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| Coronavirus Australia live news: uni reforms pass Senate as NSW records 12 new Covid cases and Victoria 11 | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victoria reports no new deaths as NSW Health warns of several new Sydney locations linked to Covid-19. Follow all today’s news | Victoria reports no new deaths as NSW Health warns of several new Sydney locations linked to Covid-19. Follow all today’s news |
| It’s been a fairly frenetic day. Question time is nearly upon us in Canberra, so let’s recap what we’ve learned so far. | |
| the government’s job ready graduate bill, which will hike fees for some courses, including the humanities, has passed the Senate with the help of Centre Alliance and One Nation. The NTEU has immediately condemned the bill’s passage and taken particular aim at Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff. The government earlier gagged debate on the bill. | |
| Queensland says it is on “high alert” over the new Covid-19 cases in NSW, and has not ruled out pushing its border re-opening back. News of eight new locally acquired cases in NSW has prompted a war of words between the two states. Queensland wants NSW to find the source of two clusters within 48 hours. NSW has recorded a total of 12 new cases, more than Victoria’s 11. | |
| Labor is preparing its budget reply speech, which is expected to feature commitments on women, childcare, and social housing. Ahead of the speech, Labor has pressed the attack on Scott Morrison for spending “more time over the weekend picking out womens’ names for his chickens than he did putting policies in his budget to help actual Australian women”. | |
| The government has announced finance minister Mathias Cormann, upon leaving parliament at the end of the month, will be nominated for the top OECD position. The departure prompted a mini refshuffle, with Simon Birmingham becoming the leader in the Senate and finance minister, and Michaelia Cash becoming deputy leader in the Senate. Birmingham will remain trade minister. | |
| The the passage of the job ready graduate bill has prompted immediate condemnation. | |
| The National Tertiary Education Union’s president, Alison Barnes, said the union was “extremely disappointed that Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff chose to support the bill, allowing it to pass the Senate by the barest of margins”. | |
| Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens education spokeswoman, said the changes would condemn the higher education sector to a bleak future. | |
| The Senate has passed the jobs ready graduate bill by 28 votes to 26.The bill was amended to implement Coalition deals including: | The Senate has passed the jobs ready graduate bill by 28 votes to 26.The bill was amended to implement Coalition deals including: |
| A commitment to One Nation for a 10% discount for students who pay upfront | |
| A commitment to Centre Alliance to include legislated protections to excuse students who fail more than half their students in extenuating circumstances | |
| So, from 2021 future university students in disciplines such as law and humanities will pay up to 113% more than current students, while those studying science, engineering and maths will get fee cuts. | So, from 2021 future university students in disciplines such as law and humanities will pay up to 113% more than current students, while those studying science, engineering and maths will get fee cuts. |
| Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is on “high alert” over mystery cases in NSW. | |
| News of the eight community transmission cases has prompted warnings from Queensland that it may not reopen its borders. The state wants a 28-day Covid-19 community transmission-free period in NSW before lifting border restrictions. | |
| It also wants NSW to find the sources of the community transmissions within 48 hours. | It also wants NSW to find the sources of the community transmissions within 48 hours. |
| Palaszczuk said: | |
| Asked whether Queensland is ruling out lifting border restrictions on November 1, as planned, the premier responded: | Asked whether Queensland is ruling out lifting border restrictions on November 1, as planned, the premier responded: |
| Kevin Rudd says there are “two giant buckets of bullshit” in the Coalition’s budget. | Kevin Rudd says there are “two giant buckets of bullshit” in the Coalition’s budget. |
| AAP reporter Colin Brisden has filed this report on the looming passage of the tax cut reforms through the Senate. | AAP reporter Colin Brisden has filed this report on the looming passage of the tax cut reforms through the Senate. |
| Personal income tax cuts will soon pass the Senate after breezing through the lower house with the backing of Labor. | Personal income tax cuts will soon pass the Senate after breezing through the lower house with the backing of Labor. |
| The tax office says workers will start receiving the tax relief as soon as practicable. | The tax office says workers will start receiving the tax relief as soon as practicable. |
| Labor has thrown its support behind the bringing the cuts forward by two years, in a bill which also includes tax concessions for small business and more instant asset write-offs. | Labor has thrown its support behind the bringing the cuts forward by two years, in a bill which also includes tax concessions for small business and more instant asset write-offs. |
| Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers told parliament on Thursday: | Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers told parliament on Thursday: |
| But the Greens says the money to implement the tax cuts could be better spent to stimulate the economy. | But the Greens says the money to implement the tax cuts could be better spent to stimulate the economy. |
| Greens leader Adam Bandt told parliament: | Greens leader Adam Bandt told parliament: |
| Chalmers wrote to tax commissioner Chris Jordan on Wednesday to confirm Labor’s support for the tax cuts, which are backdated to July. | Chalmers wrote to tax commissioner Chris Jordan on Wednesday to confirm Labor’s support for the tax cuts, which are backdated to July. |
| There is a longstanding practice that tax measures are implemented as soon as bipartisan support is confirmed. | There is a longstanding practice that tax measures are implemented as soon as bipartisan support is confirmed. |
| The tax office said: | The tax office said: |
| In Queensland election news, Katter’s Australian Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party have struck a preference-sharing deal ahead of the Queensland state election. | In Queensland election news, Katter’s Australian Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party have struck a preference-sharing deal ahead of the Queensland state election. |
| AAP reports that the minor parties will put each other second and the Greens last on their how-to-vote-cards for the 31 October poll. | AAP reports that the minor parties will put each other second and the Greens last on their how-to-vote-cards for the 31 October poll. |
| It is understood that KAP and One Nation will preference either Labor or the Liberal National party differently across individual electorates. | It is understood that KAP and One Nation will preference either Labor or the Liberal National party differently across individual electorates. |
| Rex Patrick is attacking his former Centre Alliance colleagues for gagging debate on the higher education reforms. | Rex Patrick is attacking his former Centre Alliance colleagues for gagging debate on the higher education reforms. |
| The Senate has just voted to gag debate on the higher education reforms (the jobs ready graduate bill) at 12.45 – so we should expect the final, third reading stage and vote very soon. | The Senate has just voted to gag debate on the higher education reforms (the jobs ready graduate bill) at 12.45 – so we should expect the final, third reading stage and vote very soon. |
| The Senate will also come back on Friday to consider two government bills implementing the biggest budget programs: one, an omnibus bill rolling the income tax cuts together with most business measures; and the second giving the government the power to create programs to incentivise job creation and labour market participation. The second allows them to create the jobmaker hiring credit. | The Senate will also come back on Friday to consider two government bills implementing the biggest budget programs: one, an omnibus bill rolling the income tax cuts together with most business measures; and the second giving the government the power to create programs to incentivise job creation and labour market participation. The second allows them to create the jobmaker hiring credit. |
| Labor supported the part of the motion to consider the budget bills, although its preference is for the budget measures to be considered separately. | Labor supported the part of the motion to consider the budget bills, although its preference is for the budget measures to be considered separately. |
| It opposed the gag on higher education changes, but the government won the day with support from One Nation and Centre Alliance. | It opposed the gag on higher education changes, but the government won the day with support from One Nation and Centre Alliance. |
| The Greens were very upset about the gag: | The Greens were very upset about the gag: |
| The Australian Council of Social Service, the peak body for welfare and social service groups, has issued a detailed statement with further analysis of Tuesday’s budget. | The Australian Council of Social Service, the peak body for welfare and social service groups, has issued a detailed statement with further analysis of Tuesday’s budget. |
| Cassandra Goldie, the council’s chief executive, says the budget leaves millions of people stranded and gives “the least to people who already have the least”. | Cassandra Goldie, the council’s chief executive, says the budget leaves millions of people stranded and gives “the least to people who already have the least”. |
| Goldie said the budget should have included adequate and permanent increases to jobseeker and related payments and a bolder plan for job generation, investment in aged care and childcare, social housing, closing the gap services, and comprehensive unemployment support. | Goldie said the budget should have included adequate and permanent increases to jobseeker and related payments and a bolder plan for job generation, investment in aged care and childcare, social housing, closing the gap services, and comprehensive unemployment support. |
| Goldie said she was strongly opposed to the cashless debit card extension and cuts to asylum seeker support services, the drop in the humanitarian refugee program, and the English test proposal for partner visas. | Goldie said she was strongly opposed to the cashless debit card extension and cuts to asylum seeker support services, the drop in the humanitarian refugee program, and the English test proposal for partner visas. |
| For those wanting to follow the vice-presidential debate in the United States, you can do so here: | For those wanting to follow the vice-presidential debate in the United States, you can do so here: |
| And for global coverage of the Covid-19 crisis, my colleague Helen Sullivan is live blogging here: | And for global coverage of the Covid-19 crisis, my colleague Helen Sullivan is live blogging here: |
| Some lovely pictures from Mike Bowers in Canberra this morning, as Anthony Albanese prepares his budget reply. | Some lovely pictures from Mike Bowers in Canberra this morning, as Anthony Albanese prepares his budget reply. |