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Labor slams ‘secret deal’ between Coalition and Jacqui Lambie on medevac repeal bill – politics live Labor slams ‘secret deal’ between Coalition and Jacqui Lambie on medevac repeal bill – politics live
(32 minutes later)
ALP fears Senate won’t have opportunity to see the deal before the vote as government moves a motion to push through bill. Plus Nationals under pressure over Murray-Darling Basin plan. Follow all the day’s political news liveALP fears Senate won’t have opportunity to see the deal before the vote as government moves a motion to push through bill. Plus Nationals under pressure over Murray-Darling Basin plan. Follow all the day’s political news live
The government’s deputy Senate leader Simon Birmingham has dismissed Labor’s position that medevac is needed to ensure sick people re brought to Australia, saying the government has had its own system where people are assessed and brought here if needed. Pauline Hanson is repeating the fact (which we’re also seeing in a lot of newspapers) that people brought here under medevac aren’t in hospital.
Which is true - they do have such a policy. It’s worth noting (again) that the purpose of medevac is to bring people to Australia for medical care or assessment which is unavailable in PNG and Nauru. That does not necessarily equal hospitalisation. And a lack of hospitalisation does not equal a scammed medevac.
But it was been widely criticised as inadequate. Data reported earlier this year showed that some people on Manus Island had waited as long as five years for treatment to start after the government’s contracted doctors recommended it. Hanson then says a bunch of stuff that are not facts.
We’re now voting on the suspension of standing orders. A division is required and the bells are ringing. If this passes, the government will be able to effectively guillotine debate and force a vote on the medevac repeal bill. Pauline Hanson is on her feet. She doesn’t seem perturbed about not knowing the nature of the deal between Lambie and the Coalition. Instead, she’s attacking Labor and claiming medevac repeal is wanted by most Australians.
Penny Wong is on her feet. Katharine Murphy, who’s in the chamber, reports that a Labor interjector has given her a handy fact.
Wong says it’s consistent with the government’s attitude to scrutiny and transparency. “The majority of Australian support medevac, you silly woman.”
Jacqui Lambie is now in the chamber. Wong says to Lambie: The current debate is on Labor’s attempt to force the government to table all documents about its deal with Jacqui Lambie before the repeal bill is voted on.
Di Natale continues: It’s expected to go for about half an hour. Labor will need an absolute majority, but if it wins, it would effectively mean the bill cannot pass until those documents are provided to the Senate.
In the chamber, while Richard Di Natale is speaking, Penny Wong is engaged in a conversation with Mathias Cormann across the table. Finance minister Mathias Cormann is up on his feet.
Kristina Keneally is camped beside the advisers box.
Jacqui Lambie is not in the chamber.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale says the Senate is being asked to repeal laws that enshrine a “fundamental human right” on the basis of a secret deal.
Labor senator Katy Gallagher is slamming the Lambie-Coalition deal, saying they were “obsessed with getting a win after a shocking week”.
“Trying to get a win off the back of more than 500 people,” she said.
Gallagher said Labor is hearing “on the grape vine” that the Senate will have no opportunity to see the deal before the vote.
Greens senator Nick McKim says there are lives at real risk. He says doing secret deals on such a critical piece of legislation is one of “the most reprehensible things you could do as a member of parliament”.
He says such a critical debate cannot be allowed without senators knowing what deal Lambie and the government have done.
He continues:He continues:
Things are moving rather quickly now. The government is moving a motion to effectively push through the medevac repeal bill as soon as possible this morning. While Penny Wong is in full flight, Mathias Cormann makes a brief check on Lambie, who has resumed her seat.
This would suggest it has done a deal with Lambie. Jacqui Lambie is now wandering, at large, at the back of the chamber.
The process from here is as follows: The government wins the vote and we’re now debating the bill. Labor is attempting to move amendments to force the government to disclose its deal with Jacqui Lambie.
There will be a debate on the government’s motion to suspend standing orders. That will last 30 minutes. Penny Wong is attempting to suspend standing orders.
If they’re successful, debate on medevac will continue until about 11am. If not all speakers are finished by that time, debate will be gagged and the vote will come on. She wants debate delayed until “all documents relating to negotiations between the government and Jacqui Lambie” are laid on the table.
Keneally turns to One Nation, who have already given their support to medevac. She asks: She continues:
She says Lambie cannot trust whatever promise the government has made to her. We’re now voting to bring on consideration of the bill immediately.
The government wins the vote to limit debate 38-36.
Mike Bowers is in the chamber.
The government wins the vote to suspend standing orders 38-37, with Lambie’s vote critical.
It is now bringing on a vote to limit the debate.
Lambie is voting with the government in this division. There is much bonohomie on that side of the chamber.
Over the other side, the two Centre Alliance senators Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick are boxed in by Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher.
Jacqui Lambie has just entered the chamber. She looks cheerful. Malcolm Roberts from One Nation meanwhile is engaged in conversation with the Greens senator Janet Rice.
There is some speculation from senators that Scott Morrison has agreed with Lambie to pursue the New Zealand deal but only after the US deal has been fully executed. That’s what people think.