John,
Welcome to Labor’s Senate Select(ions) - a wrap of the latest developments from the Senate.
We returned to Canberra for the first sitting week of 2021 with our team ready to take the fight up to the Morrison Government and focused on getting Australians into decent jobs with decent pay and getting workers the skills to get those jobs.
On display again this week was Scott Morrison’s lack of leadership, refusing to call out members of his own Government who continue to peddle dangerous disinformation.
A ‘DRESSING DOWN’ BUT DANGEROUS POSTS ARE STILL UP
For months, Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly has been bombarding his Facebook followers with conspiracy theories and unproven claims. Concerns have been voiced by medical experts, members of the Hughes community and Labor - but Scott Morrison has done nothing to stop it.
The Prime Minister’s office briefed journalists that Mr Kelly was given a ‘dressing down’ but the fact is Mr Kelly’s posts remain up, he’s added more since then and others on the Coalition backbench are standing by him. As Murray Watt says, it’s now a test of Scott Morrison’s authority.
Craig Kelly isn’t the only one not listening to the experts - newly appointed Multiculturalism Minister Alex Hawke claimed this week the Morrison Government "rejects" that right-wing extremism is on the rise. The only problem? The experts don’t.
ASIO has made clear that right wing extremism is on the rise. The AFP agrees, as does the Department of Home Affairs.
COMMUNITIES DO IT TOUGH, WITH ECONOMIC SUPPORT SET TO BE CUT
At the end of March, Scott Morrison will leave hundreds of thousands of Australians behind when he ends wage subsidies.
Entire sectors, including tourism and hospitality, will be in crisis without government support. In the communities built around these sectors, jobs have already been lost and more will sadly go. Senator Polley voiced her concerns for the Tassie towns that rely on tourism.
And Senator Green had this message for the Tourism Minister, from her community of Cairns.
Aviation is another sector still doing it tough. This week the boss of Virgin warned jobs will go when Scott Morrison cuts the wage subsidy and as Senator Sheldon points out, there’s no plan for aviation.
A REPEAT OFFENDER STUMBLES, AS AUSTRALIANS WAIT FOR THE VACCINE
Scott Morrison promised Australians we’d be at the front of the queue for a COVID vaccine.
Clearly that’s not the case, with more than 60 other countries already rolling out their vaccination plans. The only thing the Morrison Government is delivering at the moment is a dizzying number of announcements – and Minister Richard Colbeck can’t keep up with the spin.
Of course it’s not the first time the Minister for Senior Australians struggled with policy detail but the vaccine rollout is the most important job the Morrison Government has this year. It makes you wonder if they’re up to the task.
LABOR ON WA’S SIDE
WA Senators moved a motion expressing thanks to all the emergency services and volunteers who worked tirelessly to protect lives and homes from a fire in Perth’s eastern suburbs that has caused significant destruction.
As Senator Lines told the senate, the people of Perth are to be commended for the way they’ve pulled together to help their neighbours through this tough time.
It’s been a hard week for WA, with Perth, Peel and the South West in a 5-day lockdown. The community has done a great job following the medical advice but it was disappointing to see political attacks from Peter Dutton – and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds doing nothing to defend her home state’s approach.
Thanks for taking the time to read Labor’s Senate Select(ions).
Ahead of the Lunar New Year, I want to wish you a happy and prosperous Year of the Ox.
Senator Penny Wong
Labor Senate Leader
Australian Labor Party
Authorised by P. Erickson, ALP, Canberra.
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