Australia politics live: Chalmers says Nationals ‘making it up as they go along’ on supermarket competition | Australian politics

Human rights commission ‘often misunderstood’, outgoing president says

Now at the end of her seven year term as the human rights commission president, Rosalind Croucher has had a few words about the organisation itself and how it is often misunderstood.

It is a wondrous organisation, full of extraordinary, largely unsung, people.

However, this wonder is, for me, tempered by one of the most surprising aspects of leading the commission: that despite our role being clearly and expressly laid out in legislation, it is often, wilfully or otherwise, misunderstood.

Commonly expressed canards about the commission include: references to people being ‘hauled before the Human Rights Commission’; disappointment being expressed when we don’t ‘prosecute’ someone, and the very generalised criticism about being ‘absent’ in commenting on an issue, usually at a global or international level, and usually expressed as ‘where is the Human Rights Commission?’

These critiques – and critics – misunderstand several key parameters: that we are obliged to consider all complaints that are sent to us; that no one is ‘hauled before us’ – we provide a dispute resolution process that is neutral, voluntary and low cost, and fewer than 4% of the thousands of matters conciliated each year by us ever go anywhere near a court; that the accepting of a complaint does not automatically mean that the commission considers it to have merit; that we have no power to prosecute anyone and do not instigate complaint ourselves; and that our role is about human rights issues in Australia – we are not a public commentator at large on the state of the world.

Rosalind Croucher is about to start her press club address – we will bring you the highlights.

Two batches of figures out today from the ABS point to stronger than expected economy activity – but that’s because expectations were pretty grim to start with.

Retail sales were 0.6% higher in June than in May, or twice the meagre growth rate anticipated by economists. Still, they were up only 1.7% from May 2023 and given the inflation rate was 4%, they were down more than 2% in real terms.

Some of that spending was related to end of financial year discounting starting earlier than usual (a trend we see at the other end of the year as pre-Christmas sales increasingly start from early November).

Perhaps the obscure fact of the day: Western Australia’s retail turnover rose 1.3%, aided by the restoration of the Trans-Australian Railway and Eyre Highway freight routes after major flooding in March. (Guess we don’t have much coastal shipping these days.)

For the other major stats, the ABS said dwelling approvals rose 5.5% in May, quickening from April’s 1.9% pace. Economists had been tipping a 1.6% rise.

WA led the way with a 19.6% jump (probably more to do with the soaring property prices there than a post-flood approvals binge), with Victoria’s up 8.9%.

The value of total building approved rose 0.6% to $13bn, the ABS said, reversing a 0.7% fall in April.

Neither set of numbers is likely to shift the Reserve Bank’s interest rate dial. The biggest influence on that won’t come until 31 July, when we get June quarter inflation figures.

‘Carbon capture and gas should have no access to Future Made in Australia funds,’ ACF says

Australian Conservation Foundation’s lead exports campaigner, Elizabeth Sullivan, said the Future Made in Australia legislation was a good move – as long as gas is left out of it.

In a rapidly changing global energy landscape, the Future Made in Australia legislation is shaping up to provide the strong foundation needed to establish world-leading renewable manufacturing and export industries.

These are the industries that will propel our future – not polluting coal and gas, or non-solutions like nuclear energy or carbon capture and storage, which come with huge new risks and keep our economy burning coal and gas for longer.

Carbon capture and gas should have no access to Future Made in Australia funds.

Governor general Sam Mostyn meets Lismore mayor to discuss flood recovery

AAP reports Sam Mostyn has hosted locals from Lismore who went through the floods in 2022 as one of her first acts as governor general.

Ms Mostyn was warmly received as she addressed the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) national general assembly on Wednesday, her first public engagement since being sworn in two days ago.

Describing her first day in her new office, Ms Mostyn said she met with Lismore mayor Steve Krieg and deputy mayor Jeri Hall to discuss the regional city’s continued recovery after the catastrophic 2022 floods.

‘Our meeting and discussion was a great example of how trust is built and reflects what I have heard across the country in recent months – communities crave kindness and care,’ Ms Mostyn told the gathering of the nation’s councillors in Canberra.

‘They seek empathy from those with power over the decisions that affect them and they deserve respect and engagement.

‘I also heard repeatedly that Australians desire unity and optimism.

New ambassadors announced

Penny Wong has announced five new ambassadors:

• Derek Yip as Australia’s next ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

• Greg Wilcock as Australia’s next consul general in Honolulu.

• Damien Donavan as Australia’s next ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco.

• Leann Johnston as Australia’s next ambassador to Nepal.

• Max Willis as Australia’s next high commissioner to the Republic of Vanuatu.

Amanda McGregor has been named Australia’s next special representative on Afghanistan.

On McGregor’s appointment, Wong says:

Based in Qatar, Ms McGregor will work with like-minded countries to call out the Taliban on its abuse of human rights and support the people of Afghanistan.

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New CEO of Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority

Stephen Gniel has been formally appointed as the new CEO of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara).

Gniel had been seconded into the role on an acting basis since November following the resignation of David de Carvalho. He was previously the CEO of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (Vcaa).

The body came under fire last year for a series of errors discovered in VCE exams, prompting the state’s education minister to launch an investigation.

His three year appointment into the new role was decided by Acara board members and a representative from the Department of Education, with consideration by federal cabinet.

Gniel:

I’m delighted at the opportunity to lead Acara at this very important time for education in Australia. Our relentless focus will continue to be on ensuring we support our teachers and inspire improvement in the learning of all young Australians through world-class curriculum, assessment and reporting.

The minister for education, Jason Clare, congratulated Gniel on his appointment.

Gniel … brings a wealth of experience across early childhood education, schools, and tertiary portfolios in the education sector.

Jim Chalmers, though, says he won’t be pushed on divestiture powers for the supermarkets:

Now the difference between us and the Coalition is we devise and implement our competition policy in a considered and a methodical way, relying heavily on the advice of the ACCC and others.

What we see with our opponents is the Nationals making it up as they go along, riding roughshod over the Liberals, rolling Angus Taylor once again like he’s been rolled on tax and he’s been rolled on public funding for nuclear reactors as well. So this is the same kind of shambles as we saw with nuclear and with migration. They can’t explain the most basic details.

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One of the reasons why the last three big reviews of competition policy hasn’t recommended we go down this path is because of the possible unintended consequences. If you made supermarkets sell, are they allowed to sell to another big rival? Does it mean they close down more stores in local communities? And does that mean less competition rather than more competition in local communities?

Chalmers is also keen to point out the doubts those in the Liberal party have previously expressed about the idea:

Not that long ago Jane Hume was saying that she was worried that divestiture wouldn’t decrease prices. She’s on the record as recently as April making that clear.

So we make our competition policy on the advice of the ACCC, not on the advice of the National party riding roughshod over the Liberals.

Australia Institute supports Coalition backing supermarket divesture powers

The Coalition’s support for divestiture powers over the major supermarkets which it announced yesterday (after months of the Greens making the same recommendation) has support from an unlikely (at least for the Coalition) source – the Australia Institute.

The institute’s senior economist, Matt Grudnoff, said the proposed divestiture powers could help keep down inflation and make groceries cheaper.

Research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, released at the beginning of 2023, showed that corporate profits, not wages, were the major driver of the burst of inflation in Australia that followed the Covid lockdowns.

The Australian economy has become less competitive over the last few decades and these laws would go some way to addressing that structural imbalance.

… Divestiture powers will enable the government to break up large businesses abusing their market power and force them to compete, leading to lower prices and better service for consumers.

MPs and family and domestic violence workers call on government to address delays in funding and hiring

Goldstein independent MP Zoe Daniel is calling on the government to address the delay in frontline family and domestic violence workers.

Daniel has invited organisations from the sector to attend the parliament and have their voices heard, including:

• Elise Phillips, Domestic Violence NSW

• Karen Dini-Paul, Warringu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation

• Leeanne Caton, NT representative

• Kathleen Maltzahn, Sexual Assault Services Victoria

• Yvette Cehtel, Women’s Legal TAS

Larissa Waters from the Greens and the Liberal’s deputy leader, Sussan Ley, have also been raising the issue.

The government has said it has funded the positions, but the states and territories have not hired enough fast enough. Daniel and the sector says the excuses and delays have gone on for too long.

Labor moves motion to suspend standing orders for vandalism condemnation be adjourned

Back on today’s motion to suspend standing orders for a motion condemning the vandalism of the war memorials and Jason Clare has moved it be adjourned – for much the same reasons Matt Keogh outlined yesterday (see below)

Minister for veterans affairs condemns war memorial ‘defacement’

In moving that the motion be adjourned yesterday, the minister for veteran affairs, Matt Keogh, said:

What I seek to do is to condemn what they have done, because it cuts against the exact freedom that they are espousing and it cuts against the exact freedom they are afforded in being able to exercise those free democratic rights in every other way that they or anyone else may seek to raise their cause in this country.

That is what makes what has happened here not just truly abhorrent but problematic.

In saying all of that, it confirms exactly what the member for Canning has sought to do by bringing forward this motion today and it confirms why Senator Lambie brought forward her motion at the beginning of the week.

That motion was supported by the government, and the sentiments were supported by the prime minister in his answer in question time yesterday, in the speech made by the member for Spence, in the public comments made by the minister for defence on Sunday and in the comments that I have made previously in relation to these things occurring at other memorials.

I think both sides of this House and many on the crossbench join together in those sentiments. It is deeply concerning to me that there was a political party in the Senate that voted against that motion on Monday. I think we all agree with that.

LNP attempt to condemn pro-Palestine graffiti on war memorials

Over in the House and LNP MP Phil Thompson is trying to suspend standing orders to move another motion to have the house condemn the recent anti-genocide vandalisation on Australian war monuments in Canberra.

That the House condemns the act of defacing war memorials by pro-Palestinian protestors which is deeply insulting for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and undermines the significance of these memorials as symbols of national pride and remembrance.

Keith Wolahan is the seconder.

A similar motion moved by Andrew Hastie yesterday was adjourned.

On Fatima Payman’s suspected exit from the Labor party, Jim Chalmers said he wasn’t sure if she was leaving but:

I mean she’s certainly chosen to sit herself outside the obligations that all of the rest of us sign up to. We’re a party of progress, not protest, we believe that we get more done collectively than individually. That’s been one of the reasons for our success over a really long period of time.

The path that Fatima has chosen has been chosen by her, not for her, and my hope is that we can welcome Fatima back into the fold at some point when she’s prepared to be subjected to those obligations that all the rest of us have signed up to when we become Labor members and senators.

Chalmers says Labor policies helping on inflation

On the speculation that the Reserve Bank may be considering another interest rate rise, Jim Chalmers said:

I think people have got different interpretations about those Reserve Bank minutes that came out yesterday, and again I don’t make predictions about decisions they take independently.

My job is to focus on this fight against inflation. You and I have spoken about it a heap of times on your show. Getting the budget into surplus is part of that effort. Rolling out this cost‑of‑living relief in a substantial and meaningful but also a responsible way, that’s part of us doing our bit to get on top of this inflation challenge.

Inflation’s higher than any of us want to see it but it’s much lower than it was when we came to office and our policies are helping.