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Liberal Chris Back to retire from Senate – politics live Liberal Chris Back to retire from Senate – politics live
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The Australian Tax Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston has resigned after been charged with two counts of abuse of public office for allegedly obtaining information and exercising influence to obtain a benefit for his son.
Cranston who was earlier suspended, tendered his resignation after the hearing, effective immediately.
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07:32
AAP reports that the One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has dropped legal proceedings against the ABC in which she had sought to stop the broadcaster airing “secret” telephone recordings.
The case was launched after recordings relating to One Nation officials were leaked to the media by the party’s former treasurer in Queensland Ian Nelson.
Hanson’s lawyers on Tuesday discontinued proceedings against the ABC in the NSW supreme court after the broadcaster last week revealed it had no additional recordings. The 63-year-old was ordered to pay the ABC’s legal fees.
But Hanson’s legal action against the former One Nation treasurer Ian Nelson continues.
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Calla Walquist reports:
Victoria’s peak legal body has chastised senior Turnbull government ministers for making “worrying” and “inappropriate” comments about the Victorian judiciary over the sentencing of terrorism offences.
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, and the human services minister, Alan Tudge, said senior supreme court judges – including chief justice Marilyn Warren – made what they called “deeply concerning” comments during an appeal hearing on Friday.
Hunt accused the court of becoming a forum for “ideological experiments” and said the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, should “immediately reject” the judge’s statements.
The appeal concerned the sentencing of three Victorian men who had pleaded guilty to three separate terrorism-related offences, including Sevdet Ramadan Besim, who received 10 years’ jail for a plan to behead a police officer at the Anzac Day service in Melbourne in 2015.
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Andrew Burrell of the Oz reports that Liberal senator Chris Back is resigning for a change in personal circumstances. Andrew Burrell of the Oz reports that the Liberal senator Chris Back is resigning because of a change in personal circumstances.
Over a 50-year career since commencing veterinary school in 1967 I have placed work ahead of family. However my personal circumstances have changed recently and it is now time to redress that imbalance.Over a 50-year career since commencing veterinary school in 1967 I have placed work ahead of family. However my personal circumstances have changed recently and it is now time to redress that imbalance.
Travel from Western Australia to meet our commitments in the Parliament in Canberra and the heavy workload of Senate and Joint Committees around the country places a heavy burden on Members and Senators.Travel from Western Australia to meet our commitments in the Parliament in Canberra and the heavy workload of Senate and Joint Committees around the country places a heavy burden on Members and Senators.
I am no longer in a position to continue this commitment and meet my obligations to my family.I am no longer in a position to continue this commitment and meet my obligations to my family.
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Pauline Hanson is arguing the case to introduce a debt ceiling on how much the Australian government could borrow. Pauline Hanson is arguing the case to introduce a debt ceiling on how much the Australian government can borrow.
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Where’s the cheese Grommit? Where’s the cheese, Gromit?
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Barnaby Joyce: even the Nats want to land the energy policy planeBarnaby Joyce: even the Nats want to land the energy policy plane
Public statements from Tony Abbott and Craig Kelly about the importance of coal point to a conservative boilover in the joint Coalition party room on energy policy.Public statements from Tony Abbott and Craig Kelly about the importance of coal point to a conservative boilover in the joint Coalition party room on energy policy.
But in comments to Sky, the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has insisted the Nationals will be constructive.But in comments to Sky, the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has insisted the Nationals will be constructive.
Mr Shorten is not going to find a bipartisan position, he doesn’t want to be a leader ... no matter what the Coalition says, he’ll say no. We’re all moving to try and make sure we land this – even the National party, to a point. We’re all doing our bit – the Labor party should do their bit.Mr Shorten is not going to find a bipartisan position, he doesn’t want to be a leader ... no matter what the Coalition says, he’ll say no. We’re all moving to try and make sure we land this – even the National party, to a point. We’re all doing our bit – the Labor party should do their bit.
Joyce said he didn’t want to see coal disadvantaged because it was one of Australia’s major exports. He said it was “craziness” for Australia to become a nation of people that “take in each other’s washing, of kitchen renovators, of accountants doing solicitors’ work and solicitors doing accountants’ work”.Joyce said he didn’t want to see coal disadvantaged because it was one of Australia’s major exports. He said it was “craziness” for Australia to become a nation of people that “take in each other’s washing, of kitchen renovators, of accountants doing solicitors’ work and solicitors doing accountants’ work”.
All marvellous but somebody somewhere has got to put something on a boat and send it in the other direction for us to maintain our terms of trade.All marvellous but somebody somewhere has got to put something on a boat and send it in the other direction for us to maintain our terms of trade.
Joyce said an emissions intensity scheme disadvantaged energy sources above a certain level of emissions and advantaged those below; whereas a clean energy target would advantage those below but be neutral for those above.Joyce said an emissions intensity scheme disadvantaged energy sources above a certain level of emissions and advantaged those below; whereas a clean energy target would advantage those below but be neutral for those above.
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The matter of public importance on energy policy by Cathy McGowan and her fellow crossbenchers is unusual.The matter of public importance on energy policy by Cathy McGowan and her fellow crossbenchers is unusual.
It is the first time in the last two terms of parliament that the crossbenchers have come together to speak on an MPI. Cathy will be followed by Andrew Wilkie, Adam Bandt, Rebekha Sharkie and Bob Katter.It is the first time in the last two terms of parliament that the crossbenchers have come together to speak on an MPI. Cathy will be followed by Andrew Wilkie, Adam Bandt, Rebekha Sharkie and Bob Katter.
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06:21
Christopher Knaus reports on the politics of poverty porn.
The Coalition has been accused of “heartless vilification” for releasing a list of welfare “bludger hotspots” across Australia.
The federal government on Tuesday released a list of 10 suburbs and towns with the highest jobseeker non-compliance numbers.
The list, which News Corp dubbed a “list of shame”, referred to the number of welfare recipients who failed to meet requirements, usually by failing to attend appointments or interviews with job service providers.
Second on the list was Blacktown in Sydney, where 333 people failed to attend an interview without a reasonable excuse in the past year, according to News Corp.
That is about 0.097% of the estimated 340,000 people living in Blacktown city council and 2.87% of the 11,597 Newstart and youth allowance recipients subject to mutual obligation requirements in the area last year.
There are also fewer jobs in Blacktown city than resident workers. The jobs to residents ratio was 0.76 in 2015/16, according to the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research.
Blacktown city’s mayor, Stephen Bali, described the attack as the “politics of poverty porn”.
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The Indi independent, Cathy McGowan, is prosecuting the matter of public importance, being “the urgent need for a national energy policy that supports a strong economy, vibrant communities and sensible environmental outcomes”.
Labor looks like it is staying around to hear it but not the government MPs.
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06:15
Paul Karp reports that defence minister, Marise Payne, has told the Senate that WA Liberal Chris Back will retire.
In answering a question on Australian defence, Payne said that Back had today announced his retirement, and said his contribution would be “sorely missed”.
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Labor’s Mark Butler to Josh Frydenberg: Will the emissions intensity threshold under a clean energy target be at, higher or lower than 0.6 tonnes?
Frydenberg says a clean energy target was the preferred recommendation over Labor’s emissions intensity scheme because the emissions intensity scheme was punishing coal.
Labor takes a point of relevance. Speaker Smith upholds the Labor point and says get on with it.
Frydenberg says the Finkel review provides a lot of “food for thought”, which does not answer the question.
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Shorten to Turnbull: Is the prime minister aware that in just 18 days time, on 1 July, AGL power prices in NSW will go up by 16%, penalty rates will be cut for nearly 700,000 Australians and millionaires will get a tax cut. When household budgets for low- and middle-income Australians are getting even tighter, why is the prime minister’s only priority giving people who earn a million dollars a tax cut?
Turnbull attacks what he calls Shorten’s feeble attempts at the politics of envy.
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5.52am BST
05:52
Tanya Plibersek to Turnbull: Can the prime minister confirm wholesale electricity prices have more than doubled under his government?
Turnbull says increases in gas prices have been to blame – largely as a result of state government decisions,
but there is no doubt that wholesale electricity prices have considerably increased in very recent times.
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05:50
News from the Senate is that WA Liberal senator Chris Back is retiring immediately. His term expires in 2019.
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