6 hours Ago By Andrew Brown, Kat Wong and Tess Ikonomou
Half a billion dollars worth of social housing upgrades have been locked in as the federal government struck a deal with the Greens to help pass swathes of legislation before parliament rises for the year. or signup to continue reading As Labor look to race through more than 30 bills through the Senate on the final sitting day of 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Greens leader Adam Bandt agreed to a last-minute deal to ensure crucial reforms would get over the line. The deal will see the government spend $500 million to make social housing more energy efficient, and ensure coal and gas won't be included as part of Labor's signature manufacturing initiative called the Future Made in Australia.
In exchange, the Greens will help to pass several key laws before parliament, including an overhaul of the Reserve Bank, Future Made in Australia and university reforms. Greens leader Adam Bandt said the social housing funding would help upgrade 50,000 homes, allowing tenants to save $1800 a year on power bills. "Greens pressure works.
Having delivered good outcomes that will help people, the Greens now turn to keeping Peter Dutton out and pushing for cheaper rents, cheaper groceries and no new coal and gas in a coming minority parliament," he said. "We can't keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result." However, crossbenchers have slammed moves in the Senate to gag debate and force a vote on the laws, a practice known as guillotining, labelling it as "hypocritical" and lacking transparency.
The guillotine will also see parliament pass laws banning social media for children younger than 16, after the government made a deal with the coalition on the issue. Firebrand senator Jacqui Lambie lashed Labor for its "absolutely shameful" attempt to rush through "undercooked" bills. She said the government had guillotined more legislation in three years - which means forcing votes - than the coalition had in its almost decade in power.
"How is it safe for employees in my office, to go through 41 bills in a matter of about 12 hours," she demanded. "Bloody hypocritical. And what about the right to disconnect? "It is dangerous to shove bills down our throats.
It is dangerous to shove bills down Australian throats without us probably going through and actually having a good look at it, and putting it under the microscope." Senators have also raised concerns that the compressed timeline will not allow bills to be properly considered. Nationals senator Matt Canavan argued each piece of legislation would only receive 15 minutes of debate assuming the chamber sat for its usual nine-hour day.
"What other workplace gets to knock off in November and not back until February?" he wrote on X. A federal election must be held by May 17, but if the government opts for an earlier contest, politicians may not return to Parliament House before Australians go to the polls. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.
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