This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/02/jacqui-lambie-to-meet-with-scott-morrison-on-medevac-repeal-bill-politics-live

The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 11 Version 12
Government made 'brazen, desperate' attempts to discredit medevac, Labor says – politics live Labor keeps up attack on Angus Taylor and his 'controversies' – politics live
(30 minutes later)
Kristina Keneally says Coalition has turned offshore processing into indefinite detention. All the day’s politics – live Scott Morrison, Christian Porter, also under attack over phone call to NSW police chief, Mick Fuller. All the day’s politics – live
Scott Morrison says Labor is engaged in “grubby smears and political games” in the attack on Angus Taylor because it can’t face the fact it was rejected by the voting public.
Anthony Albanese begins to rattle off the various controversies involving Angus Taylor. It takes so long that he can’t finish his question.
Scott Morrison jumps to his feet:
Labor asks Angus Taylor why he has failed to declare to parliament that he holds partnership shares in a company named “GFA F1 Pty Ltd” for more than five years.
Taylor insists he has declared all his financial interests, as required.
Labor’s Terri Butler asks Christian Porter “how on earth” he, as the first law officer of Australia, judged it appropriate to call the NSW police chief, Mick Fuller, about an active investigation involving a cabinet minister’s office.
Porter responds:
He then asks how Labor could think it was appropriate to recklessly refer attorneys general in the past to police for vague allegations of corruption.
Back in the lower house, Dreyfus again asks Christian Porter whether he sought advice on the phone call to Mick Fuller. Porter says the phone call was so brief that it didn’t need advice.Back in the lower house, Dreyfus again asks Christian Porter whether he sought advice on the phone call to Mick Fuller. Porter says the phone call was so brief that it didn’t need advice.
Some disruptions in Senate question time, where Murray-Darling basin plan protesters are shouting abuse at Bridget McKenzieSome disruptions in Senate question time, where Murray-Darling basin plan protesters are shouting abuse at Bridget McKenzie
Mark Dreyfus, the shadow attorney general, steps up the attack after Christian Porter’s confirmation that he was in the room for the Morrison-Fuller call. He asks whether Porter gave advice about whether the call should be made, or whether departmental advice was sought.Mark Dreyfus, the shadow attorney general, steps up the attack after Christian Porter’s confirmation that he was in the room for the Morrison-Fuller call. He asks whether Porter gave advice about whether the call should be made, or whether departmental advice was sought.
Porter responded: Porter responds:
Labor’s attack pivots to the ongoing Angus Taylor scandal. The attorney general, Christian Porter, is asked whether Mick Fuller knew that he was on the call with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, when he rang to discuss an active investigation into Taylor’s reliance on a falsified document. Porter responds:Labor’s attack pivots to the ongoing Angus Taylor scandal. The attorney general, Christian Porter, is asked whether Mick Fuller knew that he was on the call with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, when he rang to discuss an active investigation into Taylor’s reliance on a falsified document. Porter responds:
The chamber erupts as Porter alleges Labor is wasting police time with “vexatious” referrals.The chamber erupts as Porter alleges Labor is wasting police time with “vexatious” referrals.
David Littleproud, the drought minister, is asked why the Coalition won’t intervene to increase dairy prices. You’ll remember, of course, that One Nation has introduced a bill to protect dairy farmers, though the government has voted to block debate on it.David Littleproud, the drought minister, is asked why the Coalition won’t intervene to increase dairy prices. You’ll remember, of course, that One Nation has introduced a bill to protect dairy farmers, though the government has voted to block debate on it.
Littleproud said the concept was a “cruel hoax” played on dairy farmers.Littleproud said the concept was a “cruel hoax” played on dairy farmers.
Anthony Albanese is making hay of comments by the former prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, that the Coalition’s climate policy is incoherent and holding back billions of dollars of investment.Anthony Albanese is making hay of comments by the former prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, that the Coalition’s climate policy is incoherent and holding back billions of dollars of investment.
Morrison responds:Morrison responds:
The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, is on his feet, talking about the benefits of “puff organic grain” for some reason.The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, is on his feet, talking about the benefits of “puff organic grain” for some reason.
Don’t know about you, but “puff organic grain” sounds to me like something consumed by those inner-city lefties McCormack is always railing against. Guess they’re good for something after all.Don’t know about you, but “puff organic grain” sounds to me like something consumed by those inner-city lefties McCormack is always railing against. Guess they’re good for something after all.
There’s a bit of argy-bargy in the chamber. Anthony Albanese challenged the prime minister, Scott Morrison, on an earlier answer, which he said was misleading. Morrison had claimed Labor did not conclude any free trade agreements while in office. Albanese rattles off a few free trade agreements finalised by Labor.
Morrison responds:
The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, asks whether the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, views low wage growth as “mission accomplished”.
Frydenberg shoots back:
Frydenberg says real wage growth is at the long-term average of 0.6%.
Morrison gets a dixer. He’s asked to update the house on what the government is doing to ensure Australia’s “national economic and environmental security”.
You already know the rest, so I won’t bother transcribing the response.
Labor kicks off question time with an attack on the Coalition’s economic management, saying growth has slowed, and labour productivity has declined for the first time since records began. Morrison responds:
The opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has just spoken on the 10-year anniversary of the defeat of the carbon pollution reduction scheme by the Liberals and the Greens. He said it was a “great opportunity lost” and all it required was the five Greens senators to vote in favour.
Back to the Senate, where Nick McKim continues to speak against the medevac repeal bill. He is discussing the case of Hamid Kehazaei, whose death from infection on Manus Island was caused by a cascading series of errors and systemic failures in the Australian-run offshore detention centre.
Queensland coroner Terry Ryan, who investigated the death of Kehazaei, deemed it to be entirely preventable, and said the healthcare on Manus was not the same as he would have received in Cape York, Australia.
McKim said he wa not evacuated to Australia because of the “mendacious bureaucrats and politicians and the system they created”.
You can read more about the case here:
An update today on the status of the NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, and his referral to the state’s police integrity watchdog.
Last week NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge formally referred Fuller to the law enforcement conduct commission, over his phone call with Scott Morrison about the police investigation into Angus Taylor.
Morrison had spoken to Fuller to discuss the active investigation into Taylor, something Shoebridge claims was “highly inappropriate”, and a potential breach of section 10 of the LECC Act (serious misconduct).
Today Shoebridge has sent a second letter, updating his referral with a specific regulation that Fuller may have breached. It is clause 76 of the NSW police regulation 2005: “A member of the NSW police force must treat all information which comes to his or her knowledge in his or her official capacity as strictly confidential, and on no account without proper authority divulge it to anyone.
“A police officer must observe the strictest secrecy ... and is forbidden to communicate without proper authority in any way to any person outside the NSW police force any information in regard to police or other official business.”
Fuller has told the Australian newspaper that his conversation with Morrison was “extremely short” and gave “no more or less information than what was in the media release”. “He just wanted confirmation we were conducting an investigation,” Fuller said.
Shoebridge said this was “an unambiguous law” that “binds the commissioner as much as any constable”.
“All information that commissioner Fuller had about the investigation had to be treated as confidential unless he had a valid basis to disclosure it,” he said. “To date neither the PM nor the commissioner have been able to establish any legitimate basis for this briefing.”
Meanwhile, in Liberal MP Tim Wilson’s office:
Greens senator Nick McKim is on his feet to speak on the medevac bill. He says the debate boils down to a simple question:
McKim said the old regime had led to deaths, because it denied asylum seekers the care they needed.
The government has turned offshore processing into indefinite detention, Keneally said. This, she said, was what made medevac such a critical piece of legislation.