An attempt to hobble Mathias Cormann in retaliation for the government’s refusal to produce the Gaetjens Report on Bridget McKenzie failed after Pauline Hanson withdrew her support.
Following conflicting accounts on whether there was a deal, Richard di Natale said Cormann had ‘walked over to senator Lambie and said, “Is it OK if I say there’s no deal?” We heard you say it’.
Lukas Coch/AAP
After securing a condition which she cannot disclose “due to national security concerns”, Jacqui Lambie has voted with the government on the repeal of the medevac laws.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation blindsided the government by voting with Labor against the Ensuring Integrity Bill in the Senate.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The government was caught completely unawares when Hanson and her colleague Malcolm Roberts lined up against the bill, which was lost in a tie.
“The government was totally taken by surprise” when the One Nation senators and Jacqui Lambie voted against the ensuring integrity legislation, says Michelle Grattan.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
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.
A dairy cow grazes on the lawns in front of Parliament House in Canberra in 2015, as part of an industry event.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Pressure is mounting on Australia’s dairy farmers, from farm gate prices to animal welfare concerns, and technology that could produce milk without cows.
Conservative Liberal MP Kevin Andrews and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson are leading a parliamentary inquiry into family law.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
There have already been two recent inquires into family court, but none of their recommendations have been rolled out.
‘More generally, this does reflect a lot of tension and angst within the National party,’ says Michelle Grattan on the Hanson dairy deal.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Michelle Grattan discusses this week in politics with University of Canberra Assistant Professor Caroline Fisher.
The Deputy PM urges farmers considering leaving their farms to ‘take every bit of good advice available before they take that ultimate step’.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Deputy PM Michael McCormack on the drought and restive Nationals
The Conversation, CC BY33.7 MB(download)
Following tensions in the Nationals party room over the bring-forward of the dairy code for Pauline Hanson, the Deputy PM admits that the party leadership mishandled the situation.
McKenzie wrote to Hanson saying the code - which would inrease the negotiating power of milk producers - would be ready later this year, instead of next year as indicated earlier.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Following a deal with Hanson, some Queensland NSW Nationals were so furious that a leak canvassed mutterings about the possibility of a “spill” move against deputy leader Bridget McKenzie.
The Coalition government has reintroduced a bill seeking to mandate the ABC devote more resources to covering regional Australia – a measure that has been defeated before by parliament.
Danny Casey/AAP
The latest proposals to amend the ABC Charter raise questions about media law reform. To be effective and sustainable, it needs to be strategic, not ad hoc and politicised.
“This review…is really just a bone to Pauline Hanson. The government needs her vote in the senate,” says Michelle Grattan on the controversial appointment of Hanson as deputy chair of the committee.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Michelle Grattan discusses the government’s new family law inquiry, and Australia being banned from the speaking list at the upcoming UN climate change summit.
Pauline Hanson incorrectly claimed women are frequently making up allegations of domestic violence in family courts.
AAP Image/Sam Mooy
It seems the driving force behind this new inquiry is Pauline Hanson’s unsupported claim women often make up allegations of domestic violence in family courts.
Hanson, who thinks men get a bad deal in the system, will be deputy of the new family law inquiry.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
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.
Jacqui Lambie has signalled she will play hardball on a number of key issues to get what she wants in exchange for her vote.
AAP/Lukas Coch
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.
Scott Morrison nominated “working with the crossbench” as a pathway to getting the promised tax cuts through.
AAP/Shutterstock/The Conversation
Though the opposition is still refusing to state its final position on the government’s $158 billion tax package, Scott Morrison is “very confident” the plan will be passed in its entirety.
The proposed 3 stage tax plan will cost $158 billion.
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With this week’s revelations about the extraordinary visit to the US gun lobby by One Nation’s James Ashby, and Steve Dickson, Morrison’s shilly-shallying became untenable.