Australia politics live: NSW premier Dominic Perrottet announces resignation of trade minister Stuart Ayres; Albanese announces defence review

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Here is the whole statement on Stuart Ayres:

Updated at 19.59 EDT

House of Representatives passes territory rights bill

Josh Butler is watching the chamber where the territory rights bill has just passed the House, 99 to 37.

Updated at 19.54 EDT

Victoria to hold state memorial service for Jane Garrett

A state memorial service will be held on 2 September for Victorian Labor MP Jane Garrett.

The Andrews government has announced the service will be held at the Brunswick town hall in Melbourne’s inner north. Condolence motions for the former MP will also be held in the Victorian parliament’s lower house this morning before the chamber is adjourned.

Garrett died last month from breast cancer at the age of 49. The former emergency services minister, an MP since 2010, was diagnosed with the disease in 2016 and announced late last year she would not stand for re-election in the 2022 state poll.

The member for Brunswick then Eastern Victoria quit cabinet in 2016 over a controversial firefighters’ union pay deal.

In a statement, premier Daniel Andrews offered condolences to Garrett’s children Molly, Sasha and Max and her husband James.

Jane Garrett as Victoria’s emergency services minister in 2016. Photograph: Angus Livingston/AAP

Updated at 19.53 EDT

Murray-Darling report

Nationals MP and shadow water minister Perin Davey responded to Tory Shepherd’s story on the Murray-Darling late yesterday:

The senator said it was “disappointing” that the report didn’t assess the social and economic implications of delivering the environmental water:

Both NSW and Victorian governments have made it clear on numerous occasions that recovering an additional 450GL will have major social and economic impacts as well as leading to environmental degradation if constraints are not addressed.

This WESA report shows that we, in government, were willing to adjust and adapt to maximise the outcomes being achieved environmentally, socially and economically.

You can find the whole story here:

Updated at 19.49 EDT

House passes bill to abolish cashless debit card

The House of Representatives has passed a government bill to abolish the cashless debit card income management tool after Labor said an accelerated passage of the measure was needed because of complex transition measures to unpick connections between the card and buy-now-pay-later accounts.

Labor used newly granted powers to declare the bill “urgent” last night, truncating debate and bringing on a vote first thing this morning. The bill passed 86-56, with the Coalition voting against the change.

Social services minister Amanda Rishworth said a “significant” number of cashless debit card participants had linked their cards to Afterpay or BNPL accounts. Guardian Australia understands the number is north of 50% of participants, representing potentially more than 8,500 people.

Rishworth:

A number of deductions that participants have connected to their card means that you can’t just close the card overnight. What you need to do is work with individual participants to work out their final arrangements to ensure that when the card ends, that they’re not caught up in any unusual financial arrangements that leads to them incurring fees or debts.

As of 27 May, there were 17,322 participants across the CDC trial sites in the Northern Territory, east Kimberley, Ceduna, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, Cape York and Goldfields regions.

The government says that, with the CDC legislation to sunset from 31 December, it needed to pass the repeal bill in the parliament’s next sitting in September – and that the bill needed to pass the House of Representatives this week.

Rishworth:

We want to make sure that there is enough time to transition all participants off the cards safely to ensure that everyone has the support they need and without getting this legislation through in September we won’t necessarily have enough time to do this in a safe manner.

Shadow social services minister Michael Sukkar criticised the government’s plan to abolish the cashless debit card, saying it would lead to a “flood of alcohol and drugs” into communities where the card has been used.

Updated at 19.43 EDT

Stephen Smith ‘utterly wrong choice’ to lead defence review, Stuart Robert says

Stuart Robert is not particularly pleased with the choice of Stephen Smith as one of the review heads:

Labor has announced Stephen Smith and of course Angus Houston. I think Angus Houston is an outstanding choice – chief of defence force for half a decade. Stephen Smith was a defence minister who oversaw $4.5bn worth of cuts to defence. He took defence expenditure to 1.5% of GDP. He made no hiding of his dislike for the military and myself and other former officers made no hiding our dislike for him. He is absolutely and utterly the wrong choice, in my personal view.

Updated at 19.41 EDT

Labor announces defence force review

Tory Shepherd

Risk of conflict and the need for modernisation are among the reasons for a swift review of Australia’s defence force.

The ABC reports that former defence minister Stephen Smith and retired air chief marshal Angus Houston will oversee a study of the force’s structure, preparedness and investments.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese said the review would make sure the Australian defence force was “well-positioned to meet the nation’s security challenges over the next decade and beyond”.

Defence minister Richard Marles said Australia’s cooperation with the United States and the United Kingdom (who have formed the Aukus partnership) would also be considered.

The review will submitted to cabinet’s national security committee no later than March.

Updated at 19.34 EDT

Back to federal politics now …

Updated at 19.33 EDT

Stuart Ayres resignation

So Tamsin Rose and Michael McGowan will have more on what is happening in NSW for you very soon, but to recap that press conference:

Updated at 19.31 EDT

Asked again if he believes Stuart Ayres has misled him on his role in the recruitment process, Dominic Perrottet says:

I don’t have evidence of that … Mr Ayres has denied any wrongdoing in respect of this matter. That is important. He has denied any wrongdoing, and in relation to the process being at arm’s length, that is obviously a matter that arises during a review.

Updated at 19.28 EDT

Dominic Perrottet says his understanding is Stuart Ayres plans on staying on as the member for Penrith.

Perrottet says decisions must be made in best interests of people in NSW

Dominic Perrottet:

From my perspective as premier, I am a elected to do and have great responsibility in making sure that decisions are made appropriately, in the best interests of the people of our state, and that is what our government has done the entire time it has been in office.

We continue to work tirelessly each and every day for the great people of New South Wales.

That’s I and my ministers do, and when issues arise, they need to be dealt with appropriately and that is exactly what I have done.

Updated at 19.27 EDT

Stuart Ayres denies any wrongdoing

Dominic Perrottet says Stuart Ayres denies any wrongdoing in relation to the John Barilaro recruitment process:

Perrottet:

On the discussions I had with minister Ayres last night in respect of how he saw his role in the process, and Mr Ayres, denies, I will make this very clear, Mr Ayres denies any wrongdoing at all.

I just want to make that point because it is very relevant and that is that he denies any wrongdoing, understand the point of respect at arm’s length, as part of the process, he has a different view in relation to his engagement with the process and the review that will be conducted by DPC will make findings.

Updated at 19.50 EDT

‘I have called for a review in relation to whether there has been a breach’

Q: People watching this at home who don’t follow politics, they don’t understand what the ministerial code of conduct is, can we just simplify it, for your understanding of the draft report, did this play a significant role in the appointment of John Barilaro? Is that what talking about?

Dominic Perrottet:

What they have received in that draft report, there is no doubt that there are questions in relation, questions raised, not findings, not findings in relation to information I have received, questions are raised in relation to whether or not there has been a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.

In those circumstances and on receipt of that information, minister Ayres tendered his resignation and, appropriately, I have called for a review in relation to whether there has been a breach.

Updated at 19.24 EDT

‘Influence on the decision-making process’

Q: Which section of the ministerial code of conduct do you believe has been breached?

Dominic Perrottet:

It relates to Mr Ayres’.. .the advice they have received is in relation to the engagement with the department secretary in respect of influence on the decision-making process.

Updated at 19.23 EDT

Is Perrottet bowing to pressure?

Why is Dominic Perrottet acting now after a draft report, if he is not “bowing to pressure” (his answer from the previous question).

Perrottet:

Because yesterday afternoon I received information from the departments, the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. I read a draft excerpt of that review that pertains to Mr Ayres.

Once receiving that information, I am on notice in respect of questions that were raised, in respect of the engagement between Mr Ayres, the department secretary and the recruitment process. With the information provided to me yesterday afternoon in a briefing with a department secretary, I met with Mr Ayres and he tendered his resignation appropriately.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet speaks to media this morning. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated at 19.21 EDT

‘I will do what I believe is proper and right’

Q: Did Mr Ayres lie to you? Has he lied to you when you asked him this?

Dominic Perrottet:

I do not believe so, no. I have no evidence of that at all. What I have, what I have …

Q: You said he was a very good minister …

Perrottet:

I will say two things in relation to that. I said from the outset in relation to these matters that I would conduct an inquiry, and that is exactly what I have done.

I have voiced at every step of the way through the process that I will not do what is politically expedient, I will do what I believe is proper and right.

They are the guiding principles in relation to my ethical framework in respect of due process in attaining information, not in a political way but in independent and fair way.

That is exactly what I have done in relation to this review. It is exactly what I have done in relation to this review. What I will not do is move to and make decisions based on media pressure or political pressure.

I will make decisions, as I have always done, in relation to what I believe is right. I have conducted this independent review, information from that review has come to light that raises questions in respect of compliance with the ministerial code of conduct.

Updated at 19.47 EDT

‘I have not received the entire report,’ NSW premier says

Given Stuart Ayres’ has denied any involvement, did he mislead the public and the premier?

Dominic Perrottet:

What is important is rather than speculate, what is important is the information is acted on when it comes alive. That is exactly what I have done.

That is what Mr Ayres has responded to – information that is come through that draft review.

Q: But it wasn’t new information. It wasn’t new information to him.

Perrottet:

The information that has come through from the draft review, as I have said from the outset, I conducted a review and almost immediately when questions came to light in respect to this process.

I have said in every public statement during the course of this period of time that once I receive the information from this review, I will act accordingly. Now, I have not, I will make this clear, I have not received the entire report.

I have only received and elements of the draft review that was brought to my attention yesterday but relates specifically to the conduct of Mr Ayres in respect to his engagement with the department secretary in relation to the recruitment process.

Updated at 19.46 EDT