Anthony Albanese has been caught in a fresh parliamentary scandal after questions were raised about the legitimacy of his moves on the footy field.
The Prime Minister joined the Parliamentary Friends of Rugby League on Tuesday morning for their fourth annual State of Origin touch football match.
Just before half time in the clash against Queensland, Mr Albanese dived to plant the ball on the try line to give NSW the upper hand.
Sports Minister Anika Wells protested, claiming she had tagged Mr Albanese before he scored.
The referee ultimately gave Mr Albanese the benefit of the doubt, awarding NSW what would turn out to be the final try of the day.
The parliamentary Blues ended up taking home bragging rights, winning 3-1.
Asked about the dubious try later in the day, Ms Wells laughed off the controversy.
“I think we can all agree that the referee is going to be the next governor-general based on that decision and I think we can say ultimately, glory to Queensland,” she said.
On if the Prime Minister could be trusted given his shady moves on the footy field, Ms Wells left that question unanswered.
But she joked NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo should take the inquiry straight to the league’s commission as a “top priority”.
Speaking earlier, Mr Albanese took issue with former Wallaby turned Senator David Pocock joining the Queenslanders for the grudge match.
“I can report the greatest scandal since (Greg Inglis) playing for Queensland. David Pocock from the ACT pulling on a Queensland jumper,” Mr Albanese told Nine.
“They will stop at nothing.”
He also complained about former deputy prime minister and NSW MP Barnaby Joyce also donning the Queensland jersey.
“Barnaby has very short stints on the field. Even though he represents the NSW seat, he has a Maroons jersey on as well,” Mr Albanese said.
“Look, there should be an inquiry into some of these players and where they are playing for, I tell you.”
A passenger who arrived in Australia from Indonesia has been fined $2,664 for failing to declare McMuffins in their luggage amid an outbreak of foot and mouth disease overseas.
The Labor government has rolled out biosecurity dogs at Darwin and Cairns airports as part of a $14 million package to bolster Australia’s protection from FMD.
Detector dog Zinta inspected the passenger’s backpack at Darwin Airport and found two egg and beef sausage McMuffins from McDonalds in Bali and a ham croissant.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the seized meals would be tested for FMD before being destroyed as Australia remains “FMD-free”.
“This will be the most expensive Maccas meal this passenger ever has, this fine is twice the cost of an airfare to Bali,” he said in a statement on Monday.
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“But I have no sympathy for people who choose to disobey Australia’s strict biosecurity measures, and recent detections show you will be caught.
“Zinta was placed at Darwin Airport as part of the Albanese Government’s tough new biosecurity defences, and it’s excellent to see she is already contributing to keeping the country safe.”
FMD is a highly contagious disease of livestock causing fever followed by the development of vesicles (blisters) in the mouth and on the feet.
Indonesia is currently battling an FMD outbreak, which has sparked fears it could spread to Australia and cripple the $80 billion livestock industry.
The viral disease has also been reported in countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America.
Mr Watt reinforced that biosecurity is “no joke” as goods must be declared to enter Australia.
“Biosecurity is no joke—it helps protect jobs, our farms, food and supports the economy,” he said.
“Passengers who choose to travel need to make sure they are fulfilling the conditions to enter Australia, by following all biosecurity measures.”
FMD affects all cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep, goats, camelids, deer and pigs.
The virus is carried by live animals and in meat and dairy products, as well as in soil, bones, untreated hides, vehicles and equipment used with these animals.
The government has rolled out sanitation foot mats at all international airports, along with support on the ground for Indonesia and neighboring countries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is adamant Australia’s strong biosecurity will stop the incursion of foot and mouth disease.
The package contains $9 million for frontline biosecurity and industry preparedness measures.
A further $5 million is used to provide technical expertise and support to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea to assist their work in combatting livestock diseases.
“The Federal Government is taking this seriously, and we need every traveler to do their bit too,” Mr Watt said.
Coalition and crossbench MPs are calling on the federal government to extend fuel price relief beyond the end of September, in an effort to counter the rising cost of living.
Key points:
The cost of fuel will rise by 22 cents on September 29
David Gillespie said it was hoped fuel prices would have failed quicker when the final date was set
The Treasurer has repeatedly ruled out extending the excise
The halving of the fuel excise — at 44 cents a liter tax on fuel — is due to expire on September 28.
It means prices will rise by 22 cents a liter after September 29.
For months the federal government has insisted the measure cannot continue beyond that date due to the significant cost to the budget.
The end date was set by the Morrison government, as the measure was included in the March budget.
But Nationals MP David Gillespie argues when that date was decided, there was genuine hope prices might have fallen further by now.
David Gillespie (left) says an extension to the excise is justified. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)
“When those announcements were made, the thought was that things might turn back to normal pretty quickly,” he said.
“We were hoping that Ukraine and Russia might come to terms, and there would be a flow of liquid and gas as per normal, but that is definitely not happening anytime soon.”
Mr Gillespie said an extension to the price relief can now be justified.
“It is a reasonable response to an extraordinary situation, a shortage of liquid fuel around the world,” he said.
Mr Gillespie’s colleague, Nationals MP Darren Chester, also agreed that while prices remained high, the interim measure had to remain in place for longer.
“I would like it extended given the disproportionate impact it has on regional motorists who often don’t have access to public transport,” he said.
“At a time when regional tourism is recovering, we also want to see city people choosing a domestic holiday and supporting local jobs.”
Their calls are echoed by Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer, who represents the northern Tasmanian seat of Bass.
Bridget Archer says high cost of fuel would have a significant impact on almost everyone. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Ms Archer said fuel prices are taking a heavy toll, and the government needs to either continue providing some relief — or come up with other assistance.
“The cost of living is rising daily and the high cost of fuel is having a significant impact on almost everyone who lives in my community which has a knock-on effect,” she said.
“I would like to see an extension of the fuel excise relief and if the government chooses not to, they must demonstrate what they will do to support individuals and families who are struggling.”
‘Take a staggered approach’
The new independent member for the western Sydney seat of Fowler, Dai Le, said her community will struggle to absorb the price rise.
“Families out in western and south-western Sydney, in electorates like mine, are really struggling with all of these higher prices for everything,” she said.
“So that’s why I have been asking the government to really consider extending the fuel excise when it ends in September.”
Dai Le says the government should at least consider a staggered approach to ending the excise. (7.30 Report)
Ms Le wants to see the relief extended for a further six months, taking it into 2023.
But she said if the government won’t agree to that, it should stagger the increases in the excise, rather than returning it all at once.
“At least take a staggered approach, to incrementally (increase) the fuel excise over the next few months,” she said.
“But from my understanding the government will not budge.”
Ms Le called on Labor MP’s in western Sydney to join her call for the measure to be extended, arguing their communities are in a similar position.
Some Labor MP’s in the area have told the ABC it is a complex problem, and acknowledge their constituents will feel the impact heavily.
Government remains reluctant
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been repeatedly asked to rule out extending the fuel excise in recent weeks.
On each occasion he has warned Australians not to expect an extension, and pointed to the enormous cost to the budget — estimated at $3 billion over six months.
New Zealand recently extended its fuel excise relief primarily in an effort to drive down inflation.
The Coalition has not adopted a formal position supporting an extension beyond the date they set in government, however the issue is expected to be discussed in the partyroom.
During question time on Monday, Opposition leader Peter Dutton asked the Prime Minister if it would be extended.
“Will your government compound on household budgets by not extending the fuel excise relief? Why is Labor making a bad situation worse?” Mr Dutton asked.
Anthony Albanese responded that Mr Dutton was part of the government that designed the fuel excise cut, and its end date.
“I point to the fact that (the Opposition leader) was in the Cabinet that put together the budget that had the end date for the measure that he talks about,” he said.
Sky News Australia hosts Andrew Bolt and Chris Kenny have clashed in a heated debate over the government’s Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Kenny – a member of the senior advisory group that guided the Indigenous Voice co-design process – appeared on The Bolt Report on Monday night and told his fellow primetime host that allowing First Nations people to have their say on how to combat Indigenous disadvantage would give them “a fair go”.
“We want to overcome indigenous disadvantage because we have no mechanism for those indigenous Australians to actually have their say,” Kenny said.
“To tell us what they think will help redress health outcomes or employment outcomes or domestic violence in remote communities”
“We ought to allow those people to have a say. It’s a fair go.”
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But Bolt fired back and said it was “more than a fair go” pointing to the proportion of indigenous MPs in Parliament.
Of the 11 parliamentarians who identify as Indigenous there are three lower house MPs – Jana Stewart, Marion Scrymgour and Dr Gordon Reid – and seven Senators – Pat Dodson, Malarndirri McCarthy, Linda Burney, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Jacqui Lambie, Kerrynne Liddle, Dorinda Cox and Lydia Thorpe.
While Kenny said it was not “relevant”, Bolt replied by suggesting Voice would serve as a “separate parliament”.
“Nope. It’s not a separate parliament it’s an advisory body,” Kenny responded.
The Labor Government pushed the issue to the center of its agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared on election night that there would be a referendum in his first term.
The Voice to Parliament was a key element of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart and called for an elected Indigenous advisory body to the Federal Parliament.
The proposed body would advise the government on issues affecting First Nations people.
Bolt said the Voice would set up a “false dichotomy” and establish race as the defining difference between Australians.
“It stresses its race as the primary difference between us which I think is false, wrong and dangerous,” he said.
Kenny responded by saying that Indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged people in the country.
“Now there is all sorts of complex reason for that but it is a national shame that their life expectancy is shorter,” he said.
“They are much less likely to finish school, to get an education, to get a job and we all want that.
“And I believe that requires some special attention from government.”
The Albanese government’s proposal to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution should include words that formally recognize Indigenous people as Australia’s first inhabitants, advocate Noel Pearson says.
Key points:
Noel Pearson says the constitution should include words that recognize Indigenous people as the first peoples of Australia
He says a Voice to Parliament would be both symbolic and practical
He says the Voice proposal should appeal to “constitutional conservatives”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined the core three sentences of a draft constitutional change in a speech to the Garma Festival of Aboriginal culture on the weekend.
Those three sentences would establish a Voice, with a role of advising the parliament and the executive, with its exact powers to be defined by the parliament in future legislation.
But right before outlining the proposed words, the prime minister said the change would be “in recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Peoples of Australia”.
Mr Pearson said it was important that those introductory words themselves be written into the constitution, alongside the enshrinement of the Voice.
“I think that they’re important words to retainas a prelude to those … substantive sentences,” he said.
7.30 host Sarah Ferguson asked if that recognition needed to be “spelled out” in a clause of the constitution, or whether it could be sufficiently “implicit” in the creation of the Voice.
But Mr Pearson said again the words of recognition were an important inclusion.
“It would adorn the substantive words,” he said.
Voice proposal ‘constitutionally conservative’ and practical
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at the Garma Festival on Saturday.(ABC News: Michael Franchi)
Mr Pearson said the Voice proposal should appeal to “constitutional conservatives” because it respected the primacy of the constitution and the parliament.
“This isn’t a proposition that has its origins in a leftist proposal. And in my view, this is the formula for success, because we need conservative constitutionals and conservatives and Liberals generally, to join this journey to complete the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
Mr Pearson said he was “extremely moved” by Mr Albanese’s speech at Garma.
“I didn’t know that he could connect with me in that way.” Mr Pearson said.
yin and yang
The Opposition’s shadow attorney-general, Julian Leeser, has left the door open to the Coalition supporting the proposal while calling on the government to release more detail about the body’s role.
Indigenous Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has called the Voice an exercise in “virtue signaling” over practical action.
But Mr Pearson said the Voice could do both: symbolically representing Indigenous Australians in the nation’s most important legal document, and practically improving the lives of Indigenous people.
“The practical dimension is the kind of the yin to the yang,” he said.
“And my view is that a Voice will achieve both. It will symbolize the recognition of the voices of the original Australians. But it will also result in better laws and policies.”
Mr Pearson said he had met recently with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who he said was “absolutely sincere” in his publicly stated concerns about welfare in Aboriginal communities.
He said he would soon meet with Mr Dutton again, and was optimistic about his potential support for the model.
“This is a modest proposition, modest but profound, capable of being consistent with liberal and conservative thinking,” he said.
Anthony Albanese has recorded the highest satisfaction results for an incoming-Australian prime minister with more than half the public “satisfied” with the Labor leader so far.
The first Newspoll since the May 21 Federal Election showed Mr Albanese’s satisfaction ratings sitting at 61 per cent after the first couple of months in the top job.
It is the highest survey results for a Prime Minister in a post-election Newspoll since the question was asked back in 1985 under the Hawke government, according to The Australian.
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In comparison, former Australian leader Kevin Rudd was previously the highest with a rating of 59 per cent while Mr Albanese’s predecessor Scott Morrison reported a satisfaction result 10 points lower at 51 per cent.
Other prime ministers such as John Howard and Bob Hawke recorded satisfaction surveys high in the 50s around the same timeframe.
Australians have also resonated with Mr Albanese’s efforts early into his leadership with Labor’s primary vote rising from 32.6 per cent to 37 per cent.
But support for the Coalition has dropped almost three points since the Federal Election from 35.7 per cent down to 33 per cent.
It’s the lowest primary result since the leadership change from Malcolm Turnbull to Mr Morrison in 2018.
Mr Albanese has also extended his lead as preferred prime minister with a 59-25 lead to new Liberal leader Peter Dutton.
It is the largest margin reported since 2008.
Poll results showed the Opposition Leader record a satisfaction rating of 37 per cent and dissatisfaction result at 41 per cent.
Labor’s two-party preferred has also significantly increased with support rising to 56-44 compared to the election result of 52.1 per cent to 47.9 per cent.
But combined support for minor parties and independents, which has grown this election, sitting at 30 per cent, which is slightly down from polling day.
Greens remain steady after it fell 0.2 per cent to 12 per cent.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has increased to six per cent while Clive Palmer’s United Party dropped two points to two per cent.
The Newspoll surveyed 1,508 residents across the country between July 27 to July 30.
The start of a new parliament with a new government brings many changes: new faces, new policies, and new offices that even veteran politicians can have trouble finding.
The first sitting week under the new Labor government was marked with ceremonies, celebrations and signs of what may be to come in the next term.
Take a look at the first week in action for the 47th Parliament.
It began as always with a church service
Politicians including Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese gathered at a church near parliament for a morning service on the first day.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Parliament officially opened with a Welcome To Country
The opening of the 47th Parliament was marked with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Indigenous rights are shaping up to be a key theme of this term of parliament, with a promised referendum on the horizon.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was among the crowd of politicians who attended.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
The new government took their seats for the first time
Cabinet ministers circled the dispatch box as MPs swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
And the opposition found theirs too
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley took her seat on the opposition benches for the first time in almost a decade.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
There were many fresh faces
Victorious “teal” independent MPs make up part of a very different looking 47th Parliament.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Kylea Tink and Kate Chaney shared a moment of celebration on the floor of the House of Representatives.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Indigenous senator Jacinta Price also enters parliament for the first time representing the Country Liberals.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
And some familiar ones
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took his seat at the government benches.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Penny Wong returned as Senate Leader, with an injured arm from a surfing accident.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
There was one especially fresh face in the senate
Labor senator Nita Green brought her baby onto the Senate floor, a practice only allowed in recent years.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
We saw an early sign of change on parliament’s lawns
Labor MP Anne Aly (right) was among the politicians who joined women on parliament’s lawns for a vigil for women who had been killed in acts of family violence.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
And a new climate bill that could prove contentious
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen introduced a bill to enshrine the government’s emissions target into law, but it doesn’t yet have the votes to pass.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Greens leader Adam Bandt and his party will have the final say on a number of laws in this term of government, wielding the balance of power alongside other crossbenchers in the Senate.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
A much fuller Greens party room met inside parliament, following an election that saw their numbers doubled.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Parliament was back in full swing
Queensland MP Bob Katter has become the “father of the house” in the House of Representatives, having served since 1993.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
No time to rest, it all begins again on Monday
Liberal National Party MP Warren Entsch takes a pause in one of the common areas of Parliament House.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants Australians to consider a draft question — released by the government this weekend — asking whether the constitution should be changed to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Key points:
Anthony Albanese has announced the question he wants to ask the Australian public at a referendum
Legislation for the Voice will not be written until after the referendum has happened
Indigenous people want the government to make the referendum and Voice discussion accessible for communities
He told ABC’s Insiders program that a referendum could be as powerful as the national apology for the Stolen Generations and the Mabo decision.
“This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our maturity as a nation, to uplift our whole nation. And I’m very hopeful that we can do so,” he said.
“I recognize that it’s a risk, but if you don’t try then you have already not succeeded.”
A Voice to Parliament, created via a referendum, was the key recommendation of hundreds of Aboriginal people at Uluṟu in 2017.
There is now a push from the Opposition and the Greens for more detail on what role and function the body would have.
The Voice has been described as an advisory body that would permanently give frank and fearless advice to the federal parliament.
But the Prime Minister has suggested there will be limitations to the power a Voice would have, stamping out the claims from the previous government that it would become a “third chamber” of parliament.
“We’re a democratic nation, and parliaments, in the end, they’re the accountable body,” he said.
‘Use your voice and be heard’
The Prime Minister made his pledge at Garma, a cultural festival hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation in north-east Arnhem Land.
This year, there’s been a reunion of sorts, as clans come together for the celebration, for the first time since the pandemic began.
It has been 17 years since Gumatj and Rirratjingu woman Yirrmala Mununggurritj was last at the Garma Festival.
Ms Mununggurritj says honoring the legacy of her late elders and amplifying the voices of women was her main priority.
Yirrmala Mununggurritj says Anthony Albanese is putting Indigenous issues “on the map”.(ABC: Jeddah Coast)
“Now that my grandmother’s not with me anymore I’m just here living her legacy, continuing her work which means so much to me … I feel so close to her here,” she said.
She has been busy encouraging young women at the festival to have their say in policy-heavy discussions about topics that affect them.
“Shame is a big thing for Indigenous women and girls in my community, but I’m trying to teach them that it’s a good thing to speak up, use your voice and be heard,” she said.
She has also returned in time for a significant step forward on the path to constitutional recognition for Indigenous people, the announcement of a question that could be asked at a referendum on a Voice to Parliament.
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PM Anthony Albanese to announce draft referendum question
After hearing snippets of the Prime Minister’s speech on Thursday, Ms Mununggurritj said she would like to see the government make an effort to make the language used throughout the referendum campaign more accessible for young people.
“I’ve got a little bit of an understanding of it [the referendum] but I’m still learning about my other culture in the English world, just like many others,” she said.
“They should make it more interesting, so that we can be more excited about it and want to actually learn about it.
“I think I heard him [Mr Albanese] talk about racism which is pretty important … because me as a young kid I grew up being racially discriminated against … I’m just glad that he came here [to Garma] to put us [Indigenous people] and these things on the map.”
Voice legislation will not come before a referendum, PM says
For some, the announcement of a draft question for a referendum has brought a sense of relief that after years of delays, action is finally being taken on the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
But for others, it’s what the government hasn’t announced that is causing doubts.
Garma is held on Yolngu land, where people are connected through ancestry, story and ritual.(ABC News: Michael Franchi)
The Prime Minister wants the question and proposed changes to the constitution to be clear and simple — but that comes at the cost of leaving it to the parliament to determine the composition, powers and function of the Voice.
“The legislation of the structure of the Voice won’t happen before the referendum,” Mr Albanese said.
“What some people are arguing for is having a debate about the consequences of a constitutional change, before you have any idea of whether the constitutional change should happen,” he said.
Mr Albanese said he did not want the debate leading up to the vote to suffer the same pitfalls as failed referendums.
“We were looking for all of the detail and saying well if you disagree… with one out of the 50 [clauses]but 49 are okay — vote no,” he said.
“We’re not doing that. We’re learning. We’re learning from history.
“It’s about giving people who haven’t had that sense of power over their own lives and controlling their own destiny.”
