We’re back for the first week of official sitting for 2026 and the Chamber looked very different. With the Coalition split, a new seating arrangement had to follow. As I said to the House when changing the sessional orders: “We still have the traditional crossbench over in the corner there, but we now have the Cross, the Very Cross and the Apoplectic all in front of us here.” If the Liberals and Nationals keep this up, the seating plan may need updating again next week. Who knows?

Anyway, a lot happened this week, here’s the 5&5

BEST

We’re delivering on better healthcare
PBS throwback
Always backing workers
Back to School for Australian students
There’s no place like home

WORST

The “noaltion” lives to see another day
I can't hear you from way over there
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or they were just being lazy
The Art of Backbench
The only bloke who could work with him

1. Last week we signed a landmark funding agreement for public hospitals that will secure national access to world-class health care as well as disability support, reducing wait times and helping long-stay patients stay out of hospital rooms and get into dedicated care. The Prime Minister, Clare Cutterham, and Kara Cook all spoke about Labor’s plan for better healthcare, they're absolutely worth the watch.

2. I think I’ve developed a rule: you mention music, you make the email. So it’s no surprise to say Kristy McBain delivered one of my favourite lines of the week when she said: “PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004, Silverchair were still together as a band and so were the coalition.”

3. In Labor always backs workers, and Amanda Rishworth told the house this week the numbers back our record on wages. “New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that wages of workers covered by enterprise agreements have risen by an average of 9.6 per cent over two years. Under our government we've reached record high numbers of workers on enterprise agreements, and these workers are earning more.” This is good news for Australian workers and evidence that our reforms are delivering.

4. Renee Coffey and Jason Clare with help from Alice Jordan-Baird, reminded the house that Australian students are back in classrooms this week and getting a better education because of the Albanese Labor Government’s fairer funding for public schools. A year of new teachers, new classrooms… and new seats - as Jason hinted, a bit like the other side of the House.

5. In QT on Wednesday, Clare O’Neil put our $45 billion housing agenda front and centre - delivering generational change with 55,000 homes already on the way. Channelling Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Matt Burnell backed our landmark South Australian announcement. It’s worth the watch.

1. After calling for Parliament to be urgently recalled, then voting against the very measures they demanded, the Coalition may have disbanded, but the no-alition is alive and well. The PM put it best “I used to get admonished sometimes by the Speaker for using the term 'no-alition'. I meant it as a joke, but those opposite regard it as a mission statement.” The funny thing is, with the breakup of the Coalition the term no-alition is now completely within order, as I pointed out to Speaker Milton Dick on Monday.

2. While Catherine King was telling the House about all the infrastructure projects we’ve delivered under the Albanese Labor Government on Tuesday, the Nationals couldn’t help but interject. The only problem is, the Liberals have made them sit at the back of the Chamber. Catherine didn’t miss a beat calling out, “Sorry, I can't hear you from way over there. I really can't.”

3. Question Time was weird this week. Ted O’Brien Shadow Treasurer asked the same questions as what can only be assumed is the Shadow Shadow Treasurer. Feeling confused? So was Jim Chalmers when he said this on Tuesday, “One of the problems with them not talking to each other over there is that his mate over there just asked the same question, essentially the same question.”

4. It seems the Liberal backbench are…bored…in the Chamber? In a week of little strategy and all tragedy, backbencher Andrew Hastie was caught reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. I reckon he’s made it to the bit where he says “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

5. Because the Nationals left the Coalition, the Liberals had to reassign their shadow portfolios. Jim Chalmers had a great one on Tuesday, responding to a question from Ted O'Brien who allegedly gained another title in the Coalition break up. Jim said “I thank the Shadow Treasurer, who is also now, I'm told, the Shadow Assistant Treasurer. They found the only bloke over there who could work with him, and they're still not convinced there won't be leaking of private conversations! “

The House is back next week for sitting and the Senate will be busy with budget estimates.

‘til then,

Tony

PS. Kristy's reference to Silverchair means they have to have the song of the week. Given the break up of the Coalition, I reckon "Without You".

5&5: Never Ever Getting Back Together