Australia politics live: Graeme Samuel says Coalition ‘manoeuvred themselves into irrelevance’ on nature laws reform

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The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has rejected the prime minister’s claim he offered to meet her and do a deal on nature law reforms.

She’s talking to the ABC:

That is not right. The last communication I had with him on this was a text to him that has remained unanswered.

I want to make a really important point about the final result of the so-called negotiations: I don’t think Labor ever wanted to do a deal with us.

We actually thought it was looking OK and then everything went quiet as it often does and it’s a bit like, you know, when the relationship goes quiet and you know that someone else has been included and you have been excluded.

s figures criticise Joyce’s defection

More s members are scathing of Barnaby Joyce’s decision to quit the party. Party elder John “Wacka” Williams, a former senator, called it an “act of treason” and told Sky News he was very disappointed, noting the s party and their members had supported Joyce for years.

Senator Matt Canavan, a Joyce ally and his former chief of staff, said on social media that it was a “shame” Joyce had left – but held out hope he could return.

Barnaby Joyce’s decision to leave the s has saddened thousands of s members and supporters. The s party is not the Parliamentary leaders it is the branch meetings, the policy motions and the morning teas of hundreds of different party units.

It is a shame a storied former leader has left in this fashion but we are here to make Australia better, not make friends. Thanks to the work of many s party members we now have the biggest opposition to net zero since Australia signed up to it four years ago.

We have more chance of killing net zero if Barnaby is a Nat. He has not joined another party today, so I have not given up hope that we can convince him to return.

Pocock says nature laws are an improvement but show ‘lack of policy courage’

A little more from David Pocock on the EPBC and nature reforms.

While welcoming the bills – expected to pass the Senate later today – as an improvement on current national nature laws after key concessions were secured, Pocock said the package overall showed a “lack of policy courage”:

Nature was only a partial winner in today’s deal and as a parliament we have failed to update our national environmental laws in a way that fully protects the places and species we love.

Also disappointing is the complete disregard for the role of the Senate in how the environment bills have been dealt with. The Senate’s job is to provide scrutiny. This is so important especially on controversial legislation.

The bills were rammed through with almost no time for scrutiny.

He said other problems included a “pay to destroy” offsets fund, failure to require the climate harm of projects to be assessed and “vague new powers for the Minister to declare projects in the ‘national interest’, reducing transparency and introducing further uncertainty for business and nature”.

Pocock says nature laws being 'rammed through' with little time for scrutiny

The independent senator David Pocock says new nature laws are “being rammed through with almost no time for scrutiny” by the Senate and the government’s deal with the Greens falls short in several areas.

He has highlighted one new provision in the bills that has gone under the radar. It will allow the environment minister to make “rulings” about how environmental standards or other elements of the laws should be applied to proponents, actions or industries.

In a statement this afternoon he said this “sets a dangerous unprecedented extension of executive power for the environment minister of the day and unjustifiably reduces the role of the judiciary”.

In separate comments to Guardian Australia, Pocock said:

I share the concerns of experts that this is effectively a ministerial power grab, which would allow the minister to step into the shoes of a judge.

It’s an unprecedented move in environmental law and risks stripping away the safeguards we rely on.

If we’re serious about protecting nature, this is the wrong direction.

Coalition ‘manoeuvred themselves into irrelevance’ on nature laws reform: Graeme Samuel

The former competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the EPBC, says the Coalition has “manoeuvred themselves into irrelevance on this matter”.

Samuel has told the ABC he is “elated” that Labor and the Greens have reached an agreement to overhaul the EPBC.

He’s also said he’s relieved the government did not cooperate with the Coalition to pass the changes, arguing their demands would have hurt the environment and business.

They have manoeuvred themselves into irrelevance on this matter. Absolute irrelevance.

They basically were not able to sit down and negotiate with minister what on central amendments [they wanted].

I was having a look at some of their demands and I was actually really worried. I thought, if we cave into those demands, we will be doing a lot of damage to the environment and frankly to business as well.

McKenzie says it is ‘good’ that Joyce hasn’t at this stage joined One Nation

s senator Bridget McKenzie says it’s a good outcome that Barnaby Joyce hasn’t at this stage joined One Nation.

She was speaking to the ABC a few minutes ago:

It is no secret that [Joyce] has had issues with particularly David Littleproud over recent years so that all came to a head today.

There was a lot of concern that he would go to One Nation, which I think is a good outcome that he hasn’t, because Barnaby got into politics to do real things for particularly vulnerable people in this country …

You can only do those sort of things as a party of government.

The independents and Greens would of course disagree with that analysis on how to do real things.

NSW Health warn of high dose drugs circulating ahead of music festival

NSW Health is warning there are higher than usual dose MDMA and ketamine circulating ahead of a music festival taking place in Sydney this weekend.

Community samples tested have revealed multiple MDMA (ecstasy) tablets and capsules containing a higher dose than usual, as well as ketamine-like substances, or analogues, have also been detected in white powder and crystalline matter, are circulating.

These were detected by the NSW government’s drug checking trial at last weekend’s Strawberry Fields event in southern NSW.

NSW Health say they are concerned the substances are still in circulation and drug checking, through the NSW government’s drug checking trial will be available at the Hypersonic music event taking place in western Sydney this Saturday.

NSW Health chief addiction medicine specialist Dr Hester Wilson said it was also concerning it will be hot this weekend, with temperatures expected to be in the 30’s:

High doses of MDMA can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm and death.

These risks are greatly increased if MDMA is used with other stimulants, such as amphetamines or cocaine, or if high amounts are consumed over a short period.

The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary significantly, even within the same batch.”

Hot environments, such as at music festivals, increase the risk of harm from MDMA. Taking a break from dancing, seeking shade and drinking water are important measures to reduce the risk of overheating.

That’s it from me folks, on this final parliamentary sitting day of the year. You can now take a deep breath. Parliament won’t be back until February next year for plenty more drama and political shenanigans.

Thanks for following along today, it’s been kinda crazy! I’ll leave you with the brilliant Henry Belot for the rest of the afternoon.

TL;DR – here’s what happened in question time

It started capital-R Rowdy in the chamber today with three Coalition MPs kicked out within the first 30 minutes, before things settled back down again (and everyone behaved themselves a bit better).

Chris Bowen was back in the opposition’s sights today, as they probed him on the government’s once-promised $275 energy bill reduction.

Home affairs minister Tony Burke was pressed on why the government went ahead with the $2.5bn Nauru deal amid allegations of corruption.

Anthony Albanese wouldn’t answer a question from independent Kate Chaney on whether the government wants to see house prices increase, decrease or plateau.

Allegra Spender asked the PM if he would reform question time to make sure that ministers actually answer questions, because right now it really is just ‘question time, and not answer time’.

During a dixer, Burke tried to have a go at the opposition with Christmas movies, calling Barnaby Joyce the ghost of Christmas past, and then said, “and with love actually we’ll have the member for New England [Joyce] turning up at a Queensland doorstep for a different party holding a sign saying ‘To me you are perfect’.”

Littleproud says Joyce's departure from s is 'disappointing' after supporting him in 'his darkest moments'

David Littleproud has criticised Barnaby Joyce’s decision to quit the party, saying the s had stood by him “during his darkest moments”.

In a statement, the s leader called Joyce’s defection “disappointing”.

It breaks the contract he made with the people of New England at the 2025 Federal Election. It is disappointing for the people of New England and disappointing for the loyal Party members who tirelessly volunteered over the past two decades to support his political ambitions.

The s supported Barnaby through the tough times, including during his darkest moments.

He said he’d encouraged Joyce to remain in the Nats, both privately and publicly, and that “Barnaby made it clear to me he wanted time and space to consider his future and asked me to respect that”.

Barnaby has chosen to walk away from The s’ team – a strong team that fights for regional Australia and delivers genuine solutions for regional Australians in Government.

Littleproud said the s would continue on.

Continuing from our last post …

Conservation Council WA executive director Matt Roberts said:

We welcome changes to stop the fast-tracking of coal and gas, but this should never have been on the table in the first place.

We’re concerned that these laws will enable the handing of powers to state and territory governments who’ve been shown they can’t be trusted to protect our nature and climate. It is imperative that the federal government retain decision-making powers for destructive projects like the North-West Shelf and Browse Basin.

The chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Jacqui Mumford, said closure of the effective exemption from national environmental laws for native forest logging covered by regional forest agreements (RFAs) should mean an end to logging in important threatened species habitat.

With the RFA exemption finally removed, we expect this will mean an end to logging in forests that are critical for threatened species across NSW, such as greater glider strongholds and the state’s remaining koala refuges.

This is the most significant shift in forest policy in a generation and gives the Minns Government a clear mandate to deliver a fair, planned transition out of native forest logging and into sustainable, plantation-based jobs.

State and territory conservation councils respond to nature laws deal

Australia’s state and territory conservation councils say the Albanese government “missed an opportunity to secure nature laws that genuinely safeguard Australia’s nature and climate for generations to come”.

In a joint statement this afternoon, the eight groups congratulated the Greens “for clawing back some big wins in negotiations with Labor”, including the removal of the native forest logging loophole and stopping the fast-tracking of coal and gas projects.

But the groups said they remained concerned the laws, expected to pass the Senate later today, included new pathways to hand approval powers to states and territory governments, and to fast-track other mining and land-clearing via a streamlined process.

They also said the Environment Protection Agency the laws would establish was not a genuinely independent model.

Environment Centre NT executive director Dr Kirsty Howey said:

While some wins have been clawed back in negotiations with the Greens, the Albanese Government has missed a golden opportunity to secure laws that genuinely safeguard Australia’s nature and climate for generations to come.

Question time ends for 2025

With a final dixer to the PM, question time ends for the year!

Before everyone leaves, the Speaker, prime minister and opposition leader give longtime Channel Seven cameraman Steve Quick a shoutout. Quick is retiring after 30 years in the press gallery.

Albanese says:

To Steve, I pay tribute to you, mate. I thank you for the work that you’ve done and engagement that I’ve had with you, but I think your work, as well in the tribute, symbolises the respect in which the people behind the cameras are held by all of us in this change.

Sussan Ley jokes that she went up to the Channel Seven bureau to say a personal goodbye and saw a particular mug on his desk.

I did notice that he had a Liberal mug on his desk with stronger economy, stronger coffee, which … I associate with!

She thanks Quick for all of his work over the last few decades.

Allegra Spender asks PM ‘why question time is not answer time’

The independent MP Allegra Spender asks the PM if he has considered reforming QT “to give a greater expectation of answers and in narrowing of relevance so we can get better answers in this House?” She says constituents have often said to her that “question time is question time, not answer time”.

(They all raise a fair point IMO.)

Anthony Albanese points to a bunch of other countries where there’s little to no parliamentary question time.

Most parliaments in the G20. President Prabowo has not answered a question. Prime minister Modi has not answered a question. In the UK, the Westminster system upon which we’re based, there is prime minister’s question time for one hour once a week. And the questions are in note on notice. On notice.

He says that when he was manager of business in the House, he implemented time limits for answers and not shut down question time after an hour.

So the answer is pretty much no – there’s no further consideration of forcing ministers to be a bit tighter with their answers.

Liberal MP asks if power bills have ‘ruined Christmas’

Liberal MP Melissa Price takes the next opposition question, and asks if Chris Bowen has “ruined Christmas” by not being able to deliver Labor’s once promised $275 energy bill reduction.

She quotes the Vinnies CEO who says: “The demand for our support services particularly for emergency assistance is greater than ever before.”

Bowen says he agrees with the Vinnies CEO and concedes again that energy bills are currently too high.

He says the government is “delivering” and plugs the cheaper home battery scheme.

I’m pleased to tell the House that 15,825 West Australian families have installed a cheaper home battery since July 1. Reducing bills to zero or get a rebate instead of a bill, getting money in their bank account, rather than getting a bill.

Does Labor want to increase or reduce house prices?

Are the government’s housing policies aiming to increase, plateau or reduce house prices, asks independent Kate Chaney, who says young Australians are getting locked out of buying a home.

Anthony Albanese won’t answer that question directly, but says it’s about “supply” that the government is building more homes, more social and affordable homes, and introducing shared equity scheme programs.

What we’re doing, the member for Curtin, is increasing that supply. We want to provide more social and public housing, point number one. That’s what we’re doing through our Housing Australia Future Fund … in addition to that we’re trying to provide more private rentals and doing that through our build to rent incentive as well.

He also sneaks a dig at the “No-alition” again – which Milton Dick tells him not to say, because he’s previously ruled that the Coalition should not be referred to by that name.