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Repealing medevac would be 'a wicked thing', Centre Alliance says – question time live Repealing medevac would be 'a wicked thing', Centre Alliance says – question time live
(32 minutes later)
First question Checking the data. The Home Affairs Minister ⁦@PeterDutton_MP⁩ and Attorney-General ⁦@cporterwa⁩ in #qt. ⁦@AmyRemeikis⁩ ⁦@murpharoo⁩ ⁦@mpbowers⁩ pic.twitter.com/IajjsxqQHY
Susan Templeman to Scott Morrison: Labor’s leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, began question time with fresh questions about the energy and emissions reduction minister Angus Taylor.
Which minister is dealing with the urgent issue of wage theft at restaurants? She asks Simon Birmingham about some responses he gave to questions on notice on Tuesday.
Morrison: Those questions related meetings Taylor had with environment officials and Josh Frydenberg’s office about endangered grasslands that were at the centre of an investigation into a company - Jam Land Pty Ltd - that he part owns. Taylor holds shares in Jam Land via his family investment company Gufee.
I can tell her right now, right now the Attorney-General is drafting laws to deal with criminalising worker exploitation. And on top of that, Mr Speaker, there are bills in the Parliament right now that deals with the wage theft that’s occurring in the union movement through workers’ entitlement funds. Senator Wong reads from a letter from Senator Birmingham and asks if he stands by this statement:“Minister Taylor has always declared his interest as required under the house register of interests and the ministerial code of conduct.”Birmingham says to the best of his knowledge Taylor “has always declared his interest.
And I’ll tell you what this scam deal of the union does. What it does - you don’t like this answer, do you? Wong is now asking why Taylor’s register of interests fail to declare his interest in Jam Land.
Anthony Albanese: Birmingham says he will take that on notice and that he won’t take Wong’s word for it. Wong tables ASIC documents that show Taylor is a director of Gufee Pty Ltd, which is a shareholder in Jam Land.
It was a very specific question. It went to an issue which is of great concern in the community - the rip-off of people who are working in restaurants. The PM should address that question. He might refer to Mr Colombaris’s restaurants. There’s a few issues, MasterChef, people know about it. How about you answer the question. “Given these extracts clearly show Minister Taylor’s interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd, will Senator Birmingham correct the record and apologise for misleading the senate,” she asks.
Morrison: Birmingham is sticking to his earlier position and takes the question on notice.
The Leader of the Opposition with a capital O might like to understand this, that the bill that’s in the Parliament at the moment deals with workers’ entitlements, funds paid into workers’ entitlements funds held by unions which ensures that when they are in a position to have their entitlements paid out - their wages - which doesn’t matter whether you’re working in a restaurant or anywhere else, that the dividends from those funds isn’t paid off to other unions which is the practice of those unions. Taylor’s most recent declaration of interests does not mention shares in Jam Land Pty Ltd, but it does list his shares in Gufee.
Now the Labor Party might not want to recognise what they are doing in supporting that practice is thieving workers’ wages, Mr Speaker. Guardian Australia has checked the ASIC records and Gufee is named as a shareholder in Jam Land.
That’s what the Labor Party is doing by supporting practices of unions which is thieving workers’ entitlements from those funds. Tony Smith, speaking for all of us, when he tells Greg Hunt to be quiet and stop interjecting (for the second time)
Now on the matter that the Leader of the Opposition also raised in relation to the Colombaris matter, Mr Speaker - on that matter, that matter was exposed by the Fair Work Ombudsman as a result of the $10 million of extra funds we put into that organisation to ensure that matter could be exposed and that an enforceable undertaking was secured through the action to protect those workers. Now on this side of the House, we know whose side we’re on. “If it helps him, I don’t actually hear what he says, I just hear noise”.
It’s on Australian workers’ side. The Labor Party, Mr Speaker, who knows whose side they’re on. They weren’t on the side of tax cuts for Australians. They weren’t on the side of farmers dealing with drought. And today we understand they’re only on the side of militant unions. Timeless statement.
It is time for ‘who’s that MP’. Angus Taylor:
When I walked in, it was Ted O’Brien. My indirect interest in Jam Land has been widely reported. In the media and was declared in accordance with the rules. I have no association with the compliance action, I have never made a representation in relation to it. This is confirmed at Senate Estimates by the secretary of my department in April this year.
And as I type this, it was Josh Burns. Mr Speaker I make no apology for seeking and receiving a briefing on policies that seriously impact the farmers in my electorate, it is what the people of Hume expect of me as their local Member.
It’s the downhill slide to question time - hit me up with your predictions. In fact, Mr Speaker, the people of Eden-Monaro should be asking, why the representative didn’t do the same. Half of the affected grasslands are in his electorate. I stand up, for the farmers in my electorate”
Rebekha Sharkie has a message for supporters of repealing the legislation, “who call themselves Christian, as indeed I do”. Read Matthew 25 He goes on about the drought fund.
... Matthew 25 makes it very clear – Christians should see everyone as Christ in the flesh. And in the New Testament, stranger and neighbour are in fact synonymous. The golden rule of love your neighbour as yourself refers not just to the people you know, your neighbours, but also to those you do not know. Mike Kelly to Angus Taylor:
And I am sure I do not need to remind every person who follows Christ that Christ too was a refugee. Why did the minister say in question time yesterday that he has, and I quote, “no association with Jam Land Propriety Limited” when it shows he does have an interest in the company?
If the government is successful in repealing this legislation it will cause much harm. Needless harm. Unnecessary harm. It is quite simply a wicked thing that we are doing in this place. It is unnecessary. Christian Porter is straight up onto his feet.
And I therefore, in the strongest possible terms, oppose this bill, as will my Centre Alliance colleagues in the other place. According to standing order 100B. That question has been asked and fully answered.
Peter Dutton’s official statement on Reece Kershaw’s recommendation as the new AFP commissioner: Labor goes nuts and Tony Smith tells them to be quiet so he can hear the point of order.
The Government will recommend to the Governor-General that Mr Reece Kershaw APM be appointed as the 8th Australian Federal Police Commissioner. Porter:
Commissioner Kershaw commenced with the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) in February 2011 and in April 2015 was appointed Commissioner of Police and Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services. Yesterday the member for Griffith asked a question, it was a compound question, it had two parts. The first part was that the, the first part sought confirmation that the minister had an interest in a company. The second part sought confirmation that there was … some departmental investigation. The minister answered the second part first. He said he had no association, clearly meaning with the departmental investigation. And then he noted that he remained at arm’s length from the company that was the subject of the question. There has never been any dispute that the minister has a relationship with the company, and that is on the members’ listed interests.
Prior to commencing with the NTPF Commissioner Kershaw was with the Australian Federal Police, including secondments to the National Crime Authority, the Australian Crime Commission and overseas postings to The Hague, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. Tony Burke is back up:
He is a Graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Executive Development Program and was awarded the Australian Police Medal in the 2016 Australian Day Honours. Mr Speaker, first of all, the question being asked is asking him to reconcile statements yesterday with Asic documents, that question has been asked for the first time. In terms of what his answer was yesterday, the sentence that appears in Hansard is, I quote, ‘I have no association and have remained at arm’s length from the company.’ Given that was the statement, I’m sorry, the words in the investigation had been added in the point of order taken by the leader of the House. That was not part of the quote the question asks.
We congratulate Commissioner Kershaw on his appointment at a time when the AFP needs to be future ready to meet the challenges posed by those that would seek to do us harm, here and abroad. Tony Smith rules:
The Government again sincerely thanks Commissioner Colvin for the service that he has provided to the Australian community for the last 30 years as a member of the AFP. There are two issues here, whether a question is being fully answered. It’s not really for the chair to judge that, except unless it’s an identical question. I take the point that the leader of the House is making, which is it is a very similar question. Certainly the rules on the practice, the question has to be, identical, absolutely identical, the question yesterday, for that to be the case, for if that were the case, yesterday’s answer would have been deemed fully answered because the question has been answered. It’s not, so that question is in order. It is able to be asked because it’s different, but it’s referring to the answer yesterday.
Commissioner Colvin enjoyed an extensive AFP career that covered roles in serious and organised crime, counter terrorism, chief of staff and high tech crime. In 2002 Andrew was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his investigative work into the 2002 Bali bombings. We wish Andrew every success in his future endeavours. Because my Mercury is in retrograde, apparently forever, Michael McCormack is back.
The medevac repeal legislation is back in the House. In maybe her first actual mis-step since coming to parliament, Zali Steggall inflicts Michael McCormack on the chamber.
Technically, it is the ongoing debate on Andrew Giles’s amendment, which you will find a few posts down. Warringah has some of the most congested roads in Australia and it’s a huge detriment to people’s daily lives. A proposed solution, the Beaches Link Tunnel, would reduce congestion by bypassing the Spit Bridge. The proposed Beaches Link Tunnel has been talked about for over two decades, including by the former member of Warringah, and is now in the New South Wales planning and assessment process. During the campaign the federal government committed $50 million from the Urban Congestion Fund to provide access to the tunnel. Could the minister please tell the House what has happened to that $50 million commitment?
Rebekha Sharkie is talking in support of the amendment – she has been one of the fiercest advocates for medevac, the reason Centre Alliance will be fighting to keep medevac in the Senate. McCormack says some things, which involve the usual white bread homilies, but life is really too short to pay too much attention. It’s to be expected – white noise has that effect.
Home Affairs Minister @PeterDutton_MP introduces the next @AusFedPolice Commissioner Reece Kershaw. @AmyRemeikis @murpharoo @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/wP0yXInxlK Alan Tudge steps up. He threatens to go all afternoon, but the gist is
Richard Di Natale continuing what has become a favoured theme of late: ... We stand by all our commitments that we make and that’s the difference between this side and that side is when we promise something we actually deliver. When it comes to delivering we’re delivering $100 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years.
You don't beat the conservatives by becoming a conservative. #auspol #Greens pic.twitter.com/pCWFtnSHtD I mean, most of that is in the back end of the decade, but sure.
The Future Drought Fund Bills have passed the #Senate, with a Centre Alliance amendment to the main bill.The House of Representatives will now consider the Senate's amendment Ed Husic looks like he is biting the inside of his mouth with everything he has to avoid heckling Josh Frydenberg.
Stephen Jones on superannuation, which is one of Labor’s favourite topics today, thanks mostly to Craig Kelly: He settles on some very cartoonish nods.
This morning we read that influential backbencher Craig Kelly is putting out some policy ideas that the government should allow superannuation fund members to be able to dip into their superannuation fund to buy their own home. This is an idea that’s been kicked around many times and has been shown to be not in the interests of fund members. What’s more, and what’s of greater concern, is that Mr Kelly is proposing that the family home should be included in the assets test for pensioners. It’s a mood.
The prime minister needs to rule this out immediately. This would amount to a gigantic pensioner retiree tax. The prime minister needs to rule this out. He must rule this out. What is quite clear, is that a government without a policy agenda is finding that its backbenchers are busily trying to fill in the gaps. Whether it’s a new proposition for a retiree tax through the personal family home being a part of the pensioner assets test, or whether it’s the minister for energy freelancing on nuclear power. It’s time for Scott Morrison to step up to ensure that he stops playing the parlour political games and focuses on the real issues that members of the public care about. Brendan O’Connor to Christian Porter:
Scott Morrison has got to step up. He’s got to stop playing games around here. We need clear leadership from the government on all of these issues. What he needs to do today, and what he needs to do immediately, is to rule out this proposition for the family home to be included as a part of the pensioner assets test. What bills are before the House that implement the recommendations of the banking royal commission?
Porter:
It’s unusual for the leader of the House to take a point of order on a question to him as leader of the House. That needs to be directed to a minister, the minister responsible for those bills.
Tony Burke is up.
This is where he proves he knows more about House procedure than Porter, who currently has practically every single piece of the government’s agenda on his plate, as well as this new job as leader of the House.
Not a fun place to be, but hey, that’s why he gets the big bucks.
Burke:
The role of leader of the House is meant to be a real job. And as part of that job, members of parliament ... It has always been in order to ask the leader of the House about the business of the House, regardless of what portfolio that business falls in to otherwise.
Tony Smith gives Porter an out:
I’ll make two points because, whilst it’s unorthodox, certainly the manager of opposition business well knows I’ve seen many examples where that has occurred. But I mean the practice also makes very clear, if I can point out to ministers, that they are entitled to, if it relates to another portfolio, they’re entitled to refer that to a relevant minister if they wish to. That’s a right they have. I’ll leave it in the hands of the leader of the House whether he wishes to answer it.
Porter gives it to Josh Frydenberg:
I can confirm to the House that this parliament has passed legislation implementing the royal commission’s recommendations, including recommendation 3.6, to prohibit super funds from inducing employees, and introducing civil penalties for trustees and directors of super funds. We have also passed regulations which extend the remit in terms of dealing with financial complaints, back to January 1, 2008. We’ve also legislated product intervention powers.
#theministerdoesnotanswerthequestion
Ed Husic has just been told by Tony Smith that his word allocation is over for the day.
Husic’s face says he STILL HAS WORDS to say.
The new member for Lindsay was VERY eager to ask her dixer, jumping to her feet in an attempt to head off Peter Khalil’s question.
That is probably also because there was a bit of a rev up through the government benches about paying attention as well.
Anyways, now Josh Frydenberg is yelling about something. Tax, probably.
Peter Khalil to Christian Porter:
On how many occasions this year has a worker contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman to report an incident of wage theft, only for the ombudsman to make no contact with their employer?
Porter:
I mean, it would be unusual if I would have that level of detail to hand.
I can certainly get that for the member. I am aware of several occasions where the ombudsman has taken complaints about underpayment which originally went to a union without action and went to the ombudsman for action.
I am aware that in the last budget that this government provided $10.8 million to the Fair Work Ombudsman to investigate precisely the types of things that we’re now talking about. I am aware our government has a zero tolerance for this sort of behaviour, whether that is underpayment or wage theft.
The difficulty is, Mr Speaker, the difficulty is that they seem over there to have a very low tolerance for underpayment but they’ve got a monstrously high tolerance when it’s workers’ money being diverted from workers to unions.
That’s when their tolerance levels seem to get out of whack. We have $10.8 million given by this government to the Fair Work Ombudsman to investigate these matters. They are now investigated more heavily than they’ve ever been investigated previously.
That builds on $30 million in unpaid wages, representing more than 13,000 workers with completed audits of 4,500 Australian workplaces. That is more than when Labor were last in office.
When Labor were last in office, Mr Speaker – and this might interest the member for Wills – but when Labor were last in office, not without standing there with indignation today, they cut the funding of the Fair Work Ombudsman by 17%. So the body that investigates underpayment, when they were in government, they cut its funding by 17%. You know what, Mr Speaker, you know what they also cut, you know what they also cut – the Fair Work Ombudsman’s staff, who are paid money to investigate underpayment of wages, they were cut by members opposite by 20%. So the indignation exists now but when the rubber was on the road and they were required to investigate these matters, they underfunded and cut the staff of the organisation who are meant to investigate these matters. So we’d be very happy for another question like that, member for Wills.
Gladys Liu gets the first dixer and it includes the phrase “whose side are you on”, which just means we get a lecture on WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON and Scott Morrison Shouty McShoutiness.
Just on that (Guardian style guide aside) ‘leader of the opposition with a capital O’ isn’t quite the sledge the prime minister thinks it is, given that Leader of the Opposition is a proper noun. So it is literally spelt with a capital O.