MARK DREYFUS MP

This morning the Turnbull Government quietly advertised for a Disability Discrimination Commissioner.But the advertisement provides more questions than answers.

The Turnbull Government's recycled announcement that it will provide $2.5 million to the Women's Services Network (WESNET) to support women experiencing technology facilitated abuse is as welcome now as when it was first announced but is not compensation for cuts to frontline services.

I welcome confirmation from the Australian Federal Police today that an investigation has been launched into misconduct by former Human Services minister Stuart Robert following my referral of February 14.

Prime Minister Turnbull is proceeding with a damaging, wasteful plebiscite on same-sex marriage to appease the right-wing of his party, and now cant even get on with his plans because of their latest offensive demands for exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. What a farce this important issue has become.

A report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers released today, shows Malcolm Turnbull’s unnecessary and divisive plebiscite on marriage equality will cost the Australian economy a staggering $525 million.

Senator George Brandis' admission on Sky News this morning that the Turnbull Liberals will waste $160m on a marriage equality plebiscite before the end of the year has exposed the lengths Malcolm Turnbull is going to placate the far right wing of his party.

Malcolm Turnbull today confirmed in Question Time that there will be no single national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse.

Labor warmly congratulates Helen Garner on being recognised in the 2016 Windham-Campbell Literature Prizes.

With the horrific extent of child sexual abuse ever clearer thanks to the current hearings of the Royal Commission, Prime Minister Turnbull must wait no longer to unequivocally commit to a national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse.

I wish to congratulate the Australians who have triumphed at the Academy Awards today in Los Angeles, in particular the makers of Mad Max: Fury Road which has taken home six awards and completed a near-clean sweep of all technical categories.