Federal Politics

Politics live with the government in disarray and Senate to debate same-sex marriage

Photographers 1, Senators 0

With the help of former journalist Derryn Hinch, Senators now have nowhere to hide from photographers in the Chamber.

Time for me to up stumps.

My thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their great work and to you for keeping us company.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Until the bells ring again, good night.

The opposition's chief tactician, Tony Burke, is getting stuck into Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer.

"She couldn't answer a basic question....There's a serious confidence issue already for the minister," Mr Burke says.

"It's not the first time an opposition has moved an amendment of that nature.... t's the first time a government has supported one inadvertently."

"You've got government ministers who pay no attention to the legislation in the parliament."

You can catch up on who is headed for the Senate here.

It's the spot created by the surprise resignation of Stephen Conroy whose departure also cleared the way for the changes to Senate photography which were made earlier today.

It's one of those days when MPs feel like racing to the airport to get home.

Gone are those days.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer during question time on Thursday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer during question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

And that's it for question time for the day and the week.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer departs after question time on Thursday.
Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer departs after question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
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The opposition finishes with a flourish and a question to the government's chief tactician, Christopher Pyne, whose job it is to run the chamber: "How does the leader of the house reckon it's going and is there anything he needs to fix?"

See the same point I made at 2.38 pm.

The opposition has been painting a picture of ministerial incompetence throughout question time

It has asked the Prime Minister to defend the performance of several ministers which Mr Turnbull has declined to do.

Mr Turnbull says he can understand the opposition's need to "wring some small pleasure out of their miserable lot, [but] they will not distract us from serving the people of Australia".

Labor MP Luke Gosling with a red nose to raise awareness of  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome during question time on Thursday.
Labor MP Luke Gosling with a red nose to raise awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome during question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Shorten asks Mr Turnbull "what exactly does a minister have to do to get the sack in your government".

"Sparse are the pleasures of opposition," Mr Turnbull notes, before launching into a list of the stuff he's been getting on with of late (which, to be fair, is not inconsiderable).

"We won't begrudge him his small pleasures but we will get on with governing."

 

Okay, so Ms O'Dwyer has had some low points in her career.

But that was a bit nasty.

Plus, Ms O'Dwyer is pregnant and attacking a pregnant woman is never a good look.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne during question time on Thursday.
Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne during question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

And here is lesson number 5982671 in the optics of question time.

A list of Ms O'Dwyer's perceived failings is read out by the opposition which then asks "what other spectacular policy achievements lie ahead" or if "this if the high point of her brilliant career".

Of course it is ruled out of order. But Ms O'Dwyer answering the question wasn't the point. The point was getting the question on the nightly news.

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The opposition has another go at Ms O'Dwyer.

She is not quite getting around to answering the question and Speaker Tony Smith tells her to get to the point or sit down. Which feels harsh since once upon a time she used to work for him.

She chooses to sit down.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Financial Services Minister  Kelly O'Dwyer during question time on Thursday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer during question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

It's a bit like that today.

Defence Industries Minister Christopher Pyne during question time on Thursday.
Defence Industries Minister Christopher Pyne during question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The opposition turns its attention to Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer and asks if the reason the stuff up in the house last night is because she is not across her portfolio or because she is "incompetent".

Ms O'Dwyer declines to answer that and, instead, turns to tax avoidance.

Question time begins with another question from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on Medicare.

An almost identical question has kicked off each question time this week.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg and Nationals MP George Christensen just before ...
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg and Nationals MP George Christensen just before question time on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Question time - now only five minutes away.

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Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is talking about the National Party's attempts to boost the number of female MPs in its ranks.

He has managed to name check three blokes.

"I must admit he's not a woman," Mr Joyce says.

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie is speaking against same-sex marriage.

"We are ultimately redefining the contours of secular and religious liberty in this country," he says.

Mr Hastie says the US Supreme Court made its decision on same-sex marriage "in fear".

Touche.

Mr Wilkie wants real time reporting of how MPs spend their entitlements, a move he says would go a long way to providing transparency of the system.

"When an MP is found to have done something improper, and when there is a pattern, the AFP should be called in because it is fraud. It's as simple as that," Mr Wilkie says.

And he wants a review done of how MPs spent their entitlements in the last parliament.

There would not be many people outside Parliament House who would disagree.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is calling for an overhaul of MPs' entitlements.

"There is a need for reform. The community wants reform," Mr Wilkie says.

"It is simply outrageous that it is commonplace in this place for parliamentarians to go anywhere Australia, pretty much for personal reasons, and then to dress it up as a legitimate trip." 

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