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| Barnaby Joyce condemns violent extremists: 'Every religion has them at their periphery' – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.09am BST | |
| 01:09 | |
| Shadow attorney Mark Dreyfus has welcomed George Brandis’ admission that there was a failing over the Monis letter. | |
| It’s long overdue Senator George Brandis has finally admitted there was a failing in the handling of correspondence sent to his office by Man Haron Monis. He has done everything he could to cover up his office’s blunders. | |
| I don’t understand why he was not prepared to admit the same last night under questioning from Labor senators. | |
| The 2015 Senate inquiry into this matter was highly critical of the handling of the Monis correspondence and found there was inadequate disclosure of the facts to the Parliament. Senator Brandis has assured that significant process changes have since been made, and Labor will seek to confirm this with Asio at Senate hearings tonight. | |
| After a litany of serious mistakes and gaffes since he got the job, I don’t think anyone has any confidence in the Attorney-General to do his job properly. | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.14am BST | |
| 1.05am BST | |
| 01:05 | |
| Bill Shorten has spoken to caucus. It is about school funding and the government’s Gonski 2.0 funding package from the budget. | |
| I thought that after the last election that maybe we had won the argument on education. I thought maybe we could, at least, put the debate about the future of the funding of schools aside, that the government would get the message that school funding should not be a political football. It should just be a political priority. But there is very much a clear choice emerging in Australia. And the choice is as simple. Do you want to properly fund the early years of a child’s learning? Do you want to properly fund our schools? | |
| IMO the point is that Labor has won the argument on Gonski. The government has moved a long way back towards the centre on school funding (when you consider the first 2014 education cuts over 10 years). The Turnbull government is now committing to put in place an underlying needs based formula with loadings for disadvantage. This is good. | |
| So that formula is what the Gonski report recommended. That requires cuts to some private schools and smaller increases for others as the formula is implemented. | |
| That is a huge move for the Coalition and a step forward from the Gillard agreements, which were also a step forward from where school funding was pre-2013. | |
| The Gonski per student formula is worth supporting. Labor is now arguing about the level of dollars applied to that formula. If the Gonski formula is supported in parliament, Labor can ramp that funding level up by the $22bn when they are in government. | |
| But the whole schools package still hangs in the balance. Greens MP Adam Bandt will vote against it in the lower house along with Labor. When/if it passes the lower house, it will go to a Senate inquiry and then, depending on what the Greens do, the government will have to negotiate with some or all of the crossbench. | |
| The other thing the Gonski panel recommended was an independent, arms-length school funding body to determine the level of funding applied to the formula. This would be an unashamedly good thing to take this ridiculous ongoing political argy bargy that comes with school funding year on year. NO SIDE IS PROMISING THIS INDEPENDENT BODY. #justsaying | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.16am BST | |
| 12.43am BST | |
| 00:43 | |
| Labor says Macdonald should have taken it to the court of disputed returns and he's "undermining the credibility of the election" #estimates | |
| 12.42am BST | |
| 00:42 | |
| The AFP is still investigating 6 cases of voter fraud at the last election. Can't say if it is Herbert (37 votes decided it) #estimates | |
| 12.42am BST | |
| 00:42 | |
| Over in legal and constitutional affairs estimates, the AFP is in the chair and they are being asked about voter fraud in the seat of Herbert where the result went down to the wire. Eventually after a long slow count, Liberal MP Ewen Jones lost his seat to Labor’s Cathy O’Toole. | |
| The AFP says there were 42 serious cases of multiple voting. | |
| #Estimates discussing potential voter fraud in HerbertMacdonald: You can't just ask them if they voted twiceAFP: That's exactly what we do | |
| 12.38am BST | 12.38am BST |
| 00:38 | 00:38 |
| The agriculture department says the cost of the move is $26m over six years and one scientific officer is currently recruited to the Armidale office. They are working out of an old Centrelink office. | The agriculture department says the cost of the move is $26m over six years and one scientific officer is currently recruited to the Armidale office. They are working out of an old Centrelink office. |
| Kim Carr says that will be good for APVMA scientists. | Kim Carr says that will be good for APVMA scientists. |
| 12.33am BST | 12.33am BST |
| 00:33 | 00:33 |
| Labor’s Kim Carr is asking David Williamson, deputy secretary of the agriculture department, if any other locations other than Armidale were considered for the decentralisation move. (Remember it was announced by Joyce in the midst of a electoral death battle with former independent Tony Windsor.) | Labor’s Kim Carr is asking David Williamson, deputy secretary of the agriculture department, if any other locations other than Armidale were considered for the decentralisation move. (Remember it was announced by Joyce in the midst of a electoral death battle with former independent Tony Windsor.) |
| Williamson says no, we were implementing an election commitment to move the agency to Armidale. | Williamson says no, we were implementing an election commitment to move the agency to Armidale. |
| Not Toowoomba, asks Carr. | Not Toowoomba, asks Carr. |
| No. | No. |
| Joyce has previously said Toowoomba was also considered. | Joyce has previously said Toowoomba was also considered. |
| 12.25am BST | 12.25am BST |
| 00:25 | 00:25 |
| Thanks to Anna Vidot of the ABC. | Thanks to Anna Vidot of the ABC. |
| @lucybarbour #APVMA says its performance rates do fluctuate, but acknowledge the latest ones aren't *great* exactly... #estimates | @lucybarbour #APVMA says its performance rates do fluctuate, but acknowledge the latest ones aren't *great* exactly... #estimates |
| 12.24am BST | 12.24am BST |
| 00:24 | 00:24 |
| The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is before estimates right now, answering questions on the move to Armidale ordered by local member and aforementioned deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. | The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is before estimates right now, answering questions on the move to Armidale ordered by local member and aforementioned deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. |
| And lo... once more unto the #APVMA #estimates, tweeps, once more.Acting CEO Stefanie Janiec in the hot seat this time around. | And lo... once more unto the #APVMA #estimates, tweeps, once more.Acting CEO Stefanie Janiec in the hot seat this time around. |
| 12.19am BST | 12.19am BST |
| 00:19 | 00:19 |
| Barnaby Joyce: every religion has murderers at the periphery | Barnaby Joyce: every religion has murderers at the periphery |
| Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has been speaking to Kieran Gilbert on Sky about life, religion and Manchester. | Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has been speaking to Kieran Gilbert on Sky about life, religion and Manchester. |
| He condemns the Manchester attacks, saying “these people” think murder will change the world. | He condemns the Manchester attacks, saying “these people” think murder will change the world. |
| But he makes the point that terrorists have always been around in every religion. | But he makes the point that terrorists have always been around in every religion. |
| These people have always been around and every religion has them at their periphery. I’m Catholic, in Northern Ireland we had the IRA, who decided they were going to change the world by murdering people. I don’t agree with that. These people believe they are going to change the world by murdering people. We have seen it in Buddhism, we have seen it in Hinduism. It’s murder. It’s wrong and we have got to make sure as a nation, people can go to the cricket, can go to the rugby, go down the street, go to the park, enjoy life, be Australian and leave other people alone to have their beliefs because they are probably different to yours. Don’t change the world by violence, change the world by argument, cogent argument. | These people have always been around and every religion has them at their periphery. I’m Catholic, in Northern Ireland we had the IRA, who decided they were going to change the world by murdering people. I don’t agree with that. These people believe they are going to change the world by murdering people. We have seen it in Buddhism, we have seen it in Hinduism. It’s murder. It’s wrong and we have got to make sure as a nation, people can go to the cricket, can go to the rugby, go down the street, go to the park, enjoy life, be Australian and leave other people alone to have their beliefs because they are probably different to yours. Don’t change the world by violence, change the world by argument, cogent argument. |
| Joyce says Australian values include equality, leaving other people alone, compassion, tolerance, being kind, doing your bit. | Joyce says Australian values include equality, leaving other people alone, compassion, tolerance, being kind, doing your bit. |
| People say it all sounds a bit old fashioned but its not. If you really had an empathy for other people around you, you wouldn’t want to blow them up. You would say they’re just like me. Leave them alone. | People say it all sounds a bit old fashioned but its not. If you really had an empathy for other people around you, you wouldn’t want to blow them up. You would say they’re just like me. Leave them alone. |
| Whatever you think of the DPM, Barnaby is very good on these messages and speaks to a constituency, part of which potentially crosses into One Nation territory. So it is heartening that he takes every opportunity to underline religious tolerance. This is not the first time he has said this stuff. | Whatever you think of the DPM, Barnaby is very good on these messages and speaks to a constituency, part of which potentially crosses into One Nation territory. So it is heartening that he takes every opportunity to underline religious tolerance. This is not the first time he has said this stuff. |
| 11.29pm BST | 11.29pm BST |
| 23:29 | 23:29 |
| Good morning blogans, | Good morning blogans, |
| The Canberra fog had enveloped parliament house as I trudged in, a little weary as a result of the possum rave on my roof last night. It seems every creature from the district was dancing on my flat roof, or perhaps there was a marsupial Olympics. Anyway, enough of my problems... | The Canberra fog had enveloped parliament house as I trudged in, a little weary as a result of the possum rave on my roof last night. It seems every creature from the district was dancing on my flat roof, or perhaps there was a marsupial Olympics. Anyway, enough of my problems... |
| George Brandis is the man of the morning. He has been speaking to media this morning after the NSW Coroner’s report into the Lindt cafe siege which ended with the deaths of Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson as well as the perpetrator Man Haron Monis. | George Brandis is the man of the morning. He has been speaking to media this morning after the NSW Coroner’s report into the Lindt cafe siege which ended with the deaths of Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson as well as the perpetrator Man Haron Monis. |
| The coroner had a lot to say about the NSW police service and they way they handled the raid. | |
| He also had a bit to say about the commonwealth – our purview – particularly in relation to passing on correspondence that may flag potential security threats. This was in relation to a letter Monis wrote to the attorney general’s department two months before the siege. | |
| At the time, Brandis told a Senate committee: | |
| There was no reason to believe that any member of the attorney general’s department staff would have known that Monis ... was a person of concern at that particular time. | |
| At the time, Labor’s Mark Dreyfus thought that the letter should have prompted further investigation, given it was “a letter from a man on bail for serious violence offences, who had been in litigation with the commonwealth in the high court, asking about communication with the head of Isil”. | At the time, Labor’s Mark Dreyfus thought that the letter should have prompted further investigation, given it was “a letter from a man on bail for serious violence offences, who had been in litigation with the commonwealth in the high court, asking about communication with the head of Isil”. |
| Last night Brandis was questioned by Labor in Senate estimates about this comment in the NSW Coroner’s report, which says: | |
| There does not appear to be an effective policy in place to require the commonwealth bureaucracy to forward correspondence received by it to Asio where that correspondence is relevant to security considerations. | There does not appear to be an effective policy in place to require the commonwealth bureaucracy to forward correspondence received by it to Asio where that correspondence is relevant to security considerations. |
| Brandis said it was not a consequential letter and the department had changed its practices. But after a semantic argument about what constituted an government wide policy, he declined to say that there was one across all agencies. | Brandis said it was not a consequential letter and the department had changed its practices. But after a semantic argument about what constituted an government wide policy, he declined to say that there was one across all agencies. |
| He is a little more forthcoming this morning. | He is a little more forthcoming this morning. |
| On ABC AM, Brandis said there were no adverse findings of commonwealth agencies but there were “helpful suggestions” for the feds. | On ABC AM, Brandis said there were no adverse findings of commonwealth agencies but there were “helpful suggestions” for the feds. |
| He said his department had reviewed their processes two years ago. The AG’s department also talked to other departments about their processes but Brandis said he would check again following the report. | He said his department had reviewed their processes two years ago. The AG’s department also talked to other departments about their processes but Brandis said he would check again following the report. |
| Brandis tries to avoid a question about regretting the failure to pass on correspondence. He says post fact reviews – including by the head of Asio – have found the letter would have made no difference to the outcome. | |
| Sabra Lane presses him. Do you personally regret it? | Sabra Lane presses him. Do you personally regret it? |
| Well of course because I asked my department to tighten up their correspondence handling practices. I would prefer that it had been handed on and if that occurred today it would be handed on. | Well of course because I asked my department to tighten up their correspondence handling practices. I would prefer that it had been handed on and if that occurred today it would be handed on. |
| The other element of the Lindt siege crossing the state-federal boundary relates to when to engage other security agencies and the defence. | The other element of the Lindt siege crossing the state-federal boundary relates to when to engage other security agencies and the defence. |
| Brandis said military call-out powers were being reviewed and a submission would be taken to cabinet. | Brandis said military call-out powers were being reviewed and a submission would be taken to cabinet. |
| Plainly there is an argument, particularly when there is a serious terrorist event to deploy all of the capabilities the nation can summon, whether it be the policing and intelligence capability or the military capability. | Plainly there is an argument, particularly when there is a serious terrorist event to deploy all of the capabilities the nation can summon, whether it be the policing and intelligence capability or the military capability. |
| If you were not around late yesterday, you may have missed Tony Abbott’s intervention, rising to the challenge of all things national security. Shoot to kill, he told 2GB. | If you were not around late yesterday, you may have missed Tony Abbott’s intervention, rising to the challenge of all things national security. Shoot to kill, he told 2GB. |
| We need to change our protocols dealing with terrorist sieges because terrorists don’t expect to get out alive and they don’t care who they kill. I think we do need to give the police a shoot to kill power when they reasonably think they are in a terrorist situation, and we do need to ensure, without supplanting the appropriate role of the police as the lead agency in a terrorist situation, that there is close cooperation, without muddying the lines of command, close cooperation between the military and the police. | We need to change our protocols dealing with terrorist sieges because terrorists don’t expect to get out alive and they don’t care who they kill. I think we do need to give the police a shoot to kill power when they reasonably think they are in a terrorist situation, and we do need to ensure, without supplanting the appropriate role of the police as the lead agency in a terrorist situation, that there is close cooperation, without muddying the lines of command, close cooperation between the military and the police. |
| Talk to me on the Twits @gabriellechan on Facebook or in the thread. Writers Fest bloke @mpbowers should be back this morning, fog notwithstanding. Hey ho, let’s go. | Talk to me on the Twits @gabriellechan on Facebook or in the thread. Writers Fest bloke @mpbowers should be back this morning, fog notwithstanding. Hey ho, let’s go. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.43am BST |