Bob Katter key in Labor’s battle over bank laws

Labor is edging closer to securing the numbers to add extra sitting weeks to deal with the banking royal commission.

Queensland crossbencher Bob Katter. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Labor is edging closer to securing the numbers to defeat the government on the floor of parliament and add extra sitting weeks to deal with the banking royal commission’s recommendations, as Bob Katter leaves open the option of supporting the move.

The procedural tactic triggered warnings from Scott Morrison that his opponents were being “reckless” with important financial reforms.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne also accused Labor of taking “completely unprecedented” action after manager of opposition business Tony Burke advised him the opposition would not grant pairs to government MPs for any vote requiring an ­absolute majority of 76 members.

Lower house crossbenchers Rebekha Sharkie, Adam Bandt, Cathy McGowan and Kerryn Phelps have offered support for Labor’s plan to suspend standing orders and move a motion to include an extra sitting fortnight in March to legislate banking ­reforms.

Labor has 69 lower house MPs and will need to win over all seven independents to reach an absolute majority to suspend standing ­orders and succeed.

Bob Katter key in Labor’s battle over bank laws

Mr Pyne lashed out at Mr Burke for refusing to grant pairs. “Regardless of what Tony Burke says, by cancelling pairs the ALP are saying they won’t let any member of the House of Representatives leave to attend to a sick family member or to get medical attention themselves,” he said.

“It’s completely unprecedented. Even in the darkest days of the 43rd parliament, the then opposition never stooped this low.”

Liberal defector Julia Banks last night declined to say whether she supported the extension of parliament, while Mr Katter said he was “open to the idea of extra sitting days” but wanted to consult further.

Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie will receive a briefing from Treasury officials today on the royal commission’s findings before deciding whether to support additional sitting weeks. “One question I have for (Treasury) is their view on the Law Council of Australia’s concerns with trying to rush things,” Mr Wilkie said.

A defeat on the floor of parliament would be a major blow for the Prime Minister, who has scheduled just three sitting weeks between now and the time the election is due to be called in April.

Mr Katter would have to break a $234 million deal with Mr Morrison to back Labor’s motion, after he agreed to support the government on any motion that caused disruption to the “good order of the house” in exchange for water infrastructure projects in his Queensland electorate.

Mr Morrison refused to say whether Mr Katter’s deal would be dead if he voted against the government, but rounded on Labor, declaring the royal commission had made 76 recommendations, 40 of which would require legislation. “You cannot go and put together what is at least 40 pieces of legislation or thereabouts, scramble it together in a couple of weeks, throw it into a feverish sitting of the Australian parliament just before the election and then be surprised at the result that you think that you might get on the other side. I would call that type of financial legislation reckless,” he told the National Press Club.

“The fact that Bill Shorten … doesn’t understand the complexity of these measures, the consultation that has to be undertaken, the exposure drafts that need to be made available, the unintended consequences to be identified through that process, says that this guy doesn’t get it.”

Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen accepted there were some legislative elements to the royal commission’s report that would take longer than an extra two sitting weeks, but added: “There are some which are so self-evident and obvious and easy to draft and would receive bipartisan support, probably unanimous support across the parliament, that it could be done.”

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said he was talking to Labor about plans to extend parliament’s sitting, which should focus on the needs of victims of the banks and financial institutions.