The government was caught completely unawares when Hanson and her colleague Malcolm Roberts lined up against the bill, which was lost in a tie.
“The government was totally taken by surprise” when the One Nation senators and Jacqui Lambie voted against the ensuring integrity legislation, says Michelle Grattan.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Leigh Sullivan and Michelle Grattan discuss this week in politics, and talk about what to expect in the year’s final parliamentary sitting week.
A leader with any appreciation of process should know that by directly contacting the commissioner he was opening himself to attack.
Lukas Coch/AAP
With one parliamentary week remaining, Angus Taylor has been discredited, and Scott Morrison has been embroiled and embarrassed – or embarrassed himself. And the whole thing was avoidable.
Morrison this week delivered to an audience of big business what was described as his most important speech for the rest of the year.
Steven Saphore/AAP
Next week begins the year’s final parliamentary fortnight, and the main attention will be on the fate of two bills - the ensuring integrity legislation, and the medevac repeal.
Protesters holding a vigil last year for deceased asylum seeker Hamid Khazaei, who died in a Brisbane hospital due to an infection at the Manus Island detention centre in 2014.
Darren England/AAP
A Senate report details the high need for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to be able to seek medical care in Australia. The fate of the medevac law now rests in Jacqui Lambie’s hands.
Jacqui Lambie has yet to announce whether she will support the bill to have medevac repealed.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The government would be willing to put a feast on the table to get a win on the medevac repeal, but this is a piece of legislation on which Lambie should not contemplate any deals.
Hanson, who thinks men get a bad deal in the system, will be deputy of the new family law inquiry.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
As the government starts its work on workplace change, it gave Pauline Hanson a win, for past and future favours, making her deputy chair of a joint parliamentary committee into the family law system.
Politicians routinely criticise young climate strikers as not making a difference. But the reality is quite different.
Ellen Smith/AAP
Conscripting young volunteers to combat climate change is not necessary. Australians aged 15-17 already have the highest rates of volunteering in the country.
John Setka is battling attacks from all sides after union meeting recording leaks.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
Rogue construction union boss John Setka is already in fights with the Labor party and the ACTU leadership. Now he faces a battle with parliament. Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick is moving to refer…
Jacqui Lambie has signalled she will play hardball on a number of key issues to get what she wants in exchange for her vote.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Back for a second stint in the Senate, the Tasmanian finds herself with unprecedented power, holding the crucial swing vote on several key issues in the government’s agenda.
Henderson beat Greg Mirabella 234 to 197 after other runners were eliminated.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
After losing her marginal seat of Corangamite at the election, Sarah Henderson is set to return to parliament after winning preselection for a Victorian Senate vacancy.
Centre Alliance will be pivotal for the government in passing some legislation this parliamentary term.
Sam Mooy/AAP
Centre Alliance’s Stirling Griff on Newstart
The Conversation, CC BY26.3 MB(download)
Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff tells Michelle Grattan that his party will pressure the government to raise Newstart.
Jacqui Lambie with Centre Alliance senators, who threw their support behind the government’s $158 billion income tax cuts, guaranteeing the package will become law.
Sam Mooy/AAP
After a hectic first week for the new parliament, Michelle Grattan speaks with Deep Saini about Jacqui Lambie’s role in helping pass the government’s tax cuts, and a further cut to interest rates - now 1%.
Jacqui Lambie celebrates the passing of the $158 billion tax cuts with Centre Alliance senators.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The first week of the new parliament ends on a high for the government, with its $158 billion tax cut package passed, and the first stage of tax relief ready to flow in a week or so.
Jacqui Lambie makes a deal in “good faith” - forgiveness of Tasmania’s housing debt in return for support of the government’s tax package.
Sam Mooy/AAP
The government’s election centrepiece – its $158 billion, three-stage tax package – is set to pass into law, as the key vote of crossbencher Senator Jacqui Lambie is confirmed.
Jacqui Lambie is the last vital vote for the Morrison government if Labor refuses to pass its tax package intact on Thursday.
Lukas Coch/AAP
“Yet to arrive at a final position,” Senator Jacqui Lambie presses the federal government to forgive Tasmania’s housing debt in exchange for support of the government’s tax cuts.
Independent senators like Derryn Hinch or a potentially re-elected Jacqui Lambie are likely to wield significant power with the next federal Labor government, according to analysis by the Australia Institute.
Mick Tskias/AAP
The Institute’s analysis suggests that, at best, after next year’s half-Senate
election the ALP and Greens could have 38 senators – although more likely they would have 37.
Steve Martin has been sworn in to take Jacqui Lambie’s place as a Tasmanian senator.
AAP/Mick Tsikas