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Labor grills Angus Taylor over 'forged' documents – question time live Labor calls for police investigation into Angus Taylor – question time live
(32 minutes later)
Brian Houston is about to appear on Sydney radio 2GB.
That’s over whether he was invited to attend the State Dinner at the White House.
Scott Morrison won’t answer, so let’s see what Houston has to say.
That’s it though – question time ends.
The House won’t sit again until November 25.
#watergate #grassgate now #clovergate. Another day another reason for a well funded wide ranging National Integrity Commission. #NIC #auspol
One more dixer.
Phil Thompson gets it.
It’s all on the secure and stable plan.
This is so the government gets to finish off the week (and month) with the last say.
Warren Entsch, Phil Thompson and Angie Bell make a bee line for the front bench in the final division.
It’s a Queensland incursion.
“The most accident prone minister of his generation,” Richard Marles gets in, before he is cut off.
The last division is happening, but the folders are stacked, so I don’t even think there will be another dixer after this.
The folders are being stacked.
In news that will shock no one, the government has not given leave to suspend standing orders and the house divides.
Tony Burke:
We need to know whether the forgery was tailor-made, because it looks exactly like that.
The motion in full.
I seek leave to move the following motion –
that the House:
notes:
the Prime Minister’s statement in the House on Monday this week that ‘Whether they’re politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone — there is no one in this country who is above the law’;
the reported provision of a forged document to the Daily Telegraph by the Minister for Emissions Reduction in an attempt to influence the public duty of the lord mayor of Sydney;
the creation and/or knowing use of a forged document in attempt to influence a public duty is a serious indictable offence under New South Wales law punishable by up to 10 years in prison;
the failure to report knowledge of a serious indictable offence is also an offence under NSW law punishable by up to two years in prison;
the Minister for Emissions Reduction has failed to explain his role in, or knowledge of, the creation and/or use of a forged document used in an attempt to influence the public duty of the lord mayor of Sydney; and
the minister has refused to give straight answers to simple questions about these crimes, as if the public has no right to know; and
having regard to the foregoing, calls on the prime minister to ask the NSW Police to investigate whether the Minister for Emissions Reduction has committed a crime.”
Once this motion fails, there won’t be another opportunity to ask Angus Taylor about this, in parliament, for a month.Once this motion fails, there won’t be another opportunity to ask Angus Taylor about this, in parliament, for a month.
Labor is now seeking to move a motion against Angus Taylor.Labor is now seeking to move a motion against Angus Taylor.
Here are the screenshots from the City of Sydney's CMS. You can see the fact-checking @GuardianAus carried out in this thread. https://t.co/rIVMuczdTdHere are the screenshots from the City of Sydney's CMS. You can see the fact-checking @GuardianAus carried out in this thread. https://t.co/rIVMuczdTd
Angus Taylor:Angus Taylor:
I absolutely reject the premise of the question.I absolutely reject the premise of the question.
Those opposite will believe anything they read on their favourite website, Mr Speaker.Those opposite will believe anything they read on their favourite website, Mr Speaker.
Now, the truth is that the Member for Hindmarsh wants to distract from his woes, from the open hostility between his and his colleagues. They are all smear and no idea.Now, the truth is that the Member for Hindmarsh wants to distract from his woes, from the open hostility between his and his colleagues. They are all smear and no idea.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
There is an offence for failing to bring information about the condition of a forgery designed to influence public duty, to the attention of the New South Wales police force. Has the minister reported this matter to the NSW Police or does he still seriously claim that the document he provided to the Daily Telegraph is not a forgery? If he does make that claim will he provide meta data to support it as the city of Sydney has?”There is an offence for failing to bring information about the condition of a forgery designed to influence public duty, to the attention of the New South Wales police force. Has the minister reported this matter to the NSW Police or does he still seriously claim that the document he provided to the Daily Telegraph is not a forgery? If he does make that claim will he provide meta data to support it as the city of Sydney has?”
Christian Porter steps in.Christian Porter steps in.
The first question went to, any subsequent question went to the origins of a document. The minister has been absolutely straight in his answers with respect to the origins ... It may not have been the answer that members wanted, but the answer was provided. Now they ask a question which infers and imputes that an offence has been created or, indeed, then ask the minister, with respect to that which is not at all proven and not at all clear.The first question went to, any subsequent question went to the origins of a document. The minister has been absolutely straight in his answers with respect to the origins ... It may not have been the answer that members wanted, but the answer was provided. Now they ask a question which infers and imputes that an offence has been created or, indeed, then ask the minister, with respect to that which is not at all proven and not at all clear.
Tony Burke:Tony Burke:
The question is effectively in three parts. The first describes an offence, the second asks whether the minister has reported it, and the third asks situations whether the minister is in fact claiming this would happen, in which case, an offence would not have been committed. So none of the imputations that the Leader of the House just refer to a meeting the question.The question is effectively in three parts. The first describes an offence, the second asks whether the minister has reported it, and the third asks situations whether the minister is in fact claiming this would happen, in which case, an offence would not have been committed. So none of the imputations that the Leader of the House just refer to a meeting the question.
Tony Smith allows the question.Tony Smith allows the question.
Peter Dutton is now saying Labor introduced the medevac legislation, which Anthony Albanese pulls him up on.Peter Dutton is now saying Labor introduced the medevac legislation, which Anthony Albanese pulls him up on.
“Introduced by Labor?” he yells across the table.“Introduced by Labor?” he yells across the table.
“Absolutely introduced and supported by Labor,” Dutton says.“Absolutely introduced and supported by Labor,” Dutton says.
Medevac was introduced by independent Kerryn Phelps, and supported and seconded by the crossbench.Medevac was introduced by independent Kerryn Phelps, and supported and seconded by the crossbench.
After Peter Dutton was pulled up yesterday for attacking Labor, without talking about the government’s policy (launching straight into the “alternative approaches”) Dutton now has a dixer which is ONLY alternative approaches.
Minister, what are the risks of alternative approaches to the Morrison government’s well-known stable and secure approach to border protection policies?”
Tony Smith steps in immediately:
Obviously I’ve made my position clear yesterday on the content of answers. And I’m not in a position, obviously, to know what the minister is going to say. But I have a fair idea.
I will say to the minister that the House of Representatives practice and standing orders are very clear. I think the question is cleverly written and is in order, but it is the answer I will be focusing on. And I’m not going to allow questions. I’m just saying this and they make this point about House of Representatives practice. In fact, you may as well take a seat. I will make this point.
The standing orders make it clear that ministers can only be questioned about matters for which they are responsible. And they say, in all seriousness, the government is very keen to enforce that when it gets questions from the opposition about matters for which they are not responsible.
The practice makes it very clear that some speakers have had a very strict approach and indeed not even allowed taglines like “alternative policies”. I have been more liberal. I have been more liberal.(“That’s been the problem,” Ed Husic laughs)
But there has never been a time when an entire answer can be about an opposition’s policy. The question is, as I said, cleverly written and in order, but for the minister to be in order in his answer he needs to take the approach that I have been allowing. I will let him have a go.”
Dutton gets back to the despatch box with a big smile.
“He’s been practising,” Husic yells.
After 40 seconds, he is into how terrible he believes Labor’s approaches to be.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
Does the minister stand by his claim that he downloaded the document from the City of Sydney’s website in light of information released today by the city that metadata logs proved conclusively that the original documents had not been altered since being uploaded to their website almost 12 months ago?
(From the Liberal backbench ‘that is not what it says’)
Taylor:
“As I say again, I am advised that document ...
Labor very loudly ‘oooooooghhhhhhhhhh’ at the ‘I am advised’
Taylor continues:
The document was drawn from the City of Sydney website and it was publicly available. I reject the bizarre suggestions and assertions being peddled by those opposite.
From Anne Davies and Christopher Knaus’s story:
Emails between the council and the Telegraph show that Taylor’s office said it downloaded its erroneous document from the council’s website on 6 September 2019.
But the council has now provided evidence to the Guardian that it had not altered the publicly available version of its annual report at any point since it was uploaded with the correct figures in November 2018. That evidence includes emailed advice from its IT department and screenshots of its content management system.
“Metadata logs prove that the City’s annual report documents, both PDF and Word versions, were uploaded on 27 November 2018 and not updated after that date,” a council spokesman said.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
I refer the minister to his previous answer. Where did he get the document?
Taylor:
The document was drawn directly, from the City of Sydney’s website.”
Mark Coulton is taking a dixer, reminding me of his existence, so I suppose they serve some purpose.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
“I refer to the minister’s previous answer – where did the minister get the forged document?”
Taylor:
I absolutely reject the premise of the question and the bizarre assertions being peddled by those opposite.
Mark Butler to Angus Taylor:
My question is to the minister of emissions reduction. Section 253 of the New South Wales crimes act creates a serious offence for making a false document to influence the exercise of a public duty. I refer to his provision of a forged City of Sydney document in the Daily Telegraph in an attempt to influence the Lord Mayor of Sydney in exercise of her public duty. Will he administer to this house that this forgery was not made by him or his office?
Taylor:
Yes.
(That’s the whole answer)
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister. And I refer to his comments in this parliament on Monday, when the prime minister told the house that the following, quote, “Whether they are politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone, there is no one in this country who was above the law”. Does he apply the standard to his own ministers?
Morrison:
“It’s a fairly obvious answer to that question. No one is above the law in this country.
David Smith to Scott Morrison:
Is the real reason the Prime Minister obsesses about Labor, because he wants to distract Australians from the fact that net government debt has more than doubled on his watch?
Morrison:
Net debt under this government now is coming down.
(It more than doubled, Jim Chalmers yells)
We are in surplus this year, Mr Speaker. And it’s been a long time ... It has been a long time since we have been in surplus and after six painstaking years of getting the budget back into shape, getting spending under control, conservatively budgeting on their forecasts on revenue and ensuring we are getting Australians back into work so they are going off welfare and they are paying taxes, the budget is now in surplus this year and that means that debt ... is coming down as the budget was a by $50bn over the forward estimates.
They will tell you why I’d talk about Labor, Mr Speaker, because they don’t think we should ever return to the reckless policies of the Labor party when it comes to budget and any other things, Mr Speaker. Australians know the mistakes that Labor made when they were last in power and the reason we are talking about them again is because the shadow treasurer wants those policies reintroduced by Mr Speaker. In that wonderful book which the treasurer quotes, glory days, Mr Speaker, he talked about ... He asked me about Labor!
Anthony Albanese calls him up on relevance, but the question includes Labor, so it is allowed.
Morrison:
So in Glory Days, the shadow treasurer was talking about his glory days as the chief of staff to Wayne Swan. He said the chief of staff was my job. It was tremendous – worth the greying hair and expanding waistline. All at once you are the key advisor and confidant to the Treasurer. This requires a closeness with the boss and the ability to know his mind without even speaking to him about every issue.
He was at one with Obi ... Swan, Mr Speaker. And as he listens to the [leader] of the time, Kevin Rudd, all he can hear is “Higher taxes, he must, higher taxes, you must”.
This recklessness is because on our watch we will put in place for stable and certain fiscal matters. We will not return to the policies of panic and crisis of the Labor Party, which Wayne Swan and Kevin Rudd champion, Mr Speaker.”
The Liberal backbench goes mental at this Star Wars reference, but jokes on them, because Obi Wan didn’t speak like that, Yoda, who trained Obi Wan, did. Ugh. Fakers.
Also, Han shot first. Don’t @ me.
A lot of MPs are wearing red ribbons ahead of Day for Daniel tomorrow, the child safety charity set up by Daniel Morcombe’s parents, Bruce and Denise.