Federal Politics: Albanese running out of road to pass crucial bills in possible final Parliament sitting

As the Federal parliament approaches what could be the final sitting before the election, the Albanese Government is running short of road to pass a number of contentious Bills.

MPs are fired up for a clash over Labor’s handling of the national anti-Semitism crisis, and a bill to criminalise hate speech could be a flashpoint for heated debate.

The Government has flagged the bill as one of multiple steps taken to stamp out anti-Semitism and it is expected to pass.

But not without the Coalition putting up a fight with calls to include mandatory minimum sentences for terrorism and explicitly mentioning threats of violence towards places of worship to the list of hate crimes.

Amendments have not yet been tabled, leading to Labor speculation about a possible Coalition ploy to vote down the bill.

“The real question is: Will Peter Dutton support the Government’s laws to criminalise hate speech?” asked Attorney General Mark Dreyfus.

Tax on superannuation and production tax credits

High on the agenda are Labor’s proposals to double the tax rate for earnings on superannuation balances above $3 million, and a plan to offer $13.7 billion worth of tax breaks to boost on-shore processing of critical minerals and green hydrogen production.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Albanese highlighted the production tax credits bill — a pillar of the Future Made In Australia policy — as a Government priority to support new industries.

The Coalition will oppose it, with shadow treasurer Angus Taylor arguing it will “cost billions of dollars, into the 2040s” and not provide a cent of tax relief.

But it could pass with the help of the Greens and crossbenchers, and attempts to block the bill leave the Coalition open to Labor attacks of being “anti-mining” as it seeks to win back seats in resource-rich Western Australia.

Legislation to double the tax on super balances of $3m and over from 15 to 30 per cent is more likely to stall.

If so, the Government would lose the chance to make the tax system fairer because of a fear campaign, lamented Greg Jericho, chief economist at The Australia Institute.

“The tax system, especially for superannuation, is heavily distorted towards benefiting the wealthiest in Australia,” he said, pointing out the law would only affect about 80,000 people.

Nature Positive

The Government’s contentious Nature Positive legislation is also due back, although there’s still no deal.

After the PM torpedoed an agreement Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek forged with the Greens and some independent crossbenchers in November, concerned industry were led to believe the bill had been killed off.

Its re-listing has ignited a new feud between WA Premier Roger Cook — a staunch opponent to the current proposal — and east coast MPs concerned about electoral backlash to Labor’s lacklustre environmental agenda.

Ahead of the election, the PM is keen to keep WA on side.

“We have made it very clear that our approach is about supporting industry, supporting jobs, whilst doing it in a sustainable way,” he said.

The Greens say there is “no prospect” of a deal unless Labor commits to ending native forest logging.

Gambling

The Government is still yet to formally respond to the 2023 Murphy inquiry, spearheaded by the late MP Peta Murphy, which called for a ban on gambling ads.

Speculation is rife it has been indefinitely shelved, despite Government promises to address the issue.

“It’s critical that we get this right to ensure that future reforms are effective and comprehensive,” said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.

Leading advocate Tim Costello said the Prime Minister’s lack of action was “profoundly disrespectful” to Ms Murphy’s legacy.

“I heard him at Peta Murphy’s funeral speak of her extraordinary work on gambling and how his government would respond,” he told The Nightly.

“When we know we’ve got the greatest gambling losses and therefore harm in the world, to refuse to address it is devastating.”

Electoral Reform

Labor has not given up hopes of reviving a deal with the Coalition to pass electoral reforms that would overhaul political donation and funding rules.

The PM said this week the Government had not yet done a deal with the Coalition, and “we’ll wait and see whether there is support for it or not”.

“We think there’s a need for greater transparency. We believe in electoral reform, and we’ll continue to advocate for it – but we’ll wait and see what happens,” he said.