With the government close to an agreement with Centre Alliance, its legislation to crack down on bad behaviour in the union movement is likely to pass.
Malcolm Turnbull goes into this final parliamentary week of the year in need of compromises on both the ABCC legislation and the tax rate for backpackers.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Tensions between Pauline Hanson and her beleaguered One Nation senator Rod Culleton have been on open display this week, raising the question of whether the party will be able to hold it all together.
George Brandis, Michaelia Cash and Mitch Fifield during the registered organisations bill vote in the Senate on Monday.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The first part of the Coalition’s industrial relations reform is in place following a late-night Senate vote.
Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday left up in the air whether the industrial bills would come to a vote before the parliament gets up for the summer recess.
David Moir/AAP
Malcolm Turnbull laughs off the suggestion that this week’s extraordinary developments mean the Senate is in chaos. Okay, let’s humour the Prime Minister.
Malcolm Turnbull was still trying to gain control of the gun issue in Question Time.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The government has a new buzzword. In the partyroom on Tuesday Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce urged the troops to make the Coalition’s policies “tactile”. In less-fancy terminology, what they mean…
Nick Xenophon's two new Senate colleagues, Stirling Griff and Skye Kakoschke-Moore, are no strangers to the political process.
The government argues its industrial relations bills are necessary to deal with widespread corruption uncovered by the trade union royal commission.
AAP/Joel Carrett
In a dramatic move, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has had the governor-general recall parliament for a special session to consider industrial relations legislation.