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Government loses two procedural votes on medical evacuation bill – politics live
Government loses 'de facto confidence' vote as amended refugee medevac bill passes – politics live
(35 minutes later)
This is a group of people who were very aware of the visual impact they would be called upon to make today.
People smugglers and their customers are the only winners from Labor’s weakening of our border protection policies because ample medical treatment offshore and onshore was already available. Under Labor, it’s get on a boat, get to Nauru, get sick and get to Australia
The cross bench vote together to defeat the government during divisions in the house this afternoon @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo @GuardianAus #PoliticsLive pic.twitter.com/CZLunMtF0v
Narrator: It wasn’t.
The prime minister has come back into the chamber to argue against the amendments.
As seen by Mike Bowers:
He says it is “not the first time” Labor has “failed the test” on border protection.
It is only the first day of parliament.
It’s less than a minute in and you can tell he is fighting against the yell
When someone asks you what can Independents do ....Medivac.
And another reminder – if this bill passes the House, and it is looking like that is going to happen, then it goes back to the Senate.
The Morrison government has become the first since 1929 to lose a substantive vote on the floor of the House.
That sound you hear is the filibustering engine starting up.
The last time that happened, the Stanley Bruce government called an election the next day.
Bill Shorten is moving a motion to amend Christopher Pyne’s reject the Senate amendments motion (stay with me) to have the House agree to the Senate amendments.
Scott Morrison has already said he will not be doing that. Labor took out the renumeration issue, which took away the constitutional issues, and means the government has not lost control, even nominally, of the government’s finances.
Which, in short, means we are inching closer to the proper debate and vote on the medevac bill.
The majority of the crossbench have said they are not interested in a no-confidence motion and they want the government to go full term.
This is actually something that happened.
Someone would have to move a no confidence motion and then that same majority would have to support it.
So Pyne moves the Senate amendments be rejected. Bill Shorten has now moved the amendments be agreed to. Pyne says WHERE ARE THE AMENDMENTS. Speaker Smith says carry on everyone #auspol
As for the bill, it heads back to the Senate, where there are the numbers to pass it. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a long and drawn out process in terms of filibustering.
The government benches are looking very down.
That one is another win for Labor and the crossbench. It is done. The bill has passed the House.
Christopher Pyne’s “they will rue ...” is not even enough to unfurrow the brows.
Cheers and applause break out from the gallery as the MPs leave the House.
“They will rue the day they established the precedent ... something, something angry.”
Paul Karp is in the chamber:
Christopher Pyne is both angry AND disappointed.
It's 75-74 again for Shorten's amendments. So this is now the final vote on whether the motion as amended (to adopt the Senate bill plus amendments) is agreed. #auspol
Christopher Pyne is VERY upset by this.
For those who missed Scott Morrison’s speech
He is referencing England’s civil war, where Charles I tried to put in a ship tax, and the parliament was all “yeah, nah” and the country went to war.
.@ScottMorrisonMP has urged parliament to reject the medical transfers bill.'I will not stand here and have this parliament give itself the excuse to weaken the border protection framework.'MORE: https://t.co/qCXdYiVj4C #Speers pic.twitter.com/wvBvGmLwPa
I’m not sure anyone on the other side of the chamber cares.
Amendments to the refugee evacuation bill now being debated. Not perfect, because Labor shifted its position towards the gov, but we managed to pull Labor back today to the point where we can get a good outcome for refugees #Greens
But basically, Labor and the crossbench defeated the government’s attempt in the parliament to have this bill declared unconstitutional.
Labor and the crossbench win that one, 75 to 74.
That’s not a small deal.
The vote moves on to agreeing to the amendments Bill Shorten has put forward.
It is not over yet - Christopher Pyne is now attempting to move a motion that the Senate amendments be disallowed.
No one moves from their seat.
It's 75-74 again so Labor and the crossbench (minus Katter) have successfully called the govt's bluff that the constitutional issue should be the death of the bill. #auspol @AmyRemeikis
Labor has circulated the amendments, and they look like the ones that Murph reported on earlier.
Labor and the crossbench win that one as well. There is applause from the gallery.
With this add-on:
This vote is the “get on with it” motion Tony Burke has put forward (taking away the renumeration from the independent health panel to get around the section 53 issue).
(4) A person is not entitled to remuneration in respect of their position as a member of the panel.
No one moves, and Labor and the crossbench win that one as well.
The crossbench look to have sided with Labor in the vote to bring Bill Shorten’s amendments to a vote, now.
On Burke's amendment to Porter motion it's 75-74 again so we're on track to deal with the medevac bill itself, if Labor wins this next vote the House refrains to rule on the constitutional issue thrown up at last minute. #auspol
This would be the third vote the government loses on this.
Labor and the crossbench win that vote 75-74. Katter and Hogan voted with the government. We're now voting on Tony Burke's amendment nobody moving. #auspol
Just a reminder the last time a government lost a substantial legislation vote was 1929.
Ayes won 75 to 74.
Now it is time for Tony Burke’s amendments – looks like this is coming to the vote (minus the renumeration of the panel, which removes the money bill issue)
From the Live Minutes, it looks like this is the vote on amending Christian Porter’s motion, to include Tony Burke’s amendments. If that makes sense.
(Basically, Labor wants to amend Porters KILL IT WITH FIRE motion to get on with it)
It looks like everyone is present and accounted for.
