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Angus Taylor says he has not yet been interviewed by strike force detectives – politics live | 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 | Labor accuses the PM of misleading parliament by claiming the government has not increased debt. Follow all the day’s politics – live |
Labor has seized on comments from the RBA governor on subdued wage growth, made during its decision to leave rates on hold. | |
Down in the Senate, a motion has been passed that calls on the government to include changes in the robodebt processes in the government’s midyear economic update. | |
You’ll remember the government recently announced changes that would stop over-reliance on income averaging, a fundamentally flawed and frequently erroneous way of calculating welfare debts. | |
The Greens senator Rachel Siewert said including the changes in Myefo would help Australians understand what was truly changing with the robodebt system. | |
“There are so many unanswered questions and it’s absolutely outrageous that the government is once again leaving people worried and in the dark about what is happening,” Siewert said. | |
“After all that people have been through the government owes them an explanation at the very least.” | |
Melick says there is no evidence that a royal commission would find anything different from inquiries by the productivity commission, joint standing committees or the national mental health commission. All have considered the problems with veterans’ support services. | |
“It’s an enormous distraction. If there’d been no inquiry and we didn’t know what the problem was, that’d be different,” he tells Sky News. | |
The head of the Returned and Services League, Greg Melick, said he has reservations about calls for a royal commission into veterans’ suicides. Melick said there have been a large number of inquiries into the issue. The recommendations were all consistent. They should be acted upon, he said. | |
Just back on water, we’ve just heard the government will review its water policies to understand whether they are unfairly inhibiting access to water. | Just back on water, we’ve just heard the government will review its water policies to understand whether they are unfairly inhibiting access to water. |
The drought minister, David Littleproud, and Mick Keelty, the inspector-general of the Murray-Darling Basin plan water resources, have just made the announcement. | The drought minister, David Littleproud, and Mick Keelty, the inspector-general of the Murray-Darling Basin plan water resources, have just made the announcement. |
“Governments can’t make rain, can’t make water, but they can make policy,” Keelty said. | “Governments can’t make rain, can’t make water, but they can make policy,” Keelty said. |
You can chalk that up as a win, of sorts, for the protesters who have converged on Canberra to protest the basin plan, though many of them have been calling for it to be completely scrapped. | You can chalk that up as a win, of sorts, for the protesters who have converged on Canberra to protest the basin plan, though many of them have been calling for it to be completely scrapped. |
Labor used question time to pick up on where it left off yesterday: attacking the Coalition’s economic management and Angus Taylor. | Labor used question time to pick up on where it left off yesterday: attacking the Coalition’s economic management and Angus Taylor. |
Labor began question time by calling on the government to support a royal commission into veteran suicides. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said he remains open to the idea, and will consider it further over the Christmas break. | Labor began question time by calling on the government to support a royal commission into veteran suicides. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said he remains open to the idea, and will consider it further over the Christmas break. |
Labor moved its attack to economic management. It said the government must wake up to the “floundering” economy. Morrison said debt had not grown under the Coalition. Labor later said that was misleading because debt had doubled. Anthony Albanese said Morrison had misled parliament four times in the last four sitting days. | Labor moved its attack to economic management. It said the government must wake up to the “floundering” economy. Morrison said debt had not grown under the Coalition. Labor later said that was misleading because debt had doubled. Anthony Albanese said Morrison had misled parliament four times in the last four sitting days. |
Things got rather heated when Michael McCormack got up to answer a dixer on the drought. Someone made a quip about fiery criticism of him by farmers outside parliament this morning. McCormack flung himself into a rage when Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon got up on a point of order. “What are you standing up for? You don’t stand up for anything.” The ensuing high drama ended with Fitzgibbon being booted from the chamber. | Things got rather heated when Michael McCormack got up to answer a dixer on the drought. Someone made a quip about fiery criticism of him by farmers outside parliament this morning. McCormack flung himself into a rage when Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon got up on a point of order. “What are you standing up for? You don’t stand up for anything.” The ensuing high drama ended with Fitzgibbon being booted from the chamber. |
Labor continued the attack over the Angus Taylor controversy. It asked why the government had not complied with Senate orders to produce the transcript of the Morrison-Fuller phone call. Morrison said it was “question time, not smear time”. | Labor continued the attack over the Angus Taylor controversy. It asked why the government had not complied with Senate orders to produce the transcript of the Morrison-Fuller phone call. Morrison said it was “question time, not smear time”. |
Taylor then confirmed he had not been interviewed by detectives. In the Senate, Simon Birmingham said the government would fully cooperate with police. | Taylor then confirmed he had not been interviewed by detectives. In the Senate, Simon Birmingham said the government would fully cooperate with police. |
Labor also attacked Taylor on the two fresh controversies. Firstly that he misled parliament in his first speech over an experience with Naomi Wolf, well-known US author. Secondly, that he failed to disclose financial interests in a company. | Labor also attacked Taylor on the two fresh controversies. Firstly that he misled parliament in his first speech over an experience with Naomi Wolf, well-known US author. Secondly, that he failed to disclose financial interests in a company. |
The last question is to the veterans affairs minister, Darren Chester, who is asked on the level of support being provided to veterans. This has become an issue of importance amid growing calls for a royal commission into veteran suicides. Chester says $11bn is spent each year supporting veterans, but acknowledges more must be done. | The last question is to the veterans affairs minister, Darren Chester, who is asked on the level of support being provided to veterans. This has become an issue of importance amid growing calls for a royal commission into veteran suicides. Chester says $11bn is spent each year supporting veterans, but acknowledges more must be done. |
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. | 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. | 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?” | 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”. | 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). | Birmingham noted that the record of the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, on police referrals is “eight zero – zero findings” (of criminal guilt). |