Australia condemns Myanmar executions and calls for release of those ‘unjustly detained’
Tory Shepherd
Australia is “appalled” by the execution of pro-democracy activists in Myanmar, and calls on the regime to release all those unjustly detained.
The ruling military has arrested and sentenced dozens of people in the south east Asian country, where no executions have taken place for decades – until now.
Phyo Zeya Thaw, who spent time in Australia on a political advisers’ course, was one of those executed.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the government “strongly condemns the actions of the Myanmar military regime” and “opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people”. She says:
We call on the regime in Myanmar to cease violence, release all those unjustly detained, and fulfil its commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus.
Australia is clear and consistent in our support of human rights around the world. Sanctions against members of Myanmar’s military regime are under active consideration.
We extend sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives since the coup.
Australia has also signed up to a joint statement on the execution of pro-democracy and execution leaders in Myanmar, alongside countries including Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. The statement condemns the “reprehensible acts of violence” and urges the release of any unjustly detained prisoners.
Key events
On the new Speaker…
Chris Bowen’s office has released the transcript from his earlier press conference.
Here is how he addressed questions on the negotiations with the Greens:
Q: To clarify, sorry, just for some clarification on that so the Greens want to hold future Parliament’s to account with the legislated target. They say that don’t want action from a future climate-denying Government but you say you don’t need legislation to be able to proceed with the target. So are those some powers that you’re willing to give up in the process to hold future Governments and future Ministers accountable? And during negotiations with the Greens what’s your message to them about the future of gas and coal projects?
Bowen:
Well, in relation to your the first part of your question, no Parliament can bind a future Parliament is my first point. My second point is no Dutton Government will be good for climate. Regardless of what any piece of legislation says, if you want a Government that’s good for climate keep re-electing the Albanese Government. That’s the message. Mr. Dutton has made it crystal clear he’s not got the memo from the Australian people. He’s continuing on like the same old Liberal Party hasn’t learnt a thing. Like it’s, you know, 2013 all over again. You can change the leader and the face, the modern Liberal Party is a party of denial and delay. That continues and it would continue and in the unlikely and unfortunate event of a Dutton Government.
In relation to discussions with the Greens, those discussions have occurred and no doubt there’ll be some further discussions, but they have occurred along the basis of our public position and to be fair, the Greens public position as well. I’m not going to go in the details, but they would reflect the positions we’ve reflected publicly.
Q: With regard to the Greens demand on coal and gas, new coal and gas developments you suggested last week about the safeguard mechanism being adequate to keep those under control. But would coal and gas developments be exempt under the safeguards mechanism because they are emissions intensive trading (inaudible)
Bowen:
The position on safeguards mechanism is crystal clear. We’re not changing the threshold of firms or facilities that get impacted, but any new facility which goes over 100,000 tons would be impacted. I’ll be having more to say about the design of the safeguard mechanism in coming weeks, and be consulting about some particular elements about the design of our reforms to the safeguard mechanism, as you’d expect, because it’s a complicated undertaking, it is– it will play an important role in emissions reduction. It currently covers the 215 biggest emitters. That’s why we took to the election a policy to deal with it and reform it and improve it, sort a mandate and received it.
For those who missed it, here is part of Anthony Albanese’s emotional speech:
Speaker ballot continues
The secret ballot is continuing in the House of Representatives.
Milton Dick will be the successful candidate.
Labor nominates Sue Lines for Senate president
Apologies for the delay in posts – my computer always seems to know when I need it to be quick, and chooses to take that moment to give me the wheel of death.
As Paul Karp reports, Sue Lines is Labor’s nomination for the president of the Senate. That was of course, after a little bit of a kerfuffle, when Pauline Hanson tried to nominate someone who wasn’t present.
Pauline Hanson has attempted to nominate Labor’s Glenn Sterle as Senate president but can’t because he’s absent. #auspol
Labor has nominated Sue Lines.
Greens nominate first nations woman Dorinda Cox.— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) July 26, 2022
Coalition puts forward Andrew Wallace for Speaker
The Coalition has nominated the previous speaker, Andrew Wallace, for the Speaker’s role.
Dugald [Milton] Dick is Labor’s nomination for the Speaker.
The Queensland MP is in a fun family battle with his brother, the Queensland treasurer, Cameron Dick, over who is the more successful politician. Speaker of the House will be a nice little feather in his cap for the next family lunch.
Mask reporting in the House and Senate
In the House, Coalition members Darren Chester, Andrew Gee and Karen Andrews have joined Rowan Ramsey and Andrew Wallace in putting a mask on.
Paul Karp tells me in the senate, Jim Molan and Paul Scarr are the only Coalition members who are wearing a mask.
All of Labor, and the Greens are masked (Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Don Farrell are the exemptions at the box) and the crossbenchers are not masked but socially distanced.
The 47th parliament is the most diverse in the nation’s history.
For First Nations representation, the 47th parliament represents something truly special.
Here, Sarah Collard, Lorena Allam and Mike Bowers capture a moment in Australian political history
Coalition mostly not wearing masks, despite recommendations
There is a stark difference in the chambers today: with very few exceptions, the Coalition is not wearing masks.
Labor, the Greens and the crossbench are – but I only see Andrew Wallace and Rowan Ramsey wearing masks in the Coalition.
There is no mask mandate, obviously – but it has been recommended parliament house attendees wear a mask.
Australia condemns Myanmar executions and calls for release of those ‘unjustly detained’
Tory Shepherd
Australia is “appalled” by the execution of pro-democracy activists in Myanmar, and calls on the regime to release all those unjustly detained.
The ruling military has arrested and sentenced dozens of people in the south east Asian country, where no executions have taken place for decades – until now.
Phyo Zeya Thaw, who spent time in Australia on a political advisers’ course, was one of those executed.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the government “strongly condemns the actions of the Myanmar military regime” and “opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people”. She says:
We call on the regime in Myanmar to cease violence, release all those unjustly detained, and fulfil its commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus.
Australia is clear and consistent in our support of human rights around the world. Sanctions against members of Myanmar’s military regime are under active consideration.
We extend sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives since the coup.
Australia has also signed up to a joint statement on the execution of pro-democracy and execution leaders in Myanmar, alongside countries including Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. The statement condemns the “reprehensible acts of violence” and urges the release of any unjustly detained prisoners.
Ben Butler
Chair of banking, insurance and superannuation fund regulator to leave job today
The chair of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (Apra), which oversees banks, insurers and super funds, will leave the job 18 months early after announcing his resignation today.
People within Apra say Wayne Byers, who was originally appointed by the Coalition in 2014, wasn’t pushed out by the new government and made the decision to leave early off his own bat.
But it saves the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, from having to make a call on Byers’ fate amid an ongoing clear-out by Labor of agency boards and executives.
The chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Martin Hoffman, resigned last month and was last week followed out the door by the chair, Denis Napthine, a former Liberal premier of Victoria who had been in the job for just three months.
On Friday, the infrastructure minister, Catherine King, also announced that members of the Infrastructure Australia board had agreed to leave early amid a review of the body, which she said “has been allowed to drift with partisan board appointments and a lack of clear direction”.
Sources say the government is also looking closely at the make-up of the boards of the Future Fund, which is chaired by the former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello, and Australia Post, which is heavy with Coalition appointments.
Byers was reappointed for another five years by the then treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, in 2018, effective once his current term ran out in July 2019, meaning his tenure was due to expire in 2024.
The reappointment was controversial because it came even as Apra was copping a public dressing-down from the banking royal commission, which exposed the regulator as an organisation shy of taking action against financial institutions that did the wrong thing.
He is likely to finish up in October, giving the government time to find a replacement for one of the most specialised regulatory roles in the country.
Of internal possibilities, the deputy chair, Helen Rowell, can probably be ruled out – she is poorly regarded by the union-and-employer-controlled industry super sector, which is powerful within Labor and feels her campaign on lifting governance standards at funds has unfairly targeted it, when the banking royal commission revealed that most problems were at the funds run for-profit by banks and other financial institutions.
47th parliament opens
The chief justice, Susan Kiefel, will swear in the senators.
Justice Stephen Gageler will swear in the House of Representatives.
But the 47th parliament is open for business.
The chief justice, Susan Kiefel, has opened the parliament with a few short words. And now the House of Represenatives members are on their way back to their chamber.
The senators and members of parliament will now all be sworn in. Then the speaker will be elected – most likely to be Milton Dick.
At the same time, the president of the Senate will be elected. That’s most likely to be Sue Lines.
But first there is the secret ballot. Then the successful nominees will be “dragged” to the chair (a nod to British history when the speakers’ life was often in danger, or taken, when the king was annoyed at the parliament’s decision) but now just comes with an extra $159,000 or so, a fancy office, and quite a bit of prestige.
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