As it happened: Senator Payman on brink of Labor split; Trump granted substantial immunity by Supreme Court

The manufacturing division of the CFMEU has been given the green light to break away from the powerful union.

The federal government bill comes after a fight between the AFL and union leader John Setka, who has pressured the football code to fire its chief umpire.

Setka, the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union Victorian secretary, attacked the AFL for hiring Stephen McBurney, the former head of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Setka, a controversial union leader, threatened to delay construction work on stadiums if his demands were not met.

The legislation will enable a Fair Work Commission application to be made before October 31 for a ballot to be held to let the manufacturing division decide on splitting.

It passed parliament with the support of Labor and the Coalition on Tuesday.

The manufacturing division welcomed the “divorce law”, saying it empowered its members and enabled them to take a vote, which the construction division had been frustrating for years.

“Our members are now on a pathway to a more active and respected role in the labour movement which they can achieve by formally dissociating themselves with the CFMEU and its ever-deteriorating reputation,” national secretary Michael O’Connor said.

The law also stops the CFMEU from expanding to overlap and cover potential new organisations of manufacturing members.

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith has previously criticised the bill for setting a dangerous precedent that a federal government would intervene and determine union coverage.

AAP

Australia’s central bank remains vigilant to slowing progress on inflation, yet the minutes from the last interest-rate meeting signal a reluctance to lift them again.

Maintaining the Reserve Bank of Australia’s assertion the narrow path is getting “narrower”, the minutes, released earlier today, show a board attuned to the risk of the jobs market deteriorating rapidly.

Spelling out the thinking behind keeping interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent in June, which was widely expected, the central bank board said falling job vacancies could be indicative of a weaker-than-expected labour market.

“Moreover, the unemployment rate could rise quickly once it did start to rise, as had occurred in the past,” the minutes said.

As flagged by governor Michele Bullock, there was no talk of cuts, but the case to hike interest rates and to keep them on hold were both discussed.

The June meeting pre-dated a hotter-than-expected monthly inflation print, which prompted economists to warn the wait for cuts could be longer than thought and the risk of another rate hike was rising.

ANZ head of Australian economics Adam Boyton said the minutes contained “no smoking gun” pointing to an interest rate hike at the next meeting in August.

The bank’s economic team believes interest rates will stay on hold until cuts start in February, though Boyton acknowledged “there is some risk that the next move is a hike”.

AAP

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten says Labor’s leaders have clearly told WA senator Fatima Payman she is welcome in the party, despite her indefinite suspension from caucus today for crossing the floor to support a Greens motion calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state.

On ABC radio this morning, Shorten extended an olive branch to Payman, describing her as diligent, young, smart and tough. He said she could rejoin the party caucus when she accepted being bound by its decisions.

Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing in the last hour, the senior Victorian MP and former Labor leader said the federal parliamentary party’s current leadership had made a similar point.

“I think the leadership has been clear: she is welcome,” Shorten said.

Earlier in the interview, he said: “I don’t think anyone in 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.”

Shorten declined to comment on whether Labor’s strict caucus solidarity rules were appropriate, instead suggesting the party’s national conference was a better forum for that debate.

“If the party wants to revisit any of that, it should take its time to do that, but you wouldn’t do it just because the Greens are stirring the pot,” Shorten said.

He criticised the Greens for reportedly planning to bring a similar motion on Palestine to the Senate, putting Payman in a position where she may cross the floor again. However, Greens leader Adam Bandt has publicly stopped short of promising to bring back the same motion, but signalled it was likely as the crossbench party would put pressure on Labor every time parliament sat.

The Greens discussed bringing another motion in their party room meeting today.

“Why do they want to keep putting this resolution up?” Shorten said. “[They] know it doesn’t change anything. It’s stirring the pot, to be honest, and I don’t think it’s constructive.”

Mass egg shortages have forced McDonald’s to change its breakfast hours as farmers across the country battle to stop the spread of bird flu.

The fast food giant confirmed on Tuesday that breakfast offerings will temporarily end at 10.30am instead of midday.

“We are carefully managing supply of eggs due to the current industry challenges,” a spokesperson said. “We’re continuing to work closely with our network of Aussie farmers, producers and suppliers.”

All menu items, including egg-based options, will be available during the shortened breakfast window.

The change comes as eight farms in Victoria, two in NSW and one in the ACT have been forced to close in a bid to stop the spread of avian flu.

More than 1 million chickens and ducks have been culled due to the outbreaks.

The Melbourne Royal Show will postpone this year’s poultry competition because of the outbreaks.

AAP

The banking watchdog has sanctioned ANZ for continuing to charge or failing to refund fees for deceased estates, and failing to respond to representatives of deceased estates within the required timeframe.

On Tuesday, the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) chair, Ian Govey, said the decision to name ANZ for its non-compliance reflected the seriousness of the bank’s breaches.

“Naming a bank is a sanction that we reserve for the most serious and systemic breaches,” he said.

“The significance of the deficiencies in ANZ’s compliance frameworks was deeply concerning. Its non-compliance warranted such a sanction.”

Read more here.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten created an uproar in question time after listing forms of therapy to be banned from funding under the NDIS, quipping he would ban “the Liberal favourite – sex toys”.

Taking a Dorothy Dixer on what the government was doing to make the NDIS more sustainable, Shorten at first criticised the Senate for delaying legislation by eight weeks, which will “add $1 billion in inflated costs to the NDIS”.

“There is a new section 10 which will exclude some of the specific decisions which shouldn’t be funded because they are not true to the purpose of the scheme,” he said.

“I want to put to the House, what is so difficult that will require eight weeks and $1 billion?

“At the moment, we want to rule out the payment of strata fees, fines, steam rooms, gambling, illegal cannabis … cruises to Japan, taxidermy, weddings, gift cards, the Liberal favourite – sex toys, crystal therapy, cuddle therapy, clairvoyance and tarot cards.”

The House erupted from the opposition side, as Speaker of the House Milton Dick said he would “deal with this in a professional way” and hear from manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher, who argued Shorten must withdraw.

“I withdraw,” Shorten obliged.

Question time in the House of Representatives started at 2pm.

We apologise for the late availability of our live-stream due to technical difficulties.

The issue has now been fixed and you can watch below.