[Peetwo]

LNP/Nationals with division in the ranks -

There was a rumour going around that in the lead up to the High Court MP citizenship decision, which saw Barnaby being ruled ineligible to be a sitting MP and therefore the parliamentary leader of the Nats, 6D AGAD attempted a leadership coup of his own.

However this attempted coup was fortunately nipped in the bud and this is how that all ended up: (via News.com.au article: Darren Chester is the most senior party MP but hasn’t been made acting Nationals leader)

...HE DOESN’T like the comparison, but there is one National MP shaping up to be the Steven Bradbury of his party.

He is one of the few party leaders still standing after the High Court pileup on Friday scuttled leader Barnaby Joyce and his deputy leader Fiona Nash.

And purists might argue he is the only genuine top-echelon Nat.

Darren Chester, the Minister for Transport, will be the most senior National in the House of Representatives when it returns on November 27, in the absence of Barnaby Joyce.

A cabinet member, he will be the leader of 15 House of Reps MPs in the week before Mr Joyce stands in the New England by-election of December 2, and for the following 10 days at least before the counting of postal votes and the formal declaration of the election result.

That is expected to mean Mr Joyce will miss the final two sitting weeks of the House of Representatives, and that Mr Chester will be carrying the party banner in the Reps.

But he won’t be acting leader of his party. That temporary job has gone to indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, who was elected as a Country Liberal Party candidate in the Northern Territory, and who will lead a total of five National Party senators...

...However, the Labor Opposition could support Government legislation to introduce same sex marriage, should it top the postal survey result to be released on November 15.

This could mean the real mischief, and even chaos, could come from Government MPs opposed to SSM, such as former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Darren Chester will have the task of maintaining discipline among his own troops, particularly those who might think about crossing the floor on issues such as a banking royal commission...

...Meanwhile, Mr Chester has made clear he won’t be involved in any internal National Party skirmishing.

“Obviously we took a blow yesterday with Fiona Nash and Barnaby Joyce being ruled out by the High Court, but we have Nigel Scullion as our interim parliamentary leader, so when Parliament returns Nigel will fulfil that role,” he said Saturday.

“Barnaby will continue as the Leader of the Nationals at large, if you like. I mean, much the same way as Campbell Newman was the leader of the LNP before he was even elected to (state) Parliament.

“We believe Barnaby will be returned in the New England by-election; he’s worked damn hard for that community, he’s worked damn hard for all regional Australians, and we believe that will be recognised in this by-election.”

But now it would seem there is more trouble afoot for 6D AGAD and the revolt is being led by none other than Barry O...

Again via News.com.au:

Gay marriage bill revenge: Conservative plan to launch royal commission into banks

CONSERVATIVE MPs are threatening to launch a royal commission into the banking sector after they were thwarted by a rival gay marriage bill.

Claire Bickers
News Corp Australia Network November 17, 2017 9:58am

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A new push to launch a banking royal commission will be a major headache for Malcolm Turnbull if it succeeds. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

CONSERVATIVE MPs are threatening to launch a royal commission into the banking sector after they were thwarted by a rival gay marriage bill.

Turnbull Government Minister Mathias Cormann has already moved to quash the revolt against the government’s position.

The Finance Minister told Sky News even if the bid was successful in parliament, it was up to the government to launch a royal commission.

“The government’s position is that we do not support the establishment of a banking royal commission because it will be an expensive, slow and long-lasting exercise, which won’t actually do anything to improve things for people across Australia,” he said.

It comes after Fairfax Media reported today that conservative senators in the National Party, who felt ambushed by Liberal Senator Dean Smith’s bill to legalise same-sex marriage, were planning use the same tactics to launch a banking royal commission.

It would be hugely embarrassing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the final sitting weeks of the year if the move succeeded.

Queensland senator Barry O’Sullivan told the Australian Financial Review that he would reveal a private member’s bill to establish the royal commission next Thursday.


Senator Barry O'Sullivan is planning the new push for a royal commission. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia

Labor, the Greens and crossbench senators would co-sponsor the bill, as happened with Senator Dean Smith’s bill to legalise same-sex marriage this week.

The bill would have the numbers to pass the upper house if it was introduced there first.

Senator O’Sullivan may try to introduce it there on the November 27 sitting week but it will have almost no chance to be debated that week while the senate is dealing with the gay marriage bill.

His chances of success are also lower in the House of Representatives where he would need Coalition MPs to cross the floor and go against the government’s position for it to pass.

Fairfax reports senator O’Sullivan is already speaking to Queensland MP George Christensen about whether he will support the move.


George Christensen has threatened to cross the floor over the royal commission in the past. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia

About 10 Coalition senators who opposed the same-sex marriage bill are reportedly behind the push for a royal commission after they were thwarted in their attempt to put forward a rival bill on gay marriage, made public by Liberal senator James Paterson on Monday.

Senator O’Sullivan told Fairfax Media: “We have been treated with contempt rather than harmonise the Smith and Paterson bills.”
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In a ABC Lateline interview this was how 6D AGAD tried to downplay this apparent disunity amongst the Conservative National and Coalition backbenchers:

The Late Debate reviews a momentous week in Parliament

(see here from approx. 06:10 - http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/the-late-...in/9164032)
  
Posted Fri 17 Nov 2017, 9:30pm
Updated Sat 18 Nov 2017, 8:34am
Expires: Saturday 17 November 2018 9:30pm

This week, the country voted strongly in support of same-sex marriage, more politicians were caught up in the citizenship saga and two State Governments debated voluntary assisted dying. Matt Wordsworth was joined by Infrastructure Minister and Nationals MP Darren Chester and Shadow Health Minister and Victorian Labor MP Catherine King for our Late Debate.

---

Transcript

...MATT WORDSWORTH: Just on the no voters, there seems to be some discontent within the National backbench - a couple of my colleagues, Anna Henderson and Lucy Barbour, are reporting today that the Nats, led by Queensland Senator Barry O'Sullivan, are planning a backbench bill to establish a royal commission into the banks as retribution over the speed of the Dean Smith bill.

What can you tell me about that?

DARREN CHESTER: Well, it is not the National Party policy and I haven't had any conversations with the two colleagues you've referred to from Queensland. I'm not aware of any other that I've seen in the media today.

Our policy is that the protocols were put in place, the additional resources ...

MATT WORDSWORTH: But are you aware that they are unhappy about the speed, the priority that's been given to the Dean Smith bill because they say there is also a priority among the population for a banking royal commission?

DARREN CHESTER: Well, I would dispute that position in terms of a priority in the community around the banking royal commission.

I have been a Member of Parliament for nine and a half years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have had constituents come to me in relation to the major banks.

There is no doubt that the steps we've taken in terms of the enquiries that have been held, implementation of recommendations to provide greater scrutiny, more accountability for banking executives.

I mean a royal commission would be a very expensive way of finding out exactly what we have already undertaken - that is providing additional resources to make sure the banks are held to account.

Now I'm not aware of the discussions you have referred to, other than to say it is not the National Party policy to have a royal commission into banks.

Although we have a very robust party room and many of my colleagues express views from time-to-time which may not necessarily be the entire policy of the National Party or the Coalition but they are entitled to express their views and they do quite forcefully.

MATT WORDSWORTH: Catherine King is bipartisan on this bill looking a little wobbly?

CATHERINE KING: My view very firmly is the Dean Smith bill, which has been before the Parliament, it has been before a committee, that is the bill that I will be supporting when that comes before the House of Representatives.

I think the country's voted. We need to get this done. I don't want to see any excuse or delay used by the no case and we're seeing, again, a whole raft of break-outs here and there about these issues.

I think it is really important, of course, the Dean Smith bill does provide protections for ministers of religion who choose not to marry same-sex couples and I think anyone who wants to then try and entrench further discrimination beyond religious ministers, I think, frankly, really will struggle to get that through the Parliament as they should.

This is really an issue that the Australia public is expecting us to get done and my view is that we should vote on that at the earliest possible opportunity.

I do think what we are seeing, this is a survey we didn't particularly want, the Labor Party didn't want to go down this pathway, you know, it has done some damage to many of the people, people in the LGBTIQ communities as they have had to have their relationships basically put on public scrutiny and it's been a pretty horrendous process.
I don't think they should be put through anything more. We need to get the Parliament to do its job now.

The Australian people have done theirs but I do think what you are seeing is the problem that you are seeing within the Coalition at the moment, and within the Liberal National Party, is there is a real fight about values at the heart of the Liberal National Party.
And it's been writ large all over the place. It's leading for a bit of chaos frankly and that is probably what you have seen with the notion that there might be a banking royal commission, of course, which is our policy and we would welcome working with the Nats on it.

MATT WORDSWORTH: Darren Chester, is there a battle on behind the scenes in the Coalition?

DARREN CHESTER: Well, there is always a contest of ideas in public life, Matt.
I mean the National Party is a very robust party room.

CATHERINE KING: Spilling out in public.

DARREN CHESTER: Well, there is always a battle of ideas and we discuss the whole range of topics in our party room. We don't need to discuss them live on TV.

MATT WORDSWORTH: Well, Barry O'Sullivan has certainly came out and fired a warning shot it would appear.

DARREN CHESTER: Well, in terms of a royal commission, Matt, let's keep in mind it would cost in the order of $150 million to really establish what's already been undertaken by ...

MATT WORDSWORTH: Well, you spent $122 (million) on the postal survey.

DARREN CHESTER: And that's a fair point you've raised Matt and I have to say that in terms of that, the money spent on the postal survey, and Labor was against it and Labor didn't trust the Australian people to have their say but now having had their say, I think it's been a vindication of the position that I took, in terms of support of same-sex marriage and Catherine took.

I think it gives an extra level of credibility to the national vote in the sense that the people have spoken, the tribe have spoken, if you like and now we need to get on with the job.

MATT WORDSWORTH: So would you encourage Barry O'Sullivan to shelve that private members bill for a banking royal commission?

DARREN CHESTER: Well, I don't know if Barry has even got a private members bill. I have seen newspaper reports.

MATT WORDSWORTH: He certainly is talking about it.

DARREN CHESTER: Well, I've seen newspaper reports, you see media report.

MATT WORDSWORTH: You can trust the ABC, Darren Chester.

DARREN CHESTER: (Laughs) Yes, Matt, I am sure I can but I'm saying I've seen media reports. I haven't had any conversations with Barry about that.

I simply say there is a lot of extra steps, additional protocols, regulations being put in place, to make sure we hold the banks to account and I think the existing changes we've made, the bank chief executives having to appear before the standing committee, the House of Representatives standing committee, the banking executives additional regulations in place, all these have actually been positive steps towards providing that accountability regime which I think was required and is needed.

I'm not sure that spending another $100 million, $150 million on a lawyers' picnic or a royal commission would achieve much at all.

Couple the backbench dissent with the ongoing Senate DW1 inquiry, the Airservices performance inquiry, the dormant Airports Amendment Bill 2016 inquiry and the (new) just announced Senate Inquiry...  (Reference: Senate & RRAT Committee news: 17 Nov '17  & Airservices now 'match fit' and approaching a red dawn horizon)

The operation, regulation and funding of air route service delivery to rural, regional and remote communities, with particular reference to:

(a) social and economic impacts of air route supply and airfare pricing;
(b) different legal, regulatory, policy and pricing frameworks and practices across the Commonwealth, states and territories;
© how airlines determine fare pricing;
(d) the determination of airport charges for landing and security fees, aircraft type and customer demand;
(e) pricing determination, subsidisation and equity of airfares;
(f) determination of regulated routes and distribution of residents' fares across regulated routes;
(g) airline competition within rural and regional routes;
(h) consistency of aircraft supply and retrieval of passengers by airlines during aircraft maintenance and breakdown;
(i) all related costs and charges imposed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority; and
(j) any related matters.

Senator O'SULLIVAN (Queensland) (12:18): I seek leave to make a short statement.

The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute.
Senator O'SULLIVAN: I want to thank the Labor Party for their cooperation and support for the development of this reference, which will be, of course, under the chairmanship of Senator Sterle. This is a very important reference. I am speaking out now to our crossbench colleagues to pay attention to this and support it. This is about trying to bring equity into the cost impacts of regional airline movements for our people in regional Australia, not just my home state of Queensland. We've got some very atrocious examples of gouging where it costs up to $2,000 for people to travel the same distances it costs them $78 to travel between the metros, including people who require constant medical attention and are having to go to the cities. This has to be brought to an end, and we hope this committee reference will take us some way towards being able to make recommendations to government about changes.

Question agreed to.

 
 ...6D AGAD is seriously under siege from his own party while being found to be totally inept in discharging his ministerial duties of overseeing and providing proper governance to the aviation safety bureaucracy...  

Quote from "K" off this week's SBG sums up the current farce frustrating the long suffering aviation industry: Reference - One if by land, two if by sea , three if by pigeon.   
 

...It is time to put an end to this expensive farce. It is time to enforce, vigorously, the recommendations of both the Senate committee and the Rev. Forsyth. ATSB and CASA are charged, by government, to meet the requirements of the Acts which govern them. Both agencies are failing not only to meet the spirit and intent of those Acts, but have perverted the meaning of those Acts to suit. Then, I look at Chester and despair. If it were not for the excellent Senators I’d hang the boots up, retire to being an amiable old buffer who talked to dogs and horses, pottered about the wood shed and threw rocks at drones. Someone, somewhere has to get the agencies back on track, under control and functioning correctly; then; I look at Chester…………

MTF...P2