Weekly Wrap Up – 28 November 2025
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Weekly Wrap Up – 28 November 2025
Weekly Wrap Up – 21 November 2025
The final sitting week was the perfect representation of what we have come to expect from the 48th parliament, delivering drama, politics, and a decent dose of unwelcome economic news to boot.
The headline economic story landed mid-week, when new ABS data showed inflation rising to 3.8 per cent over the year to October, driven by steep increases in electricity, housing, rents and everyday essentials. For Jim Chalmers, the figures were a pre-Christmas complication, sharpening scrutiny over the government’s cost-of-living package – particularly the forthcoming electricity-bill rebates, now under pressure to deliver more than political reassurance. The numbers weren’t just unwelcome; they were a pointed reminder that inflation remains stubborn, and the need to cut spending is real.
On the legislative front, Murray Watt secured long-sought progress on the overhaul of the EPBC Act, striking a deal with the Greens after months of negotiations. The agreement pulls native-forest logging and high-risk land clearing under new national standards and establishes a federal environmental regulator with stronger enforcement powers. While the reform marks one of the most significant environment-law updates in decades, it didn’t give the Greens everything they had hoped for. The absence of a climate trigger – a key symbolic demand – leaves some environmental advocates arguing the package stops short of being genuinely transformative. Although a major end-of-year legislative win for Albanese, Coalition insiders suggest that the Opposition will seek to link the deal with Australia’s rising energy prices, highlighting the key Government concession not to fast-track fossil fuel projects.
And then, the week once again turned on the Coalition. Barnaby Joyce, former deputy prime minister and long-time Nationals heavyweight, quit his party and moved to the crossbench – a dramatic rupture that could reshape the Coalition’s internal balance. His departure, preceded by days of speculation and a colourful cameo involving a steak cooked for him by Pauline Hanson, has rattled the conservative ranks and injected a dose of unpredictability into the political summer.
Taken together, the week underscored a familiar truth: even as Parliament winds down, politics rarely does.
Top talking points
COP31: Australia and Türkiye have finalised an agreement for Türkiye to host COP31 in Antalya, with Chris Bowen appointed as President of the COP31 negotiations.
Barnaby Update: Barnaby Joyce announced[paywall] his resignation from the Nationals after three decades as a member and having served as Deputy Prime Minister.
Parliamentary Calendars: Proposed 2026 parliamentary sitting calendars have now been released for the Federal, Victorian, New South Wales, Tasmanian, the ACT and Western Australian Parliaments.
Federal Polling Update: Labor has extended[paywall] its two-party-preferred lead over the Coalition to 58–42. The poll also shows Andrew Hastie emerging as the most preferred Opposition Leader after Sussan Ley.
Victorian Polling: Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has established[paywall] a lead in the preferred-premier polling, leading Jacinta Allan 47–33 per cent.
Making headlines this week
An End of Year win?
One Nation Stunt
Pauline Hanson was formally censured and suspended from the Senate for seven days after repeating a highly controversial burqa stunt, which she staged as a protest following the rejection of her proposal to ban full face coverings in public. The motion passed overwhelmingly – 55 votes to five – with support from across the chamber, including Labor, Greens, Coalition and crossbench senators. Mehreen Faruqi characterised the stunt as “blatant racism and Islamophobia,” accusing Parliament of allowing intolerance to fester. The incident temporarily halted Senate proceedings and ignited a wider public and parliamentary debate about racism, religious discrimination, civility, and the responsibilities of elected officials, highlighting tensions over freedom of expression, multiculturalism, and the standards expected of lawmakers in Australia’s national legislature.
Things to watch
1 December, the Federal Parliament will hold Senate Estimates.
1 December, the New South Wales Parliament will hold Budget Estimates.
1 December, the ABS will release Mineral and Petroleum Exploration data.
2 December, the ABS will release building approvals data.
2 December, the Victorian and Western Australian Parliaments will sit.
2 December, Matt Keogh will address the National Press Club to discuss the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
3 December, Anika Wells will address the National Press Club to discuss the Albanese Government’s social media minimum age law.
AFSL, Inflation and APRA Developments
Daniel Mulino introduced new reforms to strengthen the regulatory perimeter for digital assets, bringing custodial and tokenised platforms within the AFSL regime and clarifying the treatment of staking and public token infrastructure.
Inflation rose 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October, up from 3.6 per cent in September. The ABS reported that the inflation increase was largely driven by a 5.9 per cent increase in housing.
In response to concerns about risks to the banking sector and household financial resilience, APRA will introduce home-loan caps, limiting banks to no more than 20 per cent of new mortgages with debt-to-income ratios of six or above.
G20, Cybersecurity, and Pacific Moves
Anthony Albanese attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, where leaders committed to inclusive, sustainable growth and resilience. Albanese urged action on climate change, disaster preparedness, and harnessing the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition.
The Albanese Government will provide[paywall] $180 million to extend the contract for the life of the Intelsat IS-22 satellite until 2033. The satellite was launched in 2012 and was due to be replaced by up to five military-grade satellites through JP9102, which was eventually cancelled.
Penny Wong announced an additional $25 million in funding to strengthen frontline services in the Pacific, reinforcing Australia’s commitment to ending gender-based violence, which affects two in three Pacific women. The move aims to support the Pacific Strong initiative.
Forestry, Emissions Reduction and Community Energy Updates
Murray Watt unveiled a $300 million Forestry Growth Fund to support a more sustainable future for the forestry industry. The fund brings together concessional finance and grants for mill modernisation, plantation expansion, workforce training, and engineered-wood innovation, helping the sector prepare for new national environmental standards set to take effect in 2027.
Australia’s emissions fell by 2.2 per cent in the year to June 2025, cutting 9.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Australia’s emissions are now 28.5 per cent below 2005 levels, driven largely by the uptake of renewable energy and industrial decarbonisation.
Chris Bowen announced $4.3 million in community energy upgrades across 12 Queensland councils under the Community Energy Upgrades Fund. Projects include new solar and battery systems, replacing gas boilers with electric heat pumps, and cutting diesel use in remote communities.
AI, Telecommunications, and Melbourne Metro Developments
The Australian Government will establish the Australian AI Safety Institute. Launching in early 2026, the institute will support national AI safety, coordinate government action, deepen technical understanding, and support Australia’s international AI commitments ahead of the forthcoming National AI Plan.
Kristy McBain introduced legislation to establish a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation, requiring major carriers to provide basic mobile coverage across the country. Backed by emerging satellite technology, the reform aims to finally tackle persistent black spots – particularly in regional and remote communities – with rollout slated to begin in late 2027.
Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel will open on Sunday, 30 November, adding five new underground stations and boosting capacity along key rail corridors. The project is designed to ease congestion, strengthen network connectivity, and meet growing public transport demand. A staged timetable rollout – paired with free weekend travel through early 2026 – aims to help Melbourne transition into the new system.
NDIS, Childcare Reform, and HECS debt reduction
The NDIS Commission will receive[paywall] expanded powers to address misconduct and unsafe practices that lead to injury or death, and to close a loophole that has allowed previously banned providers to remain involved in the scheme. In addition, Jenny McAllister has proposed permanent banning orders, prison sentences, and significantly higher penalties, with fines rising to more than $16 million.
Jason Clare is advancing reforms to the tax laws that govern childcare subsidies and other government payments, giving the Department of Education access to private childcare providers’ cost and pricing data. This move marks the latest step in the Government’s plan for universal subsidised childcare.
HECS debt will be reduced by 20 per cent next week, benefiting more than three million Australians. Minimum repayment requirements have also been lowered, and the income threshold at which repayments begin has been increased, building on recent reforms to the indexation formula.