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| Labor pursues PM over response to drought emergency – question time live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Catherine King to Scott Morrison: | |
| Why did the government spend nearly $17 million on taxpayer-funded congestion funding advertising in the lead-up to this year’s election but did not spend a single cent from the urban congestion fund the whole of the last financial year? | |
| Alan Tudge takes it - and that’s enough for me to become exceptionally fascinated with my cuticles. | |
| Penny Wong maintains the public has a right to know if the Prime Minister wanted pastor Brian Houston to get an invite to the White House state dinner. She says Scott Morrison should be man enough to say if he sought an invite for the Hillsong leader #estimates | |
| Jason Falinski asks Josh Frydenberg a dixer about his trip to the IMF meeting. | |
| We hear about how important it is (I guess it is an example of positive globalisation) so at the end of the answer, Jim Chalmers asks to table a transcript where Falinski described the IMF as a “leftwing organisation”. | |
| Permission is not granted. | |
| Zali Steggall has the independent’s question: | |
| Foodbank is the large provider of food and groceries to food relief charities around Australia. These charities provide relief to over 815,000 Australians each month including people in my electorate and farmers affected by the drought. 252 tonnes of food and groceries were shipped out of the New South Wales warehouse, alone, 110 tonnes went to regional and remote areas in New South Wales yet foodbank is not receiving any emergency funding to meet the demand. Will the government increase funding and support food support strategy as part of Australia’s response to climate change? | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| I thank the member for her question and I will ask the minister representing the Minister for Social Services to respond further to the member’s question. The government does provide support to foodbank. We do to many foodbank services around the country. And we are pleased to do so because we acknowledge the tremendous work that they do. As we continue to work particularly in response as part of our drought program, we are working with a whole host of different charitable organisation. We have provided over $50 million in fact to organisations like the salvos and Vinnies and others, the Country Women’s Association, in ensuring we’re providing the support where we can. I’ll ask the minister for - representing the for social services to add further. | |
| Paul Fletcher: | |
| I do thank the member for her question and the Prime Minister for the opportunity to add some further information in relation to the support that the government provides for food banks. $750,000 a year in funding over a 4.5 year period. That of course is not the only food relief program that the Commonwealth government, Morrison government supports. We also provide funding for two other significant charities in this area, second bite and OzHarvest. These are all important measures designed to provide support to needy Australians, to vulnerable Australians, and of course we continue to work with these important agencies for the delivery of this funding. And continue to work with them and a whole range of other agencies to support Australians affected by drought. | |
| Jim Chalmers to Scott Morrison: | |
| When the Reserve Bank, the IMF, the Business Council of Australia, AI group, Master Builders and others have all call for action by the government to support the economy, why is the government refusing to consider a proportionate, measured and responsible stimulus program to boost the economy by bringing forward infrastructure investment? | |
| Morrison: | |
| The government’s budget contains some almost $10bn of infrastructure in this financial year, Mr Speaker. | |
| That’s monies that is hitting right cross the country. In addition to that, Mr Speaker, the tax cuts that were legislated by this country, fought against by the Labor party, who said these shouldn’t happen and in fact the Labor party argued at the election that we should be imposing $387bn of higher taxes. | |
| Higher taxes on the Australian economy. I don’t know what sort of a stimulus package $387bn of higher taxes constitutes, but that was the description that was ... member for Lyons. | |
| That was offered by the shadow treasurer when he was the shadow finance minister and he was the joint architect, Mr Speaker, with the former shadow treasurer and the former leader of the opposition who said they thought at this time of great uncertainty in the global economy that adding $387bn to the tax burden of Australians would be a good idea. Now, we don’t share that view, Mr Speaker. We believe and we have demonstrated in our budget that the right way to go about addressing the issue in the global economy, indeed in the domestic economy is the stable and considered approach of rolling out our program of reducing the costs of doing business, whether it’s on removing unnecessary regulation, ensuring that we’re training people for the skills needs of the future, delivering tax relief to Australians, taking further out, Mr Speaker, our trade barriers to ensure that we’re dealing with in more and more countries in the world, taking our trade agreements coverage from 26% to 70%, and we’re seeking to go further. | |
| So, that is the economic plan that we took to the election. The Labor party would have us engage in the reckless spending policies that they last implemented when the member ... who asked the question ... the member for Rankin, and instituted one of the most reckless, reckless spending packages which crashed the budget and took money away from things like pharmaceuticals, defence spending and a whole range of other important priorities ‘cause the Labor party did not know how to manage money. | |
| Now, he refers to the governor of the Reserve Bank and I’m happy to quote him. ‘The Australian economy’, on 1 October, ‘Appears to have reached a turning point. The economy has been through a soft patch recently but we are expecting a return to around trend growth over the next year. | |
| There are a number of factors that are supporting this outlook. These include the low level of interest rates, the recent tax cuts, ongoing spending on infrastructure, signs of stabilise identification in established housing markets.’ | |
| Just your standard reminder that the GFC happened when Labor was in power. | |
| The department of agriculture has put out this statement, after the footage of horses being mistreated was shown on the ABC’s 7.30 | |
| The regulation of animal welfare remains the responsibility of the states and territories. | |
| The Department of Agriculture’s role is limited to export abattoirs where it works to ensure Australian export standards are met. | |
| Consistent with the department’s responsibilities, we are conducting a critical incident audit of the facility at the centre of recent footage depicting the mistreatment of horses. | |
| Queensland authorities are working closely with the department on this audit. | |
| A preliminary report will be produced early this week. | |
| The department will then determine any regulatory action to be taken. | |
| The department understands that Queensland has requested the original footage from the ABC, which will assist in determining a number of important factors, such as when the incidents took place. | |
| The department urges anyone with evidence or concerns about animal welfare to immediately report it to the relevant state jurisdiction. | |
| In environment estimates Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is asking about the statutory review of Australia’s environment laws (the EPBC Act) that is due to commence this month. | |
| The department confirms it will begin in the next 10 days but doesn’t have a date. A terms of reference has been drafted that will be released when the review is announced.They can’t tell the hearing who will be leading the review. | |
| “It will commence within the next 10 days,” the department’s deputy secretary Dean Knudson says. | |
| “The last review took about a year. I expect this will be of a similar length.” | |
| Officials say a department team of 13.4 full-time equivalent staff has been set up for the review. | |
| Just on Scott Morrison’s answer just before: | |
| If we get to the point where the leader of the opposition wants to arbitrarily, outside the law ... decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn’t, Mr Speaker, then that’s not a country that I think Australians would want to live in. | |
| That is pretty much what the attorney general does. He will look at the brief that is put forward by the commonwealth director of public prosecutions and then decide if the commonwealth pursues it. | |
| That’s a pretty big part of the nation’s first law officer’s job. | |
| Someone has subjected us to Michael McCormack at the despatch box, and it’s as substantial as watching rice boil over. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: (referring to the Right to Know campaign) | |
| Does the prime minister agree that journalism is not a crime? | |
| Morrison: | |
| I agree that journalism is not a crime. But I agree also, and I wonder if the leader of the opposition agrees, that if people – whatever profession they’re in, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re journalists, whether they’re anyone, Mr Speaker, a public officials, there is no one in this country who is above the law. | |
| People should not be prosecuted for their profession. They should only be prosecuted if indeed they have been found to be falling foul of the law, Mr Speaker. | |
| And I do not believe that those decisions about who should be prosecuted at the end of the day should be made on the whim of politicians. | |
| I think they should be made based on the rule of law, Mr Speaker. Members on my left. | |
| And the proper assessment of appropriately constituted law enforcement agencies. And that is why, Mr Speaker ... the government believes absolutely in press freedoms in this country and we have taken steps ... we have taken the step to add additional defences into our laws to ensure that journalists, Mr Speaker, can get about their task. | |
| In fact, Mr Speaker, protections that exceed that apply to many others around the country, and those were put in by our government, not those opposite, because I remember when those were in government ... they sought to gag the press right across the country, Mr Speaker. | |
| They sought to gag the press in this country with their failed media reforms that wanted to implement a public interest a public interest media advocate to try and stifle the press in this country. | |
| Now, Mr Speaker, I am not going to take lectures from a Labor party who sought in this place when they were in government to try and muzzle the press. | |
| In stark contrast we provided guidelines from the minister for home affairs to the AFP and other law enforcement agencies about how best to go about their business. And I know the statement from the commissioner of the AFP the work he’s doing to review those matters. | |
| But if it comes to a position in this country where prime ministers and politicians decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn’t get prosecuted ... Without taking the appropriate advice and without seeing the appropriate release which are required under legislation. If we get to the point where the leader of the opposition wants to arbitrarily, outside the law ... Decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn’t, Mr Speaker, then that’s not a country that I think Australians would want to live in. | |
| Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation director general Mike Burgess is up in Senate estimates. | |
| In his opening statement, Burgess described the threat level to Australia from both terrorism and foreign interference as “unprecedented”. He cited the threat of extremist groups in Syria and Iraq encouraging attacks in Australia and added that the threat of extreme rightwing groups “continues” and is an important area of focus. | |
| It’s interesting he said “continues” because the Asio annual report said the rightwing extremist threat has actually “increased”, but eventually he picks up the script from the report and says the threat is “more cohesive and organised than they have been in previous years”. | |
| Under questioning from Labor’s Kristina Keneally, Burgess said a rightwing extremist terrorist attack is “plausible”, citing a matter in the NSW courts at the moment. He said there was “”no doubt” the horrific Christchurch attack would inspire some individuals. Burgess confirms no rightwing extremist groups are listed as terrorist organisations and says he’s not aware the UK has listed one. | |
| “We are actively [investigating] ... we have subjects of investigation and they are ongoing. We’ve had a mind and eye to this for a number of years now,” he said. | |
| Liberal senator Amanda Stoker asks what proportion of Asio’s work is focused on rightwing extremism, leftwing extremism, Islamic extremism and “other” forms of extremism. He takes the question on notice. | |
| We have our first reference to “chaos and panic” from Scott Morrison in regards to Labor. | |
| It’s all part of this new narrative of why the government is holding on to its surplus, in the face of more and more calls to stimulate the economy. | |
| That narrative boils down to this from Scott Morrison: | |
| And so they elected a government that they knew would be able to address these very difficult circumstances with stability, with certainty, with measure and do so in a way not afflicted by the politics of crisis or the policies of crisis but with the stable and calm approach that enables them to get on and plan for their future with confidence. | |
| And that’s why, Mr Speaker, as a government we are continuing to do that. Whether it is maintaining the discipline in our budget management, which is one of the reasons why – the big reason why we’ve been able to take what was an absolute fiscal wreckage that was left to us under the Labor party and over the last six years we have painstakingly done the work, getting expenditure under control, making the choices that are necessary to get the budget back into a position that gives this country resilience at a time when it needs it. | |
| But because politics is as subtle as Cardi B, Labor is “panic and chaos” while “stability and certainty is the mark of our government”, a point Morrison hopes to be able to keep making until it catches on. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| My question is to the prime minister. Will the prime minister convene a cross-party drought cabinet to ensure that representatives from across the parliament work together constructively to respond to the drought emergency in the interests of farmers and rural communities? | |
| “Good question, take the politics out of it,” someone in Labor yells. | |
| The government benches laugh. | |
| Morrison: | |
| The government’s drought response over a year ago was based on the multiple sclerosis party, multiple sclerosis organisation drought summit that was convened in the Old Parliament House which the opposition was invited to attend as were all states and territories as was the National Farmers’ Federation, the many different agricultural producer groups, charitable organisation, the Country Women’s Association. | |
| Mr Speaker, experts and officials from across government agencies and departments and, Mr Speaker... (INTERJECTIONS) Yes, the drought coordinator was in attendance there ... and he was central to the organisation of that drought summit. | |
| All – there were many members from this House who were present at that summit as well and that summit framed the drought response the government has continued to rollout since that time. | |
| And since that time we’ve continued to listen very carefully, particularly through the minister for drought to rural communities across the country to ensure that the response that we are continuing to provide is up to the mark in terms of the needs in rural and regional communities across Australia. | |
| I remind the House that that response has three components. The first of those components is to ensure the direct financial support and assistance as is the responsibilities of the commonwealth under the national drought agreement which was revised and updated after that drought summit which made it very clear that it was the commonwealth’s responsibility to look after the income support and other financial assistance to farmhouse holds and those communities, and issues such as fodder subsidies and subsidies and the direct care of animals and others involved in the welfare of the farms themselves. | |
| That was the responsibility of the states and territories. So the reforms we have made to Farm Household Allowance alone means with a period of just over four years with the announcement last year that individual households will have received as couples $125,000 in direct financial support. | |
| Not alone but direct financial support over and above what they are able to do in terms of earning off farm income which we lifted the threshold up to $100,000 and that enables them even with that off farm income to access the Farm Household Allowance. | |
| There was drought to drought affected communities through a community. So it’s not just about farmers and graziers, it’s also about the communities that are infect – affected and we have invested in over 120 councils and their shire areas to ensure wear supporting the continuation and growth of their economies during difficult times and of course we have invested in water resilience. That’s our plan. We’re getting on with it. We’ll continue to get on with it will being to farming communities. | |
| And so does my eye twitch | And so does my eye twitch |
| Scott Morrison is in the House and is having a chat with Anthony Albanese which they both seem to be enjoying, given the laughter. | Scott Morrison is in the House and is having a chat with Anthony Albanese which they both seem to be enjoying, given the laughter. |
| We are in the chamber for question time - who is that MP? | We are in the chamber for question time - who is that MP? |
| It’s Susan Templeton, the member for Macquarie. | It’s Susan Templeton, the member for Macquarie. |
| And now it’s John McVeigh, the member for Groom. | |
| Penny Wong is now FOIing the documents PM&C received and then sent in regards to the William Barr investigation into the Mueller report, given Alexander Downer’s involvement. | Penny Wong is now FOIing the documents PM&C received and then sent in regards to the William Barr investigation into the Mueller report, given Alexander Downer’s involvement. |
| Dear FOI Officer | Dear FOI Officer |
| RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPLICATION – INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARR CONCERNING THE FBI’S RUSSIA INVESTIGATION | RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPLICATION – INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARR CONCERNING THE FBI’S RUSSIA INVESTIGATION |
| I request the following documents held by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act): | I request the following documents held by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act): |
| All documents created, or received, since 1 May 2018 related to the investigation initiated by the United States Attorney General William Barr concerning the FBI’s Russia investigation, including, but not limited to, communications with the United States Government and briefs to the Prime Minister. | All documents created, or received, since 1 May 2018 related to the investigation initiated by the United States Attorney General William Barr concerning the FBI’s Russia investigation, including, but not limited to, communications with the United States Government and briefs to the Prime Minister. |
| This request excludes media reports, press releases and duplicate documents. | This request excludes media reports, press releases and duplicate documents. |
| I note that the objects of the FOI Act include giving the Australian community access to information held by government and promoting Australia’s representative democracy by increasing scrutiny, discussion, comment and review of government activities. | I note that the objects of the FOI Act include giving the Australian community access to information held by government and promoting Australia’s representative democracy by increasing scrutiny, discussion, comment and review of government activities. |
| I expect that as soon as practicable, and no later than 30 days after receiving this request, I will be notified of a decision. | I expect that as soon as practicable, and no later than 30 days after receiving this request, I will be notified of a decision. |
| Documents should be provided to [redacted] | Documents should be provided to [redacted] |
| Yours sincerely | Yours sincerely |
| Senator Penny Wong | Senator Penny Wong |
| Also from AAP, an update from that noted climate scientist Pauline Hanson: | Also from AAP, an update from that noted climate scientist Pauline Hanson: |
| #notallcorals | #notallcorals |
| A defiant Pauline Hanson has maintained coral bleaching is a natural occurrence, in an exchange with the chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. | A defiant Pauline Hanson has maintained coral bleaching is a natural occurrence, in an exchange with the chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. |
| The Queenslander used a Senate estimates hearing on Monday to question the link between heatwaves and back-to-back mass coral bleaching events in 2016 and 2017. | The Queenslander used a Senate estimates hearing on Monday to question the link between heatwaves and back-to-back mass coral bleaching events in 2016 and 2017. |
| “You’re saying that coral bleaching is affected by water temperatures,” she told David Wachenfeld. | “You’re saying that coral bleaching is affected by water temperatures,” she told David Wachenfeld. |
| “Yet around Indonesia, closer to the equator ... where the water temperatures are 29C, it’s a known fact that coral actually grows faster and more prolific in warmer temperatures.” | “Yet around Indonesia, closer to the equator ... where the water temperatures are 29C, it’s a known fact that coral actually grows faster and more prolific in warmer temperatures.” |
| Dr Wachenfeld explained that corals live in a variety of water temperatures over the world, with substantial differences even within the Great Barrier Reef. | Dr Wachenfeld explained that corals live in a variety of water temperatures over the world, with substantial differences even within the Great Barrier Reef. |
| Corals bleach when stressed – such as when exposed to warmer than normal temperatures – and die if stressed for prolonged periods, he told the senator. | Corals bleach when stressed – such as when exposed to warmer than normal temperatures – and die if stressed for prolonged periods, he told the senator. |
| “The fact that corals in Indonesia could withstand higher temperatures than corals on the central Great Barrier Reef is of no benefit to the corals of the central Great Barrier Reef when they die.” | “The fact that corals in Indonesia could withstand higher temperatures than corals on the central Great Barrier Reef is of no benefit to the corals of the central Great Barrier Reef when they die.” |
| But Senator Hanson was not swayed, asking how the authority planned to address both water temperatures and the “natural occurrence” of bleaching events with its taxpayer funding. | But Senator Hanson was not swayed, asking how the authority planned to address both water temperatures and the “natural occurrence” of bleaching events with its taxpayer funding. |
| The GBRMPA is trying to stamp out crown-of-thorns starfish, improve water quality in catchments while urging for greater global action on climate change, Senator Hanson was told. | The GBRMPA is trying to stamp out crown-of-thorns starfish, improve water quality in catchments while urging for greater global action on climate change, Senator Hanson was told. |
| The authority recently released its latest five-year outlook for the reef, that found it to be “very poor” unless more action was taken to slow climate change. | The authority recently released its latest five-year outlook for the reef, that found it to be “very poor” unless more action was taken to slow climate change. |
| From AAP: | From AAP: |
| Taxpayers forked out millions to sell the federal government’s infrastructure promises in the lead-up to the May election, dwarfing spending in the previous year. | Taxpayers forked out millions to sell the federal government’s infrastructure promises in the lead-up to the May election, dwarfing spending in the previous year. |
| Infrastructure department officials confirmed more than $13 million was spent on advertising projects in the past financial year. | Infrastructure department officials confirmed more than $13 million was spent on advertising projects in the past financial year. |
| But just $272,000 in taxpayer funds went to similar advertising in 2017-18, while $64,000 was spent in 2016-17. | But just $272,000 in taxpayer funds went to similar advertising in 2017-18, while $64,000 was spent in 2016-17. |
| Labor frontbencher Murray Watt asked cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie about the issue during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday. | Labor frontbencher Murray Watt asked cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie about the issue during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday. |
| “It spent $11.626 million of taxpayers’ money in the three months leading up to the election – you got a pretty good return on your investment didn’t you?” he said. | “It spent $11.626 million of taxpayers’ money in the three months leading up to the election – you got a pretty good return on your investment didn’t you?” he said. |
| Senator McKenzie said the decision was based on market research indicating a low level of community awareness about infrastructure spending. | Senator McKenzie said the decision was based on market research indicating a low level of community awareness about infrastructure spending. |
| “This campaign was about informing the Australian public about spending on infrastructure in their local communities,” she said. | “This campaign was about informing the Australian public about spending on infrastructure in their local communities,” she said. |
| Senator Watt noted the government spent about 60 times more money on infrastructure spending in an election year than the previous year. | Senator Watt noted the government spent about 60 times more money on infrastructure spending in an election year than the previous year. |
| “That’s just a total coincidence?” he asked. | “That’s just a total coincidence?” he asked. |