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| PM says Alek Sigley is safe and well – question time live | PM says Alek Sigley is safe and well – question time live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| Will the Prime Minister work with me to work in a way that is consistent for aboriginal and Torres straight Islander people for mentioning the Constitution in a way that is consistent with the Uluru Statement from the Heart. | |
| Morrison: | |
| We have discussed since the last election this matter. There is definitely a spirit of cooperation we are seeking to establish. When it comes to advancing these issues, we had the historic opening of this parliament, not only that the first Cabinet minister to be an Indigenous Australian but the First Minister was an Indigenous person in the unique opportunity that is presented by the fact that the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians is also an Indigenous Australian. | |
| This gives us a great opportunity and we should not limit our options and how we continue to progress this. The government endorsed the bipartisan joint Select Committee on constitutional recognition and we are going to continue to implement the outcomes of that report and the recommendations it divided. | |
| We have agreed to work together with the opposition to that end but also parties, all members of this parliament and the other place, I would say that we are seeking a non-partisan perspective on this, not just a bipartisan one and we welcome everyone to the table in seeking to advance this agenda and we have allocated $7.3 million for a codesign process to include local and regional decision-making. | |
| We have set aside $160 million in the contingency reserve for a future referendum once a model has been determined so we are serious about progressing in this matter. The ultimate models and options that are considered by the government will be a process of this ongoing consultation for Indigenous Australians and the Shadow Minister. | |
| As important as this issue is, the priority for my government addressing the terrible curse of Indigenous suicide. This is hard breaking. The rates of Indigenous suicide in remote regional communities is just unthinkable but it is real. | |
| In the program as we have announced to address that in the funding that we have provided. I know it supported by the opposition. | |
| I think also the former Leader of the Opposition. We’ll continue to work each and every day. Towards zero. That must be our goal. The fact that young Indigenous Australians see taking their life as the way forward. There are the challenges of Indigenous education. These will always be front and centre in my government, our government and our parliament. | |
| Albanese: | |
| I think the Prime Minister for his answer, and thank him for the spirit in which he has reached out to the opposition to work particularly with the new minister, and I congratulate the Minister for on his employment and Shadow Minister and I am sure they can advance in a united way and work together to try and achieve some outcomes for something that frankly has been intractable for a very long period of time, and I am sure that if this parliament, this 46th Parliament can advance this agenda, both in terms of constitutional recognition and practical reconciliation, I think that would be a marvellous achievement. | |
| Someone just asked Stuart Robert a dixer, reminding us all of his existence. | |
| Moving on. | |
| And Scott Morrison’s official statement: | |
| We are pleased to announce that Mr Alek Sigley has today been released from detention in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). He is safe and well. | |
| Swedish authorities advised the Australian Government that they met with senior officials from the DPRK yesterday and raised the issue of Alek’s disappearance on Australia’s behalf. | |
| Earlier this morning we were advised that the DPRK had released Alek from detention, and he has now safely left the country. | |
| On behalf of the Australian Government, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Swedish authorities for their invaluable assistance in securing Alek’s prompt release. | |
| This outcome demonstrates the value of the discreet, behind the scenes work of officials in resolving complex and sensitive consular cases, in close partnership with other governments. | |
| We couldn’t be more pleased that we not only know where Alek is, but that he is safe. | |
| The Senate has also acknowledged Alek Sigley’s freedom: | |
| Marise Payne: | |
| Following from the prime minister’s comments in the House of Representatives I am very pleased to advise the Senate that young Australian Mr Alek Sigley has today been released from detention in North Korea. | |
| He is safe and he is well. Swedish authorities advised the Australian government they met with senior officials from the DPRK yesterday and raised the issue of Alek’s disappearance on Australia’s behalf. | |
| Earlier today, we were advised the DPRK has released him from detention and he has now safely left the country. | |
| May I express our deepest gratitude to Swedish authorities for their prompt action to secure Alek’s release. | |
| It does demonstrate the value of careful, behind-the-scenes work by officials in resolving cases like this in close partnership with other governments. I won’t be making further comment out of respect for Alek’s privacy and his family, but I can say his father has been advised. | |
| He is enormously relieved and grateful and has asked me to convey, the family has asked that we convey the thanks to everyone who has expressed support to them for the last few days. | |
| Penny Wong: | |
| On behalf of the opposition, can I welcome this announcement and share in the foreign minister’s thanks to the Swedish authorities for their valuable work to secure Mr Sigley’s release and also acknowledge all officers for their work. | |
| I thank the minister for her cooperation, and the approach the opposition takes, as you will have seen on public statement, is a bipartisan and public approach and we are very pleased this matter has been resolved satisfactorily. | |
| Tony Smith just told Angus Taylor that if he didn’t know the answer to take it on notice. | |
| This is the greatest thing to happen this week. | |
| We are now 1.5 minutes into [the answer], and I say to the minister, he needs to address the specifics of the question. No longer address the general policy topic or simply wind up his answer or take it on notice. | |
| Taylor: | |
| We will continue to work for more affordable gas prices for Australians. | |
| Anthony Albanese offers to answer the question for Taylor, but sadly, Smith has to tell him that is not in the standing orders. | |
| Better than a shot of karsk. | |
| Angus Taylor takes this question for the prime minister: | |
| Have the government committed to gas prices of $7 per gigajoule or less for Australian households? | |
| He launches into some Angus Taylorisms on electricity, and Tony Smith is all – yeah, nah – stop talking about electricity, the question was on gas. | |
| Taylor is a Rhodes scholar don’t ya know ladies and gentlemen. | |
| Michael McCormack was literally dancing in his seat as Scott Morrison gave that answer. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| The chief economist of the National Australia Bank has said we are getting readings that are basically as bad if not worse than the bottom of the GFC. What does that say about the economy on his watch, particularly for small business? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Mr Speaker, the National Australia Bank business survey that came out after the election saw business confidence rise seven points following the election and that is the largest single monthly increase since the time of the 2013 election. Mr Speaker, business confidence has been restored as a result of the re-election of this government and the reason it was under threat was because of the prospect of a Labor government. | |
| If it’s under threat, because of the biggest risk to the Australian economy, was those that sat opposite and the good grace and wisdom of the Australian people who go out everywhere. | |
| ... In a note, Mr Speaker, whether it was on the retiree tax or the housing tax or the small business taxes and the plethora of taxes, they all remain the Labor party’s policy. As I look down the front bench of the Labor party, I see the same old faces. | |
| The same old faces in the same old arrogance in the same old class envy in the same old smugness, which says we don’t think Australians should keep more of what they earn. They think the answer to a stronger economy is higher taxes. | |
| The Australian people don’t agree with them. They disagree with them and they voice their disagreement by telling them in the lowest primary vote for the Labor party in 100 years as sick to death of Labor seeking to kill aspiration in this country. | |
| This is a Labor party which has more in common with Jeremy Corbyn than Paul Keating. | |
| Because we’ve seen the Snapchat and Instagram posts, they are buddies in arms, all part of the new Labor agenda, which would take this country back decades and decades and decades. | |
| Our plan for a stronger economy was taken to the Australian people. The Australian people rejected this mob, Mr Speaker. They rejected them absolutely and with good cause because Labor’s policies, which remain unchanged, are to undercut, to douse the aspiration of hard-working Australians. | |
| On this side of the house, we will always stand up for them and put forward policies that respect them and encourage them, while on that side Labor have learned absolutely nothing by their rejection at the last election. | |
| Albanese: | |
| I seek leave to table an article from Thursday 20 June 2019, ABC News, a growing number of small businesses struggling with economic downturn. | |
| Andrew Hastie gives us our first dose of ‘just how safe are you’ starring Peter Dutton, who surely has to be running out of steam on ‘it’s Labor’s fault or Labor is best mates with the boogie man, don’t cha know’ now that he is about to enter his third term of government. | |
| Apparently not. | |
| He starts off by calling Hastie one of the “smartest minds” in the parliament on national security. | |
| He also talks about needing Labor to support the temporary exclusion laws – you know, the ones that are now super urgent, despite having been in the UK since 2015, when Dutton had been in the parliament for almost two years. And the ones that the super smart Hastie-led committee only tabled recommendations for in April. Those super urgent laws. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| Would an increase in the rate of Newstart stimulate consumer demand and economic activity and therefore jobs? | |
| “You voted against it,” yells someone from the government – referring to Labor having voted against the motion in the Senate to raise the rate by $75 a week. | |
| Morrison: | |
| At the last election, we put forward very clearly our plans to ensure that we can boost the incomes of Australians on a priority provided for that was for working Australians through the delivery of tax relief. | |
| That was the priority we set out. The opposition at that election did not put forward any plans to increase the rate of Newstart. | |
| In fact, they never set out any potential cost that that might impose on the budget. It was not our plan to do that. It was our plan to continue to go through the six monthly indexation of such payments, Mr Speaker, and that is the process we will continue to follow in relation to those social security payments. | |
| So we have no plans to increase social security payments for Newstart beyond what is the normal six monthly indexation using the measures that are always in place, which is the same policy that was taken to the election by the Labor party. | |
| Labor committed to reviewing the payment, to see how it interacted with other payments (like rental assistance), before committing to any increase. | |
| Interesting move. | Interesting move. |
| #BREAKING! The Bill to repeal #MedeVac has been referred to a Senate Inquiry by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislative Committee. The Committee is due to report Oct 18, which means Senate will not debate the Medevac repeal legislation until the November sitting period! | #BREAKING! The Bill to repeal #MedeVac has been referred to a Senate Inquiry by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislative Committee. The Committee is due to report Oct 18, which means Senate will not debate the Medevac repeal legislation until the November sitting period! |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: |
| What programs and services will be cut to fund stage three of the government’s tax cuts? | What programs and services will be cut to fund stage three of the government’s tax cuts? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| None. | None. |
| That’s not me being brief, that’s the whole answer. | That’s not me being brief, that’s the whole answer. |
| “Oh well done,” says some teacher’s pet from the government benches. I guess there are some fairly low bars in this place, so answering a question is probably worthy of praise in that world. | “Oh well done,” says some teacher’s pet from the government benches. I guess there are some fairly low bars in this place, so answering a question is probably worthy of praise in that world. |
| Angus Taylor is back, Angus Tayloring his way through a dixer. Which he has to read. | Angus Taylor is back, Angus Tayloring his way through a dixer. Which he has to read. |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: did the prime minister tell voters that of the $18.75m set aside for a rural road, the first dollar won’t be spent until 2026? | Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: did the prime minister tell voters that of the $18.75m set aside for a rural road, the first dollar won’t be spent until 2026? |
| Morrison, after talking about the “smugness” of the Labor party, and referencing its lowest primary vote in 100 years (the Coalition received it’s third – very close to the second – worst primary vote in about the same time frame) says it was in the budget papers. | Morrison, after talking about the “smugness” of the Labor party, and referencing its lowest primary vote in 100 years (the Coalition received it’s third – very close to the second – worst primary vote in about the same time frame) says it was in the budget papers. |
| I think Rob Mitchell just became the first MP thrown out under section 94a. | I think Rob Mitchell just became the first MP thrown out under section 94a. |
| Ken O’Dowd inflicts Michael McCormack on us with a dixer. | Ken O’Dowd inflicts Michael McCormack on us with a dixer. |
| It is like heading to the breakfast buffet and discovering it is only continental. | It is like heading to the breakfast buffet and discovering it is only continental. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| Swedish authorities advised they met with senior officials with the DPRK and raise the issue of Alek’s disappearance. We were advised that the DPRK have released him from detention and he has safely left the country and I can confirm that he has arrived safely. | Swedish authorities advised they met with senior officials with the DPRK and raise the issue of Alek’s disappearance. We were advised that the DPRK have released him from detention and he has safely left the country and I can confirm that he has arrived safely. |
| On behalf of the Australian government I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Swedish authorities for their invaluable assistance in securing Alek’s prompt release, which demonstrates the value of discreet behind-the-scenes work by officials in solving sensitive consular cases in close partnership with other governments. I’m sure we all could not be more pleased. We know where he is now safe. | On behalf of the Australian government I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Swedish authorities for their invaluable assistance in securing Alek’s prompt release, which demonstrates the value of discreet behind-the-scenes work by officials in solving sensitive consular cases in close partnership with other governments. I’m sure we all could not be more pleased. We know where he is now safe. |
| Anthony Albanese: | Anthony Albanese: |
| I join with the prime minister in welcoming this announcement and thank him for yesterday the private discussion that we had again discreetly talking about this very issue. I’d also like to add our thanks to the Swedish authorities. ... Indeed it is good news for our nation. | I join with the prime minister in welcoming this announcement and thank him for yesterday the private discussion that we had again discreetly talking about this very issue. I’d also like to add our thanks to the Swedish authorities. ... Indeed it is good news for our nation. |