More than 30 pieces of legislation pass the upper house amid a flurry of deals with the Coalition and Greens
A late final sitting in the Senate for the year has seen more than 30 bills pass the upper house, including controversial migration laws that allow the government to pay third countries to take non-citizens and ban travellers from specified countries.
Senators sat until almost 11.30pm on Thursday after the Albanese government struck an earlier deal with the Greens and the opposition to pass 31 bills, in addition to a social media ban on under-16s debated from 10pm.
After an hour delay due to Simon Birmingham’s surprise retirement, the guillotined debate began at 6.30pm with a number of mostly uncontroversial bills passing with no amendments.
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws extending reporting obligations of suspicious transactions to lawyers, accountants and real estate agents passed first with minor amendments, kickstarting the marathon sitting.
Labor’s build-to-rent bill, which gives incentives to investors to build properties for renting, also passed the Senate, handing the government another housing win.
Australia’s $23bn answer to the US’s Inflation Reduction Act, Future Made in Australia, also passed, enabling $13.7bn in tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals.
On Wednesday, the Greens struck a deal with the government to ensure the program could not support coal, oil and gas projects.
Doxing laws, which carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail for targeting someone for their race, religion or sexuality, are also now law.
Three migration bills passed with Coalition support creating powers for the Australian government to pay third countries to receive non-citizens, criminal penalties for non-citizens who refuse to cooperate with their own deportation, and new powers to search for drugs and confiscate phones in detention.
Refugee and asylum seeker groups sent angered statements late into the evening, describing the bills as “racist” and “reminiscent of the White Australia policy”.
