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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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| Scott Morrison to slash number of government departments in public service overhaul – politics live | Scott Morrison to slash number of government departments in public service overhaul – politics live |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Prime minister says cutting government departments from 18 to 14 will lead to greater efficiency. All the day’s political news, live | Prime minister says cutting government departments from 18 to 14 will lead to greater efficiency. All the day’s political news, live |
| The vote is being called off momentarily so we can all cool our heads. We’ve suspended sitting for about 15 minutes to sort it all out. | |
| We’re now stuck in the lower house in a very bizarre situation. Labor are saying they do not have copies of the union-busting legislation they are voting on. The government says it brought 60 copies in yesterday. | |
| The speaker, Tony Smith, initially demands legislation be brought in. Then there’s confusion because he receives updated advice saying the copies of the legislation were previously in the chamber. | |
| Stay tuned. | |
| There’s an interesting development in the Senate. Labor has moved (with government support I gather) to establish a new select committee into foreign interference in democracy through social media. | |
| Chris and I (and other colleagues at Guardian Australia) have been very attentive to this fake news/misinformation phenomenon having looked deeply into the death tax campaign on Facebook during the May election. Here’s the meat of the motion that’s about to be moved by the Labor senator Jenny McAllister. | |
| This inquiry will be one to watch in the new year. Incidentally, Labor has also asked the JSCEM (the joint parliamentary committee on electoral matters) to look at the role of misinformation on the platforms as part of the inquiry it does every election cycle into the conduct of the last federal election. | |
| Strange scenes in the lower house. Members are unable to stand to speak, so are signalling they want the call by placing a book or paper on their head. | |
| Drama down in the house. The government is returning its union-busting “ensuring integrity” bill, which was defeated on Friday after a shock last-minute switch by One Nation. The bill is currently before the lower house again. | |
| But the Coalition is trying to gag debate. It prompts uproar in the chamber. | |
| Labor leader Anthony Albanese says the government is attempting to use gag orders that were never intended to limit debate for partisan or party political reasons. | |
| Tony Burke says the government’s actions are unprecedented. | |
| Albanese says Labor is being asked to vote on legislation it hasn’t seen. | |
| Reports in the Channel Nine newspapers this morning confirmed the government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Australia’s visa processing services. The shadow assistant immigration minister, Andrew Giles, was out on the hustings this morning, saying the position leaves 2,000 workers going into Christmas in fear of losing their jobs. | |
| The United Firefighters Union was at Parliament House this morning speaking out about the effects of climate change and the extending and intensifying the fire season. From their statement: | |
| The national council of the UFU passed the resolution calling for an “urgent phase-out of coal, oil, and gas” because they are “driving more dangerous and intense fires”. The UFU national president, Greg McConville, said: | |
| Interesting point on the machinery of government changes from Markus Mannheim. | Interesting point on the machinery of government changes from Markus Mannheim. |
| Stephen Jones, the shadow assistant treasurer, is on Sky News saying Morrison should accept the New Zealand deal to get children off Manus Island and Nauru. He rejects the government’s insistence that there are no more kids there. | Stephen Jones, the shadow assistant treasurer, is on Sky News saying Morrison should accept the New Zealand deal to get children off Manus Island and Nauru. He rejects the government’s insistence that there are no more kids there. |
| Jones urged Morrison to be “pragmatic” and take the NZ deal. | Jones urged Morrison to be “pragmatic” and take the NZ deal. |
| The PM announcing an overhaul of the public service, courtesy of Mike Bowers. | The PM announcing an overhaul of the public service, courtesy of Mike Bowers. |
| The PM’s office has just released a more detailed list of those changes. They will take effect from February. Here’s the full list: | The PM’s office has just released a more detailed list of those changes. They will take effect from February. Here’s the full list: |
| The creation of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, which will consolidate | The creation of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, which will consolidate |
| the current Department of Education; and | the current Department of Education; and |
| the current Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. | the current Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. |
| The creation of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, which will consolidate: | The creation of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, which will consolidate: |
| the current Department of Agriculture; and | the current Department of Agriculture; and |
| environment functions from the current Department of the Environment and Energy. | environment functions from the current Department of the Environment and Energy. |
| The creation of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, which will consolidate: | The creation of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, which will consolidate: |
| the current Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; | the current Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; |
| energy functions from the current Department of the Environment and Energy; and | energy functions from the current Department of the Environment and Energy; and |
| small business functions from the current Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. | small business functions from the current Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. |
| The creation of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, which will consolidate: | The creation of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, which will consolidate: |
| the current Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; and | the current Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; and |
| the current Department of Communications and the Arts. | the current Department of Communications and the Arts. |
| The Department known as Services Australia (formerly known as the Department of Human Services) will be established as a new Executive Agency, within the Social Services Department. | The Department known as Services Australia (formerly known as the Department of Human Services) will be established as a new Executive Agency, within the Social Services Department. |
| Just to recap on those machinery of government changes: | Just to recap on those machinery of government changes: |
| the education and employment departments are being merged | the education and employment departments are being merged |
| the agriculture department is combining with the environment department | the agriculture department is combining with the environment department |
| energy will be merged with the industry, innovation and science department | energy will be merged with the industry, innovation and science department |
| The communications and arts portfolio is being merged with infrastructure and transport department | The communications and arts portfolio is being merged with infrastructure and transport department |
| A few interesting tidbits there. Energy is being decoupled from environment. | A few interesting tidbits there. Energy is being decoupled from environment. |
| But emissions reduction stays with energy. | But emissions reduction stays with energy. |
| Just to reiterate, the PM is proposing no costs savings and no job losses, aside from the five departmental secretaries. | Just to reiterate, the PM is proposing no costs savings and no job losses, aside from the five departmental secretaries. |
| Morrison is asked whether the government will consider New Zealand’s offer to take refugees from Manus and Nauru. | Morrison is asked whether the government will consider New Zealand’s offer to take refugees from Manus and Nauru. |
| Scott Morrison says he has full confidence in Angus Taylor. | Scott Morrison says he has full confidence in Angus Taylor. |
| Morrison says this is not a “savings measure”. | Morrison says this is not a “savings measure”. |
| Morrison says there will be no change to ministerial portfolios. | Morrison says there will be no change to ministerial portfolios. |