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| Labor says Scott Morrison budget comment 'bizarre and looney tune' – politics live | Labor says Scott Morrison budget comment 'bizarre and looney tune' – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Coalition looks to have secured support for its higher education bill which lowers the threshold for repayments on student debts from $54,000 to $45,000 a year. | |
| That will mean people earning $45,000 a year will have to pay at least 1% of their income ($450) towards their student loans, rising to 2% for those earning more than $52,000 ($1,040) and 3% for those earning more than $62,000 ($1,860). | |
| The sums are a little different because the bill has changed since then, but our columnist Greg Jericho wrote in May 2017 that the effect for those with student loans is a steep increase in their effective rate of taxation and more money out of their pay packets. | |
| The bill also imposes a lifetime cap on taxpayer loans of $104,440 for most students, but under changes students will be able to incur more debt up to this limit if they pay some back. | |
| The bill is opposed by Labor and the Greens but has won wide crossbench support from David Leyonhjelm, Cory Bernardi and others. Centre Alliance’s Stirling Griff confirmed to Guardian Australia that his party supports the $45,000 threshold and the replenishing cap.After moving amendments to lower the threshold even further, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is also on board, according to Fairfax media. | |
| For the first time today, let’s get some Mike Bowers magic into you. | |
| The Senate just voted on a motion put forward by Peter Georgiou to basically give more GST to Western Australia (“recognises that it is in the interests of the nation that tax revenue be fairly distributed”) and that the productivity commission report into GST be released immediately. | |
| It lost 47 to 6. | |
| Pauline Hanson voted with her senator. | |
| Chris Bowen has put out a statement on what Labor was trying to get at in question time: | Chris Bowen has put out a statement on what Labor was trying to get at in question time: |
| Another day, another reminder that Scott Morrison isn’t up to the job of treasurer and is more interested in out-dated Reaganomics and the Tea Party than paying off debt and protecting the Australian economy. | |
| Scott Morrison said at a doorstop: ‘I don’t consider tax relief a cost to the budget.’ What a truly bizarre and looney tune comment to make. | |
| This shows Australians everything that is wrong with the Turnbull government digging massive structural holes in the budget, courtesy of the $140bn income tax and $80bn big business handout while gross debt is projected to remain above half a trillion dollars. | |
| Memo to Scott Morrison: cuts in tax do cost the Budget. | Memo to Scott Morrison: cuts in tax do cost the Budget. |
| The government is being fiscally reckless when it says it will bring the tax cuts forward if the economy improves, but will deliver them even in the face of a significant economic downturn: meaning either the budget will worsen substantially or essential services and supports will be cut yet again. | |
| This latest line of thinking that somehow cutting tax pays for itself is concerning, because it suggests that if Australia faces another external economic shock in the future, and the revenue dries up, we won’t see tax cuts for big business or high income earners repealed, but more cuts to health, education and other basic services. | This latest line of thinking that somehow cutting tax pays for itself is concerning, because it suggests that if Australia faces another external economic shock in the future, and the revenue dries up, we won’t see tax cuts for big business or high income earners repealed, but more cuts to health, education and other basic services. |
| Aspiration count: 10 | Aspiration count: 10 |
| Snake: 4 | Snake: 4 |
| Arrogant: 2 | Arrogant: 2 |
| Last week Penny Wong asked a question of the Senate president, Scott Ryan, after Alice Workman’s Buzzfeed story on the ETU member who was asked to turn her shirt inside out during a parliamentary tour. | Last week Penny Wong asked a question of the Senate president, Scott Ryan, after Alice Workman’s Buzzfeed story on the ETU member who was asked to turn her shirt inside out during a parliamentary tour. |
| Wong: There has been some media reporting online of an alleged incident involving a young apprentice visiting parliament house who was allegedly asked by a security guard to take off her shirt because it had a union logo on it. I appreciate you’ll need to make inquiries. I ask: is this policy of not allowing someone wearing a union logo T-shirt into the parliament approved by the Department of Parliamentary Services? Is it a policy endorsed by or known to the presiding officers? | Wong: There has been some media reporting online of an alleged incident involving a young apprentice visiting parliament house who was allegedly asked by a security guard to take off her shirt because it had a union logo on it. I appreciate you’ll need to make inquiries. I ask: is this policy of not allowing someone wearing a union logo T-shirt into the parliament approved by the Department of Parliamentary Services? Is it a policy endorsed by or known to the presiding officers? |
| Today, Ryan got back to her: | Today, Ryan got back to her: |
| “I would like to respond to the question asked by Senator Wong in the chamber last Thursday, following reports in the media, relating to a member of the public being asked to remove or cover up clothing that displayed a union logo. | “I would like to respond to the question asked by Senator Wong in the chamber last Thursday, following reports in the media, relating to a member of the public being asked to remove or cover up clothing that displayed a union logo. |
| “All people entering parliament house are subject to security procedures and prohibited items are not to be brought into parliament house. | “All people entering parliament house are subject to security procedures and prohibited items are not to be brought into parliament house. |
| “Items that might cause danger to people or damage property, might be used to disrupt order or decorum, or compromise security arrangements must be cloaked before entry into parliament house. | “Items that might cause danger to people or damage property, might be used to disrupt order or decorum, or compromise security arrangements must be cloaked before entry into parliament house. |
| “These items include weapons, aerosol or paint cans, laser pointers and obvious protest paraphernalia. | “These items include weapons, aerosol or paint cans, laser pointers and obvious protest paraphernalia. |
| “Protest paraphernalia, including clothing with specific messages, if allowed into parliament house may, depending on the circumstances, have the effect of bringing the protest into parliament house and can be used to disrupt the order of the parliament. | “Protest paraphernalia, including clothing with specific messages, if allowed into parliament house may, depending on the circumstances, have the effect of bringing the protest into parliament house and can be used to disrupt the order of the parliament. |
| “Operating policies and procedures No 10.5 notes if a person is found inside the building with a prohibited item, parliamentary security service staff ask that person to surrender that item. | “Operating policies and procedures No 10.5 notes if a person is found inside the building with a prohibited item, parliamentary security service staff ask that person to surrender that item. |
| “I am advised that on 19 June a protest organised by Unions ACT was conducted on the authorised assembly area within the parliamentary precinct. | “I am advised that on 19 June a protest organised by Unions ACT was conducted on the authorised assembly area within the parliamentary precinct. |
| “On 20 June I am advised a PSS officer noticed potential protest material or paraphernalia being taken into the building through the main front screening point by a small group. The PSS officer spoke to a pass-holder and the visitors who owned the material before contacting the team leader. | “On 20 June I am advised a PSS officer noticed potential protest material or paraphernalia being taken into the building through the main front screening point by a small group. The PSS officer spoke to a pass-holder and the visitors who owned the material before contacting the team leader. |
| “One of the visitors was carrying a poster that was promptly passed to the pass-holder who accompanied the group. | “One of the visitors was carrying a poster that was promptly passed to the pass-holder who accompanied the group. |
| “The clothing worn by the visitors displayed material related to the demonstration of the previous day. | “The clothing worn by the visitors displayed material related to the demonstration of the previous day. |
| “After speaking with the PSS officer, the team leader took into account these matters and made an assessment that their clothing was potentially protest paraphernalia. The clothing in question contained more than a small logo. | “After speaking with the PSS officer, the team leader took into account these matters and made an assessment that their clothing was potentially protest paraphernalia. The clothing in question contained more than a small logo. |
| “Where a personal assessment is made that an item of clothing worn by a person may be protest paraphernalia, they are requested to cover it, change the item, or turn it inside out. | “Where a personal assessment is made that an item of clothing worn by a person may be protest paraphernalia, they are requested to cover it, change the item, or turn it inside out. |
| “The team leader approached the visitors and requested that clothing displaying protest material be covered, changed or turned inside out. The team leader suggested to the group that they could use the nearest bathrooms for changing purposes. After some discussion the visitors appeared to comply before leaving the area. | “The team leader approached the visitors and requested that clothing displaying protest material be covered, changed or turned inside out. The team leader suggested to the group that they could use the nearest bathrooms for changing purposes. After some discussion the visitors appeared to comply before leaving the area. |
| “I am advised the PSS team leader was asked if his decision was because their clothes displayed union logos. | “I am advised the PSS team leader was asked if his decision was because their clothes displayed union logos. |
| “The team leader explained displaying a union logo was not the issue, the issue with the clothing was the slogans and images contained on the clothing. | “The team leader explained displaying a union logo was not the issue, the issue with the clothing was the slogans and images contained on the clothing. |
| “From the inquiries made as a result of this question and the media report, the department has determined that the manner in which the relevant security service team leader addressed this situation was professional and courteous. | “From the inquiries made as a result of this question and the media report, the department has determined that the manner in which the relevant security service team leader addressed this situation was professional and courteous. |
| “As is evident from the many union representatives that attend parliament house on a regular basis, there is no policy precluding access by association, nor does the policy prohibit the display of logos. | “As is evident from the many union representatives that attend parliament house on a regular basis, there is no policy precluding access by association, nor does the policy prohibit the display of logos. |
| “Parliament house receives thousands of visitors each day. | “Parliament house receives thousands of visitors each day. |
| “The parliamentary security service officers bear a significant responsibility for interpreting policies and making judgments ... which balance the right of people to access the building while ensuring that proper decorum is maintained. | “The parliamentary security service officers bear a significant responsibility for interpreting policies and making judgments ... which balance the right of people to access the building while ensuring that proper decorum is maintained. |
| “My advice is that this particular policy has been in place since January 2009 and it has not since been reviewed. All security policies are currently on a review program by the Department of Parliamentary Services which commenced last year.” | “My advice is that this particular policy has been in place since January 2009 and it has not since been reviewed. All security policies are currently on a review program by the Department of Parliamentary Services which commenced last year.” |
| Labor is going to take a look at the claims in Ryan’s answer. | Labor is going to take a look at the claims in Ryan’s answer. |
| Malcolm Turnbull, who I think would be horrified to learn that Tveeder struggles to translate him at times because of how his words run together, does us all a solid and calls time on QT. | Malcolm Turnbull, who I think would be horrified to learn that Tveeder struggles to translate him at times because of how his words run together, does us all a solid and calls time on QT. |
| Fun fact: Tveeder can transcribe Tim Storer word perfectly, because he is just that methodical with how he speaks. | Fun fact: Tveeder can transcribe Tim Storer word perfectly, because he is just that methodical with how he speaks. |
| Be more like Tim Storer, parliament. | Be more like Tim Storer, parliament. |
| Never here, Paul Fletcher is here to save us from this drudgery! | Never here, Paul Fletcher is here to save us from this drudgery! |
| Just joking. | Just joking. |
| He mentions the “latte line” and the “goats cheese circle” and now I just want another coffee and some cheese. | He mentions the “latte line” and the “goats cheese circle” and now I just want another coffee and some cheese. |
| So, I guess it is not a total loss. | So, I guess it is not a total loss. |
| Susan Templeman to Malcolm Turnbull: | Susan Templeman to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| “The finance minister has said tax cuts for the top 20% of income earners would go ahead even if another GFC hits. Given gross debt under this minister has blown out to a record half $1tn and he has already made savage cuts, won’t this just mean that if a downturn hits, this government will again cut schools, Medicare and pensions?” | “The finance minister has said tax cuts for the top 20% of income earners would go ahead even if another GFC hits. Given gross debt under this minister has blown out to a record half $1tn and he has already made savage cuts, won’t this just mean that if a downturn hits, this government will again cut schools, Medicare and pensions?” |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| “The honourable member should take to task the person who wrote that question for her, because it was very unfair to have her asking a question that is so misleading and so inaccurate. | “The honourable member should take to task the person who wrote that question for her, because it was very unfair to have her asking a question that is so misleading and so inaccurate. |
| “In fact, spending on hospitals is increasing substantially, and the minister for health just described the $30bn increase over the next five years agreement, and spending on schools is increasing every year because we have introduced the first truly national consistent needs-based commonwealth funding policy for schools. So I thank the honourable members for her question, but the premise of it was entirely wrong. | “In fact, spending on hospitals is increasing substantially, and the minister for health just described the $30bn increase over the next five years agreement, and spending on schools is increasing every year because we have introduced the first truly national consistent needs-based commonwealth funding policy for schools. So I thank the honourable members for her question, but the premise of it was entirely wrong. |
| “We are able to keep funding for those essential services increasing because we have the budget under control, and at the same time, we could bring it back in to balance a year earlier, and at the same time, we are able to provide tax relief to hard-working Australian families and indeed for small and medium family businesses. | “We are able to keep funding for those essential services increasing because we have the budget under control, and at the same time, we could bring it back in to balance a year earlier, and at the same time, we are able to provide tax relief to hard-working Australian families and indeed for small and medium family businesses. |
| “The very businesses that the honourable member has many o fin her electorate, which will be hit hard by a Shorten Labor government.” | “The very businesses that the honourable member has many o fin her electorate, which will be hit hard by a Shorten Labor government.” |
| It goes on, but I cannot. | It goes on, but I cannot. |
| We are getting our daily dose of Greg Hunt, and I think the matrix may be broken, because I have seen this episode already. | We are getting our daily dose of Greg Hunt, and I think the matrix may be broken, because I have seen this episode already. |
| Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull: | Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| “The prime minister said earlier that the government’s [tax cuts] is funded by hard-working Australian families. Why is the prime minister taking $80bn from hard-working families and the services they rely on and giving it straight to big business?” | “The prime minister said earlier that the government’s [tax cuts] is funded by hard-working Australian families. Why is the prime minister taking $80bn from hard-working families and the services they rely on and giving it straight to big business?” |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| “Mr Speaker, it is obvious that economics has joined aspiration and geography as mysteries to the deputy leader of the opposition. When governments reduce tax, whether it is personal income taxes as we have done last week, or business tax, as we did last year – and of course as the opposition is proposing to jack up business taxes again – when taxes are reduced, the government is not giving anything away. It is taxpayers’ money. It is taxpayers’ money the government is taking less of. The fact that the deputy leader of the opposition does not understand this speaks volumes for the contempt the Labor party holds Australians, hard-working Australians and businesses, large and small.” | “Mr Speaker, it is obvious that economics has joined aspiration and geography as mysteries to the deputy leader of the opposition. When governments reduce tax, whether it is personal income taxes as we have done last week, or business tax, as we did last year – and of course as the opposition is proposing to jack up business taxes again – when taxes are reduced, the government is not giving anything away. It is taxpayers’ money. It is taxpayers’ money the government is taking less of. The fact that the deputy leader of the opposition does not understand this speaks volumes for the contempt the Labor party holds Australians, hard-working Australians and businesses, large and small.” |
| Josh Frydenberg delivers another dixer straight to Tony Abbott on the Neg. | Josh Frydenberg delivers another dixer straight to Tony Abbott on the Neg. |
| Abbott looks very busy not listening. | Abbott looks very busy not listening. |
| Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: | Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| “Yes or no, does the prime minister consider that the big banks deserve a $17bn tax cut?” | “Yes or no, does the prime minister consider that the big banks deserve a $17bn tax cut?” |
| Look, we all know we are not going to get a yes or no answer here. It is physically impossible for the prime minister not to actually say a million words in his allotted time, when he feels he is on a roll. He has had his barrister strut on all afternoon. The papers have been gathered with flourish. The glasses have been on and off and the finger is in full pointing mode. | Look, we all know we are not going to get a yes or no answer here. It is physically impossible for the prime minister not to actually say a million words in his allotted time, when he feels he is on a roll. He has had his barrister strut on all afternoon. The papers have been gathered with flourish. The glasses have been on and off and the finger is in full pointing mode. |
| There is no way we are getting a yes or no answer here. | There is no way we are getting a yes or no answer here. |
| Update: shockingly, we do not get a yes or no answer here. | Update: shockingly, we do not get a yes or no answer here. |
| We do get Warren Snowdon serving sass levels not seen since my post-formal though, so there was that (he was almost named, but withdrew – and is just sinbinned for the normal time). | We do get Warren Snowdon serving sass levels not seen since my post-formal though, so there was that (he was almost named, but withdrew – and is just sinbinned for the normal time). |
| Peter Dutton seemed to trip over his dixer answer today. I guess its hard to combine the CFMEU basically being the mafia, with deaths at sea and strong border policies and keeping you safe and Labor is terrible every single day, without occasionally tripping over your script. | Peter Dutton seemed to trip over his dixer answer today. I guess its hard to combine the CFMEU basically being the mafia, with deaths at sea and strong border policies and keeping you safe and Labor is terrible every single day, without occasionally tripping over your script. |
| Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull: | Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| “By the time they are fully implemented, stage three of the personal income tax scheme and big business handout will cost at least $25bn a year. Where is the money coming from? Won’t this mean even more cuts to schools, Medicare and pensions?” | “By the time they are fully implemented, stage three of the personal income tax scheme and big business handout will cost at least $25bn a year. Where is the money coming from? Won’t this mean even more cuts to schools, Medicare and pensions?” |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| “The deputy leader of the opposition is mystified by aspiration and the member for Ballarat is mystified as to where the money comes from. I will let you know: it comes from hard-working Australians. | “The deputy leader of the opposition is mystified by aspiration and the member for Ballarat is mystified as to where the money comes from. I will let you know: it comes from hard-working Australians. |
| “It comes from Australian businesses making profits and paying tax. It is their energy, their enterprise, their aspiration, which drives the Australian economy. Nothing more clearly distinguishes the unreality, the disconnected, the out of touch nature of modern Labor, that they do not recognise that everything that we do here, every dollar we spend, comes from the efforts of hard-working Australian families. | “It comes from Australian businesses making profits and paying tax. It is their energy, their enterprise, their aspiration, which drives the Australian economy. Nothing more clearly distinguishes the unreality, the disconnected, the out of touch nature of modern Labor, that they do not recognise that everything that we do here, every dollar we spend, comes from the efforts of hard-working Australian families. |
| “That disconnectedness. It is their money. When we cut taxes, what we’re doing is enabling Australians to keep more of their money. | “That disconnectedness. It is their money. When we cut taxes, what we’re doing is enabling Australians to keep more of their money. |
| “Labor thinks it is them giving them a gift. It is not. It is hard-working Australians’ money. | “Labor thinks it is them giving them a gift. It is not. It is hard-working Australians’ money. |
| “We are able, because of good budget management, to pay for all those essential goods and services, including the ones Labor neglected, like those pharmaceutical benefits listings which were deferred in 2011 as Labor’s budget showed. Labor couldn’t fund the PBS and Labor neglected those services and we are funding them with increasing amounts every year. We are keeping our nation safe. As the minister has just described. We are doing that providing more tax relief to hard-working families and Australian businesses and bringing the budget back into balance a year earlier. | “We are able, because of good budget management, to pay for all those essential goods and services, including the ones Labor neglected, like those pharmaceutical benefits listings which were deferred in 2011 as Labor’s budget showed. Labor couldn’t fund the PBS and Labor neglected those services and we are funding them with increasing amounts every year. We are keeping our nation safe. As the minister has just described. We are doing that providing more tax relief to hard-working families and Australian businesses and bringing the budget back into balance a year earlier. |
| “That is the difference between a strong economic management under the Coalition and the debt, deficit, failure and disappointment of the Labor party.” | “That is the difference between a strong economic management under the Coalition and the debt, deficit, failure and disappointment of the Labor party.” |
| God, take out Labor party and that last sentence just takes me back to family dinners. | God, take out Labor party and that last sentence just takes me back to family dinners. |
| Christopher Pyne is now talking drones. | Christopher Pyne is now talking drones. |
| The parliament holds it breath, it is just that excited. (Having already made a cup of tea, I am now considering going to get a biscuit, because come on. The press release has already been sent out. This is just punishment now.) | The parliament holds it breath, it is just that excited. (Having already made a cup of tea, I am now considering going to get a biscuit, because come on. The press release has already been sent out. This is just punishment now.) |
| Michael McCormack took a dixer, so I made a cup of tea. | Michael McCormack took a dixer, so I made a cup of tea. |
| Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: | Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: |
| This morning, the treasurer said about his big business tax cut, he said, I don’t consider tax relief a cost to the budget. Is the reason the tax cut is underfunded is because the treasurer believes he can conjure the money out of thin air? Isn’t it a fact that spending $80bn on a big business tax cut just means more cuts to Medicare, schools and the pension?” | This morning, the treasurer said about his big business tax cut, he said, I don’t consider tax relief a cost to the budget. Is the reason the tax cut is underfunded is because the treasurer believes he can conjure the money out of thin air? Isn’t it a fact that spending $80bn on a big business tax cut just means more cuts to Medicare, schools and the pension?” |
| Morrison (who has notes, so he obviously knew after what he said at the press conference this would come up, or at least his office did): | Morrison (who has notes, so he obviously knew after what he said at the press conference this would come up, or at least his office did): |
| “Reducing company tax promotes investment, creates jobs, drives growth. Who said that? Member for McMahon 2013. That snake charmer over there (he is immediately made to withdraw). | “Reducing company tax promotes investment, creates jobs, drives growth. Who said that? Member for McMahon 2013. That snake charmer over there (he is immediately made to withdraw). |
| He says some more things – or uses some other Labor quotes – but he is so excited and making so many loud noises, the transcription feed just cannot cope. And neither can I. | He says some more things – or uses some other Labor quotes – but he is so excited and making so many loud noises, the transcription feed just cannot cope. And neither can I. |