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| Coronavirus Australia news: university reforms pass Senate as NSW records 12 new Covid cases and Victoria 11 – question time live | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Labor attacks the Coalition over childcare, while Victoria reports no new deaths and several new Sydney locations linked to Covid-19. Follow all today’s news | |
| Health minister Greg Hunt is asked about funding for new medicines and telehealth. | |
| Hunt says the government has invested $2.4m in telehealth services. | |
| The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, though, is not so chuffed on telehealth. Chief executive Alison Verhoeven issued a statement today saying the government lacked “strategy or vision for telehealth” in its budget. | |
| Another Labor question on the trillion dollar debt, unemployment, and looming cuts to JobSeeker. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| Sussan Ley, the environment minister, is asked about the major environmental initiatives it is using to lead Australia’s Covid-19 recovery. | |
| There is, needless to say, no mention of climate change or renewables. It’s all about waste diversion. | |
| Ley says: | |
| That “trillion-dollar debt” line is being embraced by Labor. Linda Burney asks why the government is racking up so much debt while allowing unemployment to grow by 160,000 by Christmas and cutting jobseeker to $40 a day. | |
| Stuart Robert takes the question. He says most people receiving jobseeker are eligible for other payments. | |
| This is the same rationale the government has traditionally used for keeping Newstart at remarkable lows. | |
| Robert says: | |
| Labor’s Meryl Swanson asks: | |
| Scott Morrison says the reason the government has taken on the “cost” that it has is because of the pandemic. He said the government had doubled the social security safety net, made two separate payments of $750 to all welfare recipients, and kept people in jobs through jobkeeper. | |
| Anthony Albanese accuses the government of leaving those aged 35 and over “on the scrap heap”. | |
| Morrison says the pandemic has had a huge impact on younger workers and he does not “allow the young people ... to become the long-term unemployed of tomorrow”. | |
| Treasurer Josh Frydenberg gets a dixer on the budget and has a red hot go at the world record for repeating the word “jobs”. It was used seven times, by my count, in that answer. Extra points for this segment: | |
| Adam Bandt, the Greens leader, asks a question on the government’s fast-tracked tax cuts via videolink from Melbourne. He asks about independent analysis suggesting that next year 69% of the benefits will go to men, and only 31% to women. | |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| It’s all childcare this afternoon from Labor. | It’s all childcare this afternoon from Labor. |
| Anthony Albanese: | Anthony Albanese: |
| Morrison says childcare fees increased by 53% when Labor was in government. He says Labor must outline tonight how he will offset extra spending. | Morrison says childcare fees increased by 53% when Labor was in government. He says Labor must outline tonight how he will offset extra spending. |
| The deputy prime minister gets a dixer about infrastructure and shouts a whole bunch of stuff. | |
| Michael McCormack: | |
| I’m sure drought-stricken farmers will be chuffed with that. | I’m sure drought-stricken farmers will be chuffed with that. |
| Morrison gets a dixer asking him to explain how the budget will help “all Australians by creating jobs and rebuilding our economy from the Covid-19 recession”. He responds: | |
| Labor continues its attack on the Coalition’s childcare funding. Labor MP Amanda Rishworth asks the prime minister whether he believes a police officer and teacher earn too much to deserve extra childcare support. | Labor continues its attack on the Coalition’s childcare funding. Labor MP Amanda Rishworth asks the prime minister whether he believes a police officer and teacher earn too much to deserve extra childcare support. |
| Dan Tehan, the education minister, takes the question. He says the government is “providing support to the childcare sector at record levels”. | |
| Labor begins question time with an immediate attack over childcare. Prime minister Scott Morrison is asked if “thousands of parents are knocking back extra work because it costs them more in childcare than they earn at work”. | |
| Morrison says the Coalition’s policies have helped increase workforce participation to record levels. | Morrison says the Coalition’s policies have helped increase workforce participation to record levels. |
| Morrison says the opposition is having an “each-way bet” on every issue. Labor wants the government to spend more, but criticises it for the size of the deficit. | |
| The byelection to replace John McVeigh, the Queensland LNP member for Groom, will take place on 28 November. The speaker has just announced the dates in connection with the byelection. They are: | The byelection to replace John McVeigh, the Queensland LNP member for Groom, will take place on 28 November. The speaker has just announced the dates in connection with the byelection. They are: |
| Writ will be issued on 26 October 2020 | Writ will be issued on 26 October 2020 |
| Rolls will be closed on 2 November | Rolls will be closed on 2 November |
| Nominations will close on 5 November | Nominations will close on 5 November |
| Poll will be held on 28 November | Poll will be held on 28 November |
| Writ returned on or before 3 February | Writ returned on or before 3 February |
| 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. | 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 National Tertiary Education Union immediately condemned the bill’s passage and took particular aim at Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff. The government earlier gagged debate on the bill. | 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 National Tertiary Education Union immediately condemned the bill’s passage and took 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 reopening 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. | Queensland says it is on “high alert” over the new Covid-19 cases in NSW, and has not ruled out pushing its border reopening 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”. | 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 that 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 reshuffle, 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 government has announced that 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 reshuffle, 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 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”. | 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. | 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 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 | 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. | 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. | 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: | 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. |