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| Scott Morrison hits back at Labor's 'tax grab to go' – politics live | Scott Morrison hits back at Labor's 'tax grab to go' – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| In her dixer, Kelly O’Dwyer keeps referring to a “cluster” of a decision by Labor and Bill Shorten, and I just can’t help thinking a word is missing there. | |
| Did she mean Cluster-daisy? Cluster-fudge? Cluster-fiddlesticks? | |
| THESE ARE THE ANSWERS WE NEED | |
| Steve Ciobo lined up a whole dixer just for this pay off | |
| We have, of course, the Member for Grayndler. Who, me? He says to the Sydney Morning Herald. We know that that member, Mr Speaker, he has a different view. He sees himself as the new messiah of the Australian Labor Party. He wants to lead them into the promised land. Like the Life of Brian on that side, Mr Speaker, like the Life of Brian, you have the opposition frantically ringing up the back bench saying, he is not the Messiah, he is just a very naughty boy. | |
| “Because we conceded, they are opening the gulf between the two of them. Of course, he claims he is not the messiah either but that immortal line from Monty Python, only the true Messiah would deny his divinity. The fact is, we now see the splits opening up on Labor. He is going hard left and he is trying to be more centrist.” | |
| Question - is there a time limit on when we will stop hearing Monty Python quoted by politicians and are we there yet? | |
| Andrew Wilkie asks the independents question on whether Tasmanian businesses will be able to compete for government contracts, given the government’s preference to award contracts to national suppliers - many of who do not have a presence in Tasmania. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says the government has already looked at that: | |
| The new Commonwealth procurement rules require that benefit the Australian economy be considered when assessing the value for money for tender system non- construction procurement above four million and construction procurement above 7.5 million. And potential suppliers to government will continue to be treated equitably and cannot be discriminated against based on their size, location or ownership.” | |
| It goes from there to an attack on Labor for its commitment to repeal the company tax cuts, so it’s quite the journey. | |
| Mark Butler to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| “Last month the security board repeated the consensus view that there would be no way that anybody would be financing a new coal-fired power generation plant and this was not contentious at a factual level. | |
| “How can the Prime Minister today tell the Parliament that coal-fired power might be around forever? Is there anything this Prime Minister won’t do to stop the members for Warringah and Hughes from crossing the floor and undermining his government?” | |
| Turnbull: | |
| “I’m not quite sure what the honorable member believes qualifies him to have some sort of infallible crystal ball, but over the years I have found that predictions about technology are often mistaken, and so you are better off recognising... | |
| (he pauses for interjections, which gives me the opportunity to ask a sidenote - does that also apply to the NBN) | |
| Turnbull continues: | |
| “The reality is that coal-fired power is a big part of our energy mix at the moment and will be at the part for a very long time and may very well be forever. We will find out in many years to come. | |
| “The reality is, in the here and now, we need to have cheaper and more reliable power. The honorable member knows better than most that in his state that combination of left-wing Labor ideology, led by the now dismissed Labor government, dismissed by the people of South Australia, that combined with other incompetence resulted in his state having the most expensive and the least reliable electricity in Australia. We are delivering more reliable and more affordable power because we are working on it with the benefit of engineering and economics. I know they are strangers to the honorable member but believe me, they are the guides to a more affordable and reliable energy future for all Australians.” | |
| Scott Morrison goes into ‘at-the-pub-over-a-pint-of-midstrenth-watching-the-Sharks-drop-the-ball-two-yards-from-the-try-line’ mode to answer his dixer. | |
| Someone has got their mojo back, eh? | |
| But it has done nothing to improve his analogies: | |
| The leader of the Labor party, we used to have leaders who talked about the ladder of opportunity. Remember that? This Labor leader is all about the snake of envy. That is what he is about. Australians will slide down the totem pole under this Leader of the Opposition’s policies and the blood supply will be constricted by the boa constrictor over there. The boa constrictor suffocating the economy, cutting off the blood supply, Mr Speaker. That is what the Labor Party are all about. Higher taxes, cutting off the blood supply to our economy...” | |
| He runs out of time, so we’ll never know if a mongoose or honey badger enters this story. | |
| Tony Burke asks if Malcolm Turnbull could maybe make a “passing reference” to the question and Tony Smith says just so. | |
| But we move on to a dixer. | |
| Mike Kelly to Malcolm Turnbull (also on energy) | |
| “The CEO of Snowy Hydro has stated that building new coal-fired power plants doesn’t stack up. The chief operating officer has said it will mean Snowy 2 is not viable. As the government is the sole shareholder, has advice being sought from Snowy Hydro about the impact of building g new coal-fired power plants on the viability of Snowy two?” | |
| Turnbull: | |
| I cannot be happy enough to answer a question about Snowy 2. What a great example of the vision of governments in the past, Labor and Coalition governments, and Snowy Hydro 2.0 is the next stage that is going to deliver thousands of jobs into the Eden-Monaro electorate, and it is going to provide a secure dispatch [of] power into the future. | |
| “Now, the member referred to some remarks by Paul Broad. He is entitled to his opinion. He is entitled to his opinion, but we have a policy that is entirely technology agnostic. The national energy guarantee provides no disincentives for anyone to build a new coal-fired power station or refurbish an existing one any more than it provides a disincentive for people to build more gas or indeed to build more hydro. | |
| “What it does is prioritise dispatch ability, which had been sadly missing from all of the Green left energy policies of the Labor party, and that of course supports thermal power. | |
| “As far as Snowy Hydro 2.0 is concerned, I would remind the honourable member of this. Snowy Hydro 2.0 will be a big baseload customer of all providers of energy, generators, renewable, but including coal-fired power. A power station that runs 24 hours a day, like a coal-fired power station, does not have the same demand 24 hours of the day. A big pump hydro scheme will be buying power from coal-fired generators in the off-peak times and will provide that of peak baseload demand. | |
| “So it is one that will provide support right across the industry, but the bottom line is let the market decide on which technology to determine, let the market decide what we are prioritising is affordability, reliability and meeting those emissions reductions targets. We can do all three, the Neg does it, it will bring down energy prices for the reasons that has been advanced, it will bring down energy prices and that will be good for families, businesses, large and small, and it will be great for Australian jobs.” | |
| And Mike Bowers has just returned from his off-site job to bring you all of the excitement from the chamber, so huzzah! | |
| Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull, and it is on the Neg. | |
| “The environment minister said, ‘I would welcome a new coal-fired power station.’ Does the prime minister agree?” | |
| Turnbull: | |
| “Coal has a very important role and I have no doubt it will have, for many years to come, possibly forever. Who can tell? The reality is we have a [multi] technological approach to energy policy. The subsidies are coming to an end. The renewable energy target will be complete. In 2020, it will be all met. What we have the national energy guarantee for the first time, the combination of an ability to ensure that power is affordable, that it is reliable, that you have enough power to keep the lights on and that you meet the Paris commitments ... | |
| “We are already seeing our energy policies working. Already we have seen the wholesale price of gas halved in the last 18 months. There was a massive shortage of gas on the east coast of Australia, created by the Labor party, created by a federal Labor government and the Queensland state Labor government that allowed gas to be exported from the east coast without any regard to the consequences. We have resolved that with additional gas supply. | |
| “We are already seeing the wholesale cost of generation down 30% over the last year, and finally we are now starting to see a reduction in the cost of energy for mums and dads, small businesses, families, retail prices are starting to come down, among families and the small business. So we are turning the corner on energy costs driven up by the combination of left wing ideology and Labor incompetence. | |
| “That is a very dangerous combination. That is what the Labor party brings to economics. We have heard in the leader of the opposition’s latest captain’s call, his latest attack to the member for Grayndler, the member for Grayndler went out and said they should be [open] to business. | |
| “They say to thousands of family owned small and medium businesses of the country that if he is elected prime minister, he will jack up their tax. That is what he wants to do. He will put at risk millions of Australians jobs, so not only is he going to put up personal income tax, he is going to put up the tax of the businesses that employ more than half of the Australian private sector.” | |
| My phone has been running off the hook for most of the morning, from all quarters of the Labor party (and I imagine it’s the same for much of the press gallery) and here is what I have gathered: | |
| The decision to repeal the $10m to $50m business tax cuts was not taken to shadow cabinet. | |
| There is conjecture over whether Labor’s economic review committee agreed to repeal it. | |
| The caucus was surprised to hear Bill Shorten say “yes” to the repeal question this morning. | |
| That’s not to say that it hadn’t been discussed, or some thought it was heading down that path, or anything else. That is just what I’m being told by multiple people, across the factions. | |
| The Business Council chief Jennifer Westacott will also wade in on Labor’s announcement – just ahead of question time. | The Business Council chief Jennifer Westacott will also wade in on Labor’s announcement – just ahead of question time. |
| I am going to go out on a limb and say she is against it. | I am going to go out on a limb and say she is against it. |
| Ever felt bad about getting a favourite Australian author’s book out of the library instead of buying it, because you want to support them, but money is tight? | Ever felt bad about getting a favourite Australian author’s book out of the library instead of buying it, because you want to support them, but money is tight? |
| Well, you are still financially supporting them. Authors and publishers are compensated through the Australian government lending rights scheme, which this year paid out $22.3m through 17,200 creators and publishers this year. | Well, you are still financially supporting them. Authors and publishers are compensated through the Australian government lending rights scheme, which this year paid out $22.3m through 17,200 creators and publishers this year. |
| “These schemes provide Australian authors and publishers with the means to keep producing uniquely Australian stories to inspire current and future generations,” Mitch Fifield said in a statement. | “These schemes provide Australian authors and publishers with the means to keep producing uniquely Australian stories to inspire current and future generations,” Mitch Fifield said in a statement. |
| So go hit up your libraries! | So go hit up your libraries! |
| Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief James Pearson is in the building today – he just came round as part of his tour of the press gallery, asking Labor to reconsider its position: | Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief James Pearson is in the building today – he just came round as part of his tour of the press gallery, asking Labor to reconsider its position: |
| “[These businesses] are employing about 1.1 million Australian workers, so straight away over a million workers, well over 10,000 businesses who now face a tax increase. | “[These businesses] are employing about 1.1 million Australian workers, so straight away over a million workers, well over 10,000 businesses who now face a tax increase. |
| “Now that means, if they were thinking about more investments, taking more risks on the back of knowing that they’ve got a tax cut coming and the next tranche is due on Sunday, they are going to think twice about whether or not they should go ahead and take the risk of increasing investment, knowing that if Labor comes into government after the next election and gets its policy through, then they are actually going to be paying more tax. | “Now that means, if they were thinking about more investments, taking more risks on the back of knowing that they’ve got a tax cut coming and the next tranche is due on Sunday, they are going to think twice about whether or not they should go ahead and take the risk of increasing investment, knowing that if Labor comes into government after the next election and gets its policy through, then they are actually going to be paying more tax. |
| “But it doesn’t end there because Labor has said it is still reserving its position on whether or not it will honour the legislated tax cuts for companies between $2m and $10m turnover. And that is turnover, not profit, these are small companies. We are talking about the corner pharmacy for example. You are talking about 60,000 companies employing 1.5 million people – they are being told ‘just wait and see’. | “But it doesn’t end there because Labor has said it is still reserving its position on whether or not it will honour the legislated tax cuts for companies between $2m and $10m turnover. And that is turnover, not profit, these are small companies. We are talking about the corner pharmacy for example. You are talking about 60,000 companies employing 1.5 million people – they are being told ‘just wait and see’. |
| “They would be forgiven for thinking after today’s announcement that Labor’s trajectory is to reverse their tax cut as well and that is why my message to the Labor party today is ‘please, reconsider this decision’. | “They would be forgiven for thinking after today’s announcement that Labor’s trajectory is to reverse their tax cut as well and that is why my message to the Labor party today is ‘please, reconsider this decision’. |
| “It is sending a negative signal to the local business community in general, just penalising companies that happen to have turnover of $10m and $50m, that happen to be employing over 1 million Australians – that is bad enough. | “It is sending a negative signal to the local business community in general, just penalising companies that happen to have turnover of $10m and $50m, that happen to be employing over 1 million Australians – that is bad enough. |
| “But it is pulling the rug out from under smaller businesses as well, frankly, at a time when Australia is facing increased competition from overseas for investment and for growth, then it is sending the wrong signal and it is making us the odd one out.” | “But it is pulling the rug out from under smaller businesses as well, frankly, at a time when Australia is facing increased competition from overseas for investment and for growth, then it is sending the wrong signal and it is making us the odd one out.” |
| If you read through that SA electoral committee decision you would have seen that Mark Butler will no longer be the member for Port Adelaide. Here is what he has to say about that: | If you read through that SA electoral committee decision you would have seen that Mark Butler will no longer be the member for Port Adelaide. Here is what he has to say about that: |
| I have been the proud member of Port Adelaide since 2007 and am obviously disappointed in the decision to abolish the seat. | I have been the proud member of Port Adelaide since 2007 and am obviously disappointed in the decision to abolish the seat. |
| This seat is deeply entrenched in the local community, with a proud and long history. ‘The Port’ is perhaps the best-known and most iconic part of South Australia – home to the State’s oldest football club, one of the oldest local councils, and to a proudly progressive community. | This seat is deeply entrenched in the local community, with a proud and long history. ‘The Port’ is perhaps the best-known and most iconic part of South Australia – home to the State’s oldest football club, one of the oldest local councils, and to a proudly progressive community. |
| I will look at all my options as I continue to serve my community. | I will look at all my options as I continue to serve my community. |
| I know that the Port is a resilient community whose spirit and character will shine through, regardless of the federal seat in which it lies.” | I know that the Port is a resilient community whose spirit and character will shine through, regardless of the federal seat in which it lies.” |
| Just on what Labor might do moving forward in terms of the other business tax cuts, a spokesperson for Bill Shorten tells me the party “has never supported these tax cuts for big businesses – we voted against them and we haven’t changed our position”. | Just on what Labor might do moving forward in terms of the other business tax cuts, a spokesperson for Bill Shorten tells me the party “has never supported these tax cuts for big businesses – we voted against them and we haven’t changed our position”. |
| “We’ve always supported tax cuts for small businesses,” she said. | “We’ve always supported tax cuts for small businesses,” she said. |
| “As Bill said, we’re considering a threshold of $2m or $10m turnover. That will be decided by the shadow cabinet, in the normal way.” | “As Bill said, we’re considering a threshold of $2m or $10m turnover. That will be decided by the shadow cabinet, in the normal way.” |
| With Labor’s support, the government will pass its slate of foreign interference and anti-spy laws, but Amnesty has joined GetUp in terms of lingering concerns. | With Labor’s support, the government will pass its slate of foreign interference and anti-spy laws, but Amnesty has joined GetUp in terms of lingering concerns. |
| From its Australian external affairs director, Claire O’Rourke: | From its Australian external affairs director, Claire O’Rourke: |
| “Despite the welcome bipartisan announcement yesterday exempting charities from having to register under the foreign influence transparency scheme, Amnesty International remains concerned about the potential impact on our work from the other bill in the package. | “Despite the welcome bipartisan announcement yesterday exempting charities from having to register under the foreign influence transparency scheme, Amnesty International remains concerned about the potential impact on our work from the other bill in the package. |
| “The espionage and foreign interference bill in its current form could wreak enormous damage to Australian civil society. | “The espionage and foreign interference bill in its current form could wreak enormous damage to Australian civil society. |
| “By making it a crime to hold the Australian government to account on human rights, this bill will help shield government from accountability. These draconian laws proposed will make Australia more like the authoritarian countries this bill is supposed to protect us from. | “By making it a crime to hold the Australian government to account on human rights, this bill will help shield government from accountability. These draconian laws proposed will make Australia more like the authoritarian countries this bill is supposed to protect us from. |
| “It’s outrageous that parliament is rushing through this bill without properly considering the ramifications for Australian freedoms. | “It’s outrageous that parliament is rushing through this bill without properly considering the ramifications for Australian freedoms. |
| “This bill must be amended to include robust exemptions for charities, so they can continue to contribute to Australian civil society without fear of criminal charges.” | “This bill must be amended to include robust exemptions for charities, so they can continue to contribute to Australian civil society without fear of criminal charges.” |
| Labor’s employment services spokesman, Ed Husic, has commented on this story revealing complaints against the PaTH internship scheme, including “inappropriate trainer behaviour”, delays in $200 payments and a self-described “dish pig” told to work in 37-degree heat. | Labor’s employment services spokesman, Ed Husic, has commented on this story revealing complaints against the PaTH internship scheme, including “inappropriate trainer behaviour”, delays in $200 payments and a self-described “dish pig” told to work in 37-degree heat. |
| Husic: | Husic: |
| “Minister Cash has no idea what is going on in this program. She’ll come out and make bold pronouncements that PaTH interns are protected, but it’s only in estimates that we find out the truth. | “Minister Cash has no idea what is going on in this program. She’ll come out and make bold pronouncements that PaTH interns are protected, but it’s only in estimates that we find out the truth. |
| “Minister Cash told the Guardian that [the department] closely monitors all internship placements, yet on May 29 in Senate estimates the department responded differently under questioning. | “Minister Cash told the Guardian that [the department] closely monitors all internship placements, yet on May 29 in Senate estimates the department responded differently under questioning. |
| “When asked about ensuring interns only work the amount of hours they are supposed to under the program, the department admitted: ‘We don’t collect data on how many hours each intern’s working.’ | “When asked about ensuring interns only work the amount of hours they are supposed to under the program, the department admitted: ‘We don’t collect data on how many hours each intern’s working.’ |
| “We keep having our concerns reinforced that interns do not have their conditions or safety assured under this program. | “We keep having our concerns reinforced that interns do not have their conditions or safety assured under this program. |
| “The program hinges on the courage of young people, especially young women, to make complaints about their employers. There have been a couple of complaints about inappropriate behaviour but how many have gone unreported?” | “The program hinges on the courage of young people, especially young women, to make complaints about their employers. There have been a couple of complaints about inappropriate behaviour but how many have gone unreported?” |
| On Labor’s announcement that it wants to repeal the legislated tax cut for businesses sitting between the $10m and $50m thresholds. | On Labor’s announcement that it wants to repeal the legislated tax cut for businesses sitting between the $10m and $50m thresholds. |
| According to taxation statistics from the ATO, from 2015-16, there are: | According to taxation statistics from the ATO, from 2015-16, there are: |
| 941,166 businesses in Australia, of which 856,528 (91%) have total income less than $2m; | 941,166 businesses in Australia, of which 856,528 (91%) have total income less than $2m; |
| 64,395 businesses (6.8%) have total income between $2m and $10m; | 64,395 businesses (6.8%) have total income between $2m and $10m; |
| 20,243 businesses (2.2%) have total income above the $10m threshold. | 20,243 businesses (2.2%) have total income above the $10m threshold. |
| The Turnbull government says there are roughly 14,000 businesses sitting between the $10m and $50m threshold, which equates to 1.5% of all businesses. | The Turnbull government says there are roughly 14,000 businesses sitting between the $10m and $50m threshold, which equates to 1.5% of all businesses. |
| So Labor wants to repeal the tax cuts for 1.5% of businesses. | So Labor wants to repeal the tax cuts for 1.5% of businesses. |
| The Coalition will want the bottom 97.8% of businesses to identify with that 1.5% when it rails against Labor’s “job destroying” measure. | The Coalition will want the bottom 97.8% of businesses to identify with that 1.5% when it rails against Labor’s “job destroying” measure. |
| More details are slowing emerging from the Yay the Neg! meetings held in the Coalition party room meetings from this morning: | More details are slowing emerging from the Yay the Neg! meetings held in the Coalition party room meetings from this morning: |
| So in this morning's party room meeting: Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce, Eric Abetz and Craig Kelly raised issues with the NEG. Abbott said it needed to come back to the party room pre COAG – the PM said no, we'll bring back legislation after @AmyRemeikis | So in this morning's party room meeting: Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce, Eric Abetz and Craig Kelly raised issues with the NEG. Abbott said it needed to come back to the party room pre COAG – the PM said no, we'll bring back legislation after @AmyRemeikis |
| Tony Pasin also said the NEG should have a price guarantee as well as reliability and emissions reduction obligations. But ten MPs spoke in favour, including Sudmalis, Banks, Broad, Wood, Entsch, Falinski, Ramsey & Irons @AmyRemeikis | Tony Pasin also said the NEG should have a price guarantee as well as reliability and emissions reduction obligations. But ten MPs spoke in favour, including Sudmalis, Banks, Broad, Wood, Entsch, Falinski, Ramsey & Irons @AmyRemeikis |
| .@JoshFrydenberg got a lot of questions about the detail of the NEG. At the end of the meeting @TurnbullMalcolm told the party room the minister had strong support to proceed to COAG, with legislation to return afterward @AmyRemeikis | .@JoshFrydenberg got a lot of questions about the detail of the NEG. At the end of the meeting @TurnbullMalcolm told the party room the minister had strong support to proceed to COAG, with legislation to return afterward @AmyRemeikis |
| Having failed to trigger a special party room meeting pre-COAG, Tony Abbott has not ruled out crossing the floor on the NEG legislation @AmyRemeikis | Having failed to trigger a special party room meeting pre-COAG, Tony Abbott has not ruled out crossing the floor on the NEG legislation @AmyRemeikis |