5&5: The Vegemite Files
Monday was a public holiday in Canberra so the House only sat for three days, but there was plenty packed into that time.
This week on the podcast I’m joined by Patrick Gorman, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister - you can listen here.
Here’s the 5&5.
BEST
Julie Collins' home run
Joy McKean's industry defining achievements
Clare O’Neil's understanding response to Fletch
The Vegemite Files: S4 E10
A standing ovation to Walter Mikac
WORST
The community impact of last Sunday’s tragic bus crash
Radioactive Ted O’Brien
David Littleproud's short term memory loss
Max Chandler-Mather-Anti-Housing
The Opposition's tired old attacking game
1. The debate over the Housing Australia Future Fund is one of the strangest I’ve ever seen. The Liberals are consistent - they just don’t want there to be a government fund to help with housing supply. But the position from the Greens Party is extraordinary. Here’s how Housing Minister Julie Collins put it: “Sadly, this has become all about the politics. And it shouldn't be. This is not an opportunity for doorknocking. It's not an opportunity for campaigning. It's about people on the ground, people that need homes the most. We're going to continue to stand up for people that need the homes, and the Senate should support the Bill.”
2. We celebrated the life of Joy McKean in the House this week. A giant of Australian country music, Joy died recently at the age of 93. She won the first ever Golden Guitar Award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1973. Joy was married to Slim Dusty and was his manager. Their careers were a partnership. A champion for women in the Australian music industry, she helped then up-and-coming artists like Beccy Cole and Kasey Chambers. It was lovely to hear from Liberal MP Russell Broadbent during the motion – who told the story of how Slim and Joy had given permission for Labor MP Duncan Kerr to use the song “Beer With Duncan” in his successful campaign for the seat of Denison.
3. The Opposition really should stop trying to make Fletch happen. During Question Time on Wednesday the Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil was asked about what we’re doing to clean up the mess left in cybersecurity by the previous government. Before she could even answer Paul Fletcher was up, trying to argue the question was out of order. The Speaker ruled it in order. Here’s how Clare started her answer. “I understand why this is a touchy subject for those opposite. If I wasted a decade on the benches behind me, I would feel touchy about it too.”
4. Angus Taylor’s Vegemite blunder from last sitting fortnight came back to haunt him this week. Angus, his left arm in a sling – he never uses his left wing anyway – bowled up a question to the Prime Minister on the Budget. The PM shot back, referencing the way Angus has been bagging his shadow cabinet colleagues. “They are not happy little Vegemites over there Mr Speaker. They are not happy little Vegemites.”
5. There was a really powerful moment on Thursday when the House gave a standing ovation to Walter Mikac, who was in the public gallery. Walter tragically lost his wife and two daughters in the Port Arthur Massacre. He was in Canberra to donate the letters he sent to then Prime Minister John Howard, calling for gun reform, to the National Museum of Australia. Here’s the first sentence Walter wrote - just after the tragedy. “To Mr Howard, As the person who lost his wife and two beautiful daughters at Port Arthur I am writing to you to give you the strength to ensure no person in Australia ever has to suffer such a loss.”
1. Dan Repacholi, the Member for Hunter, told of the impact on his community of last Sunday’s tragic bus crash. The authority and compassion that Dan showed when he addressed the packed Parliament showed his deep understanding of his community and a thorough decency.
2. Remember Ted O’Brien? He’s the Opposition’s spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy who visited Hiroshima to learn about the potential for nuclear energy. Yep, that’s him. During Question Time he’s completely invisible until Chris Bowen stands up - and then the reaction is nuclear. This week it was no different. Josh Burns had a brilliant response on Tuesday, calling out “calm down Radioactive Man”. One for the Simpsons fans this week - particularly good as the interjection came from Mr Burns.
3. There were heaps of points of order this week. I’m getting to the point where I feel I might have to turn up to Opposition tactics to help them. It’s really pitiful. Take this one. David Littleproud jumps up on a point of order, arguing relevance, that there was nothing in his question about cheaper medicines. Guess what the first line of his question had been? “We all support cheaper medicines”. I’m not sure what to do with these people.
4. I guess Greens Party MP Max Chandler-Mather discovered this week - if you’ve got something to hide, probably best you don’t put it on your webpage. He asked the PM a question about building more affordable housing. The PM went straight to Max’s local campaigns: “The Member has never seen a housing development that he wants to support, because if you look at the Member's website it currently hosts at least three separate petitions against housing supply! … So don't come in here and say you support housing when you won't support any in your own electorate.”
5. The Opposition tried to make a lot of noise attacking Finance Minister and Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, this week. There was never anything in it and even the Opposition couldn’t keep the issue running. You could tell by the time they’d started they were already looking for the off-ramp. But what they really missed was the extraordinary achievements this week, of Katy Gallagher’s role as Minister for Women, being reflected in the new jobs data. Katy has been at the heart of decisions to expand paid parental leave, expand worker flexibility, deliver pay equity, deliver pay rises for aged care workers and implement the Respect@Work report. It shouldn’t have been any surprise that on Thursday we received the best employment data we’ve had for women. Importantly we’re seeing really significant growth of full-time jobs for women, with the various barriers to employment being removed. And you guessed it, from the Opposition - not one question about that.
Both Houses are back on Monday for the final week of this session.
‘til then,
Tony
PS. Had to have something with a Vegemite reference this week. So, song of the week is Men At Work’s “Down Under” - performed by Colin Hay and King Stingray.
