Heat on climate plan as parliament opens

Anthony Albanese has prioritised Labor’s aged-care, climate change, skills and paid family violence leave legislation when the 47th parliament opens next week.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Anthony Albanese has prioritised Labor’s aged-care, climate change, skills and paid family violence leave legislation when the 47th parliament opens next week, promising to fast-track policies that “make a real difference”.

Ahead of MPs returning to Canberra on Tuesday and an expected clash with the Greens over Labor’s climate change target, the Prime Minister is preparing to face his first question time since winning the May 21 election.

Of the first four Bills introduced by the Albanese government, Labor’s plan to legislate its 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 faces the toughest passage through the parliament.

Mr Albanese said he wanted the first week of the new parliament to “bring Australians together to create a better future”.

“Australians voted for change and my government is working hard and delivering. Cleaning up 10 years of mess and mistakes will take more than 10 weeks,” Mr Albanese said.

“But these are important first steps towards fixing aged care, protecting vulnerable Australians, addressing the challenges in our economy and working with our friends and allies to confront the challenges and opportunities from our changing climate.

“Those are our values. They’re Australian values. No one held back, no one left behind, and a parliament all Australians can be proud of – that’s what I’ll be focused on when we meet together next week.”

In line with Labor’s election pledges, legislation will be introduced to establish a new Jobs and Skills Australia statutory body to oversee the national skills crisis.

With Australia experiencing severe skills shortages across multiple sectors, the new body will provide independent advice on current, emerging and future workforce, skills and training needs.

The aged-care legislation will progress some of Labor’s promises to fix the under-stress sector, including requirements for more nurses in nursing homes, stopping high administration and management fees for home care and increasing accountability for aged-care operators.

The Fair Work Amendment Bill will provide 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave for Australian workers in response to one woman dying every 10 days at the hands of their current or former partner.

Despite the Climate Change Bill not being required, Mr Albanese is following through with his election pledge to legislate Labor’s target and provide greater certainty for business, industry and energy investors by enshrining Australia’s updated nationally determined contribution. With the Greens boasting four lower house MPs and 12 senators following the election, Labor requires the support of the left-wing party along with one other crossbencher in the upper house to push through legislation.

The emissions reduction target anchors Labor’s plan to reach net zero by 2050 and bring on 82 per cent renewables by the end of the decade.

In addition to Labor’s legislative agenda in the first parliamentary sitting fortnight since the election, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will deliver an economic statement next Thursday updating Treasury’s economic growth forecasts.

“When parliament returns next week I will deliver a ministerial statement that will detail some of these pressures on our economy,” Dr Chalmers said.