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| Peter Dutton avoids no-confidence motion by one vote – politics live | Peter Dutton avoids no-confidence motion by one vote – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The strawberry laws have passed the Senate - Australian Berry Force is go. | |
| By the way - the legislation is not retrospective. So if they catch who is responsible for kickstarting this crisis, none of the legislation changes will apply to them. | |
| Adam Bandt says the Greens will not be giving up, when it comes to Peter Dutton: | |
| The government has used its numbers to run a protection racket for Peter Dutton. | |
| “Peter Dutton is now hanging by the barest of threads. Soon his position may be untenable. | |
| “The facts haven’t changed. It is clear Peter Dutton has misled the Parliament and he needs to face the consequences. | |
| “Shamefully, the PM has now given a green light to all his Ministers to mislead Parliament. | |
| “There was only one vote in it and that vote was Peter Dutton himself. | |
| “This is not over. The motion is still on the notice paper and we will continue to pursue the Minister over this issue up until the next election.” | |
| Bill Shorten to Peter Dutton: | |
| I miss the beginning of this question, but it involves members of the Australian Defence Force, who have come to parliament to lobby for their translators to be given visas, saying they wore Australian uniforms and served Australia, but have been unable to get a meeting with the minister - and yet, the two au pairs were granted special attention. | |
| Dutton: | |
| “The reality is Mr Speaker, is that this government has granted many hundreds of visas to people who have helped [our defence force] almost 1000 for people who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. | |
| There are many examples that we have been able to help and we have been able to settle here. | |
| Mr Speaker, I have not intervened in cases where there is advice to me, not advice that I can go into publicly, but advice that has been received from the intelligence agencies, in relation to [the cases of particular] individuals. | |
| I will not act against the national interest or the national security interests of this country. My officers met with Mr Scanes, and I haven’t it with them, but we have made it clear in relation to this particular case, and I don’t know whether the Leader of the Opposition has sought any sort of briefing on this matter - I do know that the opposition has received everything before this has been raised in this place, but there are always threats to our country... | |
| “Mr Speaker, I assume that the Leader of the Opposition has not had such a briefing. I’m happy to arrange that everything in for him to be provided with as much information as possible. I can assure you that the government is in particular through the advice of the ADF and some of our international partners [attempts] to settle people who are worthy of the support our country. | |
| But to finish on this note, there are some cases where I receive advice from the intelligence agencies. In those cases, acting in the national interest of our country, I wouldn’t not give that visa.” | |
| Mark Dreyfus to Scott Morrison: | |
| “Can you confirm that it has been revealed that the minister for home affairs intervened in the matters of two au pairs and misled the parliament on whether he knew one of the employers of the au pairs, participated in parliamentary discussions about childcare when he had an interest in child-care centres, and that there are doubts as to whether or not he can be a member of this parliament? Why is the prime minister to support the minister for home affairs?” | |
| Morrison: | |
| “I’ll tell you why I am continuing to support the minister for home affairs. That is the question. Because he is doing a fantastic job. That is why. I’m asked about interventions that he made. | |
| “It may interest the house that during his time as minister, the minister when he had responsibility for these matters, or exercised ministerial intervention power in 116 visas. | |
| “In just two financial years between July 2011 and June 2013, the member for McMahon, when he was the minister intervened over 23,000 times. | |
| “Over 23,000 times. 23,000 times. You ... would need a lot of paper to go through those 23,000 occasions, Mr Speaker, but there is a number that is bigger than 23,000 interventions the member for McMahon [made] and that is the 35,000 people who turned up on illegal boats on his watch, Mr Speaker. | |
| “That is his form. That is their form, Mr Speaker. The other reason that I support the minister for home affairs is because together he and I commend the decisions we took as minister for immigration, and when he was Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, and Minister for home affairs, we cancelled 3763 visas of non citizens who committed crimes. 694 convicted criminals. 250 child sex offenders. 193 for violent offences, 194 for outlaw motorcycle gang members. | |
| “We cancelled the visas of people like Alex Vella, who was head of the rebels motorcycle gang. | |
| “When I became the minister for immigration, they were quick to tell me in the police force this was a person who should not be in Australia. | |
| “And I was happy to act on that. The Labor party sat and did nothing. And did nothing. As the visa was renewed, they sat on their hands, because when it comes to border protection, the Labor party are more interested in protecting Australian from au pairs than they are from protecting Australia from violent criminals.” | |
| Sidenote: I don’t think anyone is suggesting Australia be protected from au pairs, but that Peter Dutton gave special attention to these cases, where a personal connection to himself, or senior members of his office, has been suggested. | |
| Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said the schools funding deal “looks desperate”, like the government is just trying “to take an issue off the table”. | |
| But she also insists it “absolutely not” a better deal or adequate funding, even for Catholic and independent schools. | |
| The restoration of $4.6bn over 10 years to Catholic and independent schools amounts to an admission that Gonski 2.0 did cut funding from schools, but she says 5 million parents of public school children have a right to ask: “What about my child?” | |
| Restoring some funding is “inadequate” compared to Labor’s offering of $17bn over 10 years, including $14bn for public schools. | |
| Shayne Neumann to Peter Dutton: (this may be the first time Neumann has kicked off the opposition questioning, to my memory) | |
| “I refer to an email from the duty inspector in strategic command in relation to the French au pair, stating your relation to the interventions admission and I quote, ‘the ABF does not agree with the content or think it appropriate that the minister intervened’. Why is this the sort of incident where the minister rushes into intervening?” | |
| Dutton: (after publicly thanking and commending Senior Constable Stephanie Bochorsky) | |
| “I have said to this house and outside of this house before that I look at each case on its merit. Now, the honourable member made his own judgement in relation to a case that he presented to me, asking me to consider the matter. He was asking for a convicted murderer, for someone who had a very extensive criminal history. He was saying to me that he would like to see a better outcome for that individual. | |
| “We can go to the Member for Watson who was advocating for a hate preacher, I can point out, Mr Speaker, members of the house on both sides who have come to me over a long period of time asking me to act. | |
| “I can tell you what I had done, Mr Speaker, I have cancelled 3700 visas of criminals in this country, people who would have gone on to commit offences against Australians! I have cancelled the visas of 94 outlaw motorcycle gang members, members who are involved in the distribution of ...” | |
| (Tony Burke asks about relevance) | |
| Dutton: | |
| “Well, Mr Speaker, I was asked about that particular case. I said I dealt with that case on its merit, that is it. | |
| “Now something has been made of the fact that I dealt with this case in a matter of hours, I’ve dealt with many cases a matter of hours. Kids are sick, where the department has advised me that somebody should be deported because their tourist visa had come to an end or their visa had come to an end, grandparent that has been ripped off, a person that wanted to go overseas for a funeral. I have looked at each of those cases on their merit, Mr Speaker, and I had made decisions based on the merit of each case. I am very happy to have my record compared to some of these opposite, you were involved in the immigration portfolio in the great years of the Rudd-Gillard period of government, Mr Speaker. I will have my record compared to theirs any day of the week. | |
| This day is just motoring by! | |
| The parliament pauses for a moment to honour the inaugural winner of the national police bravery award – Senior Constable Stephanie Bochorsky, who rushed into a neighbour’s home in Perth in 2015 to rescue two sisters, aged three and seven, after hearing their mother’s screams for help. | |
| The parliament took a moment to applaud her. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| “I would like to add my sincere congratulations on behalf of the house and particularly the government members of the house to the senior constable for her incredible bravery, and I am so pleased it has been recognised in the way it has in this award. | |
| I also want to thank you as there are others in this chamber who are the children of police officers, as I am, and we know the sacrifices that police officers make every single day and we understand the impact that has on families of police officers, and when you take those risks, we know when you take them, there are so many other things pressing on around you. | |
| The night, it was some nights ago, of course, Stephanie heard screams from a neighbour’s home. | |
| Although she was off duty, she rushed into that home and found the child alight, on fire. Another had been doused in petrol, it is unimaginable. The children were four and seven years of age. | |
| That is enough to take in, just at that. Stephanie fought off the man that, hard to describe him as one, who was the children’s father, removed the children from the house, and cared for the family. | |
| None of us can really comprehend the terror and evil of that night, and of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the children this day. But it said a lot about what Stephanie believes her service is about, and they know is what police officers, and not just police officers, those who work in our paramedics and ambulance services, my brother is a paramedic, those who work in our fire services and emergency services, they all have a similar culture. | |
| She said, I took an oath to serve and protect the community on or off duty, uniform or not, 24/7. Everyone in this chamber has sworn an oath, you have given us an incredible lesson about how to live up to them. | |
| Bill Shorten: | |
| I thank the prime minister for his heartfelt words, I would like to say on behalf of the opposition to Senior Constable Stephanie Borchorsky, you honour us by your presence today. | |
| I congratulate you on your award. It was an inaugural award as presented to the Police Federation of Australia, the award made by your peers, the respect of your peers, and I know you value that very much. | |
| The prime minister has just detailed maps of Stephanie’s extraordinary story, one moment relaxing in front of the television at home on Friday night. | |
| Suddenly, still in your pyjamas and your socks, sprinting across the street and into harm’s way, answering a call for help, finding yourself in the midst of violence and cruelty which is impossible to contemplate or comprehend as a parent, is the 4-year-old girl clinging to the bars of her cot, already in flames. | |
| Her father pouring petrol on her sister’s face. If it was not for you, Senior Constable, confronting the perpetrator, carrying both children from the house, prying the arms of the youngest one from around your neck to soak in the cold water of your own bath at home, both of those girls would not be alive today, it is as simple as that. | |
| Stephanie, yesterday I asked you the question, I assume you have heard a thousand thousand times by now. How did you do it? You replied, as so many modest heroes to it by saying, I think anyone would have acted in the same way in that situation. | |
| Mr Speaker, we all hope that we would, we all hope that we will do, but I think in our hearts, we wonder if we could. Stephanie, you did. The other thing you said to me yesterday that really struck me is you said that the rescue was the easy part, it was what came after that that was difficult. | |
| Your memories of the night, the scene set into your mind, the ongoing contact with those poor kids. Those wakeful moments of reflection, but you have to ask yourself. | |
| The question that you have to ask yourself is how could anyone do that to a child, how could any parent do that to a child? I’m not sure there is an easy way back from that and what you have seen. | |
| I do not think there is a quick way to put those things out of your mind. Our police officers, our emergency services personnel, they are jobs that follow you home. Whether you are in uniform or out of uniform, you always wear what you have seen. | |
| But in part, your off-duty awareness is the reason why these two little children are alive, but I think you remind us that there is a much we can do to improve the way we support people who serve our community in the way that you do. | |
| Senior Constable Bochorsky, two precious little girls owe you their lives, Australia owes you its thanks, and this house owes you a debt of gratitude because you remind us of what is really important. | |
| Just for those who missed it – Ben Morton was technically paired. | |
| The official statement on the schools funding announcement has been released: | The official statement on the schools funding announcement has been released: |
| Australian families will have choice and equity in education as the Morrison government guarantees funding to the non-government school sector. | Australian families will have choice and equity in education as the Morrison government guarantees funding to the non-government school sector. |
| The Australian government has accepted all the recommendations of the National School Resourcing Board’s Review of the socio-economic status score, released in July. The new method for calculating school funding will make the education system fairer and more equitable. | The Australian government has accepted all the recommendations of the National School Resourcing Board’s Review of the socio-economic status score, released in July. The new method for calculating school funding will make the education system fairer and more equitable. |
| Commonwealth funding for non-government schools will be linked to parental income from 2020 using improved data collection and analysis that will ensure non-government school funding is targeted at the students who need it most. | Commonwealth funding for non-government schools will be linked to parental income from 2020 using improved data collection and analysis that will ensure non-government school funding is targeted at the students who need it most. |
| A vibrant, fairly funded non-government school sector ensures parents retain the choice of where to send their kids to school. The non-government system provides an alternative which improves standards and competition across the board, while also alleviating pressure on the state system. | A vibrant, fairly funded non-government school sector ensures parents retain the choice of where to send their kids to school. The non-government system provides an alternative which improves standards and competition across the board, while also alleviating pressure on the state system. |
| The federal government is providing a record $309.6bn in recurrent funding to all Australian schools from 2018 to 2029. The government remains committed to sector blind needs based funding arrangements and will provide an additional $3.2bn over 10 years to non-government schools identified as needing the most help from 2020 to 2029, with an additional $170.8m available in 2019 to give funding certainty. | The federal government is providing a record $309.6bn in recurrent funding to all Australian schools from 2018 to 2029. The government remains committed to sector blind needs based funding arrangements and will provide an additional $3.2bn over 10 years to non-government schools identified as needing the most help from 2020 to 2029, with an additional $170.8m available in 2019 to give funding certainty. |
| A further $1.2bn will be provided for a new fund to address specific challenges in the non-government school sector, such as supporting schools in drought-affected areas, schools that need help to improve performance and to deliver choice in communities. | A further $1.2bn will be provided for a new fund to address specific challenges in the non-government school sector, such as supporting schools in drought-affected areas, schools that need help to improve performance and to deliver choice in communities. |
| The government appreciates the constructive way the non-government sector has worked together to deliver these important reforms. | The government appreciates the constructive way the non-government sector has worked together to deliver these important reforms. |
| Update: There was another technical pair. | Update: There was another technical pair. |
| On the numbers for that suspended standing orders vote, we have been trying to get to the bottom of what happened. | On the numbers for that suspended standing orders vote, we have been trying to get to the bottom of what happened. |
| Rebehka Sharkie and Cathy McGowan voted with Labor and Adam Bandt and Andrew Wilkie to get them to 67. | Rebehka Sharkie and Cathy McGowan voted with Labor and Adam Bandt and Andrew Wilkie to get them to 67. |
| Bob Katter voted with the government – which got them to 68. | Bob Katter voted with the government – which got them to 68. |
| Which, as someone else also looking at this points out, if Katter had switched sides, the government would have lost (that particular) vote | Which, as someone else also looking at this points out, if Katter had switched sides, the government would have lost (that particular) vote |
| There were six pairs, I am told. But there are seven Coalition members who didn’t vote. | There were six pairs, I am told. But there are seven Coalition members who didn’t vote. |
| Warren Entsch and Alex Hawke are away, and were paired and Labor asked for four pairs, so Chris Crewther, Steve Irons, Sussan Ley and Andrew Wallace sat in the advisor’s box. | Warren Entsch and Alex Hawke are away, and were paired and Labor asked for four pairs, so Chris Crewther, Steve Irons, Sussan Ley and Andrew Wallace sat in the advisor’s box. |
| Ben Morton was absent - but seems like it was a technical error - he should have been paired, but his absence was known. | Ben Morton was absent - but seems like it was a technical error - he should have been paired, but his absence was known. |
| The simplest way to conceptualise that press conference is: Catholics and independents weren’t happy – so here’s a fist full of dollars.The specifics are: | The simplest way to conceptualise that press conference is: Catholics and independents weren’t happy – so here’s a fist full of dollars.The specifics are: |
| $170.8m in 2019 of interim funding – this is for a number of fixes, including rolling over the system-weighted average and guaranteeing 3% growth for independent schools; | $170.8m in 2019 of interim funding – this is for a number of fixes, including rolling over the system-weighted average and guaranteeing 3% growth for independent schools; |
| $3.2bn from 2020 to 2029 to Catholic and independent schools, to transition to a new measure of parents’ capacity to contribute that uses direct measures of their income rather than the vaguer socio-economic status score; | $3.2bn from 2020 to 2029 to Catholic and independent schools, to transition to a new measure of parents’ capacity to contribute that uses direct measures of their income rather than the vaguer socio-economic status score; |
| $1.2bn from 2020 to 2029 for a flexible “school choice” fund – which Dan Tehan described as “sector blind” but public schools CANNOT apply for. Instead, it’s for government priorities like diversity (keeping Catholic schools open) and specific issues such as regional, rural and remote education. | $1.2bn from 2020 to 2029 for a flexible “school choice” fund – which Dan Tehan described as “sector blind” but public schools CANNOT apply for. Instead, it’s for government priorities like diversity (keeping Catholic schools open) and specific issues such as regional, rural and remote education. |
| Morrison said that of the $4.5bn more in spending over the decade, $1.1bn will be in the next four years. That sum will be “reconciled” in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook in mid December, but did not promise to find offsets to pay for the spending. | Morrison said that of the $4.5bn more in spending over the decade, $1.1bn will be in the next four years. That sum will be “reconciled” in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook in mid December, but did not promise to find offsets to pay for the spending. |
| Instead, he pointed to improving revenue estimates due to improvements in business tax. | Instead, he pointed to improving revenue estimates due to improvements in business tax. |
| It looks like large swathes of parliament house are without internet at the moment, so people are actually having to call each other old school – Tanya Plibersek will be responding to the Catholic schools funding announcement in the opposition courtyard at 1.45. | It looks like large swathes of parliament house are without internet at the moment, so people are actually having to call each other old school – Tanya Plibersek will be responding to the Catholic schools funding announcement in the opposition courtyard at 1.45. |
| Not every backbencher was happy with having to support Peter Dutton in the vote Adam Bandt brought on, in an attempt to move a no-confidence motion against the home affairs minister, as that question in the press conference highlighted. | Not every backbencher was happy with having to support Peter Dutton in the vote Adam Bandt brought on, in an attempt to move a no-confidence motion against the home affairs minister, as that question in the press conference highlighted. |
| And some were very happy to support him. | And some were very happy to support him. |
| I have no intel on who is who, but I think you could probably guess which side parts of the backbench fell into. | I have no intel on who is who, but I think you could probably guess which side parts of the backbench fell into. |
| In response to Katharine Murphy’s question following up her story on the AMA calling on the government to move families on Nauru to the Australian mainland, where they can be properly treated and monitored by doctors – the question being, will you heed their calls – Scott Morrison says: | In response to Katharine Murphy’s question following up her story on the AMA calling on the government to move families on Nauru to the Australian mainland, where they can be properly treated and monitored by doctors – the question being, will you heed their calls – Scott Morrison says: |
| “We are getting families off Nauru. That’s what we’re doing. That’s why we have the arrangement with the United States and that’s why we’re pursuing that. We thank our partners in the US with the way we are able to progress with that. | “We are getting families off Nauru. That’s what we’re doing. That’s why we have the arrangement with the United States and that’s why we’re pursuing that. We thank our partners in the US with the way we are able to progress with that. |
| You know my views about this – I’m not going to put at risk any element of Australia’s border protection policy because I know when you do that, which is what Labor did last time, thinking it would have no effect, 1,200 people died. So I’m not going to do that.” | You know my views about this – I’m not going to put at risk any element of Australia’s border protection policy because I know when you do that, which is what Labor did last time, thinking it would have no effect, 1,200 people died. So I’m not going to do that.” |