Key events
Tom McIlroy
Women’s groups come out in opposition to push for Sex Discrimination Act change
A coalition of women’s organisations, feminists and community groups have voiced opposition to a push by the Coalition to change the Sex Discrimination Act, in part to create legal definitions around women and men.
Nationals MP Alison Penfold has introduced a private members’ bill to parliament which seeks to restore sex-based language to the act and add definitions described as “biological and binary”.
Penfold’s plan has the support of senior Coalition figures including National’s leader Matt Canavan and Liberal leader Angus Taylor.
But on Sunday, a group of 20 organisations, including the National Foundation for Australian Women, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Women’s Legal Services Australia and Working with Women Alliance issued a statement opposing the plan.
“For generations, feminists have been fighting for recognition of the complexity of our lives,” Sally Moyle, chair of the National Foundation for Australian Women, said.
This bill strikes at the core of gender equality by narrowly defining women. It risks taking us back to a time when an idealised definition of ‘the woman’ only allowed us to be caregivers defined by our reproductive function, who should not own property and were not suited to leadership, capable of rational thought or physically strong.
Nick Visser
Hume says extension to fuel excise tax cut ‘makes sense’, pushes back on Hanson’s claims about languages spoken at home
Hume said a temporary extension to the cut to the fuel excise tax “makes sense”, especially around the uncertainty over the strait of Hormuz and its effect on fuel prices. But she said Labor needed to find offsets in the budget to ensure the changes are not “inflationary”. She told RN Breakfast:
We think that a reduced temporary extension is a practical step and that makes sense, particularly with renewed uncertainty around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The budget is already in tatters just one month after it was delivered, and Australians can’t afford a budget that keeps borrowing from the future to pay for today’s politics.
The senator was also asked about her colleague Pauline Hanson’s address to the National Press Club last week. Hume was asked about Hanson’s claim that too many people in Australia speak a language other than English at home.
She had this to say:
Look, my partner is Greek. My partner’s mother speaks Greek at home. His family spoke Greek at home. I don’t think it’s affected their social cohesion one little bit. That said, English is our national language and we expect people to be able to speak it proficiently for them to enable to fully participate economically as well as socially.
Josh Butler
Hume has no problem with more debate on NDIS changes, but criticises ‘horse trading’ between Labor and the Greens
Jane Hume is speaking to RN Breakfast now, saying the Coalition has no problem with increased scrutiny over changes to the NDIS should the Greens negotiate a longer inquiry into the scheme the week.
Hume said:
I suppose one of our concerns is that perhaps the changes don’t go far enough in addressing the rorts and the criminal behaviour that we’ve seen embedded in the NDIS system now. We want to make sure that they are appropriately addressed.
And we also want to make sure that Australia’s most vulnerable are well cared for. And there does seem to be some oversights in there. So I have no problems with scrutiny of legislation.
But she’s critical over the “horse trading” by the Greens and Coalition – with the Greens more likely to make a deal over the tax changes.
It’s no surprise that the Greens have got into horse trading with Labor over this. We know exactly what it is that they do. This is their modus operandi.
Hume went on to say there was an irony in that scrutiny for changes to the NDIS, which affect “hundreds of thousands”, would be longer than that for the tax changes, that affect millions.
I think that speaks volumes of this Labor government’s priorities.
‘Obligation’ on the states to implement firearms reform, Rowland says
Michelle Rowland says the states should get on board and prioritise firearms reforms, which were promised by the federal government in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
The government is facing resistance from some states over the buyback, including Queensland which last month rejected key recommendations from the Bondi royal commission’s interim report.
Rowland tells RN Breakfast says Australians would be “stunned” to know there are more guns in the country today than there were 30 years ago, before the Port Arthur massacre.
We’ve had the interim report of the royal commission. Two recommendations out of 14 went to the states and territories on the issue of prioritising firearms reform and the buyback scheme … So the obligation there is on the states to work with the commonwealth to deliver these vital reforms.
My message is twofold. First, firearms reform has the overwhelming majority of Australian citizens. And secondly, as we saw with the horrific events in Bondi, that occurred because the perpetrators had hate in their hearts but also guns in their hands.
Search for new Nacc commissioners an opportunity to ‘reset’, says attorney general
Michelle Rowland says she understands the importance of transparency in looking for a new commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
As my colleague Tom McIlroy brought you earlier, the search is beginning for a new commissioner after the inaugural head, Paul Brereton, resigned.
Speaking to the ABC’s RN Breakfast, Rowland says
This is an opportunity for a reset and a refresh … we recognise the importance of transparency in this process. It’s why we have consulted with the parliamentary committee that has oversight for the Nacc. We’ve also consulted with key integrity bodies about how this should look.
Asked whether the body should hold public hearings or publish more findings, Rowland says the it has the ability to hold public hearings if its in the public interest, but she “would never interfere in its independence.”
I think people are sometimes surprised … about the sheer amount of work that the Nacc does. It’s had some 7,500 referrals, it’s finalised the vast majority of them. There have been 34 investigations completed and about the same number that are on foot and 11 convictions arising from its work. So whilst I don’t seek to direct the Nacc in any way, I do point out that there are some of the pieces of work that have been done that many people might not know about and indeed the opportunity for a refresh and a reset with new commissioners I think is opportune.
Nick Visser
Jane Hume says effort to roll back CGT discount ‘hypocrisy’ from politicians who probably benefited from it themselves
Jane Hume, the deputy Liberal leader, had sharp criticism for the carve-outs to the new capital gains tax changes for small businesses, telling Sky News this morning the policies remained an “assault on aspiration”.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, announced the “generous” exemptions for small businesses last week amid backlash to the budget, saying approximately 2.7m entities would benefit from the carve-out. Labor will be appealing to the Greens to get those changes across the line in parliament this week.
Hume told Sky today Australians knew the changes were “entirely unfair”, accusing lawmakers of pulling the ladder up behind them after “plenty of politicians” had used negative gearing to create wealth.
Negative gearing has been a way for people to create wealth for generations, and that includes plenty of politicians, particularly from Labor and from the Greens. And I think people should be asking … politicians whether they have ever used negative gearing to build wealth and to get ahead, because I’ll lay you odds that they have.
What extraordinary hypocrisy that they are now trying to deny that ability from the next generation.
Hume went on to say the Senate had a job to scrutinise legislation, but only had a few days to do so for a change that would affect “millions” of Australians.
Allowing existing properties to remain negatively geared a ‘missed opportunity’, say Greens
Larissa Waters says the Greens are pleased the government has tackled some of its concerns with the tax changes – including winding back ministerial discretion powers.
But, she says, the party is unhappy that existing property owners can keep negatively gearing their properties. (The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has argued that most property owners negatively gear their properties for between five and 10 years at the maximum, so the tax incentive will phase itself out).
Waters tells AM:
Grandfathering in those negative gearing and capital gains tax perks that have seen homes become so ridiculously unaffordable in this country is just condemning whole generations of people to never being able to afford their own home.
Asked if it’s a deal breaker, and if the Greens are prepared to walk away if the government keeps the incentives for existing owners, Waters says, “We will have a look at the final shape of the package. They’re still making changes as late as last week.”
Greens mull offer on NDIS and property tax legislation from Labor
There are two very big pieces of legislation right now that the government wants to get through: its changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, that it wants the Greens to pass, and reforms to the NDIS which it needs the Coalition’s support for.
Both bills have just gone through very short Senate inquiries – which neither the Greens nor Coalition were particularly happy with.
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, is asked by the ABC’s AM program whether her party would pass the tax changes in exchange for a longer inquiry into the national disability insurance scheme.
Waters says:
We take these issues on their merits, Mel [Clarke], and we’ll have a chance to talk about how these tax reforms we don’t think are actually going to fix the housing crisis. They could have, they could have been designed to do so.
We are doing everything we can to try to stop this cruel NDIS bill that will see more than 340,000 people left without the ability to have a shower or even leave the house in some cases. So we are having those discussions, but we are using everything we’ve got to make sure that these cuts actually are stopped completely, but at the very least inquired into even further. We saw through the inquiry last week the scale of the depravity of these cuts and the real human impacts that they would have.
Labor faces heat over cooling house prices
Labor MPs are facing a slate of questions over falling house prices in some capital cities – which means they’re walking a bit of a messaging tightrope between wanting younger people to get into housing, and ensuring that people who already own housing don’t go way backwards.
(Although a Resolve poll in the Nine papers this morning shows that of a poll of 1800 people, 54% supported lower house prices, while 11% said they were opposed).
Murray Watt says it’s a good thing if a bit of cooling in the auction market makes it easier for young Australians to buy a first home.
He also points out that Treasury modelling showed price growth would slow.
Allowing young Australians, in particular, to get into the housing market for the first time, was the central focus of our budget, and that’s why we put forward those changes around both negative gearing and capital gains tax.
We’re not surprised to see some level of cooling in auction markets. And if that makes it more possible for Australians to get into the housing market for the first time, that’s a good thing.
So our modelling from Treasury did suggest that there may well be a short-term impact in housing prices, but that they would continue to grow over time.
Australia ‘as well prepared as we possibly could be’ for arrival of H5N1 bird flu, environment minister says
The environment minister, Murray Watt, says a widespread outbreak of bird flu in Australia could severely impact wildlife, but that Australia is well prepared.
So far, he says an outbreak in Western Australia is also nowhere near a poultry farm, but the government is working closely with the industry.
The government confirmed on Friday that a wild migratory bird had been found in WA and died from the H5N1 virus.
Watt tells ABC News Breakfast:
There’s no doubt, James [Glenday], that if we were to have a widespread outbreak of this deadly strain that would have a very significant impact on wildlife in Australia.
There’s no evidence at all, that this has affected poultry stocks in Australia. It’s a wildlife matter at this point in time. In terms of the species, As I say, we know that bird flu can not only impact on birds, but also mammals as well …
We are as well prepared as we possibly could be for this, but it is a risk that we need to take seriously.
Tom McIlroy
Search begins for new Nacc commissioners
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, has opened applications for the new leaders of the National Anti-corruption commission, following the resignation of Paul Brereton.
Rowland said a new commissioner and deputy commissioner would be appointed through an open, competitive and merit-based selection process.
Applications will be assessed by an eminent panel, charged with preparing a shortlist of suitable candidates for the attorney-general’s consideration.
Rowland will then ask the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti‑Corruption Commission to approve her preferred candidates for each role, before recommending them to the governor general for appointment. Applications close on 13 July.
Rowland said:
The government is committed to strengthening the Nacc, including by continuing to make appointments through an open, competitive and merit-based selection process.
This is an opportunity for the Nacc to refresh and reset, and I look forward to working across the Parliament to appoint the best possible candidates for these roles.
Brereton quit in May, saying criticism of him was “drawing attention away” from the commission’s work.
Welcome
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting fortnight before the winter break.
With just days before the end of the financial year and some key legislation Labor is desperate to get through, expect some drama in the house and plenty of deal-making behind the scenes.
Last week the government announced significant concessions on its capital gains tax legislation, the question is, will it be enough to get the Greens over the line. Those talks will be happening over coming days – with the Coalition promising to repeal the legislation if it gets into power.
And this morning the prime minister is convening a national cabinet meeting on fuel security, days after promising to extend the fuel excise cut (albeit at a lower rate). Overseas, Iranian negotiators have suspended talks with the US in Switzerland.
I’m here with our news blogger Nick Visser, who’s making a cameo appearance in the national capital this week – so stick with us!
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