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| PM grilled on keeping drought report 'secret' – question time live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Peter Dutton is back (it’s a double Dutton dixer day) but all I can see is Scott Morrison has stacked the folders, meaning we are done. | |
| Shayne Neumann to Scott Morrison: | |
| Since 2016-17, the Government has Prommed to spend $145 million on improving Australia’s cattle supply change, but has only spent $40 million. An underspend of more than $100 million. Why? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Mr Speaker, not going to take lectures from a Labor Party who shut down the live cattle trade, Mr Speaker, in the panicked decision of one television program. Mr Speaker, under our Government, what we’re working towards is $100 billion agricultural industry by 2030. And this afternoon, I’m looking forward to sitting down with the National Farmers’ Federation, not only to talk about those projects, Mr Speaker, but to achieve and realise what can be - what can be gained in our agricultural sector, and the agricultural sector at the moment, of course, is going through a difficult period because of the drought and we have see more than 10% fall in farm GDP because of that, Mr Speaker, but what we do have are the plans to continue to build it. What I am so impressed by in our agricultural sector is the resilience of the Australian agricultural sector that despite the setbacks, they continue to invest, Mr Speaker, and realise their future. | |
| Tony Burke: | |
| The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. Yeah, Mr Speaker, the question asks about specific expenditure on cattle supply chains, and the underspend related to that. That’s what it asks about. | |
| Tony Smith: | |
| I’ll call the Prime Minister again. I mean, he’s - I take the point. The member for Hunter is not - is not helping. Neither is the Minister for Education. The question did ask about some budgeted figures. It also asked about the cattle supply chain. The Prime Minister is certainly being - he’s certainly being relevant to the policy topic and also just very conscious he’s not quite a minute in and I - I’m listening to the Prime Minister. | |
| Morrison: | |
| Thank you, Mr Speaker. And it gives me the opportunity to again say that the work we’re doing to support our agricultural sector, and I will invite the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, here in the house to add to that. I know the Deputy Prime Minister would like to add to it also, Mr Speaker. Let’s not forget that the Labor Party, when they had the opportunity to support our cattle industry, chopped them off, Mr Speaker. They sold them out and they did so as a result of their addiction to policies of panic and crisis. Our Government does not act in a sense of panic or crisis, Mr Speaker. We act in the stable and certain way which gives people confidence in the future and enables to invest and plan for their future. That’s what we’re doing in the agricultural sector and invite the Minister to add to the answer. | |
| David Littleproud: | |
| Mr Speaker. Can I just say - this is about respect. | |
| Tony Burke: | |
| The $145 million program which is listed in the budget as for cattle supply chains is an infrastructure project. The Minister who’s just been called, it’s not in his portfolio. It’s in the portfolio of the Deputy Prime Minister who was just complaining we were taking a point of order over who it went to, but... | |
| Littleproud gets the call again, but Smith does speak for the nation when he tells Michael McCormack to stop talking. | |
| Littleproud: | |
| This is about respect and about restoring a relationship that was destroyed. Destroyed by the panic in 2011 in overnight destroying the live cattle trade. What we are doing is slowly putting an environment around the agricultural industry, particularly the live export industry - $1.8 billion a year it is worth to this country. It’s important that we continue to make that investment, make that money available for industry, to continue to work through the supply chain and particularly more important now, since the ratification of the Indonesian Free Trade Agreement, a proud moment for our nation to be able to trade with our nearest neighbour. 267 million people on our doorstep that we now have the opportunity to trade, to give opportunity to our farmers, that will be able to recover quicker from this drought because of the Free Trade Agreements that we have put in place. | |
| This is about a suite of measures that complements everything in the agriculture sector whether it’s in infrastructure, whether it’s in agriculture department, whether it’s in water because we understand regional Australia, we understand agriculture and we will deliver for them. | |
| I don’t know which god I have offended, or why my ancestors have forsaken me, but Michael McCormack is back at the despatch box and surely nothing I have done is worth this punishment | |
| It’s time for ‘how safe are you’ with Peter Dutton. | |
| BREAKING: as safe as you can be. BUT JUST IMAGINE IF LABOR WAS IN POWER. | |
| Mr Speaker, in 2014, we strengthened the Migration Act. It was opposed by the Labor Party to their shame and we have sought to make sure that we strengthen our laws so we can cancel the visas now of 420 non-citizens for child exploitation and child sex offences, Mr Speaker. | |
| And we’re proposing to strengthen the law further which is opposed again by Labor. That’s the reality, Mr Speaker. Now, I point out this because there is a big difference between the Labor Party and the Coalition when it comes to these very important issues, Mr Speaker. The member for Macarthur will leave under 94(a). Combatting child exploitation bill of 2019. It goes to providing more strength and support to policing agencies to make sure we can keep Australian children safe, Mr Speaker. | |
| Anthony Albanese takes offence to the Dutton’s politicisation of child sex laws. | |
| “The issue of child sexual exploitation should not be politicised. It should be an issue we should all agree on and the Minister surely could give an answer to a dixer [without politicising the issue] | |
| Dutton: You wonder why you’re under pressure? | |
| The chamber again explodes again. | |
| Albanese says today is the anniversary of the apology to survivors and victims of institutional child sex abuse and the government should be above these attacks. | |
| There are agruments going on across the chamber, but the Speaker moves proceedings on. | |
| The Australian Communications and Media Authority has defended not making a formal finding against broadcasters that aired the Christchurch terrorist’s footage earlier this year. Acma chair Nerida O’Loughlin told a Senate estimates hearing that overall the TV networks that aired footage or showed still images of the footage “behaved incredibly responsibly” overall. | |
| “In this circumstance, we thought the most benefit was to engage with the broadcasters to talk about where there might be issues that need improving, rather than focusing on what might be very small breaches of practice,” she said. | |
| No broadcaster showed any person getting shot, but there was vision of the gun, and some blurred images of the victims. | |
| O’Loughlin said it had been better to engage with the broadcasters about how they could refine their codes of practice to ensure new issues raised could be considered. She said the key issues brought up were the repetition of footage on 24 hour news channels, lack of adequate content warnings, and the need for broadcasters to consider the motive of the person filming the footage before putting it to air. | |
| Luke Gosling to Scott Morrison: | |
| Can the Prime Minister confirm that only $50 million of the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund has been spent since it was announced in 2015? | |
| Morrison: | |
| I’ll be pleased to provide the member with a full update of the works of the Northern Australia infrastructure Fund and I’ll arrange that to be provided to him directly. | |
| The House is so rowdy, Tony Smith issues a general warning: | |
| The level of interjections is becoming ridiculously high. There are conversations going on everywhere. I mean, I’m not going to get upset about it, I’m just going to act on it. For those interjecting, I’m going to remind you of two things. | |
| One is for me to make use of the standing order 94(a). You will see in the practice and the Standing Orders that can happen at any time without a warning. Without a warning. The only other option I have if I feel that is not getting members’ attention, frankly, is to name someone. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Cairns Southern Access Road will not receive a cent of the promised $180 million during this term of Parliament? | |
| Michael McCormack is back. Beyonce help us. | |
| The member for Leichhardt knows full well how important these projects are. Knows how important projects in making sure we get the freight lines, supply chains right, making sure we enhance that productivity, making sure that we increase road safety options. And if Mark Bailey, the Queensland minister, can get his people organised, we will certainly look at any road project, indeed any infrastructure project, in Queensland, any other state too, wants to come to the table and work cooperatively with the Commonwealth, we got $100 billion of infrastructure that we’re rolling out across this nation. Now, I know, I have actually been to Cairns, I have actually... | |
| Thank you for the cheer. And the member for Leichhardt was returned - was returned because he talked about our $100 billion infrastructure plan. Cheer that too! Cheer that too because it’s well worth cheering about. I know the people of Cairns, the people of North Queensland, the people of that fine State of Queensland, indeed every state, every territory in and across Australia, were cheering us on May 18 because they knew we were building the infrastructure that Australians need, want, expect and most of all deserve. | |
| And whether it’s roads of strategic importance, whether it’s the beef roads, whether it’s the northern roads, they are all - they are all making sure that we get the infrastructure that Australians want and whether it’s getting the Cairns access road, whether it’s getting the Toowoomba second range crossing, whether it’s getting the Rockhampton ring road, all those projects are critical importance. | |
| The Outback Way, Mr Speaker, which starts in Queensland in Winton, goes through to Laverton in Western Australia, they’re all important projects. We’re getting on and building them and what those opposite who go into the Despatch Box and ask those questions should do is after Question Time, go to the Labor state ministers and ring them up and say, “Look, if there are projects that are in my electorate, indeed in other electorates, get on board with the Commonwealth and help build them.” | |
| Now, Mark Bailey has worked in good faith with us, but there are a lot of projects, particularly when it comes to Queensland, we’d like to build dams. We’d like to build dams, but unfortunately - unfortunately - look weir water is being held up by the Queensland state government. That’s why there was a huge protest in the seat of Capricornia. This is of critical importance of the seat of Flynn. We want to make sure we build dams, the member for Watson says... | |
| He runs out of time. I run out of the will to continue. | |
| Fair. | |
| Dan Tehan is taking a dixer, but he has so far spent most of it addressing the backbench, meaning no one can hear him, including the Speaker. | Dan Tehan is taking a dixer, but he has so far spent most of it addressing the backbench, meaning no one can hear him, including the Speaker. |
| Tanya Plibersek gets booted for an interjection. | Tanya Plibersek gets booted for an interjection. |
| Labor is now yelling “through the chair” to Tehan. I have no idea what he is speaking about, because no one can hear him. | Labor is now yelling “through the chair” to Tehan. I have no idea what he is speaking about, because no one can hear him. |
| “Do you want an extension, mate,” Anthony Albanese yells. | “Do you want an extension, mate,” Anthony Albanese yells. |
| It’s all going really, really well. | It’s all going really, really well. |
| Oh, it turns out that the member for Curtin’s eldest son is doing his final exams. This is what the dixer is apparently about. | Oh, it turns out that the member for Curtin’s eldest son is doing his final exams. This is what the dixer is apparently about. |
| Tehan is now talking about ‘rambling and having no idea’ and it seems like a pretty big self-own for a dixer. | Tehan is now talking about ‘rambling and having no idea’ and it seems like a pretty big self-own for a dixer. |
| Catherine King to Scott Morrison: | Catherine King to Scott Morrison: |
| Can the Prime Minister confirm evidence at Senate estimates last night that his Government spent $190\\,000 on a plan to develop empathy for the inland rail project? Why is the Prime Minister spending taxpayer money on funded empathy while drought-stricken farm families are being thrown off the farm household allowance? | |
| Morrison gives Michael McCormack the call (excuse me while I call the UN): | Morrison gives Michael McCormack the call (excuse me while I call the UN): |
| Mr Speaker, it is important to have empathy for rural communities and I understand we’re investing $9.3 billion in the inland rail. It’s a 1,700km corridor of commerce between Melbourne and Brisbane. The CSIRO, the report they did last year - I know it was predicated the building of this on a 10 saving on a tonne. But $76 average now. But it is going to impact upon farmers’ properties. | Mr Speaker, it is important to have empathy for rural communities and I understand we’re investing $9.3 billion in the inland rail. It’s a 1,700km corridor of commerce between Melbourne and Brisbane. The CSIRO, the report they did last year - I know it was predicated the building of this on a 10 saving on a tonne. But $76 average now. But it is going to impact upon farmers’ properties. |
| We understand that, Mr Speaker. Indeed even in my electorate...there are farmers for who the inland rail is going to intersect their properties and insect their lives. Of course, we do need to obviously get out there and inform those people about their options. | We understand that, Mr Speaker. Indeed even in my electorate...there are farmers for who the inland rail is going to intersect their properties and insect their lives. Of course, we do need to obviously get out there and inform those people about their options. |
| We do need to inform those people about what their options are as we construct this inland rail project which is creating already thousands of jobs, which is creating and going to create thousands of opportunities for those farmers to get their product to port, to make sure that we take advantage of the Free Trade Agreements that this government has been able to broker with South Korea, Japan, China, of course working on one with Indonesia, working on one with India. We want to get more farmers’ product to plate. We want to get more farmers’ product to port within 24 hours and that’s what the inland rail will do. But we’re asked about advertising that is being spent on campaigns. | We do need to inform those people about what their options are as we construct this inland rail project which is creating already thousands of jobs, which is creating and going to create thousands of opportunities for those farmers to get their product to port, to make sure that we take advantage of the Free Trade Agreements that this government has been able to broker with South Korea, Japan, China, of course working on one with Indonesia, working on one with India. We want to get more farmers’ product to plate. We want to get more farmers’ product to port within 24 hours and that’s what the inland rail will do. But we’re asked about advertising that is being spent on campaigns. |
| McCormack has grabbed a big photocopy of ‘big Labor waste’ | McCormack has grabbed a big photocopy of ‘big Labor waste’ |
| He then refers to it, but looks like he has opened it to the wrong page. | He then refers to it, but looks like he has opened it to the wrong page. |
| Sure. Red for you over there. That’s red for you red raggers over there. Absolutely red for you red raggers over there. You bunch of socialists, but there’s $69.5 million wasted on the carbon tax. How did that work for you? How did the carbon tax work for you? Then there was Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister ..on running a blog that no-one even commented on...” | Sure. Red for you over there. That’s red for you red raggers over there. Absolutely red for you red raggers over there. You bunch of socialists, but there’s $69.5 million wasted on the carbon tax. How did that work for you? How did the carbon tax work for you? Then there was Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister ..on running a blog that no-one even commented on...” |
| The House explodes. | The House explodes. |
| There are a million points of orders, but none of them are relevant and we are all begging to move on. | There are a million points of orders, but none of them are relevant and we are all begging to move on. |
| This is the equivalent of being allowed into the fancy dining room, and then learning they serve Deb powered mash potato. | This is the equivalent of being allowed into the fancy dining room, and then learning they serve Deb powered mash potato. |
| Joel Fitzgibbon to Scott Morrison: | Joel Fitzgibbon to Scott Morrison: |
| Can the Prime Minister confirm that his Government has kicked 600 farming families off the farm household allowance as the drought worsens? And will kick another 500 families off the payment by Christmas? | Can the Prime Minister confirm that his Government has kicked 600 farming families off the farm household allowance as the drought worsens? And will kick another 500 families off the payment by Christmas? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Mr Speaker, I refer the member to the statement we made last week and I’ll invite the minister to add to my remarks if he would like to. And that was to add an additional supplement for those who are coming off after their four years to receive a payment of $13,000 for family, Mr Speaker. And as we have always done in our response to the drought, Mr Speaker, they are receiving $13,000, Mr Speaker, once the four years has been concluded and what our Government will continue to do, as we have done all the way through this drought and as the minister rightly calls it, as the drought steps up another level, then we step up another level. | Mr Speaker, I refer the member to the statement we made last week and I’ll invite the minister to add to my remarks if he would like to. And that was to add an additional supplement for those who are coming off after their four years to receive a payment of $13,000 for family, Mr Speaker. And as we have always done in our response to the drought, Mr Speaker, they are receiving $13,000, Mr Speaker, once the four years has been concluded and what our Government will continue to do, as we have done all the way through this drought and as the minister rightly calls it, as the drought steps up another level, then we step up another level. |
| We will continue to monitor this issue very closely, Mr Speaker, and as on each occasion we have responded to the advice, we have received on the farm household allowance, remembering - remembering it started at three years forever. | We will continue to monitor this issue very closely, Mr Speaker, and as on each occasion we have responded to the advice, we have received on the farm household allowance, remembering - remembering it started at three years forever. |
| That was the policy setting that we inherited. Farm household allowance was three years and that’s all you got forever. We increased that to four years and then we increased it to four years in every 10, and now, Mr Speaker, at the end of those four years we said we’ll also add in a further supplementary payment of $13,000 like we said we did last year when we added an additional $12,000 to the payment they were already receiving as part of the step-up of our drought response. | That was the policy setting that we inherited. Farm household allowance was three years and that’s all you got forever. We increased that to four years and then we increased it to four years in every 10, and now, Mr Speaker, at the end of those four years we said we’ll also add in a further supplementary payment of $13,000 like we said we did last year when we added an additional $12,000 to the payment they were already receiving as part of the step-up of our drought response. |
| So on each and every occasion, as the drought has continued, we have continued to step up our response as the step-up has required, and, Mr Speaker, that is why I have said and those opposite have lampooned, the idea that - it is the first call and it is the biggest call on the pressures of our budget, as we consider the issues whether we go into the MYEFO period of next year’s budget. The first call - the first thing I’m going to sure is addressed is to meeting the needs of our drought support programs, Mr Speaker. That’s why they’re getting an extra $13,000. That’s why we’re prepared to provide that support to ensure that they continue to receive the financial assistance that they’re seeking. | So on each and every occasion, as the drought has continued, we have continued to step up our response as the step-up has required, and, Mr Speaker, that is why I have said and those opposite have lampooned, the idea that - it is the first call and it is the biggest call on the pressures of our budget, as we consider the issues whether we go into the MYEFO period of next year’s budget. The first call - the first thing I’m going to sure is addressed is to meeting the needs of our drought support programs, Mr Speaker. That’s why they’re getting an extra $13,000. That’s why we’re prepared to provide that support to ensure that they continue to receive the financial assistance that they’re seeking. |