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Coalition minister accused of running fundraiser out of taxpayer-funded office – politics live
Coalition minister accused of running fundraiser out of taxpayer-funded office – politics live
(35 minutes later)
How Mike Bowers saw question time:
While everyone was Googling who the assistant minister for customs was, this was happening to Jason Wood’s face.
So from the paperwork Labor was trying to table in parliament, the Pinnacle Club fundraiser is being held at a private club, but the address registered with the AEC for the Pinnacle Club is also Jason Wood’s electorate office postal address.
The financial controller for the Pinnacle Club, according to the fundraising entity’s Australian Electoral Commission disclosure return, has an @aph.gov.au email address.
Using taxpayer-funded ministerial resources for private uses – such as fundraising – is against the ministerial code of conduct.
Jason Wood is the assistant customs minister. So that is why this is an issue.
You may have noticed that has been one of Labor’s question time strategies under Anthony Albanese – to ask questions about the economy and other issues bubbling away before hitting the prime minister a surprise in the second half of QT.
You may have noticed that has been one of Labor’s question time strategies under Anthony Albanese – to ask questions about the economy and other issues bubbling away before hitting the prime minister a surprise in the second half of QT.
It’s the “unpredictable” strategy which was put in place fairly early on.
It’s the “unpredictable” strategy which was put in place fairly early on.
Speaker of the House @TonySmithMP has announced that Catherine Cornish has been appointed as Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives. For the first time in Australian history, the House will have a female Clerk and Deputy Clerk.
Speaker of the House @TonySmithMP has announced that Catherine Cornish has been appointed as Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives. For the first time in Australian history, the House will have a female Clerk and Deputy Clerk.
There are a whole heap of quotes about politics being show business for the, let’s just say not Hollywood types – and Vince Connelly, also known as Christian-Porter lite, or CP-lite – has done his best to prove that he missed out on a career on the stage, so he headed to parliament for the second day in the row.
There are a whole heap of quotes about politics being show business for the, let’s just say not Hollywood types – and Vince Connelly, also known as Christian-Porter lite, or CP-lite – has done his best to prove that he missed out on a career on the stage, so he headed to parliament for the second day in the row.
And Christian Porter does his best to live up to the ridiculous warm up act.
And Christian Porter does his best to live up to the ridiculous warm up act.
Hemsworths they are not.
Hemsworths they are not.
The reason for too many puns in QT today.
The reason for too many puns in QT today.
Nooooo, there must be another question the government needs to go ahead to go, because Richard Marles gets up with another question to Scott Morrison:
Nooooo, there must be another question the government needs to go ahead to go, because Richard Marles gets up with another question to Scott Morrison:
How is the assistant minister for health allowing the Pinnacle Club, an associated entity of the Victorian Liberal party, to use his taxpayer-funded office, his taxpayer-funded phone number and his ministerial PO box public consistent with the prime minister’s ministerial stance?
How is the assistant minister for health allowing the Pinnacle Club, an associated entity of the Victorian Liberal party, to use his taxpayer-funded office, his taxpayer-funded phone number and his ministerial PO box public consistent with the prime minister’s ministerial stance?
Christian Porter:
Christian Porter:
It is certainly the case that is asking the prime minister for an opinion, but secondarily, there is no date that attaches to any of these allegations that have been made by members opposite.
It is certainly the case that is asking the prime minister for an opinion, but secondarily, there is no date that attaches to any of these allegations that have been made by members opposite.
Tony Smith does not believe the date point to be relevant and he rules the whole question in order.
Tony Smith does not believe the date point to be relevant and he rules the whole question in order.
Morrison:
Morrison:
The deputy leader of the opposition has asserted a number of things and asked me for an opinion on these matters. I am not going to venture opinions based on assertions of the opposition for the reasons I said before. But I can tell you one thing wasn’t happening. No one walked into his office with a big plastic bag full of $100,000 and counted it out on the table like happens on Sussex Street on a regular basis.”
The deputy leader of the opposition has asserted a number of things and asked me for an opinion on these matters. I am not going to venture opinions based on assertions of the opposition for the reasons I said before. But I can tell you one thing wasn’t happening. No one walked into his office with a big plastic bag full of $100,000 and counted it out on the table like happens on Sussex Street on a regular basis.”
This also happened today
This also happened today
Kind of weird, the Speaker says MPs can't use the names of constituents or people who've been in touch with them in questions unless they're necessary to make the question intelligible. I always feel those kind of questions humanise politics! #qt
Kind of weird, the Speaker says MPs can't use the names of constituents or people who've been in touch with them in questions unless they're necessary to make the question intelligible. I always feel those kind of questions humanise politics! #qt
We are getting the daily dose of JUST HOW SAFE ARE YOU from Peter Dutton and then I imagine we will be done.
We are getting the daily dose of JUST HOW SAFE ARE YOU from Peter Dutton and then I imagine we will be done.
Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:
I refer to the prime minister’s previous answer refusing to concede that facts about the minister for customs. And so to authenticate those facts, will the prime minister agree to the tabling of the following documents? An invitation from the Pinnacle Club, the Pinnacle Club’s AEC return, the AEC transparency register, the contact details of the assistant minister on the department of home affairs website, and the ministerial standards?”
“We are here to help,” says Anthony Albanese, loud enough to be picked up on the broadcast.
Tony Smith rules the question out of order.
Marles now seeks leave to table the documents. One by one.
Leave is not granted after the first one and Smith shuts it down.
Scott Morrison on the Jason Wood allegation:
I refer the member to the answer provided by the finance minister regarding the relevant rules in relation of this matter.
In relation to the question put to me on this, in question time today and indeed to now, Mr Speaker, I have no information in front of me that would suggest that any of the matter is that they have alleged is falling foul of what the standards are and Mr Speaker, I have, I have learned over a long period of time, long time, but when coming to the despatch box, to the allegations made by those opposite, that I have never taken them at their word Mr Speaker.
... From this very feeble position, Mr Speaker, from this very lame opposition, Mr Speaker, is the attempt to distract frankly from their own feebleness and their own lameness, Mr Speaker, by seeking to smear other members of this house! When at the same time, their own party is in an absolute shambles!”
Christian Porter objects to the question.
With respect to the standing order 98 see it is the case that the treasurer and the minister covering the minister of finance can be asked for the use of electorate officers, not the prime minister. It is not his responsibility.
It is also the case of the prime minister was being asked in the second part of the question with respect to fundraising and of course there is a well-known provision against asking those questions here as they are party political matters.”
Tony Smith allows it. The prime minister is sort of the minister for everything, after all.
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 confirm 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] must not 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 the government to the decision to scrap the use of the national relay service that 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 cited, 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 absolutely agnostic about the services provided through the national relay service. The owner of the particular device the member has mentioned has cited an exclusive agreement with the existing relay service provider, but of course if it 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. I the last financial year, there were [more than] 1,500 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 $22m 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.”
