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Australia urged to accept New Zealand's offer to take refugees – politics live Australia urged to accept New Zealand's offer to take refugees – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Fallout from medevac repeal continues as Angus Taylor controversies roll on. All the day’s political news, liveFallout from medevac repeal continues as Angus Taylor controversies roll on. All the day’s political news, live
Wolf uses the call to directly dispute Taylor’s claim that she was in Oxford in 1991 and the inference she was involved in campaigning against Christmas. She was actually in New York, touring for her bestselling book. Towards the end, the staffer says:
That Naomi Wolf call is off the charts.
The staffer doesn’t seem to quite believe he’s talking to Wolf. There’s quite a commotion in the background on Taylor’s side at some points. It’s past midnight in Australia. The staffer doesn’t want to give his name, but he says he’s not a media adviser. He says the call was only picked up by “accident”.
What is going on.
Wolf:
Taylor’s staffer:
Naomi Wolf uses the call to directly dispute Angus Taylor’s claim that she was in Oxford in 1991 and the inference she was involved in campaigning against Christmas. She was actually in New York, touring for her bestselling book.
“He can’t make up where I was,” Wolf says in the call.“He can’t make up where I was,” Wolf says in the call.
The staffer (who is not a media adviser and is taking the call after midnight) responds:The staffer (who is not a media adviser and is taking the call after midnight) responds:
Wolf responds:Wolf responds:
A little later, the staffer says:A little later, the staffer says:
This. Is. Incredible.This. Is. Incredible.
Naomi Wolf, the well-known US author, called up Angus Taylor’s office to dispute his initial speech to parliament. Naomi Wolf, the well-known US author, called Angus Taylor’s office to dispute his initial speech to parliament.
Taylor described a time when he was a student with Wolf at Oxford. Taylor claimed students had wanted to remove a Christmas tree, which he described as “moral vanity” and political correctness Taylor used his maiden speech to describe a time when he was a student with Wolf at Oxford University. Taylor claimed students had wanted to remove a Christmas tree, which he described as “moral vanity” and political correctness.
Please watch her response:Please watch her response:
The maiden speech to parliament in 2013 is here, if you’re interested in reading. Taylor told a story about “political correctness” and a dispute over a Christmas tree at Oxford in 1991, when he was a Rhodes scholar at the university, mentioning that Wolf lived on the same corridor. His maiden speech to parliament in 2013 is here, if you’re interested in reading it:
“I first encountered political correctness as a student at Oxford,” Taylor said. “It was 1991, and a young Naomi Wolf lived a couple of doors down the corridor. Several graduate students, mostly from the north-east of the US, decided we should abandon the Christmas tree in the common room because some people might be offended.
Naomi Wolf is really going after Angus Taylor on this one. I’ll let her tweets do the talking.Naomi Wolf is really going after Angus Taylor on this one. I’ll let her tweets do the talking.
My colleague Helen Davidson has just filed on further developments in the unlikely stoush between Angus Taylor and US author Naomi Wolf: My colleague Helen Davidson has just filed on further developments in the unlikely stoush between Angus Taylor and the US author Naomi Wolf:
Naomi Wolf has reignited her stoush with Australia’s energy minister, Angus Taylor, publishing what she said was a transcript of a phone call with his office.
On Thursday morning the US author said she had recorded a call to Taylor’s parliamentary office requesting a “formal correction” to the Hansard record of his maiden speech, asking that Taylor “tell Parliament please that I was not campaigning against Xmas in any way?”
Taylor referred to Wolf in his maiden speech to parliament in 2013 while recounting an anecdote about “political correctness” and a dispute over a Christmas tree at Oxford in 1991, when he was a Rhodes scholar.
When Wolf was alerted to the speech on Monday she pointed out that she was not at Oxford in 1991 and accused the minister of “antisemitic dogwhistling”.
On Thursday Wolf said Taylor’s staffer had told her that all media who had reported on the story had been given the advice that she was not campaigning against Christmas.
“Can I have evidence?” Wolf said. The spokesman responded: “I’m sorry, obviously we can’t prove that has been provided.”
The fallout is continuing from the Australian government’s repeal of medevac laws. Australia is now being urged to take New Zealand’s offer to accept 150 refugees from Manus and Nauru a year. We mentioned earlier that there is speculation that Jacqui Lambie was pursuing resettlement when she gave her vote to the government.The fallout is continuing from the Australian government’s repeal of medevac laws. Australia is now being urged to take New Zealand’s offer to accept 150 refugees from Manus and Nauru a year. We mentioned earlier that there is speculation that Jacqui Lambie was pursuing resettlement when she gave her vote to the government.
David Manne, executive director of the Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre, said there was no logic to the government’s refusal to accept the NZ offer. He described suggestions that it would create a “pull” factor for people wanting to come to Australia as “spurious”.David Manne, executive director of the Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre, said there was no logic to the government’s refusal to accept the NZ offer. He described suggestions that it would create a “pull” factor for people wanting to come to Australia as “spurious”.
“It doesn’t make any rational sense,” he told Sky News.“It doesn’t make any rational sense,” he told Sky News.
Manne also dismisses the government’s figures showing that most of those who came to Australia through medevac are not in hospital. We’ve reported already that medevac is designed for assessment and healthcare, not just acute hospital care, so it’s not surprising. Manne makes a similar point:Manne also dismisses the government’s figures showing that most of those who came to Australia through medevac are not in hospital. We’ve reported already that medevac is designed for assessment and healthcare, not just acute hospital care, so it’s not surprising. Manne makes a similar point:
So what exactly are we expecting from today?So what exactly are we expecting from today?
Well, it’s another day of parliament, so of course we can expect another Angus Taylor controversy. And lo and behold, it’s not yet hit 8.30am, and there’s already something unfolding. Naomi Wolf, the well-known US author, is on the warpath against the minister over his misrepresentation of an alleged encounter they had at Oxford University in their student days. That encounter happened, in Taylor’s telling, at a time when Wolf was on the other side of the ocean. We’ll bring you a bit more about that in a moment. On another Taylor front, there were reports yesterday naming the staffer said to have obtained and distributed the document with dodgy figures about the City of Sydney council’s travel expenditure. Expect more of a pursuit on that from Labor.Well, it’s another day of parliament, so of course we can expect another Angus Taylor controversy. And lo and behold, it’s not yet hit 8.30am, and there’s already something unfolding. Naomi Wolf, the well-known US author, is on the warpath against the minister over his misrepresentation of an alleged encounter they had at Oxford University in their student days. That encounter happened, in Taylor’s telling, at a time when Wolf was on the other side of the ocean. We’ll bring you a bit more about that in a moment. On another Taylor front, there were reports yesterday naming the staffer said to have obtained and distributed the document with dodgy figures about the City of Sydney council’s travel expenditure. Expect more of a pursuit on that from Labor.
We’re also anticipating more fallout from the medevac repeal yesterday. The critical question remains: what did Jacqui Lambie secure from the government in exchange for her crucial vote? There’s been some suggestion that she’s won an agreement from the government to pursue the resettlement of refugees from Manus and Nauru. But she’s staying silent on the whole thing, and the government is insisting there is “no secret deal”.We’re also anticipating more fallout from the medevac repeal yesterday. The critical question remains: what did Jacqui Lambie secure from the government in exchange for her crucial vote? There’s been some suggestion that she’s won an agreement from the government to pursue the resettlement of refugees from Manus and Nauru. But she’s staying silent on the whole thing, and the government is insisting there is “no secret deal”.
The Murray-Darling basin is continuing to cause headaches for the Nationals. The government has announced a review of water sharing in the Murray-Darling. The protesters have left Canberra with a since of victory. But the question remains: what will the review actually achieve? How will it deliver more water for those without any? Have the Nationals actually resolved the issue? The Murray-Darling basin is continuing to cause headaches for the Nationals. The government has announced a review of water sharing in the Murray-Darling. The protesters have left Canberra with a sense of victory. But the question remains: what will the review actually achieve? How will it deliver more water for those without any? Have the Nationals actually resolved the issue?
The poor school results out yesterday are still prompting reaction this morning. Tanya Plibersek has been out this morning saying the focus must be on teacher investment, through professional development and mentoring. The government says throwing more money at the problem is not working.The poor school results out yesterday are still prompting reaction this morning. Tanya Plibersek has been out this morning saying the focus must be on teacher investment, through professional development and mentoring. The government says throwing more money at the problem is not working.
There’s another report out this morning in the Sydney Morning Herald about Gladys Liu, reporting that she asked the Liberal party to give her back a donation of at least $100,000. The report claims Liu says the donation she gave was a loan.There’s another report out this morning in the Sydney Morning Herald about Gladys Liu, reporting that she asked the Liberal party to give her back a donation of at least $100,000. The report claims Liu says the donation she gave was a loan.
Happy last sitting day of the year!Happy last sitting day of the year!
It’s a momentous occasion. Who knows what else parliament can achieve today? It’s already denied doctor-led medical care to those we’ve condemned to remote islands for daring to seek asylum. Hard to top, even for this bunch, you’d think.It’s a momentous occasion. Who knows what else parliament can achieve today? It’s already denied doctor-led medical care to those we’ve condemned to remote islands for daring to seek asylum. Hard to top, even for this bunch, you’d think.
But I digress. Alongside the fallout from medevac, there’s plenty of issues on the boil. Angus Taylor. The Murray-Darling basin.The fallout from medevac. Chinese government influence.But I digress. Alongside the fallout from medevac, there’s plenty of issues on the boil. Angus Taylor. The Murray-Darling basin.The fallout from medevac. Chinese government influence.
Stick with us and we’ll get through it all together.Stick with us and we’ll get through it all together.