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Scott Morrison defends Coalition's economic management – question time live
Labor calls for Angus Taylor to be sacked – question time live
(32 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.
The House has divided.
He said it is at a record low. That’s about 14%.
There is no way Labor can win this.
Huzzah. Now back to my knitting.
Here is how we got to this point.
We get a bit of back and forth, but the question is allowed.
Another question directed to Angus Taylor in #QT about Jam Land and the endangered grassland matter. Terri Butler asks Taylor "Can the minister confirm he has been representing himself on the grasslands all along?" pic.twitter.com/wyfyoPQ7Sq
Angus Taylor:
Anthony Albanese moves to suspend standing orders, in order to move a censure motion against Angus Taylor.
I’ve been clear that my indirect interest in the delegate farm was declared to the Parliament in accordance with the rules.
Labor moves for a censure motion against Angus Taylor pic.twitter.com/Tcf10ezwxS
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.
Anthony Albanese moves to put forward a motion, but it’s not his time. Stuart Robert fills in the time while we wait.
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.
Oof. Things just got nasty.
Terri Butler to Angus Taylor:
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
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.
I refer to the energy and emissions reduction’s failure to put the interest interests ahead of his own interests, his family to declare his interests to the department, his failure to declare his interests to his house and his admission that he was representing his own private interests. Will the Prime Minister do what he should have done weeks ago and sack this 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:
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...
Well, Mr Speaker, that would have to be the lamest build up I have seen to that type of a question in this place before. But, Mr Speaker, not only is every assertion that he’s just put to this place totally and absolutely false, Mr Speaker, but the Liberal Party and the National Party will not be lectured by someone who used to work in the New South Wales branch of the Labor Party.
...The very complex and difficult challenges that the Australian economy faces.
He had a desk in the office, Mr Speaker, in the Sussex Street headquarters of a party that stinks with corruption, where they get money in plastic bags and count it out on the table.
Now, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, the Labor Party, who have taken to talk down the economy...
...Mr Speaker, he is a member of the branch of the New South Wales Labor Party where his colleague in the other place think it is only thing,
...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.
‘You don’t want me to talk about this? You don’t want this on the table?”
...Now, Mr Speaker, I can hear those opposite who are saying that’s not the case.
Anthony Albanese:
...Well, Mr Speaker, when are they going to let the Australian people in on the secret about what their view is on taxes?
Yes, Mr Speaker. He was state director of a party that has 10 people resign.
Albanese:
Tony Smith:Members on both sides. That was not a point of order, that was a statement. The Prime Minister has the call.
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:
Morrison comes back, but he again talks about Labor.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. With the number of Labor Party members from the New South Wales division who used to serve in Senator Kristina Keneally’s former government, they’re in jail, you could establish a branch at the Silverwater prison of the Labor Party, and the member for Watson would know about it because one of the people who went to prison was Eddie Obeid who he used to visit when he bends the knee come winter.
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.
...I will not cop lectures on integrity from the New South Wales Labor Party, Mr Speaker.
There was a baby Tasmanian Devil in parliament and no one told me.
...That mob, Mr Speaker, stinks with corruption as we see it every single day in the independent commission against corruption, which has your state’s secretary right under their gaze.
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.
And this is one of the previous answers Angus Taylor gave when last asked about this in the last sitting week in July:
The amendments insert a much needed focus on animal welfare into the bill, which had previously not been mentioned at all,” Faruqi said.
Terri Butler: My question is to the minister for energy and emissions reduction. Was a compliance officer from the department of environment present at the meeting, referred to in his previous answer, with departmental officials about the listing of critically endangered grasslands in the Monaro region affecting land he part owned?
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.
Angus Taylor: Thank you for the question. This is a grubby smear from those opposite, one of many that have been made, and were made during the election campaign, and I have been very clear on this. This was not a discussion about compliance action. It was a briefing from departmental officials on technical aspects of a revised listing under the EPBC Act. And the secretary of the department has made very clear – and I quote: ‘I can be very clear that minister Taylor has never raised the issue.’ This is the point. I make no apology, though, Mr Speaker. I make no apology for acting in the interests of the farmers in my electorate, and it’s about time that those opposite stood up for the farmers in their electorates.
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.
The transcript of the local ABC radio interview Labor is referring to, is this one, from 26 July.
But first we start with a condolence motion for Jim Forbes – the last surviving minister from the Menzies government.
Presenter: You certainly were the target, pretty much the one and only target of the opposition this week in the parliament – what do you think that was about?
It is the downhill stretch to question time. Will the Lickspittles (dixer questions) be as terrible as we have come to expect?
Taylor: Well, I’ve been sticking up for farmers in my electorate, Melinda. We’ve had a change to a listing of the grasslands in the Southern Tablelands and that was a very substantial change, with potential to have a big impact on the ability of farmers in my electorate to improve their land, through pastoral improvement, which is a big deal across the Southern Tablelands and Southern Highlands. This listing had the potential to have a very big impact so I asked for a meeting to discuss this, and in particular discuss the technical aspects of the listing. There’s all sorts of issues here about whether clover is treated in a particular way, and we had the meeting. Now Labor has decided that because I live and farm in the electorate, and I am a farmer, that this is unacceptable.
Time will tell.
Presenter: They do say – I mean, you said it has the potential to have a big impact on landholders, one of those landholders being a company that is –Taylor: One of the landholders is me. I’m a farmer, so are many, many people in my electorate and many people who’ll be listening to your broadcast right now. I mean, look –
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.
Presenter: But a big impact on a company that is, one of the directors of which is your brother.
Taylor: Melinda, this discussion was about the technical aspects of a listing, which had the potential and still has the potential to have a very big impact on farming across the region. I make absolutely no apologies for standing up for farmers in my region. That includes me and other family members. I mean this is, you know, what my job is as a local member of parliament. It is my job to stand up for us. If I’m not standing up for my farmers in the federal parliament, then who is? You know I feel very strongly about this and all local members, I mean this is what local members should do.
Angus Taylor:
I was representing farmers in my electorate and – at a time of drought like this, you should show some respect ... for those representing farmers in their electorate.
... What I find most interesting, Mr Speaker, is those ...
.... Thank you, Mr Speaker. What I find most interesting is those opposite come into this place, lecturing us about good governance whilst the stench of corruption emanates from Sussex Street. What complete hypocrisy.
Tony Burke to Angus Taylor:
Can the minister confirm that so far he’s told the House he was representing an unknown number of unnamed farmers inside and outside his electorate, who wrote a letter to someone else three years before the meeting, someone who wrote a letter to another someone else six months after the meeting and the mysterious bloke from Yass.
Why won’t the minister admit to the House what he told local radio that, he’s actually been representing himself the entire time?
Christian Porter again makes a point of order, but Tony Smith allows it.
Please sign Melissa McIntosh up for the same microphone lessons Josh Frydenberg needs.
