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Greens back at the bargaining table over medical evacuation bill – politics live Greens back at the bargaining table over medical evacuation bill – question time live
(35 minutes later)
Over in the Senate, the government, seemingly sensing a deal is very close to being struck on amendments to the medevac bill, are now talking on the Greens motion – including Mathias Cormann, who rarely speaks himself on stuff like this.
What that does is delay the government reaching its own legislative agenda. Which delays any other business, if you are picking up what I am putting down.
It is inching closer
Independent MP Cathy McGowan will be supporting the crossbench medical transfer bill. Statement here: #auspol pic.twitter.com/ol2fAxEZ7M
Scott Morrison is now moving a motion acknowledging the 10-year anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires.
Yes, even Bob Katter is in the parliament.
Just as an update, everyone is in their seat. Ann Sudmalis and Jenny Macklin are back from their New York UN exchange.
Quips aside, a bit more from Cory Bernardi and the filibustering on demand:
“It really depends on what it ends up like, but I am opposed to the bill as it stands,” he tells Murph.
The chamber has been called to order.
It’s dealing with a few condolence motions first, so question time is a few minutes off.
Just a quick by-the-by on the asylum bill before we enter the hour of glower: Folks with longish memories will remember that last year the government was saved by Cory Bernardi, who engaged in a filibuster to ensure the Coalition was not humiliated by losing a vote on the floor of the House for the first time since 1929.
Cory talked and talked and talked to prevent that humiliation. I thought it prudent to ask Bernardi if he was ready to talk and talk and talk again, in the event the medical evacuations bill passes the House amended later today and has to bounce back up to the Senate for amendments.
Cory is, of course, happy to serve.
I am always available to contribute to Senate processes in the best way possible.
Question time is about to begin. I’ll be heading into the chamber, so hit me up with your QT predictions!Question time is about to begin. I’ll be heading into the chamber, so hit me up with your QT predictions!
Peter Dutton was asked about the AFP’s role in this by Samantha Maiden earlier today and said he believed Andrew Colvin would have something to say on it, sometime in the future. Peter Dutton was asked about the AFP’s role in what happened to refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi by Samantha Maiden earlier today and said he believed Andrew Colvin would have something to say on it, some time in the future.
But Craig Foster, who was absolutely instrumental in bringing Hakeem al-Araibi home, had this to say about moving forward:But Craig Foster, who was absolutely instrumental in bringing Hakeem al-Araibi home, had this to say about moving forward:
There’s no question that going forward, there will have to be a thorough investigation into the role of the AFP in what occurred with this red notice. There’s no question that, going forward, there will have to be a thorough investigation into the role of the AFP in what occurred with this red notice.
For many reasons. One is because, as the public, we need to be completely confident that the processes have been followed and secondly, we need to ensure that the system is going to be changed and one of the issues to come out of this, and there are, as I said before, we intend to ensure that we utilise this case to hold people accountable within the governance of sport, and there are some people here within Asia and elsewhere who we don’t think have acted appropriately. For many reasons. One is because, as the public, we need to be completely confident that the processes have been followed and, secondly, we need to ensure that the system is going to be changed. And one of the issues to come out of this … as I said before, we intend to ensure that we utilise this case to hold people accountable within the governance of sport, and there are some people here within Asia and elsewhere who we don’t think have acted appropriately.
And that’s a big issue for us in sport. We think that this was very much about the soul of sport, which has been sold and money has infiltrated the values of both football and other sports and we think that it’s time to start to climb that back, and Hakeem Al Araibi standing here and talking to Australia is a big blow in that regard, but also, we want to see an investigation into Interpol and the use of red notices itself - not just Australia’s role, which was after the Interpol red notice was placed on him. And that’s a big issue for us in sport. We think that this was very much about the soul of sport, which has been sold and money has infiltrated the values of both football and other sports and we think that it’s time to start to climb that back, and Hakeem al-Araibi standing here and talking to Australia is a big blow in that regard. But also we want to see an investigation into Interpol and the use of red notices itself – not just Australia’s role, which was after the Interpol red notice was placed on him.
But this concept of countries using the red notice in order to try to re-foul people that they want to return for nefarious reasons has to now become a very serious issue and it is something that we’ll be taking up in the coming months.But this concept of countries using the red notice in order to try to re-foul people that they want to return for nefarious reasons has to now become a very serious issue and it is something that we’ll be taking up in the coming months.
Labor is supporting a motion moved by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young calling for the cap on water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin plan to be repealed immediately.Labor is supporting a motion moved by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young calling for the cap on water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin plan to be repealed immediately.
An emotional Hanson -Young asked her Senate colleagues to back the repeal of the cap, saying that the objectives of the plan had been corrupted due to politics and corporate greed.An emotional Hanson -Young asked her Senate colleagues to back the repeal of the cap, saying that the objectives of the plan had been corrupted due to politics and corporate greed.
The cap was introduced by legislation into the plan in 2015 by the Coalition, which feared the backlash in rural communities from the economic impacts of buybacks.The cap was introduced by legislation into the plan in 2015 by the Coalition, which feared the backlash in rural communities from the economic impacts of buybacks.
But this left the plan far more reliant on other measures to meet the overall target of recovering 2750GL for the environment.But this left the plan far more reliant on other measures to meet the overall target of recovering 2750GL for the environment.
These alternatives include projects to help manage the river better, removing constraints on the river, more efficient farming practices and reducing evaporation.These alternatives include projects to help manage the river better, removing constraints on the river, more efficient farming practices and reducing evaporation.
The latest drought and the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of fish dying in the Darling at Menindee has focussed attention on whether the plan is actually working.The latest drought and the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of fish dying in the Darling at Menindee has focussed attention on whether the plan is actually working.
Hanson-Young says it’s clearly not working, as evidenced by recent reports and the fish deaths.Hanson-Young says it’s clearly not working, as evidenced by recent reports and the fish deaths.
“The prime minister might want us to pray for rain, but clearly something is rotten and it needs to be cleaned up now,” she said.“The prime minister might want us to pray for rain, but clearly something is rotten and it needs to be cleaned up now,” she said.
“Millions of dead fish, a stressed river and some pretty happy irrigators.”“Millions of dead fish, a stressed river and some pretty happy irrigators.”
She pointed the finger clearly at the former water minister, Barnaby Joyce, and the Nationals.She pointed the finger clearly at the former water minister, Barnaby Joyce, and the Nationals.
“The system has been overallocated for decades and we have to give water back to the environment,” she said.“The system has been overallocated for decades and we have to give water back to the environment,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter what tricks of accounting this government does, mother nature is crying out for help,” she said.“It doesn’t matter what tricks of accounting this government does, mother nature is crying out for help,” she said.
Hanson-Young is also backing a royal commission. Labor had backed the cap in 2015, but is now supporting its removal, which would require an amendment to legislation.Hanson-Young is also backing a royal commission. Labor had backed the cap in 2015, but is now supporting its removal, which would require an amendment to legislation.
A report by the Productivity Commission found that buying water rights from farmers is a far more efficient way of returning water to the environment and that projects designed to achieve similar outcomes were both uncertain and expensive.A report by the Productivity Commission found that buying water rights from farmers is a far more efficient way of returning water to the environment and that projects designed to achieve similar outcomes were both uncertain and expensive.
As I have just been reminded, if the crossbench comes on board with Labor’s proposed amendments to the medevac bill, and then it is passed in the House, it will have to go back to the Senate, because it’s been amended from the bill which was originally sent through to the House.As I have just been reminded, if the crossbench comes on board with Labor’s proposed amendments to the medevac bill, and then it is passed in the House, it will have to go back to the Senate, because it’s been amended from the bill which was originally sent through to the House.
And we all know what happened the last time this bill was in the Senate.And we all know what happened the last time this bill was in the Senate.
Let’s come back to (medevac bill) time frames for a minuteLet’s come back to (medevac bill) time frames for a minute
I can only apologise really. There are so many moving parts it’s almost impossible to deliver smooth and linear coverage of a process that is neither smooth, nor linear.I can only apologise really. There are so many moving parts it’s almost impossible to deliver smooth and linear coverage of a process that is neither smooth, nor linear.
I mentioned earlier the intel out of the talks was the time frame for determinations was heading for a landing point of 48 hours rather than where things started at the beginning of the day, which was as soon as practicable.I mentioned earlier the intel out of the talks was the time frame for determinations was heading for a landing point of 48 hours rather than where things started at the beginning of the day, which was as soon as practicable.
People are now counseling me away from 48 hours.People are now counseling me away from 48 hours.
Several people are saying what’s under discussion at this moment is a seven-day time frame, with provision for urgent medical transfers.Several people are saying what’s under discussion at this moment is a seven-day time frame, with provision for urgent medical transfers.
Just flagging this more up-to-date advice in the event this is where things ultimately settle. I’ve been saying all morning this is a movable feast.Just flagging this more up-to-date advice in the event this is where things ultimately settle. I’ve been saying all morning this is a movable feast.
We just have to keep moving.We just have to keep moving.
Hakeem is here! #HakeemSaved 🙏@Craig_Foster pic.twitter.com/lgzxhMfu32
I think we have already established that facts don’t seem to matter in this debate one iota.
.@PeterDutton_MP on the medivac bill: We’ve watched this show before with Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. They did exactly the same thing. At least Kevin Rudd waited until he got into office before he dismantled … border security measures. MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #newsday pic.twitter.com/L6OW4tpxvG
If you’re going to make a hysterical attack @PeterDutton_MP, better get your facts right - the eminent QC and constitutional expert Peter Hanks is an entirely different person from (the also eminent) refugee law expert Matthew Albert. #auspol #whoops
The Senate is still debating the Murray-Darling Basin motion, but Labor has added amendments which would allow a bill to remove the 1500GL cap buyback.
UPDATE: Federal Labor caucus has agreed to reverse the cap on buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin. A private members bill could hit the upper house as early as tonight. Labor will take this to the election as policy #auspol #agchatoz #mdb
The latest Guardian Essential poll has landed.
As Katharine Murphy reports:
The banking royal commission findings appear to have delivered a political fillip to Labor, with the opposition extending its lead over the Coalition 55% to 45% on the two-party-preferred measure.
The new Guardian Essential poll, taken before Monday’s major party brinkmanship on asylum seekers in the lead-up to the resumption of parliament, puts the government’s primary vote on 34% and Labor’s on 38%, and the independents’ share of the vote has risen to 11%, up from 9%.
The positive movement in Labor’s direction follows a shift in favour of the Coalition in last week’s survey. Last week Labor was ahead of the Morrison government on the two-party-preferred measure 52% to 48% – a shift within the margin of error from the last voter survey of last year, and one in mid-January that had Labor ahead 53% to 47%.
The fallout from the banking royal commission, controversy over the Liberal Tim Wilson’s use of a taxpayer-funded inquiry into Labor’s policy on franking credits to leverage a partisan campaign, and an escalating political brawl about border protection dominated the news last week.
That follows on from yesterday’s Newspoll, which had Labor leading the government 53 to 47.
AAP has an update on last week’s parliamentary network cyber-hack attempt:
The hunt for the perpetrators of a sophisticated cyber-attack on Australia’s federal parliamentary computer network is continuing.
Security industry sources have told AAP it is possible China could be the source of the latest breach.
Senate president Scott Ryan told parliament it would be some time before the investigation would be completed, saying he could not yet attribute blame for the intrusion.
“It is important to understand the methods used by malicious actors are constantly evolving and no network, including the parliamentary computing network, is considered 100 per cent secure,” Senator Ryan said on Tuesday.
But Senator Ryan stopped short of blaming the global superpower while the Australia Signals Directorate and the Department of Parliamentary Services investigate the hacking.
MPs and staff changed their passwords on security advice after last week’s attack.
“I can assure the Senate this action was carried out as a standard security incident response procedure and precautionary measure to protect user access and information,” Senator Ryan said.
Michael Keenan, who has very strong opinions on a lot of things in this interview – mostly how terrible this bill is and how it will bring the borders crashing down – can’t give an example of where the amendments would fail to meet the government’s concerns, because he is not going to get into “every hypothetical situation”.
Funny that.
Michael Keenan just said on Sky that a doctor “like the one yesterday who said the detention centres were worse than Auschwitz” (not an exact quote, but the spirit) could sign off on the transfer.
Here is what Dr Paul Bauert actually said:
Speaking to Sky News (on Monday), Dr Bauert explained the doctors’ concerns:
The longer these people are there, the worse they are getting. We know that the main, the main reason for the impairment of mental health, as Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist from Auschwitz described very well in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, the main problem these people have is the lack of meaning, the lack of any end to what is going on. A lack of certainty.
And this more than anything causes severe mental health damage. Even those that finally knew they were about to be condemned to the gas chamber, at least found some sense of relief in knowing what was happening.
So, all of these people without any idea of what is going to happen to them, what their future is, will be suffering on a daily basis. And we have seen from some of the television shows, and the media that have followed them, once they have been released, that all of them end up with severe, significant mental health problems which will take a long, long time to settle, with most having post-traumatic stress disorder.
I am concerned, all the doctors are concerned, that the longer this politicking goes on, the longer these people are left in this critical situation, the worse their health is becoming.
Keenan said it goes to the “mindset” of some of the people wanting to make these changes.
1/2 My comments this morning were intended to reflect the writings of an eminent Jewish psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz. The words I used did not convey the complexity of what he wrote. My deep apologies for causing offence - Auschwitz was a humanitarian disgrace.
2/2 I stand by my view that our current offshore detention policies are inhumane and needlessly cruel.
A copy of Labor’s amendments has fallen into my hands. What I’m about to share with you looks backwards.
This is where the discussions started this morning, but it’s interesting to be able to snapshot the process at different times.
Labor, we know, has flagged three principles it wants adjusted.
The first is widening the scope of ministerial discretion to knock back medical transfers.
The minister can knock back a transfer on security grounds in the bill as it stands, but Labor wants to expand the scope to include blocking transfers of people with criminal histories.
So, again, to be clear, this is where the discussion started early this morning. The bill currently says the home affairs minister must approve the person’s transfer to Australia unless that would be prejudicial to security.
The new language says the transfer should be approved “unless: the minister, in the minister’s discretion, reasonably believes that the transfer of the person to Australia would be prejudicial to security within the meaning of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, including because an adverse security assessment in respect of the person is in force under that Act”.
A second criteria has been added.
The transfer should be approved unless “the minister knows or, in the minister’s discretion, reasonably suspects that the person has a substantial criminal record (as defined by subsection 501(7))”.
The second principle Labor is pursuing is time frames for determinations. The original bill said determinations be made within 24 hours. The amendment proposed this morning said omit within 24 hours and substitute “As soon as practicable after”.
The word from the bunker is the parties are now back to a specific time frame, rather than as soon as practicable. I’ve heard 48 hours, but nothing is certain yet. Kerryn Phelps made it clear it would need to be 72 hours at a minimum this morning.
The third Labor negotiating principle is applying the enhanced procedures to the current cohort of people in offshore detention, not to new arrivals, in the event any new arrivals turn up.
The Labor ring-fencing amendment specifies:
“A person is a relevant transitory person if: (a) the person is in a regional processing country on the day this section commences; and (b) in the opinion of a treating doctor for the person: (i) the person requires medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment; and (ii) the person is not receiving appropriate medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment in the regional processing country; and (iii) it is necessary to remove the person from a regional processing country for appropriate medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment”.
We’re now getting an early dose of “just how strong are our borders, very, but Labor will burn them down” from Peter Dutton, because second Monday is the gift that just keeps on giving.
This is a pretty great example of “whatever, your face is”.
From Chris Knaus:
The billionaire and major political donor Huang Xiangmo has likened Australia to a “giant baby” with “simple folk customs” while hitting out at a decision to cancel his visa.
Huang also criticised Australia’s domestic spy agency for acting contrary to Australian support for the One China policy, and urged it to instead investigate journalists who he said may be “serving foreign intelligence agencies” and had stolen “classified information to gain attention and a spotlight”.
The Chinese tycoon was effectively blocked from re-entering Australia when his permanent residency visa was revoked and a citizenship bid was rejected