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Albanese Labor Government on a Parliamentary Go Slow

MEDIA RELEASE

20 June 2022

 

Albanese Labor Government on a Parliamentary Go Slow

 

The draft sitting timetable released by the Albanese Government today sees only eight sitting weeks for the balance of the year in the House of Representatives. 

 

This is remarkably light on.

 

The Albanese Labor Government is on a Parliamentary Go Slow.

 

Total sitting days for the House of Representatives for 2022 will be just 40. This is a dramatic drop from 67 in 2021 and 58 in 2020.

 

Even across the three previous election years – 2013, 2016 and 2019 – the average number of sitting days was 48

 

This comes on top of Labor’s very leisurely approach to reconvening the Parliament.

 

Parliament must be reconvened within 30 days of the return of the writs.

 

The latest day for return of the writs is 28 June – and Labor is just scraping in within the 30 day period by reconvening Parliament on 26 July.

 

This is entirely at odds with Labor’s claim that they do not want to waste a day.

 

At the last transition of Government, the Coalition Government wasted no time in reconvening Parliament. In 2013, the first sitting day (12 November) was a mere eleven days after the final writs were returned (1 November).

 

This government says it is committed to transparency and accountability. But the effect of its sitting timetable is to minimise the role and work of the Parliament – work which is critical to delivering transparency and accountability.

 

Evidently Mr Albanese is more interested in jetting about the world than getting on with the work of Parliament. 

 

It did not take long for ‘Kevin 07’ to be known as ‘Kevin 747’. It seems that ‘Airbus Albo’ is continuing this Labor tradition.

 

Media contact:

Jack Abadee | 0403 440 099 | [email protected]