David Pocock says Australia can’t afford to progress with “poor policy from the last parliament that puts questionable carbon credits into the system”.
The trio of senators want federal budget measures to be assessed for their impact on Australia’s carbon emissions.
The tearful senator called for urgent changes to how veterans’ claims for compensation are handled and revealed details of her own struggles.
The opening of a new parliament brings a mix of serious pomp and lighthearted moments as everyone finds their feet.
The ACT senator has outlined in-principle support for the 2030 target but hopes it can go further,putting pressure on the Greens to support legislating the target.
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and her newly elected colleague Tammy Tyrrell have signalled their willingness to consider Labor’s plans to legislate its 43 per cent emissions reduction target.
The public is unlikely to care about the staff cuts the PM announced for crossbenchers,but it has forced the diverse group to form some quick and unlikely alliances.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it isn’t the case that crossbench politicians have to do more work than major party backbenchers and so need more staff.
The government could face an embarrassing loss of control of the Senate next month over cuts to independents’ staff allocations.
Cabinet ministers have defended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s move to cut the staffing budgets of independent and minor party MPs as “common sense”.
Two key Senate crossbenchers are threatening to vote against government legislation after the prime minister slashed the number of advisers they will have in the new parliament.