This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/oct/21/coalition-labor-morrison-albanese-politics-live
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Labor pushes for climate emergency motion to pass House – politics live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| As far as Reece Kershaw knows, the AFP is not planning any more raids on journalists, he tells the Labor senator Raff Ciccone. | |
| “But it’s something that we’d obviously be having a look at.” | |
| Penny Wong has just entered Senate estimates for the first time. | |
| She is in the finance and public administration committee, to question the prime minister’s department. | |
| From AAP: | |
| Australia’s new top cop has personally apologised to refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi for the months he spent behind bars in Thailand. | |
| Al-Araibi, a permanent Australian resident, was locked up in Bangkok after Bahraini officials pursued him over vandalism charges. | |
| Australian federal police commissioner Reece Kershaw, who has been in the job 19 days, acknowledged a trail of bureaucratic bungles led to his detention. | |
| Kershaw said he was now working with the Department of Home Affairs to address a “lack of connectivity” between border security systems and the Interpol database.“I have delivered a letter to Mr al-Araibi to extend AFP’s apology for his unfortunate detention in Thailand,” he told a Senate committee in Canberra on Monday. | |
| “And to reassure Mr al-Araibi that the AFP is continuing to review and improve processes in consultation with other relevant agencies to ensure we respond appropriate to these matters in the future. | |
| “The AFP is working closely with the department to resolve the overarching policy and legal questions arising from this matter.” | |
| The chamber is still debating Mark Butler’s motion to declare a climate emergency. | |
| There is an inevitable end to this – the government does not support it, so it won’t pass. | |
| Pauline Hanson has made an appearance at the estimates committee grilling the AFP. She wants to know about pill testing. Hanson asks the police commissioner whether pill testing is encouraging the drug trade in Australia. | |
| The commissioner says he doesn’t believe organised criminal syndicates would be influenced by whether pill testing exists or doesn’t. | |
| “It’s a global business,” the commissioner says, of the drug trade. Pill testing isn’t relevant. | |
| The Greens have just spent a good 10 minutes or so asking about their climate emergency hot air balloon which they wanted to launch over Parliament House last week. | |
| Senate president Scott Ryan has explained that when approval was sought, he learned that it was up to Casa to control the airspace above parliament, and a request was then made by DPS to have the access denied. | |
| Larissa Waters asked about a balloon that was seen above parliament this morning and why it had been allowed when its climate emergency protest balloon had not been. | |
| Ryan says that regardless of the cause, the presiding officers did not believe that any balloon should be allowed access to the airspace above Parliament House. | |
| He said it was a matter for Casa to police the current exclusion zone and added that they wanted to make the no-fly zone permanent. | |
| Andrew Wilkie has introduced a “protect refugees” bill in the House. | |
| This bill provides for a sustainable, equitable and humane response to the protection and processing of asylum seekers and refugees in the Asia Pacific region. A key component of this bill is the Asia Pacific Asylum Seeker Solution (Apass), a regional framework to be initiated by the Australian government in partnership with other Asia Pacific countries. All countries party to Apass must be legally bound to provide effective protection for asylum seekers and refugees as provided under international law. It is identical to the refugee protection bill 2018, introduced to the House of Representatives by the member for Denison on 18 June 2018. | |
| In rural and regional affairs estimates, Labor is probing how Moyne shire council was declared eligible for $1m of drought assistance funding when the council said it wasn’t in drought. | In rural and regional affairs estimates, Labor is probing how Moyne shire council was declared eligible for $1m of drought assistance funding when the council said it wasn’t in drought. |
| Diana Hallam, the infrastructure department executive director of regional development and local government, explains that Moyne shire qualified because between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2019 more than 60% of the shire had received 14 consecutive months of a one-in-20-year rainfall deficiency, and 17% of the workforce was engaged in agriculture, fisheries or forestry. | Diana Hallam, the infrastructure department executive director of regional development and local government, explains that Moyne shire qualified because between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2019 more than 60% of the shire had received 14 consecutive months of a one-in-20-year rainfall deficiency, and 17% of the workforce was engaged in agriculture, fisheries or forestry. |
| But after the shire said it didn’t need the funding, the department conducted an audit and discovered a small stuff-up. Either the data from the Bureau of Meteorology or the selection of it the department used ran until the end of May 2019 not June. Hallam said this did not affect the result – Moyne shire and the other 12 councils all qualified when the numbers were rerun over the correct 24-month period. | But after the shire said it didn’t need the funding, the department conducted an audit and discovered a small stuff-up. Either the data from the Bureau of Meteorology or the selection of it the department used ran until the end of May 2019 not June. Hallam said this did not affect the result – Moyne shire and the other 12 councils all qualified when the numbers were rerun over the correct 24-month period. |
| No decision has yet been made by the government about what will happen to the $1m, which Moyne will not receive. | No decision has yet been made by the government about what will happen to the $1m, which Moyne will not receive. |
| Hallam: “We assess rainfall on a quarterly basis. With the conclusion of the 1 July to 30 September quarter we will assess eligibility again, and there will be another opportunity regarding whether new shires become eligible.” | Hallam: “We assess rainfall on a quarterly basis. With the conclusion of the 1 July to 30 September quarter we will assess eligibility again, and there will be another opportunity regarding whether new shires become eligible.” |
| Angus Taylor, on Sky News this morning, said he didn’t know what a climate emergency actually meant (as in policy) and called it “empty” virtue signalling (which is something the Tories in the UK might raise an eyebrow at, considering they passed one.) | Angus Taylor, on Sky News this morning, said he didn’t know what a climate emergency actually meant (as in policy) and called it “empty” virtue signalling (which is something the Tories in the UK might raise an eyebrow at, considering they passed one.) |
| Anyway, Mark Butler has moved this motion in the House: | Anyway, Mark Butler has moved this motion in the House: |
| Senate president Scott Ryan is refusing to answer questions about a hack on Parliament House that the country’s intelligence agencies have said was carried out by a foreign government. | Senate president Scott Ryan is refusing to answer questions about a hack on Parliament House that the country’s intelligence agencies have said was carried out by a foreign government. |
| Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick asked a series of questions about the data breach that took place in February and which targeted Australia’s political parties. | Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick asked a series of questions about the data breach that took place in February and which targeted Australia’s political parties. |
| Ryan said he would not comment on whether a foreign government had been identified, nor any details of the data breach. | Ryan said he would not comment on whether a foreign government had been identified, nor any details of the data breach. |
| “I don’t think it is appropriate for public consumption,” Ryan said. “I don’t think these matters are appropriately canvassed in a public forum.” | “I don’t think it is appropriate for public consumption,” Ryan said. “I don’t think these matters are appropriately canvassed in a public forum.” |
| Ryan said he had received a report on the data breach, but he did not think the report was “appropriate” for publication.”I am not convinced that publishing the report I have received, even in a redacted form would be helpful.” | Ryan said he had received a report on the data breach, but he did not think the report was “appropriate” for publication.”I am not convinced that publishing the report I have received, even in a redacted form would be helpful.” |
| He said he would be receiving a further briefing and consulting with Speaker of the House, Tony Smith, before updating the Senate on what took place. It was reported by Reuters earlier this year that China was responsible for the cyber attack. | He said he would be receiving a further briefing and consulting with Speaker of the House, Tony Smith, before updating the Senate on what took place. It was reported by Reuters earlier this year that China was responsible for the cyber attack. |
| Prime minister Scott Morrison told parliament that a “sophisticated state actor” was responsible for the “malicious activity.” | Prime minister Scott Morrison told parliament that a “sophisticated state actor” was responsible for the “malicious activity.” |
| Mike Bowers was in Senate estimates to capture new AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw doing his best Mariah Carey’s “I don’t know her” in response to questions about the media campaign today: | Mike Bowers was in Senate estimates to capture new AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw doing his best Mariah Carey’s “I don’t know her” in response to questions about the media campaign today: |
| You could also insert Keke Palmer’s “sorry to this man” response gif to not knowing who Dick Cheney was. | You could also insert Keke Palmer’s “sorry to this man” response gif to not knowing who Dick Cheney was. |
| In environment estimates, Katy Gallagher is asking about the department’s failure to publish freedom of information documents on its public disclosure log for more than 10 months, a breach of FOI law. | In environment estimates, Katy Gallagher is asking about the department’s failure to publish freedom of information documents on its public disclosure log for more than 10 months, a breach of FOI law. |
| The department is saying an increase in FOI requests and “IT matters” have caused the issue. | The department is saying an increase in FOI requests and “IT matters” have caused the issue. |
| “We made a decision last year to change our disclosure log process so that documents were made immediately available,” Margaret Tregurtha, from the department’s general counsel branch, says. | “We made a decision last year to change our disclosure log process so that documents were made immediately available,” Margaret Tregurtha, from the department’s general counsel branch, says. |
| “It’s apparent that in doing that we encountered some difficulties with the website. | “It’s apparent that in doing that we encountered some difficulties with the website. |
| “We’re now in a situation where we’re making every effort to catch that up.” | “We’re now in a situation where we’re making every effort to catch that up.” |
| Katy Gallagher is asking why, if it’s a relatively simple process to upload documents to the website, has the delay in disclosures occurred. | Katy Gallagher is asking why, if it’s a relatively simple process to upload documents to the website, has the delay in disclosures occurred. |
| The department says that once the backlog of disclosures arose it became difficult to find time to catch up because they were prioritising the processing of FOI applications. Officials don’t have information available to tell Labor the average processing for FOI applications it receives. | The department says that once the backlog of disclosures arose it became difficult to find time to catch up because they were prioritising the processing of FOI applications. Officials don’t have information available to tell Labor the average processing for FOI applications it receives. |
| The department says its intention is to publish the documents that should have been uploaded to the disclosure log since January. The department tells the committee that there are about 120 document packs that need to be published and there could be thousands of documents within those document packages. | The department says its intention is to publish the documents that should have been uploaded to the disclosure log since January. The department tells the committee that there are about 120 document packs that need to be published and there could be thousands of documents within those document packages. |
| Katy Gallagher asks why advice was not sent to the ,inister’s office if the department was in breach of the law. | Katy Gallagher asks why advice was not sent to the ,inister’s office if the department was in breach of the law. |
| “If I was the minister I would want to know if my department was breaking the law,” she says. | “If I was the minister I would want to know if my department was breaking the law,” she says. |
| Matt Cahill, the deputy secretary of the strategy and operations group, says the department is working to bring itself in line with the act. | Matt Cahill, the deputy secretary of the strategy and operations group, says the department is working to bring itself in line with the act. |
| “We will bring ourselves up to standard in the next week,” he says. | “We will bring ourselves up to standard in the next week,” he says. |
| The new AFP Commissioner also said:-He hasn’t seen today’s front pages-He doesn’t know what sparked the newspapers to do this-He hasn’t asked any media outlets to meet with him since becoming Commissioner, but he’s hand-picked John Lawler to conduct a review of AFP procedures https://t.co/HV2W4RPmjo | The new AFP Commissioner also said:-He hasn’t seen today’s front pages-He doesn’t know what sparked the newspapers to do this-He hasn’t asked any media outlets to meet with him since becoming Commissioner, but he’s hand-picked John Lawler to conduct a review of AFP procedures https://t.co/HV2W4RPmjo |
| Still with the AFP at estimates, the police commissioner has been asked by Green senator Nick McKim about the leaking of a home affairs briefing document that included advice from Asio. | Still with the AFP at estimates, the police commissioner has been asked by Green senator Nick McKim about the leaking of a home affairs briefing document that included advice from Asio. |
| Quotes from this document, which was about the medevac regime, ended up in the front page of the Australian. | Quotes from this document, which was about the medevac regime, ended up in the front page of the Australian. |
| The commissioner, Reece Kershaw, confirmed the AFP “declined to escalate” even though it was an unlawful disclosure. | The commissioner, Reece Kershaw, confirmed the AFP “declined to escalate” even though it was an unlawful disclosure. |
| McKim wonders why. | McKim wonders why. |
| The commissioner says about 200 people had access to drafts of the document, but the final version went to 11 email addresses. | The commissioner says about 200 people had access to drafts of the document, but the final version went to 11 email addresses. |
| He says there is a “priority system” when it comes to launching leak investigations, which includes costs and the likely success of being able to produce a brief of evidence. McKim is less than convinced. | He says there is a “priority system” when it comes to launching leak investigations, which includes costs and the likely success of being able to produce a brief of evidence. McKim is less than convinced. |
| Oh, there we go | Oh, there we go |
| But the contract costs for the security upgrade blew out to $1.8 million (up from the last estimate of $1.5 million) due to inflation as the project was delayed, the complexity, and Canberra's busy construction market #estimates | But the contract costs for the security upgrade blew out to $1.8 million (up from the last estimate of $1.5 million) due to inflation as the project was delayed, the complexity, and Canberra's busy construction market #estimates |
| The Parliamentary Budget Office is being asked about a thought bubble from DPM Michael McCormack to move the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters to regional Victoria. | The Parliamentary Budget Office is being asked about a thought bubble from DPM Michael McCormack to move the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters to regional Victoria. |
| Labor senator Kimberley Kitching requested the PBO cost the proposal. | Labor senator Kimberley Kitching requested the PBO cost the proposal. |
| Parliamentary Budget officer Jenny Wilkinson said the PBO was not able to calculate the fiscal impact of the idea, given it would require industry-specific expertise that it did not have. | Parliamentary Budget officer Jenny Wilkinson said the PBO was not able to calculate the fiscal impact of the idea, given it would require industry-specific expertise that it did not have. |
| “We were not in a position to make a judgment.” | “We were not in a position to make a judgment.” |