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Craig Kelly's preselection to be saved amid Liberal open warfare – politics live Scott Morrison faces MPs after intervention in Craig Kelly saga – question time live
(35 minutes later)
Scott Morrison:
“On the weekend I had the opportunity to pass on the condolences of our nation directly to President Trump. Who, when I met with him and advised me that President Bush was very, very gravely ill and close to death, and indeed the next day that prove to be the case.
We have no greater friend than the United States. We have no greater ally. We have been together for a century and more. It is a bond that is built in what we believe and the sort of world we want to live in. And George Bush personified that division and those beliefs. As much as any other great president of the United States could have, and we thank him, for his friendship, we thank him for his service, and we pray for his family and may God bless America.”
Mathias Cormann has successfully suspended standing orders in the Senate, and has won a vote to overturn a decision the Senate made on Thursday that the debate on the Sex Discrimination bill (to protect LGBT students) end at 1:50pm.
The suspension succeeded 34-33 - with Centre Alliance senators Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick voting with the government this time instead of supporting the gag as they did on Thursday.
The motion then succeeded (35-33) - so the gag has been overturned. Cormann told the Senate the crossbench want more time to examine the government amendments, and moves to refer it to committee.
Penny Wong is outraged, accusing Cormann of “perverting the course of the Senate” because the government is concerned about losing a vote in the House of Representatives. Wong said the “whole purpose of the shenanigans, aided and abetted by Centre Alliance” is to help “put off a vote”.
“Call an election instead of lying about this issue as you have through the Wentworth byelection ... and shame on you senator Patrick for aiding and abetting this.”
What this means is: we won’t necessarily get a vote on Labor’s private members bill to protect LGBT students today.
This relieves the pressure on the government, as a successful Senate bill would go to the lower house and be another trigger to test government numbers on the floor.
Christopher Pyne is over at the crossbench, having a chat to Cathy McGowan.
Brings up a key point on why the government would be delaying the religious freedoms bill in the Senate – they don’t want it getting to the House this week. Because they don’t control the numbers in the House anymore, and they can’t control what would happen with it.
Just something to keep in mind.
Ahead of question time, we have the indulgence motions for George HW Bush, the 41st president of the United States.
What happened with the NSW state executive move?
Katharine Murphy and Anne Davies report:
The outspoken conservative Craig Kelly will remain the Liberal candidate for Hughes at the next federal election after the New South Wales party executive bowed to Scott Morrison’s wishes rather than allow the prime minister to be publicly humiliated.
Kelly chose to blow up an internal war within the Liberal party over his future by signalling last week he was prepared to go to the crossbench – following the Victorian Liberal Julia Banks – if he was dumped as the Liberal party candidate.
With the government finishing a torrid political year in a parlous parliamentary position, party figures went into overdrive to stop moderates from knocking off Kelly and triggering a fresh managerial crisis in Canberra.
Read their full story here:
NSW party bows to Morrison pressure to save Craig Kelly from preselection
Right, Paul Karp is working on the update, but the Senate suspension was the government reversing the order made last week, which essentially stopped the religious freedom bill from being debated today.
It won
Right, it was Who’s that MP time – and it was Trevor Evans
In the Senate, the government is attempting to suspend standing orders.
This caused some furious debate, from what I could see, from Penny Wong. President Scott Ryan got to his feet to stop it.
Am working on finding out what it was.
It is almost question time. I’ll be heading into the chamber, so you know the drill – hit me with those predictions
And of course, you can’t have Australian politics without safari suits (Ian Goodenough added himself to this prestigious gallery today)
Gough, of course. pic.twitter.com/rupdbFtaMm
pic.twitter.com/fsRbsYBvIL
This last one also included singing
Gos! pic.twitter.com/MdazZFL8SI
Let it be said that politics is not all cynicism and snarkLet it be said that politics is not all cynicism and snark
Today is the International Day of People with Disabilities. Today for me is about so much more than passive recognition. It is a day for celebration, commemoration, mourning and a recommitment to the fight for our lives and our rights #idpwd #IDPWD2018 #auspolToday is the International Day of People with Disabilities. Today for me is about so much more than passive recognition. It is a day for celebration, commemoration, mourning and a recommitment to the fight for our lives and our rights #idpwd #IDPWD2018 #auspol
Last sitting week for 2018. Even after 10 years as a MP, it remains an enormous honour and great privilege for a bloke from Sale High School to walk in these doors and represent Gippslanders #lovegippsland #myvalley #auspol pic.twitter.com/D7H5P5ndoBLast sitting week for 2018. Even after 10 years as a MP, it remains an enormous honour and great privilege for a bloke from Sale High School to walk in these doors and represent Gippslanders #lovegippsland #myvalley #auspol pic.twitter.com/D7H5P5ndoB
A bit more from the House earlier today:A bit more from the House earlier today:
Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox today: "We urge all political parties to avoid the temptation of pushing the proposed decryption legislation too quickly through the Parliament" #auspol https://t.co/80k3Kdw6nqAi Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox today: "We urge all political parties to avoid the temptation of pushing the proposed decryption legislation too quickly through the Parliament" #auspol https://t.co/80k3Kdw6nq
It had to be doneIt had to be done
Who wore it better?#auspol #politicslive pic.twitter.com/8bny48wuAGWho wore it better?#auspol #politicslive pic.twitter.com/8bny48wuAG
We are two and a bit years on from when this address was made.We are two and a bit years on from when this address was made.
This morning Senate President, @SenatorRyan, presented the address-in-reply to His Excellency the Governor-General Find out more about the address-in-reply here: https://t.co/vqOIKXINF7 pic.twitter.com/43SmnUccWYThis morning Senate President, @SenatorRyan, presented the address-in-reply to His Excellency the Governor-General Find out more about the address-in-reply here: https://t.co/vqOIKXINF7 pic.twitter.com/43SmnUccWY
I could make a snarky comment about how the federal court wasn’t needed in regards to this doctor’s advice, but I am sure it has already been done.I could make a snarky comment about how the federal court wasn’t needed in regards to this doctor’s advice, but I am sure it has already been done.
I will remain on medical leave this week on the advice of my doctor. The AG will continue to act for me during my absence.I will remain on medical leave this week on the advice of my doctor. The AG will continue to act for me during my absence.
This should fix it.This should fix it.
In honour of the 75th anniversary of the election of the first women to parliament, the House of Representatives and Senate alcoves are being renamed in honour of Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons.In honour of the 75th anniversary of the election of the first women to parliament, the House of Representatives and Senate alcoves are being renamed in honour of Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons.
The timing just seems absolutely exquisite. You could not script this stuff.*The timing just seems absolutely exquisite. You could not script this stuff.*
*Turns out you can – we have just been informed that Labor apparently started this process and the presiding officers agreed*Turns out you can – we have just been informed that Labor apparently started this process and the presiding officers agreed
This NSW state executive order really puts paid to the “on merit” argument, though doesn’t it.This NSW state executive order really puts paid to the “on merit” argument, though doesn’t it.
An update on encryption:An update on encryption:
Am hearing the PJCIS is not going to file its report on encryption today. There were suggestions that there is a surprise Labor-Coalition peace deal in the works. Am trying to confirm this. I know at least: not today. #auspolAm hearing the PJCIS is not going to file its report on encryption today. There were suggestions that there is a surprise Labor-Coalition peace deal in the works. Am trying to confirm this. I know at least: not today. #auspol
Things are going very well
.@AlanTudgeMP says the Govt wants to speak on the important issues listed for discussion today...Yet there is only one Liberal on the speaking list. pic.twitter.com/J8L5jGlCrO
The saga around conservative MP Craig Kelly’s preselection that has seen the Liberals tear themselves apart over the last 48 hours is set to be resolved in about half an hour. Kelly will be the candidate for Hughes.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has personally contacted moderates on the NSW Liberal party state executive and they have agreed to abstain from a vote, which is now taking place.
This will ensure that 90% of those voting will support the use of emergency powers to override the remaining local preselections, and reinstate sitting members, on the grounds that it’s too close to an election.
(That would include Jason Falinski, John Alexander and Lucy Wicks).
So much for the new democratic reforms the NSW Libs agreed to just a few months ago.
The result of the motion (remembering that there are quite a few pairs)
Ayes - 67
Noes - 71
Remember those photos of Peter Dutton having lunch with his family after not winning the leadership ballot?
Peter Dutton chose (A), at a cost of $4252. pic.twitter.com/hFCzZcilCt
The House is dividing on the latest ‘the government is really bad at governing’ motion.
It looks like the crossbench is largely abstaining.
Independent MP Cathy McGowan was asked this morning if she’d support a Labor motion to refer Peter Dutton to the high court under Section 44 of the constitution.
McGowan’s vote will be crucial, as a member of the crossbench in the lower house (whose power is growing, after Liberal MP Julia Banks defected to the crossbench last week), but she hasn’t yet offered a definitive position on it.
She said she had a quick briefing on the Dutton question this morning but she wasn’t completely across it, so she’d wait to see what Labor does, if anything, and then work with that.
However, as a general principle she said she was in favour of constitutional questions being referred to the high court because they’re the experts. Not her. If they’re referred to the high court it takes the politics out of it.
She also connected the problem of section 44 to the crossbench’s attempt to fix up parliament.
She said the crossbench knows parliament, as an institution, has huge deficiencies in 2018. That’s why she’s proposed new laws to govern the behaviour of parliamentarians and their staff with a code of conduct.
As Guardian Australia reported this morning, McGowan wants to establish an independent parliamentary standards commission that could refer individuals to a national integrity commission. McGowan says the reason why we have a problem with section 44 in the first place is because there’s no parliamentary code of conduct.
“And like, which business doesn’t have a code of conduct [in 2018]?”
Alan Tudge says Labor is playing “political games” with its motion and is stuck “in the Canberra bubble”.
He decides to use the rest of his time talking about infrastructure projects.
The day has just begun and we are already at the suspending standing orders point.
Tanya Plibersek has proposed to suspend standing orders to note that:
The member for Hughes has threatened to quit the government and move to the crossbench unless his Liberal party preselection is protected;
b) The prime minister is tearing the government apart to protect the member for Hughes, but did nothing to protect the member for Ryan, the member for Gilmore, Senator Gichuhi or the member for Chisholm; and
c) The minister for women has said the Liberal party is widely seen as ‘homophobic, anti-women, climate change deniers’ and
2: Therefore, reprimands the prime minister for only ever protecting the men in his party and abandoning its women.
It’s been reported in The Australian and Fairfax, and it is what we were told is one of the options – the state executive members who could have upset the peace deal to ensure Craig Kelly (and every other sitting NSW MP) will abstain.
So, Kelly is saved.
Let’s all just take a moment to remember that Malcolm Turnbull called preselecting Craig Kelly in this way, through the state executive decree, would be the “worst and weakest response”.
The state executive needs 90% to agree. Literally anything could happen today.
A bunch of people are pissed at Turnbull’s intervention, effectively pushing them into backing the executive peace deal. A bunch of other people are pissed that Kelly has put them into this situation.
“Unite and fight” indeed. Just maybe not how they meant it.