Labor has held its caucus meeting and the briefing has been given (this is where a party MP reads out the minute notes from the meeting to journalists in a formal briefing, but it is all off the record.

MPs tell me that the caucus has agreed to pass Labor’s proposed legislation which will gut existing environmental laws, and limit what third party civil society groups (like the Australia Institute) can do to support community groups protesting nature-destroying projects.

But MPs were also speaking about the government working to strengthen environmental laws in a second term.

These two positions do not make sense, unless you consider that this is all about the government trying to shore up support in outer-suburban seats by sacrificing any sort of ‘green’ credentials it might still have. So being seen as anti-Greens in those seats is a risk Labor is willing to take, if it means fighting back the Liberals. Which is insane. Because we know that if both parties look the same, it’s not exactly inspiring anyone to vote for them, but is doing damage in other areas.

But this is the strategy.