Key events
Moving far away from economic matters, shadow veterans affairs minister, Darren Chester, asks the government about its defence honours bill that would set a time limit on which acts by a member of the defence force can be considered for higher recognition. That would be limited to 20 years, meaning retrospective honours could not be considered for action that occurred before the year 2000.
Chester says the NSW RSL has given evidence to the Senate inquiry into the bill and called it “disgraceful”.
Veterans’ affairs minister Matt Keogh says the opposition has been stoking fear and anxiety amongst veterans in their prosecution of this bill.
What I’ve encountered as a minister for veterans’ affairs is concerns that have been raised by the defence honours and awards tribunal about the difficulty that it has confronted over many years over different chairpersons of that tribunal of dealing with long historical cases in front of it, and making sure that it is able to remain relevant in the work that it does to ensure that our veterans and our serving personnel can have decisions made by defence properly reviewed.
Clare talks up university study hubs to help fix geographical education gaps
Back to the crossbench: the independent MP Dai Le asks the education minister about a Western Sydney University campus in Fairfield. She asks what courses will be delivered at that campus, and whether there are any plans to cut funding from it.
Jason Clare, who represents a Western Sydney seat himself, says the hubs will allow students to study “almost any degree”:
… when that hub expands in a couple of weeks’ time, it will mean that you’ll be able to study for almost any degree at almost any university across the country. It’s one of about 69 university study hubs that are either established now or will be established over the next few months across the country.
Clare adds that while more students are studying at university, areas like Western Sydney still lag behind – and flags there will be more reforms next year to help fix that gap.
Conroy says possible smelter closure highlights need for more renewable energy in grid
Nationals MP Alison Penfold gets the next question, and asks the minister representing the industry minister about the possible closure of the Tomago aluminium smelter.
If you need a quick recap – have a read here.
Penfold frames the question around high energy prices, which Rio Tinto (the smelter’s owner) says is a considerable issue.
Pat Conroy says the government is “fighting very hard to support manufacturers”, and, like Chris Bowen yesterday, says the problem is that there needs to be more renewable energy – not less – in the energy grid.
We’re intent on speeding up the rollout of the cheapest form of new power, which is renewable energy – backed up by peaking gas. Backed up by batteries. Backed up by pumped hydro. And I’ll note the statements from Tomago’s owner, Rio Tinto, that it was the lack of availability of renewable energy that was driving some of their decisions.
Chalmers returns fire after shadow treasurer accuses Labor of ‘spending spree’
Ted O’Brien gets another go at the dispatch box, and asks if Jim Chalmers will “stop Labor’s spending spree” when “government spending is running four times faster than the economy”.
Chalmers says the question is timed “impeccably”, after rating agency Fitch just reaffirmed Australia’s AAA credit rating.
Then, because this is politics and we’re in question time, Chalmers takes a stab at the opposition again.
I think the most important thing for those watching at home to understand about the shadow treasurer’s answer is, when he talks about the difference in spending in recent years, one of the things that he’s most critical of is the fact that we have seen very substantial index of government payments, including the age pension. If the shadow treasurer thinks that indexing the age pension is wasteful spending, then he should say so.
Ted O’Brien targets treasurer over rise in inflation
The heat is still on Jim Chalmers over the higher than expected inflation numbers today.
The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, asks if Chalmers will take responsibility for the higher figures (because he likes taking credit when the numbers fall).
“I share the credit” says Chalmers, and pokes fun at O’Brien’s “rare” appearance at the dispatch box.
Chalmers then says, “I take responsibility …”, which I’m sure gets O’Brien a bit excited, but doesn’t give O’Brien the answer he probably wants.
I take responsibility for working through the challenges as they present themselves in our economy. I take responsibility for the fact that this cabinet and this government has cleaned up much of the mess that those opposite left us in the budget.
Tim Wilson ejected from question time
Milton Dick is just absolutely not having disorderly conduct today.
Liberal frontbencher Tim Wilson, who was warned at the very beginning of QT to keep it “q”, has been booted for heckling while a Labor MP was asking a Dixer.
Dick doesn’t love excessive heckling during an answer but draws the line for heckling during a question (which has claimed several scalps already this week).
I’ll keep you posted for any other section 94a bootings.
Minister defends aged care changes
The aged care minister, Sam Rae, who’s managed to avoid the dispatch box recently – after a very hectic week when the government was forced to free up 20,000 home care packages – is asked about the aged care changes that come into effect on 1 November.
Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie asks Rae about a pensioner in her electorate who will no longer be able to afford home care because he will now have to pay $21.87 out of pocket for each hour of cleaning, gardening, and meal preparation.
Rae says there are protections in place in the legislation to ensure people already in the aged care system are not left worse off.
The no-worse-off principle applies so anyone who was in the system before 12 September 2024 will have their contributions grandfathered. Older people having difficulty paying their co-contributions will be able to apply for very substantial hardship assistance through Services Australia and a lifetime contribution cap will apply for everybody.
Sometimes it’s what happens between questions that is more interesting than the questions and answers themselves.
After interjecting during Jim Chalmers’ answer nine times, the Speaker, Milton Dick, warns Angus Taylor (who did get a name check from the treasurer) to stop heckling.
The member for Hume interjected nine times during that answer … The member for Hume will not be interjecting given he’s used all his lives up. He won’t be interjecting for the remainder of question time. If he does, he won’t be here.
The sass is ramping up today! We’ll see if it results in any ejections from the chamber.
Coalition attacks Labor over living standards
“Why is it, when Labor fails, Australians always foot the bill?” – That’s the wording the Coalition has workshopped today.
Sussan Ley says Jim Chalmers went on a “victory lap” after last month’s inflation figures but today’s numbers show Australians are “suffering through the largest decline in living standards in the developed world”.
Chalmers never misses an opportunity to point to the Coalition’s decision at the last election not to support Labor’s so-called top up tax cuts, and today is no different.
If the opposition leader really cared about cost-of-living pressures, she wouldn’t have just gone to an election promising to increase taxes on every single taxpaying Australian worker.
Again Chalmers points to the end of the state energy rebates as a key factor in the increase in inflation – but also admits there’s more the feds can do.
We’ve made it very clear that that progress often isn’t in a straight line, as we’ve seen around the world. We know that there’s more work to do.
Question time begins
It’s question time!
We’re starting on the higher than expected inflation figures today and the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, accuses Labor of “economic vandalism” as food costs increase by 15%, insurance increases by 20% and electricity costs increase by almost 40% over the last year.
The acting PM, Richard Marles (Anthony Albanese is now in South Korea for the Apec meeting), defends the figures and, like Jim Chalmers, says the numbers are still about half what the inflation rate was when Labor came into power.
Marles acknowledges that “Australian households are still under pressure and we understand that the work is never done”.
But let’s be absolutely clear. At the last election, those opposite went to the election promising higher taxes, bigger deficit and bigger debt. And that’s not us saying it – that’s the PBO. Heaven knows what Robert Menzies would make of this lot.
Along with all the heckling comes a warning from Milton Dick, who says “I’ve got good hearing today”.
