NSW MP Gareth Ward steps down as minister over police investigation – politics live
nsw mp #nswmp
4.00am EDT 04:00
Go and grab some dinner – we are going to bring you Anthony Albanese’s budget reply speech, but that doesn’t happen until 7.30pm.
The senate has suspended its sitting until 8pm.
In the house, Adam Bandt is talking about Labor’s support in the senate for the changes to the Naif bill, which the Greens say will allow the fund to be used for fossil fuel projects.
“Billions of dollars for a slush fund for new fossil fuel projects in the middle of a climate crisis,” he says.
Bandt is particularly angry at how quickly the bill was rammed through – there wasn’t even a chance for debate.
3.46am EDT 03:46
Not content with being the only MP to wish Scott Morrison a happy birthday in question time – something he returned to the despatch box to do – Peter Dutton’s socials person has now also wished him a happy birthday on his Insta.
Updated at 3.48am EDT
3.38am EDT 03:38
You may remember a particular Morrison minister had trouble saying the word “battery” in an interview with Sky News a little earlier this week *cough Keith Pitt cough*
Chris Bowen seems to have responded
3.34am EDT 03:34
NSW MP Gareth Ward steps down as minister over police investigation
NSW MP Gareth Ward has released this statement:
Today I have been made aware by a journalist of an investigation into me by NSW Police.
I have not been contacted by police in relation to any allegations.
I deny any wrongdoing.
Until this matter is resolved, it is appropriate I stand aside from my role as Minister. I will also remove myself from the Liberal Party room.
I will not be making any further comment at this time.
Gladys Berejiklian has also released a statement:
I was made aware through media reports today that an MP is under investigation by police.
I have subsequently received advice from Minister Gareth Ward of his decision to step aside as minister and sit on the crossbench while there is speculation about his future.
I support his decision.
The attorney general will act in Mr Ward’s portfolio responsibilities.
Updated at 3.40am EDT
3.07am EDT 03:07
Anne Ruston is also asked whether Brittany Higgins was the instigator of the government’s change of heart in terms of spending on violence against women and she says:
The process of putting together the next national plan to end violence, I think we should note the next plan is about ending violence because we need to send a strong signal to the Australian community we’re deadly serious to end violence.
Probably one of the things that has been good about, over the last few months, is we are now having a national conversation because we are never going to solve this problem unless the entire Australian public understands that they have a role to play in calling out disrespectful behaviour that possibly may end up in being something worse in terms of abuse.
I’m delighted we are having these conversations because it makes it so much easier for us to get people involved in the solution if they understand what the problem is.
Minister for Families Anne Ruston at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Updated at 3.26am EDT
3.03am EDT 03:03
Anne Ruston is asked about the domestic violence funding in the budget – and whether or not it is enough while talking to Patricia Karvelas:
This is a down payment.
We currently, in the final year of the current national plan to reduce violence against women and their children, and we’re actually in the process of consulting about establishment of the next plan which is due to start in the middle of 2022. What we are seeking to do here with this investment is, it’s a down payment, making sure we still work towards consulting around what needs to be in the next national plan. We know there are many things that are existing now in terms of types of abuse that women suffer that we didn’t know about last years ago.
Significant investment was made in the fourth action plan of $340m. Also of that $1.1 billion, the majority of it will be spent in the next two years because we don’t want to pre-empt what’s in the next plan but we wanted to make sure we had a significant investment to make sure we bridge the gap between now and what we are going to do.
Updated at 3.07am EDT
2.39am EDT 02:39
Anika Wells has gone further than her colleagues while speaking to the ABC and said Labor should look at a levy to pay for the necessary aged care funding requirements – as recommended by the royal commission.
I think we should consider it because that’s what the royal commission asked us to do. If we will commission 22 reports about aged care leading to a royal commission, we owe them at least the respect of looking at every option. I think we should look at it. To your point about how much is too much, $17. 7bn is a lot of money and we welcome it. The treasurer has been uphill saying it’s not an austerity budget. When are we going to spend the money?
Updated at 2.42am EDT
2.37am EDT 02:37
After being first asked in October, the government has finally announced it will be extending the reporting date for the disability royal commission.
The commission had asked (at least twice) for a 17-month extension. That has now been granted, seven months after it was first requested.
The Morrison Government today announces that it will extend the final reporting date for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to 29 September 2023.
2.33am EDT 02:33
Wilderness Society welcomes government decision to levy oil industry to pay cost of decommissioning floating rig 
Environment group the Wilderness Society has written to the minister for resources, Keith Pitt, welcoming the government’s decision to make the offshore oil and gas industry pay up to $1bn to clean up a floating oil rig in the Timor Sea.
In Tuesday’s budget the government said it would introduce an industry-wide levy to recover the cost of decommissioning the Northern Endeavour and the oil fields over which it sits.
The costs would otherwise be borne by the taxpayer because the government took control of the operation after its operator collapsed in 2019. Up until 2016, it belonged to Woodside Petroleum.
Unsurprisingly, the industry, through peak body the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, is not happy about the idea and has come up with alternative proposals including using petroleum resource rent tax credits to pay for it – a move that would mean government cash was spent to pay for the remediation.
In a letter to Pitt sent today, Wilderness Society campaigner Jess Lerch said:
“We strongly support your efforts to hold the line to ensure that the full costs of the decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour are met by either the industry, via the levy detailed in this year’s budget, or in the alternative by the asset’s previous owner, Woodside.”
We strongly oppose any decommissioning costs being laundered through PRRT credits, as has been mooted by some in the industry, noting that PRRT revenues have decreased this year and that the Australian offshore decommissioning liability of the industry continues to present a significant and ongoing risk to Australia’s marine environment, other marine users and the taxpayer beyond the single instance of the Northern Endeavour.”
Lerch said the estimate of $1bn, which has been put forward by crossbench senator Rex Patrick, was much higher than the $250m Woodside had previously set aside.
If the $1bn figure was right, this raised concerns that the total clean-up bill for remediation across the industry might be “the industry estimates of the total offshore oil and gas industry decommissioning liability (and the estimated decommissioning costs assumed at the projector exploration campaign level) may be significantly and systematically underestimated,” she said.
Updated at 3.16am EDT
2.32am EDT 02:32
Just a reminder about Australia’s defamation laws – we can’t put any identifiers around the allegations, because the pool of people it could be are narrowed by the fact it is a NSW MP.
Updated at 2.39am EDT
2.21am EDT 02:21
NSW detectives establish task force into allegations against a NSW MP
NSW detectives have established Strike Force Condello to investigate allegations of sexual violence-related offences against a NSW MP.
The incidents were reported to have occurred from 2013.
“As investigations are continuing, no further information is available,” the police said police said in a statement.
Updated at 2.37am EDT
2.10am EDT 02:10
The government bill which would allow foreign police and intelligence services to access data held in Australia should not be passed without significant amendments governing who can access the data, and what data can be released, the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security has recommended.
The legislation introduced over a year ago would allow foreign spies and police access to wire taps, stored communications like email, and telecommunications metadata, and is designed to allow Australia to get a reciprocal arrangement with the US, where the majority of Australians’ data tends to be held.
But the PJCIS has told the government the bill should not be passed unless 23 recommended changes to the legislation, or legislation the bill interacts with, are made.
The changes include greater oversight by the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, limiting who can ask for the data or wire tap to authorised officers trained specifically in how to request the data, and a requirement the data only be used for obtaining information about a person who is not an Australian citizen, nor currently residing in Australia.
The committee also recommended no data should be able to be handed over to countries without respect for the rule of law, without respect for international human rights obligations, or in countries where the Australian-sourced information might be used in cases with the death penalty.
Updated at 2.16am EDT