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| Labor launches superannuation plan to bridge gender pay gap – politics live | Labor launches superannuation plan to bridge gender pay gap – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tanya Plibersek visited the ABC this morning to talk about Labor’s superannuation plan: | |
| There’s two main measures that we are talking about. The first is paying superannuation when someone’s on parental leave so maternity leave or dad and partner pay. | |
| We know that one of the big reasons that women retire with less superannuation than men is because they are taking timeout of the workforce to care for their families. | |
| The second measure is another really important one. At the moment, if you earn less than $450 a month you don’t get paid superannuation. And what we know is that more and more people are making up one income from lots of small jobs, part-time or casual jobs. | |
| So they are missing out on superannuation in each of those jobs. We want to make sure that we move that $450 limit over time, over the next few years, we will phase it out, so that whatever job you are working, if it’s a few hours a week, you will end up getting superannuation on that job. We are also going to make it easier for employers to make voluntary contributions to women’s super, if they want to do that, we will make sure that when we make changes to superannuation, we consider the gender impact of those changes. | |
| Jordon Steele-John has been leading the latest push to have abuse against the disabled included as part of the aged care royal commission. | |
| The Greens senator broke down in parliament earlier in the week while asking Mathias Cormann why it was being ignored. | |
| Just left the chamber, I tried my best to name those who've died as a result of violence, abuse or neglect in institutional & residential settings. Many I couldn't name because their circumstances were just too horrific, and in the end it was too much #RoyalCommisionNow #Greens | |
| Last night, he used parliamentary privilege to name some of those who had died, while in care. It’s horrific reading, but important: | |
| Tonight, I’d like to read a passage from a speech given by my fellow disability activist and advocate Craig Wallace, who, in 2015, as part of the White Flower Memorial to commemorate all those who died in institutional and residential care, spoke to the sorrow and pain of our community. | |
| In concluding, he said, ‘I call for those who have left us to be remembered, for their names and stories to be said out loud in the sunlight and amongst the people who love them.’ | |
| Tonight, I seek to speak their names, and though the sun does not shine in this place I hope that their stories will move the hearts of those who have it within their power to see justice done. | |
| The following names are those who have died in the lead-up or subsequent to the Senate inquiry which called for a royal commission. | |
| Shellay Ward, aged seven, was found locked in a room without sunlight, surrounded by faeces. Shellay died from starvation and thirst, and she weighed only nine kilograms—a third of her expected body weight. She had severe autism and was considered to be profoundly disabled. | |
| Levi Bonnar, seven years old, was found beaten, tortured and finally killed by the people who were meant to care for him. | |
| Hayley Dea Bell was eight years old. When she was found in 2013 she was starved, suffering from pneumonia and her hair was infested with lice and matted with dirt. | |
| Isabella Leiper was nine. She died from a combination of internal injuries which paediatricians said were caused by blunt force to the stomach, such as a fist. | |
| Julian was 11. He was left to freeze to death in a shed. He had first been hosed with water after having faeces rubbed in his face. Liam Milne and his younger brother. | |
| Craig Sullivan, 17, who was arrested for a minor driving offence and later bashed by another inmate at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, died in isolation from a massive brain haemorrhage. | |
| Brandon Le Serve suffered severe learning difficulties and was killed by a family member. | |
| Jack Sullivan, 18, died in state funded care in the ACT from drowning. | |
| Lara Madigan, 20, was returned to her parents’ care at 19, despite stating that they could not look after her. Nine months before her death, authorities were warned she would die if the situation was not addressed. Two weeks before her death, both of her legs were amputated to attempt to stem infection. She died covered in her own faeces and urine in a room infested with cockroaches. | |
| Sarah Hammoud, 22, a disabled young woman who was unable to speak and reportedly half-dragged and halfcarried herself from a taxi after a shocking incident, allegedly witnessed by community workers, later died in hospital in 2016 of septicaemia. | |
| Christopher O’Brien, aged 22. | |
| Neil Summerell. | |
| Rebecca Lazarus was found with multiple stab wounds in her chest and abdomen in a group-care home. | |
| Jamie Vincent Johnson, age undisclosed. His care plan stated that he should not be left alone with water because he would drink it without stopping. He died after being left alone in the shower. | |
| Carney Schultz died in a group home. She had a seizure at 2.23 am that was documented by staff and was found dead seven hours later. | |
| Shona Hookey, 29, died as a result of medical neglect in an institutionalised setting. Stephen Ind, 29, a quadriplegic man who made complaints of sexual assault and misconduct by his carers. He was left facedown and suffocated to death. | |
| Stuart Lambert. | |
| Melanie Cutmore, who died in the same hospital and under similar circumstances as Shona Hookey. | |
| Brett Ponting, 33, died after being left unsupervised in a bathtub for an extended period of time. His carers were blamed for negligence. | |
| Darren Kingma died in his respite facility as a result of an unexplained incident in which he broke his neck. He was left on the floor for over an hour after his support workers gave up trying to pull him up, saying that he was being non-compliant. | |
| David Veech. | |
| Miriam Merten, a mother of two who was left naked and covered in faeces at a Lismore psychiatric hospital. | |
| Amanda Gilbert, 47, who had an acquired brain injury as a result of attempted suicide and was placed in the Graylands Hospital psychiatric care centre in my home state of WA. She was raped and assaulted 111 times and died as a result of complications used in the medication to sedate her. The WA coroner believes this to have been an underestimation of the number of times that she was raped. | |
| Leah Elizabeth Floyd died when a pressure sore she had received at her care home became septic. The inquest heard about serious issues in the facility that she lived. | |
| Julie Jacobson, a 51-year-old amputee who died a preventable, avoidable death after a private disability support provider withdrew essential supports. | |
| Sandra Deacon, 59. | |
| Janice and Robyn Frescura, 68 and 50. A family friend of the three people who died in a shooting near Hervey Bay says it was a mercy killing. | |
| Shirley Thompson. | |
| Janet Mackozdi. | |
| Julie Betty Kuhn. A 81-year-old from Armadale was charged over his elderly partner’s apparent mercy killing. It was described as a beautiful act of mercy for his wife. | |
| These are the names that don’t get spoken. These are the reasons. These are the human beings. These are the loved ones, the mothers, the fathers, the sons and the partners who need justice, who demand justice, whose lives were worth living, in whose memory I tonight wear a white flower and whose passing fills me with an ironclad determination. I will not stop and I will not rest until they find the justice that is so desperately owed them | |
| Speaking of the Nationals and the ABC, Catherine Marriott, who accused Barnaby Joyce of sexual harassment (which Joyce has denied) spoke to Leigh Sales for 7.30 last night. | |
| Gabrielle Chan reported on what she said, with the interview coming after the Nationals were unable to come to a finding on the allegations: | |
| Marriott did not describe the incident in detail, saying she did not want to be defined by it, but she struggled over whether to make a complaint. | |
| “[After the incident] I walked up to my hotel room and I burst into tears. I then couldn’t sleep that whole night. I didn’t actually sleep for a week. | |
| “I rang two of my closest friends and I told them what had happened, and they said they couldn’t believe … they were just absolutely shocked, and they said, ‘You can’t tell anyone. You cannot tell anyone … you will be destroyed if this comes out’.” | |
| Bridget McKenzie spoke about the strawberry crisis – and for growers, who are facing ramifications not just this season, but next, it is absolutely a crisis – and said consumers needed to keep it in perspective: | |
| We have a great food safety system and we have been coordinating daily meetings between state and territories to keep abreast of the situation. You have seen commentary on social media, whipping up concern where maybe it is unnecessary. | |
| Earlier in the week we had three punnets contaminated out of 800,000. We need to keep it in perspective. Australians need to be assured that what they are eating is safe, but we need to put it in perspective because this has huge far-reaching implications when people stop purchasing or indeed retailers such as Coles taking all strawberries off their shelves. That has flow-on effects for businesses and thousands of Australian employees that we need to consider when people go off half-cut. | |
| The deputy Nationals leader was chatting to the ABC there. | |
| For some reason* this bill is back on the agenda – the treasury laws amendment (working holiday maker employer register) bill 2017 | |
| Basically, it would stop the tax commissioner from making a public register that backpackers could access to see if their employers comply with tax obligations. | |
| As a general rule, those who are transparent tend to be less exploitive employers. | |
| The register was part of the backpacker tax legislation, which was passed in 2016. (Doesn’t that feel like a lifetime ago?) | |
| The bill to remove the register popped up in February last year, and then last hit the Senate in May. It went away, but now is back. And all of a sudden – it didn’t hit the agenda until late yesterday. | |
| Labor’s Andrew Leigh is against it: | |
| We’ve heard too many reports about the exploitation of vulnerable working-holiday makers and that’s why Labor was pleased when the Libs committed to a public register of those employers that have employed working-holiday makers. | |
| Now they’re trying to go back on that. There [is] backing in the Senate a bill that would kill off the public register. Less transparency means more exploitation and it means Australians are less likely to see the taxes paid that ought to be paid. | |
| The Senate should vote down this bad bill. We need more transparency, stronger protection for working-holiday makers and better compliance with Australia’s tax laws. | |
| * The reason is the government has run out of legislation after taking the Neg and company tax cuts off the table, and is yet to start working out what its policies are under Scott Morrison, creating a lag in legislation. | |
| And while the world watches the latest Korean summit, where Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un are holding their third meeting in an attempt to officially end the Korean war, ending nuclear weapons also has a local focus: | And while the world watches the latest Korean summit, where Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un are holding their third meeting in an attempt to officially end the Korean war, ending nuclear weapons also has a local focus: |
| Made it! We've cycled 900km from Melbourne to Canberra, demanding Australia sign the #nuclearban treaty. Join the grand finale this Thursday: 10am on bike or 11am on foot at Canberra Peace Bell, then we march to Parliament! #nobelpeaceride pic.twitter.com/Vn1v55GGUv | Made it! We've cycled 900km from Melbourne to Canberra, demanding Australia sign the #nuclearban treaty. Join the grand finale this Thursday: 10am on bike or 11am on foot at Canberra Peace Bell, then we march to Parliament! #nobelpeaceride pic.twitter.com/Vn1v55GGUv |
| From the office of foreign minister, Marise Payne: | From the office of foreign minister, Marise Payne: |
| The Australian government condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed in Myanmar’s Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, as detailed in the full report of the UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar. | The Australian government condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed in Myanmar’s Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, as detailed in the full report of the UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar. |
| Following the mission’s preliminary report of 27 August, the full report documents in detail serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, committed primarily by Myanmar’s military against ethnic minorities. | Following the mission’s preliminary report of 27 August, the full report documents in detail serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, committed primarily by Myanmar’s military against ethnic minorities. |
| In the case of Rakhine state, the fact-finding mission concludes that crimes against humanity and war crimes have occurred, as well as finding sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation and prosecutions for genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya. | In the case of Rakhine state, the fact-finding mission concludes that crimes against humanity and war crimes have occurred, as well as finding sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation and prosecutions for genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya. |
| The full report of the fact-finding mission adds to a large body of evidence indicating the commission of the most serious crimes under international law, particularly against the Rohingya. | The full report of the fact-finding mission adds to a large body of evidence indicating the commission of the most serious crimes under international law, particularly against the Rohingya. |
| The Australian government is considering options in response to the fact-finding mission’s report, including targeted sanctions. | The Australian government is considering options in response to the fact-finding mission’s report, including targeted sanctions. |
| In line with the mission’s recommendations, Australia will support new international efforts on accountability and justice in Myanmar, including at the human rights council, of which we are a member. | In line with the mission’s recommendations, Australia will support new international efforts on accountability and justice in Myanmar, including at the human rights council, of which we are a member. |
| Myanmar continues to face formidable challenges as it transitions from five decades of military rule. As a regional partner, Australia will continue to support efforts to achieve democracy and national peace and reconciliation for the benefit of all of people in Myanmar. | Myanmar continues to face formidable challenges as it transitions from five decades of military rule. As a regional partner, Australia will continue to support efforts to achieve democracy and national peace and reconciliation for the benefit of all of people in Myanmar. |
| Respect for human rights, and full accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred, will be essential to this process. | Respect for human rights, and full accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred, will be essential to this process. |
| The future of work report is also due to be tabled at around 5pm - keep an eye out for that one as well, because I know it has caused some Senators some sleepless nights. | The future of work report is also due to be tabled at around 5pm - keep an eye out for that one as well, because I know it has caused some Senators some sleepless nights. |
| In addressing the leak, Chris Bowen said there are real-world examples of where deals had been changed after the fact: | In addressing the leak, Chris Bowen said there are real-world examples of where deals had been changed after the fact: |
| We had a good and constructive debate in caucus. You would expect us to do, as a serious political party. The caucus accepted the recommendation from Jason Clare, with my strong support, to facilitate the legislation. That’s not to say we think it’s a perfect deal. That’s not to say there aren’t things we would move to improve in government, of course. But we are a trading nation. | We had a good and constructive debate in caucus. You would expect us to do, as a serious political party. The caucus accepted the recommendation from Jason Clare, with my strong support, to facilitate the legislation. That’s not to say we think it’s a perfect deal. That’s not to say there aren’t things we would move to improve in government, of course. But we are a trading nation. |
| One in five jobs in Australia depends on trade. The important and responsible thing for the Labor party to do, as [New Zealand’s prime minister] Jacinda Ardern has done and as [Canada’s prime minister] Justin Trudeau has done, for example, is to facilitate the TPP. We will have improvements to make in negotiations with countries as Jacinda Ardern has done. I mean, when she came to office she’s negotiated changes to the ISDS [investor-state dispute settlement] regime, for example. Jason Clare has put together an excellent policy which was endorsed by the caucus. You would expect that we would have a good and proper respectful debate about the policy, as we did. | One in five jobs in Australia depends on trade. The important and responsible thing for the Labor party to do, as [New Zealand’s prime minister] Jacinda Ardern has done and as [Canada’s prime minister] Justin Trudeau has done, for example, is to facilitate the TPP. We will have improvements to make in negotiations with countries as Jacinda Ardern has done. I mean, when she came to office she’s negotiated changes to the ISDS [investor-state dispute settlement] regime, for example. Jason Clare has put together an excellent policy which was endorsed by the caucus. You would expect that we would have a good and proper respectful debate about the policy, as we did. |
| The fallout from the strawberry sabotage is continuing. This is just absolutely heartbreaking, given the drought and storms that have already affected so many growers. | The fallout from the strawberry sabotage is continuing. This is just absolutely heartbreaking, given the drought and storms that have already affected so many growers. |
| Queensland, which was ground zero for the crisis, has announced a package to attempt to keep the industry afloat in the face of growers having to dump their stock, and has called on the federal government to follow suit. | Queensland, which was ground zero for the crisis, has announced a package to attempt to keep the industry afloat in the face of growers having to dump their stock, and has called on the federal government to follow suit. |
| My government is committing $1m to help strawberry growers and industry stay on their feet in addition to $100,000 reward leading to an arrest. The community has to come together to find who is responsible for this crime. | My government is committing $1m to help strawberry growers and industry stay on their feet in addition to $100,000 reward leading to an arrest. The community has to come together to find who is responsible for this crime. |
| The bells are ringing – parliament is about to begin. | The bells are ringing – parliament is about to begin. |
| The governor general address-in-reply debate is listed as fourth – if the Senate gets to it, you know they have officially run out of stuff to do. | The governor general address-in-reply debate is listed as fourth – if the Senate gets to it, you know they have officially run out of stuff to do. |
| Rob Harris and James Campbell were handed minutes from a Labor meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, the support of which has become Labor policy, by a very, very slim margin. | Rob Harris and James Campbell were handed minutes from a Labor meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, the support of which has become Labor policy, by a very, very slim margin. |
| That very, very slim margin has created some consternation – so much so, that Bill Shorten has suffered his first major show of public dissent in some time – with the leaking of the meeting minutes. | That very, very slim margin has created some consternation – so much so, that Bill Shorten has suffered his first major show of public dissent in some time – with the leaking of the meeting minutes. |
| From the Herald Sun report: | From the Herald Sun report: |
| Former ACTU president Ged Kearney, the Member for Batman in Victoria, dismissed the TPP’s provisions to protect workers as “weak and aspirational at best”. | Former ACTU president Ged Kearney, the Member for Batman in Victoria, dismissed the TPP’s provisions to protect workers as “weak and aspirational at best”. |
| Josh Wilson, the Member for Fremantle in Western Australia, told caucus: “We have known the serious shortcomings of the TPP for some time” and warned that in the past “the Coalition has used trade agreements to advance their deregulation agenda”. | Josh Wilson, the Member for Fremantle in Western Australia, told caucus: “We have known the serious shortcomings of the TPP for some time” and warned that in the past “the Coalition has used trade agreements to advance their deregulation agenda”. |
| And WA senator Glenn Sterle raised the spectre of the deal being used to create low-tax, low-wage areas, asking: “How do I go back to WA and say this won’t impact Gina Rinehart setting up a special economic zone?” | And WA senator Glenn Sterle raised the spectre of the deal being used to create low-tax, low-wage areas, asking: “How do I go back to WA and say this won’t impact Gina Rinehart setting up a special economic zone?” |
| Doug Cameron also said it would prove negative for them in western Sydney and Queensland. | Doug Cameron also said it would prove negative for them in western Sydney and Queensland. |
| Chris Bowen and Labor are not denying there is dissent – everyone asked has admitted there have been some “spirited” discussions. | Chris Bowen and Labor are not denying there is dissent – everyone asked has admitted there have been some “spirited” discussions. |
| The line in response has been – we’ll fix it, if we win power. But that doesn’t seem good enough for quite a lot of MPs, who have indicated they will continue to fight the decision internally. | The line in response has been – we’ll fix it, if we win power. But that doesn’t seem good enough for quite a lot of MPs, who have indicated they will continue to fight the decision internally. |
| In other news, the Peter Dutton Senate inquiry report is due today – we are expecting it around 5pm. | In other news, the Peter Dutton Senate inquiry report is due today – we are expecting it around 5pm. |
| Anne Aly was asked about the timing of Labor’s announcement when she stopped by doors* this morning: | Anne Aly was asked about the timing of Labor’s announcement when she stopped by doors* this morning: |
| Let me start by saying the Coalition doesn’t have a problem with women, the Coalition has a problem with men. | Let me start by saying the Coalition doesn’t have a problem with women, the Coalition has a problem with men. |
| I think it comes at a time when we’re starting to talk about older people, older Australians, and it’s particularly a pertinent time to shine the spotlight on how women in particular fare worse off in their later years. Particularly because of the fact that they are behind in superannuation, 30% of older women are likely to live in poverty, and I think it’s time we really addressed this issue and addressed this inequality. It’s a very stark inequality. And we can start by making some measures to address that, and Labor has taken that on, we’ve recognised it, and we’ve started to do something about it. | I think it comes at a time when we’re starting to talk about older people, older Australians, and it’s particularly a pertinent time to shine the spotlight on how women in particular fare worse off in their later years. Particularly because of the fact that they are behind in superannuation, 30% of older women are likely to live in poverty, and I think it’s time we really addressed this issue and addressed this inequality. It’s a very stark inequality. And we can start by making some measures to address that, and Labor has taken that on, we’ve recognised it, and we’ve started to do something about it. |
| *Doors is what we call the short doorstop interviews. MPs only come by when they have something to say. | *Doors is what we call the short doorstop interviews. MPs only come by when they have something to say. |
| Labor has beaten the government to filling the policy void, announcing a superannuation plan that would see women on maternity leave, and on low pay, paid super in a bid to bridge the superannuation pay gap. | Labor has beaten the government to filling the policy void, announcing a superannuation plan that would see women on maternity leave, and on low pay, paid super in a bid to bridge the superannuation pay gap. |
| The gap in retirement savings is often raised as part of the pay equality issue, with several reports finding that women are penalised in retirement for taking time out to have a baby, or because they work in industries that are traditionally paid less. | The gap in retirement savings is often raised as part of the pay equality issue, with several reports finding that women are penalised in retirement for taking time out to have a baby, or because they work in industries that are traditionally paid less. |
| On average, it works out to about $113,000 less in superannuation, or 40% less. | On average, it works out to about $113,000 less in superannuation, or 40% less. |
| Labor has pledged to continue super payments for anyone on paid parental leave, dad and partner pay, as well as phase out the $450 minimum monthly income threshold for the super guarantee. | Labor has pledged to continue super payments for anyone on paid parental leave, dad and partner pay, as well as phase out the $450 minimum monthly income threshold for the super guarantee. |
| Any future changes to superannuation would also have to include a published impact to women. | Any future changes to superannuation would also have to include a published impact to women. |
| The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. The Liberal party is still struggling to come up with an answer to the lack of women in its ranks, as well as how to deal with allegations of bullying, which have been levelled by some of its female MPs. | The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. The Liberal party is still struggling to come up with an answer to the lack of women in its ranks, as well as how to deal with allegations of bullying, which have been levelled by some of its female MPs. |
| But it is not all smooth sailing for Labor – Rob Harris from the Herald Sun has published sections of leaked meeting minutes, revealing the extent of unrest within caucus over the decision to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership. | But it is not all smooth sailing for Labor – Rob Harris from the Herald Sun has published sections of leaked meeting minutes, revealing the extent of unrest within caucus over the decision to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership. |
| Labor has given its support to the trade deal, with the caveat it will amend parts of the labour deal if it wins government. But those in the left, who have stood against the deal, remain sceptical and concerned. It was raised in the caucus meeting again yesterday, with MPs attempting to overturn the decision. That was narrowly defeated, but doesn’t look like going anywhere soon. | Labor has given its support to the trade deal, with the caveat it will amend parts of the labour deal if it wins government. But those in the left, who have stood against the deal, remain sceptical and concerned. It was raised in the caucus meeting again yesterday, with MPs attempting to overturn the decision. That was narrowly defeated, but doesn’t look like going anywhere soon. |
| We’ll bring you all of that and more as the day rolls on. Mike Bowers is off today, so it’s just me and the Guardian brains trust, and we’ll do our best to fill the gap. | We’ll bring you all of that and more as the day rolls on. Mike Bowers is off today, so it’s just me and the Guardian brains trust, and we’ll do our best to fill the gap. |
| I have managed two coffees today so far, so this should be interesting? | I have managed two coffees today so far, so this should be interesting? |
| Ready? | Ready? |
| Let’s get into it! | Let’s get into it! |