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Morrison government slides further in the polls – politics live Peter Dutton signals possible changes to migration program – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Back briefly to Tony Abbott’s interview with 2GB’s Ray Hadley this morning.
Hadley wondered if Bill Shorten would take a tougher approach on domestic terrorism, if he becomes prime minister, in the aftermath of Melbourne’s Bourke St attack.
He said Victoria’s Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, was now saying we should kick people out of Australia if they have extremist views, so if he’s from the left of the Labor party and he’s saying things like that, what will Bill Shorten, who’s from the right, do?
Abbott replied this way:
The point I keep making Ray is that there is a clear difference between the Coalition and the Labor party when it comes to national security and economics,” Abbott said.
Taxes will always be lower under the Coalition, spending will always be more efficient under the Coalition, national security will always be in better hands under the Coalition, and of course power prices will always be lower under the Coalition, and that’s one of the reasons why, notwithstanding these polls, I’m still very optimistic that we can win.
I think that our team is together now in a way that maybe it wasn’t a few months back, I think Scott Morrison speaks clearly, I think our policies are moving in the right way, and yeah, when it comes to national security you can trust the Coalition but I’m not sure that you can trust anyone else.
So Abbott got some talking points in there but he didn’t answer the question he was asked.
And a point of fact: Abbott was wrong to say “taxes will always be lower under the Coalition”.
Look at the chart below from our colleague Greg Jericho. It shows the commonwealth government’s tax-to-GDP ratio under previous Coalition (blue) and Labor (red) governments.
The tax-to-GDP ratio has been higher, on average, under Coalition governments stretching back to Paul Keating’s final term in the early 1990s.
Now, the problem with that graph is it does not provide any information about the economic cycle – so it can leave people wondering why tax as a percentage of GDP has been higher under the Coalition for the past two decades.
To understand it properly you need some knowledge of the past 25 years of Australia’s political and economic history to know why the Coalition has been higher-taxing (tip: it has something to do with the global economic cycle).
Abbott stripped taxation of its historical context to turn it into a slogan, making a factually incorrect statement in the process. Truth being collateral damage.
But he’s repeated that lie so many times it’s a Sisyphean task fact-checking it each time. Onwards and upwards, then downhill again.
What about the statement: “Spending will always be more efficient under the Coalition”? What does that even mean?
Do you start by considering the government’s half a billion dollar grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, which was handed over without public scrutiny? Do you look at Scott Morrison’s recent pledge of more than $200m for Queensland water projects to shore up Bob Katter’s support in the lower house in the wake of the government losing its one-seat majority at the Wentworth byelection?
You would certainly find a long list of examples of Labor governments spending inefficiently, but you’d find the same with Coalition governments.
“Always” is a strong word. Abbott would have been safer saying “often more efficient”, but he’d still have to provide some evidence.
Now, on the Australian’s story about the states having to submit their migration requirements – including their infrastructure resources:
The govt is looking at forcing the states to submit their annual requirements for migrants..@ScottMorrisonMP: The states are in the best position to make a judgement about what the carrying capacity is in their states and territories. MORE: https://t.co/WfDO7vdNID #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/UmjiUCrpo8
“It’s a big mountain and I am still climbing it,” says Scott Morrison on the polls.
I now have Climb Ev’ry Mountain stuck in my head, so thank you for that.
When will you sign the free trade agreement with Indonesia?
“When we get around to it,” says Scott Morrison to David Speers.
He says he is not worried about it, that it is a “good deal” for both countries, and the issue of the “discussion” we are having about potentially moving our Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not a problem.
“The timing of any ultimate signing is up to them,” Morrison says.
And what will he tell Joko Widodo?
“I’ll update him with where we’re at,” he says.
And where are we at?
Having the discussion.
Speaking to David Speers from Sky News (he has been very busy this morning), Scott Morrison again says the Islamic community needs to do more to help authorities identify potential risks.
.@ScottMorrisonMP says he doesn’t consider Friday’s Bourke Street attack a national security failure. ‘We have had 14 thwarted attacks and seven attacks of this nature. As I’ve always said you can’t guarantee in all cases’.MORE: https://t.co/i5Tekh5HX2 #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/kL3KOncF86
.@ScottMorrisonMP: We need to ensure we do even more to counter extremist radical Islam. MORE: https://t.co/i5Tekh5HX2 #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/AJDNXyVhf3
Doug Cameron, also speaking ahead of the Senate sitting this morning, was a little more blunt about the Foodbank funding decision.
I just think they are stupid. I just don’t think they have got it really together. Why would you cut from Foodbank? Why would you cut from an organisation that is out there helping people stay alive, helping people get food every day of the week?
And again, Peter Dutton mentions citizenship at his media conference this morning;
Well, as has been reported, as we have made comment before, the government is working at the moment to – on the migration program.
We have also done some work around citizenship as well. I want to make sure people who become Australian citizens abide by our laws, adhere to our values and are going to be positive contributors to Australian society.
We’re a generous nation but we’re not going to take people in who would seek to do us harm and if you’re an Australian citizen, you have greater and more significant rights under the law and the constitution than you do if you’re a visa holder.
This is the problem with people that are born here, radicalised here – if they’re Australian citizens it’s much harder to deal with that person than somebody on a visa whose visa you could cancel and that person could be deported.
So I will make announcements in due course about any changes to the way in which the program is comprised, but as you know, last year through a number of means we were able to reduce the number of net migration and obviously the prime minister and other ministers – we’re working on that policy right now.
This story in the West Australian by Nick Butterly is insane. There is no other word for it.This story in the West Australian by Nick Butterly is insane. There is no other word for it.
The WA Liberal party is asking children to sign extraordinary ‘talent release’ forms that seek to ban people from criticising or satirising the party in public, or in private, for five years.The WA Liberal party is asking children to sign extraordinary ‘talent release’ forms that seek to ban people from criticising or satirising the party in public, or in private, for five years.
The forms, which it is understood were handed out by a federal Liberal MP’s staff to several children before a recent community event, also effectively seek to ban signatories from associating with other political parties.The forms, which it is understood were handed out by a federal Liberal MP’s staff to several children before a recent community event, also effectively seek to ban signatories from associating with other political parties.
Forms obtained by the Weekend West warn the ‘talent’ that on signing the papers they agree they shall not for five years ‘in public or in private, disparage the Liberal party of Australia, satirise the talent’s association with the Liberal party’ or otherwise make ‘any statement which might reasonably be expected to ‘adversely affect the image’ of the Liberals.Forms obtained by the Weekend West warn the ‘talent’ that on signing the papers they agree they shall not for five years ‘in public or in private, disparage the Liberal party of Australia, satirise the talent’s association with the Liberal party’ or otherwise make ‘any statement which might reasonably be expected to ‘adversely affect the image’ of the Liberals.
And those exact words?And those exact words?
The talent agrees ... that the talent shall not from five years from the date of this agreement appear or feature in any other advertising or promotional material relating to Australian political party or association other than the Liberal party,” the form says. The form is authorised by WA Liberal state director Sam Calabrese.The talent agrees ... that the talent shall not from five years from the date of this agreement appear or feature in any other advertising or promotional material relating to Australian political party or association other than the Liberal party,” the form says. The form is authorised by WA Liberal state director Sam Calabrese.
Jenny McAlister had a few things to say about the government’s cut to Foodbank’s Key Staples program (and yes, the total amount of money the government is spending on these programs has not been cut but it is now being spread across three charities, instead of two, meaning Foodbank has seen its funding cut).Jenny McAlister had a few things to say about the government’s cut to Foodbank’s Key Staples program (and yes, the total amount of money the government is spending on these programs has not been cut but it is now being spread across three charities, instead of two, meaning Foodbank has seen its funding cut).
Now I note that the government is out this morning arguing that it’s fine because they have provided a grant to another organisation. Well, it tells you how little they understand about their own programs, because what Foodbank tell us is that the money they have received from government, this core funding for the staples – pasta, rice, flour, pasta sauce – this is the bedrock of their program and it helps them leverage an $8 million program more broadly through working with farmers and wholesalers.Now I note that the government is out this morning arguing that it’s fine because they have provided a grant to another organisation. Well, it tells you how little they understand about their own programs, because what Foodbank tell us is that the money they have received from government, this core funding for the staples – pasta, rice, flour, pasta sauce – this is the bedrock of their program and it helps them leverage an $8 million program more broadly through working with farmers and wholesalers.
The government doesn’t understand its own programs. This is an inevitable consequence of having four ministers for social services in just five years, and I’d encourage Mr Fletcher to go out to the warehouse at Glendenning, as I have done, and take a look at Foodbank’s operation. They are doing amazing work – working with charities and volunteer organisations all across the country to deliver food to hungry people, and I cannot believe that this government would make the cut that they have.The government doesn’t understand its own programs. This is an inevitable consequence of having four ministers for social services in just five years, and I’d encourage Mr Fletcher to go out to the warehouse at Glendenning, as I have done, and take a look at Foodbank’s operation. They are doing amazing work – working with charities and volunteer organisations all across the country to deliver food to hungry people, and I cannot believe that this government would make the cut that they have.
Oh, and the bells rang for the Senate sitting. So there’s that.Oh, and the bells rang for the Senate sitting. So there’s that.
For the second day in a row, Peter Dutton has mentioned changes to citizenship as one of the things the government is looking at.
It’s been missed a little, in the response to the rest of the terrorism discussions, but it is very obviously still on the boil.
Here he is talking to Network Seven:
Look obviously the government has ramped up the number of visa cancellations, [for] people that have committed criminal offences, and we’re very happy to expand that, but we would need to get the support of the Senate to do it and there are a couple of bills – important bills – around citizenship where we’ve been knocked back. But look, if people have been made an Australian citizen, either by birth or by conferral, then that bestows upon them a constitutional protection, as opposed to somebody who is here on a visa. So you can go through the individual cases, but in most cases they’re born in Australia.
... So look, there are different ways in which we can tighten the laws up and we’re looking at that right now but, again, we need to get it through the Senate and so far we haven’t been able to get the support of Labor or the Greens, which we need in the Senate to make it work.
Oh how time flies
This popped up on my timeline as being 5 years ago today, with bonus Bernie Ripoll on the left @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo #auspol #politicsnotsolive pic.twitter.com/Rwb2kpIMpw
Getting closer to putting a full stop on this whole sorry saga:
Congratulations to @QldPolice on their investigation into recent strawberry tampering and the arrest announced yesterday. We now let the courts do their job.
On the Foodbank story, which you may have seen this morning, the prime minister says he’ll have a chat to minister Paul Fletcher about the department’s decision.
The government is right when it says the total allocation for these services has not been cut. But it is still cutting $323,000 a year from Foodbank’s Key Staples program, after the department decided to take that allocation and split it between three charities, instead of two.
While they all do important work, Foodbank’s program takes key pantry nonperishable items – flour, cereal, rice and canned goods – and sends it out across the country, to other charities and schools. Three years ago, they received about $1.5m a year for that program. Now they receive just under $430,000 to do the same job.
Scott Morrison told 10 he would have a look at it.
We had a competitive process and tender on who could best deliver the services, and instead of doing one organisation, there are now three. So the services are being delivered and that’s what’s important to those who need those services.
But I’ll have a chat to the social services minister and if there’s any need to review that decision, then it was a decision obviously made by the department and we’ll take a look at that.
But the important point, I think, to those watching at home is the services in relation to food support have been maintained at the same level. It’s just being delivered through more agencies. It’s not a closed shop.
Also, Scott Morrison said he would keep wearing his caps and doing his thing, and people can say what they like about it, but he’s just being himself.
You do you, Morrison. You, do, you.
Part of the discussion Scott Morrison had with the Studio 10 hosts, was, as you would expect, Friday’s events.
He said that before he made his comments on Friday, he spoke to members of the Islamic community. Morrison said he could not speak of the fatal attack without also acknowledging: “Here in Australia, we would be kidding ourselves if we did not call out the fact that the greatest threat of religious extremism in this country is the radical and dangerous ideology of extremist Islam.”
He’s been praised in some quarters and criticised in others, including by Labor MP and counter-terrorism expert Anne Aly, who described the comments as “politically desperate”.
PM @ScottMorrisonMP says Muslim leaders need to be looking carefully at who's coming into their community. #auspol #Studio10 pic.twitter.com/zNq4pZzzwZ
Tony Abbott:
Obviously the polls are not great ... but I reckon that when you go to the ballot box to vote, you ask yourself this basic question: who do you trust to govern the country more effectively and sure, we have had our ups and downs, but we have been essentially, a strong and competent government over the last five years. I think we’ll be a better government in the months and years to come then we might have been over the last couple of years and I think that we are still very, very competitive and I don’t think anyone should write this Coalition government off yet.
And Tony Abbott is on 2GB talking about how the “team is together now, in a way it wasn’t a few months back”.
Scott Morrison is on Studio 10, speaking about the Bourke Street attack.
"Was he a terrorist, or just a mad man?" PM @ScottMorrisonMP is asked on Studio 10."Yes he was a terrorist. He was radicalised," the PM answered.
It’s Senate-palooza this week, with the red chamber flying solo.
But understandably, most talk this morning is still about Friday’s fatal Bourke Street terrorist attack.
That comes as the Senate is about to debate the new powers the government wants to give state authorities to call in the defence force in terrorist situations. The Coalition and Labor have been in lockstep when it comes to issues of national security, so it is expected to pass later this week.
There is also the latest Newspoll, which shows both the Coalition and Scott Morrison’s personal popularity sliding further. Strangely, a bus/plane tour around Queensland, smashing beers and meat pies and talking to FM radio stations didn’t capture voters hearts and minds.
There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes and Morrison has set himself a punishing pace dealing with issues, and he is making headway, but so far, not a lot of cut through.
That’s led to today’s Newspoll, first published in the Australian, showing Labor leading 55% to 45%.
But worse for the Coalition is the primary vote. It’s dropped to 35%, which is seven points below the vote it had at the last election.
So it’s a government under pressure, heading into the summer holiday period when everyone and their cat switches off from politics.
But let’s get into it. Mike Bowers is back and walking the hallways and the entire Guardian brains trust is on deck.
I am on coffee two, so it’s not too bad.
Ready, let’s go.