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| 'Large number' of strawberry contamination reports fake, ABF chief says | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Peter Dutton is now being questioned on the content of the emails, the highlights of which you’ll find below. | |
| Is he comfortable he acted within ministerial guidelines? | |
| I don’t want to preempt the report of the Labor Greens Senate inquiry, so I don’t want you to be surprised I don’t want you to be surprised that when you got a Labor Greens majority Senate report, which is nothing more than a witch-hunt... I suspect, and again, without preempting or spoiling your surprise, suspect they’re going to say I’m a bad person. | |
| The evidence went back that up but that will be the claim made by Labor and the Greens. That’s their political angle they want to take. They thought they had a star witness who proved to be discredited. | |
| There is no third case, as referred to by one of the witnesses... The witness didn’t come forward to be cross examined. This is nothing more than a witch-hunt. It was always the case, and, if they can point to something to the contrary, let them do that. But I suspect they can’t because they haven’t provided the evidence and that was clear in the inquiry. It will be a political report with political recommendations from the Labor Party and the Greens, who have the numbers on that committee, and I’m sorry to spoil your surprise.” | |
| Does every case get this sort of personal attention? | |
| Again, have a look at the thousands of cases and Immigration Minister deals with on a yearly basis across administrations. Contact is made through members of Parliament. Cases are presented to my office on the phone, people ringing up my office every day, sending emails in to my MP address. The queries come in through a number of ways. | |
| We can ask for information in relation to those cases. The two issues you talk about don’t deviate from normal practice, not for me as Immigration Minister, not for Chris Bowen as Immigration Minister, and many before that.” | |
| But does every case get that sort of attention? | |
| In terms of the assessment, I look at matters on their merit, and, as I reported the other day to the house, cases I intervene going back to the previous point, when kids are involved, when they are sick, when there’s an aged parent with a terminal illness, the end of their visa period and being deported, advising me they should be deported, I overturn the decision of the department. | |
| That’s the whole idea of ministerial intervention. The case of a lady wanting to go to a funeral, I intervened in a matter of hours in relation to that. That’s been the history of Immigration Ministers.” | |
| Despite Pauline Hanson labelling the contamination ‘terrorism’ Peter Dutton asks for some perspective: | |
| We need to put this in perspective. What we are dealing with is trying to identify who is at the source of the original offence, the original crime, that is under investigation obviously. We have a number of people who are across jurisdictions obviously and they are uploading photos, they are being a copycat of the regional offence. That’s what we’re focused on at the moment. If people have information, we want them to contact Crime Stoppers as soon as they can.” | |
| AFP boss Andrew Colvin said most of the strawberry contamination reports have been hoaxes: | |
| The minister has mentioned over 100 incidents have been reported. I say incidents reported loosely because we do believe that a large number of these are fake, or they are hoax incidents. That’s a significant distraction of police resources at a time when we need to focus on finding out the perpetrators of what is a very serious criminal offence. | |
| On that point, let me say this, and let me be very clear: if there’s anyone that thinks this is in any way ... appropriate to walk into a supermarket anywhere in this country and place a foreign object into a piece of fruit, or they think it’s anyway appropriate or amusing to take a photo of fruit they may already have and to put an object into it and put it on Facebook or Twitter and to spread it around and contact health authorities, they are seriously deluded and they are potentially committing serious criminal offences. | |
| On top of that, the minister’s office contacted the Adelaide au pair host family to alert them to the decision Peter Dutton had decided to use his ministerial discretion to let her stay. | |
| That’s from page 58. | |
| So, that was a very, very quick speed read. | |
| But according to page 146 of that 169 email dump of the Peter Dutton au pair visa saga, the Australian Border Force officials were very against having their decision overturned, particularly in the Adelaide case. | |
| The ABF does not agree with the content, or think it is appropriate the minister intervene,” one part of the email reads. | |
| The emails also confirm that the department had to pay for the removal flight in the Adelaide case, given that she made it all the way to the plane. | |
| Dutton was heading out of Australian on a flight, I believe to the Middle East, which made it a “tight” turnaround, to get the decision overturned with his ministerial discretion. | |
| It looks like they sent ABF officials to meet him at the airport to sign all the documents, handing it to him as he was about to board his flight. | |
| The decision made in her favour, the woman was removed or “offloaded” from her flight (which the department calls a removal flight) and put in one of the Adelaide airport interview rooms. | |
| But Dutton missed signing one part of the papers – the “decision instrument” – which, in this case, is the big one, because it’s what authorises his discretion to be used. | |
| Because they knew his intent though, they were able to take the woman from the plane and the minister signed his permission a little later (the Wednesday after) – backdating the decision – in order to “reflect his decision on Sunday night”. | |
| Scott Morrison has announced a national drought summit: | Scott Morrison has announced a national drought summit: |
| Helping our farmers and farming communities is my number one priority. Today I am announcing the next steps of my government’s drought response. I will be hosting a National Drought Summit on 26 October, 2018. | Helping our farmers and farming communities is my number one priority. Today I am announcing the next steps of my government’s drought response. I will be hosting a National Drought Summit on 26 October, 2018. |
| The coordinator general for drought, Maj Gen Stephen Day, and the special envoy for drought assistance and recovery, the hon Barnaby Joyce MP have been listening to farmers across the nation. | The coordinator general for drought, Maj Gen Stephen Day, and the special envoy for drought assistance and recovery, the hon Barnaby Joyce MP have been listening to farmers across the nation. |
| They want coordinated action to support drought-affected families and their communities, and hosting a drought summit will unite our national efforts. | They want coordinated action to support drought-affected families and their communities, and hosting a drought summit will unite our national efforts. |
| The summit will put our national leaders, key people and organisations together at the same table. We will look at actions to deliver assistance, cut red tape and tackle gaps that need addressing. | The summit will put our national leaders, key people and organisations together at the same table. We will look at actions to deliver assistance, cut red tape and tackle gaps that need addressing. |
| We’re ensuring families and communities in drought-affected areas are getting what they need. We need to act and respond to the immediate issues while we are putting in place better frameworks for long-term preparedness and resilience. | We’re ensuring families and communities in drought-affected areas are getting what they need. We need to act and respond to the immediate issues while we are putting in place better frameworks for long-term preparedness and resilience. |
| Peter Dutton will be standing up at 1.30 with the AFP police commissioner and the AFB commissioner to talk more about the strawberry response. | Peter Dutton will be standing up at 1.30 with the AFP police commissioner and the AFB commissioner to talk more about the strawberry response. |
| We are at full flag capacity. | We are at full flag capacity. |
| Just hours before the Senate inquiry looking into the Peter Dutton au pair visa approvals is due to report, a whole heap of new emails on the case have dropped into the inquiry. | Just hours before the Senate inquiry looking into the Peter Dutton au pair visa approvals is due to report, a whole heap of new emails on the case have dropped into the inquiry. |
| We haven’t had a chance to go through them all as yet, but it does show that in the Adelaide case, the woman made it as far as the removal flight before she was “offloaded”. | We haven’t had a chance to go through them all as yet, but it does show that in the Adelaide case, the woman made it as far as the removal flight before she was “offloaded”. |
| You’ll find those emails tabled, here. | You’ll find those emails tabled, here. |
| Brendan Nelson has started his last address to the National Press Club. | Brendan Nelson has started his last address to the National Press Club. |
| At the end of the press conference, after being asked three times about the ABC story about media moguls being involved in the leadership spill, Scott Morrison had this to say: | At the end of the press conference, after being asked three times about the ABC story about media moguls being involved in the leadership spill, Scott Morrison had this to say: |
| I don’t believe it happened at all. And you’d think I’d know, given I was involved. | I don’t believe it happened at all. And you’d think I’d know, given I was involved. |
| Meanwhile, it doesn’t look like the right-of-reply negotiations are going well between Roman Quaedvlieg and the powers that be: | Meanwhile, it doesn’t look like the right-of-reply negotiations are going well between Roman Quaedvlieg and the powers that be: |
| This citizen’s right of reply to comments under parliamentary privilege is not really working for me. A minister makes an extemporaneous personal attack on me, not repeated outside of parliament, and I’m at the mercy of when the Privileges Committee meets to “negotiate” a reply? | This citizen’s right of reply to comments under parliamentary privilege is not really working for me. A minister makes an extemporaneous personal attack on me, not repeated outside of parliament, and I’m at the mercy of when the Privileges Committee meets to “negotiate” a reply? |
| Scott Morrison on why the government is getting so tough on this: | Scott Morrison on why the government is getting so tough on this: |
| There are two parts to what we are doing. I am trying to stress very clearly the seriousness with which these types of acts of sabotage should be considered. I don’t care if you have a gripe with the company, I don’t care if you have a gripe with your fellow worker, this is a very serious thing which is damaging our economy, but it is affecting families. | There are two parts to what we are doing. I am trying to stress very clearly the seriousness with which these types of acts of sabotage should be considered. I don’t care if you have a gripe with the company, I don’t care if you have a gripe with your fellow worker, this is a very serious thing which is damaging our economy, but it is affecting families. |
| And the amount of traffic they have known, just mums and dads talking to each other because of this week is totally understandable. They need to know that there is a clear message being sent about how we see these things. | And the amount of traffic they have known, just mums and dads talking to each other because of this week is totally understandable. They need to know that there is a clear message being sent about how we see these things. |
| And on the second point, and the new offence, which relates to recklessness and we would hope the states would look at similar measures in their own jurisdictions, if it is to have that deterrence value straight away. That people do not go and add to this problem and that they understand and they check themselves. Because if they don’t check themselves, we will. | And on the second point, and the new offence, which relates to recklessness and we would hope the states would look at similar measures in their own jurisdictions, if it is to have that deterrence value straight away. That people do not go and add to this problem and that they understand and they check themselves. Because if they don’t check themselves, we will. |
| Scott Morrison is announcing changes to the legislation around food contamination. | Scott Morrison is announcing changes to the legislation around food contamination. |
| The maximum penalty will increase from 10 years to 15 years – the same as you get for possessing child porn. | The maximum penalty will increase from 10 years to 15 years – the same as you get for possessing child porn. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| It is important to send a very clear message to ensure that we have the right penalties and have the right offences that are in place to ensure that we protect against these sorts of things into the future, and so yesterday I asked the attorney general to consider these matters and what we will be doing is two things when it comes to federal offences. | It is important to send a very clear message to ensure that we have the right penalties and have the right offences that are in place to ensure that we protect against these sorts of things into the future, and so yesterday I asked the attorney general to consider these matters and what we will be doing is two things when it comes to federal offences. |
| The first one is to be increasing the penalties for those who would be found guilty under the existing provisions, from 10 years in prison to 15 years in prison. | The first one is to be increasing the penalties for those who would be found guilty under the existing provisions, from 10 years in prison to 15 years in prison. |
| That basically takes you from someone who has an offence for forgery or theft of commonwealth property, they currently get 10 years. That’s what you get 10 years for. | That basically takes you from someone who has an offence for forgery or theft of commonwealth property, they currently get 10 years. That’s what you get 10 years for. |
| What you get 15 years for are things like possessing child pornography and financing terrorism. That’s how seriously I take this. And that’s how seriously our government takes it. | What you get 15 years for are things like possessing child pornography and financing terrorism. That’s how seriously I take this. And that’s how seriously our government takes it. |
| But the other thing we are doing is to create a new offence which deals with the offence of recklessness. Now, any idiot who thinks they can go out into a shopping centre and start sticking pins in fruit and thinks this is some sort of lark or put something on Facebook which is a hoax – that sort of behaviour is reckless and under the provision will be seeking to introduce swiftly [that] that type of behaviour would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. | But the other thing we are doing is to create a new offence which deals with the offence of recklessness. Now, any idiot who thinks they can go out into a shopping centre and start sticking pins in fruit and thinks this is some sort of lark or put something on Facebook which is a hoax – that sort of behaviour is reckless and under the provision will be seeking to introduce swiftly [that] that type of behaviour would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. |
| It’s not a joke. It’s not funny. You are putting the livelihoods of hard-working Australians at risk. And you are scaring children and you are a coward and a grub. And if you do that sort of thing in this country, we will come after you and we will throw the book at you. | It’s not a joke. It’s not funny. You are putting the livelihoods of hard-working Australians at risk. And you are scaring children and you are a coward and a grub. And if you do that sort of thing in this country, we will come after you and we will throw the book at you. |
| The government plans on introducing the new legislation tomorrow. | The government plans on introducing the new legislation tomorrow. |
| Anthony Albanese and Christopher Pyne had their regular spot on Adelaide radio station 5AA, and the subject of Tony Abbott versus the empty chair preselection challenge came up, and well, it doesn’t sound as though Pyne is overly cut up that Abbott got a scare from a non-existent challenger: | Anthony Albanese and Christopher Pyne had their regular spot on Adelaide radio station 5AA, and the subject of Tony Abbott versus the empty chair preselection challenge came up, and well, it doesn’t sound as though Pyne is overly cut up that Abbott got a scare from a non-existent challenger: |
| PYNE: Well these matters are for the organisation. I defeated a sitting member in pre-selection 26 years ago. That is part of the democracy of the Liberal party. It’s the same in the Labor party, the same in the Greens for that matter. The truth is that everyone has to be selected before they can actually run for the seat if you are running under the flag of a political party, rather than as an independent. And that is a matter for the Liberal party branches on the northern beaches [of Sydney], and they obviously had a vote and he won the vote. In spite of the fact that there was no other candidate, they indicated some displeasure and that is a matter for the organisation on the northern beaches. That’s just the fact.ALBANESE: (Laughter)HOST: (Laughter)PYNE: Why is it funny? It’s just true.ALBANESE: You said that so straight, Christopher.PYNE: It’s true. That’s what happened. That’s the process. They have a vote on, you know, whether the person should be endorsed.ALBANESE: You can have Tony Abbott or an empty chair.HOST: And the chair was coming home with a wet sail.ALBANESE: The chair, if it had gone on for another hour, the chair would have won.HOST: People were warming to the chair. | PYNE: Well these matters are for the organisation. I defeated a sitting member in pre-selection 26 years ago. That is part of the democracy of the Liberal party. It’s the same in the Labor party, the same in the Greens for that matter. The truth is that everyone has to be selected before they can actually run for the seat if you are running under the flag of a political party, rather than as an independent. And that is a matter for the Liberal party branches on the northern beaches [of Sydney], and they obviously had a vote and he won the vote. In spite of the fact that there was no other candidate, they indicated some displeasure and that is a matter for the organisation on the northern beaches. That’s just the fact.ALBANESE: (Laughter)HOST: (Laughter)PYNE: Why is it funny? It’s just true.ALBANESE: You said that so straight, Christopher.PYNE: It’s true. That’s what happened. That’s the process. They have a vote on, you know, whether the person should be endorsed.ALBANESE: You can have Tony Abbott or an empty chair.HOST: And the chair was coming home with a wet sail.ALBANESE: The chair, if it had gone on for another hour, the chair would have won.HOST: People were warming to the chair. |
| Tom Connell from Sky News is reporting Ann Sudmalis has been offered the New York UN secondment trip – also known as the naughty corner. | Tom Connell from Sky News is reporting Ann Sudmalis has been offered the New York UN secondment trip – also known as the naughty corner. |
| Cory Bernardi and Warren Entsch were both recent recipients at times when they were both causing issues for the government, by breaking ranks. | Cory Bernardi and Warren Entsch were both recent recipients at times when they were both causing issues for the government, by breaking ranks. |
| Julia Banks was offered it and turned it down. | Julia Banks was offered it and turned it down. |
| It’s three months, between September and December, to learn at the UN, and a WONDERFUL way for a political party to remove a burr in its side. | It’s three months, between September and December, to learn at the UN, and a WONDERFUL way for a political party to remove a burr in its side. |
| No word yet on whether Sudmalis has accepted it. | No word yet on whether Sudmalis has accepted it. |
| (Labor also gets the opportunity to send someone) | (Labor also gets the opportunity to send someone) |
| Scott Morrison is holding a press conference in the blue room, which, as we know, is the second most fancy of the prime ministerial press conference locations – the first being the courtyard. | Scott Morrison is holding a press conference in the blue room, which, as we know, is the second most fancy of the prime ministerial press conference locations – the first being the courtyard. |
| Christian Porter will be joining him, so it’s a minimum two-flag affair. | Christian Porter will be joining him, so it’s a minimum two-flag affair. |
| (I believe it is on the response to the strawberry contamination crisis) | (I believe it is on the response to the strawberry contamination crisis) |
| After Angus Taylor’s admission that the government was not planning on replacing the renewable energy target, which runs out in 2020, with anything in question time yesterday – in response to Adam Bandt’s question, which, coming from the crossbench, he had in advance, meaning the answer was prepared, not a spur of the moment – Bill Shorten was asked what Labor plans on doing: | After Angus Taylor’s admission that the government was not planning on replacing the renewable energy target, which runs out in 2020, with anything in question time yesterday – in response to Adam Bandt’s question, which, coming from the crossbench, he had in advance, meaning the answer was prepared, not a spur of the moment – Bill Shorten was asked what Labor plans on doing: |
| We are willing to look at a market-based emissions trading scheme, but the so-called party of the free market dumped that. We were happy to look at an initial trading scheme, which made sense, but the Liberals ran away from it. Then Malcolm Turnbull and his cabinet commission to chief scientist, Alan Finkel, to do some work, and they came up with a clean energy target, and again, as constructive as we are, we said we would have a look at it, but they didn’t like the chief scientist’s work – and then the national energy guarantee. | We are willing to look at a market-based emissions trading scheme, but the so-called party of the free market dumped that. We were happy to look at an initial trading scheme, which made sense, but the Liberals ran away from it. Then Malcolm Turnbull and his cabinet commission to chief scientist, Alan Finkel, to do some work, and they came up with a clean energy target, and again, as constructive as we are, we said we would have a look at it, but they didn’t like the chief scientist’s work – and then the national energy guarantee. |
| The current treasurer endorsed it, and now the government won’t do that, so I think people are sick and tired of the climate denierlists pulling the strings, Tony Abbott and again, pulling the strings, with Scott Morrison. We are prepared to look at a national energy guarantee. The Liberal party have been – we think that’s a good starting spot. | The current treasurer endorsed it, and now the government won’t do that, so I think people are sick and tired of the climate denierlists pulling the strings, Tony Abbott and again, pulling the strings, with Scott Morrison. We are prepared to look at a national energy guarantee. The Liberal party have been – we think that’s a good starting spot. |
| You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. In terms of the attack on renewables, the vacuum created by the government on energy policy is creating greater disincentives for people to invest in renewable energy. I’m having a forum on the future of energy policy tomorrow here in parliament. We do think we need to provide more certainty. The single biggest driver of energy prices in Australia is a lack of policy. How can you invest in new generation if you don’t know what the rules are? We are having a forum tomorrow. We will let you know how that goes. | You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. In terms of the attack on renewables, the vacuum created by the government on energy policy is creating greater disincentives for people to invest in renewable energy. I’m having a forum on the future of energy policy tomorrow here in parliament. We do think we need to provide more certainty. The single biggest driver of energy prices in Australia is a lack of policy. How can you invest in new generation if you don’t know what the rules are? We are having a forum tomorrow. We will let you know how that goes. |