Dutton stays silent in question time – as it happened

Assistant minister Tim Ayres to talk trade and climate on China trip

We are still not sure when trade minister Don Farrell will be heading to China, but we know that his assistant minister, Tim Ayres, is on his way.

Ayres will take part in the Bo’ao forum – and is the first Australian minister to participate since 2016.

He said:

The Bo’ao forum provides a platform for high\-level dialogue between governments, business, academics and other non-government organisations to discuss regional economic and trade issues.

In addition to engaging in a series of meetings to discuss trade and investment, I will participate in a panel session exploring the future of clean energy.

I will use the panel discussion to highlight the Albanese government’s strong action on climate change, which has put us in the front row to capitalise on trade and investment opportunities from the global transition to net zero.

Daniel Andrews has also headed to Beijing:

(Posters are hoping for an update to the infamous phone meme. Sadly, I don’t think they’ll get their wish granted.)

26 Mar 202318.42 EDT

Benita Kolovos

I’ve covered many a Liberal spill in my time at Victorian parliament and never have we had this sort of set up restricting access to MPs as they come in and out of the party room.

Benita Kolovos has pointed us in the direction of this tweet – Sam Groth is a moderate.

Federal secrecy provisions reviewed

The commonwealth secrecy provisions are under review. Attorney general Mark Dreyfus is asking for consultation on these aspects of the provisions:

• What principles should govern the framing of general and specific secrecy offences in commonwealth legislation

• Whether any general or specific secrecy offences should be amended or repealed

• What defences should be available for general and specific secrecy offences

• What principles should govern the framing of the public interest journalism defence and should any amendments be considered.

Submissions for the consultation process close on 4 May 2023 and the review’s final report will be delivered to government by 30 June 2023.

The review’s consultation paper can be found here.

26 Mar 202318.34 EDT

Adeshola Ore

Deeming arrives at Victorian parliament ahead of vote on her fate

Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has arrived at the state’s parliament ahead of a vote to determine her future in the party room.

Deeming arrived at parliament accompanied by Renee Heath, who held an umbrella over her colleague’s head. The pair were joined by Richord Riordan, who last week made a failed attempt to delay the vote, and Bev McArthur, Nick McGowan and Joe McCracken. The group of conservative MPs are believed to be voting against the motion.

Opposition leader John Pesutto launched a bid to expel Deeming after she attended a rally headlined by British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen where neo-Nazis were photographed performing the Nazi salute last weekend. Deeming has denied wrongdoing.

26 Mar 202318.21 EDT

Victorian Liberals to decide Moira Deeming’s fate

Benita Kolovos

Good morning from the Victorian parliament. In an hour’s time, a special party room meeting will be held by Liberal leader John Pesutto to expel Moira Deeming from the parliamentary party.

Pesutto has sought to expel Deeming after she attended a rally headlined by British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen where neo-Nazis were photographed performing the Nazi salute last weekend. Deeming has denied wrongdoing.

The vote has been considered an early test for Pesutto, who took over the leadership following November’s election loss vowing to bring the party back to the centre after years of infighting between socially liberal and conservative MPs.

There are 31 members in the state Liberal party room, meaning Pesutto needs at least 16 votes for his motion to succeed. Unsurprisingly, he’s found support for his motion from the party’s moderate faction, while those opposing are from the conservative faction of the party and former leadership rivals.

View image in fullscreen

Polwarth MP Richard Riordan, who last week made a failed attempt to delay the vote, arrived at parliament early and was seen with fellow conservative MP Joe McCracken. It is believed they will be voting against the motion along with Chris Crewther, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans and Bev McArthur.

Guardian Australia has spoken to several Liberal MPs who have suggested should Deeming be expelled, Pesutto could still face instability in the long term unless his motion has a “resounding victory”.

My colleague Adeshola Ore and I will have updates throughout the morning.

David Pocock has been working on these issues since he came into the parliament – and today’s report showing that the community wants more done is only going to bolster that work. Given his importance to the federal government getting legislation through the Senate, something is going to have to give.

Joyce says NSW wanted ‘a change’ after 12 years of Coalition

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce also thinks the NSW election result was down to “it’s time”. He told the Seven network:

I don’t think splitting the Coalition achieves an awful lot, but that’s a decision that my colleagues in New South Wales have to make. I really do think it’s a time to change the curtains. The curtains were working perfectly well, but after 12 years, people want a change.

But now, with the Labor party all across Australia, they’ve got no one else to blame. But they’ve got to look after the cost of living, so food prices are their issue, power prices are their issue, fuel prices are their issue, rent is their issue, and they’ve got no excuses, because that’s the biggest issue on people’s minds. They’ve got to fix it.

Meanwhile, doesn’t look like the Liberals want the media coming too close as MPs enter the party room meeting which will decide Moira Deeming’s fate within the party.

Fletcher warns voters against turning to independents

Paul Fletcher wouldn’t get drawn into whether the NSW Liberals’ embrace of climate change policies helped starve off the teal independent challenge in NSW state electorates.

Instead, he warned against voters turning to independents. He said that the voting landscape was now 30% rusted-on Labor, 30% rusted-on Coalition and 40% floating. That, Fletcher said, presented a danger that people might start voting against (gasp) the two party system:

One of the big dangers that we face is the idea that if you keep adding more and more independents, it doesn’t threaten the stability of government.

It’s very important we don’t end up a country like Israel; like Belgium, where I think after one election for 10 months, they were wrangling about who is going to form government; like Italy, where government changes regularly.

The two party system has served both our nation and our states. Well, now the imperative is on us as a Liberal party to make the case at both federal and state level as to our capacity to govern in the interests of the broader community, and we’ll obviously continue to do that at federal level and at state level to make that case very strong.