The repeal of the Labor-Green-independent imposed medivac laws is an essential victory for the Morrison Government.
Substantially the failure of the anti-union thuggery laws last week in the Senate was more important to the Coalition than the repeal of rules allowing doctors to order the removal of asylum seekers from Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
But, politically, psychologically and symbolically the Coalition needed to get these laws repealed.
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After a miraculous election victory in May, the passage of promised personal tax cuts, $1 billion in emergency aid for the drought-affected farmers and more than half billion in extra aged care funding the Coalition has ended the Parliamentary year in a scrappy fashion.
Political superficialities have overshadowed substance, government achievements have not had the impact they should and Labor has outplayed the government in parliament.
A defeat on this repeal would have destroyed internal confidence, confirmed a lack of strategy and a subsequent vulnerability to tactical attacks and restored Labor’s recovery after a terrible year.
Jacquie Lambie’s crucial vote — one she says continues border protection but won’t allow people to die waiting for medical treatment — has justified the Coalition’s position of the last 12 months.
In December last year the then minority Morrison government was defeated in the House of Representatives by the independents, Greens and Labor and a year later has now reversed the vote and demonstrated a new, although tenuous, authority.
The final vote and the deals surrounding the support for repealing the laws were messy and provided Labor with another political trail to follow and keep the anger alive but this is a vital coalition victory.
Morrison needed to steady the government ahead of the Christmas parliamentary break.
The next step towards 2020 is for the government to build a cohesive strategy which, like the medivac repeal, reflects real substance and provides direction beyond the May budget and the promised surplus.
Live sheep end kills wool as well
Farmers are getting unintended consequences with wool production at a century low. It is not all due to drought or even depressed demand; there is virtue-signalling by the Albanese government.
Retail union fund owes a refund
A retail worker who admitted charging a customer for something they did not purchase, but only refunded the payment if asked, would not be in their job for long.