Politics live: Chalmers accuses Liberals of ‘photocopying’ One Nation policy; Australians ‘fed up’ by alleged pork barrelling, Haines says

Key events

Grants went to Labor-held seats because we promised them, Mulino says

The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, has said the overwhelming allocation of a grants program to Labor-held or marginal seats was “sound policy” that reflected the party’s promises.

The allocation across different electorates reflected the promises made.

He also claimed successive governments had used such programs but could not cite specific examples, instead saying the government auditor general had previously said “these types of grants programs” are “sound policy”.

He expressed no concern at the prospect of Labor doing this again at the next federal election, saying:

I think that if we go to the next election with promises, people will expect us to deliver on those promises and I think that’s a reasonable expectation.

Jacqui Lambie says she’s ready to fight big tech on algorithms

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie wants to see a proper crackdown on the tech giants and social media algorithms and reckons the government won’t go far enough.

Speaking to News24 earlier, Lambie says the government should go with an opt-in rather than opt-out approach, which would make no algorithms the default on social media platforms.

Lambie says:

We haven’t seen the bill, so I can imagine that there’ll be other things that need to be fixed in that as well and it won’t be tough enough. The problem is when governments are in they’ll go 70% of the way, and the other 30% is called courage, and that’s what they lack.

Let’s have the fight [with big tech] because I’m ready because what it’s doing to our kids is disgusting.

Government ‘seeking to censor’ social media with digital duty of care bill

The shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, has also been up having a word to the press gallery this morning, criticising the government’s duty of care bill. The government will release the draft legislation for consultation today.

Wilson, like the s leader, Matt Canavan, claims the government is seeking to censor platforms.

The problem we’ve got is the government is now actively seeking to censor, and has been active in attempting to censor any view they don’t like. What we need is laws that protect Australia’s national identity, our security, because that’s the umbrella in which all our rights and freedoms are anchored behind.

Wilson says that harm minimisation on platforms is definitely important but that the government needs to be more transparent about it.

The Albanese government has a long history of trying to censor, silence and bully voices they don’t like. We know that they tried to shut down access to public information through their freedom of information bill.

Carroll has also announced the introduction of laws to give integrity agencies more powers, which will come into effect immediately once the bill is passed.

The bill will give the anti-corruption watchdog Ibac the follow-the-money investigatory powers to trace public funds. This means they can investigate the conduct of private and third-party subcontractors.

The definition of corruption will also changed to capture a broader range of conduct, including ones that don’t currently meet the threshold of a criminal offence.

The special minister of state, Ingrid Stitt, says the new definition also includes a specific provision for elected officials, and that will include ministers, MPs and local councillors. She says:

It means that they can be investigated for serious breaches to their respective codes of conduct.

Stitt says, if re-elected, a second bill would be introduced to parliament next year, which would enact the remaining recommendations of an inquiry into the laws governing Ibac.

Ben Carroll announces laws to tackle corruption

The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, is holding a press conference to announce two key pieces of legislation will be introduced to parliament this week to tackle corruption.

The first bill will establish a special prosecutor to work alongside the royal commission into the construction industry to lay charges against those found to have acted unlawfully on government Big Build sites.

The bill also gives the royal commissioner the power to compel people to provide information or written statements, outside hearings.

Carroll says the power will help the royal commissioner “get to the truth as quickly as possible”. He went on:

No longer will anyone be able to use an excuse, ‘I do not have the information or I do not have any documents.’ If you do not have any documents, and the royal commissioner asks you to produce a written answer to a question, you will be compelled to do that under this royal commission … This is a law and a power that is only available at the commonwealth level, and I will now bring it into the state level as well.

Liberal party photocopying One Nation policy, Chalmers says

Jim Chalmers coming through the House of Reps doors to have a little word with reporters is becoming a more regular thing. It means the treasurer can get a couple of lines out to the media without having to do the full press conference.

Chalmers and Labor are pretty keen to have a fight on superannuation with One Nation and the Coalition, and probably believe they’re on to a winner with the public.

The treasurer tells reporters that the One Nation policy to allow people to use 3% of their super payments for mortgages and rents is “friendless” except for the shadow housing minister, Andrew Bragg.

So this is a shambles from beginning to end. Instead of running from it, the Liberal party wants to photocopy it. And I think that says it all about the very dangerous and risky, anti-worker, anti-super ideology, shared by One Nation, the Liberals and the s.

He also points out that One Nation hasn’t modelled the impact of the policy. Barnaby Joyce ridiculed that idea this morning, asking why the party should have to model people “getting your own money”.

‘Australians are fed up’: Haines blasts community fund

Independent MP Helen Haines has added her voice to the list of MPs angry over reports of Labor using a community infrastructure fund to allegedly pork-barrel money into target seats at the last election.

The ABC has reported analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity that found the majority of money from an “invite-only” grants program was given to safe, target and marginal Labor seats.

In a statement, Haines said:

Australians are increasingly fed up with self-serving political establishment, and pork barrelling only further undermines trust in government and our democracy. Political parties should not be able to use taxpayers’ money to buy votes.

Community need should come before political need.

Haines was a leading figure behind the push to set up a national anti-corruption commission.

One Nation super plan ‘not our policy’, Liberal senator says

The shadow housing minister, Andrew Bragg, says One Nation’s plan to allow access to superannuation for mortgage and rental payments isn’t Liberal policy but doesn’t directly knock it on its head.

He tells RN Breakfast the idea doesn’t address long-term structural issues around housing ownership in retirement.

It’s a short-term factor that would help with cost of living relief, I imagine, but I don’t think it addresses that long-term structural challenge. So 30 years ago, you had about 20% of retirees renting. Now you’ve got about 30%, and in 20 years it’ll be about 40%. That is going to change the character of retirement.

Bragg dismisses reports that the Coalition was cooking up a similar policy offering, and tries to put the pressure on to the government. He also won’t say whether the Coalition has modelled anything.

I think it’s very telling that the treasurer, having destroyed the budget and destroyed the housing system, can’t even bring himself to have this debate. Instead, what he wants to do is to go and raise donations for the Labor party on the back of a public debate.

Bragg is referring to a text blast that was sent by Jim Chalmers last month to supporters, claiming that the Coalition and One Nation were coming for superannuation and calling for donations.

Joyce responds to reports of Hanson loan: ‘I think we just get used to these stories’

Barnaby Joyce has tried to deflect reporting in Nine Newspapers this morning that Pauline Hanson has offered loans to her party since her campaign to re-enter parliament in 2016. One Nation has publicly reported it owes $400,000 in debts to Hanson.

Hanson has refused to say whether she has charged interest on those loans.

Joyce tells RN Breakfast we can probably expect more of these stories from those who are “scared” of his party.

Joyce adds that he’s not an accountant for Hanson so he doesn’t have details of her financial affairs:

I know that people have a pathological dislike of One Nation if they’re a socialist. I’m completely aware of that. And I imagine we’re going to get lots and lots of these stories, not only from the left, but from those who are scared of us, who are supposed to be on the conservative side of politics. So I think we just get used to these stories. They’re going to roll out. I mean, we’re under the microscope. I accept that.

‘We shouldn’t have to model’ super changes, Joyce says

Barnaby Joyce is using every which way he can to say that One Nation shouldn’t have to model the impact of One Nation’s policy that would allow an individual to divert 3% of their superannuation to pay their rent or mortgage.

After a pretty heated exchange on 7.30 last night, Joyce is back on the ABC speaking to RN Breakfast, and there’s once again a lot of back and forth.

He says having to model what happens to someone getting access to their own money is “conceptualised by socialism”.

Is there an implication beyond it being their money? Do you model the money you get paid at the end of the week? Do you have to model that money before you get paid? Or do you believe you have an entitlement to your own money? … We shouldn’t have to model you getting your own money.

When host Sally Sara then asks whether economists have backed the policy, Joyce ridicules the suggestion.

Now we have to get economists to decide whether you get access to your own money … now we’ve got another group of people that apparently have to give approval for you to get your money. I mean, who else do you want to go to? Your local priest, Buddhist temple, before you get your money? It’s your money, for goodness sake.

Mulino defends ‘invite-only’ grants program

Daniel Mulino is facing the wrath of RN Breakfast host Sally Sara to explain exactly how the “invite-only” grant scheme is legit and above board and not pork barrelling.

He says repeatedly that the scheme is “longstanding practice” that allows a government to deliver its election promises.

(ie Labor promised money for parks, pools and sports ovals to seats that it either already held or really wanted to win and then this was the program to deliver that once they were re-elected.)

Sara asks which other grants programs have been invitation only, but Mulino doesn’t know, replying, “I don’t have the background on how frequently it’s used.”

He says:

It is a specific kind of grants program which is designed to deliver election commitments and that’s something which is specifically set up after an election in order to allow governments to basically follow through on what they’ve promised to do.