Immigration minister says there were never any drones used to track ex-detainees, cancels 30 visas — as it happened (2024)

Thanks for joining me and the rest of the ABC Parliament House team on the blog today.

We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning to bring you all action from Senate estimates and the House.

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Just circling back to the Afternoon Briefing panel for a moment where Matt Canavan was asked about the Coalition's nuclear policy.

The Nationals senator says there is no easy answer to Australia's energy problem but wants investment in "real forms of power that can stay on 24 hours a day".

"Nuclear is potentially an answer to that but we need to build coal as well in my view because nuclear will take too long," he says.

"If we're not going to do coal, let's do nuclear. Let's do something … that will stay on all the time."

Greens senator Barbara Poco*ck says nuclear is "too expensive, too slow, and there is no solution on the waste disposal".

Liberal candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer says she's not going anywhere despite attempts to engineer Josh Frydenberg's return to federal politics.

Earlier, the former treasurer shut down speculation he wanted to run in the seat Hamer had already been preselected to.

She told reporters in Melbourne she had reached out to Frydenberg amid the speculation.

"I'm extremely grateful for Josh's unwavering support for my campaign here in Kooyong," she told reporters on Monday.

"He is a huge figure in the Liberal Party, a huge figure here in Kooyong and I'm very grateful to have his support."

But would she like to see Frydenberg back in the Liberal Party?

"I think Josh is a fantastic figure in the party, but I am the candidate for Kooyong and I intend to continue standing."

Nationals senator Matt Canavan says while Australians on the minimum wage were feeling the price pinch, the Fair Work Commission had to "make some hard choices".

"The easy answer is to give people a higher wage increases but that's not going to fix the fundamental problem," he told Afternoon Briefing.

He says Australia spent "way too much money during COVID" and "too lax monetary settings" and "that's what caused inflation".

"I agree it wasn't wage rises. But we've got the problem now so we've got to get out of it and we can't afford to go to a price-wage spiral."

The Fair Work Commission has increased both the minimum and award wages by 3.75 per cent.

It means the national minimum wage will be $24.10 per hour or $913.91 per week, based on a 38-hour week.

Greens senator Barbara Poco*ck says she is disappointed that rate wasn't higher.

"The last five years have seen [people on minimum wages] go backwards in real terms and the decision does not fix that. It just sets them for this year on the inflation rate," she told Afternoon Briefing.

"If you look at the prices people are paying in supermarkets, rent, energy, this decision does not serve those 2.6 million workers who are the backbone of our retail, hospitality sectors, 60 per cent women, half casual.

"They deserve to make up what they lost in the last few years."

She says she wanted to see the decision come in around 5 per cent.

Treasury is being asked about the taxpayer-funded "information" campaign it is running for the government to promote the stage 3 tax cuts.

The Coalition has been asking for a while now why the campaign is necessary since people don't need to do anything to receive their tax cut.

Treasury is providing Liberal Dean Smithwith a breakdown of the roughly $40 million campaign. There's money to maintain a website, money to purchase ads, and also money for a PR firm to arrange "podcast partnerships" and "social media tiles".

Unclear exactly which influencers might be queueing up to participate in what sounds like an unglamorous campaign.

Josh Frydenberg's short-lived political comeback points to a long-term Liberal Party problem, writes Brett Worthington.

It's a dance that's happened thrice now since the 2022 election — first when Alan Tudge announced his resignation early last year and again when pre-selection played out in Kooyong earlier this year.

Every time it flares, it serves as another reminder about the lack of depth within the federal Liberal ranks. Leader Peter Dutton, seen as someone who has served well as leader, maintains that position without any serious threats from within.

Read more below:

Dan Tehan is asked about whether he thinks Josh Frydenberg, should return to federal politics.

ICMYI, the former treasurer rejected the rampant speculation he would make a run for the inner-Melbourne seat of Kooyong he lost at the last election following a proposed boundary change by the AEC.

That's despite a candidate, Amelia Hamer, already being preselected to run.

Tehan told ABC's Afternoon Briefing that he spoke with his former Liberal colleague on Friday.

"All this was very premature speculation and I think ran away from itself, " he says.

"Josh has made crystal clear today that it won't be at the next election [that he recontests]."

But would he like to see Frydenberg back in the parliamentary ranks?

"Josh Frydenberg has made an outstanding contribution to Australian politics … but those questions are ultimately one for Josh and his family," Tehan says.

Andrew Giles'sdrone backtrack has left more questions for the immigration minister to answer, Coalition counterpartDan Tehansays.

Last week,Giles said drones were being used to monitor the 151 ex-detainees released after the NZYQ High Court ruling last year.

He clarified that statement today, revealing drones aren't being used to track the non-citizens.

Speaking with Afternoon Briefing, the shadow immigration minister says Giles must release the advice that led him making the misleading statement.

"Show us the ministerial briefing because that would clear it all up. But of course, he's refused to do that, or wouldn't answer that question" he says.

Tehan also wants to know when Giles was informed that drones weren't being used.

"He needs to come out and he needs to clear the record once and for all."

Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehanwill be first up. He will be followed by Nationals senator Matt Canavan and Greens senator Barbara Poco*ck.

You can watch live onthe ABC News live stream, or follow our live blog here for the highlights.

Should be an interesting one!

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Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has confirmed Bill Shorten will represent Australia at the Ukraine peace summit held in Switzerland this month.

Senator Wong told Senate estimates the prime minister is unable to attend and had chosen Shorten to go instead on his behalf, citing his previous party leadership experience.

The conference is happening at the same time China's Premier Li Qiang is expected to visit Australia.

The international peace summit is set to be hosted by Swiss President Viola Amherd, to discuss the current Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Liberal Andrew Bragg is asking about the government's 1.2 million housing construction target.

Marcus Spiller, from the government's housing advisory council, says he has told the government that target won't be met.

That's not new information, the council said as much in a recent report. And it's based on modelling which doesn't factor in some of the planning changes governments say they want to make.

But Bragg is asking why the target was set if it can't be achieved.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says it's important to aim high, and Dr Spiller agrees, saying he still thinks it's good to have a target even if it's a stretch.

The ABC revealed yesterday former treasurer Josh Frydenberg was considering a run at the Melbourne seat he previously held, Kooyong.

It's despite the fact that finance professional Amelia Hamer had already been preselected for the seat.

Earlier today, Frydenberg put to bed any speculation about his imminent return to political life.

In her own statement, Hamer says her focus is on the campaign and not on "internal politics".

The issues that matter to the people of Kooyong are all that matters to me. They are certainly not interested in internal politics, and neither am I.

Kooyong deserves a real voice and they want a candidate who can deliver; and I have an unwavering focus on what important to them.

To date I’ve spent 10 weeks on the campaign trail and I’m just getting started.

It has been great to meet with so many constituents, community groups, businesses and hear about what is important to them and what we can do to make this community even better.

This is what is driving me each and every day.

Liberal Jane Hume has told Senate estimates she donated her $900 stimulus payment to the Liberal Party back in 2009.

How on earth did that come up, I hear you ask? Good question.

Hume has been asking about whether the government's $300 energy bill relief for every household is inflationary. Treasury's answer is no, not to any significant extent.

Hume asked how that could be true when the Rudd government's $900 stimulus payment, which went to about half of the country's households during the global financial crisis, was considered significant at the time.

Then she volunteered, unprompted, that she got that money back in the day.

HUME: I personally was a recipient of the $900 cheque, which I found a bit of an insult. I'd just gone back to work at Deutsche Bank and was earning more money than I ever had before... you'll be pleased to know that I donated it to the Liberal Party.

GALLAGHER: You sure there wasn't a worthier charity out there than the Liberal Party?

HUME: Well it worked, we got re-elected.

The PM wraps up QT by answering a dixer on the minimum wage increase and in return brings out the $1 coin he loves so much.

If you've been paying attention to politics for some time now you'll remember the coin played a big part of Anthony Albanese's election campaign in 2022.

As he was answering the question, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin (presumably not the same one as two years ago though).

"We support working people getting ahead," he said.

Independent MP Monique Ryan says there are now 422 medications in short supply, including blood thinners, medication for glaucoma, and HRT patches.

She says her constituents also can't access the Novavax and Shingrix vaccines and asks what is being done about this.

Health MinisterMark Butler makes the points:

• Novavax was withdrawn from the market more than 12 months ago
• The uptake of the Shingrix vaccine was higher than expected, so the government negotiated a supply ofan additional 750,000 doses

He adds shortages of important medicines are an issue in the global market.

"We work with doctors and pharmacies, where possible, to arrange alternatives to a medicine that might be in a global supply shortage," he says.

I won't go into it as it's just a variation of the same answer he's given countless times now.

If you want a tl;dr about it all, I recommend this analysis from national political lead David Speers.

Greens leader Adam Bandt asks the PM about Donald Trump and comments the former president has made about immigration and climate action.

He questions whether Labor would join the Greens and commit to a "full review" of Australia's relationship with the US if Trump is reelected as president.

Speaker Milton Dick remarks the question is "barely within the standing orders" but allows the PM to take a crack at the question anyway.

Anthony Albanese says the US relationship is important to Australia.

"That relationship is a relationship not between leaders. It's a relationship between people and between nations," he says.

"It's one that is very important and enduring, and will continue to be into the future."

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley questions if the prime minister's department was told to "fix the problem" to stop the deportation of New Zealand citizens.

The prime minister uses the question to take a jab at the former prime minister Scott Morrison,saying: "I have a job, I don't have multiple jobs.

"I haven't sworn myself into multiple portfolios, including to home affairs, in the Treasury. I'm also not the health minister."

He says, "we have ministers who have responsibility for doing their jobs".

He finishes reiterating section 501 remains in place, and the government continues to refuse and cancel visa on character grounds.

"We continue to deport people who have no right to be here."