Politics live updates: Labor gets second ‘guillotine’ motion over line in day of high parliamentary drama

A game of tactics has played off for the Government.

The Senate has agreed to add the social media ban and three different migration bills back to the agenda, with one hour of debate.

Across two separate guillotine deals, 31 bills will now be dealt with before the Senate rises for the day – and the year.

First things first: the anti-money laundering bill.

The social media ban and migration Bills will be dealt with today, Labor Senate leader Penny Wong has vowed, as the Government pulls out all stops to clear its legislative logjam.

In their second attempt to guillotine debate and get through dozens of bills, Labor left off the legislation because of the Greens’ opposition.

The Coalition voiced their concerns, but Senator Wong has cleared it up.

The three migration bills and the social media ban will be part of a seperate motion that will allow an hour of debating time, she says.

The Government is banking on the Coalition’s support to pull that off.

Senior WA Liberal Michaelia Cash is demanding Anthony Albanese make an irod-clad promise he won’t revive his Federal environment protection agency after one of his senior ministers revealed the controversial policy was still on the table.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher this morning said Mr Albanese was committed to laws to establish the nature watchdog and wanted to revisit them next year despite him intervening to prevent a deal that would have allowed them to pass this week.

Senator Gallagher confirmed Labor was “close” to accepting a deal with the Greens but needed more time to consider the minor party’s proposed amendments, rather than rushing it through alongside dozens of other bills on Parliament’s final sitting day of the year.

The Prime Minister’s intervention followed lobbying from WA Premier Roger Cook and mining and business groups that feared the EPA could devastate the State’s economy.

Senator Gallagher, who was part of private meetings this week where the EPA bill was discussed, played down suggestions Mr Albanese overruled Mr Plibersek after the WA lobbying onslaught.

Senator Cash said Senator Gallagher’s comments revealed Labor’s true intentions.

“It is very clear that despite what has happened this week this government wants to introduce these nature positive laws which will be a disaster for Western Australia,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The Prime Minister must stand in front of the Australian people and promise that no version of these laws will be re-introduced by his government in the future.

“I very much doubt Mr Albanese will give such assurances because he really does want these laws in place.”

News just in from The Australian that former defence force chief Angus Campbell is expected to be appointed to a plum diplomatic role as Australia’s next ambassdor to the EU, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg.

General Campbell’s six-year stint leading Australia’s military ended in July.

2024 has been a grim year for morale in the ADF, with allegations of misconduct and war crimes peppering the headlines.

If it is confirmed by the Government, it’s a move that will likely face considerable backlash from veterans.

Here’s some of The Nightly’s coverage on the huge issues affecting the ADF.

As reported yesterday, Labor’s grassroots environmental acting wing is furious after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scotched a deal to that would have delivered a long-promised federal environmental protection agency.

After news broke of Mr Albanese’s dramatic intervention, the group’s co-convenor Felicity Wade issued a blistering statement in which she accused the Government of caving to vested interests.

The group – known as LEAN – waged a years-long internal campaign for a federal EPA, with the party pledging to deliver one ahead of the 2022 election.

“This was a chance to show strength and conviction. We know these are things the electorate are looking for from us. And we faltered,” Ms Wade said on Wednesday.

Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister co-founded LEAN before entering Parliament.

Asked on Thursday to respond to Ms Wade’s comments, Senator McAllister praised the group’s work while defending the Government’s record on the environment under minister Tanya Plibersek and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.

“You have heard Minister Plibersek on many occasions talk about the progress we are making on marine parks, the progress we are making on threatened species .. the work we are doing internationally to support biodiversity and conservation,” she said.

“Our Government continues to work on matters that are important to the environment, important to future generations.”

Labor has moved an amended motion to guillotine debate on 27 Bills and clear the backlog, after failing earlier in the day.

After hours of furious negotiations with the Greens and crossbenchers David Pocock and Tammy Tyrrell, the Senate has been asked to deal with more than two dozen bills after Question Time on the last sitting day of the year.

Among them are the Reserve Bank reforms and Future Made in Australia.

Missing from the list, crucially, are Bills the Greens have been vocally critical of: the three migration Bills, and the Bill banning social media for under 16s.

Liberal senate leader Simon Birmingham slammed the Government for pandering to the Greens.

“Obviously, you’ve sliced and diced what you tried to put through this morning, to go and get something with the Greens,” he said, asking if the ban is dead or if Labor has other plans.

As it sits, right now, we’re looking at what is technically a standard sitting day in Parliament.

It was meant to be the final day, but given the drama this morning we may be looking at a very late sitting night or even an additional day tomorrow.

Our full report of the day’s action (so far) is here.

Stay tuned for the latest updates in what is sure to be a rollercoaster of a day.

From Dan Jervis-Bardy in Canberra:

Labor will make a suite of changes to its build-to-rent laws as it pushes to get the signature housing policy through the Senate.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said the amendments were not part of any deal with the Greens, who earlier this week agreed to wave through Labor’s “build to rent” and “help to buy” laws after months of stubborn resistance.

The build to rent scheme will use tax concessions to entice developers to build 80,000 properties specifically for renters.

Under amendments that Ms O’Neil said would make a “good bill … better”, renters would have the security of five-year leases while no-fault evictions from the properties would be banned in all jurisdictions.

A total of 10 per cent of the homes must be affordable, priced at either 74.9 per cent of market rates or 30 per cent of income – whichever is lower.

The affordable dwellings would also be managed by community housing providers.

The tax concessions would also be backdated to existing build-to-rent developments, Ms O’Neil said.

From Katina Curtis in Canberra: The failure of the motion means for now, the Senate is getting on with its day as usual and could adjourn at 6pm having only deal with a fraction of the agenda.

The Greens sought to remove three bills it didn’t like from the motion but then only they and Tasmanian Tammy Tyrrell joined Labor to vote for the gag.

The Government had hoped it could get support from David Pocock as well, but he flagged earlier in the day his support was contingent on the environment protection agency legislation also being put to a vote today.

The government’s guillotine motion that would have allowed it to ram through the 36 bills fell over after it failed to win enough crossbench support.

That means for now, the Senate is getting on with its day as usual and could adjourn at 6pm having only deal with a fraction of the agenda.

The Greens sought to remove three bills it didn’t like from the motion but then only they and Tasmanian Tammy Tyrrell joined Labor to vote for the gag.

The Government had hoped it could get support from David Pocock as well, but he flagged earlier in the day his support was contingent on the environment protection agency legislation also being put to a vote today.