Last sitting session and the government needs some wins on the board

Federal Parliament has returned for the last session this year and, quite possibly, the last session before the next federal election.

It can’t be overstated how important this fortnight’s sitting is for the Labor Federal Government currently languishing in the polls.

Anthony Albanese needs things – votes on legislation – to go his way, but the Prime Minister, who is right now meeting with world leaders at the G20 Summit in Brazil, is finding out the domestic front is not likely to be that much fun in the countdown to Christmas.

On day one of this final session, the government was both stunned and embarrassed when the Coalition made a last-minute backflip over plans to cap international student numbers.

That plan is to limit new enrolments of international students next year to 270,000.

However, Education Minister Jason Clare resorted to calling Opposition Leader Peter Dutton a “fraud” on tough immigration policies by siding with the Greens to position the Coalition against the international student cap.

Mr Dutton had previously expressed support for the caps.

Opposition frontbenchers Sarah Henderson, Dan Tehan and James Paterson issued a statement decrying the government’s policy as a “piecemeal approach” the Liberals could not support.

Youth Minister Anne Aly described the Coalition’s move as “pretty extraordinary and baffling” and acknowledged the government had some serious negotiating to do.

“The Minister for Education, Jason Clare, will have to talk to the crossbench and the Coalition,” she said.

“But I don’t know what the intent behind this is. I don’t think anyone knows what the intent behind this is because Peter Dutton has always maintained that they would support a cap on international students; now they have done a complete turnaround.”

The overhaul of election funding legislation is finding more favour with the Coalition but not so much with the crossbench.

A whole bunch of independent MPs and senators got together on Monday (18 November) to say the legislation was rigged to serve the major parties.

Some independents have tried to defer the bills and refer them for committee scrutiny but were voted down.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie perhaps expressed their joint view best: “They have their snouts in the trough so far that they’re blowing that many bubbles I could jump in and have a bubble bath.

“There is nothing I can think of worse, towards the end of the year, the end of sittings, and all the major parties are worried about is money and trying to maintain their seats.

“Here’s a good idea: why don’t you go and do what we all have to do go – earn instead of buying.”

Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister was on the defensive when asked about it during a media interview, saying it was about giving every Australian an equal say.

“The core of this legislation is about making sure people get to parliament because they have got support from their communities, not because they are sponsored by one wealthy individual,” she said.

“That’s what this legislation does. People will still be able to donate, to be able to support the candidates.

“But by placing caps, we stop the capacity for a handful of people, that very limited number of Australians who have access to very large amounts of money, to disproportionately influence the outcome of elections.”

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland had to defend the government’s social media ban plan for under 16s.

She was asked to explain how it’s all going to work and whether Snapchat would be exempt.

The Minister displayed how unprepared the government is with this “framework” that it says will be “clearly stepped out for the public” when the ban comes in.

“The government has made it clear that under this legislation, there will be a broader definition of social media to what is currently in the Online Safety Act,” she said.

“Defining an age-restricted service is a new legal term, and we have been clear the definition is likely to capture what is commonly understood to be social media.”

Clear as mud.

This is just the beginning of what is shaping up to be a rocking fortnight for the government, a fortnight that began on Monday with a censure motion in the Senate against independent Lidia Thorpe.

The censure passed but not with the help of Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, who – while insisting he agreed with the censure’s reason – voted against it because Senator Thorpe was not in the chamber to respond.

Whether a political ploy or a principled stand on integrity, Canavan’s move highlighted a position on fairness the government seemed unprepared to give.

Hopefully the PM is having a better time of it in Brazil.