The Whole Barnaby Joyce Saga in one Simple Post (I hope)

Barnaby Joyce is expecting a baby with a former staffer.

Vikki Campion, who used to be his media advisor, before being shunted to two other offices for seemingly superfluous jobs, is due to have a boy in April. Joyce was married until late last year (technically still is) and it’s on the public record that he and his wife Natalie are  separated. However, up until three weeks ago the whole baby with Vikki Campion thing was only known amongst some of those in Parliament.

Questions were raised about the ethics of Vikki Campion working in those seemingly superfluous jobs with other Nationals ministers while having a relationship with Joyce. The rules say that your partner and children cannot work for you at all and can only work for other Ministers with Prime Ministerial approval. But because Joyce was married at the time, Vikki Campion is somehow exempt from the rule, and also Malcolm Turnbull had no knowledge of the relationship at the time of the other jobs being created.

There’s no denying Barnaby has not had the best six months of his life. He found out he was a dual citizen and while fighting the by-election was awarded a prize by mining magnate Gina Rinehart which he accepted and then had to give back. After winning the election, and announcing during the same-sex marriage debate that he’d separated, the news of this affair broke. Add to this the fact that there are now questions over a house that Joyce and Campion have been living in, as a donor is letting them stay there rent-free.

Meanwhile many people of both political stripes have been questioning why Barnaby Joyce’s private life is being made public. That was until about a week after the news broke, when questions started to arise over the rent-free unit and whether tax payer funds were used to fly Campion anywhere. It appears that the latter has not happened, but the former did seem to happen. That lead to calls from the opposition to quit.

At the start of last week, the National Party appeared to be in turmoil with backbench Nationals suggesting Joyce might need to resign, while his deputy leader Bridget McKenzie supported him. It got to the point where Malcolm Turnbull announced that while he would be away in the USA, Joyce would be on leave, and Mattias Cormann would be Acting PM.

Then Malcolm Turnbull introduced the Bonk Ban, and said that Joyce had a shocking lapse of judgement. Joyce to offence to that and traded barbs with Turnbull via press conference the next day. Then they had a short meeting in Sydney before Turnbull went overseas, where they had ‘constructive’ discussions.

Then, a WA Nationals rank and file member made an allegation of sexual harassment against Barnaby Joyce and he announced that he would quit effective Monday (Feb 26).  So now, we wait to see who becomes the new Nationals Leader – most people’s money is on former journalist Michael McCormack.

The question about all of this is whether or not it is in the public interest. Should the public be made aware of a man who has cheated on his wife with a woman 20 years younger than him, who is having his child? Perhaps not, but it becomes in the public interest when taxpayers money, or rent free accomodation, comes into the mix. But that is something Barnaby Joyce needs to answer questions about. Vikki Campion should not have been ambushed on a street in order to get the front page photo that started this whole saga off, and it caused Campion, Natalie Joyce and Barnaby Joyce’s four children pain and embarrassment.

The Week That Was – December 7 to December 13

Tony Abbott still wants his Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Scheme to go ahead, although he may have to lower the cap again, with money saved going to childcare, but won’t share too many details other than the fact that he would prefer “in-home care” – i.e. nannies – and there is disquiet among the Coalition to do with city vs. rural mothers and how much money they get. In case you were wondering, the Labor party’s PPL is paying every primary carer 18 weeks at minimum wage (source here).

The Government is using taxpayer money to pay for advertising to convince people of the benefits of their plan for higher education funding. The government says that it is an “information campaign focused on facts”, while Glenn Lazarus has called the ad campaign “expensive propaganda for dud reforms”. The thing is, the bulk of students (including me), whether at uni, or planning to go in the next few years, still have an issue with the legislation, and it isn’t the fact that the interest on HECS is going up.

The $7 co-payment is technically gone. However, they are cutting $5 from the rebate doctors get from Medicare, meaning that if doctors want to make that up, they are going to have to raise their prices. There is an exemption for children, pensioners, veterans and concession card holders, however there is concern about chronically ill patients or patients needing long-term or ongoing care who are adults, as they will not be reprieved, and it may also lead to clogged Emergency Departments. This policy is yet to be introduced to Parliament, so it may not even get through, but people are worried anyway. Bill Shorten also had some choice words that scared a few people.

This is not a back down by the Abbott Government, this is a GP Tax that Tony Abbott can’t bring through your front door so he is going to bring it through your back door.

This isn’t a backdown – this is a GP Tax through the backdoor @TonyAbbottMHR #brokenpromise pic.twitter.com/Bo45Z9JfDo

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) December 9, 2014

Not a pleasant thought, but I guess that’s the point.

NAPLAN is in the news again as it turns out that parents are pulling their kids out of school on NAPLAN day at record rates, because students are pressured to do well, or schools tell parents to keep their kid away in order to make the school look better when the NAPLAN results come out. This leaves an incomplete picture about how students are doing at schools.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is in Australia at the moment, meeting with Tony Abbott, who is apparently one of the most popular foreign heads of state in Ukraine. Abbott said that it was nice to be popular, even if it was in Ukraine, and that “shirt front” must have translated well into Ukrainian. Poroshenko wants more help from Australia to fight the separatists and also wants energy resources from Australia. Abbott has also been invited to come to Kiev on a visit, which could happen next year.

In the run-up to the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), it has been announced that up to 200 agencies could be axed, including a LGBTI working group and a Returned Servicemen group. The government needs to save $500 million dollars, and the fact that mining revenues are down, as is the petrol price, Australia is not getting as much revenue as it was.

Finally this week, Tony Abbott has suggested those in the Coalition who are complaining about Peta Credlin are sexist, which has led to people calling Abbott a hypocrite…

…Australia will contribute $200 million to the world Climate Fund, unemployment has risen to a 12 year high, making Joe Hockey’s life more difficult and Nick Xenophon has started his own party.

Tweets of the Week

https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/542852661507137536

Fmr NSW Democrat Arthur Chesterfield Evans, is looking 2 make a political comeback w the Greens…running vs Health Min in North Syd #nswpol

— Sarah Gerathy (@sarahgerathy) December 11, 2014

Things I’ve Been looking at Online

The 20 Reasons 2014 was the Year of Lee Lin Chin – BuzzFeed

Explaining to American why Australian shops banned GTA5 – Polygon.com

An academic paper by Maggie Simpson and Edna Krabappel got published – Vox.com

The Week That Was – August 10 to August 16

So this week, Tony Abbott went to the Netherlands with the Chiefs of the ADF and the AFP. They went to say thank you to the Dutch and Australian officials working on identifying victims of the crash. Abbott met with the Dutch Prime Minister and other politicians to discuss the investigation as well as sanctions against Russia – it is still unclear as to whether or not Putin still has an invite to the G20 meetings in Australia later this year. Abbott also visited the UK, where he talked with the British PM and was briefed on the UK’s aid mission to Iraq, and announced that he was exploring all his options when it came to Iraq, but for the moment all Australia is doing is assisting the US and UK with aid drops. He also made a visit to wherever in the Middle East the air force crews are stationed to thank them for helping – when he got back to Canberra on Friday morning, the PM’s car nearly left without Peta Credlin.

Speaking of international trips, Julie Bishop’s phone was compromised while she was on her trip in Europe after MH17. It is unclear as to whether it was hacked, tapped or compromised in some other way, but intelligence officials took her phone from her when she got back and replaced it. This week though, she played host to US Secretary of State John Kerry during the AUSMIN talks. It’s thought that Australia could help the US with more than aid missions in the future, primarily due to the release of an image of a 7-year-old boy, who is the son of an Australian fighting in Syria, holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier. It appears that, at least for now, Australia will only be helping with aid missions.

It also turns out that the aforementioned Australian man fighting in Syria was a welfare recipient, leading the government to announce that people’s welfare payments are to be cancelled if they are a national security risk, because Australians shouldn’t have to deal “terrorism tourism on the taxpayer” (say that five times fast).

Finally this week, Joe Hockey got in trouble for saying that the fuel excise (a tax on petrol, which is yet to get through the Senate) would not affect low-income households because “the poorest people don’t drive cars, or actually don’t drive very far”, which lead to backlash from the opposition and his own party.

ABC’s FactCheck even checked out whether or not what Joe Hockey said was true, regardless of how classist the comment was.

Some of his more high-profile colleagues have said they support Joe Hockey in his job, but have not said specifically that they support his comment. He apologised on 2GB later in the week, multiple times. However, many people feel he is out of touch with the people of Australia.

Also this week, the “Pollie Pedal” began with five government MPs, including a Cabinet Minister, Peter Costello suggested rubbishing the $7 co-payment, and Christopher Pyne has decided that politics is about the end result, not the day-to-day running of the government.

Tweet of the Week

Radio Australia’s  Asia Pacific program is now off air, thanks to government cuts, along with RA Mornings and Asia Review.

https://twitter.com/RAAsiaPacific/status/500208353939685376

Things I’ve Been Reading/Watching/Listening etc

The MythBusters talked with Julia Baird on The Drum – ABC The Drum

Interest in politics is waning – ABC Online

A look at what happens after high-profile suicides at crisis hotline centres – News.com.au

The Taxpayer Money Saga

i like this new notion where making an inappropriate expense claim is just fine, so long as you pay it back when sprung.

— Jonathan Green (@GreenJ) October 7, 2013

so you know, i can steal cars, and if i get away with it fine. if i don’t i just hand the car back and no harm done.

— Jonathan Green (@GreenJ) October 7, 2013

That’s the ABC Online editor and radio presenter Jonathan Green’s take on this taxpayer money claiming scandal thing.

I don’t know what to call it. Scandal? Saga? Thing? Taxpayer-Money-Gate?

But Jonathan Green’s comment, using the stealing of a car, simplifies it into a few simple steps, which I have listed below.

1. Go to a wedding or on an equally dubious “work trip”.
2. Claim taxpayer money on transport, accommodation, food or all the above and pray you get away with it.
3. Once caught, pay it back, saying you were always intending to, because you are an honest person.
4. In interviews, blame the fact that regulations are very vague.

While I don’t think anyone stole cars, and nor should anyone take Jonathan Green’s suggestion seriously, it is a little concerning that this is going on.

First, what are the entitlements for?

Schedule 1 Part 1 of the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 allows certain travel and accommodation to be reimbursed if it is related to ‘parliamentary or electorate business’.

That’s what it says on the Parliament House website. It also tells you the four reasons you can claim for overseas travel (N.B. I have cut out the additional explanations from the site):

1. Travel as a member of a Parliamentary Delegation, within a program approved for each calendar year by the Prime Minister.

2. Travel overseas for the purpose of undertaking studies and investigations of matters related to their duties and responsibilities as a member of parliament.

3. Representational overseas travel for parliamentarians who, with the approval of the Prime Minister, are representing Australia, a Minister, or the Government overseas.

4. Travel overseas on official business for Ministers as approved by the Prime Minister.

So, if you are going to a trade summit or the UN or something along those lines, then the claims for accommodation and travel are completely legitimate. I can totally understand the claiming of tax payer’s money if the politician is doing their job (for some that term is also ambiguous).

Not only are people claiming for weddings, but Tony Abbott has also claimed money for travel to Iron Man competitions, in particular one in the electorate of Port Macquarie, which he said was legitimate because back then the seat was “at the time, marginal”. He also claimed travel for his charity ride called the ‘Pollie Pedal’. He says he isn’t going to pay it back, and if he is travelling in his capacity (as in not on holiday, one hopes) he’ll claim the allowance.

I’m sorry Mr Abbott, but if going to sporting events and charity events, whether they are in a marginal seat or not, are “duties and responsibilities as a member of parliament” then I must be living on another planet. How is being in an Iron Man contest or a triathlon a responsibility as an MP?

I wonder if he’ll answer that question. Probably not.

Oh well, at least he’s paying some of it back. Which, if we are being honest is what Peter Slipper said he’d do about those dodgy CabCharge claims. But that doesn’t seem to be an issue, despite the fact the Mr Slipper is facing the courts over it, while Abbott is just paying some of the money back.

I don’t think we’ve seen the end of this.