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| Tony Abbott attacks 'merchant bankers' gobbledegook' after Turnbull's Neg win – politics live | Tony Abbott attacks 'merchant bankers' gobbledegook' after Turnbull's Neg win – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tony Burke to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| (I miss the wording, but it’s basically, the CSIRO had no idea about the Great Barrier Reef Foundation fund, so whose idea was it?) | |
| Turnbull: | |
| The Minister for the Environment has set out the process already yesterday. It came through the budget process. It went through the normal way. | |
| Labor senator Kristina Keneally has asked a series of questions on the grant of $440m to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. | |
| More specifically, she focused on a curious incident in which ABC’s Insiders deleted a tweet with video of Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor questioning whether due diligence had been conducted after a complaint from the Prime Minister’s Office. | |
| Asked who contacted the ABC, the finance minister Mathias Cormann said he was “not personally aware” of the incident and took the question on notice.Keneally said the PMO had claimed the government had “worked with the foundation in March” on due diligence, a claim which “publicly collapsed” within 24 hours. She asks if the PMO misled the ABC and whether it did so “deliberately or incompetently”. Cormann took all questions on notice. | |
| The head of the foundation was not aware that due diligence had occurred before the initial 9 April meeting. On Monday in question time the environment minister Josh Frydenberg tried to clear up the mess by explaining there was a “two stage” process. | |
| The first phase - before the meeting - was a departmental check on the foundation’s “governance, structure, constitution, project management, fundraising history, capacity for growth, competition and scientific expertise”. That explains why the foundation didn’t know - but not why the PMO said what it did to the ABC... watch this space. | |
| Congratulations! | |
| Your borders are safe. | |
| But unions are terrible, Labor is terrible, and people smugglers vote Labor. Probably. | |
| And so concludes your daily dose of Dutton. | |
| Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| Yesterday, the environment minister confirmed the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s formal proposal for the grant was not received by the government until the 29 May. This was more than 20 days after the Treasurer had delivered the budget, which included money for the foundation. A month after the grant was announced, and more than a month after the Prime Minister first offered it to the foundation. Half $1 billion of taxpayer money. Why is the Prime Minister so reckless with taxpayer funds? | |
| Josh Frydenberg gets another call up: | |
| I am surprised the member for Sydney asked this question, because the we announced the funding, the member for Sydney welcomed it, Mr Speaker. Welcomed it! And it is going to create jobs in the member for Herbert’s electorate, in the member for Flynn’s electorate. In the member for Dawson’s electorate, Mr Speaker. | |
| That is why we have invested $500 million in the Great Barrier Reef, on top of that $2 billion we have contributed through the 2050 plan with Queensland, Mr Speaker. We have made it very clear that in my correspondence with the chair of the foundation, who are formally wrote to the [23] April, where I said the formal offer of any Australian government funds is dependent on negotiating and executing a new grand agreement. In consultation with the foundation, they formally lodged their proposal on the 29 May. | |
| This was after I had released the Commonwealth grant guidelines. On the 20 June, under section 71 of the public governance performance and accountability act, I approved the grant to the foundation, having conceded a detailed assessment of the application by my department, which had included the second stage of due diligence by my department, and the Australian government solicitor, Mr Speaker. | |
| And I want to read to the house what my department recommended to me. And I quote that this investment in the foundation would meet the government’s policy objective to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef. That it will represent value for money and the proper use of Commonwealth resources. And that it was consistent with the provisions of the governance and accountability act, Mr Speaker. And that due diligence included a close investigation of financial reports, compliance and applicable laws, litigation, property services, and Mr Speaker this had been through the ERC process. | |
| This was money put to work with the Reef, with our scientists and farmers, with Indigenous communities to underpin regional jobs and the 64,000 jobs that depend on the Great Barrier Reef. There we have it, the Labor Party only wants to obstruct, only wants to criticise, because when they were in government they abandoned the Great Barrier Reef. | |
| Terri Butler to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| I refer to the Prime Minister’s previous answers. Is the Prime Minister aware that guests at the Chairmans panel weekend were warned that there ‘will be no buggy parking at the helipad?’ This half $1 billion lump sum payment becomes increasingly ridiculous every day. | |
| There’s some argy bargy and Tony Smith points out that it wasn’t Malcolm Turnbull who answered the previous question, but Josh Frydenberg. He allows Butler to rephrase the quesiton: | |
| “That is very kind of you, Mr Speaker,” Butler replies, which, given his tone when asking what she just said, Smith misheard, but then laughs and thanks her after Butler repeats it. | |
| She re-phrases. | |
| Turnbull: | |
| I refer the honorable member to the previous answer by the Minister for the Environment and Energy. I can understand the shock of unfamiliarity that the honorable member has to learn that members of the Chairmans’ panel, according to the statement from the Foundation, paid for their own accommodation. That would fly in the face of many great traditions of the Labour party, not least that practised by the Leader of the Opposition, whose latest Reef trip was paid for by Geoffrey Cousins | |
| Labor senator David Smith, who replaced Katy Gallagher has announced he will be nominating to replace Gai Brodtmann in Bean: | |
| That clears up a problem - Gallagher had announced she was renominating for the Senate, Penny Wong wants her back - but Smith wasn’t moving. He said no to Canberra’s new seat, but it looks like the lower house holds some appeal after all... | |
| From his statement: | |
| I am announcing today that I will be nominating for preselection for the seat of Bean | |
| I would like to say thank you to Gai Brodtmann MP for her service to the Canberra community. Gai has been a mentor and good friend who has been a powerful advocate for the ACT and her constituency. | |
| The time and commitment Gai has given to the people of the ACT has been second to none. Since 2010, Gai has fought on issues that matter to the people of Canberra such as cybersecurity, women’s health, small business and the Public Service. | |
| When I took my position as Senator for the Australian Capital Territory I stated that I was committed to serving the people of Canberra to ensure that their interests are represented in the Parliament. | |
| Being only the 9th Senator for the ACT has been an absolute honour. I will continue to work hard for all the people of the ACT right up until the next election. | |
| I would like to thank all those who have supported me in my current position. However, my decision to nominate for preselection in Bean provides a way of ensuring that the Party continues to offer quality representation across the entire ACT. The ACT Labor team is committed to working towards the election of a Shorten Labor Government whenever the election is called. | |
| Bean is my local electorate. It is where I grew up and where I have chosen to raise my own family with my wife Liesl. There can be no greater honour than representing the people of this area in the House of Representatives. | |
| I look forward to following the party process for preselection and if successful, I will ask the people of Bean for their support at the next federal election. | |
| My priorities will continue to be fighting for the Public Service here in Canberra, tackling rising inequality, investing in STEM careers and restoring fairness to the world of work. | |
| I look forward to speaking to many rank-and-file members of the ACT Labor Party over the coming days and weeks. | |
| Terri Butler to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| Is the Prime Minister aware that after he offered the Great Barrier Reef Foundation almost half a billion of taxpayers money, it held a weekend at Hamilton Island resort which apparently had an itinerary featuring a transfer to the yacht club and a bonfire on the beach. Is this what the Prime Minister means when he says the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has a track record of philanthropic support. | |
| Josh Frydenberg is back up: | |
| Everybody remembers the snorkelling tour of the Leader of the Opposition. A $17,000 freebie, Mr Speaker! Now the foundation has put out a public statement today. I read from it. The foundation has 56 members of a chairman’s panel. An engagement with the chairman’s panel allows a foundation to explain the complexity of the challenge the threat to the reef faces and how scientists are responding. In turn, the members of the panel lent their personal expertise and the skills and resources. This is the key point. Costs associated with this are fully paid by the membership fees and no taxpayer dollars, grants or other donations received are used. The purpose of this event is to encourage people to engage with scientists and researchers. Members of the panel have no role in selecting projects that are funded by the GBRF. At the end of the day,... and this is the final bit, involves many people...it is made up of leaders of research and management of the Reef, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, The University of Queensland, James Cook University and the CSIRO. That is why, on the day we announced half a billion investment in theReef, that the chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority described it as a game changer. | |
| “That is why the day we announced this record investment, the head of the tourism operators in the Reef and surrounding areas said it would underpin regional jobs in Queensland, Mr Speaker. And that is why Australia’s Chief Scientist announcing half a billion said this was a great day for science and for the Reef. The Labor Party is trying to cover up the fact they were absent when they were in Parliament, and in contrast we put money on the table, we are funding the experts, and we are helping protect jobs and the Reef.” | |
| Let’s all take a moment for Christopher Pyne, who for the second day in a row has been made to talk about government policy in a dixer, and not how terrible unions are. | |
| An update from outside the chamber: | |
| Hey @AmyRemeikis and @GuardianAus - I think technically, the Speaker ruled that the PM's Merchant Banker Gobbledygook was IN order, actually. @Tony_Burke may be able to confirm this Parliamentary technicality... pic.twitter.com/icVQMcR89X | |
| (And yes, to clarify, the Speaker was saying the point was not in order and neither was Tim Watts) | |
| And so has the Business Council of Australia: | |
| From its statement: | |
| The Coalition party room’s strong support for the national energy guarantee is a welcome step towards policy stability and certainty in the energy sector, Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said today. | |
| Coalition members have demonstrated their strong support for a policy which will help boost much needed investment in the energy sector and in turn put downward pressure on prices for households and businesses. | |
| This is another step in the right direction but there is more work to do. | |
| We call on state and territory leaders to now get on with the job of implementing the national energy guarantee by releasing the draft legislation. | |
| It’s up to Victoria and Queensland, along with the other states and territories, to stop playing political games with people’s power bills. | |
| COAG Energy Council must stop dithering and finally act to end the decade of dysfunction that has plagued our energy sector. | |
| Today’s result means we are closer to implementing a coherent, durable national energy policy which would help prevent the risks of volatile electricity prices and inadequate investment, but only if state and territory governments step up, put politics aside and do what is in the interests of all Australians. | |
| There is no doubt that it will be households and businesses that will pay the price if our political leaders continue to play politics with energy and climate change policy. | |
| The Smart Energy Council have had their say on the Neg: | |
| (From its statement) | |
| The Smart Energy Council is calling on State and Territory Governments to not endorse the national energy guarantee today.Chief executive of Smart Energy Council, John Grimes said: | |
| “The Turnbull government has taken a belligerent approach to energy policy, refusing to compromise or negotiate in good faith with State and Territory governments around the national energy guarantee. | |
| “The Turnbull government has ruled out increasing the emissions reduction target beyond a pathetic 26% reduction by 2030 and has ruled out meeting a number of threshold issues raised by state and territory governments. | |
| “Among other things, the Turnbull government has refused to rule out changing the target by regulation, setting the target by regulation not legislation and ensuring the emissions reduction target can only go upwards. | |
| “There is still no credible mechanism for increasing the emission reduction target under the national energy guarantee | |
| “With its pathetic 26% emissions reduction target for electricity and its refusal to develop any policies to reduce emissions in other sectors of the economy, the Turnbull government has effectively walked away from the Paris Climate Change Agreement.” | |
| The Nationals have announced a press conference to talk about the Neg following question time. | |
| Matt Canavan will join Michael McCormack and Bridget McKenzie. | |
| Cathy O’Toole to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences and James Cook University are all based on my electorate. Why is the prime minister now making these vital research bodies in my electorate apply to a small private foundation made up of big business mates of yours to try and get back any of the taxpayers’ money it gave away? Why is the prime minister privatising the protection of our most precious and fragile environmental asset? | |
| Josh Frydenberg takes it: | |
| (Labor had no plan, Labor abandoned the reef, we have a plan, we have not abandoned the reef) | |
| Mark Butler to Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| For the 2013 election this government promise to reduce power bills by $550 per year. But since then, power prices have gone up and up. Today, the government is again promising to reduce power bills by $550 again. Why should the straight in people believe any promises this government makes, promises that the member for Warringah referred to as merchant banker gobbledygook? | |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | |
| “The honourable member is no doubt very familiar with an organisation called the Labor environment action network. The member for Rankin is the Queensland patron and the member for Watson is the New South Wales patron. I assumed the members of Port Adelaide is the South Australia patron. The Labour environment action network said on August one 2018, they said the truest thing, that the clean energy council conference was, and they quoted, this is what they thought was the truest thing that was said, high prices are not a market failure, they are proof of the market working. | |
| “Really? The member for Rankin, the member for Watson, they should take the member for Port Adelaide with them, doorknocking and when they complain about high prices, they say don’t worry about it, this is proof that the market is working well. I mean, really. That is what the Labor Party is all about. We are determined to ensure that we deliver more affordable and reliable power for Australians and we are putting the policies in place to do that. The national energy guarantee is one of them but not the only one. Right across the board, we have seen support for this policy from one industry group or another. All of them...” | |
| Tim Watts interrupts with a point of order, asking if merchant banker gobbledygook is in order and Tony Smith rules that it is not and then sends him out of the chamber. | |
| Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: | Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison: |
| A few moments ago in the Senate when finance minister was asked if the treasurer was correct when he says there is no such thing as new, cheap energy with a coal-fired power station. The minister for finance replied he was correct at that time. Mr Speaker, if even the finance minister won’t stand by the treasurer, how can the treasurer retain any credibility? | |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| I must collect myself from that withering assault! What I am surprised by, is that the shadow treasurer has no clue at all about energy policy whatsoever. He has no idea that if you build a new plant, the cost of capitalising that means the cost of that is going to be higher than an existing plant right now. It is simple economics, simple economics, I commend to the member to actually read up a bit on this topic. We haven’t heard very much on this topic on energy policy. | |
| What we have heard a lot about from the member for McMahon is higher taxes. That is what we have heard about for the member for McMahon. All we hear about from the member for McMahon is not how to get electricity prices down but how to put people’s taxes up. We learnt just recently why he wants to put taxes up so much. Because the member for Rankin recommended a cap. He says he will abolish the limits in the public service. Higher taxes for more desks in Canberra. Not more desks in schools, but more in public servants’ offices here in Canberra. Higher taxes for more public servants. And then he had these are the brainwave. He is going to abolish the efficiency dividend to increase... | What we have heard a lot about from the member for McMahon is higher taxes. That is what we have heard about for the member for McMahon. All we hear about from the member for McMahon is not how to get electricity prices down but how to put people’s taxes up. We learnt just recently why he wants to put taxes up so much. Because the member for Rankin recommended a cap. He says he will abolish the limits in the public service. Higher taxes for more desks in Canberra. Not more desks in schools, but more in public servants’ offices here in Canberra. Higher taxes for more public servants. And then he had these are the brainwave. He is going to abolish the efficiency dividend to increase... |
| He stops and sits down, and says he is finished, before Tony Smith has a chance to tell him he has drifted off topic. | He stops and sits down, and says he is finished, before Tony Smith has a chance to tell him he has drifted off topic. |
| Andrew Wilkie had the crossbencher question and once again, it comes down to the crossbench to ask a question their electorate actually cares about – which is what dixers should be used for. | |
| There has been a meningococcal outbreak in Tasmania, with six cases, one fatal. These infections are preventable. Currently, the commonwealth limits funding and doesn’t fund the B vaccine at all. Will you fix this and fully fund both vaccines so everyone, not just the wealthy, can be protected against this horrid disease? Prime minister, will you meet personally with Erica Burleigh*, who was left legally blind by meningococcal B, and who is in the gallery today? She and her friend, Casey Johnston, are the driving force behind a campaign for the B vaccine to be put on the national vaccine schedule. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull: | Malcolm Turnbull: |
| “I think the honourable member for his question, and I look forward to meeting with Erica and Casey if they have time to do so after Question Time. I want to assure the honourable member that the government makes decisions about vaccines based on the advice of independent experts. We don’t play politics with this issue, and I’m not suggesting the honourable member is but it is very important we do so with the right science, I think you will understand that. When independent experts recommended that we had meningococcal ACWY vaccines, we did, and we are taking action with vaccine manufacturers towards a program to apply for adolescents. Since April we have been negotiating to make this vaccine broadly available in accordance with the recommendation of the experts. It is important to ensure that it meets the advisory committee’s rightly strict cost effectiveness criteria. | |
| “The advisory committee also considered another brand for meningococcal ACW Y. The government ... is unable to include a new medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme unless it has first been recommended by the independent pharmaceutical advisory committee. And, an expert medical recommendation. | |
| “I remind the honourable member, that unlike the Labor Party and government can guarantee that the experts on the advisory committee recommend meningococcal B vaccine, we will make it available on the national immunisation program. If the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee recommends it we will list it. We will not defer it, as will happen under a Labor government.” | |
| *apologies for the spelling mistake in the first draft of this post | *apologies for the spelling mistake in the first draft of this post |
| Michael McCormack just used another three minutes trying to find his QT personality. | Michael McCormack just used another three minutes trying to find his QT personality. |
| He is still looking. | He is still looking. |
| Which is funny, because in the House: | Which is funny, because in the House: |
| Chris Bowen: A year ago the Treasurer said: ‘There is no such thing as new cheap energy with a coal-fired power station. Does the Treasurer standby that remark? | |
| Scott Morrison:” I stand by exactly what I say on this matter because I made a simple observation. You have a new coal-fired power station, it produces ... that is why I am a strong supporter of keeping coal-fired power stations open as long as possible! The only thing I don’t understand is why the member for McMahon wants to shut them down. | |
| “Coal-fired power stations remain an important part of the Australian affordable, reliable energy supply. So why does the Labor Party want to shut them down and increase the cost by households is that businesses? What the Labor Party’s plans on electricity will do is to put their prices up. They want to increase the emissions target which will increase power bills forAustralians. | |
| “Because they have no plan to deliver affordable, reliable energy. On this side of the house we have a plan. We have a plan that involves the national energy guarantee, that is to deliver on gas supplies for Australia, and remove the legal loopholes. We had a plan to get rid of a carbon tax and we got rid of the carbon tax. They said they would never introduce it and that is exactly what they did. You cannot trust Labor, because under Labor you will always pay more for everything.” | |
| Over in the Senate | Over in the Senate |
| Jenny McAllister: A year ago the treasurer said, and I quote: “There’s no such thing as new, cheap energy with a coal-fired power station.” Was the Treasurer correct? | |
| Mathias Cormann: He was correct at that time. | |