It was a very busy final sitting week for the year and we achieved a lot.

Here’s the 5&5.

BEST

Help to Buy passes Parliament
Historic reforms for our care sectors
Investing in the future of education
Online safety
Twelve days of Christmas

WORST

The LNGP
The Angus Recession
The Opposition’s month in review
Bowled out 🏏
The Opposition’s Chutzpah

1. On Tuesday Clare O’Neil shared with the House during Question Time that our Help to Buy legislation had just passed the Senate. We’re now able to help 40,000 low and middle-income Australians get into home ownership. This is good Labor policy, and we’re glad the Greens finally broke away from their Liberal love affair to vote in support of it. However, as Clare put it, “the people who have really tapped out of this debate—the people who have gone completely missing—are those opposite.” Clare went on to talk about the number of attempts made to brief the Shadow Housing Minister and how those attempts were left unanswered. Chris Bowen jumped in with a hilarious interjection, “he’s busy, those branches won’t stack themselves!”

2. Our early educators are some of the most underpaid workers in this country. They don't just change nappies; they change lives. This week, we locked in a 15 per cent pay rise that will help to change their lives. And it’s not just just early education and care workers, this week we passed historic aged care reforms that will not only see carers receive a much deserved pay rise, but put the care back into aged care. Anika Wells told the House about Joan and Michelle, who exemplify exactly what these reforms are about. “Michelle is a personal care worker on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. She is one of the 250,000 aged-care workers who received a pay rise and a tax cut from the Albanese Labor government. Through our fee-free TAFE, Michelle is now doing a diploma of nursing to further her career and become an enrolled nurse. Michelle supports Joan, a 96-year-old pensioner and home-care recipient. Joan and her husband John lived and worked in Avondale, raising their family of 10. After her kids left the nest to have families of their own and her husband, John, passed away, Joan moved to a retirement village in Nambour. Like a growing number of Australians, Joan wants to live in her own home for the rest of our life. Under Support at Home, that will now be possible.”

3. Not only is the Albanese Labor Government wiping $3 billion of student debt for millions of Australians, we’ve also made sure our fee-free TAFE program is here to stay. As Jason Clare told the House, we’re investing in a fairer education system that leaves no one behind. “The change that we made last night will wipe about $1,200 off the average HECS debt, and, if we win the next election, we'll wipe a further $5,500 off the average HECS debt. That'll make a world of difference for a lot of young people just out of uni or just out of TAFE, just out of home and just getting started. This is what only Labor governments do: cut your debt; lift your wages; fund our schools properly; open the door of opportunity; help more young Australians to finish school and then go to TAFE or university; and build a better and fairer education system where no-one is held back and no-one is left behind.”

4. As well as passing our Cyber Security Bill to crack down on scammers and keep everyone safe online, we also went further - with landmark legislation to protect our kids. Michelle Rowland says Australia has become the first country in the world to put an age limit on social media. "The Albanese Government takes seriously its commitment to keeping all Australians safe online. We know that parents are concerned about the harms to children, and we have taken a decision to support them. This house has passed our world-leading legislation for an age limit for access to social media.”

5. Josh Burns got into the festive spirit early, with his witty reworking of the Twelve Days of Christmas, summing up the year in politics. It’s well worth a listen. I’ll add the full poem at the end of the email. I did suggest that we then conduct question time in rhyming couplets, but no one else was willing.

1. After releasing an unfunded nuclear plan, with an unjustified timeframe and not explaining how much electricity would be added to the system, Peter Dutton asked why this government isn’t signing up for nuclear? Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles made sure the Chamber knew exactly why, “We don't have a civil nuclear energy establishment in this country and nor do we seek to establish one. The reason we don't seek to establish one is because to do so, would be to pursue the single most expensive form of electricity in the world today. That would be an additional $1200 on the energy bill of every household in this country.”

2. According to Angus Taylor - you know the guy who the Opposition wants in charge of the economy - households have been in the longest recession on record. Only, they haven’t. It’s not true and Andrew Charlton prepared a little compare and contrast story to explain to Angus just how a recession works. It’s absolutely worth the watch.

3. During Question Time on Tuesday, Sussan Ley asked the PM a question about a trend from last month. Sussan got her facts wrong, but the PM didn’t miss the chance to highlight the Opposition’s trend from the last month. “What did those opposite do? They support privatising the NBN and won't support it staying in public hands; they want to increase migration and won't support the sensible measures put forward; they want to stop free TAFE; they want to protect dodgy private education providers, when they're not going to fundraisers for them; and they want to prevent Australians buying homes.”

4. One of the great privileges/risks/near death experiences is when you’re asked a question by Bob Katter. On Wednesday the challenge was set for Jim Chalmers. Have a listen.

5. On Monday, Paul Fletcher thought it would be a good idea to ask Chris Bowen, “how does the Prime Minister expect Australians to take this government seriously on climate action?” I mean seriously? This Government. The Government that actually believes climate change is real? Chris Bowen did not miss a beat, “we on this side of the House welcome that question. You know, 'chutzpah' is a wonderful word, and we've seen a wonderful example of it from the opposition today, a party and a coalition which presided over 10 years of denial and delay, which had 23 energy policies and couldn't land one, which can't tell the Australian people what its 2030 target is let alone its 2035 target and which argues that renewable energy should be paused and that we should rely more on coal and gas while we wait decades for nuclear to come forward.”

We heard some incredible valedictory speeches last week, and this week was no different. Labor Member for Lyons, Brian Mitchell is unfortunately leaving the House. After thanking his family Brian ended with this, “I will miss this job and I will miss you all, but my time here is done. In the immortal worlds of Gotye, now I'm just 'somebody that you used to know'.”

Well, I’m sad to say, that’s it for the year. While there are no more sitting weeks, the work doesn't stop. We’ll keep working hard to deliver real change for Australians and continue to remind them of the risk that faces them under Peter Dutton and his dodgy mates.

In my part of Sydney, people are always generous in sharing whatever celebration is personally important to them with the whole community. In that same spirit, I'm wishing you all the peace and joy of Christmas and a safe and restful holiday.

Parliament returns on Tuesday, February 4th, 2025.

PS. This week our Parliament band ‘Left Right Out’ had the chance to perform with iconic Australian band Ganggajang at the Labor Caucus Christmas party. In honour of them, the song of the week is the classic Sounds Of Then (This Is Australia) by Ganggajang.

PPS. Here’s Josh Burns’ reworking of the Twelve Days of Christmas: “This is 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' 2024 edition: On the first day of Christmas, parliament had scenes; we witnessed a new romance between the Liberals and the Greens. On the second day of Christmas, young people will be set; if we are re-elected, we'll keep wiping student debt. On the third day of Christmas, we want women to achieve; it's why we're paying super on paid parental leave. On the fourth day of Christmas, tax returns went hum; we delivered tax cuts for all, not just for some. On the fifth day of Christmas, Peter tried to go retail, announcing nuclear energy but forgetting any detail. On the sixth day of Christmas, still Liberals want us to rescind, but we are pushing on with record solar and wind. On the seventh day of Christmas, to the Liberals' surprise, Labor helped workers actually get a much-needed pay rise. On the eighth day of Christmas, the Greens lost the plot, saying to the Liberals, 'We'll vote with you guys on the lot.' On the ninth day of Christmas, the Liberals went into hibernation because the New South Wales division forgot to submit their nomination. On the 10th day of Christmas, digging their heels in deeper, the Liberals voted against our plan to make medicines cheaper. On the 11th day of Christmas, your future is safe with more highly skilled training and jobs thanks to fee-free TAFE. On the 12th day of Christmas, the others make us queasy. In 2025, let's stick with Albanese.”

5&5: Turning promises into progress