It’s the final parliamentary sitting fortnight before politicians go back home to escape the bleakest of the Canberra winter, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison won’t even be in the building. He’s away on an extended G7 trip until Thursday, before going into isolation.
In the meantime, the fortnight ahead could be a quiet one: there’s scant legislative and policy agenda on the table and so far most of the action is going down outside parliament.
The agenda
In an agenda that includes bills on information on car repairs, hazardous waste and fuel security, two pieces of legislation stand out this week.
Today the Online Safety Bill is up for debate in the Senate. As Crikey previously reported, the bill would beef up the powers of the eSafety Commissioner, and has drawn the ire of privacy advocates and the sex industry.
Already diluted before even passing the House, the government’s My Future, My Super package, which seeks to overhaul the superannuation sector, will be debated in the Senate tomorrow.
But the crossbench is also making things tough for the government. Independent Senator Rex Patrick has proposed a suite of amendments including around workers in dangerous jobs, and a one-year delay before the changes kick in. Those amendments essentially have the support of Labor and the Greens, with discussions ongoing between the government and the rest of the crossbench.
External shocks
But parliament was largely an afterthought as this week kicked off. The big story of recent days has been the Murugappan family, Tamil asylum seekers whose nearly two years on Christmas Island will end after Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s intervention this morning. Support for the family’s release had gathered momentum among the Coalition last week after four-year-old Tharnicaa was hospitalised in Perth.
Hawke’s decision is a stopgap. The family will be in community detention in Perth pending future court battles. Hawke says it doesn’t necessarily create a pathway to a visa, and has kicked other decisions about their long-term residence in Australia down the can. But it has allowed the government to duck some of the political heat.
Morrison, meanwhile, is on the other side of the world. After addressing the G7 nations and failing to land a one-on-one with US President Joe Biden, Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly reached agreement over dinner on a long-awaited free trade agreement, with a formal joint announcement expected Tuesday morning UK time. The deal, Britain’s first since Brexit, will allow more Australians to live and work in the UK and was held up by concerns among British farmers about beef exports.
A good week for Albo-mentum?
Morrison’s trip keeps him away from parliament in the final sitting fortnight. His absence could be an opportunity for Labor. Gaffe-ridden Nationals leader Michael McCormack will be acting prime minister until Thursday. He’s already made one divisive comment — as he often does when Morrison is out of the picture — responding to a question about the G7’s position on coal with the following anti-urban dog-whistle:
It pays for a lot of barista machines that produces the coffee that inner-city types sit around and drink and talk about the death of coal.
Morrison’s exit from centre stage comes at a time when frustration with the vaccine rollout could give Labor room to finally make some inroads. New polling conducted for the Nine papers found the prime minister’s net performance rating fell from 15 to 8%, with Labor favoured as the best party to handle health and aged care.
Last week’s Newspoll gave Morrison his lowest approval rating since the start of the pandemic. If ever there was a time for Labor to come out of its shell and ram home its credentials as an alternative government, it’s now, with the government leaderless, and its vulnerabilities starting to emerge.
A quiet fortnight in Canberra could be its best shot.
External Shocks.”But it has allowed the Govt to duck some of the political heat.” Of course! This current Australian Govt is the most merciless, vicious and obsessive Australian Govt I have observed in the eighty three years of my life. Their propensity favouring American values divides our society ie ‘Robodebt’; Ominous! As is their avoidance of all levels of responsibility. Labor’s obeisance, failure to contest, political excess in regard to the persecution of the Murugappan girls is but one example of how far we have drifted from a fair, just society . . . under current LNP governance?
Here are 7 reasons Albanese can’t win. 1-3: Albanese. 4: Economy looks OK. 5: Failure to ram home Morrison’s abysmal COVID failures. 6: Divided on fossil fuels. 7: Favours China and mass immigration. 7a: Did I mention Albanese?
Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke: Compassion . . my arse! You admit (7:30 Report ABC) you could have allowed the Murugappan family to return to Queensland. But chose not to. Preferring they be retained in Perth whilst over some months (ie after the next Federal Election) in detention. Disgusting! And I do not apologise for the use of language. Your decision is pure unadulterated political abuse of Office and is equivalent to spitting on every caring Australian. One wonders what would have been your decision had the child died of Sepsis before the delayed treatment forced repatriation to Perth. Australians have not forgotten . . that Hamid Khazi died of untreated Sepsis. In agony, whilst under care of your compatriots. Your Govt besmirches our Nation’s values of a fair-go. Disgusting.
I don’t get the conservative obsession with barista-made coffee. I’m able to get it in every small town I go to, and even McDonald’s serves it. Pretty sure people of all political stripes drink it.
Is this mythic person they are targeting a tea drinker, a pod machine user, or someone who drinks *shudder* instant coffee? I really don’t get who they are targeting here.
Perhaps they still drink Pablo instant coffee in the MicMac household?
My best guess is that even though everyone drinks it, there’s still a bohemian stereotype attached to those who sit around coffee shops discussing the problems of society. It’s like the counter culture became commodified and sold to the mainstream, but the stereotypes didn’t change.
My other guess is that gourmet coffee is a symbol of idleness (going back to the coffee houses of England in the 17th and 18th century where people would discuss all manner of things including politics). It’s in contrast to those who keep the economy going (miners, farmers, tradesmen, etc.) and quite frankly something that comes across as elitist. It’s the anti-Pub Test.
Whatever the answer, its repeated use suggests it’s been tested in focus groups and it’s use signals something to some key demographic(s). But I truly don’t know who they are and thus why it’s effective rhetoric. Guessing that demographic has very little overlap with Crikey commenters…
The chattering class
How many photographers will Scotty FM be taking into PR confinement with him this time?
what’s Dutton up to?…. it’s toooooo quiet.
That’s a very good question. Biding his time, I’d say, but yes, far too quiet.
The Acting PM disgusts me with his totally untrue, parochial comments about ‘Inner city coffee drinkers’ talking about the demise of coal. We are a retired couple living in ‘middle suburbia’, who along with hundreds of thousands (if not millions), of other similar ‘Baby Boomers’ are VERY CONCERNED for the future of our grandchildren regarding climate change impacts. We are NOT latte-sipping inner city types whatsoever. as we are the BIGGEST cohort with concerns for the future of the next generations!! This Fed Govt needs to be careful who they offend prior to the next election!