The Senate shenanigans don’t stop!
We’ve got a copy of a motion which Labor has drawn up, that would stop all senators from being able to leave the chamber during the extra long question time.
A quick recap: senate question time has been extended to give non-government senators five extra questions, until the government hands in a report on government board appointments that independent David Pocock has been chasing for months, and was handed to Labor two years ago.
Now it seems like Labor are looking to move a motion on top of that one, that “all senators be required to attend the Senate whilst questions without notice are asked and answered”.
A senator can only be “excused” if they have been “granted leave of absence by the Senate” or with the agreement of all whips and independent senators.
So what does that mean for bathroom breaks? Or any other emergencies? We’ll try and get to the bottom of this!
But I will note that – like in the case of question time being extended – the Coalition, Greens and crossbench can again team up to defeat this motion if Labor brings it forward.
Key events
Nick Visser
Sydney weapons expo protesters to march to Town Hall
Protesters are set to march from Sydney’s Tumbalong Park, where they have gathered since 6.30am this morning, to the city’s Town Hall.
NSW police said the unplanned march should begin momentarily, with traffic disruptions and rolling road closures as the group moves through the CBD.
Marchers will head from the park to Liverpool Street, before turning on to George Street.
A police operation is ongoing.
UPDATE: Protesters have indicated they will be marching from Darling Harbour to Town Hall at 11.20am.
Traffic is expected to be disrupted, with rolling road closures to take place.
The group is expected to march from Tumbalong Park onto Liverpool Street, before turning onto… https://t.co/MrzPRz8hTl
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) November 4, 2025
Cait Kelly
Greens to move amendment to ensure workers under 18 are paid super
The Greens are set to move an amendment to Labor’s Superannuation Guarantee bill today, making sure workers under 18 are paid super.
This bill will require employers to meet key obligations to accurately calculate employees’ individual superannuation guarantee.
And the Greens want under-18s included. Right now, to be eligible for super, under 18s need to work at least 30 hours a week for the same employer. However, most young people juggle paid work with school and study commitments and, therefore, are unable to reach the required 30 hours per week. As a result, hundreds of thousands of young workers are missing out.
The Greens’ amendment would ensure super contributions are paid to all workers, including under-18s.
Greens spokesperson for finance, employment and workplace relations, senator Barbara Pocock, said:
Under-18s pay taxes and contribute to our economy, so why shouldn’t they receive super?
Excluding young people from super only makes it harder to get ahead – robbing them of thousands in retirement savings and financial security.
The Greens believe superannuation should be a universal right. Every worker deserves super, whether they’re 16 or 60 years old, and should receive the same financial rights as everyone else, whether part-time or full-time.
Labor has previously promised to deliver super for all workers. The national platform states:
Labor will … work with unions and employers to examine gaps in the superannuation system and where possible close these gaps for injured workers, young workers, carers (including for parents who provide full-time care up until school age) and low income families.
Josh Butler
Greens say door is still open for environmental laws negotiations
The Greens are expected to vote against the EPBC environmental laws in the lower house this week.
Following a meeting of the party room this morning, the Greens have said they don’t believe the legislation goes far enough to protect forests and address climate change, and has been geared too much toward mining and industry interests.
The minor party isn’t expected to propose amendments in the lower house, but hasn’t ruled out amendments in the Senate.
The Greens say their door is still open to minister Murray Watt for more negotiations, but they’ve resolved to oppose it in the lower house for now.
Cait Kelly
Cancelling Centrelink payments a ‘fundamental breach of natural justice’, Wilkie says
This morning, independents Lidia Thorpe and Andrew Wilkie gave a presser on the amendment to give home affairs the power to cancel Centrelink payments of those accused of a serious crime and on the run from the law for a minute.
Wilkie said it was a “fundamental breach of natural justice”.
Until someone has been convicted in a court found guilty, then they are innocent. So the whole notion of taking income support of anyone in the community simply because they are accused of something is a fundamental breach of natural justice.
It is wrong. It’s also punitive, because the person who has the income support stopped is, in all likelihood, providing financial support for someone else, for the wife and the kids, for the family.
Thorpe called for an inquiry into the proposed amendment:
People are innocent [until] proven guilty. We look at the assault on Aboriginal women who are victims of family violence, and the cops rock up. And then Aboriginal women become the perpetrators.
Now this has long-reaching impact … and an inquiry needs to happen.
Josh Butler
Barnaby claims credit for net zero drama
Barnaby Joyce has claimed credit for the Coalition sitting on the brink of dropping or dramatically altering its net zero pledge, saying he and supporters like Matt Canavan have “just moved the whole agenda to exactly where I want it to be”.
Joyce told a press conference:
I think I’m going quite well. It’s almost like I’ve done it before.
Joyce says he’ll remain outside the Nationals and Coalition party rooms for now, even as the two opposition parties discuss net zero and climate commitments today in their weekly meetings. Joyce said he had no meetings scheduled with Pauline Hanson this week – who, as we reported yesterday, still remains out of the country and was reportedly spotted at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Halloween party – as questions remain about whether he could switch to One Nation.
In a doorstop, Joyce downplayed the impact of the damaging and ugly net zero fight on the Coalition’s electoral fortunes, noting it was still early in the cycle before the next election. He also said he didn’t want the debate to claim the scalp of Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who is fighting to stave off pressure from her right flank.
Joyce said he wanted to see renewable power wound back, and maintained that coal power would be the cheapest option, raising concern about the effect of power prices on businesses. However Joyce claimed “the Business Council is wrong” after the peak corporate group backed net zero and called on the Coalition to maintain its commitment.
Asked why he remained outside the Coalition and Nationals party rooms, and why he wasn’t internally contributing to the debate he wanted to have, Joyce said he and colleagues like Canavan had moved the whole debate, but wouldn’t telegraph what his next campaigning move would be.
It’s having no effect, is it? We’ve just moved the whole agenda to exactly where I wanted to be. I think I’m going quite well.
Here’s a trick. Keep cards close to your chest and don’t tell anybody what you’re doing, because that’s how you have effect.
The Senate shenanigans don’t stop!
We’ve got a copy of a motion which Labor has drawn up, that would stop all senators from being able to leave the chamber during the extra long question time.
A quick recap: senate question time has been extended to give non-government senators five extra questions, until the government hands in a report on government board appointments that independent David Pocock has been chasing for months, and was handed to Labor two years ago.
Now it seems like Labor are looking to move a motion on top of that one, that “all senators be required to attend the Senate whilst questions without notice are asked and answered”.
A senator can only be “excused” if they have been “granted leave of absence by the Senate” or with the agreement of all whips and independent senators.
So what does that mean for bathroom breaks? Or any other emergencies? We’ll try and get to the bottom of this!
But I will note that – like in the case of question time being extended – the Coalition, Greens and crossbench can again team up to defeat this motion if Labor brings it forward.
Nick Visser
10 arrested during Sydney protests over defence expo
10 people have now been arrested at this morning’s protests in Sydney’s Tumbalong Park.
NSW police said its operation remains ongoing, with a smaller group of protesters still demonstrating near the ICC against the weapons expo. Police said on social media:
The safety and security of delegates at the venue and the wider community is paramount. Anyone who breaches the peace will be arrested.
Police will continue to have a presence at the assemblies and will work with protestors to ensure there is minimal impact to the community.
UPDATE: 10 people have now been arrested, and the police operation remains ongoing.
The safety and security of delegates at the venue and the wider community is paramount.
Anyone who breaches the peace will be arrested.
Police will continue to have a presence at the assemblies… https://t.co/hwdz82SxFD
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) November 3, 2025
Cait Kelly
Legal service warns security services changes will impact Aboriginal women misidentified as perpetrators
Staying on the security services amendment, senator David Pocock is expected to try and split the changes into a separate bill that can be sent to an inquiry today.
Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre CEO and Bundjalung woman Christine Robinson has also put out a statement saying:
Wirringa Baiya has concerns about the proposed amendments, and the way that these are being pushed through the parliament without adequate scrutiny.
As a service that works with Aboriginal women who are often misidentified as perpetrators, we see the many possible unintended consequences of this proposed amendment.”
The 2024 Senate Inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children found misidentification of women as perpetrators puts First Nations women at risk.
Robinson said:
We urge the government to remove this amendment from the bill and go through the appropriate pathway to allow necessary scrutiny and input from stakeholders.
Cait Kelly
Critics urge government to scrap plan to allow police and ministers to cancel welfare payment
A growing group of civil society organisations representing welfare recipients, First Nations people, survivors of family violence, disabled people and legal experts are calling on the government to scrap a proposed amendment that will allow police and federal government ministers to cancel someone’s welfare payment.
The person must be accused of a serious crime and on the run from law enforcement.
Karly Warner, chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (Natsils), said:
The Government is trying to pass legislation that would allow police to cancel Centrelink payments for people who have not been found guilty of any offence.
This is an unprecedented attack on fairness and due process which will shake public confidence in our legal system. Under this legislation, people’s benefits could be stripped away simply because they are unaware police have issued a warrant for their arrest, and without any opportunity to access legal help.
The proposed amendments will inevitably have a greater impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are grossly overrepresented at every stage of the criminal process. Cutting off people’s Centrelink payments will not only impact those individuals, but put their children and families, too many of whom already live below the poverty line – at risk of homelessness and child removals.
Joyce warns Coalition split ‘not as easy as you think’
As the Liberals and Nationals try to find a pathway to energy harmony, Barnaby Joyce – who is still not sitting in party room meetings – says he’s keeping his cards “close to his chest” on whether he’ll fully return to his party.
While “vastly happier” with the Nats current position of scrapping net zero, as previously reported, he’s not happy about the number of renewables that will continue being built in the regions.
Speaking to Sky News, he says:
On the backbench, you don’t have many cards, and when you [have] the few cards you do have, you keep them very close to your chest, because I think people would have given net zero no chance of having an effect on the agenda. Egotistical statement, I think I have.
Joyce says he respects leader Sussan Ley and regards her a “political friend”. On whether the Coalition can or should be split, he says, “that’s not as easy as you think”.
