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Derryn Hinch: One Nation pressured me to support company tax cuts – politics live
'Super Saturday' byelections to be held on 28 July – politics live
(35 minutes later)
The AEC is due to appear in the Finance estimates hearing - and Penny Wong has just walked back in.
It is pretty safe to say that Labor is PISSED at this decision.
Tony Burke:
The AEC would normally not recommend a date, as you have said, but on this occasion they have recommended a date and they have used the fact they want this new recommendation as the reason.
Now, they appeared before the relevant inquiry months ago ... the regulations and discussions with the opposition happened more than a week ago, and we have a situation now where that 79-day delay, which is not applied anywhere else, is on the basis the Australian Electoral Commission, which, if the Prime Minister went down to Yarralumla and called an election today, they would be able to conduct it with 160 seats in 33 days’ time. For 150 seats! Instead they say it has to be delayed all this period and it just happens to be on the day of the Labor party national conference ... what a coincidence on the part of the Australian Electoral Commission that is.
This is pretty extraordinary. It means we now have a defacto election campaign for another two months.
It’s also the same date as the Labor national conference.
FUN TIMES
Perth, Fremantle, Longman, Braddon and Mayo are heading to the polls in late July because of the school holidays.
He says the Electoral Commissioner had nominated the date as the “optimal date” as it allows the AEC to allow prospective candidates to comply with the new requirements and ensure voters are not disenfranchised
Tony Burke takes a moment after question time to talk about the five upcoming byelections
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
I miss the lead up, but the main question is: “Is the prime minister seriously abolishing the serious financial crime task force right in the middle of the Royal Commission into the banks?”
Kelly O’Dwyer takes this one:
“I’d like to point out that it is simply not correct what he has stated. The government is aware that the funding of the taskforce runs to the 30 June 2019 which is more than one year into the future. Responsible governments address funding programs in the context of budget preparations and anticipate that we would look at the funding in the next budget preparation. And can I point out, when it comes to the serious financial crimes task force, when it comes to the serious financial crimes task force, it didn’t exist under the Labor government. It was established under the Coalition government. It was established and funded under our government. Let me tell you, it has achieved some very, very good outcomes. It was established to investigate and track down serious financial crime and prosecute those people who break the law and as of February 2018, since the establishment of this task force, we have seen 740 audits and reviews, it has raised tax liabilities of more than half $1,000,000,000 and collected more than $200,000,000 in cash and has resulted in 4 people who have received custodial sentences. There are currently 29criminal, civil and intelligence operations in progress under the serious financial crimes task force that we have established and I know that those opposite like to fabricate and they like to doctor the facts but they cannot doctor this. It is funded, it will continue to be funded in the normal course of budget arrangements.”
We get another dixer about how important it is that Australia day stays on January 26 and then we are done.
Everything is going really, really well for One Nation.
Just in: One Nation Senator and Pauline Hanson loyalist Brian Burston has been dumped as the party's whip. Peter Georgiou was appointed as the whip today. @politicsabc #auspol
It might be worth pointing out that Brian Burston is known as a Pauline Hanson loyalist. He says that it was his idea that she take back the One Nation name and stood behind her, even while she was in the wilderness.
Cathy O’Toole to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Can the prime minister confirm that last night every member of the government including the member for Capricornia voted against Labor’s tax plan that would have given 60,000 people in Capricornia a tax cut of up to $928 a year, almost double the tax cut they will get from the government. Why didn’t this prime minister vote for lower taxes for 10 million Australians instead of giving an $80bn tax cut to big business?”
(Someone please help me. I am stuck in a QT time loop and I can’t get out.)
Turnbull:
I’m sure the honourable member has advised all the businesses in her electorate, if she is part of a Labour government, will be putting up taxes on them in Townsville. There are plenty of businesses which need that incentive. She is going to come after their income as well? Oh, she has, it will be very interesting, very interesting. I’m sure the [Townsville] Bulletin will be investigating to see how many people she has door knocked and said ‘hello, I am here with Bill Shorten. We are here to raid your savings. Come and have a cup of tea. We have been waiting to this joyful moment.’
“Mr Speaker, the Labor Party, the member for McMahon said they will have policies in that space, this approach to politics that their savings, their businesses, their jobs are threatened by the honourable member and their colleagues in the Labor party.”
Liberal senator James Paterson is asking finance minister Mathias Cormann about what will happen to Katy Gallagher and the MPs who resigned when the high court rejected their understanding of the “reasonable steps” defence to being dual citizens.
Paterson said there is a “qualitative difference” between those Labor MPs – who refused for months to resign after the Canavan decision in October – and the Coalition MPs who did not know they were ineligible (well, not until they discovered that citizenship by descent was a thing that exists).
Cormann responds that the issue of debt waivers will be treated in “an entirely consistent manner” – which suggests Labor MPs will get debt waivers.
Don Farrell starts interjecting because he objects to what he sees as a partisan attack from Paterson, but Cormann says he should “take some comfort” from that answer.
Ged Kearney to Malcolm Turnbull: (Fun fact - this is her first question in the house)
“Can the prime minister confirm last night every member of this government, including the member for Corangamite, voted against Labor’s personal income tax plan that would give 66,000 people in Corangamite a tax cut of up to $928 a year, almost double the tax cut given from the government, why didn’t the prime minister vote for lower taxes for 10 million Australians instead of giving an $80bn handout to big business?”
(That’s Sarah Henderson, by the way)
Turnbull:
“... The honourable member referred to the member for Corangamite and her constituents. In Corangamite, Mr Speaker, there are thousands of businesses getting on and getting ahead because of the incentive the government has given them and the member for Corangamite knows very well that the future of her community depends on a stronger economy and a government that backs that enterprise, and she knows that, that is what is driving the record jobs growth in Australia. But the member for Batman, on the other hand, I don’t think when she was recently campaigning went around and told some of the retirees in her seat how much of their savings they were going to raid.
“... Oh yes they will! All of those hard-working people in Batman who have worked hard and saved and invested, the Labor party is going to cut their income by 20%, 30%, a massive cut out of the income of Australians that are too old to go and get another job or start a business, going after the most vulnerable, and, for the same reason, they denied the ineligibility of their dual citizen members, for the same reason they doctored the transcript of the member for Barton because they thought they could get away with it.
“The leader of the opposition will try anything on, any duplicity, because he thinks he can get away with it and the Australian people are too smart for him and they are too smart for Labor.”
Tony Smith asks if the PM made an unparliamentary remark, as the interjections rise, and then we move on. (If he did say something, I didn’t hear it.)
BREAKING: Christopher Pyne still hates unions. #deathtodixers
BREAKING: Christopher Pyne still hates unions. #deathtodixers
Chris Bowen to Malcolm Turnbull:
Chris Bowen to Malcolm Turnbull:
“They claim they support lower taxes but why did they all vote against Labor’s plan for lower income taxes to 10 million Australians, a tax cut of up to $928 a year last night. That’s what they did. How can the Australian people believe anything this prime minister says when last night, he voted against bigger tax cuts.”
“They claim they support lower taxes but why did they all vote against Labor’s plan for lower income taxes to 10 million Australians, a tax cut of up to $928 a year last night. That’s what they did. How can the Australian people believe anything this prime minister says when last night, he voted against bigger tax cuts.”
Turnbull:
Turnbull:
“Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, the only tax reform that was voted for last night was the government’s reform for personal income tax.
“Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, the only tax reform that was voted for last night was the government’s reform for personal income tax.
“The Labor Party voted for it. The reality is that the Labor party is threatening Australians with over $200bn of new taxes and most shamefully of all, $5bn a year raised by raiding the savings of older Australians, raised by raiding the savings of grandparents, self-funded retirees, going after their tax refunds from franking credits, to which they are entitled.
“The Labor Party voted for it. The reality is that the Labor party is threatening Australians with over $200bn of new taxes and most shamefully of all, $5bn a year raised by raiding the savings of older Australians, raised by raiding the savings of grandparents, self-funded retirees, going after their tax refunds from franking credits, to which they are entitled.
“Both in law and injustice and what they’re doing is yet again discriminating against hard-working Australians who have saved for their retirement and want to have the dignity of some independence in retirement.
“Both in law and injustice and what they’re doing is yet again discriminating against hard-working Australians who have saved for their retirement and want to have the dignity of some independence in retirement.
“As much as they hate the enterprise of hard-working Australian businesses encouraged by our tax cuts, and are already in operation, and seeing record jobs growth across Australia. Labor is the party of higher taxes, less investment and fewer jobs.”
“As much as they hate the enterprise of hard-working Australian businesses encouraged by our tax cuts, and are already in operation, and seeing record jobs growth across Australia. Labor is the party of higher taxes, less investment and fewer jobs.”
Peter Dutton has some fun with the Linda Burney transcript issue. Burney continues reading her papers and then Chris Bowen wants to know whether Malcolm Turnbull remembered walking back into the chamber to vote against Labor’s amendments on the income tax bill.
Peter Dutton has some fun with the Linda Burney transcript issue. Burney continues reading her papers and then Chris Bowen wants to know whether Malcolm Turnbull remembered walking back into the chamber to vote against Labor’s amendments on the income tax bill.
He punts it to Scott Morrison, and Tony Burke objects:
He punts it to Scott Morrison, and Tony Burke objects:
Unless the treasurer has the authority to say he was equally unaware, only the prime minister can answer that question. But the standing orders say the PM can get anyone he wants to answer the question and we are all gifted another few minutes of the best of Scott Morrison.
Unless the treasurer has the authority to say he was equally unaware, only the prime minister can answer that question. But the standing orders say the PM can get anyone he wants to answer the question and we are all gifted another few minutes of the best of Scott Morrison.
Just a small break to remind you that Ian Macdonald is proving once again, why he is the greatest gift to the Senate estimates process, since the iPad timer:
Ian MacDonald was quizzing Justice SC Derrington about why she is a "Senior Counsel" instead of a "Queen's Counsel". Justice Derrington: "those are my initials" #auspol #estimates
For the record, the justice’s name is Sarah Catherine.
The culture wars, as Paul just joked, are now coming for your initials. NOTHING IS SAFE
Julie Bishop says Australia is working with Indonesia following the terror attacks recently, which saw children used as suicide bombers.
“The Australian government stands in absolute solidarity with the Indonesian government. We sent messages of support and condolence. The Indonesian government and the Indonesian people are our most important partners when it comes to combating terrorism in our region and we are working closely with Indonesia, noting as they have that Australia has also suffered attempted terrorist attacks and we are working together to locate foreign terrorist fighters returning from Iraq and Syria. We are seeking to track terrorists and their associates and equipment and resources,” she said.
“... I am sure I am joined with all members of this house as I confirm that the Australian government will dedicate the resources and the energy and political will to keeping Australians as safe as possible at home and abroad.”
Bill Shorten gives the government Labor’s support:
“I just seek to associate the opposition with the foreign minister’s remarks,” he says.
“Surabaya is a marvellous city, Indonesia’s second-largest, it’s a remarkable cosmopolitan city, it does not deserve this evil and the government can count on the opposition standing with their remarks.”
What we just saw was a dixer used for good - updating the house on an actual issue.
I miss the beginning of Bill Shorten’s next question to Malcolm Turnbull, but it is essentially asking why did the government vote against Labor’s tax plan.
I think we already know the answer, but here it is anyway:
“The leader of the opposition has really lost the plot. Last night, the house debated and voted on the tax legislation. That’s what’s heading up to the Senate now. You know what, Mr Speaker? And we want to thank them, thank them from their support. They had the opportunity to vote against them. The personal income ... tax reform now is going to encourage the investment. It is going to encourage aspiration of work. It’s getting to make it fairer ... simpler and as progressive as it is today in terms of those on the highest incomes paying the highest share.
“And we were pleased to see that the treasurer and my colleagues were able to persuade the Labor Party to vote with it but it seems their enthusiasm was short-lived. They went home, went to bed and turned up here today now they have regrets.
“It’s too late, and I say to the leader of the opposition, it’s been passed through the house. The reality is, you cannot rewrite the history of last night’s debate. It’s not like a transcript from the member for Barton. It isn’t. You can’t edit the votes and proceedings. It’s not like the way the leader of the opposition’s office edited, and when I say edited, doctored and falsified the transcript of the member for Barton’s interview, 1800 words it was. 1800 words. And apparently, she said, an unintentional error resulted in 800 words vanishing. That is quite a slip. That really is quite a slip. Mr Speaker, it’s no mistake that the falsification of the transcript was designed to do one thing and one thing only, cover up the fact that inside the Labor party, there is the deepest opposition to the government’s border protection policies.
“And what is designed to obscure the fact that the honourable member and so many of those colleagues want to roll out the welcome mat to the people smugglers and make all of those mistakes that Kevin Rudd made years ago, make them all again, so there will be more drownings at sea, more unauthorised arrivals and more children in detention. That is what Labor will be seeking to do if they were ever to occupy the [government] bench.”
Anthony Albanese to Michael McCormack:
“Is the deputy prime minister considering abandoning his support for the government’s $80bn handout to big business so that he can actually allocate funds for the construction of the Western Sydney rail project, which the government failed to fund in the budget?”
McCormack:
“One thing I’ll say about the Nationals is when we say something we put our names to it and I get ... We put our names to it. We’re backing the tax plan of the government. The Liberal and National Party, the Turnbull-McCormack government is backing the tax plan of the government.
“I’ll tell you why, Mr Speaker, I’ll tell you why, because it’s a blueprint for our economic future. It’s a10-year enterprise tax plan, just like we’ve got a 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline. $75bn, $75bn investing in the infrastructure that this country needs, that Australians want, demand, expect and deserve.
“That’s what we’re doing. I’ll just go back to his little point about the newspaper article today and I’ll say again that at least when National Party members make a comment to the press, they put their name to it, because I tell you what ... we often hear shadow ministers, Labor source, left source, making comments about the leadership of the man opposite, leadership of the member for Maribyrnong, and I tell you why, because he is on borrowed time.
“The member who asked the question knows it because he’s going to be the biggest beneficiary when the member for Maribyrnong falls over, he’s going to be ... But I say again that the Nationals and the Liberals are in lockstep with the tax plan, are in lockstep with ...”
He gives up, because lines are not his greatest strength, before giving it another go, but it’s pretty much what we just heard.
He gets a second time to trip over his words when another Queensland backbencher’s constituency is suddenly unable to go another second without knowing about the government’s 10-year infrastructure plan.
Adam Bandt has the crossbench question for today:
On Tuesday morning, Salim, a Rohingya refugee on Manus Island died on your watch and by Tuesday afternoon the government leaked information to the press about this man and negative stories appeared.
“By late Wednesday afternoon you hadn’t notified his wife about his death and when someone from the asylum seeker resource centre called to comfort her, it turned out she was unaware of it.
“Minister, is it government policy to leak to the media about the death of someone in your care and not notify next of kin? And does this fundamental lack of human decency show there’s no line you will not cross?”
Peter Dutton:
“I’m not going to take a morals lecture from the Greens when it comes to border protection policy.
“We can only look to his track record when he was in coalition with the Labor Party. The fact is, Mr Speaker ... Tragically, 1200 people drowned at sea when Labor and the Greens unwound John Howard’s policies, and that was a tragedy, and, in the current debate going on with the civil war in the Labor party, it seems they want to tragically return to those days. Mr Speaker, there were 8000 children put into detention and we’ve got those children out of detention. Under the plan, Mr Speaker, proposed by Labor and the Greens, there was no plan ...
“This government, not the government you were in coalition with, the Rudd and Gillard governments, this government has brokered a deal to get 1200 people off Manus and Nauru, Mr Speaker, so if you don’t mind I’m not going to take a moral lesson from you.
“You are responsible for the deaths of more than you realise, that’s the reality for the Greens, they can moralise all they want but I find it unacceptable, Mr Speaker.”
Wayne Swan then says something, which the microphone for the broadcast does not pick up and Dutton asks for it to be withdrawn. He admits he said something unparliamentary and does.
Scott Morrison is back, because every coalition’s backbencher constituency is just desperate to hear about the government’s economic plan and whether there is any alternative plan.
Jenny Macklin to Malcolm Turnbull:
“What is the point of this prime minister and his government, given his signature tax policy, to give $80bn to big business, appears doomed. Is the prime minister’s big business tax cut as doomed as his colleagues are claiming?”
Turnbull punts the question to Scott Morrison, because there is no such thing as too much Scott Morrison:
“Our side of the house, the government believes lower, simpler, fairer and more competitive taxes are good for the economy and a reward for effort and grow the economy. As I said yesterday, when the member for Fenner, who gave us the benefit of his behavioural impacts on the tax treatment of mammals in his own references to these matters, Mr Speaker, I was mistaken to think the Labor Party supported low and further fairer taxes, but I found the reason for the apparent contradiction in their view is because it seems the member for Fenner is familiar with the work of Ross Gittens. This was brought to our attention in 2005 when a book was written, Happiness, lessons from new science, and drawing on studies of monkeys, Mr Speaker, he concludes we need to keep the tax rates high to discourage people from working to make them happier.
Eureka! The Member for Fenner must have said ‘I’ve finally seen the light, higher taxes are good for people and they’ve decided to go down that path.’
“I’ve got some advice for the Member for Fenner, stop listening to monkeys when you set tax policies.”
Tony Burke to Malcolm Turnbull:
“A decade ago, the prime minister said he was not willing to lead a party that was not as committed to action on climate change as he was so now, is the prime minister willing to lead a government that is not as committed to big business tax cuts as he is?”
Turnbull (his glasses are off and in his hand, so you know he’s serious):
“I thank the honourable member for Watson to his question. I just remind him that he, like the member for McMahon, who are studied imitators of the great Paul Keating, would know very well that their master, their great mentor, PJK, he was the one who stood here like the leader of the opposition did in government and said cutting company tax delivers more investment, more jobs and better paid jobs and underlined the need to be competitive so Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, the only Labor leader that has abandoned that economic common sense in just another one of his numerous backflips to make Australians realise he cannot be trusted, is the leader of the opposition, the member for Maribyrnong, the unbelieva-Bill leader of the opposition.”
Before Tony Burke can even open his mouth, Tony Smith pulls Turnbull up on the “unbelieva-Bill” line:
This started with the treasurer. I’ve had cause to read today the origin of it but it’s not coming in here. I’m making it very clear. I’d like the prime minister just to withdraw.”
The prime minister does, making Scott Morrison use his “I have now read my order out to you five times, OMG, how can you not get that I don’t want onions” voice in a dixer.
Another Queensland MP is given the first dixer. This week IS a time loop.
We open with company tax.
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Now it is reported The Nationals have lost faith in the prime minister’s ability to deliver his economic plans. Will the prime minister tell the entire parliament including The Nationals that he won’t give up on his core belief and signature tax policy, to give $80bn to big business?”
Turnbull:
“I assume the honourable member is referring to the government’s enterprise tax plan which involves reducing company tax to 25%. That of course was described by the member for McMahon as a Labor thing and a great objective it was. It was described by the leader of the opposition’s [predecessor that] cutting company tax, increasing investment and productivity, resulting in more jobs and better paid jobs and Labour leaders before him has supported reducing company tax because they know it delivers more jobs and greater investment and Mr Speaker, that is what we have been seeing.
“We have, in the last calendar year, the largest jobs growth in our history, the largest jobs growth in our history and since the Coalition was elected under the leadership of the member for Warringah in 2013, 13,600 jobs created. So the Labor Party say that the government’s economic plan is not delivering but it’s delivering record jobs growth. I remember when Labor leaders going right back to Neville Wran, great leaders in the Labor arty, used to stand up and say it was all about jobs, jobs, jobs. Not any more.
“What a clown, Mr Speaker. Seriously. What an embarrassing clown. What an embarrassing clown. Here we are with record jobs growth, record jobs growth and all he wants to do is catcall, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, he has got as much chance of getting away with his jobs destroying, against business, against job creating policies as he does of doctoring transcripts.
Bob Katter is campaigning with Rebekha Sharkie, his former crossbench colleague currently fighting for the seat of Mayo after being made to stand down because of section 44 issues.
He was asked about the Liberal candidate Georgina Downer - and said he found her too right wing.
Yes, you read that correctly - Bob Katter thinks Georgina Downer is too right wing.
