Politics live updates: Jacqui Lambie blasts Labor for ‘mother of all guillotines’, shutting down debate

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 a 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.

A planned overhaul of the Reserve Bank’s structure could be revived under a surprise Labor-Greens deal on Federal Parliament’s frantic final sitting day.

The Federal Government’s plan to split the RBA into two boards – one overseeing monetary policy and the other the bank’s governance – appeared dead and buried in September after the Coalition withdrew its support and Labor rejected the Greens’ “crazy” demands.

At the time those demands included an ultimatum that Treasurer Jim Chalmers steamroll the bank’s independence to cut interest rates.

But negotiations between Labor and the Greens have resumed, with the RBA reforms listed among 36 bills the Government wants to ram through before Parliament rises for the summer break.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher Labor indicated Labor was open to accepting a Greens demand for the Treasurer to at least retain the power – which has never been used – to override the bank’s decisions.

“We would like that Bill through,” Senator Gallagher told ABC’s RN Breakfast.

“The Coalition have locked themselves out. We would have preferred to work with the Coalition. They’ve blocked this bill. So, that leaves us no alternative but to work with other parties in the Senate.”

Senator Lidia Thorpe - who is suspended from the Senate over an incident yesterday - made her way to the press gallery to shout “Free, free Palestine”.

Senator Thorpe had a private members bill listed for debate this morning, but because of her suspension was unable to speak.

She tried to shout “genocide” through the doors from outside the chamber, before the doors were shut.

She then made her way up to the press gallery, which is directly above the President’s seat, to shout “free free Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” before leaving.

Crossbench MP Rebekha Sharkie is seeking to force the Government to put legislation to ban gambling ads to Parliament or allow debate on the various other bills for the same thing.

She is being backed in by the Coalition.

The Government confirmed last weekend it had jettisoned plans to bring a ban on gambling ads to Parliament this week despite promising action for more than a year.

It’s a sensitive point for many in the Government; a committee that recommended a ban on ads among other measures to reduce harm from problem gambling was led by the widely loved Labor MP Peta Murphy, who died shortly after tabling the report.

The Teal independents have lodged a petition backed by progressive think tank the Australia Institute with 16,000 signatures calling for a proper examination of the electoral laws.

Curtin MP Kate Chaney said no the Government had put the bill on ice, there was no reason why it couldn’t go to a proper inquiry.

“Any way we change our democracy needs to be looked at very closely,” she said.

“I hope that this extra time will mean the government will actually listen … and consider what the community wants, rather than locking in a two-party deal that protects the status quo and make the right decision in the interests of the country.”

Fellow crossbenchers said the enormous rush on the agenda was ridiculous and worse than a dog’s breakfast.

Member for Warringah Zali Steggall said the Government should just add another sitting week in December and end the brinkmanship.

“The Government clearly had an issue of dealing reasonably with the crossbench in both houses at times. It’s incredibly unproductive,” she said.

“And I think the deals the Government does with the Coalition are ultimately incredibly dangerous because they are both in the next six months vying to form government.

“It’s a very interesting trust exercise between the major parties, I think they’re trying to stitch up a deal … at the expense of the crossbench, when in a few months’ time, they may well each have to turn around and gain the support of members of the crossbench to form government.”

A motion by Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie protesting the government’s decision to “guillotine” bills has narrowly failed, with 33 for and 33 against.

She was seeking to delay the move to guillotine major legislation to allow more time for debate.

Ms Lambie’s motion reads:

“The Albanese government has guillotined more than 160 Bills in the 47th Parliament and continues to undermine democratic principles by proposing to rush through around 40 pieces of legislation today without adequate debate.”

“By fast-tracking legislation, the Albanese government is circumventing proper scrutiny and accountability.”

“This reckless approach places excessive and unreasonable pressure on parliamentary staff and risks compromising the quality and integrity of legislative outcomes.”

A senior Labor ministers insists the Government’s promised environment protection agency is not dead yet despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervening to scuttle a deal that would have allowed it to pass this week.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said Mr Albanese was still committed to laws to establish the nature watchdog and wanted to revisit them when Federal Parliament is due back in February.

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 Nightly on Wednesday reported Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek agreed a deal with the Greens and independent David Pocock before Mr Albanese stepped in prevent it going ahead.

The scuttled deal would have involved extra investment for research to combat invasive species and a legislated timeline for the promised suite of national environmental standards, according to multiple sources briefed on negotiations.

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.

“I was in meetings which we discussed nature positive, and I agree we were close, but there was some further work that we wanted done,” Senator Gallagher told ABC’s RN Breakfast.

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The Senate has kicked off the day’s sitting with a shouting match as Senators slam the government for trying to ram through 36 bills at the last minute.

An angry Jacqui Lambie blasted Labor for demanding the “the mother of all guillotines” to shut down debate in the rush to vote on a raft of major bills.

“It is dangerous to shove bills down our throats,” shouted the Tasmanian senator, calling out the “hypocrisy” of forcing employees to work so much overtime in the face of the parliament’s recent “right to disconnect” laws.

“To say that I am disappointed in this government is an understatement, it doesn’t even cut it,” she said.

Simon Birmingham, leader of the Coalition in the Senate, chimed in with his support. “What Jacqui said!” he added.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher defended the government’s actions, saying the legislation had been in the works for months.