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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/05/morrison-alabanese-angus-taylor-lambie-coalition-labor-politics-live
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| UN refugee agency condemns medevac repeal – as it happened | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| UNHCR urges the Australian government to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle asylum seekers. This blog is now closed | |
| Rightio. Stick a fork in me. Done. The House and the Senate have adjourned. | Rightio. Stick a fork in me. Done. The House and the Senate have adjourned. |
| That’s the end of another sitting year. It’s been a rollercoaster. Thankfully, I’ve only been trapped on it for the past week. That’s been more than enough, let me assure you. | That’s the end of another sitting year. It’s been a rollercoaster. Thankfully, I’ve only been trapped on it for the past week. That’s been more than enough, let me assure you. |
| Loyal readers, thank you so much for sticking with us throughout. Just want to pay tribute to the incredible Amy Remeikis, Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin and Paul Karp. Feeding this beast is an almighty effort. | Loyal readers, thank you so much for sticking with us throughout. Just want to pay tribute to the incredible Amy Remeikis, Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin and Paul Karp. Feeding this beast is an almighty effort. |
| This week’s blog will have been a window into the steady disintegration of my mind. But it’s only been four days. Amy and co do it all year. | This week’s blog will have been a window into the steady disintegration of my mind. But it’s only been four days. Amy and co do it all year. |
| Just to recap the day’s events. | Just to recap the day’s events. |
| Angus Taylor decided to double down on his fight with *checks notes* Naomi Wolf, calling for her to apologise for inferring he was antisemitic after he inferred she was at war with Christmas during their Oxford years. Wolf also doubled down, saying Taylor had his facts wrong and was peddling divisive lies about her. | Angus Taylor decided to double down on his fight with *checks notes* Naomi Wolf, calling for her to apologise for inferring he was antisemitic after he inferred she was at war with Christmas during their Oxford years. Wolf also doubled down, saying Taylor had his facts wrong and was peddling divisive lies about her. |
| The government rammed its union bashing bill through the lower house this morning, gagging debate, and causing outrage all round by not letting the opposition speak on the bill. Anthony Albanese likened it to totalitarianism. Scott Morrison said unions were full of thugs, so who cares. | The government rammed its union bashing bill through the lower house this morning, gagging debate, and causing outrage all round by not letting the opposition speak on the bill. Anthony Albanese likened it to totalitarianism. Scott Morrison said unions were full of thugs, so who cares. |
| There was continuing fallout to the repeal of medevac. Human rights groups continued to criticise the decision and Labor and the Greens continued to demand an explanation of Jacqui Lambie’s deal with the government. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said her offer of resettlement was still on the table but said Australia had not approached her government for talks in recent days. | There was continuing fallout to the repeal of medevac. Human rights groups continued to criticise the decision and Labor and the Greens continued to demand an explanation of Jacqui Lambie’s deal with the government. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said her offer of resettlement was still on the table but said Australia had not approached her government for talks in recent days. |
| Morrison announced a raft of machinery of government changes, reducing the number of departments from 18 to 14 and getting rid of five departmental secretaries. The overhaul was criticised for concentrating power and undermining the cabinet system. It also saw the promotion of Andrew Metcalfe, Morrison’s old immigration secretary. | Morrison announced a raft of machinery of government changes, reducing the number of departments from 18 to 14 and getting rid of five departmental secretaries. The overhaul was criticised for concentrating power and undermining the cabinet system. It also saw the promotion of Andrew Metcalfe, Morrison’s old immigration secretary. |
| Thanks again. | Thanks again. |
| Merry Christmas from the blog. Stay safe. | Merry Christmas from the blog. Stay safe. |
| The UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has released a statement expressing its disappointment at the repeal of the medevac legislation on Wednesday. | The UNHCR, the 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 New Zealand offer to resettle refugees. | It has also urged the government to accept the New Zealand offer to resettle refugees. |
| “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. | “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. | “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. | “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.” | “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. | 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. | 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. | 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: | 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: |