WEBVTT - The secret ‘jobs for mates’ report Labor won’t release

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Daniel James and you're listening to seven Am. Murray.

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<v Speaker 1>Watt has talked a big game about fixing our environment

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<v Speaker 1>laws by the end of the year, but this week

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<v Speaker 1>the government's attempt to do that fell apart, with Greens

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<v Speaker 1>and Coalition senators refusing the back to changes. At the

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<v Speaker 1>same time, Labour faced a dramatic revolt in the Senate

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<v Speaker 1>over its refusal to release a secret report meant to

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<v Speaker 1>fix the culture of cronyism and Jobs for Mats have

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<v Speaker 1>a campaign on restoring integrity to government. Labor is now

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<v Speaker 1>facing a Senate demanding that I live up to that promise.

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<v Speaker 1>Today Press Gallery journalist Karen Middleton on why it's so

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<v Speaker 1>hard to fix our environment laws and whether the government's

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<v Speaker 1>hubris is getting in the way of its promise for

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<v Speaker 1>greater transparency. It's Saturday, November one, Karen. The government was

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<v Speaker 1>hoping to get its environmental reforms passed by the end

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<v Speaker 1>of this year, with the Environment Minister saying it's now

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<v Speaker 1>or never.

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<v Speaker 2>Now is the best opportunity to pass a balanced set

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<v Speaker 2>of laws in the spirit of the Samuel Review that

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<v Speaker 2>are firmly in the national interest. Put simply, it's now

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<v Speaker 2>or never.

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<v Speaker 1>So is it never?

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<v Speaker 3>What's an excellent question.

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<v Speaker 4>It's not looking great simply because the other parties have

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<v Speaker 4>now gained up on the government to send this off

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<v Speaker 4>to a Senate inquiry. It's been extended to March of

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<v Speaker 4>next year, so it makes it very difficult to get

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<v Speaker 4>the legislation through the Parliament before then unless the Minister

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<v Speaker 4>Murray what can negotiate an outcome with one or other

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<v Speaker 4>parties that then withdraws the support for the Senate inquiry somehow.

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<v Speaker 4>But that's a lot to get done with only like

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<v Speaker 4>sitting week left between now and the end of the year.

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<v Speaker 4>So you have to say the chances of it getting

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<v Speaker 4>through by a year's end are pretty slim.

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<v Speaker 1>We hear a lot about the environmental laws, but can

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<v Speaker 1>you just briefly explain what it is that the government's

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<v Speaker 1>trying to reform.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, the government has made the point and I think

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<v Speaker 4>the one thing everyone agrees on is that the laws

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<v Speaker 4>as they stand are not working for anyone much.

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<v Speaker 2>The current laws are broken. We know our current environment

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<v Speaker 2>laws aren't working for the environment, they're not working for business,

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<v Speaker 2>they're not working for the community, and it's high time

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<v Speaker 2>that we got them changed.

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<v Speaker 4>The laws are trying to navigate that problem, make it

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<v Speaker 4>less complicated for approving projects for industry that are important

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<v Speaker 4>for the economy, but making sure that those projects don't

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<v Speaker 4>cause serious.

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<v Speaker 3>Harm to the environment, and of course where the balance

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<v Speaker 3>should be is the great big question.

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<v Speaker 1>So as it stands at the moment, neither the Coalition

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<v Speaker 1>or the Greens want to support the bill in its

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<v Speaker 1>current form. Do we know any details as to what

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<v Speaker 1>each of them want to change.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I guess it extends from those separate arguments. For example,

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<v Speaker 4>the Greens wanted the inclusion of what's called a climate trigger,

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<v Speaker 4>which is a provision that every proposed development has to

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<v Speaker 4>be assessed for its impact on climate change and emissions.

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<v Speaker 4>Now the government is not going forward with that proposal,

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<v Speaker 4>and that is something that industry is very strongly opposed.

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<v Speaker 4>But what they currently have proposed is at least requiring

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<v Speaker 4>these development projects to indicate their impact on emissions, so

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<v Speaker 4>not have a trigger per se, but do have a

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<v Speaker 4>reporting requirement. So that's the sort of proposed compromise thus far.

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<v Speaker 4>And of course on the industry side, they're very concerned

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<v Speaker 4>that there will be too much ground seeded to protecting

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<v Speaker 4>the environment that will make their operations in a range

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<v Speaker 4>of different sectors unworkable, and their big concern at the

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<v Speaker 4>moment is that there's too much red tape, that too

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<v Speaker 4>much too much regulation, and that it makes it too

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<v Speaker 4>difficult to operate as large scale businesses in Australia unless

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<v Speaker 4>some kind of different balance is struck. So will the

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<v Speaker 4>government be more inclined to go for a deal with

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<v Speaker 4>the Greens or with the coalition?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, that's a big question.

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<v Speaker 4>I think they probably prefer to have a deal with

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<v Speaker 4>the Coalition simply because they've enjoyed holding the Greens at

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<v Speaker 4>bay and not giving the Greens a victory. The Greens

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<v Speaker 4>being in their same general center left space in the

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<v Speaker 4>political landscape. But at the moment the Greens are probably

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<v Speaker 4>closer to where the government wants to be than the Coalition.

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<v Speaker 1>What have you made of the way Susan Lee has

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<v Speaker 1>handled negotiations on this, Well, this is.

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<v Speaker 4>A tricky one for her because she was the Environment

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<v Speaker 4>Minister in government when Graham Samuel hand it down his report,

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<v Speaker 4>and now of course she's leading the opposition, and she's

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<v Speaker 4>leading an opposition that is split on matters relating to

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<v Speaker 4>the environment in the broad sense and particularly in relation

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<v Speaker 4>to climate change and energy and all of these things

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<v Speaker 4>are interlocked. The oppositions initially suggested the government should split

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<v Speaker 4>the bill and kind of deal with the development part

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<v Speaker 4>of it and then the environment part of it separately.

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<v Speaker 4>So we want to see the bill split so we

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<v Speaker 4>can streamline approvals and we can improve environmental protections separately.

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<v Speaker 4>And but even big business is saying via organizations like

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<v Speaker 4>the Business Council of Australia that they're not keen on that,

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<v Speaker 4>but they just want this dealt with this distract on

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<v Speaker 4>and on. It's a problem, as we've said, if it

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<v Speaker 4>stays as it is needs fixing, so they don't want

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<v Speaker 4>that to happen. So Susan Lee's got to manage her

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<v Speaker 4>traditional constituency both within our own coalition in Parliament and

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<v Speaker 4>more broadly in the business community. But also it doesn't

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<v Speaker 4>want to give too much away, so she is in

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<v Speaker 4>a tricky spot and that I think is motivating some

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<v Speaker 4>of their hesitations in their negotiating.

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<v Speaker 1>Karen Murray Well has really talked up his ability to

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<v Speaker 1>get these laws through and to get them through this

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<v Speaker 1>So is this a failure for him as Environment Minister?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I guess some will say that I think it

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<v Speaker 4>was ambitious to seek you had get it up this

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<v Speaker 4>year and the government set the parliamentary timetable with not

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<v Speaker 4>very many sitting weeks. It means that that does hamper

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<v Speaker 4>the government's ability to get complicated legislation through where negotiation

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<v Speaker 4>is required. So it's probably a little bit ambitious to

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<v Speaker 4>suggest it was all definitely going to get through this year.

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<v Speaker 4>But Murray Watt has been given the job because he's

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<v Speaker 4>become the sort of fix it person in the government

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<v Speaker 4>for political problems and he's a tough negotiator, so we'll

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<v Speaker 4>see where he gets to. And the Prime Minister's got

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<v Speaker 4>an eye to Western Australia and Queensland and certainly the

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<v Speaker 4>business and industry concerns and the basis of those economies there.

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<v Speaker 3>He's thinking very much about those.

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<v Speaker 4>He won a lot of seats in Western Australia three

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<v Speaker 4>years ago, he hung on to them at the last election.

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<v Speaker 3>He made some more ground politically in Queensland.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's what he's got an eye on it, as

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<v Speaker 4>well as the substance of the policy coming up.

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<v Speaker 5>And when we release it and when we release it

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<v Speaker 5>and we make the responses.

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<v Speaker 1>And when we're releasing it the secret report the government

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<v Speaker 1>is refusing to release. Karen. This week the government faced

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<v Speaker 1>pressure over report they are refusing to release about the

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<v Speaker 1>Jobs for Mates culture in Canberra. It all sounds very

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<v Speaker 1>secret and hush hush. Why is that?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, this goes back a couple of years to a

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<v Speaker 4>private member's bill that one of the independents in the

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<v Speaker 4>House of Representatives, Sophie Scomps, had put forward. It was

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<v Speaker 4>legislation that was targeting the practice of appointing friendly people,

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<v Speaker 4>people either who come from their own political party or

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<v Speaker 4>who are a j sent to important jobs into bureaucracy

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<v Speaker 4>or overseas posts and the like. And Sophie Scomps's bill

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<v Speaker 4>was the Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill, which in

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<v Speaker 4>short form was also known as the Ending Jobs for

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<v Speaker 4>Mates Bill. Now, the Government wasn't keen on that and

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<v Speaker 4>doesn't like private members bills as a rule, governments generally

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<v Speaker 4>don't and they pick and choose when they let them

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<v Speaker 4>go forward. The sort of trade off for that was

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<v Speaker 4>that they undertook to have a review of their own

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<v Speaker 4>appointments and that was conducted by Lanelle Briggs. We understand

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<v Speaker 4>that review finding went back to the government, not that

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<v Speaker 4>long after, so sort of coming on for two years

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<v Speaker 4>ago and we haven't seen it.

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<v Speaker 1>So, as you just said, there's clearly a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people who want to know what's in the report, But

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<v Speaker 1>can you take me back to why we needed the

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<v Speaker 1>report in the first place. I mean, what was the

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<v Speaker 1>cronyism It was looking to stamp out what kind of

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<v Speaker 1>mates and what kind of jobs are we talking about here?

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<v Speaker 4>Well often seeing bureaucratic jobs otherwise. Recent one you might

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<v Speaker 4>note was the appointment of Stephen Jones too. I think

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<v Speaker 4>it's the OECD job overseas as Australia's ambassador. Now Stephen

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<v Speaker 4>Jones was Assistant Treasurer. He's a long time labor MP,

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<v Speaker 4>he retired from politics and now he's got that job.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's the kind of thing as an example that

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<v Speaker 4>gets the cross bench upset and suggests that there are

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<v Speaker 4>other people that might be worthy of such jobs.

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<v Speaker 5>All those appointments may well have been based on merit,

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<v Speaker 5>but it does make you suspicious when they've been sitting

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<v Speaker 5>on this report for two years and won't release it.

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<v Speaker 4>People like Senator David Pocock, the Independent from the Act

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<v Speaker 4>makes the point that these people, people like Stephen Jones

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<v Speaker 4>and others may well be the best person for the job.

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<v Speaker 3>They may have all the qualifications.

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<v Speaker 4>It may well be a merit based process, but the

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<v Speaker 4>process isn't transparent and so that's not good for public trust.

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<v Speaker 4>Australians deserved to know how decisions are being made and

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<v Speaker 4>how we can fix a system that too often rewards

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<v Speaker 4>connections over competence. We don't know, you know why it

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<v Speaker 4>is officially that the Government hasn't released that report, but

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<v Speaker 4>you've got to assume there might be some things in

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<v Speaker 4>it that are not good in terms of maybe suggesting

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<v Speaker 4>there is a little bit much of this kind of

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<v Speaker 4>thing going on.

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<v Speaker 1>And this year she got quite heated in the Senate

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<v Speaker 1>this week, Karen, can you tell me how it played out?

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<v Speaker 3>Well?

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<v Speaker 4>What we've seen in the Senate at the end of

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<v Speaker 4>this last sitting period was a battle of wills and

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<v Speaker 4>parliamentary tactics. On Wednesday, those opposition parties and cross benches

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<v Speaker 4>ganged up to use their numbers combined to force the

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<v Speaker 4>Government to extend the Thursday question time by an extra

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<v Speaker 4>half an hour and allow five more questions from non

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<v Speaker 4>government senators to put extra pressure on the government to

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<v Speaker 4>make the point that they weren't going to take this lightly.

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<v Speaker 5>Thanks very much, Deputy President. I take great pleasure, well

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<v Speaker 5>maybe not actually in moving this motion today, because it

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<v Speaker 5>highlights a very significant problem that we have in this

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<v Speaker 5>country and then we have here in this Parliament, and

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<v Speaker 5>that is with a government that is unwilling to be

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<v Speaker 5>compliant with the orders of this chamber. Is with the

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<v Speaker 5>government that is not willing to be upfront and transparent

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<v Speaker 5>with the Australian people.

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<v Speaker 4>In response, on the Thursday, the government not only allowed

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<v Speaker 4>the extra half hour, which was a ruling of the Senate,

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<v Speaker 4>but they then used their powers in the Parliament to

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<v Speaker 4>make question time on and on and on their own.

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<v Speaker 4>Senators jumped up and said, well, hang on, we deserve

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<v Speaker 4>extra time as well, so we're going to ask our questions.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 4>I seek leave to ask a question on behalf of

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<v Speaker 4>the beautiful state of Tasmania regarding the nutrition workforce.

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<v Speaker 3>Is they granted? Is not granted the Senator Brown.

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<v Speaker 4>Order?

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<v Speaker 3>And then they used procedural motions and the light to drag.

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<v Speaker 4>Question time on for an interminable three and a half

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<v Speaker 4>hour on the longest we've seen in very long time.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's the sort of game plan we're getting to

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<v Speaker 4>in the Parliament, and that tells you that the government

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<v Speaker 4>was determined not to just acquiesce.

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<v Speaker 3>There is some politicking going on here too.

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<v Speaker 4>The protagonists in the Senate on this point are David

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<v Speaker 4>Pocock and Katie Galaho, the Minister. Now they both come

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<v Speaker 4>from the Act, they're both senators contesting the same space.

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<v Speaker 4>And Katie Gallaho isn't a big fan of David Pocock,

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<v Speaker 4>who's appeared on the scene two elections ago, was reelected

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<v Speaker 4>and has captured some of the vote that used to

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<v Speaker 4>be a Labor vote in the Senate. So there's a

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<v Speaker 4>bit of personal animus going on and agenda going on

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<v Speaker 4>here under the surface, as well as the broader political

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<v Speaker 4>argument about whether the government should be keeping such things

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<v Speaker 4>secret or not. And the government has declared this a

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<v Speaker 4>cabinet document, so it's not allowed to be released. And

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<v Speaker 4>there are shouts of hypocrisy from the other side because

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<v Speaker 4>under the previous government the Labor Party in opposition were

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<v Speaker 4>furious that the Morrison government did that, very frequently.

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<v Speaker 1>Sending all very Shakespearean Karen, how damaging do you think

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<v Speaker 1>this could be for the government, because they were elected

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<v Speaker 1>on a platform of integrity and transparency. We have a

0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.880
<v Speaker 1>knack that seemingly does nothing. They're also clamping down on

0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.240
<v Speaker 1>freedom of information requests and now we have a secret

0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:25.200
<v Speaker 1>report about jobs are made that the government won't release.

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<v Speaker 1>Can they really hand on hearts? They've done anything to

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<v Speaker 1>restore transparency and people's faith in government?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, they have done some things.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, we saw the ridiculous and alarming multiple ministries

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<v Speaker 4>issue with Scott Morrison that was exposed when later it

0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:43.800
<v Speaker 4>was in government about how Scott Morrison secretly took on

0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:45.480
<v Speaker 4>responsibility for all kinds.

0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:47.000
<v Speaker 3>Of portfolios that nobody knew about.

0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:49.760
<v Speaker 4>They've made changes to ensure that that doesn't happen, that

0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:53.319
<v Speaker 4>that is much more transparent. Having said that, what you

0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:55.760
<v Speaker 4>just outlined is very true, and they are doing a

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<v Speaker 4>lot that seems to run counter to the retoric of

0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:00.520
<v Speaker 4>transparency in aco ability.

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<v Speaker 3>How bad will it be?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, it depends a little bit on whether all of

0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:08.800
<v Speaker 4>these incremental issues end up forming a picture in the

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<v Speaker 4>minds of the public.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, are people very interested in freedom of information.

0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:16.199
<v Speaker 4>While we in the media are people who are politically engaged.

0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:19.800
<v Speaker 4>Are the broader population not so much? Do they care

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<v Speaker 4>much about reports? For jobs for the boys.

0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:22.840
<v Speaker 3>Maybe not.

0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.200
<v Speaker 4>Do they care about all the shenanigans in parliament, probably not.

0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:30.920
<v Speaker 4>But if opposition parties and independents can start to form

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<v Speaker 4>a picture of the government in the minds of the

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<v Speaker 4>people as not doing what it said or not standing

0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:39.520
<v Speaker 4>up for what it said, it would then I think

0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:42.360
<v Speaker 4>that does become a problem. And there's always a risk

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<v Speaker 4>for a government that's one with a very big majority,

0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:48.680
<v Speaker 4>as this government has, of getting a bit arrogant and complacent,

0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:52.320
<v Speaker 4>and all of these things can come together and cause

0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:55.640
<v Speaker 4>a problem for a government as it faces the next election.

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<v Speaker 4>So we'll see whether the government can side step all

0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:00.920
<v Speaker 4>of these and downplay them enough for them not to

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<v Speaker 4>be a problem.

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<v Speaker 3>But I think they'd be wise to.

0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.840
<v Speaker 4>Be vigilant about them and start to ensure that that

0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:08.360
<v Speaker 4>impression is not one that's formed.

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<v Speaker 1>Karen, thank you so much for your time.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for having me.

0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.720
<v Speaker 1>This week, we learned that the government has begun deporting

0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.880
<v Speaker 1>people to Novu. It's the government's solution to a High

0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.040
<v Speaker 1>Court ruling that found out was against the law to

0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:36.520
<v Speaker 1>hold people indefinitely in immigration attention. The deal with Naru

0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.200
<v Speaker 1>is worth billions of dollars and is set to last

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<v Speaker 1>for thirty years, but it raises a lot of questions

0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:46.480
<v Speaker 1>which we're going to get into tomorrow. Seven Am is

0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:50.200
<v Speaker 1>a daily show from Solstice Media. It's made by Adigus Bastow,

0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:55.720
<v Speaker 1>Chris Danegate, Daniel James, Ruby Jones, Sarah mcvee, Travis Evans

0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:59.600
<v Speaker 1>and Zodnfecho. Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and

0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.280
<v Speaker 1>Josh Gin of Envelope Bodier. Thanks for listening and thanks

0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:05.360
<v Speaker 1>for your support. See you tomorrow.