And your acting Opposition Leader.
(Until Thursday.)
And your acting Opposition Leader.
(Until Thursday.)
Australia, this is your acting Prime Minister.
With the debt ceiling removed in both houses, it's time to take a moment and ponder, what have we learned today?
Type you tomorrow.
At last.
With apologies to Etta James, the debt ceiling scrap has passed the Lower House.
Did you vote for the debt ceiling repeal?
SIR, YES, SIR!!!
Why did the crossbenches vote with the government?
To sit on the ministers' seats?
En route to vote with the government.
We are still waiting on the final debt ceiling vote, but there has already been much bell ringing and dividing on the matter.
The end result is inevitable (the Coalition obviously easily have the numbers in the lower house), but Labor are still protesting against the government's "unlimited debt".
Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie have voted with the government so far.
They had to cross the road to do so.
The Department of Parliamentary Services has confirmed that the Parliament House flag will be flown at half-mast tomorrow, to mark the memorial service of Nelson Mandela.
Somewhat controversially, it was at full-mast last Friday, when the world learned of his death.
The carbon tax got many a mention during question time.
The government was keen as beans to dixer itself about how it is harming the economy.
Environment editor Peter Hannam reports here on the debate over the carbon tax and cutting emissions.
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/the-pulse-live/politics-live-december-9-2013-20131209-2z01d.html