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| Indonesia 'considers' tearing up trade deal over Israel – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| And question time ends. | |
| I assume Scott Morrison has some phone calls to make. | |
| What a treat Joel Fitzgibbon has just given us – more Michael McCormack! | |
| Fitzgibbon: | |
| Is the minister aware of a [news] report that a very well-known national stakeholder has been ringing around for about three weeks in the face of ineffective representation on the agricultural sector? What is the minister’s response to that stakeholder, and will they say who we all know who he is? | |
| McCormack: | |
| I have to say that back when we first got into government, Mr Speaker, I always put my name, always have, put my name to a story, I don’t listen to anything where people are not prepared to put their name to it, Mr Speaker. | |
| And you should listen well...while they are picking on me, they are leaving you alone so rest assured Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, I have always been prepared to put my name to anything I have ever spoken to a journalist about. | |
| You can ask any journalist in the gallery, if I have something to say I put my name to it. | |
| We have the member for Warringah sitting up there, and he can full well account for the fact that, Mr Speaker, when I have said things, I put my name to it, because he phoned me a couple of times to ask me why I had made certain statements about things that the government were putting forward, and I said, well, prime minister, he was the prime minister at the time, I said at least I put my name to it. (The camera goes to Tony Abbott. He does not look impressed.) | |
| You don’t have to worry about somebody who puts their name to something, you have to worry about people who background journalists. You have to worry about people who background journalists. | |
| There is a cancer in Canberra at the moment, it is people who background journalists, it is no good for politics and no good for parliament. Mr Speaker, there are people opposite who background journalists. You are already finding out. | |
| The Australian people expect better from politicians, I see the member for Sydney nodding, because she agrees. Whether it is the National party or whether it is the Liberal party or whether it is Labor party, Mr Speaker, the Australian public just wants to, wants us to focus on what is important to them. And you know what is important to us, Mr Speaker, it is cost of living, it is power prices, it is the price of petrol, it is national security, it is border security. | |
| They are the things that the people out there watching this telecast, listening to the broadcast, they are the things that people want us to be focused on. I am focused on those things. | |
| The prime minister is focused on those things. And those opposite, instead of asking these sorts of questions, should be asking questions about the economy, should be asking questions about the economy, because that is what is important for them, these inside Canberra games you are playing, they will come back to bite you, don’t worry about that. | |
| People who background journalists have to look in the mirror and ask if that is really serving the people of Australia, is that what I should be doing today. | |
| No, I am focused on making sure that the people of Australia get well served and I put my name to everything I say to journalists.” | |
| Speaking to Hot Tomato a little earlier, Stuart Robert explained how the $38,000 internet bill happened (which he has agreed to pay back): | |
| “These things are awkward on our – there’s a management report that comes out every month, in these things, and goes through every single expense, but I probably just wasn’t paying enough attention.” | |
| There you have it. The assistant treasurer was not paying enough attention to what was being spent. | |
| Case closed. | |
| The ABC is reporting the Australian ambassador in Jakarta is seeking urgent talks with the Indonesian foreign minister. | |
| Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison: | |
| Is the prime minister aware of the reports that Indonesia is reconsidering its trade deal with Australia as a result of the prime minister’s rushed announcement today? How many jobs could be at risk as a result of the day’s foreign policy on the run announcement about moving the embassy? | |
| Morrison: | |
| It may not be known to leader of the opposition I have been in direct contact with President Joko Widodo over the course of last night and this morning, as has the minister for foreign affairs being in direct contact with the minister for foreign affairs of Indonesia. | |
| This is a regular part of our management of these foreign affairs relationships and I am pleased to be able to explain very clearly the nature of the announcements I have made today and I have been very pleased with the response that have received from President Joko Widodo and we’ll continue to work closely and cooperatively with our allies and with our partners all around the world on these issues. | |
| What I am looking forward to over the next few months, as we go through the summit season, is canvassing these ideas with other leaders and canvas their ideas before the government forms a particular view on this issue. | |
| That is actually how you make decisions. You consult with your friends, your neighbours, your allies, you commence a process, you do not unilaterally make this decision. | |
| We commence this process, we are doing it in good faith, we are open to the possibilities of what can be achieved. But what this shows in the reckless way that the leader of the Labor party has sought to undermine the announcements that have been made to date and to scare mum on this issue, Mr Speaker, is the recklessness with which he would adopt a policy in government. | |
| In 2018, if I had gone knocking on someone’s door and said if you elect the Labor party, 1200 people will die at sea or 50,000 people will turn up on a hundred boats...they will ensure that the budget goes into deep deficit and the debt will go off the charts, people would have locked me up, Mr Speaker. | |
| They would have locked me up. And I had the leader of the opposition saying “the chicken will not lay eggs” and the rest of it. When the people of Australia last elected a Labor government, they made a complete hash of it and the Australian people will not forget that. | |
| And because there is not enough going on, Daisy Turnbull Brown is also letting loose with opinions on the Liberal party (on teachers, which makes sense, given she is one) | And because there is not enough going on, Daisy Turnbull Brown is also letting loose with opinions on the Liberal party (on teachers, which makes sense, given she is one) |
| This disgrace of a week in Canberra is providing a lot of #SOR resources... #studiesofreligion #teachingresources #religioninaustraliapost1945 #itsnotoktoberacist https://t.co/cx4yuVOTmp | This disgrace of a week in Canberra is providing a lot of #SOR resources... #studiesofreligion #teachingresources #religioninaustraliapost1945 #itsnotoktoberacist https://t.co/cx4yuVOTmp |
| As Scott Morrison defends the government’s position on Israel, this comes through | As Scott Morrison defends the government’s position on Israel, this comes through |
| Breaking: Indonesia is considering suspending its imminent trade deal with Australia over PM @ScottMorrisonMP 's position on moving Australian embassy to Jerusalem | Breaking: Indonesia is considering suspending its imminent trade deal with Australia over PM @ScottMorrisonMP 's position on moving Australian embassy to Jerusalem |
| Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison: | Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison: |
| The secretary of DFAT has said that the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem had not been helpful and had made what was already a very, very difficult process even harder. | |
| Why is the prime minister ignoring the view of Australia’s top diplomat and making up foreign policy on the run? Does the prime minister seriously expect anyone to believe that this stunt was about anything other than when workers lack is he really so desperate that he will say and do anything to save Wentworth including overturning 70 years of bipartisanship and foreign policy? | |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| Bob Carr, Bob Carr, Bob Carr. | |
| Peter Dutton gets another chance to tell you how safe you are. | Peter Dutton gets another chance to tell you how safe you are. |
| Very. Because Labor is not in government [insert spooky music] | Very. Because Labor is not in government [insert spooky music] |
| Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: | Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: |
| In June, when asked whether Australia would follow President Trump and move its embassy to Tel Aviv, the now prime minister said, and I quote, no, no, it is not the government’s policy, it has never been under review and we are not doing it. | |
| Does the prime minister stand by this statement or is the prime minister really so desperate to save Wentworth that he will say and do anything, even if it means overturning 70 years of bipartisan foreign policy? | |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| My statement in June reflected the policy of the government at the time. As prime minister I had made announcements today which flagged that our government is considering, in the context of a two-state solution, which we do not resile from, in fact it is because of our commitment to a two-state solution that we believe that we need to be open to more innovative ways to progress that agenda, and that should involve consideration not only of the recognition of the capital of Israel being in Jerusalem, but also of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, and for an embassy to potentially be located in West Jerusalem, Mr Speaker. | |
| Tomorrow morning, the United Nations will vote on the G77 decision that would allow Palestine to take up the chair of the G77. | |
| Our government will not be sitting on the fence, will be voting no on that decision, Speaker. And in addition to that, as has been explained by the minister for defence, we are viewing without prejudice our position on the joint comprehensive plan of action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, Mr Speaker. | |
| This is an issue of real concern within the Jewish community, Mr Speaker, as I am sure members opposite know and are being silenced by members like the member for Sydney, or the member for Watson, Mr Speaker, or the faction within New South Wales controlled by Bob Carr, who is making the Labor party walk away from their support of Israel, which was once understood and was once appreciated, and now, and now the Labor party cannot form a view on this, Mr Speaker. | |
| Well, our government can form a view, we can form a view, we are for a two-state solution and we are for our support for the nation state of Israel, and we are for working together to go and achieve that solution in a way that considers, it considers, Mr Speaker, the proposal that we could potentially have recognition of the capital in Jerusalem and potentially have an embassy is located in Jerusalem. | |
| Now, the Labor party will not even allow that thought to pass their minds. All I have simply said today is we have not made progress, we are not making progress to a two-state solution in the Middle East. | |
| If you keep doing the same thing, Mr Speaker, as the Labor party wants to do, you will not get a different outcome. We believe in a two-state solution and we are prepared to listen to innovative ideas like the former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who would know more about this issue than any single person sitting on those benches, Mr Speaker. | |
| And I would welcome his contribution in this chamber as someone who understands the sensitivities and the complexities of achieving a two-state solution, so we know what Dave Sharma stands for...[he runs out of time] | |
| Christopher Pyne just took a dixer on Israel and turned it into Labor’s problem: | Christopher Pyne just took a dixer on Israel and turned it into Labor’s problem: |
| “They keep claiming bipartisanship on national security. What is their position on the decision that we have taken, the announcement that we have made today. [To vote no in the UN vote on Palestine taking up the leadership of the G77] | “They keep claiming bipartisanship on national security. What is their position on the decision that we have taken, the announcement that we have made today. [To vote no in the UN vote on Palestine taking up the leadership of the G77] |
| What is Labor’s position on the announcement that we have made today to strengthen our relationship withIsrael, Mr Speaker? The truth is Labor is riven by division overIsrael, Mr Speaker. Bob Carr and New South Wales Labor Party have taken control of the agenda on Israel insider Labor Party and it is time for the Leader of the Opposition to stand up and support the government’s announcement that he made today.” | What is Labor’s position on the announcement that we have made today to strengthen our relationship withIsrael, Mr Speaker? The truth is Labor is riven by division overIsrael, Mr Speaker. Bob Carr and New South Wales Labor Party have taken control of the agenda on Israel insider Labor Party and it is time for the Leader of the Opposition to stand up and support the government’s announcement that he made today.” |
| Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: | Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: |
| “The prime minister is refusing to act on removing discrimination against LGBTI teachers until after the government has released the Ruddock report. Why is the prime minister keeping the Ruddock report a secret until after the Wentworth byelection? | “The prime minister is refusing to act on removing discrimination against LGBTI teachers until after the government has released the Ruddock report. Why is the prime minister keeping the Ruddock report a secret until after the Wentworth byelection? |
| “After five months, why do Australians, including voters in Wentworth, have to wait until after the byelection to know what the government will do? If the prime minister is not planning anything harmful, what does he have to hide?” | “After five months, why do Australians, including voters in Wentworth, have to wait until after the byelection to know what the government will do? If the prime minister is not planning anything harmful, what does he have to hide?” |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| All the recommendations of the report had been reported in the press already. They are out there. So they are well known, they are out there. What I am doing, Mr Speaker, I am ensuring that the government’s response will be prepared, and will be provided in an orderly way, and that will provide the opportunity for this parliament to properly consider what are very sensitive and complex issues, conflict issues that the member for Isaacs has properly recognised as being quite difficult to work through. | All the recommendations of the report had been reported in the press already. They are out there. So they are well known, they are out there. What I am doing, Mr Speaker, I am ensuring that the government’s response will be prepared, and will be provided in an orderly way, and that will provide the opportunity for this parliament to properly consider what are very sensitive and complex issues, conflict issues that the member for Isaacs has properly recognised as being quite difficult to work through. |
| There are many different views in this chamber, and outside of this chamber, and I think we should work together to resolve those and deal with these matters in an orderly way. It was only a week ago, it was only a week ago that the member for Sydney said – when asked should these laws be abolished and should we have this discrepancy – she said “Is not Labor’s plan to reduce any existing exemptions”. That was her policy from a week ago. | There are many different views in this chamber, and outside of this chamber, and I think we should work together to resolve those and deal with these matters in an orderly way. It was only a week ago, it was only a week ago that the member for Sydney said – when asked should these laws be abolished and should we have this discrepancy – she said “Is not Labor’s plan to reduce any existing exemptions”. That was her policy from a week ago. |
| And now she is coming in here and lecturing us on laws that the Labor party introduced and took through their cabinet, which provided the very discrimination that she is now saying should be reversed, only a week ago she said they should not be reversed. | And now she is coming in here and lecturing us on laws that the Labor party introduced and took through their cabinet, which provided the very discrimination that she is now saying should be reversed, only a week ago she said they should not be reversed. |
| Forgive me, Mr Speaker, if the government is going to take a more responsible and orderly process to provide our response. Mr Speaker, seven weeks ago, just over, I took on the role of prime minister. I had not seen that...report. | Forgive me, Mr Speaker, if the government is going to take a more responsible and orderly process to provide our response. Mr Speaker, seven weeks ago, just over, I took on the role of prime minister. I had not seen that...report. |
| It had not been into cabinet to be considered prior to that time and in the last seven weeks I have been focusing on the drought, I have been focusing on small and family business tax cuts, I have been focusing on royal commission into residential aged care, I have been focusing on electricity prices and bringing them down. These are the issues that I have been focusing on as prime minister with our team, Mr Speaker. | It had not been into cabinet to be considered prior to that time and in the last seven weeks I have been focusing on the drought, I have been focusing on small and family business tax cuts, I have been focusing on royal commission into residential aged care, I have been focusing on electricity prices and bringing them down. These are the issues that I have been focusing on as prime minister with our team, Mr Speaker. |
| And we will deal with these very important issues around religious freedoms in an orderly way and in a way that is respectful to all the participants. What I would ask, and what I have written to the leader of the opposition to do, is that in the area of most acute anxiety...in the Ruddock review, that created unnecessary anxiety with students because of their sexuality or their gender identity, we would like to see that issue resolved, with these matters coming before this parliament. | And we will deal with these very important issues around religious freedoms in an orderly way and in a way that is respectful to all the participants. What I would ask, and what I have written to the leader of the opposition to do, is that in the area of most acute anxiety...in the Ruddock review, that created unnecessary anxiety with students because of their sexuality or their gender identity, we would like to see that issue resolved, with these matters coming before this parliament. |
| I think we should operate in the area of obvious consensus and get it done and not allow other issues to distract us from that task. | I think we should operate in the area of obvious consensus and get it done and not allow other issues to distract us from that task. |
| Mark Dreyfus to Scott Morrison: | Mark Dreyfus to Scott Morrison: |
| Yesterday when asked about laws which allowed discrimination against LGBTI teachers, the treasurer said and I quote “I don’t think these laws are right”. Today Liberal senator Dean Smith has said he supports “amendments to remove discrimination against LGBTI teachers”. Will the prime minister join with Labor to ensure that teachers cannot he sacked just because of who they are and who they love? | Yesterday when asked about laws which allowed discrimination against LGBTI teachers, the treasurer said and I quote “I don’t think these laws are right”. Today Liberal senator Dean Smith has said he supports “amendments to remove discrimination against LGBTI teachers”. Will the prime minister join with Labor to ensure that teachers cannot he sacked just because of who they are and who they love? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| What I have said yesterday and will say again today is that the issues relating to the broader religious freedom report will be dealt with once we have had the opportunity as a government to provide our response and release the full report, and there will be time enough to deal with those important issues down the track, and we look forward to doing that. | What I have said yesterday and will say again today is that the issues relating to the broader religious freedom report will be dealt with once we have had the opportunity as a government to provide our response and release the full report, and there will be time enough to deal with those important issues down the track, and we look forward to doing that. |
| What I have written to the leader of the opposition about is ensuring that we act right now, right now, in an area of absolute consensus when it comes to the issue of ensuring that there is, that children who are in schools, who may have fears or anxieties related to the way that this issue was misrepresented over the last couple of weeks, that we can deal with that once and for all and practically deal with this issue, and we should not play politics with it. | What I have written to the leader of the opposition about is ensuring that we act right now, right now, in an area of absolute consensus when it comes to the issue of ensuring that there is, that children who are in schools, who may have fears or anxieties related to the way that this issue was misrepresented over the last couple of weeks, that we can deal with that once and for all and practically deal with this issue, and we should not play politics with it. |
| We should be able to get on and do it because, Mr Speaker, even the member who asked me a question today has admitted in his interview with Fran Kelly today that the question of exemption for staff, teachers and other staff working in religious schools, is a complex one. | We should be able to get on and do it because, Mr Speaker, even the member who asked me a question today has admitted in his interview with Fran Kelly today that the question of exemption for staff, teachers and other staff working in religious schools, is a complex one. |
| We will deal with these views and deal with it in an orderly way and do it in an adult way, with proposals before us that can be consulted on and discussed. What I think we should be doing now is legislating and taking the opportunity of this sitting fortnight to legislate to ensure that children are protected from the laws that were introduced, I remind those opposite, by the Labor party, they introduced them, the member for Sydney only said in January that there were no plans to change anti-discrimination exemptions and she said on the talk of October that it was not Labor’s plan to reduce any of those existing exemptions. | We will deal with these views and deal with it in an orderly way and do it in an adult way, with proposals before us that can be consulted on and discussed. What I think we should be doing now is legislating and taking the opportunity of this sitting fortnight to legislate to ensure that children are protected from the laws that were introduced, I remind those opposite, by the Labor party, they introduced them, the member for Sydney only said in January that there were no plans to change anti-discrimination exemptions and she said on the talk of October that it was not Labor’s plan to reduce any of those existing exemptions. |
| I am happy to concede that there are many positions on this and this is a complex issue, as the member for Isaacs said. We will deal with this when there is a proposal on the table from the government to the review, but for now the attorney is working with the shadow attorney to make sure we have a legislative amendment to honour what I wrote to the leader of the opposition about, flagged on the weekend, and I rang him on Monday. | I am happy to concede that there are many positions on this and this is a complex issue, as the member for Isaacs said. We will deal with this when there is a proposal on the table from the government to the review, but for now the attorney is working with the shadow attorney to make sure we have a legislative amendment to honour what I wrote to the leader of the opposition about, flagged on the weekend, and I rang him on Monday. |
| An emergency meeting of representatives from Middle Eastern and North African countries is currently under way at the office of the Palestinian delegation to Australia in Canberra to discuss Scott Morrison’s comments regarding moving the embassy to Jerusalem. | An emergency meeting of representatives from Middle Eastern and North African countries is currently under way at the office of the Palestinian delegation to Australia in Canberra to discuss Scott Morrison’s comments regarding moving the embassy to Jerusalem. |
| The Palestinian representative to Australia, Izzat Salah Abudulhadi, was joined by representatives from the embassies of a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Kuwait, Jordan, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Iraq. | The Palestinian representative to Australia, Izzat Salah Abudulhadi, was joined by representatives from the embassies of a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Kuwait, Jordan, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Iraq. |
| Abdulhadi has called Morrison’s plan to consider moving the embassy “deeply disturbing”, saying it could embolden the Trump administration in their plans to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict in a way that leaves the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees “off the table”.“The short-term political gain that could be secured by moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would surely be outweighed by the detriment both to Australia’s international standing and in its relations with Arab and Muslim-majority countries and the international community more broadly,” Abdulhadi said. | Abdulhadi has called Morrison’s plan to consider moving the embassy “deeply disturbing”, saying it could embolden the Trump administration in their plans to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict in a way that leaves the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees “off the table”.“The short-term political gain that could be secured by moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would surely be outweighed by the detriment both to Australia’s international standing and in its relations with Arab and Muslim-majority countries and the international community more broadly,” Abdulhadi said. |
| The delegation urged the government to “exercise caution and prudence towards this sensitive final-status issue and to seriously consider the consequences of any such move”. | The delegation urged the government to “exercise caution and prudence towards this sensitive final-status issue and to seriously consider the consequences of any such move”. |