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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/nov/13/politics-live-foodbank-abc-senate-coalition-labor
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| Foodbank funding cut reversed by Coalition after outcry – politics live | Foodbank funding cut reversed by Coalition after outcry – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| And those citizenship changes that are bubbling away, which we alerted you to yesterday? | |
| Well, they are still on the boil. | |
| There is not a lot of time for the government to actually do anything – there are two sitting weeks left and it no longer has its majority in the House, meaning it is highly unlikely any changes will be made in the short term. | |
| But it sounds to me as if the government is preparing an election policy; | |
| .@MichaelSukkarMP on Bourke Street: We should expand the grounds by which people have their visas cancelled, we should be finding ways of revoking citizenship for people who clearly hate the society we live in. MORE: https://t.co/AeXIK8mgAX #amagenda pic.twitter.com/3FK9ii1Vzv | |
| Senior Liberal minister Mathias Cormann was interviewed on ABC TV this morning, and was asked about Tim Fischer’s criticism of ideologues in the Coalition who constantly criticise the ABC. | |
| Just to recap, former Nationals leader Tim Fischer on Monday said regional Australia “would be Siberia without the ABC” and “perhaps the ideological warriors should tone it down a bit”. | |
| “[They] should listen to all that the ABC, for its dynamic professionalism, is offering. I salute the ABC,” he said. | |
| “I could not live in and around Albury-Wodonga, Yackandandah, but for the ABC.” | |
| Cormann was asked about Fischer’s comments on Tuesday, and he said he had never criticised the ABC. | |
| “I agree that the ABC has a very important role and responsibility in the public interest,” he said. | |
| “You will find that personally I’ve never, ever criticised the ABC. I love the ABC, I appear on ABC outlets on a regular basis and I respect that you have journalists there doing their hardest work. | |
| “From time to time to ABC or other media outlets can be having questions raised against them. Personally I don’t believe I’ve queried an ABC story myself, I’ve queried stories with other journalists in private sector outlets. | |
| “So there’s nothing wrong with having a conversation about a report being accurate or not, but in the broad the ABC is an important organisation and we recognise it as such.” | |
| When Michael McCormack says “this is really going to help” he means it is going to help Foodbank do the job they were already doing before the government, through the department, made the decision to cut the key staples program funding. | |
| Three years ago, Foodbank was running this program with about $1.5m in funding. The $323,000 cut would have been the third cut it had been asked to absorb and reduced it’s funding, for this program, to just under $500,000. The decision to reverse the latest cut means it’s back to $750,000 a year, for 4.5 years. | |
| .@M_McCormackMP on Foodbank Funding: I certainly think the right decision has been taken. MORE: https://t.co/12xTAfCBb0 #amagenda pic.twitter.com/cKp9Gl0bgX | |
| That “big stick” the government has been talking about when it comes to energy companies? | That “big stick” the government has been talking about when it comes to energy companies? |
| Turns out it might be the high court which decides whether or not the government can use it. | Turns out it might be the high court which decides whether or not the government can use it. |
| As Katharine Murphy reports: | As Katharine Murphy reports: |
| Australia’s major electricity companies have raised questions about whether the Morrison government has the legal authority to proceed with its so-called “big stick” threat to break up companies for price gouging, and to impose the regulation of power prices. | Australia’s major electricity companies have raised questions about whether the Morrison government has the legal authority to proceed with its so-called “big stick” threat to break up companies for price gouging, and to impose the regulation of power prices. |
| The commercial law firm Ashurst has provided advice to the Australian Energy Council, which represents 22 major electricity and gas firms, saying there are concerns about the “framing and constitutionality” of the Morrison government’s measures intended to force price relief for consumers and business. | The commercial law firm Ashurst has provided advice to the Australian Energy Council, which represents 22 major electricity and gas firms, saying there are concerns about the “framing and constitutionality” of the Morrison government’s measures intended to force price relief for consumers and business. |
| The legal advice revealed on Tuesday says if the government intends to proceed with what amounts to “quasi-judicial” interventions, such as imposing price regulation, requiring generators to contract with third parties, and forcing divestment, then the power should be exercised independently of ministers “so that the decision-making process is not influenced by the potential for political interference, or the appearance of political interference”. | The legal advice revealed on Tuesday says if the government intends to proceed with what amounts to “quasi-judicial” interventions, such as imposing price regulation, requiring generators to contract with third parties, and forcing divestment, then the power should be exercised independently of ministers “so that the decision-making process is not influenced by the potential for political interference, or the appearance of political interference”. |
| You can read the rest of that report, here | You can read the rest of that report, here |
| Paul Fletcher ended yesterday by promising to look into “transitional” funding for Foodbank, as well as why the organisation was given just six weeks’ notice of the decision to cut $323,000 from its funding. | |
| This morning he has announced an increase to the amount of money allocated for food relief funding. | This morning he has announced an increase to the amount of money allocated for food relief funding. |
| From his statement: | From his statement: |
| The Liberal National Government will increase funding for food relief by $1.485 million over the next 4.5 years, to $5.985 million. | The Liberal National Government will increase funding for food relief by $1.485 million over the next 4.5 years, to $5.985 million. |
| This decision means that Foodbank’s funding will be maintained at $750,000 per year over the next 4.5 years, with Second Bite and OzHarvest to be funded as announced last week. | This decision means that Foodbank’s funding will be maintained at $750,000 per year over the next 4.5 years, with Second Bite and OzHarvest to be funded as announced last week. |
| The extra funding will enable a stronger focus on drought relief, while continuing existing service levels around Australia. | The extra funding will enable a stronger focus on drought relief, while continuing existing service levels around Australia. |
| I will be inviting the CEOs of Foodbank, Second Bite and OzHarvest to meet with me in a roundtable discussion in coming days to allow us to finalise the arrangements and co-ordinate a continuing collaborative approach to food relief. | I will be inviting the CEOs of Foodbank, Second Bite and OzHarvest to meet with me in a roundtable discussion in coming days to allow us to finalise the arrangements and co-ordinate a continuing collaborative approach to food relief. |
| This additional funding will be sourced within existing resources of the Department of Social Services. | This additional funding will be sourced within existing resources of the Department of Social Services. |
| The Government looks forward to working closely with Foodbank, Second Bite and OzHarvest to maximise the benefit of the vital food relief services they provide for vulnerable and homeless Australians. | The Government looks forward to working closely with Foodbank, Second Bite and OzHarvest to maximise the benefit of the vital food relief services they provide for vulnerable and homeless Australians. |
| Well, after 24 hours of criticism from everyone from the National Farmers’ Federation, to Jimmy Barnes, Labor and Kochie, the government has decided to reverse its funding cut to Foodbank’s Key Staples program. | Well, after 24 hours of criticism from everyone from the National Farmers’ Federation, to Jimmy Barnes, Labor and Kochie, the government has decided to reverse its funding cut to Foodbank’s Key Staples program. |
| Just before leaving for Singapore, Scott Morrison intervened to ask for the issue to be fixed. Paul Fletcher has responded by boosting the funding for food relief by $1.485m over the next four and a half years, bringing the total budget to $5.985m. | |
| That means no one gets cut and a third provider is funded. | That means no one gets cut and a third provider is funded. |
| It’s a problem which didn’t need to be created. While there was a tender process, and while OzHarvest, the third provider chosen, does do excellent work, it does a different job to the one Foodbank provides, so cutting one to pay for the other was a pretty shortsighted decision, especially when we are talking about the small amounts of money (for a national budget) we are seeing here. | It’s a problem which didn’t need to be created. While there was a tender process, and while OzHarvest, the third provider chosen, does do excellent work, it does a different job to the one Foodbank provides, so cutting one to pay for the other was a pretty shortsighted decision, especially when we are talking about the small amounts of money (for a national budget) we are seeing here. |
| So good to see common sense won out. | So good to see common sense won out. |
| Elsewhere, the Senate is still sitting, as it continues its solo week, but it will most likely be action outside the chamber that captures attention. | |
| Summit season has officially began, which I think makes Michael McCormack our acting prime minister. Morrison has Singapore, then PNG, then Argentina, as well as two more parliament sessions, but the domestic issues keep ticking over as well. | Summit season has officially began, which I think makes Michael McCormack our acting prime minister. Morrison has Singapore, then PNG, then Argentina, as well as two more parliament sessions, but the domestic issues keep ticking over as well. |
| We’ll keep you abreast of all of them. You’ve got Mike Bowers behind the lens and the Guardian brain’s trust on the job. I’ve got my second coffee. So we are all good. | We’ll keep you abreast of all of them. You’ve got Mike Bowers behind the lens and the Guardian brain’s trust on the job. I’ve got my second coffee. So we are all good. |
| Ready? | Ready? |
| Let’s get into it. | Let’s get into it. |