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/03/liberal-labor-party-medevac-repeal-bill-jacqui-lambie-ken-wyatt-politics-live
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 10 | Version 11 |
---|---|
Angus Taylor says he has not yet been interviewed by strike force detectives – politics live | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Labor accuses the PM of misleading parliament by claiming the government has not increased debt. Follow all the day’s politics – live | |
Senate question time ends with a very fiery exchange about whether Simon Birmingham can guarantee that government staff will be available for interview by the police on NSW strike force Garrad investigating the use of a falsified document by Angus Taylor to attack Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore. | |
Birmingham said that the government will “cooperate with the police”. Labor’s Murray Watt notes that that is what Michaelia Cash had said about the AWU raid leak matter, but then she provided a written statement and refused to be interviewed. | |
Penny Wong shouts: “You’re hiding staff! What’s so hard about making staff available?” | |
Mathias Cormann labelled the referral to the NSW police “politically motivated”. | |
Birmingham noted that the record of the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, on police referrals is “eight zero – zero findings” (of criminal guilt). | |
The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, asks Christian Porter: “Malcolm Turnbull, former judge David Ipp, and Icac counsel assisting Geoffrey Watson have all labelled Scott Morrison’s phone call to NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller inappropriate. Why was it made?” | |
Christian Porter responds that Dreyfus’s judgment hasn’t been so flash hot. Porter is referring to the eight police referrals Labor have made without any charges. | |
Labor’s Tony Burke asks a cheeky question about Angus Taylor’s first speech to parliament, in which he recalled living as a student alongside Naomi Wolf, a famed US author. In Taylor’s version, she wanted to remove a Christmas tree in case people were offended, something he described as “political correctness”. | |
Wolf, you may have heard, was not at Oxford at the time. In fact, she was on the other side of the world touring her new book. | |
Burke asks: | |
Needless to say the question is not allowed. | |
In the Senate, Labor’s Catryna Bilyk is asking about this report by Sarah Martin about a bullying complaint against National Llew O’Brien. | |
The agriculture minister, Bridget McKenzie, confirms only that the Nationals have a process for investigating bullying complaints, but she first dodges then rejects the part of the question about whether her handling of the dairy code of conduct is the cause of tensions in the Nationals. | |
McKenzie: “I reject the second part of that long-winded question.” | |
Labor’s Mark Butler picks up the attack on Angus Taylor. He asks further questions about an alleged failure to declare interests in a company GFA F1 Pty Ltd. The interest is held through another entity, Farm Partnerships Australia. Taylor’s office has issued a statement saying he needs to declare only “direct and controlling interests”. Taylor is asked whether he supports that interpretation of the rules. | |
The attorney general, Christian Porter, jumps up to answer the question. He says that’s always the way interests have been declared. | |
Scott Morrison is asked another question on the Angus Taylor scandal. This time it’s about why the government has not released a transcript of the Morrison-Fuller call, despite a Senate order to do so. He responds: | |
Burn. | |
He then goes on to explain. | |
Morrison says he will respond to the police investigation when it concludes. He then challenges Anthony Albanese to hold his side to the same standards it is demanding of the government. That is, that ministers would resign if they come under investigation before an investigation concludes. | |
Morrison withdraws that last bit. | |
Angus Taylor is asked whether he has been interviewed by detectives attached to strike force Garrad, which is investigating allegations Taylor relied on a forged document to attack Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore. | Angus Taylor is asked whether he has been interviewed by detectives attached to strike force Garrad, which is investigating allegations Taylor relied on a forged document to attack Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore. |
Taylor answers simply: “No.” | Taylor answers simply: “No.” |
Over in the upper house, Labor has asked the agriculture minister, Bridget McKenzie, when she became aware Nationals senator Perin Davey had arranged a meeting between irrigators concerned with the Murray-Darling Basin plan and the water resources minister, David Littleproud. | |
Labor’s Murray Watt heckles “You’ve been bypassed”, and McKenzie replies that she heard earlier in the week. | |
Glenn Sterle follows up by asking if McKenzie was invited. McKenzie says “I’m not invited to a lot” of stakeholder meetings, in the same way that defence and skills ministers are not invited to every meeting. She says it is entirely appropriate that the meeting was organised with the water resources minister. | |
The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, is attacking Labor for talking down Australia’s economy. Economic management has been the focus of Labor’s early attention in question time this week. | The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, is attacking Labor for talking down Australia’s economy. Economic management has been the focus of Labor’s early attention in question time this week. |
Frydenberg: | Frydenberg: |
Scott Morrison is then again pressed on misleading the parliament. Anthony Albanese accuses him of misleading parliament in each of the last four sitting days. Morrison responds that Albanese is treating parliament like a “second-rate high school debating chamber” with his “stunts and his clever little lines”. | Scott Morrison is then again pressed on misleading the parliament. Anthony Albanese accuses him of misleading parliament in each of the last four sitting days. Morrison responds that Albanese is treating parliament like a “second-rate high school debating chamber” with his “stunts and his clever little lines”. |
Labor accuses the prime minister of misleading parliament by claiming the government has not increased debt. Labor’s Jim Chalmers says the government has doubled Australia’s debt. | Labor accuses the prime minister of misleading parliament by claiming the government has not increased debt. Labor’s Jim Chalmers says the government has doubled Australia’s debt. |
Scott Morrison describes Chalmers as “Obi Swan’s padawan” in his response. | Scott Morrison describes Chalmers as “Obi Swan’s padawan” in his response. |
Andrew Wilkie has a question on problems with access to firefighting assets and equipment during the elongated bushfire season. He asks: | Andrew Wilkie has a question on problems with access to firefighting assets and equipment during the elongated bushfire season. He asks: |
David Littleproud responds to the crux of the question. He says he’s been assured by the Australasian fire and emergency service authorities council that the current access to equipment is suitable. | David Littleproud responds to the crux of the question. He says he’s been assured by the Australasian fire and emergency service authorities council that the current access to equipment is suitable. |