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| Coronavirus Australia update: PM apologises for 'no slavery' comments as Queensland sticks with 10 July border open date – politics live | Coronavirus Australia update: PM apologises for 'no slavery' comments as Queensland sticks with 10 July border open date – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victoria records four new cases, none linked to protests, as Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders. Follow live | Victoria records four new cases, none linked to protests, as Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders. Follow live |
| Jason Falinski, who has deleted his previous cryptic tweet about leadership, gets a dixer. | |
| Jim Chalmers to Josh Frydenberg: | |
| Has the Government modeled how many Australians will have to join the unemployment queues when the job giveaway subsidy is suddenly withdrawn under the Prime Minister’s hard snap back in September? | |
| Frydenberg: | |
| Well, Mr Speaker, it is the secretary of the Treasury said to the covert committee recently, he expects unemployment in the September quarter to reach about 8%. Now, Mr Speaker, we know people are doing it tough at the moment. We have gone through a one and 100 year event. But we also know that we are starting to see confidence pick up across the Australian economy, is to Speaker, and we have seen consumer confidence pick up around 90% from... | |
| ...Mr Speaker, we have seen the consumer confidence pick up around 90% and business confidence pick up from around 70%. So Treasury, in relation to the question that was asked by the Member for Rankin, will continue to assess the economic situation and we are undertaking a review into JobKeeper, Mr Speaker, and we will make decisions about the future of that program and we will announce those decisions on the 23 July. Mr Speaker, I’ll tell you what helps create jobs, its lower taxes, Mr Speaker... | |
| After the second point of order on relevance (one premature) we get this: | |
| Alicia Payne to Scott Morrison: | |
| I refer to reports today that Coalition MPs, including the member for Leichhardt, want JobSeeker extended beyond September. But the Prime Minister is refusing to rule out kicking workers in other industries off JobSeeker before September. Why can’t the Prime Minister be clear - which Australians will he leave behind? | |
| Morrison: | |
| From the very outset of this crisis, the Government has put in place the most comprehensive, the largest set of income support and economic lifeline measures that this country has ever seen. And the one we started with was JobSeeker, because JobSeeker, the unemployment benefit is the safety net that sits right under all Australians if they find themselves out of work. That’s what we did first. | |
| The second measure, substantial measure that we put in place for income support was JobKeeper. Now, JobKeeper was put in to ensure that Australians could find themselves continuing to be on the books of employers and doing some work in some cases, and they would be there in that arrangement for six months. | |
| That has bought our economy critical time. If businesses were put in a position that they had to make decisions back in March and April about whether those employees could stay in those businesses, we would have seen millions more find themselves on their way seeking support through the unemployment system. | |
| Now, Mr Speaker, that decision bought those businesses time. It bought Australia time. When other countries were only going for three months, we took the decision to go for six months. | |
| And that provided some certainty and confidence, and since that time, we have seen consumer confidence restored under the ANZ Index, and 70% restore by business since the COVID crisis hit. Now we are going through the same thoughtful, meticulous process of considering the data and looking forward and reviewing the program to make the right set of decisions about the right combination of income supports and fiscal supports to the economy that would be in place after the end of September. | |
| This is how our Government makes decisions. We do things carefully, considering the advice, looking at the economic environment and ensure that we make those decisions at the right time. | |
| JobKeeper is there until the end of September, Mr Speaker. That’s why we put it in place. It will remain in place until the end of September. | |
| And Mr Speaker, it will continue to provide that confidence. At the same time, the Treasurer and I and the members of the Cabinet will work together with the members of the Government to ensure that we get the right balance and mix of fiscal policies, because it’s the fiscal policies, given the absence of monetary ammunition that’s in the system that will be so important. But we want, above all things, above all things, is to get Australians back into jobs. Australians don’t want to be on JobKeeper or JobSeeker. They want to be in jobs, Mr Speaker. | |
| And what we hear from the Opposition all the time is how they would seek to keep people back, not allow them to go forward. And the policies we will put in place and continue to put in place will be about them - not only getting the support they need when they need it. But in the jobs they need. | |
| Jim Chalmers to Scott Morrison: | |
| Will the prime minister look at extending the jobkeeper wage subsidy beyond September as suggested by the Reserve Bank governor? | |
| Josh Frydenberg gets the nod: | |
| Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison about the VC for Tasmanian Teddy Sheean, again, and Morrison is NOT impressed: | |
| Albanese: the prime minister has received a recommendation from the defence honours and awards appeals tribunal that Tasmania’s Teddy Sheean be awarded a Victoria Cross for “the most conspicuous act of valour in the presence of an enemy”. Why does the prime minister need another review to tell him that Teddy’s sacrifice should be honoured with a Victoria Cross? | |
| Morrison: there is absolutely no doubt that Teddy Sheean was an extraordinary Australian who did extraordinary things. At a time that none of us in this place can possibly imagine. And the issues that were confronted by servicemen and women at that time is nothing we can imagine. Their commanders and those who were there at that time and made judgment on these issues. So when one goes back and looks at these matters again, one must be very careful when they’re putting themselves in the place of others who were there at the time. | |
| Now, Mr Speaker, the tribunal, the four members of the tribunal, not all 11, but the four members of it, was unanimous. Not 11, just four. I point that out to the leader of the opposition. As he represented that all 11 members of the tribunal made that decision. That is in fact not the case. There was four, Mr Speaker. | |
| But Mr Speaker, equally, then the government receives the recommendation from the tribunal, the government then needs to consider that recommendation informing a view, and indeed, the minister and then the prime minister needs to form a view. And so you take advice from all of the agencies that would have a relevant view on this, as I have done. | |
| And I tabled, Mr Speaker, the letter from the chief of the defence force, Gen Campbell, for the purposes of the question and for the House. I can assure you, as prime minister and as chair of the national security committee of cabinet, that I do not consider the advice of the chief of the defence Force lightly. I consider it very carefully. And it wasn’t just the current chief of defence force, Mr Speaker. Not just the current chief of the defence force that I have consulted on this matter. But many others, many others, Mr Speaker, who have served in that capacity in recent times. | |
| So I’m not going to consider the advice that comes from the single person who commands every single man, woman who serves in our defence forces lightly. So the issue that is raised in relation to this matter, Mr Speaker, is whether compelling new evidence has been presented and is available for me to take a decision that would enable me to make a recommendation to Her Majesty. | |
| Now Mr Speaker, that matter, on my advice, is in dispute, and so I have sought advice from the former defence minister, the former solicitor general, the former secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet, and one of the most renowned military historians in this country, to consider that very precise question. And Mr Speaker, if that advice comes back and says that very high bar has been passed, then that is helpful advice. And I can assure you, because I consulted the chief of the defence force on this matter. | |
| Albanese tries to table the document, but a snippy Christian Porter says it is a public document, so no. (He was pretty snippy.) | |
| Speaking of awkward, Angus Taylor just took a dixer. | |
| So that is a bit awkward, then. | |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| Mark Butler to Scott Morrison: | Mark Butler to Scott Morrison: |
| Christian Porter says it is not for the prime minister to talk about party fundraising – that is a matter for the party executive. | |
| Tony Smith rules the first part in order and the second out of order. | |
| Jason Clare to Josh Frydenberg: | Jason Clare to Josh Frydenberg: |
| Yesterday the treasurer used the $1bn national housing infrastructure facility as evidence that this government was supporting the community housing sector. Given Treasury has revealed a short time ago that $999,800,000 of this still has not been spent, isn’t this just another example that the government is leaving Australians behind? | Yesterday the treasurer used the $1bn national housing infrastructure facility as evidence that this government was supporting the community housing sector. Given Treasury has revealed a short time ago that $999,800,000 of this still has not been spent, isn’t this just another example that the government is leaving Australians behind? |
| Frydenberg: Mr Speaker, as I said to the House yesterday, this is a $1bn program that was established by the former treasurer and now prime minister, which is out there providing support on top of our other social housing initiatives which announced yesterday, including in the Hobart City deal, providing support for those in the community who need that community housing. | Frydenberg: Mr Speaker, as I said to the House yesterday, this is a $1bn program that was established by the former treasurer and now prime minister, which is out there providing support on top of our other social housing initiatives which announced yesterday, including in the Hobart City deal, providing support for those in the community who need that community housing. |
| Barnaby Joyce manages to joke out a dixer to “the deputy prime minister of the commonwealth of Australia and minister for infrastructure, transport and rRegional development”. | Barnaby Joyce manages to joke out a dixer to “the deputy prime minister of the commonwealth of Australia and minister for infrastructure, transport and rRegional development”. |
| He’s reminded by the Speaker that he can only summon one deputy prime minister. | He’s reminded by the Speaker that he can only summon one deputy prime minister. |
| Tip Top takes to the despatch. | Tip Top takes to the despatch. |
| Related: the collective noun for a group of Nationals is a “whinge”. | Related: the collective noun for a group of Nationals is a “whinge”. |
| Jason Clare to Michael Sukkar: | Jason Clare to Michael Sukkar: |
| In question time on Tuesday when the minister quoted the publication Domain, had he already read these Domain stories. “Home builder could be the most equitable construction job.” And “Home builder, how $688m could be better spent to stimulate the economy.” If this is what our real estate thinks of the scheme, isn’t it time to rename it “home blunder?” | |
| Sukkar: Thank you very much. The shadow minister wants to bring out quotes. I’ve got a lot of quotes for the shadow minister. The shadow minister, and indeed, the shadow treasurer on the day that they came out to criticise this policy said, “The Master Builders Association have criticised this policy.” | |
| Ken Wyatt just took a dixer on Indigenous Australians, which is worth noting: | Ken Wyatt just took a dixer on Indigenous Australians, which is worth noting: |
| Ahhhh, seems there are exemptions to the “statesman” voice. | Ahhhh, seems there are exemptions to the “statesman” voice. |
| Kate Thwaites to Scott Morrison: | Kate Thwaites to Scott Morrison: |
| I refer to the prime minister’s comments about the homebuilder scheme. “If you’ve been putting off that home renovation or new build, the extra $25,000 we’re putting on the table means now the time to get started.” How many Australians who have been putting off renovating their kitchens or bathrooms will get a cent from this scheme? | I refer to the prime minister’s comments about the homebuilder scheme. “If you’ve been putting off that home renovation or new build, the extra $25,000 we’re putting on the table means now the time to get started.” How many Australians who have been putting off renovating their kitchens or bathrooms will get a cent from this scheme? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |