Australia politics live: social housing fund legislation to be introduced; review of high childcare costs launched

Social housing fund legislation to be introduced

The first piece of the government’s social and affordable housing fund legislation is being introduced by Julie Collins today – which ultimately will lead to a $10bn fund.

This legislation will create the fund. But don’t expect any additional housing stock overnight. There are still agreements to be worked out with the states and private providers.

Housing minister Julie Collins. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

This was an election promise – over the first five years, the fund is slated to build 20,000 social housing properties, with 4,000 of those to be allocated for women and children fleeing domestic violence, and for older women on low incomes at risk of homelessness.

The election announcement also included 10,000 affordable housing properties for frontline workers, whom Anthony Albanese described as the “heroes of the pandemic”, including nurses, police, emergency service workers and cleaners. This would allow many of these low-income workers to live closer to where they work.

And as with all government funds, the returns will be used to pay for other parts of the program. In this case:

$200m for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities
$100m for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness
$30m to build housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at‑risk of homelessness

Key events

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The Senate has voted to disallow Labor’s superannuation transparency rules.

Paul Karp

Under the new rules political donations needed to be itemised in information given ahead of the annual general meeting; but non-political donations were only required to be disclosed “in aggregate”.

On Thursday the Coalition, Greens, and Jacqui Lambie Network and David Pocock combined to vote them down 42 to 21, with only Labor opposed.

Earlier this week Greens treasury spokesperson Nick McKim told Guardian Australia:

Last year the minister [Stephen Jones] agreed to million dollar fines for dodgy bankers. But after a day of lobbying by the banks, the Minister went back on his word…

The minister needs to understand that there are consequences for breaking this agreement.

If the minister expects the Greens to be reasonable, then he needs to demonstrate good faith. We’ve also given the minister six months to institute a meaningful super transparency regime. He hasn’t done so. We have his word that he’ll do so. But, as I’ve just outlined, that is not enough right now.”

AGL shares dive as new CEO hits out at government intervention

Peter Hannam

Investors have caned energy giant AGL this morning after its profit outlook fell shy of previous predictions, with the stock down more than 7.5% at one point.

The prompt was the firm’s release of half-year results, including its net loss of $1.075bn that was widely expected after writedowns.

A halving of underlying profit to $87m didn’t help, nor did a narrowing of the guidance range for FY23. It now expects underlying EBITDA (a profit measure) of $1.25bn to $1.375bn, versus as much as $1.45bn previously.

Similarly, rather than producing an underlying net profit of between $200m-$320m, it now expects the range to be $200m-$280m.

Some of that paring back of profits to come seems to stem from the Albanese government’s intervention to lower wholesale power prices via caps on black coal and gas costs.

According to AAP, new AGL CEO Damien Nicks said the invention, including in the form of a mandatory code of conduct for gas extractors, “has increased regulatory instability and uncertainty”.

“Policy certainty and clarity is key to encouraging new investment required for the transition,” he said.

Mind you, policy certainty is not something AGL has delivered to investors of late.

Recall this company had plans to split into “dirty AGL” with its coal plants in one firm, and a “clean AGL” of renewables and retailing. That was before billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes – stymied in a takeover bid – snapped up 11% of shares and canned the whole demerger plan.

Cannon-Brookes wasn’t happy at the pace of decarbonisation of the country’s biggest polluter, and shook up AGL’s board to make sure the company gets out of coal earlier.

By April we’ll see more proof of that with the closure of the remaining three units (about 1260 megawatts’ worth) of the Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley.

This closure has been more than seven years in the making and, ironically, would have happened sooner if not for a quixotic intervention by the Turnbull government to browbeat AGL into keeping it open longer.

Governments intervene, it seems, in mysterious and unpredictable ways.

Andrew Bragg worried about ‘misinformation’ over Indigenous voice to parliament

Why is Liberal senator Andrew Bragg publicly lobbying his own colleagues on the voice?

He told the ABC:

Well, I understand that this is a vote of the public, not of the politicians, and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there which needs to be combated. I mean, there are many red herrings in this debate and that’s why I thought it was important to set the record straight on a few of the historical and contemporaneous facts.

But Bragg isn’t worried about misinformation being sent out in the educational pamphlets which will eventually go out to Australians. He is worried, he said, about misinformation now:

Well, I think the major issue with misinformation is people are making statements which are not true. I mean, the idea that this would be the introduction of race into the constitutional legal system is fundamentally flawed. The idea that this would be a special deal for certain Australians is another lie. I just think that there is so much misinformation out there and this is a proposal which I believe would really improve things in communities, particularly remote communities, but it would also address some longstanding problems in our system, in Australia.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Birmingham on Australia sending earthquake search and rescue teams to Turkey

On the question of whether Australia took too long to send search and rescue assistance to Turkey and Syria (an Australia team is preparing to leave and will be taken, along with its equipment, by the ADF arriving at the end of the week) opposition senator Simon Birmingham said these things take time:

I’m sure the government has been engaging closely with Turkish authorities in terms of what practical support is necessary on the ground. We can’t just go in and send our own search and rescue teams in, and I have no doubt that the Australian search and rescue teams will be acting as part of a coordinated international effort and that those on the ground at present will be seeking to rescue any people they can, including any missing Australians. But of course, our hearts go out to those families who have lost loved ones, who have missing people, particularly to those families of four potential missing Australians. We know how distressing this time will be for you, and we just hope and pray that those rescue workers are able to find your loved ones.

Personnel conduct earthquake search and rescue operations in Adiyaman, Turkey. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In case it wasn’t clear, fossil fuel companies are not the good guys when it comes to climate action (or anything, really)

Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton has explained why we need our governments to start, well, governing in this space:

National Redress Scheme inquiry seeking submissions before end of month

The Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme is currently inquiring into the operation of the Scheme.

From the statement:

The inquiry will look closely into a range of areas, including:

The experience of First Nations applicants and applicants with disability in their dealings with the Scheme.
Accessibility, performance and effectiveness of support services and legal advice for survivors and their advocates.

Submissions from interested individuals and organisations on the inquiry’s terms of reference are encouraged by Monday 27 February 2023.

The Committee wants to hear from individuals and organisations on their experience with the Scheme. Submissions can respond to some or all aspects of the inquiry terms of reference.

Full details of what the inquiry will examine can be found in the terms of reference on the Committee’s website. An easy English guide is also available.

Set the Standards recommendations passing parliament a start – but not every issue is solved

As Murph said this morning on a commentary slot on ABC radio RN, the Set the Standard recommendations passing the parliament is a start, but not every issue is solved. And we know there are a lot of staffers who are still waiting on answers and don’t believe the culture has changed enough to ensure safe and inclusive work environments.

Murph spoke to the sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, for this story with Paul Karp – it is an issue worth keeping a very close eye on, even if the headline spotlight moves away from it:

Political staff pursuing ‘avenues to exercise their rights’ is a clear sign that cultural change is under way in the Australian parliament, according to one of the leading architects of that change, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins.

In January the independent MP Monique Ryan’s chief of staff, Sally Rugg, launched a federal court case against Ryan and the commonwealth alleging “hostile conduct” and adverse action in breach of the Fair Work Act, including sacking her for refusing to work “unreasonable” additional hours. The case is slated to go to mediation next week.

Jenkins told Guardian Australia she did not want to comment on any specific cases. But she made a broad observation that more workplace complaints coming forward was “not a backward step” but instead evidence that people understood they had options.

Canberra to host Australia-Indonesia defence and foreign minister’s meeting

It’s been a busy week for both Penny Wong and Richard Marles and it looks like it is staying busy – both ministers will host the 8th Australia-Indonesia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministers’ meeting with the Indonesian defence minister, Prabowo Subianto, and foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, in Canberra.

The official statement tells us the ministers will “discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of shared strategic interest, and identify opportunities for deeper cooperation under the Australia-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”

There will also be a ‘we cool?’ section of the meeting, which is described as “the meeting will reaffirm the continuing dialogue and partnership that Australia has with Indonesia, including on defence and regional security.”

The ministers will discuss the opportunities and challenges in our region and how Australia and Indonesia can work together to help maintain a peaceful Indo-Pacific, underpinned by Asean centrality.

Australia recognises Asean’s essential contribution to regional peace and security and is committed to supporting Indonesia’s leadership as Chair of Asean in 2023.

On Friday, foreign minister Wong will co-chair the Bali Process Ministerial Meeting with foreign minister Retno in Adelaide.

The deputy prime minister will host a Defence Ministers’ Meeting with minister Prabowo in Canberra.

Productivity review on childcare launches

The productivity review into Australia’s early childhood education system has been officially launched, with Anthony Albanese, Jason Clare and Anne Aly playing with some actual children, instead of the adult sized ones we often see in the chambers.

One of the main questions will be – why is childcare so expensive? If the wages for early childhood educators haven’t actually increased, what are parents paying (before subsidy) about $150 a day for?

In case you don’t remember, the Keating government started the road to privatising early childhood education and then the Howard government picked up the baton and sprinted with it and every government since has just helped cement it and here we are.

The Labor government’s childcare subsidy changes have passed the parliament and will come into effect from July. This review will look at what changes could be made to improve the sector – for all stakeholders.

(And in case it isn’t absolutely clear, early childhood educators are saints and deserve to be paid for their labour).

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, playing with some children. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Paterson welcomes Chinese-made security camera removals

The defence minister, Richard Marles, has made the Liberal senator and security hawk James Paterson very happy this morning with his announcement the government will be removing Chinese-made security cameras from Australian government department and agencies.

Paterson asked for an audit of the departments and agencies cameras about six months ago (the cameras pre-date the Labor government) after the US and the UK started to look at who was making their own security cameras. Turns out we have about 900 Chinese-made cameras in places that maybe they shouldn’t be.

Marles told the ABC that following that audit, the cameras will be gone-ski, making Paterson pretty happy.

I welcome the comments by the defence minister, Richard Marles, this morning. That’s an appropriate response that they’re taking this seriously. I’m encouraged by that.

This need not be a partisan issue at all. This is just a serious issue of national security. So, I hope the government swiftly acts on this information and removes these devices as soon as possible.

I was concerned that in one of the answers to the questions on notice I received from the Department of Defence, they said that they were aware of one, but there might be others, and they were currently conducting a physical assessment to determine whether or not that is the case. That is alarming. The Department of Defence, of all departments, should know if there are any more.

And what’s the issue, according to Paterson?

I have two concerns. One is a security concern. We have no way of knowing whether images, audio or other data collected by these devices are being sent back to China and handed over to Chinese intelligence agencies.

But I also have a moral concern. These companies have been implicated in what the United Nations has called crimes against humanity, what others call genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. And I don’t think any Australian taxpayer dollars should be going to companies involved in these things.

Amy’s catchup: public funding for the Indigenous voice campaigns

Just to catch everyone up on what is happening with the demand for public funding of the yes and no campaigns for the voice.

Anthony Albanese and the government have said no – that taxpayer funding isn’t needed, because there will be enough in donations from supporters of each side to fund their cases.

Peter Dutton wants funding. He has secured the release of an educational pamphlet on both sides cases to be mailed out (although there are battles going on on whether or not it should be fact-checked before being sent, because well, people can put all sorts of misinformation on those things and call it “educational”) and so is now pushing for public funding of the campaigns as well.

But this morning, Dutton’s senate colleague, Simon Birmingham, told the ABC that no, he didn’t believe there needed to be public funding for the voice campaign either, and the campaigns could work it out themselves.

Which sort of takes some of the wind out of Dutton’s sails.

Twitter is not cooperating for quite a few accounts this morning, including those that represent some of our institutions:

Albanese on Putin

Anthony Albanese was asked about the suspension of the investigation into who was responsible for the downing of MH17 and said:

We will continue to pursue these issues with every avenue of our disposal. This is a guy who runs an authoritarian regime, that does not care about human rights, that does not care about devastation of communities whether it be in Ukraine, whether the oppression of his own citizens or whether it be at outside of Russia, of which we have seen a number.

Expect a lot more of these sorts of photos over the next couple of months as the government works to draw focus on its early childhood education plan, as well as plans for education funding.

Anthony Albanese with children from the Manuka Childcare Centre in Canberra this morning. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

PM pushed on Pep-11, a ‘grossly unpopular climate bomb’

Yesterday in question time, Anthony Albanese was asked a question by Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown about the future of the Pep-11 gas project.

That was the one that Keith Pitt as resources minister wanted to approve, and prime minister Scott Morrison, who had also sworn himself in as resources minister, turned down.

It is in the federal court now, for that very reason. So Albanese, who had been vocally opposed while opposition leader, has not been making any concrete statements either way since the court proceedings.

But Greens spokesperson for health oceans Peter Whish-Wilson says people need certainty:

Anthony Albanese talked a big game in opposition about stopping the toxic offshore oil and gas drilling project PEP-11, but contrary to his election promise all we’ve had this week from the Prime Minister is excuses.

The Prime Minister’s claim that PEP-11’s fate is now a matter of regulatory procedure is an absolute cop out; his government has the power to legally kill the project!

Anthony Albanese could at least personally assure the communities that rallied to stop PEP-11 that he will fight to uphold his election promise.

This is a serious test for the Prime Minister: is he going to stay true to his words on stopping this grossly unpopular climate bomb or is he going to pander to fossil fuel companies and hide behind excuses of procedural propriety?

Whish-Wilson’s offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage amendment (fight for Australia’s Coastline) bill 2022 is having its second reading debate in the Senate at the moment – it’s success will depend on whether or not the government supports it (which does not look like happening).

Social housing fund legislation to be introduced

The first piece of the government’s social and affordable housing fund legislation is being introduced by Julie Collins today – which ultimately will lead to a $10bn fund.

This legislation will create the fund. But don’t expect any additional housing stock overnight. There are still agreements to be worked out with the states and private providers.

And as with all government funds, the returns will be used to pay for other parts of the program. In this case:

$200m for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities
$100m for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness
$30m to build housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at‑risk of homelessness

And there were a couple of clean-ups yesterday.

Paul Karp reports on another, here:

Daniel Hurst has been following the China coal shipment reports and asked trade minister Don Farrell for comment:

Any step towards resolving the trade impediments would be welcome.

Paul Karp

Regional processing gap attacked

The shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, has called on the government to release its legal advice about the impact of a four-month gap in which Nauru was not designated as a regional processing centre.

Asked if it should release the advice, Andrews told Guardian Australia:

Yes, absolutely, absolutely. They need to be way more transparent than what they are being. It was very disappointing. When Clare O’Neil went in to introduce this legislation into the parliament and did not cover off any of the circumstances. So, if they’ve got legal advice, they need to produce it …

There needs to be a very clear understanding of what the implications of that … incompetence means. So clearly there was a hole in our border protection policies – that is not good enough on its own.

But what was the implication for people already on Nauru? What was the implication for transitory persons in Australia? Why was it delayed so long? I think it’s just inconceivable that any minister would think that that is a competent way to deal with such an important national security matter.

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