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Coronavirus Australia update: PM apologises for pain and hardship caused by robodebt – politics live
Coronavirus Australia update: PM apologises for pain and hardship caused by robodebt – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Scott Morrison says where there are lessons to be learned, they will be learned. Follow updates
Scott Morrison says where there are lessons to be learned, they will be learned. Follow updates
Patricia Karvelas: Just finally, there’s something significant that’s happened in the Senate. Pauline Hanson was trying to get her motion up, the all lives matter motion. The Government, the Greens, Labor, minor parties ensured that never did go to a vote. Why did you all work together on that?
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
I have to say I’m on leave at the moment, so I haven’t been in the chamber. So I’m not fully across what’s happened this afternoon in relation to that. In relation to this, can I just say all lives matter. And therefore as far as I’m concerned, I have to say that the activities that we’ve seen, particularly of some of the protesters at a time when we are in these very difficult circumstances, I think has demonstrated a degree of irresponsibility.
Karvelas: That’s the language of Senator Hanson’s motion that all lives matter. The reason the movement is called Black Lives Matter is black people around the world and in the US are disproportionately represented in these kinds of cases, with the police and the justice system. That’s why the movement exists because there is a different treatment?
Fierravanti-Wells
Patricia, can I just say I respect the right of people to express their point of view and to protest. The point being at this point in time, given what we are going through, it wasn’t the appropriate thing to do. I appreciate events in the US. Can I also say in relation to the events in the US, I think we do need to distinguish what’s happening in the US and what’s happening in other parts of the world. I do respect this issue but at this particular point in time I would have liked to have seen a lot more responsibility on the part of Australians and I know this is an issue that a lot of Australians are very upset about. There are people who weren’t able to go to weddings and mourn their families.
Karvelas:I’m talking about the substantive issue - black lives matter. That’s because black people are not treated the same in the justice system. Do you agree with that?
Fierravanti-Wells
Patricia, I think as myself being a lawyer, I think the justice system has served us well in Australia. As I have said, I think in the end what is really important is that all Australians have the opportunity to be their best. And that includes most especially having a job and so therefore the focus of our government has been on ensuring jobs, jobs, jobs. That means jobs for all Australians.
Karvelas:
You say the justice system as the served our nation well. Do you think it has served Indigenous Australians well?
Fierravanti-Wells
I think it has served Australia well. There are concerns and there have been concerns in relation to deaths in custody. But I think in the end when you do look at the reasons why young people go off the rails or things happen, it’s because ultimately there has been a breakdown issuer in their family circumstances or their economic circumstances. And as somebody who worked with Father Chris Riley, there are many things that contribute to young people or people going off the rails. So ultimately, stability and a very important component of that is work. So it is vitally important for us to have a strong economy and part of that strong economy is to ensure that as many people are in jobs as is possible.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells then says “All lives matter” when asked about Pauline Hanson’s motion.
SIGGGGGHHHHH.
If I have to explain to anyone, again, why all lives matter is an offensive and completely tone-deaf response to Black Lives matter, please send an email to doyourresearchandthentakealookinthemirror@gmail.com
The Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells who crossed the floor to support a crossbench motion for a Senate inquiry into Australia’s relationship with China, tells the ABC she doesn’t believe it is smart for Australia to have so much trade with one country:
The “ensuring integrity” union busting bill is officially dead (for now). The government consented to Labor’s motion to have it removed from the notice paper.
On Scott Morrison’s comments this morning that “there was no slavery in Australia” (which is not true. We didn’t call it slavery, but naming a steaming pile of awfulness something other than a steaming pile of shit, doesn’t change what it is).
Pat Dodson is of course, much more eloquent in his response, when asked by Patricia Karvelas if he thought people would be “surprised” by the prime minister’s comments:
Pat Dodson spoke to Patricia Karvelas about Pauline Hanson’s latest attempt to divide the Senate:
The government also denied formality for the Greens motion calling for the Senate to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, so you know, balance.
Ahhhh there we go.
Mike Bowers was in the Senate when Pauline Hanson learned she wouldn’t be allowed her latest “white boomer Karen” platform.
Question time as seen by Mike Bowers:
“But first, let me take a selfie.”
(Before the chamber reps write me a letter, this is a joke. I have no idea what Barnaby Joyce was doing with his phone. That’s just a general life rule of mine.)
*Randy Newman starts playing through the chamber.*
Michael McCormack is that guy your auntie married who calls you “BBQ sauce!” every time he sees you because of that one time you dropped some on your shirt 10 years ago.
Commenting on today’s report that a person who attended Saturday’s Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne has tested positive for Covid-19, Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance said:
Commenting on today’s report that a person who attended Saturday’s Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne has tested positive for Covid-19, Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance said:
It has sort of been forgotten about, because it is a very restricted policy, but Andrew Leigh managed to eke out a speech ahead of question time which included homebuilder:
It has sort of been forgotten about, because it is a very restricted policy, but Andrew Leigh managed to eke out a speech ahead of question time which included homebuilder:
Over in the Senate, Mathias Cormann has denied Pauline Hanson’s latest ‘it’s OK to be white’ motion – this time cached as ‘all lives matter’. Labor supports the government’s position on this one (obviously)
Over in the Senate, Mathias Cormann has denied Pauline Hanson’s latest “it’s OK to be white” motion – this time couched as “all lives matter”. Labor supports the government’s position on this one (obviously).
So she’ll be getting her angry tweet on about being gagged in about five ... four ... three.
So she’ll be getting her angry tweet on about being gagged in about five ... four ... three.
Oh – question time ended.
Oh – question time ended.
I just needed a moment to sit, and recover from yet another hour of dazzling democracy in this country.
I just needed a moment to sit and recover from yet another hour of dazzling democracy in this country.
It is five hours out, but the Guardian AFL blog has begun.
Just a small point – while this from Scott Morrison is more contrition than has been previously shown by the Coalition government:
Morrison did not apologise for the scheme. He apologised for the hurt or harm in the way the government dealt with the issue, to the individual raised by Bill Shorten, and “anyone else who has found themselves in those situations”.
You may remember Christian Porter said there could not be an apology because of the ongoing legal issues:
David Speers: Do you now apologise for putting this flawed system in place?
Porter: The system was flawed. I’m not going to use that word because there’s litigation ongoing and as attorney general I can’t use that sort of language in the context of the litigation.
Speers: You can’t apologise because of the prospect of further damages?
Porter: There’s an argument which we will resist in the courts about the way in which the government ran the system. But what we do acknowledge is that using average, annualised ATO data, which many governments – Labor and Liberal – have done has, as it transpired, been shown to be an insufficient basis for raising those debts.
Speers: So this was a flawed system, you were wrong to do it, but you won’t apologise?
Porter: Well there’s litigation ongoing and that litigation argues amongst other things negligence and we don’t concede that.
Speers: Does legally insufficient mean illegal?
Porter: There wasn’t a lawful basis, that’s what it means.
Speers: Is it illegal?
Porter: You can you use that, but that’s a criminal term very often, but civilly, it was unlawful. There was no lawful basis for it.
Scott Morrison uses the end of question time to wish his daughter Lily a happy birthday.
Brendan O’Connor to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister: 97% of funding in the first round of the small- to medium-enterprise export hub grant scheme was awarded to Coalition electorates just before the last election. Did the prime minister approve exports reports like he approved sports reports?
Morrison:
I will ask the minister to add to my answer but I absolutely reject the assertion and allegation just made by the member in the question that he put forward. Once again, the member is putting forward completely untruthful statements and he has a habit of making untruthful allegations, Mr Speaker.
The assertion that the member made regarding myself and the assertion against my character is completely rejected. It is completely rejected and I think it reflects badly on the member for making that assertion.
Karen Andrews:
“I am very happy to add to the answer to this question and I’m happy to assist the member in his understanding of the program because he clearly does not understand how this particular program works. Now the name of this program is the SME rxport hubs and that’s probably an indication of how it operates because it is a hub which means that it services an entire region.
“So the assertion that the member is making clearly just demonstrates a very limited understanding of the program. So the SME export hubs don’t just help those businesses located just next door to them; they actually assist a number of businesses across wide regions.
“Now a clear example that I’d like to actually put to the House, and this might also assist the member with his understanding, is that in South Australia we have Food South Australia. They received a grant to establish a hub in round one. They are explicitly offering to assist all businesses across South Australia. Now, let’s be clear, it is based in a location but it provides support right across South Australia. So I would also like to take the opportunity to point out, Mr Speaker, that this is a competitive grant program.
“All applicants provided evidence of how they met the criteria through a two-stage application process. They were independently assessed. Now, Mr Speaker, I will just finish on this point, and that is for both funding rounds I, as the minister, accepted advice of the committee and their recommendations without change.”
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
Does the government agree that it owes all Australians, including Centrelink recipients, a duty of care to behave lawfully?
Morrison:
(Again, the Coalition removed the human element of the program. It automated it.)
Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick continuing to paint himself in glory.
Bill Shorten to Stuart Robert:
Is the government aware how many Australians suffered severe psychological trauma or attempted to take their own life or indeed sadly did take their own life due to the pressure of an unlawful robodebt?
Robert:
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
I refer to the prime minister’s illegal robodebt scheme. Cancer-suffering grandfather Raymond Murphy had to sell his house and move to his shed to afford medical treatment. He said debt collectors ripped him to shreds over a $2,300 robodebt while he was in hospital. Why won’t the government apologise to Mr Murphy and thousands of other Australians ... with their unlawful robodebt scheme?
Morrison:
I’ll ask the minister for government services to add to the answer. The business of raising and recovering debts on behalf of taxpayers is a difficult job and it deals with Australians in many very sensitive circumstances.
Of course I would deeply regret –deeply regret – any hardship that has been caused to people in the conduct of that activity. The government has many difficult jobs that it has to do dealing with Australians in very sensitive circumstances and that is true particularly at this time.
It is our instruction that we would hope that all agents of the government when pursuing the debt recovery option that they would be sensitive to people’s circumstances.
And in relation to the particular gentleman that you referred to, that is a very distressing situation that you have raised. I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the government has dealt with that issue and to anyone else who has found themselves in those situations.
But the issue is one of ensuring how the government can best do this. Where there are lessons to be learned here they will be learned. That is what the minister for government services is employing now. I will ask the minister for government services to add to the answer.
Stuart Robert:
I would say to the member, if any member can refer any hardship cases through to me and I will ensure the department looks at it. Mental health and suicide, as we all know, and we all appreciate, are very delicate issues. There are many factors that go into them. Services Australia assess people facing difficult situations every day. We have the largest social services network to support people within federal government departments in times of crisis and vulnerability and we do this everyday.
As the prime minister said, the collection of debts is a lawful responsibility of all governments. Right now, just so that colleagues are aware in the House, 939,000 Australians have debts over $5bn that the government lawfully has to collect across a whole range of programs.
And governments of all persuasions have done this across the divide. The government has paused all debt collection across all programs as we work our way through the Covid crisis but government will have to restart that debt collection and will do it sensibly and do it engaging all people, do it in a very transparent manner.
It is incumbent on us all if we have constituents who are hurting or suffering, bring them through to me. All colleagues know where I am. Give me a buzz and we will seek quickly to help you out with that.
Alan Tudge took a dixer, and somehow managed to avoid pointing to a popular TV cooking show as proof Australia is not racist, as well as not once again point out the trope of multicultural Australian’s contribution to food in this country.
Probably because it was on city planning, and not multiculturalism, but in this day and age, it’s a feat.
Just in case anyone was in doubt that politics was absolutely back as normal, that last part of that answer from Scott Morrison should put that to bed.
