| |
| |
Resignation of senior Defence ministers
|
| |
Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne will retire from politics at the next election and Minister for Defence Industry Steven Ciobo stepped down on Friday, effective immediately. The resignations add to the growing list of senior Government members who have announced their departure in recent months.
|
| |
Mr Pyne and Mr Ciobo are among the most influential and experienced members of the Government, having completed 25 and 18 years in Parliament respectively. Mr Pyne is a leading member of the Government’s moderate faction and was a close supporter of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. He was promoted from the Defence Industry portfolio to Minister for Defence by Prime Minister Scott Morrison after the August 2018 leadership change. Mr Ciobo is a prominent conservative who resigned from his previous appointment as Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment to support the leadership challengers and run for Deputy Leader but was returned to Cabinet in his current role by Mr Morrison. Mr Ciobo has been replaced by Senator Linda Reynolds, previously the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs. These announcements follow similar resignations this year, including Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations and Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer, Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop.
The Government’s continual resignations have the dual negative effect of contributing to perceptions of the Government’s disorder and distracting from its election narrative. The party is also losing many of its most experienced political operatives, whose experience would be important for its success regardless of the election outcome. Mr Pyne has been a consistently strong performer for the Government and has managed its parliamentary tactics since 2013 and has driven the Government's strategy for Defence industry growth. He also holds a marginal seat, which will be in doubt at the next election without his personal appeal. Meanwhile, Mr Ciobo holds his Queensland seat of Moncrieff by a 14.5 per cent margin, leading some commentators to suggest Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton may seek nomination there rather than his marginal seat of Dickson. Prime Minister Morrison has attempted to provide continuity in the Defence portfolio by confirming Ms Reynolds will take over from Mr Pyne as Defence Minister should the Coalition be re-elected.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
| “ |
Twenty-seven years ago I was preselected as the Liberal candidate on a platform of renewal – in 2019, it is time to renew again.
|
|
| |
| |
—Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne on his decision to retire from Parliament.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
Government attempts environmental policy shift
|
| |
Prime Minister Scott Morrison focussed on environmental and energy policy last week, revisiting the proposals of his predecessors.
|
| |
Mr Morrison announced a A$2 billion injection into former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Emissions Reduction Fund; and A$1.4 billion for Snowy Hydro 2.0, an expansion project that was a key part of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s effort to reconcile carbon reduction, lower energy prices and grid reliability. Mr Turnbull’s attempt to navigate climate policy was a key factor in his removal from office in August 2018, with Mr Morrison cancelling a key component of Mr Turnbull’s environmental policy — the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) — one month later. Climate change has consistently divided the Coalition Government’s moderate and conservative factions and continues to trigger dissent. Last week, high-profile Liberal candidate for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, received support from Liberal Party President, Nick Greiner, for urging the Government to take more action on climate change. Businesses and industry groups have repeatedly raised concern over the uncertainty caused by the lack of a comprehensive national climate policy.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his visit to the Snowy Hydro site on Tuesday 26 February. Source |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Analysis of latest poll results
|
| |
|
The latest Guardian Essential poll found the Opposition continues to lead the Government on a two-party preferred basis. However, the 52 – 48 per cent margin is slightly smaller than the comfortable 53 – 47 per cent lead the Opposition enjoyed in the January poll. The result sits directly between recent Newspoll and Fairfax/Ipsos polls, which found the Opposition at 53 per cent and 51 per cent respectively.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Prominent conviction dominates media coverage
|
| |
|
Australia’s most senior Catholic official Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of five charges of child sexual abuse. The conviction occurred last year, but a suppression order has prevented any Australian reporting of the matter. The removal of that order has led to widespread coverage, with significant emphasis on two former Prime Ministers, John Howard and Tony Abbott, defending Cardinal Pell’s character. Both major parties have refrained from substantive comment on the case and will likely avoid politicising the issue. As with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, parliamentarians will likely take a bipartisan approach. Nevertheless, the issue distracted from most other political events last week, and further developments in the case — including the sentencing hearing on March 13 — will have a similar effect.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Executive pick for new ABC Chair
|
| |
|
The Government has selected media veteran Ita Buttrose to chair the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The public broadcaster's last Chairman, Justin Milne, resigned over accusations his decision to fire then Managing Director, Michelle Guthrie, was driven by political influence. While a popular decision, the Government received criticism for its selection of Ms Buttrose as she was not shortlisted by the independent panel that interviewed candidates for the role. Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, acknowledged Ms Buttrose’s suitability but stated the decision to overrule the panel’s advice was another example of political interference. As 2013 Australian of the Year and former editor of several popular publications, Ms Buttrose is a competent media executive. Her central task will be maintaining the ABC’s independence while fostering a cooperative relationship with the Coalition Government, which regularly accuses the ABC of bias. The nature of her appointment may also affect her relationship with any future Labor Government.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Border patrols cut in fuel saving measure
|
| |
|
In a letter addressing Senate Estimates questions, Commissioner of the Australian Border Force (ABF) Michael Outram has confirmed his agency restricted boat patrols to save fuel for budgetary reasons. This contradicts statements by Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, who claimed he directed the ABF to maintain patrols at their existing levels. Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Shayne Neumann, asserted economising on patrols was endangering Australia’s border security and would not occur under his party. This undermines the Government’s messaging on border security as it attempts to capitalise on the Opposition’s support for medical evacuation of asylum seekers.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
New Zealand and Australian agreement on Pacific defence cooperation
|
| |
|
Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne and New Zealand Minister for Defence and Veterans Ron Mark discussed security cooperation in the South Pacific at the annual Australia-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ meeting last week. This demonstrates the Government’s intent to work closely with New Zealand on its Pacific step-up strategy.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
