What we learned: Thursday 21 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of what we learned today:
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and his UK counterpart, Grant Shapps, have signed a new defence and security cooperation agreement that “includes a status of forces agreement, making it easier for the respective forces to operate together in each other’s countries”
The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act to protect students and staff at schools from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has pressed the Albanese government to “replace the superficial Harmony Week with a meaningful week of antiracism” and to establish “a standalone antiracism portfolio in cabinet”.
The former prime minister Paul Keating has said his meeting today with the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, was “a very pleasant and engaging event which, in the main, was a big picture discussion about the geostrategic balances and influences in the world”.
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has introduced a bill that would outlaw the sale, supply, commercial possession, advertising and manufacture of vapes in Australia.
The Albanese government announced that from Saturday it will implement several key recommendations of the migration review, released in December.
Almost 550,000 migrants pushed Australia’s population growth rate to a record high in the year to September 2023, threatening government efforts to ease migration levels.
PwC’s global chairman, Bob Moritz, has refused to comply with a request from the Australian parliament to share a copy of an investigation used to contain the tax leaks scandal to Australia.
Greens MP Jenny Leong was kicked out of question time in the lower house of New South Wales parliament today, after she interrupted to demand that two people be let into the public gallery in the interests of democracy.
The Queensland LNP leader, David Crisafulli, has ruled out building any new stadium for the Brisbane Olympics at the Gabba, in Victoria Park, or anywhere else.
Plagued by teacher shortages and staff burnout, Victorian public school principals are ratcheting up a campaign for more federal funding.
Updated
Victoria to crack down on dodgy landlords with giant fines
Rule-breaking landlords and real estate agents in Victoria will be targeted and hit with hefty fines if they break the state’s rental standards laws, AAP reports.
A new taskforce will crack down on the likes of false advertising, renting out properties that do not meet minimum standards and not lodging bonds.
Victoria’s consumer affairs minister, Gabrielle Williams, said the taskforce would start responding to complaints this year and be staffed by 14 intelligence analysts, inspectors, investigators and lawyers.
She said some landlords had continued to behave badly despite the state government implementing more than 130 rental reforms in 2021.
Williams said:
Most rental providers and estate agents do the right thing – today’s announcement is about sending a clear message to those trying to get away with rental offences.
Updated
Two leading LGBTQ+ groups have called on the federal government to adopt the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s anti-discrimination inquiry “as soon as possible”.
The report, handed down today, recommended amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act to protect students and staff at schools from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Equality Australia’s legal director, Ghassan Kassisieh, said:
This is the blueprint for reform and we call on the federal government to adopt the recommendations in full, and pass legislation as soon as possible.
Labor committed to these reforms before coming to power but discrimination against LGBTQ+ students and staff is happening in religious schools across the country because of gaps in Australian laws that makes it lawful.
In a separate statement, Alastair Lawrie, director of policy and advocacy at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said the report lays out a clear pathway for the government to keep its promise to protect LGBTQ+ students and teachers.
But the organisation criticised the narrow terms of reference for the inquiry, which did not extend to exploring the same protections for LGBTQ+ people working in other industries. Lawrie said:
We’re disappointed that the narrow terms of reference given to the ALRC mean the report does not recommend immediate removal of general religious exceptions which allow discrimination in other taxpayer funded services operated by faith bodies across healthcare, disability and elsewhere.
Gay nurses, lesbian doctors, bisexual aged care workers, trans NDIS service providers, and LGBTQ people accessing a wide range of publicly funded community services deserve the same rights, and same protections, as queer students and teachers.
Updated
Greens accuse PwC International of delivering a “slap in the face to the Australian people”
Greens senator Barbara Pocock, who is also a member of the Senate inquiry into the consultancy industry, has accused PwC International of delivering a “slap in the face to the Australian people”.
PwC’s global chairman, Bob Moritz, has refused to comply with a request from the Australian parliament to share a copy of an investigation the firm relied on to contain the tax leaks scandal to Australia.
The international firm has cited legal professional privilege over a report by law firm Linklaters, but provided more information about the scope of the investigation and the conduct of those it mentions.
The report cleared six international partners who received confidential Australian government information about draft multinational tax laws of professional misconduct. Senators, regulators and departments want to read the full Linklaters report to independently verify that finding.
Pocock said:
His … refusal to hand over any information about the role of international partners in the scandal flies in the face of their claims to good governance. This is a slap in the face to the Australian people who have paid through the nose for PwC contracts with government agencies for decades.
Updated
Australian embassy in US focused on Aukus over Assange, Shoebridge says
Speaking further on the plight of Julian Assange, David Shoebridge gave credit to Kevin Rudd for getting his team at Australia’s embassy in the US to be a “clear advocate” for the WikiLeaks founder.
But he said the Australian embassy has been “overrun by Aukus”:
The US administration said it had been repeatedly raised would them. So … I give credit for that work. I think in many ways, though, the embassy has been overrun by Aukus in the last few months, the mess that Aukus is in.
That’s what I’m hearing from Assange supporters and others there over this year. Assange hasn’t been so much the focus – more Aukus.
Shoebridge also expressed concern at the Aukus deal enmeshing Australia closer to the US at a time when the nation may elect Donald Trump later this year as their new president.
That is a very dangerous and uncertain path for Australia to go down. You would surely think we need a plan B in the case of Donald Trump being elected. And that’s not just who our ambassador will be – that’s whether or not we should continue with things like a $360bn-odd Aukus submarine deal.
Updated
Julian Assange ‘may not survive’ trial and extradition, David Shoebridge says
Julian Assange may not survive his trial and extradition to the US if the segment of the US Department of Justice that wish to take Assange case “as far as they possibly can” succeeds, the Greens’ spokesperson for justice, David Shoebridge, has said.
Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing a short moment ago, Shoebridge said of the WikiLeaks founder:
The extradition itself could effectively be a death sentence against Julian Assange. That’s what some of the medical opinions show.
I think what we desperately need is we need an outcome where Julian and his family can come back to Australia and be free. And have that happen as a degree of urgency. It’s a matter for Julian and US officials as to whether or not a deal is struck.
But the ideal outcome would be the dropping of the charges and his return to Australia as a free person so he could be with his wife and family.
On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported reported that the US justice department was looking at ways to cut short Assange’s long London court battle against extradition to the US to face espionage charges for the publication 14 years ago of thousands of classified US documents related to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The report said a plan under consideration would be to drop the current 18 charges under the Espionage Act if Assange pleaded guilty to mishandling classified documents – a misdemeanour offence. Assange would be able to enter the plea remotely from London and would likely be free soon after the deal was agreed to, as he has already spent five years in custody in the UK.
But Assange’s lawyers say they have been “given no indication” Washington intends to change its approach.
Shoebridge said he thinks the Biden administration was “testing the waters” by dropping the story in the Journal:
Does the Biden administration really want to be jailing one of the world’s most prominent whistleblowers in the lead-up to an election? I think that context shows why this story was dropped with one of the most prominent US papers, which is often the space where the administration goes to drop these stories. It’s really a testing of the waters – as much with the Assange team as I think with the national security community in the United States.
More on the plea deal reportedly being considered by the US here:
Updated
Labor criticises PwC International’s investigation into tax scandal as ‘deeply disappointing’
Labor senator Deborah O’Neill, who is a member of the Senate inquiry into the consultancy industry, says PwC International’s refusal to comply with its requests is “unsurprising” but “deeply disappointing”.
PwC’s global chairman, Bob Moritz, has refused to comply with a request from the Australian parliament to share a copy of an investigation the firm relied upon to contain the tax leaks scandal to Australia.
The international firm has cited legal professional privilege over a report by law firm Linklaters, but provided more information about the scope of the investigation and the conduct of those it mentions.
The report cleared six international partners who received confidential Australian government information about draft multinational tax laws of professional misconduct. Senators, regulators and departments want to read the full Linklaters report to independently verify that finding.
Here’s part of a statement from O’Neill:
Mr Moritz seems to misunderstand the request and the opportunity here. He can show that PwC is dealing with the legacy of its behaviour in Australia, but that will require a commitment to transparency and openness.
If the involvement by international partners in this scandal is minimal, then there would seem to be little justification for hiding behind legal privilege.
Australian partners of the firm have already paid a substantial penalty for their involvement in this issue. I see no reason why their international peers should be spared that scrutiny, just because we are told by PwC that there is ‘nothing to see’ here.
More on this story here:
Updated
Evacuations in Borroloola and NT Gulf Country taking place following severe weather warnings
210 people have been evacuated from the Northern Territory’s Gulf Country and more will follow this afternoon as severe weather warnings continue in the wake of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan.
The acting police commissioner, Matt Hollamby, said so far evacuations have only taken place in Borroloola, but emergency plans to evacuate other communities are in place if required. He said:
There is a degree of uncertainty and apprehension about their residence in Borroloola. We’d just ask that you respect their dignity whilst they are being evacuated to Darwin.
Borroloola is the only community that is being evacuated at this point in time. There are emergency plans to evacuate other communities, only if it’s necessary. And as a part of that planning, we have asked the military for aerial support in those activities, should they be required.
Updated
Wamba Wemba people secure first reserved seat on Victorian First Peoples’ Assembly without government recognition
Victoria’s Wamba Wemba people have become the first Indigenous group to secure a reserved seat on the state’s First Peoples’ Assembly without formal government recognition.
The assembly – the state’s democratically elected Indigenous body – on Thursday voted to create a new reserved seat for the traditional owners from the state’s north-west. The body is meeting today to discuss priorities ahead of beginning statewide treaty negotiations with the Allan government in the coming months.
Assembly co-chair Reuben Berg, a Gunditjmara man, says it is important the treaty process is not confined by government systems:
The Assembly created the additional pathway to recognition so mob can decide who is who and how we organise ourselves. It’s fantastic to see it working and we’re really thrilled to be celebrating Wamba Wemba’s inclusion in the Assembly with a new reserved seat.
The assembly is made up of a mix of reserved and democratically elected seats but has previously faced some criticism by some in the Indigenous community for not including allocated seats for every traditional owner group.
Updated
Queensland opposition rules out new Olympic stadium if elected
The Queensland LNP leader, David Crisafulli, has ruled out building any new stadium for the Brisbane Olympics at the Gabba, in Victoria Park, or anywhere else.
That leaves just two options to host athletics. Plan A: upgrading the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, which was used for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and later by the Brisbane Broncos until the early 2000s. That’s the Labor government’s plan, and it has been heavily criticised by the LNP opposition because it’s nowhere near public transport.
Or plan B: they could hold it on the Gold Coast at Carrara Stadium. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the athletics.
Just one problem: it’s on the Gold Coast, which is an odd place to hold the Brisbane Olympics. (It was also scheduled to host cricket).
They might also hold it at the Gabba, but the ground has been criticised by all parties as unsuitable without major upgrades.
The idea of a multibillion-dollar new stadium at Victoria Park was recommended by an independent review led by former Brisbane lord mayor and long-time Olympics booster Graham Quirk on Monday. It is now dead.
The opposition leader told media he would set up an independent infrastructure authority immediately if elected at the state poll in October, and the body would come out with an answer by February 2025.
Crisafulli said this afternoon:
For 1000 days the Labor government has torched the Games. I’m asking Queenslanders for 100 days to fix this mess, for 100 days to get what should have been right a long time ago.
Updated
Labor seeking ‘enduring solution’ on religious discrimination after ALRC report handed down: Dreyfus
Immediately after question time, Mark Dreyfus tabled to the parliament the Australian Law Reform Commission’s report on religious educational institutions and anti-discrimination report.
We covered the conclusions and recommendations of the report – which is not a report from government but will be considered by it – in the blog a little earlier.
Dreyfus began by stating no Australians should be discriminated against on the basis of their belief or who they are.
He continued:
The government will seek to enhance protections in anti-discrimination law in a way that brings Australians together.
Just as commonwealth law already prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, disability and age, no one should be discriminated against because of their faith.
Equally, no students or member of staff should be discriminated against because of who they are. At the same time, religious schools must continue to be able to build and maintain communities of faith.
The government recognises and respects the right of parents to send their kids to a religious school because of the beliefs and values they teach their children.
Over many months, we have been talking to a range of religious institutions, community organisations, unions and legal experts. We thank them for their engagement, and we thank the Australian Law Reform Commission for its work.
The government is seeking an enduring solution that strengthens protections for all of us – students, teachers, people of faith. And that’s why bipartisan support for solutions is essential.
Updated
Victorian public schools up ante on funding deal with feds
Plagued by teacher shortages and staff burnout, Victorian public school principals are ratcheting up a campaign for more federal funding, AAP reports.
Victoria’s education minister, Ben Carroll, the treasurer, Tim Pallas, and other Labor MPs were meeting with more than 50 public school principals at state parliament on Thursday.
The group is demanding their schools be funded to 100% of the schooling resource standard (SRS), set out by the landmark 2011 Gonski review. The federal government is negotiating new school funding agreements with states and territories.
Under Gonski 2.0 reforms, states are required to fund public schools at 75% of the SRS and the commonwealth chips in 20%, leaving a 5% gap.
The Australian Education Union’s Victorian branch president, Meredith Peace, said Victorian government schools were funded to 90.4% of the SRS, the lowest in the country.
The principal of Kennington primary, Travis Eddy, said his school of 620 students and more than 100 staff had missed out on more than $1.6m a year over the past decade because of the shortfall.
His staff are leaving the profession due to workload-related burnout, he said, and it is proving extremely difficult to find replacements.
Eddy said:
Our recruitment numbers have gone from, five years ago, pre-Covid, 100 applicants for teaching jobs to two.
Updated
Good afternoon, everyone. I’ll now be with you until this evening.
Parliament will shortly adjourn until Monday (short sitting week next week with just the three days, so regional and rural members can make it back to their electorates for Good Friday sittings) so I will hand you over to Jordyn Beazley for the remainder of the afternoon.
Make sure you check back for more political news – but we’ll be back with Politics Live on Monday. You’ll still have a blog for company tomorrow though – the general news blog, Australia Live, will be with you from just after 7am.
Until Monday – take care of you. Ax
Updated
ALRC report recommends reform of Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act
In line with that conclusion, the ALRC makes two major recommendations:
Reform the Sex Discrimination Act to “narrow the circumstances in which it would be lawful to discriminate against students or staff at religious educational institutions on SDA grounds”, and
Reform the Fair Work Act to “narrow the circumstances in which it would be lawful to treat staff (particularly existing employees) at religious educational institutions differently on the ground of religion”; secondly, “to ensure that differential treatment on the basis of religion does not allow for discrimination on SDA grounds”; and lastly “to allow religious educational institutions to give preference to persons of the same religion in selecting employees, in order to build and maintain a community of faith”.
Updated
Government’s religious discrimination policy commitments comply with international obligations, ALRC report finds
What has the ALRC concluded?
Here is their summary of the conclusions:
The ALRC has concluded that the Australian Government’s policy commitments can be implemented in a manner that is consistent with Australia’s international legal obligations, through amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act, the Fair Work Act, and the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) (‘Australian Human Rights Commission Act ’), as specified in the recommendations made by the ALRC.
The recommended reforms would maximise the realisation of human rights overall and, where the reforms may restrict the realisation of some rights to some extent, the reforms would do so in a way that is justifiable under international law. Furthermore, broadly stated, the reforms would result in greater consistency between Commonwealth law and state and territory laws, as well as the law in comparable overseas jurisdictions.
Updated
ALRC religious discrimination report delivered
The Australian Law Reform Commission’s report into religious discrimination has landed.
You can read the whole report here.
Updated
Here is how Mike Bowers saw QT:
Updated
The parliamentary workplace support service (the PWSS) has a new CEO.
Don Farrell has announced Leonie McGregor will lead the service, which was established in the wake of the ‘set the standard’ report from former sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins.
Ms McGregor will be ably supported by the advisory Board, chaired by Ms Carmel McGregor PSM, consultant and adjunct professor in governance, University of Canberra.
The board will also include former judge of the federal court, the Hon Andrew Greenwood, social inclusion and policy expert, Ms Tanya Hosch, and former MoP(S) Act staff member and experienced chief of staff, Ms Elizabeth Dowd.
The government acknowledges the work of former PWSS CEO Ms Meg Brighton, as well as the current acting CEO, Ms Michelle Wicks, who have both served with distinction and trust amongst parliamentarians and staff.
Updated
Anthony Albanese takes a dixer to speak about the importance of a stable relationship with China.
And with that, question time ends.
Updated
We are back to serious questions in the house, with the independent member for Mackellar, Sophie Scamps, asking Tanya Plibersek:
Last year, you expanded the water trigger in our national environment laws so all forms of unconventional gas were covered by it. Gas company Tamboran has approval from the Northern Territory government to start gas fracking in the Beetaloo Basin. The new water trigger very likely applies to that project, but Tamboran has not referred it to you for assessment. Minister, why haven’t you used your powers to call in the Tamboran project for assessment?
Plibersek (after a lot of praise of Scamps for her interest in the environment) says:
As a potential decision-maker, I am not able to comment on any individual matters that may come before me, but I want to reassure the member for Mackellar that the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water wrote to all known companies that have activities in the Beetaloo Basin, including Tamboran Resources, to inform them of their new obligations that may apply to any operations they have under the water trigger amendments.
I haven’t received any referral for the activities of any of those companies in the Beetaloo Basin. As a potential decision-maker, as I say, it is not appropriate for me to offer commentary on any particular project. But because the member for Mackellar and a number of members on this side have raised concerns, I have asked my department to provide advice to me to assure me that all companies that are operating in the Beetaloo Basin are complying with their obligations under the expanded water trigger.
Updated
There has been some mirth in Senate question time, in between a partisan fight over national security.
The Coalition’s home affairs spokesperson, James Paterson, was pressing for confirmation that the heads of intelligence agencies Asio and Asis were no longer “regular attendees” of the cabinet’s national security committee (and that they now come along only when the agenda items are relevant to their fields).
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said she was in a “somewhat difficult position because we don’t comment on the workings” of cabinet committees, but she praised the intelligence agency heads as “highly professional, excellent officers”.
Paterson, in a follow-up question, asked:
Did the prime minister remove the heads of our intelligence agencies from NSC because they were telling him things he didn’t want to hear? And will the prime minister commit to reinstating the heads of our intelligence agencies as regular attendees of NSC so they can provide the candid and considered national security advice that this government so desperately needs to hear?
Wong triggered a series of interjections and amusement when she began her answer by saying:
Senator Paterson is generally one of the more sensible members of the …
Wong appeared to realise that Paterson’s career prospects would not be helped by a character reference from the Labor senate leader. She joked to Paterson:
Would you like me to say something else? I can arrange that for your preselection, mate, if you really need me to at some point.
But he is generally one of the more sensible members of the opposition, and somebody who understands the importance of working together on national security. Frankly, that question is beneath him.
Updated
Catherine King takes a dixer which is just an excuse to point out the Liberal party practically have no women in their ranks:
Having women in the room matters. Having women on this side of the house absolutely has mattered when it comes to policy. And it’s why we’ve seen in recent days those opposite knock off their most senior woman in South Australia for their Senate ticket in favour of a man who is a Covid conspiracist and is also a Putin apologist. No wonder they’re backing Russia on fuel efficiency standards. They’ve refused to select a woman for the seat of Cook. They refused to preselect a woman for Fadden. I’ve lost track of what’s happened in the preselection in Macpherson and they have a fabulous woman over there, someone who is a good friend of mine, and I’m not sure what’s happening there, but so far I don’t think that any women have put their hands up.
Updated
We then end up with Angus Taylor again, who opens with:
I refer to the prime minister’s previous answer telling Australians that they have never had it so good …
There is uproar from the Labor benches. Anthony Albanese makes a (for these days) rare point of order himself before Tony Burke has the chance:
It goes to the standing orders that require the verballing that just occurred of quoting former prime minister John Howard – not myself. We have very little in common, Mr Speaker. And that comment is not one of them.
Taylor states the question again:
I refer to the prime minister’s previous answer telling Australians that they’ve never had it better. Prime minister, isn’t it the case that unemployment today reflects Australians scrambling for extra work to pay their bills under this government’s disastrous economic policies?
Albanese:
I note the change in language between the first attempted question and the second. But neither of them, neither of them, of course, were accurate. Neither of them, of course, were accurate. But this is what the figures released today actually showed, Mr Speaker. That the unemployment … (there are interjections)
… He has had, unusually for the shadow treasurer, a good crack today! A good crack today! But unfortunately, they handed the questions from the member for Deakin to him! And before he read them, he just read them out loud! I’ll give you a tip, mate – read them first! Decide how silly they are. Now, the unemployment rate today went down from 4.1% to 3.7%. They think that’s bad much they think that’s bad. Who here thinks that that was good?
Albanese means for the Labor caucus to put their hands up here, which is a very early Scott Morrison move and it goes just as well – only about three-quarters of the caucus are paying attention and do it, which creates jeers from the opposition.
Updated
Sussan Ley is back to Ley up the place and asks:
One of the hardcore criminals the Albanese government released from immigration detention has been revealed as a 42-year-old Cuban man previously convicted and jailed for raping a teenager. The Australian has reported that the minister this week removed the requirement for this rapist to wear an ankle bracelet. How many convicted rapists released by the minister are not required to wear an ankle monitor?
For clarity up the back, it was a high court decision which released people from indefinite detention. When you complete your custodial sentence as an Australian, you are released into the community, without electronic monitoring (unless it has been part of the release conditions ordered by a court).
Andrew Giles:
I remind her and the house that this results from a decision of the high court – a decision which we strongly argued against. But like any government, we have to abide by the decisions of the court. In response to that, we put in place a range of measures to secure the powers and also the resources our law enforcement agencies require to keep the community safe.
As the ABF commissioner said, and I quote, “The ABF adapts to have the best outcomes for the community.” And a big part of that was putting in place a community protection board of expert law enforcement officials to advise on the mechanisms that are available. Their expert advice means that we have the skills and information to manage these cases appropriately. These are decisions that are endorsed by the ABF commissioner …
There is an attempt to bring a point of order, but Giles has largely learnt his lesson on this, and says he has concluded his answer.
Updated
Jack Fitzgibbon’s family were given a place of honour on the floor of the chamber so they could hear his condolence motion speeches.
Mike Bowers captured the moments:
Updated
Angus Taylor is back – so much Angus Taylor today (#blessed)
Isn’t the true story behind today’s data that people are working harder for longer because they can afford to pay their bills Government’s disastrous economic policy?
Anthony Albanese is happy to take this one:
We have an extraordinary circumstance where we have the premise of that question completely counter to what the data today is actually showing us. Because the data today shows a drop in unemployment from 4.1 down to 3.7%. The data shows more than 11,000 jobs created in one month. More than 100,000 jobs being created…
(There are interjections)
Albanese:
They get angry when you talk about jobs being created, Mr Speaker.
Updated
Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor are told off by Speaker Milton Dick for carrying on a conversation across the chamber while Tony Burke is giving a dixer answer.
He uses the same tone of voice my maths teacher did to send me outside for speaking (again, like that was a punishment) so you can probably pick up on the vibe inside the chamber at the moment. It’s not even a wet lunch day.
Greens deputy leader calls for 'superficial' Harmony Week to be replaced with 'a meaningful week of antiracism'
The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has asked several questions in the Senate about eliminating racial discrimination, including pressing the Albanese government to “replace the superficial Harmony Week with a meaningful week of antiracism” and to establish “a standalone antiracism portfolio in cabinet”.
The leader of the government in the Senate, Penny Wong, said it was everyone’s job to counter racism:
I personally don’t have an issue with the word “harmony”, but I’m also happy to talk about the elimination of racial discrimination, and my own personal experience of racism, and to try to empower those who still experience racism too often and so often, and to do all we can to ensure we live in a society, a world, and operate in this chamber in a way that is respectful.
Faruqi’s third question said the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marked the day “police massacred 69 peaceful protesters” in apartheid South Africa in 1960. Faruqi then asked:
Minister, what will it take for the Labor government to withdraw its support for the apartheid and genocidal state of Israel?
The Senate president, Sue Lines, suggested it was a “long bow to draw” and ruled that it was up to the minister whether respond to the entire question. Wong told the Senate:
First, the senator would know we have been very clear about our call for a humanitarian ceasefire and of the importance of international humanitarian law.
Senator, I am also disappointed that, if the question begins with a discussion of racial discrimination, that you would go to as political an issue as that. But that’s your choice.
The third point is this – we have a responsibility in this chamber to model how our democracy should operate, including where we hold very deeply felt different views. Because what brings us together as Australians matters more than that difference. And I want to place on record my disappointment at the way in which some of the very, frankly, abusive and extreme things we have seen are being condoned by some in this chamber.
• The headline of this post was amended on 21 March to accurately reflect the deputy leader’s comments.
Updated
Jim Chalmers does his rah-rah unemployment-numbers-are-down dixer, and then we move on to Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown asking the prime minister:
Unlike you and I did, today’s students don’t enjoy free university, and students across the country are struggling with the cost of living crisis. Student debt is rising faster than it can be paid off. Student debt should be wiped. Prime minister, will you abolish indexation on student debt, or offer any other student debt relief in the May budget?
Jason Clare takes this one:
I recognise the interest of a number of members of the crossbench who have raised question about reform to Hecs, or what we now call Help.
The issue has also been raised with me by a number of members of the government. I met with the member for Jagajaga about this very issue yesterday as well as the member for Chisholm, and the member for Cunningham and the member for McNamara and the member for Bennelong have raised this with me as well. It’s why I asked the accord team to look at this very issue as part of their review of our higher education system. A couple of weeks ago, I released the universities accord final report. It’s a blueprint for higher education reform for the next decade and the one after that. And it includes recommendations in it about how we make our Hecs system fairer and simpler. We are looking at all of the recommendations in that report at the moment, including the recommendations around Hecs, and we will respond to the first stage of our reforms … in the next few months.
Updated
As expected, the prime minister’s answer creates a whole heap of interjections.
Albanese:
And indeed, the Business Council of Australia have said, in fact, new housing supply has been falling over the last half decade. They said that in 2023 about the period in which those opposite were in government. Not the ACTU - the Business Council of Australia. I know that they’re anti-business a lot of the time these days, the modern Liberal party have just kept moving further and further and further to the right, so that they’re the party now led by people like Senator Antic and others, rather than mainstream people.
The member for Deakin’s faction are running that mob in Melbourne into the ground.
Sukkar interjects so loudly he gets booted out.
(Note from Paul Karp: Dan Tehan raises a point of order and tells the PM “you can’t shake it off”. At his press conference, Tehan said the migration statistics were akin to the attendance at Taylor Swift’s Melbourne and Sydney concerts, so he’s clearly making a play for the 6pm news packages).
Then Albanese is back into his answer:
I quoted the peak organisation but I’ll quote another senior businesswoman, Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, the former head of Mirvac, the chair of the national housing and supply afordability council, who said this, “Housing affordability is a problem decades in the making. Fundamentally a housing supply issue.”
The nation’s Housing ministers, under the former government, did not meet over five years. No meetings – none.
By the end of their nine years in office at the end of the June quarter 2022, the number of private dwellings completed had fallen to 41,000. The lowest quarterly number since 2014. The lowest. And the person who just got dismissed from the chamber had this to say: “States and territories have the primary responsibility. There’s a lot of work to be done by states and territories.”
And he’s out of time.
Updated
We are back to migration.
Michael Sukkar asks Anthony Albanese:
My question is to the prime minister. In the year ending 30 September 2023, net overseas migration was 548,800 people, which was an increase of 206,500, or a 60% increase from the previous year. Prime minister, don’t these figures just confirm that Labor’s housing crisis is worsening, with overseas arrivals now running at four times the rate of new home builds?
(Does Sukkar believe that each migrant who arrives in Australia lives alone in their own property?)
Before Albanese can get to migration, he too must also acknowledge Grant Shapps and David Cameron:
I join with the members of parliament in welcoming our UK minister here, I look forward to welcoming Minister Shapps to the Lodge later today, along with Minister Cameron, the foreign minister – we’ll be hosting the Aukmin delegation there this evening before they head to Adelaide for what will be a very important meeting, and I look forward to hearing the feedback about your trip to Osborne. And I was able to host the high commissioner just on Tuesday evening as well, to get a briefing about the relationship between Australia and the UK, of which the Aukus arrangements and our defence relationship is so important.
Then to the question:
The fact is that migration is lower than it was anticipated to be. The population figures are lower than what was anticipated to be.
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Andrew Hastie then stands up to also pay tribute to the Australia–United Kingdom relationship, and for a moment it is all colonial happy families again in the Australian parliament.
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The first dixer is on the Australia–United Kingdom alliance. Richard Marles has said most of this in the press conference and the press release, so I think we can all recite it in our sleep by now.
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Jim Chalmers finishes that answer off with a comment on housing:
When it comes to housing, and I want to say this in a respectful way that reflects the respectful way that the shadow treasurer [asked] the question in the context today of the speeches that were given a moment ago.
When it comes to housing, if those opposite were serious about the housing shortage in this country, they’d vote to help fix it.
And we have proposed, and again, tribute to the housing minister and the cabinet and the prime minister – we’ve got about 17 different housing policy and they’ve not all been supported by those opposite.
And so, if those opposite were serious about housing – there is a shortage of housing in this country and we’re doing our best to address that and alleviate that, and if they were serious about it, they’d help us.
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Question time begins
With the condolence motion moved to the federation chamber, the house switches gears and moves into the last question time for the week.
Angus Taylor has been given the first question and acknowledges it “is hard to follow” the motion for Jack Fitzgibbon. So there is less bluster than usual as he asks Jim Chalmers:
Since the election, the adult population has increased by over a million people. Meanwhile, home building completions are a quarter of that. We are in a GDP per capita or family recession. The only thing left driving the economy is migration, at a time when Labor’s housing crisis is worsening. Why is this government taking our economy in the wrong direction?
Chalmers says:
We’re not. And for evidence of that, have a look at the quite remarkable jobs numbers that we got a couple of hours ago. We’ve got unemployment falling. We’ve got real wages growing.
We’ve got inflation moderating. In each of those three respects, the economy is in a stronger position than what we inherited in May of 2022. Now, when it comes to the migration numbers that the shadow treasurer asked about, and indeed, the housing situation that the shadow treasurer asked about as well, we did get today more data about net overseas migration.
The reason why that number was relatively high was because of the arrival of international students.
And what today’s data doesn’t take into account is the quite substantial action that the ministers and the government have taken when it comes to putting downward pressure on this net overseas migration.
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The defence minister, Richard Marles, and his opposition counterpart, Andrew Hastie, are also giving speeches on the Jack Fitzgibbon condolence motion.
After a moment’s silence in the chamber, the rest of the motion will be moved to the federation chamber (the house of reps’ spillover chamber) where the remaining contributions will be heard.
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Michaelia Cash, who is acting opposition leader in the Senate today, followed up by asking how Don Farrell’s remarks helped to secure the transfer of knowledge and technology from the United States that the Aukus partnership depended upon.
Penny Wong replied that perhaps Cash “should be winding back some of the people on her side who are trying to undermine our engagement with the United States” (that’s a reference to attacking Kevin Rudd’s continued viability as ambassador to the US after Donald Trump’s comments).
Cash asked whether Wong stood by her past comments that “in diplomacy, words matter”. Wong responded by pointing to Emmanuel Macron’s infamous “I don’t think, I know” comment about Scott Morrison’s honesty.
Wong said the Coalition was, for a third day, “confecting an argument where there is none”. Wong said the government’s commitment to the US alliance was “unshakeable”.
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New Zealand is ‘family’, while US is Australia’s ‘closest ally’, Penny Wong says
Over in Senate question time – three days after the fact – the Coalition is still leading the prosecution of the government for Don Farrell’s thought crime (“I’m not sure that the United States is our most trusted ally. I would have said New Zealand, in the whole history of time.”)
The leader of the government in the Senate, Penny Wong, responded:
I think we all know – we all know – that the Kiwis are family. We all know that. Everyone also knows the United States is our closest ally and our principal strategic partner.
Wong – who had been away on the day Farrell made the comment – added that both major parties in Australia had shown support for the US alliance:
But on a range of fronts this week, what we have seen is this opposition seeking to play partisan politics with the US alliance, which I think demonstrates, yet again, that under the wrecking ball that is Mr Dutton, they are prepared recklessly to politicise anything, recklessly to fight about anything regardless of whether or not it’s good for the country. They’re not fit for government.
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Peter Dutton stands to deliver his condolence speech:
In the tragic death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, our nation has lost a principled, personable and promising young Australian.
Greater than the national loss is the profoundly personal loss.
A dedicated father has lost his only son.
A devoted mum has lost her only boy.
A dear partner has lost her life’s counterpart, and two sisters have lost their darling sibling.
A band of brothers have lost one of their own.
And now our hearts break for Joel and Di and Cass and Caitlin and Grace and for the commanders of the second commander regiment.
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Anthony Albanese concludes with:
There is, of course, no grief without love. Sorrow may soften with the passage of the years, but love does not. All that Jack meant and all that he was will endure always.
I offer my deepest condolences to all of Jack’s family. His dad and me were elected on the same day in 1996, but we’ve been mates a lot longer than that.
Since the early 1980s.
So I’ve seen his family grow up as we in this strange profession that we’re engaged with see often of families as they grow and families together.
And Joel was a mate of my son’s as well. So this is tough. But to all who loved him, and to all who served with him, to all who have joined us here in the public gallery to honour him, may your hearts always glow with his memory. May Jack rest in peace.
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PM says Jack Fitzgibbon ‘lived a full life that was cut far too short’
Anthony Albanese has spoken on the condolence motion for Jack Fitzgibbon:
This accident which took Jack away from all who loved him is a harsh reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our nation.
What they do is crucial to everything that we hold dear as a nation and as a people. The choice to serve is a profound expression of love for our country.
We are so grateful to every Australian who serves and put themselves on the line for all of us. Our nation thanks Jack.
Our nation honours Jack. He lived a full life that was cut far too short. To look at that photo of Jack in his uniform, shoulders back, eyes bright, is to grieve for all the tomorrows he has been denied. To mourn for all of the moments he will never share.
All that time, his loved ones should have had with him.
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Analysis: quid pro quo with Beijing?
There has been a bit of excitement in some quarters in the past 24 hours over Australia’s decision to drop anti-dumping measures against Chinese wind towers.
Yesterday, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, was asked whether it was a “quid pro quo” as Australia awaits a final decision from Beijing on tariffs on Australian wine.
Wong said no – the industry minister, Ed Husic, had “made a decision based on the apolitical and evidence‑based recommendation from the Anti-Dumping Commissioner, and Australia has made clear the independence of that commission and our trade remedy system”.
There has been some commentary since then insisting that the move was “fodder for Chinese propaganda and division”. The Australian newspaper ran a piece that said:
Whatever the Chinese translation is for the Latin quid pro quo there is no doubt Beijing is working on the basis that Australia is giving ground on trade and in other areas, and that China is rewarding the pandering.
Now, it is true that the final decision was made by Husic only last week. Some Australian journalists were miffed that the news first appeared to turn up in China’s state-run Global Times, which quoted a professor as saying it was “a good gesture by the Australian side” ahead of the visit by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit.
But the decision was not a secret – the notice was posted on the website of the Anti-Dumping Commission, as is normal for all of these anti-dumping review processes.
And it certainly didn’t come out of the blue – Husic accepted the recommendation. When was the commission’s recommendation first flagged?
Guardian Australia reported in October last year that the commission was proposing “to recommend that the measures on wind towers exported to Australia from China expire on 16 April 2024”. That was because the commission was “not satisfied” that scrapping the tariffs would cause “the material injury that the measures are intended to prevent”.
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Ahead of question time there is a condolence motion for Jack Fitzgibbon, who died in a parachuting accident during ADF training.
Jack’s family, including the former Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, are in the chamber for the speeches.
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Question time is about to begin. Paul Karp says almost all the women in the chamber are wearing yellow, which I believe is part of the March into Yellow campaign for Endometriosis Australia.
Tanya Plibersek, Linda Burney, Ged Kearney, Alicia Payne, Sally Sitou, Mary Doyle, Tracey Roberts, Sharon Claydon, Melissa McIntosh, Anne Webster, Zoe Daniel, Dai Le, Sophie Scamps, Monique Ryan, Nola Marino and Karen Andrews are among those wearing yellow.
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Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor accuses Labor of ‘failures on workplace relations, energy, housing and tax’
The shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has responded to the unexpected fall in the unemployment rate (helped by more people joining the labour force) by saying that “jobs were the only thing keeping Australians’ heads above water in a cost-of-living crisis”.
Which … yes? Money from jobs does help people pay for things …?
The wider point was about the cost of living:
Australians’ living standards are collapsing under Labor. Australia is experiencing a GDP per capita recession and a consumer confidence recession. The only thing left driving the economy is immigration.
As the RBA has recognised, hardworking Australians are facing a highly uncertain economic future. Labor’s failures on workplace relations, energy, housing and tax are driving up the cost of living for all Australians.
Australians are working harder, for less under Labor.
You can expect question time to contain a version of this press release.
Disappointing to see a Coalition media release responding to positive jobs data, with not one reference to a VIBECESSION
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) March 21, 2024
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Independent research council board to be established to take politics out of research grants
The education minister, Jason Clare, has heralded the passage of the Australian Research Council amendment (review response) bill 2023, which is aimed at taking the politics out of research grants.
An independent ARC board will be established which will approve grants with the minister to be responsible for approving the funding guidelines. That approval from the minister will be subject to scrutiny from the parliament. Clare said:
I promised to end the days of ministers using the ARC as a political plaything and today, that’s what we’re doing.
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has also welcomed the passage of the bill, having first moved a private member’s bill to stop political interference in research grants in 2018.
Faruqi said the legislation was a “a win for the Greens and researchers, who have long fought for research independence and an end to political interference in ARC grants”.
The Greens secured amendments including:
Making it an objective of the ARC to support Australian universities to attract and retain academic researchers and promote quality academic jobs.
Requiring reporting on the nature of employment of researchers employed using ARC funding to provide a clearer picture of job insecurity which is rife in the sector.
Inserting a requirement for the minister to ensure the ARC Board reflects the diversity of the community.
Requiring an independent review of the ARC Board, to begin two years after the significant changes made by this bill are implemented.
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Burke says Albanese government’s record on jobs growth ‘second to none’
The employment minister, Tony Burke, has responded to ABS data showing 116,000 more jobs in February driving unemployment back down to 3.7%. This came as a bit of a surprise, given the impression of a softening economy.
Burke noted the long-term unemployment rate under the previous government was 5.6%. “There is a record on jobs growth from the Albanese Labor government that is second to none. No first term government has had the sort of jobs growth we’ve seen,” he said.
Burke told reporters in Canberra:
Part of the story today is the increased number of people who had jobs lined up over summer to start in February. So there’s been a bit of that the last two years, this year that’s happened at a much stronger rate …
It’s also true, though, that other predictions have said there is some softening in the economy. When you look at the trend data, that is reflected in what’s available today.”
Burke played down the impact the jobs data could have on interest rates, by noting the Reserve Bank would look “not only at the headline rates but also at the trend rates – so there is still a softening going on throughout the economy”.
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Paul Keating’s statement continued:
Minister Wang Yi emphasised China’s ability to keep on growing and strongly, pointing out that China is still only 55% urbanised – another 20% to go.
He said the world will still benefit from China’s ability to supply high quality relatively low priced goods which will help underwrite higher living standards in the West and other regions of the world.
He both encouraged and welcomed Australia’s continuing integration with East Asia where he believed Australia’s future lies.
The Foreign Minister displayed a keen understanding of Australia’s strengths. Its complementarity with China’s own economy and the prospect of ever rising living standards for both countries
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Paul Keating hails ‘big picture discussion’ with Chinese foreign minister
The former prime minister Paul Keating has issued a statement after his “one hour five minute meeting with the Chinese foreign minister Mr Wang Yi”.
Keating said this morning’s meeting was “a very pleasant and engaging event which, in the main, was a big picture discussion about the geostrategic balances and influences in the world”.
In the statement, Keating said:
A portion of that devolved to Australia’s long term relationship with China, from Bert Evatt’s support for recognising Mao’s government in 1950, Gough Whitlam establishing diplomatic relations in 1973, Bob Hawke’s relationship with Hu Yaobang in the eighties, my relationship with Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji in putting together APEC, the Leaders’ meeting and Kevin Rudd’s role in the expansion of the East Asia Summit.
The Foreign Minister was very positive about putting bilateral difficulties behind us as he was encouraged by the government’s efforts in restoring appropriate equilibrium between our two countries.
He was pleased he was also able to speak with the Prime Minister on the visit as he was the Opposition Leader, following what he described as a productive meeting with the Foreign Minister.
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My goodness it has been a bit of a day.
Question time is in under 30 minutes, and it is the last one for this week, so make sure you get yourself a little treat now to help you get through it.
Our video team are taking you into the NSW parliament for a moment:
Why did the unemployment rate drop so dramatically? Are there suddenly so many more jobs?
Well, while 70,000 people did find work, the unemployment data is always subject to the number of people in the labour force.
CreditorWatch chief economist Anneke Thompson says that is partially what happened here:
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped by 0.4 [percentage points] to 3.7%, as many workers who were jobless in January but had employment to move in to have taken up those jobs. There was a very large increase – 116,500 people employed over February in seasonally adjusted terms. However, on a trend basis, employment increased by 26,600 people and the unemployment rate remained steady, at 3.8%. The unemployment rate in trend terms has now been steady for six months straight.
The unusually large drop in unemployment can be partially attributed to a higher than normal inflow of workers into employment in February this year. The ABS did point out that employment growth and population growth have been roughly the same since August 2023, which is why there has been little change in unemployment.
This data will be taken with caution by both the RBA and federal Treasury, as both entities have been generally expecting a slowing labour market over the next six months. However, any continued strength in the labour force will likely push back the expectation of an interest rate cut to later in 2024, or even early 2025.
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Former senator Rex Patrick says ‘transparency fight goes on’ after his FoI win
Rex Patrick says his legal win on FoI means that governments won’t be able to use ministerial reshuffles to stop freedom of information requests from being fulfilled.
Patrick, who was represented by Maurice Blackburn, brought his challenge after his sports rorts FoI was denied on the grounds a new minister was in charge of the portfolio.
In the decision handed down in court today, Justice Charlesworth said whether a document is an official document of a minister is to be assessed by reference to the facts and circumstances in existence at the time an FoI request is lodged, not some later review date after which the minister may have changed.
Further, Her Honour determined that there is an implied obligation under the FoI Act, imposed on those who receive FoI requests, to take such steps as are necessary to not frustrate access to a document or rights of review and appeal.
Patrick’s FoI will now be considered by the information commissioner, and he will continue his fight to see the documents related to the sports rorts affair.
Patrick said:
This decision means governments can no longer sweep a departing minister’s dirt underneath the carpet. It’s a win for all Australians who want to see greater transparency and accountability restored to our political system.
I’m disappointed that the attorney general fought me on this and spent close to $200,000 of taxpayer’s money doing so.
The transparency fight goes on. Whilst the matter is now one of history, Australians are entitled to the truth. We might also learn something that will assist in avoiding a future rort.
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Peter Dutton and Simon Birmingham have also met with UK’s version of a foreign minister, David Cameron.
A real pleasure meeting with the Rt Hon Lord @David_Cameron during his visit to Australia for the annual Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN).
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) March 21, 2024
Australia and the United Kingdom share a historic and enduring bond. pic.twitter.com/tuaY706OB0
Dutton posted on social media to say: “A real pleasure meeting with the Rt Hon Lord @David_Cameron during his visit to Australia for the annual Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN).
“Australia and the United Kingdom share a historic and enduring bond.”
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Here is the health minister, Mark Butler, talking about vapes as a prescription-only “therapeutic pathway” in response to Josh Butler at his press conference:
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Queensland to become last state to ban rent bidding as part of rental reforms
Queensland is set to join every other state and the ACT by banning rent bidding as part of a raft of rental reforms introduced into state parliament today.
Sponsored by the minister for housing, Meaghan Scanlon, on Thursday, the legislation would also establish a portable deposit scheme for renters and an industry code of conduct.
The residential tenancies and rooming accommodation and other legislation amendment bill 2024 would also:
Require bond claims be supported by evidence.
Require a minimum 48 hours entry notice for an inspection.
Set up a prescribed form to be used to apply for a rental home, with any information collected to be handled securely.
Limit reletting costs based on how long is left on a fixed term lease.
Give renters a fee-free option to pay rent and choice about how they apply for a rental property.
Rent bidding is the practice by a real estate agent of soliciting renters to bid above the officially listed market price, in order to get the highest possible rent.
Just because it is banned doesn’t mean rent bidding won’t happen, though. Rent bidding was banned in NSW two years ago, but the NSW Tenants Union says it’s still common. Thousands of dollars have been levied in fines.
Scanlon also plans to introduce reforms to the state’s planning system to help clear a shortage of housing construction.
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Mike Bowers captured the meeting between Warren Acott and Anthony Albanese a little earlier today.
Acott has been riding a ride-on lawnmover from Victoria to Canberra to raise awareness for motor neurone disease.
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The Greens senator David Shoebridge, who has picked up some of the transparency battle from Rex Patrick in senate estimates when it comes to things like FoI, has welcomed the court win Patrick has just had:
This is a great result for transparency … It means no government can refuse to produce documents just because a minister has changed portfolios.
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Victorian First Peoples’ Assembly ‘deeply disappointed’ at state’s move to abandon youth justice reform
Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly says it is alarmed by the state government’s decision to dump youth justice reform by winding back bail laws.
The Victorian government this week confirmed it would ditch its plans to give children the presumption of bail and instead trial electronic monitoring bracelets of young people on bail.
The assembly, the state’s democratically elected Indigenous body, said it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg urged the government not to prioritise “punitive” measures:
Don’t walk away from your commitments to listen to First Peoples.
The government should be listening to Aboriginal people, taking on board the ideas of our community organisations and experts, and embracing the learnings and recommendations from the truth-telling process. Instead they seem to be defaulting back to outdated and misguided policies that will continue to disproportionately harm our people.
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Former senator Rex Patrick celebrates court ruling in his favour over FoI requests
The former independent senator Rex Patrick has had a pretty big win in his ongoing battle against FoI restrictions with government.
He has just posted on social media that he has had a court rule in his favour in his case about whether a new minister can end an ongoing FoI lodged under a previous minister.
#BREAKING: Patrick v Dreyfus
— Rex Patrick (@MrRexPatrick) March 21, 2024
Does a change to a new Minister kill an ongoing #FOI to the old Minister? Can dirt be swept under the carpet? Dreyfus said YES. I said NO. Justice Charlesworth says NO in a decision that strengthens accountability.
A big #transparency win. #auspol pic.twitter.com/aSeTt1Ob4i
It has been a long running battle, as this story from 2023 points to:
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Chalmers hails ‘remarkable result’ after unemployment figures released
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, may be the happiest person in the parliament today, now that the unemployment figures have been handed down.
Here was his response:
This means a trifecta of moderating inflation, growing real wages and lower unemployment under Labor.
It’s a remarkable result.
Despite everything that’s coming at us from around the world, inflation is moderating and our labour market remains one of our greatest strengths with unemployment remaining below its pre-pandemic average and participation at near record highs.
Global economic uncertainty, moderating but high inflation and higher interest rates are slowing our economy in expected ways, and as a result we expect the labour market to soften over the period ahead but today’s result shows that our economic plan – to help Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn – is making a meaningful difference.
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Health minister stresses vaping reforms are not ‘prohibition’, comparing it to codeine regulation
The health minister, Mark Butler, has implored the parliament to support the government’s vaping legislation, saying they won’t back the kind of tax-and-regulate model on the products that the Nationals have pushed for.
We reported this week that the Nats are working on their own policy that would treat vapes like cigarettes, with plain packaging and sales through specialist stores, instead of the near-total ban that the Albanese government is proposing.
We don’t know what the Liberals are thinking yet, but Peter Dutton has said he leaned toward treating vapes like cigarettes. The Greens have also raised concerns about a “prohibition” model, which they don’t back for other drugs, instead flagging more focus on harm minimisation.
Butler introduced the vaping laws today. Asked at a press conference about whether the government could muster enough support to pass the laws, with the Nationals against it, the Greens raising questions, and the Liberals uncommitted, Butler said flatly: “We’re not going to adopt a tax-and-regulate agenda. That will simply raise the white flag on something that is a very serious public health risk.”
The minister also pushed back on claims their plan is a prohibition model, noting vapes would still be available for therapeutic reasons with a doctor’s prescription.
“This is not a bill to prohibit the use of vapes any more than the way in which we regulate codeine is a prohibition on codeine,” Butler said.
Asked why the government did run a tax-and-regulate model with cigarettes – which are now, and will continue to be, available legally through convenience stores and petrol stations – Butler said that governments would probably look at cigarettes differently.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in this country, around the world, who wouldn’t say, ‘if we could go back in time 100 years, we wouldn’t ban cigarettes at the start’,” he said.
“[Vaping] is still young enough and new enough for us to stamp out.”
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Queensland transport minister says ‘enhanced bus routes’ to provide Olympics transport
By the looks of it, thousands of people will be getting to the Queensland’s Olympics by bus.
Transport has been one of the big questions about the brand-new plan for an Olympic stadium at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Nathan – which is about 13km south of the Brisbane CBD.
Pressed on the issue in parliament this morning, the brand-new transport minister, Bart Mellish, talked up “legacy transport opportunities”. Translation: the bus. Mellish said:
My initial discussions with the department are that a solution will probably involve enhanced bus routes and upgraded linkages to the rail network. This may include a bus layover facility at the venue and extensive traffic management plan for the duration of the games.
Preliminary advice is that a full metro station is not likely needed.
The stadium will have a capacity of about 40,000 spectators, and cost about $1.5bn.
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‘Big tobacco is back’: Monique Ryan calls out myths surrounding vaping reforms
The independent MP Monique Ryan has called out some of the myths being perpetuated by the vaping and tobacco industries when it comes to vaping reforms.
One of those myths is that vapes are being outright banned or prohibited.
Vapes are not being banned, with access to vapes via a prescription being made easier as part of the reforms being introduced to parliament today. The ban is only on Australian manufacture, advertisement, supply and commercial possession of any non-prescription vape.
It means convenience stores and similar retailers will no longer be able to sell vapes, with many vape stores opening close to schools.
In a comment piece for Guardian Australia, Ryan wrote about the extensive links between political parties and the tobacco industry. Many vaping products are produced and owned by big tobacco companies, she wrote;
Big tobacco is back, aided and abetted by the Nationals. This vaping legislation is a courageous start but it leaves gaping integrity issues unresolved. Big tobacco will keep returning while Australia remains weak on integrity.
Meanwhile, tobacco control and health experts have called out other myths being perpetuated, including that New Zealand’s model where vapes are sold alongside cigarettes is one that Australia should aspire to. You can read more about that here. Despite claims by lobbyists that New Zealand’s model is working, New Zealand yesterday announced it too would move towards a ban on disposable vapes in a bid to reduce child vaping.
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Australia’s population hit 26.8 million last year after record increase in net migration
Almost 550,000 migrants pushed Australia’s population growth rate to a record high in the year to September 2023, threatening government efforts to ease migration levels.
The ABS population data showed the country’s population hit 26.8 million people last year, driven by a record increase in net overseas migration along with a 111,000-person increase in the domestic population.
From July to September last year 145,200 people arrived, just less than the 150,000 some economists (and the Albanese government) had predicted.
The 2.5% population growth rate to September 2023 is only a hair above the 2.4% rate recorded to June – and not far from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s forecast for 2.4% growth to 2.4% by December 2023.
However, a net increase of 145,000 in the first three months of financial year 2023-24 is probably a bit higher than the government would like, given it promised in December to bring net migration down to 375,000 for the whole financial year.
Government anxiety over immigration figures prompted an announcement yesterday that it would enact some migration-cutting reforms starting this Saturday, including implementing English language requirements and a “genuine student” test for international students.
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NT posts rise in jobless rate while SA, NSW and WA record big declines
The states and territories posted quite mixed labour market results.
Something went on in South Australia, where the unemployment rate dropped to 3.2% from a reported 4% in January. NSW also saw a big decline, with the rate falling to 3.6% from 4.1% in the first month of 2024.
WA also posted a big slide – 0.6 percentage points – to 3.6%, with Queensland also easing to 3.9% from 4.2%.
The laggards were Victoria, where the rate was steady at 3.9%, and Tasmania – which goes to the polls this Saturday – also moving sideways to 4.5%. The Northern Territory posted a rise in the jobless rate to 4.4% from 3.9%, while the ACT posted a slightly lower rate of 4.2% from January’s 4.3% pace.
Economists caution about reading too much in the big jump in job creation, given the fluky nature of the start of the year with holidays and new positions being taken up.
Still, “the recovery in employment in February was stronger than we, or anyone else had forecast, and highlights the continued tightness of the Australian labour market,” said Ben Udy, lead economist for Oxford Economics Australia:
These data clearly challenge the view that monetary policy is providing enough of a drag on the economy to bring down wage growth and inflation.
Economists such as Saul Eslake, who doesn’t expect an RBA rate cut until next February, will be more confident in their forecasts after today’s data.
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The vaping reforms will not ban vapes – what will they actually do?
Here is a breakdown of what the vaping legislation being introduced today will do:
Allow a clearer and easier means for doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe e-cigarettes.
Introduce new minimum standards on flavours, colours and ingredients to make vapes less attractive to young people – seeing an end to fruit flavoured vapes which are clearly being targeted at kids.
Ban Australian manufacture, advertisement, supply and commercial possession of any non-prescription vape.
No longer allow retailers to advertise, supply or commercially possess non-prescription and disposable vapes.
The legislation will not ban vapes, as they will be available from pharmacies with a prescription.
The CEO of the Heart Foundation, David Lloyd, called on all members of parliament to support it. He was joined in the call by public health organisations Quit, the Cancer Council Victoria, VicHealth and the Australian Council on Smoking & Health (Acosh).
The Acosh chief executive, Laura Hunter, called out pro-vaping organisations and lobbyists for trying to influence politicians by “reciting a script written by big tobacco, commissioning misleading surveys, putting out fake testimonials and making downright dangerous demands for vapes to be treated ‘just like cigarettes”. Hunter said:
We want big tobacco to butt out of children’s health and leave it to public health experts who have no vested interest.
One in three young people who vape say they can’t stop or cut down. And that’s exactly what big tobacco wants.
Cancer Council Victoria CEO, Todd Harper, said the previous prescription model for vaping in Australia “has never had the full chance to succeed due to so many unscrupulous retailers flouting the law”.
The regulations that have gone into place over the past few months have turned off the tap on importation of vapes into the country. This new bill, when passed, will finish the job … It will ensure kids won’t have to walk by vape shops on their way to school.
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Adults ‘have the right to make choices’, says JLN senator Tammy Tyrrell on vaping reforms
Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell has weighed in on the vaping changes:
I come from a family of heavy smokers – I used to be one, too. We’re talking 60 pack a day smokers.
And I’ve seen how switching to vapes with nicotine has improved their health. For one family member, using vapes as a transition from cigarettes means that they no longer consume any inhaling products at all.
No one wants kids to have access to vapes. I certainly don’t. We already have laws in place to stop kids accessing cigarettes and alcohol – so why aren’t we doing that for vapes too?
I’m not a fan of outright banning anything*. I think that, as adults, we have the right to make choices for ourselves.
I’ll take a look at the legislation the government has put forward. But it’s really hard for me to support banning something that I’ve seen help people I love. It would be hypocritical of me to say other people shouldn’t be allowed to have that choice.
*Worth noting that the Butler legislation is not an outright ban on vapes – it would just limit who could get them.
Updated
February jobs figures see largest drop in unemployment rate since end of lockdowns
The February jobs figures caught many people on the hop. At 116,600 new jobs, the economy added about triple the level expected by economists.
The drop in the jobless rate from 4.1% to 3.7% looks like the largest slide since the economy roared out of the Covid lockdowns (with the rate dropping from 4.6% to 4.2% from November to December 2021).
The ABS recognised there are some quirky things going on about who was about to enter the workforce and when they did, compared with previous years. Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said:
In 2022 and 2023, around 4.3% of employed people in February had not been employed in January. In 2024 this was higher, at 4.7%, and well above the pre-pandemic average for 2015 to 2020 of around 3.9%.
The participation rate was 66.7%, an increase from the revised 66.6% rate in January. Hours worked rose 2.8%, or 53m, reversing a similar slide in the first month of 2024.
Tuesday’s figures were interpreted by investors to imply the RBA will be less likely to cut interest rates soon. The dollar rose to 66.06 US cents from about 65.95 US cents prior to the release. Stocks also pared their gains for the day from about 0.6% to slightly more than 0.4%.
Prior to today’s jobs figures, markets had been tipping about a one-in-five chance of an RBA rate cut when the bank’s board next meets on 6-7 May. We can expect those meagre odds to get a bit longer now that employers seem to be eager to resume hiring.
Updated
New Zealand slides back into recession as economy shrinks by 0.1%
New Zealand has slipped back into recession, driven by lower spending on food and liquor and weak wholesale trade.
Stats NZ reported the economy shrank 0.1% in the December 2023 quarter, despite record migration and population growth.
The decrease comes after a 0.3% drop in the country’s gross domestic product in the September 2023 quarter, meeting the threshold for a technical recession. Ruvani Ratnayake, a Stats NZ spokesperson, said:
Wholesale trade was the largest downwards driver this quarter, led by falls in grocery and liquor wholesaling; and machinery and equipment wholesaling.
Retail trade activity also fell, driven by furniture, electrical, and hardware retailing, and food and beverage services.
Meanwhile, eight out of 16 industries increased, driven by rental, hiring, and real estate services. Increased activity associated with the general election contributed to growth in public administration, safety and defence.
GDP per capita decreased by 0.7% in the December 2023 quarter.
Kiwibank said the recession would come as little surprise to the many households “struggling under the weight of high inflation, the rise in interest rates and the fall in house prices”.
Businesses are also suffering under the weight of reduced profitability and weaker consumer demand,” it said, adding that the Reserve Bank should now look to relax interest rates to boost the economy’s momentum.
This week, the International Monetary Fund released its assessment of New Zealand’s financial health, saying the government must keep a tight rein on spending and tax policy reforms were needed, including changes to corporate tax and a capital gains tax.
Updated
Greens MP Jenny Leong asked to leave NSW question time
Greens MP Jenny Leong has been kicked out of question time in the lower house of New South Wales parliament.
The speaker, Greg Piper, ordered Leong to leave the chamber after she interrupted to demand that two people be let into the public gallery in the interests of democracy.
It comes after a group of people interrupted question time yesterday to stage a protest in support of Palestine, accusing the premier, Chris Minns, of having blood on his hands from not doing more to support Gaza.
Speaking in parliament this morning, Leong said:
I appreciate that yesterday there was a disturbance but I do think [the] decision to not allow the public into the public gallery during question time … is a bigger concern.
Piper refused, saying he had been told the two members of the public seeking access to the chamber had been identified as two of yesterday’s protesters and he was concerned about the “safety” of the people in the chamber.
When Leong kept speaking, Piper asked her to leave.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military began air and artillery strikes in response to the Hamas attack in October last year, which killed an estimated 1200 people.
Updated
ABS says February numbers marked by ‘larger-than-usual flow of people into employment’
The ABS media release gives a little more context to that figure (although you’ll hear from Peter with his analysis very soon):
Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics said: ‘With employment growing by around 116,000 people, and the number of unemployed falling by 52,000 people, the unemployment rate fell to 3.7 per cent. This was around where it had been six months earlier.’
The increase in employment in February followed a weaker-than-usual outcome in December (-62,000), and a modest increase in January (15,000). This equates to 70,000 more employed people in February than there were in November and a growth rate consistent with the underlying trend.
The large increase in employment in February followed larger-than-usual numbers of people in December and January who had a job that they were waiting to start or to return to. This translated into a larger-than-usual flow of people into employment in February and even more so than February last year.
‘In 2022 and 2023, around 4.3 per cent of employed people in February had not been employed in January. In 2024 this was higher, at 4.7 per cent, and well above the pre-pandemic average for 2015 to 2020 of around 3.9 per cent.’
‘In contrast, we again only saw around 3.1 per cent of employed people in January leaving employment by February, which was similar to last year and has remained relatively constant over time. This shows that there is a wider gap than we would usually see between the numbers of people entering employment and leaving employment.’
Updated
Unemployment figures for February released
Australia’s unemployment rate last month plunged to 3.7% from January’s 4.1%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported. The economy added a huge 116,600 jobs in February.
The result compared with economists’ expectations that February’s jobless rate would be 4% with 40,000 extra jobs.
Updated
Two NSW mayors say state’s new ‘punitive’ bail laws should be scrapped
Two New South Wales mayors have called on the state government to scrap its controversial bail laws, saying more kids would be locked up if they were passed.
Inner West mayor, Darcy Byrne, said his party was rushing the changes that were being proposed with an election mandate.
He said:
Aboriginal kids are proportionally amongst the most incarcerated young people on earth. It is heartbreaking to see the government seeking to put even more children behind bars.
Youth crime is a serious and complex problem. So is the obscene rate of Indigenous incarceration. This legislation will make both problems worse.
The bill has already passed the lower house and is being debated in the upper house today. Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, has also condemned the proposed laws.
She said:
Australia’s punitive response to disadvantage – which has been pursued by both sides of politics for the last 30 years – is not working for offenders or victims of crime, and it’s not working for the community at large. The Legislative Council should not pass this unjust bill.
More here:
Updated
Marles and Shapps questioned about Julian Assange
At the end of the press conference, Richard Marles was asked about the Wall Street Journal report that the US was considering a significant reduction of charges against Julian Assange as part of a possible plea deal. He was asked whether this was the sort of breakthrough the Australian government had been pushing for.
Marles said Australia respected the fact the judicial processes in the US and the UK were “independent of their executive governments”.
Julian Assange is an Australian citizen and we have advocated on his behalf as we do on behalf of Australian citizens around the world.
Grant Shapps – asked whether he understood the Australian government position as reflected in the recent motion passed by the parliament – said as a UK cabinet minister he could not comment on matters before the court.
Updated
PM to meet Warren Acott, former truck driver raising awareness for motor neurone disease
Anthony Albanese will be meeting with former truck driver Warren Acott, who had been riding his lawn mower from Victorian to Canberra to raise awareness for motor neurone disease. Acott had to give up truck driving after he was diagnosed with MND in July last year.
Acott continued his trip despite falling out of his wheelchair this week and hitting his head on the concrete, necessitating a trip to hospital, while on the final highway stretch.
After being cleared by Wagga Wagga hospital, Acott pushed on. He’ll meet with Albanese very soon.
Updated
On the capability question, Richard Marles also had something to say:
Firstly, the time frame for when we would be completing the first SSN Aukus submarine in Osborne is in the early 2040s. It is a challenging timeframe and some people look at that as being a long way into the future, but it is a challenging timeframe.
We are really mindful that every day between now and then counts and it’s why we are operating at a pace right now and, of course, the significance really of doing Aukmin in Adelaide is about providing us the opportunity of going down to Osborne to see that.
But, you know, we have also been really aware of the stretched industrial base in the UK and in the US, which has been part of the conversation that’s been had here over the last few weeks as well. None of that is news, but it is why a year ago when we signed up to Aukus, we made a commitment to make a financial contribution to the industrial bases of both countries which was not without controversy so that, you know, they could produce at a rate which would allow this to happen.
Updated
Shapps says Aukus submarine production to be bolstered by 2.5% defence spending goal for UK
Grant Shapps takes this questions:
Britain’s submarine industry has been struggling after years of underinvestment. How will, then, Britain have the capacity to support Australia’s submarine build? And isn’t the Aukus submarine timeline wildly optimistic in that case?
Shapps asks for the media organisation the journalist is from. Told it is the Australian, he says:
The Australian. Should definitely be working for Fleet Street. It’s a spot-on British attack line.
To the crux of the question, Shapps says:
Look, first of all, I think you make a fair comment, actually, which is, you know – and it’s really what I was getting to at the Lancaster speech in London. The world – after the Berlin Wall fell and after the cold war – thought [it] could get into a much more relaxed state.
We saw defence spending fall and that happened in the United Kingdom, it happened elsewhere. The peace dividend was taken, once, twice, three, four times.
You can’t carry on doing that. We recognise that a number of years ago and we have been increasing our defence budget.
We always stayed above the 2% which for Nato was always the figure. We always stayed above that, but we are now committed to raising it to 2.5% as time allows and we’re on the second half of that. So we’re about 2.27%, 2.28%. So we have started to recapitalise. We are recapitalising, rising on submarine production, in a very big way.
Updated
Shapps hopes military action against Houthis shows ‘there’s a price to pay’ for ‘interfering with open waterways’
Asked if the UK would like to see Australia do more in the Red Sea, Grant Shapps says:
There are different types of nations in the world. There are nations who say they want something to happen, there are nations who put their, you know, effort behind it and actually sign up to it …
Australia didn’t just sign up to Operation Prosperity Guardian, which is … those who just say that they want to see freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Richard specifically signed Australia up to supporting the actual action on four separate occasions the UK, the US have actually taken military action against the Houthis.
…I very much hope that the situation in the Red Sea will be resolved and that we don’t need to keep going to military action. We’re in the trying to expand that action. We’re trying to ensure that the Houthis understand that there’s a price to pay and anyone else who is going to interfere with open waterways understands there’s a price to pay as well. So we’ll keep that all under review.
Updated
And on the “drone coalition” agreement struck today, which will see Australia join with the UK and Latvia in providing drones for the Ukrainian effort to repel Russian forces, Shapps says:
I’m also very, very excited that you’ll be joining the drone coalition. Drones are a new factor in that war. Two years ago play add very small part and now are playing an increasingly significant, increasingly sophisticated part.
Countries who invest in the drone coalition are not just doing it for Ukraine, of course that’s the primary purpose, but also because it stands as a potential to bring huge technological improvements and advancements in drone technology to our home markets as well. For defence and for civilian purposes.
Your foresight investment in the drone coalition will not just help Ukraine, it will help Australia as well and we look forward actually to working with you on that technology, sharing the technologies between us and makes us all stronger as a result.
Updated
Shapps continues on the Ukrainian situation:
I think the biggest threat that the world faces today is a sense of attention deficit from countries that believe in freedom and democracy and … we must be prepared, therefore, to make sure that does not happen and the battle in Ukraine, where I was the week before last speaking to Zelenskiy is at the forefront.
If it were the case that an autocrat could walk in, take over land and then end up keeping that just because although we said it couldn’t happen, but we lost focus and attention and then that would read across to other parts of the world and in particular the Indo-Pacific …
So I am hugely grateful for the leadership you have shown with international fund for Ukraine and helping to fund the international fund for Ukraine, that is a financial mechanism which means that we’re helping to get Ukraine what they need today to fight that battle. I just wanted to publicly thank you, Richard, for what you have done there.
Updated
Grant Shapps:
We are living, as I said in a speech at Lancaster House in London with your chief of defence staff present back in January, in a world which is moved from a postwar world we … considered we lived in to a prewar world wherein … we need to be more prepared than ever before – our stance needs to change and there’s evidence of that everywhere you look.
You mentioned what’s happening in Ukraine, and even though it’s happening on a different continent a long way from here, the read across is so blatantly obvious that to ignore it would be to do a disservice to everyone no matter where they live, particularly for those of you who happen to live in the Indo-Pacific region where … anyone who doesn’t have to answer to voters is looking at what happens in Ukraine and deciding whether all you need to do is out wait the west and the civilised world in order to keep what you have gained through ill-gotten means.
Updated
‘We could not possibly be closer despite it being almost impossible to be geographically further apart’: Shapps
It is Grant Shapps’ time to speak and he too mentions the lack of formal agreement between the two nations:
I just wanted to say … it is extraordinary, actually, the United Kingdom and Australia didn’t already have a defence cooperation treaty in place, that is actually not quite as much as an admission as first sounds, there’s an assumed treaty in place without it even being formally passed but I’m pleased we overwrited that.
We signed, half an hour ago, a treaty which will bring us even closer together. And you’re right about everything that you have just said.
In fact, we met for, I guess, 1.5 hours earlier and as I came out the room I turned to my team and my first comment was, “We could not possibly be closer despite it being almost impossible to be geographically further apart.”
By that, I mean, our view and world outlook is very, very similar. Our understanding of the world order almost identical and the need to act together never more pressing than it is today.
Updated
Marles says Labor ‘very proud’ to pledge contribution to UK fund supporting Ukraine
Richard Marles then turns to Ukraine:
Ukraine is the most acute example in the world today of the pressure that the global rules-based system is under.
This is a critical moment in the conflict in Ukraine.
We very much acknowledge the leadership of the United Kingdom in supporting Ukraine in their fight against the appalling invasion by Russia.
It’s critically important the world stay its course right now to ensure that Ukraine is able to resolve this conflict on its terms. And the UK is right at the forefront of that. Recently, we have announced a contribution to the UK fund which is supporting Ukraine and we’re very proud to do that.
Today we also announce that Australia will participate in the drone coalition which is being led by both the United Kingdom and Latvia. This is a really important opportunity for us to continue making our contribution to the effort to have Ukraine stay the course and be able to resolve this conflict on its terms.
We will have more to say about that in the coming weeks and months.
Updated
Richard Marles and Grant Shapps hold press conference
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and UK secretary of state for defence, Grant Shapps, are now holding the press conference after the signing of the new strategic pact between Australia and the UK.
Marles:
Grant and I were talking about this and we were surprised that such a treaty-level agreement has not existed before. It says a bit about our history; the United Kingdom is of course our oldest relationship and maybe those who have gone before us have just thought this to be assumed, but Grant and I observed it falls to us as the honour of being able to sign this agreement between our two countries.
But what it does reflect is this: whilst the UK is our oldest relationship where the people-to-people links have always been incredibly strong, where there is a deep affection, and where our reflexes and instincts are very similar, what we are experiencing right now is a strategic dimension to the contemporary relationship which in many respects is unprecedented, but certainly has not been in place for decades.
It means that the agreement that we have signed today is very practical, but it is also very timely. It does reflect a relationship which has become much more strategic, a relationship which has a much bigger national security dimension.
Updated
The health minister, Mark Butler, is about to hold a press conference about his vaping reform legislation.
You can catch up on some of the political challenges ahead for the government here:
Updated
The Juice Media – the brains behind those “honest government” videos you’ve probably seen on social media – have clapped back at the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s censorship (you can read all about that here):
We hope the authorities approve of this rectified version of our video, which has been modified to comply with Tasmanian electoral laws. #politas #auspol
— theJuiceMedia (@thejuicemedia) March 20, 2024
👉 https://t.co/aBRQBQWzQG
🙏 https://t.co/e6YAu8L7pl pic.twitter.com/PKDWABABrb
Updated
‘Do the right thing’: Sarah Hanson-Young says Labor should drop offshore gas bill changes
Sarah Hanson-Young and the Greens have been lobbying hard against the offshore gas bill, including offering their vote on vehicle emissions standards in return for the government dropping proposed changes to approvals.
Hanson-Young said:
Gas companies can’t be allowed to bypass environment law and ignore the views of the community while wrecking our beaches and coastline. Australians voted for environment and integrity last election, not tricky politics and fossil fuels. I urge the government to do the right thing and honour that mandate.
This was tacked on to an otherwise good law about improving worker safety. It should be dropped so the parliament can get on with protecting workers’ rights and the environment without delay.
Updated
Ryan and Steggall criticise Nationals and Greens’ opposition to vaping ban
Monique Ryan and Zali Steggall also had strong words about political opposition from the Nationals and resistance from the Greens on the vaping ban.
Ryan said:
The actions of the tobacco industry, which is the vaping industry, they are the same thing, and the way they have inveigled the National party to advocate on their behalf is really concerning … It’s unfortunate to have to say it, but when we look at their donations procedures and their relationships with the Nationals and NSW Liberals, those relationships are too close and they are affecting the policy that the Nationals are putting up.
Steggall:
I strongly support the government’s action in banning vaping and call on the Nationals, Coalition and – surprisingly, the Greens – I don’t understand what their reason is, in backing this ban. As a mum, it’s horrendous to see just how widespread and insidious vaping has become with young people and teenagers.
Updated
Unemployment rate tipped to drop as ABS to release February labour market figures today
The Albanese government, the Reserve Bank and the rest of us will get an important update on the health of the economy later this morning when the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases labour market figures for February.
The jobs data can be a bit fickle and – unlike inflation – is subject to revisions, making it tricky sometimes to get an instant understanding of what the figures mean.
Economists, meanwhile, are expecting the unemployment rate to have dropped back to 4% last month from January’s two-year high (seasonally adjusted) of 4.1%.
They’re also tipping the economy added 40,000 jobs, or technically 80 times the meagre 500 created in January (but that’s obviously a low bar to clear).
Unless January’s jobless rate doesn’t get a tweak, a 4% tally would be the first drop in five months and give a few people (eg the treasurer, Jim Chalmers) something to cheer about.
However, the labour market figures have other elements to watch – such as whether the jobs created or lost were full- or part-time ones – and what the participation rate was.
The latter was 66.8% in January and if that moves a bit, you can get odd outcomes, such as a jump in jobs created while the unemployment rate increased too.
And then there’s hours worked. Before long you’re down a statistical rabbit hole.
Needless to say, the more jobs created and hours worked, the better it is for the economy, and that’s what we’ll probably focus on.
Stay tuned for the 11.30am AEDT release right here on your favourite blog.
Updated
Australia and UK sign new defence and security cooperation agreement
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and his UK counterpart, Grant Shapps, have officially signed a new defence and security cooperation agreement.
The new pact “includes a status of forces agreement, making it easier for the respective forces to operate together in each other’s countries” which is already happening in exercises like the joint training of Ukrainian troops in the UK.
While the UK and Australia already consult on regional security issues, that practice will now be formalised by this agreement. Last year, the Aukmin agreement was to update this pact – you can consider that ticked off with this announcement.
Also included:
The UK’s contribution to the Combined Intelligence Centre – Australia, within the Defence Intelligence Organisation.
Commitment to develop a joint climate action plan by Aukmin 2025.
Continued cooperation on capability development, including through Aukus.
Establishment of elevated joint staff talks, to ensure our operational cooperation meets contemporary challenges.
Closer collaboration on undersea warfare, autonomous sea mine clearance, science, technology, and our workforces.
The UK’s contribution to exercises Talisman Sabre, Pitch Black, and Predators Run
Australia’s support for the UK’s Littoral Response Group-South and a carrier strike group visit to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
Updated
The day after her meeting with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, Penny Wong has released this comment on the draconian Hong Kong security laws
Wong:
Australia is deeply concerned that Hong Kong’s Article 23 legislation will further erode rights and freedoms as guaranteed under the Basic Law and Sino-British Joint Declaration.
We believe these laws have far reaching impacts, including on individuals in Australia.
Australia is deeply concerned that Hong Kong's Article 23 legislation will further erode rights and freedoms as guaranteed under the Basic Law and Sino-British Joint Declaration.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 20, 2024
We believe these laws have far reaching impacts, including on individuals in Australia.
Read the Guardian view on the matter here:
Updated
Steggall says government still ‘captured by the interests of gas’
Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan and David Pocock just held a press conference about vehicle emissions standards, at which they also commented on the offshore gas bill.
Steggall said that “we can’t have a situation where the government introduces legislation that becomes a shortcut or a circumvention around proper assessment and process”.
She said:
That bill, and that provision, shows the government still being captured by the interests of gas and that needs to change. So the fact [the bill] has been pulled, I’d say there’s a lot of talking and negotiating going on behind the scenes.
Pocock said he is concerned when it comes to climate action “rather than working with the crossbench the Australian people delivered, seems to want to do a deal with the Coalition, who were voted out” on the basis of climate “inaction”.
He said:
The crossbench stands ready to act in the best interests of Australians, not the best interests of the fossil fuel industry. We know whilst it’s played an important part in our economy, it’s time to transition out of. We’re not seeing that – really worrying.
Updated
Crossbenchers voice concern over potential to water down environmental protections in gas bill
Earlier this week we reported that resources minister, Madeleine King, had pulled a controversial offshore gas bill from the notice paper.
The bill has sparked concerns from the Greens, environment groups, crossbenchers including David Pocock, and First Nations Australians about watering down consultation requirements.
The independent MP Zali Steggall has moved an amendment to remove schedule two – which effectively removes authority for approvals from the environment minister to the resources minister – from the bill, which is otherwise about worker safety.
The Wentworth independent, Allegra Spender, is one of those consulting King about the bill.
Spender told Guardian Australia:
I’m very concerned that this bill could result in a significant weakening of environmental protections. It’s not clear why the resources minister should be given such broad powers to re-write Australia’s environmental rules, particularly when the government is bringing a major environmental law reform package to parliament later this year.
I will always work constructively with the government, and I have written to Minister King raising my concerns. We’re continuing good faith discussions around how these problematic carve-outs could be addressed, but there is a lot of work to be done.
We need to see this provision removed entirely, or substantially amended, so that there can be no weakening of environmental protections. I have no issues in relation to the worker safety aspects of the legislation, and these could pass the parliament now.
Updated
Why the unemployment rate could be key to predicting recession
While economists are arguing the toss on what the “per capita recession” means more broadly (spoiler: nothing good), Greg Jericho has taken a look at another measure that American economist Claudia Sahm has used to accurately predict recessions – in real time.
One of the issues with responding to recessions is the data used to confirm it is always retrospective – governments only receive the previous quarters data once they are in the new quarter. The data lags behind the reality.
Sahm, who spent more than a decade in the US Fed, looked at a different indicator – the unemployment rate. By looking at the moving average of the unemployment rate, Sahm was able to predict recessions as they were happening, meaning governments and central banks should be able to respond much faster.
Grogs has applied the Sahm rule to Australia and it’s not great news. We’ll be getting the latest unemployment figures at 11.30 and most economists are once again expecting unemployment to rise. Grogs says the RBA needs to take note:
Recessions are terrible things. IMO the RBA needs to worry more about it .
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) March 20, 2024
The Sahm Rule of recession gives govts and central banks a very good indicator of when it is time to stop hitting the economy and time to start helping it https://t.co/WdEZkmsjpz pic.twitter.com/y6cSRqloEm
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Question for Trump on Rudd reportedly written by Sky News Australia CEO
Before asking his question to Donald Trump yesterday, the UK conservative and Brexit cheerleader Nigel Farage, who is trying to carve out a media career, said it came from “our good friends at Sky News Australia”.
Farage asked Trump:
The Aukus deal that is in place, America, you know, the UK, Australia, very, very important deal, it is there to try and combat that huge growth in China. But now of course things have changed in Australia, we have a Labor government in Australia. The previous ambassador, Joe Hockey, I think was quite a good friend of yours, you got on pretty well with him. Now they have appointed Kevin Rudd. A former Labor MP and he has said the most horrible things, you were a destructive president, a traitor to the west, and he is now Australia’s ambassador in Washington. Would you [take a phone call from him?]”
Trump didn’t appear to know who Farage was talking about and gave a vague answer based on Farage’s leading prodding:
Yeah, well I don’t know … he won’t there be long if that is the case. I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little nasty. I heard he’s not the brightest bulb. I don’t know much about him but he won’t be there long if he is at all hostile.
Sydney radio station 2GB reports the question was written by the chief executive of Sky News Australia, Paul “Boris” Whittaker.
Murdoch’s GB News, the network that hosts Farage, is run by Angelo Frangopoulos, who previously ran Sky News Australia.
2GB reports Frangopoulos asked Whittaker to write the question that Farage asked. We are now on day two of its coverage and Sky News is dedicating quite a lot of air time to the question, Rudd’s alleged reaction and how it is being blamed for it.
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Paterson says if Rudd fails as ambassador it will be due to PM’s poor judgment
Turns out James Paterson takes a different view on the Rudd question:
I want Kevin Rudd to succeed as Australia’s ambassador to Washington. It is in our national interest that he does well for our country. And, in fact, I visited Kevin in DC as ambassador. And what I observed that he is diligently applying himself to that task. He’s obviously a capable person.
Unfortunately, he was also, prior to accepting this role, a prominent political commentator in the United States from his position as president of the Asia Society. And he said some very undiplomatic things about former President Trump.
Now that’s his right as an Australian living in America, or an Australian living here, to say whatever he likes.
But if you’re going to be an ambassador to a country, or you anticipate you might be, you have to be a bit more circumspect about what you say. And let’s remember, Kevin Rudd was Anthony Albanese’s captain’s pick for this job, over the objections of other ministers in the government, including, apparently, Penny Wong, which is why the appointment took so long and they had to extend Arthur Sinodinos in the role.
And so if he does have to come home because he can’t work with the Trump administration that will reflect on one person and one person only, and that’s Anthony Albanese and his poor judgment.
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James Paterson says Paul Keating’s meeting with Wang Yi a ‘calculated humiliation’ of Albanese’s government
The Liberal senator James Paterson, who has carved out a place for himself as a security hawk, has had a bit to say on Sky News this morning.
First, on Paul Keating’s meeting with China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, Paterson said:
Paul Keating is Australia’s most prominent critic of Aukus. Paul Keating is Australia’s most prominent advocate of a closer relationship with China.
He is the most prominent defender of the Chinese government when it comes to their human rights abuses and other activities. And for him to agree to meet with Wang Yi, and for the Chinese government to make a request for him to meet with Wang Yi, is a calculated humiliation of the government here in Canberra, because every time Paul Keating says what he says, it causes total internal grief for this government, it fires up their branch members and their supporters in the community.
And he has been incredibly unprofessional and undiplomatic in the way in which he has commented about the foreign minister in particular. But not just the foreign minister, our dedicated, professional, impartial public servants in the intelligence community as well. And so, this is, make no mistake, something which is deeply unwelcome here in Canberra in the Labor party, but none of them have had the courage to say that publicly. None of them have the courage to explain why they don’t think it’s in the national interest for Paul Keating to be running down our country with a foreign dignitary while they’re visiting.
Given those fairly strong comments, what does he think about Donald Trump’s criticism of US ambassador Kevin Rudd (following a very leading question from Nigel Farage, and Trump not seeming to know who Rudd was)?
Stay tuned …
Updated
Medical bodies call on MPs to back vaping laws
Peak medical bodies are calling on all MPs to back the government’s vaping legislation being introduced today as the only way to stop the “national health crisis.”
The Australian Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners are urging all MPs to support the laws which include a ban on the domestic manufacture, supply, advertising and commercial possession of non-therapeutic vapes.
The AMA president, Prof Steve Robson, said:
This is a national health crisis that must be stopped in its tracks, and the only way to do that is to stop the retail sale of vapes and give people the help they need to kick this dangerous habit by moving to a prescription only model.
The federal government should make absolutely no apology with their tough but necessary legislation to be introduced today, and we call on federal parliament to support these changes.
The RACGP president, Dr Nicole Higgins, also urged all MPs to back the bill:
Vaping is taking hold of more and more people, and the health dangers are significant. No one can be 100% sure of the long-term impacts so you are playing with fire, and we do know they contain chemicals that cause serious respiratory issues and lung damage. It’s been reported that some teenagers are learning they have the lungs of a 70-year-old and that the damage may be permanent.
The health minister, Mark Butler, this morning told ABC News:
I can’t think of a public health group that has not supported the measures I’m introducing to parliament today. Frankly, the only groups that are seeking to raise the white flag and encourage parliamentarians simply to accept this as now a part of Australian life are those who are profiting from it: Big tobacco and tobacco retailers.
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New Zealand in double-dip recession
Australia is in a “per capita recession”, which is an economic term to say that GDP per person fell over two consecutive quarters. Overall, growth is being propped up by migration, which is why it’s not being considered a recession-recession – technically, the country’s productivity is still in the positive (albeit barely – 0.4% in the last reported quarter)
Things in New Zealand are worse, AAP reports:
New Zealand is enduring a double-dip recession, with GDP figures confirming another quarter of contraction to close out 2023.
The country’s official data agency, Stats NZ, revealed on Thursday that New Zealand’s economy shrank by 0.1% in the quarter to December, and 0.7% in per capita terms.
Following a 0.3% contraction in the September quarter, that fulfils the technical definition of a recession – New Zealand’s second contractionary event in the past 18 months.
New Zealand has returned negative GDP figures in four of the past five quarters.
Annual growth is currently running at an anaemic rate of just 0.6%.
“Wholesale trade was the largest downwards driver this quarter, led by falls in grocery and liquor wholesaling; and machinery and equipment wholesaling,” Stats NZ’s Ruvani Ratnayake said.
“Retail trade activity also fell, driven by furniture, electrical and hardware retailing; and food and beverage services.”
The results are even worse in a per capita context: with all five of the last quarters heading backwards.
In essence, New Zealand is currently being propped up by record migration, which hit a record peak of 141,000 in 2023, more than 100,000 above 2022.
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The parliament sitting has begun and the legislation which will establish the Administration Review Tribunal (the replacement for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) is about to pass the House.
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Penny Wong to meet with David Cameron
Penny Wong will also meet with her UK counterpart, David Cameron (who I believe was also a guest at The Lodge), as part of the bilateral talks ahead of the Australia-United Kingdom ministerial consultations or Aukmin chats.
The morning is going to be a series of meetings and briefings, which defence and foreign affairs corro Daniel Hurst is all over for you, so we will bring you the results of those talks as soon as we are able.
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UK secretary of state for defence welcomed in Canberra
The UK part of Aukus will be discussed today, with the British secretary of state for defence, Grant Shapps, in Canberra for meetings with the defence minister, Richard Marles.
Mike Bowers headed out to the defence department this morning, where Shapps was being formally welcomed:
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The independent senator Lidia Thorpe is leading a crossbench push to have the government act on death in custody and Indigenous child removal reforms.
Sarah Basford Canales reports on that here:
Mark Butler was asked about it this morning and said:
Tomorrow all of the health ministers of the country, including me obviously, will be conducting a roundtable of Indigenous health leaders to talk about a range of things that we can do to continue to close the gap. And I’m sure one of the agenda items on that I know will be a discussion about outstanding recommendations from the royal commission, particularly around culturally safe healthcare in prisons. That’s something I’ve been talking to Indigenous health leaders about during my entire time as the health minister. So, I think that is a recognition from the crossbench as well, that there is outstanding business from that royal commission which is now more than three decades ago. But certainly, as health ministers, as Indigenous health leaders, we’re already in a discussion about how we can catch up on those recommendations.
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Emergency management minister says Borroloola facing record flood levels
The flooding has been more intense than expected and the weather conditions have hampered some of the evacuation efforts.
Murray Watt:
We are facing the some potentially very dangerous flooding in Borroloola near the Gulf of Carpentaria. In fact, the water levels there could rise as high as 18m, which would make it a record flooding level, and, even if it doesn’t get that high, it does look likely to be record flooding and, of course, as this weather system moves across the Northern Territory, it’s dumping very large amounts of rain across a range of other communities, many of which have had flooding in the last few months already.
So it is a dangerous situation. We do need people to listen to warnings, follow instructions from emergency officials, but we’re obviously supporting the Northern Territory government in this effort as well including through evacuations by the ADF.
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Murray Watt says about 200 people evacuated from Borroloola to Darwin due to NT cyclone
The emergency management minister, Murray Watt, has given the ABC an update on the cyclone that has hit the Top End:
The latest figures that I have is that it’s around 200 people who have been evacuated from Borroloola to Darwin. The priority at this stage is to remove the most medically vulnerable people. Obviously, the emergency officials will make decisions on the ground as to whether the number of evacuations needs to be expanded or whether people can safely stay in Borroloola. But as I say, we have also approved a request from the Northern Territory government to provide ADF personnel and aircraft to evacuate people from other communities such as Timber Creek, Pigeon Hole, Kalkarindji. We expect that will begin later in the day subject to weather conditions.
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Brandis says he is ‘not a fan’ of Donald Trump
What does George Brandis think of Donald Trump?
Brandis:
I’m not a fan of Donald Trump.
I am concerned about the isolationist tendencies that are evident in the Republican party but particularly among the Trump Republicans.
I worry about his lukewarm support for Nato.
I worry about his relative warmth towards Vladimir Putin, one of the most evil men in the world, and his failure to be more outspoken about the invasion of Ukraine and other outrages like the killing of Alexei Navalny.
So it does trouble me.
But that having been said, I think the enduring nature of the relationship between Australia and the United States means that it doesn’t matter who’s the president of the United States or who the government of Australia it may be from time to time, that relationship will always be sound.
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Brandis says negative commentary about Rudd ‘diminishes Australia’s influence’
So what does George Brandis think of the negative commentary his former colleagues have been running since Nigel Farage asked his leading question and Donald Trump responded, despite not seeming to know who Kevin Rudd was?
Brandis:
I do think that it is very much in Australia’s national interest that senior diplomatic appointees should have bipartisan support, as Dr Rudd has had hitherto.
I do think it is important to to put this into context. Now, in Washington, as in London, it is more common than not for the senior Australian diplomat to be a person who’s had senior political experience at senior cabinet level.
And that has worked well.
It’s worked on both sides of politics in Washington with Arthur Sinnodinos and, before him, Kim Beazley, and before that years earlier, Andrew Peacock and others as well.
And when a person from either side of politics is asked to do those, those jobs, then unless it appears at the time of their appointment that there is a disqualifying factor and, in Dr Rudd’s case, there didn’t appear to be, and I don’t think there is, then they should have bipartisan support.
Because if they don’t, as I said before, it diminishes their authority and therefore it diminishes Australia’s influence in the foreign capital in which they have to work.
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Asked about Barnaby Joyce’s ‘cooked’ comments, George Brandis (who sat in a joint party room with Joyce and around a cabinet table with him) says:
Well, look, Barnaby is entitled to his view. I think we’re also getting ahead of ourselves. I mean, it’s if Donald Trump were to be elected, then he would take office nearly a year, hence, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge.
And if in that eventuality, it did become problematic, then, no doubt the situation could be reassessed and revisited, but there’s no I don’t think there is sufficient reason to believe, on the basis of a few throwaway remarks to Nigel Farage, that there is a deep problem here.
Brandis says Rudd has ‘plainly done a very good job’ in US
George Brandis went on to defend Kevin Rudd and the job he has been doing.
Dr Rudd has plainly done a very good job in the time since he’s been there – in particular, by landing the Aukus deal through a very divided Congress last year on a bipartisan basis.
This is in Washington, in which there is very little bipartisanship at the moment, but he was able to get that through Congress on a bipartisan basis.
And I think he has been a very good appointment as the opposition, I think, acknowledged at the time his appointment was made.
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Brandis says Rudd must have bipartisan support as ambassador despite Trump’s ‘wild’ comments
The former UK ambassador and Coalition minister George Brandis is speaking to ABC radio and he is being very critical of his former colleagues over the Kevin Rudd mini storm, sparked by Donald Trump’s comments.
Brandis says the resulting storm has all been a bit much:
I think this has been rather overinterpreted. Donald Trump is infamous for making rather wild and off-the-cuff claims that don’t in the end amount to very much, so it’s obviously something that the government should keep an eye on but I wouldn’t overinterpret it.
Asked about how Trump’s answer came about, Brandis says:
I know Nigel Farage – he’s a charming charlatan who’s building a reputation as a broadcaster in the United States, obviously.
He is interested in attracting as much importance to his interviews as possible, but I don’t think Nigel Farage has views on this matter.
I think it’s very important that Australia’s senior diplomatic representatives, whether they be career diplomats or political appointees, should have bipartisan support because, if they don’t, it diminishes their authority, and therefore diminishes their influence in the country to which they’re accredited. And that’s plainly not in Australia’s national interest. Now, when the appointment of Dr Rudd was announced in December of the year before last, it wasn’t criticised on a party basis in Australia.
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Barnaby Joyce claims Rudd ‘cooked’ if Trump re-elected
Barnaby Joyce has been asked on breakfast television (the obvious place to have nuanced debates on diplomacy) what he thinks of Donald Trump’s comments on the US ambassador, Kevin Rudd.
Sky News Australia asked Nigel Farage to ask Trump about Rudd in his interview with the Republican presidential nominee.
Trump did not seem to know who Rudd was. And said if he continued to be hostile, he wouldn’t last as ambassador for very long.
Countries choose their own ambassadors, not foreign governments, so this is all a bit of a storm in a teacup. Australia will choose diplomats who they believe will best achieve Australia’s aims, and that is the method regardless of who is leading the country they are going to.
Enter Joyce who told the Nine network this morning:
If Trump or President Trump becomes President Trump mark two, because it’s going to affect our relationship with the United States, because Trump will roll over and everything will be sweet.
No, he won’t, he won’t. Trump will do lots and lots and lots of things, which we will have lots of time to speak about, but rolling over won’t be one of them.
And once he sets a path, I think that, Rudd’s cooked.
Might as well drag him back, send him to another country, send him over to France or, I don’t know, The Hague or make him deputy secretary of the United Nations. I don’t know, do something else with him. There’s lots of lots of other jobs, lots of wonderful Pacific islands. They need Kevin.
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Vamvakinou says killing in Gaza ‘has to end’
Maria Vamvakinou continued:
The war in Gaza has touched members of my constituency profoundly, both those who have directly had family members killed and those who are appalled and distressed by what is happening there.
I want to pay tribute to the extraordinary resilience of those who, despite their losses and profound feelings of grief, have come together to comfort each other and to rally behind the people of Gaza.
They have become the voice of those engulfed by this catastrophe. They have built support networks and embraced with compassion those who have come to our electorate from Gaza.
I pay tribute to the organisations who stepped up 166 days ago calling for a ceasefire, for their advocacy, offering prayers and holding community vigils: Ilim College, MyCentre, Islamic Community Milli Gorus and the countless others in my electorate, from across communities, who are doing inspiring work and are deserving of our recognition.
This killing has to end.
The children and other people of Gaza have a right to life and to a future, and the Palestinian people have to have their right to self-determination realised.
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Maria Vamvakinou defends UNRWA
The Labor member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou, followed in her Moreton colleague’s footsteps and used the adjournment debate to speak on the situation in Gaza.
Vamvakinou spoke in the parliament in October last year “and asked the chamber to imagine what would happen in the event of Israel’s invasion on a civilian population of over 2 million people living in the most densely populated place in the world”. After going through the devastation, Vamvakinou asked:
This devastation is the result of 70,000 tonnes of explosives dropped on Gaza, the equivalent of several nuclear bombs.
I now ask this question: what has Israel achieved?
What is it achieving, if not the killing and forced starvation of innocent civilians and the destruction of homes and the displacement of people?
The Israeli army, with unlimited supply lines, rages against a civilian population that it besieges, kills, displaces and starves.
Vamvakinou then turned to UNRWA and defended the agency:
In the midst of all of this human tragedy, there are those who decry the government’s decision to resume funding to UNRWA, going further by demanding that UNRWA be defunded altogether.
These are the usual suspects that hurl unsubstantiated allegations against the only agency that has the capacity to provide lifesaving support for the Palestinian people.
UNRWA’s humanitarian and development mandate is central to the assistance and protection of Palestinian refugees, including those who are victims of this humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
I did not support my government’s decision to initially pause funding for UNRWA and I now welcome the government’s unpausing of that funding.
Never has UNRWA’s job been more urgent and more critical now and moving forward under its international mandate.
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Chris Bowen says LNP ‘failed to support the gas code’
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has also responded to the AEMO gas report (you can catch up with Peter Hannam’s report here.)
Bowen:
The Albanese government’s plan is about delivering a more reliable, resilient, firmed renewable energy system, with the gas code shoring up domestic supply of gas to support the grid and Australian industry.
The LNP need to explain why they failed to support the gas code when the Greens tried to disallow it, which analysis after analysis shows is increasing domestic supply and driving down gas prices.
The LNP ‘gas led recovery’ was more like a ‘gas-lit’ policy that failed to deliver affordable energy to Australian industry and our domestic energy market.
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Gas body says short-term supply outlook ‘bleak’
The Australian Pipeline and Gas Association has seized on what it is calling the “bleakest short-term gas supply outlook” modelled by Aemo.
The APGA chief executive, Steve Davies, said:
Gas infrastructure companies have invested to help solve this crisis without long-term contracts that provide certainty. Governments must act to de-risk gas investments, which are essential if we are to close coal power stations and support intermittent renewables during the energy transition. For gas-powered generation, this means inclusion in the capacity investment scheme.
There is a future gas strategy in the works, which the industry is consulting with the government on.
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Expect to hear a lot more on this today:
Southern Australia could face gas shortages during “extreme peak demand days” from 2025 as Bass Strait supplies dwindle, the Australian Energy Market Operator has said.
In its annual gas statement of opportunities report, the Aemo said “small seasonal supply gaps” may emerge from 2026 with the shortages becoming annual ones from 2028 unless additional supplies are developed. Regions affected include New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.
The predicted supply gaps have been delayed a couple of years from last year’s report, however, as more households ditch the fossil fuel.
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(continued from previous post)
The government forecasts that net overseas migration will drop in half by next year, representing the largest decline in migration in Australia’s history, outside of pandemic and world wars.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said:
Since September, the government’s actions have led to substantial declines in migration levels, with recent international student visa grants down by 35% on the previous year. The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on our commitments in the migration strategy to fix the broken system we inherited.
The skills and training minister, Brendan O’Connor, said:
This legislation is the next step in our reforms to strengthen quality and integrity in VET – and there is more to come. There is no place for dodgy providers in the sector who take advantage of international students and undermine the sector and the majority of providers who do the right thing.
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Labor to implement migration review recommendations
The Albanese government has announced that from Saturday it will implement several key recommendations of the migration review, released in December.
These include:
Lifting English language requirements for student visas from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 and for graduate visas from IELTS 6.0 to 6.5.
New powers to suspend high-risk education providers from recruiting international students come into force, meaning the highest risk providers will be issued with warning notices giving them six months to improve standards or they will be suspended from recruiting international students.
A new genuine student test will be introduced to further crack down on international students looking to come to Australia primarily to work, rather than study. This test will ask students to answer questions about their study intentions and their economic circumstances, with a declaration to be made that they understand what it means to be a genuine student.
To avoid visitor visas being used as a way to subvert offshore student visa integrity checks, the government will be increasing the imposition of “no further stay” conditions on visitor visas.
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Good morning
Hello and welcome to parliament Friday (there is no sitting tomorrow).
Thank you very much to Martin for getting the blog warmed up – you have a chilly Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day (Canberra has embraced a cold snap).
My third coffee is brewing, so let’s get into it.
The 47th parliament is the most diverse in Australia’s history but how do politicians from culturally diverse backgrounds feel about the state of racism in the country?
For the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we have asked some to share their stories.
Zaneta Mascarenhas, a first-term Labor MP of Goan-Indian heritage, said Australia’s work on racism is “not over”, adding decision-making bodies from “from ASX200 boards to the local P&C, and parliament” needed to better reflect the diversity of society.
“I know that organisations perform better when they are diverse.”
The Western Australian told Guardian Australia her father was initially prevented from coming to Australia under the White Australia policy. She said it had been “pretty amazing” that, during his lifetime, she had become the first woman and the first person of colour to represent the Perth electorate of Swan in its 101-year history.
Mascarenhas added:
The bottom line is that racism hurts people, it offends, it excludes. It has a lasting impact and creates division. I personally understand the impact of stereotypes and assumptions based on one’s appearance. However, I believe in the power of meaningful dialogue and understanding to bridge divides and celebrate our shared humanity. I know that I don’t look like what some people may assume a politician to look like – but I want all kids to know they can aspire to the highest levels.
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Wang Yi to meet Paul Keating and business leaders in Sydney
China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, is preparing for business discussions after holding high-level diplomatic talks with Penny Wong, AAP reports.
At Parliament House in Canberra yesterday the Australian foreign affairs minister met with Wang, who is the most senior Chinese official to visit Australia since 2017.
Wang also met with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton.
He is expected to meet with former prime minister Paul Keating in addition to business leaders in Sydney today.
Keating has been scathing of the Aukus security pact, under which Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
He has also taken swipes at Australian media outlets over what he claims is anti-China coverage.
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Greens urge Labor to work with them on changes to religious discrimination laws if Coalition won’t
The Greens say shelving changes to religious discrimination laws would be a “disservice” to Australians facing discrimination, urging the Albanese government to work with them if the opposition won’t.
A long-awaited report from the Australian Law Reform Commission on legislative avenues the government could take is expected to be tabled in parliament after question time today, after it was handed to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, in December.
Anthony Albanese revealed on Wednesday that Labor has drafted two bills to simultaneously create laws against religious discrimination while amending blanket exemptions allowing religious groups to discriminate against people on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status.
The prime minister has said the bills will only go ahead if the opposition offers bipartisanship, citing concerns about stirring up a divisive debate amid heightened tensions between communities over the conflict in Gaza.
The Greens’ LGBTQI+ spokesperson, Stephen Bates, said the federal government should work with the minor party and progressive crossbenchers rather than shelve the changes entirely.
“This is too big of an opportunity to pass up and just shove into the too-hard basket.”
Bates said he hadn’t received any briefings from the government but his message to Dreyfus was “work with us”.
Equality Australia’s legal director, Ghassan Kassisieh, said he was hopeful there would be goodwill among politicians but also called on Labor to put the proposals on the table for the public to see.
“Every day that we delay. We are saying to a student who’s sitting in a school today that they have to keep who they are hidden so that they are not expelled or treated unfairly at school.”
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Acoss releases pre-budget call for welfare rates to rise
The Australian Council of Social Services has released its pre-budget submission, calling to raise the current rate of youth allowance ($45 a day) and jobseeker ($55) to the rate of the pension ($80).
It wants supplementary payments for illness, disability and single parenthood, and an increase to the remote area allowance which has not been lifted since 2000.
The submission also calls for:
Changes to property tax concessions including limiting negative gearing so expenses can only be offset against income from the same class of investment
Reducing the capital gains tax discount from 50% to 25%; and
Introducing a 15% levy on superannuation investment income post-retirement, to pay for aged care
The Acoss chief executive, Cassandra Goldie, said:
As we approach this budget, we’re witnessing a level of financial distress that we haven’t seen since the recession of the early 1990s ... People living on woefully low income support payments are doing things like eating one meal a day, turning off the fridge at night to save electricity and cutting diabetes medication by half to make it last longer.
Finally lifting jobseeker and related payments to liveable levels will provide effective, immediate relief to people who need it most who will get no relief at all from the stage three tax cuts. Raising income support provides targeted investment as we enter a period of rising unemployment. It’s not only compassionate but also economically wise.
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Security talks with UK ministers
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold high-level talks with their UK counterparts in Canberra today, Australian Associated Press reports.
Marles will host Grant Shapps and Wong will host David Cameron in separate meetings before a joint meeting in Adelaide on Friday.
The British ministers are in Australia as part of annual Aukmin talks as the two nations, alongside the United States, prepare to advance the Aukus alliance under which Canberra will acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.
Friday’s trip to Adelaide is set to include a trip to the Osborne shipyard, where the nuclear submarines are to be built.
A defence announcement is expected.
Defence, climate action and clean energy, cyber, and economic security will feature in the discussions.
The longstanding relationship between Australia and Britain had been strengthened by the trilateral alliance, co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Aukus Aaron Violi said.
“These visits are vital as we continue to strengthen our partnership under the pact and collaborate in our shared interests,” the Liberal MP said.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling politics coverage. I’m Martin Farrer, serving up some of the top overnight stories before Amy Remeikis fires up her work station.
Confirming what many already know when surveying real estate websites, figures out today show that affordable housing is beyond the reach of people living in Australia’s eastern capitals. According to new Parliamentary Library analysis released by the Greens, the average annual salary needed to buy a home without financial stress is $164,400. Only in two cities – greater Perth and Darwin – will you find a unit that doesn’t put the average earner under housing stress.
Such financial matters will begin to dominate politics as the build-up to the federal budget mounts. Advocates are calling this morning for the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, to increase welfare payments and to target investments to combat rising unemployment. The Australian Council of Social Service wants the Albanese government to boost jobseeker and youth allowance to at least $80 per day, up from $55 and $45 respectively. More coming up.
Parliamentary crossbenchers have backed a call from Lidia Thorpe for the federal government to address long called-for reforms in landmark reports on Indigenous deaths in custody and child removals. Thorpe, the Victorian independent senator, said the Australian Human Rights Commission should be empowered to oversee progress on the key Closing the Gap measures.
China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, is still in Australia – today he is due to visit Sydney for meetings including with business leaders and (somewhat controversially) Paul Keating. Meanwhile, the Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold high-level talks with their UK counterparts in the nation’s capital today.
