Dangerous for the country”: O’Neil on two home affairs minister

Clare O’Neil said the fact that the head of ASIO didn’t know there were two ministers for Home Affairs was “dangerous for the country.”

O’Neill cites the recent example this weekend of the shooting at Canberra airport required her to make a decision as minister for home affairs. She says there are issues of who would own legal responsibility for decisions made if there were two people sworn into the ministry.

She likens Morrison to a “despot” accumulating the additional ministries.

Key events

“Stop playing this down”: home affairs minister chides Dutton and Joyce

Clare O’Neil, the home affairs minister, has followed Barnaby Joyce on ABC Radio.

She’s come out guns firing calling the previous interview with Joyce “ unbelievable.”

“Stop playing this down,” O’Neil says to Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce.

She says this is not a “run of the mill scandal…that is not what has happened here.” It is she says an “unprecedented violation of our democracy.”

Amy Remeikis

Amy Remeikis

What did Joyce know as Morrison’s deputy?

Barnaby Joyce is speaking to ABC RN radio host Patricia Karvelas about what he knew, when, about Scott Morrison’s extra roles, given he was deputy prime minister (for a while at least) in the Morrison government.

Joyce is trying to both sides it. He didn’t know, he says – other than resources – but it wasn’t illegal, so he doesn’t believe Morrison should have to go.

“And it was in a it was in a form of you know, he has the authority,” Joyce says of knowing about Morrison and resources.

But once more I’d say to you and your listeners, there’s nothing illegal about it. Improper. Well, that’s a question take up with Mr. Morrison but illegal No.

Josh Butler

Josh Butler

“Remarkable” Morrison didn’t tell Frydenberg he’d sworn himself into treasury, PM says

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been on Brisbane’s 4BC radio this morning. No new massive revelations about additional secret ministries Scott Morrison may have assumed (yet), but Albanese did talk about his record collection and rugby league preferences.

(It wasn’t exactly a news-breaking hard-hitting interview)

Right toward the end of the five-minute chat, after talking about his mid-election Covid diagnosis and watching the Newtown Jets at Henson Park, the hosts squeezed in a question or two about Morrison. Albanese said it was “beyond my comprehension” why the former PM had sworn himself into five extra portfolios, claiming Morrison had tried “to centralise power”.

Albanese said:

I just find it bizarre.

Democracy relies on people being honest and transparent about what’s going on and people being accountable. That’s why this is such a shocking series of revelations.

Albanese said it was “remarkable” that Morrison didn’t tell then-treasurer and deputy, Josh Frydenberg, that he’d sworn himself into the treasury portfolio.

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Lorena Allam

Lorena Allam

Indigenous leaders to meet today working towards Voice

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney will meet with her state and territory counterparts today, with a constitutionally-enshrined Voice to parliament at the top of the agenda.

Linda Burney says she is keen to discuss ways of working with state and territory ministers in support of a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament, and to fully implement the Uluru statement from the heart.

The minister said in a statement ahead of Wednesday’s meeting:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an issue that is above politics.

I want to work cooperatively with the states and territories to make this nation-building project a reality.

At national cabinet earlier this year, state and territory leaders all gave in-principle support for a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the constitution.

Burney said the voice was “a simple proposition”, based on governments listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and taking into account their lived experience in order to develop policies and programs that are more effective.

The meeting would also be an opportunity for states and territories to share progress they are making towards treaties and truth-telling processes. Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory are all enganged in processes, at different stages of development.

Tamsin Rose

Tamsin Rose

NSW premier to respond to landmark floods report

New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet will be in Lismore today to release the findings of a long-awaited report into this year’s devastating flood.

He will announce a reconstruction authority to be established to replace part of Resilience NSW in an overhaul of the state’s emergency management.

That, and other announcements, will be detailed when he formally responds to the recommendations made by the NSW chief scientist, Mary O’Kane, and former police commissioner Mick Fuller after their probe into the February and March disasters.

The body – a key recommendation of the inquiry – will become the state’s lead agency responsible for disaster prevention and recovery will be similar to the one established in Queensland after the deadly 2010/11 floods across the northern state.

More than two dozen recommendations were handed to the government as part of the mammoth report just over a fortnight ago, and all have been supported in part or full.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

‘An amazing, skilled workforce’: people with a disability to be key focus of jobs summit

Josh Butler

Josh Butler

The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, says she will bring a major focus on boosting employment opportunities for people with a disability to the government’s upcoming jobs summit.

Rishworth said:

There is an amazing, skilled workforce that is sadly underutilised. Hiring a person with disability makes good business sense and is good for the nation.

The minister will convene a roundtable meeting next week, with executives from Australia Post, Crown Resorts, the Technology Council, the Council of Small Business, and the wheelchair tennis champion and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott among more than 20 attendees.

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Nearly 10% of young Australians have a disability, with some 2.1 million Australians with a disability being of working age. Rishworth will look to address unemployment and underemployment among people with a disability who want to access work, with discussions on how employers can better support workers, particularly in sectors like technology and tourism.

Rishworth said:

Through my experience as a local member and as a clinical psychologist, I am aware of issues people with disability face in gaining employment and how detrimental unemployment can be for physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

Hiring someone with disability should not be seen as an optional or charitable act. People with disability bring diverse skills and experiences and make significant contributions to the workplace.

Amanda Rishworth
‘Hiring someone with disability should not be seen as an optional or charitable act’: Amanda Rishworth Photograph: Dean Martin/AAP

She said employers could start “thinking outside the box” on how to employ people with disability, including providing more flexibility for employees and workplaces – such as work from home arrangements.

Jordan O’Reilly, CEO of disability support network Hireup, said “mundane practicalities” like transiting to an office, or navigating an office environment, are among barriers preventing people with a disability being able to access more work.

O’Reilly said flexibility provided by technology was one way of getting more people into workforces.

Good morning!

Australians should be prepared for more rain as the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting La Nina conditions to return for a rare third consecutive year.

In more wet weather news, the New South Wales government will today hand down findings into the catastrophic February and March floods , responding to the recommendations made by the NSW chief scientist, Mary O’Kane, and former police commissioner Mick Fuller.

The NSW premier Dominic Perrottet will announce a new reconstruction authority to replace part of Resilience NSW. This is a key recommendation of the report and the body will become the state’s lead agency responsible for disaster prevention.

Federal and state Indigenous affairs ministers are also meeting today for the first time to discuss the Indigenous voice to parliament and various stages of state treaty and truth telling processes.

Meanwhile, reactions continue to roll in to the revelations that have come through that the former prime minister Scott Morrison held an additional five ministries in secret.

The host of ABC Radio Patricia Karvelas has tweeted that Josh Frydenberg is “livid”:

Scott Morrison called Josh Frydenberg to apologise for secretly becoming Treasurer. The former treasurer has told people he is “livid”

We’ll bring you more reactions as they come.

Let’s kick off.




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