Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
When the government didn’t get the numbers to pass legislation for a same-sex marriage plebiscite they put the wheels in motion for their second best plan: a postal survey.
Since announcing that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) would be responsible for carrying out the same-sex marriage postal survey, acting special minister of state Mathias Cormann has had no shortage of questions from journalists and on social media.
In the absence of normal protections offered by the Australian Electoral Commission, Cormann says the government is developing legislation to ensure the respective ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigns are respectful.
Similarly, issues around accessibility to the postal vote are being worked out by the ABS, with a paperless option being created for certain circumstances.
On the High Court challenges tabled for August 24 he says that while no forms will be sent out until September 12 - after the issue is resolved - any money spent preparing the postal survey will have been spent. “We believe the course of action we have chosen is constitutional and legal but this is now a matter for the High Court”.
Jacinta Price's parliamentary agenda
Word from The Hill: the return to lockdown
Sussan Ley and Terri Butler on the Great Barrier Reef being 'in danger'
Word from The Hill: Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, climate policy and UNESCO
Acting PM Michael McCormack on net zero 2050 and prospects for a new coal-fired power station
Word from The Hill: the Biloela Tamil family, G7 and the upcoming parliamentary fortnight
Rex Patrick on Freedom of Information and Australia's submarines
Word from The Hill
Mark Butler on the vaccine rollout and democracy in the Labor Party
Katy Gallagher on the battle to hold the government to account
Richard Colbeck on aged care and the Olympics
Simon Birmingham and Jim Chalmers on a big spending budget
what should the budget do for women? Jennifer Westacott (BCA) and Michele O'Neil (ACTU)
former ASIO head David Irvine on the cyber threats Australia faces
military ‘watch-dog’ Neil James on Afghanistan, China, and Peter Dutton
Matt Canavan on Holgate, Di Bartolomeo, and John Andersen
Stephen Duckett on what's gone wrong with the rollout
Linda Burney on the treatment of Indigenous Women
Sussan Ley on being a woman in politics
Zali Steggall on Monday's march and Scott Morrison's response
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