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Craig Kelly's preselection 'to be saved' amid Liberal open warfare – politics live Craig Kelly's preselection to be saved amid Liberal open warfare – politics live
(35 minutes later)
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.
The timing just seems absolutely exquisite. You could not script this stuff.
This NSW state executive order really puts paid to the “on merit” argument, though doesn’t it.
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. #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”.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.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.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: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;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; andb) 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’ andc) 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.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.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.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”.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.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.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.“Unite and fight” indeed. Just maybe not how they meant it.
I’ve made a couple of calls this morning to try and glean the latest on Craig Kelly after the explosion of the past 24 hours. Well-placed people tell me today’s task is to convince the state executive to re-endorse all sitting members in NSW, including Kelly, pronto.
(That would include Jason Falinski, John Alexander and Lucy Wicks).
That is what Scott Morrison wants to happen, and Malcolm Turnbull has now elevated the issue to a test of Morrison’s authority in the division.
Some think Turnbull’s intervention may boost Morrison’s position in this merde fight (in the sense that they can and will be prevailed upon not to humiliate the prime minister).
To be clear, I mean the current prime minister. Morrison wants the decision made, yesterday preferably – so it’s possible we’ll see a breakthrough today or tomorrow.
Separately to that, just by the by: a word on sentiment in NSW. Turnbull this morning said people in NSW favoured an early election.
I think a number of people in NSW do favour an early poll on the basis that the longer Morrison waits, the worse things get.
I referenced this view in some commentary a couple of weeks back.
Tim Storer and Cathy McGowan are holding a press conference to talk about the social security bill they are jointly introducing into the houses, which would see Newstart raised and an independent commission established to make sure it keeps pace with living costs.
Christian Porter this morning also had a few things to say about the encryption bill, while talking to ABC radio. He was responding to Mark Dreyfus’s letter calling on the government to come to a compromise:
Well pick up the phone. I mean if they’re happy to talk why write a letter saying negotiations are off and leak that to the newspaper on the most serious and urgent matter of national security the nation has faced in the last 18 months? I mean I just don’t get it. The other issue is the issue about the term, designated communications provider, and we maintain that it has to be the case that these assistants notices apply to the tech companies who maintain and manage specifically encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp and Wickr and others, including Telegram which was what the Etihad plotters were using. These two issues are critical to the bill. I mean these two issues Labor want to have the Government give enormous ground on in a way that makes the bill ineffective. Can I give you this example…
Just a quick word on the growing push for a federal integrity commission.
Last week, we heard National MPs were planning to oppose a federal integrity commission unless ministers were protected for issuing infrastructure grants against the advice of their departments.
The Nationals feared ministers could be found corrupt if they approved grants in rural or regional areas, instead of following recommendations to direct funding to projects in major cities.
But those fears have just been soundly rejected by former New South Wales integrity commissioner, David Ipp.
“There have been reports in the media that members of the National party fear that a national integrity commission could find that a minister, who acted against departmental advice, would be guilty of corrupt conduct solely on that ground,” Ipp said.
“That view is incorrect.”
Ipp said the issue has already been thoroughly considered in two 2013 reports by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac).
Both reports found the minister was fully entitled to take a position at odds with the recommendations of his or her department.
“Both reports make it plain that a minister is entitled, on appropriate grounds, to ignore and act contrary to advice or recommendations of public officials or departments,” Ipp said.
“There is nothing corrupt about such conduct where the minister acts on the strength of his or her own bona fide views.”
Ipp was an Icac commissioner between 2009 and 2014.
Rebehka Sharkie has introduced her live exports bill and Kerryn Phelps has introduced the Nauru medical evacuation bill.
To bring on the debates, they need an absolute majority – 75 plus one – which, even with Labor they still don’t have.
So these bills are not going anywhere, any time soon.
Mike Bowers was in the House for the morning activities:
As reported by Gabrielle Chan, Cathy McGowan has introduced her bill
Member for Indi @Indigocathy introduced National Integrity (Parliamentary Standards) Bill 2018 https://t.co/ICO14Goswz #auspol
The behaviour of parliamentarians and their staff would be governed by a code of conduct and an independent parliamentary standards commissioner who could refer individuals to a national integrity commission under laws proposed by the crossbench.
The independent Cathy McGowan has passed on her parliamentary standards bill to both the Coalition and Labor in the final parliamentary sitting week. McGowan would need to win the support of Labor and all seven crossbenchers to get the parliamentary bill debated on the floor of the House.
“I am still working on Labor and the government,” McGowan said. “I haven’t given up on government so I will keep talking about it all week.
“The prime minister said [an integrity commission] was a fringe issue but that is not true. There is huge support for this broadly and particularly in my seat.”
I just remembered that 2018 was the year Peter Dutton learned to smile again.
That was just three months ago.
Parliament has started, by the way
Labor is moving its bill to remove religious discrimination against LGBTI students.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has also weighed in:
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has today responded to new data released by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
Professor David Isaacs, a paediatrician and RACP Fellow who treated children in the Nauru detention centre in 2015, said:
“We call on the government to urgently address the medical crisis in Australia’s offshore detention centres by transferring the remaining children from Nauru and allowing urgent medical transfers for adult refugees and asylum seekers on the basis of independent medical advice.
“The medical evidence is clear, offshore detention has had significant and detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of refugees, particularly children and their families.
“The data released today by Doctors Without Borders is just the latest confirmation that there is a medical crisis in offshore detention. I witnessed it myself when I treated children on Nauru four years ago. But it is a crisis that is entirely preventable. The government can act to end it.
“In the last five years, 12 people have died within offshore detention arrangements. We cannot wait until another person dies. We have a responsibility to act.
“In Australia, clinical need, not politics, determines access to assessment and care. This should apply equally on Manus Island and Nauru.
“If a person needs urgent medical support, access to care must be determined by a doctor – not a politician.
“Regardless of your opinion on offshore processing, nobody wants to see critically ill people denied the medical treatment they need,” said Professor Isaacs.