Australia politics live: Coalition to attack Albanese over Payman crossing floor; Queensland to ban logging in greater glider reserve | Australian politics

You can follow the Julian Assange court appearance here:

(Continued from previous post)

Host: Because it is about this issue. This is what I am I’m trying to get to I still don’t feel with respect, I do have an answer on that. Is it because it’s this issue?

Marles:

The caucus is choosing to have agency in relation to this issue.

Yes, this issue and particularly this issue, but as it might have agency in relation to any other issues.

So is this a particular issue? Yes, but but others might occur in the future.

The fundamental point here is there is no mandated consequence in the rules that that’s the point.

And the caucus has agency in terms of how it manages this going forward, and how we seek to manage this particular issue.

Yes, this issue in relation to the Middle East, is to do so in a way which gives expression to the idea that we want to bring Australians together.

And we don’t see that we do that by starting to expel people because they’ve expressed a particular view and the final point I’ll make on this is what is really important here is Senator Payman has made absolutely clear that she wants to continue to represent the people of Western Australia as a Labor Senator as she was elected.

And that’s what will she’ll continue to do.

The host then asks Richard Marles whether it is his view that “Palestine is the specific issue” and Marles says:

I hear the question, but let me get the answer out. There is no mandated consequence [to crossing the floor].

The caucus has agency over how it manages this and every issue, and we’re going to manage this in a way which which lives what we’re seeking to do in the community and that is bringing Australians together.

And you don’t bring Australians together if you send a message in terms of our behaviour here, that we’re about to expel people, impose consequences because of their particular view on this issue.

Host: So it is a special issue then.

Marles: That is how we are seeking … that is how we are choosing to deal with this issue.

The host responds by asking Richard Marles whether crossing the floor is “still a significant issue” within the Labor party.

He says:

Of course, it’s a significant issue … [Host: just not on this issue?] It’s a significant issue.

And I think if you were to ask Senator Payman, she would say it was a very significant issue.

There isn’t a mandated consequence for this within our rules. It’s actually not without precedent. And we’re going to handle this in in in a sensible and a mature way …

Host: What I am trying to get to is, is there something special about this issue?

Marles: There is no mandated consequence and the caucus has agency …

Host: OK, if she crossed the floor on something else, would she face a consequence if it was on China? Or if it was on Myanmar? Would she face a consequence then?

Marles:

If I can get the answer out. Members of our caucus absolutely understand their obligations as part of our caucus. The caucus has agency in terms of how it manages each and every case, and there is no mandated consequence for this.

Fatima Payman will not be expelled from Labor for crossing the floor, Richard Marles says

On domestic issues, Richard Marles is asked about whether there will be consequences for WA senator Fatima Payman’s decision to cross the floor.

Being part of the Labor caucus means adhering to the party position. Crossing the floor can mean suspension or expulsion from the party, but there is no mandated punishment – the caucus leadership can decide on a case by case basis.

Since 1950, there have been 29 Labor MPs who have crossed the floor, and yesterday Payman became the 30th (about 186 Liberal MPs have done it in the same time).

There has been reporting that it was the first since the Hawke government, but two MPs crossed the floor in the Beazley opposition and in 2005, Labor MP Harry Quick asked the Hansard to record he had voted against an anti-terrorism bill as there was no division (so he didn’t physically cross the floor).

On former US vice president Mike Pence’s views that Julian Assange should be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law”, Richard Marles says:

I don’t think it serves to go over Mr Assange’s actions many, many years ago, other than to observe that since then, Mr Assange has been incarcerated for many, many years.

And that’s really the point that we are making here.

Whatever has occurred in the past, Mr Assange has served a considerable amount of time in prison and of course, he was confined for a considerable period of time prior to that.

Does Richard Marles believe that it was political pressure which brought about this day?

Marles:

Again, I don’t think it helps to speculate on that. All I can say is that we’ve been advocating on Mr Assange’s behalf, as we would do in relation to any Australian who is incarcerated overseas who needs the advocacy of the Australian government.

That’s what governments do around the world.

And Mr Assange has circumstances, irrespective of one’s view of what he did previously, he had been incarcerated for a prolonged period of time, there was no fixed resolution to that incarceration that was fundamentally unfair.

That’s what we sought to resolve and, and that’s been the heart of our advocacy.

And in that context, we’re very pleased that we’re getting to this day.

Marles ‘pleased we are seeing movement’ on Julian Assange case

The defence minister, Richard Marles, is speaking to ABC RN Breakfast about Julian Assange:

We’ve been facilitating Mr Assange’s movements. And so as Mr Assange appears in US court this morning in Saipan, and it is my understanding that our ambassador the United States, Kevin Rudd, is there, as is the High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, who’s has been facilitating Mr Assange’s travel.

Obviously, we are limited in what we can say. Now, this is this is before the United States courts literally as we are speaking, and we need to let that process take its course, but we’re obviously very pleased that we are seeing movement and resolution to Mr Assange’s circumstances because he was incarcerated for a protracted period of time.

And there needed to be resolution and we’ve been very much advocating on his behalf, since we’ve come to government with both the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom and we’re pleased we’ve got to this day.

Australia was recently in an El Niño cycle, which usually means drier conditions. (The bureau declared it over in April)

As the climate council explains:

An El Niño event can intensify heat waves, increase the severity of bushfires, and contribute to drought conditions. The influence of El Niño is primarily felt in eastern Australia, resulting in warmer-than-usual temperatures and reduced rainfall. This combination not only heightens the risk of extreme heat but also elevates the danger of bushfires, particularly in southeastern regions.

The bureau is now on La Niña watch, with some of the conditions for a La Niña event having been spotted, but no one can yet say for sure whether one will develop.

What we do know from the scientific research, is that climate change is bringing El Niño and La Niña events more frequently and can mean more extremes with the weather as well.

Liberal MP Dan Tehan had a list of grievances he wished to raise with the house last night. Top of the list: the lack of rain in Victoria and the impact that is having on farming communities.

I rise today to ask the federal government and the Victorian state government to look incredibly seriously at the extraordinarily dry conditions across south-west Victoria and across south-east South Australia. In many parts of western Victoria, south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia, we haven’t had rain since January.

Obviously, we’re now in winter, and we have the makings of what is called a green drought.

High interest rates have been added on top of the prices that farmers are now having to pay for fodder and the other cost-of-living issues that farmers are facing.

We now need both state and federal governments to seriously look at providing some sort of relief to farmers in our region.

I will be writing to both the federal government and the Victorian state government for them to look at this, because farmers are starting to do it really tough as a result of the fact that we haven’t had serious rain in some parts since the middle of January.

With the energy debate once again raging in the parliament, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce is feeling on stronger ground. He stole a few moments in last night’s grievance debate (it is literally called a grievance debate and is a space where MPs can raise any issue that is bothering them) to lay out his own grievances with wind farms.

I’ve got a grievance, that you’re putting your swindle factories – your so-called wind farms – all over our countryside. I’ve got a grievance, that you’re painting our fields a photovoltaic black.

(This has become a favourite line of Joyce’s and he has used it quite a few times in the last few days.)

I’ve got a grievance, that you’re running transmission lines hell west and crooked through our country.

I’ve got a grievance, that people in our area can’t afford their power and, basically, are going cold in the middle of winter.

I put to the member for Fraser: if you think these are such great ideas –these swindle factories, these photovoltaic fields of black – then put them in the seat of Fraser.

Take one wind tower and put it up there.

But no: you want to pay for your virtue by inflicting the problem on us.