Key events
Natasha May
NSW Health warn on high dose drugs circulating
NSW Health is warning there are higher than usual dose tables of MDMA and ketamine circulating ahead of a music festival taking place in Sydney this weekend.
Community samples tested have revealed multiple MDMA (ecstasy) tablets and capsules containing a higher dose than usual, as well as ketamine-like substances, or analogues, have also been detected in white powder and crystalline matter, are circulating.
These were detected by the NSW Government’s drug checking trial at last weekend’s Strawberry Fields event in in Southern NSW.
NSW Health say they are concerned the substances are still in circulation and drug checking, through the NSW Government’s drug checking trial, will be available at the Hypersonic music event taking place in western Sydney this Saturday.
NSW Health Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist, Dr Hester Wilson said it was also concerning it will be hot this weekend, with temperatures expected to be in the 30’s:
High doses of MDMA can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm and death.
These risks are greatly increased if MDMA is used with other stimulants, such as amphetamines or cocaine, or if high amounts are consumed over a short period.
The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary significantly, even within the same batch.”
Hot environments, such as at music festivals, increase the risk of harm from MDMA. Taking a break from dancing, seeking shade and drinking water are important measures to reduce the risk of overheating.
Krishani Dhanji
That’s it from me folks, on this final parliamentary sitting day of the year. You can now take a deep breath. Parliament won’t be back until February next year for plenty more drama and political shenanigans.
Thanks for following along today, it’s been kinda crazy! I’ll leave you with the brilliant Henry Belot for the rest of the afternoon.
TL;DR – here’s what happened in question time
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It started capital-R Rowdy in the chamber today with three Coalition MPs kicked out within the first 30 minutes, before things settled back down again (and everyone behaved themselves a bit better).
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Chris Bowen was back in the opposition’s sights today, as they probed him on the government’s once-promised $275 energy bill reduction.
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Home affairs minister Tony Burke was pressed on why the government went ahead with the $2.5bn Nauru deal amid allegations of corruption.
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Anthony Albanese wouldn’t answer a question from independent Kate Chaney on whether the government wants to see house prices increase, decrease or plateau.
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Allegra Spender asked the PM if he would reform question time to make sure that ministers actually answer questions, because right now it really is just ‘question time, and not answer time’.
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During a dixer, Burke tried to have a go at the opposition with Christmas movies, calling Barnaby Joyce the ghost of Christmas past, and then said, “and with love actually we’ll have the member for New England [Joyce] turning up at a Queensland doorstep for a different party holding a sign saying ‘To me you are perfect’.”
Littleproud says Joyce’s departure from Nationals is ‘disappointing’ after supporting him in ‘his darkest moments’
Josh Butler
David Littleproud has criticised Barnaby Joyce’s decision to quit the party, saying the Nationals had stood by him “during his darkest moments”.
In a statement, the Nationals leader called Joyce’s defection “disappointing”.
It breaks the contract he made with the people of New England at the 2025 Federal Election. It is disappointing for the people of New England and disappointing for the loyal National Party members who tirelessly volunteered over the past two decades to support his political ambitions.
The Nationals supported Barnaby through the tough times, including during his darkest moments.
He said he’d encouraged Joyce to remain in the Nats, both privately and publicly, and that “Barnaby made it clear to me he wanted time and space to consider his future and asked me to respect that”.
Barnaby has chosen to walk away from The Nationals’ team – a strong team that fights for regional Australia and delivers genuine solutions for regional Australians in Government.
Littleproud said the Nationals would continue on.
Lisa Cox
Continuing from our last post …
Conservation Council WA executive director Matt Roberts said:
We welcome changes to stop the fast-tracking of coal and gas, but this should never have been on the table in the first place.
We’re concerned that these laws will enable the handing of powers to state and territory governments who’ve been shown they can’t be trusted to protect our nature and climate. It is imperative that the federal government retain decision-making powers for destructive projects like the North-West Shelf and Browse Basin.
The chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Jacqui Mumford, said closure of the effective exemption from national environmental laws for native forest logging covered by regional forest agreements (RFAs) should mean an end to logging in important threatened species habitat.
With the RFA exemption finally removed, we expect this will mean an end to logging in forests that are critical for threatened species across NSW, such as greater glider strongholds and the state’s remaining koala refuges.
This is the most significant shift in forest policy in a generation and gives the Minns Government a clear mandate to deliver a fair, planned transition out of native forest logging and into sustainable, plantation-based jobs.
State and territory conservation councils respond to nature laws deal
Lisa Cox
Australia’s state and territory conservation councils say the Albanese government “missed an opportunity to secure nature laws that genuinely safeguard Australia’s nature and climate for generations to come”.
In a joint statement this afternoon, the eight groups congratulated the Greens “for clawing back some big wins in negotiations with Labor”, including the removal of the native forest logging loophole and stopping the fast-tracking of coal and gas projects.
But the groups said they remained concerned the laws, expected to pass the Senate later today, included new pathways to hand approval powers to states and territory governments, and to fast-track other mining and land-clearing via a streamlined process.
They also said the Environment Protection Agency the laws would establish was not a genuinely independent model.
Environment Centre NT executive director Dr Kirsty Howey said:
While some wins have been clawed back in negotiations with the Greens, the Albanese Government has missed a golden opportunity to secure laws that genuinely safeguard Australia’s nature and climate for generations to come.
Question time ends for 2025
With a final dixer to the PM, question time ends for the year!
Before everyone leaves, the Speaker, prime minister and opposition leader give longtime Channel Seven cameraman Steve Quick a shoutout. Quick is retiring after 30 years in the press gallery.
Albanese says:
To Steve, I pay tribute to you, mate. I thank you for the work that you’ve done and engagement that I’ve had with you, but I think your work, as well in the tribute, symbolises the respect in which the people behind the cameras are held by all of us in this change.
Sussan Ley jokes that she went up to the Channel Seven bureau to say a personal goodbye and saw a particular mug on his desk.
I did notice that he had a Liberal mug on his desk with stronger economy, stronger coffee, which … I associate with!
She thanks Quick for all of his work over the last few decades.
Allegra Spender asks PM ‘why question time is not answer time’
The independent MP Allegra Spender asks the PM if he has considered reforming QT “to give a greater expectation of answers and in narrowing of relevance so we can get better answers in this House?” She says constituents have often said to her that “question time is question time, not answer time”.
(They all raise a fair point IMO.)
Anthony Albanese points to a bunch of other countries where there’s little to no parliamentary question time.
Most parliaments in the G20. President Prabowo has not answered a question. Prime minister Modi has not answered a question. In the UK, the Westminster system upon which we’re based, there is prime minister’s question time for one hour once a week. And the questions are in note on notice. On notice.
He says that when he was manager of business in the House, he implemented time limits for answers and not shut down question time after an hour.
So the answer is pretty much no – there’s no further consideration of forcing ministers to be a bit tighter with their answers.
Liberal MP asks if power bills have ‘ruined Christmas’
Liberal MP Melissa Price takes the next opposition question, and asks if Chris Bowen has “ruined Christmas” by not being able to deliver Labor’s once promised $275 energy bill reduction.
She quotes the Vinnies CEO who says: “The demand for our support services particularly for emergency assistance is greater than ever before.”
Bowen says he agrees with the Vinnies CEO and concedes again that energy bills are currently too high.
He says the government is “delivering” and plugs the cheaper home battery scheme.
I’m pleased to tell the House that 15,825 West Australian families have installed a cheaper home battery since July 1. Reducing bills to zero or get a rebate instead of a bill, getting money in their bank account, rather than getting a bill.
Does Labor want to increase or reduce house prices?
Are the government’s housing policies aiming to increase, plateau or reduce house prices, asks independent Kate Chaney, who says young Australians are getting locked out of buying a home.
Anthony Albanese won’t answer that question directly, but says it’s about “supply” that the government is building more homes, more social and affordable homes, and introducing shared equity scheme programs.
What we’re doing, the member for Curtin, is increasing that supply. We want to provide more social and public housing, point number one. That’s what we’re doing through our Housing Australia Future Fund … in addition to that we’re trying to provide more private rentals and doing that through our build to rent incentive as well.
He also sneaks a dig at the “No-alition” again – which Milton Dick tells him not to say, because he’s previously ruled that the Coalition should not be referred to by that name.
