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Peter Dutton misses deadline to hand over Manus Paladin document – politics live Peter Dutton misses deadline to hand over Manus Paladin document – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Kristina Keneally was just on Sky News, talking about what she sees the consequences of the government rejecting recommendations from the joint committee on security and intelligence:
I would say the government, has sought to blow up the compact of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security.
If you will, this is the beginning, unfortunately, of the compact of a committee which has worked very well and unlike any other committee, has produced bipartisan recommendations that have improved every piece of national security legislation.
“Now if the government is intent on on disregarding the recommendations and not working with the committee, it may be that some of the government’s recommended changes, are sensical. It may be that in some cases they have misunderstood the committee’s recommendations, and we need to have a conversation with them. All of that has been thrown out the window, and that does, I believe, pose a risk, to the good functioning of that committee into the future.
“And it is unfortunate, because I think it has been of great benefit to security agencies and to Australians generally.”
Labor did not take on all of the committee’s recommendations on the telecommunications data retention bill, which the government is using as precedent for not taking all of the recommendations on this one.
Labor is supporting the bill, despite its concerns. One of those being that the minister is the power which will get to decide who the temporary exclusion order applies to, not, as it is in the UK, on which the Australian laws are based on, a retired judge, or independent judiciary member. Peter Dutton says that would undermine the intent of the bill. Keneally says the UK, which has had these laws since 2015, has not found that.
But again - it doesn’t matter, because the laws have bipartisan support to go through the parliament.
Oh lookie here.
Malcolm Roberts has the Senate Matter of Importance debate today and he has chosen the topic:
That the flawed and dangerous Medevac legislation undermines Australia’s border security and must be urgently repealed.
Well slather me in vinegar and call me pickled - that just happens to be the very thing the government wants to talk about!
Jim Chalmer’s adjournment speech was on this very topic last night:
We’re told at least a dozen Liberals want to strip Australians of the super increases they need, deserve, and were promised.
I gave the Prime Minister multiple opportunities in this House to rule out any changes to increasing the Super Guarantee to 12 per cent and he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do it.
The Treasurer too; he was given five opportunities on Insiders.
The Trade Minister would only say they wouldn’t change it at this point in time.
The Finance Minister said they’d leave it alone – but now we hear there was a barney about it in their party room today.
The weasel words and sly language gives the game away.
Here we go again.
They’ve got form and not just on super.
It always begins with backbench extremists putting pressure on the Treasurer, and it ends with him folding.
It happened on energy and it will happen again on super.”
Anthony Albanese’s ban on the word ‘liar’ just means shadow frontbenchers and their staff have to break out the thesaurus a little more. Hence - weasel words.
The government has a majority in the House, so the motion goes nowhere.
BUT Craig Kelly’s latest thought bubble is in defiance of Scott Morrison’s order to the party room on Tuesday, to shut up.
You can’t keep Kelly down though. There is not a debate in this country that man doesn’t have an opinion on.
Jim Chalmer’s attempt to suspend standing orders is over this story in the New Daily, where Craig Kelly had a chat to Samantha Maiden over what he thinks first-home owners should be able to do with their super:
Liberal MP Craig Kelly has called for first-home buyers to be able to access super for a housing deposit, and also include the family home as part of the pension asset test.
Defying the prime minister Scott Morrison’s call that Liberal MPs toe the party line on the superannuation debate, Kelly told the New Daily there should be a debate about including the family home in the asset test for the pension.
“Your family house at the moment is 100% exempt from the asset test,” Kelly said.
“If you decide you could use super to pay for your house you could say, ‘I want a larger family home now when the kids are young, knowing when my kids move out I will downsize’, there would be some discount of the family home that would be counted in the asset test.”
Over in the House of Representatives, Jim Chalmers is attempting to suspend standing orders for this motion:
That the House:
1) notes that:
a) the member for Hughes has called for the family home to be included in the pension assets test, meaning more retirees will be pushed off the pension, out of their homes or both;
b) 12 members of the government have now called for changes to the legislated increase to the superannuation guarantee;
c) the government has already shortchanged pensioners by refusing to properly adjust deeming rates for years despite five interest rate cuts;
d) the government made a deal with the Greens to change the pension asset test, which meant that the pension was cut for 370,000 pensioners, with 88,000 losing their pension altogether;
e) the government tried to scrap the energy supplement for years, meaning 1.5 million pensioners would have had their payments cut;
f) the government has repeatedly sought to raise the pension age to 70;
g) the government tried to cut pension indexation in the 2014 budget, which would have forced pensioners to live on $80 a week less within 10 years; and
h) the government cut $1bn from pensioner concessions in the 2014 budget.
2) therefore, condemns the government for undermining the retirement incomes of millions of Australians.
As I slowly make my way through last night’s Hansard (what can I say, I live a wild life) I see that Nick McKim used his parliamentary privilege overnight to accuse Peter Dutton, or his office, of leaking confidential security advice to the media.
That’s in relation to this story. The AFP declined to investigate the leak, with the referral not even getting past the first hurdle. Outgoing chief Andrew Colvin said it was deemed to have a low chance of a success.
McKim:
We so desperately need a charter of rights in this country so we can protect and enshrine those fundamental rights and freedoms that actually are amongst those things that make Australia such a great country.
Those rights and freedoms that so many of us take for granted are now being taken away, hand over fist, by a combination of the major political parties in this place, the LNP and the ALP.
They do that because they stitch up cosy deals behind the closed doors of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security, a committee that operates often in total secret, without public scrutiny and which denies any crossbench representation and input into its decision-making process.
What we get because of that collusion is the ongoing giving away of fundamental rights and freedoms in Australia.
The crossbench should be on the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security; there’s no doubt about that.
I want to give a couple of examples of issues that have arisen in the last year or so in Australia.
Firstly, the leaking, which I have no doubt came either from minister Dutton or from his office to Simon Benson, to a journalist at the Australian, of classified Asio information, a leak which was condemned by Mr Lewis, the head of Asio, when it happened but which inexplicably the Australian federal police have declined to investigate.
When you superimpose that on to the recent raids by the Australian federal police of prominent media outlets in this country, including News Corp and the ABC, you can understand why there is nervousness starting to emerge amongst our media, amongst journalists about the intimidatory nature of those raids.
I say to our media that in fact the issue here is far broader than just press and media freedom; it’s about the freedoms of ordinary Australians to go about their day-to-day business without unnecessary spying and intrusion into their personal privacy by intelligence agencies in this country.
It’s time we had a charter of rights to protect a broad range of rights, including our rights to privacy.
It’s time that we had an informed conversation in this country about the ongoing erosion of rights and freedoms in the name of national security and an informed debate about whether or not giving away those rights and freedoms is necessary or, indeed, whether giving them away makes us any safer at all from the threats that no doubt exist today.
Andrew Giles:Andrew Giles:
Justice Murphy, presiding over the case, stated, ‘There is a strongly arguable case that in evacuating the applicant to PIH rather than to a hospital in Australia, the respondents provided inadequate medical care to the applicant.Justice Murphy, presiding over the case, stated, ‘There is a strongly arguable case that in evacuating the applicant to PIH rather than to a hospital in Australia, the respondents provided inadequate medical care to the applicant.
The evacuation resulted in the applicant being sent to a hospital which, at least arguably, did not have the capacity to properly respond to her medical needs. The case of this little girl demonstrates that decisions about medical care should be taken by medical professionals. The advice of doctors should be listened to and acted upon. The Australian people are good, decent and generous.The evacuation resulted in the applicant being sent to a hospital which, at least arguably, did not have the capacity to properly respond to her medical needs. The case of this little girl demonstrates that decisions about medical care should be taken by medical professionals. The advice of doctors should be listened to and acted upon. The Australian people are good, decent and generous.
They don’t want to see vulnerable, sick people in our care suffering when medical care is available to treat them. They appreciate that these circumstances are distinct from the complex policy debates in this area.They don’t want to see vulnerable, sick people in our care suffering when medical care is available to treat them. They appreciate that these circumstances are distinct from the complex policy debates in this area.
This is why the parliament must not allow the medevac legislation to be repealed.This is why the parliament must not allow the medevac legislation to be repealed.
This is why we are proposing our second reading amendment to the bill, which is before the House.This is why we are proposing our second reading amendment to the bill, which is before the House.
I move:I move:
That all words after “that” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: “whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the:That all words after “that” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: “whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the:
(1) minister for home affairs has: (a) failed to accurately describe the processes providing for the medical transfer of people from Papua New Guinea and Nauru; and (b) consistently mischaracterised the effects of these processes;(1) minister for home affairs has: (a) failed to accurately describe the processes providing for the medical transfer of people from Papua New Guinea and Nauru; and (b) consistently mischaracterised the effects of these processes;
and (2) minister for home affairs and the minister for immigration and citizenship have failed to put forward any amendments which would address any genuine concerns they may have with the operation of the processes.”and (2) minister for home affairs and the minister for immigration and citizenship have failed to put forward any amendments which would address any genuine concerns they may have with the operation of the processes.”
Debate was interrupted by the adjournment. But you know where that amendment will go.Debate was interrupted by the adjournment. But you know where that amendment will go.
Andrew Giles spoke in the House late last night on the medevac repeal bill:Andrew Giles spoke in the House late last night on the medevac repeal bill:
I want to briefly share with the House the human story I think best illustrates what a difference this regime has made and how dangerous it would be to go back.I want to briefly share with the House the human story I think best illustrates what a difference this regime has made and how dangerous it would be to go back.
The story concerns a two-year-old girl known as DIZ18. Her parents fled Iran to Australia, arriving in 2013 without a visa.The story concerns a two-year-old girl known as DIZ18. Her parents fled Iran to Australia, arriving in 2013 without a visa.
They were taken by the Australian government to Nauru and recognised as refugees under the refugee convention in 2014.They were taken by the Australian government to Nauru and recognised as refugees under the refugee convention in 2014.
DIZ18 was born in Nauru on 5 June 2016. This little girl became ill in June 2018 and her illness rapidly got worse over the next few days.DIZ18 was born in Nauru on 5 June 2016. This little girl became ill in June 2018 and her illness rapidly got worse over the next few days.
On 12 June the treating doctors, with the International Health and Medical Services – the medical service contracted to provide healthcare to refugees on Nauru – diagnosed her with severe sepsis.On 12 June the treating doctors, with the International Health and Medical Services – the medical service contracted to provide healthcare to refugees on Nauru – diagnosed her with severe sepsis.
In short, IHMS recommended that the little girl be urgently medically evacuated, to a tertiary-level hospital, to Australia or a third country.In short, IHMS recommended that the little girl be urgently medically evacuated, to a tertiary-level hospital, to Australia or a third country.
A senior officer of the Australian Border Force involved in the decision inquired whether it was possible for the applicant to, instead, be evacuated to a hospital in Papua New Guinea or Taiwan.A senior officer of the Australian Border Force involved in the decision inquired whether it was possible for the applicant to, instead, be evacuated to a hospital in Papua New Guinea or Taiwan.
Each doctor and specialist who recommended her medical evacuation recommended that she be taken to a tertiary hospital in Australia or another first-world country; however, the sick little girl was treated at the hospital in Papua New Guinea. It rapidly became clear that the standard of care required, including MRI brain scans and other scans, were not available at this hospital.Each doctor and specialist who recommended her medical evacuation recommended that she be taken to a tertiary hospital in Australia or another first-world country; however, the sick little girl was treated at the hospital in Papua New Guinea. It rapidly became clear that the standard of care required, including MRI brain scans and other scans, were not available at this hospital.
The medevac repeal bill is low-key simmering away in the background. It won’t reach the Senate for a debate until it has been through a committee, which is not due to report back until October – and then the Senate will consider it in November.The medevac repeal bill is low-key simmering away in the background. It won’t reach the Senate for a debate until it has been through a committee, which is not due to report back until October – and then the Senate will consider it in November.
Jacqui Lambie is the key vote there. And she is not saying what she plans on doing.Jacqui Lambie is the key vote there. And she is not saying what she plans on doing.
Peter Dutton’s letter to the Senate regarding the Paladin document request pic.twitter.com/cm1p6oCL5DPeter Dutton’s letter to the Senate regarding the Paladin document request pic.twitter.com/cm1p6oCL5D
After the Angus Taylor hour yesterday, nuclear power is once again floating around.After the Angus Taylor hour yesterday, nuclear power is once again floating around.
There is a growing number of Coalition backbenchers pushing for an inquiry into nuclear power, being led by the Queensland contingent. Keith Pitt is a particularly passionate advocate.There is a growing number of Coalition backbenchers pushing for an inquiry into nuclear power, being led by the Queensland contingent. Keith Pitt is a particularly passionate advocate.
Taylor, as part of Labor’s focus on him in question time yesterday, was asked about the policy, as well as where he believed any potential nuclear power sites should go.Taylor, as part of Labor’s focus on him in question time yesterday, was asked about the policy, as well as where he believed any potential nuclear power sites should go.
The government is not into nuclear power. During the election campaign, Scott Morrison’s comments to a Tasmanian radio station that nuclear power was “not ‘not’ on the agenda, wherever it can come from is fine, but it has to be self-sustaining”, caused a brief kerfuffle that the PMO was very quick to try and extinguish.The government is not into nuclear power. During the election campaign, Scott Morrison’s comments to a Tasmanian radio station that nuclear power was “not ‘not’ on the agenda, wherever it can come from is fine, but it has to be self-sustaining”, caused a brief kerfuffle that the PMO was very quick to try and extinguish.
And yet, here we still are. Taylor hasn’t done the best job of ruling it out, even if, as his colleagues tell me, he has been told to.And yet, here we still are. Taylor hasn’t done the best job of ruling it out, even if, as his colleagues tell me, he has been told to.
So out comes Peter Dutton this morning on Sunrise:So out comes Peter Dutton this morning on Sunrise:
The only thing we have said, let us be clear about it, we want lower electricity prices. We want reliability. We want people to turn lights on and his crazy renewable targets doubling power prices that Labor is proposing ...The only thing we have said, let us be clear about it, we want lower electricity prices. We want reliability. We want people to turn lights on and his crazy renewable targets doubling power prices that Labor is proposing ...
Given that it is three years until the next election, Dutton was interrupted and asked if nuclear was the answer.Given that it is three years until the next election, Dutton was interrupted and asked if nuclear was the answer.
I don’t believe it is and the government has had a moratorium. Bob Hawke was the last letter to advocate, and he did strongly, for nuclear. The government’s position has been made clear, we are not closed to to debates. People can express their views but the government’s perspective is to get prices down and make sure people can turn lights on.I don’t believe it is and the government has had a moratorium. Bob Hawke was the last letter to advocate, and he did strongly, for nuclear. The government’s position has been made clear, we are not closed to to debates. People can express their views but the government’s perspective is to get prices down and make sure people can turn lights on.
(Fun fact: Tveeder, the transcription service, changes nuclear to “new killer”, and I think that’s just beautiful.)(Fun fact: Tveeder, the transcription service, changes nuclear to “new killer”, and I think that’s just beautiful.)
In news that seems to be like all James McGrath’s Milo and milks came at once, Boris Johnson is officially the UK prime minister.In news that seems to be like all James McGrath’s Milo and milks came at once, Boris Johnson is officially the UK prime minister.
Boris! pic.twitter.com/2PqTLp36X4Boris! pic.twitter.com/2PqTLp36X4
Good to see a battler finally come out on top (yes, that is sarcasm).Good to see a battler finally come out on top (yes, that is sarcasm).
Former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop welcomed the news, telling Network Seven:Former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop welcomed the news, telling Network Seven:
“Boris Johnson has an unusually close relationship with Australia for a British prime minister,” she said.“Boris Johnson has an unusually close relationship with Australia for a British prime minister,” she said.
“He spent his gap year here, attending Geelong Grammar. He’s visited Australia many times.”“He spent his gap year here, attending Geelong Grammar. He’s visited Australia many times.”
Speaking of that gap year, Johnson mentioned it in a 2015 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, where he told this story about getting lost in Canberra and somehow managing to camp on a roundabout.Speaking of that gap year, Johnson mentioned it in a 2015 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, where he told this story about getting lost in Canberra and somehow managing to camp on a roundabout.
I was driving there and I was about 18 and I got totally lost and I dossed down for the night in a roundabout. Well, I woke up and discovered it was a roundabout,” he explains. He pitched his tent on the roundabout in the middle of the night – an experience that went about as well as you’d expect for a young British kid sleeping in the middle of a Canberra street in the 1980s. “It was terrible. I thought it would be OK, then I got woken up by the traffic and then I looked at my hands, my hands had swollen up like blown-up washing-up gloves because I had been so badly bitten.”I was driving there and I was about 18 and I got totally lost and I dossed down for the night in a roundabout. Well, I woke up and discovered it was a roundabout,” he explains. He pitched his tent on the roundabout in the middle of the night – an experience that went about as well as you’d expect for a young British kid sleeping in the middle of a Canberra street in the 1980s. “It was terrible. I thought it would be OK, then I got woken up by the traffic and then I looked at my hands, my hands had swollen up like blown-up washing-up gloves because I had been so badly bitten.”
I call bull shit, but then again, maybe it sounds different in Latin.I call bull shit, but then again, maybe it sounds different in Latin.
It’s day three which means the sitting is one day closer to ending.It’s day three which means the sitting is one day closer to ending.
Silver linings people.Silver linings people.
After the latest national security fight, the government is now gearing up for the latest union fight. Christian Porter and the government are having another go at the ensuring integrity bill.After the latest national security fight, the government is now gearing up for the latest union fight. Christian Porter and the government are having another go at the ensuring integrity bill.
Labor have already said it won’t support this bill. That’s not unexpected – it goes against everything that the Labor party stands for. So it is the crossbench the government needs to convince and so far, Centre Alliance and One Nation are not impressed.Labor have already said it won’t support this bill. That’s not unexpected – it goes against everything that the Labor party stands for. So it is the crossbench the government needs to convince and so far, Centre Alliance and One Nation are not impressed.
That will be debated in the House later today – and Porter has been out and about early to try and garner support.That will be debated in the House later today – and Porter has been out and about early to try and garner support.
Meanwhile, late last night, Peter Dutton rejected a Senate request to hand over documents related to the extension of the Paladin contract. From AAP’s report:Meanwhile, late last night, Peter Dutton rejected a Senate request to hand over documents related to the extension of the Paladin contract. From AAP’s report:
Senators instructed the home affairs minister to hand over information about the contract to ensure taxpayers were getting value for money, given it was awarded to the small company in a closed tender process.Senators instructed the home affairs minister to hand over information about the contract to ensure taxpayers were getting value for money, given it was awarded to the small company in a closed tender process.
In a letter to the Senate president tabled late on Tuesday night, Dutton said tens of thousands of documents were potentially within scope of the order.In a letter to the Senate president tabled late on Tuesday night, Dutton said tens of thousands of documents were potentially within scope of the order.
“Due to the significant volume of documents, I assess compliance with the order would result in an unreasonable diversion of significant resources,” he said.“Due to the significant volume of documents, I assess compliance with the order would result in an unreasonable diversion of significant resources,” he said.
“I will therefore not be tabling any documents on 23 July 2019 as stipulated in the original order.”“I will therefore not be tabling any documents on 23 July 2019 as stipulated in the original order.”
Dutton is now locked in talks with Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally to reduce the scope of required documents, pushing the deadline out by another month.Dutton is now locked in talks with Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally to reduce the scope of required documents, pushing the deadline out by another month.
“Negotiations regarding the scope of the documents to be provided by this date are ongoing,” he said.“Negotiations regarding the scope of the documents to be provided by this date are ongoing,” he said.
We’ll bring you that, and everything else which happens within these so-called corridors of power (and beyond) as it unfolds, so I do hope you’ll come along with us. Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy and Paul Karp are all at your service, so while I browbeat one of them into getting me a coffee, we should jump into it.We’ll bring you that, and everything else which happens within these so-called corridors of power (and beyond) as it unfolds, so I do hope you’ll come along with us. Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy and Paul Karp are all at your service, so while I browbeat one of them into getting me a coffee, we should jump into it.
Ready?Ready?
Let’s go.Let’s go.