My band ‘Left Right Out’ played at the end of year gathering for caucus and staff members on Wednesday night. But given it wasn’t within Parliament, I can’t quite include it in the 5&5 and therefore I’ve made no reference to it in this email.

Here’s the 5&5 of the final sitting week.

BEST

A landmark day for our natural environment
Delivering for Australians
A better deal for gig workers
One of the most important things
“They not like us”

WORST

Senate suspension
The sounds of a Coalition summer
No place for violence in Australia
“In Dutton’s defence”...
Allergic to climate leadership

1. This week the Parliament passed the Albanese Labor Government’s landmark Environment Protection Reform Bill. These are the most significant reforms to our environment since the Hawke Government. Minister for Environment Senator Murray Watt put it best. “These reforms will deliver a modern, fit for purpose, set of national environmental laws for Australia for a long time to come. The reforms deliver faithfully on the recommendations of Professor Samuel's report five long years ago, and they deliver on the promise that I gave, on taking on this role to ensure that these laws would be balanced and that they would deliver real gains for both the environment and for business.”

2. In our final sitting week of the year we were able to pass some really important legislation which will; help implement AUKUS, deliver our commitment to extend the small business instant asset write-off, deliver reforms identified at the Economic Reform Roundtable, ensure more Australian content is on our screens, strengthen oversight on intelligence agencies, deliver more places for First Nations students to study medicine, and make it easier for some people who want to compete for Australia at the Olympics to become citizens.

3. In 2022, we introduced our Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws to ensure workers get their fair share. Those laws are now fully operational and the changes for gig workers are starting. Amanda Rishworth put it best. “For too long these workers fell through the cracks of our workplace relations system, with many relying on tips to survive. Our Labor government does not believe that this is the Australian way, which is why we introduced important changes to protect these workers.”

4. On Tuesday, Clare O’Neil shared an incredibly heartwarming story with the Chamber about the importance of the Housing Australia Future Fund. “I met Tianjin and Christine and one-month-old baby Jacob, who recently moved into a new home in Marabanog. This beautiful young family had been living in a share house with eight families in one home. They had been on the social housing waiting list for seven years and they had a one-month-old baby. I can tell you that, having seen their pride and their happiness and the relief that they felt in being able to provide stable housing for their tiny little baby, I challenge any person here to meet that family and tell me that the Housing Australia Future Fund is not one of the most important things that our government is doing right now to build Australia's future. That one home has changed the life of an entire Australian family, and we're doing it 55,000 times around the country.”

5. We built Medicare. That’s the Australian way. That’s the Labor way. On Wednesday, Jerome Laxale gave a touch of Kendrick Lamar to explain why the Coalition’s record just can’t compare. “Under the Liberals, bulkbilling was on life support. They froze rebates and slashed billions of dollars from hospitals. As Kendrick Lamar would say, those Liberals—they not like us. Labor created Medicare, Labor protects Medicare and Labor will always strengthen Medicare.”

1. Something tasteless happened this week in the Senate and while I don’t want to give it anymore air time, I think Penny Wong summarised it better than anyone. “Freedom of expression is central to who we are as Australians. So is respect. And to disrespect fellow Australians because of their faith is un-Australian.”

2. You’ve heard of the sound of silence and the sound of summer in Australia but have you heard the sounds of the Coalition in summer? Trust me, Jason Clare made it sound better than anyone could have expected. “This is a special time of the year. Cricket’s on the telly - even if it is for just two days - we have meat on the barbie, the sound of cicadas, lawnmowers, kids opening presents, the sound of champagne corks popping and knives sharpening—and that’s just over there in the Liberal Party! And this year there will be the sound of something else, the sound of millions of phones beeping with a message that your student debt has been cut by 20 per cent. Tomorrow 1.5 million Australians will have their debt cut by 20 per cent, and, next week, another 1.5 million Australians will have their debt cut, too.”

3. In Australia, 1 in 3 women aged 15 and above will experience violence in their lifetime. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to help mark the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender based violence, Member for Bonner, Kara Cook, delivered an exceptional 90 second statement. Kara listed 16 things the Albanese Labor Government has delivered to keep women and children safe. It is absolutely worth the watch.

4. If Peter Dutton caught Question Time on Monday, he would have heard some words of comfort. Although, he probably wouldn't have expected it to come from Jim Chalmers. “Those opposite have completely vacated the field when it comes to rational, responsible economic policy. We see in Niki Savva's book that they're all lining up to dump on the former leader. They're all trying to blame Peter Dutton for their woes. In Peter Dutton's defence, look what he had to work with over there: the least talented, most divisive and most divided front bench in memory.”

5. We always knew the Coalition had a shaky faith in climate action - but their reaction to Chris Bowen’s COP presidency was downright bizarre. Especially considering the last 10 COP presidents were cabinet members in their own countries. Chris put it best in Question Time on Wednesday. “What we want is more influence for our country; they want less. They want less influence for Australia. How unpatriotic can you be? Why don't you want your country to have a bigger role in the world? Why are you so anti-Australian? Why can't you be proud that your country can play a leading role in international negotiations?”

The Senate is back next week for a final week of estimates and the House will be back in the first week of February, 2026.

In my part of Sydney, people are always generous in sharing whatever celebration is personally important to them with the whole community. In that same spirit, I'm wishing you all the peace and joy of Christmas. Stay safe.

‘til then,

Tony

PS On the final day of sitting Barnaby Joyce announced he was leaving the National Party which meant that their numbers in the House went down from 43 to 42. As different members were ordered to leave the Chamber under standing order 94A, caucus members started calling their numbers as they declined. All of us were left wondering - and I have to choose this song given Buzz Bidstrupplayed with my band - Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?

5&5: The PM likes my band