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| Labor joins Greens in refusing to back family court inquiry – politics live | Labor joins Greens in refusing to back family court inquiry – politics live |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Richard Marles to Scott Morrison: | |
| Is the Prime Minister confident that all members of the executive are abiding by his ministerial standards, specifically is he aware that the pinnacle club associated entity of the Liberal Party, has been operating out of a taxpayer funded office of the assistant Minister for customs? Is the Prime Minister also aware that the Pinnacle club is holding a fundraiser hosted by the assistant Minister for customs attended by the assistant treasurer and featuring the Member for Chisholm as auctioneer? | |
| The assistant minister for customs is Jason Wood. | |
| Mark Dreyfus to Josh Frydenberg: | |
| Can the minister confirmed that members of parliament cannot use Commonwealth resources including their taxpayer funded office, telephone and post office box, to run associated entities not related to their parliamentary duties?” | |
| Frydenberg: | |
| I can confirm that office accommodation is provided for the dominant purpose of parliamentary business, Mr Speaker. Office and [associated entities] might be used for the dominant purpose of providing a personal benefit to any person and that must not be used for any commercial purpose.” | |
| This is going somewhere from the sounds of things. Stay tuned | |
| Michelle Rowland to Paul Fletcher: | |
| I refer to the government by the decision to scrap the use of tell as part of the national relay service who helps Patricia Williams make and receive telephone calls through text relay. Why must Patricia who is deaf and 88 years old now learn to use a different technology instead of her Captel handset to contact 000? | |
| Fletcher: | |
| I do thank the member for her question, and I make the point that the national relay service is a very important communication service forAustralians who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment. | |
| The national Relay service is delivered through a range of technologies and a range of devices, one of which is one that the member has sighted, but it is delivered through a whole range of different devices. | |
| Can I make it clear that all existing relay channels will continue to be available for users with the exception of the one device that the member has mentioned. I want to make it clear that the government is absolute agnostic about the services provided through the national Relay service. The owner of the particular device the member has mentioned has sighted an exclusive agreement with the existing relay service provider, but of course if that is interested in speaking with the Australian government, we remain interested in speaking to them. | |
| Can I correct one extremely misleading claim that the member has made, and it is very disappointing that the member would seek to create alarm and distress. Media reports which claim that making an emergency services call through the national Relay service is difficult are misleading. | |
| Users of a TTY device can dial 106 which provides a direct connection to emergency services through the national Relay service relay officer in the last financial year, there were over 1500 calls to the emergency services from national Relay service users, successfully connected to the appropriate emergency service. | |
| I repeat the point. The national Relay service is continuing, it is a very important service for Australians who are deaf, who have a hearing or speech impairment, it is delivered through a whole range of devices and there will continue to be $22 million a year being spent on the provision of this vital service to ensure that Australians who are deaf or hearing impaired or speech impaired can continue to make effective use of our telephone system. | |
| That’s the numbers right there. | |
| Rex Patrick says: | |
| Centre Alliance will support the motion for the family law inquiry. As a general rule, Centre Alliance supports inquiry referrals from other Senators. | |
| In relation to Senator Hanson’s comments, while we accept that some people may perjure themselves in a court, we totally reject Senator Hanson’s sweeping generalisation that women lie in court in order to get favourable decisions. | |
| The family court system is a difficult area for almost everyone that goes through it. Matters in the family court involve parties who are emotionally charged and have great personal stake in the outcome, including in many cases, the custody of their children.” | |
| Shayne Neumann is up with a question, reminding me that I had sort of forgotten he had existed. | |
| “My question is to the minister for veterans’ affairs. Can the minister confirm the government has a report in front of it which recommends scrapping the veterans’ gold card as we know it and will the minister be reducing the entitlements of veterans and their dependents, including veterans with a disability?” | |
| Darren Chester: | |
| “I assume by his question he is referring to the productivity commission report which was presented to the government six or eight weeks ago and released to the public six days later ... an extensive look at the department of veterans’ affairs which took over a year to do. | |
| The report of the government makes 61 recommendations, and as the shadow minister is aware, it is an extensive report, 938 pages, and allowed a number of reforms proposed by the productivity commission. | |
| The government has approved readily taking the time for further negotiation, further consultations ... with the ex-service community in relation to which of those recommendations it supports and which ones of those recommendations it doesn’t support. | |
| It would be inappropriate for the government to rule things in and out at this stage ... This government is proud of its record in relation to looking after veterans and their families. We are committed to that first. It is an area which has enjoyed ... enormous bipartisan support. | |
| It would be inappropriate to rule things out at this stage or ruling things in at this stage given the consultation occurring with the ex-service community around the nation. | |
| Another shadow minister is agreeing with my comments and ... what I would say, Mr Speaker, in relation to the question more broadly, this is a government providing an excess of $11bn a year to support 280,000 veterans and their families. | |
| We are working to make sure the veterans benefit enormously in the future in terms of reforms we make; the productivity commission report to the government outlines a whole range of recommendations and there is no intention whatsoever for this government to do anything detrimental to our veterans and their families. | |
| We are working with the community, as you expect the government would do, and encourage those opposite to also listen to the concerns of the veteran community, work with us as we continue to reform the department of veterans’ affairs. | |
| The Australian people can be very proud of the fact that their taxes, taxpayers dollars, go to support men and women who put on the uniform, serve our nation, and when they transition to life, they are supported in a way the Australian people can be proud of.” | |
| Andrew Lamming starts a lickspittle to “the treasurer to whom we are hopelessly devoted” and that sound you hear is that song being ruined for me for all time. | |
| Bill Shorten to Stuart Robert: | |
| I’ve met Gold Coast mum Shannon Manning who lives in the minister’s electorate. She is still waiting today, after more than a year, for her profoundly disabled daughter to get a wheelchair and hoist, and in the meantime she has been injured lifting her daughter. | |
| Are there other shortfalls in care and delays like this being caused by the massive underspend of $1.6bn in the NDIS? | |
| Robert: | |
| Let me think the member for his question. Can I assure you the office is aware of Ms Manning’s case. | |
| It is complex and highly sensitive and if the member wishes to have a brief about this case, he only has to ask me and I will brief him about a very complex, very sensitive case regarding Ms Manning. | |
| Can I also say that this is a demand-driven scheme, and in many ways not unlike any other demand-driven scheme – pensions, support pensions, Newstart – all demand-driven, and it is uncapped and if we wish to look at numbers, the 18-19 budget estimated the average participant cost will be $46,400. | |
| The actual payment for 18-19 would be $46,800. So indeed, based on what the government projected in the 18-19 budget, and based on the actual, the average participant has actually increased. | |
| Therefore, participant support has not been cut, as the member has alleged on the floor of the house. They have actually increased. Because this is a demand-driven scheme.” | |
| The sentient loaf of white bread that serves as our deputy prime minister is reminding me that tomorrow he will be acting prime minister. | |
| I think I feel smallpox coming on and I don’t think I will be able to make it into work tomorrow. *cough* | |
| “Have you ever been mellow,” he asks a Labor MP who is heckling him. | |
| “ ... I tried to get physical with the member for Hunter last week but please, just be quiet for now!” | |
| Just be quiet for now. Timeless advice. | |
| The member for Warringah, Zali Steggall, asks Greg Hunt what the government is doing about monitoring air quality (we don’t really monitor it any more). | |
| There is currently a proposed revision of the national environment protection ambient air quality measure to strengthen the ozone nitrogen dioxide, the sulphur dioxide national standards. | |
| Children are most vulnerable to air pollutants, as are the very frail, elderly and asthmatics. The recent infrastructure Australia audit report found Warringah has some of the most congested roads in Australia but there is no regular air quality testing to notify us of the pollution and health risks caused by congestion. Health experts are recommending the expansion of the networks of monitors with daily monitoring of key pollutants and adoption of a much stricter national standard for ambient air pollution. | |
| Will you as health minister endorse these stricter health -based standards for air quality? | |
| Hunt: | |
| “We discussed this matter earlier this week and as I indicated there are a number of important steps. One is as government, we have moved to lift air quality standards in Australia and in particular as I recall from a previous portfolio by strengthening across the nation the standards ... In relation to air quality, the environment minister may have a more up to date account of that. As part of that, we moved across the country to ensure that those standards were being implemented by all of the states. | |
| We in particular made clean air a fundamental element of our work as a government over the past six years for two reasons: one, because it is the right thing to do for health; two, the right thing for the environment. | |
| So we have continued to do that. One of the essential elements in doing that is not just monitoring, and I am always happy to support additional monitoring in this space, as I indicated when we met this week, but two, we have a $4bn urban congestion plan. | |
| The minister with responsibility for this, the minister for urban infrastructure, is overseeing that and cannot work fast enough with the states to get these projects delivered. | |
| In particular, not only are these projects important for urban congestion, they are important for reducing impacts on air quality which would otherwise be detrimental to health. So I respect the question. We have set in place a national standard; we have been one of the global leaders in terms of air quality and health; we have in particular put in place standards for PM 2.5 and PM 10, and we have put in place a national approach and now we are working on reducing the source of those pollutants through the $4bn urban congestion fund and I think that will make a real difference, not just in the member’s electorate but in electorates around the country.” | |
| Josh Frydenberg is yelling once again, this time in answer to a question from Jim Chalmers about the underspend of the NDIS. | Josh Frydenberg is yelling once again, this time in answer to a question from Jim Chalmers about the underspend of the NDIS. |
| “ ... WE ARE FULLY FUNDING THE NDIS WHERE THEY NEVER DID, MR SPEAKER, THEY NEVER DID. IT IS A DEMAND-DRIVEN PROJECT, MR SPEAKER. CURRENTLY THERE ARE AROUND 300,000 AUSTRALIANS WHO ARE ON THE NDIS, MR SPEAKER, 90,000 OF WHOM ARE GETTING CARE FOR THE FIRST TIME. NOW THE COST OF THE NDIS IS FORECAST TO INCREASE TO $41.75BN IN 2019-20 ... | |
| Scott Morrison will be talking about how important stability and calm is in this chaotic world. | Scott Morrison will be talking about how important stability and calm is in this chaotic world. |
| Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg: | Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg: |
| I refer to the reports that a final budget statement will be released tomorrow. How much of the improvement in the budget position last year came from a spike in the iron ore price and the low dollar, which have absolutely nothing to do with actions of the government? | I refer to the reports that a final budget statement will be released tomorrow. How much of the improvement in the budget position last year came from a spike in the iron ore price and the low dollar, which have absolutely nothing to do with actions of the government? |
| Frydenberg | Frydenberg |
| I THANK THE MEMBER FOR RANKIN FOR THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THE REALITY IS OUR BUDGET PERFORMANCE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN BETTER THAN YOURS, MR SPEAKER. THE REALITY IS THAT TOMORROW WHEN WE RELEASE THE FINAL BUDGET OUTCOME IT WILL SHOW AN IMPROVEMENT NOT ONLY IN THE 18-19 BUDGET, BUT ALSO WHAT WAS FORECAST IN APRIL THIS YEAR WITH THE 19-20 BUDGET. | I THANK THE MEMBER FOR RANKIN FOR THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THE REALITY IS OUR BUDGET PERFORMANCE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN BETTER THAN YOURS, MR SPEAKER. THE REALITY IS THAT TOMORROW WHEN WE RELEASE THE FINAL BUDGET OUTCOME IT WILL SHOW AN IMPROVEMENT NOT ONLY IN THE 18-19 BUDGET, BUT ALSO WHAT WAS FORECAST IN APRIL THIS YEAR WITH THE 19-20 BUDGET. |
| It continues but all the yelling runs into one. | It continues but all the yelling runs into one. |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: |
| My question is addressed to the prime minister. Does he agree with the Reserve Bank board which said in its September minutes that wages growth appeared to have stalled? | My question is addressed to the prime minister. Does he agree with the Reserve Bank board which said in its September minutes that wages growth appeared to have stalled? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| I thank the member for his questions and I am familiar with the minutes of the Reserve Bank. I will read the full quote for the assistance of the member. Wages growth had remained low and the upward trend in wages growth, something the leader of the opposition has been casting some doubt over in questions in recent time, there has been an upward trend in wages growth, Mr Speaker, and it appears to have stalled and they are looking forward and that is why, Mr Speaker ... | I thank the member for his questions and I am familiar with the minutes of the Reserve Bank. I will read the full quote for the assistance of the member. Wages growth had remained low and the upward trend in wages growth, something the leader of the opposition has been casting some doubt over in questions in recent time, there has been an upward trend in wages growth, Mr Speaker, and it appears to have stalled and they are looking forward and that is why, Mr Speaker ... |
| ... What those opposite haven’t acknowledged is ... that real wage growth under this government through the last year is higher than it was when we came to government from what we inherited from last time. | ... What those opposite haven’t acknowledged is ... that real wage growth under this government through the last year is higher than it was when we came to government from what we inherited from last time. |
| I will help them out because I know the Labor party is not that good with numbers. When it comes to managing money, they focus on numbers on plenty of other things when it comes to managing money they are not so good on numbers. 0.7% growth in real wages through the year is higher than 0.5% growth in real wages. | I will help them out because I know the Labor party is not that good with numbers. When it comes to managing money, they focus on numbers on plenty of other things when it comes to managing money they are not so good on numbers. 0.7% growth in real wages through the year is higher than 0.5% growth in real wages. |
| The Reserve Bank rightly points to their observations that the news on the international economy had confirmed the risk to global growth out was a downside. The Reserve Bank has made it clear they acknowledge the complex and difficult times that the Australian economy is facing with global pressures. I am quoting from the Reserve Bank minutes. | The Reserve Bank rightly points to their observations that the news on the international economy had confirmed the risk to global growth out was a downside. The Reserve Bank has made it clear they acknowledge the complex and difficult times that the Australian economy is facing with global pressures. I am quoting from the Reserve Bank minutes. |
| ... And I can quote further from the minutes which said there had been further signs of a turnaround in established housing markets, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. | ... And I can quote further from the minutes which said there had been further signs of a turnaround in established housing markets, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. |
| The notes also say the minutes looking forward to the outlook for outward growth was being supported by the low level of interest rates, recent tax cuts, signs of stabilisation and established housing markets and a bright outlook for the resources sector. Our government has a plan to grow the economy to keep the budget in surplus and we are the ones that the Australian people wanted at the last election, and they voted for us to continue with our election plans and to implement those plans, and you are the ones they didn’t want on the Labor’s side!” | The notes also say the minutes looking forward to the outlook for outward growth was being supported by the low level of interest rates, recent tax cuts, signs of stabilisation and established housing markets and a bright outlook for the resources sector. Our government has a plan to grow the economy to keep the budget in surplus and we are the ones that the Australian people wanted at the last election, and they voted for us to continue with our election plans and to implement those plans, and you are the ones they didn’t want on the Labor’s side!” |
| Olivia Newton-John is in the gallery for question time. | Olivia Newton-John is in the gallery for question time. |
| She is here to lobby on behalf of her cancer research institute. | She is here to lobby on behalf of her cancer research institute. |
| The midwinter ball is on tonight. I would not be opposed to her dropping by the entertainment stage for that as well. I am an excellent Danny for any Grease duet. | The midwinter ball is on tonight. I would not be opposed to her dropping by the entertainment stage for that as well. I am an excellent Danny for any Grease duet. |
| We are minutes out from question time. | We are minutes out from question time. |
| Anthony Albanese again confirms Labor will vote against the establishment of the inquiry: | Anthony Albanese again confirms Labor will vote against the establishment of the inquiry: |
| We are not hostile to the parliament having inquiries about issues. That is not our starting position. | We are not hostile to the parliament having inquiries about issues. That is not our starting position. |
| Our starting position would be: let’s sit down and talk about terms of reference; let’s talk about and make sure this is not a partisan issue. | Our starting position would be: let’s sit down and talk about terms of reference; let’s talk about and make sure this is not a partisan issue. |
| Quite clearly you’ve had co-chairs appointed. | Quite clearly you’ve had co-chairs appointed. |
| The prime minister informed me that Kevin Andrews would be the chair. Fair enough. It is up to the government to appoint a chair of the committee and Kevin Andrews has had an interest in these matters for a very long time.” | The prime minister informed me that Kevin Andrews would be the chair. Fair enough. It is up to the government to appoint a chair of the committee and Kevin Andrews has had an interest in these matters for a very long time.” |
| On Pauline Hanson’s assertion that women make up domestic violence claims to win custody in many, many cases: | On Pauline Hanson’s assertion that women make up domestic violence claims to win custody in many, many cases: |
| They are completely unacceptable. The fact is you can always find, in any circumstances, you can find activity that is outside the norm. | They are completely unacceptable. The fact is you can always find, in any circumstances, you can find activity that is outside the norm. |
| The norm of these issues is something that we should not make normal. Women die, at regular intervals; the chances are in this country a woman will die at the hands of a partner. | The norm of these issues is something that we should not make normal. Women die, at regular intervals; the chances are in this country a woman will die at the hands of a partner. |
| This is a scourge on our society. It is something that all of government should respond to. It’s something that all of us, the media, have a responsibility to raise these issues. It is important we discuss it with our friends, our mates in our communities. | This is a scourge on our society. It is something that all of government should respond to. It’s something that all of us, the media, have a responsibility to raise these issues. It is important we discuss it with our friends, our mates in our communities. |
| It is something that should be one of ... is one of the real challenges for our nation. I know that there are many people across this parliament, including members of the Liberal party and the National party and the minor parties who have worked very hard on these issues. | It is something that should be one of ... is one of the real challenges for our nation. I know that there are many people across this parliament, including members of the Liberal party and the National party and the minor parties who have worked very hard on these issues. |
| The people who worked on the committee last year, Sarah Henderson and Sharon Clayton, in the last term of parliament, have worked hard on these issues as well. | The people who worked on the committee last year, Sarah Henderson and Sharon Clayton, in the last term of parliament, have worked hard on these issues as well. |
| I think that really the comments of Pauline Hanson in the context of being made the co-chair of the committee, which will receive evidence, it would appear from those comments that Pauline Hanson has already judged what that evidence is and is saying that people do not tell the truth about family violence and that is a real concern given the prime minister’s deal to make her co-chair, which he announced this morning. | I think that really the comments of Pauline Hanson in the context of being made the co-chair of the committee, which will receive evidence, it would appear from those comments that Pauline Hanson has already judged what that evidence is and is saying that people do not tell the truth about family violence and that is a real concern given the prime minister’s deal to make her co-chair, which he announced this morning. |