| After heading into the winter break in early July with the threat of interest rate rises and the messy fallout of the defection of a Labor senator, the Albanese Government was desperate for a reset. Parliament returned this week, and the PM had a fresh frontbench and slight confidence boost after the RBA kept rates on hold last week in spite of sticky inflation. But some big parliamentary hurdles remain, including the government’s newest priority of pushing through changes to force the administration of the CFMEU. There are only five sitting weeks left this year, and only a handful next year should the government go full term, as promised. Some big election commitments are still outstanding, including NDIS reforms, which remain on hold as the commonwealth and states argue over foundational supports. Let’s get into this week’s parliament wrap. |
| Government slams Coalition, Labor for holding up CFMEU laws After the issue of union corruption blew up over the break, the government’s first item of business this week was the introduction of a bill to force the rogue CFMEU into administration.New Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt introduced the legislation in the Senate on Monday, and despite the government’s urging that it must be passed this week, it remained stuck there when parliament rose yesterday. The government – and peak construction groups – have slammed the Coalition and Greens for not supporting the bill, saying the CFMEU will use the delay to ‘mobilise against’ the laws and shift assets. The Coalition wants a proposed maximum administration term of three years to instead be a mandatory minimum. They also want the administrator to be forced to appear before a parliamentary committee and be questioned by opposition MPs. The government has agreed to one of their demands that progress reports from the administrators be tabled in parliament. Finally and unsurprisingly, Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash says the CFMEU must be banned from donating or campaigning for political parties while under administration. The government is open to banning donations, and most ALP branches have already agreed to not accept CFMEU donations for the period of administration, however Watt said union members shouldn’t be stopped from campaigning on issues they feel strongly about. The Greens want the entire bill to be watered down, and won’t seriously engage in negotiations, so the government will be forced to strike a deal with the Coalition. Those talks will dominate parliament when it returns next week. Dutton accused of being a racist in fiery debate Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was labelled a racist this week over his stance on banning visas for refugees fleeing Gaza. Dutton has been accused, including by the Prime Minister, of using divisive language that unfairly targets a specific group, further fuelling tensions around the refugee issue. Teal independent Zali Steggall explicitly called his comments racist, arguing that Dutton’s rhetoric stokes fear and division within the community. This accusation of racism came after Dutton called for a complete ban on visas for refugees from Gaza, citing national security concerns. Concerns from the Coalition became public when it was discovered that some refugees fleeing the conflict in Gaza were initially issued tourist visas by the Australian government. These visas allow for temporary stays in Australia with rights similar to those of tourists. The Coalition has questioned whether the current vetting processes were robust enough to prevent individuals who might pose a security risk from entering Australia. The opposition highlighted that in situations of mass displacement, there is a heightened risk of individuals with harmful intentions slipping through the cracks, and therefore, rigorous checks are essential. Question Time this week was dominated by questions asking the Prime Minister about exactly what checks and measures were being used by the government in considering the applications. The Prime Minister noted the government’s procedures for assessing visa applications from conflict zones, like Gaza, are consistent with those implemented under previous governments and cited comments from the boss of ASIO. It was the quoting of these comments that now have the Prime Minister under fire. PM accused of misleading Parliament The Prime Minister has been steadfast in his defence of the government in response to the questions from the opposition about security checks for Gaza refugees. He has continually said that all necessary security checks were being conducted by Australian intelligence agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), to ensure that individuals entering the country do not pose a security risk. However, the opposition is now accusing the Prime Minister of misquoting ASIO boss Mike Burgess during Question Time. The controversy arose when Albanese referenced comments made by Burgess to support his stance on the government’s vetting processes for refugees. The opposition suggested Albanese selectively quoted or misrepresented Burgess’ remarks to downplay security concerns associated with accepting refugees from conflict zones like Gaza. They argue the Prime Minister used Burgess’ statements out of context to imply a stronger endorsement of the government’s security processes than what was actually conveyed by the ASIO chief. This led to claims Albanese was misleading parliament by not providing a complete and accurate representation of Burgess’ views on the matter, thereby underestimating the potential risks involved. The opposition see national security and strong borders as one of their greatest strengths, so we expect to see them continue to prosecute this issue when parliament returns on Monday. Greens still blocking housing bills New Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, freshly demoted from her former role of Home Affairs Minister, had a rocky start to the week. She was forced to concede she had wrongly quoted ‘Treasury modelling’ in support of Labor’s build-to-rent laws, instead using figures cited by the Property Council – which is urging parties to agree on amendments to the current bill it says has been poorly drafted. Lower house Teal MP Allegra Spender this week joined the Property Council and others calling on the government to work harder to strike a deal to pass the laws. Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said the minor party remained steadfastly opposed to what they say amounts to “tax handouts to property developers to build expensive apartments they already planned to build”. O’Neil also takes carriage of the government’s Help to Buy bill, which is similarly stuck in the senate. That legislation establishes a Commonwealth shared equity program, which the Greens say would only support a capped 0.2% of eligible home buyers each year. Gambling reform The Government has come under pressure this week for failing to commit to a total ban on gambling advertising. Just over a year ago, a parliamentary inquiry led by the late Peta Murphy, unanimously recommended a phased approach to banning gambling advertisements over a three-year period, ultimately leading to a total ban. Despite the committee presenting the final report last year, the government is yet to respond and has been accused of taking a “watered-down” approach by failing to commit to a total ban. Instead, it is alleged the communications minister recently undertook private briefings with media companies, betting firms and sporting codes where she signalled a total ban on social media ads, but not extended to television. It’s been reported she proposed limiting ads on TV an hour before and after live sport and a limit of two ads per hour until 10pm. Criticism has come from all sides of the political aisle. An open letter signed by former Liberal Prime Ministers John Howards and Malcolm Turnbull implored the government to endorse the committee’s recommendation and implement a total ban. Within parliament, longtime Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie has led the charge with the Teals and other crossbench members to criticise the government over their inaction and what they see as a ‘betrayal’ of Peta Murphy’s legacy. Labor insiders also suggest there are several vocal backbenchers in party room who have made their position very clear. On the other side of the argument, free-to-air networks have expressed significant concern about the proposed gambling advertising reforms. They argue that the bans, especially on digital platforms and during sports broadcasts, could severely impact their revenue streams. These networks rely heavily on advertising income, particularly from gambling companies, to fund their operations and sports coverage. They have also raised concerns about the potential financial impact on sports organisations, suggesting the reforms could lead to less investment in sports, particularly at the grassroots level. It is clear this policy is still yet to be decided and although Cabinet deliberations are secret, insiders have suggested the policy is yet to go through Cabinet and stakeholder consultation is ongoing. And in news outside the bubble… Australia’s most successful Olympic team ever returned home this week, after a record haul of 18 gold medals. Cities and towns across Australia celebrated their homegrown heroes, with the welcome much more of a joyous occasion than the two-week mandatory quarantine athletes faced on their return from Tokyo in 2021. Arguably Australia’s highest-profile athlete at the Paris Games despite not coming close to the podium, Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, wasn’t among them. She broke her silence on Instagram last night, thanking her supporters and saying the reaction to her breaking performance has been “pretty devastating”. Meanwhile, a petition calling for ‘immediate accountability and transparency’ over the selection and performance of Raygun at the Paris Games has been pulled down by Change.org after the AOC called it defamatory. It had gathered around 50,000 signatures. |