Federal politics live: Peter Dutton accused of ‘playing politics’ for blocking international student caps

I’m hearing from my spies that the PM will speak from Rio in a few moments time.

So stick around, I’ll bring you all the details as they roll in.

Getting into the venue also saw an array of power flexs.

The leaders were tasked with getting up a steep red carpeted incline to meet Brazilian president Lula di Silva. All had to make there way up alone… Except for Xi who had a trusty bag man by his side (and yes we would love to know what was in the leader briefcase the man was carrying).

There was no steep ramp for Biden, who miraculously appeared up top via a lift.

Inside as leaders gathered for photos, India’s Narendra Modi (who like Xi is positioning himself to fill any void Donald Trump‘s isolationism might create on the world stage) was Mr Everywhere, schmoozing with leaders left and right.

Xi largely kept to himself.

Anthony Albanese shared a hug with France’s Emmanuel Macron, talked with Biden and had a lengthy chat with Modi.

The Australian PM too was the victim of covert power when he met with Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G20 meeting.

We’re reliably told by the pool reporters who attended that the photo op of their meeting, of the two tiny flags on a table in front of the leaders, the UK flag was dramatically out of portion compared to the Australian — compensating much?

Speaking of dramatic… A US warship can be seen patrolling the waters off Copacabana beach, which is always a calming sight to see.

As was the armoured vehicle outside the Chinese’s leader’s hotel.

Industry Minister Ed Husic has defended how long it has taken to dish out funding under the government’s National Reconstruction Fund (NRF). 

The $15 billion fund was set up 14 months ago and until this morning had not made any investments.

Husic told ABC’s AM says the fund was not just a grants program that “pumps money out”.

“It was set up with a view to build long term manufacturing capability in the country,” he says.

He says the funding is being delivered through loans, equity and guarantees.

“So that does take some time to work through with,” he says.

The first business to receive taxpayer investment under an Albanese government election pledge to keep manufacturing in Australia has been announced more than two years after it was promised.

Russell Mineral Equipment (RME), a regional Queensland-based mining equipment firm, has been given $40 million from the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF), an investment the government says will ensure the firm stays in Australian hands.

The NRF invests taxpayer funds in the form of loans, equity investments or loan guarantees to local manufacturing firms showing potential to expand, with the intention being that the government gets a return on its investment.

Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth has dismissed a call to back a Coalition plan to crack down on Coles and Woolies as a “thought bubble”.

The social services minister traded barbs with the Nationals’ Bridget McKenzie this morning as they were asked about tackling supermarket prices.

McKenzie said if the government wanted to tackle the issue, it should back the Coalition’s private members bill before parliament.

The plan would force Coles and Woolworths to sell of stores or land if mutli-million dollar fines fail to stop anti-competitive behaviour.

Rishworth stressed the government had it’s own plan (making the voluntary grocery code mandatory and addressing shrinkflation).

“Unfortunately, the trouble with your proposal, Bridget, is that it is just a
thought bubble. It’s chaotic,” she told Nine’s Today Show.

“Reputable people have said that, that your proposal would lead to less competition, less actual rights.”

McKenzie responded: “Amanda, stop protecting the big boys.”

There’s been no shortage of overt and covert flexs of power on day one of the G20.

The day kicked off with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese popping in to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping for a private meeting.

Xi is on something of barnstorming world leader speed dating marathon while in South America, and so it was today when Albanese called upon him.

The scenes looked something like schoolboys being escorted to the headmaster’s office.

Mere minutes after British PM Keir Starmer had his time with Xi, it was Albanese’s turn.

After the tradition handshake photo at the start, the two leaders stat opposite each other at long tables. Xi was flanked with an entourage you’d need a bus for.

Albanese would have had spare seats in a Toyota Tarago for his delegation, which spread out widely to fill the tables.

For the substance of what they had to say, you can find that here:

The AFR’s Phil Coorey, who tells us he’s been to every G20 since it was formed after the GFC in 2008, insists Xi always stands on the right of the photo, a position Coorey insists is the power spot because the leader doesn’t have to reach across themselves to shake hands. Diplomacy, hey?!

Outside Xi’s hotel, which we suspect he had the whole Sheraton to his monster entourage, an array of people sporting Chinese flags (Deidre Chambers, what a coincidence) were cheering Xi on. It was a similar scene on the road to the main convention centre where the leaders were meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described relations with Australia as having faced “twists and turns” in recent years, urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take “great care” to maintain the improved partnership.

The two leaders met at Xi’s hotel on the sidelines of a G20 meeting of the world’s largest economies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Over the past decade, we have made some progress in China-Australia relations and also witnessed some twists and turns,” Xi told Mr Albanese in opening remarks broadcast via a translator.

Relations between the two countries soured under the former Coalition government.

A number of critical bills are before the Senate as the government tries to ram through its agenda during the final sitting fortnight of the year.

So if some of the bills get stuck in the Senate can Labor really call this term of parliament a success?

Ed Husic thinks so.

“I think, if you look at the range of things we have done across numerous
areas where we have been particularly focused on helping Australians with their cost of living – or setting up our economy for the long-term in line with the announcements we’re making today with the National Reconstruction Fund and its investments in Australian manufacturing – we have done a lot.”

He says Labor has two weeks left of the year and anyone who watches politics knows sometimes “a solution does appear”.

“That’s just the nature of the Australian parliament,” he says.

“I think we’ve done a lot, got a lot more to
do, and just watch this space.”

Peter Dutton has been accused of “playing politics” with migration after the Coalition confirmed it would vote with the Greens to knock back the government’s planned student caps.

The government had hoped it’s plan to cap international student commencements at 270,000 would pass the Senate this week but it now looks unlikely.

Industry Minister Ed Husic told ABC News Breakfast it was another example of the Coalition “talk tough, act soft” approach.

“They don’t back up what they say they’ll do. This is another case of them playing politics, putting their political interests above the interests of the country,’ he said.

“As stakeholders have observed, the coalition just opposing this legislation gives no solution, no indication about what they’d do.

“So the onus is on them now to say, ‘Well, if you said this is important to do, why won’t you actually support work to be done in this space?'”

Hey friends,

Welcome to our politics live blog. Courtney Gould from the ABC’s Parliament House team here to guide you through the day.

Let’s get into it.