Revealed: Labor’s offer to get Greens to back EPBC overhaul
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Guardian Australia has obtained the separate sets of concessions that the Albanese government is prepared to make to its nature laws to secure the Greens or the Coalition’s support.
The proposed concessions to the Greens, circulated on Tuesday morning, include:
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Limiting the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects under bioregional plans
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Limit the new “streamline assessment pathway” to restrict fossil fuel projects
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Limit the proposed new “national interest” exemption to exclude fossil fuel projects
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Reversing proposed changes that would have handed the so-called “water trigger” to state governments
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Require that the minister retain the power to declare that a project requires Commonwealth approval, even under deals to devolve decision-making powers to the states.
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Require that the states have agreements to assess projects under federal nature laws before allowing them to have power to make decisions under the laws
The government has also offered to subject native forest logging to national environmental standards within three years, although the detail of that amendment is still being worked through.
The Greens will no doubt discuss its position on the EPBC laws at their regular Tuesday morning party-room meeting although it’s unclear if a final position will be settled.
Key events
Staying on that 2GB interview, Joyce says that politicians are quick to take the “offence microphone”, and singled out Penny Wong over her comments in the Senate condemning Hanson.
He added that Hanson wouldn’t have pulled the burqa stunt if she hadn’t been shut down from introducing her bill.
I find it annoying where everyone makes this mad dash for the offence microphone.
If you want to give someone publicity, just shut them down, and then they’ve got all the publicity they want.
The argument echoed Hanson’s public comments this morning, that she wouldn’t have worn the burqa if the Senate had debated her bill.
Barnaby Joyce to make decision about One Nation defection by ‘end of the week’
Barnaby Joyce says he’ll make a decision on whether he leaves the Nationals and defects to One Nation by the end of this week.
The widely anticipated move has been speculated for more than a month, while Joyce has held meetings with Hanson and sits outside the Nationals party room.
Speaking to 2GB radio this morning, he called himself a “front row forward” and said he’s been “put in a corner”.
I just don’t want much of a circus … I’ll get to the end of the week and we’ll make a decision then.
Nationals MPs have been imploring Joyce to stay with them this morning, including Matt Canavan, who said the speculation was turning into a long “Days of our Lives” saga.
Despite appearances, Joyce said the steak Pauline Hanson cooked on a sandwich press tasted “brilliant”.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland teachers strike after rejecting pay offer
Queensland’s education minister has warned teachers might get a worse industrial deal after arbitration, flagging that the government will look at “other elements” of their industrial agreement.
Members of the Queensland Teachers’ Union are going on strike today after rejecting a government pay offer last month made during conciliation at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. The dispute will now go to a full bench of the commission for arbitration.
The education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, said on Tuesday that the conciliation offer, which included an 8% pay rise was now “off the table”.
He told media this morning that the government wouldn’t be seeking to roll back class sizes “but it is true that we’ll be looking at other elements of the industrial agreement” in the commission.
Langbroek said Tuesday’s strike would affect year 10 and 11 exams and a variety of extracurricular activities. Almost all state schools would be open, aside from a handful affected by storm damage, he said. Langbroek also dismissed the risk of a threatened third strike.
It will make no difference to what we’re trying to achieve, which is fair pay, a fair pay rise for teachers dealing with the issues of conditions that they’re concerned about, and all they’re doing is impacting parents and caregivers across the state, as well as costing themselves wages.
Revealed: Labor’s offer to get Greens to back EPBC overhaul
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Guardian Australia has obtained the separate sets of concessions that the Albanese government is prepared to make to its nature laws to secure the Greens or the Coalition’s support.
The proposed concessions to the Greens, circulated on Tuesday morning, include:
-
Limiting the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects under bioregional plans
-
Limit the new “streamline assessment pathway” to restrict fossil fuel projects
-
Limit the proposed new “national interest” exemption to exclude fossil fuel projects
-
Reversing proposed changes that would have handed the so-called “water trigger” to state governments
-
Require that the minister retain the power to declare that a project requires Commonwealth approval, even under deals to devolve decision-making powers to the states.
-
Require that the states have agreements to assess projects under federal nature laws before allowing them to have power to make decisions under the laws
The government has also offered to subject native forest logging to national environmental standards within three years, although the detail of that amendment is still being worked through.
The Greens will no doubt discuss its position on the EPBC laws at their regular Tuesday morning party-room meeting although it’s unclear if a final position will be settled.
An average of nine posties a day being attacked by dogs, Australia Post says
Moving away from politics for a moment, Australia Post is warning that nine posties a day are being attacked by dogs, on average.
They’re urging pet owners to secure their dogs, particularly as households rush to make online orders ahead of Christmas.
AusPost say 46 posties a week have “fallen victim to dog-related incidents”, with NSW the worst state, followed by Queensland and Western Australia. Nationwide, 1,194 attacks have occurred in the last six months alone.
Australia Post general manager of safety, Russell Munro, said in a statement:
Our Posties want to be able to deliver for our customers without fear of being attacked or chased by a dog. Regardless of breed or temperament, we urge all owners to keep their dogs safely contained when expecting deliveries.
This is a video Australia Post released last year of dogs attacking posties:
Pauline Hanson says burqa stunt a response to not being allowed to introduce bill to ban garment
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has defended her stunt in parliament yesterday, telling 4BC radio this morning that she did it because she wasn’t allowed to introduce her bill to ban the burqa.
Hanson said the bill was in response to “national security” concerns, for “assimilation” and for women “being controlled by men”.
She called her critics in parliament “hypocrites” for not allowing her to wear the garment, while refusing to debate the bill.
I couldn’t introduce it, that’s the problem, is they wouldn’t allow me to introduce it and I thought, well, OK, if you don’t want to debate this and you’ve got no problems with not banning the burqa, so I thought, no, I’ll go and put it on … Now they’re complaining because I’m wearing the burqa. You don’t want to ban it. So you’re whinging about it and I’m wearing it in the parliament. So what’s the difference? A bunch of hypocrites.
Speaking separately to ABC radio Sydney this morning, Hanson could not name a single national security incident in Australia that involved a burqa, because she hasn’t “had that briefing from Asio or the AFP”.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Frontbencher denies Nationals will be a roadblock to Ley striking deal with Coalition on nature laws
Just following up on that earlier post about negotiations on the EPBC, there are rumblings the Nationals would seek to thwart Sussan Ley from striking a deal with the Coalition.
The country party has long had reservations about the federal environment protection regime and has been hostile to Labor’s plans to establish an independent EPA with the power to halt projects and issue hefty fines.
The shadow frontbencher, Jonno Duniam, disputed suggestions that the Nationals were a roadblock to a potential deal.
They’ve been very constructive to date, and I expect they’ll continue to be.
They have strong voices for their communities, and we’ll be able to work with them about the end outcome here. If that is for the Coalition to do a deal with the government that is acceptable to us, and I emphasise that we will not agree to anything that is not acceptable to our party room, our joint party room.
Tim Wilson says Liberals axing net zero policy means MPs can ‘still advocate for it’
Tim Wilson is in an awkward position, having campaigned to keep net zero emissions by 2050 commitments, which his party has now abandoned. There’s been wide speculation Wilson – who represents the progressive seat of Goldstein, which he narrowly won from teal independent Zoe Daniel – could quit the shadow cabinet.
“Awkward” is perhaps how you might also describe the mental gymnastics he’s currently using to say that Liberals can still advocate for net zero. He told Sky News this morning:
We’ve had a policy review and now our policy position is silent on it. You can still support a net zero position, you can still advocate for it, you can still say it is welcome, because our focus is how to decarbonise the economy and get lower emissions.
When announcing the policy change earlier this month, Ley said, “I could not be more clear when I say we are removing net zero targets.” On whether he will quit the frontbench, Wilson said:
People always speculate about all these sorts of things, I’ve done exactly what I’ve said every step of the way, I’ve advocated for the position we took to the last election, I followed party processes, I’ve honoured my commitments. I’m not the one who should be resigning.
The shadow small business spokesperson also said he was as “surprised as anyone” to see his name in polling by the Australian newspaper yesterday, which asked voters who they would prefer as Liberal leader.
Sussan Ley was ahead of Andrew Hastie, Angus Taylor, Wilson and deputy leader Ted O’Brien in that poll, but almost half of those surveyed elected to choose the “don’t know” option.
Wilson, who joked about the polling yesterday, backed in Ley on Sky News this morning, “Sussan’s leader, that’s the focus – because the conversation is how we win, ‘we’ being the Australian people.”
Dan Jervis-Bardy
More on Coalition tensions over EPBC concessions
Following from our last post …
The Coalition wants amendments across seven areas that would water down the bill’s environmental protections and strip back the powers of the government’s proposed environment protection agency (EPA).
Watt has so far verbally offered two concessions to the Coalition related to fines for breaches of nature laws and the process for the issuing of so-called “stop-work orders” to halt projects.
Guardian Australia understands the government was planning to circulate written amendments on Tuesday morning to the Coalition as well as the Greens, its other potential partner to get the laws through the Senate.
Angie Bell was yet to see the offer to the Coalition when she fronted the media just before 8.30am, meaning it was unlikely she would have anything substantial to present to her colleagues at their regular joint party-room meeting later this morning.
The shadow minister, Jonno Duniam, who is leading negotiations with Murray Watt in the Senate, said the Coalition party room was “dynamic”, suggesting it could be reconvened later in the week if a deal was struck. Standing alongside Bell, Duniam said:
We have been working in good faith with the government all the way through this. They’re the ones who put this deadline down of getting a bill passed by the end of this week. If there’s such a rush, then why are they leaving it to the last minute to work with us on the amendments that Angie has been so forward-leaning on getting constructed.
Coalition says it is yet to see possible concessions from Labor on nature reforms
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Coalition MPs has vented their frustration with the environment minister, Murray Watt, with negotiations on new federal nature laws at an impasse just days out from the government’s self-imposed deadline to get them through parliament.
The shadow cabinet met on Monday night but was unable to come to a position on an overhaul of the environment protection and biodiversity conservation (EPBC) act because the opposition was yet to see details of what concessions the government was prepared to offer to win its support.
The shadow environment minister, Angie Bell, said that was “entirely and utterly unreasonable” given Watt’s insistence that the legislation pass before parliament rises for the year on Thursday. Bell said:
I’ll say to the minister – the ball is firmly in your court. We are expecting those amendments and it is entirely unreasonable that we have not received them to date.
In pictures: Albanese and Zhao Leji meet for breakfast
China’s third-highest ranking lawmaker, Zhao Leji, returned to parliament this morning to meet with Anthony Albanese.
The two shook hands for a picture opportunity in the PM’s courtyard.
Zhao’s visit has not been without some drama: when he first arrived at parliament yesterday, parliamentarians and their staff were warned to turn off their phones, laptops and internet connected devices.
Labor ‘asleep at the wheel’ during Hanson’s Senate stunt, Fatima Payman says
Fatima Payman says the government were “asleep at the wheel” when Pauline Hanson entered the Senate wearing a burqa yesterday, and should have done more to remove her from the chamber earlier.
Payman told ABC News Breakfast this morning she and other senators felt unsafe, and that Hanson’s original stunt in 2017 created the precedent to have her kicked out immediately.
It was a stunt Pauline Hanson has previously pulled, so the fact that the government were found asleep at the wheel was just not OK and definitely not suitable of a government that claims to care about multiculturalism and a safe work environment. There wasn’t just me but so many other senators felt unsafe and disrespected by such behaviour. The government definitely needs to do a lot more when it comes to upholding the principles of the Senate.
Payman says she was in hospital with her father who had leukemia when Hanson first pulled this stunt in 2017, and described “getting weird stares and remarks thrown at me”. She said she fears for the other young girls who will be affected by this behaviour.
There is bound to be people out on the streets, young school girls who are probably yelled at or abused or assaulted and it is just the division that we don’t want to see in society.
Hanson hosts Barnaby Joyce for office dinner with sandwich-press steaks
The rumour mill keeps chugging, and while Barnaby Joyce hasn’t yet confirmed whether he will defect to One Nation, he did dine with its leader, Pauline Hanson, last night – after she pulled the burqa stunt in the Senate chamber.
Joyce had said yesterday he hadn’t yet been invited to dinner by Hanson, but the two got together in Hanson’s office last night to share a steak cooked on a sandwich press.
Joyce is still a member of the National party, but has not been sitting in party room meetings – which means he likely won’t be there again today when they gather this morning. He has said he won’t recontest his seat of New England with the Nationals at the next election.
Matt Canavan says Hanson’s stunt turns parliament into ‘circus act’
Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who was one of the earliest to condemn Pauline Hanson in the chamber yesterday, has again attacked the One Nation leader, telling Sky News this morning the behaviour turns parliament “into a circus act”.
Canavan also took the opportunity to urge Barnaby Joyce to remain in the Nationals.
I mean, look, even Barnaby couldn’t defend Pauline yesterday, right? He was asked, and he’s refused to comment. And, I mean, come on, Barnaby, do you really want to go and join the circus, or do you want to stay in a real team that’s really focused on delivering?
On whether he believes Joyce will make the move to the fringe party, Canavan said:
Look, it’s turning into a longer saga than Days of our Lives. So I think people are all sick and tired of it.
The Nationals senator also took a shot at Hanson’s cooking, saying, “I’m not going over to her office any time soon.”
George Brandis condemns Pauline Hanson for ‘despicable stunt’
Former Liberal attorney general George Brandis, who famously stood up to Pauline Hanson the first time she pulled the burqa stunt in the Senate back in 2017, has called her latest behaviour “despicable”.
Speaking to RN Breakfast this morning, Brandis says Hanson’s stunt will remind the public of the “ugly and divisive politics” One Nation practises.
Brandis also says he doesn’t believe the stunt will increase the minor party’s popularity.
It was obviously a stunt. It was a despicable stunt. But Pauline Hanson does this. I mean, every once in a while, she dreams up a new stunt to try and make herself the centre of political attention and discussion. It didn’t work then.
After that episode in 2017, One Nation’s support actually fell in the opinion polls. And I expect that that will happen again.
Plibersek say gambling is a contributing factor to domestic violence but dismisses ‘obsession’ with betting ads
The RN Breakfast host, Sally Sara, asks Plibersek about the sticky issue of gambling and online gambling advertising. Last year, a rapid review on preventing domestic violence commissioned by the government recommended a total ban on gambling ads.
The social services minister says there’s evidence gambling is a “contributing factor” to intimate partner violence, but so are alcohol and drugs:
We need to address all of these, and that’s why our government has done more than any government in Australian history to address problem gambling, and it’s why we’ll continue to work to address problem gambling.
Plibersek says journalists have an “obsession” with gambling advertising, which Sara pushes back on – and points out that it’s been two and a half years since a landmark report on the harms of gambling was released, which the government still hasn’t responded to.
Plibersek says, “our government’s doing more than any government in Australian history to address online gambling and problem gambling,” which is something the prime minister has repeated often, when asked about when the government will respond to the more than 30 recommendations in that report.
