What we learned today, Thursday 28 November
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the main stories:
The Coalition Senate leader, Simon Birmingham announced his retirement from politics.
The Senate agreed to Labor’s guillotine motion, which included migration and social media bills.
Anthony Albanese said “tomorrow never comes” on Coalition’s nuclear costings as question time wrapped up for the year.
The government has been forced to defer its electoral reform bill after the Coalition refused to pass it without last-minute amendments.
The independent senator David Pocock said he secured changes to the build-to-rent legislation, amid other changes, in exchange for supporting the government’s “guillotine” motion.
The crossbench and Coalition teamed up to support a motion condemning the government for not bringing forward its long-awaited gambling advertising restrictions, calling on the government to finally unveil its plan.
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe told a protest outside Parliament House that she wears suspension and censure as “badge of honour”.
Chris Bowen delivered the national climate change statement, saying “the critical decade is now”.
The government has apologised to Indigenous people in the Northern Territory for suffering caused by stolen wages.
The Victorian government’s Metro Tunnel may not open in 2025 as planned, after key contract deadlines were pushed back.
A second man has been charged after 10 vehicles and buildings were vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last week.
The soon-to-be-sacked chairperson of Queensland’s truth-telling inquiry said he was given no notice of a decision to repeal the body’s legislation.
The government has officially launched its National HIV Strategy, which aims to make Australia the first country in the world to eliminate HIV transmission by the end of the decade.
Updated
Let’s make that 20 bills!
At 6.30pm, we had 31 bills ahead of us in the Senate. After more than two hours, we’ve gotten through 20 on my count so far.
Those include:
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024
Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill 2024
Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Capital Works (Build to Rent Misuse Tax) Bill 2024
Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024
Family Law Amendment Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024
Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023
Treasury Laws Amendment (Reserve Bank Reforms) Bill 2023
Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2024
But ahead of us are some more controversial bills, including the three migration bills and the under-16s social media ban.
The social media ban bill will have at least an hour of debate before it goes to a vote.
Updated
At 6.30pm, we had 31 bills ahead of us in the Senate. Two hours in, we’ve gotten through 20 on my count so far.
Those include:
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024
Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill 2024
Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Capital Works (Build to Rent Misuse Tax) Bill 2024
Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024
Family Law Amendment Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024
Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023
But ahead of us are some more controversial bills, including the three migration bills and the under-16s social media ban.
The social media ban bill will have at least an hour of debate before it goes to a vote.
Updated
Aaaaand we’re another one down, and it’s a big one.
Labor’s Future Made in Australia bill was actually five bills and they all just passed with some amendments.
As mentioned, the bills enable a $23bn package over the decade aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and onshore production of green hydrogen and processed critical minerals.
Read more below:
The current state of play
Here is the lay of the land as the Senate continues to sit on a marathon final night of the year:
PM ‘fully expects’ February parliament return
It might be the last night in Canberra (excluding the House of Representatives returning in the morning to rubber stamp some of the Senate’s amendments) but it’s certainly not a quiet one.
Just a moment ago, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, gave a pre-recorded interview on ABC’s 7.30.
Albanese said he “fully expects” parliament will return in February amid speculation an early federal election will be called. He’s pressed on it and responds:
That’s certainly our plan … I don’t give election dates or variations to the question.
Albanese was also asked about the role he played in negotiations over the Nature Positive reforms. Guardian Australia reported Albanese killed off a potential deal with the Greens to pass the government’s “nature positive” legislation after an intervention by the Western Australia premier, Roger Cook.
He said:
We’re prepared to listen to arguments, but where it wasn’t consistent with our view of the purpose of legislation, then we wouldn’t just agree to any amendments.
When asked directly whether he killed off negotiations with the Greens, Albanese said:
I spoke to the premier of WA about my visit to WA next week … well, I don’t give all the details of my private discussions with premiers … I informed him that we didn’t have the numbers to get the bill through. We didn’t have the numbers for a range of bills.
Updated
Housing, family law and Future Made in Australia bills up for vote
More bills have sailed through in the Senate and I’m feeling hopeful we won’t be watching until midnight at this stage (perhaps, prematurely).
Tax regulations for buy now, pay later services and Labor’s Build to Rent bills both passed.
The key housing bill was held up for some time with the Coalition staunchly against it and the Greens attempting to negotiate for more.
A family law amendment and laws to change how victims of sexual abuse are dealt with in the criminal system also passed.
Now, Labor’s Future Made in Australia bill is up and there’s a lot of amendments.
It’s a $23bn package with the lion’s share of it being a bundle of tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals.
The opposition opposes it. Earlier today, the Greens had a win to ensure that no support will be provided to coal, oil and gas under the program and the commercial investments and programs of Export Finance Australia.
Sit tight.
Updated
More tributes for outgoing Birmingham
As we head into a long night in the Senate to vote on 31 bills, let’s quickly revisit some of the comments made about the retiring Senate opposition leader, Simon Birmingham.
Birmingham is the most senior Liberal of the moderate wing – a faction in the Liberals that is outnumbered by the centre-right and conservatives.
It’s a point that was highlighted by the Nationals Senate leader, Bridget McKenzie, who admitted she was from “the opposite end of the spectrum” to Birmingham.
She said:
We have, as he referenced in his opening remarks, been often at the two sides of the internal debates that have consumed the Coalition in our time in politics … [but] I have always found you’ve been a man of great honour and principle.
Updated
‘A long night ahead of us,’ Senate president cautions
This evening’s first bill in the Senate, the anti-money laundering bill, took some time to pass.
It ultimately passed after getting through some amendments but the Senate president, Sue Lines, issued a reminder of the night we have ahead as senators voted on whether to pass the bill.
It was off-screen but it appeared Senator David Pocock got his positions mixed up.
Lines said:
Senator Pocock, you can’t be voting from up there …
I’ll put it again. Senators, we have a long night ahead of us. I would ask that you pay attention. You need more than one voice to have a division.
Updated
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions dipped 0.7% to 440.6m tonnes, report says
Among the raft of climate reports released by the government today was the latest quarterly greenhouse gas emissions report.
It said in the year to June climate pollution was 28.2% lower than in 2005. It dipped just 0.7% last year to sit at 440.6m tonnes.
This change was mainly due to a drop in emissions from stationary electricity, which includes on-site burning of fossil fuels in manufacturing, mining, and commercial and residential buildings. Pollution from agriculture and electricity generation were also down slightly. Transport emissions keep climbing up.
The Greens said this showed pollution was higher under Anthony Albanese than in the final year of Scott Morrison’s government, when emissions were 438.4m tonnes. The party’s leader, Adam Bandt, said:
Labor have disappointed the country on climate, talking up renewables while approving 28 new coal and gas projects and lifting emissions.
The Greens statement neglected to say that pollution in 2022 was still suppressed to some degree by Covid-19.
On the other hand, we reported earlier in this blog that Chris Bowen has argued “emissions are still lower now than they were at any point during the economy-wide Covid shutdowns”.
At first glance this doesn’t seem correct. On further investigation it is technically true – economy-wide shutdowns were over by mid-2022, and pollution was higher in 2020 and 2021 than today. But that ignores the data from June 2022, when Covid was still affecting emissions. Pollution is a little higher than two years ago.
The Climate Change Authority’s conclusion may be the one to pay attention to here. In a progress report, also out today, it said emissions had basically plateaued over the past three years, and that reductions will need to accelerate significantly for the government to meet the legislated 2030 target of a 43% cut below 2005 levels.
Updated
Some of the bills being guillotined tonight will pass through quickly with support but others could take longer.
That’s what we’ve seen so far in the opening 45 minutes after a slight delay to the proceedings due to Simon Birmingham’s surprise retirement earlier this afternoon.
An aged care bill, which will align aged care worker screening checks with NDIS ones among other regulatory changes, passed without amendments.
The other was a bill to clarify rules around government entities charging surcharges, which was passed with a minor amendment. It will clarify government entities can impose surcharges where they have authority to collect a payment, noting there are usually options available without a surcharge.
It’s part of the Albanese government’s plans to ban debit card surcharges from 1 January 2026, subject to consultation being undertaken by the Reserve Bank.
Updated
Senate passes first bill of marathon sitting
And there we have it – the first bill of many the Senate is voting tonight has passed with amendments.
The anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing amendment bill 2024 was passed with 32 ayes and 28 noes.
We then move on to a bill that will change rules about Sydney airport’s slot management. It also passes after amendments by Jacqui Lambie are knocked back.
It will give the minister more powers over slot management – how many take-offs and landings can happen an hour – as well as introduce new penalties to stop potential for slot hoarding and slot misuse.
Updated
O’Brien uses climate statement reply to attack Labor’s renewable energy policies
The shadow climate change and environment minister, Ted O’Brien, gave a reply to Chris Bowen’s annual climate statement a little earlier.
O’Brien launched a lengthy attack on the Albanese government’s renewable energy policies, and defended the Coalition’s uncosted proposal to eventually build nuclear power plants at seven sites as “the most visionary policy put forward by an Australian political party this century”.
He said:
Much of the debate on climate change and energy in Australia centres around the target of reaching net zero by 2050. To meet that challenge, the first question we must ask ourselves is not about net zero, nor even about emissions. Rather, the first question to ask ourselves is, what sort of Australia we want to be in 2050, and beyond?
O’Brien blamed increases in electricity prices on the government’s renewable energy policies, saying people were “paying up to $1,000 more than what Labor had promised” – a $275 annual reduction by 2025.
It’s worth remembering what experts have said on this. Take Tony Wood, from the Grattan Institute, who told Guardian Australia that it was “just not true” to say that electricity was expensive due to Labor’s policies. He said bills leapt 20% last year due to Russia’s assault on Ukraine pushing up fossil fuel prices, a lack of available gas, outages at coal plants and extreme weather flooding coalmines.
O’Brien challenged the climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, to multiple debates before the next election – both in the regions and on the ABC and Sky News.
Updated
It has been a hectic day in Canberra today, but we are not quite done.
With that in mind, we are going to let the blog settle for a bit, before the Senate returns later tonight to pass the final bills of the year.
We will keep you posted as things change, so stay tuned.
Updated
Two-year-old boy killed in crash at Queensland school
In a quick step away from politics, a two-year-old boy has been struck and killed in a single-vehicle crash at a school in Durack, south-west of Brisbane’s CBD.
“Unfortunately, despite best efforts, the boy has died at the scene,” Queensland police said in a statement on Thursday evening.
An investigation has commenced, and a woman is assisting with police inquiries, the statement said.
Updated
Victorian government says it is not providing any further financial support to Elbit project
A government spokesperson has made the following statement regarding the end of the Elbit Systems deal:
As Australia’s advanced manufacturing capital, we are always exploring economic and trade opportunities for our state – especially those that create local jobs.
They said in 2020 the government entered an agreement with Elbit Systems of Australia (ELSA) to establish its Centre of Excellence for Human and Machine Teaming in Melbourne. The project was completed in January 2024 and the government is not providing any further financial support for the project.
The government has not made public how much it spent on the funding agreement, citing it is commercial in confidence.
Updated
Contract delays threaten Metro Tunnel’s 2025 open date
The Victorian government’s Metro Tunnel may not open in 2025 as planned, after key contract deadlines were pushed back.
A contract variation tabled in Victorian parliament on Thursday pushes back the provisional handover of infrastructure to operators to 30 April. Final acceptance of the tunnels and stations has also been delayed from 17 March to as late as New Year’s Eve 2025.
It comes after an auditor general’s report tabled in state parliament in June said it was running over budget and would not be completed until June 2025.
The government, however, has described the targets as incentives for the project’s builders and denied Metro Tunnel was delayed. A spokesperson said: “We said the Metro Tunnel would open in 2025 a year ahead of schedule – and we remain on track to do that.”
In September, the government added an $837m spend to the project, which now totals $13.48bn, well above the $11bn estimated in 2017. Here’s an explainer I wrote at the time:
Updated
Greens welcome Victorian government ending agreement with Elbit
The Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri has welcomed the news the Victorian government has ended its agreement with weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems:
Relentless community pressure has forced Victorian Labor to end its partnership with Elbit.
She questioned why the government hadn’t announced the Elbit decision since writing to the Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny last week:
This is an important step in the right direction, but why are Labor still leaving Victorians in the dark, they clearly have something to hide.
Updated
Bowen concludes with a swipe at some in the media and an argument for staying the course.
I’m happy to admit I believe there is cause for quiet optimism. We hear a lot from some in the media about how hard this transformation is. So hard, in fact, they say we should give up. They don’t back a Future Made in Australia. They – including some in this parliament – advocate for failure because failure keeps Australia stuck in the past.
It is increasingly obvious that to hope for failure is a ruse to protect the status quo. We want more for Australia, and we are putting everything in place to make it happen. That’s not to say there aren’t challenges. I am acutely aware of them. But the numbers show our plan is working.
He says the country is “starting to see a shift in what our trading partners want to buy” away from fossil fuels exports (which the Australia government is still approving) and towards clean energy.
As the Climate Change Authority recognises, it is a global contest to dominate green technologies, to access green resources, including critical minerals.
This is a race we want to win, because we are seeing the benefit of building capabilities at home in new industries, not just because it’s good for the climate, but because it’s also good for our national interest, good for our security, good for our economic and international interests and, most of all, good for Australians.
Updated
Bowen is now running through the government’s achievements. He says they include reforming the safeguard mechanism to limit pollution from major industrial sites.
Critics say the policy is not enough to drive change, and we have not yet seen official data from the Clean Energy Regulator on how it is going. Bowen says the Climate Change Authority found it is “performing even better than expected”, having reduced emissions in its first year.
He says the government “did what others have tried and failed to do for 20 years – we legislated Australia’s first new vehicle efficiency standard”, and this will cut emissions and create an incentive for the market to offer drivers more choice of electric cars and plug-in hybrids.
Wherever I travel across the country, I hear people talking about their plans to buy a new EV or hybrid as their next car. It’s so important they have better choices. Communities and households have a big role to play in reaching net zero, and they are taking action in record numbers, which is why it’s particularly good news for households with solar and EVs that Standards Australia has now enabled vehicle-to-grid charging, or reverse charging, in Australia for the first time. This effectively transforms a car into a household battery on wheels.
Updated
Bowen says the shift to renewable energy is “as much about creating jobs in the regions as it is about taking climate action or securing Australia’s place in an uncertain world”.
Governments around the world change from time to time. There will be heightened global tensions, there will be geopolitical repositioning. We must stay the course through the uncertainty of complex economic and security challenges because we have a window of time to act decisively.
We must continue to act in our national interest, charting an Australian path in this global journey. This much is clear from the scientists. It’s clear from the energy and industry experts. We listen to these experts. They tell us this decade will be critical for our energy grid, critical for the climate, and critical if we want to position Australia as a powerhouse in the new global net zero economy.
The course of this decade will be shaped by the choice the Australian people make in the next six months.
It is worth noting that, while scientists agree Labor’s climate policies are superior to the Coalition’s, they also say the minimum 2030 target of 43% is not enough for the country to play its part in addressing the issue. Much will turn on the 2035 target to be announced next year, and the policies introduced to meet it.
It is worth also noting the Coalition has opposed all Labor policies to cut emissions and says it would ditch the 43% target and not announce a 2030 or 2035 target before the election.
Nuclear energy will not deliver net zero: Chris Bowen
Bowen’s climate address has moved on to criticising the Coalition’s nuclear energy plan.
The notion that nuclear energy in Australia is a serious solution to decarbonise by 2050 is a dangerous furphy. It does not survive contact with reality. Pausing policies that are currently lowering emissions in favour of ramping up policies that would increase emissions will not deliver net zero.
Nuclear power generation commencing in the 2040s, less than a decade before we are due to meet the target, is not a solution or an antidote to the increase in emissions from extending fossil fuels in the interim. If it were to be, it would need to be rolled out on such a scale as to replace almost all the other emitting technologies.
That would mean hundreds of nuclear reactors built across the country to keep the lights on, connected by thousands of kilometres of new transmission lines. Instead, the current scheme proposed by those in opposition is for just seven plants, with just one to supply all of Western Australia.
He says the nuclear policy “would see a return to the delay, denial and dysfunction that has already cost Australians”.
Updated
More from Chris Bowen’s climate statement, but focused on energy prices:
It’s particularly pleasing to see data from the Australian Energy Market Commission today that confirms more renewables in our grid will continue pushing energy bills down over the next 10 years. It also confirms that any delay to renewables would in fact increase costs.
Famously, Labor said before the last election that annual household power bills were expected to fall $275 by 2025 under its policies. Instead, they went up – mostly, experts say, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lifting the cost of fossil fuels.
Bowen says prices are now coming down. The latest inflation data shows “a record fall in electricity prices, down more than 35% from October last year”.
He says 2024 has set “an all-time record for renewables”, with data released by the Clean Energy Regulator today finding up to 7.5GW of renewable capacity will be connected to the grid this year.
Just under half of that will come from rooftop solar, a sign that households and businesses are getting real value from the economic benefits that come when you harness free sunshine.
Updated
On renewable energy, Bowen emphasises 2024 has been a record year and that the “pace is picking up”.
The Australian Energy Market Operator has been consistently clear that the government’s solution for a rapid increase in investment to deliver new reliable renewable generation capacity, plus storage and firming and transmission lines, will meet Australia’s growing electricity needs as our current coal fleet retires.
Between now and 2035, the market operator expects 90% of Australia’s ageing, increasingly unreliable, coal-fired power generators to retire. Just this week we’ve seen Aemo having to juggle the grid to prepare for forecast higher demand while more than 2.5 gigawatts of ageing coal units are offline – broken down or taken out for maintenance.
The notion that Australia’s ageing coal fleet should, or in fact even could, be relied on to an even greater extent to power our system, is nothing short of magical thinking. Already consumers are feeling the impacts of running old coal generators longer. There has not been a single day in the past 18 months without some coal-fired generation experiencing unplanned outages.
Updated
As we reported earlier in the week, Bowen says the latest departmental emissions projections suggest current policies should be enough to have Australia on track to meet the legislated 2030 emissions target (a 43% cut below 2005 levels). He says a progress report by the Climate Change Authority released today also says the country has the policies in place to get to its goal.
The authority also finds that while emissions are falling, they are not yet falling fast enough. It’s worth checking out this story from before the authority report, which gives some context on what we know so far about how the country is achieving emissions reductions.
Bowen says:
We’re bringing emissions down in the electricity and land sectors and that means emissions have fallen to 28.2% below 2005 levels. Emissions are still lower now than they were at any point during the economy-wide Covid shutdowns, when heavy industry and transport was in hiatus. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and industry, when measured on a per capita basis, are the lowest they’ve been in Australia since the late 1980s. But they need to fall faster into the future.
'The critical decade is now': Chris Bowen delivers national climate change statement
Parliament is nearly over for the year, but not yet. Chris Bowen is belatedly on his feet in the House of Representatives giving the government’s annual national climate change statement. It was scheduled before question time but was delayed.
The climate change and energy minister begins by referring to the pressure on the power grid in parts of the country during the heat this week, saying it is “a reminder of why decarbonising matters”.
Not just the unseasonably hot weather, but the increasing unreliability of coal. Renewables address both. Solar, wind and other renewable energy resources are available right now to help tackle the worst of climate change. Crucially they make our energy system more reliable and resilient than a system dominated by ageing coal-fired power stations.
He says the government’s climate policies, including the capacity investment scheme underwriting program that it is using to aim to get to 82% renewable energy by 2030, has “now put in place the systems and processes to set us up for a more prosperous future”.
We’ve built a lot of momentum. But there is so much more to do. The key is to build on this momentum, and build on it again, because there is no achievable alternative that doesn’t see otherwise avoidable harm done to our environment, our planet and our future generations.
Net zero by 2050 is not optional. Which means the critical decade is now. Not some hypothetical time in the distant future.
Updated
Dutton hails ‘outstanding’ Birmingham
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has sung the praises of the retiring senator Simon Birmingham, calling him a “thoroughly decent man”.
Dutton released a statement on the retirement, saying Birmingham “excelled” in all the portfolios he held:
Simon Birmingham has been an outstanding Senator who has served his party, his state and his country with distinction for more than 17 years.
On the announcement of his retirement from the Parliament, I thank a thoroughly decent man for his commendable contributions to our nation from both the ranks of Government and Opposition.
The measure of Simon Birmingham is the high regard in which he is held across the political divide. His fierce intellect and calm demeanour have seen him engage in the battle of ideas in a manner that is persuasive, principled and respectful.
Simon has excelled in all the portfolios he has held as a Minister – from Education and Training, to Trade and Tourism, to Finance.
Updated
Victorian government says it has ended agreement with Elbit Systems
The Victorian government, which last week confirmed it would not renew its defence memorandum of understanding with Israel, has also ended its agreement with weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
In a letter to the Thomastown MP, Bronwyn Halfpenny, who is also a co-chair of the Victorian parliament’s Friends of Palestine group, the minister for jobs and industry, Natalie Hutchins, confirmed the 2020 partnership between the government and Elbit had ended.
The letter, dated 22 November, reads:
In 2020, the Victorian government entered an agreement with Elbit Systems’ Australian subsidiary, ELSA, on a project to partner with Victorian research institutions. The project was completed earlier this year. Therefore, the Victorian government is no longer providing support to ELSA for this project.
A document tabled in parliament on Thursday showed the project’s “completion date” as 31 January 2024, though the “end date” was redacted.
The government has been approached for comment.
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you for the rest of the day’s news.
Speaking on the guillotine motion, David Pocock said “there’s a lot of finger-pointing in the Senate but no one has clean hands on this”.
It’s been pretty chaotic at times. I guess one of the frustrations in the Senate is you can debate bills [but] at some point you need to come to a position and actually vote on them. And unfortunately, sometimes that ends up [meaning] you have to guillotine bills that have actually had a Senate committee process, there’s been some debate, but you’ve got to force people to actually vote.
Updated
Pocock explains what happened with Nature Positive negotiations
Just earlier, the independent senator David Pocock spoke with the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing about the government’s “guillotine” motion in the Senate.
Overnight, he had indicated to the government that the Nature Positive legislation was a requirement for him to back the motion. But this did not happen – and Pocock backed the motion, securing other measures.
He told the program that he had good-faith negotiations with the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek:
She’s been really keen to get this through the parliament. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t possible. The thing I hear from people here in the ACT is they want housing and cost of living dealt with, but they want us to look after this incredible continent. One of the disappointing things this term has been the lack of progress on nature.
Pocock noted “some of the pressures they’ve come under from industry in WA”. Did the government acknowledge to him if they were acceding to the requests of the WA premier?
Pocock said it came down to “details and timing” – and that it’s “all very last-minute” in the Senate.
Updated
Second man charged in relation to anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney
A second man has been charged after 10 vehicles and buildings were vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last week.
Detectives have previously charged a 21-year-old man for his alleged role in the incident. He remains before the court.
This morning, police arrested a 19-year-old man at a residence on Queen Street, Arncliffe. He was taken to Kogarah police station and charged with 21 offences, including:
Destroying or damaging property (14 counts).
Entering a building or land with intent to commit an indictable offence (three counts).
Destroying property in company using fire to the value of more than $5,000.
Destroying property in company using fire to the value of less than or equal to $2,000.
Behaving in an offensive manner in or near a public place or school.
Having a blackened or disguised face with intent to commit an indictable offence.
He was refused bail and was due to appear before Sutherland local court today.
Updated
Bill Shorten leaves question time for one last time
Just circling back to question time in the House of Representatives earlier this afternoon.
As we’ve previously reported, the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, will retire from politics in February and take up the role of vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra.
That means that today’s question time was his last, after 17 years. Mike Bowers captured the moment he waved the lower house goodbye:
Updated
Head of Queensland’s truth-telling inquiry given no notice of repeal bill
The soon-to-be-sacked chairperson of Queensland’s truth-telling inquiry says he was given no notice of a decision to repeal the body’s legislation.
The state’s pathway to treaty legislation is scheduled to be repealed tonight, making it the first bill passed by the new parliament. It will be debated as an urgent bill, with no committee process.
Josh Creamer says his first notice of the bill was an email sent shortly after the deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, introduced the legislation.
Creamer told a press conference earlier:
There’s not any room in this government to listen to voices opposed to them, and there’s certainly not any room in this government to listen to the voices of strong Indigenous leadership. The government certainly have no interest in listening.
Creamer says the government has lost a lot of trust in the community and compared the decision to one made under Campbell Newman.
I think the last time this government were in, they were known for their attack on institutions such as the arts and law, as two examples, and we’ve seen here today, really attack on an important institution as an inquiry.
As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we deserve better. We deserve the best and equal to what everyone else receives.
Updated
Wong thanks Birmingham for constructive engagement as he announces retirement
Penny Wong is now speaking after Simon Birmingham’s announcement he will retire from politics.
She notes that they disagree often, but says Birmingham “has always engaged respectfully and with integrity”.
He is a thoroughly decent person and I want to thank him personally for his constructive engagement.
Wong says he has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to rise above personal politics, and has shown “a great deal of kindness” to her at times.
Updated
After thanking various senators, his staff and family, Simon Birmingham becomes emotional at times and tells the senators in the chamber:
It is not necessary to target one another and personalise debates to advance the issues important to you. It is not necessary to undermine the principles and practices at this Senate to advance the issues important to you.
Every senator is accorded with remarkable privileges at a platform like no other in this nation to advance those issues … Use those privileges, make the most of your platform and you will be amazed at what you can achieve in this place, without crossing the line …
Thank you, and farewell.
Penny Wong shakes his hand, as those in the chamber give him a standing ovation.
Updated
Mike Bowers informs me that the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and other frontbenchers are in the Senate to watch Simon Birmingham’s speech, along with crossbencher Rebekha Sharkie.
Updated
On Peter Dutton, Simon Birmingham says they “certainly don’t agree on everything” but he is “grounded, thoroughly decent and has a perspective in touch with many hard-working Australians”.
I am confident that he would be a strong and effective prime minister, and I wish Peter and the Coalition team nothing but success.
Birmingham goes on to say he doesn’t want to pre-empt future decisions, but his departure will likely lead to the first all-woman leadership across the Senate, with his deputy, Michaelia Cash, likely to step up.
Good luck to you, Michaelia. Thank you for being a loyal, good friend.
Updated
Simon Birmingham says he is “proud” of being the first Coalition frontbencher to publicly back marriage equality reform.
The ultimate strength of the yes vote for marriage equality demonstrated that Australians overwhelmingly back concepts of equality and respect for each other, regardless of our differences. We must learn this lesson in all aspects of our work, but including in the pursuit of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We should strive to make Australians proud of having the oldest continuously living culture in the world …
For all those on the harder edges of the left and the right who seek to divide our country, only make us weaker in our division, little is gained by culture wars, politicians obsessing over what happens in private bedrooms, or anyone seeking to override evidence-based medical practice.
Updated
Birmingham fears era ‘where populism trumps policy’
Simon Birmingham tells the Senate he fears “the world is headed into an era where populism trumps the policy”. On migration, he says:
We should also acknowledge that Australia needs migration if we are to fund the ambitions and sectors like defence and maintain essential services as our population ages.
We should also be bold in the use of data to drive government efficiency and steer down the conspiracy theorists who jeopardise such productivity measures.
Updated
Birmingham reflects on decisions made during Covid-19 pandemic
Simon Birmingham also speaks on his time as trade and tourism minister, and the meeting where it was determined to close Australia’s borders to China amid the beginning of Covid-19.
It was the first of so many monumental decisions to be taken. Further border closures, the jobkeeper program, standing up a government-run air freight coordination mechanism, actions to save tourism businesses and just so many more through Covid.
Our actions weren’t perfect, nor in such unprecedented times was the information we had available to us to base those decisions on perfect. But on the whole, I am very confident [that] Morrison government decisions saved many Australian lives and livelihoods in the midst of this global crisis.
Updated
Birmingham reflects on time as education minister
Simon Birmingham has been reflecting on his time in politics, saying that when he entered the chamber in May 2007, he was its youngest member at the time.
I will leave, thankfully, not as its oldest, but as the longest continuously serving of my current Coalition colleagues.
In particular, he’s been speaking about his time as education minister, listing various achievements – including Gonski.
Birmingham announces retirement from politics
The Coalition Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, is addressing the Senate, announcing his retirement from politics.
Some will be kind enough to be disappointed to see me go, maybe only a few, but some. To them, I’m sorry … As is the nature of this business [some] will be delighted to see the back of me. To them I am also sorry – sorry that I’m giving you this joy. But staying just to spite my opponents or to prove them wrong is no good reason to stay.
In any event, it is always better to go when there are some wishing you to stay, and none of us is irreplaceable. Now is the right time for me, for my family and for new career pathways.
He says he will move in a “new, commercially oriented direction”.
You can all be relieved to know that it has nothing to do with lobbying, government relations or commentary.
Updated
Pocock outlines what he secured in exchange for supporting Senate guillotine motion
The independent senator David Pocock has issued a statement, outlining what he secured in exchange for supporting the government’s “guillotine” motion, and the 27 bills listed in this. As part of the agreement:
Significant amendments to the build-to-rent legislation were agreed, including five-year leases for tenants, no cause evictions and a truly affordable component of some 80,000 new properties and passage of the bill.
Bringing forward the mandatory food and grocery code to better protect Australians struggling with record high prices.
$10m in federal funding for gene drive technology research and development to address invasive species.
Two further significant measures that will be announced in the coming days.
In the statement, Pocock said the government and Greens “disappointingly” refused his “good faith proposal” to move forward with Nature Positive legislation in this sitting period, and “the transparency and disclosure elements of electoral reform”.
I am here to negotiate constructive outcomes and deliver for my community and that’s what I have done today. Alongside environment and health, housing and cost-of-living are the top two issues Canberrans constantly raise with me. Today’s agreement with the government will deliver tangible benefits to people in the ACT and around the country.
Updated
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham to retire from politics
AAP is reporting the Coalition Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, will announce his retirement from politics.
The opposition foreign spokesperson is expected to quit at the next federal election, due to be held by May, sources told AAP.
Birmingham entered parliament in 2007 and has served as trade, finance and education ministers in previous Coalition governments under Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.
Updated
Queensland teachers condemn decision to repeal truth-telling
The union representing 17,000 teachers and support staff in Queensland and Northern Territory non-government schools has condemned today’s move by the new Queensland government to repeal the Path to Treaty process as “disgraceful”.
The Independent Education Union’s Queensland and Northern Territory branch secretary, Terry Burke, said:
Today is a shameful day in our state’s history. The Crisafulli government has continued to show its absolute disrespect to Queensland’s First Nations Peoples and communities in using the first day in Parliament to repeal this important process.
Burke said it showed “contempt for reconciliation”.
The Crisafulli government might like to think it can stop the truth from being told but the truth of their disrespect towards Queensland’s First Nations Peoples and communities cannot be hidden. David Crisafulli has made his choice to be on the wrong side of history by repealing the Path to Treaty process and in seeking to silence the voices of First Nations Peoples.
Updated
Cringe? Senator performs political Christmas poem sledge
The workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, has gifted senators in question time a Christmas present, or lump of coal, depending on your perspective.
In the final dixer of the year for the upper house, Watt decided to perform an “ode to the workers of Australia”.
He says in the tune of the popular Christmas poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas:
Twas the sitting before Christmas and all through the Senate, every creature was stirring, especially Senator Rennick,
At work, Australians are in shops, schools and sheds, while thoughts of Christmas leave, dance in their heads,
All year, Labor’s worked hard to deliver a pay rise, for workers, the Libs have been nos, but Labor has been ayes,
Now an outraged Senator Cash and a Grinchy Mr Dutton have settled their IR plans, which would leave workers with nothing,
Cutting pay, cutting casuals, their cuts, many pages, but all with one aim, cutting Aussie workers’ wages,
Then out from the house, there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my seat to see what’s the matter,
When, what, to my shocked eyes, did suddenly appear, but a shadowy cabinet sucking up to billionaires near and dear,
Now, Gina, now, Gina. Oh, what a laugh, on Clive, on Ray, on Sky After Dark,
Down the chimney, Peter Dutton came on foot and his clothes were all tarnished with coal and black soot.
At this point, the Liberal senator James McGrath stands on a point of order, saying: “This is cringe”. The Senate president, Sue Lines, responds: “That isn’t a point of order, Senator McGrath.” Watt continues:
A bundle of nuclear rods, Mr Dutton had flung on his back, straight from Chernobyl, just opening his pack,
Dreaming of post-election, when he gets to work, raiding every worker’s pockets then he turned with a jerk,
He considered a sleigh, but said to his friends, ‘do not fret’. And away they all flew on their billionaires’ jets,
With his billionaire mates, he flew out of sight, saying ‘happy Christmas to all and have a good night’.
Updated
Albanese gives end of year speech to parliament
In his end of year speech to parliament, Anthony Albanese says despite his “ideological differences” with Peter Dutton they are able to have civil discussions.
Someone said to me the other day, ‘it doesn’t seem like you hate each other’, and that’s absolutely right.
He wished Dutton and his family well for Christmas, before moving to the crossbenchers and joking there was a lot of them – noting they have constructive discussions regularly.
Updated
Star Entertainment faces difficult road ahead, CEO says
Star Entertainment Group has a difficult road ahead and remains in an “extremely challenging position”, its incoming chief executive says, but its leadership believes it can survive a significant cash crunch on top of its other regulatory issues.
As AAP reports, Steve McCann told Star’s annual general meeting at The Star Brisbane today the troubled casino company had made progress on a range of important issues but revenue had continued to decline significantly amid challenges in implementing cashless play.
Meanwhile, the cost of Star’s transformation and the cost of external advice and assistance Star has required have continued to be at inflated levels, said McCann, whose appointment as CEO and managing director remains subject to regulatory approvals.
The Star chair, Anne Ward, said that while Star had significant short-term liquidity issues and significant financial pressures, its directors were of the view that Star could continue as a going concern if it was successful on a range of matters.
Those include meeting various conditions to allow it to access two $100m debt facilities, securing additional sources of liquidity and further progressing its plans for longer-term funding.
Star incurred an operating loss of $18m in the September quarter, with its revenue dropping 18% to $351m. It had $149m in cash available as of 30 September, the company announced on 29 October. Company executives are working to raise $150m in subordinated capital, which would allow it to access the second $100m in debt.
Revenue is down 15.5% at Star’s Queensland and NSW casinos since cashless and mandatory carded play in those states began.
Updated
Question time ends
And with that, question time has wrapped up in the House of Representatives – Anthony Albanese is now giving an end-of-year speech.
Updated
PM says ‘tomorrow never comes’ on Coalition’s nuclear costings as question time wraps up
Taking a dixer, Anthony Albanese is making his election pitch – in this last question time for the year.
In particular, he calls out the opposition’s nuclear policy and the fact that it has still not announced its costings on this.
He has spent all year saying the costings on his nuclear policy are coming next week or next fortnight. The clock is ticking and it never happens. Tomorrow never comes.
He also labels Peter Dutton as an “NPC”, stating:
Those opposite just say no to absolutely everything. I mean, talking to the leader of the opposition is like talking to an NPC, a non-playable character. It is just like a bot that does exactly the same thing …
The reckless arrogance of those opposite who have not got the confidence to put forward a single costed policy, render them not an alternative government at all. Render them just a reckless bunch who will not put anything forward.
Updated
Wilkie’s retort to answer on whisteblower protections
After Mark Dreyfus responds to Andrew Wilkie’s question about whistleblower protections, the independent MP yells out: “Tell that to Richard Boyle.”
Updated
Wilkie asks question on whisteblower protections
The independent MP Andrew Wilkie has asked about whistleblower protections – and whether the government would establish a whistleblower protection authority in this term of parliament, or next?
The attorney general responds that last June the government passed an amendment to the Public Interest Disclosure Act, ensuring “immediate improvements to the public sector whistleblower scheme in place to ensure they would be in place in time for the commencement of the National Anti-Corruption Commission”.
Regrettably, the former government failed to act on that 2016 review by Mr Philip Moss, we did act. This was the first significant public sector whistleblower reform since the Public Interest Disclosure Act was first enacted a decade ago. The government is now progressing a second broader stage of reforms …
Updated
O’Neil recognises work of crossbench
The housing minister, Clare O’Neil, has noted the work of the crossbench in both houses while taking a dixer on housing legislation. Listing a few names, she says:
I want the public to understand we have been elected at a time when crossbenchers have also come into this parliament and have done the hard yack, worked with experts, worked with stakeholders and engaged with our government and as a consequence we are making better laws because of their contribution.
Updated
Bowen hits back at question about power prices
The Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh has asked about power prices, saying Labor has broken a promise by not delivering a $275 reduction to bills.
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, says inflation figures from the ABS this week showed a 35% reduction in energy prices and “the biggest fall in energy prices recorded in Australian history”.
These are things we are happy to talk about with the Australian people and with the opposition because the opposition’s track record when it comes to delivering real cost-of-living relief to the Australian people is appalling.
Updated
Catherine King speaks of ‘shameful’ record of robodebt
The transport minister, Catherine King, is asked a question about regional development and takes aim at the opposition about robodebt:
We have spent a lot of time returning integrity to programs following, frankly, what was a shameful record of those opposite. We have, of course, had to deal with … the legacy of robodebt and the contracting arrangements that have resulted as a result of robodebt from those opposite in all of our grants programs.
Updated
Opposition questions price of renewables
The shadow climate change minister, Ted O’Brien, was next up to ask a question – bringing up a report by Frontier Economics regarding the cost of renewables.
For more context on this report, you can read this analysis from Peter Hannam below:
The climate minister Chris Bowen read out lines from the report, stating:
“We found the report modelling matched Aemo’s modelling results very closely.” [It] went on to say, “Similarly when we went on to compare the real cost of 2050 we found the report modelling is about 91% the same as Aemo’s results.” Yes, I do think that is accurate.
Updated
Blackout debate
The Nationals MP Michael McCormack has got up to ask a question about calls for New South Wales residents to reduce energy consumption yesterday evening as extreme heatwave conditions put pressure on the grid.
Climate change minister Chris Bowen hit back at the suggestion this would be more common with the rollout of renewables, arguing those opposite were “disappointed” that there was enough energy reserves in the state, and no blackouts.
He then took aim at the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, who used to be energy minister – and listed blackouts that occurred while he was minister.
Updated
Continuing from our last post: Anthony Albanese told the chamber it was “unusual to see [Tony] up there in the gallery, rather than behind the counter at Aussies”.
Tony is the man who did so much to enhance the seat of democracy here … You have been such an important part of this building.
The prime minister noted that his son had been going there since he was in a pram – “and now this week he was there having a cappuccino as a 23-year-old”.
Peter Dutton also spoke, saying that Tony and his family were such constant fixtures at Aussies that he didn’t know what was happening at the cafe right now, joking there might be free coffees.
Tony came as a 14-year-old migrant to our country. He has worked every day since then, he has educated his children [and been a] a role model … Tony, to you every success in your health and into the future.
There was a brief applause, before questions re-commenced.
Updated
Tribute to Parliament House cafe owner
The House just paused for quite a nice moment, giving a tribute to Tony Calabria – a name that many readers of the blog might not immediately recognise, but a person whose work has literally helped lubricate the wheels of democracy for quite some time.
Tony, who is in the public gallery during question time, has helped run Aussies cafe, the famous institution inside Parliament House, for more than 20 years. The long-running cafe has served politicians, staffers, lobbyists, visitors and of course journalists for as long as anyone can remember. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are both pausing to speak about how they’ve been going to Aussies for as long as they’ve been in parliament, and the service the family-owned cafe has given to federal politics.
If you’ve been to Parliament House, as many of the long-running fans of the blog have, then you’ve probably been served or helped by Tony.
We at Guardian Australia similarly pay tribute to Aussies, which has sometimes kept us running on pure caffeine alone on some of these hectic sitting days.
Updated
The speaker has sent Liberal MP Aaron Violi out for interjecting 17 times. Milton Dick said a tally is kept, and “that behaviour is completely unacceptable”.
Assistant treasurer takes aim at state and local governments over insurance costs
Back at question time in the House of Representatives, the independent MP Dai Le has asked what the government is doing about the rising cost of insurance.
Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones responded, taking aim at other levels of government:
In fact, some of the immediate things that other tiers of government could do to address insurance affordability would be to address the stamp duty imposed on insurance contracts, which is adding a tax for insurers, households, and small businesses.
He called out those who “do dumb things by building the wrong buildings in the wrong places”, and said:
If there is anyone in this space who has the capacity to influence local governments and the decisions they are making around approvals and planning processes, then that would add to improving insurance affordability across the country.
Updated
Queensland truth-telling inquiry to be repealed tonight
Queensland’s pathway to treaty legislation is set to be repealed on the first sitting day of parliament.
The new LNP government introduced the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024.
One of the “other” provisions immediately sacks the state’s truth-telling and healing inquiry and treaty body.
The government passed an urgency motion – over Labor opposition – to press the legislation through without a committee inquiry, tonight.
It’s expected to pass, because the government has the numbers on the floor of parliament. If it does so, it would be the first legislation passed by the new government.
Queensland parliament poised to override human rights act a third time for youth crime bill
Queensland parliament is poised to override the state’s human rights act a third time to imprison children longer.
The LNP introduced its headline ‘Making Queensland Safer’ legislation this morning, its first bill in government. The legislation doubles the sentence for a number of offences for children, and sets a mandatory life sentence for children convicted of murder.
The legislation is contrary to the state’s human rights act.
Greens MP Michael Berkman was the only MP to speak against the legislation, during an urgency motion this morning:
We can’t overlook the fact as well that this bill, again proposes to override the Human Rights Act. Now, if I’m not mistaken, this house has on only two previous occasions, suspended the Human Rights Act. On both of those occasions, it was for the purpose of locking up more kids.
“Criminals,” an LNP member interjected.
“Kids,” Berkman responded.
This is the kind of legislation that will make our communities less safe in future. We can’t pretend that locking up kids isn’t going to harden them.
A parliamentary committee will be given just 8 days to consider the legislation.
Albanese says opposition policy ‘half baked’
Continuing his answer, the prime minister labelled Peter Dutton’s approach to policy as: “If you cannot ban them, join them.”
His schemes are half baked. He has nothing but anger and recklessness. He has no costings, no detail for any policy that he is putting forward. Policy positions that barely survive around breakfast TV.
Updated
PM calls out Dutton for pushing for TikTok ban before creating his own account
Next on his feet was the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, but before he could even conclude his question the Labor MP Graham Perrett was sent out under 94a.
Dutton finished his question on government spending, asking:
Why not call an election now to put Australians out of their misery and allow a competent Coalition government to get our country back on track?
Anthony Albanese responded that Dutton called for an election when Labor announced the stage-three tax cuts, before “he rolled over and had his tummy tickled and voted for it”.
Now he is suggesting we have an election New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day! Talk about out of touch.
The prime minister then listed a number of times Dutton has, as he called it, “recklessly [mouthed] off”.
Remember in the lead up last year to Australia Day, he demanded a boycott of Australia’s largest employer, Woolworths, because they didn’t stock the right [merchandise]. He dubbed his own 2030 targets without warning his party. He talks about a referendum [but] he promised another one – he hasn’t mentioned it since, but he made that commitment before the election … He called for a national ban on TikTok before he set up his own account.
Updated
Albanese touts number of bills expected to pass Senate today
Taking a dixer, the prime minister Anthony Albanese said the Future Made in Australia bill would pass the Senate today.
We’ve also got important legislation on social media to protect our young people. We also have important migration legislation that will also pass the Senate later today. Indeed, the Senate is expecting to pass more than 30 pieces of legislation just today.
Question time begins
Question time has begun with a question on whether the government will reform the EPBC act in this term of Parliament.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, responded that stage one passed last year, and stage two was in the Senate right now:
And if those opposite had any sense, they would vote for it in the Senate.
Greens declare Mother Nature on the ballot at the next election
The Greens have declared the next federal election will be “a referendum on Mother Nature” after the prime minister vetoed an agreement to pass its Nature Positive legislation.
Greens environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young paid tribute to environment minister Tanya Plibersek for negotiating in good faith. But Hanson-Young condemned the government for the last-minute veto that sank legislation to introduce a national environment protection agency.
If you want strong action to save Australia’s native forests, this is the fight we are taking to the election, and if you want to stop logging koala habitat, you have to put the Greens back in the balance of power.
This election will be a an election that is a referendum on Mother Nature, and we will make sure that it is at the top of the agenda.
Question time about to begin
After all the chaos of the Senate this morning, we’re about to head over to the House of Representatives, where question time is due to begin in around five minutes.
Grab a coffee, and stay tuned for all the highlights right here on the blog.
Adam Bandt says ‘pressure works’ after legislation negotiation with Labor
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has written a post to X about negotiations the party has undertaken with Labor, to pass 27 pieces of legislation through the government’s guillotine motion.
Bandt said this demonstrates that “pressure works”.
Everything’s impossible until it’s not. These are good outcomes that will make a real difference to people and the climate.
Updated
List of bills the Greens will help pass in Senate
Here is a list of bills the Greens says it will help pass through the Senate this week:
Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023
Treasury Laws Amendment (2024 Tax and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Build to Rent) Bill 2024 and Capital Works (Build to Rent Misuse Tax) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Reserve Bank Reforms) Bill 2023
Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024
Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024
Family Law Amendment Bill 2024
Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024
Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024
Crown References Amendment Bill 2023
Customs Amendment (ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Second Protocol Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment Bill 2024
Surveillance Legislation (Confirmation of Application) Bill 2024
Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill 2024
Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024
Greens outline what it secured in exchange for supporting Senate guillotine
The Greens have issued a statement, outlining what it secured in exchange for supporting the guillotine motion – and the 27 bills included in this.
The Greens said it has secured $500m for social housing upgrades, no coal, oil and gas funding in Future Made In Australia, and an end to the commercial financing of fossil fuel projects overseas.
The Greens also said it would pass the Future Made In Australia legislation and “other bills” this week. Their statement reads:
[The social housing] will be proportionally distributed to the states without requirement of co-contributions from the states, meaning 50,000 social homes will be retrofitted with energy efficient upgrades such as air conditioning, insulation and shading; electric hot water water systems, cooktops and ovens; and solar panels and batteries. An estimated quarter of all social homes across the country could be retrofitted under the program.
Amendments to the Build to Rent legislation will increase the minimum lease term that must be offered to tenants in new developments from three to five years.
The government has also agreed to support Greens amendments to retain the government’s power to override the Reserve Bank where there is disagreement. The ability of the Reserve bank to direct the lending activities of banks will also be retained.
Spender disappointed in outcome of nature positive legislation
In a post to X, the independent MP Allegra Spender said she was “disappointed” to see the nature positive legislation “blocked” in the senate.
As Lisa Cox and Karen Middleton reported yesterday, Anthony Albanese killed off a potential deal with the Greens to pass the legislation after an intervention by the WA premier, Roger Cook.
Spender wrote to X this afternoon:
So disappointed to see important environmental reforms being blocked in the Senate. Establishing an independent EPA is a modest step forward to protect our environment for future generations. It isn’t the overhaul of our laws that we needed, but it would be progress.
Updated
Senate will deal with social media ban and migration bills today
Labor and the Coalition have just voted 44 votes to 19 in the Senate to deal with the social media age ban and the migration bills today, with one hour of debate.
By our count that’s now 31 bills that have been the subject of a guillotine: 27 in a Labor-Greens crossbench deal; and four in a Labor-Coalition deal.
Note, this is not the bills actually passing the Senate – it’s just procedural votes determining that they will all be voted on today.
We also still don’t know what crossbenchers may have won in return for their support. For example, earlier David Pocock was insisting on the EPA in return for his vote. That didn’t happen, and yet he voted with the government and Greens.
The Senate is now debating the anti-money laundering bill. What a relief to actually be talking legislation and not procedure!
Updated
Senate votes for guillotine, Wong adds migration and social media back in
The Senate has agreed to Labor’s guillotine motion, 34 votes to 32.
Earlier, Penny Wong confirmed she will “move a further amendment” – to include the migration bills and social media ban with an hour of debate – and that she believes the opposition will support that.
Simon Birmingham’s amendment to add the four bills to the government guillotine has been dropped, perhaps reflecting that agreement.
Wong is now adding those four bills now.
Labor is trying to have its cake and eat it too: different dance partners, for different sets of bills. So far it is succeeding.
Updated
Thorpe holds impromptu press conference outside parliament
After Lidia Thorpe delivered her speech at a rally outside Parliament House, as we reported earlier, the independent senator held an impromptu press conference to make a subtle slight at the Albanese government for suspending her.
Thorpe’s suspension meant the Albanese government was short on the numbers required for its guillotine motion today. Thorpe said:
They certainly got wedged by suspending me while I’m out, you know, enjoying the sunshine and good company, they’re losing out on passing legislation. They do rely on my vote. I do work with the government on good policy and legislation.
Earlier today, 2GB reported Pauline Hanson was considering legal action against Thorpe for falsely calling her a “convicted racist”. Thorpe responded to the report:
Senator Hanson was taken to court by Senator Faruqi and was found to be racist towards Senator Faruqi, so I’m not sure what she would be suing me for or taking me to court.
Yesterday, Hanson filed an appeal against a court ruling that she engaged in racial discrimination against Mehreen Faruqi when she tweeted the Greens senator should “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.
Thorpe was suspended from the Senate yesterday for making “inappropriate and sometimes abusive comments”, and after she appeared to throw paper at Hanson during a tense parliamentary debate earlier in the day.
Food and grocery standards bill also being rushed through
While the shenanigans are capturing attention in the Senate, over in the House the guillotine is also being applied, on the government’s food and grocery standards bill.
After introducing the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024 yesterday, the government is pushing it to a vote 24 hours later.
Independent MP Helen Haines protested that the bill was being rushed through without proper debate, calling it “a bandaid solution”.
I want to put on the record that what we’ve seen in this Parliament today is not considered calm legislation. What we’ve seen today is more akin to Schoolies Week I’ve got to say and I’m really unimpressed.
Updated
Social media ban and migration will be debated today: Wong
Labor leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, has explained that the social media ban and migration bills are not in this current guillotine motion – but they are going to be dealt with today, with an hour of debating time. That’s why they’re NOT in the current guillotine. But they’re happening.
Earlier One Nation senator, Malcolm Roberts, was up arguing that it is hypocritical of the Greens and crossbench to have complained about Labor’s guillotine motion this morning, but now voting for its second attempt.
He described this as a “fraud” and accused the Senate of “selling out the Australian people”. He demanded to know what deals have been done to support Labor’s guillotine.
The Greens have moved an amendment to add mergers and acquisitions to the guillotine. Senator Matt Canavan has written on X:
The Government has just gagged debate on 27 bills. These bills - listed in photos - will be dealt with in just a few hours with almost no debate this afternoon. The social media ban is NOT one of the bills. But there may still be an attempt to ram the social media ban later this evening.
Senate debates guillotine, Coalition to move to add social media ban and migration
The Senate is currently debating Penny Wong’s proposed guillotine motion.
Simon Birmingham has already given notice of an amendment to add the under 16 social media ban and the three migration bills.
We’re not sure if Labor will vote with the Coalition to add those four bills or if, after passing its guillotine with the crossbench, it will then come back and attempt to add the final four bills with the Coalition.
What the government is trying to achieve here is to pass as many of its bills as possible, some with crossbench support and some with the Coalition, but without losing those deal partners for the procedural vote that forces the bills to be dealt with today.
Greens senator Nick McKim is talking about mergers and acquisitions. We could be here a while, strap in.
Updated
Senate votes to debate second Labor guillotine motion
The Senate has now voted 33 votes to 31 to debate a motion to vary its routine of business, preparing a guillotine motion put by the Albanese government to deal with a list of urgent legislation today.
The motion said that these bills will be dealt with today:
(i) Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024,
(ii) Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill 2024,
(iii) Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024,
(iv) Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024 Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024 Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
(v) Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 Capital Works (Build to Rent Misuse Tax) Bill 2024,
(vi) Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024
(vii) Family Law Amendment Bill 2024,
(viii) Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024 Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024 Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024 Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024,
(ix) Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024, (x) Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024, (xi) Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023, (xii) Treasury Laws Amendment (Reserve Bank Reforms) Bill 2023,
(xiii) Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2024,
(xiv) Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024,
(xv) Crown References Amendment Bill 2023, (xvi) Customs Amendment (ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Second Protocol Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2024,
(xvii) Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment Bill 2024,
(xviii) Treasury Laws Amendment (2024 Tax and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2024,
(xix) Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024,
(xx) Surveillance Legislation (Confirmation of Application) Bill 2024,
These will all be voted on at 5pm, if not dealt with sooner.
Simon Birmingham, the Coalition leader in the Senate, has noted that the guillotine motion doesn’t include the three migration bills and the under-16s social media ban. We will try to discover why. He suggested the Greens tail is “wagging the government dog”.
We haven’t had the final vote yet.
Updated
Labor wins bid to suspend standing orders in Senate
Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong has moved a closure motion to suspend standing orders in the Senate, to allow a motion to change the order of business.
We think this is preparing for the second attempt to guillotine debate on a number of priority bills.
The government motion succeeded 34 votes to 32. The Greens and senators David Pocock and Tammi Tyrrell voted with Labor.
They’re now voting on suspending standing orders. But if the government had the numbers for the first motion, it’s looking good for them.
Updated
Government apologises to Indigenous people in NT for suffering caused by stolen wages
As AAP reports, Indigenous people who worked for little or no wages under discriminatory commonwealth laws have received an apology from the federal government.
Speaking in the Senate, Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy acknowledged the injustice of these laws for people who worked for little or no wages in the Northern Territory between 1933 and 1971.
Indigenous people were used for back-breaking labour, building new communities that often excluded them. We know they did gruelling and critical work, particularly in the Northern Territory …
I am sorry for the suffering and injustice inflicted on First Nations people, my people, through the laws of the Commonwealth that denied them the right to fair pay for work done.
I hope the Commonwealth’s recent settlement of the Northern Territory Historical Wages class action, bravely led by Ms Minnie McDonald, can help to bring closure to this shameful chapter in Australia’s history.
Updated
New Queensland premier faces first question time
Queensland’s new premier David Crisafulli has faced his first question time in the top job. It’s the first time an LNP leader has taken a question since 2015, when Campbell Newman squandered a record majority government in just a single term.
Vanquished former premier Steven Miles, now opposition leader, asked whether Crisafulli would fulfill his promise to promise before the next election if the number of victims of crime was not lower than the 289,657 measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2023.
When the premier said, when I say something, it will mean something, does the premier stand by his promise to resign if the total victim number does not decrease, or will the premier try to give himself wriggle room?
Crisafulli said: “Yes, there will be fewer victims”.
There will be a change in the way that victims are in Queensland. The change is the number will go down. For the first time in 10 years, number will go down.
Later today the LNP will introduce their headline Making Queensland Safer legislation, implementing the party’s election promise of “adult crime, adult time. It will increase the maximum sentence for a number of offences for children as young as 10, including a mandatory life sentence for child murderers.
Thorpe says she wears suspension and censure as ‘badge of honour’
In that same speech, Lidia Thorpe addressed her suspension from the Senate, saying she wears “those disciplinary colonial actions like a badge of honour.”
She addressed protestors, who had arrived in support of her private members’ bill against genocide, before dismissing Parliament as being led by “white men.”
That’s why they’re scared, because we are rising.
I’ve got the day off today. I’ve been suspended, I’ve been censured and I wear those disciplinary colonial actions like a badge of honour.
I am the mechanism, I am the body. Forget about Lidia Thorpe. I am guided by my ancestors, I am guided by my people. My Senate spot belongs to my people.
It’s horrible to work in that place every day and be surrounded by mainly white men in suits, who look down on people like me.
Updated
Lidia Thorpe speaks outside parliament: ‘We want out land back’
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has been giving a speech outside Parliament House in Canberra, and she has decried the fact that the recommendations of Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
This is a very racist, divided country. But thats not what we want, we want peace, we want liberation, we want self determination. We want to decide our own destinies, not this place with the native police.
Native police are the ones that lead us to our slaughter. And they still haven’t implemented the recommendations of deaths in custody. It’s 33 years old, same age as my oldest boy.
The bringing them home report that my mother was involved in no implementation of bringing our kids home.
I’ve seen my people, my family, my elders, fight every day for justice all my life, and I want our children to see justice. There is no no peace without justice.
She went on to address climate protesters, saying they needed to remain connected to Indigenous causes, before finishing off with one final message for the king:
We want our land back. We want our babies back, and we want the king to just fuck off.
Updated
Albanese urges parliament to pass critical mineral tax credits bill
Anthony Albanese has just spoken in the House of Representatives, urging the parliament to back legislation on tax incentives for hydrogen and critical-minerals production.
Albanese has pitched the legislation as being central to the energy transition and to the future economy.
Our plan is about building an economy that is more resilient and more diversified, more productive and more prosperous, more self reliant and more secure, because being more secure depends on becoming more self reliant.
It is unclear whether the bill has enough support in the Senate to become law.
Albanese is using the legislation to make a political point, emphasising it will create jobs in Western Australia and Queensland where he is very focused on holding and recovering seats respectively.
While urging the Parliament to support the production tax credits bill, he pointedly did not say it would pass.
He did claim that about his Future Made in Australia legislation, also on the list to be voted on in the Senate today and expected to pass with the support of the Greens and some crossbenchers.
The prime minister noted that the Coalition opposed it.
If you’re not for a future made in Australia, I just wonder where they think the future should be made for Australians.
Updated
Chris Bowen defends government’s approach to pushing nearly 40 bills through Senate
We asked energy and climate minister Chris Bowen whether it was democratic or fair for the government to try to ram nearly 40 bills through the Senate in one day. As we brought you before, Jacqui Lambie and the Coalition are livid at the government’s tactics.
Bowen defended the government’s approach:
You’re going to see a lot of bills dealt with today, a lot of bills that have been talked about for a long time. You know, these are not bills that the Parliament should be surprised about. These are bills the government’s been progressing for a long time with a very heavy legislative agenda, because we do it. We’re an activist government doing a lot of things.
We must point out that not all the bills have been hanging around for a long time. The under-16s social media ban was only unveiled last week; the electoral reforms not long before that. Bowen continued:
Now, I’ve been here for 20 years. If we didn’t try and get legislation through on the last sitting day, it would be the first time in 20 years that that would happen. Governments try and get legislation through, that’s what governments are for. And whether we get all our legislation through or not is a matter for the Senate.
Governments of course try up until the last minute to get bills through, and often it’s a flurry of last-minute negotiation and late nights – but it is very unusual to try and ram through 40 bills in a day.
The minister said the government had “a bit of work to do in the Senate, but I know that that is well in hand with our discussions with prospects”.
Updated
Government launches HIV strategy aiming to eliminate transmission by end of decade
The government has officially launched its National HIV Strategy, which aims to make Australia the first country in the world to eliminate HIV transmission by the end of the decade.
The strategy also endorses the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) campaign, a global effort to highlight that HIV cannot be sexually transmitted when a person with HIV has an undetectable viral load thanks to antiretroviral therapy. Australia became the fourth country in the world to sign on to the principles of U=U in May.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said he wanted to assure people living with HIV that as Australia stems the rate of transmission, “we are not leaving any Australians behind and will continue offering high quality care to people living with HIV in Australia.”
A parliamentary breakfast was also held this morning for the occasion of World Aids Day, Butler said of the goal of eliminating transmission by 2030, “if we can’t do it, if you look around the world, I’m not sure which country can.” However, he warned:
While the trajectory is positive, we are not on track to reach the virtual end of transmission by the end of this decade. New infection rates are down by about a third in the past 10 years. We need to accelerate that trajectory considerably.
While he hailed the virtual elimination of transmission in the inner west of Sydney, which was one of the early epicenters of the epidemic, he said there are still “hard-to-reach populations in our community that require a different response.”
The government is looking at how to provide PrEP for people who are not eligible for Medicare, communicate better with CALD communities, and target health professionals in those communities who might not have been reached yet, and explore more opportunities for self-testing, Butler said.
Updated
Greens push for electoral transparency measures
The Greens have seized on the apparent impasse between the Coalition and Labor on the electoral bill (see earlier post) to call to break out the transparency measures (real-time donation disclosure and a $1,000 donation disclosure threshold) and pass those today.
I think the government would be very unlikely to agree to that: if you take the more popular bits out of the bill, it might make it more difficult in future to legislate spending and donations caps and increased public funding for elections.
The Greens’ Senate leader and democracy spokesperson Larissa Waters said:
The Greens are ready to pass transparency measures but we want an inquiry to ensure that the proposed funding reforms don’t entrench the two party system, making this bill a rort not a reform.
Updated
Thorpe and supporters gathering outside parliament
As we mentioned earlier, the independent senator Lidia Thorpe is planning to speak outside parliament about her private member’s bill.
The bill would strip the attorney general of his power to block the prosecution of genocide in Australian courts.
It was due to be introduced to the Senate this morning, but has been adjourned until next year. Thorpe is suspended from the Senate today, but as we flagged earlier, made an unexpected appearance in the press gallery area.
Mike Bowers is outside parliament capturing the action, and has snapped these photos:
Updated
Motion for government to unveil plan on gambling ad restrictions defeated in lower house
All the action is in the Senate today, but it’s tense in the lower house too. The crossbench and Coalition teamed up to support a motion condemning the government for not bringing forward its long-awaited gambling advertising restrictions, calling on the government to finally unveil its plan – nearly 18 months on from the Labor MP Peta Murphy recommending a full ad ban.
Independent Rebekha Sharkie proposed a motion, noting the government had “failed to take any action to reduce gambling advertising, 17 months after receiving unanimous recommendations from a Labor chaired committee”. She asked the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, to explain to the House why they had not taken any action, and for the government to either introduce its own legislation or to allow other proposed legislation from crossbenchers to debate their own bills on gambling advertising.
The government did not grant leave for Sharkie’s motion. One of the crossbenchers – it sounded like Andrew Wilkie – yelled out “shame”.
Sharkie said gambling was “a national emergency”, urging the government to finally move. Next to speak was Jenny Ware, the Liberal MP who was on the Murphy inquiry committee.
Ware claimed the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, had missed the opportunity to show moral courage and leadership on “a national social and health epidemic”. The Liberal MP said people who had participated in the Murphy inquiry were “bewildered” at the delay, and was critical that Albanese had “disregarded questions” on the issue.
Sharkie’s motion was narrowly defeated, 71-63.
Wilkie put up a motion of his own, calling for the House to condemn the government’s delay. That motion is likely to be defeated too, and the vote is happening now.
Updated
Ryan criticises government’s attempts to push through legislation
The independent MP for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, has weighed in on the government’s attempts to push more than three dozen bills through the Senate today.
In a post to X, Ryan said:
We need a government that will consider legislation appropriately, with consideration of due process, in a way which is evidence-based and reasonable. What we are seeing right now is not that.
Updated
Mike Bowers says that Lidia Thorpe stood for a long while with her fist in the air, before turning to go and shouting: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Updated
Here is the full quote of what Lidia Thorpe, suspended from the Senate today, could be heard saying above the Senate chamber, with her fist raised:
Free free Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
Our photographer Mike Bowers was on the scene for her unexpected interjection. He says she entered the gallery area, where journalists and photographers watch the Senate. Her voice would be heard over the Senate’s recording system.
Lidia Thorpe heard yelling from Senate press gallery seats
Lidia Thorpe has entered the Senate press gallery area, behind the President’s chair, and shouted: “Free, free Palestine”.
There is a door on the first floor that allows entry to the press gallery, and she used that to go into the chamber. Thorpe made the comments with her first in the air as senators were discussing her private members bill.
Guardian Australia’s photographer Mike Bowers witnessed the event.
Thorpe was suspended from the Senate yesterday, after she appeared to throw paper at Pauline Hanson during a tense parliamentary debate.
Updated
Demolition of vacant Victorian public housing towers to start next year
The state’s housing minister, Harriet Shing, said the demolition of the two vacant towers will start early next year, with construction expected to be completed by 2028.
This isn’t a demolition as far as a wrecking ball situation. The configuration of the buildings themselves means we’ll actually dismantle them, and we’ve got works happening to actually remove many of the fixtures and the internal materials from the site.
And you’ll see from the new designs that sustainability has been a really important part of the way in which the architects have come up with these new designs ... that reflect the community, the colours and the materials used in the surrounding area.
Shing confirmed the “entire development” of 248 homes will be public housing.
Updated
Victorian premier holds press conference on public housing towers in Carlton
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has held a press conference this morning after she released renders of the apartments set to replace public housing towers in Carlton (see earlier post).
She said the site will have a 26% increase in homes, which have been especially designed for public housing tenants:
We’re listening to tenants, which is why there’s going to be a mix of homes ... For example, on this site, there’ll be homes that will be four and five bedrooms, not just the standard three-bedroom homes, because we know families come in all shapes and sizes, and we want to make sure we’re building the homes for them, for their kids and for their future. That’s why we’re really excited today to be releasing these concept designs, and I want to thank everyone who’s been part of this process.
Here are some more renders of the housing towers:
Updated
Angus Taylor says Coalition still open to electoral reform deal
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, this morning said that electoral reforms reached an impasse with the Coalition last night.
But talks are still continuing today, and the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, has signalled the Coalition could still help Labor. He told reporters in Canberra:
We want to see fair – continue to see what we’ve always had in this country – fair, transparent elections. [And on] this legislation, we’ve been constructive with the government throughout. We’ve sought to work with them closely to get an outcome on this, and we’ll continue to do so. But at the end of the day, the legislation, like any legislation, has to get the balance right, and reasonable people can take different views on what the right balance is, but we will continue to work with Labor to give this legislation the best possible chance of being passed in this cycle of the parliament.
Earlier (see post), he told ABC News Breakfast one of its sticking points is “making sure we’re not imposing unnecessary administrative burden on individual Australians or small businesses”.
I mean, obviously big businesses can deal with things when they make bigger donations. That’s up to them. And same with the unions and others. But we don’t want to create uncertain, unnecessary administrative burden.
On the other hand, we do want to see reasonable levels of transparency. These things are always about balance and that reasonable people can have reasonable, different views on what the right balance is. And we certainly are taking a view on that. And we’ll continue to work with the government in a constructive way.
Updated
Education union launches pre-election campaign for funding with drones over Sydney skyline
In what is perhaps a first for OzPol, the Australian Education Union (AEU) has launched their pre-election campaign for full school funding with a drone show over the Sydney skyline.
As parliament limps towards the end of the year, the AEU used more than 300 individual drones to light up Sydney harbour, calling on Labor to fund public schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).
The AEU federal president, Correna Haythorpe, said the prime minister’s commitment to fully fund public schools was in danger of become a broken promise, with outstanding negotiations in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
In the lead-up to the last federal election, Prime Minister Albanese promised to ensure that every public school was on the pathway to 100% full funding. Yet only 1.3% of public schools are funded at the SRS currently, the minimum cost of educating a child.
The prime minister must act now and negotiate new bilateral school funding agreements … to ensure that all public schools are resourced at a minimum of 100% of the SRS by 2029. The 22.5% offer from the Albanese government is inadequate and does not deliver on their promise.
Updated
Lambie unsuccessful in suspending standing orders to put forward protest motion
The Senate has just voted on Jacqui Lambie’s motion to suspend standing orders.
She was seeking permission to put forward what was basically a protest motion against the government’s decision to “guillotine” bills. But the vote was 33 to 33, and a dead heat equals a fail – meaning she could not put forward her motion.
Lambie’s motion reads that the Senate note:
The Albanese government has guillotined more than 160 bills in the 47th parliament and continues to undermine democratic principles by proposing to rush through about 40 pieces of legislation today without adequate debate.
By fast-tracking legislation, the Albanese government is circumventing proper scrutiny and accountability.
This reckless approach places excessive and unreasonable pressure on parliamentary staff and risks compromising the quality and integrity of legislative outcomes.
Updated
Does Thorpe plan on attending Senate despite suspension?
Does Lidia Thorpe agree with Penny Wong and Simon Birmingham, that her actions would be unacceptable in any workplace?
Thorpe responded: “I wish they would say that about racism”.
Pauline Hanson has walked in there with a burqa, she constantly is across the floor spewing racism … That is not acceptable behaviour either, and why won’t Wong and Birmingham call that out? …
If we can’t stamp it out here, then we can’t stamp it out for the rest of the nation. I will continue to disrupt until it is taken seriously …
Asked if she plans on attending the Senate today, despite the suspension, Thorpe said: “No-one tells me the rules around here until I break them”.
I think they make it up as they go along and that is part of the problem …
Updated
Thorpe: ‘I would do it all over again’
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe also spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier about her suspension, and the actions leading up to it, and said “I would do it all over again”.
Thorpe told the program that “I will do what it takes to stamp out racism that I have experienced all my life”, pointing to the motion she and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi attempted to move earlier in the week:
Thorpe continued:
Labor sided with the Coalition to railroad that motion and have an in-house inquiry into racism in the Senate that no-one can see. We wanted the public to see a proper inquiry into stamping out racism in the chamber, and we weren’t successful in ensuring that that can be thoroughly done in a way that everybody can see the problems in our workplace …
What senator [Pauline] Hanson did to Senator [Fatima] Payman was an act of disgusting racism, questioning Senator Payman’s legitimacy to be in this place … I am not one to stand or sit silent and allow this to happen.
I would do it again. I ripped up the letters that Hanson wrote to the Senate, calling on Payman to be investigated for her legitimacy here. That is an act of racism and we need to stamp that out as a nation, otherwise we will continue to be divided.
Pauline Hanson was contacted for a response, and her office responded: “Thorpe does not merit a response”.
Gallagher says guillotine motion relates to ‘blockers’ mentality from opposition
Katy Gallagher is now speaking to the Senate, saying that the number of guillotine motions “directly relates to the lack of constructivity from those opposite”.
She has been taking aim at the opposition for being “blockers”, and said:
We have a range of bills as we reach the end of this sitting year that we would like to pass. I don’t think that is any surprise … Now, the way we have tried to set this up is that we [have listed] bills that are the government priority, and then people are able to vote and we progress through that motion. We think that is a sensible way to vote, as you may on each bill, but don’t just block, say yes or no.
She said many of the bills “have been on the notice paper for over a year”.
These have not been last-minute bills that have been dropped in to everybody’s surprise.
This legislation has been in this chamber, it has been blocked in this chamber for months and months, there have been Senate inquiry reports on most of them, there have been lots of negotiations with people. I don’t accept that we are trying to circumvent scrutiny or accountability.
Updated
Thorpe says she doesn’t regret ripping up paper in Senate
Earlier this morning, independent senator Lidia Thorpe spoke with the Today Show. The Senate voted to suspend her yesterday, after she appeared to throw paper at Pauline Hanson during a tense parliamentary debate.
Weighing in on what happened, Thorpe said it had been “a horrible week.”
It’s been a horrible week, and when you’re subjected to racism – which I have been since I was a kid … I stand up against it. And that’s what I did, I ripped up a piece of paper…
Does she regret doing that? Thorpe responded: “No, not at all.”
Host Karl Stefanovic said, “You can’t do that these days”, and Thorpe responded:
Well, you can’t be racist these days either, and that is what is creating the hate and harm in this country … We all have a responsibility to stamp racism out. Senator Hanson gets away with so much … She has worn a burqa in the chamber. She baits me regularly with racial taunts, and what she did to Senator Payman [when she] questioned her legitimacy in this place.
Thorpe went on to say “it was a bit of a coincidence that they decided to suspend me when my private senator’s bill was about to be voted [on today]”.
Birmingham says opposition will oppose guillotine motion in Senate
Simon Birmingham said the opposition would not be supporting the guillotine motion, telling the Senate:
The Albanese Labor government has guillotined more bills through this Senate in three years than the previous Coalition government did in the previous nine years.
I’ve never seen a motion that seeks to ram 41 bills through the Senate in a single day. It is unprecedented. It is extraordinary, and it is shameful, and the government should just withdraw this motion.
He said the opposition would “oppose the motion in its entirety”. He said they asked for more time but instead, “we’re just given this motion … that is so counterproductive to the effective operation of the Senate”.
Updated
Lambie lashes government in Senate for pushing through legislation
Things have kicked off in the Senate today, with Jacqui Lambie on her feet criticising the government for pushing through a raft of legislation without proper scrutiny.
As Karen Middleton reported overnight, the government is seeking to ram around 37 bills through the Senate today, including key legislative measures on migration, electoral reform and the social media ban for under-16s.
This will be done using a guillotine motion – which truncates the usual debate time and brings on rapid-fire votes.
Addressing the Senate, Lambie has said:
To say that I am disappointed in this government is an understatement. It doesn’t even cut it … How is it safe for the employers please in my office to go through 41 bills in a matter of about 12 hours. How is that safe?
It is dangerous to shove bills down our throats … without us properly going through and actually having a good look at [them] and putting it under the microscope. I was not voted into this place to give you a free pass to put through 40 bills in one day.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham stood up and said: “I could summarise my remarks simply as ‘what Jacqui said’.” We’ll bring you more of his comments in a moment.
Updated
Thorpe to speak outside parliament about private member’s bill
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe says she will address a gathering of First Nations elders and community members outside parliament about her private member’s bill this morning.
Her private member’s bill, due to be voted on in the Senate this afternoon, would strip the attorney general of his power to block the prosecution of genocide in Australian courts.
But Thorpe was suspended by the Senate yesterday, and won’t be able to attend. The Greens opposed the motion, with Larissa Waters saying they did not condone the use of physical violence, and did not support Thorpe’s actions, but it would be unfair to deny her the chance to speak about her bill.
In a statement, Thorpe said “the Senate has suspended me to shut down this debate [but] we will not be silent”.
It’s no coincidence that Labor suspended me from parliament today. My bill was scheduled for debate today. This was always a debate they didn’t want to have.
Updated
First look at renders for new Carlton housing towers
Circling back to our earlier post, with the Victorian government releasing renders of its first major public housing tower redevelopment – set to replace Carlton’s Elgin Towers.
Here is the first look at that:
Updated
Canavan calls for Senate to return next week to keep working through legislation
The Nationals senator Matt Canavan has called for the Senate to come back next week, as the government attempts to “ram” three dozen bills through on this final sitting day.
In a post to X, he said this amounts to “around an average of 15 minutes of debate per bill”.
The reason this is happening is because the Labor party scheduled no parliamentary sittings in December. What other workplace gets to knock off in November and not back until February?
Let’s come back next week, keep working and properly scrutinise the “world leading” plan to ban under-16s from almost all apps, from Strava to Deputy.
Updated
First look at Victorian public housing tower redevelopment
The Victorian government has released renders of its first major public housing tower redevelopment, after it committed to knocking down and rebuilding all 44 in the state last year.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, took to social media to share the renders of the new towers set to replace Carlton’s Elgin towers. She said:
These new designs come with 26% more housing than the original towers, with 248 new modern and accessible social housing homes for Victorian families – including some of our most vulnerable. The new towers will have better accessibility, better heating and cooling, ceiling fans, a laundry in each apartment, double-glazed windows and modern kitchens – a level up from towers past.
But Allan did not say how many of the homes would remain in public hands.
The redbrick towers in Carlton were built in the 1960s and consist of 196 dwellings. But they were vacated in 2023.
Last year, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the then premier, Daniel Andrews, announced the redevelopment would be the first project to use the federal government’s $2bn social housing accelerator fund.
A day later, Andrews announced all of Melbourne’s 44 high-rise public housing towers would be knocked down and rebuilt, describing it as the biggest urban renewal project in the nation’s history.
Updated
Government shelves electoral reform bill
As flagged just a moment ago, the government has been forced to defer its electoral reform bill after the Coalition refused to pass it without last-minute amendments.
The manager of government business in the Senate, Katy Gallagher, just told ABC RN that the bill would now not proceed among the list of almost 40 pieces of legislation that the Senate was being asked to pass in a single day.
She said the special minister of state, Don Farrell, would keep negotiating and try again in February, when parliament is due to resume.
It’s off the table for today but Senator Farrell will be working over summer with all senators across the Senate chamber to try and reach agreement for that. We want to get big money out of politics. We want to have donation caps. We haven’t been able to land that.
Updated
Gallagher outlines priorities before mammoth day in the Senate
Earlier in the interview, Katy Gallagher was also asked what her priorities were, among the three-dozen bills the government is hoping to push through the Senate today.
She pointed to the under-16 social media ban as key, as well as migration bills – both of which the Coalition have indicated support for.
On the RBA reforms, the Coalition have said no. Where are negotiations at with the Greens? Gallagher responded:
I think there’s the Greens have been clear … in earlier months about some of the amendments they would want to see – it was around the ability for the treasurer to override decisions, which is, it’s essentially its status quo … They’re very focused on that.
We would have preferred to work with the Coalition. They’ve blocked this bill, so that leaves us no alternative but to work with other parties in the Senate.
Updated
Crossbench to make Nature Positive condition of any support
Host Patricia Karvelas said the crossbench, or David Pocock at least, would be making Nature Positive a condition of any guillotine support – where does that leave the government?
Katy Gallagher said she was made aware of that view overnight, and “it’s a long way before nine o’clock in Senate time”.
That’s a position that’s been pushed by Senator Pocock. I indicated to the senator last night that I didn’t believe that that was agreeable to us, because we hadn’t been able to reach agreement on that bill. So I indicated that back to him. Obviously, he’s still pushing for that, so [we] continue to work across the chamber.
Updated
Gallagher weighs in on reports regarding Nature Positive
Katy Gallagher was also asked about the Nature Positive legislation. As Lisa Cox and Karen Middleton reported yesterday, Anthony Albanese killed off a potential deal with the Greens to pass the legislation after an intervention by the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook.
Gallagher said she wasn’t in those meetings and “I’m not aware of that” but “we weren’t able to reach agreement to everyone’s satisfaction”.
I don’t think it’s unusual that we would want to fully understand some of the amendments that the Greens were seeking.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Tanya Plibersek was working closely, not just with the Greens, but with others to see if we could land Nature Positive. We weren’t able to do so – just like electoral reform … there’s either a sticking point in relation to electoral reform or further work to be done to understand some of the implications of what was being sought.
Updated
Have talks between Labor and the Coalition over election funding reforms reached a last-minute impasse?
Katy Gallagher said a decision was made that the bill would not be proceeded today.
She said it was off the table for today and Don Farrell “will be working over summer with all the senators across the Senate chamber to try and reach agreement for that”.
We want to get big money out of politics. We want to have donation caps. We haven’t been able to land it. The independents, I know, have some strong views about this, and Senator Farrell will work over summer, and we will try and deal with this in February, because we’re really, really, very keen to get this done before the election.
Updated
Gallagher says government prepared to sit ‘through the night’ in the Senate to pass raft of legislation
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has been speaking with ABC RN about the raft of legislation the government is hoping to push through the Senate today, and said “if people want to sit through the night, we’re prepared to do that to get these bills done”.
With about three dozen bills on the agenda, Gallagher said:
We’re very keen to get all of the as much of the important pieces of legislation through the Senate as we can. We’ve already had a number of bills passed this week, about six … and we rate these as equally important. So I guess the position we’ve taken is to be upfront.
How is it actually possible to work through this much legislation in a day? Gallagher said:
The motion sets up how we like to treat the bills through the day, so it allows time on each bills. It allows for such reading on the bills, and we will sit until they’re finished.
There may be amendments coming in late, but there have been months and months of negotiations on these bills – so I don’t accept that people would be learning of things at the last minute … Sometimes those amendments land a bit late but we get the job done if those amendments are important for the passage of the bill.
Updated
Youth crime top of agenda in mammoth Queensland parliament day
Moving to Queensland politics for a moment, where controversial youth crime laws will be top of the agenda for the state government today.
As AAP reports, “adult time, adult crime” legislation will be the introduced to Queensland parliament today in what looms as a marathon sitting.
The new LNP Queensland government has vowed to push through the laws, which would see serious juvenile offenders face harsher sentences if they commit a serious crime including murder, manslaughter, unlawful wounding, aggravated break and enter and stealing a car.
The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, said the laws were ready to be presented to parliament, with the government aiming for them to be passed and assented before Christmas. He also promised today would be jam-packed with the government wanting to get to work on their election promises.
The government flagged there would be the introduction of at least two other bills today, leading into a late-night sitting.
Updated
Nuclear costings coming ‘in coming weeks and months ahead of election’: Taylor
The shadow treasurer was also asked when the Coalition would release the costings of its nuclear plan.
Angus Taylor said it would be unveiled “in the coming weeks and months in advance of the election”.
The Coalition has previously pledged to announce its costing before Christmas – is this no longer the case? Taylor responded:
We will not be announcing it on your program this morning, as much as you might like me to.
Updated
Taylor takes aim at government over inflation, spending
Angus Taylor also weighed in on inflation, after yesterday’s figures showed it remaining steady:
The shadow treasurer argued that core inflation had gone up, meaning prices are rising at a faster rate.
The government is in denial about it. The prime minister refused yesterday confirmed that is the case. That is the case – underlying inflation is going up.
Will the Coalition keep the energy rebate if it wins government? Taylor responded that “you cannot subsidise your way out of an inflation crisis”, taking aim at the government for “reckless spending”.
Updated
Shadow treasurer weighs in on electoral reform legislation
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier, to discuss some of the legislation the government is hoping to push through the Senate today.
On electoral reform, he said the right balance needs to be struck “between making sure we have that transparency – that I think is so important – but also making sure small businesses and others can get on and do what they want to do”.
Is that the sticking point – small business, and being worried about donations? Taylor said:
One of them is sure we’re not imposing unnecessary administrative burden on individual Australians or small businesses.
Obviously, big businesses can deal with things when they make bigger donations – that is up to them, same with the unions and other. But we don’t want to create unnecessary administrative burden [and] we do want to see reasonable levels of transparency.
These things always about balances. Reasonable people can have reasonable different views on what the right balance is and we certainly are taking a few on that and will continue to work with the government in a constructive way.
Updated
Coalition inquiry to recommend relaxed lending standards for first home buyers
Today the Senate economics committee, chaired by the Liberal shadow assistant minister for home ownership, Andrew Bragg, will report back on its inquiry about how financial regulations can encourage home ownership.
In October the committee received evidence that financial rules are making it harder to own a home, which Bragg summarised in a statement that:
The “blunt” 3% serviceability buffer is damaging first home ownership;
There is no structural focus on home ownership; and
Different risk weightings would change pricing and access.
Guardian Australia understands that the inquiry will recommend changes to relax lending standards for first home buyers in line with these three observations.
It will do so by recommending a direction to the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority for new guidelines to allow a reduced serviceability buffer tailored for first home buyers.
That would mean that instead of banks testing a mortgage application to ensure a prospective borrower can pay back the current interest rate +3%, there would be flexibility to apply a smaller buffer when interest rates are at the top of the cycle. For example, if interest rates are 6% and expected to fall, a first home buyer would be eligible if they could repay an 8% interest rate, down from 9%.
The committee also wants to change the rules on mortgage risk weightings, which some witnesses told the inquiry would effectively mean a first home buyer mortgage could be 0.29% cheaper by making other owner-occupiers and investors pay 0.06-0.07% more. That would amount to a saving of $37,000 to a first home buyer over the life of the mortgage.
Updated
Good morning
Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties on the final sitting day of the year – we’re officially in the home stretch.
As Karen Middleton reported overnight, and Martin flagged earlier, the government is seeking to ram around 37 bills through the Senate today, including key legislative measures on migration, electoral reform and the social media ban for under-16s.
It feels almost like the calm before the storm right now, after an absolutely jam-packed day yesterday. I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage today alongside the whole Canberra team – Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales, as well as Mike Bowers, capturing all the action.
Let’s get into it.
Bowen says reliance on ageing coal-fired power stations ‘magical thinking’
The government has also released sections of an annual statement to parliament to be delivered today by the climate change minister, Chris Bowen. It focuses on problems with the country’s ageing fleet of coal-fired power stations and the need to make a rapid shift to renewable energy.
According to the excerpts, Bowen will say Australia’s coal fleet is becoming increasingly unreliable, with 90% of capacity expected to retire by 2035. He will say more than 2.5GW of ageing coal-fired capacity was either broken down or out for maintenance during a heatwave this week, forcing the market operator to “juggle the grid” to keep supply going, and there had “not been a single day” in the past 18 months without an unplanned coal-fired capacity outage.
The notion that Australia’s ageing coal fleet should, or in fact could, be relied on to an even greater extent to power our system, is nothing short of magical thinking.
The opposition climate change spokesman, Ted O’Brien, will get to respond to Bowen. He has said a Coalition government would back increased use of coal and gas power, allow less renewable energy than Labor’s planned 82% of generation by 2030, and use taxpayer-funds to build nuclear energy at seven sites.
Critics say this approach would increase costs and emissions and make the power grid less reliable as a single nuclear plant would not be possible until after 2040.
Only five large nuclear projects have reached construction in North America and western Europe this century. Four suffered delays, taking roughly twice as long to build as forecast, and cost somewhere between double and six times initial estimates. The fifth was cancelled.
We’ll bring you more on “climate Christmas” during the day.
Updated
Emissions report suggests Australia on track to meet 2030 target
The government has also given journalists a snapshot of a departmental emissions projections report that we expect to be released in full today. The snapshot suggests Australia is on track to meet its 2030 target of a 43% cut in climate pollution below 2005 levels. It says under current policies it should reach at least 42.6%.
We haven’t seen all the numbers underneath that yet, but there is some broad context that we do know, including where the reductions are coming and what is counted towards the target. We have a story setting that out. You can read it here.
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s Annika Reynolds says the headline numbers show the government has made “solid progress” in cutting emissions from electricity generation. But the 2030 target is “far too weak” as it is consistent with more than 2C of global heating, and that means “longer heatwaves, more intense bushfires and worse flooding for Australians”.
Reynolds says the government is also allowing further global heating by approving new and extended fossil fuel developments for export.
Approving coal and gas projects is the opposite of climate action.
Updated
Household power bills projected to fall over next 10 years
Continuing on from the previous post, the government has also released some headline numbers from a separate report by the Australian Electricity Market Commission.
It says household power bills are projected to fall over the next 10 years. In a barely veiled reference to the Coalition’s plan to slow the roll out of large-scale renewable energy, it emphasises that delays in solar and wind being built will increase costs.
It says the AEMC has found that an average household that “fully electrifies” – that is, has solar panels and replaces cars and gas appliances with electric alternatives – could cut their annual electricity spending by 70%, or $3,500.
Updated
'Climate Christmas' as government releases key reports
Today is what some people call the Albanese government’s “climate Christmas”, when it releases a handful of reports on the country’s response to the crisis. They include a progress report by the Climate Change Authority, an annual statement by the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, projections of what will happen with emissions between now and 2030 and the quarterly greenhouse gas inventory update.
But wait, there’s more. The government has also promised new figures on renewable energy growth this year from the Clean Energy Regulator and a report on electricity price trends from the Australian Energy Market Commission.
The government has been dripping out selected excerpts from some of these reports over the past couple of days.
They have included a look at the Clean Energy Regulator data. According to what has been released, we should expect a significant boost in the share of electricity coming from renewable energy late next year. This year will set a record for solar and wind installations, with Australia set to add 7.2-7.5GW of capacity. Nearly half of this rooftop solar, mostly on homes.
More than 4.2GW of large-scale renewable energy plants are expected to be approved this year, including the 923MW MacIntyre windfarm in Queensland, which the operators have described as the biggest power station of its type in the southern hemisphere.
The government says the regulator is forecasting that the average share of electricity from renewable energy will reach 45% next year, up from about 39% over the past 12 months. It says:
This significant new generation capacity is mainly wind (70%) and will result in a material step up in the share of renewables as these new power stations reach full generation in the second half of 2025.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live blog from Canberra on what promises to be a very busy day in Parliament House. I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you the best of our overnight stories before Emily Wind gears up to helm the day’s coverage.
The Albanese government is going to try pushing 36 bills through the Senate today as the session heads towards a frantic conclusion. However, a law to increase tax on super balances over $3m will most likely not be among them. We’re reporting exclusively this morning that the government has all but abandoned its contentious plan to increase the tax on superannuation balances over $3m. Guardian Australia understands that the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, fears the policy, planned by the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, could expose Labor to a repeat of the damaging franking-credits campaign that helped cost it the 2019 election.
Among the key pieces of legislation likely to be pushed through today are the government’s trio of migration bills giving government extensive powers, from deporting non-citizens to allowing sniffer dogs in immigration detention centres. They have been supported by the Coalition amid strong condemnation from rights advocates and today we hear from Priya Nadesalingam, the Tamil woman who won a long fight for her and her family to stay in Australia. She says the government’s immigration detention bill would have made it “impossible” for her to succeed and enable her family to return to Biloela in Queensland.
Today is known in some parts as “climate Christmas” because the government is releasing a slew of reports detailing where Australia is at with its attempts to tackle the climate crisis. These include a projection on emissions between now and 2030; Chris Bowen to claim that “fully electrified” households will see bills fall for the next 10 years, and the state of the country’s fleet of ageing coal-fired power stations. More details coming up.
Updated
