Anthony Albanese's political agenda is on the line as his government braces for the last parliamentary session of the year with dozens of signature policies unresolved. Labor insiders privately concede the sitting fortnight starting today could also be the last of the term, even as the prime minister laughs off election speculation.
This raises the prospect that Labor may have to abandon any of the dozens of bills it cannot pass through an unfriendly Senate in the coming days, or else return to voters with a long to-do list including several unfulfilled promises from the last election. International student caps, aged care, political donations and misinformation laws are among the high-profile priorities in limbo.
The university sector will dominate the beginning of the fortnight, with the Senate to debate international student caps and HECS indexation on Monday. The government's bid to wind back the abnormally-large indexation from the last two years shapes as an easy win, but the outlook for student caps is uncertain. Labor must first contend with its own senators' suggestion to rein in the scope of the bill and then reach agreement with the opposition.
On Tuesday, the Senate will debate the government's overhaul of aged care fees and regulation. The Coalition has already said it will support the proposed new fee structure but wants several amendments. Aged Care Minister Anika Wells revealed on Sunday she would set up a taskforce to help the sector with the changes, stating the government still intended to pass the bill this year.
The Coalition may be more amenable to Labor's plan for caps on political donations and campaign spending, to be introduced to parliament on Monday. The crossbench and Clive Palmer are furious at media reports of that plan, which both say will stifle their ability to challenge the major parties. Laws for truth standards in political ads will also be introduced, but Labor appears resigned to their failure.
The path was cleared late last week to give the ACCC new powers to screen company mergers and acquisitions, including on supermarkets. But on most fronts, the government is running out of time. Its plan for tougher supermarket fines when they mistreat suppliers has not progressed beyond a draft, and it has yet to hear back from the ACCC's review of supermarket pricing practices.
