Scott Morrison says Gladys Liu is 'a great Australian' – politics live
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Version 12 of 14. And on that note, I am going to wrap it all up for this week, because the internet issues have driven me to the brink of a Michael McCormack (and the House is adjourning). A massive thank you to Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin and Paul Karp for all their work, and to those behind the scenes, for keeping me, and the blog, all going. Next week we will no doubt be talking again about Gladys Liu. Scott Morrison is also off to the United States to see Donald Trump. And the Nationals are holding their federal council meeting in Canberra this weekend, which should mean some gossip is floating around by Monday as well. We’ll bring you everything that happens, in the chamber and out (as long as the internet is working. If not, I guess I’ll be sending smoke signals). Thank you to everyone for spending time with us this week. If you have a moment, check on someone to see if they need to chat. Not just because it is R U OK? Day, but because we all need to look out for each other. I’ll be back on Monday, bright and early and caffeinated to the hilt. In the meantime, as always – take care of you. Russell Broadbent is telling the chamber that “principles are important” as is the rule of law. It seems to be an announcement – he may not always stand with the government on issues. Interesting. Russell Broadbent is making an interesting speech in the adjournment debate in the chamber right now. He says his job is not to follow the whims of the party leader of the day and that he needs to follow his judgment. “I always in essence in the end, when it comes down to it, I offer the people I represent, this parliament and this nation, my judgment on any particular issue,” he says. Broadbent has spoken out against mandatory detention as well as wanting Newstart increased. The House has already agreed to the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019, but it's being debated again. Why? Amendments were made to the bill in @AuSenate, and a bill must be agreed to in the same form by both Houses to become law. pic.twitter.com/hUsvuBDErI Here’s the moment David Littleproud rediscovered science, but not necessarily the whole truth about how he got himself into the mess in the first place (which was through a written response to a question on whether he believed climate change was manmade, to which he answered, in writing, “I don’t know,” but sure, go off about being imaginarily interrupted). David Littleproud - Australia’s minister responsible for drought and natural disasters - now says he accepts the science on man-made climate change: ‘I’m just a poor humble bloke with a Year 12 education but I’m prepared to accept what our scientists are telling us". pic.twitter.com/dQljftGhpp The speaker, Tony Smith, confirmed just after question time that the Gladys Liu statement would not count as misleading parliament, in the event it is found to be incorrect, because it came from outside the parliament. So it doesn’t count towards the Hansard record, no matter who tabled it. Which makes sense. People table documents all the time, and it doesn’t become Hansard. There is no suggestion the statement is incorrect, or could be. Tony Burke was just trying to clear up whether it was subject to the same privileges rules. Penny Wong during the attempt to suspend standing orders, on the government’s response to Gladys Liu: I will say this: there is only one person who is making these specific and serious concerns about the member for Chisholm an issue about race, and that is Scott Morrison. There is only one person who is linking these specific, serious concerns about the member for Chisholm to the entire Chinese-Australian population, and that is Mr Morrison. This is the prime minister who is using this issue as a shield from accountability to the parliament and the Australian people. The prime minister is hiding behind the entire Chinese-Australian community to avoid saying why he has ignored warnings from our national security agencies. Can I say that is one of the lowest acts I have seen in all my time in this place – that you would use Chinese-Australians in order to avoid answering questions about why you are ignoring advice from national security agencies. Because of what the prime minister has done, it is more important than ever for Chinese-Australians and our inclusive democracy for these specific concerns to be addressed, because all of us in this place must be able to provide a public assurance that we have no conflict of interest in serving the Australian people. That is a basic democratic requirement. And I would say to the minister: if you avoid this motion, if you avoid coming in to give a statement that provides the assurance that senator Payne has repeatedly declined to give – that Ms Liu is a fit and proper person to sit in this parliament – it really says that you do not understand the role you have in this democracy.” Question time, as seen by Mike Bowers. Not sure if Stirling Griff was in the chamber for that one, but Rex Patrick voted against suspending standing orders. Jacqui Lambie and One Nation voted with Labor and the Greens. The motion to suspend standing orders was tied – and then lost – because when there is a tie in the Senate, the status quo remains (in this case, not to suspend standing orders). OK, before I burn my computer because of the internet issues I have been having all week, Rex Patrick supports the substance of the motion, but not the motion to suspend standing orders. Over in the Senate, Centre Alliance has announced it will support Labor’s motion to suspend standing orders. Question time ends with a “Go Sharks.” That happened. *Contacts Elon, leaves planet* Scott Morrison has just taken a dixer about the mining tax. What even is this. Sorry, not a dixer. It was a question from Joel Fitzgibbon: “When will the PM introduce legislation into the parliament to establish the biosecurity import levy that he promised in the 2018-19 budget? Why has he already banked the $300m in revenue to prop up his budget bottom line?” (Phil Coorey at the Fin has taken this issue on with gusto.) Morrison answered with a response on the mining tax. Again, what even is this. In the Senate, Labor is moving to suspend standing orders. Penny Wong has put forward this motion: I move that – (1) The Senate notes widespread reports in the media about the member for Chisholm this week which raise questions concerning her fitness to be a member of the Australian parliament. (2) At 12.20pm on 16 September 2019, before government business is called on: (a) requires the minister representing the prime minister (senator Cormann) to provide, for no more than 20 minutes: i. an explanation of the government’s response to the allegations raised against the member for Chisholm, and ii. an assurance to the Senate that the member for Chisholm is a fit and proper person to remain a member of the Australian parliament; and (b) a senator may, at the conclusion of the minister’s explanation, move without notice, that the Senate take note of the explanation. |