Labor rejected One Nation preference deal after James Ashby approach – politics live

• Preference deals in the WA election have become the focus after the WA Liberals confirmed they would do a preference swap with One Nation. The National party is not happy because the Liberals are preferencing Pauline Hanson above the Nats in some seats. Barnaby Joyce threatened in a sort of “two can play at that game” kinda way. Attorney general George Brandis said the WA Nats have already preferenced other parties ahead of the Liberals in the past. Later in the afternoon, Pauline Hanson accused Labor of trying to get a grubby preference deal with One Nation but Labor’s state secretary denied this. Evan Moorhead said it was One Nation chief of staff James Ashby who approached Labor and Labor rejected his proposal. To be helpful, Tony Abbott said he would personally preference the Nats ahead of One Nation if it were up to him. Which contrasted with Malcolm Turnbull who said very little.
  
• Energy policy was the other topic that dominated question time after freedom of information documents revealed the prime minister’s department had received advice over the September 2016 statewide blackout in South Australia. The advice said it was not caused by renewables. Malcolm Turnbull said he did not say the blackout was caused by renewables but due to the SA Labor government introducing more renewables without properly planning for it. While it is hard to find a Turnbull quote in which he directly blames renewables for the blackout per se, the key message from the government since the blackout has been against renewables for the sake of cheap energy. This is what Turnbull said after the blackout: “Let’s take this storm in South Australia … as a real wake-up call. Let’s end the ideology and focus on clear renewable targets.”
  
• The prime minister marked the ninth anniversary of Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations. He foreshadowed the Closing the Gap report tomorrow, acknowledges the importance of the words and says deeds rather than words would get Australia on the path to reconciliation.
  
• As we close the blog, One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts has just suggested more guns equal less crimes. He is speaking against a government bill that would provide for a mandatory minimum sentence and increase maximum penalties for trafficking firearms or firearms parts within Australia, and into and out of Australia. “It is incumbent on us to promote freedom over control”. He has called the bill “Stalinesque”.

Thanks to the brains trust including Gareth Hutchens, Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp and Mike Bowers. Tomorrow is another day so join us for #politicslive for all the news from the party rooms.

Let me turn out the lights. Good night.