Australia politics live: Turnbull says he trusted ‘technocrat’ Tudge on robodebt scheme despite expressing doubts over WhatsApp

Appearing at a royal commission on Monday, Turnbull spoke to WhatsApp messages of discussions between the then prime minister and key ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter at the initial height of the scandal in early 2017.

His statement includes a 7 January 2017 message Turnbull sent with a link to a Sydney Morning Herald article by Peter Martin, which suggested the program could be unlawful.

Tudge replied in the exchange by saying “it is not correct that we simply take the average of the income declared to ATO and apply that average across 26 fortnight”.

Despite Tudge’s explanation, the commissioner, Catherine Holmes ACS, told the inquiry on Monday that was how the scheme often worked.

Asked if it became apparent that’s what was happening, Turnbull said he didn’t “recall that”.

More broadly, Turnbull said he had accepted what Tudge had said as the “responsible minister”.

Asked if he believed Tudge had a good grasp on how the system worked, Turnbull said: “Alan Tudge, I always regarded as a technocrat. He was a management consultant. I didn’t regard him as being a negligent or incompetent or careless minister.”

Turnbull told the inquiry that later, on 20 January 2017, he messaged Tudge saying they needed a “frank assessment of what the problems are and what is happening to fix them.” Turnbull said he was pressing Tudge to do his job and queried whether the department was giving him the right information.

Turnbull also defended the scheme at a press conference on 18 January 2017, later messaging Tudge to ask if he had answered “correctly”.

Turnbull said he had little independent recollection of the time aside from the WhatsApp messages and other documents.

The inquiry continues.

Updated at 20.23 EST

Key events

The ADF has taken delivery of its first Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels, which seems like a drone for the sea.

The Royal Australian Navy and Defence industry have worked together through a Defence Innovation Hub initiative to develop the Ocius BlueBottle USV, with two of the five vessels received.

“As a trading nation, surrounded by oceans, a sustained maritime security presence is essential for assuring our national economy,” Minister Pat Conroy said.

“Autonomous capabilities and innovative technologies, such as the Ocius BlueBottle Uncrewed Surface Vessels, will assist our Navy in supporting Australian interests.”

“Powered by the wind, waves and the sun, the Ocius BlueBottle can autonomously monitor designated areas for extended lengths of time.”

As a Gold Coaster, I am used to dodging bluebottles in the water and the shore, and avoiding strong onshore conditions (iykyk) but it seems these BlueBottles are more of the ‘don’t you worry about that’ type.

Good times:

Updated at 21.51 EST

Forecast NSW power shortages fuel questions over buying back Eraring plant

As we mentioned earlier, the low-intensity heatwave lapping eastern parts of NSW is expected to push up electricity demand.

There’s a level 1 (low level) alert about a shortage of power in the state for this evening, which will probably be met. As tomorrow’s likely to be warm again (if not quite as hot), there’s also a lack of reserve at level 2 issued for tomorrow evening by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

As it happens, debate is been stoked again about whether NSW should buy back its (and Australia’s) biggest coal-fired power station. Origin Energy’s Eraring plant.

The Australian today reported NSW’s treasurer and energy minister, Matt Kean, as saying: “We will take the necessary steps to ensure there’s enough energy in the system to keep the lights on and drive prices down.” Kean declined to rule “things in or out”.

A spokesperson for Kean’s office has sought to dispel unwarranted speculation:

The government is not considering an extension of Eraring, which is entirely a matter for Origin Energy.

Thanks to the Waratah Super Battery, there is no forecast gap in the reliability standard in 2025

For its part, Origin isn’t budging from their line of February 2022 that Eraring will shut in 2025, seven years early: “We’ll continue to assess the market over time and this will inform the final timing for closure of all four units.”

Bear in mind that it costs $200-250m a year in maintenance work alone – quite apart from the fuel costs – to keep Eraring going, and you get a sense taxpayers might be up for a hefty bill if they did buy back a plant sold by the Coalition in 2013 for about $659m.

Chris Minns, the NSW opposition leader who is hoping to become premier after the 25 March election, offered a cautious response when asked a bit prematurely how much he’d be willing to pay to take back the plant to extend its life.

I’m not going to take anything off the table.

I will not allow the lights to go out in NSW.

Whether or not the government ever would buy back Eraring, Minns has sought to channel the issue into Labor’s broader rejection of the privatisation of state assets.

We’re getting hosed as a result of those privatisations. Don’t elect a government that’s dumb enough to sell [assets like Eraring].

Kean’s spokesperson has described such comments as implying a “dangerous nationalisation of this power station for ideological reasons”.

A major blackout might change the debate but odds must favour Eraring shutting in 2025 at this stage.

Separately, the difference between future wholesale power prices in NSW and Queensland compared with Victoria and South Australia is getting wider, at least according to the latest numbers published by the ASX.

The Albanese government, which has pointed to falling wholesale power prices as proof its energy market intervention to cap gas and coal prices was getting some traction, will be hoping those prices turn lower again.

Updated at 21.51 EST

Over in the Senate and Dynamic Red (the Senate’s live business paper) tells me Labor’s paid parental leave scheme changes have passed the senate, although the Greens attempts to amend it, including to make it available for postgraduate work, have failed.

Updated at 21.41 EST

We are now half an hour out from the first question time of the week.

Huzzah.

Bill introduced by Greens would allow stripping of governor general entitlements in cases of ‘serious misconduct’

The Greens senator David Shoebridge is introducing legislation to the Senate which would allow governments to strip former governors general of entitlements, if they are found to have “engaged in serious misconduct”.

Shoebridge said former GGs found to have done wrong shouldn’t receive their $600,000 a year in entitlements.

If someone is struggling to get by on $282 a week in jobseeker payments and they miss a job interview they get a warning; if they do it twice, they can have their payments halted.

If a former governor general is convicted of a crime or is proven to engage in the most serious misconduct, they keep on receiving up to $600,000 a year in entitlements, that’s about $11,500 a week, no questions asked.

Supporting this bill will show survivors that the parliament listens and understands, and will no longer allow laws that shield past or future abusers from consequences.

The bill would need the government’s support to get anywhere. There has been no indication Labor will support it.

Updated at 21.20 EST

Male-dominated occupations likely to have skills shortages, analysis shows

Well, smash me down and call me avocado – there is a gender imbalance when it comes to the skills shortages.

From Brendan O’Connor’s office:

Analysis from Jobs and Skills Australia shows that occupations with skills shortages are likely to have significant gender imbalance in their workforce, particularly towards male-dominated occupations.

For more than half of occupations in national shortage, women make up less than 20 per cent of their total workforce.

These occupations include Metal Fitters and Machinists (1% female workforce); Motor Mechanics (2% female workforce); Electricians (2% female workforce); Mining Engineers (14% female workforce); Construction Managers (14% female workforce); and Software and Applications Programmers (19% female workforce).

In contrast, for 14 per cent of occupations in national shortage, men make up less than 20 per cent of their total workforce.

These occupations include Early Childhood Teachers (2% male workforce); Child Carers (3% male workforce); and Registered Nurses (12% male workforce).

And lo and behold, that same analysis has found that when there isn’t a gender imbalance, there is less likely to be a skills shortage.

Updated at 21.10 EST

Independent MPs call for rules on referendum pamphlet to include factchecking

Back to the Referendum Machinery Act: the Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, says the government will move its own amendments to the bill in the Senate.

The exact basis of the pamphlet, for instance, is not yet clear, with some independent MPs like David Pocock and Zali Steggall calling for independent factchecking of the essays – but the government says the spirit of the amendments is to bring the Referendum Act into line with laws governing normal elections, which hints at there being no special factchecking apparatus.

We’ll see what those amendments look like later on.

Steggall spoke in the house right after Burney, raising again her concerns about truth in political advertising and factchecking: “It really should happen,” she said of the need to avoid misinformation in the campaign.

The Warringah MP claimed people felt “cheated” that there were no rules outlawing lies in political ads.

The government knows it needs to protect truth but is failing to do that.

If this isn’t the right time, when will be?

Updated at 20.56 EST

Review of social media cybersecurity on government devices due within weeks

Just returning to the issue of TikTok on government devices:

Last year the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, asked her department to review the cybersecurity implications of all forms of social media on government devices. That obviously includes TikTok but is not limited to it.

We’re told the review isn’t far off. It is understood the Department of Home Affairs is likely to hand its report to O’Neil within weeks.

Updated at 20.48 EST

Albanese to join Universities Australia chief Catriona Jackson on India visit this week

Visit comes as the government turns its sights on the education sector.

It follows a university delegation to India last week, led by education minister Jason Clare, where he signed an expansive mutual qualifications agreement with his counterpart and 11 memorandas of understanding were signed between Australian and Indian educators.

Jackson said higher education and research were “central pillars” of the Australia-India relationship.

Jackson:

Universities fully support the government’s focus on strengthening Australia’s ties with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world and a very important strategic partner.

We especially welcome education being front and centre as our governments move to strengthen the bilateral relationship. India is undertaking sweeping reforms of its education sector and they want our help.

India’s new education plan includes the goal of educating 500 million students by 2035, while also encouraging international universities to establish campuses onshore.

It’s in our national interest to continue strengthening our trade links, and we can do that by educating Indian students in Australia, research collaborations and through our universities having a physical presence in India.

It’s clear we are entering a golden era in our trade relationship with India, and we must make the most of it for the social, diplomatic and economic benefit of both our nations.

Jackson said there were now more Indian students studying in Australia than before the pandemic, making India Australia’s second largest and fastest growing international student market.

Data released by the Department of Education found international student fees were the second highest source of revenue for universities behind government funding, bringing in $8.7bn in revenue. At some institutions, international students accounted for more than 40% of yearly income.

Updated at 20.45 EST