Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra. Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese this week return to Capital Hill for a week of battle over welfare reform and union-busting bills.
Richard Ferguson 8.40am: ‘Lives endangered’, Di Natale says
Greens leader Richard Di Natale has accused Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud of “endangering people’s lives” for not directly linking recent bushfires in Queensland to climate change.
The Greens have upped their rhetoric on climate change and bushfires this week, with Senator Di Natale comparing climate change and bushfires to gun violence and gun laws.
“If he’s not prepared climate change is not a driver of bushfires ... what he’s in fact doing he is endangering the lives of Australians,” he told ABC radio.
Devastating to witness the impact of bushfires on Qld and NSW communities. My thoughts are with everyone who has lost their homes and property and with the emergency services workers bravely fighting fires and supporting those affected.
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) September 7, 2019
These are the real life consequences of the worsening climate crisis. No more excuses. We are in a climate emergency.
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) September 7, 2019
“As a result of climate change, we will see an increased frequency and severity of bushfires.
“We know that climate change makes bushfires worse, in the way lax gun laws make gun violence worse.”
Mr Littleproud said on Monday that whether man-made climate change was responsible for bushfires was “irrelevant”, but admitted the climate was changing.
“We’re adapting to it as the climate continues to change, and we’ll continue to equip our fire service members,” he told ABC radio.
“Whether it’s man-made or not is irrelevant. That is a debate (climate change) that has extremes from both sides.”
Richard Ferguson 8.05am: Marles flips on drug tests
Labor’s deputy leader Richard Marles has stared down the government’s proposal to drug test welfare recipients, despite signalling he was open to the bill last week.
“There’s an indignity to what’s being proposed here,” he told ABC News on Monday.
“It’s a real problem if we’re seeing our most vulnerable persecuted.
“There is no evidence at all which suggests this makes any difference.”
Last Friday, Mr Marles said he would listen to experts on the bill but did not rule out support.
“We are for anything that will get people off drugs. We will look at the legislation,” he told Nine.
The drug-test trials are set to pass with independent senator Jacqui Lambie’s support.
Richard Ferguson 8am: Water review essential, Littleproud says
Water Minister David Littleproud will wait for a review into the water market before answering calls to rein in investors accused of hoarding billions of litres of water and ratcheting up the cost.
Representatives from about a dozen horticultural industries have written to Mr Littleproud claiming the non-farm water investors are playing the market.
“What I heard was that they (non-land investors) were speculating ... so I listened and instigated that (Australian Consumer and Competition Commission) review,” he told ABC radio.
EXCLUSIVE | Investors are allegedly hoarding billions of litres of water, ratcheting up the cost and cruelling food growers who claim they face a massive artificial price spike that is crippling agriculture #auspol https://t.co/7m6FrUn2LN
— The Australian (@australian) September 8, 2019
“It’s important we get this right and it’s important governments don’t reach into marketplaces unless there is a need, there is unbalance.
“This is why I asked the ACCC. They’re the professionals, not me.
“My intent would be to see that water is used by family farms to keep their communities going in an economical way.”
Richard Ferguson 7.25am: Bills before parliament
It’s set to be a busy sitting fortnight for Scott Morrison as he pushes key parts of his election agenda. Here are some of the big bills set to be voted on in parliament, and their chances of passing:
ENSURING INTEGRITY BILL
Laws allowing courts to deregister rogue unions and union officials are before the senate. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie said she’ll block the bill if controversial construction union boss John Setka resigns.
SEX CRIME REFORMS
The Morrison government will impose mandatory minimum sentences for pedophiles, make it harder for repeat sex offenders to get bail, and ensure people who commit the most serious abuses against children remain in prison for life. Labor is set to back the proposal, despite its stance against mandatory minimum sentencing.
PM says he’s looking to “test” Labor this week when Parliament resumes.. So where do Labor sit on key legislation?
- Cashless welfare card expansion ✖️
— Caitlin Taylor (@caitotaylor) September 7, 2019
- Drug testing for Newstart recipients ✖️
- Mandatory sentencing for pedophiles (a reluctant) ✔️
- Ensuring Integrity Bill ✖️
WELFARE BILLS
Cashless welfare debit cards and drug-testing trials for dole recipients are set to pass the senate with Senator Lambie’s support. Labor is opposed and the Prime Minister is setting it up as one of the key “tests” for a post-election Opposition.
If the Govt is saying that welfare recipients should be drug tested because they are on the public purse then by that logic everyone else being paid by the taxpayer should also be subject to drug testing why just pick on poor people? #auspol
— Jacqui Lambie (@JacquiLambie) September 8, 2019
MEDEVAC REPEAL
The government wants to finally repeal the medical transfers regime for offshore refugees that was foisted upon it by Bill Shorten and crossbench MPs during the hung parliament last year. Labor and Centre Alliance remain opposed to repeal. Senator Lambie has not come to a position.
Richard Ferguson 6.55am: What’s making news
Scott Morrison is close to securing a major victory for his social and welfare reform agenda, including the expansion of the cashless welfare card and drug tests for welfare recipients, with both bills likely to be passed after Jacqui Lambie confirmed her support.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has suffered a collapse in voter support, with his approval rating heading into negative territory for the first time since becoming leader three months ago.
Anthony Albanese has slipped further behind Scott Morrison in the head-to-head contest, now trailing by a 20-point margin as the preferred prime minister https://t.co/GpKteILI9B #Newspoll pic.twitter.com/3ECqc9bu3V
— The Australian (@australian) September 8, 2019
Former assistant housing minister Sarah Henderson has won a hard-fought Liberal Party preselection battle for a Victorian Senate seat, beating farmer and former Liberal Party country vice-president Greg Mirabella 234 votes to 197.
Labor’s chief strategist, Tony Burke , says it is in the national interest to allow the Sri Lankan Tamil family facing deportation to stay in Australia, after Scott Morrison ruled out any “special favours”.
Barnaby Joyce will ask the Nationals to adopt a new policy to increase representation of regional Australians in the Senate, suggesting there be two “high-profile” senators representing the most populous city of Sydney.
Simon Benson writes: Anthony Albanese can only look with envy at PM’s approval rating.
The two-party-preferred vote remains unchanged at 51-49 in favour of the Coalition https://t.co/GpKteILI9B #Newspoll pic.twitter.com/HZs8nOUA5T
— The Australian (@australian) September 8, 2019
Reporter
Canberra
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