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| Labor wants a bipartisan deal on submarines – politics live | Labor wants a bipartisan deal on submarines – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.58am AEST22:58 | |
| The two chambers have begun their sitting for the day. In the senate, we are on the migration bill I referenced during our live coverage yesterday – not metadata yet. I’m not sure where they are up to in the reps because I haven’t had a chance to look yet, but the legislative bounty today includes a bill setting up the Australian Border Force. | |
| 9.52am AEST22:52 | |
| Bill Shorten has begun his address in Adelaide – doing what he always feels most comfortable doing – trying to get to the political middle. Getting to the middle can be a great quality in politics if you are interested in getting things done. It can also make you look like you stand for nothing. | |
| Shorten likes an anecdotal opening to a speech, we’ve done the Shorten family history and there’s a hat tip to the wartime Labor prime minister John Curtin. Now he’s working through the dot points I’ve already given you on the specific submarine proposal. | |
| 9.44am AEST22:44 | |
| I’ve lost the live link to Adelaide and Kevin Andrews, but can turn to the Adelaide Advertiser’s Tory Shepherd, who has evidently been briefed by the government about the defence minister’s speech. Andrews is pitching that the Australian industry support the subs project. | |
| The engagements between international partners and industry will be scheduled to complement the development of their pre-concept designs, allowing timely judgments of how to best involve Australian capabilities and skills in their proposals. Importantly, there is agreement on the need for a co-ordinated and consultative approach to the engagement, which offers international partners full visibility of how Australian industry can support the project and maximise Australian industrial involvement. | |
| 9.35am AEST22:35 | |
| For the record, this is the Labor submarine acquisition process pitched by Bill Shorten today. This is from the extract of his speech reported by Daniel Hurst this morning. | |
| 9.31am AEST22:31 | |
| On submarines, Andrew says: | |
| The process I recently announced is the best way forward to ensure that (a capability) gap will not occur. | |
| This would be the competitive evaluation process that emerged from undertakings the prime minister gave to South Australian senator Sean Edwards during the leadership spill. Kevin Andrews has never really fully explained what this process is. Perhaps new particulars will emerge today. | |
| 9.28am AEST22:28 | |
| The defence minister Kevin Andrews is addressing the submarine summit in Adelaide now. His opening pitch is to blame Labor, and then tell the shipbuilding industry to pick up is act. | |
| The government wants there to be a sustainable naval shipbuilding industry in Australia. Furthermore, the government has a vision for a long-term, efficient and productive maritime industry in Australia, which will provide high skilled jobs for young Australians for decades to come. | |
| When we came to office in 2013, we discovered the previous government had no commitment, no plan for the future of the Australian naval shipbuilding industry. Previous governments, through a lack of decision making, left the Australian naval shipbuilding industry in a precarious and uncertain state. | |
| The only way Australia can continue to have a naval shipbuilding industry is if the industry is properly structured to drive efficiencies and improve productivity. This will require hard decisions and a commitment to a productivity-based culture. | |
| 9.21am AEST22:21 | 9.21am AEST22:21 |
| My favourite story of the morning for just all out weird. Not in the main run of politics today, but worth sharing anyway. We all know that mining magnate Andrew Twiggy Forrest is a big ideas person. We know, largely, because he keeps on telling us. The Australian Financial Review reports that Twiggy has called on the world’s big iron ore companies to announce publicly a cap on production in an effort to arrest declining prices, which have slumped more than 50% over the past year. | My favourite story of the morning for just all out weird. Not in the main run of politics today, but worth sharing anyway. We all know that mining magnate Andrew Twiggy Forrest is a big ideas person. We know, largely, because he keeps on telling us. The Australian Financial Review reports that Twiggy has called on the world’s big iron ore companies to announce publicly a cap on production in an effort to arrest declining prices, which have slumped more than 50% over the past year. |
| Forrest says he’s happy to cap his own production, like now. AFR reporter Lisa Murray: “He said the other major players, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Brazil’s Vale should also cap their production “and we’ll find the iron ore price goes straight back up to US$70, US$80, US$90. | Forrest says he’s happy to cap his own production, like now. AFR reporter Lisa Murray: “He said the other major players, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Brazil’s Vale should also cap their production “and we’ll find the iron ore price goes straight back up to US$70, US$80, US$90. |
| Forrest: | Forrest: |
| I’m happy to put that challenge out there, let’s cap our production right here and start acting like grown-ups. | I’m happy to put that challenge out there, let’s cap our production right here and start acting like grown-ups. |
| Do competition laws not apply to massive ideas persons in the resources industry? | Do competition laws not apply to massive ideas persons in the resources industry? |
| 8.54am AEST21:54 | 8.54am AEST21:54 |
| Busy morning for Mike Bowers, hither and thither. The morning, in pictures. | Busy morning for Mike Bowers, hither and thither. The morning, in pictures. |
| 8.44am AEST21:44 | 8.44am AEST21:44 |
| The Australian’s defence correspondent Brendan Nicholson has an interesting news break this morning on a review led by the former Rio Tinto Australian head David Peever. “The biggest Defence shake-up in 40 years is coming after an expert panel found the department was rife with “waste and inefficiency’’ but resisted change because of complacency and inertia. The restructure, to be unveiled soon by the government, will streamline the top-heavy defence department and its agencies, slash the number of administrators and improve efficiency after an independent review warned processes were complicated, slow and inefficient.” | The Australian’s defence correspondent Brendan Nicholson has an interesting news break this morning on a review led by the former Rio Tinto Australian head David Peever. “The biggest Defence shake-up in 40 years is coming after an expert panel found the department was rife with “waste and inefficiency’’ but resisted change because of complacency and inertia. The restructure, to be unveiled soon by the government, will streamline the top-heavy defence department and its agencies, slash the number of administrators and improve efficiency after an independent review warned processes were complicated, slow and inefficient.” |
| 8.39am AEST21:39 | 8.39am AEST21:39 |
| The shadow foreign affairs minister Tanya Plibersek is on Sky News comenting on the plane tragedy and the death of the two Australians. She says a number of events in recent times will be making people wary about aviation travel. There have been a series now of similar tragedies. Plibersek says it is important to remember that statistically speaking, these events are infrequent. | The shadow foreign affairs minister Tanya Plibersek is on Sky News comenting on the plane tragedy and the death of the two Australians. She says a number of events in recent times will be making people wary about aviation travel. There have been a series now of similar tragedies. Plibersek says it is important to remember that statistically speaking, these events are infrequent. |
| 8.33am AEST21:33 | 8.33am AEST21:33 |
| The justice minister Michael Keenan and crime commission boss Chris Dawson will shortly release a report investigating the illicit market for the drug ice. Michael Gordon in The Age has the jump on that report this morning. “The commission finds that ice, or crystal methylamphetamine, poses the highest risk to the Australian community of all illicit drugs and calls for a collective response from governments, law enforcement agencies, community groups and industry. It identifies several changes in the nature and scale of the methylamphetamine market since 2010, including increased purity, ice now being the dominant form of the drug, and an increase in the importation of the drug and “precursor chemicals” used to manufacture it.” | The justice minister Michael Keenan and crime commission boss Chris Dawson will shortly release a report investigating the illicit market for the drug ice. Michael Gordon in The Age has the jump on that report this morning. “The commission finds that ice, or crystal methylamphetamine, poses the highest risk to the Australian community of all illicit drugs and calls for a collective response from governments, law enforcement agencies, community groups and industry. It identifies several changes in the nature and scale of the methylamphetamine market since 2010, including increased purity, ice now being the dominant form of the drug, and an increase in the importation of the drug and “precursor chemicals” used to manufacture it.” |
| 8.26am AEST21:26 | 8.26am AEST21:26 |
| I mentioned the prime minister is at the Australian War Memorial. This morning, he’s launching a travelling exhibition which will visit twenty three locations across Australia throughout the Centenary of Anzac period. | I mentioned the prime minister is at the Australian War Memorial. This morning, he’s launching a travelling exhibition which will visit twenty three locations across Australia throughout the Centenary of Anzac period. |
| 8.17am AEST21:17 | 8.17am AEST21:17 |
| Labor declines to say whether it would honour a submarine contract entered into by Tony Abbott | Labor declines to say whether it would honour a submarine contract entered into by Tony Abbott |
| To submarines now. As my colleague Daniel Hurst reports this morning, the federal opposition has called for “a bipartisan solution to the gridlock” surrounding the acquisition of Australia’s next fleet of submarines. | To submarines now. As my colleague Daniel Hurst reports this morning, the federal opposition has called for “a bipartisan solution to the gridlock” surrounding the acquisition of Australia’s next fleet of submarines. |
| Bill Shorten wants Swedish designers included in the process. He’ll use a speech to a submarine summit in Adelaide on Wednesday to outline the process Labor wants the government to adopt, instead of the still artfully non-specific competitive evaluation process Tony Abbott says he wants. | Bill Shorten wants Swedish designers included in the process. He’ll use a speech to a submarine summit in Adelaide on Wednesday to outline the process Labor wants the government to adopt, instead of the still artfully non-specific competitive evaluation process Tony Abbott says he wants. |
| Labor’s senate leader, and South Australian senator, Penny Wong has been deputised to do the early morning radio interviews about the submarines pitch. Wong is pressed by the ABC AM host Michael Brissenden about whether or not Labor will honour any contracts the Abbott government signs, whether or not Labor agrees with the decision-making. The point of the questions is will Labor back the Coalition’s decisions if the government ignores today’s pitch. | Labor’s senate leader, and South Australian senator, Penny Wong has been deputised to do the early morning radio interviews about the submarines pitch. Wong is pressed by the ABC AM host Michael Brissenden about whether or not Labor will honour any contracts the Abbott government signs, whether or not Labor agrees with the decision-making. The point of the questions is will Labor back the Coalition’s decisions if the government ignores today’s pitch. |
| Wong dances around that point. She says Labor wants the government to agree with Labor’s process – go out to market, don’t exclude certain players, do a proper process. | Wong dances around that point. She says Labor wants the government to agree with Labor’s process – go out to market, don’t exclude certain players, do a proper process. |
| Let’s stop the blame game. Let’s do this the right way. | Let’s stop the blame game. Let’s do this the right way. |
| Wong says Labor’s process will deliver an Australian build and value for money. | Wong says Labor’s process will deliver an Australian build and value for money. |
| But she doesn’t answer the specific question put to her: will you honour any contract the government signs. | But she doesn’t answer the specific question put to her: will you honour any contract the government signs. |
| Bill Shorten all but said during a visit to Adelaide last year that Labor wouldn’t honour a contract on the submarine acquisition. This caused a bit of a stir. It was later cleaned up by the shadow treasurer Chris Bowen – who said Labor’s standing policy position was to honour contracts. | Bill Shorten all but said during a visit to Adelaide last year that Labor wouldn’t honour a contract on the submarine acquisition. This caused a bit of a stir. It was later cleaned up by the shadow treasurer Chris Bowen – who said Labor’s standing policy position was to honour contracts. |
| 7.55am AEST20:55 | 7.55am AEST20:55 |
| Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, the day after Tuesday, and the day before the final parliamentary sitting day before the budget. | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, the day after Tuesday, and the day before the final parliamentary sitting day before the budget. |
| As we go live this morning, the foreign minister Julie Bishop has confirmed that two Australians have died overnight in the horrific plane crash in the French alps. | As we go live this morning, the foreign minister Julie Bishop has confirmed that two Australians have died overnight in the horrific plane crash in the French alps. |
| Julie Bishop: | Julie Bishop: |
| There were 144 passengers and six crew onboard, including sixteen German schoolchildren on an exchange. Sadly I can confirm that there were two Australian citizens onboard, a mother and her adult son from Victoria. | There were 144 passengers and six crew onboard, including sixteen German schoolchildren on an exchange. Sadly I can confirm that there were two Australian citizens onboard, a mother and her adult son from Victoria. |
| It would not be appropriate to disclose further details of our citizens at this stage due to the privacy considerations of the family. We are seeking to identify whether there were any other Australian citizens, dual nationals or permanent residents, onboard that flight. | It would not be appropriate to disclose further details of our citizens at this stage due to the privacy considerations of the family. We are seeking to identify whether there were any other Australian citizens, dual nationals or permanent residents, onboard that flight. |
| Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this shocking tragedy. | Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this shocking tragedy. |
| The causes of the crash remain unclear. We have separate rolling coverage of the search and rescue effort, which you can read here. The prime minister, Tony Abbott, on his way to an event at the Australian War Memorial, stopped to make this brief statement to reporters. | The causes of the crash remain unclear. We have separate rolling coverage of the search and rescue effort, which you can read here. The prime minister, Tony Abbott, on his way to an event at the Australian War Memorial, stopped to make this brief statement to reporters. |
| Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of all those killed but particularly with the loved ones of the two Australians who have lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, our consular officials are doing what they can for the families. | Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of all those killed but particularly with the loved ones of the two Australians who have lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, our consular officials are doing what they can for the families. |
| Apart from the impact of this terrible tragedy, the two main national political stories of today – at this stage at least – are the government’s metadata legislation and Australia’s future submarine purchase. | Apart from the impact of this terrible tragedy, the two main national political stories of today – at this stage at least – are the government’s metadata legislation and Australia’s future submarine purchase. |
| I’ll stocktake metadata first and get to submarines in the next post. | I’ll stocktake metadata first and get to submarines in the next post. |
| The senate last night went through the first phase of debate on the metadata legislation. The Greens were surprised to learn that the government still doesn’t know how much its proposed scheme will cost – there are a diverse range of estimates, not a fixed cost. Some of these estimates are in the order of several hundred million. | The senate last night went through the first phase of debate on the metadata legislation. The Greens were surprised to learn that the government still doesn’t know how much its proposed scheme will cost – there are a diverse range of estimates, not a fixed cost. Some of these estimates are in the order of several hundred million. |
| Attorney-general George Brandis: | Attorney-general George Brandis: |
| Those are matters currently before the government – they are a matter of deliberation as part of the budget process. | Those are matters currently before the government – they are a matter of deliberation as part of the budget process. |
| Green senator Scott Ludlam: | Green senator Scott Ludlam: |
| That is remarkable that you would bring forward a bill without knowing how much it is going to cost or how you are going to evaluate the cost. | That is remarkable that you would bring forward a bill without knowing how much it is going to cost or how you are going to evaluate the cost. |
| I cannot recall in my experience the government putting forward a bill with support from the opposition that it didn’t know how much it would cost. | I cannot recall in my experience the government putting forward a bill with support from the opposition that it didn’t know how much it would cost. |
| The metadata debate will continue today, and depending on the efficiency and collective wisdoms of the senate, could even pass the red room later on. I will of course keep you posted. | The metadata debate will continue today, and depending on the efficiency and collective wisdoms of the senate, could even pass the red room later on. I will of course keep you posted. |
| The comments thread is open for your business and you can find us, as always, on the Twits @murpharoo and @mpbowers | The comments thread is open for your business and you can find us, as always, on the Twits @murpharoo and @mpbowers |
| Updated at 8.55am AEST | Updated at 8.55am AEST |