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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/04/coalition-nationals-umurray-darling-basin-pisa-results-gdp-economy-medevac-lambie-politics-live
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| Morrison says Coalition will 'implement resettlement policies' after medevac repeal – politics live | Morrison says Coalition will 'implement resettlement policies' after medevac repeal – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| ‘Cruel, heartless’ move provokes outrage from refugees, Greens and Labor as deal described as ‘dark day’ for Australia. Plus Nationals under pressure over Murray-Darling basin plan. Follow all the day’s political news live | ‘Cruel, heartless’ move provokes outrage from refugees, Greens and Labor as deal described as ‘dark day’ for Australia. Plus Nationals under pressure over Murray-Darling basin plan. Follow all the day’s political news live |
| The Labor MP Andrew Giles, like many of us, cannot understand how the deal between Jacqui Lambie and the Coalition came to be. On Sunday, Lambie said she had given the government a choice: | |
| Today it sounded simply like Lambie had accepted the government’s assurance that it would continue to implement its resettlement policies. Though that’s still not entirely clear. | |
| Giles: | |
| A new report shows inadequate Centrelink payments are driving people into poverty and heightening their risk of homelessness. | |
| The Homeward Bound report, authored by lawyer Sophie Trevitt with the National Society Security Rights Network and Canberra Community Law, examined the experiences of 567 clients in Canberra. It found Centrelink recipients are struggling to meet their basic daily needs, including food and housing. It found women, single parents, Indigenous Australians, and people with disabilities are suffering the most, and are most at risk of homelessness. | |
| The report called for an increase in Newstart, reforms to the social security system and additional social housing. | |
| “People on the Newstart Allowance are struggling to live on less than $40 a day. They are entirely cut off from the private rental market; and with extremely long wait times for public housing, many were forced to sleep in their cars, in the living rooms of friends and families, in parks, caravans and refuges,” Trevitt said | |
| Nick Martin, a GP and former senior medical officer on Nauru, has written on the repeal of the medevac laws for the Guardian. It’s pretty strong stuff. | |
| Question time, as seen through the eyes of Mike Bowers. | Question time, as seen through the eyes of Mike Bowers. |
| Lovely shot from Mike Bowers of Timothy Weeks, a recently freed Taliban hostage, getting a standing ovation during question time this afternoon. | Lovely shot from Mike Bowers of Timothy Weeks, a recently freed Taliban hostage, getting a standing ovation during question time this afternoon. |
| Question time has ended with a sustained attack on Angus Taylor, yet again. | Question time has ended with a sustained attack on Angus Taylor, yet again. |
| This is what we learned: | This is what we learned: |
| Angus Taylor has established a “point of contact” with NSW police over its investigation of his office’s reliance on a falsified document to attack Clover Moore. So we’re not yet at the stage of a police interview. But there is contact, of some description. Taylor continued to duck questions on why he hasn’t produced evidence to back up his claim that he downloaded the document with erroneous figures from the council’s own website. Mark Butler pointed out that the document had accurate figures at four points in March, April, June and October. That would make Taylor’s version unlikely, to say the least. | Angus Taylor has established a “point of contact” with NSW police over its investigation of his office’s reliance on a falsified document to attack Clover Moore. So we’re not yet at the stage of a police interview. But there is contact, of some description. Taylor continued to duck questions on why he hasn’t produced evidence to back up his claim that he downloaded the document with erroneous figures from the council’s own website. Mark Butler pointed out that the document had accurate figures at four points in March, April, June and October. That would make Taylor’s version unlikely, to say the least. |
| The repeal of the medevac bill dominated many of the questions. Labor asked why the government was claiming it had not done a deal with Jacqui Lambie, when she intimated that they had. Scott Morrison said Lambie had simply supported government policy. He then attacked Labor for sending women and children to Manus Island, prompting an uproar in parliament. | The repeal of the medevac bill dominated many of the questions. Labor asked why the government was claiming it had not done a deal with Jacqui Lambie, when she intimated that they had. Scott Morrison said Lambie had simply supported government policy. He then attacked Labor for sending women and children to Manus Island, prompting an uproar in parliament. |
| In the Senate, Richard Di Natale asked a more targeted question than Deal or No Deal – was there an exchange of letters with Jacqui Lambie? | In the Senate, Richard Di Natale asked a more targeted question than Deal or No Deal – was there an exchange of letters with Jacqui Lambie? |
| There was another angry exchange between Michael McCormack and Joel Fitzgibbon, who seem to be having quite a week. McCormack said Fitzgibbon was a disgrace and “wouldn’t know a farmer if he met one”. Take that. | There was another angry exchange between Michael McCormack and Joel Fitzgibbon, who seem to be having quite a week. McCormack said Fitzgibbon was a disgrace and “wouldn’t know a farmer if he met one”. Take that. |
| Timothy Weeks, a freed Taliban prisoner, was in the house and received a standing ovation from the chamber. Weeks had been a Taliban prisoner for three years since he was taken hostage in 2016. | Timothy Weeks, a freed Taliban prisoner, was in the house and received a standing ovation from the chamber. Weeks had been a Taliban prisoner for three years since he was taken hostage in 2016. |
| Labor led its attack on the poor school performance results released overnight, which show Australian school students are falling behind the rest of the world. Scott Morrison said “funding is at record levels”. Dan Tehan said funding wasn’t everything and Australia needed to find other ways to improve performance. | Labor led its attack on the poor school performance results released overnight, which show Australian school students are falling behind the rest of the world. Scott Morrison said “funding is at record levels”. Dan Tehan said funding wasn’t everything and Australia needed to find other ways to improve performance. |
| Taylor again. Mark Butler points out that publicly available internet archives show the annual report on the council’s website contained accurate figures on four dates in March, April, June and October. How does that square with Taylor’s claim that his office downloaded a version of the report with inaccurate figures from the council’s website? Butler asks: | Taylor again. Mark Butler points out that publicly available internet archives show the annual report on the council’s website contained accurate figures on four dates in March, April, June and October. How does that square with Taylor’s claim that his office downloaded a version of the report with inaccurate figures from the council’s website? Butler asks: |
| The question prompts some wry smiles from the Labor benches. It does all seem, er, rather improbable. | The question prompts some wry smiles from the Labor benches. It does all seem, er, rather improbable. |
| There’s some scuttlebutt about whether the question would interfere with an active police investigation. | There’s some scuttlebutt about whether the question would interfere with an active police investigation. |
| Eventually, Taylor says: | Eventually, Taylor says: |
| Another question to Taylor. Mark Butler asks if he has provided metadata and download logs to police. | Another question to Taylor. Mark Butler asks if he has provided metadata and download logs to police. |
| Taylor reveals he has established a point of contact with NSW police. | Taylor reveals he has established a point of contact with NSW police. |
| Labor shifts to Angus Taylor. They ask why he hasn’t complied with a Senate order to produce evidence to back his claims that he downloaded a false document from the City of Sydney council’s website, which he then used to attack the lord mayor, Clover Moore. | Labor shifts to Angus Taylor. They ask why he hasn’t complied with a Senate order to produce evidence to back his claims that he downloaded a false document from the City of Sydney council’s website, which he then used to attack the lord mayor, Clover Moore. |
| The Speaker, Tony Smith, makes his position on the matter fairly clear. Oy Senate, bugger off. I’m paraphrasing slightly, but you get the drift. | The Speaker, Tony Smith, makes his position on the matter fairly clear. Oy Senate, bugger off. I’m paraphrasing slightly, but you get the drift. |
| Taylor gets up: | Taylor gets up: |
| That’s fine and all, but he still hasn’t provided any evidence that he downloaded the dodgy document from the council’s website. | That’s fine and all, but he still hasn’t provided any evidence that he downloaded the dodgy document from the council’s website. |
| Senator Cory Bernardi – who is due to give his valedictory speech this afternoon – got what is likely to be his final question in Senate question time. | Senator Cory Bernardi – who is due to give his valedictory speech this afternoon – got what is likely to be his final question in Senate question time. |
| Bernardi asked the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, to explain the evils of socialism and why the government has not implemented such policies. It was all very Auspol101, and a bit of a nostalgia lap for the Australian Conservatives senator who started his career as a Liberal. | Bernardi asked the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, to explain the evils of socialism and why the government has not implemented such policies. It was all very Auspol101, and a bit of a nostalgia lap for the Australian Conservatives senator who started his career as a Liberal. |
| Kim Carr interjected “they have” (implemented socialism) – asking “what’s the big stick all about”. Green Peter Whish-Wilson also got in on the action suggesting “the question should have been directed to Matt Canavan, the minister for nationalising coal-fired power stations”. | Kim Carr interjected “they have” (implemented socialism) – asking “what’s the big stick all about”. Green Peter Whish-Wilson also got in on the action suggesting “the question should have been directed to Matt Canavan, the minister for nationalising coal-fired power stations”. |
| Cormann then expounded on the different growth rates in East and West Germany – which Tim Ayres suggested hardly proved his point because West Germany was a social democracy. | Cormann then expounded on the different growth rates in East and West Germany – which Tim Ayres suggested hardly proved his point because West Germany was a social democracy. |
| The first supplementary question was about Marxism, which Cormann described as “socialism on steroids”. | The first supplementary question was about Marxism, which Cormann described as “socialism on steroids”. |
| In his final supplementary, Bernardi asked if Cormann was aware of a certain senator standing 6 foot 5 inches who had consistently railed against socialism (himself).Cormann responded: | In his final supplementary, Bernardi asked if Cormann was aware of a certain senator standing 6 foot 5 inches who had consistently railed against socialism (himself).Cormann responded: |
| Scott Morrison is asked how the government can claim it has done no deal with Jacqui Lambie, when she herself claimed such a deal was brokered. | Scott Morrison is asked how the government can claim it has done no deal with Jacqui Lambie, when she herself claimed such a deal was brokered. |
| Morrison says Lambie simply confirmed her support for government policies, including its policy on medevac. | Morrison says Lambie simply confirmed her support for government policies, including its policy on medevac. |
| He then prompts an uproar when he accuses Labor of sending women and children to Manus, which he says was a new low. | He then prompts an uproar when he accuses Labor of sending women and children to Manus, which he says was a new low. |
| On the topic of border protection, the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales said the repeal of medevac and the Independent Health Advice Panel “in no way extinguishes Australia’s duty of care” to those held in offshore processing. | On the topic of border protection, the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales said the repeal of medevac and the Independent Health Advice Panel “in no way extinguishes Australia’s duty of care” to those held in offshore processing. |
| It said medevac saved lives and de-politicised the health care of refugees and asylum seekers. | It said medevac saved lives and de-politicised the health care of refugees and asylum seekers. |
| The Kaldor Centre told a Senate inquiry in August that medevac was a “necessary, reasonable and appropriate” measure. | The Kaldor Centre told a Senate inquiry in August that medevac was a “necessary, reasonable and appropriate” measure. |
| Peter Dutton gets an energetic dixer from the backbencher Vince Connelly. Hands were flurrying. Dramatic pauses. Gesticulation, emphasis abound. The dixer is on border protection, which leads Dutton down a well-worn path. | Peter Dutton gets an energetic dixer from the backbencher Vince Connelly. Hands were flurrying. Dramatic pauses. Gesticulation, emphasis abound. The dixer is on border protection, which leads Dutton down a well-worn path. |
| The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, quotes Scott Morrison’s words back to him on the economy. At the end of the last quarter, Morrison said “you’d expect that things would improve in the next quarter”. Albanese says: | The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, quotes Scott Morrison’s words back to him on the economy. At the end of the last quarter, Morrison said “you’d expect that things would improve in the next quarter”. Albanese says: |
| Morrison responds: | Morrison responds: |
| Albanese protests on relevance. | Albanese protests on relevance. |
| The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, gets a dixer on the economy. He says despite the drought and other economic headwinds, the Australian economy has shown great “resilience” and continues to grow. | The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, gets a dixer on the economy. He says despite the drought and other economic headwinds, the Australian economy has shown great “resilience” and continues to grow. |