Just the House sitting this week with the Senators working extraordinary hours on Estimates.

My guest on the podcast this week is the Labor MP for the Victorian seat of Chisholm, Carina Garland.

Here’s the 5&5.

BEST

A pay rise for 2.6 million Australians
Brendan O’Connor’s one liner
Aged care worker, Donelle
No gotchas or grandstanding
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

WORST

The Opposition’s geography skills
Josh Frydenberg waiting in the wings
The second worst minister in the history of Medicare
D’oh!
The Greens Party

1. Remember during the election campaign when the now-PM answered a question about whether he thought the lowest paid should get a pay rise to keep up with inflation? His answer: “Absolutely!” For the rest of the campaign he kept a one dollar coin in his pocket to reinforce his point that the low paid deserved a pay rise. This week the Fair Work Commission handed down its Annual Wage Review, which will see 2.6 million Australian workers get a 3.75% pay rise. Since the election the minimum wage has now risen $3.77 an hour. All because we’ve advocated for Australian workers. I was answering a question about the wage review on Monday and referred to the PM’s lucky $1 coin. He went to grab it from the drawer where he keeps it during Question Time and found that someone had nicked it! After finishing my answer I subtly went to the staff to see how quickly they could get the dollar coin. Not long after someone surreptitiously dropped one off to me and I passed it to the PM so he could use it in his final answer of the day.

2. Peter Dutton jumped up on a point of order on Tuesday while Brendan O’Connor was answering a question about investing in skills. Brendan was pointing out the Liberals’ shameful record. Dutton’s point of order was that Brendan was being too angry. Brendan nailed the irony of Peter Dutton raising that point of order: “I won't be taking anger management lessons from the Leader of the Opposition.”

3. Aged Care Minister Anika Wells gave a great answer on Tuesday about the difference we’re making to aged care after a decade of neglect under the previous government, telling the story of Donelle. It’s these personal stories that really show how we’re changing people’s lives.

4. One of the refreshing things about a larger crossbench is we get better questions from the non-government benches. On Tuesday Allegra Spender got up to ask Mark Butler a question about mental health, representing concerns from her constituents in Wentworth. It was a serious, honest question, which Mark answered in a serious, honest way. No gotchas or grandstanding.

5. Peter Dutton used Question Time on Thursday to ask about preferences and majority government at the next election. The PM was quick to remind him of some facts.

“I'm reminded of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and what the meaning of life is. In this case, the meaning of life is 78, which is how many members that we have over this side … As the Australian Labor Party, we govern by ourselves. We aren't part of a coalition. You are. The only coalition party here is the Liberal Party with the National Party, who, when they were last in government, refused to publish the deal between the Liberal Party and the National Party—having that tail wagging the Liberal Party dog. The Australian Labor Party proudly does not govern in coalition with any political party, nor will we in the future.

1. Pressure has been really increasing in the Parliament for Peter Dutton to start releasing information about his nuclear policy - specifically where the reactors will go. It’s been 675 days since he said they’d go nuclear and we still have no detail. On Monday Chris Bowen was answering a question about energy policy and referenced Germany (who closed down their last nuclear plant last year). There was an interjection from the Opposition about France (not Germany). Chris didn’t miss a beat in taking the interjection: “France and Germany are different countries! One has the Eiffel Tower and one has the Brandenburg Gate! They are different places; they speak different languages."

2. Former Liberal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was the name on everyone’s lips at the start of the week, with speculation he might be running for Parliament again in the seat of Kooyong. That’s despite the fact the Liberals have already pre-selected Amelia Hamer to run for the seat. Liberal MP for the Victorian seat of Casey was interjecting on Monday during an answer Jim Chalmers was giving. The Speaker booted him under 94a and Jim didn’t miss the opportunity. “He should be careful, or Josh Frydenberg might be in his seat when he gets back!"

3. On Wednesday the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (and former Health Minister under Tony Abbott) Sussan Ley thought it would be a good idea to ask Mark Butler a question about bulk billing.

“I appreciate the dorothy dixer from the member opposite, a member that I think all members of this House recognise as not the worst* health minister in the history of Medicare but perhaps the second worst minister in the history of Medicare."

* Peter Dutton was voted Australia’s worst health minister by doctors in 2015

4. On Wednesday Ted O’Brien asked Chris Bowen a question about the extension of the Eraring Power Station in NSW. Chris was happy to take the question, pointing out he’s held a number of press conferences on that exact topic. Jim Chalmers shot back, interjecting “Keep up, Homer!"

5. On Wednesday there was a question from the crossbench to the PM about anti-semitism, bigotry and the safety of electorate officers. Electorate officers are at the frontline of helping vulnerable people in our communities, whether it’s with immigration, social security or the NDIS. It’s really important work. There’s been real concern about what the Greens Party are doing with a series of protests at different offices - some of which have become violent. The PM in responding to the question made clear that people do have a right to peaceful protest - and for the horrors we’re seeing in the conflict in the Middle East there will of course be peaceful protest. That’s important in a democracy. But the issue of staff who are there to help pensioners, people with visa issues or the NDIS being threatened, intimidated or stopped from getting into their work - there was a really important drawing of the line on Wednesday. Subsequent to the PM making that point the Greens Party moved a motion about the conflict. These motions are being moved every week by the Greens Party and we’ve been letting them run. But last week when a motion was moved it was purported to have been a resolution as to whether or not the Palestinian state should be recognised. That was not what was before the Parliament and the Greens Party – for reasons I will never understand – promoted it as though it was, which meant there were stories in Australia and around the world that claimed there had been a setback for the cause of Palestinian recognition. What we decided to do this week was to make sure that motions like that - we’re not putting them to the vote anymore. We’ll simply move that the debate be adjourned. The Greens Party also have been spreading misinformation with claims of weapons being sent from Australia to Israel. It’s not happening. The misinformation is understandably inflaming people. Yes there is a difference of opinion and yes there will be people speaking in a forthright manner, but hopefully when the Parliament next sits we can be dealing with facts and not misinformation.

Parliament’s not sitting the next two weeks. Both Houses will be back in the business of getting through legislation.

‘til then,

Tony

PS. Song of the week goes back to that lucky coin - it’s “Dollar” by Thelma Plum.

5&5: The lucky coin