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Naomi Wolf 'taken aback' by Angus Taylor's demands she apologise – politics live Naomi Wolf 'taken aback' by Angus Taylor's demands she apologise – politics live
(32 minutes later)
The US writer says she didn’t pick a fight, but the Coalition minister decided to say things about her that are categorically not true. All the day’s political news, liveThe US writer says she didn’t pick a fight, but the Coalition minister decided to say things about her that are categorically not true. All the day’s political news, live
The UNHCR, he UN Refugee Agency, has released a statement expressing its disappointment at the repeal of the Medevac legislation on Wednesday.
It has also urged the government to accept the NZ offer.“Since its commencement earlier this year, the medevac mechanism had proven to be a timely, effective and often life-saving safeguard,” the agency said in a statement.“After more than six years of uncertainty regarding solutions, UNHCR is extremely concerned that the health situation of asylum seekers and refugees will continue to deteriorate.
“In the absence of the now repealed Medevac mechanisms, UNHCR urges the Government of Australia to continue utilising pre-existing legislative processes in a good faith effort to evacuate individuals in need of urgent medical treatment.“As Australia retains responsibility for people forcibly transferred under its offshore arrangements, UNHCR urges the Government of Australia to find appropriate solutions including taking up the longstanding offer by New Zealand to resettle refugees and to prevent further harm.”
In spillover Senate estimates, jobs department officials have revealed that businesses which take a jobseeker on in a PaTH internship do not need to host for the full four weeks to be paid $1,000 for the placement – only five days.
The top five businesses providing PaTH internships are: Yacoub family trust, AHS hospitality, Coles, Woolworths and Hog’s Breath Café.
Officials said the employment rate (that is, the proportion of interns who get proper employment at the end of the placement) for those five businesses is 53.8%, compared with 60.8% for all providers offering more than 10 internships.
Anthony Albanese gives his version of the love-in speech. He signs it off with:
Better things are happening in the Senate. Trust me.Better things are happening in the Senate. Trust me.
Scott Morrison is summing up the year in the lower house as we reach the end of the sitting year.Scott Morrison is summing up the year in the lower house as we reach the end of the sitting year.
He thanks the public for returning the Coalition to government and speaks of the great challenges Australians have faced in terms of natural disasters this year.He thanks the public for returning the Coalition to government and speaks of the great challenges Australians have faced in terms of natural disasters this year.
This is the time when everyone pretends to be nice to everyone else. So that we all leave with warm fuzzy feelings in our hearts. Yay.This is the time when everyone pretends to be nice to everyone else. So that we all leave with warm fuzzy feelings in our hearts. Yay.
Scott Morrison says to Anthony Albanese:Scott Morrison says to Anthony Albanese:
Haha, yeah. Who knows? No one’s watching old footy re-runs. Don’t be ridiculous.Haha, yeah. Who knows? No one’s watching old footy re-runs. Don’t be ridiculous.
Labor’s Mark Butler is pointing out the bizarre nature of Angus Taylor’s statement on Naomi Wolf in parliament today. He tells the ABC:Labor’s Mark Butler is pointing out the bizarre nature of Angus Taylor’s statement on Naomi Wolf in parliament today. He tells the ABC:
The Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman and the Labor MP Anne Aly are on the ABC. They’re asked whether they think question time today was an edifying display. Spoiler alert: nah, it wasn’t.The Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman and the Labor MP Anne Aly are on the ABC. They’re asked whether they think question time today was an edifying display. Spoiler alert: nah, it wasn’t.
Zimmerman says it’s the name calling and the heat that people object to.Zimmerman says it’s the name calling and the heat that people object to.
Aly says it fails at its core objective of actually getting answers.Aly says it fails at its core objective of actually getting answers.
Wolf says she had never heard of Taylor before three days ago.Wolf says she had never heard of Taylor before three days ago.
Particularly at the time of her book’s release:Particularly at the time of her book’s release:
She’s asked if there’s a stalemate.She’s asked if there’s a stalemate.
Wolf:Wolf:
She sticks to her guns on the charge of antisemitism.She sticks to her guns on the charge of antisemitism.
She says the comments were clearly religiously divisive and false. Wolf responds to Taylor’s statement that his grandmother is Jewish.She says the comments were clearly religiously divisive and false. Wolf responds to Taylor’s statement that his grandmother is Jewish.
She insists she was not in Oxford, despite Angus Taylor’s repeated claim that he remembers meeting her there. She holds up a list of the bookseller list for that year, and it shows her book at No 13. She also refers to a friend who can confirm she was not in Oxford that year.She insists she was not in Oxford, despite Angus Taylor’s repeated claim that he remembers meeting her there. She holds up a list of the bookseller list for that year, and it shows her book at No 13. She also refers to a friend who can confirm she was not in Oxford that year.
Naomi Wolf has conducted an interview with the ABC. She said her phone call with Angus Taylor’s office was not “heated”, but was firm.Naomi Wolf has conducted an interview with the ABC. She said her phone call with Angus Taylor’s office was not “heated”, but was firm.
She says a profile in the Australian Financial Review on Taylor, which repeated the claim, is currently being corrected by the newspaper.She says a profile in the Australian Financial Review on Taylor, which repeated the claim, is currently being corrected by the newspaper.
She continues:She continues:
Wolf responds to Taylor’s attack in parliament today. Taylor asked her to apologise for calling him antisemitic. She says:Wolf responds to Taylor’s attack in parliament today. Taylor asked her to apologise for calling him antisemitic. She says:
The government’s plans to merge the family court have hit a bit of a snag. The proposal to merge the federal and federal circuit courts was condemned by the Law Council of Australia and other legal groups which warned earlier this week that it risked “victims of family violence falling through the cracks”.
The Senate has set a reporting date on the legislation by November 2020. The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, says this has “effectively put a one-year hold” on the plan. Dreyfus:
Albanese moves on to Angus Taylor. He wonders whether the Naomi Wolf scandal might “get up on TV tonight”.
Question time ends. Anthony Albanese leaps up to speak. He says Scott Morrison is acting as though he’s been on a “victory lap” since the election and had won 100% of the vote. We’re not a one-party state, he says. This is a democracy.
Things are deteriorating here. Lots of anger, lots of bile. Lots of insults followed by withdrawals.
Urgh. Pull the plug already.
Mark Butler turns the attack to Angus Taylor. He asks a question that mentions allegations Taylor lied about going to Oxford with the US author Naomi Wolf, who Taylor spoke about in the context of students warring on Christmas and wanting to remove a Christmas tree from their common room.
Taylor comes out swinging. He reckons he did see Wolf at Oxford, despite her saying she was on the other side of the world at the time.
The last bit provokes uproar. Anthony Albanese wants him to withdraw the accusation that Labor is antisemitic, which didn’t really make any logical sense.
Taylor withdraws.
Morrison continues:
He accuses Labor of attempting to attack his faith, which prompts uproar from Labor. Morrison:
Tony Burke is furious and says that attack is “very personal” and should be withdrawn.
Labor’s deputy leader, Richard Marles, asks Scott Morrison why he doesn’t believe in integrity and accountability, before rattling off a series of examples. The treatment of the union bill this morning, misleading parliament, his phone call over the NSW police investigation into Angus Taylor, why he was sacked as chief executive of Tourism Australia, and why he invited Brian Houston to the White House.
The question prompts shouts of “smear”, “smear”, “no policy” and “muckraking” from the government benches.
Morrison repeats a line from earlier this week.
Tanya Plibersek asks why Scott Morrison has lied about reducing funding for Tafe. He responds:
Scott Morrison is asked a question on what he is doing to increase the number of nurses in aged care facilities.
He speaks about the aged care royal commission.
Morrison says they are increasing the number of aged care places, and reducing the use of chemical restraints and the number of young people ending up in care.