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Watch: question time
The House of Representatives is convening for question time.
Watch live below.
Pocock delivers maiden speech to parliament
By Angus Thompson
Independent senator David Pocock has delivered his first speech to parliament, assisted by an Auslan interpreter.
He began by talking about his experience immigrating with his parents from Zimbabwe as a child as a way to acknowledge the contribution of immigrants to Australian society.
“I’m obviously white - moon tan white as my former teammates liked to tell me over the years - and I don’t want to conflate my experiences of migration with the many migrants whose experience is shaped by the colour of their skin.
“We are making progress as a country, but it’s in all our interest to continue doing the work to build a more inclusive society that celebrates difference and diversity,” Pocock said.
New Senators David Pocock and Fatima Payman arrive during the opening of the 47th Parliament, at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 26 July 2022.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
He also spoke about his love of nature and his constituency, saying Canberra is “so much more” than the sum of the decisions made in Parliament house.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese watched on from the gallery of the Senate chamber as Pockock spoke out in favour of restoring territory rights, boosting integrity in politics, protecting whistleblowers, and enshrining an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the constitution.He also spoke at length on the challenge of tackling climate change:
“Today the systems that sustain life on earth are at the brink of collapse. The climate as we know it is breaking down, and the impacts are now being felt with distressing regularity. Extreme weather: drought, bushfires, hailstorms and floods are having a devastating effect
on the people and places we love.”
Pocock said the ACT had been “neglected, ridiculed, looked down on or flat out ignored” for too long, and he planned to use the first time the nation’s capital had a senator holding the balance of power to achieve practical outcomes for the Territory.
Regulator extends expiry date on antivirals
By Mary Ward
The medicines regulator has extended the expiry date of some coronavirus oral antivirals, after the federal health minister warned last month hundreds of thousands of the pills were “gathering dust” in storage.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration said on Tuesday it had approved an application from Pfizer, the sponsor of antiviral drug Paxlovid, to extend its shelf life by six months.Batches of the drug in Australia were due to expire as soon as this month.
The previous federal government ordered 1.3 million courses of treatments Paxlovid and Lagevrio.
Health Minister Mark Butler.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
However, data provided by the federal Department of Health late last month showed only about 120,000 courses of the drugs had been prescribed.
“Highly effective antiviral medicines were listed over recent months on the PBS but up until very recently, were largely sitting on shelves gathering dust rather than out in the community preventing the severe disease,” federal Health Minister Mark Butler said last month.
There was particular concern about Paxlovid courses expiring, with 1 million courses ordered but only about 20,000 prescriptions filled.
Last month, eligibility for antiviral treatments was expanded in response to low uptake.“At the time of the initial provisional registration for nirmatrelvir + ritonavir (PAXLOVID), the shelf-life was 12 months when stored below 25 degrees,” the TGA said in a statement.
“The TGA subsequently approved an application from the sponsor, Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd, for an extension of shelf-life to 18 months when stored below 25 degrees. This is the current shelf-life.”
Stop blaming each other and fix rural GP shortage: new senator
By Angus Thompson
New Jackie Lambie senator Tammy Tyrrell has given both major parties a spray over finger-pointing in a speech about a shortage of rural GPs.
Stressing it wasn’t her “first speech” (new parliamentarians often speak on various issues before delivering the speech about why they entered politics), Tyrrell said she felt “disconnected” by the debate.
“Labor’s getting up and saying it’s the Liberals’ fault … does it matter? This isn’t about you,” Tyrrell said.
“Everybody here thinks they’re cleaners, sent in to tidy up after someone else. It’s painful to watch. When rural communities lose doctors, they don’t last for long … the song’s the same all across Tasmania.
“The Titanic is sinking all around you and you’re arguing about who’s supposed to be on the lookout for icebergs.”
Tyrrell ended by saying her door was always open for politicians to speak on policy issues.
‘He started it’: WA premier defends himself after defamation saga ends
By Daile Cross
After a Federal Court judge found WA Premier Mark McGowan and billionaire Clive Palmer guilty of defaming each other earlier today, McGowan has come out swinging, saying: “Palmer started it.”
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, McGowan said he didn’t bring the action, and he could not control what other people did.
WA Premier Mark McGowan, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee, mining billionaire Clive Palmer.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen/Supplied/AAP
“Western Australia was dragged, and myself were dragged, into this court process. To be clear, Clive Palmer took action against the state of Western Australia. And then he sued me.”
McGowan also blamed the former Federal Liberal Government for backing Palmer’s actions.
After intense questioning over the saga, McGowan said he’s always acted in the public interest.
Earlier today, Federal Court justice Michael Lee said the defamation action had wasted the court’s time and resources in a lengthy case that resulted in just $25,000 in damages being awarded.
Watch: WA premier speaks after defamation verdict
WA Premier Mark McGowan is addressing the media after the end of his lengthy defamation trial against mining magnate Clive Palmer.
Pacific labour scheme expanded to include aged care
By Angus Thompson
The government will expand a scheme allowing Pacific Islanders to work in Australia to include jobs in aged care to help fill tens of thousands of job vacancies in the crises-riddled sector.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphatically back broadening the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme after former NSW premier and head of aged-care provider Hammondcare, Mike Baird, urged the government to let Pacific Island workers fill jobs in areas where there were critical shortages.
Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, announced in Question Time on Tuesday the government would be expanding the scheme to include aged care.
Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy.Credit:Joe Armao
“Back during the recent very successful Pacific Islanders Forum in Fiji, I visited the Australia Pacific Coalition facility in Suva with the Prime Minister,” he said.
“We met 40 enthusiastic women who were trained to work on aged care centres in regional Queensland from Mackay to Toowoomba.”
He also said the government was expanding the scheme to reduce travel costs for employers, who foot upfront costs for workers, allowing Pacific workers to bring in family
members, and improving protections against worker exploitation.
The Australian Workers’ Union is calling on the government to impose protections after MADEC, a prominent labour-hire firm under the PALM scheme, had licence restrictions imposed on it after paying back $70,000 in wages deducted from workers for accommodation.
AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said many deductions were “plainly rorts”.
“Most PALM workers work in excess of 30 hours a week and can earn over $800. But
their take-home is less than $100 a week after dubious deductions for accommodation and Transport,” he said.
Allegations over wage deductions were aired in a Senate inquiry led by Labor senator Tony Sheldon.
“This saga sums up why we must be wary of calls for significantly increased worker migration,” he said.
“Unless unions are empowered to have greater involvement in migrant worker schemes, these stories of exploitation will continue.”
RBA governor flags ‘further steps’ on interest rates
By Rachel Clun
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said today’s increase in interest rates is another step towards normalising monetary conditions in Australia, as the bank works to bring inflation back down to its target range of 2-3 per cent.
“The board expects to take further steps in the process of normalising monetary conditions over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path,” Lowe said.
Future interest rate decisions will be guided by incoming data, he said, including new inflation and employment figures.
Inflation is expected to peak later this year at 7.75 per cent before falling to just over 4 per cent through 2023 and about 3 per cent through 2024.
“There are widespread upward pressures on prices from strong demand, a tight labour market and capacity constraints in some sectors of the economy. The floods this year are also affecting some prices,” Lowe said.
Economic growth is currently strong but is expected to slow. The RBA forecasts GDP growth to be 3.25 per cent this year, and 1.75 per cent in 2023 and 2024.
The jobs market also remains tight, Lowe said, with signs wages are growing.
Unemployment is at 3.5 per cent and is expected to fall further this year, before rising to about 4 per cent by the end of 2024.
The RBA said household spending will continue to be a key source of uncertainty, amid low consumer confidence, declining house prices and higher inflation but also an increase in the number of people finding jobs and increasing their work hours and savings.
“The board will be paying close attention to how these various factors balance out as it assesses the appropriate setting of monetary policy,” Lowe said.
Government asked about immunity for aged care providers in new act
By Angus Thompson
Independent MP Zoe Daniel has asked Aged Care Minister Anika Wells why the government’s new aged care legislation grants legal immunity from liability for engaging in restrictive practices.
“Will the minister reconsider this and offer an indemnity rather than immunity to aged care providers, as proposed by the Australian Lawyers Alliance and other experts?” she asked.
Restrictive practices are any practices, including chemical or physical, used to restrict the freedom of movement of aged care residents.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Wells has responded that the immunity will only apply where restrictive practices are used as a last resort, “only to the extent that they are necessary for the shortest time possible and in the least restrictive form, and crucially, I think, here, to prevent harm to the care recipient.”
“So, it is a temporary measure. We take that onboard. And it is just to clarify a gap in the legislation between the Commonwealth legislation and some of the state and territory legislative requirements.
“With respect to the use of restrictive practices, you asked about revisiting it. Specifically, until we bring in the new Aged Care Act, which the royal commission has asked us to do by 1 July next year. This is a sunset clause that gives us the opportunity to consult fully with our advocacy groups to make sure the new Aged Care Act can be as good as it possibly can be.”
Treasurer responds to interest rate rise
By Angus Thompson
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has spoken in parliament about the interest rate rise, rising by another half a percent to bring the cash rate to 1.85 per cent.
“Australians knew that this was coming, but it wasn’t any easier from them to handle,” he said.
“Now average homeowners with a $330,000 outstanding balance [on their mortgages] will have to find about $90 a month more for repayments as a consequence of this decision.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers during question time last month.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“For Australians with a $500,000 mortgage its about an extra $140 a month.
“It’s not a shock to anybody but it will sting, families will now have to make more hard decisions about how to balance the household budget in the face of other pressures like higher grocery prices, and higher car prices and the cost of other essentials.”
How much extra will your mortgage repayments cost?
The RBA has increased interest rates to 1.85 per cent.
Use our calculator to see how much extra your mortgage repayments will be.
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2022-08-02 07:03:00Z
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