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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/20/turnbull-dutton-leadership-energy-nationals-politics-live
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| Labor attacks Turnbull's energy policy inconsistency – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Just when we thought the day couldn’t get any worse, we just remembered the bad show was on tonight, with George Christensen, Pauline Hanson, Bob Katter, Larissa Waters and Cathy O’Toole as the panel. | |
| Just wondering if anyone has seen Malcolm Turnbull’s leather jacket around lately. It may be getting a call up. | |
| Julie Bishop is on 2GB saying “we have seen this movie before”. | |
| Which is true. Leadership challenge: It’s On, Leadership Challenge II: Ruddmentum Returns and Leadership Challenge III: Knight and Dames. | |
| Mike Bowers has been on special assignment today, so no Bower’s pics - here is how the AAP folk saw QT: | |
| Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is the latest Labor leader to question what is happening with the energy policy, given that the states have parts they have to enact as well. | |
| Queensland was pretty much on board with the Neg. And now? | |
| “I have always said we need certainty and stability for families when it comes to a national framework on electricity,” Palaszczuk said, on her way into her caucus meeting. | |
| “I believe I was one of the first people that said he needed to get endorsement from his party room. That has not occurred and what we are seeing today is energy policy in free fall, absolute free fall. I couldn’t even tell you what their policy is.” | |
| A little bit more from Gary Spence - he says he has not sent “any emails to anybody” (following reports he had been urging the Queensland LNP MPs - all 21 of them - to back Peter Dutton over Malcolm Turnbull) | |
| “It is not a matter for me to [make] public comments,” he said. | |
| That should fix it Gary! | |
| .@LilyDAmbrosioMP on today's events: "I'm not sure Malcolm Turnbull knows what the NEG is anymore, or if it still exists" @AmyRemeikis #auspol #NEG | .@LilyDAmbrosioMP on today's events: "I'm not sure Malcolm Turnbull knows what the NEG is anymore, or if it still exists" @AmyRemeikis #auspol #NEG |
| Back in Queensland, LNP president Gary Spence has been questioned on what he has been saying to MPs - and whether he has been telling the Queenslanders to withdraw their support for Turnbull (he was doorstopped by Queensland journalists as he left the LNP party room meeting – Queensland parliament meets tomorrow) | |
| “You are asking me to talk about private conversations with MPs. A party president has private conversations with members of parliament all the time,” he said. “I think everything that needs to be said has been said today . I haven’t got anything further to add.” | |
| As for whether Peter Dutton would make a better prime minister: | As for whether Peter Dutton would make a better prime minister: |
| “Everybody has their own view. My view is my view. The MPs and Senators choose the leader.” | |
| Bill Shorten asks Malcolm Turnbull why Australians should wait for the government to become united in order to get lower power prices. | |
| Turnbull replies: | |
| ... Despite many people’s questioning whether we would be able to deliver in this parliament, we have delivered one massive reform after another. The largest personal income tax cuts in 20 years. We have delivered lower taxes for small and medium family businesses. We have delivered billions of dollars going into Medicare and health and the PBS. We have record spending on infrastructure, and Mr Speaker we have been able to do what the leader of the opposition said would be unthinkable, we actually stood up for Australian workers and we got the Trans-Pacific partnership agreed. Mr Speaker, my government has delivered one big reform after another, again and again. It has been said that we could not get legislation through the Senate, again it has been said we have a small minority in the house, and of course Mr Speaker the numbers are what they are, but we have delivered, and the runs on the board, and they are of record jobs growth last year, 3.1% GDP growth, energy prices starting to turn in the right direction, downwards. And Mr Speaker, tax cuts for hard-working middle income Australians this year voted against by the Labor party.” | |
| A list of achievements – but what do you think people are going to remember? | |
| Probably time to trot this gem out again: | Probably time to trot this gem out again: |
| WHO IS IT, WHICH ONE IS IT, WHO IS THE PRIME MINISTER? Labor MP Jenny Macklin during #wherestony on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/uJYOgZH1fz | WHO IS IT, WHICH ONE IS IT, WHO IS THE PRIME MINISTER? Labor MP Jenny Macklin during #wherestony on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/uJYOgZH1fz |
| Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: | Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| I refer to thePrime Minister’s answer in which he said that his government would not introduce legislation unless it could be carried on its own numbers. Given that the Prime Minister has a majority of one, doesn’t every member of his backbench, including the former Prime Minister, now have the same power over government policy as the Prime Minister himself? | I refer to thePrime Minister’s answer in which he said that his government would not introduce legislation unless it could be carried on its own numbers. Given that the Prime Minister has a majority of one, doesn’t every member of his backbench, including the former Prime Minister, now have the same power over government policy as the Prime Minister himself? |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| “It is self-evident that in the House of Representatives with a government with a majority of one, individual members who choose not to vote in accordance with the decisions of the majority of the party room, have the ability to prevent legislation being carried. That is the reality, the practical reality of the situation. And that is why, since the party meeting last week, we have been engaging with members to discuss their concerns and ensure that we can deliver the support for the government’s policies on the floor of the house.” | “It is self-evident that in the House of Representatives with a government with a majority of one, individual members who choose not to vote in accordance with the decisions of the majority of the party room, have the ability to prevent legislation being carried. That is the reality, the practical reality of the situation. And that is why, since the party meeting last week, we have been engaging with members to discuss their concerns and ensure that we can deliver the support for the government’s policies on the floor of the house.” |
| So while Julia Gillard managed to pass legislation through negotiating with the crossbench, Malcolm Turnbull can not negotiate with his own party room. | So while Julia Gillard managed to pass legislation through negotiating with the crossbench, Malcolm Turnbull can not negotiate with his own party room. |
| There are not a lot of other take aways from today. | There are not a lot of other take aways from today. |
| John McVeigh gives the next dixer on drought, talking about everything the government is doing - except for a long-term responsible climate change plan, of course. | John McVeigh gives the next dixer on drought, talking about everything the government is doing - except for a long-term responsible climate change plan, of course. |
| Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: | Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| Given his last answer, can apply minister confirmed that he is unwilling to talk to Labor about energy price legislation until he has the consent of the member for Warringah? | Given his last answer, can apply minister confirmed that he is unwilling to talk to Labor about energy price legislation until he has the consent of the member for Warringah? |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| On his question, his invitation to engage in bipartisanship is not very persuasive. The honorable member will understand that when dealing with issues of this kind, I will continue to confer with my colleagues. | On his question, his invitation to engage in bipartisanship is not very persuasive. The honorable member will understand that when dealing with issues of this kind, I will continue to confer with my colleagues. |
| We move on to Michael Keenan talking about the drought. | We move on to Michael Keenan talking about the drought. |
| Tony Burke asks Malcolm Turnbull if each Coalition backbencher now has a veto over whether this legislation will be introduced. Turnbull replies: | Tony Burke asks Malcolm Turnbull if each Coalition backbencher now has a veto over whether this legislation will be introduced. Turnbull replies: |
| The honorable member is not accurately reflecting the answer that I gave, but the fact is as I said this morning, and I said earlier, we seek to ensure that legislation that we introduce has the support of sufficient of our party room to enable it to be carried on our own numbers. | The honorable member is not accurately reflecting the answer that I gave, but the fact is as I said this morning, and I said earlier, we seek to ensure that legislation that we introduce has the support of sufficient of our party room to enable it to be carried on our own numbers. |
| Turnbull may as well revert to one word answers at this stage | Turnbull may as well revert to one word answers at this stage |
| David Littleproud is again talking about the drought, this time in a dixer, and the tough conditions farmers are going through (all of Queensland is in drought, while most of NSW is also suffering, as well as parts of Victoria and WA) and again, this comes as the government removes emissions reductions from its energy legislation. | David Littleproud is again talking about the drought, this time in a dixer, and the tough conditions farmers are going through (all of Queensland is in drought, while most of NSW is also suffering, as well as parts of Victoria and WA) and again, this comes as the government removes emissions reductions from its energy legislation. |
| As Littleproud delivers his latest answer, bushfires continue to burn out of control. In winter. In August. | As Littleproud delivers his latest answer, bushfires continue to burn out of control. In winter. In August. |
| And meanwhile, the government is once again embracing coal. | And meanwhile, the government is once again embracing coal. |
| The Neg (RIP) is also a topic of conversation in the other place, where Mathias Cormann is being even more succinct than usual. | The Neg (RIP) is also a topic of conversation in the other place, where Mathias Cormann is being even more succinct than usual. |
| Penny Wong: Less than a week ago, the prime minister said emissions reduction targets in his energy policy would be legislated. What happened? | Penny Wong: Less than a week ago, the prime minister said emissions reduction targets in his energy policy would be legislated. What happened? |
| Mathias Cormann: What happened is that clearly right now there is not the sufficient support for that particular part of the policy through the House of Representatives | Mathias Cormann: What happened is that clearly right now there is not the sufficient support for that particular part of the policy through the House of Representatives |
| I have never seen Malcolm Turnbull answer questions so succinctly. He gets three minutes a question and he is barely taking up one at the moment. | I have never seen Malcolm Turnbull answer questions so succinctly. He gets three minutes a question and he is barely taking up one at the moment. |
| Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: | Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull: |
| I refer to the prime minister’s last answer. Is the prime minister’s position that parliament will only be allowed to see the legislation if we agree to vote for it before we have seen it? | I refer to the prime minister’s last answer. Is the prime minister’s position that parliament will only be allowed to see the legislation if we agree to vote for it before we have seen it? |
| Turnbull: | Turnbull: |
| I explained the circumstances in my press conference this morning. It is perfectly straightforward, we have a majority of one in this house, we need to have almost all of our party room to support legislation for the government to carry it on its own numbers. With respect to this matter, we are not in a position at this stage. We continue talking to our colleagues. | I explained the circumstances in my press conference this morning. It is perfectly straightforward, we have a majority of one in this house, we need to have almost all of our party room to support legislation for the government to carry it on its own numbers. With respect to this matter, we are not in a position at this stage. We continue talking to our colleagues. |
| Everyone clear now? | Everyone clear now? |
| It’s the legislative version of “whinge and win”. | It’s the legislative version of “whinge and win”. |