Decision to delay parliament another poor political decision by Turnbull government

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks at the LNP campaign launch for the Queensland Election yesterday. Photo: AAP

Delaying — more like cancelling — a week of parliament for the House of Representatives is a very bad idea for the Turnbull government. Just when it should be taking the advice of the old British wartime poster — keep calm and carry on — it has pushed the panic button.

It needs to demonstrate a commitment to democracy and business-as-usual but it is shutting down the people’s house for a week, hiding from scrutiny, delaying its legislative agenda and running scared. It is another poor political decision because it will have the opposite effect to that intended — rather than steady the ship and help restore order it adds to the sense of crisis.

It is no secret that federal politics has been a shambles for months, with the dual citizenship chaos knocking out politicians, forcing High Court decisions, creating confusion over replacements and triggering at least two by-elections. This terrible dilemma was not of Malcolm Turnbull’s making but it has overlaid all of his policy and political problems, increased pressure on his leadership and generated a real and present threat to his one-seat majority.

Parliament was due to sit next Monday and it was going to be a difficult week, with both Barnaby Joyce and John Alexander missing from the House of Representatives because of their dual citizenship-forced by-elections. Labor was going to make mischief; the numbers were going to be so tight that the government would need to rely on crossbenchers to survive and stave off political ploys such as a motion from Labor demanding a royal commission into banks.

There was also going to be argy-bargy over a process to resolve the dual citizenship crisis and ensure all parliamentarians made declarations about their status. Now it is all pushed off for a week.

The government has no plausible excuse for this. The Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, says it is because the Senate won’t have passed the gay marriage legislation by Monday therefore the House will be wasting its time. So the government has nothing else to get on with? That is preposterous. And it doesn’t pass the pub test.

No, the government is trying to concertina everything it needs to do into one sitting period the following week. And it will be the week after Joyce wins his by-election; so that even if he isn’t sworn in fast enough to sit in parliament that week, the government will look more solid and Labor will appear more opportunistic if it pushes too hard.

The Coalition will look to pass the gay marriage laws and finalise the dual citizenship process in one busy week — and then slip town and escape to the sanctuary of the Christmas break. Sure, the government is saying it will sit the following week if necessary — but you can bet everything you own on its intention to crunch it all through and get out of Canberra until February.

The Prime Minister wants one less shaky week in parliament; four fewer question times; and one less party room meeting. This is a government under extraordinary pressure that is looking to shorten its end of year killing season.

The trouble is it is ill-advised. Its transparency makes it counter-productive. The reaction already from Labor, the Greens and the independents is ominous. They will use this to increase the pressure, not ease it.

The Coalition is now trying to argue that it is keeping calm at the same time it is running away.