One more sitting day of the week to go. What does it hold in store? Let's look back at the day that was to see if it offers any hints:
* former Labor leader Martin Ferguson announced he would leave Parliament at the September 14 election prompting tributes from all over the place;
* question time was a bit of a replay of yesterday with the opposition trying to accuse the government of going soft on national security and the government trying to rise above it and talk about other things likes jobs and education;
* the opposition will support the increases in family tax payments (the ones designed to take the sting out of the end of the baby bonus);
* unhappiness from the cross bench about changes to party funding and some signs that there are those in opposition ranks who aren't too keen either;
* at this stage the legislation is still expected to be introduced tomorrow.
Watch this space.
Thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen - super photographers - and all our readers and contributors.
See you in the marn. I mean morn.
I've been promising for some time to give you a little more detail on Andrew Wilkie's comments on electoral reform. I'm going to make a bold prediction that Mr Wilkie's comments are what quite a few people would like to hear from their MP.
"The proposal by the Labor and Liberal parties for all political parties, and successful independent candidates, to be paid an additional $1 for every vote is a dreadful decision entirely out of step with community expectations," Mr Wilkie says.
"Seems that one of the very few times Labor and Liberal can agree on something is when it's in their political and financial self interest."
The government has been making the case bipartisan support was needed for the changes which was why they were unable to lower the threshold for donation disclosure to $1,000 (although the opposition was more than happy to support increased party funding). The independents and Greens say they would have given the government support on the reduction in the threshold - although not on the increase in funding to parties.
Did the disclosure threshold get sacrificed in order to secure increased campaign funds?
The legislation is due to be introduced tomorrow. We'll see.
If you've got a sec then this is the video of Labor MP Anthony Byrne likening Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to former Latham leader Mark Latham (see 2.17 pm post).
Byrne's bite
The Liberals thought they had a Labor ally in their attack on national security, until Anthony Byrne got to his feet in Parliament.
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Here is the video of the speeches given by Mr Ferguson, Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott.
Martin Ferguson resigns
Former resources minister Martin Ferguson delivers an emotional speech announcing he will retire from Parliament at the upcoming election, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott respond.
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Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has issued a statement in which he praises Mr Ferguson as "someone who always knows his stuff and [is] one of the world's genuinely good human beings".
"What always shines through are his fundamental Labor values of a fair go for all, by growing an economy through creative enterprise, enabling working people to get a decent job and providing a helping hand to those who needed it," Mr Rudd said.
"Martin did not just talk about these things. Martin went about doing these things....At a personal level I believe Martin Ferguson was one of the most outstanding ministers of the Rudd government. I regard it as a privilege to have Martin not only as a colleague from the past but also as a friend for the future."
Kevin Rudd embraces former minister Martin Ferguson. Photo: Andrew Meares
A point about Mr Ferguson's seat, Batman. It is Labor's safest seat, held by a margin of 24.8 per cent, which means it should be a pretty safe bet that Labor will hang on to it come September 14. Right?
Consider that Batman borders Greens' deputy leader Adam Bandt's inner city seat of Melbourne which he took from Labor in 2010. Batman takes in some of Melbourne's trendiest suburbs starting with Clifton Hill and Northcote and then fanning out towards the north. Mr Bandt was able to win his seat following the resignation of former minister Lindsay Tanner. The Greens' vote sky rocketed. Could the same thing happen here?
While my attention was captured by the resignation of Martin Ferguson a few other things were going on:
* breaking news reporter Judith Ireland has filed this story about Mr Ferguson's departure.
Former minister Martin Ferguson after he announced he will not contest the next election on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Shortly before question time (1.57 pm post) I mentioned I would take you to independent MP Andrew Wilkie's press conference about electoral funding. But that was before Martin Ferguson resigned. I'll bring you an update on Mr Wilkie when I can - hopefully it won't be too far away.
The PM promises a fitting celebration to mark Mr Ferguson's service will be held.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard embraces former minister Martin Ferguson on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Tony Abbott says goodbye.
Labor MP Martin Ferguson after question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Let bygones be bygones.
Labor MP Martin Ferguson after question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Ferguson was a key supporter of Mr Rudd.
Labor MP Martin Ferguson during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, is emotional as he pays tribute to Mr Ferguson.
"I salute an honourable opponent and a great Australian," Mr Abbott says.
Labor MP Martin Ferguson during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
MPs of all kinds are queuing up to shake Mr Ferguson's hand.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard listens to Martin Ferguson make his first and last speech as a backbencher on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Liberal MP Alex Hawke:
Martin Ferguson is Old Labor what the Labor Party should be. It is sad to see what has happened to this decent guy under modernLabor #auspol
— Alex Hawke MP (@AlexHawkeMP) May 29, 2013
Former minister Martin Ferguson has announced he will leave Parliament (and his Melbourne seat of Batman) at the election.
Mr Ferguson resigned as a minister following the leadership debacle back in March. At the time he said he would recontest his seat and he did not believe in by elections.
Mr Ferguson has been an MP since 1996. Before that he was a union leader.
Mr Ferguson talked of the difficulties of watching his members lose their job while Labor governments were in power.
"Standing at the factory gates with people who had just lost their jobs all with the aim of reforming the economy was not easy," Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Ferguson thanked his staff, department and family.
"Life has never been easy with me due to long hours and lengthy stays away from home," he said.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, praises his "tough minded" approach and says he can retire knowing he was a "pivotal part of a number of great Labor achievements".
Labor MP Martin Ferguson during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The words "pot", "kettle" and "black" might be crossing the minds of the cross bench given the Assistant Treasurer, David Bradbury, has been talking about the government's action on stamping out cartel like behaviour by companies.
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott used that very word - cartel - in relation to the agreement struck by the major parties on electoral funding (see 9.18 am post).
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, Greens MP Adam Bandt and Independent MP Tony Windsor in discussion during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
This is all feeling very much like yesterday (which, in turn, was feeling very much like about ten years ago).
The opposition is doing its darndest to pin down the government on national security. It's trying a two pronged attack - the funding of intelligence organisations and numbers of asylum seekers.
The government is busy not rising to the bait and soberly asking the opposition not to "go down the low road of trying to provoke fear in the community," as the PM said.
Instead, the government is very busy talking about everything else - jobs, superannuation, families.
Although the PM wasn't impressed to get a question from Coalition MP Bronwyn Bishop about a very old story that she did not, as deputy prime minister, attend all meetings of the national security community.
By allowing that question, the PM says, the opposition leader shows he is "unfit to lead".
Opposition leader Tony Abbott during question on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
I really prefer the Canberra region reds.
Crossbench MPs Peter Slipper and Craig Thomson during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
No MP likes to be compared to Mark Latham. It's like garlic to a vampire. Yet more bipartisanship.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott reacts as he is compared to Mark Latham by Anthony Byrne during question time on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Government congratulating themselves on wriggling out of a potentially tight spot.
Chris Pyne thought he'd bowled a yorker but ended up lobbing a full toss to Anthony Byrne on National Security #QT Hit for six
— Stephen Jones MP (@StephenJonesMP) May 29, 2013
The opposition is trying to force Labor MP Anthony Byrne (chair of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security) to repeat views he made to Parliament on Monday in which he questioned the government's funding of the intelligence community.
The government argues the question is out of order because it sought a view but the opposition's question is ruled in order.
Mr Bryne rises and says he has nothing further to add to his previous statement other than to fire a few shots over the opposition's bows.
National security is being "thrown around like a political football," Mr Byrne says. "You [Mr Abbott] are the least qualified opposition leader to talk about national security since Mark Latham."
Labor MP Anthony Byrne during Question Time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Question time.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan arrive for Question Time on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Hmmm. Mr Jones (see 1.46 pm post) says he fully supports the government's restrictions on gambling ads but warns companies to comply or face further intervention by Parliament.
So that would seem to boot the issue well into the life of the next Parliament.
Labor MP Stephen Jones in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he will not vote for the electoral reforms legislation. If it passes Parliament he will exercise the opt-out provision that will be included in the bill and not accept the increased funding.
He has issued a brief statement but will hold a press conference after question time. We'll come back to him then.
This from the Labor MP who was one of the strongest proponents for restrictions of gambling ads during sports broadcasts:
I'll be making a statement in Parliament shortly on Sports betting (just before #QT)
— Stephen Jones MP (@StephenJonesMP) May 29, 2013
One big party MP is certainly feeling the weight of public opinion when it comes to electoral reform.
Receiving many emails anti funding boost 2 parties. I share concern. In time of budget crisis should we be boosting funds 2 parties? #auspol
— George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) May 29, 2013
Where are we up to (with half an hour to go until question time)?
You might have noticed the government is being very busy governing - lots of legislation being introduced, senior ministers out and about all talking about important things. Not much mention of electoral reform.
The opposition is keen on national security. Its attorney-general spokesman George Brandis just had to tell everyone he had an ASIO briefing last night. Senator Brandis and colleagues posed with the former ASIO head this morning. Not much mention of electoral reform.
A few other things are going on that I've so far neglected to mention (my apologies):
Not much time to stop and smell the flowers today. But they are pretty.
Flowers at the Cancer Council morning tea at Parliament House on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Look, Rob, when I said "bipartisan support" I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Of course we still love you guys.
Leader of the House Anthony Albanese in discussion with Independent MP Rob Oakeshott in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The Greens are also accusing the government of reneging on their deal with it comes to electoral reform (a la Rob Oakeshott - see 10.04am and 9.39am posts). Leader Christine Milne has called it a "weak deal stitched up by the old parties [that] is a betrayal of the Labor-Greens agreement in 2010".
Senator Milne says the increases in public funding for parties (which the Greens would benefit from) should be linked to further reforms on corporate donations and "limited election spending".
The Greens - like other parties - are finding the private donations landscape rocky at the moment. At the last election the Greens benefited from a $1.6 million donation from web entrepreneur and media player Graeme Wood - the largest single political donation in Australian history. Mr Wood has since said he will not be making further political contributions.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon is also upset by the changes.
But the government argues they are necessary in order to stop the creeping influence of corporations and other private interests.
What do you think? Our reader poll on that very question is here.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon speaks at Parliament House on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Bipartisanship is everywhere today.
Labor backbencher Kevin Rudd and Coalition frontbencher Joe Hockey are at this minute catching some autumn sunshine in the courtyard of Aussie's, the Parliament House cafe.
What could they be talking about?
(PS. Joe had but a bottle of water in front of him. No wonder he's so svelte these days. The rules governing photography inside the building prevent us from taking and publishing photographs of the pair.)
In yesterday's question time the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said a report that the plans to the new ASIO building has been stolen in a China-based hacking operation contained "a number of unsubstantiated allegations about hacking".
This morning the opposition's attorney-general spokesman, George Brandis, said he had received a briefing from ASIO head David Irvine and that Ms Gillard's claims were false.
It gets a bit murky here. Ms Gillard did not specify which parts of the original report - on ABC TV's Four Corners on Monday night - were wrong. Because the PM did not elaborate, we cannot deduce from Senator Brandis's remarks about what she said that was supposedly false.
Everyone is invoking national security.
However by coming out and disclosing at least some of the content of the ASIO briefing Senator Brandis has opened himself up to some criticism from the government that he's talking out of school.
Breaking news reporter Judith Ireland has the ins and outs of where this story is up to. Let's face it - any story about spies makes for irresistible reading.
A Cancer Council morning tea on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Let's not be cynical for one moment. Some things are bipartisan. Like cancer, for example.
Photographer-about-Parliament Alex Ellinghausen has produced this lovely image of the Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek, and her opposition counterpart, Peter Dutton, at the twentieth anniversary of the annual morning tea fundraiser organised by the Cancer Council.
Some might accuse the political parties of self interest when it comes to the matter of electoral laws. I couldn't possibly comment.
But since you might be reaching for that second cup of coffee right about now it seems like a good time to point to two thoughtful pieces running in Fairfax Media today.
The first is by the Sydney Morning Herald's economics editor, Ross Gittins, who writes about voter cynicism. Ross argues that naivety and cynicism about politics is fed by "unrealistic expectations" about what governments can do.
"The antidote to both naivety and cynicism is reasonson scepticism and it's because we didn't exercise it from the start that we end up disillusioned and cynical," Ross writes.
The second is by the eminent economist and former government adviser, Ross Garnaut, now a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Garnaut says we face two choices at the end of the mining boom - business as usual or the public interest. He argues in favour of public interest, a tougher path for politicians to choose.
Meanwhile, Coalition MPs including Philip Ruddock, attorney-general spokesman George Brandis, leader Tony Abbott and foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop have met the former head of ASIO, Paul O'Sullivan.
Philip Ruddock, George Brandis, Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop on Wendesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
The newest player on the political scene doesn't think much of the new electoral reforms either.
@juliagillard and @tonyabbottmhr to rob taxpayers of $50M to boost election coffers - 2 party system fails Australia @unitedausparty #auspol
— Prof Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) May 29, 2013
Does that seem a bit cute to you?
It did to breaking news reporter Jonathan Swan who can be seen on the right of this picture asking Mr Albanese about this new discovered "island of bipartisanship". No word on whether the island is part of the migration zone or not.
Leader of the House Anthony Albanese speaks to the media on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
One of the government's most senior ministers, Anthony Albanese, has just wrapped up a press conference that was ostensibly on jobs but was actually about electoral reform.
Mr Albanese put forward the argument that electoral reform was an issue that demanded political bipartisanship.
"If I was standing here saying the Labor Party has a partisan piece of legislation that's opposed by the alternative government three months out from an election I think there might be a bit of criticism," Mr Albanese said.
(This theory, mind you, relates only to the issue of electoral reform. Normally governments are happy get legislation through with whatever support they can find but on the issue of taxpayer funding for political parties both of the big players need to agree. Apparently.)
Leader of the House Anthony Albanese leaves a doorstop interview at Parliament House on Wednesday.
The Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, is busy in the House of Representatives introducing legislation that will allow the referendum on local government recognition to take place.
Yesterday Mr Dreyfus said he would also be introducing electoral reform legislation. However that legislation has now been delayed until tomorrow.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus at Parliament House on Tuesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
I promised to bring you the video of Mr Oakeshott's interview with Tim Lester (9.18am). Here it is.
Mr Oakeshott says the government's inability to lower the donor disclosure threshold to $1000 is a breach of the agreement he signed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the tumultuous days following the 2010 election.
"There is a path through this parliament right now with the support of the cross bench in the lower house and the support of the Greens in the upper house to achieve a threshold of reportable donations of $1000," Mr Oakeshott says.
"I am baffled as are many that the government has chosen not to take that."
Dodgy dollar deal?
Electoral funding legislation which would lower disclosure rates and give candidates $1 for every vote received is 'cartel behaviour' says Independent MP Rob Oakeshott.
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The head of the ABC, Mark Scott, was due to appear before budget estimates committees today. But he's stuck in Sydney's fog which has left him with not much to do but tweet.
However he has advised he will make his date with the committee. The Coalition can hardly wait.
And, we're on our way. #fog
— Mark Scott (@abcmarkscott) May 28, 2013
Rob Oakeshott isn't the only one upset by the electoral changes. Over in the Senate John Madigan, who represents the Democratic Labor Party, also smells a rat.
"This place is rotten to the core...I"d like to see it implode," Senator Madigan told a local Victorian paper.
"They wonder why people hate their bloody guts and we have a high informal vote. I've run over better rabbits than these people."
Well, well, well. Budget emergency, what budget emergency?
There is much unhappiness on the cross bench at the major parties' deal to backpay themselves millions of dollars in extra funding ahead of the September 14 election.
Yesterday the government announced changes to electoral laws that would, among other things, bring down the threshold of disclosure for political donations and give parties more money in public funding.
It has now emerged that so called "administrative funding" will be paid in time for a pre election party spendathon.
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott has told breaking news reporter Jonathan Swan the deal - stitched up between the major parties - "smacks of cartel and collusion behaviour".
You can read Jonathan's story here and I'll have a video of an interview Mr Oakeshott recorded with Tim Lester shortly.
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