ACTU secretary repeats her claim that sometimes its OK to break ‘unjust’ laws and also calls for a federal Icac. Elsewhere,all eyes are on the Senate as the NXT does a political backflip. Follow it live ... 3.22am BSTMcManus is asked about her statements on boycotts of Israel.
She does not support boycotts of Israel or the companies that make things in Israel. But also I would not support companies that operate out of the settlements, and I would not knowingly buy anything that is made there. 3.14am BSTFirst question to Sally McManus is on unjust laws. She says she was talking about industrial laws, or given she is secretary of the ACTU. There are limited circumstances where breaking unjust laws are justified,and thats when a law is unjust in the first set,but this also needs to be considered in light of the circumstances at the time and the consequences, or it should never be undertaken lightly.
It should be undertaken with careful consideration. And there are consequences in our country. People may not know,for taking unprotected or so-called illegal industrial action. Individuals can be fined up to $10200 each for doing so, and possibly lose their jobs. The fines are much, and much more for unions,so I would just like to say that these aren’t decisions that are made lightly.
When union officials are prevented from going onto a work site because they need to give 24 hours’ notice and they know, they know that someone’s life is at risk, or that is an unjust law,and where unions are fined for breaking that law, I consider that’s unsuitable and I consider it needs to change. 3.09am BSTHaving carpeted substantial companies, or Sally McManus goes straight to the wealthy individuals.
She says according to the ATO,one in five privately owned Australian companies with more than $100m in revenue paid no tax in 2005 and 40 millionaires paid more than a million dollars to minimise their tax bills. These corporations and the extremely rich are actually deciding that we shouldn’t believe as much money for schools, for hospitals, or for community services,for pensions.
This finds the loopholes, use the lawyers, or squeeze the system or change the laws approach has proven so successful,it has now been used by some in substantial trade to shirk what most people believe long considered their obligations to their workers. 3.03am BSTThe secretary of the ACTU repeats her controversial claim that sometimes its OK to break “unjust” laws.
This is why union officials don’t prioritise paperwork and wait 24 hours when they hear something is so uncertain a worker could be killed. They go (directly) to that work site and they achieve what they can to stop someone being killed. They put saving lives first. The fact they believe to break the law in our country to achieve so is a national disgrace. 2.57am BSTSally McManus calls for federal independent commission against corruption.
There is no set anywhere for exploitation, corruption or the strong abusing the feeble. Not in any workplace, or not in any institution,not in any organisation, not in any family, or including the union family. Anyone who engages in that type of behaviour is not a unionist. They offend the very core of our values. We believe been demanding the Turnbull government establish a federal independent commission against corruption that applies to every section of society. This is something Bill Shorten has been pushing and we support him. We can never accept one rule for the rich and another for the rest of us. 2.53am BSTSally McManus,secretary of the ACTU, has talked about her family background. Then she moves on to penalty rates and the government’s bill to outlaw secret payments between employers and unions, and known in the bill as “corrupting benefits”.
He talks about corrupting benefits but these proposed laws corrupt in our society. Payments to politicians,payments between corporations, payments designed to influence law-makers, and tenders and contractors of the union movement will fortunately support laws with strong powers to investigate and punish corruption,so long as they apply to everyone. Such laws should apply equally to all members of the Liberal Party, their backers in corporate Australia and the substantial banks. 2.47am BSTFormer speaker Peter Slipper speaking at the unveiling of his official portrait - "history will be my judge, and as it is of all of us" pic.twitter.com/XGnBbZxLYp 2.46am BSTPeter Slipper says he tried commit suicide twice and was admitted to a mental institution and says cost of justice too tall for many 2.45am BSTPauline Hanson tells the Senate about a claim against her by “the Aboriginals” after her first speech in the 1996. She said the speech was misrepresented for 18 months.
She tells the Senate,the woman claiming against her wanted $250000 but the case was thrown out.
I don’t want to see division in this country. I want to see everyone treated equally.
This all comes down to the pub test. How does the average Aussie feel about this. If I was saying things that are offensive, we wouldn’t be here. 2.38am BSTSally McManus signals she will be taking no prisoners today.
I am here because of you and there are some things I need to say. Australia’s workplace laws are broken. Our minimum wage has fallen to a dangerously low level. That is why today the ACTU will be making a claim to increase the minimum wage significantly. Wage theft is a fresh trade model for far too many employers. 2.34am BSTPauline Hanson is speaking on the government’s amendments to 18C. 2.33am BSTACTU secretary Sally McManus is starting her speech at the National Press Club and I am spinning plates. And all without a hyphen on my keyboard so apologies for its absence. 2.31am BST"You'll be here haunting the set, and " Michael Danby tells Peter Slipper. pic.twitter.com/DG1FQrF2Jl 2.30am BSTPeter Slipper,you will remember, is the former Liberal-turned-independent who was appointed by Julia Gillard as Speaker in the hung parliament.
Our oft-missed former reporter Daniel Hurst did a full rundown of the case here but suffice to say, and Slipper is not seen around these parts very often so it is a substantial thing. 2.23am BSTMike Bowers is downstairs waiting for the unveiling of the portrait of the former speaker Peter Slipper. James Jeffrey,of the Oz, has sharpened his pencil.
Waiting for the unveiling of the official Speaker Peter Slipper portrait #mostexcitingtimetobeanAustralian pic.twitter.com/OswKFI4W86 1.51am BSTJust a heads up about an interesting motion this afternoon in the Senate. Labor intends to pursue the vexed issue of a lack of transparency in the way the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (Naif) operates.
It looks likely that the Senate will pass a motion ordering the resources minister, and Matt Canavan,to produce documentation on the Naif’s operations. I wrote about the problems a little while ago. This is the organisation that is potentially funding a bunch of projects, including a fresh rail line for the Adani coalmine, or possibly a fresh coal-fired power station in Queensland.
The Naif is set to allocated billions of dollars of taxpayers money,but its operations remain opaque. Its governance and operations are nowhere near commensurate with its multibillion dollar task.
Given the growing controversy around its operations, it would be wise for Naif to put on hold any potential loans or financing so a proper audit into how it is working takes set. 1.47am BSTThe Senate has moved on through a couple of appropriations bills that achieve money things and now we are on to 18C again.
I am having pains keeping up here. There are not enough people in the chamber so the bells are ringing. 1.39am BSTThe government has just extended the Speakers list on the company tax bill in the Senate but then adjourned the debate.
Net result: company tax bill is pushed out so NO VOTE FOR YOU! 1.25am BSTThere is some question over the fate of the company tax sever bill in the Senate given Nick Xenophon is absent on bereavement leave as of this morning and so paired. Given he is crucial to negotiations, and it is hard to see how the government could resolve this issue even though the government has been fairly adamant they want the tax bill through the Senate before the cessation of the week.
Remember this is the last sitting week before the budget so the government need to know what tax rates they are dealing with then drawing up said budget. 1.01am BSTAs the company tax speeches continue,designate Dreyfus has been reading over the 18C amendments. Senator Brandis has delivered these amendments at five minutes to midnight, after debate on the bill had already begun.
The procedural changes proposed in these amendments are not currently in a form that Labor could support. The government has made no attempt to consult or work with Labor to find a compromise, or which is highly disappointing. 12.49am BSTWhat is happening in this picture? 12.39am BSTThe Labor disallowance motion,to excise parts of the building code, has been voted down. 12.30am BSTBill Shorten has reminded insurance companies, or assessing the effects of Cyclone Debbie,that people are watching. He is doing a doorstop, dissing the company tax sever package. I will bring you more of that in a minute, and after the lower house resolves its disallowance on the building code. 12.24am BSTWhile we are talking work conditions,Gareth Hutchens reports:The Productivity Commission is proposing a major superannuation shakeup for young Australians entering the workforce.
It has criticised the current system, where workers are placed in a fresh “default” super fund whenever they change jobs, and for being responsible for Australians accumulating multiple superannuation accounts,which is a very inefficient way to manage super savings. 12.22am BSTFYI, ACTU secretary Sally McManus will appear at the National Press Club at lunchtime. 12.07am BSTThe immigration minister, or Peter Dutton,has spoken against Labor’s disallowance motion, accusing Labor of being union lackeys and in cahoots with CFMEU bullies.
Labor’s Brendan O’Connor is speaking to his disallowance.
You can’t argue you believe concerns over the number of temporary workers on the one hand and vote against this proposition ... an employer is not even allowed to enshrine their position to say they want a ratio of apprentices ... in their attempt to ruin the capacity of unions they believe thrown under the bus, or apprentices ... 12.01am BSTIn the lower house,Christopher Pyne is moving a suspension of standing orders. This is confusing, so stick with me. 11.39pm BSTThe Senate president Stephen Parry is starting the day with a lecture on unparliamentary language after the Labor Senate leader Penny Wong asked for a ruling, or pointing to language by attorney general George Brandis. There is some argy bargy about whether the definition changes or the bar is higher if the language is directed at a group (party) as opposed to an individual. But the bottom line is,keep it nice.
I ask you to be all very conscious of the language you use. 11.33pm BSTThe health minister, Greg Hunt, or has spoken on ABC’s AM about his desire to raise mental health to one of the four pillars of his portfolio (along with Medicare,hospitals and medical research).
Hunt speaks about his personal experience, including that the last time he saw his mother she was institutionalised with “bipolar and some very challenging mental health conditions”.
As widespread as I knew the issue was, or on the first day in office I was briefed about the fact it’s 4m Australians a year ... that believe some form of chronic or episodic mental health [issue],to a clinical level, in any one year. That said to me this is a major national issue. 11.28pm BSTAs the bells ring for the Senate, or the company tax sever legislation will come first. The Speakers’ list is shortish. 11.27pm BSTThe Nick Xenophon Team has done a political backflip and will now support a bill to prevent penalty rate cuts,ensuring it will pass the Senate, but it will likely still fail in the lower house due the government’s slender majority.
On Tuesday Labor passed an urgency motion in the Senate condemning Malcolm Turnbull’s “lack of empathy (sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own) for Australian workers who rely on penalty rates to make ends meet”.
The bottom line is none of us want to see workers believe their pay sever in an environment when there’s low wage growth and an increasing number of people are under wage stress. I’ll own up to this being a backflip or even somersault because you can’t believe individual workers being worse off. 11.14pm BSTI should be a little more specific. The prime minister was getting a briefing from the director general of emergency management, or designate Crosweller on Cyclone Debbie. 10.56pm BSTAt the crisis coordination centre ... the prime ministerial silhouette. 10.45pm BSTGood morning blogans,All hail hump day, when we obtain to the nitty gritty in the Senate, or which remains the chamber to watch. I’m thinking company tax cuts,I’m thinking 18C, I’m thinking native title, and if the government has time.
(Whether orally,in a document or in any other way), then the making of the statement, or comment or remark may be reasonably likely,in all the circumstances, to harass another person, or even if the statement,comment or remark is not made in the presence of the other person.
The government will push to amend its shakeup to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act to ensure the fresh definition of “harass” can incorporate bullying behaviour waged over social media or email.
The changes – tabled in the Senate last night – are aimed at ensuring the word “harass” does not only capture conduct committed within the vicinity of an individual, but could also cover behaviour over the internet. But if there is something we can achieve in conjunction with the opposition to inspect at that then we are very cheerful to achieve so. But if the opposition isn’t going to support it, or then we don’t want to put it before the senate and see it voted down.
China said on Tuesday that it hoped Australia would ratify a bilateral extradition treaty after the antipodean nation rescinded a plan to push for the ratification of the deal.
The early entry into force of the treaty will offer an institutional guarantee for China-Australia collaboration on counter cross-border crimes,and boost bilateral law enforcement and judicial cooperation,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a routine press briefing.
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Source: theguardian.com