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Kristina Keneally calls out Peter Dutton over asylum seeker surge – politics live Kristina Keneally calls out Peter Dutton over asylum seeker surge – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Meanwhile, remember this story from Helen Davidson?
The Morrison government is sitting on a major review it commissioned last year to explore better ways of resettling humanitarian migrants in Australia.
The review into integration, employment, and settlement outcomes for refugees and humanitarian entrants, was led by Prof Peter Shergold, the former secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, now coordinator general of refugee resettlement in NSW.
Guardian Australia understands the final report was delivered to government in February but the immigration minister, David Coleman, does not intend to release it until the end of this year, when it’s expected to be published along with the government’s response.
The government has repeatedly refused requests for both the report and for an explanation of why it hasn’t been released.”
The Senate just passed a motion demanding the government produce it
On whether or not he believes there is a climate emergency or not, Joel Fitzgibbon says yes, and that is the terminology which has been used by other nations, including the UK.
He says he supports it.
But he says that what he has been arguing is that Labor needs to get “the focus on him” meaning Scott Morrison and ensuring that Morrison does the things that he says he is going to do.
Joel Fitzgibbon says Labor offered the government a “blank cheque” to support drought stricken communities (as in Labor will support any motion) but the government hasn’t taken it up on the offer.
Joel Fitzgibbon tells Patricia Karvelas on ABC radio that the government has been promising it would build dams for six years “and is yet to break ground”.
He says the government didn’t mention that 25% of its 50% commitment was in concessional loans, and that the states haven’t agreed because they don’t have the money to match the funding.
Given all the dam debate in the parliament this week, this story from AAP is interesting:
Queensland’s Natural Resources Minister says the federal government has him feeling like a jilted teenager over dams.
Minister Anthony Lynham says the state government has made $872 million worth of promises for water projects across the drought stricken state.
Dr Lynham said the government has applied for $95 million through a Commonwealth development fund for projects including at Wamuran, Theodore, Bungunya, Lockyer Valley and at the Lower Burdekin - with little success.
“We have had more knockbacks than I had as a teenager,” Dr Lynham told parliament on Tuesday.
“We have not seen a brass razoo for Rookwood (Weir) from the LNP.”
Politics and sport. You do the rest
PM Scott Morrison catches a cricket ball thrown by co-captain of the PM’s XI Peter Siddle when he and Dan Christian visited Parliament House Canberra this morning @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/MOvv0vs625
This will be good:
Joining me on @RNDrive at 6pm is Labor’s’Joel Fitzgibbon #auspol
Labor just managed to pass this amendment to a motion in the Senate (the bit in bold)
Senator Ciccone : To move—That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) after six years under this Liberal-National Government’s watch, from 1 July 2014 to 19 31 August 2019:
(A) 95,943 people have come through Australia’s airports and sought asylum, as is their right to do, and
(B) in nearly the same period, bridging visas have blown out from 94,000 to almost 230,000 - an increase of over 140%,
(ii) of the protection visa applications decided by the Department of Home Affairs in that period, 62,732 - 84.2% - were rejected,
(iii) those waiting in Australia on a bridging visa as their claims for asylum are assessed are often being exploited and trafficked by labour hire companies and criminal syndicates,
(iv) stakeholders have expressed concern as racketeering around visas and asylum applications have been allowed to flourish,
(v) the Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, Mr Wood, remarked on the blowout of airplane arrivals and stated ‘Organised crime and illegitimate labour hire companies are using this loophole...’, and
(vi) the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Dutton, stated that: ‘...If you cannot control your borders, you cannot govern the country’; and
(b) condemns the Morrison Government and the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Dutton, for losing control of Australia’s borders and allowing exploitation, slavery and trafficking to go unchecked, having a devastating impact on workers and their families, and the ability to do basic mathematics and provide accurate data to the Senate on the number of people who have been trafficked to Australia under their watch.
The Red Meat Council has put out the free lunch klaxton for tomorrow.The Red Meat Council has put out the free lunch klaxton for tomorrow.
Turns out they are a brisket crowd.Turns out they are a brisket crowd.
(Archer fans will get the joke.)(Archer fans will get the joke.)
In the midst of all of that is this nice little alert from DPS:In the midst of all of that is this nice little alert from DPS:
The official portrait of Ms Nova Peris OAM, the first Aboriginal woman to become a federal parliamentarian and Senator, will be unveiled at Australian Parliament House, Canberra on Wednesday 16 October 2019.The official portrait of Ms Nova Peris OAM, the first Aboriginal woman to become a federal parliamentarian and Senator, will be unveiled at Australian Parliament House, Canberra on Wednesday 16 October 2019.
The Department of Parliamentary Services commissioned the portrait for Parliament’s Historic Memorials Collection. The portrait was created by Dr Jandamarra Cadd, a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendant. This is Dr Cadd’s first portrait for the Historic Memorials Collection and he is also the first Indigenous artist to paint a portrait for the Collection.The Department of Parliamentary Services commissioned the portrait for Parliament’s Historic Memorials Collection. The portrait was created by Dr Jandamarra Cadd, a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendant. This is Dr Cadd’s first portrait for the Historic Memorials Collection and he is also the first Indigenous artist to paint a portrait for the Collection.
Dr Cadd has been a finalist in several prestigious portrait competitions and his work is held in a number of collections. He is a graduate of Deakin University and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Creative Industries from Central Queensland University.Dr Cadd has been a finalist in several prestigious portrait competitions and his work is held in a number of collections. He is a graduate of Deakin University and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Creative Industries from Central Queensland University.
The Historic Memorials Collection is Australia’s longest-running art commissioning program. Founded by Prime Minister Andrew Fisher in 1911, the collection has commissioned portraits of the Head of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Speakers and Presidents for more than a century.The Historic Memorials Collection is Australia’s longest-running art commissioning program. Founded by Prime Minister Andrew Fisher in 1911, the collection has commissioned portraits of the Head of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Speakers and Presidents for more than a century.
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, a Greens motion to ban any new thermal coal mines in Tasmania failed.Meanwhile, over in the Senate, a Greens motion to ban any new thermal coal mines in Tasmania failed.
Ayes - 8Ayes - 8
Noes - 47Noes - 47
(Which means Labor voted against it)(Which means Labor voted against it)
The attempt to suspend standing orders to move a climate emergency declaration has been lost.
Ayes 65
Noes 72
There was a division a little earlier, that caught Greg Hunt on the hop:
Anne Aly meanwhile, had a lot to say:
Labor, the Greens and the crossbench (except Bob Katter I would assume) are calling for the climate emergency declaration.
The government is not.
Zali Steggall says she is disappointed listening to the government submissions, and if the government “accepts the science that we need to reduce emissions, then it has to accept the science that is saying we are not doing enough”.
“If the science is telling you have to do more, then you have to adjust,” she said, adding that is not a failure – it’s just a normal response.
Adam Bandt is moving the crossbench climate emergency motion in the House right now.
He is moving to suspend standing orders to debate it this afternoon.
(It will fail, with the government (obviously) not on board.)
Over in the Senate and Kristina Keneally was having a little dig at Peter Dutton for not answering questions on notice.
Dutton has so far not lodged answers for questions asking for details about the breakdown of country of the arrivals, where in Australia they are, or what actions he has taken to address these surges from countries such as Malaysia and China.
Question on Notice 382 – asked on 12 August 2019 – 35 days overdue
Question on Notice 698 – asked on 13 September 2019 – 3 days overdue
Also, we do this over Twitter now too.
During House #qt, @PeterDutton_MP was bragging about the number of asylum seekers & refugees remaining on Manus. He forgot to mention:1. People have only been relocated to Port Moresby2. He’s relied on medical transfer for this achievement3. Manus was closed in Oct 2017
From Mike Bowers’ lens to your eyeballs:
And on a nice note:
Because it is only “radicals” who care about the climate, apparently.
#owningtheleft
Labor's declaration of a climate emergency is just a sop to the superglue protestors and radical greens. Labor remains desperate to receive the support of the radical activists despite what they've said since the election. Labor can't be trusted to fight for jobs.
Tony Burke jumps up to congratulate Tony Smith on the integrity award he received today (have a look a few posts down and check out Kenneth Hayne’s speech) and thanks him for some of the difficult decisions he took during the medevac debate (you may remember that Smith stuck to the parliament rules, and ensured the parliament had a vote, and also ordered the solicitor general advice Christian Porter was relying on to shut down the debate, be tabled – which revealed the advice was not iron-clad).
Scott Morrison then gets up to add his congratulations, and a few in Labor respond with “now you think about it” to which Morrison gets very upset and accuses Labor of politicising the moment.
It’s like divorced parents fighting over a speech at wedding.
So, I guess, congratulations Tony Smith?
Scott Morrison, the folders having been stacked, calls an end to whatever the hell this last hour was.
We bring Angus Taylor back for a lickspittle on the 70th anniversary of the Snowy Hydro, which the Rhodes scholar (don’t you know) attempts to link to the 75th anniversary of the Liberal party.
Taylor:
He is right, this week does mark the 70th anniversary of the Snowy Hydro scheme and it is a great time to reflect on that iconic engineering feat and its long history in serving our nation. Indeed, this week we are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Liberal party and it is important to note that the snowy scheme is just another incredible achievement of Liberal government.
This is TOO far for Anthony Albanese:
Ben Chifley was no Tory. You opposed it, your lot.
#goodjobAngus