1 month ago
What did we learn in question time?
Question time ends.
Once again, I am not sure if we learned anything of substance.
The Coalition tripled down on what looked like an off-the-cuff policy remark from Peter Dutton this morning, calling for a blanket ban on Palestinians from Gaza being able to come to Australia.
Every question the Coalition asked was around the issue of the security checks for Palestinians who have been granted visas, whether Palestinians would be given permanent visas, and Tony Burke’s role in approving visas his constituents make representations on.
Tony Burke was prepared – he outlined the arrangements in place in the case of a conflict between his job as a local MP and his role as immigration minister (he doesn’t make the decision in those cases), he had the figures on how many visas had been approved and rejected (almost three times as many had been rejected compared to those that had been approved since 7 October), and he was able to talk about some of the security checks in place, including how often Asio’s watch list was updated (every 24 hours).
The government tried to keep the focus on cost of living and Future Made in Australia, but it was clear the Coalition seized on the chance to try to put the government on the back foot over the issue of Palestinian visas.
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NSW Liberals miss deadline for council election nominations
Catie McLeod
The Liberal party has missed the deadline for nominations for the upcoming New South Wales council elections, meaning not all of its candidates will be eligible to run in September.
The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, said submitting the local council nominations was a matter for NSW Liberals state director, Richard Shields, and called on him to explain what happened.
In a statement, Shields said:
With the secretariat resources that we had available unfortunately we were unable to nominate in all of the local government areas that were put forward by the State Executive.
Close to 300 Liberal candidates were nominated with the NSW Electoral Commission, including in areas like Parramatta, Strathfield, Blacktown, Inner West and Bayside where we did not run in 2021.
The status of nominated Liberal candidates will be communicated upon confirmation from the NSW Electoral Commission.
On behalf of the secretariat, I would like to apologise to Liberal endorsed councillors that were not nominated and to the Party membership more broadly.
On that final point, here is Tony Burke explaining some of Asio’s security checks:
What did we learn in question time?
Question time ends.
Once again, I am not sure if we learned anything of substance.
The Coalition tripled down on what looked like an off-the-cuff policy remark from Peter Dutton this morning, calling for a blanket ban on Palestinians from Gaza being able to come to Australia.
Every question the Coalition asked was around the issue of the security checks for Palestinians who have been granted visas, whether Palestinians would be given permanent visas, and Tony Burke’s role in approving visas his constituents make representations on.
Tony Burke was prepared – he outlined the arrangements in place in the case of a conflict between his job as a local MP and his role as immigration minister (he doesn’t make the decision in those cases), he had the figures on how many visas had been approved and rejected (almost three times as many had been rejected compared to those that had been approved since 7 October), and he was able to talk about some of the security checks in place, including how often Asio’s watch list was updated (every 24 hours).
The government tried to keep the focus on cost of living and Future Made in Australia, but it was clear the Coalition seized on the chance to try to put the government on the back foot over the issue of Palestinian visas.
There is some argy-bargy after that question and then Barnaby Joyce decides he wants to Barnaby Joyce things up.
Someone over there said the word sook, and they MUST withdraw it!
He is trying to be funny, because as he told Karen Middleton, he was made to withdraw his comment calling Anthony Albanese a sook, and Albanese asked for it to be withdrawn. Joyce says that by getting offended by the word “sook”, you are proving you a sook.
So he is trying to make a point.
Labor MP Graham Perrett withdraws the comment, and Milton Dick is so relieved someone has defused the situation which means he doesn’t have to make a ruling on “sook” that Perrett should ask him for an Ekka strawberry sundae in response.
And another one
Liberal MP Keith Wolahan asks Tony Burke:
Minister, since 7 October last year, has any individual from the Gaza war zone applied for a visa and been rejected on the basis of their affiliation with or membership of the listed terrorist organisation Hamas?
Burke:
The statistics on visas applied for and rejected are as follows.
Since the 7th of October to the 12th of August, which is the statistics which I have available; 2,922 visas were granted, 7,111 were rejected.
Another question on visas for Palestinians from opposition
Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie asks Tony Burke:
Minister, have any visa for individuals coming from the Gaza war zone been granted without an in-person interview?
It is obvious Burke is starting to lose his patience with these questions:
When visas are issued within a war zone, and people apply for visitor visas, the in-person interview is a different circumstance.
But the security checks don’t change. And that’s what matters.
What matters is that there will be no compromise on national security. None.
None.
When it comes to advice – because I’ve seen what Senator [James] Paterson has said and I’ve seen what [Asio director general] Mike Burgess has said, and – if it’s a choice between taking national security advice from a junior coalition shadow minister or the director general of our national security organisation, I’ll back our security organisations any day.
Tink’s question on environment ruled out of order for not being directed at environment minister
Kylea Tink asks her question:
My question is to the minister for regional development, territories and local government: my community of North Sydney cares deeply about regional and rural Australia, recognising that many in these communities are already survivors of some of the worst significantly severe climate events seen in the past decade.
As the minister responsible for these communities and local government, do you support the inclusion of a climate trigger as part of the approval process for future developments?
Or otherwise, what measures and protections are you arguing for to ensure these communities are spared the impacts of worsening climate events?
That is a question for Kristy McBain, asking her what she thinks about something which is under the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek’s portfolio.
Tony Burke says that question is out of order under the standing orders, and Milton Dick agrees. Tink is given a chance to redirect the question, but chooses not to.
She asks the same question again, and Dick rules it out of order.
‘Show respect’ to crossbenchers during questions, Milton Dick urges MPs
Independent MP Kylea Tink gets up to ask a question and the interjections from the opposition get very rowdy.
Tony Burke is on his feet pretty quickly:
Mr Speaker, there is a habit from those opposite when particular members of the crossbench rise to ask a question. Of levels of abuse that don’t go to other members. It’s consistent and it just happened again before our eyes.
Zali Steggall also stands up:
I would like to raise with concern the behaviour as standing order 90 and 91, in particular to the member for Maranoa [David Littleproud].
As a leader of a party, he should show leadership in how he conducts himself in the parliament.
Milton Dick agrees:
There’s a distinct [increase in noise] when members of the crossbench or non-major parties ask their questions. I’m asking members to show respect.
Sussan Ley ejected from question time
Milton Dick says Sussan Ley has interjected “about 17 times” and had been specifically instructed not to interject during that last answer (Andrew Giles was answering a dixer) and she did, so she is booted out under 94A.
Dick says that Ley probably knew what was coming – and Ley does, she is packing up her stuff to leave, even before Dick finishes speaking.
Burke: ‘Every single visa’ issued goes through Asio check regardless of where applicants come from
Dan Tehan is up with the next opposition question:
Minister, of all the visas that have been approved for applicants from the Gaza war zone since October 7, have any been granted without an ASIO security assessment being made?
Tony Burke:
There is a process which Asio is involved with, which applies to every single visa. Every single visa issued by Australia. Whether you come from the United States or whether you come from the Gaza Strip.
And that’s through what Asio will routinely refer to as their watch list, what is technically referred to as the movement alert list.
It is updated every 24 hours. With every name that Asio puts forward that they are concerned about.
Every single visa that has been issued by this government and by the previous government went through that check against Asio’s information.
Karen Middleton
We have clarified with Barnaby Joyce what it was he called across the House of Representatives chamber earlier in Question Time that prompted the prime minister to ask him to withdraw it.
Joyce informs us that he called Anthony Albanese a “sook”.
I called him a ‘sook’ and he raised an objection with the Speaker for me to withdraw,” Joyce told Guardian Australia.
Well, quod erat demonstrandum. If I call a tall person short or a genius an idiot, they fob it off. But if you call a person who is easily offended by the inoffensive a sook, and they are offended, well that is because they are a sook.
Good to get that straightened out.
