PM withdraws unparliamentary term after Tehan ejected from question time
Moving away from aged care, Nationals MP Anne Webster asks the prime minister why he was chased out of Ballarat by tractors last Friday.
A bit of context here. Albanese was in the regional Victorian town for a Daily Telegraph bush summit. A video obtained by the Herald Sun shows Albanese’s motorcade being chased by a convoy of tractors after the summit.
Albanese initially tries to pin the blame on Angus Taylor, for his support of the VNI west transmission link between Victoria and NSW.
The protesters in Ballarat on Friday were protesting against a program that was initiated and given regulatory approval by the former government, something that I pointed out at the time.
That doesn’t go down particularly well with the opposition, and particularly Dan Tehan who shouts so much he gets kicked out by the speaker under 94a.
There’s a bit of drama here because some tense words are exchanged and the opposition tries to get the Albanese to withdraw – Albanese says he said the same unparliamentary term that Tehan said (who is by now out of the chamber).
Basically dragged kicking and screaming, Albanese withdraws (we’re still not sure exactly what was said).
Key events
After a final dixer on medicare – where Mark Butler says ‘neglect’ what feels like a near record number of times in two minutes, question time is over for another day.
Allegra Spender asks the PM next what the government is doing to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees, and what – ahead of attending the Pacific Islands Forum next week – assurances he’ll provide to the Pacific that Australia is doing enough to reduce emissions.
It follows more warnings from ex-defence force chief Chris Barrie, who joined Spender and other crossbenchers today, urging greater action to tackle climate change.
The government is also under pressure with a decision on the 2035 targets and the release of the climate risk assessment due this month.
Albanese says he’ll be attending PIF next week as a participant, “not as a block to climate action”.
The PM mentions the agreement with Tuvalu to bring 280 Tuvalu citizens to Australia each year under a climate migration deal.
The member quite rightly quotes Admiral Barrie and the fact this is a national security issue and it is.
Rae asked about home care package waiting times and elderly death rate
Sam Rae’s back and this time his answer is even shorter than the question he’s asked.
Liberal MP Simon Kennedy asks Rae whether research from the national ageing research institute that “people waiting for longer than six months for a home care package had an 18% higher chance of death than those who wait 30 days or less” – is true.
Rae – this time without notes – says he’s already canvassed these questions.
I refer you to my previous answers.
Government pressed on healthcare spending gap between metropolitan and regional areas
What is the government doing about the gap in healthcare spending between metropolitan areas and the regions?
Independent MP Rebekah Sharkie asks Mark Butler why the gap in spending has increased from more than $6bn last year to a more than $8bn gap now.
Butler says the latest bulk-billing incentives are higher for regional areas, and that the government has been working on encouraging GPs to live and work in the regions.
The tyranny of distance has been one that bedevilled our healthcare system for the entire history of our nation. Technology does help that, that is providing some relief to Australians living outside our major cities. We are doing all we can to support particularly general practice, making sure that they can really run a thriving viable business.
Sam Rae asked to apologise for deaths of vulnerable elderly waiting for home care packages
Back to aged care, Liberal MP Phil Thompson asks Sam Rae whether he will apologise to the families of “vulnerable elderly who have died waiting for you to do your job?”
Rae gives a short answer.
He says the delay in the implementation of the new aged care act has been broadly welcomed, but that stories of elderly Australians passing away in the aged care system are sad.
He doesn’t apologise. Overrepeated questions, he adds:
I have canvassed these matters very extensively in the parliament over the last couple of days. I refer the member to my previous answers.
Catherine King: national approach being taken on e-bikes, lithium ion batteries
Will the government adopt minimum quality standards for e-bikes, asks independent MP Sophie Scamps, who has a bill before parliament to ensure imported e-bikes meet international best practice standards.
Infrastructure minister Catherine King says the bikes are the subject of inquiries in Queensland and WA, but it’s clear that a broader and coordinated national system is needed.
We have seen recently a number of tragic incidents involving e-bikes and scooters.
At the meeting of state and territory transport ministers last month, I placed this issue on the agenda. At the meeting, state and territory ministers agreed to develop an integrated regulatory framework for these devices to improve rider and pedestrian safety.
King says concerns have also been raised about lithium ion batteries which have caught fire, and she says work is being done to form a national approach on the safe use of those batteries.
Sam Rae: in last financial year, 4,812 older Australians died in care or waiting for care
The focus is back on the aged care minister, as Coalition frontbencher Angie Bell asks Sam Rae – how many older Australians have died waiting for a home care package since he was sworn in as the minister.
Rae tries to quote some aged care providers who have provided supportive feedback on delaying the implementation of the aged care act, and Bell gets up to make a point of order.
Then we finally get a number – but it’s a number for the number of deaths in the previous financial year, not since Rae took on the aged care portfolio.
Sadly, we have lost a number of older Australians in care or waiting for care. In the last financial year that number was 4,812 as provided by the department to the Senate in the hearings last week.
PM withdraws unparliamentary term after Tehan ejected from question time
Moving away from aged care, Nationals MP Anne Webster asks the prime minister why he was chased out of Ballarat by tractors last Friday.
A bit of context here. Albanese was in the regional Victorian town for a Daily Telegraph bush summit. A video obtained by the Herald Sun shows Albanese’s motorcade being chased by a convoy of tractors after the summit.
Albanese initially tries to pin the blame on Angus Taylor, for his support of the VNI west transmission link between Victoria and NSW.
The protesters in Ballarat on Friday were protesting against a program that was initiated and given regulatory approval by the former government, something that I pointed out at the time.
That doesn’t go down particularly well with the opposition, and particularly Dan Tehan who shouts so much he gets kicked out by the speaker under 94a.
There’s a bit of drama here because some tense words are exchanged and the opposition tries to get the Albanese to withdraw – Albanese says he said the same unparliamentary term that Tehan said (who is by now out of the chamber).
Basically dragged kicking and screaming, Albanese withdraws (we’re still not sure exactly what was said).
Sussan Ley: how many Australians have died waiting for a home care package?
The opposition is going hard again on aged care today. Sussan Ley takes the next question and asks Sam Rae again, how many Australians have died waiting for a new home care package since he was sworn in on 13 May.
Rae says he is saddened to hear of any older Australian passing away, whether they’re in care or waiting for care.
There was “overwhelming feedback” says Rae during his consultations with elderly people, providers and workers, that the rollout of the new bill should be delayed.
Rae won’t provide a number for how many elderly Australians have died waiting for a package, but he does say the deferral was previously supported by the opposition.
I want to provide one of these most important quotes from the period where the decision was made. “The decision to delay the start date for the new aged care reforms is the right decision for older Australians, aged care providers and home care operators.”
This is a quote that I think concisely and clearly summarises that decision … and it’s a quote from the media release published by the shadow minister for health and aged care, Senator [Anne] Ruston.
Bowen says waiting to hear from experts about methane leak at Santos Darwin LNG facility
Monique Ryan gets the first cross bench question and asks the energy minister if he will deny gas company Santos any further approvals, after it was found Santos’ Darwin LNG facility has been leaking massive methane for almost 20 years.
Chris Bowen starts by saying the government’s safeguard reforms have been reducing emissions, but on the Santos methane leak, the energy and climate change minister says he is “concerned”.
I am concerned to read about that. I asked my department to ensure the expert review of methane emission management which I commissioned, the government commissioned, led by the former chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley, examines the matters, ensures it is considered and I will update the honourable member and the House when I have received the report from the former chief scientist.
Labor tries to wedge Coalition on its zet zero position
The government is trying to take full advantage of Nationals senator Matt Canavan announcing he’ll introduce a bill in the Senate to repeal net zero. It’s separate to the bill Barnaby Joyce has in the House.
It won’t go anywhere, but Labor is trying to wedge the Coalition with it.
In the first two dixers – one to Anthony Albanese and one to Chris Bowen, they’ve both attacked Canavan’s bill and the disunity in his party.
Albanese pointed out earlier that Canavan’s supposed to be doing a review of net zero, but seems to have already come to a conclusion.
Those opposite are having a review, but today we know that Senator Canavan, the person in charge of reviewing net zero for the Nats, announced he’s introducing a bill in the Senate to abolish it.
He’s reviewing it but he will already legislate to abolish it, to mirror the member for New England. Spoiler alert, I reckon the review will stay it will go. Spoiler alert. That’s what we see, the Liberals fighting with the Nats and they’re fighting each other.
Opposition continues to press aged care minister about delay in home care packages rollout
Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie directs the opposition’s second question to aged care minister Sam Rae, and says 85-year-old Kevin, who has been told he is on the urgent list, had registered for a home care package in March this year, but was told by the department that he couldn’t get an assessment until early next year. She asks whether anyone like Kevin had asked the government to delay the home care packages.
Rae (with his single sheet of notepaper) tells McKenzie to provide him with Kevin’s details to follow up his case.
The aged care minister says the new system will help to reduce wait times and that the current assessment waitlist includes people who are now accessing a lower level of care in the aged care system (he also said this to the House yesterday).
Milton Dick tells everyone to quiet down, before McKenzie tries to make a point of order – she says Rae hasn’t answered her question, which is whether any elderly Australians told the government to delay the rollout of the home care packages. (Dick tells her she can’t raise a point of order just because she doesn’t like the answer she’s hearing). Rae continues:
Big reforms don’t happen overnight but we are working hand in hand with assessment organisations, including states and territories, to minimise impacts to older Australians and get them the care they deserve.
