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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/oct/24/coalition-labor-morrison-albanese-drought-politics-live
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| Angus Taylor calls Clover Moore doctored documents story 'conspiracy theory' – politics live | Angus Taylor calls Clover Moore doctored documents story 'conspiracy theory' – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| That bill Andrew Hastie is about to report on has been quite controversial. Mostly because it creates a national ID register: | |
| 1. This Bill amends the Australian Passports Act 2005 (Passports Act) to provide a legal basis for ensuring that the minister is able to make Australian travel document data available for all the purposes of, and by the automated means intrinsic to, the identity-matching services to which the Commonwealth and the States and Territories agreed in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Identity Matching Services (IGA), signed at a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments on 5 October 2017. | |
| 2. The services will enable identity matching based on personal information held in government systems nationally. They include a number of biometric services in which the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade intends to participate. One, the Face Verification Service (FVS), will allow Commonwealth, state and territory agencies, and potentially in future the private sector, to verify the known or claimed identities of individuals by reference to facial images in government identity records. Another, the Face Identification Service (FIS), will allow authorised facial recognition specialists in law enforcement, national security and anti-corruption agencies to identify unknown persons. Beyond the FVS and the FIS, an Identity Data Sharing Service will allow for the secure sharing of biometric identity information in other circumstances. | |
| 3. Subsidiary to the IGA, a Participation Agreement (PA) will regulate access to the services by individual Commonwealth, state and territory agencies. Among other things, the IGA provides that strict privacy, transparency and accountability controls must apply to all the services. The Department of Home Affairs will administer the services and oversee compliance with these controls. | |
| This has been put on the notice paper for this morning: | |
| Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security — Mr Hastie (Chair — Canning) to present the following report and seek leave to make a statement: | |
| Advisory report on the Identity-matching Services Bill 2019 and the Australian Passports Amendment (Identity-matching Services) Bill 2019 . | |
| The bells are ringing – the house is about to get under way. | |
| Matt Canavan will be fronting estimates this morning, where the northern Australia infrastructure fund will be under the microscope. | Matt Canavan will be fronting estimates this morning, where the northern Australia infrastructure fund will be under the microscope. |
| It’s unkindly called the “no actual infrastructure fund” by its critics in the hallways, because there hasn’t been a lot of things actually built by the $5bn concessional loan fund, which was Tony Abbott’s idea to turn the north into an “economic powerhouse”. | It’s unkindly called the “no actual infrastructure fund” by its critics in the hallways, because there hasn’t been a lot of things actually built by the $5bn concessional loan fund, which was Tony Abbott’s idea to turn the north into an “economic powerhouse”. |
| Scott Morrison made a speech at the awards, where he heavily focused on the economic contribution of migrants. Peter Scanlon, a former Migration Council of Australia chair, spoke immediately afterwards. SBS was there and kindly let me let listen to the speech (and, if you aren’t watching SBS news, you should be, because they are doing great work in this space): | Scott Morrison made a speech at the awards, where he heavily focused on the economic contribution of migrants. Peter Scanlon, a former Migration Council of Australia chair, spoke immediately afterwards. SBS was there and kindly let me let listen to the speech (and, if you aren’t watching SBS news, you should be, because they are doing great work in this space): |
| For at least 50 years after world war two, political leaders from both major parties spoke directly to the Australian people about the economic, social and cultural benefits of the nation’s immigration program. | For at least 50 years after world war two, political leaders from both major parties spoke directly to the Australian people about the economic, social and cultural benefits of the nation’s immigration program. |
| To me however, I sense in the last 20 years, our leaders have become more reluctant to discuss the program’s full impact on Australian life, dwelling mainly on its economic benefits and less on its nation building. | To me however, I sense in the last 20 years, our leaders have become more reluctant to discuss the program’s full impact on Australian life, dwelling mainly on its economic benefits and less on its nation building. |
| There was spontaneous applause. Scanlon continued. | There was spontaneous applause. Scanlon continued. |
| This approach, I feel, has shrunk the Australian story. | This approach, I feel, has shrunk the Australian story. |
| There was more applause and cheers. | There was more applause and cheers. |
| While I believe the economic benefits of migration are considerable, Australia has a much bigger story to tell, about how migration has built this nation. A story that most Australians accept and endorse. To Scott [Morrison], to Anthony [Albanese], to David [Coleman], please tell our story. Make us proud of what we have achieved. Just like my dad did for me. | While I believe the economic benefits of migration are considerable, Australia has a much bigger story to tell, about how migration has built this nation. A story that most Australians accept and endorse. To Scott [Morrison], to Anthony [Albanese], to David [Coleman], please tell our story. Make us proud of what we have achieved. Just like my dad did for me. |
| Last night, the Migration and Settlement awards were held in Parliament House, where attendees were served a goat cheese circle (no one tell Paul Fletcher). | Last night, the Migration and Settlement awards were held in Parliament House, where attendees were served a goat cheese circle (no one tell Paul Fletcher). |
| Peter Scanlon won the lifetime achievement award. | Peter Scanlon won the lifetime achievement award. |
| As luck would have it they’re dining on GOAT CHEESE tonight at the Migration Council Dinner in the Great Hall at Parliament House pic.twitter.com/bVxQH2QpKs | As luck would have it they’re dining on GOAT CHEESE tonight at the Migration Council Dinner in the Great Hall at Parliament House pic.twitter.com/bVxQH2QpKs |
| Angus Taylor’s office has sent through a statement in regards to this story from Anne Davies and Christopher Knaus: | Angus Taylor’s office has sent through a statement in regards to this story from Anne Davies and Christopher Knaus: |
| The conspiracy theory being perpetrated by the Lord Mayor is rejected. | The conspiracy theory being perpetrated by the Lord Mayor is rejected. |
| I make no apology for suggesting that the Lord Mayor should take real and meaningful action to reduce the City of Sydney’s carbon emissions instead of hollow virtue-signalling through letters. | I make no apology for suggesting that the Lord Mayor should take real and meaningful action to reduce the City of Sydney’s carbon emissions instead of hollow virtue-signalling through letters. |
| One way to reduce emissions is through limiting unnecessary air travel and I suggest that the Lord Mayor’s flights to Paris for the Women for Climate conference was an unnecessary indulgence. | One way to reduce emissions is through limiting unnecessary air travel and I suggest that the Lord Mayor’s flights to Paris for the Women for Climate conference was an unnecessary indulgence. |
| Anthony Albanese is happy to talk about the tensions within the coalition partners over the drought strategy. Here he is talking to the Nine network this morning: | Anthony Albanese is happy to talk about the tensions within the coalition partners over the drought strategy. Here he is talking to the Nine network this morning: |
| This is a national emergency. Quite clearly, the National Party backbench are very unhappy with their own leadership and the leadership of the coalition. | This is a national emergency. Quite clearly, the National Party backbench are very unhappy with their own leadership and the leadership of the coalition. |
| We need a comprehensive plan. It’s one that deals with the crisis which is there right now in terms of not just farmers, but people who rely upon farming and agriculture for their work, the workers in those areas. | We need a comprehensive plan. It’s one that deals with the crisis which is there right now in terms of not just farmers, but people who rely upon farming and agriculture for their work, the workers in those areas. |
| And, of course, the towns that are running out of water. We need to cooperate across federal, state and local government. | And, of course, the towns that are running out of water. We need to cooperate across federal, state and local government. |
| We need to listen to farming organisations. At the moment, what you’ve got is the national farmers federation that have a plan, the National Party have a plan, Scott Morrison had a leak last night to one of the TV networks about a plan coming out next week. For goodness sake. | We need to listen to farming organisations. At the moment, what you’ve got is the national farmers federation that have a plan, the National Party have a plan, Scott Morrison had a leak last night to one of the TV networks about a plan coming out next week. For goodness sake. |
| Why can’t we all sit down and put the national interest first and come up with a coordinated, comprehensive, bipartisan national drought strategy. | Why can’t we all sit down and put the national interest first and come up with a coordinated, comprehensive, bipartisan national drought strategy. |
| It’s community affairs, economics, education and employment and foreign affairs, defence and trade in estimates land today. | It’s community affairs, economics, education and employment and foreign affairs, defence and trade in estimates land today. |
| Andrew Hastie continued: | Andrew Hastie continued: |
| These individual and personal stories helped us to understand and humanise the greater tragedy that is unfolding in Xinjiang province, China. I, along with many other Australians, am very troubled by the repressive surveillance state and how the Uighur people are being banned from practising their religious faith and how they are being oppressively monitored in their homes, in their communities 24/7. I am very troubled by the way that Uighurs’ culture and identity is being systematically assaulted, deconstructed and scrubbed out by the authorities. I am very troubled about the clear evidence of re-education camps, where 1 million Uighurs have been forcibly detained and indoctrinated into communists’ thinking. The ABC, along with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, have managed to identify 28 detention camps using satellite imagery. Most of these detained have never committed a crime. I could go on. It was a heartbreaking episode that we all needed to watch and absorb. I congratulate the ABC for running it and for the work that went into it. | These individual and personal stories helped us to understand and humanise the greater tragedy that is unfolding in Xinjiang province, China. I, along with many other Australians, am very troubled by the repressive surveillance state and how the Uighur people are being banned from practising their religious faith and how they are being oppressively monitored in their homes, in their communities 24/7. I am very troubled by the way that Uighurs’ culture and identity is being systematically assaulted, deconstructed and scrubbed out by the authorities. I am very troubled about the clear evidence of re-education camps, where 1 million Uighurs have been forcibly detained and indoctrinated into communists’ thinking. The ABC, along with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, have managed to identify 28 detention camps using satellite imagery. Most of these detained have never committed a crime. I could go on. It was a heartbreaking episode that we all needed to watch and absorb. I congratulate the ABC for running it and for the work that went into it. |
| Last month I met with members of the Australian Uighur community in my parliamentary office. That delegation was led by Nurmuhammad Majid. It was my great honour to host them and to hear their personal stories. Every single one of them sitting in my office had family and friends interned or trapped in Xinjiang province. They have shown great courage and perseverance despite the tears, heartache and pain. I made a commitment to them that I would raise their plight in this House, tonight I fulfil that commitment. I say to them that we might not see resolution soon, but we will continue to work with you and make sure your loved ones are not forgotten. | Last month I met with members of the Australian Uighur community in my parliamentary office. That delegation was led by Nurmuhammad Majid. It was my great honour to host them and to hear their personal stories. Every single one of them sitting in my office had family and friends interned or trapped in Xinjiang province. They have shown great courage and perseverance despite the tears, heartache and pain. I made a commitment to them that I would raise their plight in this House, tonight I fulfil that commitment. I say to them that we might not see resolution soon, but we will continue to work with you and make sure your loved ones are not forgotten. |
| Finally, the Four Corners program identified a range of Australian businesses that were sourcing cotton from Xinjiang province, potentially using Uighur forced labour. Cotton On and Target Australia were two of them. Subsequent to the program, both businesses conducted internal reviews of their supply chains and have ceased sourcing cotton from Xinjiang province. I want to note the actions of Cotton On and Target Australia in this House and applaud them for taking the action that they have taken. Australia is a country that lives by the values of freedom and fairness, and so it is right that we acknowledge when our businesses do the right thing. I thank the House. | Finally, the Four Corners program identified a range of Australian businesses that were sourcing cotton from Xinjiang province, potentially using Uighur forced labour. Cotton On and Target Australia were two of them. Subsequent to the program, both businesses conducted internal reviews of their supply chains and have ceased sourcing cotton from Xinjiang province. I want to note the actions of Cotton On and Target Australia in this House and applaud them for taking the action that they have taken. Australia is a country that lives by the values of freedom and fairness, and so it is right that we acknowledge when our businesses do the right thing. I thank the House. |
| Looks like Andrew Hastie made an interesting speech in the House late last night: | Looks like Andrew Hastie made an interesting speech in the House late last night: |
| Tonight I rise to speak on behalf of those who are vulnerable, persecuted and separated from their loved ones. Tonight I speak for Uighur Australians, who have family and friends facing systematic persecution and internment in Xinjiang province, in the People’s Republic of China. But first I want to say a few words about the role of Australian investigative journalism and its importance for a free, democratic society. | Tonight I rise to speak on behalf of those who are vulnerable, persecuted and separated from their loved ones. Tonight I speak for Uighur Australians, who have family and friends facing systematic persecution and internment in Xinjiang province, in the People’s Republic of China. But first I want to say a few words about the role of Australian investigative journalism and its importance for a free, democratic society. |
| As this House is aware, the parliamentary joint committee for intelligence and security is conducting an inquiry into the freedom of the press. As the chair, it would be improper for me to make remarks about committee deliberations or what conclusions we might reach in our report, but I do want to say that we all agree that public interest and investigative journalism is vital to a thriving, liberal democracy – particularly when it comes to national security or human rights issues. | As this House is aware, the parliamentary joint committee for intelligence and security is conducting an inquiry into the freedom of the press. As the chair, it would be improper for me to make remarks about committee deliberations or what conclusions we might reach in our report, but I do want to say that we all agree that public interest and investigative journalism is vital to a thriving, liberal democracy – particularly when it comes to national security or human rights issues. |
| A superb example of good investigative journalism is the July Four Corners program of Tell the World by ABC reporter Sophie McNeil. The program detailed the plight and suffering of more than 1 million Muslim minorities who have been rounded up, detained and and forcibly indoctrinated by the Chinese communist regime. Australian citizens or permanent residents have been targeted and jailed. Others are trapped under state surveillance, their passports seized. I was deeply moved by those who courageously showed the story on the program. I was moved by those who have been separated from their loved ones. I think of Sadam Abudusalamu, who is separated from his wife and child – a child he has never met in person. | A superb example of good investigative journalism is the July Four Corners program of Tell the World by ABC reporter Sophie McNeil. The program detailed the plight and suffering of more than 1 million Muslim minorities who have been rounded up, detained and and forcibly indoctrinated by the Chinese communist regime. Australian citizens or permanent residents have been targeted and jailed. Others are trapped under state surveillance, their passports seized. I was deeply moved by those who courageously showed the story on the program. I was moved by those who have been separated from their loved ones. I think of Sadam Abudusalamu, who is separated from his wife and child – a child he has never met in person. |
| Welcome to the final sitting day for October – and the last day we’ll see the House MPs here for a month. | Welcome to the final sitting day for October – and the last day we’ll see the House MPs here for a month. |
| Which will hopefully give the Nationals some more time to get themselves together, as they gear up to take back the issue of drought from both the Liberals, and minor parties like One Nation – with Barnaby Joyce leading the charge. | Which will hopefully give the Nationals some more time to get themselves together, as they gear up to take back the issue of drought from both the Liberals, and minor parties like One Nation – with Barnaby Joyce leading the charge. |
| The Nationals backbench have put together its own drought plan, which Sarah Martin has laid out here: | The Nationals backbench have put together its own drought plan, which Sarah Martin has laid out here: |
| Under the plan being spearheaded by Joyce, drought-affected councils would receive $10m each, co-funded with state governments. | Under the plan being spearheaded by Joyce, drought-affected councils would receive $10m each, co-funded with state governments. |
| There are 123 councils that have been deemed eligible for funding under the Coalition’s existing drought communities program, suggesting the total cost for the proposal would be at least $1.2bn. | There are 123 councils that have been deemed eligible for funding under the Coalition’s existing drought communities program, suggesting the total cost for the proposal would be at least $1.2bn. |
| The Nationals policy document says that the drought is a “seminal issue” for the economies of the regions and for “the politics in our representation to these regions”. | The Nationals policy document says that the drought is a “seminal issue” for the economies of the regions and for “the politics in our representation to these regions”. |
| Joyce has been on the ABC this morning backing that in – he says it is time for the Nationals to push back. | Joyce has been on the ABC this morning backing that in – he says it is time for the Nationals to push back. |
| “The cabinet will come out with a drought policy, I presume next week, and if we drive our agenda which influences their outcome, that is a good outcome,” Joyce told Sabra Lane. | “The cabinet will come out with a drought policy, I presume next week, and if we drive our agenda which influences their outcome, that is a good outcome,” Joyce told Sabra Lane. |
| “Obviously, if the cabinet outcome is completely lacking, we’ll continue to drive our agenda harder … We get this, and we have been playing a proper game, and we’ve been playing as the dutiful Coalition partner, we’ve been making sure we’ve been part of the team, but there is a sense out there that we are not doing enough and that is not correct, we are driving these agendas as hard as we can.” | “Obviously, if the cabinet outcome is completely lacking, we’ll continue to drive our agenda harder … We get this, and we have been playing a proper game, and we’ve been playing as the dutiful Coalition partner, we’ve been making sure we’ve been part of the team, but there is a sense out there that we are not doing enough and that is not correct, we are driving these agendas as hard as we can.” |
| It is no coincidence that Joyce is driving this fightback. As we’ve reported, there have been tensions with the Nationals leadership for sometime, since even before the election. That’s dialling up again, with One Nation starting to make inroads, at least publicly, by taking ownership of traditional National party domains. | It is no coincidence that Joyce is driving this fightback. As we’ve reported, there have been tensions with the Nationals leadership for sometime, since even before the election. That’s dialling up again, with One Nation starting to make inroads, at least publicly, by taking ownership of traditional National party domains. |
| We’ll have that ongoing tussle, as well as this story from Anne Davies and Christopher Knaus: | We’ll have that ongoing tussle, as well as this story from Anne Davies and Christopher Knaus: |
| Angus Taylor baselessly accused Sydney’s lord mayor of driving up carbon emissions by spending $15m on travel, a claim that was later backed up with a doctored council document provided to the Daily Telegraph, which reported the figure. | Angus Taylor baselessly accused Sydney’s lord mayor of driving up carbon emissions by spending $15m on travel, a claim that was later backed up with a doctored council document provided to the Daily Telegraph, which reported the figure. |
| It is unclear who altered the document. There is no suggestion that Taylor himself was responsible. If you have missed the story, you’ll find it here. | It is unclear who altered the document. There is no suggestion that Taylor himself was responsible. If you have missed the story, you’ll find it here. |
| I am going to hunt down my third coffee (it’s a fiver day, peeps, I can feel it) but I hope you’re ready. | I am going to hunt down my third coffee (it’s a fiver day, peeps, I can feel it) but I hope you’re ready. |
| Let’s get into it | Let’s get into it |