Time for me to call it a day. What happened?
- former prime minister Tony Abbott made his thoughts on the phantom campaign known saying it would be easy for him to participate because it was all about his government's achievements;
- Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promptly retorted that Mr Abbott had done nothing more than continue the policies of another former prime minister, John Howard;
- everything went very Kevin and Julia for a while;
- Opposition leader Bill Shorten says it is a case of all continuity and no change; and
- key independent senator Nick Xenophon says he wants broad amendments to the building watchdog legislation that is responsible for the whole kit and caboodle.
Thank you for joining me once again. You can follow me on Facebook.
I realise I said this yesterday and it turned out to be completely false but I'll try again - Alex Ellinghausen, Andrew Meares and I will be back on April 18. Until then, take care.
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, says the issue of a broad, federal anti corruption body is "a distraction" given the disruption in the building industry "far exceeds anything in any other part of the Australian economy".
(On that point you might like to read this piece by The Age's workplace reporter, Nick Toscano.)
Two things can be said about that.
It either gets the legislation passed that it wants and goes to an election later in the year with the upper house voting changes already in place.
Or it doesn't get the legislation passed, goes to an election with the voting changes in place, gets a new Senate and has the construction watchdog legislation passed at a joint sitting of Parliament.
Surely at least one or two crossbench senators might spend the next month considering the point of voting down legislation and going out in a blaze of glory only to see that legislation passed later in the year.
Is the government genuine about wanting this legislation passed? If so, it would accept reasonable amendments to the legislation.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash told ABC television earlier today the government would negotiate amendments "in good faith" but was not interested in anything that would "fundamentally change" the legislation.
The ABCC legislation has a "one in 20 chance" of getting passed, Senator Xenophon says, and if that happens "Malcolm Turnbull will be as surprised as anyone else".
Back to topSenator Xenophon says it "would be foolish not to debate it".
"That's what we're paid for, to get on with it," he says.
"102 more sleeps until the next election - this is really cruel and unusual punishment on the Australian people. I'd just prefer an election, I just want to get it over and done with."
"The Senate may decide not even to debate the ABCC legislation," Senator Xenophon says which would create an interesting constitutional question in relation of whether that would count as a failure to pass.
(Labor has been making rumblings about this.)
"Sometimes the Senate needs to save the government from itself," he says referring to the Senate's refusal to pass the Howard government's industrial relations legislation.
Senator Xenophon says "the problem with horse trading is sometimes you end up with a donkey or you make an ass of yourself".
He will write to Mr Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash about what he would like to see in relation to the building watchdog legislation.
"I would be foolish to close options at this stage," he says.
Senator Xenophon is showing his hand.
He says issues in the construction industry "cannot be compartmentalised" (remember other independents want a broader national anti corruption body). He also wants to see redress and protection for whistleblowers.
"I get the feeling the government is itching for a fight....I get the feeling that in his heart of hearts Malcolm Turnbull might be deeply disappointed if this legislation gets through."
Senator Xenophon is speaking in Parliament House: "Malcolm Turnbull reminds me of Mohammed Ali - floating around the constitution like a butterfly so he could sting a double D."
Senator Xenophon says he was inspired to make this particularly pun because of the journalists at the press conference is wearing an outfit that reminds him of a bee.
Moving on.....
Back to topIt's not throwback Thursday but this is still pretty good:
March 22, 1980: Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull married in England - clipping from the Australian Women's Weekly. pic.twitter.com/OZ2a7FjeHD
— Canberra Insider (@CanberraInsider) March 22, 2016
Chief political correspondent Mark Kenny looks at the same-same-but-different argument when it comes to Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott.
"Where initially, Turnbull wanted to avoid rubbing salt into Abbott's wounds, he has finally come to the conclusion that no amount of space and sensitivity will salve the vanquished's grief," Mark writes.
"So when Abbott dog-whistles that Turnbull had no justification for the September coup, Turnbull hits back, listing the reasons.
I was just reading the official transcript of Mr Turnbull's interview with Melbourne radio host Neil Mitchell and I thought you might like to read the whole answer Mr Turnbull gave when asked about Mr Abbott.
"As I said earlier today there is continuity and there is change," Mr Turnbull said. "I give full credit to Tony Abbott for his success, for example in stopping the boats. Mind you, you know continuity and change, Tony's government which I was a member, our policy on stopping the people smugglers was to re-instate the policy of the Howard government of which we were both cabinet ministers. When I was opposition leader before Tony became leader I strongly opposed Rudd's dismantling of the Howard policy. So whether it is Howard as leader of the Liberal Party, Abbott or Turnbull, we've had the same policy on border protection. So this is not something that was invented by Tony Abbott, this has been a continuum and we will maintain the same policy commitment."
And that's it for Mr Shorten.
Expect that format to continue - Mr Shorten pops up to mention a policy area he says the government is not interested in with special mentions of the length of the campaign and the disunity of the Coalition.
Mr Turnbull's move is "panicked", Mr Shorten says, and the move to bring back Parliament will cost millions of dollars.
"When Australians think about issues that are important at tne next election it's jobs," Mr Shorten says. "It's not your job Mr Turnbull."
"In terms of Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull there's real bitterness there. The whole world can see it.....Within 24 hours of Mr Turnbull calling the election the Liberal Party is at war with itself."
Back to topThe debate about election debates begins.
"I'd look forward to having any debate with Mr Turnbull in the same room," Mr Shorten says.
"It's all continuity with no change," Mr Shorten says of the Coalition's policies.
It doesn't matter who is in charge.
"If Mr Turnbull really believes in anything why hasn't he done anything since September last year?"
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is now speaking: "I am here on day one of Malcolm Turnbull's 103 day election campaign."
He wants to talk about Medicare (which is a canny way of pointing out that this is something that the Coalition does not want to talk about).
"Mr Turnbull loves to talk about what an exciting time it is to be Mr Turnbull....It is not an exciting time to be a patient when Mr Turnbull is in charge of Medicare."
"There is continuity and there is change," Mr Turnbull said in one of his many interviews of the past 24 hours.
Which has sent the twittersphere giggling at the phrase's similarity to the campaign slogan of another politician (albeit a fictional one):
Sensible of Turnbull to stick with a proven re-election strategy. #abc730 pic.twitter.com/VykNXgbOHb
— Jeff Waugh (@jdub) March 21, 2016
So that would put Senator Lambie in the "not happy Jan" column along with most of her colleagues.
To recap - the government needs six of the eight crossbench senators to agree to its building industry watchdog legislation for it to pass.
So far most of the senators are saying "no way Jose" to giving the government its way. Only Bob Day is in favour of the legislation.
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