Voting has started on a series of amendments to the Coalition’s bill to facilitate deregistration of unions and disqualification of their officials.
We’ll get a series of votes on amendments then a final vote at the third reading stage to pass the bill.
First up is the Greens amendments, the most controversial of which stipulates the law will not come into effect until after the establishment of a National Integrity Commission.
The first Greens amendment – raising the threshold of demerit points for deregistration – was voted down 36 to 32.
Jacqui Lambie voted with the Greens and Labor in favour; Centre Alliance voted with the government against. I can’t see Pauline Hanson or Malcolm Roberts in the chamber.
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Today, the Greens MP and justice spokesperson David Shoebridge has referred the NSW police commissioner to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission as a result of his disclosures to the prime minister, Scott Morrison, about an ongoing police investigation into the emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor. Here is an excerpt of the referral:
There are two significant concerns that arise as a result of this. This first is that Commissioner Fuller either knew, or reasonably ought to have known, that Prime Minister Morrison and Minister Taylor were close political colleagues. Given this, it was highly inappropriate for Commissioner Fuller to be disclosing any details of the police investigation into Mr Taylor to Prime Minister Morrison other than those that were on the public record. It goes without saying that Prime Minister Morrison has a vested political interest in the police investigation failing to find any misconduct by his Minister.
The second significant concern arises from the personal relationship between Commissioner Fuller and Prime Minister Morrison and the fact that this relationship constitutes a clear conflict of interest on the part of Commissioner Fuller. This relationship includes, according to Commissioner Fuller, having been neighbours during which time Morrison would collect his rubbish bins for him. The exact nature of this relationship now appears to be contested by the two men in their very recent public debate.
Shoebridge said:
No one, not the prime minister and not the police commissioner, is above the law and people in high office are expected to abide by high standards.
We have referred this matter to the LECC because it is a genuinely independent and non-partisan body that’s job is to investigate these kinds of matters.
We cannot allow any political interference in a police investigation and both the police commissioner and the prime minister should have known better.
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Nick McKim labels Australia ‘authoritarian state’ after Marise Payne makes statement on imprisonment of Witness J
Marise Payne, representing the attorney general, has just made a statement about the mysterious imprisonment of Witness J.
Payne said that court orders prevent publication of information about the case and the orders were made with the consent of the parties.
“In any legal proceedings the commonwealth attorney general or other parties can seek orders to protect sensitive information. It is always at the discretion of the court whether to make such orders.”
Nick McKim took note of the answer:
“In the 21st century there is a person who has been secretly charged, secretly sentenced and secretly imprisoned in Australia …
“When asked to provide further information, the attorney general’s representative has refused or been unable to provide further information.
This is a shocking example of secrecy and abuse of state power, and our descent into a police state.
“Open justice is critical to the rule of law, which in turn is critical to our democracy.”
McKim concludes by suggesting Australia is now an “authoritarian state” and calling for a bill of rights.
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