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| Rex Patrick will seek Senate inquiry into Pyne and Bishop jobs – politics live | Rex Patrick will seek Senate inquiry into Pyne and Bishop jobs – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Scott Morrison and James Marape are holding their joint press conference. | |
| Morrison opens with this: | |
| It’s been a great privilege that prime minister Marape has been my first guest of government status visitor to Australia, and I’m also incredibly pleased that it is Papua New Guinea who holds that status as the first country to visit, particularly post the election in this formal status.” | |
| Which means that Jacinda Ardern, who was here last week, did not hold that status. | |
| The gist of the statement is Australia and PNG are cool friends, and share a passion for rugby league and a connection through church programs (both of which were mentioned). | |
| Also, looking at that photo, I am sorry, but beards are cancelled now. | |
| I don’t make the rules. | |
| What is this? A party for ants? It needs to be at least three times bigger than this! | |
| Alternatively, so many womens! (Compared to when they just had two.) | |
| It was a four flagger. | |
| There are also a butt load of first speeches being delivered today. | |
| Among them are Labor newbies Anika Wells, Josh Burns and Julian Simmonds, all of whom have very young children who will be in the gallery to watch their parents. I will be watching the three children under two attempting to sit still in the weird place that is parliament. | |
| Over in the Senate, the Liberal Dean Smith has joined a growing group of government MPs who say Newstart should be increased. | |
| Smith made the comments during a debate on a bill by the Greens senator Rachel Siewert, which sought to increase the unemployment payment by $75 a week, in line with calls from Acoss, and some business groups. | |
| “I am someone who thinks that the Newstart allowance amount must be more than reviewed – which was Labor’s position – [but] should be increased,” Smith said. | |
| He cited comments from John Howard, who called last year for the payment to be increased, as well as the RBA governor Philip Lowe’s recent remarks about the need for a boost to wages. Smith joins Coalition politicians Barnaby Joyce, Arthur Sinodinos and Matthew Canavan. | |
| Siewert began by lashing the government for being “wilfully ignorant or misleading our nation” in its claims that Newstart recipients move off the payment quickly. In fact, the average duration is three years. | |
| “How are people expected to look for work when they are living below the poverty line,” she said. | |
| Labor’s Pat Dodson, who said the payment needed to increase, also criticised the government’s “disingenuous” claims about the welfare payment. It has also claimed that the payment increases every six months, and that 99% of recipients get other payments. | |
| Dodson suggested that because only the government could increase Newstart, Siewert’s bill meant the Senate had “wasted a bit of time here this morning”. | |
| Debate on the bill was adjourned. | |
| The Greens leader Richard Di Natale will hold a press conference in the Senate courtyard at 12.30. | |
| That will be on Newstart, security bills and the Murray-Darling. | |
| Oh and for those wondering if the budget could handle the $3bn or so annual cost to increase Newstart, franking credits cost about $6bn a year. | |
| So yeah. It probably could. Even with the SuRpLuS obsession. | So yeah. It probably could. Even with the SuRpLuS obsession. |
| There you go there’s one more. | There you go there’s one more. |
| .@corybernardi on whether Pyne/Bishop goes to an inquiry. He says he's unaware of the findings of the government's investigation but "if asked to vote I will vote yes to inquiry" @AmyRemeikis #auspol | .@corybernardi on whether Pyne/Bishop goes to an inquiry. He says he's unaware of the findings of the government's investigation but "if asked to vote I will vote yes to inquiry" @AmyRemeikis #auspol |
| On the numbers (and remember numbers aren’t my thing) by my count Labor, the Greens and Centre Alliance are still two short of getting the inquiry through. | On the numbers (and remember numbers aren’t my thing) by my count Labor, the Greens and Centre Alliance are still two short of getting the inquiry through. |
| Cory Bernardi had flirted with the idea of voting for the inquiry. | Cory Bernardi had flirted with the idea of voting for the inquiry. |
| Jacqui Lambie didn’t say, but has been very vocal about lobbyists in the past. | Jacqui Lambie didn’t say, but has been very vocal about lobbyists in the past. |
| One Nation – who knows (timeless statement) but don’t be surprised if Pauline Hanson voted yes, as part of her “holding them to account” schtick. | One Nation – who knows (timeless statement) but don’t be surprised if Pauline Hanson voted yes, as part of her “holding them to account” schtick. |
| Oh, and on Hanson, the Australian’s media section reported today that she has been booked for a once a fortnight paid appearance on Network Nine’s Today show. Cool. | Oh, and on Hanson, the Australian’s media section reported today that she has been booked for a once a fortnight paid appearance on Network Nine’s Today show. Cool. |
| Katharine Murphy has had a chat to Labor about Rex Patrick’s move to bring former ministers’ lobbying jobs to a Senate inquiry and says the guidance, at this stage, is that Labor is likely to support it. | Katharine Murphy has had a chat to Labor about Rex Patrick’s move to bring former ministers’ lobbying jobs to a Senate inquiry and says the guidance, at this stage, is that Labor is likely to support it. |
| Mathias Cormann will make a statement to the Senate at 12.20 about the outcome of Martin Parkinson’s review into Christopher Pyne’s and Julie Bishop’s new jobs, but it might not be enough. | Mathias Cormann will make a statement to the Senate at 12.20 about the outcome of Martin Parkinson’s review into Christopher Pyne’s and Julie Bishop’s new jobs, but it might not be enough. |
| Rex Patrick is still pushing for an inquiry: | Rex Patrick is still pushing for an inquiry: |
| On what is before me at present I will still be asking the Senate to conduct an inquiry.” | On what is before me at present I will still be asking the Senate to conduct an inquiry.” |
| Scott Morrison and Papua New Guinea’s PM, James Marape, will make a joint statement at 11.30 in the prime minister’s courtyard. | Scott Morrison and Papua New Guinea’s PM, James Marape, will make a joint statement at 11.30 in the prime minister’s courtyard. |
| Just on the medevac legislation, the repeal bill has been sent to a parliamentary committee for a review. Submissions close mid next month and the report date is not until 18 October. | Just on the medevac legislation, the repeal bill has been sent to a parliamentary committee for a review. Submissions close mid next month and the report date is not until 18 October. |
| The next sitting (from 21 October) is a House sitting only. The Senate won’t sit until 11 November. | The next sitting (from 21 October) is a House sitting only. The Senate won’t sit until 11 November. |
| The too-long, didn’t-read version of that is that he had conversations with both of them and is satisfied, on the information given, that both Pyne and Bishop know their responsibilities. | The too-long, didn’t-read version of that is that he had conversations with both of them and is satisfied, on the information given, that both Pyne and Bishop know their responsibilities. |
| Here is Martin Parkinson’s report on the review into Christopher Pyne’s and Julie Bishop’s new jobs: | Here is Martin Parkinson’s report on the review into Christopher Pyne’s and Julie Bishop’s new jobs: |
| Martin Parkinson on the Pyne and Bishop conflict review pic.twitter.com/IOb9psfH02 | Martin Parkinson on the Pyne and Bishop conflict review pic.twitter.com/IOb9psfH02 |
| pic.twitter.com/g9u7wg1Rcq | pic.twitter.com/g9u7wg1Rcq |
| Speaking of national security – and the bipartisan approach the political parties have taken on it (in that they both back the legislation as a general rule) – Labor is a bit cranky over Mathias Cormann saying this on AM this morning: | Speaking of national security – and the bipartisan approach the political parties have taken on it (in that they both back the legislation as a general rule) – Labor is a bit cranky over Mathias Cormann saying this on AM this morning: |
| “The Labor party needs to decide which side they’re on … We are on the side of keeping Australians safe.” | “The Labor party needs to decide which side they’re on … We are on the side of keeping Australians safe.” |
| .@AlboMP: Everyone in this parliament opposes terrorism; everyone in this parliament wants to keep Australians safe. MORE: https://t.co/oyPFQ9Ynzw #firstedition pic.twitter.com/2O5bzC8Ase | .@AlboMP: Everyone in this parliament opposes terrorism; everyone in this parliament wants to keep Australians safe. MORE: https://t.co/oyPFQ9Ynzw #firstedition pic.twitter.com/2O5bzC8Ase |
| That will not be the end of it. | That will not be the end of it. |
| This has been happening with increasing regularity. The government accuses Labor of not supporting it on national security. Every single time someone asks a question about the bill Labor points out it has always backed the national security legislation. There is argy bargy and then everyone votes for the legislation. | This has been happening with increasing regularity. The government accuses Labor of not supporting it on national security. Every single time someone asks a question about the bill Labor points out it has always backed the national security legislation. There is argy bargy and then everyone votes for the legislation. |
| Rinse and repeat. | Rinse and repeat. |
| But given the way national security debates tend to go in this country, Labor will most likely end up supporting the bill. | But given the way national security debates tend to go in this country, Labor will most likely end up supporting the bill. |
| Kristina Keneally has released a statement on the temporary exclusion order legislation, asking why the legislation is suddenly so “urgent” given how long Peter Dutton has been in the job: | Kristina Keneally has released a statement on the temporary exclusion order legislation, asking why the legislation is suddenly so “urgent” given how long Peter Dutton has been in the job: |
| Home affairs minister Peter Dutton must explain why he has waited four years to introduce a temporary exclusion order (TEO) scheme in Australia. | Home affairs minister Peter Dutton must explain why he has waited four years to introduce a temporary exclusion order (TEO) scheme in Australia. |
| “We are working through national security legislation as quickly as possible.” | “We are working through national security legislation as quickly as possible.” |
| Mathias Cormann, ABC AM, 22 July 2019 | Mathias Cormann, ABC AM, 22 July 2019 |
| The United Kingdom TEO scheme – which Mr Dutton so frequently cites – was introduced in 2015. However, Mr Dutton didn’t introduce similar legislation in Australia until February 2019. | The United Kingdom TEO scheme – which Mr Dutton so frequently cites – was introduced in 2015. However, Mr Dutton didn’t introduce similar legislation in Australia until February 2019. |
| Would Mr Dutton be willing to say he was working “as quickly as possible” when it took him four years to introduce TEO legislation? | Would Mr Dutton be willing to say he was working “as quickly as possible” when it took him four years to introduce TEO legislation? |
| During the four years Mr Dutton waited to introduce the TEO legislation, it’s reported 40 foreign fighters have returned to Australia. | During the four years Mr Dutton waited to introduce the TEO legislation, it’s reported 40 foreign fighters have returned to Australia. |
| These 40 foreign fighters have only been able to return because the home affairs minister failed to introduce legislation for four years. Was it incompetence or apathy towards the risks of foreign fighters by minister Dutton that saw him do nothing during this time? | These 40 foreign fighters have only been able to return because the home affairs minister failed to introduce legislation for four years. Was it incompetence or apathy towards the risks of foreign fighters by minister Dutton that saw him do nothing during this time? |
| Labor has already expressed its support for the intent of the TEO scheme, and agreed with the Liberal-dominated PJCIS that its recommended changes be incorporated into the legislation. | Labor has already expressed its support for the intent of the TEO scheme, and agreed with the Liberal-dominated PJCIS that its recommended changes be incorporated into the legislation. |
| Labor wants a TEO scheme that works, is constitutional, keeps Australians safe and that withstands high court challenges.” | Labor wants a TEO scheme that works, is constitutional, keeps Australians safe and that withstands high court challenges.” |