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| Crossbench support means Senate inquiry into Pyne and Bishop jobs likely – politics live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Over in the Senate, Kristina Keneally says the results of the Martin Parkinson review into Christopher Pyne’s and Julie Bishop’s new job is “absurd”. | |
| She says she will not be surprised if Scott Morrison tries to dismiss it as something “in the Canberra bubble” but says this involves hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts. | |
| Oh, and Manus Island is still Labor’s fault. Scott Morrison: | |
| We’re dealing with the problem of people who found themselves on Manus Island because of the failed border protection policies of the previous government. That’s who is on Manus Island. That’s who is there. So we’re still dealing with the legacy of the policy failures of the previous government.” | |
| Six. Years. Later. | |
| Scott Morrison ends the press conference by saying that he and James Marape will be watching the Cronulla Sharks at the end of the week. | |
| “I believe in miracles,” he says (to which my brain answers ‘do ya, do ya, do ya’ . EVERY TIME) | |
| “So hoping for one on Thursday when we go up against the Cowboys.” | |
| Acoss have also put together a fact sheet on Newstart. You can find it here | |
| The Australian Council of Social Services has very much welcomed Dean Smith’s call to raise the Newstart rate. From its statement: | |
| Australian Council of Social Service Acting CEO Jacqui Phillips said: | |
| “Community members and journalists are rightly asking members of the Government whether they could live on $40 a day. | |
| “The Government cannot continue to avoid the question by spreading misconceptions. | |
| “People on Newstart are actively looking for paid work – they apply for 20 jobs a month – but the reality is, there is only one job available for every eight people looking for a job or more hours. | |
| “While some in the Government claim most people on Newstart receive other payments, they neglect to explain that this is due to the energy supplement, which is less than $1 a day. | |
| “Less than half of people on Newstart receive Rent Assistance, which is about $10 a day, if you spend at least $150 a week on housing. Less than 20% of people on Newstart receive a family tax benefit, which goes to helping cover the cost of raising children. | |
| “When we look at who is on Newstart, we see that half of recipients are over the age of 45; more than 100,000 are single parents; and one in four have an illness or disability but cannot get the Disability Support Pension. | |
| “Older people, people with disability and single parents face challenges and discrimination in finding paid work and this is part of the reason why the average time spent on Newstart is three years. | |
| “The reality for people on Newstart is that they are in living in deep financial crisis that severely restricts their chance of finding paid work. It is very hard to put your best foot forward in a job interview when you’re eating one meal a day, wearing worn-through clothing, and are worrying about how to pay rent.” | |
| On Manus Island: | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| The detention centre on Manus Island is closed, has been closed for some time. There is no detention centre on Manus Island. I think it’s important that Australians are no longer told that somehow there is a detention centre that’s operating on Manus Island. | |
| That is a process we’ve been working through for some time. The accommodation facility which now accommodates about 300 people on Manus Island currently, and that is down from 1,353, at the peak when Labor were in power. | |
| So the detention centre...is closed and we’re working closely with the PNG Government in sure of the service arrangements for those who continue to be resident on Manus Island, and that includes a tender process for someone who had a lot of attention on it here, which we mutually agreed would be put in place and the existing contract extended until the tender process was there until a new service stepped up. Prime Minister? | |
| James Marape: | |
| Yes, as confirmed by Prime Minister Morrison, there is no more detention. People are living freely in Manus, and also some have moved to Port Moresby for medical, and moving around freely. | |
| And I’ve expressed clearly to Minister Dutton that we need to establish a schedule and timetable towards full closure of the entire asylum processes. As PNG has always stood in to assist Australia in times of need, as it has done for us also, we will ensure that we have a mutually workable timetable and closer program that is healthy for all of us, but more importantly, healthy for those people who have been part of us in Manus and PNG. Some are classified as refugees. | |
| Those classified as final refugee, the international convention of refugees will apply. Those who aren’t classified as refugees, we’ll see where they’re given encouragement to move back to their home of origin or where they’d like to move. | |
| Those are works in process that both governments have agreed to. And for us, to find some closure in the Manus area. But let me agree with Prime Minister Morrison, there is no more detention. We’re in the process of resettling the entire people out from PNG, within PNG, and common decency will apply to the people who are with us in Port Moresby and Manus now. | |
| James Marape: | |
| We come to Australia as friend and family, as prime minister Scott Morrison has indicated. | |
| [The] meeting this morning was to consolidate on some of the issues that we need to build on as leader to leader, that will set the pace for our ministers to have their dialogue, and we will consolidate going into the future. | |
| The future for PNG is not a future of economy and security. PNG must be economically secure. | |
| Once PNG is economically secure, we secure borders and we in turn become very, very healthy and fruitful. | |
| I believe the Pacific island region is one of the best places if not the best place globally speaking. | |
| We need to keep the peace and serenity and the environment just as we have, something that is a global asset.” | |
| I almost missed this: | |
| .@JacquiLambie will also support the Pyne/Bishop ministerial standards issue going to a Senate inquiry, according to her spokeswoman @AmyRemeikis #auspol | |
| That gets the inquiry over the line. | |
| Scott Morrison and James Marape are holding their joint press conference. | Scott Morrison and James Marape are holding their joint press conference. |
| Morrison opens with this: | 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.” | 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. | 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). | 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. | Also, looking at that photo, I am sorry, but beards are cancelled now. |
| I don’t make the rules. | I don’t make the rules. |
| What is this? A party for ants? It needs to be at least three times bigger than this! | 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.) | Alternatively, so many womens! (Compared to when they just had two.) |
| It was a four flagger. | It was a four flagger. |
| There are also a butt load of first speeches being delivered today. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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”. | 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. | Debate on the bill was adjourned. |
| The Greens leader Richard Di Natale will hold a press conference in the Senate courtyard at 12.30. | 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. | 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. | 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 |