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| Coalition begins 'carbon tax' assault on Labor climate policy – politics live | Coalition begins 'carbon tax' assault on Labor climate policy – politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| It’s always the summer of 69 in some people’s hearts. | |
| It is a cast of thousands for Labor’s official climate announcement (which is being held at an electric vehicle charging station in Civic, in Canberra’s centre). | |
| Mark Butler, Anthony Albanese, Kim Carr, Pat Conroy and (candidate) Alicia Payne have joined Bill Shorten: | |
| First of all – what is the cost of not taking action on climate change? It is huge. It was estimated that last year $18bn is the cost of the extreme weather events we’ve been having in insurance, in property values, in damage, in lost production. | |
| There is a huge opportunity cost when we don’t take action. We’re confident by the sensible, evidence-based, pragmatic and consultative policies we’re putting forward, that we can protect traditional jobs in steel, in cement, in aluminium. | |
| Industries I’ve spent my working life representing blue-collar workers in. I’m confident that with our fund to work with emissions intensive trade sectors like that, we can make sure that the changes for them are done in a way which protects those jobs. | |
| But I’m ambitious for new jobs in Australia. I don’t want us just to be ... financial service vendors or casualised part time workers. I want us to have full-time jobs in renewable energy. We have the best scientists in the world, so why on earth aren’t we adding that to value-added manufacturing? We have some of the best resources of lithium in the world. We can put together ... in Australia, we have all of the parts for a lithium battery. So why can’t we be a nation that says we want to step up and have more manufacturing jobs? | |
| In terms of electricity, we see that under this current government, even in the last three years since they got elected the second time around, the price has gone up 20%. I don’t know if it was you, Mark [Butler], or someone observed yesterday, who observed yesterday, that this $1.45 a week for pensioners, a one-off payment, a total of $75. | |
| It’s like a very small refund for their failure to do anything on energy policy in the last three years. I have no doubt that we will put downward pressure on energy prices. | |
| You are going to hear a lot about Queensland’s land clearing laws in the next few weeks – because that is essentially what Labor is talking about when it says it’s an area it wants to tackle. | |
| So, in a nutshell, what are they? | So, in a nutshell, what are they? |
| Well, in 2004, the then Labor Queensland state government passed laws which added a lot more bureaucracy for farmers who wanted to clear land. Basically, they had to get permission from the department before they could move forward. Landowners complained the process was too onerous and delayed, and they were unable to prepare for fire season and natural disasters. | |
| So when Campbell Newman’s LNP government came in, they scrapped the laws and gave the landowners the power to make their own decisions (essentially). | |
| And then land clearing went a bit nuts. | And then land clearing went a bit nuts. |
| The rate of excessive tree clearing in Queensland has skyrocketed, reaching an alarming rate of 395,000 hectares in 2015-16, according to the annual deforestation report released today. | The rate of excessive tree clearing in Queensland has skyrocketed, reaching an alarming rate of 395,000 hectares in 2015-16, according to the annual deforestation report released today. |
| The 2015-16 Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) also showed the rate of tree-clearing in the Great Barrier Reef catchments had soared by almost 50 per cent since 2012-2013. | |
| The Palaszczuk Labor government attempted to change the laws after winning the 2015 election, but without majority numbers, failed. | The Palaszczuk Labor government attempted to change the laws after winning the 2015 election, but without majority numbers, failed. |
| So they brought the laws back after the 2017 election when, with a majority, they passed (but not without a fight – the committee looking at the bill received 13,000 submissions, the most any Queensland government committee has ever received). | |
| So land clearing in Queensland, in a lot of cases, needs oversight once again. | So land clearing in Queensland, in a lot of cases, needs oversight once again. |
| Farmers are still annoyed. Very annoyed. Environmental groups think the laws are better, but still have massive loopholes. So no one is completely satisfied. And as federal Labor looks to move forward with similar laws from a national standpoint, you’ll hear a lot more from all sides. | Farmers are still annoyed. Very annoyed. Environmental groups think the laws are better, but still have massive loopholes. So no one is completely satisfied. And as federal Labor looks to move forward with similar laws from a national standpoint, you’ll hear a lot more from all sides. |
| Senator Tim Storer has released a proposed integrity package in the last sitting week of parliament. Storer is up for re-election and although he came in on the Nick Xenophon/Centre Alliance ticket he has since gone independent, a tough path to re-election, meaning this week is likely to be his last. | Senator Tim Storer has released a proposed integrity package in the last sitting week of parliament. Storer is up for re-election and although he came in on the Nick Xenophon/Centre Alliance ticket he has since gone independent, a tough path to re-election, meaning this week is likely to be his last. |
| I’ve done some poking around and while the proposal – which will come before the Senate in the form of a motion – has some support on the crossbench, there are a few planks that go too far for Labor. Those include the proposed overhaul of lobbyist rules, binding standards for parliamentarians expected to mirror the ministerial standards and a parliamentary integrity commissioner. | I’ve done some poking around and while the proposal – which will come before the Senate in the form of a motion – has some support on the crossbench, there are a few planks that go too far for Labor. Those include the proposed overhaul of lobbyist rules, binding standards for parliamentarians expected to mirror the ministerial standards and a parliamentary integrity commissioner. |
| Here is the full proposal: | Here is the full proposal: |
| On Saturday the Morrison government announced strict new laws to crack down on social media companies which fail to remove violent content quickly enough. Creating criminal offences for failure to remove content would include penalties including fines and jail terms. | On Saturday the Morrison government announced strict new laws to crack down on social media companies which fail to remove violent content quickly enough. Creating criminal offences for failure to remove content would include penalties including fines and jail terms. |
| A spokesman for the attorney general, Christian Porter, told Guardian Australia the government would “certainly be introducing [it] this week with [a] view to having it dealt with in both houses”. | A spokesman for the attorney general, Christian Porter, told Guardian Australia the government would “certainly be introducing [it] this week with [a] view to having it dealt with in both houses”. |
| So it’s a top priority – just like the big rush to increase penalties for putting needles in strawberries. | So it’s a top priority – just like the big rush to increase penalties for putting needles in strawberries. |
| Trouble is, Labor hasn’t seen the legislation yet (and nor have we, for that matter). | Trouble is, Labor hasn’t seen the legislation yet (and nor have we, for that matter). |
| Labor is now warning this is a “ridiculous timetable”. The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus: | Labor is now warning this is a “ridiculous timetable”. The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus: |
| Labor is committed to holding the social media companies to account – they can, and they must do better. What happened following the Christchurch attack can never happen again. | Labor is committed to holding the social media companies to account – they can, and they must do better. What happened following the Christchurch attack can never happen again. |
| Despite repeated requests, the government is yet to provide draft legislation regarding proposed social media regulation to the Opposition for scrutiny. If the government wishes to make this legislation law this sitting week, it will need to pass both the House and the Senate by end of day Wednesday. This ridiculous timetable is a direct result of the government being too frightened to hold an adequate number of parliamentary sitting days before the election. | Despite repeated requests, the government is yet to provide draft legislation regarding proposed social media regulation to the Opposition for scrutiny. If the government wishes to make this legislation law this sitting week, it will need to pass both the House and the Senate by end of day Wednesday. This ridiculous timetable is a direct result of the government being too frightened to hold an adequate number of parliamentary sitting days before the election. |
| Once the legislation is received, Labor will scrutinise it thoroughly and provide further comment. | Once the legislation is received, Labor will scrutinise it thoroughly and provide further comment. |
| There is no budget tree this year (even though winter has arrived ALREADY despite only just being April and if you think I am struggling dealing with it now, watch this little Queensland duck absolutely lose it in about six weeks’ time when she’s chipping ice off her windshield with her numberplate in the pitch dark) so our intrepid photographers and visual artists are having to find their own flame notes. | There is no budget tree this year (even though winter has arrived ALREADY despite only just being April and if you think I am struggling dealing with it now, watch this little Queensland duck absolutely lose it in about six weeks’ time when she’s chipping ice off her windshield with her numberplate in the pitch dark) so our intrepid photographers and visual artists are having to find their own flame notes. |
| Mike Bowers found this one: | Mike Bowers found this one: |
| A Gang Gang (I think) tucks into berries on the trees at Parliament House #auspol @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #parrotslive pic.twitter.com/40HhHKgg1Y | A Gang Gang (I think) tucks into berries on the trees at Parliament House #auspol @AmyRemeikis @GuardianAus #parrotslive pic.twitter.com/40HhHKgg1Y |
| The Nationals have found another “big stick”. | The Nationals have found another “big stick”. |
| Probably because the last big stick suffered from a little bit of deflation and ended up being less of a big stick and more of a modestly sized toothpick. (That was the threat to break up electricity companies.) | Probably because the last big stick suffered from a little bit of deflation and ended up being less of a big stick and more of a modestly sized toothpick. (That was the threat to break up electricity companies.) |
| David Littleproud is not ready to let go of big sticks just yet though. So he has come up with this (from his statement) – warning, it includes an offer of flowers: | David Littleproud is not ready to let go of big sticks just yet though. So he has come up with this (from his statement) – warning, it includes an offer of flowers: |
| Labor’s new land-clearing laws are a big stick to bash farmers when they should be rewarded for the biodiversity on their properties, minister for agriculture David Littleproud said today. | Labor’s new land-clearing laws are a big stick to bash farmers when they should be rewarded for the biodiversity on their properties, minister for agriculture David Littleproud said today. |
| Labor has announced it will extend Queensland-style land-clearing laws all over the country. The laws punish farmers for managing vegetation rather than rewarding them for the vegetation on their land. | Labor has announced it will extend Queensland-style land-clearing laws all over the country. The laws punish farmers for managing vegetation rather than rewarding them for the vegetation on their land. |
| Queensland farmers have staged huge protests, given they are having large parts of their properties made unproductive without any compensation or financial reward. | Queensland farmers have staged huge protests, given they are having large parts of their properties made unproductive without any compensation or financial reward. |
| ‘Labor needs to come clean on what carbon gain it has modelled from banning vegetation management nationwide,’ Minister Littleproud said. | ‘Labor needs to come clean on what carbon gain it has modelled from banning vegetation management nationwide,’ Minister Littleproud said. |
| ‘If Labor is getting carbon gains from stopping farmers making money on part of their farms then it should pay compensation. Labor should not take something from our farmers for nothing. If farmers are doing the heavy lifting for Labor’s carbon target, they deserve to be paid. | ‘If Labor is getting carbon gains from stopping farmers making money on part of their farms then it should pay compensation. Labor should not take something from our farmers for nothing. If farmers are doing the heavy lifting for Labor’s carbon target, they deserve to be paid. |
| ‘Taking away part of a business’s assets and offering nothing in return is wrong. Labor has no right to declare farmers can’t use a big part of their farms without compensation. | ‘Taking away part of a business’s assets and offering nothing in return is wrong. Labor has no right to declare farmers can’t use a big part of their farms without compensation. |
| ‘Labor wants to bash farmers with a big stick but I want to give them a bouquet.’ | ‘Labor wants to bash farmers with a big stick but I want to give them a bouquet.’ |
| There is just so much wrong with that line, I am honestly at a loss of where to start. | There is just so much wrong with that line, I am honestly at a loss of where to start. |
| Sigh. | Sigh. |
| Someone spent a lot of time coming up with this line, and it probably got an uptick in their group chat, so here you go: | Someone spent a lot of time coming up with this line, and it probably got an uptick in their group chat, so here you go: |
| What we’ve got here is a re-Rudd of failed policy that cost jobs, that costs businesses, that will cost Australians at least $9,000 a year with the reckless targets that Bill Shorten will make law. | What we’ve got here is a re-Rudd of failed policy that cost jobs, that costs businesses, that will cost Australians at least $9,000 a year with the reckless targets that Bill Shorten will make law. |
| That’s another way Scott Morrison is leading this attack. “Re-Rudd”. | That’s another way Scott Morrison is leading this attack. “Re-Rudd”. |
| I know Bill Shorten is going to come up with equally ridiculous lines because that is how we do politics in Australia – but please, someone, for the love of Rhianna, just fire me into the sun already and get it over with. | I know Bill Shorten is going to come up with equally ridiculous lines because that is how we do politics in Australia – but please, someone, for the love of Rhianna, just fire me into the sun already and get it over with. |
| Scott Morrison finishes his press conference with an attack on the Greens, which in this political climate is an attack on Labor: | Scott Morrison finishes his press conference with an attack on the Greens, which in this political climate is an attack on Labor: |
| Now, the Labor party have got to apply their own rule to their own decisions. If they want to have this rule, which says minor parties should be considered separate to the mainstream parties, well it seems that the Labor party doesn’t think the Greens have these extreme views. | Now, the Labor party have got to apply their own rule to their own decisions. If they want to have this rule, which says minor parties should be considered separate to the mainstream parties, well it seems that the Labor party doesn’t think the Greens have these extreme views. |
| They’ve got to apply the same ruler to themselves. We’ve made our decisions on this. The challenge is on Labor now. Are you for national security? Are you for the US alliance? Are you for border protection? Are you against death taxes? If that’s your view, if you’re for all of those things, then by all means put the Greens ahead of the Liberal party. But if you’re not, then you shouldn’t do that. | They’ve got to apply the same ruler to themselves. We’ve made our decisions on this. The challenge is on Labor now. Are you for national security? Are you for the US alliance? Are you for border protection? Are you against death taxes? If that’s your view, if you’re for all of those things, then by all means put the Greens ahead of the Liberal party. But if you’re not, then you shouldn’t do that. |
| We now need to change the national anthem. We are no longer girt by sea, apparently, because – Labor. | We now need to change the national anthem. We are no longer girt by sea, apparently, because – Labor. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| The only difference, when it comes to the National Energy Guarantee in terms of what Labor are proposing, is this: the reliability energy guarantee, which was part of the Neg we brought forward at the time, that’s now happening. | The only difference, when it comes to the National Energy Guarantee in terms of what Labor are proposing, is this: the reliability energy guarantee, which was part of the Neg we brought forward at the time, that’s now happening. |
| That’s the important part. The bit Labor are applying to that is legislating a 45% emissions reduction target. That’s what Labor are doing. They are going to legislate that. That’s not going to reduce power prices. Labor’s Neg actually put prices not down, because they are going to legislate a reckless target that will hit wages, that will hit jobs, that will hit production. | That’s the important part. The bit Labor are applying to that is legislating a 45% emissions reduction target. That’s what Labor are doing. They are going to legislate that. That’s not going to reduce power prices. Labor’s Neg actually put prices not down, because they are going to legislate a reckless target that will hit wages, that will hit jobs, that will hit production. |
| Let’s not forget what they’ve announced today is the extension, effectively, of the native veg laws in Queensland from Queensland Labor, which is basically going to land-lock the country and tell farmers and graziers and pastoralists around the country what they can do, or rather what they cannot do, on their own land. | Let’s not forget what they’ve announced today is the extension, effectively, of the native veg laws in Queensland from Queensland Labor, which is basically going to land-lock the country and tell farmers and graziers and pastoralists around the country what they can do, or rather what they cannot do, on their own land. |
| This is a massive tax on agricultural Australia. It’s a massive tax on jobs. It’s $35 billion that Australian companies are going to have to spend, sending money offshore to foreign carbon traders, carbon credits for Kazakhstan. This is what this is for. | This is a massive tax on agricultural Australia. It’s a massive tax on jobs. It’s $35 billion that Australian companies are going to have to spend, sending money offshore to foreign carbon traders, carbon credits for Kazakhstan. This is what this is for. |
| Say it with me now: a talking point does not make it true. | Say it with me now: a talking point does not make it true. |
| Scott Morrison on Labor’s climate policy: | Scott Morrison on Labor’s climate policy: |
| Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has another tax. That’s all this is. Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has a tax. | Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has another tax. That’s all this is. Bill Shorten does not have a plan, he just has a tax. |
| And then there is this absolute pearl of wisdom: | And then there is this absolute pearl of wisdom: |
| “You make the point about electric vehicles. Well, the government is already taking a number of steps to support the growth in electric vehicles. | “You make the point about electric vehicles. Well, the government is already taking a number of steps to support the growth in electric vehicles. |
| “I mean, if you buy an electric vehicle, one of the things you don’t pay is fuel excise. That is already a major advantage for those buying electric vehicles, a big significant leg-up.” | “I mean, if you buy an electric vehicle, one of the things you don’t pay is fuel excise. That is already a major advantage for those buying electric vehicles, a big significant leg-up.” |
| Could that be ... because they are electric? | Could that be ... because they are electric? |
| Actually no, I need to correct that. This election campaign is going to be a very long century. | Actually no, I need to correct that. This election campaign is going to be a very long century. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| “That’s why we’ll be handing down a budget surplus tomorrow night, the first in 12 years. It’s been about keeping expenditure under control and it’s been about supporting the growth in the Australian economy and getting Australians off welfare and into work. | “That’s why we’ll be handing down a budget surplus tomorrow night, the first in 12 years. It’s been about keeping expenditure under control and it’s been about supporting the growth in the Australian economy and getting Australians off welfare and into work. |
| It’s the classic 12-point turnaround. That works in AFL and NRL. You stop one team scoring down one end and you score on the other. | It’s the classic 12-point turnaround. That works in AFL and NRL. You stop one team scoring down one end and you score on the other. |
| “People receiving welfare under our government are now paying tax because they have jobs. That’s how you balance a budget. | “People receiving welfare under our government are now paying tax because they have jobs. That’s how you balance a budget. |