Attorney general responds to crossbench calls for inquiry. All the day’s events, live
Siri: what is the definition of “a punish”?
David Gillespie saddles the despatch box, and therefore us, with Michael McCormack, which gives me the permission I needed to go make a cup of tea.
“All politics is local, as it should be,” says Sliced White.
Continue reading...Push to set up Senate inquiry takes a step forward, as Coalition faces questions on why energy prices keep rising
Labor will continue to target the energy minister, Angus Taylor, as the government’s weak link, citing power price rises since 2015 and renewing its push to set up a Senate inquiry into his meetings with the environment department over endangered grasslands.
On Sunday the mooted inquiry took a step forward with Rex Patrick reversing Centre Alliance’s position and pledging to support the move, although Labor and the Greens still need Cory Bernardi or One Nation’s votes to succeed.
Continue reading...Former premier says he objected to Will Fowles ‘using the coverall of a mental health illness’ when explaining his confrontation
Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has accused a state Labor backbencher who kicked in a door at a Canberra hotel of wrongly playing the mental health card.
Will Fowles smashed a door at the Abode hotel during a confrontation with staff over his luggage on Thursday morning. Police have questioned the MP for the Melbourne seat of Burwood but he has not been charged over the incident.
Continue reading...Energy minister accuses opposition of ‘grubby smear campaign against my family’ and ALP pursues Coalition over its superannuation schism. All the day’s events, live
With the chambers all quiet and the rush to the airport in full swing, we are going to go collapse in a heap and stare at a wall.
Until Monday, when the parliament is back for the last sitting ahead of the winter break.
Here’s how Mike Bowers saw some of the day
Continue reading...Big challenges demand a big, convincing narrative that taps into the public mood
Writing publicly means living with the chance you will be a hostage to fortune. But I wrote in March that: “While Shorten has attempted to draw parallels to Bob Hawke’s style of leadership, the best comparison may instead be with a UK Labour government that never was: the unsuccessful campaign and platform of Ed Miliband in 2015.”
On 18 May, like many progressives, a sense of an incoming Labor government was replaced by shell shock that seemed to parallel what happened in Britain in 2015. The salience of a campaign mobilised against taxation, swings in regional and outer suburban electorates and the inability of Labor to cut through despite conservative chaos and division must prompt some deep reflection.
Continue reading...Rebekha Sharkie says if the government is successful in repealing the legislation it will cause ‘needless harm’
On the ensuring integrity bill, Rex Patrick says there are political elements to the bill it can’t support:
The aim was to deal with misconduct and there is no question that has been in the union movement.
I have seen the fairly significant sheet of judicial rulings against some of the unions and in some instances we have some very conservative, considered judicial officers stating things like this union is simply using the fines, treating the fines as the cost of business.
Rex Patrick is speaking to Patricia Karvelas on Afternoon Briefing and says while Centre Alliance supports the intent of the temporary exclusion order bill, it will abstain from voting for it, because it can’t support it in its current form.
Labor will be passing it, although it has raised its own concerns.
Continue reading...In a combative question time the energy minister suggests the Coalition has an ‘open mind’ on nuclear power
Angus Taylor has flagged the Morrison government has an “open mind” about pursuing nuclear power during a combative question time where the energy minister was pursued about rising emissions and his meetings with officials about the protection of grassland in the south-eastern highlands.
Taylor, who is the minister for energy and emissions reduction, was asked repeatedly by Labor on Tuesday whether emissions had risen in recent years, whether he supported calls by government backbenchers to establish a nuclear industry, and whether he had declared any relevant conflicts when meeting departmental officials.
Continue reading...Opposition will try to introduce amendments but if that fails it will pass the bill. All the day’s events, live
tl;dr - shut the hell up.
I'm also told @ScottMorrisonMP told backbenchers who have been out and about on issues, including, lately, superannuation, to calm their farms and work through party processes. Words to that effect @AmyRemeikis #auspol
You know what it absolutely is not, and was never, going to be? A third chamber.
I'm told @SenatorMcGrath raised constitutional recognition in today's party room meeting. He asked what the position was. @ScottMorrisonMP and @KenWyattMP told him the voice could be many things & constitutional change wouldn't be radical @AmyRemeikis #auspol
Continue reading...Labor and Centre Alliance fear government will proceed with two key bills without recommended safeguards
The Morrison government is being accused of ignoring bipartisan recommendations and breaching commitments to reform the spy agency’s powers as it prepares a fresh push on national security when parliament resumes on Monday.
Labor and Centre Alliance fear the government is set to ignore advice to improve scrutiny of proposed new powers for the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, to exclude citizens from Australia and to phase out Asio’s detention powers.
Continue reading...For a special membership fee, developers will have access to Liberal National party events such as cocktail receptions
The Queensland Liberal National party will offer property developers free cocktails and other perks as part of a paid “diamond membership” package, following the state’s ban on them making political donations.
At its annual convention, which is being held across three days this weekend, the party said it would institute the new membership scheme, which allows developers and others to pay a $990 special membership fee.
Continue reading...Progressive politics must find ways to build areas of consensus while keeping an eye on hip pocket issues
Bob Hawke, a political superstar, was a social democrat. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an up-and-coming star today, is a democratic socialist. While the vernacular has changed, the focus remains on the “social” part of the equation rather than the “democratic” one. The social bias draws support and condemnation in equal measure.
Yet perhaps the left misses a trick when it allows the democratic aspect to be downplayed. Almost all in the broader left accept that you can’t implement a social program if you can’t build a democratic mandate for it.
Continue reading...New and old faces are back in Canberra as the 46th parliament prepares to sit for the first time. All the day’s events, live
Welcome to the first (semi) official day of the 46th parliament. The MPs are back in town, and so are we, and it will no doubt be a bumpy ride.
Today is mostly formalities - finishing to set up offices, swearing in David Hurley as the new governor general, finding where to get coffee - you know, the important things.
Continue reading...McKay says she can beat Gladys Berejiklian and education will be a ‘critical issue’ under her leadership
Newly elected New South Wales Labor leader Jodi McKay says she is “more than a match” for the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and she is not going to be pretend the two women are anything alike.
McKay’s election on Saturday was a landmark moment in NSW politics, making it the first time the premier and opposition leader have both been women.
Continue reading...McKay defeats Chris Minns, winning 63% of the vote of of 11,000 rank-and-file members
More than three months after New South Wales Labor’s bruising state election defeat, the party has regrouped to appoint Jodi McKay its new opposition leader.
State Labor MPs cast their secret votes for the contenders Chris Minns and Jodi McKay, both from the party’s right faction, at a tense meeting on Saturday.
Continue reading...Shadow treasurer says decision an ‘unfortunate consequence’ of Coalition’s victory
The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has ruled out reviewing Newstart in opposition, saying those hoping for a boost to the payment had Labor won the election will now “have to convince the government.”
As Labor prepares to reshape its policy agenda following its 18 May electoral defeat, Chalmers used his first speech after being promoted to the senior portfolio to outline the opposition’s economic priorities.
Continue reading...Two worldviews face each other uncomprehendingly – and the flashpoint is the climate emergency
This is the first piece in a new series on what the election result means for the progressive side of politics and the path forward
Political commentators reflexively overinterpret election results. The story we’ve been told is that the Coalition’s win means that “Australian voters” have rejected Labor’s radical plan for reform of the tax-and-spend system, confirming that Australians prefer stability and incremental change.
Continue reading...A decision on the Coalition’s tax cuts is the first item on the agenda as Anthony Albanese aims for aspirational voters
On the Labor side of politics, the beltway saga of Anthony Albanese versus John Setka has grabbed the headlines in recent weeks, with the public spat lumbering towards a decision point at the party’s national executive meeting on July 5.
But the troublesome Setka losing his ALP membership is only one item of business for the looming national executive. Another important consideration for that meeting is Labor’s post-campaign review: who does it, and how broad is the scope of the inquiry.
Continue reading...CFMMEU assistant secretary says decision was not made under pressure as Setka faces calls to resign
The controversy surrounding the Victorian construction union boss John Setka has escalated with his deputy, Shaun Reardon, quitting, saying it was “untenable” for him to continue.
The resignation came as members of the CFMMEU were being individually lobbied to support Setka, who faces calls for his expulsion from the Labor party and resignation as Victorian secretary of the union.
Continue reading...Union boss says he will mount a legal challenge against moves to expel him from Labor party
The embattled union boss John Setka has threatened to halt CFMMEU donations to Labor, said he would mount a legal challenge against moves to expel him from the party and has indicated he will investigate who had leaked against him from the union’s national executive.
The federal Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has said he plans to expel Setka at a 5 July national executive meeting over claims the CFMMEU Victorian secretary denigrated anti-domestic violence advocate Rosie Batty in a conversation with union colleagues.
Continue reading...Peter Dutton says legislation creates ‘broad power’ to overrule minister but Keneally says this has been ‘misconstrued’
Kristina Keneally has reaffirmed Labor’s support for the medevac legislation after Peter Dutton claimed the opposition is looking to repeal or amend the law which facilitates medical transfers from offshore detention.
On Sunday the home affairs minister said that more than 30 people have come to Australia under the medevac bill and gave new details about the refugee swap deal with the United States, including that two Rwandans accused of murder are the only people to have come to Australia under the deal.
Continue reading...