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Scott Morrison still under pressure over Angus Taylor response – politics live Scott Morrison still under pressure over Angus Taylor response – politics live
(31 minutes later)
PM concedes a misstep in his defence of minister as Labor continues its attack. All the day’s events, livePM concedes a misstep in his defence of minister as Labor continues its attack. All the day’s events, live
Scott Morrison has walked into the chamber to cheers from Labor.
While we wait for the divisions to come to their inevitable conclusions (remember, it is a numbers game. And you don’t even need to have passed primary school maths to work that out) we have an Adani update:
So Labor’s attack has moved from Angus Taylor to the prime minister misleading parliament.
Morrison did table a letter. But Labor wants the images of him saying he was wrong.
There won’t be enough coffee in the world for today.
Christian Porter moves to gag the debate – and to the divisions we go.
Anthony Albanese just had to shush his own side, after he gets up to object to Christian Porter speaking to a motion which has not been allowed.
If that gives you some indication of the mood in this place today.
Porter looks a little stressed. This is not the week he wanted to have – especially when he is just about to get a win in the Senate that his colleagues had previously failed to negotiate.
The motion:
I seek leave to move the following motion —
That the House:
Scott Morrison tabled a letter correcting the record yesterday. He had been paired because he had a matter outside of Canberra.
Labor wants him to come into the chamber and do it verbally.
Christian Porter is trying to shut it down.
Anthony Albanese is in the House moving to suspend standing orders to bring Scott Morrison back into the chamber to correct his mistake from yesterday.
Meanwhile in the Senate, it is all all ensuring integrity.
Mathias Cormann is moving to suspend standing orders to bring on the IR bill.
Labor is going to be pissed, but there is nothing they can do about it - the crossbench is on board this time.
The bells are ringing.
So it begins.
Anthony Albanese was also asked about whether or not Labor would support the New Zealand option, if that is indeed what Jacqui Lambie’s condition to repeal medevac is:
AA: Labor has been saying for a very long time that Australia should have accepted the offer from New Zealand originally made with John Key’s government and when prime minister Gillard began those discussions. Since then, prime minister Key made it very clear, as did his two successors, including prime minister Ardern. The government needs to, once again, needs to have an outcome focus here. They’re all interested in the politics and in conflict. They need to be concerned about an outcome. They haven’t been. And it’s not surprising that the crossbenchers would have a look at what the government’s rhetoric was, about what would happen if medevac was introduced and what has actually happened.
Q: Would that deal make the legislation more palatable for Labor?
AA: Well, we think that medevac is working. And we think that the government, if it wants to resolve the issue, we think that it needs to work out third-party settlement options. There’s one that has very clearly been available for some time, in New Zealand. And that would resolve the issue because no one would need to be transferred to anywhere from Nauru or Manus because there wouldn’t be people on there. Thanks very much.
The Australian Council of Social Services is releasing a survey today, showing the impact of the low rate of Newstart on younger people:The Australian Council of Social Services is releasing a survey today, showing the impact of the low rate of Newstart on younger people:
That will be around 11amThat will be around 11am
And a recap of the whole Angus Taylor day, yesterday, from Katharine Murphy:And a recap of the whole Angus Taylor day, yesterday, from Katharine Murphy:
This quote from the NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, which was mentioned by Scott Morrison in question time yesterday, is also raising some eyebrows.
Fuller said he expected the Angus Taylor investigation to be wrapped up quickly:
Labor will move to suspend standing orders at the start of parliament – Anthony Albanese said yesterday he wanted Scott Morrison to front the parliament to correct the record, rather than just send in the letter and, well, we know how that will end.
So I would say the smart money would be on an immediate suspension.
Anthony Albanese:
Anthony Albanese has stopped by doors – which is something he does when he feels like he has something to say to kick the day off. It is unusual for the leader to drop by doors (named because they are tiny press conferences held as the MPs enter the building – but because there are so many ways to enter the building, including ways where you don’t have to go through the doors and can avoid the media if you so wish. So if an MP wanders past the doors, it is because they have something to say publicly).
It’s about Angus Taylor, because of course it is.
Jacqui Lambie is still not confirming anything about what her “one condition” is.
Rebekha Sharkie on RN:
The Centre Alliance lower house MP, Rebekha Sharkie, is speaking to ABC radio about how the Angus Taylor saga is just further proof that Australia needs a federal Icac.
She also wants the prime minister to release his transcript of his phone call with the NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, to put to bed any lingering questions.
Christopher Knaus spoke to David Ipp about Scott Morrison’s phone call to Mick Fuller:
The ensuring integrity bill didn’t pass last night because there are a truckload of amendments that need to go through, but it will.
Pretty much every single Labor senator has something to say about it, with the opposition pointing to repealing it if it wins the next election.
But One Nation and Centre Alliance are on board, and that is enough.
We enter the fifth last sitting day of the year still talking about Angus Taylor, with a big dose of Scott Morrison as well. The prime minister was forced to correct the record after attributing a 2GB Sydney radio host Ben Fordham quote to Victorian police during question time yesterday.
Morrison had said that a Victorian detective had said Julia Gillard “is under investigation by police, this is a fact” in 2013 as part of a defence arguing that Labor ministers had not stepped aside during police investigations. But after reporting from the Australian, which showed the quote was actually from Fordham talking about the issue during a radio broadcast, Morrison was forced to write to the Speaker and admit his mistake.
Labor is not letting it go. The government is still trying to talk about the economy but it has lost the entire week to this, with each press conference and question time taken up with defending Taylor.
Morrison’s judgment, in making a phone call to NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, about the investigation has also pulled the prime minister into the saga. Both Fuller and Morrison say there was nothing untoward about the call, and that Morrison had received information which was already available in the public domain. But a political leader calling a police commissioner about an investigation into one of his MPs is not a great look, and the defence – I told you I was going to do it – isn’t helping matters.
Labor wants the phone call documents. That’ll drag on throughout today.
There are also the negotiations over medevac. Jacqui Lambie said she would vote for the repeal on one condition but won’t say what the condition is. The government knows but the public doesn’t. Nine newspapers are reporting it is the government accepting the New Zealand offer to resettle some of the Manus Island and Nauru asylum seekers. We couldn’t confirm that yesterday, with nothing ruled in or out.
We’ll have all of the ongoing shenanigans and whatever else happens in this increasingly insane place. Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin and Paul Karp are with you. I’ve had three coffees and am looking for my fourth.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.