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Albanese tables Liberal election review in question time
The House is going feral as Anthony Albanese answers a dixer about the one-year anniversary of the Coalition’s work from home policy.
The Liberal federal executive decided to shelve their election review and leave it a secret, but the report is leaking fast.
And now it’s out.
Albanese tables the report, which he’s brought a copy of with him to the chamber (with paragraphs highlighted and all).
It means it’ll be made public shortly.
Key events
Independent MP Dai Le, the member for Fowler in Western Sydney, asks the PM why he’s prioritising spending for a multi-billion dollar high speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle when there’s still no east-west rail link for 1.2 million Australians in Western Sydney. She says the people in her electorate are being left behind.
Anthony Albanese, who used to be the transport minister, says he “loves” getting questions about infrastructure.
He starts saying how long it’s taken to get the Western Sydney airport built, and then says the government is spending $13bn on transport infrastructure projects across Western Sydney over the next ten years.
Dan Tehan is back and now puts the question to the minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, and asks if she has done anything to prevent the payment being made.
Aly says something similar to Chalmers, that the government takes seriously the taxpayer funding that goes to community groups.
She says she’s looking into the matter and will have more to say on it “shortly”.
We take very seriously the use of taxpayer money to fund those activities and communities. And when we do that, we do that with an expectation, with an expectation those activities and communities will abide by the and within the expectations and standards which Australian taxpayers expect.
At the end of the answer, Liberal MP Tony Pasin – a new entrant to the shadow frontbench – gets kicked out. That’s three ejections by my count now.
Dan Tehan continues Coalition theme of asking about those mourning Ayatollah
The Coalition is sticking to theme today, with Dan Tehan up next asking about a government grant to the TAHA association who have reportedly been mourning the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The TAHA association in Melbourne is a non-profit registered organization of the Shia Ithna Asheri Muslim community of Melbourne according to the charities register.
Jim Chalmers says again that it is not appropriate for anyone to mourn the death of the Ayatollah.
He says that the minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, is looking into the matter and is taking the issue “very seriously”.
We take any breaches of the law very seriously. Our agencies, the ATO, the Charities Commission and others have the powers to revoke any of the concessional treatment that applies to organisations. And when it comes to the specific case that you have raised, I know that my colleague, Minister Aly, has been working on this matter.
Chalmers accuses Wilson of ‘vacating the field’ on economy
Tim Wilson, the newly minted shadow treasurer, is up next – to which Jim Chalmers says “it only took till 2.30pm on day two” – having yesterday criticised the opposition for not asking a question about the economy.
Wilson asks Chalmers to rule out that taxpayer money is going to any mosques or Islamic groups who have been mourning the death of the Ayatollah. It’s perhaps not the question Chalmers was expecting.
Chalmers has a big crack at Wilson for “vacating the field on the economy”.
I think it says everything, Mr Speaker, that the first question from the Shadow Treasurer is not question about inflation, not a question about productivity …
The treasurer says the government does its best to ensure all public spending is appropriate and “where we discover that it’s not appropriate … we take the relevant steps at the relevant time”.
Hamilton booted out as Katter asks about fuel security
We have our second booting from the chamber, it’s Queensland LNP MP, Garth Hamilton, for shouting too much during a dixer.
Next we go to the crossbench, to Bob Katter, who asks about Australia’s fuel security. He goes on a tangent and says his horse has died.
Anthony Albanese (who goes almost nowhere without his dog, Toto), expresses his condolences to Katter over the death of his horse, saying: “I know that people particularly love their horses and the relationship is important.”
On to fuel security, he says the government is trying to increase manufacturing and is building energy independence by establishing the east coast gas reserve, and “investing in making liquid fuels here”.
Burke responds with jab at Coalition after question from Hastie on Syria repatriations
Andrew Hastie is at the dispatch box next and asks the home affairs minister to again confirm that “none of his staff or department made representations to any departments or agencies to … expedite the issuing Australian passports” to the 34 women and children in a Syrian detention camp.
Tony Burke takes a quick stab at the Liberals, saying they’re not asking about their own bill that would “jail the baggage handlers”.
Burke says the cohort asked to be repatriated, they took the government to court and lost.
Public servants have done what they legally are obliged to do and no more. That [is] not assistance.
Albanese tables Liberal election review in question time
The House is going feral as Anthony Albanese answers a dixer about the one-year anniversary of the Coalition’s work from home policy.
The Liberal federal executive decided to shelve their election review and leave it a secret, but the report is leaking fast.
And now it’s out.
Albanese tables the report, which he’s brought a copy of with him to the chamber (with paragraphs highlighted and all).
It means it’ll be made public shortly.
It’s question time, and we have an almost immediate ejection from the chamber
Angus Taylor is sticking to questions on the 34 women and children in a Syrian detention camp and asks Anthony Albanese to confirm that none of his staff, ministers, departments or agencies have helped the group.
Albanese accuses the opposition of having an “obsession with the issue”.
If only, Mr Speaker, he [Taylor] was as obsessed when ISIS fighters were coming home.
The government has claimed that several Australian men who went and fought with Islamic State returned to Australia under the former Coalition government. Albanese then tries to quote Peter Dutton (they’re also copying and pasting yesterday’s tactics), which gets the manager of opposition business, Dan Tehan, out of his seat with a point of order.
As he gets up, Labor MP Basem Abdo, says “miss you, Alex” (as in the former manager of opposition business, Alex Hawke) which gets him quickly booted from the chamber by the Speaker.
Albanese says neither the rights of Australian citizens nor the constitution have changed since the Coalition was in government.
Gender pay gap improvement is ‘incremental’, says shadow minister for women
The shadow minister for women, Melissa McIntosh, says the latest gender gap data shows there has been incremental progress but it’s moving too slowly.
She says broader changes to support women, including childcare (which is a major issue the Coalition has promised policy on), to make it easier for women to take on more senior roles.
McIntosh, one of just three Liberal women on the frontbench in the House of Reps, says the report shows that just 7% of managers work part-time which reinforces “outdated expectations that leadership requires constant availability”.
In a statement, McIntosh wrote:
Too many women are still stepping back from leadership roles, reducing hours or leaving the workforce altogether due to caring responsibilities and inflexible work structures.
That means ensuring childcare is accessible, affordable and flexible and creating genuine pathways for part-time and flexible leadership roles.
Tom McIlroy
‘War parties’ targeted over secretive new defence committee
The Senate is debating legislation that would establish a secretive new committee of federal parliament to scrutinise the Australian defence force, the defence department, veterans’ affairs and other areas of government working on the Aukus nuclear agreement.
Labor and the Coalition look set to support the creation of a new joint House and Senate committee on defence, with a makeup mirroring the powerful parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security.
Its work will be conducted in secret, except when public hearings are authorised by the defence minister.
MPs who are members will be tasked with considering defence strategy, planning and contingencies, capability and examining decisions by the government to commit Australian troops to conflicts.
The Greens oppose the plan, and have accused the Coalition, One Nation and Labor of being Australia’s “war parties”, linking today’s debate to the unfolding military situation in Iran.
Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May says Aukus is an example of “self-delusion and self-denial”.
She said the committee would represent another structure that conducts defence oversight “largely out of public view”.
Accountability cannot simply mean a small group of insiders making decisions behind closed doors.
The bill is expected to pass with votes from the government and the opposition.
Hastie declares international rules-based order is ‘dead’
Coalition frontbencher Andrew Hastie says anyone who believes the rules-based order still exists is living in a “fantasyland”, as the US-Israel war on Iran escalates.
Hastie spoke to reporters a little earlier today and said the international rules-based order is “nice to talk about” but irrelevant when Trump acts as an “apex opportunist”.
I don’t think that exists any more, and anyone who says it does is living in a fantasyland. This is a new world order.
I think the world is governed by power, and I prefer a powerful US re-establishing deterrence, rather than other countries like Russia, you know, using might to advance its national interest.
You can read more from my colleague, Tom McIlroy, here:
Carney touches down in Sydney
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has touched down in Sydney for a three-day trip to Australia.
He’ll be addressing the federal parliament on Thursday.
He was greeted at the airport by NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey, federal Labor frontbencher Matt Thistlethwaite, and others.
