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Shorten tells Hanson: remember the battlers – politics live Tax cuts for high-income earners defeated in Senate – politics live
(35 minutes later)
As for the other votes:
Tim Storer only supports stage one.
Centre Alliance support stage one and two.
So, on that presumption, Labor might not have the numbers to win any further debates.
But we wait and see, because this is the 45th parliament Senate and guessing what it will do next is like guessing when Beyoncé will drop new music. YOU NEVER KNOW.
The @ParlLibrary analysis of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Maintaining Income Thresholds) Bill - by Lauren Cook - is now up. Bill freezes indexation of income test thresholds for family payments and parental leave pay, + FTB supplement rates https://t.co/S9stOpS0YI
And as we flagged earlier this morning – the tax debate will now go on hold until after 5pm, while the Senate deals with other business.
Sadly 12.45 has brought an end to @MathiasCormann trolling @SenatorWong and vice versa. Tax debate back on ice for now as the chamber pushes on with daily business @AmyRemeikis #auspol
As for how that vote played out:
On the government side, you had Fraser Anning, Cory Bernardi, Brian Burston, One Nation, Derryn Hinch and David Leyonhjelm.
On Team Amendment, you had Labor, the Greens, Tim Storer and Centre Alliance.
(Four pairs were also given.)
Now because the vote was to proceed with stage three, the tie meant the question was negated – under Senate rules, it just defaults to negating the question. So the government lost its bid to move it forward.
It will go back to the House. The government will reject the Senate’s vote. And around-and-around the merry-go-round, we’ll go.
And who said the Senate wasn’t fun!
tl;drtl;dr
So the first major chamber victory on the income tax package goes to the splitters faction @AmyRemeikis #auspolSo the first major chamber victory on the income tax package goes to the splitters faction @AmyRemeikis #auspol
But remember - this doesn’t mean it is dead, buried, cremated. It’s more the Tony Abbott version of that - it’ll go back to the House, where we know the government won’t accept it. But remember – this doesn’t mean it is dead, buried, cremated. It’s more the Tony Abbott version of that – it’ll go back to the House, where we know the government won’t accept it.
So, as Murph tells me, it’s a tactical victory for Labor, but there is a ways to go in this fight.So, as Murph tells me, it’s a tactical victory for Labor, but there is a ways to go in this fight.
So what just happened?So what just happened?
Well, Scott Ryan brought it to a tied vote. And under the Senate rules, because it was a tied vote, the Senate has knocked out the third step, on the tied vote.Well, Scott Ryan brought it to a tied vote. And under the Senate rules, because it was a tied vote, the Senate has knocked out the third step, on the tied vote.
So stage three of the tax plan, is gone.So stage three of the tax plan, is gone.
The amendment was negated because of a tied vote. Because it was tied, that means the Senate has just voted to strip out stage 3 (despite the Coalition holding Hanson for that vote) #auspol @AmyRemeikisThe amendment was negated because of a tied vote. Because it was tied, that means the Senate has just voted to strip out stage 3 (despite the Coalition holding Hanson for that vote) #auspol @AmyRemeikis
So the deadlock has been broken – and its a tie.So the deadlock has been broken – and its a tie.
The Senate president Scott Ryan voted on the floor with the government #auspol @AmyRemeikisThe Senate president Scott Ryan voted on the floor with the government #auspol @AmyRemeikis
The amendment was negated #auspol @AmyRemeikisThe amendment was negated #auspol @AmyRemeikis
The background to that – from Katharine MurphyThe background to that – from Katharine Murphy
The Senate is moving into the amendments stage of the income tax debate. The first amendment being moved by Labor is to split off the stage three tax cuts – the ones that benefit high income earners and start from 2024.The Senate is moving into the amendments stage of the income tax debate. The first amendment being moved by Labor is to split off the stage three tax cuts – the ones that benefit high income earners and start from 2024.
Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong quotes the South Australian cross bencher Tim Storer, saying these tax cuts are designed to “hold future parliaments to ransom”. She says they will impact the progressivity of the tax system. Wong says voters will have to elect Malcolm Turnbull twice more if they are ever to receive the benefits.Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong quotes the South Australian cross bencher Tim Storer, saying these tax cuts are designed to “hold future parliaments to ransom”. She says they will impact the progressivity of the tax system. Wong says voters will have to elect Malcolm Turnbull twice more if they are ever to receive the benefits.
The finance minister Mathias Cormann assures the Senate that’s not the case. No one has to re-elect Malcolm Turnbull twice more. The Senate can just legislate today and be done with it.The finance minister Mathias Cormann assures the Senate that’s not the case. No one has to re-elect Malcolm Turnbull twice more. The Senate can just legislate today and be done with it.
The Greens are supporting this amendment. So are the two Centre Alliance senators. Pauline Hanson is currently shouting about the Greens. The Greens want to block tax cuts to support foreign aid and “open up the floodgates” to refugees, Hanson says, before veering into comparatively low power prices in the UK compared to prices here.The Greens are supporting this amendment. So are the two Centre Alliance senators. Pauline Hanson is currently shouting about the Greens. The Greens want to block tax cuts to support foreign aid and “open up the floodgates” to refugees, Hanson says, before veering into comparatively low power prices in the UK compared to prices here.
Hanson doesn’t make her position clear on the amendment currently under consideration.Hanson doesn’t make her position clear on the amendment currently under consideration.
The Senate is voting on the first Labor amendment –The Senate is voting on the first Labor amendment –
The Senate is currently voting on an amendment to strip out stage 3 of the tax cuts. Labor, Greens, Centre Alliance & Tim Storer voting in favour. Hanson voting with the government to not split the bill #auspol @AmyRemeikisThe Senate is currently voting on an amendment to strip out stage 3 of the tax cuts. Labor, Greens, Centre Alliance & Tim Storer voting in favour. Hanson voting with the government to not split the bill #auspol @AmyRemeikis
Malcolm Turnbull will be making some comments on Refugee Week in the next few minutes.Malcolm Turnbull will be making some comments on Refugee Week in the next few minutes.
Asked about her Monday night comments about the ABC, while on the ABC (where she said it was valid to be having the debate and told Tony Jones that 40% of his salary was probably coming from WA, which is the most WA thing to say, ever), Linda Reynolds told Sky News she has no regrets about kicking the debate down the road, while the government desperately tries to stuff it back in a box:Asked about her Monday night comments about the ABC, while on the ABC (where she said it was valid to be having the debate and told Tony Jones that 40% of his salary was probably coming from WA, which is the most WA thing to say, ever), Linda Reynolds told Sky News she has no regrets about kicking the debate down the road, while the government desperately tries to stuff it back in a box:
“Not at all,” she said.“Not at all,” she said.
“I don’t walk back from anything I said. I made it very clear up front that the government won’t be privatising the ABC, but what I did say is Australian taxpayers spend $1.2bn a year on the ABC and I get a lot of feedback from rural and regional Western Australia, that they would like to see more services from the ABC, because they don’t get the same access to the media markets that those of us living in capital cities do.“I don’t walk back from anything I said. I made it very clear up front that the government won’t be privatising the ABC, but what I did say is Australian taxpayers spend $1.2bn a year on the ABC and I get a lot of feedback from rural and regional Western Australia, that they would like to see more services from the ABC, because they don’t get the same access to the media markets that those of us living in capital cities do.
“So it is absolutely a valid question to discuss where does that $1.2bn go. I think it should be more focused on rural and regional Australia and I have had a lot of support for that position since then.“So it is absolutely a valid question to discuss where does that $1.2bn go. I think it should be more focused on rural and regional Australia and I have had a lot of support for that position since then.
“And it is taxpayer money. And every single dollar of taxpayer’s money is accountable.”“And it is taxpayer money. And every single dollar of taxpayer’s money is accountable.”
Except, apparently, when governments or government ministers don’t want you to know how some money is being spent – like Michaelia Cash’s legal bills. You have to wait until estimates for that. And then maybe, not even then.Except, apparently, when governments or government ministers don’t want you to know how some money is being spent – like Michaelia Cash’s legal bills. You have to wait until estimates for that. And then maybe, not even then.
The Senate has moved on to debating the amendments to the income tax bill.
You’ll find those here.
Over on Sky News, Linda Reynolds says the government is “achingly close” to having its bill passed.
A few early observations on the AEC’s redistribution of Victorian seats.
Labor is pleased because the final boundaries have not changed the proposal for Dunkley and have made only small changes to the proposal for Corangamite – both currently held by Liberal MPs, which the proposed redistribution turned notionally Labor or into a 50-50 contest. Given Labor will pick up the new seat of Fraser in Melbourne’s west, it could be looking at +3 seats from Victoria alone at the next election.
There’s also a suggestion that a few changes in Liberal MP Jason Wood’s seat of La Trobe and its boundaries with neighbouring seats Monash, Holt and Casey could help Labor, but the parties are still waiting for more info from the AEC.
On the plus side for Liberal MP Sarah Henderson and her successors, though, is the fact they will remain the member for Corangamite not the member for Cox.
Bill Shorten holds the seat of Maribyrnong, which had a big chunk taken out to create the new seat of Fraser. Previously Shorten said he will wait and see the final distribution before deciding which to contest, so he hasn’t ruled out a switch. However, Labor’s right faction has the numbers on the ground so will likely take them both unless there is an agreement to parachute a star candidate in from another faction.
That minister Bill Shorten was talking about in the post below was in response to Paul Fletcher’s interview on Sky News this morning.
Asked about the Telstra news, he said:
“Well as a former telco executive I can say these things do happen, from time to time in a very fast moving sector like telecommunications.
“Obviously it is never fun for people being made redundant and absolutely, my sympathies are with them. I understand the Telstra chief executive has said there will be a $50m fund to be used to support various aspects of those redundancies.
“It is worth making the point that the telecommunication sector is changing very fast. That has been the case for 20 years, but seems to be changing even faster now, with the arrival of new mobile technologies like 5G, but also the impact of the NBN, which is changing how people get their fixed line broadband.”
On the Telstra news, following Stephen Conroy’s comments that the structural change it has flagged was needed for quite some time, Bill Shorten says:
“I’m not going to start re-evaluating the Telstra announcement today just from that angle.
“For me the biggest news I took out of this morning’s announcement is that 8,000 people are told that their jobs will be ending.
“So the very first thing I want to say as Labor leader to these 8,000 Telstra workers and their colleagues is that this is a very tough time.
“To be told that after years and years all of a sudden you won’t have a job, this is big news.
“I want to make them a promise – we’ll make sure that Telstra pays people’s entitlements, everything that people have earned and deserved has got to be paid.
“We want to make sure people aren’t treated as being thrown on the scrap heap, there’s proper transition. I noticed today another Turnbull Government minister has boasted about his telco management experience on television and he said – he just said, ‘This is what happens. This is what happens.’ Well actually, it shows you again how out-of-touch this Turnbull government is. Eight thousand jobs being announced to go is not another day in the office.”
And the rebuttal in the aspiration debate:
I think that aspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s a legitimate aspiration to want to make more money. That’s entirely legitimate and very important. But there are aspirations that go beyond that. I’ve got an aspiration to see aged care properly funded.
“Those aged-care workers have an aspiration to get a better tax cut than they’re getting. Aspiration can be for parents who want their kids to get an apprenticeship. Aspiration is for one of these Telstra workers to find a job more quickly than they would otherwise. If you have a child with disabilities in the school system,aspiration is getting them the support they need.
“Aspiration comes in all different shapes and sizes and I don’t let Mr Turnbull define aspiration by a bank account.”
Labor has held the press conference at an Ainslie aged care home, because of the comments Malcolm Turnbull had to say in question time yesterday.
Asked if he was taking Turnbull out of context, Bill Shorten says:
We didn’t put the words in his mouth. He said that an aged-care worker should aspire to get a better job. What a snob. What a snob.
“He thinks that aged-care is not a better job. Lisa, one of the workers in there said she wonders what it will be like when Mr Turnbull needs an aged-care worker.
“Will he tell the person caring for him to get a better job if they want a pay rise? Of course he won’t. For quality of life, they need quality aged-care workers.
“So rather than dismissing some occupations and telling people if they get low pay or low tax cuts, get a better job, I’ve got a different set of advice for Mr Turnbull. Why not work together to pay aged-care workers more?
“Why don’t you back Labor’s proposal which will see the great workers we met in there – the physios, exercise experts, carers and attendants – we could give them together a $3,000 tax refund in the next three years. That’s just a better plan.”
For the record, here is everything Turnbull said yesterday in relation to that:
The honourable member should remember that the 60-year-old aged-care worker in Burnie is entitled to aspire to get a better job, is entitled to get a promotion, is entitled to be able to earn more money ... [after interjections] no. Working in aged care is a good job, but you are entitled to seek to earn more. [More interjections] Everyone is entitled to aspire [more interjections] ... Every worker, every Australian, is entitled to aspire to earn a better income. Everyone is entitled to aspire to that.”
Ahhh, the dangers of the aspiration debate. So many minefields to stumble into.
Bill Shorten’s press conference starts just as Pauline Hanson’s speech finishes:
I’ve just got a message or Pauline Hanson - Pauline, remember who voted for you. You’re meant to be the champion of Queensland battlers. 1.9 million Queensland battlers will be better off under Labor’s tax plan than the government’s. It seems that now she’s come to Canberra, she’s forgotten who put her there and that’s a recipe for disaster.
“I say to Senator Hanson, back the battlers, Labor will. Let’s back them together. 1.9 million Queenslanders will be better off under our tax proposals, our tax refunds, than the government’s.
“Please stop just doing everything the Liberals ask of you and instead let’s just stand up for Queensland and stand up for 1.9 million Queenslanders who are better off under our plan.”
So, in the biggest anticlimax since the Solo Star Wars movie was released, here is Pauline Hanson’s wish list:
“My dilemma is, yes we have a blackhole. Are we going to actually fill that blackhole? My proposal is to go after the multinationals to pay their fair share of tax in this country.
“Look after the Australians, the hard-working families that need some relief and need help in this country.
“Yes, suspend taxation, suspend increases in politician wages and those of bureaucrats.
“How can you actually say to those hard-working Australians, you can’t get a tax relief of even the highest amount of up to $7,000 a year, yet we are seeing bureaucrats receiving pay increases of up to $17,000 a year.
“That doesn’t pass the pub test. It doesn’t pass the pub test with me. That is why my job in the Senate is to represent the Australian people with the best of my ability.”
Pauline Hanson’s +One Nation addresses the senate chamber this morning about her intentions for the governments tax cut bills @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo @GuardianAus #politicslive https://t.co/1eXHvoFUlj pic.twitter.com/xc0jUeb1aE
Penny Wong has responded to the US withdrawal:
Labor is disappointed by the US decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
It’s entirely a matter for the US which international bodies it chooses to be a member of. However, the absence of a nation looked to as global leader risks emboldening those who do not share our support for democracy and human rights.
We acknowledge the concerns voiced by the US in making its decision. At times the UNHRC has taken decisions which Australia has also opposed.
But Labor believes it is better to remain engaged in international organisations like the UNHRC in order to promote our values and protect our national interests.
That is why Labor welcomed Australia’s appointment to the United Nations Human Rights Council. As the foreign minister said when Australia took up its position:
“It is in our national interest to shape the work of the Human Rights Council and uphold the international rules-based order.”
Labor is a long-standing and consistent advocate for human rights and civil liberties. We will continue to pursue effective human rights diplomacy that supports international and regional security in Australia’s national interest.
We will also continue to work closely with key allies and partners, such as the US, through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to promote and protect human rights around the world.
And all of that was for ... nothing.
“I will make my vote clear on the floor of parliament when it comes to vote.”