Cold front in Canberra, hot streak for Labor

It takes a committed political pundit to flee Queensland’s mild winters and willingly embrace ice-cold Canberra in July… but alas, yours truly is guilty as charged. And while the wind chill factor is off the charts in our nation’s capital, I get the sense Labor feels like it’s on a sizzling winning streak. Walking the halls of Parliament, I witnessed an air of confidence among the caucus I haven’t seen since the Kevin 07 landslide. Conversely, the Opposition is still very much at war with itself… Labor is running rings around them in the stability stakes. But history has taught us that hubris can turn to humility in a heartbeat.

The 48th Parliament opened with the traditional ceremonial proceedings, including a speech to both Houses of Parliament from Her Excellency the Governor-General, the Hon Sam Mostyn AC. Once the formalities were complete, the significance of Labor’s election win became apparent to all, with the government benches spilling over into the area traditionally occupied by the crossbench. See HERE for yourself:

Much of the first two sitting weeks was allocated to the large number of newly elected MPs delivering their maiden speeches. There were many outstanding contributions, including from the plethora of new Queensland MPs. To watch their speeches, go to the Parliament website, search Hansard, and enter the name of the MP you wish to watch:

From Queensland, they are:

• Kara Cook, Member for Bonner
• Madonna Jarrett, Member for Brisbane
• Ali France, Member for Dickson
• Rowan Holzberger, Member for Forde
• Renee Coffey, Member for Griffith
• David Batt, Member for Hinkler
• Matt Smith, Member for Leichhardt
• Leon Rebello, Member for McPherson
• Emma Comer, Member for Petrie
• Senator Corinne Mulholland

Question Time delivered the usual combative approach, with the Opposition focusing their questions on housing, Labor’s proposed superannuation tax on unrealised capital gains, soaring power prices, and how Medicare is far from covering the cost of a trip to the GP—as per the PM’s election pledge. Unfortunately for Sussan Ley, the Opposition Leader barely had her feet under the desk before a group of Nationals decided it was time to publicly revisit the party’s support for ‘net zero’ carbon emissions. While this position has long been contentious for many Nationals, the timing of their contributions was less than ideal.

The Government introduced several Bills, including the Fair Work Amendment Bill, which seeks to protect penalty and overtime rates for employees. Education Minister Jason Clare also introduced the Early Childhood Education and Care Bill to reform childcare—centres will lose eligibility for fee subsidies if they don’t meet safety standards. It was a winning week for students too, with the Government following through on its promise to cut student debt by 20 per cent, retrospectively from 1 June—at a cost to taxpayers of around $16 billion.

Legislation is changing, and so is the mood within Government. I expected an air of optimism following Labor’s thumping victory on 3 May. I also sensed that the Government is becoming more comfortable in its skin and is leaning into its second term. By contrast, the Coalition is yet to find its groove—and that’s understandable. Opposition is tough, and it’s a long way back from here. But our democracy is precious. For our nation to flourish, we need a strong and united Opposition. I suspect it may be some time before that occurs—but it’s essential if they are to truly hold the Government to account.