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Scott Morrison defends Coalition's economic management – question time live | |
(30 minutes later) | |
Oh, in news that will surprise no one, especially women, Josh Frydenberg has acknowledged that the gender pay gap has not closed, as he asserted on Monday. | |
He said it is at a record low. That’s about 14%. | |
Huzzah. Now back to my knitting. | |
We get a bit of back and forth, but the question is allowed. | |
Angus Taylor: | |
I’ve been clear that my indirect interest in the delegate farm was declared to the Parliament in accordance with the rules. | |
Now, I have always been clear that the discussions with the respect were to focus on the technical aspects of the revised listing and they did. And I advised the then minister of the compliance matter and the need to avoid any discussion of the matter. | |
Now, the department confirmed at a Senate hearing that this approach was completely approach. So let’s be clear. I declared my interest. The department already knew of the relationship and the meeting didn’t discuss the compliance matter. | |
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor: | |
I refer to the minister’s previous answer in which he claimed he had declared his junior in Jam Land according to the rules. How does the minister explain on FOI decision by his department on 23 August 2019 and the answer to a question on notice from his department also dated August 2019 which state it has no record of any declaration by the minister. | |
Let the point of orders begin | |
Has someone told Josh Frydenberg that the Liberals won the election yet? | |
Could someone get around to that, right after they show him how a microphone works? Perhaps with charades? Or an interpretative dance? | |
For an example on how these questions should actually work, here is the question from Rebekha Sharkie: | |
In April this year the government announced funding to equip every men’s shed with a portable defibrillator. There are over 900 men sheds in Australia and more than a dozen are in my electorate, including one eagerly awaiting the rollout. Could the minister please provide the House an accurate time line on when the government will make good on the promise to ensure that every men’s shed has this vital piece of life-saving equipment installed? | |
Greg Hunt: | |
...We recently announced $11m for the men’s shed program that included an expansion of men’s sheds. It also includes additional support for existing men’s sheds and $2m for the men’s shed defibrillator program. | |
My department is currently carrying out a survey of needs around the country. We expect that to be completed over the course of the coming months, and my request of them and my confident prediction to the House is that we will have these defibrillators rolling out early in the New Year. I would like to pass on my thanks to those in the Yankalola men’s shed. | |
It’s a fine town, but please pass on our thanks to them and to indicate that we are looking to make sure that every men’s shed in the country is equipped with a defibrillator. | |
James Stevens, the new Christopher Pyne takes the lead in Lickspittle of the day. | |
#deathtodixers | |
Linda Burney to Scott Morrison: | |
My question is to the prime minister. Only months ago the government promised that a million pensioners will get an $800 bonus from changes to deeming rates. Can you confirm that only 191 pensioner couples will receive $800. How can the prime minister explain this broken promise? | |
Josh Frydenberg gets the nod: | |
I thank the member for Barton for her question. I can confirm that under these new deeming rates affected pensioners will receive up to $40.50 extra a fortnight for couples, which is above $1,000. | |
And up to $31 extra a fortnight for singles, that is $804. | |
On average a couple receiving the aged pension can expect to receive $314 a year extra and a single can expect $250 extra. | |
Now, Mr Speaker, the cost of these changes to the deeming rates was $600 million to the budget. And it will benefit around 1 million people but, as you know, there are two deeming rates. There’s a lower deeming rate and an upper deeming rate, and the member opposite should acquaint herself with the facts. | |
That question was sparked by this Samantha Maiden story in the New Daily. | |
From that brief moment of togetherness, we go back into questions on the economy. | |
Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg: | |
In the face of skyrocketing cost of living pressures on Australian households can the Treasurer confirm that this government has presided over the worst wages growth on record? | |
Frydenberg: | |
I thank the member for Rankin for his question. I can confirm to the House that the wages price index, which is the for wages growth, grew by 2.3 per cent for the year. This was just behind our budget forecast of 2.5 per cent. | |
But, importantly, the wages bill for the economy, the wages bill for the economy, was 4.5 per cent for 2018-19. Which was above our budget forecast of 4.25 per cent. Now, Mr Speaker, the member for Rankin should be aware that wages growth fell by 1.6 per cent under Labor Party, Mr Speaker.” | |
It goes on, but it involves yelling, and the transcriber can’t cope with it, and neither can I. | |
Anthony Albanese on that same question: | |
I associate Labor with all of the comments of the prime minister on this very important day, and I say that we support all of the government’s initiatives in this regard and stand ready to support in a bipartisan way any further initiatives that are needed to rid this scourge from our society.” | |
• Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14;Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 | |
Julian Leeser gets the first dixer. | |
I note that today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Will the Prime Minister please update the House about how the Morrison government is investing in improving the mental health of Australians and suicide prevention? | |
You can read about why this is an issue personal to him, here. | |
Scott Morrison: | |
Speaking at the breakfast this morning, I had the sad duty to inform those who were there of a letter I had recently received from a mum in western Sydney. I had attended the wedding with Jenny of a friend and at that wedding we had had a photo together of her and her husband and the three children. | |
At the front of the photo was a bright, beaming young boy, Luke, who has been yet another young Australian who has taken his own life in the last 12 months. | |
This is a curse on our country. It’s a curse that together all of us in this place I think are absolutely determined to break. I want to thank all of those in this House for the support they give to the very worthy goal we have of a towards zero initiative on youth suicide and on suicide more generally. | |
More than 3,000 Australians took their lives in 2017. | |
We have invested some $503m in the youth mental health and suicide prevention plan, that is the largest suicide pre-investigation plan any government has ever put into practice. | |
$375 million to expand and improve front-line head space services. 20 now head space sights for rural and regional Australia. | |
New health and telly health services. $12 million to support parents and their children including helping parents recognise when their children are [in distress] | |
The funding of new mental health support services through our community health and hospitals program. Strengthening youth suicide prevention efforts. | |
Back with some $19.6 million to prevent Indigenous youth suicide, particularly in the Kimberley and $22.5 million in youth and Indigenous health research projects as part of the million minds mission. | |
These projects include almost $3 million in fund a wonderful organisation called BETIA which the member for Reid and I and the health minister had the privilege to go and see their work in action. Absolutely extraordinary stuff. We were at a girls high school together as part of that workshop. That reached 171,000 young people. | |
We have appointed Christine Morgan as the national suicide prevention organiser. She has a huge job to do and she’ll need our help working with state and territory leaders and their Administrations. | |
But most importantly on World Suicide Prevention Day we must tell Australians that if you are feeling the strain, if you are feeling the stress, if you’re battling with mental illness f you think there are things that you can’t overcome, you are not alone. There is an Australian who is there to help you. And an Australian who will reach out to you and seek to support you. I implore anyone these circumstances, expressing that distress to call Lifeline 131144 and other front-line service providers and I thank all of them for the amazing work they do to help their fellow Australians. | |
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14;Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 | |
OK. We are into the questions. | |
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison on....... | |
The economy! Snaps for everyone. | |
“If the economy is going as well as he claims why do business confidence and conditions numbers get worse again today and why are they well below the long-term average?” | |
Morrison: | |
I’m pleased to know that the confidence figures remain on the positive side of the ledger and they remain on the positive side of the ledger despite... | |
...The very complex and difficult challenges that the Australian economy faces. | |
Now, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, the Labor Party, who have taken to talk down the economy... | |
...What we can see on this side of the House is the opportunity in the Australian economy and the way forward for the Australian economy. And the way you take the Australian economy forward is you don’t hold it down with higher taxes, Mr Speaker, that crush the spirit of Australians because the Labor Party still holds on to $387 billion of taxes they want to still put on the Australian economy. | |
...Now, Mr Speaker, I can hear those opposite who are saying that’s not the case. | |
...Well, Mr Speaker, when are they going to let the Australian people in on the secret about what their view is on taxes? | |
Albanese: | |
I remind the Prime Minister that by definition that implies he’s the government leader and he needs to be relevant. It asked about government policy nothing to do with Labor. I know he’s obsessed but it’s about the economy, business confidence and what the government is doing about it. | |
Morrison comes back, but he again talks about Labor. | |
So whether it’s the Setka sit in, in Victoria, the walkout of WA factions in Western Australia, the corruption we’re seeing in the New South Wales Labor Party, the Leader of the Opposition is presiding over a party that is chaos and confusion and even corruption, Mr Speaker. | |
There was a baby Tasmanian Devil in parliament and no one told me. | There was a baby Tasmanian Devil in parliament and no one told me. |
Over in the Senate and it looks like the government have adopted some Greens amendments, but forward by Mehreen Faruqi, on a live export bill. | Over in the Senate and it looks like the government have adopted some Greens amendments, but forward by Mehreen Faruqi, on a live export bill. |
The amendments insert a much needed focus on animal welfare into the bill, which had previously not been mentioned at all,” Faruqi said. | The amendments insert a much needed focus on animal welfare into the bill, which had previously not been mentioned at all,” Faruqi said. |
The amendments change the objects of the Act to introduce a requirement to consider animal welfare and amend clause 10 of the bill to specifically provide that the Inspector-General must consider the welfare of animals as part of their reviews. | The amendments change the objects of the Act to introduce a requirement to consider animal welfare and amend clause 10 of the bill to specifically provide that the Inspector-General must consider the welfare of animals as part of their reviews. |
Before they got on board with my changes, the bill didn’t have a single reference to animal welfare. Under this Government, any improvement to animal welfare is a hard-fought step forward. | Before they got on board with my changes, the bill didn’t have a single reference to animal welfare. Under this Government, any improvement to animal welfare is a hard-fought step forward. |
But first we start with a condolence motion for Jim Forbes – the last surviving minister from the Menzies government. | But first we start with a condolence motion for Jim Forbes – the last surviving minister from the Menzies government. |
It is the downhill stretch to question time. Will the Lickspittles (dixer questions) be as terrible as we have come to expect? | It is the downhill stretch to question time. Will the Lickspittles (dixer questions) be as terrible as we have come to expect? |
Time will tell. | Time will tell. |
For the people up the back, who missed the post a few weeks (months, who can say) ago – James Ashby’s ban on entering parliament has expired and he has been back in the building for some time. | For the people up the back, who missed the post a few weeks (months, who can say) ago – James Ashby’s ban on entering parliament has expired and he has been back in the building for some time. |