Shorten says senator’s suspension gives all parties time to ‘work out what’s important’ – as it happened

With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. Stay warm and dry out there, I’m off to use my labrador as a hot water bottle.

Here were today’s major developments:

• Federal Labor MPs and senatorsendorsed the suspension of SenatorFatima Paymanfrom the party’sparliamentary caucus.On Tuesday afternoon, ministerBill Shortensaidher suspension gave herself and the party timeto “work out what’s important”.

• The Greens senatorDorinda Coxsaid Australia’s Indigenous community “want some sense of hope” in the wake of the failed voice referendum last year, as her party launched its ownpush to set up afederal truth telling and justice commission.

• Over in the Senate,Mehreen Faruqidenounced Labor’sinternational student capas “a racist dog-whistle of a policy”. The Greens deputy leader pressed the government to “dump the destructive international student caps bill” and contended that the legislation was “a blatant attack on international students”.

• TheCoalition announced plans for divestiture powers as a “last resort”to addresssupermarket price-gouging.It’s an amalgamation of the government’s mandatory code of conduct for the grocery giants and the Greens’ push for divestiture powers.

• And budget airlineBonzawill be officially wound up,after the airline’s creditors voted toliquidatethe airline.

Farmers vow to keep fighting Labor’s live sheep export ban

Farmers are vowing to continue to fight the Albanese government’s live sheep export ban and accuse Labor of turning its back on Australian agriculture.

Live sheep exports by sea will be banned from May 2028 after legislation passed the Senate on Monday night.

Exporters, farmers and other agricultural suppliers say their businesses will be ruined and regional towns in Western Australia will die because of the ban.

Mark Harvey-Suttonof the Livestock Exporters’ Council has “never seen the sector so united, so mobilised and so furious”.

Last-minute lobbying by Western Australian farmers and exporters was not enough to have the legislation blocked, with the bill passing the Senate with the support of the Greens and some crossbenchers.

Advocates of the live export trade who travelled to Canberra have vowed to target the Albanese government in marginal Labor seats across Australia.

The ban has been welcomed by animal rights groups.Jed Goodfellowfrom the Australian Alliance for Animals described the phase-out as a pivotal moment in the history of animal welfare.

This legislation has been a long time coming for our members and their 2 million-plus supporters who have been calling for an end to this cruel and unnecessary trade for decades.

– AAP

Queensland mayor in custody charged with domestic violence offences

A Queensland mayor is in custody after being charged with multiple domestic violence offences.

The Lockhart River Aboriginal shire council mayor,Wayne William Butcher,was arrested following an alleged assault at a Lockhart River property, in the state’s Cape York peninsula, on Friday.

Police said the 53-year-old was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with six domestic violence offences.

The charges include one count of deprivation of liberty, two counts of choking, suffocation or strangulation, one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

Butcher’s matter was in Cairns magistrates court on Monday and he was remanded in custody. He was set to appear in court again on Thursday.

Queensland’s local government department confirmed it was aware of the allegations against Butcher, saying via a spokesperson:

The department is providing support and advice to the council and will make an assessment about next steps in due course.

Butcher has been the Lockhart River mayor since 2012. The remote Aboriginal community has a population of 640 people.

– AAP

Parliament plans Katter portrait to honour colourful crossbencher

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Bob Katterhas dressed as a pig to highlight profiteering during the cost-of-living crisis and the Grim Reaper to mark the closure of Australia’s last Holden factory. Now all eyes will be on what he might wear to pose for a portrait.

Parliament’s little known House Memorials Committee convened in person on Tuesday for the first time in nearly half a century to discuss the weighty matter of commissioning a portrait of the colourful crossbencher.

The memorials committee was founded before the first world war and is composed of the prime minister and opposition leader of the day plus the presiding and other officers of the two houses.

In May, the house speaker,Milton Dick,wrote to the prime minister requesting approval to commission a one-off portrait of Katter, the committee said.

“So much has changed over the decades in this parliament – one of the rare constants has been Bob Katter’s presence,”Anthony Albanesesaid.

It’s hard to imagine this place without him and commissioning his portrait is a way to ensure he will always be a visible and colourful part of Australia’s parliament.

Portraits that have been commissioned by the committee as one-offs include those ofNova Peris,the first female Indigenous parliamentarian, andLinda Burney,the first female Indigenous member of the House of Representatives.

– AAP

3d ago08.17 BST

‘Preference whisperer’ has had meeting with Payman

Paul Karp

The Labor senatorFatima Paymanhas had exquisite timing for her interventions into the federal political debate, speaking to ABC’s Insiders the day before Labor’s tax cuts took effect anddragging national political debate off cost-of-living reliefand on to the Albanese government’s handling of Israel’s military action in Gaza.

That has led to speculation about whether Payman is receiving advice from outside Labor, including whether she is in touch withemerging Muslim community groups planning on running against Labor MPs at the election.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting thatGlenn Drueryis advising Payman. Druery is known as the “preference whisperer” for the cottage industry he developed as a clearing house for preference deals, helping elect minor party candidates with tiny vote shares, before Senate voting reform made this much harder to snowball into a win.

Druery told Guardian Australia:

I was invited to attend a meeting by members of the Muslim community to have informal conversations about the next election and to meet with Senator Payman. No contract exists between the Muslim community or senator and me.

Druery said the meeting happened “very recently” and he is having “information conversations only” with Payman.

3d ago08.08 BST

Daniel Hurst

Veterans’ affairs minister condemns vandalism of war memorials

Matt Keogh,the minister for veterans’ affairs, has told the House of Representatives the government condemns vandalism of the war memorials:

The government’s position is entirely supportive of the sentiments raised and the position espoused in the substantive motion that the member for Canning [Andrew Hastie] seeks to bring forward today and it’s an important point to make.

That has been made abundantly clear by the answer given by the prime minister in question time yesterday in relation to this issue as well as the speech made before question time today by the member for Spence [Matt Burnell] and a number of speeches that were made by Labor senators in respect of a motion moved by SenatorLambieon Monday.

It’s unfortunate, however, in these circumstances that this motion has been brought on with no notice to the government… but the sentiments are entirely supported.

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Keogh said he found it “deeply concerning” that “there was a political party in the Senate that voted against” Lambie’s motion on the matter on Monday (that is a reference to the Greens). He said:

For that reason, and certainly to avoid a repeat of that, I move now that this motion be adjourned.

The house divided on whether to adjourn the debate, because theCoalitionopposed putting it off.

The government’s push to adjourn succeeded (74 votes in favour of adjourning and 63 opposing the adjournment).

So to recap: the Coalition wanted to suspend standing orders to bring on a motion condemning vandalism of war memorials, the government said it had already made clear its strong view that such vandalism was unacceptable, and the government succeeded in adjourning the matter. So the Coalition did not get to suspend standing orders to bring on the substantive debate.

‘I really would welcome her back,’Labor’sSitou says of Payman

The Labor MPSally Sitoualso appeared on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing today and was asked aboutFatima Payman,and whether her suspension was damaging to the federal government.

Sitou has represented the seat of Reid since the last election, a diverse electorate which covers parts of western Sydney. She said she respected Payman, while adding “as a parliamentarian, we think deeply about how we can achieve outcomes for our community”.

My view is that the best way I can help support my community is to do that through the Labor party. Because the values align with mine and the community’s. And I chose to join that team and abide by the team’s rules.

And if Senator Payman was happy to do that, she would be welcomed back into the party. And I think that she has a bright future ahead of her. She’s passionate and deeply committed to the causes that I’m deeply committed to and I really would welcome her back.

But the broader point here is about what Senator Payman was trying to champion, and that is something that the Labor caucus is trying to champion as well, and that is that we want the conflict in Gaza to end.All Labor caucus members want the conflict to end.

Storms hit Sydney’s northern beaches with flooding in Avalon

InNew South Wales,emergency services have responded to more than 36 incidents as a result of ongoing storms.

Avalon Beach in the northern beaches has been hit with overland and flash flooding.

3d ago07.38 BST

Daniel Hurst

Hastie condemns defacing of war memorials and ‘disgraceful’ pro-Palestine slogan

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The Coalition’s defence spokesperson,Andrew Hastie,is seeking to suspend standing orders in the House of Representatives in order to move a motion condemning the “defacing [of] any war memorial monument in Australia for any reason at any time”.

His proposed motion “further condemns the defacing of the Australian War Memorial on June 14 and the Korean War, Vietnam War and Army memorials on ANZAC Parade in Canberra on Saturday with language including the violent ‘from the river to the sea’ slogan”.

Addressing parliament, Hastie said:

On the Vietnam and Korean war memorials were written phrases like this – and I quote – ‘they didn’t die so we could fund genocide’, ‘free Gaza’, ‘blood on your hands’, ‘free Palestine’, and the most disgraceful: ‘from the river to the sea’.

Hastie went on to condemn what he labelled as “un-Australian behaviour”.

We’ll let you know the result of this suspension motion shortly.

OK, political parties have rules. Could caucus solidarity rules, though, be addressed by the party, that would give greater capacity for politicians to act on conscience or free vote?

“We’re in the heat of the kitchen now,”Bill Shortenreplies.

I’m not going to make the life of the government any more difficult… they can debate how we do our rules, but organisations need rules. You might not like them, but we have them.

Caucus is of the mind that, you know, take away everything else and the one thing we’ve got is each other… there is a lot of diversity in the caucus… anyway, I hope it works out. I know that Fatima is welcome. I know that people are being very mindful of how she’s going and I also know that we believe that Labor, when it’s united, is at its best.

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Asked how this “purgatory” ofFatima Paymanwill end,Bill Shortensays the leadership has “been clear”.

We’ve got some rules – when you’re in a team. Some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have rules.’ All political parties have rules.

The Greens know their resolution [to recognise the State of Palestine] can’t get up. Now they’ve planted their flag in the sand and said, ‘This is what we think,’ why do they want to keep putting this resolution up? I know it doesn’t change anything. It’s stirring the pot to be honest and I don’t think it’s constructive.

Pointed to comments made by the convener of the Labor for Palestine group,Anthony D’Adam,that Payman’s position is on the right side of history, Shorten replies: “That’s his opinion.”

I’m not sure everyone does share that opinion… people are dying on all sides of the conflict. And we’ve got the issue of a new senator who is conscientious. But we’ve also got the issue that… we sign a contract before we join as a [Labor] candidate.

The minister for government services and the NDIS,Bill Shorten,is up on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, fresh from question time.

The host,Greg Jennett,introduces him as a “stickler for party cohesion”, take with that what you will.

Why don’t we start with Senator[Fatima] Payman.You’ve described her suspension as a least-worst option. Which implies that it’s still bad. The prime minister told caucus today, though, suspension is actually virtuous, showing restraint and compassion is a strength, not a weakness… so which one is it?

Shorten says there were three options: do nothing, terminate the relationship, or give everyone time out to “work out what’s important”.

I think the prime minister’s handling this just right. I must say about Senator Payman, whilst I don’t know her that well, all my dealings with her in NDIS and Services Australia, she’s been very diligent. She’s young. She’s smart. She’s clearly tough.

All of us as candidates, when we choose to get the privilege to run for the Labor party, we actually sign a document which says we’ll stick together. She’s obviously finding that very difficult on the issue of Palestine.I don’t think anyone in the Labor is critical of her view about Palestine. I mean it’s a traumatic time. People are dying.We all want to see the Israeli tanks out. We want the hostages returned. But we also need to make sure we have processes where the party is cohesive. So I think a bit of time and distance can work these issues through.

Nicholas Reece sworn in as Melbourne lord mayor

Nicholas Reece,a longstanding councillor of the City of Melbourne, has been sworn in as the 105th lord mayor of the city.

Reece was elected deputy mayor in late 2020 after becoming a councillor in 2016 and replacesSally Capp,who has held the reins since 2018.

The jack of all trades has worn many hats as a lawyer, journalist, public servant and university leader. Reece will remain in the position until council elections take place in October this year.

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Reece said:

All my life I have sought to be actively engaged in public service to help others – and it is the honour of my life to serve the city that I love.

Melbourne is the best and fairest city in the world. It is also the biggest and fastest-growing capital city in Australia. I will be hitting the ground running to deliver the services and infrastructure our community needs and deserves.

I will be a hands-on Lord Mayor. I love fi xing things, solving problems, making decisions and making things happen. I will work hard every single day to make life better for the people of Melbourne.

I want to thank outgoing Lord Mayor Sally Capp for her extraordinary energy and drive – together with the Council group, she steered Melbourne through Covid lockdowns to emerge as a stronger and more resilient city.