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Scott Morrison Defends Flying Former Finance Minister Around Europe Using Public Money

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Brexit Deal ‘Down to Political Will’ From UK, Says Irish PM

The prime minister of Ireland—where the impact of a Brexit deal will be felt most keenly within the European Union—says he hopes the outline of a free-trade deal between the UK and the EU will emerge by the end of the week. The fate of the deal rests on UK political will, he said. Talks started up again on Monday, albeit online, with the EU’s chief negotiator saying that “fundamental divergences remain.” In just six weeks the UK will sever ties with the trading bloc, regardless of whether a deal has been struck or not. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he had received a sense of progress from both negotiating teams. “I would be hopeful that, by the end of this week, that we could see the outlines of a…

Scott Morrison Defends Flying Former Finance Minister Around Europe Using Public Money

Scott Morrison has defended using public money to fly former finance minister Mathias Cormann around Europe.

Cormann has traversed the continent on a Royal Australian Air Force plane as he campaigns for a job with a global economic think tank.

The RAAF plane costs taxpayers more than $4000 per hour of flying.

The prime minister said the jet was being used because coronavirus was “running rampant” across Europe.

“There really wasn’t the practical option to use commercial flights in the time we had available because of COVID,” he told 2GB radio on Nov 25.

“If Mathias was flying around on commercial planes, he would have got COVID. The risk of that was extremely high.”

Morrison also justified the costly flights by arguing an Australian had never held a leadership role at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, more commonly known as the OECD.

“Now we’re in the race for it and it will be very important,” he said.

“Mathias would be an outstanding secretary-general of the OECD, standing up for those liberal, democratic, market-based values which the OECD represents.”

Labor finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher said Morrison needed to be upfront about what it is costing to fund Cormann’s OECD campaign.

“And whether other options, such as a virtual campaign, were considered before agreeing to the exclusive use of one of Australia’s RAAF aircraft and any other related costs,” she told AAP on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Australian Greens have written to the ambassadors of OECD member nations warning them that appointing Cormann would be a blow to tackling climate change.

The letter notes Cormann’s vote to get rid of Labor’s carbon pricing scheme and previous support for abolishing bodies such as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Daniel McCulloch in Canberra

 

Focus News: Scott Morrison Defends Flying Former Finance Minister Around Europe Using Public Money

Kirkup to Step up as the Youngest Leader of WA Liberals

The 33-year-old Member of Parliament Zak Kirkup will become the youngest West Australian Liberal leader in 20 years as his rival pulled out shortly before the party room meeting. Kirkup’s opponent, former cabinet minister Dean Nalder, announced his withdrawal in a statement released on Tuesday, saying it was clear that the numbers were not on his side, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It has become apparent that I don’t have the majority support of my parliamentary colleagues and therefore will clear a path for the new leader,” Nalder told AAP. “I have been humbled at the level of support from my electorate and the wider community.” Kirkup’s victory means the Liberal party would welcome its youngest leader since Matt Birney’s short-lived reign in the mid-2000s. “I think anyone should judge a…