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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/feb/28/essential-poll-malcolm-turnbull-intelligent-hardworking-out-of-touch-politics-live
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| George Christensen resigns as National party chief whip – politics live | George Christensen resigns as National party chief whip – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.56am GMT | |
| 02:56 | |
| John Stanhope says Aus Post salary structures are referenced on salaries offered by similar businesses which are major global parcel companies. | |
| He underlined that the board does not need to seek permission for the salary but communication of the salary to government has been traditionally through the annual report. | |
| In 2014-15, it was no longer a requirement. | |
| He said it was a mistake not to disclose the salary (voluntarily). | |
| Stanhope says he will disclose the 2014-15 salary – on notice. That is, not now. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.58am GMT | |
| 2.52am GMT | |
| 02:52 | |
| Liberal chair senator Linda Reynolds thanks Fahour for outlining the “amazing transformation” of Australia Post. | |
| Have I slipped into another portal? | |
| 2.48am GMT | |
| 02:48 | |
| Stanhope said Fahour has completely transformed the company. | |
| Ahmed Fahour makes his own statement. He was thinking of resigning for sometime but he considered the recent pay debate and its impact on the brand and his family. | |
| Under his leadership, Aus Post has ensured the “postie” delivers all parcels as well as letters, something that wasn’t happening before. | |
| Aus Post has increased the annual payments to licensed post offices which ensured the viability of post offices, especially in rural and regional areas. | |
| The business is worth $5bn-$6bn today. Aus Post is completely self-funded and does not “take $1” of taxpayer money. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.59am GMT | |
| 2.40am GMT | |
| 02:40 | |
| John Stanhope, chair of Australia Post, is making an opening statement. | |
| He makes the point Australia Post is now an e-commerce business, which needs remuneration in an industry which reflects a competitive recruitment market. | |
| Nevertheless, Stanhope says it is clear the current chief’s salary is out of line with community standards. | |
| 2.37am GMT | |
| 02:37 | |
| Australia Post managing director Ahmed Fahour is in the hot seat. Labor, the Greens and the Coalition all (basically) say what a good job he has done. | |
| Fahour must be laughing hysterically on the inside. | |
| 2.35am GMT | |
| 02:35 | |
| Re the last post on Christensen. The Queensland sugar dispute is one of George’s aforementioned problems. | |
| Vote now in QLD parliament on whether LNP's sugar amendments (Wilmar v QSL) can be voted on urgently (tomorrow night) #qldpol | |
| Ayes 45, noes 43. The LNP's sugar amendments will be debated tomorrow night, as a matter of urgency. #qldpol | |
| When that is decided, we will have a clearer idea of whether Barnaby Joyce will intervene in sugar business – effectively part reregulating the industry – by imposing a code of conduct on it. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.36am GMT | |
| 2.21am GMT | 2.21am GMT |
| 02:21 | 02:21 |
| George Christensen has explained his move to the Australian’s Dennis Shanahan. | |
| I don’t think people in Canberra understand what is going on in my electorate and I have to focus on holding my seat. Some people think I’m mad but there is method in my madness. I’m being challenged from the right now, not the left flank, and the polling in Dawson has the LNP on 51.5% and the Hanson party on 49.5%. The threat is not the Labor party. | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.30am GMT | |
| 2.13am GMT | 2.13am GMT |
| 02:13 | 02:13 |
| Malcolm Turnbull: Unity! | Malcolm Turnbull: Unity! |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Malcolm Turnbull has stressed the importance of unity at the joint party room meeting, including that if the government sticks together, it will win the next election. | Malcolm Turnbull has stressed the importance of unity at the joint party room meeting, including that if the government sticks together, it will win the next election. |
| No mention was made of George Christensen’s resignation as Nationals whip, although deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce gave a speech about the need to talk about the government’s positive achievements. | No mention was made of George Christensen’s resignation as Nationals whip, although deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce gave a speech about the need to talk about the government’s positive achievements. |
| Julie Bishop spoke about her productive meetings in the United States and the “very positive” attitudes to Australia from the vice-president, Mike Pence, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and national security adviser HR McMaster. | Julie Bishop spoke about her productive meetings in the United States and the “very positive” attitudes to Australia from the vice-president, Mike Pence, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and national security adviser HR McMaster. |
| Bishop said that unions traded off penalty rates all the time, including Bill Shorten’s Australian Workers Union, proving they were not sacrosanct for the Labor party. | Bishop said that unions traded off penalty rates all the time, including Bill Shorten’s Australian Workers Union, proving they were not sacrosanct for the Labor party. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.14am GMT | at 2.14am GMT |
| 1.45am GMT | 1.45am GMT |
| 01:45 | 01:45 |
| Just on George. It was obviously the right thing to do. You cannot expect others to stay in line when you are off on a frolic. This will free him up completely to dig in when required from his electorate in Dawson and cross the floor on the banking commission of inquiry. | Just on George. It was obviously the right thing to do. You cannot expect others to stay in line when you are off on a frolic. This will free him up completely to dig in when required from his electorate in Dawson and cross the floor on the banking commission of inquiry. |
| 1.41am GMT | 1.41am GMT |
| 01:41 | 01:41 |
| George Christensen: I was not pushed | George Christensen: I was not pushed |
| I have resigned as chief whip of the Nationals, effective 5pm this Thursday, March 2. | I have resigned as chief whip of the Nationals, effective 5pm this Thursday, March 2. |
| I made the decision to resign because my continued outspokenness on a variety of issues was obviously incompatible with the position of party whip in the long term. | I made the decision to resign because my continued outspokenness on a variety of issues was obviously incompatible with the position of party whip in the long term. |
| It was my decision to resign and my decision alone. | It was my decision to resign and my decision alone. |
| I was not pushed by anyone. | I was not pushed by anyone. |
| However, I did feel some of my colleagues may have been aggrieved that the enforcer of discipline was being somewhat ill-disciplined himself. | However, I did feel some of my colleagues may have been aggrieved that the enforcer of discipline was being somewhat ill-disciplined himself. |
| Over the past week, as I’ve reached this decision, Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has been incredibly supportive and said he would have supported whatever decision I made on the matter. | Over the past week, as I’ve reached this decision, Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has been incredibly supportive and said he would have supported whatever decision I made on the matter. |
| I thank him and the rest of the Nationals team for the great honour of serving as their chief whip over the last six months. | I thank him and the rest of the Nationals team for the great honour of serving as their chief whip over the last six months. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.46am GMT | at 1.46am GMT |
| 1.34am GMT | 1.34am GMT |
| 01:34 | 01:34 |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| We recorded this yesterday but this is the final instalment. | We recorded this yesterday but this is the final instalment. |
| The Liberal senator David Fawcett has apologised after a “poor choice of words” in parliament appeared to describe asylum seekers coming to Australia seeking protection as “fleas”. | The Liberal senator David Fawcett has apologised after a “poor choice of words” in parliament appeared to describe asylum seekers coming to Australia seeking protection as “fleas”. |
| Fawcett’s comments were made during a Senate estimates discussion on asylum seekers arriving by boat, saying the Labor party had “brought the fleas” and was now attempting to “nitpick” in parliament with questions over asylum policy cost blowouts, wasteful and unauthorised spending. | Fawcett’s comments were made during a Senate estimates discussion on asylum seekers arriving by boat, saying the Labor party had “brought the fleas” and was now attempting to “nitpick” in parliament with questions over asylum policy cost blowouts, wasteful and unauthorised spending. |
| “I just do question the ethics of nitpicking when your particular group perhaps brought the fleas in the first place,” he told the hearing at Parliament House, directing his comments at Labor members. | “I just do question the ethics of nitpicking when your particular group perhaps brought the fleas in the first place,” he told the hearing at Parliament House, directing his comments at Labor members. |
| Unknown senators on the committee said “hear hear”, while Fawcett’s fellow Liberal and committee chair Ian Macdonald was heard on the microphones to say “nicely put”. | Unknown senators on the committee said “hear hear”, while Fawcett’s fellow Liberal and committee chair Ian Macdonald was heard on the microphones to say “nicely put”. |
| Following the comments, Fawcett sought to clarify that he had intended to suggest that Labor had created the “irritation” of stress within the immigration department, not that he was characterising asylum seekers as fleas. | Following the comments, Fawcett sought to clarify that he had intended to suggest that Labor had created the “irritation” of stress within the immigration department, not that he was characterising asylum seekers as fleas. |
| But he made a further late-night apology to the Senate. | But he made a further late-night apology to the Senate. |
| “I have just been on the phone to Mr Phil Glendenning, the president of Refugee Council of Australia. He has outlined how the words I spoke earlier today have been taken and the deep hurt that this has caused across the network of communities that his council represents. | “I have just been on the phone to Mr Phil Glendenning, the president of Refugee Council of Australia. He has outlined how the words I spoke earlier today have been taken and the deep hurt that this has caused across the network of communities that his council represents. |
| “Whilst it was never my intention that my comments would refer to refugees in such a way, it’s clear that my poor choice of words has caused hurt to many people and consequently I sincerely apologise.” | “Whilst it was never my intention that my comments would refer to refugees in such a way, it’s clear that my poor choice of words has caused hurt to many people and consequently I sincerely apologise.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.47am GMT | at 1.47am GMT |