This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/jul/25/labor-coalition-superannuation-medevac-politics-live
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 9 | Version 10 |
|---|---|
| Senate will review Newstart payment – question time live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Christian Porter gets the first dixer on just how terrible unions are. | |
| THEY ARE VERY TERRIBLE (at times) is the gist of the answer. | |
| He includes this in his answer: | |
| Now, when we look at Queensland, there are proceedings that were commenced in December of last year against a CFMEU organiser for his behaviour towards a Queensland government occupational health and safety inspector. The construction site was Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The safety inspector was in the course of inspecting exit signage. He was confronted by the CFMEU official who, within centimetres of the face of the safety officer said, “You are an Fing dog”. Not once, not twice, but three times. The up shot of all this... | |
| Tony Smith reminds him that you can’t use un-parliamentary language, even in a quote. | |
| Porter wrote the answer, so this is all new to him. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| Given the government has ruled out changes to the legislated increase to the superannuation guarantee, making superannuation voluntary and including the family home in the pension assets test, what is the Prime Minister’s response to the many members of his government still campaigning for those very policies? | |
| Morrison: | |
| As the Treasurer reminded the house yesterday, and I made it very clear in the lead-up to the last election, our policy is unchanged.” | |
| “Whose side are they on,” someone in Labor yells. | |
| “They didn’t get the memo!” | |
| Morrison continues: | |
| And what I know is unchanged is the Labor Party have a policy for $34 billion of extra taxes on superannuation. They also have a policy that continues to to strip away the dividend imputation credits for retirees. That remains their policy and they continue to pursue these matters of policy as fixed items on the Labor agenda. We know why. Because Labor are always for higher taxes, Mr Speaker. | |
| Albanese tries for a point of order on relevance, but it is on the policy topic, so Morrison can continue. | |
| “Labor, Labor, Labor,” yells someone from the opposition benches. | |
| Morrison: | |
| Labor are for higher taxes and I’ll tell you why - because they don’t know how to control spending either. They went to the 2016 election and weren’t voted in because the deficits were too big and in the 2019 election they weren’t voted in because the taxes were too big. The answer is consistent. Labor can’t manage money, they will be for higher taxes and bigger deficits. It is why they can’t be trusted with the management of our economy and Australians who depend on essential services and a stronger economy can never rely on Labor” | |
| “You’re the government,” a Labor MP yells. | |
| Today is going well. Today, we all wish we were Nick Champion, who is allowed to miss this, because he got kicked out for 24 hours yesterday. I am still trying to work out how that is a punishment. | |
| What a time to be alive | |
| Labor's Katy Gallagher says appointment of Gaetjens to PMC "paints a picture that we're concerned about" because he used to be Morrison's CoS, but says Labor will give him "the benefit of the doubt". Quite mild!! #auspol | |
| Craig Kelly is on ABC TV and is doing nothing to calm down the super split in the Coalition: | |
| The question that Senator [Andrew] Bragg was putting forward was that someone who is earning under $50,000, is that person better off having that money taken off them and put in a super account, or would they be better off having that as an increase in salary? And I think that is a reasonable debate to be having, and certainly all ideas in the space have to be welcomed. | |
| Scott Morrison, Mathias Cormann and Josh Frydenberg have all ruled out changes to super. | |
| Labor, the Greens and Centre Alliance are basically moving every single amendment the parliamentary joint security and intelligence committee wanted for the temporary exclusion bill, to force the government to vote against it. | |
| The bill will go through. CA will probably abstain, the Greens are not supporting it, but Labor is, even without the amendments. | |
| Labor just wants it on the record that the government did not support these recommendations. | |
| No one knows who wrote the letter, who gave him the letter, or what it says, or even why it didn’t show up in any of the freedom of information requests. | No one knows who wrote the letter, who gave him the letter, or what it says, or even why it didn’t show up in any of the freedom of information requests. |
| And yes, of course we are asking. But that doesn’t mean we get answers. | |
| For those asking, here is the whole statement Rex Patrick made to the Senate on why he won’t be supporting the motion for an inquiry into Angus Taylor: | For those asking, here is the whole statement Rex Patrick made to the Senate on why he won’t be supporting the motion for an inquiry into Angus Taylor: |
| Patrick: I just want to state to the chamber that I’ve been shown evidence that Minister Taylor was asked to make representation on behalf of some constituents. I disagree … | |
| ... If someone is presented with a concern by a constituent they should be allowed to go to a minister – I do that all the time. If I get a … | |
| Scott Ryan: Order! Senators Di Natale, Hanson-Young and Rice, please – other senators were heard in silence. Can we let Senator Patrick be treated with the same courtesy? | |
| Patrick: If I am presented with a concern by a constituent, I do go to ministers and I do ask them to get a briefing from a department. So what’s happened is not unusual. It’s not unusual for things that have happened to me. So, my problem with the motion is, and Senator Wong’s statement, is that there’s an error of fact in there in that ... in this instance I’m quite satisfied that Minister Taylor was making representation on behalf of some constituents. | |
| Australians are continuing to abandon private health insurance, new data from the prudential regulator shows. | Australians are continuing to abandon private health insurance, new data from the prudential regulator shows. |
| Statistics released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority today shows that 64,700 Australians dumped their private hospital cover last year, on top of more than 21,000 the year before. | Statistics released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority today shows that 64,700 Australians dumped their private hospital cover last year, on top of more than 21,000 the year before. |
| And the proportion of the population with private cover has fallen for the third year running, dropping from 45.6% to 44.6% in 2018. Coverage peaked at 47.3% in 2014. | And the proportion of the population with private cover has fallen for the third year running, dropping from 45.6% to 44.6% in 2018. Coverage peaked at 47.3% in 2014. |
| The falls come despite the government’s hefty subsidies for the private health insurance industry through tax rebates and come amid warnings the system is “broken”. | The falls come despite the government’s hefty subsidies for the private health insurance industry through tax rebates and come amid warnings the system is “broken”. |
| Earlier this week, the head of one of Australia’s biggest funds, NIB, said Medicare should be abolished and his industry propped up by making private insurance compulsory – a suggestion immediately rejected by the health minister, Greg Hunt. | Earlier this week, the head of one of Australia’s biggest funds, NIB, said Medicare should be abolished and his industry propped up by making private insurance compulsory – a suggestion immediately rejected by the health minister, Greg Hunt. |
| Pauline Hanson is on Sky News telling Chris Kenny that Labor senator “Kimberley Kitchiner” who she thinks is “great” has reached out to her to set up some sort of formal working relationship, with regular meetings. | Pauline Hanson is on Sky News telling Chris Kenny that Labor senator “Kimberley Kitchiner” who she thinks is “great” has reached out to her to set up some sort of formal working relationship, with regular meetings. |
| We assume she means Kimberley Kitching. | We assume she means Kimberley Kitching. |
| Hanson also says that Penny Wong has never spoken to her. Kenny seems to think this is OUTRAGEOUS. I mean, you could probably point him to Hanson’s maiden speech for a refresher, but sure. You do you, Kenny. | Hanson also says that Penny Wong has never spoken to her. Kenny seems to think this is OUTRAGEOUS. I mean, you could probably point him to Hanson’s maiden speech for a refresher, but sure. You do you, Kenny. |
| Labor’s Katy Gallagher will respond to the appointment of Phil Gaetjens as head of Prime Minister and Cabinet at 1.30 in the Senate courtyard. | Labor’s Katy Gallagher will respond to the appointment of Phil Gaetjens as head of Prime Minister and Cabinet at 1.30 in the Senate courtyard. |
| Sarah Martin reported on this earlier this week but the Senate has passed another motion – this time calling for the disability royal commission senators, John Ryan and Barbara Bennett, to be replaced over what Jordon Steele-John has called “unmanagable conflicts of interests”. | Sarah Martin reported on this earlier this week but the Senate has passed another motion – this time calling for the disability royal commission senators, John Ryan and Barbara Bennett, to be replaced over what Jordon Steele-John has called “unmanagable conflicts of interests”. |
| Bill Shorten had also raised concerns. | Bill Shorten had also raised concerns. |
| The motion passed with the support of the Labor party, Centre Alliance, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Jacqui Lambie. | The motion passed with the support of the Labor party, Centre Alliance, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Jacqui Lambie. |
| “These commissioners have lost the confidence of the disability community and they have now lost the confidence of one of the chambers of the Australian parliament,” Steele-John said. “Their positions have now become untenable and they must be replaced.“The government must now, immediately, engage with [the] disabled to appoint new commissioners in line with the criteria set out by the community, our organisations and our supporters: | “These commissioners have lost the confidence of the disability community and they have now lost the confidence of one of the chambers of the Australian parliament,” Steele-John said. “Their positions have now become untenable and they must be replaced.“The government must now, immediately, engage with [the] disabled to appoint new commissioners in line with the criteria set out by the community, our organisations and our supporters: |
| is a person with disability; | is a person with disability; |
| has minimal and manageable conflicts of interest; | has minimal and manageable conflicts of interest; |
| has respect and trust from people with disability and the wider community; | has respect and trust from people with disability and the wider community; |
| has high-level standing and experience in the application of the law and their impact on people with disability; | has high-level standing and experience in the application of the law and their impact on people with disability; |
| understands the rights, laws and policies for people with disability, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; | understands the rights, laws and policies for people with disability, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; |
| has knowledge of all forms of violence inherent in all settings and the existing legal and policy frameworks; | has knowledge of all forms of violence inherent in all settings and the existing legal and policy frameworks; |
| understands the way age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, intersex status, ethnic origin or race intersect with disability and violence. | understands the way age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, intersex status, ethnic origin or race intersect with disability and violence. |
| The moods of @JacquiLambie #senate @murpharoo @AmyRemeikis @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/KFpgqm6B2o | The moods of @JacquiLambie #senate @murpharoo @AmyRemeikis @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/KFpgqm6B2o |
| Labor says it will put its motion for an inquiry into the conduct of Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg on Monday after it failed to get crossbench support. | Labor says it will put its motion for an inquiry into the conduct of Angus Taylor and Josh Frydenberg on Monday after it failed to get crossbench support. |
| The Greens have also given notice they will move for a production of documents, including the letter Rex Patrick said he was shown that he told the Senate had satisfied him it was constituent matter. | The Greens have also given notice they will move for a production of documents, including the letter Rex Patrick said he was shown that he told the Senate had satisfied him it was constituent matter. |
| Linda Burney has also spoken on the Newstart inquiry. The government voted against it, hence her reference to them below: | Linda Burney has also spoken on the Newstart inquiry. The government voted against it, hence her reference to them below: |
| People can’t find work because Newstart is inadequate. | People can’t find work because Newstart is inadequate. |
| The Liberals and Nationals have no agenda and Australians doing it tough deserve better than a prime minister that doesn’t even acknowledge Newstart is too low. | The Liberals and Nationals have no agenda and Australians doing it tough deserve better than a prime minister that doesn’t even acknowledge Newstart is too low. |
| Labor is determined to get Newstart working to lift people out of poverty and get Australians back into the workforce. | Labor is determined to get Newstart working to lift people out of poverty and get Australians back into the workforce. |
| Victorian Labor MP @willfowles arrives at Melbourne Airport after being questioned by police over a disturbance at a Canberra hotel on Thursday morning. @theage pic.twitter.com/NyrKluKlrj | Victorian Labor MP @willfowles arrives at Melbourne Airport after being questioned by police over a disturbance at a Canberra hotel on Thursday morning. @theage pic.twitter.com/NyrKluKlrj |