Dutton claims PM ‘misrepresented’ earlier comments about Rudd’s performance as US ambassador – as it happened

20 Mar 202401.28 EDT

Remaining Godfreys stores to close

Jonathan Barrett

All remaining Godfreys Group stores will be closed after administrators failed to find a buyer for the vacuum cleaner retailer.

Administrator PwC said today it had no other option but to start a wind-down of all Godfreys operations in Australia and New Zealand. Franchised stores can trade until the end of March to sell existing stock.

PwC partner Craig Crosbie said:

This is not the outcome Godfreys had hoped for following a rigorous process to find a purchaser for the business that could keep the store network trading.

In the absence of any further bidders coming forward as intermittent trading continues, the process of closing all remaining stores will progress over the next eight weeks.

The well known vacuum cleaner retailer collapsed at the end of January, leaving administrators in search of a buyer to keep the 93-year-old brand alive. Dozens of stores were closed shortly after, and almost 200 jobs lost.

A further 25 office staff were made redundant today.

Crosbie said that while 55 expressions of interest and six indicative offers were received during the sale process, none progressed.

Established in 1931, Godfreys grew into one of the world’s biggest specialist vacuum retailers, but has struggled in an increasingly competitive market that includes competitors The Good Guys, Harvey Norman and numerous online outfits.

Albanese seems properly furious while answering this question:

I’m somewhat surprised to get that question from the manager of opposition business, that says everything about the character of this current opposition.

At a time when Australians are worried about the cost of living and a range of issues that affect their daily lives, they decide to politicise Australia’s representative in Washington DC.

Something that was never done by this side of the chamber when Arthur Sinodinos occupied that position, when Joe Hockey occupied that position, and when other representatives, including Alexander Downer, George Brandis and others as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom.

Because one of the things that I have never seen happen before in 28 years in this chamber is an attempt to politicise Australia’s representative overseas in an important nation such as that. I’ve never seen it before. I’ve never seen it before.

It is once again straight into the questions and Liberal Melissa McIntosh gets the first question:

Western Sydney food charity Mama Lana’s may close down due to energy bills increasing by $900, according to media reports. The founder said the government needs to do more. It’s disgusting that they’re being slapped with higher costs after being promised cuts. When will the minister admit that the Albanese government’s disastrous renewables-only energy policy is leading Australia in the wrong direction?

(editor note: at the heart of the “nuclear” debate is this – the attempt to turn public sentiment against renewables. This is the latest attempt to shape renewables)

Chris Bowen:

I thank the honourable member for her question. And she asked about the government doing more. Perhaps the honourable member might have voted for bill relief, Mr Speaker. Might have been a good start.

Perhaps the honourable member might have voted for coal and gas caps, which were one of the factors in yesterday’s announcement of reducing energy prices including western Sydney.

As I said yesterday, I would have thought any honourable member would welcome the announcement yesterday of reductions in energy prices. A lot more to do.

No one should be complacent. No one should suggest there aren’t pressures in the system. But honourable members can suggest that they could do more when they had an opportunity, including the member for Lindsay, who voted against bill relief for her constituents and voted against coal and gas caps which helped her constituents. So, Mr Speaker, in relation to Endeavour Energy, as I said yesterday - yesterday a 1.9% reduction ...

… And as we do more, I doubt we’ll get support from the member for Lindsay or her colleagues.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has also weighed in on the Rudd’s-future-as-ambassador-if-Donald-Trump-wins-the-November-election issue, telling Ten Network:

The whole point of an ambassador is to be a bridge between the two governments, between the government of Australia and in this case the government and the president, the US administration in the White House.

Now, if Ambassador Rudd has been so reckless as to trash-talk a former president of the United States, who’s made it clear that he was going to run again, then I think that shows a lack of judgement on the ambassador’s part.

I think it will put the prime minister in a very, very difficult position because, you know, Rudd was his personal captain’s pick for that role, and even knowing that he’d trash-talked Trump on the way through.

I think it shows a lack of judgement from the PM in appointing him to that role. He could have put him in as ambassador to another country where he hadn’t denigrated a political figure.

I think it’s going to be very interesting come post-November, because we need to have a person in that role when we’re going through Aukus, our most trusted ally is the USA, and we need to have someone that they respect and value in the role of ambassador.

Back to the Australian media questions (I believe this is the third and last)

Q: Minister Wong, Donald Trump this morning was asked about past criticisms that Kevin Rudd, Australia’s ambassador to Washington, had made of him. And Trump replied, “I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb. If he’s at all hostile, he won’t be there long.” Does it show it was a mistake or very risky for the government to appoint Kevin Rudd as ambassador, given his comments were well known and Donald Trump had already declared his candidacy at the time, and secondly, will the government keep Kevin Rudd as ambassador if Donald Trump returns to the White House?

Penny Wong:

The answer is yes. In relation to the former, what I would say is this, even Mr Dutton has expressed confidence in Mr Rudd. Mr Rudd is a very effective ambassador. He’s recognised as doing across this parliament, as doing an excellent job in advancing Australia’s interests in the United States. I point you in particular to the phenomenal amount of work being done on Aukus in the period that he been ambassador. He has been active in engaging with members of Congress on both sides of politics and he is a former prime minister, former foreign minister, is experience and skills mean he will be able to work closely with whoever is elected by the American people as the United States President.

The second Australian journalist asks a question:

Q: What are you advocating for, for Yang Hengjun? Is it for the death sentence to be lifted or him to return home? I have to ask, as a South Australian, will Adelaide zoo continue to have pandas for years to come?

Penny Wong:

Firstly in relation to Dr Yang, I, we’ll continue to advocate on his behalf. And I reiterated that Australians found the sentence imposed shocking. I don’t propose to outline every aspect of what we put on Dr Yang’s behalf in the media.

But I would say to you, I did want - as I told the media I would, when the sentence was handed down, we’ll not walk away from our advocacy for Dr Yang Hengjun.

On the pandas, there’s obviously further arrangements to be finalised. But I think, I think the – the news of the likely continuation of panda presence in Adelaide zoo has been reported. And I did say to the foreign minister my children would be very pleased.

Q: So done deal on pandas?

Wong:

There’s further arrangements to be put in place. I think we’re on a good path there to continued panda presence.

What are those issues?

Penny Wong:

We discussed the sentencing of Dr Yang Hengjun. I told the foreign minister Australians were shocked at the sentence imposed and I made clear to him the Australian government will continue to advocate on Dr Yang’s behalf.

I also raised our concerns about other Australian death penalty cases, as you know, Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all peoples.

I welcome the progress towards removing trade impediments and reiterated our desire for the beef and lobster. We discussed repeat volatility on nickel markets and I made the point that predictability in business and trade is in all our economic interests.

I raised Australia’s concerns about human rights, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. I expressed our concern, our serious concern about unsafe conduct at sea, our desire for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and in our region. I reflected the review of our region as outlined again and underscored again at the recent Asean summit about the importance of the South China Sea being governed by international law, particular UNCLOS.

We do have important differences. Dialogue enables us to manage our differences. It doesn’t eliminate them, but this government in the interests of Australia, will always seek to manage those differences wisely.

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Advocates for children have also responded to Victoria’s backflip on youth bail laws.

Victoria has become the latest state – along with NSW and Queensland – to change youth justice laws following political pressure.

Gai Campbell, the Victorian state director of 54 reasons, which delivers Save the Children services in Australia, said there was “no evidence” ankle bracelets and electric monitoring reduces offending among children.

A recent review of Queensland’s electronic monitoring trial finding no evidence it reduced recidivism either. In fact, it may have the opposite effect.

It’s a stigmatising and nothing more than a band-aid, when evidence shows that governments should be spending their time on and investing in measures to address underlying causes instead.

Early intervention, rights-based bail support programs, and diversionary programs aimed at reconnecting young people with education, employment and community are the way to go.

The Victorian Government has previously said it intends to enact reforms that support child rights and keep the community safe, so we encourage them to steer away from gimmicks that do not work, and stay the course.

19 Mar 202418.56 EDT

Scrapping of 2026 Commonwealth Games had ‘no discernible benefit’, report finds

Adeshola Ore

The Victorian government’s scrapping of the 2026 Commonwealth Games cost taxpayers more than $589m, with the state’s auditor general finding it had “no discernible benefit”.

An auditor general report, tabled in state parliament on Wednesday, described the cost as significant given the Victoria’s rising debt:

This waste of taxpayer money on an event that will not happen is significant.

Previously the government revealed it agreed to pay Commonwealth Games bodies $380m in compensation, with former premier Daniel Andrews describing it as the “best outcome” the state could get.

19 Mar 202418.33 EDT

Victoria to trial electronic monitoring of children

Benita Kolovos

Victoria’s attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, has confirmed she has scrapped plans to introduce a presumption of bail for children.

Last year Symes put the changes on hold saying she didn’t want to create a debate “about a youth crime crisis that doesn’t exist”. She said the measure would be introduced as part of a future youth justice bill in 2024.

But on Wednesday she confirmed to reporters she wasn’t going ahead with the plans. Instead Symes announced a trial of electronic monitoring of children on bail:

Today I’m saying we’re not proceeding with youth bail changes. The system is already applying the unacceptable risk tests because kids are passing the higher threshold tests quite easily, because young people can demonstrate that it is an extreme measure to be remanded.

They’re already passing those tests. That is what I’m hearing is happening in practice. Therefore, if that’s what’s happening in practice, changing it and creating concern that we are weakening bail, when it’s not necessarily the case is not something that we need to do.

I haven’t been convinced that the case has been mounted to make a change that will have any significant impact.

The meeting between Penny Wong and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi is under way.

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A change in indexation means jobseeker payments will increase by 96 cents a day. This is not because of anything the government has done – it’s a by rote correction for inflation.

Governments like to put out press releases saying how people on welfare will be receiving a “boost” in their payments and you usually see the indexation increases added up at some point to say how much the rate has increased while XX has been in government. But it’s indexed to CPI, which means it is indexed to the inflation rate. So people are receiving a moderate increase to try to match the increase in the cost of living – which they have already been experiencing.

And jobseeker is still below the Henderson poverty line.

Just something to keep in mind.

You can read about the March indexation rates here.

If a Donald Trump presidency did come to fruition, the most likely outcome is Kevin Rudd would be replaced as ambassador by Australia (which most likely would have occurred even without these comments, as Rudd’s comments on Trump were well known (made before he was US ambassador, but still. Awkward.)

Professor of international law at ANU Donald Rothwell tells us there is a way though that Rudd could be forcibly removed as ambassador by the White House (although agrees the most likely outcome would be Australia replacing Rudd by default):

A Trump White House could only effectively dismiss Rudd as Australian Ambassador by declaring him persona non grata under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The result is that he would lose his diplomatic accreditation in Washington and effectively be forced out of the post and have to return to Australia.

This is an exceptional step and would be unprecedented for an Australian Ambassador in Washington and create an inevitable rupture in the bilateral relationship.

The Republican candidate for the US presidency, former president Donald Trump, has had a few things to say about former Australian prime minister and current US ambassador Kevin Rudd.

Trump spoke to UK conservative Nigel Farage on GB News, saying if Rudd is hostile “he will not be there long”:

Farage asked a question “on behalf of our friends at Sky News Australia”:

The Aukus deal that is in place, America, you know, the UK, Australia, very, very important deal, it is there to try and combat that huge growth in China. But now of course things have changed in Australia, we have a Labor government in Australia. The previous ambassador, Joe Hockey, I think was quite a good friend of yours, you got on pretty well with him. Now they have appointed Kevin Rudd. Former Labor MP, an he has said the most horrible things, you were a destructive president, a traitor to the west, and he is now Australia’s ambassador in Washington. Would you [take a phone call from him?]”

Trump interrupts before he finishes to say:

Yeah, well don’t know. He won’t there be long if that is the case. I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little nasty. I heard he’s not the brightest bulb. I don’t know much about him, but he won’t be there long if he is at all hostile.

Ambassadors are chosen by the governments of the nations they are representing, not the governments of the country they land in. That is not to say that the government of the country they head to doesn’t play any role – ambassadors are usually chosen for how they will work within the country – there is no point having an ambassador who can’t get meetings, or be able to push the diplomatic interests of their nation.

Welcome back to parliament for another sitting day we like to call “how is it only Wednesday?”.

Thank you to Martin for starting us off – as he laid out, it’s all about Wang Yi’s visit today. But there is also some more fallout from what looks like the Albanese government decision to shelve the religious discrimination legislation for an indefinite time. There is no bipartisan support for key elements and, after the voice referendum, it doesn’t seem the government isn’t willing to go down another drag ’em out fight that will harm communities.

This is all a hangover from 2016 when the Liberal’s right flank, then led by Cory Bernardi, demanded changes to 18C and 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act. To get the marriage plebiscite over the line in the party room, and again appease the right flank of his party Malcolm Turnbull later agreed to a religious discrimination act. Scott Morrison turned that into “religious freedoms” and even had a bill, but he pulled it from the senate after five Liberals crossed the floor to support an amendment which would prevent religious schools from discriminating against children of different sexualities as well as trans kids.

Each time the debate has been held, it has caused some harm.

We’ll follow the results of the latest foray into this space as the day unfolds. You have Amy Remeikis for most of the day, with Paul Karp, Josh Butler, Karen Middleton, Daniel Hurst and Sarah Basford Canales bringing you the news. Mike Bowers is already out and about.

It’s a four-coffee morning. Ready? Let’s get into it

19 Mar 202415.41 EDT

Press China to release Yang Hengjun, rights group say

Daniel Hurst

Human rights groups have urged the Australian government to demand the immediate release of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and press other human rights issues strongly during meetings with China’s top diplomat today.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra today, with trade, regional security and human rights among the topics expected to be raised.

Amnesty International has written to Wong saying it “joins Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Konger and Chinese human rights communities in urging you to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations and secure tangible improvements”.

Sam Klintworth, the national director of Amnesty International Australia, wrote that Wong should “call on the Chinese leadership to release Dr Yang immediately and unconditionally on humanitarian grounds and ensure that he receives urgent and appropriate medical care”.

Tibetan community associations urged the government not to “repeat past mistakes of sacrificing human rights at the altar of trade”. Zoe Bedford, from the Australia Tibet Council, said:

Normalising trade deals with China at this time is an unacceptable act while China violates the human rights of so many.

Human Rights Watch said the Australian government “should move beyond statements of concern and make clear their intention to seek accountability for China’s ongoing human rights violations”.

19 Mar 202415.29 EDT

Six former detainees accused of breaching visas have had charges dropped, AFP says

Sarah Basford Canales

Six of the 10 former indefinite immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far, Australian federal police have revealed.

In a late-night Senate estimates hearingAFP assistant commissioner Kirsty Schofield said the figure included the three who had been remanded in custody for more serious breaches of conditions attached to the now-invalid visas.

Last Tuesday it was reported the visas given to the NZYQ cohort after their release from indefinite immigration detention had been issued incorrectly. It meant the charges against 10 of the cohort for conditions, such as breaching curfew, were likely to be dropped.

Schofield said the commonwealth director of public prosecutions was working through withdrawing charges for the remaining four.

She also said there were now 152 in the NZYQ cohort, up from 149 previously.

Earlier in the hearing the Liberal senator James Paterson asked whether the AFP was preparing to monitor additional former detainees in response to further high court rulings.

Acting commissioner Ian McCartney said there were “ongoing discussions” and the AFP was ready to “pivot” if further detainees were released. But he also said it was not the police force’s role to monitor any of them.

The AFP’s role is not to monitor, it’s to enforce breaches.

19 Mar 202415.26 EDT

Welcome

Martin Farrer

Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the political day in Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top overnight lines to digest before Amy Remeikis cranks up for another day.

The Albanese government is heading for a roadblock in its attempts to ride out the politically damaging fallout from the immigration detention imbroglio. Our exclusive story shows many more people could be released than previously thought if the government loses the latest legal challenge to the scheme. A leaked internal estimate obtained by Guardian Australia shows more than 170 people in immigration detention could be released if a court decides the scheme is illegal – many more than the 40 reported so far.

Last night at Senate estimates Australian federal police revealed that six former immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far – more on this soon.

The visit by China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, will begin in Canberra today with human rights activists calling on Penny Wong to demand the release of the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed in China on espionage charges since 2019. Wang’s arrival in Australia has already caused political and diplomatic waves, with former Labor prime minister Paul Keating riding at the crest. But if the visit is the hard end of Australia’s relations with China, then Adelaide zoo’s two pandas are the softer, more cuddly end, and we’re looking today at how Wang Wang and Fu Ni tell the story of the relationship’s ups and downs.

Tasmania’s Liberal and Labor leaders will go head-to-head in their final election campaign debate this afternoon as they count down to Saturday’s vote. Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff will butt heads with Labor leader Rebecca White, who is having a third crack at leading the state, at a peoples’ forum in Hobart. Opinion polls point to the Liberals getting the most seats but not enough for majority government. Our reporter has been to the island state and finds that the campaign has been dominated by one issue: the failing health system.