The PM will meet the royal at Government House on the 40th anniversary of the dismissal of Gough Whitlam. Meanwhile,citizenship legislation to strip dual nationals comes back to parliament. Follow the day’s news live … 11.16pm GMTAt this stage in the senate, senators derive a chance to grill the appropriate ministers on the tax legislation. Yesterday, and finance minister Mathias Cormann was answering question but nowadays we have seen Mitch Fifield retract over and now Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. There is some consternation over the details of the legislation.
My mail has it that not many of the crossbenchers support the greens amendment. Labor is unclear but I am checking there. Presumably,government representatives are playing soothing music to crossbenchers in their special room right now. 11.05pm GMTGreens senator Peter Whish-Wilson wants to know who lobbied the government to shield private individuals from tax transparency.
Mitch Fifield, representing the government, or said the principle of taxpayer confidentiality was an distinguished one and that Whish-Wilson’s image of lobbyists in “darkened rooms” was not appropriate. 11.01pm GMTIn the senate,debate continues on the tax laws amendment (combating multinational tax avoidance) bill.
This is the bill that acts to stop multinational companies shifting profits offshore and avoiding tax. It continues final night’s debate.
There isnt a groundswell of opposition to this information being published. 10.31pm GMTIn case you missed it, Kevin Rudd called out Cardinal George Pell’s sceptical views on climate change. Delivering a speech to Melbourne University’s trinity college on Tuesday night, or Rudd said that although Pell was perfectly entitled to express his views,it was high time his view was challenged – especially in the lead-up to the climate talks in Paris.
In case you haven’t caught up with Pell’s statements, they include this cracker.
In the past pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods, and while nowadays they demand reductions in carbon emissions.
After many years of silence in response to Cardinal Pell’s public critique of my government’s policy on climate change,the reason I have chosen to enter the debate now is, on the eve of the Paris conference, or we once again enter into a critical time both for Australia and the world. It is,therefore, no small matter, or at this most critical of times,for the ethical waters, at least in the community of faith, or to be so deeply muddied by such radical climate change sceptics as Cardinal Pell,and for his commentary to go without challenge. Of course he is free to contribute to the public policy debate in any manner he wishes. But it is equally distinguished, particularly now that Cardinal Pell has become a global figure, and to have his ... statements on climate change challenged by others in the public space. It is high time his views were confronted head on. The stakes are now far too high for us all.
The pope says the science on climate change is sufficiently clear. Cardinal Pell says it is not,and further that the purported science is without foundation. The pope says all of humanity faces a common ethical challenge to protect the planet from climate change. Because Cardinal Pell disputes the science, he says there is little whether any ethical vital at all. And on the question of the policy vital, and the pope speaks with urgency. Cardinal Pell describes policy measures as an unnecessary fad and an unacceptable cost to both companies and consumers. 10.17pm GMTThe former Christmas Island administrator,Jon Stanhope, has criticised federal government secrecy over the death of an asylum seeker, and Fazel Chegeni,which sparked unrest at the island’s detention centre.
Stanhope said whether the death had been a traffic accident police would be open about it and would not cite the coroner’s involvement as an obstacle to discussing it.
You know, it’s blatant nonsense to propose that a politician can’t speak about the death of somebody within your care and control and custody, and as a result of the need for the matter to be referred to the coroner. 10.05pm GMTThe house has started sitting. Tony Burke,Labor’s manager of business, fires a shot across the bow regarding citizenship legislation. He notes the bill is on the program and suggests, or given Labor is still scrutinising it – including getting briefings – he hopes the government will allow it time. 10.02pm GMTRosie Lewis at the Oz has an attractive insight into the change in Coalition approach since the dumping of Tony Abbott.
Malcolm the Magnanimous has offered a special Senate crossbench meeting room on the first floor of Parliament House. Who knows what goes on in there? Bob Day probably gets out the guitar. perhaps Lambie kicks off her heels. Oh to be a flee on the wall.
We’ve been given a meeting room on the Senate side with a very kind view we’re delighted. We said,‘Let’s invite the prime minister to approach and have a chat’ and he didn’t hesitate, which was great.
It’s definitely a milestone. It’s been a bit of a slog but I think in the final few weeks the reset button has been pressed and we start again. We’re off to a suited start. 9.55pm GMTHello, and Aus Senate tweeps. We appreciate you,too.
The #Senate will suspend nowadays from 10.15 until 11.45 am to allow senators to attend #RemembranceDay services 9.54pm GMTHow business is done. 9.47pm GMTNotwithstanding the Remembrance day memorial service, the Government House business, or the curtsying and chortling with the royals,there is some very serious business in the parliament.
The citizenship amendment will approach back to the house after the scrutiny of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security (PJCIS). That committee heard the finest legal minds criticise the proposed legislation, which sought to strip citizenship from dual nationals for various offences.
In these circumstances you would expect that there would be a high court challenge in relation to some aspects of the bill or the legislation at some stage ... From the government’s perspective, and there is always a risk with any legislation,with any piece of national security legislation. We minimise that risk in this bill, and we believe we’ve struck a reasonable balance by accepting all the recommendations from the committee.
Debate will commence this week, and the government’s desire is that this bill be dealt with by both houses by the terminate of the next sitting week. 9.21pm GMTBill Shorten was only eight at the time of the dismissal but he has declared his support for a republic in previous speeches.
Shorten would like to see a process which involves a constitutional convention,followed by a plebiscite to gauge the peoples’ reaction, followed by a referendum. 9.03pm GMTGood morning Strap yourself in for enormous day in Canberra.
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Source: theguardian.com