Live: Nine politicians get electorate office security upgrades after Haines attack
Nine parliamentarians will receive security upgrades to their electoral offices after raising concerns in the wake of the alleged attack on Helen Haines last week.
Follow all the updates in our live blog.
NACC holds off on decision over controversial grant scheme inquiry
By Olivia Caisley
By Olivia Caisley
The NACC says it has not ruled out an investigation into a contentious government grant scheme that saw a golf club in the PM's electorate get $6m dollars, but is putting any decision on hold until other parliamentary inquiries into the program conclude.
Appearing before Senate estimates, National Anti-Corruption Commission acting commissioner Kylie Kilgour confirmed the agency has received referrals regarding the $560 million Local Community Infrastructure program.
The scheme has faced intense scrutiny after analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity found it heavily favoured Labor electorates.
Kilgour said the scheme had "piqued" her interest but ultimately the watchdog would wait on the outcomes of a parliamentary inquiry and a potential audit by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) before taking further action.
"If you've got another integrity agency conducting a process, it's not necessarily appropriate for us to come in," Kilgour noted, adding that the NACC was "not there yet" in determining whether it holds statutory jurisdiction.
During the hearing, Kilgour also paid tribute to independent MP Helen Haines — a prominent critic of the grant scheme and a key architect of the NACC. She remains in hospital after being attacked outside her electorate office last week.
Snowy 2.0 boss defends project progress since 2023 reset
By Romy Stephens
By Romy Stephens
Snowy Hydro made a late appearance at yesterday's senate estimates, where company representatives were grilled over the latest cost blow out for Australia's biggest renewable energy project.
It was revealed last week that the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project will now cost $22-$25 billion and be delayed another year.
The cost has doubled since a 2023 project reset, where Snowy Hydro and the contractor building the project moved to a revised contract; which includes penalties for poor performance relating to cost and schedule.
Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes says the increase in cost is mainly due to flaws in the initial design and that there's been significant progress since the new contract model was adopted.
"In 2023, the advice of myself and the Snowy board…was to reset this contract to an ITC model, get progress moving again and we saw progress did double over that period," he said.
Barnes also said the federal government would need to contribute a "substantial proportion" of the extra $10b required to complete the project but that discussions around exactly how much were still underway.
New election funding system ready to go for 2027
By Tom Crowley
By Tom Crowley
The new election funding regime previously had its start date delayed because the Australian Electoral Commission said getting it up and running was a complicated task.
And little wonder: it's a whole new system, with donations to be disclosed in close to real time, and with caps now to apply to candidates, parties and donors.
But in what AEC commissioner Jeff Pope says is a "near miracle", the complicated technical system to make all of that work is now ready to roll from its mooted start date of January 1, 2027.
The next step will be to work with political parties and candidates to make sure they understand how to use the new system. Liberal senator James McGrath, a keen follower of electoral matters, sounds doubtful that it will all be so seamless. But in theory at least, it should be full steam ahead.
Nine politicians to get electorate office security upgrades after Haines attack
By Tom Crowley
By Tom Crowley
The AFP held a security briefing for politicians just two days after the attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and it seems tangible outcomes are already on foot.
Nine electorate offices are now having security concerns actioned after they were raised last week, according to the Department of Finance.
In a late-night Senate estimates hearing, Finance secretary Matt Yannopoulos explains how the system works.
The AFP handle threat assessments and security details, Home Affairs does home security for those eligible, and Finance handles offices and transport. All three co-ordinate and share information.
"Where there's an ask for something to be upgraded, we go about that as quickly as possible, and indeed from the discussions that occurred last week there are nine different offices that are raised and we are dealing with those," Yannopoulos tells the committee.
Good morning 👋
By Courtney Gould
By Courtney Gould
Hello friends. Welcome to our politics live blog. I'm Courtney Gould from the ABC's Parliament House team, here to guide you through the day.
Senate estimates is in full swing yet again today, with bureaucrats and officials making their way up to Parliament House in Canberra for another day of questioning.
Last night we heard nine parliamentarians would receive security upgrades to their electoral offices after they raised concerns in the wake of the alleged attack on Helen Haines last week.
Meanwhile, the lower house will return to its scheduled businesses after yesterday's pause to share messages of support for the independent MP.
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