Labor closing in on deals on CFMEU, NDIS and aged care

Anthony Albanese is closing in on deals with the Coalition to put the CFMEU into administration and reform the NDIS and aged care sectors.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher in the Senate. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese is closing in on deals with the Coalition to put the CFMEU into administration and reform the NDIS and aged-care sector, with Labor increasingly relying on the support of Peter Dutton to pass legislation as the relationship with the Greens ­worsens.

Ahead of parliament returning on Monday, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said she was hopeful CFMEU and NDIS legislation would pass the Senate this week, while flagging the government was finally closing in on a bipartisan response to the aged-care taskforce report.

The Australian understands the government has agreed to make further concessions with the Coalition on the CFMEU bill, including a minimum three-year administration term for branches of the union where wrongdoing is found. The government opposes the Coalition’s proposal for the administrator to face Senate estimate grillings, but is willing to accept more regular reporting to parliament than the every six months required under the bill that failed in the Senate last week.

While Labor is hopeful of a deal on Monday, the sticking point is a legislated ban on political donations from the CFMEU while it is under administration; the government says this is unconstitutional.

Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said she was not convinced it was unconstitutional to ban donations from the CFMEU in the bill, arguing the High Court had made “varied decisions on the issue”.

“We think it is imperative to the integrity of the administration that the CFMEU’s ability to make political donations and run political campaigns is banned in the legislation,” she said.

Senator Gallagher said it was becoming easier to strike deals with the Coalition than the Greens on major programs, as Labor’s relationship deteriorates with the left-wing party over its uncompromising stance on the Gaza conflict.

“I think on those big ones like NDIS and aged care, those parties that are in government or would like to be in government, recognise the significant budget impacts of failing to deliver reform in those areas,” Senator Gallagher said.

“So I think that does focus the mind. The Greens don’t have to worry about that obviously. They are not going to be in government and so they can keep pretending that, you know, budgets can keep growing, and we can keep spending in all of these areas without constraint.”

The NDIS bill – which will expand the disability agency’s power to stop participants’ continually seeking “top ups” to their plans and define what constitutes as a “reasonable and necessary” supports – is the third priority for debate next week, behind the CFMEU bill and legislation banning the sharing of non-consensual deep-fake pornography.

Caucus endorsed a number of Coalition amendments last Monday, including the explicit carve outs of sex work, alcohol and drugs from NDIS plans, but the bill was not debated again in the Senate for the rest of the week.

Speculation has arisen over whether the delay is due to one of the Coalition amendment’s forcing the NDIS Minister to make a statement “within five days” of the legislation passing to clarify when the list of supports that will be covered and not covered by the scheme will be made permanent.

On aged care, The Australian understands the Coalition has not seen the final version of the bill, which aims to return the sector to a more financial footing through potential reforms including making older Australians with means pay more for accommodation, food, cleaning and gardening costs.

While the government has maintained it would not progress with legislation until bipartisanship with the Coalition was assured, it has been under increasing pressure to table a bill for debate.