Because we sat last Friday for the Queen’s condolences this week was only a 3 day parliamentary week. Was that enough to fill a 5&5? You bet.

BEST

The legislation
Jane Hume on Insiders
The Liberals, the Nats and their yellowcake
Linda Burney's tribute to Uncle Jack
Another round of incredible first speeches

WORST

Sussan Ley trying to table the internet
Paul Fletcher not understanding irony
The Liberals asking Jim Chalmers about economic policy
Angus Taylor failing to read a media release
The previous government's dam shame

1. Talk about getting things done. The legislation that was introduced and passed this week will have a huge impact. We introduced:

The Respect@Work Bill
Cheaper childcare reforms
National Anti-Corruption Commission legislation

2. This really happened. Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume on Insiders: “We’re in Opposition. We don’t have policies.” Since the election we’ve avoided using the phrase “are there any alternative policies?” in Question Time. But Libby Coker was right to be the first to use the phrase. Richard Marles as Acting Prime Minister responded: “I'm asked whether there are any other alternatives - a question of which those opposite used to be particularly fond. Yesterday, the Shadow Finance Minister gave a particularly succinct answer to that question. Given the last 10 years, it's surprising that the Liberal Party feel they need to qualify that statement with the word 'opposition'.”

3. Energy is another area where the Opposition haven’t found their feet. As Chris Bowen pointed out in Question Time. “I can report to the house the ideas factory over there has been whirling away again, and there has been Liberal and National senators and members promoting nuclear energy again today, but they don't have much detail. They've just got a vibe. … They don't want the detail, they want to have their yellowcake and eat it too!”

4. Linda Burney led the tributes to beloved First Nations artist Uncle Jack Charles, who died earlier this month. “He laid out there his personal battles, and used his life as an example to others of what is possible. He was an inspiration not just for First Nations people, but for all people … Thank you Uncle Jack. Rest in power.”

5. This sitting week saw the final first speeches to Parliament. Jerome Laxale … Dan Repacholi … and Andrew Charlton all gave brilliant first speeches and I’m so glad to have them in Parliament – I know they’ve got so much to offer. I should also note that there were some brilliant first speeches during the last sitting which I didn’t get to update you on because of the death of the Queen. But a special mention to Alison Byrnes … Carina Garland … Sam Lim … and Cassandra Fernando who addressed the House, while Fatima Payman gave her first speech in the Senate. It’s so good to see the Parliament looking more like modern Australian. All worth a watch.

1. The whole idea of tabling a document is so that people have access to it. I don’t think anyone’s told the Deputy Leader of the Opposition this. Twice in two days Sussan Ley asked to table documents that were already freely available for anyone with access to the internet. When she sought leave for tabling I explained “You can’t table the internet. It’s already publicly available". She appeared disappointed. She often does.

2. Talk about leading with your chin. The Manager of Opposition Business Paul Fletcher criticised me for introducing a Live Performance Support Fund – to help live events impacted by COVID-19 over the summer – on the basis it was too late. In fairness, he has a point. An insurance scheme for live events covering mandatory isolation should have been funded more than two years ago – when he was Arts Minister and the industry was begging for help! Oh well.

3. The Libs thought it would be a good idea to ask Jim Chalmers about economic policy. He had a few choice words for the Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor. “I don't know what's more concerning—that the Shadow Treasurer might not be the sharpest tool in the Liberal Party's shed or that he might be the sharpest tool in the Liberal Party's shed. Only in a Liberal Party this bereft of ideas and talent would the member for Hume even get a look in, in a serious economic portfolio”.

4. Speaking of Angus. I can’t let this one pass. There might not have been a 5&5 for the last sitting week - but it’s safe to say that the Member for Hume didn’t have a good week. Here’s a taste... “Why would we exclude veterans from this? It's extraordinary.”

I don’t mean to pick on the shadow Treasurer, but when you go on live TV to claim it’s “extraordinary” that the Government had excluded veterans from a new measure letting pensioners earn an $4000 without losing access to their benefits. You might want to check your facts? It was in the first line of the press release that veterans were in fact included. Watch the excruciating footage by clicking on the link above. As Matt Keogh explained in Question Time. “What this means is that a veteran on the service pension now could take any job. Like, for example, they might want to work at a local steakhouse, where they could serve the Member for Hume a well-done Angus.”

5. The previous government promised to build 100 dams. Despite being in for close to a decade, guess how many they actually built? Tanya Plibersek was happy to update the House during Question Time. “Two! Of 450 gigalitres of additional environmental water, they delivered two. Of the 100 dams they promised, they delivered two. This mob are great at circling the country and making big promises to regional communities, but they're all hat and no cattle.”

Parliament returns for the Budget sittings.

I’ll write to you then,

Tony

P.S. OK, the lyrics aren’t perfect but I had to find a song in honour of Jane Hume boasting about the Opposition having no policies. Those of you who’ve been on this list for a while will know that I’ve already used Taylor Swift’s ‘blank space’. So in a search for songs about nothingness – here is JuiceWRLD with ‘Empty’ ⬇

5&5: Parliament Week 3