University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Leigh Sullivan and Michelle Grattan discuss this week in politics, and talk about what to expect in the year’s final parliamentary sitting week.
With one parliamentary week remaining, Angus Taylor has been discredited, and Scott Morrison has been embroiled and embarrassed – or embarrassed himself. And the whole thing was avoidable.
Next week begins the year’s final parliamentary fortnight, and the main attention will be on the fate of two bills - the ensuring integrity legislation, and the medevac repeal.
A Senate report details the high need for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to be able to seek medical care in Australia. The fate of the medevac law now rests in Jacqui Lambie’s hands.
The government would be willing to put a feast on the table to get a win on the medevac repeal, but this is a piece of legislation on which Lambie should not contemplate any deals.
As the government starts its work on workplace change, it gave Pauline Hanson a win, for past and future favours, making her deputy chair of a joint parliamentary committee into the family law system.
Conscripting young volunteers to combat climate change is not necessary. Australians aged 15-17 already have the highest rates of volunteering in the country.
Rogue construction union boss John Setka is already in fights with the Labor party and the ACTU leadership. Now he faces a battle with parliament. Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick is moving to refer…
Back for a second stint in the Senate, the Tasmanian finds herself with unprecedented power, holding the crucial swing vote on several key issues in the government’s agenda.
After losing her marginal seat of Corangamite at the election, Sarah Henderson is set to return to parliament after winning preselection for a Victorian Senate vacancy.
After a hectic first week for the new parliament, Michelle Grattan speaks with Deep Saini about Jacqui Lambie’s role in helping pass the government’s tax cuts, and a further cut to interest rates - now 1%.
The first week of the new parliament ends on a high for the government, with its $158 billion tax cut package passed, and the first stage of tax relief ready to flow in a week or so.
The government’s election centrepiece – its $158 billion, three-stage tax package – is set to pass into law, as the key vote of crossbencher Senator Jacqui Lambie is confirmed.
“Yet to arrive at a final position,” Senator Jacqui Lambie presses the federal government to forgive Tasmania’s housing debt in exchange for support of the government’s tax cuts.
The Institute’s analysis suggests that, at best, after next year’s half-Senate
election the ALP and Greens could have 38 senators – although more likely they would have 37.