This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/feb/11/labor-coalition-election-morrison-shorten-politics-live
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Scott Morrison talks tough on security in National Press Club address – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Question: | |
| If I could just take you back to national security and border protection. You said in your speech that you had no plans to change something that worked. I think you said, “not one jot”. | |
| At the moment, it seems that Labor is recalibrating its position on the refugee Medivac Bill. | |
| Are you actually prepared to consider amendments to refugee transfers, giving the minister the discretion and the power, complete discretion and control over this process? | |
| Will you hold the line in your opposition to any amendments, I guess particularly given the advice is that the passage of this bill also risks recommencing the people smuggling trade? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Let me start by saying this - the minister today has those powers and responsibilities. It already exists. I don’t need to give them those powers. They already have them. This bill is unnecessary. It’s surpuflous. It adds nothing to border protection and therefore, its passage in any form takes us backwards. | |
| You don’t need this bill to ensure that Australia has control of its borders. We already do. See, this is the problem with Bill Shorten on national security or borders or anything else. He thinks it’s something you trade on. He says - oh, let’s find the middle ground. | |
| No, no, I’m going to stand on the right ground. | |
| You want to join me on the right ground, you’re welcome. But I’m not going to find a middle ground. | |
| You can split the difference on 1,200 deaths. You can’t split the difference on 50,000. What, we’ll settle on 25,000? No. On national security, on border protection, these things are absolutes - and Labor never gets this. | |
| They think that there’s some sort of a slide rule that applies to this, that there’s a continuum and you just pick your point to balance left and right. And we saw Anthony Albanese out there this morning. | |
| He seems to have a different position to Bill Shorten this morning. A very different position. | |
| So I don’t know where that’s going. But what I do know is this - I don’t trade on national security but Bill Shorten clearly is indicating that that’s what he’d do, and I don’t think that makes Australia stronger, I think it makes Australia weaker under Bill Shorten. | |
| Question: | |
| Just to follow up on your answer just then. I guess one thing that voters could say is that what we’ve seen in the recent months is a lot of contradictions within the Liberal Party on climate change and on energy policy. | |
| So to follow up on Sheradyn’s question - how can you give voters an assurance that you’ll have a settled policy on energy in the next term of Parliament, given the divisions within the Liberal Party? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Well, we’ve already announced quite a bit of policy in that area and there will be more policy announced between now and the next election. | |
| But what is the test of whether a policy is working? The goal you set for it. | |
| The goal we set with our emissions reduction policy was that. We would meet Kyoto 1. We’ll meet Kyoto 2. We smashed Kyoto 1. | |
| Kyoto 2 we will smash as well and as I said to you, 2030, our target of 26%, we will meet in a canter and I’ll be announcing further upgrades and details of our policy between here and the next election which will determine that result as well. | |
| So what we do in the Liberal Party is we say what we’re going to do and what we’re going to achieve. | |
| We said we’re going to create one million jobs. We’ll have an economic plan to do that through lower taxes and supporting family businesses and infrastructure and doing all that. | |
| And we did it. We said we were going to turn back boats, establish regional processing and make it work properly and restore temporary protection visas and stop the boats and end the deaths, and we did all that. | |
| So, we do what we say we’re going to do and we get the results we say we’re going to get. Now, the same is true on climate. | |
| We said we would beat Kyoto 1 and 2. We said through the Emissions Reduction Fund, we would achieve that. And I’m telling you, our policies will hit the targets going forward. And we’ll do it because we know it is the right thing to do and we have a plan to get there. | |
| The reason I announced our economic plan two weeks ago and the security plan today is to make it clear that I’m not just asking Australians to vote for us on our record - as strong as it is - I’m asking Australians to vote for us because we’ve got the plan to take us forward and to keep us going. | |
| We have a future plan and it’s a passionate plan. I can tell you, I’m pumped-as on this plan because I know it’s going to make Australia stronger, not weaker. | |
| Question: | |
| You gave some statistics there, but one of the things that they gave was the number of prime ministers that there has been since the Coalition came to Government. Picking up on Chris’s question before - how can you promise voters, hand on heart, here today, that the announcements that you are making and in the upcoming budget, are things that will actually be implemented should your Government be re-elected? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Well, we dealt with that last year. The party room made a historical decision regarding the support of prime ministers who are re-elected. So that’s for the history books. That’s already on the record. But let me tell you a story. | |
| I think there’s a great myth that is going around about what happened in 2013. The Labor Party had quite a few prime ministers, that’s true - and they weren’t very good! We’ve had three good ones, I would argue! | |
| What happened in 2013 was that the Labor Party were thrown out because they were a very bad government. | |
| They had manifestly stuffed it on so many points, it was embarrassing. Now, people can rightly say that we’ve had three prime ministers - that is true. What they cannot say is that we’ve mismanaged the finances. They cannot say that we’ve mismanaged the Budget or the economy. | |
| They cannot say that we’ve mishandled the borders or failed to invest in the Defence Forces or secure our position in the Pacific and the broader Indo-Pacific region. | |
| They can’t say we haven’t worked with state and territories to bring about record funding for schools and hospitals and they cannot say, as Greg Hunt will remind you on every occasion, that we have got record listings of pharmaceuticals under the pharmaceuticals benefits scheme. | |
| And why? Because we know how to run a budget and have a great economy. The great myth of the 2013 election was that Labor was thrown out only because they had too many prime ministers. | |
| They were thrown out because they were a joke in government and they will be again. And let me tell you why - they have learned nothing. Absolutely nothing. | |
| Question: | |
| This week, Labor intends to move a motion seeking a majority of 76 votes to force a recall of the Parliament in March. Just dealing with some of Hayne’s recommendations. Pivotal to that is the vote of Bob Katter, who is open to it - not ruling it out. If he were to support that motion, would that cancel that deal you did with him last year to give him $234 million in water infrastructure for his electorate so long as he voted with the minority Government? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Well, there’s a lot in that question, Phil! But let me tell you about some things which are facts. What is a fact is that there are 40recommendations that require legislation. | |
| What is a fact is that we currently have bills already sitting in the Senate and in the House which can be actioned, right now, this week. | |
| In fact, I remember when I introduced the banking Executive Accountability Regime into the Parliament and when I brought the bank levy into the Parliament - you know who tried to slow it down? The Labor Party. | |
| The Labor Party tried to slow it down. So this is what it is. You cannot go and put together what is at least 40 pieces of legislation, or thereabouts, scramble it together in a couple of weeks, throw it into a feverish sitting of the Australian Parliament just before the election and then be surprised at the result that you think that you might get on the other side. I would call that type of financial legislation - reckless. The fact that Bill Shorten, as a former Financial Services Minister and an assistant treasurer, doesn’t understand the complexity of these measures, the consultation that has to be undertaken - the exposure drafts that need to be made available. | |
| The unintended consequences to be identified through that process, says that this guy doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand how to legislate financial services reform. | |
| Now, there’s a good reason - he’s never done it! They didn’t do it when they were in government last time. They had Storm Financial, they had all of those. Nothing. Zip, zero! | |
| Our Government has been reforming the financial services sector since the day we were elected. The Financial Systems Inquiry - started the process rolling under the Murray | |
| Review and that’s continued to this day, and the Treasurer has led, I think, a very comprehensive response to the Royal Commission in just days. We’re still waiting, aren’t we, Josh? I mean, they have had more time to consider their response than the Government has, and we’re still waiting. Still waiting. Labor doesn’t know how to reform the financial sector because they never have and they don’t know what’s involved. | |
| The Law Council has made the same point today. We will deal with this in the prudent, measured and responsibility way we always do. That’s why Australians can trust us when it comes to managing our economy because we don’t go and beat it with a baseball bat, senselessly, without thinking through the consequences - which is what Labor wants to do. | |
| Question: | |
| On the substantive point and Phil’s question, if Bob Katter votes against the Government on this, does it extinguish the water funding meal? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Too many “ifs” in the question so I don’t intend to entertain it. | |
| Question: | |
| The Liberal party has voted no confidence in its own leadership twice now. Why should the Australian people show confidence in this government in May? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Over one million jobs with 1.25m jobs to come. Restoring the nation’s finances, which has taken 5.5 years to do. | |
| Restoring our borders, rebuilding our defence forces. Keeping Australians safe. A track record of performance, but more importantly, a plan to make sure that we continue to create the strong Australia that Australians want to live in for the next decade. Make no mistake – the election is about the Australia you want to live in for the next decade. Do you want to live in a stronger Australia under my government? Or do you want to live in a weaker Australia under Bill Shorten and Labor?” | |
| Question: | |
| Can you explain why the medical transfer from offshore detention of 419 people, under your government, has not rebooted the people-smuggling trade since May last year, whereas the proposed Phelps amendments would? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Gladly. We haven’t changed the policy. These transfers have occurred quietly, under the existing policy. And they’ve been done by the government, not by anyone else. They’ve been done by our decisions. The government remains in control of our borders and the people smugglers know it, so long as this government is running the show. The problem with the bill is, it takes control from the government, the elected government, which has to take into account all the considerations that impact on the nation’s interests and doesn’t subcontract it out to others who don’t have those same interests or responsibilities.” | |
| The government has fought transfers in the court, where they are currently arguing the federal court may not have the authority to overrule its decisions. The bill does not take control of the borders out of the government’s hands. For the people out the back DOCTORS WILL NOT BE DECIDING BORDER SECURITY | |
| Scott Morrison finishes his speech: | |
| So in conclusion – national security is all about making the right decisions. Because, as a government and as a prime minister, you make them every single day. You make these decisions – this is how I make them ... | |
| Based on your values. | |
| What you believe. | |
| Your instincts, your experience and when required – courage. | |
| Our government has demonstrated that we have the mettle to make the right calls on our nation’s security. | |
| Repairing our borders, investing in our defence forces. Deporting violent criminals, taking on domestic violence to protect the women and children of this country. Disrupting terrorist attacks. | |
| We have led, we haven’t followed. | |
| We have taken decisions rather than put them off to another day. And we have embraced tough calls rather than seeking to buy weak compromises for the purpose of politics. This is our form. Not just of our government, but as Michael McCormack knows, the deputy prime minister, the form of Liberal-National coalition governments going back 70 years. | |
| It’s why we’re trusted. The plan I have announced today is built on a strong record that sets out plainly what a re-elected Morrison Liberal-National government will continue to do to keep Australians safe and secure. | |
| You may notice there he had to give Michael McCormack’s title. That wouldn’t have anything to do with National party polling showing McCormack has zero name recognition would it? | |
| Good news for northern Queensland shires: | |
| There is a national disaster unfolding in northern Queensland. | |
| We announced that assistance on Friday and today I’m announcing that my act will provide an immediate non-gratia payment of $1m to each of the affected shires. | |
| That is just something to get on and do the enormous amount of work that they need to support their communities. | |
| They raised it with me this morning. It’s announced by this afternoon. This payment will be for them to use on priorities they deem most urgent – whether that be rate relief for impacted properties, infrastructure, or the disposal of cattle which have perished, which has been coordinated and also assisted by the ADF. | |
| Our disaster assistance funding to north Queensland in response to this flood is already over $100m in addition to the massive support provided by the ADF. | |
| So I want those farmers to know, up there in north Queensland – we will stand with you all the way through this disaster, but we will be standing with you on the other side as you rebuild the great prosperity that we know is there for you in the future. We will be there to rebuild with you. | |
| Scott Morrison: | |
| Across my time as immigration minister, and on Peter’s watch and now on David’s watch, we have cancelled the visas of the equivalent of the jail population of South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory combined. | |
| We have cancelled the visas of 4,150 dangerous criminals – sent them packing. In six years, Labor cancelled 643 visitors’ visas. | |
| Labor were soft. | |
| We cancelled over 800 last year alone. That included 13 murderers, 34 rapists and sex offenders, 53 for domestic violence and 100 child sex offenders, punted by our government. | |
| Specifically, we’ve cancelled the visas of more than 300 child sex offenders and stopped hundreds more at the border. | |
| And we have introduced an approach to strip criminals of the illegally obtained wealth, no matter which jurisdiction they operate in, which strikes at the heart of organised crime. | |
| And I particularly acknowledge Michael Keenan for his work when he was minister for those issues. We’re giving the law enforcement agencies the tools to read encrypted messages that violent criminals and child sex offenders are using to evade detection, and we had to fight for it in the parliament to make sure that we got it. | |
| We’re seeking to legislate that police have the appropriate powers to disrupt potential security and criminal threats at airports. | |
| Our government is taking an uncompromising approach to fighting the menace of drugs. | |
| Last financial year, the AFP and Australian Border Force seized more than 17 tonnes of drugs and precursors at the border. The AFP assisted its international counterparts to seize more than 28 tonnes of drugs and precursors offshore. | |
| All of these efforts are protecting lives being destroyed by drugs in our communities. | |
| The scourge of ice is one that I know affects communities right across Australia. Not least the families and children of ice addicts. | |
| The government has invested $450m to help these communities fight the impacts of ice, including funding for more than 220 local drug action teams. Our joined-up strategy includes international cooperation to stop drugs at the source, with enhanced intelligence sharing, as well as better controls on precursive chemicals and law enforcement. | |
| In total, more than $720m over four years to help communities reduce the impact of drug and alcohol misuse. Forgive me for listing such a long list of actions, but there’s a long list there in terms of what we’ve been doing. | |
| Michaelia Cash’s former adviser David De Garis has been in the stand for most of the morning, but he has also been asked to leave the courtroom twice while arguments are put about which evidence should be considered by the court. | |
| Lawyers for the Registered Organisations Commission objected to the court considering evidence about De Garis’ decision to tip off the media about the police raids on the AWU’s Melbourne and Sydney offices in October 2017. | |
| Frank Parry QC told the court “apparent leak” of the raids to the media in was irrelevant to the ROC’s decision to investigate the donations, because the decision to launch the probe was made in August. | |
| It would lead to a “fixation” on the events of 23-24 October – when Cash denied her staff had told the media and then dramatically changed her answer during Senate estimates – despite the fact the leak was “of marginal relevance (to the case)”. | |
| Herman Borenstein QC, representing the AWU, said the evidence – initially an email from De Garis – could “cast light” on the ROC’s decision by showing there was considerable interest within Cash’s office about the investigation. “It shows that the senator’s office is keen to take political advantage of the existence of the investigation and what happens afterwards and that this is known to the (Roc),” he said.Justice Mordecai Bromberg said he would admit the evidence before later deciding whether to consider it as part of his ruling. | |
| On that pair news, this story from Jane Norman at the ABC from earlier today is worth a read | |
| Ann Sudmalis was supposed to be at the UN in New York. But in the final few sitting days last year, she flew back to Canberra and locked herself in her office, where she waited in case the Government needed to use her as a secret weapon #auspolhttps://t.co/7Gi0nxfgoP | |
| Things are getting real – the opposition has just put the government on notice that any vote which requires an absolute majority, of 76, Labor will cancel pairs. | |
| Pairs are cancelled pic.twitter.com/GxGemVN3rB | |
| The Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP talking safety and security @PressClubAust #npc #auspol pic.twitter.com/p9qappuLDF | The Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP talking safety and security @PressClubAust #npc #auspol pic.twitter.com/p9qappuLDF |
| Continued: | Continued: |
| For the past five and a half years, our government has taken these responsibilities extremely seriously. Dealing with the world as it is – uncertain, often dangerous, uncompromising, and at its worst – simply evil. | |
| Every day, we have been taking action to build a stronger and even more resilient Australia to deal with whatever comes our way. | Every day, we have been taking action to build a stronger and even more resilient Australia to deal with whatever comes our way. |
| That’s why, today, I’m releasing our forward plan to keep Australians safe and secure in the future. Our plan to keep Australians safe and secure. | That’s why, today, I’m releasing our forward plan to keep Australians safe and secure in the future. Our plan to keep Australians safe and secure. |
| The plan builds on our achievements and addresses the plans that we face. Plans must always be updated to show that. Regional tensions between the world’s powers. Heightened global instability. Headwinds that we face, as Josh Frydenberg knows as treasurer. | |
| The economy as Mathias Cormann knows. Foreign interference. Radical terrorism. People smuggling. Natural disasters. Organised crime. Money laundering. Biosecurity hazards. Cyber security. The evil ice trade. Violence against women, as I’ve mentioned. | The economy as Mathias Cormann knows. Foreign interference. Radical terrorism. People smuggling. Natural disasters. Organised crime. Money laundering. Biosecurity hazards. Cyber security. The evil ice trade. Violence against women, as I’ve mentioned. |
| Online predators and scammers who seek to rip off older Australians – cyber bullying, elder abuse. | |
| Our plan to keep Australians safe and secure, to address these threats, is straightforward. | Our plan to keep Australians safe and secure, to address these threats, is straightforward. |
| Keep our economy strong to provide the surest foundation for our security. | Keep our economy strong to provide the surest foundation for our security. |
| Defend Australia with $200bn over the next decade. Continue to protect our borders with proven policies that work and not changing them. | |
| Keeping Australians safe from terrorism by disrupting and denying those terrorists the [chance] to undertake attacks in Australia. To combat violence against women and counter the culture of disrespect towards women that can lead to that violence. Protect our children online and in the real world. | Keeping Australians safe from terrorism by disrupting and denying those terrorists the [chance] to undertake attacks in Australia. To combat violence against women and counter the culture of disrespect towards women that can lead to that violence. Protect our children online and in the real world. |
| Going after sexual predators and countering bullying behaviour. Secure our region and our sovereignty by prioritising cooperation with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and family, as Marise Payne does on a daily basis. | Going after sexual predators and countering bullying behaviour. Secure our region and our sovereignty by prioritising cooperation with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and family, as Marise Payne does on a daily basis. |
| To protect Australians from organised criminals by ensuring that we give police and security services the resources and technology and the powers they need. | To protect Australians from organised criminals by ensuring that we give police and security services the resources and technology and the powers they need. |
| To fight that menace of drugs, and especially ice, with coordinated law enforcement and anti-gangs initiatives. And to protect our communities in times of natural disaster by continuing to invest more in preparedness and capability, so we can respond quickly in helping Australians get back on our feet as we are doing, even as we speak right now with the disasters that face us. | To fight that menace of drugs, and especially ice, with coordinated law enforcement and anti-gangs initiatives. And to protect our communities in times of natural disaster by continuing to invest more in preparedness and capability, so we can respond quickly in helping Australians get back on our feet as we are doing, even as we speak right now with the disasters that face us. |