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Clive Palmer announces Brian Burston as UAP Senate leader – politics live Clive Palmer announces Brian Burston as UAP Senate leader – politics live
(35 minutes later)
So it looks like the reason Steve Ciobo and Malcolm Turnbull had to run, was because Mark Dreyfus is attempting to suspend standing orders to vote on this motion: Christian Porter’s office has issued an URGENT media alert (from his statement)
That the House resolves that it will never support the privatisation of the ABC and calls on the government to reverse its latest damaging $83 million cut to the ABC” Australians will be protected from the deliberately deceptive behaviour seen during the 2016 election campaign – the so called Mediscare campaign.
Ayes - 63 Attorney-General, Christian Porter, said Parliament today passed laws to make it a criminal offence to impersonate a Commonwealth entity, company or service, such as a government agency or department.
Noes- 73 “We all saw during the last election the deliberately deceptive behaviour where Labor sent text messages purporting to be from Medicare but which were actually direct political propaganda from Labor designed to deceive and scare voters over the future of Medicare,” the Attorney-General said.
“Under this legislation, it would be a criminal offence to undertake such deceptive activities, with those responsible facing penalties of up to five years imprisonment.
“Whilst it was already a criminal offence to impersonate a Commonwealth official, these new laws put beyond doubt the ability prosecutors to deal appropriately with those who pretend pretending to be, or be acting on behalf of, a Government body.”
The Attorney-General said it was important that the Australian community could have and maintain confidence in their major institutions.
“The passage of this legislation ensures that our institutions cannot be misused by those with other agendas and protects the community from criminal misrepresentation of those institutions,” the Attorney-General said.
“The legislation includes safeguards to ensure the new offences do not limit freedom of expression or stifle public debate. Specific protections are included for artistic or satirical misrepresentations of Government. These protections ensure Australia’s longstanding and celebrated tradition of satire and artistic freedom continues, whilst protecting people from deliberate deception for specific purposes.”
The ABC will always be in public hands, it will never be sold, that is my commitment, it is a public broadcaster
“It always has been and it always will be.”
It sounds like this one has had some practice.
On how the government negotiations with the crossbench are going with its income tax bill, Malcolm Turnbull had this to say:
We’ll be engaging, as we always do with the crossbench, respectfully and as persuasively as we can, not through the medium of a press conference.”
Rare footage of the Titanic II going down (from the genius that is Mike Bowers)
And now we are back to trade talks.
So it looks like the reason Steve Ciobo and Malcolm Turnbull had to run was because Mark Dreyfus is attempting to suspend standing orders to vote on this motion:
That the house resolves that it will never support the privatisation of the ABC and calls on the government to reverse its latest damaging $83 million cut to the ABC
Ayes – 63
Noes – 73
And in the great tradition of today, the prime minister’s press conference has just had the pause button pressed by the ringing of the bells in the lower house.And in the great tradition of today, the prime minister’s press conference has just had the pause button pressed by the ringing of the bells in the lower house.
With just a one-seat majority, you have to get your running shoes on, if you are a government MP.With just a one-seat majority, you have to get your running shoes on, if you are a government MP.
Cecilia Malmstrom was left alone at the podium, before someone remembered she may not have a clue what was going on, and came to her rescue. Cecilia Malmstrom was left alone at the podium before someone remembered she may not have a clue what was going on and came to her rescue.
A small side note. When Clive Palmer had his first go around at politics in 2013, he tried to launch it as the United Australia Party but then had to change it to the Palmer United party after a battle with the electoral commission.A small side note. When Clive Palmer had his first go around at politics in 2013, he tried to launch it as the United Australia Party but then had to change it to the Palmer United party after a battle with the electoral commission.
Malcolm Turnbull is in the blue room with the EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.Malcolm Turnbull is in the blue room with the EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.
He says trade talks will begin for a new Australia-EU free trade agreement.He says trade talks will begin for a new Australia-EU free trade agreement.
LIVE now with @StevenCiobo. https://t.co/XgAEC8OunHLIVE now with @StevenCiobo. https://t.co/XgAEC8OunH
Mike Bowers was down at the Clive Palmer press conference and said he heard one of the gardeners on the phone madly trying to get the sprinklers turned off, as they had started automatically.Mike Bowers was down at the Clive Palmer press conference and said he heard one of the gardeners on the phone madly trying to get the sprinklers turned off, as they had started automatically.
Clive Palmer and Brian Burston at a press conference to announce that former One Nation senator would be joining his United Australia party, the auto sprinkler system came on and cut short the event @murpharoo @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/KTt02YXeHIClive Palmer and Brian Burston at a press conference to announce that former One Nation senator would be joining his United Australia party, the auto sprinkler system came on and cut short the event @murpharoo @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/KTt02YXeHI
And the Clive Palmer press conference started so well:And the Clive Palmer press conference started so well:
My exchange with Brian Burston and Clive Palmer a few minutes ago...#auspol pic.twitter.com/8v0NFIER98My exchange with Brian Burston and Clive Palmer a few minutes ago...#auspol pic.twitter.com/8v0NFIER98
Just a small correction – Senate Greens put through the axe-the-tampon-tax as a bill, not a motion.Just a small correction – Senate Greens put through the axe-the-tampon-tax as a bill, not a motion.
But with the House numbers as they are, it won’t get a pass.But with the House numbers as they are, it won’t get a pass.
SiiiiigggghhhhhhSiiiiigggghhhhhh
STATEMENT: Senator Brian Burston to lead United Australia Party in the Senate #auspol pic.twitter.com/levWRTNC25STATEMENT: Senator Brian Burston to lead United Australia Party in the Senate #auspol pic.twitter.com/levWRTNC25
Also sidenote - press conferences are held in the Senate courtyard all the time. And I have never seen the sprinklers go off. Especially not at 11am on a Monday morning.
So who turned them on?
And despite Sarah Vogler from the Courier Mail reporting overnight that Brian Burston would be joining Clive Palmer’s party, Burston claims he didn’t make the decision until 10.30 this morning.
That is because he told the Senate at 10am he was standing as an independent. Which he is not. He’s standing as a United Australia Party. By stating he didn’t make the decision until 10.30, he has not, technically, misled parliament.
But before it all ended, Clive Palmer, who has not paid his sacked workers their entitlements, said he would be using the money his companies raise, to fund his political party comeback:
Course the money from my companies that I own 100% will be supporting political lives in Australia. You people seem to think if I have got money that I own I can’t spend it as I want to. That is a freedom in this country.”
The Senate courtyard sprinklers just brought that press conference to an end.
Probably because it resembled a flaming trash heap and the sprinklers got confused.
Labor MP Cathy O’Toole turned up to Clive Palmer’s press conference. She represents north Queensland seat of Herbert, which is where Palmer shut down his nickel refinery – the region’s biggest employer:
Here is the exchange:
O’Toole: Why aren’t you paying the workers in Herbert district in Townsville the money they are owed? I have got John who is owed $10,000 by you.
Palmer: Let me answer your question.
O’Toole: Laura $7,000, Chris from Bushland Beach $10,000. These people are doing it tough, Clive.
Palmer: We have got to do something – can I answer your question, please? First of all, I announced last week we are reopening a refinery and the Townsville Bulletin ran a poll in Townsville and found that 70% of people supported my plans of doing that. Secondly, I do not owe anyone anything in North Queensland.
O’Toole: They think differently.
Palmer: It is not true.
O’Toole: It is their back pocket. They are not wealthy like you that is the sad thing.
Palmer: What we have to do is look to the future and get jobs for the country. I sympathise with all people in North Queensland.
O’Toole: Sympathy doesn’t pay their bills.
Palmer: It is not my responsibility to pay the people’s bills.
O’Toole: It is your responsibility to pay your workers their entitlements.
Palmer: I didn’t sack anybody in North Queensland.
O’Toole: They are not seeing it. These people do not have a job.
Palmer: That is not true. If they haven’t got a job after three years ...
O’Toole: We have huge unemployment. Imagine taking 850 jobs out of our community – it nearly killed our community.
Palmer: 70% of people supported us in Townsville to reopen it. We have got to get more jobs open in this country. Another question?
Clive Palmer has just announced Brian Burston is the Senate leader for the United Australia Party.
Palmer says Burston has shown a courage not often seen in Australian politics.
I just ... ugh. Mark it down. It is 11am on the first sitting of the new parliament and I CAN NOT EVEN:
Barry O'Sullian just told the Senate he's in love with one of Derryn Hinch's former wives - Jackie Weaver - and doesn't want to ruin his chances of meeting her in the future by speaking too strongly against Hinch's live exports ban. Australian politics wtf
That awkward moment you run into your ex at the shops:
The end-the-tampon-tax-god-damn-it bill just passed the Senate on the voices.
The House can, and will, choose to ignore that though.
So now that the Senate musical chairs have calmed for just a moment, here is what Mathias Cormann is working with, if Labor and the Greens oppose government legislation:
He needs eight of the remaining 10 crossbenchers. So, now that Pauline Hanson has lost her voting bloc of three – and effectively, her balance of power, here is the puzzle the government has to put together.
Option one:
One Nation, Centre Alliance and four of the remaining six crossbenchers: Tim Storer, Derryn Hinch, and the loose conservative alliance of Brian Burston, Fraser Anning, Cory Bernardi and David Leyonhjelm.
Option two:
One Nation and every single crossbencher
Option three:
Centre Alliance and every single crossbencher
Option four:
The conservative crossbench and either One Nation, Centre Alliance or Hinch and Storer.