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Labor and Coalition debate penalty rate cuts – politics live Labor targets Malcolm Turnbull over cut to penalty rates – question time live
(35 minutes later)
3.05am GMT
03:05
First question from Shorten to Turnbull: Last Thursday, the Fair Work Commission made a decision to cut the take-home pay of nearly 700,000 Australians. What is the prime minister going to do to stop this pay cut?
Turnbull is reading out Shorten’s previous comments talking up the independence of the Fair Work Commission. Turnbull quotes Shorten in 2012 on Meet the Press:
I think the best way, said the Leader of the Opposition, to protect Fair Work Australia is to protect its independence. It’s a statutory body. It’s doing its investigations and the argument which says that the government needs to intervene would undermine its independence. It’s an independent body. Well, that’s a bold statement - hard to connect to the remarks we just heard.
2.59am GMT
02:59
Help me out here. Did Senator David Fawcett just describe boat arrivals as fleas? #estimates #auspol pic.twitter.com/iWkjwc2eio
2.51am GMT
02:51
Question time coming up.
@gabriellechan Hang in there... pic.twitter.com/UcYlvC6coO
2.46am GMT
02:46
Paul Karp
Labor has released its bill to protect the take-home pay of workers, including against the Fair Work Commission’s decision on Thursday to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates in four industries.
The bill says: “A modern award cannot be varied in a way that would, or would be likely to, reduce the take-home pay of any employee covered by the award.”By banning changes that disadvantage any employee, the bill sets a very high bar for when the Fair Work Commission could change awards.
Although when Labor first mooted changes in January there were suggestions the commission could award other benefits such as an increase in base rates of pay to offset the cut, in practice that will be very difficult.
That’s because if all workers have to be compensated by the amount of the person who would be worst off under the decision, some workers would stand still and other workers would actually get a pay increase from an attempt by the commission to cut penalty rates.
The Greens’ bill simply freezes penalty rates at the levels at the start of 2017. In practice, Labor’s will have the same effect and goes further in protecting conditions like the span of ordinary hours.
Most crossbenchers and the government have rejected the proposals.
Updated
at 2.52am GMT
2.33am GMT2.33am GMT
02:3302:33
Classic. The group that destablises a Coalition govt betrays its own members, turning them from the Deplorables into the Expendables #auspol pic.twitter.com/xXuM0BAX8wClassic. The group that destablises a Coalition govt betrays its own members, turning them from the Deplorables into the Expendables #auspol pic.twitter.com/xXuM0BAX8w
2.27am GMT2.27am GMT
02:2702:27
UpdatedUpdated
at 2.29am GMTat 2.29am GMT
2.15am GMT2.15am GMT
02:1502:15
Voting patterns on penalty rate suspension.Voting patterns on penalty rate suspension.
Independents Katter, Sharkie, Bandt & Wilkie vote with Opposition, McGowan votes with govt. #suspension #fairWorkAct pic.twitter.com/D91mCZf1n7Independents Katter, Sharkie, Bandt & Wilkie vote with Opposition, McGowan votes with govt. #suspension #fairWorkAct pic.twitter.com/D91mCZf1n7
2.12am GMT2.12am GMT
02:1202:12
Canning Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, the man who named the conservative group The Deplorables, has stood by Malcolm Turnbull on Perth radio.Canning Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, the man who named the conservative group The Deplorables, has stood by Malcolm Turnbull on Perth radio.
He is the prime minister under God – I consider that a sacred office and I would be loath to push a spill motion or do any of those sorts of things which people are somehow suggesting.He is the prime minister under God – I consider that a sacred office and I would be loath to push a spill motion or do any of those sorts of things which people are somehow suggesting.
UpdatedUpdated
at 2.29am GMTat 2.29am GMT
2.09am GMT2.09am GMT
02:0902:09
Whither to for the Young OnesWhither to for the Young Ones
Katharine Murphy has a story on the Deplorable Club which you can find here. But there is a lovely little detail in it:Katharine Murphy has a story on the Deplorable Club which you can find here. But there is a lovely little detail in it:
One member of the group of conservative MPs told Guardian Australia on Monday the coordination between like-minded parliamentarians started as a narrowly focussed effort to revive the 18C debate, rather as anything more broad ranging, although there was a feeling that Abbott should return to the cabinet.One member of the group of conservative MPs told Guardian Australia on Monday the coordination between like-minded parliamentarians started as a narrowly focussed effort to revive the 18C debate, rather as anything more broad ranging, although there was a feeling that Abbott should return to the cabinet.
But according to this account, as time went on, younger conservatives involved in the discussions became irritated that the conversations turned to returning Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews – two Abbott supporters moved on from the cabinet by Turnbull when he took the leadership in September 2015 – to ministerial roles. “This turned the young ones off,” said one participant.But according to this account, as time went on, younger conservatives involved in the discussions became irritated that the conversations turned to returning Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews – two Abbott supporters moved on from the cabinet by Turnbull when he took the leadership in September 2015 – to ministerial roles. “This turned the young ones off,” said one participant.
2.04am GMT2.04am GMT
02:0402:04
Deplorable.Deplorable.
UpdatedUpdated
at 2.09am GMTat 2.09am GMT
1.59am GMT
01:59
Paul Karp
Labor shadow Brendan O’Connor spoke in the house after Malcolm Turnbull. O’Connor said far from abiding by the umpire’s decision, the Coalition had previous chucked out umpire decisions, including the Victorian Country Fire Authority dispute, and in abolishing the road safety remuneration tribunal.
In the CFA dispute, the Turnbull government made changes to the Fair Work Act in August 2016 prohibiting terms of enterprise agreements that restrict emergency services organisations’ ability to deploy volunteers.
The Fair Work Commission hadn’t yet approved the EA so the government didn’t technically overturn an existing decision, it changed the goal posts in order to affect the outcome in a particular case.
In the case of the RSRT, the government abolished the body that set the rates independent contractors’ charged for work (and therefore their pay). In this case, the RSRT had already issued a pay order, and the government got rid of not just the order but the whole body.
Coalition types would defend the move because – unlike the Fair Work Commission which sets minimum pay for employees – the RSRT set minimum rates for independent contractors’, which arguably interfered with their ability to compete. But it is still an example of overturning the decision of an independent tribunal.
Liberal defence industries minister Christopher Pyne just told Sky:
The RSRT was a fit-up by the Labor party.
Updated
at 2.03am GMT
1.52am GMT
01:52
Lunchtime politics
Newspoll has the Coalition on 45% to Labor’s 55% on a two-party-preferred basis. The Coalition’s primary vote is bleeding to One Nation and Labor.
This appears to have put Malcolm Turnbull in a mood, which has led to a stern lecture to journalists for getting distracted rather than focusing on the issues of bottlemakers and butchers.
The prime minister also said the bad poll was Tony Abbott’s fault and the former PM’s intervention was specifically designed to inflict damage in the polling period.
The poll didn’t put Barnaby Joyce in a mood though, because he actually said he reads polls. He is listening, says he.
Treasurer Scott Morrison had batted off suggestions from Ray Hadley that he should a) listen to Tony Abbott on his policy prescriptions to stop immigration and dump the renewable energy target and b) not listen to Tony Abbott and hold the government line. Morrison suggested that Abbott’s policy to dump the RET was a sovereign risk. Labor environment shadow Mark Butler agreed with Scott Morrison and everyone cheered.
Updated
at 1.53am GMT
1.42am GMT
01:42
Labor social services shadow Jenny Macklin is speaking against the omnibus/childcare bill and I will focus on a lunchtime summary.
Updated
at 1.44am GMT
1.39am GMT
01:39
Labor lost the suspension motion to introduce its penalty rates bill.
1.35am GMT
01:35
Is that a berm?
Senate president Stephen Parry has told Senate estimates there was never a plan to build a moat around parliament house.
It was going to be a ditch called a ha ha, it was mooted for one section of the parliament house perimeter but it had serious technical difficulties. It was never going to be filled with water or crocodiles, it was just a ditch.
This was reported on last year by Michael Koziol at Fairfax:
Security agencies considered digging a channel similar to a moat around Parliament House as part of a controversial security overhaul, Fairfax Media can reveal.
The embankment, technically called a “berm” and commonly used as a defence against tanks, would have encircled the building as a way to keep vehicles off the hill.
Updated
at 2.31am GMT
1.26am GMT
01:26
OK the lower house is now voting on Labor’s suspension motion.
1.20am GMT
01:20
Malcolm Turnbull is losing his voice as he rounds on Bill Shorten and his record with the FWC, saying,
he started it
he staffed it
he defended it in advance
now he tries to backflip.
Nobody has traded away more penalty rates than the leader of the opposition.
1.16am GMT
01:16
Malcolm Turnbull now goes to the substance of the issue.
All of us understand how hard this will hit those who work on weekends.
But Turnbull says the trade-off will be more hours worked, more jobs in hospitality and retail and workers will benefit.
Updated
at 1.20am GMT
1.13am GMT
01:13
Malcolm Turnbull is speaking against the Labor suspension of standing orders.
Turnbull is talking about Shorten appointing the president of the FWC,
hard-handed capitalist Iain Ross.
He has worked in and around the unions for years, says Turnbull.
1.06am GMT
01:06
Bill Shorten says the Labor party had opposed any cuts to penalty rates in the Fair Work Commission.
Whereas the Coalition, having supported cuts to penalty rates previously, was now pretending it was Labor’s fault.
Proverbial dog that has caught the truck. It doesn’t know what to do.