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Nationals leader David Littleproud has added his voice to the criticism of former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret portfolios.

Littleproud was on 2GB earlier, and said Morrison had “no reason” to keep the appointments secret, adding that he agreed with Bridget McKenzie that the actions were in breach of the Liberals’ coalition agreement:

It wasn’t in agreement with what we have with the Liberals.

It should be transparent, not just with the Nationals, it should have been transparent with the Australian people. That’s the most disappointing thing about this.

There is no reason for Scott Morrison not to have told his colleagues, both National and Liberal, but more importantly told the Australian people.

Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, and a quick thanks to Natasha May for her great work this morning.

Natasha May

It’s time for me to pass the blog baton over to the inimitable Mostafa Rachwani. See you tomorrow!

Indigenous voice a hand of friendship: PM

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has met with the Torres Strait Regional Authority during a visit to Thursday Island today, discussing the Indigenous voice to parliament. He said:

I see this as something that won’t just benefit Indigenous Australians, it will benefit all Australians.

Albanese vowed his trip would not be his last to the region as prime minister, and told community leaders he wanted to leave “permanent footprints” and see real change. He said:

That is why it is so important that Australians are given the opportunity to join that hand outstretched which is there in friendship.

The prime minister is set to meet with female community leaders in the Torres Strait on Friday morning during the second day of his visit.

Call for ‘Medicare-style’ home insurance

A “Medicare-style” approach to home insurance would make the system more equitable as the climate crisis makes premiums unaffordable for many, a Sydney professor says.

AAP reports.

University of NSW political philosophy professor, Jeremy Moss, says Australia urgently needs a new model of home insurance because the current model is “not fit for purpose”.

One million Australian households are in extreme insurance stress, with those most vulnerable affected by the growing effect of climate disasters.

The market-based model expects all home-owners to bear the risk of loss. Moss said today:

What we need is a similar approach to making home insurance equitable and affordable that we accept as fundamental to health insurance – in effect a ‘Medicare-style’ approach to how we structure home insurance options.

We need to make decisions about how much risk individuals should be asked to bear and whether society should allow widespread ‘climate disadvantage’

It comes after the release of the NSW government’s review into devastating floods that hit the Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury-Nepean regions this year.

One of the 28 recommendations in the report is for the insurance industry to improve its guidelines for the construction of new homes, so that homes built after floods can access cheaper insurance.

In May the Climate Council estimated that 4% of homes will be uninsurable by 2030.

Michael McGowan

Barilaro ‘suggested’ candidate apply for London trade job, inquiry hears

The head of the hiring company charged with filling a series of controversial trade posts for the New South Wales government says the man hired to fill the London role told her former deputy premier John Barilaro had suggested he apply for the role.

The upper house inquiry probing the appointments resumed on Thursday and is hearing evidence from Dr Marianne Broadbent, a senior partner with recruitment firm NGS Global.

The inquiry, which has until now focused on the now-abandoned appointment of Barilaro to the equivalent role in New York, has shifted its focus to former NSW Business Chamber chief Stephen Cartwright.

The inquiry has previously heard that Cartwright entered the process “late” after another preferred candidate, Paul Webster, had already been identified.

Broadbent told the inquiry that in mid-February she was told at a meeting with the then-head of the treasury department, Jim Betts, that Cartwright had entered a late application for the role

Shortly after, she had a meeting with Cartwright in which, she said, he told her that Barilaro had “suggested to him that he might consider the role”.

Cartwright was interviewed for the job and replaced Webster as the preferred candidate.

Albanese arrives in Torres Strait to “warm welcome”

Freshwater ferries back on Sydney Harbour

Sydney’s iconic Freshwater ferries will return to the harbour all week long, less than a year after the first of them were pushed out of daily services, AAP reports.

Transport Minister David Elliott today announced the reintroduction of the ferries to daily operations. Elliott said:

As we head into the warmer months the demand for the F1 services increases and the reintroduction of the Freshwaters gives tourists, ferry enthusiasts and commuters additional travel options between Manly and the city.

The second-generation Emerald-class ferries brought in to replace the Freshwater ferries have been plagued by issues. Cracks were found in hulls, windows shattered on the water, and the ferries struggled to operate safely in high swells, or dock at very low tides.

The reintroduction of the Freshwater ferries to the daily timetable will add an extra 30 services a week from Circular Quay to Manly.

Elliott said that while the second-generation Emerald-class ferries have had their issues, seeing them operate on the harbour side-by-side with the Freshwater ferries “showcases these iconic vessels alongside our modern fleet”.

New weir for Wilcannia

The town which ran out of water at the height of the drought in 2018, and was forced to truck it in, is set to receive a new weir.

The minister for the environment and water, Tanya Plibersek said the federal government’s co-investment with NSW state government in the town of Wilcannia comes after the old weir built in 1942 was no longer able to supply the town with reliable water.

Scott Morrison jokes about extra portfolios on Facebook

Josh Butler

Scott Morrison is now cracking jokes about his five secret ministry positions on Facebook.

Jefford Tree Services, an arborist in Melbourne, made a joke on its social media this morning that Morrison had “just added Lead Climbing Arborist to his portfolio and started working for us without telling anyone! Great to have you on board Scomo!”

The business tagged Morrison’s official Facebook page in the post, which included an edited image of a tree lopper with Morrison’s face pasted on top. This afternoon, Morrison responded from his page, dropping a comment on the photo:

I’ll let you know if I need any work done. What time do you need me for my first shift.

‘Like… yoghurt out of a container’: homes ruined in NZ South Island floods

Hundreds of South Island residents have been evacuated and many won’t have liveable homes to return to after floods in New Zealand’s big winter wet, AAP reports.

After the wettest July on record, forecasters MetService say an “atmospheric river” has descended from the north and is drenching the country from tip to tail.

The worst-hit city so far is Nelson, where rainfall has destroyed roads, ruined homes, leading to a state of emergency.

Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty flew into Nelson on Thursday to visit affected areas. He said:

We were literally watching a hill just flow on down. It was like you were pouring out yoghurt out of a container, just a thick sludge just carrying on down.

I’ve only been here a few hours but I’ve seen enough to see that there is some extensive damage around this city.

McAnulty said more than 300 homes had been evacuated, including 10 due to a landslip.

Of those assessed so far, one in five homes either needs serious repairs or is uninhabitable.

Authorities hope to complete assessments by Friday, though more rain is forecast.

Paul Karp

Howard on Morrison saga and governor general

John Howard also spoke about the Morrison multiple ministry saga, reiterating his position that while he wouldn’t have done it, there’s nothing to resign over.

On the questions around the governor general, Howard said:

The governor general fulfilled his constitutional role and that is to act on the advice of the prime minister. And you can’t have it both ways – you can’t lambast the prime minister for not behaving correctly and then [the governor general].

What do you want? The governor general to sack him? … I am satisfied that he would have been satisfied that what he did was legal and that was the end of it. And I mean, just imagine if it were now to come out, that the governor general had sought some legal advice on something else that are being done … double guessing the prime minister … the governor general has to act on advice and the advice comes from the prime minister and ministers.

Howard was later taken directly to the governor general’s statement that he had no reason to think the appointments would not be announced.

He replied:

My position on this is very clear: I don’t think [Morrison] should have done that. I don’t he really needed to do it either. But I do think that there’s an attempt … to implicate the governor general is a bit rough.

When the ABC’s Andrew Probyn noted the GG’s statement was “pretty pointed” (in blaming Morrison for secrecy), Howard replied:

Yeah, and I don’t blame him.

V’landys: “Up until last night…I would [have said] Queensland”

Circling back to the media conference where the NRL have announced the grand final will take place in Sydney after a NSW-Queensland stoush over the showpiece event.

It appears the Queensland premier is taking the news better than most of the Bachelors/Bachelorettes who make it down to the final two only to find out it’s not them. V’landys:

Premier Palaszczuk is brilliant to work with and I rang her before we made the announcement. She understands politics and understands what we needed to do. She looks forward to dealing with us in the future if that potential came up there into the future.

V’landys also revealed the decision really came down to the wire, that as late as last night it could have gone Queensland’s way.

Up until last night’s commission meeting if you asked me then I would say it would go to Queensland. If we did not have New South Wales governments late this afternoon that’s probably how it would have headed.

Howard ‘in favour of the nuclear option’

Paul Karp

John Howard also touched on policy debates regarding nuclear energy and industrial relations.

On IR, he said:

I think we have dropped the ball on industrial relations terribly. I think the Liberal party went towater on industrial relations reform. Apart from Tony Abbott’s continued espousal of the building and construction commission which I hope its threatened removal is strongly opposed by the Coalition.

On nuclear, he said:

I am in favour of the nuclear option being completely on the table when it comes to energy solutions. I think if we are going to seriously examine our energy future, we have to look at uranium. We have 38% of the easily recoverable uranium reserves, we have a geological formation which is very conducive to dealing with nuclear waste.

Voice to parliament may be ‘coercive’: John Howard

Paul Karp

The former prime minister, John Howard, has spoken at the Canberra writers festival about the voice to parliament, warning it may be “coercive” and criticising Anthony Albanese for a lack of detail.

Howard told the event at the National Press Club:

I haven’t got a completely settled view on this. I’m following the debate and I would like to have – horror of horrors – more information … but anything that I think has the potential for division, has the potential for establishing a body that is seen as exercising, coercive influence on the government.

Bear in mind that the prime minister has said some very contradictory things about this, although he’s got a lot of credit for what he said at the Garma festival. He said on the one hand, very simple language, you know, ‘nothing to see over here’. Then in one of the interviews he gave to David Spears … he made the comment that it would be a ‘very brave government that would ignore the recommendation from this body’. Now, if that’s his opinion, then he must deep down, see more to this than ‘nothing to see over there’. And I’m a little confused.

Howard suggested the voice could be “trialled in legislation” before constitutional entrenchment. He said the government is “hell-bent” on a referendum first.

Howard also made a version of the argument that somehow a Voice will harm practical action:

There are a lot of people who think that we if we expend all of our emotional energy and debate on the voice and when that’s over irrespective of what the outcome is, there’ll be a feeling in the community that ‘well, we’ve dealt with Indigenous affairs’, let’s get onto something else’. But as people like Jacinta Price has said the glaring challenge in Indigenous affairs, is to do something about the deprivation of Indigenous people in particularly, but not only the Northern Territory.

It’s hard to understand why people would conclude Indigenous affairs is done and dusted if the outcome of the referendum is a constitutionally entrenched body to advocate for Indigenous people. But that’s his logic.

‘Opens the door for a Super Bowl type concept’: NRL chairman

Uncertainty surrounded whether the NRL grand final would be played in Brisbane or Sydney with many waiting with bated breath for the announcement at 1.30pm.

So when rugby league chairman, Peter V’landys, came out saying it would be played in Melbourne, jaws dropped before he quickly revealed it to be joke.

V’landys confirmed the final will be held in Sydney, but only for one year as negotiations will open as for who will host the final in future years.

The commission has been in negotiations now for over a week. They have been extensive and realistically we only came to a conclusion this afternoon. We wanted to give it to a city that needs a major football event. And that is why we have gone with Melbourne. Just kidding.

No, look, as I said, after extensive negotiations we have made a decision which we believe is in the best interests of our fans and that is to hold the game in Sydney this year. As I said, it has been a very hard decision because the Queensland premier has been fantastic to deal with … but at the same time, the new sporting minister Alastair Hoskins has been really professional, courteous and it is only that reason that we were able to come to the conclusion we have.

I should point out that the New South Wales government has given it an additional investment but this is only for one year. And I have to stress that. It is not for the long-term. Negotiations will recommends for future grand finals.

It is really now put it on the table for the future. It hasn’t been because we were hoping we would have an exclusive arrangement with the New South Wales government. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. It opens the door for a Super Bowl type concept or, who can give us the best deal for the game. You have to remember we do have four teams in Queensland.

This year’s NRL grand final will be played in Sydney, after a NSW-Queensland stoush over the showpiece event.

Labor trying to fix ‘leaks’ in ‘broken system’ left by previous government ‘trying to drive wages down for a decade’

Burke:

If you look historically at the numbers we have now, there is clearly something broken in the system. Compare where we are now to August 2008. Both were periods when unemployment was low, where participation was high. But with very different wages outcomes.

The hydraulic pressure of unemployment being low … upward pressure on wages, the pressure is still there. But it’s coming through in pipes that have all sorts of leaks coming out of them. Leaks off the back of the previous government trying to drive wages down for 10 years, leaks in terms of loopholes in the system that allow what would otherwise be minimum rates of pay to be undercut, and usually in the system, a bargaining system that is largely stalled. On the deliberately keeping wages low, we change that from the day we came into office.

Tony Burke reflects on the employment data

I’m pleased to report on the jobs figures that have come up. Unemployment is down. Underemployment is down, youth unemployment is down.

Unemployment is now a 3.4, coming off a 3.5 figure… the lowest unemployment rate we have had August 1974.

Underemployment is down significantly, down to seven, down from 7.9, the lowest youth unemployment figure that we have had that series began when it was first added to the stats.

There are some other figures which require a bit of explanation. There has been a fall in the total number of jobs, a fall of 40,000, but that follows eight consecutive increases totalling 750,000.