Australia politics live: Richard Marles tells question time ‘I feel very sad that events have got to where they have’ after chief of staff’s bullying allegations

Sussan Ley asks the next non-government question:

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n

I refer to the allegations that were made today by the chief of staff to the deputy prime minister . Under the ministerial code of conduct, ministers have an obligation to “demonstrate and uphold the highest workplace standards including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for their staff”.

n

Is the deputy prime minister satisfied he has complied with his obligations under the code?

n

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Richard Marles says:

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n

I thank the member for her question. And given what’s happened, it is an important question to be asked.

n

The short answer to the question is I am satisfied [the code has been met] but I would like to say, Jo [Tarnawsky] started working for me back in 2012 and she is someone who I have known for a long time. She is a wonderful person and in her role then and now she has given me great service and I remain deeply grateful for that.

n

She is a person who is completely committed to social justice in this country and I very much admire her so given all that, to state the obvious, in this moment, I feel very sad that events have got to where they have.

n

It is obviously very difficult.

n

Let me say that in the way in which I have tried to manage this, I have done so with Jo’s welfare in mind at every moment as I would try to manage things on that basis for all of my staff. As is evident, this matter is now in the hands of lawyers – of course that is absolutely Jo’s right but it does mean that it is difficult for me to say anything more on this.

n

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Richard Marles takes the big seat as acting prime minister and Phil Thompson opens questions with:

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n

Daniel Keighran, who was awarded the Victorian Cross for his heroic actions in Afghanistan, has been forced to sell his medals due to cost-of-living pressures … has said, ‘The reason for getting rid of the medal is to look after my own family and it will afford the opportunity for schooling … Times are tough, especially for a family of five’.

n

Will the deputy prime minister apologise to Dan for the Albanese Labor government’s policies, which have led to his heartache and from so much heartache for all other Australians?

n

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Marles:

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n

I thank the member for his question and I actually wasn’t aware of that fact in relation to Dan Keighran and that is a very sad set of affairs. Dan Keighran is an Australian hero and whatever is the physical place of those medals, nothing takes away the honour that has been bestowed upon him rightly and the way our country should view him.

n

What I would say in relation to the questions of the cost of living is this.

n

Since we have come to power, we have been utterly focused on the economy and we have come here each and every day focused on the economy and focused on Australians in the challenges that they face in respect of the cost of living.

n

We get that Australians are doing it tough in the global pandemic and the aftermath of it.

n

Disrupted supply chains and global conflict [has led to] inflation impacting countries around the world and Australia has not been immune from that, which is why we have been utterly focused on that task at hand each and every day.

n

The most significant thing that we have done is to fight inflation and … inflation today is at a rate of half of that of what we inherited from those opposite because the truth is that what we inherited from those opposite was an absolute economic basket case.

n

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The answer goes on, but you know what it says.

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The chief of staff to the deputy prime minister alleges she is being bullied out of her job and has called on the prime minister to enforce the new parliamentary workplace standards he has set, after she alleges Richard Marles blindsided her in a phone call five months ago with an edict to seek other employment. She does not allege that Marles himself has bullied her.

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In a statement she delivered to media at Parliament House on Thursday without taking questions, Tarnawsky alleged she has been sidelined, refused access to her own office without giving 24 hours’ warning and encouraged to agree that the termination was mutual when she considers it was not.

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n

The events of the last five months have been devastating,” she said.

n

Cut from my job and ostracised without warning, people have been unaware of my real situation. I have been plagued with nightmares, flashbacks, symptoms of depression and anxiety, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. I had none of these symptoms before May 2024 the way that I have been treated has been cowardly, cruel and completely unnecessary.”

n

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chief of staff of deputy PM Richard Marles, Jo Tarnawsky, at a press conference in Canberra this morning.”,”caption”:”The chief of staff of deputy PM Richard Marles, Jo Tarnawsky, at a press conference in Canberra this morning. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A spokesperson for Marles told Guardian Australia on Wednesday night that recollections about her treatment differ.

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A number of the assertions and recollections are contested,” the spokesperson said.

n

Ms Tarnawsky remains a member of staff. Ms Tarnawsky has been treated with respect and courtesy. At all times, the wellbeing of staff, including Ms Tarnawsky, has been front of mind. Out of respect for Ms Tarnawsky, and the prospect of legal proceedings, it is not appropriate to make further comment.”

n

“,”elementId”:”02f767f4-0191-4c9a-9b49-422ff007c84e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Tarnawsky said she has been told to stay away from Marles’s office.

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n

I have not seen or heard from the deputy prime minister for months.”

n

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On Thursday, a spokesperson declined to provide any further comment in relation to the specific bullying allegation.

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(Continued in next post)

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The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has denied losing control of the Labor caucus after several of his MPs criticised his stance on pro-Palestine protests.

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Minns faced a backlash from some government MPs after he told 2GB radio on Tuesday that taxpayers would want NSW police to deal with crime instead of patrolling weekly pro-Palestine rallies, which he said had cost $5m in 2024.

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As Guardian Australia reported earlier this morning, some MPs were alarmed by Minns’ comments that police should have the power to reject a “public assembly” application for a protest based on the cost of patrolling the rally.

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At a press conference a short time ago, Minns was asked if he had lost control of the Labor caucus. He replied:

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n

Absolutely not.

n

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We’ve made it very clear from the very beginning of the protests that started almost 12 months ago that our priority was peace and security and social cohesion in NSW.

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And my cabinet, I believe the vast majority of my parliamentary party are completely behind, not just the government’s policies, but that sentiment.

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Back to the nuclear committee proposed by the government: it has passed the House, as expected. The government proposal called for seven members, including four from the government, two from the opposition and one crossbench member.

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The shadow energy spokesperson and chief nuclear booster Ted O’Brien sought to amend that to allow three Labor and three Coalition – but was unsuccessful, the government ensuring it kept a solid majority on the committee it set up to further probe Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan.

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It is asked to report back with its findings by the end of April 2025. Very conveniently, the election must be held by May 2025.

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We’ll look forward to seeing how the government uses this committee process to investigate the Coalition’s nuclear plan.

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The education minister, Jason Clare, says the federal government will “consider” recommendations made in a committee report into the proposed international student caps and is “open to looking at ways that improve the legislation”.

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The report, tabled yesterday evening, recommended the bill be passed with significant amendments, including removing the ability to set course-level enrolment limits.

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Clare said the government would continue to welcome international students in a way that was “sustainable and reinforces quality”:

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n

The government is implementing a managed system for the international education sector, which strengthens integrity and makes it more sustainable. Setting limits is also a fairer way to manage this important sector. It shouldn’t just be the big metro unis that benefit from international students, but our regional universities too.

n

The government will consider the committee’s recommendations and is open to looking at ways that improve the legislation.

n

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Hello! It’s Rafqa Touma here — I’ll be bringing the blog updates from the two-day NSW and SA social media summit at Sydney’s International Convention Centre today.

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The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is joined by the SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, in opening the event. Minns tells the room – which is filled with community members, experts and high school student-age delegates – evidence shows changes to ban phones in schools had been a huge success.

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n

A healthy skepticism doesn’t make you backward … if you’re concerned about your kids and the impact these sites are having on their mental health or their body image or their sense of personal confidence in the world.

n

We think that you’re right to be concerned, and we want to get the information on the table to make the best decisions, not just from governments, but for communities and families.

n

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In September, Anthony Albanese announced a national ban would be in place before the next election, after a push by Malinauskas gained support among other states and territories.

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Minns has come out in favour of a social media ban for under-16s. On the weekend he said he wanted to implement it “as soon as possible” to combat the platforms that he said were conducting a “global, unregulated experiment on young people”.

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The Greens have announced an election commitment to establish an independent commission that would define and eliminate poverty in Australia.

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Australia currently has no set definition for poverty, but the 2023 report from the Australia Council for Social Services shows it is increasing, with one in eight adults and one in six children living below the breadline.

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The Greens’ spokesperson on social services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

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n

Under Labor, there are more than three million Australians living in poverty, including one in six children. Many of those people are either unable to access income support, or are relying on payments that are among the lowest in the OECD.

n

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries on earth, successive Labor and Coalition governments have made policy choices that deliberately keep people in poverty, including refusing to raise jobseeker and youth allowance above the poverty line.

n

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The Poverty and Inequality Commission (PIC) would replace the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC). The government has ignored calls from the EIAC to increase support payments.

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The commission would have the power to examine the level of poverty in Australia; review the adequacy of social security payments; and develop a national definition of poverty.

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The government would be required to publicly respond to the commission’s reports and recommendations, and parliament would be able to scrutinise appointments to the commission via a joint parliamentary committee.

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The PIC would have up to 12 paid commissioners and a paid president, including members with direct contemporary lived experience of poverty, with a structure comparable to the productivity commission.

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The PIC would begin operating on July 1, 2026, and has been costed by the PBO at $99.5m in its first two years.

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Asked whether the “tensions in the Middle East” are good for the budget – “as we saw in the commodity price spike in the early days of the Ukraine-Russia war” – Jim Chalmers says:

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n

I don’t see it that way. And I think don’t think about it in those terms. You know, I think what is happening in the Middle East is a disaster, and that’s because we are humans first, and too many innocent lives have been lost and are being lost in a dangerous part of the world.

n

So that’s our primary focus. We’re focused on getting Australians out.

n

But there are economic consequences as well. … The last 15 years has been marked by periods of really substantial global economic uncertainty, and right now weakness in the Chinese economy, combined with the economic consequences of an escalation in the Middle East, this is creating some substantial concern and volatility in the global economy, and that’s why we don’t see it in the terms that you’ve put to us.

n

The iron ore price, some of our bulk commodity prices have come up a bit. That has largely been a reaction to the statements made by the Chinese authorities when I was in Beijing.

n

And so we’ve seen the iron ore price come up considerably. But it’s very volatile. Those of you who watched the iron ore price even just this week … when there was an expectation [that] more Chinese support for growth wasn’t forthcoming. In one press conference, [we saw] a $5 fluctuation in a couple of days in the iron ore price.

n

And so I think that just all gives us a sense whether it’s global oil, iron ore, coal, other important exports. [It] gives you a sense of how jumpy people are in the global economy. And I think in lots of ways, that’s not unwarranted.

n

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Anthony Albanese arrived in Laos late last night for the Asean summit and, as is tradition with these sorts of trips, held a mock doorstop interview where he spoke about how happy he was to be in (insert international summit host city here).

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He was also asked what his message would be to China, given he will hold a sideline’s meeting with the Chinese premier, Li Qiang. There are official meetings at these summits – but then there are the unofficial-but-still-official sideline chats, which are set up in advance but are shorter and less structured than the official-official meetings.

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Albanese:

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n

My message will be a consistent one, which is that we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll have some direct discussions about some of the disagreements that are there, but also that it is in our interest to communicate with China, which is our largest trading partner.

n

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The draft sitting calendar for 2025 has kindly been passed on by a blog watcher. It’s subject to change because of the little thing known as a federal election, of course, but at this point the parliament is due to sit from 4 February for two weeks.

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The budget sittings are set down for 25 March to 27 March.

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Then there is the break, with parliament resuming from 6 May and continuing until 26 June.

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The next grouping of sittings are set down between 5 August and 27 November.

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But all of this is moot – because the election is to be held before May. At this stage, that looks like happening in April/early May, but don’t rule out March either.

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The opposition communications spokesperson, David Coleman, is speaking to ABC radio RN, criticising the government’s legislation designed to keep the NBN in public hands.

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He is having trouble saying whether the opposition will support the bill, or whether a future Coalition government would want to sell the NBN.

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Coleman:

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n

We’re not going to just sort of immediately jump at some silly theatrical statement from the government. The adults in the room will review this in a normal way.

n

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Pressed on whether the Coalition wants to sell the NBN, Coleman says:

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n

We’ve got no intention of changing the ownership structure of the NBN. Nobody does. And frankly, because the NBN is going so badly, there’s not exactly a lineup of people [wanting to buy it].

n

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Hello and welcome to the final sitting day for October – and the final joint sitting day until 18 November. (And a very big thank you to Martin for starting us off early)

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You are almost at the end of the parliamentary sitting year – there is just two joint sitting weeks left in the year and one week of estimates and house sitting – and then you are done! (And officially in election mode)

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But there is a bit to get through until then. Today is another attempt by the government to get people to focus back on the domestic agenda and what it says it has done. You’ve got the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, with Anthony Albanese in Laos for the Asean conference, so question time should be interesting.

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On the Guardian side of things, you have Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales taking you through the parliament day and Mike Bowers who will take your eyes there too. He’s already walking the hallways, working out what’s what. You also have me, Amy Remeikis, on the blog with you and the entire Guardian brains trust at your disposal.

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It’s a five-coffee day. And absolutely a day for cake for breakfast.

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Ready?

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Let’s get into it.

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The University of Sydney has spent millions of dollars more on external contractors and consultants – including PwC – calculating and administering liability for wage underpayments than it has paid out to staff, answers provided to the Greens have revealed.

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In the answers to supplementary questions, provided to chair of the NSW education committee, Greens MLC Abigail Boyd, it was revealed the university had repaid 514 casual staff a total value of $2.8m as of last month, while across all “remediation work streams”, it had paid 10,692 professional staff a total value of $17.4m.

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At the same time, the costs of its employee payment review program from 2020 to 2024 was $21.6m. External contractors, advisers and consultants had been engaged at a cost of $12.3m.

n In its latest annual report, the university anticipated liabilities for wage underpayments of $7.4m to ongoing employees, and a further $70.1m to casual academic staff – the vast majority of which remained unpaid.

n Boyd said the latest revelations were a “damning indictment” speaking to a “broken governance culture” at prestigious universities.

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n

They’ve gotten away with so much, for so long, with next to no accountability. It’s past time we had a look under the hood of these public institutions, with a proper inquiry into their governance.

n

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A spokesperson for the University of Sydney said paying people for their work was “imperative” and as was standard, it had brought in consultants to provide independent advice alongside a review.

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n

We are continuing to identify and remediate any past underpayments. The bulk of the work to date has been investigating and calculating incidences of underpayment across this period, ahead of remediation and payment of backpay.

n

Our priority is to pay people as quickly as possible however this is complex and important work, and it must be accurate. Multiple sources of historic information need to be analysed over a period of 13 semesters to correctly classify the work completed, identify any incorrect payments and calculate the individual remediation amounts.

n

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The federal government will today introduce legislation allowing the commonwealth to provide extra funding to public schools in excess of 20%. If passed, the funding level would become a floor, not a ceiling, as it has been since changes enacted by the Turnbull government in 2017.

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The bill would bring the federal government a step closer to fully funding public schools – but is likely to require the support of the Coalition if the Greens and a band of crossbenchers continue to press the federal government to increase their funding offer to 25% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).

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The SRS, agreed to by governments as part of Gonski reforms more than a decade ago, is the minimum dollar amount required to provide a baseline education to students. Data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) shows 98% of public schools are underfunded and the majority of private schools are overfunded.

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The education minister, Jason Clare, has put a 2.5% increase on the table, while Victoria, NSW and South Australia are holding out for 5% to cover the remaining funding gap.

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Clare said:

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n

At the moment, the maximum the commonwealth government can provide to public schools is 20% of the SRS … this landmark legislation allows the Albanese government to deliver more funding to public schools and tie that funding to practical reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.

n

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Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage from Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before Amy Remeikis gets into the main action soon.

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One of the most senior advisers in the Albanese government claims she has effectively been sacked from her job as chief of staff to deputy prime minister Richard Marles. Jo Tarnawsky claims she has been barred from her office and has had no direct engagement with her boss in five months.

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In a separate development, the head of the Department of Parliamentary Services has announced a sudden “period of leave”, leaving a former anti-corruption commissioner in charge of the department. The secretary, Rob Stefanic, announced to staff in an email yesterday that he had made a decision to “take a period of leave”.

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A Senate committee scrutinising Labor’s international student cap has recommended the bill be passed with significant amendments, including removing the ability to set course-level enrolment limits. It also wanted to give universities the power to exempt students from some countries.

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The government has proposed new rules for the public service aimed at preventing another Robodebt scandal from occurring – more on that soon.

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And a social media summit begins today that will tackle the fraught question of whether there should be a social media ban for teenagers.

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Kevin Rudd, drag queens and the cost of living

Liberal MP Melissa Price is up next and asks:

Is it appropriate during a cost-of-living crisis when Australian families can not afford to pay their power and grocery bills, [that] the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Mr Kevin Rudd, has spent $90,000 on an alcohol-fuelled celebration [which included] drag queen DJ Kitty Glitter?

(Crystal Edge was also a guest – we will not stand for any Crystal Edge eraser here.

(This story came out a month ago, but there you go.)

Richard Marles:

Kevin Rudd is doing a remarkable job as Australia’s ambassador to the United States and there will be members on the other side who have visited the United States during his time as the ambassador who will absolutely privately attest to that.

Kevin has been a tour de force, as we all understand, in the United States Congress in a way which has created a generational change, for example, in establishing a seamless defence industrial base between our two countries. Something that has been sought to be achieved for decades.

It is his work, principally in the United States Congress and across the administration, which has brought that to fruition.

His activities as the ambassador to the United States are entirely consistent with previous ambassadors. We could all go through the process of crawling through the expenses of former ambassadors to the United States but the fact of the matter is that Kevin Rudd is there not just representing the government, he is representing us all and he is doing an excellent job.

… Kevin Rudd is going about his business of representing everybody in this chamber and in this country and Washington DC and in that effort, he is doing a sterling job.

Jim Chalmers takes a dixer to again speak on oil prices:

We are gravely concerned about the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and we are primarily concerned about the human costs and consequences of that horrible conflict on the other side of the world but there are also economic consequences and we are seeing that most noticeably when it comes to the price of oil on global markets.

Think about the last year or so, the global oil prices come down about 11 per cent over the course of the last 12 months, but in the last 10 days, it has gone up 7 per cent and that gives honourable members of the sense of extreme volatility in that market which reflects the global uncertainty and volatility more broadly in the global economy.

So, if you think about the consequences for us, we have been making good progress in the fight against inflation.

We expect that to continue but it is also the case that some of these events are putting pressure on prices when Australians are already doing it quite tough.

This is a part of the global economic uncertainty but not the only part.

This is one of the reasons why we welcome so enthusiastically the steps that the authorities have announced to support growth and activity in the Chinese economy.

Our forecast for China over the next three years if they happen will be the slower three years of economic growth in China since it opened up three years ago and that is why it is so important that the prime minister has wrapped up his meeting with Premier Li.

Regional development minister McBain sidesteps question about grants

Nationals MP Darren Chester gets a question which is (of late) a rare event.

After almost 2.5 years in government, how many growing regions funds projects have been contracted allowing local councils to actually start work?

The minister for regional development, Kristy McBain:

I thank the member for the question, a very important question, because we have work to do coming into government, cleaning up botched regional grants programs …

(There are so many interjections, Milton Dick has to call for everyone to shut it).

McBain:

As I was saying, we have a big job to do in cleaning up … what we have done is put in place transparent grant mechanisms for the first time in a very long time. We have had a multiparty panel that has assessed those grants and announced the successful grants … and we are working with those successful applicants.

Chester has a point of order and Dick tells him that McBain is being relevant. Chester wants a number.

It was a tight question and if it assists the minister, the number is between zero and one.

McBain:

Just for the clarity of the House, none is not a number.

(There is a beat of stunned silence)

I know it took a little while to land, but that was a joke. The laughing should have come straight after I finished.

Aged care minister Anika Wells: support at home pricing determined by independent body

Independent MP Helen Haines asks what the government is doing to minimise and address travel costs for people on the NDIS at-home packages in rural and remote areas.

Providers often charge the travel costs to the client and for people in rural and regional areas, that adds up very quickly.

The minister for aged care, Anika Wells, says it is part of a review:

We are acutely aware of the challenges facing providers of quality care and better care to people in the regions and that is why, like you talk about, the new support at home program that is due to come in on the 1 July this year and represents $4.3bn worth of investment in new money for the investment to make sure that we can deliver better and higher quality services.

One of the features of support at home is … that what pricing looks like for everybody, no matter where they live, will be determined by the independent health and aged care pricing authority.

That should give some reassurance there is an independent eye looking at this and advising the government on what the prices should be so we will be looking at that advice and we are required to table in the parliament, it is very transparent so you will be able to see it to, and that will dictate what we offer by way of services and how much those services need to cost

Rowland: ‘no time frame’ for online gambling reforms

The Liberal MP for Menzies, Keith Wolahan follows up Jenny Ware’s question on the Peta Murphy gambling ad report, with another on the same topic.

Earlier this morning, David Coleman, the shadow minister, couldn’t say how the coalition’s policy differs from the partial ban the government is proposing.

But the opposition obviously sees this as an area of discomfort for the government, so it is making sure to push hard on the bruise.

Wolahan:

It has been 470 days since the late Peta Murphy’s report was tabled concerning online restrictions for gambling. Australian parents are expecting the government to deliver on its promise of reform. Will the government make a decision this month?

Michelle Rowland: It’s complicated, and there is no time frame.

Michelle Rowland doesn’t outline which parts of Murphy gambling report she doesn’t support

The Liberal MP for Hughes, Jenny Ware asks a good question, which makes for a nice surprise (good for a question in QT, not Ware specifically)

I refer to the June 2023 report prepared by the late Peta Murphy. A report I signed concerning online gambling restrictions. In December 2023, the minister said she would ensure the policy would be resolved “expeditiously” and would be announced “without delay.”

It is October 2024 and the government has not arrived with a policy. Of which parts of the Murphy report does the minister disagree?

Michelle Rowland gives the same answer as we hear when independent MPs ask this question:

There are three things I would say to the member. The first is that this is a report that set out some 30 recommendations, many of which go to the interaction between commonwealth and state governments and their regulatory arrangements. So we are working carefully through those with the states and I’m doing that in conjunction with a number of other ministers including the minister for social services.

It is a complex area in that aspect. It is complex because there are certain regulatory arrangements the states obviously have a keen interest in, we want to ensure that we have the most robust response when it comes to dealing with wagering harms.

The second point is, of course, we know that even the high level of gambling harms, not only in terms of economic but social consequence, that we need changes that also go to cultural change. The first is breaking the nexus between sport and wagering. The second is concentrating on the exposure of children to gambling harms and thirdly it is the saturation of ads particularly as they are targeted towards young men aged around 18 to 35.

There is a point of order that the question focused specifically on the Murphy report, but it doesn’t matter – the answer is always what the answer is.

Sussan Ley: When did deputy PM tell PM about office bullying allegations?

Sussan Ley asks:

My question is to the deputy prime minister and I refer to the allegations made today by the chief of staff to the deputy prime minister. When did the deputy prime minister first speak to the prime minister or his office about the allegations of bullying within the deputy prime minister’s office?

Richard Marles:

As I referred to in my previous answer, I am limited in how much we can now talk about this given that this is in the hands of lawyers, but in answer to your questions specifically, what I can say is that it is evident now, on the record, that we have been, I have been, working with the prime minister’s office for months in respect of this matter, and the prime minister has been made aware of this.

Michelle Rowland is now going into the realm of ridiculousness, by saying the Coalition has had three years to say what it would do with the NBN, even though no one has been talking about selling the NBN.

The dixers continue around the legislation to keep the NBN in public hands, even though at this point in time, no one is trying to sell the NBN.

Allegra Spender: what is the government doing to boost productivity?

Wentworth independent MP Allegra Spender asks:

It’s well established that young, innovative firms are the answer to Australia’s sluggish productivity, yet Australia’s early-stage investment per capita is roughly a third of the United States [investment] and a bit over half of the United Kingdom.

This week, the House passed a bill that will make it harder for self-managed super to invest in early-stage ventures and we know from aggregate statistics that the large APRA funds are not going to fill the gap – their share of investment towards early-stage capital has halved in 10 years.

What specific measures is the government implementing to ensure private capital is directed towards the innovative businesses driving Australia’s next productivity boom?

Jim Chalmers says:

I will go to the specific first and then the general. When it goes to superannuation changes before the parliament, before the Senate, these are all about making sure there are still generous tax concessions for people in the superannuation system, but slightly less generous for people with the biggest balances. The honourable member knows that and we have discussed at length in this parliament as well.

Chalmers continues:

… One of the most important things we did was put together the treasurer’s investor roundtable and that is around trying to invest with challenges we have with capital flows in the economy.

Our Future Made in Australia policy, what we are doing around housing and energy and some of the big shifts in our economy is about trying to get those capital flows right but for some of those challenges the investor round table … has been an important forum, not because we have fixed every issue that the honourable member rightly raises, but because we know that we give ourselves a much better chance of addressing those issues if we work together with people inside and outside the parliament.

We have a moment of unity as Richard Marles and Peter Dutton welcome Manoa Seru Nakausabaria Kamikamica, the deputy prime minister of Fiji.

Everyone loves Fiji, except when it comes to Rugby apparently.

Deputy PM addresses allegations made by chief of staff

Sussan Ley asks the next non-government question:

I refer to the allegations that were made today by the chief of staff to the deputy prime minister . Under the ministerial code of conduct, ministers have an obligation to “demonstrate and uphold the highest workplace standards including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for their staff”.

Is the deputy prime minister satisfied he has complied with his obligations under the code?

Richard Marles says:

I thank the member for her question. And given what’s happened, it is an important question to be asked.

The short answer to the question is I am satisfied [the code has been met] but I would like to say, Jo [Tarnawsky] started working for me back in 2012 and she is someone who I have known for a long time. She is a wonderful person and in her role then and now she has given me great service and I remain deeply grateful for that.

She is a person who is completely committed to social justice in this country and I very much admire her so given all that, to state the obvious, in this moment, I feel very sad that events have got to where they have.

It is obviously very difficult.

Let me say that in the way in which I have tried to manage this, I have done so with Jo’s welfare in mind at every moment as I would try to manage things on that basis for all of my staff. As is evident, this matter is now in the hands of lawyers – of course that is absolutely Jo’s right but it does mean that it is difficult for me to say anything more on this.

Michelle Rowland addresses social media age verification

Communications minister Michelle Rowland answers a dixer so she can speak about the age verification for social media.

This legislation is one part of a comprehensive approach this government is taking to address online safety. The attorney general delivered legislation making it a criminal offence to share nonconsensual deep fake explicit material and he is progressing important work to strengthen online privacy for children.

The social services minister and I have delivered an Australia-first dating app industry code to ensure the industry improves the safety of Australians using dating apps, especially women, and with the support of the treasurer and the finance minister, the Albanese government quadrupled ongoing base funding for safety to ensure that we are equipped to respond to online harms and has amended the basic online safety expectations so platforms must place the best interests of the child at the centre of their products and services and I’ve also brought forward by a year the independent review of online safety to ensure it is fit for purpose and I expect to receive that report in coming weeks.

As we navigate solutions for parents, we are applying these principles to our social media age limits legislation and we are also engaging with experts and advocates around the unintended consequences that young people may experience through this reform.

Question time begins

Richard Marles takes the big seat as acting prime minister and Phil Thompson opens questions with:

Daniel Keighran, who was awarded the Victorian Cross for his heroic actions in Afghanistan, has been forced to sell his medals due to cost-of-living pressures … has said, ‘The reason for getting rid of the medal is to look after my own family and it will afford the opportunity for schooling … Times are tough, especially for a family of five’.

Will the deputy prime minister apologise to Dan for the Albanese Labor government’s policies, which have led to his heartache and from so much heartache for all other Australians?

Marles:

I thank the member for his question and I actually wasn’t aware of that fact in relation to Dan Keighran and that is a very sad set of affairs. Dan Keighran is an Australian hero and whatever is the physical place of those medals, nothing takes away the honour that has been bestowed upon him rightly and the way our country should view him.

What I would say in relation to the questions of the cost of living is this.

Since we have come to power, we have been utterly focused on the economy and we have come here each and every day focused on the economy and focused on Australians in the challenges that they face in respect of the cost of living.

We get that Australians are doing it tough in the global pandemic and the aftermath of it.

Disrupted supply chains and global conflict [has led to] inflation impacting countries around the world and Australia has not been immune from that, which is why we have been utterly focused on that task at hand each and every day.

The most significant thing that we have done is to fight inflation and … inflation today is at a rate of half of that of what we inherited from those opposite because the truth is that what we inherited from those opposite was an absolute economic basket case.

The answer goes on, but you know what it says.

Cheers for David Crisafulli!

Given this is the last house question time until November, the Queensland LNP MPs are standing up to do the rah rah for David Crisafulli and the Queensland LNP.

There aren’t too many voters in this room, but the social media KPIs are being ticked off as we speak.

Benita Kolovos

Victoria’s opposition leader Pesutto not sure if colleagues will hold leadership spill

Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, says he’s not sure if his colleagues are still planning on staging a leadership coup against him when parliament returns next week, despite a new poll that puts the Coalition in the lead for the first time in years.

Polling by RedBridge, published in the Herald Sun this morning, shows the Coalition is two points ahead of Labor on a two-party-preferred basis, 51 to 49, which is its best result since June 2017.

It comes as MPs unhappy with Pesutto over his handling of Moira Deeming’s expulsion from the party and subsequent defamation trial have begun planning a leadership spill against him. They have previously said this could occur at a party room meeting when parliament resumes on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Melton in Melbourne’s west on Thursday, Pesutto said he was not sure if his colleagues would still go ahead with their plans after the poll result:

Look, I can’t speak for any other person. Nobody’s spoken to me directly about such matters as were reported but I’m very respectful of the fact that there are rules in the party’s constitution for the parliamentary Liberal party, and if people want to use those rules, I’ll respectfully acknowledge that.

Asked if he was feeling more confident, he replied:

I think you all know me by now that I’m pretty determined and tenacious, I’ll just keep doing the work I’m doing as alternative premier and as leader of the opposition … I’m very grateful for the responsibility that I’ve been given – not only by the people of Hawthorn but my colleagues. I’m very humbled to have been given that responsibility and that opportunity, and I make the most of every second I’ve got. I‘m pleased that there seems to be more and more evidence over time that the messages we’re talking about have been positively received. I’m also conscious that support for the Allan Labor government seems to be tanking at a rapid rate.

LNP MP for Queensland’s Longman tackles hot topic of flight paths

LNP MP for Longman, Terry Young, is raising an issue that is red hot in south-east Queensland – flight paths.

It was an underrated part of the Greens’ campaign during the last federal election. As part of the door knocking campaign, the Greens said they would address it (in Brisbane).

Young is speaking about what is happening on Bribie Island, where residents are trying to have a flight path moved so it heads over the island’s national parks, rather than the residential area.

It is one of those issues that often flies under the radar – but truly can be a vote swinger.