Labor deserved to lose its inflammatory attempt to ram a new law through parliament so it could look tough on borders by turning asylum seekers into criminals.
The party dared the Senate to back its draft law and lost. It looked utterly isolated when everyone else in the Senate joined forces to send the bill to an inquiry rather than submit to the government’s arrogant move to put a sudden deadline on the vote.
This was a humiliation for a government that wants to project a sense of command and control over the legal turmoil that flows from High Court decisions to release immigration detainees into the community.
After losing in the courts, the government now loses in parliament.
Anthony Albanese ran the risk of this defeat as soon as he and the cabinet chose to flout the usual approach to new law. The prime minister promised a government of good process after mocking the mishaps under Scott Morrison, the prime minister with five portfolios. Facing political pressure on borders, however, the Labor leader threw good process overboard.
Labor supporters will find ways to defend the government for trying its best to deal with the chaotic consequences of the High Court rulings, but they will be defending a total contempt for parliament.
The Greens and crossbench – including One Nation – all sided with the Coalition to delay the bill. A rare sight.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Imagine the reaction if Morrison had made the same move. How would Labor respond to a Coalition demand to pass a law on Wednesday afternoon after seeing it for the first time on Tuesday morning?
We can guess the answer because Labor stole its tactics from John Howard, the Liberal prime minister who expected hasty approval from Labor leader Kim Beazley when the MV Tampa entered Australian waters in August 2001 with hundreds of asylum seekers on board. Labor has fumed over Howard’s wedge ever since.
Albanese promised a better way. On borders, he’s doing it Howard’s way
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27.03.2024
Labor deserved to lose its inflammatory attempt to ram a new law through parliament so it could look tough on borders by turning asylum seekers into criminals.
The party dared the Senate to back its draft law and lost. It looked utterly isolated when everyone else in the Senate joined forces to send the bill to an inquiry rather than submit to the government’s arrogant move to put a sudden deadline on the vote.
This was a humiliation for a government that wants to........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
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