Andrew Wilkie, the independent MP for the Tasmanian seat of Clark is also against the government attempting to rush through the amendments to the environmental protection act, which will allow the salmon farming industry to bypass environmental laws and continue farming in Macquarie Harbour – which all the science and research says will lead to the extinction of the Maugean Skate – a literal dinosaur fish.

But these laws are not only limited to Macquarie Harbour. They could apply anywhere. And to any nature-destroying industry.

OK, while we are working out the f*ckery that is this week, let’s also take a moment to fact check some more of what the Coalition are saying (we are equal opportunist fact checkers here) given that this clip from the Bad Show has reminded me of it:

In case you missed it, Peter Dutton, after getting all tough guy and being all ‘I’ll get all those pesky public servants to get back to their office’ and then experiencing what normal people would see as instant regret when people with care responsibilities (mostly women, let’s be honest) turned round with a quick Dafaq you say?

Because the beginning of the pandemic taught us all that all these jobs could be done remotely. And maybe, just maybe, not having to commute means you get a little bit of extra time in your day which makes your life easier. And as long as the work gets done and standards are upheld (which yes, people prove every day) then what is the problem?

Dutton’s solution to the backlash was to say that women in those positions could ‘job share’.

So with some help of a friend to the blog, let’s take a look at how many people in the public service job share:

ZERO.

The APS Census overall results for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 all show that 0% accessed job sharing.

But how many have chosen a flexible work arrangement? Let’s look at the data shall we?

Do you currently access the following flexible working arrangements?

Tony Burke, as leader of the House, has just moved a suspension of standing orders to re-arrange government business. It passed (which of course, the government controls the numbers in the house) and means that:

“following the passage of the bills listed in (4), the resumption of debate on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsiderations) Bill 2025 being called on immediately and all questions necessary to complete consideration of the bill being put at no later than 5.45 pm“

Which means that yes, the government will be ramming those amendments through the house of representatives ahead of the budget speech, sending them to the senate tomorrow.

The Greens Sarah Hanson-Young says Tanya Plibersek has been “thrown under the bus” by Anthony Albanese with these environmental laws “for the third or fourth time”.

Albanese has denied it, as recently as this morning. The Greens have said they were willing to negotiate with Plibersek on the EPA legislation this term, but the negotiations were kiboshed by the PM.

Hanson-Young:

“The Environment Minister has been well and truly thrown under the bus here, sidelined by the Prime Minister. This is, I think we’re up to the third or the fourth time this has happened in the space of six months. It says everything about how the government considers the environment and how the Prime Minister and the Environment Minister consider each other.

I understand that the bill when it’s introduced, this is just extraordinary. I understand that when the bill is introduced into the house, today, it will be introduced by the Prime Minister and not by the environment minister. And that says everything.”

The Greens have asked for urgent legal advice on the environment amendments, and initial advice is that the laws are so broad they would potentially cause more legal challenges. The implications for what the laws would do to environmental protections are extremely concerning.

The way the amendments are written would mean that fossil fuel projects like coal mines, could get special carve outs from having to adhere to environmental protection laws.

We’ll say that again – this could mean that coal mine projects could avoid existing environmental laws.

It’s being pushed through the parliament in a rush, and while most of the gallery is focused on the budget.

And meanwhile, the government is pretending that in its next term, it will introduce an environmental protection agency.

Which these laws would allow projects to bypass.

So what does it mean having estimates on Thursday and Friday?

It means the Senate doesn’t sit for long. Today is a short day (parliament sat at noon) and then there is tomorrow, where the government will push through the supply bills (the legislation that keeps the money flowing) and then there is the environmental amendments, which the government wants to rush through, but given the Greens and the crossbench are against them, puts the Coalition in the box seat.

So that is a very tight two days of senate sittings before estimates begins on Thursday.

The bells have rung and the last sitting of the 47th parliament is underway.

There are going to be two days of budget estimates this week – Thursday and Friday – which is the pretense of giving transparency to the budget just before the election is called.

Jim Chalmers isn’t going to get his early Christmas present.

So there is a bit happening ahead of the parliament sitting in just over 15 minutes time.

The crossbench and the Greens held a press conference with the Australia Institute’s Tasmanian director Eloise Carr and other environmental groups to urge the parliament not to support the undemocractic and potentially environmentally damaging changes to the environmental laws which the Albanese government has proposed.

There are rumours floating around that the legislation will not be introduced today as is scheduled on the notice paper – but that is always a moving feast.

The PMO is very, very keen to try and quell rumours that Anthony Albanese has come in over the top of environment minister Tanya Plibersek with this. Albanese had a very curse response when that was put to him on ABC radio this morning and said it wasn’t true – but that’s a hard case to make when it was Albanese which pledged to create new legislation for the foreign-owned salmon industry, to ensure that salmon farming could continue in the environmentally fragile Macquarie Harbour – the only place in the world the Maguean Skate lives.

Plibersek is down on the notice paper to introduce the bill, but requests for comments are being directed to PMO.

The amendments show this is not just impact Macquarie Harbour (which would be bad enough) – it would apply to ANY project, in any area. So legislation is being created to allow environmentally destructive projects to bypass environmental protection legislation AND stop third party civil society groups (like the Australia Institute) from using its research and expert opinion to aid communities challenging these projects.

Anywhere.

Next up, Brisbane radio B105:

The budget.

Trump proofing the economy.

Bundy rum.

Every Queenslander knows the prime minister likes a rum.

Rum is “bloody good”.

Dark and Stormy’s (rum and ginger beer. Maybe lime if you are feeling fancy)

The budget.

The date for his wedding.

The wedding will be this year.

Election day would mean wedding food could be a sausage sizzle.

Flowers are expensive at weddings.

The host’s wedding.

The host forgetting his wedding anniversary last year.

Electronic diary reminders of things like wedding anniversaries.

The PM choosing Valentine’s Day to propose so he will never forget the anniversary.

The PM celebrates the proposal anniversary.

The host offering to be the celebrant.

Toto (his dog) will be the ring bearer.

That’s all that’s organised.

The Brisbane Olympics.

Whether the rowing event should be in held on the Fitzroy in Rockhampton (crocodile territory)

How crocodiles would make you row faster.

The election will be in May.