Journos still not allowed access to asylum seekers

Mr Morrison says he has no plans to ease the restrictions on media access to detention centres.
Under the Immigration Department's rules, journalists wanting to visit detention centres must sign an agreement promising not to interview asylum seekers.
At the end of any visit, recorded material must be handed over for officials to review and any content deemed to breach the agreement must be deleted. ABC

Joe kicks the can down the road

In a statement released this afternoon, Mr Hockey said the deadline for a decision on the $3 billion proposal had been extended to December 17.
Mr Hockey's decision is seen as the Government's first major policy test on foreign investment, after pre-election speculation about revised guidelines for the Foreign Investment Review Board.
"Given the size of this transaction and the complex nature of the issues involved, I have decided to extend the statutory time period," Mr Hockey said. ABC

Abbott will treat all senators with respect

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has acknowledged it will not be easy to get legislation through the Senate, saying he will have to treat all Senators with respect. ABC

Scott Morrison on secret boat talks

Morrison said the federal government would not be briefing the media on the matters discussed.

"Our dialogue, like our operations, will be undertaken with Indonesia with total discretion to ensure the success of that dialogue," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday. News

Syrian refugees get in the queue

The Federal Government has announced it will resettle 500 Syrian refugees as part of its humanitarian refugee program.
The places will be quarantined for Syrians within the existing annual refugee intake, which is capped at 13,700.
Mr Morrison says the decision should not be interpreted as an encouragement for asylum seekers to get on boats bound for Australia. ABC

Turnbull picks right man for NBN

Assuming he wants it to fail horribly that is

Abc

Julie won't save you

So don't try smuggling marijuana or whatever.

"There are circumstances where Australians must take responsibility for their own conduct overseas.
"If you break the laws of other countries or are accused of doing so, you are subjected to their legal system."
Speaking about consular affairs for the first time since taking over as foreign minister, Ms Bishop has urged people to take out insurance and check Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice before they travel overseas.
She has rejected calls for a government travel levy to help cover the costs of helping Australians overseas. News

NZ not a consolation prize: Abbott

ASYLUM seekers arriving by boat who could have expected a ticket to New Zealand from next year will instead be sent to Nauru or Manus Island.
It is understood the Coalition has no plans to proceed with a deal struck by Julia Gillard for NZ to take 150 boat refugees each year from 2014. News

Abbott shuts out Indonesian journos

Tony Abbott has incurred the wrath of Indonesia's journalists by excluding them from a press conference, and even committed a criminal offence, according to the head of the country's journalists' union. Fairfax

Midweek roundup: Week 3

Recent happenings in Abbottstralia

• Tony goes for a trip to Indonesia, avoids having to see many brown people by bringing a bunch of rich white fat cats with him
• The trip makes global headlines.
• A frank discussion is had about sovereignty. And people smugglers.
• Scott Morrison's office accuses people of being absolutely and totally wrong, without any trace of irony
• Air Marshal Binskin stands loyally at Scott's side, and he brought visual aids
• Asylum seekers call deterrence ineffective, say Australia PNG still better than Sri Lanka
• Abbott sincerely apologises for all the nasty things Labor/4 corners did to Indonesia 
• Also the boat buyback scheme is quietly dropped.
• Environment Minister Greg Hunt misleads on carbon. 
• Mal Brough fights off Clive Palmer.
• Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane is not sure how much money the federal government can give Holden, or where it will come from, but don't worry, we'll get it sorted for the next 100 years.
• Clive Palmer will be throwing his weight around in the new Senate

Abbott needs Palmer, Palmer needs Abbott to repeal carbon tax

The other newcomers are Palmer United Party (PUP) senators Glenn Lazarus from Queensland, Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania and Zhenya Wang from Western Australia.
Mr Abbott will be able to count on the three PUP senators, Family First's senator-elect Day and Senator Madigan as all have publicly opposed the carbon tax.
PUP supports reimbursing carbon tax that has already been paid. Fairfax

Bailouts 101 with Ian Macfarlane

Doesn't know how to do it or how to pay for it but will do it anyway because reasons

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane wants Holden to continue to build cars in Australia for the next 100 years.

He's not sure how much money the federal government can offer to help save the company or where it will come from
News

Palmer v Brough

Clive continues sticking the boot into his old party.  Mal Brough just filed his defence of Palmer's defamation allegations.

In August, Mr Palmer claimed Mr Brough had approached him to fund a sexual harassment case against former Speaker Peter Slipper. Mr Brough denied the claims.

Mr Palmer later lodged an $800,000 defamation suit against the new Member for Fisher. News

In other Clive news,  he won Fairfax by 7 votes.

Greg Hunt misleading on carbon

ABC fact checks the environment minister

New federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt says that under the carbon price emissions have actually increased. And in an interview with Lateline last week he quoted figures to back up the claim.
"The strange thing about the carbon tax was that emissions went up, not down, from 560 to 637 million tonnes," Mr Hunt said.
He was unequivocal. The carbon price "doesn't work", "doesn't do the job" and is "a just hopeless means of achieving the outcome," he said during the interview. ABC

Abbott scuttles boat buy back

A silly idea dies a natural death.

Abbott says sorry to Indonesia (for Labor)

Repenting doesn't work if you don't mean it.

Mr Abbott effectively apologised for the actions of the former government at an official reception on Monday night hosted by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"There have been times, I'm sorry to say, when Australia must have tried your patience: when we 'put the sugar on the table' for people smugglers; or cancelled the live cattle trade in panic at a TV program," he said. AFR

Government's boat laws not a deterrent

To the surprise of no one.

Murali says the Government's tough new laws have not deterred him from trying to make the journey again.
"We heard about the people being transferred to Papua New Guinea on the television and the radio," he said.
"I would still rather still rather live there than in Sri Lanka."
Krishnan, another Tamil who was sent back to Sri Lanka after travelling to Australia by boat, says he too would be prepared to make the journey again. ABC

Move over three star general, Air Marshal Binskin is in charge

Speaking alongside Mr Morrison during the second of what are slated to be weekly briefings on asylum seeker matters today, Operation Sovereign Borders Acting Commander Air Marshal Mark Binskin gave a blow-by-blow account of how Australian authorities handled the operation. ABC

Tony Abbott has a very frank discussion about sovereignty

I wonder if he can pronounce Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's name?

At a joint press conference after the leaders' meeting, Mr Abbott described the talks as "very warm and constructive".
"We had a very frank discussion about issues of sovereignty ... and about issues of people smugglers," he said.
"We are determined to end this scourge which is not just an affront to our two countries but which has so often become a humanitarian disaster in the seas between our two countries.
"We are resolved, together united, to tackle this problem and to beat it." ABC

Abbott diplomacy makes world headlines

Everyone loves a good dustup.

BBC
CNN
Times of India
Jakarta Post