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Malcolm Turnbull puts economic security at centre of re-election pitch – politics live Parties clash over negative gearing as election talk swirls – question time live
(35 minutes later)
3.53am GMT
03:53
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Now we are onto the risks Labor poses for small businesses at the most exciting time in human history.
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Shadow communications minister Jason Clare wants to know why the NBN is a mess. The prime minister thinks the NBN isn’t a mess. Turnbull thinks since the election the number of premises that are serviceable by the NBN has increased by ten-fold.
Labor cracks up at ten-fold.
3.47am GMT
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Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce thinks Labor is full of mad ideas.
You really do have to have a government that has its head screwed on and that’s why the Australian people will stick with the one they’ve got.
3.43am GMT
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Labor leader Bill Shorten has moved onto retrospective changes and negative gearing. Shorten says he’s twice asked the prime minister to rule out making changes that would impact existing investments. The prime minister has not ruled that out, Shorten notes.
Enough about me, more about you, Bill, says Malcolm Turnbull.
What Labor is proposing is absolutely calculated to undermine our transition to the new economy.
Mr Speaker, there is a way to the future opportunities that we deserve in this, the most exciting time in human history.
Labor is standing in the way, Labor is standing in the way imposing taxes which will discourage, which will discourage the investment, the entrepreneurship, the technology, the innovation that Australians need to succeed in these times.
3.35am GMT
03:35
Malcolm Turnbull, continuing on Labor being the problem:
What Labor says is we are going to increase the tax on new investments by 50% just when the nation needs investment.
They are standing in the way of our success.
3.32am GMT
03:32
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen is back with the excesses in negative gearing. You’ve flagged them prime minister. What are they?
The prime minister for his part would like to lay out coolly and clearly the challenges facing Australia.
Bowen would like the prime minister to answer the question.
Malcolm Turnbull:
And so we also need the best infrastructure.
3.28am GMT
03:28
Independent Cathy McGowan wants guarantees of hospital funding for Wangaratta, given there is a stoush between the Commonwealth and the Victorian government. Health minister Sussan Ley delivers a tongue lashing about the Victorian government fiddling the national health agreement.
Now a Dorothy Dixer about last week’s defence white paper for the foreign minister, Julie Bishop. (Defence minister Marise Payne is in the other chamber.)
3.23am GMT
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Shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, to Malcolm Turnbull.
Q: The treasurer has expressed willingness to address excesses in negative gearing. Prime minister, what are the excesses in negative gearing?
Turnbull waves that one to Scott Morrison, who says he’s delighted to have the opportunity to critique Labor’s policy. Labor’s capital gains policy is one big fat tax on investment, Morrison says. A punishing tax on investment. On negative gearing, the treasurer doesn’t think it’s excessive that police or nurses claim rental losses.
They [Labor] think the mum and dad investors of this country are the problem. On this side of the house we know they’re the answer.
3.15am GMT3.15am GMT
03:1503:15
The Dorothy Dixers today are, broadly, the risks Labor poses to Australia during this time of economic transition. The Labor questions are why does the prime minister hate the treasurer and why does he say contradictory things on tax reform?The Dorothy Dixers today are, broadly, the risks Labor poses to Australia during this time of economic transition. The Labor questions are why does the prime minister hate the treasurer and why does he say contradictory things on tax reform?
3.11am GMT3.11am GMT
03:1103:11
Malcolm Turnbull:Malcolm Turnbull:
I thank the member for Sydney for her question. And I note that she is a diligent reader of The Australian Financial Review. What a pity she hasn’t been a diligent reader of her own government’s tax policy.I thank the member for Sydney for her question. And I note that she is a diligent reader of The Australian Financial Review. What a pity she hasn’t been a diligent reader of her own government’s tax policy.
(Brief pause.)(Brief pause.)
Her own alternative government tax policy, I should say.Her own alternative government tax policy, I should say.
(Oopsie.)(Oopsie.)
3.10am GMT3.10am GMT
03:1003:10
This reminds me of prank calls my brother used to make after school when we were kids. He’d ring someone and ask them, “hey, do you live on White Street?” The person would reply “yes” (given he’d checked in the phone book the person lived in White Street). He’d then yell: “Well you’d better get off cos there’s a car coming.” This was hilarious when were in primary school.This reminds me of prank calls my brother used to make after school when we were kids. He’d ring someone and ask them, “hey, do you live on White Street?” The person would reply “yes” (given he’d checked in the phone book the person lived in White Street). He’d then yell: “Well you’d better get off cos there’s a car coming.” This was hilarious when were in primary school.
3.06am GMT3.06am GMT
03:0603:06
Question timeQuestion time
Ho, ho, here we go. Labor’s Bill Shorten opens today on tax. It’s a question about contracting out the tax policy to his departmental head, Martin Parkinson, bypassing the treasurer.Ho, ho, here we go. Labor’s Bill Shorten opens today on tax. It’s a question about contracting out the tax policy to his departmental head, Martin Parkinson, bypassing the treasurer.
Q: So when the prime minister of Australia doesn’t trust the treasurer of Australia to do his day job, doesn’t this prove his government has no economic plan and his economic team has no clue?Q: So when the prime minister of Australia doesn’t trust the treasurer of Australia to do his day job, doesn’t this prove his government has no economic plan and his economic team has no clue?
Malcolm Turnbull, who is elaborating on the pitch he unveiled in Fyshwick this morning:Malcolm Turnbull, who is elaborating on the pitch he unveiled in Fyshwick this morning:
The road to the new economy is an exciting one. But we have to make sure we take the right decisions to stay on track.The road to the new economy is an exciting one. But we have to make sure we take the right decisions to stay on track.
And Labor won’t ensure we stay on the road to the new economy with their negative gearing policy and the capital gains tax policy and their opposition to the building and construction commission, the prime minister contends.And Labor won’t ensure we stay on the road to the new economy with their negative gearing policy and the capital gains tax policy and their opposition to the building and construction commission, the prime minister contends.
There is a road to the new economy, Mr Speaker. Labor stands in the way.There is a road to the new economy, Mr Speaker. Labor stands in the way.
2.59am GMT
02:59
One issue I’ve not had time to cover yet: a cross party group has given notice that they will bring forward a co-sponsored bill overturning the two decades old private member’s bill by the Liberal MP Kevin Andrews that banned the Northern Territory and ACT from legalising euthanasia. The cross party bill will go the Senate tomorrow. It’s being advanced by Greens and Labor MPs. Not sure whether there are any government MPs involved but will check, time permitting.
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Latest from AFP on its parliamentary investigation pic.twitter.com/oCwGtgHX9H
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Bit more non-specific intelligence on police.
.@AFPhq confirms "it has been conducting inquiries with the Department of Parliamentary Services in relation to an ongoing investigation"
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I confess I took a brief break to look at Oscars frocks. Sorry. I could have lied to you but I make a point of never doing that. Looks like Fury Road is bagging a number of the smaller Oscars. Question time coming up. Concentrating now. Full throttle.
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Not a side eye in sight.
Updated
at 2.44am GMT
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I know nothing about police. Nothing.
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at 2.44am GMT
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Then a question on election timing. Which got a prime ministerial answer ruling nothing in or out.
Q: Sounds like a very sharp election pitch there. The question about the ABCC, you said it’s vital to Australia. The question is, is it so vital that if it’s not passed by the Senate you’ll dissolve both Houses of Parliament and go to the election?
(The issue of the Australian Building and Construction Commission was raised in a earlier question. If the Senate fails to pass that bill, it will be a potential double-dissolution trigger.)
Malcolm Turnbull:
I understand the perennial fascination with election dates. I’m urging the senators to pass the legislation naturally and I just say to you that while all constitutional options remain open, my expectation is, and my assumption is that the election will be held in the normal way at the normal time, which is August, September, October this year.
Updated
at 2.39am GMT
2.11am GMT
02:11
The ABC is now running some of Malcolm Turnbull’s press conference from earlier today. We didn’t get vision of this earlier because of the Pell testimony in Rome.
The prime minister told reporters he made no apology for taking his time with tax policy. Then he launched his first re-election pitch (to my ear anyway, as in a campaign-style pitch).
Tax first.
I think the Labor party’s latest tax announcement is a good reminder of the dangers of making policy on the run and setting out changes to, for example, tax without full and proper consideration and analysis. We make no apology for taking the economic security of Australians seriously. We make no apology for considering tax and changes to the tax system very carefully and analysing it carefully and we are doing that.
We’re undertaking that work and when it is concluded we will then present the policy to the public for their approval.
Now the election pitch.
Let me say to you, the central issue this year, this election year, is going to be who is best able to lead Australia in this transition from the mining construction boom to the new economy?
Who is best able to ensure that we promote investment, secure jobs, encourage technology, promote innovation? Who is best able to ensure that the success of this company, CEA, will be followed by the success of many others? Who is best able to open up the markets for our exporters in every industry?
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at 2.37am GMT
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Here is the AFP statement.
Statement from AFP on reported office raid. #auspol pic.twitter.com/XmGCi9ZOfm
1.54am GMT
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The innovation minister, Christopher Pyne, has told Sky he has no information about the AFP’s activities. He also thinks, if the government holds an election in July, that would not constitute an early election.
Updated
at 2.09am GMT