The political landscape in Australia has changed completely. This shift follows a negative pattern of actions associated with a new anti-immigrant bill that seeks to expand the government’s deportation powers. On Thursday afternoon, the legislation passed swiftly through Parliament, but not without sparking controversy and internal conflict within the Coalition.
Convenor of the Coalition, Sussan Ley, a current Minister in the Morrison government, publicly denounced her as loathsome. She courageously stated, “This isn’t a promise … this is a surrender.” Unfortunately for Cormann, her comments exposed the deep frustration among Coalition ranks. That acrimony brewed even further after recent comments by key party figures threatened their party’s show of cohesion.
Frontbencher Julian Leeser went a step further by rejecting and condemning his colleague Price to take the high ground. Together, this move underscores the growing split between the party’s moderates and progressives. The internal discord is becoming increasingly clear. Members are learning the hard way how they will pay the price for their incendiary rhetoric and bad policy votes. Anne Ruston said she was shocked by the sudden about face from her party’s leadership. She emphasized that these swift changes surprised everyone.
Government’s Transparency Under Scrutiny
The government’s recent decision to tighten Freedom of Information access has provided the Coalition with an unexpected opportunity to criticize Labor’s record on transparency. Critics remarked that this action allowed them to turn on their heels and run from their earlier attacks. It moved the argument on to Labor’s policy and treatment of freedom of information.
Meanwhile, Australian member of Parliament David Pocock has forged an unlikely alliance to tackle some of these same downstream effects. He clearly articulated his worries about the cost of resettling former detainees from NZYQ cohort to Nauru. Australia is set to spend around $408 million over the course of that promise. Following that, the annual cost will be about $70 million for just over 354 people—approximately $197,000 per person. These figures have led to passionate plea and back-and-forth between lawmakers over the importance of fiscal responsibility and humanitarian responsibility.
Pocock articulated it acutely. The government shot down his planned amendment, which added to the already fraught legislative climate.
A Rapid Shift in Legislative Support
The three-hour hearing, intended to exercise oversight over the bill that would expand deportation powers, occurred amid a wave of escalating tensions. At first, the government seemed to be actively pursuing to filibuster the bill, only to switch to full-throated support after much negotiated and dramatic last-minute changes. This sudden transformation left many MPs bewildered.
One member characterized the unfolding events as a “head-in-hand moment,” lamenting that all efforts to establish a coherent strategy had been “burned in a manner of minutes.” During such a quick turnaround of events, not all Coalition members were trusted or assured on the overall direction and unity of the Coalition.
Price refused to apologize at first for her inflammatory remarks. An hour later, she walked back her statement, endorsing them a “mistake.” This sudden reversal revealed the intense pressure from within the party and the fear of their own party’s optics on display.
Anthony Albanese’s comments regarding “good people” attending rallies further fueled unease within Labor’s caucus. Many members felt that such statements could alienate certain voter bases and lead to further repercussions in upcoming electoral contests.
