, a country can give as much notice as it wants to expel diplomats, as long as its “reasonable”. Bishop’s office is yet to confirm Australia has taken the official step of expelling its Russian diplomats, but overnight 19 countries, included the US, announced it had expelled Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover.
In solidarity with the UK over #SalisburyAttack Lithuania has undertaken decision to: expel 3 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover; sanction additional 21 individuals under the Lithuanian Magnitsky Act; ban 23 more from the entrance to LT. @BorisJohnson
We’ll bring you more on that as it comes to hand.
On domestic matters, it is still all tax, tax, tax, as the government inches closer to wooing Tim Storer and Derryn Hinch to its side of the chamber vote for the company tax cuts, while dozens of business leaders head to Canberra to help sell the policy.
That comes as the Australian Financial Review published this story:
Fewer than one in five of Australia’s leading chief executives say they will use the Turnbull government’s proposed company tax cut to directly increase wages or employ more staff, according to a secret survey conducted by the Business Council of Australia.
More than 80 per cent said they would either use the proceeds to boost returns to shareholders or invest in the company.
The explosive revelation comes as the government is still struggling to secure the final two Senate votes needed to pass the remainder of the $65 billion package.
Which is only going to fuel Labor’s attack.
Mike Bowers is out and about – follow along with him at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers. You’ll also find both Mike and me on Instagram at @pyjamapolitics, where you can see behind the scenes of our day.
You’ll find me at @amyremeikis or in the comments.
I hope you have your coffee – we are all going to need it today!
