Dear John,

The Morrison Government ended the parliamentary year with its integrity in tatters. Here are my top issues from the final sitting fortnight of 2019.

Photo: Lyndal Curtis

1. Anti-worker ‘Ensuring Integrity Bill’ defeated

After months of hard work by Australian workers, Labor Party members and of course the union movement, the Government’s so-called ‘Ensuring Integrity Bill’ was defeated in the Senate.  

This legislation was an all-out assault on workers’ ability to organise, run their own union and determine who leads them. It was an attack on our nurses, on our teachers and our police officers and their representation.  

This was a significant win for the Labour Movement and one that we should all be proud of. Thank you to the many dedicated activists who made this win possible.  

To hear more about what was at stake, check out the video below.

2. Angus Taylor refuses to clarify doctored documents scandal

The Morrison Government had a rough fortnight continuing to defend the indefensible Angus Taylor – who is currently under investigation by a NSW Police Strike Force for his doctored documents scandal.

In the final sitting fortnight, the Senate ordered Angus Taylor to produce the dodgy doctored documents used in his political hit-job on the Mayor of Sydney – the ones he claims were ‘downloaded’ from the City of Sydney website.

Unsurprisingly, Minister Taylor couldn’t provide any evidence to back up his story – and the Senators were not impressed. You can watch the speeches below.

3. It's one standard for Scott Morrison and his mates, and another for everyone else

One of the most outrageous moments of the parliamentary fortnight occurred when Scott Morrison interfered in the NSW Police Strike Force investigation into Angus Taylor.

Scott Morrison played ‘phone a friend’ – calling the NSW Police Commission to ask questions about the investigation into his Minister.   

Australians don’t get to call the Police Commissioner about an investigation that might affect them. This just proves yet again that it’s one standard for Scott Morrison and his mates, and another for everyone else.

You can listen to Labor Senators calling out Scott Morrison for this inappropriate call here.

4. Government forces through Medevac repeal following secret deal with Jacqui Lambie

The Morrison Government cut a secret deal with Senator Jacqui Lambie to pass its Medevac repeal; leaving the parliament, the media and the Australian public in the dark.

Even Cabinet ministers in the Government voted to repeal Medevac without even knowing the details of the secret deal.

Scott Morrison will go to enormous lengths to avoid scrutiny; even at the expense of sick and vulnerable people.

You can listen to Labor Senators’ passionate defence of Medevac here.

5. The Government abandons Australian dairy farmers

As internal ructions continue within the Nationals, farmers are paying the price.

It’s now 20 months since the ACCC recommended a code of conduct to protect dairy farmers and the Minister for Agriculture, Bridget McKenzie, continues to fumble through questions about when it will come into effect.

Farming communities are so fed up with Bridget McKenzie they even walked out on her during Senate Question Time.

If the Nationals don’t represent Australian dairy farmers, then who do they represent?

6. Labor establishes inquiry into foreign interference through social media

The rise of ‘fake news’ and misinformation campaigns present a very real and present danger to democracy, not only in Australia, but across the globe.  

Labor is leading the way on this issue, and last week initiated a Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media. This inquiry will look at the risk posed to Australia’s democracy by foreign interference through social media platforms – including Facebook, Twitter and WeChat.

We must protect our democracy from malicious foreign actors. 

You can read more about it here.

7. ‘How good’ will Christmas be for the Australians the Morrison Government has failed?

In Question Time on the final sitting day, Senator Tim Ayres asked ‘how good’ is the Morrison Government? Well, the answer is not very good at all.  

Under this Government, Australian families are struggling under the burden of record household debt, skyrocketing bills and stagnant wages. Household spending is growing at its slowest pace since the Global Financial Crisis and we’ve seen declines in real living standards.  

I gave a speech to the Senate on the many failures of the Morrison Government. You can watch it below.

Thanks for reading this edition of 'The Senate in Seven'. 

– Penny