If social media companies don’t ‘play ball’ on ban, Labor can ‘go after them’ – Watt
Despite both houses of parliament having now wrapped up for the year, it’s been a very busy morning in Canberra when it comes to political reaction.
I’ll circle back to a few breakfast interviews we missed – starting with Murray Watt on ABC News Breakfast.
Asked if he thought the under-16 social media ban would work, the minister for employment and workplace relations said yes. And if social media companies – in particular X – would play ball, he also said yes.
We have seen comments from Mr Musk and various other parties about this, but we did include very significant penalties of up to $50m if the social media companies don’t play ball.
I think they will take it seriously, but I think they’ve got an interest in preserving their reputation and their social licence. As every day goes by, the proof becomes clearer about the link between social media and the kind of content that’s appearing on it and the mental health challenges our kids face. Between those fines and social pressure, we will see social media companies play ball – and if they don’t, then we have the ability to go after them.
Key events
End of an era for Shorten and Dutton’s Friday morning Today show appearances
Regular viewers of the Today Show (or regular readers of this blog) may know that NDIS minister Bill Shorten and opposition leader Peter Dutton make a regular, Friday morning appearance on the show – discussing the week that was, and trading jibes.
They usually appear on two separate screens, but today, they stood side-by-side in one of Parliament’s many courtyards – discussing what went down in the Senate yesterday.
Dutton likened the guillotine motion to a “going out of business sale” and said:
It was like everything discounted and whatever it takes to clear the shelves … The Albanese government is sort of running on three flat tires at the moment, and they are limping to Christmas. They’re just getting out of this Parliament. They they spent a monster of taxpayers money to get the Greens across the line in a pretty unholy alliance, and I think people see through it.
After a bit of back-and-forth on the economy and energy, the pair hugged it out – as Shorten is retiring from politics next year, and this marks their last cross together. Dutton joked:
It’s been a rough night when you’re embracing Bill in the morning, that’s all I’ll say.
Birmingham tells voters to watch for ‘destructive behaviour’ of crossbench
Speaking about behaviour in the Senate, Simon Birmingham said that “you don’t have to behave like an idiot or be rude to one another or tear up the conventions … [because this] reflects poorly on this place and it’s unnecessary”.
Asked who he was referencing, Birmingham took aim at some of the crossbench:
We saw that from some of the crossbench, and they provoke one another too. It goes back to that tribalism – those far left, far right elements – and it’s just so very, very unnecessary, attention-seeking behaviour, rather than productive behaviour to actually get things done.
If there’s a parting message in some ways to voters, it’s look at Anthony Albanese and the Labor party, look at Peter Dutton and the Coalition – think about who you want to have govern the country. I’ve seen lots of unpredictable, destructive behaviour that all too often comes from minor parties and crossbenchers.
As Simon Birmingham announced his retirement in the Senate yesterday, he expressed concern “the world is headed into an era where populism trumps the policy”.
Speaking earlier this morning, he pointed to the US as an example of where this is happening and said:
I think those who have sought to play politics, and it’s happened on both the far left and the far right with issues like abortion, that is not the Australian way. I was very pleased to see Peter Dutton slap it down and be very clear about his view that they are state matters, and I think also show that he understands the respect that Australian women expect for their reproductive rights – and it’s just not a debate that we want to have infiltrate our politics like it plays out in the US.
Birmingham confident in Dutton after announcing retirement from politics
The opposition leader in the Senate, Simon Birmingham, also spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning.
Yesterday afternoon, Birmingham announced he would not re-contest the next election and would resign from politics after nearly two decades.
He told the program he felt a bit lighter today, having made the announcement, but “it’s not easy to walk away from the Australian parliament.”
Asked if his announcement was a concession he doesn’t believe Peter Dutton will win next year, Birmingham said no – “far from it”.
Making this decision got harder and harder as the time got closer and closer, because I may well be walking away from the opportunity to be Australia’s next foreign minister.
I have decided there’s something different I should do with my life at this stage, after nearly 18 years in the Senate – just as Bill Shorten is walking away at this election to do something different with his life.
Birmingham said Dutton would provide “ a very strong choice [and] very different policy choices”, pointing to nuclear.
There will be clear choices on the table and I think those polls show a disappointment in the Albanese government that Australians feeling the cost-of-living pressures are clearly showing, and may well show them the way through to that election, and I wish Peter and the team every success.
Watts says Greens and Coalition ‘came to their senses and realised they needed to get this done’ by supporting legislation
Murray Watt defended the “guillotine” motion in the Senate yesterday to pass a slew of legislation, and said it is “no surprise that you do end up with a bit of a log jam at the end of the term”.
This is a larger number than usual, but I’m really pleased that yesterday the Senate did work together, with the government, to pass a bunch of legislation …
He was also asked about comments from Greens leader Adam Bandt that “pressure works”, after it negotiated a number of measures in exchange for supporting the government’s guillotine. But Watt again labelled them as ‘blockers’ of legislation:
They have clearly heard the message that the Australian people are sick of them blocking progressive reform, rather than working with the government to get it done.
I think the Greens – and for that matter the opposition – who supported us on some other legislation recognised it wasn’t going to be in their interests to go through the summer break, trying to explain to people why they stopped more housing being built, cost of living relief being provided, why they stopped online safety measures being taken.
That’s what this legislation was about and I think they came to their senses and realised they needed to get this done.
If social media companies don’t ‘play ball’ on ban, Labor can ‘go after them’ – Watt
Despite both houses of parliament having now wrapped up for the year, it’s been a very busy morning in Canberra when it comes to political reaction.
I’ll circle back to a few breakfast interviews we missed – starting with Murray Watt on ABC News Breakfast.
Asked if he thought the under-16 social media ban would work, the minister for employment and workplace relations said yes. And if social media companies – in particular X – would play ball, he also said yes.
We have seen comments from Mr Musk and various other parties about this, but we did include very significant penalties of up to $50m if the social media companies don’t play ball.
I think they will take it seriously, but I think they’ve got an interest in preserving their reputation and their social licence. As every day goes by, the proof becomes clearer about the link between social media and the kind of content that’s appearing on it and the mental health challenges our kids face. Between those fines and social pressure, we will see social media companies play ball – and if they don’t, then we have the ability to go after them.
Press conference in Canberra concludes
Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with the deputy prime minister Richard Marles, who will farewell his mother in Melbourne today.
Richard Marles is someone who is very well liked across the parliament and loved by his colleagues. He is such a great person, and his mother was clearly an extraordinary Australian as well – trailblazer in education – and our thoughts will be with him today.
With that, the prime minister wrapped up the press conference.
Jim Chalmers on changes to the Reserve Bank
Overnight, the government agreed to support Greens amendments to retain the power to override Reserve Bank decisions on interest rates and for the RBA to direct the lending activities of banks.
Speaking on this just now, treasurer, Jim Chalmers said:
The passage of this legislation means that we can get on with strengthening and modernising the Reserve Bank … We will consult with the opposition in good faith, as we’re obligated to do, to make sure that the people that we appoint to the new governance board and the new monetary policy board are first class and first rate …
The timing of the passage of the Reserve Bank reforms was not in our hands. If it were up to us, we would have passed it a long time ago, and we would have already had the new arrangements in place.
Chalmers said the government accommodated “every single one” of the oppositions concerns and made changes to the legislation to accomodate this, but “they still said no, and that meant that we had to negotiate with the crossbench”.
That wasn’t our first preference, but it was made necessary by the irresponsible behaviour of the Coalition. And so the mistake that we made for too long was to take Angus Taylor seriously on these matters when his colleagues don’t.
Albanese looks to crossbench to advance electoral reforms
On the would-be electoral reforms, which were not successful, the prime minister said the government would “look for other paths and roads to success”.
Anthony Albanese said he had indicated to the crossbench that “it is not sustainable in a democracy to have individuals contributing tens of millions of dollars”.
That damages our democracy, because it takes away the principle that everyone gets an equal say in our democracy … People know that over the last couple of elections, there’s been a couple of $100m dollars contributed by one individual, and that is not healthy for our democracy. So we’ll engage constructively, and I’ve already had some discussions this week with the crossbench, and we’ll engage with the crossbench to see if we can progress reforms.
The legislation faced criticism from the crossbench of attempting to “rig” electoral rules in a “major party stitch-up”.
PM says government ‘inherited immigration system not fit for purpose’
On migration, the prime minister said the government “wants an inclusive Australia that stands up for that” – but “we understand as well that our migration system needs to be robust and needs to not be manipulated”.
Anthony Albanese said the government “inherited an immigration system that wasn’t fit for purpose”.
On Peter Dutton’s watch, there was a huge spike in the number of applications onshore, we had three reviews into the migration system, from the former head of prime minister and cabinet, from senior respected authorities in this area – all of them said that the immigration system that we inherited was a mess, so we have to clean up a whole range of issues.
Asked about the third-country arrangement – and which countries would be paid to take non-citizens from Australia – the PM did not answer directly:
We’ll implement our legislation.
Albanese says last remaining bills ‘carried overwhelmingly’ through lower house today
Speaking on the sheer volume of legislation that was passed through the Senate last night, Anthony Albanese said some had “2023” attached to them – “that’s the hint for how long it has been around”.
There was legislation last night that has remained in the Senate for a long period of time to literally change the references to Queen Elizabeth … I would have thought that should have passed the Senate in a minute after it was introduced, but no …
It’s beyond my comprehension why that was still around and not just flowed through. [But] we got our legislation through.
It was all good legislation that was supported by the Senate and in the house today. Most of the bills, I think there are about four or five divisions, but they carried overwhelmingly.
PM on the under-16 social media ban
Taking questions from reporters, Anthony Albanese is clearly framing the under-16 social media ban as an election pitch to parents. The prime minister said:
This is something that tomorrow, on the sidelines of sporting events – whether it be netball or cricket season at the moment, or tennis or little athletics – mums and dads will be talking about this. And they’ll be talking about it when they pick up their young ones from school this afternoon, and hopefully this morning, dropping them off as well.
This has been an issue that has raised with me more, or at least as much, as any other issue by people when I’m out and about, and what we’ve done is world-leading…
We don’t argue that its implementation will be perfect, just like the alcohol ban for under 18 doesn’t mean that someone under 18 never has access, but we know that it’s the right thing to do.
Chalmers says Coalition has ‘vacated the field on economy’
Also addressing the media is treasurer Jim Chalmers, who said there was still a lot to do, but:
What we saw in the Senate last night was really the triumph of outcomes over politics, the triumph of outcomes and delivery and progress over the kind of petty, nasty, negative politics being played by our opponents.
He argued that the Coalition had “completely vacated the field on the economy”, and took aim at them for not having “any costed, credible or coherent economic policies” at the end of the parliamentary term.
The treasurer recognised the crossbench, saying:
The best kind of economic reform is bipartisan, but when the Coalition has vacated the field, we have no choice but to make progress with the crossbench. I acknowledge them…