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/sep/10/coalition-labor-morrison-albanese-politics-live
The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 20 | Version 21 |
|---|---|
| LNP senator compares immigration to 'over stocking' paddocks - politics live | LNP senator compares immigration to 'over stocking' paddocks - politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| But wait, he continues: | |
| Australians smell a rat when it comes to asset sales. At almost every opportunity they have rejected it. Foreign owners, superannuation funds, and corporations aren’t elected. So how are they held accountable to the Australian people, if they fail to provide essential services? They aren’t. And as such, privatisation undermines accountability, the bedrock of democracy. | |
| The sale of critical assets to off-shore entities, also undermines our security and sovereignty. Just look at the Darwin port. Neo-liberal economics at its finest. It seems ludicrous that Australian superfunds invest $580bn in offshore equities and bonds, yet critical national infrastructure has to rely on foreign capital for funding. A classic case of ideology gone mad. | |
| Our founding fathers, Barton, Deakin, Issacs and Higgins, all members of the protectionist party, would be turning in their graves. My forefathers left Ireland during the great famine, when powerful landowners exported wheat, rather than feed the starving population. National interest should also take precedent over vested interest. | |
| Most infrastructure assets are monopolies that aren’t subject to competitive market forces that drive efficient outcomes. Australia’s high energy prices are one example of what happens when a market is artificially manipulated to achieve a determined aim. Only 6% of superannuation is invested in infrastructure. This needs to change. Today, more than ever, governments need to build income-generating infrastructure, such as dams, power stations, rail and ports. Like Governor Macquarie, who funded an ambitious building program, through the issue of the holy dollar, a government-owned infrastructure bank should be created to do the same. Funding from infrastructure bonds and superannuation. These measures will provide essential services, employment, and fixed income for retirees. | |
| It is a much better option than interest rate manipulation, which only punishes savers and prospective home buyers. | |
| If dairy farmers can’t set the price of milk to earn a fair return on their efforts, than why does the RBA, an unelected body, get to set the price of money, on behalf of money markets? Why is there one rule for one industry, and not the other? | |
| Gerard Rennick, by Gerard Rennick: | |
| Self-belief is the conviction that leads to achievement. It is the optimism that inspires hard work, that turns adversary into opportunity, and convict colonies into countries. | |
| From humble beginnings, modern Australia has overcome immense challenges to become one of the world’s great liberal democracies. Few countries epitomise the power of self-belief and the ethos of a fair go, better than Australia. A country that remains a beacon to those fleeing prosecution, and are seeking a better life for themselves and their children. | |
| Gratitude towards our forefathers who built this nation, and in doing so, gave us so many opportunities, is what drives me to see this country continue to provide opportunities for our children. | |
| It is that aim that brings me here today. Of all the issues faced by Australia, few are as damaging to our country than the fiscal imbalance and ambiguous responsibilities between state and federal governments. | |
| You’ve really got to ask why Australia, a country of 25m people, has nine growing health bureaucracies, while maternity wards are being closed in my home state of Queensland. Our constitution was designed to hold government to account by the people. | |
| Yet 129 years of compromise has rendered it ineffective. It is time for Coag to hold a constitutional convention, to clearly define and separate these responsibilities, with proposed changes put to a referendum. The blame game needs to end. Australians deserve accountability. | |
| People pay taxes in return for essential services, not more regulation. They expect governments to build infrastructure, not sell it. Yet despite this, governments have privatised much of the infrastructure which delivers those services. | |
| At the same time, they have marched into the family home, the bedroom and the classroom, telling people how to live their lives, parents how to raise their children and owners how to run their business. The jackboot of bureaucracy is suffocating every day choices, the very thing liberal democratic governments are meant to defend. | |
| Is it any wonder, people are cynical about governments when they walk away from providing services, while imposing more regulation? | |
| I am sure they have plenty to talk about. | I am sure they have plenty to talk about. |
| The environment minister, Sussan Ley, says now is not the time to talk about whether or not climate change has contributed to the conditions which have caused the Queensland and NSW fires: | The environment minister, Sussan Ley, says now is not the time to talk about whether or not climate change has contributed to the conditions which have caused the Queensland and NSW fires: |
| “I know that the climate is changing, and I know that the people I represent and rural Australians, see that every day. Now when there is an emergency of this sort, and people are worried about losing their homes, to have these high-level discussions about these issues, perhaps we leave them for another day and focus on helping people right here, right now. | “I know that the climate is changing, and I know that the people I represent and rural Australians, see that every day. Now when there is an emergency of this sort, and people are worried about losing their homes, to have these high-level discussions about these issues, perhaps we leave them for another day and focus on helping people right here, right now. |
| Q: You don’t think the fires have anything to do with climate change? | Q: You don’t think the fires have anything to do with climate change? |
| Ley: Look, my honest answer to that is I don’t know. I don’t know what caused this particular fire on this particular day ... | Ley: Look, my honest answer to that is I don’t know. I don’t know what caused this particular fire on this particular day ... |
| Q: I am not asking about an individual fire - the science is pretty clear though isn’t it, climate change leads to more fires and more intense fires. | Q: I am not asking about an individual fire - the science is pretty clear though isn’t it, climate change leads to more fires and more intense fires. |
| Ley: We have always lived on a continent which has been ravaged by fires, I am not going to become an expert on what is causing the fires. | Ley: We have always lived on a continent which has been ravaged by fires, I am not going to become an expert on what is causing the fires. |
| Q: I don’t want to misrepresent you - are you saying the bushfires and the intensity and the frequency of the bushfires has nothing to do with climate change? | Q: I don’t want to misrepresent you - are you saying the bushfires and the intensity and the frequency of the bushfires has nothing to do with climate change? |
| Ley: I am certainly not saying that ... I am sure it is related to climate change, to what degree and under what circumstances, and what actions we could be taking, there is a whole range of other conversations around that. I mean, people talk about controlled burnings, people talk about where your houses are - there are a lot of conversations to be had. | Ley: I am certainly not saying that ... I am sure it is related to climate change, to what degree and under what circumstances, and what actions we could be taking, there is a whole range of other conversations around that. I mean, people talk about controlled burnings, people talk about where your houses are - there are a lot of conversations to be had. |
| You have heard me on the reef - I am not shying away from that - but it is much more than that, and for our communities which are struggling at the moment, it is not about governments and individuals talking about these issues, it is about what we do to help people in the present, on the ground and I am very happy to participate in those discussions, and again, listen to the scientists, because they are a very good source of information. | You have heard me on the reef - I am not shying away from that - but it is much more than that, and for our communities which are struggling at the moment, it is not about governments and individuals talking about these issues, it is about what we do to help people in the present, on the ground and I am very happy to participate in those discussions, and again, listen to the scientists, because they are a very good source of information. |
| As expected: | As expected: |
| The Senate passed a fed ICAC bill yesterday.It just came to House & we cld’ve made it law. But gov didn’t just refuse to deal with bill, they gagged everyone from speaking. No ICAC, no debate about ICAC.#Greens will keep fighting until there’s a fed corruption watchdog. | The Senate passed a fed ICAC bill yesterday.It just came to House & we cld’ve made it law. But gov didn’t just refuse to deal with bill, they gagged everyone from speaking. No ICAC, no debate about ICAC.#Greens will keep fighting until there’s a fed corruption watchdog. |
| Speaking to ABC Melbourne, Sussan Ley was asked what she says to farmers who don’t accept the science around climate change (the topic was the Great Barrier Reef outlook) | Speaking to ABC Melbourne, Sussan Ley was asked what she says to farmers who don’t accept the science around climate change (the topic was the Great Barrier Reef outlook) |
| Ley reponds: | Ley reponds: |
| “I say that I respect the science, but I understand there is a range of science,” she said. | “I say that I respect the science, but I understand there is a range of science,” she said. |
| “So the most important thing is to inform yourself, realise ... ” | “So the most important thing is to inform yourself, realise ... ” |
| What does she mean by a ‘range of science’? | What does she mean by a ‘range of science’? |
| “There is a range of scientific opinion. As we know, scientists, as the conscience of the natural world, they test hypothesis, they draw conclusions and you know, they speak freely and that is fine, and that is why I wanted to talk to scientists when I went to the reef.” | “There is a range of scientific opinion. As we know, scientists, as the conscience of the natural world, they test hypothesis, they draw conclusions and you know, they speak freely and that is fine, and that is why I wanted to talk to scientists when I went to the reef.” |
| On cutting emissions, given they keep going up, Ley says: | On cutting emissions, given they keep going up, Ley says: |
| “Our policy around emissions belongs to my colleague, Angus Taylor, he’s mapped out every tonne of the 328m tonnes of abatement that we have said we will make before our 2030 targets. | “Our policy around emissions belongs to my colleague, Angus Taylor, he’s mapped out every tonne of the 328m tonnes of abatement that we have said we will make before our 2030 targets. |
| “ ... We will make our commitments, we know that, we have committed to that and we stand behind that.” | “ ... We will make our commitments, we know that, we have committed to that and we stand behind that.” |
| Asked to explain how Taylor has “mapped out every tonne”, Ley says: | Asked to explain how Taylor has “mapped out every tonne”, Ley says: |
| “ ... My language is simply to assure people that is our plan, that is what we are doing and I am very confident that we will get there.” | “ ... My language is simply to assure people that is our plan, that is what we are doing and I am very confident that we will get there.” |
| Asked when more detail will come from the government, Ley says: | Asked when more detail will come from the government, Ley says: |
| “I am the minister for the environment, Angus Taylor is the minister for energy and emissions. I am not going to be drawn into his space when it comes to the detail of this and the reason is, yes, climate change is real, it is a real threat to the reef, rising sea temperatures are a result, intense cyclonic disturbances, coral bleaching and so on. | “I am the minister for the environment, Angus Taylor is the minister for energy and emissions. I am not going to be drawn into his space when it comes to the detail of this and the reason is, yes, climate change is real, it is a real threat to the reef, rising sea temperatures are a result, intense cyclonic disturbances, coral bleaching and so on. |
| “We have our international commitments and they are well known and well spoken off. What I am doing, is being incredibly busy, with actions on the ground.” | “We have our international commitments and they are well known and well spoken off. What I am doing, is being incredibly busy, with actions on the ground.” |
| Ley says it is not all “doom and gloom” and to visit the reef. | Ley says it is not all “doom and gloom” and to visit the reef. |
| Gerard Rennick is using his first speech to call for a cut in immigration, saying as the son of a farmer he was always taught not to “over stock your paddocks”. | Gerard Rennick is using his first speech to call for a cut in immigration, saying as the son of a farmer he was always taught not to “over stock your paddocks”. |
| “There are over 600,000 foreign students studying in Australia, who use infrastructure funded by the Australian taxpayer,” he says. | “There are over 600,000 foreign students studying in Australia, who use infrastructure funded by the Australian taxpayer,” he says. |
| He adds that international students can also work up to 20 hours a week, competing with Australians for work. | He adds that international students can also work up to 20 hours a week, competing with Australians for work. |
| And he wants universities to guarantee (from the sound of it) that graduates will get jobs and therefore be able to pay back their student debt. | And he wants universities to guarantee (from the sound of it) that graduates will get jobs and therefore be able to pay back their student debt. |
| Coooooooooool. | Coooooooooool. |
| Adam Bandt is attempting to bring on the debate for the federal Icac bill the Senate passed. | Adam Bandt is attempting to bring on the debate for the federal Icac bill the Senate passed. |
| Christian Porter is moving to delay the debate (which is a way the government can just park it out of sight for as long as it wants) | Christian Porter is moving to delay the debate (which is a way the government can just park it out of sight for as long as it wants) |
| Labor will side with the Greens on this, but they do not have the numbers. | Labor will side with the Greens on this, but they do not have the numbers. |
| Regarding Paul Karp’s report that several government MPs have raised concerns in the party room about soaring premiums in North Queensland, the ACCC has been inquiring into this since May 2017. | Regarding Paul Karp’s report that several government MPs have raised concerns in the party room about soaring premiums in North Queensland, the ACCC has been inquiring into this since May 2017. |
| This has been on the government’s radar for a while so it’s puzzling if no action has been taken. | This has been on the government’s radar for a while so it’s puzzling if no action has been taken. |
| In December the ACCC said “immediate action” was required. | In December the ACCC said “immediate action” was required. |
| And at the end of July it released an updated report containing a raft of recommendations. | And at the end of July it released an updated report containing a raft of recommendations. |
| It looks like the Greens bill for a federal Icac which passed the Senate yesterday, after One Nation didn’t turn up for the vote, is on its way to the House. | It looks like the Greens bill for a federal Icac which passed the Senate yesterday, after One Nation didn’t turn up for the vote, is on its way to the House. |