Albanese government eyes last chance to tick policy boxes, pass dozens of bills in last sitting week of 2024

Pressure is on the Albanese government to make headway on its long list of stalled legislation before the federal election.

Housing will be back in spotlight during the final sitting week of 2024, with the Help to Buy government equity scheme and incentives for build-to-rent to be brought to a final vote in the Senate.

The two housing bills have struggled to attract the support of the opposition or the Greens, with Labor knocking back fresh demands from the latter.

Central to the Greens’ updated position is funding for 25,000 “shovel-ready” homes not given the go-ahead under the first round of the Housing Australia Future Fund.

Labor insists the demand is unlawful and would result in the construction of million-dollar homes that are not “value for money”.

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said his party had designed “a compromise offer that is popular, achievable and easy to accept, it requires no new legislation and sits broadly within government policy”.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil doubled down on Labor’s criticism of the Greens’ “unlawful, unworkable” proposal that would “not actually construct any new homes”.

“For two and a half years now, the Australian Greens have done nothing but block and delay the action the government has attempted to take on housing, they’ve worked with Peter Dutton to do so,” Ms O’Neil said.

“The result of that has been more homelessness, fewer homes built, and fewer social and affordable homes built.”

She said it was time to “stop playing games” and pass bills to address the housing crisis.

With 30 or so bills still before the parliament in the last sitting week of 2024, the Albanese Government has been ramping up pressure on the Greens and the Coalition to co-operate.

“This is a week where we will see the colour of the eyes of Peter Dutton and the Greens party,” Employment Minister Murray Watt told reporters on Sunday.

A friendless crackdown on misinformation and disinformation has been shelved and gambling reforms have been pushed into next year

Though the government is expecting wins on its aged care reforms and its social media age limit, with the former expected to attract opposition support.

Under world-first legislation, Australians younger than 16 will be banned from social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter).

Labor will also be spruiking its Future Made in Australia plan, with its hydrogen and critical minerals production tax incentives to be introduced to parliament on Monday.

Economic management will likely get some airtime after monthly inflation figures are released on Wednesday, with headline inflation expected to once again land within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target band.

But with the central bank’s preferred underlying gauge - stripped of the volatility inflicting the headline number - likely to remain above the two-three per cent band, keenly-anticipated interest rate cuts are likely to stay on ice.

The federal election is due to be held by May 17.