Episode description
Episode description
The parliamentary year commenced with the revelations of a rape at Parliament House; it ended with a report into sexual harassment at parliamentary workplaces… and a federal minister stepping aside after he was accused of physically abusing a staffer he was having an affair with. When will parliamentarians learn their lessons?And with so many government MPs and Ministers resigning, is it a sign of panic? No, it’s quite normal for MPs to retire and they can’t stay in politics forever. But it certainly doesn’t help the cause of the Liberal–National Coalition. And Anthony Albanese has announced a 43% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2030, and the sky hasn’t fallen in. Not yet, but Scott Morrison is certain to find a way of misrepresenting the policy, because that’s what he does best. Actually governing can wait for another day.
And a Labor–Greens coalition? The Liberal Party and National Party have one, so why not? It’s a little bit more complicated but it comes down to two factors: the Liberal and National parties need each other to form government, while the Labor Party can form government by itself. And the other reason? The need has never arisen (except for 2010). And it won’t arise until we get a repeat of 2010: a hung parliament.