Dutton has ‘turned his back’ on Palestinians, Ed Husic says
The industry minister, Ed Husic, has accused Peter Dutton of having “turned his back” on those fleeing Gaza during an interview on Sky News on Sunday.
Dutton has been urging the government to undertake a pause in the visa intake from the region until security vetting processes could be ensured, claiming terrorist sympathisers had been admitted to Australia.
Husic accused the opposition leader of politicising the issue.
Peter Dutton was in [government] where he provided support for Syrians, for Afghans and for Ukrainians, and then all of a sudden, just shut the door in one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes we’re witnessing.
That speaks volumes about Peter Dutton, someone who is seeking to be an alternative, where he can turn his back on parents that are trying to save lives of their kids, all for the sake of him shoring up his political situation.
Department of Home Affairs figures showed 7,100 visas from Palestine had been rejected, and of the 2,922 that had been approved, 1,300 had arrived safely in Australia.
Husic’s comments come after the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, accused the opposition leader of deliberately stirring division with his views on Gaza.
– AAP
Key events
Shamikh Badra is one of many Palestinian Australians hurt by the Coalition’s recent push to impose a temporary blanket ban on granting visas to those escaping the deadly conflict in Gaza.
The Sydneysider, who is undertaking his PhD, has been desperately trying to get his elderly mother out of Gaza City after Israeli tanks destroyed the family home last year.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, escalated the opposition’s rhetoric against Palestinians fleeing Gaza this week, criticising the security checking process for visa applications and urging a temporary blanket pause.
The comments have stirred furious debate over whether the approach is discriminatory, shortly after Asio’s director general, Mike Burgess, cautioned politicians “to be careful about their robust political debate”, warning it could “drive violence in our society”.
Badra says Dutton and the opposition’s comments are “deeply troubling” and provoke a “strong reaction” in him.
He would not make such statements if, as an Australian citizen, he had family trapped in Gaza, suffering from a lack of medicine, water and food due to the ongoing conflict, and if his family had died under those dire circumstances.
For more on this story, read the full feature story by Sarah Basford-Canales:
Michael Sukkar accuses Labor of ‘cavalier attitude’ towards visa security checks
The opposition’s housing spokesperson, Michael Sukkar, is accusing the government of a “cavalier attitude” to the security vetting process.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Sukkar has repeated the Coalition attack on the government saying “you’ve got to put the interests of Australians first”.
They think that there’s nothing wrong with bringing Hamas sympathisers and supporters potentially to this country.
You’ve got to put the interests of Australians first … and their interest is not supported by Hamas supporters and sympathisers being granted visas into this country.
– AAP
Tourist visas granted to Palestinians in order ‘to get people out as quickly as you can’, Husic says
Ed Husic has defended the government’s decision to grant tourist visas to those fleeing Gaza as they were able to process the visas faster.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the military campaign carried out by Israel in the Gaza strip since the October 7 terrorist attack.
Refugee visas take longer, and given what’s happening right now and the dangers presented, the view was to try and get people out as quickly as you can.
We are trying to assist at some of the toughest points in time that people are facing.
The federal government has insisted the security vetting process for issuing visas is the same as when the Coalition was in office.
– AAP
Dutton has ‘turned his back’ on Palestinians, Ed Husic says
The industry minister, Ed Husic, has accused Peter Dutton of having “turned his back” on those fleeing Gaza during an interview on Sky News on Sunday.
Dutton has been urging the government to undertake a pause in the visa intake from the region until security vetting processes could be ensured, claiming terrorist sympathisers had been admitted to Australia.
Husic accused the opposition leader of politicising the issue.
Peter Dutton was in [government] where he provided support for Syrians, for Afghans and for Ukrainians, and then all of a sudden, just shut the door in one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes we’re witnessing.
That speaks volumes about Peter Dutton, someone who is seeking to be an alternative, where he can turn his back on parents that are trying to save lives of their kids, all for the sake of him shoring up his political situation.
Department of Home Affairs figures showed 7,100 visas from Palestine had been rejected, and of the 2,922 that had been approved, 1,300 had arrived safely in Australia.
Husic’s comments come after the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, accused the opposition leader of deliberately stirring division with his views on Gaza.
– AAP
Dutton doubles down on refusing Gaza refugees in editorial
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has published an opinion piece in News Corp papers, doubling down on his views that Australia should refuse to allow refugees from Gaza into the country.
The editorial repeats attacks against the government over what the opposition claims is a failure to provide proper security checks for refugees arriving in Australia from Gaza.
Dutton says “we need to be clear-eyed about Palestinians in Gaza” as “the problem” is that “we cannot tell who’s who, unless thorough background checks are done.”
Some Gazans are Hamas terrorists. Some will have been accomplices in holding hostages.
Some may not be violent, but support Hamas – a declared terrorist organisation – and its use of violence. Some may have no fondness for Hamas, but will be anti-Semitic.
And some Gazans will be people of good character, potentially able and willing to integrate into a democratic nation and subscribe to its values.
The editorial concludes by accusing Labor, the teal independents and the Greens of being “useful idiots” for Hamas over allegations that the Coalition’s position is “racist” and that they have demonstrated a “complete disregard for our national security”.
The border crossings in Gaza are currently controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces and no one is being allowed in or out.
For context, John Howard intervened to allow 4,000 Kosovar refugees to enter Australia during the war in Yugoslavia.
The final question is on the Labor government’s backdown on a blanket gambling advertising ban, that was bipartisan.
I’m not a wowser, I enjoy a flutter, but I will introduce gambling to my kids when I’m ready, not because we want to watch football. We have to look after free-to-air TV, they are under threat and we need to make sure we get the balance right. There is an opportunity for a bipartisan approach here to get this right, but the community is clearly telling us that we have to do something and do something soon.
Littleproud suggests Coalition would send ‘market signals’ to favour gas and nuclear investment over renewables
The Nationals leader is now asked about renewable energy and whether or not the Coalition will seek to limit the setup of big projects.
Littleproud, citing the Grattan Institute, says that “the low hanging fruit” of renewable energy projects have been “done” – these are projects located around existing transmission lines and other infrastructure. The Nationals leader says that to go beyond this will “destroy the very thing we’re trying to protect”, being the environment.
Obviously once you go beyond that, you are going onto greenfield sites, destroying the very thing we’re trying to protect, the actual natural environment, and also impacting many of the land holders with the transmission lines. While the land holders might get turbines and solar panels, they might get financial benefit, but those with transmission lines don’t.
Speers: Will you put a cap on those projects?
We will have a mix. To have an all-renewables approach puts all your energy eggs in one basket.
Littleproud was then asked about the potential for a cap on renewable energy investment, at a time when the Coalition wants to set up nuclear power plants.
If you put in baseload power and shift some of that coal-fired into nuclear and you increase gas … and that will be our solution to that transition, is gas – then you actually do limit the amount of increased renewables put in it.
The Nationals leader was pushed on whether there will be a cap.
Well, the market, as I said, you will be sending the market signals. That’s what governments do, they send the market signals by sending those messages about how we will have the energy grid.
And a third time:
Not necessarily a hardline cap, but by us putting in place nuclear plants that the Australian people will own, that’s going to … pure mathematics tell you that in fact what will happen is you will need less renewables, but we’ll need more gas.
Asked whether the Coalition wants to tell investors that the government wants less renewables:
We will be sending the actual mix of what we’re looking for and what we want to achieve, and that’s about making sure we have reliable, affordable power. Regional Australia’s future shouldn’t be one determined by born billionaires with teal members of parliament that have an ideology telling regional Australia’s future is to be littered with transmission lines, solar panels and wind turbines. Regional Australia wants a different future to that. We want to be part of the energy transition. Renewables is part of that, but so too is gas and so too will be nuclear.
Asked about tax cuts for the wealthy, Littleproud says that the tax system needs to tackle “bracket creep” at “some point” or “we will have a tax system that doesn’t reward effort”.
So why wouldn’t we have the courage to say to Australians, “We want you to be aspirational, we want you to go out and have a red-hot go and get ahead in life and be rewarded financially, but not have the tax man sitting over the top of you.”
Littleproud is asked about his support for the idea of “zonal taxation” but says he is “not going to announce the policy today”, only that the part is “working through a suite of measures”. He also says he won’t be drawn on whether the party will push for lower taxes for people in regional areas.
Migrants should be encouraged to fill skills shortages in regions, Littleproud says
Littleproud says funding may help but any extra money for the states needs to be tied to specific outcomes.
As our federation’s changed, I think the funding that comes from the federal government needs to come with serious outcomes and I support the government if they are going to continue down that track, but we need to seriously look at the curriculum.
On the skills shortage now and the Coalition plan to cap migration rates, Littleproud says the Coalition wants to “encourage them to go to those parts where we do have shortages” rather than to major cities where they may become “dog groomers and martial arts instructors”.
When you have a housing crisis, you probably want to bring in a few roofers, tilers, builders, and those where you can bond them to regional Australia. What we’ve found, if you bond them for five to six years, invariably they’ve made a connection with the community and they don’t want to leave.
Poor Naplan results due to ‘cluttered’ curriculum, Littleproud says
The conversation pivots sharply now to concerns about the Naplan results and school curriculums. The Nationals leader says the poor results can be cured by “getting back to basics” and “decluttering” the curriculum.
I get feedback from teachers and principals that there is just too much in the curriculum for them to cover, and they are not doing the basics well enough because they don’t have the time. We need to let the grassroots, which are the teachers out there on the ground to be able to articulate what is going to work. My father was a teacher, and I can tell you it’s getting back to the basics and giving them the tools, not cluttering the curriculum up.
Littleproud has refused to say whether he has confidence in statements by the head of Asio, Mike Burgess, that, following proper procedure, he is not worried about the security risk posed by refugees arriving in Australia from Gaza.
The Nationals leader was asked twice, saying only that it’s “beholden on government to give us that confidence”.
He is then asked a third time about whether he doesn’t have confidence in statements from the head of Asio that the proper checks have been done.
No, that’s not what I said at all … that’s more than likely been done, but I think it’s appropriate that the government gives that confidence to the Australian people and everybody else.
Littleproud also says he does not believe Dutton was “playing politics” on the issue.
You tell me if that is not a reasonable suggestion, to actually put forward a policy that has been utilised before, that has given Australians confidence and comfort about the people we bring to this country. That’s our primary responsibility, to keep Australians safe.
Littleproud says 24 hours not enough to conduct visa security assessments
Littleproud has cast doubt on the veracity of security checks carried out on Palestinians who have arrived in Australia, saying a 24-hour turnaround is not enough to conduct a proper security assessment.
On allegations that the Coalition has been politicising the issue, Littleproud says “it’s reasonable for the opposition to simply ask questions and put reasonable solutions to make sure we get that comfort and we’re doing more”.
David Littleproud speaking on Insiders
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, says the opposition “still welcomes members of the Islamic faith to this country” but the Coalition still has concerns about those travelling to Australia from “a war zone” given the “fluid nature of it”.
When you’re looking at a war zone and the fluid nature of it, that why wouldn’t you put in place the programs and the procedures that were put in place in the past and give Australians comfort and give those families, and those particularly bringing children here who want to have a safe existence, that we can promise them that, because we haven’t brought someone in that doesn’t have the hate that is permeating in some parts of the world to this country and utilising that to tear away at the very safety of our great country.
The Nationals leader says there “may be a juncture in the future where we can open up our borders again to those wanting to flee Gaza”.
It is worth remembering that, currently, Israel controls the only way in or out of the Gaza strip and people are not allowed to leave.
NSW electoral commission rejects Liberals’ demand for nomination extension
The New South Wales Liberal party has demanded a week-long extension to lodge nominations for more than 130 council candidates after the party missed the deadline in a “monumental stuff-up”.
But acting NSW electoral commissioner, Matthew Phillips, considered the grounds for the request and on Saturday rejected an extension.
The NSW Liberal party president, Don Harwin, sent a letter to the NSW electoral commission overnight Friday after the party’s head office missed the Wednesday noon deadline to lodge the necessary paperwork to nominate all of its candidates for the local government elections on 14 September.
Guardian Australia understands Harwin gave the electoral commission until 4pm on Saturday to respond, and that the letter detailed “issues” with the electoral process.
It is understood that the letter also pointed to a section of the Local Government Act outlining that there is discretion around the nomination deadline of the fifth Wednesday before polling day, with the election manager able to determine a different date “in a particular case”.
For more on this story, read the full report by Jordyn Beazley:
The federal Nationals leader, David Littleproud, will speak to ABC Insiders host, David Speers, on Sunday morning.
We will bring you all the latest as it happens.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
The NSW electoral commission has rejected a demand from the NSW Liberal party for an extension after it failed to meet a deadline to register more than 130 council candidates. The party made the request on Saturday after it was reported the party was considering taking legal action against the commission if it failed to grant a week-long extension.
The Albanese government will offer cheap loans to homeowners and investors looking to make energy efficient upgrades as part of a $160m scheme announced on Sunday. The initiative forms part of a billion dollar household energy upgrade fund and will allow applications to take out low-rate loans to install solar arrays, batteries, EV chargers, double-glazed windows and insulation.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
