And so on that note, we are going to start wrapping it up. I think everyone is a bit tired, and overwhelmed and also just over it in general? It can be very hard watching parliament when there is so much going on in the world. It can make you want to scream at times.

We are very lucky, and at times, very stupid and lacking grace. Thank goodness for people like you who keep us going.

So thank you to everyone who has followed along this week. We will be back with the next sitting (and maybe with a few updates – there is some forward sizzle for you – and if you are interested in politics done well, you may want to mark this event in your calendar: Barrie, Bowers and Friends

I am lucky enough to be one of the ‘friends’ (but annoying hanger on is probably more accurate) but there are lots more very interesting and smart people who I know you will enjoy hearing from, so if you are in Sydney, have a think about joining us at Town Hall.

Keep an eye out for new Australia Institute research as well, and as always you can catch me in The New Daily, the 7AM podcast and other media outlets around the traps, so if you have questions, drop me a line.

Until then, please – take care of you. I’ll be spending my time hoping the bombs and killing in Gaza stop, that we get some accountability for this horrid time in our history, and a collective shift towards action.

However the next few weeks look for you, just promise me one thing – that you’ll take care of you. Ax

These two shots from Mike Bowers pretty much sum up the mood:

One of those moments where you are questioning all of your life decisions that have led to you being in a particular place:

One of those moments where you are questioning how someone else has ended up in this place:

Anthony Albanese takes another dixer that is just a press release and calls time on the questions.

So that is it until the end of the month.

What did we learn in that question time? I know it sounds like we did this yesterday and the day before – because we did – but not a lot.

We know as much as we did entering question time. That’s not a great thing, given it is one of the only forums where you can get information. The opposition do not know what they are doing. We already knew this, but we are also very settled into this new parliament and the Coalition do not have a strong line on who they want to be.

And it makes the government look so much more put together than it is. That doesn’t make for great policy, so we are all losing out with this.

After a whole heap of guff we get a question from the member for Indi, Helen Haines:

After the Robodebt royal commission, the government said never again to the culture of secrecy that allowed it to happen in the first place. The royal commission into road at recommended repealing section 34 of the FOI act, yet the Freedom of information Bill before the House will conceal even more information from the public.

Why is government expanding cabinet secrecy when the royal commission recommended the exact opposite?

Michelle Rowland takes this as the AG:

I thank the member for her question and the way in which she has engaged on this matter. I must respectfully say that the premise of the honorable member’s question is not correct.

I would point out that the benefit of the house, Mr Speaker, but it was this government that initiated a royal commission into robodebt, because we understand the importance of restoring integrity to what was an illegal scheme that destroyed lives and secondly, and weeks ago, we as a government announced the single largest class action settlement in Australian history to bring that sordid matter to a close.

I will say in relation to the cabinet exemption of which the honorable member asks, these changes are designed to clarify existing exemptions. That is to make sure they are consistent with their original policy intent.

So they are applied when they should be applied and cannot be applied where they should not be applied.

The cabinet exemption is being amended to clarify its operation and ensure it appropriately protects information central to the cabinet process which is consistent with its original intent. Speaking of robodebt, to address the concern that was raised in the 2023 royal commission into robodebt, the amendments would also make it absolutely clear that merely labeling something cabinet and confidence does not make it so.

That is a fundamental part of this legislation that is proposed. I would also point out that the proposed amendments are consistent with provisions that already exist in a number of state jurisdictions.

I want to make it clear because honorable member has asked about robodebt that the government accepted or accepted in principle all 56 recommendations made by the royal commission. In relation to the closing observation made by the royal commission about the cabinet exemption, the government stated that it is critical that the cabinet, decision-making body of government, as comprehensively informed in all its deliberations because taken by the cabinet are collective.

On the principle of collective responsibility requires that ministers should be able to express their views frankly in cabinet meetings, in the expectation they can argue freely in private while maintaining unity in public when those decisions have been reached. This in turn requires that opinions expressed in the cabinet and cabinet committees including documents and in any correspondence are treated as confidential.

Sussan Ley is still trying to twist what answers have been given, instead of just directly addressing issues. So what we get is a garbled piece of bullshit, which the government can neatly side step in response.

You can tell why Ley had not wanted to ask questions about the Australians who have returned from Syria – it is because the opposition have nothing on this, other then some very scary music and some deliberately misconstrued statements.

Here is some of QT so far, as seen by Mike Bowers:

Yesterday we reported the Cotality Report showing that “Rental growth re-accelerates amid tightest vacancy rate on record”. Well just to make sure you are completely confused, Domain has a report out today which shows “rent for houses stable across combined capital cities”.

So what does this mean? Well that we should wait till the ABS brings out the latest inflation figures and we will see what is happening. For what it’s worth, here’s the latest figures.

The whole chamber is a rabble and I am taking the advice of Grogs and mentally squeezing the squishy chicken today (this is an actual squishy chicken soft toy, so none of that please) and just not bringing you the guff, because it is Thursday, the last day of the week and none of us need this.

In good news, Ted O’Brien has been booted from the chamber. Bye Super Ted!

I have not had enough sleep for this ridiculousness from the Nationals today.

The opposition is now stuck on the issue of ‘Isis brides’ (which is their terminology for Australians who have left Syria, after in some cases, going to join ISIL fighters of their own free will, but in others tricked or misled, or were taken as children by parents) and asks” if the government “how many more and when”, but Anthony Albanese is not playing:

The assumption of the question is wrong because the assumption suggests they are coming back to Australia with our support which they are not.