No public progress with Coalition or Greens on Labor’s proposed environmental laws
The government’s environment protection bill (EPBC Act) hasn’t yet made any headway publicly with either the Coalition or the Greens.
Murray Watt, speaking to Sky News a moment ago, said negotiations are ongoing, he’s ready to listen to all options and there’s no “preferred partner” to get these reforms through. He added:
But as yet, we haven’t had any amendments provided to us by other side of politics.
On whether the government can get these reforms through by the end of this year (again remembering that there’s just two joint sitting weeks including this week left in the sitting calendar), Watt says, “I’ll leave it for very intelligent commentators like you, Kieran [Gilbert], to judge that kind of thing, but I’ve certainly put everything I’ve got into these reforms.”
Key events
Over to the crossbench, independent Zali Stegagall asks the government whether they will fulfil their promise to introduce local content quotas.
Anthony Albanese jumps in first to answer before arts minister Tony Burke, and says the government, “very much support[s] the local content in the Australian arts sector right across the board.”
Burke says Australians should be able to access locally made content no matter which channel or streaming service they’re using, but gives no guarantees on timing or progress to get there.
If you pick up your remote control at home and you go to the ABC or SBS, you’re guaranteed Australian content, you go to the commercial TV stations there’s still some level of Australian content guaranteed … with the same remote control flicking to any of the streaming services, there’s currently no guarantee of Australian content …
We need to work through a series of different trade obligations but in doing so the government’s objective which we previously stated remains completely on foot and hope to continue to be able to report more to the House.
‘Kick him out!’
After the first couple of questions, the speaker normally gives a few shout-outs to special guests sitting in the public gallery.
Today, former Labor MP Graham Perrett, who’s only too familiar with section 94a, is watching question time.
As Milton Dick introduces him, a few Coalition MPs jokingly shout, “kick him out!” (which gets a good few laughs across the chamber).
Dick says in response, “the former member for Moreton, who I know will be silent during question time …” (which gets even more chuckles).
Albanese defends Labor’s action on cost of living
Staying on cost of living, the chief opposition whip, Aaron Violi, says research by the St Vincent de Paul Society shows 32% of households have skipped meals or gone without food to cover essentials, and 36% of Australian families are concerned about going without food.
Anthony Albanese says the government is acting on the cost of living, and takes the opportunity to dig in on the Coalition’s internal turmoil surrounding net zero emissions.
The number of times that the Coalition, in government or in opposition, has made a submission or a Fair Work case supporting an increase in real wages? Zero. Zero. Zero.
Now, we know they don’t support net zero, but we know also they are net zero when it comes to increases in real wages.
When will prices come down?
Sussan Ley’s first question to Anthony Albanese is on last week’s inflation figures which showed a higher-than-expected rate, and asks when household bills will drop.
Albanese says “everyone” knows that inflation started with a six before the 2022 election, and has been nearly halved.
Ley makes a point of order, asking the PM to say exactly when prices will come down. Milton Dick’s not convinced by the point, and lets Albanese continue.
Albanese finishes his answer taking a dig at the Coalition, for not backing Labor’s top-up tax cut pledge at the last election.
They put forward an option which said, “A vote for the Liberal party is a vote for higher taxes and higher deficits”, and the Australian people rejected them, and the Australian people are continuing to reject them.
It’s question time! With a special guest
The PM is back and today there’s another special guest in the chamber (though not of the musical variety).
New Zealand’s speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is sitting in the house today, next to Milton Dick, who says it’s the first time in 21 years that a visiting speaker has sat on the floor of the house.
Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley both welcome Brownlee.
No public progress with Coalition or Greens on Labor’s proposed environmental laws
The government’s environment protection bill (EPBC Act) hasn’t yet made any headway publicly with either the Coalition or the Greens.
Murray Watt, speaking to Sky News a moment ago, said negotiations are ongoing, he’s ready to listen to all options and there’s no “preferred partner” to get these reforms through. He added:
But as yet, we haven’t had any amendments provided to us by other side of politics.
On whether the government can get these reforms through by the end of this year (again remembering that there’s just two joint sitting weeks including this week left in the sitting calendar), Watt says, “I’ll leave it for very intelligent commentators like you, Kieran [Gilbert], to judge that kind of thing, but I’ve certainly put everything I’ve got into these reforms.”
Josh Butler
Coalition calls for Optus to pay compensation to those affected by triple-zero outage
The Coalition says Optus should pay compensation to the families of people who died during the network’s triple-zero outage when they were unable to call emergency services, with one senator claiming the telco hadn’t answered key questions about the disruption.
Optus executives fronted a Senate inquiry today, but we didn’t learn a lot more about the emergency calls outage. The CEO, Stephen Rue, said the company “will do the right thing with compensation”, but Liberal senator Sarah Henderson told a press conference she wanted more assurances:
I don’t have the confidence at this point in time that Optus will do the right thing. And so therefore I believe we need full facts in relation to what Optus is going to do in relation to those failed triple-zero calls.
They provide a service, that service failed … So I think Optus has got huge liability, and we demand answers as to what they are going to do for these families.
She didn’t raise a potential compensation number or amount.
Henderson was unhappy that Optus had taken numerous questions on notice during the hearing, rather than answering at that point. She said she believed that behaviour was “in breach of Senate rules” and said she’d raised concerns about whether executives could be in contempt of the Senate.
Missy Higgins puts on the ol’ razzle dazzle at Parliament House
Sometimes parliament sees some very cool guests, and today, musician and Australian treasure Missy Higgins graced us with a performance ahead of the Aria awards later this month.
*I say us, I wasn’t there either so I’ll also be enjoying these pics – like many of you – from the office!
Points to you if you can spot all the pollies in the audience.
Is Tim Wilson throwing his hat in the leadership ring?
Like many Victorians, Tim Wilson doesn’t want to work on Melbourne Cup day. He’s even called the PM a “philistine” for holding a parliamentary sitting day during this sacred event.
(FYI – Melbourne cup day is tomorrow for those who don’t normally celebrate)
In a Facebook post, Wilson also jokingly throws his hat in the leadership ring:
Our philistine prime minister is forcing parliament to sit on Tuesday defying Melbourne’s traditions and way of life. I make this commitment: this will never happen under a Wilson government!
Adeshola Ore
Australian Academy of Science president warns Australia is in a race for Stem talent
The president of the Australian Academy of Science is delivering the annual Ralph Slatyer address, which honours Australia’s first chief scientist.
Chennupati Jagadish warns Australia is in a global race for Stem (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) talent:
There is a global reconfiguration of our energy systems, necessary to decarbonise our economies, whilst not weakening them. Science and technology sit at the absolute centre of these changes.
Last month’s critical minerals agreement between the United States and Australia underscores this. It wasn’t simply a trade deal. It was recognition that geopolitics now turns on access to the raw materials of the technological revolution.
Sadly, I can say with both confidence and despair that science and technology is neither positioned nor valued as the national strategic asset it is at the heart of our ability to trade, make deals, boost productivity and navigate geopolitical complexity.
He says Australia has not sought to strengthen its science and technology capability to respond to a changing world:
We cannot make good on our critical minerals promises when the number of geologists we attract, train and retain is in freefall.
Nor can we rely on importing talent when the International Union of Geological Sciences says other countries are experiencing similar declines.
