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| Labor attacks government's wages record – question time live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mark Dreyfus to Scott Morrison: | |
| What steps did the Prime Minister take to ensure that the member for Chisholm is a fit and proper person to sit in the Australian parliament? | |
| Tony Smith immediately rules it out of order, before Christian Porter is even fully out of his seat. | |
| That question is out of order. It doesn’t go to the Prime Minister’s response abilities at all.” | |
| We move to another lickspittle, which Josh Frydenberg is very excited to answer, particularly about whether or not he knows of any “alternative policies”. | |
| He still doesn’t seem to realise that the Liberals won the election. And have been in power since 2013. | |
| It’s been 116 or so days – can someone please tell Josh Frydenberg he won the election? | |
| Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: | |
| The Australian industry group wants the nation has a skills crisis, 75% of businesses struggling to find qualified Australians to fill jobs, why has this government ripped $3 billion from TAFE in training and done nothing to stop the loss, 150,000 apprenticeships and traineeships? | |
| Morrison: | |
| Mr Speaker, between 2011 and 2013, when the Member for Sydney while sitting around a cabinet table, Labor cut employer incentives to businesses, nine times, that totalled 1.2 million, the Member would be fully aware TAFE is funded by State Government, not Commonwealth governments. That is why last year, I initiated a review conducted by Stephen Joyce. That review found, the funding and spending going into skills education, every year, was not getting the results, the results they were not getting was that people went been trained with the skills, for the skills needed by the employers who wanted to employ them. | |
| That’s because of the outdated funding model, the process is put in place over many years, run by previous governments, these other things we need to fix and this is what we intend to fix. | |
| Michael McCormack appears to have sprinkled too much sugar on his weetbix this morning, as he gets very worked up at Joel Fitzgibbon over not caring about farmers. He screams that Fitzgibbon is “a disgrace”. Fitzgibbon gets upset. The chamber is upset, but at different things. | |
| It’s amazing what happens when salt is added to bland carbohydrates. | |
| Michael McCormack is attempting to act like a politician. | |
| It’s going about as well as you would expect. | |
| Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison: | |
| As Plibersek is announced, a small cheer goes up from the government benches: | |
| The number of Australians doing an apprenticeship or traineeship is lower than it was a decade ago. Why has this government cut $3bn from Tafe and training? | |
| Morrison: | |
| I have learnt when the member for Sydney puts forward figures they can never be taken at face value. At the last election our government committed to 80,000 new apprentices, as the government program has been wound out, 2000 people have taken up the program. We look forward to further success. | |
| Plibersek attempts to table the document which shows the cuts, but is denied. | |
| Luckily, there is already a press release on that lickspittle, for those who need the information (and given the fires, there will be some of you), so here it is: | |
| Disaster-hit communities will be back on their feet faster, with the Government introducing legislation for a new $4 billion future fund. | |
| The Emergency Response Fund will grow to up to $6.6 billion over the next decade. | |
| ...The type of assistance provided could include, but is not limited to, recovery project grants, service provision, adoption of technology helping recover and resilience or economic aid packages for affected communities or industry sectors to help build their resilience to future natural disasters. | |
| The Fund will be managed by the Future Fund Board of Guardians. The Board has a proven track record of managing investment portfolios on behalf of Government and maximising returns over the long term. | |
| Phil Thompson gets the first lickspittle of the day, but given he has tomato sauce on his bacon and egg roll instead of barbecue (and hot sauce if you are me), I can’t listen to anything he says. | |
| Question time begins and we are straight into it. | |
| Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison: | |
| My question is addressed to the prime minister. Can he confirm wages have grown more slowly than the last 38 consecutive forecasts? | |
| Morrison: | |
| I can confirm when it comes to wages growth, and the most recent quarter, it was 0.7%. I can confirm, in the September quarter of 2018 when we came to office it was 0.5%. Wage growth was higher than what we inherited from the Labor party. | |
| Scott Morrison on prostate cancer: | |
| But the message today is pretty simple, blokes – don’t muck about with your health. If, like me, you’ve hit the big 50 then you’ve absolutely got to get on to it straight away and must be getting on to it much sooner than that. | |
| Go and talk to your doctor. I did that last Friday as part of my usual check-up and did the usual thing in making sure that these issues were totally sussed out. That’s what we all should be doing on a regular basis. Go to your doctor, know the risks, get the test. Treat it like your life depends on it. Because it does. And it’s important that we appreciate that. | |
| And if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for your kids, do it for those who love you. Because you know how much you love them. | |
| And you should understand that they love you just as much, and they want you around for as long as possible. | |
| It’s almost question time. | |
| Put your predictions down below | |
| As Sarah Martin, who has had a read through the drug testing bill, has pointed out, the government is not releasing the cost of the trial. | As Sarah Martin, who has had a read through the drug testing bill, has pointed out, the government is not releasing the cost of the trial. |
| The financial impact of these amendments is not for publication. | The financial impact of these amendments is not for publication. |
| That’s despite the front page in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph saying up to $65,000 would be available for those determined to need referrals. | That’s despite the front page in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph saying up to $65,000 would be available for those determined to need referrals. |
| Also, it just appears to apply to those on a “job seekers” payment (which will become the new Newstart term) or youth allowance. No other welfare appears to be included. | Also, it just appears to apply to those on a “job seekers” payment (which will become the new Newstart term) or youth allowance. No other welfare appears to be included. |
| You can find the whole bill here. | |
| Someone has been paying attention: | |
| It’s clear @GladysLiuMP needs to answer some serious questions. Her statement is shocking. She should be held to the same standard that I was - a standard the PM set. I resigned. I took responsibility. That was the right decision in my circumstances. | It’s clear @GladysLiuMP needs to answer some serious questions. Her statement is shocking. She should be held to the same standard that I was - a standard the PM set. I resigned. I took responsibility. That was the right decision in my circumstances. |
| Does Mark Dreyfus see any reason for a religious discrimination act? | Does Mark Dreyfus see any reason for a religious discrimination act? |
| Dreyfus: | Dreyfus: |
| Some of the public commentary and some of the submissions, Senator Lambie, for example, the day before yesterday, expressed the view that the legislation wasn’t necessary at all. I imagine that that’s going to be part of the debate because some people are expressing that view – but speaking for myself, I think that there’s a number of groups in the Australian community that have suffered discrimination because of their religious belief, and the community that most springs to mind in recent years would be the Muslim community among us, who directly suffer discrimination in employment and the provision of services. | Some of the public commentary and some of the submissions, Senator Lambie, for example, the day before yesterday, expressed the view that the legislation wasn’t necessary at all. I imagine that that’s going to be part of the debate because some people are expressing that view – but speaking for myself, I think that there’s a number of groups in the Australian community that have suffered discrimination because of their religious belief, and the community that most springs to mind in recent years would be the Muslim community among us, who directly suffer discrimination in employment and the provision of services. |
| I think that it’s absolutely a worthwhile innovation that the attorney general has produced to add this additional ground of discrimination to our existing set of anti-discrimination laws. | I think that it’s absolutely a worthwhile innovation that the attorney general has produced to add this additional ground of discrimination to our existing set of anti-discrimination laws. |
| Precisely how that’s going to be done is the argument that’s ahead of us. But I hear the voices that have said, ‘What’s the need for this?’, or, ‘Why are we doing this?’ | Precisely how that’s going to be done is the argument that’s ahead of us. But I hear the voices that have said, ‘What’s the need for this?’, or, ‘Why are we doing this?’ |
| Other voices saying the reason we’re having the discussion is because of what occurred in the same-sex marriage debate. | Other voices saying the reason we’re having the discussion is because of what occurred in the same-sex marriage debate. |
| Put that to one side, there’s been calls now for a long time for a new ground of discrimination based on religious belief. Four states of the commonwealth have acted to create that ground of discrimination. | Put that to one side, there’s been calls now for a long time for a new ground of discrimination based on religious belief. Four states of the commonwealth have acted to create that ground of discrimination. |
| I’m very happy we’re having that debate at the federal level now. | I’m very happy we’re having that debate at the federal level now. |
| The whole question and answer exchange is here: | The whole question and answer exchange is here: |
| Paul Karp: | |
| In the context of the marriage debate, Bill Shorten gave a very simple commitment that Labor would not vote for legislation that watered down the protection of LGBT Australians. | |
| Now, I know the religious discrimination bill is just an exposure draft and I know Labor is still consulting about it, but will you recommit today that Labor will not vote to water down existing protections in state and federal discrimination law? | Now, I know the religious discrimination bill is just an exposure draft and I know Labor is still consulting about it, but will you recommit today that Labor will not vote to water down existing protections in state and federal discrimination law? |
| And if not, why is that principle no longer a red line for Labor? | And if not, why is that principle no longer a red line for Labor? |
| Mark Dreyfus: | |
| Well, I don’t want to give an absolutely clear answer to Paul’s excellent question. | |
| It’s one of the questions raised by the exposure draft bills that Christian Porter released about 10 days ago. | It’s one of the questions raised by the exposure draft bills that Christian Porter released about 10 days ago. |
| The reason I don’t is that, as I said publicly as recently as yesterday at a press conference that Paul asked me a similar question about, I said these are exposure drafts. | The reason I don’t is that, as I said publicly as recently as yesterday at a press conference that Paul asked me a similar question about, I said these are exposure drafts. |
| Labor’s now consulting on those exposure drafts and when the government resolves on whatever final position it gets to and introduces legislation to the parliament, that will be the time for Labor to form a final view of whether the legislation that the government has introduced to the parliament is an appropriate change to Australia’s anti-discrimination law. | Labor’s now consulting on those exposure drafts and when the government resolves on whatever final position it gets to and introduces legislation to the parliament, that will be the time for Labor to form a final view of whether the legislation that the government has introduced to the parliament is an appropriate change to Australia’s anti-discrimination law. |
| One thing I can say, though, is that we have longstanding Labor values in this area. | One thing I can say, though, is that we have longstanding Labor values in this area. |
| Labor is committed to the elimination of all forms of discrimination in our community. | Labor is committed to the elimination of all forms of discrimination in our community. |
| We have shown that since 1975, when we enacted the Racial Discrimination Act, through to the Sex Discrimination Act through to the Disability Discrimination Act, another Labor enactment, and then supporting the Howard government when it enacted the Age Discrimination Act. | We have shown that since 1975, when we enacted the Racial Discrimination Act, through to the Sex Discrimination Act through to the Disability Discrimination Act, another Labor enactment, and then supporting the Howard government when it enacted the Age Discrimination Act. |
| Those are the four acts of the Australian parliament that set up the anti-discrimination framework that governs conduct in Australia today. | Those are the four acts of the Australian parliament that set up the anti-discrimination framework that governs conduct in Australia today. |
| We look carefully at the other provisions that have been enacted at the state level, because one of the parts of the debate prompted by the exposure drafts that Christian Porter has produced is whether or not, in addition to the existing framework of the four acts, there should also be a new attribute protected against discrimination, namely religious belief. | We look carefully at the other provisions that have been enacted at the state level, because one of the parts of the debate prompted by the exposure drafts that Christian Porter has produced is whether or not, in addition to the existing framework of the four acts, there should also be a new attribute protected against discrimination, namely religious belief. |
| Four states already have such a protected attribute in their anti-discrimination frameworks. There’s a question raised by this legislation as to whether or not at the federal level we should have that as well. | Four states already have such a protected attribute in their anti-discrimination frameworks. There’s a question raised by this legislation as to whether or not at the federal level we should have that as well. |
| And one of the questions that’s going to need to be resolved, as it always has been when a new anti-discrimination statute is produced, is how that new anti-discrimination statute needs to interact with the existing anti-discrimination statutes. | And one of the questions that’s going to need to be resolved, as it always has been when a new anti-discrimination statute is produced, is how that new anti-discrimination statute needs to interact with the existing anti-discrimination statutes. |
| This is something that international human rights has dealt with and political rights deals with directly. It’s where you have potentially conflicting rights. | This is something that international human rights has dealt with and political rights deals with directly. It’s where you have potentially conflicting rights. |
| And the resolution of that conflict or competition between rights is the subject matter of the debate. We have seen bits of it so far in the commitment that the prime minister made during the Wentworth byelection, for example, to abolish the exemption that’s there for religious schools to discriminate against students and children in those schools – that’s unresolved, of course, because the prime minister didn’t keep that promise, and still hasn’t. | And the resolution of that conflict or competition between rights is the subject matter of the debate. We have seen bits of it so far in the commitment that the prime minister made during the Wentworth byelection, for example, to abolish the exemption that’s there for religious schools to discriminate against students and children in those schools – that’s unresolved, of course, because the prime minister didn’t keep that promise, and still hasn’t. |
| [That] perhaps demonstrates the degree of difficulty, but that’s the issue that’s going to have to be resolved. | [That] perhaps demonstrates the degree of difficulty, but that’s the issue that’s going to have to be resolved. |
| The issue raised by your question is going to have to be revolved when we come to debating the legislation that the government says it’s bringing forward. | The issue raised by your question is going to have to be revolved when we come to debating the legislation that the government says it’s bringing forward. |
| Sighhhhhhhhh | Sighhhhhhhhh |
| Mark Dreyfus refuses to recommit to principle @billshortenmp established that Labor won't vote to water down protections of LGBT Australians. Says it's "not of assistance to commit" and he doesn't want to "pre-empt" consultation by giving that guarantee. #auspol #NPC | Mark Dreyfus refuses to recommit to principle @billshortenmp established that Labor won't vote to water down protections of LGBT Australians. Says it's "not of assistance to commit" and he doesn't want to "pre-empt" consultation by giving that guarantee. #auspol #NPC |
| Cory Bernardi has been unable to file his weekly “commonsense” missive to supporters, because he is “under the pump in Canberra”. | Cory Bernardi has been unable to file his weekly “commonsense” missive to supporters, because he is “under the pump in Canberra”. |
| Given what the Senate is dealing with this week, he may be the only one, but I guess we all handle transitions differently. Or in this case, approaching a transition. | Given what the Senate is dealing with this week, he may be the only one, but I guess we all handle transitions differently. Or in this case, approaching a transition. |
| On the ongoing Labor review, and what may happen to some of the policies of the last six years, Mark Dreyfus says this: | On the ongoing Labor review, and what may happen to some of the policies of the last six years, Mark Dreyfus says this: |
| I’m not going to pre-empt the outcome first of all of the review being conducted by eminent former figures of the Labor party. That review is going to report to the party later in the year. And this will be an ongoing debate in the Labor party, as it should be after an election defeat. | I’m not going to pre-empt the outcome first of all of the review being conducted by eminent former figures of the Labor party. That review is going to report to the party later in the year. And this will be an ongoing debate in the Labor party, as it should be after an election defeat. |
| It’s an election defeat where the government increased its majority by precisely one seat, moving from having a one-seat majority after the 2016 election to a two-seat majority after the 2019 election. | It’s an election defeat where the government increased its majority by precisely one seat, moving from having a one-seat majority after the 2016 election to a two-seat majority after the 2019 election. |
| But it’s an election result which has caused shock right across Australia because of the deep expectation that Labor was going to win the election. | But it’s an election result which has caused shock right across Australia because of the deep expectation that Labor was going to win the election. |
| We do have to review the way in which we campaigned; we do have to review the policies we took to the people at the last election. That’s an entirely appropriate process for us to be engaging in. | We do have to review the way in which we campaigned; we do have to review the policies we took to the people at the last election. That’s an entirely appropriate process for us to be engaging in. |
| And might I say – we are not going to win the 2022 election by making announcements right here and now – or for me to make an announcement at the Press Club of what our policies are going to be. | And might I say – we are not going to win the 2022 election by making announcements right here and now – or for me to make an announcement at the Press Club of what our policies are going to be. |
| One of the striking things, I would say, about the last election was just the way in which the winning party, the one that won a majority of seats, 77 seats in the parliament, in their Coalition, was able to go from the knifing of a prime minister for the second time in five years to a just winning position in May of 2019. | One of the striking things, I would say, about the last election was just the way in which the winning party, the one that won a majority of seats, 77 seats in the parliament, in their Coalition, was able to go from the knifing of a prime minister for the second time in five years to a just winning position in May of 2019. |
| But it does tell you something about the speed in which things can change in Australian politics and the closeness to the election that changes a position that might be able to be achieved. | But it does tell you something about the speed in which things can change in Australian politics and the closeness to the election that changes a position that might be able to be achieved. |