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| Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria reports 12 new cases as MP Adem Somyurek sacked – federal question time live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victoria’s premier says minister accused of branch stacking was not given an opportunity to resign. Follow the latest updates live | Victoria’s premier says minister accused of branch stacking was not given an opportunity to resign. Follow the latest updates live |
| The first question is on what is being done for Karm Gilespie, the Australian who has been sentenced to death in China. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| This has been bubbling away | |
| The ALP national executive has released a statement: | |
| The national executive committee of the Australian Labor party met this afternoon to consider the request by the Victorian Labor leader, premier Daniel Andrews, to expel Mr Adem Somyurek from the ALP. | |
| The conduct of Mr Somyurek is reprehensible and at odds with everything the ALP stands for. | |
| Noting that Mr Somyurek has now resigned his membership of the Victorian ALP, the national executive committee has taken further steps to ensure that there will never be a place for Mr Somyurek in the ALP ever again. | |
| The ALP national executive takes these matters incredibly seriously, and will be responding to the wider issues raised over the last 24 hours in the coming days. | |
| Further to those environmental regulation changes the government wants to make is this story from AAP: | |
| Environmental approvals for major projects should take 30 days to complete, prime minister Scott Morrison believes. | |
| Approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act took 90 days on average at the end of last year and take 40 days now. | |
| Morrison has set a 30-day target in the hope it’s achieved by the end of the year. | |
| He told an economic forum in Canberra on Monday: | |
| Environmental assessments occur before it’s decided if approval is given. | |
| The assessment time currently takes three-and-a-half years on average, which the government wants to reduce to 21 months. | |
| EPBC Act approvals are currently in addition to any state or local council processes. | |
| But Morrison wants to streamline the approvals into one, which will be discussed by national cabinet. | |
| It’s the downhill slide to question time, so take these moments to grab yourself the security blanket of your choice. | It’s the downhill slide to question time, so take these moments to grab yourself the security blanket of your choice. |
| In lieu of 20 cats, I shall get another coffee. It will most likely be unadulterated. Most likely. | In lieu of 20 cats, I shall get another coffee. It will most likely be unadulterated. Most likely. |
| Universities Australia has released its guide for a return to face-to-face teaching. | Universities Australia has released its guide for a return to face-to-face teaching. |
| You’ll find that here. | You’ll find that here. |
| The recommendations that led to this bill – which ends the dual regulation lawyers who give immigration advice were required to have (they had to be registered in both their jurisdiction and the Migration Agents Registration Authority) – was made when Scott Morrison was immigration minister, coining “on water matters”. | The recommendations that led to this bill – which ends the dual regulation lawyers who give immigration advice were required to have (they had to be registered in both their jurisdiction and the Migration Agents Registration Authority) – was made when Scott Morrison was immigration minister, coining “on water matters”. |
| The bill had bipartisan support. It was just not a priority. | The bill had bipartisan support. It was just not a priority. |
| Hence this shade: | Hence this shade: |
| Earlier this morning we published revelations that three cabinet ministers, Stuart Robert, Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham, charged taxpayers $4,500 to travel to Sydney on an overnight trip during which they went to a lucrative Liberal party fundraiser held at Channel Nine’s Willoughby studios. | Earlier this morning we published revelations that three cabinet ministers, Stuart Robert, Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham, charged taxpayers $4,500 to travel to Sydney on an overnight trip during which they went to a lucrative Liberal party fundraiser held at Channel Nine’s Willoughby studios. |
| The fundraiser was a big earner for the Liberals, charging $10,000 per head and bringing in an estimated $700,000. The three ministers claim they happened to be in Sydney that night for other, legitimate official business, which justified them billing taxpayers for the trip. | The fundraiser was a big earner for the Liberals, charging $10,000 per head and bringing in an estimated $700,000. The three ministers claim they happened to be in Sydney that night for other, legitimate official business, which justified them billing taxpayers for the trip. |
| But all three have steadfastly refused to say whether they received invitations to the fundraiser first, and later booked official business in the hours around it. | But all three have steadfastly refused to say whether they received invitations to the fundraiser first, and later booked official business in the hours around it. |
| That’s an important point. | That’s an important point. |
| The rules state that, to claim travel expenses, the dominant purpose of a trip must have been to conduct parliamentary business. | The rules state that, to claim travel expenses, the dominant purpose of a trip must have been to conduct parliamentary business. |
| Party fundraising, of course, is not parliamentary business. | Party fundraising, of course, is not parliamentary business. |
| Tehan was on ABC radio this morning and was asked again what came first: the fundraiser invitation or the booking of the parliamentary business. He again skirted around it. | Tehan was on ABC radio this morning and was asked again what came first: the fundraiser invitation or the booking of the parliamentary business. He again skirted around it. |
| Tehan: | Tehan: |
| Kelly: “Yes, but did you add those to justify travelling to Sydney for the fundraiser?”Tehan: | Kelly: “Yes, but did you add those to justify travelling to Sydney for the fundraiser?”Tehan: |
| Sarah Hanson-Young says the government’s focus on “deregulation” will result in worse outcomes for the environment: | Sarah Hanson-Young says the government’s focus on “deregulation” will result in worse outcomes for the environment: |
| A spokesperson for federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne says he welcomes and will fully cooperate with any investigation by Victoria police relating to the Adem Somyurek matter. | A spokesperson for federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne says he welcomes and will fully cooperate with any investigation by Victoria police relating to the Adem Somyurek matter. |
| As Amy mentioned earlier, Anthony Albanese was asked at the press conference whether or not he had spoken to Byrne and whether or not any recordings took place in Byrne’s office. Albanese told reporters he was not aware of all of the details. | As Amy mentioned earlier, Anthony Albanese was asked at the press conference whether or not he had spoken to Byrne and whether or not any recordings took place in Byrne’s office. Albanese told reporters he was not aware of all of the details. |
| The reason for these questions is that one of the scenes from apparent surveillance footage broadcast by 60 Minutes last night show a group of people meeting in a room that had a map of the electorate of Holt on the wall. That’s the Victorian electorate Byrne represents. | The reason for these questions is that one of the scenes from apparent surveillance footage broadcast by 60 Minutes last night show a group of people meeting in a room that had a map of the electorate of Holt on the wall. That’s the Victorian electorate Byrne represents. |
| In another scene broadcast by 60 Minutes, a sign marked “Anthony Byrne MP” could be seen in the background. We have contacted Byrne’s office about the matter. | In another scene broadcast by 60 Minutes, a sign marked “Anthony Byrne MP” could be seen in the background. We have contacted Byrne’s office about the matter. |
| Mr Byrne’s spokesperson would not comment, except to say the MP welcomed the investigation by Victoria police and would “fully cooperate” with it, telling Guardian Australia: | Mr Byrne’s spokesperson would not comment, except to say the MP welcomed the investigation by Victoria police and would “fully cooperate” with it, telling Guardian Australia: |
| Byrne is the deputy chair of the joint parliamentary committee on intelligence and security. | Byrne is the deputy chair of the joint parliamentary committee on intelligence and security. |