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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/mar/02/eric-abetz-no-worker-should-be-worse-off-under-penalty-rate-cut-politics-live
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| Labor accuses Malcolm Turnbull of assault on workers' take-home pay – question time live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.37am GMT | |
| 03:37 | |
| "If the volume doesn't lower, I'll be lowering it" - Speaker"Sorry my bad" - @edhusicMP but @GrahamPerrettMP is the one who gets booted #qt | |
| 3.36am GMT | |
| 03:36 | |
| Labor to Turnbull: Linda lives in my electorate and she works on Sundays as a hotel chef because her rent is more than half her wages and she needs the money. Linda previously relied on Centrelink but reskilled to become a chef and she is proud she got off Centrelink and into a job. Linda can’t understand why the Turnbull Government wants to cut her wages. Why, when the Prime Minister has the power to act, is he refusing to stop Linda’s pay cut? | |
| Turnbull: | |
| I trust the honourable member will be advising her constituent that the decision about penalty rates is not a decision of the government. What the honourable member said in her question is quite misleading. It is a decision of the Fair Work Commission. | |
| 3.30am GMT | |
| 03:30 | |
| Shorten to Turnbull: Margarita is a single mum with two children who regularly works Sundays at a hotel. The Sunday penalty rates help her put food on the table, buy shoes for her kids. She stands to lose thousands in take-home pay. She says, “Everything is getting more difficult. The bills go up so why is our wages going down? Where is the balance? “ Can the prime minister explain why he is willing to intervene in the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the CFA decision, but will do nothing to stop Margarita’s pay cut? | |
| (This is already feeling like Work Choices 2.0.) | |
| Turnbull: | |
| The lady that the honourable member refers to, Margarita, may be affected in the manner he describes by the penalty rate change. We have learnt not to take our critical assertions of fact from the opposition but the fact is that the leader of the opposition, again and again and again, stated that he would support the decision of this Fair Work Commission. He gave them the reference to look at penalty rates. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.34am GMT | |
| 3.27am GMT | |
| 03:27 | |
| NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie to Turnbull: It was revealed in Senate estimates yesterday that 75% of the contents of ration packs for Aussie diggers are foreign produced, including items such as biscuits, fruit cake, tea, coffee and tomato sauce. Even the toilet paper is from China. Does the prime minister agree that Australian troops serving our country should be supplied with Australian goods in their ration packs, which would support Aussie food manufacturing, and if so how would the government rectify this situation? | |
| Turnbull: | |
| The revised commonwealth procurement rules came into affect on 1 March or come into affect on 1 March this year and Senator Xenophon advocated for the changes. The commonwealth is required to assess the economic benefit to the Australian economy of each procurement. I am advised the vast majority of items in ADF ration packs are Australian and New Zealand products. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.29am GMT | |
| 3.21am GMT | |
| 03:21 | |
| Labor’s Linda Burney to Turnbull: Terry works in a news agent in my electorate. He works on Sundays and sacrifices time with his family and friends at important events like birthdays to provide for his partner and a four-and-a-half-year-old son. Terry stands to lose almost $4,000 a year because of the prime minister’s support for cutting penalty rates. He says the cut to penalty rates will just mean the same work for less money. Why won’t the prime minister use his power to stop Terry’s pay cut? | |
| Turnbull says the government is standing up for the independent umpire. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.30am GMT | |
| 3.16am GMT | |
| 03:16 | |
| Government questions so far have been on the importance of economic growth and the national accounts. | |
| 3.12am GMT | |
| 03:12 | |
| Labor’s Tony Burke to Turnbull: (delivered in droll style) We all know what the prime minister meant when he said he supports the decision. What government policy was the prime minister referring to this morning when he said | |
| There’s the, there’s no question for you if you, um, the evidence is strong that you, you have lower penalty rates or on a Sunday public holiday there is less or more incentive if you like. It is more affordable for businesses to employ people, that is common sense, that is one consideration”. | |
| Don’t Australian workers deserve better than that? | |
| Turnbull cops the joke. | |
| I thank the honourable member for his comic interlude and recall on the subject of penalty rates his time as an organiser for the STA, the shop distributive and allied trades union. In those times the SDA negotiated one trade away of penalty rates after another. | |
| Turnbull says the FWC have done a “good and thorough job”, which sounds like support. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.18am GMT | |
| 3.08am GMT | |
| 03:08 | |
| In the style of finance department video: | |
| Forget #paleopear... Australia Post's grad video has a triple shot, almond milk, decaf, chai latte with honey https://t.co/X0siO3W0kB pic.twitter.com/h9gbK2ovMF | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.08am GMT | |
| 3.06am GMT | |
| 03:06 | |
| Labor to Turnbull: Today, the prime minister said, “It is an element in a part of every modern award that it is the intention that any changes to awards will not reduce the take-home pay of employees but last week’s penalty rates decision will reduce take-home pay”. The prime minister has the power to fix this problem. Why won’t he and when will the prime minister join with Labor to change the law so the take-home pay of all workers is not cut? | |
| Turnbull goes to the enterprise bargaining agreements negotiated under Shorten as a union leader. | |
| He quotes the clause referenced in the FWC decision. | |
| That neither the making of the award nor the operation of transitional agreements is intended to result in a reduction in the take home pay of employees. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.14am GMT | |
| 2.58am GMT | 2.58am GMT |
| 02:58 | 02:58 |
| Question time in 5,4,3,2,1. | Question time in 5,4,3,2,1. |
| 2.50am GMT | 2.50am GMT |
| 02:50 | 02:50 |
| #Barnaby @gabriellechan @GuardianAus @murpharoo #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bARdNCvDNN | #Barnaby @gabriellechan @GuardianAus @murpharoo #politicslive pic.twitter.com/bARdNCvDNN |
| 2.48am GMT | 2.48am GMT |
| 02:48 | 02:48 |
| Minister's office sent journalist internal briefings about Centrelink client | Minister's office sent journalist internal briefings about Centrelink client |
| Christopher Knaus | Christopher Knaus |
| Christopher Knaus reports: | Christopher Knaus reports: |
| The office of the human services minister, Alan Tudge, mistakenly sent a journalist internal departmental briefings about a welfare recipient’s personal circumstances, which included additional detail on her relationship and tax history. | The office of the human services minister, Alan Tudge, mistakenly sent a journalist internal departmental briefings about a welfare recipient’s personal circumstances, which included additional detail on her relationship and tax history. |
| Senior departmental figures were grilled at Senate estimates on Thursday about the release of welfare recipient Andie Fox’s personal information last month. | Senior departmental figures were grilled at Senate estimates on Thursday about the release of welfare recipient Andie Fox’s personal information last month. |
| Fox had written an opinion piece critical of Centrelink and its handling of her debt, which ran in Fairfax Media in February. The government released her personal details to Fairfax journalist Paul Malone, who subsequently published a piece attacking Fox and questioning the veracity of her claims. | Fox had written an opinion piece critical of Centrelink and its handling of her debt, which ran in Fairfax Media in February. The government released her personal details to Fairfax journalist Paul Malone, who subsequently published a piece attacking Fox and questioning the veracity of her claims. |
| Two responses were given to the journalist, one from the Department of Human Services and the other from Tudge. | Two responses were given to the journalist, one from the Department of Human Services and the other from Tudge. |
| The department said its response – three dot points containing only minimal detail on Fox’s personal history – was cleared by lawyers and was lawful. The minister’s office then added two quotes from Tudge and sent its own response to Malone. | The department said its response – three dot points containing only minimal detail on Fox’s personal history – was cleared by lawyers and was lawful. The minister’s office then added two quotes from Tudge and sent its own response to Malone. |
| Guardian Australia can now reveal that the minister’s office also accidentally sent the journalist two internal briefing documents, marked “for official use only”, which had been prepared by the department. | Guardian Australia can now reveal that the minister’s office also accidentally sent the journalist two internal briefing documents, marked “for official use only”, which had been prepared by the department. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.52am GMT | at 2.52am GMT |
| 2.37am GMT | 2.37am GMT |
| 02:37 | 02:37 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.48am GMT | at 2.48am GMT |
| 2.19am GMT | 2.19am GMT |
| 02:19 | 02:19 |
| Lunchtime politics | Lunchtime politics |
| I have been running all morning but there has been only limited forward movement. | I have been running all morning but there has been only limited forward movement. |
| George Christensen has warned if the Coalition does not amend 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, it will be a breach of faith with the Coalition base. | George Christensen has warned if the Coalition does not amend 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, it will be a breach of faith with the Coalition base. |
| The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has ended a labour agreement begun under the Gillard government to allow fast food chains to employ 457 visa foreign workers. | The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has ended a labour agreement begun under the Gillard government to allow fast food chains to employ 457 visa foreign workers. |
| Dutton batted away questions of leadership conspiracies after he was spotted on his usual exercise routine with the finance minister, Mathias Cormann. | Dutton batted away questions of leadership conspiracies after he was spotted on his usual exercise routine with the finance minister, Mathias Cormann. |
| The former Abbott workplace minister Eric Abetz suggested penalty cuts should be grandfathered but his prime minister said the Fair Work Commission had already stated it did not like grandfathering arrangements but the cuts would be phased in. | The former Abbott workplace minister Eric Abetz suggested penalty cuts should be grandfathered but his prime minister said the Fair Work Commission had already stated it did not like grandfathering arrangements but the cuts would be phased in. |
| A law to amend the criminal code to protect children from online predators, negotiated by the Nick Xenophon Team, was accepted by government. It will be called Carly’s law after 15-year-old Carly Ryan who was lured to her death by an online predator. | A law to amend the criminal code to protect children from online predators, negotiated by the Nick Xenophon Team, was accepted by government. It will be called Carly’s law after 15-year-old Carly Ryan who was lured to her death by an online predator. |
| A review into regional, rural and remote education has been established by the Turnbull government. | A review into regional, rural and remote education has been established by the Turnbull government. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.24am GMT | at 2.24am GMT |
| 2.00am GMT | 2.00am GMT |
| 02:00 | 02:00 |
| Barnaby Joyce’s shadow. | Barnaby Joyce’s shadow. |
| When @Barnaby_Joyce is out, @fitzhunter is sure to follow pic.twitter.com/EGe3ULk0W0 | When @Barnaby_Joyce is out, @fitzhunter is sure to follow pic.twitter.com/EGe3ULk0W0 |
| @fitzhunter is Joel Fitzgibbon, Labor agriculture spokesman. | @fitzhunter is Joel Fitzgibbon, Labor agriculture spokesman. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.01am GMT | at 2.01am GMT |
| 1.57am GMT | 1.57am GMT |
| 01:57 | 01:57 |
| Turnbull government review into regional remote and rural education | Turnbull government review into regional remote and rural education |
| There is another mass Nat pack press conference down in the courtyard to announce a comprehensive review of regional education. | There is another mass Nat pack press conference down in the courtyard to announce a comprehensive review of regional education. |
| The education minister, Simon Birmingham, who appears to be the only Lib attending, says the point is to improve school outcomes and encourage regional, rural and remote (RRR) students onto further study, training and employment. | The education minister, Simon Birmingham, who appears to be the only Lib attending, says the point is to improve school outcomes and encourage regional, rural and remote (RRR) students onto further study, training and employment. |
| The independent review into regional, rural and remote education will be led by emeritus professor John Halsey of Flinders University. | The independent review into regional, rural and remote education will be led by emeritus professor John Halsey of Flinders University. |
| I have lost vision of it, so I hope to bring you more as I see it. For those who are interested, I blog in an office in the building and, in order to bring this to you in a timely manner, I cannot physically attend press conferences. | I have lost vision of it, so I hope to bring you more as I see it. For those who are interested, I blog in an office in the building and, in order to bring this to you in a timely manner, I cannot physically attend press conferences. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.03am GMT | at 2.03am GMT |
| 1.51am GMT | 1.51am GMT |
| 01:51 | 01:51 |
| George Christensen: failure to amend 18C a breach of faith with Coalition base | George Christensen: failure to amend 18C a breach of faith with Coalition base |
| Pardon me. Computer crash allowed me to grab sustenance. | Pardon me. Computer crash allowed me to grab sustenance. |
| In the meantime, George Christensen has lobbed a statement into the middle of the leadership’s daily plans. | In the meantime, George Christensen has lobbed a statement into the middle of the leadership’s daily plans. |
| It specifically references the treasurer, Scott Morrison, brushing off concerns about the conservative push to change the Racial Discrimination Act. | It specifically references the treasurer, Scott Morrison, brushing off concerns about the conservative push to change the Racial Discrimination Act. |
| Morrison said such a change would not create a single job – which was his main concern in his role. | Morrison said such a change would not create a single job – which was his main concern in his role. |
| Some of the arguments put forward for failing to act on the issue of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act are a nonsense. | Some of the arguments put forward for failing to act on the issue of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act are a nonsense. |
| I have heard it stated that ‘this issue doesn’t create one job’. | I have heard it stated that ‘this issue doesn’t create one job’. |
| Neither does the omnibus savings and childcare reform bill but we’re still doing that. | Neither does the omnibus savings and childcare reform bill but we’re still doing that. |
| I have also heard it said that it’s not the issue people are talking about in pubs or in farm sheds. | I have also heard it said that it’s not the issue people are talking about in pubs or in farm sheds. |
| They weren’t talking about the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) either but we still brought it back. | They weren’t talking about the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) either but we still brought it back. |
| Section 18C is political correctness enshrined into law, and it stifles freedom of speech in Australia. | Section 18C is political correctness enshrined into law, and it stifles freedom of speech in Australia. |
| Nothing could be more of an affront to Australian values. | Nothing could be more of an affront to Australian values. |
| And nothing could be more at odds with National and Liberal party values. | And nothing could be more at odds with National and Liberal party values. |
| The National party constitution states that one of the party’s objectives is ‘the maintenance of democracy and liberty’. | The National party constitution states that one of the party’s objectives is ‘the maintenance of democracy and liberty’. |
| A fundamental Liberal party value is that ‘We believe in those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy – the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association’. | A fundamental Liberal party value is that ‘We believe in those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy – the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association’. |
| And where this issue definitely is being talked about is at local party meetings and state conventions. | And where this issue definitely is being talked about is at local party meetings and state conventions. |
| It’s an issue of great importance for the people who fundraise for us, who hand out how-to-vote cards for us and who preselect us so that we can stand as candidates and serve our electorates. | It’s an issue of great importance for the people who fundraise for us, who hand out how-to-vote cards for us and who preselect us so that we can stand as candidates and serve our electorates. |
| As far as I’m concerned this is a fundamental issue not only for democracy but for the base of the Liberal and National parties. I would expect that those parties who form the Coalition would not walk away from it. | As far as I’m concerned this is a fundamental issue not only for democracy but for the base of the Liberal and National parties. I would expect that those parties who form the Coalition would not walk away from it. |
| We should repeal, or at the very least amend, section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act sooner rather than later. | We should repeal, or at the very least amend, section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act sooner rather than later. |
| Failure to do so will represent a fundamental breach of faith with our base. | Failure to do so will represent a fundamental breach of faith with our base. |
| Christensen knows how to wound. If you haven’t already, I suggest you read up on him, with a piece by colleague Joshua Robertson prepared earlier. | Christensen knows how to wound. If you haven’t already, I suggest you read up on him, with a piece by colleague Joshua Robertson prepared earlier. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.07am GMT | at 2.07am GMT |
| 1.02am GMT | 1.02am GMT |
| 01:02 | 01:02 |
| John Ferguson of the Oz reports: | John Ferguson of the Oz reports: |
| Former Howard government minister Peter Reith has nominated to contest the Victorian Liberal party presidency. | Former Howard government minister Peter Reith has nominated to contest the Victorian Liberal party presidency. |
| The Australian understands his nomination has been lodged this morning, opening the way for a bitter battle with incumbent president Michael Kroger. | The Australian understands his nomination has been lodged this morning, opening the way for a bitter battle with incumbent president Michael Kroger. |
| The ballot will be held on April 1 and will lead to inevitable instability on the party as the warring camps seek the position. | The ballot will be held on April 1 and will lead to inevitable instability on the party as the warring camps seek the position. |
| It is the first time in decades that the position has been contested by two party heavyweights of the standing of Mr Reith and Mr Kroger. | It is the first time in decades that the position has been contested by two party heavyweights of the standing of Mr Reith and Mr Kroger. |
| Let the games begin. | Let the games begin. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.09am GMT | at 1.09am GMT |