Opposition under pressure as Parliament returns

The Federal Parliament returns next week, the first sitting following Labor’s win in the Dunkley By-election.

The Government will be firmly focused on the upcoming budget this sitting fortnight, along with the swearing-in of the new Member for Dunkley, Jodie Belyea.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers used an address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) on Wednesday to set a modest expectation narrative for the May 2024 Budget by stating “no big cash splashes”.

Citing “a softening labour market”, declining commodity prices and already-announced budget features, the Treasurer reiterated that the three driving factors in his budget preparation were “global uncertainty, persistent cost-of-living pressures, and slowing growth”.

The Opposition seems to be gearing up to focus its narrative this sitting fortnight on its nuclear energy pipe dream and the state issue of youth crime. Once again, despite being in Opposition, Peter Dutton is choosing to attempt to set the narrative rather than respond to the Government’s narrative.

Peter Dutton’s recycled nuclear contamination

Nuclear power is one hell of a way to boil water. ~ Albert Einstein

Dutton’s propensity to set the narrative around what he wants to discuss rather than matters that are paramount to the Government and voters was identified as a factor in the Dunkley By-election loss.

Nine columnist, Niki Savva, speaking on ABC Insiders, noted that the Opposition wasted the sitting days in the lead-up to the By-election discussing detainees and not the cost of living:

“If the Liberal Party can’t win a seat like this, at a time like this, at a by-election when cost of living is high, interest rates are high, inflation is high then it doesn’t auger well. But then to try and turn it around as some kind of victory shows a level of denial and delusion which does not serve them well. And, you’ll never win an election with denial and delusion.”

In recent days, Nationals Leader David Littleproud and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton have weighed in on the youth crime debate. Both agree that the best way to solve youth crime is to send kids bush among the “king brown [snakes] and wild dogs” to give them a “purpose in life”. It is interesting to note that the issue of youth crime is shaping up to be a key issue in the Queensland State Election, due in October 2024, as well as other upcoming state elections.

So both Queensland politicians, Dutton and Littleproud, appear to be using their federal platforms to address state issues, further alienating them from the real issues concerning federal voters like cost of living pressures. Both want to set the narrative rather than respond to the Government’s narrative, which on the back of two by-election losses seems to be a failed strategy.

Dutton, despite demanding a national “mature debate” on nuclear energy, comes to the table without any credible policy planning, project costing or funding solutions, project plan or timeline, no information on potential private investment nor any geographic plan for reactor placement and waste storage.

Memo to Dutton: Fukushima's lessons must be learned, not forgotten

It is 13 years since the world held our breath, crossed our fingers and learned of a place called Fukushima, which Peter Dutton and the Coalition seem to have forgotten, writes Dave Sweeney.

Essentially, the Opposition is filibustering to prolong the use of fossil fuels in the absence of any timely, competitive alternative to renewable energy.

Littleproud ‘gave the game away’ in a recent morning TV interview, according to The New Daily:

‘The Nationals leader said he’s already met one would-be investor “that owns a metallurgical coal mine in central Queensland. They believe if they ran their mine off SMR (Small Nuclear Reactor), they get a 14 per cent premium for their coal to export around the world and pay for itself”.’

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull added his two cents to the nuclear debate we have to have:

‘This rerun of the climate wars is yet another example of history repeating itself, first as tragedy and then, as we see today, as farce.’

The Opposition is loathe to address the issue of nuclear waste, a topic that was canvassed this week by Greens Senator David Shoebridge, in a Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee public hearing regarding AUKUS submarine nuclear waste.

Shoebridge says the Greens oppose accepting nuclear waste from AUKUS nations and insist the nuclear waste regulator should be independent of Defence. Shoebridge adds that currently, both the Government and the Opposition are in lock-step to pass the bill in its current form, which doesn’t provide for an independent regulator, Defence will regulate themselves.

Meanwhile, the Crossbench is celebrating a win after long advocating for “truth in advertising” laws for electoral material that looks set to pass Parliament with the support of the Government. In a suite of electoral reforms announced recently by the Albanese Government, including removing big-money donations from politics.

Voters of all persuasions want political advertising they can trust. After of years pushing for reform I’m pleased to see govt moving to legislate. A win for crossbench who've held both sides of govt to account for better #integrity #auspol #stopthelies💪 https://t.co/ARttVIXlsb
— 🌏 Zali Steggall MP (@zalisteggall) March 13, 2024

Great to see another crossbench integrity reform make its way into government policy. Congratulations @zalisteggall. Independents are strengthening our democracy:

✅ National Anti-Corruption Commission
✅ Truth in political advertising

Now let's pass my #CleanUpPoliticsAct.
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) March 13, 2024

Independent for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, will likely continue to push for lobbying transparency with her Clean Up Politics Act while the Government’s electoral reforms are topical.

The Albanese Government is unlikely to face any harsh criticism from Dutton over its ‘biggest single financial commitment for the critical minerals sector’, an $840 million handout to Gina Rinehart-backed Arafura Rare Earths mine. This comes after Dutton was criticised for not prioritising the Dunkley By-election and flying across the country to spend 40 minutes at billionaire Rinehart’s birthday bash.

This sitting fortnight will see Dutton under pressure to produce something tangible, like a policy, to add to his calls for a debate on nuclear energy rather than the Government under pressure from the Opposition. The Government will continue to set the narrative irrespective of whether or not the Opposition chooses to hold it to account or go off on its own tangent as if its members were in government.

Rarely has an opposition been so expert in unforced errors as the Dutton/Littleproud Coalition, as polls suggest, electoral competitiveness is becoming more and more elusive for the Coalition.

In the meantime, the Crossbench will continue to be the proxy-Opposition holding the Government to account and the Albanese Government will continue to plot its course unencumbered by an effective, in-touch Opposition.