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Turnbull questioned over Dutton's eligibility to remain in parliament – question time live | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Treasurer Scott Morrison is asked about Dutton’s policy to cut GST on power bills. Morrison earlier today described that idea as an “absolute budget blower”. | |
He says: | He says: |
It is not the government’s policy and a policy that you know for the GST, that affects the rate or the rebate, requires the agreements of all states and territories. The parliamentary budget office has costed a similar proposal. It is about $7.5 billion over four years. That $7.5 billion would either not then go to the states or the Commonwealth would have to pay that additional money to the States so that answers the member’s question on the issue of tax. Let me also say on the issue of tax that today the Labor Party voted to keep the big banks, which we offered to take out of the Enterprise Tax Plan, they voted to keep them in. | |
Now it’s trade minister Steve Ciobo’s turn. His shadow, Jason Clare, asks whether he maintains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull. Ciobo replies: | |
It has been 916 days since I was sworn in as trade minister and, for the first time, the shadow trade minister has taken some interest in trade. Well, congratulations, 916 days later, you’ve finally found your voice on trade. | |
Labor’s Tony Burke gets up on a point of order, arguing Ciobo is not answering the question. The Speaker rules Ciobo in order, and the trade minister continues: | |
Let me make it very clear again because obviously the Labor party can’t keep up. The answer is yes. Let me make it very, very clear, yes, of course there’s confidence. Yes, of course. How much clearer can I make it? | |
To be fair, it’s not just the Labor party struggling to keep up. My brain is frazzled. Someone bring me a coffee. Actually, just bring a bag of coffee beans and a soup spoon. | |
Before and after, Peter Dutton takes his softer side out for a trial during #qt @knausc @murpharoo @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/tnwledaKwR | |
Alan Tudge, the multicultural affairs minister, is the latest to be asked whether he maintains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull. | |
He says, “I have given the prime minister an assurance that he has my support.” | |
Tudge, you’ll remember, was another frontbencher who offered his resignation overnight. | |
Meanwhile, New Zealand is pleading with us to sort ourselves out. | |
"The sooner there is stability in the Australian political system the better" declares New Zealand's visiting Deputy PM @winstonpeters at @PressClubAust pic.twitter.com/cen8THjZ8z | |
Lots of interesting dynamics in the lower house right now. | |
Angus Taylor, the minister for law enforcement, is asked whether he retains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull. Taylor is thought to have voted for Dutton and offered his resignation to Turnbull. | |
But he says: | |
The answer is yes, I do. The first priority of this government and this prime minister is to keep all Australians safe and secure. I strongly support that priority. I strongly support that priority. | |
Bill Shorten asks whether Turnbull has seen Dutton’s legal advice. Shorten also asks why the government has not sought the advice of the solicitor-general. | |
Turnbull says: | |
I have not seen the advice that the member of Dickson, but he’s confirmed to me that he’s got legal advice, but I’ve not seen it. | |
As far as the Solicitor-General is concerned, the matter has only arisen in very recent times, we’re not in possession of all of the facts in relation to the childcare centre and the member for Dickson’s trust. | |
Bill Shorten asks Malcolm Turnbull to refer Dutton to the high court. Nothing partisan in that, he promises, drawing a grin from Turnbull. Shorten asks: | |
In December, the prime minister said, ‘We can’t in good conscience fail to refer anyone, whether on our side or Labor or the crossbench to the high court, if it is clear there are substantial grounds for believing they are ineligible to sit in the parliament.’ I say this without any partisanship at all and I would say the same thing about one of our members.” Will the prime minister be true to his word and refer the member for Dickson to the high court? | |
Turnbull says that Dutton has his own legal advice that he is eligible to sit in parliament. | |
The member for Dickson has advised me he has legal advice he is not in breach of section 44 and I have no reason, therefore, to believe that he is. | |
Foreign minister Julie Bishop is on the attack, slamming Labor for voting against the Coalition’s company tax cuts. The government says it will leave Australia with the second highest corporate tax rate in the OECD, behind Portugal. Bishop says: | |
This means that there is now a unity ticket, the socialist coalition with the Communist party in Portugal and the Australian Labor Party. So the Australian Labor party and the socialist/communist coalition of Portugal believe in having the highest corporate tax rates in the world. | |