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Plibersek v Joyce continued

​Plibersek:

And can I say to your viewers …

​Joyce:

… I listen to the prime minister of Australia as well.

Plibersek:

Spend half an hour, Google Yes 23.

​Joyce:

Oh, this is not true. The prime minister of Australia has said he will deliver the Uluru Statement of the Heart in full, and that includes a treaty. That includes a treaty. You’ve got to either believe the prime minister or not. And if you want to clear up …

​Plibersek:

… That’s not what we’re voting on.

​Joyce:

… our scare campaigns* then one of the things you should do is deliver the legislation for the voice for the examination by the Australian people prior to them walking into the constitutional church to marry it forever, because that’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to show it to us on the way out. We want to see it on the way in, not on the way out.

*Saying the quiet bit out loud.

Tanya Plibersek to Barnaby Joyce on the voice: Coalition is ‘muddying the waters’

The enduring trials of Tanya Plibersek continue with her weekly “debate” with Barnaby Joyce on the Seven Network. Today’s episode of “Barnaby Joyce bulldozes another conversation while you eat your Just Right” was on the voice to parliament.

Plibersek was asked about treaty and said:

We’re not determining any of that right now, we’re determining one simple question: do we change our constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and do we set up a committee that would give advice?

I don’t understand why Barnaby’s so threatened about this. His former colleague Andrew Gee left the National party because of this scare campaign. He pointed out that the Coalition are going to be reconciliation wreckers and that’s what’s happening here. They’re muddying the water with every sort of other, you know, ‘This might happen. That might happen’. Two simple questions: do we change the constitution to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? Do we set up a committee that can give advice? It has no power of veto …

​Joyce:

That’s not true. That is not true.

​Plibersek:

No power of veto. It is true. Read the question.

​Joyce:

No, I do, and I also listen to the …

Butler accuses Liberals and pharmacy lobby of ‘cynical scare campaign’ over medicine dispensing changes

Mark Butler did have a little more to say about the backlash to the 60-day dispensing changes though:

I’ve read in the newspaper another scare campaign from the pharmacy lobby and the Liberal party, which I’m desperately worried about. They’ve tried a range of cynical scare campaigns to counter this measure.

First, they said it would be unsafe and that was debunked.

Second, they said it would lead to medicine shortages and all of the medicines experts debunked that scare campaign as well.

But I’m really shocked that this morning, the pharmacy lobby and the Liberal party have tried to scare vulnerable aged care residents that they would have to pay extra because of this measure to save 6 million patients from having to get their prescription filled every single month.

This is a cynical scare campaign from the pharmacy lobby that should be rejected. Certainly, the government rejects it. We are determined to deliver this cheaper medicines reform for 6 million patients and we’re determined also to protect aged care residents in the same process.

Expect this to pop up in question time today.

Government to bring forward negotiation of pharmacy agreement in response to backlash over dispensing changes

The health minister, Mark Butler, has announced the government will be bringing forward the next Community Pharmacy Agreement negotiations by 12 months. That is in response to the backlash from pharmacies over the government’s 60-day dispensing changes – which means people will save up to $180 in their medications for chronic illnesses, as well as fewer doctor appointments and less travel, but the pharmacy will miss out on government dispensing fees. The money the government saves from the switch to 60 days is to be reinvested in community pharmacies (about $1.2bn over the forwards) but that has done little to allay the fears of the pharmacy guild.

So now the new agreement negotiations will begin a year earlier to try to see if everyone can calm their farm a little.

Butler:

They were expected to start from July next year, for a new agreement to take effect in 2025 but I’ve taken the view and I’ve heard the soundings from the Pharmacy Guild that we need to deliver that business certainty to pharmacies sooner than that. So, we’ve determined, as a government, that we’re willing to sit down with the guild now and start negotiations early to secure a new agreement, a new five-year agreement for the community pharmacy sector.

More people at risk of homelessness for first time, says St Vincent de Paul Society president

It is Homelessness Week and this year’s theme is pretty simple: “It’s time to end homelessness”.

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s national president, Mark Gaetani, said cost-of-living pressures mean people who have never accessed the society’s services before are now asking for help in droves, with many at risk of homelessness for the first time.

More and more people are seeking emergency relief to cover the basics, such as food vouchers, while they prioritise accommodation costs over other essentials. These are choices Australians should not have to make.

Gaetani said the society was being asked to help with rental and accommodation options, as well as help with rental arrears as people tried to avoid eviction. Others were already couch-surfing or living in cars, tents or caravan parks.

Today’s reality is that people in crisis accommodation are on an endless cycle, forced to transition from one form of temporary accommodation to another simply because there are too few affordable and permanent housing options.

The statistics on homelessness are damning. One in seven are children, one in five identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and 23 per cent are aged 12 to 24 years.

He says that charities cannot be expected the solve the problem and “all governments” need to do more.

The parliament sitting will begin from 10am, for those hanging out for parliament proceedings news.

NSW government considers aerial shooting of wild horses in Kosciuszko

Tamsin Rose

PM congratulates Australian netball team on World Cup win

And the timezone has been against them, but the Diamonds won the Netball World Cup last night and Anthony Albanese gives them a shout out as well, saying they have done the nation proud:

They have indeed … certainly, a considerable defeat inflicted on the English. And congratulations to the Diamonds who’ve been such an extraordinary team leading the world winning yet another World Cup.

All in all, Yeah the Girls.

Albanese says his attendance at Matildas’ must-win game unlikely

After the US World Cup team was taken out of the competition by the metric system overnight, (the goalline technology confirmed Sweden’s Lina Hurtig’s penalty crossed the goalline by a millimetre, which knocked the US out) Anthony Albanese is asked whether he will be at the Matildas’ must-win game tonight against Denmark:

I don’t think I am. There’s been a late request for me to go but parliament’s sitting this week, so it will prove to be difficult. I watched last week in front of the telly, and that was absolutely a fantastic experience. I don’t think we can hope for four-nil tonight, I think we’d settle for one-nil, will do. But the Matildas are doing the whole of Australia proud. And I’m sure the whole of Australia will be cheering wherever they are, whether they’re at the game or watching on telly tonight.

‘People will wonder why it hasn’t happened before’ if voice is successful, says Albanese

Anthony Albanese was also asked whether the voice result would reflect on him personally and said:

No, this is not about politicians, this is about whether we close the gap, whether we make a difference for Indigenous Australians. And this is an issue that has been spoken about for a very long period of time.

We’ve been speaking about a voice since William Cooper back in the 30s was talking about this form of structure.

We’ve been talking about constitutional recognition since John Howard and Kevin Rudd both went to the 2007 election with that position.

We’ve had governments or political parties across the spectrum say that they wanted to advance constitutional recognition for decades now.

Now, I am the prime minister who is saying we need to give Australians the opportunity here to move forward and to have a vote. And I think that is the right thing to do, it’s something that’s been requested by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it’s a gracious request, and I sincerely hope that Australians take it up.

And if they do, we will see, just like with the Mabo decision, the Wik decision, the apology to stolen generations, when it’s done, people will wonder why it hasn’t happened before.

Australia the only former colony without constitutional recognition for first peoples, PM says

Back to the prime minister’s radio blitz this morning and Anthony Albanese has of course been asked about the falling support for the voice. The PM has likened it to people saying Labor couldn’t win the 2022 election. He told ABC radio Brisbane:

There’s a long way to go in this campaign, of course. I remember people telling me that there was no possibility Labor would win the last election and I’m speaking to you from the Lodge.

So, people will concentrate on what the question is that is before the Australian people in the last quarter of this year, which is something that is about completing our constitution by recognising First Nations people in our constitution as Australia’s first peoples. The rest of the world, former colonies have all done that some time ago. We’re the only country that hasn’t.

And then secondly, just enabling a body, an advisory body so we can listen to Indigenous Australians about matters that affect them so as to get better results – that’s what this referendum is about. There’s been a whole lot of noise about things that it’s not about, but it’s a simple proposition.

And in case you missed what Andrew Gee said (which is what Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was responding to at the end of that interview there), here is Lorena Allam’s interview with the former Nationals turned independent MP which kicked it all off:

Price says better education system would ensure young people were not ‘indoctrinated’

The interview closes out with questions about Gee’s criticisms about the Coalition losing young people with its stance.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says that Gee should “worry about his own electorate”.

Pushed on the wider issue, Price says that young people have never favoured the Coalition and says:

All I can say, is that the polls are favouring a majority no vote. Some of those might be young people. A majority of them won’t be. But that’s what I’m aiming for – a no vote across the country.

A better education system for our young people so they’re not indoctrinated, either, would be great.

Because then maybe our young people would seek to be better informed when they go to make their vote, whether it’s at an election or at a referendum.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says Andrew Gee’s ‘opinion matters very little to me’

Asked about the criticisms of her former coalition colleague Andrew Gee, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says:

Mr Gee also said that the party room changed. The only difference that the party room had changed was that there is an Indigenous woman in it since the last time he was in it.

And he doesn’t agree with me, nor did he ever have a conversation with me about the voice before he decided to leave the Nationals party room.

So, you know, his opinion matters very little to me given the opinions of many Indigenous Australians that I’ve spoken to across the country – they’re the ones that matter to me.

PM should not only listen to Indigenous voices ‘that are saying the things that he wants to hear’: Price

Q: But that’s the point – shouldn’t Peter Dutton have gone up for another reason – to listen to Indigenous voices?

Price:

But he has already done that. I would urge Mr Albanese to listen to the voices that Mr Dutton has listened to. We have called for an inquiry into the sexual abuse of Indigenous children.

But the prime minister has ignored those voices.

They’re the voices that he should be listening to – not the voices that are saying the things that he wants to hear.

But Mr Dutton has listened to those voices and has been to Garma to hear what’s going on.

The Gumatj have been very successful in what they’re doing to create enterprises and support those in communities. They’ve highlighted and done that without a voice to parliament. He’s been there and done that.

Garma festival a ‘love-in’ and ‘safe ground’ for Albanese, says Price

The interview moves on to whether or not it was a mistake for Peter Dutton to not attend Garma, given it is only a few months out from the referendum.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says Dutton has been to Garma previously. Pushed on whether he should have attended this particular festival given the timing, Price says:

It might be important for some but, for those who can afford to pay almost $3,000 to attend for four days, I mean, it’s a love-in for Labor, for Mr Albanese.

I’d ask Mr Albanese to attend Alice Springs again and spend more time and listen to the vulnerable children in those communities, in the communities in Alice Springs, who would love to have $6 million poured into building accommodation to create a safe haven for them in a learning environment so that they’re not at risk of being abused at night and can get an education.

But, instead, he attends where it’s safe ground for him, where he knows that those around him support him. But he won’t do the hard yards, and won’t listen to Indigenous voices unless they’re enshrined within a constitution, apparently.

Price labels land councils ‘powerful, multimillion-dollar bureaucracies’

Q: We heard at Garma over the weekend, land councils from the Kimberley to Cape York strongly endorsing the yes vote. That is not insignificant, right?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:

Look, there’s plenty of land councils that I’m sure that are very powerful, multimillion-dollar bureaucracies who have been responsible for effectively Closing the Gap, but obviously aren’t doing the job themselves.

They’re supposed to be representing traditional owners.

I have many traditional owners who are very concerned with the way that they don’t feel listened to or represented by land councils.

In fact, on that issue, this week I am putting a motion on the floor of the Senate, and I seek support from across the Senate to hold an inquiry into land councils and other entities around their governance structures, whether they’re being effective in delivering for traditional owners, how they consult traditional owners.

Because I think this is the work that needs to be done, not creating a whole new bureaucracy and putting it in our constitution.

‘Racial stereotype’ to suggest all Indigenous Australians support voice, Price says

That interview on ABC News Breakfast continues:

Q: Isn’t constitutional recognition exactly what the First Nations’ leaders at the Uluru dialogue called for?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:

Again, a handful of Indigenous Australians called for it. Not all Indigenous Australians called for it. And I think it’s a racial stereotype to suggest that all Indigenous Australians support this proposal when there are many, many who don’t, but who often are not heard because, unlike those who attended Uluru, they have never had the opportunity to have a seat at the table to be heard, and had the ear of many prime ministers previously and many governments previously.

But there are a lot more Indigenous Australians out there who don’t feel like they’ve been represented through the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Unfortunately, we’re the only group of Australians that’s treated this way. No other group of Australians – because of their race – come together to make determinations for the rest of that race of Australians in the country.

And I think we’ve got to move away from that, which is what the Voice is, I guess, symbolic of – that idea that we’re all the same, all think the same, and require a body to represent us based on our heritage as opposed to our needs.