4m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:40am
📷 Marathon final Question Time of the year in pictures
12m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:31am
And that’s the end of Question Time!
And with that final dixer from Labor’s Sarah Witty, the prime minister has ended that marathon final Question Time for the year. It went for an unusually long 90 minutes!
The parliamentary calendar for 2026 says we’ll be back for the next Question Time on February 3.
16m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:27am
Albanese spruiks accountability of Australian parliament
Independent MP Allegra Spender has asked the prime minister whether he’s considered reforming Question Time to get better answers to questions in future.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he’s placed a time limit on answers to improve the quality of answers from ministers.
He says the Australian parliament is the most accountable in the world.
“Most parliaments in the G20, President Prabowo has not answered a question. Prime Minister Modi has not answered a question,” Albanese says.
“In the UK, the Westminster system upon which we’re based, there is Prime Minister’s Question Time for one hour once a week. And the questions are on notice,” he says.
Albanese says the government has amended standing orders to give crossbenchers a “fair crack” to ask a question.
22m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:22am
Have power prices ruined Christmas?
Liberal frontbencher Melissa Price once again targets Chris Bowen, this time asking has “the government’s failure to deliver its promised $275 power bill ruined Christmas”?
We’ve heard much of this before.
Bowen says yes, power prices are too high, and that’s exactly why the government is working to increase supply in Price’s state of Western Australia.
“Two coal-fired power stations in Western Australia announced their closures under the former government,” Bowen says.
“In contrast, 1.5gigawatts of renewables and 1.2gigawatts have been added in Western Australia since May 2022.”
Then there are the 15,825 West Australian households who have installed a cheaper home battery since July, he adds.
28m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:16am
Kate Chaney questions PM on government’s housing policy
Independent MP Kate Chaney has asked a question about rising house prices and the government’s policies to address it.
“If this government is trying to address the housing affordability crisis, are your policies aiming to increase, plateau or reduce house prices?” Chaney asks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is moving to increase housing supply, and provide more social and public housing, which he says was opposed by the “noalition”.
It prompts Manager of Opposition Business Alex Hawke to jump up on a point of order, protesting the PM’s use of “noalition”.
Speaker Milton Dick has slapped down the point of order, saying Albanese was referring to a group of parties, not just the Coalition.
“They’ve had a bad day. I understand that,” the PM responds.
“This government’s policies are being implemented … Whether it be increased social housing, whether it be increased private rentals, or whether it be increased home ownership through programs, through programs such as our shared equity scheme,” he says.
35m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:09am
The one rule of National Security Committee
The Nationals’ David Batt once again calls on Chris Bowen, but with a different topic.
He asks how many National Security Committee cabinet meetings he will miss due to his role as president of negotiations at COP.
Last week it was revealed Australia would cede COP hosting rights Türkiye, in exchange for it handing Bowen the reins of the negotiations and cementing a major role for the Pacific at the summit.
But Anthony Albanese jumps up instead.
As the chair of the national security committee, he says, “it’s actually a breach of the law to talk about what happened at the National Security Committee”.
40m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 4:04am
Will Labor extend a gas export agreement that expires in 2031?
Independent MP Sophie Scamps has asked whether the government will extend a Santos gas export contract that expires in 2031 which prioritises overseas gas exports.
Resources Minister Madeleine King says the government is undertaking a review of the gas market as part of the transition to renewable energy.
King says the review is nearing its conclusion and the government will report back soon about what it finds.
She says Australia wants to remain a reliable trading partner, supporting the energy security of Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Korea.
“The arrangements you speak about expire in 2031, and all I can say about those arrangements is that whatever arrangements occur at that time will have to meet the obligations and requirements under Australian law,” King says.
48m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:56am
Ley asks PM about living standards
A different strategy now from Sussan Ley, who asks the prime minister if he will take responsibility for a decline in living standards.
“Lower productivity, more debt, higher inflation and, now, as many economists warn, the real prospect of higher interest rates,” the opposition leader says.
Anthony Albanese takes it as an opportunity to list off some of what he sees as his government’s greatest hits (energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, free TAFE, student debt relief, etc, etc).
“Our economy is growing. Very unusually, across the developed world, we have had zero quarters of negative growth. Inflation is down to half of what it was under those opposite. Interest rates have come down three times this year. Wages have increased eight quarters in a row,” Albanese says.
54m agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:50amTony Burke defends government’s immigration arrangement with Nauru
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Independent MP Monique Ryan has asked a question about the federal government’s billion dollar memorandum of understanding with Nauru on NZYQ detainees.
Ryan says allegations of corruption have been made against multiple members of the Nauru government.
“Minister, is it your position that the opacity, wastefulness and cruelty of these arrangements reflects well on this country?” Ryan asks.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the arrangements Australia has with Nauru are important.
Burke says the allegations have been raised with the president of Nauru which he says are being taken seriously.
The home affairs minister says the agreement with Nauru is a pathway to stop people smuggling to Australia.
He says 33 people died on his watch when he was last immigration minister.
“The youngest of them was a baby. His name was Abdul. Today he should be 12. He should be 12 today. But he’s not. And to make sure that we have a pathway to stop that trade in misery,” Burke says.
Burke says Australia should have a pathway to send people to Nauru if Australia can’t return them to their country of origin.
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:42am
When will Australians see cheaper electricity bills?
The energy minister is popular today. Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan asks Chris Bowen again: “When will Australians see a $275 reduction in their retail power bills?”
Labor agrees that energy bills are too high, Bowen says, before listing off ways the government is trying to fix that.
“We recognise there’s more work to do, to see that roughly 30 per cent reduction in wholesale prices in the last quarter flow through to bills,” he says.
“Australians aren’t seeing that yet in their bills, we want to see them receive that as soon as possible.”
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:37am
Bowen lists off energy prices as Coalition attacks Labor for cost of electricity
Nationals MP Jamie Chaffey has asked the energy minister whether he’ll apologise to Australian families for breaking his promise to cut electricity bills.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the wholesale price of electricity in NSW has reduced to $90 per megawatt hour.
“I wonder whether the member for Hume cares to apologise for hiding that increase before the last election, for deliberately hiding it from the Australian people,” Bowen says.
Bowen has used the opportunity to list off energy prices that would be a little too much to recount to you here.
But he blamed the closure of coal-fired power stations on the former Coalition government.
Chaffey has tried to interjected on a point of order on relevance, but he’s been shut down by Speaker Milton Dick.
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:29am
Power prices the theme of the day
Liberal Jason Wood is up next. He asks Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen whether he has a message for families struggling to pay their electricity bills this Christmas.
Bowen is armed with some figures.
In Wood’s state of Victoria, he says, 23,845 people have installed a cheaper home battery and 139,629 nationwide.
“What our government is doing is delivering for the people of Victoria and repairing the damage of 10 years of denial and delay the previous government inflicted,” he says.
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:26am
📹 Barnaby Joyce announces resignation from National party
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:24am
📷 Crossbenchers wonder where Barnaby Joyce will sit as an independent
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:22am
Burke says he wasn’t at airport to greet women, children who returned from Syria
Fowler MP Dai Le has asked the the Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke whether he was at the airport when women and children who travelled to or were taken to Syria to join the Islamic State returned to Australia.
Burke says: “No”.
Moving on, Fisher MP Andrew Wallace is then ejected from the chamber under section 94a of standing orders during Health Minister Mark Butler’s response to a dixer.
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:16am
Another question for the PM
Next up in the house is Liberal deputy leader Ted O’Brien, who asks the prime minister what he has to say to people struggling with their mortgage payments, given inflation is on the rise.
Albanese hits back, declaring that inflation is “half of what it was when we came to office”.
The house is certainly rowdy today, and O’Brien is booted out for disorderly conduct under 94a.
Ted O’Brien was booted from the chamber. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:14am
📷 Barnaby Joyce announces resignation from Nationals
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
(ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
(ABC News: Luke Stephenson)1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:11amJoyce signals he’s interested in re-joining the Senate
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Barnaby Joyce has signalled that he’s interested in re-joining the Senate.
“I think it’s the appeal also of the Senate, of just review and amending legislation, and you would have to come to me on each legislation,” Joyce says.
“I’ve done the Senate before.”
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:08am
Barnaby Joyce says world is changing, citing rise of Donald Trump
Barnaby Joyce has been asked if he fears for the future of the Coalition, including the Liberal party.
Joyce says things are changing around the world, and has pointed to the rise of US President Donald Trump as an example.
“The world is changing and I think Australia is actually last to it, it’s just that with compulsory voting it’s a little more sticky here,” Joyce says.
“And it’s changing because how people get their information is changing.”
He says there are more One Nation members in Tamworth than there are Nationals members.
Joyce says it would be really difficult for the Coalition to win the next election.
1h agoThu 27 Nov 2025 at 3:08am
It’s Question Time
The final Question Time for the year has kicked off.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has the first question, and she gets straight into it, asking the prime minister if he misled the Australian people when he promised to reduce power prices by 2025.
Before he gets a chance to answer, nearly every member on the opposition benches raises a sign in unison.
The opposition hold up a sea of signs targetting Labor over energy prices. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
The speaker isn’t pleased, given that no props are allowed in the house. Very last day of school energy.
After some hoopla, Anthony Albanese gets to his response.
He doesn’t address the question, instead focusing on the Coalition’s track record on climate change.