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| John Setka abandons challenge to his expulsion from Labor party – politics live | John Setka abandons challenge to his expulsion from Labor party – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Christian Porter returns with the number of workplace deaths - so far 121 people have died, while at work, this year. | |
| Ayes 65 | |
| Noes 77 | |
| The MPs wander back to their seats. | |
| Peter Dutton will finish his speech and then we can go. (The folders are resolutely staying stacked.) | |
| Lucy Wicks has taken advantage of the division to snag a frontbench spot, as has Andrew Lamming and Fiona Martin. | |
| The crossbench are voting with the government (against the gag order), not that it matters because this is not a minority parliament. | |
| But after that moment, we move into the latest HOW SAFE ARE YOU dixer. | |
| I’m asked about the very important issue of border protection. This government has been working day and night to keep our borders occur. | |
| We want the Labor Party and the Greens with the passage of the medevac bill. Not too long ago that it would result in people coming to the country who... | |
| Tony Smith pulls him up on offering the alternative policy, before outlining the government one. “Otherwise it is an alternative to what,” he says. | |
| Dutton goes back and says the government policy is “well known” before re-launching into an attack on Labor. | |
| “SEVEN SECONDS,” the Labor MPs start yelling. | |
| “You made it seven seconds.” | |
| Tony Burke moves a gag order and the house divides. | |
| Peter Dutton starts his dixer with a moment of indulgence: | |
| On indulgence can I quickly acknowledge Sonya in the gallery today. We have been doing a lot of work with Sonya and the Carly Ryan foundation. Her story is a tragic one, her beautiful 15-year-old daughter online was befriended by somebody who made out to be an 18-year-old male and turned out to be a fit-year-old predator and eventually lurid Carly to a remote spot and it resulted in terrible tragedy. Now Sonya has dedicated he life to keeping children online and in real life as safe as possible I want to say thank you very much for the work you are doing with the Federal Police and my department. | |
| Last night in the parliament, the annual ‘Taste of Tasmania’ was held - where Tasmanian businesses bring their wares to the Great Hall, to promote the great apple isle’s produce. | |
| There is a lot of what Tasmania does very well - salmon, gin, whisky and wine. | |
| And there were a lot of politicians quaffing it all down. I know, because I was there, because despite loving goat’s cheese, I can’t afford to eat trout and salmon and drink bespoke liquors, so I shamelessly took advantage of the free event. | |
| But to hear those same politicians now starting to laugh about the ‘goat cheese circle’ like they are somehow above such privilege is the reason people hate politics. | |
| Daniel Mulino to Scott Morrison: | |
| When this government oversaw a cut in penalty rates it said there would be more jobs. Will the prime minister admit cutting penalty rates have not created a single job? | |
| Morrison: | |
| JOBS JOBS JOBS | |
| Tony Burke to Christian Porter: | |
| The minister has assured the House that the integrity bill will have no impact on a campaign like the one run by unions against James Hardie. Does the minister even know what actions the union took to bring James Hardie to account? | |
| Porter: | |
| The member completely mischaracterises the answer. What I have informed the House, what I have informed the House is that the integrity bill does absolutely nothing to prevent lawful protest, lawful strike, lawful entry to premises. | |
| What is it that members opposite are suggesting? What is it that you are suggesting? As a government we should accept any action at any time, even if that action breaks the law? | |
| Is that what the opposition members are asking? Is that what you are asking us to accept? That may explain why they have this passive acceptance of what the CFMEU does. That may explain why they are willing to accept $16m in fines for the CFMEU. That may explain why they are willing to passively accept 2,164 offences by the CFMEU without ever taking action. | |
| What our government has always said is that behaviour on worksites, whether that is employee organisations, employer organisations, must be within the law. It must be within the law. | |
| This bill ensures that there are appropriate standards in place, as there always should be, to ensure that organisations that repetitively break the law are placed before a court so I can make a determination whether it is just in all the circumstances for that organisation or a part of that organisation to be deregistered. | |
| The only organisation in Australia who even looks at meeting that important standard would be the organisation that you regularly accept enormous amounts of money from, that is the CFMEU. | |
| “You just did a better job of defending James Hardie than Julie Bishop,” Chris Bowen yells. | |
| He is warned. | |
| Tony Burke to Christian Porter: | |
| This question is to the minister for industrial relations. Previously you have refused to acknowledge if action taken against James Hardie would have seen those unions potentially deregistered under the integrity bill had it been in place. Why won’t the minister admit his legislation would give companies like James Hardie a weapon to avoid scrutiny and get away with appalling behaviour? | |
| Porter: | |
| That is patently false. The origin of that goes back to I believe the ACTU media release that was released on the day when we first asked those questions and that release I recall says something to the effect that an ensuring integrity bill would make it harder for individuals to get right of entry to workplaces to check for occupational health and safety concerns. That is 100% false. Nothing in the ensuring integrity bill changes one iota of the rule about the present rights to access workplaces for occupational health and safety reasons. That is a falsehood and it is that falsehood that forms the premise of the question you have just asked. If we are talking about occupational health and safety, one fascinating thing is that there is great concern for occupational health and safety by members opposite but yet they ignore the fact that the Queensland public sector union, that has in its membership inspectors for occupational health and safety, has instructed its inspectors not to go to worksites where the CFMMEU are present because of fear for those workers. | |
| (there is some back and forth over the relevance) | |
| Porter: | |
| Again, nothing in the integrity bill drops lawful industrial action, nothing in the integrity bill prevents occupational health and safety inspectors from entering workplaces but one thing that is stopping health and safety inspectors entering workplaces is the militant bullying behaviour of the CFMEU, which members opposite refused to call out, refused to do anything about and the effect of that is that occupational health and safety inspectors in the Queensland public sector union will not go to 17 of the largest construction sites in Queensland. That displays the sort of concern you have for the reality that these people are dealing with. | |
| Tony Burke to Christian Porter: | |
| The federal court found Liberal party member and donor Gerry Hanssen was driven by a blind hatred of unions when he blocked safety inspectors from a site where a worker had died. Can the minister confirm the only new penalty the government currently has before the parliament for Gerry Hanssen is he won’t be allowed to run as a union official. | |
| Porter: | |
| All those people who breach the industrial laws of Australia should be prosecuted, should go before the relevant courts and be fined and punished in accordance with the law. As, of course, was the case with Mr Hanssen. As the shadow minister knows well, the laws we have placed in the ensuring integrity bill are designed to apply to the disqualification of members of registered organisations as officials, equally to organisations that represent employers and employees. The changes in the bill go to the issue of a potential deregistration after evidence is put by the registered organisation committee to a court and, after consideration of that evidence, apply equally to organisations, which are registered as employer or employee organisations. The point of those laws is to make sure lawful conduct according to the same standards of both employer and employee organisations. | |
| Move over latte sippers – you have officially been scrapped, according to Paul Fletcher: | |
| That has been very well received in regional Australia because our members for parliament on this side of the House don’t live inside the goat’s cheese circle like most of the people on the other side of the House. | |
| I mean, it’s not exactly new – goat’s cheese was mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey – and according to Agrifutures, it is also a really good industry for farmers: | |
| It is estimated that Australian goat milk production is around 16 million litres per year with an estimated farm gate value of $20 million. There are approximately 68 dairy goat farms and 15 goat milk factories in Australia. A large portion of the dairy goat farms process their own milk and supply direct to wholesalers. | |
| But yes, let’s once again shit on consumers of products that support Australia’s farmers, who are at the top of the government’s support list, for buying and eating those products. | But yes, let’s once again shit on consumers of products that support Australia’s farmers, who are at the top of the government’s support list, for buying and eating those products. |
| Ed Husic to Christian Porter: | Ed Husic to Christian Porter: |
| How many workers have died in workplace accidents over the last year? | How many workers have died in workplace accidents over the last year? |
| Porter: | Porter: |
| I will take that on notice and provide the number, any number above zero is too many. This government takes very seriously those issues. Those are matters that are part of a very broad approach, recently, at the ministerial council for ministers for industrial relations. Those issues were front and centre, including the way in which laws around manslaughter can be better drafted or enforced. It’s a very serious matter. I don’t have the exact number to hand, I apologise, I will get it. | |
| Anthony Albanese on John Setka: | Anthony Albanese on John Setka: |
| One of my first acts as Leader of the Labor Party was to take action to suspend John Setka from membership of the Australian Labor Party. I did that because I thought over a long period of time through his actions, he demonstrated values that were not consistent with the values which the Australian Labor Party holds dear. One of those values is respect for women. The fact that he’s been convicted of breaching a family violence order and the fact that he was also convicted and pleaded guilty to harassment indicates that that’s the case. But there’s also been a range of activity which are in breach of both the Victorian rules of the ALP and the values of the Australian Labor Party. | One of my first acts as Leader of the Labor Party was to take action to suspend John Setka from membership of the Australian Labor Party. I did that because I thought over a long period of time through his actions, he demonstrated values that were not consistent with the values which the Australian Labor Party holds dear. One of those values is respect for women. The fact that he’s been convicted of breaching a family violence order and the fact that he was also convicted and pleaded guilty to harassment indicates that that’s the case. But there’s also been a range of activity which are in breach of both the Victorian rules of the ALP and the values of the Australian Labor Party. |
| As people would be aware, John Setka contested that action in the courts and lost. Today John Setka has withdrawn his appeal to that decision and John Setka has now been removed as a member of the Australian Labor Party. This is something that I think is important. It’s been important that we demonstrate that Labor’s values as a party are greater than any individual and that we’re prepared to stand up for those values. I think that this is a good outcome for the Australian Labor Party that allows us to draw the line under these issues and to confront a Government that attacks workers’ rights, that doesn’t stand up for working values. Just today we had to move amendments to its Big Stick legislation to ensure that workers entitlements were protected. | As people would be aware, John Setka contested that action in the courts and lost. Today John Setka has withdrawn his appeal to that decision and John Setka has now been removed as a member of the Australian Labor Party. This is something that I think is important. It’s been important that we demonstrate that Labor’s values as a party are greater than any individual and that we’re prepared to stand up for those values. I think that this is a good outcome for the Australian Labor Party that allows us to draw the line under these issues and to confront a Government that attacks workers’ rights, that doesn’t stand up for working values. Just today we had to move amendments to its Big Stick legislation to ensure that workers entitlements were protected. |
| Labor will continue to stand up for the rights of working people and we will not allow ourselves to be distracted from that task by the actions of any individual. Mr Setka’s removal as a member of the Australian Labor Party removes that opportunity for the Government in seeking to attack workers, to single out any one individual and use that as an excuse, and allows us to ensure that we conduct ourselves on the merits. | Labor will continue to stand up for the rights of working people and we will not allow ourselves to be distracted from that task by the actions of any individual. Mr Setka’s removal as a member of the Australian Labor Party removes that opportunity for the Government in seeking to attack workers, to single out any one individual and use that as an excuse, and allows us to ensure that we conduct ourselves on the merits. |
| I would like to thank the Tveeder transcription feed for this new title for Angus Taylor: | |
| Feminist effort energy and emissions reduction - - the minister. | Feminist effort energy and emissions reduction - - the minister. |
| Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: | Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: |
| Why did the prime minister say we want to lift the status of vocational education in Australia when the truth is, under his government, there are now 150,000 fewer apprenticeships and trainees, the Australian Industry Group says three-quarters of businesses surveyed can’t find the qualified staff they need, Tafe training programs have been shortchanged by nearly $1bn. | Why did the prime minister say we want to lift the status of vocational education in Australia when the truth is, under his government, there are now 150,000 fewer apprenticeships and trainees, the Australian Industry Group says three-quarters of businesses surveyed can’t find the qualified staff they need, Tafe training programs have been shortchanged by nearly $1bn. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| I have learned from long experience with the member for Sydney, never to take at face value any information, including on geography, she brings to this House. The figures she refers to considering the spending of the government, she knows relates to estimate variations for a demand-driven project. The only difference in expenditure from previous Estimates relates to demand and the measures that are required to meet that demand. | I have learned from long experience with the member for Sydney, never to take at face value any information, including on geography, she brings to this House. The figures she refers to considering the spending of the government, she knows relates to estimate variations for a demand-driven project. The only difference in expenditure from previous Estimates relates to demand and the measures that are required to meet that demand. |
| That member would also know, if that is the case, if there is an adjustment between a measure that is published at a particular amount, and then demand is less than that, the amount spent is less. She would know that because when she was minister for health, there was a $1.5m underspend on hospitals. | That member would also know, if that is the case, if there is an adjustment between a measure that is published at a particular amount, and then demand is less than that, the amount spent is less. She would know that because when she was minister for health, there was a $1.5m underspend on hospitals. |
| A $1.5m underspend on schools under the Labor party, a $500m underspend on carers, and underspend on veterans. A $2bn underspend on seniors, a $3bn underspend on carers again. | A $1.5m underspend on schools under the Labor party, a $500m underspend on carers, and underspend on veterans. A $2bn underspend on seniors, a $3bn underspend on carers again. |
| She can come to this dispatch box and put these lies as an attempt to buy relevance and seek to smear the government. The facts just don’t bear what the member is saying out. When it comes to the serious issue, when it comes to the number of apprenticeships, we have that commitment to establish 80,000 additional apprenticeships as we set out at the last election. We agree and I would hope members opposite agree because I am making constructive progress with the state premiers and chief ministers of the territories, that our skills system needs big change because it is not delivering the outcomes that we would want to achieve. | She can come to this dispatch box and put these lies as an attempt to buy relevance and seek to smear the government. The facts just don’t bear what the member is saying out. When it comes to the serious issue, when it comes to the number of apprenticeships, we have that commitment to establish 80,000 additional apprenticeships as we set out at the last election. We agree and I would hope members opposite agree because I am making constructive progress with the state premiers and chief ministers of the territories, that our skills system needs big change because it is not delivering the outcomes that we would want to achieve. |
| These programs are run by the states and supported by the commonwealth. We need a different approach to what we are doing with this, that is what we are working with the states and territory members to achieve. I’m happy to speak over the interjections. We will continue to work constructively with the states and territories to reform our vocational education system. | These programs are run by the states and supported by the commonwealth. We need a different approach to what we are doing with this, that is what we are working with the states and territory members to achieve. I’m happy to speak over the interjections. We will continue to work constructively with the states and territories to reform our vocational education system. |
| The third point is this, when we came to government we had to pick up the absolute debacle ... The figures the leader of the opposition are pointing to refer to it, the reason the people came off as we think were no longer paying people for courses they weren’t doing and were being registered as being trained. On our side of the House, we want people to get actually trained for real jobs. | The third point is this, when we came to government we had to pick up the absolute debacle ... The figures the leader of the opposition are pointing to refer to it, the reason the people came off as we think were no longer paying people for courses they weren’t doing and were being registered as being trained. On our side of the House, we want people to get actually trained for real jobs. |
| Angus Taylor gets a big stick dixer from John McVeigh. | Angus Taylor gets a big stick dixer from John McVeigh. |
| In it, he again appears confused about what a climate emergency declaration would mean. Again, he could just have a chat to some of the conservatives in the UK. | In it, he again appears confused about what a climate emergency declaration would mean. Again, he could just have a chat to some of the conservatives in the UK. |
| He refers to Mark Butler as “Nigel Nofriends” to which Tony Smith gives a big ‘no’ and not just because it is a lame burn that Gen X really need to retire, because, honestly, popular culture has moved on. Read a book. | He refers to Mark Butler as “Nigel Nofriends” to which Tony Smith gives a big ‘no’ and not just because it is a lame burn that Gen X really need to retire, because, honestly, popular culture has moved on. Read a book. |
| “Come back Nigel,” Ed Husic yells, as Taylor is called back to the dispatch box. | “Come back Nigel,” Ed Husic yells, as Taylor is called back to the dispatch box. |
| Two wrongs do not make a right. | Two wrongs do not make a right. |